Speech 15 March 1640
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A57700.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
M r. ROVSE HIS SPEECH BEFORE THE LORD'S AT THE TRANSMISSION OF D r. COSSENS March 16. 1640.
LONDON, Printed for John Bartlet, and are to be sold at his shop at the Guilt-cup in Paul's Church-yard. 1641.
MASTER ROVSE HIS SPEECH BEFORE THE LORD'S AT THE TRANSMISSION OF D r. COSSENS, March 16. 1640.
MY LORD'S,
I Am commanded by the House of Commons to present to your Lordships, a Declaration and Impeachment against Dr. Cossens and others upon the complaint of Master Peter Smart ; which Master Smart was a Protomartir or first Confessor of note in the late days of persecution: the whole matter is a Tree whereof the branches and fruits are manifest in the Articles of this Declaration, which being read, I shall with your Lordships favor, discover and lay open the root.
The Declaration was read, and then he proceeded as followeth.
My Lord's,
I Am now to discover the Roote of Master Smarts persecution, your Lordships have heard of a great design to bring in Popery, you have heard of Armies of Soldiers, and particularly of the Popish Irish Army, the burden and complaint of the Commons; but there is another Army not so much spoken off, and that is an Army of Priests, for since Altars came in, so they delight to be called; it is a saying of Gregory the great, that when Antichrist comes, Preparatus est exercitus Sacerdotum ; there is an Army of Priests ready to receive him, this is fulfilled in our time, for certainly this Army of Priests doth many ways advance the designs and plots of Popery.
A first way is by the subversion of our Laws and government, our Laws and Popery cannot stand together; but either Popery must overthrow our Laws, or our Laws must overthrow Popery: but to overthrow our Laws, they must first overthrow Parliaments, and to overthrow Parliaments they must overthrow property, they must bring the Subjects goods to be arbitrarily disposed that so there may be no need of Parliaments: this hath been done by Doctor Manwaring, whom we find wanting, yet not in the seats but the Barre of the Lord's house, and the like by Doctor Beale, and I think it was the intention of the late Canons.
A second way by which this Army of Priests advanceth the Popish design, is the way of Treaty, this hath been acted both by writings and conferences Sancta Clara : himself saith, Doctissimi eorum quibuscunque : So it seems they have had conference together, & Sancta Clara on his part labors to bring the Articles of our Church into Popery and some of our side strive to meet him in that way, We have a Testimony that the great Arch-Priest himself hath said: It were no hard matter to make a reconciliation, if a wise man had the handling off it; but I verily believe that as the state of Papacy stands, a far wiser man than he, cannot reconcile us, without the loss of our Religion. For the Pope being fastened to his errors, even by his chair of Inerrability, he sits still unmooved, and so we cannot meet, except we come wholly to him.
A man standing in a Boat tide to a Rock, when he draweth the rop, doth not draw the Rock to the Boat, but the boat to the Rock. And Sa. Clara doth in this somewhat honestly confess it; for he saith, that he dealt in this way of Treaty, not to draw the Church to the Protestants, but the Protestants to the Church.
A third way, is a way of violence, this violence they exercise partly by secular Arms, and partly by priestly Arms, which they call spiritual, for secular Arms, we have their own confession; that the late War was Bellum Episcopale, and we have the Papists confession, that it was Bellum Papale. For in their motives they say, that the War concerns them not only as subjects, but as Catholics, for so they falsely call themselves: and if it be so, then Bellum Episcopale is also Bellum Papale, and in the Episcopal-War, the Papal cause is advanced, for the spiritual Arms thus they come to execution.
When a great man is coming, his Sumpters, his Furniture, his Provision goes before, the Popes furniture, Altars and Copes, Pictures and Images, are come before: And if we believe Dr. Cossens, the very substance of the Mass, a certain sign that the Pope was not afar of.
Now these fore-runners being come, if any man resist them, fire comes out of the Brambles, and devours the Cedars of Lebanon : the Army of the Priests falls upon him, with their Armies of Suspention, Sequestration, Excommunication, Degradation, and Deprivation; and by these Armies hath Master Smart been oppressed and undon • : He falls upon their Superstitions and Innovations, and they fall upon him with their Armies, they beat him down: yea, they pull him up by the Rootes, taking away all his means of Maintenance and Living: yet they leave him life to feel his misery: Ita feriunt, ut diu se sentiat mori, there is no cruelty to Priestly cruelty. These are they that did put our very Savior to death, the Calling is reverend; but the corruption of it is most pernicious: Corruptio optimi pessima, I know no reason of this change, except it be that of the Apostle, because when they knew God, they did not worship him as God ; but made a God of the World, placing the excellency of Priest-hood in worldly pomp and greatness, and gave the glory of the Invissible God, to Pictures, Images and Altars▪ Therefore God gave them up to vile affections, to be Implacable, unmerciful, and without natural affection: But whatsoever the cause is of corruption, certainly their Armies have fallen heavily upon Mr. Smart, and Priestly cruelty hath cast him into a long misery, from which he could get no release by any Priestly mercy.
And now it is prayed, that as these Delinquints by the cruel oppressions of Mr. Smart have advanced the cause of Popery, so they may in such a degree of Justice be punished, that in them Priestly cruilty, and the very cause of Popery may appear to be punished and suppressed, and that Mr. Smart suffering for the cause of Protestancy, may be so repaid, that in him pious constancy, and the very cause of Protestancy may appear to be righted and repaired.