No Sacrilege or Sin to Alienate or Purchase Cathedral Lands, Title page – Dedication
No Sacrilege nor Sin TO ALIENATE or PURCHASE Cathedral Lands, As SUCH: Or, A VINDICATION Of, not onelyonly the Late Purchasers; but, of the Antient Nobility and Gentry; yea, of the Crown it self, all deeply wounded by the false Charge of SACRILEGE upon New Purchasers.
The third Edition, Revised, and Abbreviated, for the Service of the PARLIAMENT: With a Post-script to Dr. PEARSON.
By C. Burges, D. D.
Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant?
London: Printed by James Cottrel. 1660.
TO The Right Honourable, THE Lords and Commons in Parliament.
Most Noble Lords and Gentlemen;
HE that will take notice of the incessant (yet groundless) clamours dayly emitted, in a Rhetorical Dress, out of Pulpits, and Pamphlets, against the pretended Sacrilege of the late Purchasers of Cathedral Lands; cannot but see, that, through their sides, those Pungent Verbalists endeavour to gore more deeply most of the ancient Nobility and Gentry of England (not sparing Majesty it self) who hold more of such Revenues then all other Purchasers set together.
Did any of these Accusers solidly set forth the true nature of Sacrilege, and make it out that those Purchasers are guilty thereof, they would deserve regard. But that is none of their work. It is enough for them, Calumniari fortiter, that somewhat may stick. To which end, they passionately take on, as Michah against the Danites, Judg. 8.22. for spoiling him of his Ephod, Teraphim, and Graven Image: and, labour to raise (as he did) what company they can, against all engaged herein, to expose them to the rage and fury of the abused-ignorant mutinous Rabble; which may put all into new confusions and flames, if not carefully prevented by your Wisdom and Care; for which, you have a Noble President in that Parliament of 1.2. Phil. & Mar. 8. most seasonable and necessary to be now again put in ure (unless that part of it which concerns the Papal Confirmation) by all that seriously intend the Publick Peace. If any Purchasers soberly ask those obstreperous Declaimers, What aileth you? all their Answers are (instead of Arguments) but a parcel of high words; no more, in effect, than those of the same man, to such as had stript him of his Idols, vers. 24. Ye have taken away my Gods which I have made, and the Priest; and, what have I more?
To lay open the emptiness of their unjust charge, I have revised, and abreviated (for your better service) a late Treatise, often threatned, but never Answered; to let all men see, how much those Censurers abuse, not You alone; but the Kings of England themselves, as well as new Purchasers.
If it should be deemed piacular, for a Minister to undertake the defence of this Cause; it is humbly answered, that he doth it not to patronize evil; but, to detect their Errour who being Ministers of high rank, boldly affirm (without proof) this to be a Sin, and that of the deepest Dye. How dare then, any Minister that finds this, be silent? And should I petition, or plead for Confirmation of those Sales now under Debate (according to the Declaration of You the Honourable House of Commons, dated the 8th of May last, which cannot be forgotten;) it were no more than was prayed by all Bishops themselves in the Parliament before cited: Yea, by all the Representative Clergy of England in Convocation Assembled, in 1.2. Phil. and Mar. who (of all others) were most concerned in a Revocation. Yet they, in their Instrument and Petition to the then King and Queen (recorded in that Act before mentioned,) say, that (mature consilio & deliberatione; and, bonum & quietem publicam privatis commoditatibus anteponentes, &c.) they most earnestly prayed, the Confirmation of all Alienations of Church-Lands, even of Bishops, Deans and Chapters as well as of others, made by King Hen. 8. and Edw. 6. in his non-age. All which they did, propter multiplices & pene inextricabiles super his habitos Contractus & Dispositiones: Et quod si ea (recuperatio scilicet) tentaretur, quies & tranquilitas regni facile perturbaretur, &c. By this means, a Confirmation of the whole was granted in Parliament, whereby many Nobles and Gentlemen of the Romish, as well as Protestant Religion, possess a large portion of not onelyonly Cathedral, but Hospital-Lands unto this day. This therefore (in the behalf of all Purchasers) I humbly lay before You, according to the bounden duty of
Your most humbly Servant, C. Burges.