into that sacred order that we stick at There we finde that none but Christ can make a Sacrament for none but he who can give Grace can ordain a Signe and Seal of Grace Now it is evident enough that these adscititious Sacraments were never of Christs institution So was not Confirmation as our Alexander of Hales and Holcot so was not Matrimony as Durand so was not Extreme Unction as Hugo Lombard Bonaventure Halensis Altissiodore by the confession of their Suarez These were ancient Rites but they are new Sacraments All of them have their allowed and profitable use in Gods Church though not in so high a nature except that of Extreme Unction which as it is an apish mis-imitation of that extraordinary course which the Apostolick times used in their cures of the sick so it is grosly mis-applied to other purposes then were intended in the first institution Then it was Ungebant sanabant the oyle miraculously conferring bodily recovery but now Non nisi in mortis articulo adhibetur it is not used but upon the very point of death as Cajetan and Cassander confesse and all experience manifests and by Felix the Fourth drawn to a necessity of addresse to eternall life Sect 2. Seven Sacraments beside Scripture NOT to scan particulars which all yield ample exceptions but to wind them all up in one bottome Whosoever shall look into the Scripture shall finde it apparent that as in the time of mans Innocency there were but Two Sacraments the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge so before and under the Law however they had infinite Rites yet in the proper sense they had but Two Sacraments the same in effect with those under the Gospel the one the Sacrament of Initiation which was their Circumcision parallel'd by that Baptisme which succeeded it the other the Sacrament of our holy Confirmation that spirituall meat and drink which was their Paschall Lambe and Manna and water from the rock prefiguring the true Lambe of God and bread of life and blood of our Redemption The great Apostle of the Gentiles that well knew the Analogy hath compared both Moreover brethren I would not have you ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all were baptized in the cloud and in the sea and all did eat the same spirituall meat and all did drink the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ What is this in any just construction but that the same two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper which we celebrate under the Gospel were the very same with those which were celebrated by Gods ancient people under the Law they two and no more Hoc facite Doe this is our warrant for the one and Ite baptizate c. Goe teach and Baptize for the other There is deep silence in the rest Sect. 3. Against Reason IN Reason it must be yielded that no man hath power to set to a seal but he whose the writing is Sacraments then being the seals of Gods gracious evidences whereby he hath conveyed to us eternall life can be instituted by no other then the same power that can assure and perform life to his creature In every Sacrament therefore must be a Divine institution and command of an Element that signifies of a Grace that is signified of a word adjoyned to that element of an holy act adjoyned to that word Where these concur not there can be no true Sacrament and they are palpably missing in these five Adjections of the Church of Rome Lastly The Sacraments of the new Law as Saint Austin often flowed out of the side of Christ None flowed thence but the Sacrament of water which is Baptisme and the Sacrament of blood in the Supper whereof the Author saith This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you The rest never flowing either from the side or from the lips of Christ are as new and mis-named Sacraments justly rejected by us and we thereupon as unjustly censured CHAP. XVI The Newnesse of the Doctrine of Tradition THE chief ground of these and all other Errours in the Church of Rome is the over-valuing of Traditions which the Tridentine Synod professes to receive and reverence with no lesse pious affection then the Books of the Old and New Testament and that not in matter of Rite and History onely but of Faith and Manners also wherein as they are not unwilling to cast a kinde of imputation of imperfection upon the written Word so they make up the defects of it by the supply of unwritten Traditions to which indeed they are more beholden for the warrant of the greater part of their superadded Articles then to the Scriptures of God Both which are Points so dangerously envious as that Antiquity would have abhorred their mention Neither is any thing more common with the holy Fathers of the Church then the magnifying the compleat perfection of Scripture in all things needfull either to be believed or done What can be more full and clear then that of Saint Austine In his quae apertè c. In these things which are openly laid forth in Scripture are found all matters that contain either Faith or Manners Cardinall Bellarmine's elusion is not a little prejudicial to his own Cause He tells us that Saint Austin speaks of those Points which are simply necessary to Salvation for all men all which he acknowledges to be written by the Apostles But besides these there are many other things saith he which we have only by Tradition Will it not therefore hence follow that the common sort of Christians need not look at his Traditions that commonly men may be saved without them that Heaven may be attained though there were no Traditions Who will not now say Let me come to Heaven by Scripture goe you whither you will by Traditions To which adde that agreat yea the greater part if we may believe some of their own of that which they call Religion is grounded upon onely Tradition If then Tradition be onely of such things as are not simply necessary to Salvation then the greater part of their mis-named Religion must needs be yielded for simply unnecessary to all men And if we may be saved without them and be made Citizens of Heaven how much more may we without them be members of the true Church on Earth As for this place S. Augustine's words are full and comprehensive expressing all those things which contain either Faith or Manners whether concerning Governours or people If now they can finde out any thing that belongs not either to belief or action we do willingly give it up to their Traditions but all things which pertain to either of those are openly comprized in Scripture What can be more direct then that of holy Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
THE Contemplations upon the HISTORY OF THE New Testament now complete The second Tome Together with Divers TREATISES reduced to the greater Volume By Jos Exon. MDCLXI LONDON Printed by James Flesher TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTIE CHARLES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Most Gracious and Dread Soveraign MOre then twenty years are slipt away since I entred upon this task of sacred Contemplations presuming so long agoe to prefix your Royal Name to some of the first pieces of this long work which I rather wished then hoped I might live to finish The God of Heaven hath been pleased to stretch out my daies so farre as to see it brought at last after many necessary intermissions to an happy end Now not with more contentment then boldness I bring to your sacred hands besides variety of other discourses that work complete whereof some few parcels saw the light before under subordinate Dedications The whole is your Majesties due no less then the unworthy Author whose age pleaseth and prideth it self in nothing more then in the title of one of your Majesties most ancient Attendants in my station now living JOS. EXON THE CONTENTS OF THIS SECOND TOME CONTEMPLATIONS ON THE NEW TESTAMENT The First Book containing THE Angel and Zachary 1 The Annunciation of CHRIST 6 The Birth of CHRIST 9 The Sages and the Star 12 The Purification 15 Herod and the Infants 18 The Second Book containing CHrist among the Doctors 23 Christ's Baptisme 27 Christ Tempted 29 Simon Called 38 The Marriage in Cana. 41 The good Centurion 44 The Third Book containing THe Widows Son raised 48 The Rulers Son cured 51 The dumb Devil ejected 53 Matthew Called 58 Christ amongst the Gergesens or Legion and the Gadarene heard 61 The Fourth Book containing THe faithful Canaanite 73 The deaf and dumb man cured 79 Zacheus 83 John Baptist beheaded 91 The five loaves and two fishes 100 The walk upon the waters 107 The bloody issue healed 114 Jairus and his daughter 120 The motion of the two fiery Disciples repelled 122 The ten Lepers 126 The pool of Bethesda 132 Christ transfigured 138 The woman taken in adultery 152 The thankful Penitent 158 Martha and Mary 165 The begger that was born blinde cured 169 The stubborn Devil ejected 173 The Widows mites 177 The ambition of the two sons of Zebedee 179 The tribute-money pay'd 183 Lazarus dead 185 Lazarus raised 190 Christ's procession to the Temple 198 The fig-tree cursed 202 Christ betrayed 205 The Agonie 209 Peter and Malchus or Christ apprehended 212 Christ before Caiaphas 215 Christ before Pilate 218 The Crucifixion 224 The Resurrection 233 The Ascension â—â—â— Sermons and other Treatises A Sermon of publick thanksgiving for the wonderful mitigation of the late Mortality preach'd before his Majesty at White-Hall 251 One of the Sermons preach'd at Westminster on the day of the Publick Fast April 5. 1628. to the Lords of the High Court of Parliament 261 A Sermon preach'd before his Majestie on the Sunday before the Fast March 30. 1628. at White-hall 271 One of the Sermons preach'd to the Lords of the high Court of Parliament on Ashwednesday February 18. 279 The Hypocrite set forth in a Sermon at Court February 28. 1629. being the third Sunday in Lent 291 The Beauty and Unitie of the Church in a Sermon at White-Hall 304 The Fashions of the world laid forth in a Sermon at Grayes-Inn on Candlemas day 311 The Estate of a Christian laid forth in a Sermon at Grayes-Inn on Candlemas day 320 The Fall of Pride out of Proverbs 29. ver 23. 329 Christ and Caesar A Sermon preach'd at Hampton-Court 337 The defeat of Cruelty prayed for and laid forth in a Sermon preach'd at a solemn Fast at White-Hall 344 S. Paul's combat in two Sermons preach'd at the Court to his Majestie in ordinary attendance 1 352 S. Paul's combat in two Sermons preach'd at the Court to his Majestie in ordinary attendance 2 362 The Old Religion A treatise wherein is laid down the true state of the difference betwixt the Reformed and Roman Church 369 The Reconciler An Epistle pacificatory of the seeming difference of opinion concerning the Trueness and Visibility of the Romane Church 424 Occasional Meditations 448 Certain Catholick Propositions 499 An Answer to Pope Urban his Inurbanity expressed in a Breeve sent to Lewis the French King 503 TO MY MUCH HONOURED AND RIGHT WORSHIPFUL FRIEND Sir Henry Yelverton KNIGHT ATTURNEY GENERALL TO HIS MAJESTIE Right Worshipful It is not out of any satietie that I change from the Old Testament to the New these two as they are the Breasts of the Church so they yield Milk equally wholesome equally pleasant unto able Nurselings Herein I thought good to have respect unto my Reader in whose strength there may be difference That other Breast perhaps doth not let down this nourishing liquor so freely so easily Even so small a variety refresheth a weak Infant Neither will there perhaps want some palates which will finde a more quick and pleasing relish in this fresher substance These I thought good to please with a Taste ere they come to sate themselves with a full Meal of this Divine nourishment in emulation of the good Scribe that brings forth both old and new If it please God to inable my life and opportunities I hope at last to present this Church with the last service of the Historie of either Page wherein my Joy and my Crown shall be the Edification of many In the mean time I dedicate this part unto your Name whom I have so much cause to observe and honour The Blessing of that God whose Church you have ever made your chief Client be still upon your head and that honourable Society which rejoyces in so worthy a Leader To it and your self I shall be ever as I have cause Humbly and unfeignedly devoted JOS. HALL Contemplations THE FIRST BOOK Containing The Angel and Zachary The Annunciation The Birth of CHRIST The Sages and the Star The Purification Herod and the Infants The Angel and Zachary WHEN things are at worst then God begins a change The state of the Jewish Church was extreamly corrupted immediately before the news of the Gospel yet as bad as it was not only the Priesthood but the courses of attendance continued even from Davids time till Christs It is a desperately depraved condition of a Church where no good orders are left Judea passed many troubles many alterations yet this orderly combination endured about an eleven hundred years A setled good will not easily be defeated but in the change of persons will remain unchanged and if it be forced to give way leaves memorable footsteps behinde it If David fore-saw the perpetuation of this holy Ordinance how much did he rejoice in the knowledge of it who would not be glad to doe good on condition that it may so long out-live him The successive turnes of the Legal ministration
it be possible it may rise up no more Why do not we spend the whole quiver of Gods threatned vengeance upon wilful sinners And thus must we bait the beast Is it a Drunken beast we are committed with Wo to them that rise up early to follow strong drink Esa 5. 11. Wo to him that giveth his neighbour drink to make him drunk Abac. 2. 15. The cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned to that man vomitus ignominiosus ad gloriam verse 16. Oh it is a bitter cup this of the Lords right hand whereof he shall wring out the dregs unto that soul so as in stead of quaffing the excessive healths of others he shall drink up his own death and eternal confusion Is it a Gluttonous beast Wo to him his God is his belly his glory shall be in his shame and his end damnation Phil. 3. 19. Whiles the flesh is yet between his teeth ere it be chewed the wrath of the Lord is kindled against him Numb 11. 33. Yea but it goes down sweetly Oh fool the meat in thy belly shall be turned into the gall of Asps within thee Job 20. 14. Vae saturis Wo be to the full for they shall hunger they shall famish to death and dye famishing and live dying and have enough of nothing but fire and brimstone Is it a Ravenous beast a Covetous oppressour His tooth like a mad dogs envenomes and emphrensies so saith Solomon that knew the nature of all beasts Oppression makes a wise man mad Eccles. 7. 7. Tabifici sunt Ps 79. 7. Wo be to you that joyn house to house Es 5. 8. Wo be to the mighty sins of them whose treadings are upon the poor that afflict the just that take bribes and turn away the poor in the gates Amos 5. 11 12. Therefore the Lord the God of Hoasts saith thus Wailing shall be in all their streets and they shall say in all high-waies Alas alas verse 16. They have robbed their poor Tenants and oppressed the afflicted in the gate therefore the Lord will plead their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them Is it an Unclean beast Whoso committeth adultery with a woman destroyeth his own soul Prov. 6. 32. A fornicator in the body of his flesh will never cease till he have kindled a fire Ecclus. 23. 16. His fire of lust flames up into a fire of disease and burns down into the fire of Hell Is it a Foul-mouth'd beast that bellows out Blasphemies and bloody Oaths There is a word that is cloathed about with death God grant it be not found in the heritage of Jacob Ecclus. 23. 12. A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity and the plague shall never depart from his house verse 11. Thus must we lay about us spiritu or is yea gladio spiritûs and let drive at the Beast of what kind soever But if we shall still find that which blind Homer saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the worse hath the better and that this spiritual edge shall either turn again or through our weak wieldance not enter the stubborn and thick hide of obdured hearts give me leave most Gracious Soveraign and ye honorable Peers to whom is committed the sword of either supreme or subordinate Justice to say that both God and the world expects that this Beast of sin should be baited by you in another fashion It is not for nothing that God hath set you so conspicuously in this great Amphitheatre where the eyes of Angels and men are bent upon you and that he hath given into your hands the powerful instruments of death If this pernicious beast dare contest with our weakness and oft-times leave us gasping and bleeding on this pavement yet we know that it cannot but fall under the power of your mercy yea your vengeance Oh let it please you to rouze up your brave and Princely spirits and to give the fatal blow to presumptuous wickedness If that monster of impious Sacriledge of atheous Profaneness of outragious Inordinateness dares lift up his hated head in the sight of this Sun let him be straight crushed with the weight of that Royal Scepter let him be hewn in pieces with the sharp sword of your Sacred Authority As we abound with wholesome Laws for the repressing of vice so let it please you in an holy zeal to revive their hearty and effectual execution that the precious Gospel of our Lord Jesus which we profess may not be either shamed or braved by insolent wickedness that Justice and Peace may flourish in our Land and that your Crown may long and happily flourish upon that Royal head until it shall receive a late and blessed exchange for a Crown of Glory and Immortality in the highest Heavens Amen THE OLD RELIGION A TREATISE Wherein Is laid down the true State of the difference betwixt the REFORMED and ROMANE CHURCH and the blame of this Schism is cast upon the true Authors Serving for the Vindication of our Innocence for the setling of wavering mindes for a Preservative against Popish Insinuations With an ADVERTISEMENT for such Readers as formerly stumbled at some passages in the Book By JOS. HALL B. of Exon. LONDON Printed by James Flesher in the year M DC LXI TO My new and dearly-affected CHARGE the Diocese of EXCESTER All Grace and Benediction THE truth of my heart gives me boldness to profess before him who onely knows it that the same God who hath called me to the over-sight of your Souls hath wrought in me a zealous desire of your Salvation This desire cannot but incite me to a careful prevention of those dangers which might threaten the disappointment of so happy an end Those Dangers are either Sins of Practice or Errours of Doctrine Against both these I have faithfully vowed my utmost endeavours I shall labour against the first by Preaching Example Censures wherein it shall be your choice to expect either the Rod or the Spirit of meekness Against the latter my Pen hath risen up in this early assault It hath been assured me that in this time of late Vacancie false Teachers catching the fore-lock of Occasion have been busie in scattering the tares of Errours amongst you I easily believe it since I know it is not in the power of the greatest vigilancie to hinder their attempts of evil Even a full See is no sufficient barre to crafty Seducers their Suggestions we cannot prevent their Success we may This I have here assay'd to doe bending my style against Popish Doctrine with such Christian moderation as may argue zeal without malice desire to win Souls no will to gall them And since the commonest of all the grounds of Romish deceit is the pretence of their Age and our Novelty and nothing doth more dazle the eyes of the simple then the name of our Fore-fathers and the challenge of a particular recital of our Professours before Luther's revolt I have I hope fully cleared this coast so
this sense can be no other then figurative and commemorative Is it really propitiatory Without shedding of blood there is no remission If therefore sins be remitted by this Sacrifice it must be in relation to that blood which was shed in his true personal Sacrifice upon the Cross and what relation can be betwixt this and that but of representation and remembrance in which their moderate Cassander fully resteth Sect. 3. Missal Sacrifice against Reason IN Reason there must be in every Sacrifice as Cardinal Bellarmine grants a destruction of the thing offered and shall we say that they make their Saviour to crucifie him again No but to eat him for Consumptio seu manducatio quae fit à Sacerdote The consumption or manducation which is done of the Priest is an essential part of this Sacrifice saith the same Authour For in the whole action of the Masse there is saith he no other real destruction but this Suppose we then the true humane flesh blood and bone of Christ God and man really and corporally made such by this Transubstantiation whether is more horrible to crucisie or to eat it By this rule it is the Priests teeth and not his tongue that makes Christs body a Sacrifice By this rule it shall be hostia an host when it is not a Sacrifice and a reserved host is no Sacrifice howsoever consecrated And what if a mouse or other vermin should eat the Host it is a case put by themselves who then sacrificeth To stop all mouths Laicks eat as well as the Priest there is no difference in their manducation but Laicks sacrifice not and as Salmeron urges the Scripture distinguisheth betwixt the Sacrifice and the participation of it Are not they which eat of the Sacrifices partakers of the Altar And in the very Canon of the Mass Ut quotquot c. the prayer is That all we which in the participation of the Altar have taken the sacred Body and Blood of thy Son c. Wherein it is plain saith he that there is a distinction betwixt the Host and the eating of the Host Lastly sacrificing is an act done to God if then eating be sacrificing the Priest eates his God to his God Quorum Deus venter Whiles they in vain studie to reconcile this new-made Sacrifice of Christ already in Heaven with Jube haec praferri Command these to be carried by the hands of thine holy Angels to thine high Altar in Heaven in the sight of thy Divine Majesty we conclude That this proper and propitiatory Sacrifice of the Masse as a new unholy unreasonable Sacrifice is justly abhorred by us and we for abhorring it unjustly ejected CHAP. X. The Newness of Image-Worship AS for the setting up and worshipping of Images we shall not need to climbe so high as Arnobius or Origen or the Council of Eliberis Anno 305. or to that fact and history of Epiphanius whose famous Epistle is honored by the Translation of Hierome of the picture found by him in the Church of the Village of Anablatha though out of his own Diocese how he tore it in an holy zeal and wrote to the Bishop of the place beseeching him that no such Pictures may be hanged up contrary to our Religion though by the way who can but blush at Master Fisher's evasion that it was sure the Picture of some prophane Pagan when as Epiphanius himself there sayes it had Imaginem quasi Christi vel Sancti cujusdam the Image as it were of Christ or some Saint Surely therefore the Image went for Christs or for some noted Saints neither doth he finde fault with the irresemblance but with the Image as such That of Agobardus is sufficient for us Nullus antiquorum Catholicorum None of the ancient Catholicks ever thought that Images were to be worshipped or adored They had them indeed but for history sake to remember the Saints by not to worship them The decision of Gregory the Great some 600 yeares after Christ which he gave to Serenus Bishop of Massilia is famous in every mans mouth and pen El quidem quia eas ador ari vetuisses c. We commend you saith he that you forbade those Images to be worshipped but we reprove your breaking of them adding the reason of both For that they were only retained for history and instruction not for adoration Which ingenuous Cassander so comments upon as that he shews this to be a sufficient declaration of the judgement of the Romane Church in those times Videlicet ideo haberi picturas c. That Images are kept not to be adored and worshipped but that the ignorant by beholding those Pictures might as by written records be put in minde of what hath been formerly done and be thereupon stirred up to Piety And the same Authour tells us that Sanioribns scholiasticis displicet c. The sounder Schoolmen disliked that opinion of Thomas Aquine who held that the Image is to be worshipped with the same adoration which is due to the thing represented by it reckoning up Durand Holcot Biel. Not to spend many words in a clear case What the judgement and practice of our Ancestours in this Iland was concerning this point appears sufficiently by the relation of Roger Hoveden our Historian who tells us that in the year 792. Charls the King of France sent into this Isle a Synodal Book directed unto him from Constantinople wherein there were divers offensive passages but especially this one that by the unanimous consent of all the Doctours of the East and no fewer then 300 Bishops it was decreed that Images should be worshipped quod Ecclesia Dei execratur saith he which the Church of God abhorres Against which Errour Albinus saith he wrote an Epistle marvellously confirmed by authority of Divine Scriptures and in the person of our Bishops and Princes exhibited it together with the said Book unto the French King This was the setled resolution of our Predecessours And if since that time prevailing Superstition have incroached upon the ensuing succession of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let the old rules stand as those Fathers determined away with Novelties But good Lord how apt men are to raise or believe lies for their own advantage Urspergensis and other friends of Idolatry tell us of a Council held at London in the days of Pope Constantine Anno 714. wherein the worship of Images was publickly decreed the occasion whereof was this Egwin the Monk after made Bishop had a Vision from God wherein he was admonished to set up the Image of the Mother of God in his Church The matter was debated and brought before the Pope in his See Apostolick there Egwin was sworn to the truth of his Vision Thereupon Pope Constantinus sent his Legate Boniface into England who called a Council at London wherein after proof made of Egwin's Vision there was an act made for Image-worship A figment so gross that even their Baronius
to their sin then to my wrong The main ground of the Exception is That I yield the Church of Rome a true visible Church wherein the harsh noise of a mis-construed phrase offends their eare and breeds their quarrell For this belike in their apprehension seems to sound no lesse then as if I had said The Church of Rome is a true-believing Church or a true part of the mysticall body of Christ a sense which is as far wide from my words or thoughts as from truth it self Wherefore serves this Book but to evince the manifold Corruptions of that foul Church That she is truely visible abates nothing of her abominations For who sees not that Visible refers to outward Profession True to some essentiall Principles of Christianity neither of them to soundnesse of Belief So as these two may too well stand together A true visible Church in respect of outward Profession of Christianity and an Hereticall Apostaticall Antichristian Synagogue in respect of Doctrine and Practice Grant the Romanists to be but Christians how corrupt soever and we cannot deny them the name of a Church Outward Visibility gives them no claim either to Truth or Salvation Shortly then in two things I must crave leave to vindicate my self One that I do no whit differ from my self the other that I differ not from the Judgement of our best Orthodox and approvedly-classicall Divines Both which cleared what have I done It is a grievous challenge this of Inconstancy for though whiles we are here in this region of Mutability our whole man is subject to change yet we do all herein affect a likenesse to the God of Truth in whom there is no shadow by turning especially in Religion so much more as that doth more assimilate and unite us to that unchangeable Deity Lo say they the man that once wrote No peace with Rome now cries nothing but Peace with Rome whiles he proclaims it a true visible Church and allows some Communion with it Alas brethren why will ye suffer a rash and ignorant Zeal thus to lye palpably in your way to Truth Be but pleased to cast your eyes upon the first Chapter of that Book of mine which is thus objected to me in a causelesse exprobration that which long since I wrote of the Irreconcilablenesse of Rome and see if that Section be not a full expression of the same Truth and that in the same words which I have here published There shall you finde taught That there is no other difference betwixt us and Rome then betwixt a Church miserably corrupted and happily purged betwixt a sickly languishing dying Church and one that is healthfull strong and flourishing That Valdus Wiclef Luther did never goe about to frame a new Church which was not but to cleanse restore reform that Church which was That they meant onely to be Physicians to heal not Parents to beget a Church There you shall finde That we are all the same Church by virtue of our outward Vocation whosoever all the world over worship Jesus Christ the only Son of God the Saviour of the world and professe the same common Creed that some of us doe this more purely others more corruptly that in the mean time we are all Christians but sound Christians we are not There ye shall finde this very Objection so fully answered as if it had been either formerly moved or so long since prevented the words are these But how harshly doth this sound to a weak reader and more then seems to need reconciliation with it self that the Church should be one and yet cannot be reconciled Certainly yet so it is The dignity of the outward forme which comprehends this Unity in it self avails nothing to Salvation nothing to Grace nothing to the soundnesse of Doctrine The Net doth not straight make all to be Fish that it hath dragg'd together ye shall finde in it vile weeds and whatsoever else that devouring element hath disgorged The Church is at once one in respect of the common Principles of Faith and yet in respect of consequences and that rabble of opinions which they have raked together so opposed that it cannot as things now stand by any glew of Concord as Cyprian speaketh nor bond of Unity be conjoined That which Rome holds with us makes it a Church that which it obtrudes upon us makes it Hereticall the truth of Principles makes it one the Error and impiety of Additions makes it irreconcilable c. Look on the face therefore of the Roman Church she is ours she is Gods look on her back she is quite contrary Antichristian More plainly Rome doth both hold the Foundation and destroy it she holds it directly destories it by consequent In that she holds it she is a true Church howsoever impured in that she destroies it what semblance soever she makes she is a Church of malignants If she did altogether hold it she should be sound and Orthbox if altogether she destroied it she should be either no Church or devilish but now that she professes to hold those things directly which by inferences she closely overthrows she is a truely visible Church but an unsound one Thus I wrote well-near twenty years agone without clamor without censure And since that in my Latine Sermon to the Convocation did I very ought from this hold Did I not there call heaven earth to record of our innocence in separating from the Romane Church Did I not cast the fault upon their violence not our will Did I not professe Lubentes quidem discessimus c. We willingly indeed departed from the Communion of their Errors but from the Communion of the Church we have not departed Let them abandon their Errours and we embrace the Church Let them cast away their Soul-killing Traditions and false appendances of their new Faith we shall gladly communicate with them in the right of the same Church and hold with them for ever This I freely both taught and published with the allowance with the applause of that most Reverend Synod and now doth the addition of a Dignity bring envy upon the same Truth Might that passe commendably from the pen or tongue of a Doctor which will not be endured from the hand of a Bishop My brethren I am where I was the change is yours Ever since I learned to distinguish betwixt the right hand of Veritie and the left of Errour thus I held and shall I hope at last send forth my Soul in no other resolution And if any of you be otherwise minded I dare boldly say he shall doe more wrong to his Cause then to his adversary That I differ not from my self you have seen see now that I differ not from our learned judicious approved Divines That the Latine or Western Church subject to the Romish Tyranny unto the very times of Luther was a true Church in which a saving profession of the truth of Christ was found and wherein Luther himself received his Christianity
Ordination and power of Ministery our Learned Doctor Field hath saved me the labour to prove by the suffrages of our best and most renowned Divines amongst whom he sites the Testimony of Calvin Bucer Melanchthon Beza Mornay Deering And if since that time it be foully corrupted so as now that acute Author is driven to the distinction of Verè Ecclesia and Vera Ecclesia yet at last he thus concludes But will some man say Is the Roman Church at this day no part of the Church of God Surely a◠Austine noteth that the societies of Hereticks in that they retain the profession of many parts of heavenly truth and the ministration of the Sacrament of Baptisme are so far still conjoined with the Catholick Church and the Catholick Church in and by them bringeth forth children unto God so the present Roman Church is stil in some sort a part of the visible Church of God but no otherwise then other societies of Hereticks are in that it retaineth the profession of some parts of heavenly truth and ministreth the true Sacrament of Baptisme to the Salvation of the Souls of many thousand infants c. Thus he Junius distinguishing betwixt the Church and Papacie determines the Church of Rome to be a truely-living though sick Church whereof the Papacie is the disease marring the health threatning her life and punctually resolves Ecclesia Papalis qua id habet c. The Popish Church in that it hath in it that which pertaines to the definition of a Church is a Church Doctor Raynolds makes it his Position That the Church of Rome is neither the Catholick Church nor a sound member of the Catholick yielding it a member whiles he disproves it sound Paraeus Accusant nos c. They accuse us saith he that we have made a division in departing from the Church Nos verò c. But we have not departed from the Church but from the Papacie Master Hooker is most pregnant for this point Apparent it is saith he that all men are of necessitie either Christians or not Christians If by external Profession they be Christians they are of the visible Church of Christ and Christians by external profession they are all whose mark of recognisance hath in it those things which we have mentioned yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked Hereticks persons Excommunicable yea and cast out for notorious improbitie Thus he and going on he shews how it is possible for the self-same men to belong to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Jesus Christ The passages are too long to transcribe and the Books are obvious Doctor Crakenthorp in his learned answer to Spalatensis defends heretical Churches to be truely members of the Catholick Church though unsound ones subscribing herein to the determination of Alphonsus and descending to this particular concludes Haec tamen ipsa tua Romana c. This your Romane Church must be accounted both to be in the Church and to be a Church not simply not according to the integrity of Faith not according to any inward virtue not so effectually that it should avail to Salvation for a man to be in it but yet a Church it is in some respects according to the external profession of Faith and of the Word of God according to the administration of the Sacraments according to some Doctrines of true belief by which as by so many outward Ligaments she is yet knit to the Orthodox and Catholick Church Thus he fully to my words and meaning I might swell up the bulk with many more a Catalogue whereof Brierley hath for his own purpose fetcht up together I will onely shut up this Scene with out late most Learned Soveraign King James who in the Conference at Hampton Court with the acclamation of all his judicious hearers avowed that no Church ought further to separate it self from the Church of Rome in Doctrine or Ceremony then she hath departed from her self when she was in her flourishing and best estate and from Christ her Lord and Head Well therefore doth my Reader see that I have gone along with good company in this assertion Although I am not ignorant that some worthy Divines of ours speak otherwise in the height of Zeal denying the Church of Rome to be a true Church to be a Church at all whose contradiction gives colour to this offence But let my Reader know that however their words are opposite yet not their judgement a mutuall understanding shall well accord us in the matter however the terms sound contrary Our old word is Things are as they are taken The difference is in the acception of True and Church both which have much latitude and variety of sense Whiles by True they mean right believing and by Church a company of Faithfull which have the Word of God rightly understood and sincerely preached and the Sacraments duly administred it is no marvell if they say the Church of Rome is neither true nor Church who would who can say otherwise But whiles we mean by a true Church a multitude of Christians professing to agree in the main Principles of Religion how can they but subscribe to us and in this sense yield the Church of Rome both a Church and truely visible So as shortly in a large sense of True Church these Divines cannot but descend to us in a strict sense of both we cannot but ascend to them in fine both agree in the substance whiles the words cross Certainly in effect Master Perkins saith no other whiles he defines his Reformed Catholick to be one that holds the same necessary Heads of Religion with the Romane Church yet so as he pares off and rejects all Errours in Doctrine whereby the same Religion is corrupted wherein that well-allowed Author speaks home to my meaning though in other terms That the Roman Church holds the necessary Heads of Religion gives it a right in my sense to a true Visibilitie that it holds foul Errours whereby the Doctrine is corrupted makes it false in belief whiles it hath a true Being This then may give sufficient light to that passage in my sixth page whereat some have heedlesly stumbled That which I cited from Luther out of Cromerus I finde also alledged by Doctor Field out of Luther himself the words are that under the Papacy is the very kernel of Christianity much good yea all Know Reader the words are Luther's not mine neither doth he say in the Papacy but under it under it indeed to trample upon not to possess or if to possess yet not to injoy Their fault is not in defect of necessary Truths but in excess of superfluous additions Luther explicates himself For his Kernel is the several Articles of Christian belief his all good is Scriptures Sacraments Creeds Councils Fathers all these they have but God knows miserably corrupted That they thus have them is no whit worse for us and little
the two other Books and seconds that so I might return my payment cum foenore In that your Lordships Tractate I could not but observe the lively Image of your self that is according to the generall interpretation of all sound Professours of the Gospel of christ of a most Orthodox Divine And now remembring the Accordance your Lordship hath with others touching the Argument of your Book I must needs reflect upon my self who have long since defended the same Point in the defence of many others I do therefore much blame the Petulcity of whatsoever Author that should dare to impute a Popish affection to him whom besides his excellent Writings and Sermons God's visible eminent and resplendent Graces of Illumination Zeal Piety and Eloquence have made truely Honourable and glorious in the Church of Christ Let me say no more I suffer in your suffering not more in consonancy of Judgement then in the sympathy of my Affection Goe on dear Brother with your deserved Honour in God's Church with holy courage knowing that the dirty feet of an adversary the more they tread and rub the more lustre they give the figure graven in Gold Our Lord Jesus preserve us to the glory of his saving Grace Your Lordships unanimous friend and Brother THO. Covent and Litchfield TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD JOHN LORD Bishop of SALISBURY MY Lord I send you this little Pamphlet for your censure It is not credible how strangely I have been traduced every where for that which I conceive to be the common Opinion of Reformed Divines yea of reasonable men that is for affirming the true Being and Visibility of the Roman Church You see how clearly I have endeavoured to explicate this harmless Position yet I perceive some tough misunderstandings will not be satisfied Your Lordship hath with great reputation spent many years in the Divinity-Chair of the famous University of Cambridge Let me therefore beseech you whose Learning and Sincerity is so throughly approved in God's Church that you would freely how shortly soever express your self in this Point and if you finde that I have deviated but one hairs breadth from the Truth correct me if not free me by your just Sentence What need I to intreat you to pity those whose desires of faithful offices to the Church of God are unthankfully repaied with Suspicion and Slander whose may not this case be I had thought I had sufficiently in all my Writings and in this very last Book of mine whence this quarrell is picked shewed my fervent zeal for God's Truth against that Antichristian Faction of Rome and yet I doubt not but your own ears can witness what I have suffered Yea as if this calumny were not enough there want not those whose secret whisperings cast upon me the foul aspersions of another Sect whose name is as much hated as little understood My Lord you know I had a place with you though unworthy in that famous Synod of Dort where howsoever sickness bereaved me of the houres of a conclusive Subscription yet your Lordship heard me with equall vehemency to the rest crying down the unreasonableness of that way God so love me as I do the tranquillity and happiness of his Church yet can I not so overaffect it that I would sacrifice one dram of Truth to it To that good God do I appeal as the witness of my sincere heart to his whole Truth and no-less-then-ever-zealous detestation of all Popery and Pelagianisme Your Lordship will be pleased to pardon this importunity and to vouchsafe your speedy Answer to Your much devoted and faithfull Brother JOS. EXON TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD JOSEPH Lord Bishop of EXON these My LORD YOU desire my Opinion concerning an Assertion of yours whereat some have taken offence The Proposition was this That the Roman Church remains yet a True Visible Church The occasion which makes this an ill-sounding Proposition in the ears of Protestants especially such as are not throughly acquainted with School Distinctions is the usuall acception of the word True in our English Tongue For though men skilled in Metaphysicks hold it for a Maxime Ens Verum Bonum convertuntur yet with us he which shall affirm such a one is a true Christian a true Gentleman a true Scholar or the like he is conceived not onely to adscribe Trueness of Being unto all these but those due Qualities or requisite Actions whereby they are made commendable or praise-worthy in their severall kinds In this sense the Roman Church is no more a True Church in respect of Christ or those due Qualities and proper Actions which Christ requires then an arrant Whore is a true and loyall Wife unto her Husband I durst upon mine oath be one of your Compurgators that you never intended to adorn that Strumpet with the title of a true Church in this meaning But your own Writings have so fully cleared you herein that suspicion it self cannot reasonably suspect you in this Point I therefore can say no more concerning your mistaken Proposition then this If in that Treatise wherein it was delivered the Antecedents or Consequents were such as served fitly to lead the Reader into that Sense which under the word True comprehendeth onely Truth of Being or Existencie and not the due Qualities of the thing or Subject you have been causelesly traduced But on the other side if that Proposition comes in ex abrupto or stands solitarie in your Discourse you cannot marvell though by taking the word True according to the more ordinarie acception your true meaning was mistaken In brief your Proposition admits a true sense and in that sense is by the best Learned in our Reformed Church not disallowed For the Being of a Church does principally stand upon the gracious action of God calling men out of Darkness and Death unto the Participation of Light and Life in Christ Jesus So long as God continues this Calling unto any people though they as much as in them lies darken this Light and corrupt the means which should bring them to Life and Salvation in Christ yet where God calls men unto the Participation of Life in Christ by the Word and by the Sacraments there is the true Being of a Christian Church let men be never so false in their Expositions of God's Word or never so untrustie in mingling their own Traditions with God's Ordinances Thus the Church of the Jews lost not her Being of a Church when she became an Idolatrous Church And thus under the government of the Scribes and Pharisees who voided the Commandements of God by their own Traditions there was yet standing a true Church in which Zacharias Elizabeth the Virgin Mary and our Saviour himself was born who were members of that Church and yet participated not in the Corruptions thereof Thus to grant that the Romane was and is a True Visible Christian Church though in Doctrine a False and in Practice an Idolatrous Church is a true Assertion and of greater
virtutis ministerium infirmo commisit ibid. c Guicciard l. 4. hist Imperante Carolo D. nosâ—ro d Paschalis Anno Euangelii 1070. primus omissis Imperatoris annis sui Pontificatus annos subscripsit In daâ— Apostolatus nostri Anno 1. dein Pontificatus Lib. Sacr. Cerem e Greg. l. 1. de major obed cx Innoc. f Capist 77. g Aug. Triumph qu. 44. 1. h Vide diatr. Derens Ep. l. 4. c. 3. §. 2. Unde habet Imperator Imperiiâ— nisi à nobis Imperator quod habet totum habet à nobis Ecce in potesâ—ate nostra est ut demus illud cui volumus Hadrian Ep. apud Avent l. 6. i Innoc. 4. in cap. Licet de â—oâ—o compet k Lib. sacr Cerem l Etiam Imperator aut Rex aquam ad lavandas ejus manus ferre debet primum item ferâ—â—lum c. ibid. m In processionibus c. ibid. n Stapham equi Papalis tenet c. ibid. o Sellam ipsam cum Pontifice humâ—ris suis aliquantuium portare debet Ibid. a Alm. de pe test Eccl. b Cassand 4. patte Consi 7. C. de Libellis 20. dist Aug. Triumph de pot Eccl. q. 13. Vid. Derens ubi supra Cassand Glor. mundi 4. part Cons 7. Iâ—â—oc Host in cap. 1 de Transâ— Inter Epistclas Ambrosâ—i l. 2. Epist 11. Sera tamen contumeltosâ— est emâ—n 〈◊〉 senectutis ibid. Ambros Epist lib. 2. Ep. 1â— Nullus pudor est ad meliâ—ra transâ—re ibid. Non es tantae authoritatis ut errasse te pudeat c. Hier. Apol. adver Ruffin Fr. Jun. de Ecclesia Capitis autem male sani deliâ—â— contagia vitanda sunt ne ipsi artus pesâ—ilenti humore labesecrent Fr. Pic. Mirandula Theor. 23. Maldon in 4. Joan. Nehem. 9. 33. No peace with Rome Et Roma irreconciâ—iabilis Sect. 1. Columba Noae c. Append. to the Book of the Church 3 part chap. 2. Aug. de Baptis contr Donatist lib. 1. c. 8 10. Jun. de Eccl. lib. sing c. 17. Thes Rain 5. Par. in Rom. 16. Hook 3 Book of Eccles pol. c. 1. One Lord one Faith one Baptisme Crak desen Eccles Angel c. 16. Pet. Baro Conc. ad clerum Bunnie treat of Purif D. Some against Penrie Peter Mart. Epistle Answer to Machiavel p. 8. D. Covel Fregevil polit â—ef B. of S. Davids Chap. D. Williams of the Church Confer pag. 75. * Zanc. miscell de Eccles Whitak Câ—uaes 6. c. 1. pag 444 445. in quâ—r Perk. in 1. ad Galat. CameroÌ„ Zanch. ubi supra In quo purum Dei verbum Orthodoxe intellectium sincere pradicaâ—um Sacramenta solâ— legitimè juxta institutuÌ„ Christi administrata c. M. Perk. Ref. Cath. Append. ubi supra Obj. Resp Obj. Resp Ibid. Praefat. de nat Dei Epist l. 2. resp ad Catabaptist Job 13. 7. Matth. 21. 13. 2 Thes 2. 4. Rev. 18. 1 2. Acts 16. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Rom. 2. 28 29. John 1. 47. 2 Tim. 2. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Rev. 2. 17. Exod. 19. 7 8. 24. 3 7. Exod. 34. 27. Deut. 26. 17 18. Jer. 7. â—3 11. 4. John 10. 27 5. 1 John 4. 6. John 13. 35. Matt. 5. 16. Ps 78. 36. 37. John 2. 23 24. Exod. 32. 7. 32. 19. Esay 1â— 4 10 21. Miâ—h 2. 7. 8. Hoâ—â—â—â— 9. John 8â— 42 44. Rev. 11. 8. 14. 8. 17. 5. 6. 18. 2. Exod. 32. 11. Jer. 14. 2â— Esay 64. 8 9. Gen. 16. 8. Esay 58. 1. 50. 1. Jer. 3. 2 3 4 14. Hos â— 6 9. 4. 12. Hos 2. 2. Rev. 3. 9. Rom. 11. 17. 2 Thess 24. Rev. 18. 4. Rev. 14. 8. John 1 29. 1 John 1. 7. Gal. 2. 16. Heb. 7. 22 25. Gen. 16. 9. Exod. 33. 7. Ezec 16. 25. Jer. 15.1 19. Hos 4. 17. Rev. 18. 4. Lev. 13. 45. 2 Coâ— 6. 14 15 1â— 17 18. Neh. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 3. 12. Psal 36. 3. Rev. 22. 11. 2 Cor. 3. 18. * Si Christus Judam passus est cur non ego patior Birrhichioncm Dial. de S. Martino Sever. Sulpâ— I perceive some Readers have unheedily unjustly stumbled at this Proposition as if I had herein slighted the Differences betwixt us and the Romane Church from which I am so far as that I have ever professed to hold them to be on their parts no lesse then damnable Errors and such as by consequence do raze the Foundation If these words have seemed to sound otherwise it is nothing but the Readers inconsiderate mistaking who if he please to bend his second and more serious thoughts upon the place will easily see that my intention is herein only to shew how unjustly the Church of Rome doth charge us with Heresie in denying their Doctrine forasmuch as those Positions of theirs which we are condemned for refusing are far from being Principles of Faith but are things of their own devising imposing For example they condemn us for rejecting the doctrine of Transubstantiation and refusing to hold that the substance of the Bread is by the force of the words truly and really turned into the very Flesh Blood and Bone of Christ Now I say this their doctrine of Transubstantiation is far from being any Principle of Faith but only a point of their own Divinity devised and maintained by themselves They condemn us for refusing to pray to Saints or to worship Images I say that this Doctrine that Saints ought to be invoked or Images worshipped is far from being a Principle of Faith but onely one of their own Theologicall Positions devised and imposed by themselves The like may be and must be said of all their other Points obtruded on the Church wherein I hope no wise Reformed Catholick will think he hath reason to dissent from me or to misdoubt my Proposition