of his hatred the title of Calvinist and Puritan and because I find some to make use of this Jvybush to tole in customers that they are obedient Sons of the Chuch of England I shall beg thy patience good Reader whilest I shew that not the Remonstrant but the Contra-remonstrant opinion hath been the Doctrine of the Reformed Church of England and that the Countenancing of Arminianisme with us is no older than Bishop Laud and Bishop Mountague who are but of yesterday in comparison But do not these men much forget themselves whilest they appeale to the Church of England Was it not the Church of England that in her 35th Article did legitimate the books of homilies and are not such words to be found in the homily against the Peril of Idolatry The image of God Father Son or Holy Ghost either severally or the images of the Trinity be by the Scriptures expressely forbidden and condemned as appears by these places Deut. 4. Isa 40. Acts 17. Rom. 1. Vide ibidem plura How then was the late Arcshbishop an obedient Son of the Church of England who put Mr. Sherlfield a Bencher of Linc. Inne and Recorder of Sarum to so much cost and a disgracefull acknowledgment of his fault and caused him to be bound to his good behaviour for taking down a glasse Window in which there were made no lesse then 7. pictures of God the Father in forme of a little old man clad in a blew and red coat with a Pouch by his side about the bignesse of a Puppet Yea I have heard it from a Gentleman of good repute that the Archbishop then justified the Picturing of God the Father in forme of an old man out of that place of Daniel where God is called the ancient of dayes Nay Bishop Lindsey one of the Archbishops great Creatures was not ashamed to say That none but ignorant Calvinist Bishops did put down Altars at the beginning of the Reformation and that they were worse then Iesuites that he was much offended with the Homily's against the Perill of Idolatry against setting up of images in Churches that he would have these Homilies put out of the Homily book wondred why they were suffered to continue in it so long Was it not the Church of Enland who by her Lords Spiritual in the upper house and her whole convocatiō in the Act for the subsidy of the Clergy 3o. Iacobi defined the Pope to be the Antichrist was it not Bishop Andrews positive opinion that the Pope is Antichrist was it not Archbishop Whitgifts commencement assertion 1569. Papa est ille Antichristus was not this also positively asserted by Archbishop Vsher and proved by King Iames and must they now be called the onely obedient Sons of our Church who study by all their Learning to take off that ignominious name from the Pope and fasten it upon I know not whom Was it not the Church of England who in her 9th Article speaks so plainly concerning Original sin That it standeth not in following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainely talke but is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the off-spring of Adam c. And must he now that set forth the unum necessarium then whom Pelagius himself could not be more Pelagian be resorted unto and reputed as an Oracle by those who glory in nothing more then in beeing old Eliz Protestants O that those who have any zeal for the Religion sealed by the blood of our Martyrs defended by the pens of our Divines the swords of our Soldiers established by the Law of our Nation would consider what I write But these are Parerga'es to our grand design which was to find out the opinion of the Church of England in the matters debated betwixt the Remonstrants and Contra remonstrants for the carrying on whereof it will not be amisse to consider our Church in a twofold capacity before our general Reformation after it Before the general Reformation in whom should we seeke our Church but in our Martyrs and confessors who did witnesse against the Synagogue of Sathan what were the opinions of Wichlief we can scarce find but in the History of Papists who would be sure to make him as odious as they could tell how to draw him but by their laying it to his charge that he brought in fatal necessity that he made God the author of sin we may make a probable ghesse that there was no disagreement betwixt him and Mr. Iohn Calvin For the dayes of King Henry the eight wee have through special providence some workes of Mr William Tyndall Mr Iohn Frith Mr. Dr. Barnes preserved which are all bound up together and put forth by Iohn Day 1563 Mr. Iohn Fox than whom Magd. Coll. hath scarce ever had a member of whom she may more justly boast putting a large preface in which he stileth them the cheife ring-leaders of the Church of England How point blank they speake for the things that now are called Calvinistical errors may be seen with a little labour if any one will looke upon the index though he that will read the book it selfe once over for my sake will read it over twice for his owne Come we to the more conspicuous estate of our Church when Kings and Queens have vouchsafed to be nursing Fathers and Mothers to it when she hath spoken to her members by the 39. Art Homilies Liturgies Catechismes these we will consult that we may be sure if it be possible to know her mind The Articles were first agreed upon in the Convocation holden in the Reign of Edward the sixt 1552. confirmed and repromulgated Anno 1562. ratified by King Iames 1604. and by King Charles 1628. Some little variation there is in the several editions of them about which I mind not to trouble my self seeing the 17th Article is the same in all the words are as followeth Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundation of the World laid he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be call'd according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made sons of God by adoption they be made like the image of his onely begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity c. Nor can any one that reads the common prayer booke with an unprejudiced mind choose but observe divers passages that manifestly make for a personall eternall election That which may be collected out of our Homilies I will not transcribe seeing the booke is commonly to be had Let me only minde
those who are not wont much to deal in any books but our new Pamplets of a Catechisme set forth by Authority for all Schoolemasters to teach in King Edw. 6. daies the very year after the composing of the publick Articles the King prefixed his royal Epistle wherein he commands and chargeth all Schoolmasters whatsoever within his Dominions as they did reverence his Authority and as they would avoyd his royal displeasure to teach this Catechisme diligently and carefully c. In that Catechisme how doe Master and Scholar plainly declare themselves to be no friends to any of the Tenents which Mr. P. contends for If this Book be not at hand let the Bible printed by Rob. Barker Anno 1607. be consulted and at the end of the Old Testament there will be found certain Questions and Answers touching the Doctrine of Predestination which are as full and punctual against Arminianisme as may be But lest all this should not bee thought evidence sufficient we will produce our Arguments to prove the Church of England not to bee Arminian and if not Arminian much lesse could she account Anti-arminianism Blasphemy 1. Who were the Composers of our 39 Articles were they not all the Disciples and Auditors of Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr or at least such as held consent with them in Doctrine Dr. Alexander Nowel was Prolocutor of the Convocation in the time of Qu. Eliz. And whether he had any Communion with Arminians let his Catechisme speak I mean the English one dedicated to the two Archbish To the Church doe all they properly belong as many as do truly fear honour and call upon God altogether applying their minds to live holily and godly and which putting all their trust in God do most assuredly look for the blessednesse of eternall life they that be stedfast stable and constant in this faith were chosen and appointed and as we term it predestinated to this so great felicity pag. 44. and paulo post the Chuch is the body of the Christian Common-weale i. e. the universal number and fellowship of the faithfull whom God through Christ hath before all beginning of time appointed to everlasting life Shall we think that he and others engaged with him in the same Convocation were so ignorant that they understood not what they put into the Articles or so infatuated by God as to put in things that were quite contrary to their own judgement 2. If the Church of England did consent to the opinions commonly called Arminian how came she to dispose of her places of greatest influence and trust to such as were of a contrary perswasion no places in our Church are more considerable for leavening the Clergy than the Archbishoprick of Canterbury and the two Chaires in the University both these have been occupied by those who detested Arminianisme as the shadow of death Parker Grindall Whitgift Bancroft Abbot are all known particularly in the time of Bishop Bancroft came forth the book called The Faith Religion Doctrine professed in the Realm of England and Dominions thereof said in the Title page to be perused and by the lawful authority of the Church of England allowed to be made publick Let Mr. P. or any one for him name the Dr. of the Chaire in Oxon that did not totis viribus oppose such a Platform of Gods Decrees as men would faign obtrude upon us now In â—ambridge indeed we may find one Dr. Overall who may bee suspected a little to Arminianise but his opinion is disliked by Mr. Playfer in his Apello Evangelium and therefore is not that which Mr. P. stickleth for In the Conference at Hampton Court he did declare himselfe against the totall or finall falling away of Gods elect And would Mr. P. but come over to us in the point of Election Gods invincible working on the hearts of his chosen ones we should soon agree or else very easily bear with one another in our differences 3. If Mr. P. go the way that the Church of England hath taught him how came it to passe that as many as trod the Arminian path were wont to be suppressed censured so soon as they beganne to discover themselves Who is such a stranger in the History of the University that hath not heard of Barrets Recantation made in the University Church 10. of May 1595 And these are the words of the Order appointing him that penalty Habitâ maturâ deliberatione nec non visis diligenter examinatis positionibus praedictis quia manifesto constabat positiones praedictas errorem falsitatem in se continere nec non aperte repugnare religioni in Ecclesia Anglicanâ receptae ac stabilitae ideo judicaverunt c. See more in Mr. Th. Fuller Peter Baro's Arminianisme cost him the loss of his place and which was worst lost him the Affections of the University Mr. Edward Sympson a fine Critick preached a Sermon before King Iames at Royston taking for his Text Iohn 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh hence he endeavoured to prove that the Commission of any great sinne doth extinguish Grace and Gods Spirit for the time in man Hee added also that St. Paul in the seventh Chapter to the Romanes spake not of himself as an Apostle and Regenerate but sub statu legis Hereat his Majesty took publickly expressed great distaste because Arminius had lately been blamed for extracting the like exposition out of the Works of Faustus Socinus whereupon hee sent to the two Professors in Cambridge for their judgement herein who proved and subscribed the place ad Rom. 7. to bee understood of a Regenerate man according to St. Augustin his later opinion In his Retractations and the Preacher was enjoyned a publick recantation before the King which was performed accordingly Mr. Mountagues Appeale had almost been strangled in the womb by Archbish Abbot When it saw light how exceedingly it was disliked may appear by the several Answers made to it by Bish Carleton Dean Sutliffe Dr. Featly Mr. Yates Mr. Wooton all Episcopal Presbyt Mr. Francis Rouse Independ Mr. Henry Burton Nor doe his Respondents object any thing more than his dissent from the Doctrine of the Church of England He was censured for it by the Parliament Mr. Rim from the Committee for Religion made this Report to the House of Commons April 18. 1626. That hee had disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies that the whole frame and scope of the booke was to discourage the well affected in Religion from the true Religion established in the Church and to encline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Let mee here insert an Order made by the House of Commons 28 Ian. 1628. after a large Debate We the Commons now assembled in Parliament do claim profess and avow for truth the sense of the Articles of Religion which were established in Parliament 13
by every one of those 7. writers that undertook the answer to Mr. Mountagues appeal yet they never thought it incumbent upon them to alter their minds Mr. Mountague saith both in his Gag appeale that our Church hath left this undecided and in the conference at Hampton-Court I find Dr. Reynolds moving that the words totally and finally might be added for explication of the Article and that the Lambeth Articles might be in serted The King then unacquainted with the Lambeth Articles thought not meet to put them in But liked it well enough in his Clergy of Ireland that they took them into their confession Dr. Overall said something touching an opinion of his about which he had been questioned by some but concluded that the elect do never fall away totally or finally The Bishop of London said he knew there were some that did make an ill use of the decrees But had before the conference agreed to the Lambeth Articles and after the conference when he was Archb. his Chaplain with his good liking and approbation published the exposition and Analysis of our Articles in which he gives the Calvinist as fair quarter as could be wished And now I would faing know why I am sent to the conference at Hampton-Court Mr. Hooker had I warrant you read Artic. Homilies forme of Baptism and seeing he could scarce tell how to speak not judiciously we will consult him the rather because it seems this Author was by the late King commended to his Children as an antidote against the poison of Popery Disc of justifi p. 506. As Christ beeing raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more power over him So the justified man beeing allyed to God in Iesus Christ our Lord doth as necessarily from that time forward allwayes live as Christ by whom he hath life liveth allway I might if I had not other where largely done it allready shew by many and sundry manifest and cleer proofs how the motions and operations of this life are sometimes so in discerneable and so secret that they seem stone dead who are notwithstanding still alive unto God in Christ For as long as that abideth in us which animateth quickeneth and giveth life so long we live and we know that the cause of our faith abideth in us for ever If Christ the Fountain of life may flit and leave the habitation where once he dwelleth what shall become of his promise I am with you to the end of the World If the seed of God which containeth Christ may be first conceived then cast out how doth St. Peter terme it immortall How doth St. John affirme it abideth If the Spirit which is given to cherish and preserve the seed of life may be given and taken away how is it the earnest of our in heritance untill redemption Anno 1625. one Mr. Damport did answer on this Question An renati possint totaliter finaliter excidere à gratiâ His opponent one Mr. Palmer of Lincolne Colledge urged out of Mr. Mountagues appeal the Article of our Church the Homilies the book of Common prayer the Dr. of the Chair handled the Appellator shrewdly saying he was Merus Grammaticus a fellow that studied Phrases more than Matter that he understood neither the Articles nor the Homilies or at least perverted both And what thinkes Mr. P. of the University of Oxon did not shee know the opinions of the Church of England or would she countenance any thing that had so much as the appearance of contrariety to our Church How came it then to passe that her congregations appointed questions to be disputed of at the publick acts in which are the greatest confluence of the of Sons of Levi. That proceeders maintained in a Calvinistical way How many are now alive that can remember this Question an ex Doctrina reformatorū sequatur Deū esse autorē peccati held Neg. And maintained to the satisfaction of the hearers the Arminian Doctors mean while shewing themselves rather angry than able opponents Let any one who questioneth the truth of what I now say consult the Act Papers that are printed as often as those Academical solemnities are celebrated What should I say more we know when Arminianisme began under whose wings it was sheltered viz. the D. of Buck. and Bishop Laud of whom the first had so much of an Herod in him as would not have suffered him so long to continue friendship with the latter if he had not had too little of a St. Ioh. Baptist whilest they did rule not before nor since passages in books against Arminianisme were blotted out reflections in Sermons upon Remonstrants were disliked by Bishop Lauds meanes Dr. Downhams book against the Totall finall Apostasy of the saints from grace was called in in his dayes Mr. Ford of Mag. H. Mr. Thorn of Baliol Mr. Hodges of Exeter were censured but let it be observed that the ground of the Censure was not their having preached any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Church which is the forme of the censure possed upon Arminians by the ancient Protestants but onely their going against the Kings Declaration which determined nothing but onely injoyned silence in these points Now I hope the Church did not live and dye with B. and C. Nay their flourishing was the decaying and languishing of Church and State too nor could either body vell recover but by spewing out such evill instruments Obj. The Church of England is for universal redemption the Calvinists that are Antiarminian are against it Ans Mr. P. indeed is hugely confident that it we grant him universall redemption the cause is yeelded to him But I am all most as confident that to grant him universall redemption is to grant him just nothing at all for what though Christ did so far die for all as to procure a salvation for all upon the conditions of faith and repentance what 's this to the absolutenesse of Gods decrees or to the insuperability of converting grace or to the certain infallible perseverance of Gods elect after conversion King Iames understood these controversies far better then either Mr. P. or I. and yet he even at that very time when he sent his Divines to the Synod of Dort to determine against the Arminianisme that was then growing in the Low Countries gave it them in charge not to deny that Christ died for all as I my self was told by Bishop Vsher the first time I had the happinesse to have any personall discourse with him who also further then told me that he gave in his own judgement to Dr. Davenant for universall redemption but withall added that there were a certaine number upon whom God absolutely purposed to bestow his Spirit taking away the heart of stone and giving them an heart of flesh and we know that Dr. Davenant in that very dissertation in which one conclusion is Mors sive passio Christi ut universalis causa salutis humanae deum patrem
ipso facto oblationis eateuus reddit placatū reconciliatum humano generi ut vere nunc dicatur paratus quemvis hominem in gratiam recipere simulac in Christum crediderit neminem tamen saltem ex adultis praedicta Christi mors reponit in statū gratiae actualis reconciliationis sive salutis antequam credat Hath two more extreamly opposite to his darling notions Conc 4 a. Positâ Christi morte omnibus hominibus applicabili sub conditione fidei stat cum bonitate justitia Divina suppeditare vel negare sive nationibus sive singularibus hominibus media applicationis idque pro bene placito voluntatis sue non pro disparitate voluntatis humanae p. 88. Mors Christi ex speciali intentione Dei patris illud sacrificium ab aeterno ordinantis acceptantis Christique illud idem in plenitudine temporis deo patri offerentis destinata fuit certis quibusdam hominibus quos electos Scriptura vocat iisdemque solis ut efficaciter infallibiliter applicanda ad aeternae vitae consecutionem The Comment upon this Thesis hee thus begins Hanc Thesin opponimus Arminiorum errori quem Grevinchovius stabilire conatur disser de morte Christi p. 7. Vbi docet Deum tradentem Filium suum intendisse impetrationem reconciliationis omnibus et singulis communem applicationem vero ejusdem impetratae nemini mortalium absolute voluisse If Mr. P. cannot swallow these two last let him answer the Doctors arguments and count me as much engaged to defend them as if I my selfe had made them If he can digest them let him know that I have no quarrell with him about the former which would never have found so many adversaries among Calvinists if the Arminians had stated it so clearly proved it by so good arguments as the Rev. Professor hath don But what do I talk of agreeing with such a man as Mr. P who rather than not fight will cōtend with his own shadow Dr. P. H. a bird of the same feather who also took his flight from the Angel in Ivy-lane will needs have Bishop Vsher to differ from the Church of England in the point of universal redemption mark his proof p. 102. The Church of England doth maintain an universal Redemption of all mankind by the death and sufferings of our Saviour Well and so doth the deceased Primate p. 103. We think not that all mankind is so perfectly reconciled to Almighty God as to be really and actually discharged from all their sinns before they beleeve but that they are so far reconciled unto him as to be capable of the remission of their sins in case they doe not want that faith in their common Saviour which is required thereunto Well and so thought the Primate too 'T is a wonder that a Doctor of Divinity should so unvvorthily handle a Reverend person and fasten upon him a dissent from the Church of England in a matter vvherein he doth so perfectly agree with her But he hath received the due desert of his bitternesse his Book being as I am informed burned by the hand of the common Hangman And now Reader thou wilt apply to me the speech of Diogenes concerning Mindas but I shall ease thy patience when I have onely desired thee to resolve this most plaine and easie question Whether those opinions which are contrary to the judgement of the Composers of our Articles which have been frequently recanted by the divulgers of them opposed by our Learned Professors condemned by our civil authority the contrary whereunto have been constantly defended in our Acts the greatest Academical solemnities be the Doctrine of our Church of England ERRATA Pref. r. that I. r. none know for one r. once p. 14. l. penult r. Mat. 7.3 4 5. p. 74. l. 12. r. à Deo p. 77. l. 24. r. 't is p. 96. l. 6. for them r. his reasons Mistakes in spelling or in accenting Greek words or in not distinguishing the members of sentences if I should note I should too much distrust the judgement of the Reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR A Justification of the Fathers and Schoolmen in their Opinion That Sin hath not a Positive Beeing EXercising my Ministry at Brackley I came into acquaintance with Mr. William Barlee who upon the publication of his Correptory Correction was pleased to bestow one Copy on me desiring me freely to spend my thoughts upon it In my Answer though I could not but Intimate how much I disliked the sharpnes of his stile in some passages relating to his adversary yet I could not but say that there was something in the Argumentative part unto which Mr. Pierce would scarce be able to returne a satisfactory Answer Which my opinion I yet see no reason to recant For notwithstanding all his bustle and ratlings yet impartiall and judicious men may discerne he is but like that Goth in Procopius who though he fought fiercely had the mortall arrows sticking in his helmet whereof he soon after fell The Gentleman had some part of his education among the Oxford Cavaliers who were wont to outface their defeats with bone-fires and to ring their Bells after the greatest routs and being a little tainted with that humour resolves to Triumph who ever gets the victory And indeed a Spirit of most childish insultation seems to have possessed as many as have lift up an English pen against the Orthodox in this quinquarticular controversy I l'e instance onely in Mr. John Goodwin who in the Preface to his Triumviri saith that he hath not met with any thing in the writings of any or of all the three men contesting with him which had in the least shaken his confidence concerning the truth of the things by him asserted or that for the least space of time put him to any stand or losse in his understanding concerning them or to seek what to Answer to any thing they offer or object against any of them which lines the greatest charity must needs look upon as so much vapouring Rhetorick dropt from his pen in the absence of Judgment and conscience Or as an essay of the Spartanes valour who being struck down by a mortall blow used to stop their mouths with earth that they might not be heard to quetch or groan thereby to affright their fellowes or animate their Enemies The reader hath not yet the occasion of my calamity Mr. Barlee resolves to undertake the Divine Philanthropie and writes a second letter to me desiring to borrow some books and withall to know what I thought of his assailants reply I had not then perused it nor have I yet perused it nor shall I ever peruse it except I can find some of the Rabbines hours which belong neither to night nor day But it seems I had espyed that his strange and long since exploded opinion of the positivity of sin which made me write that if he held sin to be positive he must either hold it to be from