a Table Feast as his was and notwithstanding the Rubrick was originally a consequence of Transubstantiation and came in with it 1200. years after our Saviour and was a stumbling block to many Reformed Protestants highly resented by Beza and many more and proved so grateful to Papists that Bonner having learned that Cranmer and Ridley had kept this and other Ceremonies said that he doubted not since their Broth went down with them so well that er'e long they should eat of their Beef too 9. We cannot we dare not in Baptism exclude the Parents from engaging and promising in behalf of their own Children and take in other Sureties whom all know and none expect they will endeavour to perform what they promise and undertake which indeed is impossible for any to perform especially when more Ignorant and more Irreligius Sureties are called in than the excluded Parents as Papists Ignorant and prophane Persons Strangers and sometimes Young Children which we apprehend to be a willful promoting of known perfidiousness and a down-right mocking of God 10 Because we find the Common Prayer Book in its several parts translated out of several Popish Books the Frayers are taken out of the Breviary the Administration of Sacraments Burial Matrimonies and Visiting of the Sick are taken out of the Romish Rituall the Consecration of the Lords Supper Collects Epistles and Gospels are taken out of the Mass Book though some things are left out as Prayers to the Virgin Mary Saints and Angels This is to us one just prejudice against the use of it 11. We cannot away with nor dare we assent to nor believe many things and sayings in the Common Prayer nor use that Corrupt Translation of the Psalms while God has provided us with a better we dare not pretend the imitation of our Saviours Miraculous Feast by that Popish and Mock-Feast of Lent consisting not in abstinence but in choosing of Meats In Te Deum we dare not say all the Earth worship thee while we are assured the greatest part are Infidels to this Day and neither Worship nor know the true God we dare not assent to the Damning Sentence of Athenasius's Creed which many of the Eldersons of your Church wished it never had been in Common-Prayer We dare not say Every person Baptised is immediately Regenerated for so all Baptised should be Saved We dare not alter add to and diminish from the Scriptures the Word of God as the Common Prayer and the corrupt Translation of the Psalms does particularly we cannot consent to the taking away of the Scripture Titles of the Psalms given from Immediate Inspiration and putting Popish and Lattine Titles in their Room In the Burial of the Dead we dare not call every one whether we know them or not our dear Sister or Brother and as a part of Publick Worship say We have a sure and certain Hope of their Resurrection unto eternal Life and to make no difference between the Wicked and Godly a Protestant and a Papist an Atheist once Baptised and a serious Christian allowing them the same Charity and Character seems an encouragement to ungodliness and a discouragement to Holiness 12. Though we are for Visiting Instructing convincing admonishing praying for and comforting the Sick according as we find their state and condition various and different Yet we apprehend the Burial Service to be Symbolizing with Rome and no part of God's Publick Worship or any Commanded part of a Ministers Work and though it is said It has no relation to the dead at all but only for the Edification of the Living why was it denyed to the Living at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. Henry Vaughan why is it deny'd to the Living at the Funeral of Vnbaptised and Excommunicated persons Why is it read oft times when the People are gone except two that remain to cover the Corps Why do the deceased persons pay for it and lately there was a poor man to whom it was denyed because unbaptised Actions with vulgar People are more demonstrative than Words And what Edification does that afford to the Living that is read at the entry of the Church yard of which few or none hear one Word and why is not all either read in the Desk or at the Grave II. The Second thing wherein we dissent from you is your Canons which few of your selves obey and observe no not such as have Sworn Obedience to them They are most Arbitrary Decrees when not ratifyed by Authority not at all suitable to the state of the Church neither dare we take the Oath of Assent and Consent that they contain nothing contrary to the Word of God while both you and we are otherwise perswaded III. A Third thing wherein we dissent is concerning the Government of the Church by Arch-Bishops Bishops Chauncellors Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch Deacons c. as not haveing foundation in the Scriptures nor the Government of the Gospel-Churches nor agreeable to the Government of the first Centuries after our Saviour And though we are for Scripture Bishops both name and office and wish with Dr. Wild in his poetical flight Where there is one there were ten neither would refuse the Government of the first two or three hundred years after our Saviour and it is known most of the Presbyterians in England ostered to embrace Dr. Vsher his model of Church Government yet there are several things in which we dissent and which many of yours dislike in English or Diocesan Bishops or Praelacy as 1. Creating Erecting new Offices Officers besides what Christ gave to and Instituted in his Church the Names whereof are not so much as known or mentioned in the Scriptures 2. Promoting Praeeminence and destroying that Ministerial Parity our Saviour Commanded and Inoustriously maintained in his days for bidding all Mastery and Dominion over one another 3. Their asseming high and Lordly Titles and Temporal Dignities and Civil places being advanced above most Peers and States men This was offensive to good Old Latimer who in a Sermon advised King Ed. 6 to untord all the Lordly Bishops and remove them from all their Temporal Offices and Employments that they might follow their Spiritual Plough Tail 4. Their frequenting the Court attending the Council Table and sitting in Parliaments to the great neglect of their Charge and Work being above Preaching Praying and Administring of Sacraments and Church Government too therefore a Non Preaching Bishop called a Preaching Bishop a Preaching Coxcomb And what prejudice would it be to the State but what a great advantage to the Church if the Government saw it meet to revive again that old vote of a Church of England Parliament recorded in Bakers Chronicles That no Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star Chamber nor bear any sway in Temporal Affairs and that no Clergy man should be in the Commission of the Peace 5. Their Grasping at a larger Charge over many great Congregations of a Vast
rest to be Spectacles of his Justice 15 Such as are Predestinated unto Life be called according to Gods purpose his Spirit working in due season and through Grace they obey the calling they be Justifyed freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good Work and at length b◠Gods Mercy they attain to everlasting felicity but such as are not Predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their Sins 16. The Godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant unspeakable comfort to Godly persons such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh their earthly members and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly confirm establish their faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed thro' Christ as because it doth servently kindle their Love towards God and on the contrary side for curious carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their Eyes the Sentence of Gods Predestination is very dangerous This is the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland so exactly agreeable to the 39 Articles those of Lambeth that I need say no more of them Another discovery of the Doctrine of Predestination is from the Suffrages of the five Representatives of the Church of England at the Synod of Dort Dr. Carleton Bishop of Chichester Dr. Samuel Ward publick Divinity professor at Cambridge Dr. Davenant Bishop of Satisbury Dr. Balcanquel Dean of Richester and Dr. Thomas Goad who were called and assembled to nip Arminianism in the bud and they being Commissionated sent by the Supream Authority in the Nation their Suffrages as recorded in the publick Acts of that Synod and by Dr. Ward in his Suffragium Britannorum are to be found were then received approved at the Doctrine of the Church of England And should it not appear a wonder and be a surprise to the hearers tho' the Preachers cannot be Ignorant of it that the Common Prayer Book the ordinary universal Book of their Devotion should give its Suffrage and bear its testimony for Predestination or Election which upon a more strict observation all shall find In the Collect for All Saints Day it begins Almighty God who hast knit together thine Elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical Body of Christ Jesus our Lord. If God has an Elected people there must some be left out and passed by otherwise there can be no Election or Choice In the Catechism generally taught unto Children in Answer to Q. 6. It is replyed in the third place In God the Holy Ghost who Sanctifyed me and all the Elect people of God which plainly instructs us that God chooseth to Sanctification and holiness as well as to Salvation and that all Elect ones shall be Sanctifyed consequently Saved In the burial of the Dead in the first prayer after the Lords Prayer Beseeching thee that it may please thee of thy gracious Goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine Elect. Here is not only an Elect but a definite and certain Number determined with God which are not yet accomprished and the number of such as are left out and passed by is also certain and determined In 〈◊〉 Godly prayer at all times which is added to some old Bibles there is this passage In that it hath pleased thee freely and of thine own accord to Elect and choose us to Salvation before the beginning of the World This is plain language and in the Books of Devotion and even those who little thought Common Prayer favoured Predestination which they oft called a Damnable Doctrine and is so particular for a Doctrine some of your Neighbours have asserted contrary to the word of God and a great discouragement to Piety So that I wonder how the Oxford Oath of Assent Consent shall relish for the future wherein men Swear That nothing is contained in the Book of Cannons Ordination of Bishops and Common Prayer contrary to the word of God seeing Predestination is found in one of them We call in also to witness for us the Homilies of the Church which appear to be principally the established Doctrine thereof for the most part composed by the Arch-bishop Cranmer who sealed among many more this and other truths with his Blood It were too tedious to transcribe all here but I shall give a passage or two to engage Readers to be more attentive and observant for the suture Therefore in the 2d part about p. 160. God of his mercy special favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting Salvation hath so offered his Grace especially and they have so received it fruitfully that altho' by reason of their sinful living out wardly they seemed before to have been the Children of wrath perdition yet now the Spirit of God mightily working in them unto the obedience of Gods will that they are the undoubted Children of God appointed unto everlasting Life for the Good fruit is not the cause the tree is good but the tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit This much more may be found in both parts for confirmation of this Doctrine of Predestination I refer you also to a Church of England Catechism enjoyned by K Edw. 6. to all Schoolmasters for instruction of Children throughout the Kingdom wherein it is asserted That the faithful were sorechosen Predestinated and appointed to everlasting life before the world was made that the cause of our Justification Salvation is the goodness love of God whereby he chose us before he made the world I cannot omit certain Questions Answers concerning Predestination published by Robert Parker continued to be bound in with your Bibles until the year 1615. I shall give you a hint thereof in two or three Questions relating to Predestination Q Are not all ordained to eternal Life A. Some are Vessels of Wrath ordained to Destruction as others are Vessels of Mercy prepared for Glory Q How standeth it with Gods Justice that some are appointed to Damnation A. Very well because all men have in themselves Sin which deserveth no less therefore the mercy of God is wonderful in that he Vouched to save some of that sinful race and to bring them to the knowledge of the Truth Q. But how shall I know I am ordained to eternal life A. By the motions of Spiritual Life which belongeth only to the Children of God I might enlarge with variety of Testimonies in favour of this Doctrine from the Learned and Godly in all the past Reigns from the Reformation down ward and shall conclude with that honourable and venerable Suffrage of Primate Vsher in his Sum and substance of Christian Religion which for the Satisfaction of all I shall deliver in his own words Q What are
for I should gladly embrace an opportunity to inform such of you as have never been in Europe what Presbyterians and Dissenters are who suffer your selves to be strangely imposed on know little more of them but misrepresentations calumnies thrown upon them by malitious Ignorant and ill-minded men as if they were Monsters and most insufferable in Church and State though they are a considerable part of the Protestant Reformation agreeing in all points of Faith and Divine Ordinances or parts of Worship with the Establisht Church of England and the likest to them of any Protestants differing only in Ceremonies Government and Discipline of which I shall hint a little in this Epistle Therefore in Scotland they were the first Reformers of that Kingdom from Popery though originally by mean and inconsiderable men and in opposition to a strong Court party and not only without but against the Authority of the State which demonstrated the more of the hand of Divine Providence therein And notwithstanding all their strugglings with Popery and Praelacy which in the late Reigns have been obtruded upon them contrary to Oaths Laws and repeated Establishments of that Kingdom yet they went a greater length in Reformation than their Neighbours in England who upon prudential Considerations retained some Ceremonies least it should be dangerous to Reform all at once as Scotland did And in that Kingdom Presbyterians are now the Established Church and those of the Church of England there are the Dissenters and have far less Reason for it than we in England As to those of England they were from the beginning a part of the English Reformation for the best Histories inform us those who chiefly had the first managment of the Reformation were divided into two Classes much what equal in number and quality of Interest Some of them as Bishop Hooper Coverdale John Fox John Rogers and Peter Martyr appeared vigorously for an absolute and thorough Reformation according to the Model Calvin had given of it and so it would have been a Presbyterian Reformation but others as Cranmer Ridley Cox and others were peremptorily of the Judgment that a Reformation in all points at first would be of dangerous consequence and that at once to reform all would be to reform none at all and though the Judgment of the latter prevailed yet all approved of the former as best tho' some approved not the juncture as seasonable until the People who were almost all Papists were better instructed and disposed to receive the impressions of this intire and perfect Reformation therefore they were left not without hopes of a further Reformation from their Posterity and Successors which we were assured of by a sentence in the Preface to old Common Prayer Books but left out of the new And so it was for that time agreed on that for the better gaining of Papists some Ceremonies and a great part of the Roman Service were to be kept Thus both parties concurred and united in hopes of a further Reformation until the bloody Marian Persecution under which some of both Classes fell and dyed Martyrs others became Refugees abroad and upon their return instead of a further Reformation Vniformity Acts were promoted and passed in the first of Eliz. Yet during the Lives of some good Bishops and for several years no Subscription nor use of all the Common Prayer nor an exact observance of the Ceremonies was urged until Whitgift ascended the Chair whose zeal for Ceremonies was boldly impugned by Learned Cartwright And now Subscription and Conformity was required under penalty of Suspension and Deprivation and John Fex the Martyrologer required to Subscribe who refused pulling out of his Pocket his Greek Testament and told the Arch-Bishop He would subscribe nothing but That Yet his gravity and good Service to the Church protected him that he dyed quietly in a low Station in the Church But when he perceived the retaining the Ceremonies did not attain the first Design of the Reformers in gaining Papists and saw the mischief the imposing of them on Protestants was like to do he afterwards said of them God take them from us or us from them Harder things were soon contrived and imposed to the casting out of many able and godly Ministers followed by multitudes of People and these being cast out and kept out to this day are Non conformists and Dissenters and the most considerable part Presbyterians and those of Ireland are partly from England partly from Scotland who since the Conquest joyned with others in Settling that Kingdom And as to the Protestant and forreign Churches they are either Calvinists or Lutherans But all the Calvinist Churches as lately of France Geneva Holland Piedmont and many other places of high and low Germany are Presbyterians The Lutherans differ from us both in many things and indeed are much degenerated from Luthers primitive though imperfect Reformation So that by all computation Presbyterians and Calvinists with such as are in full Communion with them are the greater part and from the Judgment of our first Reformers are the better part of the Reformation the Church of England not excepted whose Reformation is not yet intire and perfect as you may learn from the Preface to the Common Prayer and from the K. and Qs. Commission for a further Reformation But that you may more fully and distinctly know them and not suffer your selves for the future to be imposed upon I shall as one of the meanest of them shew what at this day they believe do or wherein they agree and are the same with the Established Church of England and next what they dissent from and neither will nor dare do without Sin and all this only for your Information without the least design or intention of raising any new debate on beginning any Controversy on those differences sufficiently Controverted by many hands on both sides And first I shall inform you what they believe and do in Vnity with the Church of England whereby every serious and intelligent Reader may readily perceive two things 1. That we are Protestant Brethren and in Vnity with them in the main great and Substantial points of the Christian and Protestant Religion and therefore deserve not to be treated as many Ignorantly do and particularly in this Island 2. That of all Protestants that differ from them we differ in the least and smallest matters Therefore 1. They receive and believe the Bible the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God from the immediate inspiration of Heaven and in its original and its Orthodox Translations they universally embrace it as the compleat and full Rule of their Faith and Manners and the only Directory in all matters of Religion 2. They believe and receive as agreeable to their Confession of Faith the 39 Articles in all the Doctrinal Articles except such as relate to Ceremonies and Government which the Establishment of that Kingdom obliges them not to Subscribe receiving the 3d Article in a Ptotestant sense and
this so qualâ—ifyed most if not all their Ministers have Subscribed as a condition of their Established Liberties and Tolleration 3. They believe own maintain and perform all Ordinances and parts of Gods Instituted Service and Worship in Publick Private and Secret that are mentained professed by any Reformed Protestants as Preaching Praying Reading Hearing Meditation Singing of Psalms Baptism and the Lords Supper c. 4. They firmly believe and strenuously hold a fixed and standing Ministry to be always in the Church to the End of the World and Churches to be furnished with all Officers warranted in the Scriptures duly qualifyed and orderly set apart according to the Word of God and after a long and most strict Examination and tryal some are allowed first to Preach only as Probationers or Expectants for a proof of their Preaching gifts and Praying abilities and of a Holy Conversation and when called to the Pastoral Charge submitting to a second Examination they are orderly set apart or Ordained to the whole Work of the Ministry according to the Apostles phrase by the Imposition of the hands of the Presbytery 5. They abhor renounce and abjure Popery Idolatry Superstition and Haeresy with every Error they are convinced and perswaded is contrary to the Word of God universally believing the Popes of Rome to be the Grand Antichrist 6. They hold and maintain an Authoritative Government Order Discipline and Censure committed by Jesus Christ the Head of the Vniversal Church unto Church Officers appointed by him consisting in Admonition Suspension Excommunication and this Government specifically distinct from all Civil Government 7. They Baptise both Adult Persons Children of believing Parents professing the Truth of the Gospel 8. They believe and always maintain the morallity of the Fourth Commandment and perpetuity of a Sabbath with the strict observation of the Lords Day wholly to be employed and spent in the Publick Private and Secret Service and Worship of God allowing works of absolute necessity and necessary Mercy 9. They conscientiously and faithfully keep and observe all Solemn Days and occasional Times set apart upon extraordinary and emergent Providences of God for Humiliation Fasting Prayer 10. Though they abhor as much as any all vain Swearing and Cursing yet they maintain and allow the Lawfulness of Witnessing to Truth or Conviction of Falshood by a Solemn Oath when called thereunto by a Lawful Magistrate in matters of moment tho' they rather like to do it after the Scripture Pattern with a Solemn lifting up of the Hand to Heaven 11. They hold and maintain Magistracy and Civil Government to be an Ordinance of God and many of them highly Zealous for Monarchy as in Scotland England France Ireland though others in Geneva Holland and Germany are for Aristocracy as the Government of those places 12. They are highly for School-Education and Learning and Academical accomplishments for fitting and preparing men in an ordinary way for Ministerial Offices in the Church not excluding but including particular Gifts and Qualifications and a Call from God to that great Work Reader They are the same in these and most things material with the Established Church of England therefore beware of Reproaching Presbyterians as the worst as bad if not worse than Papists least ye wound reflect upon your selves unto whom they are likest of any other Dissenters that are Protestants Now though we agree in all these things and more yet we differ or dissent in three or four Things to all which I shall speak branching out the particulars as far as an Epistolary Dedication will allow of 1. In Common Prayer and Ceremonies 2 In your Canons 3. In your Government or Praelacy 4. In your Discipline and Censures I I shall begin with Common Prayer and Ceremonies and concerning them we differ in these particulars waving many of our Reasons to avoid Offence 1. We dare not receive nor comply with stinted Composed and Imposed Forms or Lyturgies of Worship because not Commanded nor Warranted by the Word of God nor known in the purest and Original Centuries of the Gospel Churches but composed without Divine Commission and required meerly by Men in the Degenerate and latter Ages of the Gospel 2. Though we deny not altogether but allow many Forms of Prayer on many Cases as studyed Forms for ones-self and Composed easy and plain Forms for the Ignorant and Vnskillful as young ones early Converts as Crutches for the Weak and Lame yet we cannot nor dare not Ordain and call any man to be a Minister of the Gospel and to take Charge of Souls that hath not given sufficient proof and demonstration of their Praying and Preaching Gifts and Abilities at all Times and suitably or pertinently for all occasions and conditions without prescribed Forms read in a Book and we never denyed the Lawfulness of joyning with the sound Words of others in Prayer 3. Such Ministers as have received of God and have given sufficient Proof to many of their Praying Gifts and Abilities dare not ordinarily and in their ordinary Administrations tye themselves to and only use these prescribed and Book Forms least they should be guilty of not using and improving but hiding or burying their Gifts and Talents and so incur the Character of Vnlawful Servants 4. We dare not read as a part of Publick Worship the Aphocrypha Books which are enjoyned and read seeing they are acknowledged by all not to be Canonical Scripture and owned by many and in many things false and fabulous especially while we have the Scripture by us that Perfect Rule of Faith and manners 5. We cannot nor dare not allow in Publick Worship which should be for the Edification of all that inarticulate and unintelligible way and noise of the People all or most confusedly speak together one mans voice drowning the accent of another which seems to be so far from Order that it appears confusion as Service in an unknown Tongue Hickeringill tells us he suffers no such babling in his Church at All Saints in Colchester as is made by alternate Responses 6. We cannot allow Women to speak in the Church as many of yours in your whole Service talk more in a Day than some Quaker-Women condemned by most for that practice 7. We dare not add to the Sacrament of Baptism an airy Sign of the Cross that perishes with the using more than Spittle Oyl and Salt nor allow the Spiritual Signification imposed by men and explained in the 30th Canon Seeing Baptism signifies all that and more and you own in the Form for private Baptism that it is valid and sufficient without it And further it is abused at this Day to Idolatry in Romish Churches Cranmers great Argument for abolishing Images out of the Churches though some are got in again and most of them into their Book of Devotion 8. We cannot comply with that Popish posture not our Saviours posture of Kneeling at the Lords Supper which cannot be more Reverent nor so suitable to
the parts of Predestination A Election Reprobation Q. What is Election A. T is the everlasting Predestination or fore appointment of certain Angels and men unto everlasting life and blessedness for the praise of Gods glorious Grace and Goodness Q What is Reprobation A. It is the eternal fore-appointment of certain Angels men unto everlasting Dishonour and Destruction God of his own free will determining to pass them by refuse cast them off and for sin condemn and punish them with eternal Death And to these you may add most Church of England Books common among us as also that common Book almost in every Family The Practice of Piety So it is to be hoped you will not adventure to say the Church of Scotland holds any other Predestination than what is the Doctrine of the Church of England or that it is contrary to the word of God and a great discouragement to Piety I am very unwilling to engage in a further controversy about this Doctrine so fully handled and sufficiently vindicated already lest I should engage some of your Island in a most unnatural War against their own Mother Church and should it not be a Paradox to Barbados to hear of a Presbyterian taking up the Cudgels in defence of a fundamental established Doctrine against a Son a Member and a Minister of the English Church And seeing one hath been pleased to run upon Quaeries on this occasion I am obliged to entertain you with a few concerning the controverted Doctrine in behalf both of Dissenters and the Church of England The Quaeries are these 1. Whether God be not an absolute Sovereign power being having infinitely a greater more illimited and boundless Authority over the highest and best of his creatures without being controuled by or accountable to them I say more than the Potter has over the clay he frames at his pleasure for honourable dishonourable uses services 2. Whether God from an infinite and eternal knowledge knows infallibly the certain determined number of them that shall be Saved and shall be Damned which number shall never be encreased neither can be diminished 3. Whether it is God of his own will free grace and goodness that makes the difference between Believers and Vnbelievers 4. Whether the immutable and unchangeable Decrees of God in the execution of them rob the creature of its liberty in acting or doing 5. Whether a Sinner without the special and entire Grace of God can repent believe regenerate and save himself 6. Whether God can be accounted unjust for damning a part while he might justly have damned the whore World for their Sir 7 Whether God designed the Salvation of any without holiness faith and repentance or the damnation of any without fore-running Sin final unbelief and impenitence 8 Whether God absolutely and unchangeably determined with himself the period and end of our dayes in this life 9. Whether God the Father determined from all eternity to send his own Son our Saviour into the World all his particular Sufferings in the World 10 Whether we should decry or disown those great transcending Mysteries of God's Counsel because we cannot reach nor comprehend them with our shallow and narrow Capacities or carnal apprehensions If any intend to give any resolution to these ten Quaeries I hope I need not caution them against such things as inâ—ringe and may tend to impeach the absolute Sovereignty and Prerogative of Heaven or condemn their own Church And I assure my self they will not revive again those groundless silly and inconsequential Allegations vulgarly heaped up against this Doctrine which have been long since unswered confuted and overthrown FINIS