APPELLO CAESAREM A IVST APPEALE FROM TWO VNIUST INFORMERS BY RICHARD MOUNTAGU LONDON Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes M. DC XXV TO HIS MOST SACRED MAIESTIE MOST GRACIOUS AND DREAD SOVERAIGNE BY a Missive from a Papist I am sure and J suppose from a Priest I was not long since forced upon the Controversies of these times betweene the Protestant and Romish Confessionists And because it hath bin ever truly counted a readier way for the advancement of Piety rather to lessen and abate than to multiply the number of many needless contentions in the Church therefore when I first undertooke to answer that very worthless Author The GAGGER of all Protestants mouthes for ever I did it with a firmed purpose to leave all Private Opinions and Particular Positions or Oppositions whatsoever unto their owne Authors or Abbettors eyther to stand or fall of themselves and not to suffer the Church of England to be charged with the maintenance of any Doctrine which was none of Her own publickely and universally resolved on For we are at a great disadvantage with our Adversaries to have those Tenents put and pressed evermore upon us for the Generall Doctrine established in our Church which are but eyther the Problematic all Opinions of Private Doctors to be held or not held eyther way or else the Fancies many of them of Factious men disclaimed and censured by the Church not to be held any way Such disadvantages hath This Church too long endured and out of just indignation against this Gagger and his Fellowes I could not but so much the more labour to vindicate Her Freedom ex professo and to assert Her as far as I was able unto Her owne proper true and ancient Tenents such as be without any doubt or question legitimate and genuine such as Shee will both acknowledge and maintain for her owne My direct dealing herein MOST DREAD SOVERAIGNE so reasonable so necessary as I supposed hath very much and highly discontented some Private Divines who desire to have those Opinions which are controverted among ourselves to be taken and defended for the common and publicke Doctrine of the Church but more especially hath it incensed those Classicall Puritans who were wont to passe all their Strange Determinations Sabbatarian Paradoxes and Apocalypticall Frensies under the Name and Covert of The True Professors of Protestant Doctrine supposing as it should seeme that in this case we were all lyable to the Statute that is bound to keepe and foster their Conceits as our owne Doctrines because they have cast them upon Us and upon Our Church like Bastards upon the Parish where they were borne or Vagabonds on the Towne where they last dwelt or were suffered to passe without due correction Such Irchins it was necessary to disband and send them away to shift for themselves that our Mother the Church might no more be troubled with them And yet for this cause have some Informers Articled against me and traduced me to the World for a Papist and an Arminian though the world and themselves know I flatly defied and opposed the One and GOD in Heaven knoweth that I never so much as yet read word in the other It was my happiness MOST GRATIOUS SOVERAIGNE that so meane a Vassall as my poore selfe was sufficiently knowne to be nor So nor So unto Him who if ever any of the Royall ranke was indeed sicut Angelus Domini to discerne my late MOST SACRED LORD and MASTER of ever Blessed memory unto whom that Information should have beene represented by whom in his most able and impartiall judgement I had my Quietus est and Discharge But in regard their Clamours were so impetuous and Accusations so divulged it pleased HIS MAIESTY out of that Goodnesse which was ever eminent in his most blessed disposition not only to grant me leave humbly to Appeale from my Defamers unto His most sacred Cognisance in publicke and to represent my just Defence against their Slanders and false Surmises unto the world but also to give expresse order unto Doct. VVHITE the Reverend Deane of Carlile for the authorising and publishing thereof after it had beene duly read over and approved by him to containe nothing in it but what was agreeable to the Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England whereof HIS MAIESTY was most tender It was read approved and sent to the Presse accordingly Since which time it hath pleased the King of Kings to call Him unto Himselfe and to Crowne Him with Glory and Immortality in Heaven before I could returne the Booke into His Royall hands But blessed for ever be the LORD GOD of Heaven that hath preserved YOUR MAIESTY and set YOU upon His Throne as King in stead of HIM to goe in and out before his People in his Place and to execute Judgement in FATHER's room What was then intended unto HIM according to his Owne most Gracious and Royall direct appointment I humbly crave leave upon my bended knees to present unto YOUR MOST EXCELLENT and SACRED SELF And in all lowly wise I cast both It and my Selfe and the best Service I shall be able to do in GODS Church at YOUR MAIESTIES feet desiring no longer to live than I shall be and continue a most conformable and true member of this Church and YOUR MAIESTIES most loyall and faithfull Subject and Servant RICHARD MOUNTAGU THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERALL CHAPTERS THE FIRST PART TOVching ARMINIANISME CHAP. I. OF the Inscription which the Informers made to their severall Articles CHAP. II. Of S. PETER'S FALL CHAP. III. Of the losse of Faith and Iustification CHAP. IV. Of FALLING FROM GRACE The Tenet of Antiquity therein The doctrine of the Church of England in the 16th Article the Conference at Hampton Court the Book of Homilies and the publick Liturgie CHAP. V. Touching PREDESTINATION Of Arminians Lutherans Calvinists forrain Divines Of the Church of England Submission thereunto The question between them and us CHAP. VI. Dangerous consequents brought by Others upon the irrespective Decree CHAP. VII Lutherans averse from the doctrine of Calvinists The moderation of the Church of England in these great unsearcheable mysteries The Author's submission thereunto The doctrine of Predestination Man the Author of his owne destruction and not GOD. The doctrine of Antiquity contemned by Novellers The Synod of Dort no obligation to us The Saying of DEODATE The Articles of Lambeth forbidden by Authoritie Forraine Doctrine maintained to bring-in Forraine Discipline The Church of England no Patronesse of novell opinions CHAP. VIII Touching Free-will the III. point of Arminianisme CHAP. IX Controversies unnecessarily multiplied the AUTHOR no Favourer of them Questions of obscurity and speculation not fit for Pulpits and popular eares Free-will made no such controversie among moderate men either of the Pontifician or Protestant Side as people are borne in hand withall CHAP. X. The Councell of Trent not wholly to be condemned Man's Will not meerly passive but active and free in the proper
acts thereof The memorable Saying of SCOTUS The power of the Will in things divine CHAP. XI The fourth and last point of ARMINIANISME touching the Synod of DORT The Synod of Dort not our Rule Private opinions no Rule The Informers imputations nothing at all THE SECOND PART touching POPERY CHAP. I. THe Author uncharitably traduced His profession for the doctrine discipline received and commanded in the Church of England Conformable Puritans Furious zeale The Church of Rome not a sound yet a true Church Private opinions disclaimed The Church of England asserted to her owne publick and proper Tenents The cause of all these Imputations CHAP. II. The Church Representative and Points Fundamentall what they are All that Papists say is not Poperie Particular Churches have and may erre The Catholick Vniversall Church hath not cannot erre Of Generall Councels The Author farre from the Iesuites fancy The XXI Article of the Church of England explaned CHAP. III. Strange accusations Antiquity reverenced not deified Fathers accused of some error by Iesuites The occasion of their enlarged speeches concerning Free-will The Author acquitted of Popery CHAP. IV. Private and publick doctrine differenced In what sense the Church is said to be alwaies visible The Author acquitted from Popery againe by others learned Divines Of the Church of Rome CHAP. V. Touching ANTICHRIST The Pope and Prelacie of Rome Antichristian That he is Magnus ille Antichristus is neither determined by the publick doctrine of the Church nor proved by any good argument of private men Difference among Divines who The Man of sinne should bee The markes of the great Antichrist fit the Turkish Tyrannie every way as well as the Papacy The peace of the Church not to bee disquieted through variety of opinions No finall resolution to be yet had in this point CHAP. VI. Touching IUSTIFICATION The state of a meere naturall man who to please GOD must become a new creature That newnes cannot bee wrought without a reall change of a sinner in his qualities In what sence it may be said that there is an Accesse of Iustification both by daily receiving remission of new sins and by increase of grace injoyning vertuous and good deeds unto faith CHAP. VII A change made in a justified man The Author agreeth in part with the Councell of Trent and therefore maintaineth Popery no necessarie illation The doctrine of the Church of England and of other reformed Churches in this point of Iustification CHAP. VIII Strange Popery GOD onely and properly justifieth CHAP. IX Holinesse of life added unto Iustification and Remission of sinnes GOD justifieth originally and Faith instrumentally CHAP. X. An Accesse declaratory made to the act of Iustification by the works of a lively faith S. PAUL and S. IAMES reconciled The old Prophets and ancient Fathers made new Papists by the Informers CHAP. XI The doctrine of MERIT ex condigno rejected as false and presumptuous Difference between the old and the new signification of Mereri CHAP. XII The quality and conditions of a good work required by the Roman Writers to make it rewardable as farre as they are positive no Protestant disalloweth of To those conditions may others be added CHAP. XIII GOD surely rewardeth good works according to his promise of his free bountie and grace CHAP. XIV The Church of England holdeth no such absolute certainty of salvation in just persons as they have of other objects of Faith expressly and directly revealed by GOD. CHAP. XV. Touching Evangelicall Counsailes Evangelicall Counsailes admitted according to the doctrine of the old Fathers and many learned Divines of our Church Popish doctrine concerning workes of Supererogation rejected CHAP. XVI S. GREG. NAZIANZ defended from the touch of uncircumcised lips CHAP. XVII The exposition of the saying of our SAVIOUR If thou wilt be perfect c. S. CHRYSOST S. AUG S. HIER S. AMBR. make it no imperious precept If it be the Informers are the least observers of it and sinne against their owne consciences CHAP. XVIII Touching LIMBUS PATRUM The dreames of Papists about Limbus Patrum related and rejected The state of mens soules after death The place proportioned to their state The soules of the blessed Fathers before CHRIST'S ascension in heavenly Palaces yet not in the third and highest heavens nor in that fulnesse of ioy which they have now and more of which they shall have heerafter The opinion of old and new Writers Our Canons not to be transgressed The doctrine and faith of the Church of England concerning the Article of CHRIST'S descent into Hell The disadvantage wee are at with our Adversaries Every Novellers Fancie printed and thrust upon us for the generall Tenet of our Church The plain and easie Articles of our CREED disturbed and obscured by the wild dreames of little lesse than blasphemous men by new Models of Divinity by Dry-fatts of severall Catechismes The Beleefe of Antiquity The Author and It far from POPERY CHAP. XIX The seventh point of Popery touching IMAGES The Historicall use of Images maketh nothing for the adoring of them Popish extravagancies CHAP. XX. S. GREG. doctrine concerning Images far from Popery CHAP. XXI No religious honour or worship to bee given unto Images They may affect the mindes of religious men by representing unto them the actions of CHRIST and his Saints In which regard all reverence simply cannot be abstracted from them CHAP. XXII Popish doctrine and practice both about adoration of Images rejected CHAP. XXIII The Church of England condemneth not the historicall use of Images The Booke of Homilies containes a general godly doctrine yet is it not in every point the publick dogmaticall resolved doctrine of the Church The Homily that seemeth to condemne all making of Images is to be understood with a restriction of making them to an unlawfull end Many passages therein were fitted to the present times and to the conditions of the people that then were The finall resolution of this controversie CHAP. XXIV Touching signing with the Signe of the CROSSE To signe with the signe of the Crosse out of Baptisme or upon the breast c. no more superstition than to signe in Baptisme or upon the forehead The practice of the ancient Church The reasons that moved them that might move us to use often signing They lived with Pagans and wee with Puritans both deriders of the signe of CHRIST'S Crosse CHAP. XXV The practice of the primitive Church approved Unadvised Informers Novellers rejected CHAP. XXVI The testimony of S. ATHANASIUS vilified by the Informers The testimonies of other Fathers concerning the efficacie and power of the signe of the Crosse CHAP. XXVII Popery is not the signing with but the adoring of the Crosse Strange effects which GOD hath wrought of old adhibito signo CRUCIS and may doe still by vertue of CHRISTS Death and Passion which that Signe doth represent CHAP. XXVIII The Informers presumption against the current of Antiquity CHAP. XXIX Touching the SACRAMENT of the ALTAR The Informers drawn low
onely supposed related and no more It may bee a custome amongst the Informers and others of that Tribe to dictate to their Popular Auditories out of their Pulpits tanquam de tripode though it be quicquid in buccam and the same to be received upon their bare words as divine Oracles whereupon they need not make any suppositions put no cases to bee demurred on seeing they are ubique and in omnibus peremptory resolved and conclusive But with us it is not so we are not so happy to have our bare words passe we must prove what wee speake and well is it if so and then we finde credence They and the Iesuites are rare men to leade mens Faith and Beleefe so in a string In this passage against me it being ad oppositum and they like enough to bee demanded Proofes for what they say all their accusations of Arminianisme and of Popery though they bee false and slanderous yet are they Magisteriall You cannot finde so much as any one proofe annexed unto any of the imputed Errors or brought in to manifest Ideò this or that is an Error Their Stile runneth These are his words or Thus he writeth c. supposing all men will at least should take it upon their words That what hee so writeth is an Error Such Illuminates are our Classicall Brethren May they be intreated a little to descend from this their Chaire of Infallibility and yeeld somewhat according unto reason by producing that Rule against which touching Finall Perseverance the words produced if so be they are mine every way to all intents and purposes doe offend and for which they may justly bee stiled Errors The Rule produced upon tryall and application M. MOUNTAGU must eyther stand or fall Till then he appealeth to all indifferent censures for suspension of their judgements concerning Errors thus by him Delivered and Published by Authority In the Interim to come somewhat neerer unto the Error heer informed against Doth ARMINIUS maintaine touching finall Perseverance you must tell mee my good Informers for I have not read him that sometime the Called and Elect of God the Chosen ones and Iustified by Faith such as S. PETER was though they doe fall totally for a Time shall yet recover necessarily againe and not fall away finally or for ever If this be Arminianisme and so his conclusion then therein He holdeth with ARMINIUS But I have bin assured that ARMINIUS did hold as the Lutherans in Germany doe not only Intercision for a Time but also Abscission and Abjection too for ever That a man Called and Iustified freely through the grace of GOD in CHRIST might fall away again from Grace Totally finally and become a cast-away as IUDAS was for ever For S. PETER upon admission of this Passage as your selves have related it in your calumniatory Information by M. MOUNTAGU'S conclusion did not could not fall finally for CHRIST prayed for him that he might not fall and CHRIST was ever heard in that hee prayed for So that out of your owne mouthes M. MOUNTAGU is acquitted of Arminianisme for if He say any thing to the point it is that S. PETER could not fall finally from Faith nor lose it for ever irrecoverably For say you These are his words Though S. PETER fell totally he fell not eternally that is hee recovered and persevered unto the end and so touching finall Perseverance at least He teacheth in your own confession no otherwise than your selves do Thus Pure malice and indiscreet zeale make men many times lose their witts they know not where I adde if M. MOUNTAGU be an Arminian you are rather Papists for I demand In denying and forswearing CHRIST did S. PETER fall or did he not fall If abnegation and abjuration and execration will inforce a fall he did Now if he fell he needs must fall totally or finally for Cedo tertium a man falleth not who is not off or down from the Place Grace Multi dantur ad gratiam recessus hee that falleth to day may rise againe to morrow hold out unto the end receive the reward of Righteousnesse in finall Perseverance bee crowned with glory and immortalitie I say no more than you have subscribed if you look unto it After we have received the HOLY GHOST wee may DEPART FROM GRACE given and FALL into Sinne and by the grace of GOD wee may arise againe and amend our lives Artic. XVI Nec beatum dixeris quenquam ante mortem quamdiu enim vivimus in certamine sumus quamdiu sumus in certamine nulla est certa victoria was Catholick Doctrine of old But heer also as in the former passage these Informers mistake me for their owne advantage for I speak but only representatively according to the opinion and Tenent of the Roman Schooles I appeale unto their Honesty at least wise Knowledge are not my wordes laid downe directly thus For in YOUR opinion Iustifying faith may diminish and may be abolished and lost Now Iustification being in an instant c. If in their opinion it may be lost namely faith which justifieth then Iustification which is an Effect of faith may also bee lost and may bee recovered after such losse For things transitory are in a like habitude unto being and not being may cease to be and be againe After such losse of Faith and Love transitory in their opinion they againe may revert and finde a being but yet still in their opinion So all heer Delivered Errors or not Errors so or so is still in their opinion not the iudgement specified of M. MOUNTAGU My goodly Brethren this is no faire play to fasten that on me as my Assertion which precisely I relate from anothers mouth which I remember not but as the Doctrine of the Church of Rome and upon that their Doctrine by Them maintained by Him related doe inferre against a Papist a plaine Non sequitur from his owne Tenents unto an inconsequent Argument by Them inferred and opposed against the true and Catholick doctrine of the Church of England touching Iustification by Faith alone CHAP. IV. Of FALLING FROM GRACE The Tenet of Antiquity therein The doctrine of the Church of England in the 16th Article the Conference at Hampton Court the Book of Homilies and the publick Liturgie INFORMERS ANd againe Some hold that Faith may be lost totally and finally which is indeed the Assertion of Antiquity The Learnedst in the Church of ENGLAND assent unto Antiquitie in that Tenet which the Protestants in GERMANIE maintaine at this day having assented unto the Church of ROME MOUNTAGU A Ntiquum obtinent These men are still the same Calumniators and runne still along with all one indirect dealing Their Information in direct tearms standeth thus To make report and no more but to make report of Arminianisme if yet it be Arminianisme which is reported is in point of opinion to bee an ARMINIAN in point of Arianisme with these men to be an ARIAN for M. MOUNTAGU in this case hath done no
certus qui de hac re justo latentique judicio non omnes instruit sed neminem fallit PROSP. Resp 7. ad Cap. GALLORUM Ex REGENERATIS in CHRISTO IESU quosdam RELICTA FIDE pijs moribus APOSTATARE A DEO impiam vitant in suâ AVERSIONE finire multis quod dolendum est probatur exemplis But the greatest question will be concerning the Learnedst in the Church of England said to consent unto Antiquity in this case of falling away from grace Where first I will not deny but that Many in the Church of England reputed learned are of that opinion that Faith had cannot be lost But if it shall appeare that the contrary Tenet is the PUBLICK DOCTRINE of the CHURCH of England then I have not wronged private men in making this comparison between them and Those whom themselves will acknowledge to be their Superiours both in learning and authority Now to give them all due satisfaction which may thinke themselves wronged by my comparative speech I argue as followeth They were the learnedst in the Church of England that drew composed and agreed the ARTICLES in 52. and 62. that ratified them in 71. that confirmed them againe in 604. that justified and maintained them against the Puritans at Hampton Court that have read and subscribed them at their Induction unto Benefices and Consecration unto Bishopricks that penned the Homilies read in Churches But all these have and all such doe assent unto Antiquity in this Tenent and subscribe it truely or in hypocrisie Therefore I may justly avouch it The learnedst in the Church of England assent therein to Antiquitie The Major I suppose no man will question The Informers themselves are peradventure within that Pale The Minor I make good particularly and will prove it accordingly obsignatis tabulis In the forenamed XVI ARTICLE we reade and subscribe this After that we have received the HOLY GHOST wee may DEPART AWAY FROM GRACE and FALL into Sinne and by the Grace of GOD we may rise againe and amend our lives Now let me ask the question Have you subscribed this Article or have you not If you be Beneficed men you have read it and subscribed it professed your assent and consent thereto before GOD and his CHURCH or else by Act of Parliament you have forfeited your spirituall promotions and are deprived IPSO FACTO within two moneths If so then have you subscribed that Arminianisme which you impute as an Error unto me Haply you will be of his minde one of your Tribe who when he was told what hee had subscribed for poore ignorant man he understood it not protested he would teare his subscription if he could come by it and so would have lost his Benefice which few of you will doe if it be a Good one for conscience sake marry for a Poore one you will not stick Haply you will quarrell the Sense of the ARTICLES but then you must remember that the plaine words sound to the meaning for which I have produced them and that untill the CHURCH it selfe expound otherwise it is as free for me to take it according to the letter as for you to devise a figure The ARTICLE insisteth upon men Iustified speaketh of them after Grace received plainly avoucheth They may fall away depart from that state which once they had they may by Gods Grace rise againe and become new men Possible but not Certaine or Necessary But the meaning by you assigned cannot be good being allied unto the stocke you are for by your Tribe the true meaning of the ARTICLE and the Doctrine there Delivered and Published by Authority eyther originall or derived primary or secondary was upon this very point challenged as unsound because against the current of their Institutions And had Arminianisme then been a nickname the challenge without doubt had fastned there but challenged it was in this Sense as Vnsound at the Conference of Hampton Court by those that were Petitioners against the Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England And being so challenged before His sacred Majesty was then and there Defended maintained avowed averred for True ancient justifiable good and Catholick by the greatest Bishops and learnedst Divines then living in this Church against that absolute irrespective necessitating and fatall Decree of your new Predestination stiled by you The Doctrine of YOUR DIVINES commonly called CALVINISTS as indeed it is YOURS being never heard of in the world but of late but stiled then and there by the Lord Bishop of London Dr. BANCROFT in publick audience with much vehemencie without any check dislike distaste dissent for we reade of none a desperate doctrine of Predestination At what time also that Reverend Prelate and most accomplished Divine whose memorie shall ever be pretious with all good and learned men the late Bishop of Norwich then Deane of PAULS Dr. OVERALL upon some touch by occasion of mentioning the ARTICLES of LAMBETH did relate unto his most SACRED MAIESTIE those concertations which himselfe had sometimes had in Cambridge with some Doctors there about this very point of Falling from Grace and that it was his Tenet and had beene That a justified man might FALL AWAY FROM GRACE and so ipso facto incur GODS wrath and was IN STATE OF VVRATH and DAMNATION untill he did recover againe and was renued after his fall At which time that Doctrine of the Church of England then quarrelled now stiled Arminianisme accused of Noveltie slandred as pernicious by these Informers and their Brethren was resolved of and avowed for True Catholick ancient and Orthodox by that Royall Reverend Honourable and learned SYNOD The Booke is extant published by warrant and re-published by command this present yeer of the Proceedings at that Conference which will averre all that I say for truth against you heer See the Book And for explication of that Authorized and Subscribed doctrine there is an Homilie in the Booke of Homilies first composed and published in King EDWARD'S time approved and justified in Parliament in Queene ELIZABETH'S daies and Authorized againe of late to be read in Churches entituled OF FALLING AWAY FROM GOD. Which very TITLE is sufficient warrant for the Doctrine or Error in this point imputed to M. MOUNTAGU But that which is Delivered in the Homily will justifie Him unto the full for the Homily doth throughly and wholly insist upon the Affirmation That FAITH once had may againe be LOST Out of the first part of that Homily you may take this my good Informers for your edification Whereas GOD hath shewed unto all them that TRULY do BELEEVE his Gospell his face of mercy in CHRIST IESUS which doth so enlighten their hearts that they be TRANSFORMED into his Image be made PARTAKERS of the heavenly light and of his HOLY SPIRIT be fashioned unto him in all goodnes requisite unto the CHILDE of GOD So if they doe afterward NEGLECT the same if they bee unthankfull unto him if they order not their
walke in holinesse and in newnesse of life Remission of sinnes and imputation of CHRIST'S Righteousnesse saith M. PERKINS is Iustification a free pardoning and cancelling of all Bands and Obligations of transgression for CHRIST'S sake through the only merit of his Death Passion and shedding of his bloud Which Act Psal XXXII II. is called Not imputing sin When and where GOD doth so pardon and not impute sinne he addeth unto it out of his love a seconding Act of divine mercy and grace enabling man to abandon everie mortall sinne those sinnes that doe hang so fast on that are more eminent notorious enormious whose property is vastare conscientiam to the amolishing of the whole body of sinne that it raigne not in our mortall bodies although that those delicta ordinariae incursionis as TERTULLIAN nameth them cannot so easily bee put away Have I unto you seemed to confound Iustification with Sanctification if yet you knowe the difference between them or have I ascribed in your seeming anie act of Sanctification unto Iustification You may bee pleased to remember that I went not most punctually to work but è re natâ to confute the Gagger described Iustification at large never suspecting that any professed enemies of Popery as you would seem to bee would so captiously have perverted my true sense and meaning my words at least my passage beeing warranted by YOUR owne Dictators CALVIN PERKINS BEZA For Iustificationis nomen largè accipio saith BEZA and imagine them to bee my words ut complectitur quicquid à CHRISTO consequimur tam per Imputationem quà m per Spiritus in nobis Sanctificationem Annotat in Tit. 111. ver VII and in Opusc To. 11. pa. DCLXXVII Otherwise be it known unto your Masterships that I beleeve Iustification in strictnes of tearms is neither Regeneration nor Renovation nor Sanctification but a certaine Action in GOD applied unto us or a certaine respect or relation whereby we are pardoned and acquitted of our sinnes esteemed righteous before GOD and accepted by him in CHRIST unto life everlasting which wiser men than you have so expressed whom haply for my sake you will hold to be Papists heereafter CHAP. VII A change made in a justified man The Author agreeth in part with the Councell of Trent and therfore maintaineth Popery no necessary illation The doctrine of the Church of England and of other reformed Churches in this point of Iustification INFORMERS ANda little after In the state of grace a man is iust when hee is changed Which change must have concurrence of two things Privation of Beeing to that which was The body of sinne and secondly a new constitution unto GOD in another estate In which he that is altred in state changed in condition transformed in mind renew'd in soule regenerate borne anew unto GOD by grace is iust in the state of Iustification ceasing to bee what he was becoming what he was not before In this maine point he accordeth fully with the Councell of TRENT Sess VI. cap. XXXVII contradicteth the Doctrine of the Church of England in the book of Homilies serm of salvation and all other Reformed Churches MOUNTAGU HEER now at length wee have some though very poore shew of a just and formall accusation the rest are but meer calumniations For heer is a charge of delivering Popery and maintaining it and withall an advancing of that charge by pretending some seeming proofe in a threefold branch 1. of According fully with the Councell of TRENT 11. Contradicting the Doctrine of the Church of ENGLAND 111. Dissenting from all other reformed Churches which is done by this one Assertion A change is made in a justified man the substance in briefe of all the former suggestion such an one as maketh mee beleeve that these informations were not gathered by any Scholars or Divines but subscribed unto unadvisedly and collected by some other at odds with his owne little or frantick wits for who can conceive that a just and uniust a carnall and spirituall man should be the same that one regenerate and reformed in the spirit of his mind should be the same that hee was before that a live man should bee dead I confesse I cannot conceive LAZARUS in his grave and sitting at table with our SAVIOUR to have undergone no change nor alteration SAUL a Persecuter and Saint PAUL an Apostle without change the Thiefe upon the Crosse no other man than when hee robbed and killed upon the high-way Was he called justified saved then sure he was changed Had hee not been changed from what hee formerly was hee had not entred into Paradise with our SAVIOUR Hee whose Disciples YOUR Divines are assigned to be never taught you this Learning Fatemur saith he dum nos intercedente CHRISTI justitiâ sibi reconciliat DEUS ac gratuitâ peccatorum remissione donatos pro justis habet cum ejusmodi misericordiâ conjunctam simul esse hanc ejus beneficentiam quòd per Spiritum suum sanctum in nobis habitet cujus virtute concupiscentiae carnis nostrae magis ac magis indies mortificantur Instit III. XIV IX You heare him to speak of righteousnes inhabiting in our hearts by grace diffused from the HOLY GHOST of a progresse in a new course of life from grace to grace from perfection unto perfection which is not a phantasie but reall Nos enim so he addeth sanctifitamur hoc est consecramur DOMINO in veram vitae puritatem cordibus nostris in legis obsequium formatis And somewhat before as hath been remembred already he calleth it a resurrection from death to life and no resurrection but supposeth change when this mortall shall have put on immortality and this corruptible shall have put on incorruption which is indeed the work of the right hand of the Most High and cannot be but betwixt terms that à quo and this ad quem which is the strangest Popery that ever yet I was acquainted withall But why go I about to proove that there is Motion unto those that agree not upon common Principles or bring proofs to ANAXAGORAS for The snowe is white who would not suffer himself to be perswaded so nay because he was otherwise by preconceit perswaded he said it did not so much as seem white unto him YOUR opinions are your owne you will opine what formerly you have thought So doe for mee and there an end If yet you would there make an end and be content to enjoy your conceits unto your selves and make much of them at home but we must come over and conforme our Faith unto your thoughts or wee shall heare of it on both our eares For instance at present Odiously and maliciously you advance this accusation to procure hate and envie unto the part and parties ad oppositum unto you It is the Doctrine you say of the Councell of Trent and M. MOUNTAGU agreeth fully with that Councell But you mistake on each hand and knowe not what you say I do not
very Divell within the bounds of worship as well as that cautelous Doctrine of DURAND that Images are to be worshipped improperly in as much as They doe put men in minde of the persons by them represented who are then adored before the Images as if they were then really present there Or as that honest conclusion of MARTIN AIALA Nemo in Ecclesiâ dicit qui rectè sentit Sanctos deberi adorari sed venerari whether in themselves or their representations But Doctrine without limitation of YOUR pointeth you unto and putteth you backe unto no other but the precedently remembred Doctrine of Dulia and Latria My words are If this you call DULIA and no more we admit it we give it too But whatsoever you say howsoever you qualifie the the thing with gentle words terming it DOULIA or HYPERDOULIA we say in your practice you far exceed and give them that honour which you call LATRIA and is indeed a part of DIVINE respect and WORSHIP so doe not we Let practice and doctrine goe together and we agree that is give them no LATRIA formall or interpretative and we agree CHAP. XXIII The Church of Engl. condemneth not the historicall use of Images The Book of Homilies containes a generall godly doctrine yet is not in every point the publicke dogmaticall resolved doctrine of the Church The Homily that seemeth to condemn all making of Images is to bee understood with a restriction of making them to an unlawful end Many passages therein were fitted to the present times and to the conditions of the people that then were The finall resolution of this controversie INFORMERS ALL directly contradicteth the doctrine of the Church of England in the Booke of Homilies MOUNTAGU YOu enlarge too much for all For in your opinion doth the English Church condemn the Historicall or civill use of Images which yet is a part of that all It doth not in practice all the world knoweth that nor yet in Precept or Doctrine that I know Shew me that ponam manum meam super os Men as learned as anie of your Side no disparagement to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and selfe-conceit are I doe assure you of a contrary minde I have named Bishop MORTON alreadie unto you And yet were it not so you shew no great wisedome in that Limitation which your selves put unto my contradicting the Church of England namely in saying that I doe it directly For where can you finde in any writings of mine expresse words against any one point established or delivered in the authorised doctrine of the Church of England and words are not direct which be not expresse Thirdly to come unto the issue you name the Homilies and mean I take it the second Tome of Homilies in the Sermon against the perill of Idolatry If you had vouchsafed us any proofs of your assertions we should have gone directly to worke with your allegations but because you take a rounder course to tender every thing in Magisteriall Dictates wee must shoote at Rovers after you and come up to you as conveniently as we may I answer then first that I willingly admit the Homilies as containing certaine godly and wholesome exhortations to move the people to honour and worship Almighty GOD but not as the publick dogmaticall resolutions confirmed of the Church of England The XXXIII Article giveth them to containe godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times which they may doe though they have not dogmaticall positions or doctrine to be propugned and subscribed in all and every point as the Books of Articles and of Common Prayer have They may seeme secondly to speake somewhat too hardly and stretch some sayings beyond the use and practice of the Church of England both then and now and yet what they speake may receive a faire or at least a tolerable construction and mitigation well enough For you have read peradventure it is not unlikely that you have heard by relation how strangely some of the ancientest Fathers do speake and how they hyperbolize sometimes in some points in their popular Sermons which in dogmaticall Decisions they would not doe nor avow the doctrine by them so delivered resolutivè as in case of Free-will of Invocation of Saints and others S. CHRYSOSTOME especially speaketh strangely of the Blessed Eucharist as good Popery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as ever Papist conceived of Transubstantiation or orall manducation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To. VI. pa. 407. Then Angels assist the Priest at the Altar the whole troopes of Heavenly Powers cry aloud To. VI. pa. 46. and To. V. pa. 528. Dost thou imagine that at that time thou conversest with man Sure it is a thought of a stonie heart to thinke that thou art then upon the earth and not rather following the Angels in their Quires and Tom. V. pag. 511. Know you not that this Table is replenished with fire such and so consuming that unlesse GOD'S grace assisted powerfully men could not endure but should be consumed with the violent heate thereof Tom. 6. pag. 16. And a little before home to the purpose a man would think for Transubstantiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When thou beholdest our LORD SACRIFICED there and the Priest standing by the Sacrifice and praying ever it and every one present BEREDDED with that most precious BLOOD dost thou suppose thou conversest then with man or hast thy station upon earth Which speeches cannot all of them possibly bee true in the literall sense no not in the opinion of the Church of Rome and were none of them literally true no not in the opinion of S. CHRYSOSTOME himselfe Now after this enforcing sort may our Homilies speake and bee so interpreted Things are not ever of one and the same man touching one and the same thing at different times unto distinct Auditories upon divers occasion spoken after one and the same way In verie Scripture there are many Hyperbolicall sayings that being literally taken will not hold weight at the ballance of the Sanctuary In the writings of the Fathers as appeareth by that of S. CHRYSOSTOME there are dogmaticall conclusions for resolution in points and retoricall inforcements to edifie affections disposed for and according to the Auditory Now our Homilies are all popular Sermons fitted unto the capacitie and conditions of the common people to edifie them to worke upon them ever strong in passion but weake in understanding The will is more in them to bee edified than the judgement the consciences and hearts of men to be wrought upon for good life and conversation than the understanding and apprehension for any peece of knowledge and that also disposed accordingly as fitted for times for persons and different occasions as they doe or may happen As the ancient Fathers of the primitive times had verie few or no Churches at all at least of note dignitie or of receipt because they lived in times of fierce persecution and were seldome or few of them stationarie but compelled subindè
in the kingdome He is indeed well acquainted with such Imputations as Papist and Arminian and I know not what the ordinary language of of our precise Professors against any man that is not as themselves MORE FURIOSO Calvinista And having had this measure often meted unto him from their verie great Zeale and very no-Charitie hee could have been contented to have contemned their malice the rather because a Scold cannot any better way bee charmed than by contempt but because Authoritie was drawne in to lye at the stake for conniving in points so dangerous but God knoweth how he could not possesse his soule in patience but thought himselfe in duetie and in conscience bound to cleere those points from Error which he delivered lest Sacred Authoritie might come in for Maintenance and Champetry as they would have it To come then to the Inscription Errors delivered must be his Tenents and avowed Propositions one way of these twain eyther by Affirmation or Negation For Errare saith S. AUGUST if yet our Informers and the Side regard what S. AUG saith est verum putare quod falsum est falsumque quod verum est vel certum habere pro incerto incertum pro certo sive falsum sit sive verum Howsoever there passeth omni modo a resolution for the thing erred in by Affirmation or Negation So or not so And therefore we cannot justly say He erreth or at all taxe him for Erring that neither denieth nor affirmeth that which is imputed unto him but only reporteth what he findeth This is the case of M. MOUNTAGU in all at least in the major part of these imputed Errors Hee is but a Narrator of other mens opinions suspending his owne judgement sometime peradventure when hee should not have so done out of a due respect unto Peace and Quietnesse in the Church sufficiently already disturbed and not the least by these Brethren and also because hee would not stirre the Hornets neasts of men affected otherwaies Secondly Error is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectively against something which is right as being an aberration from a Rule Now I demand of these so forward Informers those delivered Errors by M. MOUNTAGU and published Errors by Authoritie against what common Tenent doe they offend From what Rule are they an aberration I doe not find it expressed by the Informers Contrivers or Subscribers why in what against whose conclusions they are erroneous Against some Rule of Faith they must bee if Errors in Doctrine I know none I am told of none but the private opinions of the Informers or some Classicall resolutions of the Brethren Through all the severall XXI Articles or what you will call them of Popery and Arminianisme I finde no other proofe but Ipse dixit my words are related onely and you must take them upon M. YATES and M. WARD' 's bare words to bee Popery and Arminianisme for other proofe you cannot finde nor must expect So Magisteriall are our Purer Brethren those great Rabbines and Doctors in Israel having annexed unto their Penns and Pulpits infallibilitie of judgement it seemeth as well as the Pope of Rome unto his chayre Popular Spirits have evermore great opinion of their owne singular Illumination And you shall ever observe that each simple Ignoránte a classicall Dictator amongst the Covent tendereth his owne dreames and conceipts Simulachra modis volitantia miris no otherwise but as Oracles upon their owne bare words And such prevailing power have they upon their Proselites none living but Iesuites so great as they that their Sayings are held uncontroleable And hence it is that they vouchsafe us no proofe in their so many false Imputations Better Popery I will abide by it than any one proposition in M. MOUNTAGU For what difference betwixt their Dictates and Papall Decisions an abortive Embryo of the much groned-for Monarchie of our Puritanicall Parochiall would-be Popes over Kings and Kaesars and All that are called Gods Error then is ever against a rule In points of Faith Error is or should bee against the rule of Faith Scripture is they will not deny the rule of Faith as proceeding from Revelation divine the true Constat and Canon of Faith and Manners It is granted aberration from Scripture is Error The farther aberration the greater Error Bring mee in any one point or all points to this Rule Tye mee to it Try mee there Submitto fasceis I fall downe and adore it I would not I will not swerve from it But put the case in application of any Question unto that Rule there be dissents that I say one thing the Informers another the Collectors a third and in conclusion there bee quot homines tot sententiae how many men so many minds For the true and exact decision thereof what shall we do First in equity no man is to be his owne carver and Opinionibus vulgi in errorem rapimur Popular positions are not ever passable Nay rather most commonly it is true that Populus dicit ideò errat Now Private Spirits are of much weaker assurance therefore all that are not unlearnedly madde or insolently wedded unto their owne wills grant that as the Church is Custos regulae so doth it of right apply Examinanda unto that Rule The Church universall in generall causes each particular and private Church for speciall and particular and territoriall questions and querees These Informers against M. MOUNTAGU'S Errors unto what Rule will they stand or whither doe they appeale I disclaime as incompetent Popular Cantonings of dismembred Scripture and Private Interpretations of enforced Scripture I will not bee put over unto Classicall decisions nor that Idoll of some mens Reformation unto any Propheticall determinations in private Conventicles after Lectures For when departed The Spirit of God from mee or any other conformable Minister of the Church of England to speake unto them But because the doubts hang in the Church of England unto the Publicke Doctrine of the Church of England doe I appeale contayned in those two authorised and by All-subscribed Bookes of the Articles and Divine Services of the Church Let that which is against them on Gods name be branded with Error and as Error be ignominiously spunged out let the Author be censured as he well deserveth by Authority if there be any thing in that much maligned book of M. MOUNTAGU either against the Rule immediate the Word of God or against the Rule applied or expounded in the Dictates of the Catholick Church in general or the Tendries of our English Church in particular If I so be taken with the fact or evidence be cleer against me or I be convicted per testes idoneos to have erred thus I will recall and recant whatsoever is so exorbitant and further will deal so with my owne writings as they did with their curious books Act. 19. 19. Qui primas non habui sapientiae modestiae poenitentiae habebo secundas But to come at length up to and joyne issue with
and instilled cunningly and pretended craftily to bee the Churches at length you may winde-in with FORRAINE DISCIPLINE also and so fill Christendome with Popes in every Parish for the Church and with popular Democraties and Democraticall Anarchies in the State God divide you first in IACOB and scatter you in ISRAEL In this present Passage who or what directed you writing in and beeing of the Church of England unto this Division of OUR DIVINES commonly called CALVINISTS and Lutherans as membra dividentia and ad oppositum YOUR Divines forsooth Of what Livery are you or those YOUR Divines Separatists from others Singular a Part a Faction a Division or else why YOUR Divines Are not You and YOURS Divines of the Church of England If not what make You meddling nestling roosting heer Hy you hence to the Brethren of AMSTERDAM where YOUR Divines are if there be any such For there they say all religions may be met with if a man have lost his Religion there he may finde it there are all Divines the Divels and all If yea what make you with that Title of OUR Divines why divide you non dividenda Mine and Thine Yours and Ours are not for Vnity are not or should not bee heard or once named in the Church of England The Divines heer are or should be all of them Divines who hold or should hold and maintaine the Doctrine established and commanded to bee taught in the Church of England which was never taught nor directed by the precepts or wills or fancies or factions or forgeries of men and is not to be stiled Lutheran or Calvinian but by such onely as mean to set up ALTAR against ALTAR and to foment a Schisme in the Church Such be YOUR Divines it seemeth who are cut out into Division Into their Secret let not my soule enter I am none I professe of that Fraternity no Calvinist no Lutheran but a Christian This I Declare not that which you calumniate that I adhere first unto them consent unto them All of them and Only to them infallibly who have been in their severall times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of GOD and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enspired by GOD secondly unto those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their true Successors and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Lieutenants and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observers of the Rules and Traditions enjoyned of old according to deduction from that Prime Rule interpreting the HOLY SCRIPTURES the Rule of faith in places controverted and obscure which is ever in points of lower alloy not according to the fancy and most-what presumption of some one man delighting commonly to oppose and thwart the streame of Antiquity but according to the sense and meaning of those Times that drew water neerer unto the Well head that is to the APOSTLES and their Successors immediately As for consent with Lutherans I doe no where declare it Shew me the place where I preferre them commend them once name them to this purpose You never were so privy unto any thought of mine that you could speake what I thought of them concerning whom I wish that they were men of more allayed spirits and calmer temper than they are or doe shew themselves in opposition And yet why may I not in some things as well as soone as lawfully consent unto them as unto YOUR DIVINES the commonly called CALVINISTS IOHN CALVIN came after in time and was but a Secondary unto MARTIN LUTHER entring in upon his Labours and Reversions and why should he challenge any priviledge of preferment above MARTIN LUTHER that I may not as well and lawfully declare my self for the one as for the other In this Church and Kingdome doth any Rule Canon Law or Authority tie or command me to reverence the one above the other to follow the one rather than the other I may why not consent with the Lutherans rigid or mollified in some things against the Calvinists and in some other differenced opinions with the YOUR Calvinists against them why not who tyed mee more to the one than the other or to eyther more than to BELLARMINE in some things against them both Truth hath latitude and extension No man that I know of hath infallibilitie from errors assigned unto him ex asse Truth is truth whosoever speaketh it and S. AUGUSTINE did embrace it from TYCHONIUS a Donatist in one particular rather than the Tendries of Catholick Authors What if I went thus far or did so much declare my selfe to favour the Lutherans against YOUR Divines Have I therein broken any Statute transgressed any Canon offended against Law opposed Order neglected any Authority If I have Declare against mee let mee answer for it If none of these take notice of YOUR Divines what are private mens opinions unto me who may bee as free in my opinions as they are in theirs But I doe not as you informe Declare any such thing for to Declare importeth a publicke Act an assent upon acknowledgement Doe I in this CHAPT professe correspondency in the point controverted with Lutherans Doe I any where with them or others beside the Church of England the absolutest representation of Antiquitie this day extant What that Church beleeveth I beleeve what it teacheth I teach what it rejecteth I reject what it doth not tender I am not tyed unto I was bred a member of the Church of England brought up a member of the Church of England therein by the meanes and Ministery of that Church I received that Earnest of my salvation when by Baptisme I was inserted into CHRIST In the Union and Communion of that Church I have lived not Divided with Papist nor Separated with Puritan Through the assistance of the grace of GOD'S Spirit which is never wanting unto any that seeke Him I hope to live and dye in the Faith and Confession of that Church than which I know none nor can any be named in all points more conformable unto purest Antiquitie in the best times which I trust to make good against any and all those Brethren in evill Papists and Puritans whosoever who looking and running two severall waies doe like SAMPSON'S foxes joine together in the taile If there bee in any writing preaching saying or thought of mine any thing Delivered or Published against the Discipline or Doctrine of THIS Church I am sory for it I revoke it recant it disclaime it Vultu laeditur pietas if I have done so in any thing unto my Mother in all humilitie I crave pardon and will undergoe Penance But the presumptions of servants are not the Lords directions Every one that prateth readeth lectureth preacheth or professeth must not look to have his Theses Lectiones Harangues or discourses taken as the Dictates or doctrines of our Church Our Mother hath sufficiently made knowne her minde in her publicke promulgated authorized ARTICLES and COMMUNION BOOK with those other to which we have all subscribed that are publickly interessed in the Priesthood and Function of this
Church of England promote informe against me spare not In Morboniam all the Councels of Trent in the world if there were ten thousand of them I forsake them all respectively such regard and awfull respect doe I beare unto my Mother the CHURCH of England You quote us the Homilies but it is at randome as if you spake it by Heare-say having never read them and no marvell for I think you dis-repute them as all of your Faction doe Serm. you say of Salvation There are three severall Homilies or as you call them Sermons of that argument with the Title of Salvation In all of them in any one of them shew me any contradiction unto any thing delivered against the Gagger or unto this Error as you call it of the change made in a justified man if you can You cite no words name no place send me to no Text Page nor particular by any direction that I may know where to finde what you intend A meer trick of juggling companions Marry I find some things in those Homilies which I dare say will not down nor digest with you as opposing some other dreames of your Side but I let them alone till opportune time But in the second Sermon of Repentance I finde directly in a man that is justified a change made faith the Homily The fourth part of Repentance is amendment of life or a new life in bringing forth fruits worthy of Repentance For they that doe truely repent them of their sinnes must be cleane abtered and CHANGED they must become new creatures they must be no more the same they were before Now look and compare M. MOUNTAGU'S private Popery with this publick Popery of the Church and goe give your selves the check for malice and indiscretion And afterward having instanced this doctrine in that memorable example of ZACHEUS'S conversion from his evill way of covetousnes and extortion as a common Customer the Homily concludeth with this Epiphonema concerning him thus Heer we see that after his repentance he was no more the same man he had been before but was clean CHANGED and altered It was so farre off that he would continue and abide still in his unsatiable covetousnesse or take ought away fraudulently from any man that hee was most ready and willing to give away his owne Go now and challenge M. MOUNTAGU for his Popery upon like case in like tearms almost delivered In the state of grace a man is just and a just man I hope none is but he that is already iustified when he is changed Which change of his consisteth in two things Privation of Being to that which was formerly in a naturall man the body of sinne and A new constitution unto GOD in another state namely of holinesse in life and conversation I know well enough what you are afraid of what you would say because you neyther understand your selves nor mee that doe not make this change the same with Iustification in the act but an incident instant necessarie consequent thereupon Goe then and befoole your selves for confusedly opposing common sense and reason and well knowne and confessed Divinity on all hands No reasonable man will denie a renewing in a justified man where are evermore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without alteteration or any other the least change of substance old things are made new saith ORIGEN in his Dialogue against the Marcionites which I have manuscript Nor do Reformed Churches dissent or differ as these Calumniators falsly suggest The Confession of Ausberge requireth novam vitam which is obedientia mandatis DEI and renovatio according to S. PAUL and that also so necessarily that qui admittunt actiones contra Conscientiam sint injusti nec SPIRITUM SANCTUM nec fidem retinent And for the maner I finde it thus Fide apprehenditur remissio Peccatorum quia per fidem accipitur SP. SANCTUS jam corde renovantur induunt novos affectus sic AMBROSIUS Fides bonae voluntatis justae actionis genitrix est In the confession of Saxony more direct In declaratione vocabuli justificari usitatè dicitur Iustificari significat ex injusto justum fieri quod rectè intellectum hic quoque quadrat And what that right understanding is ensueth fully and wholly M. MOUNTAGU'S Popery Ex injusto justum id est absolutum à reatu propter filium DEI id est apprehendentem fide ipsum CHRISTUM qui est justitia nostra quia EIUS merito habemus remissionem DEUS justitiam ejus nobis imputat propter EUM nos justos reputat dato SPIRITU SUO SANCTO nos vivificat regenerat a flat change And in the Belgick Confession yet fuller Credimus veram hanc Fidem unicuique nostrum inditam nos regenerare atque veluti novos homines efficere ut quos ad novam vitam vivendam excitet And in the French likewise Credimus nos qui Naturâ servi sumus peccati hac eadem fide intercedente in novam vitam regenerari Thus these Reformed Churches and so all the rest acknowledge a change in justified persons by the grace of sanctification I remembred before out of the Reverend and learned Deane of Carlile that we are farre from that absurd opinion wherewith our adversaries charge us that GOD in justification doth not change the minde You it seemeth are none of those WEE he speaketh of for he meant it of the publick authorised Doctrine of the Church of England and of Conformers unto the said Doctrine of that Church You have a Church or Conventicles of your owne and Consistoriall fancies it seemeth thence derived nor will you bee freed from that absurd opinion nor let the Church of England willingly be freed from it For if a man list to beleeve you before that Learned Man whose bookes the best amongst you is not worthy to follow or carrie after him in justified persons there is no change CHAP. VIII Strange Popery GOD only and properly justifieth INFORMERS PRoperly to speake saith he GOD only iustifieth who alone imputeth not but pardoneth sinne MOUNTAGU DEUS propter solum CHRISTUM passum resuscitatum propitius est peccatis nostris nec illa nobis imputat Imputat autem CHRISTI justitiam pro nostrâ It a ut jam simus non solùm mundati à peccatis purgati vel sancti good Popery is it not you shall have more of it sed etiam donati justitiâ CHRISTI absoluti à peccatis morte condemnatione justi denique ac haeredes vitae aeternae Thus much the Helvetian Confession against your former Information Now followeth expressely against this Propriè ergo loquendo DEUS solus nos iustificat english this M. YATES duntaxat propter CHRISTUM justificat non imputans nobis peccata sedimputans nobis ejus justitiam And yet you shall need not to english it it is ready englished unto your hands for have you forgot or rather have you read indeed that Homily you but now alledged against me
whether they stand not therefore excommunicate not to bee restored untill they repent and publickly revoke such their wicked rerors the Censure of the Canon But I proceed from Ordination to Execution of Priesthood from the Originall denied unto the Ministeriall part rejected also by them and so I shall have done with them CHAP. XXXV Touching power of Priesthood to forgive Sinnes Priests have power to forgive sins not originally but ministerially The Doctrine of the Ordination and Communion Book for publick and private Absolution The Informers to lose the profits of their livings and to be imprisoned without baile for declaring against it INFORMERS THis is the Doctrine saith hee of our Communion-Booke and the practice of our Church accordingly that Priests have power not only to pronounce but to give Remission of sinnes CHAP. XI Pag. 78. 79. MOUNTAGU FIRST be pleased whosoever shalt view or reade this Apologie to take the true state and Tenent in the point informed against by these Promoters It was imposed by the Gagger as a doctrine authorised in our Church None but GOD can forgive sinnes or retaine them It was answered by me that in some sense it was true None else can doe it viz. by authority and right originall because all sinne is properly committed against GOD Tibi soli peccavi and that in some sense also it was not true For by delegation others also might doe it ministerially GOD doth forgive them by the ministery of men The Priest to doe this hath power conferred upon him by GOD in as ample sort as he or any man can receive it And that this was indeed the doctrine of our Church I proved by the witnesse of an enemy and therefore the stronger producing the verdict of a Papist who confesseth that Protestants hold that Priests have power not only to pronounce but to give remission of sinnes Which seemeth to bee the doctrine of the COMMUNION BOOKE in the visitation of the fick where the PRIEST saith AND BY HIS AUTHORITY COMMITTED UNTO MEE I ABSOLVE THEE FROM ALL THY SINNES This is my relation hitherto of what I finde So that heer is committed crimen falsi by these Informers I relate what one of that Side saith I say it not my selfe but only recognize the truth of his relation which I could not deny For in the visitation of the sick in the Communion-Booke the doctrine and practice is as hee relateth it So that were it not justifiable which is heere reported these honest faithfull Brethren had put a trick upon mee namely an Assertion for a bare Relation as if I had justified what I doe but report But it is justifiable it is the doctrine and practice of the Church of England The Bishop of Meath was of that opinion Pag. 109. against a Iesuites challenge HE hath done us open wrong in charging us to deny that PRIESTS HAVE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS And hee giveth a reason irrefragable Whereas the very formall words which our Church requireth to be used in the Ordination of a Minister are these WHOSE SINNES THOU DOST FORGIVE THEY ARE FORGIVEN AND WHOSE SINNES THOU DOST RETAINE THEY ARE RETAINED The execution of which authority accordingly is put in practice in the Visitation of the sick And no man can say more or come more fully home unto Popery in this point than Bishop MORTON in his Appeale Pag. 270. And indeed the POWER OF ABSOLUTION whether it be GENERALL or PARTICULAR whether in PUBLIKE or in PRIVATE it is professed in OUR CHURCH where both in our PUBLIKE SERVICE is proclaimed pardon and Absolution upon all penitents and a PRIVATE applying of PARTICULAR ABSOLUTION unto Penitents by the office of the MINISTER And greater power than this no man hath received from GOD. In as much then as these Informers declare and speake against some part of the Communion-Booke in the Visitation of the sick for Absolution in remission of sinnes and that they stand convicted thereof per evidentiam facti by statute of 1. of Elizab they are to lose the profits of all their spirituall promotions and benefices for one yeare unto the KING and without baile or maineprise to suffer imprisonment for halfe a yeare If they are not beneficed their indurance is the longer the punishment alotted is one whole yeares imprisonment which it were not amisse that Authority would deservedly inflict upon them to teach them better manners heereafter than to call that a point of Popery which is apparant and confessed to be the expresse and avowed doctrine and discipline of the Church confirmed for performance by Act of Parliament I leave the censure of their deserts unto Authoritie whom it toucheth and proceede to the next Information upon the same point though with some addition CHAP. XXXVI Priests onely and none other have commission from CHRIST to forgive sinnes The extravagancies of Puritans and Papists both in this point INFORMERS ANd a little after It is consessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive Sinnes CHAP. XII Pag. 83. MOUNTAGU ANd is it not so confessed when by publick warrant in Ordination that power is given unto all Priests to do so in those solemne words of Ordination WHOSE SINS YOU FORGIVE THEY ARE FORGIVEN and unto none but Priests because none have else such Ordination If this bee not confessed I will put my selfe to you to school to learne and to know what is confessed The fact is apparant you cannot say nay haply you will nay certainly you do question Quo jure quà m rectè it is confessed The truth is you cannot deny the thing But with you Puritans this doctrine and practice of the Church is held to be Popery And heer you inferre necessarily that Priests have no more power to doe this than Lay-men have For what else can you mean by And none but Priests but eyther that neyther one nor other have that power or else that one as much and as great as other To which you incline I cannot say assuredly No great difference for both are exact Puritanisine you cast Confession upon both one and other Any Lay-man may heare it as well as a Priest and therefore it is probable you will not be very precise for Absolution to conferre it on a Lay-man as well as on a Priest So the power of the keyes are to both alike in equall assise But Sirs Absolution is a part of that Priestly power which could not be given by Men or Angels but onely and immediately by Almighty GOD himself a part of that paramount power which the GOD of glory hath invested mortall men withall In which respect and not otherwise as some claime it hath beene said The head of the EMPEROR hath been subjected unto the PRIEST'S hands In which regard no earthly power is of equall value and assise unto it as not onely the ANCIENTS you shall have a Catalogue of them if you desire it but Bishop MORTON confesseth None can arrogate this power and authority unto himself none
when they leave matter and take offence at words The antiquity of Altars A Sacrifice representative and spirituall acknowledged by all The Author herein farther from Popery than the Informers from Puritanisme CHAP. XXX A reall presence maintained by us The difference betwixt us and Popish Writers is only about the modus the maner of CHRIST'S presence in the blessed sacrament Agreement likely to be made but for the factious and unquiet spirits on both sides Beati pacifici CHAP. XXXI The Author's acknowledgement of his error Consecration of the elements causeth a change yet inferrs no Popish Transubstantiation The Informers out of their element Antiquity maintained Figurists and Novellers condemned CHAP. XXXII Touching CONFESSION Information against the expresse direction and practice of the Church of England No new Popish custome but the ancient and pious manner of Confession for the helpe and furtherance of mens true repentance and for the continuing of them in amendment of life is may be and ought to be urged How Confession of sinnes to a Priest is required by the Church before the Receiving of the LORDS Supper CHAP. XXXIII Touching the Sacrament of ORDERS The new religion full of exceptions though but against words only Ordination acknowledged to bee a Sacrament by M. CALVIN himselfe A Sacrament in lato sensu What our Church meaneth in saying there are but TWO SACRAMENTS CHAP. XXXIV Information against the church-Church-Book of Ordination which acknowledgeth the giving and receiving of the HOLY GHOST in sacred Orders so that Priests have that interior grace and power conferred upon them for the dispensation of divine mysteries which others have not CHAP. XXXV Touching power of Priesthood to forgive Sinnes Priests have power to forgive sinnes not originally but ministerially The doctrine of the Ordination and Communion-Booke for publick and private Absolution The Informers to lose the profits of their livings and to bee imprisoned without bayle for declaring against it CHAP. XXXVI Priests only and none other have commission from CHRIST to forgive sins The Extravagancies of Puritans and Papists both in this point CHAP. XXXVII THE CONCLUSION The issue of YATES and his FELLOW-Informers fond Accusations Other flying reports defamations neglected The Authors humble submission unto the Church of England and to HIS most sacred MAIESTY FINIS The Approbation I FRANCIS WHITE Doctor of Divinity and Dean of Carlile by the speciall direction and commandement of His most excellent Majestie have diligently perused and read over this BOOK intituled APPELLO CAESAREM A just Appeale from TWO unjust Informers by RICHARD MOUNTAGU and finding nothing therein but what is agreeable to the Publick Faith Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England I doe approove it as fit to be printed Dat. 15. Febr. 1624. FRANCIS WHITE APPELLO CAESAREM AN APPEALE FROM THE BRETHREN CHAP. I. Of the Inscription which the Informers made to their severall Articles INFORMERS ERRORS delivered by M. RICHARD MOUNTAGU in his Booke intituled A new Gagg c. and published by Authority this present yeare 1624. MOUNTAGU THese Informers in this Frontispice before their severall suggestions impliedly undertake to make good Three Assertions First that whatsoever They have challenged and articled against in their accusation hath been in terminis so Delivered by M. R. MOUNTAGU in his book as they have tendred it and no otherwise Secondly that all particulars so designed by Them and said to have beene delivered by Him were Published by warrant of Authoritie Thirdly that all things so Published and so Delivered and by Themselves the Informers insisted on and complained against are Errors actuall in themselves and so stand resolved and accounted of in the Doctrine of the Church The first of these three that is to say Whether or not whatsoever is so insisted on as Error hath beene so Delivered and Published as is suggested must hereafter bee examined in convenient Time and Place For haply all hath not beene so by Him Delivered as They have surmised and informed at least not in that sense as is conceived They may mistake his meaning why not For have they assistance of Infallibility annexed unto their conceipts especially in a prest and short style by him ensued and inclining to Scholasticall Character Or they may wilfully mistake his meaning to their owne advantage for Faction and Affection are too frequently interessed in Oppositions Or lastly they may well enough bee guiltie of misreporting his words I dare not trust their consciences in that point too farre I know their Charitic is not too transcendent But for Publication by Authoritie it may touch them neerer than they are aware of It is not unknowne not Authoritie that Puriritanicall Selfe-conceit and Presumption will square Law and Gospel too according unto that untoward Lesbian rule of their owne Private Spirit and speciall opinion and dare challenge any Authoritie old or new for Errors preaching publishing maintaining Errors viz. whatsoever doth not consort or run with the Tide of their Private Spirits motion And it hath beene found by experience practised of such male-content maligners at States in being Civill as well as Ecclesiasticall that they seldome or never talke of anie misbeing misordering misdemeaning in any point or case but that ever and anon directly or upon the By they can lend a lash unto or pinch upon the credite of Authoritie though most Sacred that great Cordolium and Moate-in-the-eye unto popular irregularitie and puritanicall paritie the Idoll of our Godly Brethren It is more than probable these Informers are of this stamp and making I have bin told and am assured they are two Grandees of the faction as great and turbulent as most bee in the Diocesse of Norwich which is not improbably thought to have of that Sect mo than enow They hold Authoritie interessed as farre at least as connivency goeth both for points of Poperie and Arminianisme if they could bee proved his against whom they are objected If it had not beene their purpose thus to have grated upon and galled Authority with little ado by the addition of but one poor word they might have amended and cleered all Had the Information beene carried and conceived thus and SAID to bee published by Authority the Errors of Popery and Arminianisme if any were must have laid all and every one hard upon M. MOUNTAGU interessed alone no reflection could have resulted as now intentionally upon Authoritie For Publication that gave life and living to these dangerous Errors is said to bee precisely the Act of Authoritie which is more than countenancing them in my understanding and I doubt not according to their interpretation Had this beene done M. MOUNTAGU must have borne all alone and what had it been that Hee erred He who may erre For in many things wee erre all but will be no Hereticke especially against the Church of England to the doctrine whereof established He hath more than once subscribed and therefore disclaimeth all aspersion of Poperie and is farther from it than any Puritan
more The very suggestion as it is by themselves heere rendred howsoever patched up of shreds cut out from severall parts and laid together againe for most advantage to their calumniation will yet speak no further but onely to this purpose For themselves set it down in stile not of Position but of bare Narration with these tearmes of Some hold It is the assertion The learnedst assent unto c. So that admit the points related were pure-pute Arminianisme yet so long as the Relator passeth no consent upon them I appeale unto your owne though never so much Cheverellized consciences my good Calumniators can there be inferred a just accusation If so upon as good ground in these tearmes I can informe against the most precisest Puritan in the Kingdome for as good Popery as any BELLARMINE hath any for as perfect blasphemy with the Tongue as ever The foole said or conceived in his heart I demand can you finde any assent of mine annexed nay finde you not rather assent denied Have you not read in that Passage these words which any honest plaine man would have cast into the Information but your selves I DETERMINE nothing in the question POSITIVELY If you did not see nor reade them your eyes were not your owne If you read them but marked them not your wits went on wooll-gathering at that instant If you read and marked them and yet did conceale them what became of your honesty in the interim You foully abused the world with false Informations Your deserts therefore I meddle not with onely I observe two pretty Presbyterian tricks of Legerdemaine First to alter the property by changing the state as if it were asserted and assented to which is barely related and no more Secondly to conceale that which is Positive and would discharge Mr. MOUNTAGU from your calumniation and leave a just taxation upon your selves For hee that professeth Hee doth not DETERMINE as Mr. MOUNTAGU in expresse and precise words doth in my Logick cannot bee said to consent nor concurre in opinion for himselfe but meerly suspendeth his judgement in the case and leaveth it indifferent and as he found it But this is not all I must yet convent your honesty somewhat further You have laid together into one Cento things broken and dismembred like ABSYRTUS'S limbs such as in my Answer unto the Gagge do not cohere nor ensue nor follow instantly upon each other If the Gagger or his Copesmates had dealt thus with me I would have cast in their teeth forgery and false-play and what not But you my deare Brethren are men of another stamp and yet hard to say whether barrell better herring I hope you did it out of simplicity with a good charitable pure intent to promote and set forward the Holie Cause not of Puritanicall refined malice So I take it And yet for my owne discharge Charity you knowe and practice beginneth at home take it not ill if I lay your dealing to open view The Romish Gagger whosoever he was laid downe his Proposition as hee would have it conceived against the approved and established Doctrine of the Church of England not against any either private fancie or more publick opinion of any Faction on foot or Sect prevailing in the Church of England yet that hee might play fast and loose a fashion ordinary with those of his party hee proposeth the imputation in ambiguous involved tearms In my Answer because I would draw the Question unto an issue and rightly state it I was to difference Opinions confounded by the Gagger which in and touching this Subject are not a few concerning the losse of and falling away from faith and therefore in the conclusion came home to distinguish them thus Some suppose that Faith cannot bee lost either totally or finally some that totally but not finally some that both totally and finally which is indeed the opinion of Antiquity and of your Schooles Some perceiving the Current of judgements for the losse thereof both totally and finally and withall considering the at least probability of Scriptures therefore put-in a new distinction of God and Man of first and second causes of Iustification Having reported these distinct and severall opinions of elder and moderne Divines without naming the Parties which I could have done without inlarging upon Particulars no difficult thing I demand of the Gagger who in ambiguities lurketh post aulaea Which of all these waies will you have the Proposition to be understood that Faith may bee lost c and so come up unto him thus You meane it may bee lost both totally and finally in regard of GOD who made no such absolute irrespective decree as also in respect of second causes in man without man about him against him All this is there as any man may perceive by way of bare narration And then for my owne opinion I conclude thus I DETERMINE nothing in this Question POSITIVELY that is neither for TOTALLY not FINALLY nor TOTALLY and FINALLY nor nor TOTALLY nor FINALLY not with reference unto GOD unto Man unto second Causes but leave them all as I found them unto their AUTHORS and ABETTORS resolving upon this Not to go beyond my bounds the consented resolved and subscribed ARTICLES of the Church of England in which nor yet in the Booke of COMMON PRAYER and other DIVINE OFFICES is there any Tye put upon me to resolve in this much-disputed Question as these Novellers would have it for if there be any it is for possibility of totall falling as we shall heare anon Thus standeth this Passage dismembred mis-shaped and abused by my Opposers to their advantage and small reputation for dealing in the case so insincerely and calumniously in their Informations And concerning the Particulars Wherein whom have I mis-reported If I can bee convicted I will reverse it They will not contest for the Roman Schooles I know as little for the Lutherans I suppose It is confessed on all hands that they hold falling from grace and losing of faith had and detest the contrary opinion as hereticall For the Tenet of Antiquity I cannot bee challenged S. AUGUSTINE and after him S. PROSPER affirme more than Mr. MOUNTAGU hitherto hath done Lib. de Bon. Persev CA. 6. Si autem regeneratus justificatus in malam vitam suâ voluntate relabitur iste non potest dicere Non accepi quia ACCEPTAM GRATIAM DEI suo in malum libero AMISIT arbitrio Ibid. CA. 13. Credendum est quosdam de filijs perditionis non accepto dono persever andi usque in finem in fide quae per dilectionem operatur incipere vivere aliquandiu IUSTE FIDELITER vivere POSTEA CADERE c. IDEM de Civ Dei XI XII Licèt Sancti de suae Perseverantiae praemio certi sint de ipsâ tamen Perseverantiâ suâ reperiuntur incerti Quis enim hominum se in actione profectúque justitiae perseveraturum usque in finem sciat nisi aliqua revelatione ab illo fiat
lives according to his doctrine and example and to the setting foorth of his glory hee will TAKE FROM THEM his holy word his KINGDOME whereby hee should raigne in them because they BRING NOT FORTH THE FRUIT that he looked for Can your Learning and Understanding make any other construction of these words than that a man may FALL away FROM GRACE become NO childe of GOD at all If you can advance and teach mee that which passeth my poor apprehension They were TRULY called that did TRULY beleeve they were justified by faith that were so called as I conceive it that beheld the face of GOD'S mercie in CHRIST that had their hearts so enlightned with GOD'S SPIRIT that they were meerly transformed from Darknes unto Light into the Image of GOD reformed If these be not attributes of Justified men good Sirs teach us some new Divinity yet in the Doctrine of the Church of England expounded in this Homily these men may prove unthankfull negligent and lose the Interest they had in that his Kingdome of grace by his holie word And yet further in the second part of this Homily wee are sent unto a conclusion more ad oppositum not onely of TOTALL Lapse for a time but also of FINALL Separation and for ever Which is also according to the doctrine expressed in the ARTICLES for he that saith A man may fall away and may recover implieth withall that some men may fall away and may NOT recover which the Homily declareth thus They shall be NO LONGER governed by GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT they shall be PUT FROM the GRACE and BENEFIT which they had and EVER MIGHT have enjoyed in CHRIST they shall be DEPRIVED of the heavenly light and LIFE which they had in CHRIST while that they abode in HIM They that thus fall away unto the state of damnation were TRULY justified for it is said They were in CHRIST they continued sometime in CHRIST for they abode in him But yet this is not all for it followeth They shall bee GIVEN UP unto the POWER of the DIVELL who beareth RULE in all that are CAST-AWAYES from God as he did in SAUL and IUDAS I suppose this is plaine and home enough If you be acquainted with the LITURGY and publicke religious SERVICE of our Church as to your shame few of you and your Divines are or will be unlesse it bee to oppose and cavill at it there you shall find also as much as Falling from grace commeth to In the Forme of holy Baptisme we are taught otherwise than your Masters teach that every child which is duly baptized being before borne in originall sinne and in the wrath of God is now by that Laver of Regeneration received into the number of the CHILDREN of GOD and HEIRES of EVERLASTING LIFE For our Lord IESUS CHRIST doth not deny his GRACE and mercy unto such infants c. So heere they bee put into the state of GRACE And lest it should be left to mens CHARITY as you use to tell the world wee are there taught earnestly to BELEEVE that CHRIST hath favourably RECEIVED these infants that are baptized that he hath EMBRACED them with the armes of his mercy that he hath GIVEN unto them the BLESSING of ETERNALL LIFE and out of that BELIEF and PERSWASION wee are to give thankes faithfully and devoutly for it c. To make which doctrine the more sure against all Novelists it is againe repeated in the Catechisme to the end that children might likewise bee noursed up in it and taught that in their Baptisme they were made the MEMBERS of CHRIST and the children of GOD and that it is CERTAINELY TRUE by the Word of GOD that children being baptized have ALL things necessary for their salvation and if they die before actuall sinne shall be UNDOUBTEDLY SAVED According whereunto all Antiquity hath also taught us Now let this bee acknowledged to bee the doctrine of our Church that children duly baptized are put into the STATE of GRACE and SALVATION which you see you cannot you must not deny and both your and my experience will shew that many so baptized children when they come to age by a wicked and leud life do fall away from God and from that STATE of GRACE and SALVATION wherein hee had set them to a worse STATE wherein they shall never be saved If you grant not this you must hold that all men that are baptized are saved which I know you will never doe To make an end then In my judgement this is the doctrine of the Church of England not delivered according unto private opinions in ordinary Tracts and Lectures but delivered publickly positively and declaratorily in Authenticall Records And you cannot bee ignorant for it is still extant upon Record that your prime Leaders have understood the Tenet of the Church of England to be as I have reported it and accordingly they have complained against it as you have against mee and objected it as one of their reasons why they refused to subscribe Let there then be added EXPRESSE SCRIPTURE EZECHIEL XVIII XXIV and a common UNANIMOUS FATHERS expounding that and other places of Scripture which consent our Church doth by open profession maintaine in these Canons which she set forth to be subscribed unto together with the XXXIX Articles Anno M. D. LXXI and I see no reason wherefore I might not have been as confident in maintaining falling away from grace as you and your Divines are upon weaker grounds in defending the contrary But I have ever bin solicitous to preserve peace and to give as little occasion of disturbance thereof unto distempered humours as was possible Salus Ecclesiae non vertitur in istis and therefore I thought it not tanti and being not urged upon necessity in my Answer to the Gagger to handle this question otherwise than I did I suspended mine owne judgement and lay off aloof in a kind of neutrality Neither doe I now say more than I am urged to doe by the PLAINE and EXPRESSE words of our ARTICLES and Doctrine publickly professed and established in our Church which I hope your selves will give mee leave to doe the rather because I knowe you have subscribed the same with your Hands though what became of your Hearts in the meane time I cannot tell CHAP. V. Touching PREDESTINATION Of Arminians Lutherans Calvinists forraine Divines Of the Church of England Submission thereunto The Question between them and us INFORMERS THe whole XXI chapt of his book savoreth strongly of ARMINIANISME wherin depraving odiously reporting the Doctrine of OUR DIVINES commonly called CALVINISTS and declaring himselfe to consent with the LUTHERANS in this point he hath these words That PETER was saved c. MOUNTAGU MAy not your Sense deceive you in the Savor The Object we know is often represented unto the Sense not as it is but as it seemeth If your Sense be out of frame the Savor of Arminianisme may deceive you and
would be more pleasing unto GOD and commendable with men if your selves and such Halfers in opinions omnium horarum homines for your private ends would openly avow what covertly you conceale and publickly professe that in which animitùs being rotten at the Core you are dissentients indeed from the Church of England than to be and call your selves at least Conformitants for fashion sake in some few and indifferent points of Ceremony and to be opposites in Truth both from them and most points of Doctrine of the Church of England For the point in question what if I for my part professe so much you may for your part professe the contrary if you please so be it you trouble not the Church with it nor would pin my Faith unto your opinion One thing I promise you for my part I will not lightly talke of my opinion in Pulpits will you say as much for your opinion I thinke not I know nay For your opinions must bee all THE LORDS HOLY TRUTH I am not anie way offended with you for your opinion that The Pope is Antichrist yet much rather might I because you presume to determine so peremptorily of future Contingents which being ever uncertaine quoad nos those things cannot but rashly be defined or absolutely taught as true the event whereof may hap afterwards to prove otherwise Why should you be angry with mee in such points of no assurance because I doe not subscribe unto you I am not tyed unto you more than you to me Who concluded it but your selves to be flat Popery not to Beleeve or Preach that the Pope is that Antichrist or to professe the contrary that he is not that Antichrist Who can finde it to be the doctrine of the Church of England What Synod resolved it Convocation assented to it What Parliament Law Proclamation or Edict did ever command it to be professed or have imposed penaltie upon repugnants or non-consentients unto it Some Protestant Divines at home and abroad I grant have thought so wrote so disputed so in good zeale no doubt against that insolent and insufferable and outrageous Tyrannie and Pride of the Bishops of Rome and their infinite enormities in the Church and out of that affection have been too violently forward out of conjectures and probabilities to pronounce The POPE is that MAN OF SINNE and SONNE OF PERDITION The Synod of GAPP in France made it a point of their Beleefe and concluded it peremptorily to be so And let them and you beleeve it so if you will Their inducements doe not convince or perswade me I never yet saw proofe or argument brought that was perswasive much lesse that was demonstrative in the case I never yet met with argument or reason to the point but at least to my owne satisfaction I was able to answer it If you can give better I am like to yeeld Till then there being no conviction nor compulsion in foro externo or interiori I would gladly know why it should not be as lawfull for mee to opine The Pope is NOT that Antichrist as for others to write to preach to publish to tender unto Proceeders this Proposition The Pope Is Antichrist They thinke one way I am of another minde and so are infinite others with me Why may not I sedatè and tranquillè as well deliver my Negative as M. GABRIEL POWELL publish and print as if the Church of England were of his minde out of violent and transported passion no doubt thus I am as well assured and as throughly perswaded that the POPE is THAT ANTICHRIST as I am resolved IESUS CHRIST was the Sonne of GOD or to that purpose for I have not now the booke by mee Surely this man made it an Article of his faith so will not I. And yet I will not deny but the Pope is an Antichrist I doe not deny it I doe beleeve it These honest Informers should not so have dealt with mee as by a knack of concealement to have done me so palpable a wrong as if my meaning were the Pope was no Antichrist at all So I might have walked not onely upon the Brinks but have come much within the Verge of flat Popery and not injuriously as now have been slandered for and stiled a Papist For that imputation might more than grate upon an universall approoving of the totall doctrine of the Church of Rome in as much as there were of old are now and alway will bee many Antichrists and hee that any way opposeth CHRIST in his Kingdom his Word his Church is an Antichrist which as ingenuously as the former I professe the Pope and the Church of Rome doth And therefore when out of my private opinion onely for which I will not trouble the peace of the Church I denied that the Pope was THAT Antichrist then yet and there I added withall AN Antichrist notwithstanding I hold him or them carrying themselves in the Church as they doe Which Passage and Proposition had bin sufficient with men not partially addicted unto a Side and maliciously bent to calumniate an Opposite as it is too manifest my Informers bee to have discharged mee from guilt or tincture of Popery For will or can any Papist living say that the Bishop of Rome now is an Antichrist But so have I said and written and professed so if these honest Informers had been pleased to have reported it so But it stood not with their prime purpose of calumniating directly it gave check unto their detraction in chief and so they passed it slightly over But as concerning the maine the question on foot Whether the Pope of Rome or the Popes of Rome either are or may be accounted or is THAT Antichrist or Antichrists my irresolution grew as I have remembred from the much insufficiency of their proofes that tender it stoutly strongly affectiouately and tantum non as a point of faith Not any one of their arguments is not all their arguments together are convincing Secondly because it is in Scripture every where tendred as a Prophecy and therefore a Mystery sealed up obscure not manifested nor to bee understood but by evident and plaine event without divine revelation How then these are the very words of Bishop MORTON in excuse of the Fathers concerning their erring in this verie case of ANTICHRIST can ignorance of those things which cannot possibly be understood before the time of their accomplishment in the last daies be held prejudiciall unto the wisedome of the Fathers of former times I may adde thereunto Or the cautelousnes of suspenders and not forward concluders in these times And yet farther because Protestants are divided in the question For all doe not determine or resolve that the Pope is THAT Antichrist remembred in the Scripture and yet none of them have hitherto at any time beene stiled or reputed Papists no not by Puritanicall Opposites The Scriptures as is apparent doe in this question propose us two persons AN Antichrist one with many THE
Informers The testimonies of other Fathers concerning the efficacy power of the signe of the Crosse INFORMERS HE citeth and approveth the testimony of one of them By the signe of the CROSSE of CHRIST all Magick spells are disappointed sorcery and Witchcraft commeth to nothing all Idolls are abandoned and forsaken MOUNTAGU QVà m contemptim One of them And was not that One worth the naming Deserved hee no respect from your Great Selves Your uncircumcised lips might well be sweetned with the name of that certaine quidam as you call him out of contempt Goe to it roundly quid haesitatis and with those prophane ones call him without more adoe SATHANASIUS for ATHANASIUS was the man there named to your hand A man deserving better of GOD'S Church than you and all YOUR Divines put them all together If you misdoubt the Testimony to bee forged because it was forgotten to name the place it is in his Book de Incarnatione verbi pag. 61. and was formerly remembred by him in the Tract against the Gentiles pa 1. If you call the truth of the Relation into question ATHANASIUS Word will passe where your Bond will not goe currant But you shall have mo witnesses to speake to the same purpose EPIPHANIUS relateth of a Christian young Gentlewoman that was quitted from the wanton assaults of a young man by signing herselfe with the signe of the Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in it GOD might remonstrate his wondrous power And againe the same Father saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Magicians and Sorcerers prevailed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the woman found helpe in the SIGNE of CHRIST and through faith in him which is gladius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against Puritan and Papist against him for the bare signe against you for the signe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the name of CHRIST was invocated and the signe of the CROSSE made there Sorcery and Witchcraft could do nothing If you list to see more and hear more evidence to this purpose you may look upon that which NAZIANZENE hath of IULIAN the Apostata in his first Invective which THEODORET hath of a certaine Iew lib. 3. cap. 3. which EPIPHANIUS of another Iew IOSEPHUS by name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith CHRYSOSTOME we have also spirituall conjurations the Name of our Lord IESUS CHRIST 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the power of the CROSSE Nec mirum est quòd haec signa valent cùm à bonis Christianis adhibentur quando etiam cùm usurpantur ab extraneis qui omnino suum nomen ad istam militiam non dederunt propter honorem tamen excellentissimi Imperatoris valent faith S. AUGUST or whosoever wrote the LXXXIII Quest to DULCITIUS Now what say you to that Testimony of one of them If you will not admit the Doctrine because M. MOUNTAGU delivereth it I can name you one will say and approove as much whom you dare not deny to be of credit or stile a certain one of them The SIGNE of the CROSSE saith B. IEWEL was had in great regard among Christians and the more both for the publick reproach and shame that by the common judgement of the world was conceived against it and also for that most worthy price of our redemption that was offred upon it Therefore the faithfull which beleeved in CHRIST in all their talk in their whole life and conversation used so much the more to extoll and magnifie the same Thus as THEODORET reporteth the Christians every where in their common resorts and open market-places published and proclaimed the victory and triumph of the CROSSE The which as CHRYSOSTOME saith they were not ashamed to set as a Posie to any thing that they did and to any thing that they possessed Likewise GOD that the world might more deepely thinke of the death of CHRIST wrought oftentimes strange miracles by the same Now is not this as good Popery as M. MOUNTAGU'S alledging and approving ONE of them See more if you be so disposed in his XIV Article against HARDING CHAP. XXVII Popery is not the signing with but the adoring of the Crosse Strange effects which GOD hath wrought of old adhibito signo CRUCIS may doe still by the vertue of CHRISTS Death and Passion which that Signe doth represent INFORMERS HEe professeth that hee knoweth no cause of such distraction and disaffection betwixt us and the Papists for the reverent use of signing with the signe of the Crosse c. MOUNTAGU FOR this use betwixt any not alone nay not at all Vs and Papists For he nameth no Papists no more than Puritans It is a Glosse of your owne none of my Text and yet I will not desire to have it expunged though I might put it off unto that franticke Puritan PARKER and his furious Followers that indite the poor Crosse of felony murder adultery and all the sinnes against both the Tables I knowe no reason why they should charge us marry those of your shorter Cut they may both charge and challenge for being singular in their owne conceit against consent of Antiquity For the reverent pious and religious use of signing ad omnem omtum gestum habitum with the signe of the Crosse is no Popery which is a grand abuse and a sacrilege committed by them in adoring the Crosse and giving unto it divine worship and ascribing effects unto the bare signe ex opere operato which Antiquity never did not then when GOD shewed greatest wonders and magnified his power most of all at the use of it which you cannot disprove nor deny though you ramble and are ready to grinde the teeth at it HELEN adored the KING of heaven and not the woodden CROSSE saith S. AMBROSE In regard of that great and prophane abuse of it in the Roman Church we doe abstaine from the more frequent ordinary publick use of the signe which otherwise is lawfull and we might practice it much more than we do were it not for scandall But I adde in the conclusion I could tell some experimented effects thereof You meane in my owne experience by my selfe or some other of my acquaintance What I meane you have no authoritie to examine me Whatsoever you have given out amongst the Brethren in this point I may by all Law in tearms of ambiguity expound my selfe Therefore prate you in corners what you please I may intend this that I can out of my reading afford the Gagger who hath related none some examples of strange works wrought by GOD in the times of old at the use of the signe of the Crosse and some I have formerly made you acquainted withall out of EPIPHANIUS NAZIANZENE CHRYSOSTOME and others whose much grave and respected authority in the Church you though aptly disposed thereto dare not trample under foot as little account as you even now made of the Ancients As I told the Gagger before that I could afford him Fathers for the use thereof hee having