For God and the King, Title page – Dedication
FOR GOD, and the KING.
THE SVMME OF TWO SERMONS Preached on the fifth of November last in St. MATTHEWES FRIDAY-STREETE. 1636.
By HENRY BVRTON, Minister of GODS Word there and then.
1. PET. 2. 17.
Feare GOD. Honour the KING.
2. TIM. 4. 1, 2, 3.
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Iesus Christ, who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing, and his Kingdome: Preach the Word, be instant, in season, out of season, reproove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine, &c.
Bernard. in Dedic. Ecclae. Ser. 3.
Non miremini, fratres, si durius loqui videor:
Quia veritas neminem palpat.
Printed, Anno Dom. 1636.
TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE, CHARLES, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
SIR,
What the title in the front professeth, FOR GOD, AND THE KING, the substance thereof was by me preached in two Sermons on the last fifth of November, 1636. to teach my people obedience to both. And for this, I was by the divine providence directed to this Text (Prov. 24. 21. 22.) My Sonne, feare thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change. For their calamity shall arise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruine of them both? The Doctrines of which text, as I thought the more necessary to be preached and pressed in these times of Apostacy, and defection from the due obedience both of God and the King: So I deemed that day (the memoriall whereof should cause all loyall subjects for ever to detest all Innovations tending to reduce us to that Religion of Rome, which plotted that matchlesse treason) the most seasonable for this text, as wherein our Solemne acknowledgement of our sacred thankes to God for our great deliverance (the fruits whereof we injoy at this day under your Royall and happy government) being a strong ingagement and inducement to every good duty both to God and the King, might worke the more kindly effect in the hearers; a word in season, being (as the Wiseman saith) like Apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Now although the generall good acceptation of the word then preached, whereby the peoples hearts were much affected, being instructed and exhorted to sticke closse to God and the King in all manner of duties to each, that none of those, of whom my text admonisheth, might worke a disvnion, might have beene a sufficient motive of publishing those Sermons in print, for the generall good of all your Majesties loving Subjects throughout this your Kingdome; yet Lo a necessity it now layd upon mee. For on December 3. after my house had beene searched by a Pursuivant, Constables, and Wardens of the Company of Stationers for a booke which I had not, then and there, the Pursuivant served me with Letters Missive from the High Commission to appeare on Twesday then next ensuing, before Doctor Ducke at Chesewicke, there to answer to Articles against me. The Articles were all of them against my preaching, and in speciall, and by name, against my Sermons on November 5. on Prov. 34. 21. 22. Therein was objected to me, that I preached against sundry Innovations (which indeed was one speciall point in my text) as alterations in the booke for the fift of November; alterations in the new Fast-booke, contrary to your Majestes Proclamation, which Orders the old Fast booke set forth by your Majesties authority to be reprinted and published; alterations in the Booke of Common Prayer, set forth by Act of Parliament; a turning out of the Collect for the Queene and Royall Progeny, these words, Father of thine Elect, and of their seed, as if they would blot out your Majesty, Qeene, and Royall Progeny out of the number of Gods Elect: and in the Epistle on Sunday before Faster, for, IN the name of Iesus, is now put, AT the name of Iesus, &c. alterations in setting up of Altars, Images, Crucifixes, in bowing to the Altar: in putting downe afternoone Sermons on the Lords dayes in sundry Diocesse: in allowing no other Catechising, but by bare Question and Answer out of the Booke, without expounding of the maine Principles of Religion to the ignorant youth and people in reading of a second Service at the Altar, in the upper end of the Chancell, where in many great Churches the people cannot possibly heare, & not even in lesser Churches, or indifferent, without a stentorious voyce of the Minister: together with sundry other things of the like nature: some truely alledged, which I am readie to maintaine against the Innovators, and some falsely and maliciously perverted, whereof I am readie to give your Majestie a true account. And in the end of all the Articles, I was charged to bring in a true copie of my Sermon. The conclusion was, a booke tendred to me to sweare to answer to those Articles.
Here at I startled, admiring that these things should be charged upon me as crimes, which both were truthes, and pertinent to my text, and necessarie to admonish my people of, as leading them from the feare of God, and of the King. I also (upon the suddaine) apprehended, that I could expect small iustice of those, that were not only the countenancers, but practisers, yea and (which is the highest degree of all iniquity) open maintainers of such innovations, and that in that very Court where they ought rather to bee severely Censured and Suppressed: but that on the contrarie I should be there censured as a Delinquent, for executing my Ministerie, in speaking the trueth, and reprooving of Sinne. And againe considering with my selfe that this cause was of a higher nature, then to be so much as hazzarded upon the iudgement of these, who were professed parties; I presently reflected my thoughts upon your Sacred Majestie, as not only worthie to take the cognizance of so waightie a cause, and the best able both in respect of your Princelie wisdome, and unpartiall iudgement to waigh it in a just ballance: but also as the prime and principall person, next unto God, whose honour and welfarre it most neerelie concerneth; and who next after God, are ingaged in my text to inquire into. So as my replie to Dr. Duke was, Sir, I humblie appeale to the Kings Majestie my Soveraigne and Patron, as my judge in this cause, and before whom I shall be both a Defendant, and Complainant. For I hold it not fit, that they who are my adversaries, should be my Iudges. These were the verie words of my Appeale to Your Majestie as I remember.
Now thou my Gracious Soveraigne, that which my profest adversaries in so just a cause did unjustlie and against the Law require of me, namelie to bring them a copie of my Sermon, that so they might at their pleasure take advantages by perverting of my words. I doe here most freelie and faithfullie in all humblenesse present to Your Majestie, yea and that with manie additions and inlargements (like to Ieremies rowle) that in the chiefe place Your Majestie may take a full account of the whole matter whereof nothing is concealed; and so also, as all Your loving and loyall Subjects may make good use of it. Herein (besides manie other things, the reading whereof will not (I hope) be losse of time to Your Majestie) I hauehave observed sundrie perillous innovations set on foot in this Your Kingdome, worthie Your Majesties saddest consideration. And to whom (next unto God) should I addresse my complaint herein, but to Your Majestie whose honour I cannot but be most tenderlie sensible of, so deeplie suffering in those Innovations herein mentioned? For how frequentlie and Solemlie hath your Majestie made most Sacred Protestations to all Your loving Subjects, that you would never suffer the least innovation to creep into Your Kingdome? And here, both for the comfort to us Your faithfull people, and for the conviction and condemnation of our Innovators, and for the refreshing of the memorie of Your Majesties Golden Sayings, never to be forgotten, as most honourable to Your Majestie let me set downe a few of them. Your Majestie in Your Declaration to all Your loving Subjects, of the causes that mooved You to dissolve the last Parliament, published by Your Majesties Speciall command, 1628. pag. 21. hath these words: We *Golden sentence.call God to record, before whom wee stand, that it is, and alwaies hath been our hearts desire to be found worthie of that title, which we account the most glorious in al our Crowne, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, neither shall wee ever give way to the authorising of anie thing, whereby ante innovation may steale or creep into the Church, but preserve that unitie of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queene Elizabeth, whereby the Church of England hath stood and florished ever since. And in your Declaration prefixed to the Articles of Religion, speaking of Ordinances and Constitutions in Convocation by Your Majesties leave, and under Your Seale, is added this Proviso, Providing that none be made contrarie to the Lawes and Customes of the Land. More might be added. All which well considered, how audacious, yea how impious are our Innovatours, how fearelesse of Your Majestie, how regardlesse of Your Royall Honor, that in their Innovations made such havocke, commit such outrages, and that upon the open theater? New Rites and Ceremonies doe now, not steale and creep into the Church, but nudo capite are violently and furiously obtruded upon Ministers and people, and that with suspension, excommunication, ejection out of house and home, threatnings and thundrings to the refusers, who dare not yeeld conformity unto them, as being against both Law and Conscience, and these your solemne declarations So as it seemeth these Innovators will put it to the triall, whether their practises will more prevayle against your Majesties Solemne and Sacred Protestations to the contrarie, which stand upon Record, in aeternam rei memoriam. that so they may as much as in them lyeth, blast the beautie and glorie of Your Royall Name delivered in Annales to posteritie, as if it should be said, This King had no regard to sacred Vowes, and solemne Protestations (which God forbid it should ever enter into the thought of any of Your loving Subjects to suspect) or whether your Majestie will looke moore narrowly into their desperate practises, & (not suffering your self to be abused through credulitie of their blandishing flatteries, and bainfull suggestions, and Your people most intollerably oppressed under their lawlesse power) will bee pleased upon others true reports (true reports, I say; for who dare report falsely of them, whom so few dare speake the truth against them, they be so potent and vindicative) to make a full Scrutiny, and inquiry into their exorbitant and extravagant courses, and thereupon to acquit Your honour in executing of Iustice upon the Delinquents. I doe not charge any one particular person. That honor is reserved to Your Majestie. For as Salomon saith, it is the honor of Kings to search out a matter. And for me Your Majesties old and faithfull Servant, while as Christ Minister, & a watchman of Israel, yea a Sentinell perdu, I discover both present, and thereupon (in my apprehension) consequent dangers to my Soveraigne and his State, and while, as the poore sheep, I appeale and complaine to my Shepherd: oh never let my Shepherd either leave me in, or deliver me into the power of the wolfe! And while all along I plead for God and the King, for Feare and Obedience, and against Innovators, the enemies of both; oh let my God and my King protect their poore Servant against his adversaries; the Innovators in my text! Who if they quarrell these my charges, I beseech Your Majestie lay Your charge upon them to make a full and cleare answer unto them.
What shall, or can I say more? Your Majesties wisedome can pierce deeper into this cause, then my shallownesse is able to give intimation, wherein you will easily discerne how deeply You are ingaged to close with God and Your good Subjects against all those Innovators, the disturbers of the peace, and distractors of the unitie of Your Kingdome, so as thereby You shall become the most glorious Prince in Christendome, formidable to Your enemies, and amiable to all Your good Subjects, whose hearts and affections being indecred hereby, will become a richer Mine to Your Majestie, then all the Westerne Indies to the King of Spaine.
And if my stile seeme sharper then usuall, be pleased to impute it to my Zeale and Fidelitie for God and for Your Majestie, when I am to encounter with those that he adversaries to both. And if any word have dropped from my pen, which malice may pervert and wrest to my prejudice, I beseech Your Majestie to be my Iudge Your selfe, and to consider, as on the one side a weake man, so on the other a Minister of Christ, whose message hee durst not but faithfully discharge to his uttermost power, and at his uttermost perill. Nor must I looke to fare better then the Prophets of old, who complained of those, who made a man an offender for a word, and laid a snare for him that reprooued in the gate; Yea then Christ himselfe, whom the Pharisees thought to intangle in his words: Yet my comfort is, that a Prince so gracious, so righteous, so religious shall be my Iudge. And if my simplicitie shall be by my captious Adversaries found worthy of censure for a word misplaced, or so: I shall the more willinglie undergoe their censure, so as they may hauehave their condigne punishment according to the Law, for their most perrillous Innovations. In fine, my last comfort is, and will be, that in case they shall for the present beare me downe, together with so Noble a cause as this is (which yet I know will in time, beate all us Adversaries downe, sith it is Christs owne Cause) I hauehave been a true witnesse of Christ, and a faithfull subject of Your Majestie, in thus freeing mine owne soule by discharging of my duety: What ever become of my body, which is every day threatned by Pursuivants to bee haled to Prison, if Your Majesties Iustice, and good Lawes doe not all the better safeguard mee. But prison or not prison, I heartily thanke my Lord Iesus Christ, who hath accounted mee faithfull, and called me forth to stand for his cause, and to witnesse it before all the World, by publishing my said Sermons in Print, that thereby also I might cleere both the cause, and my credit, which they hauehave publikely, before hearing, branded with sedition. All which I humbly commit to Your Majesties Royall Patronage, as Who next under God, are most interessed in the Cause. Now the Lord Iesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, so unite and combine your heart unto Himselfe, that You being guided by His Spirit of Wisedome and Vnderstanding, of Councell and strength, and of the feare of the Lord, You may doe Valiantly, and prosper, in stopping the course of all Innovators and Backe-sliders into Popery, that so with and under Christs Kingdome, Yours may be established in Righteousnesse to You and your Royall Posteritie, untill time shall be no more, Which is the daily Prayer of,
Your Majesties dutifull Servant and Subject HENRY BVRTON.