The anatomie of Ananias: or, Gods censure against sacriledge With a breife scholie vpon Psalm. 83. concerning the same subiect. By Roger Gostvvyke Batchelour of Diuinitie, and minister of Sampford Courtnie in the countie of Deuonsh.

CHAP. IV.

An humble Obtestation to the Hon. and Wor. Knights and Burgesses of the Parlia∣ament when time may serue to re∣medie this mischeife.

ANd now most worthie Patriots, let me ad∣dresse my speech to you, that manage the grea∣test affaires of this kingdome, and that not by way of oneration, but most lowly summission; May it please you seriously to consider this matter with me; and see wherein your seruice may be honourable to God▪ glorious to your selues, comfortable to the Church, and profitable to your countrie. It is no new thing for vs to complaine, or for you to heare of the mischeifes of church-wormes: for sacriledge

doth deserue to heare of his doings, hauing been often delated, bound ouer, scourged, branded for in∣corrigible, and condemned for felonie against God and man; but yet he findeth such friends among those of the bench, that he is still repriued, and ei∣ther pardoned his fault, or kept vnexecuted; by which meanes he still breaks out againe, and I know not whether more efferated by former attatchings, or animated by his often dischargings, he euer ram∣peth more feircely then before, and threatneth his accusers, to ruine all that is holy. To you therefore doth the poore mangled and menaced Church of this renowned Island, in suppliant manner hold vp her hands: from you she looketh, shee chalengeth, shee deserueth supportance. Among you shee is as∣sured she hath very manie in whom she is more then ordinarily interessed, as who are risen by her fostering, growne great by her fauours, and euen slie with her feathers: therefore to you she sues, and if she could be vnderstood, she would thus complain, and thus intreat;

Alas my sonnes; and are these the rewards you render your mother, for her paines in bearing, and her patience in rearing so noble spirits, and worthie wits, both formerly not without sore trauell and in∣terruption; and lastly, for 60. yeeres together with∣out stop or intermission; to thinke you are not well sed with my milke, except you drawe my blood also? What meanes those old dismembrings, these newe detractings, enuyous pryings, odious beggings, sad disputings, sauage incroachings vpon me and my

small indowments? What good will these small re∣mainds of my dowry doe you? what pleasure will my vndoing breed you? if this little estate that is left, make you rich and me poore, you great and mee small, what will be the end of such gaines? Is hauing growne so toothsome to you, that you make no care from whence it commeth? is holy demeanes so wholesome a dish, that you will contend who shall do most harme? is temporall riches so necessary for you, that you feare not to make it vp with the spoile of spirituall? are your sonnes so deere vnto you, that they must be raised with the ruine of your fathers? Cannot you be indulgent parents, except you bee vnnaturall, impious, sacrilegious children? are you so smally beholden for meanes vnto your father, that you must breake in and rob your mother? or is it my conniuence at former wrongs, that makes you pre∣sume to wrong me more? Grow you wearie now of your mothers blessing? do you enuie her beeing? de∣sire her cursing? If it be so, my sonnes, that you wil either sell me at home, or send me abroad, yet giue me my dowry that I brought you with me, my peace I haue procured you, my plenty wherewith I haue crowned you, my treasures that I haue caused you, and the millions of good things wherewith I haue blessed you. Woe is me, that I am growne so vnfa∣uourie to be hated, so vgly to be abhorred, so barren to be reiected, so decrepite to be scorned, and that of mine owne cradle. Is a step-mother become so louely, or an empty house so handsome, that I am driuen away for an other to haue my roome? Alas

my sonnes, I will say what I see, the lickerish looke after my poore estate, shewes too great to your gree∣die eies; the deceitfull lustre of a painted beautie be∣witcheth your lasciuious eies, as you thinke to enioy, as I know to indure her glorious beautie in glorious tyrannie; who if she comes in, will not onely fetch backe all that was mine, but also fetch in all that is yours. Remember this, but whom you dishonour, and whom you please: did not the enemie triumph inough before, while you vnripped the seamlesse coat, but you must yeeld them more content by di∣stressing me their hatefull opposite? What meane you to doe? remember but to whom you do it, and doe your will; to one that vpholdeth the scepter, maintaineth you, secureth all you haue: they are my seruitours that stead you, my Priests that blesse you, my ministers that profit you, who cause your God to be obeyed, your gouernours honoured, your people informed, your country renowmed, and your hap∣pinesse continued. Who watch for your soules but they? who wake for your safetie but they? who avert your imminent iudgements but they? who procures your eminent blessings but they? Grieue nor, O grieue not their soules by grudging them their lines: if you once driue them from their station, or dis∣courage them in their function, you shall be ingrate∣full in grieuing them, impious in expelling them, miserable in missing them. If I haue not been bar∣ren or abortiue in my breeding, nor defectiue in my fostering, nor illiberall in my louing you; be nor in∣grate to them, vnkind to me, auerse from God. If I

haue interest in your loues, or part in your liues, or portion in your hopes, by the father that begat you, by the wombe that bare you, by the breasts that suc∣led you, by whatsoeuer of mine hath been deare vn∣to you, I will and commaund you, I intreat and be∣seech you, I binde and adiure you, not to suffer your mother any more to be dishonoured, not to let your fathers any more be impouerished, not to suffer your soules any more to be deceiued, nor your hands with holy pillage to be defiled, nor your hopes of euerla∣sting blisse to be euacuated: so shall God euen your Father blesse you, the Sonne receiue you, the holy Spirit comfort you, the holy Angels obserue you, my armes imbrace you, and all the companie of hea∣uenly Saints serue you: so shall the iudgements that hang ouer your head passe by you, the euills that are gone out escape you, the deuills that now smite not hurt you, and hell that now gapeth not deuoure you: so shall your pollitie stand vnconquered, your fami∣lies bee continued, your candlesticke vnremooued, your God appeased, your soules saued, and all your holy wishes most happily accomplished.

If the Church the mother of vs all could be heard or vnderstood thus to speake, and thus to plead; what could ye answear, what Apologie would you make, or excuse pretend to her as affectionate as iust complaint? but now not onely shee, but I am well assured God himselfe in the greiuances of his Mini∣sters doth say the same with a more audible voice, & more reall effect: that God I say, whose houses ye haue suffered not to be robbed onely, but ruined al∣so,

his reuenews diminished, his Churches demo∣lished, his donations alienated, his holy things vsur∣ped, his portions interuerted, and his worship dishal∣lowed.

All the world till late daies, thought the Church the safest sanctuarie to repose their treasures in, their wealth, their good works; but now the poorest cot∣tage is farre safer then the strongest Cathedrall. Then it was thought as great an immunity to the de∣ponent, as honestie and honor to the recipient: now the Orphan is iniured, the widow wronged, the fa∣ther discouraged, the Sanctuarie prophaned, and the * 1.1Priest of all other auoided. I read what time the ci∣tie of Ephesus was beleaguered with a long and dan∣gerous seige, and the inhabitants with doubts of warre daunted, the gouernour gaue this aduise, to tie the walls and gates of the citie with ropes and cables to the Temple of their Goddesse; to the ende that when all they had were so peculiarly surrendred vnto their Deities patronage, it should not onely be impious, but sacrilegious to the enemie to attempt that which was now sacred. Oh, what is become of auncient holines, that haue now inuerted the me∣thod of true security, when we do not annexe our chests to Churches, but incorporate the holiest of Churches to our priuate chests and patrimonies!

* 1.2 Iustinian the second, hauing a great desire to plucke downe a Church in the citie of Constantinople that stood in his light, fast ioyning to the Pallace, that in the roome thereof he might erect a Tarras for the people to see and receiue the Emperour, intreated

Callimacus then Patriarke to perswade the people that it was neither displeasing to God, nor offensiue to any, to conuert Churches to other vses, as those had done that had ouerthrowne the heathen tem∣ples, and disposed of them otherwise. To whom the holy Archbishop made this replie, Sir, God forbid, that euer I should vse my tongue in perswading men to pull downe Churches, who haue neede to incite them all I can to build more. True it is, this re∣quest and this repulse prooued fatall to both: for the Emperour bearing splene to the Patriarke for this, the Patriark ioyned with Leontius to depose Iustini∣an; and Iustinian after much hurly burly recouering the diademe, first blinded, then banished the Patri∣ark. It is too wel known with what animositie S. Am∣brose resisted Theodosius in like case, which elswhere remembring, he vseth these words: Meministis ipsi, * 1.3quoties aduersus regales impetus pro viduarum imò om∣nium depositis certamen subierimus: You remember how often I haue been put to my plunges, in the be∣halfe of the Churches, the common banke of the widowes and all the word, against the great assaults and impetitions of the Emperour. The like he recor∣deth of another, whom he calleth Episcopus Vicinen∣sis. Oh that there were the like spirit in our moderne Bishops, in your honorable Senators, that when any sacrilegious bill, or mercenarie tongue shal rise vp to perswade to like dishonourable courses, he may by your learned speaker, or religious members, be qua∣shed, silenced, committed. Howeuer you shall please to humour any in like sute, may it please you out of

the greatnes of your place, and seriousnes of your imployments to consider your priuate estates, your houses honour, your Empires glorie, your Sauiours worship, nequid Ecclesia detrimenti capiat: For further perswasion hereof vouchsafe to heare this whole∣some aduise, which though for the author ye are to repudiate, yet because it is an Oracle, not to calum∣niate.

* 1.4 What time Camillus was banished to Capua, and the French vnder Bremus were possessed of Rome, L. Clarius the Consull was sent by the Senate to A∣pollo Delphicus, to demaund counsell what they might doe; where he remained 40. daies together in hum∣ble supplication before the shrine, without once being heard or vouchsafed answeare: and so after 6. weekes expence of time, and losse of much treasure he returned as he came: Then the Senate, thought it good to send the Priests, out of euery Temple in Rome two, who ariuing there, were presently an∣sweared in this manner; Maruell not yee Romanes, that I haue thus long refused to answeare: for foo∣lish people vse neuer to seeke to God, till men doe saile them; but therefore doth God refuse to coun∣sell such in their extremitie, because they neuer come at them but in extremitie. Take this of me, ne∣uer leaue God to flie to men; for it more auaileth to hold league with God, then loue with all the men a∣liue; be warie how you offend God, for he can da∣mage you more then men can doe: God forgets not men, except he be much and oft forgot of them; and therefore suffereth he them to persecute one ano∣ther,

because they all ioyne to persecute him or his: if then if you will looke to haue him fauourable to you in time of warre, you must be sure to serue him in the time of peace: and know this, that extreame chastisements, are for extreame sinnes. These are the Mementoes I send to the Romans: and as to L. Clarius, I vouchsafed to make no answer to so euill a messenger: for take this from me, and if you find my counsell ill, then take no more: In forren ambassa∣ges send alwaeis your most eloquent Orators, in Se∣nate at home put alwaies the wisest men, your wars abroad commit alwaies to the most valiant Com∣manders, and in the negotiations of god, put al∣waies the most innocent Priests: for god will neuer appease his iust ire against vniust actions, but if your solicitours be most holy and righteous. As for the French, they cannot be driuen from Rome, till Ca∣millus and all the guiltlesse citizens that are now in banishment are recalled home: these wars doe but warne you of your offences past; for looke what euil wicked men doe to the good in diuerse dayes, by o∣ther as euill they shall be sure to bee repaid in one.

This was the answer which Apollo gaue the Fla∣mines that were sent vnto him; an answer to say no more, that might haue befitted a farre better author; but it is not speaking, but doing that saues; wherein we haue the start of the wisest Atheist or Deuil in the world. Consider, I beseech you of the matter, and apply it if you please.

To conclude, as they recommended all their State to the wisedome and prouidence of their Senate, so

doe wee the poore and despised Ministers of this Kingdome, in the behalfe of the Church, recom∣mend the care of God and his Gospel to your wise∣doms and deuotions our Consuls and Senators: not as finding defect in your diligence; but as he,

Qui monet vt facias quod iam facis, ipse monendo. Laudat & hortatu, comprobat acta suo.

And so in all humble dutie recommending your consultations to the spirit of wisedome, and the great Counsellour, and your liues and spirits to the God of spirits and life, I ende.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••ot••en.
• * 1.2

  Sigeber.
• * 1.3

  Offic 2. 24.
• * 1.4

  M. A••••el.