AS in natural, so in bodies Politique, there are no distempers more smartly afflict­ing, than those which invade the most noble parts, and amongst the many cau­ses, which work a solution of unity, in a civill constitution of government, the corrupt humours of a brain-sick clergy are the most intrinsecal. The Truth whereof, though we have by the sad experiences of our own past miseries been better taught to bewail, than dispute; yet being farther instructed by the present discovery of their pro­pagated mischiefs (notwithstanding the bountiful rayes of mercy diffused amongst them from our Englands Sun) we cannot but account it a pitifull folly to commiserate them, who think it a virtue to be cruel to themselves; for they, whom neither the sense of their own sin, nor apprehension of the Kings pardon can reform, must needs be not onely the [...] [Page 6] charity, which submitteth to the worst of Governours, and it may be justly feared, that no true concordance will inhabit the centre, whilest such Heteroclites are left to lurk in the circum­ference of the Church, who will rather professe themselves St. Peters animals by standing out in their own conceit, than St. Pauls souls in stooping to the authority of their lawful superi­ours, neither can they be well thought fit Trustees for the se­curitie of the Gospels treasure, who having once shipwrackt their Allegiance to the King, are still bankrupt of faith and ho­nesty. Those are the old stocks, whereupon Satan hath graffed the variety of Sects, which hath been the shame, and is yet the grief of Englands Church, whose first non conformity to Ca­nonical orders, hath been the very originals, whereunto the ma­ny copies of obstinate Fanaticks, that are now extant, have their true reference, who following the tracts of St. Judes murmurers, in admiration of some mens persons for advantage sake, do dissociate themselves from the community of Saints, not only in opinion, but practise, than which nothing can be more destructive to the concord and peaceable unanimity of spiritual Congregations; for as in physical Compositu [...]s, a violent disunion of Integrable parts breeds a more dangerous shisme in the body, than a humerous distemper; so in Eccle­siastical corporations, an actual seperation from the Catholick fellowship of beleevers in Gods service is a greater pandor to confusion, than the scandal of a speculative distraction. It is time therefore for our Seminary Presbyters, who have been the Protoplastiques of a Rebellious generation, both in Church and State, to make a confession of their past faults, as well as their present faith to the King. They are now sufficiently read in the book of their own consciences to know, nemo periculosi­us peccat, quam qui peccata defendit, to Apologize for sin is more damnable, than to act it, and not to retract inexcusable [Page 7] errours, doth as much unqualifie a delinquent for mercy, as the perpetration thereof can adapt him to justice. Repentance, though it may be too soon ended, can never bee too late be­gun; he, that lives like St. Lukes judge on the bench, neither fearing God, nor regarding man, may have the grace to die like the Jewes theef on the Crosse, with profession of both; for that power which expresly denyeth forgivenesse to one sin one­ly, doth implicitely conceede a possibility of pardon to all o­thers. On this consideration it would be worth their paines to translate their Petition for Presbytery into a Suit for Indemp­nity, and publickly to acknowledge his Majesties Declaration which is the proof of his grace, to be an argument of their guilt, who (like cunning fencers, that aim at the legs, when they intend to veny the pate) under a reformative pretence of destroying those revenous beasts, which worry the people, begg'd leave of their master to hunt the kingdome, which be­ing granted, they took liber [...]y of themselves to make him their chief game: for it is well known from Dan to Beersheba, that the credit of their false doctrine was the very leaven where­with the people were first moulded into a sowre lump of ar­med malice against their Sovereigne.

And I may truly say, it was the unlucky Boutefen, which not only yielded smoak to smother all Treaties into a nullity of successe, but that gave light also to clear the way for more active instruments then themselves to take off the Head of our eternally renowned Saint Charles, together with the Government from his soulders; for although they entred not the Stage with those miscreants that personated Pi­late in the fifth Act; yet because they appeared with others who playd the parts of Annas and Caiphas, in the first Scene of the Tragedy, we may justly christen them the Grandfathers in law of that bloudy fact, which being unmatchable in hu­mane [Page 8] stories, may be in some sort compared to the crafty com­plement of the cruel wolfe in the fable, who told the sheep, Da mihi potum, & ego mihi dabo cibum, meaning to eat him up for his courtesie. A fact, which as former ages have not been so learnedly wicked to invent, so I hope the future will be more honestly wise than to imitate; A fact, which may schoole our Kings of England into a use of the Italians prayer, to be deli­vered from their friends whom they trust, as well as from their enemies whom they fear, and inform the people with the Spa­niards soul, rather to sheath their swords in one anothers bow­els upon private quarrels, than to draw them against their So­vereign in open war.

But, if the Recognition of such an execrable murder be not caution enough for subjects to restrain them from Rebellion, let the memorable example of the Amalekites punishment be their exhortation to obedience, 2 Sam. 1. 13, 14. who (though a stranger to Sauls kingdome, and by them requested to con­clude his pain with the inference of death) was by Davids command for touching the Lords anointed, instantly con­demned to loose his life.

If Kings lives then are so precious in Gods account, that they may not be touched in the heat of proclaimd hostility, what a cursed sin must that be, which justifieth those who take them away in cold bloud?

By these animadversions I hope the whole host of spirituall officers, who have fought against the Regiment of the Church, will be victoriously fens'd into a unanimous Iudgement, that it is far better for them to have the Apostles doctrine in their hearts, then the Scots discipline in their hands, to be content with that estate wherein they have been, then to covet that wherein they ought not to be, to submit to the King in causes Ecclesiastical, rather then by calling his power in question, to [Page 9] abuse their own authority in the Gospel, to give Caesar his, will be no substraction from their due, had not our Saviour paid for himself and Peter, it might be doubted, whether the Clerks of this age (like the old Egyptian Priests) would not plead their estates untributary, as well as their offices unsubj [...]ct to the King.

With what tenure of spiritual power they are invested Ju­re divino, none but those Laicks whom the Popes Mandate hath screen'd from the Sun-shine of Gods word, can be ig­norant.

The officious Acts of Jehoiada to Jehoash, and Nathan to David, are not only presidents to warrant the right, but boundaries to limit the extent of their claim; they must in­struct Kings as the one, and may reprove them as the other did, which was not executed by an excommunicative scourge to make David do pennance for his offence, but with the monition of a meek spirit, to give him a penitent sense there­of; for as the act of reproof argued the King to be Gods subject: so the mode of reproving maintain'd him to be the Proph [...]ts Sovereign.

And thus I believe Azariah withstood Vzziah by no o­ther force, save that of the tongue, whose aim was to strike at the fact, not the person of the King, to induce him into a consciousnesse of his fault, not to require his submission to punishment, which, because immediately inflicted of God▪ supposeth him priviledg'd not to receive it from man: so that rebus sic stantibus, our ministerial Guides have little reason, and lesse grace to pride themselves in their Ghostly authori­ty of reb [...]ing Kings, such verbal Reprehensions being no more then religious servants (not adventuring beyond the sphear of their calling) may lawfully practise towards their [Page 10] ungodly masters; for as it is the Resolve of Divines, that in case of neccessity Quil [...]bet Christianus est sacerdos, so it is not only the liberty, but the duty of every one in Gods case bold­ly to reprove an offending brother, as I think my self bound to tell the associated brethren, that they have highly wron­ged the Majesty of God & the King, both by their orall and manual prolusions to introduce a new fangled government in the Church, & that it will be more safe for them to observe the duty of looking into their own, then the false commissi­on of overseeing their superiours actions, the performance whereof might happily make that saying ex culpa sacerdotum ruina populi, to be as well known to themselves, as felt by o­thers, and convert the hypocrisie, which some do, into the sincerity of obedience, which all should professe; for though none of them be puritanized into Donatisme, but can protest it their necessary obligation to reverence the Kings person, yet most are so far sublimated from the drosse of superstiti­on, that they cannot without defiling their consciences vaile to the train of his ceremonious Titles, they can easily con­coct supream Governours, dryly swallowed, but with the sawce of Ecclesiastical causes it quite nauseates their sto­macks, and the name of head is more offensive to their pa­lates, then perfumes are to the nostrils of those that are grie­ved with an Histerical passion; a monstrous straw for such mighty men to stumble at, which may be put in the same ballance with that of their schismatical Predecessours in the conference at Hampton Court, who were scandalized with the word absolution in the Liturgy, but well content with the Term Remission of sins.

What difference there is betwixt supream Governour and Head in a notional acception, is more fit for Grammatical [Page 11] Criticks, then politick Christians to inquire, as they are complicated in one subject, and determined to a constant onenesse both of action and end, they must by the rules of honesty as well as Art, be construed Synonymous, and in a promiscuous manner adjudged to contract their literal vari­ety into an identity of sense.

Indeed we cannot deny but the Title of supream Head was first given to King Henry the Eight by the Pope, who being by his own institution in the world (as the soul is in the body by Gods Creation) Totus in toto, and not onely sin­gulis, but universis major, cannot be supposed to part with a piece of himself but for his own ends; yet we conceive it no trespasse against any Canon, either of Scripture or reason, to convert that to a good use, which was first bestowed to an ill purpose, but for Presbyters to take that away for the better esteem of their own authority, which was given by the Pope, to disgrace the Kings jurisdiction in the Church, is no lesse unreasonable to devise, then irreligious to pra­ctise.

That great Bulwark of objection, (Christ is the sole Head of the Church, ergo no other can have the Title) which hath been presumed too strong for an army of Schoolmen to beat down, must necessarily yield upon terms to our side. For although as the Church is internally considered in respect of the kingdome of Grace, and our Saviour Christ as Lord thereof, by right of Redemption, ruling the hearts of the faithful by his spirit, there is no subjection allowable, nor headship to be attributed but to him only; yet as he is King by right of Creation, loving an Imperial Sovereignty over all his creatures, and the Church in a militant condition, which (by reason of an inseperable commixture of good [Page 12] and bad, and common relation of the inward and outward man) doth necessarily require an external policy to maintain a uniformity and order in the worship of God, so he hath ordained his Vicegerent on earth to whom both Clergy and Laity must be subject.

And in this qualification of sense Kings may be truly sti­led supream Heads in causes Ecclesiastical, within their Do­minions; Thus Samuel called Saul the Head of the Tribes of Israel, 1 Sam. 15. 17. which in eodem signo rationis doth imply all persons, as well Ecclesiastical as civil in that Com­monwealth, to be his subordinate members. And that the Priests were subject in their very Offices to the supreame power of their magistrates, 2 Chron. 8. Solomons Acts in or­dering their courses, and appointing the Levites to their charges, (who in manifestation of their duty are said not to depart from the commandement of the King) do sufficiently evidence, whose authority likewise to punish sins of the first table, that refer to Religion as well as those of the second, which belong to humane society.

Gods own prescript Laws to Moses, Deut. 13. Deut. 17. Levit. 17. are the authentique seals to confirm, whereunto we may annex that fact of our Saviour Christ himself, cha­stising the Jewish Pedlers, by vertue of his divine Royalty, for profanation of the Temple, as an exemplary proof be­yond all exception.

Having pickt out the pith of their Divinity in the former objection, there resteth one hard Argument more a break, wherein lies the marrow of their Logick, if the power, say they, in Ecclesiastical matters be proper to the supream ma­gistrate as a Magistrate, then it should belong to all magi­strates, and consequently to the heathen: the definition of [Page 13] a magistrate being one in Christian and Heathen Princes; but this would be both sinful and ridiculous to assert, ergo that cannot lawfully be maintained.

Truly this is a witty sophisme, which deserves the Reply of an ingenious Respondent in the Philosophers School, salse profecto, sed falso quidem. I presume the same learning which qualified them to oppose others, may enable them to answer themselves in this point; for if their consequence be good, Baals Priests had as much right to the service of the Tem­ple, as the Levitical Clergy-men, neither can our Protestant ministers have a better Title to the dispensation of Christs ordinances, then the officers of the Romish Church do now claim.

Therefore if they will honestly defend their own as we do the Kings authority in the Church, they must acknowledge their argument to be contrary to the principles of art, as their opinion is to the precepts of Religion; for when a Restri­ctive Term is adjoyned to an equivocal subject (as magistrate is) To argue from an indefinite to a universall, is an illegal consequence, the reason is, because what is attributed by such a note of limitation, is not an absolute but a comparate propriety, which doth convenire subjecto mediante alio, as the power of the King in c [...]uses Eccl [...]siastical is not proper to him, simply secundum naturam, but Relatively as he is a true Christian Magistrate; according to which univocation, if their Argument had been formed, the consequence would be logically true.

But as we do appropriate this power onely to Kings truly Christian, So I must acquaint them that the Heathen subjects had such a Reverend respect to the authority of the supream magistrate in matters of their idolatrous Religion, that Ari­stotle, [Page 14] Polit. l. 3. could say [...]. The King is Lord and Ruler of things that pertain to the Gods.

To conclude, I wish those men, who (like the first mat­ter have an indifferency to all forms, and are so unfixedly disposed [...]n Religion, [...]hat they can be content with the Si­chemites, to [...]e circumcised for their advantage, would (not for wra [...]h but for conscience sake) give a seasonable Testi­mony of their obedience by a willing conformity to the Kings power in Ecclesiastical causes, that the Church may be no longer grieved with the rapine of forreign wolves, or [...] of [...], but that sound doctrine may flou­rish within her gates, and true discipline be established in her borders, to which end the Lord send us a speedy Restaura­tion of our ancient Government by the hands of Zerubba­bel and Joshua, the King and the Bishop, that as we are bap­tized in one faith, so we may be subject to one Rule, & as we are of one body, we may be all of one mind, to worship God both in the purity and beauty of holinesse, and to pre­serve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Amen.