90. Christian Omnipotency Philip. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that enableth or that strengthneth me p. 114. Luke 18. 1. And he spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint p. 131. My kingdom is not of this World John 18.36 Iesus answered my kingdom is not of this world If my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Iews c. p. 146. 1 Sam. 24.5 And it came to pass afterward that Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls Skirt p. 161. John 14.27 Peace I leave unto you My peace I give unto you p. 177. The profit of godliness 1 Tim. 14.8 But Godliness is profitable unto all things p. 193. A Second Sermon on the same Text. p. 214. Iacobs Vow Gen. 28.20 And Iacob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go and give me bread to eat and rayment to put on c. p. 228. Dixi Custodiam Psal. 36.1 I said or resolved I will take heed to my ways p. 244. MISCELLANIES p. 257. Letters concerning the Synod of Dort A Catalogue of some Books Printed for and sold by Robert Pawlet at the Bible in Chancery-Lane near Fleetstreet EPiscopacy as established by Law in England not prejudicial to Regal Power written by the special command of the late King by R. Sanderson late Lord Bishop of Lincolne The Whole Duty of Man laid down in a plain and familiar way for the use of All but especially the meanest Reader Necessary for all Families with private Devotions for several Occasions The Gentleman 's Calling Written by the Author of The Whole Duty of Man The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety Or an Impartial Survey of the Ruines of Christian Religion Undermin'd by Unchristian Practice By the Author of The Whole Duty of Man A Scholastical History of the Canon of the Holy Scripture Or the Certain and Indubitate books thereof as they are received in the Church of England By Dr. Cosin Lord Bishop of Durham Divine Breathings or a Pious Soul thirsting after Christ in an hundred excellent Meditations Hugo Grotius de Robus Belgicis Or the Annals and History of the Low-Countrey Wars in English wherein is manifested that the United Netherlands are indebted for the glory of their Conquests to the Valour of the English A Treatise of the English Particles shewing much of the variety of their significations and uses in English and how to render them into Latin according to the propriety and elegancy of that language with a Praxis upon the same By William Walker B. D. School-master of Grantburn with a Table newly added The Royal Grammar commonly called Lillies Grammar explained opening the meaning of the Rules with great plainness to the understanding of Children of the meanest capacity with choice observations on the same from the best Authors By W. Walker B. D. Author of the Treatise of English Particles A Catalogue of the names of all the Parliaments or reputed Parliaments from the year 1640. A Narrative of some Passages in or relating to the Long Parliament by a person of Honour Sober Inspections into the Long Parliament By Iames Howel Esquire Dr. Sprackling against the Chymists Nemâ—sius's Nature of Man in English By G. Withers Gent. Inconveniences of Toleration A Letter about Comprehension A Collection of Canons Articles and Injunctions of the Church of England By Anthony Sparrow Lord Bishop of Exon. The Bishop of Exons Caution to his Diocese against false doctrines delivered in a Sermon at his Primary Visitation The form of Consecration of a Church or Chappel and of the place of Christian Burial by Bishop Andrews A Thanksgiving Sermon preach'd before the King by I. Dolhen D. D. Dean of Westminster and Clerk of the Closet Bishop Brownrigs Sermon on the Gunpowder Treason A Letter to a Person of Quality concerning the Fines received by the Church at its Restauration wherein by the Instance of one the richest Cathedrals a fair guess may be made at the receits and disbursments of all the rest A Narrative or Journal of the Proceedings of the Lord Holles and the Lord Coventry Ambassadors Plenipotentiaries for the Treaty at Breda Written by a person of Quality concerned in that Ambassie A Narrative of the Burning of London 1666 with an account of the losses and a most remarkable Parallel between it and MOSCO both as to the Plague and Fire Lluellyns three Sermons on the Kings Murder A Collection of the Rules and Orders now used in Chancery Iter Lucitanicum Or the Portugal Voyage with what memorable passages interven'd at the Shipping and in the Transportation of her Sacred Majesty Katherine Queen of Great Britain from Lisbon to England By Dr. Samuel Hynde All sorts of Law Books A TRACT CONCERNING SCHISME AND SCHISMATICKS WHEREIN Is briefly discovered The Original Causes of all Schism HEresie and Schism as they are commonly used are two Theological scar-crows with which they who use to uphold a party in Religion use to fright away such as making inquiry into it are ready to relinquish and oppose it if it appear either erroneous or suspitious for as Plutarch reports a Painter who having unskilfully painted a Cock chased away all Cocks and Hens that so the imperfection of his Art might appear by comparison with Nature so men willing for ends to admit of no fancy but their own endeavour to hinder an inquiry into it by way of comparison of somewhat with it peradventure truer that so the deformity of their own might not appear but howsoever in the common manage Heresie and Schisme are but ridiculous terms yet the things in themselves are of very considerable moment the one offending against Truth the other against Charity and therefore both deadly when they are not by imputation but indeed It is then a matter of no small importance truly to descry the nature of them and they on the contrary strengthen themselves who through the iniquity of men and times are injuriously charged with them Schisme for of Heresie we shall not now treat except it be by accident and that by occasion of a general mistake spread through all the writings of the Ancients in which their names are familiarly confounded Schisme I say upon the very sound of the word imports Division Division is not but where Communion is or ought to be Now Communion is the strength and ground of all Society whether Sacred or Civil whosoever therefore they be that offend against the common society and friendliness of men if it be in civil occasions are guilty of Sedition and Rebellion if it be by reason of Ecclesiastical difference they are guilty of Schisme So that Schisme is an Ecclesiastical Sedition as Sedition is a lay Schism yet the great benefits of Communion notwithstanding in regard of divers distempers men are subject to Dissention and Dis-union are often necessary For when either false
Fathers they were called Heresies for Heresie is an act of the will not of the reason and is indeed a lye and not a mistake else how could that of Austin go for true Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo indeed Manichanisme Valentinianisme Macedonianisme Mahometisme are truly and properly Heresies For we know that the Authors of them received them not but invented them themselves and so knew what they taught to be a lye but can any man avouch that Arius and Nestorius and others that taught erroneously concerning the Trinity and the person of our Saviour did maliciously invent what they taught and not rather fall upon it by error and mistake Till that be done and upon good evidence we will think no worse of all parties than needs we must and take these Rents in the Church to be at the worst but Schismes upon matter of opinion In which case what we are to do is not a point of any great depth of understanding to discover if so be distemper and partiality do not intervene I do not see that opinionum varietas opinantium unitas are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that men of different opinions in Christian Religion may not hold communion in Sacris and both go to one Church Why may I not go if occasion require to an Arian Church so there be no Arianisme exprest in their Liturgy and were Liturgies and publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schismes on opinion were utterly vanished for consider of all the Liturgies that are and ever have been and remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the evil shall be that the publick Service and Honour of God shall no ways suffer Whereas to load our publick Forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most soveraign way to perpetuate Schisme unto the worlds end Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and the simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy though nothing either of private opinion or of Church-Pomp of Garments or prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Church under the name of Order and Decency did interpose it self To charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all superstition and when scruple of conscience began to be made or pretended there Schism began to break in if the special Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of incumbring Churches with superfluities or not over-rigid either in reviving obsolete Customes or imposing new there would be far less cause of Schism or Superstition and all the inconvenience were likely to ensue would be but this they should in so doing yield a little to the imbecillity of their Inferiours a thing which St. Paul would never have refused to do mean while wheresoever false or suspected opinions are made a piece of Church-Liturgy he that separate is not the Schismatick for it is alike unlawful to make profession of known or suspected falshood as to put in practise unlawful or suspect actions The third thing I named for matter of Schisme was Ambition I mean Episcopal Ambition shewing it self especially in two heads one concerning pluralities of Bishops in divers Seas Aristotle tells us that necessity causeth but small faults but Avarice and Ambition were the Mother of great Crimes Episcopal Ambition hath made this true for no occasion hath produced more frequent more continuous more sanguineous Schismes than this hath done The Sees of Alexandria of Constantinople of Antioch and above all of Rome do abundantly shew thus much and all Ecclesiastical stories witness no less of which the greatest that consists of fanctionating and tumultuating of great and potent Bishops Socrates Apologizing for himself that professing to write an Ecclesiastical story he did oft-times interlace the actions of secular Princes and other civil business tells us that he did this to refresh his Reader who otherwise were in danger to be cloyd by reading so much of the Acts of unquiet and unruly Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which as a man may say they made butter and cheese one of another for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may shew you a cast of my old Office and open you a mystery in Grammar properly signifies to make butter and cheese and because these are not made without much agitation of the milk hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a borrowed and translated signification signifies to do things with much agitation and tumult But that I may a little consider of the two heads I but now specified the first I mentioned was the Prelacies of Bishops in one Sea For the general practice of the Church since the beginning at least since the original of Episcopacy as now it is was never to admit at once more than one Bishop in one Sea and so far in this point have they been careful to preserve unity that they would not have a Bishop in his Sea to have two Cathedral Churches which thing lately brought us a Book out of France De Monomachia Episcoporum written by occasion of the Bishops of Langres who I know not upon what fancy could not be content with one Cathedral Church in his Diocess but would needs have two which to the Author of that work seems to be a kind of Spiritual Polygamy It fell out amongst the Ancients very often sometimes upon occasion of difference in opinions sometimes because of those who were interessed in the choice of Bishops that two and sometimes more were set up and all parties striving to maintain their own Bishop made themselves several Churches several Congregations each refusing to participate with others and many times proceeding to mutual Excommunications this is that which Cyprian calls Erigere Altare contra Altare to this doth he impute the Original of all Church-disorders and if you read him you would think he thought no other Church-tumult to be Schisme but this This perchance may plead some excuse for though in regard of Religion it self it matters not whether there be one or more Bishops in one Diocess for Epiphanius reckoning up the Bishops of Rome makes Peter and Paul the first and St. Augustine acknowledgeth for a time he sate fellow Bishop with his Predecessor though he excused it that he did so being ignorant that the contrary had been decreed by the Council of Nice yet it being a thing very convenient for the peace of the Church to have it so neither doth it any whit savour of their misdemeanor their punishment sleeps not who unncessarily and wantonly go about to infringe it But that other head of Episcopal Ambition concerning Supremacy of Bishops in divers Seas one claiming Supremacy over another as it hath been from
to suppose they know all things and to be bold in affirming and the Heathen Rhetorician could tell us that by this so speedy entring upon action and so timely venting our crude and unconcocted studies quod est ubique perniciosissimum praevenit vires fiducia a thing which in all cases is most pernicious Presumption is greater then strength after the manner of those who are lately recovered out of some great sickness in whom appetite is stronger then digestion These are they who take the greatest mysteries of Christian Religion to be the fittest arguments to spend themselves upon So Eâ—kins in his Chryâ—opassus a work of his so termed wherein he discusses the question of predestination in the very entrance of his work tells us That he therefore enterpris'd to handle this argument because forsooth he thought it to be the fittest question in which he might Iuveniles calores exercere The antient Masters of Fence amongst the Romans were wont to set up a Post and cause their young Schollars to practise upon it and to foin and fight with it as with an adversary Instead of a Post this young Fencer hath set himself up one of the deepest Mysteries of our profession to practise his freshmanship upon Which quality when once it finds Scripture for its object how great inconvenience it brings with it needs no large discourse to prove St. Ierome a man not too easily brought on to acknowledge the errours of his writings among those few things which he doth retract censures nothing so sharply as the mistake of his youth in this kind In adolescentia provocatus ardore studio Scripturarum allegorice interpretatus sum Abdiam Prophetam cujus historiam nesciebam He thought it one of the greatest sins of his youth that being carried away through an inconsiderate heat in his studies of Scripture he adventured to interpret Abdias the Prophet allegorically when as yet he knew not the Historical meaning Old men saith our best natural Master by reason of the experience of their often mistakes are hardly brought constantly to affirm any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will always cautelously interline their speeches with it may bees and peradventures and other such particles of wariness and circumspection This old mens modesty of all other things best fits us in perusing those hard and obscure Texts of holy Scripture Out of which conceit it is that we see St. Austine in his books de Genesi ad literam to have written onely by way of questions and interrogations after the manner of Aristotle in his Problemes That he might not for so he gives his reason by being ever positive prejudice others and peradventure truer interpretations that every one might choose according to his liking ubi quid intelligere non potest Scripturae Dei det honorem sibi timorem and where his understanding cannot attain unto the sense of it let him give that honour and reverence which is due unto the Scripture and carry himself with that aw and respect which befits him Wherefore not without especial providence it is that the holy Ghost by St. Paul giving precepts to Timothy concerning the quality of those who were to be admitted to the distributing of Gods holy word expresly prescribes against a young Schollar lest saith he he be puft up For as it hath been noted of men who are lately grown rich that they differ from other rich men onely in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that commonly they have all the faults that rich men have and many more so is it as true in those who have lately attained to some degree and mediocrity of knowledge Look what infirmities learned men have the same have they in greater degree and many more besides Wherefore if Hippocrates in his Physician required these two things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great industry and long experience the one as tillage to sow the seed the other as time and season of the year to bring it to maturity then certainly by so much the more are these two required in the spiritual Physician by how much he is the Physician to a more excellent part I will adde yet one third motioner to this abuse of Scriptures and that is The too great presumption upon the strength and subtilty of our own wits That which the Roman Priest sometimes told an over-pleasant and witty Vestal Virgin Coli Deos sancte magis quam scite hath in this great work of exposition of Scripture an especial place The holy things of God must be handled sancta magis quam scite with fear and reverence not with wit and dalliance The dangerous effects of this have appeared not in the green tree onely in young heads but in men of constant age and great place in the Church For this was that which undid Origen a man of as great learning and industry as ever the Church had any whilst in sublimity of his wit in his Comments on Scripture conceiving Meteors and airy speculations he brought forth those dangerous errors which drew upon his person the Churches heaviest censure and upon posterity the loss of his works Subtle witted men in nothing so much miscarry as in the too much pleasing themselves in the goodness of their own conceits where the like sometimes befalls them which befell Zeuxiâ— the Painter who having to the life pictured an old woman so pleas'd himself with the conceit of his work that he died with laughing at it Heliodor Bishop of Tricca in Thessaly the Author of the Ethiopick Story a polite and elegant I confess but a loose and wanton work being summon'd by a Provincial Synod was told that which was true That his work did rather endanger the manners then profit the wits of his Reader as nourishing loose and wanton conceits in the heads of youth and having his choice given him either to abolish his work or to leave his Bishoprick not willing to lose the reputation of wit chose rather to resign his place in the Church and as I verily think his part in heaven And not in private persons alone but even in whole Nations shall we find remarkable examples of miscarriage in this kind The Grecians till barbarism began to steal in upon them were men of wonderous subtlety of wit and naturally over indulgent unto themselves in this quality Those deep and subtle Heresies concerning the Trinity the Divinity of Christ and of the holy Ghost the Union and Division of the Divine Substance and Persons were all of them begotten in the heat of their wits yea by the strength of them were they conceived and born and brought to that growth that if it had been possible for the gates of hell to prevail against the Church they would have prevailed this way Wherefore as God dealt with his own land which being sometimes the mirrour of the world for fertility and abundance of all things now lies subject to many curses and especially to that of barrenness so at this day
women laden with iniquity were the cheif Ring-leaders in the errours of the Monnaâ—ists and as it is commonly said Bellum inchoant inertes fortes finiunt Weaklings are able to begin a quarrel but the prosecution and finishing is a work for stronger men so hath it fared here For that quarrel which these poor souls had raised Tertullian a man of great Wit and Learning is drawn to undertake so that for a Barnabas to be drawn away to errour there needs not always the example and authority of a Peter A third reason is the marvellous violence of the weaker sort in maintaining their conceits if once they begin to be Opinionative For one thing there is that wonderfully prevails against the reclaiming of them and that is The natural jealousie they have of all that is said unto them by men of better wits stand it with reason never so good if it sound not as they would have it A jealousie founded in the sense of their weakness arising out of this that they suspect all to be done for no other end but to circumvent and abuse them And therefore when they see themselves to be too weak in reasoning they easily turn them to violence The Monks of Egypt otherwise devout and religious men anciently were for the most part unlearned and generally given over to the errour of the Anthropomorphitae who held that God had hands and feet and all the parts that a man hath and was in outward shape and proportion like to one of us Theophilus a learned Bishop of Alexandria having fallen into their hands was so roughly used by them that ere he could get out of their fingers he was fain to use his wits and to crave aid of his Equivocating Sophistry and soothly to tell them I have seen your face as the face of God Now when Christian and Religious doubts must thus be managed with wilfulness and violence what mischeif may come of it is already so plain that it needs not my finger to point it out Wherefore let every such Weak person say unto himself as St. Austin doth Tu ratiocinare ego mirer disputa tu ego credam Let others reason I will marvel let others dispute I will beleive As for the man strong in passion or rather weak for the strength of passion is the weakness of the passionate great reason hath the Church to except against him For first of all from him it comes that our Books are so stuft with contumelious meladiction no Heathen Writers having left the like example of choller and gross impatience An hard thing I know it is to write without affection and passion in those things which we love and therefore it is free so to do to those who are Lords over themselves It seems our Saviour gave some way to it himself For somewhat certainly his Kinsmen saw in his behaviourâ— when as St. Mark reports they went forth to lay hold upon him thinking he was beside himself But for those who have not the command of themselves better it were they laid it by St. Chrysostom excellently observeth that the Prophets of God and Satan were by this notoriously differenced that they which gave Oracles by motion from the Devil did it with much impatience and confusion with a kind of fury and madness but they which gave Oracles from God by Divine Inspiration gave them with all mildness and temper If it be the cause of God which we handle in our writings then let us handle it like the Prophets of God with quietness and moderation and not in the violence of passion as if we were possess'd rather then inspir'd Again what equity or indifferencey can we look for in the carriage of that cause that falls into the handling of these men Quis conferre duces meminit qui pendere causas Qua stetit inde â—avet What man overtaken with passion remembers impartially to compare cause with cause and right with right Qua stetit inde â—avet on what cause he happens that is he resolute to maintain ut gladiator in arenam as a Fencer to the Stage so comes he to write not upon conscience of quarrel but because he proposes to contend yea so potently hath this humour prevail'd with men that have undertaken to maintain a faction that it hath broken oâ—t to the tempting of God and the dishonour of Martyrdom Two Friers in Florence in the action of Savonoralla voluntarily in the open view of the City offer'd to enter the fire so to put an end to the controversie that he might be judged to have the right who like one of the three children in Babylon should pass untouch'd through the fire But I hasten to visit one weak person more and so an end He whom we now are to visit is a man Weak through Heretical and erring Faith now whether or no we have any Receit for him it may be doubtful For St. Paul advises us to avoid the man that is a maker of Sects knowing him to be Damned Yet if as we spake of not admitting to us the notorious sinner no not to eat so we teach of this that it is delivered respectively to the weaker sort as justly for the same reasons we may do we shall have a Recipe here for the man that errs in Faith and rejoyceth in making of Sects which we shall the better do if we can but gently draw him on to a moderation to think of his conceits onely as of opinions for it is not the variety of opinions but our own perverse wills who think it meet that all should be conceited as our selves are which hath so inconvenienced the Church were we not so ready to Anathematize each other where we concur not in opinion we might in hearts be united though in our tongues we were divided and that with singular profit to all sides It is the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and not Identity of conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the hands of Christians I will give you one instance in which at this day our Churches are at variance The will of God and his manner of proceeding in Predestination is undiscernable and shall so remain until that day wherein all knowledge shall be made perfect yet some there are who with probability of Scripture teach that the true cause of the final miscarriage of them that perish is that original corruption that befell them at the beginning increased through the neglect or refusal of grace offered Others with no less favourable countenance of Scripture make the cause of Reprobation onely the will of God determining freely of his own work as himself pleases without respect to any second cause whatsoever Were we not ambitiously minded familiam ducere every one to be Lord of a Sect each of these Tenets might be profitably taught and heard and matter of singular exhortation drawn from either for on the one part doubtless it is a pious and religious intent to endeavour to free God
or to Breathe and this Notion belongs to the FATHER and the SON alike for Pater Filius spirant Spiritum Sanctum Hence it evidently follows that he who acknowledgeth thus much can never possibly scruple the Eternal Deity of the Son of God If any man think this Confession to be Defecti for I can conceive no more in this point necessary to be known let him supply what he conceives be deficient and I shall thank him for his favour How we come to know the Scriptures to be the Word of God HOw come I to know that the Works which we call Livie's are indeed his whose name they bear Hath God left means to know the prophane Writings of men hath he left no certain means to know his own Records The first and outward means that brings us to the knowledge of these Books is the voice of the Church notified to us by our Teachers and Instructors who first unclasp'd and open'd them unto us and that common duty which is exacted at the hand of every learner Oportet discentem credere And this remaining in us peradventure is all the outward means that the ordinary and plainer sort of Christians know To those who are conversant among the Records of Antiquity farther light appears To find the ancient Copies of Books bearing these Titles to find in all Ages since their being written the universal consent of all the Church still resolving it self upon these writings as sacred and uncontrolable these cannot chuse but be strong Motioners unto us to pass our consent unto them and to conclude that either these Writings are that which they are taken for or nothing left us from Antiquity is true For whatsoever is that gives any strength or credit to any thing of Antiquity left to posterity whether it be Writings and Records or Tradition from hand to hand or what things else soever they all concur to the authorising of holy Scriptures as amply as they do to any other thing left unto the world Yea but will some man reply this proves indeed strongly that Moses and the Prophets that St. Matthew and St. Paul c. writ those Books and about those times which they bear shew of but this comes not home for how proves this that they are of God If I heard St. Paul himself preaching what makes me beleive him that his Doctrine is from God and his words the words of the holy Ghost For answer There was no outward means to perswade the world at the first rising of Christianity that it is infallibly from God but onely Miracles such as impossibly were naturally to be done Had I not done those things saith our Saviour which no man else could do you had had no sin Had not the world seen those Miracles which did unavoidably prove the assistance and presence of a Divine power with those who first taught the will of Christ it had not had sin if it had rejected them For though the world by the light of natural discretion might easily have discover'd that that was not the right way wherein it usually walk'd yet that that was the true path which the Apostles themselves began to tread there was no means undoubtedly to prove but Miracles and if the building were at this day to be raised it could not be founded without Miracles To our fore-fathers therefore whose ears first entertain'd the word of life Miracles were necessary and so they are to us but after another order For as the sight of these Miracles did confirm the doctrine unto them so unto us the infallible records of them For whatsoever evidence there is that the Word once began to be preach'd the very same confirms unto us that it was accompanied with Miracles and Wonders so that as those Miracles by being seen did prove unanswerably unto our fore-fathers the truth of the doctrine for the confirmation of which they were intended so do they unto us never a whit less effectually approve it by being left unto us upon these Records which if they fail us then by Antiquity there can be nothing left unto posterity which can have certain and undoubted oredit The certain and uncontrolable Records of Miracles are the same to us the Miracles are The Church of Rome when she commends unto us the Authority of the Church in dijudicating of Scriptures seems onely to speak of her self and that of that part of her self which is at some time existent whereas we when we appeal to the Church's testimony content not our selves with any part of the Church actually existent but add unto it the perpetually successive testimony of the Church in all Ages since the Apostles time viz. since its first beginning and out of both these draw an argument in this question of that force as that from it not the subtilest disputer can find an escape for who is it that can think to gain acceptance and credit with reasonable men by opposing not onely the present Church conversing in earth but to the uniform consent of the Church in all Ages So that in effect to us of after-ages the greatest if not the sole outward mean of our consent to holy Scripture is the voice of the Church excepting always the Copies of the Books themselves bearing from their birth such or such names of the Church I say and that not onely of that part of it which is actually existent at any time but successively of the Church ever since the time of our blessed Saviour for all these testimonies which from time to time are left in the Writings of our fore-fathers as almost every Age ever since the first birth of the Gospel hath by God's providence left us store are the continued voice of the Church witnessing unto us the truth of these Books and their Authority well but this is onely fides humano judicio testimonio acâ—quaesita what shall we think of fides infusa of the inward working of the holy Ghost in the consciences of every beleiver How far it is a perswader unto us of the Authority of these Books I have not much to say Onely thus much in general that doubtless the holy Ghost doth so work in the heart of every true Beleiver that it leaves a farther assurance strong and sufficient to ground and stay it self upon But this because it is private to every one and no way subject to sense is unfit to yeild argument by way of dispute to stop the captious curiosities of wits disposed to wrangle and by so much the more unfit it is by how much by experience we have learn'd that men are very apt to call their own private conceit the Spirit To oppose unto these men to reform them our own private conceits under the name likewise of the Spirit were madness so that to judge upon presumption of the Spirit in private can be no way to bring either this or any other controversie to an end If it should please God at this day to adde any
gone him through then if you please you may look back and take a veiw of his imperfections and supply them out of some other Authours partly Latine as Iustine Salust Caesar's Commentaries Hirtius Velleius Paterculus partly Greek as Polybius Plutarch Dionysius Halycarnasseus Appianus Alexandrinus Dion Cassius out of which Authours you may reasonably supply whatsoever is wanting in Livie Having thus brought the Story to the change of the Empire you must now begin another course and first you must take in hand Suetonius Tranquillus who being carefully perused your way lies open to the reading of our Politician's great Apostle Tacitus Now the same infelicity hath befallen him which before I noted in Livie for as this so that is very imperfect and broken a great part both of his Annals and Histories being lost And as I counsel'd you for Livie so do I for Tacitus that you read him throughout without intermingling any other Authour and having gone him through in what you shall see him imperfect Dion Cassius or his Epitomizer Xiphiline will help you out though by reason of your fore-reading of Suetonius you shall find your self for a good part of the Story furnish'd before hand And thus are you come to the Reign of Nerva where Suetonius and Tacitus ended hitherto to come is a reasonable task for you yet If you shall desire to know the State and Story afterward till Constantine's death and the Division of the Empire or farther to the fall of the Western Empire let me understand your mind and I will satisfie you For the Editions of those Authours hitherto mentioned your choice is best of those whom either Lipsius or Gruterus or Causabon have set forth though if you be careful to buy fair Books you can scarcely chuse amiss your Greek Authours if you list not to trouble your self with the Language you shall easily find in Latine sufficient for your use Onely Plutarch what ever the matter is hath no luck to the Latine and therefore I would advise you either to read him in French or in English But as for Tacitus the cheif Cock in the Court-basket it is but meet you take special good advise in reading of him Lipsius Savile Pichena and others have taken great pains with him in emaculating the Text in setling the Reading opening the Customs expounding the Story c. and therefore you must needs have recourse unto them yet this in onely Critical and not Courtly Learning Tacitus for your use requires other kind of Comments For since he is a Concise Dense and by repute a very Oraculous Writer almost in every line pointing at some State-Maxim it had been a good employment for some good Wit to have expounded proved exemplified at large what he doth for the most part onely but intimate Something our Age hath attempted in this kind though to little purpose Gruterus hath collected certain places here and there collected out of him and Scipio Anâ—mirati hath glossed him in some places according to the shallowness of the new Italian Wits But Annibal Scotus Groom of the Chamber to Sixtus Quintus hath desperately gone through him all whom I would wish you to look upon not for any great good you shall reap by him for he is the worst that ever I read onely you shall see by that which he hath with great infelicity attempted what kind of Comment it is which if it were well performed would be very acceptable to us From the order of Reading we come to the Excerpta and to such things as we observe and gather in our reading Here are two things to be marked First the matters and things which we collect Secondly the manner of observing gathering registring them in our paper-paper-books for our speedy use To omit all that which belongs to the style and language wherein your Authour writes in which I suppose you mean not much to trouble your self matters observable in History may be all rank'd under three heads First there is the Story it self which usually we gather by Epitomizing it Secondly there are Miscellanea such as are the Names and Genealogies of Men descriptions of Cities Hills Rivers Woods c. Customs Offices Magistrates Prodigies certain quaint observations as who was the first Dictator when the Romans first began to use Shipping or to coin gold what manner of Moneys the Ancients used their manner of War and Military Instruments and an infinite multitude of the like nature Thirdly there are Moralia For the first you need not trouble your self about it it is already done to your hand For there is almost no story of note whereof there is not some Epitome as good as any you can frame of your own Indeed if you did intend any exact knowledge of History it were good you did this your self though it were Actum agere Because what we do our selves sticks best in our memories and is most for our use But since your aim is at something else you may spare your own and make use of others labours The second Head is pleasant but is meerly Critical and Scholastical and so the less pertinent to you and therefore I shall not need to speak any more of it The Third which I called Morals is that Penelope which you must wooe under this I comprehend all Moral Sentences and Common Places all not able examples of Iustice of Religion c. Apothegins Vafre sâ—mulanter dicta facta Civil stratagems and plots to bring ends about censures upon mens persons and actions considerations upon mens natures and dispositions all things that may serve for proof or disproof illustration or amplification of any Moral place considerations of the circumstances of actions the reasons why they prove successful or their errours if they prove unfortunate As in the second Punick War why Annibal still prevailed by hastning his actions Fabius on the contrary by delay And this indeed is one of the special profits that comes by History And therefore I have always thought Polybius might we have him perfect one of the best that ever wrote Story For whereas other Historians content themselves to touch and point at the true reasons of Events in civil business Polybius when he hath Historically set down an action worthy consideration leaves it not so but reveiws it insists and as it were comments upon it considers all the circumstances that were of any force in the manage of it and contents not himself as it were to cast its water but looks into its bowels and shews where it is strong and where diseased Wherefore I would have you well acquaint your self with him and especially with those passages I now spake of that they may be patterns to you to do the like which that you may with greater assurance and profit do make special account of those who wrote the things of their own times or in which themselves were Agents especially if you find them to be such as durst tell the truth For as it is with Painters who
their Considerations should come in place that they thought it some wrong done them to have this order now perverted The Praeses answered that no wrong was done them for their Considerations should not yet be sifted till the five Articles were concluded And so the order in their Citatory Letters should be kept That long since in a Synod at Delpht they had promised to deliver them up in a Provincial Synod there and therefore now after so many years they could not be unprovided Here the Praeses Politicus charged them to obey their Decree and to do as the Praeses and the Synod requir'd The Praeses Ecclesiasticus then admonisht them that they were not to accompt of themselves as a Colledge and so still to give answers in commune but they must answer particularly every one for himself and thereupon he asked every of them in order whether they had any such Consideration or no some answered they had some that they had some few of no great moment some that their Considerations were not written down some that they had none at all When the Praeses had said jactatum suisse by them long since that they had sundry Considerations ready â— Corvinus excepted against the word jactatum the Praeses replyed He used not the word to disgrace them but only as a Frequentative to signifie that they had often boasted of it When some Litigation was here fallen Martinus Gregorii one that sits close upon the Remonstrants skirts cut it off and commanded them to be quiet The Remonstrants here signified that such Considerations as they had were only in the Dutch tongue The Praeses replyed they should have leasure to translate them Then did the Seculars pronounce a Decree charging them to provide themselves singly one by one he that had many to give up many he that had few to give up few he that had none to give up none and that whether it were in Dutch or Latin The Remonstrants required some time for saith Episcopius we came imparatissimi ad hanc rem First there were given them to two dayes then three then four within which space every man alone by himself was to give up his Considerations and this was the effect of the Session The answer of the English Divines to the Remonstrants exception against the Synod I will send your Lordship in my next Letters together with the Remonstrants answer upon the later Articles Harman the Post came to Dort on Sunday about three of the clock and went for England on Munday about ten of the clock in the morning Mr. Dean of Worcester is very crazy and sickly of late and keeps his Chamber neither hath he been in the Synod some of these last Sessions I hear he purposes to come to the Hague to see if he shall have his health better there Here is a Rumour that the Remonstrants are a little divided amongst themselves and that Corvinus complains that what he hath done was because he suffered himself to be drawn on by others how true this is I know not I heard Scultetus tell my Lord Bishop so much and that Meierus of Basil should say that Carvinus had signified so much to him My Lord Bishop is a little displeased with Mr. Amyes for putting into his hand Grevinchovius his Book in the Preface of which there are cited out of a Writing of Mr. Amyes certain words very reproachful unto Bishops Other Newes here is none and therefore for this time ceasing any further to trouble your Honour I humbly take my leave resting Your Honours Chaplain and bounden in all Duty Jo. Hales Right Honourable my very good Lord ON Thursday 10 â—0 of this present in the morning the Synod being met the first thing done was the Admission of the Scottish Deputy in this manner He was brought to the Synod House by the two Scribes and met at the door by two of the Deputies for the States and by them conducted to his Seat which is a little seat made under the English Seats where he sits alone when he was sate the Praeses welcom'd him in the Name of the Synod Then were the Leters from the States read which were to stand instead of Synodical Letters for otherwise the custom is here that he that comes to be a Member of the Synod brings Letters of Credence from the Church that deputes him After this he delivered himself in a short speech to this effect That the reason of his coming he had delivered unto the States at the Hague namely the Kings pleasure that he therefore once minded to have said nothing but he could not obtain so much of himself especially when he heard what gentle Welcome the Praeses gave him and he was desirous to shew himself thankful for such great Courtesie That the Scotch Nation had evermore so linkt it self to this people that it hath alwayes laboured to endeavour the peace of this State and now it was ready to do as much for the peace of the Churches amongst them That they had very straightly bound unto them the Scottish Church demeruistis Ecclesiam Scoticanam by this so kindly welcoming him That his years were not many but he hoped ere he departed to make amends for that That the King at his coming away did charge him verbis sublimibus above all sphere of Conceit and apprehension to exhort them unto peace and with a short passage to that purpose he ended The Praeses thanking him for his good Counsel gave him his Oath And so they past away to other business To morrow I trow we shall have more matter for then the Remonstrants are to give in their Exceptions against the Catechism and Confession and so at length we shall come to the Question For this time therefore I humbly take my leave of your Honour resting Your Honours Chaplain and bounden in all Duty and Service Jo. hales Right Honourable and my very good Lord UPon Thursday the 17 27 of this present the Deputies being met in the morning the Remonstrants were called in and willed to give up their Considerations upon the Catechism according to to the injunction laid on them on Fryday last Episcopius Corvinus Duinghonius Poppius Pinakerus and Sapma gave up all together in common and excused themselves for not giving up one by one as was enjoyned them because their Considerations being altogether the same they thought they might exhibit them all together Niellius Goswinus Matthisius and Isaacus Frederici gave up singly every one by himself the rest gave up none at all What these Considerations were I know not for they were not publisht Then did the Praeses require them coram Deo to answer directly and truly First whether or no these were the Observations which they gave up to the States of Holland to which was answered that as far as they could remember they were and some others besides Secondly whether they had any more Considerations besides these to which they all answered No. Here Scultetus stood up
by himself at the latter end of this Session the first three their judgements began to be read but by that time two pages were read the hour was passed and so the rest of it was continued till the next occasion only my Lord I must tell you that so much as was read giveth us little hope of agreement among them for whereas other Colleges had taken it as granted only that homo lapsus was subjectum Praedestinationis they in these two pages did only dispute by many arguments against Gomarus his opinion and proved that largely which others had only taken as a ground their arguments Gomarus I see him note what difference shall further happen in their judgements your L. shall understand by my next Sessio 107. eodem die post meridiem This Session was publick all auditours being admitted in which D. Deodatus did at great length handle these two questions 1. Quantum differat fides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu temporaneorum à vera et justificante Regenitorum fide 2. Quousque conceditur Diabolo progredi in oppugnanda justificatorum fide he did very sweetly just as he useth to preach not as Doctours use to do in Schools This is all which is done this week for this day being Saturday we have no Session The last Sunday I in which I returned the Letter your L. was pleased to send me sent to your Lordship all which had passed the week before which I hope your Lordship had your Lordship seeth there are but ordinary passages yet in the Synod if there were any thing worthy of extraordinary note I should not fail with all diligence to give your Lordship notice of it in mean time with many thanks to your Lordship for all your Lordships courtesies and the remembrance of my humblest service to your L. and your worthy Lady I take my leave ever entreating your Lordship that I may be accounted by your Lordship as I am I doubt not but your Lordship hath seen this pamphlet yet if you have not here it is Dordrecht this 9. of March 1619. Your L. in all true respect and service Walter Balcanqual My very good Lord SUch things as have passed in our Synod since my last Letters unto your Lordship I here send your Lordship as briefly as I can I hope now at length towards the latter end of the next week we shall come to the making of the Canons Sessio 108. 11. Martii Stylo Novo Georgius Fabricius a Nassovian Divine substituted in the place of Dr. Bisterfield who died here was with the accustomed solemnity admitted into the Synod◠We go on in reading the judgement of the three Belgick professours which was very sound and of a just length it was subscribed by their three names Iohannes Polyander Antonius Thysius Anthonius Wallaeus and a little beneath that it was thus written Ego Sibrandus Lubertus hoc collegarum meorum judicium perlegi per omnia probo Gomarus his name was not at it but he presently rose and testified viva voce that he had read it and did in all things approve the judgement of his Colleagues excepting only that part of it which did determine hominem lapsum to be the object of Predestination which he said had not as yet been determined in the Belgick Churches in the French nor English Churches and many others Next was read the judgement of Dr. Sibrandus upon the same Article which differed nothing from that former of his Colleagues but that it was longer it was subscribed with his own name and a little beneath the former three Professors by their subscriptions testified that they had read it and did approve it Gomarus stood up and viva voce gave this same testimony to this judgement which he had given to the former making the same exceeption Next was Gomarus his judgement read upon the same Article he said nothing of that question of the object of Predestination whether it was homo lapsus or not which silence in that point being excepted his judgement in all points agreed with the former judgements of his Collegues it was only subscribed with his own name but D. Polyander did vivâ voce testifie in the name of himself his Colleagues that they did approve all things in Gomarus his judgement excepting only that opinion of the object the contrary whereof they professed themselves to hold the President instructed us concerning some particulars of the business of Camps and desired us against three of the clock in the afternoon to consult about it the particulars whereof your L. shall see in the next Session Sessio 109. eodem die post meridiem The president told us first that the time of fourteen days granted to the two suspended Ministers of Camps for their comparence was now passed and so that they contemned this favourable respite granted by the Synod and persisted in their contumacy Next that the other two Ministers of Camps who were here among the cited Remonstrants had been appointed by the Synod to give in within fourteen dayes an answer to the accusations layed against them by the Deputies of the Reformed-Church of Camps the Copy of which accusations at their own earnest request had been delivered to them by one of the servants of the Synod but that now in place of their answer which was expected they had sent to him a Letter which was read unto the Synod it had two great faults it was exceeding long exceeding foolish to this sence or rather non-sence they did show that they could not at the day appointed give in their answer to the accusations and why they could no more go on in this Synodical action which was commenced against them for many causes such as were first because they were wholly taken up making ready some writings for the Synod concerning the five Articles which were imposed on them by the commandment of the Delegates 2. Because the Copy of the accusations brought unto them by one of the Synod officers was not subscribed by the President nor by either of the Scribes of the Synod and therefore they thought it not an authentick Copy or of any Credit 3. Because crimes in it were objected to them both promiscuously and that laid to both their charge which only one of them had delivered and therefore their accusation was not exact according to form of law 4. That there were many things in it objected to them not warranted by any witness unless it were by some proofs taken out of their Colleague Foskculius late book which they christened with the name of stultum aud tenebricosum scriptum 5. Because it was full of false spellings and writing therefore they thought it was but negligently slubbered over for these and many more such causes as idle as these with which I hold it not fit to detain your L. though they might decline the judgement of the Synod especially since against the practice of the Belgick Church their own Consistory Classis and
doctrine which they had delivered in their Scholes and pulpits Episcopius most impudently answered thus briefly we here delivered to you the Delegates this book and to none else if you be pleased to take it from us we will leave it with you if not we pray you give it us again and we will keep it one of the Delegates commanded Heinsius to write down that their peremptory and saucy answer Episcopius very bravely told Heinsius that they would save him that labour for they had set down the same words already in their Preface and pointed out to him the place where he might find them so that my Lord they were never since the beginning of the Synod so lusty as now so as none can chuse but think that they yet have some secret and sure hopes I forget to tell your Lordship that the President told me he had been glancing at this volume and he finds it to be in many parts a confutation of the several discourses which have been had publickly in the Synod upon the â—ive Articles There is some talk â—here about the citation of Vorstius and Festius Hommius yesternight told me he had some talk with your Lordship about it If he be cited your Lordships credit with the Prince of Orange and Count William must help us for discretion in dealing with him else he will keep the Synod as long as the Remonstrants did your Lordship I hope will give counsel to them that if Vorstius should desire to have time to give in apologies and explications for the hard speeches in his book De Deo and should desire to be convinced with Reason and satisfaction of his arguments all which would take up a long time that the Synod would talk of no such matter with him but in plain terms tell him that all the members of the Synod had read his Book and found many things in it very near unto open blasphemy scandalous without all question to the Reformed Religion that explications of things which are not once to be called in question is no satisfaction and they therefore only desire to know whether he will make a plain recantation denial of it publickly ask God forgivenss for it his Church likewise there assembled whom by that Book he hath scandalized if he do this we gain him if not then without any more ado let the Synod censure him as they shall think fit I wish that to the terrour of others he might solemnly be excommunicated in the Synod in this and all other businesses we do and must relie upon your Lordships care for the handsome carriage of them which as your Lordship hath hitherto done so that your Lordship may still continue to the good of God's Church and your own immortal credit it is no small part of the prayers of Dordrecht this 20. of March Stylo novo Your Lordships humble and faithful servant Walter Balcanqual My very good Lord THis week hath been a very barren one for news for we have been taken up wholly with hearing yet such Sessions as we had your Lordship shall here have a note of them Sessio 119. 18. Martii Stylo novo There were read Letters from the Marques of Brandeburgh in Dutch containing as the President told us an excuse why he deputed none to the Synod the President told us they should be turned into Latin and after read again unto the whole Synod there were read the judgements of the South Hollandi the North Hollandi the Zelandi the Vltrajectini upon the third and fourth Articles Sessio 120. eodem die post meridiem There were read upon the same Articles the judgements of the Frisii the Transisulani the Groninganii and Omlandii the Gallo-belgici the Drentani And so was ended the reading of all the Collegial judgements upon the third and fourth Articles in which there was wonderful great consent both in the things themselves as likewise in the phrases and forms of speaking Sessio 121. 19. Martii There were read the judgement of our College upon the fifth Article Which was far longer than any which we gave in before At the end of it we annexed an adhortation to the Delegates for the defence in their Provinces of the Doctrine received in the Reformed Churches Likewise an Exhortation to all the Members of the Synod for avoiding harshness and rigidity and embracing of all moderation in making the Canons especially upon the second Article as likewise an admonition to the Provincials for great wariness and discretion in propounding to the common People the Doctrine of Predestination and especially Reprobation these things we told his Majesty desired us to observe and so with a Prayer we wish'd both we and all the Synod might be careful in the observing of them There was read the judgement of the Palatines at the end whereof they annexed an Epilogue much to the same purpose with ours In all the judgements that were read upon this Article it is to be observed that every College concluded with such an Epilogue and a Prayer Sessio 122. eodem die post meridiem There were read the judgements of the Hassiaci of the Helvetici of the Nassovici of the Genevenses who used as in their former judgements no confirmations besides plain citations of places of Scripture of the Bremenses Sessio 123.20 Martii There were read the judgement of the Embdani who were exceeding long of the four Professores Belgici which was subscribed as with their own hands so a little beneath with the hand of Sibrandus next the judgement of Sibrandus subscribed likewise by the other four Professours there were read likewise the judgement of the Geldri of the South Hollandi all these except the Embdani were exceeding short Sessio 124. eodem die post meridiem D. Crocius one of the Bremenses appointed by the President publickly all Auditours being admitted did discuss at great length these two questions First An fides justificans per Dei acceptì lationem reputetur à Deo pro omni illâ legis justitiâ quam nos praestare tenebamur The second An ipsa fides seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere id est actus credendi imputetur homini à Deo ad justitiam he held the Negative of both against Socinus the Remonstrants but namely Bertius Sessio 125. 21. Martii There were read the judgements of the North Hollandi the Zelandi the Vltrajectini the Fristi Sessio 126. eodem die post meridiem There were read the judgements of the Transisulani the Groninganii and Omlandii the Drentani the Gollo-belgici And so was happily ended the reading of all the Collegial judgments upon the five Articles in which praised be God for it there was seen an incredible harmon far greater than almost could be hoped for in so great an Assembly of so many learned men The President told us that the Estates General between this and Easter did expect that the Canons should be made and therefore did desire that against the morrow at ten of