TVVO LOOKS OVER LINCOLNE OR A view of his Holy Table name and thing discovering his erronious and Popish Tenets and Positions And under pretence of defending the cause of Religion shamefully betraying the truth and sincerity thereof A Petition exhibited in all humility to the judgement of the most worthy Defenders of the Truth the Honorable House of COMMONS in PARLIAMENT against the said Booke and especially 51. Tenets therein By R. DEY Minister of the Gospell Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of the faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation Artic. 6. of the Convocation at London 1562. Acts 24. Verse 14. So worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Acts 26.22 Having obtained helpe of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come LONDON Printed in the yeere of Hope 1641. TO THE HONOVRABLE The Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House in PARLIAMENT now assembled The humble Petition of RICH. DEY Minister shewing that WHereas there hath beene printed and published a Booke entitled The Holy Table Name and Thing c. containing certaine Positions and Tenets of doctrine discipline the worship of God and the Kings power and rights in matters Ecclesiasticall and many of them proved onely by Popish Writers Jesuits and forged Authours and some of them barely asserted which Booke was most probably written but most certainly approved allowed and licensed to be printed and published as most Orthodox in Doctrine and Consonant in Discipline to the Church of England and to set forth the Kings power and rights in matters Ecclesiasticall truly and judiciously by Iohn Williams Bishop of Lincolne That your Honours will be pleased to take the said Book and especially certaine Tenets and Articles thereof hereunto annexed into your grave considerations and that the said Bishop may be put to answer unto the said Booke and Tenets according to the Word of God and the Lawes of this Kingdome the onely rule and prescript of our Religion and the Kings right whether divine or humane And your Petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray c. The Preface for the Readers intelligence SECTION I. Of the Letter of the Vicar of Grantham WHen as the Prelats were busied and mightily turmoyled in their braines to introduce daily some Innovation or other to set up Popery and to endeavour a reconciliation to Rome it hapned that about the yeere 1627. as appeares Holy Table p. 7. that the Vicar of Grantham in the Dioces of Lincolne being set on by some in authority hol tab. p. 9. perhaps by some of Lauils agents or else by Dr. Heylin one of his Majesties Chaplins began to remove the Communion Table and to place it altarwise whereupon Mr. Wheatley an Alderman and some other townesmen opposed him as having no law nor warrant so to do and the contention thus begun growing hot amongst them it came at last before the Bishop who somewhat pacified the matter beween the Vicar and tovvnesmen and calling the Vicar aside was over-heard to importune him to declare who were his instigators to those innovations which as was conceived he did and the Bishop causing the Vicar with his neighbors to sup there that night said I have supt already upon that you tell mee And if all the bookes I have be able to doe it I will find some satisfaction for my selfe and you in all these particulars before I goe this night to bed And I will provide a letter as written to you M. Alderman to shew to your Brethren and some notes to be delivered to the Divines of the lecture at Grantham And both these if the fault be not in my servant shall be ready by seven a clock in the morning h. tab. p. 9. The Bishop and his Secretary sitting up most of that night in his study and his Secretary fetching up the Booke of Martyrs and borrowing from the Parish Church B Iewels Works And in the morning as the Bishop promised over night between 7 and 8. of the clock was delivered to the Alderman a letter sealed up The forme whereof you may see ho tab. p. 10. And at the same time there was delivered also by the Secretary a sheet of paper closed up to be conveyed to the Divines of the Lecture of Grantham upon their next meeting-day with direction from his Secretary that if they approved of them to impart them to the Vicar to give him satisfaction which they did Now the true copy of these notes or letter though neither subscribed nor superscribed yet as appeares by the premisses and the contents thereof indited and framed by the Bishop though penned by the Secretary is expressed in Holy Table pag. 12. SECT. II. Of the Coal from the Altar IN answer to this Letter which belike the Vicar imparted perhaps in excuse of his desisting his former Innovations and resting now satisfied with this to him who probably was his first inciter to those proceedings Dr. Heylin an intimate friend of his whom the Vicar miserably mistooke for a judicious Divine there was published a vaporous and smoakie piece of worke called A Coal from the Altar which though it was kindled from some Smithfield-faggots in Q. Marys dayes and tended to the same purpose if it had found fuell enough to have kept it alive yet consisting of ignorance misquotations and bad wrestings of good Authours more than of any pure ignean Element it flamed not as the Colliers intended it SECT. III. Of the Holy Table Name and Thing THis Coal was luckily though unlikely quenched not by holy water but with holy wood a new kind of miracle for the holy Table Name and Thing falling flat and heavie upon it smothered it in it's owne smoake or rather the Bishop of Lincolnes Crosier that Episcopall instrument made of an Altar-raile did so bastinado and batterfang Dr. Heylins coal that it broke the Coal to cinders metamorphosed the holy Altar into an holy Table name and thing in appearance yet an holy Altar still in reverence adoration place and situation and which is yet more miraculous did not quench the Romish fire of the coal but rather by a politique dexterity transubstantiate or rather pseudangelically transforme the fire of the coal into a more modificated fire though no lesse penetrating and more spreading for the Coal comming in blustring and sparkling like an old fashioned Divel with a Romish Altar in the front for all his heat was likely to meet with some greâ—n wood which would not admit the fire at first view but the holy Table comming like a disguised spirit though alike Babylonian under pretence of the holy wood and sweet fuel would dry the green logs and by
themselves doe make 4. Whether doe not Parliaments rather affirme and declare the full consent of the King subjects in such points wherein they doubt what the Law of God is 5. Whether some particulars in Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction which before were doubtfull whether they ought to be by Gods Law obeyed or no may not be confirmed by the full consent of the parties whom they most concerne in Acts of Parliament XXX That whatsoever by the Laws of God the Prince or the Church is once constituted is no longer to be mooted upon but absolutely obeyed by all inferiours And what God the King and Church have directed is not to be put to deliberation but execution Holy Table pag. 66.67 Consid. 1. Whether all the Prelates Canons are constituted by God the Prince or the Church 2. Whether it will suffice that it be constituted by God and the Prince or else by the Church alone without them 3. Whether by the name of Church here be not meant the worst members of the Church the Prelates in Convocation 4. Whether no deliberation is allowed to know whether God hath constituted it or no XXXI That all commands of the King that are not upon the first inference and illation without any prosyllogismes contrary to a cleare passage in the Word of God or to an evident sun-beame of the Law of nature are precisely to be obeyed pag. 68. Consid. 1. Whether a command contrary to the word of God upon the second inference may not be as unlawfull as upon the first 2. VVhether a command which is truely contrary to an obscure passage in the word of God may not be as unlawfull in it selfe as to a cleare XXXII That it is not enough to finde a remote and possible inconvenience that may ensue therefrom which is the ordinary objection against the Booke * of Recreations pag. 68. Consid. 1. Whether Bishop Williams doe not here allow the Booke of Recreations because he admits not the ordinary objection against it XXXIII That every good subject is bound in conscience to believe and rest assured that his Prince environed with such a Counsell will be more able to discover and as ready to prevent any ill sequele that may come of it as himselfe possibly can be Holy Table pag. 68. Consid. 1. Whether is a good subject bound to believe and rest assured that the Councell are such as they should be though they be not and so be bound in conscience to believe a falshood 2. VVhether is a good subject bound in conscience to believe and rest assured upon other mens goodnesse for the safetie of his owne conscience 3. VVhether the Papists doe not so thinke of the Pope and his conclave of Cardinals be they good or bad XXXIV That the Table without some new Canon is not to stand Altarwise and you at the North end thereof but tablewise and you must officiate on the North side of the same by the Lyturgie Holy Table pag. 20. Consid. 1. Whether this doe not imply that by a new Canon it may stand Altar-wise though by the Lyturgie authorised by Parliament it may not 2. VVhether this doe not preferre a Canon before a Statute and the Convocation before the Parliament 3. VVhether this did not give the first hint for the new Canons and lay the first foundation for the late Convocation to make the Canon XXXV That whether the Altars may soone be mounted up by steps that the Minister may be seene and heard of the Congregation I cannot tell you without new directions For the orders made 1561. require plainly that if in any Chancell the steps be transposed they be not erected againe and these were high Commissioners grounded upon the Act of Parliament who set forth these orders Which how farre they binde I dare not determine being as you say none of the ablest Canonists in the Church of England Holy Table pag. 206. Consid. 1. VVhether this doe not intimate that by new directions the Bishops may crosse the orders authorised by Parliament 2. VVhether he doubt how farre orders grounded on Parliament may binde and yet affirme in the next Tenet that the Convocation maketh strong and binding Canons 3. VVhether it be not undenyably manifest here that the writer of the Letter to the Vicar and the writer of the Holy Table are both one man because those words of the ablest Canonists in the Church of England which here he takes to himselfe Doctor Heylin spake onely of the writer of the Letter and so it is plane they are both one man and Holy Table pag. 58. he saith this Pamphleters whole Booke is but a libell against a Bishop but that Booke as Coal from the Altar was written onely against the writer of the Letter therefore both the writer of the Letter and of the Holy Table were both one to wit the Bishop of Lincolne for both in the Title page and in the license it is said to be written by a Minister of Lincolneshire XXXVI That the reverent house of Convocation is not convened or licensed by the King to make permissions that men may doe what they list but to make when they are confirmed by the King strong and binding Canons to be obeyed by the Subjects and to be pursued by all the Ordinaries of the Kingome Holy tab. pag. 205. Consid. 1. Whether it was not a brave world for Prelates to make what Lawes they pleased if they could but get the Kings consent 2. Whether hee doe not aggravate the strength of Canon and arbitrary commands but extenuate the power of Parliaments XXXVII That the Bishop or Ordinary if he command according to the Lawes and Canons confirmed for otherwise he is in his eccentricks and moves not as hee should doe why then in such a case as wee had even now that is a case of diversity doubt and ambiguity hee is punctualy to be obeyed by those of his jurisdiction be they of the Clergie or of the Laitie holy Table pag. 68.69 Consid. 1. Whether the Bishop expecting obedience if hee command according to the Lawes and Canons in cases of doubt and diversity being learned and knowing his grounds may not better shew his grounds and evidence of the lawfulnesse to satisfie the weake consciences then to force obedience against their consciences without any ground XXXVIII That in matters of doubting and ambiguity the inferiour shall be approved of God for his dutie and obedience and never charged as guilty of error for any future inconvenience holy tab. pag. 69. Consid. 1. Whether there be any ground in Scripture to warrant the committing of wilfull and presumptuous sinnes 2. Whether any Scripture teach that men shall be approved of God for sinning against God to please a Bishop and not rather severely punished 3. Whether this doth not bewray Bishops that they seeke more their owne pride and vain-glory then the glory and service of God 4. Whether this doctrine be not divellish and Popoish and cleane contrary to S. Paul who saith
reason and integritie the three Rules shall be none but his owne which in reason hee cannot for shame deny And the compasse shall be his owne Metropolitanes which by all Prelaticall Lawes and his owne Oath at his consecration he is bound to keepe within and to obey The Rules are these I. That which is in writing before our eyes is no more by a Disputant indeed to be wrigled and wrested but to be taken as it is set downe holy tab. pag. 2 II. That words should be taken sensu currenti for use and custome is the best Expositor both of lawes and words If of all lawes and words then most of all of the words of the lawes holy tab. pag. 54. III. That wee must take heed of quillets and distinctions that may bring us backe againe to the old errour reformed in the Church holy tab. pag. 102. The Compasse is this That the Church of England grounded her positive Articles upon the Scripture and her negative doe refute there where the thing affirmed by the Papists is not affirmed by Scripture nor directly to be concluded out of it and here not the Church of England onely but all Protestants agree most truly and most strongly in this that the Scripture is sufficient to salvation and containes in it all things necessary to it The Fathers are plaine the Schoole-men not strangers in it and have not we reason then to account it as it is the foundation of our faith 〈◊〉 Relation of a Conference pag. 52. Sect. 15. numb. 1. Note that the Writer of the Letter to the Vicar of Grantham and the Writer of the Holy Table in defence of the Letter are both one Person and that one the Bishop of Lincoln as it appears in the Preface Lincolnes Tenets I. That the Writer of the Letter doth both approve in the Vicar and imitate in his owne practice the formes and ceremonies of Chappels and Cathedrals holy tab. pag. 182. II. That the Writer conceiveth the Communion Table to stand Altar wise â— in the place where the Altar stood to be the most decent situation when it is not used and for use too where the Quire is mounted up by steps and open so as he that officiates may be seene and heard of all the Congregation holy tab. p. 14.98 III. That it was well done that the Vicar of Grantham did president himselfe with the formes in is Majesties Chappell and the Quiers of Cathedrall Churches These things I the Writer of the Letter doe my selfe allow and practise holy tab. pag. 13. IV. That the Writer of the Letter saith clearely hee likes that fashion of Altar-wise situation of the holy Table hee allowes it and so useth it himselfe ho tab. pag. 98.20 Lincolnes owne Rule That every word hath that operation in construction of Law that we may draw our arguments from the words as from so many topick places Holy Table pag. 75. Considerations upon the Tenets worthy to be regarded Vpon the foure first Tenets I. Whether it was not his owne authority over the Vicar who presumed to alter the Table without his leave and his owne cause and credit against Heylin who provoked him in print that the Bishop maintained rather than the Cause of Christ or his Church or true Religion whereas hee not onely shewes himselfe as bad as they both in judgement and practice but also yeelds basely more than they durst require And so rather betrayes than defends the cause V. That the Vicar of Grantham observed as hee said that the Table in his Lorships the Bishop of Lincolnes private Chappell to be so Altarwise placed and furnished with Plate and Ornaments above any hee ever had seene in this Kingdome the Chappell Royall onely excepted holy table pag. 12. Consid. 1. Whether other Bishops can justly be taxed with Innovations and be spared whereas it appeares that be exceeded them all VI That to call the Table Altar in a metaphoricall and improper sense you know the Letter doth every where allow holy table pag. 141. Consid. 1. Wâ—â—ther Heylin could desire any more but to call it so commonly though metaphorically whereby the people not able to distinguish it by custome would take it properly VII That the Writer would not have blamed the Vicar if he had in a quotation from the Fathers or a discourse in the Pulpit named it an Altar in a borrowed sense holy tab. pag. 75. Consid. 1. Whether Bishop Williams dislike any thing in the Doctor and Vicar but onely their want of skill to excuse their words by saying they meant it metaphorically whereas hee allowes them more then they durst desire the Pulpit where the people expect them to speake truly plainly and properly 2. Whether hee defended the true doctrine who affords them the pulpit or rather his owne authority VIII That throughout all the Dioces I the Writer of the Booke live in which is Lincolne being no small part of the kingdome there is whether the Epistoler like it or no Railes and Barricadoes c. pag. 136. Consid. 1. Whether the Bishop did either dislike or seeke to reforme it whereas his owne practice and example went beyond all others IX That the Coal i. Doctor Heylin doth faine a Tenet to be maintained which is opposed in all the Letter that the Communion Tables should not stand or be placed towards the East wheras the writer of the letter is but too much for it not allowing the ordinary exceptions of Bellarmine Suarez or Walafridus Strabo before them that it might be otherwise when the conveniencie of the building doth require it ho tab. pab 230. Consid. 1. Whether hee be not more superstitious then Heylin whereas hee confesseth himselfe to exceed the archpapists themselves X. That the writer of the letter had hee any ground given him by his Majesties Lawes to turne him about seemes unto mee the writer of the Holy table fully as forward and farre more able to defend old Ceremonies then you Doctor Heylin are holy table pag. 46. Consid. 1. Whether doth hee not confesse his heart to be as bad as Heylins and to desire to exceed him if hee durst for the Lawes XI That the writer of the letter doth cite and approve the Appellation of second Service ho tab. pag. 3. Consid. 1. Whether That Appellation of second Service be Orthodox and Consonant to the Church of England or rather to the mass-Masse-booke XII That the writer of the letter doth commend allow and practise bowing at the Name of Iesus Holy table pag. 2.13.00 XIII That an accustomed lowly reverence to this blessed Name wee received from all antiquitie as appeares by the Canons and Injunctions and good reason wee should entaile it on our Posteritie Holy tab. pag. 101. Consid. 1. Whether that bowing be Orthodox and grounded upon Scripture whereas Doctor Fulke an Orthodox Writer affirmes that it is neither commanded nor prophesied in Phil. 2.10 and what Scriptures doe prove it 2. Whether that Antiquity be any elder than the Papacy 3. Whether by
moderate degrees draw in as much Romish heat if not more than the former as appeareth plainly by the subsequents and so deceived many thousand readers and also would me if I had but only once look'd over Lincolne SECT. IV. Of Heylins Antidotum Lincolniense TO this Holy Table Doctor Heylin tooke no care to provide holy coverings and furnitures nor bossed Bookes guilt Candlestickes Virgin wax-tapers Embroydred hangings carved Rayles pretious Plate no nor so much as a massie Crucifix to pray unto for helpe against this Prelate but seeing his credit lie at stake his Coale extinguished his Altar sore wounded his Learning though weake lie a bleeding and his Religion poysoned hee thinkes it no time to sit playing at Tables with an idle Bishop but presently provides a salve for all these sores which hee called Antidotum Lincolniense but as his Divinitie was gone to travell in strange countreys and was but newly come home weary weake and feeble when he kindled his Coal to warme it so his physique lay asleepe in a warme night-cap and could not suddenly be awaked when he composed his Antidote so that it would neither cure his credit salve his Altars sores selve to expell the poyson of his opinion nor preserve his repute of learning although he graced it with his name in publique thereby bewraying himselfe to be the author of the Coal SECT. V. Of the Author of the Letter and Holy Table c. THat the Bishop of Lincolne was the Author of the Letter to the Vicar of Grantham and Divines of that Lecture though his Secretaries pen might set downe the words is manifest by the premisses in the first Section and that hee was likewise the Author of the Holy Table in defence of the Letter against the Coal from the Altar is not onely probable but plainly manifest and undenyable for although in the Title page and in the license he call him a Lincolneshire Minister and pag. 5. a neighbouring Minister employed in some of the maine passages and pag. 11. one of the Lecturers of Grantham saying Wee met accordingly and perused these Letters c. And pag. 21 and 114. one of the Lecturers that approved of the Letter yet all this proves him not a Lecturer both because he might purposely personate another man whom he was not and also because that by the same reason wee may as well thinke him to be a Countrey Joyner for hee saith Holy Table pag. 45. I that am but a poore Countrey Ioyner can set you up a Table c. and yet hee could not be a Lecturer and Joyner both besides the Lordly stile the Bishoply phrase the Prelaticall disdaine of the Doctor the Chaplin although the Kings his mocking him with a Bishopricke his slight of a Vicaridge his disdaine of the Vicar of that Lecture doe speake him no Lecturer at Grantham his leasure to reade Histories besides English French Italian and Spanish unlikely in a Lecturer his dexteritie in the civill Common and Canon lawes the Lord Keepers office Acts of Parliament Acts of Councell Prerogative Royall Episcopall policy and experience and many such reasons bewray him to be no Lecturer his skill in the tongues not usuall in a Lecturer his Promptitude and readinesse in the Popish Canons Decrees and Decretals his skill in so many severall Masse-bookes and frequent quotation of Masse-mongers his notorious ignorance in understanding and applying the Scriptures as appeares pag. 78. upon Acts 6.2 and his rare quotation of Scriptures the whole Booke I thinke scarce affording five severall Texts among many hundreds of Jesuits Masse-bookes and other Authors frequently quoted in all which regards I appeale to any rationall man whether this can be a Lecturer but above all this wee have himselfe confessing and one confession of the party accused or suspected the Law takes hold of not regarding a hundred denialls for saith hee Holy Table pag. 206. I dare not determine being as you say none of the ablest Canonists in the Church of England here he takes the words as spoken of himselfe which in the Coal from the Altar pag. 50. and quoted Holy Table pag. 54. It is manifest that Heylin speakes it and Lincolne takes it as spoken of the writer of the Letter so that it cannot be denyed but that one man was writer of both and that hee was the Bishop appeares plainly Holy Table pag. 58. saying This Pamphleter whose whole Booke is but a Libell against a Bishop c. Now it is evident that Heylin writ the Coal in answer to the Letter and the Writer thereof therefore the Writer of both Letter and Booke was the Bishop And if this plaine confessing can be shifted off with jugling barbara celarent pag. 64. adieu Grammar and Logicke Mood and Figure and Mood and Tense too and vous avez Doctor Holdsworth who they say corrected it at the Presse and Master Bourn who had the Manuscript and also vous avez the Bishop of Lincolne himselfe who licensed and approved it for Orthodoxal and consonant and subscribed his Name A Preamble to the Tenets BEcause the Prelates are so subtile and politique and so selfe-conceited and to use Lincolnes owne words doe make their owne workes above all humane and equall to the Lawes divine Holy Table pag. 4. and such is the partiality of them that they make their owne case make their owne evidence make their owne law and make their owne authorities and all out of their owne conceits and endeavour what they can to give a faire cause a foule face Holy Tab. pag. 5. so that when wee have that great advantage which Tully speakes of Confitentem reum the guiltie confessing wee can scarce be sure to tie a knot upon a Bishop for he is a slipperie youth as Plaut. in pseudolo Quid cum manifesto tenetur Anguilla est elabitur Holy Table pag. 40. When you thinke sure an Eele is tyed Hee 'l slip the string and not abide So that a man cannot imagine what evidence to provide to give satisfaction to so hautie a companion who Iura negat sibi nata nihil non arrogat armis pag. 5. His native lawes he will deny The Prelats power to deify And because it is possible a Prelate may propose unto himselfe some peevish wrangling waspish humour of his owne in stead of a Canon Holy Table pag. 65. and therefore no Ecclesiasticall Judge whatsoever is to guide himselfe by his owne sense pag. 65. although this Prelate would have his courteous Readers the poore countrey people to swallow many a Gudgeon without so much as champing or chewing on it Holy Table pag. 146. I have therefore proposed before his Tenets to avoyd cavillations and Prelaticall evasions three rules and one compasse which if they were mine owne being reasonable it were as great reason this Prelates Opinions and Tenets should be ruled and squared by them as that Heylin and others should be regulated by and compassed within his rules and compasse But because I would deale with all