in orbem redeuntes in Sancto Stephano Proto-Martyre honoramus eorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exosculamur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Reliquias ipsorum lipsana cimaelia deposita si quae sint quaead nostram notitiam pervenerint Si quae nancisci poterimus genuiua non fucata libenter suscipimus veneratione sua debita congrua honeramus Imprimis autem de Martyribus ubi non constat veritas disquisitionem censemus instituendam Pag. 40. Repraesenta mihi fase as illas Seruatoris Dâ—ce certissimo illas ipsas etiam numextare quibus Infans sacratissimus involvebatur Ego quod ad me attinâ—t libens merito cum summâ— gandio gratulatione reverentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accurram suscipiam ultra omnia quae vocant Barbari Jocalia Cimelia lapides preciosos aurum astimaâ—â— And in his Antidiatr p. 17. Ossa Sanctorum Cineres Reliquias vase aureo velamine precioso convolvebant Ego certè cum Constantino illas reliquias fascijs involvam auro includam circumge standas admovebo labijs ac collo suspensos manibus oculisque crebrò usurpatat intuebor vel in apothecas condam recludam inter preciocissima cemelia censendas 17. That vowed Poverty Virginity a Monasticall life and Monasteries are lawfull usefull Popish Votaries Saints Orders to be imitated applauded CHrists Epistle to a Devout soule p. 86. 87. 88. 89. brings in Christ thus speaking to Christians I Was driven into banishment brought up by the labour of my mother and fed by Almes at other Folkes cost having neither house nor lodging of mine owne withered often in the mountaines how was I spoiled of all my garments at the time of my passion c. Looke therefore upon my poverty and leave to be sad why art thou not grieved like a good Emulatresse if thou see any man poorer then thy selfe as Saint Francis was if thou perceivest any man more agreeable to my life and poverty then thy selfe this indeed should bee a kinde of emulation Embrace with mee the crosse of Poverty c. Determine therefore now and make a firme resolution from the bottome of thy heart to contemne all things for the love of mee and be unwilling to possesse any thing but even such as of necessity thou art inforced to use delighting in all Poverty contempt and penury that thou maist be worthy to enjoy mee Francis Sales His Introduction to a devout life page 19. True it is that the Devotion altogether contemplative Monasticall and Religious cannot be exercised in these Vocations of Artificers c. yet are there many other degrees of devotions Page 200. The solitarines of Saint Paul the first Hermit is imitated in some sort by the spirituall retreates of which we have spoken and the extreame poverty of St. Francis may be imitated by those practises and exercises of spirituall poverty which we will hereafter set downe Page 354 Charity only placeth us in the heigth of perfection but Obedience Chastity and Poverty are excellent Instruments to attaine unto it I will not say any thing of these three vertues as they are vowed solemnly for so they appertaine to Religious persons Page 335. When they are vowed solemnely they place a man in the way and state of perfection Henry Stafford his Female Glory page 23. Let us then imagine that this holy Recluise confined her body to this sacred solitude c. Page 28. The bonds of her Matrimony were askt in heaven and no impediment found why shee might not wed God himselfe yet at the earnest solicitation of the Reverend Priests saith Mantuan she was content to bee betrothed to Joseph not that he should doe the Office of an Husband but serve as a barre to the importuninity of other suitors that so she might the more freely enjoy the inconceivable pleasure she tooke in her Vowed Virginity Page 148. You who have vowed Virginity Mentall and Corporall you shall not only have ingresse here but welcome Approach with comfort and kneele downe before the grand white Immaculate Abbesse of your snowey Nunneries Page 235. My Arithmeticke will not serve mee to number all those who have registred their names in the sodality of the Rosary of this our blessed Lady c. All which are Canonized for Saints Bishop Mount Orig. page 303. Quantum detrimenti Regijs accesserit vectigali busper illam desolationem Monasterijs invectam per importunum Henrici Octavi rigorem per Parliamentarias Impropriationes c. Page 382. Ejusmodi vitae genere Ioannem jecisse fundamenta Monasticae vitae hoc est Anacoreticae et Ascetica cum illustrissimo Baronio non abnuerim c. 18. That there are written Traditions which we must observe and are of equall Authority with the word BIshop Mountague in his Gagge page 30. There are Traditions written and unwritten you meane not here Traditions written I know it no more doe wee Page 31. Traditions instituted by our Saviour even in points of beleife and Faith have divine Authority as his written word hath Traditions derived from the Apostles have equall authority with their preachings and their writings Traditions of the Church have such authority as the Church hath all binde and oblige as they were intended and as their extent is For they must be considered not only from the Author but from the end some were intended to be permanent others only to be transient for a time only or else for ever some Vniversall some onely Partiall for the Catholike or else a private Church such variety and difference is in Traditions We do grant it in every kinde that either there are or have beene Traditions of Christ his Apostles the Church privat men Pag. 37. Quae universa tenet Ecclesia ab Apostolis praecepta benè traduntur quanquam scripta non reperiantur said Saint Augustine and I subscribe unto it Omni modo bind they unto Obedience so long in such sort so farre forth as the Authors did intend till the same Authority disavow them which gave unto them being at the first In the 34. Articie to this purpose we read of and concerning Ecclesiasticall Traditions Loe Traditions not only avowed but maintained Page 41. No Protestant living in his right wit will deny this that the Apostles spake much more then is written Therefore the Traditions of the Apostles and of the Church is without all question of good credit and esteeme and so much we professe Art 34. I grant it hath displeased some which is said It is Tradition which avoweth it seeke no further I see no reason why any should be displeased therewith Doctor Pocklintons Altare Christianum Page 48. None of all these Heretikes can derive their succession from the Apostles nor shew how their Doctrines were received by Tradition from them Page 49. According to Apostolicall Tradition Page 50. Those that deprive us of the benefit of this Apostolicall Tradition Page 180. Traditions of holy Church of absolute Authority The Archbishop himselfe in his Reply to Fisher determines
Change or Subversion of RELIGION is grounded upon the daily increase of Papists the only professed Enemies thereof for the reasons formerly mentioned so are the hearts of Your Subjects no lesse perplexed when with sorrow they behold a daily growth and spreading of the faction of the Arminians that being as Your Majestie well knowes but a cunning way to bring in Popery and the professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and Incendiaries of those States wherein they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Jesuites in Opinion and practise which caused Your Royall Father with so much pious wisdome and ardent zeale to endeavour the suppressing of them as well at home as in our Neighbouring Countries and Your Gratious Majestie inimating his most worthy example have openly and by your Proclamations declared your mislike of those persons and of their opinions who notwithstanding are much favoured and advanced not wanting friends even of the Clergie neere to Your Majestie namely Doctor Neale Bishop of Winchester and Doctor Laud Bishop of Bath and VVells who are justly suspected to bee unsound in their opinions that way And it being now generally the way to preferment and promotion in the Church many Schollers do bend their Studies to maintaine these Errours their Bookes and opinions are suffered to be printed and published and on the other side the impressions of such as are written against them and in defence of the Orthodox Religion are hindered and prohibited and which is a boldnesse most incredible this restraint of Orthodox Bookes is made under colour of Your Majesties formerly mentioned Proclamation the intent and meaning whereof we know was quite contrary c. To which Declaration Bishop Laud returned a Peremptory answer in His Majesties Name written and endorsed with his owne hand the Originall whereof attested by Master Prynne was reade at the LORDS Barre in these following words so farre as concerned the charge of Arminianisme THe next feare is the daily growth and spreading of the Arminian faction called a cunning way to bring in Popery But We hold this charge as great a wrong to Our selfe and Our Government as the former For our People must not bee taught by a Parliament Remonstrance or any other way that We are so ignorant of Truth or so carelesse of the profession of it that any opinion or faction or what ever it be called should thrust it selfe so far so fast into Our Kingdomes without Our knowledge of it This is a meere dreame of them that wake and would make Our Loyall and loving People thinke We sleepe the while In this charge there is great wrong done to two eminent Prelates that attend Our Person for they are accused without producing any the least shew or shaddow of proofe against them and should they or any other attempt Innovation of Religion either by that open or any cunning way we should quickly take other order with them and not stay for Your Remonstrance To helpe on this Our People are made believe there is a restraint of Bookes Orthodoxall But wee are sure since the late Parliament began some whom the Remonstrance calls Orthodox have assumed to themselves an unsufferable liberty in printing Our Proclamation commanded a restraint on both sides till the passions of men might subside and calme and had this beene obeyed as it ought wee had not now been tossed in this tempest As for any distressing or discountenancing of good Preachers Wee know there is none if they be as they are called good But Our good people shall never want that spirituall comfort which is due unto them And for the preferments which VVee bestow Wee have ever made it our great care to give them as rewards of desert and paines but as the preferments are ours so will wee bee Judge of the desert our selfe and not bee taught by a Remonstrance After which the Commons in pursuance of their Opposition against the growing Arminian Faction On the 28. of January 1628. but 11. dayes after the forementioned Proclamation concerning Mountagues Booke and prohibiting books against it passed this notable Vote in Parliament after a large debate which the Archbishop in his indorsment on it stiles The Challenge of the lower House in matters of Religion An Order made by the lower House of PARLIAMENT the 28th of IANVARY 1628. WEE the Commons now Assembled in Parliament doe claime professe and avow for Truth the sence of the Articles of Religion which were established in Parliament the thirteenth yeare of Queene Elizabeth which by the publike Acts of the Church of England and the generall and currant exposition of the Writers of our Church have beene delivered unto Vs and we reject the sence of the Iesuites Arminians and all others wherein they doe differ from Vs. To which Challenge of theirs this pragmaticall Bishop then returned this bold peremptory answer written with his owne hand produced attested by Master Pryn and read at the Lords Barre in Evidence against him 1. The publique Acts of the Church in matters of Doctrine are Canons and Acts of Councells as well for expounding as determining the Acts of the High Commission are not in this sence publike Acts of the Church not the meeting of few or more Bishops Extra Concilium unlesse they be by lawfull Authority called to that worke and their decision approved by the Church 2. The Currant exposition of writers is a strong probable Argument de sensu Canâ—nis Ecclesiae vel Articuli yet but probable The Currant exposition of the Fathers themselves hath sometimes missed sensum Ecclesiae 3. Will ye reject all sence of lesuit or Arminian may not some be true may not some be agreeable to our writers and yet in a way that is stronger then ours to confirme the Article 4. Is there by this Act any Interpretation made or declared of the Articles or not If none to what end the Act If a sence or Interpretation be declared what authority have lay-men to make it for Interpretation of an Article belongs to them only that have power to make it 5. T is manifest there is a sence declared by the House of Commons the Act sayes it wee avow the Article and in that sence and all other that agree not with us in the aforesaid sence wee reject these and these goe about misinterpretation of a sence Ergo there is a Declaration of a sence yea but it is not a new sence declared by them but they avow the old sence declared by the Church The publike authenticke Acts of the Church c. yea but if there be no such publique authenticke Acts of the Church then here 's a sence of their owne declared under pretence of it 6. It seemes against the Kings Declaration 1. That sayes we shall take the generall meaning of the Articles this Act restraines them to consent of VVrighters 2. That sayes the Article shall not be drawne
in the time of K. Edward and Q. Elizabeth and in the time of Q. Mary for his conscience endured voluntary exile And to place him in the front of the most learned and Godly English Bishops holy Martyrs and others that suffered Martyrdome in the daies of Q. Mary for the truth and Gospell of Christ Jesus in which number he is Registred in the Title Page and placed before Bishop Hooper and Father Latymer in the Book it selfe The occasion of writing this unlicenced obscure Pamphlet was as followeth Iohn Veron being Divinity Lecturer in Paules Cathedrall in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth handled the Doctrine of Predestination and other incident Points thereto belonging in direct opposition the Popish Pelagian and now Arminian Tenets which Lectures he soone after published in Print and dedicated to Q. Elizabeth in a booke intituled A Fruitfull Treatise of Predestination c. Printed at London for JOHN TYLDALE about the second yeare of Queene Elizabeths Raigne against which Lectures this Champnyes taking some exceptions published this Anonimous Answer by way of a Letter which Veron soone after answered almost verbatim in his authorized Apology dedicated to the Queen whereto Champeneys never replyed After which this Letter was largly answered word for word from the very Title page to the end thereof in a Book Intituled An Apology or Defence of the English Writers and Preachers with Cerberus the Three-Headed Dogge of Hell chargeth with false Doctrine under the name of Predestination written by Robert Crowley Clerke a fugitive for Religion in Queene Maries dayes and an eminent laborious Preacher in those times Vicar of Saint Giles without Criplegate in London Imprinted at London in Pater-Noster-Rowe at the signe of the Starre by Henry Denham Anno 1566. Octob. 14. Seene and allowed according to the order appointed In which booke this Pamphlet which the Bishop and his Agents now obtrude upon us as the received Doctrine of our prime Martyrs and of the Church of England in King Edward the 6th and Queene Elizabeths Reignes was by publique Authority in the name of all the Orthodox Writers and Preachers of England refuted as directly contrary to the received Doctrine of our Martyres Writers Preachers Church and censured as Pelagiau and Popish in both these ancient printed Answers It must needs therefore be an inexpiable insufferable abuse in this Archbishop and his Instruments thus to revive reprint this exploded Erronious Arminian Treatise in the yeare 1631 and obtrude it on us as the received Doctrine of our Martyrs and Church of England in the beginning of Reformation whereas there was nothing lesse on purpose to propagate his Arminian Errors and strengthen that lesuiticall faction After this Mr. Prynne produced Bishop Hoopers Confession and Protestation of his faith made to the whole Parliament An. 1550. in King Edwards dayes His comfortable Exposition upon the Psalmes London 1580. his Articles upon the Creed London 1584. Artic. 3. to 15. 17. 21. 25. 29. 30. 33. 36. 38. to 56 62. 67. 68. 91. to 99. wherein he expresly in terminis refutes those Arminian opinions which this our Author wold wrest out of the words of his Preface to the Commandements contrary to his intention together with divers Passages in Father Latimers Sermons expresly against the Arminian Tenets which explicate his other misapplyed Clauses in the Hystoricall Naration All which Mr. Pryn then shewed to Sir Humfry Lynde to his great satisfaction then desired him to repaire to Bishop Laud in his name to acquaint him with the premises and this desperate Imposture he had obtruded on our Church to his eternall Infamie and thereupon to advise him speedily to call in and burne this dangerous seducing booke or else he would prosecute him to the uttermost for this abuse Sir Humfry accordingly acquainted the Bishop his Chaplin Martin herewith but yet they took no course to suppresse the Booke whereupon Mr Prynne repaired to Lambheth to Archbishop Abbot acquainted him with the execrablenesse of this imposture shewed him the severall old Answers to this new printed Pamphlet with the expresse positions of Bishop Hooper and Bishop Latymer contrary to those imputed to them in this Narration desiring him to call in this dangerous Historicall Narration with all severity and to cause it to be publikely burnt to reprint the old Answers to it and withall to give him leave to prosecute Bishop Laud his Chaplaine Martin with the publisher of this book in the high Commission for this insufferable abuse To which Archb. Abbot gave this answer that this booke did very much trouble him that he had sent to Bishop Laud about it who at first denied that his Chaplain licensed it but afterwards acknowledged it that he gave order to call it in but it was in a privat manner after most of the bookes vâ—nded that he never saw nor knew of these 2. old Answers to it therefore desired Mr. Pryn to leave them with him for a time promising faithfully to restore them and to give him an accompt of this businesse on the Saturday following In the meane time Mr. Prynne because this booke had done much harme in both the Vniversities sent downe some of these Answers of Veron and Crowly with some of Bishop Hoopers books to Oxf. Cambridg to some of his acquaintance there and to the Vniversity Lybrary at Oxford whither many resorted to peruse them to their great satisfaction and the Bishops dishonour by discovering this imposture to them On Saturday being Easter Eve Master Prynne repayred to Archbishop Ahbot for an Answer who told him that he had called in this offencive book seized on som of the copies which were caried into Stationers-hall that Bishop Laud had since been with him that he had shewed him the bookes there left who confessed his Chaplin Martÿn had licenced this Narration in which he had done very ill but he had given him such a ratling for his paines that hee would warrant His Grace hee should never meddle with Arminian Bookes or Opinions more To which Mr. Prynne replyed that indeed he had ratled him to very great purpose for no longer then yesterday in the afternoone his Chapline Martin Preaching the Passion Sermon at Paules Crosse publikly broached maintained Vniversall grace and Redemption with all the Arminian Errors contained in this Book and condemned in the Synol of Dort to the great offence of the Auditors as his owne Chaplains Dr. Buckner Master Austen and Dr. Featley could at large informe him and therefore the Bishop did most grosly abuse his Grace herein who should doe well to proceed against both of them and publikly censure them in the High-Commission or this grosse practise to the end the whole Kingdome might take notice of it and the Arminian party be thereby discouraged That the Bookes they had seized were but few the greatest part of the Impression being vented they were called in so slighty and in so private a manner that few or none took notice thereof and
constant care to uphold and maintaine the Religion prefessed in the Church of England in its purity without Error or Corruption Doth therefore hereby declare His Royall Will and pleasure to be and doth straightly Charge and Command all persons of what degree quality or condition soever to whose hands any of the said Bookes are or shall come that without delay they deliver or send them to the Bishop or Chancellor of the Diocesse whom His Majestie requireth to cause the same to be publikly burnt as such of them as have beene already seized on have beene by His Majesties expresse Commande And to this His Majesties Royall Pleasure he requireth all his loving Subjects to yeeld all doe Conformity and Obedience as they will avoid the censure of high Contempt God save the KING Given at Our Court at White-hall the fourteenth yeare of Our Reigne Vpon this Proclamation some few of these Bookes were seised and publikely burnt in Smithfield the poore Printer Oakes imprisoned divers Monthes almost to his utter undoing though he proved he complained of it to Doctor Haywood who commanded him to proceed but the Stationer was brought Ore tenus to the Star-Chamber and charged with the insertion of the Popish Passages after the Doctor had expunged them which he denied where the Archbishop made a Speech to cleare himselfe and his Chaplaine in which there was not one word of truth after which the Stationer was ordered to be committed to Prison and to find out the Translator which he affirming he could not do if he were imprisoned thereupon his imprisonment was respited and no further examination had of this foule businesse then to cleare the Archbishop and his Chaplaine by this devise in the meane time Mr. Prynnes Crosse Bill which truly related all the carriage of the businesse was suppressed that so the truth of it which he thou could would have manifested by sundry punctuall witnesses had he been permitted might never come to publike knowledge to the Archbishops and his Chaplaines shame who abused his Majesty and the People with false representations of this businesse which was now charged proved and testified against him at the Barre by Mr. Prynne Mistresse Oakes Michaell Sparke Senior and others to his shame The Epistle to a devout Soul written by a Friar then newly translated into English was licenced the selfe same day for the same Stationer that Sales book was being as full of Popery as it vvhich Mr. Prynne likewise charging in his Crosse Bill thereupon some of the Bookes were seized by the Stationers and the rest vented in private But Sales to make the Papists ammends was soone after reprinted here withall the Popery in it and sould publikely without restraint notwithstanding his Majesties Proclamation which was but a meere Pageâ—â—â— and devise of the Archbishops to cleare himselfe and his Chaplaine Having thus given you a summary Catalogue of the Popish Bookes Sermons licenced and published by him his Chaplaines and Agents we shall next present you with a List or Extract of the severall Popish Errors Doctrines Positions Paradoxes authorized and maintained in them most of them so grosse so execrable that they never durst appeare in any of our Impressions from the infancy of Reformation till this Arch-Prelate became their Patriot We shall begin with Auricular Confession and the power of Priests to remit sinnes the summe whereof is this 1. That Priests have not only a Ministeriall but an Authoritative and Juditiall Power to râ—mit sine confessed And that we ought frequently to confesse our sins to our Priests and Confessors at least once every Month especially in Lent We read in the Popes Nuntio compiled by the Venetian Ambassador concerning the Negotiation of Signior Panzanioes p. 12. That an English Doctor told Panzanioes friend that the King did approve of Auricular Confession was willing to introduce it and would use force to make it received were it not for feare of Sedition amongst the people Certainly all who shall read these ensuing authorized passages touching Auricular confession of Sins to Priests Confessors of Priests not only Ministeriall but Iuditiall Power to remit sinnes will undoubtedly beleive that at least our Popish Priests Prelates and this Archbishop in particular had a plotted resolution to introduce Auricular confession and set up an Authoritative Iuditiall power in Priests to receive confessions and remit sinnes confessed in all his Majesties Dominions The Passages to this purpose are these Mountagues Gagge p. 78. 83. 84. It is confessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive sinnes It is confessed that private confession unto a Priest is of very ancient practise in the Church we urge it and perswade it in extremis ut supra we require it in case of perplexity and likewise before the receiving of the Lords Supper according to which Doctrine and Injunction our Bishops do or should enquire of it in their Visitations touching the use and neglect of this so good an order VVhich he thus seconds in his Appeale p. 299. My words are It is confessed that private confession unto a Priest is of very Ancient practise in the Church of excellent use and benefit being discrectly handled We refuse it to none if men require it if need be to have it we urge and perswade it in extremis Wee require it in case of perplexity for the quieting of men disturbed in their consciences This is my Popery per partes for wariant whereof I bring my witnesse and authority the Injunction direction and practise of the Church and of the Bishops accordingly in the Church that which their Mother holy Church hath commanded in that sort and case to be observed pag. 312. Priests have power not only to pronounce but to give remission of sinnes which seemeth to be the Doctrine of the Communion Book in the Visitation of the sicke where the Priest saith And by his Authority committed unto me I absolve thee from all thy sinnes It is Justifiable it is the Doctrine and practise of the Church of England Pag. 315. 316. Informers it is confessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive sinnes And is it not so confessed when by publique warrant in ordination that power is given unto all Priests to doe soe in those solemne words of Ordination whose sinnes you forgive they are forgiven c. But with you Puritans this Doctrine and practice of the Church is held to bee Popery And here you inferre that Priests have no more power to do this than Laymen here you cast confession upon both one and other and Laymen may heare it aswell as a Priest and therefore it is probable you will not be very precise for Absolution to conferre it on a Layman as well as on a Priest But such absolution is a part of that Priestly power which could not be given by men or Angels but onely and immediatly by Almighty God himselfe a part of that Paramount power which the
him but he could not be found The transgressors shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off And though for a time they are not in trouble neither are they plagued like other men Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chaine violence covereth them as a garment c. Yet if thou observe their endes thou must needes conclude with the same Psalmist Ps 73. 18. 19 20 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into destruction How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with Terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image That of Zophar being really verified in this Arch Prelate Job 20. 5. to 10. The triumphing of the Wicked is short and the joy of an hypocrite but for a moment Though his excellency mount unto the Heavens and his head reach unto the clouds Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say Where is he He shall fly away as a dreame and shall not be found The eye which saw him shall see him no more neither shall his place any more behold him Secondly hence thou maiest learne the truth of Solomons Observation Prov. 21. 30. There is no wisdome nor understanding nor counsell against the Lord. Certainly all such wisdome counsell as this imployed against God his Ordinances Gospell people though never so accurately managed so politickly contrived so powerfully backed so successefully advanced for a time will in conclusion be brought to nought and made of none effect Ps 33. 10. Acts 5. 38. Isay 19. 11 12 13. c. 8 9. 10. Job 9. 4. Whereas the counsell cause and Church of God maugre all opposition shall stand for ever and cannot be overthrown Ps 33. 11. Acts 5. 39. Isay 46. 10. Thirdly Let all Gods people learne from hence never to fear the force threats or power of the greatest Persecutors breathing since they are but mortall men who shall themselves be troden down and brought to Judgement in Gods due time During my many yeares heavy pressures under this Arch-Prelates Tyranny my spirit was exceedingly elevated even to a magnanimous contempt and holy slighting of all his overswaying power menaces proceedings as most despicable with the consideration of these two Scriptures which were ever fresh in my thoughts Isay 51. 12. 13. I even I am he that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye or of the sonne of man that shall be made as grasse And forgettest the Lord thy maker who stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressour And Ps 92. 7 8 9. When the wicked spring as the grasse and all the Workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever But thou O Lord art most high for evermore For loe thine enemies O Lord loe thine enemies shall perish and all the Workers of iniquity shall be scattered Certainly he who beleeves these sacred Texts and meditates seriously on them will never dread the potency tâ—raâ—ny or menaces of any mortall in a good cause or quarrell Fourthly Meditate from hence the vanity instability and danger of greatness without goodnesse the impotency of the greatest humane power honour favour to exempt or secure evil Counsellors or publike Malefactors from the sword of Justice The unhappy fatall ends of Wicked Royall Favourites who by humouring their Princes in unjust oppressive courses usually in the conclusion do but destroy themselves and prejudice their Princes most of any as this Arch-Prelate hath done The certain ruine of all bloody Persecutors of Gods people together with the infinite wisdome and power of Almighty God who can wisely order over-rule the mischievous Plots malicious contrivances of his most desperate Enemies to advance his own Honour Cause Gospell People to effect the quite contrary to what they intended and to bring about his own ends and their downfalls Many such cordiall meditations and sweet contemplations will this History afford thee for thy comfort thy incouragement in thy constant Christian profession in times of greatest danger and hottest persecution The good Lord so sanctifie it and them to thy Soul that this Archbishop who by his Life and Doctrine wrought so much mischiefe and sorrow to our Church for a season but no present good at all may bring much consolation Edification to it and thee by this his Triall and Death Farewell A COMPLEAT HISTORY OF The Commitment Charge Tryall Condemnation and Execution of WJLLJAM LAVD late Arch-Bishop of CANTERBVRT VVIlliam Laud borne in Reading of obscure Parents having through flattery and other sinister meanes by severall gradations insinuated himselfe into high favour at Court and climbed up to divers Ecclesiasticall promotions in our Church till at last he mounted to the very Pinacle of his ambition the Archbishoprick of Canterbury whereby he became Primate and Metropolitan of all England and to a Patriarch-ship or kinde of universal Papacy over all his Majesties Realmes who steerd their Ecclesiasticall affaires by his Compasse adoring him as their only Oraele and having likewise out of his insatiable ambition pragmatically intruded himselfe into all kind of secular Negociations inconsistent with his spirituall function so farre as to sway all State as well as Church-affaires according to the pleasure of his owne exorbitant will hereupon unable to mannage so great an Authority with that moderation as beseemed a Person of his profession he became so intollerably insolent violent extravagant in all his proceedings in Church and Republicke that no Pope nor Prelate whatsoever advanced from the lowest fortune to the hight of honour more really verified that Adagie of Claudian the Poet no not William Longchampe Bishop of Ely to whom Roger Houeden our Historian particularly applyed these lines of his long since Asperius 〈…〉 Câ—â—cta ferit 〈…〉 Vt se pâ—sse 〈…〉 Quam sâ—r vi nobiis in 〈…〉 Agnoscit geâ—itus et 〈…〉 nescit In so much as that Caracter which Gulielmus Nubrigensis gives us of our proud Prelate Longchamp and his tyrannicall oppressive deportment in Church in State by reason of his Ecclesiasticall and temporall united jurisdictions in the Raign of King Richard the first seemes purposely recorded to paint out the Cariage of this Arch-Prelate during all the yeares of his domineering Authority in the Raigne of Charles the first Ille sublato omniâ— obstaculo quo minus ambularet in magnis mirabilibus supra se fratus DVPLCIS id est APOSTOLIC A SIMVL ET 〈◊〉 A POTEST ATE CLERO â— ARâ—TER Eâ— POPVLOâ— ARROGANT◠〈…〉 Et â—â—cut â—â— quodam â—criptune est 〈…〉 pro dextera sic et ille ad faciliorum molicionum suarum efficatiam utraque potestate utebatur
hath wickedly and traiterously advised His Majestie that he might at his owne will and pleasure leavie and take money of his Subjects without their consent in Parliament and this hee affirmed was warrantable by the Law of God 2. Hee hath for the better accomplishment of that his traiterous designe advised and procured Sermons and other discourses to be preached printed and published in which the Authoritie of Parliaments and the force of the Lawes of this Kingdome have beene denyed and absolute and unlimited power over the persons and estates of His Majesties subjects maintained and defended not onely in the King but in himselfe and other Bishops against the Law And he hath beene a great protector savourer and promoter of the publishers of such false and pernicious opinions 3. Hee hath by Letters Messages Threats and promises and by diverse other wayes to Judges and other Ministers of justice interrupted and perverted and at other times by meanes aforesaid hath endeavoured to interrupt and pervert the course of Justice in His Majesties Courts at Westminster and other Courts to the subversion of the Lawes of this Kingdome whereby sundry of His Majesties Subjects have been stopt in their just suits deprived of their lawfull righte and subjected to his tyrannicall will to their ruine and destruction 4. That the said Archbishop hath traiterously and corruptly told ustice to those who have had causes depending before him by colour of his Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as Archbishop High Commissioner Referree or otherwise and hath taken unlawfull gifts and bribes of His Majesties Subjects and hath as much as in him lies endeavoured to corrupt the other Courts of justice by advising and procuring His Majestie to sell places of Judicature and other Offices contrary to the Laws and Statutes in that behalfe 5. He hath traiterously caused a booke of Canons to be composed and published without any lawfull warrant and authoritie in that behalfe in which pretended Canons many matters are contained contrary to the Kings Prerogative to the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of this Realme to the right of Parliament to the propriety and libertie of the Subject and matters tending to sedition and of dangerous consequence and to the establishment of a past unlawfull and presumptuous power in himselfe and his successors many of which Canons by the practise of the said Archbishop were surreptitiously passed in the late Convocation without due consideration and debate others by feare and compulsion were subscribed by the Prelates and Clerkes there assembled which had never beene voted and passed in the Convocation as they ought to have beene And the said Archbishop hath contrived and endeavoured to assure and confirme the unlawfull and exorbitant power which he hath usurped and exercised over His Majesties Subjects by a wicked and ungodly oath in one of the said pretended Canons injoyned to be taken by all the Clergie and many of the Laitie of this Kingdome 6. He hath trayterously assumed to himselfe a papall and tyrannicall power both in Ecclesiasticall and Temporall matters over his Majesties Subjects in this Realme of England and in other places to the disherison of the Crowne dishonour of His Majestie and derogation of his supreme authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters And the said Archbishop claimes the Kings Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as incident to his Episcopall Office and Archiepiscopall in this Kingdome and doth deny the same to bee derived from the Crowne of England which he hath accordingly exercised to the high contempt of his Royall Majestie and to the destruction of divers of the Kings liege people in their persons and estates 7. That he hath traiterously indeavoured to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realme and in stead thereof to set up Popish superstition and Idolatrie And to that end hath declared and maintained in Speeches and printed books diverse popish doctrines and opinions contrary to the Articles of Religion established by Law Hee hath urged and injoyned diverse popish and superstitious Ceremonies without any warrant of Law and hath cruelly persecuted those who have opposed the same by corporall punishments and Imprisonments and most unjustly vexed others who refused to conforme thereunto by Ecclesiasticall censures of Excommunication Suspension Deprivation and Degradation contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdome 8. That for the better advancing of his traiterous purpose and designe he did abuse the great power and trust His Majestie reposed in him and did intrude upon the places of diverse great Officers and upon the right of other His Majesties Subjects whereby he did procure to himselfe the nomination of sundry persons to Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions and benefices belonging to His Majestie and divers of the Nobilitie Clergie and others and hath taken upon him the commendation of Chaplaines to the King by which meanes he hath preferred to His Majesties service and to other great promotions in the Church such as have been Popishly affected or otherwise unsound and corrupt both in doctrine and manners 9. Hee hath for the same trayterous and wicked intent chosen and imployed such men to be his owne Domesticall Chaplaines whom he knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed Religion grosly addicted to popish superstition and erroneous and unsound both in judgement and practise and to them or some of them hath he committed the Licensing of Bookes to be printed by which meanes divers false and superstitious bookes have beene published to the great scandall of Religion and to the seducing of many His Majesties Subjects 10. Hee hath traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome and for the effecting thereof hath consorted and confederated with diverse Popish Priests and Jesuites and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome and by himselfe his Agents and instruments treated with such as have from thence received authoritie and instruction hee hath permitted and countenanced a Popish Hierarchie or Ecclesiasticall government to bee established in this Kingdome by all which trayterous and malicious practises this Church and Kingdome hath beene exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyrannie of the Roman See 11. He in his owne person and his Suffragans Visitors Surrogates Chancellors and other Officers by his command have caused divers learned pious and Orthodox Ministers of Gods Word to be silenced suspended deprived degraded excommunicated and otherwise grieved without any just and lawfull cause and by diverse other meanes he hath hindered the preaching of Gods Word caused divers of His Majesties loyall Subjects to forsake the Kingdome and increased and cherished Ignorance and profanenesse amongst the people that so hee might the better facilitate the way to the effecting of his owne wicked and traiterous designe of altering and corrupting the true religion here established 12. He hath traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord betwixt the Church of England and other reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Jmmunities which
Articles of Impeachment brought up from the House of Commons against him according to the former Order of this House of the 16. of this Instant Ianuary To the Gentleman Vsher c. On the 22. of Ianuary the Archbishop personally appearing at the Lords Barre according to the former Orders did then put in this following Answer both to the Commons Originall and Additionall Articles The Answer of the Archbishop of Cant. to the first and further Articles of the House of Commons dilivered in the 22th January 1643. The humble Answer of William Archbishop of Cant. to the first and farther Articles of Impeachment brought up by the Honourable House of Commons against him and by Order of the right honourable the Lords in Parliament of the 16. of this Instant directed to be put in As to the 13. Article of the said first Articles and the matters therein Charged allmatters or things in the same or any of the rest of the said Articles contained which concern any Act of Hostility whether between the King his Subjects or between Subject Subject or which may be conceived to arise upon the comming of any English Army against Scotland or the comming of the Scotish Army into England or upon any Action attempt assistance Councell or devise having relation thereunto and falling out by the occasion of the late troubles proceding the late Conclusion of the Treaty and returne of the Scottish Army into Scotland this Defendant saith that it is enacted by an Act made during the sitting of this present Parliament that the same and whatsoever hath ensued thereupon whether treuching upon the Lawes and Liberties of the Church and Kingdome or upon his Majesties Honour and Authority in no time hereafter may be called in Question or resented as a wrong Nationall or Personall and that no mention be made thereof in time comming neither in Judgement nor out of Judgement but that it be held and reputed as though never such things had beene thought or wrought as by the said Act may more at large appeare with this that this Defendant doth averre that he is none of the persons excepted by the said Act or the said offences charged upon this Defendant any of the offences excepted by the said Act. And as to all the rest of the said first and further Articles this Defendant saving to himselfe all advantages of exception to the said Articles humbly saith he is not Guilty of all or any the matters by the said Articles charged in such manner and forme us the same are by the said Articles charged against him VV. Cant. The same day I find this entry in the Commons Iournall to wit on the 22. Jan. 1643. The Lords by Sir Robert Rich and Mr. Page sent downe the Answer of William Archbishop of Cant. to the first and further Articles of impeachment brought up by this House against him which was read and ordered to be referred to the Commitmittee appointed to manage the evidence against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and accordingly delivered to Serjeant Wilde After this the House of Commons to expedite his Tryall on the 22. February 1643. ORdered that the Committee appointed to mannage the evidence at the Tryall of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury doe peremptorily meete this afternoone at three of the Clocke in the Court of Wards upon the distribution of the parts of the evidence The Commons and Lords being all ready for his Tryall and having given him as much convenient time to prepare himselfe and his witnesses as he could desire to prevent all clamours of the Prelaticall and Canterburian party began now to thinke of a peremptory day for his Tryall and thereupon I finde this Order entred in the Commons Journall 4. Marcii 1643. A Message to be sent to the Lords to desire them to appoint a day for the Tryall of the Bishop of Canterbury Master Serjeant Wilde went up to the Lords to appoint a day for the Tryall of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Serjeant Wilde brings answer that the Lords have appointed to morrow senight for the tryall of the Archbishop of Canterbury For which purpose the Lords made this following Order Die Lunae 4. Marcii 1644. Ordered that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury shall appeare before their Lordships on Tuesday the 12th of this instant March at nine of the Clock in the morning At which time this House will proceed against the Arch-Bishop upon the first and further Articles of Impeachment brought up from the house of Commons against him for high Treason and high Crimes and misdemeanours whereof the said Arch-Bishop is hereby to take notice and provide himselfe accordingly After this the Arch-Bishop Petitioning the Commons House that Sir Henry Midmay a Member thereof might bee examined as a witnesse for him at his tryall this Order was thereupon conceived 9. Marcii 1644. The humble Petition of William Arch-Bishop of Canterbury desiring that Sir Henry Mildmay may be examined as a witnesse in his businesse he being to come to his tryal on Tuesday next was this day read And it is Ordered according to his Petition that he shall be examined as a witnesse at the tryall of the said Bishop accordingly It was likewise then ordered that diverse Members of the House of Commons shal be examined as witnesses against him And that the Lords be moved by Serjeant Wilde that some Members and Attendants of the Lords House be examined at the Arch-Bishops Tryall And that it be referred to the Committee of Sequestrations to consider of some convenient recompence for such Clerks Sollicitors and others as have been or shall bee imployed in the transscribing of breviats and other services done by them to the Committee for the Bishop of Canterbury his tryall On the 12. of March his Tryall according to the former Order was entred upon of which I shall give you this summary account Never was there in any age such a deliberate solemne patient impartiall hearing of any case in the High Court of Parliament nor in any Court of Justice else in our own or any other Kingdom whatsoever as there was of this Archbishops The first day of his Tryall began the twelfth of March 1643. wherein the whole time was spent in reading the Articles of Impeachment his answers to them and introductory Speeches to the charge and evidence against him made by Serjeant Wilde and the Arch-bishop himselfe The first part of the evidence upon the 1 2 3 4. Originall and 2 3 4 10. Additionall Articles was managed by Iohn Maynard Esquire one of the Commons House wherein foure whole dayes namely March 13. 16. 18. Anno 1643. and March 28. 1644. were spent the forenoons of them in the evidence and proofs the after-noons in the Arch-bishops Answers and Master Maynards replyes unto them The second part of the evidence was prosecuted by Robert Nicholas Esquire a Member of the House of Commons which took up three whole dayes viz. Aprill 16. and May 4. 16. morning and evening in
endeavours to subvert the rights of Parliament and auncient Course of Parliamentary proceedings and by false and malicious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments contained in the 14. Originall and 1. 9. 10. Additionall Articles The first Specificall branch of the Charge against the Archbishop touching his Trayterous endeavours to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established among us to introduce Popish Superstition and Idolatry in liew thereof and to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome by severall stepps and practises with the copious evidences produced to manifest the same at his Tryall THE true Religion by Law established being that which is most pretious claiming proceedency of all other sublunary things in respect of its owne intrinsicall Excellency that which is nearest and dearest to every conscientious Christian the undermining and alterations where of doth most concern and reflect upon the Archbishop in respect of his calling as a Minister of his Ecclesiasticall dignity as an Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England and of the speciall trust reposed in him by his Majesty who wholly committed the care of Religion of all Church affaires within his Dominions to this Arch-Prelates Care mannaging and his Charge concerning the Alteration and subversion of it being that which he most of all openly protested against both in the beginning proceeding conclusion of his long Tryall and on the very Scaffold at his death we shall begin with the Commons evidence given in against him concerning his endeavours practises to alter and subvert the same and introduce Popish superstition and Idolatry into our Church Wherein notwithstanding all his specious pretences confident Protestations reiterated deep Asseverations of his Innocency of his cordiall syncerity to the true Protstant Religion wherewith he hath deceived many over-credulous people we doubt not but upon the perusall of the various evidences against him in this particular he will appeare the most desperat cunning violent palpable underminer corrupter alterer subverter of the true reformed Religion by Law established in our Churches of one who professed himselfe a reall Protestant and zealous maintainer of the same that ever was yet heard of in the Christian world Prisca parem nescit aequalem poster a nullum Exhibitura dies He alone by his policies and power corrupting undermining our Religion advancing Popery more in the few yeares of his Predominency then the Pope with all his Consederates both at home and abroad could doe in almost fourescore yeares before by all their Plots and Potency as shall be irrefragaly demonstrated by his Actions which cry louder and give in stronger evidence against him then all his fraudulent verball protestations or printed funerall Orations can doe for him His Charge concerning the Alteration and subvertion of Religion laid downe in the Articles consists of these two generall Members First That he hath Trayterously endeavoured to subvert Gods true Religion by Law Established in this Realme and instead thereof to set up Popish Superstition and Jdolatry Secondly That he hath Trayterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome The latter of these is but the issue of the former the first in projection but the last in execution and the proofe of the one an indubitable evidence of the other which shall be prosecuted in their Order The evidence to prove the first generall branch of his Charge concerning the alteration ub version of Religion THe Archbishop in his Speech in Justification of his Innocency and sincerity in matters of Religion made at the Lords Barre at the entrance of his Tryall most peremptorily challenged all that was betweene Heaven and Hell justly to tax him in any one particular savoring either of Popish superstition or Idolatry But on the contrary the Committee of the House of Commons might more justly have challenged him in their entring upon his Charge to nominate any person whether Prelate Minister or Laick in any age professing himselfe a Protestant who during his aboad on earth twixt Heaven and Hell was so guilty so peccant in this nature as they shold undeniably manifest him to be wherefore if they allotted him any place at or after his death but Hell it selfe it must be either a Popish Purgatory or such a middle place as some Papists assigne to that Newter Erasmus betwixt Heaven and Hell perchance some losty Gibbet or Pinacle in the Ayre whereon his Head and Quarters might be hanged up for a lasting Monument of his Treason in this kind which they manifested him to be guilty of by these ensuing particular evidences First by his endeavours to set up and introduce all kind of Popish superstitious Idolatrous ornaments furniture ceremonies in our church formerly cast out of it upon the reformation In pursuit whereof they first trailed this Romish Fox to his own Kennel at Lambeth where having unkenneled they chased him from thence by his hot Popish sent to the Kings own royall Chapel at Whitehal Westminster Abby from thence to the Vniversities of Oxford and Cambridge from thence to Canterbury Winchester and most other Cathedralls in England and from them to our Parish Churches and Chapels all which he miserably defiled corrupted with Popish superstitious Crucifixes Altars Bowings Ceremonies Tapers Copes and other Innovations To begin with his owne Kennel at Lambeth We shall first lead you by the hand into his publike Chapell there a place devoted to Gods worship and evidence what Popish Superstitious Pictures Vtensils Vestments Ceremonies Innovations he there introduced and constantly practised since his instalment in the Archbishopricke of Canterburie never heard off in any his Predecessors dayes since the beginning of reformation in King Edward the 6th and Queene Elizabeths reignes First we shall manifest what Idolatrous superstitious Popish Pictures were there newly repaired furbished erected by him in this Chappell to the great scandall of our Religion and encouragement of Papists in their Idolatry contrary to our Statutes Articles of Religion Homilies Jnjunctions Writerâ— the established Doctrine of our Church wherein the matter of fact stands thus In the beginning of Reformation by vertue of the Statute of 3. and 4. Ed. 6. c. 10. for the abolishing defacing and putting away of divers Bookes and Jmages then standing in any Church or Chapell of the severall Homilies against the Perill of Jdolatry then published by Authority of Queen Elizabeths subsequent Jnjunctions given by her as well to the Clergy as Laity of this Realme by the advise of her most honourable Councell in the first yeare of her Raigne for the advancement of the honour of Almighty God and suppression of superstition throughout her Realmes Injunction 2. 3. 23. 25. and Articles of inquiry thereon Artic. 2. 45. which enjoyned All Pictures Paintings Images and other monuments of Idolatry and superstition to be utterly extinct removed abolished and distroyed so that there remaine no memory of the same in
among the Archbishops Papers To the most Reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury His Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitan one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Councell My very good Lord. May it please Your Grace I Have according to Your Graces direction survayed the Churches of Your Graces Arch-Deaconry in the Citie of Canterbury In some of which I find Galleries and seates raised from the ground three or foure ascents as likewise monuments with diverse Inscriptions erected without authority at the East-end of the Chancells And in Saint Gregories Church of the same City one other Monument in which is described the Gunpowder Treason with this Motto or Inscription in Capitall letters IN PERPETVAM PAPISTARVM INFAMIAM This he held him selfe in all humility bound to acquaint Your Grace withall who is ready to execute what Your Grace shall Command for the ordering of these particulars or any other thing Your Grace shall be pleased to enjoyne him and never ceaseth to pray for Your Graces prosperitie and welfare Resting Your Graces most humble Servant VVilliam Kingsley April 13. 1636. To which Letter the Archbishop returned this answer sound in his study thus endorsed The Copy of my Letters to the Arch-Deacon of Canterbury Aprill 29. 1636. concerning the taking downe of Galleries and Monuments in some Churches of Canterbury c. S. in Christo SIR YOur Letters of Aprill 13. I have received and I thanke you for your care and paines in Visiting the Churches of your Arch-Deaconry within the City of Canterbury in which I have often heard there are some things amisse and finde by your report that the Information given me was true And because you certifie me of some things of greater moment then ordinary I thought it very fit to acquaint His Majestie with all the contents of your Letter and did so By which meanes I shall with more freedome give you the fuller answer to the three particulars mentioned by you For the first which is the raising of Galleries and Seates from the ground three or foure ascents His Majestie hath commanded mee to write unto you that they be taken down and the Seates left orderly in the Church But you are to take care to acquaint the Minister and Church-wardens with it and to see it done in a faire and peaceable manner The like Course you are to take with the second for it is no way fit that any Monument whatsoever should be set up at the East end of the Chancell thereby standing equall at least if not above the Communion Table and fit for nothing but to cast it out of its proper place Therefore if any such be in any Church within your jurisdiction you are to speake with them that are next of Kinne or whom such Monuments may most concerne And if they will remove them and set them up in any other place on the sides of the Church you are to give them leave so to do but if they will not you are then to take them downe in an orderly way and not to suffer any to stand at the East end of the Chancell Your third businesse is of greater consequence it is that there is another Monument in Saint Georges Church in which there is described in Capitall Letters the GUN-POUDER TREASON with this motto In perpetuam Papistarum infamiam c. I hope this stands not at the East end of the Chancell for if it doe you must see it removed to some other place but if it stand upon any side of either Chancell or Church then you are with the knowledge of the Minister and the Church-Wardens or any other whom that Monument may concerne to take some Painter to you and cause him to put out of the Monument all that concernes the Fleet in 88. because that belongs to a Forreigne Nation And though your Letters make no mention of 88. yet the Picture of the Monument which you sent me up doth which I shewed His Majestie as well as Your Letter So having here given you a cleare direction in all your three particulars I shall expect your care in the execution of them according to it So I leave you to the grace of God and rest Your very loving Friend Will Cant By these two Letters it is apparent that the Archbishop gave speciall directions not only to Sir Nathaniell Brent but to the Arch-Deacon of Canterbury to take down Galleries and Monuments at the East end of Chancells neare the Communeon-Tables and to place the Tables there at in their proper place as likewise to obliterate the memoriall of our happy deliverance from the Spanish Armado in 88. out of that Church where it had long continued Finally it was proved by the testimony of Master Sutton Master Browne and others that in the yeare 1640. in the new Chappell at WEST MINSTER the Kings Armes were set up in the East Window which was first glased with white Glasse afterward the Archbishop promising to bestow a new window instead of it the Kings Armes were thereupon taken downe by direction of Doctor Haywood the Archbishops Chaplaine and Browne this Joyner and placed in another obscure window and the Archbishops Arms supported by Seraphins put up in its place to signifie that hee was the sole donor of this new Window where instead of the white Glasse there was set up in coloured glasse the Picture of the Holy Ghost in form of a Dove with the Images of the Virgin Mary Christ Angells and Ceraphins for which the Glasier was payd since the Archbishops commitment to the Tower by the Archbishops direction as the Glasier verily believed this new painted Window being set up about the beginning of this Parliament but since demolished by order of Parliament which manifests the Archbishops perseverance in his Popish Innovations notwithstanding the Scotish troubles and the many late complaints against them in the last dissolved and present Parliament When this Arch-Prelate had in his Metropoliticall Visitation by private instructions only to his Vicar Generall and other Agents set on these Innovations and introduced them into many Parish-Churches in most Diocesse hee then by his subordinate Suffragans and Creatures began to enforce them universally upon all Ministers Church-Wardens Parishes by Visitation Oaths and Articles upon which such Ministers Church-Wardens and others who opposed them were presented yea prosecuted as Delinquents Among others Dr. Pierce Bish of Bath and Wells Mathew Wren Bish of Norwich Bish Lindsy of Peterborough Bish Mountague of Chichester and Skinner Bishop of Bristall were the chiefe promoters of his Innovations especially of rayling in Communion Tables Altarwise bowing to and towards them saying second service at them and comming up to the new rayles to receive the Sacrament prescribing these particulars in their severall Visitation Articles Witnesse Rich Mountague Bishop of Chichester his printed Visitation Articles there 1635. which after his translation to Norwich he enlarged with some printed additions for that Diocesse Anno 1638. of which
distraction in the Parish of Ware being a great and populous parish by their opposition of the laudable gesture of receiving the holy Communion kneeling and their envying against the Rayle and bench set up by sufficient authority for that purpose about the Communion Table in the Chancel for maintaining of good order and conformity in the Church there as may well appear by M. Chaunceys inveighing against the same and his refusing to administer the holy Communion there whilest he continued Vicar of Ware for the which the said M. Chauncey in partem pâ—nae was by the Court suspended from the execution of his Ministeriall function and every part thereof and ordered so to stand untill by his submission and acknowledgement of his error in broaching the said opinions tending to schisme and faction this Court shall see cause to release him which his submission and his acknowledgement is to be set down prescriptis verbis by the Commissioners at Informations and to be delivered unto him under the Registers hand of this Court and to be by him read and performed here in open Court and then to be intimated and made known in the parish Church of Ware where he hath given such cause of scandall and offence He was further condemned in expences or costs of fuit which are to be moderately taxed by the Commissioners at Informations And the said Humphry Parker was likewise condemned in moderate charges or expences and to make his submission in like manner conceptis verbis as this Court shall appoint Lastly they were both ordered to stand committed till they shall give sufficient bond in a 100 li. a piece to his Majesties use for the performance of the order of the Court. And because it was alleaged and pretended on M. Chauncies behalfe that since his comming to be Person of Marsten-Lawrence in Northamptonshire he had in testofocation of his conformity set up or caused to be set up such a Rayle about the Communion Table in the Chancell of his parish Church there the Court decreed Letters to be sent from this Court to the Lord Bishop of Peterborough to desire his Lordship to enquire of the truth of this allegation and to certifie this Court of the truth thereof the second Session of the next Tearm As also how the said Master Chauncey hath otherwise conformed himselfe there to the orders of the Church of England here by law established The manner and form of M. Chauncies recantation the next court-day for speaking against the rayle is thus recorded in the High Commission Register This day the said Mr. Chauncey appeared personally and with bended knees read his submission in Court which followes Whereas I Charles Chauncey Clerk late Vicar of Ware in the County of Hertford stand by sentence of this honourable Court legally convicted for opposing the setting of a rayle about the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Ware with a bench thereunto affixed for the Communicants to resort unto and to receive the blessed Sacrament there kneeling upon their knees and for using invective speeches against the said rayle and bench saying it was an Innovation â— snare to mens consciences and a breach of the second Commandement an addition to the Lords worship and that which hath driven me out of Towne I the said Charles Chauncey do here before this honourable Court acknowledge my great offence in using the said invective words and am heartily sorry for the same I protest and am ready to declare by vertue of mine Oath that I now hold and am perswaded in my conscience that kneeling at the receiving of the holy Communion is a lawfull and commendable gesture and that a rayle set up in the Chancell of any Church by the authority of the Ordinary with a bench thereunto affixed for the communicants to repaire unto to receive the holy Communion kneeling is a decent and convenient ornament for that purpose and this Court conceiveth that the rayle set up lately in the Parish-church of Ware with the bench affixed is such an one And I do further confesse that I was much to blame for opposing the same and do promise from henceforth never by word or deed to oppose either that or any other the laudable rites and ceremonies prescribed and commanded to be used in the Church of England Charles Chauncey Which submission being thus as aforesaid read and subscribed by the said Master Chauncey his Counsell moved that he might be dismissed but the Counsell for the Office desired that the said M. Chauncey might here receive w judiciall admonition which the Court conceiving very fit and requisite the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in the name of the whole Court did now judicially admonish the said Charles Chauncey from henceforth to carry himself peaceably and conformably to the doctrine and discipline rites and ceremonies established and commanded to be used in the Church of England and neither by word nor deed to oppose or bring into disesteem any of them with this intimation That in case he were convented againe for any opposition or refractorinesse touching the premises that the Court intended to proceed against him with all severity and with this admonition the Court dismissed him the said M. Chauncey from any further attendance touching this cause he first paying the charges of suit taxed against him and the fees of his dismission These two leading cases and censures in the High-commissions at York and Lambeth seconded with this enforced submission struck such a terror into most Ministers and Churchwardens in those parts that few or none durst oppose those Innovations and gave such encouragement to the Prelates and popish Clergie that they proceeded vigorously in the pressing introducing of them every where and if any man durst oppose or vary from their injunctions they were presently brought into the High-commission and there proceeded against with utmost rigour This was manifested by the case of Mr. Miles Burkitt one of the Vicars of Pateshall in Northamptonshire who for delivering the Sacrament only to some who refused out of conscience to come up to the new Rayle and removing the Communion Table at the Sacrament time into the midst of the Chancell without the rayle according to the very Letter of Queen Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon was apprehended by a Pursevant in the Year 1638 and thus Articled against in the High-commission at Lambeth by Sir John Lambes and the Archbishops meanes among whose papers his Articles were found and read at the Lords Barre being attested by Master Prynne Inprimis we Article and object to you the said Miles Burkitt that you doe not bow at the Name of JESUS in time of Divine Service Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkitt being enjoyned by the Ordinary or his Surrogates officiate for him to keep within the rayles at the ministring of the Sacrament and to give the Sacrament to none that will not come up to the rayles he the
but that it may lye by him that when you speak with his Grace about this among other businesses his Grace may have recourse to my papers if he think fit There are in my Diocesse 469 Churches and Chappels or thereabout and the Communion Tables are placed already in above 140 of them as the Communion Table is placed in our Cathedrall Church here I have begun and proceeded herein in a perswasive way some parishes were no sooner spoken to but they obeyed other Parishes refused at the first but they were quickly satisfied and then submitted only the Churchwardens of Beckington being encouraged and back'd by divers of the parish not so well affected to the government and rites of the Church as they should be are become obstinate and will have the Chancell ordered and the Communion Table there placed as the parishioners shall think fit who also bear the charges of these Churchwardens as they have confessed unto me which was the cause why they hasted so speedily to London and stayed so long there about this businesse If these men have their wils the example will do a great deal of harme for then many of the Parishes which have already conformed themselves to the Cathedrall will fall back and other Parishes will never come on to this conformity who are now at a stand to see what will be done in the Chancell of Beckington I know your judgement and affection to the Church concurres with mine and therefore I am assured you will do nothing herein but that which shall be for the good of the Church and preservation of authority in all things just and lawfull I pray If D. Duck desire to read the coppy of the proceedings and reasons which I have sent you let him borrow it of you for it is fit my Chancelour should be acquainted with these things whose counsell and assistance must be used therein And so with remembrance of my true love and best wishes to you I commend you to the grace of God and rest Your very affectionate and faithfull friend Guil. Bath and Wels. Wels 2 Ian. 1635. Hereupon the poor Churchwardens being destitute of all relief continued excommunicated about a whole year after which they were taken and imprisoned in the common Gaole a long time upon a Capias Excommunicatum from whence at last they were released by the Bishop upon this ensuing submission and pennance worse then any imprisonment A true Copy of the Pennance that Iames Wheeler and Iohn Frye were enjoyned unto by my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels examined by those whose names are underwritten Thomas Iles Iohn Bailly George Long William Webb Whereas the right reverend Father in God William by Gods permission Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wels hath heretofore lawfully required and commanded James Wheeler and John Frye late Churchwardens of the Parish-church of Beckington within the Dioces of Bathe and Wels aforesaid to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of their said parish-Church and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wells aforesaid and to remoue the seats placed above the said Table And likewise whereas they the said James Wheeler and John Frye contemned and wilfully disobeyed the command of the said Reverend Father and have in most contemptuous manner stood excommunicated for their said contempt for the space of one whole yeare now last past or there abouts not regarding nor fearing the dreadfull Censure of the Church And have likewise some dayes last past stood aggravated and have been signified unto the Kings most excellent Majesty for the apprehending their bodies and committing them to the Common-gaole of the County of Somerset the rather to compell them to their due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church now upon the earnest request and submission of the said Wheeler and Fry the said Reverend Father hath absolved them from the said sentences and enjoyned unto them that upon Sunday the 25 day of Iune in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred thirty seven they in their usuall apparell shall stand first in the middle Ally in the Parish-church of Beckington aforesaid and there immediately after the reading of the Gospell shall openly and penitently with an audible voice make this acknowledgement following repeating the same after the Minister viz. We James Wheeler and John Fry do here before this Congregation assembled acknowledge and confesse that we have grievously offended the Divine Majesty of Almighty God and the lawes Ecelesiasticall of this Realme of England in that we have in contemptuous manner refused to remove the Communion Table in the Chancell of the Parish-church of Beckington and to place it close under the East wall of the said Chancell in the same manner and forme as the Communion Table standeth in the Cathedrall Church in Wels and to remove the seats placed above the said Table being thereunto lawfully and judicially monished and warned by the right reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels. And in that for our contempts and disobediences in not performing the said lawfull command of the said reverend Father we have suffered our selves to be lawfully excommunicated and so to stand for the space of one whole yeare last past or thereabouts not fearing nor regarding the dreadfull censure of the Church And in like or rather more contemptuous manner have suffered our selves to be lawfully aggravated and signified according to the laudable laws â— statutes of this Realm thereby in a legall manner to compell us to our due obedience to the lawfull command of the Church And we do hereby protest that we are right heartily sorry for the same and we do faithfully promise never from henceforth to offend in the like againe but to demeane our selves as shall become good Christians and dutifull subjects and we doe ask God forgivenesse for this our sinne and offence and you all here present for our evill example And we doe desire you all to pray for us and with us to Almighty God that it may please him of his infinite goodnesse to forgive us of this our offence And then humbly and penitently kneeling downe must devoutly rehearse the Lords Prayer and they must certifie hereof at Wels in writing subscribed to these presents under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens of Beckington aforesaid on Tuesday the 27 day of Iune aforesaid together with this Schedule And the like pennance is to be performed by the within named James Wheeler and John Fry for the same offence in the Parish-church of Froom-felwood within the Dioces aforesaid before the Pulpit or Ministers seat there in manner and forme prescribed on Sunday the 2 day of Iuly Anno predict And certificate must be made of the due performance thereof as abovesaid under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens there upon Tuesday the fourth day of Iuly aforesaid
living speaking Image of God and Christ for preaching against dead false unlawfull Images and representations of them according to our Homilies and the established Doctrine of our Church Moreover it was then fully proved at the Lords Bar by the oathes of Doctor Featly and Master Bourne that the Arch-bishop was so mad upon Images Pictures and their worship That Doctor Featly having Printed by license 70. Sormons of his preached upon severall occasions in one whereof he had cited a passage against worshipping Images out of the Homily against the Perill of Idolatry in refutation of the Papists the Arch-bishop sending for the Doctor commanded him to carry his said Sermons to Doctor Bray his Chaplaine to peruse before they were published least there should beany offensive passages vented in them which he doing accordingly the said Doctor purged out of the 788. page thereof this ensuing clause therein cited out of the very Homely against the perill of Idolatry as scandalous and heterodox causing the whole sheet to be new Printed which expunction was openly read at the Bar by Doctor Featly himself in these following words And howsoever some of late mince the matter and beare us in hand that the framing drawing carving melting gilding erecting clothing and censing bowing down and praying before Images and Pictures is but the excrescencie of Romish devotion and no proper fruit of Idolatry and superstition yet they who laid the first stone in the happy Reformation of our Church of England and penned the Homilies appointed by Authority to be read in all Churches condemne these practises of the Romane Church as no lesse idolatrous than the like of the Heathen The full proof of that which in the beginning in the first part of this Treatise was touched is here to be made good and performed to wit that our Images and the Idols of the Gentiles be all one as well in the things themselves as also in that our Images have been before be now and ever will be worshipped in like forme and manner as the Idols of the Gentiles were so long as they be suffered in Churches and Temples whereupon it followeth that our Images in Churches have been he and ever will be no other but abominable Idols And every of these parts shall be proved in order as hereafter followeth And first that our Images and the Idols of the Gentiles are all one concerning themselves it is most evident the matter of them being gold silver or other mettle stone wood clay or plaister as were the Idols of the Gentiles and so being either melten or cast either carved graven hewer or otherwise formed and fashioned after the similitude or likenesse of man or woman they be dead and dumb works of mens hands having mouthes and speak not eyes and see not hands and feel not feet and go not and so as well in form as matter be altogether like the Idols of the Gentiles insomuch that all the titles that be given to the Idols in the Scripture may be verified of our Images Wherefore no doubt but the like curses which are mentioned in Scriptures will light upon the makers and worshippers of them both Secondly that they have been be worshipped in our time in like forme and manner as were the Idols of the Gentiles is now to be proved and for that idolatry standeth chiefly in the minde which shall in this part first be proved that our Image-maintainers have had and have the same opinion and judgement of Saints whose Images they have made and worshipped as the Gentile idolaters had of their Gods And afterwards it shall be declared that our Image-maintainers and worshippers have used and use the same outward rites and manner of honouring and worshipping their Images as the Gentiles did use before their Idols and that therefore they commit idolatry as well inwardly as outwardly as did the wicked Gentile idolaters By these two evidences of the Archbishops persecuting Master Workman for using the very words and expressions of our established Homilies against Images and his Chaplaines purging out of Doctor Featlies printed authorized Sermons this passage of our Homilies against the worshipping of Images no doubt by his direction it is most apparent that his designes and intentions were to subvert the established doctrine of our Church against the setting up and adoration of Images and to defile our Churches againe not only with these Romish Idols and Paganish inventions but to make us all Idolaters in worshipping and adoring them as the Popish or Gentile Idolaters did their Idol-gods To put this out of question we shall only adde one irrefragable evidence more concerning Images and Pictures We have proved formerly that the Archbishop had in his own private Study a Book of Popish pictures of the Life Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary printed by Boetius à Bolswert in forein parts Anno 1623. These very Pictures were all licensed by the Archbishops own Chaplain Doctor Bray printed by his own printer and Kinsman Badger in the year 1638. for one Peake a Stationer now in armes against the Parliament and publickly sold and bound up in Bibles as was testified by Mr. Walley Clerk of Stationers Hall and Michael Sparke Senior Master Willingham likewise attested upon oath concerning these Pictures and Crucifixes put into the Bibles that Captain Peak at Holborne Cundit Bookseller who printed these pictures for Bibles did affirme that he printed them with the good liking and by the speciall direction of the Archbishop and his Chaplaine Dr. Bray which Dr. Bray as he said carried him divers times to the Archbishop to shew him the prints thereof as they were cut and finished who liked them all well and gave his consent for the binding them up in Bibles saying That the Bibles wherein these pictures were bound up they should be called THE BISHOP OF CANTERBVRIES BIBLES stiling them after his own name so much did he owne this fact not the Bibles and Book of God who abhorres such Images and further deposed That he found two Bibles bound up with these Pictures in them the one among Secretary Windebanks the other among Sir John Lambes and Dr. Ducks chiefe papers and treasure two of the Archbishops bosome friends and favourites who highly esteemed them both of which Bibles seized by Mr. Willingham and richly bound up with these pictures in them were then produced and shewed to the Lords Master Walley further deposed that these pictures bound up in Bibles giving great offence and scandall to many well affected people himselfe with some other Stationers repaired to Lambeth to the Archbishop and complained against these pictures and the binding of them up in Bibles demanding his Graces direction therein whether they should seize such Bibles with pictures which gave offence or suffer them to be sold To which the Archbishop answered That they might doe well not to lay them out publickly upon their stals to be sold as yet lest they
He pronounced many curses upon all those which should hereafter any way prophane that holy and sacred place by any Musters of Souldiers or keeping any prophane Law-courts or carrying burdens through it At the end of every curse which were some 20. or 30. in number he bowed himselfe lowly towards the East or Table saying Let all the people say Amen When the Curses were ended he then pronounced the like number of Blessings to all those that had any hand in the culture framing and building of that holy sacred and beautifull Church and pronounced Blessings to all those that had given any Challices Plate Ornaments or Vtensills and that should here-after give any At the end of every Blessing hee also bowed downe himselfe towards the East Saying Let all the people say Amen After this followed the Sermon which was worthily performed by Dr. Stephen Dennyson he taking for his theame the 19 of Luke 46. wherein he bitterly inveighed against setting up Pictures and Images in Churches saying it was Popish and heathenish Superstition and Idolatry Which Sermon after-wards when Bishop Laud came to the high chaire of Canterbury he remembred at Dr. Dennysons censure in the high Commission upon another occasion and passed a heavy Censure upon the said Dr. under which he hath ever since groaned After the Sermon which was but short the Bishop and two fat Doctors consecrated and administred the Sacrament with a number of bowings duckings and cringeings in manner following As first when the Bishop approached neare the Communion Table he bowed with his nose very neare the ground some six or seven times Then he came to one of the corners of the Table and there bowed himselfe three times then to the second third and fourth corners bowing at each corner three times but when he came to the side of the Table where the bread and wine was he bowed himselfe seven times and then after the reading of many praiers by himselfe and his two fat chaplins which were with him and all this while were upon their knees by him in their Sirplisses Hoods and Tippits he himself came neare the Bread which was cut and laid in a fine napkin and then he gently lifted up one of the corners of the said napkin and peeped into it till hee saw the bread like a boy that peeped after a bird-nest in a bush and presently clapped it downe againe and flew backe a step or two and then bowed very low three times towards it and the Table when he beheld the bread then he came neare and opened the napkin againe and bowed as before then he laid his hand upon the gilt Cup which was full of wine with a cover upon it so soone as he had pul'd the Cupp a litle neerer to him he lett the Cupp goe flew backe and bowed againe three times towards it then hee came neere againe and lifting up the cover of the Cupp peeped into it and seeing the wine he let fall the cover on it againe and flew nimbly backe and bowed as before After these and many other Apish Anticke Gesturs he himselfe received and then gave the Sacrament to some principall men onely they devoutly kneeling neere the Table after which more praiers being said this Sceane and Enterlude ended Mr. Hope likewise deposed the same that Mr. Willingham did in all particulars touching the manner of the Archbishops consecrating Creed-Church at which consecration he was present and tooke speciall notice thereof Upon which evidence the Committee of the house of Commons observed and urged before the Lords First that it appeared by the praiers used by the Archbishop that he consecrated this Church rather for a Churchyard or a burying place then for an Oratory or place of praier and preaching using the same praiers in substance as are prescribed in the Roman Pontificall at the consecration of a Church-yard to inter dead bodies in Secondly that the consecration of Churches after this sort is a meere Popish and Superstitious Ceremony prescribed onely by Popes and Popish Councels Canonists for their owne gaines and luchre and not by any Protestant Canons Synodes Authors witnesse Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. and the Glosses on it Summa Hostiensis lib. 3. Tit. De Consecratione Ecclesiae et Altaris Angelus De Clavasio his Summa Angelica Tit. Consecratio Ecclesiae Summa Rosella Tit. Consecratio Iuo Carnotensis Decretalium pars 3. De Ecclesia C. 8. to 38. Bochellus Decreta Ecclesiae Gallicanae lib. 4. Tit. 1. Iohannis De Aton Constitutiones Ecclesiasticae Tit. 1. De Consecratione Ecclesiarum with divers other Popish Canonists Thirdly that the forme and manner of consecrating Churches was no where to be found but in the Roman Pontificall set out by the Popes authority wherein it is at large described P. 209. to 280. Cap. De Ecclesiae Dedicatione seu Consecratione and not extant in the Booke of Common-praier or of the Ordinition of Ministers or in any other Records or Rituals of our Church which abollished the Roman Pontificall and Ceremony of consecrating Churches by the Statutes of 2. 3. E. 6. C. 1. 3. 4. E. 6. C. 10. 1. Eliz. C. 1. 8. Eliz. C. 1. Fourthly That the very forme the Archbishop used in consecrating Creed-Church was taken from the Roman Pontificall published by command of Pope Clement the eight found in this study P. 214. 217. 219. where the Bishop comming to the doore of the Church he is to consecrate Percutit illud semel cum inferiori parte baculi pastoralis super luminare dicens intelligibili voce Attollite portas Principes vestras et apperiamini portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae c. The very words the Archbishop now used and then entring the Church pronouneeth it holy and blessed in the name of the Father Sonne holy ghost After which he useth many Praiers Psalmes bowings Ceremonies and Vnus ex Ministris spargit cinerem per pavimentum in modum crucis as this Archbishop did who followed the Roman Pontificall in all the particulars he there practised exceeding it in his blessings and cursings which are not so fully expressed in the Pontificall and in his reconsecration of this Church upon the repairing onely of the wals in which case the forecited Canonists all accord it is not to be reconsecrated but the wal onely to be exorcised and sprinkled with holy water Fiftly That our owne Protestant Bishops and writers condemne the consecration of Churches Chappels and Church-yards by Bishops to make them holier then other places as a meere Popish Iewish ridiculous and absurd practise The first they instanced in was reverend Dr. Pilkington a fugitive for Religion in Queene Maries and Bishop of Durham in he beginning of Queene Elizabeth reigne in his Exposition of Aggens c. 1. v. 7. 8. cap. 2. v. 2. 3. where he determines thus IT IS POPISH TO BELEEVE that which the Bishops doe teach That place to be more holy then the rest which they have
hallowed as they say with their conjured water Crossings Censings Processions c. But blessed be that God our Lord which by the light of his Word doth confound all such wicked and fond fantasies which they devise to fill their bellies and maintaine their Authority by Although these Ceremonies in the old Law were given by Moses for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts to keep thē exercised that they fall not to the Idolatry of the Gentiles yet is there no mention of them in the New Testament nor yet commanded now either to us or them but forbidden to be used of all both of us and them We be no longer under shaddowes but under the truth Christ hath fulfilled all and taken away all such darke kind of Ceremonies and hath placed the cleare light of his Gospell in the Church to continue to the end The Popes Church hath all things pleasant in it to delight the people but where the Gospell is preached they knowing that God is not pleased but onely with a pure heart they are content with an honest place appointed to resort together in though it were never hallowed by Bishops at all It is written that God dwels not in Temples made with hands nor is worshipped with any worke of mens hands but he is a spirit an invisible substance and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not in outward words onely of the lippes but with the deepe sighes and groanes of the heart and the whole power of the mind and earnest hearty calling on him in praier by faith And therefore he doth not so much require of us to build him an house of stone and timber but hath willed us to pray in all places and hath taken away the Iewish and Popish holynesse which is thought to be more in one place then another All the earth is the Lords and he is present in all places hearing the Petitions of them that call upon him in faith Therefore those Bishops which thinke with their conjured water to make one place more holy then the rest are no better then the Jewes deceiving the people and teaching that onely to be holy which they have censed crossed oyled and breathed upon for as Christ said to the woman thinking one place to be more holy to pray in then another Woman beleeve me the time is come when yee shall worship neither at Jerusalem nor in this Hill but the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth So it is now said the place makes not the man holy but the man makes the place holy and ye shall not worship your Idols Stocks and Stones neither at Wilsingham Ipswich Canterbury nor Sheen for God chuses not the people for the places sake but the place for the people sake But if yee be in the midst of the field God is as ready to heare your faithfull praiers as in any Abbey or Priory yea a thousand times more for the one place he hates as defiled with Idolatry and the other he loves as undefiled and cleane If the good man lie in prison tyed in Chaines or at the stake burned for Gods cause That place is holy for the holynesse of the man and the presence of the holy Ghost in him as Tertullian saith yet there should be common places appointed for the people to Assemble and come together therein to praise our God c. Those who in the Apostles times were buried in no Church or Church-yard nor Christen-moldes as they be called when it is not better then other earth but rather worse for the conjuring that Bishops use about it It appeares in the Gospell by the Legion living in graves the Widdowes sonne going to buriall Christ buried without the Citty c. That they buried not in hallowed Churches by Bishops but in a severall place appointed for the same purpose without the Citty which custome remaineth to this day in many godly places c. A most expresse Authority against Bishops Popish consecrations of Churches and Church-yards to make them holyer then other places The second Authority they produced was Mathew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths reigne who was of a quite contrary judgment to this his Popish Successor condemning this manner of consecrating Churches Altars c. as Superstitious Paganish childish ridiculous in his Antiquitates Ecclesiae Brittannicae p. 85. 86. 87. in these termes Legat enim qui volet recentiores et nostro praesertim avo editos Pontificales ac Missales libros reperiet eos et Caeremoniarū multitudine peragendi difficultate atque taedio et exorcisationis amentia priores illos longè superare Quibus enim non dicam verbis sed portentis has et ejus modi a Pontisiciis adhuc adjurantur c. Dedicatio recentis Ecclesiae Altaria vasa indumenta Linteamina et ornamenta Ecclesiastica Hac omnia quam solemni ritu sanctarum scripturarum sententiis ad suas decantationes perperā adhibitis Potificij peragunt paucis videamus c. In dedicatione Ecclesiae jam exstructae Episcopus ter ' circumiens ostium bacculo pastorali ferit hoc Psalmi carmine Attollite Portas c. Cui Diaconus intus existens respondet fere exanimatus Quis est iste Rex gloriae c. Deinde ingredicus Episcopus in fundamento Ecclesiae Cineribus sparso Alphabetum Gracum et Latinum bacculo describit tum variis multisque Episcopi Clerique incessibus rectis obliquis retrogradis transuersis parietes ac pavimenta aqua sparguntur cruces in parietibus chrismate cum dextro Episcopi pollice depinguntur infinitis penè completis caeremoniis ad extremum precatur ut populus in ea conveniens per sacerdotum libamina caelesti sanctificatione salvatus animae salutem perpetuam consequatur discedens portam his verbis Episcopus ungit chrismate porta sis benedicta sanctificata consecrata consignata Deo commendata c. Altaria autem innumeris hujus generis precibus consecrantur c. Et sane valde deflenda est hujus temporis conditio quod Ecclesiae Patres eadem mentis acie ab ecclesia resecare has hujusmodi caeremonias seu potius nugas aut nolunt aut non possunt qua priora illa Ordalii vitia cernebant atque corrigebant sed illis ut superstitiosis damnatis deletis hac quae mordicus retinent quamvis puerilia deliria sint ex illis tamen fabricantur atque struunt Quanto modernis Pontificibus aequior fuit Gregorius qui scribit Quomodo regulae sanctorum Patrum pro tempore loco persona negotio instante necessitate traditae sunt Hi autem nulla neque temporis neque loci neque negotii neque personae neque cujusquà m rei quà m suae voluntatis atque gloriolae rationem habentes ne pusillis in rebus veritate cedere volunt A very good character of the Prisoner at the bar and his proceedings in this kinde
To these two Prelates might be added M. William Tyndal a learned Martyr his Obedience of a Christian man p. 136. 152. William Wraughton his Hunting and rescuing of the Romish Fox Iohn Bale Bishop of Osyris in Ireland in his Image of both Churches Thomas Beacon a Prebend of Canterbury in his Reliques of Rome M. Calfhill in his book against Marshal f. 61 92. 93. M. Fox his Acts and monuments Edit 1610. p. 210. 414. with sundry other of our learned Writers who expresly censure the Consecration of Churches and Church-yards as superstitious Iewish Popish Antichristian ridiculous stiling them rather a conjuration then a consecration invented only by and reserved to Bishops for lucre sake alone And the Homily for repairing and keeping clean Churches pag. 78 79. resolves thus The Church or Temple is counted and called holy yet not of it selfe but because Gods people resorting thereunto are holy and exercise themselves in holy and heavenly things Not because it is hallowed by a Bishop of which the Homilies make no mention From these Authorities they concluded the Arch-bishops consecration of Churches especially of this but newly repaired to be both Popish and Superstitious by the received Doctrine Writers of our Church and Statutes of our Realm which abandon and condemne the same Yet notwithstanding this Arch-Bishop was so zealously bent upon it that he rested not in the consecration of Creed-Church but proceeded further to consecrate Saint Giles Church in the fields where the case stood thus The Church of Saint Giles being in decay was re-edified and part of it new built and finished in Bishop Mountaines time Divine Service Preaching and Administration of the Sacraments after its repaire having been used therein for 3. or 4. yeares space together without any exceptions After which Bishop Laud being advanced to the Bishoprick of London by a solemn processe under his Episcopall seal interdicted this Church and suspended Divine Service Sermons and Sacraments in it for 2. or 3. weeks together so as the Church doores were shut up even on Lords Dayes and the Parishoners forced to repair to other Churches onely because the Church had not been re-consecrated after its reparation some of the Parish opposed the consecration of it in respect of the charge and Fees but at last they were inforced by the Bishop to submit else they must have no Divine Service Sermons nor Sacraments in it after all their costs bestowed thereon Whereupon the Bishop the very next Lords Day after he had consecrated Creed Church repaired to Saint Giles Church and there consecrated it in the self-same manner with the self-same gestures bowings prayers ceremonies as he consecrated Creed Church After which he likewise consecrated the Church-yard and a peece of ground which was bought and added to it for consecration whereof the Parish paid ten pound fees to the Bishop himself to wit 5 l. for consecrating the Church and 5 l. for hallowing the Churchyard besides fees to his Officers and a Dinner which cost the Parish near 30 l. more all which was attested upon oath by Master Hope and some others and likewise proved by the Archbishops own Diary wherein he registred this speciall memoriall of this Consecration with his owne hand Sunday January 20. 1630. I consecrated the Church of S. Gyles in the Fields Upon which evidence the Committee of the Commons made these Observations First That this Church was used three or four years together in B. Mountains time after its repair without any new Consecration and thought holy enough by him but this Popish Prelate after all this space was of another judgement and must needs suspend and re-consecrate it contrary to the very Canon law and the resolution of the fore-cited Canonists Secondly that he and his Officers extorted unreasonable excessive fees from the Parish besides their costly Dinner for this pious work on the Lords day himself taking no lesse then 10 l. fees for consecrating the Church and Churchyard which is direct Symonie by the Canon Law and extortion by the Commonlaw there being no fees due by either law for such a Consecration Thirdly that this Prelate was so wilfull and superstitious in this Innovation that God must lose his publick worship in this Church and the whole Parish the use of it for the benefit of their soules for two or three whole weeks during its interdiction rather then this Prelate not enjoy his popish ends exorbitant fees for the re-consecration of it After this Iuly 17. 1632. he consecrated another Church in Middlesex in the same manner as he had done the former two of which he makes this speciall Memento in his own Diary Iuly 17. 1632. I consecrated the Church at Stanmore Magna in Middlesex built by Sir John Wolstenham As this Arch-prelate was thus superstitiously and popishly active in consecrating Churches so likewise in consecrating Chappels for which these instances were produced The first Chappel he consecrated was a Chappel built by himselfe at Aberguilla in Wales whiles he was Bishop of S. Davids dedicated by him to S. John Baptist concerning which he registers this passage in his own Diary August 28. 1625. Dies erat Solis consecravi Capellam sine Oratorium propriis sumptibus extructum in demo me a communiter vocata Aberguille-House Nomen indidi Capella S. Joh. Baptistae in gratam memoriam Collegii S. Joh. Baptistae Oxon cujus primo socius dein Praeses fui Et hoc consultò feci Intervenit autem aliud non mali ominis spero it seems he then little dreamed of his own beheading or that the decollation of the Baptist to whose memory he dedicated this Chappel could be any ill Omen of his own decapilation afterwards de quo nunquam cogitavi hoc fuit Die Sabbati vesperi immediatè praecedente consecrationem celebrandam dum procibus eram intentus nescio quà m violenter in mientem me am irruit adesse diem DECOLLATIONIS S. JOHANNIS BAPTISTAE Finitis precibus fasta consului reperio diem illum in diem Lunae 29 scilicet Augusti non in diem Solis incidere Optassem diem ipsum sed gavisus sum me CONSECRATIONEM SOLENNEM peracturum VIGILIA SALTEM ILLIVS DIEI Nam illa die Serenissimus Rex Jacobus causam meam circâ electionem in Presidentem Collegii S. Joh. Baptistae Oxon per tres integras horas ad minimum audivit me è manu inimicorum potentum justissimè liberavit No doubt to preserve him to aâ—ar other doome and censure Mr. Prynne deposed that he found in the Archbishops Study this paper indorsed and corrected with his own hand concerning the consecration of this his Chappell The form of the Act where a Bishop consecrates a Chappell of his own Dedication In Dei nomine Amen Cum Nos Gulielmus permissione divina Menevensis Episcopus pia ac religiosa devotione ducti hanc Capellam sive Oratorium intra aedes nostras communiter vocatas Aberguilli-house infra Parochiam de Aberguillye in
speeches in the Pulpit and elsewhere and more especially upon the fourth Commandement both by preaching and otherwise he hath in contempt of the Kings most Excellent Majestis Declaration concerning the lawfulnesse of Recreations upon Sundayes and holy-daies after time of Divine Service and in derision and scorne of the Booke set forth by His Majesty to that purpose often amongst other his opprobrious and disgracefull speeches uttered these words following concerning the same viz. Is it not as lawfull to plucke at a Cartrope upon the Sabbath day as at a Bell-rope Is it not as lawfull for a VVeaver to shoot his shuttle in the Sabbath day as for a man to take his Bow to shoote And is it not as lawfull for a VVoman to spinne at her wheele or for a man to go to Plough or Cart as for a man in the Sabbath day to dance that devilish round All which words and divers other of the like kind your Petitioner will be bound to prove unto your Grace and the honourable Court of high Commisiion May it therefore please your Grace for the Reformation of the sayd Mr. Page and satisfaction of his Parishioners consciences and other inhabitants there abouts who daily flocke unto him by reason of inveigling them with such his Doctrine to grant an Attachment or Letters Missive to issue out against him the sayd Page to bring him to Answer to such Articles as shall bee exhibited into the said Court against him And your Petitioner as in duty shall daily pray for your Graces long life and happinesse I desire Dr. Merrick to consider of the suggestions of this Petition and take order for Letters Missive if he see cause Aug. 30. 1638. W. Cant. Among which Papers he likewise met with this Certificate manifesting that not only Sir Nathaniell Brent but Sir Iohn Lambe in the Archbishops Metropoliticall Visitation did peremptorily enjoyne all ministers in the Archbishops name to read this Declaration for sports on the Lords Day to the people in Churches to animate them to prophan it though not prescribed in his printed visitation Articles To the Right VVorshipfull Sir John Lambe Knight Doctor of Law Commissary to the Lords Grace of Canterbury for the Archdeaconry of Huntington c. THese are to certifie that Thomas Gibbs Master of Art and Curate of Hitchin in Hartfordshire within the Archdeaconry of Huntington according to your Injunction at the Visitation there holden did distinctly and treatably read upon the 29th of Aprill being Sunday at Morning Prayer after the reading of the first Lesson appointed for the day most of the Parish then being present the Book intituled The Kings Maiesties Declaration to His Subiects concerning lawfull sports to be used William Lindall D. D. Edward Radcliffe Esque Iohn Skinner Edward Hurst Thomas Draper William Hurste Churchwardens And with 3. Petitions of Mr. Valentines to the Archbishop suspended for not reading the Book of sports referred to Sir Iohn Lambe who endorsed on one of them with his owne hand that he had received inclosed therein A Bribe of five pound Besides in the Abstract of the Archbishops Metropoliticall Visitation in the yeare 1635. found in his Study by Master Prynne there are these Passages concerning the Booke of sports Master Fairfax Curate of Rumborough Charged with inconformity hath faithfully promised to read the Declaration for lawfull sports I suspended one Master Pegges of VVeeford ex nunc pro ut ex tunc in case he did not read the Kings Declaration for sports on Sunday seven-night following There are divers in Surrey that refuse to read the Kings Declaration for lawfull sports on Sundayes besides those that stand suspended for the fault Doctor Howell a very worthy Divine gave me a note of their Names they are Master Whitfield of Ockly Mr. Garth of Wouersh Mr. Ward of Pepper-harrow and Mr. Farroll of Purbright all of them of the Lecture of Guilford and some of them of the Lecture of Darking who were afterwards prosecuted for it All these are unfallible Evidences that the Archbishop was the originall principall Author enforcer of this Declaration upon Godly Ministers against both Law and conscience himselfe his Servants playing some times at Boules upon the Lords own day to give good example unto others and persecuting those with infinit severity to the ruing of their Flocks Families who out of conscience durst not publish it Of which we shal produce one signal example more in the case of Mr. Lawrence Snelling a reverend Godly learned Minister deprived in the High Commission for not reading this Declaration Mr. Snelling himselfe restified upon Oath that he was suspended from his Ministry Living excommunicated and soone after that brought into the High Commission at Lambheth and there sentenced to be deprived from his benefice loosing the profits thereof full foure yeares space only for refusing to read this Declaration for sports That Hee there pleaded in his owne defence the Law of God of the Realme the Authorities of Councells Fathers and late Writers of all sorts That the Declaration it selfe appeared not to be his Majesties though published in his name it being not enrolled in any Court nor published under his great Seale as all Proclamations Briefes to be read in Churches are that there was no command at all of the Kings it should be read by any in Churches much lesse by Ministers no punishment threatned nor prescribed for not reading it no authority given to Archbishops Bishops High Commissioners or any other persons to question suspend or punish any Minister for not reading it and being a meere civill not Ecclesiasticall Declaration not enjoyned by any Ecclesiasticall Canon or Authority but temporall only no Ecclesiasticall Iudges could take cognisans of it much lesse inflict any ecclesiasticall censure for it especially in the high Commission it being no offence with in the Statute of 1. Eliz. ch 1. or the Kings Commission Ecclesiasticall whereby the High Commissioners sit so not questionabl by them Al which particulars he put into his answer defence but the Archbishop gave order not to accept his Answer or defence as he tendred them saying openly in Court That whosoever should make such a Defence as he had don it should be burnt before his face and he laid by the heeles for his paines whereupon the Commissioners expunged what they pleased out of his Answer and defence and then censured him Mr. Gellibrand deposed the same with Mr. Snelling whose censure was there produced out of the High-Commission records and here subjoyned Die Lunae viz. nono Die mensis Februarii Anno Dom. 1637. coram Commissionariis Regiis ad causas Ecclesiasticas apud Hospitium Advocatorum c. Iudicial seden presentibus Stephano Knight Deputato Iohanne Greenhill Notarto publico Officium Dominorum con Laurent Snelling Cleric Rectorem de Paulscrai in Com. Kantii Dr. Ryues The Cause is to be informed in and finally sentenced out of the said Master Snellings answer and
1624. His Appello Caesarem London 1625. His Originum Ecclesiasticarum Pars prior Londini 1636. and Pars Posterior Londini 1640. His Anti-Diatribae Londini 1625 and Visitation Articles Printed at Cambridge and London 1638. Master Iohn Cosens his Houres of Prayer London 1627. Edmund Reeves Communion Catechisme expounded London 1635. Henry Cholmly His State of the Now Roman Church London 1629. Master Butterfield His Maschil London 1629. Doctor Iohn Pocklington his Sunday No Sabbath licensed by Doctor Bray the Arch-Bishops Chaplaine 24. Febru 1635. and his Altare Christianum licensed by the same Doctor Bray 7. March 1636. both printed at London Ann 1636. and 1637. Doctor Peter Heylyns History of Saint George London 1630. His Coale from the Altar London 1636. His Antidotum Lincolniense with His Moderate Reply to Henry Burton London 1637. and History of the Sabbath London 1636. Francis Sales A Popish Prelate his Introduction to a devout life licensed by the Archbishops Chaplaine Doctor Haywood 3. Febr. 1636. An Epistle or Exhortatory Letter from Jesus Christ for every faithfull Soule devoutly affected written by a Friar and licensed by Doctor Weekes both his and the Bishop of Londons Chaplain 3. Febr. 1636. The Female Glory by Anthony Stafford London 1635. Master Yates his Tract of the Honour of Gods House London 1637. Sparrowes Sermon of Confession London 1637. The Churches Authority asserted by Samuell Hoard Lond. 1637. Mortification Apostolicall by William Watts London 1637. Doctor Thomas Laurence his Sermon preached before the King at White-Hall London 1637. Iohn Elborow his Evodias and Syntyche London 1637. Robert Shelford his five Treatises Cantabrigiae 1635. Richard Tedder his Sermon preached at Wimondham Anno 1637. Collectiones Theologicae by Chunaus London 1634. Christopher Dow against Master Henry Burton London 1637. Iohn Browning concerning publike Prayer and the Fasts of the Church London 1636. Sir Thomas Ridleys his Review of the Civill Law Oxford 1634. Iohn Swan his Redde debitum London 1640. Bishop Halls Reconciler his Episcopy by Divine Right with infinite other Books Sermons and Treatises of this kinde which we pretermit Before wee proceed any further in this subject we must acquaint Your Lordships with one memorable Passage concerning the Licencing and printing of Francis Sales his Introduction to a devout life and Christs Epistle to a devout Soule The first of these Bookes being written by a Popish Prelate having many Doctrinall and Practicall points of Popery interlarded with good meditations and Devotions comprised in it was translated into English by J. Y. a Priest and Jesuite dedicated by him to Mistres Anne Roper a Popish Recusant and twice printed by Papists in forraigne parts in the yeares 1617. and 1622. with all the Popery in it about which time it was likewise translated into English by a Protestant who lest out all the Popery and superstition couched therein reteining only what was Orthodox and Pious which was licenced for the Presse and printed by Nicholas Oakes On the 3. of February 1636. Doctor Hayward the Archbishops Chaplain at the instigation of some Popish persons licensed the very Popish Translation of this Booke by I Y the Iesuite for the Presse most likely by the Archbishops approbation who had one of these Bookes formerly printed in his Study produced by Master Prynne endorsed with his owne hand which was forthwith entered in Stationers Hall for one W. Brookes a Popish Stationer and presently sent to the Presse to be printed One part of it comming to Nicholas Oakes his House to be printed he perceiving divers dangerous Popish Passages in it and among others one touching the Popes supremacy repaired to Doctor Hayward who licensed it and acquainted him therewith desiring him to purg out these Popish Passages else he durst not proceed to print it Whereupon the Doctor checking him for making such a scruple bid him go on and say nothing and he would beare him out and save him harmlesse from any danger that might befall him for printing it adding that he himself would preach as much as that he complained off before the King and therefore he needed not feare to proceed Whereupon Oakes went on and the Book with the Epistle Dedicatory to Mrs. Anne Roper a Papist was printed published about Easter 1637. neare the time the Archbishop caused an Information to be Exhibited in Star-chamber by Sir John Banks his Majesties Atturney Generall against D. Bastwick Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne one of the Copies whereof comming to Mr. Pryns hands he finding it full of Popery superstition and the very same with the old English Popish Edition and being informed by Oakes others of Dr. Haywards words to Oakes when he complained to him of it he inserted the Licensing and printing of this Popish Booke among others into his Crosse Bill in Starre Chamber against the Archbishop his Chaplaines and others his Popish Confederates which Bill he tendring to the Lord KEEPER Coventry to admit the Archbishop getting possession of it upon view thereof and some complaints at Court against this Popish Booke by the Right honourable Earle of Pembrook and other well-affected Courteours thereupon to colour his owne and his Chaplaines practicall knavery in Licensing and promoting this Booke by laying all the blame and punishment upon others and the poor Printer Ooaks who complained against it and would have stopped it at the Presse to give som shew of satisfaction to the people much offended at the printing of this Popish Booke especially in that nick of time when he had brought Dr. Bastwick Mr. Burton Mr. Pryn into the Star-chamber for charging him with introducing Popish Doctrines and Innovations into our Church caused his Majesty to publish this following Proclamation for calling in and burning the said book wherein he falsly suggested to his Majesty and his Subjects that his Chaplaine purged out diverse Passages therein tending to Popery which the Stationer and Translater afterwards inserted againe when as there was no such thing but his Chaplaine licensed all of them at first and would not purge them out at last when Oakes complained of them The Proclamation was this By the King A Proclamation for calling in a Booke entituled An Introduction to a Devout life and that the same be publikely burnt VVHereas a Booke entituled AN INTRODVCTION TO A DEVOVT LIFE was lately printed by Nicholas Oakes of London and many of them published and dispersed throughout the Realme the Copy of which Booke being brought to the Chaplaine of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury for Licence and allowance was by him upon diligens perusall in sundry places expunged and purged of divers passages therein tending to Popery Neverthelesse the same Book after it was so amended and allowed to be printed was corrupted and falsified by the Translater and Stationer who betweene them inserted againe the same Popish and unsound passages And the Stationer is now apprehended and the Translator sought for to be proceeded against according to Justice His Majesty out of His pious and
penitents into the Church after they had done publike penance A solemn day was set a part for taking of publike penance for open faults by imposition of hands and sprinkling of ashes namely Ashwednesday by the Canon of the Councell of Agatha in Gratian This is the godly Discipline whereof our Church speaketh in the Commination of putting notorious sinners to open penance in the beginning of Lent and wisheth that it might bee restored againe And as Ashwednesday was appointed for putting notorious sinners to open penance so was MAUNDAY Thursday set a part for their absolutions P. 59. The godly discipline constantly practised in Churches and at Altars and the sad and malencholly mention of Penance Fasting and Prayer with other Austerities which the pietie of the times have but just cause to thinke of P. 63. This was done 40. dayes before Easter namely on Ashwednesday in Sack-Cloth and Ashes And for 8. dayes together before Easter they were to doe penance to fast to refraine all manner of pleasures though never so lawfull to stand bare foot upon Sack-cloth and to watch on Good-Friday all night or at least till two a Clock in the morning Shelfords five Treatises Pag. 71. Then they confessed their sinnes to God and their Minister for spirituall comfort and Councell then they endeavoured to make the best temporall satisfaction they could by Almes Prayer and Fastings and other workes of humiliation The Scots New Service Booke in the Commination against sinners with certaine prayers to bee used diverse times in the yeare and especially on the first day of Lent commonly called Ashwednesday To which there is this addition in justification of Popish penance made with the Arch-Bishops owne hand Brethren in the Primitive Church there was a godly discipline used that at the beginning of Lent notorious sinners were put to open Pennance and did humbly submit themselves to undergoe punishment in this world that their soules might be saved in the day of the Lord. All which is thus closed up by Bishop Mountague who after a long discourse in Justification of Confession and Penance concludes thus out of Pope Leo. Originum Ecclesiasticarum Tomi Prioris pars posterior Londini 1640. Pag. 467. Sect. 33. Christus enim ut cum B. Leone loquar Ecclesia Prapositis potestatem dedit ut Confitentibus actionem paenitentiae darent cosdem SALUBRI SATISFACTIONE PVRGARENT sic ad communionem Sacramentorum per januam reconciliationis admitterent 3. That we ought necessarily to give blinde Obedience to the Ecclesiasticall commands and directions of our Priests Confessors and spirituall Superiors THis desperate Popish Assertion was published and justified in these Authorized printed passages worthy our speciall observation Christs Epistle to a Devout Soule pag. 112. 113. 114. 116. Respect not the man who by my Ordinance is thy superior whether he be learned or unlearned but have regard to this only that he is thy superior by whom I will govern thee and in whom thou oughtest to obey me Wherefore I would have thee subject thy selfe unto him without any servile feare or scruple of thy Conscience and dispraising thine owne wisdome and Councell submit thy selfe to be governd by his judgment and opinion whatsoever he shall determine or appoint thee Walke in the path of Obedience and doe nothing at all without the Counsell of thy Pastor or Ghostly Father or Superiour esteeming that alwayes best which thy Superior shall thinke fittest doe all things according to the councell of thy Superior and submit thy selfe wholly to his will and discretion And Page 192. my inspirations never disagree from the Obedience that thou must carry to thy superiors therefore if thou submittest thy selfe to them and reliest in no respect upon thy owne selfe thou art sure to walke in simplicity and purity of heart Francis Sales his Introduction to a Devout Life pag. 334. 335. Obedience Charitie and Povertie are three excellent justruments unto perfection There are two sorts of Obedience the one necessary the other voluntary by necessary obedience thou must obey thy Ecclesiasticall Superiors as the supreame head c. Which is thus seconded by Christopher Dow in his Booke against Master Burton pag. 136. 137. Secondly I say that being done by the same Authority that first set them forth it is neither for him nor me nor any other of inferiour rancke to question them but with humble Reverence to submit to their judgments and to think them wiser and farre more fit to order those things that belong to their places than wee whom neither it concernes nor indeed can know the reasons that move them either to doe or alter any thing c. With whom Doctor Heylyn in his Coale from the Altar p. 2. Thus complyes in judgment Should we all be so affected as to demurre on the commands of our Superior in matters of exteriour Order and Publike Government till wee are satisfied in the grounds and reasons of their commandements or should we fly off from our duty at sight of every new devise that is offered to us we should finde a speedy dissolution in Church and State Which Doctor Pocklington thus closeth in his Altare Christianum pag. 180. What flood-gates this man sets wide open to let in a whole deluge of confusions impiety and Sacriledge into the Church if the Contents of his Letter in this particular might obtaine viz. That the Constitutions Orders Decrees appointed by Cannon or renewed by TRADITION of holy Church be not of absolute authority and require full obedience but are to be scanned and disputed 4. That Christians here must have Altars that these ought to be rayled in Altarwise at the East end of the Chancell and there bowed to and towards as to Gods mercy seate and the place of Christs chiefe reall presence upon earth and that there can be no true Sacrament or Consecration of it where there is no Altar THis is the Subject matter of many whole Bookes lately published authorized by the Archbishops Creatures and Chaplaines as Doctor Heylyns Coale from the Altar his Antidotum Lincolniense His Moderate answer to Master Henry Burton pag. 132. to 140. yea a thing expresly enjoyned by the Archbishop and others in the new Statutes for the Vniversity of Oxford in the new Statutes of diverse Cathedrals the new Cannons and by diverse Bishops in their Visitation Articles already mentioned We shall therefore insist only on some other authorized Bookes and passages to this purpose Wee shall begin with Doctor Iohn Pocklington his Sunday no Sabbath printed by the Arch-bishops approbation and his Chaplaines license p. 43. 44. 50. Habemus Altare we under the Gospell have an Altar Heb. 15. 10. and so is the Word Altar and Lords Table indifferently and alike anciently used these were some Tables or Altars of stone quia Christus est lapis angularis some were of Wood the better to expresse his death on the Tree these wooden Altars or Tables the furious Circumceflions brake downe in Saint
thus page 44. Some Traditions I deny not true and firme and of great both Authority and use in the Church as being Apostolicall Doctor Heylins Antid Lincolniense page 86. Sect. 2. Many things came into our mind by a successionall Tradition for which we cannot find an expresse command which yet we ought to entertaine ex vi Catholicae consuetudinis of which Traditions there are many which still retaine their force among us in England This Church the Lord bethanked for it hath stood more firme for Apostolicall Traditions then any other whatsoever of the Reformation 19. That Ave Maries are to be now said to the Virgin Mary That shee and other Saints and our Angells Gardians are to be invoked and prayed to as our Patrons Popish Saints to be imitated and the Virgin Mary extolled deisied by Protestants as she is by Papists CHrists Epistle to a devout Soule Page 237. Say with the same intention the prayer at least which I taught my Disciples and the Salutation of the Angell to my blessed Mother and offer me up to my Father in thy heart and with me all those good workes which I and my servants either do or have done for thee and the vniversall Church pag. 252. Doe not omit every night to intreat my glorious Mother to pray unto me to pardon thee at her request all such negligences as thou hast ignorantly committed and which thou dost not remember She hath performed the office of a tender Mother to mee I have received nourishment from her blessed Duggs and therefore I cannot nor will not my love to Her is so great deny any Petition that she presents and therefore entreat me daily by her intercession for the amendment of thy life perseverance in vertue and obtaining of my grace pag. 253. Thou shalt further intreat me by her Intercession that the worshiping and honouring of me may be daily amplified inlarged augmented and increased either by this rule and instruction which I have now prescribed and commended to thee or by what other meanes soever that shall seeme best unto thee p. 262. By the compassion of thy Mother c. What can be more Popish then this Francis Sales in his Introduction to a devout life writes thus page 19. Saint Lydia and Saint Chrispian were perfectly devout in their open shopps Saint Anne Saint Martha Saint Monicha amongst their families c. page 89. Thou being placed upon thy knees before thy good Angell Consider that God desireth thou wouldst make choise of Paradice and thy good Angell also urgeth expresly thee with all his power offering thee on Gods behalfe a thousand succours page 91. In like manner accept the favours which all the blessed Saints present unto thee promise them that thou wilt make towards them and give thy hand to the good Angell that he may guide thee thither and encourage thy soule to make this choyce page 97. O sacred Virgin and all you blessed Saints of Heaven I chuse you for my guides and Patrons I render my selfe under your colours O my Guide and Gardian in heaven unite me unto this glorious and sacred assembly Page 194. We must pray for the whole Church of God employing and imploring to that end the intercession of our blessed Lady Page 165. O Father of Goodnesse c. Then think upon our blessed Lady upon the good Angells and the Saints that are gone before thee to the end that thou maist insist in their steps and be partaker of their happy intercessions page 197. The holy Soules of the Saints in Heaven in company of the blessed Angells they likewise doe good Oshces and helpe to assistus by their sacred intercession Honour Reverence and respect the sacred and glorious Virgin Mary with an especiall Love she is the Mother of our Soveraigne Lord and heavenly Father Christ Iesus and consequently our Grand-Mother page 198. Chuse some particular Saints amongst the rest whose lives thou maist more particularly read tast and imitate page 200. Read also the lives of the Saints in which as in a mirror thou maist see the ponâ—traiture of Christian perfectison The solitarinesse of Saint Paul the first Hermit is imitated in some sorts by the spirituall retreates of which we have spoken and the extreme poverty of Saint Francis may be imitated c. There be some Saints which more directly serve to guide and order our lives then others doe as that of Saint Gregory our Apostle of England as the life of the blessed Martyer Teressa the lives of Saint Thomas of Aquine Saint Francis Saint Benuet and such like page 201. Other Saints lives there are which containe more matter of admiration then of imitation as the life of Saint Mary of Egypt of Saint Simeon Stilites of the two St. Katherins of Sienna and of Genua and Saint Angla and which never the lesse do minister unto us great occasions to tast the sweetnesse of the love of God Bishop Mountague his Amid page 20. Non abnuerim Sanctos esse Orationis Intercessionis ut loqui soletis Mediatores sed universim universos praecibus suis apud Deum interveniunt orationibus mediantur page 22. Meminerunt amicorum suorum et rerum a si quondam in terris gestarum quocirca ad Christum in caelo recollecti poterint de viae ordinaria per Jesum Christum apud deum Patrem amicos familiares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecibus commendare et adjuvare Which hee thus further prosecutes in his Gagge page 203. Now the case of Angell keepers in point of advocation and invocation is much different from other Angells not Guardians as being continually attendant always at hand though invisible and therefore though we might say Sancte Angele Custes Ora pro me it followeth not we may say Sancte Gabriell ora pro mâ— page 207. Angels are to bee beseeched who are deputed our Gardians therefore not all Angells but onely Guardian Page 214. The Saints pray for us in particular some particular Saint for some particular man in some speciall case some time And to come more particularly to it The question is not whether Saints departed doe pray unto God that is confessed on both sides c. Anthony Stafford in his Femall Glory in the Front whereof there is the Picture of the Virgin Mary encompassed with a Glory holding Christ a little Infant in her Armes thus extolls nay justifies the Invocation of the Virgin and saying Aves to her Med Poetica Ave Maria. Tu gaudi verbum peperisti dicit Avete Omnibus atque omnis terra revibrat Ave. He proceedes thus in the Reverse The House of Gold the gate of heavens power great Queene of Queenes most milde most meeke most wise most venerable cause of all our joy c. In the Panegyrick of her he addes To whom doe bow The Soules of all the just whose place is next to God Pag. 2. 3. He stiles her Most Excellent Princesse The Virgin Mother of God Empresse of
Fisher page 176. Hee positively affirmes That ubi non est sacerdos non est Ecclesiae St. Hierom And in that place most manifest it is that by Sacerdos Saint Jerom meanes a Bishop Soe even with him NO BISHOP AND NOE CHVRCH Doctor Heylin in his Moderate Answer to Mr. Burton page 65. writes thus by the Archbishops appointment You are much offended with the Prelates that they will needs be Lord Bishops Iure Divino page 66. Your first exception is That the Episcopall Authority is claimed from Christ and that some of the Bishops said in the High Commission That if they could not prove it they would cast away their Rochetts this is no more then what had formerly beene said in the Conference at Hampton Court when on occasion of S. Hieroms saying that a Bishop was not divinae Ordinationis the Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft interposed that unlesse he could prove his ordination lawfull out of the Scriptures he would not be a Bishop foure houres page 67. 70. Who is it which of our Divines that holds Episcopall Authority to bee derived from any other fountaine then that of Christ and his Apostles If any such there be he is one of yours Traverse and Cartwright and the rest of your Prodecessors Men never owned for hers by the Church of England Geneva had their hearts wee their bodyes only This theame of Bishops superiority Iure Divino over other Ministers was professedly maintained by Bishop White in his Preface to his Treatise of the Sabbath against Braburne by Christopher Dow in his Innovations unjustly charged chap. 19. p. 170. c. by Iohn Swan in his Redde debitum Chap. 2. sect 2. p. 161. to 172. asserting peremtorily that the Hierarchy of the Bishops is Iure Divino with sundry others in their printed Bookes yea publikly affirmed with much confidence by both our Archbishops with other Prelates in the Star-Chamber and High-Commission maintained publikely in the Divinity Schooles in both our Vniversities and asserted almost in every Pulpit at leastwise in Cathedralls But this Erronious Position being satisfactorily refuted and palpably displayed to all the world by Doctor Bastwicke in his Flagellum Apologeticus ad Praesules Anglicano and by Master Prynne in his Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus his Brevia and Catalogue of Writers in all ages refuting this position of theirs and by the Presbiterians in Scotland the Archbishop and his Confederate Prelaticall Brethren were so hardly put to it that they seriously mustred up all their policy learning power to maintaine their Episcopall Jurisdiction to be of divine right Whereupon having engaged his Majesty and his Privy Councell to maintaine it by the Sword in the Field he encouraged Doctor Hall bishop of Exeter very prone of himselfe to undertake such an enterprise to defend it with his smooth Rhetoricall penne in the Presse This Bishop upon his motion and request readily undertakes the designed service compiles his Booke intituled Episcopacy by divine Right the written Copy whereof he sent to the Archbishop submitting it wholy to his power to dispose of it at his pleasure or alter any thing therein which he or his Chaplaines should deeme meet This Treatisie was carefully read over by the Arch bishop himselfe and his Chaplaines line by line who altered it in some places and then authorized it for the Presse The particulars concerning the cause and grounds of compling it with the Bishops whole pretended Plot how to support their tottering Hierarchy is fully related in the ensuing Letters of Bishop Hall to the Archbishop and of the Archbishop to him all sound and seised on in his Study at Lambheth We shall transcribe all these Letters according to their severall dates the first of them extracted out of the very originall is this MOst Reverend Father in God and my most Honourable Lord I have received your Graces Answer in one to my three last humbly thanking your Grace for your noble favours to that well deserving Petitioner Master Edgcombe whom I recommended to your Graces notice For Ashbrenton I gave order for a speedy satisfaction and make account to receive it ere the closure of this letter Yesternight I had the view of the Acts of the late Scottish Assembly which I could not read without much indignation in seeing the only true and ancient Government of the Church so dispitefully trod upon by ignorant Factionists Vpon the perusall whereof I begin to think it were pity and shame they should carry it away so and that so publike an insolence could admit of none but a more publike remedy and may I be bold to impart unto your Grace what my thoughts were for some ease of this wrong and mittegation of the scandall under the hope of your Graces pardon I shall not sticke to discover them in this secret and fearelesse paper humbly leaving them to your Graces favourable censure although indeed I should have needed a larger Preface to so bould an attempt Since then for his Majesty to right the Church by the Sword as the case now stands is neither fit for our hopes nor our wishes which were no other in so desperate a Schisme then to reconquer his owne with much Charge danger and blood we thought it might be seasonable safe and happie to imploy the spirituall sword the remedy which the Church hath ever wont to make use of in such occasions with blessed successe I thought therefore if through your Graces mediation it might please his sacred Majesty to cause a Generall Synod of the whole three Kingdomes to be indicted wherein all the Reverend Bishops and chiefe of the learned and dignified Clergy and the professors and some other eminent Doctors of all the Vniversities in all the said Kingdomes may be assembled to passe their judgment after free and full expectation of these Schismaticall points determined thus proudly and rashly by our Northen Neighbours it could not but sort to excellent effect for so they might bee convinced of their absurd errours or at least publikely before all the world censured and condemned for what they are and if they have any Remainders of shame they shall be made to blush at their owne miserable transportation This would bee some comfort to those exiled Bishops who put Holy Iland as I heare to the same use whereto it was imployed at the first Plantation of the Gospell to be a receptacle of persecuted Prelates that they should see their cause taken to heart by the whole Church under his Majesties dominions and why should we not think that the presence and Authority of your Grace with that eminent and learned Primate of Armagh and so many other grave and renouned Prelates seconded by so irresistable powers of the learning and Judgment of so many assistant Divines of great note and worth cannot choose but certainly confound these heady and ignorant opposers of Government and good Order and give great satisfaction to the world who seeing the errours and groundlesse proceedings of these men
with the Arch-bishops own hand Received Jan. 30. 1640. L. Exon Concerning his book and the submission of it to my judgement The Propositions inclosed in this Letter were these following to which the Arch-bishop added this Title and some insertions with his own hand here noted with a distinct Character Concerning Church Government and the estate of Episcopacy 1. God had never any Church upon earth that was ruled by a Parity 2. The first Church of God which was reduced to a publike policy was among the Jewes and by his owne appointment was governed by a settled imparity of High-Priest Priests Levites 3. The Evangelicall Church was founded by our Saviour in a knowne imparity for though the Apostles were equall among themselves yet they were above the 70. and all other Disciples and were specially indued with power from on high 4. The same God and Saviour after his Assention did set severall ranks and orders of the holy Ministry First Apostles Secondly Prophets Thirdly Teachers c. all which acknowledged the eminence and authority of the Apostles 5. The Apostles after the Assention of our Saviour by the direction of Gods spirit did exercise that power and superiority of spirituall Jurisdiction over the rest of the Church which was given them by Christ and stood upon their Majority above all other Ministers of the Gospell 6. The same Apostles did not carry that power up to heaven with them and leave the Church unfurnished with the due helpes of her further propagation and Government but by vertue of this power and by the same direction of Gods spirit ordayned in severall parts spirituall guides and Governours of Gods people to ayde and succeede them 7. The spirituall persons so by them ordained were at the first promiscuously called Bishops and Presbyters and managed the Church affaires by common advice but still under the Government of the Apostles their Ordayners and overseers 8. But when the Apostles found that Quarrels and Emulations grew in the Church even while many of them were living through the Parity of Presbyters and side takings of the people The same Apostles by the appointment and direction of the same spirit raised in each City where the Church was more frequent one amongst the Presbyters to a more eminent Authority then the rest to succeed them in their ordinary power of ordination and censure and encharged them peculiarly with the care of Church-Government such were Timothy and Titus and those which were stiled the Angells of the seven Asian Churches 9. These selected persons were then and ever since distinguished from the rest by the name Episcopi-Bishops 10. In the very times of the Apostles and by the imposition of their hands there were divers such persons setled in the Church of God being severally ordayned and appointed to the over-sight of those populous Citties where their charge lay to whom all the Presbyters and Deacons were subject 11. These Bishops continued their fixed superiority over their Clergy all the time of their life with the well allowed expresse of spirituall Jurisdiction and after their death other Presbyters were chosen to succeed them by the due imposition of the hands of their fellow Bishops 12. There was no Church of Christ upon earth ever since the times of the Apostles governed any otherwise then by Bishops thus successively after decease ordayned 13. This course of Government thus set by the Apostles in their life time by the speciall direction of the holy spirit is not alterable by any humane Authority but ought to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world 14. Those which in the new Testament are called the Elders of the Church were no other then spirituall persons such as had the charge of feeding the Flocke of Christ by Word and Doctrine 15. It is not lawfull for any Lay-person to lay hands on those which are to be ordayned nor to have any hand in managing the Censures of the Church which onely pertaine to them who have the power of the Keyes delivered to them by Christ 16. There was never any Lay Presbyter heard or read of in the Church of Christ in any History untill this present age All which wee declare to the Doctrine and Judgement of the Church of England concerning these points of Church Government These Propositions were thus endorsed with the Arch-Bishops owne hand Rec. Decemb. 29. 1639. Bishop Hall of Exeter his propositions concerning Episcopacy These perhaps may be thought fit for a subscription of others There were two more Letters which passed between these Prelates about this subject and Book which we have referred to a more proper place where you may peruse them All which compared together will fully discover the whole plot and designe of the Archbishop and his confederates in maintaining their Lordly Episcopall Superiority to be of divine Institution and Right and how it was driven on by them till it brake them all in pieces by the authority and Justice of the present Parliament The last head I shall mention is the summe and substance of all the fore-mentioned namely 21. That the Church of Rome is a true visible Church and never erred in fundamentalls no not in the worst times That she is the Ancient holy Mother Church That her Religion and ours of the Church of England is all one That men may be saved in that Church and Religion as well as in ours and that it is a crime to be recanted to hold Papists as Papists to be damned This main comprehensive Proposition ratifies and clearly demonstrates to us the true drift scope of all the former to wit a 〈◊〉 and reconciliation with the Church of Rome the foundation whereof was first laid by this Arch-bishops creature Bishop Mountague who determines thus in his Gagge pag. 14. The Articles of our Creed are confessed on both sides and held plain enough The controverted points are of a larger and an inferior alloy of them a man may be ignorant without any danger of his soul at all pag. 50. Moderate men on both sides confesse this controversie may cease Ecclesia Romana manet Christi Ecclesia sponsa c. In his Appeal pag. 136. Since there first was a Church in England France Spain and Rome there hath not ceased to be a true Church there pag. 139. The Church of Rome is and ever was a true Church since it was a Church pag. 113. I am absolutely perswaded that the Church of Rome is a true though not a sound Church of Christ as well since as before the Councell of Trent In essentialls and fundamentalls they agree in holding one faith in one Lord. This Position was strenuously maintained by Master Chomley and Butterfield who soon after turned Seminary Priest in their Books against Master Burtons Babel no Bethel wherein they justified the Church of Rome to be a true Church this being the subject matter of both their Treatises Tho. Chuneus in his Collectiones Theologicae
Majesties warrant to each of them so that herein I averre I did not offend unlesse that I gave not these men notice of it or asked them leave to obey the King To which it was answered First that the Arch-bishop confeseth clearly in his Speech and publisheth it to all the world in print That he made the alterations in this prayer which neither of his Predecessors Bancroft or Abbot durst once to think of or attempt Secondly That he esteemed Master Burtons and Master Prynnes dislike of him for making these alterations in extentation of the horrid Gunpowder-plot and favour of trairerous Jesuits Priests Romanists and the popish Religion a most transcendent crime worthy the severest bloodiest censure that ever was inflicted on any person in the Star-chamber as appeared by their herbarous Sentence there for which he heartily thanked the Lords in the close of his speech whereas his offence was certainly ten thousand times greater in making these alterations then theirs in charging him with them when himselfe confesseth and just fieth them or disliking them when made for such sinister popish ends Thirdly that his reasons to justifie these alterations to be fit and necessary were very absurd discovering the rottennesle of his heart with his extraordinary affection to popery and Papists His first reason that it was fit and necessary to make these Alterations to avoyd scandall and offence to Papists in calling their religion Rebellion c. was very unreasonable and absurd For since this clause had continued un-altered un-excepted against neer thirty yeers space together and was never deemed scandalous by K. James K. Charle's our subsequent Parliaments or Church which approved and confirmed it no solid reason can be given why it should grow unseasonable or scandalous only now so an as to call for a necessary alteration but that the Arch bishop and his confederates had now a new resolved plot to reconcile us to Rome and her Religion which former ages never had to which designethis clause might happily prove seandalous and obstructive Besides he could not but conclude the alteration of it after so many yeers continuance of purpose to gratifie Papists priests and Jesuits the sole contrivers of that marchlesse excerable Gunpowder-plot would give extraordinary seandall offence to all the whole Church State and cordiall protestants of Engl. and lay a secret tax if not a publike censure on them and on K. James for injuring the papists and their Religion even in these publike prayers neer thirty yeers spice together yet this zealous Romish Agent would rather scandalize censure injure our whole Church State parliaments King Iames with all true-hearted English protestants then give the lest scandall to the papists or suffer this just imputatation of Rehellion to continue upon their religion Moreover the whole parliament of 3. Iacobs in the Oath of Alleagiance then enjoyned with all our parliaments prelats Peers who since have approved it The second part of our authorized Homilies for Whit-sunday with our Homilies against wilful rebellion Bishop B â—â—on in his True difference between Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion Bishop Iewel in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England part 4. p. 439. to 470. Doctor Iohn White in his Sermon at Pauls-Crosse and in his Defence of the Way ch 6. 11. Doctor Crakenthorp's Treatise of the Popes temporall Monarchy Deus Rex Haddon contra Osorium and generally all our Writers against the Popes supremacy at home and in the reformed Churches abroad resolve unanimously in their writings the Romanists Religion and Faith in the poynts of deposing excommunicating murthering Christian Princes Kings Emperours of absolving subjects from their alleagiance arming them against their Soveraigns by the Popes authority and command for not submitting to his tyrannicall or Antichristian Edicts it is meere Rebellion and Faction For this Arch-prelate then thus publikely to averre it a scandalous imputation to them and their religion and upon this ground to make these alterations in this prayer and not in all those Statutes Homilies Authors too is a most false absurd scandalous suggestion and in truth a meer evasion to colour his affection to papists their Antichristian Religion His second reason that it wil be of dangerous conquence sadly to avow that the Papists Religion is Rebelion because it is Christian religion and the same with ours is both fals fallacious for popish religion as popish is not Christian but Antichristian and though papists hold many points of Christian Religion as they are Christians yet not one point of it as Papists popery truly so called being no part of Christian Religion but deviations from or paradoxes against it Yea himselfe confessing That some opinions of theirs teach rebelion That 's apparently true which opinions of theirs are that part of their Religion which this prayer cals Rebellion refutes his owne Objection His third reason that if you make their religion to be rebelion then you make their religion and rebelion to be all one and that is against the ground both of State and Law c. which never put any man to death for Religion but for Treason and Rebellion onely is a meere childish fallacy For their Religion is not any actuall treason or rebellion for which only they suffered death but doctrinall and habituall rebelion prone to produce actuall rebellions and the mother of them in which sense onely this prayer stiles it Rebellion yet such for which no Romanist ever dyed unlesse he reduced it into some treasonable and rebellious action and then he suffered onely for the act not the Religion or opinion which induced him thereunto he might well then have spared these three irrationall reasons for this Alteration with this assertion of his p. 39. I took it my duty to lay it before you that the King had not onely Power but Reason to command it which onely aggravate not extenuate or justifie his fact his justification then rests solely upon the Kings command and warrant but this will not excuse his guilt For we have nothing but his own bare word in his own case to which no faith can be given having so often bin taken tardy in this kind to prove first that himselfe did not move the King to command these alterations to be made which is more than probable by his aleaging the reasons whereupon they were made and his activity in other changes of this nature Secondly that himself did not procure the Warrant for these Alterations after they were made and printed being written with his own hand and having no witnesse but himself to prove the date as he hath done in other cases Thirdly admit the command and warrant proceeded originally from the King himselfe not him yet he being by his place and office principally entrusted with the care honour safety of our Religion and Church so much concerned in these alterations it had been his duty to have disobeyed this command and disswaded his Majesty from such a
dishonourable scandalous and offensive act which would scandalize and disgust all his wel-affected protestant Subjects dishonour his owne royall Father King James our Parliaments Church State who all authorized approved used this prayer for thirty yeeres space together encourage Papists Priests Jesuits to such like horrid treasons and exceedingly animate elevate the popish faction causing them to deride if not to insult over the Protestants and our Church which must now alter retract her own approved Collects to gratifie them and their Antichristian Religion But so farre is he from this that he readily obeyes the first command without the lest disswasion resistance without advising with or giving notice thereof to any other of his Brethren the Privy-Counsell Judges and other publike persons as much concerned in it as himselfe to whom he ought to have given notice and asked their leave at least opinions herein ere he obeyed the King though not Master Burtons and Master Prynnes being more ready to obey than his Majesty to command them Finally admit his Majesty had commanded him to make these alterations yet for him in his owne cause in an open Court of Justice where by Law he ought not to have been present or spoken as a Judge to lay all the Odium of these alterations with all his other Innovations in Religion only on his Majesty to render him odious to his people to cloke his own shame extenuate his own guilt and then to publish it in print to all the World to his perpetuall dishonour when there was no necessity and that by pretext of his Majesties speciall command was such a disloyalty and transcendent aggravation of his crime as no age can paralell no punishment expiate but that which the Gunpowder Traytors justly suffered Besides this after the publication of his â—peech in Star-chamber he specially imployed Doctor Heylin to iustifie these alterations to the world in print in his Moderate Answer to the seditious and scandalous chalenges of Henry Burton as he stiles them written by his * speciall command and licensed by his Chaplaine p. 150. to 157. and ordered Christopher Dowe to second him herein in his Innovations unjustly charged upon the present Church and State p. 136 to 14â— where thus he writes Secondly I say that the alteration of those Prayers being done by the same authority that first set them forth it is neither for him nor me nor anyother of inferiour ranke to question them but with humble reverence to submit to their judgements and to think them wiser and farre more fit to order those things that belong to then places than we whom it neither concernes nor indeed can know the reasons that move them either to doe or alter anything But more particularly that which he objecteth against the former is that they would not hereby have all Jesuits and Papists termed a Babylonish and Antichristian Sect but restraine it to some few of them and mentally transferre it to those Puritanes who cry downe with Babylon that is popery But what then what if out of a charitable respect to those which in that Religion are peaceable and honest men as no doubt but some of them whatsoever Master B. beleeves of them are such they are not willing nor think it fit to pray for the rooting up and confusion of all Papists indiscriminatim under those harsh termes surely charitably minded Christians cannot but approve such an alteration if there were no other ground than that for it As for any mans transferring it to Puritanes that is as meer a surmise as it is a false slander that any of those whom he intimates doe call Rome Jerurusalem or Popery the true Catholique Religion Yet I know not why such furious cryers downe of popery as Master B. hath shewed himselfe may not be accounted of a Baby lonish and Antichristian Sect as well as any Jesuit in the world nor why we may not pray and that with better reason than Master B. would have men to doe and under those titles against the Hierarchy of our church that God would root them out of the Land c. Wherein he makes zealous opposers of popery those the world then stiled Puritanes more dangerous persons and fitter to be rooted out of the Land as a Babylonish Antichristian Sect than papists or Jesuits Now thus to justifie this alteration in so daring impudent a manner in favour of popery priests Papists Jesuits what a transcendent crime it is and of what a rotten popish spirit it savours let all impartiall persons determine The third purgation made by himselfe discovering the hidden popery of his heart is his purging out this notable clause against popery in the first Collect of the publike book of prayers appointed at the generall Fast for ceasing the Plague in the yeere 1636. Thou hast delivered us from Superstition and Idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and hast brought us into the most cleare and confortable light of thy blessed Word by which we are taught how to serve and honouor thee and how to live orderly with our Neighbours in truth and verity The King by his Proclamation Anno 1636. commanded that the Booke of prayers for the Fast formerly set forth by authority should be reprinted re-published and likewise used in all Churches and places at the publike meetings during this Fast The Arch-bishop instead of re-printing the book formerly set forth by authority purgeth this clause out of it in the new impression though used in the Fast-books upon like occasions in Queen Elizabeths and King James their severall reignes and in that of 1. Caroli and that upon these very grounds which should have moved him to retaine it still had his heart been upright or sincere to God and our Religion because it layes a just censure and blemish upon popery by stiling it superstition and idolatry and thankfully recites Gods goodnesse to us in delivering us from Popish superstition and idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and bringing us into the most cleare and comfortable light of his holy Word by which we are taught how to serve and honour him c. A clause so pious so just and equitable that it is almost a miracle how any but a most inveterate Papist could except against it yet this Arch bishop is so irreconcileably angry with it that it must be wholy obliterated and quite omitted out of this new impression and that without any speciall order or command from his Majesty which he pleaded for the former alterations in the Gunpowder-treason book or any suggestion from Papists Priests or Jesuits who were scandalized with it for he doth not so much as pretend any such thing in his justification of this purge but by his owne papall authority contrary to his Majesties Proclamation out of his own metro popish genius which perswades us that the former alcerations in the book for the fift of Novem. proceeded originally from himself too as well as this however he would translate it to the
into tyranny or idolatry for first Kings are subject to their Common-wealths at least unto the law of God Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Iosh 1. 8. and secondly it is the office of the inferiour Magistrate as well as the superiour to maintaine and defend the lives and safety of the subjects and therefore although the superiour Magistrate should neglect his duty yet the inferiour must not neglect theirs Thirdly it is not lawfull for any private person either to take up arms for the defence of the inferiour Magistrates before a danger come or for their owne defence in danger or for the avenging of themselves after danger if they can be defended by an ordinary power and this we gather from David 1 Sam. 24 26. Fourthly it is lawfull even for a private person to resist with weapons if a tyrant like a theefe shall offer violence unto him either by himselfe or by another when he can neither obtain the relief and help of publike authority and power nor escape by any other meanes or way for against whom it is lawfull for a man to defend himself by the Magistrate against the same it is lawful to defend himself by himself in a case of necessity as for example If a King in his anger should command one of his followers to kill such a one or should run upon him himselfe with his sword drawne intending to kill him if that man could neither be delivered by the law or government of the Land nor by flight could escape away he might then lawfully with his sword in his hand defend himselfe even against the King himselfe but he must not offend the King nor lay his hand upon the Lords anointed for the very law of nature teacheth men to defend themselves and to maintaine their lives against all the unjust assaults and practises of any whatsoever Fifthly to take away defence of himselfe from a private person against a tyrant is to establish tyranny for the law of God doth principally require the society of humane conversation and therefore those things that are Caesars are to be given to Caesar neither is he to be resisted so long as he doth not oppose himselfe against God commanding some wicked Religion or some wicked and unjust thing for as Christ commands us to give unto Caesar those things so he commands us to give unto God those things that be Gods and God forbids us to give unto Caesar those things which are not Caesars and therefore if Caesar commands that which is repugnant to the command and will of God we must not obey him Acts 4. 19. 5. 29. In Doctor Iones his Comentary on the Hebrewes these sentences are purged out page 387. in the written 493. in the printed copy It is comparitively spoken all the Statutes Edicts and Commandements that proceed from Kings are not to be feared Saul commanded the Serjeants to lay violent hands on the Priests but they moved not a hand to doe it 1 Sam. 22. 17. Nebuchadnezzer made a proclamation that all Nations and kinreds should fall downe and worship his golden Image yet the three children would not doe it they chose rather to be cast into the fiery furnace Darius made a Decree none should pray to any God and yet Daniel he feared not the commandement still he prayed to the God of Israel so Pharaoh gave commandement that the Egyptians children should be throwne into the River yet Moses Parents feared God and chose rather to obey God then man If the Kings commandement be according to Gods commandement then obey it if it be repugnant then it is an excellent demand Acts 4. 19. whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God judge ye children saith Paul obey your parents in the Lord so Subjects obey your Kings in the Lord what reason is there we should obey man above God honour Kings as Gods Vice-gerents be thankfull to God for Kings yea though they be wicked ones for a tyranny is better then anarchy pray for Kings reverence Kings but feare not the earthly King before the heavenly their breath is in their nostriâ—l they are alive to day and dead to morrow they have strong hands and long horns to crush us with yet God can dry up their hands as he did Ieroboams he can weaken their hornes that they should not gore us with them I will tell you saith Christ whom you shall feare not him that can kill the body and goe no further but he that can cast soul and body into hell fire let us feare the King of Kings above earthly Kings God be thanked we have a King whose commandements are not contrary to Gods Commandements but if God in his wrath should send us a King as our sinnes have deserved that should command us to goe to Masse to worship Images to kill the Saints of God let us not feare such Commandements either our God will deliver us out of their hands even miraculously above our expectation or else take us to himselfe and give us a crowne of eternall glory And page 396. in the written copy The fiercenesse of Kings is not to be feared when the King of Kings sends us in his businesse c. When the blood is heated the mind incensed this is the rage of the King the King was enraged for anger against Moses as Lamech said I would kill a man in my wrath so where is this Moses bring him that I may flay him and no doubt he beset the Land and sent out pursevants after him unto all places yet Moses feared it not the wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon yet if it be in Gods cause let us not feare it The devill is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rapiens eripiens to deliver us our of his hands Nebuchadnezzar was wroth with the three children because they would not fall downe and worship his golden image they feared it not Kings are mighty but God is more mighty they have long armes that can reach far but God at his pleasure can dry up their arms as he dryed up Ieroboams hand when he stretched it out to strike the Prophet they have sharp hornes but God can blunt their hornes Of Lyons he can make them Lambs as he did Esau and Laban if they will be Lyons still blustering and roaring against his children he can send out his Angels on the sodaine to smite them as he did Herod and can cause the very wormes to devour them Let us honour Kings yea though they be enemies to Gods Church let us reverence their power and authority but in matters appertaining to the King of Kings let us not feare the fiercest of them In the same Author we find these clauses likewise expunged Written cop f. 71. Book f. 396. A King and Queen are but flesh and blood Written copy f. 52. Book f. 91. Art thou a King yet thy breath is in Gods hand and
abused unto Superstition or superstitionsly used and so become offensive unto the best and dearest members of the church it were then much better to relinquish then to retaine them to abolish then to uphold them as Hezekiah did with the brazen Serpent when it was abused unto idolatry I say it were better in this ease to destroy then to enforce them if authority were so pleased c. Ibidem page 210. this clause is deleated A man may censure his brother for doing that which is indifferent for in evill intent as for example if a Minister should wear the Surplice not for decency or for obedience to authority but onely to vex oâ— assend some who are weake or serupulous thereof he deserves to be censured and blamed because as much as in us lyes we must offend none Ibidem page 267. this passage is crossed out Quest 2. What superstitious rites are to be abolished in Baptisme Answ Those rites which are used at this day by the Papists contrary to the institution of Christ and practice of the Apostles Now these rites are either before the administration of the Sacrament or in the time of the celebration of the Sacrament or after the celebration thereof First before the celebration of the Sacrament they have these ceremonies first the Priest breathes in the child's face that he may receive the holy Ghost secondly they have their exorcismes adjurations or conjurations whereby the devill is conjured adjured and commanded to depart from the soule of the Infant to be baptized and to give way unto the holy Ghost who now is at hand thirdly then the Priest reads certaine prayers belonging to this adiâ—ration and then fourthly he solemnly consecrates the Font wherein the water of Baptisme is Secondly the rites used by the Papists in the administration of the Sacrament are many First the Priest takes the child by the shoulders and turning his head towards the east dips his face once in the water with these words I baptize thee in the name of the Father Then he turnes the Infants head towards the north dipping him againe with these words And in the name of the Sonne lastly he bends his head unto the south dipping him the third time with these words And the name of the Holy ghost And thus by this threefold turning of the child is formed or made the crosse of Christ into whose death the Infant is baptized after the manner in the margent Secondly besides the Symboll of water in baptisme the Papists use salt which is put into the mouth of the child baptized which signifies wisdome and prudence of speech according to the advice of the Apossle Let all your words be seasoned with salt i. e. of divine wisdome Thirdly they then use spittle wherewith first the eares are touched which signifies that he that is baptized ought to have his eares open to heare the word of God and the the principles of Religion And secondly therewith also the mouth is touched together with the word Ephâ—ta signifying that he should be alwayes prompt and ready to speak of Religion and the word of God Fourthly then they make the signe of the crosse whereof they have a manifold use viz. first they make a crosse upon the childs brest signifying thereby that he ought to have and receive the faith of Christ crucified in his heart according to that of the Apostle With the heart man beleeeves unto righteousnesse Secondly they make a crosse upon the childs forehead which signifies that he must not be ashamed to confesse Christ because blushing appeares in the forehead according to that of the Apostle With the mouth confession in made unto salvation now this crosse is made with the Priests thumb Thirdly they make a crosse upon the eares of the Infant and this crosse is made with spittle signifying that the eares of his heart should be alwayes shut against the suggestions and temptations of Satan Fourthly they make a crosse upon the Infants mouth and this is made with spittle also signifying that the child should have his mouth alwayes shut least he should speak evill words Fifthly they make a crosse with spittle upon his nose also signifying thereby first that he should send forth a good smell and savour of Christ in his life and conversation and secondly that he should frequently offer unto God the fumes and incense of devout and holy prayers by which the devill may be smoked out of doors as Tobie did the evill spirit chap. 6. ver 16 17 Sixthly they make a crosse upon the childs brest and shoulder blades with their conjuring oyle signifying thereby that the party baptized should be strong and couragious in the resisting of Satan and resolute in bringing forth the fruits of repentance Thirdly after the Sacrament of baptisme is administred the Priest doth these things unto the party baptized viz. first he anoynts him with chryme or consecrated oyle which signifies the vertue or grace of the spirit of God which they have received by and in baptisme Secondly he then gives unto him a white garment which signifies a Sacramentall or Baptismall innocency or that how he is made pure innocent and immaculate both from the guilt and staine of sinne Thirdly he puts into his hand a wax taper lighted which signifies first the light of faith which is given in Baptisme and secondly that now he is translated out of the kingdome of darknesse into the kingdome of light Fourthly sometimes they give unto some milke and honey to taste whereby it signified a right or title to eternall life a figure whereof was the Land of Canaan which flowed with milk and honey All these and divers other superstitious rites the Papists superstitiously observe in the celebration of this Sacrament of Baptisme contrary to Christs institution and the Apostles practice and therefore there is great reason that they should be abolished If any think I falsifie the Papists by what I have said or desire to be more throughly informed concerning their practices additions and superstitions ceremonies in this Sacrament of Baptisme then let him well consider these Authors and testimonies which follow and he shall find all and a great deal more then I have set down Manipulus curatorum de Baptisme cap. 8. fol. 14. 15. Pupilla Oculi de Baptismo cap. 7. fol. 8. 9. Tertul. fol. 329. D. 335. D. G. 336. A. B. C. D. 337. A. 341. D. 342. C. E. 19. Passages purged out That the Church is not alwnyes visible IN Master Words Comentary upon Matthew page 173. in the printed copy this clause is blotted out A City that is set on a hill cannot be hid The Papists affirme the Church of Christ to be alwayes visible and would confirme it from this verse thus That which Christ ordained to be the light of the world is alwayes visible but Christ ordained the church to be the light of the world in this verse Therefore the Church is alwayes visible First the major proposition is
false that every light is alwayes visible and therefore although we should grant the Church to be the light of the world which it is yet it would not follow from thence that it is alwayes visible for these two causes viz. first because the Sunne and Moon were ordained to be great lights Gen. 1. 16. Ps 136. 8. for the governing of day and night and yet we see them often darkned and suffer strong eclipses so the Church though it be ordained to enlighten the world by ministring the doctrine of the Scriptures yet sometimes it may faile out of mens sights as hath been shewed elsewhere viz. upon Matth. 5. 14. Secondly though the Church be a light yet such as walk in darknesse loving that better then the light doe not alwayes see it but went either will or eyes thereto thus the King of Aram's souldiers neither saw the Horses nor Chariots of fire that were round about Elisha nor knew that they were in the midst of Samaria untill their eyes were opened Secondly the minor proposition is false also for although the light of the Church be granted yet it is not true that Christ our Saviour ordained it is to be alwayes the light of the world according to this verse yee are the light of the world for these words were spoken by Christ to his Disciples and his purpose therein was not to teach what the state of the Church should alwayes be but to provoke them to constancy and holinesse because they should be in every mans eyes and therefore if they chanced to doe otherwise then well it could be concealed no more then the light of the Sunne now this is nothing to the Churches visibility If the Reader desire to see this argument more fully answered and enlarged let him read our cleer and lilly White in his Way to the true Church fol. 90 91. 92. Ibid page 140. this is deleted Matth. 13. 47. The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Net c. The Papists hold that the true Catholike Church is alwayes visible and Becanus undertakes to prove it from the Parable thus Christ here compares his Church to a net cast into the sea which gathers of all sorts of fish some now this cannot be understood but of the visible Church because the Protestants who hold two Churches the one invisible the other visible doe thus distingush them that in the invisible are onely those who are predestinated unto salvation but in the other namely the visible are good and bad mixed together but in the Church which our Saviour speaks hereof are good and bad commixed and therefore he speaks of the visible Church yea and also of the true Church and therefore the true Church is visible First it is false that the Protestants hold two distinct true Churches Secondly Becanus fights with his owne shadow concluding nothing against us neither is this the Question betwixt us and them Whether the true Church of Christ be visible but whether the Catholike church be visible or not for we distinguish that ratione praedecati but this ratione subjecti for this true Church is partly visible partly invisible and the Catholike church is visible Quantum ad materiale but invisible Quantum ad formale that is Quatenus est Catholica Thirdly that Church in which are good and bad mixed together is not the Catholike church but a particular because the Catholike church is an assembly of men called by an internall vocation that is a society or company which consists onely of those who are both elected and called Ibidem page 275. this sentence is purged out Matth. 16 18 19. Upon this rock c. The Papists produce these words super hanc Petram upon this rock c. to prove that the true church of Christ is alwayes conspicuous and visible arguing thus whether by this rock upon which Christ promises to build his church we understand Christ or Peter or Peter's confession yet alwayes the foundation is some sensible thing and therefore the church is sensible because although now we neither see Peter nor Christ his Lord yet then when Christ spake this both of them were obvious to sight and now they are seene in their Vicar the Pope Bellarmine de Eccles Milit. lib. 3. ca. 11. First the Cardinall changeth his tearmes for it is one thing to be sensible another to be visible many things being sensible which are not visible as sounds the wind and the like Secondly the foundation of the church is Christ and not Peter and therefore he begs the Question Thirdly we deny the antecedent and his probation proves it not because Christ as he was the foundation of the Church was not visible he not being her foundation as he was man but as he was God and man yea he is a Mediator for those who beleeve on him and not those who see him Fourthly the Jesuit playes the Sophister committing a fallacy Ab hemonyma Ecclesia the word church being ambiguous signifying either a visible society and so it signifieth not in this place or else the universall and mysticall body of Christ and so it is taken by our Saviour here Ibidem in the written copy page 87. this sentence is deleted Touching the visibility of the Church I lay downe these propositions First the inward church of Christ is not to be called visible because although their persons be visible yet so is not their conjunction with Christ their head that being the internall work of faith which is not to be seen Secondly the compleat and most universall church from Abel unto the worlds end may respectively be called visible namely secundum partes because although the whole never had being in uno iâ—stanti in one and the same moment of time and therefore could never be seene uno iâ—â—etu by any one aspect or sight yet the parts of it the church â—â—â—tent in every age have been seen in their severall times And in these two the Papists I hope will not discent Thirdly there shall be alwayes a true church c. not externall and corporall That the invisible church of Christ is beautifull appeares by Saint Paul who cals it pure without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5. 27. and by the psalmist The Kings daughter is all glorious and that this beauty is spirituall and internall appeares by the same infallible authority who cals her black and faire cant 1. 4. that is outwardly deformed but amiable within and againe most plainly shee is glorious but within psal 45. 13. 20. Passages deleted That wicked men are no true members of the true Church and mysticall Body of Christ IN Master Wards Comentary upon 〈◊〉 printed copy fol. 20. this discourse was purged out Fifthly they object this place to prove that wicked men are true members of the church of Christ arguing that the church is compared to a bâ—rn-floore where there is both chaffe and corne therefore wicked men are members of Christ's church I
Imprisonment by them voted Illegall there being all this while no proceedings against him nor any crime objected to him in any Court of Justice By means of which Imprisonment he was much prejudiced and undone in his Estate and his wife with four small children exposed to Pennury and Beggery Such a spite did He bear this witnesse for his Activity in the businesse of Impropriations Mr William Kendall Mr Iohn Lane and Mr Tempest Miller severally deposed at the Lords Bar that the Archbishop in the presence of them and divers others speaking of the Feoffees of Impropriations said that they were the bane of the Church and then uttered these words in a vaunting manner I was the man that did set my self against them and then clapping his hand upon his brest said I thank God I have destroyed this work So as he did not only subvert this pious project to propagate the preaching of the Gospell but boasted of it and had so much shamelesse Impiety as to thanke God himselfe for effecting it who hath now in justice brought him into judgement for it and made it one part of that Charge and Evidence which we conceive will most justly destroy him The seventh and next stratagem he used to subvert the Protestant Religion which he had almost totally suppressed corrupted with Popish Errours Superstitions Innovations in our English Churches was his endeavours to undermine and suppresse it in these few Duth and French Churches planted here among us who enjoyed their owne Government Priviledges Discipline without any interruption by any of his Predecessors or other English Prelates in all our Protestant Princes reignes from King Edward the sixth his reigne till this Archprelates molestation of and attempts against them thus laid down in the twelfth Originall Article of his Impeachment He hath Traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other Reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have been by his Majesty and his Royall Ancestors granted to the Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdom And divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such dis-union the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow and extirpation of both To make good this Article we could produce many Letters Papers Instructions Orders under the Archbishops own hand or indorsed by him found in his own study here ready at the Barre but for brevity sake we shall instance only in some few particulars of more speciall note The first is that this Arch-prelate though he beares so good an affection and honourable respect to the Church of Rome as to justifie her to be a true visible Apostolike Church which never erred in fundamentals and wherein men may be saved and that we and she are one and the same Church still no doubt of that both one as we have formerly proved Yet he is so maliciously despitefull to the Protestant Churches in forraign parts and at home that he reputes them not only no true Churches but even no Churches at all because they have no Lord-bishops different in Order and Degree from ordinary Ministers This opinion of his we shall manifest not only by his Divinity Questions when he was to proceed Batchelor and Doctor of Divinity for which Dr Holland publickly checkt and turned him out of the Schools with disgrace as a sower of discord between Brethren to wit the Church of England and other reformed Churches but by his own late reprinted Book An 1639. entituled A Relation of the Conference between William Laud then Lord Bishop of St. Davids now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr Fisher the Jesuite c. p. 175 176. where thus he writes in justification of his former Theses in the Divinity Schools For the calling and Authority of Bishops over the inferiour Clergy that was a thing of known use and benefit for preservation of Truth and Peace in the Church And so much St Ierom tels us though being none himselfe he was no great friend to Bishops And this was so setled in the mindes of men from the very infancy of the Christian Church as that it had not been till that time contradicted by any So that then there was no controversie about the calling all agreed upon it Then citing Jeroms words in the margin he thus comments upon them So even according to St. Ierom Bishops had a very ancient and honourable descent in the Church from St. Mark the Evangelist And about the end of the same Epistle he acknowledgeth it Traditionem esse Apostolicam Nay more then so he affirmes plainly That ubi non est Sacerdos NON EST ECCLESIA St. Ierom advers Luciferianos And in that place most manifest it is that St. Ierom by Sacerdos meanes a Bishop for he speaks de Sacerdote qui potestatem habet Ordinandi which in St. Ieroms owne judgement no meere Priest had but a Bishop only St. Ierom Epist. ad Evagrium so even with him NO BISHOP NO CHURCH Which being his own positive judgement the Dutch and French Protestant Churches both at home and abroad must needs be no Church at all in his opinion because they have no such Bishops and so are in farre worse condition then the Church of Rome in his repute To make this more apparent we shall desire you to take notice that in Decemb. 1639. there was a plot between this Archbishop and others of our Prelates to obtrude upon all our Ministers this subscription as the received Doctrine of the Church of England to wit that there could be no Church of Christ without Diocesan Lord Bishops which clearly appeares by the forementioned propositions of Bishop Hall which the Archbishop thought fit for the subscription of others but especially by the 1. 12. and 13. propositions viz. God had never any Church on earth that was ruled by a Parity There was NO CHVRCH OF CHRIST VPON EARTH ever since the times of the Apostles governed any otherwise then by Bishops This course of government thus set by the Apostles in their life time by the speciall direction of the holy Spirit is unalterable by any humane Authority but OVGHT to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world From whence it inevitably followes that the reformed forraign Churches having no such imparity of Governours nor Lordly Bishops in them are in this Arch-Prelates and his Confederates judgements No Churches of God or Christ at all and if the designe of subscribing these Propositions had succeeded as it did in the Etcetera Oath for a time he would have engaged the whole Church of England with all our Ministers by a publike subscription in this most unchristian and uncharitable opinion which not prevailing was yet soone after thus seconded in print by his grand Favourite Bishop Mountague whom he advanced to two Bishopricks in his Originum Ecclesiasticarum Tomi prioris Pars posterior p. 464 published with his approbation
shall pretermit for brevity sake only we shall insert the Copy of his owne Letter to the Merchants at Delfe found in his study dated Iune 17. 1634. AFter our hearty Commendations c. We are commanded by his Majesty to signifie unto you that this Bearer Mr Beaumont chosen by joynt consent of your Company to be your Preacher at Delfe or where else you shall at any time reside is a man learned sober and conformable to the Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England And that you are to receive him with all decent and curteous usage fitting his Person and Calling and to allow him the usuall ancient stipend which Mr Forbes lately or any other before him hath received And farther we are to let you know that it is his Majesties expresse Command that both you the Deputy and all and every other Merchant that is or shall bee residing in those parts beyond the Seas doe conforme themselves to the Doctrine and Discipline setled in the Church of England And that they frequent the Common Prayers with all religious Duty and Reverence at all times required as well as they doe Sermons And that out of your Company you doe yearly about Easter as the Canons prescribe name two Church Wardens and two Sidesmen which may look to the Orders of the Church and give an Accompt according to their Office And Mr Beaumont himselfe is hereby to take notice that his Majesties expresse pleasure and Command to him is that he doe punctually keep and observe all the Orders of the Church of England as they are prescribed in the Canons and the Rubricks of the Liturgy And that if any of your Company shall shew themselves refractory to this Ordinance of his Majesty which we hope will not be he is to certifie the name of any such Offender and his offence to the Lord Bishop of London for the time being who is to take order and give remedy accordingly And these Letters you are to register and keep by you that they which come after may understand what care his Majesty hath taken for the well ordering of your Company in Church affaires And you are likewise to deliver a Copy of these Letters to Mr Beaumont and to every Successor of his respectively that he and they may know what his Majesty expects from them and be the more inexcusable if they disobey Thus not doubting but that you will shew your selves very respectfull of these his Majesties Commands we leave you to the Grace of God and rest Your very loving friend W. Cant. By all which premises compared with his forementioned judgement of the Forraign Churches that they were no true Churches of Christ because they had no Bishops their Ministers no Ministers and their Religion not the same with ours it is infallibly evident that his designe was to suppresse and subvert the Dutch and French Churches by degrees at home and to embroyle them and our English Congregations abroad for the better advancement of the Roman Catholike Church and Religion both at home and in Forraign parts And so we have fully made good the twelfth Originall Article against him in all particulars Our eigth and last Evidence to prove his trayterous design to subvert the Protestant Religion and bring in Popery is comprised in the 13 Originall Article That he hath trayterously and trecherously plotted and endeavoured to stirre up warre and enmity betwixt his Majesties two Kingdoms of England and Scotland and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the Kingdom of Scotland divers Innovations both in Religion and Government all or the most part of them tending to Popery and Superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation and for their refusing to submit to these Innovations he did trayterously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of Arms c. Nay joyned in confederacy with the Papists Priests Iesuites and employed Popish Captains and Commanders to make warre against them all which we can abundently prove by sundry Papers under his own hand by Originall Letters found in his study and sundry Additions Alterations in the New Scottish Liturgy elsewhere recorded the Originall Copy whereof we have ready to produce under his own hand But because he hath pleaded the Act of Pacification and Oblivion made since his Impeachment in barre of this Article and the Scottish Liturgy which doubtlesse it extends not to and thereby hath tacitely acknowledged the truth of this Article of which he dares not abide the triall we shall forbeare to give any evidence thereon till his plea be over-ruld which the Commons did not presse the Lords to do because they would avoyd expence of time and conceived their forementioned evidence very full to convict him guilty of the first branch of his first generall Charge abundantly proved by all the premises That he hath trayterously endeavoured to subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realm and instead thereof to set up Popery Superstition and Idolatry The second BRANCH of the first generall CHARGE concerning the ARCH-BISHOPS endeavours to reconcile the Church of England to the Church of ROME WEE shall now passe on to the second Branch of the Arch-bishops first generall impeachment touching Religion thus expressed in the tenth originall Article That he hath traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome and for the effecting thereof hath confederated with divers popish Priests and Jesuits and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome and by himselfe his Agents and Instruments treated with such as have from thence received authority and instructions he hath permitted and countenanced a popish Hierarchy or Ecclesiasticall government to be established in this Kingdome by all which traiterous and malicious practises the Church and Kingdome hath been exceedingly endangered and hath been like to fall under the tyranny of the Roman Sea Which is somewhat amplified in the seventh additional Article which we shall conuex thereto To prove this Article we shall lay downe and make good two ground-workes which the precedent Evidence hath sufficiently cleered First that this Arch-bishop hath beene generally reputed a Person popishly affected and a Papist in heart both whiles he was resident in the University of Oxford and ever since and that he was beleeved reported to be such a one by the popish party both at Rome and elswhere beyond the Seas No wonder therefore if he endeavoured to reconcile and reduce the Church of England to the Church of Rome To prove the Arch bishop a reputed Papist whiles he was resident in Oxford we shall produce two Witnesses of credit who knew him very well there and have had some neere relation to him since The first is Doctor Danel Featly who deposed viva voce at the Barre That the Arch-bishop whiles he was remaining in Oxford was generally reputed to be popishly affected and one addicted to the popish party and that he
and there discoursing with an English Gentleman who had been an ancient traveller touching the then late rooting out of sundry English able and orthodox Ministers for not complying with the Bishops in divers new idolatrous ceremonies this Gentleman assured me that he had often heard of strange reports of matters likely to befall England both from English and Irish papists which he gave no heed unto supposing them to speake rather as they would have it then as it was in verity But now that he had heard so much from me he did much suspect that there was some plot in hand to change the Religion in Eng. wherof he would diligently enquire assuring me that he had as good means to know it as any man of our Nation that lived on that side of the Seas At our next meeting he told me that he had dived into the plot That ere long we must all of necessity be papists in Eng. that the best wits both in Eng. and on that side of the Seas were interested therein That it was so politickly laid that he did not see how in the judgment of man it could possibly be prevented That the Archb. and some other Bishops were of the plot and that the rest of the Bishops and Clergy partly for feare of losing what they had partly for hopes of geting more would undoubtedly comply That the refusers if they could not be corrupted were to be turned out of their livings banished imprisoned or forced to live in obscurity That it was to be done by gradations to bring in this point of Popery in one quarter of a yeer and the rest in another and if not direct popery yet so neer thereunto as the common people themselves would slide into it unawares that nothing but the King of Sweden's prosperity did hinder the sudden effecting of it Lastly that if we resisted not we should be cheated and cozened of our Religion and if we resisted we should be compelled thereto perforce I replied that I thought the Papists in England were not of any considerable number to effect their ends by force and that they were also dis-armed He told me the Papists were more in number and better armed then I conceived them to be many going now to Church who would then declare themselves papists besides a world of Newters who for hopes of preferment would be easily drawne to their party that they vvere all united and besides armed with authority He affirming that for many yeers vve had vvholly been governed by Papists most men in highest authority being either vvholly so or at least as serviceable unto them for private ends as if they vvere so indeed I replied that if we should be compelled to defend our Religion by force their authority would not be regarded He told me the Irish vvould be brought in I answered that I had spent some yeers in Ireland and knew them to want both courage and meanes to effect so great a businesse so that unlesse they were backed by the King of Spaine in a better manner then I conceived he was able at that time to doe they durst not undertake it He told me they should have a better back and more encouragement then the King of Spaine could give them and that both France and Spain should assist therein I replied that I thought France and Spaine were likely to disagree and therefore unfit for such a businesse He told me that since J vvould needs have it the greatest introducers of popery should be the Protestants themselves Whereat vvhen J vvondred as seeming to me a paradox he told me that the vvar should be so disguised under false notions and pretences as the Protestants should ignorantly become the Jesuits servants and by the effusion of their ovvne blood set up popery by force Thirdly that being in Rome seven or eight yeers since one Father John of the Order of Saint Benet was very tnquisitive of me to knovv vvho bestovved the livings in England and vvhether the Arch bishop did not doe it I answered that the livings were in the donation of such as had the Advousons of them whether it were the King Arch bishops Bishops Deanes and Chapters Colledges Corporations Noble men Gentlemen or others He asked me if the Arch-bishop did not bestow the Kings livings I said no but the Lord Keeper if they were under such a value if above the King himselfe He seemed very much agrieved that the Arch-bishop did not bestow them and told me that he did not despaire of seeing England to be very suddenly Catholike And though be were by reason of his Order tyed more strictly to the Pope then others were yet he was carefull to have both Kings and Kingdomes priviledges preserved and more particularly that the Benefices in England might not be bestowed upon Italians as formerly but that the Arch-bishop should have the ordering thereof All this I have oft related some yeers since to divers persons of quality for which I incurred some trouble by the Jesuits and this Arch-bishops meanes This Testimony is so home and punctuall that we shall adde no more thereto it informs us of a long since plotted and actuated confederacy between this Archbishop and other English Prelats and the Popes Instruments at Rome and in other forraigne parts to introduce popery and reduce us back to Rome It chalks out to us the manner and method of their proceedings in all particulars and the politick contrivances of all sorts to effect their intended designe all which we have by wofull experience seen punctually acted pursued accordingly to this very moment in which pursuit this Archbishop hath been the Archinstrument since then we visibly behold these reports of theirs verefied to the view of all the world we must no longer look upon them is empty rumours or discourses but as reall Evidences beyond all exceptions The second groundwork we shall lay and prove is this That there hath been for many yeers last past a dangerous damnable Plot and serious endeavour of the Pope and his Instruments to reduce and reconcile the Church of England to the Church and Sea of Rome and that this Arch-bishop was privy to and had notice of it This Plot was first laid about the yeer 1617. when the Spanish Match was set on foot and King Charles then Prince of Wales fent into Spaine of purpose to reconcile him and in him our Kingdomes to the Church of Rome the prime end the Pope and Catholikes intended in that Match and Treaty as appeares by the severall Articles passages and proceedings in it well knowne to this Prelate by the Popes Letter to the Prince whiles in Spaine to reconcile him to Rome and make him a dutifull Sonne of that Church by the Popes Letter to his Nuncio the Bishop of Conchen when the Prince was in Spaine to endeavour his conversion to their Church upon this occasion by a Jesuits Oration to induce his Highnesse to that Religion and by the
Wars it is most probable this advice proceeded originally from him and his interest in this popish Bishop Before we make any speciall application of the preceding testimonies and evidence we shall only manifest what a most pernicious seducing dangerous Priest and Jesuit this Sir Toby Matthew with whom the Archbishop so familiarly conversed was at that very time Andreas ab Habernfiela's Discovery of the Plot of Treason against the King sent from Sir William Boswel to the Archbishop himself gives this true Character of him Sir Toby Matthew a Priest and Jesuit of the Order of Politicians a most vigilant man one of the primest heads to whom a bed was never so deare that he would rest his head thereon refreshing his body with sleep in a chaire for an hour or two spareth his mach inations neither day nor night a man principally noxious and the very plague of the King and Kingdome of England a most impudent man who flies to all Banquets and Feasts called or uncalled never quiet alwayes in action and perpetuall motion thrusting himself into all meetings of Superiours urgeth conferences familiarly that be may fish out the minds of men whatever he observeth thence that may bring any commodity or discommodity to the part of the Conspirators he communicates to the Popes Legat the more secret things he himselfe writes to the Pope or to Cardinal Barbarino In fine he adjoynes himselfe to any Company no word can be spoken that he will not lay hold on and accommodate to his party In the meane time what he hath fished out he reduceth into a Catalogue and in the Summer carries it to the generall Consistory of the Jesuits Politicks which secretly meets together in the Province of Wales where he is an acceptable Guest There Counsels are secretly hammered which are most meete for the convulsion of the Ecclesiasticke and Politicke State of both Kingdomes Yea this most sedulous promoter of the Popes designes for his dexterity experience and sedulity in mannaging his Holinesse affaires in England was in such extraordinary favour with the Pope that by a Speciall Bull he committed his last Nuncio Count Rossetti being but yong to his tutelage and direction as to his Angle Gardian hoping that his Nuncio assisted by his Counsels would produce no small fruits to the Catholicke Church IN A SHORT TIME SPACE and through the help of the female Amazons there RESTORE THE AUTHORITY OF THE SEE APOSTOLICK IN THE KINGDOM OF ENGLAND which by oceasion of one woman Queen ELIZABETH was there suppressed The Copy whereof found among Secretary Windebankes papers being very materiall was read at the Bar In which Bull the Pope himselfe gives him this Title A sufficient evidence that Sir Toby was both a Jesuit and Priest too Dilecto Filio TOBIAE MATHEO Societat Jesu Sacerdoti Urbanus Papa 8. DIlecte Fili salutem Apostolicam benedictionem Ardens animarum zelus quo jam a toi annis in vinea Domini laborando strenuum te militem exhibuisti promeretur ut tuae virtuti debitam laudem reddamus Sane magnâ cum exultatione audivimus labores quos sustines ut sedis Apostolicae amplitudinem augeas quo ca ritatis zelo omnibus omnia fias ut omnes lucrifacius Decet certè te viram Apostolicum magni Apostoli exemplo doctum ut Judeis fias tanquam Judeus iis qui sunt sine lege tanquam sis finè lege dummodo Sedis Apostolicae dignitatem promoveas Ideo cum in magnam Brittanniam mittere statuerimus dilectum filium Comitem Rosseti nostrum Sedis Apostolice cum potestate Legati a latere Nuntium Juvinem zelo Dei accensum Apostolicae soliciuudini nostrae satisfactum credidimus si eum tuae curae committeremus Jussimus igitur ut tibi iâ—mmunicet Instructiones sibi datus a dilecto filio Nepote nostro Francisco Sanctae Reverendis Ecclesiae Card. Barbarino subscriptas teque ab eo quo pro sede Apostolica zelo ardes rogamus in quantum opus est tibl mandamus ut praedictum filium Nuntium nostrum in omnibus dirigas moneas instruas lapsus errores ejus qui per juventutem facilè accidere possunt corrigas ut sedis Apostolicae decor inviolatus permaneat ut denique in omnibus ei te Angelum custodem prebeas Magnam certè spem concepimus predictum filium Nuntium tuis consiliiâ— adjutum non parvos in Ecclesia Catholica fructus producturum Labora igitur dilecte fili opus fac Evangelistae Ministerium tuum imple Catholicos zelo Dei accende ipsos comforta sed praecipue Amazones ill as quae ut a dilecto filio Georgio Conneo audivimus die ae nocte strenuè decertaut pro dignitate sedis Apostolicoe Non diffidimus de Domino neque de potentia ejus quia sicut occasione unius faeminae authoritas sedis Apostolicae in Regno Angliae suppressa fuit sic nunc per tot Haeroicas faeminas illas imitantes quae à Galileo sequebantur Dominum societatem ejus assidiue sequentes BREVI in codem Regno restituenda sit Adhortare igitur illas ut opus aggressum viriliter prosequantur de sede Apostolica quae devoti Feminii sexus peculiarem curam gerit bene mereri pergant Rogamus patrem Domini nostri Jesu Christi ut tibi spiritum sanctum suum mittat qui te in omnibus per omnia custodiat Apostolicam nostramque benedictionem dilecte fili iterum atqúe iterum tibi impartimur Datum Romae apud S. Petrum sub annulo Piscatoris pridie idus Maii. By all these premised Testimonies and Evidences it is most fully proved as farre as is possible for us to goe unlesse we had the very Popish Priests and Jesuites themselves here personally present to be examined who would be very unwilling to discover any thing against their Arch-Patriot upon Oath First that this Archbishop held familiarity and correspondency with sundry notorious Priests and Jesuites forementioned imployed as Agents by the Papists to reduce and reconcile us unto Rome who were oft-times seene at Lambeth-house neer his Study and publikely boasted of their recourse to and favour with him Secondly that Sir Toby Matthew the most dangerous seducing Priest and Jesuite of all others was most intimately familiar with him and oft-times seen with him both in his Coach his Barge his Garden his House and a frequent Guesse at his Table and Saint Giles a most pernicious Priest maintained by him in the University of Oxford to seduce the Doctors and Students there to Popery Thirdly that he was very coldin the prosecution of Priests and Jesuites and if at any time he imprisoned them for a shew to gull the vulgar people it was onely in the Clinke or New Prison not Newgate or any County Goale where they were protected secured against all Legall prosecutions had the best Lodgings a common Steward Cooke Table
sentire corpus quod suo simillimum videt c. Paulo post Plus valent simulaâ—hra ad curvandam infaelicâ—m animam quodos ooulos aures pedes habent quà m ad corrigendam quòd non lequuntur neque vident neque audiunt neque ambulant Haec sanè videtur causa esse cur Johannes non tantùm à simulachrorum cultu sod ab ipsis quoque simulachris cavere nos voluerit Et nos horribili insania quae ad totius ferè pietatis interituÌ„ orbem ante hac occupavit plus nimio sumus experti simulatque in templis collecantur imagines quasi signum idololatriae erigi quia sibi temperare non potest hominum stultitia quin protinus ad superstitiosos cultâ—m delabatur Quòd si nec tantum periculi immineret quam tumen expendo in quem usum destinata sint templa nescio quomodo indignum mihi videtur eorum sanctitate ut alias recipiant imagines quà m vivas illas iconicas quas verbo suo Dominiâ— consecravit Baptismum intelligo Coenam Domini â—um aliis ceremoniis quibus oculos nostros studiosius detineri vividius affici convenit quà m ut alias hominum ingenio fabrefactas requirant En incomperabile imaginum bonum quod nulla pensatione resarciri potest si Papistis creditur This Author hath many such like Passages in his other works and therefore the Archbishops citing of him to justifie his Chappel Images argues either extreme Ignorance or Falshood Sixthly Whereas he would pray in ayd from our Homilies to justifie the Historical use of these Images in his Chappel The Homilies are so point-blank against it as we have proved that Impudency it self would blush to cite them to such a purpose especially since the Third Part of the Homily against the Peril of Idolatry pag. 41 42 43. expresly resolves it unlawful to make the picture of Christ or any person in the Trinity much lesse to set them up in Churches Seventhly That the Primitive Christians approved of Images and had the picture of Christ in their Churches and engraven on their Chalices is a most notorious Falshood For Justine Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Irenaeus Tertullian Minutius Felix Origen Arnobius Cyprian Lactantius Geegory Nyssan Athanasius Ambrose Epiphanius Eusebius Hierome Augustine Hilary Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact and other Ancients unanimously agree That the Primitive Christians had no Images at all in their Churches together with the Councels of Eliberis Constantinople Toledo Francford and Constantine the Great Constantinus Caballinus Nicephorus Stauratius Philipicus Anthemius Theodosius the second Leo Armenus Valens Michael Balbus Theophylus Charls the Great with sundry other godly Emperors utterly demolished and cast them out of Churches as Ecclesiastical Authors our own Homilies Writers prove at large against the Papsts Lactantius and other Primitive Christians write expresly That without doubt there can be no Religion at all in that place wheresoever any Image is whereupon Epiphanius rent the Image of Christ or some other Saint which he found in a Church painted in cloth out of holy indignation as contrary to the Authority of the Scriptures In few words Our own Homilies against the peril of Idolatry part 2. p. 38. expresly resolve That when Images began to creep into the Church they were not onely spoken and written against by godly and learned Bishops Doctors and Clerks but also condemned by WHOLE COVNCELS OF LEARNED MEN assembled together yea the said Images by many Christian Emperors and Bishops were defaced broken and destroyed Which Mr. Calvin in the place objected by the Bishop affirms likewise And therefore it is a most desperate Impudency in the Archbishop thus falsly to affirm the contrary point-blank against our Homilies and his own subscription to them And whereas he cites Tertullian to prove that the Christians in his dayes had the picture of Christ upon their Chalices We Answer That if the Book de Pvdicitia be Tertullians own of which some doubt yet his words import no such thing which are these A parabolis licebit incipias ubi est evis perdita à Domino acquisita humeris ejus revecta Procedant ipsae PICTVRAE CALICVM VESTRORVM not nostrorum si volle nillis perlucebit interpretatio pecudis illius utrumne Christiano vel Ethnico peccateri de restitutione colliniet If this place intimate any thing it is onely this That the Phychici and other Hereticks against whom he writ this Book not the Orthodox Christians as this Prelate dreams had the picture of the lost sheep graven on their cups will it therefore follow hence Ergo The Orthodox Christians had Crucifixes and Images of Christ God the Father the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary in their Churches in their Chappelss as he hath set up in his Lambeth Chappel windows Certainly this is a grosse Nonsequitur Yet this is his learned Argument from this Authority rightly stated And that he hath most grosly abused Tertullian your Lordships and his Auditory in alleadging Tertullian for defence of Images and their use among the Primitive Christians certainly Tertullian is so far from any such opinion that he hath written a whole Book de Idololatria next before this de Pudicitia wherein he expresly condemns not onely the having but making of any Image or Picture for any use and the very Arts of carving and painting Images as contrary to the second Commandment as the * Jews Iosephus Philo and others did before him the very Turks and Persians at this day Take but this Sentence of his insted of many Omnis forma vel formula Idolum se dici exposcit Idolum TAM FIERI quam coli Deus prohibet Quanto praecedit ut fiat quod coli possit tantò prius est NE FIAT si coli non licet Propter hanc causam ad eradicandum scilicet materiam Idololatriae lex divina proclamat Ne feceris Idolum conjungens Neque similitudinem eorum quae in coelo sunt quae in terra quae in mari TOTO MVNDO EJVSMODI ARTIBVS INTERDIXIT SERVIS DEI. Artifices statuarum Imaginum DIABOLVS seculo notulit c. Which he prosecutes at large throughout this eloquent Book And therefore his Impudency and Sophistry in citing Tertullian for defence of Images in Churches who is thus point-blank against the making of any Image whatsoever even for civil uses is an intolerable inexcusable Boldnesse Eighthly Whereas he Answers That the setting up of these Glasse-Images is no High-Treason by the Statute We grant it not to be so simply in it self neither do we urge it to be so but as it tends to subvert our Religion Laws and set up Popery concurs with his other practises of this nature so it may and will prove High Treason The second Part of the Homily against the peril of Idolatry Page 37. assures us That the maintenance of Images hath brought in a sea of mischiefs horrible Schisms Rebellions TREASONS and his maintaining of them hath
done the like Ninthly we conceive that the Statute of 3. E. 6. c. 10. which command all Images of Stone Timber Alabaster or Earth graven carved or painted which heretofore have been taken out of any Church or Chapple or yet stand in any Church or Chapple to be defaced and destroyed extend to Images in glasse windowes as well as others which are but painted Earth and that which confirms us in this opinion is That the Homilies against the peril of Jdolatry the occasion of this Law and the injunctions of Queen Elizabeth made in pursuance of it extend in direct terms to Images in glasse windowes as well as to Images of Stone Timber and the like yea the practise of that time in defacing the glasse Images in Lambeth Chapple-windowes which he of late repaired and in most other places infallibly proves it Together with the Statute of 3. Jac. c. 5. which reckons up Jmages and Crucifixes of what matter soever among the Reliques of Popery and enjoynes them to be defaced wherefore the evasion of his is most false and frivolous especially since Popery may creep in at a glasse-window as well as at a door and our Homilies Injunctions writers censure all of them alike if this Statute do it not Finally by all these Answers he professeth himself a most zealous real Papist but false Protestant in pleading thus boldly and falsly for the use of Images of all sorts in Churches and in repairing of Popish Images formerly defaced by Authority insteed of confessing and craving pardon for this his dangerous error his most Idolatrous Popish practise The second thing objected against me as a Popish Innovation in my Chapple at Lambeth is my removing and railing in the Communion Table there Altarwise with the ends of it North and South against the wall my furnishing it with Basons Candlesticks and other furniture and hanging a cloth of Arras behinde it with the Picture of Christ and his Apostles eating the Lords Supper together Ans To which I Answer First That the railing in and placing the Table Altarwise is warranted by Queen Elizabeths Injunctions which prescribe That the Holy Table in every Church be decently made and set in the place where the Altar stood Now the Altars generally in all Churches as all Antiquity manifests stood at the East end of the Quire North and South close to the wall as the Tables were lately placed and there were railed in This therefore is no innovation Secondly the furniture on the Altar is no other then such as is in use in the Kings own Chapple at White-Hall and had been there used ever since and before my time Thirdly that the Arras peece at the back of the Table containing the Story of Christs last Supper was fit for that place and occasion That such Images and representations were lawful approved by all the Lutheran Churches yea by Master Calvin himself for an Historical use in the place forecited Jnst l. 1. c. 11. Sect. 12. Reply To this the Commons replied First That neither Queen Elizabeths Injunctions nor the Rubrick in the Common Prayer-Book nor any Law or Canon of our Church prescribe the railing in of our Communion Tables or placing them Altarwise against the wall with the ends North and South There is no sillable in any of them to warrant any such Popish innovation prescribed only by Popish Canons as we have proved That it cannot be proved that Altars were generally so placed and railed in anciently either in England or elswhere The contrary whereof we shall prove anon That the makers and executers of these Innovations knew best of any where and how Communion Tables were to be situated by vertue of them and they generally placed them throughout the Realm in the midst of the Quire or Chancel with the ends East and West standing a convenient distance from the East wall without any rail about it in which posture they generally stood in all Churches Chapples and in Lambeth Chapple it self for one ever since these Injunctions published till this innovating Arch prelate altered this their ancient situation Yet both the Rubrick in the Common Prayer Book the Queens Injunctions the 82 Canon Bishop Jewel Bishop Babington Doctor Fulk and other of our writers agree that when the Sacrament is administred it ought to stand in the body of the Church or Chancel of which more hereafter This therefore is an innovation and that a Popish one too tending to introduce private Masse to remove the Lords Table as far as possible from the view and audience of the common people when the Sacrament is celebrated at it Secondly We have proved that this Altar-furniture of Candlesticks Tapers Basons Crucifixes and the like was originally borrowed from the Roman Ceremonial Pontifical and the Popish Councel of Aix which injoyn them That the third Part of our Homilies against the peril of Idolatry and Queen Elizabeths Injunctions which he cites for the placing of Lords Tables Altarwise Injunct 2. 23. 25. condemn censure abolish as Superstitious Ethnical and Popish all Candlesticks Trendals Rolls of wax and setting up of Tapers for that they be things tending to Idolatry and Superstition which of all other offences God Almighty doth most detest and abhor for that the same diminish most his honour and glory Therefore the Kings Altar-Furniture in his Chappel at White Hall can be no justification nor extenuation of his offence who should have reformed his Majesties Chappel whereof he was the Dean and Superintendent according to our Lawes Homilies Injunctions which condemn such Altar-trinkets not conformed his own Chapple Altar to the Kings in these meer Popish Superstitious innovations Thirdly The Arras hanging was rather suited to the Crucifixes in the glasse window over it and other Images of Christ in that Chappel then to the place or Lords Table where it hanged The Table and Sacramental elements themselves with the usual participation of them every moneth being sufficient to minde us of our Saviours last Supper passion death too and to shew them forth till he come who used no such Pictures nor Crucifixes when he instituted his last Supper without any such Image or Crucifix which being condemned by our Statutes Homilies Injunctions Canons Writers as we have formerly evidenced yea by all Antiquity by Mr. Calvin himself and many Lutherans too ought not to have been placed there the rather because there is no warrant nor prescript for it but only in the Roman Ceremonial p. 69. 70. His conformity whereto was the only ground of hanging up those Arras Pictures which well deserves another hanging especially in an Arch-prelate who professeth himself a Protestant and as averse from Popery as any man whatsoever The third sort of Innovations in my Chappel charged against me is the setting up of a Credentia or Side-table my own and my Chaplaines bowing towards the Table or Altar at our approaches to it our going in and out from the Chappel my Chaplains
I took it not out of Missale Romanum nor the Roman Pontifical as is objected but from Bishop Andrews his Form as learned reverend Orthodox Protestant a Prelate as ever the Church of England bred To this was Replied 1. That it is confessed there is neither Canon nor Rubrick enjoyning any to stand up at every rehearsal of gloria patri in time of Divine service a most disorderly unnecessary and confused Ceremony wherein men start up and quat down sodainly again as if they were frighted out of their sleep And we have proved that it is enjoyned only by the Roman Missal no very good Directory for us Protestants as for his pretended antiquity and customary usage of this Ceremony in our own and other Protestant Churches it is meerly fabulous without any Authority to warrant it but his own asseveration 2 That bowing at the name of Iesus was originally introduced prescribed by Popes decrees Popish Councels Canonists Writers of purpose to justifie the adoration of Images and the consecrated Host that it is no where enjoyned by our Common Prayer Book Articles of Religion Homilies or Book of Ordination the only Authentick binding Records of our Church wherein all Rites and Ceremonies to which we are bound by Law are prescribed That the Injunctions and Canons are no binding Lawes and their Authority had they ever any long since expired that some of the best Orthodoxest of our writers have professedly writen against this Ceremony as Thomas Beacon Dr. Whitaker Dr. Willet Dr. Ayry and others which was never pressed on any by our Prelates in their visitation Articles nor generally used till of late and now quite exploded as superstitious and absurd Yea Dr. Featly and Sir Nathaniel Brent directly prove that it was not used in Lambeth Chappel by his predecessor Abbot or his Chaplains servants 3. For Organs there were none in that Chappel before his time since the Reformation Therefore an Innovation there And though generally received and used in Cathedrals yet all Authors agree it was a Pope Vitalian by name first introduced the use of them into Christian Churches and all know they are most in use only in Popish Churches beyond the seas Fourthly for the Antiquity and lawfulnesse of consecrating Churches we have already discussed and shall further resute it in its due place for the consecration of Altars Flagons Altar-clothes and other Altar-furniture the only thing here objected we have proved the original and derivation of it to be meerly from the Roman Missal and Pontifical and from no better nor higher Antiquity He pretends but proves not that he took his immediate president from Bishop Andrews a late deceased superstitious if not Popish Prelate how ever he applauds him Therefore certainly from no Antiquity But from whom did Bishop Andrews take his patern doubtlesse from the Roman Missal and Pontifical since no other sampler can be produced And are these a fit patern for a Protestant Bishops imitation As for his objected reason that Altars Churches Flagons c. could not be called nor reputed Holy unlesse thus solemnly consecrated First It is but a meer Nonsequitur it being not any Bishops formal unwarrantable consecration but the peoples appropriation of them to a sacred use that makes them holy not inherently but relatively only with reference to the holy Ordinances therein administred of which hereafter For the Statute of 5 and 6. E. 6. c. 5. It hath been not one sillable in it in justification of the consecration of Churches much lesse of Altars Flagons Altar-clothes and the like neither doth it ever stile the Church or Churches holy or a holy or consecrated place nor could it well be so in respect of their consecration only they being Hallowed onely by Popish Prelates in times of Popery with such Popish Reliques Ceremonies Chrisms Exorcisms Crossings and washings with holy water and since then exploded as superstitious and ridiculous Therefore to justifie these consecrations from thence is to make a conclusion without any premises to warrant it Finally he discovers a rotten Popish spirit inclination in the highest degree in pleading for and justifying to the utmost such Popish consecrations against the expresse resolutions of our Orthodox forecited Writers Prelates and his own learned predecessour Matthew Parker who have so severely censured them as Popish Iewish and childish tryfles fit to be exploded Secondly having ended with my Chappel at Lambeth they next pursued me to my study there Where first they charge me for having an English Bible with a Crucifix embroidered on the Cover of it To which I Answer That I bought it not but it was sent unto me by a Lady and the Crucifix it self is lawful if there be no adoration of it as appears by the Christians engraving of it on their Chalices in Tertullians dayes To which was replied First that his receiving and reserving of this Bible with a Crucifix on the Cover which was so visible to his eyes and lay upon his study Table was as great an offence as if he had bought it And no Lady durst have sent him such a present had she not been assured of his good affection to such Popish Pictures Secondly whereas he avers the Picture of the Crucifix to be lawful so it be not adored He herein expresly contradicts our Homilies to which he hath subscribed our Statutes Injunctions Authors forecited yea the judgement of all sound Antiquity And if this Picture of Christ hanging still on the Crosse as if he had never been taken down thence be lawful as he avers with the Papists against all Orthodox Protestants then it is lawful to make or reserve it either for a meer civill use to grace his study or please his eye sight only which certainly is an extream dishonour to disparagement of our most blessed Saviour and his passion who is the holy One of God transcending all civil uses being made for holy ends alone or for a religious use to stir up our devotion and put us in remembrance of his death which he hath purposely ordained his word and Sacraments to do which at best is superstition Thirdly the place of Tertullian already quoted proves not at all that the Christians had any Crucifixes or Pictures of Christ engraven on their Chalices there is no such sillable in his writings but only that the Hereticks against whom he writ had the Picture of a lost sheep engraven on some of their Cups And we hope there is a vast difference between Hereticks and Orthodox Christians the Picture of a lost sheep and a Crucifix or Picture of Christ himself hanging on the Crosse The second thing charged against me in my study is a g Book of Popish Pictures printed 1623. containing the Portratures of the Life Passion and Death of our Lord Iesus Christ I Answer that I kept it only as a Scholler to peruse and refute it upon occasion nor to adore or make use of the Pictures
about them Not to trouble you with proofes beyond contradiction of the Situation of Pagan and Iewish Altars in such sort that the Priests and people might goe stand and dance round about them We shall insist only hath the placing of Christian Altars and Lords Tables in this posture That these were thus generally placed in all Churches will appeare by these infallible Arguments First from the very defintion of a Quire which Isidor Hispalensis Orig. l. 6. c. 19. â—â—banus Maurus de Universo l. 5. c. 9. de Iustit Clericarum l. 1. c. 33. Amalarius Fortunatus de Ecclesi Officijs l. 3. c. 3. Durandus Rational Divin l. 1. c. 1. num 18. Durantus De Ritibus Eccles l. 1 c. 17 â—um 1. Bartholâ—maus Gavantus Comment in Rubricas Miss pâ—rs 1. Tit. 15. sect 2. Servius in Virgilium Aeâ—id l. 6. Calepine Galvin Eliot Molicks in their Lexicons and Dictionaries Tit. Chorus and others thus unanimously define Chorus est multitudo in sacris collecta dictus Chorus quod intitio IN MODVMCORONAECJRCA ARAS STARENT ita psallerâ—ut If then Quires had their denomination From the multitudes standing ROVND ABOVT THE ALTARS IN A RING or Circle and so singing then Altars certainly in the Primitive times were not rayled in against the Wall as of late they were but placed in the midst of the Quire in such sort that all the people might stand and go round about them singing The 2d Argument is drown from the formes of Prayers in ancient Liturgies and Missalls wherein the Priest standing at the Altar usually prayed Pro omnibus his CIRCVMSTANTJBVS and makes frequent mention Omnium CIRCVMSTANTIVM Mâ—â—ui tibi hoc Sacrificium landis offerunt For proofe whereof you may consult at leisure Canon Miss in Cassandri Lyturgica p. 21. 25. 61. 62. 65 66. 72. 94. Romriâ—s in 〈◊〉 l. 1. c. 66. Durandus Rationale Divinorum l. 4. c. 53. and Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monuments Edit ult vol. 3. p. 3. 11. Hence our old Saâ—en Canons prohibited a Priest to celebrate Masse alone upon this ground Esse â—nim debent qui ei CIRCVMSTENT quoe ille salutet a quibus ei respondantur 〈…〉 illi 〈◊〉 est ille Dominiens Sermo ubi cunque fuerint duo vel tres in nomine 〈…〉 illic sum ego IN MEDJO EORVM which is taken out of Gregory lib. Capitul c. 7. seconded by Regine De Eccles Officijs c. â—9 and Cassandre Liturgicaâ— 33. p. 8. Hence Gerardus Lerithicus de Missa Puel preroganda resolves thus Neque Canon Missa debet nimium tacitè legi sed expressa voce ut a CIRCVMSTANTIBVS posst â—â—diri percipi cum CIRCVMSTANTES 〈…〉 singular respondere Amen Now that all the people usually stood 〈◊〉 about the Altar in St. Chrysostomes daies is evident by two passages in his Operum Tom. 4. Edit 〈◊〉 Ducaei p. 82. 83. De Saâ—erdotio l. 3 6. where thus he writes O miracle He who sits at his Fathers right hand is at that very instant of time handled with the hands of all in the Sacrament of the Lords Table and this is done not by any juglings sed apertis circumspicientibus CIRCVMSTANTJVM OMNIVM Oâ—VLIS c. Multitudinem aspexisse Altare ipsum CJRCVMST ANTIVM and by his Homil. in Jsai 6. where he writes thus Dâ—st thou not think that the Angels stand Round about this dreadfull TABLE and COMPASSE IT ABOVT ON EVERY SIDE So Athanasius in the life of Anthony makes â—â—â—tion of Altarâ— Domini multorum 〈◊〉 CJRCVMâ—ATVM Gregory Naâ—â—â—nzen Oratio 21. blames such who intruded themselves unto the holy Misteries with 〈◊〉 hands CIRCVM SACRAMMENS 〈…〉 c. All which compared with that of the â— Councel of Constantinople Act. 1. That whiles the Dipâ—icks were reading the people with silence draw together ROVND ABOVT THE ALTAR and gave â—are Are infallible proofes that Altars and Lords Tables in the Primitive times and anciently in Popish Churches where generally so placed that all the people STOOD or might stand ROVND ABOVT THEM Therefore not rayled in Altarwayes against the Wall The 3d. Argument it taken from the 〈◊〉 of the Priests and Deacons going round about the Altar when they approached to it and standing round about it when they officiated In the Lyturgy attributed to St. Peter in the Lyturgy of Saint Iames in the Lyturgie attributed to St. Basil and St. Crysoâ—â—oma in the Aetheopâ—â—◠〈…〉 Missalls and the Missall of the Christians among the Indians the Priest when he approacheth to the Altar to officiate begins with this sentence of the Psalmist I will wash my hands in Jnnocency and so will I COMPASSE or go ROVND ABOVT THINE ALTAR And in the ancient Roman Order in Cassanders works p. 101. 102. 107. 112. 118. 119. I find these passages that Bishops when they officiated usually went round about the Altar and the Sub-Deacons stood behind it Tunc Acolyti vadunt dextra laevaque post Episcopu CIRCA ALTARE Subdiaconi finito officio vadunt RETRO ALTARE aspicientes Pontificem stantes erecti c. Dionysius Areopagita hath this passage Eccles Hierarch c. 3. CIRCVMSTANT autem eum soli cum Sacerdotibus Ministri selecti And Jsiodor Hispalensis de Ecclesiast Officijs l. 2. c. 8. with Concilium Aquisgran sub Ludovico Piâ— testify That Deacons heretofore CIRCA ARAM CHRISTI quasi columnae Altaris assistere it Most convincing proofes that Altars generally in all Churches stood a great distance from the Wall and were not Rayled in Altarwise against it but placed so that the Bishops Priests Decons might go and stand round about and behinde them The 4th Argument is deduced from the manner and forme of Bishops consecrating Altars prescribed used even among the Papists themselves in ancient and late times Durandus in his Rationale Divinorum l. 1. c. 7. num 15. informes us that the Bishop when he consecrates any new Altar Septies ALTARE CIRCVIT goes Round about it seaven times to signifie that he ought to take care for all and be vigilant for all which is signified per CIRCVITVM by this his going round about it which he could not do were it railed in against the Wall and not set some competent distance from it In the Roman Pontificall we finde the Bishop when he consecrates an Altar is to go round about it severall times Pontifex CIRCVIT TER ALTARE ad dextram CIRCVIT iterum semel Altare ad dextram CIRCVIT semel Altare ad sinistram Pontifex CIRCVIT Septies Tabulam Altaris aspergens eam c. CIPCVIT ter Altare CIRCVIT semel Altare An unanswerable evidence that even among the Papists themselves the Atars anciently stood generally in all places not Altarwise against the Wall as our Communion Tables were lately placed but a good distance from it neare the mid'st of the Church or Quire that the Bishops Priests People might stand and walke round about them 2ly We shall manifest it by expresse Authorities not to mention
any already cited which are punctuall St. Augustine de verbo Domini secundum Ioannem Serm. 42 saith Christus quotidie pascit Mensa ipsius est illa IN MEDIO constituta Yea Durandus Rationale Divinorum l. 1. c. 2. num 15. writes thus By the Altar out heart is signified which is in the Middest of the body as the Altar is in the middest of the Church And lib. 5. he gives this reason why the Priest turneth himselfe about at the Altar to wit to fullfill this Scripture IN MEDIO ECCLESIAE aperui os meum Gentianus Hervetus Genebrard describing the manner of the Greek Church at this day expresseth it thus In Graecorum Templis unum tantum est Altare idque IN MEDIO CHORO aut Presbyterio From these and the forecited authorities both forraigne and our owne Domesticke Divines of chiefest note resolve expresly That the Lords Tables and Altars in the primitive times till privat Masses were lately introduced stood in the middest of the Quire Church People who came round about them not at the East end of the Quire as of late they were placed This is in terminis affirmed by Hospinian De Origine Altarium c. 6. p. 135. by learned Phillip de Marâ—ix Tableau des Differens part 5. c. 6. p. 307. by the incomperable Lord Mornay De Missa l. 2. c. 1. p. 177. by eminent Peter Du Moulin in his Nauvante du Papisme Contr. 11. c. 17. 18. p. 1022 1026. and sundry other forraigne Protestants with whom our owne Divines accord we shall â—ite some few of their words very briefly In the yeare 1533 There was a short Treatise concerning the Lords Supper written as is supposed by our learned Martyr Mr. William Tyndall printed with his workes cum privilegio p. 476. 477. wherein he prescribes that the Bread and Wine should be set before the People IN THE FACE OF THE CHVRCH upon the Lords Table and that the Congregation should sit ROVND ABOVT IT according to the pure use of the Sacrament in the Apostles times Learned Martin Bucer sometimes Regins Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Cambridge in King Edward the 6. his Raigne in his Censure of our English Liturgie writes thus Jt appeares by the formes of the most ancient Temples and Writings of the Fathers that the Clergy stood in the MIDDEST of the TEMPLES which were for the most part round and out of that place did so administer the Sacrament to the People that they might plainly heare and understand the things there recited by them Eminent Bishop Jewell one of Queen Elizabeths Visitors in the first yeare of her Raigne when the Jnjunctions were made who had a principall hand in abolishing our Altars and placing Communion Tables as they formerly stood in his Authorised workes enjoyned to bee had and read in every Church affirmes and proves at large in sundry places by pregnant Authorities and reasons That the Holy Table and Altar in and among the primitive Christians and Fathers was not made of stone but wood and stood Not at the end of the Quire but in the Middest of the Church among the People who came round about it that it ought to be so placed producing the Authorities of Eusebius Augustine Durand the Councell of Constantinople and others to prove it Doctor Gervase Babington Bishop of Worcester in his comfortable Notes upon Exodus c. 22. 27. p. 275 in his folio workes writes and proves expresly That the Apostles and Primitive Fathers and Christians had no Altars but Communion Tables only made not of Stone but boards and removeable SET IN THE MIDDEST OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT PLACED AGAINST A WALL Our laborious Dr. William Fulke in his Answer of a true Christian to a counterfeit Catholike London 1577. Article 15. p. 55. 56. in his Confutation of the Rhemish Testament Notes on 1 Cor. 11. Sect. 18. on Hebr. 13. Sect. 6. and in his Defence against Gregory Martin c. 17. affirmes in direct words that the Altar and Lords Table anciently stood In the middest of the Quire or Church so at the Ministers Deacons and people might Stand round about it and not against a Wall as your Popish Altars now stand as is easiy to prove and hath often times bin proved and it seemes you confesse as much But so they cannot stand about your Altars except some of them stand on the top of the Wall or in the Window and Mr. Cartwright in his Notes on the Rhemish Testament on the 1 Cor. 11. Sect. 18. writes That in the premitive Church the Lords Table was situated IN THE MIDDEST OF THE CHVRCH AND PEOPLE not against a Wall Dr. Andrew Willet in his Synopsis Papismi the 9th Generall controversie Quest 6. Error 53. p 496. expostulates thus with the Papists for placing their Altars at the end of the Quire contrary to Antiquity Why bring they not their Altars down to the BODY OF THE CHVRCH we see no reason why the Communion Table may not be set In the body of the Church as well as in the Chancell if the place be more convenient and fit to receive the Communicants Learned Bishop Morton in his Institution of the Sacrament Edit 2. London 1635. l. 6. c. 5 Sect. 15. p. 462 writes That the Table of the Lord anciently stood in the middest of the Chancell So that they might Compasse it round which he proves by Eusebius Dionysius Areopagita Chrysostome Athanasins Augustin Lindan and Dr. Fulke yea Dr. Williams late Bishop of Lincolne now of Yorke in his Holy Table Name and thing asserts and proves the same at large for which this Arch-Pre ate fell foule upon him in the latter end of his Speech in Star-chamber If then all these Testimonies may be credited before the Archbishops bare affirmation neither Altars nor Lords Tables anciently stood Altarwise North South against the East end of the Quire in our own or other Churches as he falsely avers they did 3ly We shall evidence this by Presidents abroad at home For forraiegn Presidents In the famous Church of Tyre which surpassed all others in Phaeniciâ— for its splendor built in the time of Constantine the Great the Altar was placed in the MIDDEST as Eusebius Ecclesia Hist. l. 10. c. 4. records in expresse termes Altarique denique tanquam Sancto Sanctorum IN MEDIO SANCTV ARII SITO c. It is storied by Socrates Scolasticus Ecclesiast Hist l. 5. c. 22 and Nicephorus Ecclesiast Hist l. 12. c. 34. That in the great Church of Antioch in Syria the Altar stood not to the East but towards the west part of the Church Sacra Ara non ad Orientem sed ad Occidentem versus collata fuerat And so not Altarwise as this Archbishop pretend Wâ—llafridus Strabus de Râ—bus Ecclesiastis l. 4. c. 19. records That in the Temples only built to God or clensed from the filthinesse of Idols the Altars were placed towards divers climates according to the conveniency of
the places there being no place where God is not present That in the great Church at Ierusalem built by Constantine the Great and his Mother over the Sepulchre of our Lord in a Round forme in the Pantheon at Rome dedicated by Pope Beniface to all Saints and in the Church of St. Peter Altars were placed not only towards the East part but likewise distributed into other parts and quarters of them Chemnitius in his Examen Concilij Trident. pars 4. avers and our opposites confesse it That in the Catacombe at Rome THE ALTAR STOOD IN THE MIDDLE and that in St. Peters Church it selfe in the Vatican the high Altar stands before the QVIRE to wit in the middle of the Church or Chancell as an Italian Author explaines it in his description of this Church Platina in the life of Pope Nicholas the third records That the Altar of St Mary in Rome through the great inundation of Tibur in this Popes dayes was surrounded with water ROTVNDE quatuor pedibus Therefore it stood not against a Wall Anastatius De vitis Rom. Pontif. p. 68. 69. writes that Pope Sergins in the yeare 694. made a foure-square vaile about the Altar in Saint Peters Church at Rome having 4. white and 4. Scarlet Curtaines JN CIRCVITV ALTARJS round about the Altar which stood not therefore against a wall In the great Cathedrall of Rome it selfe Anno Dom. 1547. as William Thomas an eye witnesse in his History of Italy and Thomas Beacon out of him f. 282. attest the Altar on Christmas day when the Pope him selfe and all his Cardinalls received the Sacrament STOOD IN THE MIDDEST OF THE CHAPELL OR QVIRE the Pope sitting in a Throne of wonderfull Majesty behinde it Sigismund the Monke in his Chronicon Augustinum Anno 1483. pars 1. c. 1. relates That in the Ancient Cathedrall Church of Augusta dedicated to Saint Afra there were two Quires and two Altars standing under two Arches That in the body of the Church were 4. Altars the chiefest of them was the Altar of St. Denys placed versus OCCIDENTEM in parte Septentrionali non juxta murum sed quasi IN MEDIO Alb. Crantzius Metrop l. 1. c 9. Hospinian de Orig. Altarium c. 6. writed that Witâ—kind found the face of Charls the Great full of alacrity after he approaches Mensam Templo Mediam the Lords Table placed in the Middest of the Church to receive the Sacrament at it And the same Hospinian in the same Chapter records that in the Reformation made at Zurick Anno 1523. The High Altar was placed where the Font had anciently stood neare to the West Doore not the East end of the Quire In briefe the very Roman Cerimonial l. 1. c 12. p. 70. informes us that even of late times many Popish Altars stood not against the wall but distant from it as these clauses prove Quod si Altare parieti adhaereat c. Si Altare sit A PARIETE SEIVNCTVM c. Therefore to rayle in all Altars Lords Tables and place them Altarwise against the East end of the Quire wall North and South as this Archbishop did is to be more Popish more Superstitious then the very Papists themselves even in forraigne parts To come to Presidents nearer home Our venerable Beda in his Eccles Hist l. 2. cap. 3. relates that the famous great Church of St. Augustins in Canterbury it selfe built by Augustin the first Archbishop of that Sea had an Altar standing almost in THE MIDDEST OF IT and that in the North Isle not East Habet haec Altare IN MEDIO PENE SUAE this was with in 700. years of Christ Yea Everden a Monke and Master Cambden out of him records That the Monkes of Saint Edmunds Bury in Suffolke whiles they layd the foundation of a new Chappell in the reigne of King Edward the first found the walls of an old Church built ROUND which we think was first built to Saint Edmonds service So as the Altar STOOD AS IT WERE IN THE MIDDEST In the Church of Carmarthen both the high Altar and Lords Table Anno 1555. Stood in the middest of the Church as Master Fox Acts and Monuments Edit 1610. pag. 1404. 1406. records and in Saint Patricks Church in Dublin the High Altar stood about the middest of the Quire under the first Crosse a Yard and more beneath the Arch where the E of Corks Tomb now stands and that on all solemne Feasting dayes they Went Round about the Altar as appeares by a Letter written from thence to this Archbishop himselfe endorsed with his owne hand by Master Benjamin Culme dated from Dublin Aprill 19. 1634. In fine learned Doctor Fulke informes us That the Altar usually stood in the MIDEST of the Church wherof some symptomes remain in our Cathedrall Churches Moreover if you marke the most part of our Churches in England you shall plainly see that the Chancels are but additions builded since the Churches in likelihood by the Parsons who disdained to have their places in the midest of the people as the old manner was Also you may see some Churches builded round as at London the Temple and another is at Cambridge of the same fashion and some Churches have the Steeple at the East end very unhansomly and the Rood loft Again many Churches have crosse Isles in which the people cannot see the Chancell when they were builded For such Churches as are late erected have the Churches and Chancells all of one building and are made of such fashion that one may see the High Altar in every part of them From all these reasons and authorities we may infallibly conclude that Altars and Lords Tables generally in all Christian Churches were alwayes placed in the midest of the Church or Quire not raiâ—ed in Altarwise as of late among us against the wall Therefore the Archbishops groundlesse surmise to the contrary and his maine Argument from the Queenes Jnjunctions founded on it is both false and frivolous Now whereas hee Objects that there can bee no Popery in placing Communion Tables Altarwise we answer that if we consider this situation of them simply in it selfe perchance it may be true But if we observe that Priests private Masses brought in this situation of Altars first of all into the Church of Rome and that the end of this new placing of them is to turne our Lords Tables into Altars to imitate the Papists and make way for private Masses as all other concurrent circumstances manifest then it favours of Popery in the highest degree Finally we shall observe the Archbishops jugling and falshood in this particular In his Speech in Starchamber he averreth pag. 53. 14. And yet here is nothing done either by violence or command to take off the Indifferency of the standing of the holy Table either way but onely by laying it fairely before men how fit it is there should be Order and uniformity And yet we have proved that hee by his special Jnjunctions under Seale and by
Innovation it hath bin ever since my rememberance constantly practised in Cathedralls and is warranted by the Rubrick 4ly I gave no order for setting up Images or Pictures in any parish Church nor yet in the new Chappell at Westminster and Mr. Browne sweares it was Dr. Nowel that directed and paid him for his work there not I. 5ly I made neither Bishop Wrens nor Mountagues Visitation Articles nor Oathes they were their owne and if they have ostended in making them they must answer it themselves some of them having bin particularly questioned for them already 6ly For those particular persons cases objected I shall answer them in order 1. For Mr. Smart he was censured by the high Commissioners of Yorke for a Schismaticall and Scandalous Sermon not by me who had no hand in his censure Secondly For Mr. Chancy he spake contemptuous 〈…〉 against the raile that he would set it up in his Garden He was suspended only till he did submit after which he did submit and confesse his fault and then was absolved As for the words I used to his Advocate witnessed by Mr. â—â—â—â—brand it was when he was over bold and it is usuall with Courts to checke Counsell in this kinde when they oftend in such nature Thirdly For Mr. Burkit There were 5. Articles against him besides that which was read and he was prosecutest censured for them al not that only which is objected Fourthly Ferdinando Adams extreamly interrupted my Visitors and Bishop Wrens Visitors too in their Visitation at Ipswich by locking up the Church Doores against them for which high astront Processe was awarded against him Fifthly Iohn Premly his prosecution was the Act of Sir Nathaniel Brent and it was for an high contempt Sixtly For Mr. Sherfield he was censured by the Major voyce of the Court not by me alone and Mr. Caryll deposed that the Picture he brake was only conceived to be the Picture of God the Father not that it was so But admit it were yet it was not lawfull for him of his owne Authority to pull it downe and break it no not though it had bin the Picture of Iupiter himselfe This I did then affirme for which I had the Authority of St. Augustine and Bishop Davenant Yea in Constantine the Great his time as Eusebius writes in the third Booke De vita Constantini c. 52. 53. 54. No priuate Christians of their owne heads durst destroy the Jdols that were then worshipped nor the temple of Aesculapius wherein the Divel himselfe was adored til Constantine the Emperour gave expresse command and appointed certaine men whom he particularly imployed to demolish them It is true he pleaded that he demolished it by the Authority of the Vestry but the Vestry had no authority themselves to do it therefore they could not derive it unto him But it was Idolized and adored by some True but this appeared not till the hearing of the cause and was unknowne before Seaventhly The purging out of a Passage against Images in Dr. Featlyes Sermons taken out of our Homilies was no act of mine but my Chaplaines who must answer for it yet there are other passages therein left which are smartenough against Images and their adoration And Dr. Featly never complained hereofto mee Eightly The Bibles wherein these Pictures are shewed were Secretary Windebanks and Dr. Ducks which is nothing to me yea one of them is a Latine Bible printed beyond the seas at Amsterdam a place free from superstition not here Indeed I first saw one of these Bibles in Mistresse Kirkes hands whereupon I sent for one of them my selfe and then acquainted the Lords of the Councell with it who resolved they should not be sold publickly nor laid upon stalls for feare of giving scandall but privatly whereupon I told Mr. Wally as much which he hath testified But yet this is no Innovation for the old English prin-Bibells are full of Pictures Ninthly Mr. Workman was justly suspected for inconformity he was censured for other things as well as for passages against Images as appeares by his sentence As first for his words against Dancing 2ly For saying Images in Churches were Idolls though they are not Idolls till they are worshipped and that they were no better then stewes an unfitting expression 3ly For saying that Drunkards were preferred 4ly That the Election of Ministers was in the People 5ly For praying for the King of Sweden before our King 6ly For preaching against the Government of the Church established by Law 7ly For speaking against Pictures in privat houses as wel as in Churches For those of Gloucester questioned for granting him an Annuity then sued in the High Commission they were not many but only the principall Offendors it was lawful to cal them into the High Commission because their grant to him was in affront of authority their Fine was but small 10. â— a peece and that was pardoned As for Mr. Workman himselfe being put from his Ministry by sentence he was unfit to teach Schoole or practise Phisick for of leavening others with his dangerous opinions 10ly For Mr. Pryn Mr. Burton and Dr. Bastwick I answer 1. That the Prosecution against them in Starchamber was in a legall way for seditious Schismaticall and libellous Books 2ly That the rejecting of their answers under their owne hands and taking them pro confesso was no act of mine but of the whole Court 3ly That the expunging of Mr. Burtons Answer was not done by mee but by the two chiefe Iustices to whom it was referred by the Court who must answer for it if unjust and that the Copy of his answer found in my Study interlined with black-lead so far as it should stand was not intersined by me 4ly J gave no sentence against them at all but only Iustified my selfe and my proceedings against their calumnies But it hath bin objected that Mr. Cockeshut gave an accompt of the proceedings against them to me from time to time therefore I was the cause thereof I confesse he gave me such an account and it was just and fit he should do it because the cause concerned not only myselfe in some sort in particular but the Church of England in generall of which I ought to take care according as my place and duty required But I was no cause of any irregular proceedings Yea but I gave thankes to the Lords in the close of my Speech for their sentence and Iustice on them though I censured them not my selfe True and it was no more then I ought to do in behalfe of the Church But yet after the sentence given in my Epistle to his Majesty I excited him to put it in execution No I only left it to his Majesties consideration to forbeare or execute it as he in his justice and wisdome should deeme meet To this was replyed 1. in generall that the Archbishop in his speech in Star-chamber p. 53. hath this expression concerning rayling in Communion Tables Altarwise in parish Churches And
meere art to deterre others from opposing his Graces Popish Innovasions the only prosecutor appearing against him And his shaking up or menacing of his advocate an unlawfull act to discourage him from making any defence and subject his Client to a censure Therefore inexcusable 3ly The main Article against Mr. Burkit was only for his and the Church-wardens removing of the Table when the Sacrament was administred into the body of the Church without the rayles according to the Rubrick Queene Elizabeths Injunctions and the 28. Canon the other Articles being but frivilous not insisted on And for this he was molested in the High Commission yea a traditio Satana a turning over of him to Sir John Lamb pronounced against him who used him like a Lyon a Wolfe in a Lambes Skin 4ly For the Churchwardens of Beckingtons most severe illegall harbarous prosecution we have proved by the deposition of Mr. Iohn Ash a Member of the Commons House that the Archbishop himselfe since his Imprisonment in the Tower confessed that Bishop Pâ—â—res their Diocesâ—n did do nothing herein but by his direction If therefore the rule in Law bee true Plus peccat Author 〈◊〉 Actor he must be far more guilty both of their prosecution Excommunication and heart-breaking submission then Bishop Peirce his Instrument 5ly For Ferdinando Adams he was excommunicated in the Archbishops name by Mr. Dade his Surrogate and this Excommunication pleaded in Barre of his Bill in Starchamber The processe Pursivants sent out to apprehend him and the imprisonment of his Attorney till he withdrew his 〈◊〉 were all by the Archbishops procurement His shutting Bishop VVrens Visitors out of the Church at Jpsmich unlesse they derived their Authority by Letters Patens from the King was warranted by the Statut of 1 Eliz. c. 1. Therefore his prosecution only for his duty and allegeance to the King against the Bishops disloyall incroachments was most unjust and disloyall 6ly Iohn Premly was not prosecuted by Sir Nathaniell Brent but by the Archbishop himselfe for opposing his order in the Metropoliticall Visitation in removing the Lords Table placed Altarwise to the place and posture wherein it formerly stood for which he was fined censured imprisoned in the High Commission where the Archbishop sate chiefe Iudge against all Law and Iustice his act being no contempt nor offence in Law but the Archbishops order by Sir Nathaniell Brent his Visitor and Dr. Nevells act a contempt against Law and Canon 7ly Mr. Sherfield was prosecuted principally by the Archbishops procurement for demolishing according to Law an Idolatrous blasphemous false Image of God the Father which was openly Idolized Hee was then a Justice of Peace Recorder of Sarum and had the Warrant of the whole Vestry wherein were six or seaven Iustices of Peace at that time to demolish this Image and take downe the whole Window which all the Kings Subjects and Iustices of Peace especially have authority to demolish by the Statutes of 3. Ed. 6. c. 10. 3. Iac. c. 5. The Book of Homilies and Queene Elizabeths Injunctions n. 23. within their severall Parishes without any speciall order from King or Bishop yea God himselfe gives speciall Commands not only to the supreame Majestrate but to the Common People also to destroy Idolls 〈◊〉 Jmages and Altars Exod. 34 13. 14. Deut. 7. 5. c. 12. 1. 2. â— Isay 17. 78. In pursuance of which commands not only King Asa 2 Chron. 14. 3. King Hezechiah 2 Kings 18. 4. King Manassâ—h 2. Chron. 33. 15. King Josiah and his people a Chron. 34. to â— demolished and brake in peeces Idolatrous Altars and Jmages but likewise ALL THE PEOPLE of the Land went into the House of Baal and brake it downe Altars and Jmages brake they in peeces and â—low Matâ—an the Priest of Baal before the Altars 2 Kings 11. 1â— without any speciall Warrant or command from King Iehoâ—sh or Iehoâ—ada which the Holy Ghost records for their honour yet were they never questioned or fined in Starchamber for it because they had no warrant from either of them â—â— after King Hezechiah his Passeover the Scripture expresly records 2 Chron. 30 13. 14. c. 31. 1. That ALL ISRAEL that were present went out to the Cities of Iudah and brake the Images in peeces and cut downe the groves and threw downe the High places and Altars out of all Iudah and Benjamin in Ephraim also and Manassith untill they had utterly distroyed them all which is recorded to their Eternall honour by God himselfe nor were they ever questioned or fined for a Riot in any Starchamber or High Commission or for going out of their owne limits or doing this without a speciall Commission from the King Therefore Mr. Sherfield being a publike Majestrate both as a Iustice or Peace and Recorder of Sarum might much more by the whole Vestries Order demolish this Idolatrous Picture in his owne Parish Church in such a privat manner as he did without blame or censure having sufficient authority from these Texts and Presidents of Scripture and from the forecited Statutes and Injunctions to warrant it every man in such a case being a lawfull Majestrate without any speciall warrant Thus the common people in Girmany and else where in the beginning of Reformation brake downe the Popish Images and Altars without any speciall Order from the Superior or Inferior Magistrates as Mr. Fox and others record And therefore his Doctrine of the Archbishops that it is unlawfull to break downe the very Image and Temple of Iupiter and Esculapius where the Divell himselfe was worshiped without the speciall command of the supreame Magistrate is a most impious Paradox for if the supreame Magistrate will give no such command these Idols Devills shall still be to erated worshiped to Gods dishonour and Religions slander in despite of all the people and inferior Magistrates As for the place of Eusebius it only proves that Idolatrous Statues Images Temples were demolished by the Emperor Constantines speciall command but that the Christians under him might not lawfully have defaced them without such a speciall command especially after a Generall Statute and Edicts published by him for their demolishing without being lyable to a seveer censure the only thing in question is no wayes warranted by nor deducible from Eusebius nor Saint Augustine Yea had Mr Sherfields zeale out-run his discretion in this act it deserved rather applause then censure from a Protestant Prelate yet this Bishop was so far from excusing extenuating that hee aggravated his pretended offence beyond all bounds of Law Iustice Conscience pleaded as zealously for the lawfullnesse of Images in Churches and of this abominable Idoll of God the Father as the Pope himselfe could have dont yea he abused Master Sherfeild in his speech and censured him with the highest though a Bishop when some temporall Lords excused yea acquitted him And though this censure was not his alone but carried by the Major voyce yet his voyce Speech violence occasioned and aggravated it For his
and his Brethren to be annually kept by the space of 8. dayes in the Month Caslâ—u 1 Mac. 4. 56 59. as Interpreters and the Margin of our Bibles resolve which being of no Divine Institution kept only by the Superstitious Jewes not by Christ or his Apostles who are not said to observe but only to be at Jerusalem when it was the Feast of Dedication Iohn 10. 22. It can be no warrant at all for the consecration of Altars much lesse of Churches now Finally wee answer that we find no mention in Scripture or Classicall Writers of any consecration of Iewish Synagogues to which our Churches properly succeed but only of their Tabernacle and Temple in such sort as you have heard with which our Churches Chapells have no proper Analogie That this Argument of the Archbishop drawne from the presidents in the Old Testament is borrowed from no Orthodox Ancient Father or Councell but only from the Popish Canonist Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. who thus concludes from these presidents Si enim Judai qui umbrae legis deserviebant hoc facicbant multo magis nos quibus veritas patefacta gratia per Iesum Christum data est Templa Domino aedificare pro ut melius possumus orare eaque DIVINJS PRECIBVS ET SANCTIS VNCTIONIBVS suis cum Altaribus vasis vestibus quoque Reliquijs ad divinum cultum explendum utensilibus DEVOTE ET SOLENNITER SACRARE non in alijs quam in Domino sacratis ab Episcopis non a Corepiscopis qui saâ—e prohibiti sune nisi summa exigente necessitate Missas celebrare nec sacrificia offerre debemus Domino You see out of what Popish quiver this Archbishop drew this leaden shaft of his To his pretended antiquity for the consecration of Churches Chappell 's Altars c. since Christs time we answer first that before the raigne of Constantine the Great there is no credible president or authority at all for dedication of any Churches And that Eusebius who De vita Constantini l. 3. c. 24. to 40. 45. 47. 49. 50. 51. lib. 4. c. 39 makes mention of Constantines and his Mother Helenaes building of divers stately Churches at Bethlehem in the Mount of Olives in Constantinople Nycomedia Mambre in Phaenicia and elsewhere by his Edicts enjoyned Christians to build Churches yet makes no mention of any Edicts for their hallowing True it is that De vita Constantini l. 4. c. 43. 45. 47. we read that Constantine summoned a General Councell of Bishops to Jerusalem to settle some differences in the Church and that at this meeting he thought best to consecrate and thereupon kept the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple which he had built at Jerusalem over our Saviours Sepulchre which the Priests then Consecrated but how with prayers disputations preachings expositions of Scripture and receiving the Sacrament as he expresly defines c. 45. But of any other particular Church then this thus consecrated by his appointment we finde no mention Indeed the same Eusebius in his Ecclesiast Historiae l. 10. c. 3. De Encauijs ubique locorum celebratis writes that Churches being reedified under Constantine Deinceps celebre spectaculum nobis omnibus optabile vehementer desideratum ante omnium occulis proponebatur Dedicationum scilicet festivitates per urbes singulas templorum nuper aedificà torum consecrationes which intimates that Churches then new built were solemnly dedicated to God in most places but what those Dedications of them were he informes us in the same Chapter That they were Panygericall Orations in praise of their founders c. of which he cites a memorable one made to Paulinus Bishop of Tyre in the next Chapter These Dedications therefore of Churches then were farre different from those used by the Papists and this Archbishop now We read not then of any consecration of their foundation stones any pompous processions to them any knocking at the doores by the Bishop crying with a loud voyce Open Open ye everlasting doores c a cleare perverting of Scripture of no flying open of the doores there-upon No falling downe upon the marrow bones and saying This place is holy c. No casting up of dust in the ayre no such prayers processions round about the Church bowings to the Altar pronouncing of cursings and blessings Peepings recoylings and other Antick tricks as this Bishop used at Creed Church and elsewhere no Hallowing of Altars Altar-clothes Vessells Vestments Churchyeards Chappell 's Therefore these Consecrations in Constantines dayes are no warrant at all for his the rather because not made by Bishops alone who now monopolize them After Constantines time there is very rare mention of any Consecration of Churches in Ecclesiasticall Histories or the genuine writings of the Fathers till Popery overspread the Church and Popes brought it in by forged decrees Gratian himselfe being unable to cite so much as one Fathers Authority for it Di Consecratione distinct 1. where he professedly handles this subject but only the forged Decrees of Popes and the Canons of two or three late Popish Councells there being no Canons concerning it in any ancient genuine Synods Yea the consecration of Churches was so much neglected even in the very darkest time a of Popery above a thousand yeares after Christ that Oâ—hobon the Popes Legat and the Synod held under him here in England in Henry the third his Raigne acknowledge that there were many Parish Churches and some Cathedralls then uncrusecrated although built long before Now to prove the consecration and meerly Popish as of late ages it hath beene used at least it is agreed by Gratian Platina the Centuryators Thomas Beacon and others that Pope Hyginus Gelasius Iohn Nicholas Clemens Sylvester Felix and Gregory whose spurious Decrees are cited by Gratian De Consecratione Distincti and Surius in his 1. and 2 Tome of Councells were the first inventors and prescribers of this Ceremony of Consecrating Churches and Altars prescribing 1. That no Church should be built or consecrated without the command Authority or consent of the Bishop of Rome 2ly That every Church should be consecrated with a Masse and no Masse said or Sacrament administred unlesso in case of absolute necessity but in a consecrated Church and at a consecrated Altar 3ly That these Priests should be deprived who said Masse or officiated in unhallowed places or at unconsecrated Altars 4ly That no Altars should be consecrated without the Reliques of Saints and if any Altars were consecrated without them they should be pulled downe 5ly That all Stone Altars should be anoynted and consecrated with Chrisme 6ly That no Church should be consecrated wherein a Pagan was interred unlesse his corps were first digged up and cast out of it 7ly That the Timber of a consecrated Church and Vestments once consecrated though worne out decayed should not be converted to any other good use but burnt to Ashes and these to be laid up safely in some place
Pope corrupt Ordinances Sacraments and a meere Idolatrous supersticious wil-worship Thirdly no true Ministry nor government of Christs institution Fourthly she yeelds no true Subjection nor Obedience to Christ his laws word spirit but opposeth him and them in all Fiftly she is over-spread with a Leprosie of damnable Errours in Doctrine corruptions in Faith Manners Ordinances Government Sixtly the definition of a true visible Church in our Homilies and Writers agrees not to her Seventhly our Homilies Writers define her to be a false Church not a true who are all mustered up together by Master Burton in his Babell no Bethell where she is largely proved to be no true Church For his distinction that she is a true Church Veritate Entis though not Moris as a Thiefe is a true man it is a meere childish evasion For it is not the meere entity and being of a company of men that makes up a Church or true Church for if so the Turks Pagans or any assembly else should be a true Church as well as the Protestants but a company of men rightly qualified to wit professing the true Christian Faith among whom the Word of God is truly Preached and the Sacraments duly administed To set then the distinction and comparison right If one should demand of the Archbishop Whether a Theefe be a true man or no as this phrase true man in our ordinary language signifies an honest just-dealing man with reference to his qualities morals not his Entity or being as a meer man himself grants that he is no true man but a false one in this sense in this very distinction and to answer that he is a true man in regard of his essence therefore a true man in respect of his Morals were a meer impertinency Nonsequitur By the selfe-same reason when we demand of him Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church and he answers She is so Veritate entis for she consists of a company of persons or reall men not veritate moris for that they are not so truly qualified in those Morals or rather supernaturall principles which makes them to be a true Church Himselfe must needs grant that his distinction is fallacious in applying this veritas entis to them as they are a Church not men or else yeeld that they are a false but no true Church because his not veritate Moris can be applyed to nothing else but to such morall and divine qualifications as should make them a true Church so as his owne distinction directly subverts this his false conclusion of her being a true Church and his charging her with grosse Corruptions Errors Superstitions to the endangering of salvation doth the like Secondly it was retorted that his distinction of her erring onely circa fundamentalia not in Fundamentalibus was a falshood For first her affirming the Church to be built upon Peter and the Pope not Christ the chiefe corner-stone Her denying the Scriptures to be Scriptures but as they are grounded on confirmed and expounded by the Authority of the Church and Pope Her making Apochryphall Scriptures Canonicall and so adding to the Scriptures Her giving the Pope power to null and dispence with things against the Scriptures Her resolving the foundation of all our Faith into the Church To beleeve as the Church beleeves not into the Scriptures themselves Her deifying of the Virgin Mary Saints Images in praying to and adoring them with divine worship Her joyning of Saints Merits and Mediations with Christs and making them joynt Saviours Mediators Advocates with him Her turning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper into a Propitiatory Massing Sacrifice of as great or greater Merit as Christs own Sacrifice on the crosse adoring the consecrated Bread as their Lord God and Christ himselfe Her taking away the Sacramentall Cup from the Laity point-blanke against Christs owne Institution Her giving Christ an ubiquitary body on earth instead of a glorified body in heaven her tying people to pray to God in an unknown tongue with her creating a new head of the Church in Christs stead the Pope who hath the Keyes of Heaven Hell and Purgatory too and can pardon sins release Soules out of Hell and Purgatory at his pleasure with her abolishing the second Commandement out of the Decalogue What are they all but Fundamentall Errors nullifying that Church which maintaines them and not Errors onely about the foundation For his foure instances that circumstances may undermine and destroy the Foundation We answer First that neither of all these instances concerne the Papists or Church of Rome the subject in question therefore altogether impertinent Secondly they are not meer circumstantials but fundamentals because directly contrary to the expresse words of Scripture and Articles of our Faith of which they are unseparable parts which if false in any part may and will be false in the whole and no ground of Faith at all For the rule of the Schools we agree it but how he applyes it to his distinction or the Church of Rome we cannot yet discerne Thirdly it was replyed That the Religion of the Church of Rome and England is not one and the same For that which they repute the maine part of their Religion is no Christian Religion at all nor part of the Christian Religion but meere Antichristian Errour Superstition corruption Idolatry And in his Booke he doth no more charge her with some grosse corruptions endangering Salvation then she chargeth us as the perusall of his words demonstrates Fourthly his justifying salvation to be had in this false Antichristian Church and Religion denying the foundation is contrary to the opinion of all Otthodox Protestants who make her damnable Errours the ground of their separation from her And though some affirme that divers in the Church of Rome are saved yet none are saved by being of that Church or by that Faith and Doctrine which she properly cals her Faith and Religion wherein she differs from us but by their relying onely on Christs merits which she disclaimes Fiftly his deleting all phrases clauses calling or intimating the Pope to be the Antichrist is a cleer evidence that he holds him not to be so Else his sinne fault will prove the greater in purging out that as Heterodox and scandalous which himselfe beleeves to be a truth For our Statutes Homilies Writers they define the Pope either in direct termes or equivalent expressions to be Antichrist and our Church yea State in them at leastwise in our forecited Statutes and the Subsidy Act 3. Jac. penned by the Convocation As for the Articles of Ireland though they bind us not yet being taken out of the Articles and Homilies of England they sufficiently declare the resolution of our Church as well as theirs that the Pope is Antichrist and Doctor Vsher Primate of Armagh in a Letter of his to the Archbishop himselfe Jan. 4. 1635. the very day of his birth writes That this conceit is so rife in the minds and mouths of the Papists