Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship, Preface – Errata 1

Against Human Ceremonies in Gods Worship · Preface – Errata 1

THE PRAEFACE.

THey who put to sea, according to their severall scopes & purposes, so doe they steere their Compasses, & proceed in their travells ansvvearablely. Such as sett out meerely to satisfy their pleasure, or some private end; vvhen once the heavens begyn to be besett vvith clouds, the vvynds grovve high, & the storme approaching threatens apparent danger, vvhen their companyes are scattered & severed from them, or vvhen the foulenes of their stomacks and the noysome humors ther, cause, that they cannot brooke the sea, but vvith much taedious disquiet & sicknes; They turne their courses & make to shoare vvith as much speede as they may.

Others vvho seriously intend to make a voyage of it, & are bound for some remote place, & resolved to fetch some precious commodityes from a farr country; they reckon vponupon hazards, expect the common calamityes of the sea, & determyne to vndergoe, vvhat ever they doe expect, or shall befall. The conclusion is: vvilling they are to adventure the losse of their lives, but not vvilling, to loose their voyage, therfore on they vvill: extream necessityes may overbeare them, but no feares can discourage them in ther course.

As thus it fares in traveling, so fares it also, vvith men in professing the truth; their aymes are severall, & their proceedings sutable therunto: Some take up the profession of the truth, as a voyage of pleasure: & such vvill be sure, to sayle no further, then that they may see the smoake of their ovvn chymneyes: they vvill serveChrist no longer, then they may serve ther ovvne turnes, and therfore such vvill have no more of the gospell, then they may have their ovvne private vvith it, not only vvithin sight, but vvithin reach: And its admirable to see, vvhat falsenes they discover in ther course, & yet vvhat fayre colores, they putt upon all their procedings, & vvould beare the vvorld in hand, they vvyshnothing but soundnes, vvhen indeed ther is nothing but shevves & appearances, to please a sensuall eye:

Its not amisse therfore, to take the scantling of both these kinds, that the Iudicious Reader may be able to ovvne them as they appeare in his vvay, either in their vvritings, or behaviours: for the lives of men are like living books, vvhichwhich a vvise man vvill serch into, & observe: To this purposse therfore vve shall shortly consider: 1 vvhat is the cause of this declyning? 2 vvhat be the pretenses, vvherby they labor to excuse it?

The cause of this declining, is the entertaynment of the truth upon false grounds: The apple vvhichwhich is unsound at the coar, vvill discover rottennes in the skinne aftervvards: vvhen the foundation is not sure the vvhol frame vvil synke,Causses of declyning 1 Sext. 13 Luke 19Luke 19 vvhen its shaken by the least storme.

Some ther be, like the stony-hearted hearers, vvho from the present apprehension of the comforts & promises of the gospell, are tickled vvith the svveetnes the rof, though but in general conceaved, & have their hearts sudainly cheared, vvith the confused & unapplyed grounds of good;13 Math. 20. foreignMatt 20 And therfore they are sayd to receive itsuddaynly vvith joy:

But as they florish speedily, so doe they fade assoone:13 Math. 21. foreign.Matt 21 for these flashes of comfort, as they arise not from any deepe root of an humbled & self denyng heart: So they leave no deepe stamp or impression upon the Spirit: and therfore vvhen sad & heavy pressures of sorrovv doe sease upon the soule, these slight impressions of flashy ioy vanish avvay:

These comforts in Temporaries, are like the painting & complexion, vvhichwhich is layd upon the face by deformed harlotts, vvhichwhich the least violence of cold, or heat takes off immediatly; vvhereas, a sound joy issuing from grounded assurance, is like ruddy complexion, vvhichwhich ariseth from good blood, & a vvholsom constitution, vvhichwhich the greatest heats or colds may increase, but cannot remoove as long as life & strength lasteth:

2 Sort of decliners.Others agayne are brought to imbrace the truth because of the company or multitude, vvhichwhich they see give credit or countenance therunto:13 Luk 24. 8 Math. 20.Luke 24:8Matt 20 thus the Pharisee vvould not to heaven vnlesse he might go in the crovvd. Or because of the safty & commodity vvhichwhich the Lord somtimes voutsafes to sincere Professors. Thus many turned Ievvs in Esters tyme,Ester. 8.17. not because they vvere the better, but the stronger party; not for the truth of their profession, but for the safty of the Professors.6 Ihon. 26. These attend upon Christ for the loaves and follovv the gospel no longer then profit follovves them. The name of a prison, the noyse of a chaine, makes the truth so deformed in their eye, that they dare not, & therfore vvil not ovvne it. As the leaves of a tree, vvhyle they be fed vvith moysture, dravvne up in…o the branches by the Sunne in the springe, theyflorish and cold frost drive back the moysture, they vvither & fall. Like these leaves, is the love of these vvordly gospellers. An instance of this temper is apparant in many of our Elizabeth Professors (as they are termed) vvho vvere vvhot at the entrance of the Gospel, vvhen company, credit, & profite vvere attendants to it: but vvhen the frovvnes & displeasure of authority, like vvynter blasts, plucked avvay their livings & dignities vvhichwhich vvere as the moysture, to feed their desires, they dried avvay in their (discretion) & reteined nothing but the name of auncient Professors, like boxes in Apothecaryes shops, vvhichwhich cary fayre titles on the outsyde, & fill up roome, but have not one healing or usefull drugge in them.

A third sort ther be,3 Sort. vvho at the first appearing of the gospel in a place, are taken up vvith the strangnes and novelty, eyther of the Doctryne, or the manner of delivery, & ansvverablely vvith some affection make inquiry after it. This vvas their practise, vvhen Iohn Baptist came preaching in the vvildernes,3. Math. 5.Matt 5 Then vvent out to him Hierusalem, & all Iudea, & all the Region about Iordan. This also our Saviour acknovvledged as ther indeavor.Ihon. 5.35. Ihon vvas a burning & a shining light, & you vvould have recoyced in him for a season.

It befalls the Gospell in this case, as it doth vvith some strange commodity: vvhen it first comes to vievv, many see & cheapen, until the price proves too heavy, & then they depart & vvill not buy: So here: vvhen our Saviour sets open the sale of the gospel, in som obscure place, many vvil be comers, hearers, Cheapners, until they finde that the vvord grovves somvvhat high rated, & the conditions of the Gospel seeme too hard, & then they for sake it. Herod vvelcomes Ihon Baptist, & observes him, but at last murthers him.

4. Fort of declyners.Others lastly, after some sad conviction of the truth revealed, as also of the necessity and excellency therof, hold it a poynt of honor, to persevere in the defense & maintenance of it: and hence for their ovvne prayse, may, & doe Suffer heavy persecutions, as, poverty, Exile in the profession of the truth, the povver vvher of they never approved in the exactnes of it.

Thus many in Queene Maryes dayes, vvere exiled for the Gospel, vvho aftervvard returned into England,13. Math. foreign. & opposed, yea persecuted the povver & accuratnes practise of it.

For ther is a nick of temptation, vvhichwhich stuttes the humor of these temporizing hypocrites, & discovers them in their colours: & hence it is, that these of Diotrephes his generation, could endure banishment, because that hyndred not, but promoted their honor in that kynd of suffering: yet vvhen they came into place of supremacy, fell to beating of their fellovv brethren, as conceaving the strictnes of their course, caryed a condemnation of their carelesse and pompous sensuality.

VVe have seen the causes, consider vve novv the excuses they vvould pretend for themselves.Statist his p…aetense. And heer as mens corruptions are diverse, & act more or lesse strongly, their shifts cary more or lesse apperance vrith them. Here first your statist is most grosse, to vvhom his Religion is as his coyne. Al that, goes for currant gospel vvith him, that is stamped vvith the authority & allovvance of the State: He is hovering betvvixt several Religions, that he may take any for his turne, vvaits & eys, to see vvhichwhich syde is like to prosper, that so he may be of the safest syde: And he …esseth him self vvith the name of a Christian Churche, & the substance of Religion. And vvhat ever things are like to prove trouble some, these he vvil make indifferent, that he may take them, or leave them, as he likes best for his ease.Discretion is they sta…ists God & Gospel.

He complaynes much of the restlesse strictnesse of mens Spirits, vvho cannot see vvhen they are vvell, put too great vveight upon things, that are of no vvorth, stand upon trifles. He crieth out for Discretion as that vvhichwhich vvould umpire & determyne all doubts. And therfor he can run vvith the hare, & hould vvith the houud:Pranks pl…yd under colour of discretion. (by discretion) He vvill doe any thing, rather then suffer any thing: (by discretion.) He can soder vvith the tymes, & vvinke at the synmes of men, yea svvallovv them dovvne, though vvith reluctance of conscience, & that he termes tolerating; & all (by discretion.) Authority is in stead of all arguments to this man, he enquires after no other ground or vvarrant.

The Temporary Gospeller having had some touch of Religion,Temporary Professors pretence. & light of truth, in his mynde, can fynd no rest unto his conscience, vnlesse he have some shevv of reason to allege: for he remembers the charge of the Apostle: ye are redeemed vvith a price: be not the servants of men: he recalls the limitation of Gods command:1. Cor. 7.23 1. P…t 2.13 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 7:231 Cor 11 obey in the Lord: that vve ought to be follovvers of the Apostles no farther then they vver follovvers of Christ. That the utmost extent of our Saviours commission to teach, & for men to obey vvas: That men should be taught,28. Math. to observe all that he commanded, not that men commanded.

Resolving therfor to decline, they seek to catch at any appearance, vvhichwhich they may plead for their declining.A declining heart catch…th at any thing, th…t it may plead for declining. And because they are most led by example, and sense, these are the vveapons vvith vvhichwhich they use to vvard them selves, & maintain their course.

Common example carries a persvvading povver vvith them, its a sufficient reason for their doing because they see it is don. Here they take up their stand. All men for the most part do so, & vvhy may not they?Non quo eundum sed quo itur. Thus like sheep they follovv the drove though it be to the shambles. Especialy if they heare of any noted & famous for piety, & godlines to goe in such a vvay, they conclude forthvvith, it is the right vvay: reasoning thus: They are vvise and godly, & think you, they durst do it, they vvould do it, unlesse it vver good and pious? vvhen the truth hath told us, that all m…n are lyers, 3. Rom. 4.Rom 4& eyther doe, or may deceive, or be decey…d; even the courses of the strictest saynts have ther crackings:2. Gall. 12.13. Peter vvas a good man, & yet dissembled: and Barnabas vvas a good man,Acts. 11.24 2. Gall. 13.Acts 11:24 & yet vvas snatched avvay by example into the same dissimulation. Vvhat madnes is it because a vvise man happily falls into the mire, that vve should foule our selves & vvallovv vvith him? But the mayne bulvvark vvherby they beat back all assaults, is if they can hould out some Ecclesiastical Canon: The Church enjoynes it,The authority of the Church, & theCanons of it, like wind & tyde cary the Temporizer to any coast. & are you vviser then The Church? This stricks it dead, no man must dare to dispute any further; nay they count it unreasonale, once to demurr or doubt any more: but expect, that al men should captivale their conceits presently, & put off reason, & plucke out their eys, to see by other mens spectacles: vvhichwhich is intruth not only to cease to be Christians, but to be men.

Not that I detract any due respect & esteeme, vvhichwhich each man should have both in opinion & affection of the true Church of Christ:The extent of the Churches authoritye. I knovv she is the spouse of Christ; yet but the spouse. It is enough that she is next to her head, the Lord Iesus, she must not usurp to be head, her povver is subordinat not supreme, ministerium not imperium, 28. Math. last.she must deliver the lavves vvhichwhich she hath receaved, from her King, not dare to make lavves: And therfore vve must bevvare, lest vvhyle (for our ovvne es) vve vvould honor the Church too much, vve dishonor Christ, vvrong & greive both:The praetensetaken from the authority, dashed. 1. because its a poysoned d…ug of popery. To crush therfore the former Cavil, & objection: I ansvver several things.

It is the Romish tenet, to a hayre, & one of the most fulsom poynts, & loathsom dregs of the fylth of Popery. The Iesuits themselves having no other bottom …hey beare up, or to biuld up, their blynd obedience: An opinion constantly & unanimously opposed by all our Divines (Chamier de votis, 1. Bec: it overthrovves the Soveranguty ofChrist & his prophetical & Kingly office.lib. 11. cap. 11.) abhorred by al Christian self denying, and syncere-belleiving hearts: For vvhat is it else, but to jusle Christ out of his prophetical & Kingly office: to resolve our fayth & obedience lastly, into the determinations & commands of men?

2. VVhy are the Berreans commended for examining Pauls Doctrin?Acts. 17. 1. Thess. 5.21.Acts 171 Thess 5:21 vvhy are all men enjoyned to trye all things, & to hold that vvhichwhich is good; If vve be bound to take our Religion upon trust from the authority of the Churche?

3. If Paul an Apostle & Doctor of the gentiles,3. The Apost: would not chalenge this power. disclaymes all such souveraignty as tyrannicall usurpation, vvhat man or Church dare chalenge it? But disclayme it he doeth. 2. Cor. 1. last. Not that vve have dominion over your fayth, but are helpers of your joy, for by fayth you stand.

4. Had men, or Curches, povver to coyne Ecclesiastical Canons, to forge nevv articles of fayth, to make these senses of the Scripture Authentick, vvhichwhich suited their mynds, and to charge these upon the consciences of men, as necessary to be beleeved, Beleivers should not stand by their fayth, but they, and their fayth, should stand or fall, according to the feeble determination of men.

5. If the fayth of particular men depend upon the Church,That the authority of the Church is not the rule: & the fa…e rule which guides the Church, doth guide each member. upon vvhat doth the fayth of the Church depend? Eyther they be the rule, (vvhichwhich is too loathsome to affirme) or else they are guided by the rule of the vvord, in their determinations, vvhichwhich begets both saving light in their mynds, & sound faith in their hearts: Eph. b. 20.10. Rom. 17. And if the vvord be ablé to give them light & fayth, vvhy not others as vvel as them?

6. The authority of the Church, unto vvhichwhich vve must captivate our judgements,Vniversale ne… existit, nec agit n… si…in individuis. musteyther be the authority of the Vniversal Church, vvhiche acteth nothing but in the particulars; & these have varied in opinion, & practise, touching Ceremonies, & therfor cannot setle us in a certaine determination; Or it must be the authority of a particular Churche: but particular Churches have not only erred, but departed from the faythe: Vvho Lorded it oter the lavv? did not the Church: 14. Math. 10? vvho condemned & crucifyd the Lord? (did not the Church?) vvho persecuted the Apostles & forbad them to preach & publish the Gospel? (did not the Church?) And this vvhichwhich is sayd of Churches, is true of Coun…els, of all kynds, as experience of all ages hath made it good.

Others of this rank, plead the love of their people,3. Plea of the Temporizer is the love of his p…ople & preaching; when indeed it is the love of him self & living. the necessity of preaching, & hope of doing good: hovv precious mens paynes are, & vvhat need of laborers in the vynyard. And therfore conclude, if all men should sit do vvur in silence, as some doe, the ruyne of the Church must needs follovv. They confesse (its true indeed) these popish reliques, vvhichwhich are the bane of the Churches peace, being unprofitable & needlesse, nay scandalous & offensive, should be removed. But vvhen they vveigh that heavy charge: VVoe if I: preach not the Gospel, they are then vvilling to beare all, rather then to deprive the Church of the benefit, & the soules of Gods people, of the profit & comfort of their ministerye:Favour thy self: is the serious arge: whatever is alledged ito colour it with. vvhereas alas al this pretence of mercy is a miserable mistake, & commonly that vvorldly vvatch vvord (of favour thy self) lyes closely covered under these curious florishes of care & compassion for the common good. For the quaestion is not, vvhether preaching be precious, or the paynes of faythful Ministers profitable? But the doubt here is, vvhether vve may come to doe lavvful things, by unlavvful meanes? To synne, that vve may doe service? As though the Lord had need of my lye; or else that he could not bring his servants to his ovve haven, vvithout the divels boate; or that Christ could not upholde his ovvne kingdome vvithout the paynes & preaching of some men; novv I conceyve, it is undeniably evident, that the suffering, in the tyme of Queene Maryes dayes, did more setle & enlarge the bounds of the Gospel, then all the preaching did in King Edvvard the sixt his reigne.

A 4. plea of the temporizer.Others speake out, & deale dovvne right: professe, it is agaynst the hayre, & their hearts, to doe this drudgery, but they are not able to undergoe the extreame pressure vvhichwhich follovves the refusal of them: Nay its certayne, some have openly protested, that, if it vvere but half an hovvres hanging,I. speake but what I. know. they vvould rather suffer it, then subscribe. But for them & theirs, to ly in the ditch, & to be cast into a blynd corner, like broken vessels; yea they & their familyes to dye many hundred deaths, by extreame misery, before they could come unto their graves; This they vvere not able to undergoe. A condition, I acknovvledge, vvhichwhich needs & deserves a great deale of pity & commiseration, since it is true, that some kinds of oppression make a man mad: But oh that the God of mercy vvould put it into the mynds & hearts of those vvhom it doth concerne, that they vvould never suffer such refuse reliques, longe, to hazard, not only the comforts, but even the con…ciences & happines of many distessed soules.

Ther is a thrid & last sort of men, more ingenuous then the former, vvhoe vvhen they see,The close hypocrite his excuses▪ that such colours (of excuses, formerly propounded) are not layd in oyle, & therfore vvillnot continue, nor can give them any encoragement in ther course; such feeble pleas being like figg leaves, vvhichwhich cannot cover the nakednes of their cause, being neither true in themselves, nor honorable to their proceedings: They come to the mayne hold; and professe the things are lavvfull, & commendable, & therfore they doe no more but vvhat they may, nay vvhat they ought. And vvhereas they have beene of another mynd, they diversely discover the causes of their change; as they are diversely affected, or have a greater stroke of conscience, & conviction of judgement.1. Not willing to search.

One man acknovvledgeth, he hath beene long staggering, about the things in quaestion: But novv he hath gott greater light, sees more, & understands better. And yet no man could ever see, his candell lighted, his arguments alleged, nor yet vvere his oversvvaying reasons, ever offered to skanning.

Nay if he be put hard to, it vvil appeare he hath, none: yea he is not acquaynted vvith the things he doth, if he come to give an account, of vvhat he hath done. Only you must beleive, he hath private arguments, vvhichwhich doe overpovver his judgement: Othervvise he must graunt, he doth practise vvithout ground & reason: The summe in short is, he hath gotten a perspective about him, and perceyves that ease, & liberty is good, & therfore, (Issachar like) is resolved to sit under his burden: he sees the vvay by svvallovving o… ceremonyes, hovv to sleepe in a vvholle skinne, & that …ourse he takes.

His falshood in his search.If some searching truth delivered in publike, presse him, or some syncere hearted freind persvvade him to a further inquiry, he seeks after the truth, as a covvard doth for his enemy, being a frayd to fynd it. Loath he is, to be in the society of such, vvhō he conceaves, to be eyther Iudicious in their dispute, or Zealous in their course, agaynst this trash. Secretly desirous, that other should not occasion conference, or that suche should not enter into serious communicatiō of these things, & if they doe, he is vveary of it,Consult wiht these only who are of his judgement. & blames the Author of the discourse, as that more savory or seasonable talk vvere shut out: VVhen he goes for counsel, and direction, it is to some such Authors, vvho vvritè for the things he vvould practise, or consul… onelyonly vvith those men, that professe to mayntayne them, & so they make up the match at mydnight.

But if yet, their ovvne consciences, the arguments or persuasions of others,Or adviseth with thos… who are weake, if contrary they be in judgment. provoke to a more serious examination of both sides: Hovv vvearishly & unvvillingly goe they to the vorke? Commonly they make choice of the vveakest, vvhose opinion they knovv, to be crosse, to their course: or if they advise vvith other, of more able understanding, it is upon a start or suddayne, that …her can be no sad dispute, & if yet such arguments fall, vvhichwhich they are not able to gaynsay; They goe their vvay, & can tel hovv to forget or neglect them, & professe …hey vvere vvith such, but could not be convinced, …or see any sufficient reason to set…e their judgements.

But vvhen they consult vvith such, vvhose opi…ions they knovv vvil please their palates, & persvvade …hem to that, vvhichwhich, they are resolved before hand to …ractise; Though happily they propound no reason, but …nly administer some grave counsel, or savory advise to …xpresse their ovvne resolution, or allege that place Rom. …3.1. Let every soule be suject to the higher povvers; Oh they goe avvay vvith abundant content, admire & thank him for his advise▪ professe they never heard so much, & that novv he is fully setled, & hath his doubts ansvvered to his desire, gives it out, that such a man is able to give satisfaction to any: vvhen in the meane vvhyle, he never asked any argument, but tooke his bare opinion, because it pleased him, & yet vvill reject the reason somtymes of another, because it crosseth him.

May be, it so falls out, that some nevv book of great note & expectation, is publyshed, vvhichwhich might cleare the cause to these mens contents: After they have vievved it, & vviped their eyes, all things then are so cleare, that ther is not a cloud in the sky, nay not a mote in the sunne: Ther vvas never sayd so much before: Oh this book of D. Burgesse, hath made all things evident to them, even to admiration, & conclude, it vvill doe as much to any that reads it: so that, if men be not obstinate, they cannot, but be convinced.

But alas: these men, have they taken the arguments into serious consideration? have they labored to search & examyne the strenght of them? have they propounded them to such vvho are held most able, & judicious, of the other opinion, vvho doe not fynd themselves, yet persvvaded? Alas here is deepe silence? vvhere is that ancient rule: Audi alteram partem? vvhere is that charge of the Apost: trye all things. Is it not likely the man should be persvvaded by his author,1. Thest. 15 23. vvho resolves before-hand never to quaestion any thing in him? He must needs be of his authors fayth, vvho purposeth to beleive all he sayes, or not to doubt of vvhat he sayes. And vvhyle I vvas penning this preface, ther vvas one curious prank of cleanly conveyance of a declining heart, brought to hand, & it vvas this: pressures grovving heavy upon such, that vvould not conforme them selves, The Court censures of the Commissary, proceeding to excommunication of such as refused, & adding aggravations therunto: to vvit,This was done at Lecester: forbidding to buy or sell vvith such, that vvere so excommunicate, upon payne of excommunication: one amongest the rest vvas not able to undergoe the burden: to professe he could not suffer, vvas too shamefull, & therfore he professeth his jugdement vvas changed by D. Burgesse his book: & therfore he need not, nay he should not suffer. Some of his parteners or consorts, desiring satisfaction vvith him, entreat that he vvould poynt at the place, expresse the argument, or arguments, in this booke, that prevayled vvith him. To vvhichwhich he ansvvers: no perticular, or perticulars, in the book, persvvades, but the vvholl: The English of vvhichwhich speech & practise is this: I am resolved to conforme: & I vvill be persvvaded by Doctor Burgesse his book to it; but neither I, nor you shall knovv, vvhat persvvades me; that so my grounds not being knovve, they cannot be answered, nor I unsetled any more: oh the desperate folly of a declining heart, to betray & deliver up it self unto the delusions of Satan!

Ther is lastly another sort of profound disputers in the vvorld,The shifts of …ubtyll disputers. vvho apprehending their reache to be beyond the reasons & vvritings of other men, have out of the depth of their judgements, devised a vvay judiciously to deceyve their ovvne soules; & out of their pick-lock subtility, count it easy to make vvay for themselbes, & mayntayne their vvay in any quaestion. And this they do by making a maze of Divisions, & cutt things in so many shreds, by multitudes of distinctions, that at length they loose their cause, the truth, & them selves also in theissue, & must of necessity be vvilder the reader, unlesse he be of a searching judgement: This kynd of distinguishing is like snuffing of the candell too neare, putting out the light vvholly, vvhyle they intend to make the light burne more cleare: so do these men darken the truth, professing to discover more of it. praegnable examples of this kynd, the Rej. hath expressed unto us, vvhen to avoyd the dint of the argument concerning significant Cerem: & vvorship, his destinctions are so many & intricate, that one member destroyes another, & the true nature of vvorship also, as may appeare in the 85. & 136. pag: of the first part of this Dispute.

All this I speake, not that I vvould fall out vvith any, vvho is not of the same opinion vvith my self: for I prosesse the contrary, in a vvord of truth: every man abounds in his ovvne sense: Only this seemes somvvhat greiuous, & I conceave also injurious to the truth, that after all hard dealing, she cannot gett an indifferent hearing, Seing it is the fashion of the vvorld, to have mens persons in admiration, to gayne some countenance therby to their ovvne courses, And therfore to blovv up the fame of mens abilityes, (as they do bladders) to the utmost greatnes they can, that the greater vvarrant they may seeme to have, to follovv their opinions & vvayes. And contraryvvise, the person must be disparaged, vvhen vve vvould have his cause, or vvork come into discredit: a fashionable, but a shame lesse peice of Rhetorick: Thus the vvriting of the Repl: must be a pamphlet, his manner of vvriting …currilous, that vvhen both are thus disfigured, by the dirt and soote, vvhichwhich the Rej. hath flung upon them, it may be conceyved, they vvere so misshapen in their first frame: vhereas the ansvveare of the Rei: must be lifted up & proclaymed, vvorthy, learned, & judicions: vvhichwhich puts me in mynd of Demetrius his out-crye: 19. Acts: 28. Great is Diana of the Ephesians: 19. Acts. 25Acts 25the ground vvhereof vvas not so much the love of the Goddesse, as the greedy desire of that great profit, they reaped therby: So here, the ansvveare must be learned & judicious, that men may conforme learnedly, and judiciously.

Not that I envy the Drs. Honor, or vvould diminish any thing of his due, but I cannot endure davvbing, much lesse that the prayse of men, should be advanced, to the praejudice of the truth. Laying aside therfore-all praejudice, & partiality, cast vve the proceedings of the Repl: & Reioy. into the scales of righteous consideration, & vvhere the blame most appeares, let the Reader lay it on, & let-him beare it, to vvhom it is due by desert: And in this search, let no man think, I intend or seek the Rej. his dishonor, for my vvitnes is in heaven, I doe not; nay I dare not doe it. I knovv the righteous judge vvould require it: but it is for the manifestation of truth, and innocency, vvhere ever it is to be found.

That I may doe the Doctor right then, I vvill sett dovvne the rules hovv farr the faylings of others may be layd open. 2. Hovv farr, & in vvhat cases, some kynd of tartnes, & sting of indignation may be expressed, in pen or speech, as allovvable in holy vvritt.

That vve may lay forth the limits of the farst, & see hovv farr the compasse of our Christian Commission reacheth in the discovery of others faults,How farr law full to lay open synnes. vve must vvisely distinguish of Persons & Synnes that so vve may not be deceaved.

Persons then undergoe many conditions, & relations: some are members of the same congregation, vvho have covenanted, to vvalk in the fellovvship of the fayth of the Gospell: Others are subjects of the same commonvvealth only, professing the truth.

Both these agayne; are there repenting or pertinacious, & incorrigible synners.

Synnes also are of sundry kynds some are private, some are publike: both these agayne, are lesser scandalls: or more hainous & Capitall Crymes, vvhichwhich threaten apparant hazard to the publike good of a state, or the prosperous successe of the Gospell: Novv out of these distinctions, such conclusions may easily be collected, vvhichwhich may give ansvver to the first quaestion, so far as concernes our purpose: & these be 3.

In private offences, the rule of our Saviour takes place:Rules of direction, how we mai discover the faults of oth…rs. If thy Brother offend, tell him his fault betvvixt him & thee alone, if he heare thee, thou hast gayned thy Brother: if our admonition attayne the end, in removing the evill, vve need not then crave further help, from any other, to redresse it. Beside, our Brother having regayned his honor by repenting, vve should not cast the blott agayne upon him, by any fresh report.

2. If under private admonition, a Brother prove obstinate, & incorrigible, vve may, & should publish, both person & fault to the congregation, as our Saviour in that case enjoynes it, as a duty to be discharged, & leaves it not to our freedome to omitt: for the vvords runn in force, & forme a commaund: tell the Church.

3. If the offence be publike, either left upon record in vvriting, & made so notorious to all that vvill attend, & read it: or acted in some sollemne assembly, or in open vievv before many vvitnesses, laying aside malice, & envy; vvhichwhich may stir us, or synfull and sinister ends, vvhichwhich may carry us hereunto, & spoyle this, & the best service. Its very lavvfull, nay (in case) very necessary, to speake of such miscariages, or vvrite of them, as occasion may require, & that vvith out all breach of love: vvhether vve looke at others, vvho are but standers by, That they may not be scandalized, infected, or plucked avvay by the error of men: Or if vve looke at the offenders them selves, by vvay of Caution, & vvholsome prevention, vve stopp the poyson of their practise, that so they do no more harme to others; nor bring any more guilt upon their ovvne soules: then vvhichwhich vvhat greater love and mercy can be shovvne, to our fellovv Brethren?

And out of this ground, and after this manner it is, that vve shall bring some of the Doctors miscariages to consideration, and present them to the vievv of the Reader: but such only, vvhichwhich he himself hath made open and notorious, either by vvriting or practise: and that for this end alone, that the false colours vvhichwhich he hath putt upon his course, and proceedings, may not prejudice the truth in in the hearts, or judgements of the ignorant, and unvvary Readers; or any that are vvilling to declyne, vvho vvould very fayne have the Doctors vvords vvithout controule, that so they might follovv him vvithout feare, and this may suffice for ansvver to the first quaestion, & the vvarrant for our vvay to vvalk in.

The second admitts satisfaction in short: to vvit Hovv farr & in vvhat cases, some kynd of tartnes may be expressed in pen or speech.How f…rr t…rt speeches may be used.

Ans: ther be tvvo instances in Scripture, vvhichwhich are playne & pregnant to this purpose, & left for our direction in this case.

The first is the behaviour of Elias, tovvards Idolaters & their Idolatrous practises vvhom he jeares to their faces, & out of a holy kind of indignation, s…i…gs vvith a bitter & a deriding Irony. For so the …: And it came to passe at noone, that Eliah mocked them,1. Kings 18.26.1 Kgs 18:26 & sayd crye aloud, for he is a God, either he is talking, or is pursuing, or he is in a journey, & peradventure he sleepeth, & must be avvakened: And hence it is, the Lord casts such loathsom terms of detestation, upon the Idoll, that he besparckles the vvorshippers therof vvith disdayne.

The second instance is touching ambitious false teachers,56. Isay 10.Isa 10 or Idoll sheapherds. So Isayah, his vvatchmen are blynd, they are dumb doggs, they cannot bark, they are greedy doggs, they can never have enough. So the Apost. Paul gyrds the consciences, of those silken Doctors of Corynth, & their follovvers; vvhichwhich slighted the simplicity of the Gospell 1. Cor: 4.10. vve are fooles for Christ, & ye are vvise in Christ; vve are vveake, & ye are Strong; ye are honorable, & vve are despised; These tart Ironicall speeches stable the heart, vvith a secret disdayne, of their groundlesse, & ambitious folly: And indeed vvhen the Lord enjoyns it as a duty, & makes it a note, & argument of a happy man,15. Psal. 4.Ps 4 that a vyle person is contemned in his eyes; vvhat expression of vvords, can sute such a contempt in the heart, unlesse they cary some tartnes of di…dayne vvith them.

VVe novv see our limitts & allovvance: let the judicious Reader according to this rule, consider of some Keene passages of the Reply: and I suppose it vvill be found, that the most of thē, if not all, are poynted agaynst the unvvarrantable standings, & places, the intollerable, & ambitious courses of our Prelats, or else their seeming & self-deceaving arguments.

If in any he hath exceeded the bounds of sobriety, I professe, neither to defend, nor excuse it, I knovv the Replyer himself vvill not allovve it: For he hath silenced, all such expressions in this second Reply: though he had never so just cause, to provoke him thereunto, & never so great advantage given him by the miserable mistakes of the Rej. in many places: vvhichwhich if the Rej. had found in him, (He that can haulke after vvords vvith such eagernes) vve should have had exclamations, Proclamations, & outcryes enough to hauehave filled up a vvordy & vvyndy volume.

Hovv ever, vvas the Reply: never so vvorthy, to have the reproach of scurrility cast upon him, or his vvork; the Rey; vvas most unvvorthy & unfit te doe it, vvho hath, (I dare say) much exceeded in this kynd:Quis tulerit G…aecos? Hovv unseemely is it, & hovv ill sounds it, to heare theeves complayne of Robbers, harlots of adulteresses. The proverb is homely, but true: its a hard vvorld, vvhen heerring-men revile fisher-men. For proofe vvhereof, I appeale to thyne eyes to be vvitnesses Christian Reader. And that I may proceed, according to Allegata probata, I vvill not look beyond my lyne: Only that picture vvhichwhich the Rej. hath made of himself, I judge it not only lavvfull, but in this case necessary to present agayne to his veivv; that the vvorld may knovv, & if God vvill, Doctor Burgesse also, may knovv himself, & vvhat his spleen hath beene, agaynst the people of the most High God, blessed for ever.

A tast of the tartnes of Doctor Burgesse his Spirit, in the severall passages of his ansvver.

This tartnes vvill appeare in 3. kindes.

1. His heavy Censures, and that, of the very hearts, & consciences of men.

2. His open reviling of the persons of the nō conformists: or secret inducements to bring them into distast:

3. His Keene & scornefull jests, vvhichwhich are his pastime, frequently expressed through the vvholl.

Heavy Censures.

1. They vvho tell us, that all the Church may doe touching rites is: but the application of circumstances, vvhichwhich are in nature, Civill: Adding that the Church may not ordayne any Cerem: meerly Ecclesiasticall; do Manifest a spirit vvhichwhich lusteth after contradiction p. 37 of manuduc.

In the ansvver.

2. If it seeme so to him indeed: God hath smitten his contentious spirit, vvith Giddines: for vvho but a man forsaken of all vvisdome. &c. 62. p.

3. The Convocation house is not so likely to conclude &c. as this Libeller, is to come to shame for his factious, & intollerable comparison, unlesse God humble him. p. 62.

4. For vvhosoever thinksnot as (they) must either be condemned of grosse corruption, or excused, as having some good meaning: yet much vveaknes vvith all, scil. in (comparison of them) And this pride makes them so scornefull: p. 65.

5. It is so palpablely false, that I should hardly beleeue, any Fryar durst hauehave sett it dovvne in print: p. 67.

6. And see hovv these men that talke & vvrite in so haughty, & magistrall a fashion, doe but gull, & deceiue them vvith the names of vvorthy men.

VvhichWhich is so great & shamefull a sinne, & in this Replyer, so frequent, that I vvonder he dares dispute about Cerem: before he have learned the substance of common honesty: p. 83. in his alligations.

7. Hovv can you beleeue any truth, crosse to your opinion? vvhen as you seek glory one of another, & presume of your nevv traditions, as if the spirit of truth came to you, or from you alone. p. 103.

8. As for tearmes of excrements, vvhichwhich he vvould be loath, one should apply to the hayre of his heade, It savoureth of a spirit of rancor, as doth the like Foule speech, in the Scotch Dialogue. God vvill judge them for these reproches, by vvhichwhich they labor, to breed scorne, and abhorring of these, in the minds of ignorant men. p. 131.

9. This flim-flam Master Iacob lent you, and both he, and you take it up, merely for a shift, Not out of conscience, or judgement; but of hauty desire of defending, vvhat you have once spoke. 207.

10. This Replier (in a common course) giving the name of a good Christian, to some unconformable. The Rej. breaks out into these vvords. This Addition savores Strongly of that spirit of seperation, vvhichwhich hath beene hunted after, in the chase of unconformity.

For this shovves, that vvith these men the adversaries of Ceremonies & Bish. are the only good Christians. p. 216.

11. Doth this Repl. & such as he, vvho vvithout lavv, vvithout calling, vvithout reason, vvithout conscience, doe smite vvith their toungs, and condemne to the put of darkenes, …he Bish. & the conformed Ministers, & in a manner, all that are not of th…ir party. 216. pa:

12. Nor is it rightly taken up, that these men are counted factious, for neglect of Ceremonious Canons, upon conscience, but for stiffe opposition to Ecclesiasticall lavves, vvhichwhich they despitefully speake, & vvrite agaynst, & for contempt of these statute lavves, by vvhichwhich the book of common prayer is established. For that they dravv (as fast as they can) into a body of themselves, ingrossing a forehand, the name of brethren, The Godly, the Church, the good Christians, as though vve had lost our Christ, & they had found him quite avvay: 222: pag:

13. The tearming of our Cerem: Popish, is done out of faction, & to make the imposers, & Observers of them, hatefull vvith the people of God, vvhichwhich I beleeue no Church vvould suffer, I am sure it should not: pag: 238.

14. This man forceth his vvitt, & I feare his conscience also, & doth not beleeue himselfe, vvhen he sayth, that these Cerem. are imposed as parts ofGods vvorship; but only for faction & opposition, vvould fayne hauehave it thought so, that their opposition might be justifyed before men. 243. p.

15. For a vvrangling spirit; yea an ill conscience, is so playnly to be observed, vvhile he studies to persvvade, vvhat himself beleeues not. 243.

16. But vvhat should I presse these men, vvith the authority of men, vvho have themselues in estimation, for soundnes of judgement, before all men. p. 370.

17. But the Repl. seing no interpretation vvill help agaynst the cleare Testimonies of the Learned, by us alleadged, confesseth they vvere men, (as if he, & his partners vvere more then men!) & that ther is a little variety. So vvilling are men rather to cast dirt in the faces of others, then to confesse any mistaking in themselues. Is this any thing, but the spirit of pride, thus masterly to judge the Lords vvorthyes? 387. p.

18. This ansvver you think good to give: because you are resolved to sinke the reputation of all men, auncient or latter, hovv learned, & zealous soever they vvere, ratherthen to confesse your ovvne mistaking.

Open Revilings of the Persons of Non-conformitants: or secret inducements to bring them into distast.

In 52. pag: of the Praeface: some Noncōformists are brought in, & sayd to be of that temper: that vvhen the remove all of Cerem. only vvas mentioned: Their ansvver vvas.

They must not have a hoof-behinde them: And the note in the Margent tells us.

1. This S^r. Fran: VValsingham told M^r. Knevvstubs, of vvhom I had it.

2. It is a ridiculous supposition; its a malitious surmise; all this scurrilous bundle is of no use, unlesse it be to ingraft himselfe, into the affections, (vvhichwhich he calleth the consciences) and applause of his ovvne partie. p. 633. Preface.

3. These tvvo notes, note you to be an egregious vvrangler. p. 6.

4. Did ever sober-man reason thus? p. 61.

5. I should be sory to fynde so much vvayvvardnes, & falshood, in any man of our Religion; but cannot but vvonder at it, in a man pretending more then ordinary sincerity p. 15.

6. Hovv ever these men, vvho in effect say to all other men, stand backe, I am more holy then thou, &c.

7. VVhat a shame is it for men to glory of sincerity, for refusing Cerem. And use no sincerity in alleadging authors, 284.

8. But that use vvhichwhich the learned divines call Historicall, these men call Religious, that they might by a false eare-mark, bring us into suspicion abroad, & into hatred vviht our Religious people at home, and yet they vvould be counted sincere men. 303.

Certaine Quaeres, by vvhichwhich these passages may be weighed, in the balance ofserious consideration.

Of all, in generall, the quaeres are these: 1. If the Replier did any where give sentence of conformists consciences? 2. If he uttered any one bitter speache against all Conformists? 3. The former being negatiuely true, if the Rejoyner (in his over & under-lashings) was not overcome of his owne evill, rather then the Repliers?

Quaere. 1.

1. If a man upon probability affirme such a poynt, or out of ignorance & mistake, conclude it certaine, & so relate it, as by him conceaved, doth he hereby necessarily manifest a spirit of contradiction, or the weaknes of his owne apprehension?

2. If charity hopes the best, that can be conceaved in reason, to iudge mens spirits by grounds weake, & feeble, out of which nothing can be concluded.

Quaere, whether it be not uncharitable censuring?

3. Do all those who contradict the like conceites of the Rej: as false, manifest a sinful spirit in lusting after contradiction?

Quaere 2.

Whether may not a man mistake a thing plaine, & be of no contentious spirit?

Whether in such a mistake, is it certaine God smites with giddines?

Whether is not this to iudge mens consciences, beyond warrant of any word of God, or the nature of the work wil beare?

But is not this, not only unreasonable, but intollerable, if the thing be true?

Quaere 3.

1. Whether these words come from a calme loving & merciful spirit?

2. Whether God may not abate a man, for his fals in executing iudgments here: or may lay many punishments on him beside open shame?

3. Whether these definitive determinations of iudgments upon men, for some light differences, & those not so cleare, be not to jussle God out of the place of iustice: & to cast thunderbolts where he doth not?

But if the replier make his expression good by his defense, as he hath; is not this a strange censure, upon so smal a thing, & so strange a mistake?

Quaere 4.

Whether this charge issues not out of a principle, desirous to make the Persons of non conformists, odious to all, proclayming them as such, whose intollerable pride, scornes & contemnes, all men in regard of themselves?

Whether the Rej. his passion did not transport him beyond himself in this accusation, when it makes him contradict his owne confession? preface: p. 5.

Ther be some moderate learned, Godly, loving. &c.

VVhether his spleen is not great that would spare none, but even destroy the Nation of Nonconformists, in the esteeme of men: As Haman the Iues? For of all he speakes: They: Them.

Quaere 5.

VVhether he be not more charitable to Fryars, then Nonconformists since he knowes, what they hauehave printed?

Quaere 6.

VVhether if this Repl. was faulty, was it reasonable to fly in the face of all Nonconformists? These men.

VVhether the Rej. his conscience in cold blood dare say, that their is not amongst the NonConformists, the truth of worthines, but only the names?

VVhen in his preface he thus writes p. 3. some peacable & very VVorthy Ministers were cast out.

Quaere 7.

Whether they that cannot entertaine truth crosse to their opinion, & seeke honor one from another, can have any truth of grace? our saviour seemes to gainsay it 5. Iohn. And therfore Whether there be any colour of argument, for the Rej. to condemne al Nonconformists as such, whom this charge condemnes?

Quaere 8.

Whether doth the vilefying of a relique which one conceaves superstitions, argues a spirit of rancor?

How came the Rej: to be sure, that God will judge them for these?

VVhether may they not repent, & then God wil pardon them, not judge them?

How if the reliques be base & deserve to be scorned?

Quaere 9.

How knowes the R…j: but they might do it out of ignorance, & an error of ignorance may stand with a good conscience?

How knowes the Rej: that it was a hauty desire, & no other passion?

But if all this be maynteined, is not the Rej: extreamely harsh in his censures, when no roome wil serue him, unlesse he situpon mens consciences, & Pilat-like condemne the innocent?

Quaere 10.

If one call a non-conformitant a good Christian, doth he expresse a strong savor of seperation?

He that names a Non-conformitant a good Christian, doth he conclude, that the adversaryes to the Bish. are the only Christians?

Quaere whether reason, or passion agaynst all colour of reason, make these consequences? And whether the Rej. would suffer us to make the like out of his words, when he calleth Conformists: the faithfull servants of Christ, as he doth pag: 628.

Quaere 11.

VVould not the Rej. make Nonconformitants monsters of men, who shal commit so capital a sinne, as condemnation of mē to Hell: & being voyd of law, calling, reason, conscience; in sodoing?

Where doth this Repl: condemne all that are not his party, or all conformed ministers?

…ay if neither he, nor any duplicate page duplicate page Non-conformitant ever writt, spake, printed; nay thought so unreasonablely: quaere: whence such an accusatiō comes, & what ground it argues, which exceeds the bounds of truth, or reason; yea common sense?

Quaere 12.13.

Whether these hundreds of ministers silenced at the beginning of K. I. were despitefull speakers agaynst the cerem: or conscionable forbearers of their use?

Whether these, who desire to subscribe according to law, be despisers of the law, or those who deny them the benefit of it?

Where is that body, into which the Non-conformitants gather them selves?

How appeares it, that they ever ingrossed such Titles to them selves, so as to deny them to all others: or more then the Rej. ingrosseth the title of the faithfull servants of Christ, unto conformists, pag? 628.

Whether this imputation be not to bring them into hatred & distast of the state?

Whether ever prophane drunkards, riotous adulterers, scoffing Atheists, or the bitterest of the Iesuits, geered more tauntingly agaynst many faythfull? And is it not loathsome to lick up their vomits? For the worst of men, have not worse language, agaynst the Nonconformists.

Quaere 14.15.

VVhether the Rej. can judge of a mans heart any other way thē by his expressions outward?

Since the Repl: proffessions & expressions are playne one way, by what warrant can the Rej. conclude his conscience is other. Neither word, nor reason, nor louelove, nor Religion, learnes or allowes such inferences: what is the principle whence these proceed?

16. Quaere.

VVhether any man, truly humble, & gracious, can preferr him self before all men?

VVhether the Rej. accountes all Nonconformists, voyd of all truth of grace, when he layeth this to their charge?

17. Quaere.

VVhether he that sayes the Auncients were men, doth therby inferr, that he himselfe is more then a man?

VVhether to affirme the Fathers to be men, is masterly to judge them, or argues a Spirit of pride; when they them selves, so judge, & speake of themselves?

VVhether to affirme the Auncients to be men, argues a man resolved to sinke all mens reputation, how holy & zealous soever they be, rather then to confesse his owne mistake?

Quaere 18.

VVhether ther can be a heavier charge layd agaynst a man then rotten hearted & unfit to live in the society of men? And yet what lighter ground, & more insufficient can be pretended to beare it up?

Quaere. 19.

VVhat if no man should have knowne, what Mr. Knewstubbs told D^r. B: in private, conceaving him of the same judgement? ergo Quaere.

VVhether it be safe for fellow brethren, to betrust their secrets to the Rej. his keeping?

2. VVhether the Rej. did not rake up all the blind corners of his memory, to fetch out what might be, to bring Nonconformers into distast?

Quaere. 20.

VVhether this be not downeright rayling?

Quaere 5.6.7.8.

VVhether the Pharisies, in their Ceremonies, did not praetend more holinesse, then other men? And whether Conformists be not therin more like the Pharisies, then Non-conformists?

VVhether this be not to leaue the Persons, & to gibe at sincerity it self?

VVhether doe the professed enemyes agaynst the power of godlines, use any otherlanguage, when they would jeare at the sincerity of Gods servants?

Is not some historicall use, Religious? what want of synceritie then is it, to distinguish that historicall use of images, which is to stirr up devotion, from other civill use, by the terme Religious? Nay what synceritie is ther, in branding such a declaration with a false affected ear-mark?

His tart jests & taunts are not as graines of salt, but so frequent, that they seeme as Pickle, in vvhichwhich the passages of his book are layd to steep, & therfore I vvill but poynt at some number of places, to ease the reader, & my self.

PAg. 71. lyn: Praeface. pa. 14. ly. 29. pa. 19. pa. 33. ly. 22. pa. 15. ly. 1.2.11. pa. 37. ly. 24.25. And he not only takes, but seeks an occasion: yea is content to goe some miles about, to reache men a blovv, vvho vvere of Godlines & vvorth, by some slighting taunt to disparage their persons, or vvorks.

That judicious & paynfull laborer, & faithfull servant of Christ he slights, pa. 4. Prae…ace.on this manner: M^•. Parkars Gaudye & passionate treatise of the crosse. A vvorke in truth, of that strength, & beauty, that it bleares & dazells the eyes of envy it self. And therfore men out of hope, either to imitate it, or ansvver it, vvould beare the vvorld in hand, it vvas not vvorth the vvhyle to spend labor in it.

But the Rej. vvisheth, some vvould reduce it to Logicall arguments: & then he doubts not, but it vvould soone be ansvvered.pa. 75. praeface.

VVhichWhich is such a meer put-of, & so unbeseeming the skill of a Logicall disputer, much more the champion-like confidence of Doctor Burgesse, that had not his heart secretly misgiven him, in this seeming bravado, such an expression vvould never hauehave falne from his penn.

For let any rationall man be judge in this case. Are not Logicall arguments playnly expressed in a continued discourse, & by a Logician easily collected? & vvhat needs a reducing to a forme then?

Beside M^r. Parkars discourse is eyther empty, & voyd of sinevves of sound reason, & then the vveakenes of it, is soone discovered, & may be confuted; yea disgraced vvith more ease; or else ther be arguments, of that solidity, & strength, vvhichwhich eyther the Rej. cannot reduce, or else is not able, or not vvilling to ansvvere. To say he cannot reduce thē to forme, is a thing too meane to imagine, nor vvill the Rej. graunt, nor vvill I, or do I thinke. To say he is not vvilling to ansvver, is to gaynsay his ovvne course, the profession of his care, to traverse this cause, & his louelove to our Cerem: & the peace of our Church, so much pretended in his ansvver.

The third therfore must be concluded, for I do not see vvhat fourth thing can be given.

Only, Did ever any ansvverer, serious & judicious, amongst Divines, of any kynd, Protestant Papist, Lutheran, propound such conditions, did ever any grant such? nay is it not to common sense ridiculous? For any Lutheran to send to a Calvinist, any Protestant to a Papist, having printed some serious treatise agaynst them, to send I say this message; vvell: you hauehave printed a treatise here, & you place some, yea great confidence in it: if you vvill (reduce it into sillogismes,) you shall be soone ansvvered, & that ther is nothing but bumbast, & paynted vermilion putt upon it? Spectatum admissi risum? VVould not the Papists laugh in ther sleeves, at such an ansvver, I vvill say no more: but only propound this forme to the Rej. & saue him a labor to reduce it.

He that propounds such tearmes of ansvver, vvhichwhich never vvere yet asked, or granted, & indeed are unreasonable to yeeld: professeth he cannot make an ansvver, being vvilling therunto.

But such termes the Rej. craves. The like jirkes he lends to M^r. Iacob, p. 16. To Godly learned Fenner. p. 38.

And he hath such a mynde to chide, that upon the occasionall mentioning of one vvord excrement, he fetcheth a vagary into Scotland, as it vvere, & sitts in judgement upon the Author of theScotch dialogue: pa. 131. l. 20. vvithout any confutation of any ground, vvhichwhich I supose had better suited his place, being an ansvverer, and not a judge.

In like sort, he vilifies M^r. Bradshavv: A pamphlet of things indifferent of M^r. Bradshavv. pa. 188. (your M^r. Bradshavv) VVhom vve are not ashamed to ovvne, & suppose the Doctor vvould hauehave beene afrayd to hauehave grappled vvith him, in an arg: had he beene aliue.

Venerable M^r. Cartvvright he taketh up sometime, as if he had vvritten upon praejudice, vvithout judgemēt. Thus much I thought good, to adde in short, to vvipe avvay that supercilious disdayne, cast here by the Doctor upon divers of the Lords deare servants; many thousands of vvhom together, he accuseth after of stupiditie, or praejudice, even all that allovv not of Organs, in Divine service, or Psalmes-singing. VVe shall novv summarily poynt at the rest of the places, as an inventory or treasury of the Rej. taunts p. 47. l. 22. p. 50. l. 7.8. p. 52. l. 33.34.35. p. 55. l. 26. p. 113. l. 32. p. 120. l. 12. p. 130. l. 10. p. 141. l. last. p. 180. l. 32. p. 182. l. 16 17. p. 213. l. 18. p. 247. l. 21.22. p. 312. l. 6.7. p. 315. l. 11.12. p. 316. l. 10.

These are some of the many common places of scoffes, to be found in his booke, & are all contayned vvithin the compasse of the three first chapters. as for the last, I had neither leyseure, nor list, to trouble thee good reader, or my self, vvith vvriting them out.

Only to giuegive thee a guesse, hovv prittily the Rej. can play vvith vvords, fynd himself talk, & fill up pages: I shall take so much paynes, as to transcribe a place or tvvo: Thus he vvrites. p. 66.

So this & those rules after added, are as the proverbe is, like a rope & butter, that if the one slip; the other may hold: So agayne.

p. 73. The truth is: M^r. Iacob could never get ouer the block, vvhichwhich M^r. Cartvvright, & the Admonitors had layd in his vvay (hovv ever M^r. Cartvvright himself a man of more activity, made a shift to leape ouer it) namely thus: VVhat soeuer is not commanded in the vvord, must not be in the Church:

And yet M^r. Iacob, that he might seeme to hold fayre quarter vvith M^r. Cartvvright, & other learned Divines, vvho acknovvledge, that certayne Ecclesiasticall rites & Cerem: appropriated to holy actions, vvere left to the determination of the Church, under some generall rules of the vvord, vvill seeme to allovv somevvhat, he cannot tell vvhat, some circumstances only civill, or occasionall, as the tyme & place, vvhichwhich he rather calleth circumstances, then Cerem: that so, if any shall say, he allovveth nothing to the Churches determination, to be squared, by some rules: He may ansvver for himself & say: yes, certayne circumstances are; namely such as are necessary in civill, as vvell as sacred actions. If on the other side, one challenge him to giuegive some liberty to men, for the ordayning of rites, vvhichwhich are but extrinsecall circumstances about the vvorship of God: He may ansvver for himself, he hath protested agaynst all meere Ecclesiasticall Rites, vvhichwhich are ordayned by men, & not left so much as one, to their determination.

Thus, as he, that by turning of his picture of an horse, made it running, or a tumbling horse, vvhichwhich you vvould: So hath M^r. Iacob provided for himself, ther to square some circumstances, by 4. rules, or to put of all by another, as the market shall require.

This is the substance (Christian Reader) of a vvhole page almost: Touching vvhichwhich I vvould propound these Quaeres to thy consideration.

VVhether it vvas not easy to make up a massy volume vvith such talk as this?

2. If a man should sett dovvne such like passages vvord for vvord, & add an ansvver sutable, filled vvith such vvynde, vvould it not rather be accounted, & that justly, a blotting of paper, & abusing the reader, then rendering an ansvver of any vvorth & satisfaction?

And by the survay of these perticulars, collected out of the three first chapters, & comparing theReply thervvith, I am confident, it vvill soone appeare, to any not forstalled vvith prejudice, vvhether the replye, or ansvver, m…y most justly challenge & beare the name of scurrilous? And it vvill be as evident thatthe Rej. had no cause to accuse the Repl. of scurrility, unlesse he vvould condemne himselfe not only, of the same crime; but ofsomvvhat beside farr more synfull. For, though it be easily incident, I confesse, to our corrupt natures, out of a pange of pride & passion, to cast unbrotherly contempt upon such, vvho seeme to crosse us in our opinions, & practises, vvhen it comes to poynt of opposition, bevvixt some particular men & our selves; yet to vent such a masse of venome, in heavy censures, harsh Revilings, slighting scornes, & that not agaynst one particular, vvhichwhich may appeare in competition, & opposition agaynst us, but even agaynst the generation of those, vvhichwhich refuse humane Ceremonies in Divine vvorship, many vvherof, our penns, & consciences acknovvledge vvorthy & Godly; Nay not only to vent these expressions, but to keepe them sovvring, & leavening by us, in our hearts, & vvritings, many yeares, vvherin vve hauehave beene persvvaded by freinds, & after persvvasions resolved, rather to hauehave thē burned by others, or to burne them our selves; And yet after all this in colde blood, in saddest consideration, upon revievv, so far to approue of thē, as to print & publish them to the vvorld; Hovv such a mans spirit is principled? & vvhether it vvas a root of bitte…nes, or Godlines, vvhence such things issue: I leave it to the Almighty to judge, & to the vvise hearted to discerne.

These be the vvitnesses, vvhichwhich I hauehave to produce out of the Rej. his ovvne vvritings. All that I desire is, that their depositions may be impartially vveighed, & in this desire, & indeavour, ther is no vvrong done to any rule of piety or charity.

VVe hauehave also the Rej. his open practise, as an apparant evidence, to contradict vvhat himself professeth in his Praeface, touching the constancy of his opinion, about the inconveniency onelyonly of these Cerem: hovveuer he beares the vvorld in hand to the contrary, & that vvith great confidence: To vvhichwhich purpose, vve intreat the follovving Allegations may be indifferently heard, from those, vvho as vvitnesses can testify his vvalking by their experience.

That faythfull servant of Christ, M^r. Arthur Hildersham, novv at rest vvith God, upon his sicke bed, vvith great regrate & greif, thus expressed himself to a fellovv Brother; Doctor Burgesse his conscience knovves, that I knovv he speaks untruly. And that it may appeare, these vvords vvere neyther spoken passionately by him, nor forged by me; he hath left the proof of them, under his ovvne hand upon record, vvhichwhich I novv hauehave by me, & shall be bould, for fuller satisfaction, to sett dovvne his ovvne mynde in his ovvne vvords.

In the 19. pag. of the Praeface: The Rej. expresseth him self on this manner, I doe ingeniously confesse tvvo errors in that my Apology; one that I trusted too much to the quotations of the Abridgement, vvhichwhich then I had in vvriting:

To vvhichwhich M^r. Hildersham thus replyes in his notes: Hovv false the quotations are in the Abridgement, vvill be seene hereafter. But this is manifestly false that he vvas (before the vvriting of his Apologye) deceaved therby, or that he had a Copy of it in vvriting before that tyme. For the Abrigdement vvas not made till after he vvas deprived: & therfore no man could hauehave any coppy of it, either in print or vvriting. Nay the large book (vvhere of it is an Abridgement,) vvas not delivered to his Majesty before that day he vvas deprived; & the Abridgement vvas made sundry months after. He proceeds Ibid: 19. p. Its true that the Ministers vvere resolved to hauehave chosen him for one of those three, that should hauehave disputed for them, (such profession he had made unto them of his full consent vvith them in judgement,) & he had beene one of the disputants, if that (not the Deane of the Chappell; but) the King himself, had not expressely (in his message) excepted agaynst him: vvhichwhich also argues, that his Majesty did hold him to be fully of the mynd, that the rest (vvho had sent him the foresayd book) vvere of.

In his notes of the 20. pag: he hath these vvords. That ther is no colour of truth in this that he sayth here: i. e. (That vvhen he vvas chosen to be one of those, that should mayntaine their cause by disputation, he professed to his Brethren, that he could not speake against the things as unlavvfull; but only as inconvenient) may appeare evidently to any reasonable man. For seing they had in their book delivered to his Majesty our Kings Father, stated the quaestion not against the inconveniency, but the unlavvfulnes of these things. VVho vvill imagyne, they Vvould euer hauehave chosen him to be one of the 3 to dispute for them, if he had professed to them at that tyme, that he had nothing to say agaynst the unlavvfulnes of them? These be the dying vvords of that deare servant of God, as I hauehave them to shovve in black & vvhite.

If yet the vvitnes of the dead deserue no credit: The Rej. may vvith some small consideration, recall to mynd, hovv after the Revolt, or change of his former opinion, in an occasionall concurrence & meeting of many fellovv Brethren; vvhen they out of humane Civility desired him to take his place according to his yeares & gifts; I say, he may (if he vvill bethink himself) easily recall, vvhat vvords he then openly uttered to this, or like effect: He told thē he vvas unvvorthy to sitt vvith them; to hauehave respect from thē, since he had betrayed them, & their cause. Novv the cause vvhichwhich they mayntayned vvas not inconveniency: but unlavvfulnes in these things. If the Rej. his memory serue him not about this particular, let him repayre to Bambury syde to his auncient friends there, & they can testify so much to his face. If then the construction that the King, & state, made of his course, the apprehension his fellovv Brethren had of his practise: nay his ovvne profession may be trusted: Lett all the vvorld, & D^r. Burgesse his ovvne heart judge, vvhether he hath changed his opinion yea, or no?

In his praeface, ther is not much that expects ansvver. For to omitt his biting language, & devouring vvords, vvhere vvith vve hauehave cloyed the Reader in the foregoing Catalogue, and unto vvhichwhich ranke many Gibes here may be referred: as That pag. 5. These do commonly call any small company of their party: The Church & the Christians of such a tovvne. As if Christ vvere (I say not divided amongst us) but vvholly taken avvay from us, to them, & vvhat vvants this of Schisme in the heart, And that: pa. 9. The glory of suffering for (as they call it) the good cause: And that pa. 12. Others ayme at Schisme & Anabaptisticall delusions: to lett passe these pangs of spleene, & other distempered cariages, vvhichwhich he himself cast upon some passionate people & Strongly conceited. All vvhichwhich being justly blamed, it neither hurts the cause against vvhichwhich he vvrites, nor helps that vvhichwhich he defends, since the most glorious Gospell of Christ hath such blotts cast upon it, by reason of the sinfull vveaknesses of some, vvho take up the profession therof; Leaving (I say) all these, as not vvorthy the consideration, vve shall intreat the Rej. at his returne to giuegive some satisfaction to these quaeres.

1. VVhy Atheists, Papists, prophane varletts, brutish drunkards hellish blasphemers, together vvith the accursed crevv of the most riotous vvretches; yea the Generation of Nevvtralists, morall formalists, ignorant sotts of all sorts, are so zealous for these Cerem. Are so violent to urge, so carefull to practise them, vvho never had care of piety in all their liues?

2. After the Lord, hath cast in some saving illumination into the mynd, convicted the conscience, & converted the hearts of scandalous sinners; after such hauehave gayned svveet peace of conscience, & assured evidence of Gods louelove, sealed unto their soules; vvhy do the hearts of such, rise in some strong indignation agaynst these Popish reliques; vvhen they hauehave never beene persvvaded therunto by teachers, nor had tyme from their ovvne invvard troubles, to consider of them? That this is the disposition of many, I can speake by proof, I vvould hauehave the Rej. speake to the reason of it.

3. VVhen it is notorious to all the English vvorld, that the most of the people (vvho liue in the bosome of the Church, & professe the fayth) be vvholly taken up vvith conformity, both approving & practising of it, countenancing those that do it: VVhy is the Doctor so troubled, that a fevv silly despicable people, voyd of vvisdome (nay if his former charges be true) voyd of grace, should distast the Ceremonyes; vvhen I knovv no Iudicious Non-conformer, is disquieted that the crovvde of the formall Gospellers should imbrace them? vvhyle the Rej. is searching the reason of these things, it may chance, he may either search or see his ovvne heart somvvhat more clearely. Leaving then these to his consideration. Proceed vve a little to survay the praeface, & the substance of it may be referred to three heads. 1. He chargeth Non-conformity to be cause of many mischeifes. 2. He debates the cure, & administreth that, vvhichwhich he conceaved most meet for redresse. 3. He makes a defense for himself, & vvriting: Agaynst all vvhichwhich vve eycept thus.

1. That his charge is not just.

2. His dealing in the cure not playne & through.

3. His defense in that vvhere the stresse lyes, either not equall, or not sufficient.

Come vve to skanne the particulars: The mischeifs, vvhichwhich he conceaues to issue from Non-conformity are no lesse then Seperation & prophanesse. A heavy charge, I confesse, but the best is, his reasons hauehave not the vvayt of a rush.

1. That of seperation, p. 5. is supported upon so slender a grounde, that he bevvrayes only his desire to hauehave surpassed his povver: therfore Rhetoricates in stead of reasoning. If these (sayth he) be Idolatrous vvill vvorshipps; hovv can you? hovv dare you ioyne vvith us, in those acts of Religion vvherein these are used?

VVherein he neither concludeth the quaestion, because a man may refuse to ioyne in such acts, vvithout sepera… or utter condemning & renouncing allChurch-…ommunion: Neither doth he proue that, vvhichwhich he con…ludeth about joyning in such acts, by any other argumēt …ut only by hovv can you, hovv dare you? To vvhichwhich … ansvver, vve so can, & darejoyne in good acts, to vvhichwhich …omthing perticipating of Idolatry is added, as Christ (our …eacher) & his Apost: did joyne in the Ievvesvvorship, unto vvhichwhich vvere added many superstitions, as unlavvfull, as …ve had our Cerem: Nay I vvill add one thing further, …hat, if D.B. be resolute in this poynt, i.e. that he must …eperate from all Churches, & Church actions, in …vhich any superstition is exercised; then he must be one of the greatest Seperatists in the vvorld. For …e holding error of judgement to be superstition, & those …uperstitious Brethrē, that absteyne for conscience sake …rom things lavvfull, though only upon error in judge…ent: must upon the former ground seperate frō all those Churches in vvhose Religious acts, any thing in his jud…ement lavvfull, is so absteyned from; & much more if …ny thing in his opinion unlavvfull, be put in practise: …rom one of vvhichwhich faults, fevv or no Churches vvill be …ound vvholly free. Yet I vvould hauehave another opinion …f D. B. & think, that though he houlde bovving to …he altar, to be superstitious or Idolatrous, yet vvould he not therfore seperate from the good prayers, that follovv that ridiculous Ape of Idolatry.

That Other charge of prophanenesse p. 6. pretended to come from praecisenes, is so strange a consequence, that it can hardly vvith deliberation, be fathered upon Non-conformity, vvithout Non-conscience.

For strictnesse in matters of Cerem. hath no more force, to bring forth loosenes in matters of substance; then zeale in matters of faith, & charity hath to bring forth carelessnes of both, nay then pure Religion hath, to breed Atheisme.

Goe vve to experience: vievv the places vvhere Non-conformists liue; the people vvhom they teach▪ the vvayes of those vvith vvhom they vvalk; vvho they be that hauehave reference to, & dependence upo… their persons, or ministeryes; & I suppose the vvalls of the Churches, & the stones of the streets, vvill giuegive testimony agaynst this accusation. Nay I suppose, I may speake it truly, as I professe, I think it, that someone Non-conformable minister, hath beene a meanes under God, to bring more soules to grace & heauen; then all the Cloysters, or Cathedralls in all England in the same time, vvhere all Conformity hath beene the dayly diet, & liuelehood, of the people.

Goe vve to reason: the best that either the Rej. or any beside, can make of our Cerem: is, that they are things indifferent. Novv that vveake ones may doubt & stagger about such, That doubting, they ought not to practise them 14. Rom: last vers: is made a duty. That mens vvalking according to conscience, should be the cause of others disobedience; That keeping the lavv, should be an occasion in it self of prophaning the lavv; that stopping the very appearance of the least evill, should sett open a gappe to the greatest; I appeale to any reasonable man vvhether it be not a consequence voyd of common sense, unlesse men hauehave a miraculous skill to soder quicksilver, or tysande together, or make heauen & earth meet!

Last of all, it is remarkable that Doctor Burgesse himself pa. 8. doth impute these mischeifes unto civill vvarr about Ceremonies: vvhichwhich if it be vvell vveighed, it vvill manifest too much prejudice, in his former discourse. For in Civill vvarrs, the mischeifs ensuing on them, are not vvont to be charged upon one part alone, & that poore, passive, overpovvred, obnoxious to the suffering of vvhat-soever pressures their opposites please to lay upon them, vvhichwhich is the Case of the Non-conformists in these Commotions: Tell us I pray yovv, if in your conscience, the Praelats Canons, courses, Courts, & proceedings, hauehave had no hand in vvorking mischeife? nay diverse of these mischeifes, vvhichwhich you hauehave affectedly placed on the other syde?

If non-residents, double treble beneficed men, unable, perverse, scandalous, half-Popish Ministers, hauehave not had a finger in them? If those trumpetours, & drummers, vvho proclayme the innocency, & justnesse of our Prelats proceedings, hauehave not brought something to the furtherance of these mischeifes? If you speake your conscience, it must needs say, yes; &, so confesse, it vvas your passion, not your judgement, that obtruded all upon Non-conformity.

The state of this vvarr is this: vvee (as it becommeth Christians) stand upon the sufficiency of Christs institutions, for all kynde of vvorship: and that exclusively, the vvord, (say vve,) & nothing but the vvord, in matters of Religious vvorship. The Praelats rise up on the other side, & vvill needs hauehave us allovve, & use certayne humane Ceremonyes of Religion in our Christian vvorship. VVe desire to be excused, as houlding them unlavvfull. Christ vve knovv: & all that cometh from him, vve are ready to imbrace. But these human Cerem: in divine vvorship vve knovv not, nor can hauehave any thing to doe vvith them; upon this they make feirce vvarr upon us, & yet by the penne of D. B. lay all the fault of this vvarr, & the mischiefes of it, upon our backs. Novv all yee that passe by, consider, & judge, vvhat aequity is used, in such dealing? They vvill say, all things are to be done decently & in order. To vvhichwhich vve vvillingly consent, but alledge agayne, that vve cannot apprehend these Cerem: to be necessary for order, & decency. They (as our Lords) tell us, it is enough for our Consciences, that They esteeme them so. Our Consciences tell us, this is to usurp the place of God, vvhat can vve say lesse, then that vve vvill follovve our Consciences, rather then their vvills?

To conclude, the Rej. p. 285. maketh Circumcision lavvfull to be imposed, upon the same grounds, that our English Cerem: stand on. Novv if it should please our Prelats in a Convocation to apoynt, that all English men should consent to the cutting of their fore-skins, & denounce vvarr upon those that should refuse this goodly Canon; vvas it not a graue Accusation, to lay all the mischiefes of such a vvarr, upon those vvhichwhich vvould not conforme to such a Ceremony? But the vveakest must alvvayes goe to the vvall, & the Lamb must dye for troubling the vvater, if it please the Lyon so to determine it.

VVe hauehave done vvith the disease, & mischeife together vvith the cause of it. Vve are novv come to consider the Remedy the D^r. administers: & vve except agaynst his dealing herein as not playne; nay not profitable, even by his ovvne rules.

1. He deales not playnly. For making the Abolishing of the Cerem: by authority, to be one, & the cheife course for cure, as despayring to obtayne that, he refuseth to persvvade thereunto: Because forsooth: to judge vvhat is most convenient, & to determine therof, belongeth only to those, vvho together vvith povver of doing vvhat they shall vvell like, hauehave judgement to make choice of the best vvay. VVhichWhich is a vveake and a very unvvorthy conceit. For. 1. D. B. cannot deny, that those, vvho impose, urge, and vvith capitall punishments inforce these Cerem: upon Christs, Ministers and people, do therin abuse that authority, vvhichwhich they receaved for the procuring of the quietnesse, peace, & safety of those, that desire to serue God according to his vvord, & not for the troubling, vexing, & scandalizing of them, by opposing …heir meere vvills, in Religious affayres, to mens Consciences: depending vvholly and only upon Gods VVord; He cannot (I say) deny this to be a greivous sinne of those in place, & yet refuseth seriously to admonish them of the same, being called to giuegive counsell, & …dvise about this very cause:

2. It is to be supposed that vvorthy Ministers of the Gospell, are not destitute of vvisdome, and judgement concerning Religious affayres. By this reason therfore D. B. might as vvell hauehave forborne to judge, vvhat they should choose, as to determine so peremptorily thereof. Lastly, I vvould gladly knovv of D. B. vvhether the Scriptures be not able as vvell to make Magistrates, and Governoures, perfect to every good vvorke, as they can do Ministers? vvhether; either Minister, or Magistrate should doe, or ought to doe any thing, vvhichwhich God hath not commanded them? VVhether a faythfull Minister, in his office, ought not to understand, vvhat that vvord reveales: ought not to teache all Magistrates vvhat out of the vvord, he so understands? If all vvhichwhich particulars be playne & undeniable, it vvill appeare that it belonged to D. B. being called to giuegive counsell, declaratively to judge & determine, vvhat vvas convenient to be done: vvhichwhich if he durst not declare, he durst not doe his duty. And that I may fasten this nayle yet more fully, I thus force the conclusion.

VVhat ever duty of any calling, the vvord teacheth; that the Minister by the vvord ought to judge, determine, & deliver. Else hovv can he teach the vvholl counsell of God? hovv can he giuegive every one his portion?

But the dutyes, and doings (if good) of all Magistrates the vvord teacheth.

Ergo the Minister ought to judge, & determyne of those, by the vvord, & so deliver them. Ergo it doth not belonge to those onelyonly, vvho hauehave povver, & are in place, to judge & determine; vvhichwhich vvas the Doctors assertion.

Agayne: vvhat ever God commands, that, and all that, the Minister should teach: & so judge, & determine, else the trumpet should give an uncertayne sound.

But vvhat ever men, or Magistrates ought to doe, that Christ hath commanded. Both the parts of the argument are in 28. Math: last v. therfore the conclusion follovves: vvhat ever men, or Magistrates ought to doe, Ministers should teach, and consequently judge, and determine.

And as thus the Rej. dealt not playnly in his cure, …o vvhether hath be dealt profitablely, in that his …eceit, is agaynst his ovvne rule; as it shall appeare in …he scanning of his defense: VVhichWhich vve except agaynst …s insufficient in those particulars, vvherin the stresse …nd vveight of the plea lyes: And those appeare in …hree speciall obiections he makes: the dynt of none of vvhichwhich, he is able to declyne.

The objections are pag. 12.13. & the summe of them …n short is, this vvriting stirrs strife: ob. 2. exasperat…eh authority: Obj. 3. hinders the remoueall of the Cerem: ob: 4.

Heare vve novv his defense to each of these, in order: To the first, he ansvvers in truth by deniall, that this course of his is so far from stirring the fire of contention, that its casting on vvater to quench …t: & to this also belongs that, p. 11. there is a neces…ity that some should speake for the cause, unlesse vve shall suffer ourselues, not only to be rooted …ut of our livings, but vvhichwhich is vvorse, out of the hearts of our people, vvhom vve serue in the Lord.

Ans: bare deniall vvith-out reason, yields small releife to a cause, but vvhen it is contrary to the vvor… & it self, it betrayes a cause, doth not defend it: & such is this.

1. It is contrary to the vvord, & that staple … delivered by the Apostle, vvhichwhich he setts dovvne, as station, & shelter for the vveake in the fayth to be take them selves unto. 14. Rom. 1. vvhere the … toleration of those, vvho are vveake in the practise… things indifferent, is ever the ground of contention & disturbance in the Church. And therfore this cour… of forbearance, he inferrs, 19. v. as the vvay to follow peace: sence teacheth it also: vvhen a company of passengers are confined to one vvay to passe, or one door to enter, it causeth them to croud & jussle.

2. This Deniall is contrary to the Doctors ovv… doctryne delivered in 3. pag. vvhere its granted by him, and proved by the experience of thresco… yeares: that opposition begetts opposition, & th… vvhichwhich vvas giuen to stirr the humor, did only sharpen it. Putt vve novv the case to the Colledg… of Phisitions; nay let D.B. himself be judge. Is it rationall course? Or like to vvork a cure? that vvh… the body hath beene distempered many moneths vvit… phisick, vve should still continue the same receite… And its marvellous to see, hovv conviction vvrests truth from a man, even agaynst his ovvne passion, & purpose. vveigh these tvvo passages, & see if they vvill accord?

The Doctor must vvrite, that he may not be vvrought out of the hearts of his people. pag. 11. And yet he confesseth by vvriting, he hath vvrought himselfe out of the hearts of the godly.

His defense to the 2. obj: is yet more feeble, though more ingenious: For his ansvvere is nothing but yeilding the cause, in some compasse and circumlocution of vvords.

For (1) vvhen he graunts: that he forbore some yeares this course of vvriting, that he might not exasperate authority: he privily, yea playnly yeilds, the objection had such rationall face in it, that it did not only presse him, but prevayle vvith him also: vvhere as 2.^ly. he adds: that by this meanes he hath some hope to persvvade some to conforme, & so to avoyd the lash of authority. By this he doth not only yeild the objection, but confirme & establish it. For if only those, vvho are persvvaded by his ansvvere, shall avoyd the lash, therfore they vvho vvill not be persvvaded, must expect the blovv, and shall be sure to feele it.

3. He adds for his ovvne intention: Sure I am that I desire not the vexation of any sober man: But his ovvne bond vvill not be taken, because he hath so often broke his vvord; he must seek for other suretyes: (Quid verba audiam, cum facta videam?) Little povver have vvords to persvvade any of common understanding, vvhen the practise goes the contrary vvay. Nor yet can I discerne, hovv to judge of any mans desire, but only by his indeavour. Those heavy accusations, uncharitable censures, vvherby he chargeth & that vvith much bitternes, the generation of Non-conformists, from vvhat root they come, & vvhat desire they imply, let any rational man determine: For it cannot be to ingratiate them, or procure favor for them, in the affections of the Governors, vvhen he makes them appeare such as deserve none; nay such as ought to receyve none, but the contrary at their hands.

Lastly vvhen it is objected: That this course hinders the removeall of these things, vvhichwhich authority othervvise might possibly remove; His defense is; That he vvill never beleive, that authority vvill remove them, vvith dishonor of it self, as yeilding the things to be unlavvfull, vvhichwhich it hath so long mayntayned.

In vvhichwhich ansvver: these tvvo particulars offer themselves to consideration.

1. To remove Cerem: as unlavvfull, being long mayntayned is a dishoner to Authority.

2. D.B. beleives, authority vvill not thus dishonor it self.

Ansvv: The first of vvhichwhich is a most dangerous assertion; & is made a cheife barr to stay Papists, & others from reforming of any thing, that others hauehave opposed, & they defended: And its usuall in the mouth of false flatterers, & back freinds to all reformation: & I vvould hope that D.B. did utter more in this, by his penne, then he meant in his heart. Beside the consequences are not so dangerous, but the ground is as vveake For the long continuance, or mayntenance of a thing, if evill & unlavvfull, is so farr from bringing dishonor upon any, for the removeall of it, that retayning therof, encreaseth both his sinne, & shame: & it argues a greater measure of humility & povver of grace to abandon it.

Nay, vvere the thing lavvfull, if yet by circumstances it did appeare, that Gods Honor, the common good, the aedification of our brethren, might more be promoted by the remoueall of it, though it vvere hoary headed vvith antiquity & continuance, it argued greatest love to God & man to alter it, rather then to keepe it in use: & that vvould bring greatest honor to him that should so doe; since by the verdict of Gods Spirit, he is most honorable, that most honoreth God.

2. From these grounds, hovv rotten & unsavory the second particular of the Rej. his defense is, vvill easily be graunted. For if in such a remoueall, the duty of Authority doth consist, the povver of grace doth appeare, the glory of God, & good of the Church & common vvealth, vvill be advanced; To be of that beleife vvith D. B. that Magistrates vvill never be brought to doe vvhat they ought, hovv uncharitable is it thus to lay their honor in the dust? And not to presse them hereunto, vvhen vve may, & by our calling, ought, hovv unconscionable is it? And hovv contrary to that louelove vve ovve to the Almighty, & our Governours?

The crovvd of objections, vvhichwhich he makes concerning himself, I conceyve, as so many Strugglings of Spirit, vvhichwhich stood in the vvay, to vvithstand him in his course. His conscience, as it should seeme, gaue the …nsett, & let in some such intimations as these to him.

VVhy is not Popery coming in fast enough; but you must make a preparation thereunto: yea become a purveyer, & harbenger to make Roome, & lay in provision for it? Is it not sufficient, that the vvicket is sett open, that the Popish pack may be dravvne in; but you must sett open the great gate, that a Sumpter horse may amble in vvith a load of reliques & Cerem? For if the patent of the Church be so enlarged, to appoynt Cerem: at their pleasure, to admonish and teach, and it is in their povver to appoynt vvhat, & hovv many, as seemes good to them; vvhy then let images be erected, let crosses & Crucifixes be sett up in every corner. These are lavvfull admonitors, & instructers, & vve cannot hauehave too many good Companions, to putt us in mynd of our duties.

Consider beside, hovv many poore Ministers are under pressure, some fled, some imprisoned, many suspended, themselues & families undone. VVhy vvill you not suffer them to lye in the dust, but vvill you trample upon them, even unto death? Is it not enough, they make brick, but must they be beaten also? Oh consider, as before the Lord, to vvhom you must giuegive an account. Doe you vvell to blovv the fire in the Chymny, vvhyle the flame is in the thach? Is not the fury of the BB. yet feirce enough, their rage sharpe enough, but you must sett them on, and strenghthen their hands, to strike harder? lastly, is not Cringing at Altars, bovving at the name of Iesus, like to be brought in, & practised vvith great forvvardnes, & vvill you, dare you encorage, in such courses, yea giuegive an approbation and commendation to them? For they vvill say, they are but significant Cerem: they place no merit, putt no efficacy in them, only they are admonitors of our dutyes. Thus is the foundation of superstition layd, the Gospell Stopped, and an open vvay made for Popery, and you are the persvvader, the encorager, yea defender of all these: hovv vill you ansvver this at the great day?

Yet do I not speake this, as though I vvere troubled, vvith the vveight of any thing he hath vvritt. For I professe unfaynedly the vvay of his traverse fynds vvelcome vvith me; vvherin the nakednes, & indefensiblenes of his cause I hope vvill be discovered. Only one thing I vvould most earnestly intreat, that he vvould shovv us but fayre play in these proceedings: to vvitt, that he vvould not breake our heads, vvhyle others hauehave bound our hands: Lett him but graunt us indifferent termes, euen the common curtesy of the court, an impertiall pleading: vve desire no more favour then the cause by its ovvne credit vvill procure: Lett the larv be open, as the rigour of Iustice allovves: To vvhichwhich purpose shall he so far prevayle vvith his Lord BB. that vve may enjoy, the use of our books, the liberty of the presse, & if not the benefit of our charges, yet freedome of breathing in our native soyle, & vvith our poore desolate families; And I dare promise him he shall not vvant those, that vvill joyne issue vvith him, in this traverse, either by vvriting, or printing, & that vvithout any gaudy expressions, (vvherof he accuseth M^r. Parker) but by playe dynt of Syllogisme: & vve vvill take our oaths, as he in desireth, that each man of us shall vvrite his conscience. vvhichwhich I vvonder vvhy the D^r. putt in, since its openly knovvne to all that vvill not shutt their eyes, that all conscience doeth not liue & dye alone vvith conformable men. But if vve neither hauehave, nor he vvill procure us leaue, or liberty, either to preach, or vvrite, or print, yea scarce to liue; then he must knovve, vve are denied the benefitt of the lavv, & the Curtesy of the Court & in vayne he braggs of his traverse.

To pursue all the particulars objected, & ansvvered in his ovvne beshalf, is not vvorth the vvhyle, since no vveight of the cause lyes ther upon: Only one …ravado here vented by the Rej. is not to be borne: vvhichwhich is observably sett dovvne in the 14. ob: D. Burges. hath parted vvith more profitt, by taking up conformity, and a benefice, then any novv in England hath done by his unconformity, and losse of a benefice. Surely he myndeth not so affectionately as he should, the affliction of his brethren. VVhat did D. B. part vvith? Nothing but future, contingent, uncertayne profitt: vvhichwhich made him liable to be envied, and opposed by the colledge of phisitions; Profitt, vvhichwhich vvas not necessary to his life & being, depending upon extraordinary paynes: such as in all probability, he could not hauehave long indured, or at least vvith contentement of mynd. His Pshisick practise made that change, vvhichwhich Tully commendeth in Merchandize: Satiata quaestu, vel contenta potius, ut saepe ex alto, in portum, sic ex ipso portu, se in agros possessionesque contulit. After sufficient gettings, it forsooke both sea & sea-hauen, and betooke it self to quietnesse and plentie in the countrie.

On the other side, vvhat hauehave not? vvhat do not men loose by unconformity? Even all their meanes of living; all their liberty, not only of providing for themselves, & their families; but even of breathing in any ayre, saving onelyonly that, vvhichwhich may be dravven out of stinking prisons. Nay somtyme all the Commodity of their Country, or Nationall habitation; being forced to flye euen unto the indians for safety, to say nothing of their losse of life it selfe, by cruell imprisonments Novv let our Saviour judge betvvixt us, & D.B. The poore vvidovv (sayth he) that parted but vvith tvvo mites, parted vvith more then they did, vvho out of their plenty, parted vvith many sheckells, because those tvvo mites vvere all that she had.

If this be true, then many & many a one hath parted vvith more profitt for Non-conformity, then D. B. did for Conformity, for soe much as they hauehave parted vvith, all they had, & he only vvith part of that vvhichwhich he had, or might hauehave hoped to gett, superfluous in comparison of that, vvhichwhich others hauehave lost. To conclude all, I suppose if vve vvere vvilling to suffer, vve should be more vvilling, both to search, & see the truth, & I doubt not, but the Lord vvould settle the hearts of such, & blesse their indeauors in that behalfe. All that I vvould craue at thy hands (Christian reader) is this, that thou vvouldest read vvithout prejudice, and judge vvithout partiality; judge not the person, or cause of the distressed the vvorse, because of their pressure or paucity.

VVelcome Christ vvith his crosse, any truth though vvith trouble. Be vvilling the truth should fall on any side as vvorthy to be prised & loued for it selfe. That is all I desire for my money: & Religion, conscience, reason vvill not denie this.

Rules for to direct the weake reader hovv to read the booke vvith profitt.

VVhere these abbreviations occurr, D.B. signifies D^r. Burges. Rej. signifies D^r. Burges. Repl. notes the Replier. Def. signifieth D. Morton.

2. Because the Replyer is forced to follovv D^r. Burges in his farr fetched, & nevv coyned definition, & the maze of the multitude of his distinctions, the vveaker understanding vvill be att a losse, as not able to comprehend, or catch his meaning suddenly, & therfore, if I vvere vvorthy to aduise, I vvould intreat such, to craue the helpe of some judicious Minister, vvho is faithfull, not to betray him for hauing the booke, but vvilling and able to informe him hovv to conceiue of it aright.

The Replyer his maner of vvriting being presse & punctuall, & therefor setts dovvne soo much of the Rejoynders vvordes, as he conceiued needfull, if any difficulty arise therefrom, the Reader is to be entreated to consult vvith the ansvvere at large.

The faults escaped correct thus:

pag: 17. in the margent line 3. for sext reade sort. pag: 20. lin: 22. for accuratnes reade accurate. pag: 24. lin: 5. for captivale reade captivate. Ibidem lin: 18, for es reade endes. pag: 25. lin: 1. for they reade to. pag: 26. lin: 20. for oter reade over. pag: 27. lin: 7. for dowur reade downe. Ibidem in the margent lin: 17. for ito reade to. pag: 37. lin: 14. for there reade either. pag: 42. in marg: lin: 2. for Graecos, reade Graccos. pag: 50. collum: 2. lin: 9. for these reade those. pag: 71. lin: 9. for had reade hould. pag: 75. lin: 2. put out by,