Sermon 7 March 1632, Title page – Preface
A SERMON PREACHED AT DORCHESTER IN The County of Dorcet, at the Generall aſſizes held the 7. of March, 1632.
By John White of Dorcheſter, Rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity.
Pro. 24. verſe 21.
My Son feare thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change.
LONDON, Printed in the yeare, 1648.
SIR,
AT your laſt being in Dorcheſter, you ſeemed to receive ſome addition of Confirmation of the Juſtice of the Parliaments cauſe in taking up Armes againſt the King, from ſome diſcourſe which you heard from Mr. White: But I then told you that Mr. White not many years ſince was cleare of another Judgement, not only in this point of Reſiſtance, or more properly making War, but almoſt in the whole matter Controverted between the King and the two Houſes, And that ſome of us who were his dayly hearers were much ſcand…lized to ſee his late practiſe and Preaching to move Antipodes to his former Doctrine, e…pecially recommending and preſſing things ſo point blanck oppoſite, on the conſciences of his Auditors, as no leſſe then the truths of Jeſus Chriſt, and neceſſary in respect of our Obedience: This I told you I could make good unto you in foure particulars, Firſt in the point of the Subjects taking up Armes againſt their Soveraign, Secondly in that of Epiſcopacy, Thirdly concerning the book of Common Prayer, and Laſtly touching the Ceremonies of the Church: But your haſte then going for Exter Faire, and your many buſineſſes with your other Chapmen, would not diſpenſe with you to ſtay the making good of my Allegation: And therefore it was your earneſt deſire, That at better Leaſure I would in writing give you ſuch ſatisfaction as might leave you without all ſcruple in theſe particulars, which I ſhall now endeavour to doe as briefely as I can.
Firſt for the unlawfulneſſe of Subjects reſiſtance and taking up Armes againſt their lawfull King, or ſupreme Magiſtrate, what his Judgement was in this point, I muſt appe…le to his Sermon Preached at the Aſſizes held for this County, The Copy of which Sermon, together with the Epiſtle Dedicatory to the Judges of the Circuit, I have here ſe…t unto you. I would not truſt to the fidelity of my Apprentices Brachigraphi who tooke this Sermon from the Pulpit, when he Preached it: for ſo the Neceſſity of keeping pace with the Speaker, The eaſy miſtake of thoſe Characters, and the ſupplements of Memory uſed by thoſe that are Maſte…s of that Art, might render this Copy ſuſpected: But to take away all Objections, I procured a more Authentique Copy from his own Originall. I ſay no more but as our Old Schoolemaſter Mr. Chick was wont to ſay, Res ipſa loquitur: Out of his owne Mouth you may Judge of him.
Secondly for the authority of Biſhops, and Thirdly for the Lawfulneſſe nay Neceſſity and Excellency of the Booke of Common Prayer, There are two other Sermons of his publiſhed, not in print, but in Manuſcript: The firſt aſſerting the Authority and calling… of Biſhops to be, if not Iure Divino yet are Apoſtolico; and equalling the Authority of their Order with that of the Obſervation of the Lords day: The ſecond vindicating the Liturgie from the uſuall cavils of Se…taries, and by impregnable Arguments preferring this ſet forme before all Extemporary Conceptions eſpecially for the Publicke worſhip of God. Nay, we that were his Pariſhioners, and daily hearers in the execution of his Parochiall Exerciſes, muſt teſtifie, That he hath very frequently magnified the Booke of Common prayer, juſtified it againſt all Objections, and affirmed, not only that it was conſonant to the word of God, but likewiſe that if the Holy Ghoſt had vouchſafed his immediate Aſſiſtance in compoſing any booke ſince the Bible, it was in compoſing the Common-prayers of the Church of England. But though I have laboured it yet I cannot procure theſe Sermons: They were by Maſter White himſelfe preſented heretofore (as a Teſtimony of his conformity) to Biſhop Cook, late Biſhop of Hereford but then Biſhop of Briſtoll, and Maſter Whites Dioceſan, whoſe Executors are able to produce theſe undoubted Teſtimonies both of their Authors (then) Orthodox Iudgement, and the truth of my …
Laſtly for his Approbation of the Ceremonies of the Church I ſhall appeale, Firſt to his owne Practiſe in his Paſtorall charge, not only in my time but in my Fathers as you … Secondly, to his frequent juſtification of them in the Pulpit; when you ſee Maſter …tro…g at Dunſtans doe but aske him what he hath heard, and ſeene in this particular: Laſtly to his ſerious Recommendation of Doctor Burges his Defence of Biſhop Mortons Treatiſe of the Three Innocent Ceremonies to the Clergy of theſe parts, exhorting them to buy them: And though his meere Intimation of things to be done, or not to be done, had more influence on his brethren of the Miniſtery then the Commands of their Biſhop, yet to be ſure to put one of thoſe Bookes into the hands of every one of the Clergy, he prevailed with Maſter Archdeacon Fitz…erbert to recommend the Booke to thoſe with whom hee thought his owne perſwaſion had not ſo effectuall authority: I cannot have ſo meane an opinion of Maſter White that he ſhould thus induſtriouſly recommend this Booke to others, meerely to helpe off an impreſſion, though Doctor Burges were his Wives Brother, miſtake me not, I meane not your Paules P…rgation Burges, no, this Doctor Iohn Burges Paſtor of Sutton Coldfield … Warwick-ſhine, was an … man, and a Schol…r, Things (God knows) that Cornelius was … guilty of; But I beleeve he did recommend that Booke not out of my ſiniſter or by and but purpoſely to propagate thoſe Truths which were learnedly defended in is; and becauſe they were ſuch Truths of which he himſelfe ſtood fully convicted in conſcience, for had he but doubted of the lawfulneſſe of thoſe Ceremonies he was better acquainted with the regulations of a Scrupulous Conſcience then to recommend that to the practiſe of others, of whoſe lawfulneſſe He himſelfe doubted. But I detain you too long. Reade this Sermon and then judge of the truth of my Affirmation of the reſt, by what ſatisfaction you receive in this Particular, from
Your Friend and Servant, W. P. Dorcheſter, Sept: 14. 1647.
For my Friend Mr. G.S. at the Sign of the—in Watling-ſtreet, London, theſe.