The Levites Scourge, Encomium – Errata
To the AUTHOR upon his FRONTIS-PIECE.
Eagle, who e'r thou art; it is a prize
Not worth thy wing; shall eagles stoop at flies?
True; they have blown thy prey; but, in thy stead,
The vulgar fly-flap might have struck them dead.
But they have sported with the flame of Kings!
That very flame would soon have burnt their wings:
If not; Arachne, in her watchfull seat,
As sure as Greg'ries hand, had done the feat.
But 'tis too late: some honour it will be,
Above their merits, to be crush't by thee.
SACRA NEMESIS, THE Levites Scourge, OR, Mercurius
BRITAN.
CIVICVS
Disciplin'd.
ALSO Diverse remarkable Disputes and Resolvs in the ASSEMBLY of Divines related, Episcopacy asserted, Truth righted, Innocency vindicated against detraction.
Nazianzen, Epist. 11.
foreign
Anonymus de pace ecclesiae.
Nunquam veritas rea fuit, ut non in eodem foro causam ageret innocentia.
The truth of religion was never indicted, but innocency was arraigned at the same bar.
DEUT. 33.11.
Strike through the loyns of them that rise up against Levi, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield printer to the Universitie. 1644.
To the READER.
WHen the hart is smitten, and sore hurt, all the raskall deer run away, and leave him alone to the crueltie of the blood-hounds: so it is with the vulgar sort, when a person of qualitie in Church or commonwealth is wounded by the Nimrods of this age in his estate, libertie or reputation (though not in conscience) they all shun him and shift (as well as they can) for themselves: none dare give a pluck at the arrow, much lesse chase away the hounds that follow eagerly upon the hot sent, and never leave till they have pluckt the deer down. O the miserie of these days,Esay 51.19. by so much the more woful because not bemoaned (these things are come upon thee, who will lament thee?) What! said I bemoaned! nay scorned and derided; nay insulted insolently upon, nay uncharitably censured. If the viper light upon Pauls hand,Acts 28.4. surely he is a murderer not worthy to live: if a man be committed, certainly he hath committed some great fault in the judgement of the ignobile vulgus, 11.36. Herman leomel Spong. ex lit. urb. 8. catenae marty…um sunt monilia religionis.who forget of whom the Apostle spake in the Hebrews, they were tryed by mockings and scourgings; yea, moreover by bonds and imprisonment, whom the world was not worthy of. They who are in durance are judged not to be worthy to live in the world; whereas by the judgement of the holy Ghost, if they suffer in this kind for a good conscience, the world is not worthie of them▪ yet now calamitie is accompted a crime, and misery guilt, and durance malignancie, and to visit those that are imprisoned a sufficient cause of bonds. Never was there since the Reformation, no not in Q. Maries dayes,Humphredus in vita Iuelli nebula est, transib…t. when the clearest skie of the Church was over-cast with a bloody cloud, such a lamentable cry heard from the sons of Levi, their wives and children being thrust out of the sanctuarie, spoyled of all their goods, stript stark naked, and starved with hunger and cold as at this present. Neither is this all,P…s. sat. 1. but every tressis agaso, every hackney pamphleter, every mercenary scribler casts blots on their faces, and adds affliction to the afflicted, and powreth vinegar into their wounds in stead of oyl. Among these Britanicus is the busiest, who in the ensuing treatise is called to an accompt. But who he is in particular or his antagonist; appeares not,Eras. adag. Andabatarum ritu. for they fight like Andabatae in tenebris in the dark, or rather like whifflers with vizards on their faces. And marvail not at it, for truth seldom appears (now adays) on either side but masked. And if Britanicus, who is a favourite of the time, Gallinae filiu… albae, whose daring pen weekly provoketh, not only the crozure, but the Scepter, yet conceals his proper name; how much more needed his adversarie so to doe, who was before in nimbo, Liv. dec. Foedior in orbe trucidatio, cum turba foeminarum puerorum▪ que in succensum ignem se Conjicerent: rivi que sanguinis flammam orientem restinguerent.and now is in limbo (where usually no light is seen but through a chink, nor men but through a gra…e) who hath lost all pro Christo Domino, & Domini Christo, for the Lord Christ, and the Lord his Christ, that is, his anoynted, save the testimonie of a good conscience, and a vehement desire to quench the fire kindled of late in the bowels of the Church even with his blood, as the Astapani sometimes did, and bury it in his ashes?
The speciall Contents of this treatise, with the arguments of every section.
SECTION I. The character of Britanicus.
p. 1.
SECT. II. The censure of the diurnalls and scouts.
p. 2.
SECT. III. Six shamelesse untruths uttered by Britanicus in three lines, and the true cause set down why D. F. was voted out of the Assembly of Divines.
p. 3.
SECT. IV. How the parsonage of Lambeth and Acton came to be sequestred, and why.
p. 5.
SECT. V. That D. F. was no intelligencer or spie to Oxford, and the censure past upon him Sept. 29. discussed.
p. 8.
SECT. VI. Aulicus truly relateth the reasons alledged by D. F. against the new covenant in the open Assemblie.
p. 11.
SECT. VII. Divers remarkable passages in the Assemblie of Divines related in a letter to the Primate of Ireland: together with severall speeches there made concerning the three creeds, the imputation of Christs active and passive obedience▪ and King Iames his advice to the Synod held in France at Privase, & concerning the second clause in the new covenant.
p. 12.
SECT. VIII. Sixteen reasons for Episcopall government unanswered by the Smectymnians: together with the judgement of all the reformed Churches for Episcopacie.
p. 50.
SECT. IX. Britanicus his scurrilous jests at spirituall Courts retorted, and ex tempore prayers and exercises censured.
p. 60.
SECT. X. The abuse of appropriations of benefices, and the necessitie of pluralities as the case stands.
p. 62.
SECT. XI. That the abjuration of Episcopacie, especially in the Clergie of England, involveth all them who take such an oath in perjury and Sacriledge.
p. 65.
SECT. XII. Of profitable doctrines and beneficiall positions held by Brownists and Sectaries.
p. 66.
SECT. XIII. Of ministeriall habits, the strict observance of the christian Sabbath, and how the Brownists and other Sectaries prophane it.
p. 68.
SECT. XIV. Of the subscription of the letter written to the Primate of Ireland, and the strange interpretation thereof by Sir W. E.
p. 70.
SECT. XV. Wholesome and seasonable advice to Britanicus.
p. 72.
SECT. XVI. A sober reckoning with Civicus.
p. 74.
SECT. XVII. A Corollarium, consisting of the testimonies and Eulogies of many foraign Divines of eminent note, concerning D. F.
p. 79.
SECT. XVIII. The sum of D. F. his apologie reduced into two unanswerable dilemma's.
p. 88.
SECT. ult. A true transcript of the most materiall part of D. F. his letter to the Primate of Ireland, and an accompt of the whole.
See pag. 100.
ARTICLE 8. Of the three Creeds.
THe three, Creeds, Nice Creed, Athanasius Creed, & that whichis commonly called the Apostles Creed, ought thorowly to be received and beleeved: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture.
Concerning this eighth Article, vide 2 speeches, pag. 13.
ARTICLE 11. Of the Justification of MAN.
WE are accompted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works, or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Iustification.
Concerning this eleventh Article, vide 5 speeches, pag. 20.
The two first clauses of the Covenant, as they were offered to the Assembly, licensed, and entred into the Hall book according to Order, September 4. 1643. and Printed at London for Philip Lane.
1. THat we shall all and each one of us, sincerely, readily and constantly, through the Grace of God, endeavour in on… severall places and callings, the preservation of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, in the Church of Scotland, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government according to the Word of God, and the reformation of Religion in the Church of England (this Explication to be at the end of the Covenant, as far as we doe, or shall in our consciences conceive to be according to the Word of God) according to the same holy Word▪ the Example of the last Reformed Churches, and as may b…ing the Church of God in both Nations to the neerest conjunction and Uniformity in Religion, confession of Faith, Forme of Church… government▪ directory for Worship and Catechizing; that we and our Posterity after us may, as Brethren, live in Faith and Love.
2. That we shall in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavour the Extirpation of Popery, Prelacie, Superstition, Heresie, Schisme and Prophanenesse▪ and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine, and the power of Godlinesse in both Nation…, lest we partake in other mens sins, and thereby be endangered to receive of their plagues, that the Lord may be one, and his Name one in both Kingdoms.
To which first printed copie, the Doctors speech delivered in the Assembly, relateth pag. 48.
The two clauses of the Covenant, as they were altered and Printed by Order of the House of COMMONS.
1. THat we shall sincerely, really and constantly, through the Grace of God, endeavour in our severall places and callings, the preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government, agai…st our common Enemies, the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government, according to the Word of God, and the Example of the best Reformed Churches, and shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes, to the nearest Conjunction and Uniformity in Religion, Confession of Faith, Form of Church-Government, Directory for Worship and Catechizing▪ that wee and our Posterity after us may, as Brethren, live in Faith and Love, and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us.
II. That we shall in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavour the extirpation of Poperie, Prelacie, that is, Church-Government by Arch-Bishops, Bishops, their Chancellours, Commissaries, Deans, Deans and Chapters, Arch-deacons, and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on the Hierarchie, Superstition, Heresie, Schism▪ Prophanenesse, and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse; lest we partake in other mens sins▪ and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one, and his Name one in the three Kingdoms.
Errata.
Epist. to the reader, l. 19. in. r. to. p. 12. l. 23. dazled, r. so dazled. p. 15. in marg. Vos. de 36. r. Vos. de tribus symbo. p. 40. l. 1. 2. Cor. 1.30. r. 1. Cor. 1.30. p. 43. l. 13. speciei. r. specie. p. 52. l. 24. Acts. 3.1. r. 1.3. p. 61. adde in marg. Aug. de civit. Dei. l. 19. c. 19. l. ult. p. 66. l. 22. thought r. sought. p. 69. l. 25. there r. then. p. 87. l. 14. dele his owne Nation▪ for Primate of Armagh. r. Primate of Ireland.