the Dutch Divines IX A further prosecution of the Quarrel between the Councel and the Synod in reference to the Articles used in the Draught upon the Canons and Decrees of either and the doubtfull meaning of them both X. The quarrelling Parties joyn together against the Remonstrants denying them any place in the Synod and finally dismist them in a furious Oration made by Boyerman without any hearing XI The Synodists indulgent to the damnable Doctrines of Macorius and unmerciful in the banishment or extermination of the poor Remonstrants XII Scandalously defamed to make them odious and thâ—se of their perswasions in other places Ejected Persecuted and Disgraced I. HAving thus run through all the other Opinions touching Predestination and the Points depending thereupon I come next to that of the Remonstrants or Arminians as they commonly call them accused of Novelty but ancienter then Calvinism in the Churches of the Belgick Provinces which being Originally Dutch did first embrace the Reformation according to the Lutheran model though afterwards they suffered the Calvinian Plat-form to prevail upon them It was about the year 1530. that the Reformed Religion was admitted in the Neighbouring Country of East-Friezland under Enno the First upon the preaching of Hardingbergius a Learned and Religious man and one of the principal Reformers of the Church of Emden a Town of most note in all that Earldom from him did Clemens Martini take those Principles which afterwards he propagated in the Belgick Churches where the same Doctrine of Predestination had been publickly maintained in a Book called Odegus Laicorum or the Laymans Guide published by Anastasius Velluanus An. 1554. and much commended by Henricus Antonides Divinity Reader in the University of Francka But on the other side the French Ministers having setled themselves in those Parts which either were of French Language or anciently belonged to the Crown of France and having more Quicksilve in them then the others had prevailed so far with William of Nassaw Prince of Orange that a Confession of their framing was presented to the Lady Regent ratified in a forcible and tumultuous way and afterwards by degrees obtruded upon all the Belgick Churches which notwithstanding the Ministers successively in the whole Province of Vtrecht adhered unto their former Doctrines not looked on for so doing as the less Reformed Nor wanted there some one or other of eminent Note who did from time to time oppose the Doctrine of Predestination contained in that Confession of the year 1567. when it took beginning Insomuch that Johannes Isbraâ—di one of the Preachers of Rotradam openly professed himself an Anticalvinian and so did Gellius Succanus also in the Country of West-Friezland who looked no otherwise upon these of Calvin's Judgment then as Innovators in the Doctrine which had been first received amongst them The like we finde also of Holmanus one of the Professors of Leyden of Cornelius Meinardi and Cornelius Wiggeri two men of principal esteem before the name of Jacob Van-Harmine was so much as talked of II. But so it hapned that though these learned men had kept on foot the ancient Doctrines yet did they never finde so generally an Entertainment in those Provinces as they did afterwards by the pains and diligence of this Van-Harmine Arminius he is called by our Latine Writers from whom these Doctrines have obtained the name of Arminianism called so upon no juster Grounds then the great Western Continent is called by the name of America whereas both Christopher Collumbus had first discovered it and the two Cabots Father and Son had made a further progress in the sayd discovery before Americus Vespatius ere saw those shores As for Arminius he had been fifteen years a Preacher or a Pastor as they rather phrase it to the great Church of Arastandam during which times taking a great distast at the Book published by Mr. Perkins intituled Armilla Aurea he set himself upon the canvasing of it and published his performance in it by the name of Examen Praedestinationis Perkinsoniae as before was sayd Incouraged with his good success in this adventure he undertakes a Conference on the same Argument with the learned Junius the summe whereof being spread abroad in several Papers was after published by the name of Amica Collatio Junius being dead in the year 1603. the Curators or Overseers of the University made choice of this Van-harmine to succeed him in his place But the Inhabitants of the Town would not so part with him till they were over-ruled by the Entreaties of some and the power of others A matter so unpleasing to the rigid Calvinians that they informed against him to the state for divers Heterodoxies which they had noted in his Writings But the business being heard at the Hague he was acquitted by his Judge dispatcht for Leyden and there confirmed in his place Toward which the Testimonial Letters sent from the Church of Amsterdam did not help a little In which he stands commended Ob vitae inculpatae sanae doctrinae morum summam integritatem That is to say for a man of an unblameable life sound Doctrine and fair behaviour as may be seen at large in the Oration which was made at his Funeral in the Divinity Schools of Leyden on the 22. day of October 1609. III. Thus dyed Arminius but the Cause did not so dye with him For during the first time of his sitting in the Chair of Leyden he drew unto him a great part of the University who by the Piety of the man his powerful Arguments his extreme diligence in that place and the clear light of Reason which appeared in all his Discourses were so wedded unto his Opinions that no time nor trouble could drown them For Arminius dying in the year 1609. as before was sayd the heats betwixt the Scholars and those of the contrary perswasion were rather encreased then abated the more encreased for want of such a prudent Moderator as had before preserved the Churches from a publick Rupture The breach between them growing wider and wider each side thought fit to seek the Countenance of the State and they did accordingly for in the year 1610. the Followers of Arminius address their Remonstrance containing the Antiquity of their Doctrines and the substance of them to the States of Holland which was encountred presently by a Contra Remonstance exhibited by those of Calvins Party from hence the names of Remonstrants and Contra Remonstrants so frequent in their Books and Writings each Party taking opportunity to disperse their Doctrines the Remonstrants gained exceedingly upon their Adversarys For the whole Controversie being reduced to these five Points Viz. The Method and Order of Predestination The Efficacy of Christs Death The Opperations of Grace both before and after mâ—â—s Conversion and perseverance in the same the Parties were admitted to a publick Conference at the Hague in the year 1611. in which the Remonstrants were conceived to have had much the better of the day Now
necessitated to returne an Answer to it which he published in the second or third year of Queen Elizabeth In which Answer he not only cleares himselfe from favoring the Pelagian errors in the Doctrin of Freewill Justification by works c. but solidly and learnedly refuteth the opinions of certaine English Writers and Preachers whom he accuseth for teaching of false and scandalous Doctrin under the name of Predestination for his preparation whereunto he states the point of universall redemption by the death of Christ out of the parrallel which St. Paule hath made between Christ and Adam that by the comparison of condemnation in Adam and redemption in Christ it might more plainly be perceived that Christ was not inferiour to Adam nor Grace to sin And that as all the generation of man is condemned in Adam so is all the generation of man redeemed in Christ and as general a Saviour is Christ by Redemption as Adam is a condemner by transgression Which ground so laid he shows how inconsistent their opinions are to the truth of Scripture who found the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation on Gods absolute pleasure by which infinitely the greatest part of all mankind is precedaniously excluded from having any part or interess in this redemption reprobated to eternall death both in body and soule as the examples of his vengeance and consequently preordained unto sin as the means unto it that so his vengeance might appear with the face of Justice Which preordaining unto sin as it doth necessarily infer the laying of a necessity upon all mens actions whether good or bad according to that predeterminate Counsel and Will of God so these good men the Authors of the books before remembered doe expresly grant it acknowldgeing that God doth not only move men to sin but compell them to it by the inevitable rules of Predestination 9. But against this it is thus discoursed by the said Campneys that if Gods predestination be the only cause of Adams fall and filthy sin And consequently the only cause and worker of all evill yea even with compulsion and force as they shamefully and plainly affirm then will no man deny but that on the other side Gods predestination worketh as violently in all things that are good so then if Gods predestination work all without all exception both in evil and good then all other things whatsoever they be although they all appear to work and do some things yet do they indeed utterly nothing So that the Devill doth nothing Man doth nothing Laws do nothing Doctrine doth nothing Prayer doth nothing but Gods predestination doth all together and is the efficient cause yea and the only cause of all things He further proves that according unto this position they hold the errour both of the Stoicks as also of the Manicheans that is to say as St. Augustine declaeth that evill hath his original of Gods Ordinance and not of mans free-will for if Murtherers Adulterers Thieves Traitors and Rebels be of God predestinate and appointed to be wicked even as they are cannot chuse but of meer necessity by the Ordinance of God commic all such wickedness even as they doe then what is our life but a meer destiny All our doing God ordinances and all our immaginations branches of Gods Predestination And then we must have thieves by Predestination who remasters and Adulterers by Predestination Murderers and Traitors by Predestination and indeed what not if all mens actions are necessitated by the will of God and so necessitated that they can neither doe less evill nor more good then they doe though they should never so much endeavour it as some of our Calvinians teach us which opinion as Campneys hath observed is condemned by Prosper of Acquitaine in his defence of St. Augustine in these following words Predestinationem dei sive ad malum sive ad bonum c. That the predestination of God saith he doth worke in all men either into good or into evill is most foolishly said As though a certaine necessity should drive men unto both seeing in good things the evill is not to be understood without grace and in evill things the evil is to be understood without grace And so much touching Campneys and his performance in the points against the Gospellers some passages haveing before been borrowed from him concerning Lambert Gynnell and his Adherents For which see Chap. 6. Numb 11. 10. No sooner was this booke come out but it gave a very strong alarum to those of the Calvinian party within this Realm which had been very much encreased by the retiring of so many of our learned men to the Zuinglian and Genevian Churches in Queen Maryes dayes amongst which none more eagar because more concerned then Veron Crowly above mentioned The first of these being Reader of the Divinity Lecture in the Church of St. Pauls and one of the Chaplains to the Queen published his Answer shortly after called An Apology or Defence of the Doctrine of predestination and dedicated to the Queen in which Answer he gives his Adversary no better titles then the blind Guide of the free-will men p. 37. A very Pelagian and consequently a Rank Papist p 40. Suffering the Devill by such sectaries as Campneys to sow his lyes abroade c. and 41. The Stander-bearer of the free-will men His booke he calls a venemous and Railing booke upbraids him with his bearing of a fagot in K. Edwards dayes and chalenging him that if he be able to maintaine his own Doctrine and oppose that in the answer to it let him come forth and play the man Nor was it long before another Answer came out by the name of Crowly called an Apologie or defence of the English Writers and Preachers with Cerberus the three headed dog Hell Chargeth with false Doctrine under the name of Predestination printed at London in the yeare 1566. And by the title of this Book as we may see with what a strange Genius the Gospellers or Calvinians were possessed from the first beginning we may well conjecture at the Gentle usage which the poore man was like to finde in the whole discourse But if it be objected in favour of these two books that they were published by Authority and according to order when that of Campneys seems to have been published by stealth without the Name of Author or of Printer as is affirmed in Verons booke before remembred It may be since answered that the Doctrine of the Church was then unsetled the Articles of K. Edwards time being generally conceived to be out of force and no new established in their place when Veron first entered on the cause And secondly it may be answered that though Crowlyes Apologie came not out till the yeare 1566. when the new articles were agreed upon yet his treatise called a confutation of 13. Articles which gave occasion to the Quarrel had been written many years before And he conceived himselfe obliged to defend his
also must be done the point being so secured and provided for as before was said to content the Zuinglians or Calvinians by which last name they were afterwards more generally called who were grown strong and numerous in most parts of the Realme Insomuch that many of them did not refuse to subscribe the Book and were complained of for that cause by the Prolocutor to the House of Bishops desiring that an order might be presently made to cause them to subscribe their names to the said Article either in their own house or before their Lordships which order being made on the fift of February the Prolocutor signified to the Arch-Bishop and Bishops in the name of the lower House of Convocation that some of the Refusers had subscribed and that others still persisted in their former obstinacy And thereupon the Bishops ordered the same day the tenth of February quod nomina eorum qui hactenus non subscripserant presententur coram iis in proxima sessione that is to say that the names of such who still refused to subscribe should be presented to their Lordships at the next Session which put an end to the Dispute for after this I heare no more of their refusals the subscription of the book being universal as appears by this memorial in the jornal of that Convocation viz. universus clerus eosdem etiam unanimiter recepit professus est ut ex manuum suarum subscriptionibus patet that is to say that all the Clergy did unanimously approve the said Articles and testified their consent therein as by the subscription of their hands doth and may appear so difficult a thing it was from the first beginning to bring that violent and head strong faction unto any conformity 8. In the next place it is objected that Mr. Alexander Powell Dean of Saint Pauls who was Prolocutor in this Convocation maintaineth in his Catechisme a Doctrine contrary to that which the Arminians as some call them do now contend for and that it is not to be thought that he and others engaged with them in the same convocation were either so ignorant as not to understand what they put into the Articles or so infatuated by God to put in things quite contrary to their own judgements which being supposed or took for granted we are directed to his Catechisme written in the English tongue and dedicated from the two Arch-Bishops from which the Objector hath abstracted these two passages following viz. 'To the Church do all they properly belong as many as do truly fear honour and call upon God altogether applying their mindes to live holily and godly and with putting all their trust in God do most assuredly look for the blessedness of eternal life They that be stedfast stable and constant in this faith were chosen and appointed and as we terme it predestinate to this so great felicity p. 44. The Church is the body of the Christian Common-wealth i. e. the universal number and fellowship of the faithful whom God through Christ hath before all beginning of time appointed to everlasting life ' Such are the passages in this Catechism from which the Objector hath concluded that Mr. Powell had no communion with Arminians as some please to call them And to say truth he could have no communion with the Arminians as some please to call them though he had desired it Arminius being not born or but newly borne when Mr. Powell wrote that Catechism and Mr. Powell had been dead some years before the name of an Arminian had been heard in England 9. But unto this it hath been answered that looking upon Mr. Powell in his publick capacity as he was Prolocutor to that Convocation it cannot be denied but that he was as like to understand the conduct of all affaires therein as any other whatsoever And yet it cannot rationally be inferred from thence that therefore nothing was concluded in that convocation which might be contrary to his own judgement for a private person admitting that he was inclined to Calvin in the points disputed as he was not neither For had he been of his opinion the spirit of that Sects is such as could not be restrained from charity it selfe dogmatical and in termes express and not occasionally only and on the by as in the Catechisme now before us and that too in full general termes that no particular conclusion can be gathered from them It hath been answered again thus that the Articles in the five points being the same with those in King Edwards Book and so confessed by the Objector and no new sense being put upon them by the last establishment they must be understood no otherwise then according to the judgement of those learned men and godly Martyrs before remembred who had before concurred unto the making of them from which if Mr. Powells sense should differ in the least degree it is to be lookt upon as his own not the sense of the Church And thirdly it hath been observed that the Catechisme to which we are referred for the former passages is not the same with that which is authorized to be taught in the Grammer Schools in Greek and Latine nor the same which was published with the consent of the Author in the English tongue An. 1572. but a Catechisme of a larger size yet of lesse authority out of which the other was extracted such points as were superfluous and not well expressed not being reduced into the same And somewhat certainly there was in it which rendred it uncapable of any further Editions and not thought fit to be translated into Latine though such a translation of it was propounded to the Arch-Bishops Bishops in the Epistle Dedicatory to the shorter English And though to let us know what Catechisme it is he meanes he seemes to distinguish it from the other by being dedicated to the two Arch-Bishops Yet that doth rather betray the Objectors ignorance then advance his cause the Authours one Latine Edition and the English of it being Dedicated to the two Arch-Bishops as well as that 10. But since he hath appealed to the larger Catechisme to the larger Catechisme let him go In which he cannot so much as finde one single question touching the Doctrine of Predestination or the points depending thereupon and therefore is necessitated to have recourse unto the Articles of the Catholick Church the members and ingredients of it from whence he doth extract the two former passages And then again we are to note that the first of the two passages not being to be found in the Latine Edition nor the English translation of the same is taken almost word for word out of Powells Catechisme therefore to be understood in no other sense then before it was when it was perused and approved by the Bishops and other learned men of King Edwards time And thirdly there is nothing in all that passage which justifieth the absolute and irrespective decree of the Predestinarians or the restraining of the
publick service if otherwise of known zeale against the Papists 2. Several examples of that kinde in the places of greatest power and trust in the Church of England particularly of Mr. Fox the Martyrologist and the occasion which he took of publishing his opinion in the point of predestination 3. His notes on one of the Letters of John Bradford Martyr touching the matter of Election therein contained 4. The difference between the Comment and the Text and between the authour of the Comment and Bishop Hooper 5. Exceptions against some passages and observations upon others in the said Notes of Mr. Fox 6. The great breach made hereby in the Churches Doctrine made greater by the countenance which was given to the Book of Acts and Monuments by the Convocation An. 1571. 7. No argument to be drawn from hence touching the approbation of his doctrine by that Convocation no more then for the Approbation of his Marginal Notes and some particular passages in it disgraceful to the Rites of the Church attire of the Bishops 8. A counterballance made in the Convocation against Fox his Doctrine and all other Novelismes of that kinde 1. IT was not long that Queen Mary sate upon the Throne and yet as short time as it was it gave not only a strong interruption for the present to the proceedings of the Church but an occasion also of great discord and dissention in it for the time to come For many of our Divines who had fled beyond the Sea to avoid the hurry of her Reign though otherwise men of good abilities in most parts of Learning returned so altered in their principals as to points of Doctrine so disaffected to the Government formes of worship here by Law established that they seem'd not to be the same men at their coming home as they had been at their going hence yet such was the necessity which the Church was under of filling up the vacant places and preferments which had been made void either by the voluntary discession or positive deprivation of the Popish Clergie that they were faine to take in all of any condition which were able to do the publick service without relation to their private opinions in doctrine or discipline nothing so much regarded in the choice of men for Bishopricks Deanries Dignities in Cathedral Churches the richest Bâ—nefices in the Countrey and places of most command and trust in the Universities as their known â—eal against the Papists together with such a sufficiency of learning as might enable them for writing and preaching against the Popes supremacy the carnal presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament the superstition of the Masse the halfe communion the celâ—bratin of Divine service in a tongue not known unto the people the inforced single life of Priests the worshiping of Images and other the like points of Popery which had given most offence and were the principal causes of that separation 2. On this account we finde Mr. Pilkington preferred to the See of Durham and Whittingham to the rich Deanry of the Church of which the one proved a great favourer of the Non-conformists as is confessed by one who challengeth a relation to his blood and family the other associated himself with Goodman as after Goodman did with Knox for planting Puritanisme and sedition in the Kirk of Scotland On this account Dr. Lawrence Humphrey a professed Calvinian in point of doctrine and a Non-conformist but qualified with the title of a moderate one is made the Queens professor for Divinity in the University of Oxon Thomas Cartwright that great Incendiary of this Church preferred to be the Lady Margarets professor in the University of Cambridge Sampson made Dean of Christ-church and presently proptor Puritaxismum Exauctoratus turned out again for Puritanisme as my Authour hath it Hardiman made one of the first Prebends of Westminster of the Queens foundation and not long after deprived of it by the high Commissioners for breaking down the Altar there and defacing the ancient utensils and ornaments which belonged to the Church And finally upon this account as Whitehead who had been Chaplaine to Queen Anne Bulline refused the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury before it was offered unto Parker and Covâ—rdale to be restored to the See of Exon which he had chearfully accepted in the time of King Edward so Mr. John Fox of great esteem for his painful and laborious work of Acts and Monuments commonly called the Book of Martyrs would not accept of any preferment in the Church but a Prebends place in Salisbury which tide him not to any residence in the same And this he did especially as it after proved to avoid subscription shewing a greater willingnesse to leaue his place then to subscribe unto the Articles of Religion then by Law established when he was legally required to do it by Arch-Bishop Parker Of this man there remains a short Discourse in his Acts and Monuments of Predestination occasioned by a letter of Mr. Bradfords before remembred whose Orthodox doctrine in that point he feared might create some danger unto that of Calvin which then began to finde a more general entertainment then could be rationally expected in so short a time And therefore as a counter-ballance he annexeth this discourse of his own with this following title viz. Notes on the same Epistle and the matter of Election thereunto appertaining ' 3. As touching the Doctrine of Election whereof this letter of Mr. Bradford and many other of his Letters more do much intreat three things must be considered 1. What Gods Election is and what the cause thereof 2. How Gods Election proceedeth in working our salvation 3. To whom Gods election pertaineth and how a man may be certaine thereof Between Predestination and Election this difference there is Predestination is as well to the Reprobate as to the Elect Election pertaineth onely to them that be saved Predestination in that it respecteth the reprobate is called reprobation in that it respected the saved is called Election and is thus defined Predestination is the eternall decreement of God purposed before in himself what shall befal all men either to salvation or damnation Election is the free mercy and grace of God in his own will through faith in Christ his Sonne choosing and preferring to life such as pleaseth him In this definition of Election first goeth before the mercy and grace of God as the causes thereof whereby are excluded all works of the Law and merits of deserving whither they go before faith or come after so was Jacob chosen and Esau refused before either of them began to work c. Secondly in that the mercy of God in this Definition is said to be free thereby is to be noted the proceeding and working of God not to be bound to any ordinary place or to any succession of choice nor to state and dignity of person nor to worthinesse of blood c. but all goeth by the meere will of his own purpose as it is
Historia Quinqu Articularis OR A DECLARATION OF The Judgement of the Western Churches And more particularly Of the Church of ENGLAND IN The Five Controverted Points Reproched in these Last times by the Name of ARMINIANISM Collected in the way of an Historicall Narration Out of the Publick Acts and Monuments and most approved Authors of those severall CHURCHES By PETER HEYLYN Jerem. VI. 16. State super vias videte interrogate de semitis antiquis quae sit via bona ambulate in ea invenietis resrigerium animabus vestris Macrob. in Saturnall Omne meum nihill meum LONDON Printed by E. C. for Thomas Johnson at the Key in St. Pauls Church-yard 1660. TO THE READER IT is well known to some in London and elsewhere that these Papers were finished for the Presse before August last But the first breaking out in Cheshire and the unsetledness of affairs which ensued upon it proved such discouragements to all Engagings of this kinde that Michaelmas was past before the undertakers would adventure on it And what distractions have since followed in the Publick Government sufficient to retard a work of greater consequence is unknown to none But long looked for comes at last as the saying is though why it should come out at all may be made a question And I shall also give the Reader some account of that but in so doing must make use of somewhat which was said elsewhere It was more then half against my will and rather through the indiscretion of others then any forwardness of my own that I was drawn to shew my self in these present Controversies But being unseasonably brought upon the stage by Dr. Bernard impertinently enough by Mr. Baxter and with more then ordinary Petulancy by the Man of Scorne the Occasion was laid hold on by some very able and discerning men for pressing me to search into the History of these disputes so far forth as the Church of England was concerned in them and to make publick what I found upon that inquiry To which request I made such answer at the present as the consideration of my many unfitnesses for an employment of that nature might suggest unto me But coming to me from so many hands that it could not fairly be denyed I was prevailed with in the end to apply my self to the undertaking as soon as I had dispatched such other businesses as lay then upon me In the mean time I thought I might comply sufficiently with all expectations by fashioning some short Animadversions on the principal passages relating to the Doctrine of the Church of England which had been purloyned for the most part out of Mr. Prinnes book of Anti-arminianism by a late Compiler By which name the old Criticks and Grammarians used to call those men who pilfering their materials out of other mens writings did use to lay them close together as their own to avoid discovery And so the word is took by Horace in his Compilasse Serm. 1. verse ult as is observed on that verse by the learned Scoliasts So that a Compilator and a Plagiary are but two terms of one signification And he that would behold a Plagacy in his proper colours may finde him painted to the life in the Appendix to Mr. Pierce his Vindication of the learned Grotius to which for further satisfaction I refer the Reader That preamble having led the way and my other businesses being over I prepared my self unto that search to which I was so earnestly moved and so affectionately intreated My helps were very few and weak which might sufficiently have deterred me from the undertaking But a good cause will help to carry on it self and truth will finde the way to shine though darkned for a time with the clouds of Errour as the Sun breaking from an Eclips doth appear more glorious though a while obscured Delitere videtur sol non delitet as in the like case the Father hath it The Five disputed Points which in these last times are Reproached by the name of Arminianisme had more or lesse exercised the Church in all times and ages especially after the breaking out of the Pelagian Heresies when all the Niceties thereof were more thoroughly canvassed Neither the piety and sobriety of the Primity times nor the authority of the Popes nor the commanding spirit of Luther nor the more powerful name of Calvin have prevailed so far but that the Church and every broken fragment of it hath found some subdivision about these Debates So that it can be no great wonder if the Church of England be divided also on the same occasion or that a Deviation should be made from her publick Rules as well as in all other Churches and all former times Which way the general vote had passed in the elder ages hath been abundantly set forth by John Gerrard Vossius in his Historia Pelagiana But he descended not so low as these latter times conceiving he had done enough in shewing to which of the contending parties the general current of the Fathers did most encline And if Turtullians rule be good that those opinious have most truth which have most antiquity id verum est quod primum as his own words are the truth must run most cleerly in that part of the Controversie which hath least in it of the Zuinglian or Calvinian Doctrines And so far I shall follow his method or example rather in the pursuit of that designe which I have before me For though it be my principal purpose to search into the Doctrine of the Church of England yet I shall preface my Discourse by laying down The Judgement of the rest of the Western Churches before I come to that of our first Reformers By means whereof it may be seen what guides they followed or rather with what parties they concurred in judgement since in those times the Church was generally so distracted about these disputes that with the whole the aggregate body of believers there could be no agreement hoped for no compliance possible In the pursuance of this work I have exemplified so much of the Debates and Artifices in the Councel of Trent as concerns these points and may be parallel'd with the like proceedings in the Synod of Dort I have consulted also tho Confessions the Synodals and other publick Monuments and Records of the several parties and so many of the best and most approved Authors of this Church of England as either were within my power or could be advised with at a further distance One whole discourse I have transcribed about Freewill not obvious to be met withall in Shops or Libraries The like I have done also with one whole Homily though the book be easie to be found by those that seek it knowing full well how unwilling most Readers are to take more pains in turning over several books and examining all quotations which are brought before them then of necessity they must Nor have I purposely concealed or subducted any thing
them any place in the Synod and finally dismiss them in a furious Oration made by Boyerman without any hearing 11. The Synodists indulgent to the damnable Doctrines of Macorius and as unmercifull in the banishment and extermination of the poor Remonstrants 12. Scandalously defamed to make them odious and those of their perswasions in other places ejected persecuted and disgraced CHAP. VI. Objections made against the Doctrine of the Remonstrants the Answers unto all and the retorting of some of them on the Opposite Party 1. AN Introduction to the said Objections 2. The first Objection touching their being enemies to the grace of God disproved in generall by comparing the Doctrine with that of St. Augustine though somewhat more favourable to Free-will then that of Luther 3. A more particular Answer in relation to some hard expressions which were used of them by K. James 4. The second charging it as introductive of Popery begun in Holland and pressed more importunately in England answered both by Reason and Experience to the contrary of it 5. The third charge of filling men with spirituall pâ—ide first answered in Relation to the testimony from which it was taken and then retorted on those who object the same 6. The fourth Charge making the Remonstrants a furious and seditious People begun in Holland prosecuted in England and answered by the most Religious Bishop Ridley 7. What moved K. James to think so ill of the Remonstrants as to exasperate the States against them 8. The Remonstrants neither so troublesome nor so chargeable to the States themselves as they were made by the Objector the indirect proceedings of the Prince of Orange in the death of Bannevelt and the injustice of the Argument in charging the practises of his Children against the Prince of Orange upon all the party 9. Nothing in the Arminian Doctrine that may incline a man to factious and seditious courses as is affirmed and proved to be in that of Calvin 10. The Recrimination further proved by a passage in the Conference of the Lord Treasurer Burleigh with Queen Eliz in a letter of some of the Bishops to the Duke of Buckingham and in that of Dr. Brooks to the late Archbishop 11 More fully prosecuted and exemplified by Campneys an old English Protestant 12. A Transition to the Doctrine of the Church of England CHAP. VII An Introduction to the Doctrine of the Church of England in the Points disputed with the removall of some Rubs which are laid in the way 1. THe Doctrine of the Homilies concerning the endowments of man at his first Creation 2. His miserable Fall 3. And the promised hopes of his restitution in the Lord Christ Jesus 4. A general Declaration of the judgment of the Church of England in the points disputed exemplified in the story of Agillmond and Lamissus Kings of Lombardy 5. The contrary judgment of Wickleff objected answered and applyed to all modern Heresies 6. The general answer of the like Argument pretended to be drawn from the writings of Frith Tyndall and Barns but more particularly 7. The judgment of Dr. Barns in the present Points and the grounds on which he builded the same 8. Small comfort to be found from the works of Tyndall in favour of the Calvinian Doctrin 9. The high flyings of John Frith and others in the Doctrine of Predestination reproved by Tyndall 10. A parallel between some of our first Martyrs and the blind man restored to his â—ight in the 8. of St. Mark CHAP. VIII Of the Preparatives to the Reformation and the Doctrin of the Church in the present Points 1. THe danger of ascribing too much to our ancient Martyrs exemplified in the parity of Ministers and popular Elections unto Benefices allowed by Mr. John Lambert 2. Nothing ascribed to Calvins judgment by our first Reformers but much to the Augustan Confession the writings of Melancthon and 3. unto the Authority of Erasmus His paraphrases being commended to the use of the Church by King Edward 6. and the Reasons why 4. The Bishops book in order to the Reformation called The Institution of a Christian man commended by King Henry 8. 1537. corrected afterwards by the Kings own hand examined and allowed by Cranmer approved by Parliament and finally published by the name of A necessary Doctrin c. Anno 1543. 5. The Doctrine of the said two books in the Points disputed agreeable unto that which after was established by King Edward 6. 6. Of the two Liturgies made in that Kings time and the makers of them the testimony given to the first and the alterations made in the second 7. The first book of Homilies by whom made approved by Bucer and of the Arguments that may be drawn from the method of it in the points disputed 8. The quality and condition of those men who principally concurred to the book of Articles with the harmony or concent in judgment between Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Ridly and Bishop Hooper c. 9. The Doctrin delivered in the book of Articles touching the Five Controverted points 10. An answer to the objections against these Articles for the supposed want of Authority in the making of them 11. An objection against King Edwards Catechism mistaken for an objection against the Articles refelled as to that late Schisme by John Philpot Martyr and of the delegating of their powers by the Convocation to a choice Committee 12. The Articles not drawn up in comprehensive or ambiguous termes to please all parties but to be understood in the Restrictive letter and Grammatical sense and the Reasons why CHAP. IX Of the Doctrin of Predestination delivered in the Articles the Homilies the publick Liturgie and the writings of some of the Reformers 1. THe Articles differently understood by the Calvinian party and the true English Protestants with the best way to finde out the true sense thereof 2. The definition of Predestination and the most considerable points contained in it 3. The meaning of those words in the Difinition viz. Whom he hath châ—sen in Christ according to the exposition of St. Ambrose St. Chrysostom and St. Jerom as also of Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Latimer and the book of Homilies 4. The absolute decree condemned by Bishop Latimer as a means to licentiousness and carnall living 5. For which and making God to be the Author of sin condemned as much by Bishop Hooper 6. Our election to be found in Christ not to be sought for in Gods secret Councels according to the judgment of Bishop Latimer 7. The way to finde out our Election delivered by the same godly Bishop and by Bishop Hooper with somewhat to the same purpose also from the book of Homilies 8. The Doctrin of Predestination delivered by the holy Martyr John Bradford with Fox his glosse upon the same to corrupt the text 9. No countenance to be found for any absolute personal and irrespective Decree of Predestination in the publick Liturgy 10. An answer to such passages out of the said Liturgy as seem to
the one and the irresistable Decrees of the other necessitating men to those wicked actions which they so frequently commit Thus we are told of Bardesanes Quod fato conversationes hominum ascriberet That he ascribed all things to the power of Fate And thus it is affirmed of Priscilianus Fatalibus Astris homines alligatos That men were thralled unto the Stars which last S. Augustine doth report of one Colarbus save that he gave this power and influence to the Planets only but these if pondered as they ought differed but little if at all from the impiety of Florinus before remembred only it was expressed in a better language and seemed to savour more of the Philosopher then the other did For if the Lord had passed such an irresistible Law of Fate that such and such should be guilty of such soul Transgressions as they commonly committed it was all one as if he was proclaimed for the Author of them and then why might not every man take unto himself the excuse and plea of Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was not I that did it but the Gods and Destiny Or if the Lord had given so irresistable a power to the Stars of Heaven as to enforce men to be wickedly and lewdly given what differs this from making God the Author of those vitious actions to which by them we are inforced And then why might not every man cast his sin on God and say as did some good fellows in S. Augustines time Accusandum potius esse Autorem syderum quam commissorem scelerum That he who made the Stars was in the fault not the men that did it 5. But this absurdity being as much cryed down by Augustine and other learned Writers of those elder times as the impiety of Florinus had been before were either utterly extinguisht or lay concealed for many hundred years together Amongst the Philosophical Heterodoxies of the Roman Schools that of the Maniches first revived by Martin Luther who in meer opposition to Erasmus who had then newly writ a book De Arbitrio libero published a Discourse intituled De Arbitrio servo In which Discourse he doth not only say That the freedom ascribed unto the Will is an empty nothing Titulus nomen sine re A name of no such thing in nature but holds expresly that man is drawn no otherwise by the grace of God then Velut inanimale quiddam No otherwise then as a senseless stock or stone the Statua of the ancient Maniches in the great work of his conversion to a state of Righteousness And though Luther afterwards conformed his Judgment in this Point unto that of Melancthon as appeareth by the Augustan Confession in drawing up whereof he is acknowledged to have had a principal hand yet was he followed in this first Error as in almost all the rest of his extremitys by the rigid Lutherans headed by Flaccus Illyricus and his Associats in the City of Magdeberg at his first separation from the Melancthonian Divines who remained at Wittenberg and had embraced more moderate and sober counsels of which more hereafter 6. But Luther shall not go alone and not take Calvin along with him how much soever they might differ in some other Points Luther revived the Error of the Maniches in denying all freedom to the will especially in matters which relate to eternal life and Calvin will revive the Errors of Bardesanes and Priscillian in charging all mens wicked actions on the Stars and Destiny not positively and in terminis I must needs say that but so that he comes close up to them to Tantamoâ—â— ascribing that to the inevitable decrees of Almighty God which Bardesanes attributed to the powers of Fate Priscillian Clolarbus to the influences of the Stars and Planets For if God before all Eternity as they plainly say did purpose and decree the Fall of our Father Adam Vt sua defectione periret Adam In the words of Calvin There was in Adam a necessity of committing sin because the Lord had so decreed it If without consideration of the sin of man he hath by his determinate sentence ordained so many millions of men to everlasting damnation and that too necessario and inevitabiliter as they please to phrase it he must needs pre-ordain them to sin also there being as themselves confess no way unto the end but by the means The odious Inferences which are raised out of these opinions I forbear to press and shall add only at the present That if we grant this Doctrine to be true and Orthodox we may do well to put an Index expurgatorius upon the Creed and quite expunge the Article of Christs coming to Judgment For how could God condemn his Creature to unquenchable Flames or put so ill an Office upon Christ our Saviour as to condemn them by his mouth in case the sins by them committed were not theirs but his or punish them for that himself works in them unto which rather he decreed them before all Eternity Nothing more true then that excellent saying of Fulgentius Deus non est eorum ultor quorum est Autor That God doth never punish his own actings in us 7. Such were the men and such the means by which the blame of sin was transferred from man and charged on the account of God either expresly and in terms or in the way of necessary consequence and undeniable Illation by which lost man was totally deprived of all abilities for resisting Satan or otherwise concurring with Gods grace in his own conversion Nor wanted there some others in those elder times who did ascribe so much to mans will and the powers of Nature as to make Gods Grace unprofitable or at least unnecessary in either of the Acts aforesaid The Fathers generally which lived before the starting of the Pelagian Heresies declared themselves so largely if not lavishly also in the present Point that the greatest Patrons of Free will in the Church of Rome were fain sometimes to qualifie their expressions and put a milder sense upon them then the words import For being to deal with the fatal necessity of the Pagans on the oneside and the Impiety of Maâ—iches on the other side they gave themselves such liberty in advancing the powers of Nature as might best serve to the refelling of either Adversary not dreaming then that any Heresie could arise in opposition to the free Grace of God to the advancing of free will above all degrees of power and possibility But on the contrary Pelagius a Britain born either misguided by the lavishness of their expressions or otherwise willing to get a Name unto himself by some new Invention ascribed so much unto the freedom of the will in all Acts of Piety Vt gratiam Dei necessariam nâ—n putaret as Vincentius Strynensis telleth us of him VIII This man associated with Caelestinus and 〈…〉 s two of his Companions whom he had either drawn into the same opinion with
we finde it in the supercilious looks in the haughty carriage of those who are so well assured of their own Election who cannot so disguise themselves as not to undervalue and despise all those who are not of the same party and perswasion with them A race of men whose insolence and pride there is no avoyding by a modest submission whose favour there is no obtaining by good turns and benefits Quorum superbiam frustra per modestiam obsequium effugeris as in another case was said by a Noble Britain VI. And finally it is objected but the Objection rather doth concern the men then the Doctrine that the Arminians are a Faction a turbulent seditious Faction so found in the United Provinces from their very first spawning not to be suffered by any Reason of State in a Common-wealth So saith the Author of the Pamphlet called the Observator observed and proves it by the wicked conspiracy as he calls it of Barnevelt who suffered most condignly as he he tells us upon that account 1619. And afterwards by the damnable and hellish plot of Barnevelts Children and Allies in their designs against the State and the Prince of Orange This Information seconded by the Author of the Book called The Justification of the Fathers c. who tells us but from whom he knowes not that the States themselves have reported of them that they had created them more trouble then the King of Spain had by all his Warres And both these backt by the Authority of K. James who tells us of them in his Declaration against Vorstius That if they were not with speed rooted out no other issue could be expected then the Curse of God infamy throughout all the Reformed Churches and a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of the State This is the substance of the Charge So old and common that it was answered long since by Bishop Ridly in Queen Marys dayes when the Doctrine of the Protestants was said to be the readiest way to stir up sedition and trouble the quiet of the Common-wealth wherefore to be repressed in time by force of Laws To which that godly Bishop returns this Answer That Satan doth not cease to practise his old guiles and accustomed subtilties He hath ever this Dart in a readinesse to whirle against his adversaries to accuse them of sedition that he may bring them if he can in danger of the Higher Powers for so hath he by his Ministers alwayes charged the Prophets of God Ahab said unto Elias art thou he that troubleth Israel The false Prophets complained also to their Princes of Jeremy that his words were seditious and not to be suffered Did not the Scribes and Pharises falsly accuse Christ as a seditious person and one that spake against Caesar Which said and the like instance made in the Preachings of St. Paul he concludes it thus viz. But how far they were from all sedition their whole Doctrine Life and Conversation doth well declare And this being said in reference to the Charge in generall the Answer to each part thereof is not far to seek VII And first it hath been answered to that part of it which concerns King James that the King was carried in this business not so much by the clear light of his most excellent understanding as by Reason of State the Arminians as they call them were at that time united into a party under the command of John Olden Barnevelt and by him used for the reasons formerly laid down to undermine the power of Maurice then Prince of Orange who had made himself the Head of the Contra-Remonstrants and was to that King a most dear Confederate Which Division in the Belgick Provinces that King considered as a matter of most dangerous consequence and utterly destructive of that peace unity and concord which was to be the greatest preservation of the States Vnited on whose tranquillity and power he placed a great part of the peace and happiness of his own Dominions Upon which reason he exhorrs them in the said Declaration to take heed of such infected persons their own Countrey-men being already divided into Factions upon this occasion which was a matter as he saith so opposite to unity which was indeed the only prop and safety of their State next under God as of necessity it must by little and little bring them to utter ruine if justly and in time they did not provide against it So that K. James considering the present breach as tending to the utter ruine of those States and more particularly of the Prince of Orange his most dear Allye he thought it no small piece of King-craft to contribute toward the suppression of the weaker party not only by blasting them in the said Declaration with reproachfull names but sending such Divines to the Assembly at Dort as he was sure would be sufficiently active in their condemnation VIII So that part of the Argument which is borrowed from the States themselveâ— it must be proved by some better evidence then the bare word of Mr. Hickman before it can deserve an answer the speech being so Hyperbolicall not to call it worse that it can hardly be accounted for a flower of Rhetorick The greatest trouble which the States themselves were put to all this businesse was for the first eight years of it but the hearing of Complaints receiving of Remonstrances and being present at a Conference between the parties And for the last four years for it held no longer their greatest trouble was to finde out a way to forfeit all their old and Native Priviledges in the deaâ—h of Barnevelt for maintenance whereof they had first took up Arms against the Spaniard In all which time no blood at all was drawn by the Sword of War and but the blood of 5 or 6 men only by the Sword of Justice admitting Barnevelts for one Whereas their warres with Spain had lasted above thrice that time to the sacking of many of their Cities the loss of at least 100000. of their own lives and the expense of many millions of Treasure And as for Barnevelt if he had committed any Treason against his Countrey by the Laws of the same Countrey he was to be tryed Contrary whereunto the Prince of Orange having got him into his power put him over to be judged by certain Delegates commissionated by the States Generall who by the Laws of the Union can pretend unto no Authority over the Life and Limb of the meanest subject Finally for the conspiring of Barnevelts Children it concerns only them whose design it was Who to revenge his death so unworthily and unjustly contrived and as they thought so undeservedly and against their Laws might fall upon some desperate Councels and most unjustifiable courses in pursuance of it But what makes this to the Arminian and Remonstrant party Or doth evince them for a turbulent and seditious Faction not to be suffered by any Reason of State in a well-ordered
Common-wealth Barnevelts Kindred might be faulty the Arminians innocent or the Arminians faulty in their practise against the life of the Prince of Orange under and by whom they had suffered so many oppressions without involving those in their Crimes and Treasons who hold the same Opinion with them in their Neighbouring Churches IX The reason is because there is nothing in the Doctrine of the Arminians as it relates to the Five points in difference which can dispose the Professors of it to any such practises And therefore if the Arminians should have proved as turbulent and seditious as their enemies made them yet we were not to impute it to them as they were Arminians that is to say as men following the Melanctonian way of Predestination and differing in those points from the rest of the Calvinists but as exasperated and provoked and forced to cast themselves upon desperate courses Quae libertatis arma dat ipse dolor in the Poets language But so some say it is not with the Doctrine of the other party by which mens actions are so ordered predetermined by the eternall will of God even to the taking up of a straw as before was said ut nec plus boni nec minus mali that it is neither in their power to do more good or commit less evil then they do And then according to that Doctrine all Treasons Murders and Seditions are to be excused as unavoydable in them who commit the same because it is not in their power not to be guilty of those Treasons or Seditions which the fire and fury of the Sect shall inflame them with And then to what end should Princes make Laws or spend their whole endeavors in preserving the publick Peace when notwithstanding all their cares and travails to prevent the mischief things could no otherwise succeed then as they have been predetermined by the will of God And therefore the best way would be Sinere res vadere quo vult in the Latin of an old Spanish Monke to let all matters go as they will since we cannot make them go as we would according to that counsell of the good old Poet. Solvite mortales animos curisque levate Totque super vacuis animum deplete querelis Fata regunt Orbem certa stant omnia lege That is to say Discharge thy soul poor man of vexing fears And ease thy self of all superfluous cares The World is governed by the Fates and all Affairs by Heaven's decree do stand or fall X. To this effect it is reported that the old Lord Burleigh should discourse with Queen Eliz. when he was first acquainted with the making of the Lambeth Articles Not pleased wherewith he had recourse unto the Queen letting her see how much her Majesties Authority and the Laws of the Realm were thereby violated and it was no hard matter to discern what they aimed at who had most stickled in the same For saith he this is their opinion and Doctrine that every Humane action be it good or evil it is all restrained and bound up by the Law of an immutable decree that upon the very wills of men also this necessity is imposed ut aliter quam vellent homines velle non possent that men could not will otherwise then they did will Which Opinions saith he Maddam if they be true Frustra ego aliique fideles Majestatis tuae ministri c. then I and the rest of your Majesties faithfull Ministers do sit in Councel to no purpose 't is in vain to deliberate and advise about the affairs of your Realm Cum de his quae eveniunt necessario stulta sit plane omnis consultatio since in those things that come to passe of necessity all consultation is foolish and ridiculous To which purpose it was also press'd by the Bishop of Rochester Oxon and St. Davids in a Letter to the Duke of Buckingham concerning Mountagues Appeal An. 1625. In which it is affirmed that they cannot conceive what use there can be of Civil Government in the Common-wealth or of Preaching and externall Ministry in the Church if such fatal Opinions as some which are opposite contrary to those delivered by Mr. Mountague shall be publickly taught and maintained More plainly and particularly charged by Dr. Brooks once Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge in a Letter to the late Archbishop bearing date Decemb. 15. 1630. in which he writes that their Doctrines of Predestination is the root of Puritanisme and Puritanisme is the root of all Rebellions and disobedient untractablenesse in Parliaments c. and of all Schisme and sawcinesse in the Countrey nay in the Church it self making many thousands of our people and too great a part of the Gentlemen of the Land very Leightons in their hearts which Leighton had published not long before a most pestilent and seditious Book against the Bishops called Sions Plea in which he excited the people to strike the Bishops under the fifth rib reviling the Queen by the name of a Daughter of Heth and for the same was after censured in the Star-Chamber to Pillory loss of Ears c. XI But because perhaps it may be said that this is but a new device excogitated by the malice of these later times to defame this Doctrine let us behold what Campneys hath delivered of it in the first or second year of Queen Eliz. at the first peeping of it out to disturb this Church Where saith he who seeth not the distraction of England to follow this Doctrine Who seeth not the confusion of all Common-wealths to depend hereupon What Prince may sit safely in the seat of his Kingdome What subject may live quietly possessing his own What man shall be ruled by the right of Law If there Opinions may be perfectly placed in the hearts of the People Which Corollary he brings in in the end of a Discourse touching the Rebellion raised by Martin Cyrnell and seconded by the Earl of Lincolne Martin Swarth and others against Hen. 7. For building on the Calvinian Maxim that as God doth appoint the end so he appointeth also the means and causes which lead unto it he thereupon inferreth that Martin Swarth and his men according to that Doctrine were destined by God to be slain at the Battle of Stoke In order whereunto first Sir Richard Simon the Priest must be appointed and predestinate of God to powre in the pestilent poyson of Privy Conspiracy and trayterous mischief of vain glory into the heart of Lambert his Scholar as a cause leading to the same end Secondly that he the said Lambert was appointed and predestinate of God to consent and agree unto the pestiferous perswasion of his Master * S. Richard in the pride of Lucifer to aspire unto the Royall Throne as another cause leading to the same end which God ordained Thirdly that the Irish men were appointed of God to be Rebellious Traytors against their Soveraign Lord the King of England and
That no Humane Laws or Constitutions do oblige a Christian 11. And finally That God never gave grace nor knowledge to a great person or rich man and that they in no wise fâ—llow the same What Anabaptists Brownists Ranters Quakers may not as well pretend that our first Reformers were of their Religion as the Calvinists can if Wicklifs Doctrine be the rule of our Reformation Which because possibly it may obtain the less belief if they were found only in the works of Harpsfield and Waldensis before remembred the Reader may look for them in the catalogue of those Mala Dogmâ—ta complained of by the Prolocutor in the Convocation An. 1536. to have been publikely preached printed and professed by some of Wicklifs Followers for which consult the Church History lib. 4. fol. 208. and there he shall be sure to finde them 6. It is alledged in the next place that the Calvinistical Doctrines in these points may be found in the writings of John Frith William Tyndall and Dr. Barns collected into one volume and printed by Jâ—ha Day 1563. of which the first suffered death for his conscience An. 1533. the second An. 1536. and the third An. 1540. called therefore by Mr. Fox in a Preface of his before the Book the Ring-leaders of the Church of England And thereupon it is inferred that the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination must be the same with that which was embraced and countenanced by the first Reformers But first admitting that they speak as much in Honour of Calvins Doctrine as can be possibly desired yet being of different judgements in the points disputed and not so Orthodox in all others as might make them any way considerable in the Reformation it is not to be thought that either their writings or opinions should be looked on by us for our direction in this case Barns was directly a Dominican in point of Doctrine Frith soared so high upon the wing and quite out-flew the mark that Tyndal thought it not unfit to call him down and lure him back unto his pearch and as for Tyndal he declares himself with such care and caution excepting one of his flyings out against Freewil that nothing to their purpose can be gathered from him Secondly I do not look on Mr. Fox as a competent Judge in matters which concern the Church of England the Articles of whose Confession he refused to subscribe he being thereunto required by Archbishop Paâ—ker and therefore Tyndal Frith and Barns not to be hearkned to the more for his commendation Thirdly if the testimony of Frith and Tyndall be of any force for defence of the Calvinists the Anti-Sabbatarians may more justly make use of it in defence of themselves against the new Sabbath speculations of Dr. Bond and his adherents embraced more passionately of late then any Article of Religion here by Law established Of which the first declares the Lords day to be no other than an Ecclesiastical Institution or Church Ordinance the last that it is still changeable from one day to another if the Church so please For which consult the Hist of Sab. l. 2. c. 8. Let Frith and Tyndal be admitted as sufficient witnesses when they speak against the new Sabbath Doctrines or not admitted when they speak in behalf of Calvins and then I am sure his followers will lose more on the one side thâ—n they gained on the other and will prove one of the crossest bargains to them which they ever made And then it is in the fourth place to be observed that the greatest treasury of learning which those and the Famerlines could boast of was lockt up in the Cloisters of the Begging Friers of which the Franciscans were accounted the most nimble Disputants the Dominicans the most diligent and painful Preachers the Augustinians for the most part siding with the one and the Carmilites or White Friers joyning with the other so that admitting Frith and Tindal to maintain the same Doctrine in these points which afterwards was held forth by Calvin yet possibly they maintained them not as any points of Protestant Doctrine in opposition to the errours of the Church of Rome which had not then declared it self on either side but as the received opinions of the Dominican Friers in opposition to the Franciscans The Doctrine of which Dominican Friers by reason of their diligent preaching had met with more plausible entertainment not onely amongst the inferiour sort of people but also amongst many others of parts and learning 7. And as for Barns the far most learned of the three he had been once Prior of the Augustinian Friers in Cambridge whose Doctrines he had sucked in at his first coming thither and therefore might retain them to the very last without relation to the Zuinglian or Calvinian Tenents or any differences then on foot between the Protestant Doctors and the Church of Rome Besides being of the same Order which Luther had quitted the might the more willingly encline to Luthers first opinion touching servitude of the will mans inability in cooperating with the grace of God and being forcibly drawn in his own conversion velut inanimatum quiddam like a stock or stone in which he was tenaciously followed by the rigid Lutherans though he had afterwards changed his judgement touching that particular So that beholding Dr. Barns either as one that followed Luther in his first opinions or travelled the Dominican way in the present points as an Augustinian it is no marvel if we finde somewhat in his writings agreeable to the palate of the Calvinists and rigid Lutherans From whence it is that laying down the Doctrine of Predestination he discourseth thus viz. ' But yet sayest thou that he giveth to the one mercy and the other none I answer what is that to thee is not his mercy his own is it not lawful for him to give it to whom he will is thine eye evil because his is good take that which is thine and go thy way for if he will shew his wrath and make his power known over the vessels of wrath ordained to damnation and to declare the riches of his glory unto the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared and elected unto glory what hast thou therewith to do But here will subtil blindeness say God saw before that Jacob should do good and therefore did he chuse him he saw also that Esau should do evil therefore did he condemn him Alas for blindness what will you judge of that which God foresaw how know we that God saw that and if he saw it how know we that it was the cause of Jacobs Election These children being unborn they had done neitheir good nor bad and yet one of them is chosen and the other is refused S. Paul knoweth no other cause but the will of God and will you needs discuss another He saith not I will have mercy on him that I see shall do good but I will shew mercy to whom I will He saith not I will
him are of the same Book and so are chosen to everlasting life for onely those are ordained that believe ' Nor stays that godly Bishop here but proceeds after some intervening passages towards this Conclusion ' Here is now taught you saith he how to try your Election namely in Christ For Christ is the Accompting Book and Register of God and even in the same Book that is Christ are witten all the names of the Elect therefore we cannot finde our Election in our selves neither yet the high Council of God for inscrutabilia suâ—t judicia Altissimi Where then shall I finde my Election in the Compting Book of God which is Christ c. ' Agreeable whereunto we finde Bishop Hooper speaking thus ' The cause of our Election is the mercy of God in Christ howbeit he that will be partaker of this Election must receive the promise in Christ by faith for therefore we be elected because afterwards we are made the members of Christ So we judge of Election by the event or success that hapneth in the life of man those onely to be elected ' that by faith apprehend the mercy promised in Christ To the same purpose also but not so clearly and perspicuously speaks the Book of Homilies where we finde it thus viz. ' That of our selves as in our selves we finde nothing whereby we may be delivered from this miserable captivity in which we were cast through the envy of the Devil by breaking Gods Commandment in our first Parent Adam It is the Lord with whom is plenteous Redemption he is the God which of his own mercy saveth us c. not for our own deserts merits or good deeds c. but of his meer mercy freely and for whose sake truly for Christ Jesus sake the pure and undesiled Lamb of God c. for whose sake God is fully pacified satisfied and set at one with man Such is the Doctrine of the Church in the matter of Predestination unto life according to the judgement of these learned men and godly Martyrs who were of such Authority in the Reformation ' 8. Proceed we next to one of an inferiour Order the testimony of John Bradford Martyr a man in very high esteem with Martin Bucer made one of the Prebends of S. Pauls Church by Bishop Ridley and one who glorified God in the midst of the flames with as great courage as his Patron of whom we finde a Letter extant in the Acts and Monuments directed to his friends N. S. and R. â— being at that time not thorowly instructed in the Doctrine of Gods Election The words of which Letter are as followeth ' I wish to you my good Brethren the same grace of God in Christ which I wish and pray the Father of mercies to give me for his holy names sake amen Your Letter though I have not read my self because I would not alienate my minde from conceived things to write to others yet I have heard the sum of it that it is of Gods Election wherein I will briefly relate to you my faith and how far I think it good and meet for a Christian to wade in I believe That man made after the image of God did fall from that pleased estate to the condemnation of him and all his posterity I believe that Christ for man being then fallen did oppose himself to the judgement of God as a Mediator paying the ransome and price of Redemption for Adam and his whole posterity that refuse it not finally I believe that all that believe I speak of such as be of years of discretion are partakers of Christ and all his merits I believe that faith and belief in Christ is the work and gift of God given to no other then to those which be his children that is to those whom God the Father before the beginning of the world hath Predestinated in Christ unto Eternal life Thus do I wade in Predestination in such sort as God hath patefied and opened it Though to God it be the first yet to us it is the last opened and therefore I begin with Creation from whence I come to Redemption so to Justification so to Election On this sort I am sure that warily and wisely a man may walk it easily by the light of Gods Spirit in and by his Word seeing this faith is not to be given to all men 2 Thess 3. but to such as are born of God Predestinated before the world was made after the purpose and good will of God c. ' Which judgement of this holy man comes up so close to that of the former Martyrs and is so plainly cross to that of the Calvinistical party that Mr. Fox was fain to make soom Scholia's on it to reconcile a gloss like that of Orleance which corrupts the Text and therefore to have no place here however it may be disposed of at another time But besides the Epistle above mentioned there is extant a Discourse of the said godly Martyr entituled The sum of the Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation in which is affirmed That our own wilfulness sin and contemning of Christ are the cause of Reprobation as is confessed by the Author of the Anti-Arminianism p. 103. though afterwards he puts such a gloss upon it as he doth also on the like passages in Bishop Hooper as makes the sin of man to be the cause onely of the execution and not of the decree of Reprobation 9. But it is said That any one that reads the Common-Prayer Book with an unprejudiced minde cannot chuse but observe divers passages that make for a Personal Eternal Election So it is said of late and till of late never so said by any that ever I heard of the whose frame and fabrick of the Publique Liturgie being directly opposite to this new conceit For in the general Confession we beseech the Lord to spare them that confess their faults and restore them that be penitent according to his promises declared unto mankinde in Christ Jesus our Lord In the Te Deum it is said that Christ our Saviour having overcome the sharpness of death did open the Kingdâ—m of heaven to all believers In the Prayer for the first day of Lent That God hateth nothing which he hath made but doth forgive the sins of all them that be penitent In the Prayer at the end of the Commination That God hath compassion of all men that he hateth nothing which he hath made that he would not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from sin and repent In the Absolution before the Communion That God of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and truâ— faith turn unto him Can any one which comes with an unprejudiced minde to the Common-Prayer Book observe any thing that savoureth of a Personal Election in all these passages or can he hope to finde them in any other Look then upon the last Exhortation
the rest before that is to say the reconciliation of all men to Almighty God the universal redemption of Man-kinde by the death of Christ expresly justfied and maintained by the Church of England For though one in our late undertaking seem exceeding confident that the granting of universal redemption will draw no inconvenience with it as to the absoluteness of Gods decrees or to the insuperability of converting Grace or to the certain infallible perseverance of Gods elect after conversion Yet I dare say he will not be so confident in affirming this That if Christ did so far dye for all as to procure a salvation for all under the condition of faith and repentance as his own words are there can be any room for such an absolute decree of reprobation 〈…〉 and precedent to the death of Christ as his great masters in the school of Calvin have been pleased to teach him Now for the Doctrine of this Church in that particular it is exprest so clearly in the second article of the five before laid down that nothing needs be added either in way of explication or of confirmation howsoever for avoiding of all doubt and Haesitancy we will first add some farther testimonies touching the Doctrine of this Church in the point of universal redemption And secondly touching the applying of so great a benefit by universal vocation and finally we shall shew the causes why the benefit is not effectual unto all alike 5. And first as for the Doctrine of universal redemption it may be further proved by those words in the publick Carechism where the Childe is taught to say that he believeth in God the Son who redeemed with him all mankinde in that clause of the publique Letany where God the Son is called the Redeemer of the world in the passages of the latter Exhortation before the Communion where it is said That the Oblation of Christ once offered was a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD in the proper Preface appointed for the Communion on Easter-Day in which he is said to be the very Paschal Lamb that was offered for us and taketh away the sins of the world repeated in the greater Catechism to the same effect And finally in the Prayer of Conservation viz. Almighty God our heavenly Father which of thy tender mercies didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption who made there by his own Oblation of himself once offered a firm and perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD To this purpose it is said in the Book of Homilies That the World being wrapt up in sin by the breaking of Gods Law God sent his onely Son our Saviour Christ into this world to fulfil the Law for us and by shedding of his most precious blood to make a Sacrifice and Satisfaction or as it may be called amends to his Father for our sins to asswage his wrath and indignation conceived against us for the same Out of which words it may be very well concluded That the world being wrapt up in sin the Recompence and Satisfaction which was made to God must be made to him for the sins of the world or else the plaister had not been commensurate to the sore nor so much to the magnifying of Gods wonderful mercies in the offered means of Reconcilement betwixt God and man the Homily must else fall short of that which is taught in the Articles In which besides what was before delivered from the second and 31. concerning the Redemption of the world by the death of Christ it is affirmed in the 15 as plain as may be That Christ came to be a Lamb without spot who by the Sacrifice of himself once made should take away the sins of the world Then which there can be nothing more conducible to the point in hand 6. And to this purpose also when Christ our Saviour was pleased to Authorize his Holy Apostles to preach the Good Tidings of Salvation he gave them both a Command and a Commission To go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16. 15. So that there was no part of the world nor any Creature in the same that is to say no Rational Creature which seems to be excluded from a possibility of obtaining Salvation by the Preaching of the Gospel to them if with a faith unfeigned they believed the same Which the Church further teacheth us in this following Prayer appointed to be used in the Ordering of such as are called unto the Office of the Holy Priesthood viz. ' Almighty God and Heavenly Father which of thine Infinite Love and Goodness toward us hast given to us thy Only and Most Dear Beloved Son Jesus Christ to be our Redeemer and Author of Everlasting Life who after he had made perfect our Redemption by his Death and was ascended into Heaven sent forth abroad into the world his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctors and Pastors by whose Labour and Ministry he gathered together a great Frock in all the Parts of the World to set forth the Eternal Praise of his Holy Name For these so great Benefits of thy Eternal Goodness and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call thy Servant here present to the same Office and Ministry of Salvation of Mankind we render unto thee most hearty thinks and we worship preise thee and we humbly beseech thee by the same thy Son to grant unto all which either here or elsewhere call upon thy name that we may shew our selves thankful to thee for these and all other thy benefits and that we may daily encrease and go forward in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Son by the Holy Spirit So that as well by these thy Ministers as by them to whom they shall be appointed Ministers thy Holy Name may be always glorified and thy Blessed Kingdom enlarged through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee in the Unity of the same Holy Spirit world without end Amen ' Which Form in Ordering and Consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons I note this onely by the way being drawn up by those which had the making of the first Liturgie of King Edward the sixth and confirmed by Act of Parliament in the fifth and sixth of the said King was afterwards also ratified by Act of Parliament in the eighth year of Queen Elizabeth and ever since hath had its place amongst the Publique Monuments and Records of the Church of England 7. To these I shall onely adde one single testimony out of the Writings of each of the three godly Martyrs before remembred the point being so clearly stated by some of our Divines commonly called Calvinists though not by the Outlandish also that any longer insisting on it may be thought unnecessary First then Bishop Cranmer tells us in the Preface to his Book against Gardiner of Winchester
the said Ecclesiastical Priests how they have profited in the study of holy Scripture Evident Arguments that there was no intent of setling any other Doctrine in the Church of England then such as was agreeable to the Judgement of that Learned man 5. The next care was for making and perfecting those Homilies of which we finde mention at the end of King Edwards Book for the necessary edifying of Christian people and the increase of godly living both Books sufficiently provided for besides the confirmation of that first Article of the year 1552. in the Rubrick of the second Liturgie where it is said that after the Creed if there be no Sermon shall follow one of the Homilies already set forth or to be set forth by common authority which Rubrick being revised with the rest of the Liturgie put the said books of Homilies as well the second as first part of them into the service of the Church and thereby made them no small part of the publick doctrine But who they were which laboured in this second Book whither they were the same that drew up the first or those who in Queen Elizab. time reviewed the Liturgie or whether they were made by the one and reviewed by the other I have no where found though I have taken no small paines in the search thereof But those few doctrinals which were contained in the Book of Common Prayer or deducible from it not being much took notice of and the Homilies not confirm'd by that common Authority which was required in the Rubrick the Zuinglians or Gospellers took the opportunity to disperse their doctrines before the door of utterance should be shut against them or any publick course be taken to suppress their practices And this they did with so much diligence and cunning that they encreased exceedingly both in power and numbers of which more hereafter Notice whereof being took of those which were of most Authority in the Government of the Church it was thought necessary for the preventing of the mischief which might thence insue that the Articles of Religion published in King Edwards time 1552. should be brought under a Review accommodated to the use of the Church and made to be the standing Rule by which all persons were to regulate and confirm their Doctrines 6. And to this end a Convocation was assembled on the 13. of January An. 1562. which continued tâ—â—â— the 14. day of April the main business which was acted in it being the canvasing and debating of the Articles of King Edwards Book and passing them in the forme and manner in which now they stand which business as they took first into consideration on the 19. of January and diligently prosecuted from day to day by the Bishops and Clergie in their several houses they came to an agreement on the 29. of the same moneth on which the said Articles were publickly recited generally approved and subscribed by the greatest part of the Clergy which were then assembled And being so subscribed presented to the Queen and ratified by her Royal Authority were forthwith published to the same end for which they were made that is to say For the avoiding of diversities of opinions and for the stablishing of consent touching true Religion as in the title is declared In the composing of which Book though a clause was added to the twentieth Article and another taken from the third though some Articles of King Edwards were totally omitted and some new made as that amongst the rest for confirmation of the second Book of Homilies which were not in the Book before yet the the five Articles touching the Doctrine of the Church in the points disputed as they stand in the eight Chapter of this Book were left in that same state in which they found them And being left in the same state in which they found them were to be taken in the same sense in which they had been understood at the first making of them according to such illustrations as occur in the Book of Common Prayer such Explanations as are found in the Book of Homilies and the judgement of those learned men and godly Martyrs which had a principal hand in the Reformation so that the Articles being the same as to these particulars the paraphrases of Erasmus state the same the publick Liturgie and the first Book of Homilies in all points the same and the second book of Homilies agreeing exactly with the first in the present controversies as appears by the three first Sections of the seventh Chapter of this Book and that which follows in the next there is no question to be made but that the doctrine was the same in the said five points which had been publickly allowed of in the time of King Edward 7. But against this it may be said that one of the material Articles of King Edwards book in reference to the points disputed was totally left out of this and therefore that there was some alteration of the Churches judgement as to the sense and meaning of the present Articles which Article being the tenth in number as it stands in that Book is there delivered in these words viz. Gratia Christi seu spiritus sanctus qui per eundem datur c. ' The grace of Christ or the holy Ghost which is given by him doth take from man the heart of stone and giveth him a heart of flesh And though by the influences thereof it rendreth us willing to do those good works which before we were unwilling to do and unwilling to do those evil works which before we did voluntati tamen nullam violentiam infert yet is no violence offered by it to the will of man nor can any man when he hath sinned excuse himself quasi nolens aut coactus peccaverit as if he had sinned against his will or upon constraint and therefore that he ought not to be accused or condemned upon that account ' For answer whereunto it may first be said that the Composers of that Book thought it not fit to clog it with any unnecessary points in which the peace and safty of the Church seemeth not much concerned and therefore as they left out the present Article so they omitted the sixteenth touching the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost together with the foure last of King Edwards Book touching the General resurrection the stare of mens souls after death the Doctrine of the Millinaries and of a general salvation to be given to the wicked also after they had endured the paines of hell for a certain time Secondly they considered that the doctrine of mans free Co-operation with the grace of God had been sufficiently expressed and provided for by the tenth Article of this Book and the ninth of which illustrated by divers passages in the publick Liturgie accommodated and applied to the most encrease of piety in the Book of Homilies therefore that there was no great need to contend about it or to retain it in the Book And somewhat
benefit of our Saviours sufferings to a few particulars nothing of Gods invincible working on the hearts of his chosen ones or the impossibility of mans co-operating any further in his resurrection from the death of sin to the life of lighteousness then in that of his body from the grave to the life of glory nothing that teacheth any such certainly or infallibly of persevering in the faith and favour of God as all the sinnes of the world are not able to deprive them of it but that they shal must necessarily be brought again into the place and station from which they had fallen And as for the last of the said two passages being the very same with that in the Authours Latine and the English translation of the same there is nothing in it which either a true English Protestant or a Belgick Remonstrant may not easily grant and yet preserve himself from falling into Calvinisme in any of the points disputed For granting that the Church is the universal number and fellowship of all the faithful whom God through Christ hath before all beginning of time appointed to everlasting life Yet must it so be understood that either they were appointed to eternal life upon the supposition of their faith and repentance which may extend to the including of all those who are called to the external participation of the Word and Sacraments or else that it is meant specially of such as are appointed from all eternity to life everlasting without excluding any from the Dignity of being members of the Church who have received the outward call and openly joyne with them in all publick duties and thereby pass in common estimate amongst the faithful believers And then this definition will afford no comfort to our moderne Calvinists or create any inconvenience unto those whom they call Arminians CHAP. XVIII A Declaration of the Doctrine in the Points disputed under the new establishment made by Queen Elizabeth 1. THe Doctrine of the second Book of Homilies concerning the wilful fall of Adam the miserable estate of man the restitution of lost man in Jesus Christ and the universal redemption of all man-kinde by his death and passion 2. The doctrine of the said second Book concerning universal grace the possibility of a total and final falling and the co-operation of mans will with the grace of God 3. The judgement of Reverend Bishop Jewell touching the universal redemption of mankinde by the death of Christ Predestination grounded upon faith in Christ and reached out unto all them that believe in him by Mr. Alexander Powell 4. Dr. Harsnet in his Sermon at St. Pauls crosse Anno 1584. sheweth that the absolute decree of Reprobation turneth the truth of God into a lie and makes him to be the Authour of sinne 5. That it deprives man of the natural freedome of his will makes God himself to be double minded to have two contrary wills and to delight in mocking his poor creature man 6. And finally that it makes God more cruel and unmerciful then the greatest Tyrant contrary to the truth of Scripture and the constant Doctrine of the Fathers 7. The rest of the said Sermon reduced unto certaine other heads directly contrary to the Calvinian Doctrines in the points disputed 8. Certain considerations on the Sermon aforesaid with reference to the subject of it as also to the time place and persons in and before which it was first preached An Answer to some Objections concerning a pretended Recantation falsly affirmed to have been made by the said Mr. Harsnet 10. That in the judgement of the Right learned Dr. King after Bishop of London the alteration of Gods denounced judgements in some certaine cases infers no alteration in his councels the difference between the changing of the will and to will a change 11. That there is something in Gods decrees revealed to us and something concealed unto himself the difference between the inferiour and superiour causes and of the conditionalty of Gods threats and promises 12. The accomodating of the former part of this discourse to the case of the Ninevites 13. And not the case of the Ninevites to the case disputed 1. THese Obstacles being thus removed I shall proceed unto a Declaration of the Churches Doctrine under this new establishment made by Queen Eliz. And first all Arguments derived from the publick Liturgie and the first book of Homilies being still in force we will next see what is delivered in the Homilies of the second part establisht by a special Article and thereby made a part of the doctrine here by law established And first as touching the doctrine of Predestination it is declared in the Homily of the Nativity ' That as in Adam all men universally sinned so in Adam all men received the reward of sinne that is to say became mortal and subject unto death having in themselves nothing but everlasting condemnation both of body and soul that man being in this wretched case it pleased God to make a new Covenant with him namely that he would send a Mediatour or Messias into the world which should make intercession and put himself as a stay between both parties to pacifie wrath and indignation conceived against sin and to deliver man out of the miserable curse and cursed misery whereunto he was fallen headlong by disobeying the Will and Commandment of the onely Lord and Maker Nor secondly was this deliverance and redemption partial intended onely for a few but general and universal for all man-kinde the said Homily telling us not long after that all this was done to the end the promise and covenant of God made unto Abraham and his posterity concerning the Redemption of the world might be credited and believed to deliver man-kinde from the bitter curse of the Law and make perfect satisfaction by his death for the sinnes of all people ' For the accomplishment whereof ' It was expedient saith the Homily that our Mediatour should be such an one as might take upon him the sins of mankinde and sustain the due punishment thereof viz. death ' to the intent he might more fully and perfectly make satisfaction for man-kinde which is as plaine as words can make it and yet not more plaine then that which followeth in the Homily of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament Fol. 200. 2. Nor doth the Homily speak lesse plainly in another place concerning universal Grace then it doth speak to this in reference to universal redemption as appears evidently by the first part of the Sermon against the perill of Idolatry in which it is declared in the way of paraphrase on some passages in the 40. Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah ' that it had been preached to men from the beginning and how by the creation of the world and the greatness of the work they might understand the Majesty of God the Creator and Maker of all things to be greater then it should be expressed in any image or bodily similitude ' And
of his Preface after which it might have sundry other impressions that which I follow being of the year 1621. And though the Supra-lapsarians or rigid Calvinists or Supra-creatarians rather as a late judicious Writer calls them differ exceedingly in these points from many of their more moderate brethren distinguished from them by the name of Sub-lapsarians yet in all points touching the specifying of their several supposed Decrees they agree well enough together and therefore wink at one another as before was noted 3. Notwithstanding the esteem wherewith both sorts of Calvinists entertained the book it found not the like welcome in all places nor from all mens hands Amongst other Parsons the Jesuite gives this censure of him viz. That by the deep humour of fancy he hath published and writ many books with strange Titles which neither he nor his Reader do understand as namely about the Concatenation of laying together of the causes of mans Predestination and Reprobation c. Jacob van Harmine afterwards better known by the name of Arminius being then Preacher of the Church of Amsterdam not only censured in brief as Parsons did but wrote a full discourse against it entituled Examen Predestinationis Perkinsanae which gave the first occasion to these controversies many appearing in defence of Perkins and his Opinions which afterwards involved the Sub-lapsarians in the self same Quarrel Amongst our selves it was objected ' That his Doctrine referring all to an absolute decree ham-string'd all industry and cut off the sinews of mens endeavours towards salvation for ascribing all to the wind of Gods Spirit which bloweth where it listeth he leaveth nothing to the cares of mens diligence either to help or hinder to the attaining of happiness but rather opens a wide door to licentious security ' But none of all our English was so sharp in their censures of him as Dr. Robbert Abbot then Dr. of the Chair in Oxon. and not long after Bishop of Sarum who in his book against Tompson though others inclined too much to Calvins Doctrines gives this Judgement of Mr. Perkinsius viz. Alioqui eruditus pius in discriptione Divinae Praedestinationis quam ille contra nostram contra veteris Ecclesiae fidem citra lapsum Adami absolute decretum constituit erravit errorem non levem cujus adortis quibusdam viris inita jamdudum suscepta defensio turbas ecclesiis non necessarias dedit quas etiamnum non sine scandalo periculo haerere videmus dum viam quisque quam ingressus est sibi ante tenendum jndicat quam ductam sacrarum literarum authoritate lineam veritatis tanquam filum Ariadnaeum sibi ducem faciat that is to say Perkins though otherwise a godly and learned man in his description of Divine Predestination which contrary not only to the Doctrine of the primitive times but also unto that of the Church of England he builds upon an absolute decree of Almighty God without referrence to the Fall of Adam ran himself into no small error The defence whereof being undertaken by some learned men hath given the Church some more then necessary troubles which still continued not without manifest scandal and Danger to it whilst every one doth rather chuse to follow his own Way therein then suffer himself to be guided in the Labyrinth by the line of truth as by the clew of Ariadne drawn from the undeniable Authority of holy Scriptures And so I leave the man with this observation that he who in his writings had made the infinitly greatest part of all mankind uncapable of Gods grace and mercy by an absolute and irrespective decree of Reprobation who in expounding the Commandments when he was Catechist of Christs Colledge in Cambridge did lay the Law so home in the ears of his Auditors that it made their hearts fall down and yea their hair to stand almost upright and in his preaching use to pronounce the word Damned with so strong an Emphasis that it left an eccho in the ears of his hearers a long time after this man scarce lived out half his dayes being no more then fourty four years of age from the time of his death at the pangs conducing unto which he was noted to speak nothing so articulately as Mercy Mercy which I hope God did graciously vouchsafe to grant him in that wofull Agony 4. But to proceed this Doctrine finding many followers and Whitacres himself then Dr. of the Chair in Cambridge concurring in opinion with him it might have quickly over-spread the whole University had it not been in part prevented and in part suppressed by the care and diligence of Dr. Baroe and his Adherents who being a French man born of eminent piety and learning and not inclimable at all unto Calvins Doctrines had been made the Lady Margarets Professor for the University somewhat before the year 1574. For in that year he published his Lectures on the Prophet Jonah In one of which being the 29th in number he discourseth on these words of the Prophet viz. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed cap. 3. ver 4. where we find it thus Haec denunciatio non est quasi Proclamatio decreti divini absoluti sed quaedam ratio praepâ—nendae divinae voluntatis qua Deus corum animos flectere voluit quare haec oratio et si simplex absoluta vâ—eatur tacitam tamen habet conditionem nisi rescipiscant namque hanc in esse conditionem eventus comprobavit The denouncing of this Judgement saith that learned man is not to be beheld as the publication of one of Gods absolute Decrees but only as a form observed in making Gods Will known unto them by which he ment to put them to it and rouse their spirits to Repentance Therefore saith he although the Denunciation of the following Judgement seem to be simply positive and absolute yet hath it notwithstanding this Condition that is to say unless they do repent included in it for that such a condition was included in it the event doth shew which said he leads us on to the denouncing of the like Judgement on the house of Abimileck which he had before in Dr. King chap. 18. num 11. who herein either followed Baroe or at the least concurred in opinion with him And in the next place he proceeds a little further then the case of the Ninivites touching upon the point of Election unto life eternal by the most proper superstructure could be laid upon such a foundation Dei voluntas non erat ut perirent si rescipiscerent non vult enim mortem peccatoris sed ut convertatur Et rursus Dei erat voluntas ut perirent nisi rescipiscerent Haec enim duo unum sunt ut Dei voluntas est ut vitam habeamus si credamus Et Dei voluntas non est ut vitam habeamus nisi credamus aut si credentes perseveremus non autem si aliquandiu credentes non persâ—veremus that
on some propositions to be sent to Cambridge for the appeasing of some unhappy differences in the Vniversity with which Answer her Majesty being somewhat pacified commanded notwithstanding that he should speedily recall and suppress those Aricles which was performed with such care and diligence that a Copy of them was not to be found for a long time after And though we may take up this relation upon the credit of history of the Lambeth Articles printed in Latin 1651. or on the credit of Bishop Mountague who affirms the same in his appeal Anno 1525. yet since the Authority of both hath been called in question we will take our warrant for this Narrative from some other hands And first we have it in a book called Necessario Responsio published by the Remonstrants Anno 1618. who possibly might have the whole story of it from the mouth of Baroe or some other who lived at that time in Cambridge and might be well acquainted with the former passages And secondly We find the same to be affirmed by the Bishops of Rochester Oxon and St. Davids in a letter to the Duke of Buchingham August 2. 1625. In which they signifie unto him that the said Articles being agreed upon and ready to be published it pleased Queen Elizabeth of famous memory upon notice given how little they agreed with the practise of piety and obedience to all Government to cause them to be suppressed and that they had so continued ever since till then of late some of them had received countenance at the Synod of Dort 4. Next touching the effect produced by them in order to the end so proposed so far they were from appeasing the present Controversies and suppressing Baroe and his party that his Disciples and Adherents became more united and the breach wider then before And though Dr. Baroe not long after deserted both his place in the Vniversity yet neither was he deprived of his Professorship as some say nor forced to leave it on a fear of being deprived as is said by others For that Professorship being chosen from two years to two years according to the Statutes of the Lady Margaret he kept the place till the expiring of his term and then gave off without so much as shewing himself a suiter for it Which had he done it may be probable enough that he had carried it from any other Canditate or Competitor of what rank soever The Anti-Calvinian party being grown so strong as not to be easily overborn in a publick business by the opposite faction And this appears plainly by that which followed on the death of Dr. Whitacres who died within few dayes after his return from Lambeth with the nine Articles so much talkt of Two Candidates appeared for the Professorship after his decease Wotton of Kings Colledge a professed Calvinian and one of those who wrote against Mountagues Appeal Anno 1626. Competitor with Overald of Trinity Colledge almost as far from the Calvinian Doctrine in the main Plat-form of Predestination as Baroe Harsnet or Barret are conceived to be But when it came to the Vere of the University the place was carried for Overald â—y the Major part which as it plainly shews that â—hough the Doctrines of Calvin were so hotly stickled here by most of the Heads yet the greater part of the learned body entertained them not so doth it make it also to be very improbable that Baroe should be put out of his place by those who had took in Overald or not confirmed therein if he had desired And therefore we may rather think as before is said that â—he relinquished the place of his own accord in which he found his Doctrine crossed by the Lambeth Articles and afterwards his peace distracted by several Informations brought against him by the adverse faction and thereupon a letter of Complaint presented to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh subscribed by most of those who before had prosecuted Barret to his Recantation Which letter giving very great light to the present business as well concerning Barret as Baroe though principally aiming at the last I think worthy of my paines and the Readers patience and therefore shall subscribe it as hereafter followeth A Copy of the Letter sent from some of the Heads in Cambridge to the Lord Burleigh Lord High Treasurer of England and Chancellour of the Vniversity RIght Honourable out bounden Duty remembred we are right sorry to have such occasion to trouble your Lordship but the peace of this University and Church which is dear unto us being brought into perill by the late reviving of new opinions and troublesom controversies amongst us hath urged us in regard of the places we here sustain not only to be carefull for the suppressing the same to our power but also to give your Lordship further information hereof as our Honourable Head and carefull Chancellour About a year past amongst divers others who here attempted publicity to teach new and strange opinions in Religion one Mr. Barret more boldly then the rest did preach divers Popish errors in St. Maries to the just offence of many which he was enjoyned to retract but hath refused so to do in such sort as hath been prescribed with whose fact and opinions your Lord was made acquainted by Dr. Some the Deputy Vice-Chancellour Hereby offence and division growing as after by Dr. Baroes publick Lectures and determinations in the Schools contrary as his Auditors have informed to Dr. Whitacres and the sound received truth ever since her Majesties Reâ—gâ— we sent up to London by common consent in November last Dr. Tyndal and Dr. Whitacres men especially chosen for that purpose for conference with my Lord of Canterbury and other principal Divines there that the controversies being examined and the truth by theiâ— consents confirmed the contrary errours and contentions thereabouts might the rather cease By whose good travel with sound consent in truth such advice and care was taken by certain propositions containing certain substantial points of Religion taught and received in this Vniversity and Church during the time ofher Majesties Reign and consented unto and published by the best approved Divines both at home and abroad for the maintaining of the same truth and peace of the Church as thereby we enjoyed here great and comfortable quiet untill Dr. Baroe in January last in his Sermon Ad Clâ—rum in St. Maries contrary to restraint and Commandment from the Vice-Chancellour and the Heads by renewinâ— again these opinions disturbed our peace whereby his Adherents and Disciples were and are too much imboldned to maintain false Doctrine to the corrupting and disturbing of this Vniversity and the Church if it be not in time effectually prevented For remedy whereof we have with joint consent and care upon complaint of divers Batchelors in Divinity proceeded in the examination of the cause according to our Statutes and usual manner of proceeding in such causes whereby it appeareth by sufficient Testimonies that Dr. Baroe hath offended
last giving him leave to look about him and to discerne the dangers which did seeme to threaten him on the other side considering therefore with himselfe or being informed by tale of the Bishop and Divines as were then about him how great an adversary was Calvinius to Monarchicall interesse how contrary the Predestination doctrines were to all rules of Government he found it neeessary to devise or admit some course of the preventing of the mischiefe To which end he issued certain directions to the vice Chancellor and Heads of both Universities bearing date January 18. 1619. Requiring them to take speciall order among other things that all that tooke any degree in the ' Schooles should subscribe to the three Articles in the thirty sixt Canon that no man in the Pulpit or Schooles be sufferred to maintaine Dogmatically any point of doctrine that is not allowed by the Church of England that none be suffered to preach or lecture in the Towns of Oxon. or Cambridge but such as were every way conformable to the Church both in doctrine and discipline and finally which most apparently conduced to the ruine of Calvinism that young Students in divinity be directed to study such books as be most agreeable in doctrine and discipline to the Church of England and excited to bestow their time in the Fathers and Councels Schoolmen Histories and Controversies and not to insist too long upon Compendiums and abbreviations making them the grounds of their study in divinity ' This seemed sufficient to bruse these doctrines in the shel as indeed it was had these directions been as carefully followed as they were piously prescribed But little or nothing being done in pursuance of them the Predestinarian doctrines came to be the ordinary Theam of all Sermons Lectures and Disputations partly in regard that Dr. Prideaux who had then newly succeeded Dr. Rob. Abbot in the chair at Oxon. had very passionately exposed the Calvinian Interest and partly in regard of the Kings declared averseness from the Belgick Remonstrants whom for the reasons before mentioned he laboured to suppress to his utmost power And yet being carefull that the truth should not fair the worse for the men that taught it he gave command to such Divines as were commissionated by him to attend in the Synod of Dort Anno 1618. not to recede from the doctrine of the Church of England in the point of universal Redemption by the death of Christ A point so inconsistent with that of the Absolute and irrespective decree of Reprobation and generally of the whole Machina of Predestination and the points depending thereupon as they are commonly maintained in the Schools of Calvin that fire and water cannot be at greater difference But this together with the rest being condemned in the Synod of Dort and that Synod highly magnified by the English Calvinists they took confidence of making those disputes the Subject of their common discourses both from the Pulpit and press without stint or measure And thereupon it pleased his Majesty having now no further fear of any dangers from beyond the seas to put some water into their wine or rather a Bridle into their mouths by publishing certain orders and directions touching Preachers and preaching bearing date on the 4. of August 1622. In which it was enjoyned amongst other things ' That no Preacher of what Title soever under the degree of a Bishop or Dean at least do from hence forth presume to teach in any popular Auditory the deep points of Predestination Election Reprobation or of the Universality Efficacity Resistability or Irresistability of Gods Grace but rather leave those Theames to be handled by learned men and that modestly and moderately by use and application rather then by way of positive Doctrine as being fitter for Schools and Vniversities then for simple Auditors ' The violating of which order by Mr. Gabriel Bridges of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxon. by preaching on the 19th of Ianuary then next following against the absolute decree in maintenance of universal Grace and the co-operation of mans free will prevented by it though in the publick Church of the Vniversity laid him more open to the prosecution of Dr. Prideaux and to the censure of the Vice-Chancelor and the rest of the Heads then any preaching on those points or any of them could possibly have done at another time 11. Much was the noise which those of the Calvinian party were observed to make on the publishing of this last order as if their mouths were stopped thereby from preaching the most necessary Doctrines tending towards mans salvation But a far greater noise was raised upon the coming out of Montagues answer to the Gagger in which he asserted the Church to her primitive and genuine Doctrines disclaimed all the Calvinian Tenents as dis-owned by her and left them to be countenanced and maintained by those to whom they properly belonged Which book being published at a time when a Session of Parliament was expected in the year 1624. The opportunity was taken by Mr. Yates and Mr. Ward two of the Lecturers or Preachers of Ipswich to prepare an Information against him with an intent to prosecute the same in the following Session A Copy whereof being come into Mountagues hands he flies for shelter to King James who had a very great estimation of him for his parts and learning in which he had over-mastred they then though much less Selden at his own Philologie The King had already served his own turn against the Remonstrants by the Synod of Dort and thereby freed the Prince of Orange his most dear Confederate from the danger of Barnwell and his faction Arch-Bishop Abbot came not at him since the late deplorable misfortune which befell him at Branzil and the death of Dr. James Mountague Bishop of Winton left him at liberty from many importunities and sollicitations with which before he had been troubled so that being now master of himself and governed by the light of his own most clear and exellent Judgement he took both Montague and his Doctrines into his Protection gave him a full discharge or quietus est from all those Calumnies of Popery or Arminianism which by the said Informers were laid upon him incouraged him to procecd in finishing his just Appeal which he was in hand with commanded Dr. Francis White then lately preferred by him to the Deanry of Carlisle and generally magnified not long before for his zeal against Popery to see it licensed for the Press and finally gave order unto Mountague to dedicate the book when printed to his Royal self In obedience unto whose Command the Dean of Carlisle licensed the book with this approbation That there was nothing contained in the samo but what was agreeable to the publick Faith Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England But King James dying before the book was fully finished at the Press it was published by the name of Appello Cesarem and dedicated to King