Newes from Ipswich discovering certaine late detestable practises of some domineering lordly prelates, to undermine the established doctrine and discipline of our church, extirpate all orthodox sincere preachers and preaching of Gods word, usher in popery, superstition and idolatry : with their late notorious purgations of the new fastbooke, contrary to His Majesties proclamation, and their intolerable affront therein offred to the most illustrious Lady Elizabeth, the Kinge onely sister, and her children, (even vvhiles they are novv royally entertained at court) [i]n blotting them out of the collect, and to His Majesty, His Queene, and their royall progeny, in blotting them out of the number of Gods elect.

CHristian Reader this is the deplorable Newes of our present age, that our Presses formerly open onely to Truth and Piety, are clo∣sed up against them both of late, and patent for the most part, to nought but error, superstition, and prophanes. Witnes thosea 1.1 many pro∣phane erronious, impious books, printed within these 3. yeares by autho∣rity, (pointblanke against the established doctrine of the Church of England, and his Majesties piousb 1.2 Declarations) in defence of Armini∣anisme, Popery, and Popish ceremonies; and which is yet more impious and detestable, againstc 1.3 the very morality of the Sabbath, and 4. Com∣mandement: the divine institution tule and intire religious sanctification of the Lords-day SABBATH and the necessity of frequent preaching, (exceedingly pressed in ourd 1.4 Homilies, and book ofe 1.5 Ordination) which some of our unpreaching, domineering secular Prelates (out of their Arch-piety towards God,f 1.6 and Arch-charity to the peoples soules which they seeke to murther,) now so far detest, that they not only give over preaching themselves, as no part of their function; & sup∣presse most weekday Lectures in divers Countries; but have likewise lately shut up the mouthes of sundry of our most godly, powerfull, painefull Preachers, (who have woon more soules to God in a yeare, than all the Lord Bishops in England or the world have done in di∣versages) out of meere malice to religion, and the peoples salvation; con∣trary to the very Lawes of God and the Realme; and strictly prohi∣bited; under paine of suspention, in sundry Diocesse, all afternoone Sermons on the Lords own Day; tha•• so the prophane vulgar might have more time to dance play, revell, drinke, and prophane Gods Sab∣baths, even in these dayes of plague and pestilence,g 1.7 to draw downe more plagues & judgements on us, for this sin of Sabbath-breaking, when as not onely theh 1.8 Synod of Dort, buti 1.9 sundry Popish Synods and Bishops have bin so religious, as to prescribe TWO SERMONS every Lords∣day at least, in every parish Church, to keepe the people from such propha∣nations of this sacred Day. Alas what couldk 1.10 Belzebub the Prince of Devils, had hee beene an Archbishop or Lordly Prelate here in Eng∣land (as there were many Divels Bishops, at least, Bishops Divels, in l 1.11 Bernards age, and most feare there are too many now,) have done

more against the strict intire sanctification of the Christian Sabbath day, tom 1.12 make it the Divels day in stead of the Lords day and to advance his owne kingdome and service on it; or against the frequent powerfull Preachers, and preaching of Gods Word, and salvation of the peo∣ples soules, then some Luciferian Lord Bishops have lately done? whose impiety in this kind transcends all presidents whatsoever in former ages. And yet these prophane, atheistical graceles persecutors of all holines, piety, sincerity, godly Ministers, and preaching of Gods Word (yea in these pestilentiall times, as meanes to spread the plague, though then 1.13 Scripture, ando 1.14 all former ages have prescribed fasting, preaching, and praying, as the chiefe antidots and cure against it) will needs be Lord B••shopsp 1.15 lure divino by the holy Ghosts owne instituti∣on, (who never yet instituted anyq 1.16 unpreaching, rarepreaching Pre∣lates or persecutors and suppressors of preaching) and shame not to stile themselves, ther 1.17 godly holy Fathers of our Church, and Pillars of our faith, when as their fruits and actions manifest them to bee nought else but the very Step fathers and Caterpillars, the very pests and plagues of both. Take out one fresh instance for an example: these de∣sperate Archagents for the Divell, and Pope of Rome, and Master-un∣derminers of our religion, as they were the onely instruments of de∣laying the present generall fast in the beginning of the pestilence, s 1.18 when it was most acceptable and requisi••e; So, to shew their inveterate malice against preaching (t 1.19 the thing that the Divell wrastleth most a∣gainst all whose study hath beene to decay the office of preaching, which should not be deminished) they (contrary to his Majesties pious intenti∣on, who hath sou 1.20 oft protested against all innovations) have cunningly caused all Sermons (the very life and soule of a fast, as being the onely means to humble men for their sins: & bring them to repētance,)x 1.21 to be pro∣hibited on the fast-day, both in London and the Suburbs, and in al other infected places, during the time of the infection in them; in parishes not in∣fected, (as if preaching only of all Gods ordinances were pestilenci∣all, & that on the fastday, not on others;) contrary to the presidents of all former ages, & they 1.22 Orders sor the generall fasts in the two last great plagues which prescribed two Sermons, of one houre long apeece, forenoone and afternoone every fast day, and that as wel in parishes infected as others:

even in the Summer season, when the infection was more contagious and raging than now. By which device they have not only made this fast distastfull to all* 1.23 sorts of men in infected places, who have little heart unto it, robbed the poore of much charitable reliefe, and depri∣ved the people of the spiritual food & Physick of their soules, when they need and desire it most, to their intolerable griefe & discontent, but quite suppressed all settled Wednesday Lectures in London and other infected Townes, as long as the infection shall continue in any one parish, though it should last these 7 yeares (the thing they prin∣cipally aimed at:) forced many Ministers & people to flie out of infe∣cted places into the Country, to keep their fasts where there is prea∣ching; brought in az 1.24 famine of Gods Word, the greatest plague of all o∣thers, to the increasing & further spreading of the present pestilence, & drawing downe of Gods wrath upon us toa 1.25 the utter most, by inhibiting Ministers in the time of greatest need, to preach unto the people that they may be saved. O heavens stand amazed at this unparalleld practise of impious popish Prelats: But is this all? No verily. For whereas his Majestyb 1.26 commanded that the booke of Common prayer for the fast, for∣merly set forth by his authority upon the like occasion should be reprinted, these Romish Inquisitors have miserably gelded it, after it was new printed, in sundry particulars. First, they have purged out the prayer for seasonable weather; one cause of the shipwracks, & tēpestuous un∣seasonable weather ever since its publication. Secondly, they have da∣shedc 1.27 the Lady Elizabeth and her children, in the old Collect, quite out of the new; as they have expunged both them, with our gracious King Queene, and their children out of the catalogue of Gods elect, by blotting out this clause (who art the father of thine elect and of their seed) out of the Collect for them in this and all new Common prayer bookes, as if they were all reprobates, & none of the number of Gods elect, either to a temporall or an eternall crowne. O intollerable impiety; affront, and horrid Treason. Thirdly, they have left out this Collect: It had beene best for us &c. in the new book, (though the most effectuall prayer of all) because it magnifies continual, of∣ten preaching of Gods Word, and the Scriptures, and calls our powerfull Preachers, Gods servants. A sig••e these Prelates have conspired toge∣ther like so many execrable Traytors, to extirpate our frequent pow∣erfull Preachers and continuall preaching of Gods Word (as they have d••ne in many places of late) though prescribed byd 1.28 God himselfe &ce 1.29 our Homili is Fourthly, they have dashed this remarkable clause out of the first Collect. Thou hast delivered us from superstition and idolatry (two grand causes both of manyf 1.30 former, and our present plagues no

doubt) wherein we were utterly drowned, & hast brought us into the most cleare and comfortable light of thy blessed Word; by which we are taught how to serve and honor thee, and how to live orderly with our neighbours in truth and verity: the rest of the Collect remaining as before. Now what can be the cause of this strange purgation, but a resolved pro∣fessed conspiracy of these Romish Prelates, even now againe utterly to drown us in* 1.31 popish superstition and idolatry (which have now drow∣ned us in Gods judgements, by their stupendious late increase among us) and to remove us out of the most cleare and comfortable light of Gods Word, by the which we are taught how to serve and honour him (the true cause why they now suppresse Lectures, preaching, and suspend our powerfullest Preachers every where,) that so we may walke on in ro∣mish hellish darknes, serving and honouring the Pope and Divell in stead of God, and live in all disorder, without truth or verity. Fiftly, in the 6. order for the fast, they have pared away this passage. To avoide the inconvenience that may grow by the abuse of fasting; Some esteeming it a meritorious worke, others a good worke, and of it selfe acceptable to God without due regard of the end; Onely to gratifie the Papists whose g 1.32 doctrine this is, and to place some merit in this present fast:) adding this clause to it; in places where Sermons are allowed by the Proclamati∣on; of purpose to put downe Wednesday Lectures, and preaching in London and other places where any parish is infected. If these Prelats then be thus desperatly wicked and popish, as to take advantage of Gods judgements to suppresse the preaching and Preachers of his Word when it is most necessary and usefull, and to countenance, ju∣stifie, and set up Popery, superstition, idolatry, error and disorder (the chiefe causes of our plagues) even in these dayes of pestilence, & that in the very Fastbooke to abuse andh 1.33 mock God to his face, to dishonor his Majesty, and grieve his peoples soules; how transcendently impi∣ous & popish wil they prove, when God shal stay this plague, if they bee not now deservedly punished for these their notorious impie∣ties? And is it not high time then for his Majesty to hang up such Archtraytors to our faith, Church, religion, & such truebred sons to the Roman Antichrist, (from whomi 1.34 Dr. Pocklington bosts they are li∣neally descended) & to execute judgement on them for these strange purgations, & other their Romish Innovations, whereat the whole Kingdom crie shame; which breed a general feare of a sudden altera∣tion of our religiō? Certainly til his Majesty shal see these purgations rectified, superstition & idolatry removed, Gods Sabbaths duly sancti∣fied, the suppressed Preachers &* 1.35 preaching of Gods word restored, and

hang up some of these Romish Prelates & Inquisitors before the Lord, as thek 1.36 Gibeonites once did the 7. sons of Saul, we can never hope to a∣bate any of Gods plagues, or draw down any of his blessings on us by l 1.37 such a fast, and Fastbook as this, but augment his plagu••s and judge∣ments more and more, which have strangely increased since this fast begun, contrary to al human reason and probability, whereas it much decreased before; the total number dying of the plague the week be∣fore the fast, being but 458. & 58 parishes infected, and the very first weeke of the fast 838 (treble the number the 2. last greatest plagues) & 67 parishes infected,m 1.38 Cambridge, Norwich, Hampton, Bath, & other eminent places cleare before, being likewise visited since this fast be∣gun; a cleare evidence, that God is much offended with these purga∣tions & the restraint of preaching on the fastday, against which some Prelats are so mad, that they have silenced & persecuted divers Mini∣sters since the fast proclaimed, there being now so many suspended in our Norwich Diocesse, only for not yeelding to popish innovations, that in sundry Churches they have neither prayers, preaching, nor fasting: which hath brought the plague among them, and made the people at their wits ends, many Ministers & people there having left the King∣dome, and thousands more being ready to depart the Land, there be∣ing never such a persecution or havock made among Gods Ministers since Q Maries daies, as a lecherous proud insolent Prelate hath there lately made against all Lawes of God and man, to the astonishment of the whole Realme. What then can wee expect but plagues upon plagues, till such desperate persecurors be cut off, & Gods Word and Ministers restored unto their former liberty, by our most gracious So∣veraigne, persecution of Gods Ministers and people being one chiefen 1.39 cause of plagues; Wherefore O England, England, if ever thou wilt be free from pests and judgements, take notice of these thy Antichri∣stian Prelates desperate practises innovations, & popish designes, to bewaile oppose, redresse them with all thy force and power: O all ye English Nobles, Courtiers and others, who have any love or spark of religion, piety, zeale, any tendernes of his Majesties honour, or care for the peoples, the Church or Kingdoms safety yet remaining with in your generous brests, put to your helping hands & praiers to rescue our religion and faithfull Ministers now suspended, from the jawes of these devouringo 1.40 wolves, and tyrannizing Lordly Prelates (raysed from the dungh••••) who make havock of them both. O our most pious King Charles as thou hast in two severallp 1.41 Declarations, protested be∣fore God to all thy loving Sub••ects, that thou wilt never give way to the licensing or authorizing of any thing, whereby ANY INNOVATION IN

THE LEAST DEGREE may creepe into our Church; nor ever connive at ANY BACKSLIDING TO POPERY; and that it is thy hearts desire to be found worthy of that title which thou esteemest the most glorious in all thy Crowne, Defender of the faith; to now behold these desperate inno∣vations, purgations, and Romish practises of thy Prelates, in open af∣front of these thy Declarations; & now or never shew thy selfe (as we all hope, beleeve, and pray thou wilt) a Prince more worthy of this glorious Title, than any of thy royal progenitors, by rooting all Pope∣ry, superstition, idolatry, errors, innovations, out of this Church and & Kingdom, by restoring the preaching, the Preachers of Gods word and purity of his worship, andq 1.42 taking vengeance on these perfidious Prelates, who have thus gelded thy fastbook, (and intend to make an Index expurgatorius upon all other ancient English Writers ere they be reprinted, a thing considerable,) thus openly abused thy onely sister, and her children, now present with thee; oppressed and grieved thy faithfull subjects, dishonored thy God, betrayed thy re∣ligion, increased the plague among thy people, & as much as in them lyeth, robbed thee both of thy Gods and peoples loves, & pulled thy Crowne off thy Royal head, to set it on their own trayterous ambiti∣ous pates, by exercising all ecclesiastical power, yea Papal jurisdiction over thy subjects in their own names and rights alone; and by tram∣pling all thy lawes and Subjects liberties like Cobwebs, thy subjects like Dogs and dirt, under their tyrannical Papal feet. If thou thusr 1.43 exe∣cute judgement on them and ease thy people from their intolerable ty∣ranny, no doubt this plague shall be ceased, and this fast be pleasing to the Lord; else he wil not accept it, but proceed to plague us more and more. O blessed Soveraigne, that thou didst but heare the severall cries and outcries of thy people against these persecuting Prelates in many places, especially in our Norwich Diocesse, where little Pope * 1.44 Regulus hath playd such Rex, that hee hath suspended above 60. of our sincerest painefullest conformable Ministers, both from their Office and Benefice, so as many of our Churches (as the like was ne∣ver since King Iohns dayes) are quite shut up, and Lord have mercy upon us may be written on their dores: the people cry for the bread of their soules, and their Ministers are prohibited to give it them; This not onely wounds but breakes their hearts, and makes them amazed. O therefore gracious Soveraigne helpe now, and heare the petitions, cries, and teares of thy poore people, and hang up these Popelings for these and other their innumerable oppressi∣ons, extortions, innovations and harmes, who suspend, imprison,

and ruine others for meere toyes and trifles, yea for defending your royall Prerogative against their Papall usurpations.

This is all the newes I shall now impart in this Coranto, the next weeke God-willing, you shall heare of Mr.Dade his excommunica∣ting of Ferdinando Adams, a Churchwarden in our Towne, for not blotting out this sentence of Scripture written on Mr.Wards Church wall over his bawdy theevish Court.* 1.45 It is written my house shall be called an house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of theeves; which excommunication is of record in S••archamber; of our Bishops com∣manding. * 1.46 Wo is me if I preach not the Gospel out of Mr. Scots Church; and of the strange proceedings at Colchester against Mr. Samuel Bur∣rowes for inditing Parson Necoman for rayling in the Communion Table Altarwiso, and causing the Communicants to come up to the rayle to receive, in a new unaccustomed maner, contrary to the Sta∣tute of 1. Eliz. c. 2. and his Majesties Declarations, this last Michael∣mas Sessions: which Inditement the Grand-Iury hath found, but his Majesty yet can get no judgement. In the meane time, I shall con∣clude my Newes with the words of Patricke Adamson Archbishop of St. Andrtwes, in his* 1.47 Publike Recantation in the Synod of Fiffe, Aprill 8, 1591. That the office of a Diocesian Bishop hath no authority at all to support it in ths Word of God; that it is only founded on the poli∣ticke divise of men; that the primacy of the Pope or Antichrist sprung from it that it is worthily condemned and that it hath been for 500. years and more the chiefe originall and instrument of suppressing the preaching of Gods Word in all Kingdomes, as all Ecclesiasticall Historians testifie: I therefore shall close up all with the Collect on S. Matthias day; Almighty God, which in the place of the traytor* 1.48 Bishop Iudas, didst chuse thy faithfull servant Matthias, to be of the number of the 12, Apostles: Grant that thy Church, being alwaies preserved from false Apostles, may be ordered and guided by faithfull and true Pastors, through Iesus Christ our Lord. And with the Collect on St. Peters day; Almighty God, which by thy Sonne Iesus Christ hath given to thy Apostle St. Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy Flocke: make (wee beseech thee) all Bishops and Pastors* 1.49 diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people o∣bediently to follow the same, that they may receive the Crowne of everlasting glory, through Iesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

From Ipswich November 12. 1636.

Thine in the Lord, Matthew White.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Shelfords 5. Treatises, Rheeve Communion book Cate∣chisine ex∣pounded, Chounae∣us Collect, A Coale from the Altar, The female glo∣ry, Studley Dr. Lawrence, and Brownes Sermons, with others. Apparatus ad hist. Ecclesiast.
• b 1.2

  Before the 39 Articles and concerning the Parlaments dissolution, p. 20, 21, 22, 42.
• c 1.3

  The Treatise, History Doctrine, and Dis∣course of the Sabbath; A soveraigne Antidote. Dr. Prim∣rose, Rheeve Shelford, & Powel, in the life of King Iue.
• d 1.4

  Preface to them, Of the right use of the Church
• e 1.5

  Exhortation to those that are to be made Ministers.
• f 1.6

  Bp Latimers 2, 4. 5. 6. Sermons before King Edward, and his sermon of the Plough.
• g 1.7

  Neh. 13. 17, 18 Levit. 26. 46. to 55. Ier. 17. 17. Ezech. 20 13. to 22. the Fastbooke 1. Iacobi & Caroli, and the examples of of Gods judgements upon Sabbath breakers.
• h 1.8

  Sessio 14
• i 1.9

  Apud Bochel. Decreta Eccles. Gal l. 1. Tit. 3. c. 10. 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 37, 52. & l. 4. Tit. 7. c. 26.
• k 1.10

  Matth 12. 24.
• l 1.11

  Sermo 33 in Cant, & in Concil. Rhemensi.
• m 1.12

  Hom. 3. against re∣bellion p. 293 and of the time & place of prayer.
• n 1.13

  2 Chron. 6. 28, 29, 30. c. 7, 13 14. Num. 25. 6. to 10 Ioel 1 & 2 Zeph 2. 1. 2, 3.
• o 1.14

  See the Fast booke 1 Iacobi.& Caroli.
• p 1.15

  Bp. Ban∣crofts Ser∣mon, & Bp. Whites. Treatise of the Sabba••h day, Epist. Ded.
• q 1.16

  Act. 20. 28. 1. Tim. 3 2 c 4. 11. to 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1. to 4. Tit 1. 9. c. 2. 1. ••0 13. c. 3. 1. to 12 1 Pet. 5 1. 2, 3.
• r 1.17

  Bp. White Epist. Ded. to his Trea∣tise of the Sabbath: & Rheeu •• Epist. Ded. before his Exposition of his Catechisme in the Communion booke, & p. 2.
• s 1.18

  Zeph. 2. 1, 2 3. Num. 16. 46
• t 1.19

  Bp Latimers 4. & 6. Sermons before King Edvv which I would our Prelates would now peruse and his Sermon of the Plough
• u 1.20

  Declaration before the 39. Articles, and of the dissolution of the Par∣liament. p. 21. 42.
• x 1.21

  Zeph. 2. 1, 2. 3 Isay 58. 1 to 8. Ier. 23. 29. c. 36. 6. to 11. Acts. 16. 18. Heb. 4. 12, 13, 2 Tim. 2. 25. 26.
• y 1.22

  Order 6. for the Fast.
• * 1.23

  Who stile it a dumbe fast and a mockfast.
• z 1.24

  Amos 8 11,12.
• a 1.25

  1 Thes. 2 15,16 Isay 30 9 to 17 2 Chron. 34. 16.
• b 1.26

  See the Proclama∣tion
• c 1.27

  The Col∣lect for the Queene, &c
• d 1.28

  2 Tim 4. 1 to 5 Lu 19. 47. c 21 37 Iohn 18. ••o. Act. 2. 46. 47, c 5. 42.
• e 1.29

  Of the right use of the Church
• f 1.30

  Num. 25 1, to 10. c. 31. 16. Iosh. 22. 17. 2 Chro. 21 13. 14. Psa. 106. 28. 29 Ezec. 5. 11 12. 17. c. 6. 11. 12 c. 12 16 c. 14. ••, 19, 21. A∣mos. 4. 4, 10.
• * 1.31

  Witnes their a••te∣ring of the Gunpowder treason booke, their pleading for the Pope and church of Rome, and setting up Altars, l∣mages, Cru∣cifixes, and bowing to them in all Cathedrals, and else∣where, and in their own Chappels.
• g 1.32

  Bellar∣mine de Bonis O∣peribus. l 2 c. 11. Bo∣navent. Diet. sa c. 15.
• h 1.33

  Iob 13 9 Gal. 6. 7.
• i 1.34

  Sunday no Sabbath, p. 2. & 44.
• * 1.35

  The honor and safety of the King∣dome. 2 Chron. 17. 7, 8, 9, 10.
• k 1.36

  2 Sam 21. Num. 25. 4.
• l 1.37

  Isay 58. 3, 4, 5, &c.
• m 1.38

  And that the very next weeke after an Or∣der there published, that every Scholler shoud bow to the Altar and at the name of Ie∣sus, under paine of ex∣pulsion out of the Uni∣versity after two admo∣nitions, an idolatrous and super∣stitious Or∣der.
• n 1.39

  Ezech. 28 23, 24, c. 38. 28, 22. Ezech. 14. 12. Eu∣sebius Ec∣cles. Hist. ••. 9. cap 8. cent. Mag. 3. c. 3. p. 31 32. Cent. 4 c. 3. p. 156. Henry Hol∣land his Spirituall preserva∣tives against the Plague.
• o 1.40

  Act. 20 29.
• p 1.41

  Before the 39. Articles: and of the dissolution of the Parliament, page 21. 42.
• q 1.42

  Rom. 13 4.
• r 1.43

  Psal. 106. 30.
• * 1.44

  It signifies both a little King, a Wren, and likewise a Serpent, cal∣led a Basi∣liske, socal∣led because like a tyrant he killeth men with his very scent.
• * 1.45

  Matth. 21. 13.
• * 1.46

  1 Cor 9. 16.
• * 1.47

  Patricij Adamsoni Palinodia p 55.
• * 1.48

  Acts 1. 20,
• * 1.49

  Whith few Bishops now doe.