THE
ARMINIAN-PRIESTS last Petition for their former formalitie, and ancient innovation, both in Church and Common-weale; returned from all parts, with the numerall subscription of 6000 and 666.
VOuchsafe great Lords your favour but to hear,
Our just requests by us presented here.
Our Churches open errours, some doe say,
You would (how e're we brook it) take away;
And wholsome Truths establish in their roome;
Such as the way of Truth may well become.
Yet some doe doubt, and you perhaps may deeme
What you appoint as fit, will not so seeme
To us; nor that we ever will endure
So great a change; but rest your Honours sure,
That wee our selves shall now both fully cleare
From all Such staine and fault, and you from feare.
And t'extinguish doubt, our duties you shall see
In ages past, both what they were, and be
Even now; while
Edward many rites refused,
He Masse put downe, and this our service chused:
We then the Clergic of the Land were strict,
The last to keepe; not Masse, gainst it we kickt:
But this Queene
Mary had no sooner staid,
And Masse againe enjoynde, but we obaid.
And now her sister (
Mary having paide
Fraile natures debt) no sooner Queene is made,
[Page 2]But shee againe puts downe that Idoll Masse;
Our Rites restores, and Service as it was:
To these our Father-Priests did then submit,
Though most (perhaps) did minde it was not fit:
Yet what the State adjudgeth to be best,
They question not, but doote, and therein rest.
Now what our Fathers did, wee meane to doe,
Conforme our selves to things confirmde by you.
Like Weavers Shuttles that doe forwards spring,
As thriddes rise up, or fall; then straight beginne
A swift Retreate: so wee proceed, and prise,
And straight run backe as States doe fall or rise.
Wee are not so unlearn'd, but wee our duties know,
Which first to man, and then to God wee owe.
What Ceremonies in Gods worship be?
Or how from Truth they differ, what care we?
Our vaine devices; which if you decent call,
As wee were wont, our due observance shall
Meet honour adde, our Tapers holy
The reall presence turnes Al
[...]ars especially into Shrines.
Shrines,
So well beseeme; things, persons, places holy,
Consecrate, (Impostours sacred folly)
Quaint gestures, Anthems antick coynd and made,
Instead of Gods true worship, forged by the trade
And art of mens new vaine devising witts;
Our fruitlesse moulds that formes these apish tricks.
Though some be stubborne, wee are content alas,
This copper-coyne and counterfeit should passe
Divinely currant; wee to all submit.
Not to what God, but man thinks fit:
And for this cause wee cannot doubt that favour,
As well may suite with this our meeke behaviour:
And first that wee may from this storme be freed,
Which hurrieth backe upon our frighted head,
Our holy-handy-workes; wee all our force.
And might oppose, yet cannot stop the sourse;
As
Apocal. 1.15.
Nilus rushing Catarrhacts amase
Th'astonisht care; even so these tempests raise
[Page 3]A sevenfold dread, which rightly might inferre,
The wrathfull blasts of a mightie thunderer.
Now ayde in this extremitie of neede,
A little ayde (alas) will doe the deed.
If you but us sustaine, and but advance
Our holy Patriarches, their praise inhance;
And shall submit them but their former state
And loftie chare, that grace and happie fate,
Shall joyntly binde us firmely to fullfill,
Orebeare, crush, sway, and doe even what we will.
And first (to shew cur gratitude) wee would
Gods Sanctuary build, though not of gold,
Nor stone, nor silver; but yet his House compile
Of stubble, straw, or hay; or (if more vile)
Embased refuse mettall; which if tride,
Nor triall may, nor fires heare abide:
Then wisely fix our Fortresse on the Sands,
And fabricke raise where no foundation stands:
As learn'd Geometricians use to square,
Their narrow bottom'd basis, fixt on ayre
By rule of Art, not Reason; so you shall see,
A Towring Architecture fram'de of vanitie.
From forme and matter though all things beeing take,
No matter wee of forme or matter make;
As Master-builders, wee will not care for stuffe,
Nor forme, nor order; yet build strong enough.
'T will well beseeme as meetly worth our having,
Instead of
Bethel though wee build
Bethaven.
Then even in trifles, you our zeale shall see
Exceed our knowledge, and our knowledge be
In matters serious slightest; but most slight
Our zeale in things of moment and of weight.
Where sinnes turne flouds, and as a Deluge roare,
Whose billowes proudly doe disdaine a shore
Of finite limits; there wee'le straight hold forth
The Olive-branch from out our peacefull mouth:
But where right words, or works, or wayes are found,
Or but so seeme, wee'le forthwith frame our sound
[Page 4]Of shrill voyce Trumpetts; and (to keepe them under)
Our words of lightnings, and our voyce of thunder.
Then raise our lifting State, as may beseeme
Our selues of us to thinke, and others deeme.
Then mans devices, in despite of those
Againe advance, that shall or dare oppose;
And teach for Doctrine what our Fathers did,
Though mens Traditions, and Gods Word forbid
Then wee'le protest against by joynt consent.
The right advice of prudent PARLIAMENT;
And teach our senslesse faction not to flye,
Till State and Church they drench in Tyrian dye.
Then all to expedit, unite, and raise
Our inward energitticke Forces; no delayes
Digest, or brooke; but even calcine our Arts,
And teach our skill's to improve their better parts.
Thus from each Dutie wee'le not erre one whit,
Not caring how to know, but doe what's fit.
So wee these weightie matters well observe,
From petty Rites wee passe not how we swerve
For Tapers, Crosses, Tippitts, what care wee?
Our Linnen Ephods, Copes, or bended Knee
To Altars Eastward standing (nice ones feare)
Or
Jesus named, though no Scriptures beare
Such Byards blamelesse; that his Word prophane,
These, as you brooke, we like; or else count vaine.
We speake of those, to which they now amount,
Their present worth; though sacred, wee account
Such decent Rites: we prise, and much approve
Those Rites; but these are times to hide our love:
All these and more, and what we fai
[...]e would have;
But none of these is that which now wee crave;
To stint this storme, is now our sole desire,
'Gainst which we cannot stand; nor will retire
T'immure this Winde, we count our greatest gaines
Which well effect, were labour worth our paines.
This adds death to dread,
[...] deadly feares
To cruell woes; wrecks out comforts, works our cares.
[Page 5]All our sorrowes are unto this but flight,
No woes compar'd to this have wight:
The higher powers, and mightie States (alas)
Of old have been our wonted walls of brasse.
You see our restlesse paines; we throng and presse
T'impale this winde; but yet finde no redresse:
You see wee are to industrie inclinde,
Nor doe desist, let's helpe and harbour finde:
It strikes our Altars, and blowes out our Tapours;
It wasts our strength, as if it were but vapours;
It ruinates our might, our Rites it raceth;
It smiteth all our pompe, our pride defaceth;
Our works it scatters, but this doth worke our toyle,
Our Cannons blasts this tempest makes recoyle,
Our grace doth wither, and our glories cease;
Our cares doe more abound, our feares increase;
Our honours fade, our high Commissions flye;
Our fraud's defeated, our secular pow'res dye.
It rends our Rochetts, and our Tippitts teares,
And puts our mortall hearts to mightie feares:
Our swords and keyes it snatcheth; blasts our name;
It dissipates our structure; breakes our frame.
If ever wee obtaine our meete demands;
And herein purchase but your helping hands:
Wee'le not be sluggish loggs which no man dreads;
But wisely will bestirre our working heads,
To get our pride, and profit, (that's our thirst,)
Then idlenesse; all which to purchase, first
The weapons of our warfare wee'le once more,
Embellish, brighten, scoure, and burnish o're;
And first our secular power so refine,
As all that see't shall say, 'tis right divine.
Our crosse-keyes thus quartered with our sword,
Both triple gaine, and glory will afford:
Then wee our Cannons fairely will display,
Taffright and chase the Puritan away:
And then our Crosier-staves shall countermand,
The highest powers that can or dare withstand.
[Page 6]But now more bravely to performe our parts,
Wee'le joyne our force, and fraud both
Mars and Arts;
These stormes by slight subdue, take speedy course
To curb their might, break their rage, & race the sourse.
Then shall our might that goodly masse sustaine
Of mans Traditions ever to remaine
To ages sacred; that shall our holy heape
Of Ceremonies sacred keepe; we thereby reape
Our full content: thus ord'red, these things are
Our weapons to maintaine our holy warre.
By your sole might (if you your aspect give)
Our Rites shall prosper, and our labours live;
If not, they dye; wee must be disesteem'd;
Strict Priests be prised, and praise-worthy deem'd:
Who mens devices scorne, who neither know,
What they to Rites, nor to Traditions owe;
If man prescribes; but must forsooth be rul'd
By Gods Word onely, or will nothing build:
But as for us, wee like no such like doing,
If gaine bids goe wee'le run, we brooke not woeing;
Ther's nothing good or bad that wee'le withstand,
If you prescribe it, or it State command:
And hereby hope that grace wee shall acquire,
Which freely may effect our full desire.
And first our Liturgic, and Courts restore,
And higher lift our heads than heretofore;
That wee may be Non-residents at will,
Our Rites observe, and keepe our
Tot-quots still.
But were this winde but laid, these would redound,
And all that wee could wish besides abound:
Wee therefore seek to stop these stormes with speed,
Wee nothing aske but this; 'tis that we need:
This spoyles our sport, this makes us loose the game;
This makes our feet so feeble, makes us lame:
This dissipates our union; it scatters
Our cunning drifts; it all our juncture shatters:
It shakes our
Basis, makes our building fall;
It batters downe our Towers, breaks our wall.
[Page 7]Alas, that it should blast what wee invent,
And did devise out of a good intent,
To have the earth our owne, the world at will,
Our works to stand, our Lawes and lusts fulfill.
This blasting Winde blowes on us, ther's our paine;
These blasts break in upon us, that's our bane.
The barbarous
A people at the South of
Barbarie by
Lybia, Herodotus reports the Storie.
Psylli 'gainst the Winde did warre;
Wee thrice more barbarous, and more silly are:
Their winds Host was dust, its weapons sand:
Our stormes are sent from out the Almighties hand:
They fought, they fear'd, and fled; yet suffred death
By feeble Blasts; our stormes immortall breath
Wee feare, and fight against; but doe disdaine to flye
Untill immortall furie force to dye:
Yea, wee conceive wee may it countermand,
By sole might of mans pu'sant pow'rfull hand;
And well enough (so wee but hit our ayme)
Both us and ours quitte; and raise our name.
But first with subtill skill and cunning Art,
Wee'le play the wise and prudent Serpents part.
Shee hurt is straight way heal'd, if sicke doth flye,
Or weake; if young declineth enmitie.
Not shrill but silent is; recurved bends
Her submisse body any way; shee tends
Through ev'ry strait and clift; so slips her skin;
Her age renues; coucht creepes; unseene with sting
And teeth contests against her foes: Thus wee
Both wisely meeke, and serpentitle will be:
Not fight at first; but flye; not breake,
But how; and what may please be sure to speake:
Seeme meeke, be out-side-Saints, and shew submisse;
What's right or reason, not raile against, but hisse,
If soule and sordide faults deface our hew,
Wee'le slip out slough, and so our age renew;
And spirits of errour so refine and fearce,
As they may secretly and unseene pearce.
Then men elude, like
Stellious, with our starres
Of painted pietie to fight our warres.
[Page 8]Adde strength to yeares; to both adde foulds and wiles,
And sparkling lustre; all which the world beguiles:
And thus get strength, and sinew; teeth, and sting;
And not till now to goe to worke beginne;
Then strike the stroake, and freese our foes to ice,
By pale narcotick poysons; then our eyes
And every part shall deadly venome vent,
And dart it forth, 'ast were from Serpents sent.
Which once disperst, shall penetrate each part;
Both stupifie the head, and strike the heart:
Ther's none shall fall by Sword, ther's none shall fight,
Nor strike a stroake, but by our subtill slight:
But then like silent shaddowes swiftly glide
Unseene in secret, and so passe unspide:
Thus wise as Serpents are wee'le be; but then
Assume the shew of Saints; to view be men
Submisse, and meeke; hold fast; but first exquire
What man prescribes (that's even our wisht desire)
Mans ancient wayes, yet like not that way best,
That's first, a golden meane's the way to rest:
But new or old, wee'le stoope injoynde to any
By man; be't faire, or foule, or few or many.
For inward truth wee passe not, so wee be
Profound in
Hos 5.1. That is abundant in the sacrifices of their own devices.
slaughters; and our sanctitie
In specious seeming formes and shewes appeare;
Not be indeed, this had, 'tis all our care.
On all that man prescribes we scruple not to build,
Save onely making conscience unto what wee yeeld.
Thus hating stubbornnesse, wee'le straight beginne,
T'inflame our firie zeale 'gainst vice and sinne:
Like muffled
Cupid take our ayme and hit
Mans sinne unseene; though not distinguish it,
Nor yet define what exactly it is
We smite, yet hit our marke, our ayme not misse;
Then preach pure faction to uphold our cause,
And stand for us (though it withstand Gods lawes)
And proselytes teach (although they swim in bloud)
To take our part, and thereby raise a floud;
[Page 9]So to our wils our vassalls frame the lay,
As Potters forme their veslells made of clay;
And teach them soundly how to draw their sword,
Against this raging Winde, wee meane the Word.
Then set the earth at oddes, enwrapp in warres
The woefull world, the State with mortall jarres
Inflame, exterminate, and wrath excite,
And all this worke by unseene subtill might.
But what is this? (if you assent unto it)
'Tis nothing? this? wer't five times more wee'le doe it.
And first that we more firmely may endure,
Wee'le seeme submisse to make our standing sure:
Then errours mysticall, abstruse, and hid,
Elixit raise; then secretly forbid
The warre eye of man to see, the care
Our deepe devised drifts and plots to heare:
Be yet more meek, then faithfully wee'le tender
Most fained words; so make and render
Great persons servile to our faction,
And Laitie our vassals of transaction.
Then will we might o're-master, right o're-beare,
Law curbe, Religion stab, nor stint we here:
But discord filde from
Two
Hydraes (that is, water-serpents) are muchtreated of in Historie; one slaine by
Hercules, which had fiftie, some write an hu'dred heads; ever as he cut off one head, two sprang up in its roome: the other slaine by
Cadmus, he fild out her teeth and sowed them, wherof an huge Army of men at once sprang up, and slew each other.
Hydraes teeth wee'le scatter,
And all the world into dissention shatter:
As lightnings glance from sourse unseene, so wee
From
Spisseous clouds will strike, that none may see
Our deadly darts, sowe jarres, make mortalls wroth,
And bloudy warres (our selves unseene) hold forth:
Nor stint wee here, yet more our worth to show,
Even at our becke wee'le make the proudest bow:
Wee'le cloth the world in darknesse, blind the light,
That none may know for whom or what they fight.
Then manicles upon that raging Winde
Wee'le cast, checke, chide, with gives and fetters binde
Those sturdie stormes, those rushing tempests lay,
And make those mightie Winds our wills obay.
Then cherish vice, 'gainst vertue be severe,
Rebellion foster, to Antichrist adhere;
[Page 10]What's vile advance, what's Orthodoxe reprove,
From peace dehort, by pride sedition move;
Turne double diligent, and multiply our paines,
So we by it may but augment our gaines.
Thus to your Honours wee our hearts disclose,
Our inward thoughts make knowne, and doe repose
Herein that trust, as that wee hope to have,
Or what we aske, or what we ought to crave.
Democrite quid rides quin luge Heraclite.
The Authors Epilogue.
KNow Reader, and you for whose sakes I am become your Secretary, that two Scriptures concerne this subject, and your selves,
viz.
Amos 5.5.
But seeke not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal; the second is
Amos the
4. and the
4. Come to Bethel and transgresse, to Gilgal and multiply transgression, &c. In the first, he dehorts
Israel; in the second, plainly derides and laughes them to scorne: their strange fires (like those of
Nadab and
Abihu) were the cause of this contempt: All Scriptures have abundantly dehorted you from like oblations, wherewith God hath been sacrificed unto neere this
1600. yeares: in
Israels punishment this also is added, that God laughes them to scorne: his derision antecedes the execution of his fierce wrath: God when he laughes he strikes, what was that contempt but the hight of reprehension, the depth of reproofe, and not altogether evill and uselesse (as some vainely imagine) when limited by a right rule, nor am I (though I am not confident of an infallibilitie) any wayes conscious of aggravation or falshood in this Treatise.
Si in hac re erro libenter erro, it is
Tullyes saying
[Page 11] not mine: in this onely I am confident,
Si in hac re erro, it is
nec lubens nec libenter, more than I know or desire to justifie. As faithfull Ministers were alwayes few in number, and weake in power; so this in no wise reflects upon such, but upon those onely that have been the workers of this their paucitie and povertie: if you thinke this measure meets not, but outstrips their desert: I answer, it is
Toga potius concinna, quam longa; yea, I feare it will prove a great deale too short. Whereas thou seest in the
Embleme the Winds striking and dispersing the Clouds of darknesse, and ignorance, which inclose the Earth, and the Ministers of that darknesse, the corrupt Clergie, and the instruments of those Ministers, the Altars, Tapours, Crosse-Keyes, with Sword, and Crosier-staves, &c. Which shaddow forth the whole lump and heape of Traditions, and devices of man in an. Antithesis and opposition to the free course of the Word; Know, that some Interpreters have expounded these foure Angels there exprest,
Revel. 7.1. to be foure chiefe and cardinall sinnes of the universall corrupt Clergie; which may be pride, idolatry, crueltie, and covetousnesse: for their pride, to shew how they exalt themselves above and against the higher powers, even the Lawes of Christs Church and civill State I Need not to insist. For crueltie, the most unparralleld Story that I remember, was betwixt two
Spaniards; the one a Christian, the other (though convicted in judgement) an Heathen, they challenge the field, the Heathen gets the upper hand, promises life if he would renounce his faith; he accepts the condition, abjures it: the Heathen stabs him saying, he would now be reveng'd of him eternally, body and soule their crueltie extends beyond this, even to mens temporall estates and liberties whiles they live, and posteritie after; his but to one, theirs to all. For idolatry the Papists have out stripped in that all the earth in all ages: their master-peice is their idolatry of the Alter; but yet they presuppose the reall presence there: our corrupt Priests worship and bow unto (without presupposing any reall presence as themselves confesse) to the bare wood and stone, and therein out strip the Papish. For. thein covetousnesse I cannot say much, perhaps they are free from this fault: wherefore I referre it to every mans judgement and censure taught him by his owne experience.
[Page 12] But what were these petty offences of
Aarons sonnes, or the
Israelites compared with those of the Papists or yours?
Nadab and
Abihu offered but once strange fires,
And fire went out from the Lord and consumed them. This also was the cause of
Israels scattering and captivitie: Now I aske this question (it skills not who or what the instrument be) whether it be more necessary or charitable to cast scorne and contempt upon your sevenfold more stubborne perseverance in sowing the seeds of a farre more deadly and consuming flame: there may be a right and an happie use made of this, though it is usually Gods last and sharpest rebuke in this life; and sometime
Ne plusultra be the inscription upon it: God laughes, and the
Gen. 3.17. earth and
Adams posteritie are accursed:
Gen. 11.6.
Babel confounded:
1 Kings 18.27.40.
Baals Priests slaine:
Israel scattered and brought to captivitie:
Pa
[...]l. 3.2. the
Jewes to a durable and fearefull dissertion and desolation: doe not you arride your selves, whiles God from heaven derides you:
Cum illudit Deus destruit, he hath begun to laugh at all your labours, and mocke your hopes, and will (wee trust) as he hath begun) still cement these wise-hearted and noble members of that honourable body in a firme, intermutuall, and right understanding of each other; and communicate the same (with them) to their royall head. But ye boast your successe: your pregnant seeds of discord shoot up and sprout; they spring and prosper,
Et jam proximus arder, why doth illusion deceive you? those flames, with the hopes of your wished harvest may shortly exterminate in your ruine. These things see and consider, least yee draw desolation, and swift destruction upon your selves and others: I rest
Yours (though corrosive) in all necessary, and faithfull offices. THO. HARBIA.
FINIS.