The Author's Appeal. LO here (as prisoner at the bar) I stand, Critics command me, to hold up my hand; They say I am arraigned; I need no Cook To draw my charge, it follows in my Book; No Bradshaw to condemn; for there's a crew, Cry burn the book, and hang the Author too. But Reader stay, if needs I must be tried, The Welch-man's Jury shall not be denied, The twelve Apostles. If then I have writ Things Heterodox, or my unhappy wit Doth contradict their Doctrine, Let me be Censured by them, but not condemned by thee. THE PRESBYTERIAN BRAMBLE OR A SHORT DISCOURSE OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. By L. G. Judges 9.15. And the bramble said unto the trees, if in truth ye anoint me King over you, then come, and put your trust in my shadow and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the Cedars of Lebanon. Matthew 7.16. Ye shall know them by their fruits; do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles? LONDON, Printed in the year 1661. THE PRESBYTERIAN BRAMBLE. THat which was once the contention of the Disciples of Christ, hath ever since continued the common dispute of the World, viz. a striving who should be the greatest; & this controversy hath not only set Nation against Natition, and Kingdom against Kingdom; (as it was when Alexander and Darius strove who should be Cock of the World's dunghill) but it hath also occasioned Civil and Domestic broils, where haughty and perverse spirits have gone about to maintain their Principles by bloody Arguments. Nec Caesar far Priorem, etc. Our blessed Lord commands us to dispute upon another question that is, to strive who should be the least. If this Rule were but well observed, if Greatness would but make way for Goodness, and Pride give the wall to Humility, we should then see glorious Times, and a happy Reformation. But unto whom shall I compare the men of this Generation? I may justly say (with our Saviour) They are like unto Children playing in the Market place, and saying, We have piped and ye have not danced; It is the ambition of Great persons that others should dance after their pipes. There are in this Kingdom some Children in understanding (I dare not say in innocence) who cry out they will play no more at Bishops, neither will they endure the music of Organs; but rather dance an other Scotch jig after the Presbyterian Bagpipes. Is it so beloved? marry God forbidden. We have had too much of that already; for give me leave to tell you Your music was like the music of Nero who played upon his harp when he had set Rome on fire; and your dancing like the dancing of Herodias; for the best of Kings paid as dear for the one as the Greatest of Prophets for the other. But I hope we shall have no more such Galliards, but that the Parliament will think upon the former music, and take care to pay the pipers. That we live under a Government both Civil and Ecclesiastical; and that in both these, the King next unto God is over all persons, and in all causes in these his Majesty's Dominions supreme head and Governor, is a Principle which all sober men own. And that under God, and his Vicegerent the King, the Hierarchy of Bishops ought to Govern the Church, is a truth sufficiently proved and illustrated by many learned pens; and that the factious Presbyterians who endeavour to subvert Episcopacy, and to assume unto themselves the like authority under an other name, are not (as they pretend) the Ministers of Christ, I here call Gods sacred word to witness. We are to live under a Government; for the Holy spirit commands us, to obey the higher powers, to give Caesar his due, to fear God and honour the King; which are two inseparable duties; He cannot be a good Christian that is not a good Subject; for we may use the same Argument concerning fear, honour and obedience, which the Apostle doth concerning love, He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. So he that honoureth not the King, who is his visible God, cannot fear God, who is his invisible King. When Adam strove to be equal with his Creator, he was no longer suffered to continue in Paradise; when Traitors strive to be equal with their Sovereign, they are no longer worthy to live upon the earth, but as infected members speediy to be cut off, Nepars sincera trahatur. This indeed is a truth, which men will not (or at least dare not) deny. Monarchy they embrace, but Praelacy they abhor; and though they kneel to the Crown yet they scorn to bow to the Mitre, and the silly Countrymen are persuaded that Episcopacy is the sister of Popery, and therefore they are loath to pin their faith upon lawn sleeves; And this foolish misconstruction is wrought, by some of our modern Pharises, who strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel; and although they cannot relish the Bishops, yet could make shift to devour their lands. And therefore for the defence of prelacy, I shall make use of two weapons, Scripture and Reason, which no man that is either Rational or Religious, will call unlawful. That which is lawful for others to desire, is lawful for the King and Parliament to grant, (this is reason) If a man desireth the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work (this is Scripture) Now that which is good to be desired 'tis good to be granred, And if he that desireth the office of a Bishop, desireth a good work; then they who desire the distructrion of Bishops, and the utter abolishing of that office, do certainly desire an evil work. The Office of a Bishop we may partly read in his name, that is, an Overseer; here are in a Parish Officers called Overseers of the poor, even such are the Bishop in the Church of Christ. Our Lord and Master to prove his; Divinity tells the Disciples of John of his wonderful works; and that which he did unto men's bodies when he was in the flesh, the same he doth now unto their souls, viz. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the Lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached unto them. True it is that we are all naturally blind in our understanding, and lame in our practices, and it is none but Christ that can make us see clearly or walk uprightly; he washed the Leprous sinner in his own blood. He gives unto those who are deaf unto any thing which is good, hearing ears; and raises up those who are dead in sins and trespasses, unto a newness of life; And lastly, wherein all the rest of the miracles are summed up, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is, the Poor are Gospelized, or made conformable unto the Gospel; and for this purpose hath God appointed these Bishops or Overseers, that those who are poor both in spirit and purse, may have the bread of life broken unto them. It is the duty of a faithful servant to give unto his Master's household their meat in due season; blessed is he whom his Lord shall find so doing. A Bishop must be blameless, the Husband of one Wife, Vigilant, Sober, of good behaviour, given to Hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patiented; not a brawler, not covetous, etc. I hearty wish that the Ministers of England would leave off to dispute concerning the office, and strive rather to obtain the qualifications. Neither have the Apostles words been as a rule without any examples; but the Primitive and late times have both been pregnant of such Bishops, who have taken the degrees of Apostle and Martyr in this world and afterward commenced Saints in another; We need to look no further back then Queen Mary's reign, and there behold the constant sufferings and glorious Martyrdom of Cranmer, Hooper, Ridly and Latimer, all four Bishops; And for shining lights in the Church, we have John Jewel, and John Davenant, both Bishops of Sarum, Lancelet Andrews Bishop of Winchester, Joseph Hall Bishop of Norwich, and others now living, of whose learned and pious works the greatest of their Enemies daily make use, although they cast dirt upon the Authors; Base, ungrateful Spirits who go about to cut down the trees when they have filled their budgets with the fruit. Well, say the Zealots of the times, we acknowledge all this; Bishops, with these qualifications, we admit but no Lord Bishops; it seems then their greatness is their crime; and because the height of Grantham steeple makes it look crooked, it must therefore be pulled down. Thus it hath been always the policy of the Devil and wicked men to keep Ministers poor, that they might either sink under their sufferings, or be Contemptible in the sight of the people. It is not long since black-coats gave the wall to red-coats, and old Tully's Cedant arma Togae were out of date; and could the malice of men have prevailed, those that now serve at the altar of God, had been made hewers of wood and drawers of water; And there had been as little Lordship belonging to a Bishop as Grace to a Presbyterian. But it hath pleased our gracious King to show his love unto Christ by honouring his Ambassadors; and unto those to whom God hath given the gifts of Bishops, hath he given the titles of Lords. And therefore Why do the people rage? Why do they imagine a vain thing? Let dogs bark at the Moon, and fools throw stones against the Wind: Yet they that are of God; will stand. Thus (in this great Ecclesiastical combat) we have taken a view of one of our Champions, that is David, the Bishop, or Evangelicall Shepherd, and the manner of his coming, that is in the name of the Lord. But now enter Goliath, a thing of six cubits, a priest Rampant, Simeon and Levi, the word and sword quartered in a shield, a long tuck, a buff coat, and a white-leather conscience; look upon him Reader. Is he most like a sheep, or wolf? We are commanded not to believe every spirit, but have liberty to try the Spirits; and there is no other way of trial then by the Scriptures, the old and new Testaments. The best way of old Testament trial, is to take them up into Mount Carmel, where Elijah contended with Baal's prophets, we may there observe two things in Baal's prophets, which are exactly paralleled in the Presbyterians. 1. Baal's Prophets were bawling prophets, they cried out and prophesied from morning to evening. So were the Presbyterians, witness their Fasts and tedious Lectures, which were but like the Jews new Moons and appointed feasts, and the Pharises alms and long prayers, an abomination in the sight of the Lord; for it is a fearful thing when men's sins cry louder for Judgement, than their prayers for mercy, and when the hands which they lift up are full of blood. 2. Baal's prophets were cutting prophets; they cut, and slashed themselves with knives and lancers; So were the Presbyterians, witness Worcester fight, and the rising of Sir George Booth, when the very Priests were in actual arms, blowing up the coals of division amongst us, which was no other than to make the body Politic of this Nation (after the manner of Baal's worship) to cut and wound herself with swords and instruments of cruelty. There is a blessed sentence, Matthew 5.9. Beati sunt Pacifici, how little share have these men in that Beatitude! Be wise now therefore ye men of England; If the Lord be God, follow him, but if Baal be God, follow him; Halt no longer between two opinions; Is there a greater contradiction in Lord Bishop, then in Captain Parson? do you detest a surplice and hug a coat of mail? is not a tippet more decent than a belt of Bandeleers? is not David's music more pleasant than that of drums and trumpets? A true Minister hath no other sword save that of the spirit, no other shield save that of faith; yet in his scrip he hath so much learning and piety, as (like the smooth stones of the brook) shall wound the brazen foreheads of all his proud gainsayers. But besides this, there is a new Testament Trial; They who are the disciples of Christ, obey their Master's commands; the command is to stay there where the place is worthy; and where it is not, to be gone; now I appeal to the experience of the Country, whether or no the Presbyterians obeyed this; they looked not at the worth of the people, but at the value of the yearly stipend; how common and frequent was it to see some covetous young Novice placed amongst worthy Neighbours, having a competent allowance (had he known what a competence was) but hearing of a wealthy personage, Praesto Sir John, away flies he, and leaves Ninive to go to Tarshish! It was therefore an ingenious answer of a North Country Man to Mr. Vicar, who asked of him What is the chief end of Man? he replied, To run from a small benefice to a great one. For surely that hath been the end of these sons of Belial who (though they call themselves the Ambassadors of Christ) yet they never obeyed their Commission, but in God's livery served Mammon. Thus we have spoken of the way of Cain, that is their cruelty; and of the error of Balaam that is their covetousness; we shall now consider the gainsaying of Korah; What strange fire did they offer at God's altar! How often might you have gone to the place of public worship, and heard neither the Lords prayer, the Decalogue of Moses, nor the Apostles Creeds, without which we know not how to pray, what to do, or what to believe. Our Saviour Christ teacheth us how to pray, both negatively and positively; Not like the Pharisees, but after this manner; The Presbyterians prayed not in the words of Christ, but like those Hippocrites used vain Repetitions; and therefore it is now time for them to say we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and We have done those things which we ought not to have done. It was Moses his Plea unto God when he was to be sent into Egypt, I am not eloquent; perhaps he foresaw the perverseness of the men of this age, who thought him not eloquent enough to speak in their Congregation; Yet when the ruler demanded of Jesus, What he should do to inherit eternal life; He replied, Thou knowest the Commandments, etc. In the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation, we read of a Woman clothed with the Sun, having the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; This Woman is the Church of God, the Sun is the Sun of Righteousness, the Moon is this unconstant World, the crown of twelve stars is the doctrine of the Apostles, The Symbolum Apostolicum is very true believers Diadem; but it is no wonder that that hand which robbed the King of his Crown, should also deprive the Church of hers. I confess, I am loath to use such tart expressions; but I hope I may (without offence) defend the truth with such blows as others give who fight against it. I do remember that in the heat of these late wars, There was published a seditious Libel called The simple Cobbler, etc. wherein amongst other Conumdrums there was a Fanatical (I should have said prophetical) distich. Viz. There are a set of Bishops coming next behind, That will ride the Devil off his legs, and break his wind. Indeed such ugly words cannot deserve a comment, yet we may correct an erratum; for Bishops read Presbyterians. All the Kingdom knows that they were the rank riders. But how has the foul fiend played the Hobgobblin with them! how do they now tumble in the mire, who lately sat in the saddle! poor Hugh Peter's fell so that his neck was broken; others are crippled, both in their Estates and opinions; and they may have all time to spend that under the Devil's belly, which they got upon his back. But how the Devil should become broken-winded I know not, unless it was done when O. C. road post into another World. But stay my over hasty pen! I fear I have writ something that will not suit with the genius of sober men. The naked truth needs no such antic dress; Divinity and Drollery are an unlawful mixture; And therefore it becomes me to beg pardon of the impartial reader, and withal to signify that by the word Presbyterian, I do not mean all that are so called, far be it from me to go about to slain the reputation of any Godly and Learned Ministers, as Baxter, Calamy and others, whose piety and pains in the Church of God have deserved the praise of all good men; b●ne vir, hoc nihil ad te. But as for those seditious spirits that were Incendiaries in the old rebellion, and would now begin a new, that take upon them the name Presbyterian only to fight against Praelacy (for so the bvilders of Babel were confounded in their language) Indeed the word Presbyter had at first a good signification, as Tyrant, Magic, and other words, which through the corruption of Men have lost their old Etymology; Tyrant anciently did signify a King, but now it signifies an Oliver; Magic formerly signified Philosophy, but now it is taken for Witchcraft; and the name Presbyter was once an Elder, but now it is used for a Scotch Rebel, or an English Traitor. It is observed that once a great fashion in this Nation, was, to wear yellow starched Ruffs. But after one Mrs. Turner (a notorious Witch, and strumpet, was hanged with one of them about her neck, the mode became odious and was quite left off. Truly Reader, I think it is high time for us to lay aside the name Presbyterian which is nothing but a starched piece of Austority, because Hugh Peter's (who poisoned more with his doctrine then Mrs. Turner with her potions) wore it (as a livery) when he went to the gallows, I think it is high time for England to begin to be sober, and every man to bring his heart as a stone to the spiritual building of the Church of Christ? without repentance and self-denial, the stones cannot be hewn and made fit for the Fabric; without faith they cannot be built up; without love they cannot be joined and cemented; without decency, order and Government, there will still be a confusion, and not one stone left upon another. For this end there is a necessity of Episcopacy, experience hath taught us the inconvenience of Presbytery. For though I dare not call them the sons of perdition, I may confidently say they are the fathers of Confusion. It is reported of a Grave Senator of the Rump Parliament, that He sat many years in the house, and yet (like Balaams' Ass) he never spoke but once, and when he spoke his words were these, Mr. Speaker, I conceive it is necessary that we cause the window to be shut. Doubtless these words could not gain his worship the reputation of an Orator, but had the Parliament been then consulting about Church Government, his advice had been then as excellent as it is now ridiculous, that is, to cause that window to be shut by a wholesome Law, that had been too long held open by toleration of Opinions and Liberty of Conscience. I shall conclude with the words of a famous Divine, which were part of his last prayer, Lord strike through the reins of those who rise up against the Church and King; make them as chaff before the wind, and as stubble before the fire; but upon himself and his seed let his Crown flourish. Wharton. WHat changelings where the Presbyterian crew, That pulled old crosses down, to build up new? That durst adventure on such dangerous shelves, As to unsaint th' Evangelists themselves, And left us not a Festival beside: What they had called and had sanctified. But heavens are just, for lo they're forced to bow; The Synods down, and stinking Elders too: Only they bark at moonshine now and then, To show that they are Dogs rather then Men. The Author's Echo. THen down with 'em, let them no longer stand, Base caterpillars that consumed the land, That rend the common-prayer book and lawn sleeves, And made the house of God a Den of thiefs. O may the sacred Pulpit now be free From such Quacksalvers in Divinity! Let 'em be Pedagogues o'th' lashing trade, And whip their boys as C— did his Maid; Or else return unto there Zealous Tub, And their be Chaplains to Don Belzebub. FINIS.