The Nature and Use of Things Indifferent, Dedication 2 – Part
TO THE RIGHT HONORAble the Lords Spirituall and Temporall, the Knights, Citizens and Burgeſſes of the high Court of Parliament.
IT is a remarkeable ſpeech, Right Honorable, that was often vſed by a reuerend and iudicious Prelate of our Church, Doctor Aylmer of happie memorie, ſometimes Lord Biſhop of London, whom for honor ſake I nominate, a man both for wiſedome and learning not inferiour vntounto any in his time; that two ſorts of men troubled the peace of our Church, Papiſts and Apists: both which, as much as in them lieth, labour to diſioynt the frame of Eccleſiaſticall Policie, and to ouerthrow the whole building, that ſo happilie was ſetled by our Fathers, and bequeathed vntounto vsus. The one ſort aſſault our bulwarkes on the left hand; and the other on the right. The one, hating to be reformed, endeuour by all vile and exorbitant meanes to reenter, from whence they hauehave bin diſſeiſed, and to retaine ſtill their Idolatrie; the other, imitating forreine Noueltie, vponupon extremity of hatred towards the Church of Rome, doe ſtriue to be as vnlike like the Papacie as is poſſible, diſdaining euen the Apoſtolicall practiſe and diſcipline of the Primitiue Church, leſt they ſhould ſeeme in any thing to be imitators of them, whom they ſo much abhorred. The one loſing their gamme by ſhort-ſhooting; and the other by ouer-ſhooting. Finally, the one being the very plague and bane, and the other the diſgrace and ſhame of Reformation.
Incredible hauehave bin the practiſes of both ſorts, for the aduantaging and aduancing either of them their owne part. The former, like a cruell Tygre, or ſauage Beare, hauehave not ceaſed from continuall plotting of bloodie deſignements, to accompliſh their miſchieuous intendment: and the later, like a wily Foxe, creeping into the boſome of their fauourers, vnderunder pretenſe of farther reformation, hauehave laboured to raiſe iealouſie and ſuſpition againſt the Kings ſacred Maieſtie, and the reuerend Gouernours of our Church, wherby, ſetting all States by the eares, they might the more eaſily bring in their deformed Diſcipline, and anarchicall ataxie. But the more the waues and billowes beate againſt the rock, the more are they broken, and turne into a vaine foame or froath, and yet the rocke neuer the weaker: ſo the more the malice of our Aduerſaries, on both ſides, rageth againſt vsus, our rocke is impregnable, hurt themſelues they may, but cannot harme vsus.
To ſpeake no more in this place of the former ſort, againſt the trayterous and rebellious furie of whom, your Honors hauehave giuen the Church of God good hope of reſt, by the iuſt lawes that were enacted againſt them, at your laſt Seſſion of Parliament, to the perpetuall eternizing of your worthie names among al poſteritie. I am now enforced once againe, euen before the barre of your moſt iudicious Court, to maintaine the iuſt and holy quarrel of our Mother-Church, againſt the reſtleſſe malice, and importunate cauils of her owne ſuperſtitious and turbulent Children, our factious Brethren.
It may pleaſe your graue Wiſdomes therefore to call to mind, that at the laſt Seſſion, there was a Supplicatorie Pamphlet directed vntounto your H H. by the Apiſts, (that I may ſo tearme them with that worthy Biſhop) of the conciſion, to prouoke you, either to become Suiters and Suppliants vntounto his excellent Maieſtie in behalfe of their Cauſe, or elſe to determine of it your ſelues: wherein alſo the Auctor (preſuming belike he could neuer be diſcouered, being a Cimmerian brood) both vndutifully, and vntruly accuſed the Chriſtian Magiſtrates, and the reuerend Prelats of our Church, of rigorous and cruel dealing, and ſo mainely cried out, as if the Goſpell of Chriſt Ieſus were baniſhed out of this kingdome, Gods worſhip prophanely adulterated, and our whole Miniſterie ſtrangely corrupted, to the eternal deſtructiō of many thouſand ſoules. Againſt which libell containing ſo manifeſt ſycophancie and palpable vntruths, I hauehave oppoſed an equall (I hope) and iuſt Conſideration, dedicated in like manner euen vntounto your moſt wiſe and graue Aſſemblie. But behold, as there is nothing ſo ſincerely ſpoken, but ſome cauilling witte or other, will be ready to carpe at: ſo hath there ſtept vp another bird of the ſame Cimmerian neſt (as he would ſeeme to be) an abettor and auoucher of that moſt ſlanderous libel, who hath vndertaken the Defence thereof againſt the Conſideration; hauing indeed worſe prouided for the credit of their cauſe, thē his Auctor had done before him, by how much he is the more intemperate and immodeſt, not ſparing any man whom he conceiueth not to be of his owne priuate ſtraine and ſpirit, throughout the whole courſe of his Defence, producing eueryevery man at his pleaſure, vponupon the theatre of enuious diffammation, notwithſtanding he would ſeeme to appeare vnderunder the cloake and title of a Milde and iuſt Defender; yet he neuer ceaſeth, traducing the right hand of holy Iuſtice, armed of GOD with a puniſhing power againſt all euill doers, and namely againſt ſchiſmaticall procurers, and factious frequenters of priuate conuenticles and vnlawfull aſſemblies: and complaining of great extremities with tragicall ſpeeches, as if the like rigour had neuer been heard of in the world that they ſuffer, only (as he ſaith) for their conſcience ſake forſooth, which cannot conforme it ſelfe vntounto the auncient Diſcipline, and approued Ceremonies of our Church: Both in the Epistle Dedicatorie of the Milde Defence and alſo pag 30.40, 58. &c.yea, and malepertly ſlandering the Chriſtian Aſſemblie of Parliament, to be a partie with them, to fauour their factious ſchiſme, and to hauehave intermedled and dealt for them alreadie, therby laying himſelfe open to the iuſt reproofe and condemnation of all Readers. For what Engliſh man will not now condemne both theſe Sycophants, for falſe witneſſes againſt the Church of God, the Chriſtian Magiſtrates, and all the noble States of this kingdome, when they ſhal reade or heare them in ſo many things, to be ſo fouly diffamed, contrarie to the knowledge of all the land.
Againſt this infamous rhapſodie therfore, I hauehave once againe preſumed by your Honourable leaue and fauour to ſtand in the gap, and penned this inſuing Reioynder, not in mine owne defence, for I freely forgiue them, and winke at all ſuch indignities and diſgraces as are offered me in particular; but leſt I ſhould ſeeme to forſake ſo holie and iuſt a quarrell, in maintaining, to my weake abilitie, the Glorie of GOD, in the neceſſarie defence of his Church and the honour of our reuerend Biſhops in their moſt lawfull, equall and moderate proceedings, againſt the ſchiſmaticall diſturbers both of Church and Common-wealth. All which I willingly ſubmit vntounto the iudicious cenſure, as of all indifferent Readers in generall, ſo of your HH. in particular, who, I hope, will be ſatisfied better with that which may bee rather ſure for defence, than faire for ſhew; both for the graue Wiſedome GOD hath endued you with, and for the accuſtomed fauour you are wont to ſhew, to all ſuch as to their power doe endeuour faithfully to ſerue the Lord.
And now becauſe it lieth in your power, to ſtay theſe falſe and ſlanderous exclamations, and to put a finall end to all quarrels amongſt Brethren, by enacting ſome iuſt and ſtraight LAVV, for puniſhing the wilfull and obſtinate Superſtition of the factious Schiſmatique, as your Honours hauehave alreadie worthily done againſt the idolatrous Recuſant: may it pleaſe your Wiſedomes to conſider that the benefit thereof, through the bleſſing of God, muſt needes be ineſtimable, both to the preſent ſtate of the Church, in compoſing our home-Controuerſies, and recouering thoſe our poore Brethren, who now (alas!) are enſtranged and alienated from vsus, that there may bee but one flocke and one folde, as there is but one Shepheard Chriſt IESVS: and alſo to all poſteritie, who hauing the holy Doctrine and Sacraments of Chriſt vniformely taught, and deliuered according to the truth of the Goſpell, as an ineſtimable treaſure, left and committed vntounto their truſt, to be deliuered ouer from age to age to the end of the world, ſhould hauehave infinite cauſe to glorifie and praiſe God, for ſo vnſpeakeable a benefit, and reuerently to keepe with all honour the famous names of their ſo Chriſtian and noble progenitors and predeceſſors in euerlaſting memorie.
Which ſo honourable an ACT, for the ſeruice of GOD and infinite commoditie of the Church, though I bee not worthie vponupon my knees to make any ſuch motion vntounto your Wiſedomes yet apprehending the benefit thereof to be ſuch as I hauehave declared, with your gracious fauours, as kneeling before the barre of your moſt noble Court, in all humilitie and reuerence, I moſt humbly beſeech your Honours for the zeale you beare to God and to his onelyonly Sonne Chriſt Ieſus; for the louelove you hauehave to the faith and doctrine of the Goſpell; for the pitie you muſt needs hauehave to behold the contentions and ruptures of our Church; and finally for the happie example and direction, not only of your own noble children, and childrens children, but of all the poſteritie of Chriſtendome, to whom the knowledge hereof may happely come; that it would pleaſe your Wiſedomes to be the Honourable meanes vnderunder his excellent Maieſtie, who (I know) cannot but Royally aſſent to what you ſhall decree herein, to vndertake ſo Chriſtian and famous an enterpriſe, and to ſee ſo worthy an ACT performed, to the great Glorie of almightie GOD, and the perpetuall ſettlement and quietnes of our moſt flouriſhing Church and kingdome. Which worke of immortall fame to all poſteritie, if your Honours ſhall effect, the Church of God ſhall pray for you and bleſſe you, and the Lord IESVS ſhall abundantly reward you for it. Thus, leauing this moſt humble Suite, not of one, though offered by my vnworthie hand, nor of a few, but of the whole CHVRCH of Chriſt vntounto your Honors godly Wiſedomes, and the ſame vntounto the happie direction of Gods holy Spirit; I come now to ioyne with my Antagoniſt.
A REIOYNDER VNTOUNTO THE MILD DEFENCE, Justifying the Conſideration of the ſilenced Miniſters Suplication to the Parliament.
THe maine Propoſition of this Defence, The Defenders Propoſition.tendeth to the vindicating and clearing of the Arguments of the ſilenced Miniſters, in their Supplication vntounto the high Court of Parliament, againſt the iuſt exceptions taken againſt them in the Conſideration thereof. But how wel the Defender quitteth himſelf, and iuſtifieth his Cauſe againſt all exceptions, ſhall (God willing) be manifeſt in the ſequele.
The Title of the Supplication.
Certaine Arguments to prouoke the preſent high Court of Parliament to zeale, for the Miniſters now ſilenced.Supplication.
ANSVVERE.
The exception here generally taken in the Cōſideration, was that all theſe XIIX. Reaſons vrged by the Suppliants, were
Common Arguments (excepting one or two) Anſwere.and might be vrged for Poperie, That the Suppliants Arguments are Common Arguments.or for any other Hereſie whatſoeuer, which the learned know to be an intolerable fault in a Scholler, and were a ſufficient anſwere vntounto them all, &c.
The Defender replieth, that they are not Common Arguments: Replie.Are Popiſh, or other hereticall Priests (ſaith he) Ministers of Christ, in grace and fauour with him? Do the Angels ſo long after and reioyce in their Ministerie, as in ours? Do they as truly interprete the mysteries of God to eternall life, as Ioſeph interpreted dreames for this life? The like may be ſaid of the other Arguments.
But the queſtion is not, Reioynder.what either theſe, or they of the Defenders faction, are indeed: but what eueryevery one of them eſteemeth and taketh himſelfe to be. There is not one of theſe named by the Defender, but will affirme, that he is the Minister of Christ, in grace and fauour with him, that the Angels long after, and reioyce in their Ministerie, that they truly interprete the mysteries of God to eternall life, and ſo of the reſt, as bodlly and as confidently, as any of the Refractarie Miniſters will. Wherefore, if all theſe will infill in, and produce the very ſame Arguments, for confirmation of their hereſie, and to procure grace and fauor vntounto their partie, as well as the Suppliants do: how is it, that they may not be termed, Common Arguments?
The Defenders fallacie in his impertinent inſtances, is foreign; for he changeth the ſtate of the Queſtion. Wherefore the Defenders Epiphoneme, which heere he hath vauntingly and triumphantly inſerted, may be returned into his owne boſome; This beginning ſheweth, what we are to looke for in the rest of the Defence.