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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13767	A triple antidote, against certaine very common scandals of this time which, like infections and epidemicall diseases, haue generally annoyed most sorts of people amongst vs, poisoned also not a few, and diuers waies plagued and afflicted the whole state. / By Iohn Tichborne, Doctor of Diuinity, and sometimes fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge..	Tichborne, John, d. 1638.	1609 (1609)	STC 24064; ESTC S118413	94,709	132

any estate and most preiudiciall to the royall prerogatiues yea the very Crowne and dignity as they most ignorantly slanderously if not indeede blasphemously haue obiected of Christian Princes making it the greatest meanes for Antichrist his clyming so high and the very stirrop to the Pope his mounting into his saddle To all which albeit I haue aunswered somewhat in a larger treatise which I purposed should haue beene the elder brother but that this like rough Esau hath for iust and good cause I hope hastned formost and preuented the other which was euen ready to come foorth first and like vnto Iacob may holde this elder by the heele yet must I briefly adioyne somewhat to that which hath beene a little before aunswered in this behalfe that may more directly quench if not kill the heate and venome of these poysonfull proiectes and problematicall diuelish obiections First therefore they might as well except against the ministery of the word and Sacraments the Ordination or degrading of ministers consecrating of Churches and such like many more which as yet none of these exceptors nor any other durst diuorce from that holy order and power of Priesthood as without any true offence it may bee called or to make them any way common to any Prince and ciuil power whatsoeuer Secondly the heart may as well bee arraigned of treason against the head and whole body as this power of the keyes and any particular administration thereof may bee iudged preiudiciall to the supremacy of Princes and safety of the whole body standing quietly of Ecclesiasticall and Ciuil power and executions sweetely ioyned and combyned together vnder any kinde of soueraignty or Ciuil Magistracy which is euermore the head of them both And lastly their Lawe and Logicke together very much deceiue them not onely in making that the cause which is not the cause and things accidentally and by circumstance somtimes euil to bee so euermore and in their owne nature which are the vsuall sallations practised by these Sophisters deceiuing themselues and others thereby but also which argueth their greatest ignorance or forgetfulnesse at the least in this point pleading from that which is cleane contrary to argue this encumbring and encountring of Princes iust titles and royall dignities as the proper effect of the same For indeed this Excommunication especially as it was vsed by those masters of the Romish Church was one of the greatest engins meanes to batter downe the walls and strong holdes of Antichristian prelacy and power when Princes and all the world once perceiued that those many Bulls roared for nothing els but to get preies for the filling of their owne bellies and feeding the ambitious humours of those vsurping and presumptuous Prelates And for the thing it selfe in it owne nature there is no one thing belonging to Ecclesiasticall power or which might possibly be inuented in the world which might sooner distast Princes or any part of the ciuill body and more likely to withdrawe them from protecting all or any of the Church rightes then the due execution of this censure In regard whereof together with these confused and troubled times wherewith the Church hath beene and is for the most part still annoyed and incumbred the due and constant vse of this Excommunication eyther hath beene obserued to haue been seldome practised in any Church or els haue the wisest gouernours of the same not thought it fit or conuenient many times to drawe out this spirituall sword and censure so often as otherwise the necessity and safety of their seueral Churches might require And for the abuses which proceeded from the persons to whome this censure hath beene at any time committed and not from the thing it selfe whereas for want of skill happely and good wisedome how and when this speciall physicke was to be applyed as Erastus himselfe obserueth who had more learning and iudgement euen in this physicke also and true diuinity then hundreds of these late pleaders and from whome this last dramme of mischiefe was drawne into the Pennes and pleas of these pettifoggers and promooters they doe no more argue the vnlawfulnesse of this power or disable the true wise and round vse thereof then if a senselesse although a golden sword appointed euermore for the highest Iustice should be misliked and most senselesly indicted and condemned for that murder which a foole and mad man had committed by it To all which kinds of reasoning and such like obiections and framers of them I could wish better skill to construe their Lawe or choppe our Logicke as we say then for want of this latter which with due reuerence alwayes to that graue profession any may obserue to bee much wanting in those Scribes especially when they are out of that their Element and put a little from their owne pace to misse very much in their right vse and application of the former and other their riche naturalls and further accomplishments wherewith for the most part they are well qualified and endowed for many Lawyers as I may say truely with reuerence and respect as abouesayd of most of them would dispute as well as any if they knew how and for the last pleader of all Author of the Assertions for Church Discipline who hath beene a great and long practiser in that bad and blacke Court by cunning libelling against all our Ecclesiasticall power and proceedings and not long since hath drawne all his Lawe and Logicke which I thinke may be put in a little bagge or at the least weighed in a small ballance together with the slime and froth of his hote and malitious wit to the fortifying of a rotten mud wall reared by another pleader almost as bad as himselfe I cannot but in holy zeale I hope to this good cause and most holy censure of Christs Church Nichols Countermure and iust indignation against all such vnskilfull reformers of Ecclesiasticall abuses and wilfull deformers indeede of all good order crie out with Peter to Simon Magus and all such enuious spirits and despitefull lookers vpon any that haue greater guifts and authority then themselues Thou thy Law and thy Logicke perish together for they haue no part I am sure nor portion in these businesses and lesse authority or calling to speake or write against any thing possible amisse therein and I feare I may too too truely adde the other that theyr hearts are not vpright in them but that vnder colour of calling vppon the vrging and mayntaining of many good Lawes and constitutions amongst vs and vnder pretence of tendring Princes supremacy which if any should presume to breathe or blowe against I wish them from my heart breathlesse to establish an yron and Macedonian throne for themselues vnder which they would soone bondage and bring both Medes and Persians and the golden head it selfe of any kind of gouernment as al know their intendmēts who are any way acquainted with their positions resolutions and practises about their new discipline which they

giueth sometimes to priuate mens admonishments and exhortations saying thereupon cohortatoriè as Luther obserueth him and the other learned fathers to speake many times Ligasti aut soluisti fratrem yet is this no whit of this nature and kind whereof we intreat this being an exhortation or counsell and a common worke of charity belonging to all Christians the other a iudgement or a solemne and peculiar iudiciall proceeding performed alwayes by Gods ministers onely and lieutenants in this behalfe wherein God deales by them as a King doth by his Iudges and other immediate officers for any state occasion wherein although many haue skill and can giue counsell and aducie yet are no charters quoadius as wee say pardons or iudgements whatsoeuer of validity and force to carry or confirme any thing for or against any except they be pronounced or otherwise sealed and warranted by those who are called and designed to represent and supply the Kings place and person in any of the same And thus much briefly of this first kinde of excommunication which respecteth indifferently all kindes of people that haue soules to be saued and may yea ought to be exercised in all places where any true minister is found albeit there be no order or power established according to the nature of a visible Church or other ordered gouernment whatsoeuer For so is the nature of the other excommunication which wee made to be from the visible Church wherein alwayes is required some company liuing vnder forme of outward gouernment by which lawes may be made and enacted for this or at the least some other kinde of separation from the same for so Saint Paul speaketh of a company to be gathered together as from which that incestuous person was to be remoued by his owne censure which also may appeare by all other such separations which euer haue beene read of or are as yet practised in the world wherein by some kind of power established amongst some company liuing vnder gouernement be it of one kind or other certaine persons haue beene excluded oftentimes according to the discretion of the gouernours thereof from the face and fellowship of some visible Church Which also according to the causes and diuers kinds of operation and proceeding by or against any this kinde of excommunication must againe be diuided into that which by violence without cause and against all order and reason is oftentimes denounced and that which vpon iust cause or by some kinde of order at the least is commenced and executed for the separation of any from the visible Church the first whereof may be called excommunicatio violentiae such as were exercised by Tyrants against many a true member both of the visible and inuisible Church the other not vnfitl termed excommunicatio ordinis in which by some orderly proceeding and vnder some course of Lawe and constitutions iust or vniust any are remoued from any such company and priuiledges belonging thereunto which also being as all iudgements are as the Schooles distinguish them vsurped or defiled and tainted with some in iustice and wrong or els direct and regulated according to trueth and equity so likewise is this excommunicatio ordinis whereby good Ieremie and our Sauiour Christ himselfe Iohn 7. were by such orders as those times did afford Abstentes as the word in Ieremie importeth and debarred at the least from many priuiledges of that Church and time as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may by Erastus his own acception or any others signifie as well as that incestuous person most iustlie by Paul from the company and priuiledges of the Church of Corinth But to tye our selues to that excommunication which by good order and vpon iust and necessary cause is alwayes awarded resting in the hands power of euery true Church and company gathered together in the name of Christ to professe his name and seruice that also hath it differences and distinctions for so by the Schooles and Kanons many such haue beene inuented whereof that of excommunicatio maior minor the greater and the lesse may very well fit our purpose According to the vse of this greate censure by all Christian Churches in the world Which vpon the assistance at the last of Christian magistracy and by their owne speciall decrees and constitutions thereabout haue extended the power of this censure to the debarring of those that are separated thereby from many common priuiledges whereof the ciuill estate maketh them otherwise partakers as appeareth by many ciuil constitutions and statute Lawes in force at this present amongst vs de excommunicato capiendo and such like to that purpose For which cause this excommunication by order as we haue termed it for the better setting downe the true nature of it must once againe be diuided into that which is meerly ecclesiasticall as proceeding onely and wholly from that power of the keyes which are giuen to the Church for the ruling and sauing of soules or els into that which is ciuill abusiuely so called and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we say or lastly partly ecclesiastical and partly ciuill according to which are most proceedings therein for the outward gouernement of any Church at this day That which is called ecclesiasticall is so wholly estated in the persons of Church gouernours as that if there were no ciuill Magistrate in the world yet would and ought they to claime and shew their authority and power if according to the true ends and vses thereof hereafter more particularly to be set downe the Church shall iudge it fit or necessary so to be awarded Author of late assertions for Church Discipline And no ciuill power hath any more to doe with it then as the latest exceptor and pleader himselfe against many things therein confesseth and proueth by the authority of Bishop Horne and Doctor Bilson both reuerend fathers of one Sea in our Church it hath to doe with making ministers consecrating Churches immediate making of Church Canons for doctrine cases of cōscience administration of the word and Sacraments and such like In the prefaces to certaine Iniunctions made in Henry 8. and Elizabeth their raignes which some princes of this kingdome and all other wisely possessed with the trueth of these matters haue euermore disclaimed Howbeit for the other which concerne first the bodies and outward estates and condition whatsoeuer of any and secondarily and consequently the soule and inward man and so also respect for the most part the outward peace of the common state both ecclesiasticall and ciuill they all must haue their consideration determination and proper place accordingly as proceeding first from ciuill power may be intended or remitted continued suspended or changed and sometimes exercised or inhibited by ciuill magistrates soueraigne or subordinate Of which sort I make all temporall punishments commutation of pennance outward shame and all other bodily afflictions whereof notwithstanding that of being giuen ouer to Satan some haue made one Erastus out of some

doth the word of God come out from them onely 1. Cor. 14.36 but beeing as all other men subiect to their falles howsoeuer neither thēselues nor any other their fauourers delight to tell Quid faciunt in other things and doceant also which is many times worst of all as well as Quid patiuntur must likewise endure the censure of the time and their speciall punishments awarded as well as other men Now that these men may haue some reasōs giuen and affoorded why they may safely subscribe as well as the gouernours of the Church may ought to vrge the same vpon them I haue reserued somewhat to the last place as I promised for this end Wherein first wee will remoue some difficulties vsually pretended in this action of obedience and then declare how in effect they daily doe as much or haue already by their daily practises more then in this subscription is required at their hands For the first they must all know that the thing required in subscription is their obedience rather and good affection to the state and allowance of the maine things established amongst vs then any their particular knowledge and examination of so many particulars which doe not so much indeede concerne them to know much lesse to inquire so farre into them whose best wisedome and safety for their consciences were in matters of this nature so long as no manifest sinne may appeare therein for then a separation were necessary to rest themselues vpon that which is commanded and the wisedome and decrees of those vnder whose gouernment and authority they liue For besides that this were many waies more safe for their consciences and would cut off many lets and hinderances which on the other side are cast into the way of the manifold dueties of their speciall callings it would very well become men of their sort to haue so reuerent an opinion of so many waighty and graue constitutions deuised and appointed by so many learned heads after such long experience and precedents from all Churches in the world to yeelde themselues with heart and hand and to giue their good allowance to the same that at the least they are lawfull and wholsome and such as doe no way crosse and contrary the word of God And to say with him that read ouer a booke and vnderstood but few things therein Quae intellexi bona Laertius in Socratis vita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credo etiam quae non intellexi for being things at the most doubtfull and controuersed betwixt them and the reuerend Fathers any reasonable man would thinke it more fit that these inferiors should come in and yeelde themselues rather then these superiors whose reasons and consciences are perswaded to be as good and better because better informed and furnished with iudgement and knowledge then theirs Neither may the pillars of the earth as Iob speaketh that is auncient constitutions and determinations of men in place be forsaken and pulled downe for their sakes who are but of yesterday and so I conclude this with that worthy speech of Arnobius in a higher matter against the Gentiles Superciliosa nimis res est quando ipse sit non tuus Lib. 1. contra Gentes in aliena etiamnum possessione verseris potentioribus dare conditionem velle vt id fiat quod tu velis non quod inueneris antiquis constitutionibus fixum Secondly if any thing be hard in the iudgement of these refusers it may either be conuinced to be simply wicked and then no doubt it should be forborne or altered or they might and ought to depart or els doubtfull and disputable and then by better discussing the points and information thereupon the most tenderest of them might be satisfied if they would seeke and hearken to the meanes as the Bishops of euery Diocesse according to the appointmēt of our worthy Soueraigne haue yeelded time and meanes enough for their satisfaction in any thing they may haue iust cause to take exception against For the other reason that they doe dayly subscribe by word and practise how els doe they say Amen to our Leitourgies and to our orders of common praier whereat they refuse not to be present much more how can they be content by their practises to haue liued as ministers hitherto vnder that gouernment and particulars therein to which now they dare not subscribe and set their hands whereas by their former practises they had done so many a yeare together and so would doubtlesse by their word and profession now but that some other sinister causes I feare draweth and haleth them another way And so to conclude this point I desire all to remember that wise speech of that graue Senator in Valerius Maximus prophecying of Rome that then should be the end of that Empire when the superiors should forget to rule as beseemed them and inferiors to obey in all things which doth euermore best become them and without the which there would be no better then Nomadum vita Euripides in Phaenissis where as Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the very Image of hell it selfe death and the graue where as Iob saith Chap. 10. vers 22 there is no order but light is there as darknesse To answer yet a little more fully the obiections made against subscription and to giue the best satisfaction we can to the weake or wilfull standers out vpon the vrging thereof and so many vniustly offended thereupon I desire al with indifferency to reade that which I haue thought necessary to adioyne here following as a supplement to our former considerations thereof as well shewing what small cause the one side hath for their standing out being offended thereat as also the great equity and euen absolute necessity for the most precise requiring the same in any well ordered estate First therefore to shew that it bindeth none to beare false witnesse to say yea and nay of the same thing so to intangle and inwrap weake consciences with manifold scruples and difficulties In his plea pag. 203. which is the summe of Master Nichols and all his complices opposing themselues against it we say first that nothing contained in those Articles to which Subscription is required is any way against the rule and Canon of faith and manners which are the very pith substance of all the word of God for as for all our doctrine there is nothing generallie maintained in all the Articles of our Church which directly crosseth any portion of scripture examined by those two former rules nor yet containeth or alloweth any blasphemy heresie Idolatry or superstition or any iniustice in them against the second table but wholsome Lawes are made against them all both Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and are euery way sutable for the generall contents thereof with that Harmony of confessions which was not many yeeres since agreed vpon by all reformed Churches as I presume these refusers neither can nor will deny and all that euer

the most part of the ministery and abundance of poore in all places Thirdly dispute not thou what is fit for discipline of Clergy or people in ceremonies more or lesse these or other but leaue it to the magistrate that is charged with that care and must answer for his magistracy and sinnes thereof one day Neither may any without great occasion of sinne and manifest breach of the fift commandement pulle their necks out of the yoake of their lawfull commands For Christianity taketh not away any part of ciuility or humanity as some haue well said much lesse due obedience to lawfull authority as too many haue taught of late and practised And to conclude this first part of my answer to this obiection I desire all to reade and compare with iudgement that reply of our Sauiour Christ to that Pharisaicall exception against Christ his Disciples for eating with vnwashen hands with the doctrine and practises of these men who making scruple and much adoe about Crosse and Surplice and a few ceremonies distasting their priuate iudgements runne headlong into open neglect and contempt of the fift commandement And so as the Pharisies did vpon error of deuotion and conscience to their Corban cause many a silly disciple of theirs to neglect their manifold duties to father and mother whereby as Christ telleth them they made the commandement of God of none effect by their traditions Euen so doe these new masters euery way the selfesame in effect Secondly I answer that albeit no humane Lawes do of themselues binde the conscience but only as they haue their ground and warrant from the fift commandement and further that no magistrate or creature in the world can take away the least part of Christian liberty in things inwardly spirituall or outwardly indifferent in themselues for choice or vse because Christian liberty is the selfe-same still and is seene as well in doing as not doing vsing or not vsing any thing subiect vnto it yet do all wise esteemers of these things hold that euery Christian Magistrate may and ought also many times by vertue of the fift commandement restraine this Christian liberty in many particular things according as any good cause and reason generall or particular may occasion any Prince or state to make wholsome Lawes for any such purpose And that so farre and so large as no one commandemēt of God by commission or omission any thing hereby be preiudiced by any of these restraints or impositions whatsoeuer As in the matter of fasting abstinence the learned Schooles haue fully determined which may serue for answer and direction touching all wholsome Lawes penall or otherwise enacted and in force in our state or any other CHAP. VII Answering the obiection of so many scandals arising by the vse of the Crosse THat other of this last and least kind of arguments against the Crosse which shall also be the last of this our consideration is drawne from the offences which haply haue or may at any time arise from the vse of this Crosse For answer whereunto I hope I shall not need to stand vpon the definition of a Scandall in generall Hieron in 15. Math. v. 12. Scandalum est dictum vel factum quod dat alteri occasionem ruinae or the vsuall diuisions of the same into Actiue and Passiue by the Schooles and commonly termed offences giuen or taken but referring all to Saint Ierome his definition of a Scandall set downe in his commentaries vpon the 15. of Math. vers 12. I wish these great exceptors and all other too too iustly scandalized by them their offensiue behauiours in this behalfe to turne their eyes vpon the manifold scandalls and inconueniences also which many waies breake out priuately and publiquely both in Church and common wealth by reason of their omitting misliking and so peremptory condemning the vse of the same albeit established by publique authority amongst vs. Which indeed are so many as that no wisely affected or honestly disposed heart can but throughly and most feelingly be touched and iustly greeued withall especially since those which rise from the omitting of it are farre greater and of another nature from those which proceede from the vsing of it euen in Baptisme it selfe or any other holy administration there beeing indeed betwixt them no iust or fit proportion or comparison the one being only passiue and vnnecessarily taken by those that abuse them and themselues and others by them and doe neither know the truth vse or right practise of them the other being too too iustly giuen and actiuely and in themselues euil as the Schooles speak and we haue aboue shewed conteining in them manifold breaches of the fift and almost euery other commandement of God As namely generall disobedience and both inward and too too often outward kicking spurning and rebelling against the most graue decrees and constitutions of the Church and soueraigne authority of the chiefe Magistrate to which euery honest heart ought willinglie to subscribe and simply without contradiction or disputation to yeeld their obedience Besides the great neglecting of speciall callings and manifold duties therein to GOD and man bereauing the Church also by this meanes of their gifts and themselues and others of their necessary maintenance besides many other which I haue more griefe then will to repeate Secondly were these offences both alike I meane accidentally euill only as those taken herein are and so being meere occasions nec dant speciem nec veniunt in definitione as the Schooles speake 22. Quaest 43. art 1. and therefore are no proper causes of euill yet in such a consideration the greater number doth and ought with euery good conscience to ouersway the fewer and the lesser which if they should be reckoned together there would appeare great oddes and a broad difference to any equall or iudicious eie And whereas some haue found a more nice difference in this behalfe in respect of the Magistrates commanding these things which in their iudgements might well be forborne charging them further with great want at the least of Christian charity and wise louing care and foresight towards the good of their poore subiects and inferiors soules and bodies by not preuenting and taking away so many causes or to speake more properly occasions of so much offence hurt and dammage to their weake consciences and Church of God in generall I answer first that it is a horrible sinne both against the fift but especially against the ninth commandement for any priuate spirit or person whatsoeuer to entertaine any such thoughts and suspitions which are no other then diabolicall suggestions against their Prince or any lawfull authority placed ouer them Whereas the rule of that royall law is particularly expressed in the ninth commandement neuer to censure or conster the words or doings of any the meanest offensiuely and to the worst when any more fauourable conceipt and interpretation thereof may be admitted and affoorded Much more to presume so farre as to