An Apology of an Appeal, Title page – Letter
AN APOLOGY OF AN APPEALE.
ALSO AN EPISTLE TO THE TRVE-HEARTED NOBILITY.
By Henry Burton, Paſtor of St. Matthewes Friday-Street.
ACT. 25. 11.
No man may deliver mee unto them: I appeale unto CAESAR.
Printed, Anno Dom. 1636.
TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE.
MOST DEARE AND DREAD SOVERAIGNE,
When upon juſt grounds (as I humbly conceive, and am confident) I appealed from Parties and Adverſaries to your Sacred Majeſtie for iuſtice in ſo waighty a cauſe, as here is preſented before you: I thought long ere this to have had the happines, to have preſented both an humble Petition, and Apologie to my Appeale to your Maiestie, in mine owne perſon. But two cauſes eſpeciallie hindred mee: the one, Gods hand of viſitation in this Citty, which continuing ſo long and great, I durst not make my approch to the Court, and chiefly to Your Maieſties Sacred Perſon, leaſt I might give offence: the other (and which of the twaine is much more perillous to my ſelfe) the Purſuivants continuall watch about my dore, threatning to catch me, and make mee faſt, or run my Countrey (as he ſaith) ſo as I cannot paſſe in or out, without preſent danger. And I confeſse I have ſmall liſt to come into that Lions denne, Quia me veſtigia terrent: not that I am affraid of any ſuch terror, as not if conſcious to my ſelfe of any ſuch crime as they lay to my charge; but (as the Apoſtle ſaid in the like caſe) If I bee an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuſe not to dye: but if there be none of thoſe things whereof they accuſe me (as matter of ſedition) no man may deliver mee unto them: I appeale unto Ceſar. And bleſſed bee God, that I have ſuch a Chriſtian Ceſar to appeale unto. Neither yet have I neglected what poſsible, or probable meanes I could uſe in Court (being an old outcaſt Courtier, worne out of all favour and friends there) for the conveying of my ſaid Apologie to your Maieſtie but in vaine. So as being now out of all hope of acquainting your Maieſtie with ſo great a cauſe, by that way and meanes as I deſired: I am at length compelled to give forth copies, in hope at least, that ſome well minded man, or noble ſparke, may upon the ſight thereof (conſidering how neerely it concerneth the peace, ſafety, welfare, and honor of your Maieſtie, and Kingdome) bee inflamed witb ſo much zeale to your Maieſtie, as overcomming all cowardlie feares, to dare to doe you ſo much worthie ſervice, in bringing a Copie to your Maieſties hand, that ſo you may therein read the many and great diſaſters and dangers, where into this your Kingdome is in a precipitancie of being ingulfed, & accordingly in your Princely Prudence provide a timely remedy▪ before it be paſt hope. And the rather conceived I this way ſo the more neceſſarie, that comming haply into the hands of ſome of your Wiſe and Sage Counſellors, Davids friends, they might be a meanes not onelyonly to bring it to your hands, but the more to ingage your Maieſtie to the peruſall of it; conſidering how many would bee readie to eaſe your Maiestie of ſuch a commoditie: And now, my Gracious Soveraigne, as I have ever bent my chiefe Studies to your Maiestie the beſt and faithfullest ſervice I poſsibly could: ſo I am perſuaded I could not in all my life have had a fairer and fitter opportunitie to expreſſe my fidelitie to your Maiestie then now, in a caſe ſo important, as if your Maieſtie ſhall but take ſound notice of it, it may prove the happieſt ſervice, that ever a poore ſubiect could doe to his Prince and Countrey. Nor am I ignorant, how buſie many would be to divert your Maieſtie from the Conſideration of ſuch matters, as this; as if the great affaires of a Kingdome pertained not to the King, but that hee might take his pleaſure, and leave the care of his Kingdome to others. But my Lord the King is Wiſe, as an Angell of God, conſidering whoſe vicegerent hee is, and before whoſe awfull Tribunall he muſt give a ſtrict account, how he hath mannaged ſo waightie a charge of ſo many ſoules committed to his truſt. Againe, what cenſures may I expect of them, who cannot indure to have their deeds brought to the open light? They will be readie to charge me with Popularity, Faction, Sedition, and what not, and all for thus bringing their actions upon the open ſtage. But firſt, they will (I hope) excuſe me, when they ſhall reflect upon themſelves, and conſider in cold blood how they have provoked mee, by their calling mee forth upon the ſtage, and by their ſtrange moleſting, and proſecuting of me, as if I were a fellon, or a traitor: and ſecondly, for as much as they declare their deeds, as Sodome, and hide them not, and with a high hand maintaine them too, which is the higheſt pitch of all impiety: can they with any reaſon blame me, for divulging their practiſes, which they ſhame not to peſter your Kingdome, and oppreſſe your good people withall, who therefore have need publickly to be warned of them, leaſt they be ſeduced by them?
But not to detaine your Maiestie longer, bee pleaſed to read over this my Apologie of Appeale to your Maieſtie, that your Maiestie may both diſcerne the depth of the whole buſineſſe, and may be pleaſed thereupon to reſcue your old ſervant out of thoſe troubles, which hee ſuffereth for diſcharging a good conſcience towards God, and your Maiestie. Now the Lord give you underſtanding in all things.
Your Majeſties loyall ſubject, and faithfull ſervant Henry Burton.