ALthough the Justice and Honour of the King be such, as becomes the Son and Successor of such a Father (who loved the Church and its just Interests, more then his own life:) so that His Sacred Ma­jestie will easily command such Satans to get behinde him, as unworthy of his presence; whose sacrile­gious projects and devices deserve to perish with their money. Yet that His Excellent Majestie and His two Loyal Houses of Parliament, with all His [Page 4]good Subjects, may see the craft of that design, and the hook under that bait; it is not amiss to discover the poyson of sin and shame, of dishonour and dan­ger, of impiety and imprudence wherewith it is fraught, and wherewith it seeks to infect the King, the two Houses of Parliament, and the whole Nati­on, onely to ensure a few unhappy Merchants in their sacrilegious adventures.

First, For His Majestie to do, as is there unworthi­ly (because against all law and justice) desired, is to be God-father to those spurious and illegitimate pra­ctises, which were begotten from, and nourished most what by tumultuary, disorderly and violent ways; tending to, and ending so much in the ruine of King, Church and State; yea, the very Proposers do by their bold proposal clearly confess, that they have (yet) no Law or Justice for their pretended pur­chases, and consequently no very good consciences to keep them, but would gladly by a new price of iniquity, purchase to themselvas a right by Law for ninety nine years, whereas they vapored heretofore as if they had the fee-simple; that was (indeed) Ro­binhoods pennyworths, at five or six years purchase, considering the timber, houses and Improvements.

Secondly, By their instancing so boldly in the late Kings forced Concessions, or rather necessitated delibe­rations, about granting a Lease of improved Church Lands for ninety nine years, in order to redeem His Life, Crown, and posterity (to which redemption all the Loyal Clergy were more willing to consent then [Page 5]himself) these Proposers do dangerously insinuate, as if the present King His Son, were in the same di­stress of life and fortunes, to which fraud and force had then reduced His Royal Father: Which (blessed be God) is not the present case of King or Church; For the King is now cloathed with excellent Maje­stie, and the Church hath put off its filthy garments, and rags, wherewith the Enemies of God, the King, and the Church had deformed her. As for His Fathers Murtherers, and the Enemies of King and Church, they are now covered with shame and confusion of face, as with a cloak. And certainly it is as impudent, as unseasonable a desire, since some Purchasers have already drunk the blood, and eat the flesh of the Kings Father: since they have against all Law and Conscience destroyed many Houses of God, and greedily gaped to devour all Gods porti­on, and the Churches Patrimony; that the Son now happily reigning in peace, should reward such for their good works, by enabling them with an Act of Parliament, to strengthen their now wambling sto­machs; the better to digest the Churches Lands and Houses they have devoured: All which His Royal and Martyrlie Father sought to preserve as much as His Life, Crown, and Kingdoms; esteeming all in­juries done to the Church, to be as great reproaches and insolences against His God and Saviour, so point blank against His Conscience, as a Christian, and a­gainst his Coronation-Oath as a King, no less then a­gainst Magna Charta, or the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom, by which the Churches rights are settled, and ought to be preserved.

Thirdly, It would monstrously abate and eclipse, not onely the Renown and Honour of His Majestie, who is the Son of such a Father, but in time it would shrink His constant Revenues; part of which arise from those First-fruits, and yearly Tenths, which are duly and cheerfully paid by the Bishops, Deans and Chapters, out of their Lands and Estates, while in their power, and possession, and improvement.

Fourthly, This wretched project would be a con­tinued injury and indignity put upon this Famous Church of England, and its learned Clergy; who have been formerly esteemed as eminent, deserving, and flourishing, as any in the world: And all this, meerly upon this account and occasion, because it hath been for some years past, insolently stripped and abused, in which its eminent Bishops, and other Divines, have (like Jewels) been trampled under the feeet of Swine; men of sordid and sacrilegious spi­rits, onely fit to devour and destroy Kings and Bishops, things Sacred and Civil.

Fifthly, It would be exceedingly to the dishonour, not onely of the Kings Majestie, to degenerate from the examples as of His many Royal Progenitors, Chri­stian Kings and Queens of England, who were in all ages nursing Fathers and Mothers to this Church, (which God hath put immediately and wholly into their protection, under Christ;) and specially, from the incomparable patern of His Father of blessed me­mory, who expressed such holy love, zeal and constan­cy to the Rites of this Church. But further, it would [Page 7]be a most uncomely stain and reproach to the present most Honourable, Loyal, and Religious Houses of Parliament, both Lords and Commons; whom God hath blessed, and eternally honoured, in making them the happy Repairers of our Civil and Desperate breaches: How can they then with any honour or con­science sacrifice the Church any longer to these Apollyons and Abaddons; its sacrilegious Wasters and Opppressors.

Sixthly, This design of the Purchasees, if obtained, would so cruelly weaken, peel, barkround, and ex­haust the plenty, honour, power and authority of this Church, and its Clergie, both as Christian, and reformed, in all its ancient Rights, Immunities and Enjoyments (which are as well settled by Laws anci­ent and modern, as any civil estates are, or can be) that it would never recover its beauty and flourishing lustre, of late so much deflored; but both Christiani­ty, and all sober Reformation, would daily decay and wither, by successive attempts of sacriledge and schism, till all were run to Prophaneness, Atheism, Anarchy, and Barbarity; which ever follow as the idleness and luxury, so the despicable poverty and tenuity of Church-men; of vvhich Greece of old, Ger­many of late, and England last of all are evident, but sad experiments.

7. If such an Act of Parliament should pass, with­out, and against the consent of the Clergy (who are by Law the Proprieters and enjoyers of those estates, under God and the King) which consent is never like [Page 8]to be gained, as it cannot reasonably be asked:) It would make, not onely the King and Parliament, but in, and with them, the whole Nation, shrewdly suspected, if not actually guilty of that enormous sin and curse of Sacriledge; which even Dr. Burges owns to be such, though not in the case of Bishops and Ca­thedral Lands, because it is his own case and great con­cern. Let him but have his bargain, with Judas, he cares not whom he betrays, or what truth and con­science he sells; though it come up to a most appa­rent robbing of God, his Ministers, the whole Church, its reverend Fathers, and most eminent Sons, yea, the whole body and fraternity of the Faithful in the Land, of that double honour, both for maintenance and re­verence, which agreeably to the vvord of God allow­ing, accepting, or commanding such grateful and hono­rary retributions of their temporals, to those that impart things spiritual, hath been freely given, piously devoted, and by the Lavvs of the Land oft confirm'd as sacred and inviolable to the Church and Clergy, in order to promote the Worship and glory of God, vvith the good of souls, by the order, peace, plenty, honor, government and authority of the Church, and its Mi­nisters, both governing, and governed. The poor man Dr. Burges cryes out like Steutor, of the gnats of his ovvn private injuries, suffered from the Corporation of Wells in his Bishops Lands; yet he can svvallovv the camel of his own great purchase of them, though vvith­out any Lavv to enable him; or any consent of the Bishop or others by Lavv invested in them; nay ha­ving a canine appetite, he is not yet sick of the sin, but onely afraid to vomit up those sacred morsels, and [Page 9]would fain have a retentive cordial from the King, and two Houses; who have hitherto, and in them the whole Nation) been by a special providence kept from that sin and shame; For what ever in this kind of chaffering hath hitherto been done in England, during our trou­bles, was but the counsel and practice of some few men, without and against all Laws of God and the Land, which teach all honest men to abhor Sacriledge, as Idolatry; as a sin of the first magnitude against every precept of the first Table; condemned in all ages by all men morally just, as being against the light of Rea­son, and natural Religion, to rob God: Therefore detested always by Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Bar­barians, by Christians and Mahometans, by all Prote­stants and Papists, as not to be dispensed withall, but in a case of higher charity and necessity, for Gods glory and the Churches good; and this with unfeig­ned purpose of making, when able, full restitution, in kind, or in something equivalent. Which Justice is asserted by the Old and New Testament, by the Laws of this Kingdom, and of all Empires antient and mo­dern; by the Canons of all Churches, by all Councils, Fathers, Church-Historians, and learned Divines on all sides (as Dr. Burges is forced to confess) being a most impudent and detestable sin, never to be palliated or excused, seldom or never pardoned or repented of; because it abhors any restitution; as we see in Dr. Bur­ges his terrors and clamors; but is usually punished with hardness of heart; and searedness of conscience in private persons, ever fatal and unprosperous to Prince and people, justly revenged by God and man to many ge­nerations, by lasting and unexpiable curses; to which [Page 10]the King, Parliament and Nation ought not to be ex­posed upon any terms.

Eighthly, Thus to peel and pillage the Church and Clergy of England, after so many and long exhaustings will give joy and satisfaction to none but the enemies of the King, the Church and Nation: Either the envious Papists, or the covetous and cruel Fanaticks; who are as the locusts, caterpillers & palmerworms of this Church; the one hoping to devour what the other leaves: Nor is there any reason that the best and most of the Nation rich and poor should be all injured, scandalized and robbed by the Church and Clergies diminution and un­doing, only to gratifie a few unreasonable and undeser­ving Purchasers of Church lands; who are neither good to the Tenants; nor to the poor, nor to their Prince, nor to their Saviour.

Ninethly, This alienation and long diversion of the Churches revenues, will much discourage all learned industry and proficiency in this Nation; it will damp the the spirits and studies of both our famous Ʋniversities, which now begin to flourish again. It will debase and cripple the dignity and authority of this Church and the Clergy, both Bishops and Presbyters, who of old did ma­ny great and good works: It will much defeat his Majesties charitable design and declared pleasure for augmenting Vicaridges out of Church Impropriations; It will obstruct and dry up the stream of charity and hos­pitality, which should be most exemplary in the Cler­gy; and it will only make way for avarice, ignorance, anarchy and confusion in the Church, which cannot but [Page 11]endanger the peace and safety of King and Kingdom, as of late we have seen to our woe.

Tenthly, To answer the temptation of present gain, which as the devil to Christ in the wilderness, that serpentine paper offers to his Excellent Majesty, as if the liberal and loyal purchasers would advance 50000 l. for his Majesties service.

1. It is a goodly sum indeed, if it came out of their own estates and purses, which it doth not; but it is too sinall a sum to engage any honest man upon so great a sin as Sacriledge; to which all the worlds gain will not tempt a King, or any true Christian, who knows how to value his soul or the Church of Christ, or Gods glo­ry, or his Kingdoms and consciences peace, or his own and the Nations honor, or his Clergies merit and use­fulness.

2. His Majesty deserves and enjoys so much of the hearts and loves of his people, that he needs not fear any vvant: nor vvill he be ever driven to make use of such crafty Merchants, or to partake of their filthy lucre, who vvould fain dravv the King to be their part­ner, and to crown their Sacrilegious projects with his Princely Diadem; and while to save the common people of the Nation a few pounds, His Majesty should contract upon his Throne and Kingdom, his Conscience and People the sin and shame of Sacriledge.

3. Experience tells us (which Sir Henry Spelman observes) that as no private Families, so nor any Kings, ever grew more comfortably rich, or lastingly prosperous by any Sacrilegious practices; from the ap­pearance [Page 12]of which all severe consciences should abstain, being to the reproach and injury, not onely of the Clergy, who are amongst the best of Subjects; but even of God the giver of all, and Christ Jesus the the meriter of all we have, or can give to God and his Church; yea it tends to the indignity of the whole English Nation, heretofore so generous, mag­nificient and respectful to its reverend Bishops and o­ther worthy Ministers, as to entertain and treat them worthy of their holy labors and high profession, to encourage their Piety, Hospitality and Charitie, with plenty, yea with an honorable superfluity.

4. As His Majesty by this fallacious bargain shall diminish his constant Revenue, which is retributed to the Crown from the Clergie, in First-fruits and Tenths; so he will lose those grateful and liberal Subsidies, Aids and Fifteens which the Clergy were wont frequently to present with thanks and chear­fulness to the Kings of England; as their most mu­nificent Benefactors and Protectors; which will in less then a quarter of Ninety nine years, amount to far more then that sum which those Sophisters and Huck­sters do offer, if the Church and Clergy be preser­ved in that opulency and freedom with which they are endowed by God, and good Princes bounty.

5. The stately Fabricks of Cathredral Churches besides the Bishops, Deans and Chapters houses, which were once the glory of our Nation, of our Cities and our Church, being now sorely demolish­ed, and barbarously vvasted, vvill never be repai­red, [Page 13]but run to irrecoverable ruines, if the Clergy be novv deprived of improving the Church lands or if they be curtailed by such an alienation or leas­ing of them for Ninety nine years: All vvhich re­parations by the present advance of the Churches Revenues in Clergy-mens hands, may by His Ma­jesties gracious care and command be timely ef­ected.

6. All this (Ampullae) or specious offer of Five hundred thousand pounds, as it is in truth not one penny out of the Purchasers own Patrimony or pro­per estate, so it is not at all in favour of His Ma­jesty, but of themselves; who having tasted how sweet and improveable the Churches Lands are, do desire to have their great penniworths made good to them, which in a moral sense is impossible, unless God and all parties concerned do consent. As for their care of his Majesties supplies, it is certain the greatest Enemies to the Church, are no Friends to His Majesty: Nor is it without great regret that the Crown Lands are now redeemed out of some of their jaws, who have good stomachs to both, if they had but the retentive Faculty, and had some Peptick powder: But if these Projectors have such a zeal to His Majesty, let them present him with some thing that was and is their own; or at least with the profits they have made of the purchases of Church Lands and Houses.

7. As it will be infinitely more to his Majesties comfort, honor and happiness, to render to God the things that are Gods, who hath by miraculous mercies [Page 18]rendred to him the things that are his, as our Coesar and rightful Soveragine: so the Godly Bishops and other dignified Clergy men, who are or shall be intrusted by his Majesties Grant and Seal in their respective estates and rights, by Law due to the Church, these (no doubt) will hold themselves for­ever so obliged to his gracious Majesty, as the great Patron and Restorer of the Church and Clergy, that they will study in all wayes of piety to God, and Loyalty to his Majesty, to express their gratitude in such sort as shall be most becomming their duty, and most acceptable to his Majesty. And certainely one pound thus retributed to his Majesty by the Clergy, as is the rightful owners and possessors of those Estates, will thrive better and do his Majesty more good with their prayers, then ten thousands taken from them, or pretended to be given to his Majesty by others, who have been, and desire still to be the Purchasers and improvers of the Church Lands and revenues to their own, not to the Kings or Churches benefit, whose Sacrilegious depredations, acquisitions and oblations can expect no blessing from God, or men, on giver or receiver.

8. To conclude, That the Reverend Bishops, and others of the Clergie who are concerned in these Lands, may not seem less equanimous and condescending, by all meet ways, to the quiet of Church and State, It is not to be doubted but they will upon such reasonable termes (as his Majesty and all persons of reason and honor shall approve) make such agreements with these pretended Purchasers, or rather Morgagees of [Page 15]Church Lands as are under any Capacity or Loyal merit of a fair composition, that whatsoever they are out of purse upon a due accompt, they may have reimbursed either in monies or in such equivalency of Lease and Tennancy, as the Clergy are by Law enabled to make.

And however in so notorious a case as this was (where the known laws of God and man were most evident) there was, Caveat Emptor written in great Letters, that is sufficient caution or warning given to every wise and honest man, to take heed of such Sa­crilegious sales, purchases (which can no more be justifi­ed in reason, law or conscience) because the office of Bishops and use of Deanes and Chapters, were with­out and against law taken away, (as the learned Dr. Burges accutely pleads in his case) than Ahab and Jeze­bel could justify the taking possession of Naboths Vine­yard because he was now killed) yet because the de­lusion was strong as well as the temptation, and many now Loyal Subjects, might possibly in the simplicity of their souls be engaged in such unjust bargains, care may be had that they shall sustaine no loss, though they get no great gain, which equability will satisfie all sober­minded men.

As for others, whose gain is their God, whose apo­stacy hath made them desperate Enemies to the Church and Clergy of England, whose covetous and contentious ambition is a bottomless & unsatiable gulph of perditi­on, aiming in their despair and hypocrisie, to swallow up or imbroyl a new both Church and State, King and Clergy all things sacred and civil, if they had power [Page 16]equal to their rage, despite and malice. These mens proposals and clamors are not to be regarded by pious honest and resolute men, farther then to be constantly denied and severely suppressed; Notwithstanding that they be as importune as Dr. Burges himself who with his Diurnal Libells and Pamphlets runs to the City of London and Wells, grining and grudging, that he is not sa­tisfied with his beloved purchases of Church Lands, as he well deserves, being a person of that repute and worth, that besides other old and new reports of his vertues, he is by a decree in Chancery May, 1. 1657. adorned with this Elogy upon record; As an Author and prosecutor of so great injustice and oppression, as are utterly unbecomming a man of common honesty, much more a Minister of the Gospel, whose conversation should be an example (as the decree speaks) of piety and Ju­stice to others.

If this Belwether be such a Cretian and Borborites, who was the gracious Author of that infamous Libel, called the Anatomy, being the Epitomy of Dr. Burges his falsity, folly, and scurrility, not worth a sober mans answering or reading; what shall we think of the rest of that heard, which of latter years have been fatted with the Church Lands and the estates of other men, much theirs, and his betters, who never needed any com­purgators for their innocency and credit? In whose be­half that Boanerges or great zealot for the reforming of the Church of England, (in order to keep his Bishops Lands by keeping out the Bishop of Bathe and Wels and all others, of that Cathedral, from repossessing their own estates) hath for so oft filled and killed the world [Page 17]with the poysonous cramb of his Paradoxes; That Sacri­ledg, (in all mens sence but his own is no sin; And that the selling and buying of Bishops and Cathedrals Lands, is no sacrilege, But this Mountebankry is now grown stale and scorned even by the vulgar; nor will it serve to keep him from the Justice of Gods and mans Laws, which require restitution of his own fine new Houses and Gardens in liew of of these good old houses of the Bishops, Deans, and others which that dilapidetor of the Church hath pulled down.

Nor will it serve his turn, to cry out that his consci­ence is so sore grieved with the collick of the Cove­nant, that he cannot indure the return of Bishops, Deans, and Chapters: Indeed his fits and gripes arise from the just fear he hath, that these his rivals may now drive him out of the Babel which he hath built, and dispossess him of his unlucky Purchases, which to at­tend by any meanes this Proteus will rather disguise himself into Presbytery and Independency, contrary to his former hue and profession, then return to a well­constituted Episcopacy which is (certainly) more con­sonant by far with the law of the Land, and the genius of the people of England, then either of the other pittiful novelties and much more agreeable to his so Sa­cred Covenant, since in that he expresly engaged him­self not onely against his so feared Prelacy and Pope­ry, but also against Schisme and Superstition; of both which those seditious innovations in Church and State, are as vehemently suspected and charged by learned and godly men, as Gehazy was with Naamans Leprosie, when having stolen his undeserved fees for [Page 18]his Masters miracle, he went out of Elishas presence, as white as snow: which blessing may in a few years, more befall this Black-defender, that Sacriledge (that is selling of Church Lands against law) is no sin; Whom all sober minded men will leave to be punished with his own manners; yet so as to follow his de­plorable soul, with such prayers as Christian Charity will permit, for those that have not sinned the sin unto death, by willful and known apostacy; and by opposing of most evident truths, such as these are, that God and his Church are not to be rob­bed.