A DEFENCE

OF THE

HUMBLE REMONSTRANCE,

AGAINST THE FRIVOLOUS AND FALSE EXCEPTIONS

OF

SMECTYMNUUS.

WHEREIN THE

RIGHT OF LITURGY AND EPISCOPACY

IS CLEARLY VINDICATED FROM THE VAIN CAVILS AND CHALLENGES OF THE ANSWERERS.

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE SAID HUMBLE REMONSTRANCE.

SECONDED, IN WAY OF APPENDANCE,

WITH THE JUDGMENT OF THE FAMOUS DIVINE OF THE PALATINATE,

D. ABRAHAMUS SCULTETUS,

LATE PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF HEIDELBERG:

CONCERNING THE DIVINE RIGHT OF EPISCOPACY, AND THE NO-RIGHT OF LAY-ELDERSHIP.

FAITHFULLY TRANSLATED OUT OF HIS LATIN.

TO THE

KING'S MOST SACRED MAJESTY.

Most Dread Sovereign,-Your Majesty was pleased to cast a gracious eye upon a late Humble Remonstrance,' made to the High Court of Parliament; bemoaning the lawless frequence of scandalous libels, and modestly asserting the true right of Liturgy and Episcopacy.

I little thought, that so meek and gall-less a discourse could have irritated any, the least opposition: but now, I find, to my grief, that even to move for peace, is quarrel enough; and feel many fists about my ears, ere I could imagine to have offended.

Occasion is taken from those quiet lines, to combine forces against the cause I maintained. The quarrel is insolently managed, by many unknown hands. Yet, the riot of these impotent assailants should not easily have drawn me forth, had I not perceived that their confident ostentation and proud carriage in this affray, hath won them some, how undeserved soever, opinion of skill, with their credulous abettors; and, thereby, some disadvantage to my just cause.

As one, therefore, that hates to betray the truth by an unfaithful silence, I do cheerfully enter these lists; rejoicing to hope, that Your Majesty's eye may be the judge and witness of my success.

Neither shall it be displeasing to Your Majesty, that Your most honourable Peers and most faithful Commons, now assembled, shall see the injustice and ungroundedness of that bold Appeal, which was made to them, by my daring Answerers whose abilities I tax not; but their fidelity, I must; as those, who have sought foully to abuse their implored judges with false shews of mis-alleged Antiquity, and merely colourable pretences of proofs.

:

Which if I do not make good, to them and the world, in this ensuing Discourse, let the blemish of reputation lead way to the sharpest censure upon the person of

Your Majesty's

zealously loyal Subject,

The Most Humble Remonstrant.

a The Dissenting Ministers, who wrote against our Author under the assumed name of SMECTYMNVVs, were Stephen Marshall, Edmund Calamy, Thomas Young, Matthew Newcomen, and William Spurstow: the initials of their names forming the word SMECTYMNVVS. See Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, Vol. 1. 4to. p. 666.—Pratt.

A DEFENCE

OF THE

HUMBLE REMONSTRANCE.

SECT. 1.

My single 'Remonstrance' is encountered with a plural adversary, that talks in the style of "We," and "Us." Their names, persons, qualities, numbers, I care not to know: but, could they say, My name is Legion, for we are many; or, were they as many Legions as men; my cause, yea God's, would bid me to meet them undismayed, and to say, with holy David, Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Ps. xxvii. 3. The truth of God, which I maintain, shall bear me up against the discouragements of my confessed weakness. In which just confidence, I do gladly fly to the Bar of this High and Honourable Court, craving no favour but justice.

Besides number, these men think, perhaps, to carry it by bulk for those, that spare not to condemn the multitude of my few words, lash out into so tedious an Answer, that, if I should return them a Reply in the same proportion, the reader's eye would be tired with the very prospect, and his tongue could not but say, Quis leget hæc? But, though they have had so little mercy on him, as to put him to the penance of their longsome volume, I dare not abuse his leisure, in following them in every step of their loose and superfluous discourse; but shall so contract their lavish sheets, as that, while I save time, I shall not lose ought of truth.

And, first, these brief men complain of the length of my Preface; and fetch their grounds afar off, from the "admired sons of justice, the Areopagi":"

The Areopagi? who were those? Truly, my masters, I had

a I have compared, throughout, our Author's "Defence of the Humble Remonstrance," and his "Short Answer to the Tedious Vindication of Smectymnuus," with the two Tracts of Smectymnuus, to which they are replies; and, in order to render the Bishop's pieces more intelligible, have marked most of the expressions which he quotes from himself with single, and those of his opponents with double, inverted commas: so far as the inaccurate method of quotation, common in that age, would allow.-PRATT.

b Acts xvii. 22. Areopagus, Mars-hill, or The Court of Areopagites.

VOL. X.

U

thought this had been the name of the place, not of the men. It is an ill sign, they say, to stumble at the threshold. And what say the admired Areopagi, the grave judges of Athens? They condemn prefaces and passion; neither of which can be justly charged upon the 'Remonstrance:' for the Passion, let any reader judge, whether ought can be more calmly, more mildly written and for the Preface, Brethren, your censure is palpably mistaken; for that, which you miscall the Preface, is one of the main pieces of the substance of that intended discourse, which was a too just complaint of the shameful number of libels, lately dropped from our lawless presses; a point, no less considerable, nor less essential to that proposed Remonstrance,' than those, which your peremptory analysis makes the only subject thereof. I beseech you, Brethren, spend your logic upon your own works: let mine be such as I contrive them.

Those trifling cavils, which you are pleased to make at some phrases of this mis-named Preface, are not worth notice. It is not for us, to run after the spending of every mouth. Belike, it angers you, to hear of the honesty of my moderate paper, out of the conscience of your own guiltiness. Fain would you excuse that, which the world cries shame on; the multitude of the late seditious pamphlets: whereat you might well blush in silence; when an honourable person, in open parliament, could reckon up no less than seven score, that had passed the press since the beginning of this session.

d

Those other verbal exceptions are but light froth, and will sink alone. That scum may be worth taking off, which follows: wherein I shall desire all indifferent eyes to judge, whether these men do not endeavour to cast unjust envy upon me, against the clear verdict of any knowing man's conscience.

In comparing of governments of Churches and States, I had said, that, if Antiquity may be the rule, the Civil Polity,' as in general notion, 'hath sometimes varied,' as that of the State of Rome had done to seven several forms; 'the Sacred, never:' the Civil came from arbitrary imposers; the Sacred, 'from men inspired.' These gracious interpreters would needs draw my words to the present and particular government of our own monarchy; as if I implied that, to be variable and arbitrary : and are not ashamed to mention that deadly name of Treason. Whereas, no man, that is not wilfully blind, but sees that I speak of the common forms of government, that are in the several states and dominions in the world: whereof some are ruled by an Aristocracy; others, by a Democracy; others, by a Monarchy, whether limited or absolute; others, by a mixed form of all these; which were, in their first beginnings, in the Page 4.

Branded,' and 'misliked,' &c.

free arbitrement of their founders: not aiming at the settled government of any one kingdom; much less, of our own.

Brethren, while you desire to seem godly, learn to be less malicious. In the mean time, God bless all good men from such charity, and our sacred monarchy from such friends. The form of the Episcopal Government of the Church hath, contrarily, been ever one and the same, without any considerable variation: and, if it have anywhere "invaded the civil" administration and "yoked monarchy," it is the insolence of the persons, not the fault of the calling: and, if "William Rufus," a prince noted for grossly irreligious, "oppressed by" tyrannical Popish "Prelates," did let fall this choleric word, that he would have "the Jews confute them;" and that, rather than fail, England should turn Jewish, on this condition; is this an argument for any Christian to use, for the confuting of godly and loyal Protestant Bishops; which are ready to be censured rather, for too great observance of Sovereignty? Let any but a Jew judge, whether this be a fit instance for a Christian. Any thing serves against Episcopacy.

The testimony of a Pope, (whom these men honour highly) Pius IV. is also brought in, as irrefragable, against the Divine Right of Bishops. And what says Antichrist? He tells the Spanish Ambassador, that his master, suing for the Council's declaration of this truth, knew not what he demanded; "for Bishops, so declared, would be exempted from his regal power, and as independent as the Pope himself." Tell me, Brethren, do ye like or believe this assertion, because a Pope said it? Or, can ye blame him, who would have all Episcopal Jurisdiction derived merely from himself, to be unwilling, that their right should be yielded to have the same grounds, which he pretends for his own? And, if there might be this danger in those kingdoms, where the Clergy challengeth an exemption from the power of all Secularity; why is this enviously upbraided to those of ours, who do gladly profess, notwithstanding the Apostolical, that is, Divine Right of their calling, to hold their places and exercise of their jurisdiction wholly from His Majesty?

Not less spiteful, nor more true, is your observation of the comparison made between the endeavours of alteration in our neighbour Church, by our "Episcopal faction;" and that, which is now justly desired by the humble petitioners to the Honourable House." It is a foul slander, to charge the name of Episcopacy with a faction, for the fact imputed to some few. Fie, Brethren! are ye Presbyters of the Church of England, and dare challenge Episcopacy of faction? Had you spoken but such a word in the time of holy Cyprian, whom you frequently cite, as a pattern of good discipline, what had become of you?