The Church-lurcher unkennelled, or, The true stating of the case betwixt sequestred ministers and those that dispossessed them

The Church-lurcher unkennelled, or, The true stating of the case betwixt sequestred ministers and those that dispossessed them

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Title page

THE Church-Lurcher Unkennelled.

POST SCRIPT.

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THE Church-Lurcher Unkennelled.

WHere men are confident, that, through the partiallity or prejudice of the Hearers or Readers, their Adversaries are condemned already; they study not so much how to argue, as to reproach; nor how to prove a guilt, as how to aggravate a guilt presumed. Such hath been the fair dealing we Sufferers have had from our Oppressors in these late days. The question never being put, Whether according to the Rule of the Scripture we were capacitated for the Ministery? or according to the Rule of the Law of the Land rightly invested in our Livings?

But they thought it enough to run us down with a full cry' that we were Baalls Pri [...]sts, Ceremony-mongers, Popishly-affected, Malignants, Formalists, &c. and to exalt themselves for the only Soul-saving sin-swinging, Church-reforming, Ordinances purifying Ministers, &c.

[Page]But (we hope) it is not an affected and ill-joynted Cant, that will charm those just & rightful Judges, before whom our Cause is now depending; And to them: and all the world in the name of our selves and our suffering Brethren, we are confident to offer these things;

First, That if any of us, who were ejected, were ever proved either Ignorant, Scandalous, or Superstitious, we are contented to be again turned out of our Livings, the very next day, after the Law hath re-settled us therein.

Only this we hope, that we shall not be judged (as of late we were) by Taylors and Shoe-makers, Joyners and Pewterers, or (which is worse) Anabaptists, Socinians, Quakers, Athiests, King-killers, with two or three dull Temporizers, shuffled in for Assistants; nor that we shall have our using the Lords Prayer, or kneeling at our prayers or being uncovered at the worship of God, to go for Superstition; or our Loyalty to our Sovereign, and Obedience to lawful Constitutions, both Ecclesiastical and Civil to be reckoned for scandal.

Let th [...]se judge us, that by the Rule of the Scriptures, and the Law of the Land are to judge us, and let them judge us by those two [...]ules, and we are contented to stand, or fall, as such a Judgment shall conclude of us. We are most of us as ready to confess, as our Adversaries are to charge it, that there were many who deserved censure.

But that it was not their demerits and guilt, (but either the value of their Benefices, or the considerableness of their Parts and reputation) that laid most of us under the censure of the usurped Powers, we could easily evince, if the world had not already, the proof of it so clear, that they have brought it to a Proverb, Such a mans Living o [...] his Learning made him a Malignant. And if our Adversaries will call for further proof, they must pardon us, if we come to names, in telling the Story, that when one of their own gang in the University begged That his Tutor might not be ejected, pleading, that he was a very honest, godly and learned man▪ some replyed, Oh! but your Tutor, being not for our cause he must be the rather ejected; for such a one will do our Cause more harm, then if he were either Ignorant, or Scanddalous. And it is no hard matter, to gather up a Jury of such [Page] abominable transactions, that will evidence, the designe not to have been for real reformation, but the setting up of their own faction.

Secondly, This we offer to prove (every man of us) against his own Church Pyrate, that he is, or hath been ignorant, or scandalous, or in default of our proof, wee'l discharge them, for all the profits of our livings, and places, except the fifth [...]; And that they may see we can make good this offer in a great measure, let them but call for one, that ran through sequestered Living after Living, and in one dropt a Son, in another a Son in Law, in a third a Kinsman, and we can tell how to spell his name.

Let them inquire for another that had Preached against self (till as the Mayor of the Town told him) he had preached self into above a 1000l. per annum—and we suppose we shall be able easily to answer the question: Or if they send hue and cry after Convict Drunkards, Extortioners, Revilers, Suborners of their very Fathers to forswear themselves, or those who promoted the first Petition to bring the King to his Tryall and Condemnation; and men of the like brand▪ we are sure we can name some such possest at present (or very lately) of some of our livings.

But we confess the very writing of these Blanks is that which we could hardly have brought our selves to, had we not seen it necessary to stop the mouths of our Slanderers by just recriminations; Not that we accuse all: For here we f [...]eely profess to believe (and we are sure we can have the suffrages of multitudes of our suffering Brethren in this matter,) that many who have entred upon living that were vac [...]nted by sequestration, yet were men very learned, truly Godly, Charitable, Humble, and Just and eminently labourious in the work of their Ministery, and took up the places they entred on, for the works sake, not for the wages.

And we our selves know many of them so well qualified, that we could readily have set down under their Ministry, and Communicated in all Ordinances with them, during the violent suspension of our selves from the exercise of our Ministry.

But we deny again, this last Character to be due to any, who contrived aud promoted the ejecting of a Minister, and entred [Page] (Ahab like) on condemned Naboths Vineyard, or that hath den [...]ed the payment of the fifth part, or a greater proportion of the profits to the sequestred Minister, as equity might require, or that resolves to sit fast to his possession of a sequestred Living, till the Leavor of the Law shall heave him out. Such we are sure are justly stigmatized with injustice, and uncharitableness, and we can name not a few of such.

But w [...] abhor to imitate the practice of our Adversaries, in setting abroad their black Centurys, wherein they gratified not only the Devil but the Pope also; Nay, will not themselves now grant, that their Sc [...]ibe was designed to d [...] a cour [...]esie for the Pope, (under a Presbyterian Vizor,) [...]n throw [...]ng dirt on that Ministery of England, who had by their Pens and preaching, so long maintained the b [...]each against his Emissaries; Will not they grant this, (I say) when they shall hear it confirmed, That he with others of the fraternity is fled, to hide himself from Justice under the elbow of a Cardinal?

In short then, the question about our re-investing with our Rights, is not, Whether clear Lights shall be put out, and dark Lanthorns set up? (We are troubled to hear, That such an envious comparison should be fathered on so reverend and worthy a person as Mr. Baxter).

We appeal to him and others Learned and godly of the Presbyterian Brethren, Whether they do not know many sequestred Ministers no less learned and godly then their Ejectors? Nay, let them say, if they do not know where Learned and godly men have been put out, and boys, and self-seeking Temporizers have been put in.

But this is the Question, Whether those Lights which the Law of the Land set up in the Candlesticks, or those Williams-with thewispe, that violence and usurpation conjured up, have the best claim to the Candlesticks?

The Question is not, Whether or no an hopeful Reformation shall be made blank and voided? But, Whether Oppression shall prevail under the name of Reformation? For many of us can profess in the presence of God, That our prayers to him and our endeavours with men, have been frequent and sincere, to this effect; [Page] That the Nation might be reformed from ignorance and prophaness, and Sectarianisme, and be made a Body of intelligent, serious and united Christians. And if any amongst us strive to hinder that work, wee'l joyn in reading from Mount Ebal that curse against such Let the great Master lay them aside as vessess, in which he hath no pleasure.

Here therefore we adjure our Brethren (who own the knowledge and conscience of what is just and equal; not to labour further by clamour, and importunity, and false imputations to hinder his Sacred Majesty, and this his happy Parliament, from hearkening to our just Suits, and the cryes of our impoverished Wives and Children, and the groans and desires of our scattered slocks, whose eyes & hearts are generally toward us their lawful Pastours.

Our Desires are not to obstruct the way of any that have been in our Livings, (if deserving men) from such preferments, or imployments as they may lawfully pursue.

And we confess, there are many of them of such eminency, for Parts, and Piety, & Moderation, that they are much likelyer to be exalted to the highest Spheres in the Church, then most of us a [...]; And we see it (and rejoyce in it, blessing God from the bottome of our hearts for so prudent and pious a Prince) that his Majesties favours lye in common for Brethren both of the Presbyterian and Episcopal Judgment.

But this we ask (not only for our own sakes, but that the Ministry be not blamed, and that a stumbled block may not be laid in the way of worldlings, (who plead Ministers leaping upon other mens thresholds) to the hardening of themselves, and that the mouths of our common Adversarys may be stopped) give us up our Rights, shew that you did but take the charge of the slocks, till the rightful Shepherds were again free to look to them, and stop the further progress of that jealousie, that is already entred into the heads of some (both your and our betters:) That the Presbyterian Ministers manifest such discontents, and spirit their prayers and preaching with the former pretences of fears and jealousies, not because of their distances from the Episcopal in point of Church Order, but for fear they should (by Law) be compelled to forgoe the sweet Morsels of sequestred Living.

We are sure many of you abhor from any thing that may give rise to this Suspiicion, and for those that do otherwise, the Lord will judge them.

§

§

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Church-Lur [...] UNKENNELLED Or, the true Stating of the CASE BETWIXT Sequestred Ministers, AND Those that dispossessed them▪

Proverbs 14. 34.

Righteousness [...] Nation, [...] injus [...] is [...] reproach to any People.

Prov. 18. 17.

He that is first in his [...] C [...]se s [...]th just, b [...] [...] Neig [...] cometh and s [...] [...] ▪

LONDON, Printed [...] 16 [...]

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VVHereas the late Saturday Petition of some in sequest [...]ed Livings to the Parliament, hath suggested their sufferings for his Majesty at Worcester and in the Loyal attempts of Sir George Booth, and request [That in the general [...]oy of the King [...]om, they may n [...] be sa [...]ed, by being left to be procee [...]ed against by a course of Law], We hereafter to make it goo [...] that for one whom the [...] can produce who suffered for his Majesty, there were twenty of them in sequest [...]ed Livings, who sent horse and men to Cromwell at Worcester, and to Lambert in Cheshire: Nay amongst those that subscribed that Petition (may we but know their Names) we question not but to find many offenders of that foot mark: And it is evident enough both to his Majesty [...]nd the Parliament, that they are the men, who by their preaching at present have conjured up the old Devil of fea [...]s and Jealousies, and would chuse rather to imbroil us again in a Civil War, than part with their-not-their Livings.

And we wonder they can plead fo pitty to themselves, who would know no pitty to their poor Brethren. We can instance where some of them have run down two, or three, or four Ministers into beggary, by procuring one sequestred Living, and passing from that to another of better value, and so onwards, reckoning no more of undoing their ejected Brethren and their Familys, then Boys would do to pluck down Birds-nests one after another: and some of them have caused us to be sequestred and ejected without Summons, and all we had to be ceased on, (even to our Boo [...], and wearing Apparrel, much of which they bought of [...]ators at a low and inconsiderable value; and have to this day refused to relieve our Families with one penny of fifths.

And we no less wonder, that they are not ashamed to own, that they have been so far from being a Law to themselves, that they are afraid to stand to the Judgment of the Law of the Land.

But we hope our just and noble Patriots, will not lay before their [...]osterity the stumbling-block of such an evil example▪ That men should be continued in what they had unjustly gotten, le [...]st they should be sadned, when all others (who have walked according to Rule) are rejoyced that Justice (as well as our King) is [...] from exile.

FINIS.

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Title statement

The Church-lurcher unkennelled, or, The true stating of the case betwixt sequestred ministers and those that dispossessed them

Edition statement

1666

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

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2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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A32916

ID [STC]

Wing C3996

ID [STC]

ESTC R23705

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

07880402

ID [OCLC]

ocm 07880402

ID [VID]

40253

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A32916)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 40253)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1202:4)

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— The Church-lurcher unkennelled, or, The true stating of the case betwixt sequestred ministers and those that dispossessed them,

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6 p.

Printed for the aut[h]or,. London :: 1666.. (Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York.)

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