Common-wealth Barnevelts Kindred might be faulty the Arminians innocent or the Arminians faulty in their practise against the life of the Prince of Orange under and by whom they had suffered so many oppressions without involving those in their Crimes and Treasons who hold the same Opinion with them in their Neighbouring Churches IX The reason is because there is nothing in the Doctrine of the Arminians as it relates to the Five points in difference which can dispose the Professors of it to any such practises And therefore if the Arminians should have proved as turbulent and seditious as their enemies made them yet we were not to impute it to them as they were Arminians that is to say as men following the Melanctonian way of Predestination and differing in those points from the rest of the Calvinists but as exasperated and provoked and forced to cast themselves upon desperate courses Quae libertatis arma dat ipse dolor in the Poets language But so some say it is not with the Doctrine of the other party by which mens actions are so ordered predetermined by the eternall will of God even to the taking up of a straw as before was said ut nec plus boni nec minus mali that it is neither in their power to do more good or commit less evil then they do And then according to that Doctrine all Treasons Murders and Seditions are to be excused as unavoydable in them who commit the same because it is not in their power not to be guilty of those Treasons or Seditions which the fire and fury of the Sect shall inflame them with And then to what end should Princes make Laws or spend their whole endeavors in preserving the publick Peace when notwithstanding all their cares and travails to prevent the mischief things could no otherwise succeed then as they have been predetermined by the will of God And therefore the best way would be Sinere res vadere quo vult in the Latin of an old Spanish Monke to let all matters go as they will since we cannot make them go as we would according to that counsell of the good old Poet. Solvite mortales animos curisque levate Totque super vacuis animum deplete querelis Fata regunt Orbem certa stant omnia lege That is to say Discharge thy soul poor man of vexing fears And ease thy self of all superfluous cares The World is governed by the Fates and all Affairs by Heaven's decree do stand or fall X. To this effect it is reported that the old Lord Burleigh should discourse with Queen Eliz. when he was first acquainted with the making of the Lambeth Articles Not pleased wherewith he had recourse unto the Queen letting her see how much her Majesties Authority and the Laws of the Realm were thereby violated and it was no hard matter to discern what they aimed at who had most stickled in the same For saith he this is their opinion and Doctrine that every Humane action be it good or evil it is all restrained and bound up by the Law of an immutable decree that upon the very wills of men also this necessity is imposed ut aliter quam vellent homines velle non possent that men could not will otherwise then they did will Which Opinions saith he Maddam if they be true Frustra ego aliique fideles Majestatis tuae ministri c. then I and the rest of your Majesties faithfull Ministers do sit in Councel to no purpose 't is in vain to deliberate and advise about the affairs of your Realm Cum de his quae eveniunt necessario stulta sit plane omnis consultatio since in those things that come to passe of necessity all consultation is foolish and ridiculous To which purpose it was also press'd by the Bishop of Rochester Oxon and St. Davids in a Letter to the Duke of Buckingham concerning Mountagues Appeal An. 1625. In which it is affirmed that they cannot conceive what use there can be of Civil Government in the Common-wealth or of Preaching and externall Ministry in the Church if such fatal Opinions as some which are opposite contrary to those delivered by Mr. Mountague shall be publickly taught and maintained More plainly and particularly charged by Dr. Brooks once Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge in a Letter to the late Archbishop bearing date Decemb. 15. 1630. in which he writes that their Doctrines of Predestination is the root of Puritanisme and Puritanisme is the root of all Rebellions and disobedient untractablenesse in Parliaments c. and of all Schisme and sawcinesse in the Countrey nay in the Church it self making many thousands of our people and too great a part of the Gentlemen of the Land very Leightons in their hearts which Leighton had published not long before a most pestilent and seditious Book against the Bishops called Sions Plea in which he excited the people to strike the Bishops under the fifth rib reviling the Queen by the name of a Daughter of Heth and for the same was after censured in the Star-Chamber to Pillory loss of Ears c. XI But because perhaps it may be said that this is but a new device excogitated by the malice of these later times to defame this Doctrine let us behold what Campneys hath delivered of it in the first or second year of Queen Eliz. at the first peeping of it out to disturb this Church Where saith he who seeth not the distraction of England to follow this Doctrine Who seeth not the confusion of all Common-wealths to depend hereupon What Prince may sit safely in the seat of his Kingdome What subject may live quietly possessing his own What man shall be ruled by the right of Law If there Opinions may be perfectly placed in the hearts of the People Which Corollary he brings in in the end of a Discourse touching the Rebellion raised by Martin Cyrnell and seconded by the Earl of Lincolne Martin Swarth and others against Hen. 7. For building on the Calvinian Maxim that as God doth appoint the end so he appointeth also the means and causes which lead unto it he thereupon inferreth that Martin Swarth and his men according to that Doctrine were destined by God to be slain at the Battle of Stoke In order whereunto first Sir Richard Simon the Priest must be appointed and predestinate of God to powre in the pestilent poyson of Privy Conspiracy and trayterous mischief of vain glory into the heart of Lambert his Scholar as a cause leading to the same end Secondly that he the said Lambert was appointed and predestinate of God to consent and agree unto the pestiferous perswasion of his Master * S. Richard in the pride of Lucifer to aspire unto the Royall Throne as another cause leading to the same end which God ordained Thirdly that the Irish men were appointed of God to be Rebellious Traytors against their Soveraign Lord the King of England and
the stronger then to any clear and evident Authority which they can pretend to from that Father or any other ancient Writers of unquestioned credit which said I hope it will be granted without much difficulty that such a doctrine of predestination as neither directly nor indirectly makes God to be the Author of sin nor attributes so much to the will of man in depraved nature as to exclude the influences of Gods heavenly Grace is more to be embraced then any other which dasheth against either of the said extremes And that being granted or supposed I shall first lay down the Judgment of the differing parties in the Article of Predestination and the Points depending thereupon and afterwards declare to which of the sayd differing Parties the Doctrine of the Church of England seemeth most inclinable CHAP. II. Of the Debates amongst the Divines in the Councel of Trent touching Predestinations and Original Sin I. The Articles drawn from the Writings of the Zuinglians touching Predestination and Reprobâ—ation II. The Doctrine of Predestination according to the Dominican way III. As also the old Franciscans with Reasons for their own and against the other IV. The Historians Judgment interposed between the Parties V. The middle way of Catarinus to compose the differences VI. The newness of St. Augustines Opinion and the dislike thereof by the most Learned men in the Ages following VII The perplexities amongst the Theologues touching the absoluteness of the Decrees VIII The Judgment of the sayd Divines touching the possibility of falling from Grace IX The Debates about the nature and transmitting of Original Sin X. The Doctrine of the Councel in it I. IN such condition stood Affairs in reference to the doctrines of Predestination Grace Free-will c. at the first sitting down of the Councel of Trent in which those Points became the subject of many sad and serious Debates amongst the Prelates and Divines then and there Assembled which being so necessary to the understanding of the Questions which we have before us I shall not think my time ill spent in laying down the summe and abstract of the same as I find it digested to my hand by Padre Paulo the diligent and laborious Author of the Tridentine Historie only I shall invert his method by giving precedency to the Disputes concerning Predestination before the Debates and Agitations which hapned in canvasing the Articles touching the Freedome of mans Will though those about Free-will do first occur in the course and method of that Councel It being determined by the Councel as that Author hath it to draw some Articles from the Writings of the Protestants concerning the Doctrine of Predestination It appeared that in the Books of Luther in the Augustan Confession and in the Apologies and Colloquies there was nothing found that deserved censure But much they found among the Writings of the Zuinglians out of which they drew these following Articles Viz. 1. For Predestination and Reprobation that man doth nothing but all is in the will of God 2. The Predestinated cannot be condemned nor the Reprobate saved 3. The Elect and Predestinated only are truly justified 4. The Justified are bound by Faith to believe they are in the number of the Predestinated 5. The Justified cannot fall from Grace 6. Those that are called and are not in the number of the Predestinated do never receive Grace 7. The Justified is bound to believe by Faith that he ought to persevere in Justice until the end 8. The Justified is bound to believe for certain that in case he fall from Grace he shall receive it again II. In the examining the first of these Articles the Opinions were divers The most esteemed Divines amongst them thought it to be Catholick the contrary Heretical because the good School Writers S. Thomas Scotus and the rest do so think that is that God before the Creation out of the Mass of man-kind hath elected by his only and meer mercy some for Glory for whom he hath prepared effectually the means to obtain it which is called to predestinate That their number is certain and determined neither can there any be added The others not Predestinated cannot complain for that God hath prepared for them sufficient assistance for this though indeed none but the Elect shall be saved For the most principal reason they alledged that S. Paul to the Romans having made Jacob a pattern of the Predestinated and Esau of the Reprobate he produceth the Decree of God pronounced before they were born not for their Works but for his own good pleasure To this they joyned the example of the same Apostle That as the Potter of the same Lump of Clay maketh one Vessel to honour another to dishonour so God of the same Mass of men chooseth and leaveth whom he listeth for proof whereof S. Paul bringeth the place where God faith to Moses I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy and I will shew pity on whom I will shew pity And the same Apostle concludeth It is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth but of God who sheweth mercy adding after that God sheweth mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will They sayd further That for this cause the Councel of the Divine Predestination and Reprobation is called by the same Apostle The height and depth of wisdom unsearchable and incomprehensible They added places of the other Epistles where he sayth We have nothing but what we have received from God that we are not able of our selves so much as to think well and where in giving the cause why some have revolted from the Faith and some stand firm he sayd it was because the Foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seal the Lord knoweth who are his They added divers passages of the Gospel of S. John and infinite Authorities of S. Augustine because the Saint wrote nothing in his old Age but in favour of this Doctrine III. But some others though of less esteem opposed this opinion calling it hard cruel inhumane horrible impious and that it shewed partiality in God if without any motive cause he elected one and rejected another and unjust if he damned men for his own will and not for their faults and had created so great a multitude to condemn it They sayd it destroyed Free-will because the Elect cannot finally do evil nor the Reprobate good that it casteth men into a gulph of desperation doubting that they be Reprobates That it giveth occasion to the wicked of bad thoughts not caring for Pennance but thinking if they be elected they shall not perish if Reprobates it is in vain to do well because it will not help them They confessed that not only works are not the cause of Gods election because that is before them and eternal but that neither Works foreseen can move God to Predestinate who is willing for his infinite mercy that all should be saved to this end prepareth sufficient assistance for all which every man
she cannot be understood by the â—ight of Sense or Nature is justly placed amongst the number of those things which are to be believed and is therefore called the Catholick that is the universal Assembly of the faithful because it is not tyed to any certain place God who rules and governs all things can do all things No man is of so great power that he can so much as withstand him but he gives whatsoever he shall decree according to his own pleasure and those things which are given to us by him he is able to take them away ' 4. ' After the Lord God had made the Heaven and Earth he determined to have for himself a most beautiful Kingdom and holy Common-wealth The Apostles and Ancient Fathers that writ in Greek called it Ecclesia in English a Congregation or Assembly into the which he hath admitted an infinite number of men that should be subject to one King as their Soveraign and only Head him we call Christ which is as much as to say Anointed or to the furnishing of this Common-wealth belong all they as many as do truely fear honour and call upon God daily applying their minds to holy and godly living and and all those that putting all their hope and trust in him do assuredly look for bliâ—s of everlasting life But as many as are in this Faith stedfast were fore-chosen predestinate and appointed to everlasting life before the world was made witness whereof they have within their hearts the merit of Christ the Authour earnest and unfallable pledge of their Faith which Faith only is able to perceive the mysteries of God only brings peace unto the heart only taketh hold on the Righteousness which is in Christ Jesus Master ' Doth then the Spirit alone and Faith sleep we never so securely or stand we never so wrestless or slothfull work all things for us as without any help of our own to convey us to heaven Scholar ' Just Master as you have taught me to make a difference between the Cause and the Effect The first principal and most proper cause of our Justification and Salvation is the goodness and love of God whereby he chose us for his before he made the world After that God granteth us to be called by preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ when the Spirit of the Lord is poured upon us by whose guiding and governance we be led to settle our trust in God and hope for the performance of his promise With this choice is joyned as companion the mortifying of the Old man that is of our affections and Iusts from the same Spirit also cometh our Sanctification the love of God and of our neighbour justice and uprightness of life Finally to say all in summe whatever is in us or may be done of us honest pure true and good that altogether springeth out of this most pleasant Rock from this most plentiful Fountain the goodness love choice and unchangeable purpose of God he is the cause the rest are the fruits and effects Yet are also the choice and Spirit of God and Christ himself causes conioyned and coupled each with other which may be reckoned amongst the principal causes of salvation As oft therefore as we use to say that we are made righteous and saved by Faith only it is meant thereby that faith or rather trust alone doth lay hard upon understand and perceive our righteous making to be given us of God freely that is to say by no deserts of our own but by the free grace of the Almighty Father Moreover Faith doth ingender in us love of our neighbour and such works as God is pleased withall For if it be a lively and true Faith quickned by the Holy Ghost she is the Mother of all good saying and doing by this short tale it is evident by what means we attain to be righteous For not by the worthiness of our deservings were we heretofore chosen or long ago saved but by the only mercy of God and pure grace of Christ our Lord whereby we were in him made to do those good works that God had appointed for us to walk in And although good works cannot deserve to make us righteous before God yet do they so cleave unto Faith that neither Faith can be found without them nor good works be any where found without Faith immortality and blessed life God hath provided for his chosen before the foundations of the world were laid ' 3. These are the passages which Mr. Prin hath gathered out of Poynets Catechism to prove that Calvinism is the true genuine and Original Doctrine of the reformed Church of England in the Points disputed for my part I can see no possible inconvenience which can follow on it in yeilding so far to his desires as to admit the passages before recited to be fully consonant to the true genuine sense and proper meaning of all but more especially of our 9. 10. 13. 16. and 17. Articles then newly composed so that whatsoever is positively and clearly affirmed in this Catechisme of any of the Points now controverted may be safely implied as the undoubted Doctrine of our Church and Articles For who can find if he looks upon them with a single and impartial eye that all or any of the passages before treated can be made use of for the countenancing of such a personal and eternal election without relation unto sin as is supposed by the Supra-Lapsarians or without reference to Christs death and sufferings as is defended by the Sublapsarians in the Schools of Calvin what ground can a man find here for the Horribile Decretum that cruel and most unmerciful decree of preordaining the far greatest part of all mankind to everlasting damnation and consequently unto sin that they might be damned What passage find we in all these either in opposition to the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption though that be afore said to be here condemned or in maintenance of the irresistible working of the grace of God as takes away all freedom and cooperation from the will of man and renders him as unable to his own conversion as to the work of his own being begotten to the life of nature or to the raising of his dead body to life of glory And finally what assurance is here that the man once justified shall not fal into deadly sin or not continue in the same multiplying one sin upon another till he hath made up the measure of his iniquities and yet all this while remain in the favour of God and be as sure and certain of his own salvation by the like unresistible working of the holy Spirit as if he had never wandred from the ways of Righteousness He must see further into a Milstone then all men living who can conclude from all or any of these passages that the Zuinglian and Calvinian Doctrines the Anti Arminian Doctrines as that Author calls them are manifestly approved and undeniably confirmed by
from thence to the See of Chichester from thence translated unto Norwitch and finally to the Archiepiscopal See of York For the Text or subject of his Sermon he made choice of those words in the Prophet Ezekiel viz. As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of the wicked chap. 33. v. 11. In his discourse upon which text he first dischargeth God from laying any necessity of sinning on the sons of men and then delighting in their punishment because they have sinned he thus breaks out against the absolute decree of reprobation which by that time had been made a part of the Zuinglian Gospel and generally spread abroad both from Presse and Pulpit ' There is a conceit in the world saith he speaks little better of our gracious God then this and that is that God should design many thousands of souls to hell before they were not in eye to their faults but to his own absolute will and power and to get him glory in their damnation This opinion is grown high and monstrous and like a Goliah and men do shake and tremble at it yet never a man reacheth to Davids sting to cast it down In the name of the Lord of Hosts we will encounter it for it hath reviled not the Host of the living God but the Lord of Hosts ' First that it is directly in opposition to this Text of holy Scripture and so turnes the truth of God into a lye For whereas God in this Text doth lay and sweare that he doth not delight in the death of man this opinion saith that not one or two but millions of men should frie in Hell and that he made them for no other purpose then to be the children of death and hell and that for no other cause but his meer pleasures sake and so say that God doth not onely say but will sweat to a lye For the oath should have runne thus as I live saith the Lord I do delight in the death of man ' Secondly it doth not by consequence but directly make God the Authour of sin For if God without eye to sin did designe men to hell then did he say and set down that he should sinne for without sinne he cannot come to hell And indeed doth not this opinion say that the Almighty God in the eye of his Councel did not only see but say that Adam should fall and so order and decree and set down his fall that it was no more possible for him not to fall then it was possible for him not to eat And of that when God doth order set down and decree I trust he is the Author unless they will say that when the Right honourable Lord Keeper doth say in open Court we order he means not to be the Author of that his Order ' Which said he tells us Thirdly that it takes away from Adam in his state of innocency all freedom of Will and Liberty not to sin For had he had freedom to have altered Gods designment Adams liberty had been above the designment of God And here I remember a little witty solution is made that is if we respect Adams Will he had power to sin but if God Decrees he could not sin This is a silly solution And indeed it is as much as if you should take a sound strong man that hath power to walk and to lye still and bind him hand and foot as they do in Bedlam and lay him down and then bid him rise up and walk or else you will stir him up with a whip and he tell you that there be chains upon him so that he is not able to stir and you tell him again that that is no excuse for if he look upon his health his strength his legs he hath power to walk or to stand still but if upon his Chains indeed in that respect he is not able to walk I trust he that should whip that man for not walking were well worthy to be whipt himself Fourthly As God do abhor a heart and a heart and his soul detesteth also a double minded man so himself cannot have a mind and a mind a face like Janus to look two wayes Yet this opinion maketh in God two Wills the one flat opposite to the other An Hidden Will by which he appointed and willed that Adam should sin and an open Will by which he forbad him to sin His open Will said to Adam in Paradise Adam thou shall not eat of the Tree of good and evil His Hidden Will said Thou shalt eat nay now I my self cannot keep thee from eating for my Decree from Eternity is passed Thou shalt eat that thou may drown all thy posterity into sin and that I may drench them as I have designed in the bottomless pit of Hell Fifthly Amongst all the Abominations of Queen Jezâ—bel that was the greatest 1 King 21. when as hunting after the life of innocent Naboth she set him up amongst the Princes of the Land that so he might have the greater fall God planted man in Paradise as in a pleasant Vineyard and mounted him to the world as on a stage and honoured him with all the Soveraignty over all the Creatures he put all things in subjection under his feet so that he could not pass a decree from all Eternity against him to throw him down head-long into hell for God is not a Jezabel Tollere in altum to lift up a man ut lapsu graviore ruat that he may make the greater noise with his fall ' 6. But he goes on ' and having illustrated this cruel Mockery by some further instances he telleth us that the Poet had a device of their old Saturn that he eat up his Children assoone as they were born for fear least some of them should dispossess him of Heaven Pharoah King of Egypt had almost the same plea for he made away all the young Hebrew Males least they should multiply too fast Herod for fear out Saviour Christ should supplant him in his Kingdom caused all the young Children to be slain those had all some colour for their barbarous cruelty But if any of those had made a Law designing young Children to torments before they had been born and for no other cause and purpose but his own absolute will the heavens in course would have called for revenge It is the Law of Nations that no man innocent shall be condemned of reason not to hate where we are not hurt of nature to like and love her own brood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the holy Ghost we are Gods Kindred he cannot hate us when we are innocent when we are nothing when we are not Now touching Gods Glory which is to us all as dear as our life this opinion hath told us a very inglorious and shamefull â—â—le for it saith the Almighty God would have many soulâ— go to â—ell and that they may come tâ—iâ—â—eâ— they must sin that so â—e may have â—ust
written spiritus ubi vult spirat c. And thus was the outward race and stock of Abraham after flesh refused which seemed to have the preheminence and another seed after the Spirit raised by Abraham of the stones that is of the Gentiles So was the outward Temple of Jerusalem and chaire of Moses which seem'd to be of price forsaken and Gods chaire advanced in other Nations So was tall Saul refused and little David accepted the rich the proud and the wise of this world rejected and the word of salvation daily opened to the poore and miserable Abjects the high mountaines cast under and the low valleys exalted c. And in the next place it is added in his own will by this falleth down the free will and purpose of man with all his actions councels and strength of nature according as it is written non est volentis neque currentis sed miserentis Dei c. It is not him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy So we see how Israel ran long and yet got nothing The Gentile runneth began to set out late and yet got the game So they which came at the first which did labour more and yet they that came last were rewarded with the first Mat. 20. The working will of the Pharisee seemed better but yet the Lords Will was rather to justifie the Publican Luk. 18. The elder son had a better will to tarry by his father and so did indeed and yet the fat calf was given to the younger son that ran away Luk. 15. whereby we have to understand how the matter goeth not by the will of man but by the will of God as it pleaseth him to accept according as it is written non ex voluntate carnis neque ex voluntate viri sed ex Deo nati sunt c. Which are born not of the will of the flesh nor yet of the will of man but of God Furthermore as all then goeth by the will of God only and not by the will of man So againe here is to be noted that the will of God never goeth without faith in Christ Jesus his Son And therefore fourthly is this clâ—use added in the definition through faith in Christ his Sonne which faith in Christ to us-ward maketh altogether For first it certifieth us of Gods Election as this Epistle of Mr. Bradford doth well expresse For whosoever will be certain of his Election in God let him first begin with faith in Christ which if he finde in him to stand firme he may be sure and nothing doubt but that he is one of the number of Gods Elect. Secondly the said faith and nothing else is the only condition and meanes whereupon Gods mercy grace Election vocation and all Gods promises to salvation do stay accordingly the word of St. Paul si permanseritis in fide and if ye abide in the faith Col. 1. 3. This faith is the mediate and next cause of our justification simply without any condition annexed For as the mercy of God his grace Election vocation and other precedent causes do save and justifie us upon condition if we believe in Christ so this faith onely in Christ without condition is the next and immediate cause which by Gods promise worketh our justification according as it is written crede in dominum Jesum salvus eris tu domus tua Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved thou and thy whole house And thus much touching the Definition of Election with the causes thereof declared which you see now to be no merits or works of man whither they go before or come after faith For like as all they that be borne of Adam do taste of his Malediction though they tasted not of the Apple so all they that be born of Christ which is by faith take part of the obedience of Christ although they never did that obedience themselves which was in him Rom. 5. Now to the second consideration Let us see likewise how and in what order this Election of God proceedeth in choosing and electing them which he ordaineth to salvation which order is this In them that be chosen to life first Gods mercy and free grace bringeth forth Election Election worketh Vocation or Gods holy calling which Vocation though hearing bringeth knowledge and faith in Christ Faith through promise obtaineth justification juctification through hope waiteth for glorification Election is before time vocation and faith cometh in time justification and glorification is without end Election depending upon Gods free grace and will excludeth all mans will blinde fortune chance and all peradventures Vocation standing upon Gods Election excludeth all mans wisdome cunning learning intention power and presumption Faith in Christ proceeding by the gift of the holy Ghost and freely justifying man by Gods promise excludetâ—â— all other merits of men all condition of deserving and all works of the Law both Gods Law and mans Law with all other outward means whatsoever Justification coming freely by faith standeth sure by promise without doubt fear or wavering in this life Glorification appertaining only to the life to come by hope is looked for Grace and Mercy preventeth Election ordaineth Vocation prepareth and receiveth the Word whereby cometh faith Faith justifieth Justification bringeth glory Election is the immediate and next cause of Vocation Vocation which is the working of Gods Spirit by the Word is the immediate and next cause of faith Faith is the immediate and next cause of justification And this order and connexion of causes is diligently to be observed because of the Papists which have miserably confounded and inverted this doctrine thus teaching that Almighty God so far as he foreseeth mans merits before to come so doth he dispense his Election Dominus prout â—njusque merita fore previdet ita dispensat electionis gratiam futuris tamen concedere That is that the Lord recompenseth the grace of Election not to any merits proceeding but yet granteth the same to the merits that follow after and not rather have our holinesse by Gods Election going before But we following the Scripture say otherwise that the cause onely of Gods Election is his own free mercy and the cause onely of our justification is our faith in Christ and nothing else As for example first concerning Election if the question be asked why was Aâ—raham chosen and not Naâ—hâ—â— why was Jacob chosen and not Esâ—u why was Moses 〈◊〉 and Pharâ—â—â—â—â—â—dened â—â—â—dened why Dâ—vid accepted and Saul refused why few be chosen and the most forsaken It cannot be answered otherwise but thus because so was the good will of God In like manner touching vocation and also faith if the question be asked why this vocation and gift of faith was given to Cornelius the Gentile and not to Tertullus the Jew why to the poore the babes and the little ones of the world of whom Christ speaketh I thank the Father which hast hid these from
in such things as his Articles had charged him withal There is also since the former another Complaint preferred against him by certain Batchelors in Divinity that he hath not only in the Sermon but also for the space of this 14. or 15. years taught in his Lectures preached in his Sermons determined in the Schools and printed in several books divers points of Doctrine not only contrary to himself but also contrary to that which hath been taught and received ever since her Majesties Reign and agreeable to the errors of Popery which we know your Lordship hath alwayes disliked and hated so that we who for the space of many years past have yielded him sundry benefits and favours here in the Vniversity being a stranger and forborn him when he hath often heretofore busie and curious in aliena Republica broached new and strange questions in Religion now unless we should be careless of maintaining the truth of Religion established and of our duties in our places cannot being resolved and confirmed in the truth of the long professed and received Doctrine but continue to use all good means and seek at your Lordships hands some effectual Remedy hereof lest by permiting passage to these errors the whole body of Popery should by little and little break in upon us to the overthrow of our Religion and consequently the with-drawing of many here and else where from true obedience to her Majestie May it therefore please your Lordship to have an honourable consideration of the premises for the better maintaining of Peace and the truth of Religion so long received in this Vniversity and Church to vouchsafe your Lordships good aid and advice both to the comfort of us wholly consenting and agreeing in Judgement and all others of the Vniversity truely affected and to the suppression in time not only of these errors but even of gross Popery like by such means in time easily to creep in amongst us as we find by late experience it hath dangerously begun Thus craving pardon for troubling your Lordship and commending the same in praise to Almighty God we humbly take our leave From Cambridge March 8. 1595 Your Lordships humble and bounden to be commanded Roger Goad Procan R. Some Tho. Leg John Jegon Thomas Nevil Thomas Preston Hump. Tyndal James Mountague Edm. Barwel Laur. Cutterton 6. Such was the condition of Affairs at Cambridge at the expiring of the year 1595. the genuine Doctrine of the Church beginning then to break thorow the clouds of Calvinism wherewith it was before obscured and to shine forth again in its former lustre To the advancement of which work as the long continuance of Baroe in the Vniversity for the space of 20. years and upwards the discreet Activity of Dr. Harsnet Fellow and Master of Pembrook Colledge for the term of 40. years and more gave a good encouragement so the invincible constancy of Mr. Barret and the slender opposition made by Overald contributed to the confirmation and increase thereof For scarce had Overald warmed his Chair when he found himself under a necessity of encountring some of the Remainder of Baroes Adversaries though he followed not the blow so far as Baroe did for some there were of the old Predestination Leven who publickly had taught as he related it in the conference at Hampton Coutt ' all such persons as were once truly justified though after they fell into never so grievous sins yet remained still just or in the state of Justification before they actually repented of those sins yea though they never repented of them through forgetfulness or sudden death yet they should be justified and saved without Repentance Against which Overald maintained that whosoever although before justified did commit any grievous sin as Adultery Murder Treason or the like did become ipso facto subject to Gods wrath and guilty of damnation or were in the state of damnation quo ad presentem statum untill they repented ' And so far he had followed Baroe but he went no further holding as he continued his own story that such persons as were called and justified according to the purpose of Gods Election did neither fall totally from all the graces of God though how a justified man may bring himself into a present state of wrath and damnation without a total falling from all the graces of God is beyond my Reason and that they were in time renewed by the Spirit of God unto a lively faith and repentance and thereby justified from those sins with the guilt and wrath annexed unto them into which they had fallen nor can it be denied but that some other learned men of those times were of the same opinion also Amongst which I finde Dr. John Bridges dean of Sarum and afterwards Lord Bishop of Oxon to be reckoned for one and Mr. Richard Hooker of whom more anon to be accounted for another But being but the compositions of private men they are not to be heard against the express words of the two Homilies touching Falling from God in case the point had not been positively determined in the sixteenth Article But so it hapned notwithstanding that Overald not concurring with the Calvinists concerning the estate of such justified persons as afterwards fell into grievous sins there grew some diffidences and distrust between them which afterwards widned themselves into greater differences In so much that dissenting from them also touching the absolute decree of Reprobation and the restraining of the benefit of Christs death and Gods grace unto a few particulars and that too in Gods primitive purpose and intent concerning the salvation and damnation of mankind those of the Anti-Calvinian party went on securely with little or no opposition and lesse disturbance 7. At Oxford all things in the mean time were calm and quiet no publick opposition shewing it self in the Schooles or Pulpits The reasons of that which might be first that the Students of that vniversity did more incline unto the canvasing of such points as were in difference betwixt us the Church of Rome then unto those which were disputed against the Calvinists in these points of Doctrine for witnesse whereof we may call in the works of Sanders Stapleton Allyns Parsons Campian and many others of that side as those of Bishop Jewel Bishop Bilson Dr. Humpherys Mr. Novell Dr. Sparks Dr. Reynolds and many other which stood firme to the Church of England And secondly though Dr. Humpheryes the Queens Professor for divinity was not without cause reckoned for a non-Conformist yet had he the reputation of a moderate man a moderate non-Conformist as my Author calls him and therefore might permit that Liberty of opinion unto other men which was indulged unto himself neither did Dr. Holland who succeeded him give any such countenance to the propogating of Calvins doctrines as to make them the subject of his lectures and disputations In so much that Mr. Prinne with all his diligence can finde but seven men wâ—o publickly maintained
to maintain the false and fithy quarrell of Lambert as another cause leading to the same end Fourthly that in order to the said end the Lady Margaret sister to K. Edw. 4. was appointed and predestinate of God to be a Traytoresse to England and to imploy all her wits forces and power to the utter destruction of her naturall Countrey And Fiftly in particular that the said Lady Margaret was appointed of God to hiâ—e the said Martin Swarth and his men to invade the Realm of England Sixthly and finally that the said Martin Swarth the Earl of Lincoln the Lord Lorell the Lord Gerrard and divers others Captains of the Rebels weâ—e appointed and predestinate of God to be of such valiant courage in maintaining the false quarrel of traytetous Lambert that they were slain on the other side many a brave English mans blood was shed at the battell of Stoke which was the end of this wofull Tragedy Let them say therefore what they can or will this meer necessity which our men teâ—ch is the very same which the Stoicks did hold which opinion because it destroyed the state of a Common-wealth was banished out of Rome as St. Augustine declareth in lib. Quest Vet. Nov. Testam XII And thus the different Judgements of all the other Western Churches and the severall Subdivisions of them in the five controverted Points being laid together with such Discourses and Disputes as have occasionally been made and raised about them we will next shew to which of the said differing parties the Church of Englandâ—â—â—ms â—â—â—ms most inclinable and afterwards proceed in the story of iâ— Historia Quinqu Articularis OR A DECLARATION OF THE Judgement OF THE WESTERN CHURCHES And more particularly of the CHVRCH of ENGLAND IN THE Five Controverted Points Reproached in these last times by the name of Arminianism PART II. Containing the Judgement of the Church of England and the most Eminent Divines thereof in the Reign of King Henry the eighth and King Edward the sixth By Peter Heylin D. D. London Printed for Tho Johnson 1660. PART II. The Judgement of the Church of England in the five controverted Points CHAP. 7. An Introduction to the Doctrine of the Church of England in the points disputed with the Removal of some rubs which are laid in the way 1. THe Doctrine of the Homilies concerning the Endowments of man at his first creation 2. His miserable fall 3. And the promised hopes of his Restitution in the Lord Christ Jesus 4. A general Declaration of the judgement of the Church of England in the points disputed exemplified in the story of Agilmond and Lamistus Kings of Lombardy 5. The contrary iudgement of Wicklif objected answered and applied to all modern Heresies 6. A general answer to the like Argument pretended to be drawn from the Writings of Frith Tyndall and Barns But more particularly 7. The judgement of Dr. Barns in the present points and the grounds on which he builded the same 8. Small comfort to be found from the works of Tyndal in favour of the Calvinian Doctrines 9. The falsifyings of John Frith and others in the Doctrine of Predestination reproved by Tyndal 10. A parallel between some of our first Martyrs and the blinde man restored to sight in the eighth of Saint Mark. 1. BEing therefore in the next place to declare the Judgement of the Church of England I shall prepare the way by laying down her publique Doctrine touching the Fall of Adam and the Restitution of mankinde in Jesus Christ that having cleared God from being the Authour of sin and having laid a sure foundation for the Restitution of Mankinde to Gods grace and favour and consequently to the hopes of Eternal life we may proceed with more assurance to the rest that followeth And this we cannot better do then by laying down the words of the Homily concerning the Nativity and Birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ where we finde it thus ' Among all the Creatures saith the Homily that God made in the beginning of the world most excellent and wonderful in their kinde there was none as the Scripture beareth witness to be compared almost in any point unto man who as well in body as soul exceedeth all other no less then the Sun in brightness and light exceedeth every bright and little Star in the Firmament He was made according to the similitude and image of God he was endued with all kinde of heavenly gifts he had not spot of uncleanness in him he was sound and perfect in all parts both outwardly and inwardly his reason was uncorrupt his understanding was pure and good his will was obedient and godly he was made altogether like unto God in righteousness in holiness in wisdom in truth to be short in all kinde of perfection ' 2. After which having spoken of mans Temporal 〈◊〉 relating to the delicacies of the Garden of Eden and the Dominion which God gave him over all the Creatures the Homily doth thus proceed viz. ' But as the common nature of all men is in time of prosperity and wealth to forget not onely themselves but also God even so did this first man Adam who having but one Commandment at Gods hand namely That he should not eat of the Fruit of Knowledge of Good and Evil did notwithstanding most unmindefully or rather most wilfully break it in forgetting the strait charge of his Maker and giving ear to the crafty suggestion of the evil Serpent the Devil whereby it came to pass that as before he was blessed so now he was accursed as before he was loved so now he was abhorred as before he was most beautiful and precious so now he was most vile and wretched in the sight of his Lord and Maker instead of the image of God he was now become the image of the Devil instead of a Citizen of Heaven he was now become the bond-slave of Hell having in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness but being altogether spotted and defiled insomuch that now he seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin and therefore by the just judgement of God was condemned to everlasting death ' 3. This being said touching the introduction of the body of Sin the Homily doth first proceed to the propagation and universal spreading of it and afterwards to the Restitution of lost man by faith in Christ ' This so great and miserable plague for so the Homily proceedeth if it had onely rested in Adam who first offended it had been so much the easier and might the better have been born but it fell not onely on him but also on his posterity and children for ever so that the whole brood of Adams flesh should sustain the self same fall and punishment which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved S. Paul in the fifth to the Romans saith By the offence of onely Adam the fault came upon all men to condemnation and by one