The Cure of Misprision, Section 49
Sect. 49.
Againe, in matters of the Common Wealth, if godly, and religious Magiſtrates: in obedience to the word, and diſcharge of their oaths and conſciences; be any whit …evere in puniſhing malefactors, they are cruell and hard hearted, as the Queen could ſay of the Houſe of Commons when they proſecuted Strafford: a moſt cruell murtherer▪ traytor, monſter: Oh what hard hearted men are theſe. When her ſelfe is not hard hearted, in being the death of thouſands▪ Yea, if God in his mercy prevent not, the utter ruine of three whole Kingdomes.
Or ſecondly, if they execute the ſtatute againſt Papiſts: thoſe falſe Gibeonites, that ſo much (though falſly) pretend their old ſhowes, the antiquitie of their Church: even in this alſo they are cruell, and hard hearted. But compare the peace they injoy under us, with the tyrannie they excerciſed over us, in burning our▪ Fathers at the ſtakes▪ in teaching and indeavouring to butcher our Princes: their many conſpiracies againſt our whole realme, eſpecially that 88. for a yeare: and 5. of November for a day, ſuch an intended diſtruction, and ſuch an intervenient deſolation, as that day and yeare ſhall be for ever, both famous and infamous for. And could they now but get the upper hand, neither the living Proteſtants ſhould walke, nor the dead Proteſtants ſleep in quiet for them. Yet theſe men are not cruell, in the eyes of prophane and ſenſuall Chriſtians.
Or thirdly, if they indeavour a through reformation, they are factions, and rebellious, enemies to the ſtate, and troublers of Jſrael: as Ahab counted Eliah; and they would gladly ſuch were cut off, becauſe they trouble them. And this is received as a ſolid argument, by all the Goſpels enemies.
But why is it, the beſt of naturall men, thinke that honeſty and religion conſiſts only in quietneſſe, and living peaceably amongſt their neighbours? and that their is no wiſedome but in a dull indifferencie. Nothing praiſe worthy but diſcretion and moderation. And therefore, as if their religion had taken cold, they love an eaſie ignorance, a quiet prophaneſſe, or a well ſetled ſuperſtition: more then a dilligent knowledge, or a zealous devotion. Whence they are ſo dully patient in diſhonour done to God, and ſo grieviouſly offended with others that indeavour to promote his glory and worſhip. And would not theſe men▪ have been as much offended with Aſa, Hezekiah, Ioſiah, Jehoſhaphat, Conſtantine the Emperor, King Edward, and Queen Elizabeth if they had lived in their dayes? Yes, for they did but the ſame things. Yea, undoubtedly if▪ Zephaniah, (who would not content himſelfe, for all the reformation which good Joſiah made: untill the Chemarim Prieſts, and all the reliques and remainders of Baal were removed. Zeph. 1. 4.) had lived in our land, he had been counted as others are, an unreaſonable man, made for nothing but to trouble the ſtate, by ſtirring up of contention. Yea, if they had lived in our Saviours dayes▪ they would have been offended with him, when he whipt the buyers and ſellers out of the Temple for diſturbing the Church. Matth▪ 21. 12.
But as Beza was no diſturber of the Church, nor enemie to the ſtate, when he writ an Epiſtle to Queen Elizabeth for the quite abandoning of all the high places; and a plenary reformation of Church Diſcipline, though Bancraft ſtormed at him for ſo doing, becauſe he touched the coppie hold of his bellie: But a faithfull Ambaſſador of Chriſt Jeſus▪ as the good Queen eſteemed him: no more are thoſe Worthy Senators amongſt us, that venter their lives and all they have, to doe God and their country ſervice.