Reason in the chaire in stead of Antichrist is dead and gone publish it not in the streets of Askelon that he who did at once batter Rome and undermine England the Reforming Church of England that he might prevent a Reformation is dead lest if you publish it you puzzle all the Conclave and put them to consider whether they should mourne or triumph If any man enquire whether he hath a Tombe-stone as well as an Elegy let him know that we plundered an old Friar of his Tombe-stone and there is roome enough for an Epitaph if they please to send one from Oxford if not give us leave to say we have provided a Sepulchre and it is your fault if you doe not provide a Monument for as Laurentius Valla the master of Elegances observes a Monument is nothing else but a speaking Sepulchre Vixque Monumentum dixerim nisi literae aut alii tituli appareant quae si desint magis sepulchrum quà m monumentum erit Laur. Vall. Elegant lib. 4. cap. 75. If there be any man yet unsatisfied that this great Philosopher Mathematician Oratour and any thing but what he pretended to be a Divine hath had no more honour at his death then a plaine Tombe-stone and such a song of lamentation as was taken up for Saul let him read this following Catechisme and if he be either Papist or Protestant he will be satisfied if he be true to his owne principles A Prophane Catechisme collected out of Mr Chillingworths Works Question HOw shall I be able to prove to an Atheist that there is a God and that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the word of God Answ. When Protestants affirme against Papists that Scripture is a perfect rule of Faith their meaning is not that by Scripture all things Absolutely may be proved which are to be beléeved for it can never bée proved by Scripture to a gain sayer that there is a God or that the Book called Scripture is the word of God for as he saith a little before nothing is proved true by being said or written in a Book but only by Tradition which is a Thing credible of it selfe chap. 1. p. 55. Sect. 8. the first Edition approved at Oxford Doubtlesse the Atheists and Papists will give him hearty thanks for this answer which doth preferre Tradition which the Atheist vilifies before Scripture which the Papists vilifie he hath pleased them both The Papists will bee well pleased to see this doctrine licensed by the Protestants of the University of Oxford that Tradition is more credible then Scripture for Tradition is credible for it selfe but the Scripture when it is to be proved a perfect Rule to us is credible only by Tradition in Mr Chillingworths conceit pag. 96. and where shall we meet with this universall Tradition 2. But I finde another answer pag. 53. Tradition may be helped out by naturall Reason Controversies wherein the Scripture it selfe is the subject of the question cannot be determined saith Mr Chillingworth but by Naturall Reason the only principle beside Scripture which is common to Christians cap. 2. sect. 3. And in his marginall observations on a passage of Mr Hookers he layes downe this as a Rule Naturall Reason then built on principles common to all men is the last Resolution pag. 65. Nay Reason is in some sort Gods word see his answer to the Preface pag. 21. How then will the Atheist say is Reason credible for it selfe since Mr Chillingworth saith that Gods word is not credible for it selfe Surely these answers will never bring a man to divine faith for to rely upon Tradition is but to rely upon Humane testimony and such as the testimony is such is the faith if the testimony which is the ground of faith be humane then the faith cannot be divine Againe naturall Reason is not infallible nor is it able to judge of truths which are above Reason now it is cleare that supernaturall truths are above naturall Reason Finally faith is not grounded upon Reason but upon Authority He gives a third answer chap. 1. pag. 36. God hath confirmed the doctrine of the Scripture by miracles but then he saith we have nothing to assure us of the truth of those miracles but Tradition and therefore we are not got one steppe nearer faith or Heaven by that shift and if he flie back to Reason then consider what he saith pag. 117. God hath no where commanded men to beleeve all that Reason induceth them to beleeve Qu. But if this great point must be tried by Reason what Reason can you produce to prove the Scripture to be the word of God An. There is as good reason for it as there is to beléeve other stories or matters of Tradition He requires men to yeeld just such a kinde or degree of assent to the Gospel of Christ as they yeeld to other stories or matters of Tradition chap. 1. pag. 37. for God desires us only to beleeve the conclusion as much as the premises deserve ib. sect. 8. p. 36. And the Chronicle of England joyned with the generall tradition of our acquaintance deserves as much credit in Mr Chillingworths conceit as the Gospel of Christ for his words are these chap. 2. sect. 159. p. 116. 117. Wee have I beleeve as great reason to beleeve there was such a man as Henry the eighth King of England as the Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate The Lord rebuke that spirit of errour which moved the great men of Oxford to license this blasphemy What have I no more reason to beleeve the three persons in the holy Trinity speaking in their glorious Gospel to my heart and conscience then I have to beleeve Stowes Chronicle or the generall tradition of my owne acquaintance or some such other fallible testimony Qu. But what if I cannot be assured that any part of the Scripture is the word of God may I be saved without beleeving this weighty point An. Yes saith Mr. Chillingworth chap. 2. sect. 159. if a man should beléeve Christian Religion wholly and entirely and live according to it such a man though he should not know or not beléeve the Scripture to be a Rule of faith no nor to be the word of God my opinion is he may be saved Excellent Divinity indeed what is not this a principle of Christianity that Scripture is the word of God and rule of faith and if it be how then is it possible for a man to beleeve the Christian Religion wholly and entirely and yet not beleeve this principle Yes I may beléeve the Scripture as I doe Augustins works pag. 114. Qu. But if I am assured that some Scripture is the word of God how shall I know what books are Canonicall and what not An. By universall Tradition I must receive those books for Canonicall of whose Authority there was never any doubt or question in the Church pag. 148. I may then it seems doubt of the Epistle of James the second of Peter
rather Doctor it is unreasonable for the Head to neglect the preservation of it selfe and the body but it is very reasonable for to lift up both armes to defend the head and the whole body and therefore reasonable for both houses to take up armes and lift up their armes put forth their whole strength to defend the King and themselves Doctor Ferne talkes of a Fundamentall constitution which hath provided this temper of three Estates as the reasonable meanes of our safety But I must confesse that it cannot enter into my dull pate to conceive that our Government is of any setled temper or that we have any reasonable meanes provided for the safety of this Kingdome by that fundamentall constitution if the King may doe what he pleases seize on our goods 't is Doctor Fernes supposition imprison our persons kill us outright and which is worse overthrow our Lawes our â—iberties our Religion and all at once and by consequence enslave not onely the bodies but the consciences of our posterity and there is no more power in both houses of Parliament to protect us by force against force then if we had no such remedy provided as the government of three Estates Are we not subjected to an absolute Monarch if the other two Estates have no legall power to releeve our neglected or oppressed Common-wealth how are we secured by the temper of three Estates or how can it be called a temper or a temper of three Estates if the first of the three may oppresse us and the other two have no power to releeve us Sure I am that by this account there is but one Estate that hath a true power and therfore that Estate must be an estate of absolute Monarchy which Dr Ferne himselfe seemes to abhorre and yet so vaine is that Doctor as to call the Power of Supply legally placed in both Houses of Parliament a Conceit nay a vaine Conceit his words are these The Conceit of Supply by the two Houses in case the King refuse to preserve the Kingdome is a vaine Conceit and if that be true then I must conclude that this provision of a Temper of three Estates is no Temper no provision two of the Estates are no Estates or else this provision is in the phrase of Doctor Ferne a lame provision which argues the first contrivement of our Ancestors very inconsiderate because then it followes that there is no Reasonable Meane of safety provided for this Kingdome by that Fundamentall Constitution which provided this Temper of three Estates so the Doctor loves to call it though he make one Estate so praedominant that as there is no Temperamentum ad pondus so there will bee no Temperamentum ad justitiam neither by his conceit How say you Sir John are not you of my perswasion or are you ashamed to tread in the steppes of your learned Countrey-man The Lord open your eyes and cleare your eye-sight you are naturally sharp-sighted but if your eye look red or yellow you know your disease by the symptome It sball be my prayer that your eye may neither be dimme nor blood-shotten Consider that the blood of the 70 was laid upon Abimelech their brother who slew them and upon the men of Shechem which had ayded him by strengthning his hands to kill his brethren Whether you have strengthned their hands who slew their Brethren only for being too zealous in the maintenance of that Religion which you professe I appeale to God your Conscience and the evidence of the fact If you have dealt truly and sincerely with this * Reforming Parliament nay with your owne party rejoyce and flatter your selves with hope of a desired successe but if not then take heed the curse of Iotham doe not fall upon you there may be an evill spirit sent between the Irish and English the French and Spanish factions nay fire may come out from the Queen and consume the Prelates and fire from the Prelates and consume the Papists or else there may come a fire from the North a fire to purge and refine not to destroy which is my prayer and will be your happinesse I will not hold you any longer upon the racke Learne the first lesson of Christianity Self-deniall deny your owne will and submit your selves to Gods deny your reason and submit to faith Reason tells you that there are some things above reason and you cannot be so unreasonable as to make reason judge of those things which are above reason Remember that Master Chillingworth your friend did runne mad with reason and so lost his reason and religion both at once hee thought he might trust his reason in the highest points his reason was to be Iudge whether or no there be a God Whether that God wrote any Booke Whether the bookes usually received as Canonicall be the bookes the Scriptures of God What is the sense of those books What Religion is best What Church purest Come doe not wrangle but beleeve and obey your God and then I shall be encouraged to subscribe my selfe Your Friend and Servant FRANCIS CHEYNELL A briefe and plaine Relation of Mr Chillingworths Sicknesse Death and Buriall together with a just Censure of his Works by a Discovery of his Errours collected out of his Book and framed into a kinde of Atheisticall Catechisme fit for Racovia or Cracovia And may well serve for the instruction of the Irish Welch Dutch French Spanish Army in England and especially for the Black Regiment at Oxford I Am very religious in observing that old proverbe if it be taken in its right sense Nothing is to be spoken of the dead but good If that be true which Quintilian saith adversus miseros I may better say adversus mortuos inhumanus est jocus that man is void of humanity who makes sport with the dead Mr Chillingworth was looked upon by me at the first sight as a conquered man and therefore I was not only civill but as he confessed charitable unto him and now he is dead I cannot deale with him as a Asinius Pollio did with Plancus set forth an Oration to which no answer is to be expected unlesse according to the desire of Saul or Dives a messenger should arise from the dead to give me an answer as full of terrour as satisfaction It is no glory to triumph over one that is conquered nay dead for that of the Poet is true Nullum cum victis certamen * aethere cassis But I consider that Mr Chillingworths party is alive though he be dead and though one of his Books is buried there are many hundred Copies divulged and therefore though I speak not of his humane frailties or personall infirmities and imperfections which died with him yet I may speak of his Hereticall Book and of some destructive policies he used which doe yet survive in their sad and lamentable effects Iudge what I say put the case a man commits notorious crimes
CHILLINGWORTHI NOVISSIMA OR THE Sicknesse Heresy Death and Buriall OF WILLIAM CHILLINGWORTH In his own phrase Clerk of Oxford and in the conceit of his fellow Souldiers the Queens Arch-Engineer and Grand-Intelligencer SET FORTH IN A Letter to his Eminent and learned Friends a Relation of his Apprehension at Arundell a Discovery of his Errours in a Briefe Catechism and a short Oration at the Buriall of his Hereticall Book By FRANCIS CHEYNELL late Fellow of MERTON Colledge Published by Authority LONDON Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1644. TO THE LEARNED AND EMINENT FRIENDS OF Mr CHILLINGWORTH And in particular TO Sir JOHN CULPEPPER Knight Doctor JOHN PRIDEAUX Bishop of Worcester FELL Deane of Christ-Church BAYLY Deane of Sarum SHELDEN Warden of All-soules POTTER Provost of Queenes and MORLEY Canon of Christ-Church SIRS YOur deceased friend is not yet speechlesse he calls upon you to beware and repent some preach more at least more practically when they are dead then ever they did whilst they were alive You that were his Patrons and Encouragers as hee acknowledged ever when he was in the heigth of his Rebellion doe you beware lest a worse thing come unto you You that were the Licensers of his subtile Atheisme Repent Repent for he was so hardened by your flattery that for ought the most charitable man can judge hee perished by your Approbation he ever appealed to his works even to his very dying day and what was it which made him dote upon them but your Licence and Approbation Heark what hee saith The third and last part of my Accusation was That I answer out of principles which Protestants themselves will professe to detest which indeed were to the purpose if it could be justified But besides that it is confuted by my whole Book and made ridiculous by the Approbation premised unto it c. read Mr Chillingworth his Preface to the Author of Charity c. Sect. 30. Sure I am that the Accusation may bee justified and therefore is to the purpose but the Approbation cannot bee justified and is therefore justly Reprobated The Accusation is so serious that the Approbation cannot make it but may well make the Approvers and their Church ridiculous O what a ridiculous Church doe the Licensers make the Church of England to be by saying that there is nothing in Mr Chillingworth his Book contrary to the doctrine of the Church of England sure they meant the Church of Canterbury But Dr Fell and Dr Bayly are not ashamed to say that there is nothing in that Book contrary to good manners which Dr Prideaux would not say but enough of that Sirs the following History will testifie my compassion towards your deceased friend whom I ever opposed in a charitable and friendly way I doe not account it any glory to trample upon the carkasse of Hector or to pluck a dead Lion by the beard should I misquote his Book and make that errour mine owne by a false citation which I pretend to be his in an Accusation you that were the unhappy Licencers of his Book would soone take me tripping If you conceive that he deserved a more Honourable buriall bee pleased to answer my Reasons and patronize his errours with all the learning Bodleyes Library can afford or else study his Catechisme pardon my boldnesse some Courtiers never learnt and some Doctours have forgot their Catechisme or else this man we speak of had never beene so much admired his Book extolled or these Antichristian warres fomented by such great Clerks and busie wits I looked upon Mr Chillingworth as one who had his head as full of Scruples as it was of Engines and therefore dealt as tenderly with him as I use to doe with men of the most nice and tender consciences for I considered that though Beefe must bee preserved with salt yet Plums must be preserved with sugar I can assure you I stooped as low to him as I could without falling and you know he is not a wise man in the judgement of the Philosopher who stoops so low to another mans weaknesse that he himselfe falls into weaknesse and it is a Rule with us at Westminster that he falls into weaknesse who falls into sinne Doe not conceive that I snacht up my pen in an angry mood that I might vent my dangerous wit and ease my overburthened spleene No no I have almost forgot the Visitation at Merton Colledge the Deniall of my Grace the plundering of my house and little Library I know when and where and of whom to demand satisfaction for all these injuries and indignities I have learnt Centum plagas Spartanâ Nobilitate concoquere I have not yet learnt how to plunder others of goods or living and make my selfe amends by force of armes I will not take a living which belonged to any civill studious learned Delinquent unlesse it be the much neglected Commendam of some Lordly Prelate condemned by the knowne Lawes of the Land and the highest Court of the Kingdome for some offence of the first magnitude I can without straining my conscience swallow such a gnat a camel I should say for every one of their Commendams hath a bunch upon its back and may well make a bunch upon their conscience I shall not trouble you with any long discourse about State matters only you will give me leave to say what the Lacedemonian slave said when he stood to be sold in the market and one asked him what he was I am saith he a Free man and so am I for though I have not taken Antidotum contra Caesarem yet I have taken Antidotum contra Tyrannidem I could never yet stoop so low to the most tyrannicall Prelate as to cry Your humble Slave Sirs we heare you have made a New Almanack at Oxford and some conceive that you hold correspondence with all the swore Planets and that you have enticed the trusty Sunne from his Ecliptick line and taught him to goe Retrograde We wonder I must tell you that the Sunne never came into Libra that Opinions Protestations Actions were seldome or never weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary and we wondered more that Venus I had almost forgot my Astronomy and said Iuno was shufled into Virgo's place and the signe was in the Dogs head when we did expect it in a more propitious place the Lions heart I remember that of Tertullian Habet Ecclesia dies Caniculares the Church of Christ hath cause to complaine of Dog dayes for the Dog doth not only shew his teeth we heare him bark and feele him bite we may in every month write the Dog dayes in capitall letters nay you write them for us so capitall are your crimes in letters of blood What is England become a Wildernesse if it be not why are so many wilde beasts suffered to goe loose and prey upon the zealous Protestants for shame chaine up those beasts before the first of March if
immediately saved without faith in Christ See chap 3. Sect. 13. pag. 133. but you see he doth not mince the matter in the place fore-cited for it is cleare and evident that there is nothing of the Gospel written in the heart by nature or in any of the workes of God by the first creation The third opinion which prevailed was this that it would be fittest to permit the men of his owne perswasion out of meere humanity to bury their dead out of our sight and to bury him in the cloysters amongst the old Shavelings Monkes and Priests of whom he had so good an opinion all his life The Prelaticall men doe conceive that there is a kinde of holinesse in a cloyster no excommunicated person must be buried there unlesse there be an absolution sent either before the death of the party or to the dead corps which they must call their beloved brother because they themselves are as lothsome and rotten as the corps Nay a Papist must not be buried in the Cloysters without speciall dispensation from the Bishop and you know the Prelates would dispense with Papists alive or dead It is usuall to bury men of good rank and quality in Collegiate Cloysters and sure I am the Cavaliers doe not bury their dead so honourably though they esteeme them the Queenes Martyrs they throw them into ditches or rivers Finally Mr Chillingworths bones shall rest without any disturbance he shall not be used as Wicliffe was by Papists or as Bucer was served by the Prelaticall faction at Cambridge who vouchsafed him an Honourable buriall in the dayes of Edward the sixth anno 1551. because they knew it would be an acceptable service in the eyes of Saint Edward as judicious Hooker styles him but in the dayes of Queen Mary the first of that name the same men plucked him out of his grave againe after an inhumane and barbarous manner but in Queen Elizabeths dayes the same men wheeled about a third time and made an honourable commemoration of him againe in Panegyricall Orations and flattering verses Mr Chillingworth was buried by day and therefore we had no Torches or Candles at his grave Tertullian assures me that the Christians used no such custome though the Heathens did and the Antichristians now doe Non frangimus lucernis lucem Dei I know no reason why Candles were used by Heathens at the Funerall of the dead but because they did burne the dead bodies subjectam more parentum Aversae tenuêre facem Observe that I say at the Funerall for I know full well that they had some Anniversary Commemorations at which it was usuall to bring Candles and burne them at Sepulchers in honour of the Dead I remember a famous instance in Suetonius in the life of Augustus there is mention made of a great company who flocked together at the Tomb-stone of one Masgabas who had beene dead about a yeare and they brought abundance of lights thither as their custome was But it is strongly objected that my great and unanswerable fault was that I did in extremo actu deficere I refused to bury him my selfe and left it to others Sirs I confesse it and shall deale freely and candidly in the businesse First Mr Chillingworth in his life time desired to have some part of the Common-prayer-book read over his Corps at the grave in case it should please God to take him away into another world by that sicknesse Now I could not yeeld to this request of his for many reasons which I need not specifie yet I shall say enough to give satisfaction to reasonable and modest men I conceive it absurd and sinfull to use the same forme of words at the buriall of all manner of persons namely to insinuate that they are all elected that they doe all rest in Christ that we have sure and certaine hope of their salvation c. these and the like passages I durst not make use of upon that occasion and all this and a great deale more was desired by Mr Chillingworth blame me not if I did choose rather to satisfie my owne conscience then his desire for what learned Doctor Vsher saith of more Ancient Formes of praise and prayer is true of these passages which kinde of Intercessions c. proved an occasion of confirming men in divers errours especially when they began once to be applied not only to the good but to evill livers also unto whom by the first institution they never were intended Dr Vsher his Answer to the Jesuites Challenge pag. 192. Edit. London 1625. Secondly I doe not know to what end and purpose wee should pray over the dead unlesse we conceive it fitting to pray for the dead I doe consider upon what slight occasions the people have heretofore runne into intolerable errours and there is a kinde of naturall superstition ingraffed in the minde of ingenuous men in this great businesse men are apt to slide out of their civility and blinde devotion into detestable superstition They who began to complement with the dead at first did little dream that their Complements should be urged as Arguments to prove that we may make prayers to the dead and yet they who have searched farthest into the originall of that rotten superstition and grosse idolatry doe as clearly demonstrate my observation to be solid and rationall as if it were a truth written with a Sun-beame Take Doctor Fields observation upon this Argument Notwithstanding saith he it is most certaine that many particular men extended the meaning of these Prayers further c. and so it is true saith Doctor Field that Calvin saith That many of the Fathers were led into errour in this matter of prayer for the dead c. See his third Booke of the Church and the 17 Chapter They conceived that the Saints continue their love to their brethren which they left behind them that therefore they recommend to God those particular necessities of their brethren which were made knowne to them here nay they did entreat Saints lying on their death-beds not to forget their friends on earth when they were translated to heaven Adde to this their reckoning up the names of Martyrs at the Eucharist the Sacrifice of praise the anniversary commemorations and Panegyricall Orations on the severall dayes of their friends death and I need say no more Read the same Author Doctor Field in the same Book the 20 chapter and you will be satisfied When I read of Funeralls in the old Testament celebrated in the presence of Idolaters mingled with the faithfull servants of God is there any probability that there were any Prayers made over the dead corps would the Idolaters have joined with the faithfull in any spirituall exercise of Religion presented to the true God The Heathens had strange conceits that by Prayers and Sacrifices Persephone might be appeased and so the deceased party fare much the better for the sacrifices or the prayers shadowed by the Sacrifices for
with them the Devill was worshipped and so as they thought appeased Read Doctor Reynolds in the first Tome of his prelections on the Apocrypha pag. 1498. Itaque Persephone sacrificiis precibus placabatur ab Vlysse Odyssea 11. Apollonius apud Philostratum lib. 4. cap. 5. qui negat sibi opus fuisse obtulit tamen preces orationes atque ita aut sacrificiis aut orationibus quas sacrificia adumbrabant placabatur Sathanas colebatur adorabatur Now if prayers were made over the dead by Heathenish Idolaters and are still made by Romish Idolaters and the Reformed Churches have no such custome I humbly conceive that I shall not be condemned by any sober Christian for not imitating Heathens or Papists Be pleased to observe the practise of Reformed Churches and then you will not deeme me singular in my opinion There was a Liturgy printed not long since and presented to the Parliament let it not be thought the worse because it came from Geneva or because it is said to be approved by Mr. Calvin and the Church of Scotland and in that Liturgy you shall find that there was no great store of Service said or done at the interring of the dead corps The corps is reverently brought to the Grave without any further Ceremonies which being buried the Minister if he be present and required observe those two limitations goeth to the Church if it be not farre off marke that likewise and maketh some comfortable exhortation to the people touching death and resurrection You see that in their judgement the corps may be reverently interred without a Minister yet if he be present there are no prayers appointed to be said over the dead body but the Minister is to repaire to the Church and preach to the Congregation as I did upon the advantage of the like occasion The practise of the Church of Scotland is set forth by that reverend and learned Commissioner of Scotland Master Rutherford Professour of Divinity at Saint Andrewes cap. 20. art 9. p. 319. in these words Interring and buriall is not performed in the Word of God with preaching reading Service over the dead singing Scniptures as Papists which tend to superstition c. The place of buriall with us is not under the Altar or the place of Assembling the Church for the Word or Sacraments as Papists do but in some publike place either near the Church or some inclosed field because the Jewes buried sometimes in a Cave Gen. 25. 9. sometimes in a Valley Deut. 34. 6. somtimes in a garden Joh. 19. 41. I hope you wil not say at Oxford that there 's no Christian buriall to be had in Scotland because they doe not interre the corps in the Church or read Service over the dead But however you 'll say it must be acknowledged that singing of Hymnes and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} were used of old amongst funerall offices To which I answere that the learned Doctor Vsher proves out of the Author of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy that such a Rite could not be observed in its pomp and glory unlesse there had been some Bishop present at whose sacred hands the dead body might receive as it were a sacred coronation 2. The singing of Psalmes and these thanksgiving prayers are not signes of mourning but rejoicing and how it would have been interpreted at Oxford you may judge had we shewne the least signe of rejoicing at the fall of such a subtile enemy 3. In those hymnes and Psalmes they did expresse their confidence that the deceased party was crowned in glory and of that I have said enough above to shew that I had no such confidence But if any of Master Chillingworths Catholike friends at Oxford should speake out and tell me that there may as Augustine saith be Petitions and Propitiations made for men that are not very bad after their death I will ingenuously confesse that Augustines judgment was very unsetled in this point and diverse of his expressions are inexcusable But to answere them according to their folly if they conceive that Master Chillingworth was a Martyr for the Catholike cause they will likewise acknowledge as Augustine in sundry places doth that to frame Petitions for a Martyr after his death is an injury to the Martyr and to the cause for which he suffered If any man doe yet remaine unsatisfied let him consider that had I conceived it fitting to read some Service over a dead corps yet it could not be expected in reason and equity that I should performe this last office to the body of Master Chillingworth For it is well knowne that long before these unnaturall and bloudy warres in the times of greatest compliance I never gave Mr Chillingworth the right hand of fellowship but did freely and constantly protest against those damnable heresies which he did cunningly subintroduce vent in this Kingdom not onely whilest he was a professed Papist but since his pretended conversion give me leave to call it so you will see there is good ground for that diminishing term when you come to read the Catechism anon I am not ashamed to tell the whole Vniversity the whole Kingdome that I never looked upon Master Chillingworth as my brother in a religious respect for we were not men of the same Religion or Communion to speak plaine we were not members of the same Church for as he saith truely in his subtile booke they who differ in Fundamentall points are not members of the same Church one with another any more then Protestants are members of the same Church with Papists Chap. 3. Sect. 9. pag. 131. Finally it was favour enough to permit Master Chillingworths disciples or followers the men of his perswasion to perform this last office to their friend and Master Now there was free liberty granted to all the Malignants in the City to attend the Herse and interre his corps Sure I am that if Mr Chillingworth had beene as Orthodoxe and zealous a Preacher as John the Baptist was he might have had as honourable a buriall as John the Baptist had for all the honour that John had was to be buried by his owne Disciples Matth. 14. 12. If the doctrine of this eminent Scholar was hereticall and his Disciples were Malignants I am not guilty of that difference As devout Stephen was carried to his buriall by devout men so is it just and equall that Malignants should carry Malignants to their grave By Malignants I meane such kinde of men who joyne with the enemy or are willing upon any occasion offered to joyne with him to promote the Antichristian Designe now on foot those and onely those I call Malignants When the Malignants brought his Herse to the buriall I met them at the grave with Master Chillingworths booke in my hand at the buriall of which booke I conceived it fit to make this little speech following A Speech made at the Funerall of Mr Chillingworths mortall Booke BRethren it
was the earnest desire of that eminent Scholar whose body lyes here before you that his corps might be interred according to the Rites and customs approved in the English Liturgy and in most places of this Kingdom heretofore received but his second request in case that were denied him was that he might be buried in this City after such a manner as might be obtained in these times of unhappy difference and bloudy warres His first request is denied for many reasons of which you cannot be ignorant It is too well knowne that he was once a professed Papist and a grand seducer he perverted divers persons of considerâ—â—â—â—â—anke and quality and I have good cause to beleeve that his â—…e to England commonly called his Conversion was but a false and pretended Conversion And for my owne part I am fully convinced that he did not live or dye a genuine Sonne of the Church of England I retaine the usuall phrase that you may know what I meane I meane he was not of that Faith or Religion which is established by Law in England Hee hath left that phantasie which he called his Religion upon record in this subtile booke He was not ashamed to print and publish this destructive tenet That there is no necessity of Church or Scripture to make men faithfull men in the 100 page of this unhappy booke and therefore I refuse to bury him my selfe yet let his friends and followers who have attended his Herse to this Golgotha know that they are permitted out of meere humanity to bury their dead out of our sight If they please to undertake the buriall of his corps I shall undertake to bury his errours which are published in this so much admired yet unworthy booke and happy would it be for this Kingdome if this booke and all its fellowes could be so buried that they might never rise more unlesse it were for a confutation and happy would it have been for the Author if he had repented of those errours that they might never rise for his condemnation Happy thrice happy will he be if his workes doe not follow him if they doe never rise with him nor against him Get thee gone then thou cursed booke which hast seduced so many precious soules get thee gone thou corrupt rotten booke earth to earth and dust to dust get thee gone into the place of rottennesse that thou maist rot with thy Author and see corruption So much for the buriall of his errours Touching the buriall of his corps I need say no more then this It will be most proper for the men of his perswasion to commit the body of their deceased Friend Brother Master to the dust and it will be most proper for me to hearken to that counsell of my Saviour Luk. 9. 60. Let the dead bury their dead but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God And so I went from the grave to the Pulpit and preached on that Text to the Congregation Some conceive that I studied on purpose to picke out the most piercing Text in the Bible a Text which doth much reflect upon the party deceased but these men erre not knowing the Scriptures for had I used that Prayer at Master Chillingworths grave which was dictated by the Spirit upon the like occasion the fall of a great enemy of Israel Judges 5. 31. doubtlesse that Prayer would have reflected more upon the party deceased and all his surviving party So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee be as the Sunne when he goes forth in his strength They would have beene more displeased had I taken that Text which is applyed to no lesse a man then the sonne of Iosiah by the Prophet Ieremiah They shall not lament for him saying Ah my brother or ah sister ah Lord or ah his glory He shall be buried with the buriall of an asse drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem Ierem. 22. 18 19. Doubtlesse that man deserves the buriall of an Asse who beleeves his owne Reason more then the God of truth he that dares not condemne nay admires those for rationall men who would reason Christ and the holy Ghost out of their Godhead and even dispute them both out of the Trinity doth certainly deserve the buriall of an Asse Man is born like a wild asses colt as silly wild and coltish as the Colt of a wilde Asse and if he prove an old Colt and perish by his Coltish trickes wonder not at the sharpe censure of the holy Ghost You see then there are sharper Texts then this that I pitched upon for the ground of my discourse Secondly all that understand that Text Luke 9. 60. will acknowledge that the Text did reflect rather upon the living then the dead But why then was he buried at all I have told you already his followers were permitted to bury him out of meere Humanity I pleaded for his buriall from that great example recorded at length by the holy Ghost 2 Sam. 1. from the eleventh verse to the end of the chapter Saul you know was forsaken of God long before his death the spirit of the Lord the excellent gifts and common graces of the Spirit in particular the spirit of government departed from him Moreover he consulted a witch and by her the Devill at Endor and an evill spirit from the Lord took possession of him yet Saul was solemnly buried bewailed nay extolled by David for those things which were lovely in him as you may read in the place forecited 17 21 24. verses And I dare boldly say that I have beene more sorrowfull for Mr Chillingworth and mercifull to him then his friends at Oxford his sicknesse and obstinacy cost me many a prayer and many a teare I did heartily bewaile the losse of such strong parts and eminent gifts the losse of so much learning and diligence Never did I observe more acutenesse and eloquence so exactly tempered in the same person Diabolus ab illo ornari cupiebat for he had eloquence enough to set a faire varnish upon the foulest designe He was master of his learning he had all his arguments in procinctu and all his notions in numerato Howle ye firre trees for a Cedar is fallen lament ye Sophisters for the Master of sentences shall I say or fallacies is vanished wring your hands and beat your breasts yee Antichristian Engineers for your Arch-engineer is dead and all his Engines buried with him Ye daughters of Oxford weep over Chillingworth for he had a considerable and hopefull project how to clothe you and himselfe in scarlet and other delights I am distressed for thee my brother Chillingworth may his Executrix say very pleasant hast thou beene unto me thy love to me was wonderfull passing the love of father husband brother O how are the mighty fallen and the weapons nay engines of warre perished O tell it not in Gath that he who raised a battery against the Popes chaire that he might place
out of the circumstances of the Text cannot convince me unlesse I judge of them by my Reason and for every man or woman to rely on that in the interpreting of Scripture you say is an horrible absurdity And p. 99. Reason will shew this to be the meaning yes if we may use our Reason and rely upon it Protestants use their reason but Socinians rely upon their reason And he teaches implicit faith all along his book Protestants saith he do agree with an Implicit faith in that sense of the whole Scripture which God intended whatsoever it was p 129. 130 cap. 5. sect. 3. a ready way to tempt men to beleeve very little concerning the sense of Scripture for men will be apt to say that the sense of this and the other place of Scripture is not plainly and fully revealed and Mr Chillingworth doth not require any thing to be beleeved with an explicit faith which is not plainly and undoubtedly delivered in Scripture My reason saith he is convincing and demonstrative because nothing is necessary to be beleeved but what is plainly revealed p. 92. But nothing in his judgement is plainly revealed about any point which is called in question if there be a seeming conflict of Scripture with Scripture Reason with Reason Authority with Authority in such a case he cannot well understand how it can be truly sayd that God hath manifestly revealed the truth on either side chap. 3. sect. 9. p. 136. 137. Well but admit that the appearances on my side are answerable and grant that Scripture Reason Authority are all against me because on the other side yet consider the strange power of Education and Prejudices instilled by it and what Passions I am subject to and then my errour is unavoydable and therfore excusable for though the truth is in it selfe revealed plainly enough yet to such a one as I am prepossest with contrary opinions the truth in that point is not plainly revealed read page 137. Sure the corruption of our Nature is as unavoydable as prejudices and passions and therefore he must according to his principles conclude that God who knowes whereof we are made will not enter into judgement with us for those things which all things considered were unavoydable they are his own words page 137. Nay besides education prejudices and passions inadvertence may in the fourth place excuse us if we dis-beleeve a plain Revelation Finally in the fift place multitude of buisinesse distractions hinderances will excuse us and hinder God from imputing our errours to us as sinnes In his answer to the preface p 19. I am verily perswaded that God will not impute errours to them as sinnes who use such a measure of industry in finding truth as humane prudence and ordinary discretion their abilities and opportunities their distractions and hinderances and all other things considered he will be sure to give liberty enough shall advise them unto in a matter of such consequence But certainly humane prudence and ordinary discretion will teach men to plead these excuses which he hath framed for them when any point of faith shall be pressed upon them they will say our opportunities are few our distractions and hinderances many our education meane our abilities weake our prejudices strong our passions violent our inadvertence pardonable and therefore we will content our selves with a modest humble implicite faith we beleeve the whole Scripture to be true in that sense which God intended whatsoever it was but we have not time to search or ability to judge what it was if we beleeve nothing explicitely or to disbeleeve a clear revelation that revelation though cleare in it selfe is not cleare to us our errour the corruption of our nature our prejudices contrary opinions with which we are already prepossest and all other things considered is unavoidable and therefore God will never impute it to us as a sinne Whither these Principles tend let the pretended Parliament at Oxford judge Qu. But are we not bound to heare what the Church will say to us for our direction in weighty points Ans. I must beléeve the Church in every thing she proves either by Scripture Reason or universall Tradition be it Fundamentall or bée it not Fundamentall pag 149. These disjunctives seem to imply that something fundamentall may be proved by reason or universall Tradition which cannot be proved by Scripture The Licencers may do well to declare what that Fundamentall point is or how many there are if there be more then one I may go to Heathens I need not go to the Church for any thing which Reason teaches the Philosophers can sufficiently instruct me and if what the Church teaches be finally resolved into my owne reason as he affirmes p. 96. then I do not beléeve either God or the Church but my own reason By you saith Master Chillingworth to Knot as well as by Protestants all is finally resolved into your owne reason Sect. 115. cap. 2. Sure I am then that such Protestants and Jesuites are in their high-way to pure Socinianisme and therefore it is no marvell if some Jesuites have been such Anti-Trinitarians as Master Chillingworth pleads in his owne defence Preface and Answer to the directions to N. N. Sect. 16 17 18 c. the Church hath lost the interpretation of obscure places pag. 56 and plaine places need no exposition at all Qu. But what if the Church erre Ans. Then a man may learne of that self same Church which taught him to confute the errours of that Church that is I may learne to confute the erroneous conclusions of that Church by those very rules and principles which that Church teaches Chap 3. sect. 40. p. 150. First then a private man is presumed to have more Logicke then that teaching Church Secondly the Prelates who call themselves the Church may give my brethren of the Assembly leave to confute their erroneous conclusions by some rules and principles which they themselves have delivered Thirdly a man may learne of the Church how to teach the Church Principles which lead to these harsh truths being licenced at Oxford are an argument to me that they approved this booke before they read it Qu. But how shall we doe then to finde out the true Church and the true Religion Ans. For commands to séek the Church I have not yet met with any and I beleeve saith he to Knot you if you were to shew them would be your self to seek Cap. 3. Sect. 41. p. 150. And for Religion how little paines or care we are to take about it hath been already shewed Q. But which must a man chuse first his Religion or his Church Ans. Every man is to iudge for himself with the iudgment of discretion which he calls humane prudence and ordinary discretion in the place of his Answer to the preface fore-cited p. 19. and to chase either his religion first then his Church as Master Chillingworth saith or as Knot his Church first and then his Religion pag.
the second and third Epistles of John the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of Jude the book of the Revelation the books of Job Esther Ecclesiastes c. He saith he cannot in reason so undoubtedly beleeve those books to be Canonicall which have beene questioned as those which were never questioned At least I have no warrant to damne any man that shall deny them now having the example of Saints in Heaven either to justifie or excuse such their deniall chap. 2. sect. 38. pag. 67. Surely here is a pretty tempting excuse for if not a justification of those Libertines who question these books and may upon Mr Chillingworths principles question all the rest if they acknowledge one of the Gospels that containes as much as all the rest Ergo that is sufficient pag. 93. 101. But if they beleeve no booke to be Canonicall and therefore will not assent to any book of Scripture they doe not commit a sinne of derogation from Gods perfect and pure veracity for he onely gives God the lye who denies some book or point which he himselfe knowes or beleeves to be revealed by God chap. 3. sect. 15 16 17. Now it is impossible that a man should know one thing to be true and beleeve the contrary or know it and not beleeve it sect. 18. Whither these and the like principles which frequently occurre in his writings tend let the most sober and charitable men judge The only Fundamentall Errour in Mr Chillingworths judgement is to deny something which the party himselfe knowes or beleeves to be revealed by God and therefore in his judgement none but downe-right Atheists erre fundamentally cap. 2. p. 135. 136. Atheisme then as the Jesuites and Arminians conceive is the formality of an Heretick p. 100. for it is down-right Atheisme for any man to deny that to be true which he acknowledges to be spoken by the God of truth Qu. But if I doe beleeve the Scripture to be Gods word is it necessary to beleeve that controversies are to be decided by that Word An. No saith Mr Chillingworth this is no Fundamentall point his words are full I say that this position Scripture alone is the rule whereby they which beleeve it to bee Gods word are to judge all controversies in faith is no Fundamentall point chap. 2. pag. 115. His intent is by this assertion to make good a dreame of his that some controversies in faith need not be judged or determined at all Mr Chillingworth pretends that he holds the Scripture to be a perfect rule of faith and yet he saith it is not necessary to judge all controversies and those no small ones because they are controversies in faith by that perfect rule It is a perfect rule but we need not be ruled by it in all points of faith Qu. But is there then any other way to decide controversies which hath any colour of probability from the Scripture An. Yes nine or ten severall meanes of agreement offered themselves to Mr Chillingworth upon the sudden and haply more might have beene thought on if he had had time and these that are offered have as much probability from Scripture as that which Papists obtrude upon us And truly he was such a ready blasphemer that he could vent extemporary blasphemies yet such as the Licentious men at Oxford approved chap. 3. pag. 130. 131. First he saith we could if we would try it by lots whose Doctrine is true and whose false for which he cites Prov. 16. 33. It may be this Sophister did cast lots for his Religion and it was his hard lot to draw Popery first then Arminianisme and then his doctrine run lower and lower till it came almost to the very dregs of Socinianisme Secondly we could referre it to the King Prov 16. 10. and 21. 1. Mr Chillingworth might make merry with his owne prophane doctrine but I admire that he should dare to sport himselfe with the Majesty of Scripture and the Majesty of the King But truly I am afraid that some are so indifferent in point of Religion that they are content not only to referre it to the King but to the Queene It were proper for them to vent such Doctrine who have as the old Tradition and proverbe hath it taken an oath to be of the Kings Religion Thirdly to an Assembly of Christians assembled in the name of Christ Math. 18. 20. Let them not then blame the Parliament for consulting an Assembly of learned and pious Christians and most of them Ministers of the Gospel assembled in the name of Christ Fourthly to any Priest Malach. 2. 7. This makes well of the Queens side Fifthly to any Preacher of the Gospel Pastour or Doctour Math. 28. 20. Sure Mr Chillingworth was more independent then they that are commonly so called Sixthly to any Bishop or Prelate why not then to the Bishop of Rome for it is written Obey your Prelates Heb. 13. 17. Mr Chillingworth since his pretended conversion was very apt to be seduced by the vulgar or Rhemish translation or some version received at Saint Omers but this was a voluntary and devised meanes as he saith in the same page Seventhly to any particular Church of Christians seeing it is a particular Church which is called the house of God a pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. and seeing of any particular Church it is written He that heareth not the Church let him be unto thee an Heathen Matth. 18. Mr Chillingworth is sometimes Prelaticall and sometimes Congregationall Eighthly we might referre it to any man that prayes for Gods spirit for it is written every one that asketh receives this is one steppe beyond the Brownists Matth. 7. 8. James 1. 5. Lastly we might referre it to the Jewes for without all doubt of them it is written My spirit that is in thee c. Isaiah 59. 21. And why not to the Socinians they have naturall reason a very competent Judge in Mr Chillingworths conceit What wonder is it that so many blasphemies and quibbles for every quibble upon Scripture is a blasphemy should be licensed by grave and learned Professours of Divinity what if Papists take liberty to blaspheme and put the Scripture upon the rack to force it to confesse what makes for their turn must Protestants or such a one who undertakes the common Cause of Protestants though he was no Protestant bee permitted to blaspheme by the Licence of an University Repent deare Doctors once more repent and I will proceed Qu. But how shall I know the true sense of Scripture there being such variety of conceits which passe for Interpretations Answ Here help mee Reason again and Implicit Faith For the last Resolution of my Faith in his conceit must be into Reason page 65. 96. and still he labours to prove that Reason is Judge and he frequently jeares at Knot for accounting it an absurdity for every man and woman to rely upon their Reason in the interpreting of Scripture p. 98. Reasons drawn