The Levites Scourge, Section 12
SECT. XII. Of profitable doctrines and beneficiall positions, held by Brownists and Sectaries.
AS for that thou wouldst imply, that the Doctor advanced Episcopacie to an Apostolicall institution, as Cicero extolled eloquence to the skie, that he might be li…ted up with her; thou fouly mistakest the matter, the Doctor is known to affect that Dutch Worthie his temper, upon whose grave Iames Dowza strewed that flower among others: honor…s quia merebatur, contempsit; & quia contempsit, magis merebatur; because he deserved honours, he contemned them; and because he contemned them, he much more deserved them. The whole course of his life refutes that base calumnie thou castest upon him: For,
1. After he first shewed himself in publique preaching, in his course at S. Maries in Oxford; he was commended by the Vice-chancellor and Universitie to the Kings Majesties Embassador Lidget in France, where Cardinall Perone, homo famae potius magnae, quam bonae, by his agents thought to inveagle him to Popery, by promise o… far greater preferments then ever he could expect in England: but the Doctor esteemed no better of that motion▪ then of the devills offer to our Saviour; all th…se things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me: for he was so far from turning out of his course, to take up these golden apples, that contrariewise he followed the harder after the price of his high calling, See the testimonies of Dr. Moulin, and other forraign divines in the Coroll… …ie.and encountred all the Romish Priests, Jesuits▪ and So…bon Doctors wheresoever he met them, even to the hazard of his life; and God gave such a blessing to his many combats for the faith there, that he reclaimed divers from poperie, and confirmed many that were wavering in the true reformed religion.
2. After his return into England, when the great favourite bore all the sway, and the Doctor might have climbed to preferment by that ladder, by reason of his ancient acquaintance with the Duke; and the dedication of a book to his dearest consort, which she very much desired:The handmaid to devotio…. yet understanding that the Duke for some politick ends sided with the Arminian faction, he brake off all dependence upon that favouri…e, and wrote a smart book against the Arminians, called Pelagius redivivus; and thereby dashed all hopes of his preferment then at court.
3. After the Dukes death, when those that sate at the helm of the Church, and had great power also at court, to procure the greater libertie to the Protestants in popish Countries, and to draw her Majestie to a better liking of the reformed religion, sought to reduce the Church of England to a nearer conformitie to the Roman▪ at least in some scholasticall tenets and outward ceremonies and gestures with them; and to smooth the more rugged pos…tions of poperie▪ was thought a readie means to facilitate the way to prefermet: the Doctor declined this rode also & though he desired nothing more then the uniting of all christians in the faith first given to the Saints, and the doctrine of the primitive Church; yet he could never en…ure those who went about to sodder the Roman and reformed religion, and to bring Christ and Anti-christ to an enterview: neither would he ever be brought to varie in his practice a nailes breadth from the canons of the Church of England, and rubrick of the Common Prayer.
4. After the scene was turned, and many who before had layen in obscuritie, were brought upon the stage; who like the statues of Brutus and Cassius, eò praefulgebant, quod non visebantur, did shine the brighter, the more they were hid. The Doctor among others, was chosen by 390 votes to be a member of the Assemblie; and, among many other of eminent parts and worth, was designed by the whole house of commons▪ to answer a popish Priest,The Author of the book, intituled; A safeguard from Ship wrak which he did accordingly; and was in so fair a way, that if his conscience had been a Lesbian rule, and would have bowed that way, where preferments are now offered▪ he might not only have held both his benefices, but expected such farther priviledges, as the chief of the Assemblie now enjoy. But when a covenant was tendered, wherein he must of necessitie proclaim his ingratitude to the world, by swearing to endeavour the ruine of those, upon whom under God he built his chief hopes, and intangle his conscience in evident perjurie, by swearing to break all his canonicall oaths; necessitie constrained him to break off from the Assemblie, and for this cause he is now in bonds and stript of all his ecclesiasticall preferments, and temporall revenues; & nudus nudum Christum sequitur, and followes his naked Saviour himself also stark naked.
But to leave off this sad and melancholie discourse, and come to the beneficiall positions, and sattin cassock thou talked of, and game at gleek: thou shouldest have said noddie; a game at which thou playest at as well Sundays as working-days. For beneficiall positions, I know none held by the prelaticall clergie, as your schismaticall laicks tearm them, save this which the Apostle hath delivered, that godlinesse is great gain, and hath the promises of this life, and the life to come: but I can tell you of fruitfull doctrines and beneficiall uses, raysed by your Enthusiasts;A…s forbiddeth not all usurie, but biting usurie in his Cases of Consciences. as namely, that usurie, after it hath been with a barber chyrurgion, and hath its teeth pluckt out, is very lawfull, and that those of your sect alone have a right to the creature, and that the wicked have no right or title to any thing they possesse: and that therefore, when you plunder any Malignant you steal not, but take your own from them; and agreeable to your positions is your practise, you make no bones to devoure widows houses, under colour of long prayers; like vultures you hover over dead corpses, and thereout suck no small advantage; if any rich man be going the way of all flesh, some of your fraternitie must be sent for with all speed to pray his soul ex tempore into heaven; and after you have perswaded him to set his house in order, for he must dye and not live, and he is going to draw his last will and testament, you will be sure to have a …inger in it, or rather a claw, or naile to scrape and scratch something for your selves, under the title of pious legacies.