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<DATE>2010-06-16</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<P>A PLEA FOR MINISTERS IN SEQUESTRATIONS; WHEREIN Mr. <HI>Mo&s;&s;om</HI>'s Apology for the Seque&s;tred Clergy, is duly Con&s;idered and Di&s;cu&s;&s;ed.</P>
<Q><HI>Ju&s;titia Legis, et Lex reipublicae ba&s;is.</HI></Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Prov. 18.17.</HI></BIBL>
<P>A man that is fir&s;t in his own Cau&s;e &s;eemeth ju&s;t, till his neighbour com|eth and &s;earcheth him.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed for <HI>Thomas Parkhur&s;t,</HI> at the three Crowns again&s;t the lower Conduit in <HI>Cheap&s;ide,</HI> 1660.</P>
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<HEAD><HI>M^r^:</HI> Mo&s;&s;om's <HI>Apology,</HI> FOR THE Seque&s;tred Clergy, Duly con&s;idered and di&s;cu&s;&s;ed, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_TIS ea&s;ie to accu&s;e any &s;ort of men, and if accu&s;ation were enough none &s;hould be in|nocent, but we &s;ay one mans <HI>tale</HI> is good till another be told: or rather (as we read in Scripture, Pro. 18.17.) <HI>A man that is fir&s;t in his own cau&s;e &s;eemeth ju&s;t, till his neighbour cometh and &s;earcheth him.</HI> I have &s;een an <HI>Apology</HI> (or rather an <HI>Alogy</HI>) for the Seque&s;tred Clergy (a pla&s;ter too too little for the &s;ore) whom I had rather &s;ee <HI>to be an apologie,</HI> then <HI>make an apologie,</HI> yet the latter, if not injurious and defamatory to others, would do very well.</P>
<P>I thought &s;ome fit and experienced might make &s;ome <HI>timely reflections</HI> upon that Apology, but &s;eeing yet nothing abroad, I remembred the &s;aying, <HI>Pudet haec opprobria nobis, &s;ic dici potui&s;&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. And re&s;olved (&s;ince there is leave and freedom for a ju&s;t defence) with young <HI>Elihu, I will an&s;wer my part: I al|&s;o will &s;hew mine opinion,</HI> Job 30.17.</P>
<P>In the Apology therefore I &s;hall con&s;ider the Apologi&s;ts <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> for them&s;elves; 2. His <HI>weak objections for us</HI> (which are framed by him proportionable to what he would fain an&s;wer);
<PB N="2" REF="3">3. I &s;hall &s;hew him &s;ome <HI>Rea&s;ons on our part;</HI> and la&s;tly give him my <HI>advi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Therefore if we con&s;ider the complaint, upon which the &s;trength of all his Rea&s;ons <HI>lye:</HI> The complaint is won|drous compa&s;&s;ionable, <HI>That they have been Seque&s;tred for no other crime but acting in their callings according to the dictate of their con&s;ciences; di&s;charging their Mini&s;try according to the rule of our e&s;tabli&s;hed Lawes:</HI> Page 5.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That &s;ome have <HI>&s;uffered unju&s;tly</HI> for not taking <HI>late engagements,</HI> and not owning <HI>unju&s;t</HI> though <HI>prevailing intere&s;ts,</HI> is manife&s;t to all, and in part redre&s;t.</P>
<P>But where are the many of tho&s;e <HI>black &s;wans,</HI> that have &s;uffered for <HI>no other crimes</HI> then a <HI>con&s;cientious acting</HI> in their calling; I would be glad to &s;ee the <HI>Printed century</HI> of that truly e&s;timable <HI>Fraternity,</HI> but men may plead high, when almo&s;t all witne&s;&s;e and evidence again&s;t their crimes, are dead and forgotten.</P>
<P>Apol: Page 5. <HI>We conceive that the occa&s;ion of our Seque|&s;tration is removed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> He doth not tell us <HI>the occa&s;ion</HI> of their Seque&s;tr: but leaves us plainly to <HI>conjecture,</HI> and the world <HI>that now is</HI> beleeveth, and the former times <HI>clearly proved,</HI> that gene|rally the <HI>crimes, &s;candals, or &s;uper&s;titions</HI> of their lives, were the <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> of their Seque&s;tration, and if that <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> be indeed <HI>removed,</HI> and the <HI>Godly and &s;ober</HI> in their Con|gregations doe beleeve that they have renounced their <HI>for|mer &s;candalous conver&s;ation,</HI> we would &s;ubmit freely to be <HI>thankfully and honourably di&s;mi&s;&s;ed,</HI> for their &s;akes.</P>
<P>Apol: Page 7. <HI>This. Pre&s;ident we have</HI> (<HI>viz:</HI> of re&s;to|ring the Fathers and Pa&s;tors of the Church) <HI>from Zeno the Emperour,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Apologi&s;t need not have gone &s;o far back as <HI>Zeno</HI> for an example of <HI>ju&s;t re&s;titution,</HI> our <HI>late Honourable Parliament</HI> hath re&s;tored the Reverend and Famous <HI>Reinolds,</HI> and many other Worthy Pa&s;tors, and 'tis our <HI>great de&s;ire</HI> that all <HI>found and pious</HI> Divines &s;hould be re&s;tored.</P>
<P>But will the Apologi&s;t on the other hand, remember <HI>later
<PB N="3" REF="3">Pre&s;idents</HI> then the <HI>thirty Tyrants,</HI> even the <HI>Known, &s;ad, and di&s;mal ruin</HI> of &s;o many &s;cores of Godly Mini&s;ters, &s;ilenced and Seque&s;tred <HI>(ab officio et beneficio)</HI> only in the Dioce&s;&s;e of Dr. <HI>Wren,</HI> late Prelate of <HI>Norwich</HI> (and if they did &s;o much <HI>there,</HI> what was done in all the re&s;t of the <HI>Kings Provinces</HI>) which &s;ome alive can te&s;tifie to their <HI>irreparable lo&s;&s;e</HI> at this day.</P>
<P>Where were <HI>Mr.</HI> Mo&s;&s;om's <HI>Articuli Cleri</HI> that he &s;peaks of in tho&s;e dayes? what Apologie or Plea might abide and &s;tand in our defence, either from <HI>Magna Charta</HI> or any other Law or priviledge? In what corner could we hide our &s;elves from the cloud and tempe&s;t of the maliciou&s;ne&s;s of Bi&s;hop <HI>Lad,</HI> what with him was the highe&s;t <HI>cognizance</HI> of (not the <HI>&s;canda|lous</HI> but <HI>&s;candaled</HI>) <HI>Puritan Mini&s;ters,</HI> but the brand of <HI>Ra&s;chals.</HI></P>
<P>Apol: Page 9, 10, 11. <HI>The Apologi&s;t calls upon the Ju|&s;tice of the Parliament, to re&s;tore their Seque&s;trations as their indubitable right.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This earne&s;t pretender unto &s;uch undoubted right &s;aith much but <HI>proves nothing</HI> (either by the Law of God or man) to <HI>exemplifie</HI> the &s;ame, but if indeed their right were &s;o <HI>ab&s;olute and indubitable,</HI> that a Parliament might not <HI>que&s;tion their Title,</HI> nor <HI>cen&s;ure their actions;</HI> I confe&s;&s;e their right was <HI>indubitable</HI> enough. But <HI>de facto,</HI> the Parliament did <HI>que&s;tion and cen&s;ure</HI> &s;ome of them; (as in the years 1642 1643, and &s;ome I think after) now mu&s;t we beleeve the Parliament <HI>guilty of high illega|lity</HI> and inju&s;tice again&s;t the&s;e mens <HI>indubitable right?</HI> or the&s;e men <HI>guilty of crimes ju&s;tly cen&s;urable</HI> by &s;o high a Court? And if the Apologi&s;t will <HI>give us leave;</HI> we will rather <HI>adhere</HI> to the Parliament to repute them (as they were) <HI>a ju&s;t and honourable Court,</HI> then to <HI>unbeleeve</HI> the crimes of tho&s;e they <HI>cen&s;ured,</HI> and our &s;elves knew &s;ome of them to be <HI>notorious offenders.</HI> If that Parliament were <HI>unju&s;t,</HI> Let a Parliament <HI>cen&s;ure</HI> the action; and if they were <HI>unju&s;t,</HI> why did the Seque&s;tred Mini&s;ters <HI>leave their charges</HI> many of them, before ever they felt their <HI>inju&s;tice,</HI> and never <HI>returned</HI> in almo&s;t 20 years to their <HI>&s;tations</HI> againe; and if they were <HI>unju&s;tly</HI> driven away why did they not return to their <HI>Flocks,</HI> as to the exerci&s;e of <HI>a Mini&s;try</HI> among&s;t them in <HI>&s;pight of injustice,</HI> and all <HI>danger,</HI> as we have in the examples
<PB N="4" REF="4">of the <HI>Primitive Doctors,</HI> and in &s;ome of our own <HI>Faithful Pa|&s;tors</HI> in the Bi&s;hops dayes, or why do they accu&s;e us as <HI>intruders and inju&s;t,</HI> unle&s;&s;e they would have their Congregations <HI>lefe de|&s;titute of Mini&s;terial</HI> &s;upply? or had it been ju&s;t, (as it u&s;e to be done with their poor <HI>Curates,</HI>) that we &s;hould have fed the <HI>Flock</HI> and they have taken the <HI>Profits?</HI></P>
<P>We have judged that the exerci&s;e of our Mini&s;try in this kind was <HI>charitable,</HI> and our <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion ju&s;t,</HI> there being no grea|ter Law among&s;t us then <HI>Parliament</HI> Law received in this Nation. But let us quaery (good <HI>Mr.</HI> Mo&s;&s;om) if the Parlia|ment by <HI>inju&s;tice</HI> ca&s;t out tho&s;e, (whom upon <HI>proofe</HI> and <HI>experi|ence</HI> they judged to be <HI>&s;candalous</HI> or <HI>&s;uper&s;titious</HI> men): by what did the <HI>Prelates</HI> ca&s;t out tho&s;e <HI>Godly and blamele&s;&s;e Mini&s;ters,</HI> in the dayes of their <HI>&s;everity,</HI> if what the <HI>High-Court of Parlia|ment</HI> therefore did were &s;uch <HI>inju&s;tice</HI> as is <HI>pretended, and ex|claimed on,</HI> how &s;hall we judge any thing by a due &s;tandard of <HI>right and ju&s;tice</HI> hereafter?</P>
<P>Apol: Page 8. <HI>We de&s;ire no more but the benefit of the known Law.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 'Tis pity this <HI>Law and benefit</HI> of it was not <HI>known,</HI> when Bi&s;hop <HI>Wren</HI> and that gang were in all their <HI>Ruff.</HI> O that <HI>Au&s;tins</HI> &s;entence you &s;peak of, (<HI>prated</HI> all to peices and never <HI>practi&s;ed</HI>) had then been <HI>effectually minded, (non dimittitur pec|catum ni&s;i re&s;tituatur oblatum,)</HI> when &s;o many Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel were <HI>&s;eque&s;tred</HI> for &s;uch <HI>pitiful trifles.</HI></P>
<P>No que&s;tion but the <HI>Law</HI> is indeed the <HI>known Law</HI> to many of the <HI>Seque&s;tred Clergy,</HI> and they made it <HI>practically known</HI> to their people, (and their &s;martful experience &s;peaks it enough,) but the <HI>known Go&s;pel</HI> would have done well to have been <HI>practi|cally made known</HI> by them rather, yet even the Law &s;aith (among&s;t them that know the Law) that the <HI>complainams</HI> have <HI>lap&s;ed</HI> their Livings; at le&s;t, by never offering to &s;erve the cure, in almo&s;t 20 years. But now <HI>(O Infalix evum pecus)</HI> The be|nefit and <HI>in&s;ultation</HI> over their <HI>flocks;</HI> and hope of returning to their old <HI>&s;port</HI> again, makes them pretend a <HI>huge ju&s;t Title,</HI> and all (but they) mu&s;t be <HI>intruders</HI> and them&s;elves the <HI>Judges.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="5" REF="4">
Is it not well known to the Grave and Learned in the Law and Eccle&s;ia&s;tick concernments, what <HI>Jus Patronatus</HI> truly was, and what (<HI>Re&s;identia in cura,</HI> or) <HI>pa&s;torall incumbency</HI> ought to be? I would willingly &s;ubmit the later di&s;putes and lazie controver&s;ies of <HI>Plurali&s;ts</HI> and <HI>non re&s;idents,</HI> to the True and Faithfull &s;entence of the Learned and Impartiall. And per&s;o|nally I would acquie&s;ce in the Judicious and mo&s;t elaborate knowledge of Mr. <HI>Prin; (Artifex credendus in arte &s;u&acirc;)</HI> who&s;e proficiency in the <HI>Law</HI> and <HI>Antiquity,</HI> &s;peakes him <HI>acceptable</HI> and <HI>honourable</HI> to all men.</P>
<P>Apol: Page 8. The Apologi&s;t frameth &s;ome <HI>trifling objecti|ons;</HI> as it were to help us <HI>at a dead lift,</HI> but indeed he framed them for <HI>ea&s;ines of an&s;wer,</HI> that he might at lea&s;t <HI>&s;eem</HI> (ro &s;ome) to have &s;aid <HI>&s;omething.</HI></P>
<P>He Objecteth (in our behalfe for&s;ooth) that <HI>Learned and Godly men will be unprovided for if &s;eque&s;trations be re&s;to|red.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That is not our care; who <HI>Remember,</HI> and in &s;ome mea&s;ure <HI>under&s;tand</HI> the Doctrin of the <HI>Loaves,</HI> and of the <HI>Thou|&s;ands,</HI> Math. 16.</P>
<P>Apolog: Page 8. The Apologi&s;ts An&s;wer to his <HI>own Objecti|on</HI> is full, (that is to &s;ay <HI>full mouthed</HI> enough) wherein he bringeth <HI>Learned and Godly</HI> into no better then an <HI>Ironicall di|minution.</HI> But magnifies the &s;eque&s;tred Clergy, to be the <HI>Lear|nede&s;t</HI> that ever <HI>England</HI> had. Saying Page 8. <HI>The learnede&s;t Clergy that ever England had was that Seque&s;tred Clergy:</HI> (if he had added that were &s;eque&s;tred and &s;u&s;pended by the <HI>Prela|ticall faction;</HI> he had been nearer the marke, for as <HI>learned</HI> men (but <HI>Learnede&s;t</HI> is an odious Compari&s;on) as ever <HI>England</HI> bred were <HI>&s;eque&s;tred, di&s;placed, &s;ilenced,</HI> or <HI>per&s;ecuted</HI> by the Prelates.</P>
<P>Apol: ib: He &s;aith further; <HI>This learnede&s;t Clergy was un|provided for almo&s;t twenty years.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> How can that be &s;o? That <HI>Godly and learned</HI> (nay he &s;aith <HI>learnede&s;t</HI>) <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> &s;hould be &s;o long unprovided for? I never yet in all the <HI>Bi&s;hops dayes</HI> (much le&s;&s;e &s;ince)
<PB N="6" REF="5">have &s;een the <HI>righteous Mini&s;ters for&s;aken,</HI> or long <HI>unprovided</HI> for. But I &s;ee the Apologer counteth nothing <HI>provi&s;ion,</HI> nothing <HI>tenderne&s;&s;e,</HI> or <HI>compa&s;&s;ion</HI> towards the now <HI>&s;eque&s;tred Clergy:</HI> except that we will <HI>doe the work</HI> and give them the <HI>wages;</HI> and that not of our <HI>Courte&s;ie,</HI> but <HI>Duty.</HI></P>
<P>Apol: Page 10. Another Objection that he <HI>&s;uppo&s;eth</HI> and <HI>inventeth</HI> for us is this. <HI>That the Re&s;torement of the &s;eques;tred Clergy, will di&s;turbe the Calmne&s;&s;e of the State.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This Objection proceedeth from the <HI>evill boading</HI> of his Con&s;cience; perhaps too truly <HI>foredeeming</HI> their own <HI>tur|bulent &s;ub&s;equent</HI> actions, if they regain their power. For we have &s;adly &s;een what a <HI>&s;tir</HI> many of them made, to the di&s;quiet of <HI>Church and State</HI> with their <HI>&s;uper&s;titious Trampery;</HI> (<HI>Trou|blers</HI> of <HI>England</HI> indeed) that would have had the very <HI>propha|nation of the Sabbath,</HI> and many <HI>knacks</HI> of their <HI>old Mump&s;imus</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hed by Law. But then, when a Seque&s;tration is e&s;tabli|&s;hed upon that: they cry out, O this is to <HI>e&s;tabli&s;h iniquity by a Law!</HI></P>
<P>But if the Apologi&s;t feareth <HI>di&s;turbance</HI> from us we &s;hall <HI>quietly re&s;olve</HI> them on the contrary; for we have not only <HI>Learned obedience</HI> from what we have &s;ome of us <HI>formerly and later &s;uffered;</HI> but can (I <HI>beleeve</HI> and truly <HI>feel</HI> it in my heart) &s;ay with hone&s;t <HI>Mephibo&s;heth, Let them take all;</HI> (if that were all,) &s;ince our Gracious King is <HI>returned in peace;</HI> with that <HI>Olive Branch,</HI> of the <HI>unfading purpo&s;es</HI> of e&s;tabli&s;hing <HI>Hou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> (to his immortall glory and happine&s;&s;e,) in the&s;e Nations.</P>
<P>Apol: Page 11. He &s;erves us with another un&s;erviceable Objection from the Purcha&s;ers of Church Lands, <HI>(Thank him Bi&s;hops!)</HI> where he finds an <HI>appearance of equity,</HI> and can di&s;|pen&s;e with a <HI>Rule of the Civill Law for them,</HI> partly to ca&s;t <HI>an Odium</HI> the more on us, and a little to favour (as he could) <HI>his friends and Relations,</HI> perhaps concern'd in &s;uch <HI>Bargains:</HI> upon which (few, or I think) none of us ever dur&s;t venture.</P>
<P>Apol: Page 12. He fits us yet further: <HI>Imagining</HI> this to be an <HI>Objection</HI> on our parts; <HI>That all mu&s;t be content, to be loo&s;ers.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="7" REF="5">
<HI>An&s;w.</HI> No not all <HI>Loofers,</HI> nor all <HI>content,</HI> yet many <HI>&s;eque&s;t|red Mini&s;ters</HI> were better provided after their Seque&s;tration then ever before, and that out of the Livings, and Goods of &s;ome of us (yet feeling the <HI>lo&s;&s;e, but not at all content</HI>) I could in&s;tance in &s;ome <HI>Intruders,</HI> to their <HI>dread and &s;hame,</HI> that had need put in <HI>an Apology</HI> for &s;uch <HI>plunders, &s;poiles, and unlawfull po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions,</HI> if the <HI>Oxford articles</HI> &s;hould fail them, as far, as they would have the <HI>Acts and Ordinances</HI> of the former Parliament failus. But I hope 'tis as <HI>hone&s;t</HI> and <HI>comely,</HI> for a <HI>poor blamele&s;s Mini&s;ter,</HI> commanded to &s;erve the cure of a <HI>de&s;erted Pari&s;h,</HI> for the <HI>good of their &s;oul&egrave;s</HI> (more then the <HI>profit of his pur&s;e:</HI>) to &s;ay, I have an <HI>order of Parliament</HI> to defend me; as for a <HI>violent Intruder</HI> upon us to <HI>plunder</HI> and <HI>de&s;troy</HI> even a man <HI>and his hou&s;e,</HI> and <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e</HI> his place (as &s;ome have done) and &s;ay <HI>in his defence,</HI> I have the <HI>Oxford Articles</HI> to &s;hew, and I plead the benefit of the <HI>Oxford articles.</HI></P>
<P>Mu&s;t all be <HI>content</HI> to be <HI>loo&s;ers! Infandum Mo&s;&s;ome jubes re|novare dolorem.</HI> O how <HI>wounding a remembrance</HI> is it to think of tho&s;e (&s;o many <HI>Learned and Reverend Mini&s;ters</HI>) that were as great <HI>loo&s;ers</HI> by the <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> by <HI>confi&s;cation, &s;eque&s;trings, &s;ilencing, or per&s;ecuting,</HI> as any have been in the&s;e times, and they were <HI>indeed &s;eque&s;tred,</HI> and <HI>for no other cau&s;e, but acting in their callings according to the Dictate of their con&s;cience, and di&s;charging their Mini&s;try according to the rules both of Law and Go&s;pel.</HI></P>
<P>How &s;ad was it that <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> (of <HI>approved abilities</HI> for higher work) might not be &s;uffered &s;o much as to <HI>School a child or two in a privat family,</HI> nor to <HI>pray in a friend or brothers hou&s;e;</HI> but it did incur the danger of being <HI>pre&s;ented</HI> as an <HI>unlawful conven|ticle,</HI> therefore if (as learned <HI>Hooker</HI> in his Eccl. Pol. in Pref.) <HI>as well how to want, as to abound,</HI> be the empre&s;&s;e of <HI>a Bi&s;hop.</HI> Surely we may claime the <HI>cognizance,</HI> if <HI>loo&s;ers</HI> may have leave to &s;peak; But though <HI>loo&s;ers,</HI> not <HI>lo&s;t,</HI> (ble&s;&s;ed be God) that is alwayes <HI>&s;een in the Mount,</HI> that <HI>then</HI> provided for <HI>per&s;ecuted Mi|ni&s;ters,</HI> and hath in the mid&s;t of all our <HI>nece&s;&s;ities,</HI> followed us and our <HI>pre&s;ervers,</HI> with <HI>abundance of mercies.</HI></P>
<P>Apol: Page 9. Thirdly, For the <HI>Ironicall and be&s;patte|ring expre&s;&s;ions of the Apologi&s;t,</HI> who calls us (among&s;t other
<PB N="8" REF="6">ill names, as <HI>Intruders and the like</HI>) <HI>Pretended Godly Mini&s;ters.</HI> Page 9.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We an&s;wer fir&s;t, He cannot deny us to be <HI>pretenders</HI> (and <HI>intenders</HI> too) to <HI>Godline&s;s,</HI> which mu&s;t be denied to <HI>very many</HI> of his <HI>Seque&s;tred Clergy,</HI> as having <HI>neither name, nor thing,</HI> of any <HI>pretence</HI> to Godline&s;&s;e at all.</P>
<P>And why mu&s;t <HI>pretended Godly</HI> be the <HI>Larva</HI> that he will put upon us, but to have us <HI>devoured</HI> as <HI>reputed hypocrites,</HI> but as for them&s;elves I pity them, (&s;o well are <HI>tho&s;e trees</HI> known by <HI>their fruits,</HI>) that we can &s;ay, <HI>but of few,</HI> that they are &s;o much as <HI>hy|pocrites,</HI> or <HI>pretenders to Godline&s;&s;e,</HI> it being (as <HI>Greg. Naz.</HI> &s;aith) <HI>the only Godline&s;&s;e of the&s;e men, to find out &s;omething, whereby to judge others ungodly.</HI></P>
<P>Apol: Page 8. The Apologi&s;t enforceth his <HI>incredible &s;can|dal</HI> upon us with this (as he &s;uppo&s;eth) <HI>undeniable</HI> que&s;tion; <HI>how are they Godly who will knowingly add &s;in to &s;in?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This Phy&s;itian &s;hould begin his <HI>charitable di&s;qui&s;ition</HI> at home, looking into the <HI>hindermo&s;t end of their owne wallet,</HI> and <HI>inquire</HI> (as others alas inquire for them) what <HI>eminent godli|ne&s;&s;e</HI> they &s;hewed in their &s;tations! (yea, or do now &s;hew!) <HI>How are they Godly,</HI> that <HI>never</HI> &s;hewed any <HI>repentant remor&s;e</HI> for their <HI>&s;ins again&s;t God,</HI> and the <HI>Nations peace!</HI> that never bewailed their <HI>Sabbath breaking, Alter wor&s;hip, &amp; per&s;ecution! How were they Godly,</HI> that added <HI>&s;in to &s;in;</HI> in <HI>proclaiming, and encouraging others</HI> in the <HI>prophanation of the Sabbath!</HI> They that <HI>breake the command of God, and teach men &s;o, &s;hall be called the lea&s;t in the Kingdome of Heaven;</HI> Matth. 5. <HI>How were they Godly,</HI> that took away <HI>con&s;ciencious</HI> and <HI>frequent preaching,</HI> and brought in a <HI>heap of Cerimonies,</HI> all the <HI>tra&s;h and trumpery</HI> that <HI>Rome</HI> could <HI>&s;pare:</HI> We may &s;ay long enough, <HI>how were they Godly</HI> that did not only <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;s our Livings,</HI> but <HI>plundred</HI> our <HI>deare&s;t Libra|ries,</HI> and mocked at all our &s;uffering?</P>
<P>Apol: Page 10. <HI>The Apologi&s;t chargeth our con&s;ciences, and be&s;eecheth us to con&s;ider, how we will an&s;wer it at the dreadful day of judgement.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed be God we can (for this that we have done) <HI>cheerfully remember</HI> that day: yea, <HI>and long for, and ha&s;ten to the
<PB N="9" REF="6">coming of the Lord,</HI> knowing that Chri&s;t will <HI>acknowledge</HI> what we have done, <HI>in feeding, vi&s;iting,</HI> and <HI>comforting,</HI> the <HI>lea&s;t flock</HI> that belongs to him, he will accept of it, for <HI>ina&s;much; as we have done it to the lea&s;t of the&s;e, we have done it unto him.</HI> We can return to God with <HI>a more happy effect of our Mini&s;try</HI> then the Apologi&s;ts ever could; we can &s;ay (of the ble&s;&s;ing of God upon our preaching) <HI>here are we and the children that God hath given us, as begotten by the Go&s;pel.</HI> We have endeavoured faith|fully to di&s;charge <HI>our Amba&s;&s;age,</HI> and hope to render our ac|count with Joy, having <HI>fed the Flock</HI> that Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath <HI>redee|med with his own blood,</HI> and can &s;ay (in &s;ome mea&s;ure) with <HI>Paul I have fought the good fight and fini&s;hed the faith.</HI> Neither are we <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> or <HI>afraid,</HI> (in ju&s;t vindication of our&s;elves we may &s;peak it mode&s;tly,) either before <HI>God or man,</HI> to be <HI>weighed, and compared number for number</HI> with the <HI>Seque&s;tred Clergy,</HI> which are the <HI>worthier in&s;truments</HI> in Chri&s;ts worke, and <HI>detur digniori,</HI> Let the <HI>fitte&s;t</HI> take it with all our hearts.</P>
<P>But to return to the Apologi&s;t. I al&s;o be&s;eech <HI>the Seque&s;tred Clergy</HI> (can I &s;ay tho&s;e <HI>Godly Mini&s;ters</HI> &s;coffingly, as he doth, I dare not &s;ay it) but I be&s;eech them, <HI>&s;uch as they are;</HI> to advi&s;e before hand concerning that <HI>fearful day!</HI> will <HI>prophanations of the Sabbath, cen&s;uring, &s;eque&s;tring, per&s;ecuting</HI> Gods Mini&s;ters; will <HI>bowing at the Altar,</HI> will making <HI>Ceremonious pomp and for|mality,</HI> to be of the <HI>very e&s;&s;ence</HI> of wor&s;hip: will <HI>&s;tarving</HI> the &s;ouls of poor people, (and yet courting and excommuni|cating them for <HI>breaking Pa&s;ture</HI> (or <HI>Pinfold</HI> rather) to get &s;ome &s;mall <HI>feeding</HI> el&s;ewhere; will the&s;e things <HI>&s;tand in the judge|ment</HI> with all the re&s;t <HI>written in the book and books</HI> forever again&s;t them? then let us <HI>fall;</HI> but as Eccl. 3.17. <HI>I have &s;aid in my heart, &s;urely God will judge the righteous, and the wicked, for there is time there for every purpo&s;e, and for every work.</HI></P>
<P>What will <HI>tho&s;e Mini&s;ters</HI> &s;ay, when God &s;hall inquire where is the Flock <HI>thy beautiful Flock? Woe unto the Pa&s;tors that de&s;troy, and &s;catter the &s;heep of my pa&s;ture, &s;aith the Lord. Therefore thus &s;aith the Lord God of I&s;rael, again&s;t the Pa&s;tors, that feed my peo|ple, ye have &s;cattered my flock and driven them away, and have not vi&s;ited them, behold I will vi&s;it upon you the evil of your doings,
<PB N="2" REF="7">&s;aith the Lord.</HI> Vid. Jer. 23. from 1. to 7. ver&s;. <HI>Wee be to the Sheepheards of I&s;rael, that do feed them&s;elves&punc; &s;hould not the &s;heep|heards feed the flock? the di&s;ea&s;ed you have not &s;trengthned, nei|ther have you healed that which was &s;ick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have you &s;ought that which was list, but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them, and they were &s;cattered becau&s;e there is no &s;heepheard, and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were &s;cattered, my &s;heep wandred through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, yea my flock was &s;cattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did &s;earch or &s;eek after them. Therefore ye &s;heepheards hear the word of the Lord: As I live &s;aith the Lord God, &s;urely becau&s;e my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, becau&s;e there was no &s;heepheard, neither did my &s;heep|heards &s;earch for my flock but the &s;heepheards fed them&s;elves, and fed not my flock: Therefore O ye &s;heepheards, hear the word of the Lord, behold I am again&s;t the &s;heepheards, and I will require my flock at their hands, and cau&s;e them to cea&s;e from feeding the flock neither &s;hall the &s;heepheards feed them&s;elves any more, for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.</HI> Ezek. 34. I wi&s;h the&s;e men, that talk <HI>of the judgement day</HI> in the mouth, would <HI>think of it in their heart,</HI> and &s;ome of their <HI>Learnede&s;t Clergy</HI> (as they are called in the Apology) would &s;hew the <HI>fruit of the meditation,</HI> in a <HI>&s;ound Commentary</HI> upon this Chap: which I beleeve few <HI>Plurali&s;ts,</HI> non <HI>Re&s;idents,</HI> or <HI>Seque&s;t|red,</HI> dare read and expound thorowly.</P>
<P><HI>The Rea&s;ons on our part,</HI> why they ought not to be <HI>restored</HI> and <HI>we di&s;mi&s;&s;ed,</HI> might be many (if we would <HI>&s;peak all</HI> we can in our own cau&s;e (as they have done) but what I &s;hall &s;ay is <HI>only what &s;wayes with me,</HI> as <HI>to warrant my pre&s;ent inoumbency</HI> as to my <HI>con&s;cience.</HI></P>
<P>Mo&s;t of them were guilty of <HI>great and &s;candalous crimes</HI> in their places, as is <HI>notoriou&s;ly known</HI> and proved by the <HI>oaths</HI> and <HI>te&s;timonies</HI> of &s;ufficient witne&s;&s;e, and that before the <HI>highe&s;t Court in England,</HI> that had <HI>power</HI> and <HI>right</HI> to plead the cau&s;e <HI>of God</HI> and <HI>the people.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="3" REF="7">
And further for the <HI>Power</HI> that expelled them: have not <HI>for|mer Parliaments</HI> done the like? and may not <HI>future Parliaments</HI> doe the &s;ame? Why &s;hould not we judge <HI>their ejection by Par|liament</HI> as <HI>Ju&s;t</HI> and <HI>Lawfull,</HI> as they judged <HI>ours by the Bi&s;hops?</HI> and in many things <HI>(jam &s;umus pares)</HI> we are <HI>proportioned,</HI> we would not take the <HI>Bi&s;hops Oath,</HI> (called <HI>ET CETERA</HI>) nor admit the whole <HI>heape of Ceremonies,</HI> and &s;o were <HI>put out,</HI> or kept out, and on their <HI>part,</HI> they would not take the <HI>Nationall Covenant</HI> (approved by King (I meane his Gracious Ma|je&s;ty that now is) and Kingdomes) but &s;tood for <HI>prophane&s;&s;e and &s;uper&s;tition,</HI> and &s;o they were <HI>kept out</HI> on the other parts prevailing; Now who were <HI>the &s;ufferers</HI> (if the <HI>cau&s;e makes the Martyr</HI>) to be <HI>mo&s;t pitied,</HI> I leave to all wi&s;e and godly to <HI>Judge and cen&s;ure.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Sequestred Clergy</HI> generally left the <HI>pastoral charge,</HI> and care of their people, <HI>and fled,</HI> and took other charges el&s;e|where, where &s;ome of them (to our &s;ad experience) ceized up|on the <HI>Livings,</HI> &amp; <HI>E&s;tates</HI> of Godly Mini&s;ters; and that in &s;uch a <HI>cruel manner,</HI> that the <HI>Long Parliament</HI> was nece&s;&s;itated, to &s;et up a <HI>Committee for relief of plundered Ministers:</HI> by whom &s;ome Congregations have been &s;upplied with faithful Mini&s;ters from thence; <HI>(in the valley ef Achor a door of hope)</HI> and tho&s;e of us, that upon <HI>intreaty,</HI> and <HI>command,</HI> and of <HI>con&s;cience,</HI> a&s;&s;umed the charge of <HI>de&s;erted congregations,</HI> whither our <HI>Labor</HI> hath not been more then our <HI>Hire,</HI> and our <HI>pains</HI> then our <HI>profits;</HI> we dare leave <HI>(generally)</HI> to our <HI>enemies to judge,</HI> only we have <HI>this de|pendance</HI> in what we have done, <HI>our labor is with the Lord and our reward with our God.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Seque&s;tred Mini&s;ters</HI> never <HI>attempted</HI> to return to the <HI>Pa&s;torall care</HI> and charge of their <HI>flocks,</HI> for the&s;e <HI>many many yeares.</HI> Not <HI>Redde Peculium,</HI> but <HI>pecuniam,</HI> was their cry; they <HI>Thir&s;ted</HI> more after the <HI>Livings</HI> of the <HI>places,</HI> then the <HI>living &s;ouls of the people.</HI></P>
<P>Their <HI>Congregations</HI> de&s;ire them not (except here and there a few <HI>ungodly</HI> at le&s;t <HI>loo&s;-profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> and they rather for <HI>envy</HI> to &s;ome neighbours, then of <HI>&s;ober affection</HI> to the <HI>&s;eque&s;tred Mini|&s;ter.</HI>) I &s;ay their <HI>Congregations</HI> affect them not, though (as the <HI>Devout wolfe</HI> to the &s;heep in the true <HI>fable</HI>) they profe&s;&s;e
<PB N="12" REF="8"><HI>to love them in their very bowells,</HI> yet their people fear, <HI>(cor tibi re&s;t at idem non tibi presto fidem,)</HI> tis the great <HI>Godline&s;&s;e of gain,</HI> that moves them &s;o exceedingly&punc; more then <HI>the gain of godline&s;&s;e.</HI> And truly I think, (as I &s;hould al&s;o do in &s;um ca&s;e) Though they have <HI>repented;</HI> (a thing that I would gladly <HI>beleeve</HI> but <HI>never &s;aw it</HI> in them,) yet their <HI>reformation</HI> would be better received, and credited el&s;ewhere, then among&s;t their <HI>former congregations,</HI> where there will be on all hands, <HI>&s;u&s;picion, &s;uppo&s;i|tion of injury and &s;trife,</HI> and perhaps <HI>revenge;</HI> imbittering the Spirit and hindring their <HI>Mini&s;try.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly for our Selves; our <HI>Innocency</HI> and <HI>Labors</HI> are our grea|te&s;t <HI>Arguments.</HI> Our labours have been great; and (all things con&s;idered) our <HI>&s;ucce&s;&s;e</HI> in our Mini&s;try happy; <HI>Light and know|ledge is encrea&s;ed.</HI> I remember a Chri&s;tian told me, &s;peaking of the <HI>encrea&s;e of knowledge,</HI> that he had heard <HI>more &s;ermons</HI> in his parri&s;h Church in <HI>one moneth,</HI> then his father before him had heard, or could hear in 30 <HI>yeares.</HI> But &s;ome of the Seque&s;tred Mini&s;ters <HI>envying the work,</HI> found wayes (like tho&s;e that hin|dred the rebuilding of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,)</HI> by <HI>envious reproaches and &s;candall</HI> to <HI>retard</HI> and <HI>hinder</HI> our &s;ucce&s;&s;e. The&s;e per&s;wade our Congregations to <HI>tax us heavily; To pay tithes &s;lowly;</HI> The&s;e create <HI>fal&s;e reports</HI> of us; and if they perceive but the <HI>le&s;t &s;park</HI> of heat or <HI>prejudice</HI> between Mini&s;ter and people, they are at hand to blow up <HI>a fire,</HI> and to applaud the fact: Favouring <HI>Qua|kers, &s;abbath-breakers,</HI> any thing again&s;t us. Yea, their <HI>envy</HI> hath driven &s;ome of them &s;o far, that they <HI>expo&s;ed</HI> the Kings <HI>Friends</HI> and <HI>Intre&s;ts</HI> to publick <HI>di&s;honour:</HI> to bring &s;ome of our per&s;ons thereby into <HI>&s;nares and dangers.</HI></P>
<P>Yet now, After all our <HI>hard &s;ervice;</HI> If we may not be owned for <HI>Pa&s;tors,</HI> and <HI>True and Rightfull Mini&s;ters</HI> by Law in our places, <HI>by King and Parliament:</HI> but tho&s;e our <HI>&s;pirituall &s;ons and daughters,</HI> (<HI>begotten by the Go&s;pell</HI> thorow our Mini&s;try) mu&s;t be <HI>left and for&s;aken.</HI> We can but <HI>Prote&s;t</HI> to God and man, that (though <HI>'tis our Duty</HI> to <HI>&s;ubmit,</HI> yet) tis our <HI>grief to part</HI> (not with the <HI>pittance of our means,</HI> but) with the <HI>dear &s;ociety of be|loved &s;ouls;</HI> more precious unto us then our <HI>benefits</HI> or <HI>lives.</HI> And to them it will be occa&s;ion of too much <HI>&s;orrow:</HI> that (as <HI>Pa&s;tors,</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="8">and <HI>Fathers,</HI>) <HI>they &s;hall &s;ee our face no more!</HI></P>
<P>Finally, To conclude my work. I will add a word or two of <HI>Advice,</HI> and <HI>friendly Coun&s;ell</HI> to Mr. <HI>Mo&s;&s;om,</HI> and his num|ber.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, To mend his <HI>principles,</HI> and not take up his <HI>Axioms</HI> on bare tru&s;t (as that from <HI>J. C.</HI> in his <HI>Title page</HI>) <HI>Lex ju&s;titie, Ju&s;titia reinpublieae ba&s;is;</HI> whereas indeed (and right) it &s;hould be as I have fixed it, in&s;erted, in my <HI>Title page: Ju&s;titia Legis, et Lex reipublicae ba&s;is.</HI> For <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> is the <HI>fir&s;t foundation</HI> of all Law, and government, for a Law may be <HI>altered and reduced to Justice,</HI> but not <HI>Justice altered and &s;ubdued to a Law.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Again, I de&s;ire him a little to <HI>&s;weep before the doors of</HI> his <HI>own party,</HI> and move them to <HI>restore</HI> what they have <HI>unjustly taken;</HI> and <HI>cruelly plundered:</HI> and then expect in <HI>charity,</HI> what we can <HI>&s;pare</HI> them out of what we have <HI>&s;aved of the reward of our Labours.</HI> I could <HI>affix names,</HI> But I am not willing to <HI>blurre</HI> any mans name; but <HI>admoni&s;h his Con&s;cience.</HI> But if any &s;uch <HI>outrages</HI> have been committed by any of us, let us be <HI>named,</HI> and <HI>&s;hamed,</HI> and <HI>refund;</HI> and them&s;elves <HI>readmitted</HI> in tho&s;e places, <HI>as more righteous then we.</HI></P>
<P>I would further have Mr. <HI>Mo&s;&s;om (who vilifies us as nece&s;&s;i|tous)</HI> and all his <HI>Learnedest Clergy</HI> know, that we have fed the <HI>starved Congregations</HI> they have <HI>de&s;erted,</HI> (and from which by <HI>Parliament</HI> they were <HI>&s;eque&s;tred,</HI>) <HI>not for mor&s;ells;</HI> but of <HI>Chari|ty,</HI> and <HI>Con&s;cience:</HI> Tis well known that many of us <HI>need not,</HI> (and I pray God we may never feel <HI>Prelatical compa&s;&s;ion</HI> to us and our families,) nor <HI>did need</HI> their <HI>e&s;tates for a &s;ub&s;i&s;tence,</HI> the <HI>greater number</HI> of us (thorow the mercy of God) could <HI>boa&s;t</HI> of as great <HI>birth, estate, friends,</HI> and <HI>offers of preferments,</HI> as they. We having many of us our &s;elves, <HI>Livings</HI> and <HI>preferments</HI> to be&s;tow (and &s;ome be&s;towed) upon <HI>de&s;erving men,</HI> yet what is <HI>gain to us</HI> we can (I hope) <HI>account lo&s;&s;e for Christ.</HI> And if &s;ome of us were <HI>reduced from the deepest of neee&s;&s;ities,</HI> as he &s;aith, we were <HI>induced</HI> fir&s;t into tho&s;e <HI>nece&s;&s;ities</HI> by the <HI>Prelates</HI> or late <HI>Plundring,</HI> or &s;uch wayes. And if we were <HI>originally poor,</HI> and &s;o <HI>still,</HI> we need not be <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> that God hath <HI>taken the poor even from the Dunghil: the earth is the Lords and the fulne&s;s thereof,</HI>
<PB N="6" REF="9">and we <HI>in our poverty</HI> well know, how the <HI>Seque&s;tred Clergy,</HI> &s;ome of them, attained their <HI>plentifull full e&s;tates:</HI> But of this <HI>thus much &s;hall &s;uffice for this Time.</HI></P>
<P>Only this, Let not Mr. <HI>Mo&s;&s;om glory,</HI> in being of the number of the <HI>Seque&s;tred Clergy,</HI> but if he be now a <HI>good man,</HI> let him teach tho&s;e of his <HI>culpable fraternity,</HI> that <HI>&s;uffer for their faults,</HI> to &s;ay, as the <HI>good thief</HI> on the Cro&s;&s;e, Luke 23. <HI>We are ju&s;tly here, for we receive the due reward of our deeds,</HI> and my prayer <HI>with him,</HI> and <HI>for them</HI> (and <HI>him</HI> if need be) &s;hall be that God may give them <HI>repentance, pardon,</HI> and <HI>grace</HI> for Time to come: <HI>AMEN.</HI></P>
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