A LETTER OF Friendly Admonition TO A DIVINE of the SYNOD, Upon occasion of a Sermon preached by him, Octob. 18. 1647. TOGETHER, With certaine Quaeres presented to the SYNOD: Where­in the maine Objections against the Common-Prayer set forth in the Preface to the late Directory are examined; Together, with other Acts that have been done against the suffering party of this KINGDOME. And the Answer of the Synod desired thereunto. By a hearty wel-wisher to Truth & Peace, T.W.

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Si ego, quis ego, si non ego, quis?

Printed in the Yeare, MDCXLVII.

An Advertisement to the Reader.

Honest Reader,

PRincipium bene agendi est b [...]ne sape, & proaemium be­ne sapiendi est bene dubitare; The beginning of well doing is to know well, and the preface of well knowing is to doubt well. Had this been the pre­face, or that the principle of those with whom I have to do in this Treatise, for the leading on and rectifying of those Acts which they have done, in order, or rather in disorder to the Church. I should not have needed to have troubled them or thee with so many doubts or Quaeries as are here presented to thy view, but their over-hasty resolutions have brought forth these questions. Had they sincerely and impartially examined their designes before hand, wee had beene saved the labour of this after examination of their performance; some may per­haps count me with the Proverb, That a fool may ask more que­stions than many a wise man can answer▪ & others may charge me with over-much arrogancy and boldnesse, To take upon me the examination of the acts of a whole Synod, consisting of so many learned Divines; others may blot me and this book with the imputation of impertinency in seeming to require answers of them for those things which are the Issues of another wombe, the sharpe effects of the influence of another Con­stellation. And perhaps there will not be some wanting that will challenge me of lesse clearnesse, and of as little ingenuity in my proceeding in that I have not set up the particular markes that I have shot at, before every shaft that I have let go, that is to say, That I have not set downe the particular passages of the Directory against every Quaere which is passed upon them. And indeed it is but reason, that I who am so forward to re­quire satisfaction of others, should not be backward in giving [Page] satisfaction to others that may require it of me: mine answer therefore to them that shall examine me, or that shall make any of the aforesaid objections against me, is this:

To the first, That it is too true, That it is very easie for wise­dome to be pozed and puzzled by folly. The many unnecessary, fruitlesse, unsober and pernitious questions of this age, that is sicke of an inquisition, do too plainly and evidently convince it. But yet though curiosity hath the stamp both of malevolency and folly upon it, yet it may be remembred, that as wise men are bound in reason to cleare and justifie those acts which they do of publique concernment: so it may bee the part of honest and sober men to desire it of them, especially where many consciences are engaged upon the inquest, and that under the penalty of an eternall mulct, and where the Authority whereby things are done is within a little as doubtfull, as the reason of their doing being done.

It may well be I confesse, that that Painter spoiled his pi­cture that mended it, or rather altered it according to the excep­tions of every fancy that would finde fault with it; an errour that some are too guilty of in these dayes, in the too easie change of frames and draughts of a farre greater moment than the painters workemanship, and an eye endued but with natu­rall and ordinary skill may easily perceive what a comely defor­mity is left us. If the people must alwayes bee heard in such matters, I meane in matters of Church and State government; they will never likely have done their quarrels, untill they have quarrelled or agitated all into confusion; since as Judicious Mr. Hooker hath well observed, and we finde by lamentable experi­ence at this day: There is scarce any thing more easie than to perswade a people that they are not well governed; no yoke can be so fit or easie to their necks, but those untamed Calves or Bullocks will be ready enough to shake it off, and plead for licentiousnes under the name of liberty; hence it is that affecta­tion of novelty is such an epidemical disease amongst them, and not more universall than turbulent and pernicious; which made the Thurian's lawgiver provide that severe Antidot against it, by making a law that whoever would go about either to abolish any one of the old lawes, or attempt to establish a new, should present himselfe before the people with a rope about [Page] his neck: to the end, that if his invention were not approved of all men he should presently be strangled, and so hee should tast first of the poyson that himselfe had mingled: That it might not be safe for any man to propose that which should be dangerous to the whole body. A law that never was more needfull than to our people, and in these dayes; and I thinke we may well wish it had been the first Act of this present Par­liament; it might no doubt have saved a great many lives, and prevented a multitude of mischiefes. A great Moralist maketh it a great doubt, whether any so evident profit may be found in the change of a received Law of what nature whatsoever, as there is hurt in the removing of the same, for so much, as a well setled policy may be compared to a frame or building of divers parts joyned together with such a ligament as it is impossible to stirre or displace one, but the whole body must needs be shaken or shew a feeling in it. The doubt I conceive to be a little too gene­rall, but yet the reason that hee giveth hath proved too true in our present condition. And the old rusty sword of justice at Marseille, that the same Authour tells us of, was a good em­blmee to signifie, the great caution that should bee used in ad­mitting of novelty in publique administrations.

But yet though the danger of novelty doth forbid the Peo­ple to be admitted for tamperers with the setled constitutions of a Kingdome, since the selfish nature of men is such, that for the most part every one (as we see) would have his private af­fections and designes be the onely gages of publique rules, and the profit of one man is observed to be the dammage of ano­ther; yet when the perillous businesse of changing old or making new Lawes is set on foot, it is not inexpedient that all mens objections may be heard against them before they be throughly established; and therefore it were not a misle that as some Colleges use to deale in the admission of their members, making them probationers for a certaine time before they be finally ad­mitted into the number; so those new Lawes that are brought in might be probationers too amongst us for a convenient time, in which time it might be free for all men to make their ex­ceptions against them in a faire and peaceable manner. The banes of them should be first as it were publiquely asked as we [Page] use to do in marria [...]es, and liberty allowed to every man to shew cause if he knowes any why they ought not to bee contracted with the Common-Wealth; and when they are once so setled, for ever after the people should bee bound to hold their peace, unlesse it be in such case where some cleare and manifest oppo­sition is discovered betweene the Law of God and the recei­ved constitutions: In which case also there is great moderati­on to be used, and nothing to bee extorted by force or tumult, nor is it often found that the people are fit Judges in such things.

But this may serve I hope to excuse me from the over-severe censure either of folly or malignity, in that now I have indea­voured so far to serve the good of the Church & State; as now in this time of attempted change, and whilest those new Lawes that are brought in are yet upon their probation▪ being not yet established by a full authority (which cannot be done with pre­termission of, or contradiction of the supreme magistrate) yea, whilest the Lawes are yet in force whereby the old customes are ordained (unlesse we will admit that the acts of a lesse and more imperfect power may abolish the acts of that which is more full and perfect, or that a Body without a Head hath more faculty and perfection than a Body and Head together) I hope I say I may be excused from the aforesaid censures, if now I have discharged so much faithfulnesse to the Church and State, and particularly to my Prince and the suffering party, as to offer my objections against those things that are attempted in a faire way to the publique view, and especially unto their consideration who have taken upon them the mannage of the businesse.

And this may serve in part too, for an answer unto the second objection that may be made against me in point of Arrogancy, in undertaking the examination of the Acts of a whole Synod. I shall acknowledge the parts and gifts that are amongst them to be farre more eminent than any I can pretend unto I contend not with them in these things, but I hope to be found as faithfull as they, and thinke I have altogether as much Au­thority to desire a resolution from them of those doubts that conscience may make against, that they have done, as they hav [...] (being not designed by the supreme power, or the Church [Page] thereunto) to make constitutions wherein mens Conscience are not satisfied. God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise, the weaker things of the World to confound the things that are mighty, the base things of the World and things that are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to nought things that are; that flesh should glory in his presence. I desire not to make odious comparisons for them, nor ambitious or arrogant ones for my selfe, not to quench but revive the flames of Christian love be­twixt us. But yet it is possible they may be in an errour; and then Micaiah was no presumptuous Prophet to oppose 400 Prophets that had mistaken their message; and I could tell my censurers that the Arrian Councells, and the Councell of Trent too might have had a more free and uninterrupted pas­sage through the World perhaps, if they had been secured from the examination and opposition from particular men. And we know the Apostle hath laid a command upon us to try the spi­rits; however we may reverence their guifts, and wish the Church the benefit of them in the right employment; yet wee dare not ascribe so much Divinity unto them, as to take all things upon trust that they shall impose upon us, or receive eve­ry Mettall of their Coinage for pure Gold, without bringing it unto the [...]est, lest in so exalting them wee should debase the most high; and whilest we afford such reverence unto them, we should forget to pay that reverence which is due from us, unto the Church of England, and those Constitutions which have beene established by other former Synods at least as Au­thenticall as they.

If all this will not justifie me form a blot of insolency, I must beare it for ought I know, onely to make them the more inclinable to lenity in their censure of it: give me leave to say, that if I cannot bee freed from the guilt of insolency, in taking upon me to examine the Acts of a whole Synod (as they are stiled) I cannot see how it will gaine them the Glory of modesty to take upon them not onely to examine but to a­bolish the Acts of the Church of England, confirmed by the Lawes of the supreme civill power, and by the Constitutions of the Ecclesiasticall State of this Nation, unlesse they had a better calling to do it than we know of.

[Page]To the third quarrell of impertinency that may be entred a­against me in desiring an answer from them for the actions of others. I answer briefely, That the highest capacity that I can look upon them in, in that Body where they are assembled, is as they are chosen by those others for the direction of their Consciences, in those things which they were to doe. And therefore if things have beene done amisse, it concerned them to have advised them better, and yet wee have some reason to beleeve, where we consider the advantages that divers of the Synod have made unto themselves of some of those Acts that have beene done by others, in the receiving the benefit of plu­ralities of Sequestred Livings, &c. That some of those things were done not for want of their advice to the contrary, but were promoted by their advice and councell. And Councel­lours as well as Actours of Inconveniences are answerable to God, and may be desired by men concerned, to afford them sa­tisfaction in Conscience: However it bee I doe but propose Quaeres and Doubts of them in the maine, and if there be any modest harmelesse way I thinke that is it.

To the fourth and last objection that I am lyable to. I doe not undertake the justification of my selfe against it, but first excuse it, and desire pardon; my minde is full of many thoughts in these times, many issues I have strugling in the wombe of my soule at once, and one hath the hand as it were upon the heele of another, like Jacob upon the heele of his Brother, ready to supplant it, or precipitate the birth of it. Be­sides the particular businesse of the Directory reasons was not in my minde when I went first about this worke, and that may I hope bee admitted for one tolerable Apology for the omission of setting downe the Passages of the Directory in the same order with the Quaeres, unto which divers of them are directed.

But Secondly, to make some amends for this errour, I have here afforded thee the draught of the preface to the Directory, where thou hast the severall objections thereof against the Common Prayer, which are pointed at, and called to a reckon­ing in some of the Quaeres, especially in the 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, &c. unto the 26. Together with some other particular [Page] passages of the Directory it selfe concerning Buriall of the Dead, and Holy-dayes which are touched upon therein.

If any shall desire farther to know why I have not gone through with other passages of the Directory; I answer with the proverb, that hast makes wast, and withall some regard was to bee had of the volume in such a time, when people are so easily frighted from a Booke by the Bulke of it. But if I finde that the further prosecution thereof shall bee desired from so weake and rude a hand as mine is. I shall be willing to make up what hath beene wanting ere it be long: In the meane time honest Reader, His mere mecum, read deliberately and judge impartially, and the Lord who is the God of wisedome and Peace fill thee full of the riches of his spirituall wisedome, and restore Peace unto us in these poore distracted Kingdomes. Farewell.

The Preface TO THE DIRECTORY.

IN the beginning of the blessed Reformation, our wise and pious Ancestors tooke care to set forth an Order for Redresse of many things, which they, then, by the Word discovered to bee Vaine, Erroneous, Superstitious and Idolatrous, in the Publique Worship of God. This occasioned many Godly and Learned men to rejoyce much in the Booke of Common-Prayer at that time set forth; Because the Masse, and the rest of the Latine-Service being removed, the Publique [Page] Worship was celebrated in our owne Tongue; many of the common People also received benefit by hearing the Scriptures read in their owne Language, which formerly were unto them as a Booke that is sealed.

Howbeit, long and sad Experience hath made it manifest, That the Leiturgie used in the Church of England, (notwithstanding all the paines and Reli­gious intentions of the Compilers of it) hath proved an offence, not onely to many of the Godly at home; but also to the Reformed Churches abroad. For, not to speake of urging the Reading of all the Prayers, which very greatly increased the burden of it; the many unprofitable and burdensome Ceremonies, contained in it, have occasioned much mischiefe, as well by disquiet­ing the Consciences of many godly Ministers and people who could not yield unto them, as by depriving them of the Ordinances of God, which they might not enjoy without conforming or Subscribing to those Ceremonies. Sundry good Christians have beene by meanes thereof, kept from the Lords Table, and divers able and faith­full Ministers debarred from the exercise of their Mini­stery (to the endangering of many thousand Soules, in a time of such scarcity of faithfull Pastors) and spoiled of their livelyhood, to the undoing of them and their Families. Prelates and their Faction have laboured to raise the Estimation of it to such an height, as if there were no other Worship, or way of Worship of God a­mongst us, but onely the Service-Booke; to the great hinderance of the Preaching of the Word, and (in some places, especially of late) to the justling of it out, as [Page] unnecessary; or (at best) as farre inferiour to the Reading of Common Prayer, which was made no bet­ter than an Idol by many Ignorant and Superstitious People, who pleasing themselves in their presence at that Service, and their Lip-labour in bearing a part in it, have thereby hardened themselves in their igno­rance and carelessenesse of saving Knowledge and true Piety.

In the meane time Papists boasted, that the Booke was a compliance with them in a great part of their Ser­vice, and so were not a little confirmed in their Super­stition and Idolatry, expecting rather our returne to them, than endeavouring the Reformation of them­selves: In which expectation they were of late very much incouraged, when, upon the pretended warranta­blenesse of imposing of the former Ceremonies, new ones were daily obtruded upon the Church.

Adde hereunto (which was not foreseene, but since hath come to passe) that the Leiturgie hath been a great meanes, as on the one hand to make increase an idle and unedifying Ministery, which contented it selfe with set Formes made to their hands by others, without put­ting forth themselves to exercise the gift of Prayer, with which our Lord Jesus Christ pleaseth to furnish all his Servants whom hee cals to that office: so on the other side it hath beene (and ever would be, if continued) a matter of endlesse strife and contention in the Church, and a snare both to many godly and faithfull Ministers, who have beene persecuted and silenced upon that occasi­on, and to others of hopefull parts, many of which have [Page] been, and more still would be, diverted from al thoughts of the Ministery to other studies; especially in these latter times, wherein God vouchsafeth to his people more and better meanes for the discovery of Errour and Su­perstition, and for attaining of knowledge in the myste­ries of godlinesse, and gifts in Preaching and Prayer.

Vpon these, and many the like weighty considerations, in reference to the whole Booke in generall, and because of divers particulars contained in it; not from any love to Novelty, or intention to disparage our first Reformers (of whom wee are perswaded that were they now alive, they would joyne with us in this worke, and whom wee ac­knowledge as Excellent Instruments raised by God to be­gin the purging and building of his House, and desire they may be had of us and Posterity in everlasting Re­membrance, with thankfulnesse and honour;) but that we may in some measure answer the gracious Providence of God, which at this time calleth upon us for further Reformation, and may satisfie our owne Consciences, and answer the expectation of other Reformed Churches, and the desires of many of the godly among our selves, and with all give some publique Testimony of our indeavours for Vniformity in Divine Worship, which we have pro­mised in our Solemne League and Covenant: We have after earnest and frequent calling upon the Name of God, and after much Consultation, not with flesh and bloud, but with his holy Word, resolved to lay aside the former Leiturgie, with the many Rites and Ceremonies former­ly used in the Worship of God: And have agreed upon this following Directory for all the parts of Publique [Page] Worship, at ordinary and extraordinary Times.

Wherein our care hath beene to hold forth such things as are of Divine Institution in every Ordinance; and o­ther things we have indeavoured to set forth according to the Rules of Christian Prudence, agreeable to the ge­nerall Rules of the Word of God. Our meaning therein being onely that the generall heads, the sense and scope of the Prayers and other parts of Publique Worship being knowne to all, there may be a consent of all the Church­es, in those things that containe the substance of the Ser­vice and Worship of God; And the Ministers may bee hereby directed in their Administrations to keepe like soundnesse in Doctrine and Prayer; and may, if need be, have some helpe and furniture; And yet so, as they become not hereby slothfull and negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them: But, that each one, by me­ditation, by taking heed to himselfe and the flock of God committed to him, and by wise observing the wayes of Divine Providence, may be carefull to furnish his heart and tongue with further, or other materials of Prayer and Exhortation, as shall be needfull upon all occasions.

Concerning Buriall of the Dead.

WHen any person departeth this life, let the dead body upon the day of Buriall, be decently attended from the house to the place appointed for publique Buriall, and there immediately interred, without any Ceremony.

And because the customes of kneeling down, and praying by, or towards the dead Corps, and other such usages, in the place where it lies, before it be carried to Buriall, are Super­stitious: and for that, praying, reading, and singing, both in going to, and at the Grave, have been grosly abused, are no way beneficiall to the Dead, and have proved many wayes hurtfull to the living, therefore let all such things be laid aside.

Howbeit, we judge it very convenient, that the Christian friends which accompany the dead body to the place appoin­ted for publique Buriall, doe apply themselves to meditati­ons, and conferences suitable to the occasion: and, that the Minister, as upon other occasions, so at this time, if he be pre­sent, may put them in remembrance of their duty.

That this shall not extend to deny any civill respects or differences at the Buriall, suitable to the ranke and conditi­on of the party deceased whiles he was living.

Concerning Dayes and Places for Publike Worship.

THere is no Day commanded in Scripture to be kept holy under the Gospell, but the Lords day, which is the Christian Sabbath.

Festivall daies, vulgarly called Holy dayes, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued.

Neverthelesse it is lawfull and necessary upon speciall emergent occasions, to separate a day or daies for Publique Fasting or Thanks­giving, as the severall eminent and extraordinary dispensations of Gods prouidence shall administer cause & opportunity to his people.

SIR,

I Have been severall times your Auditor, and cannot but confesse that I have heard many Truths from you. Truths imployed in their right Offices, Truth vindi­cating Peace from the bane of Division; and Truths vin­dicating truth from the liberty of Corruption. I shall not now question with you whether you have guided the Truth unto its right end, as well as you have employed it in its proper Function. I have heard you mourning for the miserable condition of this Church and Nation; and I thinke every good Christian should joyne with you in the lamentation of these great evills: For who can think or speake it without a heavy and groaning heart; That we have lived to see the Paradise of the world become a rude and desolate wildernesse; The glory of the whole Earth to become the shame and reproach of all Nations: The Temple of God (for so I may well say this King­dome of ours was, if any of late dayes in the World) turned into a great Den of Theeves and Robbers: The earst enclosed Garden of the Almighty, once full of the fragrant Flowers, and wholesome Herbes and Plants of Divine Truths, not lesse amiable in their beauty and or­nament, then profitable in their Soveraigne vertues and operations, & hedged about with an orderly discipline or governmēt (though some thought it grew too high) trans­formed indeed (not reformed) into a horrid brake of Weeds and Bryers, and become a free harbour for Toads and Serpents, & every noysome and poisonous creature, whilst falshoods, and those none of the meanest additions [Page 2] doe not as heretofore steele in as Theeves by night, or dwell obscurely as stranger (amongst us▪ but are even na­turallized, and made free Denizens in this wretched Na­tion: and as if our Age were the refuse and dregges, the very last off all of all the former winnowings of the floore ers of time, and our Nation the sinke to receive the Con­geries of all that Corruption that ever any Nation hath brought forth, whether in depraved Doctrines, or debau­ched. Conversation; All the Articles of the Creed al­most, the great [...], heretofore to distinguish between Christians, and Jewes, and Infidels; and all the holy Commandements of God; The great and holy Mounds and Ramparts between the pastures of the Sheep, and the wildernesse of the Wolves or Goats; between the road of life, and the broad way of death and damnation, are not onely shut out of your Directory for Worship, when as yet they themselves are the great Directory of God, for the main parts of his Worship, (which should have been better considered of) but are as commonly trampled up­on as the durt in the streets.

— Quis talia fando?
Mirmidonum dolopumve aut duri miles Vlysses.
Temperet a lachrimis—

I cannot blame you to lament these things, I thinke we should all take up the wish of the Prophet Ieremiah, O that my Head were waters, and mine Eyes a fountaine of teares, that we might weep day and night for these things, and for the slaine of the daughter of my people. For those many thousands that have been slaine by the violence of the sword: and that farre greater number which we may just­ly feare have beene, and are dayly slaine by the famine and corruption of the Word; when we doe but thinke how the glorious Maximes of truth, the very foundations of Christianity are shaken and demolished.

[Page 3]How the Beauty and Order of Gods Worship, together with the peace and unity of the Church is defaced and confounded.

What continuall incroachments and inroads Sathan makes upon the Lords Inheritance, to the ravishing and worrying of so many thousands of soules; the bloud whereof must be one day accounted for by some body.

How the Lamps of the Temple, together with the fire of the Altar (sincere knowledge and holy zeale) seems by the twinkling to be even almost ready to goe out amongst us. The former being turned for a great part into fran­tick fancies; and the latter into unsanctifi'd furies.

How the new nightly Lights, or ignis fatui, that appeare to the seducing of the people, whilst they promise to guide them, doe seeme to be sad Messengers of the decli­nation of the Sunne of the true and saving knowledge of the Gospel; and to threaten us with the sad lot of Antioch, and Ephesus; and Smyrna, and those other famous ancient Churches, which for lesse unthankfulnesse (it may be fea­red) then we have shewed, have been stripped of their or­naments of the Jewels and precious graces of the Gospel, and have had the Candlestick removed from them. How can we but feare the fearefull sentence that our Saviour in the close of the Parrable denounced against the Jewes, to be the sad iudgement that hangs over this Nation; Even that the Vineyard of the Lord shall be taken from us, be­cause we have not yeelded the fruit thereof; but have bea­ten and cast out the Messengers of the Lord with such a sharpe and cruell persecution, and that against those that the Authors cannot deny to be Preachers of the truth of the Gospel, and to embrace the same faith which them­selves professe and allow, (as for ought I know) I may challenge any to parallell in all respects in any Christian Story: Which together with the many other crying sins [Page 4] of this Nation, may seem to threaten us with that woe of the Prophet, and make us to cry out with him; Woe unto us, for the day goeth away, for the shadowes of the eve­ning are stretched out. Jer. 6.4.

We have great reason to beare a part with you in the lamentation of those sad consequences that have followed already upon these things, and are likely yet further to come in. Who can mourne sufficiently for them?

But could we shed forth ten thousand Rivers of teares, yet they would not satisfie the Duty that God expects from us; that wee should not content our selves with a fruitlesse lamentation, but should all use our best endea­vours for a remedy. And sure he is not worthy the name of a Christian that would not readily joyne with you in this too. And I pray God it bee not too late. And I could heartily wish, we could all so far forget our selves, our interests, our former courses, and illegall, and unwar­rantable ingagements, as to joyne together in those means, which are most conducible to a sound and speedy remedy.

But I shall desire you not to grow angry (if I shall, as I do) earnestly intreat you to cast your thoughts back up­on your owne wayes, and to consider well, whether you and others with whom you have travelled together in turbulent Machinations, have not led on these mischiefes in the road wherein they have hasted to surprize us, whether you have not beene too too active in cutting up and pulling downe those Mounds of Government both in Church and state, at the ruines whereof, they have bro­ken in; to the great devastation of the inheritance of the Almighty; and whether a Writ of Quare claus [...]m fregit? will not issue forth against you from an higher Court then the Parliament, unlesse you prevent it by a timely Repentance, and a serious endeavour to repaire those breaches which you have made.

[Page 5]Consider, I beseech you, whether it had not been wise­dome and piety, (however vile and extravagant the old Mounds were growne) to let them have stood, at least not to have pulled them up root and branch, till your new Quick had beene growne up, (as wise Hus­bandmen use to doe) and had beene able to have kept in the Inclosure from those Forrages that have beene since made upon it; especially since (as it appeares) you could not foresee what Frosts might nip it, or what Beasts would devoure it before it could attaine unto its full growth, for all those Thornes wherewith you senced and covered it.

Let this Meditation take up some of your solitary and serious minutes, and if your Conscience will take no Bribes from Interest, I hope you may discover it to be a friendly Admonition.

I am glad you have learnt; but how did you learne it? by acting upon others, or suffering your selfe? but I am glad you have learnt it; but sorry that you have learnt it so late, and by such sad experience, That Per­secution it such an innocent and profitable thing unto the sufferers. But I must beseech you to remember, That it is not altogether either so innocent or profitable to the in­flicters ▪ I would you had not beene so busie in reading hard Lectures upon this subject unto others, before you would acknowledge it your selfe. I am very well pleased to heare you now tell us, That the greatest Per­secution is better then those farre greater evills which are now come upon us. Had you but learnt this seven yeares sooner, you would not sure have beene so impatient of a fancied Persecution, or at the most so light a one as the worst of it was; as in the shaking off that yoak from off your necke, and by springing so violent a [Page 6] Mine under the late Ancient Government, to have opened the doore to all that Rabble that is come in. Me thinkes your present Doctrine is a secret retracta­tion of your practise heretofore: let your future pra­ctise bee now answerable to your Doctrine, or take heede your Sermons bee not turned into Bills of Indict­ments against your selfe, when you shall stand at the Barre of the great Tribunall. You see now I hope how dangerous a thing it is to bee tampering with the frame of a Church or State, when it is once reasonably set­led in any tolerable condition: and that it was a wise saying of holy Augustine, Aug. Ep. ad Janua­rium. Iosa quippe mutatio consue­tudines etiam quae adjuvat utilitate novitate purturbat, That the change of things received by custome, al­though it be such as may helpe by the commodity of it doth cause trouble and disturbance by the novelty.

You finde now I hope, that every Novelty is not a Medicine.

I thinke you cannot, I am sure you dare not deny, but many men did, and more might have gone to Heaven, had that Frame, and Government, and Discipline beene continued, which was founded in the bloud of so many Martyrs; at least if it had beene peaceably and orderly reformed, by a wise and moderate reclaiming of some wilde Branches that had crept into it; and by a reduction of it to a (somewhat more neare compliance) with the frames of the Primitive times.

Tell mee truely, or if you will not confesse to us, yet confesse to your owne Conscience; Doe you not finde cause heartily to wish, that you had left some things undone.

Wee had need take heed what sparkles we kindle, unlesse wee bee well assured that wee know how and [Page 7] when to quench them againe, lest wee burne downe the House we dwell in.

Who would have thought that the setting fire of a paire of Lawne sleeves, and a Common Prayer-booke, should have made so much Tinder to light such a multi­tude of Matches amongst us, to set such a blaze into three severall Kingdomes.

Oh this Ambition! it is a pestilent Tumour. And Diogenes his Pride it's thought was as bad as Plato's. Calco fastu [...] Pla [...]onis, said Diogenes. Sed majori fastu, replied Plato. I am sorry his Tub too is in such request amongst us.

Oh this Covetousnesse! it is no good Chyrurgeon to cure the wounds of a Church or State: it hath proved unto us like those Medici parisienses, it is too much given to Phlebotomy. A bloudy sinne it is without doubt, but will the Bishops Lands, or the sequestred livings, or Deaneries thinke you pay for that great Acceldama of this land? Oh a peaceable mind; it is a rich commo­dity.

Sir, I could finde more to say in this matter: But I shall conclude, commending unto your consideration these few sayings of the wise man.

The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: Prov. 17.14. therefore leave off contention before it be medled with.

It needs no other descant but what as I remember your selfe gave upon it not long since, I referre you to your owne Notes.

He that diggeth a Pit shall fall into it, Eccl. 10.8. and who so breaketh an hedge, a Serpent shall bite him.

Remove not the ancient Land-marke, Prov. 22.28. which thy Fathers have set.

One more. My Sonne, Prov. 24.21. feare thou the Lord and the King: and meddle not with them that are given to change.

Sir, Thinke mee not your Enemy for this advice. I [Page 8] assure you, I heartily wish your greatest good; and I pray you consider that I am but a poore runinous Wall, that have received so strong a Beame of your owne light from you, and thus reflected it upon you againe for your good.

Of which I rest an hearty well-wisher in the recovery and preservation of Truth and Peace, and Righte­ousnesse in the Church, and in the prosperity of my gracious Soveraigne and his Kingdome: [...].
Octob. 18. Die Dominico noctiscente. Anno infau­stae seditionis Anglianae jam curente septimo foeli­cissimae verò incarnativus Dominicae supra milles­simo sexcentissimo qua­dragessimo septimo.
POSTSCRIPT.

SIR, where men wish no good, they doe not use to expectany; that you may ghesse there­fore by my confidence in you, how farre I am from wishing any evill unto you, I am bold here to entreat your favour to present these few Quaeres to your Synod, desiring their sincere and speedy resolution.

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