giuen my minde wholly to good letters and aswell diuine as humane For three yeares of the said space I spent in the priuate studie of Philosophy in considering of the more noble and choice questions that haue beene mooued or disputed by the followers of Aristotle but especially of diuine Plato vnto whom I was alwayes more deuoted and of the renowned Aegyptian Philosopher Hermes Trismegistus following therein the example of those foure famous Italian Philosophers Franciscus Ioannes Picus Mirandula Marsilius Ficinus Franciscus Patricius Other three years I spent in reading and pondering the Church questions and controuersies of our time as they haue beene learnedly and diligently debated on both hands by diuers great Diuines of these dayes One yeare I spent in perusing some fourty treatises discourses commentaries and consuitations written by some of the more moderate and ingenuous tending to pacification Fiue yeares I spent in reading and perusing some of the choicest bookes of the Doctors of the Church Greekes and Latines and of the more renowned amongst the Schoole-men and other fiue I spent in perusing politicall and historicall workes penned by diuers authors especially Italians and Germans together with the Genealogies of the Kings and Princes of Christendome And for some clearer euidence and proofe of this studious pastime besides some ten little things already published in english most part vpon diuine and morall arguments namely the Looking glasse of grace and glory the Treasure of tranquillity the Mirrour of religious men godly Matrons the Golden art or the right way of enriching the Game of concord and vnion admirable Prophecies of 24. famous Romane catholikes touching the deformation and reformation of Rome two Pamphlets containing some seauen short Poems in honour of your Maiestie and your noble children together with these two present Treatises written of late in defence of the Church of Englands discipline and doctrine besides these ten little exercises I say I haue written diuers things in Latine vpon Philosophicall Historicall and Politicall arguments but most of all vpon Theologicall points for being once a follower of the most precise sort and euen a professed Puritane as they tearme it I began at nineteene yeares of age to write in Latine two bookes against Poperie one of the which I haue entituled of the admirable Antipathie or contrariety of Theologie and Papalogie or of Gods word and the Popes Wherein I point forth the oppositions contradictions betweene the Scripture and the Romane doctrine from the beginning of the Bible vnto the end thereof going thorow euery chapter of both Testaments answerable whereunto I haue deuided the said worke into two parts the first containing an hundred and fourty nine Sections the second an hundred and thirty and it hath bin seene and well liked of some learned Schollers The other is a description of the Tyrannie which was to be exercised vpon the militant Church according to the tenure of the two noble prophesies of Daniel and Saint Iohn where I doe entreat of the authors instruments duration beginning manner and ending of those great troubles and doe compare the opinions of writers together touching the foresaid circumstances with the reasons thereof a worke of no small labour consisting of eighteene large Sections or Chapters and was by me dedicated vnto the Church and Colledge of Edenburgh where I tooke my degree and therefore I sent it home out of France with my Coosin M. William Maxwell of Kauens to be presented accordingly though as I vnderstood since it was the fortune of my Booke to fall into the hands of M. Iohn Welshe then a famous Preacher in those parts who borrowed the same for a few daies but not deliuering it againe carried the same away with him into France and hath kept it vntill this houre I haue likewise written in Latine another Booke called Romase redarguens or Rome rebuking and reproouing her selfe Wherein I doe prooue by the expresse Testimonies of Popes Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Monkes Friers Prophets Prophetesses Schoolemen and Cell-women of the Church of Rome that shee standeth in need of reformation against the contrary assertion of the learned Iesuite Martinus Becanus The Propheticall part if so I may call it of which worke I did publish of late in English a Booke containing a collection of more then an hundred strange Prophesies vtteredin former times touching the deformation and reformation of Rome by twenty foure famous Romane-Catholikes whereof some twelue haue beene canonized for Saints to wit seauen men and fiue women I haue likewise written a disputation or disquisition touching the seate of Sathan whether it was to be in the North as the Romish Doctors doe holde or in the South where I prooue against the Romane Doctors by Scripture and nature by Theologie and Astrologie by Philosophie and Historie how that the North is absolutely the most diuine eminent and excellent the very seate of God and not of Sathan and the chiefe receptacle of his Church Another disputation and disquisition I haue written touching the seate of soules where I refute the Popish opinions of Purgatory Limbus Patrum Limbus infantium and the like hollow habitations of soules within the earth and I doe show that the ancient Fathers knewne more places but three at most as the Greekes doe at this day Paradise Heauen and Hell In the same I doe refute the erroneous opinions of Romanes and Geneuians Papists and Puritanes touching our Sauiours descending into hell and prooue the doctrine of the Church of England touching that article to be only orthodoxe a briefe of which part of that Booke I haue here published in English And in the same larger worke I do defend the saluation of Salomons soule against Cardinall Bellarmine and others iumping with him in that vnprobable and vncharitable opinion Another disputation I haue written in Latine vpon the Inuocation of Saints against the Romane Knight of Saint Peter Gaspar Scioppius against whose allegations of Scripture and probations fetcht from thence I who am a layman like himselfe howsoeuer inferiour for humane letters and titles doe employ some 28. arguments fetcht not only from Scriptures but also from Greeke and Latine Fathers besides Philosophers Poets and Historians and the same Methode and manner of probation I doe vse in a certaine Theologicall and Historicall Plea against the learned Iesuite Iames Gretser for the preheminence of the Emperour and Kings aboue Popes Patriarkes Archbishops and Bishops and generally of all Priests and for their mixt condition of Ecclesiasticall and ciuill Lastly I haue written a Treatise called Catholico-Iacobus Catholico Britannus wherein I do demonstrate the true Catholicisme of Britaines and doe euidently prooue that your Maiestie and your subiects haue all those things that Gods word requireth to make men true Christians and Catholikes against the contrary assertion of the learned French Archbishop Cardinall Iames Perron The which two Treatises last mentioned written in defence of King Iames and this Church against two learned and famous Romane
5 6 7 8. for the expressing of his owne inward action but the Spirit of God doth designe the outward act of signing for the expressing of his owne inward action of spirituall sealing as both Ezekiel in the olde Testament and Saint Iohn in the new doe witnesse and therefore the Church may and ought to vse the same outward act of signing Tenthly the Church is bound to declare and notifie the grace of Gods Spirit working in men and euen to make men as sensible of the workes of Gods Spirit in them as they can conueniently now it is one of the workes of Gods Spirit and a chiefe worke too to seale men in their soules inwardly and to stampe them as it were with the print of his Image vnto the day of redemption 2. Cor. 1.22 5.5 Ephes 1.13 4.30 as the Apostle speaketh and therefore for the Church to make men sensible of this internall and mysticall sealing of Gods Spirit by the meanes of such a conuenient and decent sensible signe as that of the Crosse though there were no particular mention at all made in the whole Scripture of any such externall gesture or act of signing on the fore-head must needes be lawful and commendable Eleuenthly by this Signe the Church putteth her children in minde of their owne miserie and of Gods mercy of Christs loue towards them and of their duty and affection towards him for his vnspeakeable loue and therefore it tendeth to edification Twelfthly this ceremonie was receiued and practised of the primitiue Church neither is there any ecclesiasticall writer or Father Greeke or Latine but maketh honourable mention of it as we shall shew particularly in our Commentaries of the persecution and peace of the Church and therefore we ought to vse it now if it were no more but to shew our conformitie with the primitiue Church for the daughter ought to follow the footesteps of her mother in all lawfull and commendable actions and ought not to depart from her otherwise shee shall both dishonour her mother and discredit her selfe And questionlesse the want of this primitiue ceremonie and others the like in some reformed Churches hath brought a most dangerous discredite vpon the reformation and made it obnoxious vnto the suspition and odious imputation of the same noueltie in the very substance which it carrieth amongst them in the out side circumstance And therfore those venerable Bishops that reformed the Church of England considering wisely with themselues how that men are so apt to censure of the inside by the outside especially in Church matters and to iudge of doctrine and pietie by the externall discipline and ceremonie retained stil the primitiue discipline and auncient ceremonies of that Church but banished the abuses And would to God the Church of Geneua had done the like for so our common aduersaries should not haue had so good and iust cause as they haue to hit them in the teeth with their noueltie as though their Church had newly crept or leapt out of the Leman nian lake or had beene conceiued of Caluin and borne of Beza Thirtenthly and lastly the enemies of the signe of the crosse can not bring so much as one good authoritie or probable argument for their opinion not the letter of the Scripture for they see that the letter fauoureth it both in the olde Testament and new not the sense of the Scripture as it hath beene deliuered by the fathers of the Church for they know that they are all for it and as for reasons deriued from the light of nature or Scripture from Theologie or Philosophie Diuinitie or humanitie they can bring none worth the hearing for I haue read diligently their bookes and was once a Puritane my selfe except it bee this one The Church of Rome hath abused the signe of the crosse and therefore the reformed Church ought to forbeare it least wee should seeme to fauour or follow their abuses But I wonder but they should remember better that olde maxime abusus non tollit vsum some folkes abusing of a thing doth not hinder or let but that others may vse it aright And doe they not thinke that the Church of Rome doth abuse praying and preaching and Churches and pulpits and kneeling and Godfathers and Godmothers aswell as crossing and yet we doe not forbeare these things because of their abuse neither is there any reason why we should doe so but rather great reason to the contrary The Church of Rome doth abuse ceremonies therfore the reformed Church ought to vse them aright to the end that in so doing shee may both show her selfe like and conforme vnto her Mother the Primitiue Church and by her good example doe what shee can out of Christian charity to reforme and amend her straying sister the deformed Romish Church And so I end this my plaine disputation for the signe of the crosse in Baptisme beseeching my countrymen to take it in good part euen for his sake that suffered vpon the Crosse The Church of England more heauen like for honour of the Ministery Sect. 21. Eightly the Church of England is liker then the Geneuian to the heauenly Church in the dignitie and honourable estate of the Ministerie In heauen Gods Ministers are honoured with the holiest stile of Priests and with the highest stile of Princes for as vnder the highest of Priests they are Priests so vnder the highest of Princes they are Princes And therefore we reade in the Reuelation how that blessed Saint Iohn calleth the Bishops of the seauen Churches by the honourable stiles of Kings and Angels Reuel a. 1.4 5 6 2. 3. 5.3 9 10 12 13 14 7 10 12 8 3.4 and the foure and twentie Elders doe magnifie the Lambe for making them vnto God Kings and Priests to raigne or rule vpon the earth Answerably whereunto in the Church of England the reuerend Fathers of the Church are graced by the Soueraigne Prince representing the Lambe and the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah with the honourable title and dignitie of Lords and Barons And good reason surely seeing that the Gouernours of the Church vnder the Gospell are to be rather more then lesse honoured then were the Gouernours of the Church vnder the law in so farre as the Ministerie of the Gospell is much more honourable and glorious then that of the law 2. Cor. 3.7 8 9 10 11. as the Apostle expressely auoucheth And that the Ministers and Gouernours of the Church vnder the olde Testament were called by honourable titles it may appeare in that Moses a prophet Exod. 3. 4 16 18 1. Sam. 1.3.9 15 7 8 9 10 15 16 17 Deut. 17 8 9 10 11 12 2. Chron. 17 7 19 8 9.10 11 Ezech. 44 24 1. Sam. 1.9.14 15 16 17 18 26 4 18 1. King 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20.21 22 23 24 18 3 4 7 9 12 13 2. King 1.13 14 4
A NEVV EIGHTFOLD PROBATION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLANDS DIVINE CONSTITVTION PROOVED BY MANY PREGnant arguments to be much more complete then any Geneuian in the world against the contrary assertion of the fifty three petitioner-preachers of Scotland in their petition presented in the late Parliament to the Kings most excellent Maiesty With a ten-folde probation of the same Churches doctrine touching one of the most important points of our Creede which is of our Sauiours descending into Hell BY IAMES MAXVVELL Master of Artes c. LONDON Printed by IOHN LEGATT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1617. Psal 122. verse 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee Isay 41.8 9 25. Thou Iacob whom I haue chosen I haue taken thee from the endes of the earth and called thee before the cheife thereof and said vnto thee thou art my Seruant c. I haue raised vp from the North and he shall come from the East Sunne shall he call vpon my Name TO THE MOST LEARNED RELIGIOVS AND RENOWNED PRINCE IAMES the Concorder King of Britaine France and Ireland defender of the faith all felicitie Most gratious and redoubted Soueraigne INEVER read those words of the Euangelicall Prophet prefixt in the former page and I haue read them often but as oft did I thinke of Almighty Gods raising of you our Iacob from the North and endes of the earth to performe the part of his Select Seruant for the especiall good of his Church and euen so oft did I call to minde your gratious endeauours for the farthering of the glorious worke of Vnitie and Concord amongst diuided Christians but more especially according to your Royall and proper interest among your owne vnvniformed Britaines Wherefore perswading my selfe that it is both the duty of all good Christians to applaude your mest Christian Commendable endeauours and designes and the part of all your good subiects to concurre with your Maiestie in so worthy a worke for the aduancing thereof I haue brought vnto the building of this spirituall Temple of Concord and Peace two stones to wit two Treatises penned and framed to the common peoples capacitie Such as they are I doe humbly exhibite both heere together into your Royall hands to dispose of according to your most gratious and wise pleasure and as ye shall thinke good for them for whose good they are intended The first Treatise containeth an eightfold probation of the diuine and perfit constitution of the Church of England the which I doe demonstrate to be much more complete then any Genenian forme wheresoeuer in the world for a moderate quiet and calme refutation of a certaine contrary assertion contained in the three and fifty preachers of Scotlands petition presented vnto your Maiestie in the late Parliament And though there were many reasons which might induce me to dedicate the same vnto your Royall Maiestie yet nothing mooued me so much thereunto as that the demonstration which I doe vse is drawen out of the diuine Booke of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the diuine the which I may in a manner call the Booke of King Iames the diuine a demonstration that no writer hath vsed before me so farre as I knowâ— for I suppose that no diuine will or can denie but that 〈◊〉 â—he Booke of the Reuelation is contained a representation both of the Church Triumphant in Heauen by such externall or sensible signes or showes as were most fit to represent the same by and likewise of the Church militant on earth such as it was to bee after our Sauiours ascensien in the two times of persecution and peace aye vntill the last period of his glorious comming to iudgement For as the beloued and diuine man of God Moses made the Tabernacle according to the patterne or modele shewed him in the mount as the Scripture speaketh so our Sauiour Christs beloued and diuine disciple Saint Iohn representeth vnto vs the forme and fashion of the militant Church according to the patterne of the Triumphant shewed vnto him by reuelation in the I le of Pathmos So that in the opinion of all diuines amongst the many particular Churches that are on earth that which is likest vnto the Church in heauen must needs bee the diuinest and best and that so much the more because that our Sauiour himselfe hath taught vs to pray and say daily thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Now that the Church of England doth more neerely resemble the heauenly Church then the Geneuian doth I make it apparant by eight pregnant proofes and irrefragable arguments founded and grounded all of them in Gods written word especially in the foresaid diuine booke of Saint Iohns Reuelation 1. in that the Church of England is more diuine or God-like then the Geneuian in her supreame Gouerner on earth the Prince 2. in that shee is more Angelicall or Angel-like in her secondary Gouernours of Archbishops and Bishops 3. more celestiall or heauen-like for holinesse 4. more heauen like for humble reuerence 5. more heauen-like for harmonie 6. more heauen-like for habite 7. more heauen-like for locall decencie Church-implements conueniency Church-seruice solemnity and sacramentall ceremonies 8. and lastly more heauen-like for honour of the ministery In the handling of which eight arguments I doe demonstrate the lawfulnesse vtility and conueniencie of the chiefe rites vsed in the Church of England as namely of holy dayes of standing vp at the reading of the Gospel of kneeling at the rehearsall of the Law and in receiuing the holy Sacrament of Churchâ—musicke consisting of song and Organs of the Church habite of Surplice and Rotchet of the comely Structure and ornaments of Churches of hauing a Font with a standing Table for the celebration of the Sacraments and of signing with the crosse in Baptisme for the which I doe produce thirteene arguments all grounded in Gods word I doe likewise iustifie the title of Priest giuen to the inferiours of the ministery and of Lord giuen to the superiours by diuers good reasons and by thirteene arguments I prooue the lawfulnes and equity of paying tithes to the ministers vnder the Gospel adding thereunto an Invectiue against the Genevian or Puritane impure sinne of sacriledge And in handling the first of the eight branches of this our new demonstration which is that the Church of England is more diuine or God-like then the Geneuian in her supreme Gouernour on earth I do procue these sixe important points after following most part against the common contrary opinions of Romanes and Geneuians first that the Kingly power is immediatly from God and not from man by eight Testimonies of Scripture and three arguments Secondly that the kingly dignitie is absolutely greater then the priestly and of all other the diuinest by eight arguments Thirdly that christian kings are not meere lay-men but of a mixt condition partly ecclesiasticall and partly secular by ten sacred examples and three arguments Fourthly that kings are lawgiuers vnto their
Booke Reuela 1.2.8 9 11 14 1 6.7 21 14 22 1 3 our Church angelspreaching of the Gospel to the Preaching of Angels which Saint Iohn heard the Pulpit answereth to Mount Sion whereon he saw the Lambe standing or rather to that Tree of life bearing twelue manner of fruites for from thence the word of life is delinered by the learned and reuerend Bishops as it were from the mouth of the Lambes twelue Apostles twelue times in the yeare the first Lords day of euery moneth To be briefe our Church-font with Holy-water for the celebration of Baptisme doth answer vnto that glassie Sea or riuer of water of life cleere as christall proceeding out of the throne of God of the Lamb our Euangelical Priests Crosse-siguing the baptized on the fore-head and our Angelicall Bishops sealing and confirming of the Virgin seruants of our God which by Baptisme had beene bathed and washed Reuela 4.6 6.9 7 2 3.4 14 1 2 3 4. and so made fit to follow the Lambe doe answer vnto the Angels signing and sealing of the Seruants of God on the fore-head our Sacrament all holy bread of life answereth to that hidden Manna of heauen promised to him that ouercommeth our Lords supper to the Lambes supper Reuela 2.17 6.9 8 3 4 5 19 13 11 1 19 19 9. our Church golden and siluer Basons and Cuppes for the ministration of the holy Sacrament to the Angels golden Censer and our Church Table for the ministration and celebration of the same Sacrament answereth vnto the Golden Altar which Saint Iohn sawe before Gods throne And who can say otherwise but that a Font and a Church-Table are two implements or instruments as requisite to be in enery Church for the ministration of the Sacraments as a Pulpit is requisite for the delinerie of Sermons and for the reading and preaching of the word And thus haue I made it apparent to all such as haue but common sense and vnderstanding that the Church of England is much and many degrees liker then the Geneuian to the Church that Saint Iohn saw in heauen so that as many of vs as doe loue heauen cannot but exceedingly like the forme of the English Church and better then that of Geneua and wee may well say it that the forme of the Church of England and not that of Geneua was reuealed and represented to our diuine Prophet For the Reuelation containeth a propheticall representation of the Church of Christ and of the forme and constitution thereof such as it was to bee after our Sauiours ascension in the two times of persecution and peace vntill his last comming to iudgement to confound his foes and to glorifie his friends and elect children as I doe shew more particularly in another worke in Latine entreating of the persecution and peace of the militant Church according to the holy prophesies of Daniel and Saint Iohn a booke that I began at the age of nineteene yeares wherein all the opinions of ancient and moderne writers and euen of the learned of both Religions touching the authors instruments duration beginning manner and ending of the persecution or troubles and of the tranquillity and peace of the Church are propounded and compared together with their reasons and arguments debated and many errours refuted Now because I haue said in this Section that the Church of England is liker to the Church of God in heauen in the matter of sacramentall or symbolicall ceremony then the Geneuian is and haue giuen an instance thereof in their Signing of Christs new-borne babes on the fore-head with the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme Ezech. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Reuelat. 7.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. like as the Angels in heauen are said in Ezekiel to signe them that sorrow and mourne vpon the fore thead with the Crosse-like letter Thau and in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn to signe the fore-heads of Gods seruants with the seale of God I haue thought good to insist a little longer vpon the matter of this ceremony and to prooue the lawfull commendable and Christian vse of it by many arguments and euen some new ones of our owne meditation Our first argument is thus both the Prophet Ezekiel in the old Testament and the Prophet S. Iohn in the new haue prophesied of the conuersion of the Iewes to the faith of Christ by the Angels signing of them in the fore-head as the letter of the word doth beare in both places the which the auncient Doctours of the Church haue vnderstood of the Signe of the Crosse to be receiued at the hands of the Church in their Baptisme as no diuine that euer read the Fathers dare deny whereby they shall professe that they are no more ashamed of his Crosse or scandalized at the ignominie of it as their forefathers had beene 1. Cor. 1.23 to whom it prooued a stumbling block as the Apostle speaketh but that they glorie in it and beleeue to be made blessed by it euen to bee saued by Christs suffering on that same Crosse which their forefathers had once set vp to slay and destroy him by Wherfore if our Geneuians would haue the Iewes to bee conuerted to their Church they must needes receiue from England or rather from the primitiue Church the sacred signe of the crosse that they may haue it to christen the Iewes with otherwise they will not goe to Geneua for Christendome nor to Scotland neither nor to any reformed Church of their fashion Secondly in all reason and common sense it is conuenient that the Iewes beeing conuerted should declare by some sensible signe that they are no more ashamed of Chrisls crosse but well ashamed of their owne cursed course in crucifying him that came to cure them and though there were not any mention at all made in holy Scripture of their signing or sealing in the foreshead as there is most expressely yet should it bee lawfull for them to declare by some externall gesture or act aswell as by words of mouth their Christian disposition of this kinde Thirdly as it tendeth much to the glory of God in that he can bring light out of darkenesse life out of death saluation out of destruction nobilitie and fame out of ignominy and shame and honour out of dishonour so it tendeth to the edification of the Church that this admirable working of our most glorious and wise God bee declared and made as notorious as it can be with all conueniencie both by words of profession and gestures of signification and consequently it tendeth to the edification of the Church that the Iewes should declare by the signe of the crosse that they doe acknowledge God to haue drawen admirably blessing and honour out of the dishonour and curse of the crosse and saluation out of destruction It is a most Christian confession for Iew or Gentile especially the Iew to confesse and acknowledge that the Crosse which they once set vp