AN Humble Caution Concerning the danger of removing godly and approved MINISTERS Out of Sequestrations.  
 woodcut of flower  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas ratcliff. 1660.   

Considering the Kings gracious Proclamation, prohibiting all riotous invasions upon Ministers and others; settled by former Authority; and to prevent the Evils that may follow upon the removal of godly Ministers from their places, wherein they are at present settled,  
The Question is humbly discussed as followeth:  
The Question, Whether it be fitting to remove those Ministers that are settled in Sequestrations for life by former Authority, whether legal or pretended?  
For the Negative part, that it is not convenient to remove such Ministers.  
1. IN all deliberations, especially about matters of great consequence, we should ask counsel of God by his Word; 
Prov. 16.2.  it being not safe for the wisest or highest of men to be lead by their own counsels. Let therefore the Word of God be consulted as the Rule, that we may know what is the mind and counsel of God in the case.  
Now the Word gives a plain and good Caution herein, Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm. 
Psal. 105.15.  And would this be no harm to them to remove them from their holy service, to which they are called and dedicated of God? Surely the Ministers of the Gospel whom Christ hath given in mercy to his Church, and were put in by divine Providence under former Authority( as his Majesty notes) whether legal or pretended, if they be judged to be faithful, holy and zealous for God, and giving no offence, it cannot be pleasing to God to attempt their extrusion and unsettlement, for whatsoever injury and ill usage is offered to them, is tenderly took to heart with the Lord Jesus Christ; and seeing all power in Heaven and earth is delegated from Christ, and to be used for Christ, how ill will he take it from his servants, if to pleasure friends, they should go contrary to their commission in a matter of such importance; which God avert?  
2. How incommodious will such a course be to the Church of God, and the worship of God, which the Lord hath so much respect to, and Princes must chiefly have respect to.  
It hath pleased God to set in the Firmament of his Church in England, and Dominions adjoining, many glorious stars richly gifted with the spirit of Grace, and powerfully instrumental in their testimony for Christ, and conversion of souls that belong to the election of Grace, settled in the room of many ejected( as we will suppose) upon articles of scandal or incompetency for so high a work; Now if those that Christ hath gifted for the Pastoral Charge, and are happy and successful Instruments therein, should be shook out, and the old restored or as bad, how much would the worship of God be impaired, and the Church of God disturbed and disheartened.  
3. Against the removal of such Ministers, what a breach would this make in the affections of the Kings best subjects, in this day wherein Peace should be fosterd amongst them, as the onely Cement that will unite them one to another, and to the King, whose establishment chiefly depends upon the love of his good people, and wherein his majesty( I believe) takes more satisfaction then in the high honour of his place and royal sovereignty.  
For upon the ejection of such godly Ministers, their affections, and the affections of their distressed Families that depend upon them, and the affections of their friends and allies that condole with them, and the affections of the Church and precious people of God that are under their charge, and the affections of their Neighbour-associated Ministers, are hereby greatly hazarded, which will be such a loss to the King, as the gratifying of a few Patrons or sequestered persons will never be able to make up in these dayes, the discontent being given thousands; the gratification but a few score.  
4. What a loss it will be to the Kings Majesty to lose the prayers of so many powerful godly Ministers, who prefer public prayers to God in the Churches for the prosperity and happiness of the King, a privilege which even the King of Persia knew how to prise, The Prophets of God being truly the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel as the King of Israel, called Elisha, 
Ezra 6.10.  and more advantageous to Kings and Governours than their most puissant Armies and multitudes for their establishment.  
5. Let it be considered, What judgements and ruin have broken in from our displeased God, upon those that have affronted and evilly entreated the faithful Ministers of God, and attempted their hurt:  
To pass by the retaliation and counter-passion inflicted upon King Abimelech and all his Family for wronging but one Prophet, Abraham.  
What dreadful destruction Jezebel was devoured with for persecuting the Prophets of the Lord in her time.  
What dreadful ejection and desertion befell Saul and his House for neglecting the counsel of God by Samuel, and slaying the Priests?  
What desolation upon Judah and Israel by a miserable tedious Captivity for mocking and abusing the faithful Ministers of God.  
But to look only home to the over-turnings God hath wrought in this land of ours of late years?  
What breaches did God recompense the Parliament of England with for their refusal of the faithful Ministers, that God gave them warning by in their day, making their own servants their severe Chastisers and Disturbers often.  
And when that little Junto( so much exposed to the scorn of the people of England) amongst other rekes, had secretly plotted the taking off of all the Ministers in the land, intending to set up those they should like, or perhaps none at all, within a day or two, that their plot was to have took effect, God broken them to pieces, 1653.  
Afterwards, when other Governours started up, and strengthened the false spirit of prophesy in erroneous schismatics and fanatics, against the faithful Ministers of God, God filled them full of trouble, and broken them with breach upon breach, and blow'd upon their high innovations, and dissolved their Chym●ra's often, though they thought them woven with a Gordion's knot.  
And lastly, for it were tedious to bring forth the examples that have abounded in this age.  
When that Party that assumed to themselves to be a Committee of Safety, voted down the maintenance of the Ministers by tithes, God instantly shook them with terrors, and caused their hands to let fall their work, and melted them away as the snow before the sun.  
Thus when the Ministers of God, who are Gods chief ordinary counsellors upon earth, were laid aside out of Counsels, first Civil, then Ecclesiastical, their holy Office despised and yet invaded, their persons railed at with the reproaches of hell, and their Patrimony and maintenance sacrilegiously took from them, and diverted to strangers: And there was none of those that undertook the Government that would help this, God looks abroad into foreign Nations for a foster-Father, and called for the banished home to let loose his Captives, and vindicate and recover the just rights of the Church, even the son of ancient Kings: and that royal Cedar that he hath now planted with his own right hand in our Lebanon, and had there not been such a gracious Prince to be found who is our own flesh, I doubt not to say it, but God had called in a foreigner from France or spain to have chastised the wickedness of the land grown to that height, until he had fulfilled all his pleasure towards his Church by them. And therefore I trust that our most gracious God, who hath called the King to his Fathers royal Throne, will over-rule his heart and Counsels, so as to make him a Patron of the Church and godly Pastours thereof, and not suffer him to taint his hands with the disturbance of them. For certain it is, that God will be sure to recompense those that annoy or grieve his faithful Ministers in all ages, the persecution of such being one of the main causes of the subversion of Governours and Governments.  
6. Many Ministers settled in Sequestrations have paid their First-fruits for their places, and how shall they be recompensed; Others that are in sequestrations upon the death of incumbents; are to pay First-fruits: and hereby the King receives the same advantage that Patrons can give by their presentations. Therefore the King receives no damage by the continuation of such Ministers in their possessions, and the subjects receive so great damage by their unsettlement; I think it ill service to press the King, whose heart is graciously affencted of God towards his people, to do such an act as will cause a cry of his subjects to Heaven, and no advantage to his Royal Majesty on earth. 
Prov. 16.12.  For it is an abomination to Kings to commit wickedness, but the Throne is established by righteousness.  
7. Presentations that belong to Cathedral Churches cannot be restored to them, until the full restitution of the former Government; therefore to gratify some Patrons, and not all, will be counted partiality, and breed discontents that way.  
8. From a Dilemma in the Case. The continuation of Ministers in their places, must needs render the King more glorious in the eyes of all Parties than their dissettlement is like to do.  
For such an Act of Grace cannot but endear the King to those that are thus graciously continued in their place; neither can it also but render the King glorious in the eyes of all others: In regard it gives them hope of the like Grace in some other way, if they be truly deserving of it.  
9. Many of the former Incumbents are dead, and so cannot be restored, and the present Incumbents are good sufficient men, and need not be removed.  
Therefore if no danger arise by the continuation of the present Ministers in their possessions, and much evil consequence be like to ensue upon their removal, who that is of a sober judgement, and not violently set upon his own project, but will conclude it more fitting to continue such Ministers than remove them?  
FINIS.