An Apology of an Appeal, Letter 2
TO ALL THE TRVE-HEARTED NOBILITY OF HIS MAIESTIES Moſt Honorable Privy Councell.
MY HONORABLE LORDS,
Expect not here from mee the Court language or dialect; it will not ſuit my perſon, much leſſe the cauſe, which here I preſent to your Honors; being ſuch a cauſe, as I know not how the Court ſpirit will reliſh it, much leſſe digeſt it. Let me therefore be bould, in the firſt place, to awaken thoſe Nobler ſpirits (if haply either layd and luld aſleepe by the inchantments of theſe preſent times, or otherwiſe ſmothered under the heape of Court imployments, and the like) yea ſpirits heavenly inſpired, which reſpiring a while, and retiring into the cloſet of your inmoſt Muſe, may ſummon all your cares and powers to the ſad and ſolid eonſideration of a cauſe ſo important, as (all circumſtances and conſequences well weighed) I dare ſay, the like hath not come upon the ſtage for theſe many yeares; being a cauſe ſo much concerning the honor of God, the peace, welfare, and honour of the King, the State of Religion and of the Commonweale by good Lawes eſtabliſhed, the liberty of our conſciences, and the honour of your Lordſhipps, being Peeres of the Realme, Counſellors of State, and ſo pillars of the Kings Throane, of Religion, and of the Republique; all which doe now exceedingly ſuffer, and are terribly ſhaken, yea ready to fall to ground, if not prevented by ſome ſpeedy and effectuall remedy. And whence ſhould remedy be expected, but (next unto God) from his Sacred Majeſtie, and from his prudent and faithfull Counſellors of State, the great chariots and horſemen of Iſrael? To the end therefore, that his Majeſtie may take notice of ſo weighty a cauſe in hand, and lay it to heart, and ſtrengthen his hands with Iuſtice to vindicate his honor therein, I have humbly addreſſed my ſelfe to his Majeſtie both by petition and Appeale, and next to your Honors by way both of information and of ſollicitation to give your eyes no ſleepe, till you have effectually moved his Majeſty to a ſerious conſideration of ſuch a cauſe, that ſo neerely concerneth the weale or woe of this Kingdome. Not that I take upon mee to judge of ſuch high matters, but that his Majeſty would bee pleaſed to weigh the cauſe in the juſt ſcales of his mature wiſedome, and unpartiall judgement (all reſpect of perſons layd aſide) and alſo conſult his ſage Senators therein, that ſome thing may bee forthwith reſolved on, and ſet on foot, for the preventing (if poſsible) of the imminent ruines both of Church and State: Nor let this motion be contemned, becauſe it commes from ſo meane a perſon, as (in the worlds opinion) a poore Miniſter of Chriſt. Certainly, I am one of the watchmen of Iſrael (though the meaneſt) yet one who hath obteined mercy to bee faithfull. Nor have I inconſideralty or raſhly ruſhed upon this buſineſſe, but have been by a ſtrong hand drawne into it. Yea, my Lords, knowe aſſuredly, that Chriſt himſelfe, my great Lord & Maſter, hath called me forth to be a publique witneſſe of this great Cauſe, who will certainely mainteyne both it and me againſt all the Adverſaries of God and of the King. And being ſo, doth not the ſame Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, call both the King, your Honors and all his Nobles and worthies to lay to heart ſuch a cauſe as this, if with the whole Realme you will not be brought backe againe under the Papall and Antichriſtian yoake, which, where euer it cōmeth, Lordeth, and tyrannizeth over ſoules, bodies, conſciences, goods, lawes, and Liberties? What? ſhall we ſee Religion overturned, the Lawes out lawed, our Liberties captived, Chriſt Kingdome and the Kings throane together undermyned, and Antichriſts throane exalted over us, and that by a Faction of Ieſuited Poly-pragmatiques, and wee like heartleſſe doves ſitt trembling while the Hagards doe outdare us, as if we were made for nothing els, but for them to prey upon? Certainely if wee thus ſit us downe, and hide us under the hatches, while the Romiſh Pyrates doe ſurpriſe our Ship and cut our throaths, and caſt us overboard, what volumes will be ſufficient to Chronicle to poſterity the baſeneſſe of Degenerate Engliſh Spirits, become ſo unchriſtianized, as to ſett up Antichriſt above Chriſt, and his annoynted, and to ſuffer our ſelves to be cheated and noſe-wiped of our Religion, Lawes, Liberties, and all our Glory, and that by a ſorte of bould Romiſh *Such as Francis a Sancta Clara, and other his Ieſuiticall Compli….Mountebanks and Iuglers?
Obiection. But ſome will object, what doth this concerne any of the Laity. Doe not matters of Religion properly pertaine to the Clergy? Have not they all the power and Authority to determine ſuch matters? Tractent fabrilia fabri, will they ſay.
Anſwer. O egregious and pernicious errour! The Clergy only (by which they meane the Church) to have power in matters of Religion to determine them? As if lay perſons, who are Chriſtians, be not members of the Church of Chriſt, & Gods peculiar people, and inheritance. Againe, what ſhould become of our Parliamentary Lawes, by which our Religion hath been eſtabliſhed, and the Popiſh aboliſhed? Or what ſhal become of our Religion ſo eſtabliſhed, if the Authority therof muſt now depend only upon nthe Clergy, & that Clergy for the moſt part dependes upon the authority of one, who exerciſeth a kinde of Papall power in dedermining matters of Religion? Then how eaſy were it for one Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury (if hee be poſſeſſed with a Papall ſpirit, and zeale for Popery, & ſhould have great favour & power in Court) in one aſſembly of Prelates, at one clap to overthrow all our religion by Law eſtabliſhed, and to ſet up againe the whole body of Popiſh ſuperſtition and Idolatry? Moreover, why ſhould it be unlaufull for lay perſons, Nobles, and others, to looke into matters of Religion within the limits of their calling, whether generall, as Chriſtians, or ſpeciall, as members of the common weale; when Clergy men dare (in affront to Gods word, to Chriſts Doctrine and example, & of his Apoſtles, to all Councels and Canons whatſoever) uſurped & take upon them to intermeddle in the managing even of the higheſt and weightieſt affaires of Princes, States, and temporall Kingdomes, which is incompatible with the miniſteriall function? Againe, have not all Chriſtians ſoules to ſave? and are not thoſe of Berea *Acts 17. 11. 12.indigitated in Scripture, as being more honourable then others, in ſearching the Scriptures daily whether thoſe things were ſo, which even the Apostle Paul himſelfe did teach? And are not all Chriſtians themſelves enjoyned to try the ſpirits, whether they bee of God? And the rather, becauſe many falſe *1. Io. 4. 1.Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Iohn. 4. 1? And are not all Chriſtians ſo to know the Scriptures, as if any teach *Gal. 1. 8.otherwiſe, yea though Angell from heaven, to hould him accurſed, Gal. 1. 8? And are we not all Chriſtians? And if every Chriſtian how mene ſoever ſhould have a care of his owne ſoule, and not to pinne it upon any ones ſleeve, as not knowing whither hee may carry it; how much more every great man, that is in high place, and hath greater gifts of knowledge, and is in *Eccleſ. 10. 1.estimation for wiſdome and glory? It is a Iuſuiticall principle, and that very myſtery of iniquity, which ſupports Antichriſts throane, to require or render blinde obedience to the dictates of the Church, alias, of the Pope, or Prelate, or Prieſt, then which ſervitude and ſpirituall bondage none in the world is more vile and baſe, none more perillous and pernicious. Thus the *Math. 1…. 14.blind leading the blinde, both fall into the ditch: thus the Pope carrying with himſelfe millions of ſoules to be tormented with the great Divell, and none to reprove him for it (as their owne Decretalls ſay) what amends will this bee to thoſe ſoules thus miſerably deceived by him? So as this new doctrine of the Ieſuites, ſo much cryed up now adayes in Pamphlets and Pulpits, therby to captivate the faith and Conſcience of all the Laity, yea and of all inferior Miniſters to the dictates of the Metropolitan chaire, is nothing els, but that prime Article of the Antichriſtian and Papall Creed, to overture all the Articles of our Chriſtian Faith. And if this Ieſuiticall Doctrine be creapt into the Court, and there beginne to Lord it, the Lord himſelfe roote it up, and caſt it out. But your honors have not ſo learned Chriſt, as thus to come under Epheſ. 4. 20.Antichriſts Babilonian yoake. And therefore in the name of Chriſt rowſe up your noble & Chriſtian zeale, & magnanimous courage for the truth, and now ſticke cloſe to God and to the King, in helping the *Iudges▪ 5. 23.Lord and his Annoynted againſt the Mighty, and earneſtly contend for the maintenance of that Faith *Iude. 3.& Religion, which was once delivered to the Saints, and hath been ſealed with the blood of ſo many holy Martyrs, and tranſmitted downe to us from our worthy Progenitors, and whereof our gracious King is intituled the Defender, and hath in ſundry his royall Declarations and proclamations ſolemnely proteſted, that hee will never ſuffer the leaſt Innovation, and which alſo your Honors have bound your ſelves not only as Chriſtians in your Baptiſme, but as Counſellers and Stateſmen by Oath to mainteyne, not ſuffering any forraigne or other exorbitant and uſurped power to be exalted over this Land in any other Iuriſdiction Ecaleſiaſticall, then is by the Law annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme. To conclude, the Cauſe both of my petition and Appeale to his Majeſty, is this, That uſurpers and Innovators of Religion, and of the Lawes of the Land, being occaſionnally and juſtly charged by me in my ſermons (as heere your Honors may ſee) may be inquired on, & called to a ſtrict account. And the rather whē now they ſhew by their recrimination in the articles objected againſt me, how ready they are openly upon the ſtage to maintaine with an high hand thoſe their uſurpations & Innovatiōs; Which, as it cannot be without impiety, ſo much as once imagined, that his Majeſty would ever countenance, againſt ſo many ſolemne proteſtations to the contrary: So it cannot be without horror conceived, into what devouring gulfes they muſt needs precipitate this otherwiſe goodly State, if with Gods good help the King & State ioyntly and ſpeedily put not to their maine ſtrength to ſtay it. All the world ſeeth in what a diſtracted eſtate things doe ſtand, and what a cloude of divine diſpleaſure hanges over us, how ill wee thrive in our affaires how heavily the chariots are driven. And can we wonder but that God ſhould blaſt all our beauty and glory, if men of Beliall, of that lawleſſe one, be ſuffered to make …av…ke of Chriſts Kingdome, to deſtroy the true Religion and to ſet up againe Popiſh ſuperſtition and idolatry over the Land? Certainely, if ſuch be ſuffered to goe on thus, as they doe, God muſt needs deſtroy us. Therefore my honorable Lords, give me leave againe and againe to preſſe this upon your Honors, as a mayne ſervice which you owe both to God, to the King, to Religion, and ſo to your Poſterities, and to the whole State that your Honors will uſe your beſt meanes throughly to acquaint and poſſeſſe the King with this weighty buſineſſe; That upon the ſight thereof his wiſedome, directed by Gods ſpirit, may finde out a ſpeedy courſe for the removing of thoſe intollerable greivances under which his whole Kingdome groaneth, ready to ſinke, and to breath out its laſt. And what ever the preſent neceſſities be, this I am perſwaded of, that never could a fayrer opportunity be taken, if well followed, to vindicate his Maieſties honor, and to make him the moſt happy & glorious King in Chriſtendome, when cloſing with God and with his good people, hee ſhould at leaſt reduce into order the troublers of Iſrael. Now the Lord our God fill your heroical hearts with underſtanding, zeale and courage, that you may acquitte your ſelfes as good Chriſtians towards God, faithfull Counſellors to the King, and true Patrons of the true Religion, and ſo ſtrong pillars of the State, in this cauſe of God and of the King; That ſo after many honorable dayes heere, you may be crowned with eternall glory in the Kingdome of heaven, which is the prayer of
Your Honors humble Orator at the Throane of grace, Henry Burton.