agnoscentes Angeli mysterium genu illi flectentes Ambros in ◠lim 3. the Angels do bow their knees 2. Neither doth the Apostle speake of a name consisting of letters and sillables but of the divine power given unto Iesus that shall be adored of all as the Prophet expoundeth every knee shall bow to him and every Esay 25. 23. tongue shall sweare by him This argument is urged by Ambrose nomen quod est super Ambr. in Ph. 1. 2. omne nomen c. this name aboue all names is the name of God if this name did not consist by nature it were not aboue every name appellativum enim nomen in solo vocabulo est non in natiuitate naturae a name appellatiue is onely in the word not in the naturall generation 3. Of the puklick reading of Apocrypha Obi. THEY are grossely ignorant if they know it not or wilfully malitious c. if knowing they impugne c. Answ 1. I hope our brethren will not Defens Apol p. 57◠account Reverend Bishop Iewell either grossely ignorant or wilfully malitious and turbulent though they so call vs at their pleasure who proueth out of the Laodicene and Hipponense Councell as also Laodicen cans 59. out of Chrisostome and the decrees of the French Kings liues and Charles that nothing should bee read in Christs congregation but the Canonicall Scriptures The words of the Laodicene Councell are these non oportet libros qui sunt extra canonem legere nisi solos canonicos veteris novi testamenti 2. Hierome himselfe who is here obiected giving way to those times seemeth sometime to tolerate the reading of the Apocriphall books for the stories sake yet wisheth the same to bee done cautelously Caveat omnia Apocrypha c. Take heed of the Apocrypha and if Hierom ad Laetam any will read them not for the worth of doctrine but reverence of the story know he that they are not theirs whose title they beare Multaque his admixta vitiosa grandis esse prudentiae aurum in lute quaerere And that many faulty things are mingled and it is a prudent part to seeke gold in the mire 3. But the Apocrypha giue light to the divine story Answ So doth Iosephus and Plinie with other foraine writers doth it follow therfore that they should bee read in the Church though they giue some light yet the Scripture giueth to it selfe a greater light which as his Maiesty saith is alwayes the best interpreter of it selfe And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 10 Meditat. in 20. Revel in another place his Maiesty excellently writeth We are taught onely to use Scripture for the interpretation of Scripture if we would be sure and never swarue from the analogie of faith in expounding 4. Our reasons against the publick reading of Apocripha are these 1. In the Church of the Iewes in the Apostles time onely Moyses and the Prophets were read Act. 13. 15. 15. 22. 2. The Scriptures are sufficient both for doctrine and manners 2. Tim. 3. 16. 3. Because the Apocrypha books as Hierom saith contayne many falsities mixed with truth The contradictions between the Canonicall book of Esther and the Apocryphall are divers and not to be reconciled as the learned haue noted the story of Bell and the Dragon Hierom calleth fables and so doth Augustine in Tobie the Angell is Consule Whit. q. 1. de script c. 18. Praef. in Dan. Aug. de mirabilibus lib. 2. c. 32. broght in to tel a tale that he was of the stock of Azarias c. 5. 8. The devil is driven away with the smel of a broiled liver c. 8. 3. The story of Iudith commendeth such trickes and devises as became not the modesty of a woman professing vertue Ecclesiasticus telleth us that Samuell prophecied after hee was dead c. 46. 20. In the Macchabees Iudas is commended for offering sacrifice for the dead l. 2. c. 12. Razis extolled for killing himselfe l. 2. c. 14. v. 42. 4. Books that beare false titles are not to be read in the Church which the Canon calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can Apost 59. but such are the Apochriphall books Hierom saith non eorum esse quorum titulis praenotantur they are not theirs whose title they shew Augustine saith that the booke of wisdome is thought to bee Salomons propter non nullam eloquij similitudinem but for some likenesse of the style l. 17. de Civ Dei c. 20. 5. That which giveth occasion of error should not be admitted but the reading of Apochripha is occasion of errour to induce the people to thinke that they are Scripture And therefore the Laodicene Councell ioyneth both these together quae oportet legi in authoritatem recipi haec sunt these are the books which ought to be read and received into authority can 59. Ergo c. Lastly what other thing haue the petitioners here moved then his Maiesty hath first written As to the Apocripha books I omit them because I am no Papist and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 1◠indeed some of them are no wayes like the ditement of the Spirit of God I hope now our brethren will leaue for the urging of this point of those fierce termes of grossely ignorant wilfully malicious and turbulent lest wee say to them as Augustine to Iulian when hee had produced Hilarie against lib. 2. cont Iulian. pelag him nunc ergo ne tuis stomachi fellis indigesta maledictorum cruditate rumpatur in bunc evome si audes calumniosas tuas vanitates Now lest your stomacke burst with undigested rankor cast it upon him if you dare c. THE DEFENCE OF THE SECOND part of the Petition concerning Church Ministers 1. Of a learned Ministry FIRST in that we desire that none but Preachers from hence forth bee admitted to the ministrie what do our brethren meane to impugne so honest and reasonable a petition doe we herein request any more then his Maiesty hath in his princely Book approved thus writing see all your Churches within your Dominions planted with good pastors what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 43. is there now so grosse in our Church which these men will not mayntayne taking vpon them to iustify an vnlearned ministery vnlesse they mistike this motion because it proceedeth of vs Hierome sayth in alijs probant quod in me reprobant quasi praefac in paralip virtus vitium non in rebus sit sed cum authoribus mutetur They like that in others which in me they mislike as though good and evell were not in the things but altered with their authors 2. what reason had they for the Lord day which terme the petitioners Of the name of Sunday vse to say Sunday Doth this name which was inuented of the heathen better like them then the name of that day found in scripturs Or did not the fathers much mislike those heathenish Apoc. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
then severity cohortation then commination charity then authority but they which seeke their own not Iesus Christs doe swarue from this Law which seek rather to rule then counsell their subiects for while honour pleaseth pride puffeth up that which was provided for a remedy to a malady Leo epist 82. distinct 45. 6. In the urging of subscription they forget Christian compassion stripping Ministers and some of them aged of their livings to the undoing of themselues their wiues and children Iosias shewed more compassion to the Chemarims that were idolatrous Priests who though they were not permitted to come up to the altar yet did not eate unleavened bread among their brethren 2. Reg. 23. 9. they had their maintenance from the temple The Popes Canons herein were more equall that pittied old age as Gregory thus decreeth sed quia simplicitatem tuam cum senectute novimus interim tacemus the penall sentence was ready to be inflicted but because wee know your simplicity ioyned with old age we hold our peace Caus 1. q. 7. can 11. 7. This forcing of subscription to Ceremonies not warranted by the word is contrary to the Scriptures and practise of the Church In Nehemiahs time Subscription was required and an oath of the chiefe of the people but it was onely to walk in Gods Law Neh. 10. 29. not to keepe any traditions not written VVhen Victor would haue forced the East Churches to keep Easter as the Latine Churches did and was resolved to excommunicate them certaine Christian Bishops and Irenaeus among Euseb lib. c. 22. the rest did reproue him tanquam inutiliter Ecclesiae commodis consulentem as unprofitably regarding the Churches good There arose in Gregory the first his time a Tolet. 4. c. 5 great difference in Spaine about the thrice dipping in baptisme some doing it but once Leander a Spanish Bishop sent to Gregory about it who determineth that the Infant was baptized sive trina sive simpla mersione whether with thrice or once dipped hee would haue no contention about that ceremony But his successours more rigorous then charitable one decreed that it was Evangelicum praeceptum Part. 3. dist 4. c. 82. an Evangelicall precept to dip thrice Another that hee was not a perfect Christian that was not thrice dipped Lastly Pelagius it was decreed in the 8. generall Councell at Constantinople that whereas Photius the Can. 8. 9. concil general Constantinop usurper of that sea did extorquere chyrographas c. extort from clergie handwritings promising thereby to cleaue unto him and he againe gaue them by his hand writing faculties to preach And certaine Catholicke Bishops had taken up the like custome to urge subscription The contrary was decreed by that Councell ut Episcopi nullus chyrographas c. that Bishops should no more exact such subscription sed tantummodo fierent solennitates de more but to be content with the old use they should enforce no new subscriptions but keepe the old customes solennities The Bishops then in urging new subscriptions to combine the Clergy to cleaue unto them not otherwise to grant them licenses to preach did reviue the corrupt use of Photius the pseudo-Patriark condemned in this Councell 8. To require absolute subscription to the booke is to make it almost equall to the Scripture as freed from all errour but this properly the holy writings onely haue viz. to bee perfect right pure Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect the statuts of the Lord are right VVhat could be required more then to subscribe absolutely to the word of God as pure perfect and without any errour Augustine well distinguisheth between divine and humane writing de Scripturis canonicis non licet dicere c. of the Canonicall Scriptures it is not lawfull to say the Author was deceived but in other books which are written by us not with authority of precept but exercise to profit though there be found the same verity yet are they not of the same authority which kind of writing must be read not with necessity of beleefe but liberty of iudgement Aug. cont Faust l. 11. 5. But there is now no liberty of iudgmēt left but necessity of beliefe imposed in this absolute subscriptiō 9. Beside this violent course of subscription hath bred a great scandale in the Church disturbed the peace thereof that whereas quietly before Ministers ioyned together in building the Lords house after the same began to be urged then suspensions imprisoning silencing depriving of many profitable ministers followed Saint Paul saith Would to God they were cut off that disquiet you Gal. 5. 12. They were disquieters of the Church that urged the ceremonies not they that refused them Conscience forced not the one to urge subscription for they themselues hold these Ceremonies not to bee necessary but conscience moved the other in not subscribing unto them VVho were then disturbers they which urged those things which with a good conscience might be left or they which refused those which with a good conscience they thought they could not use There is a rule in the law In rebus dubijs pars tutior sequenda In doubtfull matters the safer way is to be followed Not to use such rites and ceremonies is no sin but to yeeld unto them in him that is not resolved is sinne The law resolveth that the lesse doubted course should be taken not to use them at all Cyrillus thus writeth to Gemadius Sicut ij qui mare navigant c. As they which saile in the Sea when a tempest ariseth and the ship is in danger doe disburden it of some things to saue the rest so seeing it is not in our power to saue all despicimus ex ijs quaedam ne cunctorum patiamur dispendia Wee seeme to neglect or winke at some things lest wee should leese all So it had been better to haue cast out such burthenous ceremonies then to put the ship of the Church in hazard and disturbe the peace thereof 10. The forme of subscription is contrary Subscription contrary to law to the law of the land as may appeare by these reasons 1. The Law requireth subscription onely to the Articles of Religion in these words He shall declare Anno 13. Eliz. c. 12. his assent and subscribe to all the articles of Religion which onely concerne the confession of the true christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacraments But to subscribe to the booke of common praier doth not onely concerne the confession of true Christian faith Ergo by the lawe it is not to be subscribed unto 2. That which Ministers doe subscribe unto by law must appeare under the seal testimoniall of the Bishop and bee publikely declared in the Church within two moneths of induction but neither doth the testimoniall make mention of subscription to the booke neither is the Minister bound to declare his assent thereto in the Church Ergo it is not agreeable to the law 3. The
tela divexi sed ad Russin meo tantum vulneri admovi manum Lastly wee note our brethrens oversight 4. observat in their manner of proceeding in publique impugning what was secretly intended and in proclaiming to the world that which only we presented to your Maiesty And whereas our brethren suggest that soone after this our petition and motion being made were sent forth Epist p. 3. into all quarters of the Realme store of the sayd pretended Petitions It is true may is please your Maiesty that no copies of the sayd petition were delivered to any beside our selues excepting that only which was exhibited to your Maiesty since which time no copies at all were dispersed into any quarters of the realme much lesse into all neyther before were any hands required to it but only consent So that notwithstanding these pretenses our brerhren are found to bee troublers of the state not the petitioners and to haue blowne the coales and kindled the flames which wee goe about to quench Wherefore wee humbly desyre your Maiestie that it bee not imputed to vs as a presumptuous part to answer for our selues being provoked neyther preiudiciall to the conference determined wee may verily say with Hierome si superbum Ad Theoph. sit respondisse multo sit superbius accusasse If it be a proud thing modestly to answer much more insolently to accuse Besyde as is our Brethrens cause such are theyr proofes they haue inmayntenāce The Censurers sparing in their proofs out of Scripture of theyr fāsies throughout theyr boke alledged but one text of scripture for any matter in question betweene vs which are about the number of thirty seueral points so that wee may say vnto them in Augustines words Qui divina testimonia non sequuntur pondus humani testimonij perdiderunt They which follow not the divine testimony haue lost the credit of their owne Now we humbly commend the innocency of our felues and the goodnesse of our cause to your Maiesties Christian iudgement we sue for nothing but wherein Gods word doth beare us out whereof your Maiesty hath given us hope and for the which we doubt not but to answer for our selues in the presence of God We trust that God hath raised your Maiesty up as another David to settle the pillars of the earth Psal 73. 3. that were shaken and as the Prophet sayth to take off the heavy burthens Esay 58. 6. burthenous ceremonies burthenous censures burthenous abuses which many haue a long time groned under Augustine to this purpose sayth well handling these words of the Psalme They haue ploughed upon my In Psa 128. back Ascende in dorsum meum portare te habeo c. Nunquid semper super dorsum meum eris veniet tandem qui te inde excutiet And he is now come wee trust which shall breake these yokes and God we are perswaded will inable your Maiesty to do that which shall bee acceptable to himselfe profitable to his Church comfortable to your own soule that we may all salute your Maiesty with the salutation of the Church of David Psa 20. 4. 5 the Lord grant thee according to thine heart and fulfill all thy purpose that we may reioyce in thy salvation set up our banner in the house of God when the Lord shall performe all thy petitions that we may all triumphātly say of your Maiesty as Ambrose of Ambr. Theodosij fides the good Emperour Theodosius Iacobi regis fides nostra victoria Your Maiesties most faithfull subiects The humble Petitioners the Ministers and Preachers that desire reformation according to the word of God THE ANATOMY OF THE CONTROVERSED CEREMONIES OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND BEEING considered in their Nature and Circumstances By Iohn Sprint Minister of Thornby in GLOCESTERSHIRE 1 Beginning 1 Blinde zeale and superstition as the Fountaine 2 Tradition as the streame and Channell 3 Popish Masse-booke as the puddle 2 End 1 Of inventing 1 To please Iew and Gentile by a perverse imitation 2 To paint Gods Worship with a needlesse adornation 2 Of maintaining 1 To claw and curry favour vvith Papists Atheists c. 2 Vo uphold our Church corruptions 1 Lordly Prelacie 2 Non-residency 3 Dumbe Ministery 3 To snare the faithfull professor 4 To nourish the carnall Gospeller 5 To thrust out the faithfull Teacher 6 To keepe out Christs Discipline 3 Persons 1 For them 1 Ordaining 1 Sathan inspired them 2 Man invented them 3 Fathers by tradition delivered them 2 Commanding and enforcing them 1 The Beast 1 Antichrist 2 His Bishops 2 Man 1 The Magistrate abused 2 Lordly Prelates abusing 3 Defending 1 Popish Champions 2 Dignified Chaplins alias Chop-livings 3 Covetous Chancellors 4 Ambitious Pluralists 5 Symonaicall Patrons alias Latrons 4 Approving 1 Impious Atheists 2 Ignorant Papists 3 Dumbe Homilists 4 Temporizing Statists 5 Povvling Registers 6 Provvling Paritors 7 Prating Proctors 8 All prophane livers 2 Against them 1 Refusing the most faithfull painfull blessed 1 Pastors 2 Exiles 3 Martyrs 2 Disliking the most zealous and godly people of all sorts 3 Disproving the most sincere learned forraine English 1 Writers 2 Preachers 4 Rejecting the purest and best reformed Churches 4 Matter 1 Negatiue No ordinances or commandements of God 2 Affirmatiue 1 Mans 1 Inventions 2 Precepts 3 Traditions 2 Antichrists 1 Idols 2 Will-vvorships 3 Reliques 5. Manner of urging maintaining 1 Reasoning 1 Cavilling 2 Railing 3 Slandering 4 Stirring up the Magistrate 1 Against the Innocent 2 Against their Brethren 2 Censuring 1 Suspending 2 Excommunicating 1 For a trifle 2 For things good 3 Ipsofacto 3 Deposing depriving degrading of 1 Law 2 Living 3 Ministery 6 Qualitie 1 Needlesse and superfluous because 1 Added to Gods perfect Ordinances 2 Gods Church worship may be without them 3 Not required of God nor having any speciall or generall ground out of the Word 2 Vnprofitable because they 1 Edifie not Men. 2 Glorifie not God 3 Serue not in the Church 1 For Order 2 For decencie 3 Hurtfull unto the 1 Weake by offence 2 Ignorant by superstition 3 Popish by Idolatry 4 Brethren by dissention 5 Godly by 1 Inward griefe 2 Outward persecution 6 Schismatickes by separation Occasioned 4 Wicked against the 2d. commandement 1 In disgracing the Sacraments Worship of God 2 In being defiled with superstion and Idolatry 3 In being the monuments of Idolatry 4 In being Will-worships 5 In bringing into Gods Worship the manner of 1 Iewes 2 Gentiles 3 Hereticks 4 Papists 6 In being symbolicall or signifying holy signes of mans invention Effect 1 In the persons for them 1 Prescribers and maintainers 1 Privation or abolishing of good namely of 1 Of Christian liberty to bind the conscience 1 Where God hath not tied 2 Where Christ hath freed 3 Vnder the same censures are greater penalty and strictnes then the breach of Gods commandements 4 Not to do that 1 Which is agreeing to the Word 2 which
thing 2. To bring in a new sacrament besyde those two which Iesus Christ hath ordayned is utterly vnlawfull But confirmation as it is prescribed by the booke is made a new sacrament beside those two which Iesus Christ ordained therefore confirmation as it is prescribed by the booke is utterlie unlawfull The assumption or second proposition is proued thus That which is made an outward signe and seale to assure of Gods loue and favour that is made a sacrament in most proper sense as both the scriptures shew and our own articles of religion defining Rom. 4. 11. Arti. relig 25. the sacraments to be sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and of Gods goodwill to us but the imposition of BB. hands is made a signe to assure us of Common booke c. of confirm Gods favour and gracious goodnesse to us so be the words of the book therefore it is made a sacrament in most proper sense But this is unlawfull and therefore this kind of confirmation is unlawfull yet the poore ministers of Christ were urged and enioyned under most greevous penalties to subscribe to all 3 That which is the generall duty of all the ministers of the Gospell ought not to be made the particular duty of some few of them But to confirme Christians in the faith of Christ is the generall duty of all the 2. Thess 3. 2 Ezek 34. 4 Eph. 4. 12. 13. Hier. ad luci ministers of the Gospell as appeareth by the Scriptures Therfore it ought not to be made the particular duty of some few of them Hierome saith plainly of confirmation by BB. disce hanc obseruationem potius ad honorem esse sacerdocij quam ad legis necessiatē Know that this order is rather for the honor of priesthood then necessity of Law Object 1. It can not be amisse that BB. pray over the children Answ 1. To thinke the BB. prayers be more holy then any other mans is superstitious the scriptures tell vs that if any man be a worshipper of God the Lord heareth Act. 9. 31 him be he BB. or preacher 2. they do not onely pray ouer them but impose hands upon them that by means therof they may com book c. of Confir receiue strength against all the tentations of sinne which is to take that power to them which the Lord neuer gaue them contrarie to that which is written No Io. 3. 27. man can receiue any thing unlesse it bee given him from aboue Obj. It is meete that such as bee baptized make open profession of their faith that it may appeare how they haue profited and that they may be further confirmed therein Ans All this may be done without any such ceremonie by diligent catechizing 1. Pet. 22. Act. 20. 32. and teaching in every congregation and if there needed any confirmation who are more fit to do it then the pastor of every congregation who best knoweth the profiting of his sheep 4. Against baptizing by women HEre we both agree in the doctrine that women ought not to baptize Our brethren say fieri non debuit women should not haue taken upon them Answ to the petition p. 11. s 2. to baptize but yet exception is taken to our speach Exception The book of common prayer doth not prescribe that baptisme should be administred Answ ibid. by women Answ Yea but if the booke permit it though it do not prescribe it it is more then true divinitie will warrant Now whether the booke seeme not to encline that way let it be considered by these reasons 1. By the booke the Priests and Curats are commanded to warne the people that without great necessity they baptize not children at home in their houses and when great need shall compell them so to doe that then they minister it on this fashion 2. This same they they that minister it is a relatiue therfore if they look back to to find the antecedent what will meete us but they whom the Priests and Curats warned not to baptize their children at home but they whom the Priests and Curats warned not to baptize their children at home were the people yea the vulgar people not ministers and therefore they that be permitted by the booke to baptize bee the people yea the vulgar people 3. If the chyld liue it is to be brought to the church by order of the booke and there the minister is to examine who baptized it which were a folly if the minister had done it himselfe and further with what words it was baptized which were as fond if it were baptized by an ordinary minister of our Church 4. The booke prescribeth no more but that they that be present call uppon God and use the right forme N. I baptize thee c. so that these two things bee observed by the midwife or whosoeuer present the minister is to certifie them by order of the booke that they haue done well and according to due order 5. The child is supposed by the booke to be baptized by such as happily knew not what they did in that great feare and trouble of mind but such as be so greatly feared and troubled at such times be not the ministers who haue nothing to do in those actions but the wiues and such as be present at such times therefore they bee not ministers but the people yea the very women that bee permitted to baptise in such times of necessity VVherefore most noble king Seeing the booke seemeth to carry this sense and Math. 28. 9. to warrant that which the word of Christ never approved VVe most humbly entreat that it may bee either quite remooved or better explained 5. Against the Cap and Surplice 1. THE Massing garments in poperie bee no fit garments for the ministers of the Gospell according to that charge of the Lord you shall pollute Is 30. 22. the coverings of the images and the rich ornaments c. and say unto it get thee hence and againe hate even the garment spotted by the Iude. 21. flesh Hence it was that Iacob when hee reformed the idolatrie of his houshould Gen. 35. 2 he made them also to change their garments But the surplice is one of the massing garments in poperie as both the Protestants Fox martir p. 501. 853 and popish writers shew M. Fox for the Protestants who declares that when a Popish Priest was to bee degraded they took away the surplice from him as one of his priestly garments For the Papists Innocentius and Durandus who bring in the popish Priest so apparelled to his Innoc. myst miss lib. 1. c. 10. Duran lib. 3. c. 1. in rationall Masse therefore it is no fit garment for the ministers of the Gospell Tertullian confirmes this reason shewing that Christians ought not in outward things to conforme themselues unto Idolaters no not in wearing a garland of flowres Nihil saith he dandum est Idolo sic nec sumendum ab