according to the Principles which I have here laid down and the Godly Admonition of that Famous Martyr Mr. John Bradford which he wrote in the New Testament of one of his Friends This Book is called Sermo Crucis the Word of the Cross because the Cross doth always accompany it So that if you will be a Student hereof you must needs prepare your self for the Cross which you began to learn before you learned your Alphabet And Christ requireth it of every one that will be his Disciple therein not swerving from the common Trade of Callings and Vocations for no Profession or kind of Life wanteth his Cross So that they are far overseen which think that the Profession of the Gospel which the Devil most Envieth the World most Hateth and the Flesh most Repineth at can be without a Cross Let us therefore pray That God â—â—â—ld enable us to take up our Cross by denying our selves Amen E Carcere 18 Februarii 1555. JOHN BRADFORD THE END Books Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard H. Mori Opera Theologica Rhilosophica Fol. Three Vol. Dr. More 's Reply to the Answer to his Antidote against Idolatry With his Appendix Octavo Remarques on Judge Hales of Fluid Bodies c. Octavo Exposition on the Apocalyps Quarto Exposition on Daniel Quarto Confutation of Astrology against Butler Quarto Dr. Sherlock's Discourse of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ With his Defence Octavo Answer to Danson Quarto Account of Ferguson's Common-place-Book Quarto Dr. Falkener's Libertas Ecclesiastica Octavo Christian Loyalty Octavo Vindication of Liturgies Octavo Dr. Fowler 's Libertas Evangelica Octavo Mr. Scot's Christian Life Octavo Dr. Worthington's great Duty of Self-Resignation Octavo Dr. Smith's Pourtraict of Old Age. Octavo Mr. Kidder's Discourse of Christian Fortitude Oct. Mr. Allen's Discourse of Divine Assistance Oct. Christian Justification stated Oct. Against Fergusen of Justification Oct. Perswasive to Peace and Unity With a large Preface Octavo Preface to the Perswasive Alone Octavo Against the Quakers Octavo Mystery of Iniquity unfolded against the Papists Octavo Serious and Friendly Address to the Nonconformists Octavo Practical Discourse of Humility Octavo Mr. Lamb's stop to the Course of Separation Octavo Fresh Suit against Independency Octavo Mr. Hotchkis Discourse of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness to us and our Sins to him In two Parts Octavo Mr. Long 's History of the Donatists Octavo Character of a Separatist Octavo Against Hales of Schism With Mr. Baxter's Arguments for Conformity Octavo Non-Conformists Plea for Peace Impleaded against Mr. Baxter Octavo Dr. Grove's Vindication of the Conforming Clergy Quarto Defence of the Church and Clergy of England Quarto Defensio suae Responsionis ad nuperum Libellum qui Inscribitur Celeusma c. Quarto Responsio ad Celeusma c. Quarto The Spirit of Popery speaking out of the Mouths of Fanatical Protestants Fol. Dr. Hicks's Sermon at the Act at Oxford Quarto Before the Lord Mayor Peculium Dei Quarto Notion of Persecution Quarto Dr. Hicks's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Jan. 30. at Bow-Church 1682. Dr. Sharp's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Quarto Sermon at the Spittle and York-shire Feast Quarto Sermon before the House of Commons April 11 1679. At the Election of the Lord Mayor 1680. Dr. William Smith's Unjust Mans Doom and Discourse of Partial Conformity Octavo Two Assize Sermons Octavo Two Sermons on the 3d. of May and 29th of May. Lent Sermon Quarto Dr. Thorp's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Quarto Dr. Woodrof's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Quarto Mr. Williams's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Quarto Christianity abused by the Church of Rome and Popery shewed to be a Corruption of it Being an Answer to a late Printed Paper given about by Papists In a Letter to a Gentleman Quarto Remarks on the Growth and Progress of Nonconformity In Quarto Baxters Vindication of the Church of England in her Rites and Ceremonies Discipline and Church Orders Mr. Lynford's Sermon Quarto Mr. Bryan Turner's Sermon Testimonium Jesu Quarto Mr. John Turner's Sermon of Transubstantiation Quarto Dr. Butler's Sermon before the King at Windsor Mr. Lamb's Sermon before the King at Windsor Mr. Browns Visitation Sermon Quarto Dr. Fowler 's Sermon at the Assizes at Gloucester Quarto Mr. Cutlove's two Assize Sermons at St. Edmunds-Bury Quarto Mr. Inet's Sermon at the Assizes at Warwick Quarto Mr. Edward Sermon 's Sermon before the L. Mayor Mr. Resbury's Sermon before the Charter-House Scholars In Quarto Sermon at the Funeral of Sir Allen Broderick Mr. Needham's six Sermons at Cambridge Octavo Dr. Eachard's Dialogue against Hobbs 2d Part. Mr. Hallywel's Discourse of the Excellency of Christianity Octavo True and Lively Representation of Popery Shewing that Popery is only new-modelled Paganism Quarto Account of Familism against the Quakers Sacred Method of saving Humane Souls by Jesus Christ Discourse of the Polity and Kingdom of Darkness Octavo Dr. Goodall's Vindication of the Colledge of Physicians Octavo Mr. L'Emery's Course of Chymistry With the Appendix Dr. Grew's Anatomy of Trunks With nineteen Copper Plates Octavo D. Sydenhami Observationes de Morbis Acutis Octavo Epistolae duae de Morbis Epidemicis de Lue Venerea Octavo Dissertatio Epistolaris de Variolis neâ—non de Affectione Hysterica et de Hypochondriaca Octavo Lossii Observationes Medicae Octavo Mayow Tractatus 5 E. Med. de Sal. nitro c. Octavo Burnetii Telluris Theoria Sacra de Diluvio et Paradiso Quarto Spenseri dissertat de Urim et Thummim Octavo Speed Epigrammata Juvenilia Encomia Seria Satyrae et 〈◊〉 â—â—cosa Octavo Lord Bacon's Essays Octavo Gage's Survey of the West-Indies Mr. Claget's Reply to the Mischief of Impositions In Answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Sermon Quarto The True English-man Humbly proposing something to rid us of the Plot in the State and Contentions in the Church Quarto A Perswasive to Reformation and Union as the best Security against the Designs of our Popish Enemies Quarto The Roman Wonder Being Truth confest by Papists c. Being the Jesuites Morals Condemned Fol. Essex Free-holders Behaviour c. Fol. Two Sheets The Country Club A Poem Quarto Amyraldus Discourse of Divine Dreams Octavo Dr. Arden's Directions about the Matter and Stile of Sermons Twelves Protestant Loyalty fairly drawn In Answer to a Dialogue at Oxford between a Tutor and Pupil c. And an Impartial Account of the late Addresses c. Quarto Mr. Tho. Smith's Sermon concerning the Doctrine Unity and Profession of the Christian Faith Preached before the University of Oxford With an Appendix concerning the Apostles Creed Quarto 1682. Mr. Lamb's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Feb. 5. 1682. Dr. Calamy's Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of London at Bow-Church on the 29. of May. 1682. Prosecution no Persecution Or the Difference between Suffering for Disobedience and Faction In a Sermon upon Phil. 1.29 Preached at Bury St. Edmunds in Susfolk on the 22 of March 1681 By Nath. Bisbie D. D The Modern Pharise By Nath. Bisby D. D. Moderation stated In a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London at Guild-Hall Chappel October 22. 1682. By John Evans M. A. Rector of of St. Ethelborough London A Discourse to Prove that the Strongest Temptations are Conquerable by Christians In a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen Jan. 14. 1676 1677. By George Hicks D. D. Constantius the Apostate Being a Short Account of his Life and the Sense of the Primitive Christians about his Succession Being a Full Answer to a late Pamphlet Intituled Julian the Apostate Octavo Also several other Books on various Subjects
JOVIAN OR AN ANSWER TO JULIAN THE APOSTATE BY A Minister of LONDON LONDON Printed by Sam Roycroft for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops Head in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXIII THE PREFACE THere are many Remarkable Particulars in the Life of Jovian and so very disagreeable to the chief Assertions which I have found in Julian the Apostate that I have been Invited by them to call this Answer to that Book by his August Name For first He was chosen Emperor next after Julian although he was nothing Akin to him while (a) P. 74 75 76. Procopius a Great Man and one of the Blood was Alive in the Way and at the Head of a Great Army which shews that the Roman Empire was not Hereditary as the Author of Julian hath with great Confidence asserted in his 2d Chapter He also left behind him a little Son called (b) Amm. Marcell l. 25. c. 10. Zonar T. 3. Eutrop. l. 10. In fine Varronianus whom he had made Consul with himself a little before his death and the Empire had it been Hereditary must have descended upon him without Choice but after a short Interregnum which is (c) Cook in Calvins Case inconsistent with a Lineal Succession the Army unanimously chose Valentinian without taking notice of young Varronianus who yet was as fit for the Empire as Valentinian Junior the Son of Valentinian (d) Amm. Marc. l. 30. c. 10. Zonar Tom. 3. Zosim hist l. 4. Aurel. vict Epit. whom the Souldiers chose Emperor after his Fathers death heing but 4 years old and afterwards saluted him Augustus while he was carried in his Cradle about the Camp But secondly Jovian was a (e) Socrat. Hist Ecc. l. 3. c. 22. Theodoret Hist Ecc. l 4. C. 1. Confessor of the Chistian Religion in the Reign of Julian who chose rather to quit his Preferments than to Sacrifice as Valens Valentinian and other Great Captains likewise did quietly and peaceably behaving themselves while Julian did so outrage the Church which shews that either he did not Illegally Persecute his Christian Subjects as Mr. J. saith he did or else that they thought in their Duty as Christians quietly to submit even to an Apostate Emperor when he persecuted contrary to Law Thirdly Though he was so Zealous and Orthodox a (f) Theodor. l. 4. c. 1 2. Socrat. l. 3. c. 24. Sozom l. 6. c. 3 4. Christian and so great a Blessing to the Church yet as I have (g) P. 103. shewn he was worse treated by the Antiochians than Julian himself which proves that it was the evil Humour of that People to abuse every one who did displease them which the Apostate did by his Morose Philosophical Humour and by setting too low a Price upon the Market-Provisions upon which account purely and not upon the score of Religion as Mr. J. would make us believe it was that they Lampooned and Burlesqued him as I have shewn at large in the 3d. Chapter Fourthly When Jovian was Elected Emperor by the Souldiers of Julian (h) P. 171. g they cryed out with one common Voice That they were all Christians which shews how absurd it is to ascribe their Passive Behaviour under the Apostate to want of Strength and Numbers as our Author hath done more like a Jesuit than a Protestant Writer against the consent of so many Pious and learned Protestants who have commended unto us the Christian Subjects of Julian as most perfect Examples of Passive Obedience for practising the Doctrine of Non-resistance when they were so much tempted and so able to resist To this purpose (i) In his Book of Christian Subjection part 3. p. 123. printed at London 1586. saith Bishop Bilson The Christian Souldiers under Julian as St. Augustine saith served their Temporal Lord though and Idolater and Apostate not for lack of Force to resist but for respect of their Everlasting Lord in Heaven Otherwise the Christian Souldiers had Julian in his Voyage against the Persians far from Home and from Help and might have done with him what they would and yet they chose rather to spend their Lives for him than to lift up their hands against him and the Christian World stirred not in his absence against him but with patience endured his Oppression and with silence expected his Return The same Observation is made more at large by the Learned Dr. Hakewell in his (k) L. 3. c. 3. Num vobis vires desunt At teste Sozomeno l. 5. c. 14. Tanta erat ecrum multitudo ut magistratus cujusque civitatis aegrè eorum calculum subducere in tabulas referre potucrint in ipso exercitu tantus numerus ut cùm post Juliani mortem Jovianu◠Christianus ad Imperium raptus Imperare recusâssèt milites porte omnes acri voce velut ex composito se quoque Christum colere acola marent Num ductoribus vobis opus est habetis Jovianum Valen tinianum Valentem Avtemium Scutum Regium to whose words in the Margent I refer the Reader as likewise by that Prodigy of Learning (l) Ita sub Juliano licèt impio Apostatâ merebant Christiani milites nec quisquam illi vim fecit quo nihil fuit faciliùs cum ferè totum exercitum ex Christianis constitisse in ejus morte apparuerit p. 53. Sam. Bochart who in his Epistle To Dr. Morley saith That the Christian Souldiers served under Julian though an Impious Apostate neither did any of them offer Violence unto him which had been very easie for them to do seeing it did appear after his death at the Election of Jovian that almost the whole Army were Christians I have added these Authorities under this last Particular which invited me to call this Book Jovian because I forgot them while I was writing the 8th Chapter as indeed I found upon a Review that I have omitted some other material Observations which I beg leave of the Readers Patience here to supply First then whereas I have (m) P. 61. asserted That there was no such thing as Entail nor any Notion of it among the Romans I think it necessary here to add That this limited way of Hereditary Succession unto one Line is grounded wholly upon the (n) Molinae ad Consuct par tit des Fiefs n. 5. Feudal Laws which had nothing common at all with the old Roman or Civil Laws but were received from the Customs of the Barbarous Nations which invaded the Empire and after settled in it and particularly of the Germans from whom the Italians and the French received them and we from the Normans at the Conquest Hence according to Littleton and (o) L. 1. c. 2 9 13 18. Cook upon him Entailing is derived from the French word tailler scindere and feodum talliatum or an Estate entailed is according to them Haereditas in quandam certitudinem limitata or plainer as in (p) Gloss v. Feodúm Spelman Feodum talliatum est quod ita talliatur
Post with a great and mighty Shout and was attended all along with loud Acclamations of men set on purpose to cry it up in all Places as indeed they apparently combine to disperse and cry up any thing that is plausibly written against the Doctrine of Non-Resistence the Succession or any of the Rights of Soveraignty which keep the Crown firm upon the Kings Head O! saith Mr. Nelth the very Morning that Julian came out to two or three Gentlemen Have you seen Julian It is an Unanswerable Piece it hath quite undone your Pleas for Succession and your Passive Obedience and it is written by a Church-Divine and we thank God that there is one among them who is not for enslaving the People And saith the worthy Son of as worthy a Peer who was a Spectator at that Riotous Election of Sheriffs when they justled my Lord Mayor and cried Take away the Sword God here 's a Company of Brave Fellows O that Joh. were hereto preach Julian unto them And saith Mr. P. to Mr. B. a Minister holding up Julian in his Hand Have you seen this Book What Book saith he Julian the Apostle replyes Mr. P. it was this day presented to my Lord and he says it is an Admirable Piece To be short Julian was the Oracle of the Cause the Pocket-Book of all the Party it was carried to Change and Coffee-Houses in Triumph and at last called in Print by the (*) 4. vol. n. 30. Courantier the Plaguy Vnanswerable Julian The Author of it hath boasted to several that it had the Approbation of Sir W. J. whom I suppose he means in his Preface by that great Assertor of Religion and Laws now with God Mr. H. hath also own'd that he perused it in the Manuscript and these Mens Breath conspiring in his Praises with the Breath of the People have blown him into such a Conceit of his Performance that he hath challenged the World to Answer it and expose him to open shame if he have done amiss Having heard of these and many other things about Julian I got the Book and at the first cursory perusal discerned as I thought many contradictions and much fallacious Reasoning in it upon this I took Heart and read it again more observantly and then plainly saw that it was not Unanswerable though it was a very cunning and malicious piece The Author of it shews what Company he keeps by his scurrilous and irreverent Phrases I can never think of the following Passages the (†) p. 89. slavish Principle of Passive Obedience the (‖) p. 78. bloody Doctrine of Passive Obedience the (*) Preface Doctrine of the Bow-string the slippery Trick in Persia the (†) p. 30. Mountebank receit of Prayers and Tears the old Lacrymist (‖) p. 78. the murdering piece of Passive Obedience the (*) p. 88. wheedling of men out of their Lives and (†) p. 91. the making the World for Banditi by it and the many more Exceptions against their Artillery of Prayers and Tears I say I can never think of these and many more of his Lampoons upon the Doctrine of the Cross but they make me think of the Appeal and Fitz-harris his Libel and that the Spirit of that Author hath passed into this These and such like scurrilous Expressions of his in Religious Matters as (‖) p. 127. the handling of Prayers like Brickhats out of a Cart determine my Thoughts to Lambswooll and such like Stories and make me fear that the Author hath lost the meek and serious Temper of a Divine in that sort of Company Indeed he hath shewed himself to be a man of great Parts and Contrivance from the beginning of the Preface to the end of the Book both of which are so Artificially and Plausibly written that they must needs deceive all persons that are either unable or unwilling to examin them and it is for the Sake of such especially of the former that I have taken the First Part of the Book to task For as for the Comparison of Popery and Paganism I do assure him that the Author of this following Answer and (*) P. 93. I believe all the rest that have so thundered of late with the Thebaean Legion bating some irreverent Phrases are as well satisfied with it as he himself is It concerned him very much to impose this upon his Reader for if the Empire was not indeed Hereditary then the Case of a Popish Successor in England and of the Pagan Successor to Constantius will prove so very different that our admired Author who builds upon that Principle will himself I hope acknowledge that he hath conjured up the Ghost of his Julian to no purpose and wrote his Plaguy Book in vain Therefore in his own words To proceed more faithfully and clearly in this Matter it will be necessary to consider how the Succession stood in the Roman Empire and in the frist place there is nothing more plain than the Contradiction of his Assertion that the Empire was not Hereditary but that the Succession to the Imperial Throne was Elective Casual Vncertain and Arbitrary and this I will shew by giving a brief Account of it from Julius to Julian wherein the impartial Reader shall see how much this unanswerable Man did prevaricate when he told his Reader that there was nothing more plain not that two and two are four than that the Empire was Hereditary Julius Caesar returning Victorious to Rome from the Conquest of the Pompees was (†) Florus l .4 c. 2. Ep. lib. 116. Dio. l. 44. received with all manner of Publick Joy and Respect The Senate as (‖) Ibidem Anthony the Consul told them in his Funeral Oration honoured him as a Father and loved him as a Benefactor and decreed him such Honors as they never did to any other Man and thought all too little for him They desired to have him for the (⋆) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. Perpetual Prefect of the City and Empire and for this reason they invested him with the Civil Military and Ecclesiastical Supremacy for they (†) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. created him Consul (‖) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch p. 734. perpetual Dictator General and Chief Pontif and after all publickly acknowledged him Pater Patriae or Father of the Country the more to endear him to the People Besides all this they decreed That he should always wear the Triumphant Stole ride in the Triumphant Chariot and that the Lictors should carry Crowns of Lawrel before him Moreover they caused Money to be coyned with his Image they set him up two Statues in the great Oratory and one in all the Temples of Rome and made him ⋆ sole and perpetual Censor (‖) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and last of all decreed him a Golden Throne and a Monument and a Guard of Senators and Gentlemen as the Kings of old used to have The Guards indeed he refused however these Royal Honours
and in another place (‖) Preface p. 26. That he would rather have lost his own life than have served him such a slippery Trick I protest I am willing to be on the charitable side with Mr. J. and wish I could heartily believe what he saith But if indeed he thought it a Traiterous Assassination and would have lost his own Life rather than have been guilty of it why doth he so industriously endeavour to prove that he was a Christian who did it and that a Christian Writer justified the Fact and yet neither blame the one nor censure the other according as they deserved A man can hardly detest that himself which he doth not condemn much more which he likes in another and besides he hath with great delight and industry most injuriously represented the Christian Subjects of Julian as Buchanan and Bellarmine represented the Christians before them as men that did not resist not from any Christian Principle of Obedience but because they were not in a probable Capacity wanting sufficient Numbers and Strength Moreover if he would rather have dyed than murdered Julian why doth he speak so slightly of the Fact calling it only a Slippery Trick The Learned Monsieur Nicol in his Logique commonly called the Jansenists Logique distinguisheth between the Principal and Accessory signification of words The Principal signification he calls that which signifies the Thing and the Accessory is that which signifies the Love or Hatred the Honour or Contempt the Delight or Abhorrence of him who speaks or writes of the Thing As for Example There are some Words to express Fornication which besides the Principal signification would plainly signifie that he who used them loved and delighted and was pleased with the thing And others again there are which besides the Principal signification would signifie the Turpitude of the thing and the Abhorrence which the Speaker or Writer had thereof The great difference in Words and Phrases comes from these Accessory Significations and therefore methinks if Mr. J. who is a Man of Art and a Divine would have had his Readers especially the Serious Part really believe that he would have lost his own Life rather than have murdered Julian he should have found out fitting Words to have expressed the Horrour of the Wickedness and not have called it a Slippery Trick I should be loth to trust my self in the Company of Fellows who counted Robbery and Murder but Slippery Tricks or commit my Daughter to the Custody of a Man who though he protested he would rather dye than Deflower her yet made no more of Fornication than a Slippery Trick I think it not worth the while to give a particular Answer to the next Chapter wherein he shews How the Christian Writers used his Memory only I shall observe that it was usual among the Ecclesiastical Writers to call Tyrants and Persecutors after their deaths by such Names as served to set forth their Cruel and Bloody Nature He may see if he pleases what a reproachful and ignominious Character (†) Consulite commentarios vestros illic reperietis primum Neronâ—m in hanâ— sectam Caesariano gladio ferocisse sed tali dedicatore damnationis nostrae etiam gloriamur qui enim sâ—it illum intelligâ—re potest non nisi grande aliquot bonum a Nerone damnatum Tentaverat Domiâ—â—â—nus portio Neronis de crudelitate tales semper nobis insecuteres injusti impii turpes Tertullian gives of Nero and Domitian and in general of the Persecuting Emperors before his time He may see if he pleases what a lovely Monument (‖) Lib. 8. c. 14. Eccles Hist Eusebius hath erected to the Memory of Maxentius and Maximin not much short of that Stately One which Gregory hath erected for Julian and if he will go to Lactantius in his Book of the Deaths of the Persecuting Emperors there to use his own Phrase He may bless himself to see what Titles of Honour he hath bestowed upon them although he wrote in Latine which hath not the happy facility of compounding words as the Greek hath He calls Nero Execrable and Mischievous Tyrant and Harbinger of the Devil coming to lay the Earth wast and destroy all Mankind with many more such Titles and Characters which he may read at his leisure He calls Domitian as great a Tyrant as Nero Decius he calls Execrable Animal Valerian Impious Madman Aurelius Furious and Praecipitant Tyrant and as for his Characters of Dioclesian Maximian Galerius and Maximin in whose Reigns he had lived he hath set them forth as wild Beasts as Monsters of Rapin and Cruelty and Rebels against God Nay so far are the Invectives of Nazianzen from being a just ground of such singular Conclusions and Observations about Julian that Hilary Bishop of Poictou wrote as keen and bitter an Invective against Constantius shortly after he died There he calls him Antichrist Deceitful Persecutor Flattering Enemy the Cruellest of all Cruelties the most Wicked of Mortals Ravening Wolf Enemy to Gods Religion and the Memory of Saints and Rebel to his Fathers Piety c. and compares him to Judas for betraying the Priests of Christ with a Kiss Nay he makes him worse than (‖) P. 289. Nero Decius and Maximin and wishes he had lived in their Reigns rather than in his The Book is very little if any thing inferiour to the Invectives in Sharp Bitter and Contumelious Language but charges him home with Tyranny and Malice and pursues him as if he had been a Midnight-Thief or a Robber and loads him with the (†) Anathema tibi trecenti decem octo Anathema tibi Pater tuus est cui Nicaea Synodus curae fuit p. 298. Anathemas of his Father and the Nicene Council which is as bad as Lodging him in Hell CHAP. VIII Shewing That the Christian Subjects of Julian practised Passive Obedience when they were in an Able Condition to Resist HAving now shewed 1. That the Roman Empire was not Hereditary 2. That Julian did not persecute his Christian Subjects contrary to Law and having in the Third place shewn That there was nothing Singular and Vnparallelled in the Behaviour of the Christians towards that Apostate Emperor nor any thing so Barbarous and unlike the Behaviour of Former Christians as our Author represented it to be I should now proceed to Examine his Ninth Chapter wherein he hath endeavoured to evacuate the Doctrine of Passive Obedience But as a Preparatory thereunto I shall first take the Forfeiture of his Main Assertion That Julian persecuted his Christian Subjects contrary to Law and from thence shew That Passive Obedience is due by the Gospel to the Soveraign Power when the Soveraign persecutes contrary to Law Our Author was aware of this Consequence and therefore to obviate the Objection of the Non-resistance of Julians Christian Subjects who was so Spiteful Cruel and Crafty and according to him so Illegal a Persecutor he represents the case as if they were but a small and defenceless
Bishop Bilson as I find him speaking in his Book of the True Difference between Christian Subjection and Vnchristian Rebellion written against the Papists in Queen Elizabeths Time and printed 1586. There p. 256. Theoph. saith Our Saviour foreteaching his Disciples that they should be brought before Kings and Rulers and put to death and hated of all men for his Names sake addeth not as you would have it and he that first rebelleth but he that Endureth to the End shall be saved And again Nor with Violence restrain them but in patience possess your Souls p. 260. Deliverance if you would have obtain it by Prayer and expect it in Peace those be Weapons for Christians p. 262. The Subject hath no refuge against his Soveraign but only to God by Prayer and Patience p. 278. Your Spanish Inquisitions and French Massacres where you murdered Men Women and Children by thousands and ten thousands against the very Grounds of all Equity Piety and Humanity without convicting accusing or calling them before any Judge to hear what was misliked in them are able to set Grave and Good Men at their Wits end and to make them justly doubt since you refuse the course of all Divine and Humane Laws with them whether by the Law of Nature they may not defend themselves against such Barbarous Blood-suckers yet we stand not on that if the Laws of the Land where they converse do not permit them to Guard their Lives when they are assaulted against Law or if they take Arms as you do to Depose Princes we will never excuse them from Rebellion p. 279. For my part I must confess except the Laws of those Realms do permit the People to stand on their Right if the Prince would offer that Wrong I dare not allow their Arms. This is his determination in case of a Massacre which is the Extremity of Tyranny and it is agreeable not only to the Scripture but to the Practise of the Primitive Christians who against Equity Humanity and the Common Law of all Civil Governments endured many Tyrannical Massacres when they were able to resist And Bishop Jewel whom I should have set first in his Defence of the Apology p. 15. saith unto Harding We teach the people at St. Paul doth to be Subject to the Higher Powers not only for Fear but also for Conscience We teach them that whos◠striketh with the Sword by private Authority shall perish with the Sword If the Prince happen to be wicked or cruel or burdensom we teach them to say with St. Ambrose Arma nostra sunt preces lachrymae Tears and Prayers be our Weapons He reckons this Bishop among the Worthies p. 14. of Preface but according to him he must have been but a Quack in Divinity for he was for the old Mountebank Receipt of Prayers and Tears The Peole of England it seems were taught in his time as the Doctor taught the Citizens of London in his Bow-Sermon and therefore Passive Obedience was either Heterodox Divinity then or else it is none now Nay it was taught by the Martyrs themselves in Queen Maries days for Bradford in his Letter saith Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise up against the Magistrates And Bishop Latimer in King Edward the Sixths days taught it very plainly in his 4th Sermon before the King in his Familiar Homespun Stile When I was travailed in the Tower saith he my Lord Darsy was telling me of the Faithful Service that he had done the Kings Majesty that dead is And had I seen my Soveraign Lord in the Field said he and had I seen his Grace come against us I would have lighted from my Horse and taken my Sword by the Point and yielded it into his Graces Hands Mary quod I but in the mean season you played not the part of a Faithful Subject in holding with the People in a Commotion and Disturbance It hath been the Cast of all Traytors to pretend nothing against the Kings Person they never pretend the matter to the King but to others Subjects may not resist any Magistrates nor ought to do nothing contrary to the Kings Laws I could produce much more to the same purpose out of Archbishop Sandys his Sermons Dr. Willet upon Rom. 13. Dr. Hakewels Scutum Regium Dr. Boys his Postils Dean Nowell on the 5th Com. Dr. Owen in his Antiparaeus Mr. Perkins on the 5th Com. the Little Book called Deus Rex not to mention Bishop Sanderson and other latter Divines but I have said enough to Justifie Dr. Hickes or Condemn the Church of England and her Reformers and the most Famous Divines that She hath bred Let Mr. J. look to it either the Dr. hath done well or else they are all in the same Condemnation with him And that he may know what a severe Censure he deserves for opposing this Evangelical Principle which the Dr. preached up I refer him to Erasmus in Luc. 22.36 especially to these words Mihi nulla haeresis videtur perniciosior nulla blasphemia secleratior quam si quis philistinorum exemplo Evangelici agri puteos qui a Christo venam habent aqua vivae scatentis in vitam aeternam terrâ oppleta sensum spiritualem vertat in carnalem doctrinam caelestem depravet in terrenam ac sacro-sancta Christi dogmata detorqueat imò corumpat idque reclamantibus omnibus ejus praeceptis reclamante totâ ipsius vitâ reclamante doctrinâ Apostolicâ refragantibus tot martyrum millibus repugnantibus vetustis interpretibus I do not accuse him of Heresie Blasphemy or perverting the Truths of the Gospel but if Erasmus do it I cannot help it he must get off as well as he can Having now I hope shewn that Passive Obedience is required of all Subjects by the Common Laws of Soveraignty and in particular of the English by the Laws Imperial belonging to this Crown I might here conclude this Chapter but that having undertaken the Defence of the Doctor I am obliged to answer some particular Passages which cannot well be answered but apart by themselves In the 80th p. he cites this Passage out of the Doctors Sermon Neither doth the Gospel prescribe any Remedy but Flight against the Persecutions of the Lawful Magistrate allowing of no other Mean when we cannot escape betwixt denying and dying for the Faith To this he Replyes What the Gospel Prescribes is one thing what it Allows is another There are ten ten thousand things allowed by the Gospel not one of which is prescribed by it But what is this to the purpose the Doctor speaks there of the only Gospel-Expedient or Remedy against Persecution which is Flight He asserts that the Gospel allows of no other Mean against the Persecutions of the Lawful Magistrate and if it allow no other then certainly it prescribes That The Physitian that allows but of one only Medicine against the Plague doth certainly prescribe it to the Patient And to make no more words about the matter Flight by the