giuen my minde wholly to good letters and aswell diuine as humane For three yeares of the said space I spent in the priuate studie of Philosophy in considering of the more noble and choice questions that haue beene mooued or disputed by the followers of Aristotle but especially of diuine Plato vnto whom I was alwayes more deuoted and of the renowned Aegyptian Philosopher Hermes Trismegistus following therein the example of those foure famous Italian Philosophers Franciscus Ioannes Picus Mirandula Marsilius Ficinus Franciscus Patricius Other three years I spent in reading and pondering the Church questions and controuersies of our time as they haue beene learnedly and diligently debated on both hands by diuers great Diuines of these dayes One yeare I spent in perusing some fourty treatises discourses commentaries and consuitations written by some of the more moderate and ingenuous tending to pacification Fiue yeares I spent in reading and perusing some of the choicest bookes of the Doctors of the Church Greekes and Latines and of the more renowned amongst the Schoole-men and other fiue I spent in perusing politicall and historicall workes penned by diuers authors especially Italians and Germans together with the Genealogies of the Kings and Princes of Christendome And for some clearer euidence and proofe of this studious pastime besides some ten little things already published in english most part vpon diuine and morall arguments namely the Looking glasse of grace and glory the Treasure of tranquillity the Mirrour of religious men godly Matrons the Golden art or the right way of enriching the Game of concord and vnion admirable Prophecies of 24. famous Romane catholikes touching the deformation and reformation of Rome two Pamphlets containing some seauen short Poems in honour of your Maiestie and your noble children together with these two present Treatises written of late in defence of the Church of Englands discipline and doctrine besides these ten little exercises I say I haue written diuers things in Latine vpon Philosophicall Historicall and Politicall arguments but most of all vpon Theologicall points for being once a follower of the most precise sort and euen a professed Puritane as they tearme it I began at nineteene yeares of age to write in Latine two bookes against Poperie one of the which I haue entituled of the admirable Antipathie or contrariety of Theologie and Papalogie or of Gods word and the Popes Wherein I point forth the oppositions contradictions betweene the Scripture and the Romane doctrine from the beginning of the Bible vnto the end thereof going thorow euery chapter of both Testaments answerable whereunto I haue deuided the said worke into two parts the first containing an hundred and fourty nine Sections the second an hundred and thirty and it hath bin seene and well liked of some learned Schollers The other is a description of the Tyrannie which was to be exercised vpon the militant Church according to the tenure of the two noble prophesies of Daniel and Saint Iohn where I doe entreat of the authors instruments duration beginning manner and ending of those great troubles and doe compare the opinions of writers together touching the foresaid circumstances with the reasons thereof a worke of no small labour consisting of eighteene large Sections or Chapters and was by me dedicated vnto the Church and Colledge of Edenburgh where I tooke my degree and therefore I sent it home out of France with my Coosin M. William Maxwell of Kauens to be presented accordingly though as I vnderstood since it was the fortune of my Booke to fall into the hands of M. Iohn Welshe then a famous Preacher in those parts who borrowed the same for a few daies but not deliuering it againe carried the same away with him into France and hath kept it vntill this houre I haue likewise written in Latine another Booke called Romase redarguens or Rome rebuking and reproouing her selfe Wherein I doe prooue by the expresse Testimonies of Popes Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Monkes Friers Prophets Prophetesses Schoolemen and Cell-women of the Church of Rome that shee standeth in need of reformation against the contrary assertion of the learned Iesuite Martinus Becanus The Propheticall part if so I may call it of which worke I did publish of late in English a Booke containing a collection of more then an hundred strange Prophesies vtteredin former times touching the deformation and reformation of Rome by twenty foure famous Romane-Catholikes whereof some twelue haue beene canonized for Saints to wit seauen men and fiue women I haue likewise written a disputation or disquisition touching the seate of Sathan whether it was to be in the North as the Romish Doctors doe holde or in the South where I prooue against the Romane Doctors by Scripture and nature by Theologie and Astrologie by Philosophie and Historie how that the North is absolutely the most diuine eminent and excellent the very seate of God and not of Sathan and the chiefe receptacle of his Church Another disputation and disquisition I haue written touching the seate of soules where I refute the Popish opinions of Purgatory Limbus Patrum Limbus infantium and the like hollow habitations of soules within the earth and I doe show that the ancient Fathers knewne more places but three at most as the Greekes doe at this day Paradise Heauen and Hell In the same I doe refute the erroneous opinions of Romanes and Geneuians Papists and Puritanes touching our Sauiours descending into hell and prooue the doctrine of the Church of England touching that article to be only orthodoxe a briefe of which part of that Booke I haue here published in English And in the same larger worke I do defend the saluation of Salomons soule against Cardinall Bellarmine and others iumping with him in that vnprobable and vncharitable opinion Another disputation I haue written in Latine vpon the Inuocation of Saints against the Romane Knight of Saint Peter Gaspar Scioppius against whose allegations of Scripture and probations fetcht from thence I who am a layman like himselfe howsoeuer inferiour for humane letters and titles doe employ some 28. arguments fetcht not only from Scriptures but also from Greeke and Latine Fathers besides Philosophers Poets and Historians and the same Methode and manner of probation I doe vse in a certaine Theologicall and Historicall Plea against the learned Iesuite Iames Gretser for the preheminence of the Emperour and Kings aboue Popes Patriarkes Archbishops and Bishops and generally of all Priests and for their mixt condition of Ecclesiasticall and ciuill Lastly I haue written a Treatise called Catholico-Iacobus Catholico Britannus wherein I do demonstrate the true Catholicisme of Britaines and doe euidently prooue that your Maiestie and your subiects haue all those things that Gods word requireth to make men true Christians and Catholikes against the contrary assertion of the learned French Archbishop Cardinall Iames Perron The which two Treatises last mentioned written in defence of King Iames and this Church against two learned and famous Romane
A NEVV EIGHTFOLD PROBATION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLANDS DIVINE CONSTITVTION PROOVED BY MANY PREGnant arguments to be much more complete then any Geneuian in the world against the contrary assertion of the fifty three petitioner-preachers of Scotland in their petition presented in the late Parliament to the Kings most excellent Maiesty With a ten-folde probation of the same Churches doctrine touching one of the most important points of our Creede which is of our Sauiours descending into Hell BY IAMES MAXVVELL Master of Artes c. LONDON Printed by IOHN LEGATT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1617. Psal 122. verse 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee Isay 41.8 9 25. Thou Iacob whom I haue chosen I haue taken thee from the endes of the earth and called thee before the cheife thereof and said vnto thee thou art my Seruant c. I haue raised vp from the North and he shall come from the East Sunne shall he call vpon my Name TO THE MOST LEARNED RELIGIOVS AND RENOWNED PRINCE IAMES the Concorder King of Britaine France and Ireland defender of the faith all felicitie Most gratious and redoubted Soueraigne INEVER read those words of the Euangelicall Prophet prefixt in the former page and I haue read them often but as oft did I thinke of Almighty Gods raising of you our Iacob from the North and endes of the earth to performe the part of his Select Seruant for the especiall good of his Church and euen so oft did I call to minde your gratious endeauours for the farthering of the glorious worke of Vnitie and Concord amongst diuided Christians but more especially according to your Royall and proper interest among your owne vnvniformed Britaines Wherefore perswading my selfe that it is both the duty of all good Christians to applaude your mest Christian Commendable endeauours and designes and the part of all your good subiects to concurre with your Maiestie in so worthy a worke for the aduancing thereof I haue brought vnto the building of this spirituall Temple of Concord and Peace two stones to wit two Treatises penned and framed to the common peoples capacitie Such as they are I doe humbly exhibite both heere together into your Royall hands to dispose of according to your most gratious and wise pleasure and as ye shall thinke good for them for whose good they are intended The first Treatise containeth an eightfold probation of the diuine and perfit constitution of the Church of England the which I doe demonstrate to be much more complete then any Genenian forme wheresoeuer in the world for a moderate quiet and calme refutation of a certaine contrary assertion contained in the three and fifty preachers of Scotlands petition presented vnto your Maiestie in the late Parliament And though there were many reasons which might induce me to dedicate the same vnto your Royall Maiestie yet nothing mooued me so much thereunto as that the demonstration which I doe vse is drawen out of the diuine Booke of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the diuine the which I may in a manner call the Booke of King Iames the diuine a demonstration that no writer hath vsed before me so farre as I knowâ— for I suppose that no diuine will or can denie but that 〈◊〉 â—he Booke of the Reuelation is contained a representation both of the Church Triumphant in Heauen by such externall or sensible signes or showes as were most fit to represent the same by and likewise of the Church militant on earth such as it was to bee after our Sauiours ascensien in the two times of persecution and peace aye vntill the last period of his glorious comming to iudgement For as the beloued and diuine man of God Moses made the Tabernacle according to the patterne or modele shewed him in the mount as the Scripture speaketh so our Sauiour Christs beloued and diuine disciple Saint Iohn representeth vnto vs the forme and fashion of the militant Church according to the patterne of the Triumphant shewed vnto him by reuelation in the I le of Pathmos So that in the opinion of all diuines amongst the many particular Churches that are on earth that which is likest vnto the Church in heauen must needs bee the diuinest and best and that so much the more because that our Sauiour himselfe hath taught vs to pray and say daily thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Now that the Church of England doth more neerely resemble the heauenly Church then the Geneuian doth I make it apparant by eight pregnant proofes and irrefragable arguments founded and grounded all of them in Gods written word especially in the foresaid diuine booke of Saint Iohns Reuelation 1. in that the Church of England is more diuine or God-like then the Geneuian in her supreame Gouerner on earth the Prince 2. in that shee is more Angelicall or Angel-like in her secondary Gouernours of Archbishops and Bishops 3. more celestiall or heauen-like for holinesse 4. more heauen like for humble reuerence 5. more heauen-like for harmonie 6. more heauen-like for habite 7. more heauen-like for locall decencie Church-implements conueniency Church-seruice solemnity and sacramentall ceremonies 8. and lastly more heauen-like for honour of the ministery In the handling of which eight arguments I doe demonstrate the lawfulnesse vtility and conueniencie of the chiefe rites vsed in the Church of England as namely of holy dayes of standing vp at the reading of the Gospel of kneeling at the rehearsall of the Law and in receiuing the holy Sacrament of Churchâ—musicke consisting of song and Organs of the Church habite of Surplice and Rotchet of the comely Structure and ornaments of Churches of hauing a Font with a standing Table for the celebration of the Sacraments and of signing with the crosse in Baptisme for the which I doe produce thirteene arguments all grounded in Gods word I doe likewise iustifie the title of Priest giuen to the inferiours of the ministery and of Lord giuen to the superiours by diuers good reasons and by thirteene arguments I prooue the lawfulnes and equity of paying tithes to the ministers vnder the Gospel adding thereunto an Invectiue against the Genevian or Puritane impure sinne of sacriledge And in handling the first of the eight branches of this our new demonstration which is that the Church of England is more diuine or God-like then the Geneuian in her supreme Gouernour on earth I do procue these sixe important points after following most part against the common contrary opinions of Romanes and Geneuians first that the Kingly power is immediatly from God and not from man by eight Testimonies of Scripture and three arguments Secondly that the kingly dignitie is absolutely greater then the priestly and of all other the diuinest by eight arguments Thirdly that christian kings are not meere lay-men but of a mixt condition partly ecclesiasticall and partly secular by ten sacred examples and three arguments Fourthly that kings are lawgiuers vnto their
people and haue power of God to make lawes for the good both of church and common-wealth by sixe arguments Fifthly that kings are to be honourably and magnificently maintained and that God hath allotted them a certaine competent portion of their subiects goods Sixtly and lastly that Kings are endowed with a sacred immunity from all manner of coercion and censure spirituall or temporall at their subiects hands The which thing I procue against Romanes and Geneuians by seuenteene arguments And this is the summe of the first Booke which I most humbly commend vnto your maiesties patronage the other beeing onely a briefe of a certaine part of a larger worke I haue begun in Latine containeth a ten-fold probation of the doctrine of the Church of England touching our Sauicurs locall descending in his soule after death into the hell of the damned against the different and repugnant dostrines of Genenians and Romanes the which I do dedicate vnto the Reuerend prelats and pastors of the Church of Scotland The verity of which doctrin I do show confirme 1. by Typical prefiguration both personall and real 2. by propheticall praediction 3. by holy Scriptures pregnant historicall allusion 4. by Euangelicall asseueration 5. by apostolical explication 6 by all christians catholicall confession 7 by three fortie ancient doctors and fathers vnanime and harmonious profession besides some sixe or seauen Councels 8. by thirtie chiefe protestant writers ingenuous reception and subscription besides some particular reformed Churches 9. by irrefragable reason and demonstration 10. and lastly by the consideration of the diuers grosse absurdities impieties contradictions and ridiculous expositions that they haue committed which haue oppugned this auncient doctrine of the Church of England or dissented from the same And here I will likewise professe publikely that in case our precise Diuines can but shew as great variety and as good solidity of arguments and reasons euen for all their opinions ioyned together wherein they do dissent from the Church of England as I shall shew for this one point onely that I shall not be ashamed to retract my present opinions wherein I doe dissent from them and subscribe vnto theirs and so become as precise as euer I was knowne to bee once before And thus haue I briefly laid open vnto your Maiestie the summe and substance of these two little bookes which I haue written of late for the furthering of a perfit vniformity both in doctrine and discipline in the Churches of these two Kingdomes and euen for the perswading and enducing of my deere Countrey men to the reception of the auncient primitiue forme of Church such as it was in the dayes of glorious Constantine the great and during the purer time of the first fiue hundreth yeares which is one of your Maiesties most christian and commendable desires and designes worthy of the memorie and celebration of all succeding ages the which I pray the God of vnity and veritie that yee may as happily atchieue as yee doe holily wish it and worthily haue begunst That so the Church of Scotland may in your Maiesties blessed time receiue the consummation and accomplishment of her reformation from England like as from her shee had the inchoation or beginning thereof as our owne historie doth witnesse and that as the said Church hath already receiued of England their English Bible and Psalme-Booke so may she now likewise receiue her Liturgie or Seruice-booke with the whole rites and orders contained therein And though I be haply the first of my Countrey that euer wrote thus earnestly in defence of the Church of England yet let not my deere Countrey-men vnto whom God is my witnesse I doe dayly wish all manner of happinesse thinke that I haue done it out of any worldly respect to priuate profite benefit or benefice either already confered or hereafter to be confered vpon me by Prince or Prelate but out of a meere affection to verity and vnity to the pure primitiue Church The truth of which my protestation may hence appeare in part in that these ten yeere past that I haue liued in England I was at no time a Suter vnto your Maiestie nor yet beholding to any Bishop nor euer aimed at any benefice as being at this houre and intending to continue euer hereafter a Lay-man notwithstanding that the learned and reuerend Deane of Exeter Doctor Sutcliffe the nominated Prouost of that begunne Controuersial Colledge which beareth your Maiesties name hath chosen me to be a fellow and an Antiquary therof So that my deere countrymen shal haue no cause I hope to charge me with any preposterous affection or flattering humor in the behalfe of England seeing that I haue no purpose of aspiring to Church preferment amongst them who haue worthie Schollers enough of their owne and most complete Preachers to brooke their Benefices Neither shal the learned ministery of my country take it euill that a lay-man should thus meddle in Ecclesiastical matters if it shal please them to consider how that a lay-man may with greateringenuity indifferencie handle such an argument as this is then a Church-man who might happely be suspected offlatterie or fauour in the behalfe of one churches formemore then another that meerely for loue of preferment from the which kinde of suspicion one of my fashion is free And as for capacitie requisite in the handling of this argument I am content they should haue no better opinion of me then the course of my life and stadies in their owne good iudgement may challeng at their hands abreefe narration whereof I thought good by your Maiesties gracious leaue here to insert not out of any humour of ostentation but onely that it may thereby appeare that though I be a lay-man yet I haue spent a good part of my time in the study of diuinitie vnto the which I was knowne at home so much to haue addicted my selfe that at the age of 19. yeares and euen before I proceeded Master of Artes I was requested of some of our Ministery to preach by way of exercise And though I did refuse to condescend vnto their earnest desire proceeding from their good opinion of me for the which course I was not a little commended of that learned and renowned Diuine of good memorie Master Robert Rollock who disliked the vnripe forwardnesse of some young spirits howsoeuer otherwise of great towardnesse yet I ommitted not my priuate studie of diuinttie but followed the same assiduonsly being thereunto encouraged by the the foresaid Reuered Diuine who had diuerted me from my intended voyaege into Denmarke towards the famous and noble Philosopher and Astrologian Tycho Brahe with whom I thought to haue prosecuted my begun Mathematicall studies and so perswaded mee to finish my Academicall course in the learned Colledge of Edenburgh before I went to trauaile And there beeing past some seuenteene yeares since the time I proceeded Master of arts went beyond sea which was in the yeare 1601. I haue all this while
1. Tim. 6 15. Mat. 28 18 1. Cor 15 25 26 27. Philip. 2 8 9 10 11 Heb 2 7 8 9 10 17 18. Reuela 1.5 19.16 the greatest glory and dignitie in heauen is the Kingly and the highest title or stile that is giuen to God in the old Testament or to our Sauiour Christ in the new is to be called a King a King of glory a King for euer a great King aboue all Gods the King almightie a king of Gods the Prince of the Kings of the earth the Lord of Lords the king of Saints and King of Kings and thus is he called foure times in the booke of the diuine Reuelation which is questionles the greatest and highest stile that Christ hath and by many degrees greater and higher then his priestly stile of high priest after the order of Melchisedech for this stile hee had on earth in the state of his humility wheras he was not an actual king vntill he rose ascended into heauen and receiued all power in heauen and earth as the Soueraigne King of both at the hands of his Father according as both Gospell and Epistle do testifie Wherefore also the kingly dignitie is the greatest on earth and such as do represent Christ in his kingly dignitie as Christian kings doe are greater and more eminent then those that represent him in his Priestly dignitie Mat. 22 23 Dan 2 34 45. 1. Pet. 2.17 that is then Priests Bishops Archbishops or Patriarkes Eightly and lastly the honour of the king is commanded next vnto the honour of Godin holy Scripture Giue vnto God the things which are Gods and giue vnto Caesar the things which are Casurs saith our great Caesar who as Daniel speaketh is the Stone that was without hand cut of the mountaine of the blessed Virgine Mary and euen the corner stone of the Church Feare God honour the King saith Saint Peter another stone yea Ioh. 1.42 Galat. 2 9. Psal 118 22 Isay 28 16. Mat. 21.42 Mark 12 10. Luk. 20.17 Act. 4.11 Rom. 9.33 1. Pet. 2 7. Ioh. 1.42 Galat. 2.9 a pillar and chiefe stone of the Church whome I wish the Pope may immitate in this and all other Christian duties To be briefe for in our royal controuersies and disputations wee doe handle this question more accurately and employe besides Scriptures the fathers Greeks and Latines the Schoolemen Philosophers Polititians Poets and Historians both sacred and prophane to prooue the truth of this point against the ilearned Iesuit Iames Gretser in the creation of Salomon â—t is said that the people bowed downe their heads and worshipped the Lord and the King So that it is more then manifest that the King is the person next vnto God in power dignitie honour and authoritie 1. Chron 29 20. and thersore greater and higher then the greatest and highest priest of them all Sect. 11. The third lesson that we learne hence to wit That kings are not lay-men but of a mixt condition in that kings are called Gods is that Kings are called of God to be nursing Fathers vnto the Church and haue a special power about the things of God and consequently that they are not meere lay-men as both Iesuits and Geneuians Papists and Puritans doe holde but of a mixt condition partly Ecclesiasticall and partly ciuill or secular as in our latine workbefore named shal be largely proued both by Theology by Philosophy history For the present I say that the truth her of is apparent in Scripture by precept made vnto Kings by the practise of kings vnder the law and by Prophesie of Kings to be fulfilled vnder the Gospell And first it doth appeare by precept in that Kings are enioyned in the Scripture to make themselues able for the mannaging of the things of God Deut. 17 18 19. Psal 2 10 Wise 6 1. Ioh. 10 34. for they are enioyned to study Gods word diligently to reade in his Law continually to bee wise and learned exceedingly and therefore our Sauiour teacheth vs that Kings are called Gods because the word of God was giuen vnto them meaning Principally and to the end that they might gouerne Church and commonwealth according to God and for God as his vicares or deputies on earth Secondly it doth appeare by the practise of Kings vnder the law Exod. 39 43. Iosh 3 6 22 1.6 2. Sam. 5 6 21 6 12. 1. Kings 2 27 35 5 5. 8.14 15 10 22. 2. King 18 4 23 4.5 24 21 22 23 24 25. 1. Chron. 13 1 2 3. 15 1 2 3.4 11 16. 2. Chron 15 8 9 10 16 17 6 7 8 9 10 19 8. 20 3 24 4.5 6 7 8 29 4 5 11 15 18 21 25 27 30 31 31 2.10 11. 1. King 2.27 35 2. Chron. 19 11. Isay 49 22 23. and not onely of those that were both Princes and Prophets as were Moses Dauid and Salomen but also of those that were meere Princes without the Propheticall gift such as were Ioshnah Asa Ichosaphat Ioash Ezekiah Iosias Manasses they haue coÌ„man ded the Priests yea euen the chiefe priests to doe the parts of their office and appointed them to their courses and charges they haue placed and displaced the high Priests themselues they haue suppressed Idolatrie remoued and deposed yea put to death Idolatrous Priests broken downe the Idols restored religion to her purity assembled both the priests to bring vp the arke of the Lord and the people to celebrate the passeouer and to serue God haue read the law publikely in the audience of the people proclaimed fasts prayed for them and blessed them likewise in the house of the Lord. Thirdly the Ecclesiasticall power of Princes doth appeare by prophesie for the Euangelicall Prophet Isay when hee foretolde the conuersion of the Kings of the gentiles to the Christian faith he likewise prophesied of their Ecclesiasticall place and power of being Nursing Fathers vnto the Church saying Thus saith the Lord God beholde I will lift vp mine hand to the Gentiles and set vp my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes meaning the Churches children in their armes and thy Daughters shall bee carried vpon their shoulders and Kings shall bee thy nursing Fathers and Queenes shall be thy nurses And in our Latine worke of royall Controuersies we shall show how this Prophesie hath beene accomplished in the person of Christian Princes Kings and Emperours and how they haue exercised that part of the Ecclesiasticall power which standeth in the supreame gouernment of the Church To wit that they haue made lawes of ecclesiasticall matters and for the confirmation of faith haue tried matters of heresie punished heretickes rooted out suppressed I dolatry exhorted and conuerted nations to the Christian faith instituted Bishops and sent them to preach placed pastours in the Church called councells and presided in the same Sect. 12 The fourth thing that wee learne of this stile