God in the Mount, Treatise (2 of 2)
Prelatespranks in the Church.And if we look into the courſe and carriage of things in the Church alſo, O how many impieties and irregularities have we, there, long beheld abounding and ſurrounding us, to the high diſhonour of God, and diſgrace of true Religion! The Biſhops and the reſt of the Pontifician or rotten-hearted Clergie and Arminian-faction, under a pretence (forſooth) of peace, uniformitie Suſpenſions & excommunications.and conformitie have like ſo many ſi…ly Ceſars triumphed in the chariots of their Spirituall Courts, by their ſuſpenſions, Excommunications, Deprivations, and Degradations of divers painfull, learned and pious Paſtors of our Church, and in the vexatious and grievous grinding oppreſſions of great numbers of The high-Commiſſion-Court, little inferiour to the Spaniſh-Inquiſition.his Majeſties good Subjects. In which caſes, the high Commiſſion-Courts pragmaticall pranks have been unſufferable; the ſharpneſſe and ſeverity whereof grew to ſuch an unlimited monſtrous growth, heighth, and ſtrength, as was not much unlike, and very little inferiour to the Romiſh or Spaniſh-Inquiſition, yea and in many caſes, by the Archbiſhops ſuper-ſuperlative power it was made much heavier, it being (as often as they pleaſed) aſſiſted and ſtrengthened both by the furious power and authoritie of the Star-Chamber and Councill-Table, when the wrath and rage of their own-Courts could not reach as high as their hatred extended to the utter wracking and worrying of the innocent and holy lambes of Chriſt, whom indeed the world was not In Citie and Countrey men and women forced to flie into forrein parts.worthie of. This they did both in Cities and countreys, extremely vexing and perplexing thoſe of the meaner ſort, Tradeſmen and Artificers even to the deep impoveriſhing of many thouſands of them, and ſo afflicting and troubling others with threats and expenſive ſuits, that great numbers, to avoid theſe miſeries and miſchievous moleſtations departed out of the Kingdom, Into Holland and New-England.ſome into Holland, ſome into New-England and other deſert and uninhabited parts of America, thereby expoſing themſelves, their wives, children and eſtates to the great danger of windes and waves by Sea, and many other inevitable hazards by Land. Thoſe Who they were which got moſt preferments.onelyonly were held fitteſt for preferments, at home, and obtained them ſooneſt who were moſt officious and ſedulous to promote and propagate idolatrie, ſuperſtition, innovations and profaneneſſe, and were moſt violent and virulent ſons of Belial in railing againſt and reviling godlineſſe and honeſtie.
Court ſermons what, and to what end.Now, all this while, alſo, the moſt publike and ſolemn ſermons at Court before the King, were nothing elſe, for the moſt part, but either to advance the Kings prerogative above Laws, and to beat-down the Subiects juſt propriety in their eſtate and goods, or full of ſuch like frothie kind of invectives, the onelyonly way (in thoſe dayes) to get fat morſels, rich benefices, and Eccleſiaſticall preferments (the onelyonly-prey they ſought after) And thus alſo labouring (as the ſecond main part of their play) to make thoſe men odious to the King and State, who conſcientiouſly ſought to maintain Religion, Laws and liberties of the Kingdom; and ſuch men were ſure (ſtill) to be wrung and wreſted out of their livings, Godly Miniſters thruſt from their livings.if Miniſters; And out of the Commiſſion of peace, if of the gentrie, and all other places of imployment and power in the government of the Common-wealth. Yea and thoſe few godly and religious Noble perſonages, which were of the privy-Councill, though Councellors in name, yet not in power or authority, onelyonly uſed at the Councill▪board to execute and countenance, not to debate and deliberate-on their State reſolutions; nay, ſo far from being employed in any place of truſt and The faction now grown to its heighth.power that they were utterly neglected, diſcountenanced, and on all occaſions injured and oppreſſed by the reſt of the contrarie faction; which now was grown to that heighth and entireneſſe of power, that now they began to think-on the complete cataſtrophe and conſummating of the whole work, to their hearts deſire, which ſtood on theſe three parts or pillars of confuſion.
Three parts of now perfecting thewhole plot.Firſt, that the Government muſt be arbitrarie, ſet free from all limits of Law, both concerning perſons and eſtates. Secondly, that there muſt be an union and conformitie between Papiſts and Proteſtants, both in doctrine, diſcipline and ceremonies, onelyonly it muſt not (yet) be called or counted Poperie. Thirdly, Puritans (under which name all that were zealous for the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom, and for the maintenance of Religion, in the power of it, were included) muſt be either rooted out of the Realm, by force, or driven away by fear: And thus now at laſt we have the full dimenſions, every way, of this peſtilent and moſt pernicious plot.
And could they poſſibly have digged deeper? or in humane apprehenſion and contrivement have founded it firmlier? Whatſoever worldly wit and wealth could do, whatſoever carnall craft, power and policie could effect was wholly for them with full and copious concurrence, they now ſeemed to carry all irreſiſtibly before them. And now nothing was wanting fully to finiſh the work, no ſtone unturned, no Remora to be removed, Pſal. 62▪ 9.ſave onelyonly one; In which, God gave them the lie to their teeth, according to that of the Pſalmiſt: Surely, men of low degree are vanity, and m…n of high degree are a lie, and both to be laid in the ballance, they are altogether lighter than vanity it ſelf. Such vanity, yea ſuch lying-vanity theſe great-ones in their ſupercilious highbuilt hopes and bigg-ſwoln timpanie of ambition, pride and perfidie, began to be now rendered by the wiſdome and merciemercy of our good God. This one rub, I ſay, now to be remov'd, proved the main break-neck of their whole deſigne, and makes way Malum conſ… lium conſultori peſſimum.for mine alſo, which is, to let you and all the world ſee moſs cleerly how heaven made theſe impious plotters fall by their own folly and madneſſe, by their own creft creſt all their ſecret counſels and confederacies, and made their own invented miſchief Pſal. 7. 14, 15, 16.work-out their own miſeries. According to that of the ſween Singer of Iſrael, moſt pertinent to this purpoſe. Behold he travelled with iniquity, hath conceived miſchief, and brought forth falſehood. He made a pit, and delved it, and is fallen into the ditch, which he made for others, his miſchief ſhall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing ſhall fall upon his own pate; Whiles Gods dear Saints of England and Scotland eſcaped as birds out of the ſnare of thoſe Fowlers, and by Gods free grace and rich merciemercy found full and fair deliverance. Which, I ſay, is the main ſcope and How they began to put their threefold plot, aforeſaid, into full execution. Scotland attempted.principall aym of this our preſent hiſtory. For now, as they verily beleeved, they had made England their abſolute-aſſe to bear all their back, yea, ſoul-breaking burthens: So that they thought it moſt fit, now, in the laſt place, to reduce Scotland to ſuch Romiſh-harmonie and conformitie to embrace thoſe Popiſh ſuperſtitions and innovations as might make them apt to joyn with England in that great change which they intended; for, as for Ireland, they were ſure enough to prevail there at their pleaſure, as tis too well known to us all, and to themſelves alſo by their late bloody experience, which had been much more, had not God croſt their plot (there) alſo, and enabled us to help them.
A new Liturgie and Canons put upon them.Whereupon our Church-Canons and a new-minted Liturgie (not the very ſame which is uſed with us in England, which, with our veſtures, geſtures, and ſuperſtitious ſervice-ceremonies, had been abundantly enough to have vext them; but with moſt peſtilent Popiſh-additionals and unſufferable new inventions of the Arch-prelate of Canterbury, or ſome of his Romiſh-factors framing, put in, over and above ours▪ to make them ſtarke mad, (as it were) muſt be ſent unto them, and moſt violently obtruded on them; Both which, they inſtantly and ſtifly oppoſed, eſpecially when they conſidered and called to mind thoſe But rejected.three rare gentlemen (as ſome imminent Scots have acknowledged) who▪ had been ſo lately and barbarouſly abuſed on pillories in England (but the 30th. of June before; and this attempt on them, was in Auguſt immediately following) for oppoſing and writing againſt thoſe and ſuch like Romiſh fopperies; their women in Scotland being the firſt and forwardeſt ſtoutly to Dux faemina facti. Virg. in his Aen.reſiſt ſuch an uncouth and ſtrange impoſition on them. Where, by the way, let me deſire the godly Reader not to paſſe over this remarkable paſſage ſleightly, as a triviall thing. For, though this child of hope was, now, but in the embrio and unpoliſht conception, and as yet had no ſtrength at all to bring forth a perfect birth of deliverance to them or us in the eye of the world▪ yet Zach. 4. 10.let us remember what a notable caution the Prophet gives us. Deſpiſe not the day of ſmall things. For, they ſhall rejoyce, and ſhall ſee the plumet in the hand of Zerubbabel, with thoſe *Cap 3. 9.ſeven eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth. Now the women having thus begun to oppoſe this new Engliſh-Romiſh Pope an Archbiſhop of Scotland appointed (as they called it) to A great diſturbance in the Church.read and publiſh it in his fine linen Ephod, and other Popiſh-Pontificalibus, were ſeconded by the men, between whom was a huge hubbub made in the Church at the bringing in of the new Liturgie or Service-book, which they, I ſay, thus utterly rejected and caſt out from amongſt them; and upon this firſt 1 Kin. 18. 44.and ſmall riſing, like the cloud (at firſt) no broader than a hand, All Scotland oppoſeth it.it quickly grew ſo bigge that the whole Land was over-ſpread with it, the Kingdom in generall being highly incenſed alſo They are proclaimed Rebels in all Churches in England. An armie raiſed againſt them.againſt it did utterly refuſe to admit it among them. Whereupon, foule calumnies and ſcoffs were caſt upon them in England, yea a Proclamation read in all Churches, calling and counting them Rebels and Traytors for thus reſiſting our Prelats moſt injurious impoſitions on them; and an Armie was ſpeedily raiſed at the Prelates inſtigation to enforce them by fierce compulſi… to obedience, and to take that yoke on their necks; for the advancing of which ſaid armie, our Prelates with the rotten-hearted Clergie and Papiſts were moſt free and forward with libe…all contributions.
The Scots do the like.The noble and valiant Scots were thereupon conſtraine… to do the like, in their own juſt defence. But, when both Armies were met▪ and ready for a bloody encounter, God who hath the hearts of Kings in his hands, by the honeſt and wholeſome counſell of his Nobility, ſo wrought on the heart of our King, that The firſt Pacification.(maugre all the pr…gging malice of the malignant-partie, then, about him) a fair and friendly Pacification was ſpeedily agreed on, and the King returned to London with much honour to God in the Mount.himſelf and ſweet content to all, but thoſe that wiſht to have ruinated all. And now, tell me, did not God (here) begin to be ſeen in the Mount for our deliverance, in thus at the very f…rſt on-ſet of their devilliſh deſigne ſtopping the intended current of Pſal. 33. 10▪ 11, 12.Chriſtan-bloodſhed. And as the holy Prophet David ſweetly, The Lord bringeth the counſell of the wicked to noug…, and ma…es their deviſes of none effect. But the counſels of the Lord ſtand faſt for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Bleſſed therefore is the Nation whoſe God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath choſen for his inheritance.
The malignant partie diſpleaſed with the Pacification.This unexpected reconciliation was, I ſay, moſt welcome and acceptable to all the Kingdom except the malignant partie, who like envious elves gnaſhed their teeth, and with malice gnawed rancorouſly on their own hearts, and therefore began again to ſpit yet more envie and ſpight out of their miſchievous mouthes againſt the Scots and this happie peace; eſpecially William Laud Chiefly the Arch-Prelate Laud, and the Earl of Straford.the Arch-Prelate of Canterbury, and the Earl of Straford, the two monſtrous heads of their faithleſſe faction, who I ſay, began again mightily to maligne and bitterly to inveigh againſt the peace, and to aggravate matters and exaſperate the Kings wrath againſt the proceedings of thoſe Peers that promoved it, making his Majeſty beleeve that it was a very diſhonorable peace, and diſgracefull to the Kingdom, inſomuch that the King forthwith Preparation for war, again.prepared again for war with them. And ſuch was their confidence or rather immarbled impudence, that having (by all means fore-mentioned) corrupted and diſtempered (at leaſt as they thought) the whole frame and government of the Kingdom, they now alſo hoped to corrupt that f…tain which was the onelyonly means (under God) to reſtore all to a right fram… and temper again, a Parliament; to which end, they perſwaded his Majeſtie to call one, but not to ſeek counſel… of them, but to A Parliament motioned to an ill intent.draw countenance and ſupplie from them, and to engage the whole Kingdom in their wicked quarrell, and ſo to make the miſchief and miſ…rie too, Nationall. In which mean time they continued all their unjuſt levies of money▪ reſolving either to make the Parliament pliant to their will, and (as the Prophet ſaid of the Pſal. 94. 20▪wicked in his daies) to eſtabliſh miſchief by a law; or elſe to break it up again at their pleaſure, and to ſhift otherwiſe▪ as well as they could by colourable violence (as formerly) to go-on to take what might not be had with conſent. Now the ground alledged for the iuſtification of this war was this, namely, the undutifull demands of the Scots in their Parliament, which they conceived was cauſe enough for his Majeſtie to war againſt them without once hearing their iuſtification of thoſe their demands: and ſo thereupon a new Armie was muſtered and prepared againſt The Scots proſecuted again.them, their ſhips were ſeized on in all Ports and parts of our Kingdom, and of Ireland alſo, their Petitions reiected, and their Commiſſioners refuſed audience: In ſumme, the whole Kingdom was thus miſerably diſtracted and diſtempered with leavies of The Earl of Straford in Ireland cals a Parliament, whereby they deeply engage themſelves for this war.money, and impriſonment of thoſe who denied to ſubmit and crouch to thoſe Leavies. In which interim, the Earl of Strafford poſted into Ireland, call'd a Parliament there, out of hand quickly cauſed them to declare againſt the Scots, and to grant foure Subſidies toward the warre, yea and to engage themſelves, their lives and fortunes for the proſecution of it to the utmoſt of their power, and to give direction for an Armie of 8000. foot, and 1000 horſe, to be immediately muſtered up, which were all A Proſopopoeia to Ireland, as touching this act, and her preſent ſtate.for the moſt part, Papiſts. O Ireland, Ireland, even this verie deed of thine (above all thy other high provocations of generall profaneneſſe, and eſpecially of complacencie with baſe idolatrous Papiſts all over thy Kingdom) in thus obliging thy Self in ſuch a moſt uniuſt warre againſt thine honeſt and harmleſſe Brethren of Scotland, hath, I am confidently perſwaded, moſt unhappily plunged thee into that moſt lamentable plight of blood and miſerie which now of late thou haſt grievouſly found and felt to thy unſpeakable and unparalell'd ſorrow and ſmart, and hath made thee ſuch a deplorable prey to their moſt barbarous mawes and bloody teeth of thoſe Popiſh-rebels, or rather, inhumane Caniballs and unnaturall Vipers, whom thou ſo lately ſo lovingly (yet moſt irrelegiouſly) didſt nouriſh and cheriſh, as A ſhort, yet ſharp check to England alſo.ſo many venemous Snakes in thy boſome (And I pray God this be not too frequent a fault among us in England, namely, to embrace in the armes of our fooliſh love, a Papiſt as equally as a Proteſtant) to this thy utter and inevitable deſtruction, had not the Lord in wonderfull free merciemercy and favour prevented it in preſerving Dublin.
The Earl of Straford having thus acted Sinons part in Ireland, The Earl of Straf. returned home.to his moſt wicked hearts content, triumphing in his treacherie; with more haſte than good ſpeed, returned to England, where this moſt ſubtill Sinon, or rather ſcelerous Simeon, and Simeon and Levi.A fourth Parliament called, April, 13. 1640.Laud, his lewd brother, Levi, right brothers in iniquitie, together with the reſt of that pernicious partie (at our Parliament in England, which began, April, 13th, 1640.) had ſo prevailed with his Maieſtie, that the ſaid Parliament was moſt urgently incited and ſtimulated to yeeld ſupply toward the maintenance of this war with Scotland, and that, before there was any proviſion for the relief of thoſe great preſſures and groaning grievances of the people, as have been fore-mentioned. But, by Gods overſwaying power and good providence (before any ſuch thing could be to the purpoſe debated or reſolved on) baſe fears and jealouſies The ſaid 4th: Parliament diſſolved.preocupating the hearts of the malignant partie, they ſuddenly and ſcelerouſly adviſed the King by all means to break-off thus Parliament alſo, and to return to their former wayes of waſte and confuſion, in which they hoped their own evill intentions Mark this, O England for thy comfort.were moſt like to proceed and proſper. But here, by the way, take along with thee, good Reader, this note or obſervation on theſe premiſes, namely, that, had our Parliament afforded the leaſt ſupply to that wicked war, yea though but one 6. d▪ with Reverend Mr. Caſe in his 12. Arguments of comfort to England.their conſent, they had made the quarrell Nationall, and thereby the plague and puniſhment of ſuch a great ſin, moſt juſtly Epid…micall. Take this, then, O England, as no ſmall merciemercy from thy gracious God, who thus mercifully freed thee from ſuch a Land-devouring ſin and heinous provocation as Ireland does wofully witneſſe it.
May 5. 1640. Violent courſes again exerciſed to get money. Very ill uſage to ſome eminent Parliament Members. A ſcandalous Declaration publiſhed. A forced loan of money urged in the city of London. Aldermen impriſoned for refuſing it. The Apprentiſes riſing in Southwark ſide and at Lambeth.Now that Parliament thus fruitleſly ended, they again fell to their former tyrannicall practiſes and ſqueezing courſe of enforcing ſupplies out of the peoples eſtates, by the Kings own power and prerogative, at his own will, and without their conſent; yea the very next day after the diſſolution of that Parliament, ſome eminent Members of both Houſes had their Chambers and Studies, yea their Cabinets and very pockets of their wearing clothes ſearched for Letters and writings, another of them, not long after cloſe-impriſoned for not delivering to them ſome Petitions, which he received by authority of that Houſe in time of Parliament. A falſe and ſcandalous Declaration was then publiſhed againſt the Houſe of Commons in the Kings name, which yet (by Gods merciemercy) took no effect in the hearts of the people, but contrariwiſe made the impudencie of the ſuſpected authors of it more odious to them. A forced loan of money was then attempted in the City of London, to be made a preſident (if it prevailed) for the whole Kingdom; but ſome Aldermen refuſing it, were ſorely thr…atned and committed to priſon. About which time there fell out a mighty and tumultuous riſing of Apprentiſ…s and young-men in Southwark and Lambeth ſide, with clubs and other ſuch weapons, eſpecially at the Arch-prelates houſe in Lambeth, which put him into ſuch a fright and perplexitie, as made him hide his head and flie from place to place, from Lambeth to Croydon, and from Croydon to convey himſelf to ſome more private and remote hiding place for fear of their fu…y; So that we might have ſaid of him as the Prophet Jeremie did of Paſhur that falſe prophet, (Jer. 20. 3.) The Lord hath not called thy name Paſhur, but Magor-miſſabib; even fear, and terrour and trembling round about thee. Which (as 'twas probably beleeved) was the cauſe that the farther and more furious execution of their violent courſes to get money from the Subject Exod. 8. 19.was not proſecuted. Now, though Pharaoh's Magicians were ſo wiſe and honeſt, that at the ſight of the duſt of the earth turn'd into … they cried out it was the finger of God: yet this loftie Levite of Canterburies heart was as hard as Pharaoh's himſelf, and would not, with any remorſe or penitencie of ſpirit, acknowledge the hand of God againſt him, but, (juſt like Pharaoh, (I ſay) grew more and more out-rageous hereby. For, in The Clergie continue their Convocation.all this interim, he and the reſt of the Biſhops and Clergie cont… nued their Convocation (though the Parliament was diſſolved) and by a new-Commiſſion, turn'd it into a Provinciall-Synod, in which they audaciouſly contrived new Canons containing many New Canons made.matters contrary to the Kings prerogative (which they ſo deceitfully pretend to uphold) the fundamentall Laws of the Realm, Parliament priviledges, and Subiects liberties, and mainly tending to dangerous ſedition, upholding their uniuſt uſurpations, and as impudently as impiouſly juſtifying their Popiſh innovations, idolatries, and ſuperſtitious worſhip of God. Among A new-forged Oath, with a monſtrous &c. in it.which their accurſed Canons they had forged a new and ſtrange Oath for the eſtabliſhing of their Antichriſtian tyrannie, with a moſt prodigious and monſtrous Et caetera, in it, thereby to have deeply enſnared and groſly abuſed both Eccleſiaſticks and Laymen, as they diſtinguiſh them. Which Oath for its craft and labyrinthick intricacie, and no leſſe helliſh crueltie ſo to captivate mens conſciences, I have thought fit here to inſert.