THe filiall duty we owe our natural parents, excuses, nay commands all our endeavours for their preservation; and 'twere sin to think my self (though but a Lay-man) lesse indebted to our Spirituall Mother the Church. Therefore I shall not need to apologize for this my addresse to you in the behalfe of her to whom your selves are more obliged: For besides our equall adoption as Christians, your selves are tyed in your particular as Ecclesiastiques, naturalized in her womb, nurst with the milke from her owne breast, fed with the shew­bread from her Altar. Next, as persons appointed by the two Houses of this present Parliament to consult her wel-fare, guard her indempnity: But chiefly as Shepherds and Watch­men appointed by God over his flock, and good Shepherds do not onely keep the sheep, but their fold safe and intire, as their best outward preservative. For if the wolfe enters while ye sleep, are ye innocent? if while ye look on, are ye excusable? [Page 2]But if ye open the doore to him, let your consciences rather then my pen tell ye your guilt. See therefore that while ye abolish Episcopacie, ye doe not open wide the doore to rave­nous Sacriledge, that shall at once devoure the patrimony of Christ and his Church; for can ye expect Labourers in the Vineyard, when ye suffer not the Lord to have wherewith to pay the peny? [...]. Mat. 27. [...]. Iohn 19. Remember that the Roman Soldiers (though Heathens) devest Christ, onely while they scourge him, and then restore his deposited garments, and he weares them till crucified; nor then doth any share them, but such as were active in his death, and of them the meanest soldier. None seize the Vineyard, [...]. Mat. 27.35. [...]. Iohn 19.23. but those that murdred the heire, wicked husbandmen; and will ye look on, nay I feare with Saul, keep their clothes while they divide the garment, [...]. Mat. 21.35. share the Vine­yard, sell the Church-lands before Episcopacy be abolished? for God be thanked it is not yet, and I hope the King will see it never shall be enacted.

Are not ye Sons of Zadock, Ezek. 44.15, 23 Priests that should teach the people the difference betweene holy and profane things? and are ye silent in this matter? Shall I re-act Phormie, and tell ye this is Sa­criledge, and ye ought prevent it? But perhaps some of you may doubt, therefore though I will not urge ye with the opi­nion of Fathers, lest some style them Papist; nor the result of Councels, lest some terme them Popish; yet let me remember and presse ye with the opinion of the Angels of those (ye hold the best) Reformed Protestant Churches; and according to whose patterne ye have covenanted to reforme ours, as the Geneva, German, and Scotch Churches.

'Tis said to be Sacriledge (saith Calvin) to convert Ecclesiasti­call Revenues to other uses, Calv. de ne [...]es. Eccles. reform. fo. 66, 67. Edit. 1619. & I agreeing it. If I should say we have not sinned in this kind, I should lye, they accuse our Princes to have taken and mis-imployed to profane uses the patrimony of Christ and his Church, I excuse it not. That the Churches Re­venues [Page 3]are not imployed to the uses to which they were dedicated, I confesse displeaseth me, and with me all good men will grieve that our Princes take to their use what was taken from the Friers and Priests, and I confesse a heavy judgement is pronounced against them that spoile the Church. To Farrell he writes thus, Cal. Epist. 66. In the Senate often, in the Pulpit without cessation, I tell them what hea­vy judgements hang over them for this Sacriledge: Nor think I while I prevaile not, that I have d [...]scharged my duty. And to Viretus thus, Epist. 108. Papam fuisse furem & sacrilegum videndum (saith he) ne simus successores. As if to abolish Papall authority and Liturgy, and yet mis-imploy the Church-patrimony, were no Reformation, but a continuance of theft and sacriledge. And he concludes, that With Balac in vaine we seek a Balaam to blesse us, while we continue in this cursed estate. Thus Calvin.

Luther saith, The Devil hath two waies to spoil Christs Church, Luth. in Gal. cap. 6. ver. 6. fo. 433. Heresie and Poverty. To effect which, he stirs up the wicked Ma­gistrate in the City, and the ungodly Nobility and Gentry in the Country, to take and convert to their owne profane use the Church­revenue: For then (saith he) men will neglect the Ministery, for ye had rather your children embraced wealthy trades, then beg­gerly Divinity. And he saith, For the sinne of Sacriledge were the Churches of Galatia and Corinth (as he beleeved) so infested (as ours) with many false teachers.

Knox and the whole Scotch Clergie solicite the Lords Re­gents of Scotland, and with we dare not flatter your Honours, First Book of Discipline, fo. 51. Lond. 1641. presse them with reasons to restore the Lands of Chantries, and Friers, &c. to the Church. Knox on his death-bed writing to the Generall Assembly of Divines at Sterling, having advi­sed them not to suffer unworthy men to be thrust into the Mini­stry, which (saith he) will be a hard battle, Declar. of the Church of Scotl. fo. 7.8. Lond. 1642. yet the second part will be harder, that ye withstand the mercilesse devourers of the Church patrimony. If men will spoile, (saith he) let them doe it at their owne perill and condemnation, but communicate not ye [Page 4]with their sins, neither by consent nor silence: But with publike protestation make knowne to the world, ye are innocent of such robberies, which WILL ere long provoke Gods vengeance.

The Nationall Assembly of Divines at Edenburgh demands of the Queene the Lands rf Hospitals, Knox Hist. of the Reformat. of Relig. in Scotl. fol. 410. Lond. 1644. Fryeries, &c. with all rems, annuities, alterages, obites, and other duties belonging to the Priests, to be imployed to pious uses. Knox in his History of Reformation of Religon calls the Nobility The unjust possessors of the Church patrimony. Ibid. fo. 252.

The Assembly at Edenburgh, Declar. of the Church of Scocl. fol. 10. 1576. declares the patrimony of the Church to be Jure Divine: And what is said to be the patrimony of the Church, the second Book of the Discipline of the Church tells you in these words, Under the patrimony of the Church, we comprehend all things given to the Church, as Lands, Houses. Biggens, possessions, Rents, &c.

At Glascow they declare, Ibid. fo. 13. That to convert the Church patrimo­ny to the particular and profane use of any man, is a detestable Sacriledge before God: and by that Assembly all Ministers are directed to preach against that Sacriledge: Ibid. fo. 21. But nothing prevai­ling with men for restitution by fasting and prayer comman­ded by the Assembly at Saint Andrews 1582. Ibid. fo. 15. they condole the mis-imployment of Church-rents.

Did these, the brightest Lamps of those ye call the best Re­formed Protestant Churches, and whole Assemblies of Di­vines in Scotland, labour for a restitution of Church-lands, though given as ours) by Papists (as ours) to Popish Priests & Fryers, but not imployed as ours now, for support of Prote­stant Divines? did they yet acknowledge a heavy judgement threatned against the spoilers of the Church Patrimony? Did they write, preach, fast and pray against this Sacriledge, lest they should endanger their owne and others soules? and can ye, as carelesse of both, with safety to neither, sit silent, not preach, not write, not fast, not pray, not speak against a more horrid Sacriledge?

Can ye see the godly Onias and all the Priests prostrate be­fore the Altar, 2 M [...]c. 3.15. weeping and praying to prevent one single Sa­criledge, but a hac vice-tantum-Sacriledge, onely the Plunder of a little money out of the Temple-Treasury; and wil not ye, not one of ye weep, nor write, nor speak one word to prevent the ruine of a whole Church, and consequently Nation? As many Sacriledges as ye and your children shall number dayes, and persons mis-imploying Church-Revenues. Will no exam­ple neither of Jew nor Gentile, Papist nor Protestant, and of these, the best of those you tearme the best Reformed Prote­stant Churches? will none move ye? Though neither they, nor the very many and heavy worldly judgements in our own Nation, upon the families and estates of our owne Nobility, our owne Gentry, and Commonalty stir ye not; yet let the view and contemplation of one spirituall judgement, yet onely (God so stint it) upon a forraigne Nation. Let that awake and fright ye.

See the now darkned Palatinate, which flourishing, seized all the Churches Patrimony, setting that first bad copy of Sacriledge, which unhappy Germany and miserable We un­luckily followed. See there how after the Sword had (as with us) long raged, depopulating (as with us) the Country, de­stroying (as with us) all estates, both sexes, all ages, and then to adde misery to their affliction, their candlestick (may the Parallel never hold) their candlestick is removed, the most glorious Protestant Religion suprest, and Popery, (which ye seeme so to feare) re-planted, as if God were lesse offended with the superstitious vanities of Papists, then the contemptu­ous Sacriledge of Protestants.

This weighed, if ye will be Ezekiels Watchmen, Ezek. 33.6. See the Sword comming, and not blow the trumpet, that men may be war­ned: if any man die in this iniquity, shall not his bloud be requi­red at your hands? But on the other side, Ioshuah 6. if with Joshuah's [Page 6]Priests (which I hope and pray for) ye blow the trumpet seven dayes, Deut. 28. and then seven times, even till ye levell the walls of this Jericho with the ground. May ye be blest in the City, and in the field, blest in the fruit of your body, and the increase of your cattle, blest when ye come in, and blest when ye goe out. May all the blessings in the Old Testament be doubled upon ye, and all of the New crowne ye, that ye may blesse our Israel, and in them, him that prayes for it,