For God and the King, Text (3 of 3)

For God and the King · Text (3 of 3)

p. 114And to this purpose they procure another order in King Iames his name, for the inhibiting of young Ministers to preach of the Doctrines of Election and Predestination, and that none but Bishops & Deanes shall handle those points. And after that, there is set forth a Declaration before the Articles of Religion in King Charles his name, which (though as wee noted before) it was farre from his Majesties pious intention to inhibit any part of Gods truth to bee preached, but the contrary heresies, yet the Prelates perverted and extended it to an universall silencing, and suppressing of all those saving Doctrines, of Election, Predestination, effectuall vocation by grace, assurance, perseverance in opposition to the contrary Arminian heresies; so as neither Prelates nor Presbyters must meddle with them. Thus the Doctrines of the Gospell must be for ever husht, & layd a sleep. Thus our Articles of Religion, to which all our Ministers subscribe, are hanged up upon the wal, and cashered, as the heathen Oracles of old. Thus the Ministry of the Gospell is at once overthrowne, and nothing but orations of morality must be taught the people. And herein doe our Prelates follow the rule of Cont…en the Iesuite in his Politicks, who prescribes this Contzen Politic.rule of silencing Controversies, as an excellent way for restoring their Roman-Catholicke Religion in the Reformed Churches. For if truth and error bee both suppressed, truth by and by vanisheth, but errour doth by necessary consequence come instead thereof, and prevaile. p. 115As if a man should bee hoodwinck it for the space of 24. houres, that hee should neither see the day, nor C…nturia. 6. Epistola Dedicatoria.the night, by this meanes all is night to him. Nor is this a devise of yesterday: but Satan had broached it long agoe. For the Centuriators observe, that the Authors and Advocates of corruptions and errours, procuring by their flattery and faire showes to great men, an opinion of great learning, and so much the greater, by reason of their high Grace and dignity which makes them the more admired; Nefarie conciliare praesumunt. Crescunt sub Amnestias pallio ac tutela corruptelae, & aliae Ecclesiae Dei Pestes. Discant igitur omnes hujus mundi Potentates &c. See Athanasius de Synodis Arimini, and Seleuciae. Epist. ad Orthodoxos. Also Contur. 4. cap. 9. de Synodis Selentia.and being the Patrons of great mens vices; therefore, those errors being opposed by the Orthodox, they labour to compose all Controversies with an Amnestia, or silencing of all disputes, and by that meanes they wickedly presume to reconcile Christ with Belial, Truth with Errour, a believer with an infidell. So as the Emperor Anastasius, being a favourer of the Arrian heresy, was mooved by such counsels, to bury the Controversies of the principall heads of Doctrine under an Amnestia. But in vaine: This counsell is not of God, but of men. VnderUnder this cloake and patronage of Amnestia, doe corruptions, and other plagues of the Church of God increase. Let therefore all Potentates of this world learne, that the most waighty Controversies of the Articles of faith cannot be abolished, or quieted by Amnesties: but rather let them be determined by the Word of God, &c. So they. The like did the Arrian Bishops in a Councell, at Seleucia, called by Constantius an Arrian Emperor, who did therein suppresse by a perpetuall Amnestia the mention of homousios and homotousios, that so they might coyne a new faith, and utterly extinguish that of the Councell of Nice. Thus wee see the antiquity of this practise. But wee have before sufficiently cleared our gratious Soveraigne from having the least intention of p. 116Suppressing any part of Gods truth by that his Declaration, but only of the cōtrary errors, although the Prelates do pervert & presse it upō Ministers for the Suppressing of those very truthes or doctrines of our Church, clearly, though briefly expressed in the 39 Articles, and especially that of Election & Predestination; as before wee noted. Now will any man Say, that the Declaration is prefixed to the Articles, that they should bee void and of none effect, or that they should bee as a nose of wax, or a D…lphicke Oracle, to bee taken in two contrary senses? Its impossible. And therefore it is too great impiety to fasten such a diabolicall practise upon the Sacred person of so noble a King, as the author of it.

But in the meane time a fearefull innovation of doctrine is by this very meanes broken in upon us. Now the doctrines of Gods free grace and mans salvation, are husht, and banished out of Citty and Countrey. For where is there a Minister almost among a thousand, that dare cleerly and plainly according to the Word of God, and the Articles of our Church, preach of these most comfortable Doctrines to Gods people, and so soundly and roundly confute the Arminian heresies, Acts. 20. 26. 27: 28. Booke of Ordination. After the Oath of the Kings Supremacy.Acts 20:26Acts 20:27Acts 20:28repugnant thereunto? Although both by Gods Word, and by our Ordination, we are bound thereto. So as the matter of our preaching must bee but morality at the best. The mistery of God touching his Grace may not be opened, as it ought.

And to this purpose Mountagues Appeale (the first part allowing altogether of Arminianisme, the second of Popery) was published, and that by the speciall approbation and allowance of the Prelates. But it pleased our Gratious Soveraigne to call it in. Also p. 117the Historicall Narration, being a notorious packe and plot of knavery, for the conclùding of the Arminian Tenents to be the doctrins of the Church of England, was by them published, being allowed in London house. Dr. George Abbot.Although the Archbishop that then was, called it in. Also D. Iacksons bookes were to maintaine Arminianisme. So that booke of a namelesse author, called Gods love to mankinde, although it hath no expresse priviledge, yet it goes abroad by connivence, being printed, as they say, in London. Also Cosens Private Devotions, which did maintaine prayer for the dead, till after the out-cry, being questioned in Parliament, that point was purged out, but yet the whole booke is popish, & weares the Iesuites badge in the front of it. Also a Sermon of one Browne preached in Oxford, in the prayer whereof printed before the Sermon, is an expresse prayer for the dead. And it passeth for currant uncensured. Also the booke of Franciscus à S. Clara, which hath beene now thrice printed and that in London (as they say) & much applawded of our Innovators; and most boldly dedicated to the Kings Majesty, and (they say) presented to the King by a Prelate; the scope whereof is, to reconcile our Religion, and so **Epist. Apologet. in fine.to cast of the old man, that is, the Calvinisticall, to reduce our Church to Mother Rome againe. In so much as he indeavors by shuffling, and packing, and false dealing, with his paraphrases upon all our 39. Articles to make his owne game so faire, as he hopes to win us backe againe to Rome. Yea, he saith, we agree Epist. Apologet.in justification inherent by workes; which is to reconcile light with darknesse. And Article 37. hee labours to reduce our King unto Subjection to the Apostolicke Sea, the Pope. Thats their ayme indeed, p. 118as being the principall Fundamentall, wherein consists the unity of all Churches under one Head, the Pope. And all this according to the sence of Trent. Now let any man but of common sence judge. The Pope being cast out of this Kingdome, with all his false doctrines, can any man imagine, that the Articles of our Religion could beare any such sence, as to bring us backe againe to Rome, to bring our King under the Popes girdle againe, to conspire with all those blasphemous doctrines and decrees of that most Antichristian Councell of Trent? What man in the world, were he not a Iesuited Divell incarnate, but would have blushed and beene ashamed to have undertaken such a monstrous Task as this, to reconcile the Articles of our Religion with the Councell of Trent? How comes it then to passe, that till now of late, all our grave and learned Divines, yea Prelates and others, have maintained an immortall warre, and which can never admit of a Truce, against the Pope and all his Antichristian heresies packed up in that Diabolicall Councell of Trent? And their learned workes doe still live, and that with triumphant Lawrells upon their heads, standing to this day unanswered and unanswerable? And yet one Franciscus a St. Clare, with the very breath of Ipse dixit, will on a sudden overthrow all the writings of those Worthies, and by a Romish racke, serue up our very Articles, to speake whatsoever language Mother Trent will have them. For this take another instance or two. One is our Eleventh Article, which shewes our Iustification to bee by faith, without the concurrence of workes in justification: and whereas our Homily by him alledged (Probl. 22. versus finem) Saith, That the habit or act of Faith in us, doth p. 119not justifie us, for this were to attribute justification to some vertue, or act in us, &c. Videtur (saith hee) negare jus…itiam inhaerentem, sed vere nihil minus intenditur, quia …a…im subditur; Deus est qui justificat: This seemes (saith hee) to denie inherent righteousnesse, but in trueth, nothing lesse is intended, because it is by and by added, It is God that justifieth. Now see this mans impudent non-sence. The whole scope of the Homily is, to set forth most clearely the formall cause of our justification, to bee, by imputation of Christs Righteousnesse, which Gods free mercy accounteth ours, not in any worke of grace in us, in whole, or in part, no not in Homil of salvation. Part. 2. pag. 15. 16. 17.faith it selfe, as it is an habit, or act inherent in us, but as an instrument apprehending and applying Christ. And it utterly and expresly excludeth al inherent righteousnesse in us, and all merit of workes, as the **Pag. 17. ibid.greatest arrogancy and presumption of man, that Antichrist could set up against God. So as the Homily setting downe these two as opposite one to the other, namely, Faith as a vertue in us, doth not justifie us, and, It is God that justifieth: with what mouth of impudency can any man Say, that the Homily intended nothing lesse, then to exclude justification by workes? But hee hath gotten a Dispensation from the Father of lies, and from the Pope, to coyne brutish lies at his pleasure. Adde wee a second instance, which is that of the 24. Article, concerning Prayer in an unknowne tongue in the congregation, in these words: It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of Article 24.God, and the Custome of that Primitive Church, to have publike prayer in the Church, or to Minister the Sacraments in a tongue not understood of the people. Now what doth Franciscus paraphrase upon this? Namely, that this Article p. 120determineth, it is repugnant to the Scriptures, that is, not to the doctrine of the Scriptures, as if it ordained any thing to the contrary, but to the writing, or tradition of the Scripture, which among the Corinthians was in the vulgar tongue. Here al that heare, may hisse. But what saith he to the 28. Article, which condemneth Transubstantiation? Surely his Reconciliation heere is at a stand. For hee is forced to Say, that Negare Transubstantiationem divin…, &c. To deny divine Transubstantiation, in this fearefull Mystery is against the verity of Faith, as it is defined in the Councels of Lateran, & Trent. It is well then. Herein, in the point of Transubstantiation no Reconciliation betweene us and Trent. Then what hope hath he to reduce us to Rome, or to re-erect his Masse in England? yes he hath one hope. What is that? By calling here a nationall Synod. Of whom? Not of those whom he calls Calvinists and Puritans, who are of the Orthodox party. For he sayth, Epist. Apologet. in fine.Deponentes secundum pristinam conversationē verterem hominē (nempe Calvinisticum) qui corrumpitur &c. Putting off, as touching the former conversation the old man (to wit, the Calvinisticall) which is corrupted. And in his Paraphrase on the 37. Article, utinam denuo &c. Now I would to God, that by publick authority, the matter for the dignity of it (Puritanis non …ntermixtis, the Puritans not intermedling, or intermixt) might out of an affection of revnion, be throughly scanned. For I know the Puritans abhorre this. For they fly all communion with us, and abominate us as the body of Satan and Antichrist; as Cassander said of some Christians. This doth Franciscus apply to the Puritans, whom he would have vtterly excluded from a Synod, assembled to revnite Rome and England. And can ye blame him? Did not p. 121the Trent-Conventicle in truth, though they pretended the contrarie, exclude Protestants from them? And did not the Protestants, being invited **See Histor. Coun. Tri…. lib. 1.as warily refuse to come, and that by the example of Iohn H…ss, when they might answere the Popes counterfet invitatiō, as the Fox did the sick-Lyon, refusing to visit him in his dēne, Quia me vestigia terrent, &c. No, no quoth Ren…ld, for full well I see, All foot-sleps towards you, none towards me. Now who are those Puritans he excepts against, as not to be admitted to the Synod? Perhaps he may find some few Puritan (tantum non in Episcopatu) Bishops that are for doctrine Orthodox; So also many Doctors and Divines that are Orthodox; these must have noe place in his Synod. And why? Good reason. For how els will he reconcile Romes night, and our English twilight together in one League, if the meridian light come betwene? Or how shall Romes cold and livelesse religion have fellowship with ou… Lukewarme Neuters, and moderate men, if true Christian zeale come betwene, and make an interruption? Away, therefore with Puritans, and Calvinists out of their Synod. Who then? OnelyOnly peaceable and indifferent men, as Ely, Chichester, and all other well affected to Rome, and above all, the Arch-Prelates, as to whose definitive sentence all other Divines must vaile Bonnet, captivate their judgements, and therein rest themselues. For these, or one of them with his mighty traine, is able to sweepe downe the third part of the starres of heauen. But this by the way for Franciscus. And to this agreeth the common cry among the Factionists, and Factors for Rome, that wee and they **Contrary to the 19th Article: The Church of Rome hath erred in matters of faith, and Homily for W…t-Sunday Second part.differ not in Fundamentalls. Yea, a great Prelate in the High Commission Court, said openly at p. 122the Censure of Dr. Bastwick. That wee and the Church of Rome differ not in Fundamētalibus, but onelyonly circa Fundamentalia. Though the distinction bee absurd, it being all one, according to the Apostle, to erre in fide, & circa 1. Tim. 1. 19. Poritopistin enavagysan. circa fidem, naufrag…verunt Latin. Chonaei Collectiones Theologicae. Cap. 16. Discourse of the Sabbath. Epistle Dedicatory pag. 4. See the Answere to it.1 Tim 1:19fidem. For circa fidem, concerning, or about faith, men may make ship-wracke. Yet this hee spake, in defence of a little Pamphlet of one Chowne, which he dedicated to his Lordship, wherein hee affirmeth, That the Church of Rome and wee, differ not in Fundamentalibus: and that the Church is one over the World, whereby he would conclude our Church to be one & the same with that of Rome. And to this purpose is that of Dr. White, in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Lords Grace of Canterbury, before his discourse of the Sabbath, in these words: But from this which is delivered, I shall intrea…e your Grace, and all other impartiall, and intelligent Readers to consider, the vncharitable construction of Romish adversaries, who from the rising up of some Schismaticall Spirits amongst us, conclude, that the maine body of our Church is Schismaticall. And pag. 5. ibid. Now Schismaticall (heere) must needs be in relation to the Church of Rome: as from which Romish adversaries, object wee are Schismaticall: which Dr. White cleareth, and calls it an vncharitable construction of Romish adversaries. So as heere is a change of our very Church, and a bringing of us back to a reconciliation & union with the Church of Rome, as from which wee have made no such Schisme, as they uncharitably charge us withall. And thus will come in an universall change in all our Doctrines. As in the Commencement at Cambridge, not long agoe, was openly maintained justification by Workes: **As F… à Sancta Clara in Artic. 23. mak… mention, & much glorieth of pag. 1… 191. … 9. …. 1. …. 10…5.And Shelfords booke will proove justification by Charity. And p. 123that **Against all our worthy Divines as Dr. Iohn White in his way to the true Church. Sect. 61. n. 4. For as much as the State of the Papacy, the Pope and his Religion, is Antichrist; wee say, all that obeyed the same, are eternally damned. So he. See also Dr. Whitakers de Antichristo. Also Dr. Downham, D. Abbor, D. Sharpe, D. Suteliffe and others. And our Homilies (justar omnium) call the Pope The Babylonical Beast of Rome: and the Church, The Kingdome of Antichrist. For White l. 2. a serm. 6. against Rebellion.the Pope is not Antichrist, contrary to the resolved Doctrines of our Church, in our Homilies, and elsewhere. As Homily against wilfull rebellion, part. 6. The Pope is the Babilonicall Beast of Rome, &c. Also the Second part of the Sermon for Whit-sunday: The Pope, the Devill, and all the Kingdome of Antichrist. And in a Prayer for private Families in the Communion-Booke, by publike authority, Confound Satan and Antichrist, &c. And Shelfords Second Treatise, is to beate downe true Preaching and Pulpits; for hee saith, hee cannot finde a Pulpit in all the Scripture: How? Did the old Priest never read the 8. of Nehemiah, appointed to bee read for the 27. of May, wherein hee might find both a Pulpit, vers. 4. and Preaching, vers. 8? I omit many more passages in that Authour, of the like nature, all contrary to the expresse Doctrines of our Church, according to the Scriptures. And yet this Booke was licenced by the Vicechancellor of Cambridge that then was, Dr. Beale, and published at the very Commencement (whereat my selfe then was) that so it might poysonall England.

Adde wee hereunto another Booke, intitled the Female glory, By Anthony Stafford, printed by authority, 1635. Wherein hee mightily deifies the Virgin Mary, calling her, The **Pag. 148.grand white immaculate Abbesse of the Snowie Nunneries of those votaries, to whom hee speakes, before whom hee would have them to kneele, presenting the All-saving babe in her armes, with due veneration. Loe heere a change of our God into a Goddesse. And **pag. 157. Our sweetest Lady.there hee commends the Sacred Arethmitick in praying on their beades. And pag. 153. hee commends Candlem as day for the Lights burning, and Masse-singing, taken from the p. 124Heathen guise, and converted into Christian. And, **Pag. 154. 155. This day made holy by the purification of the Mother. And pag. 21. hee calls her white spotlesse soule. And pag. 37 Purity it selfe. And pag. 45. Her. allholy heart. As pag. 130 All holy Lord. So pag. 60.That which was performed by Superstitious Idolaters in honour of Ceres and Proserpina (Heathen Goddesses) may bee turned into the prayse and glory of the Virgin Mary: And pag. 209. The Assumption of his Lady is set forth with a picture, how shee is taken up into Heaven with Verses. And pag. 212. Hee seemes to hold the Virgin Mary to have beene without sinne. And pag. 219. 220. Hee boldly beares himselfe upon the approbation of the Church of England, in magnifying the Virgin Mary, as considered, not as a meere woman, but as a type and Idea of an accomplisht piety. And pag. 158. of Sanctity it selfe. And pag. 220. hee preferres the errour of the adoring extreme, before the Puritans, neglecting of her in calling her Mal, Gods mayd, and rejecting Hayle Mary full of grace. And pag. 223. hee saith, Of one thing I will assure them, Till they are good Marians, they shall never bee good Christians. And pag. 235. Of sundry Grandees, hee saith, All which are Canonized for Saints, having erected and dedicated Temples to her memory. Neither have the Princes of this our Ile beene defective in doing her all possible honour, and in Consecrating Chappels and Temples to her memory. And ibid: My arithmeticke will not serve me, to number all those, who have registred their names in Pag. 236.the Sodality of the Rosary of this our Blessed Lady: the originall is derived from the battaile of Naupactan gained by Iohn of Austria, and the Christians, which victory was attributed to the intercession with her Sonne. And pag. 236. hee recites the many holy orders of this Sodality, Styling them, Great, worthy and pious people, and concludes thus, For shame, let not us p. 125alone deny her that honour and prayse, which Lo here the new great Goddesse, Diana, whom the whole Pontifician world worshippeth.all the world allowes her. And pag. 247. he Invocates her, saying, O pardon, gratious Princesse, my weake indeavours to summe up thy value, &c. And pag. 248. Thou deservest a Quire of Queenes here, & another of Angels, in heaven to sing thy prayses, &c. And, I confesse, O my sweetest Lady. And pag. 249. To give thee an estimation answerable to thy merit, is a thing impossible, I must therfore be cōtent to do by thee, as the ancient heathen did by the images of their gods, when by reason of their height they could not place the Crownes, they humbly layd them at their feet: many more passages might be added: as pag. 150. he cals her, womans deerest mistrisse. And pag. 32. a glorious Empresse. And pag. 3. Empresse of this lower world. And pag. 2. If Christ was faire above the Sons of men, should not shee bee so above their daughters? And in his Epistle to his feminine reader, speaking of the Virgin Mary: This is shee, who was on earth a confirmer of the good, and a reformer of the reprobate. Al her visitants were but so many converts, whose bad affections, and erronious opinions, the sweetnes of her discourse had rectified. The Leprosy of sinne was her dayly cure, and they, whom vice had blinded, were by her restored to their in ward sight, & their prostrate soules adored divine, Majestical vertue, residing in this Sacred Temple. The knowledge of her humbled the most proud natures, for the lustre of her merits rendered their owne obscure. And in his Epistle to the Masculine Reader: Truly I believe, that the under-valuing of one so great, and deare in Christs esteeme (as his Mother) cannot but bee displeasing to him, and that the more we ascribe to her, (setting **Here he contradicts his owne practise, as pag. 247. O pardon gratious Princesse &c.invocation apart) the more gracious wee appeare in his sight. And hee concludes it thus: I will onelyonly adde this p. 126that since the finishing of this Story, I have read a booke of the now Bishop of Chicester, intituled Apparatus, &c. and I am glad to find that I have not digressed from him in any one particular. So hee. Loe therefore what a Metamorphosis of our Religion is here. Here is a new goddesse brought in amongst us. The author glorieth, that hee is the first who hath written (as hee saith) in our vulgar tongue, on this our Blessed Virgin. And God grant he be the last. But he beares himself in al this upon the Church of England, where, I pray you? At last I perceive this Church of England is the now Bishop of Chicester in his Apparatus, &c. From whom he hath not digressed in any particular. And surely it were strange that such a mystery of iniquity could bee found, but in a Prelate, and in this one by name for a tryed Champion of Rome, and so a devout votary to his Queene of heaven.

Againe, they have laboured to make a change in the doctrine of obedience to Superiours (of which wee spake before) setting man so in Gods Throne, as all obedience to man must bee absolute, without regard to God, and conscience, whose only rule is the Word of God. But wee spake of this sufficiently before.

We will conclude with one instance more touching change in doctrine, and that is, concerning the doctrine of the Sabbath, or Lords-day, wherein our novell Doctors have gone about to remoove the institution of it from off the foundation of divine authority, and so to settle it upon the Ecclesiasticall or humaine power. For maintenance hereof they have strained the vaines of their Conscience, no lesse then of their braines. And they are so mad upon it, that no shame will stay them, till confusion stop their mouthes. It is reported, that p. 127Doctor White hath sent an answer to A. B. which is now at the presse. Surely, hee will sacrifice all the remainder of his reason (if any be left in him) upon it. Sure I am, he can never answer it, except with rayling and perverting, wherein lyeth his principall faculty, in fighting against the truth, which (be hee well assured) is too hard for him, and all his confederates. But herein hee hath great advantage, that hee may print what hee will at hand: But the contrary side with much difficulty and delay. Otherwise hee had had his hand full before now, when he should have beene put to the taske to answer the full answer at large, to his tedious Treatise, of which A. B. was but a tast. Well, thus much of the first and grand change, to wit, in doctrine, which our Prelates, especially of late dayes have beene a hammering, and now almost (except the Lord Christ strike in, and prevent them) brought to perfection. We shall bee much shorter in the rest, and dispatch them in a Word; because they have beene touched before.

The next change is, innovation in Discipline, which in a word is this, that whereas of old, the Censures of the Church were to bee inflicted upon disordered and vitious persons, notorious livers, as drunkards, adulterers, hereticks, Apostates, false teachers, and the like: now the sharpe edge thereof is turned mainly against Gods people and Ministers, even for their vertue, and piety, and because they will not conforme to their impious Dat veniam Corvis, vexat censura Columba….orders. Our Homily proves Rome no true Church, as wanting the three essentiall markes, the Word, Sacraments, and Discipline. And of this last it saith: Christ ordained the authority of the Ke…es to excommunicate notorious sinners, and to absolve them which are truly penitent. p. 128They abuse this power at their owne pleasure, as well in cursing the godly with Bell, Booke, and Candle, as also in absolving the reprobate, which are knowne to be unworthy of any Christian society. And what can the Prelates and their Court say for thēselues, why that of Bernard may not be applied to them, which hee spake of the Prelates in his time? Quem dabis mihi de numero Episcoporum, qui non plus invigilet subditorum evacuendis, marsupijs, qua… vicijs extirpandis? Vbi est, qui flectat iram? Vbi est, qui praedicet annum placabilem Domini? Propterea relinquamus istos, quia non sunt Pastores, sed traditores, & imitemur illos, qui viventes in carne plant…verunt Ecclesiam sanguine suo. Successores omnes cupiunt esse, imitatores pauci. Whom wilt thou shew mee of all the Bishops, who is not more vigilant to empty the peoples purses, then to root out their vices? Where is hee that seekes to appease wrath? Where is hee, that preacheth the acceptable yeere of the Lord? Wherefore let usabandon these men, because they are not Pastors, but Traytors, and let us imitate those, who living in the flesh, have planted the Church with their blood. So hee. I will not speake of their domesticall discipline, but for the present; and for brevity sake, passe it over. But from the beginning it was not so. **Negotiátorem clericum & ex inopi divitem, ex ignobili gloriosum, quasi quandam pestem fuge. Hierom. ad Nepot.Hierome saith: A negotiating Clerke, and of poore rich, of ignoble glorious, fly from, as from a kind of plague.

The 3. Change is in the worship of God; which they goe about to turne inside outward, placing the true worship, which is in Spirit and Trueth, in a Will-worship of mans devising, consisting in some externall complements, and gesticulations, as cringing & crouchings, bowing, or standing upright at some Scriptures, p. 129more than at others; also a punctuall observance in these formalities, as in bowing to the name of Iesus, to the Communion table, or rather Altar, as to the Mercy-seat, as **Reve. Schelford. Morton. Dr. White Dr. Pocklington.they teach in their books, praying with their faces towards the East, thus tying God to a fixed place, standing at reading of the Gospell, and the like. Also reading their second service at their Altar, as we touched before, & many the like. And who so wil not worship after their new fashion, their new discipline is to excommunicate them, or to bring them into the High-cōmission, a place which they make worse thē Purgatory it selfe. Al which oppression, being an innovation, is directly contrary to the Act of Conformity before the Cōmunion Booke, bringing the Prelats into little lesse, then a Praemunire.

The 4. change is in the civill govermēt, which they labor to reduce & transferre to Ecclesiasticall, while they seeke to trample upon the Lawes of the Land, & step between the King & his people, exercising such a lawlesse tyranny over their bodies & goods (as also over their cō sciences) as is more intollerable, then the Egyptian servitude of Israel under their Taskmasters, in regard wherof (the **See before, the …p. of London in the High-Commission, threatning those, that should bring Prohibitions to that Court. Cum duplicantur Lateres, tunc venit MosesPrelates power over-swaying the subjects right in the free use and benefit of the Lawes) the people of the Land are used, rather as vassals & slaves to the Prelates, then as the free subjects of the King. And this is the case of all England at this day, the people every where groaning & sighing for this their bōdage, & their miserable vexations in the Ecclesiasticall Courts. Well, could they but cry mightily to the Lord, and make their just complaints to his vicegerent their King, as their cause requireth, hee would quickly send a Moses to deliver them. And so much the more should they bee sensible p. 130of this evill, by how much the glory of the Kings governement over a free people, according to his righteous Lawes, is lamentably eclipsed, his power infringed, and his regall Prerogative undermined.

The fifth innovation, is in the altering of Prayer-Bookes, set foorth by publicke authority. And first in the Communion Booke, set forth by Parliament, and commaunded to bee read, without any alteration, and none other, they have altered Sundry things: as in the Collect for the Queene, and the Royall Progeny, they have put out Father of thine elect, and of their Seed, as it In the Editions since 1619.were excluding the King, Queene, and Seed Royall, out of the number of Gods Elect. Also in the Epistle for Sunday before Easter, That in the name of Iesus, they Altered since 1619.hauehave turned into, At the name of Iesus; that so it may make the fairer colour for their forced bowing to the name of Iesus: for which there is neither Scripture, nor ancient Father.

The second Booke, is the Prayers set forth by authority of Parliament, for Solemne thankesgiving for our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason, of the Papists, on every Fifth of November: where in stead of this passage, Root out that Babilonish and Antichristian Sect, which say of Ierusalem, &c. They in the last Edition, 1635. set it downe thus, Root out that Babilonish and Antichristian Sect OF THEM, which say of Ierusalem, &c. Now whereas the words of the Originall copy doe plainely meane, That all Iesuites, Seminary Priests, and their confederates, are that Babilonish and Antichristian Sect, which say of Ierusalem, &c. This latter Booke either restraines it to some few, that are of that mind, or else mentally transferres it to those Puritans, p. 131that cry, Downe with Babilon, that is, Popery, which these men call Ierusalem, and the true Catholike Religion. Againe, in the same Prayer, the old copy hath these words, And to that end, strengthen the hands of our gracious King, the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land with Iudgement & Iustice, to cut off these workers of iniquity (whose religion is rebellion, whose faith is faction, whose practise is murdering of soules and bodies) and to root them out of the confines of this Kingdome, &c. But the new Booke hath it thus, And to that end strengthen the hands of our Gratious King, the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land, with Iudgement and Iustice, to cut off these workers of iniquity, WHO TVRNE RELIGION INTO REBELLION, AND FAITH INTO FACTION. Thus these Innovators would not have the Popish Religion to be termed Rebellion, and their faith Faction, as the ancient copy plainly shewes it to bee: but turne it off from the religion, to some persons, which turne religion into rebellion, and faith into faction. So as by this turning, they plainly imply, that the religion of Papists is the true religion, and no rebellion, and their faith the true faith, and no faction. Thus with altering of a word, they have quite perverted the sence, and so turned the Cat in the Pan, so as the blame is quite taken off from the Church of Rome, and laid upon a few (who ever they bee) who turne Religion into Rebellion, and Faith into Faction. Thus what dare not these men doe, that are not afraid to alter those things, which are by authority of Parliament (which it seemes they make but light account of) published as Authentick Acts, not to bee altered by private spirits. But who they bee, it's hard for me to divine; it pertaines to those to find p. 132them out, of whom Salomon saith, It is the honour of Kings to search out a matter.

Now having fallen upon this so important a passage, wherein the Innovators would not have the Romish Religion to be called Rebellion, or their faith Faction, & the like, but labour all they can to wash this Blackamore white, while by their index expurgatorius, they purge out of all our authentick records, all monuments and memorialls of this Strumpets Staines, painting her haggs face with the counterfeit colours of Christs Spowse: I will crave leave in this place briefely to show, how truly (according to the judgement of our Church, grounded upon manifest and undeniable proofes) the Romish or Popish Religion is here in this Booke (set foorth by the Parliament) called Rebellion, and their faith Faction.

First, that the Popish religion is rebellion, is prooved by the universall practise of Papists, both Iesuites, Priests and other Recusants. For whereas in 3. Iacobi, cap. 4. the Oath of Supremacy is injoyned to all Papists: all Iesuites and Seminary Priests, refuse it, and all Iesuited Papists: and if any Papist doe take it, hee is excommunicated for it. And their reason is, Because they hold and adhere to the Pope, as the onelyonly Supreme head and Soveraigne over all powers on earth; this being the prime and fundamentall Article of their Creed: and so consequently, they hold and teach those doctrines concerning the Popes usurped power over Kings & Princes, in deposing them, and disposing of their Kingdomes, in Excommunicating them, and so exposing them to the rebellion of their people, as being now freed from their allegiance.

Secondly, that the Popish religion is rebellion, is prooved p. 133by their writings, positions and doctrines, which they professe and teach concerning the Popes usurped power and Soveraignty over all Kings and Kingdomes of the earth. Here of the Reader may take a briefe and full view both in Doctor Iohn White, his Defence of the way, chap. 6. and in Doctor Crakenthorpe, his Treatise of the Popes temporall Monarchy, Cap. 1. First, Dr. Iohn White, in answere to the Iesuites bold challenge, hath in the said place, collected no lesse then 40. instances of Popish Authors, who exalt the Popes power over Kings, in deposing them, and exposing their Persons to the danger of Rebells, Traytors, and Murderers, commending, and highly magnifying, as a meritorious act, the killing of Kings, as of Henry the Third, and Henry the Fourth, of France, as there is to bee seene. Therefore (saith hee) I say still, and heere write it in capitall Letters, that THE CHVRCH OF ROME TEACHETH DISLOYALTY AND REBELLION AGAINST KINGS, AND LEADES HER PEOPLE INTO ALL CONSPIRACIES, AND TREASONS AGAINST STATES AND KINGDOMES. This I shew by the Doctrine and Assertions of the chiefest Divines therein. So hee. Let the Reader peruse the whole chapter at large; where among other remarkable things, is this Passage out of Capistranus: that so soone as any one (King) for Apostacy from the faith, by judgement is denounced Excommunicate, IPSO FACTO, HIS SVBIECTS ARE ABSOLVED FROM HIS GOVERNMENT, AND FROM THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE. So there.

p. 134The second Learned Author of ours, is Dr. Crakenthorpe, who in the fore-named place, hath collected the Sentences of many Poopi…h Authors concerning the same point. Some of them saying, That Christian Kings are Dogges, which must be ready at the Sheepheards hand (to wit, the Pope) or else the Sheepheard must presently remooue them from their office. This (saith Becanus) doth reason teach, this doth the Councell of Lateran Decree. And Scioppius: that Reges Catholici sunt Asini cum tintinnabulis: Catholik Kings are Asses with bells about their necks, as being the fore-asses, which leade the way to other inferiour Asses. The whole Chapter is worth the reading, being full fraught with such stuffe. Yea the Popes owne Decretalls are full of the like arrogancies. What should I speake of their Bookes of the Sacred **Lab. 1. Consc…ratio & C…ronatio Pontificis.Roman Ceremonies, wherein are setdown the severall Offices, which Emperors, Kings, Princes, according to their severall rankes must performe to the Pope, either at his Coronation, or when he rideth in Soleme Procession in his Pontificalibus; how the Emperor, or some great King must lead the Popes horse: and if the Pope bee carried on a Seat, then foure great Princes, whereof the Emperor, if present, must be one, or some great Prince, for the honor of the Saviour Iesus Christ, shall cary the Seat with the Pope upon their shoulders. Also which stirrop the Emperor must hold. How the Elect King of Romans must implore the favour and grace of the Apostolicke Sea, and offer himselfe to performe whatsoever Oathes of fidelity to the Roman Church. How the Chore sings the Antiphona, The Lord hath chosen him, and hath exalted him above the Kings of the earth. And the like. By these and many p. 135Sect. 13.more, it plainly appeareth, that the Popish Religion is Rebellion, and that Papists are an Antichristian Sect, as is expressed in the sayd Prayer.

Againe, as their Religion is Rebellion, so their faith is faction; as there is added. For proofe hereof, I referre the Reader to Doctor Crakenthorpe, Of the fifth generall Councell, Chapter 13. where hee learnedly prooveth, that [the Church of Rome holdeth no doctrine by faith. And this from the Councell of Lateran under Leo 10. wherein they layd another foundation, then Christ; the Popes words, in steed of Gods, and Antichrists insteed of Christs. For before that Councell of Lateran though they believed the same heresies and errours, yet it was because they thought the Scripture to bee the maine ground thereof: but in this Councell, they must believe all these things, because the Pope hath so resolved and defined. So as though the Materialls of Popery were the same, yet the formality and foundation of their faith and Church was quite altered. So as from hence Papists are so truly called, from the Pope, as the prime Head, Rocke and foundation of their faith. For as wee make Christ and his Word, so they on the contrary, make the Pope, that is to say, Antichrist and his word, the ground and foundation of faith. In regard whereof, as the faith and religion is from Christ, truely called Christian, and they truely Christians: So the faith and religion of the other is from the Pope, or Antichrist, truely and properly called Papisme, or Antichristianisme, and the Professors of it Papists, or Antichristians. And the ground of all this is, because they hold the Popes judgement to bee Supreme and infallible; and so build their faith on him, as on the foundation p. 136thereof, which their owne Church never did, till the time of Leo the tenth. It is not then the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda, but the Lyon of the Lateran Synod, who is the foundation of the faith of Papists, and from whom therefore they justly tooke their name of Papists, to distinguish them from true Christians, which from that time they have held to this day. And thus all the members of the present Roman Church, doe both erre, and are hereticks, and, which is the worst degree of heresy; are Papists, that is, Antichristian hereticks, not only holding, and that in the highest degree of pertinacy, those heresies which are contrary to the faith, but holding them upon that foundation, which quite overthroweth the faith.] thus and much more, this learned Dr. of our Church. So as here is a cleare demonstration, that the faith of all Papists at this day, is a Popish faction.

And our Homilies doe affirme So much. For in the Second part of the Homily for Whit-Sunday, we read thus:

THe true Church is, an universall congregation or fellowship of Gods faithfull and Elect people, built upon the foundation of the Apostles & Prophets, Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe Corner-Stone. And it hath alwayes three notes or markes whereby it is knowne: Pure and Sound Doctrine: the Sacraments ministred according to Christs holy institution: and the right use of Ecclesiasticall Discipline. Now if ye well compare this with the Church of Rome, not as it was in the beginning, but as it is presently, and hath been for the space of nine hundred yeares and odd: you shall p. 137well preceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church, that nothing can bee more. For neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, retaining the sound and pure doctrine of Christ Iesus, neither yet doe they order the Sacraments, or else the Ecclesiasticall Keyes in such sort, as he did first institute & ordaine them. To be short, look what our Saviour Christ pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell, the same may bee boldly, and with safe conscience pronounced of the Bishops of Rome, namely that they have forsaken and daily doe forsake the Commandements of God, to erect and set up their owne constitutions. Which thing being most true, as all they which have any light of Gods Word must needs confesse, wee may well conclude, according to the rule of Augustine, That the Bishops of Rome, and their adherents, Aug. contra Pe…liani Donat. epist. cap. 4.are not the true Church of Christ, much lesse then to be taken as chiefe heads and rulers of the same. Whosoever (saith hee) doe dissent from the Scriptures concerning the Head, although they be found in all places where the Church is appointed, yet are they not in the Church: a plaine place concluding against the Church of Rome. Where is now the Holy Ghost, which they so stoutly doe claime to themselves? Where is now the Spirit of truth, that will not suffer them in any wise to erre: If it bee possible to bee there, where the true Church is not, then is it at Rome: otherwise it is but a vaine bragge and nothing else. Saint Paul saith, if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, the same is not his. And by turning the words, it may bee truly said: if any man bee not of Christ, the same hath not the Spirit. Now to discerne who are p. 138truely his, and who not, wee hauehave this rule given us, that his sheepe doe alwayes heare his voice. And Saint Iohn saith: Hee that is of God, heareth Gods voice. Whereof it followeth, that the Popes in not hearing Christs voice, as they ought to doe, but preferring their owne Decrees before the expresse Word of God, doe plainly argue to the world, that they are not of Christ, not yet possessed with his Spirit. Also their intollerable pride sheweth the same, &c.] So and much more the Homily. Wherein, as it is plainely prooved, that the Church of Rome is no true Church of Christ, as being built upon another foundation, then the Apostles and Prophets, Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone. And preferring their owne Decrees before the Word of God, and so consequently, the Popish Faith is a meere Fiction: So let our Innovators well consider, whether they bee any members of the true Church of Christ, that thus pleade for, and take part with the church of Antichrist, labouring by all meanes to bring her into favour againe with us, while they audaciously presume to alter the authentick Booke set forth, and commanded by Parliament, for publike and solemne Thankesgiving of our great deliverance on the Fifth of November, from the Popish Powder-plot, as if neither their Religion were Rebellion, nor their faith Faction.

And the Homily concludes thus:

TO conclude, [Yee shall briefely take this short lesson, wheresoever ye find the spirit of arrogancy, & pride, the spirit of envie, hatred, contention, cruelty, murder, extortion, witchcraft, necromancy, &c. assure your selues, that there is the spirit of the Devill, and not of God, albeit they pretēd outwardly to the world, never so p. 139much holinesse. For as the Gospel teacheth us, the Spirit of Iesus is a good Spirit; an holy spirit, a sweet Spirit, a lowly Spirit, a mercifull Spirit, full of charity and love, full of forgivenesse and pity, &c. The Rule that wee must follow, is this, to judge them by their fruits: which if they be wicked and naught, then is it vnpossible, that the tree of whom they proceed, should be good: Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome, for the most part, as doth well appeare in the Story of their lives, and therefore they are worthily, accounted among the number of false Prophets, and false Christs, which deceived the world a long while. The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride, that they never enter into his Vinyard againe, to the disturbance of his seely poore flock: but that they may, bē vtterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world: and he of his great mercy so worke in all mens hearts, by the mighty power of the holy Ghost, that the comfortable Gospell of his Sonne Christ may be truely preached, and truely followed in all places, to the beating downe of sinne, death, the Pope, the Devill, and all the Kingdome of Antichrist, that like scattered & dispersed sheep, being at length gathered into one fold, we may in the end rest together in the bosome of Abraham, Isaak, and Iacob, there to be partakers of eternall and everlasting life through the merits and death of Iesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.] And of the like effect is that Prayer, which some of Romes factors have so altered, [Be thou still our mighty protector, and scatter our cruell enemies, which delight in blood: infatuate their Counsell, and root out that Babilonish and Antichristian Sect, which say of Ierusalē, Downe with it, Downe p. 140with it, even to the ground. And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King, the Nobles and Magistrates of the land with judgement and justice, to cutt off these workers of iniquity, whose religion is rebellion, whose faith is faction, whose practise is murthering of soules & bodies, and to root them out of the confines & limits of this Kingdome, that they may never prevaile against us, and triumph in the ruine of thy Church, and give us grace to avert these and the like judgements from us. This Lord wee earnestly crave at thy mercifull hands, together with the continuance of thy powerfull protection over our dread Soveraigne, the whole Church, and these Realmes, and the conversion or confusion of all implacable enemies, and that for thy deare Sons sake, our onelyonly Mediator and Advocate.]

Thus the conclusion & prayer of the Homily, & this Prayer of the 5. of Novem. being well weighed together, we see (unlesse in so praying we play the most notorious hypocrites & dissemblers before God and men) in what a sacred bond all the Magistrates in the Land, from the highest to the lowest, do ingage thēselues unto the great God of heaven & earth, to roote out the whole Babilonish Sect of Iesuites and Seminary Priests, out of these confines & limits of these Kingdomes, and not to suffer them to roost here, to the great dishonour of God, scandall of our Religion, danger to the State, & destruction of the soules of Gods people, and of the Kings. Nor this onelyonly, but if our Prelates (as they plainely shew by their open practises) be found to be fast friends to Rome, confederates with Iesuites & Priests, active Agents & factors for the rearing up again of that religion, which is rebellion, & that faith which is faction, & cōsequētly that practise, which is murdering of soules & bodies, & for the p. 141advancing of that Babilonish & antichristian sect, which say of Ierusalē, down with it, down with it even to the ground: while they labour by all wayes and wiles, yea by an open Lawlesse force to beat downe the Kingdome of Christ in the Ministery of the word (as too lamentable experience can witnesse) and to destroy all true religion, holinesse, & piety: then how doth it concerne our Gracious King, our Nobles and Magistrates of the Land, to strengthen their hands with judgement & justice, to cut off these workers of iniquity, & to root them out of the confines & limits of this Kingdome, that they may never prevaile against us, and triumph in the ruine of the Church, by reducing vsus under the Babylonian and Antichristian yoake againe, which they labour with might and maine to effect, as their notorious practises plainly tell us? And how should all the Kings good people in the Land make this their dayly prayer, which is publickly used once in the yeare, & teach it to their children, that so at the least wise it may be propagated intire to all posterity, & so vindicated from the injury, of time, which our Innovators would bring upon it: and never give over thus praying, till it shall please God to returne a gracious answere in the fulfilling of it?

Yet are they not cōtent herewith, but (like themselves) they practise the like in the last Fast-booke, & that contrary to the Kings expresse Proclamation, which ordereth the booke for the former Fast to be reprinted and published, as it followeth.

The third Prayer Booke, which they have pitifully mangled, is that, which was set forth by the King for that Publick Fast, in the first of his Raigne, for the averting of the great Plague of Pestilence, that thē devoured many thousands in this City, & elswhere in our Land: & p. 142which his late Proclamation commaundeth to bee reprinted and published, and so read in Churches every Wednesday. But doe they, or durst they alter that Booke, which the Kings Proclamation hath so lately commaunded to be reprinted and published? Yes, even that, and that in such wise, as I see not with what warrant any Minister may read it, as being not according to the Proclamation. Now the Alterations in the new Booke bee these. In the first collect is left out this remarkable pious Sentence intirely, **This is one of those things objected to me in their Articles. O boldnes, to defend it.Thou hast delivered us from Superstition and Idolatry, wherein wee were utterly drowned, and hast brought us into the most cleere and comfortable light of thy blessed Word, by the which wee are taught how to serve and honour thee, and how to live orderly with our neighbours, in truth and vertty. Lo, here, these men would not have Popery to bee called Superstition and Idolatry, nor would they have the Word of God to commended, as that cleare and comfortable light, which teacheth us all duties to God and man. Secondly, that collect which begins thus, It had beene the best for us, &c. is wholly left out in the new Booke. And wot yee, why? Alas therein is commended the profitable use of continuall preaching the Word of God; So as this collect would not have suited well with such a Fast, wherein all preaching is prohibited in all places infected. And in the very last page, Order for the Fast, these words are left out in the new Booke, To avoid the inconvenience that may grow by Fasting; Some esteeming it a meritorious worke: others a good worke, and of it selfe acceptable to God, without due regard of the end, &c. What? Doe they esteeme their Fast a meritorious worke? Must the condemnation hereof bee expunged? And doe they p. 143account their Fast a good worke, and of it selfe acceptable to God, without due regard of the end? It seemes so too. For the end of a true Fast, is reformation of our evill wayes, as the King of Nineveb proclaimed, and which hee and his people performed. But these men (it Ionah.seemeth) have no such purpose, propound no such end to themselves, as the reformation of all their violent oppressions, and outragious tyrannizing over Gods Ministers and people, to the utter overthrow of Religion; and setting up of Idolatry and Superstition in the worship of God; which one sinne alone is enough to bring the Pestilence, and all other plagues upon a Land.

Beside these, they have guelded the Booke in sundry These passages also objected to me in their Articles.other particulars: as in the Collects, and Prayers for the Royall Progeny, they have left out the mention of the Lady Elizabeth and her children, expressed in the former booke. They have left out the collect for the Kings Navy, and for seasonable weather: whereas there was never more need to pray for seasonable weather, than since this fast beganne, when so many tempestuous stormes, and immoderate raines have beene, as have indangered Ships in the very harbour, Shipwrackt some of great price, and caused great Floods, threatning a Famine, by drowning the Seed under the clods. Also sundry Psalmes and Collects besides are omitted, and a whole passage in the Exhortation, applyable enough to the present occasion.

Now whither it bee for these alterations, wherein both the Kings Order in his Proclamation is not observed, and God is dishonoured, by leaving out such our humble acknowledgements, both of his mercies, in delivering us from Superstition and Idolatry, and bringing p. 144us into the cleare and comfortable light of his blessed Word, and of our sinnes, in not hearkning to His Word continually Preached unto us, and the like; and Gods Ministers and people are abused, by having such Bookes thrust upon them, which they cannot with a safe warrant, and good conscience use: or whether it bee, that in the Fast-day, all preaching is prohibited in all places whatsoever infected: Sure wee are, that God hath given us sad signes of the little pleasure hee takes by such a Fast. For the very first weeke of the Fast (whereas before the Sicknesse had a weekely decrease, and was likely, through Gods mercy, more and more to decline) what a suddē terrible increase was there, of no lesse than 377. which was double to any weekes increase, since this Sicknesse began? Was there nothing in it, trow yee? was there not something in this Fast, wherewith God was so much displeased? Surely wee should be very brutish, and worse than heathenish, not to lay it to heart.

But here the Prelates will perhaps quarrell mee, for Without all peradventure they have d… in their Articles.imputing any thing to the Fast, as being appointed by the King. I answer, God forbid, that I should intertaine the least Sinister opinion of my gratious Soveraigne, that hee had the least meaning by his Proclamation to debarre and forbid Preaching of Gods Word in any place. And my reasons are these.

First, because the Proclamation saith, that his Majesty propounds the example of pious Kings, in former ages, for his precedent in this Fast, who ever in all former ages not onelyonly not restrained, but likewise allowed, prescribed, and commended Preaching, as a principall and necessary part of a publicke Fast, yea as the very life and soule of it.

p. 145Secondly, because his Majesties Proclamation commaunds this so religious an exercise to be performed with all decency, and uniformity, which I humbly conceive cannot bee, when preaching is restrained in some, and those the most eminent and necessary places (as this great City in speciall) in respect whereof (as I conceive) this Fast was specially commaunded, and yet in other places allowed and prescribed.

Thirdly, because the Proclamation relates, that his Majesty resolved upon a grave and Religious forme of Solemnizing thereof, straitly charging and commanding that this Fast bee religiously and solemnely observed, and celebrated weekly upon every Wednesday, throughout the whole Kingdome: and therefore never intended (as I humbly conceive) to restraine Preaching in any place, without which a publicke Fast cannot be gravely, religiously and solemnely observed, and celebrated.

Fourthly, Because the Proclamation both directs and commaunds, that the booke of prayers for the Fast, formerly set forth by Authority, should be reprinted and published, and likewise used in all Churches and places at the publicke meetings of this Fast: now the booke formerly published by his Majesties authority in the first yeare of his Raigne, upon the like occasion, alloweth & prescribeth two Sermons every Fast-day, as well in the City and suburbs of London, as in other places, whither infected or not; yea notwithstanding the infection was then far greater, and the Sommer season far more dangerous.

Fiftly, because in all publicke and generall Fasts, both in his Majesties owne Raigne, his late Royall Fathers, Q. Elizabeths, and other his Royall Progenitors, upon this, or any other the like occasion, Preaching in all p. 146places without restraint, both fore-nooue and afternoone, hath beene approved, and never prohibited, but injoyned and commaunded: now his Majesty hath often solnēly protested in his publicke Declarations (as before is mentioned) to all his Loving Subjects, that he will never give way to the licensing or authorizing of any thing, whereby ANY INNOVATION in the least degree might creepe into our Church: and therefore I humbly conceive, that his Majesty never intended to authorise to give way to such an innovation as this, to inhibit Preaching, and that in the time of a publicke Fast, contrary to all former Precedents.

Therefore I verily believe, that this was a meere devise of the Prelates, by whose advise the Proclamation saith, his Maiesty resolved upon a grave and religious forme of Solemnizing a Fast. So as this of prohibiting Preaching, was rather added by them than admitted by his Majesty, seeing it is (as I humbly conceive) neither a grave, nor religious forme of Solemnizing a Fast; and I had rather dye, than conceive such an opinion of my King, that he should be the author of such an inhibitiō.

And therefore if the Season served, to have accesse unto his Majesty, I should in all humility, addresse my selfe humbly to petition his Majesty to take off this restraint: And that for these reasons.

First, because not only it is contrary to all Precedents in former ages, and such an innovation, as (I believe) the like was never heard, nor read of in the world: but also because it much dampes and deadens the hearts and spirits of the Kings loving and faithfull subjects within the City, who much lament and grieve, that in the Fast-day they are restrained of the spirituall Food of their soules, p. 147when they desire and need it most, when as Preaching is likely to worke most good upon their soules, which stand in more need of spirituall Phisicke & Phisicians, to cure the plague of their soules which hath brought the pestilence upon their bodies, than their bodies doe of corporall.

Secondly, because this restraint of Preaching (the chiefe meanes to humble men for and turne them from their sins, without which God will not turne from his wrath) will in all likelyhood procure the continuance of the plague, as the beginning of it brought in with it a lamentable increase that very week, as is before noted. Yea forbidding of the Word to be preached, brings the wrath of God upon a people to the uttermost, as 1. thes. 2. 16.

Thirdly, because Preaching is no more dangerous on the Fast-day, thē on the Lords day, to increase infection.

Fourthly, because upon prayer & preaching the last great Fast, a greater plague than this was suddainly and miraculously remooved; yea though the preaching was continued in the heat of Summer.

Fiftly, because this restraint, together with the sayd alterations of the Fast-booke, & other innovatiōs in the land foremētioned, doe fill the peoples minds with jealousies & feares of an universall alteration of Religion.

Sixtly, because (as the Prelates doe extend the letter of the Proclamation, if but one Parish in London, or suburbs thereof, or but one house in that parish be infected, the pestilence thus continuing but in the least degree, and the Fast not ceasing, all Wednesday sermons in the whole City, must be suppressed.

Seventhly, because the restraint of preaching on the p. 148Fast day, is (as we find by experience) a great prejudice and impediment to the free and liberall Collection for the poore, which is recommended in the Fast, in this calamitous & necessitous time, wherein the Plague brings with it a Sore famine upon many thousand families, which before this Sicknesse lived in good fashion, and were able to give reliefe to the poore. For no where, and at no time, are mens hearts more inlarged, and hands extended in bounty to the poore, than where Gods word hath bene & is most powerfully & plentifully preached, as this our City may serve for a precedent and proofe. And for this very cause (were there no more) Preaching was never more necessary in this City, than at this time, which doth so swarme with multitudes of poore, who without some present competent reliefe must needs perish, & so would heape upon this City yet greater Sins, which is ready to sinck under the heavie burthens both of Sins and Plagues.

I might note againe, as an 8. reason, that great & extraordinary increase the very first weeke of the Fast, together with most hideous stormes, fearfull and foule weather, immoderate raine, ever since it began, God testifying by his reviving and renewing of the Plague, & by the sad and black countenance of the skies, and those many great losses both by Sea & Land, that he abhorres such a Fast, as of which his very judgemēts Speak, Call you this a Fast? Yea also a 9. reason, because according to the Prelates practise, this Fast is made a meere **This also objected to me in the Article of High-Commission.mock Fast, wherein God is mocked to the face. For doe the Prelates propose this, as the principall end of their Fast, to breake off their violent and tyrannicall proceedings against Gods Ministers, and so p. 149against the State of Religion? I feare it. And so long let us never look for any good issue of this Fast, but rather further judgements to be powred upon the Land.

For these reasons (I say) I could wish with all my heart to be an humble Petitioner to the King, who I am perswaded would speedily hearken to such a request, and would certainly answere, that it was never his mynd, that Preaching should be in this Fast prohibited. The king prohibit Preaching? Noe, noe; we all see who they be that prohibit Preaching, even those that labour tooth and nayle to Suppresse Preaching, and lay snares to intrap all painfull Preachers, as the pressing of the booke for Sports for instance; they being not content, that the booke be read by the Curate, but the **As in the case of Mr. Valentine.Incumbent himselfe must read it, or els abide extremity, as Suspension from his Ministry, Excommunicatiō out of the Church, Sequestration from his living, and Ecclesiasticall meanes, the great crying Sinne of this Land at this day.

But I will add no more. So as the Ninivites shall rise in judgement against this generation: for they upon occasion of Ionas preaching, proclaimed a Fast, and reformed their lives, and their violent dealing: but these men under pretence of a Fast (as Iezebel did to devoure Naboths vinyard) would devoure Christs Vinyard, while they Suppresse the Preaching of the Word, whereby men should be convinced of their Sinnes, and converted from them, and bring forth good fruits of the Vine; and thereby harden their necks against the Lord, and strengthen their hands in violence to fill up their sinnes allway.

The sixt Innovation, is about the meanes of the knowledge of God, and of the Mistery of our Salvation. p. 150That may be verified of many Prelates in these dayes, which Christ charged the Pharisees with all, Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, for yee shut vp the Kingdome of heaven against men; for yee neither goe in your selues, neither suffer yee them that were entring to goe in: Matth. 23. 13. Which in Luke 11. 52. is expressed thus, Ye take away the Key of Knowledge. And doe not our Prelates thus, when they hush and silence all Lectures in whole Diocesse? When they suppresse, and cut short Preaching all they can? When they lay snares to muzzle Gods Ministers, that they may not Preach? When they disgrace and traduce Preaching, calling it in scorne, Sermonizing? When they forbid Ministers to use any prayer before their Sermons, but that bare and barren forme of words in the Canon, wrapping all * Treatise of the Sabbath See Bispop Wrens Articles. All these particulars objected against mee in their Articles.up in the Lords Prayer? When they must use no Prayer at all after the Sermon, but come downe, and read a second or third Service at the Altar, where in great Churches halfe the people cannot heare a word? When they must not preach at all in the Afternoone upon the Lords dayes? When they must onelyonly Catechise for halfe an hower, and that, not by expounding the Principles of Religion (which may well be called the Key of Knowledge, which they take away) but onelyonly by the bare questions & answeres in the booke, teach the children like Parats, so as they can never come to give a reason of their fayth with understanding? When in a great City, or in the **As in Oxford, and elsewhere, She…ford. Sermon of Charity. … 36. …inted by the allow ance of the Vice Chan…llorer of Cambridge even at the commencement time. ….Vniversities, they limit all Sermons to one hower, so as the heares cannot injoy the benefit of more then one Sermon a day? Yea what devises have they not put in practise to put the light of Gods word vnderunder a bushell, if not rather altogether to quench it, if it were in their power? What invectives are p. 151in Shelfords ad Treatise, against Preaching, and the peoples knowledge? How doth he find fault with the Peoples desire of Sermons? And pag. 47. he Sayth, Our Soli Sermonists, and Solifidians, so they may have a Sermon or two on the Lords dayes &c. And pag. 91. he allowes of Preaching with a restriction, and limitation, as being not fit for every Minister, but for **This he… speakes of the Prelates: For who but they can make new Lawes & Canons.extraordinary & excellent men, called by God, and the Church to reforme Errours & abuses, or to promulge to the world new Lawes & Canons. And againe, least this should be too great a burthen to these his extraordinary men, he qualifies the matter, by restraining their preaching to certaine extraordinary times in the yeare, pag. 94. as Easter, Whit-Suntide, Christmas day, and to extraordinary places too, as Cathedralls, and for this cause (pag. 93.) he would have many Ministers vnfurnished of their licences, especially those that preach twice every Lords day; and those that are permitted to preach, to be restrained to certaine times, and seasons, as once a MonethMonth at most. And he gives the reason of all, because the Church is now settled, and therefore doth not need preaching, as once it did in its infancy. So he. Thus they labour tooth and nayle to cry downe Preaching. For (saith he) p. 94. Reading is the ordinary preaching, ordained by God himselfe. And this is that maine marke which they al shoot at, to mould up all in the Lumpe of the Communion Booke, and make that the Summe and Scope, & the very Circle of al Religion & Knowledge.

The Seventh innovation, is in the rule of faith: for whereas the sole and complete rule of faith, is the Holy Scripture, as. 2. Tim. 3. Our new Doctors cry up the dictates of the Church, to wit, of the Prelates, to be our only guides in Divinity; as in Reeves Cōmunion booke p. 152Catechisme expounded pag. 20. and 206. where all Ministers must submit to the judgement of the Prelates in all matters pertaining to religion: and all Prelates must submit to the Arch-Prelate, as having a Papal infalibility of spirit, whereby as by a Divine Oracle, all questions in Religion are finally determined.

And here I cannot forget a speech of the chiefest Prelate of England, in the High Commission, who at the censure of Doctor Bastwicke, for oppugning the Iurisdiction of Bishops jure divino, as being no where found in the Scripture, but the contrary, sayd openly, that in matters of divinity wee are not tyed to the Scriptures, but to the Vniversall Catholicke Church in all ages; for how, (said hee) shall wee know the Scriptures, but by the Church. And therefore not without some reason doth that Iesuite (in his Pamphlet printed in English, 1636, intituled A Direction to bee observed by N. N.) make a laudable mention of that great Prelate, saying, **Pag. 14.Although I ought not to dissemble, but doe gladly acknowledge, and deservedly publish in this occasion, for a patterne to others in this Realme, the care of the Chiefest Prelate in England, in prohibiting the sale of Bookes tending to Socinianisme. So there; But what meaneth the Iesuite here by Socinianisme. Hee tells us plainly, pag. 16. and 17. in these words: First then, I say, that the very Doctrine of Protestants, if it be followed closely, and with coherence to it selfe, must of necessity induce Socinianisme. This I say confidently, and evidently proove, by instancing in one errour, which may well bee termed the Capitall, and mother Heresy, from which all other must follow at ease: I meane, their here…y in affirming that the perpetually visible Church of Christ, descended by a never interrupted p. 153succession fromour Saviour, to this day, is not infallible in all that it proposeth to bee believed, as revealed truthes. For if the infallibility of such a publicke Authority bee once impeached; what remaines, but that every man is given other to his owne wit, and discourse? And talke not here of holy Scripture? And a little after: And indeed, take away the authority of Gods Church, no man can bee assured, that any one Booke or parsell of Scripture, was written by divine inspiration, or that all the contents are infallibly true, which are the direct errours of Socinians. So hee Where wee see what his meaning is, when hee commends the chiefe Prelate, as a patterne to all other in prohibiting such bookes, as exalt the sole authority of holy Scripture, as the onelyonly Rule of faith. Thus not unde servedly hee commends him for upholding the authority of the Church (to wit, of the Pope primarily, and next after him the Prelates) as whereon depends the authority and sence of Scripture. Well? But is this the way of setling the faith of Christians in the true religion? Nay, is it not the high & ready way to unsetle all, & to make religion a wether-cocke, to be turned this way, or that way, as the winde of mans unstable & erronious fancy shall blow & move it? And for proofe hereof, Ibid p. 21.let us but obserue what the same Iesuite faith a little after. For writing of the present state of our Church, and that since this new generation of Doctors, and Prelates hath Sprung up amongst us (I know not from what Popish root) hee saith, * And to speake the trueth, what learned judicious man, can, after unpartiall examination, imbrace Protestantisme? which waxeth even weary of it selfe; Its Professors, they especially of greatest worth, learning, and authority, declare themselves to love, temper and p. 154moderation, allow of many things, which some yeeres agoe, were usually condemned, as Superstitious and Artichristian, and are at this time more unresolved where to fasten, then at the infancie of their Church. Thus by the way hee sheweth who they bee, that are the chiefe Fathers of that new-fangle religion of Protestancy of late birth in England, namely those of greatest worth, learning, and authority, as the Prelates are counted to bee, who are of that temper and **As I was lately charged in the Articles of High Commission, … that my sermoni offended the more moderate bearers.moderation, as they allow of many things, which some yeeres agoe, were usually condemned, as superstitious and Antichristian. But how doth the Iesuite demonstrate this? Pag. Twenty two, Hee saith, For doe not the Protestant Churches begin to looke with another face? Their walls to aaAs with dumbe Pictures and Images, Laymens bookes, in steed of Scripture Sentences.speake with a new language? Their, Preachers to use a bbBy speaing smooth things, and not roughly against Popery & sin.sweeter tone? Their annuall publicke Tentes in their ccSee before Franciscus a Sancta … note of Cambridge Commencement.Vniversities, to bee of another style, and matter? Their books to appeare ddAs Dr. Coosens Private Devotions, with the Iesuits badge. Here …e quotes these in the margent. For …mple. The Pope not Antichrist. Prayer for the Dead. … bus Patrum, Pictures: That the Church hath authority to determine Controversies in faith, and to interpret the Scripture about Free will, and Predestinat…on, Vniuersall grace; that all our works are not sinnes; merit of good works, inherent justice, Faith alone doth not justify. Charity … to bee preferred before knowledge, Traditions, Commaundements possible to bee kept.with titles and arguments, which once would have caused a mighty scandal among the brethren? Their doctrine to be altered in many things, and even in those very paints for which their Progenitors for sooke the then visible Church of Christ? Their 39 Articles, that is, the summe, the Confession, and almost the Greed of their Faith, are patient: Patient? They are ambitious of some sense, wherein they may seeme, p. 155to bee Catholicke. To alledge the necessity of wife and children in these dayes, is but a weake plea for a married Minister to compasse a Benefice. Fiery Calvinisme, once a darling in England, is at length accounted Heresy; yea and little lesse then Treason. Men, in word and writing, use willingly the once fearefull names of Priests and Altars. Nay, if one doe but mutter against the placing of the Altar after the old fashion, for a warning hee shall be well warmed by a ††A little Treatise so intituled, & printed 1636.coale from the Altar. English Protestants are now put in **Sunday no Sabboth. A Sermon printed 1636. pag. 38.mind, that for exposition of Scripture, by ‡‡Lib Can. An. 1571. Can. 19.canon they are bound to follow the ancient Fathers. And to conclude all in one maine point: The Protestant Church in England willingly professeth so small Antiquity, and so weake subsistence in it selfe, that they acknowledge no other visible being for many Ages, but in the Church of Rome. So the Iesuite. Behold here now, Protestant Reader, what testimony a Iesuite can give of the present state of our Church, and that out of his owne reading and observation, and which we our selves cannot deny; all which hee ascribeth to the Prelates, as those whom hee indigitates for men of greatest worth, learning, & authority, who declare their Innovations; as Sodome her sinnes, and hide them not, even our enemies, now their friends being witnesses, who gladly feed their infants with the pappe of our new Papisme.

But to returne to our particular point of Innovation concerning the rule of faith, which our Prelats have turned off from the holy Scripture, to the authority of the Church: this is the maine upshot in Dr. Whites Treatise of the Sabbath day, wherein he tyes the observation of the Lord, day to that limitation, which the Prelates of the Church doe, or shall prescribe; & so also all other p. 156matters of Religion. And doe they not also overthrow the Scriptures, as the rule of faith, in that they restraine the preaching of them to their illiberall allowance, inhibiting such and such points to be medled with; as before is shewed? & doe they not place the Communion booke as a rule of faith in all matters of Religion, wherin the Arch-Bishops definitive sentence must determine, as Recv. ibid. p. 206.

The 8th innovation or Change, is in the rule of manners: which rule, must not be any more the word of Christ, and the writings and examples of the holy Apoles, wherein they followed Christ; for that is counted too precise and puritanicall: but our Prelates have prescribed a new rule of Christian manners, to wit, the example of their owne lives, and the dictates of their writings; the Summe whereof is, to make a mixed Religion & conversation of Christians, which is partly holy in an external forme of godlinesse, without the power thereof & partly in admitting, allowing, approving, applauding countenancing, and dispensing by Episcopall authority, of a heathenish kinde of life, and that especially in most Sacred times, as the Lords day; which though dedicated wholly to the worship and service of God, yet the rule of the Sanctification hereof; which is the 4th Commaundement, and the example of Christs and his Apostles, these novellers do altogether reject, as abolished, & instead thereof advance their new Traditions, which is to allow one part of the Day for God, and the rest to mans carnall Lusts, Sin, the world, the Devil, as our Homily Saith. So as the due observation and Sanctification of the Lords day, being a platforme and patterne of a Christian Conversation, a Christian being p. 157that in his whole life, in a proportion, which he is on the Lords day; and this platforme being defaced and broken by our Anti-Sabbatarians: it followeth that together with their impions crying downe of the 4th Cō maundement, and so accordingly the due Sanctification of the Lords day intire, without mixture of heathenish. Sports and Pastimes, they deface and destroy the very face, beauty & power of all religion, & so do set up a new Forme of it, never allowed of (as by a Law) in the world, before. And herein doe our Apostates out strip the very Pontificians themselves who did never yet mak a Law, nor take upon them to allow any other rule of Christian life, than the Scriptures; although they have (with our innovators) denyed the Scripture to be the onelyonly and absolute rule of faith, independent upon any humain power. For even Bellarmine exclameth against, Bellar. Concio. 20 Pars Altera. de Dominica Quinqnagess. O qualem (inquiunt) Christiam Deum habent, quam egregiam Legislatorem, qui haec vel pracipit, vel …? &c.and disclameth that dissolute profanation of Sacred dayes, in practise among the Papists, in their vaine Sports and Pastimes, for which cause, the very Turkes do scorne (saith he) the Christian Religion, Saying, O what a God have the Christians, what a famous Law giver, who …ither commandeth, or permitteth these things? Now if the Turkes: should upbrayd us in England, and cast vsus in the teeth with our Lord & Lawgiver Iesus Christ, as if he eyther commaunded, or allowed Sports & Pastimes upon the Lords day: our answere must be, that our great Lawgiver Christ doth not any way tolerate, much lesse commaund any Sports or Pastimes on his Sacred day, as wherewith both God is dishonoured, & his day profaned: but out Lord-Prelates are they, who doe usurpe unto themselves a Lawlesse power to dispense with that part of the p. 158Lords-day as they please, wherein men may runne riot, and keep their Bacchanals, and their Floralia, without controwle, such as Christ and his word forbids to be done on any day.

Much more might be spoken of the Late Changes, but this suffice for the present **All these things they doe most boldly maintaine, while they Article against mee for laying these to their chargeBut what speakewe of Changes? Our Changes doe plead, that they bring in no changes, but revive those things, which ancient Canons have allowed and prescribed: as standing up at Gloria Patri, and at the reading of the Gospell: bowing at the nameing of Iesus, and to the High Altar: remooving the Communion Table to stand Altarwise, at the East-end of the Chancell: praying with the face towards the East, where the Altar standeth: placing of Images in Churches: erecting of Crucifixes over the Altars; commanding of long Martins instead of Preaching, and the like. To this we answere, that we in this Land are not to be ruled by the Popes Canons, or the Canon Law, but by the Law of God, & of the King. Although I **In the High Commission not long since in a cause about a Pe… in the Church.once heard a Papall Canon was alledged in opposition to a Parliamentary Statute in K. Edw. 6. his raigne alledged by the adverse Advocates, & it passed for Currant, none gain-saying it. But as for those Rites & Ceremonies to be used in our Church, they are by an Act of Parliament (prefixed to the Communiō booke) restrained to those only, which are expressed in the same booke; and if any, by private authority, shall presume to introduce into practise any other besides these, he is to suffer imprisonment for a time, and if he persist, perpetuall imprisonment, and losse of all his spirituall promotions during his life.

But besides all this, these men have one speciall Sancturary p. 159to fly unto, & that is, their Cathedrall Churches, where they may lay hold upon the hornes of their Altars. These be their old high places not remooved. These, as they are commonly used, bee the ancient dennes of these old Foxes to which they flie, being this pursued; of whom the Scripture saith, Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes, that spoile the Vines: These bee those nests and nurceries of Superstition and Idolatry, wherein the old Beldame of Rome hath nuzzled up her brood of Popelings, and so preserved her usum Sarum in life to this very day. And now these are be come impregnable bulworkers to patronize our Re-builders of Babell, in all their innovations. Innovations, Say they? Wee bring in no innovations, no new rites, but what hath beene in use ever since the Reformation, and that in the most eminent Places, even the Mother Churches of the Land. Now all that wee goe about, is to reduce inferiot churches to an unity, and conformity to their Mother Churches; So as thus bringing all to unity, wee shall take off that reproach, which the adversaries cast upon us in this kinde; and which wee shall then retort upon themselues, for their diffentions betweene their Regulars and Seculars. Thus doe our Master-builders plead, and so by their cunning insinnuations, under a pretence of Piety and peace, of unity, and uniformity, preaching peace, peace, when nothing but warre is in their heart & hand, (as Psal. 55. 21. and 59. 7.) doe so farre prevaile, that before wee bee aware, they will by this meanes pretrily reduce us to a perfect peace and unity with old Mother Rome againe.

For these Mother Churches, to which all Danghter. Churches must conforme, are they not the naturall p. 160daughters of Rome? Doe they not from top to toe exactly resemble her? Her pompous Service, her Altars, Palls, Copes, Crucifixes, Images, superstitious gestures, and Postures, all instruments of musicke (as at the dedication of the King of Babylons Image) Long Babylonish Service, so bellowed and warbled out, as the heareers are but little the wiser. Are not these high Places also the receptacles and nurceries of a number of idle bellies, to say no worse? Doe not the fat Prebends So cramme their Residenciaries, that the while their starveling Flocks in the countrey doe famish for want of spirituall Food? But as Erasnius said of Luther, how his fault was, that he meddled with the Popes Miter, and the Monkes bellies. But this I note by the way, to show how all those, that are maintained by Cathedralls, are ingaged to helpe forward those Innovations that are now on foot, because they make much for the supporting of their Papall Pompe.

But let us a little examine what force there is in this Argument: Cathedralls are so and so: therefore all other Churches must conforme to them. I deny the Argument. Legibus vivendum est, non exemplis. We must live by lawes, not by examples. The rites and ceremonies of all our Churches are prescribed, and precisely limited by the Lawes of the Land, by Act of Parliament, and are not left at large to the Example of Cathedralls. Nay, how comes it about, that Cathedralls have usurped that Lawlesse and boundlesse Liberty of conforming themselves to Rome in all those their ceremonies? What law can they show for this? Will they plead prescription? For how long time? What prescription can Durhams Cathedrall-Church plead for her new p. 161service, new Cop…s, new Images of Saints and Angels, new rites on Candlemas day, with their hundreds of tapers, and candles; and instead thereof bringing a Spirituall darkenesse upon mens soules, by shutting out the ancient morning Prayers, and other meanes of true knowledge and devotion? Are not the authors of this innovation yet alive? What Prescription of long custome can the Cathedrall Church of Bristow plead, which now of late also hath set up new Images of the Apostles and other Saints? What Prescription can Pauls Cathedrall bring for those mitred Images and Statues newly erected, and for those winged Angels round about the Quire? What Prescription can that Cathedrall Church at Wo…verhampton in Staffordshire plead for her goodly costly new Altar, with the Dedication thereof within these 2. or 3. yeares last past, in which Dedication, all the Romane rites were observed, as Censings, washings, bowings, Copes (though but borrowed from Lichfeild) chantings, abusing of Scripture (as Iohn. 10. 22.) to prove dedication of Altars, and the like? or what custome can the Same Church plead, for erecting their new Altar, and throwing out of their ancient and **M. Le….painfull Preacher? What warrant have they for setting up such Altars for Baal, such dumbe gods, and casting downe the throne, and stopping the mouth of the living God? The like may be said of many other Cathedrals, if not all, which within these few yeares, yea but Yesterday, have beene strangely metamorphosed into a Curtizan-like garbe? and now must be, Like Mother, Like Daughter. Must therefore all Churches conforme to their new Romish Pashions? Must therefore the Cathredrals in Oxford, p. 162I meane these C…lledge-Churches, as Magdale…s, Christs Church, Queenes, S. Iohns, and others, as also those Chappels in Cambridge, as Peter-house Chappell, S. Iohns, Kings, Queenes, become the …rceries and Springs of Superstition and Idolatry to the whole Land, because of late dayes they have crested goodly new Altars, Images, Crucifires, and such like orn… ments of the Romish where? And because they both practise and presse the bowing to those Idols, must therefore all Scholars bow unto them? To what end then shall men send their Sons to the Universities, if there they must be trained up to the Superstition, and Idolatrie, of Popery.

Thus we see how unlike our Cathedrals be to that they were formerly, being newly set out with a Romish dresse, according to those Spirits which rule in the ayre: so as their examples ought to be no Lawes to bring in an universall conformity to these yesterday innovations, in Mother-Cathedrals.

Againe, by what title doe Cathedrals came to be Mothers to other Churches? what Mothers? Except Step-Mothers. For they never bore, nor brought forth those Churches, whom they call daughters. And right Step-Mothers they be that cheat the children of their Est mihi namque domi Pater, est injusta Noverca.Fathers inheritance, as these would doe, who rob the Spowse of her Iewels, and put upon her the cast attyre of the whore.

But they alledge the Order for S^t. Gregories by Paules, wherein there is an imitation of this conformity of other Churches to their Mother-Cathedrals. I answere, our gratious King at that, as at other times (as still lik… himselfe) plainly said that he would have no innovations. p. 163Nor can we imagine, that it was any part of his meanning, that all Churches should in all things conforme to Cathedralls, much lesse that all Cathedralls should bring in new rites, that so other Churches might conforme to them. What? Must other Churches have Organs, Singing Quires, Altars, Images, Crucifixes, Tapers, Copes, and the like, because such is the guise of Cathedralls? Must long chanting Service goe up, and preaching goe downe, because it is So in Wolverhampton, Durham, and other Cathedralls? But by what Law? By the Popes Canon? Doth not our Law exclude out of all Churches all other rites, besides those in the Communion Booke? Doth not the Homily fore-cited prayse God, for the purging of our Parish Churches from piping, chanting, and the like, as wherewith God is so sore displeased, and the house of Prayer defiled? And doth not another Homily cōdemne the setting up of Images, Homily of the place & time of prayer, part. 2. pag. 131. Homily of Idolatry, part. 1. 2. & 3. Homily of the place & time of prayer, part. 2. pag. 131.Crucifixes, and such Reliques in Churches; and all for the perill of Idolatry, which doth necessarily attend the same? And doth not the Queenes Injunctions forbid all skrines and reliques of Idolatry and Superstition? And doth not another Homily condemne many Altars, Images, and Idols, as heathenish and Iewish abuses? How then will our new Masters, our Innovators make good the bringing in of these things afresh into Cathedrals, & forcing all petty churches to cōforme thereunto? would the Prelates thus make the Mother Cathedrals, (thus by thēselves made & adopted Romes daughters) their Concubines, whereon to beget a new bastard generation of sacrificing, Idolatrous Masse-Priests throughout the Land, which our good Lawes, and all our learned and pious Divines proclaimed illegitimate, p. 164and abominable? So as I cannot but wonder (though I hope better) that these, desperate and all daring Popish Innovators, turning off the State of the Kingdome, and Church upside downe, beating themselves either upon the Popes Canon-Law, overtopping the Regall power, or upon the evill example, of their lately metamorphosed Cathedrals conformed to Rome, that so they may finely or furiously inforce all the Churches in England to the like conformity, and so reduce **Quae bellua ruptis cum semel effugit, redded se prava Catenis.England under the Papall yoake againe (they being now dead, that felt the intollerable pressure of it, and a new generation sprung up, that affect novelty, and to trade with Rome againe) and **Gen. 11. 6Gen 11:6nothing can now stay them, but they will either breake all in pieces, or their owne neckes: that they are not cited before the Royall Tribunalls of Iustice, and the Iudges and Iustices in their Circuits and assises doe not take Cogniscance of such perturbers, who undermine and overthrow the State of Church and Common weale, and mingle heaven and earth together, and so condignely punish them for their intolerable usurpations: So should my text be here made up, My Son feare thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them, that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddainly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?

But (alas!) have they not got the Lawes under their girdles, and doe they not trample them as durt under Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo?their feet? And therefore with what chaines shall wee bind these men? How shall wee bind these all-shapeturning Monsters to good behaviour? May not this whole State say, as that good King Ieh…shaphat in the straites of Ierusalem, Wee know not what to doe, but our p. 165eyes are towards …, O Lord?

And besides all this, in the last place, being pulled away from the hornes of their Cathedrall Altars, as not able to shelter them from their pursuers, they fly (as to their last refuge, and most impregnable Fort, as they conceive) to the Kings Chappell. Wherein they doe as the Fish **Aeliani vari… historiae. lib. c. 1.Polypus, or many-foot, which gets her selfe closse to the rocke, and putting on the colour of the rocke, so as she seemes to be a part of it, when other fishes swimme toward the rock for shelter, she catches them unawares in her net-like haires or hornes. So our Innovators getting closse to the King, as unto the rock, assimiling themselves to the manners of the Court, when the fishes think to fynd shelter and protection, under the Rocke, they are ready with their fangs to intangle and devour them. Well, what say they of the Kings Chappell? They plead the whole equipage, furniture, and fashion thereof, as a patterne for all Churches. There (say they) is an Altar, there bowing towards it, there Crucifixes, there Images, & other guises. And why should Subject, be wiser then the King? Totus componitur orbis Regis ad exemplum.

To this I answere: 1. Why should subjects think to compare with the King in the State of his royall Family, or Chappell? 2ly there be many things in the Kings Chappell which were presumption to have in ordinary Churches, and some things cannot be had or maintained in them, as a quire of Gentlemen, Singing men, & other Choristers, which dayly sing Service in the Chappell; and sundry, other. 3ly. The worship and service of God, and of Christ, is not to be regulated by humaine examples, but by the Divine rule of the Scriptures. In p. 166vaine they worship me, teaching for Doctrines the Commandements of men. The three children would not bow to the Kings goodly golden Image. The old Christians would not so much, as offer incense in the presence of Iulian the Emperors Altar, and at his commaund, though he propounded, golden rewards to the doers, and menaced fiery punishments to the denyers. 4ly, The externall rites and ceremonies in the Church are limited by Act of Parliament, prefixed to the Communion booke, and no more to be added or used in Churches. Lastly, Suppose (which we trust never to see, & which our hearts abhorre once to imagine) Masse were set up in the Kings Cappell; is this a good argument: why it should be admitted in all the Churches throughout the Realme of England. But enough of this. And here an end for this time; and thus farre of this text, which as I began, so I will conclude with all, My Son, feare thou the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change. For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?

FINIS.

End of the text · Henry Burton, For God and the King (1636)