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The same may be said of our Henry the eighth, King of England, who destroy'd the Monks and Friers, renouncing obedience to Rome; the Lord for this deed, granted his throne to be established to three of his generation, viz. King Edward, Queen Mary, and Q. Elizabeth. But, because he sought not the Lord with a perfect heart, nor did perform that work for Gods glory, but rather to satisfie his own lusts, about his incestuous marriage; and also still retained many Calves, Idolatrous worship, for the maintenance of his crown and state; therefore in the next generation, his name was put out, Psal. 109. 13. and Prov. 10. 7. Surely, if all our actions tend not to Gods glory, they misse of their right end, and so carry with them the guilt of sin, 1 Cor. 10. 31. even fasting, prayer, almesgiving, if done for vain-glory, is but hypocrisie, Mat. 6. 2. 5. 16. in Christs judgement, and much more are evill actions sinfull, which are directed to an evill end. Bloodshed, and theft, acted to maintain Pride and Idolatry, makes those sins of a deeper die then otherwise they would have been, and contempt of the Gospel, and despising the powerfull preaching of the Word for our own ends, increaseth the sin to a greater heighth; and yet alas, the disease is Epidemicall. I may justly complain, as sometimes Gildas did of his countrey-men, the [Britones propter avaritiam, & rapinam, principum propter iniquitatem, & injustitiam judicum, propter defidiam predicationis Episcoporum, propter luxuriam, & malos mores populi patriam perdidisse: Mr. Fox his Acts and Mon. vol. 1. pag. 98. printed 1610.] Brittons, that these [...]rs and plagues amongst us, are the punishments of our disobedience to Gods Laws, and of our great contempt of the Gospel; these are still maintained, by reason of covetousnesse and rapine of the Princes and Nobles, who by policy and cruelty, seek to uphold an Arbitrary power, to make Prerogative above Law, and by the iniquity and injustice of the Judges, both Civill and Ecclesiasticall, (who upheld Ship-money, and made many unjust and ungodly Cannons, contrary to law, out of flattery, feare, profit: who took bribes, allowed of usury, and exacted intolerable fees, committing symonie, in making Ministers, who oppressed the innocent, grownd the faces of the poor, orphants and widows, did all sorts of injustice in all Courts; but especially in the High Commission, [Vide Mr. Newcomens Sermon preached before the House of Commons, on Nov. 5. 1642. pag. 30.] Star-chamber, Court of honour, in the Chancery, Court of Wards, and generally in all Ecclesiasticall Consistories) by reason of the pride, covetousnesse and idlenesse of Bishops and Prelates, who neglected the sound and sincere preaching of the Word for saving souls, and minded these earthly things, whose bellies was their god, Phil. 3. 19. whose glory is now their shame, who sought themselves riches, honors, & not the things that be Jesus Christs, starving the flock committed to their charge, for want of preaching, and feeding them only with a few read prayers, and that too by their Curates, by means whereof, grew luxury, Ignorance, covetousnesse, and all sorts of sins in the people, which they quickly [Page 28] learned from the evill examples of the evill Governors, both in Church and State; which sins hath so besotted most mens hearts, and the custome therein so hardned them, that they care not for the Word, nor for the preaching thereof in power, no [...] will they be directed hereby, but generally they cared for worldly things in the first place, fixing their hearts on their wealth; and when either for feare or shame, they dared not but come on the Sabbath dayes to Church; then also they did but draw nigh to God with their mouthes, their hearts were far from him, Isai. 29. 13. It was seldome they had a Sermon, (once a moneth the Law, [Vide the 46. Can. made at London, 1603.] exacted no more;) and then too that work was done carelesly & negligently, or oratorically, and vaingloriously, which very little informed the understanding, by reason of the excesse of speaking in an unknown language, or in a strange dialect, with Rhetoricall phrases, and using many sentences of Fathers, very needlesse and unprofitable; and seldom, or very shortly applying the doctrine to the souls of the auditors, for reformation of their lives; Nay, men were grown to that prophanenesse, that they would take no paines, nor be at any cost, for the gaining of the knowledge of God, they would not go a furlong to heare a godly Preacher, nor meditate on the Word when they did hear, much lesse practise what was taught them; but like the Gadarens, they esteemed their Hogs, Luke 8. 37. [Gergeseni hi sunt homines, qui cum meliora norint, & approbant tamen lucri cupiditate commoda externa preferunt; malunt exulare ab illis Christum quam damna porcorum perpeti, malunt carere Christo, quam gratia principum & ventris voluptatibus, Aretius com. in Mat. 8.] before Christ and his doctrine; and like those in the Gospel, Luke 14. 18. make excuses, why they could not labour after knowledge, and come unto Christs Supper; one hath a Farm to look unto, he cannot tend to reade and meditate on the Word, and heare Sermons; another hath Oxen and Sheep to look unto, and Horses to dresse, he cannot instruct his family, nor pray daily with them, nor prepare for the Lords day, nor sanctifie the Sabbath; another hath married a wife, and he cannot come earely to Church to heare or pray: thus all have businesse in their heads to look to, pleasures in their hearts to be fulfilled, and lusts in their affections whereunto they are wedded, to be obeyed; few or none care for holinesse, and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, labouring to have the Word dwell richly in them, Col. 3. 16. But they trampled like Swine these precious pearles under feet, Matth. 7. 6. or else they heard it as Herod did, who liked some things, and did some things, so far as it agrees with their profits, honours, pleasures, Mar. 6. 20. [Tyrannus libenter audiebat in se sententiam ferri, sed semen cadebat in loca petrosa.] But let their beloved sins be touched, and they are ready upon a fit occasion, with him to casheer their Teacher, and if their honours, and pleasures stand in the way, care not, with Herod, though they strike off his head.
Download File Vado - Long Run Vol. 3.zip
Was not Offa, [Fox Acts and Monum. ut supra, pag. 101.] King of Mercia, so deeply plunged in sin and misery by the wicked counsell of Kemiswing his wife? that having secretly and cruelly murthered the good King Etheldred of the Westangles (who for his holinesse and godly vertues, is counted for a Saint, innocently coming to Offa, to marry with Althrid his daughter) after for shame and sorrow, he went to Rome, left his kingdome, and there made himself [...] Monk; and the aforesaid Queen (worker of this villany) lived not three moneths after, and in her death, [Fox Acts and Monum. vol. 1. printed 1610. pag. 117.] was so tormented, that she was fain to bite and rent her tongue in pieces with her own teeth: [Fox Acts and Monum. ut supra, pag. 101.] Red waldus also, King of the Eastangles, being converted in Kent, by his Idolatrous wife which he married, was perswaded to joyn Idolatry with Christianity, and so continued till his death, which was not long after.
Now this is contrary to the law of God, viz. Tolerating Idolatry, pardoning [Page 80] of Murder, Blasphemy, Sacriledge, Rebellion, and Treason in the highest degree, all scarlet crimson crying sins. Nor is yet in your Majesties power to performe it, viz. The allowing of Masse being said, and of Seminary Priests to abide in the Realme, both being contrary to the laws of this Kingdome, which punish such [Vide Stat. made in the 23. Eliz. cap. 1. pag. 27. called an act against Iesuits and Seminary Priests] persons and [The Acts made Jacobi tertio, called for the better discovery and repressing Popish Recusants, and divers other Acts against them.] actions with death. To the maintainance of which laws, yea, and observance, your Majesty is as well [Fox Acts and Mon. vol. 2. edit. 1641. pag. 879. 880. Bract. l. 1. c. 8. f. 5. & l. 3. c. 9. f. 107.] oblieged, as your subjects, nor is it in your power to alter [As appeares by common practise in all Kings reignes.] or repeale them, without the parliaments consent, who, with your Majesty, were the makers of them. But more particularly, you cannot grant peace or pardon to these monstrous persecutors, and inhumane bloud thirsty Rebels, (who are enemies to God and his truth, fighters against all good men) when you have already passed over your power by an Act [Vide the Act made this Parliament, for the speedy and effectuall reducing of the Rebels of Ireland to their due obedience to his Majesty and the Crowne of England.] of Parliament since this horrid Rebellion, unto your Parliament to punish them, and maintaine war against them; and have sealed an Act to many thousands of your loyall subjects [Vide the Statute before herein] who have disburst their monies for the Rebels lands long since, both which Acts are just and irrevocable, and not for any new promise or Oath to be altered or changed.
Surely you have not according to your pious Resolution concurred with the Parliament in any possible course for suppressing of Popery, but contrariwise have favoured, preserved and defended them; yea, armed them to fight against them: For, persons of the Popish Religion, have been principally imployed in your army, as your forces in the North, under the Earl [Vide the Declaration of the Parliament, in answer to his Majesties Declaration after his late victory the 23. of October, 1642.] of New castle; and the forces in Monmouthshire and Wales under the command of the Lord Herbert, Robert [Vide the booke, entituled The Converts Letter to his old friends.] Welch, and Richard Power, are knighted for their good service: in these wars against the Parliament, and the one had a Brigade of horse, the other was made Govenour of Barkley castle, Sir Arthur Ashton is made Governour of Oxon; and Mr. Gage his Assistant; the Marq. of Winchester keeps the Garrison of Basing, Sir John Winter hath great command in the Forrest of Dean, Captain Prater was Governour of Nunny castle; yea, all Papists are invited, and [Vide his Majesties Letter under his signet at Chester, 27. of September, in the 18. yeer of his raign, to the Papists of Lancashi [...]re.] commanded to take up arms, that cursed crue of the Irish are not excepted; but are invited and promised for the same [...] toleration in their Religion; [Vide the Earl of Glamorgans negotiation, his commission, and agreement with the rebells.] if they assist your Majesty accordingly, as appears by your own Letters, contrary to your former Declarations and execrations: For under hand you give power to [Your Majesties Letter to the Queen, March 5. 1645. in the packet of Letters taken at Na [...]by printed.] the Queen, to promise in your name (to whom [Page 93] she thinks most fit) that you will take away all the penall lawes against the Roman Catholikes in England, as soon as God shall enable you to do it; so that by their means, or in their favours, you may have so powerfull assistance, as may deserve so great a favour, and enable you to do it. Heres a promise of a toleration to the English Papists; and which is most strange, the same favour is profered to those blood-thirty Irish: So your Letter to the Marquesse of Ormond, the 27 of Febr. 1645. If the suspension of Poynings act, for such Bills as shall be agreed upon between you there, and the present taking away of the penall lawes against Papists by a law will do it; I shall not think it a hard bargain, so that freely and vigorously they ingage themselves in my assistance: and again, in your Letter to him, Decemb. 15. I do hereby promise them, and command you to see it done, that the penall statutes against Romish Catholiques, shall not be put in execution, the peace being made, and they remaining in their due obedience; and further, that when the Irish gives me that assistance which they have promised, for the suppression of this rebellion, and I shall be restored to my right, then I will consent to the repeal of them by law. My Lord, O King, I beseech you consider, how basely these counsellors have betrayed your honour, these protestations and croscentred actions defiled your conscience, blinded your understanding, and hebitated your memory, [Your Majesties Declaration, Octob. 27. after the battell at Edgehil.] For once you said, you should never forget your severall oaths in your severall Declarations: You presumed then you were too much a Christian, to believe you could break those promises, and avoid the justice of heaven: [and in the form of prayer, set forth by your speciall command before the treaty at Ʋxbridge, there was this clause, And if any shall be averse from peace, O thou that art the wonderfull Counsellor, turn their wisdome into foolishnesse, confound their practices, and let their mischief return on their own heads.] And surely, you may find it by experience, his justice hath not since been hid, witnesse Nazeby, and Lamport fights, the taking of Bridgewater, Pomfret castle, Scarborough, Chester, Belvoire, the overthow of the Western army and L. Ashleys, Carlile, Bath, Sherborne, Bristol, Barkley castle, the Devize, Lacock-house, Cardiffe castle, Winchester, Basing-house; you see the blessing from God, and obedience from your subjects, is answerable to the faithfull observance, of what before you protested and swore, viz. to suppresse Popery, and concur with your Parliament therein, and not to grant any toleration to Papists, or suspension of the lawes of the kingdome against them. O therefore, sith the Lord hath stricken you be you grieved, fith he hath consumed your army, refuse not to receive correction, and harden not your heart any longer, refusing to return to God for mercy, and to your Parliament for peace and unity; lest you become like Jerem. 5. 3. the obdurate Jewes, who the more they were punisht the more and more they did revolt, [...]ill the Isai. 1. 5. whole head be sick, and heart faint, and then there be no remedy. 041b061a72