Protestation of George Lawrence, Floating text
Proteſtatio Lutheri Brevis, Iulii 13. Anno, 1518.
I Martin Luther, Publickely Proteſt, that I have publiſhed certaine Propoſitions, againſt Pontificall Indulgences, although hitherto, neither this our Famous, and Renowned Schoole of Witenberge, neither any Civill, or Eccleſiaſticall Power, hath as yet condemned me: yet notwithſtanding, Some certaine men there are, as I doe heare, of a raſh and bold Ingenie, who as if they ſaw alone, as it were into a Milſtone, preſume to pronounce me an Heretike.
Ego Martinus Lutherus, publice Teſtatum volo, Propoſitiones aliquot, contra Pontificales, ut vocant, Indulgentias a me eſſe editas, etſi autem me hactenus, neque celeberrima haec, & laudatiſsima Schola noſti a Vitebergae neque Civilis, aut Eccleſiaſtica Poteſtas condemnaverit, ſunt tamen, ut audio, quidam praecipitis, atque au facis ingenii homines, quire quaſi benè cognitâ, & perſpectâ, Haereticum me pronunciare audent.
I therefore, as oftentimes before, ſo alſo, now by the Faith of a Chriſtian, beſeech others, either to Indigitate and point out unto me a better way, if a better be divinely revealed unto them, or elſe to ſubmit their opinion, both to the judgement of God, and his Church. For as I am neither ready to preferre mine owne opinion, before the judgement of all others, So neither am I ſo doltiſh, as to place the Word of God, either below, or behinde the Tables invented by the braines of men.
Ego verò ut antè ſaepe, ita nunc quoque per fidem Chriſtianam obteſtor ſingulos, vel ut meliorem mihi monſtrent viam, ſi quibus haec divini…us eſſet revelata, vel certè ſuam ſententiam De…, & Eccleſiae iudicio ſubmittunt. Non enim adeò temetarius ſum, ut meam ſolius opinionem caeteris anteferri, neque cam ſtupidu…etiam ut verbum Dei, fabulis human… ratione excogitatis poſtponi …l…m. …om 1. Fol, 195.
In like manner, your Orator, who ſpeakes to you this Day, being encircled with many Adverſaries, (as David was with Bees) who have charged him with many falſehoods, upon the preaching of the two former Sermons in this place, touching the Nationall Proteſtation, am now enforced to be Proteſtator Lutherizans, cleering my ſelfe of thoſe aſſperged imputations, in the preſence of God, his Angels, and this Congregation, by this ſhort, and ſerious Proteſtation.
1. I Proteſt againſt all Vaine-glorie. For whereas the Biſhops Factions, and their adherents ſay, that in my Sermons, I looked here for applauſe from men, but I did loſe it, Let them
Firſt know, and tell it to their Fellowes, that I met with that, which the Lord knowes, I neither did gaſpe after, nor expect, you your ſelves in ſome part being Iudges.
Secondly, That they meaſure other mens actions, by the ragged ſtaffe of their owne crooked Rule.
Thirdly, That it is the conſtant toyle and labour of a ſincere Miniſter of Ieſus Chriſt, to ſtifle the Bubbling and Boyling Surges of his ſwelling heart, and with Paul alone to glory in his infirmities, 2 Cor. 12.9. Leſt otherwiſe, with Herod, taking the Glory to himſelf, and not giving it to God, with him, (according to the Syriack) become a Dunghill or a Stable for the Wormes, Acts 12.23.
2. I Proteſt againſt Seditition, and Seduction. For whereas the Biſhops Faction, and Carnall Goſpellers doe ſay, That I, and others are Seditious, and Seduce the People, Let ſuch
Firſt know, That the Nature of Sedition, is the drawing of a People, out of a right path, into a wrong, from good to evil, and not from evill to good, and that the Nature of Sedition, is to ſow Tares amongſt the Wheat, and not ſowing of Wheat amongſt the Tares.
Secondly, That the Houſe of Ahab, and Iezabel, that is, the Biſhops faction, the whore of Rome, the Ieſuites and Papiſts are, and have beene the ſeditious Seducers, and Troublers of our Engliſh Iſrael: for theſe are they, who have miſguided the people, leading them blind fold to the brow of the hill, to tumble them headlong downe to Hell, and to cruſh both themſelves, and them to peeces, to all Eternity.
Thirdly, that it is their Policy to call ſeditious, and Seducer; firſt, like a crafty courtizan, who will call whore firſt, that ſhe might not bee ſuſpected. Whence in the New Teſtament, the Scribes and Phariſees are obſerved to ſtigmatize, and agnominize, Chriſt and his Diſciples, with the reproachfull Tearmes of Deceivers and Seducers, while they themſelves ſeduce, and lead about ſylly creatures, creeping into their houſes, loving the uppermoſt roomes, and deſiring to bee called Rabbi, Rabbi, which is as much, as to ſay, Doctor, Doctor.
3. I proteſt againſt Phrenſie; for as the Corrupt Clergie, and their Lay Adherents belch out, and ſay, that ſuch as my ſelfe are of a Phrentick Spirit, and have Laeſa principia, becauſe wee dare not Symbolize with them, either in their Doctrines, or their practiſe; Let them againe.
1. Know, that Shemajah, the Nehelamite, which is as much, as Shemajah the lying Dreamer, called Ieremiah a mad man; Ier. 29.26. as being more fit for a priſon, and the ſtocks, than the Pulpit: though good Jeremiah was approved to bee the conſcientious Preacher.
2. Know, that Feſtus, though a great, yet a Carnall man with a loud voyce told Paul, that hee was beſide himſelfe, and mad, whereas indeed, hee ſpake forth the words of truth, and ſoberneſſe.
3. Know, that they and their Adherents, are the mad fellowes, as they are Catachreſtically called the good, and Kuriologically the bad fellowes, and not they, who by them are called the Puritan-Preachers, and the Puritans, and preciſer people, for if you read, Act…. 26.25. That Paul being converted, and out of his Naturall condition, hee doth profeſſe againſt the tearme of mad fellow, whereas in the 11. Verſe, when hee was in a Carnall ſtate, hee doth avouch, that hee was mad, yea exceedingly mad againſt the Saints, perſecuting them even unto ſtrange Cities: And therefore, if you beleeve the Scripture, and not, as the Popiſh Church beleeves, they themſelves are mad and phrentick. Mad upon their Idols, Ier, 50.38. The Prophet is a foole, and the Spirituall man is mad; Hoſ. 9.7. Mad after Popiſh Biſhops, yea mad to bee Biſhops, though the Biſhops themſelves were never more mad, than in theſe times: as in their late Towring-Swelling, …ower-Aſpiring, Proteſtation, and therefore, if they doe not ſaile to Rome, yet they may, as in our Proverb, take ſhipping and ſaile unto Anticyras, yea further, ſo inſenſibly entoxicated, by a ſtrange, and an hideous Metamorphoſis, that as Pope Sergius the ſecond, (as I remember) was called Os porci, Swines-ſnout, or Hogges-face, becauſe of his uncleaneſſe; So, the corrupt Clergies may bee called Dens Diaboli, yea Deus Caninus Diaboli, The great Doggetooth of the Devill; as Pariſienſis tearmes, all dogged and curriſh Perſecuters and Back-biters.
For as a mad dogge rowling himſelfe, like the Icneumon, or Mus Indicus, in a ſheet of mud, and riſing up upon his legs, ſets a black, and a dirtie patch on every poſt in the ſtreet, byting every one hee meets: So the corrupt Clergy tumbling themſelves in the mire of rotteneſſe and ſuperſtition, faſten one beaſtly marke or other; yea many dirty ſpots where they are ſeated, ſnarling, ſhewing their teeth like ſo many mad dogges, and byting, yea tearing in peeces, were they able every one, who thwarts them in their way, and contradicts them in their unwarrantable inſolencies, and illegall proceedings whatſoever. And here, Let not any diſcerning or diſcreet Reader, adjudge mee to be too immoderate in my expreſſions, ſince the Devill, Pope, Biſhops, Corrupt Clergie, and their Adherents, have neither beene moderate in their blaſphemies,Modum autem tenere, in co difficile eſt, quod honum eſſe credideris; Senec. Epiſt. 23. nor in their tyrannizing perſecutions, and ſince according to the Dialect even of Seneca an heathen man; In that thing, or that cauſe, which thou beleeveſt in thy conſcience, (yea undoubtedly doeſt know) to be good, it is a great difficulty, (yea a great ſinne) to uſe a moderation.
4. Laſtly, I proteſt againſt all Popery, according to our Nationall Proteſtation: For whereas ſome have bruited abroad, that I and others have extended our diſcourſes, further than the Determinaton of the covenant admits, Let them.
1. Know, that the Tearme, All popery, hath a large Periphery and circumference, which as it doth reach out to that Popery, which was diſcovered at the time when the Proteſtation was compoſed, ſo alſo, (yet with ſubmiſſion bee it ſpoken) may it bee extended to all thoſe ſeverall graines, which lay under the Turffe, and ſhould hereafter bud forth, and appeare to bee ſuperſtition, and Idolatrie in after times.
2. Know, that I, and my fellow-brethren are of the reſolution of Martin Luther, who although like him, may bee t…armed Hereticks, or Schiſmaticks, becauſe wee ſpeake againſt the Pope and Popiſh Hierarchie, yet by the creditable faith of Chriſtians, beſeech others to indigitate, and point out unto us a better way, if a better bee Divinely revealed unto them, or elſe to ſubmit their opinion, both to the judgement of God, and the reformed Churches, for as wee are neither ready to preferre our owne opinions, before the judgement of all others, ſo neither are wee ſo doltiſh, as to place the word of God, either below, or behind the fables invented by the braines of Brainſick, and cloud-pated Lycophrons, and the conceptions, or rather deceptions of Superſtitious Temporizers,
3. Know, that whatſoever I have delivered in the two former Sermons in this place, or what is, or ſhall bee further delivered in this third Sermon, or whatſoever I have delivered elſewhere, and eſpecially in thoſe Sermons concerning the ſolemnization of our great deliverance from the Gunpowder Traytours, and the Papiſts Conſpiracy,VponUpon the words of Ezekiel c. 24. v. 2. in the laſt November. in comparing N…buchadnezzar the King of Babylon, and the whore of Babylon together, who did ſet themſelves againſt Jeruſalem, (for which I was unſetled from my place of preaching, as Iohn Hus was inhibited, and forbad the Pulpit by the Pope, when he began to preach the Doctrine of Wickliffe againſt the Pope, and his Attendants;) I ſhall God willing,Martyrolog. and God aſſiſting be ready like Iohn Hus, to ſeale the Doctrine, and every branch of that Doctrine which I have publiſhed elſewhere or, in this place, with the loſſe of my deareſt bloud, comforting my ſelfe with the Cordiall of an Ancient father ſaying:
Gaude, O Innocentia, & exulta, Gaude inquam, quia ubique illaeſa es, ubique ſecura: Si tenta…is, proficis: Si humiliaris, erigeris: Si pugnas, vincis: Si occideris, cor… naris. Conſtantinopolitanus.Bee glad O Innocence, and rejoyce: Be glad I ſay, for no where art thou hurt, and every where thou art ſecure. If thou art tempted, thou doſt profit, if thou art humbled, thou ſhalt be exalted, if thou fighteſt, thou doſt overcome, and if thou art killed, thou maiſt loſe thy head, but thou ſhalt not loſe thy Crowne.
And thus being neceſſitated hereunto, have I like Martin Luther vindicated the truth, My ſelfe, and my Fellow-labourers by this Proteſtation: and have read it to you diſtinctly, that you might avoid miſtakes, and that the corrupt Clergy, and their Lay Adherents, might not ſay with any juſt ground againſt mee, as Eraſmus of Hierom when hee writ againſt Vigilantius, Conviciis debacchatur Hieronymus, what I did, I did in hot bloud,In Argumento Epiſtolae adverſus Vigilantium. and inſteed, of a vindicating Proteſtation, I brought a vicious, and convicious debacchation.
To conclude with an Hiſtory, ſuiting with our purpoſe, it is reported of Emme, the mother of Edward the Confeſſor, who being falſly accuſed, was conſtrained to goe bare-footed for her ſelfe 4. ſteps upon 4. ſharp plough-ſhares, burning hot from the ſcalding fire, and having paſt them over without any hurt, was adjudged innocent.
In like manner, being maliciouſly oppugned, have I beene inforced to run over 4. Particulars, as 4. burning ploughſhares, wch were laid not only to ſcortch & ſindge my reputation, but alſo to burne up like ſo much ſtubble, the very cauſe of God, and his Goſpell: & am now confident, that, that God, whoſe cauſe I agitate, and his deſpiſed people in this congregation,foreign. Septuag. foreign. Homer. Od. L. 17. (though the Prelaticall faction, and their Lay-Proſelites, may, or doe gather into a cloud and thicken into a bluſtering ſtorme) will acquit mee as guiltleſſe of all unjuſt, black, and opprobrious imputations.
For I know with David, Pſalme 140.13. That the Lord will maintaine the cauſe of the afflicted, and the right of him, that is diſtreſſed, and Pſalme 18.47.48. That it is God who giveth Avengements for mee, and delivereth mee from all mine Enemies.
The Lord in mercy ſanctifie to mee the Calumniation, and thoſe, whom it doth concerne, the Proteſtation.
FINIS.
End of the text · George Lawrence, Protestation of George Lawrence (1642)