The reform'd samaritan, or, The worship of God by the measures of spirit and truth preached for a visitation-sermon at the convention of the clergy, by the reverend Arch-Deacon of Coventry, in Coventry, April the sixth, 1676 : to which is annexed, a review of a short discourse printed in 1649, about the necessity and expediency of worshipping God by set forms / by John Allington ...

THE ANSWER OF Mr. STEPHEN MARSHAL Of FINCHFIELD, A Grandee in the late Assembly, which could not be importun'd till after the printing of the Letter.

Responsa prudentum had of old an Equipage even with Law it self; and since there hath been no recourse to Oracles, no Ʋrim nor Thummin to give certain An∣swers; the greatest Appeal left to doubting Man in point of dif∣ficulty or scruple, it is to consult the Prudent.

Now that Mr. Marshal thought himself, and was also thought to be, an Oracle in his time, I shall onely set down such An∣swers as except an Oracle who would dare to give? For, when he was consulted about that sad War, which the Land cannot yet forget,
The Oracle thus:

The Cause is a right cause, the Cause of God.

* 1.1 In the same year, è Tripode, in a Sermon preached to the two Houses, Earl of Essex, Mayor and Aldermen: All Christendom, except the Malignants in England, do now see that the Question in England is, Whether Christ or Antichrist shall be Lord and King? * 1.2 And then because Oracles are in point of War mainly consulted about the success,
The Oracle thus:

Believe, this Cause must prosper; though we were all dead, our Armies overthrown, and even our Parliament dissolved, the Cause must prevail.

In his Sermon upon Mich. 7. 1, 2.

And as we may conceive he would not thus have spoken, but

that he believed himself possessed, inspir'd, and fitted to be an Oracle; even so that he was taken so to be, I shall now call to witness his eminent Employments. Who was held fit to be an Ora∣cle to the Army but Mr. Stephen Marshall? who so fit to give An∣swers * 1.3 in Scotland as Mr. Marshall? who to satisfie his conscien∣tious Majesty as Mr. Marshall? And when the City was in great Fears and Straights, when they wanted an Oracle indeed, through whom spake the Army, but by Mr. Marshall? He by Letters answered them, The Army had nothing but good thoughts toward the City. Upon the Answers received by this Oracle, 50000 l. was lent, the City-Gates set open, and the Tower delivered; yea, I finde it written, * 1.4 As Moneys are decried and inhaunsed by the King's Authority, so is every mans Religion cried up or down by Mar∣shall's Authority, and Stamp: So that Delphos it self was the infe∣riour Oracle.

Whereas then, when the preceding Letter was written, I stood (as appears) in great need of an Answer; to whom could I in prudence have gone better, than to this so eminent an Oracle? He! who without fear or difficulty could give Answers to the greatest affaires and concerns both of Church and State. He who was (quasi gentium Apostolus) the Occumenical Oracle to Scots and English. He who professeth himself acquainted with the Mindes of all Christendom, yea and the Minde of God too! Here sure, or nowhere, was I to expect an Answer; this, or no Pope Stephen, was infallible.

Whereas then my humble Address was, Eminenti, to so great an Eminence, I doubt not but now the Reader as well as the Writer may expect, either a full, or a fair, a civil, or a charitable Answer.

In the Letter there is (I think) a modest and Hypothetical Request, either to salve my Repute with the Worshipful Knight I writ about, or to make me his Convert: his Charity might have done the one, if his Judgement could not do the other. But I could not importuue either, till at length I met him at Cam∣bridge, * 1.5 (that very day the Usurper of Trinity kept his Divinity-Act) in the School-yard: I desired to speak with him, told him my Name, excused my boldness that (being unknown) I trou∣bled him with a Letter. At this he began to open, and said, And printed it when you had done. To which I solemnly and truely protested, Who printed it I knew not, nor of the printing of it,

till a Neighbour shewed it me; adding, Sir, I am now for Lon∣don, and intend to wait upon that worthy Person in whose house you was then Couchant; I humbly desire to know whether you have done me the favour to satisfie him that you found me a conscien∣tious though a weak Brother.

Et jam parturiunt montes.

His Answer was, You may go look. Had he bid me go look how and what he subscribed when he was Ordained and Instituted, it had been somewhat; for the Form of his Subscription was:

I Stephen Marshall, do willingly and ex Animo subscribe to the three Articles above mentioned, and to all things that are contai∣ned in them.

Whereof the second is the Book of Common-prayer—That he him∣self will use the Form in the said Book prescribed in publick Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and none other.

Or had he bid me go look what he himself did (after the Re∣nouncing of his Subscription) when he married his Daughter by the Common-prayer, this had been something: but indefinitely to bid me go look, was next door to say to a Dog, Get you out.

And here I cannot forbear with honour to remember Learned and Civil Mr. Jeremiah Whittaker, to whom when I address'd my self upon the same scruple, I had of him in his house a very kinde reception: and when in discourse I told him how I had negatively subscribed to use in publick Administrations the Common-prayer, and no other, He told me I was surely deceived, and desired me to meet him at the Dean of Westminster's (where the Assembly then sat) next Morning; which I did, and brought with me a Book of Canons; but the good man anticipated the shewing of them; telling me, that indeed the Subscription was as I said; and that I had called to his remembrance a sin, which but for me he should never have asked pardon for! A fitter man to deal with a tender Conscience than Mr. Marshall.

He did go look indeed; but it was into his own Breast, and there he found he had sinned against his Subscription; which in∣genuous Confession I wish may do him more honour than a Mo∣nument.

Ʋtilitas facit esse Deos, quâ nempe Remotâ Templa ruunt, nec erunt Arae, nec Jupiter ullus.

It was partly said by the Poet, Profit makes Gods: Temples, Al∣tars, and Jupiter himself, were no further valued than men got by them. Trucly, I do heartily wish, that even among us, none did drive on Religion as a Trade, subscribing and avowing the Litur∣gy with as changeable Consciences as they did the Covenant and the Engagement, valuing nor one or other, but as a present Expe∣dient; which truely makes me call to minde what a Reverend' Bi∣shop of the Church of Ireland observed here in England, viz. The greatest danger that ever the Common-prayer-book had, was the indifferency and the indevotion of them that used it but as a common Blessing; and they who thought it fit for the meanest of the Clergy to read Prayers, and for themselves onely to preach. This doubtless did, and ever will depress the honour of the Litur∣gy; for mobile Vulgus, she moving people can never value what they see is by the Priest but superficially profest.

When Augustus Caesar and Mark Anthony were at variance, there is a known Story of a poor man, who not being able to prognosticate which should return the Conquerour, made two Crowes equally ready: one could say, Ave Caesar victor Imperator; and the other, Ave victor Imperator Antoni: One prepared to sa∣lute Augustus, and the other Anthony. All a matter to the poor man who was chief, so he got by it. Now as Crowes, even so Oracles, they have been taught to speak for advantage, many of them being like unto Wind-instruments, which sound no longer than they are puffed up. Now of my Crow-like Oracle, the Au∣thour of the History of Independency thus: Mr. Marshall when he saw Independency prevail, secretly turned his Coat the wrong side outward—could not tell whether C. should import Charles or Cromwel! And this my unlucky Letter bears date that very year; so that my Oracle, being at a loss shall be pardoned, and have no more said either to him or of him for this so dobious and unex∣pected Answer in a case of Conscience:
You may go look.

Anno [ut sertur] Mirabili Responsum Mirabile, 1666.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In his Let∣ter to a Friend in the City, p. 36.
• * 1.2

  Jan. 18. 1643.
• * 1.3

  History of Independen∣cy, part 1. pag. 52.
• * 1.4

  53.
• * 1.5

  Dr. Hill.