REMARKEABLE PASSAGES: FIRST, A prayer for the Parliament.
AS ALSO THE ARCH-BISHOP OF Canterburies Letter to the Arch-Bishop of Yorke, and the Lord Keeper, to put in Practice the Kings desires.
WITH A PETITION TO His Majestie, by divers Noblemen and Gentlemen estated in Ireland, and now residing in London.
ALSO A NEW DECLARATION FROM Both Houses of Parliament.
Ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, that this be forthwith Printed.
Hen. Elsyng. Cler. Par. D. Com
Printed for W. G. 1642. Iuly 15.
A PRAIER For the High Court of Parliament, to bee read in such place of these Prayers after the Letany, as the Minister shall think fit.
MOst gracious God, We humbly beseech thee, as for this Kingdom in generall, so especially for the High Court of Parliament, under our most Religious and Gracious King, at this time assembled: That thou wouldest be pleased to blesse and direct all their Consultations, to the preservation of thy glory, the good of thy Church, the safety, honour, and welfare of our Soveraign and his Kingdoms. Lord look upon the humility and devotion with which they are come in [...]o thy courts: and they are come into thy house in assured confidence upon the Merits & Mercies of Christ (our blessed Saviour) that thou wilt not deny them the Grace and Favour which they beg of thee. Therefore O Lord, blesse them with all that wisdom, which thou knowest necessary to speed and bring great designes into action, and to make the maturity of his Maiesties and their Counsels, the happinesse and blessing of this Common-wealth. These and all other necessaries for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg, in the name and mediation of Iesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
The Arch-Bishop of Canterburies Letter, to the Arch-Bishop of Yorke.
MY very good Lord, I doubt not, but before this time, you have received from me the Directions of his most excellent Majesty, concerning preaching and preachers, which are so graciously set downe, that no godly or discreet man can otherwise then acknowledge, that they do much tend to edification, if he do not take them up upon report, but do punctually consider the tenour of the words as they lie, and do not give an ill construction to that, which may receive a faire interpretation. Notwithstanding, because some few Churchmen, and many of the [Page] people, have finisterly conceived as wee here find, that those instructions do tend to the restraint of the exercise of preaching, and do in some sort abate the number of Sermons, and so consequently, by degrees do make a breach to ignorance and superstition; His Majesty in his Princely wisedom, hath thought fit, that I should advertise your Lordship of the grave and weighty reasons, which induced his Highnesse to prescribe that which is done.
You are therefore to know that his Majesty being much troubled and grieved at the heart, to hear every day of so many defections from our Religion both to Popery and Anabaptisme, or other points of separation in some parts of this Kingdome, and considering with much admiration: what might be the cause thereof, especially in the Raign of such a King, who doth so constantly professe himselfe an open adversary [...]othe Superstition of the one, and madnesse of the other: his P [...]incely wisedom could fall upon no one greater probability, then the lightnesse, affectednesse and unprofitablenesse of that kinde of preaching, which hath been of late years to much taken up in Court, University, City, and Countrey.
The usuall scope of very many Preachers, is noted to be soaring up in points of Divinity, too deepe for the Capacity of the people or a mustring up of much reading, or a displaying of their owne wit, or an ignorant medling with civill matters as well in the private of severall Parishes and Corporations, as in the publike of the Kingdom: or a venting of their owne distast, or a smoothing up of those idle fansies, which in this blessed time of so long a peace, do boile in the braines of an unadvised people, or lastly, a rude or undecent rayling not against the Doctrines (which when the Text shall occasion the same, is not onely approved, but much commended by His Royall Majesty,) but against the persons of Papists and Puritans. Now the people bred up with this kind of teaching, and never instructed in the Catechisme and fundamentall grounds of Religion, are for all this Airy nourishment, no better then (abraiae tabulae) new table-bookes ready to be filled up, either with the Manuals and Catechismes of the Popish Priests; or the papers and pamphlets of Anabaptists, Brownists and Puritans.
His Majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian [Page] Id verum quod primum:) and remembring, with what doctrine the Church of England in her first and most happy Reformation did drive out the one and k [...]ep out the other from poisoning and i [...]festing the people of this Kingdome doth find that the whole scope of this Doctrine is contained in the articles of Religion, the two bookes of Homilies, the lesser and the greater Catechisme, which his Majesty doth recommend again in these directions as the Theatres and proper Subjects of all sound and edifying preaching.
And so far are these directions from abating that his Majesty doth expect at our hands, that it should increase the number of Sermons, by renuing upon every Sunday in the afternoon in all Parish Churches throughout the Kingdom that Primitive, and most profitable Exposition of the Catechisme, wherewith the people, (yea) very Children may be timely seasoned and instructed in all the heads of Christian Religion the which kind of teaching, (to our amendment be it spoken,) is more diligently observed in all the reformed Churches of Europe, then of late it hath been here in England. I find his Majesty much moved with this neglect, and resolved: (if wee that are his Bishops, do not see a Reformation hereof, which I trust we shall) to recommend it to care of the Civill Magistrate. So far is his Highnesse from giving the least discouragement to sollid preaching or discreet, or religious Preachers.
To all this, I am to adde, that it is his Majesties Princely pleasure, that both the former directions, and those reasons of the same, be fairly written in every Registers office: to the end, that every Preacher of what denomination soever, may if he bee so pleased take out Coppies of either of them with his owne hand (Gratis) paying nothing in the name of see and expedition. But if he do use the paines of the Register, or his Clarkes, then to pay some moderate fee, to be pronounced in open Court by the Chancellours and Commissaries of the place, taking the direction and approbation of my Lords, the Bishops: Lastly, that from hence forward a course may be taken, that every Parson, Vicar, Curate, or Lecturer, do make exhibite of these his Majesties directions, and the reasons for the same at the ensuing visitation of the Bishops and Arch-Deacons, paying to the Register by way of see, but two pence at the time of the exhibite: and [Page] so wishing, but withall in his Majesties name requiring your Lordship to have a speciall and extraordinary c [...]e of the premisses. I leave you to the Almmighty.
The Lord Arch-Bishops Letter to the Lord Keeper.
BY this you see, his Majesties Princely care, that none should preach Christ crucified, obedience to the Higher Powers, and honest, and Christian conversation of life, but in a Religious forme; and not that every young man shall take upon himselfe an exorbitant liberty to teach what hee listeth, to the offence of his Majesty, and the disturbance and disquiet of the Church and Common-wealth. I can give your Lordship no better directions for the pursuance hereof, then are prescribed to you in his Majesties Letter, and the Schedule herewith sent unto you, whereof I pray your Lordship to be very carefull, since it is the Princely pleasure of his Highnesse to require an accompt both of you and mee for the same. And so not doubting, but by your Register, or otherwise, you will cause these instructions to bee communicated to your Clergy. I leave you to the Almighty and remaine.
To the Kings most Excellent Maiestie, The humble Petition of divers Noblemen and Gentlemen Estated in Ireland, now at London.
THat most of Your Petitioners, and many thousands of Your Maiesties most faithfull Subjects, and late Inhabitants of Your Kingdom of Ireland, being robed, and spoyled of all their substance (and thereby many of them reduced to a most miserable condition, who formerly [Page] faithfully served Your Majestie) are now enforced to flee into this Kingdom by occasion of the unexampled, bloudy, and unhuman cruelties of the Rebels of that Kingdom, who through the instigation of Papist Priests, Friers, and Iesuits and other malignant persons, have risen in Armes in that Kingdom against Your Majesties Crowne and Dignity, and destroyed, or banished almost all Yout Majesties loyall and dutifull Subjects the Protestants there, for no other cause, but for that they doe not worship God after their Idolatrous and superstitious manner: which is manyfest by their publike Declarations, Speeches, Oathes, and Confederacies (albeit some few other fond pretences are added, to glosse their most barbarous actions) That these four moneths past, the expectation of powerfull Supplies, Treasure and Ammenition from England and Scotland, hath supported the drooping and languishing Spirits of your Peti [...]ioners and others, the Protestants, interessed in that Kingdom, who finding but small succours hitherto sent thither, notwithstanding the severall orders of both Houses of Parliament, do now with unspeakable grief of heart, apprehend nothing but despaire of ever being restored to their habitations, if your Majesty be not graciously pleased to give life and power to the painfull endeavours of both Houses of parliament, the prosecution of that War necessarily requiring a great summe of money to be presently raised. And in all humility. The Petitioners conceive, the act lately passed by Your Majesties Royall Grace and Goodnesse, (upon the propositions made by those who shall adventure their moneys) to bee the onely way left for raising present Money for that work. And they finde that the removall of your sacred Majesty to places so remote, and distant from the Parliament doth much discourage the Adventurers in advancing Moneys for effectuall proceeding in the work, and consequently will be a meanes unavoidably to retard the long expected supplies, contrary to Your Majesties Royall intentions often expressed, and will much encourage the Rebels, and their adherents in that Kingdom, and may in the opinion of some, (as they fain) gain a belief of those false reports, which divers of the Rebels have taken the boldnesse to raise, even very lately, since the publishing of your Majesties Proclamation for suppressing the Rebels, that they are your Majesties Souldiers and that the supplies that arrived here, were but the Parliaments [Page] supplies. And your further Petitioners humbly shew, That if strong Forces be not presently raised, and transported thither, (the season of the yeare now serving) the Brittish and Protestants in that Kingdom cannot long subsist, but will bee extirpated, and Papists and the idolatrous Masse thereby established, which is already publikely used in most of the Churches of that Kingdom.
May it therefore please Your most sacred Majesty, to reflect upon the desprate and miserable condition of that poor Kingdom and waying the Premisses and other the consequences of delaying the effectuall setting forward of the War against the Rebels in Ireland, of Your Princely goodnesse and wisedome, to vouchsafe Your Maiesties presexce unto Your Parliament, for the incouragement of the Adventurers, and all other your Maiesties good Subiects in this pious work for the discouragement of the Rebels and for expediting such further Acts, Commissions and Warrants to issue as shall be requisite for the preservation of the remnant of Your good Subiects, the Protestants yet left in Ireland, or driven for the present thereout.
A NEW DECLARATION FROM BOTH Houses of PARLIAMENT.
THe Lords and Commons in Parliament do declare, That it is against the Lawes and Liberties of the Kindom, that any of the Subjects thereof, should be commanded by the King to attend him at his pleasure, but such as are bound thereto by speciall Service: and that whosoever upon pretence of his Maiesties command shall take Armes, and gather together with others in a warlike manner, to the terror of the Kings people shall bee esteemed disturbers of the publick peace, and to do that which may introduce a president of very dangerous consequence for the future, and produce most mischievous effects for the present considering the great distempers of the Kingdom, and what pernicious Councellors and Incendiaries, are now about the King, and how desperate and ill affected divers persons attending upon his Majesty, have shewed themselves to the Parliament, and to his other good Subiects, threatning and reproaching them publikely, [Page] even in His Maiesties presence, and for preventing and avoiding such great mischiefes as may thereupon ensue.
It is Ordered and Ordained by both Houses of Parliament. That if the Trained-band, or any other his Majesties Subjects, shall upon pretence of any such command be drawn together, and put into a posture of war, the Sheriffe of that County where there shall be such raising, or drawing together of armed men: Doe forthwith raise the power of the County to suppresse them and to keep his Majesties peace according to the Law. And that the Lord Lieutenants, Iustices of the Peace, and all other his Majesties Subjects, bee aiding and assisting to the severall and respective Sheriffs in performance hereof, as they will answer the contrary at their perill.