because it plagues the Puritans and plots a reconciliation betweene vs and you Asotus Wee agree in that But sith you so much commend the booke and so much rumor runnes of it I will goe cast away one couple of shillings vpon it Babylonius Friend Asotus though I would not preuent you of buying so worthy a booke yet for this time I will lend it you here it is read it then as you like buy it Asotus Sir I accept it thankfully Let mee a little peruse it Babylonius Freely Asotus Appello Caesarem c. But I find here Doctor Whites approbation prefixed to it which I must tell you Master Babylonius doth make me much maruell that you so much commend the booke for you know what a publicke adversary hee hath ben to Romane Catholicks so that I should imagine this booke which Doctor White so much approueth is more an aduersary to Romane Catholiques then to our home-bred Puritans Babylonius Yea but you must know Master Asotus it is one thing what a man saith in publicke for popular applause and salary and another what he thinketh in his owne priuate opinion and conscience As the Mathematician cited by Saint Aug said to his wife disciplining her for abusing his art for wantonnesse shee imputing her lightnesse to the aspect of Venus and that he should beate Venus not her for it It is one thing what I do as a gouernour of my wife another what I vent to the buyer for the maintenance of my life Doctor White is a good wiseman knoweth how to attemper himselfe to the times It is lesse enuie to passe his judgment vnder anothers name which he thought not so fit in his owne Asotus But in Law if there be any default the Accessary is no lesse guiltie then the Principall the Receauer then the Thiefe Babylonius True but here the case is different For say the booke containes matter vnapprouoble to many yet Doctor White if he se occasion may easily winde himselfe out of the snare as I heare he doth already saying That the Copie printed varieth from that which hee approued Blame him not till the booke as happily and hopefully it will get better footing in the worlds affection and good will In the meanetime it is good pollicy a little to pull in the hornes For it is obiected by the Puritan faction that Master Mountagues former booke called his Gag which his Appeale defendeth doth in many particulars containe expresse contrarieties to the Doctrine of the Church of England and consequently his Appeale with the factors and abettors as Accessaries at least come within the compasse of a Premunire But you know these pestilent Puritans will say and make the worst of things and they are a strong faction And perhaps the buzze may somewhat possesse the good old man with a panicke feare least not onely hee loose what hee hath but which is much more what his many merits may hope for sauing that Saints merits are not so high flowne in the Church of England but they are easily ouersoared by Simon Magus flying to the top of euery pinnacle of the highest Temple vpon Angels wings But for the booke I doe not hold it so greatly blame worthy as finding it a faire and towardly beginning to produce in time most hopefull consequents as they say Rome was not built in one day but let me a little excuse the good old man And the rather because the Puritans sticke not to cast him in the teeth with White dyed blacke which colour say they comming from the fatt of a Romane Catholick Dyer would not haue holden soe sure if it had not found the ground of a selfe-woading to make it the more permanent Yet the Appealer I can tell you hath faire Cards on his sides and almost all the Helps for the fiue-fingers being the Club-trump turnd vp The first Card dealt him is the best help but one Yea all the Cards in his hand are blacke and hee hath a faire pull to rubbe for his ase colours for it puting his Appello in good hope But the mischiefe is after much hard drawing his Ase proues a Spade Well yet he hath a strong hand of the best Coates and what hee cannot doe by strong hand with Clubbs hee hopes to play his part with the vndermining Spade whereof he is well stored Onely he misseth the Ase of Hearts which some make an embleme of truth being alwaies a Helpe whatsoeuer is trumpe nor hath he any of that colour But hee well hopes that Helpe sleepeth as also the rubb-aseâ— which if his aduerse part haue not he doubts not but the game will go cock-sure on his side with his number of Coates Pardon mee this comparison I was late the last night at Maw with two or three faire Ladies Asotus And I could haue wished to haue beene so happy as to haue borne you company But is it lawfull for those of your Order to play at Cards Babylonius Lawfull Doth not the Apostle say All things are lawfull Asotus But he addes withall All things are not expedient all things edifie not Babylonius But the same Apostle saith elsewhere I became all things to all men that I might win the more Asotus Yea to saue some but what was that with Card-play Babylonius Come now you play the Puritan But is it not more to gaine then to saue Asotus But there is a gaining to a mans losse For what shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule Babylonius On my soule I thinke you will turne Puritan Asotus Ha ha ha Babylonius But wee gaine the world to the Church wherein the world is saued as the Beasts were in Noah Arke which were therefore saued to be foode for Noah who was then the Priest Asotus You reason very learnedly ad oppositum Babylonius But in a word friend Asotus we of our holy Order and Societie howsoeuer in our Cells and Cloysters we liue strictly obseruing the ancient Cannons of Priests yet conuersing here amidst many Wolues I meane the vengeable Puritans which are stil pressing the Lawes against vs we are faine to be wise as serpents and to put on all habits and fashions yea euen those of Russians and Roring-boyes that so wee may not appeare to be those Sheepe whom the Wolues seeke to deuoure Asotus Now you say something I commend your wit but I know not how this stands with honestie Should ye not also be innocent as doues Babylonius Tush man wee must doe as wee may and in case of necessity dispence with honestie for spirituall aduantage Asotus Well these be Paradoxes But to returne to your former matter concerning this booke mee thinkes you tell strange things of it Babylonius Strange things I tell you you shall finde it a most rare booke written with a braue authoritie and with a most lofty spirit mee thinkes he writes as if he were the very Orâ—elo of the Church of England as the Popes Holinesse is the
Church and State then serue to edification c. Appeale pag. 42. 78. 80. Which speeches and the like whether doe they tend but to suppresse those Doctrines of the Gospell whereby God is most glorified and man most humbled shall we spare such When Policarpus met Marcion the hereticke casually and neglecting him was asked of him Dost thou not know vs He replyed I know thee for the Diuels eldest childe Such was the zeale of holy men in times past against not onely those that were Hereticks but hinderers of the truth The Apostle wished that those false teachers of legall righteousnesse were euen cut off which troubled the Church of Galatia Therefore what cause any faithfull Minister of Christ hath to vse sharpnesse of stile to seditious seducers and troublers of Church and State in so famous a Kingdome in so perilous a season too let any indifferent man iudge And consider iudicious Reader if we had not a King seasoned from his very cradle with the knowledge of the true faith of Christ hauing now growne vp therein to a goodly ripenesse in regard whereof we haue small cause to suspect his constancy herein iâ—to what danger were we and Gods religion brought when such kind of Ministers are not wanting to helpe forward the reerecting of the Romish Baal in our Land had they but a young Manasses to restore the Altars and Groues which the good King Ezechiah his Father had pulled downe But to conclude sith these two fore named Worthies worthy to be named againe the Reuerend Bishop of Chichester Dostor Carlton and the Worshipfull Maister Francis Rovs haue so learnedly and zealously confuted some materiall points in the Appeale which like expert archers making speciall choyse of for their marke they haue hit home although I could haue wished that they had with no lesse felicity coped with the rest of the materialls in the booke yet sith they haue ben pleased to leaue behind them some liberall gleanings yea some whole ricks of tares to be cut vp and carried away from Gods wheat field I will craue leaue to shew at least my good will in all hoping my defects will finde pardon of all them who though they can yet forbeare to make their best supply The blasphemer was to be stoned of the whole Congregation some hitting one part some another till he were beaten downe and buried vnder the heape Yet in this Impression the Plea reacheth no farther then the first part of the Appeale Which if it finde courteous intertainment the other part is forth comming and wants but time to helpe the slownesse of the Presse to bring it forth Farewell Thine in the Lord H. B. Good Reader correct these faults with thy pen with others of smaller note The rest are noted in the end of the booke Amend first then reade Page 7 line 19 reade scantling l. 28 r. Doctrines p. 51 l. 13. r. preuifion p. 52 l 6 r. â—ssâ—s p. 54. l. 21. r. 4. 5. l. 29 r. sâ—â—scos p. 82. l. 3 1. â—â—â—â—â—ude 10. l. 9 1. vn 〈◊〉 c. Whence l. 13 1. anima l. 24 1. prâ—â—â—ceth p. 83 l. 15 r. the beginnâ—ng p. 84. l. 35 1. into him p. 85 l. 24 r. quomodo p. 87 l 13 1. â—xecrated p. 91 l. 30 1 ground of hope l. 35 r. his Maiesties A PLEA TO AN APPEALE Asotus Babylonius Orthodoxus ASotus Master Babylonius you are well met Babylonius And you Master Asotus Asotus Sir I thanke you for your last good company at the Ordinary and especially for your both merry and learned discourse wherein among other passages you wittilie disciphered the nature of a Puritan that common opposite to vs both I was much delighted to heare you and haue often thought of you since and shall loue you the better for it for of all men I cannot away with these Puritans a precise sect crosse and contrary to all other men A man may not sweare an oath forsooth nor play the good fellow a little in drinking a cup or two more then needs for good fellowship-sake nor loue a wench and the like but wee must passe their most sharpe censure Nay hauing deeply waighed the matter I am perswaded that were it not for these Puritans wee and you should agree together as louing brethren and Countreymen Babylonius Are you aduised of that friend Asotus you haue hit the very nayle on the head and herein you discouer your wisdome and judgement For it were no hard matter I wis to reconcile you and mee and such as wee are as well in Religion and opinion as we are already in affection were it not for these make-bate Puritans And you haue well said in saying we and you for howsoeuer the Puritans both in England and beyond the seas I meane the Caluinists and Hugenots are called Protestants yet betweene them and vs Romane Catholicks there is a great Gulfe set so that there is no hope of reconciliation betweene vs. And indeed for those ciuill and good fellow Protestants whom I know you meane that hold of the Church of England and of the Doctrine of the Church for the prop and piller of their Faith there is great hope that they will ere long be reconciled to the holy mother Church of Rome for he that beleeueth as the Church beleeueth is not farre from the kingdome of God But these Puritans they will not acknowledge any rule of faith from the Church but are all for Scriptures Scriptures so that so long as they are of that minde there is no hope of reconciliation betweene vs and them vnlesse they will yeeld to this Manime That the Church is the Iudge and interpreter of the Scriptures which they most obstinately deny Asotus But by your leaue Master Babylonius I neuer vnderstood but that the Doctrine of the Church of England was all one with the Doctrine of the Scriptures as I euer haue ben taught Babylonius I will not take vpon me now to dispute that point but haue you not seene an excellent Booke set out of late by one of your most learned Ministers which he calls his Appeale to Caesar. Asotus I haue heard of it the Author is highly commended by some for a great Scholler but a great many on the other side and especially those we call Puritans doe very much condemne the booke saying it is written in the gall of bitternesse and with the spirit of sedition enough to set all in a combustion if his books should passe for currant Babylonius In the gall of bitternesse That was the doome of Saint Peter vpon Simon Magus but by such like puritanicall censures you may the better judge of the worthinesse of the booke which is both learnedly and wittily pend Asotus You say well I thinke neuer a whit the worse of the booke for the Puritans taxing of it nor the Author the lesse learned when you Master Babylonius sticke not so to commend him Babylonius I must needs ingenuously confesse that I like the booke the better
Oracle of the World O that hee were but one of our holy Society which if hee were our discipline within a short time would so season him as hee would proue a most accomplished actiue instrument for the Catholicke cause He is full of mettall and he wants but the stampe of our minte to make it current O the gratefull tartnesse and smartnesse of his stile And such is the dexteritie of his wit that in his Limbecke he can easily draw and distill all learning into the quintessence of his owne singular and rare opinions Let him but conceiue a rare notion and by and by the Church of England either saith it or not expresly denying it or being altogether silent he can easilie conclude silence to be consent Yea he is strong as Sampson for when he is disposed neither the Philistines cords of the Councell of Dore which hee tramples as durt nor yet of his Dalilah his Church of England can hold him further then himselfe pleaseth Oh I am euen rauished with the loue of the man hee hath dared and damped all the Puritans in England Doe but goe on and reade the Contents which will giue you some scanting of the substance of the booke Asotus I doe I finde here many things the contrarie whereof I haue heard our Minister publikely teach and that with no lesse vehemencie then plaine euidence of argument from Scriptures and Fathers at least to the conuincing of my simple iudgement Babylonius I would your Minister were here present whosoeuer he be you should see what hee could say to many points maintained in this booke they being also the very Doctrine of our holy mother Church of Rome at this day and those also fundamentall as of Free-will Praedestination Iustification Falling from grace Certaintie of saluation Antichrist and the like Asotus And you wish in a very good time for if I be not deceiued yonder hee is walking shall wee goe neere him and accost him Babylonius With a good will But by the way I pray you informe me a little of the qualities and conditions of the man that so I may the better attemper my speech and cariage towards him is he not a Puritan Asotus Surely in one sence he is no Puritan for he is conformable none of the refractaries but doth both practise himselfe and preach vpon occasion in the defence of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies and that very earnestly insomuch as I haue seene him sometimes put backe from the Communion those which would not receiue it knâ—eling yet not leauing them till he brought them on their knees Now formerly Non conformitants onely were accounted Puritans But if wee vnderstand Puritan in a second degree to wit for a Minister to be a diligent Preacher and resident vpon his charge one that cannot away with non-residency that will not take two Benefices and makes conscience how he comes by one that is of an honest conuersation and is a very sincere rebuker of sinne an vrger of the more strict keeping of the Lords day as he vsually calleth it and rather content to suffer wrong in his tithes then contentions for his right and aboue all a vehement inueigher against the Masse and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Church of Rome as he tearmes them and one who I warrant you would neuer giue his consent that Iesuites and Masse-Priests should bee any way tollerated to liue vp and downe in our Land insomuch as I haue heard he being desired to be in a place where it was appointed and so expected that Father Fisher should dispute when all came to all hearing Fisher refused to dispute without speciall licence from the Arch-bishop of Cantâ—rbury hee replyed and said Master Fisher I maruaile by what licence you goe vp and downe seducing our simple people and yet you want a licencâ— to dispute with our learned Diuines It is pittie such as you are thus suffered to vndermine soules and states and so to proue the bane of our Kingdome and Church sith for your sakes if we had no other sins and for your abominable idols the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place where it ought not we are exposed and indangered to all those plagues and punishments which we haue partly felt and haue much more cause to feare and expect which 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 flames must 〈◊〉 breake forth from the kindled 〈◊〉 of Gods spouse-like iealousie to our consumption if ye may be but suffered thus to set your Dagon check by iâ—wle in câ—rrinall-ship with Gods Arke in this his pure Church Now Master Babylonius how far is he a Puritan in these respects I leaue to judge Babylonius How Can there be a more pestilent Puritan in all the Packe then such a one But now you haue informed me thus much of the man I will tell you after what manner I thinke it fit to deale with him By no meanes must he perceiue what professioÌ„ I am off For then ten to one hee will fall foule vpon me and so wee short of our purpose which is to try what he can say against this booke Therefore wee will onely by way of question as for your resolution sake see how he can answer some of the most materiall things therein And for the manner of dealing with him let me alone onely giue you the occasion and first on-set Asotus With a good will I applaude your prudence herein God giue you good morrow Master Orthodoxus Orthodoxus And you neighbour Asotus Asotus Sir you are very well met for this gentleman and I haue accidentally light vpon a booke wherein I finde sundry things maintained contrary to that I haue heard of you and wee shall be much beholden to you to resolue vs in some points which doe a little stumble vs. Orthodoxus Neighbour Asotus I am glad to heare you make such a motion to me it being no vsuall thing with you nor many others and more is the pitty once to moue a question of conscience or faith to your Minister vnlesse it bee more for cauill and contention then for Christian resolution Therefore seeing you seeme to doe it out of a good desire to be informed in the truth and propose such questions as concerne those Doctrines which I haue publikely taught I hold it my dutie to satisfie you the best I can As for this Gentleman aâ— it seemes your friend if hee be of the same minde herein with you though he be a stranger to me yet I shall not be curious but deale ingenuously with you both and I pray God giue a good issue to our meeting in directing vs in the way of his truth Babylonius Sir wee both thanke you for your courtesie Orthodoxus Sir it is my duty But neighbour what booke is that you speake of Asotus Sir the Title of it is in Latin which I vnderstand not so well Appello Casarem Orthodoxus O I know the booke Asotus I pray you Sir what thinke you of it Orthodoxus Nay pardon me for that I doe not
answere then hee did to them and so to all aduersaries of this Doctrine of the grace of God Nuâ— propter malos c Is the truth of this Doctrine to wit of praedestination to be forsaken or shall it bee thought worthy to bee cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked cold Let the truth be spoken especially where any question doth require it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it least haply while it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth wherby falshhood may bee detected bee not onely defrauded of the truth but may be ouertaken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum c. Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue may receiue it than to be suppressed that not onely neither can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is importunate and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued that it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now be no more grace and yet we will not speake that which by the testimonie of the Scriptures wee may speake for we feare forsooth lest if wee speake hee that cannot receiue the truth be offended and we feare not lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by error For either is praedestination so to be preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be praedestinate the gifts calling of God may be without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giueÌ„ according to our merits which is the opinion wisdome of the Pelagians And againe cap. 2 1. ibid. he saith Nimiae coÌ„tentionis est c. Itis too much peruersues to contradict praedestinatioÌ„ or yet to doubt of it Babylonius But you know that the late wise and judicious King IAMES of famous memory did inhibite and restraine the preaching of the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election Orthodoxus But in what respect His Maiestie did not restraine Preachers from the liberty of preaching the Doctrine of Praedestination it being a speciall part of the Gospell but rather to giue caution and direction at least to yonger Ministers and Diuines lest through want of mature judgment in the manner of opening that mystery and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the inâ—udicious and ignorant hearer or those of weake consciences As Saint Aug. denies not but wisdome and discretion is to bee vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so to be preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe Nam dolosi vel imperiti medici est c. It is the propertie of a deceitfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt This was the minde of his Excellent Maiestie of blessed Memory in that his iniunction to aduise all Ministers to play the faithfull and skilfull Physitians in in the applycation of so wholsome profitable and comfortable a plaster and Doctrine as the Church of England calls it Art 17 though the Appealer doth flout his Informers and those which call Praedestination a comfortable doctrine Appeale pag. 39. But otherwise his Maiestie himselfe of blessed Memory hath left His royall record of this Diuine Doctrine in his learned and Diuine Paraphrase of the Reuelation the 20 chap. in the latter end in these words The Booke of life was opened to the Elect that all those those whose names were written into it to wit Praedestinated and Elected for saluation before all beginings might then be selected for eternall glory Babylonius Neither doth the Authour here simply oppose or question the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election but as it is deliuered by the new Diuines as hee calls them to wit Caluin and his fellowes whom he chargeth with a two-fold error as touching Praedestination The first is that they teach especially Caluin that Gods eternall election and praedestination was irrespectiue and absolute without any respect or reference to Adams fall The second error of Caluin is in deliuering the doctrine of praedestination in such a rigid manner as he doth Orthodoxus For Master Caluin there needeth none other Apologie then his owne Workes or Writings which shall euer praise him in the gate For his workes and in summe his Institutions if a man snatch at them as the Aegyptian dog doth at Nilus for feare of the Crocodile not obseruing his grounds taken from Scripture nor well waighing his reasons no maruell if such snatchers prepossessed with a preiudicate opinion can as easily opeÌ„ their mouths against such famous Authours as the Dog can barke at the Moone-shine But perhaps hee had no more quarrel to holy Caluin then that fellow had to just Aristides who not knowing Aristides by face but onely by fame that he was a just man came to him vnwittingly to craue him to write downe his name for him that hee might with the rest of the enuious Citizens consent to his banishment by their law of Ostracismon because he so much excelled others in honesty It may be he neuer read Caluins workes much lesse his Institutions to catechise him in the grounds of religion Or perhaps hee hates Caluin as Ahab did the Prophet Micaiah because his Doctrine is altogether against his Interim-religion with all his confederate Intermiists Orwhatsoeuer is the cause Thus did Heretickes by catching at the outward rinde and barke of some one part of Scripture maintaine their Heresies But I maruell what the Appealer could reade or heare of Master Caluin that hee should write so contemptuously of him sauing that he was a holy man faithfull and painfull in his calling exercised with continuall preaching writing watchfull prouidence in gouerning a man of great learning dexteritie of wit sincerity of judgment of great piety equity and sobriety of life a true patterne and precedent of vertue Therefore as Christ said Many good workes haue I done among you for which of these doe yee stone me so for which of Caluins vertues doth this Authour tongue-smite him The most noble and judicious King IAMES of happie Memory thought not so slightly of that learned Diuine while he prefered his Commentaries vpon the Scriptures before all others It were to be wished that the Authour going about to oppose such a worthy and famous man had imitated the heathen Academicke Carneades who intending to write against the positions of Zeno the Stoicke did first purge his stomacke and pectorall parts with white hellebore lest some malignant humour possessing the stomacke might distemper and imbitter his style which is no lesse a disparagment to a professed Christian Diuine than was wont to be of old to the Heathen
lost nature but grace this seemes to imply that Adam in his innocency had grace For else no man can be said to loose what he neuer had But what grace The grace that comes by Iesus Christ which is the onely grace the Scripture speaketh of Surely that he had not for before his fall he needed not Christ as Augustine saith yet he addeth Adam non habuit gratiam imo habuit magnam sed disparem Had not Adam grace yes great grace but farre vnlike that which commeth by Iesus Christ. He might be saide rather to haue naturall graces that is all ornaments and endowments of an absolute and compleat naturall man as hee was then simply that which the Scriptures calleth grace for grace came by Iesus Christ. But this by the way The two principall things I note is first his allegation of the Councell of Trent touching freewill the second his approbation of it seconded with his owne dâ—finiâ—iue sentence tanquam in Cathedra So that howsoeuer he seeme to hold with the Church of England and of Protestants in the point of freewill yet the whole concatenation of his other Doctrines with this as of falling from grace totall or finall praedestination vpon a Preuision of mans willingnesse to receiue grace vniuersally offered and the like doth necessarily conclude that he holds the very freewill of the Pelagians not only that of the Pontificians For all these Heresies are so combined together as so many members compact in one inâ—â—re body or as so many wheeles in a rack each receiuing motion from other But for breuitie because he makes no difference betweene the Decree of the Councell of Trent and his owne yea and the Tenent of the Protestants Church therefore it shall suffice to touch vpon the Councel of Trent onely and so if that proue sound well and good For then the Protestant Church holding therein with the Councel of Trent will proue to be beholden to the Appealer else but a little for shuffling vs in the same pack of Trents freewill I take his words pag. 98. quoted out of his former booke of the Gagge for which he is taxed Our conclusion saith he to the Popish Gagger and yours is all one wee cannot we do not deny freedome of will in man whose doth so is no Catholicke I adde no nor Protestant These bee his words Now all the controuersie about freewill is it not in regard of the grace of Christ with relation vnto it Else what needes all the stirre about it For that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therein lyes the state of the Question For all confelle as well Protestants as Papists that the naturall man hath some reliquâ—eâ— left of Adams naturall freewill we yeeld it not to bee altogether extinct no more then his other faculties of the soule But the Protestant Church the Church of England denyeth that by nature we haue any freewill dispositiue to grace But this is the marke which the Councell of Trent the standard rule of the Romish Church shoote at namely to aduance mans naturall freewill vnto grace onely confessing it is so weakened maimed by the fall of Adam that it needeth some diuine helpe to enable it the better to receiue grace As St. Augustine noteth of some more refined Pelagians who though they will not confesse that those are Praedestinate which by Gods grace are made obedient and permanent yet they confesse a kinde of preuenting grace But how Ideo vtique c. No otherwise but least grace should be thought to be giuen gratis as the truth speaketh but rather according to the merits of mans precedent will as the Pelagian error gainsayeth against This being also the Doctrine of the Councell of Trent howsoeuer the Appealer iumpe with them and ioyne the right hand of fellowship yet for ought I know hee must goe alone with them for any consent or countenance the Church of England will giue him in this his confederation For all orthodox true Protestants deny disclaime any freewill at all in a naturall or vnregenerate man vnto grace I meane the sauing grace of Christ. Naturall men haue it not no nor Adam in his purest naturalls euer had such a freewill For the will must follow the vnderstanding seeing it cannot affect good vnlesse first the vnderstanding apprehend it For Ignoti nulla cupido That which a man knowes not he desires not That the eye seeth not the heart sueth not after To this purpose Aquinas saith well that Those things which pertaine to faith doe exceed humaine reason And Man by assenting to those things which are of faith is eleuated aboue his nature And againe Hoc est ex institutitione diuinae prouidentiae c. This is by the appointment of diuine prouidence that nothing should worke beyond its proper vertue But eternall life saith he is a certaine good exceeding the proportion of created nature because it also transcendeth the knowledge and desires of it And hee concludeth that not euen Adam could attaine to eternall life without a supernaturall grace What needes then all that adoe about the quantity and measure of naturall freewill remaining â—n man when it wants the qualâ—â—y and property to qualifie it any way towards grace There is in vs as naturall men a naturall freewill still it is no more lost then other naturall faculties the poore reliques of Adams perfections but this will is but naturall it reacheth no higher then to naturall obiects So that while the Church of Rome or the Councel of Trent so much adoring her Goddes Freewill yet withall is forced to acknowledege a debility and lamnesse in it they would faine perswade the world that there is yet in our nature some antique venerable reliques of freewill disposing vnto grace Hence it is that they haue a whole chapter of Preparation vnto grace wherein they touch vpon freewill as being the ground sandy though it be of their preparatory workes vnto faith and iustification as also of all their meritorious workes And therefore are they so eager to maintaine and treasure vp at least some Reliques of Adams freewill least all should be attributed to Grace and nothing to Nature and then farewell all Merit either of congruity by preparation to grace or of condignity to glory So that for this very reason they anatheâ—ze all those that say Freewill is altogether lost Wherein if they will not confesse that they which say so meane that a man vnregenerate hath no freewill vnto grace then they cunningly equiuocate But the case is plaine all that their Doctrine driueth at is to aduance mans naturall freewill vnto grace as much as is possible Therefore they say that these remaines of freewill in man though much lessened and sore bruised with Adams fall yet neede but a kinde of stirring vp and awakning as it were oriogging on the elbow or helping vp being downe So that it shares stakes with their first grace as they tearme it though in hypocrisy
passe wee to the last Chapter touching the Synod of Dort It is but short wherein the Authour saith The Synod of Dort is not our rule And Priuate opinions no rule Doth he not herein say truely Orthodoxus Why then should his owne priuate peruerse opinions be reputed as the rule of the Church of England For it is true no doubt that no Synod or Councell much lesse any priuate mans opinion is the rule of our faith Yet all Synods and Councels so farre forth as their Decrees are grounded vpon the Scriptures we are to imbrace and reuerence But of all other passages in the Appealers Appeale I muse at none more then this his eleuating and slighting the Synod of Dort And what spirit trow we is that man of or possessed with that stands so much for the Councell of Trent and so little esteemes the Councell of Dort I wot well the Synod of Dort is an aduersary to his Arminian Pontifician opinions and therefore no maruaile if he beare it no great good will But considering next vnder God the prime and principall mouer of that Synod his late Excellent Maiestie of eternall memory yea how He promoued it what Princely and prouident care what liberall cost He was at to adorne the Synod with some of the choicest and solidest Diuines that He had in His Kingdome what a zealous desire Hee had by that meanes to quench those fiery flames of dissention blowne by the factious spirits of Inâ—endiaries which threatned the ruine of those neighbour reformed Churches the tayles of which smoking firebrands are not altogether quenched but begin to reuiue hauing for want of vent till now lyen smoathering euen in our Church of England the smoake whereof hath blinded a great many and now the flames threaten to burne moe what a religious care He tooke to establish true religion and to abolish that Arminian roote of bitternesse springing vp and spreading abroad wherewith many were defiled which one act of His Maiestie shall no lesse eternize His name then the most famous and vnparalleld actions Hee atchieued in all His Princely gouernment this I say strikes me with an exceeding wonderment that the Appealer would euer suffer himselfe so farre to be transported with the spirit of contradiction as to fall foule vpon such a learned Synod a Synod of Protestants a Synod of many reformed Churches and which if nought else might haue most moued him a Synod assembled managed concluded by the most auspicious Peace-making spirit zeale wel-wishes and prayers of His late Maiestie yea and to fill vp the measure of his all-daring hardinesse to presume to thrust this booke in the name of An Appeale vnder the protection of our most Excellent patrizing Caesar here I am at a stand What so to disrepute the Synod of Dort O spare it either speake not at all of it or reuerently and honorably at least for the thrice noble religious zealous louer of the truth King IAMES He that so honoured that Synod imbraced those orthodox conclusions of it as that He aduanced those to Ecclesiasticall honours whom Hee had selected and sent to represent the Church of England Which also by the way addes to my wonderment that the Appealer should and that vnder the name of the Church of England dare to oppose the Councell of Dort if he had considered that his late Excellent Maiestie did vnderstand no other but that all the conclusions of that Councell did consent with the Doctrines of the Church of England as also the representiue Church of England as they were of the number of the primest and actiuest Agents in that Synod so with the rest they were the first still in order who by their subscriptions sealed vp their vnanimous assent to all the Conclusions Or can the Appealer taxe the incomparable judgement of that famous King of ignorance either in the choise of that representatiue Church of England or in the state of the Doctrines of it Farre be it His Maiestie knew as well the true state of the Doctrine of the Church of England as the most and greatest Scholars in England that I may not disparadge his Excellency so much as to say He knew it better then the Appealer himselfe And if I might pin my faith vpon any mans sleeue or referre the judgment of the Doctrine of the Church of England to my one man I would haue chosen His Maiestie as the â—â—pire oracle of it before any man liuing And yet He that professed protested writ wrought studied liued and dyed in the maintenance of that one truth wherein by His auspicious vnanimity the Church of England and the Councell of Dort haue confented according to the rule of faith Gods word shall He He I say His sacred ashes be raysed vp againe and by an Appeale be vrged to recaut His former profession to reuerse His iudgment to cancell or to bâ—râ—â— His bookes which no antiquity no iniury of time no elementary flames shall euer be able to abolish I might better appeale to those who were so happy as dayly to heare the wisdome of that our Salomon euen at His ordinary repast They can testifie what zealous protestations He made for the truth and with what vehement derestation He had of the contrary As for instance how did He abominate those that writ de apostasia Sanctorum Which very title of Bertius His Maiestie often in His pious zeale professed His indignation against as a blasphemous doctrine And as in His vsuall and ordinary discourse at table and at other times He shewed His Princely diuine spirit in refuting and refelling all the vanities of Popery and Pelagian Arminianismo so at His death He protested His owne constancy and finall perseuerance in that truth which He had formerly professed All this I say duely waighed I am still in a muse what should imbolden infatuate rather the Appealer to insert any such passage as the depressing and deprizing the Synod of Dort in his Appeale Yet doing so he is not more guilty of ingratitude towards our late Caesar as also of ignorance that I may not say starke folly in addressing this his Appeale to our present Caesar. Doth not the Appealer remember that Hee is the Son the onely Son of such a Father Yea a Son of that naturall and pious affection to His Father as all can witnesse with me Hee might well be a Princely myrrour of filiall piety to many Sonnes whose naturall affection commonly descends rather then ascends Nor only the Sonne the onely Sonne the most naturally and graciously pious Sonne but the very viue and expresse image of such a Father inheriting not onely His Fathers Kingdomes Crownes but which is the Crowne of all and more precious then all His Kingdomes His vertues and graces His wisdome His iudgment and aboue all His religion yea His loue care and zeale in maintaining the same This religion Hee first suckt in with His Nurses milke therein also bred brought vp vnder a religious