The League Illegal, Title page – Dedication
The League illegal. WHEREIN The late Solemn League and Covenant is Seriouſly Examined, Scholaſtically and Solidly Confuted: For the Right informing of Weak and Tender Conſciences, and the Undeceiving of the Erroneous.
Written long ſince in Priſon, by DANIEL FEATLEY D. D. And never until now made known to the World.
Publiſhed by JOHN FAIRECLOUGH, vulgò FEATLEY, Chaplain to the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſty.
PETR. CHRYSOL
Magna debet eſſe in promiſsione diſcretio; quia inanis promiſsio ſaepe de amicis ſibi comparat inimicos.
HEE. XI. 4.
By it He, being dead, yet ſpeaketh.
LONDON: Printed for R. Royſton at the Angel in Ivy-lane. 1660.
Reſurgam.
Tim: Cap: 4. v. 7.
I have fought a good fight
I have finiſhed my courſe
I have kept the faith.
I was in Priſon, and ye came unto me
I was ſick, and ye viſited me:
Matt: 25. 36.
Siste gradum Viator;
Paucis te volo:
Hic ſitus est Daniel Featlaeus;
Impugnator Papiſmi;
Propugnator Reformationis;
Instigator Aſsiduae-Pietatis
Tam Studio, Quam Exercitio
Theologus-Inſignis;
Diſputator Strenutts:
Concionator Egregius
foreign:
Facetè Candidus; Candidè. Facetus Omni-Memoria-Digniſsimus D. D. Featlaeus, Qui Natus Charltoniae educatu Oxō: Aetatis Suoe 65. Obijt Chelſei. Scpultus fuit Lambethae Aprilis 17 21 Anno Salutis 1645.
To the Right Honorable Sir Edward Hyde Knight, Chancellor and Ʋnder Treaſurer of his Majeſties Exchequer, Lord Chancellor of England, and one of his Majeſties Moſt Honorable Privy Counſel.
My LORD,
IT is a ſin as great to be inſenſible of our mercies, as to turn them into wantonneſs. The beſt of Kings is the bleſſing of our Nations; who (in imitation of the aMalach. 4. 2.Sun of Righteouſneſs) is riſen unto us with healing in his wings. The rebellious are indemniſied, and their ſins made venial by it: the Loyal and charitable admire, and rejoyce in it. To that over-ruling Providence therefore in the firſt and chiefeſt place belongs the ſacrifice of our praiſe, (who hathbPſal. 13. 43. delivered his Royal ſervant from the ſtrivings of his people); and in the next place to his inſtruments. Among theſe how much your Lordſhip hath merited. by your conſtant. Attendance, your faithful Counſels, and ſuch unſhaken Allegiance, as hath neither been tainted with Suſpition, nor tyred by Calamities; is too great and high for me to calculate. Next to that private brazen wall of your ſerene Conſcience; you have the publique teſtimony of our moſt Gracious Soveraign, to witneſs your Fidelity: and it is written in golden Characters, both in and for your eternal Honour. He hath entruſted you with the jewel of his Conſcience, in relation to the ſharper Laws; knowing that you are Tam Marti quam Mercurio. As you are Juvenals cSat. 8.Lawyer,
Qui juris nodos, & legum aenigmata ſolvis:
So you are his Majeſties Champion, and have excellent skill at the beſt of weapons, the pointleſs, edgeleſs ſword of Mercy. He hath entruſted you with the great Seal of his Indulgencies and Pardons; to the aſtoniſhment of the very Malefactors: that they may be ſurpriſed by his gentleneſs even above hope, who had offended without fear or ſuſpicion of this happy Revolution. He hath enſtruſted you with many encouragements and rewards for the Loyaller and ſounder Clergy: yea and with a conqueſt of the erring, by the ſtreams of his Muniſicence. And who more fit to be entruſted with Conſcience, Mercy, and Bounty, then a perſon Religious, Gentle, and Noble? Your own Conſcience is (according to the famousdM. T. Cic. in Tuſc. qu. l. 2. Oratour) the greateſt Theatre of Virtue: and your Liberality is Homer's Nepenthes, which cheers up the drooping Clergy. It is not long ſince the Orthodox (but deſpiſed) Divines, were almoſt every where entertained by the Muſhrome Cacotopian Lords, and others, but with that ſcorn which Alexander threw upon the Cynick, when he ſent him eMax. Serm. de benef.Diſcum oſſibus refertum, a meſſe of Bare-bones. O what a bleſſed change both in men, and manners, do we now admire! For as all that are veſted with a Legal power, and (loathing the Idolatry of Avarice) ſincerely endeavour the Practice of Piety, do foſter the Levites, and pour Oyl into their wounds: ſo 'tis thought that your Lordſhip more particularly doth ſtrive to out-vye even Alexander Severus; who quarrelled with every virtuous perſon that either asked nothing, or but little of him; and his challenge ſtands upon record in theſe very words,fAelius Lamgrid. Quid eſt quod nihil petis? An me tibi vis fieri debitorem? You have learned of Eliſha ſo to favour the Sons of the Prophets, and their Relations; as in ſtead of rendring them but a poor moyty of the Tithe of their Tithes (which was the pia fraus, and reforming ſacriledge of our late Lay-preachers, and Black-Saints); you make it much of your buſineſs to fill their empty veſſels with the Oyl of gladneſs.
The clear and winged fame of theſe your Noble Virtues encourageth me to Congratulate them in the Dedication of this little Book: and the rather, both becauſe the Author (my beſt of Uncles) was not (I preſume) unknown to your Lordſhip; and becauſe my ſelf had the honour to be your Lordſhips Contemporanian in our Renowned Univerſity of Oxford. Nor may I entertain the leaſt diffidence of a Candid Acceptance; ſince you ſo well know, thatgPlut in apoph. Non eſt minus regium parvula accipere, quam largiri magna. Artaxerxes diſdained not a pitcher of water preſented by a Peaſant. Here is, my Lord, a little ewre filled with ſuch precious water, as hath virtue (I hope) to cleanſe the ſtains of a ſeduced Conſcience; and to open the eyes of them that were born, and have continued, blind. The Author thereof penned it in a Priſon: whoſe honour it was that he washSee his Life and d…ath in a bo…k entituled … foreign. Plundred, Sequeſtred, Impriſoned, yea and dyed, for his Religion and Loyalty. Full fifteen years hath this Book continued a private and cloſe mourner for the death of the Author, and the Hereſies of the later times: and it had not yet appeared in the eye of the world, but that I hope it will be ſheltred under your Lordſhips Pratronage. Mine it was, by the right of an Executor: and Yours it is by the right of Dedication. The merit of the work will be improved by your acceptance: the judicious, and ſober-minded will bleſſe you for delivering it from the womb of Obſcurity: and I ſhall be obliged to ſubſcribe my ſelf,
My LORD, The humbleſt Of all your Servants, John Faireclough, vulgò, Featley. London, Augſt. 4. 1660.