FOUR queries RESOLVED FOR The Satisfaction of all men, who are not willingly ignorant, Touching the late Archbishop: I. What his Religion was, he so coloured-over at his Death? II. What His Church was, he so bemoaned at that time? III. What his Confession was? IV. And Prayer, which his brethren, in iniquity, do so approve-of at this day. Concluded, that all those four are so many abominations before the Lord God, and all Good men. Imprimatur JAMES CRANFORD. PSAL. 58. 12. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, do ye judge uprightly O ye sons of men? JOB 11. 13. Should a man hold his peace at thy lies. Luke 16. 15. That, which is Highly esteemed amongst men, is an abomination in the sight of God. Qui valde cum stultis congruit, ipse suspectus esse potest. Justitia, etsi vitia tollere non possit, tamen hoc efficit, ut non laedant, Co: Ver: Published according to Order. LONDON, Printed for JOHN HANCOCK in Popes-head Ally 1645. Four Queries Resolved, Toching the late Archbishop. READER: TO Preface a little; I have set forth to the World a Breviate of the late archbishops doings in his life: and made a faithful comment on his sayings at his death. So much haste was desired in it, and such Brevity in all, That truly some lines were omitted, which were prepared. And as his expressions were dark and involved touching his Religion: so I was not so clear and full at that point to the Readers satisfaction as now I shall be. And at one great point about the Church of England, I mistook the Preacher, Blasphemer rather, altogether: for running over that point hastily, I understood not the incoherence of his words, as now I do, so I took the word Church in our sense for the Church indeed: when as he meant the Bishops, the church in name, or of Rome for under that notion (Church) has been meant these three hundred years and more. It shall be called by that name no more, unless with this addition, the Malignant Church. I took but half his confession neither: And for that the Malignants may say, I have done him wrong. I'll make them amends now in clearing before their eyes if they would see (but some will not see, and othersome cannot see, now, having shut-out light so long; 1. What his Religion was. 2. What is the church he so bemoans. 3. What his confession 4. And prayer: And that these four, are four abominations before the Lord God, and all good men: And shall be acknowledged by Malignants themselves so to be, an abomination all four, if their eyes be not quite shut up; Their hearts void of all grace, and their consciences past all feeling. It will be said. Why do I trouble the dead, raking, as it were, in his ashes; he is now launched forth into the Ocean of Eternity, entered into his unchangeable condititon; Whether at rest there or restless, is not to be disputed; his judgement is from the Lord, let the tongues of men and their pens suffer him to rest now from all uncharitable censures, wherever he is. I answer. (1.) I have not formerly, I do not now meddle with the dead. But for the sake of the living, everliving souls, I deal in those matters, which live, and spread, eat and consume like a canker, to the utter destruction of the unwise and ignorant (viz.) The conceit vain men have, they are no other, of this late and last archbishops religion, Church, Repentance, Prayer; of high esteem with vain men, but abominations all four, as we said, before the Lord God, and his faithful servants. This was one mighty motive with me to do as I have done, not censuring the dead, but condemning a Dead Religion, A false Church, An unsound Repentance; A Confession of sin, and prayer forgiveness more abominable than any of the former; That these may not be received, & approved, to the condemnation & destruction of the living. (2.) Because the late Arch. B. Sermon, as Malignants will call it (though as cunning a piece of blasphemy, as by the help of the devil, was contrived this hundred years, all the reason why the Devils firstborn sons, the Malignants, like it so well) is posted over the Seas, there to speak Dutch, and French, (Italian it speaks already pretty treatably) so to persuade all who meet with it, That, what ever this late Archbishop was all his life long, yet he was an angel at his death; which vain opinion may amuse and abuse the simple reader infinitely, it may make him believe that he may be the devil's servant, do the devils work all his life long: and die as a servant of the Lord dies, the death of the Righteous. That I may prevent this dreadful mistake, I assure thee readed, i'll set down these matters (omitted before through too much haste) faithfully as the Truth is, So help me God, the God of Truth, and leader into all Truth. And when I have so done, i'll post it over beyond sea also as fast as I can, in full assurance, that if this paper happen into a wise man's hand, who hath read the said Sermon, he will find truth here, and there a Bishop's Sermon indeed, if not as full of Blasphemies as of leaves. Yet as full of falshods as of lines. One word more before I come to the Resolves, I must in duty, & aught in manners, forbear, as before, to set down how he quits his Judges, he chargheth nothing in the least degree upon them, he said, not considering what he said: for if there be any guilt in his Condemnation it must lie upon his Judges: But he doth indeed in a full and clear expression acquit his Judges, saying, They proceeded by the clearest proof. He cleared his witnesses too, saying; They were valuable witnesses: Yet most unwillingly did he do all this, as a man, who could not give Glory to God, nor Honour to men. But his Judges and witnesses all, are now acquitted indeed, as before in their own Consciences, and in the Court of Heaven: so also before all the world, who will be at the cost and pains to read their equitable proceedings throughout his whole Arainment: And they that cannot be at that charges (as few can for our sins and the Bishops wars have emptied our purses very much) will be so gracious, I hope, as to conclude, That the judge of all the world (whose Almighny arm brought this mighty adversary to the block) will do Right: and so charitable they will be I hope, as to conclude also, That all the gods, the Lords under judges here on earth, whom He hath called together so unexpectedly, preserved to this time so wonderfully, delivered so miraculously, as fire Brands out of the fire, That these Judges, the highest one Earth, will do right also: So I proceed to the Resolves in Order, but beginning brokenly, because of the Reference it makes to the Printed copy. The first of the four queries Resolved. Honour (Add) H would crouch down to the foot of that great Pag. 4. l. 19 Lord, kiss his hand, lick the spital from his mouth (the manner of all Lord Bishops would-bee) who had power to lift-him up towards that pinnacle, and to show him the Glory of the world there: he was this great man's Gregory indeed, as the compliment was, a Servant of Servants, to his Lord and Masters Lusts; he was this Lord's vassal; his willing Slave, his any thing that his great Lord was, or would have him to be. I must here resolve a question, which some make, Touching this I. man's Religion, and other such like Lord-wouldbees as was he; I. What Religion was he of? What Faith did be profess? What Law did he hold to? What Gospel did he preach or cause to be preached? What was his opinion touching Peace with those, against whom the Lord God hath sworn, He will have war for ever: Or what was his opinion of War against those, with whom the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, That He will have peace for ever & ever; What was his opinion touching this war and this Pease? All these questions were resolved in the breast of his Great Lord and Master one earth; As this Little-man yet could resolve what his great Lord thought, so thought he: for what his great Lord was, such was he, of his Lord's Religion; of the same Faith with him; held fast to the same Law, for liberty of Sports on the lordsday (though a law of Sin and death) and the Same Gospel also; was of the same judgement his great Lord was of, both as touching Peace and War. Indeed, and all the Christian world knows it to he so. This man moulded Religion, Faith, Law, Gospel, war, Peace, all to the fashion of the times; as his great Lord did so did he, and it was his glory so to do: he could step out of one way into another, no matter what way though the way of Death, so it was the way of preferment, and lay in a direct line to the pinnacle he aspired unto. For further confirmation hereof, and clearersatisfaction to the foregoing questions, let us resolve ourselves (1.) What his court-chaplains were. (2.) What his Civilians were, I mean, his Doctors, Proctors &c. in the civil Law. (3.) And all the scholars in both Universities, I mean all and none other but those all Bishop-would-bees, all that gaped after preferment by his means, and to come through his hands: (1.) What were these Court-chaplaines? The same this late Archbishop was, when he was a court-chaplain himself; of the very same Religion, Faith, Gospel, judgement also, touching the law for war, and Peace. God, Angels and men will witness with me, That Such they were, as he was. These chaplains moulded their Sacred Texts, so they do now, like a nose of wax, to the mind of their Lord, and fashion of the times, and then forced themselves to speak scarce not more words than blasphemies against God, and His Holy Ones; Which chaplains and Doctrines this man had opposed with the same zeal, as Paul and Barnabas showed at the hearing of Act. 14. the like infidels, had he had the least spark of love, or heat of that, in his breast, we call true zeal for God, His Religion, His Faith, His Law, His Gospel. 2 And for his Civilians, those that served his lusts, as I think the most did; What they are now I cannot tell, for I know not where they are: But all the kingdoms knows what they were, as errand— I'll say no more touching persons so notoriously known all over the land, burdens of the earth, plagues and pests there. (3.) And for the Doctors, Proctors and scholars all I mean all, who loved the wages of iniquity, hunted after preferment; Ah Lord, how did these mould and fashion themselves to the forms and fashions of this great-man! Very Apes they were, they would imitate him as they could; What he speak, they would speak; What he did in point of service to the Church, they whould do; his religion was theirs; his faith theirs; his law theirs; his Gospel theirs; his gods theirs, of the very same zize and making! And as stout and stiff in maintenance of those gods, and service to them devils, I should say, (such they are in God's sight,) as he their Lord was. Indeed these all were and still are, as firm and fast to this late Archbishop, as (if I might compare persons so contrary) Ruth was to Naomie, as fast to his forms, to the laws of his house; to his gods; to his services: They were fast friends, and walked together, being of the same mind, and Judgement, in all matters till the last: only there they differed; For where he died they would not die; nor would they there be buried; which had been with the burial of an ass, had he had the burial his life deserved; I had spoken more to this, but that the present state and face of things speak the fullest answers to the foregoing questions, yet for the satisfaction of all that are not willingly ignorant, so much I have said: I proceed now to a conclusion of what I was saying, and all that knew him will conclude with me: That he breathed after Preferment, moulded and fashioned himself, words and Actions, Religion, Faith, Gospel, all to the Times; and most compendious ways, bearing-up towads that pinnacle, He did as a man that Loveth the world, and deifies, makes a god of its Glory; And what havoc he made of Faith and a good conscience, all wise men know. You will say, &c. p. 4. l. 21. Died with a jest in their mouths; other some with an Oath there, others with a blasphemy there: And other died as he died with an, &c. l. 2. l. 21. All wise men will. The Seconnd Quere Resolved. II. The Church of England is now in a storm herself, and God knows, whether or how it shall get out? This must have a twofold answer, for Church has a twofold acceptation, the one in the Bishop's sense, the other in ours; Church in the Bishop's acceptation is themselves; archbishops and Lord Bishops are the Church, the poor Church of England indeed. Doubtless that was his meaning, and thus he bemoaned themselves. The poor Charch of England is now in a storm. Indeed it is, and not one man that is a member of the true Church can be sorry for that. And God knows whether or how it shall get out; He knows indeed and He hath assured His faithful servants that the Bishops shall never weather it out: Their Seas shall work so High, and the storm shall lie so long upon them, till their Lordships shall be able to bear-up no longer: but sink they must like a millstone into the great waters. The men may find mercy, and God grant they may, but their Lordships none at all. And this poor Church (the Bishops) is now fallen into a great deal of danger by her own. We grant this also; The archbishops and Bishops have more than endangered themselves, they have done that which the Parliament, and all the faithful servants in all the world could not do against that cursed Hierarchy for the casting of it forth; what the faithful could not do, they have done against themselves; ruined themselves they have with their own hands; Their villainies, Their outrages, their Horrable Impieties, iniquities, Blasphemies against God and man; by all these they have ruined themselves They Intraduced such profaneness and irreligion, cloaked all this While with the name of imaginary Religion; They dwelled so much upon shadows that they have quite lost the substance. These are his Pag. 12. line 7. words and they must be understood of his Church, and no other, so he betrayed himself with his own Tokens, and beat himself with his own staff: for as it follows; They were so fixed upon their opinion, a conceit only, so fixed I say, and so fully persuaded, That they the (Malignant) Church Should abide Queen for ever; Their mountain was so strong, and they so strong upon it, That they thought they should never be moved, than they advanced their throne above the Stars of God, and so ruined themselves, and their thrones for ever. He must mean themselves under this notion Church, for his words are inconsistent with any other Church but their own. Only these words cleft as under as With wedges cannot agree with their Church. Indeed on heed of that monstrous Church, which has two, is cleft asunder from the body by the death-mans' Axe, as was Goliah's head by the sword in David's hand: But the Bulkly body of that Church, and members of the same are entire: and plaited together they are all like thorns, in a fast confederacy with the King of the bottomless pit: These Adversaries are, as is said of the Leviathans scales, shut up together Job. 41 16 as with a close seal one so near to another that no air-can come between them; They are joined one to another, they stick together that they can not be sundered: so here his old memory failed him. But though here are the turnings and windings of the crooked Serpent; though he Doubles here, loving, as some Beasts do, confus a vestigia, that we might not tract him, or find him out, yet we understood him very well, That he could bemoan none other Church but his own; he could not bemoan the True Church at his death, whom he persecuted heartily with his tongue and hand all his life long. He bemoaned his own Church, whereof he was head; for thereunto his own words all along do agree, congruous and consistent with that Church, and no other, the enemies themselves being Judges; or if not they we indite them before the judge of all the word, in their ArchB, words, 1 That they, the Bishops, have introduced irreligion, and profaneness, cloaked under the guise or name of Imaginary religion; 2 That they and only they, have quite lost the substance, while they dwelled too much a great deal upon shadows (in opinion) so that God would be served against this command, and express will touching the way of His worship. And so it was of the Lord, That their Church is in a storm indeed, and fallen into a great deal of danger by her own; nay tuined now by their own hands, that sureiy the Prince of devils sat in council with them, when time was, else they could not have consulted such shame to their own house, nor have taken such a ready way to ruin themselves, and their thrones. I will conclude this mighty ruin of these mighty Adversaries, once the Lords of the world, as Joshua doth the ruin of those mighty Kings: For it was of the Lord to hearden their heart, that they should come against Israel in battle: and that they might hawe no favour, Iosh. 11. 20. So much to his first acceptation of this word church, in the Bishop's construction, themselves, a poor church indeed, 3. Now, as we understand the Church andin true construction the True church: he would seem to bemoan it thus, The poor church of England is now in a storm herself. And God knows whether or how it shall get out. God knows indeed. But yet, blessed be his great Name, He has not left the case doubtful, much less desperate, or hopeless, The Church hath a promise, page 27. line 13. Confessing his sin (Add) He acknowledgeth his sins great Pag. 33. line 29. and many in the lump, but for his transgressions in particular he confesseth nothing at all, but that all he did was for the honour of God. If he did worry any of the sheep of God's pasture almost to death, he did in his zeal to bring the sheep home unto his fold. And all the detestable things; he kept-in or brought-in to his Churches, he did all to keep as uniformity in the external service of God there. This an humble confession! The Lord knows it is a proud confession, and which His soul abominates, But that is his confession to God, no marvel he confesseth not any wrong he has done to man; But if any mandoes but conceive that I have offended him, I beg forgiveness of him: So he saith; If the faithfulest servants of the Lord, thrust-out of God's house by this archbishops roughest hand, because they would not blaspheme God, and His name, and His day, in that very house; If they did but conceive he had offended them in this roughest and most violent dealing with them, than he begs forgiveness of them, 2. If these servants of the Lord thrust-out of their house with their wives and children; and turned into a wilderness to seek their bread there amongst wild beasts, and savages (whom the servants of the Lord found more gentle than was his lordship) if he had offended them by this hard dealing, than he begs forgiveuesse of them, 3. If by taking away that the Scripture means by the * Quicquid hominis vitam ex necessitate tolerat Deut 24. 6 millstone, men's livelihoods, be an offence to any he begs forgiveness of them, 4 If his dealing with the most faithful servants of the Lord, as with the vilest persons on earth; If degrading defacing, &c. if dealing with the precious and honourable of the Lord, if dealing with these, as a mastiff with swine, if this, be an offence, than he asketh forgiveness; [if an offence!] But I forbear, that I may conclude his confession; If he had offended any by ungodly deeds, which he had ungodly committed: or by hard speeches, which he (a most ungodly sinner) had spoken against the Righteous, than he asked them forgiveness, if they did but conceive he had so done. Reader, this is the proudest acknowledgement that ever was heard of in the world. Cain, A truer penitent by far, and Gen. 4 13. and a more free acknowledgement he makes, though but of his punishment; It is greater than I can bear: This man says, though the weight of the sentence lieth very heavy upon me, yet I am as quiet within, as ever I was in my life: A cursed peace, and that was but of an hours lasting. Through the efficacious and high working of a cordial potion he drank, they say, immediately before he went forth to the Scaffold, after the manner of the devil's Martyrs. But read Judas his confession, he confesseth his sin without any if there, and he makes Restitution also: This man cannot tell whether he has offended or not. I conclude, That he did not humbly desire forgiveness, for he did not humbly ask forgiveness of sins; But the contrary he did, as the proudest of sinners, Irish Rebels, brethren in iniquity, whose rage the Lord God has cursed, and now, by his Judges on earth, commanded to be cut asunder, and then hanged-up before the Sun: So did he confess, as such sinners use to do, &c. Pag. 33. last line but one. Touching his prayer, I have spoken already, briefly, what the sacred IV. Scripture gave me warrant to speak. I have not space to enlarge now; I add this only; That his prayer is the highest provocation of all that went before, and the greatest abomination. He prays for an heart to die (1) for God's honour, whom he had dishonoured all his life long; and now most presumptuously at his death, giving no glory to Him at all. (2) For the King's happiness, Whom, by his wicked counsels, he hath helped to make the most unhappy and unglorious King, that now lives upon the face of the earth. (3) And this church's preservation. I grant This, in his meaning, not in his intent and purpose, but by God's gracious dispensation, preserving His Churches by ruining This Church, the Bishops, and this Archbishop, Gods, and His church's Arch-Adversary, the Head of the same. So let all Thine Enemies perish, O Lord, But let them that love Him, be as the Sun, when Judg. 5 21 he goeth forth in his might. To conclude, we understand now what this man's Religion was. 2 What his Church is. 3 And we have read his Confession and Prayer full out. There is not one truly wise man in the world, but says, all these four are so many abominations. Yet there be some who would pass for wise men, but so they cannot do: And would not be accounted Malignants neither (that cannot be) who praise his doings and sayings, specially all he did and said at his death. Is it possible that men will not remember themselves and show themselves men? If they will not, I will resolve what they are also; They are of the Bishop's Religion; of his Church; and they verily think, that such 2 Confession of sin, and such a Prayer for forgiveness, the late Archbishop made at his death, will serve their turn too at that dreadful time. If they think so, and that be their hopes, than they may hope well of Judas, in reference to his Confession, for it is full and free, and no if there. And if this man's acknowledgement of his Doings may be thought free and ingenuous, they may say as much and more of the devil's acknowledgement of his ways before the Lord; Whence comest thou, Satan, said the Lord? Job 17. The great Peripatetic of the world acknowledgeth, saying, sroin going to and fro in the Earth, seeking whom to seduce, and to destroy there. The devil is summoned again, and he is before the Throne of the Lord; and the Lord said, Who shall persuade the King, that he may go up to war, and fall there? I will lays the devil; And the Lord said unto him, wherewith? With a lie says he, which I will put into 1 King. 22. the mouth of all the King's Prophets: give me but power, I have will enough, and the King has Prophets enough, who will speak what I will: I will persuade them, and they will persuade the King to his destruction. A very ingenious acknowledgement of what he had a will to do; he was before the Lord, and then always he speaks the Truth; he is as he is, no angel of light then; He was a lying-Spirit, from the beginning; he is the same still; and if he might have power to his will, so and so he would do; power was given him, and so he did persuade to his will. This man was before the Lord too, as he said himself, before all His holy Angels and men: but whether his acknowledgement of his ways before the Lord, be full, and ingenuous, as the devils was, let the Reader Judge. I could make these words very parallel with the Bishop's doings; But I will forbear there, and to make any conclusion from thence. Nor shall I so much as look towards God's decree; The quickest sight therein is but blindness: Nor dare I thrust him into the pit of hell, whom I saw Sometimes walking on the brink thereof: Nor set limits to infinite Grace, and Mercy, which may intervene and come-in, inter pontem & fontem as we use to say. But this I have clear warrant from the Sacred scripture to say. (1) That JUDAS his Confession was more full and free than this man's was: And that the devil's acknowledgement of his ways before the Lord exceeded this man's acknowledgement also. (2) And that we have not a word, no not one word in the Sacred Scripture, wherefrom to conclude the salvation of this man so Confessing his sin, and praying forgiveness of the same: And yet I deragate nothing at all from the Height, Depth, Length, Breadth, of free mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ; And let him that reads this consider on it if he will, and tremble if he can; Tremble he shall one day, if he be persuaded in his heart, & to die in that persuasion, That such a Religion, this late and last Archbishop was of, such a church, such a CONFESSION of sin, such a PRAYER for forgiveness will serve the turn at that dreadful time. It is spoken with a dear respect to thy dying, rather dead body, (the body is dead because of sin) and never dying Soul. An end.