charge these things upon the Bishops for clayming the same power over the inferiour Clergie and people which himselfe as a Priest hath over the people committed to him is more than wonderfull Well but for all that here is a strange piece of Poperie which hee addes uttered by the Chiefest Prelate of England in the High Commission p. 152. viz. That in matters of Divinitie wee are not tyed to the Scriptures but to the Vniversall Catholicke Church in all ages for how said hee so Master Burton affirmes shall wee know the Scriptures but by the Church But that this man hath set his faith to sale for popular breath so that his testimony is of no value I should here runne aground and miscarry in my undertakings How not tyed in matters of Divinity to the Scriptures surely His Grace did much forget himselfe and what himselfe hath both subscribed and publickly maintayned against the Romanists Or rather Master Burtons zeale hath farre over-reached in imputing so grosse an error so insulsly expressed to so learned and every way accomplisht a Divine Yet somewhat perhaps there was said which might minister occasion to malevolence thus to traduce him Perhaps if occasion were offered Hee might make the consentient testimonie of the Catholicke Church in all ages the best interpreter the best rule to follow for the setling of the understanding in the true meaning of holy Scripture Yea he might perhaps say in all matters in Divinity taking it to include Doctor Field of the Church l. 4. c. 20. matters of ceremony and other things in which consist not the substance of faith or manners necessarily required to salvation we are not tyed Perkins refor Cath. to the Scriptures It is no innovation to admit traditions which was ever granted in our Church and never denyed by any learned Protestant We baptise infants Chemnit exam Concil Trid Sess 1. 4. receive the Apostles Creed acknowledge the number names and authors of the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture that I mention not for feare of displeasing Master B. the observation of the Lords day all which besides a number of rites ceremonies and observations whereof we have neither irrefragable precept nor example in the Scriptures onely wee doe not admit any traditions contrary to the Scriptures nor doe wee as the Councell of Trent receive them with the same reverence and pious affection or advance them to an equality of authority with Scriptures but as subservient unto them Further though Master B. startle at it it is no innovation neither to make the Churches testimonie to bee the meanes of our knowledge the Scripture to bee the Scripture which is no more than our Articles allow calling Artic. 20. the Church a witnesse and a keeper of holy writ I wish Master B. would have given us his answer to the question and have told us how hee came to know the Scriptures seeing he will not seeme to bee beholding to the Church for that peece of learning surely hee had it by revelation or received that booke as Saint Iohn did from the hand of some Angel for I will not bee perswaded hee brought that knowledge into the world with him Revel 10. 9. But whatsoever hee shall perswade himselfe and others it is an undoubted truth that we come to know the Scriptures by the Testimony of the Church and that secluding that wee cannot ordinarily bee perswaded that they are the word of God But withall we must know that it is one thing to suspend the authority of the Scriptures upon the Church and to make the Churches testimonie the foundation of our beliefe of those things which are conteyned in the Scripture and another to make the Churches proposall and testimony a necessary meanes and condition without which ordinarily men cannot know them to be those divine oracles whereon our faith is to be builded And because Master B. may thinke the better of this tenet if it be delivered by others he shall heare the same from the late learned Deane of Glocester whom I know he will not count any D. Field Appendix l. 2. sect 8 Popish Innovator who answering a Popish Treatisor that would needs fasten a Popish absurd doctrine upon this assertion writes thus If Protestants receive the number names of the Authors and integrity of the parts of bookes divine and Canonicall as delivered by Tradition as I say they doe and if without tradition we cannot know such divine bookes he The Popish Treatisor thinketh it consequent that tradition is the ground of our faith But indeed there is no such consequence as he imagineth For it is one thing to require the Tradition of the Church as a necessary meanes whereby the Scriptures may be delivered unto us and made knowne and another to make the same Tradition the ground of our faith c. Thus that judicious Doctor with much more to that purpose evidently proveth his assertion Briefely the authority of the holy Scriptures depends onely upon the author God himselfe the Church receiving them as delivered by God and so approving publishing preaching interpreting and discerning them from other writings doth not adde any thing to the authority of them which by her meanes beeing made knowne of themselves they are able to perswade and to yeeld sufficient satisfaction to all men of their divine truth And this authority thus made knowne is that into which as into their highest and utmost cause and end our faith and obedience is resolved And this may serve for answere to this false and groundlesse crimination CHAP. XIX Of the jurisdiction of Bishops how farre of Divine right given by Christ to his Apostles and from them derived by succession The power given to the Apostles divided into severall orders What power Ecclesiasticall belongs to the King and the intent of the Statutes which annex all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to the Crowne Of Master Burtons Quotation of the Iesuites Direction to be observed by N. N. Master B. and the Iesuite confederates in detraction and ignorance BVt there are two things here which I am unwilling to passe over The first is that here he saith that the words which he ascribes to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury were by him spoken at the censure of Doctor Bastwick for oppugning the jurisdiction of Bishops Iure Divino as being no where found in the Scripture c. This is one thing which though here brought in upon the by I cannot passe because I finde him else where much harping upon the same string Hee will not have the Bishops derive their succession from the Apostles cryes out upon Dr. Pocklington for delivering pag. 41. Ips Newes pag. 4. Appeal p. 7. 1. that doctrine affirmes their authority and jurisdiction to be onely from the King that not to derive it thence is against the law of the Land and I know not what danger besides and that Doctor Bastwick is imprisoned for defending his Majesties Ips N. p. vult See pag. 67
but to assert the Doctrine of St. Paul commanding Phil. 2. 12. us to Work out our salvation with feare and trembling and of St. Peter who tells us 2 Pet. 1. 11. That thus an entrance shall bee ministred into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ And I beleeve for I have not the Booke at hand if Mr. Shelfords justification by charity be well examined it will proove to bee no other than this at least no other than in St. Iames Iam. 2. 24. sense when he saith Yee see how that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely And I would demand of any reasonable man whether the expresse words of that Apostle may not without aspersion of Popery be even openly and publikely maintained if there be no sense obtruded upon them which may crosse St. Pauls doctrine which Mr. Burton can never prove that they did whom hee chargeth with that assertion But the the truth is such is the humour that possesses many men of Mr. Burtons straine that they cannot endure any glosse upon that place of St. Iames but such as shall both make the Text like themselves full of non-sence and to turne the seeming and verball into a reall and direct contradiction of St. Paul To the third That the Pope is not Antichrist I answere that though many of the learned in our Church especially at the beginning of the ReformatioÌ„ when the greatest heat was strickeÌ„ between us and Rome have affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist and his whole religion Antichristian and that some exceeding the bounds of moderation in this point have passed abroad that with the license of authority wherein yet they are to be excused in that they have beene so intolerably provoked by the odious criminations of the adversary yet to them that calmely and seriously consider it it may not without good reason bee disputed as doubtfull whether the Pope or any of them in his person or the Papall Hierarchy bee that great Antichrist which is so much spoken of And which way soever it be determined it makes not the religion any whit the better nor frees the practises of the Popes and Court of Rome from being justly accounted and stiled Antichristian For Mr. Shelfords second Book I have not seene it and therefore will say nothing but onely that if hee seeme to set as they thinke too light by preaching and pulpits hee doth at the worst but pay them in their owne coine who have magnified it to the vilifying and contempt of publick Prayer the most sacred and excellent part of Gods worship Neither have I seene that other Booke called the Female glory nor will I spend words by way either of censure or defence of it upon sight onely of those fragments which here hee presents us with as well knowing his art and at what rate to value his credit in quotations Yet in all those panegyrick straines of Rhetorick for such for the most part they seeme rather than positiue assertions he hath not deviated so much to the one extreme as Mr. Burtons marginall hath to the other in scoffingly calling her the New great Goddesse Diana And if it bee true that hee hath not digressed in any particular Lo here the new great goddesse Diana whom the whole Pontifician world worshippeth H. B. p. 125. from the Bishop of Chichester as Mr. Burton makes him affirme I dare boldly say Mr. Burton will never bee able to finde the least point of Popery in it For it is well known that Bishop whom he as if hee had bid adieu to all civility yea and shame too termes a tried Champion of Rome and so a devout votary to the Queene of heaven hath approved himselfe such a Champion against Rome that they that have tried his strength durst never yet come to a second encounter Beside we have elsewhere other points of Pag. 67. Popish Doctrine which he saith are preached and printed of late As Auricular Confession Prayer for the dead and praying to Saints Which because I finde onely mentioned by him without any proofe to evidence the truth of his assertion I might with one word reject till hee produced the Authors which have so Preached and Printed and what it was that they have delivered touching those points But because there are many that by reason of their ignorance of the truth in these points are apt to beleeve what he affirmes and to entertaine a sinister opinion of the Churches Doctrine in them I will briefly adde some of them in this place First for Confession It cannot bee denied Of Confession but that the Church of England did ever allow the private confession of sinnes to the Priest for Booke of Common Prayer Exhortation before the Communion the quieting of mens consciences burdened with sinne and that they may receive ghostly counsell advice and comfort and the benefit of absolution This is the publike Order prescribed in our Church And it were very strange if our Church ordaining Priests and giving them power of absolution and prescribing the forme to bee used Forme of absolution in the Visitation of the sick for the exercise of that power upon confession should not also allow of such private confession To advise then and urge the use and profit of private confession to the Priest is no Popish Innovation but agreeable to the constant and resolved Doctrine of this Church and that which is requisite for the due execution of that ancient power of the Keyes which Christ bestowed upon his Church And if any shall call it auricular because it is done in private and in the eare of the Priest I know not why hee should therefore bee condemned of Popery But if Mr. Burton by Auricular Confession meane that Sacramentall Confession which the Councell of Trent hath defined to bee of absolute necessity by Divine ordinance and that which exacts that many times impossible particular enumeration of every sinne and the speciall circumstances of every sinne This wee justly reject as neither required by God nor so practised by the ancient See Bishop Ushers answer to Iesuites â—chall Church And if Mr. Burton knowes any that hath Preached or Printed ought in defence of this new pick-lock and tyrannicall sacramentall Confession hee may if he please with the Churches good leave terme them in that point Popish Innovators For the second point Simply to condemne Of prayer for the dead all prayer for the Dead is to runne counter to the constant practise of the ancient Church of Christ Prayer for the dead it cannot bee denied it is ancient saith the late learned Bishop of Winchester That the ancient Church had Commemorations Oblations and prayers for the dead the testimonies of the Fathers Ecclesiasticall Histories and ancient Liturgies in which the formes of Prayers used for that purpose are Cannon 55. found doe put out of all question and they that are acquainted with the Canons and Liturgy
restored to the singular benefit of Christian soules CHAP. XVIII Of the seventh pretended Innovation in the Rule of Faith What matters of Religion are submitted to the Bishops decision The Doctrine of our Articles The properties of the Bishops decisions Master Burtons clamors against the Bishops in this particular odious and shamefull Of that speech which he ascribeth to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Catholick Church What is justly attributed to the Church and how we ordinarily come to know the Scriptures to be Scriptures THe seventh Innovation he makes to be in pag. 151. the rule of Faith for whereas the perfect and compleat rule of faith is the holy Scripture as 2 Tim. 3. Our new Doctors cry up the dictates of the Church to wit of the Prelates to bee our only guides in Divinity as in Reeves Communion booke Catechisme expounded pag. 20. 206. where as he saith that authour affirmes all Ministers must submit to the judgement of the Prelates in all matters pertaining to Religion and all Prelates must submit to the judgement of the Arch-prelate And then addes his owne glosse as having a Papall infallibility of spirit whereby as by a Divine Oracle all questions in Religion are finally determined My Answer to this shall bee very briefe for that the same crimination is by Master B. objected in his Lawlesse Pamphlet intituled An Answer to a late Treatise of the Sabbath day and since by the Reverend Author of that Treatise that venerable masse of solid learning the L. Bishop of Ely so profoundly answered that my poore endeavours In his Treatise intituled An Examination vid p. 17 18 19 20 c. seeme to me altogether needles it being abundantly sufficient to referre my Readers thither for satisfaction Yet somewhat I will say for their sakes that have not that Booke at hand First it is confest that the holy Scripture is the sole and compleat Rule of Faith This is the constant and subscribed Doctrine of our Church Artic. 6. And therefore it were strange that they who themselves have so often subscribed and who exact subscription from others should goe against so confessed a truth and certainly if hee had had but the least graine of ingenuity in interpreting the writings of other men or rather if malice had not wholly filled him with ignorance and confidence hee would never have dream't of any contradiction to this Doctrine in the words by him alledged or to have stretched matters of Religion subjected to the Bishops determination to the substantiall points of Faith which no Protestant ever affirmed But somewhat sure there is in it that is in matters of Religion submitted to the Bishops judgement True and so it ever was in the Church of God But this extends not to matters of Faith or manners to be believed and done of necessitie to salvation so as to coine new articles in either kinde The power which by them is challenged and by all understanding Christians in all ages of the Church ascribed to them is no other but that which is given them by the tenth Article of our Religion whose words are That the Church hath power to decree rites and ceremonies and authoritie in Controversies See Preface to the Booke of Common-Prayer referring parties doubting of any thing that is conteined in that Booke to the Bishop and the Bishop doubting to the Arch-Bishop of Religion Where by the Church whoever Master B. understands is meant the heads and Governors in the Church to whom the right of direction and government doth peculiarly belong and therefore they are called Bishops or Overseers and Rulers or Guides and Leaders as being by their Office to judge of things needfull and to direct those that are under their charge Now this power of theirs hath these properties 1. It is not supreme but ministeriall not ruling but ruled by the Scriptures by which rule they are to square their determinations in all matters of Religion being altogether unlawfull for them to define any thing contrary thereunto 2. The things wherein they have power to decree ordaine alter and change any thing touching Religion in the Church is onely in matter of Ceremonie which are in comparison of the points of Faith onely circumstantiall as concerning time place gesture order and the like to bee observed in the service of God 3. In these things which they thus order and ordaine they must keepe them to those generall Rules 1. That things be dâ—â—e decently and in order 2. That nothing bee ordained contrary to the Scripture 3. That things beside the Scripture ordained be not inforced to be believed of necessitie to salvation as our Article speakes 4. Their decisions in matters of Religion are not infallible neither did they ever challenge nor any that ever I heard of among us ascribe unto them no not to the Arch-prelate any Papall insallibilitie of Spirit Neither did they arrogate any other abilitie of right and true judgement in things than is attained by ordinary meanes nor any immediatly Divine Inspiration or Assistance annexed to their Chaire all which the Pope doth Lastly the submission that is required by those that are under them Ministers and people is not absolute and such as no inferiour Priest or Christian can without sinne dissent from their judgements but in regard of externall order and for the avoiding of confusion and sects in the Church as it is not left free for every man to appoint or judge of matters of Religion or to have them after their owne way so it cannot but be a great disorder and consequently a sinne for any man out of his private humour openly to reclaime or to disobey those who are invested with the power of Judicature This being the power that is given or challenged by the Bishops it cannot but be a wonder to thinke that any man should bee so past all shame as so odiously to clamour upon this ground against the Bishops and Fathers of the Church and to deride and scorne the most Reverend Arch-Bishop of Cant. calling him the Oracle and one that hath a Papall infallibilitie of Spirit and the like But for a Priest to doe it puts it beyond all wonder and astonishment especially if wee consider these two things First which is also observed by the Reverend Bishop of Ely that See the Booke of Ordination at his Ordination he promised yea swore that hee would reverently obey the Bishops and with a glad minde and will follow their godly admonitions and submit to their godly judgements 2. That every Priest hath a power of directing those that are under his charge in matters of Religion and that the people ought to inquire the Law at their Mouthes and to submit to their judgements which to take away from them were to robbe them of a maine part of the Priestly function and yet I suppose neither challengeth any Papall infallibilitie of Spirit nor requireth any blind obedience and therefore how he can
the exercise of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction at last the Statute concludes with this proviso Provided also that such Canons Constitutions Ordinances and Synodalls provinciall Stat. 25. Hen. 8. 19. being already made which be not contrariant nor repugnant to the Lawes Statutes and Customes of this Realme nor to the damage or hurt of the Kings Prerogative Royall shall now still be used and executed as they were afore the making of this Act till such time as they be viewed searched or otherwise ordered and determined by the said two and thirty persons or the more part of them according to the tenour forme and effect of this present Act. It followes then that till those thirty two persons determine otherwise old Canons may bee still executed and retaine their ancient vigor and authority and when that will be I know not but as yet I am sure it hath not been done As for that which he saith he heard a Popish Canon alledged in the High Commission in opposition to a Parliament Statute unlesse he had brought us the Particular I will crave leave to put that among the rest of his incredible fictions which hee hath foisted upon that Honorable Court and those that sit Iudges in it And whereas heads that the Act of Parliament prefixed to the Communion-booke restraines Rites and Ceremonies to bee used in our Church to those only which are expressed in the same booke under the penalty of imprisonment c. I grant that the Statute doth forbid the use of any other rite ceremonie order forme or manner of celebrating of the Lords Supper Mattens or Evensong c. than is set forth in the said booke But this doth not hinder the retaining of any laudable and pious customes then and of a long time before in use in the Church which are no way contrary to the forme or rites prescribed in the booke of Common prayer For where is it said in that booke that men during the time of Divine Service or of prayer and the Letany shal sit with their hats off and uncovered and yet that ceremony is piously observed by all that have any religion in them * Sine scripto jus venit quod usus approbavit nam diuturni mores consensu utentium comprobaâ—i legem imitantur Iustin Instit l. 1. Tit. 2. Consuetudo est jus quoddam moribus institutum quod pro lege suscipitur cum deficit lex Gratian. Distinct 1. c. 5. In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit diving scriptura mospopuâ—i Dei vel instituta maâ—orum pro lege tenenda sâ—nt Aug. Ep. 86. Custome not contrary to Law or good reason hath ever obteined the force of a law and in things of this nature the pious customes of Gods people as Saint Aug speakes are to be held for lawes And being so must or at least may lawfully be observed till some law expressely cry them downe which I am sure the Common-prayer-book nor any Statute yet hath done And if Master B. shall not allow this for good reason he will doe himselfe more prejudice by it than those whom hee opposeth for besides that he will bee at a stand what gesture to use in many things which are yet left there undetermined His present practice in many things must needs be condemned as having no warrant or prescription in that booke For I would for instance faine know where in that booke his rite of carrying the blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ up and downe the Church to the receivers pewes is to be found Where hee hath any allowance of singing a Psalme while hee is administring where or by what Statute those meetred Psalmes were ever allowed to be sung at all in the Church And if he can plead custome or however practice these and many others like them which might bee reckoned up without the warrant of the Common prayer-Prayer-book Why may not the same plea hold as strongly for those which he oppugnes which saving that hee hath called them all to nought are neither against the Word of God nor booke of Common-prayer but most decent and religious and venerable for their antiquity in the Church of God Nay if the not being in the booke of Common-prayer shall bee enough to exclude all rites and ceremonies from being used in the Church and that upon so great a danger as imprisonment c. Therâ— surely such as are contrary to the expresse orders there prescribed must much more be excluded their practice expose men more deservedly to the same danger And certainely Master B. by this meanes would be but in an ill case many others especially of his faction For how could they justifie their not reading of Gloria Patri at the end of every Psalme their addition of those words to the Lords Prayer for thine is the Kingdome the power c. when they finde it not there printed Their Christening of children after divine Service and the Sermon is ended their consummation of the whole forme of Marriage in the body of the Church without going to the Communion-Table and their churching of women other where than by that table and many other things which are contrary to the expresse words of the * If any person c. shall c. speake any thing in derogation depraving of the same book or of any thing therein contained c. every such person beeing thereof lawfully convicted shall forfeit for the first offence 100. markes for the second 400. for the 3. all his goods and chattels and suffer imprisonment during his life Stat. 1. Eliz 2. Rubrick yea which is more than all this how can Master B. bee excused from the penalty imposed by that Statute for depraving speaking against the reading of the second or Communion service at the Communion Table beeing so appointed in that booke These things considered it may justly be wondred at why the Statute should bee so strait-laced to some as not to admit any ceremony to be used but those that are prescribed and mentioned in the Common-prayer booke though commended by antiquity and the practice of the most judicious and of greatest authority in the Church and yet so indulgent to others as to suffer them freely to use what they thinke good and to wave the orders there prescribed and to deprave and speake against them at their pleasure But let us heare what more he hath to say Besides all this saith he these men have one speciall Sanctuary to fly unto and that is their Cathedrall Churches Well what then nay stay and give him leave first to empty his stomack for we may well thinke he cannot name Cathedrall Churches without moving his vomit which hee utters plentifully both against those places and those that belong to them with all their furniture vestments yea and the divine Service that is used in pag. 160. them And having thus cleared himselfe of that cholericke and bitter stuffe which I loath to pudle in he propounds
those men in whose steps Master B. hath gone to the intent that it may appeare that they of his faction may more truly be termed Innovators in this Church as being both in their doctrine and discipline new and contrary to the formes in both kindes which the first authors of those by them admired principles found here established CHAP. XXI A briefe discourse of the beginning and progresse of the Disciplinarian faction their sundry attempts for their Genevian Dearling Their Doctrines new and different from the true and ancient Tenets of the Church of England and they truely and rightly termed Innovators IT was one of the greatest evils that ever happened to this Church that in the infancy of the reformation which was happily begun in the reigne of King Edward of happy memory many for conscience sake and to avoyd the storm of persecution which fell in the dayes of Queen Mary betaking themselves to the reformed Churches abroad and especially to Geneva were drawn into such a liking of the forme of discipline then newly erected by Master Calvin there that returning home they became quite out of love with that which they found here established by Authority insomuch that set on by the perswasions and examples of Iohn Knox and other fiery spirited Zealots in Scotland they attempted and by all meanes endeavoured to advance their strongly-fancied platforme of Genevian discipline For the bringing about whereof the course they then tooke for the drawing of the people to a liking of their intentions was to pick quarels against the names and titles given to the Fathers and Governours of our Church apparrell of Ministers and some ceremonies in the booke of Common prayer retained and prescribed which they taxed of superstition and remnants of Popery And afterwards when T. C. and others who had also beene at Geneva had drunke in the opinion of Master Beza who by that time had promoted the discipline there invented by his Master and made it one of the especiall notes of the true Church as if it had till then beene maymed and imperfect what bookes were then written what seeming humble motions made what pamphlets pasquils libels flew abroad yea what violent attempts plots conspiracies and traiterous practices were then set on foot by the men of that faction are at large set forth in divers books of that argument and are yet fresh in the memories of many alive at this day What the care and couragious zeale of the Govenors of this Church and State then was for the preventing and overthrowing of these mens desperate disignes the flourishing and peacefull estate which this Church hath since by their meanes enjoyed doth abundantly speake For the authors of these innovations troubles and disorders receiving just and publick censure according to their severall demerits they which remained well-willers and abettors of that cause were glad to lie close and carry themselves more warily than before and to waite some better opportunitie for the effecting of their purpose Which they apprehending to bee offered at the comming of King Iames to this crowne began againe to move but so as beginning as it were at their old A. B. C. their complaint was principally against the use of ceremonies subscription and sundry things formerly questioned by their predecessors in the booke of Common Prayer And when that learned and judicious King had out of his wise and gratious disposition vouchsafed to take their complaint into his serious consideration and to grant them a solemne and deliberate hearing in the conference held at Hampton Court The successe of that conference to use the words of his Royall Proclamation was such as Proclamation before the Booke of common prayer happeneth to many other things which moving great expectation before they be entred into in their issue produce finall effects For to give the sum of that which there followes mighty and vehement informations were found to be supported with so weak and slender proofes that that wise King and his Councell seeing no cause to change any thing either in the booke of Common Prayer Doctrine or rites established Having caused some few things to be explained He by his Royall Proclamation commanded a generall conformity of all sorts requiring the Archbishops and Bishops to see that conformity put in practise Being thus frustrate of their hopes of bringing in their darling plat-forme some of the principall among them remaining stiffe in their opinion and opposition to Authority received a just censure and suffered deprivation others grown wiser by the example of their fellowes suffering that they might save their reputation and yet continue in their places invented a new course and yeelded a kinde of conformity not that they thought any whit better of the things but for that they held them though in themselves unlawfull not to be such as for which a man ought to hazzard not his living that might savour of covetousnesse but his ministery and the good which Gods People might by that meanes receive This project prevailed with many to make them come off to a subscription and yet gave them liberty in private and where they might freely and with safety to expresse themselves to shew their dis-affection to the things to which they had subscribed resolving not to practise what they had professed nor to use the ceremonies enjoyned further than they should be compelled And for this cause they did wisely avoid all occasions that might draw them to the publick profession of conformity by using the ceremonies and betooke themselves to the worke of preaching placing themselves as much as might be in Lectures and where any of them were beneficed getting conformable Curates under them to beare the burden of the ceremonies Thus saving themselves and maintaining their reputation with the people they gained the opportunity to instill into them their principles not only of dislike of the Church-government and rites but also of the doctrine established and though through the vigilancie and care of those that have sate at the sterne in this Church they have beene hitherto hindred from erecting their altars of Damascus publickly in our Temples yet have they using this art now a long time in an underhand way brought up the use of their owne crotchets and erected a new Church both for doctrine and discipline far differing from the true and ancient English Church and made though not a locall as some more zealous among them have by removing to Amsterdam and New-England yet a reall separation accounting themselves the wheat among the tares and monopolizing the names of Christians Gods children Professors and the like stiling their doctrine The Gospell The Word and their Preachers The Ministers The good Ministers Powerfull preachers and by such other distinctive names As for all other men they account them no better than * Resembling herein the Donatists of old with whom Optatus expostulates in this manner Eum qui in nomine Christi tinctus est Paganum vocas And againe Paganum vocas
should be interpreted a confession of guilt and inability to wipe off such desperate and malicious slanders And herein I have for my warrant the authority of the same Father who having upon the grounds before mentioned long held his peace and with patience overcome the rage of his adversaries at length hee thus breaks forth Seeing thou Demetrianus Sed enim cum dicas plurimos conqueri quod bella crebriùs surgant quod lues quod fames saeviont quodque imbres pluvias serena longa suspendant nobis imputari tacere ultranon oportet ne jam non verecundiae sed diffidentiae esse incipiat quod tacemus dum criminationes falsas contemnimus refutare videamur crimen agnoscere Respondeo igitur c. Cypr. loc suprà citat saist many complaine that it is to be imputed to us Christians that warres so often rise that plague and famine doe rage and that wee have such long droughts We must no longer be silent lest now it bee not modesty but diffidence that we hold our peace and while we scorne to refute your criminations we should seeme to acknowledge the crime Upon these considerations and in imitation of that holy Father and Martyr I have set upon this worke in a calme and compendious way to endeavour the stopping of the mouth of detraction and to shew the groundlesnesse and vanity of those suspicious jealousies and clamors which of late have beene raysed in many parts of this Kingdome and which Mr. B. having first vented in the Pulpit did after send abroad gathered into one bundle in his book intituled An Apology of an Appeale c. And though I know it to be most true that among the ruder sort and common people the lowdest cry takes the most eares and that audacious errours and bold calumnies finde more free entertainment and welcome with light and weak judgments than peaceable and modest truth And that there seeme so great an indisposition and disaffection in the minds and hearts of some in these dayes either to the present Authority or to the things by it either commended or enjoyned that important truths and wholesome orders becomming once countenanced or pressed by authority in stead of credit and obedience receive nothing but clamor and detraction and that such as according but as duty bindeth them doe undertake to plead in their just cause or speake in their defence shall from many in stead of thankes gaine nothing but odious and opprobrious names and contumelies Yet withall I know and am perswaded that the iniquity of the times is not such but that truth and a good cause may yet finde equall judges who following the precept of our blessed Saviour Iudge not according to appearance Iohn 7. 14. but judge righteous judgment not taking their information of a cause from the cry of the crowde or rumor of the people which for the most part conveighs not the truth of the cause but the affections of the reporters but from right and solid grounds weighing things in the ballance not of profit or particular interest but of sound reason and abstracting the cause from the parties and from malevolent aspersions wherewith truth many times is obscured and defaced doe imbrace truth in the love of it And others there are no doubt who though led away for the present with the example of the multiutde and ensnared by the opinion they have unwarily drunk in of the worth of the broachers of error yet will notwithstanding be patient of better information and upon due consideration be ready to expresse their love to truth and peace To these sorts of men principally I addresse my selfe in this discourse whom I shall desire not to expect that verbosity much lesse that virulency opprobrious language which Mr. B. useth I leave that contention and victory to base mindes and shall study rather what is fit for me to speake than what he and such as he deserve to heare Neither doe I reckon upon their censure who judge of bookes not by the weight but by the words For as S. Austine saith well what is more talkative than vanity which yet cannot therefore Quid loquacius vanitate Quae non ideo potest quod veritas quia si voluerit etiam plus potest clamare quam veritas Sed considerent omnia diligenter et si forte sine studio partium judicantes talia essè perspexerint quae potius exagitari quâ—m convelli possint garrulitate impudent issima et quasi satyrica velmimica levitate cohibeant suas nugas et potius â— prudentibus emendari quam laudari ab imprudentibus eligant Aug. de civ l. 5. c. 27. doe that which truth can because it can cry lowder And I would to God that Mr. B. and if there bee any other of his minde and temper would as the same Father addes in that place consider all things diligently and if haply judging without partiality they shall perceive the things against which they have rayled such bitter invectives by their impudent pratings and Satyre-like or mimical lightnesse to be such as may rather be exagitated than confuted they would represse their scandalous trifles and choose rather to be rectified by the judicious than to be applauded by the unskilfull As for those who are the abettors and applauders of those contumelies and criminations cast upon the government and governors of the Church and State and so fautors and propagators of the suspitions and discontents received against them whether they bee in the same gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity or only seduced by their leaders I shall only desire one boone from them namely that they would cease to have mens persons in admiration for profit sake or any other by-respect and endure with patience the examination of their complaints by the word of God and sound reason the only infallible rules of sound judgement That they would not as they are wont think those whom their popular breath hath swollen great to be the only oracles of truth and patrons of religion and godlinesse and in comparison of them contemne and vilifie all others even those of highest eminency and authority in the Church and State and reject whatsoever though never so reasonable shall proceed from them as if their doctrine were deadly and their persons Anathema Maranatha This request if they shall grant me I doubt not but the unnaturall heat of their distemper will in some measure be abated and they brought to entertaine a more reverent and dutifull esteeme of their superiours and begin to study to maintaine the peace of the Church which the proposterous zeale of boisterous spirits hath of late so much disturbed CHAP. II. A short Relation or Description of Mr. H. Burton his course and manner of life Of the occasion of his discontent his dismission from the Court The ground of his dislike and hatred against the Bishops and betaking himselfe to the People The course hee hath since taken in his
p. 56. for sports and often elsewhere and therefore that they are not the Kings acts What doth he else but perswade the people who for all his glosse beleeve them as indeed who can beleeve otherwise to be his That His Majesty is I tremble to speak it out such as he makes them whom he intitles to those acts And then what may we Calv. Inst l. 4. c 20. et 31. Bucan loc 40 77. See Goodman p. 190. expect to follow but the practise of that doctrine which is taught in many of his Orthodoxe Authors The withstanding and opposing of their commands and deposing of their persons But this passage is better answered by the justice of authority than a Scholers pen. Let us see then what it is he findes fault with in this Declaration First he intimates that Gods truth that is the saving doctrines of Election Predestination effectuall vocation Assurance and perseverance are thereby silenced and suppressed Be it so Is it not better that some truth for a while be suppressed than the peace of the Church disturbed St. Augustine saith It is prositable to keepe in some truth for their Facile est imo utile ut â—aceatur aliquod verum propter incapaces Aug. de persev SanctoruÌ„ c. 15. sakes that are uncapable and surely we might truly say of the time when this Declaration was published by His Majesty that men were uncapable of these doctrines When men begin once to strive about names to quarrell about abstruse mysteries to side one against the other and to count each other Anathema as it was with our neighbours and began to be with us was it not time to enjoyne silence to both parties All truths wee know are not of the same rank or of equall necessity some things there are which must be preached in season and out of season but those points he mentions come not within that number And though the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is ful of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons as our Church Article speakes that is if wise men in this argument Artic. 17. can be content to be wise unto sobriety and thus farre truth even in these points is not by the Declaration suppressed nor our Articles of Religion to which we all subscribe hung up upon the wall and cashier'd And though this may in some sense be called a saving doctrine yet not so as the ignorance of it should exclude from salvation However taking it in the sense he intends for those absolute and peremptory decisions desperate positions and high speculations and such as are opposite to the receiving of Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in the holy Scripture and harping upon that will of God which is secret and not declared unto us in the word of God which is the doctrine Multa etenim benè tecta latem neâ—câ—taâ— prosunt c. vid. Carm de Ingrat which he aymes at we may count this doctrine among those things of which Prosper saith that they profit being unknowne And Mr. Burton is much deceived and deceives the people when hee saith Thus the Ministery of the Gospell is at once overthrowne and nothing but orations of morality must be taught the people Indeed Mr. Burtons Gospell is thus overthrowne which consists in such daring speculations But blessed be God the Gospell of Christ by this meanes hath had a freer passage than it was like to have had if things might have beene suffered to have gone on as they begun And then is the Gospel in most vigor when the people by it are instructed what it is that God hath commanded and what they ought to doe which in contempt he calls orations of morality God doth not bring men to heaven by difficult questions the way to eternity is plaine and easie to be knowne To beleeve that Iesus Christ was raised from the dead to acknowledge him to be Lord and Christ and to live soberly righteously and religiously in this present world is the summe of saving doctrine and Christian religion and this is left written for our learning in so plaine characters that he that runs may read it And therefore it is good counsell which the son of Syrach gives Seeke not out the things that are above thy strength But what is commanded Ecclus. 3. 21. thee thinke thereupon with reverence And what the Iesuit thinks of this way of silencing Contzen polit controversies it is not much to be regarded yet it seemes Mr. B. and he jumpe in opinion here as well as in other things But how this should be a meanes to restore the Roman-Catholick religion for men to be enjoyned to hold themselves to the Articles of the Church of England and as it is in the Declaration that no man shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way but shall submit to it in the plaine and full meaning thereof c. This I confess is beyond my capacity But by this meanes there is not one Minister almost among a thousand that dare clearely preach of these most comfortable doctrines Of Absolute Election and Reprobation and so soundly and roundly confute So I finde it printed diverse times in the place the Arminian heresie And blessed be God that there are so few that dare and I wish that Mr. B. and those others that have dared would have shewed more obedience to his Majesty As for the comfortableness of that doctrine as they teach it let the poore tormented consciences speake which have by it beene affrighted and driven to desperation I heard one once an acquaintance of Mr. Burtons making this objection against his preaching about reprobation that said It was very fit that therefore it should bee taught that men that found in themselves the marks of reprobation should be driven to horror and despaire and have hell fire kindled in them here in this life A most comfortable doctrine no question CHAP. VII Of the bookes that have beene printed of late Of Franciscus à S. Clara. Desire of peace warranted by S. Paul We and they of Rome differ not in fundamentals What are fundamentals in Mr. Burtons sense The distinction in fundamentalibus circa fundamentalia justified The Church of England not Schismaticall How far separated and wherein yet united with the Romish Church Good workes necessary to salvation Iustification by workes By charity in what sense no Popery Whether the Pope be That Antichrist disputable Of confession Of prayer for the dead how maintained by our Church Praying to Saints justly condemned by Protestants FOr the bookes that he saith of late times have come abroad maintaining Popery and Arminianisme My answer is that Mr. Burton knowes well enough how to get bookes printed in spight of authority and therefore he cannot lay the blame there if any such have past out without license And for those that have Bishop Mount Appeale Dr.
Iacksons bookes beene licensed it passeth Mr. Burtons learning yea though Mr. Prinne should bee of his counsell to find any thing in them which is not consonant to the doctrine of the Church of England Dr. Cosens private devot Mr. Brownes sermons I have not seene conteyned in the 39. articles and the booke of Common prayer Nor which is contrary to this Declaration of his Majesty Onely here I except my Lo of Chichester his Appeale which was published some yeares before the making of the Declaration And what blemish can it bee to Authority or to the Prelates if the booke of Franciscus a S. Clara. Also that book of Fr. à S. Clara. had beene printed 23. times and in London too so long as it is not cum Privilegio And what if he were so bold as to dedicate it to his Majesty I have knowne others and Mr. Burton by name p. 117. more bold in that kind than either was fitting or as I beleeve well pleasing to his Majesty But they say it was presented to the King by a Prelate And how if his highly-esteemed author They say do mis-informe him and there were no such matter Yet granting it to be true what hurt can be in it Blessed be God his Majesty is of yeares and wisdome abundantly sufficient to be able to discerne truth from falsehood be it never so cunningly masked or disguised Lastly what if a Romanist acting his owne part like himselfe indeavour to pinne such a sense upon our Articles as may make them almost Romish Who can hinder such mens tongues and pens Much applauded by our Innovators But doe any of our Innovators approve or applaud his wresting of our Articles to serve his owne turne I thinke Mr. B. cannot name any of them that doth And yet I cannot see what harme can follow if any shall so farre approve him as to like his moderate straine his lessening the number and quality of the differences between us which most of his owne party like M. Burton study to multiply and increase and so his desire of peace and reconciliation which if salvâ veritate it might once be wrought were a most blessed and happy accomplishment Neither is that though M. Burton so terme it true Christian p. 121. zeale but a distempered heat of a contentious spirit that shall come between and make an interruption And if as hee confesseth Puritans and Calvinists be such men no matter if they had no place either in Synode or Church of England As for those who because they know better are not willing as Mr Burton and others of his straine use to call all opinions and practices Popish which are beyond their learning and crosse the principles of their Catechismes and are therefore by him in scorne termed peaceable and indifferent men and well affected to Rome as Ely and Chichester and the Arch-Prelates they by their wisdome and moderation doe more good and acceptable service to God and his Church than ten thousand such fiery spirited Zelotes who understanding nothing but that the Romish Church are not of their opinion make it their ambition and highest point of Religion to condemne whatsoever is held or practiced in that Church not because evill or erroneous but because theirs What warrant they can have from the God of peace for their courses I cannot imagine One thing I am sure of that the Apostle S. Paul doth sufficiently warrant the contrary when he commands us If it be possible and as much as in us is to live peaceably Rom. 12. 18. with all men and according to his wont makes good his precept by his owne practice and that having to doe with men Jews and Gentiles opposite not to the faith onely but even to the very name of Christianity which yet they of Rome though bad enough are not For to the 1 Cor. 9. 20 21. Iewes he became as a Iew that he might gaine the Iewes To them that were under the law as under the law that he might gaine them under the law c. Yea as he there saith he was made all things to all men that he might by all meanes save some Not that thereby he did betray the truth or joyn with either Iew or Gentile in their errors from which he laboured by all means to with-draw them but because commiserating their condition he did condescend to their weaknesse and yeelded to them in what he might that thereby hee might winne them to yeeld to him in the maine As S. Augustine expounds the place And thus to August Ep. 19. deale with them of the Church of Rome at this day not that I intend to parallel them with either how any man can without wrapping up the blessed Apostle within the same sentence justly condemne I must confesse I am altogether ignorant For whereas such are bruited abroad to comply with Papists in their errors that is meere clamour without ground or shew of truth saving that they joyne not with these hot-spurres in rayling and raging and so exasperating them but leave that part to them as most delighting and exercised in that way and lacking compassionate affections to seek to gain and reduce those that wander into the way of truth Yet here we must take heed of going too far and that we doe not while we pitty and seeke to gain the adversary become injurious to the truth and lose it as it seemes if M. Burton may be beleeved some Factionists and Factors for Rome among us so he is pleased to style the Reverend Prelates and those that oppose his crotchets have done for he saith it is a common cry among them that we and they of Rome differ not in fundamentals This is I confesse to goe farre yea and a great deale too farre if we measure Fundamentalls by M. Burtons last who under that name will comprise all matters of faith as is evident by his quotation of these words out of our 19. Art in the margent The Church of Rome hath erred in matters of faith And this is usuall with others of his party who more truly may be termed Factionists than those whō he so calls for I once lighted upon a small book set forth by one of them which bare this title Fundamentall truths and nothing but Fundamentalls in which were contained all Catecheticall Doctrines the high points of Predestination the ten Commandements of the Law yea and though some more sublimated among them will admit none ten Commandements of the Gospell But M. Burton hath beene told sufficiently if prejudice would let him see that by Fundamentalls See B. of Exon advertisement Cholmely Butterf treatises are meant those points of faith which are absolutely necessary to salvation which whosoever beleeves not cannot be saved and to admit that in the Church of Rome these points are yet to be found and believed among them is no more than not absolutely to deny salvation to all that live in communion with that
Church or to yeeld them the name of Christians and of a Church and so to difference them from Turks and Pagans to which the profession of the same Creed and their Baptisme is sufficient And though the errors of Popery as now it stands are grosse and palpable yet to make them such as presently and absolutely to cut off all that professe and beleeve them from the Catholick Church and hope of salvation is an uncharitable groundlesse rigor and strictnesse neither can they who are not thus harshly uncharitable be justly taxed nor is it an absurd distinction as he unreverently and absurdly termed it that a Great Prelate who ever he was for he names him not used in the High Commission at the censure of Dr Bastwick when he said that We the Church of Rome differ not in Fundamētalibus but circa Fundamentalia for there may be and indeed are many intercurrent questions concerning points fundamentall disputed among us in which we and they differ and yet the fundamentalls themselves confessed by both sides For example both sides doe professe their agreement and common beliefe of that grand Fundamentall of Christianity that Iesus Christ the Son of God and Sonne of the B. Virgin is the Saviour of the world and that salvation is obtained onely by vertue of his merits Yet we doe not agree in every thing that concerns this principle or how and in what manner this vertue is efficacious unto our salvation Whether it make the good works of those that beleeve in this common Saviour properly meritorious and fully worthy of everlasting life as they will have it or onely as we contend in regard Rhemist on 2 Tim. 4. See B Andr. Ser. of justificat in Christs name of Gods gracious acceptation and by means of his promise and covenant whereby hee hath bound himselfe to reward them So that the distinction is not absurd but may most truely and fitly be said that wee may and doe differ about and not in fundamentalls That which M. Burton out of the Apostle alledgeth to crosse this is most 1 Tim. 1. 19. frivolous and vaine for he might have knowne that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place is better turned of or concerning than either in or about and so a Naufragium fidei fecerunt Beza renders it or as b Fide vacuati sunt Tremellius out of the Syriack they lost their faith so that faith is the merchandise lost or cast away and not any thing about it But granting that to erre in faith and about the faith as they may in some sense be all one yet will not that follow which hee would have but for all that there will be ground sufficient to justifie that distinction and to lay the absurdity upon those that quarrell it But this is an old theme upon which M. B. hath long wrangled and he might now doe well to give it over or if he will needs be doing let him goe lend his help to the Jesuite with whom he sides in opposing this distinction to answer Dr Potters learned and Ans to Char. mistaken Sec. 7 judicious discourse wherein it is fully and unansweraby asserted But M. Burton hath another quarrell yet but it is so weake and silly that I would not grace it with an answer but that haply some of his admirers may think it of greater moment because hee affirmes that thereby is made a change of our very Church c. This is a great matter but how is this made good Thus. My L. of Ely affirmes In his Epist to my Lo Grace of Cant. before his discourse of the Sabbath that the Romish adversary fromt he rising up of some schismaticall spirits among us uncharitably concludes that the whole body of our Church is schismaticall But in good earnest is M. Burton so deeply in love with his schismaticall humour that he cannot be content himselfe alone to be a schismatick but that he will have the maine body of our Church schismaticall or must we needs joyn with the Romish Church in their errors unlesse we wil confesse our selves guilty of the crime of schisme So they would have us indeed and M. B. it seemes so he may shew himself to be at enmity with them cares not though he draw that name upon himself and the whole Church of England whereas it hath been the care of discreet and wise men that have dealt in the controversies betweene us and them to wipe off that unjust and infamous aspersion To whom I referre him and others of his See the Ans to Char. mistaken Sect. 3. minde to be better informed and to learn That the Church of England did reform the errors and abuses of Rome without schisme And that though we have separated from thē in those things which they hold not as the Church of Christ but as the Romane and Pontifician yet we remaine still united both in the bond of charity and in those Articles of faith which that Church yet hath from Apostolicall tradition yea and in those acts of Gods worship which they yet practise according to Divine prescript that is wee and they professe one beleefe of the same Apostolike Creed as it is expounded by the foure first Generall Councels Wee approve with them the things which the Ancient Church of Christ decreed against Pelagius We and they worship and invocate the same God in the Name of the same Iesus Christ And what ever some turbulently-uncharitable haply may doe we study to reduce them from their errors and pray for their salvation accounting them not quite cut off but to continue still members though corrupt ones of the same Catholike Church But the man hath not yet done but to shew that there will come in an universall change in all our doctrine reckons up divers particulars as Iustification by works maintained openly not long agoe at the Commencement in Cambridge Iustification by charity in Mr. Shelfords Booke The Pope not Antichrist Pulpits and preaching beaten downe by the same man in his second Treatise The Virgin Mary Deified in a booke intitled The female glory c. For answere to these I say for the first That hee hath shamefully slandered the University The Heads whereof are more judicious and discreet than to suffer any position which doth directly and in terminis crosse the Articles of our Church to bee openly disputed and maintained That which I suppose he aimes at by his quoting of Fr. à S ta Clara was to this purpose That good Bona opera sunt efficaciter necessaria ad salutem Resp Dr. Duncan works are effectively necessary to salvation which position was intended and maintained in opposition to the enemies of good works of whom some deny their necessity others allowing their presence as requisite deny that they conduce any thing to the furtherance of salvation Now this is not to maintaine Iustification by works for the works here meant were such as follow justification
is too heavy 2. Without warrant For 1 will no less censure serve the turne then suspension excommunication deprivation and the like I answer No especially for those that after admonition instruction and long forbearance remaine not onely refractary but adde thereto many intollerable affronts to Authority by publick invectives private whisperings and false suggestions buzzing into the people I know not what dangerous issues meere fictions of a pettish fancy to follow for these men these censures are milde enough And I dare appeale to that conscience which Mr. B. hath yet left him whether if hee did erect his new discipline and godly government pag. 110. hee would not exercise as harsh censures upon them that not onely wilfully but thus turbulently oppose the commands of those in authority and wee may easily guesse what hee would doe if hee had once the upper ground when being on the lower hee can so severely censure those that are above him with deprivation not of living but of life and turne suspension Ips News p. 6. into plaine English hanging And that the Churches where that purer discipline is in place for matters of lesse moment hath inflicted as heavy censures is better knowne than to need rehearsing But not the example of others like dealings but the proceedings themselves are the best justification For with how slow a pace did justice march to these punishments that have beene three yeeres space in the execution and yet of delinquents in that kinde how few are they that have suffered And what admonitions were spent upon them what paines in information what patience in expectation of their conformity is sufficiently knowne and remaines upon record and will justifie themselves before any indifferent Judges So that I may truely say of these proceedings as S. Austine of the Churches in his time against the Donatists that it was a most mercifull discipline that was used upon Misericordissima disciplina them And what other censures hath the Church to inflict but these except it be an admonition and if they would onely have that used and rather to bee misused upon them to no purpose they might then have just ground for their usuall practise in contemning the whole power of the Church 2 But what warrant have they There is no Canon Statute Law or precept extant that requires Div. Trag. p. ult it I grant it if he meane particularly requiring it for since at least the last setting forth of the booke there have beene no Canons or Statutes made But it were very hard if the Kings Majesty should not have power to command men to declare his pleasure in any thing and to punish such as refuse without the assistance of new Canons and Statutes for every new occasion God be thanked his owne Royall right and the Lawes and Canons already made do abundantly enable him to doe farre more than this Well perhaps hee doth not deny the Kings right or power but what power have the Bishops for their proceedings If saith he they alledge the Kings p. 57. authority as they do where shew they this authority Where do they shew it Marry where they are by duty bound to doe it to those that have authority to demand it to whom they are ready to give a just account of their proceedings but not to Mr. Burton For what authority hath hee to demand a sight of their Authority Or who made him Inquisitor generall over the Bishops to examine their actions and so imperiously to require their warrant as here he doth and in like maner in another place hath dealt with my Lord Bishop of Norwich for his proceeding in his owne Diocesse And all this hee presumes to doe meerely of himselfe without and against all Law and Canon yea and reason too hee not having the least occasion offered him as not having been so much as questioned for the things nor touched by the authority whereof hee complaines If hee had beene suspended excommunicated and deprived for not reading the Booke or for not conforming to the new Ceremonies as he calls them he could have done no more nor indeed could hee justly have done so much It belongs not to any man that is questioned for any crime or cause before any subordinate Magistrate Civill or Ecclesiastick in such manner to question their Authority if haply they think them to have no warrant for what they doe they who are questioned have the benefit of Appeale Ad praesidium innocentiae est Apellationis remedium institutum Lancellot Perusin instit jur Can. l 3. tit 17. which was instituted for the reliefe of innocency as the Canonists speake and by this meanes the Iudge à Quo shall bee compelled to transmit both his proceedings in the cause and his authority by which he so proceeded to bee scanned by the Iudge ad Quem But for the parties questioned to doe it is an unsufferable insolency and affront to Iustice And if Mr. Burton 1 Pet. 4. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alienas Curas agens S. Cypr. ad Quirin Curiosus nemo est qui non sit malevolus Plau◠now suffer for this hee cannot bee said to suffer as a Christian but as a busie body or Bishop in anothers Diocesse And certainly every man that is such is an evill member in the Common-wealth and ill-affected to the Government under which he lives for as the Comick once said well No man is a busie-body which is not malevolent But beside this the Book expresly commanding the Bishops to take order for the publication of the Book doth whatsoever Mr. Burton saith to the The book orders no such severe and wicked censures to be inflicted upon any in that behalfe No nor yet gives the Bishops any expresse order or power at all to punish any Ministers in this case p. 56. contrary sufficiently warrant them to punish such as refuse otherwise they doe but poorely discharge the trust committed to them To send it to the severall Churches and there to leave it to be read or not at the pleasure of the Minister is not to take order for the publication of it but to permit the publication of it to the discretion of every Minister which if his Majesty had onely intended hee would have imployed some inferiour persons but intending to have it done to purpose His Majesty committed it to the Bishops whose power he knew to bee sufficient to take order in that case without any new warrant or express order in the booke for the punishment of offenders against his Royall pleasure And thus much of that Book and of the first kind of supposed Innovations viz. in Doctrine CHAP. XIII Of the Innovation pretended to bee in Discipline The Courts Ecclesiasticall have continued their wanted course of Iustice St. Austines Apology for the Church against the Donatists fitly serves ours The cunning used by delinquents to make themselves pitied and justice taxed Their practises to palliate and cover their faults Mr.
Burtons endeavour to excuse Ap-Evans Mr. Burtons opposites not censorious What they thinke of those whom he calls Professors and the profession it selfe True Piety approved and honoured in all professions The answere to this crimination summed up The censured partiall Iudges of their own censures How offences are to be rated in their censures THe next is Innovation in Discipline which saith he in a word is this That whereas of old the censures of the Church were to be inflicted upon disordered and vitious persons notorious livers as drunkards adulterers c. Now the sharpe edge thereof is mainly turned against Gods people and Ministers even for their vertue pag. 127. and piety c. A man that reads this charge and were ignorant of the language that is spoken among those of M. Burtons tribe would verily beleeve if it were but halfe true that the State of our Church were metamorphosed into a very Babel of disorder and confusion and sinck of profanenesse and iniquity But the comfort still is we may fitly answere him as Nehemiah did Sanballat There are Nehem. 6. 8. no such things done as thou sayest but thou fainest them out of thine owne heart For first let the records of Ecclesiasticall Courts and as that hee most aimes at of the High Commission bee searched and compared with the now highlymagnified times of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory and it will appeare that there is not now the least Innovation either in the manner of their proceedings or in the crimes and persons censured but that it continues in the old and troden steps of religious justice and useth the same severity against vitious persons and inordinate livers in all kindes as ever it was wont to doe And that if there bee any change at all it is that the edge of their censures is not now so sharp or so mainly turned against Gods people and Ministers for their vertue and piety as it was in those happy times For had it beene now as it was then perhaps Mr. Burton had beene prevented for ever comming to this height and his vertue and Piety had beene nipt in the bud which now hath enlarged her branches loaden with goodly fruits suitable to the stocke on which they grow And many of his vertuous friends and Candidates of Martyrdom in the Sabbatarian cause would not have thus long have waited for their sentence of condemnation for their godly and right Christian resistance of his Majesties unquoth commands But I must not goe farther with this vizor and therefore before I proceed I le pull it off and expound the termes and then reade this part of his charge in plaine English Here then by Gods people and Ministers understand People and Ministers of Mr. Burtons party Their vertue and piety their disobedience to their Soveraigne their repining and murmuring at his government their inconformity to the Orders of the Church their contempt of Ecclesiasticall power and authority and other strange insolencies whereof M. Burton hath given us a full patterne in this booke and his long practices The summe and plaine truth is That some people and Ministers that have a better conceit of themselves than they have cause for have beene lately censured for their not conforming to his Majesties commands and the Churches orders This is all and when was it otherwise in this Church nay in any Church since the beginning of Christianity was it ever knowne that any Church or any civill government did or could subsist without inflicting censures upon the wilfull violators of their orders and constitutions Hath not ever the edge of discipline been justly sharpned against those that shall to their disobedience adde contempt of the authority and that with contumelious reproaches and slanders against the persons invested with it If men for the maintenance of their selfe will'd humours and for exalting of their private fancies against the publick Orders of the Church and the authority Ecclesiasticall shall presume so farre Sipro errore homines tanta prasumunt quanto magis aequ◠est et oportet eos qui pacis et unitatis Christianae asserunt veritatem omnibus etiā dissimulantibus et cobibentibus manifestam satagere instanter atque impigrè non solùm pro eorum munimine qui jam Catholici sunt verū etiam pro corum correctione qui nondū sunt Nam si pertina cia insuperabilis vires habere conatur quantas debet habere constātia quae in eo bono quod perseveranter atque infatigabiliter agit et Deo placere se novit et proculdubio non potest hominibus prudentibus displicere Aug. Ep. 167. How much more is it fit and behoves those who stand for the truth of peace and Christian unity which is manifest even to those that dissemble and oppose it to endevour with all earnestnesse and diligence not onely for the securing of those which are Catholicks but also for the correction of those that are not For if stubbornnesse seeke to get such strength what ought constancy to have which in that good which uncessantly and unweariedly it doth both knowes that it pleaseth God and without doubt cannot displease wise men So Saint Augustine once Apologized for the Church in his dayes proceeding against the Donatists and a fitter I cannot use for our Church at this day nor need I adde more in this case But this will not haply be contradicted by any that thus viewes things in their true notions and if any should be so void of reason and grace as to declaime against it every man would cry shame of him But the cunning maske that is put upon it makes it passe current and to be entertained as a just and a great grievance when it shal be presented under the names of persecution and unjust censures inflicted upon Gods people and Ministers and that for their vertue and piety who then can but pitty and commiserate the sufferers and condemne their persecutors of notorious injustice and horrible impiety It is an old and a cunning stratagem used by some expert Captaines to march disguised and to beare the Colours of those against whom they fight that they may finde the more easie passage And this practice hath beene long in use with the disturbers of the Churches peace to usurp the name and priviledges of the true Church and to appropriate that to themselves which of right belongs to those whom they oppugne But never any Vos enim dicitis remansisse Ecclesiam Christi in sola Africa partis Donati Aug. Ep. 166. were better Artists in this kinde than the Donatists in S. Augustines time who were wont to circumscribe the Church within the bounds of their party and to account all other Christians as Pagan and to call the repression of their turbulencies persecution and boast of Martyrdome as appeares out of S. Augustine and Optatus Milevitanus Optat. Milevit l. 3. prope finem And these Donatists were never better parallel'd than in these
is there that will say that Christians have not their sacrifices Nay who is there that knows the nature of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or the Heb. 13. 15 16. Doctrin of Antiquity concerning it but will confesse it to be a true and rightly so called sacrifice 2 Neither can all this be accused of superstition for confessing a Sacrifice and an Altar wee intend not either the reviving of the Leviticall bloody sacrifices of the old Law nor the unbloudy propitiatory sacrifice offered in the Popish Masse for the quick and the dead we hold with the subscribed Articles Transubstantiation Artic. 28. 31. a bold and unwarranted determination of Christs presence in the Sacrament and thinke such sacrifices no better then blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits We beleeve that our blessed Saviour upon the Crosse by his owne oblation of himselfe Communion book Heb. 10. once offered made a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world and that he needeth not to be often offered nor can without impiety and imposture be said to be made of bread by the Priests and dayly offered in the Masse The sacrifice which we admit is onely 1. Representative to represent to us visibly in those elements the all-saving sacrifice of Christs death and to behold him crucified before our eyes and his body broken in the bread and in the wine his blood powred out 2. It is spirituall offered and participated by faith 3. It is Commemorative done according to our Saviours institution in remembrance of him and of his death and passion This is all the sacrifice we acknowledge and we desire no other Altar than what may suit with it and serve for the offering of such sacrifices A spirituall Altar for a spirituall sacrifice It may bee still and must bee a Communion-Table and yet neverthelesse an Altar that properly this mystically A Table it is for the Lords Supper and an Altar for the memoriall sacrifice of the Lords death And both a Table and an Altar it is what ever the matter of it bee whether of stone as sometimes and in some places they have beene or of wood as among us in most places they usually now are Yea and wheresoever they be placed whether in Of their standing the West end as sometimes in the Church at Antioch in Syria as Socrates reporteth or to the East which Ecclesia Antiochiae Syriae contrarium ab aliis Ecclesiis sitam habet nam altare non ad orientem sed ad occasum spectat Socrat. hist eccl l. 5. c. 21. was the custome in other places as the same Author intimates and with what site soever whether it stand Table-wise as they call it with the ends to the East and West or Altar-wise with the ends from North and South whether upon a plain levell or mounted by steps These are but accidents which alter not the nature and use of it but that though these vary yet still it remaines both a Table and an Altar in the sense that I have mentioned And that it may be placed at the East end of the Church according to the ancient and most received fashion of the Christian world Queen Elizabeths Injunction for that purpose Injunction for Tables in the Church is warrant sufficient which appointeth it to be set in the place where the Altar stood and not thence removed except at the time of the Communion for more conveniency of hearing and communicating Which if it may be as well there as in some places without question it may as in any other part of the Church or Chancell for ought that I can see it may stand there still And however the placing of it as of appointing the place for the rest of the Service of Morning and Evening prayer and the decision of all doubts about Ceremonies is left to the discretion of the Ordinary as is evident out of the Rubrick before the beginning of Morning prayer and the Preface prefixed to the Booke of Common prayer In case then that the Ordinary which is every Bishop in his Diocese shall appoint it to be so placed hee doth no more but what he hath pattern for from the Ancient Church and by warrant from the Injunctions mentioned and Booke of Common prayer it selfe that I say nothing of the Episcopall power which was never abridged of liberty to take order in things of this nor of farre higher nature I will adde one thing more That that place is of all others the most fit for the standing of the Lords Table because as S. Iustine Martyr saith Quia corum quae apud nos sunt meliora praestantiora ad Dei honorem secernimus hominum autem opinione sententia ea pars in qua sol oritur caeteris naturae partibus praestantior est orientem cum precamur omnes intuemur S. Iust Mart. ad orthodox quaest 118. Communicants going up to the Altar to receive Ips new p 7. Those things which are the best and most excellent with us we set apart for the service of God and for that in the opinion and judgement of men that part where the Sunne riseth is the chiefe of all the parts of created Nature wee looke to the East when wee pray for that cause And as that part of the Church hath beene ever accounted the chiefest so it is great reason that our best services should thence be tendred unto God and that his Table should have the highest place in his owne house and no man suffered to perk above it and him And if it may bee there placed and in case the Ordinary shall think that place convenient for ministration there remaine Then can it not as some think and as the Ipswich-libell glancingly intimates be unlawfull for the Communicants to goe up thither when they receive As for the custome which in too many places is of late crept in of the Priests carrying of the holy Bread and Cup to every person in their seats it is both unseemly and derogatory to the Majesty of those sacred Mysteries and I am sure beside the intention of our Church expressely commanding all those that intend to cōmunicate to draw neere to thē And this is also the intention of the often mentioned Injunction when it appoints the removing of the holy Table from the place where the Altar stood that the Communicants more conveniently and in more number might communicate with the Minister For what need any removing for that if the Minister must carry the Sacrament to every man Who sees not but that the whole Congregation though never so great may communicate with the Minister and the Table stand still at the East end or any where if communicating with him were understood in that sense But without all doubt the intent of the Injunction was that Communicants should goe out of their places and draw neere to the Table when they did receive and care was thereby taken that
time especially in the prayers at Baptisme when after the Sacraments administred Wee give God humble and hearty thankes for that it hath pleased him to regenerate the Infant baptized Where they use to understand some such clause as this If hee bee elected or as I have heard some expresse it as we hope by which device they can without scruple of conscience both subscribe and use the prayers of the Church which in the Churches sence they doe not beleeve or assent to But this onely by the way The next booke that he sayth they have altered is that which is set forth for solemne thanksgiving for our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason In the last Edition whereof instead of this passage Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect which say of Ierusalem down with it c. They read Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect of them which say c. and little after for whose religion is rebellion and faith faction they read who turne religion into rebellion and faith into faction For answer to this I say first That those prayers were not as he falsely affirmes set forth by authority of Parliament The Act of Parliament which is obvious to every man that reads that book being prefixed to it and appointed to bee read on those dayes enjoynes the keeping of that day by resorting to the Church at morning prayer but mentions no speciall prayers either set forth or to be set forth afterwards for that purpose If he know any other act that authoriseth them I say to him as be to my Lord Bishop of Norwich and I hope I may doe it with lesse sawcines Let him shew it Then secondly pag. 72. I say that being done by the same Authority that first set them forth it is neither for him nor me nor any other of inferiour ranke to question them but with humble reverence to submit to their iudgements and to thinke them wiser and farre more fit to order those things that belong to their places than we whom it neither concernes nor indeed can know the reasons that move them either to doe or alter any thing But more particularly that which he obiecteth against the former is That they would not hereby have all Iesuites and Papists termed a Babylonish and Antichristian sect but restraine it to some few of them and mentally transferr it to those Puritans who cry downe with Babylon that is Popery But what then what if out of a charitable respect to those which in that Religion are honest and peaceable men as no doubt but some of them whatsoever Master B. beleeves of them are such they are not willing nor thinke it fit to pray for the rooting up and confusion of all Papists indiscriminatim under those harsh termes surely charitably minded Christians cannot but approve such an alteration if there were no other ground than that for it As for any mans transferring it to Puritanes that is as meere a surmise as it is a false slander that any of those whom he intimates doe call Rome Ierusalem or Popery the true Catholick Religion Yet I know not why such furious cryers downe of Popery as Master B. hath shewed himselfe may not bee accounted of a Babylonish and Antichristian sect as well as any Iesuit in the world nor why we may not pray and that with better reason than Master B. would have men to doe and under those titles against the Hierarchy of our Church that God would roote them out of the land when they cry so loud not of Rome but of our Ierusalem the truely and rightly reformed English Church Downe with it down with it even to the ground To the other his exception is that they which made that alteration would turne off Rebellion and Faction from the Romish Religion and faith to some persons as if the Religion it selfe were not Rebellion and their faith Faction But he craves leave to prove it so to bee according to the judgement of our Church grounded upon manifest and undeniable proofes and without expecting the grant of what hee craves from any but his good Mrs the People hee sets upon it but presently forgets his promised brevitie for he spends almost five leaves in that Argument And lest I forget my promise in the same kinde I le summe him into a very narrow roome 1. Their Religion First Reason is rebellion 1. Because the Oath of Supremacie is p. 132. refused by Iesuites Seminary Priests and Iesuited Papists and if any Papist take it hee is excommunicated for it But this reason concludes nothing Answered against the Religion but against the Practise of some of that Religion and some positions of a Faction rather than the generally received Faith among them It is well knowne that the French and Venetian States professe the Romish Religion and Faith and live in communion with that Church And yet they doe not acknowledge that Duaren de Benefic l. 5. c. 11. extravagant Power over Princes which some Popes have challenged and their flatterers doe ascribe to them As is evident 1. by the Pragmaticall Sanction as they call it in France in the time of Charles the VII approving and ratifying the Decrees of the Councels of Constance and Basill against the Popes usurped Power over generall Councels and Princes which notwithstanding the attempts of many Popes and the Bulls and Constitutions of Pope Iulius the II. and Leo the X. against it is not yet antiquated or abolished Secondly by the publick Decree made in France Christianography p. 132. Anno 1611. for expelling the Iesuites except they approved these foure Articles 1. That the Pope hath no power to depose Kings 2. That the Councell is above the Pope 3. That the Clergie ought to be subject to the Civill Magistrate 4. That Confession ought to be revealed if it touch the Kings Person 3. By that memorable Controversie that of late Controversia memorabilis inter Paul 5. Venetos Acta script c. edita 1607. happened betweene Pope Paul the V. and the State of Venice where the just libertie of Princes and States in their Dominions against that Popes tyrannicall Interdict and Sentence of Excommunication is defended by those who notwithstanding professe their union in Religion and due obedience to the Sea of Rome By all these I say it is evident that what ever the tenets of fiery spirited Iesuites and other furious Factionists of that Religion be the Religion may bee held and yet due obedience to Princes maintained and performed which could not be if the Religion were Rebellion and Faith Faction Besides our English Catholicks though for the most part more Pontifician and Spanish than French doe not all disallow the taking of the Oath of Allegiance nor their Priests themselves but though some of them doe yet others like and approve both the Oath and those that take it and others neither approve nor denie it but leave every man to his owne Conscience The
in which they take it yet is the sanctification expressely referred not to the day but to the Fast which in regard of the religious ends and uses of it may bee truly called an holy or sanctified work and so cannot inferre any Sabbaticall sanctification of a day much lesse of every such day for that worke 2. Neither doth the solemn assemblie necessarily import it the word being of more generall signification and some times applyed to such assemblies as are farre from holines and however as I said before being onely a particular command cannot be drawne into Ier 9. 2. an Assemblie of treacherous men a perpetuall rule As is judiciously observed by that Reverend Divine Master Hen. Mason in his pious Treatise of Fasting or Christian humiliation where this point is more largely and learnedly discussed I leave this then as an opinion built upon a sandy and tottering foundation which whatever shew of pietie it seemes to carry with it hath no ground in reason or Scripture to support it And I shall crave leave likewise that I may not trace him any more in his wilde vagaries that hee here makes bringing fire saucie and presumptuous Arguments to prove that His Majestie never intended to restraine Preaching on the Fast dayes when the Proclamation which is vox Regis speakes it Some men but none goes beyond Master B. have a dainty facultie this way if a thing like them they will have Scripture for it or it shall goe hard and if they can finde none they will yet bring reasons to shew that it must and ought to bee there as some Ames med Theol. l. 2. c. 5. have done for the establishing of the Lords Day If they like it not then plaine words are not enough to prove it spoken as here His Majesties Proclamation is not sufficient to declare his Royall meaning but hee must be forced by multitude I cannot say weight or force of Arguments to meane otherwise yea cleane contrary to his expresse words But this is but his old fetch to put the Bishops betweene when hee levels his envenomed shafts of detraction against His Sacred Majestie thereby hoping to procure them envie and to get a starting hole to avoyd the danger of broad-mouthed Treason The Bishops prohibited Preaching and not the King But whoever did it naught it was and that which made the Fast to bee neither grave nor religious and if it prove to bee His Majesties I suppose it is not Mr. Burtons saying he had rather dye than conceive such an opinion of his King that will save him from the just reward of his audaciousnes But I passe by this and those nine reasons that follow moving him had the season served for his accesse to have becom'n an humble petitioner to His Majestie for the taking off of that restraint that preaching at the Fasts in places infected might bee permitted partly because of their vanitie and weaknesse and partly because I would not prevent my selfe being to speake of preaching in Generall under the next head where I must touch upon some of these particulars of which I now come to speake CHAP. XVII Of the sixth pretended Innovation in the Meanes of Knowledge The Knowledge of God necessary The Scriptures the key of Knowledge Impious to take them away or hinder the Knowledge of them The difference betweene the Scriptures and Sermons How Faith is begotten of Rom. 10. 17. The Word of God must be rightly divided and what it is so to doe THE sixth Innovation he tells us is about the meanes of the Knowledge of God and of the mysterie of our salvation where in hee charges the Prelates as our Saviour did the Scribes and Pharisees That they shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against men and neither goe in themselves Matth. 23. 13. nor suffer them that were entring to goe in Which saith he in Luke 11. 52. is expressed thus Yee take away the key of knowledge And then hee declares his meaning after a confused clamorous manner The summe whereof is but this They hinder and disgrace preaching and will not suffer men to preach or Catechise as they desire For answer to this I say first That it is a certaine truth and granted by all that understand any thing in religion That the knowledge of God and of the mysteries of salvation is most necessary for every Christian so as without a competent measure thereof by some meanes attained it is impossible for any man come to yeares of discretion to be saved Secondly It is also as certaine that it is not in the power of nature to attaine unto this competencie of knowledge in those things especially that concern the mysteries of our redemption without the helpe of a key reached out unto us from God himselfe who alone can make knowne what is that his good acceptable and perfect Will by beleeving and doing whereof hee hath determined to bring men to happinesse Thirdly It is agreed upon by all Protestant Divines that this key of knowledge is the Word of God contained in the Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament which containe all things necessary to salvation Now it cannot but bee a most hatefull and odious sinne and impiety to take away from Christians this Key of knowledge and to barre them any way from the use of it and this kinde of persecution which was used by Iulian the Apostate is the most cruell of all others as tending not to the destroying of the bodies but both of bodies and soules for ever in hell fire and therfore we justly condemn the Church of Rome as envious of the salvation of mens soules in not permitting the Scripture to be had or read in a vulgar and known language And if any of our Prelates should doe the like I think Mr. B. might justly complain and in an orderly way seek redresse of so great a mischief But this he cannot say for hee that hath said so much I doubt not if he could have had the least colour for it but he would have said that too All the businesse that he moves this stir about is The putting downe of some Lectures and Sermons and regulating of Catechising And this he would have the people beleeve to bee the taking away of the key of knowledg and the means of the knowledg of God and of the mysteries of salvation And this hath beene an old deceit with which many Ministers of his faction have cosened if not themselves the people For whatsoever is spoken concerning the efficacie or necessity of Gods Hook Eccl. Pol. l. 5. §. 21. Word the same they tie and restraine only unto Sermons howbeit not to Sermons read neither for such they also abhor in the Church but Sermons without booke Sermons which spend their life in their birth and may have publike audience but once And hence it is that these great cryes are raised that a Minister shall not for any irregularity be suspended or his extravagant fancies restrained
or any order for the time or manner of preaching prescribed but presently they cry out that the Word of God the Gospel ordinary means of salvation are taken away or hindered The truth is we have no Word of God but the Scripture Apostolike Sermons were unto such as heard them his Word even as properly as unto us their writings are Howbeit not so our owne Sermons the expositions which our discourse of wit doth gather and minister out of the Word of God And much lesse every fond opinion which passion or misguided zeale shall utter out of the Pulpit To dignifie these with the name of Gods Word is both a grosse taking of Gods Name in vaine and a dangerous delusion of Gods People And yet so farre are some transported and carried away with this mis-perswasion that they attribute more to mens expositions than to the pure and infallible Word of God it selfe For they deny that any power to save soules though read or otherwise published in a knowne tongue and so plainely expressed that it cannot transcend the capacity of a meane understanding as indeed it is and we confidently and upon sure and infallible grounds mantaine it to be so against our adversaries of Rome in those things that are absolutely necessary to salvation Which opinion of theirs if ever any were is most senselesse and contrary to all reason For wee read that the Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation That the Word of God received 2 Tim. 3. 15. Iam. 1. 21 with meeknes ingrafted is able to save our soules and that they thus commended the Scriptures as availeable to this end for certaine had no secret conceit which they never opened to any a conceit that no man in the world should be that way the better for any sentence in it till such time as the same might chance to bee preached upon or alledged at the least in a Sermon There is no such coherence between Sermons and faith that ordinarily a Christian mans beleefe should naturally grow from thence and not possibly from any other kinde of notification of the Word of God The Apostle indeed faith that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. But is not the Word as well heard when it is read as when it is preached upon in Master Burtons precise acception of the word The begetting of faith in mens hearts commeth from the concurrence of two things First the Word of God which is the object of faith Secondly the notification of this object to the understanding by such meanes as it may bee able to apprehend it and this notification or conveighing of the word of God to the understanding is that which the Apostle calls hearing and comprehends in it both reading of it by a man's selfe hearing it read by others or any other way whereby it may come to be understood and assented unto as preaching in that sense to which it is by these men restrained by way of Sermons and yet we must give preaching even in that sense it 's due and farre be it from any yea and I dare confidently say it is farre from any of those whom Master B. taxeth to deny it it 's just honor onely let it not be lifted up to an unjust competition with the Scriptures and immediately inspired Word of God it selfe and much lesse preferred before it in power and efficacie or to have the word of God to borrow and fetch its power and saving vertue from it neither let it not bee opposed to or bring in contempt that which it ought chiefely to labour to promote the publicke prayers of the Church which is the true and proper worship of God With these Cautions whatsoever honour men shall give not to every vaine babling venting of fables newes corantoes out of the Pulpit but to preaching rightly so called that is the sober and solid explication application of any portion of the word of God will never offend the Prelates of these times nor any other piously affected Christian Let them dignifie this if they please in a secundary sense with the title of Gods word Let them call the Ministers of it even in respect of this as the Apostle hath done in regard of their whole office co-workers or joynt-labourers with God than which what greater dignity can be imagined yet they shall not be gaine said by any Prelate or feare the censure of the High-commission for it Men doe not we know bring the saving knowledge of God into the world with them it must be instilled by some meanes and among the rest it is Gods ordinance That the Priests lips which should Mal. 2. 7. Deut. 32. 2. preserve knowledge should in this way let their doctrine drop as the raine and their speech distill as the dew and that the people who have not the like opportunity or ability of knowledge might seeke the law at their mouthes who even in this are the messengers of the Lord of Hosts Yea if this bee not enough let them preferre this above all other meanes and it will easily be granted in regard they are more apt to make impression upon the hearers more powerfull incentives of good affections than other wayes of teaching are But all this notwithstanding though there be so much of God in this work yet there is somewhat of man still in the best of them and that where ever it be is not priviledged from error imperfection and vanity and hence it comes to passe that many Jer. 23. 31 32. times men with those in the prophet use their tongues and say The Lord saith when God sent them not nor commanded them but they prophesie false dreames and cause the people to erre by their lightnesse Yea too often as these sermons here before us men make the Pulpit but a stage to act their passionate distempers and spleene to ransack the affaires of state and to pick out thence such things as may claw the peoples itch who ever are content to heare those above them taxed or if men doe not shew themselves to bee men in so grosse a manner yet it cannot bee expected but that discretion will bee sometimes wanting to know what meate is fittest for the strength of their auditory and when and how to administer that which is sufficient for their due nourishment without the over laying of their stomackes to the ingendring of spirituall crudities and corrupt humours It is a misconceit that some have who because the Apostle bids his scholer Timothy to preach in season and out of season there can be no 2. Tim. 4. 2. time or measure unseasonable and so no bounds without injury set to preachers or preaching When wee know the nature of the duty it selfe the end of it the necessity of other duties to succeede and all shew that there is an out of season and an out of measure too which the Apostle never intended to urge his
factiously-minded persons It being usuall with such men of both parties to mistake the religion professed on either side and as Master B. condemnes all that of Popery and superstition that is crosse to his fancied crotchets though it be the doctrine that hath been ever taught in the Church of Christ and sometimes such as himselfe hath subscribed So the Iesuites on the other side use to charge our Church with all those tenets which they finde to bee by any among us without respect had either to the consent they have with the publickly received doctrine or to the judiciall approbation that such opinions which we many times detest as much if not more than they have from any authorised act of the Church otherwise both the Iesuite and hee might have knowne that many for some of them are but meere fictions and slanders of the things they accuse of novelty have beene ever agreeable to the doctrine of this Church For who knowes not that the names of Priests and Altars are no such strangers in our Church that any man should bee fearefull of using them such as have staggered at them have beene justly counted more nice than wise Especially the name of Priest which both our booke of Common-prayer and of Ordination have ever used and kept on foot though it sounded but harshly to some eares And for that which the Iesuite cals fiery Calvinisme if he meane the Geneva discipline founded by him or any singular opinions which hee holds wherein there hath appeared more heate than truth I confesse it hath beene and is the more is the pitty the Darling of many in England but without either Canon or countenance from Authority The Church of England in reforming of Romish errors tooke no patterne from Geneva nor followed any private mans oppinion and her wisest and most judicious sons as they honour the learning and good parts of any and of Master Calvin among yea and in some things haply above others so they have ever on the other side thought it an injury to receive their denomination from any doctrine but that which is publickly taught and avowed by our owne Church and all the innovation that may seeme to bee in them is only that by the negligence of some that have beene in place or rather from their inability than to foresee the mischiefe that now since appeares contrary tenets and practices have growne so into such fashion that the Churches true tenets and rites being revived seeme no lesse strange and new than the old English habits would be judged among our present Courtiers Or perhaps which I know not why any man should be ashamed of that learning and industry being increased and the heat of contention allayed men begin to judge of opinions not by the authors but by the truth and so some things which by some have beene blasted for Popish and superstitions and by others taken up upon their credit to be such by judicious triall are found consonant to the truth of Christian religion and our Churches doctrine Neither can any without bewraying either malice or grosse ignorance call this a warping toward Popery or that Protestantisme among us waxeth wearie of it selfe when the doctrine and profession in all this seeming variation remaines still the same and unaltered CHAP. XX. The last Innovation in the Rule of manners The Scriptures acknowledged to be the sole rule of manners and how Old Canons how in force The Act before the Communion-book doth not forbid the use of ancient and pious customes Master B. incurring the penalty of that Statute Of Cathedrall Churches The argument from them frees the rites and ceremonies there used from novelty and superstition Of the Royall Chappell His dangerous insinuations referred to the censure of Authority The Close I Am now at last gotten to the eighth and last Innovation or change which he saith is in the rule of manners which rule is changed from the Word of Christ and the examples of the holy Apostles pag. 156. wherein they followed Christ to the example of the Prelates lives and the dictates of their writings An ill change certainly But where is this rule by them prescribed That he neither doth or can tell us but according to his old wont falls a railing against his Majesties Declaration for sports upon the Sundaies and against those whom he calls Anti-Sabbatarians for allowing of it notwithstanding as hath beene already sufficiently demonstrated it is no way contrary but consonant to the Word of God which they whom he taxes allow and acknowledge as the sole rule of Christian life though not so as hee would have it that a man may doe nothing either in his civill conversation or in things pertaining to the time place manner and other circumstances in the worship of God which is not to bee found in the Scriptures though commanded by superiors invested with authority from God himself And however this is no proofe of his assertion for hee cannot bring any instance wherein they propound their owne lives for a patterne or rule of Christians practise in this no nor in any other case Nay I dare boldly say that if Master B. and such as joyne with him in opinion would give the Prelates of our Church that which our blessed Saviour commanded to bee given while the Iewish Church continued to the Scribes and Pharisees who sate in Moses seate To observe and doe that Mat. 23. 2. 3. which they command them and that only wherein they command not contrary to the duty of their places or to the Word of God They will easily dispense with them for observing any further rule or for doing after their workes though it cannot be said of them as our Saviour did of the Scribes and Pharisees that they say and doe not Having nothing more to say to this point but senselesse repetitions of his old declamatory or incendiary language For a close he brings certaine arguments framed in defence of the pretended Innovations which he answers with as much confidence and little reason as hee hath used hitherto in the charging of them for such First hee saith our changers plead That they pag. 158. bring in no changes but revive those things which ancient Canons have allowed and prescribed To this he answers That in this Land wee are not to be ruled by the Popes Canons or Canon-law but by the Law of God and of the King But by his favour I must tell him that neither the Law of God nor of the King doth disallow the use of the Old Canons and Constitutions though made in the time of Popery and by the Pope or Popish Prelates which are not contrary to the Law of God or of the King which yet he hath not and indeed cannot justly charge any of those things to be which he quarrels If hee desire proofe of this let him consider whether the Stat. 25. Hen. 8. 19. doe not say as much as I affirme Where having regulated divers things touching