IF ever Mother had just reason to Complain of her Children, and ex­postulate the Case with them, certainly it is I. If ever Children did Dishonour their Parent, or at any time Blast her Reputation, they are now mine.

I who formerly gloried in my stedfast and unshaken Loyalty; I who by many Canons and Ecclesiastical Constitutions established the Regal Authority against all Papal and Popular, Foreign and Domestick Power: I who so often declar'd it Unlawful for any Subject, upon any pretence what­soever, to take up either Offensive or Defensive Arms against their Sove­raign. I who Contemned my [...]ister Churches, as [...]eaching Doctrines and Positions lessening that Tow [...]ing Loyalty which I professed; and par­ticularly Her of Rome, for maintaining a Foreign Ecclesiastical Jurisdicti­on, though only in meer Spiritual matters: Now find my Reputation Tainted, my Loyalty brought in question, and my constant adherence to my own Canons and Constitutions, not only doubted of, but denyed; whilst the Malice of some of my Children being in a Foreign Power to in­vade my Soveraign's Rights, under a meer-pretence of supporting my Grandure; and raise Popular tumults for the establishing my Peace; whilst the irregular Zeal of others, makes them draw their Swords a­gainst their and my Head and Soveraign in the most unnatural Quarel; and others who should have stood up to support my Honour, not only look on with an affected Silence, but by covert wayes abet Rebellion.

He who spares the Rod; says Solomon, spoils the Child; And this I fear has been my Case. The Evil seems by my neglect to have taken root, and spread its Branches to a large extent; and should I in this juncture of Affairs make use of my Maternal Power, or Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and publickly disinherit, or denounce Them to be no Members, of my Body, who have broken my Canons and [...]nstitutions, to which an Excommuni­cation, ipso facto, is annexed, I might fear to Exasperate rather than recal my Children to a due Obedience: Nay I might justly apprehend a vast diminution in my Numbers; and they who have given this wound to their Mothers Honour, by calling [...]n, or abetting a Foreign Power against [Page 2]her Head, would also contemn my Censures, and never sue for Absolution.

But Loosers, they say, have leave to speak. I hope then it may be allowed me, even at this time, to speak my mind freely, and read a Lecture of Duty and Obedience to my Children.

And to whom shall I Address my self, but to them whose Ecclesiastical Dignity has given them not only Authority to Teach my Children their Duty, but to compel them also by Censures to it; and particularly to you my Seven Sons, who of late gain'd so vast a Reputation, by opposing Majesty, that no Emblem but the Seven Golden Candlesticks, was thought sufficient to express your Glory: And this so much the rather, because it is surmis'd, that occasion has been taken from your Examples, to advance too far, and pass over the Bulworks of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance into the open Campaigns of Rebellion.

You know what Articles, Canons and Constitutions have been established by me in your Predecessors Times; and what Obligations all my Chil­dren have lain under by them: But you know also how little they have been put in Execution.

You know, that from my first Establishment, I declared in my 37 Ar­ticle, that, The Kings Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other his Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil, in all Causes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought not to be subject to any Foreign Iurisdiction. And this without any limitation.

You know also, that in the Canons and Constitutions set forth in the first year of King James the first, Not only the Inferior Clergy, but the Arch­bishop of Canterbury himself, is obliged to keep and observe Faithfully, and (as much as in them lyes) see that others keep and observe all and every the Statutes and Laws confirming the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Kings of England. And that all who have Cure of Souls, Preachers, &c. Shall Teach that All Foreign and Usurped Power, has for just Causes been taken away and abolish'd; and therefore no Obedience or Subjection is in any manner due, in these his Majesties Kingdoms and Dominions, to any Foreign Power whatsoever — But that the Regal Authority is the First and Supream next under God, to which All Persons are obliged by the Law of God to pay All Fidelity and Obedience above any other Power upon Earth.

That in the 2d. of those Canons, They are to be Fxcommunicated ipso facto, Who shall presume in any manner to hurt or lessen the said Regal Primacy Established by the Laws of the Kingdom: And that this Excommu­nication shall not be taken off, but by the Arch-Bishop, and that not till they Repent, and Publickly recall those Impious Errors.

From whence it Naturally follows, that, to bring in or Abet Any For­reign Jurisdiction, (without Exception) against our Lawful Sovereign, up­on any Pretence whatsoever, whether Ecclesiastical or Civil, is to go direct­ly against my Doctrine delivered in my XXXIX Articles, against the Esta­blished Laws of this Nation, against my Canons and Constitutions, and [Page 3]such a Crime as is justly called Impious, and incurs an Excommunication ipso facto.

You know moreover, that in my latter Canons and Constitutions, Pub­lished in the Year 40 (to prevent those intestine Broils which threatned the Nation,Sparo Canon 345. and brought it presently after to Ruin:) Several Explana­tions of the Regal Power were Commanded to be Read by every Parson, Vicar, Curate or Preacher, upon some one Sunday in every Quarter of the Year at Morning-Prayer; which Explanations declared at large.

1. That the most High and Sacred Order of Kings is of Divine Right, and that God has given Them a Supreme Power to Rule and Command in Their se­veral Dominions, all Persons of what Rank or Estate soever, whether Eccle­siastical or Civil, and to Restrain and Punish with the Temporal Sword, all Stubborn and Wicked Doers.

2. That the care of God's Church is committed to Kings, who are Commen­ded by God when the Church keeps the right way, and Taxed by Him in Holy Scripures when it runs amiss. But it is no where said, that either a Foreign or Domestick Power may Compel Him to do, or Punish Him for not per­forming His Duty.

3. That the Power to Call and Disolve Councils, both National and Pro­vincial, is the true Right of all Christian Kings within Their own Realms and Teritories: And when in the first times of Christ's Church, Prelates used this Power, 'twas therefore only because in those days they had no Christian Kings: And it was then so only used as in times of Persecution, that is, with Supposition (in case it were required) of submitting their Lives unto the very Laws and Commands, even of those Pagan Princes, that they might not so much as seem to disturb their Civil Government, which Christ came to Confirm, but by no means to Ʋndermine.

From whence it follows, That the Doctrine of Non-Resistance and Pas­sive Obedience, is what was Taught in the Primitive Church, as necessary to be Practiced even towards Heathens, and their Laws, much more ought it now to be towards Christian Princes.

4. That for any Person or Persons to Set up, Maintain, or Avow in any Their Realms or Teritories respectively, any Independent Co-active Power, either Papal or Popular (whether directly or indirectly) is to Ʋndermine Their Great Royal Office, and cunningly to Overthrow that most Sacred Ordi­nance, which God himself hath Established: And so is Treasonable a­gainst God, as well as against the King.

And certainly, if it was then my Duty to cry out against any Indepen­dent Co-active Power, either Papal or Popular; it is no less my Duty now, to disavow any Foreign or Domestick Power, though Protestant.

5. That for Subjects to bear Arms against their Kings, Offensive or Defen­sive, upon any pretence whatsoever [whether for Religion or Property it matt [...]rs not] is at least to Resist the Powers, which are Ordained of God: And tho' they do not Invade, but only Resist; St. Paul tells them plainly, They shall receive to themselves Damnation.

[Page 4] 6. They declare. That tho' Tribute and Custom, and Aid, and Subsidy, and all manner of necessary Support and Supply, be respectively due to Kings from Their Subjects, by the Law of God, Nature, and Nations, for the Publick Defence, Care and Protection of them; yet nevertheless, Subjects have not on­ly Possession of, but a true and just Title to, and in all their Goods and Estates, and ought to have: And these two are so far from crossing one another, that they mutually go together, for the Honourable and Comfortable Support of both. For as it is the Duty of the Subjects to supply their King: So is it part of the Kingly Office, to support his Subjects in the Property and Freedom of their Estates.

7. They Decreed, That if any Parson, Vicar, Curate, or Preacher, shall voluntarily or carelesly neglect his Duty in Publishing the said Explications and Conclusions, according to the Order above described, he shall be Suspen­ded by his Ordinary, till such time as upon his Penitence he shall give sufficient Assurance, or Evidence of his Amendment, &c.

8. They do also thereby require Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and all other Infe­feriour Priests and Ministers, that they Preach, Teach, and Exhort their Peo­ple to Obey, Honour, and Serve their King; and that they presume not to speak of His Majesty's Power in any other way than in this Canon is expressed.

9. And lastly, if any Parson, Vicar, Curate, Preacher, or any other Ec­clesiastical Person whatsoever, shall in any Sermon, Lecture, Common Place, Determination or Disputation, either by Word or Writing, Publickly Maintain, or Abet any Position or Conclusion, in Opposition or Impeachment of the afore­said Explications, or any Part or Article of them, he shall forthwith, by the Power of His Majesty's Commissioners for Causes Ecclesiastical, be Excom­municated (till he Repent) and Suspended two years from all the Profits of his Benefice, or other Ecclesiastical, Academical, or Scholastical Prefer­ments, &c.

You know also, that these Canons and Constitutions do bind you no less now in 88. than they did your Predec [...]ssors in 41. it having been Decreed, That whosoever shall hereafter affirm, that a most Holy Synod of this Nation, is not Representatively the true Church of England: or that no Persons, whe­ther of the Clergy or Laity, are any ways obliged by the said Decrees touching Ecclesiastical matters, who were not personally present in the same Holy Synod, as not having given their Votes or Consent, shall be Excommunicated; and by no means to be Absolved till he have Repented, and Publickly recalled this Wicked Error.

I must desire you also to call to mind the Oaths you and all my other Children of the Clergy took, when you entred into that Sacred Function, as also the Declarations you Subscribed when you became Incumbents.

The first at your Ordination, was in these words.

I A. B. do utterly testify and declare in my Conscience, that the King's Highness is the only Suprem Governour of this Realm, p. 145. and of all other His Highnesses Dominions and Coun­tries, as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Things or Causes, as Temporal; and that no Foreign Prince, Person, Prelate, State, [Page 5]or Potentate, hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction, Power, Supe­riority, Pre-eminence, or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Within this Realm, and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all Foreign Jurisdictions, Powers, Superiorties and Authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Alle­giance to the King's Highness, His Heirs and Lawful Succes­sors, and to my Power shall Assist and Defend all Jurisdictions, Priviledges, Pre-eminencies, and Authorities, granted or belong­ing to the King's Highness, His Heirs and Successors, or V­nited and Annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm. So help me God, and the Contents of this Book.

The Second Oath or Declaration, is before their Admission to be Incum­ben [...]s, in these words.

I A. B. declare, That it is not Lawful upon any Pretence whatsoever, to take Arms against the King; And that I abhor that Trayterous Position of taking Arms, Act of [...] ­niformit [...] 14, Car. by His Authority against His Person, or against those that are Commissionated by Him, &c.

These are my Articles, Canons, Constitutions, and Declarations, Loyal indeed in their Expressions, and such as Religiously maintain my known Doctrine of Non-Resistance, upon any account whatsoever, and Passive Obedi­ence, where Conscience will not permit an Active; These are the Oaths you your selves have taken, and the Declarations you have subscribed. The Censures are high, even those of Excommunication ipso facto; And the Laws are made equally against any Foreign or Domestick Power, Papal or Popular; Prince, Person, Prelate, Stute, or Potentate.

But what does it avail Me, to make Laws and Canons for my Children, if they will not pay Obedience? I can see my Sister Churches Religious­ly Obeyed, and all their Children look upon themselves, as bound un­der a Mortal sin to Obey their Parent, tho' no Excommunications were an­nexed; but alas! all my Commands are slighted, even from the Obser­vation of my Feasts and Fasts, to my Allegiance to my Sovereign: And you who should stand by me, and by your Consures as well as your Examples, vindicate my Power, and maintain my Honour, take no care to put my Canons in Execution; Nay, which is yet more, joyn with the Multitude of my Rebellious Children, and by a Criminal Silence in this Case, e­qually blast my Reputation.

Consider I Pray (my Lords) your Station and your Duty. You are my Principal Children who ought to stand as Bullworks to defend my Faith and Doctrine, and not only by your Discourses, Sermons, and Ex­amples, Teach my Inferior Children their Duties, but by Ecclesiastical Censures and Excommunications compel them to it. But alas! How faintly do you comply with this Obligation?

You see a Foreign Power is entred into this Nation in an Hostile manner, pretending to give Law; to mine and your Liege Soveraign: You see Per­sons [Page 6]of all Conditions joyn themselves with this Invador, and take up Armes against my King, contrary to their Sworn Allegiance, and in op­position to my Doctrine of Non-resistance: And what Canon, Constitution, or Ecclesiastical Censure have you published against them? Have you pro­nounced this Invasion unlawful, and all the Subjects of the King of Eng­land, who joyn with the Invador, Traytors both to their King and to their God; and such as resist the Powers that are of God, and shall receive to themselves Damnation? Have you issued out your Commands to the Inferior Clergy to Read the several Explanations of the Regal Power, and Preach up that Obedience which is due, and the necessary Resistance which every Subject ought to make against the Invadors of their Country? Have you Excommu­nicated a Burnet, though lyable to an Ecclesiastical Censure? Has any of you open'd your Mouthes against the most perfidious Treachery of a C — who calls me still his Mother? In a word, what is it you have done to main­tain my Doctrines, or secure me from the Reproaches that are daily cast upon me?

Is not all the World ready to say at present, what a Noble Peer said sometime ago to King Charles the Second, The Church of England is we see like other Christian Churches, Obedient as long as it consists with her Inte­rest to Obey, and for a King as long as a King is for her: But setting aside those Cases, she can dispence with Passive Obedience and Non-resistance, as well as any of her Puritan Neighbours: And have you done any thing to remove the Obliquy?

Nay, let me come a little closer to the Point: Have not some of your Order been accused of calling this Invador into your Country? Has not the Prince himself declared as much? Does not this reflect upon my Ho­nour as well as yours? And have you Vindicated either your selves or Me? What could there have been more easie or more seasonable for the Vindi­cation of both our Reputations, than to have denyed the Fact, and pub­lished an Abhorrence of such a Treacherous and unparallel'd Invasion? And yet we see nothing but a profound Silence; which some say, is the cer­tain sign of Guilt.

A Silence, I say, unless you will call your last Petition your Defence, whilst others look upon it as a publick acknowledgment of your being Guilty. A Petition, which besides the unpracticableness of what is de­sir'd in it, A free Parliament, at a Juncture, when neither the King, Lords, nor Commons can be Free; being published at this time, and without His Majesties most gracious Answer, is looked upon by most moderate Men, as an open Abetting of the Prince of Orange's Design by this Invasion, and a siding with Him.

Let me a little expostulate the Case with you. Pray tell me, is not the Prince of Orange a Foreign Enemy? Are not many of those who joyn with Him Subjects of the King of England? Has not He and They entred the Kingdom in an Hostile manner? Does He not now seize upon the King's Revenues; has He not strip'd, His Soldiers who would not joyn in the [Page 7]most Treacherous Action that ever saw the Light? Has He not erected a formal Treasury? Does He not pretend to Settle the Nation, Red [...] Grievances, and force, or Fright the King to a Complyance? Has he not forbid the publick Prayers for our dread Soveraign, and order'd them to be offered for Himself? All this you cannot deny. Pray then tell me fur­ther. What Law, Canon, or Constitution, has given Him this Power, Superiority, or Dominion, over our King or Kingdom? What Case of Conscience has Absolved the King's Subjects from their Allegiance? Who is it that has Dispens'd with all the Oaths You or they have taken; or, can they be Dispensed with? What is there can make the most unnatural In­vasion lawful; and Rebellion, which is as the Sin of Witchcrast, become a Vertue? If no man must resist, or take up Armes in any Case against the King, what colourable pretence can any one produce to Vindicate these Actions? Is the Doctrine of Non-Resistance and Passive Obedience mine, or is it not? If you cannot answer Categorically to these Questions, but you must necessarily condemn this Invasion and Rebellion, and all the Adherents or Abettors of it: Pray tell me, whether a Silence in those that are obliged to speak, have their Liberty, and may hope to prevail by speaking, be not in the highest nature Criminal?

You know what esteem you have gain'd in the Minds of the People by opposing the King, and not publishing His Declaration for Liberty of o­ther Persons Consciences, which Liberty you thought was inconsistent with your own; so that what you now say to them, will be looked upon almost as Sacred. But if you be not now as stout in opposing a Foreign Power, and suppressing Domestick Broils; will it not be inferr'd, either that you approve of the Invasion, or have lost your Courage, or acted then more by Passion then Reason or Religion? I must needs tell you, that some are not afraid to Whisper; nay, to speak it out, That you had not been then so Couragious, if you had not foreseen this Invasion; and that the seven Trumpets now appears to have been a fitter Emblem than the seven Candlesticks: And thus that Glory which you then gain'd begins to Tarnish, and the Garland withers upon your Temple, by your being Silent, and you still Affect it.

But you will perhaps still say with the Mobile, The Prince comes not to hurt us, but to Protect us and our Religion. You will also, it may be, say that those Laws, Canons and Constitutions which were made against a Foreign Power, were only meant against the Pope and Popery, but not a­gainst a Protestant Prince, who comes only to secure us against the Designs of Papists.

But if you say this, speak softly; least you entirely ruin my Reputati­on, and instead of repelling the Calumny, clench it by such Distincti­ons. Is not King JAMES the II. my Lawful Soveraign, against whom this Foreign Invador comes? Are not you and all his Liege Subjects bound by all the Tyes of God, of Nature, and of Nations, to Desend Him a­gainst any Power whatever, Papal or Popular, Foreign or Domestick? Sup­pose [Page]he had gone about to persecute my Children, or pull me down (though I must needs say, the promises He made me, and the methods He was taking to secure my [...], would have been the most solid Establishment for me, even to Envy in future ages) is not Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance my known Doctrine? What pretence then can you or any of my Children have to joyn with such a Foreign Power, abet Re­bellion, or stand with folded arms, without pronouncing Sentence against such Rebels.

Have you such a Charm as can turn what would be Treason, Treachery and Rebellion in a Papist, into Protestant Virtues? I dare say, if the Bishop of Rome, or any Ro­man Catholick King, Prince, or Potentate, had in the beginning of the Protestant Re­formation, entered into this Kingdom in such an Hostile manner, for the Defence of the antient Liberties and Religion of the Nation, as then by Law E [...]ablished, you would have proclaimed them Ʋnjust Invaders, and all the Subjects of these Kingdoms, that would not joyn in the repelling of them, Traytors. And is the case now changed, be­cause the Prince of Orange is a Protestant, and our Gracious King a Rom [...]n Catholick? Is that a Virtue in a Protestant Prince, which would be the highest crime in a Roman Ca­tholick King? Was the intended Invasion in 1588 look'd upon by me as a most Wicked Undertaking, and justly punished by an avenging Fire, and shall not that of 1688 be as much condemned; because this is a Protestant Invasion, and that a Roman Catholick? Have you so frequently condemned the Roman Catholick Religion, and instilled an aver­sion into the peoples minds, by laying bloody Principles to their charge; and will you now assert, that it is Lawful for Protestants to defend their Religion against their Sove­reign by Invasions, Rebellions, Tumults, Rapines, Seditions, Massacrees, Blood-shed, and all the dire Effect of War?

Tell not these things in Gath, publish them not in the streets of Askelon, lest the Daughters of the Philistines rejoyce, lest the Daughters of the Ʋncircumcised triumph. Tell them not (I say) lest not only our Brethren of other Nations, but even Heathens themselves should skoff at our Morality.

I have heard of several Roman Catholicks, who being Interrogated by publick Autho­rity, whether if the Bishop of Rome should come into England, they would stand for the Pope or for the King, made answer, If the Pope come in with his Books and Beades, we will be for him; But if he come in with Sword and Pistol, we will Fight against him. And shall they whose Principles we censure, exceed us in the degrees of Loyalty? What Shame, what Confusion will this be to us in after Ages; when God, who will Vindicate the Right of Kings, shall again establish our Soveraigns Throne in Peace? This will be a Blot to be hit by every Polemic Writer; my Reputation thus lost, will never be regain'd, and I shall be alwayes put in mind of the Wise man's advice, Fear God, Honour the King, and medle not with those that are given to change.

Let me beg of you then (my beloved Children) to consider your Mothers Honour and Reputation, if you will not reflect upon your own. Let not my Doctrines and Principles he laid aside, and those that are contrary to them embraced by you. Let it not be objected that I have changed my Faith, and instead of even Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance, now go about to preserve my Rights and Priviledges by an Invaders Sword and Rebels Armes. But on the contrary labour to regain your own Reputations, and repair my blasted Honour by an unshaken stedfastness to your Soveraign.

Publish boldly the Abhorrence of this Treacherous Invasion, which is the only way to clear your Innocence, and confute the Invadors Accusation. Move your Brethren to send forth your joynt Injunctions to all the Inferiour Clergy, commanding them to Preach Obe­dience and Non-Resistance to the People, and by that means quell the fury of the Rabble. Declare all those to be Excommunicated persons, whom the King declares to be Traytors. Pronounce Rebellion to be as the sin of Witchcraft, and that they who curse the King in their Thoughts, shall have a Bird of the Air carry the Voice, and an avenging God to punish the Offence. Stand up now, before it be too late for my Doctrine of Non-Resistance, and then you need not fear the being exercised in that of Passive Obedience. For when our Gracious Sovereign shall by that means, see your Loyalty in practice as well as Doctrine, He will be as constant to His Promises, as you can be to your Principles; And if I main­tain the Right of Kings, He will maintain me as by Law Established.