LIX. IMPRISONMENT. SIR Kenelm Digby was several times taken and let go again, at last imprisoned in Winchester house. I can compare him to nothing, but to a great fish that we catch and 1. 4. I can compare him to nothing, but to a great fish &c.] This comparison seems to refer to Sir Kenelm Digby's bodily size and bearing. He was a man of very extraordinary person and presence, which drew the eyes of all men upon him, which were the more fixed by a wonderful graceful behaviour, a flowing courtesy and civility, and such a volubility of language as surprised and delighted; and though in another man it might have appeared to have somewhat of affectation, it was marvellous graceful in him, and seemed natural to his size and mould of his person, to the gravity of his motion, and the tune of his voice and delivery.' Clarendon's Life, vol. i. p. 38. (Oxford 1827.) 'His person,' says Anthony à Wood, 'was handsome and gigantic, and nothing was wanting to make him a complete chevalier.' Athenae, iii. 689. In 1638 Sir Kenelm Digby had been induced by Queen Henrietta Maria to write a circular letter to the Roman Catholics of the country, urging them to contribute liberally to the King's expenses in the matter of the war with the Scotch. Rushworth, Collections, iii. 1327. In January, 1640 (1641), he was called to account for this by the Parliament, and a Committee was appointed to prepare questions about what he and others had done. Commons Journals, ii. 74. In March, the two Houses presented a joint petition, praying that he and certain others be removed from the Court, as popish recusants, ii. 106. In May, 1641, six members were appointed with power to call before them Sir Kenelm Digby and others, and to offer them the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and if they refuse to take them, to give orders that they shall be proceeded against according to law, ii. 158. In June, 1641, a peremptory order was made for Sir Kenelm Digby to attend the Committee for Recusants Convict, ii. 182. That he was, at length, committed to Winchester House, appears by a letter, read in Parliament from the Lord Mayor of London, concerning his committal, and enclosing his petition for release. This petition the House refused to grant. Journals, ii. 978. His release was due to the intercession of the Queen Regent of France, as appears by a letter from the two Houses. We are commanded to make known to your Majesty that, although the religion, the past behaviour, and the abilities of this gentleman might give just umbrage of his practising let go again; but still he will come to the bait; at last therefore we put him into some great pond for store. LX. INCENDIARIES. FANCY to yourself a man sets the city on fire at Cripplegate, and that fire continues by means of others, till it come to Whitefriars, and then he that began it would fain quench it; does not he deserve to be punished most that first set the town on fire? So 'tis with the incendiaries of the state. They that first set it on fire, [by monopolies, forest business, imprisoning of the parliament-men 3o Caroli, &c.] are 10 now become regenerate, and would fain quench the fire. Certainly they deserved most to be punished, for being the first authors of our distractions. LXI. INDEPENDENCY. I. INDEPENDENCY is in use at Amsterdam, where forty churches or congregations have nothing to do one with another. And 'tis, no question, agreeable to the primitive times, before the emperor became Christian. For either we must say every church governed itself, or else we must to the prejudice of the constitutions of this realm, yet nevertheless, having so great regard to the recommendation of your Majesty, they have ordered him to be discharged. Biographia Britannica, vol. iii. p. 1706, note f. I find no more distinct references to what Wood terms his 'activity for the King's cause at the beginning of the civil wars,' or, as Selden puts it, 'his coming again and again to the bait.' 1. 3. Incendiaries.] See Excursus B. fall upon that old foolish rock, that St. Peter and his successors governed all. But when the civil state became Christian they appointed who should govern whom; before, they governed by agreement and consent; if you will not do this, you shall come no more amongst us. But both the independent man and the presbyterian man do equally exclude the civil power, though after a different manner. 2. The Independents may as well plead they should not be subject to temporal things, not come before a constable, 10 or a justice of peace, as they plead they should not be subject in spiritual things, because St. Paul says, Is it so, that there is not a wise man amongst you? 3. The pope challenges all churches to be under him. The king and the two archbishops challenge all the Church of England to be under them. The presbyterian man divides the kingdom into as many churches as there be presbyteries. And your independent would have every congregation 1 a church by itself. 1 Congregation, H. 2] congration, H. 1. 15. The presbyterian man divides the kingdom &c.] This is an incomplete account. See the form of Presbyterial Church Government agreed upon by the Westminster Assembly of Divines in 1645. 'Of Synodical Assemblies, the Scripture doth hold out another sort of assemblies, for the government of the Church, besides classical and congregational, all of which we call synodical. Synodical assemblies may lawfully be of several sorts, as provincial, national, and œcumenical. ' It is lawful and agreeable to the word of God that there be a subordination of congregational, classical, provincial, and national assemblies for the government of the Church.' Neal, Hist. of Puritans, vol. v. app. ix. 1. 17. your independent &c.] The view of the Independents as stated by themselves was that 'Every particular congregation of Christians has an entire and complete power and jurisdiction over its members, to be exercised by the elders thereof within itself. Apologetical Narrative of Independents (1643), quoted by Neal, Hist. of Puritans, vol. iii. p. 118. Their main platform, says Fuller (Church History, bk. xi.), was LXII. THINGS INDIFFERENT. In time of a parliament, when things are under debate, they are indifferent; but in a church or state settled, there is nothing left indifferent. LXIII. PUBLIC INTEREST. ALL might go well in the commonwealth, if every one in the parliament would lay down his own interest, and aim at the general good. If a man were sick, and the whole college of physicians should come to him, and administer severally, haply so long as they observed the rules of art, 10 he might recover; but if one of them had a great deal of scamony by him, he must put off that, therefore he prescribes scamony; another had a great deal of rhubarb, and he must put off that, and therefore he prescribes rhubarb, &c. they would certainly kill the man. We destroy the commonwealth, while we preserve our own private interest, and neglect the public. LXIV. HUMAN INVENTION. 1. You say there must be no human invention in the church, nothing but the pure word. that churches should not be subordinate, parochial to provincial, provincial to national (as daughter to mother, mother to grandmother), but co-ordinate, without superiority, except seniority of sisters, containing no powerful influence therein. 20 Answer. If I give any exposition, but what is expressed in the text, that is my invention: if you give another exposition, that is your invention, and both are human. For example, suppose the word [egg] were in the text; I say, 'tis meant an hen-egg, you say a goose-egg; neither of these are expressed, therefore they are human invention; and I am sure the newer the invention the worse; old inventions are best. 2. If we must admit nothing but what we read in the 10 Bible, what will become of the parliament? For we do not read of that there. LXV. GOD'S JUDGMENTS. We cannot tell what is a judgment of God; 'tis presumption to take upon us to know. In time of plague we know we want health, and therefore we pray to God to give us health1; in time of war, we know we want peace, and therefore we pray to God to send us peace. Commonly we say a judgment falls upon a man for something in him we cannot abide. An example we have in King James, con 1 And therefore we pray to God to give us health, H. 2] omitted in H. 1. 13. We cannot tell what is a judgment &c.] Suggested, possibly, by a book, published in 1636, under the title of 'A divine tragedie lately acted,' or 'A collection of sundry memorable examples of God's judgments upon Sabbath-breakers and other like libertines in their unlawfull sports. It gives fifty-five examples of some misfortune to Sabbath-breakers in the course of two years, and it appeals confidently to these as proof of direct divine interposition. It ends with an account of the death of Mr. William Noy, closely following the execution of the Star Chamber censure on the 'well deserving gentleman, Mr. Prynne.' The book has been ascribed to Prynne, but it does not bear his name or signature. It is entered as Prynne's in the British Museum catalogue, and is so lettered on the cover. |