A Gospel Plea for Maintenance of the Ministers, Part
An Admonition to all Proteſtants, Miniſters, Lawyers, and others of whatever Quality, within our three Nations.
BE pleaſed to take notice, that as the new diſſolved Anti-Parliamentary Juncto at the beginning of their laſt Seſſion, and a little before their ſodain diſſolution; did by their Conſcientious Speaker, give the hearty thanks of the Houſe and (mock) Parliament, to the Petitions of ſundrie Anabaptists, and other Sectaries, (headed by Jeſuites, and Popiſh Franciſcan Freers) for their good Affections, when they petitioned againſt Tithes; So the General Council of Officers of the Army, uſurping to themſelves the Soveraign Legiſlative Power and Authority of the Great Ge…eral Council and Parliament of England, to evidence to the world, by whoſe Counſels they are ſteered, whoſe deſigns they proſecute, and that they deſerve to be canonized for Saints by the Pope of Rome in his Roman Kalendar; have voted down our Miniſters Tithes, (and therewith our Miniſtry too) and in their printed Declaration 27 October 1659. p. 18. (ſince this Goſpel Plea was finiſhed at the Preſs) Declare to the world, that it is upon their Spirits, and they earnestly deſire, and ſhall endeavour, That a full and through Reformation of the Law may be effected (by aboliſhing thoſe Lawes they were raiſed, waged, commiſſioned to defend, and ſuppreſſing Lawyers and Terms at Westminſter, if not Innes of Court; as alſo, that a faithfull, godly, and painfull Goſpel-preaching Miniſtry, may be encouraged and provided for, by ſome certain way, that may be leſſe troubleſem to them, and leſſe vexations to the people than Tithes ▪ Ex cauda Draconem. What debates, Speeches many of our Army-Saints have lately had concerning the totall extirpation of Tithes, Miniſters, Law, Lawyers, Vniverſities, Corporations, ſeveral others can inform thoſe whom it moſt concerns. Whether Saint Johns deſcription of the Army of (Romiſh) Locuſts, Rev. 9. coming out of the ſmoak of the bottomleſs pit, who bad a KING, or GENERAL over them, whoſe name is Apollyon, that is to ſay, A Deſtroyer; be not a true Character of our preſent Army of Saints, let all real Engliſh Proteſtants judge, and what Good cauſe they have to continue and pay them out of our quite exhauſted bankrupt eſtates, to accompliſh theſe good endeavours, after all their Commiſſions nulled, expired, forfeited by their Treacheries and Rebellions againſt their old and new Superiors; Faithfulneſs, Loyalty, Obedience in the moſt inferiour Degree, to their Old Parliament, new Protector, and Anti-Parliamentary Juncto, (*Jude 12. Trees whoſe fruit is withered, twice dead, plucked up by the roots by them) after all old Proteſtations, Covenants, & new Commiſſions, Ingagements, Declarations, Addreſſes to be True. Faithfull, Conſtant to them, and live and die with them, being ſuch a Capital crime in their General Councils eyes, even in their own Colonels, Captains, Souldiers; as to demerit and incurr an unpardonable Cenſure of utter caſhiering out of the Army, as Traytors, Enemies to, and Apoſtates from the Armies Intereſt; which is to be Faithleſs, Perfidious, Treacherous to all Superiors whatſoever: wit… in the Vindication of 167. Officers, come off from, and turned out of the Army, in March 1647, for their obedience to the old Parl. the late caſhiering of Col. Whaley, Ingoldesby, Goffe, and others for their fidelitie to Richard, Pr. & of Col. Okey, Moſſe, Morley, and others, for their adhering to the diſſolved Juncto, though they drew not a ſword, nor diſcharged one piſtol in their defence; which may be juſtly recompenced ere long by the Common Souldiers Diſobedience, Treacherie, and Infidelitie towards their preſent Commanders, when they ſtand in moſt need of their aſſiſtance; Iſa. 33.1, 2.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, A Gospel Plea for Maintenance of the Ministers (1660)