Duke, Marquefs and Earl of Ormond Earl of Offory and Brecknock, Viscount Thurles, Lord Baron of Arclo and Lanthony, Lord of the Regalities and Liberties of the County of Tipperary, Chancellor of the University of Dublin Lord Lieutenant General and General Governor of His Majefties Kingdom of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Sommerfet, one of the Lords of His Majefties most Honourable Privy Councils of His Majefties Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, Lord Steward of His Majefties Houthold, Gentleman of His Majefties Bed-Chamber, and Knight of the most noble Órder of the Garter. May it please your Grace, T Hat little Prefents have been acceptable to mighty Princes, is their usual Apology, who draw those precedents into examples; but it cannot be mine, in confecrating this small Tract to Tour Excellencies bands: They prefented their Governors with what was their own, I offer to your Grace, not what is mine, but Tours: Tou, as bis Majefties Vicegerent, are appointed to defend the faith, and under him and our Saviour, are the chief Officer, both over the Civil and Ecclefiaftical affairs of this Kingdom. This Difcourfe concerns the faith in its visible profession, and the order fettled by Christ, for the Government of his Church; and therefore it is yours by thofe Titles. The weaknefs of the ftile, and manifold imperfections of the Compofer, would deter me from returning you what is Yours, in fuch a ragged dress, and by such an unknown band z JA 2 were were not I verily perfwaded, that as his Sacred Majeftie is Divinely ghofen, like another Zerubbabel, to raise a ruined Temple, To Your Excellency is one of the most eminent of the Subordinate Rulers, to carry on that glorious work wherein as well poor Labourers must be employed to remove the rubbish, and clear the foundation, as Mafter-workmen,to rear and compleat the Fabrick, Il. luftricus Sir, I humbly beg my admiffion into the Roll of thofe Gibeonites: Industry and due obfervance of my Superiors directions, are my onely commendatory Letters ; if their certificatemay procure me theoffice. I wil oblige my felf to what conformity they enjoyn me in my work. But wherefore this? Behold, I fee the Head-stone already brought forth with flauting, and hear the Inhabitants of these several Kingdoms from every quarter, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Now God Almighty bless our Zerubbabel, ftrengthen his bands, level all Mountains before him, make him the blessed finisher of what he hath happily begun, give him and his Kingdoms peace out of this Temple, and cause its glory to exceed the glory of the former; and may your Grace live long, and long to fee its and abundantly share in the comforts of it: May you no minute of your life be unaffured of your indearment to God, the King,the Church and Kingdom. Let the Everlafting eyes be always over you, to direct and let the Everlasting arms be always under you,to uphold and protect you in all your ways; And when full of days, full of honors, full of all joy. and peace in believing, you fall be gathered to your Fathers, may you be tranflated, and for ever fixed as a Star of the greatest magnitude, tranfcendently differing from others in glory. This the God of all blessings effectually grant, as is most affectionately implared by, My Lord, Your moft obedient Servant, and daily Orator, 3 Dan. Burfon. To the Rigideft Diffenters of the Brethren, Or your fakes is this Treatife principally intended, to whom therefore but unto you, can I direct the Preface Others, who own the truth thereby maintained, are already therein confirmed, by Arguments, which to indifferent Umpires are unanswerable. My defigne is, neither to broach a Novelty, nor to get a Party to own an old (though by you endeavoured to be antiquated) truth: But to free it from cauflefs oppofition. How farr I have done, or come fhort of it, I am unfit to Judge. God and my confcience witneffeth, my fincere labour to do it. Arguments on both fides, I have diligently, and indifferently weighed,and never wittingly caft the fcale, where the weight of faith or reafon did not carry it. Own what is of God; difpute, and fhew me the errour of what is mine. I will more readily retract it, then I published it. 'Tis truth I feek, not name, nor victory, let her triumph, I can as cheerfully follow chained to her chariot, as riddin it. If you do prepare for oppofition, be pleafed to remember, we difpute about a Divine Intftiution, if we must fight, let us try it out, within facred lifts; And not diforderly skir mith, about the vices, or virtues of men, leaft we elevate Gods, and Chrifts authority, to eftablish man's. Outward. Piety, zeal, and carneftnefs, in, or for a way, or profeffion, are no infallible marks of the truth ofit: Fairer flowers grow oftner in the by way, then, in the road. A Divine right confifts in the Divinity of the inftituter of an ordinance, nor is it more Divine, in the zeal, or lefs divine in the negligence of its AdmiA niftrators I 1 Sam. 2. 17. Nibil boni aut liciti eft omittendum propter fcandalum accep charge of perfonal failings in fome Officers had been true. Much more fhould you have held your hands, when fome of your Confciences could not but bear you witness, that you accufed many, if not moft of them falfely; for had all the Bifhops been remifs, or luke-warm, you could have had neither occafion, nor pretence to cry out fo pitioufly of perfecution under them. A cry, which formerly procured them envy, and malice; you pity and compaffion, but how defervedly, inpartial Pofterity may determine, when the faithful Records of thofe, and the immediatly following times fhall exhibit, many of your loudest complainers, equally as violent, and feditious againft all other Church Governments, although of their own erection. But granting, without disadvantage to truth; that fome of the Bishops were faulty; others were not fo, even by the confeffion of the moft Rigid of your Party; And what if more had been blame worthy, what is that to their Order? Judas betrayed, St. Peter denied, all the rest of the Apostles forfook Chrift at his apprehenfion, & St. Thomas doubted the truth of his Refurrection, but who ever charged their crimes upon the Apoftolate? Hophni and Phineas (the high Priests) were out. ragioufly wicked, but who excufeth the peoples improvement of their diftaft against them, to an abhorrency of the offerings of the Lord? Who blames the fountain, which after long running paffeth through miry, or boggy places? If the abuse, or accidental corruption of things, take away their effence, and use, abolish we Preaching, the Sacraments, and the Scripture, as well as Epifcopacy. 'Tis a notable cafe of Confcience, and well refolved by Amefius, That no good, or lawful thing is to be omitted, because men of a Pharifaical Spirit take scandal against it. tum hominum But you will fay, the eftate of the inferiour Clergy, and pharifaico in- People, was corrupt under the Epifcopal discipline. genio predito Ianfwer, your endeavours to vilifie the former are fufficientCar confc. lib. ly known, and I doubt not, but your partiality, and unbrorum. Amor. 5. ca. 11. thef. therlinefs, (to fay no worfe of it) will in due time be manife 12. fted to the world by an abler Pen; I am refolved to deal liberally with you, and to argue by conceffion. Granting therefore, corrupt humours were formerly latent, in the body of the Miniftry Yet, Firft, 'twas not, because there was no rule to restrain them. View The Ecclefiaftical Canons in England, A. C. 1603. Can. |