want that make it their blind study and zeal to enslave this Ancient free Church and Nation with their own Souls and judgments and likewise their posterity to a titular degenerate Church that stands depos'd and Excommunicate in all their Clergy and Laity for disobedience to Christian Laws by all the general Councils that have met both the best and worst by 1. Nicenum Concilium Can. 6. Anno Christi 325. 2. Constantinopol 1 um Can. 2. Anno Christi 381. 3. Ephesinum Can. 8. Anno Christi 431. 4. Chalcedonense Can. 12. Anno Christi 451. 5. 6. Quini-sextum in Trullo Can. 55. Anno Christi 681. 7. Nicenum secundum Can. 3. Anno Christi 788. 8. Constantinople 4 tum Can. 1 12. Anno Christi 871. Besides Nullities from Invasion which the true Catholick Church of Christ in all Ages hath so much abhorr'd The Roman-Catholick Church in England hath several Nullities in the Ordinations of her chief Clergy all along had their entrance been Caanonical and with Invitation Not to mention Monk Augustine's own Ordination the first pretended Archbishop which against so many Councils he went over Seas to receive from the hands of Etherius Bishop of Arles by the order of his Pope when there were Bishops enough in Brittain who had right to do it and without whom the Ordination was invalid and of no effect by the Canons as well as his whole clerical degree and all his Christian capacity was under disability by his Intrusion unless c Concil Arelat Can. 2. he had remain'd in France in the Province wherein he was Ordain'd Therefore Mellitus and Justus whom he ordain'd alone the one for London the other for Rochester were no Bishops in Law because ordain'd by him that was none himself and by him d Concil Arelat Can. 20. alone without other Bishops to assist which was also against the Canons as shall further appear Laurentius his Ordination the next Archbishop of Canterbury after Augustine was null and void several wayes because Ordain'd by Augustine himself for his Successor in his life-time which Act of his was contrariant to the 23th Canon of the Council of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That a Bishop ought not to ordain and constitute his own Successor after him in his life-time for if any such thing be done such Act or constitution is void and null but let him rather observe the Laws of the Church which prescribes such promotion to be no otherwise legally made but by a Synod and the suffrages of Bishops who after the death of the Predecessor have power and Authority to chuse for successor him they shall esteem most worthy The 76 Canon of the Apostles is interpreted by Scholiasts to the same effect And this Act was the more inexcusable in our Puny Augustine because the great St. Augustine to whom it was a grief to be chosen Bishop of Hippo in the life-time of his Predecessor through Inadvertence or Ignorance of the Canon had provided a Canon in the Council of Carthage confirm'd afterwards in a general Council that the Decrees of Councils should be read at all Ordinations for the future to prevent the like Inconvenience It was likewise void because done by Augustine who himself was no lawful Archbishop and also done by him alone which was a further Illegality as before Neither could Mellitus who was no Bishop because ordain'd by Augustine be a lawful Archbishop in the third place nor Justus in the fourth by the same reason nor Paulinus Archbishop of York because ordain'd by Justus Nor Honorius a fift Archbishop of Canterbury because Ordain'd by Paulinus nor Felix Bishop of the East-Angels if Ordained by Honorius which is an Additional Argument for the ascribing of the Conversion of that Province to Brittish Ministry Thus having prov'd the Ordinations of such Archbishops of Canterbury as were Italians to be nul and void which was the first foundation of the Romish-Catholick Faith in England Adeodatus the 6th Arch-Bishop who was an English-man but not of the Brittish or Oswaldian Northern Ordination which was the same but of the Romish being Ordain'd by one single Bishop Ithamar Bishop bf Rochester as before because there were no more left of the Roman way throughout the Isle his Ordination was also void as well as the rest by several Canons of the Church whereof I shall recite a few in such Order as shall give a further sight and prospect of the Government and Ordinations of the first Primitive Church followed by no Church more exactly than by our own Ancient Brittish the first Canon shall be the fift of Sardyca by which it appears a Bishop was to be chosen by the People and all the Bishops of the same Province meeting Synodically and what care is there taken least any one should be unsummoned or unacquainted with an Ordination that was to ensue as if all were void if any one were neglected or passed by And the description 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a lawful Synod for such a purpose in the 16 Canon of Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so to be understood that then and there a Synod is Right and Perfect were the Metropolitan himself is present as well as the rest of his Brethren For neither were to Act without the other by the 34 Canon of the Apostles before Cited which Orders the Bishops of every Nation to know their Metropolitan and Chief on the one hand and to esteem him as their head or their Ecclesiastical Prince And on the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that the Metropolitan should do nothing without their advice and liking for so Concord and Unanimity should be Established and God should be glorified through Christ in the Holy Spirit Which is all comprizâ—d in the 4th Canon of Nice A Bishop ought to be Ordain'd by all the Bishops of his Province if it be possible but if this be Impracticable through some urgent necessity or two great distance of place there must certainly be three Bishops at the least gather'd together at the place and they to have the Proxies of those that are absent and so to Proceed to Ordination but the Confirmation of the Elect must ever belong in every Province to the Metropolitan By which is understood the Right Original meaning of the first Canon of the Apostles generally practiz'd at this day whereby a Bishop is to be Ordain'd by two or three Bishops And that Originally Bishops were to be Chosen and Consecrated and Confirm'd by the whole Communalty of their Province as well Lay as Clergy as is evident out of Cyprian and the 13 Canon of Laodicea which altered that custom and is acknowledged by the Scholiast upon this Canon and by the Principal parts of the Community which answer to the whole and by the King and Head of the Community which represents them all so our Brittish Bishops were chosen in a Synod saith Cambrensis and we have shewed before that our Metropolitans were David by King Arthur Dubritius
peculiar Ministers and Levites set a part by Gods Institution on purpose who were and are the Clergy of his Clergy and Heritage and the Priests to those in speciall that were and are his peculiar people and Priest-hood Exod. 19.6 Revel 1.6 The Church it self being Laick and common compar'd to these as was the World to the Church For no less is implied in the reason of those expressions where both the Christian and Jewish Church are said to be a Kingdom of Priests as in Exodus or Kings and Priests to God as in the Revelation they being in special manner Kings and Priests and Clergy from whom the name and title is deriv'd to others for some likeness and comparison for what the Copy is that is the Original much more And if Christs mission was not from Secular but Divine Authority so neither is the Institution of the Evangelical Priesthood from man but from God being sent from Christ as he was sent from God Joh. 20.21 Bishops and Presbyters being equally from Christs own Ordination and appointment though not of equal order and degree between themselves but in several respects the one Superiour and which may seem strange inferiour likewise to the other For the better understanding whereof the distinction between Spiritual and Temporal is to be remembered and considered in its Primitive and Apostolical acception and not the modern Roman sense who confound Heaven and Earth in their notions as they do in their values and affections the one referring to the present visible world the object of sense the other to the Church or Invisible world to come wherein Christians live here by Faith the Church being more excellent than this world as eternity is more than time and yet this world more excellent than the Church which is dead unto it in the estimation of sense as is the living more excellent than the dead Eccles 9.5 whereby is discoverable the several Superiorities between Episcopacy and Presbytery in the same person in whom both are co-incident as they are in every Bishop and those Elders in Timothy who for Ruling well and labouring also in the word and Doctrine were counted worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 where in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have a clavis to decide this difference for the habitude and Character of a Bishop is that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ruler or Prince as the Brittains term their Arcsh-Bishop of Carleon to Monk Agustine but that of a Priest or Presbyter is the form and quality of a Subject or Servant or Labourer which two notions greatly differ like God and Creature But then their several allotments or respective worlds are to be considered wherein the one and the other are said to labour or bear Rule And clear first it is that the Presbyters labour as a Servant under Christ in his word and Sacraments is within the Vineyard of the Church and therefore belonging to Eternity as the Church it self doth and that the Rule of the Bishop in the second place is Temporal by consequence and about order in this present world and the better preservation of the Temporal out-side of the Church for to affirm it to be a Spiritual Rule over the Church in its in-side which is Eternal and Christs own Peculiar Jurisdiction were very inconvenient and unsound And this Temporal Superiority over the Temporal part of an Ecclesiastical Community as to all Causes and persons that be within it for any Society whether Sacred or Civil can no more subsist or fare well without a Governour or a Chief than a body without a head continues in Bishops by Christs establishment till the rising of the Sun that is till the Civil Magistrate of that Province become Christian whose defect they before supplied as Guardians and then it doth set or cease but Heliacally as the Stars set in the morning in deference to a greater lustre that is better able to do their work continuing still in the same firmament and Sanhedrin under his Rayes and bound nevertheless by their office and duty to be ready to shine again without him as before in case of darkness or Eclipse as was said before And it well appears how the Christian Temporal Magistrates and the Church have understood one another in reference to their several bounds and limits by those parcels of Ecclesiastical Authority the one hath resum'd as his right and the other willingly quitted and yeilded thereunto as just upon his arrivall to Supremacy in Church as well as state For we never find him offering to touch any part of the Priestly office or the Power of the Keys nor to preach or Baptize or absolve or consecrate which acts and Authorities belong to another Spiritual Kingdom farr enough out of his Temporal Dominion and Jurisdiction But several parts of Episcopal Rule and Government have been rightly assum'd and yielded to him in Generall Counsels and in our Church of England in particular wherein he is declared supreme in all Causes and over all persons Ecclesiastical which was the Original Right of Metropolitans but since held by them as was fit not as Soveraigns any more but as subordinate to their Christian Magistrates And by this Hypothesis is resolvable whether Bishops ordain Priests as they are Priests or as they are Rulers which would make for the strength and re-allyance of the Protestant Interest For Bishops cannot Ordain of themselves without Priests to assist much less can Priests Ordain without a Bishop to preside where he may be had and Christian Kings offer not to resume as their temporal right any part of the Ordination or Consecration of either sort but only nominate our Bishops in the right of Patrons or Founders or as representers of the whole Community by whom they were in the Primitive Church elected as likewise in the Brittish Therefore the Priest who is but a Labourer is Inferiour and subordinate in this World to the Bishop who is a Ruler by Divine Order and designation not to be violated by any without the guilt and scandal of being Rebells against Superiours And the Bishop in his Chair as a Ruler is Inferiour to himself in his Pulpit as Christs Labourer and Preacher in reference to the other World For it is a higher excellency to be the least in Eternity than the greatest in time to subdue sin than to subdue the World Psal 84.11 Which yet is so as to Faith and reason and the Consciences of all sober men with their own yet not as to sense or the Law and course of this present life and general Practice whereby through humane infirmity very few yet not wanting in our times have been observed to be as ambitious of the labour of Converting Souls as of the honour and command of a Rich Bishoprick though the worst and Welsey himself at their dying hour have yielded to this Truth Whereby no Inferiour Minister that is diligent in his work and calling can have
Episc Lond. l. 2. p. 134. c. Confession of all our Historians that this Wini became a Simonaick and therefore no Bishop in Law by their own Principles A remarkable vindication of the Innocent Bloud of our Bangor Martyrs through Gods wonderful Providence who is wont to give a Victory and a new Resurrection to his Church after mortal wounds and to confound its enemies For Augustine and his Italian Successors as they never had Right so neither had they any long continuance here notwithstanding all their craft and cruelty Honorius Å¿ Idem lib. 3. c. 7. was the fift and the last of their race and number from Augustine who died Anno 653. Then the Chair began to receive most an end †Mat. Westmin A. 666. English Successors such was Deusdedit a West-Saxon d G Malmesb. de Episc Lond. l. 2. p. 134. c. whose English name was Fridona whose Ordination was void by the Canons of the Church as well as his Chair For he was not Consecrated by any Archbishop in in due manner Paulinus being dead and gone but by one single Bishop †Bede l. 3. c. 20. Ithamar Bishop of Rochester who had no more power to make an Archbishop than hath a single Presbyter to Ordain and Consecrate his Superiour Bishop Therefore all his Acts and his whole sitting for 9 years were Void and Null And Will of Malmesburie's reason e Guil. Malmesbury de Gestis Roffens for their not calling the Northern Oswaldian Bishops to their assistance is very disingenious in one that had read their Principles in Bede to be so averse against Communion with the Romish See of Canterbury Cavebant Romanorum apud Cantiam Reliquiae Ordinationes erroneorumsequi The Reliques of the Roman Church in Kent saith he were shy to admit them that err'd about Easter to have an hand in their Ordinations whereas the shyness was on the other side shunning all Communion with them as Schismaticks and Intruders upon the Brittish Church So that there was no Archbishop at all in Canterbury from the time of Honorius 653. the See continuing actually Vacant for a year and a half to Deusdedit and also Deusdedit's nine years sitting being null in Law and a while after to the time of Theodorus of Tarsus in Cilicia his coming to the Chair in 668. Of which contrivance of Rome to begin a second Usurpation over the English Brittish Church as well as their first over the Brittains more shall be observed in proper place Therefore the Church of Canterbury was manifestly extinct for those 15 years between Honorius the last Italian and Theodorus the first and last Graecian Archbishop there And we have heard before of the extinction of the See of Rochester under Putta and Willelm besides the Archbishops that succeeded Theodore seem Brittish by their Countrey and Institution Birthwaldus his next successor Anno 692. was Brothers Son to Ethelfred King of Mercia x Antiquitates Eccles p. 55. where their Faith was right Brittish Tatwin after him in 731. was likewise of y Usher p. â—055 Ex Will. Malmesbury Mercia And three of his Bishops that ordain'd him Ingwald of London Aldwin of Lichfield Daniel of Winton were not of Roman but of Brittish Sees And the last ordain'd by Birthwald z Antiquit. Eccles p. 58. Nothelmus after Tatwin 736. had been Bishop of London where he was born Cuthbert after Nothelm came from the Chair of Hereford an Ancient Brittish See belonging to the Archbishoprick of Caerleon in Wales And not to mention Bregwin a Nobleman of Saxony who succeeded Cuthbert Lambert the thirteenth Archbishop was wholly depriv'd of his Primacy by the means of Offa King of Mercia who withdrew all his Revenues and Churches in Mercia from him and got the Pope to assent thereto misit nuntios donativis conferendis praemunitos b Spelman p. 302 303. Noverat enim Rex Offa desideria Romanorum for he had treated him according to his humour with great guifts And so Aldulphus Bishop of Lichfield was made Archbishop during the Reign of Offa. The Pope notwithstanding through the great darkness that was to be for several Ages in the Church restor'd the See and maintain'd his usurpation at Canterbury to the time of Henry 8. a Brittish King who putting a full end and period to all Popish powers and pretences continued here against the Laws of the Land and the Canons of the universal Church And judging fit to continue the Primacy of Canterbury upon a new and better Authority his own pleasure and the strength of the Law the Superiority of that See became lawful ever afterwards to be submitted to in Brittain according to Church Canons Which from the suppression of the old Archbishoprick of London was all along before a manifestly uncanonical and Schismatical usurpation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Photii Nomocanon Tit. 1. c. 20. infamous to boot in the sense of the Ancient Canons Usurpation and force and Conquest right or wrong being more comely in the field than in the Church and better to be legitimated by descent and time And this Argument of the English or Saxons receiving their first Faith from Brittain and not from Rome is further corroborated by that notable observation of the Reverend and Eloquent Archbishop Parker sometime Queen Elizabeths Latine Tutor as I am informed upon several Old d W. L'isle divers Ancient Monuments Antiquitates Ecclesiasticae p. 35 -to 47. Saxon Laws and Homilies containing several points and Articles and Suppositions in them quite contrary to those Doctrines that Augustine and his Romish successors endeavoured to sow and propagate as the Faith of Rome in England 1. Against Transubstantiation 2. For Communion under both kinds 3. And the Translations of Scripture into the Vulgar Tongue and Instances thereof before the time of Wicleff 4. Laymen to study and read the Scriptures and to learn Creed and Decalogue and Lords Prayer in the Vulgar Tongue 5. Against Invocation of Saints e Wheeloc not in c. 9. lib. 4. Bedae Antiquae Homiliae Saxonum nunquam sanctos invocant c. Worshiping of Images 6. Marriadges to be free 7. Kings to be Gods Vicars in their Kingdom 8. The Legislative Power to be in King and people Quae quidem veteris Ecclesiae Brittannicae dogmata c. Which verily saith he being the Tenets and Doctrines of the Old Brittish Church and long retain'd amongst the Ancient Saxons notwithstanding the influence and successions of their Roman Guides and Teachers to the contrary how agreeable they are both to to the word of God and our Modern Laws and Constitutions and how diametrically contrary in all respects to their way at Rome any one may with ease discern that will For as the same learned prelate again what Author did ever in his works report that Augustine did ever Preach to the English that they might come to believe by hearing that he was not capable to do it his own Pope
force And as Satanical injections refus'd are the Devils guilt but the Christians merit who was buffeted with them to his grief when he could not help Of the like nature especially as to the violence were their Roman missions and Consecrations in this Land wherewith our Brittish Church was needlessly troubled and molested at the entrance of Theodore and his Canterbury Successors for it may well be said that our Brittish Clergy had alwayes thâ—ir own Sees and Prelates in reason and right although actually and forcibly Invaded and possess'd for a time against Law and Canons by Romish Tyrants who when they ordained here ordain'd not in their own but in the right of the true Owners and rightful Governours as their Deputies by fiction because of Gods permission Prov. 8.15 Rom. 13.1 Which right was conveighed down to the Ordained while the guilt and Irregularity of the Action stuck solely to the Conscience of the usurping Ordainer and to no other that was worthy to be ordain'd for which the one must account one day to their sorrow while the others temporary embasement and seeming bastardy Ecclesiastical which they could not help shall be repair'd to their relief and joy And yet in this life a Church restor'd hath the Rights and Priviledges of a Kingdom restor'd which hath and takes the power and liberty to allow or disallow reject or Legitimate enact or abrogate whatever Proceedings have pass'd in publick in the time of Vsurpation And such legitimation and allowance is founded upon the Authority of the rightful Governour coming in and not on any merit of the unrighteous Usurper turning out which makes patience commendable under any slavery or oppression though it continue 7 20 100 500 or 1000 years rather than to extricate it self by any indirect or ungodly means which in Rome is little scrupled at for God is not to be offended nor Faith and Conscience violated to save life or liberty which is more than life or Ecclesiastical liberty which is the greatest of liberties For no evil is to be done by a Christian that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 For the Innocence of his Soul is a more substantial eternal prosperity than any Outside deliverance whatsoever The body being but a shadow to the Soul and this life but a minute to that come 2 Cor. 4 ult But to return of our own accord to that Spiritual Captivity from whence we were so happily delivered in Gods time and Counsel and by lawful means were to justifie and approve the wrongful slavery of our Ancestors and Posterity together with our own against the Spirit and honour and trust and the common sense and understanding of men and Christians and English Brittains to sell our selves for naught and spit back Gods merciful deliverances into his face SECTION XI Of the Indirect Methods of Rome in Subjugating this and other Churches under it ANd the unworthy methods of their Intrusion and prevalence over our Brittish Church which all that profess Christianity but Roman-Catholicks would abhore and be asham'd of are as manifest as the usurpation it self over us and others 1. By giving away Kingdoms from the right owners to those that had Swords in their hands to force and win them upon the termes and condition the Pope might be considered for polluting the name of Christ and Religion to countenance such injustice So the Pope and Monk Augustine got their first footing in Canterbury by the help of the prevailing Saxons Augustinus quod Dinothus persensit praetextu fidei gentem advenam alieno confirmavit imperio ut suam jurisdictionem Romanam dilataret saith one a Antiq. Eccles p. 9. Augustine the Monk as Abbot Dunawd well perceived made use of Religion to Invest and settle a Foreign Nation in a Territory that was not their own to promote and enlarge the better their own Ecclesiastical b Wheeloc note in Bede c. 2. l. 2. Supremacy by that means So have they ruin'd the Eastern Churches and expos'd them to the Turk about 140. years after by giving Charlemagne the Western Empire from its Constantinopolitan Proprietors to be their Patron and deliverer from Lombards and Exarchs so have they befool'd the Spanish Ambition all along setting him on the like designes with 88. Till their Monarchy is quite tyr'd and Jaded and endanger'd to be master'd by their less Catholick Neighbours and more Christian 2. By Politick Matches and unequal yokes and Apostates rais'd within our own Bowels by the operation of preferments and honours upon men of pride and parts as Balak converted the Prophet Balaam and by slighting and traducing the least mote in other Churches as Damnable Haeresie and maintaining their own grossest errours for Apostolical Infallibities And hard it is to define the time when this method hath been out of use and fashon in that Church these thousand years And by this stratagem they re-invaded the English-Brittish Church after its breaches were repair'd by Oswald For a match being contriv'd between his c Monastic Angl. part 1. p. 333. Bastard Brother and Successor or rather Usurper King Oswi who was not so sound a Christian at the heart as appears by his putting his d Bed l. 3. c. 14. 24. Kinsman and Neighbour King Oswin to death amidst submission and holding the Kingdom from his lawful Nephew and e Idem c. 15. Eanfled Sister of King Edwin Baptiz'd by Paulinus the new Romish Archbishop of York as his first fruits in the North She by her share in Oswi's Bed and Throne became useful and instrumental to preserve and keep alive some Relliques of her Romish Faith expiring in those parts in Cadwalhan's dayes countenancing under hand f Ibid. Romanus and Johannes Diaconus as her Chaplains and sending g Idem l. 5. c. 20. Wilfrid observing his ambitious parts from the Brittish Lindisfarn Monastery where he imbib'd his first principles to Canterbury and Rome to study the point of Easter and to be young Alchfrids Tutor Oswi's Son and to be able to perplex the Brittish Doctors at the point as it afterwards fell out at the Synod and debate at Streanshall or Whitby wherein King h Oswi ita conclusit quia hic Ostiarius est cui ego contradicere nolo ne forte me adveniente ad sores Regni Caelorum non sit qui reserat c. Bede lib. 3. c. 25. Oswi being afore tun'd into a superstitious veneration of St. Peters Keyes which are said to be kept at Rome openly declared in the close of the disputation that he counted it his best wisdom and security to side with St. Peter whom Wilfrid confidently made to be the Author of his new-stile or Golden Number for which he strove than with St. John from whom the Brittains deriv'd their old least St. Peter should turn the h Oswi ita conclusit quia hic Ostiarius est cui ego contradicere nolo ne forte me adveniente ad sores Regni Caelorum non sit qui reserat c.
half a word spoaken to any of our Gracious Princes by our Reverend Bishops in behalf of a long oppressed Church would make Wales also a full sharer in the Common liberty and benefit of the Reformation They being the first sufferers in Europe for their early opposition against the Supremacy and Superstitions of Rome several hundreds of years before Martyn Luther was born or heard off and therefore more fit to be considered notwithstanding former enmities who ever was in fault in a Protestant Church and a Polite and curious Nation that hath a fam'd regard for Antiquity in stones and marbles The visible and distinct Remnant of the Ancient Brittains in Wales whom Rome hath endeavoured these 1000 years to suppress and destroy in their fortunes and faith and fame and value and love with several of the English being the most Ancient standing and living Monument and Record against Popery in this our Western World Must that Ancient leaven that gain is godliness and Superiority hook or by crook over Ancienter Churches be retained with scandall for ever in the best of Reformed Churches Is there none that will speak but for themselves none against themselves and purse and pride for conscience Justice and the interest of Protestantism And yet I believe the Brittish Church had rather rest in Patience as they are than arrive at any deliverance or redress or liberty by any means unpeaceable or unamicable much less indirect Neither can their rights and Priviledges be further withheld from them without deserving and Incurring the Censures and Anathemaes of General Councils manifest and unanimous in their defence which if they are not to be regarded wherefore are they Read or Printed and not without some defiling approbation of a most unrighteous and an unconscionable Popish Sentence past against them and their Successors without cause and with as little colour against all faith and Truth and promise of Protection leaving them in the Lurch in the midst of their trust and submission against the use and Custom and Instinct and honour of all Patrons and Creatures whatsoever but his Holiness alone Withall hard usage is more tolerable from an Enemy than from a friend and from the corrupt Roman Church where tyrannical and ambitious principles are so openly professed and own'd than from a neighbouring Orthodox Church of Christ who suck'd the breasts of the Brittish or others at least who had been nurs'd and nourished by her Milk Neither was it the Intention or practice of the Roman Court that Churches should remain concluded for ever by any of its Sentences whether just or unjust as appears in the frequent contests heretofore between the Arch-Bishops of York and Canterbury for Primacy where after both parties were well spunged and squeezed by decrees and Sentences for each the right of precedency reverted after all where it ran before in its former Channell If a Pope predecessor exempted York from Canterbury upon a considerable feeling The Next Pope his Successor who had no share in that Boon is troubled in Conscience if well illuminated by a splendid present from the adverse side till Canterbury were righted and the Ghost of Austin appeas'd At last this Controversy was referr'd by the Pope to the pleasure and decision of our own Kings whose Original right to judge of this Cause was now remarkably estabished in the Crown by this concession and president from what motive soever it proceeded for it thwarted two of their chiefest fundamentalls their Profit and their Incommunicable Judicature of Church matters which they seldom quit where they have either cowardly or credulous Kings to deal with And so we find that the wise and valiant King Edward the third put an everlasting period to that Controversy under his great a Sr. Roger Twisden Histor Vindicat. p. 21 22. Seal As any of his Protestant Successors being better enlightned and Brittishly allyed may give due redress to the Ancient See of St. David in like manner if they please and also unite Canterbury to London as it was ever at first The Extinction of great and Ancient Sees being Sacriledge but their Translation from that place to this the undoubted right of Princes which is the third point That the Protestant Constitution and Confirmation of the Primacy of Canterbury is according to the b Photii Nomocanon Tit. 1. c. 20. Concil Eph. Can. 8. Concil in Trullo Can. 38. Concil Chalced. Can. 12. 17. Canons of the Universal Church as well as the Law of this Land which is sufficiently cleared before and hereafter and more at large and irrefragably by several great Writers of our Church particularly Dr. Hammond and Archbishop Bramhall to whom they are referred who have a mind to meet more Instances and Presidents on this point And our Romanists of any men should not except or regret at the Constitution of our chief Chairs by the Authority of our lawful and Brittish Kings whose first power and footing here was by the aid and assistance of Conquerours and Invaders to the wrong of this Church For though the Pope first pointed out London who had the same right to dispose of the Crown as of the Chaire yet the Influence of King Ethelbert settled the Primacy at Canterbury as some of the Norman Kings wrested that of St. David to it by meer force and power If therefore they believe in behalf of themselves that Kings may constitute or translate Metropolitan Sees against old Right and Canons much more may they do the same with Right and Canons of their side For lawful Kings in their own Territories succeed in that power which was given or restor'd by General Councils to Christian Emperours to make what Alteration and translations of Sees and Primacies as they should see cause The Emperours and Metropolitans both agreeing and consenting that before any new Metropolitan See should be alter'd that the Mother Church should be satisfied and understand from his Majesty under his hand that he was not surpriz'd or sollicited or misled by others in what he did as well might be the Case of Canterbury in its Confirmation by our English Kings in the darkness of Popery before the Reformation but that he did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his own accord and choice and for a just and convenient cause either out of respect to the Dignity of the new place or City or out of particular honour to the personal vertue and merits of its present Prelate or for some publick benefit and advantage to the Church in general as Balsamon Notes on the 38 Canon of the General Council in Trullo whereby it appears that it is still in the power and Authority of the Kings of Great Brittain to settle continue or translate this Primacy by their Laws to what place they please and to restore the same to London where it formerly was if by any just cause they shall be mov'd thereunto Either 1. out of respect to the 6th Canon of the great and venerable Council of
by Ambrosius in a solemn Assembly Cleri Populi of Parliament and Convocation to express this matter in modern Terms By which may be guessed the irregularity and invalidity of Adeodatus his Ordination which was Ordain'd only by one Bishop of his Province who had received his own from such as were no lawfull Bishops as before and of Theodorus Arch-Bishop the Restorer of the Romish Religion in England who was Ordain'd by none in all this Province and came hither with Tyrannical Power against the will of the Bishops of this Province and to displace such as were regularly Ordain'd and Consecrated by the Bishops of this Territory who had lawful Power as Ceadda Archbishop of York by name whereby himself in the sence of the Catholick Church in the Canons before recited was neither Bishop nor Priest nor within Christian Communion whereby the Authority of the rest by and after him Ordain'd and the nature of the whole Roman-Catholick-Church built in this land upon such rotten Pillars may be scann'd and judg'd of with trust that there is mercy and compassion with God for the sincere in heart and Vengeance and Indignation against insolent disturbers and Tyrannical Hypocrites Which by the way might be the occasion that our Politick Popes in the Controversies heretofore berween the Sees of York and Canterbury for Priority after both sides were craftily well squeezed and lurch'd in their Purses referr'd this matter out of their moderation to be ended and detetmin'd by our own Kings as Edward the third did it under his great Seal as before whereby some Authority was by the way acquir'd to his Romish See of Canterbury which before he well knew had none at all by Church Canons by the Royal Patents of our Soveraign Kings which are favour'd by General a Con. in Trul. Can. 38. Chalc. Can. 17 Councils else for Kings to meddle in such Ecclesiastical concerns had been to touch the Apple of the Popes eye and to incurr the displeasure of St. Peter and St. Paul forever to the manifest hazard of their Crowns and Souls as there are Instances good store in matters of less offence and far more Temporal in their natures But our Popes will not stand to any Council but take themselves to be above them all which is the true reason of the Schism between the Eastern and Western Church or indeed of the Schism and departure of Rome from the whole Christian Church the true Catholick being ever govern'd by Laws and Canons but the Roman-Catholick affecting to be absolute and to Rule all Churches by its own Arbitary Will and Lust The former Arguments from General Councils though they are sufficient to satisfie all honest and right Christians yet our Popes are no more concluded by them than was Cromwell by Magna Charta unless therefore the Nullities of the Romish Church in England be prov'd from their own Rules and Principles and from their own mouths against themselves they are not prov'd home enough as to them to instance in two or three So tender are they and averse from shedding of bloud or would at least somtimes be so Accounted that their Clergy cannot be present b Con. Lateran Can. 18. at a Sanguinary Tryal but if they have the ill fate to kill a man though through mistake and chaunce they become Irregular for it and depriv'd of their holy Orders irrecoverably Much more then are they forever unclerk'd by Murder whereof if our Augustine the Monk was manifestly guilty in principal manner not towards one but towards one or two thousand Innocents no men of Arms but of the Book and Gown and Prayer then the Orders he had or conferr'd after that on others as on Justus and Mellitus made Bishops by him after this fact came all to nought as to them in fact or desert and their whole Romish Church and Ministry by consequence but that he was principally guilty of the barbarous Murder and Massacre of our Brittish Monks at Bangor as before c Juell 5 part defence 438. who by good Relation came out Bare-foot and Bare-head to beg their lives and was present at the place to encourage the slaughter for the better propagating of the Romish Faith or at the least had a great hand in this bloud is not denyed by impartial Antiquaries yea those methods us'd by Romish forgeries to palliate his crime by corrupting Bede's text and also by Enthusiastical Hypocritical praedictions to father this execrable massacre upon the Spirit of God these Arts and devices are so far from excusing that they prove and fasten it the more upon him and in a very high and nefarious manner His Orders therefore and his after Actings in the See of Canterbury were all null by their own Rules And his Communion and much more his Fatherhood in the Christian Faith to be disown'd and detested by all English Christians and true Catholicks forever in their own defence Besides Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury at a Council at Herutford pass'd this Canon which ownes and espouses the like Canons of the Ancient Church with their penalties d H. Spelman Concil p. 153. Vt nullus Episcoporum c. That no Bishop Invade the Diocess of another but rest content with the Government of his own charge But such was Brittain towards Theodore and to the Pope that sent him as well as to his Successors that followed him as before is largely and fully prov'd the Faith here being planted by the Apostles or their followers among the Brittains and by the Brittains amongst the English Therefore Theodore the restorer of the Romish Faith in England stands condemn'd he and his new Church and Successors by his own Law and sentence as well as Augustine its first founder Withall Pope Gregory himself who was the first root and contriver of our English Popery allowes not his Augustine to entrench upon the Gallican Church or the Bishop of Arles his Jurisdiction because saith he that were against Scripture and the Ancient Institution of the Fathers pointing at the several Canons of Councils before recited and to thrust one's Sickle into another mans Harvest But Brittain was a Province ever more distinct and exempt from Rome than Gallia as before is prov'd Therefore Augustine for his Intrusion stands condemn'd by his Pope And his Pope by himself for sending him And Theodore and his Successors by the same definition Withall it is observable why yet Pope Gregory subjected our Brittish but not the Gallican Church to the Romish Jurisdiction of Monk Augustine because saith he e Bede lib. 1. c. 28. ab Antiquis praedecessorum meorum temporibus Pallium Arelatensis Episcopus accepit I find the Bishops of Arles to have had their Pall from Rome in the times of my Ancient Predecessors that is because France was subject to Rome Brittain before was not Now this modest and humble Pope declares in several of his lib. 4. Epist 76 83 178. 194. Antiquitates Eccl. p. 43 45. Epistles extant
Spirit and of Rome's disobedience to general Councils p. 368. No Church more led by a private Spirit than Rome why ibid. What a needless labour it is for the Church of Brittain to defend it self against Romish imputation of Schisme clear'd by several Instances p. 372 373. The Reformation commenc'd in its causes with H. 7th p. 374. seqq His Restoration Prophecyed of p. 375. Dr. Colet Founder of St. Pauls School began to preach against Superstitions and Legends Accus'd for Heresie liked by Henry the 7th Warner had his Principles from Colet Cranmer from Warner Henry 8th from Cranmer p. 377. seqq A strange alteration of the state of the Nation with King Henry the 7th p. 379. Of the hand of God and man in the Reformation Most Instruments acted against their first intention p. 381 382. The Spirit of Henry the 8th not to be parallel'd p. 381. Excommunicated by thy Pope though a Catholick and with right of his side ibid. The favour and frown of Providence upon this Nation according to its disposition against Popery or for it observed remarkably p. 384. seqq K. Henry 8. how Great p 385. Queen Mary unfortunate Ibid. The success and Fame of Q. Elizabeth p. 386. Whence are our troubles and ill successes p. 387. Cromwells police and successes ibid. The fate and humour of this Nation against Popery p. 388. What will cure this Nation probably p 389. 435. Rome and Brittain mutually and differently fatal to one another p. 389. seq English more inexcusable than Forreign Papists p. 389. 390. SECT XIII Of our Brittish Archbishopricks London York and Caerleon or St. Davids p. 393. seq How Metropolitical Sees began p. 396. Emperours honour'd the place of their birth and Seat of Empire p. 397. 398. Of the Roman pall which at Rome gives all their Authority to Patriarchs and Archbishops And how our Brittains had no faith for it Archbishop Sampson's Pall at York was Imperial not Papal p. 402. 403. â—ees and Pals at Rome constitute a Church instead of Christ and the heart p. 404. How Rome hath Unchurch'd her self by her new Principles p 404. 405. It 's hard to determine where the Brittish Primacy was de facto easie where de jure Ibid. The reasons for York Ibid. Perterna the name of Constantine's Pallace there what it signified p. 406. The Antiquity and merits of York not Inferiour to Rome or Antioch c. 40â— How unworthy it is to advise Princes to desert the rights of their Country p. 409. The Title of London p. 410. How greatly wronged by Rome p. 411. The Title of Caerleoni Ibid. Cressy's exception against the Welsh Epistle in Sir H. Spelman invâ—ild p. 412. Where the Primacy was of right p. 413. Originally emmently Our Kings are Primates of the Temporal part of the Eternal Church and Christ of the Eternal p. 415. The practice of Sea-men decides this point Ibid. An old appetite in Mitre and Crown to reunite p. 416. The different respects of Christian and Antichristian Mitres to the Crown Ibid. The fate of this Church observed to follow that of the Crown Ibid. The Revolutions of the Primacy of York p. 417. The duration and Period of the Archbishoprick of London p 419. Why Monk Augustine did not settle his Archiepiscopal Chair at London according to the first directions of the Pope and that London suffered pobably for its adherence to the Brittish Faith p. 420. 421 206. The primacy in Henry 8. was restored to Brittain though not to London p. 422 423. Bede's testimony that the faith never failed in Brittain p. 423. Some of the Sees in Wales erected since the Saxon Invasion others from King Lucius ibid. The See of St. David never Subject to Canterbury till Henry 1. and that by force and an unjust sentence of the Pope How first brought to be under Rome 424. 425 426. Sir H. Spelman bewails the wrong of the See of St. David how it may be remedied and why p. 427. How the Pope made advantage by the contests of our Metropolitans p. 427 429. Left them at last to the decision of our Kings p. 432 Kings have power by the Canons to alter and translate Metropolitical Sees p. 431. The Primacy of Canterbury a stumbling-block to some not versed in History to believe Rome to be a Mother-Church to Brittain and consequently our Reformation to be Schismatical and not fit to be countenanced by Princes for the disobedience how answered and remedied p. 433. Papists the first Schismaticks here and the causes of our divisions and troubles p 435 SECT XIV Rome will stand to no Councils that are against it p. 437. Yet calls for Obedience to its Bulls ibid. The probable cause why the Spirit of truth hath withdrawn from the latter Councils of the Church p. 432. Cyprus exempted from Antioch by the General Council of Ephesus and how the case of Brittain as to Rome's pretence is exactly the same p. 439. seqq Of the 6 Canon of Nice Our Brittish exemption confirmed by it because our Sees were before in being and proved by Ruffinus his sence thereof who was of these parts and knew our rights 443. seqq Rome's pretence of Supremacy if true overthrowes this and all General Councils if false proves it self to be Antichristian p. 444. 438. several Churches besides Brittain supreme within themselves p. 447. â—â—wes â—orgery openly detected in the Council of Carthage and its Supremacy shut out ibid In the Church as well as State men are bound to know their Chief and who this is p. â—49 The Government of the Primitive Church was Aristocratical when that of the State was Monarchical and the Pope would have it now Monarchical when the Governments of the World are Aristocratical and co-ordinate p. 450. The difference between the Ecclesiastical and Civil Powers as to extent of Authority heretofore p. 452. The several nullities of the Roman Church in England And how their Clergy stand deprived of their holy Orders and the danger of the Laity that abet their Intrusion proved at large by undoubted Canons of General Councils and particularly their beloved Council of Sardyca by which they are not to be reckon'd amongst Christians as the Ancient Brittains in Bede stifly insisted p. 456 to 465. Of other particular Nullities in the Ordinations of Romish Bishops here p. 465. seq The truly Catholick Church was govern'd by Laws the Roman-Catholick would be above all Laws and Canons p. 4â—0 The Nullities of the Romish Church here prov'd out of their own Rules and Principles p. 470. seqq The argument against their H. Orders Contracted p. 475. SECT XV. How Christendom is infected by such lawless examples of Popes made consistent with Holiness p. 477. How they make themselves incurable p. 479. Papists are more Pope's people than Gods people ibid. The cause and occasion of their Apostacy from History and how parallel for cause and effect to the fall of Angels p. 480 489. The advice of the Wesel to the Fox had been their Cure p
men as well lay as Clergy are bound to know upon their duty and Allegiance to God and their Country and Justice and Civility to their Neighbours least they be betrayed by willful Ignorance to aid an Usurper against the Right Heir wherein no more learning or Logick is required to master and understand the point but so much temper and Judgement as serves to hear an evidence and discern between soul and body or God and Creature or Christianity and Heathenism or Loyalty and Treason and to lay hand upon heart and to follow either the Laws of God and man whereby all men are Rul'd or fate and Providence whereby they are Over-ruled But whether in Gods mercy or Judgement we are to be freed or continued under our fears and anxieties to the fixed and resolved in faith it signifies no more than putting on a Winter or a Summer habit either the militant Garb of Patience to our great reward and comfort and your great account which alone can abate it or the Triumphant of thanksgiving to the mutual solace and bliss of both But as for the weaker flock whereof Paternal Princely bowels and pastoral charge are ever the most tender with what security and content will they lye down beside the still waters in green Pastures when they shall have such a Shepheard to be their guard and back and a terrour much less a harbour to the Roman Wolves that would devoure them How will the Mountains skip like Rams and our little Hills like Lambs Great and unparallel'd was our joy for your R. Brothers Restoration and your own together to your Ancient Rights and Dignities over us that the whole Nation seem'd like unto men that dream'd but so great is the sence and fear of Spiritual Slavery upon them and their children more insupportable than any Temporal which it also may draw along with it that the joy of that day is like to be but a dream indeed compared to those exultations and full content and streins of hearty Triumphs if heart-strings can hold that shall break out in every street and corner of the whole Nation with Bon-fires and Feasts and praises reaching up to Heaven and thence to earth again in the responses of Angels to our Anthems at the day of your return from the danger of errour to our Church and our blessing and the truth That your R.H. will be more glorious in the end than in the beginning after your Victories over temptations and deceitful guides like the Sun after an Eclipse which is the present trust or shall ever be as it ought the daily prayer and study and Patience of Your Royal Highness most humble most dutyful and faithful Servant T. JONES TO THE READER THe first part of this discourse being deliver'd before a worâ—… City Company and for reasons conceived just to be published comes forth with the addition of what was omitted out of regard to the limits of the time and the order of their feast and with a large corroboration of the chief exhortation therein against Popery Which Controversie is here reduced to one point whereon all the rest depend The Soveraign Authority arrogated by the Bishop of Rome and yielded to by many either more grossly over men's hearts and Judgments whereby many Surrender their reasons to him or to that Church by implicit Faith to Act many things out of Roman-Catholick obedience which the Laws of God and man and Truth and Honour and Conscience and natural affection directly forbid where therefore the dispute will lye between Christ and his high pretended Vicar which of them is God and the chief Sovereign and Legislator of the heart and the measure of good and evil and Judge of quick and dead an Argument of our Romanists being under a manifest curse and blindness to doubt or deny his Soveraignty either by word or deed whom all Christians in their Creeds do and are to recognize for their Lord upon the Peril of Eternal Damnation Or more plausibly claim'd upon some colourable pretences in reference to this Island where the Controversie then must lye between the Forreign claim and yoak of the Triple Crown who had nothing to do here Originally more than any other Bishop and the native rights and Immunities of our Brittish Crown and Mitre which all Inferiours are bound to defend and maintain not out of Conscience or Allegiance only but for fear or upon the Peril of Damnation Temporal and our Superiours also upon their honour and trust and account to God being no less a tye and their own self-preservation likewise it being their essential Prerogative to have none here before them which no chief Superiour can quit without a contradiction and dangerous diminution of his Soveraignty And the first of these pretences is Antiquity whereby some Illiterate amongst our Ancient Brittains are led to believe and stile the Modern Roman Religion the old Faith as if Ancienter than their own true which is 600 years Senior to Apostatical Rome which prevailâ—d here for 700 or 800 years and not a few years elder to Rome Orthodox and Apostolical if not its first Mother and planter before the real Arrival of St. Paul or the doubtful of St Peter amongst them The second is a belief or inconsideration of some few of our Learned English that the English Nation receiv'd their first Faith from Rome by Augustine the Monk and others intruding here whereby Rome can be conceiv'd by such no less than a mother-Mother-Church to England by consequence the third a consequent stumbling block hereupon that our Reformation was Schismatical or the Daughter Correcting of her Mother which were inconvenient for Generous Princes to countenance least they give an example thereby of like disobedience and Insurrection against their own Authority All which pretences being false and groundless in themselves are herein revers'd and pluck'd up by the roots And the true Original Arch-Schismatick and sire of the brood and example is fully detected and unkennell'd the peculiar game and Sport of our Brittish Princes of most Renown and spirit and success Cadwalhan ap Cadvan Henry 8th Q. Elizabeth And not only the Right and Title of our Brittish Church in each respect asserted but the truth of Christian and natural Religion in General is also resolv'd into first and proper Principles of fact or Faith or Reason a Method well agreeing with the Soul and understanding which in all men are stamp'd with the same Divine broad Seal and natural Allegiance to God and Truth The chief principles made use of if heeded being two the difference between the Soul and Body and between God and Creature or between Creatures themselves in their several parts and Characters personating the Rule of the one or the subjection of the other which are ingredients that pervade all duties as 24 Letters all Words and Syllables or 7 Notes all variety of Musick or Black and White all Colours and are themselves resolv'd into their first Authour and Founder in whom alone we live
move and have our being The first and last part of the Discourse are Unison and both practical and of more general use the midle Historical and Polemical and of no less use to several in these unsetled times to have the evidences of their Faith and Church as their Writings for their Lands to lye by them and their Children against any question that shall arise about the title Where known passages of History were necessarily to be rehears'd all possible conciseness is us'd which makes that part of the stile more obscure without a deliberate reading which yet is remedied by the Citations in the bottome of the Page referring to the Authors themselves And sometimes indignation against inclination rais'd the stile where the adverse objections or practice seem'd highly unreasonable or greatly pernicious having no enmity or disrespect to any person or party high or low but to their sin or ill example for their Recollection to prevent God's wrath and out of fidelity to the common Lord and judge of both The word Protestant is us'd as now it notes the Scriptural Apostolical Faith in opposition to Rome's corrupt Innovations and humane Inventions and in the sense explain'd page 488. Else it were very improper to stile our Brittish Faith Protestant which flourished here 1500 years before Luther was born The great and memorable Archbishop Vsâ—er whose memory ought ever to be especially dear to Brittains is often cited in His Book de Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Primordiis which after once naming is not repeated Which he writ at the command of King James as a Collection on purpose for such an use with great pains and judgment and truth and helpes several wayes and partilarly from the late chief Antiquary of Wales Mr. Rob. Vaughan of Hâ—â—-gwâ—â— with whom he corresponded It is not to be said that all is new or old either which is here deliver'd and intended for a compact systeme of satisfactions on this point under one view which before lay more dispers'd and undiscern'd and as some account also of innocence and patience in their defence which have not escap'd the censure of Improvidence and harder speeches and passages there being a Scaffold Priviledge ever due to Sufferers but this may be safely said that though the Notes were old and standing and ought so to be yet the Tune and management is wholly new and sincerely endeavour'd and design'd for the peace and concord of our Church and the stength and glory of our Nation and in all humility submitted to the candid eare and judgment of all Right Fathers and Sons of our Brittish Church of England Farewel A General Table of the Contents PART I. A Sermon touching Christs immediate Soveraignty over the heart and the usefulness of the Christian Doctrine to Societies being the occasion and foundation of the ensuing Argument SECT I. p. 43. The Controversie reduc'd to one single point in General of obedience to the right Soveraign of the heart and Protestancy found Loyal and Popery the contrary in its Principles and Practice SECT II. p. 68. Of the true Mother-Church to all Christians in respest of their In-side and of Rome'sVsurpations SECT III. p. 78. Of the true Mother Church to every Christian in respect of the Out-side and Rome'sVsurpations SECT IV. p. 123 Rome no Mother-Church to Brittain in respect of extraction or first Plantation of the Christian Faith but much Junior to it and more probably its Daughter SECT V. p. 134. The faith never fail'd in Brittain from the Resurrection to this present SECT VI. p. 143. Brittain had not the faith from Pope Eleutherius SECT VII p. 151. The description of the Old Brittish Church in its Doctrine and Discipline and Government and Traditions when Augustine the Monk made his Impression here SECT VIII p. 194. The face of the Roman Church about the same time and of Augustine's qualification and method for his pretended Propagation of the Gospel amongst the English And that the Nation are under no obligation to Rome for his work here but bound by their Christianity to abhor and detest it SECT IX p. 231. That the Gospel was planted among the English throughout their Counties by Brittish Ministry And that Augustine's Roman Plantation here came to nothing and no Bishop left in all this Land of Rome's Ordination but one and he a Simonaick and that the body of the Nation are old Brittains and our Princes especially and therefore by honour and nature bound to maintain the Rights of our Brittish Church against Forreign Enchroachments SECT X. p. 295. That all or most of the Kingdoms and Churches in this part of Europe received their first faith from Brittain yet Brittain pretends to no Supremacy over them upon that account and the Romanists â—loes de se in that kind of Plea SECT XI p. 346. Of the indirect methods of Rome in subjugating this and other Churches under it SECT XII p. 363. The change in Henry 8th rather a Restoration than Reformation and how commencing in Henry 7th and of the Inauspiciousntss of Popery to the Brittish Crown and the success and blessing of Protestant Counsels to this Nation SECT XIII p. 392. That the Primacy of the See of Canterbury as it is settled by our own Kings and Laws is Canonicall and Regular SECT XIV p. 436. That the Primacy of Canterbury as by the Pope and Monk Augustine is Schismatical and against the Canons of the Vniversal Church And of the several Nullities of the Church of Rome in England And how all their Clergy intruding â—here stand depriv'd of their Orders by the Canons of all the Ancient General Councils and their Laity that abet them of their Christian Communion by the same Authority SECT XV. p. 475. A short disquisition into the Cause and Character of the Roman Apostacy in its Leaders and Followers from History and Prophecy and Practice SECT XVI p 503. What the Roman Catholicks truly mean by the term Heretick they so liberally bestow on others and that none are greater Hereticks in Truth and reality than themselves and of their title Roman-Catholick which they so well like And old Rome and Brittain both Heathen and Christians compar'd with the Modern and that the yoak of Rome is not better to us than our present condition SECT XVII p. 562. Where the place of the undoubted true Church is out of whose Pale there is no Salvation And how to be of the Church in Heaven while we are on Earth Page 23. l. 24. read outside p. 177. l. 18 dele as p. 184. ult r. source of p. 204. l. 18. â— the p. 21 â—… l. 29. r. out of p. 237. l. 18. r. after aâ—lin 1â— d. a p. 29â— l. 10. r. of his p. â—08 l. 5. d. say p. 315. l. 18. r. at p. 319 l. 30 r. of Bede p. 358. l. 13. r. of a God p. 379 l. 21. r. soon began p. 392 l. â— r. like to p. 420. l. 10. r. and from p. 468. l. 2. r. where p. 482.
Fathers and Governours within their several Families depending on them for Education life and maintenance Invict Christian Princes and Holy Bishops in their several distinct Provinces and Kingdoms in matters of peace and order and external Ceremony being publick Consciences in their several Dominions which are so many larger Bodies or Families yet none of these are absolute or infallible any further than they agree with a Superiour Soveraign will which alone being such is their Rule and guide communicating its Infallibity to them that follow it which all are bound to do Now who this Infallible Soveraign guide and judge is whether the Pope in his Chair and Bulls or Christ and his Scriptures written in the Bible and mens hearts and Consciences seems to be the Question between Rome and us The Roman Church affirms it belongs to the Pope being near and visible on Earth The Reformed will have it to belong to Christ who is far nearer to mens Souls though in Heaven With Protestants the Invisible Soul is correlate with God its Invisible Lord where is its rest and satisfaction With Papists it must be correlate to the Pope a visible judge and guide else it wanders in uncertainties like a lost sheep Or though both agree perhaps that Gods mind and will is the Law and Rule of the Soul yet they vastly disagree about its promulgation That is Gods will say the Papists what the Pope defines to be his will that his Scripture and sense thereof what he allows and nothing but the sense of the Pope must be the sense of God though never so sensual and Carnal or contrary to truth and to common sense But Protestants hold Gods mind and will to be and to have been knowable by men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at several times and several wayes Heb. 1.1 Not only in the time of the Old Testament and before by the light of nature and the Law and the Prophets and Angelical Revelations and Vrim and Thummim and Visions and Dreams But also in the last dayes by his Son in his Holy Gospel and other inspired Writs delivered to his Church and sufficiently attested to the sense and Conscience by Miracles and right Catholick Tradition And that it is the first and proper work and duty of all mankind as soon as they come out of their Infancy and Non-age as on the one hand to know the difference between God and the Creature and the right and wrong Soveraigns and Legislators of their Souls and to follow truth and vertue which are ever the Laws of the one and to shun vice and lyes which are the dictates and Impostures of the other so also carefully to discern between the Authority of the Master and the Servant or the Prince and his Officer between the Canonical Scripture which is the Divine will and Testament of Christ and humane Tradition which is the Testimony of his Ministers subject to and controllable by and by no means Superiour to the other for next to the confounding of God and Idols in our values who are so infinitely contrary The levelling of all distance and degrees between Master and Servant though subordinate and friendly is most absurd and abominable with all sober Christians saving them at Rome with whom the Authority of their Church or the Pope which with them is equivalent is usually exalted above the authority of the Holy Scriptures though the will and mind of Christ the undoubted and confessed Lord and Master And we also hold that truth in the General which is ever Gods will and mind may be well known by men divers wayes without the Pope As matters of fact and Tradition by the Testimony of honest men of good lives and clean hands and Holy minds and Inclinations free from all worldly ends and designes in their report For where God alone doth rule and possess the heart there we may be sure of truth and sincerity where any Carnal interest or Idol prevails instead there we are to expect lyes Legends and Impostures which are the Dialect of false Gods as truth is of the true God dwelling in the heart And in like manner by the Oaths of Credible Neighbours wherein God is called present to the heart and mouth and by the decrees and sentences of Magistrates and just Judges who in Scripture are called Gods and the General consent of Nations vox populi vox dei and by every mans diligence and search after Truth as after hid Treasure which God rewards and prospers Prov. 2.4 5. and his pains and study in History Languages Customs Criticism c. As in the use of means without which God is tempted But instead of all these methods with Papists the sole report and decision of a Pope though unlearn'd or swayed perhaps by Interest or Avarice or Ambition or Fear which mislead the heart and tongue from God and Truth shall nevertheless be relyed on as an Oracle Infallible more conclusive than the famous Delphick and the heart and Conscience in every man which were made to indent with God and truth be totally excluded and silenc'd in that Church under the notion and bear-skin of private Judgment and opinion which endangers all Yet Protestants resolve to follow the former methods in whole or in part let the Pope contradict or Curse as much as he please So Papists are led by Authority Forraign and often false Protestants by Truth Domestick and more sure They follow the Doctrines of men as did the Scribes and Pharisees heretofore we the voice of Christ and the Commandments of God as all Christs sheep ought to do Herein I say lyes the main difference between us and not so much in those other many points and and Articles wherein we are divided As Image-Worship Invocation of Saints Transubstantiation Purgatory Indulgences c. Which are and will be Learnedly and voluminously defended on each side to the Worlds end while each party resolves firmly to adhere to the God or Idol that either have chosen for their guide to the last gasp with stedfast zeal and constancy For if Protestants as well as Papists could believe the Pope or the Papists as well as Protestants did once believe Christ to be this Infallible Judge and guide all Controversie between us would soon cease and be laid asleep The whole Controversy lyes therefore in the choice or rejection in obedience or disobedience to the right guide or immediate Soveraign of the heart whether Christ or the Pope And exact obedience to the wrong becomes perfect disobedience to the right Superiour And that the Issue will lye here may further appear from each ones case stated by himself and their charge and imputation each against the other and from the state of the question naturally arising hereupon For the Protestants say they take Christ and Scripture and Conscience and what agrees thereto for the guide and rule of their hearts and judgments And that the Papists take the Pope and hold opinions and practices upon his Authority against
Impostures are less tolerable than the open Treason of a Cromwell or the Tyranny of the Turk because men may easier endure to be robbed than to be cheated and deprived of their purses or Estates against their will than of their Honour and understanding with consent And as it hath been largely proved that Popery consists in evident disobedience and Rebellion against the Right Heir and Soveraign of the heart And Papists in a greater concern to jump exactly with the old Sexton whose Clock went truer than the Sun so positively also further to clear and evince the Truth to be on the Protestant side in this main point and Issue which is the hinge of the Controversie between us I shall also instance how we Protestants Loyally adhere to our Right guide and Judge and how the heart in all our principles relies on God and none else and on Christ who is the sole foundation of the Church 1 Cor. 3 3 11. and the Rock whereon it is built against which the gates of Hell can never prevail Math. 16.18 We build our Faith upon the Holy Scriptures which are Gods word for hearts to rest on whose Divine Authority themselves dare not deny without being the most convicted Hereticks that ever disturbed Gods Church in any age however they Blaspheme and traduce them before the Vulgar We come to know the Scriptures to be Gods word being not present our selves at passages by the Testimony and tradition of others such a Testimony as is also Divine or nearest to Divine to be relied on by the heart Not upon the Testimony of the Church of Rome by any means who hath so much cracked her credit by legending forgeing expurgating c. for it were a great fault as well as folly in us who profess our Devotion to God and the Truth to confide in the Father of lies or such his followers but upon our own honest Christian Ancestors with other Churches especially the Primitive when most pure and Holy and therefore likest to God and to be believed by consequence from the heart and the rather when seconded with the Testimony of the Holy Spirit to Holy Livers who is God We believe our sences in their own Sphere in many points against the whole world because we believe God in them with our hearts who made our sences and speaks through them Prov. 20.12 We believe beyond sence and can see things absent as if they were present to us when we have Gods word to assure the same to our Faith and consequently to our hearts and can discern Christ present in the blessed Sacrament and the Bread to be present nevertheless in different respects and be assured of both in our hearts through the evidence and strength of God in whom our Faith and sences act and move But in a Religion without the heart as is the Roman It is hard if not impossible to conceive or imagine how any Sacrament of Bread can be at all amongst them without Transubstantiation in the Elements who will not and cannot admit of any other change by the heart and Faith which are not much in use in that Church in this or any other part of worship which shews the root and occasion of that monstrous errour in that carnal Catholick Church which cannot distinguish between the objects of sence and Faith and is observ'd to Apostatize herein from their own Antient Mass which doth We believe plain and manifest Truths of Scripture without need of guides against the Glosses or Sophistry or Authority of the whole world to the contrary for we believe God himself in them with our hearts who requires and deserves to be so believed because God himself leads us by the hand as it were yea with both hands in plain Texts of Holy writ on the one side and his manifest Instincts of good and evil on the other in such manifest duties And when God himself doth speak all the world must hold the tongue while the Sun is above the Horizon Stars and Candles which answer to guides and supplies abscond and give way Hawks and all other Birds quit the Air where the Eagle Towres what Stupidity were it in a man of years and knowledge of the City to ask the way from Charing-Cross to Temple-bar out of Reverence to his guide and distrust of himself in things obscure and Controversiall wherein neither we nor others can clearly and assuredly discern Gods mind and will for the heart to acquiesce in here we make use of Candles and guides and especially our lawful Superiours who are Gods deputies to direct us and all others that resemble God in their gifts or years or places or Major vote For the next to God is as God unto us when God himself cannot be heard and our hearts can rest on them but not with equal assurance as on plain and manifest duties as their importance also is not equal for there is a greater respect of the two due to the Principal than to his deputy In like manner in all Indifferent matters which are the proper Province of the Magistrate for where Scriptures end there humane Laws begin where God withdraws there his Deputies step in we submit to the determinations and publick orders of our lawful Governours as to Gods voice and Authority out of the obedience of our hearts to Christ present in our Superiours to our Faith and regard to the Churches peace which is his image and darling And they that refuse to submit and conform do it in adherence to their conscience as they pretend now conscience without a Rule is an Atheist as is the heart without the Lord and of no use like a Sun-diall in the dark It is not conscience but the Quakers dark-light within and the Rule is Christs Will or to come nearest to his Will which is the utmost satisfaction of the heart now whether we keep nearest to Christ in adhearing stiffly to private fancy or submitting modestly to publick Authority and Major vote is the Question which St. Paul puts of question 1 Cor. 14.33 For Christ is where peace and humility and order is and not where pride and strife and division are and are ever like to be while each prefer themselves not only before their equals which is pride but their Superiours likewise which is disobedience and contempt of Christ in his Magistrates added to it which all true Christian hearts will avoid more than death as being not from God as Papists truly object And so we Protestants hold no Principle or Opinion but what agrees with the mind of God and Christ which was the Rule and measure that was to be agreed upon by both to arrive at Truth and endeavour always to approve our hearts to Christ who alone is their Judge and Soveraign and no mortal man whatsoever believing and considering that as there can be no sin or vertue where there is no Law so a Law were to no effect or purpose without a Judge to reward and punish the observers
the Brittish is the most faithful and motherly in the education of her Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord 1 Pet. 5.1 3 4. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder or Fellow-Presbyter and witness of the sufferings of Christ Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the over-sight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready mind Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being examples to the flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory Now the Popes are so far from feeding Christs flock by their Doctrine or example that no Pope was ever seen in a Pulpit these many hundred years and sometimes are no Divines but Canonists most an end or States-men or Nuncio's better vers'd in the Mysteries of the World than of the Soul And as to the other part of being Holy examples to Christs flock which is as necessary to edifying as preaching they do not so much as pretend to it but instead of morall attraction by the Heavenliness of their doctrines or lives wherewith souls can alone be won which close with nothing but God or what most resembles him in light and holiness they use ignorance and blind obedience and force and Fagot and Inquisition which are secular and temporal weapons and methods to work upon Beasts and Malefactors and the body only and not Spiritual or Ecclesiastical or Heavenly and proportionable to mens souls which are Inhabitants of Heaven But if the guides of their Church have neither the Truth nor pretence and colour of Holiness the whole mystery of iniquity would go to wrack therefore Holiness shall be arrogated as peculiar to them not in respect of heart and life before God and men which would prove a hard lesson and an unstable title but in the Right and Prerogative of the Apostolick chair what ever be their lives or examples vertuous or vitious exemplary or scandalous and Atheistical which is but a wooden title and would be as unstable as the former without the strong supports and butresses of blind Faith and the slavish and bestiall ignorance of their Disciples to acknowledge and bear it up But though our Popes do fully quitt and resign their Ministerial Superiority over the Inside of Churches which was all that could in this respect belong unto them were they extraordinary and inspir'd Apostles from this or their own Inferiour Churches Subject to them and therefore we need not be troubled in conscience for detaining this Right and priviledge from them which they never lawfully had here or if they had they do and have for many ages voluntarily and heartily and in the face of the world quitted and relinquished it for ages immemorial both at home and a broad Yet as to the rights and Prerogatives of the Soveraign or chief Shepheard of this Heavenly Jerusalem as St. Peter calls him which never belong'd to them nor to St. Peter himself their pretended founder none are more for them than they be nor more daring and greedily encroaching and usurping daily upon them a Symptome of the old Disease we are like to meet in every one of their practices and opinions What Christ enacts to be sins of everlasting stain and pravity to depose lawful Kings to Massacre and murder Nations shall be no sins in Roman Catholicks when their Soveraign the Pope shall insinuate to the contrary Orthodox Christians in Christs esteem keeping to his word and will shall be but Hereticks and Dogs with the Pope for the same reason Christ ordained Bread and Wine for the Sacraments the Pope is for Wine only to the people He 'l forbid like Murder or Treason Communion with Protestants whose Sacraments are much purer than his own and dispense and connive at stews which Christ abhors Allegiance to Kings and Faith and Civility to men are duties with Christ but sins with the Pope at his pleasure The Orthodox and penitent whom Christ absolves the Pope will bind he 'l dispense with Hypocrisie and License incest and absolve Impenitence and imploy debauchery and vice in men and women to promote the Interest of Holy Church though means and ends are Homogeneous in their natures and as it were of a piece And men shall be flatter'd in sin for gain and cozen'd into damnation for filthy Lucre which God and Angels and all good men abhor and Scripture detests and no honest or wise man would be seen in none but a Cain or Satan or a Pimp or a Pope And thousands more of the like Abominations and controlling of Christs will and Law too much in request and daily practice enough without repentance to invite and hasten a Turkish Rod upon them and to make the Earth weary in bearing and Heaven in forbearing such scandalous impieties under the name of Christ and mask of Religion SECTION III. Of the true Mother Church to every Christian in respect of the out-side and RomesVsurpations ANd as Churches by their In-side are under the King of Heaven alone so by their out-sides they are under their respective Earthly Kings and not the Pope in either what ever his incroachments are or have been against the one or the other Soveraign against either of whose Authorities and Prerogatives a strong man cannot a good man that bears any Character of Christ as Popes pretend highly to do will not offer to plead prescription Though no Secular power have eyes sharp enough to search or discern the secret Communion of mens hearts and spirits either rightly with God that made them or vilely with an Idol which they have made unto themselves nor hands rich and Liberal to out-bid the deceitful promises of the flesh or buy them out from a fancy or zeal that 's false nor arm or strength or sufficient terrour to wrench them from a Martyriall truth and therefore are insignificant in all their inquests or attempts upon mens thoughts which are as it were in another world far out of their reach and view and subject to no King but Christ who by beatificial Visions and Eternal torments and which is more forceing the immense Humility and kindness of his death and power of his Resurrection checks and reduces all the Idols of mens hearts with all their train and deceits and contumacy and keeps his Assises in every corner of those Intellectual Regions through the Ministry of his Holy word which Heb. 4.12 Is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword pierceing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do His Ministers like men in Virginals raising an Heavenly Harmony upon the dead strings of mens hearrs when the finger of the living God is pleased to touch
profit of the difference and laugh at the follies and credulity of the appellants The Supremacy of the King in all Causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal being that which hath been learnedly evinced by our Writers and is solemnly recogniz'd every day in Gods presence in Prayers and Oaths according to the settlement of our Laws by the Wisdom of the Nation But though this inside of the Church be properly Secular and Temporal because visible yet the Secular Causes which belong to the determinations of Christian Secular Authorities are well and orderly distinguishable into Ecclesiastical and Christian or Temporal and Civill as the whole Commonwealth may be considered either as a Society of men or a Society of Christian men or Church In the first respect as men all are Subject to their own Kings and Laws in matters of life limb and property whether they be Christian or Holy or Heathen and Antichristian as they were before Christ came into into the World and must be to the Worlds end For Magistracy is Gods Ordinance whom all men therefore are to be subject to from the heart which alwayes attends what God appoints though manag'd by a Claudius who was weak and infamously credulous or Nero who for his cruelty was believed by many to be Antichrist for to such the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul command obedience and subjection not only for fear of wrath and power but for Conscience sake and the fear of God Rom. 13.5 1 Pet. 2.14 16. For they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.2 Yet on this undoubted unforfeitable right of Earthly Kings and Governours according to their several Constitutions by the Laws of their Kingdoms the Pope like a fift Monarch hath ever and still doth affect and design new incroachments as before upon the King of Heaven and spiritual pretences of Superiority Not only by exempting his Subjects and Clergy from secular subjection assuming to be the mother of the Child that 's not her own but also through his Emissaries and influence in the time of his Reign and Power in bringing the Lives of Subjects to the Stake and their States into Forfeiture from their Posterity for Opinions and the Heads and Crowns of Kings themselves to the like danger for the like insufficient cause Absolving Subjects of their Allegiance which Christ binds on every Soul and leading them into perjury and Rebellion which God forbids and damns being not only Traytors against Heaven and Earth therein but which is infinitly worse Traitor-makers as Satan is worse than a sinner and as many Traitor-makers by their Doctrine and what lyes in them as there are Subjects or Polls in any Kingdom they would absolve and seduce Which made the Nation joyn unanimously against their methods not only by Acts of Treason since the Reformation but of premunire long before A very Apostolical and comely deportment in a chief Professor of Christian Holiness and vertue that he and his Missionaries should deserve to be thrust and shoulder'd out like Pests by a wise and a Religious people and their Friends and the door made fast against them with the strongest Barricadoes that could be thought of Hanging and Drawing and Quartering Yea many of his own Confessors and Martyrs our Native Roman-Catholicks to this day who sincerely adhere to all his other Doctrines though Flead Alive with penalties and inconveniences for it yet disclaim and desert his infallible guidance in this particular and would be ready to venter Lives and Fortunes for their Laws and Countrey against any Invasion of the Land though countenanc'd or authoriz'd by the Pope for though such Loyalty be looked upon at Rome with an evil eye as hath lately appeared in the Irish Excommunications for the like principle and profession of Allegiance yet they are resolved to be true to their King let who will call them Hereticks for being honest Subjects And this their Resolution must be grounded either upon Policy or vain glory to avoid the danger as well as the Infamy of Rebellious principles or upon Conscience to God which only is true honour I am apt if I do no wrong to believe the last and to acknowledge and own all such by Consequence as true English Protestants as any in our own Church for preferring Conscience before the Pope which as I have proved is the chief point in difference between Papists and Protestants And the rather if they deal alike with the rest of their opinions which set us at distance from one another by the same rule which if it be good and right must hold in the rest as well as this dismissing all other Tenets that are excepted against and have no support from God or Conscience or the Scripture but the bare Authority of the Pontifical Chair For being so dangerously and perfidiously deceived while trusting to its judgement and of right interpreting in a case so evident and plain and Important as Neck and Estate and Salvation can amount to If they will suffer themselves again to be over-rul'd to differ from their Brethren upon no reason of Conscience but this bare Authority alone whereof they have had tryal of its fidelity and the old sophisme of believing as that Church believes This cannot be counted worthy and filial piety and well weighed Religion in them but a negligent unadvisedness equivalent to plain fault and folly especially there being present suffering and future hazard in the Case according to the known Proverb The Friend that deceives me once it is his fault twice it is my own All differences in our Religion being thus easily compos'd between us if they stand constant to their good principle throughout its consequences as reason binds them to and there will be no reason else to believe or trust their Loyalty what a day of bliss would it be to them and us to go hand in hand together like Christian as well as English brethren to their Churches and ours what peace to themselves in their concerns both within and without what tears of joy would it cause in their Protestant Tenants and dependants who would willingly resigne their lives to see that blessed day what acclamation and bone-fire throughout the Nation for the restoration of its strength and Union what Ecchoes and Halelujahs amongst the Angels of Heaven that delight in mens Salvation and return from Errour But should they offer to make themselves and us and the Nation happy with such a Festival How must they expect to be well lash'd for this by their Old Friends for Hereticks and Schismaticks and Apostates from the Holy See besides the ignobleness of changing and being unconstant to which I shall not now reply But those of them that through Gods Grace assisting them nowithstanding such discouragements and obstacles that will be leaders and examples to their brethren in such paths of Peace and Life and count it Glory and magnanimity to adhere to truth through shame and calumny and but an Heathenish
vain glory to be constant to Antient Errour and will accept to be Gods Catholicks although they may be branded for being Hereticks to the Pope therein may the blessings of Heaven be multiplyed upon every one of them and their Posterity for ever according to the numbers and Myriads of hearts in Heaven and Earth they shall with their own refresh thereby In the second respect as the Church is a Society of Christian men standing in need of Government and Peace and Order and outward decency and Regulation in its publick Worship and Communion against scandalls from within 1 Cor. 5.11 or tongues and censures from without 1 Cor. 14.23 Authority and power must of necessity be allowed in such external matters to those that are Superiours and Governours in such a body without whom it were as impossible for it to be kept in any order as for an Army to subsist without any Officers or Commanders And here if any where the Pope is to put in his plea and claim for Supremacy which cannot be well denyed him at Rome and his Suburbicarian Territories where he hath the Power both of Prince and Bishop but he never originally had over (a) Praefat. Monastic Anglican part 1. Millain and his next neighbours the seven Provinces of Italy heretofore under their own peculiar Jurisdiction without appeal to Rome or conformity with it in several of its Catholick Ceremonies and ways of Devotion particularly the Roman Fasting upon Saturday much less over our British Isles which never were within the Diocess or Bayliwick of Rome by any right besides its new exclusion by the Supremacy of our Kings becoming Christian the rising of the one being the setting of the Glory of the other like the Baptist giving place to Christ For though before Kings be Christians the Bishops and Officers of the Church were Supream in their several limits It being equally incongruous and inconvenient for the Church in Church Affairs to be under Heathen Government as under none at all Yet Bishops themselves though of Christs own appointment and Institution gave place and precedence to Kings and Emperours becoming Christians who are Lords of our outward-man and Gods of the outside in all communities allowing them to be now Christian heads of their Christian as they were Civil heads before of their Civil Dominions and Territories And contenting themselves to be eyes to these Christian heads and not the head it self their Counsellours under them and not their Lords above them under any colour or pretence The Bishops of the Church being to resemble the Stars in the Firmament of the Church as they are stil'd by our Saviour Revel 1.10 who are to Rule by night as chief when there is no Sun to shine but as soon as the Sun appears who resembles Christ and Kings his proper Deputies and Vicars then though never so fixt they withdraw their splendor and dis-appear as to Lustre but not as to influence and assistance being ready in case of any Antichristian Ecclipse to peep and shine at mid-day as the dotage of Parents manumits the Sons and in case not only the Sun be overcast but the Stars also with it by some Carnal Sympathy and compliance or thick storm and cloud be intercepted from us why may not private Souls below take each Gods word and will in the Bible or Conscience in the Creed or Babtismal vow as a Lamp to their feet and a guide to their path when there is no other light Ps 119.105 Why not beg the guidance of the Holy Spirit that leads to all truth which is not denyed to fervent prayer 1 Joh. 2.20 27. Luc. 11.13 The Cessation of Fathers and guides on Earth doth not dissolve the Allegiance or hopes of Orphan Christians from their Heavenly Father but very commonly makes the dependance nearer and closer and the assistance wonderful as in the Case of the late glorious King deprived of his Chaplains of numbers of Religious Christians such as St. Bernard Gerson and others under the darkest times of Popery and many British Families in England deprived of their Teachers in the Pagan Invasion of the Saxons The right Christian Soul neither is nor can be deprived of Christ her best self whether her guides on Earth remove or stay Rom. 8.38 39. where she hath Superiours left she obeyes them in Christ which is the best obedience on Earth where none are left Christ alone hath her whole heart and immediate service which is the obedience that 's paid in Heaven as Noah is said to walk with God the times being so corrupt he had none else to walk with here Gen. 8.9 But when God doth bless a Nation with guides and deputies under him the chiefest heed and duty of the Soul wherein her wisdom or folly before God and man and her self appears is in her chusing and cleaving to her true guide and superiour and not the wrong for by mistake herein the rights and honour of the true Superiour and representative of Christ shall be Sacrilegiously with-held and prophanely conferred on the false which is her case and fate in every sin that engrosses her affections where the honour that 's due to God alone is paid to an Idol for want of heed and difference to be made between what is her real and that which is only her seeming good and lure to deceive her And the Errour that may be commited in the Recognition of wrong Superiours over us under Christ in External matters of Religion For in Internals or externals there is none to be over us but himself is twofold either 1 In specie in kind or 2. gradu in degree The first is a mistake in the whole as if a Subject of France should take the King of Spain for his Soveraign in such a case his obedience to the wrong is Treason against the right Superiour and is not his obedience but his sin the mistake in degree is between Superiour and Subordinate where respect and obedience is due to both but the respect that 's due to the Master is given to the Servant and the Steward honoured above the Lord and the Officer above the Prince that Authorizes him which is the usual honour of those that make blind obedience and advantage more than conscience the measure of their duties The last is more absurd and faulty for the first is liker madness and distraction one purblin'd in his Intellects may be guilty of the one but none can be guilty of the other but him who is wholly blind and mad For God and nature directs men and Christians and Irrational Creatures themselves to make a difference between Friends and strangers and though to be civil to all yet not to rely and trust on those we know not as much as on those we know The word Hostis for an Enemy at first did signifie a stranger so easy is the transition that is between them and in Church dependance which is our present case God hath given great Instances to the world
in general and to all Nations in particular that it is not his will we should be led by strangers more than by guides of our own flesh and bloud for this cause Christ took upon him humane nature when sent by God John 17.3 to direct the world For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels for this purpose Heb. 2.16 which though greatly Holy is yet Forraign to ours and as it were of another Country and their best messages seldome received by the best Christians without fear and horrour and suspition Luk. 2.9 Math. 28.45 But he took upon him the seed of Abraham being sent unto his own John 1.11 And in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren to be the better fitted for Sympathy towards us on his part and the belief thereof on ours Heb. 2.17 18. In like manner in sending his Apostles for the conversion of Nations the first fruits in every Nation that were converted to Christ were appointed for Bishops and Teachers as soon as might be to convert their Brethren and the Supemacy over the Gentile Churches not entail'd upon a Jewish line and succession forever as our first Teachers but upon the Natives themselves in every City and Country when fitted for it to Govern and direct their people and every Province to have its own Metropolitan chief within it self and unsubordinate to Foreigners And it is likewise observed that the needs of every Country in point of food and Raiment and Physick is best supplied from within it self and whether it be for the health or interest of this Nation to delight to wear forraign Liveries above its own I shall not now dispute and but that the Witchcraft and fascination that is in errour doth Seal up the Intellect it deludes less dispute there would be with all sober minds but that we have Governours of our own Nation praised be God fitted as likely for ability and compassion to be faithful guides to their Inferiour Brethren as the greatest Angels of the Church of Rome to whom were it alwayes certain they would prove good Angels we are not so near and dear as to our own Pastors who are bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh And that our own wise Kings and Parliaments have and can make as wholesom Laws for this Church and State as the Conclave ever can or did how far and how dear soever fetched and bought To alledge as the Romanists do that Christ had his fix'd Officers his Apostles and Bishops in his Church before there were any Christian Kings which cannot be denyed that St. Peter was the chief of these Apostles which also may be granted for peace-sake as to his precedence but not any Jurisdiction that the present Popes are the successors of St. Peter in all his Authority and Holiness whether they follow him as he followed Christ or not and therefore are Superiours to all Christian Kings and Princes in their own Teritories as well as at Rome in all affairs relating to Religion is such a broken Title such a far-fetch'd Etymology and derivation of Authority as only fully proves the Antichristian humour of exalting themselves above every thing that is called God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majesty as the word may imply which is the Jaundize that overspreads the face and vitals of that Church all over but cannot satisfie the conscience of any sober English Christian to relinquish and renounce his manifest allegiance and Subjection to his own Prince and Church to whom it is due to bestow the same to his own wrong and Spiritual danger as well as Temporal upon a forraign Power to whom it is not due and to rob his King to maintain a cheat For neither are our Brittish Churches more Subject to the Chair of Rome than is the Crown of France to the Crown of Spain which it had long a mind to but never any right neither if degrees and dignities be compared are Crowns to be Subject to the Mitre but the Mitre to the Crown For Kings if Heathen are without the Church and therefore not Subject to the Pope were he a lawful Vicar of Christ for what have I to do to judge them that are without them that are without God judgeth 1 Cor. 5.12 13. neither do they forfeit their Soveraignty by being Christian Kings by any colour or pretence of St. Peters supremacy St. Peter himself being judge who writes to his fellow Elders to feed the flock of God which was among them 1 Pet. 5.1 2. and to be subject for the Lords sake to the King as supreme for so is the will of God 1 Pet. 5.1 2. There is no where less love and honour from the heart to that blessed Apostle St. Peter no not perhaps in Hell than amongst them at Rome an out-side love or Philauty for Secular ends and designs they may have for him beyond any such as the Ephesian Silver-smiths had for Diana by which they had their wealth Act. 19.24 25. or Turks for Christs Sepulcher which turns to account unto them which is not their love to St. Peter but to themselves and bellies for if they had the least love and honour from the heart in Christ to his name and dignity they would rather chuse to starve or beg than face their frauds and cheats upon all degrees of men with his name and Authority or make him a complice or an Author to all their impious Usurpations and Rebellions against the Kings both of Heaven and Earth against his mind and principles as before For St. Peter himself from whom Popes derive all the power over Kings they can pretend to yea Christ himself from whom St. Peter had his and the whole Christian Church in his divine person while he was on Earth did submit to Magistrates and Presidents acknowledging their Power to be from Heaven John 19.11 and his Kingdom not to be of this world Joh. 18.36 as his pretended Vicars cannot also be by consequence for a Deputy cannot have more Power than his Soveraign St. Paul commands every soul to be Subject or subordinate to the higher Powers Rom. 13.1 which St. Chrysostom upon the place as before extends to Apostles and Ecclesiasticks as well as Lay and with good reason for no Crime can be Treason where is no Subjection and gives the title of excellency to Festus an Heathen President Act. 26. as St. Luke to Theophilus a Christian Luk. 1.3 an evident argument that neither would have denied the title of Majesty to a King and much more to a Christian King for as Servants gained no outward liberty by becoming Christians but continued Servants after as well as before their conversion 1 Cor. 7 20 21. So neither do Kings lose their Prerogatives or Supremacy by being Christians but are to be received into the Christian Society or Church in the same degree and quality they had in the Civil or State Superiour to all Inferiour to none And the Texts therefore that command
obedience and submission to Heathen Magistrates do command the same much more to Christian And manifestly condemn the Pope as Antichristian in denying it And as in the World or the Kingdom of God they were Gods Deacons or Liturgists as they are stiled Rom. 13.4 6. or his Ministers for the encouragement and discouragement of Vertue and Vice v. 4. So in the Church or the Kingdom of Christ they are Christs Ministers to serve him with their Authorities in maintenance of Holiness and Order which is vertue in its highest degree and extirpation of Scandals which is Vice and Confusion under greatest aggravation Which trust and supremacy they bore in the Church of God in all Ages under all dispensations in Old Israel or the Jewish Church and New Israel or the Christian Gal. 6.16 For so Aaron gave place to Moses and Nathan though inspir'd counts himself but the servant of his King nevertheless bowing himself with his face to the ground when he came into his presence as his deportment is recorded not for naught by the Spirit of God 1 King 1.23 27. And such was the power and influence of the Kings of Israel in matters Ecclesiastical that the whole state and face of the present Church and the fate and destiny of the land it self is usually comprised by Scripture in one word in the Character of the Kings heart that reigned whether it was right with God or not When it sayes that such and such Kings did that which is good or that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and what was like to follow from such example for no face or figure of Heaven can be more benigne or fortunate No Comet so portending and ill boding to a Nation as a wakeful or a supine Prince in Mercy or Judgment appointed over it that eyes all himself in his Charge or trusts too far to others The Prince is the first and Master wheel even in the Church that gives motion and Order to all the rest all will be at a stand or out of order when this is He is the Architect in the building and ordering both of Tabernacle and Temple according to his Pattern from God he sets all to their proper work and erects and dedicates both the one and the other and places Aaron and Levi in their several Stations each one afterwards to look to their own work and duties of Instructing Sacrificing attoning interceding that God may dwell in the Camp or State as the Life and Soul and Strength there of And their care of Gods Church was not a free will Offering or a generous work of Super-erogation in the Kings of Israel which was their praise and honour to mind and attend and not their guilt to neglect and leave to others but it was the principal indispensable point of their trust and charge For Old Israel might be said to be more a Church than a Kingdom being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lot and Inheritance the Clergy or spiritual Kingdom of God The rest of the Heathen World being revolted from him and kept in slavery under the Prince of the power of the Air Ephes 2.2 And therefore the Governour of such a Nation was more the head of a Church than the King of a Countrey being truly both the one and the other the one supremacy being common to every Heathen Prince but the other proper and peculiar to Rulers in Israel For God himself by particular condescention was King of Israel 1 King 8.7 And men came to be Kings by his permission and allowance as his Vicars and Lieutenants to maintain his Worship and Honour wherein the peoples happiness as well as their Prerogative did consist In the World he was the best and completest Prince that had most of the Councellor or Captain in him to suppress all disorder and violence at home by Laws and all invasions and dangers from abroad by Arms and Courage But in Israel he was the best King that had most of the Priest and Bishop in him to win God of his side They conquered their enemies in the field then best when they served God best at home Their Victories and Successes depended not so much upon their Bow and Chariot or the Conduct of their Generals or the Courage and Number of their men as upon having the Lord of Hosts on their side to go along with their Armies which Blasphemous Lives never had the Happiness to procure that Rule of our Saviour that directs how to prosper in the World being true as well before as since his coming But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Rightousness and all things shall be added unto you Mat. 6.33 For it was their sins that gave valour and prevalence to their enemies and despondency to themselves Then was there War in the gate when they sought after new Gods Jud. 5.8 The children of Ephraim carrying Bowes turn'd their backs in the day of Battel because they kept not the Covenant of God Psal 79.9 And it was their Piety and Repentance made them miraculously Victorious when over-match'd Yea the Heathen Historian observes and confesses the like touching the Roman Empire that its progress and success was founded in sincere zeal for their Gods as its decayes and overthrow to arise from profane remissness and easie Luxury Upon good reasons therefore as well of Conscience and Equity to approve themselves Faithful and Loyal to Gods Honour and Interest to whom Kings are immediate Subjects as they expected the like Fidedelity and Loyalty from their people appointed to be their Subjects as of publick wel-fare and prosâ—erity to their Nation obliging Arguments with riâ—ht Princely dispositions We find the best Kings of Israel and even Heathen Kings when sober chiefly to imploy their Royal Authority and Power about matters Ecclesiastical to suppress Idolatry to reform Abuses to settle wholesom Laws and Fences about Doctrine Worship and Discipline in Gods Church To put down high places Groves Idolatrous Altars Sodomites-houses and all strange Religion as did Josia 2 Kings 23.4 5 6 7. And other Kings to break in pieces the Brasen Serpenâ— though made by Moses when abused to Idolatry as did Hezechia 2 King 18.4 To send able Teachers throughout the Land as did Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 2.8 to Dedicate and Repaire and Purifie the Temple as did Solomon 1 King 8.29.6 and Joash 2 Chron. 24.4 and Hezechia 2 Chron. 5. To institute the Feast for the Dedication of the Temple as did the Macchabees 1 Macch. 4.56.59 which our Saviour honour'd with his presence Joh. 10.22 To restore the celebrating of the Passoever to its Ancient Rite 2 King 22.21 To appoint a Faâ—r to save his Nation as did the King of Niniveh with success Jon. 3.7 10. To decree Blaspheming Hectors to be cut in pieces as did the King of Babylon when converted Dan. 3.29 To appoint Judges in Causes Ecclesiastical as well as Temporal 2 Chron. 19.8 Amaria the Chief Priest in all matters of the Lord and
Zebadia the Ruler of the house of Juda for all the Kings matters v. 11. To assemble Synods and Councells about Sacred Affairs for settling the Ark as did David 1 Chron 13.2 For dedicating the Temple as did Solomon 1 Reg. 8. and reforming the Nation and bringing them back unto the Lord God of their Fathers as did Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 19.4 To maintain their Command and Soveraignity in such matters not only over all the people in general 1 King 23.21 but over the High Priests themselves in particular by assigning their work and duty 2 King 22.8 12. Where Jehoshaphat layes command upon Hilkiah the High-Priest thrusting them out of their High-Priesthood for their Disloyalty as Solomon did Abiathar 1 King 2.27 And sparing them their Lives in courtesie to their Coat v. 26. And this their pious care and zeal for God and Religion which in the Popes account were little less than intermeddling in other mens rights is recorded in Gods account as their Eternal praise and honour and good service to their Countrey And like Josiah was there no King before him that turn'd to the Lord with all his heart and with all his Soul and with all his might Neither arose there any like him 2 King 23.25 And Jehoshaphat sought to the Lord God of his Father and walked in his Commandments and not after the doings of Israel Therefore the Lord established the Kingdom in his hands and all Juda brought to Jehoshaphat Presents and he had Riches and honour in abundance 2 Chron. 17.5 And the contrary neglect about the Worship of God in their wicked Kings and making their people to sin by their defection or ill example was the ruine of their Land 2 Chron. 36.17 And a Brand of Infamy upon their names in particular forever as the followers of Jereboam the Son of Nebat which made Israel to sin and therefore liker to Satan therein than to Gracious Kings and Fathers And what was thus their bounden duty and honour in the Kings of Israel to imploy their Authority and Government for God and his Church upon the like ground and proportion is the duty and interest of all Christian Kings for a Kingdom that becomes Christian becomes a Church thereby or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 3.5 the Heritage and Clergie of God a Christian Kingdom is a new Israel of God Gal. 6.16 and Christian Kings by consequence are heyres of the same Prerogative and Supremacy that did belong in Israel to the Kings of Israel where the High-Priests were subordinate in externals to the Kings and not the Kings to the Priests It is a contradiction to be a King and to be Subject wherein Popes are made Supreme Kings are made Subjects there cannot be two Supremes in the same Church or Kingdom and it were a great snare and Spiritual misery to be subjects under two contrary Soveraigns and to be bound in conscience to obey contrary injunctions and commands whereby inevitably their obedience to the one becomes their sin and transgression against the other Soveraign which is the condition of Roman Catholicks who own the Pope for supreme to the wrong of those Christians Soveraigns over them whose right it is whereby their conscientious Catholick obedience becomes unconscionable disobedience to their right Superiour It concerns and behoves them therefore and every other Christian subject in whom the word of Christ ought to dwell richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 to be fully satisfied who is to rule them He that mistakes his Soveraign will mistake his Loyalty The Old and New Testament knows but two Soveraigns God or the King Christ or Caesar 2. Chron. 19.11 Math. 22.21 so the Jewish so the Ancient Christian Church so the Church of England held upon the Reformation when the whole Nation both Parliament and Convocation unanimously agreed that the Pope had no more to do in England than any other Bishop The Soveraignty of the Lord the Pope starting up when the Church began to degenerate strongly savours of a fifth Monarchy or an Antichristian erection Christ only is the Immediate Soveraign of the Inside of men in his Church Kings the Immediate Soveraigns of the outside in their Dominions the Pope or Prelate is Soveraign in neither Pet. 5.3 Rom. 13.1 therefore there is no obedience due from the heart and conscience to spirituall Governours but wherein they agree in their Doctrines with Christs mind and clash not in their outward order and Discipline with the rights of Christian Kings for delegates are to be obeyed in and for and not against their Principals and the soul is subject to none but to a supreme either the Lord Christ who is absolutely such or our Lord the King who is such in externals by Christs concession Prov. 8.15 subject also it is to Governours but for his sake and by his command that is to say it 's subject not to them but to him But it will be still objected what have Kings to do with Religion that wholly belongs to Spiritual persons and the Clergy and to the Pope the Patriarch in such matters and by consequence Supreme and it must still be answered and acknowledged That the substantial part of Christian Religion lyes out of the Horizon and Territory of Kings in another world as it were where yet none is Soveraign but Christ alone Popes and Bishops and Inferiour Priests being all officers and Ministers under him in this Kingdom all of equal degree and power without difference in their Authorities or Keys saving that in equity and merit they are foremost and chiefest who are most painful and faithful in this trust Kings well observe their bounds therein they do not as they ought not intermeddle in such matters between the soul and God as are of divine Institution or immortal importance they meddle not with the Priestly office and great would be the peace of Churches and of the world if the Pope did as little meddle with the Kingly they take not upon them to preach and publish the Laws and mind of Christ in his name and Authority nor to denounce wrath and War against offenders high or low nor of themselves to Excommunicate the unworthy from the Holy Society of Christs Church and all hopes of mercy till they repent and change nor to arbitrate as for Christ who are fit and worthy of Grace or pardon neither do they travel between Heaven and Earth upon messages between Christ and souls as the Angels upon the ladder being now Gods mouth to the people in wholsom Counsels and Instructions anon the peoples mouths to God in humble confessions or thanskgivings as neither did the Kings of Israel ever offer to enter the holy place or order the Shew Bread or Sacrifice or incense which might have been done with the same skill though not with the same Authority by Common persons as by Priests and hath been attempted by one or two but to their wo No under both Law and Gospel these offices did solely belong to
example before men belongs to Christian Kings to regulate by discretion with the advice of their Clergy Numb 27.21 Mal. 2.7 for their Transitory Nature makes them more allyed to this present world where Kings are Soveraigns than their bare Connexion to Holy duties doth make them appurtenances to the other immortal world where Christ only Raigns and Rules For Instance whether it be more decent to perform Divine service in a Gown or Surplice or in a Cloak or Querpo whether with the people having all their Hats on as do the Jewes or the Minister as the French or all bare both Minister and People as usually amongst us whether kneeling or sitting be the best and seemliest postures at several Offices before men for it is clear before God that the heart is all in all whether a Bason at the Ministers Elbow be more comly than a Font or whether the Font stand best in the Chancel with the other Table for the other Sacrament or at the Church door in token of our entrance by it Whether the Cross may be used in Baptism or the Ring in Marriage Whether the King have not power to found and endow Churches and to alter Sees and to translate the Metropolitan from one place to another as he thinks fit for any new convenience or redress These things are nominally spiritual but really secular and belong to Christian Temporal Jurisdiction which no way intrenches herein upon Divine Institution or Soveraignity which hath left out such matters and causes free for Christian Kings to regulate even in the Church and Temple as did the Kings of Israel The Church being part of their state and Province where Kings and Subjects are Christian and the one to order every thing to the Lord Christ whose Deputies and Vicars now they are and the other to obey them in all such their Orders from the heart as to the Lord Neither is there any peril of Soul or Salvation by such transitory matters as wears and postures of the Body where they are not ordained for to honour or acknowledge Idols and false Gods there may be great danger in contention 1 Cor. 11.16 and disobedience to those Divine and Eternal Laws which command obedience and Conformity to humane Neither are the Circumstances of Religion made equal hereby to the substantial parts thereof being observed to such several Ends and intents sufficiently distinct and different as are the Authorities that appoint both the one and the other God himself in those and Kings as his Deputies and delegates in these though many mens too much placing their Heaven and zeal and humour and scruples upon Ceremonies and shadows make them substances as to themselves For the difference between Time and Eternity or the Body and the Soul or sense and faith or word and sword or Heaven and Earth or peace of Conscience and the peace of the Kingdom is not more fixt and manifest and unconfounded than is that between the inside and outside of the Church the one lying within the Perambulation and Jurisdiction of Divine Soveraignty the other of humane neither of the Popes over us in England nor the latter but only there where he is a Temporal nor the former even at Rome it self where so he is And O! the Unchristian Arts and Methods that have been us'd by Popery all along both above and under-board according as it was high or low to wrest this Ecclesiastical Supremacy and Prerogative from Christian Kings which is their manifest and undoubted right and chiefest Glory in their Temporal Crowns and a peculiar Talent for their management in order to an Eternal Sometimes openly and above-board by an impudent pretence of Plenitude of Power when they had none at all they have eagerly endeavoured to hook unto themselves our Kings Royal Priviledges about Investures and nomination of Bishops and the Crowns off from their heads which is too well known For any ones Temporal right that had any reference or Relation towards the Church was straightway the undoubted Appurtenance of St. Peters Chair under that pretence they caus'd King Henry the Second in the Controversie about the exemption of the Clergy which was an absolute invasion of his Royal Government and Authority to be whipt and stript by his Subjects like a Malefactor in Bridewell for the good of his Soul and in breach of his Royal Trust and Dignity to allow Appeals to Rome to heal his wounded Conscience Their poisoning Attempts and Invasions and Powder-plots against Queen Elizabeth and King James are fresh in Memory When open Arts can do no good they 'l work their Ends in Masquerade and smaller undertakings Here possessing Quakers and raising Sects to resist and Blaspheme our Religion and Government There endeavouring to get more considerable Instruments into power to promote their Romish Interest in Protestant Shapes with greater succcess and lesser noise because less discern'd to corrupt our hopeful Clergy and destroy honest men under-hand and imbroile the Nation by widening the differences between Protestants which were ready to close and multiplying Non-conformists whether they would or not For it is obvious and easie to observe that all or most of our Presbyterian Dissenters of the younger sort throughout the Nation did see their Errour and desert their Party upon the Restauration of our Church And that the Elder sort were no less convinc'd from the experience of late confusions but that it was harder for the one than for the other in point of Reputation to change and walk contrary on a suddain to their former Actings And the secret enemies of our Protestant peace and union laid hold of this advantage as Non-conformists alledge and cast in politick Provisoes and obstructions to make their Repentance harder still if not impossible to the trouble of our Government and the joy of Rome Some ambodextrous Pens like Mountebanks upon a Stage shall publickly wound and confute and presently heal and defend the Church of Rome as faithfully as any of her own Inquisitors and as safely as any of our own Authors by this double stile falling fiercely upon their first Deserters and such as begin to espy and loath any of its grosser Errours enough in time if not so carefully prevented and discourag'd to cause a general defection throughout the host because they are not perfect Protestants in a moment able to see and relinquish all her Corruptions at first waking And therefore the sincere Irish Clergy shall be rigorously chid for beginning an Orthodox Allegiance in disobedience to their Church and violation of their Oaths And the Jansenists for defending Catholick Doctrines with the like sincerity to Christ and dis-rellish to the Pope And the Distinguishers of the Church of Rome from its more corrupt Court as Pestiferous and rash beginners or some Ho-body Hoyes and no right Sons of the one Church or of the other against all Principles of Christian Charity which forbids to quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed as also against common humanity and
Conversion of the Isle of Man to the Brittish Culdees Usher 642. Man together in a miraculous manner which was his Christian retaliation to his enemies Whose reward is great with God and the greater by this that he hath the less of praise from men his very Adorers since his plantation was long obscur'd by a Romish Fog that still lasts upon it never ceasing to defame and traduce his Divine work with Superstitious descriptions and unworthy Legends though intended perhaps for Honour In 451. †Usher p. 978. Gildas Albanius born at Arcluit in Beda's time called Alcluid that is a Town upon the River Cluid now Dunbritton Inhabited then by the Brittains preach'd to and converted the North parts of Scotland beyond the Hills whether Ninias before had not reach'd And after him in 565. St. Columba of Irish Birth and Brittish Doctrine and Institution assisted by u Idem 540. Constantine Duke of Cornwall repenting of his Adulteries and Murthers upon the reproofs of Gildas Badonicus and taking orders perfected the Conversion of the Picts Serfus one of the Culdees and consequently of Brittish either Birth or Principle promoting the same work as far as the Orcades About the Year 560. St. Kentigerne y p. 686. Nephew to King Arthur and Founder of St. Asaph returned to his Bishoprick of Glasco and preached first the Gospel to the English though enemies permitted upon (f) Histor Brit. lib. 8. C. 9. M. Westm 489. submission and fealty under Octa and Ebusa Sons of Hengist newly conquer'd by Aurelius Ambrosius to live in that Brittish Territory between the Friths and the Wall where they suffer'd the Brittains before being worsted by them to reside upon like submission About 596 what by divisions among themselves what by great invasions by Gormond from Ireland as well as by the Saxons in their bowels what by a great and Epidemical Plague and Jaundize and the entrance of Monk Austin the greatest Plague of all two of their Candlesticks were removed Thadiock Arch-Bishop of the See of York and Theon of London being forc'd from their Sees and charge with the Clergy and Gentry from their Estates and Homes to retire for their safety into the parts of Wales and Cornwall and Ireland very probably none staying behind but the Peasantry at the Terms and for the conveniencies and interest of the conquerour York faring best of the two Sees for the Cambrian (m) Usher p. 1005. Kingdom or Cumberland called Valentia with Scotland or old Albany which formerly had been parcels of the See of York stood yet entire and safe under the Protection of their own Kings and Princes who were able to defend their Religion and Territories both from Pagan and Romish Encroachments about this time infesting them But in the See of London and the body of Lhoegr as the Brittains still call England the Inhabitants that remain'd behind Tributaries to the Saxon Conquerour were to retain their Faith between the heart and God after their Clergy were expell'd by the procurement of Rome as is to be suspected unless some lurked behind in cognitò as is usual for their comfort and assistance or the Pagan Conquerours as we shall see anon gave them toleration of Religion either by Grace or Articles as did Irmericus in Kent and Penda in Mercia and Kerdic in West Saxony c. whereof Bede takes little notice though he could not and doth not wholly conceale the passages But then as the loss of one sense adds strength to the other and the shutting of one eye enlarges the others Candle Ireland grew rich and famous upon this dispersion and accession of learned men into its Teritories for refuge whereby it became about this time the University as it were of these Western parts of Europe for the Christian Orthodox Religion and term'd Insula Sanctorum the Island of Saints whither recourse was made for Spiritual knowledge from all parts and Kingdoms and Wales and its Sees and Abbies was no less stock'd with choice of Able-men and particularly the famous Monastery of Bangor-is-y coed where we find about this time above two thousand learned Monks living together in a holy Fraternity all Subject to the Metropolitical See of St. David whither the Chair was removed from Caerleon by the Authority of King Arthur and a Synod about the year 521 These in 602 gave Augustine the Monk a meeting about Worcester where the pretended Supremacy of the Church of Rome with its superstitious Innovations were Synodically disclaimed and rejected Augustines design being to seize our Brittish Churches as it were by occupancy and to subject them to Rome under colour of Conversion For that their Sees were made too hot to hold Thadiock and Theon at the arrival of Augustine or not long before is some Argument that the Pagan fury was made to burn the fiercer with Roman-Catholick bellows and that the believing Brittains who needed not their Conversion must veil their Ancient Metropolitan Chair of St. David or Caerleon likewise to an upstart See of Romes erection as Austine expected this manifestly proves and discovers it was their Temporal Dominion and superiority which by them is call'd the Catholick Faith that was the chief aim of Rome by all Inhumane and Unchristian Arts to propagate here in Brittain And if we were constrained to submit in part and for a time to their yoke and superstition when the Crown in our Kings for a time was miss-led by their influence and were freed from the same yoke in H. 8. when the Crown was better rectified by Providence we stand as we were holding fast our Liberty with a better conscience than they could usurp it from us being now under no Tye or obligation to Rome either for our Faith or errours not for our first Faith which we never had from them nor for some latter superstitions which we restor'd back unto them continuing a right Church from first to last because when we were at the worst we were as Orthodox as themselves who corrupted us and recovering our clearness again from their forc'd mud and mixture we continue as well English as Brittains now mutually Incorporated to profess the same Faith which was planted here above sixteen hundred and odd years ago not only before Lutâ—er was born but before Rome it self had its Christian being SECTION VI. Brittain had not the Faith from Pope Eleutherius THe first point being thus clear'd It becomes as clear we had not our Faith from Pope Eleutherius by King Lucius and were the Epistle and the Persons contemporary it makes more against them than for them whereof the sum is this You desired of us to send you the Roman Laws which you would use in the Kingdom of Brittain we can never disallow Gods Laws but may Caesars You have lately by Divine mercy received the Law and Faith of Christ you have with you in the Kingdom both the New and Old Testament whence by the advice of your Peers and the Council of
your Kingdom you may select holy and blameless Laws which may be enacted and supported not by any Forreign but your own Authority who are Gods Vicar in your Kingdom and represent his power to your People But not a word about Lucius his Baptism or the Nations conversion which it rather plainly pre-supposes Nor was it unbeseeming in a first Christian King much less the forfeiture of the Liberties of his Brittish Church and Kingdom forever to ask the advice of Neighbouring Churches or such excellent Christians as the Popes of Rome in those times were about the settlement and Government of the Church in his Dominion and the answer and the event do shew there was no such danger for the Popes answer is Protestant and Orthodox that the King is Christs Vicar in his Kingdom and the head of the Church which he may well Govern with his own Authority without depending upon Forreign provided he took along the Law of God and the opinion of his sages for his Rule and help the advice to be theirs the Acts of Governing to be his own which with the present Church of Rome is unsound and Heretical Doctrine for it 's the Land that moves with some and not themselves when they are sailing from it And it appears by event the Popes did never intermeddle in the Government of this Church or State yea that they were such strangers to us all along to the time of Pope Gregory who sent Austine hither that by his questions and clinches about the English he met at Rome in the Market Angli Angeli Deira Dei ira King Elle Halelujah it appears whether we were Pagans or Christians here in Brittain he did not very well know but some Papists are grown willing of late to relinquish this part of their pretence and to allow this Epistle to be counterfeit because so contrary to their present Doctrines and seditious principles more than for the considerable reasons Sir H. Spelman layes down against it which Mr. Prynne takes upon him to disallow and answer to severally but the other part of the story though thus crack'd in credit that Lucius was Baptiz'd together with all the Land by Eleutherius his Emissaries must stand nevertheless which yet is wholly improbable and contrary to all sense and reason for the Brittish Church in Augustines time was found so uniformly unlike in all its rites and customs to the Roman if the Roman observations in the time of Augustine and Eleutherius were the same that one may easily believe that the fair Nothern Nations are so many Colonies of Blackamoores as believe Brittain to be regenerated by the Baptism of Rome to which Mother it held so little resemblance in any of its Ecclesiastical features For one of the main points in difference between the Brittains and Austine we find in Bede lib. 2. c. 2. was about their Ceremonies of Baptism then that known and lasting difference and contention about Easter and their abstinence on Wednesdays and Frydays not on Saturday as was and is observ'd at Rome against the sense and Custom of the Catholick Church there being as little Conformity between this Church and that in the heads and guides as well as the whole body of the People in the former rites Our Deacons varying from them in point of tonsure our Priests and Bishops in that of Marriage our Arch-Bishops in the Characteristicall Badge and livery of the Pall which these Churches never fetch'd or wore in token of compliance or dependance on that Church as shall be further proved in every particular out of their own or better Authors so that they may be justly ashamed as much of the Second part of this lye and pretence touching the Baptism of our King and Kingdom as they are of the first touching the Epistle where by the way it may be observ'd with abhorrence and detestation what unworthy Arts and Methods this holy Roman-Catholick Church makes no conscience to use to compass its Unchristian Ambition and Supremacy over Kingdoms and Nations where it can find the least colour or occasion what lyes they scruple not to Father upon all manner of men the living and the dead even on their best Popes and the Apostles and the Virgin Mary and Christ and God himself so their Carnals ends and Grandeur may be advanced thereby and what forgeries and falsehoods have they not foisted into all manner of books and Records and Histories to promote their Dominion hook or by crook particularly into our Brittish in the time of Ignorance and their Kingdom of darkness extending once to all parts and Persons Geoffrey of Monmouth affirming that that he did not compile but only Translate into Latine his History out of a Brittish Manuscript which Gualter Arch-Deacon of Oxford brought over hither from little Brittain whereas that Gualter attests likewise in the close of that very book that he Translated a A mysi Cualter Archiagon Rydychen a droes y Llyfr hwn or Lladin yn gymraâ—g I Walter Arch-Deacon of Oxford Translated this out of Latine into Welsh Histor Brittan Galfr'd Monm M. S. Cambro Brit. the same out of Latine into the Brittish tongue by which device the Enemies of the Glory of our Brittish Church and Nation have to the wrong of the first and to help on their vain Supremacy by any Art or shift shuffled in this passage touching Lucius into ours as the other touching Constantine into other Histories that both were Baptized by Popes Eleutherius and Silvester by all means because the one the first Christian King the other the first Christian Emperour and both brag 's equally true as likewise that Dubritius Arch-Bishop of Caerleon in King Arthurs time was Apostolicae sedis legatus not unlike another of their fictions of the Popes sending the Pall to St. Patrick to make him Arch-Bishop of Ireland under Rome though a Pall in Ireland was never heard off till the time b Cambrens Topograph Hiber C. 17. of Malachias Anno. 1152 and to the diminution of the Second clogg'd the Archievements of the great and Religious King Arthur with their unworthy Legends and Fables as with a designe that the one with the other might in time be of equal credit which hath induc'd some blind to lead the blind to believe there was no such King In so much that Buchanan well knowing and seeing the contrary in the Records of his own Nation could not forbear to make a digression on purpose to vindicate his name and story which in other c Ubbo Emmius Rer. frisic Hist lib. 3. Nations concerned in that History is acknowled'd as well as in the Scottish and our own in a just indignation against the underminers of the fame of so great a Hero d Buchanan Rer. Scotic lib. 5. Reg. 45. p. 151. But some light and occasion perhaps they had for their Monkish Invention in that very probably Lucius was Baptized by one from Rome viz. e Usher cap. 3. p. 31. seq Timotheus
order and subserviency thereunto and no further so in the true Christian Religion Christ is all in all and all things besides of this World are dead things to a Christian that cannot help him forward towards Christ and the other life as the other World and Religion is an insipid story to a false Christian where they are useless to serve his ends in this Any Christian may and ought to observe and regard time as well as other things of life or death but to Christ who died and rose again that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14.6 8. much more may he observe time when commanded by Christian Governours to whom he is subject in the Lord more yet a time of Apostolical Institution to whom he and his Christian Governours are subject to obey such is that singular Lords-day mentioned in St. John Rev. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of our Lords Resurrection or Easter which Christ himself by his own example hath recommended to his Church for perpetual observation as the lasting practice proves the first direction For on that day Christ rose from the dead founding his new Creation in one day as God did the old in a week and instructed Mary Magdalen touching the Communion and participation of Christians in his Resurrection and Adoption by it which constitutes the Christian Church and the substance of its Catechisme Say to my Brethren I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Joh. 20.17 On the Octaves of the same day carefully noted v. 19. he appeared to his Disciples met together and Instituted the Governours of his Church with a Consecration Sermon ad clerum touching their Authority and duty As my Father hath sent me even so send I you and breathing on them said receive ye the Holy Ghost whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retain'd v. 21 22. And after eight dayes again or a Disdiapason or the third day from the Resurrection he met his Disciples again and preach'd a Sermon ad populum containing the chief fundamental principle of Christianity and the blessedness of those that have not seen and yet shall believe mildly reproving the foreseen Curiosity and Infidelity of Christians in the person of St. Thomas v. 29. Expressing hereby his leading will and example for the observing of Sunday forever as a Holy day for Worship and Instruction upon the score of the Resurrection or as 51 Octaves of Easter day as the subsequent Apostolical practice of the Church hath prov'd this first Institution Act. 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 The Jewish Sabbath being dissolved with the old Creation by Faith and the Christian Sabbath erected in its stead the new Creation requring its Sabbath as well as old because a Creation And the Church or Spiritual Israel bound by the decalogue to the observation of it in remembrance of its deliverance from Spiritual Aegypt and bondage as the Jews or Carnal Israel to the other in remembrance of such deliverance in the letter Besides the Law of Constantine and other godly Kings of New Israel for observing of the same And not against but according to our Saviours Intimation Mat. 9.15 That the Disciples should fast when the Bridegroom was taken away Wednesday and Friday preceding his passion and from thence all the Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year saving the time of Pentecost when the Bridegroom returned to his Spouse in the Comforter have been observed by the Ancient Catholick Church as a Fast in reference to his Cross as Easter and thence all the Sundays in the year as a Feast in reference to his Resurrection both the one and the other being regarded to the Lord The Church particularly training it self to the conformity of Christs death to to this World in the one as of his life in the Heavenly joyes of the other Christ in his Cross and Christ in his Resurrection being the whole lesson and both side of the leaf to the Christian Church 1 Cor. 2.2 Philip. 3.10 The Charter of Easter and its weekly repetitions or Sundays which some prefer in honour before Easter it self the Copy before the Original being so clear in Scripture in its first Institution of so great importance is Charity and condescention to the frailties of our Christian Brethren that the great Lords-day or Easter as well as the Sabbath was by Christs mind to give place unto it in some places and for some time Accordingly we find the Eastern Churches adioyning to Jerusalem to observe Easter out of its time the same day as the Jews did their Passover what day of the Week soever it fell on whether Sunday or not and also to observe Saturday as a Holy-day as well as Sunday throughout the year in complyance with the Jews But the Western would by no means yield or approve thereof but thunder'd against it with the same zeal as St. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles did against the introduceing of Circumcision amongst the Gentiles Gal. 25.5.2 Phil. 3.2 which yet was tolerated in the Christian Jewish Church Act 21.20 21 25. And therefore St. Peter the Apostle of the Jews Gal. 2.7 is more complyant with the weak Jews in their Ceremonies whom he fear'd to offend than St. Paul who did as much fear to scandalize his weak Gentiles and reproved St. Peter to his face upon that score Gal. 2.11 and yet both the one and the other in their zeal and moderation were acted by a diversified charity but the same inspir'd directions Gal. 2.8 And the true Reason in all probability of the Roman Fast on Saturday so contrary to the Apostolical Tradition of the rest of the Christian Church what other plaister soever many may invent for this notorious Non-conformisty was the zeal of St. Paul's successors after his example and steps Gal. 2.5 strictly to assert the Christian liberty of the believing Gentiles in the West from the yoak of the Law and all seeming Judaical observation of the weekly Saturday with equal respect to the weekly Lords-day As they would by no means before veile their Annual Easter to the Annual Passover upon the like score wherein St. Peter and all Christians of the Circumcision would not have been so precise and strict as it is well known they were not to keep such exact distance from the Synagogue nor needed they at Rome to have been after the limited time of toleration to the weaker Jews was expir'd as it was no less than Schisme and disobedience in them to continue in this their needless singularity though originally generous after the Catholick Church in General Councils had declared its dislike against it Now if the first Popes of Rome as Victor with others had believed themselves to be the Successors of St. Peter they would not have raised such a bitter quarrel against the Eastern Church about the time of observing Easter for this had been to have made St. Peter fight
are more intent for peferments in the Church than for the Kingdom of Heaven or adorning such dignities with life and Doctrine who can hold their peace at the abominable sins of men whereby God is offended and roare to purpose at the least injury done to themselves as if done to Christ such are Gods Enemies and not his Priests the Ringleaders of the wicked and not Popes of the Church traitors not succcessors of the Apostles Rebels not Ministers of Christ And for our Brittish Customs they were and are Primitive and Catholick and Oriental and not Roman We observe with solemn fast the holy week in Lent called Grawys from n Leges Howeli Dha apud Spelman quasi garw-wysg different and rough attire as is conceived then us'd especially therein Dydh Mercher y Brà d and Dydh Gwener y Croglith that is as we term those two days Wednesday wherein he was betrayed and Friday with the lessen of the Cross and from thence all the n Usher 882. Baronius An. 34. n. 47. Wednesdays and Fridays of the year saving Pentecost as Bede confesses of us and the strict practice rhereof with the devouter sort is fresh in memory this and other Brittish Customs having escaped better under Popery than under the pretended Reformation of the late War whereas its well known the Church of Rome stands condemn'd and censur'd in her Clergy and laity the one to be depriv'd the other to be excommunicate by the 6th o Conc. in Trull c. 55. c. Plin. lib. 10. Epist 97. Generall Council for fasting upon the Saturdays 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrary to the Ancient tradition of the Church and the Apostolical Canon of like severity It 's no wonder therefore if the Church of Rome denies the Authority of this Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Scholiast in loc For it went like a Sword through their heart to find themselves charg'd and impeached of going contrary to the Apostolical Canon And though the Church of Brittain in the West and of Africa in the South and of Millain at her doors agreed with the Eastern and Apostolick followed by this Council yet this Universal consent must not prevail the single Church of Rome Schismatically dissenting from the whole Church in her traditions must be Catholick nevertheless and her Customs to be observed equally with the Scriptures The Asiatic custome of singing a Carol to Christ about Cock-crowing mention'd in Plinie p L. 10. Ep. 97. in his Epistle to Trajan the Emperour in the first Age of the Church is retain'd amonst us to this day in our Plygains or Pulgains as we term them Though we look upon the material Cross as a great rarity which at Rome they Idolize and are beholding to our St. Helena for any naile or part thereof they have to shew and honour that bearing as the Church's Coat of Arms yet our true sense and Religious use thereof appears in our Remembrances and obligations by it to brotherly love and charity having no other word to express welcome which ought to be from the heart but Croeso which is deriv'd from the Cross mae chwi groeso you are welcome in the Cross Though they believe no Purgatory yet at the death of their Friends it is usual with them to wish the party Deceas'd a good Resurrection Duw a Ro iddo Ailgyfodiad da God grant him a good Resurrection an Ancient q Epiphanius in Aerio practice in the Eastern Church much abus'd by them at Rome to their secular profit as usual None have firmer beliefs of the Immortality of the Soul and of the other World than the Ancient Brittains nor greater detestation and Dicipline against lying even in Children which the Roman Church indulges in her Records and Liturgies and chiefest Saints r Cyn gywired a'r Ancor Brittish Proverb as honest and true as an Anchorite Eremitas Anachoretas abstinentioe majoris magisqve spirituales alibi non videas Grald Cambr. Descript Cambr. c. 18. They had likewise besides Eremites and Anchorites of the stictest sort their Nuneries for Christ's Virgins and Abbeyes for Monkes not such as our Western Modern Orders of St. Benedict St. Francis or St. Domnick but far Ancienter and after the Rule in the East and Å¿ Usher p 110. Aegypt so much extoll'd in in the Ancient Fathers and especially in St. Chrysostom's Homilies all along not begging their Bread or being a burden to others but earning their Livelihood with the work of their hands and spending the rest of their time in Study and mutual Edification renowned in History for their great Sanctity and Learning yet it was not counted unlawful for any of their Clergy to Marry for St. Patrick was the Son of †Idem p. 818. Calphurnius a Deacon who was the Son of †Idem p. 818. Potitus a Presbyter And u Spelm. Concil Arelat Restitutus the Brittish Archbishop at the Council of Arles was a Married man and so was St. Hilarie his friend as well as St. Philip and St. Peter In their Tonsures which is also an x Bed l. 3. c. 25 exception by Augustin's party against them if they had any they followed the manner of the East which shaved the forehead not the Crown as did our Romanists who were as much dissatisfied with Theodorus of Tarsus St. Paul's City who being design'd Archbishop of Canterbury to revive and promote the Roman Interest in Brittain quite lost well nigh was y Bed lib. 4. c. 1. fain to stay four Months at Rome before his setting out into his dignity that his Haire might grow fit to be shaved after the Roman mode being well contented to part with an old lock for a new Throne which proves the Greeks to be as far different from the Romans as our Brittains in this Rite Episcopalem vero Confirmationem prae alia gente â—otus populus magnopere petit x Cambrens Descriptio Cambr. c. 18. no Nation had Episcopal Confirmation more in esteem and so desired by all as the Brittains saith Cambrensis whose Archbishops did Consecrate their Suffragans and were Consecrated by them in their own Province And never sought to Rome for their Pall as did several other Nations as Pope Gregory did a Cambrens Itmerar Cambr. lib 2. c. 1. acquaint his Augustine in answer to his 7â— Question directing to take no Superiority over Arles because ab Antiquis praedecessorum meorum temporibus pallium accepit that Archbishop did use to receive his Pall from Rome and therefore was not to be depriv'd of the Authority which once he had obtained a Cambrens Itmerar Cambr. lib 2. c. 1. Britanmarum vero Omnes Episcopes tuae fraternitate committimus But he 'le give leave to his Augustine to bring all the Bishops of Brittain under him who by consequence and in the Popes opinion and diligent search never had any Pall from Rome which by the Principles of the b Bed l. 2. c. 28. 7 â—
but continued to stop their Ears and chose rather to be poison'd from abroad than heal'd by them at home and invited forreign Quacks to abuse their Souls as well as to combat and destroy their Brittish Church and Clergy it was time for charity it self to wax faint and weary Act. 13.46 and to resolve to put up its Pearls as conscience grows mute after long dis-regard But to hear our Augustine or any of the Romish Principle to tax them for it Vltra Sauromatas fugere hinc libet c. the detestable Hypocrisy is enough to make one burst with indignation that they should accuse whose frequent practice upon the least pretended violation of their usurp'd authorities was to suspend Cities interdict whole Kingdoms for a good part of an Age whose entire Religion and policy is to deprive Christian Souls of the Gospel and Bible and Religion and Knowledge and to stick a feather of an Ave Mary or Pater Noster to colour the stealing of the substance But it is alleadged it is not Augustin's charge alone but the crime of the Brittains urg'd by Bede out of their own Gildas i Bed lib. c. 22. Brittonas hoc facinus addere superioribus ut nunquam fidem Saxonibus praedicarent For an answer this is strongly to be suspected to be a Monkish forgery or an addition to the Text of Gildas because where better could such a calumnie with more probable success be inserted than to a Book which rip'd up all their Crimes and frailties Which perhaps is the reason that that Ancient Book alone was suffered to survive because the Clause is absolutely and notoriously false in fact And Gildas would never have been guilty to belye strangers much less his own Nation Or it is justly to be fear'd Bede took Gildas by the wrong handle k Gens non ex concione aestimanda H. Lhuyd Fragm p. 76. like such as would accuse and traduce a searching Preacher for a false accuser or defamer of most of his Parish making no distinction between Charge and Enditement or righteousness in the sight of God before whom none are just and righteousness before men where many are and ought to be unblameable which is the disingenuity of Milton likewise towards them like those that would measure the morality of the English Nation towards their neighbours from their humble and publick confession before God that they have no truth in them Gildas his reproofs are in the General and of none in Particular but their Princes out of his Christian zeal and courage and Paternal bowells to set them and their Countrey at Rights with God And though through the faults of the English or their own through prejudices and Hostilities in the one and passion or frailty or Cainish neglect of extending the Grace they had received to others round about in the other some might be too far guilty of Gildas his charge of Christian unnaturalness which is to be feard hath made far more Reprobates in the World than ever Gods Decrees did yet the whole Brittish Church could not be justly charg'd therewith though some should have peevishly denyed it to such as were willing to receive it whereof there is no instance for it was never any publick Resolution or agreement between them nor the particular perverse judgment of any that were chief in Authority for Learning and wisdom amongst them which bears some equivalence to publick Allowance as it was not of Gildas his own liking who mentions this possible default in some with very severe and bitter reproof which Bede had not the Nostril to distinguish perhaps from Approbation nor of those of the Brittish Clergy that concurr'd with Gildas in the like detestation of such a sin by whose prayers and examples he confesses he was much supported in evil times and declares he would not have his reproofs to be understood to reach them in the least For we shall find the contrary to what Bede affirms to be true all along of whom a great lover and an able and Impartial Judge of Truth for several such particulars gives this character l Usher c. 8. p. 192. p. 1112. Ex Anglo Saxonum gente fuisse considerandum qui Brittanicarum Antiquitatum inscii a Rebus Brittonum ornandis animo fuerunt alienissimo For to reserve the proof of the Gospel being planted amongst the English by the Ministry of the Brittains to its proper place The practice of St. Patrick and his followers preaching to the Irish his enemies who enslaved him likewise that of m Bed lib. 3.4 Nynias to the Picts who were Thornes in the sides of the Brittains while under the Romans and n Usher p. 686. St. Kentigern to the English under Octa and Ebyssa as before largely proves the contrary Neither was o De reb gestis Alfredi p. 13. Asserius Menevensis backward when desir'd to contribute his assistance to King Alfred to the erecting of the University of Oxford as a Nursery for the better propagating of the Christian Faith but left Illa tam sancta loca in quibus nutritus doctus fuit that holy place wherein he was bred up and taught under his Archbishop of St. Davids as he there stiles him to repair to be a Professor in that Univesity Where yet the story saith there was an old Academy continued by the Brittains time of out mind from the dayes of Gildas and Melkin and Ninnius first Teachers there about 200 or 300 years before But Kent it self had been as great an instance as any that our Augustin's charge was groundless to his own knowledge if Bede had added some more particulars touching the Church p Bed l. 2.27 Augustine found at Canterbury upon his first arrival built in the time of the Romans therefore not under 200 years but might be well 400 or 500 years before to which p Bed l. 2.27 Bertha Ethelbert's Queen of French descent and a Christian with her Chaplain Luidhardus did use to resort for Worship which Augustine repair'd and changed its name from St. Martins unto Chist-Church making it his Cathedral Seat and the Metropolis of England and wherein King Ethelbert was Baptiz'd If he had likewise inserted who first built repaired and assembled in it all along at and before the arrival of Queen Bertha or Augustine what was the state of the Countrey and the Civil Rights and Priviledges of the Kentish Inhabitants which they retained after the change of their Governours who came not over them by storm but by guift and Articles and what was also the state and Government Ecclesiastical of those parts before Augustin's arrival for it appears by our Historians that the Archbishop of London under whom was Kent was not beaten and driven to quit his See and flee into Wales till the year 597. according to Vsher q Usher Index Chron. A. 597. being the next year with him after Monk Augustin's entrance or 586. according to r Math. Westm
Boethius l. 9. p. 171. That because they deserted the Religion of their Fathers and violated the Worship of their Gods perinde atque Brittannis atque Scotis se hostem futurum that he would be their enemy no less than to the Brittains and the Scots And lost his life at last in his Holy War against the East-Angles having lost an eye before in Scotland and a great Army at Bangor where he was also wounded breathing out his impious Soul like Julian only better for his constancy but not inferiour for his Heathenish Cruelty Deorum Religionis Protector Christiani Nominis Hostis ut vixi morior m Ibid. p. 172. I dye as I lived the Protector of the Religion of the Gods and the enemy of Christ and all his Christians who therefore was a very fit and useful Instrument for Monk Augustine to comply with for the destruction of the true Christian Religion here in Brittain that opposed the Roman and to plant his Popery instead and accordingly made use off If therefore the English were not all converted in their Hearts under Arthur and Aurelius because of the force It may well be presumed from the contrary reason that the Heart it self did not hold out against the Divine power of the same Ministry acting in its external weakness and exinanition God by his great Providence having us'd all means both harsh and easie to soften and chafe the hard and stubborn hearts of the English to receive his Gospel and shap'd and cast the Brittish Nation for their use and the use of all Germany through them into the mould as it were of Christs first and second coming to work and make impression upon them if it were possible either of the two wayes With this difference that here Humility came after Power to to win by Intreaty what it could not compass by command and force as there Power will come after Humility to bruise with irresistable destruction what it could not prevail upon by Grace and love And when all would not do delivered them over to Popery as it were to Satan or Antichrist to be chain'd in spiritual slavery and darkness with many other Nations for about a thousand years And then visited them again in mercy with the comfortable light and Glorious Liberty of the Reformation handed also to them by their Kings when they came to be of Brittish race to try their love to truth once more before his last stroke and Eternal destruction of the Impenitent and Incorrigible But nothing of the former passages though the truth thereof hath left sufficient markes and effects behind it in Saxon Laws and Homilies extant quite dissonant to Popery in several principles as shall hereafter be mention'd how remarkable soever occurrs in Bede's Popish History not a word of n Munster Cosm p. 552. Offa the Son of Ethelfred preaching the Gospel to the Germans beyond the Rhine Anno 603. and building Offenburg and Schuttern as Munster Notes nor o Ibid. p. 580. St. Columbanus our Irish Monk of whom the same Munster saith Certò Constat We have certain knowledge of his propagating the Gospel far and wide through Germany the passages being within the time and business of his History and for the Honour of this Land only tending too much to discover that the Gospel was preached by the Brittains to the Saxons in the houses of their Fiercest Kings which Right to that Nation was against Bede's Theme and humour to acknowledge But Ethelfred and Oswald being both Princes of his Countrey and Climate he is Civil to them and endeavours to do Right to both respectively in Magnifying the Vertues of King Oswald which are undenyable to Superstition And Palliating and lessening the wickedness of Ethelfred which was as notorious to Indignity seldom doing the least Right to the Brittains the enemies of his Nation and of his Catholick Faith as he openly stiles them lib. 5. c. ult Saving sometimes out of unavoidable necessity and for other ends and Interests as where he is to commend the way and Religion of the Scots and Irish for whom he had greater kindness The Brittish Faith whence the other deriv'd and stifly kept to is inevitably extoll'd by consequence Or when he mention'd the good work of Augustine in repairing Canterbury Church whither Queen Bertha resorted he had like to have betrayed and discovered to a sagacious smell how all then stood How much the Christian Brittish Religion was received and flourished in Kent before the coming of Augustine So the West Saxon Kingdom shall be all in darkness p Bede lib. 3. c. 7. Paganissimi when Birinus comes to convert it but when Aldhelmus is to do exploits in bringing them over to the Roman Easter it shall be very q Idem lib. 5. c. 19. full again of Brittish Christians whom he is to reduce and such is his Conversion of all Mercia by Diuma and but two or three more and the like of the other Heptarchies yet no Ecclesiastical Writer is now more Classic and Authentick than Bede nor any passage of Church Antiquity to be well credited without his attestation so beneficial was his Partiality to the roman-Roman-church to his Reputation and Authority in the World Therefore the other mixt Conversion of the English and full completion or confirmation of the former by Brittish Ministy and Doctrine but not all Brittish persons shall be clear'd out of Bede their own Author against our Romanists and irrefragably evinc'd by cross examination of his History whereby it will appear that the English under God owe their Conversion to the Brittains and others and not to Rome And that Augustine came hither to no better end than to destroy the true Religion like a messenger of Antichrist or at least miserably to corrupt it with adulterate mixtures and Superstitions And the positive proofs out of Bede of the Gospel being preached and planted among the English upon mixt account and especially Northward where the English did most abound and the Brittains were least intermixt amongst them are not so much Proofs and undenyable Instances as Divine Miracles and over-ruling Providences and the manifest Finger of God calling not only for Assent but Astonishment and Admiration That not only Augustin's plantation at York and Kent should be totally extirpated as it were by Divine Retaliation by the same means and method himself contrived and set on foot to destroy our Brittish Church But the Sons of Edelfred swho was Augustine's Executioner to Massacre the Brittish Clergy are made by Gods controlling power the chief Patrons and Propagators of the Brittish Faith over most part of England and Oswald the best of them who for his own virtues was no doubt rewarded with rest and Glory permitted by Gods severity and hatred of his Fathers Murders at Bangor to be slain and mangled and quarter'd by his enemies in view well nigh and sight of that very place And the Brittains by excess of wrong and cruelties from their enemies
confidence in their Cut-throate-fathers and are call'd to severe and sharp account for the errours of their teachers and their own yet most clear and undeniable it is that the People have a good zeal in General for the true God and Religion yea are more sincerely stedfast in their errours amidst poverty and torture and double Tithes and payments and death it self than many knowing Protestants are for the true Religion which they shrink from and change upon any appearance of advantage or disadvantage as often as the Moon he that is sincere and earnest in a false Religion aims at the true in the General and in his conscience But he that lives contrary or slights the Religion which himself professes and believes to be true declares himself of no Religion or understanding for contradiction added to Atheism is the Outlary of all reason and honour The Irish therefore are the more to be regarded and tender'd by us under their Ignorance and spiritual disorder because curable and not to be neglected for what wrong or temporal mischief soever they have done to us or themselves in the time of their blindness and seduction lest we be justly guilty of the unjust calumny against the Ancient Brittains towards the Saxons but we are to be zealous of their Reformation whether we be English or Brittains if English we are their debters their Learned and Pious Ancestors have done the like and more for many of ours whom they taught the first Gospel when they lay in Heathenish Ignorance and the shadow of death And much more if we are Ancient Brittains for our Ancestors taught theirs and love descends and it belongs to a Husbandman to be more careful of his plantation than to a stranger therefore we are bound to intreat and beseech them especially their Learned and sincere Clergy that love the Salvation of their charge more than absolute Dominion over them and their remaining afflicted Gentry and Nobility in the name of God and the bowels of Christ and that we may the better prevail even upon our knees before them that they will be merciful to their land and to their own souls and Posterity and as they have of late to some trouble own'd our Soveraign in Temporals that they would also own Christ in Spirituals instead of the Pope and holy Scriptures instead of lyes and Bulls and Legends and conscience more than deceitful guides and Popery will have its end in Ireland and the Ignorance and misery of that poor Nation in soul and body and Estates together with it as we hope and trust They are as able to overthrow the pretended Infallibility of the Pope in the latter and grosser errour as they have done effectually in the first And they 'l meet their old Religion which St. Patrick taught in the Protestant Church of Ireland and England Protestant truth and Irish sincerity will make excellent Christianity The Learned and Pious Dr. Sall is worthy of everlasting honour amongst all good Christians for his great and leading example in this point amidst great discouragements And as for some other of their guides who are like to be most cross and averse against this Petition of truth and love who if they are not fowly belyed delight in the Impliciâ— saith of their Female charge as well as their Male the chastity of the soul and body from God and purity being the chief sacrifice and triumph that Satan and his Ministers delight in we are not so desirous of their company or Communion till by better reformation they assure us of their belief of any God which we doubt not in the least of the rest of their seduc'd Brethren And by this second Instance appears the difference between the Religion of the Irish under its first Plantation by the Brittains and it s after Cultivation by the Romanists by the one they became the Glory of Western Christendom for Christian life and Learning by the other the reproach and scorn of the World and Pitty of all good men for their Ignorance and wildness And the English from the time of King Ina and the Brittains while under their Power till the Reformation were well nigh as much beholding to Rome for their like improvement in knowledge And Rome hath accomplish'd most of her Conquests over Churches and Souls by this mist of Ignorance to set off mistakes and cheats Adimit rebus nox atra colorem darkness destroys differences a Serpent shall be taken for a Rope a Pool for a Meadow a Statue for a living man an enemy for a Friend a King for a Subject in the dark And so the first currant mistake by the help of this politick Ignorance that hath advanc'd and supported the Empire and credit of that Church to this day is that they make their Proselytes believe that their Church is the same with Jerusalem wich is above descended down to Rome the Mother of us all the Church of the living God out of whose Pale or Bosome there is no Salvation to be expected For so all degrees and Converts to that Church by the Bull or Test of Pius quartus must profess and swear the Holy Catholick Church in Heaven and Earth mention'd in Creeds to be their particular Roman Church which begets it great Authority and veneration from those which can believe this to be true and heretofore brought great resort and Treasure and Honour to that City several Kings and Princes leaving their Crowns and Kingdoms to end their dayes at Rome as it were in Heaven or Abraham's bosom So Bede saith of a Bede lib. 4. c. 5. Oswi that he was grown so perfect a Catholick that had not his Disease prevented he resolved to go to Rome to leave his Bones there to be sure of Heaven Which the Monkish corrupter of the Brittish History directly affirms of Cadwaladr last King of the Brittains the absurdity of which dream and forgery tending to exalt the Honour of Rome and the abuse of our Saints and worthies most evidently appears by comparing Bede and Geoffrey of Monmouth together For he with all others allows Cadwaladr to be the Son of Cedwalla or Cadwalhan King Edwins Chrony and Antagonist born the same day and brought up b Hist Britt l. 12 c. 1. in the Court of Northwales to years of manhood together That Edwin recovering Northumberland by the defeat and death of Edelfred after long exile and falling out with Cadwalhan who would not allow him to wear a Crown beyond Humber but at peril of his head and then siding with the Roman faction conquer'd Wales and drove out Cadwalhan beyond the Seas holding the Countrey in subjection for 17 years but was overthrown at last and kill'd by Cadwalhan in the year 633. being the 47 year of his Age c Bede l. 2. c. 20. saith Bede as Cadwalhan was of the same Age by consequence and Cadwaladr his Son born and in being about this time or else according to Bede he never could be born For according to
wherewith they are Intrusted by God for the defence of his and their People than Popes ever could or can unsheath their Spiritual Weapons in defence of Pride and ambition and scandalous Encroachments Excommunication being intended by Christ and his Apostles to better ends than they apply it to separate between the precious and the vile between scandalous and holy Christians and to cut off putrid parts with grief and compassion to preserve the Communion of Saints and the health and honour of the whole and not to defend proud and ambitious heights and sacrilegious invasions and Usurpations over Churches more Orthodox and more ancient than themselves with Unevangelical revenge and recalcitration after fair eviction Which is the abusing of Christs Ordinance to ends contrary to what he intended and the taking of Gods name in vain for which they will not be held guilt-less yea to have Excommunicated themselves rather by humble acknowledgements and reparations to their power for their wrongs and oppressions to Christ and souls and Churches had been the right Catholick use of their keyes and the surest sign of Salvation to the best and chiefest of their Church Neither is it needful by our Hypothesis and state of our case to defend the Reformation from the charge of Schism and departure from the Catholick Church thereby as they suppose and cry aloud against us for the alteration made by Henry the Eight cannot be called the Reformation of a Religion we derived from Rome by Inferiour Authority against superiour by the daughter correcting the Mother Church Irregularly but our lawful Restoration rather to our Ancient Rights and possessions from which we were wrongfully disseis'd and barr'd The deliverance of our Brittish Church after long captivity and disfiguration to its primitive liberty and health and beauty by just means from the violent hands and Spiriting Arts of Rome much Junior to it in faith and much impurer and unsounder than the true Church of Rome for these last thousand years Our Case I say is not so much Reformation as Restoration which no man of sence or honesty or conscience can find fault with and much less they at Rome who are pleas'd with their deliverance from the long Tyranny of their Exarchs though procur'd by unlawful and pernicious means as before but we had ours through lawful Authority without any wrong or hurt to others or our Superiours and with much right to our selves much less can we be tax'd or blam'd by any at home that have been long kept out from their own rights by Tyrants or Rebels or Oppressors who are bound in all Equity and Honour and Compassion to espouse rather and Assist so just a Cause before any others whatsoever according to Dido's temper in the Poet making the Case of Aeneas in Exile her own Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco The Pope had no more Original right and title to our Brittish Sees how long soever Usurped than Cromwell had to the Brittish Crown Whoever else may envy or hinder or undermine our recovery of our just freedom and liberty they that through Gods mercy have had the like Restoration and deliverance ought not either in Honour or Civility or Humanity to do it nor if themselves appear to have the greatest share and benefit therein without manifest hazard of their Judgement for by revolt to Popery Princes quit no less their external Supremacy in holy Church the choycest Jewel in their Crown than by Apostacy to Heathenism not more by the parity of the Idolatries than by their own Act and Resignation For they cannot longer hold the same in the Catholick-Roman without being Excommunicate as undutyful and they let go their hold thereof in the Protestant Christian by Excommunicating themselves as unkind and unwise Nor if after all this they be found to Act both against Gods revealed will and fate therein or the secret Decrees and discernable purposes of his Providence against it whereof the one was made as clear as the Sun before and the other will afterwards appear as clear as the Moon which is next unto it can they ever be thus unnatural to their own Church and Nation out of vain glorious kindness to forreign cheats without fighting against God as well as their friends to the certain overthrow and ruin either Temporal or Eternal or both of the weaker side Therefore the sharp and searching judgement of the great Arch-Bishop Bramhal could soon espy that the plea of the Antiquity and Independancy of our Brittish Church in the Controversy between us and Rome strikes the cause dead forever at one blow Not that being exempt from the pretences of a Junior Church once animated with Empire to step before her betters we are not bound nevertheless to hold Communion with every good Church of Christ where and when we may yea with Rome it self if it return'd to its Ancient purity and subjection to our Saviour as on the other hand to shun others as we do Rome that were guilty of the like Corruption and Apostacy which flight and distance we are wont to observe in our moral and natural Communion and converse as well as Christian embracing or shunning good or evil Company for our safety or credit as wholesome or Pestilential Air for Health as well as sound and unsound Churches out of Allegiance to Christ our common Lord or fear of scandal and partaking in their sins and judgments by our Complyance For our Communion though it be our great duty as Schisme is a great sin yet it is not in our absolute power and dispose in the general without any other Rule or reason to incline us to be of this or that Church but our own fancy and humour no we are acted by necessity in great part therein for it is a necessary tye upon us to embrace good and relinquish evil and corrupt Communion and to be guided by Christs will and not our own as our rule and standard and to shun all whom his word Excommunicates and to communicate with all whom his word approves For to approve whom Christ condemns or condemn whom Christ approves is not in the power of any Christian that ownes Christ for his Soveraign All the part that we have in our own power is the exercise of every mans Conscience and private judgment under the guidance of Christs rule which they hate the least mention of at Rome as impious and Haeretical and leading to a private spirit the root of all evil errours in the Church and comparing the lives and state of Christians and Churches by this general rule of Christ and this particular eye of our Souls to put our Communion in execution according to Christs mind and to embrace his friends and to shun his enemies and to like and dislike as we are to do all our other Affairs in him from our hearts according to my Text. For let there be no private judgment to distinguish between private good or evil or between the guides themselves we are
29. Usher p. 69. Paulinus for York and to r Bede l. 1. c. 28 29. Usher p. 69. Siagrius of Augustodunum or Autun advancing his Seat thereby to be next in Dignity to Lyons And in like manner to several other with Canting Epistles touching their use and the Office of them that are exalted to wear them at proper seasons The first conditions that attend it were 1. It was to be given to none but first upon the score of Å¿ Greg. lib. 7 Epist 5. c. 5. Epist 114. high merit 2. Nor without great t Ibid. entreaty 3. And without u Ibid. Platina in Leone secundo all Fee which last came to be dispens'd with after it was well rung into credit by other Arts and divine additional definitions of it that it was taken from x Pontif. Rom. Clem. p. 8. 86. off the body of St. Peter having vertue in it y Innocentius â—tius de Officio misse l. 1. c. 51. Pontif Rom. Ibid. to give plenitude of Archiepiscopal power to the wearer And by this time lest the cheapness should bring it into contempt it was not parted with but for a great and round sum and an Oath z Antiq Eccl. in Deneo p. 302. of Allegiance and particular fidelity to the Pope and to be a Pontif. Rom p. 89. buried with every Archbishop and purchas'd b Gratian distinct 100 a new within three Months upon pain of suspension and deprivation Thomas c Eadmer Histor Nov. lib. 4. p. 98. Archbishop of York half broak himself in the time of Henry the first to gain it to have his will against the Archbishop of Canterbury Walâ—er Grey d Math. Paris 1215. p. 463. Bishop of Worcester laid down 10000 l. Sterling now 30000 l. to be translated by it to the See of York The Bishops of Mentz e Fox Acts and Mon. vol. 1. p. 223. used to purchase it at 1000. then 20000 25000 and 27000 Florens Our Archbishops of Canterbury and York came at last to a certainty of f Godwin Catalog p. 133. 5000 Duckets and the rest of the Bishops to a known proportion for their Investitutes which in 40 years compass were computed in Henry the 8th's time g Antiquitates Ecclesiasticae p. 326. to amount to one hundred and sixty thousand pounds Sterling Now this last Title by Pall the Ancient Brittish Church never heeded as appears by Pope Gregory's Confession upon search of his h Bede 1. 28. Registers before and therefore that allegation in i Girald Cambrens Itinerarium Cambr. lib. 2. c. 1. Cambrensis and Hoveden of 25 Archbishops of St. Davids who succeeded St. David and used a Pall till Sampson who carried it to Dole is inconsistent with that utter enmity that continued some hundreds of years between the Romish and the Brittish Church unless as the Learned Vsher k Usher p. 74 75. proves it be understood of Sampson of York that went over to Dole as Pope Innâ—cent himself could tell k Usher p. 74 75. and not of Sampson of St. David who might have had a Pall remaining at York from the guift of Emperours as usual and not of the Pope whose Supremacy here was not then acknowledg'd Neither were our Metropolitans the less Metropolitans for the want of the Roman Pall for they had all other requisites saving l that one which is sufficient and the rather because they were as Perfect Metropolitan Bishops as the Pope himself before the time of Pope Marcus who first us'd a Pall because upon the Summons of Constantine the great they Sate as Archbishops and were so allowed of by the great Council of Arles and by Pope Sylvester himself or his Deputies who made no exceptions then against their dignities and sitting as we can read or hear of which was several years before the time of Pope Marcus the first Founder of the Pall And therefore their Metropolitan rights which were firm and valid so long before in the esteem of those two great powers who were able to create and abrogate such dignities Emperours and great Councils could not be infring'd in after Ages for want of that suspicious new mark and Livery Apoc. 13.16 17. that was to be far fought and dear bought and after all impertinent and Insignificant for the Brittains had not Faith or Brains to believe all the Lyes and false suppositions that are required to support the Credit and Veneration of this Pall. 1. That it was taken from off the body of St. Peter as is alledg'd by the Pope m Antiq. Eccl. 302. in Deneo or his Deputy for him at the Altar that being moulder'd into dust and ashes so long time agoe Nor 2. that his dead body were it in visible being could by this contact communicate such sanctity and authority to a patch of Wollen Cloth 3. That this Cloth sanctified by such Contact can alone conveigh to Archbishops their lawful power of Ordination and the rest of their Archiepiscopal Authority 4. That it cannot invest the Successor with the same power but by a Canonical Flannel Act must be buried out of the way as useless For a touch of a Loadstone serves to attract many needles one after another and the Father's Cloak may serve his Child or some poor body after his death 5. n Pontific Rom p. 68. That all Consecrations of men and Sacraments are void and useless without this ragge upon which the Authority of the Archbishop depends as the Ordinations of Ministers and Bishops upon the Authority of the Archbishop and all their lawful Consecrations of Sacraments upon the Authority and validity of their Ordinations Nor 6. That the Primitive Church for the first three hundred or five hundred years was no Church and had no lawful Governours nor Metropolitans nor Bishops nor Ministers either to Ordain or Consecrate Successors or to Preach the Word or to administer Sacraments with a right Calling because they had not this Roman Pall. All these fundamental points of the new Roman-Catholick Faith could not go down with our Orthodox and sober Ancestors But since the Church with them at Rome hath got new marks and definitions and Palls and Fees are now its measures aâ—â—Touchstones instead of Christ and the Heart This Controversy is now reducible to a narrower compass to a Dilemma and a short Issue The Dilemma this The Brittish Churches and their Metropolitical Sees and Authorities upon Monk Augustâ—â—â—'s Arrival hither were for want of Palls which 〈◊〉 implyed against them by Pope Gregory either all null and void and vacant or not If the latter then Pope Gregory and Augustine his Missionary were manifest Schismaticks and worse as shall be furher shewed for Invading Sees and Consecrating and Ordaining Ministers and Bishops in other 〈◊〉 Dioceses against their wills and rights and the Canons of the universal Church But if the former be true that they were no Churches of Christ nor lawful Sees nor Metropolitans whatever was
Usher 1129. Hist Britt l. 8. c. 8. Ubbo Emmius l. 3. p. 107. Emrys or Aurelius Ambrosius before him Here that Archbishop had his Residence that sent seven of his suffragan Bishops to meet the said Augustine near Worcester to defend their Brittish rights and Customes against Rome's Invasion Neither is Cressy's exception against the Welsh Epistle in Sir H. Spelman of any validity because it mentions the Archbishop of Caerleon to be their proper Superiour when as at this time saith he the See was at St. David and not at Caerleon c Usher p. 1132. p. 83. Quanquam ipsius Augustini temporibus inurbe Legionum sedem Archiepiscopatûs adhuc haesisse cum ab aliis tum ab Authore Chronici quod Brutus appellatur proditum inveniam unde ijdem Legionenses Menevenses Antistites Giraldo because though it were it was still the same See and the names were promiscuously us'd and there is nothing in that Epistle but what is in effect contain'd in the Narrations of Bede and Geoffrey of Monmouth who is no where more fabulous than for the Interest of Rome or the discredit of our Brittish Worthyes and both Authors appear more their Friends than ours And where Geoffrey Stiles Dubritius without any colour of Truth Britanniae Primas Apostolicae sedis legatus The Pope's Legate and Primate of Brittain though it was as absurd then as to fancy General Montecuculi now to be a Turkish Bashaw yet it serves very well to confirm that this Archbishop of Caerleon was the undoubted Primate at that time and not York or London because Lyes and Legends that expect any belief are ever fastned to some Truth And there this Primacy continued amongst the Brittians till sometime after the Norman Conquest But if the Question be of right Where the Primacy of Brittain ought of right to be and to be by all right English and Brittish-Christians obeyed from the heart as unto Christ The Resolution is far more easie For this Church may be considered as to its Inside or the heart and inward man or the Outside or its outward man As to the first the Primacy is solely in Heaven the heart being subject to no Pope nor Prelate but to Christ alone and to all lawful Governours for his sake Neither is this Primacy local or confin'd and limited to any place on earth either Rome or Canterbury as neither is the Soul or its thoughts but in all places of Europe and Asia Africa and America we are to obey and follow Christ the Soveraign of the Soul before any other whatsoever God before man Conscience before Interest Truth before Authority the Laws of God befere the Doctrines of men Duty before Fancy Honesty before Advantage Heaven before Earth and Everlasting Concernments before any Temporal whatsoever But if the Church be considered in its Outside the Case is in another World that is in this present World where the Civil Magistrate is Supream in all Temporal Concerns and Causes As in all Ecclesiastical are Ecclesiastical Magistrates and Governours and that two wayes 1. Originally 2. Eminently Originally the rightful Bishops of Brittain before the time of King Lucius and Constantine being of Apostolical descent and Institution and the chief of their Order were the chief and Prime Governours of this Church by right for the first Bishops are certainly known to be appointed by the Apostles themselves as James at Jerusalem c. And the Magistrate while Heathen had no right to controle them in any part of their Commission that was from Christ for the propagation of his Gospel or the publick weal and preservation of his Church in truth and order and regular Communion in this world therefore in that respect alone they were exempt and not subject to any human Laws and Authorities whatsoever which liberty hath been scandalously abus'd and extended by the principles of Popery to exemption from Christian Magistrates As if they had been equally as opposite and asymbolical with the Gospel as Heathen But when the Magistrate became Christian in Lucius and Constantine c. And were received into the Church according to their quality and station before in the World of Gods Erection the Case was otherwise again for now they were Ecclesiastial Magistrates as well as Civil and if Ecclesiastical therefore Supream in Ecclesiastical causes referring solely to this present life as well as Temporal that is Supream Primates and defenders of the Temporal concerns of the Eternal Church of Christ Therefore as the Supremacy of the Church was Originally in our Brittish Bishops so it came afterwards Eminently to be lodged and vested of right in our Brittish Christian Magistrates Christian Bishops giving place to Christian Kings like the lesser to the greater Lustre who yet acted little or nothing without their advice and counsel as we found King Arthur a little before chusing his Bishops and Archbishops with the advice of Synods Therefore as we say where the King is there the Court is so it may as well be said and justified where the Christian King of Brittain is there is the Primate of Brittain and head of this Church Notwithstanding as our Kings in their Civil Capacities have their standing Courts and Tribunalls for Habitation or Justice by Law and custome as well as Ambulatory and Personal so likewise in their Ecclesiastical their standing Primacyes where they pleased by Law to fix them as did King Lucius perhaps at London and Constantine at York and Arthur at Caerleon and others at Canterbury which they or their Successors may adjourn and remove elsewhere in like manner when they see good reason The vulgar practice of common Seamen penetrates and decides this point For with them at the motion of the Prince or Admiral from a first to a second or third Rate Ship the Flag shall follow by consequence and desert that Ship whatever be its Rate the Prince deserts and hover only there where he hath chosen to abide In like manner it is with the Primacy which answers to the Flag as Ships at Sea answer to Cities on Land It doth and alwayes ought to follow the will and Law of the Prince and any Forreign Pope hath as much to do to order and dipose of a Flagg in our Fleet by his Bulls and Canons as of a Primacy in our Kingdom There is an old appetite in Mitre and Crown to Re-unite and to be together as they were Originally in the same Persons in the Patriarchs yea in Heathen Kings and Emperours Holy and Publick signifying the same our English Primacy which travelled heretofore from London to Canterbury to be near King Ethelbert is since crawl'd back as far as Lambeth to be near White-hall The Christian Mitre attends the Crown the Antichristian would Controle it Both would have it near the one goes to it the other would have it to come to him Christian Bishops count themselves Subjects to their Kings Antichristian would have Kings to be Subjects unto them â—ea and
Nice upon which the Rights of London stood founded when they were Schismatically Invaded by a high hand from Rome and for many years wrongfully detain'd and usurp'd Or 2. to cut off all pretence and colour of subjection or dependance of this Church upon Rome and all occasion of stumbling to the weak Sons of the Church of England and Ignorant in History who are misled to believe that Rome is the Mother Church of Brittain because it was undoubtedly of Canterbury which is now the reputed Mother Church of all England And by consequence that our Reformation was Schismatical and scandalous the Daughter judging and rejecting the Mother the Inferiour the Superiour and of ill consequence to be approved by Princes Whereas Rome Originally never came to be a Mother to our Brittain so much as in pretence but only by Schisme and incroachment most fit and just to be remedied by Princes in discountenance of wrong and disobedience Because 3. The Learned of the Church of Rome dayly hit our Prelates of that See in the Teeth and the Unlearned likewise harbour evil opinions and surmises concerning them and forbear not to vent and utter them as if they were Vngrateful and Parricidial in their Actings against their first Founder and Maintainer whereby some of themselves also might be discourag'd and cool'd in their zeal against the Romish Vsurpation to which their honour'd predecessors owed Allegiance Whereas Augustine the first founder had his maintenance and dignity and ways of acquisitions from the Brittish See of London whereof Canterbury is parcel or the same and owed Canonical obedience and the rights and fortunes of his Successors to the Brittish Church to whom they are ultimately to refund if these are to refund to them as to the right and first owners Because 4. it would be a great strength and but a due and just vindication of Protestantism or the Apostolical Ancient Brittish Church after such long abuse and wrongful suffering by Rome and a New face and reviving glory to old Brittain to recover its Pristine right and condition in Church as well as State and Name and worthy of a share in those Solemn Consultations appointed as it were by providential instinct for its further Union in Laws and Government to the everlasting honour of that Prince in whose Reign it should be recorded to be accomplished Or 6. to make our chief See in Brittain hold some better proportion with the like in Neigbouring Kingdoms as Remes or Toledo whom in Universities and Colledge Endowments we far exceed to our Glory to be a fit preferment for some of our Princes or chiefest Nobles hereafter for the great support of the Church Or at least 7. that the name and memory of Monk Augustin the first Author of this disorder by his Infamous Schisms and murders which Reign'd so many hundreds of years in such glory under the darkness of Popery should set at last in due obscurity under the Sun-shine of Protestantism Which considerations are recounted not out of any design or desire of Innovation though into a Pristine right or to restore the bone into its due place with pain and danger that hath been so long out of joynt and well serves for use though not rightly set Though the whole design and plea of the Church of Rome be that a bone rightly set and settled and fully useful ought to be dislocated to the hazard and cripling of the whole to be in the wrong posture it once was for a time for their advantage and benefit But to solve scruples and unravel scandals and pluck up all misapprehensions by the roots whereby any might be deluded by any pretences of Equity or conscience or filial Reverence for a Mother-Church into a favourable opinion of Romish slavery Or if any be prick'd in conscience for the wrong done to Rome at the Reformation let the same prick reach to the wrong done before to Brittain by Romes Schismatical Invasion which no prescription of time or years could give right to and then all will be in right order as at first they were and ought to be and the first right owners shall have their due and old Trepassers their censure and rejection yea as by good providence they now are and stand for it ought to be well known and understood that the See of Canterbury as it stands Established is not a Roman but a Brittish See and consequently Exempt from all Romish Superiority or dependance by an Original Birth-right and Immunity and therefore forbiden by our Laws and Synods to use or wear any Pall or Liâ—â—â—y or Legatine power of Rome's bestowing and settled by our Brittish Soveraigns in Christ-Church Canterbury as effectually and Canonically as at St. Pauls in London which all Christians of Brittain whether of Protestant or Catholick stamp and Character may now with a safe and good conscience pay due submission and obedience to as they ought without Schism or scandal or forfeiture of their Christian Dignities and Orders and Communion by the Canons of the Universal Church hereafter to be recited which before they could not For though Schism be objected by the Romanists to the Episcopals as by the Episcopals to the Presbyterians and Non-conformists yet the Pope in Brittain and his Romish Convâ—â—â—clâ—s set up by craft or â—iolence over our Churches which lay out of his Jurisdiction ever were the Original Schismaticks and the first Patterns and ill examples of disobedience against Right Superiours against so many good Laws of the Catholick Church that do Excommunicate and depose them for it And nothing in all likelyhood hath or doth more foment and châ—â—ish our remaining divisions in the Land and Sâ—â—â—s in the Church than Jealousie of Popery and it spâ—â—ted hankerings and designs to reduce men again under the old yoak of Rome so much dâ—restâ—â— and justly abhorr'd by the whole Nation If All in Trust and Eminency could fully satisfie men's fears and Suspitions of their unfeigned adherence under God and the King to their Brittish Mother-Church in opposition and detestation of all Forreign Corrivals for Superiority It were strange and justly unexpected if all parties throughout this miserably divided Nation would not soon joyn hearts and hands and Church-meetings with one another in an entire and indissolvable Union and Brotherhood to the Infinite joy and happiness of Prince and People SECTION XIV That the Primacy of Canterbury as by the Pope and Monk Augustine is Schismatical and against the Canons of the Vniversal Church and of the several Nullities of the Church of Rome in England And how their Clergy Intruding here stand depriv'd of their Orders by the Canons of all the Ancient General Councils and their Laity that abet them of their Christian Communion by the same Authority BUt the Supremacy of the See of Canterbury by the Popes Authority alone as our Romanists would have it without the Authority of the Kings of England is Infamously Schismatical and irregular and against the Canons of the universal
either in Scripture or Ancient Fathers or Councils is it express'd that the Pope of Rome is this Chief that all Churches and Provinces are Bound to know and own for such for then this controversy of Supremacy were decided past all further dispute But what Metropolitan or Patriarch then is recommended to us in Scripture or Tradition to know and obey for such My Text and the 34 Canon of the Apostles answers this Question and resolves us whom we are to look upon as our chief both in Heaven and Earth For Christ is that Invisible Chief in Heaven we are to know and serve in all we do from the heart And on Earth the Primate of every Province and not the Pope over all was Him that all Christians in the Ancient and truly Catholick Church were bound to Know and own and obey as their head before Magistrates became Christians And the Pope of Rome is there quite forgot and not mention'd in the lest and at such a time as his Authority and Supremacy had been by all means to be salv'd or heeded if it had been then but a point of any right or order in the belief of the Apostolical Church which is now so great a point of Faith in the Roman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Bishops of every particular Nation ought to Know Him who is Chief amongst themselves and to count Him as their Head And to do nothing beyond their particular concern and duty without Him nor he either to do any thing without the advice of them all for so peace and concord shall be attain'd and preserv'd and God shall be glorified Whereby is evident that the Primitive Ecclesiastical state of Christendom was as its present civil is Aristocratical and not Monarchical where several Provinces had their several Bishops or Primates for their Ecclesiastical Princes As now-a-dayes several Kingdoms are under their own several Kings and States and no one Prince Supream or as a civil Imperial Pope over all the rest But in comparison of one another all were equals and unsubordinate to one another as to power and subjection though not to order and precedency And in their own Territories Monarchical or supream within themselves And if the State of the Church was so and so to be preserv'd by this Canon although the state civil was different and Monarchical all Christian Kingdoms and Provinces being then under one Emperour as he that hath read St. Cyprian or St. Hierome can make but little doubt what reason is there that the State Civil and Sacred being now equally Aristocratical the harmony should be dissolv'd and all should become slaves against right and Laws and Canons to please the Pride and sin of one He that drives at an Universal Monarchy is and ought to be taken by every Prince and State as a publick enemy The reason is the same in Church as well as State Yea there is president for Universal Monarchy in States but none in the external Church but only Prophecyes and warnings of Antichrist that should be such Now for Rome to be Soveraign as she pretends and every Metropolitan Church to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Chief and unsubordinate within its own Province according to right and Ancient customes is a manifest contradiction and inconsistency Both cannot be true together but the last was proved to be most true by as great a testimony and suffrage as Earth can afford the consent of several General Councils the greatest that ever met and in the best and purest times And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per omnia autem manifestum est This is universally manifest is the manner of wording of this point in this Canon as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manifestum namque est quod per singulas quasque Provincias in the other like unto it both in the Originals and their own Roman Translations Therefore if the one be so manifestly true the other of Rome's Supremacy is as manifestly false Let them shift off the consequence of Antichristianism as they can Yet Baronius a Spondanus An. 325. n. 32. would prove the Supremacy of Rome out of this very Canon as what will they not venter before they 'l part with their chiefest Idol but his offers are meer Cavil and Petitio Principii or begging of the Question contrary to the context and the design of this great Council and contrary also to the text in whole and in part The design being to strengthen the Authority of the Bishop of Alexandria against Meletius and Arrius who ordain'd Bishops for themselves within his Province against his will and consent which Consecrations were as Schismatical being done against his License in Egypt as the like were if done at Rome or Italy against the Authority of the Pope Both of Ancient custom having the like Authority within their proper Province and the Foundation of the Decree being the equality of Alexandria with Rome as likewise with Antioch in this respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where equality is suppos'd its absurd to imagine the same in the same respect to be subject and supream for that were inequality and contradiction Besides the union and strength of the Churches Government and Discipline that whosoever is excommunicate in one Province should stand so with all the rest is not grounded upon the necessary Dominion of One over all the rest which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Popery and one of its Master errours against the mind of our Saviour and the known state of the Primitive Church and the union and the peace of all Christendom but upon the Brotherly love and communion suppos'd amongst all Christian Churches in the 5th Canon of Nice wherein appears the difference between Ecclesiastical and Civil Polities of those times and this The Laws and Sentences of these being of force only within their own Territories by right of Empire but of those every where without through the bond and union of love And they at Rome bound to observe the decrees of their neighbouring Churches as well as these of It which imports mutual subjection to one another by mutual humility and excludes the proud conceit of Soveraignty in any one over the whole The whole Church in this respect being as one Province by the fiction of love and unity which in other respects was several and distinct by local limits as before One not by the dominion and supremacy of any one over all the rest which is the Carnal aime and Antichristian Tyranny of Rome but by the submission of all the parts to the Interest of the whole which is right Christian liberty and the harmonious Communion of Saints The act and deed of one being as the act and deed of all where the publick weal of the Church of Christ was concern'd And the ambitious swelling Supremacy of Rome is as much contrary to the Text of this Canon both in whole and in its parts as it was to the connexion and
blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and Divine Truths to the contrary reproached as Heresies and all wayes and Arts yea fire and faggot us'd to â—ar them out least their slaves and captives should be undeceived and set free by them and so become unmanageable whereby their Conquest over Souls shall be at peace and the misery and slavery of mens immortal Spirits turn to account and the enriching of their Holy Church A provocation against Heaven of long continuance enough to raise new Goths and Vâ—â—â—â—â—s against their Church and State but that the prosperity it enjoyes is a greater plague and desolation than the Sword can bring The Spiritual servitude of the Soul under Idols far exceeding the outward slavery of the body under Conquerors as much as Apoplexy exceeds sleep or the pangs of Conscience the pain of the Teeth To live in the causes of damnation being a greater misery in reason than to endure the execution there being nothing of Gods hand or justice in the one being our own mala culpae as there is in the other being Gods mala penae or the correction which he sends and inflicts and therefore the less tolerable evil of the two if properly evil Further correction therefore can do little good upon them It must be the Infinite mercies of God and the zeal of Christian Princes that must do good upon them against their wills as it is expected by diligent a Divine Dialogues p. 226. searchers into Divine Prophecies that some great Prince will be shortly rais'd by God to cast a Vial of wrath upon their glory And they have a common Tradition in France saith b Review of the Council of Trent by W R. a French Roman-Catholick Writer that some of the Carolingians of the Race of Charlemaigne shall have an Emperour of France Charles by name who shall be Prince and Monarch over Europe and shall reform the Church and State But the Glory of such a Cure and Deliverance being as it were the Redemption a new of those whom Christ redeem'd from Spiritual slavery seems more probably reserv'd for this Isle above any other whatsoever as before And so since our Island is become Great Brittain again and the true Religion is recovered with our Brittish Line and Monarchy which were fallen together it is to be conjectured from foregoing Instances of Providence upon this Monarchy that such of our Princes as will appear favourers of Popery are like to be the most unfortunate and inglorious and unbelov'd acting therein against the grain and fate of this Empire as those of the contrary design and activity as having Providence of their side the most successful and renowned and the darlings of God and men SECTION XVI What the Roman-Catholicks truly mean by the term Heretick they so liberally bestow on others And that none are greater Hereticks in Truth and reality than themselves and of their Title Roman-Catholick which they so well like And Old Rome and Brittain both Heathen and Christian compar'd with the Modern And that the yoak of Rome is not better to us than our present condition BY their condemning Protestants so confidently for Hereticks because they believe not after the manifest errours of their single Church though they profess to believe after Christ and his Scriptures and his true and purest Catholick Church they do but call others such what they make and convict themselves to be thereby It hath been ever the Custom or craft of men when sin or Satan or any vile design hath possess'd the Throne of their heart instead of Christ to imploy his Name and Laws and Power against not the enemies of Christ and the truth but the opposers of that lust or private Interest which succeeds him Upon which score the Soberest and Holiest Protestants though Catholicks with God are Hereticks with the Pope for opposing his Christ that is his Carnal Will and Grandeur which rules his heart instead of its right Soveraign For if Christ and his mind did reign therein such Hereticks as right Protestants are would soon be embrac'd for Christian Brethren And he that judges of Heresie contrary to Christs mind and will finds the first Heretick in himself The right method heretofore to judge of Heresie was the Holy Scriptures for a rule and holy Churche's Authority proceeding by such a rule or Scriptura animatae or Christ himself speaking in men But with some now a dayes one mans absolute will and pleasure and his worldly concerns and acquisitions a Haereticus arguitur qui monitus non restituit bona Ecclesiae Spondan Anno 794. n. 6. whether just or unjust or Libido Sainct fiâ—ata or a speaking Antichrist is the only rule and touchstone for to run cross to the one out of Allegiance to the other shall more involve in Rebellious Heresie than the other Install in Orthodox Loyalty and this in uniform agreeableness to the Hypothesis touching the right and wrong Soveraign we are upon And the reason in Scripture why a Heretick is to be finally avoided is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.11 or the condemnation of his own heart in changing his Soveraign which is manifestly discernable in his Conversation by all Christians that hold to their Heart-Loyalty and by the sleepy Intoxicated party it self if of a loyal inclination after two or three admonitions or else belike never The Portuguees General us'd the like Divinity in the Field in a passion as these do in their Schools and Pulpits who when the Auxillary English too tamely suffered as he conceived the advance of the Enemy towards them cry'd out in indignation the English Hereticks have betrayed us But when after a suddain Volley three stories high they clear'd the field with but-end he then confessed and vowed with as great content that the English Hereticks were excellent Christians So that Protestants by dexterous application are not out of hope but that they may retain their Heresies and be Catholicks nevertheless upon an Orthodox Tribute to an indulgent Pope who is not averse to tolerate publick Stews and License Incest c. upon the like terms But in several respects and considerations none are gâ—eater Hereticks in all desert and reason than our Roman Catholicks who are first at criminaâ—inâ—â— who in the first place slight the whole Canon of Scripture and forbid it to several as a dangerous book next to Heretical which no Father 〈◊〉 â—he Church oâ— any Council ever did and the gâ—eatest Hereâ—icks that ever were have been bâ—â—ded and condemned for no more but clashing against a few certain Texts and parcells thereof Who next renounce the whole Catholick Church which all Christians in their Creed profess to believe saving that degenerate rump and shadow thereof they at Rome have to shew Allowing none to be Metropolitans without their Palls c Concil Lateranens Can. 18. none to be Bishops or Ministers any where without Ordination deriv'd from them c Concil Lateranens Can. 18. none to have Authority to
being not the same what need more answer to it but a motion to be dismissed because the Plaintiff against us is not the same with the old Roman Church and if he were neither hath It nor ever had nor pretended any right of Supremacy over us in Brittain This I say was never the claim of old Christian Rome but the sally and invention of the Antichristian which are as much the same Church as a Wolf and a Lamb are the same Creature It cannot be denyed but that they have still amongst them the ruins and rubbish of old Christianity as well as the other of old Rome and both under like defacement And severall good Creeds and Canons of Councils and Scriptures it self if men were suffered to come at it conveyed unto them from the former Inhabitants or from St. Paul or from Brittain which with the sincerity of the heart may serve we trust to the Salvation of many thousands under that captivity as the wardrob of Comedians might serve honest men for good warmth and covering however by them imployed but to counterfeit persons and passions for a Livelyhood by the Hypocrisie to use that word in his Original and first notation For though Christ and Trinity and other Orthodox Articles of our Faith have place and mention amongst them yet it is not for their sakes so much as in order to their own Carnal designs to give them better countenance amongst deluded Christians what more then is their credit or respect thereby than of parcels of our Scripture standing in the Alcharon and as the Creatures groaning under the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.22 and longing to be deliver'd into Christian and Protestant Libertie and true sacredness from serving or countenancing the lusts and Impostures of Tyrants and false Prophets where Christ it is true is named with no less respect than at Rome but Mahomet among them as the Pope amongst these preferred before him in which preference the essence of Popery and its difference from Protestantism doth consist as before was proved Not to descant more on the servitude of the rest of their Christian Doctrines the Worship and Mass-Book of Modern Rome is not the same as was in use before with the Old but strangely altered and depraved with innumerable Superstitious additions and vain Repetitions Prohibited by our Saviour Matth. 6. Begun particularly and most remarkablely of any another by Pope Gregory who sent Augustine and Vitalian who sent Theodore hither but consummated at last by several Popes into a perfect Oglio and mixture of Judaism and Christianity such as the Alcharon it self was fram'd to be by the heads of Sergius and Mahomet And which is also as remarkable our Gregory pretended extraordinary assistance of Gods Spirit in the recourses of a Pigeon at his ear a Math. West An. 605 Spondan An. 604. n. 5. no less than Mahomet by which allegation in his behalf his Books escaped being burnt and served as he had served the old Statues and Monuments of Rome And for the alterations of their Mass by these two Popes particularly we have the Testimony of their own Platina in the lives of the one and the other b Platina in Gregorio prime Antiphonarium diurnum quam nocturnum composuit Introitum litanias stationum quoque magnum partem c. ejus quoque inventum ut novies Kyrie Eleeson caneretur Haleluja He composed their Antiphonary for day and light the Introitus their Lettany and a great part of their Stations the Repetition of Kyrie Eleeson and Halelujah nine times over was his patticular invention and whereas their Liturgy now requir'd to be us'd in their Vulgar tongue as it had been before the Latine tongue being disused at Rome from about the year 580. he so delighted to continue their service in the Latine now unknown to the vulgar and far therefore from the heart and understanding which is the true genius of Popery that he hides and cramps it further from them with unintilligible charms and Repetitions in Greek and Hebrew And in a Solemn Synod of 25 Bishops Establishes his Superstitious Innovations in sustulit quae nocitura multa etiam addidit quae profutura fidei nostrae videbantur He laid aside much of the Ancient formes as contrary and destructive and added many new in their place as more agreeable to their Modern Faith For how could their Ancient Sober and Orthodox Liturgy well agree with his Heathenish conceptions touching purifying Idol-temples with holy water as we heard before out a Bede l. 1. c. 30. of Bede And his Intercessions for Trajan's Soul in b M. Westm An 592. Hell which perhaps brought Purgatory in time in request and fashion in that new Church and with his new stress laid upon the great vertue of Wollen Palls whereon all their Ordinations and Consecrations and Archiepiscopal and Patriarchal Authorities and consequently their whole New-Roman Church depends Non bene conveniunt c. Sober and grave Religion and Worship and such unjustifiable Doctrines and pueril Infatuations how could they well agree Neither was Vitalianus the other great Restorer of the Romish Religion in England wanting in the like humour to alter and change the simplicity of their Roman Service which before kept close to the Scriptures chiefly for themselves acknowledge this their new mode of Liturgy had not been before in use c Platin in Caelestimo 1 mo ante fieri non consuevit perlectâ enim Epistolâ Evangelio finis Sacrificio imponebatur So that nothing by consequence can be imagined to be more the Liturgy of Ancient Rome than our own common Prayer as it is reformed out of the Mass by retaining the Old-Roman flower and casting away the New-Roman-Catholick bran and trash So that the Popish Religion ought not in any right or reason to be call'd Roman but a new Gothic Church as we find about this time their Ancestors and Founders the Gothes to agree and Symbolize with them Gothi d Platin. in Gregr. 1 mo Gregoâ—â— opera rediâ—re ad unionem Catholicae Ecclesiae or indeed the Gregorian Religion as they also term their Calender as well in respect of the great alteration made thereof at Rome by Pope Gregory both in Doctrine and Worship from the Ancient and Orthodox Roman Church as also of its propagation throughout Churches by his means and missions to the great e Antiquiâ— Eccles p. 42. corruption of Christendom and particularly amongst us in Brittain to the great wrong of the English who before had been rightly grounded and principled in the right and truly Catholick Faith by Brittish Ministry And here we have the Incunabula the first spring and beginning of Popery whose first entrance through Monk Augustine by Commission from this Pope Gregory was under no good Planet or Circumstances being near about the time that Pope Boniface was declar'd the Universal Bishop oâ— Antichrist in the sense of Pope Gregory in the Case of another as before and
succeeded the Roman should be Antichrist yet none must be Catholicks and right Christians but they alone How far they may prevail on any of our Great ones with their tale and story I cannot tell yet the generality of the Nation God be praised are not so forsaken by him as to love to be so deluded but are as deaf as Vlysses against such charms what attempts soever have been used to prepare and mollifie them by debauchery for the Imposture and ready to answer these Impostors as did the Neighbour-hood in the fable the beggar at Towns-end with his counterfeit Lame legg Quaere Pergrinum vicinia tota reclamat go to Japan or Hispaniola to set up your Stage and boast your receipts In England mens eyes are open and the mystery too well known yea the Wisest and Stoutest and most Prosperous of our Kings and Princes in former Ages our Renown'd Edwards and Henries and Elizabeth have sufficiently unkennel'd these Foxes and hunted them and their craft and their stink and their fire-brands and their trouble far out of our Church and State But when ever by a Judgement upon a Nation they light upon any that are more tractable and credulous their first attempt will be immediately like that of a Crow setting upon a young Lamb for prey to play first at the eyes to peck them both out to sink and fix Implicit Faith and blind obedience like two hollow pits instead And then the rest of the design shall be finish'd with less disturbance and every blow and Inconvenience never seen till it light and then also Conscience and Honour and Publick Peace and Truth and the Allegiance of the soul to Christ must make no objections after the Judgement is once Idolatrously resign'd yea should they offer to draw back when they see their errour and danger for to err is human to recover is Angelical to persevere is Diabolical How will these false guides grinne and shake their heads if not brew worse things in them at their departure or their return from Forreign cheats to God and their Country and the Truth How will they rip up and wound his name and honour with the Imputations of Inconstancy Weakness Apostacy Perjury and what not as the unclean Spirit tore the man in the Gospel when he was to quit possession for doing no more but what themselves as they are men and Christians ought to do in point of duty and safety upon the Eternal Allegiance of their Souls to Christ and the Truth and count it high honour and glory in great ones to lead It being in reason a greater Arrival and perfection to be wise and holy against the deceitfulness of sin and Satan than to be couragious amidst dangers Scipio and Alexander being more admir'd in Story for their Continence than for their Conquest for their Victories over Beauty than over Enemies If our Romish Pretenders had any the least descent or resemblance in bloud or temper or Spirit with the Ancient Roman Worthyes or any drop of Camillus or Scipioes bloud in their Veines who valued the honour and Sanctity of their false Gods above their lives and Empire could their great and clear Spirits thus descend to pervert the Gospel into matter of Trade and Merchandize or truel and plaister their mean and unworthy ends with the bloud of the Son of God And make his Glorious Resurrection and Ascention a Varnish for their secular usurpations And his chief Apostles and Holy Catholick Church complices and Vouchers of all their Frauds and Tyrannies and Treasons Which is manifestly done when any wrong to men or Churches as the Case was made plain in our Brittish are palliated with their Sacred Names and Authorities as the practice is as plain and common in their Romish Church towards us and all Christendom besides If it be counted miserable Ignominious Harlotry corpore questum facere how much more abominable is it to make the like Trade and sinful gain of the Gospel and Christ and their own Souls as well as those of their Brethren It were far more fair and generous in them and the lesser of the two evils to renounce and deny Christ and his Religion outright than so to profess it and to spit in the face of their Redeemer than thus to kiss him and to abuse without ceasing his most Holy Name and Faith to â—oâ— and deal and cheat and disturb the World as it were a less indignity to a person of honour to be denyed Quarter than preserv'd alive to tread Morâ—eâ— or to gâ—ind in a Mill. Tolerabilior esâ— qâ—â— morâ— jubet quam qui turpiteâ— vivere Can any sort of Christians be more realâ—y Heathens saving such Ambidextrous Protestants who for their present advantage and Interest can promote Popery in their Countrey though they believe it to be a false and a dead Religion and betray their own which they possess and know to be most Orthodox and sound preferring madly a superlative Carnal self before both Religions and their own truth But though those of Rome are far from Old Romans either in Faith or Fame or Bloud yet so are not we in England from the Old Brittains in either of these respects But far ouâ—â—oing both in another good quality of containing our selves within the bounds of our Isle without great and just cause to sally out and not coveting turbulently other mens rights or their Kingdoms or Churches which is true past doubt of the Brittains in Wales and was prov'd before at large as to the English In the great and as it were second Deluge of Christendom for their Gygantick sins by Goths and Vandalls and Normans and Saxons for inundations of Nations in Mystical Scriptures are compar'd to those of Waters Rev. 17.15 wherein most other people were swept away and drown'd and their Languages and names obliterated and Scepters and Churches overturn'd our Brittains alone charg'd through and surviv'd the brunt of all Invasions and swame to Land through all those Billowes alive and safe with their Bibles in their hands and their Creed in their hearts and their own Language in their mouths living to see their Church restor'd to its old liberty and purity their Crown to their own Flesh and Bloud and the divided Island to great Brittain again Before their nunc Dimiâ—â—is and dissolution by Incorporation with the English Nation or rather Re-union with their Loeâ—â—â—a Brethren recovering themselves through Gods wonderful mercies and Resurrections to innocent and long sufferers and his blasts and periods upon Lines of Bloud and violence in 〈◊〉 Princes and Nobles and Generality into Oâ—a 〈…〉 again as was prov'd before diâ—â—câ—ing perhaps in names and Dialect but not in Nature and Humour and Succession to the like generous defence of their Faith and Glory being â—oth observâ—d in their Dispositions for the most part to be alike Fearless and Harmless and Warlike and Liberâ—l and Religious and subject to Indignation and neither the one nor the other our Modern or Middle or most