Gangrena Part 1 and 2, Dedication
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT.
Right Honourable and Noble Senatours,
I Here present you with a Catalogue or Black Bill of the Errours, Heresies, Blasphemies, and Practices of the Sectaries of this time, broached and acted within these four last years in England, and that in your Quarters, and in places under your Government and Power, for which I tremble to thinke lest the whole Kingdom should be in Gods Black Bill: I much fear lest the subject matter of this Catalogue may prove unto England (unlesse some speedy and effectuall course be taken to prevent it) like the Bill of Divorce given to Israel; Jer. 3.8. like the Roll of the Book commanded from God to be written by Jeremiah against Israel and Judah, Jer. 36.2. like the Roll of a Book sent by a hand to Ezekiel, Ezek. 2.9, 10. wherin was written, lamentations, mourning and wo; or like the handwriting upon the wall against Belshaz. Dan. 5.5. & the flying Roll in Zech. c. 5. v. 1, 2. a curse going over the face of the whole land. And unto whom, Right Honourable, should I present and make known these things, but unto You, who are the supreme Iudicatory of this Kingdom, having that sufficiency of Power, which only is able to remedy and redresse them, who are our great Physician's, and have been wont to cure the worst maladies and diseases of our Church and State, who are by God himself stiled Gods, and therefore should above others lay to heart and be sensible of the injuries and dishonours done to God and his name. And I humbly pray your Honours to beare with me in my addresses this way, as having no other meanes but this, of acquainting You with the sad state of things in our Church: And yet 'tis necessary You should hear of these things, for as 'tis said in the Prophet Jeremiah, concerning the making of that Roll, It may be the house of Judah will hear all the evill which I purpose to do to them, that they may turne every one from his evill way, it may be they will present their supplications before the Lord, that he may forgive their iniquity and their sin; so it may be some good may come of this Book, to cause an humiliation for, and a suppression of heresies and schimes, as being a more free and f…ll discovery of our times then ever yet was made, and therefore I send it abroad in this way, whereby it may be read by all Judah: and I doubt not but some faithfull Baruchs, who are not shut up, but do preach before You on Fast dayes, will cause You to hear the words of this Book in the Lords house, by applying them to your consciences, and making them a Catalogue of sins for matter of humiliation to you on those dayes, showing how far they may become yours in suffering without punishment and censure too many of them. And now, Noble and worthy Senatours, be graciously pleased to pardon the boldnesse I shall take in dealing plainly with you in this present Epistle, and not to impute it to any malignity and disaffection to your service, or to peremptory saucinesse, and disrespect of You, (for besides that some worthy Members of Parliament to whom I am known can testifie the contrary, all my Actions from the beginning of Your sitting, my Sermons, Prayers, Prayses, Discourses, Actings for You speak otherwise: I am one who out of choise and judgement have imbarked my self with Wife, Children, Estate, and all that's dear to me in the same ship with You, to sinke and perish, or to come safe to land with You, and that in the most doubtfull and difficult times, not only early in the first beginning of the war and troubles, in a malignant place among Courtiers, and those who were servants and had relations to the King, Queen and their Children, pleading Your Cause, justifying Your wars, satisfying many that scrupled: but when Your affairs were at lowest, and the chance of war against You, and some of the Grandees and favourites of these times were packing up, and ready to be gone, I was then highest and most zealous for You, preaching, praying, stirring up the people to stand for you by going out in person, lending of money, in the later going before them by example; And as I have been your Honours most devoted servant so am I still yours, and you cannot easily lose me; and I do humbly … self▪ and Book at the feet of your wisedome and piety submitting both to your ple…s…re but to the matter and contents of this Book, and to the present state of things. I am bound and stirred in spirit, to see the people so given to errour and schisme, and the zeal of Gods house and glory constrains me, and I can no longer forbear speaking my whole heart to you. The evills of this kinde are grown to such a height as there is the more time for silence, or for being afraid, but of crying out and speaking plainly. And I am confident when your Honours have read over my Book (which I humbly desire you in the fear of God, and for the glory of Christ to do, as Luther bespeaks the reading of an Epistle of his) that will be a just Apologie with you for my freenesse and boldnesse. O the evil of …hese times would put zeal into the heart of any man, who hath any l…ve to the glory of God, his truth, and the souls of people, and make the stammering tongue to speak … to speak and cry out. Croesus son who was born dum…be, whe… he saw one going to kill his Father, spake and cryed out, O kill not Croesus. And now when our Father, our Saviour and blessed Spirit are wounded by damnable heresies and blasphemies, and many precious souls destroyed, can we be silent! O cursed be the silence and flattery that is in such a time as this: For now things are grown to a strange passe, (though nothing is now strange,) and every day they grow worse and worse, and you can hardly conceive and imagine them so bad as they are; no kinde of blasphemy, heresie, disorder, confusion, but either is found among us, or a coming in upon us; for we in stead of a Reformation, are grown from one extreme to another, fallen from Scylla to Charibdis, from Popish Innovations, Superstitions, and Prelaticall Tyranny, to damnable Heresies, horrid Blasphemies, Libertinisme, and fearfull Anarchy; our evils are not removed and cured, but only changed; one disease and Divell hath left us, and another as bad is come in the room; yea, this last extremity in which we are fallen, is far more high, violent and dangerous in many respects; all which in an Epistle cannot be contained, but are laid down in the following Book in many places, specially in the eleventh Corollary. Luther in an Epistle to Spalatinus, calls want of freedome in a Minister, irremissible peccatum, an unpardonable sin; and silence in the neglecting of truth, a wicked silence; and in an Epistle to Staupitius saith, Let me be found any thing, a proud man, an adulterer, murderer, and guilty of all wickednesse, so as I be not convicted of wicked silence whilst the Lord suffers. The consideration of which, makes me well contented to run the venture of being accounted proud, saucy, peremptory, and of incurring the hazard of your displeasure by speaking freely (though I hope better things) then to let the glory and honour of Christ and his truth suffer any longer by my silence; for I call the most High GOD to witnesse, that (so far as I know my own heart) what freedome I here use, in laying open the state of things before you, is not out of any sinister respect, or any pleasure I take in this liberty (for I have had many carnall reasonings and conflicts in my spirit against it) but only out of the great necessity of the times, moved thereunto out of love and zeal to the glory of God and his truth my faithfulnesse to your Honours, compassion to the souls of those for whom Christ dyed, and the delivering of my own soul in the discharge of my conscience. Great Persons, as Princes, Nobles and Counsellours, through their high places,Tantis & tam eximijs vir…utis ornamentis enituit, tum Episcopus, tum Imperator: U…rum que enim admitor, alterum propter ingenuà Ioque… di libertatem, alterum propter facilem obedientiam. And Theodosius speaking of Ambrose, saith; Aegre tandem reperi veritatis magisu…m: Nam solum Ambiosium novi Episcopum diguum eo nomine, Tantum com…odi re…p…ebensio a viro virtu…e praestanti ad hibira secum apportate solet. Theo. Eccl. Hist. l. 5. c. 16▪17. multitude of affairs, flatteries, are subject to great failings and infirmities, as both Scriptures, and all Histories shew: but this hath been the praise and honour of some of them, that upon being minded by faithful Ministers of their faults, they have laid it to heart.Theodosius that Noble Emperour had many infirmities, as that cruell fact of his against the inhabitants of Thessalonica, as his being angry out of measure against the people of Antiochia, as his lenity towards Arians, whom he permitted to keep Conventions in chief Cities; but in all his faults this is observed and admired by the Ecclesiasticall Historians who writ of him, that he ever gave place to wholsome admonitions, and amended upon being dealt with, as by Flavianus Bishop of Antiochia, Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium, Ambrose Bishop of Millain; and he took Ambroses liberty of speaking to him so well, that he did not only give him thanks, but said of him to his praise, I have at length found a master of truth, for I have known Ambrose only a Bishop worthy of that name. It was one of the sins of the Prelates and Court Chaplains (for which among others God hath cast them out) to flatter, and the sin of the Court, that the Ministers that preached there, must sing placentia, speak smooth things. Now far be it from such a High Court of Parliament as you, (who above other Parliaments are in solemne Covenant with God for Reformation, Nationall, Dom…sticall, Personall, and have professed to engage your hearts for God and his work▪) and from the Ministers who stand up for you, and adhere to you, to be faulty in the same kinde: Be pleased therefore in the midst of your many great affairs which even swallow you up, and by reason of which you have not time to hear and know all things concerning the State of Religion, to suffer one of your daily Remembrancers to God, to be Gods Remembrancer to you. You have, most Noble Senatours, done Worthily against Papists, Prelats and scandalous Ministers, in casting dowe Images, Altars, Crucifixes, throwing out Ceremonies, &c. but what have You done against other kinds of growing evills, Heresie, Schisme, Disorder, against Seekers, Anabaptists, Antinomians, Brownists, Libertines and other Sects? You have destroyed Baal and his Priests; but have you been zealous against golden Calves, and the Priests of the lowest of the people? are not these grown up, and dayly increase under you? are any effectuall meanes used against them? You have made a Reformation, and blessed be God who put it into your hearts to do such things; but with the Reformation have we not a Deformation, and worse things come in upon us then ever we had before? were any of those monsters heard of heretofore, which are now common among us? as denying the Scriptures, pleading for a Toleration of all Religions and worships, *Book intit. Toleration Justified, page, 7.8. printed in this last January.yea for blasphemy and denying there is a God. You have put down the Book of Common Prayer: and there are many among us have put down the Scriptures, slighting, yea blaspheming them. You have broken down Images of the Trinity, Christ, Virgin Mary, Apostles: and we have those who overthrow the Doctrine of the Trinity, oppose the Divinity of Christ, speak evill of the Virgin Mary, sleight the Apostles. You have cast out the Bishops and their Officers: and we have many that cast down to the ground all Ministers in all the Reformed Churches. You have cast out Ceremonies in the Sacraments, as the Crosse, kneeling at the Lords Supper: and we have many cast out the Sacraments, Baptisme and the Lords Supper. You have put down Saints dayes: and we have many make nothing at all of the Lords dayes, and Fast dayes. You have taken away the superfluous excessive maintenance of the Bishops, Deanes: and we have many take away and cry down the necessary maintenance of the Ministers. In the Bishops dayes we had singing of Psalmes taken away in some places, conceived prayer, preaching, and in their room, Anthems, stinted forms and reading brought in; and now we have singing of Psalms spoken against and cast out of some Churches, yea all publike prayer questioned, and all ministeriall preaching denyed. In the Bishops times Popish Innovations▪ were introduced, as bowing at Altars, &c. and now we have anointing the sick with Oyle; then we had Bishopping of children, now we have Bishopping of men and women, by strange laying on of hands, as is related in this following Book. In the Bishops dayes we had many unlearned Ministers, and have we not now a company of Jereboams Priests? In the Bishops dayes we had the fourth Commandement taken away, but now we have all ten Commandements at once by the Antinomians; yea all faith and the Gospell denyed, as by the Seekers. The worst of the Prelats, in the midst of many Popish, Arminian tenets, and Popish Innovations, held many sound doctrines, and had many commendable practices; yea the very *Calvini Instructio Ad…ersus Libertinos, cap. 4. pag. 104.Papists hold and keep to many Articles of faith and truths of God, have some order among them, encourage learning, have certain fixed principles of truth, with practises of devotion and good works; but many of the Sects and Sectaries in our dayes, deny all principles of Religion, are enemies to all holy Duties, Order, Learning, overthrowing all, being vertiginosi spiritus, whirlegigg spirits; and the great opinion of an universall Toleration, tends to the laying of all waste, and dissolution of all Religion and good manners. Now are not these Errours, Heresies and Schismes, spots and blots in our Reformation? do they not blemish and cast a dark shadow upon all the light part? are they not the dead flies in the Apothecaries ointment, sending forth a stinking savour? are they not the reproach and rejoycings of the common enemy? the scandall of the weak, the blasing star of the times? and are not Sectaries strangely suffered, connived at, keeping open meetings in the heart of the City? yea printing with *M Salimarsh Smoak In the Temple, in which are some desperate errours. Book about Baptisme, and calling maintenance by Tithes Iewish and Popish undeniably.License their erroneous opinions, and daring to give into some of your hands such Books as 'tis a shame to speak of? being let so alone, that they are grown up to many thousands both in City and Country. Christ in Revel. 2.19. highly commends the Angel of the Church of Thyatira for his works service, faith, patience, &c. but yet reproves and threatens him for suffering without punishment false doctrines to be taught, and disorders to be practised in the Church: But I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth her self a Prophetesse, to teach and to seduce my servants: And be pleased to observe what truth that Scripture holds out, namely, that a connivence and suffering without punishment false Doctrines and Disorders, Persons to preach whom God hath not called, and to preach Errours, Heresies, blemishes and dashes the most glorious works, and provokes God to send judgements; a Toleration doth eclipse and darken the glory of the most excellent Reformation. God accounts all those errours, heresies, schismes, &c. committed in a land, but let alone, and suffered without punishment by those who have authority and power, to be the sins of those who have power, and he will proceed against them as if they were the authors of them. A man comes to be pertaker of other mens sins, by countenancing, consenting and suffering withou punishment, as well as by formally committing them. *Ames. Animad. in Remonstr. Synodal. Script. super Artic. 5 de Persev. sanctorum, cap. 7. de Solomone. Certum est Solomonem non introduxisse …ut admisisse idola in demum Dei, ne que adegisse popul…m ut vel …ei verum cultum desererent, vel colerent idola; ne que probari potest …um in sua propria persona coluisse idola. Hoc tantum cercum est de ejus idololatria, quod infatuatus á mulieribus idololatricis permiserit eas construere. Aquinas in Ephes. 5.12. Istis ergo nolite communica…e imitando, coadjuvando, conlentiendo Sed certe hoc non▪ sufficit, nisi etiam eos reprehendatis.Solomon in 1. King. 11. from ver. 1. to 15. is counted by God to be guilty of all the Idolatry committed by his wives and their followers, and accordingly God is angry with him and threatens him, because being a King, he had power in his hands to hinder it, not that Solomon did bring into the house of God Idols, or ever commanded the people to forsake the worship of God and to worship Idols, or that he did in his own persont worship Idols; This only is certain, that he suffered them to build Altars, and sacrifice to strange gods. Ephes. 5.12. 'tis the command of God, to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse, that is, not by consenting, helping, imitating & suffering them without reproof; Now a Magistrates reproving, is by using coercive power to punish and suppresse evills, as is evident in the example of old Eli to his sons, who though he did reprove by words, yet because he punished them not, he was partaker of their sins, and was severely punished by God for it, 1. Sam. 2.23, 242, 5. chap. 3.13.14. Now, Right Honourable, though You hold none of these Opinions, practise not these wayes, neither command any of these things, but have put out Declarations, wherin there are some passages against Anabaptists, Brownists and other Sects, and made Orders and Ordinances for the preventing and remedying of many of these evills; as that Order of Febr. 16. 1643. That Ministers suffer none to preach in the places where they have charge, but such as they will be answerable for; as the Ordinance against the preaching of Persons not ordained in this or some other Reformed Church; as the Ordinance of not printing without License; yea upon complaint have questioned and troubled some Sectaries for their Errours and pernicious Practises; yet notwithstanding there is a strange unheard of suffering and bearing with them, and such a one, as I beleeve all things considered, never was there the like under any Orthodox Christian Magistrate and State. How do sects and schismes increase and grow daily, Sectaries doing even what they will, committing insolencies and outrages, not only against the truth of God and the peace of the Church, but the Civill state also, going up and down Countries, causing riots, yea tumults and disturbances in the publike Assemblies! how do persons cast out of other Countries for their Errours, not only live here, but gather Churches, preach publikely their Opinions! what swarmes are there of all sorts of illiterate mechanick Preachers, yea of Women and Boy Preachers!Vide …etit. of the Lord Maier Aldermen, and Com…n… of the City of London presented to the House of Peers, Jan. 16. what a number of meetings of Sectaries in this Citiy, eleven at least in one Parish! what liberty of preaching, printing of all Errours, or for a Toleration of all, and against the Directory, Covenant, monethly Fast, Presbyteriall Government, and all Ordinances of Parliament in reference to Religion, and most of these persons either never questioned at all, or if questioned, abusing those in a high manner who question them, coming off one way or other, and afterwards going on in spreading their errours more then before, or if committed by some below, whereby they are hindred from preaching and dipping, then brought off and released by some above (of which they bragg and boast) yea many Sectaries countenanced, imployed and preferd to speciall places both of profit, honour and trust, and that which is saddest of all (and yet too true) Orthodox worthy persons, who being in places of Power, for preventing mischiefs and evills questioning some Sectaries for their unlawfull meetings and false Doctrines, have been lookt upon ever after with an evill eye, and opportunities watcht to molest and displace them. In a word there hath not been to this day any exemplary restraint of the Sectaries (as ever I heard) by vertue of any of your Ordinances, but they are sleighted and scorned, and as it was formerly with the Kings Proclamations against the Iesuits, Priests, Papists, and forbidding to go to Masse, there were the more Priests in the Kingdom, and more went to Masse; (the Proclamations being never looked after, and when any zealous Protestants in place did go to execute them, they had little thanks for their pains, and those they questioned were to hard for them, getting off;) so preaching of lay-men was never more in request then since your Ordinance against it; Presbyteriall Government never more preached, printed against, then since your Votes, Orders and Ordinances for it; never more dangerous unlicensed Books printed, then since the Ordinance against unlicensed printing; and when men have been complained of for the breach of Ordinances, as that of lay preaching &c. how are they dismissed, and preach still, infect still? look what wayes were taken heretofore by the Popish party and Prelates who pretended to be Protestants, in favour of the Papists, Arminians, and discountenancing zealous Protestants; the same will be found to be now in use in behalfe of the Sectaries against Presbyterians; and if you be but pleased to review your own Remonstrances, either in former, or in this present Parliament, or remember the maximes and grounds you proceeded upon in questioning many, and by what rules you judged of intentions to overthrow the Protestant Religion, and to advance Popery, Armianisme, and then look upon the Proceedings of some, you will finde the same steps trod in now, and the same course taken in favour of the sects: (But an Epistle is too narrow a compasse to particularize all things of this kinde, and a word is enough to the wise) And yet I do not say Your Honours have done these things; for there are matters of this nature you hear not of, and upon complaints of things that have come immediatly to Your Houses, there hath been some redresse; yet such things are done by Committees, or Persons under Your Power and Government, and no effectuall wayes taken to prevent, discover or remedy these things. Now I humbly submit to Your deep judgment, whether God account not men guilty of that which is committed by others under them, they having power to hinder it; as also, whether it will not be interpreted by men, that there is certainly great countenance and favour above, or else persons below dare not do as they do. And be pleased to suffer me, as a Minister of Christ, to bring to your remembrance (which I do in all humility,) these following Scriptures. Levit. 26.25, 1 Sam. 2.29, 30, 31, 32. cap. 3.12.13, 14. 1 King. 12. cap. 31.13. cap. 33.34. 2 King. 10. from 19. to 33. Jerems. 30.31. Dan. 5.5.2.2, 23.24, 25, 26, 27, 28. Amos 2.9, 13.14. Hag. 1.2, 4, 5. Gal. 6.7. Revel. 2.13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20. Which texts of Scripture, with the examples laid down in them, I name not as if I would compare your Honours with Jeroboam, Belshazzar, &c. or charge on you their facts in kinde, or that I wish such evills should come to You; no, let the interpretation of these Scriptures be to your enemies, and the fulfilling of them to them that hate You; but because whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, and all the things which were threatned and hapned to Eli, Jeroboam, Jehu, Belshazzar, &c. were for examples, and written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come; therefore I minde You of these Scriptures, that you may fear to fall into any such kinde of sins, or to suffer such to be done when 'tis in Your power to hinder.
The sects have been growing upon us ever since the first year of Your sitting, and have every year increased more and more; things have been bad a great while, but this last year they are grown intolerable; and if Schisme, Herosie, &c. be let alone and rise proportionably for one year longer, we shall need no Cavaliers nor enemies from without to destroy us. Certainly God looks for other manner of fruit from you; the great Deliverances, Victories, Successes, the solemn Covenant, Protestations, Remonstrances, Declarations made to God, this Kingdom, the Kingdome of Scotland, and all the Reformed Churches, call and speak for other kinds of things. The Reformed Churches abroad wonder at these things, and say, Why may not the King as lawfully tolerate Papists, one false Religion, as the Parliament suffer all sects to grow? Besides their love, zeal and prayers for you begins to languish and grow faint. Our dear Brethren of Scotland stand amazed and astonished, and had they not seen these things, could not have beleeved them. The Orthodox, godly considerable party, both Ministers and people in City and Country, by whose means under God, you are now so strong and lifted up above your enemies, are grieved, offended, and much discouraged; the common enemy scornes, blasphemes, and reproaches the Reformation, looking upon us as given up to a spirit of giddinesse and errour. The Malignants every where turne Sectaries and Independents, siding with them and pleading their cause; and they do wisely, there being no such way as that to save their purses, live quietly, and to undermine you and effect the enemies work. And what can think you will be issue of these things? It is high time therfore for your Honours to awake and be doing, to suffer no longer these Sects and Schismes, these disorders and confusions that are in the midst of us, but to fall upon some effectuall wayes, as you in your great wisdomes shall finde out, and to do something worthy a Parliament in this kinde also. Do this and God is on your right hand to helpe you, and you shall not be removed for ever, the Kingdom of Scotland, the Reformed Churches, this great City with the Ministers to stand by you and to honour you: Do it not, but let things still run on thus, and all kinde of errours, confusions, &c. increase, and know God is a righteous God, and will require it at your hands, visit and be avenged for these things. And let no man flatter you with your great prosperity and successe, that your mountain is now so strong that you shall never be moved; but remember that God is a God changing the times and seasons, that removes Kings and sets up Kings, Dan. 2.21. that can quickly bring down that part of the wheel below which was highest, that made a sudden change to Belshazzar in an hour, Dan. 5.3, 4, 5, 6. That God who is said to scatter Kings, can scatter you: Psal. 68.14. Look upon the Court party, the great Counsellours of state, and Prelates, whose height was like the height of the Cedars, and were strong as the Oaks, yet the Lord destroyed their fruit from above, and their root from beneath; and cannot he do so to you? I beseech you fear, considering the great dishonour of God and his name, and the sad estate of things under your Goverment, lest God bring some great afterclap upon you, and have an after reckoning, either giving you up at last to the hands of those that are now in armes against you, or sending an evill spirit of division among your selves and the two Nations, or making use of the Sects (that party when grown stronger, who have been so much suffered to grow under you,) to become thorns in your sides, and pricks in your eyes, to cast You out, and to teach you new Law and new Divinity, as they have done already in many of their Books (as Englands Birthright, A Letter from an Utter Barrester, A Letter call'd Englands lamentable slavery, Lilburns Letters to Mr Prynn, to a Friend, Innocency and truth justified, cum multis alijs,) or by sending some other judgement, as the Pestilence, &c. (all which I earnestly pray God to prevent.) And truly when I think of things by my self, and behold to what a height Errours, Heresies, &c. are come, and withall reflect upon the great things God hath done for you, the many powerfull Sermons you have had preached before you about the Nationall Covenant, and against the Sects, the many Petitions representing the evill and danger of these things, and yet how little is done, our evills of this kinde rising higher and higher, in the increase of false doctrines, and a greater multiplication of schismes every day then other; I tremble for fear, lest for the want of zeal in suffering so many dishonours of God, and his House to lie so long waste, the word be gone out of his mouth already which he spake against Eli; I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy Father should walke before me for ever: but now the Lord saith; Be it far from me, for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. But to draw towards a conclusion, there is no other way to prevent all this wrath, but to be zealous and repent, to do something speedily and effectually against the Errours, Heresies, Schismes, Blasphemies and confusions of these times.
Ob. But if any shall object, It cannot be done now, it will discontent and disingage the Sectaries who are a considerable party, and so may prove dangerous to the Parliament in this juncture of time, by causing many to fall off their Service.
Ans. Are we afraid of discontenting, disingaging and losing a few men, and not discontenting and losing God! shall God be displeased to please men! shall we fear the want of mans helpe whose breath is in his nostrils, and not fear God! O that we would once cease from man, for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Secondly, I Answer, This objection is taking counsell, but not of God; a covering, but not of Gods spirit; Isa. 30.1. this carnall policie of suffering corruptions in Religion for fear of losing a party, and strengthening Kingdoms, hath proved the ruin of families and Kingdoms; be pleased to remember Jeroboam, Jehu, &c. who out of policie for fear of losing a party and strengthening the other side, set up and suffered the golden Calves and Priests of the lowest of people, and this very thing became a snare, and the losse of the Kingdom to them; and I might shew out of Ecclesiasticall Histories many examples of sad things befalling Princes, who out of policies or any carnall respects, have suffered all sorts of Sects and Heresies; but I will only instance in one out of*Ex quo etiam sonte manavit, ut idem Valentinianus senior sineret in Occidente inter Christianos quam quis vellet fidem amplecti at que pro arbitrio haereses consectari. At quam consulte exitus declaravit, ambo enim factione ac proditione Gentilium necati sunt, Gratinnus á Maximo Valentinianus junior or laqueo strangulatus. Baron tom. 4. Ann. 1376. num. 2. Baronius, of Valentinianus senior, who suffered in the West the Christians to embrace what faith every one of them would, and to follow what Heresies they pleased, but how well and safely the end of it declared; for both his sons were slain by the faction and treachery of the Gentiles, Gratian by Maximus, Valentinian junior was strangled in a halter: And yet afterwards the same Emperour by edict commanded the houses and places where the Maniches met to be confiscate. 'tis storied of Amaziah, that he had hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valour for a hundred talents of silver, but a man of God came to him to dismisse his Army, namely that part of it the children of Ephraim, and told him in answer to his carnall objections, that God had power to help and to cast down; and for his hundred talents, the Lord was able to give him much more then this: 2 Chron. 25.7, 8, 9. so say I, whoever or what numbers soever shall desert the Parliaments Army and Service for their suppressing the Sects, and putting in execution their own Ordinances, God hath power to help, and cast down, and is able to cause many more then these, to adhere to them; and no question, besides Gods help and blessing which uses to accompany setling true Religion, and destroying false; the hands of the Kingdom of Scotland would be the more strengthened, the City of London, the Ministers, and all who love truth, peace and order, would adhere more firmly, and the Parliament would be both stronger, and make themselves famous both at home and abroad to all generations. Thirdly, supposing the Sectaries to be as potent as is falsely surmised by themselves, yet I humbly conceive it stands not with the Honour, Power, Wisedom nor Piety of a Parliament, for fear of losing a party, to be afraid of maintaining their own Ordinances, and punishing those things that they know are bad; In such a case fiat justitia, ruet coelum. Fourthly, the sons of Zeruiah are not now too hard for you, God hath made you stornger then ever,Vide more of this in M. Pryns Epist. Dedicat. to the High Court of Parliament, in his Book imis. A fresh Discovery of New lights. by giving you many victories, battell upon battell, and one strong hold after another; so that if any will fall off from you for doing your duties, you need not care; and who knowes but that all these victories are sent to take away all excuse, to answer this objection, and to encourage you to this work? God inforces upon turning the dayes of fasting into feasts, therefore to love the truth and peace; and from deliverances to pay our vows, and make good our Covenants, as in Zech. 8.19. Nahum. 1.15.16. Psal. 16.14, 17, 18, 19. And thus having in some poor measure discharged my conscience towards God, your Honours and this Kingdom, in the Discovery made in this Book of many sects and Sectaries, I leave the issue and successe to God, humbly taking my leave, as Dr Holland that learned man and Doctor of the Chair in Oxford was wont to do of his Colledge upon going journies,Vita. Holland. Commendo vos Dilectioni Dei & odio Papa…u…. saying, I commend you to the love of God and hatred of Popery; so do I commend both Houses of Parliament to the love of God and his truth, and the hating of all Sects and Schismes, earnestly praying to God, that none of the things which You and we have cause to fear may come upon You and the Kingdom, but that God would mercyfully pardon that too great suffering, countenancing, spreading and prevailing of Errours, Heresies and Schismes which hath been in this Kingdom these four last years, and would fil you with such a love and zeal to his truth and house, that you might throrowly purge out all things that offend, and cause the false Prophets and the unclean spirits to passe out of the land, speedily and effectually lay the top-stone upon the building, the foundation whereof you have laid long ago, fully settle this Church and the Government of it, Whereby we may be brought into one, and become terrible as an Army with banners, and like a strong and fenced City, both against schismes that may arise from within, and the assaults of enemies without.
Your Honours humble and most devoted servant. THOMAS EDVVARDS.