with the Arch-bishops own hand Received Jan. 30. 1640. L. Exon Concerning his book and the submission of it to my judgement The Propositions inclosed in this Letter were these following to which the Arch-bishop added this Title and some insertions with his own hand here noted with a distinct Character Concerning Church Government and the estate of Episcopacy 1. God had never any Church upon earth that was ruled by a Parity 2. The first Church of God which was reduced to a publike policy was among the Jewes and by his owne appointment was governed by a settled imparity of High-Priest Priests Levites 3. The Evangelicall Church was founded by our Saviour in a knowne imparity for though the Apostles were equall among themselves yet they were above the 70. and all other Disciples and were specially indued with power from on high 4. The same God and Saviour after his Assention did set severall ranks and orders of the holy Ministry First Apostles Secondly Prophets Thirdly Teachers c. all which acknowledged the eminence and authority of the Apostles 5. The Apostles after the Assention of our Saviour by the direction of Gods spirit did exercise that power and superiority of spirituall Jurisdiction over the rest of the Church which was given them by Christ and stood upon their Majority above all other Ministers of the Gospell 6. The same Apostles did not carry that power up to heaven with them and leave the Church unfurnished with the due helpes of her further propagation and Government but by vertue of this power and by the same direction of Gods spirit ordayned in severall parts spirituall guides and Governours of Gods people to ayde and succeede them 7. The spirituall persons so by them ordained were at the first promiscuously called Bishops and Presbyters and managed the Church affaires by common advice but still under the Government of the Apostles their Ordayners and overseers 8. But when the Apostles found that Quarrels and Emulations grew in the Church even while many of them were living through the Parity of Presbyters and side takings of the people The same Apostles by the appointment and direction of the same spirit raised in each City where the Church was more frequent one amongst the Presbyters to a more eminent Authority then the rest to succeed them in their ordinary power of ordination and censure and encharged them peculiarly with the care of Church-Government such were Timothy and Titus and those which were stiled the Angells of the seven Asian Churches 9. These selected persons were then and ever since distinguished from the rest by the name episcopi-Episcopi-Bishops 10. In the very times of the Apostles and by the imposition of their hands there were divers such persons setled in the Church of God being severally ordayned and appointed to the over-sight of those populous Citties where their charge lay to whom all the Presbyters and Deacons were subject 11. These Bishops continued their fixed superiority over their Clergy all the time of their life with the well allowed expresse of spirituall Jurisdiction and after their death other Presbyters were chosen to succeed them by the due imposition of the hands of their fellow Bishops 12. There was no Church of Christ upon earth ever since the times of the Apostles governed any otherwise then by Bishops thus successively after decease ordayned 13. This course of Government thus set by the Apostles in their life time by the speciall direction of the holy spirit is not alterable by any humane Authority but ought to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world 14. Those which in the new Testament are called the Elders of the Church were no other then spirituall persons such as had the charge of feeding the Flocke of Christ by Word and Doctrine 15. It is not lawfull for any Lay-person to lay hands on those which are to be ordayned nor to have any hand in managing the Censures of the Church which onely pertaine to them who have the power of the Keyes delivered to them by Christ 16. There was never any Lay Presbyter heard or read of in the Church of Christ in any History untill this present age All which wee declare to the Doctrine and Judgement of the Church of England concerning these points of Church Government These Propositions were thus endorsed with the Arch-Bishops owne hand Rec. Decemb. 29. 1639. Bishop Hall of Exeter his propositions concerning Episcopacy These perhaps may be thought fit for a subscription of others There were two more Letters which passed between these Prelates about this subject and Book which we have referred to a more proper place where you may peruse them All which compared together will fully discover the whole plot and designe of the Archbishop and his confederates in maintaining their Lordly Episcopall Superiority to be of divine Institution and Right and how it was driven on by them till it brake them all in pieces by the authority and Justice of the present Parliament The last head I shall mention is the summe and substance of all the fore-mentioned namely 21. That the Church of Rome is a true visible Church and never erred in fundamentalls no not in the worst times That she is the Ancient holy Mother Church That her Religion and ours of the Church of England is all one That men may be saved in that Church and Religion as well as in ours and that it is a crime to be recanted to hold Papists as Papists to be damned This main comprehensive Proposition ratifies and clearly demonstrates to us the true drift scope of all the former to wit a 〈◊〉 and reconciliation with the Church of Rome the foundation whereof was first laid by this Arch-bishops creature Bishop Mountague who determines thus in his Gagge pag. 14. The Articles of our Creed are confessed on both sides and held plain enough The controverted points are of a larger and an inferior alloy of them a man may be ignorant without any danger of his soul at all pag. 50. Moderate men on both sides confesse this controversie may cease Ecclesia Romana manet Christi Ecclesia sponsa c. In his Appeal pag. 136. Since there first was a Church in England France Spain and Rome there hath not ceased to be a true Church there pag. 139. The Church of Rome is and ever was a true Church since it was a Church pag. 113. I am absolutely perswaded that the Church of Rome is a true though not a sound Church of Christ as well since as before the Councell of Trent In essentialls and fundamentalls they agree in holding one faith in one Lord. This Position was strenuously maintained by Master Chomley and Butterfield who soon after turned Seminary Priest in their Books against Master Burtons Babel no Bethel wherein they justified the Church of Rome to be a true Church this being the subject matter of both their Treatises Tho. Chuneus in his Collectiones Theologicae
hallowed as they say with their conjured water Crossings Censings Processions c. But blessed be that God our Lord which by the light of his Word doth confound all such wicked and fond fantasies which they devise to fill their bellies and maintaine their Authority by Although these Ceremonies in the old Law were given by Moses for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts to keep thē exercised that they fall not to the Idolatry of the Gentiles yet is there no mention of them in the New Testament nor yet commanded now either to us or them but forbidden to be used of all both of us and them We be no longer under shaddowes but under the truth Christ hath fulfilled all and taken away all such darke kind of Ceremonies and hath placed the cleare light of his Gospell in the Church to continue to the end The Popes Church hath all things pleasant in it to delight the people but where the Gospell is preached they knowing that God is not pleased but onely with a pure heart they are content with an honest place appointed to resort together in though it were never hallowed by Bishops at all It is written that God dwels not in Temples made with hands nor is worshipped with any worke of mens hands but he is a spirit an invisible substance and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not in outward words onely of the lippes but with the deepe sighes and groanes of the heart and the whole power of the mind and earnest hearty calling on him in praier by faith And therefore he doth not so much require of us to build him an house of stone and timber but hath willed us to pray in all places and hath taken away the Iewish and Popish holynesse which is thought to be more in one place then another All the earth is the Lords and he is present in all places hearing the Petitions of them that call upon him in faith Therefore those Bishops which thinke with their conjured water to make one place more holy then the rest are no better then the Jewes deceiving the people and teaching that onely to be holy which they have censed crossed oyled and breathed upon for as Christ said to the woman thinking one place to be more holy to pray in then another Woman beleeve me the time is come when yee shall worship neither at Jerusalem nor in this Hill but the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth So it is now said the place makes not the man holy but the man makes the place holy and ye shall not worship your Idols Stocks and Stones neither at Wilsingham Ipswich Canterbury nor Sheen for God chuses not the people for the places sake but the place for the people sake But if yee be in the midst of the field God is as ready to heare your faithfull praiers as in any Abbey or Priory yea a thousand times more for the one place he hates as defiled with Idolatry and the other he loves as undefiled and cleane If the good man lie in prison tyed in Chaines or at the stake burned for Gods cause That place is holy for the holynesse of the man and the presence of the holy Ghost in him as Tertullian saith yet there should be common places appointed for the people to Assemble and come together therein to praise our God c. Those who in the Apostles times were buried in no Church or Church-yard nor Christen-moldes as they be called when it is not better then other earth but rather worse for the conjuring that Bishops use about it It appeares in the Gospell by the Legion living in graves the Widdowes sonne going to buriall Christ buried without the Citty c. That they buried not in hallowed Churches by Bishops but in a severall place appointed for the same purpose without the Citty which custome remaineth to this day in many godly places c. A most expresse Authority against Bishops Popish consecrations of Churches and Church-yards to make them holyer then other places The second Authority they produced was Mathew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths reigne who was of a quite contrary judgment to this his Popish Successor condemning this manner of consecrating Churches Altars c. as Superstitious Paganish childish ridiculous in his Antiquitates Ecclesiae Brittannicae p. 85. 86. 87. in these termes Legat enim qui volet recentiores et nostro praesertim avo editos Pontificales ac Missales libros reperiet eos et Caeremoniarū multitudine peragendi difficultate atque taedio et exorcisationis amentia priores illos longè superare Quibus enim non dicam verbis sed portentis has et ejus modi a Pontisiciis adhuc adjurantur c. Dedicatio recentis Ecclesiae Altaria vasa indumenta Linteamina et ornamenta Ecclesiastica Hac omnia quam solemni ritu sanctarum scripturarum sententiis ad suas decantationes perperā adhibitis Potificij peragunt paucis videamus c. In dedicatione Ecclesiae jam exstructae Episcopus ter ' circumiens ostium bacculo pastorali ferit hoc Psalmi carmine Attollite Portas c. Cui Diaconus intus existens respondet fere exanimatus Quis est iste Rex gloriae c. Deinde ingredicus Episcopus in fundamento Ecclesiae Cineribus sparso Alphabetum Gracum et Latinum bacculo describit tum variis multisque Episcopi Clerique incessibus rectis obliquis retrogradis transuersis parietes ac pavimenta aqua sparguntur cruces in parietibus chrismate cum dextro Episcopi pollice depinguntur infinitis penè completis caeremoniis ad extremum precatur ut populus in ea conveniens per sacerdotum libamina caelesti sanctificatione salvatus animae salutem perpetuam consequatur discedens portam his verbis Episcopus ungit chrismate porta sis benedicta sanctificata consecrata consignata Deo commendata c. Altaria autem innumeris hujus generis precibus consecrantur c. Et sane valde deflenda est hujus temporis conditio quod Ecclesiae Patres eadem mentis acie ab ecclesia resecare has hujusmodi caeremonias seu potius nugas aut nolunt aut non possunt qua priora illa Ordalii vitia cernebant atque corrigebant sed illis ut superstitiosis damnatis deletis hac quae mordicus retinent quamvis puerilia deliria sint ex illis tamen fabricantur atque struunt Quanto modernis Pontificibus aequior fuit Gregorius qui scribit Quomodo regulae sanctorum Patrum pro tempore loco persona negotio instante necessitate traditae sunt Hi autem nulla neque temporis neque loci neque negotii neque personae neque cujusquà m rei quà m suae voluntatis atque gloriolae rationem habentes ne pusillis in rebus veritate cedere volunt A very good character of the Prisoner at the bar and his proceedings in this kinde
and Metropolitan of all England concerning Orders to be observed by all the Bishops of that Province To the severall Articles of which Jnstructions I Matthew Lord Bishop of Norwich thus humbly make Answer and in Order VVe finde this observable Answer given To the 12. Article That upon enquiry at my Visitation whether the Kings Majesties Declaration for lawfull sports had beene published I found it had not beene done in very many places of the Diocesse having therefore about 60. Bookes at hand I caused them to bee proposed to such persons as I had most doubt of but many of them refused to publish the same and were suspended for their refusall yet divers of them presently promised conformity and so were absolved So that now in the whole Diocesse consisting of about 1500. Clergie men there are not passing twice 15. Excommunicated or suspended whereof some so stand for contumacie in not appearing at the Visitation and Synod and still refuse to submit some for obstinate denying to publish the Kings Declaration By the Title and answer of which it is most evident That the Archbish sent severall Articles of Instructions in his Majesties name though made by himselfe to all the Bishops of his Province who were to return an Annuall account of them unto him in writing whereof this was one That they should inquire whether the Declaration for sports had beene published in every parish Church by the Minister and directed them to excommunicate or suspend all such who refused to read it Which how barbarously and unchristianly it was executed in most places needs no further evidence then that already produced and what all men know Now wee appeale to all Ecclesiasticall Histories from Christs Nativity till this instant whether there was ever such a monstrous impiety or persecution as this heard of in the Christian world that Archbishops and Bishops who professe themselves the very Fathers of the Church and Pillars of Religion should thus impiously First of all abuse a Christian Prince so farre as to publish a Declaration for the free use and encouragement of such sports and Pastimes on the Lords-Day as are some of them unlawfull on any day and constantly prohibited condemned by Fathers Councells Imperiall Lawes Edicts of most Christian Emperors Kings Princes States and the whole torrent of Christian Writers as altogether unsufferable on the Lords Day Secondly to injoyne Bookes expresly tending to the prophanation of the Lords day by sports and pastimes to be publikely read in Churches by the Ministers to their Congregations on this very day to encourage authorize them though over-prone thereto without any such instigation to prophane it 3. To suspend sequester excommunicate censure persecute deprive even hundreds of Godly Ministers as capitall Offenders for refusing meerely out of Conscience towards God and love to their owne and peoples soules to contribute their voyces or personal assistances to such a publication and against all Law Justice Piety to silence Ministers three or foure yeares together from preaching Gods Word to their people for the salvation of their soules according to their duties because they durst not publish this Declaration for Lords-Day sports unto them to further the damnation of their soules both against their duties and consciences Such a Monster of most desperate unparalled impiety profanenesse persecution as this was never borne in the Christian world till this Ghostly Father Archbishop Laud begot and nourished it in our Church for which how well hee demerited the Popes Titles of YOUR HOLINES and MOST HOLY FATHER let the Vniversity of Oxford and Mr. Croxton seriously consider who bestowed them on him severall times Doubtlesse his more then Popish superstition in Consecrating Churches Church-Yards Chappell 's and prohibiting all prophannations of them by Enterludes Dancing Musters Leets teaching of Schollers and the like might have lessoned him to have beene as zealous against prophaning Sacred dayes as places with unholie Pastimes or secular Negotiations But because the Lords-Day Sabbath was not hallowed by Bishops themselves as Churches Chappell 's or Church-Yards were according to the Modell of the Roman Pontificall but by Christ and his Apostles who never authorized Bishops or any else to Consecrate Churches or other places in this sort they presume to authorize men thus openly to prophane the one without check or punishment but not the other under the severest Anathema Maranatha Enough eternally to stigmatize this Arch-Prelate with the blackest brand of Arrogancy and Impiety who made but a meere sport of prophaning Gods owne day with sports and silencing Godly Ministers for not being so prophane in this kinde as himselfe was who used to play at bowles on this very day a pretty Archipiscopall Sabbath Recreation or so prophane as he would have them to be against the dictate of their owne Consciences We have given you in a very full and copious evidence of the Archbishops endeavours practises to subvert our established Protestant Religion and usher in Popery among us by introducing severall Popish Innovations superstitious Ceremonies Idolatrous impieties practises and prophanations into our Church being all meere matters of fact notoriously visible to the world and eyes of all men We shal now proceed in the second place to discover his atempts and manifest his proceedings in this kinde by bringing in Popish Tenents and doctrines by degrees wherein we shall so fully uncase this Romish Fox as notwithstanding all his shifts and subterfuges to evidence him the most Pestilent Jesuiticall underminer subverter of the established doctrines of the Church of England the Archest advancer of the Erroneous Positions of the Church of Rome that ever breathed in our English Ayre And here we meet not onely with a Narrow Episcopall See but vast boundlesse Ocean of evidence to saile in That there hath bin for many yeares last past a secret plotted Conspiracy and serious endeavour between sundry pretended members of the Church of England and reall Sonnes of the Church of Rome to extirpate the Protestant Religion and instead therof to set up Popish superstition and Idolatry hath beene already abundantly manifested to the World in A necessary Introduction to the History of the Archbishop of Canterbury his Tryall by sundry forraigne and domestick evidences how farre this Archbishop was an Arch-agent in promoting this conspiracie in point of Doctrinall Popery and by what Jesuiticall Policies and degrees he proceeded in it comes now in Order to bee proved wherein wee shall steare the course of our evidence according to the compasse and method of his proceedings It is the common Policy of all wise experienced Commanders when they intend to undermine any strong well-fortified defensible Fortresse not desperately to begin their Mines at the very foundation of the Workes at first for feare of discovery danger prevention but at a competent distance and then to make their approaches by insensible degrees till at last they have undermined or blowne up the very Walls and Workes themselves The selfe-same Policy was used by
be said unto every particular member of hers in the Communion The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee c. if any one of them were absolutely reprobated 1. c. from all eternity unconditionally decreed to bee damned in Hell fire everlastingly The Booke intituled Gods love to mankind and Doctor Jack sons Divine Essence and Attributes part 1. are professedly written to justifie universall Grace and Redemption 23. That the Personall succession of Bishops is a true note of the Church and necessary That Peters Chaire was at Rome and he sate Bishop there and that it is the honour and happinesse of our Church that this Archbishop of Cant. that now is with our other Bishops and Ministers can derive them personall succession and Ordination from the Sea and Popes of Rome Dr. Pocklingtons Sunday no Sabbath P. 2. Ouâ— Diocesan can derive himselfe the successor of an Apostle it is Saint Austins resolution Successio Episcoporum ab ipsa sede Petri is that which among other things by him named keepes us in gremio Ecclesiae and Subjects us to our Bishops Jurisdiction Page 47. Their vanity may appeare that against all Antiquity make fooles beleeve Saint Peter was never at Rome making the succession of Bishops and truth of the Latin Churches as questionable as the Centurists orders Page 48. Reckon up your Priests who succeded one another after Saint Peter in his Chaire if you will bee esteemed Members of the Church Hereby we may by Gods mercy make good the truth of our Church For wee are able lineally to set downe the succession of our Bishops from Saint Peter to Saint Gregory and from him to our first Archbishop Saint Austin our English Apostle as Bishop Goodwin calls him downeward to his Grace NOW that sits in his Chaire Primate of all England and Metropolitan Which hee thus seconds in his Altare Christianum Page 45. Saint Peters Chaire in Rome succession of Bishops in the Church of England c. Page 47. Though saith Saint Austin you slanderously call the Chaire in other Churches Cathedram Pestilentiâ—ae what cause hath the Church of Rome giuen you to say so of it In qua Petrus sedet et in quâ hodie Anastasius sedet The very note whereby Heritickes were knowne from Catholikes was that Catholikes could shew their Churches and the very Chaires in them wherein there was not only a morrall succession in purity of Faith and manners but a locall succession of Bishops continued even from the Apostles times which Heretickes could not shew and therefore were hereby convinced to bee such and so put to shame and confounded Page 48. Hee recons up those that had succeded the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the Church of Rome Page 49. Novatian is neither Bishop nor Member of the Church saith Saint Cyprian because hee cannot prove his succession according to Apostolicall Tradition If in all this time there were no materiall Churches then there could be no materiall Chaire wherein their Bishops were enthronized and if no Chaire then no reall Inthronization then no personall succession from the Apostles whereby the right faith was derived from God the Father to his Son nor from the Sonne to his Apostles nor from the Apostles to succeding Bishops Those that deprive us of the benefit of this Apostolicall Tradition pluck one speciall staffe out of our hands whereby we stay our selves from falling from the true Catholicke Church and beat all Heretickes out of our Communion Miserable were we if hee that NOW sitteth Arch Bishop of CANTERBVRY could not derive his succession from Saint Augustine St. Augustine from Saint Gregory Saint Gregory from Saint Peter for hee that remembreth whom he succeeds will doubtlesse endeavour and pray to be heire to their vertues as well as possessor to their places What a comfort is this to his Grace and to all those that receive consecration from him and to all those that they shall ordaine Page 51. Tell us when and from whence you come and what you make your selves to do in the Church that are no Sons of the Church We can with Saint Iraeneus point you to the time of your comming in You Cartwright and your brood came in as most Sabbatarians did under Archbishop Whitgift and your Ames and Brightman with your Laodiceans came in under Archbishop Bancroft and you Vicars and our Cotton with his fugitives came in or rather went out under Archbishop Abbot Page 144. I shall begin with my selfe I had my Ordination from Bishop Dove he had his Consecration from Archbishop Whitgift and the Archbishop his from the undoubted successours of Saint Peter Doctor Heylin his Moderat Answer to Mr. Burton Page 72. Write If you have any other Pedegree as perhaps you have from Wickliffe Hus the Albigâ—enses and the rest which you use to boast of keepe it to your selfe non tali auxilio the Church of England hath not need of so poore a shift Page 68. The next thing that offends you and you clamour as if that they claime a visible and perpetuall succession down from St. Peter to Pope Gregory from him by Austin the Monk first Archbishop of Cant. unto his Grace now being and sic de caeteris That Gregory sent Austin into England to convert the Saxons and made him first Archbishop of the English is generally delivered by all our writers Finally that my Lord the Archbishop that now is is lineally descended in a most faire and constant tenor of succession you shall easily finde if you consult the learned labours of Master Francis Mason de Ministerio Anglicano The Papists would extreamely thank you and think you borne into the World for their speciall comfort could you but tell him how to disprove that lineall succession of our Prelates which is there laid dowe By Mountague his Gagge page 49. The Church hath ever beene visibe In England especially how can this fellow impute invisibility to us who claime and prove a succession 25. That Sunday is no Sabbath nor of divine institution that the strict sanctification of it is Iewish superstitious and Rabbinicall That May-games Wakes Revells Dancing Interludes with other sports and pastimes are not only lawfull but convenient and necessary thereon not to be restrained but incouraged and the Kings Declaration to that purpose most pious and Religious That two houres only of it viz. The time of publik service and sermons are to be kept holy and that the residue may be spent in Recreations or ordinary workes of our calling That the Lords day Sabbath was never heard of in the world till Dr. Bounds daies That the Sabbath is not morrall THis is the subject matter of many whole late printed Books against the morallity and strict observation of the Lords-day Sabbath wee shall instance only in some few beginning with Doctor Pocklington in his Sunday no Sabbath where thus he most scandalously and prophanely writes page 6. What shall wee think then of Knox and Whittingham and their
Booke for very shame by the Stationer they were so vile licentious and distastfull to most 26. That Reading is Preaching that Preaching is only for extraordinary persons and times not for ordinary Ministers and seasons that one Sermon a moneth is better than two every Lords-Day That Bishops are not bound to preach at least not so often as other Ministers by reason of their great temporall employments and Court attendance c. And that Saint PAUL read Homilies SHelfords five Treatises pag. 35. 36. After this a wise and discreet Sermon not made by every Minister but by a man of Reading and discretion right well beseemeth this holy place Pag. 74. Some Parishes as men say have good Preachers but bad livers and some have meane Preachers or Readers but good livers which of these are best The good living Minister what he builds by his reading of Gods Word Prayer and administration of the Sacraments pulls not downe againe but upholds all with his good life therefore he is farre the best Preacher Pag. 77. Hast thou not thy Minister to doe this for thee every Sunday and Holy-Day in Catechizing But thou likest not of this because it is not a Sermon how provest thou that because it is not spoken out of the Pulpit nor delivered out of a Text c. Page 78. The very reading of it is preaching and not only preaching but lively and working preaching working upon mens soules to grace and goodnesse And that Gods Word read unto us is preaching you shall finde it expressed in Acts 15. 21. P. 82. What need is there of Preaching The besotted negligence of our delicate Puritans is that which makes them to run so after Sermons God speakes unto thee every Holy-Day by his owne Word Pag. 91. There is another kinde of preaching which is not fit for every kind of Minister but for extraordinary and excellent men called by God and the Church to reforme errors and abuses or to promulge to the world new Lawes and Cannons And as this kinde is to be performed by extraordinary men so it is not alwayes so needfull but only when necessitie requireth for when things are setled there needs no more setling but only preserving We ought not to have many Moseses nor many Evangelists nor many Apostles Pag. 93. The ancient and true doctrine ef the Primitive Church by set ed Articles is restored therefore this extraordinary kind is not now so necessary except it bee upon some notorious Crimes breaking in upon our people or some exorbitances of greene heads breaching the froth of their owne braines which will hardly be reformed untill many of these be unfurnished of their Licenses and those that are permitted be restrained to certaine times and seasons For better were it for our Church and people to have but one Sermon well premeditated in a moneth which is insinuated by the Canon then two upon a day proceeding from a rolling braine and mouth without due preparation Pag. 94. All the Bishops in the Land can hardly keepe downe their wrong and unseasoned doctrine Having shewed this kinde of preaching to be extraordinary for speciall men speciall times and occasions It followes that the preaching by reading is the ordinary preaching This was the ordinary preaching in our Church before King Henry the eight Page 241. Preaching of its owne natare is indifferent therefore the managing of it is not for all men but only for such as are of a stayed head and large understanding Dr. Pocklingtons Sunday no Sabbath P. 31. No ground at all for the fruitlesse and disobedient exercise of their afternoone talent It will bee hard for the best and stubbornest of them all to shew a Sermon preached by any of the Fathers in the afternoone P. 32. S. Paul preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the while he was in his Homilie what his Homily was it is hard for mee to say whether it was that himselfe made and did not read or one that he read and another made An Homily I am sure it was and it may be made by all the Apostles or the chiefe of the Apostles Wherefore I take it for a cleare truth that Saint Paul read the Decrees and sure I am by the word used in the Text that when he read them and no more but read them without adding or deminishing that hee preached by way of Homilie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reading of Homilies then is preaching and so adjudged by the Learned Bishops in the Councell of Rhemes P. 34. If then Reading of Decrees of the Apostles be preaching and used for the profit and peace of the Church and for the establishing of them in the faith then surely is reading of Lessons Epistle and Gospell much more preaching and the Reader is a Preacher Edmond Reeve his Communion Catechisme expounded page 74. They are said to make an Idoll of Preaching which place even the whole Christian Religion in hearing of Sermons and in Comparison of preaching forth of a Pulpit they nothing or very little account of the Common-prayer and the reading of the Homilies Page 77. To preach unto a Congregation on every Sunday is the proper worke of Pastours But the Bishops the Fathers in God having received the greatest measure of the holy Ghost are to be imployed besides in the greatest ministeriall matters of the Church as to ordaine Priests and Deacons Christs holy Ordinance of Consecration P. 78. It is their worke to Consecrate Churchces c. To require all the Eccleasticall Lawes of the Kingdome to be observed and to have to doe in the affaires of the Common-wealth Page 79. Many more are the employments pertainng to their high order and calling by reason whereof they may but at some certaine times preach unto Congregations when as they shall see occasion Page 94. Holy Church hath ordained that in the Sunday afternoone there should be taught her fundamentall Catechisme her Lawes her Canons her Constitutions should be read the Common-prayer with the Lessons be said and that the Homilies should be read also 27. That Bishops pretended Lordly superiority in point of Order and Iurisdiction over and above other Ministers is of Divine right and institution and that there neither is nor can be any true Church where there are no such Lordly domineering Bishops THis Archbishop of Canterbury himselfe determines thus in his Speech in Star-Chamber page 67. This I will say and abide by it that the calling of Bishops is Iure Divino by divine Right and this I say in as direct opposition to the Church of Rome as to the Puritan humour and I say further that from the Apostles times in all ages in all places the Church of Christ was governed by Bishops Now this is made by these men as if it were contra Regem against the King in fight or in power But that 's a meere ignorant shift for our being Bishops Iure Divino by divine Right takes nothing from the Kings Right In his Reply to
Nov. 11. 1639. This Letter was thus endorsed with the Archbishops owne hand My Answer of Novemb. 11. 1639. to the Heads of the Bishop of Exons Bookes intended for Episcopacie What Reply Bishop Hall returned to this his Graces Letter these following Lines of his will disclose My most Reverend and most Honourable good Lord. I Should be unthankefull if I did not acknowledge every one of these Lines of so long a Letter written with your Graces owne hand a new obligation to me who know the price of your time yet the matter of them binds mee more those Animadversions were so just that I had amended those passages divers of them voluntarily ere I received this Gracious Admonition for I did onely send your Grace the rude draught of what I meant to polish in the Expression your Grace observes truely some mitigation in stating the Cause which I confesse to have purposely used out of a desire to hold as good Termes with our neighbour Churches abroad as I safely might your Grace knowes well how Doctor Field and Doctor Downam have handled that point if we may make the Case sure for us with the least aspersion cast upon them who honour our Government and cannot obtaine it I conceived it the better especially since the Scottish case so palpably differs yet I would so determine it as that nothing but necessity can either excuse them or hold up the truth of their being In the Presbyterie I must fall foule with them howsoever That Clause of abdication was inserted with respect to the present occasion I shall willingly abdicate it Those many scruples which may arise and must be met with in this cause will bee avoyded if we doe plainly and shortly state the Question thus Whether the Majority of Bishops above Presbyters be by Divine Institution which if we make good I suppose is as much as can be reasonably desired for what Christian can thinke it life or lawfull to depart from that which Christ and his Apostles have set in his Church with an intent of perpetuall continuance I have noted in my discourse those two sorts of Adversaries and with respect to them put in these two words Lawfull against the first and against the second Divine though the latter in the tractation comprehendeth both We shall not much neede I hope in this way to come within the Ken of that Roman Rock of jus Divinum mediatum although it must fall into our mention Shortly I shall take carefull heede to those points which you Grace adviseth and when I have laid my last hand upon the first part whereof each clause must Bis ad Limam semel ad linguam I shall transcribe and send it to your Grace for your full and free Censure In the meane time with my best prayers I take leave and vow my selfe Your Graces in all faithfull observance to command Jos. Exon. Exon. Pal. Nov. 16. The Archbishop with his owne hand thus endorsed this Letter Received Nov. 18 1639. L. Exon. his Answer to those Animadversions I made upon the heads of his intended Booke for Episcopacie The Archbishop returning an Answer to this Letter thereupon Bishop Hall sent up his Treatise of Episcopacy by Divine Right accompanied with this Epistle and the ensuing Propositions which together with his Booke he wholly submitted to his Graces judgement and disposall Most Reverend and my ever most Honourable good Lord I Have received your Graces speedy and full answer to my last And now according to my promise I present to your Graces hands this Worke of mine the bulk whereof swelled under my hand beyond my purpose whiles I could think no passage of it unnecessary I humbly submit it to your Graces free Censure not personall for I could not be so weake as to thinke your Grace could lose so much time in perusall of it but Deputative The more and the more judicious eyes passe upon it the better Whether for haste or delay for impression or suppression or suppression I am altogether indifferent for my owne judgement I doe not think it werthy or capable of the attestation of others especially my betters for that I do both take my rise from a particular occasion and do often intersperse polemicall dissertations as with M. Parker Anti-Tilenus Vedelius and others without which me thought I could not satisfactorily clear those points which passages I have no reason to think others should take upon them either to own or justifie It was my second bold motion to your Grace That divers select Bishops and Divines should shortly and fully expresse their judgements in this subject Your Grace thought fitter to which I subscribed that it-should be done by one or two and allowed and seconded by more such a discourse should be only positive and short As for this I suppose the judicious perusers will thinke it may be of good use to settle and prepare the mindes of men towards an unanimity of Judgement in this point which perhaps may be otherwise varying And if I may have leave to shoot my bolt I should conceive if an attestation to our just Tenent be thought requisite from many and the best hands it would sort best that the substance of it should be drawn up into some short and full Propositions such as these which I have taken the boldnesse to inclose and sent or tendred to them for their subscription wherein I should hold a generality of expression the safest I beseech your Grace pardon this presumption of mine and for this my Labour if it be found that it may be of any profitable use in these way ward times let it flye otherwise it may this festivall be imployed in Thuris Piperisue Cucullos I shall be well content with either the light or the fire Your Grace will soon finde that I have been plain enough with our Genevians for the Forraign Churches I have taken the same course with our learned Bishop Andrews as pittying their alleadging necessity not approving their form in the mean time not thinking it best to make Enemies where we may have friends I do finde and shew the Scottish case utterly unlike theirs for our greater advantage I have driven the point further than some worthy Divines before me and especially have laboured in that part where the cause beares most viz. in matter of Scripture and the next following Antiquity What it is is wholly and absolutely at your Graces disposing to what ever purpose your Grace will think fit And so with the apprecation of an happy New year to your Grace and to this whole Church I take my humble leave and am Your Graces in all faithfull Observance to Command JOS. EXON Exon. Pal. S. Tho. Day This Letter was thus superscribed To the most Reverend and most honourable my singular good Lord my Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitan Chancellor of Oxford and one of the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councell present these And thus indorsed
Imprisonment by them voted Illegall there being all this while no proceedings against him nor any crime objected to him in any Court of Justice By means of which Imprisonment he was much prejudiced and undone in his Estate and his wife with four small children exposed to Pennury and Beggery Such a spite did He bear this witnesse for his Activity in the businesse of Impropriations Mr William Kendall Mr Iohn Lane and Mr Tempest Miller severally deposed at the Lords Bar that the Archbishop in the presence of them and divers others speaking of the Feoffees of Impropriations said that they were the bane of the Church and then uttered these words in a vaunting manner I was the man that did set my self against them and then clapping his hand upon his brest said I thank God I have destroyed this work So as he did not only subvert this pious project to propagate the preaching of the Gospell but boasted of it and had so much shamelesse Impiety as to thanke God himselfe for effecting it who hath now in justice brought him into judgement for it and made it one part of that Charge and Evidence which we conceive will most justly destroy him The seventh and next stratagem he used to subvert the Protestant Religion which he had almost totally suppressed corrupted with Popish Errours Superstitions Innovations in our English Churches was his endeavours to undermine and suppresse it in these few Duth and French Churches planted here among us who enjoyed their owne Government Priviledges Discipline without any interruption by any of his Predecessors or other English Prelates in all our Protestant Princes reignes from King Edward the sixth his reigne till this Archprelates molestation of and attempts against them thus laid down in the twelfth Originall Article of his Impeachment He hath Traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other Reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have been by his Majesty and his Royall Ancestors granted to the Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdom And divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such dis-union the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow and extirpation of both To make good this Article we could produce many Letters Papers Instructions Orders under the Archbishops own hand or indorsed by him found in his own study here ready at the Barre but for brevity sake we shall instance only in some few particulars of more speciall note The first is that this Arch-prelate though he beares so good an affection and honourable respect to the Church of Rome as to justifie her to be a true visible Apostolike Church which never erred in fundamentals and wherein men may be saved and that we and she are one and the same Church still no doubt of that both one as we have formerly proved Yet he is so maliciously despitefull to the Protestant Churches in forraign parts and at home that he reputes them not only no true Churches but even no Churches at all because they have no Lord-bishops different in Order and Degree from ordinary Ministers This opinion of his we shall manifest not only by his Divinity Questions when he was to proceed Batchelor and Doctor of Divinity for which Dr Holland publickly checkt and turned him out of the Schools with disgrace as a sower of discord between Brethren to wit the Church of England and other reformed Churches but by his own late reprinted Book An 1639. entituled A Relation of the Conference between William Laud then Lord Bishop of St. Davids now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr Fisher the Jesuite c. p. 175 176. where thus he writes in justification of his former Theses in the Divinity Schools For the calling and Authority of Bishops over the inferiour Clergy that was a thing of known use and benefit for preservation of Truth and Peace in the Church And so much St Ierom tels us though being none himselfe he was no great friend to Bishops And this was so setled in the mindes of men from the very infancy of the Christian Church as that it had not been till that time contradicted by any So that then there was no controversie about the calling all agreed upon it Then citing Jeroms words in the margin he thus comments upon them So even according to St. Ierom Bishops had a very ancient and honourable descent in the Church from St. Mark the Evangelist And about the end of the same Epistle he acknowledgeth it Traditionem esse Apostolicam Nay more then so he affirmes plainly That ubi non est Sacerdos NON EST ECCLESIA St. Ierom advers Luciferianos And in that place most manifest it is that St. Ierom by Sacerdos meanes a Bishop for he speaks de Sacerdote qui potestatem habet Ordinandi which in St. Ieroms owne judgement no meere Priest had but a Bishop only St. Ierom Epist. ad Evagrium so even with him NO BISHOP NO CHURCH Which being his own positive judgement the Dutch and French Protestant Churches both at home and abroad must needs be no Church at all in his opinion because they have no such Bishops and so are in farre worse condition then the Church of Rome in his repute To make this more apparent we shall desire you to take notice that in Decemb. 1639. there was a plot between this Archbishop and others of our Prelates to obtrude upon all our Ministers this subscription as the received Doctrine of the Church of England to wit that there could be no Church of Christ without Diocesan Lord Bishops which clearly appeares by the forementioned propositions of Bishop Hall which the Archbishop thought fit for the subscription of others but especially by the 1. 12. and 13. propositions viz. God had never any Church on earth that was ruled by a Parity There was NO CHVRCH OF CHRIST VPON EARTH ever since the times of the Apostles governed any otherwise then by Bishops This course of government thus set by the Apostles in their life time by the speciall direction of the holy Spirit is unalterable by any humane Authority but OVGHT to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world From whence it inevitably followes that the reformed forraign Churches having no such imparity of Governours nor Lordly Bishops in them are in this Arch-Prelates and his Confederates judgements No Churches of God or Christ at all and if the designe of subscribing these Propositions had succeeded as it did in the Etcetera Oath for a time he would have engaged the whole Church of England with all our Ministers by a publike subscription in this most unchristian and uncharitable opinion which not prevailing was yet soone after thus seconded in print by his grand Favourite Bishop Mountague whom he advanced to two Bishopricks in his Originum Ecclesiasticarum Tomi prioris Pars posterior p. 464 published with his approbation
true mans cloathes on his backe or sparing his life will justifie or extenuate the taking away of his purse or the leaving a few Cottages standing excuse the burning of a whole City besides That Doctor Weekes and Doctor Heywood joyned in expunging these Sermons proves their confederacy onely not lessens but aggravates their iniquity As for Doctor Weekes he was his owne Chaplaine as well as the Bishop of Londons as appeares by his owne hand and Diary therefore he must answer for his misdemeanours in this kinde for purging both Doctor Clorkes Sermons and Master Wards Commentary For Doctor Baker he was his owne great favourite advanced by him to a Prebendary as appeares by the Docquet Booke Therefore his Index Expurgatorius on Doctor Jones his Commentary proceeding doubtlesse from this Archbishops antecedent directions must remaine upon his score notwithstanding all his shifting evasions To the particular passages purgged out of these Authors he returned no answer at all onely by these his severall answers to these Purgations all the world may clearly discover his shamelesse impudence and Popery in justifying them his brain-sick folly in his extenuations of them his palpable Romanizing in practising many of them himselfe and the whole weight of all the Branches in this charge falling heavily upon him notwithstanding all his shifts to ward them off The twelfth charge objected against me is my connivance at the importation of popish Books and restoring them to the owners when seized by the Customers and Searchers contrary to the Statute of 3. Jacobi e. 5. To this I answer I never connived at their importation and that the restoring of them when seized was not by any direction of mine but by order of the High Commission Court To which was replied First that he doth not so much as once alleage he ever gave any order for seizing any Popish Books imported whereas the Customers Searchers Pursivants and other Officers had strict Warrants and speciall Commands from him to seize all imported Bibles with Notes with all Books savouring any way of Puritanisme as he deemed it or tending against Arminianisme and popish Innovations Secondly he confesseth that popish Books when seized were usually restored by order of the High Commission Court to the owners contrary to the Statute whereas that Court never restored any Bibles with Notes or Books against Arminianisme or popish Innovations seized by their order but burnt them privately or otherwise destroyed them Thirdly he proves not that any of them were restored by Order of Court whereas Egerton sweares that Mottershead averred they were restored by the Archbishops owne order without the Courts But be it by order of Court yet his crime is still the same since himself sate President and chiefe Controller in the High Commission and consented to these Orders if not commanded them to be made whereas in duty he should have crossed them that Court not daring to make any such Orders of Restitution without his consent who had such an over-ruling power in it The thirteenth particular objected against me is my advancing of Arminians and Clergy-men superstitiously and popishly affected to Bishopricks Deaneries Headships of Houses Prebendaries and all other Ecclesiasticall preferments yea Chaplainships not onely about my selfe but about his Majesty and the Prince with my encroachments herein upon the Lord Keeper the Lord High Chamberlaine Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries and my disgracing persecuting godly Orthodox Ministers and keeping them from preferment for opposing Arminianisme popery and popish Innovations of both which they have given sundry particular instances to the chiefe whereof I shall returne such answers as I am â—ble in due place 〈◊〉 this I shall answer something in generall First that to my remembrance 〈◊〉 preferred no such persons to Bishopricks or any Ecclesiasticall livings and preferments secoÌ„dly if any of those preferred by me were such at the time of their preferments it was unknown to me and if they turned such afterwards I could neither foresee nor prevent it Thirdly on the contrary I have preferred divers worthy orthodox Ministers free from all exceptions as Master Taylor of Clapham now one of the Assembly Master John Downham Bishop Hall and sundry others To which was replied First that we had proved the generallity of those he preferred to be addicted inclined to Arminianisme Popery or both and so knowne to be when he advanced them no doubt to himselfe better then others and this their inclination was one chiefe cause of their preferment Secondly that his preferment of Master John Downham and Master Taylor orthodox men to petty Benefices and no higher preferments was but a meer stale to blind some peoples eyes or stop their mouths for his advancing of so many rotten corrupt popish Clergy-men to Bishopricks Deanaries Prebendaries Arch-deaconries Masterships of Colledges and the fattest Benefices but no justification nor extenuation of his preferring of so many such Thirdly for his advancement of Bishop Hall viz. from one Bishoprick to another it is yet a meer non liquet to us onely averred not proved by himselfe but if true it was rather to corrupt and draw him over to his party then preferre him for his owne or the Churches benefit and how that worthy Prelate hath degenerated declined since in case of Episcopacy the Scottish Warres the new Canons the Et cetera Oath popish Ceremonies Innovations of all sorts and pressing the book of Sports upon the Lords day we have already manifested by his owne Letters in part and the residue is so experimentally knowne to most of his Diocesse that it needs no proofe However his preferring of above twelve judas-Judas-Bishops to one true Apostle is a grand disservice to our Church our Religion and no justification nor extenuation of his offence therein For particulars the first thing I am charged with is for advancing Master Mountague Doctor Manwaring Bishop Neale Bishop Wren Doctor Lindsey and others to Bishopricks men publikly complained against one of them censured in Parliament and disabled from all preferments in our Church which was proved by the Docquet Books To this I answer First that Master Mountague was not preferred by me to any Bishoprick neither is the Docquet Book any good proofe thereof but he was preferred to it by Sir Dudly Carltons meanes true it is I was at his consecration but that was by command and I could not refuse or resist it Besides he was a great Scholler therefore thought worthy of preferment by the King Secondly for Doctor Manwaring I did not preferre him but it was his Majesties pleasure to bestow a Deanary and after that a Bishoprick on him in regard of his sufferings for his service notwithstanding his sentence and he commanded me to consecrate him which command I had no power to withstand or oppose being bound by Law and the duty of my Place to obey it Thirdly for Bishop Neale he was a worthy man free from Popery and
of their complaint That it would introduce a Ministery independent on the Bishops is a false surmise since none were recommended to officiate or preach at any of the purchased Impropriations but by speciall license of the Bishops in whose they were and none were presented to them but conformable men free from all just exceptions if he could justly except against ought in their proceedings Master White deposeth he offered that he himselfe should rectifie it so as the work might proceed but this would not content him but they must be suppressed and criminally proceeded against That he did it in a legall way is no justification nor excuse since those who work and accomplish mischiefe by colour of Law are worse then open Tyrants For the sentence no doubt it was most unjust and so the Earle of Dorset who was present at it told the King himself affirming the buying in of Impropriations to be the best work that ever was set on foot for the Churches good his owne beging the Impropriations in Ireland from the Crowne for the pretended good of the Church proves it infallibly against himselfe But that the Judges onely must answer for this unjust sentence not he is a meer Nonsequitur because the Law resolves that Plus peccat Author quà m Actor and the Judges had never given such an unjust sentence in this cause had not he by his violence power fraud interressing the King himselfe against the Feoffees over-awed swayed the Judges to swarve from the rules of Piety and Justice That some of the revenues of purchased Impropriations were contributed towards the maintainance of Saint Antholins Lecturers is true but that it was a mis-imploying by them contrary to trust or that any unworthy or unconformable Ministers were put into them is a grosse falshood disproved by Master White upon Oath However had it been true he should then have reformed the abuse not utterly destroyed the good work so much conducing to Gods glory and the peoples edification For Heylins Sermon it was presented to retained approved yea himselfe advanced by him and no doubt he preached it by his direction As for Master Foxly he did not onely check but persecute imprison and most barbarously handle him to his undoing onely for his promoting this pious project even after he had quite overthrowne it and openly vaunted of this his wickednesse All which considered each branch of this charge sticks most immovably upon him notwithstanding all his evasions to shake it off The sixteenth charge urged against me is That I have endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other reformed Churches and endeavoured to suppresse the Priviledges Immunities of the reformed Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdome wherein it was objected First that I esteemed them no Churches of God or Christ at all because they â—â—nted Bishope which they endeavoured to prove by mine owne Conference with Fisher Bishop Hals Propositions approved by me and Bishop Mountagues Book authorized by my Chaplaine Secondly that I deemed their Religion and ours not to be one but different and their Religion not to be the true Religion Upon which ground I grew angry with Master Ruly and caused the Letters-Patents granted by the King for a Collection for the Palatinate Ministers to be revoked after they had passed the great Seale and a clause in them to be expunged to their great injury and scandall as Master Wakerly and Master Hartlib attested Thirdly that I caused the Declaration of the Faith and Ceremonies of the Pals 〈◊〉 Church to be called in and suppressed Fourthly That I molested the DUTCH FRENCH and WALLOONE reformed Churches in England sundry yeers and infringed their ancient Priviledges by my Injunctions in divers particulars To this I answer in generall that I deny both the Charge and Article and that I have endeavoured to promote and preserve peace between the Protestant Churches abroad and encouraged Master Dury who was imployed to make a reconciliation between the Calvinists and Lutherans beyond the Seas as I could evidence by sundry of his Letters therefore I had a good affection to these Churches and no intent to make any discord between them To the objected particulars I answer First that in my Conference with Fisher I cite only St Jeroms words to prove a difference in order and degree between a Bishop and ordinary Presbyter and inferre from his words as his opinion not mine so even with him no Bishop no Church But it hath been objected that Bish Mountagues Book determines expresly that there can be no Church without Bishops nor Ministers but such who are ordained by Diocesian Bish distinct from an ordinary Minister and that no Minister no not in case of necessity can be ordained by any other therefore the forraign Protestant Churches which have no such Bishops and their Ministers being not ordained by Bishops but other Presbyters can be no Churches nor Ministers I answer that this Book and opinion of his concernes not me being none of mine but the Authors Yea but I maintained and approved the same opinion in effect in Bishop Hals Propositions touching Episcopacy to which I endeavoured to procure a generall subscription pressing it upon others and therein I determine That there was no Church of Christ upon earth ever since the Apostles times governed otherwise then by Bishops and that this government is unalterable and ought to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world Which doth wholly unchurch all the reformed Churches and resolve them to be no Churches of Christ I answer that these Propositions were sent me by Bishop Hall of his owne accord that what I did in them was by his consent neither were any pressed to subscribe them nor they propounded concludingly And though Episcopacy be not alterable yet it may be regulated That it is unalterable Bishop Bilson hath proved it long since it continuing so in all Churches at least fifteen hundred yeers after Christ and is allowed approved by the Book of Ordination yea Master Calvin himselfe on that of John As my Father sent me so send I you acknowledgeth the perpetuity of Bishops in the Church Secondly I deny that I esteem the Reformed Churches Religion ours not to be the same true it is we they differ in some particular points of Doctrin as wel as in Disciplin but this makes us not wholly to differ in Religion nor did I deny their Religion to be true As for Master Ruly I used him very civilly with all respect and promoted the Collection for the Palatinate all I could having received a Letter from the Queen of Bohemia for that purpose True it is I caused the objected clause in the first Patent of the Collection to be altered but it was by the Kings direction who gave order for it upon my acquainting him therwith and I conceive there was ground enough to doe it First because some of the Palatinate Divines as Paraus upon the
Romans differed from our Church in some points of Doctrine touching the Kings Supremacy concurring therein with the Papists for which his Book was here publickly condemned burnt and likewise in some other points therefore it could not be properly said that their Religion and ours was the same in all particulars Secondly it seemed to determine a great controversie between Protestant Divines among themselves and likewise between them and the Church of Rome whether the Pope be Antichrist which was never yet determined by any Councell and of which there is great doubt and difference in opinion even among the learned Now I conceived it a very unfitting thing to determine such a doubtfull controversie definitively by Letters Patents under the great Seale which is not yet resolved in the Schooles Upon these grounds the King thought fit to revoke the Patent though it were under the Great Seale which I had no power to recall but the KING onely Thirdly I deny that I called in the Declaration of the Palsgraves Religion neither doe I rememeber any such thing Fourthly it is true that I questioned the Dutch and Walloone Churches but not for any ancient Priviledges but onely for their encroachments beyond their priviledges to the prejudice of our English Churches and Parishes wherein they lived yet my Injunctions and proceedings towards them in this kind were so faire and just that they rested satisfied with them and returned me speciall thanks for my favour towards them and their Congregations therefore I much mervaile that this my carriage should be so much blamed as to make it a CAPITALL CRIME and CHARGE against me To this was replyed in the generall that the premised proofes with his late military proceedings against the Scots for complying with those Churches in their Doctrine Discipline Government sufficiently evidence his enmity to his opposition against those forraigne Protestant Churches because they had no Bishops insomuch that he blamed Bishop Hall for dealing so mildly with them in his Book for Episcopacy which he submitted to his censure where on the contrary he is so zealous of the Popes honour that he could not but complaine to the King of some harsh passages in it bestowing the Title of Antichrist on his Holinesse and procured a speciall command from his Majesty to the Bishop to expunge them to gratifie the Pope yea his purging out the objected clause in the Kings Patent and suppressing of the Declaration of Palatinate Churches Faith and Religion argues little affection in him to those Churches and much inward rancour against them but a very high esteem of Rome As for his encouraging of Master Dury in his designe of reconciling the Calvinists and Lutherans Master Dury undertook this worke without his privity or advice and found so small encouragement from him that he oft complained thereof to his friends as we are credibly informed To the particulars we reply First that in his Conference with Fisher he doth not recite but misrecite and pervert Saint Jeroms words and opinion who dogmatically resolves in his very Epistle to Evagrius which this Archbishop quotes and elswhere That Bishops and Presbyters Jure Divino are both one and the same as well in Jurisdiction as Office and that Presbyters have the power of Ordination as well as Bishops Therefore his appropriating of the word Sacerdos and Jeroms saying Vbi non est Sacerdos non est Ecclesia to Diocesian Bishops which he cleerly meanes of Priests and Ministers in generall is a grosse perverting of Jeroms meaning and his inferene thence So even with him NO BISHOP and NO CHVRCH is only a Declaration of his owne private opinion not of Jeroms who held no such Prelaticall Paradox For Bishop Mountagues Book it was licensed by his Chaplaine presented to received approved by himselfe Bishop Hals Propositions were not onely interlined with but allowed under his owne hand as fit for a generall subscription and now he justifies them not onely by Bishop Bilsons opinion but likewise by Master Calvins as great an enemy to Bishops as Saint Jerome whose words he wilfully perverts as he did his in applying that to Diocesian Bishops which he spake onely of ordinary Ministers who succeeded the Apostles in their Ministeriall Function In briefe his owne Conference together with Mountagues Book and Bishop Hals Propositions approved by him doe necessarily unchurch all the reformed Protestant Curches un-minister all their Ministers and make them no Churches no Ministers of Christ whereas he averres the Church of Rome to be a true Church and her Priests to be true Ministers as we have formerly proved therefore he must needs be guilty of the extreamest malignity and anmity against them what ever he pretends to the contrary Secondly he denies and yet at last justifies and maintains what we charge him with to wit that he denies the Religion of forraign Protestant Churches to be the same with ours or to be true Religion he instanceth in the opinion of Paraeus whose Commentary on the Romans he caused to be burnt as erronious when as he writes no more then Bilson did before him whom himself hath cited in defence of Episcopacy other orthodox Writers of our Church have maintained publickly for truth before since As for the burning of Paraus his Book being of a forraign Nation and no Subject to our King without summoning him to defend himselfe it was an unjust rash inconsiderate action to say no more as his Son hath manifested to the world in print who hath justified his Fathers opinion to the full as orthodox However the extravagant opinion of one Palatinate Divine in point onely of the Kings Supremacy not about any Article of Faith cannot make the reformed Churches and ours to be of different Religions especially since he argues in his Star-chamber Speech that the Papists Religion and ours are both one though we differ in some private Tenets Yea his deniall of the Protestants Religion in forraigne parts to be the true Religion when as he contends that Rome is a true Church argues his virulency against the one and good affection to the other Thirdly the calling in of the Declaration of the Palsgraves Religion is directly and punctually proved to be his act its impudency therefore in him to deny it and policy not to remember it Fourthly for the purgation and revocation of the Letters-Patents he not onely confesseth but shamelesly justifies it most undutifully laying the blame the scandall of it on the King himselfe who did naught therein but by his instigation and that upon two false scandalous grounds First that the Religion of the forraigne Palatinate Churches and ours differ and are not the same then which falshood nothing can procure a greater scisme and juster ground of scandall between us and those Churches Secondly that no Councill had defined the Pope to be Antichrist of which there was great variety of opinions amongst Protestant Divines touching the same unfit to be decided by the Kings Letters-Patents Therefore
have any Image of any Saint especially of our Saviour in his house is unlawfull and that if any man kept such pictures in his house if it were not flat Idolatry yet it was little better This was the maine charge against him to which was added that he used some harsh expressions against lacivious mixt dancing especially on the Lords day citing only the words of the Waldenses in their censure against Dancing borrowed frō Vincentius Belvacensis Gulielmus Peraldus two Popish Writers of great note and justified by Bishop Babington in his exposition upon the seventh Commandement and that he prayed for the States of Holland the King of Sweden and other Generals beyond the seas in his prayer before he prayed for the King that now is over us which was but according to the usuall course of all or most Ministers who first prayed for the whole Catholick Church in generall next for the Protestant Churches and Princes beyond the seas and then for the Church and King of England and agreeable to the forme of the very Common-prayer-book in the prayer for the whole state of Christs Church c. which runs thus We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings Princes and Governours which comprehends all foreine Princes in the first place and especially thy servant Charles our King c. who is remembred last of all but yet in a more speciall manner But these two last particulars though mentioned in his sentence were no inducements to it but only the first passage against Images which M. Workman justified out of divers of our owne English Authors and the very Homilies against the perill of Idolatry Part. 3. p. 41. to 631. which determine thus That no Jmage of God or the Trinity or of Christ may or ought to be made that such Images are not only defects but lyes and teach nothing of God or Christ but lyes and errours That Images placed publickly in Temples cannot possibly be without danger of worshipping and idolatry wherefore they are not publickly to be or suffered in Temples and Churches c. We infer and say for the Adversative that all our Images of God our Saviour Christ and his Saints publickly set up in Temples and Churches places peculiarly appointed to the true worship of God be not things indifferent nor tolerable but against Gods law commandment taking their own interpretation and exposition of it First for that all Images so set up publickly have bin worshipped of the unlearned and simple sort shortly after they had been publickly so set up and in conclusion of the wise and learned also Secondly for that they are worshipped in sundry places now in our time also And thirdly for that it is impossible that Images of God Christ or his Saints can be suffered especially in Temples and Churches any while or space without worshipping of them and that Idolatry which is most abominable before God cannot possibly be escaped and avoided without the abolishing and destruction of Images and Pictures in Temples and Churches for that Idolatry is to Images specially in Temples and Churches an inseparable accident as they tearm it so that Images in Churches and Idolatry go alwayes both together and that therefore the one cannot be avoided except the other specially in all publick places be destroyed Wherefore to make Images and publickly to set them up in the Temples and Churches places appointed peculiarly to the service of God is to make Images to the use of Religion and not only against this precept Thou shalt make us manner of Images but against this also Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them for they being set up have been be and ever will be worshipped c. That it is not possible if Images be suffered in Churches and Temples either by the preaching of Gods Word or by any other means to keep the people from worshipping of them and so to avoid idolatry c. What can we do I say or bring to passe to the stay of Idolatry or worshipping of Images if they be allowed to stand publickly in Temples and Churches And if so many so mighty Emperours by so severe Lawes and Proclamations so rigorous and extreame punishments and executions could not stay the people from setting up and worshipping of Images what will ensue thinke you when men shall commend them as necessary books of the Laymen Let us therefore of these latter dayes learn this lesson of the experience of ancient Antiquity That Idolatry cannot possibly be separated from Images any long time but that as an unseparable accident or as a shadow followeth the body when the Sunne shineth so Idolatry followeth and cleaveth to the publick having of Images in Temples and Churches And finally as Idolatry is to be abhorred and avoided so are Images which cannot be long without Idolatry to be put away and destroyed Besides the which experiments and proof of time before the very nature and origine of Images themselves draweth to Idolatry most violently and mens nature and inclination also is bent to Idolatry so vehemently that it is not possible to sever or part Images nor keep men from Idolatry if Images he suffered publickly c. For if the origine of Images and worshipping of them as it is recorded in the eight Chap. of the Book of Wisdom began of a blind love of a fond father framing for his comfort an Image of his Sonne being dead and so at the last men fell to the worshipping of him whom they did know to be dead how much more will men and women fall to the worshipping of the Image of God our Saviour Christ and his Saints if they be suffered to stand in Churches and Temples publickly For the greater the opinion is of the majesty and holinesse of the person to whom an Image is made the sooner will the people fall to the worshipping of the said Image Wherefore the Images of God our Saviour Christ the Blessed Virgin Mary the Apostles Martyrs and other of notable holinesse are of all other Images most dangerous for the perill of Idolatry and therefore greatest heed to be taken that none of them be suffered to stand publikely in Churches and Temples For there is no great dread least any should fall to the worshipping of Images of Annas Caiphas Pilate or Judas the Traitor if they were set up But to the other it is already at full proved That Idolatry hath been is and is most like continually to be committed Now as the Nature of mari is none otherwise bent to worshipping of Images if he may have them and see them then it is bent to whordome and Idolatry in the company of an harlot And as a man given to the lust of the flesh seeing a wanton harlot sitting by her and imbracing her it profitteth little for one to say beware of fornication God will condemne fornicators and adulterers for neither will he being overcome with greater intisements of
speciall Letter of all his proceedings herein wherein he thanks God for enabling him in some good measure to effect that there which other able men had only sufficiently spoken of but not accomplished elsewhere likewise boasts of his solitary opposition of the Archbishop of Armagh and the whole Convocation at Dublin in the points of Election and Gods Decree when the Articles of Ireland were in a violent manner suppressed and called in by his Graces procurement making the signe of the Crosse in the frontispeece of his Letter as the Popish Priests and Jesuites use to doe in all their Letters one to another Which Letter sound in this Arch-bishops Study at Lambeth and attested by Master Prynne was openly read at the Lords Barre in forme ensuing My LORD IN humblest manner I begge your gratious acceptance of this just as necessary duty whillst I make an unquestionable relation of that which so nearely concernes my selfe To provide the best J could for the more worthy receiving of the holy Communion this last Easter J have I thanke God for it beene able in some measure to do that here which able men have sufficiently spoken of else-where I have Sacramentally heard the Confessions of the people Committed to my Charge in Goran a certaine through-fare towne in the County of Kilkenye in the Chancell they kneeling before the Altar This is every where now counted a most strange Act without all warrant sayes bold ignorance there is no president for it saies the Divill Envie and double blinded malice t is as voyd of Law as full of singularity So unbidden so unled did I once protest against that horrible decree obtruded as it was received from Calvine by the Archbishop of Armagh and the whole body of this Kingdomes Clergy then Assembled in the Convocation at Dubline that I stood then alone that no man then stood by me when I made that Protestation I appeale to the not yet forgotten so eloquent so godly so very leaud railing cursing Censure upon that occasion publikely delivered by one that was then called Chancelllor Sing since Deane of Drummore the Lord Bishop of Derrie and Master of the Rolls were not many houres ignorant of the very words by the then Chancellor and now Deane then and there uttered The luckie opportunity of a trustie Messenger a servant to the Earle of Ormond and Chirurgian to his Troop by name Michaell Oxenbridge with the just conscience of my dutie on this behalfe emboldens me thus humbly to pray for such acceptance in a Cause most acceptable as may yet make the person of the poore receiver more worthy to be accepted Goran Aprill 18. 1638. Your Graces most devoted Iames Croxton To the most Reverend Father in God William by the Divine providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Primate and Metropolitan of all England This Letter was thus endorsed with the Archbishops owne hand Received July 6. 1638. Mr. Croxton his receiving of Confession BY which it is most apparent that the introducing of Auricular Confession was a speciall designe of the Archbishops prosecuted by his Emissaries and Creatures in all places who gave him exact accounts of their proceedings herein the more to endeare themselves in his favour To what end these Doctrines and practises of Auricular Confession and Priests absolution were thus urged Master VVilliam Tyndall in his Practise of Popish Prelates and Obedience of a Christian man with other Protestant VVriters will informe us to wit to enslave the Laity to the Clergie to advance the Priest above the King the Myter above the Scepter the Ecclesiasticall Tribunall above the Secular to fish out all mens secrets to awe and keepe them under bondage and accomplish all their owne designes upon them with more facility as they doe in Popish Kingdomes where such Confessions and Absolutions are in use Having thus done with this Arch-Priests Master-Peece Confession and the power of Priests to remit sinnes confessed wee shall proceed to that which depends upon it and must have necessarily followed on it to the great oppression of the ignorant seduced people that is 2. The use of Popish Penances as wearing of haire-cloth and such like corporall punishments enjoyned by Priests for sinnes Confessed with intention to satisfie God thereby for the sinnes confessed lately pressed as lawfull profitable commendable THe use and lawfulnesse hereof never heard of nor maintained in our Church since Reformation till this Archbishops Domination is thus pressed justified commended in these ensuing authorized bookes Christs Epistls to a Devout soule pag. 252. Enjoyne thy selfe for thy Pennance to say some devout prayer or to doe some greater Pennance as thou and thy spirituall Director shall thinke fit Franeis Sales his Introduction to a Devout Life pag. 131. Recompence this losse at least by multiplying Jaculatory prayers and by reading some books of Devotion with some voluntary Pennance or other for committing this fault Pag. 209. The soveraigne balsome of Confession or pennance Pag. 428. Disciplying the body likewise hath a marvellous efficacy to stir up in us desire of devotion when it is moderately used Haire-Cloath tameth the flesh very much upon the principall dayes of pennance one may well use it with the advise of a discreet Confessor Dr. Pocklingtons Altare Christianum p. 42. writes thus The first Room is called the Church-Porch where penitents used to stand or rather to cast themselves downe and in humble manner to desire the faithfull to pray for them as they went into the Church after Delinquents had perfectly fulfilled their penance they were reconciled to the Sacraments and communicated This distinction of places in the Church is very ancient and observed even from the Apostles times Pag. 44. This man after penance done for this fault was admitted into the Church againe Pag. 52. Cap. 10. Of dayes of pennance and absolution Citizens pennance P. 54. None that had fallen into any notorious crime were admitted againe into the Church before they had done open penance in Sack-cloth and Ashes Cerdon was not received into the Church before he had performed his penance Exomologesin faciens Pag. 55. In what sort penitents performed their penance and made Confession the Act it selfe will discover This Exomologesis giveth law both to our food and rayment sacco cinere incubare and ordereth men to lye in Sack-Cloth and Ashes to humble your selves before the Priest and to fall downe upon the knees before Gods Altars to sue unto all Brethren for their prayers in their behalfe Haec omnia exomologesis penance worketh all this P. 56. Feeling nothing but rough Sack-Cloth galling the sides seeing nothing but head hands face cloaths covered over with ashes have nothing to be seene but a pale face thinne cheekes and a meagre looke and this continued two three sometimes foure yeares together before perfectionem suam reciperent P. 57. Hereupon the Bishops made an addition to the Ecclesiastcall Canon that in every Church a Penitentiary shold be appointed to admit
in orbem redeuntes in Sancto Stephano Proto-Martyre honoramus eorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exosculamur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Reliquias ipsorum lipsana cimaelia deposita si quae sint quaead nostram notitiam pervenerint Si quae nancisci poterimus genuiua non fucata libenter suscipimus veneratione sua debita congrua honeramus Imprimis autem de Martyribus ubi non constat veritas disquisitionem censemus instituendam Pag. 40. Repraesenta mihi fase as illas Seruatoris Dâ—ce certissimo illas ipsas etiam numextare quibus Infans sacratissimus involvebatur Ego quod ad me attinâ—t libens merito cum summâ— gandio gratulatione reverentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accurram suscipiam ultra omnia quae vocant Barbari Jocalia Cimelia lapides preciosos aurum astimaâ—â— And in his Antidiatr p. 17. Ossa Sanctorum Cineres Reliquias vase aureo velamine precioso convolvebant Ego certè cum Constantino illas reliquias fascijs involvam auro includam circumge standas admovebo labijs ac collo suspensos manibus oculisque crebrò usurpatat intuebor vel in apothecas condam recludam inter preciocissima cemelia censendas 17. That vowed Poverty Virginity a Monasticall life and Monasteries are lawfull usefull Popish Votaries Saints Orders to be imitated applauded CHrists Epistle to a Devout soule p. 86. 87. 88. 89. brings in Christ thus speaking to Christians I Was driven into banishment brought up by the labour of my mother and fed by Almes at other Folkes cost having neither house nor lodging of mine owne withered often in the mountaines how was I spoiled of all my garments at the time of my passion c. Looke therefore upon my poverty and leave to be sad why art thou not grieved like a good Emulatresse if thou see any man poorer then thy selfe as Saint Francis was if thou perceivest any man more agreeable to my life and poverty then thy selfe this indeed should bee a kinde of emulation Embrace with mee the crosse of Poverty c. Determine therefore now and make a firme resolution from the bottome of thy heart to contemne all things for the love of mee and be unwilling to possesse any thing but even such as of necessity thou art inforced to use delighting in all Poverty contempt and penury that thou maist be worthy to enjoy mee Francis Sales His Introduction to a devout life page 19. True it is that the Devotion altogether contemplative Monasticall and Religious cannot be exercised in these Vocations of Artificers c. yet are there many other degrees of devotions Page 200. The solitarines of Saint Paul the first Hermit is imitated in some sort by the spirituall retreates of which we have spoken and the extreame poverty of St. Francis may be imitated by those practises and exercises of spirituall poverty which we will hereafter set downe Page 354 Charity only placeth us in the heigth of perfection but Obedience Chastity and Poverty are excellent Instruments to attaine unto it I will not say any thing of these three vertues as they are vowed solemnly for so they appertaine to Religious persons Page 335. When they are vowed solemnely they place a man in the way and state of perfection Henry Stafford his Female Glory page 23. Let us then imagine that this holy Recluise confined her body to this sacred solitude c. Page 28. The bonds of her Matrimony were askt in heaven and no impediment found why shee might not wed God himselfe yet at the earnest solicitation of the Reverend Priests saith Mantuan she was content to bee betrothed to Joseph not that he should doe the Office of an Husband but serve as a barre to the importuninity of other suitors that so she might the more freely enjoy the inconceivable pleasure she tooke in her Vowed Virginity Page 148. You who have vowed Virginity Mentall and Corporall you shall not only have ingresse here but welcome Approach with comfort and kneele downe before the grand white Immaculate Abbesse of your snowey Nunneries Page 235. My Arithmeticke will not serve mee to number all those who have registred their names in the sodality of the Rosary of this our blessed Lady c. All which are Canonized for Saints Bishop Mount Orig. page 303. Quantum detrimenti Regijs accesserit vectigali busper illam desolationem Monasterijs invectam per importunum Henrici Octavi rigorem per Parliamentarias Impropriationes c. Page 382. Ejusmodi vitae genere Ioannem jecisse fundamenta Monasticae vitae hoc est Anacoreticae et Ascetica cum illustrissimo Baronio non abnuerim c. 18. That there are written Traditions which we must observe and are of equall Authority with the word BIshop Mountague in his Gagge page 30. There are Traditions written and unwritten you meane not here Traditions written I know it no more doe wee Page 31. Traditions instituted by our Saviour even in points of beleife and Faith have divine Authority as his written word hath Traditions derived from the Apostles have equall authority with their preachings and their writings Traditions of the Church have such authority as the Church hath all binde and oblige as they were intended and as their extent is For they must be considered not only from the Author but from the end some were intended to be permanent others only to be transient for a time only or else for ever some Vniversall some onely Partiall for the Catholike or else a private Church such variety and difference is in Traditions We do grant it in every kinde that either there are or have beene Traditions of Christ his Apostles the Church privat men Pag. 37. Quae universa tenet Ecclesia ab Apostolis praecepta benè traduntur quanquam scripta non reperiantur said Saint Augustine and I subscribe unto it Omni modo bind they unto Obedience so long in such sort so farre forth as the Authors did intend till the same Authority disavow them which gave unto them being at the first In the 34. Articie to this purpose we read of and concerning Ecclesiasticall Traditions Loe Traditions not only avowed but maintained Page 41. No Protestant living in his right wit will deny this that the Apostles spake much more then is written Therefore the Traditions of the Apostles and of the Church is without all question of good credit and esteeme and so much we professe Art 34. I grant it hath displeased some which is said It is Tradition which avoweth it seeke no further I see no reason why any should be displeased therewith Doctor Pocklintons Altare Christianum Page 48. None of all these Heretikes can derive their succession from the Apostles nor shew how their Doctrines were received by Tradition from them Page 49. According to Apostolicall Tradition Page 50. Those that deprive us of the benefit of this Apostolicall Tradition Page 180. Traditions of holy Church of absolute Authority The Archbishop himselfe in his Reply to Fisher determines
fellowes that in their letter to Calvin depart from the constitution Ordinance and practice of the Apostles and Apostolicke men and call not this day the Lords day or Sunday but with the piety of Jeroboam make such a day of it as they have devised in their owne hearts to serve their owne turne and Anabaptising of it after the minde of some Iew hired to be the God Father therefore call it the Sabbath page 7. This name Sabbath is not a bare name or like a spot in their foreheades to know Labans sheep from Iacobs but indeed it is a Mistery of Iniquity intended against the Church c. page 13. But what doe I speake de integro die of a whole day do but that in keeping the Lords day which the Widdow did in her Almes that gave two mites sic tu duas horas so give the Lord two houres this if you do not beware you lose not integroru mannorum labores the Labours of many whole yeares Page 20. Others also for the Plots sake must uphold the name of Sabbath that stalking behinde it they may shoot against the services appointed for the Lords day Hence it is that some for want of witte too much adore the Sabbath as an Image dropt downe from Iupiter and cry before it as they did before the Golden Calfe This is an holy day unto the Lord whereas it is indeed the great Diana of the Ephesians as they use it whereby the mindes of their Proselites are so perplexed and bewitched that they cannot resolve whether the sinne be greater to bowle shoote or dance on their Sabbath then to commit Murder or the Father to cut the throat of his owne child All which doubts would soon be resolved by plucking of the Vizard of the Sabbath from the face of the Lords day which doth as well and truly become it as the Crowne of Thorns did the Lord himselfe This was plotted to expose him to damnable dirision and that was plotted to impose on it detestable superstition yet to die for it they will call it a Sabbath presuming in their zealous ignorance of guiltfull zeale to be thought to speake the Scripture phrase when indeed the Dregs of Ashdod flow from their Mouthes p. 21. With us the Sabbath is Saturday and no day else no ancient Father nay no learned man Heathen or Christian took it otherwise from the beginning of the world till the beginning of their Schisme in 1554. page 22. Many that see so little benefit will be suckt out of the constitutions of the Apostles practise and tradition of holy Church Doctrine of Godly and learned Fathers that they have got themselves heapes of Teachers that to serve their owne turnes will call and keepe the Lords day as a Sabbath and so prophane it with such outcries that the voyce of truth will become silent but with Moses liberavi animam meam Doctor Peter Heylin in his History of the Sabbath dedicated to his Majesty and printed by the Archbishops speciall approbation is every way as prophane and bitter against the morality and strict observation of the Lords-day Sabbath as Pocklinton we shall instance but in a Passage or two The first is in his Epistle to the Reader before the second Booke of his History in these termes And this part we have called the History of the Sabbath too although the institution of the Lords day and entertainment of the same in all times and ages since that Institution be the chiefe thing whereof it treateth for being it is said by some that the Lords Day succeeded by the Lords appointment into the place and rights of the Jewish Sabbath this booke was wholly to be spent in the search therof whether in all or any Ages of the Church either such doctrine had beene preached or such practise pressed upon the Consciences of Gods people And search indeed we did with all care and diligence to see if we could finde a Sabbath in any evidence of Scripture or writing of the holy Fathers or edicts of Emperours or decrees of Councells or finally in any of the publike Acts and Monuments of the Christian Church but after severall searches made upon the Alias and the Pluries wee still returne Non est inventus and thereupon resolve in the Poets language Et quod non invenit usquam esse putet nusquam that which is no where to be found may very strongly bee concluded not to be at all Buxdorfius in the eleventh Chapter of his Synagoga Judaica out of Antonius Margarita tells of the Jewes Quod die Sabbatino praeter animam consuetam praediti sunt alia that on the Sabbath day they are perswaded that they have an extraordinary soule infused into them which doth enlarge their hearts and rouse up their spirits Ut Sabbatum multo honorabilius peragere possint that they may celebrate the Sabbath with the greater honour And though this Sabbatharie soule may by a Pythagoricall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme to have transimigrated from the Jewes into the bodyes of some Christians in these latter dayes yet I am able to give my selfe good hopes that by presenting to their view the constant practise of Gods Church in al times before and the consent of all Gods Churches at this present they may be dispossesed thereof without great difficulties It is but anima superflua as Buxdorfius calls it and may bee better spared then kept because superfluous To which wee shall annex these passages in the eight Chapter of this his second Booke Sect. 7. pag. 249. c. Thus upon search made and full examination of all parties wee finde no Lords Day-Sabbath in the Booke of Homilies no nor in any writings of particular men in more then thirty three yeares after the Homilies were published Then reciting Doctor Bounds opinion in his book of the Sabbath pag. 211. All lawfull pleasures and honest Recreations as Shooting Fencing Bowling which are permitted on other dayes were on this day to bee forborne No man to speake or talke of pleasures or any worldly matter he saith Most Magisterially determined more like a Iewish Rabbi then a Christian Doctor Yet Romish and Rabbinicall though this doctrine were it carried a faire face and shew of Piety at least in the opinion of the Common people c. Sect. 8. p. 255. 256. We may perceive by this that their intent from the beginning was to cry downe the Holy Dayes as superstitious Popish Ordinances that their new found Sabbath being placed alone and Sabbath now it must be called might become more eminent Nor were the other though more private effects thereof of lesse dangerous nature the people being so insnared with these new devices and pressed with rigour more then Jewish that certainly they are in as bad a condition as were the Israelites of old when they were captivated and kept under by the Scribes and Pharises Some I have knowne for in this point I will say nothing without good assurance who in a furious
Fisher page 176. Hee positively affirmes That ubi non est sacerdos non est Ecclesiae St. Hierom And in that place most manifest it is that by Sacerdos Saint Jerom meanes a Bishop Soe even with him NO BISHOP AND NOE CHVRCH Doctor Heylin in his Moderate Answer to Mr. Burton page 65. writes thus by the Archbishops appointment You are much offended with the Prelates that they will needs be Lord Bishops Iure Divino page 66. Your first exception is That the Episcopall Authority is claimed from Christ and that some of the Bishops said in the High Commission That if they could not prove it they would cast away their Rochetts this is no more then what had formerly beene said in the Conference at Hampton Court when on occasion of S. Hieroms saying that a Bishop was not divinae Ordinationis the Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft interposed that unlesse he could prove his ordination lawfull out of the Scriptures he would not be a Bishop foure houres page 67. 70. Who is it which of our Divines that holds Episcopall Authority to bee derived from any other fountaine then that of Christ and his Apostles If any such there be he is one of yours Traverse and Cartwright and the rest of your Prodecessors Men never owned for hers by the Church of England Geneva had their hearts wee their bodyes only This theame of Bishops superiority Iure Divino over other Ministers was professedly maintained by Bishop White in his Preface to his Treatise of the Sabbath against Braburne by Christopher Dow in his Innovations unjustly charged chap. 19. p. 170. c. by Iohn Swan in his Redde debitum Chap. 2. sect 2. p. 161. to 172. asserting peremtorily that the Hierarchy of the Bishops is Iure Divino with sundry others in their printed Bookes yea publikly affirmed with much confidence by both our Archbishops with other Prelates in the Star-Chamber and High-Commission maintained publikely in the Divinity Schooles in both our Vniversities and asserted almost in every Pulpit at leastwise in Cathedralls But this Erronious Position being satisfactorily refuted and palpably displayed to all the world by Doctor Bastwicke in his Flagellum Apologeticus ad Praesules Anglicano and by Master Prynne in his Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus his Brevia and Catalogue of Writers in all ages refuting this position of theirs and by the Presbiterians in Scotland the Archbishop and his Confederate Prelaticall Brethren were so hardly put to it that they seriously mustred up all their policy learning power to maintaine their Episcopall Jurisdiction to be of divine right Whereupon having engaged his Majesty and his Privy Councell to maintaine it by the Sword in the Field he encouraged Doctor Hall bishop of Exeter very prone of himselfe to undertake such an enterprise to defend it with his smooth Rhetoricall penne in the Presse This Bishop upon his motion and request readily undertakes the designed service compiles his Booke intituled Episcopacy by divine Right the written Copy whereof he sent to the Archbishop submitting it wholy to his power to dispose of it at his pleasure or alter any thing therein which he or his Chaplaines should deeme meet This Treatisie was carefully read over by the Arch bishop himselfe and his Chaplaines line by line who altered it in some places and then authorized it for the Presse The particulars concerning the cause and grounds of compling it with the Bishops whole pretended Plot how to support their tottering Hierarchy is fully related in the ensuing Letters of Bishop Hall to the Archbishop and of the Archbishop to him all sound and seised on in his Study at Lambheth We shall transcribe all these Letters according to their severall dates the first of them extracted out of the very originall is this MOst Reverend Father in God and my most Honourable Lord I have received your Graces Answer in one to my three last humbly thanking your Grace for your noble favours to that well deserving Petitioner Master Edgcombe whom I recommended to your Graces notice For Ashbrenton I gave order for a speedy satisfaction and make account to receive it ere the closure of this letter Yesternight I had the view of the Acts of the late Scottish Assembly which I could not read without much indignation in seeing the only true and ancient Government of the Church so dispitefully trod upon by ignorant Factionists Vpon the perusall whereof I begin to think it were pity and shame they should carry it away so and that so publike an insolence could admit of none but a more publike remedy and may I be bold to impart unto your Grace what my thoughts were for some ease of this wrong and mittegation of the scandall under the hope of your Graces pardon I shall not sticke to discover them in this secret and fearelesse paper humbly leaving them to your Graces favourable censure although indeed I should have needed a larger Preface to so bould an attempt Since then for his Majesty to right the Church by the Sword as the case now stands is neither fit for our hopes nor our wishes which were no other in so desperate a Schisme then to reconquer his owne with much Charge danger and blood we thought it might be seasonable safe and happie to imploy the spirituall sword the remedy which the Church hath ever wont to make use of in such occasions with blessed successe I thought therefore if through your Graces mediation it might please his sacred Majesty to cause a Generall Synod of the whole three Kingdomes to be indicted wherein all the Reverend Bishops and chiefe of the learned and dignified Clergy and the professors and some other eminent Doctors of all the Vniversities in all the said Kingdomes may be assembled to passe their judgment after free and full expectation of these Schismaticall points determined thus proudly and rashly by our Northen Neighbours it could not but sort to excellent effect for so they might bee convinced of their absurd errours or at least publikely before all the world censured and condemned for what they are and if they have any Remainders of shame they shall be made to blush at their owne miserable transportation This would bee some comfort to those exiled Bishops who put Holy Iland as I heare to the same use whereto it was imployed at the first Plantation of the Gospell to be a receptacle of persecuted Prelates that they should see their cause taken to heart by the whole Church under his Majesties dominions and why should we not think that the presence and Authority of your Grace with that eminent and learned Primate of Armagh and so many other grave and renouned Prelates seconded by so irresistable powers of the learning and Judgment of so many assistant Divines of great note and worth cannot choose but certainly confound these heady and ignorant opposers of Government and good Order and give great satisfaction to the world who seeing the errours and groundlesse proceedings of these men
should write in defence of Episcopacie against the Scots To this Letter the Archbishop returned an Answer thereupon Bishop Hall acquaints him in his next Letter with the whole Platforme and Subject matter of his Booke which he submits to his judgement craving his direction therein as this Letter under his hand and seale will manifest Most Reverend and my most Honourable good Lord Notwithstanding the importunity of your Graces manifold occasions I received two dayes since two Letters from your Grace at once whereof the one signified his Majesties pleasure for the provision of a Benefice within my guift for one of our poore exild neighbours which I doe most willingly embrace as out of my owne true commiseration so much more out of my obedience to my Gracious Master but for the time as your Grace knowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the other I doe first meet with your Graces mercifull and Fatherly proceedings with one of my strayed Charge Master Cox I was in some hope of his relenting ere I left him if as I perceive the worke be perfected by your Graces effectuall councels it will be happy for him and great contentment to his friends in regard both of his former conformity and great Charge He is not yet come down an hearty Recantation will redeeme all In the next place I finde your Graces zealous care of the successe of this worke which upon your Graces motion I have heartily undertaken wherein for the not applying of so many hands I doe humbly rest in his Majesties most wise determination although the danger of varience might have received a prevention since the whole worke must have had one rule and have come under one rule and censure but this course is both more sure and no lesse effectuall For that which here concernes my selfe I acknowledge my self much bound to your Grace for your good opinion of my ability for so great a shocke which I shall deferre to improve to the utmost and whereas it is thought requisite that I should set downe those simple Propositions which I shall undertake to make good in this worke I doe most willingly entertaine it and therefore shall make bold to acquaint your Grace with the whole plot of my intendment in this service humbly yeelding it up to your Graces Censure or better advise And first my purpose is wherein I doe somewhat please my selfe if your Grace be so pleased to take my rise from the 8th Section of their last Synod of Edinborough wherein Master George Graham is said to come in and condemne Episcopacie and to professe his repentance which is there appointed to be recorded Hereupon I meane to take this Mr. George to taske and somewhat warmely to expostulate the matter with him and when I shall after a fervent preface have driven him from the refuge of conforming herein to other which I think I shall do to purpose I shall then deale with him alone and addresse my selfe to argue the case with him and the Faction whom I shall make my adversary the Faction and not the Church of Scotland And shall undertake to make good these two points as I conceive both full and proper for the occasion First That Episcopacie is a lawfull most Ancient holy and Divine Institution I meane that which is joyned with imparity and superiority of Jurisdiction and therefore where it hath through Gods providence obtained cannot by any humane power be abdicated without a manifest violation of Gods Ordinance Secondly That the Presbiterian Government how ever vindicated under the glorious names of Christs Kingdome and Ordinance hath no true footing either in Scripture or the practice of the Church in all Ages from Christs time till the present and that howsoever it may be of use in some such Cities or Territories as wherein Episcopall Government through iniquity of times cannot be had yet to obtrude it upon a Church otherwise setled under an acknowledged Monarchy is utterly uncongruous and unjustifiable Before the proofe of which two heads I purpose to lay downe certaine cleare and undenyable Postulata some 15. or 16 in number as the grounds of my following Arke such as these 1. That Government which was of Apostolicall Institution cannot be denied to be of Divine Institution 2. Not onely that Goverment which was directly commanded and enacted but also that which was practised and recommended by the Apostles to the Church must justly passe for an Apostolicall Institution 3. That which the Apostles by Divine inspiration instituted was not for the present time but for continuance 4. The Universall practise of the Church immediatly succeeding the Apostles is the best and surest Commentary upon the practise of the Apostles or of their expressions 5. We may not entertain so irreverent an opinion of the Saints and Fathers of the Primitive Church that they who were the immediate Successors of the Apostles would or durst set up a Government either faulty or of their owne heads 6. If they would have been so presumptuous yet they could not have diffused one uniforme order of Government through the whole world in so short a space 7. The Ancient Histories of the Church and Writings of the eldest Fathers are rather to be beleeved in the report of the Primitive of the Church Government then those of this last Age. 8. Those whom the Ancient Church of God and the holy and Orthodox Fathers condemned for Errors or Heresies are not fit to be followed as Authors of our opinion or practise for Church government 9 The accession of honourable Titles or Priviledges makes no difference in the substance of the Calling 10. Those Scriptures wherein any new forme of Government is grounded had need to bee very cleare and unquestionable and more evident then those whereon the former rejected Policy is raised 11. If that Order which they say Christ set for the government of his Church which they call the Kingdome and Ordinance of Christ be but one and undoubted then it would and should have beene ere this agreed upon against them what and which it is 12. If this which they pretend be the Kingdome and Ordinance of Christ then if any essentiall part of it be wanting Christs Kingdome is not in that Church erected 13. Christian policy requires no impossible or absurd thing 14. Those truths which are new and unheard off in all ages of the Church in many and essentiall points are well worthy to bee suspected 15. To depart from the practise of the universall Church of Christ ever from the Apostles times and to be take our selves voluntarily to a new forme lately taken up cannot but be odious and highly scandalous Upon these grounds laid I shall come to subsume and shall both convince the Faction in aberration from them and fully prove the two points intended After which with some observations and Queries I shall shut up in a vehement Exhortation both to them and to our owne if it may be for the reducing of the one if not
Dedicated to the Archbishop and Licensed by Heywood his Chaplain August 26. 1634. cap. 16. p. 45. 46. determines thus Quaenam sit Romana Ecclesia Cum constet Romanam Ecclesiam in primariis temporibuss velut inter ignes Luna Minores caeteris Ecclesiis praeluxisse caeterisque Maechantibus castam pudicam veritatis conservatricem extitisse nec in pessimis usque eo degenerasse censemus ut in primariis fundamentalibus Religionis capitibus aberrasse videatur quidniquamvis in caeteris forsan vitiatam temeratam Ecclesiae tamen nomine honestandam censeam c. This passage Doctor Bastwick taking exception against at his censure in the High-Commission read it openly in Court where the Arch-bishop publikely justified it in his speech affirming That the Church of Rome was a true Church and that it never erred in fundamentalls in which we differ not but onely circa fundamentalia This distinction of his was afterwards thus justified in Print by Christopher Dome in his Innovations unjustly charged pag. 48. Nor is it an absurd distinction as he unreverendly and absurdly termed it that a great Prelate used in the High-Commission at the censure of Doctor Bastwick when he said That we and the Church of Rome differ not in fundamentalibus but circa fundamentalia pag. 49. The distinction is not absurd but it may most truely and fitly be said that we may and do differ about and not in fundamentals which Doctor Heylin likewise seconds in his Moderate Answer to Henry Burton p. 6. 124. 125. No difference between the Church of Rome and England in fundamentalls Suppose a great Prelate in the High-Commission 〈…〉 had said openly that we and the Church of Rome differ not in â—â—â—â—amentalibus yet how comes this to be an Innovation c. The Church of Rome hath done more against the Heretickes of this age than you or any of your Divines be he whom he will But for the Church of Rome it is a true Church and that we differ not from them in fundamentalls see the Reconciler Doctor Potter in his booke which he submitted to the Arch-bishops censure concludes thus pag. 62. 77. The most necessary and fundamentall truths which constitute a Church are on both sides unquestioned We hope well of those holy souls who in former ages lived and dyed in the Church of Rome c. Nay our charity reacheth further to all those this day who in simplicity of heart beleeve the Roman Religion and professe it Doctor Pocklingtons Altare Christianum pag. 114. Termes Rome by the name of Holy Church and applauds her canonized Popish Saints stiling them The Holy Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Christ whose names are written in heaven And our Protestant Martyrs Traytors Murderers Rebels and Hereticks The Archbishop himselfe was a professed maintainer of the truth and visibility of the faith and Church of Rome not only in his Speech in the high Commission at Doctor Bastwicks censure there and in his Speech in Star-chamber pag. 36. but likewise in his late Reply to Fisher Epist Ded. p. 16. And were not this so we should never be troubled with that idle and impertinent question of theirs Where was your Church before Luther For it was just there where theirs is now One and the same Church still no doubt of that one in substance but not one in condition of State and purity Their part of the same Church remaining in corruption and our part of the same Church under Reformation In the Reply it selfe pag. 370. 371. Rome but with all particular Churches and no more than other Patriarchall Churches was and is radix existentiae the roote of the Churches existence The Church of Rome and every other particular Church c. Indeed Apostolike she is as being the See of one and he a prime Apostle but not the onely Apostolike Visible I may not deny God hath hitherto preserved her And p. 376. Secondly if the Religion of the Protestants be in conscience a known false Religion then the Romanists Religion is so too for their Religion is the same Nor do the Church of Rome and the Protestants set up a different Religion for the Christian Religion is the same to both but they differ in the same Religion and their difference is in certain grosse corruptions I shall close up this with a publike Recantation drawn up and prescribed by Godfry Goodman Bishop of Glocester to one Mr. Ridler Minister of Little Deane about 7. miles from that City who having many Papists in his Parish and preaching in a Sermon there That Papists as Papists were damned and that the true Protestant Religion was the onely true and safe way to Salvation he was upon the complaint of some Papists convicted before this Bishop and by him enjoyned to make this following Recantation prescribed to him in writing in the Cathedrall Church at Glocester on Jan. 2. 1636. and for refusing to make it he was afterwards on the 5. of March next following suspended from his living IHS IN the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen Whereas I did deliver in a Sermon lately preacht in this Diocesse That if we are saved the Papists are damned I am right heartily sorry that I should deliver any such doctrine wherein I must acknowledge mine owne errour and my great fault and offence First against his Majesties Instructions thus rashly and unadvisedly to affirme That Papists are damned Secondly it is an offence against the laws of the Kingdome For in the eye of the Law we are still one with the same Catholike Church for were we of a distinct or severall Church Then our Church could claim no right or Title to those Priviledges Charters Foundations and Revenues which it enjoyes at this day for these were granted to Papists and for many hundred yeares possessed by them and since there hath beene no new Law for transferring them upon a different or contrary Church But this is made much more manifest by the expresse words of the Statute as it appeares by the Act of Parliament which was made upon the first breach with the Papists the words are these That they do not thereby intend to seperate themselves from Gods Catholike Church but onely for some politicall respects to preserve the Kingdome from Ruine This was made the 25. of Hen. 8. and it is in force at this day so that to make such a difference between these two Churches as is between damnation and salvation certainly is against the Common Lawes and the Statute Law of this Kingdome besides many acts of State which being above my element I will not presume to touch upon Thirdly against the Church of England It is imposible there should be any greater offence in regard of the affinity that is between both Churches for we have the same Holy Orders the same Church Service the same Ceremonies the same Fasts the same Festivals and we have generally the same Canon Lawes and therefore
printed copy page 196. Finally the Doctor in his Manuscript page 106. had this serious Exhortation We have begun in pure and sound religion Let us not end in Popery in Atheisme in Brownisme in Anabaptisme The Licenser to demonstrate where he and his Arch-grace would have us end and settle at last blots out the word popery and puts in prophanenesse in its stead and so it is is printed page 140. Let us not end in prophanesse instead of Let us not end in Popery in which they then intended we should all shortly end though God by his omnipotent power and admirable providence hath wholy frustrated this their intended end We shall now proceed to another head of expunctions to wit 2 Passages expunged out of bookes tendred to license against the Papacy Rome the Popes Supremacy Pride Tyranny Cruelty Treasons murthering and deposing Princes Popes vicious lives practises and being Antichrist that man of sinne c. Doctor Jones in his Comentary on the Hebrewes had inserted these severall passages against the Pope in his written copy which the Licenser expunged as insufferable and thereupon they are quite omitted in the printed book page 179. 251. 309. 377. 396. 406. Page 206. in the written copy Our Saviour Christ was as wise a man as the Pope furnished with guifts for both affices as well as he yet he would not meddle with civill matters Luke 12. 14. of the extraordinary example of Melchesedeck no ordinary rule can be made Page 266. All papists kisse the Pope's feet yea Kings Princes and Emperours saith the copy yea in so doing they make an Idol of him as the idolaters kissed Baal Page 284. Antichrist hath been discovered every man may see what he is unlesse the God of the world blind their eyes naught is wanting unlesse it be the open conversion of the Jewes Page 301. Nay the Pope himselfe he must be carried on mens shoulders Page 308. The holy Ghost thinks it sufficient to call Christ the great Priest that will not content the Pope he must be Sacerdos maximus Christ hath the positive he must have the superlative a proud prelat that Antichrist that exalteth himselfe above God Page 130. As for the calling of Luther Calvin and Beza and of the Ministers of the Gospel it is warrantable by the Word we can shew our Letters of Orders from Jesus Christ the great Bishop of our soules Are we not true Ministers because we are not created by the Pope and his Bishops The Apostles were not made by the Pharisees or any priestes of that time yet good Ministers and so may we though not made by the Bishop of Rome it is succession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speakes that is a good lawfull succession Good God! that such passages as these should ever be expunged by such who professe themselves protestant prelats or Ministers certainly they had a Pope in their hearts whatever good words we find in their mouths Master Ward in his Comentary upon Matthew had an Index expurgatorius passed on these ensuing clauses against the Pope his pardons power and usurped authority fol. 224. The Pope is called the Adversary or he who opposeth himselfe against Christ 2 Thes 2 11. and is justly so called because he and his admirers doe maintaine assertions directly contrary to the word of Christ one example whereof we have in this verse Whosoever shall put away his Wife Fol. 314. Quest 7. We have no need of a second purging How derogatory then are the Papists to the sufferings of Christ who ascribe more to the Popes pardons then to Christ's pangs Antichrist by his indulgencies can both deliver and preserve from purgatory and send the soule streight into Heaven but they will dye in the quarrell before they will grant such or so much power and efficacy to be in the death blood-shed and merits of Christ fol. 160. Quest 2. who are like unto the Pharisees c. Answ The Church of Rome whose commandements are more observed then the commandements of God as appeare by this it is there taught c. II. That to eat flesh upon a good Friday is a greater sinne then to commit murther or adultery and yet that is the Friday on which Christ did ordinarily eat the paschall Lambe III. To blaspheme the name of God in this world is a small offence but to speak ill of the Pope especially in Italy and Spaine is an unpardonable and damnable offence IV. The Jewes have a Religion whereby they affirme Christ to be a cozener but to say that there is no other purgatory but the blood of Jesus Christ is a crime deserving the inquisition V. Every Bishop of France may give absolution for faults committed against the law of God but they cannot absolve men of sin◠committed against the Pope and his Sea Secondly in the Roman church they teach things contrary to the Word of God for first God saith c. II. God saith in his Law six dayes shalt thou labour but the Pope saith thou shalt not labour six dayes but shalt observe the Feasts commanded by the Pope to be observed IV. God's commands by his Apostle 1 Cor. 10. That when we are invited to the house of Infidels we should eat of that which is set before us making no scruple On the contrary the Church of Rome commands when we are invited to the house of Hereticks not to eat of all that which is set before us in Lent or on Good-Friday and fasting dayes Fol. 163. Answ 2. Let us avoyd all Popish errors Answ 3. Thirdly they are to blame also who bind themselves by a Vow not to eat flesh upon some certaine dayes and upon such dayes have no other care then to abstaine from flesh onely Ibid. On Mat. 15. 9. these passages are oblitered In vaine doe they worship me These words being urged by us against the Popes power in making lawes which binds the conscience Bellarmine answers three things thereunto namely First by the Commandements of men are understood Commandements which are contrary to the law of God but the Popes precepts are not so To this we answer I. All the commandements of men in whose observation the worship of God is placed is expresly and directly condemned for God is to be worshipped as himselfe prescribes II. All such commandements are contrary to the law of God which saith Thou shalt not adde to the word which I command thee namely in substantiall things or which are imposed as essentiall parts of God's worship III. There is no mysticall ceremony introduced or brought into the Church by the Popes or Popish Clergy which was lesse contrary to the laws of God then was that tradition of washing hands before meat which was ordained by the Elders of the Jewes Secondly the Jesuit answers that our Saviour blames here onely unprofitable and frivolous ceremonies onely invented by a humane braine or spirit but the precepts of the Pope are no such To this we
glorified The first link whom he had predestinated c. they loosen by making the decree of predestination conditionall and uncertaine The second link whom he called c. they loosen by making the grace of vocation both universall and resistable The third link whom he hath justified c. they loosen by making the act of justification repealable and the habit of Faith amissible But St. Austin clincheth them all fast whom he hath predestinated them he hath called to wit with a calling according to purpose not others therefore but whom he hath so called he hath justified neither others but such whom he hath predestinated called and justified them he hath also glorified How can a man that is effectually called and justified finally fall away and depart from the living God who is locked in the middle of this chaine and fastened to Christ with the Adamantine links on the one side of predestination on the other side of glorificaon neither the antiquity of Basilides nor the wit of Pelagius nor the subtilty of the School-men nor industry of the Jesuits nor the vehemency of the Lutherans nor the sophistry of the Remonstrants shall ever cast such a grosse mist before the eyes I say not of faith but of reason as to perswade us that he can fall finally whom God hath predestinated to stand that he may be condemned whom God hath justified that he shall ever be a vessell of dishonour whom God hath glorified illo utique fine qui non habet finem as Saint Austin speaketh that he may be cast into hell whose name is written in heaven that he can be in danger of the second death on whom it hath no power at all but every regenerate Christian and true Beleever is effectually called and therefore predestinated is justified by faith and therefore saved from wrath hath part in the first Resurrection and therefore the second death hath no power over him is received into the Church of the first borne and therefore his name is inrolled in heaven Are not all that are born againe of water and the spirit the sonnes of God if sonnes then also heirs it is the Apostles consequence Are not all true beleevers lively members of Christs mysticall body which is the true Church if they are so they must continue so that Christs body be not maimed c. Saint Austin and Gregory make good the inference Saint Austin expresly denying that to be Christs body in truth and consequently those members to be members of his body in truth which shall not continue so for ever St. f Gregory thus Comenting upon the words of Solomon King Solomon made himselfe a bed or Chariot of the wood of Lebanon the wood of Lebanon is said never to corrupt or rot Solomon therefore made his bed or Chariot he meaning the spirituall Solomon Christ of the wood of Lebanon because according to the grace of his prescience he hath built a holy Church of Saints that shall continue so for ever P. 18. Indeed if this affection were grounded upon any thing in us or depending upon the liberty of our will our changeablenesse might make us suspect the constancy therof but sith all the graces and vertues that shine in the faithfull are but the reflections and glissonings of the beams of his grace which beginneth and consummateth all good in us working in us both the wil and the deed how should this heavenly fire of Gods love ever go out c. Mark the rayes of the visible sun how constant they are being not moved at all by the motion of the Object but immoveably flowing from the body of the sunne though blustering winds tyranize in the ayre and remove it a thousand times out of his place in an hour yet the sun beams keep to their object which they enlighten and stir not at all in like manner our affections are transported with every gale of prosperity and storm of adversity and our wils somewhat yeeld to every wind of temptation yet Gods affections like the beams of the sun remain immovable where they are once fixed for they depend not upon any qualities in us but upon his owne immutable essence who is more constant then we are inconstant more strong then we are weak more sufficient then we are insufficient we praise and dispraise with a breath frowne and smile with a look love and hate with a conceit but Gods affections are not like ours nor are his thoughts our thoughts neither are his wayes our ways for whom he loveth he loveth to the end though we be unmercifull yet he still abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Page 19. But I subsume all true beleevers are the elect of God how then can they perish if the election of all the faithfull be not as evident as the salvation of the elect in Scripture why doth Saint Paul stile faith the faith of Gods elect why doth St. Luke assigne election as the proper cause of faith as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved as for the reprobates if we beleeve the ancient Fathers they are as farre â—om faith as from salvation all reprobates saith Saint f Gregory are without the â—â—unds of the Church although they seem to be within the pale of faith and as farre from â—â—e repentance as from faith God bringeth none of these saith Saint Austin to healthfull and spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled to God and as farre from Charity as from both for this gift of the holy Ghost saith the same Father is peculiar and proper to them who shall reigne with Christ The faith of hypocrits is resembled by our Saviour to seed sowne upon stony ground which because it had no root soone withered but true faith to seede sowne in good ground which took deep root downward in humility and grew upword in hope and spread by charity and brought forth fruits of good works abroad in great abundance it is the plant which our heavenly Father planteth in our hearts and shall never be rooted out it is the true Amaranthus that never fadeth but after all the flowers are blown away or fall with the leafe being watred at the root reviveth and serveth for winter garlands even so a grounded belief after the flowers of open profession of Christ are blown away by the violent blasts of persecution or temptation being moistened with the water of penitent teares reviveth againe and maketh winter garlands for Christs spouse Page 769. 1. Of the supposition when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse is not this supposition impossible can the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse and commit iniquity and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked doth I answer First vvhether he can doe so or no the Prophet here determineth not but in case he doe so he pronounceth his doome Secondly vvhatsoever interpretation vve make of this Scripture it favoureth not the Popish or Semipelagian tenet concerning
unregerate though they seeme never so glorious to the eyes of the world God sets not a straw by them no more then he did by the sacrifices of the Pagans nor their works be not meritorious because they proceed from an heart void of faith yet they affirme them to be good works and such as please God truly they be as pleasing to him as the sacrifice of Caine was they are no better then fine glistering sinnes they want faith therefore they cannot please God nothing that we doe without faith hath any acceptance with God It is said of the ancient Israelites that the Word profited them not because it was not mingled with faith nor sacrifice in the time of the Law nothing was good unlesse there were salt in it so no work is good if it be not seasoned with faith therefore let us entreat the Lord to give us a true faith in Christ that so our spirituall sacrifices may be accepted of him And page 410. though the blind Papists will not see it but we affirme that our best works are defiled with sinne our preaching our praying our giving of almes hearing of Sermons yea martyrdome which is the most glorious work of all may have some contagion of sinne in it our bearing of sicknesse may have some infirmities we may curse God in it as Job's Wife perswaded him to doe and if God should mark what is done amisse who could stand But here is his goodnesse he saw a lye in the work of Rahab yet he commends it for a good work he seeth imperfections in all that we doe yet he passeth them over and because we be in Christ he accepteth of that we doe as a child may faile in doing his fathers errand he may faile in some circumstances yet because the substance of it is done the father praiseth him so will our heavenly father us well done thou good and faithfull servant therefore let this encourage us to well doing c. And page 101. We are not to seek salvation by the observation of the Law as Papists doe 38. A Passage expunged against the Churches Infallibility IN Master Ward 's Comentary on Matthew page 294. this is deleted Object The Doctrine of the Church is in all things infallible Answ First this was a personall promise made onely to the Apostles and so cannot be extended to all the Church if we will speak according to the words properly according to their immediate sense 39. Passages deleted against the Impositions Tyranny and Dissimulation of Kings see Arbitrary power c. page 289. IN Doctor Clarks Sermons page 224. instead of legall imposts the Licenser hath put peaceable imposts Ibid page 225. instead of Subjects are not Tributaries the Licenser hath altered it to good subjects need not to be Tributaries c. And instead of not that in Samuel he puts if not that in Samuel Ibidem after jus Regis the Licenser hath blotted out these words A plea abused to corrupt good Kings Ibidem Not Samuel's Tollet is made If not Samuel's Tellet Ibidem page 336. l. 4. these words at all are added by the Licenser and these that follow Or if you will not lawfull in a compulsory way but in a consultory it wils due respect and discretion The Author wrote thus Kings are uncontrolable who will say saith Job to a King thou art wicked that shewes that it is not safe to censure them not 't is not lawfull men may doe that they dare not doe c. And page 452. after unto another this is expunged It was a King a most Christian King that taught his sonne happily all the Latine that he had Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare he cannot reigne that cannot faigne c. In Master Wards Comentary on Matthew page 145. written copy this sentence â—s expunged Subjects are not actively to obey Kings when they command what God forbids in his Word 40. Passages deleted that the Law of God is possible to be fulfilled by men as the Papists hold and That men are damned for Originall sinne as well as Actuall IN Master Ward 's Comentary on Matth. 11. 5. page 227. this is obliterated How is the fulfilling of the Law impossible Answ First negatively not because the works therein contained in their owne nature transcend the power of the mind or body or Organs for man in Paradise had strength enough to obey the whole Law and the Saints in Heaven doe perfectly fulfill it Secondly affirmatively the Law is impossible for man to fulfill First the judgement of the mind is so depraved that we know not how to doe any spirituall or morall work aright so as we ought to doe it and Secondly because the affections are so corrupted that we are not able to governe them or to curb or restraine the malice and depravation of them Quest 2. Why are so many or any damned perpetually Answ Not onely for their actuall sinnes but even also for their originall corruptions and depravation of nature Ephes 2. 1 2. for sinners shall be beaten with stripes and with more stripes Luke 12. 47. c. that is First they shall have plura verbera more stripes and more grievous torments in hell for their actuall sinnes But Secondly they shall also have verbera stripes eternall condemnation and torments though not equall with the former who never committed actuall sinne but onely dyed in their naturall estate their originall corruption not being washed away by or in the blood of Christ Observ Secondly by grace in Christ we are enabled to walk in the wayes of God and to work his work for Christ doth give unto all those whom he cals power in some measure to obey him for he gives not onely velle power to will and desire but also posse power to doe that which he commands Phil. 2. 13. Quest 3. How doth this appeare for none seem and that especially to themselves more weak then the children of God Answ It most evidently appeares by these particulars viz. First because we are called unto the glory of God Phil. 2. 15. c. and to hold forth the Lamp of a pure life Mat. 5. 16. and therefore certainly those whom God cals shall from him receive grace and power to performe good works Secondly because Religion is the path-way to Heaven and therefore undoubtedly those whom the Lord cals unto that inheritance he will enable in some measure to walke in the wayes of Religion and to giue unto him religious worship read Deut. 5. 33. Josh 22. 5. Mat. 3. 8. 10. 7. 20. Luke 11. 28. Rom. 2. 7. Gal. 5. 16. Thirdly because Christ unto those whom he cals gives the holy comforter even a bright shining light whereby we are assured of the love of God which love of his worketh a threefold effect in us namely First it makes us love the Lord againe and to returne love for love and although we cannot love him in that measure and degree that he loveth us his love
doe not preferre the advancement of Religion and prâ—pagation of the Gospel before all humane things If the Reader desire to see theâ— answers and particulars amplified and much enlarged let him read Chemuit Harâ— fol. 893. Ibidem page 38. this is deleted Thirdly as the fish gaine nothing except they be taken with the hooke so preaching profits not the hearers except thaâ— obey what is preched and therefore great is their misery who neglect the preaching of the Word for first from such the Vineyard shall be taken away and secondly thâ— wrath of God shall abide upon and remaine with them yea thirdly the Word preached and the empty feats will rise up in judgement at the last day and therefore man had better neglect pleasure riches honour meat health yea life it selfe thaâ— the preaching of the Word for what will momentary pleasure or uncertaine rices or vvorldly honour or food or health or life profit us if vve lose our precious soulâ— of more vvorth then all these eternally In fishers vve must consider besides thâ—â— knovvledge and diligence these tvvo things to wit the place and maine scope Firsâ— the place vvhere they fish and herein vve may observe first that they must be in many places for sometimes fishers are in one place or part of the sea sometimes in another as vve see in Christ and his Apostles Mark 1. 38. Secondly there are fisher◠〈…〉 in the uttermost parts of the vvorld so Ministers must follovv Gods calâ— though 〈…〉 to goe to forraigne parts their line vvent through all the vvorld Thirdly 〈◊〉 make long journeys goe much ground faile farre in the sea for a fevv fishes â— Ministers preach long for the vvinning of a fevv soules Secondly in fishes vve may 〈…〉 the maine scope vvherein note that servants fish not for themselves but for their Masters so Ministers must wooemen for God not for themselves and labour to gaine soules that they may be presented as pure and chast Virgins unto the Lord 2 cor 11. 2. as Eleazer vvooed Rebecca for Isaac not for himselfe and continued soliciting her untill shee consented to goe with him so the Ministers of God must first labour not for an hour but untill they have gained some soules unto the Lord their Master and secondly they must labour not for their owne sakes but for their peoples yea for Gods sake that is for Gods glory and their salvation and thirdly the Ministers may be said to labour for their owne sakes too for it is true yee are my Crown and my glory as the Apostle saith Phil. 4. 1. 1 Thes 4. 19. 20. yea the Epistle which is written in our heart 2 Cor. 3. 2. and if you stand fast then we live 1 Thes 3. 8. Ibidem page 40. The Church of God is sometimes compared to the Sea and then the Ministers are the Pilots of the Ship and the fishers in that Sea and therefore if our names imply labour and cur calling import industry then Non-residents are not to be commended if they absent themselves from their flocks for their lucre or ease-sake and not upon some urgent and weighty affaires for a time which may be as profitable for the Church of God Paul laboured night and day and Christ prayed not that drones and idle persons but that labourers might be sent into his harvest Ibidem page 328. Answ 2. Christ here onely reproveth the ambitions affectation of the Pharises who delighted much to be called Fathers when the Pharises sate in Moses Chaire then they might call them fathers that is so long as they taught the truth but when they were not directly subordinate unto God and affected that which was due onely to him then they were not to be counted as Fathers mark here the opposition call no man your Father for one is your Father in Heaven If the earthly Father be subordinate to the Heavenly then ye may call them father but when they affect that which is due to the heavenly Father to whom belongeth the Kingdome the power and the glory then call them not Fathers Ibidem printed book fol. 170. written copy fol. 82. They mis-apply the Word who first sow pillowes under mens elbowes secondly but principally they who make sad the hearts of those by their preaching whom God hath not made sad such are those at this day who have smooth tongues in respect of sinne and yet are full of bitter invectives against the better sort some hate the preaching of the Word and therefore hate and abuse the Preachers thereof whence it comes to passe first that some Ministers are partly fearfull and so forbeare preaching that by so doing they may decline hatred persecution and reviling speeches Secondly some are partly weary c. Ibidem printed booke fol. 178. written copy fol. 79. Quest. How must we so preach that God may gaine glory thereby Answ It is done three manner of wayes viz. either first by preaching the glorious works of God and that either first his eternall works or decrees which were from all eternity as namely first the creation of the Universe secondly the predestinating of some unto salvation from the corrupt masse of man-kind fallen in Adam thirdly our redemption by Christ fourthly the preparation of celestiall glory Secondly his works done in time which are either first temporall as first the preservation of the whole world secondly the protection of man least he should lack any good thing or be harmed by any evill thing c. Ibidem printed book fol. 490. written copy fol. 298. A knowing Minister can better direct people to come out of their sinnes c. Page 29. book fol. 9. written copy 262. They being converted must convert their brethren the Gentiles Answ 8. The finall cause why the Apostles were sent unto Israel was that so their obstinacy and hard-heartednesse might be perfected and ripened unto judgement and therefore although the Samaritanes were more ready to hear and embrace the Gospell then the Jewes as appeares by John 4. Act. 8 yet Christ sends it to those who are most backward and difficultly perswaded yea who will not be perswaded to embrace it that so their sinnes may be full and mature unto harvest Hence observe that the preaching of the Word is often sent unto many for their destruction this evidently appeares thus to wit first from these places Jer. 7. 27. Ezek. 2. 35. 3. 6. c. Matth. 24. 34. John 15. 22. 24. Act. 13 46. 7. 22. 1 Thes 2. 15. Secondly because thus the justice and anger of God is justified 2 hron 36. 16. Rom. 10. 21. Prov. 1. 24. Thirdly because it is the nature of the Word to harden as well as soften like the Sunne which hardens mire as well as softens wax for the Word is a light and therefore where that shines men cannot sinne in darknesse and when men sinne against light and conscience then judgement is neer even at the doore c. 48. Passages deleted against Murther
Afternoon Sermon but only such Questions and Answers as are conteined in the Common Prayer book not allowing Ministers to expound or open the points of the same to the people he and his Officers affirming in publike places that such an Exposition might be as ill as a Sermon And by colour of these Instructions and the Declaration for Sports he silenced suspended at least fifty Ministers forcing many of them and above three thousand people besides to desert the Kingdome and fly into Holland and New-England as appears by the Articles of his impeachment presented to the Lords by the house of Commons and by sundry witnesses before severall Committees All which Exorbitancies issued from these Instructions and must be put on this Archbishops score the Author of them to whom Bishop Wren and other Bishops gave an annuall Account of their due execution Bishop Mountague succeeding Bishop Wren in the Bishoprick of Norwich in pursuance of these Instructions exceeded him in his Visitation Articles concerning Lectures and Lecturers as appeares by these ensuing printed both at London and Cambridge Anno. 1638. 4. Concerning Lecturers and Lectures Forasmuch as of late years the course and humor of Lecturing and the frequenting and hearing such exercises is of great resent in the State and Church of England from which course as much good may ensue and be procured if well and discreetly managed so if otherwise great hurt danger and scandall may and often doth result the cure and care whereof properly and immediately belongs to the Bishop of the Diocesse where such exercises are the Church-Wardens and Sidesmen are given to understand that there be amongst us three sorts of Lecturers 1 The first most hugged followed admired and maintained is a super-inducted Lecturer in another mans cure and pastorall charge who hath some resemblance to the ancient Catharist in the Primitive Church but is up and down the same with the Doctor in the New Discipline which I take it is the motive of his so great approbation and good entertainment above the Incumbent of the Cure though never so learned and painfull 2 Concerning him it is to be enquired of what degrees in Schools he is and of how long standing and studying in Divinity whether he be a graduate in Divinity a Doctor or at least a Batchelor and not a young Student or Preacher 3 Are his Lectures popular Afternoon Sermons or be they Catechisticall and readings upon some common place of Divinity or the four parts of the English authorized Catechisme or some of the 39 Articles of our Confession 4 Is he there admitted with the consent of the Incumbent or against his will with warrant and authority from the Bishop under his Episcopall seal Is the Minister and Incumbent of that place where he Lectureth a Preacher or not and if a Benefice be offered the Lecturer do you suppose he would take it 5 Doth he often and at times appointed read Divine Service and administer the Communion in his Surplisse and Hood of his degree 6 Of what length are his Lectures and how is his Prayer at beginning and end is he there in conforme unto the Appointment and Order of the Canon Can. 55. 7 Doth he in his popular Lectures ordinarily fall upon points of misticall darke and abstruse Divinity as Praedestination c. Doth he intermeddle with matters of State Government forrein from his profession above his understanding 8 Doth he oppose or traduce openly the Doctrine of his Brethren and neighbouring Ministers or obliquely underhand or upon the by gird at them the Doctrine Discipline of the Church any Parishioner c. so designing him them or that that a man may take notice of his meaning 9 The second sort of Lecturers be those of Combination when many neighbouring Ministers do voluntarily agree and consent with the Ordinaries approbation not otherwise to preach a Sermon every man in his course at some adjoyning market town upon the market day for instructing of such who repair together to sell and buy in their duty to God and commerce with man Have you any such Lecturers 10 Who be the Combiners be they beneficed men of the Diocesse and not strangers or Curates who are not to be admitted because if they offend in their Sermons the Diocesan cannot reach them they are gone 11 Doth this Lecturer any way abridge hinder or cut off Divine Service which is compleatly to be finished before the Lecture begin 12 Do any resorting thereto walke aloofe or in the Church-yard on stay at some house purposely and not repair to the Church till Lecture begin If any such misdemeanour be present it and without amendment the Lecture shall cease 13 A third sort be running Lecturers who point upon such a day to meete at such a Church most an end in some Country Town or Village and then after Sermon and dinner at some house of their disciples repeat censure and explain the Sermon discourse of points proposed at their last meeting by the head of that Classis or Assembly ever to the promoting of their owne fancies and derogation from the doctrine and discipline of the Church after all they do again condicere and appoint to meet next at such a Church in like sort to like purpose Such I found in Sussex at my comming thither If you have any such or know any such present them as far as you can learn who they be where they do meet whither any of your Parish run after them By these we may discerne the spirit of this Prelate and his Malignity against Lecturers and Lectures which he carefully suppressed in Chichester Diocesse where he published the like Articles and would have done the like in Norwich but that his predecessour Bishop Wren had left no Lectures for him to suppresse Doctor Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wells a great creature of this Arch-Prelates to please his Grace the better by colour of these Instructions which he rigorously observed suppressed all Lectures within his Diocesse both in Market Townes and elsewhere as well combination Lectures as those maintained by Ministers or Lecturers upon stipends or the peoples benevolence some of which Lectures had continued 40 or 50 years without interruption and were countenanced by some of his Predecessors actuall preaching at them in their turnes which when he had effected he publikely gloryed in this wicked act using this most execrable speech I thank God I have not one Lecture lest in my Diocesse professing before that he hated the very name of Lectures and would not leave so much as one Lecture in his Diocesse and requiring the Ministers upon their canonicall obedience not to preach any Lecture alleaging that there was no such need of preaching no was there was in the Apostles dayes Yea he suspended Mr Devenish the Minister of Bridgewater for preaching a Lecture there in his own Church on the Market day which Lecture had continued from Queen Elizabeth time till then and refused to absolve him till he hath
done the like Ninthly we conceive that the Statute of 3. E. 6. c. 10. which command all Images of Stone Timber Alabaster or Earth graven carved or painted which heretofore have been taken out of any Church or Chapple or yet stand in any Church or Chapple to be defaced and destroyed extend to Images in glasse windowes as well as others which are but painted Earth and that which confirms us in this opinion is That the Homilies against the peril of Jdolatry the occasion of this Law and the injunctions of Queen Elizabeth made in pursuance of it extend in direct terms to Images in glasse windowes as well as to Images of Stone Timber and the like yea the practise of that time in defacing the glasse Images in Lambeth Chapple-windowes which he of late repaired and in most other places infallibly proves it Together with the Statute of 3. Jac. c. 5. which reckons up Jmages and Crucifixes of what matter soever among the Reliques of Popery and enjoynes them to be defaced wherefore the evasion of his is most false and frivolous especially since Popery may creep in at a glasse-window as well as at a door and our Homilies Injunctions writers censure all of them alike if this Statute do it not Finally by all these Answers he professeth himself a most zealous real Papist but false Protestant in pleading thus boldly and falsly for the use of Images of all sorts in Churches and in repairing of Popish Images formerly defaced by Authority insteed of confessing and craving pardon for this his dangerous error his most Idolatrous Popish practise The second thing objected against me as a Popish Innovation in my Chapple at Lambeth is my removing and railing in the Communion Table there Altarwise with the ends of it North and South against the wall my furnishing it with Basons Candlesticks and other furniture and hanging a cloth of Arras behinde it with the Picture of Christ and his Apostles eating the Lords Supper together Ans To which I Answer First That the railing in and placing the Table Altarwise is warranted by Queen Elizabeths Injunctions which prescribe That the Holy Table in every Church be decently made and set in the place where the Altar stood Now the Altars generally in all Churches as all Antiquity manifests stood at the East end of the Quire North and South close to the wall as the Tables were lately placed and there were railed in This therefore is no innovation Secondly the furniture on the Altar is no other then such as is in use in the Kings own Chapple at White-Hall and had been there used ever since and before my time Thirdly that the Arras peece at the back of the Table containing the Story of Christs last Supper was fit for that place and occasion That such Images and representations were lawful approved by all the Lutheran Churches yea by Master Calvin himself for an Historical use in the place forecited Jnst l. 1. c. 11. Sect. 12. Reply To this the Commons replied First That neither Queen Elizabeths Injunctions nor the Rubrick in the Common Prayer-Book nor any Law or Canon of our Church prescribe the railing in of our Communion Tables or placing them Altarwise against the wall with the ends North and South There is no sillable in any of them to warrant any such Popish innovation prescribed only by Popish Canons as we have proved That it cannot be proved that Altars were generally so placed and railed in anciently either in England or elswhere The contrary whereof we shall prove anon That the makers and executers of these Innovations knew best of any where and how Communion Tables were to be situated by vertue of them and they generally placed them throughout the Realm in the midst of the Quire or Chancel with the ends East and West standing a convenient distance from the East wall without any rail about it in which posture they generally stood in all Churches Chapples and in Lambeth Chapple it self for one ever since these Injunctions published till this innovating Arch prelate altered this their ancient situation Yet both the Rubrick in the Common Prayer Book the Queens Injunctions the 82 Canon Bishop Jewel Bishop Babington Doctor Fulk and other of our writers agree that when the Sacrament is administred it ought to stand in the body of the Church or Chancel of which more hereafter This therefore is an innovation and that a Popish one too tending to introduce private Masse to remove the Lords Table as far as possible from the view and audience of the common people when the Sacrament is celebrated at it Secondly We have proved that this Altar-furniture of Candlesticks Tapers Basons Crucifixes and the like was originally borrowed from the Roman Ceremonial Pontifical and the Popish Councel of Aix which injoyn them That the third Part of our Homilies against the peril of Idolatry and Queen Elizabeths Injunctions which he cites for the placing of Lords Tables Altarwise Injunct 2. 23. 25. condemn censure abolish as Superstitious Ethnical and Popish all Candlesticks Trendals Rolls of wax and setting up of Tapers for that they be things tending to Idolatry and Superstition which of all other offences God Almighty doth most detest and abhor for that the same diminish most his honour and glory Therefore the Kings Altar-Furniture in his Chappel at White Hall can be no justification nor extenuation of his offence who should have reformed his Majesties Chappel whereof he was the Dean and Superintendent according to our Lawes Homilies Injunctions which condemn such Altar-trinkets not conformed his own Chapple Altar to the Kings in these meer Popish Superstitious innovations Thirdly The Arras hanging was rather suited to the Crucifixes in the glasse window over it and other Images of Christ in that Chappel then to the place or Lords Table where it hanged The Table and Sacramental elements themselves with the usual participation of them every moneth being sufficient to minde us of our Saviours last Supper passion death too and to shew them forth till he come who used no such Pictures nor Crucifixes when he instituted his last Supper without any such Image or Crucifix which being condemned by our Statutes Homilies Injunctions Canons Writers as we have formerly evidenced yea by all Antiquity by Mr. Calvin himself and many Lutherans too ought not to have been placed there the rather because there is no warrant nor prescript for it but only in the Roman Ceremonial p. 69. 70. His conformity whereto was the only ground of hanging up those Arras Pictures which well deserves another hanging especially in an Arch-prelate who professeth himself a Protestant and as averse from Popery as any man whatsoever The third sort of Innovations in my Chappel charged against me is the setting up of a Credentia or Side-table my own and my Chaplaines bowing towards the Table or Altar at our approaches to it our going in and out from the Chappel my Chaplains
and his Brethren to be annually kept by the space of 8. dayes in the Month Caslâ—u 1 Mac. 4. 56 59. as Interpreters and the Margin of our Bibles resolve which being of no Divine Institution kept only by the Superstitious Jewes not by Christ or his Apostles who are not said to observe but only to be at Jerusalem when it was the Feast of Dedication Iohn 10. 22. It can be no warrant at all for the consecration of Altars much lesse of Churches now Finally wee answer that we find no mention in Scripture or Classicall Writers of any consecration of Iewish Synagogues to which our Churches properly succeed but only of their Tabernacle and Temple in such sort as you have heard with which our Churches Chapells have no proper Analogie That this Argument of the Archbishop drawne from the presidents in the Old Testament is borrowed from no Orthodox Ancient Father or Councell but only from the Popish Canonist Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. who thus concludes from these presidents Si enim Judai qui umbrae legis deserviebant hoc facicbant multo magis nos quibus veritas patefacta gratia per Iesum Christum data est Templa Domino aedificare pro ut melius possumus orare eaque DIVINJS PRECIBVS ET SANCTIS VNCTIONIBVS suis cum Altaribus vasis vestibus quoque Reliquijs ad divinum cultum explendum utensilibus DEVOTE ET SOLENNITER SACRARE non in alijs quam in Domino sacratis ab Episcopis non a Corepiscopis qui saâ—e prohibiti sune nisi summa exigente necessitate Missas celebrare nec sacrificia offerre debemus Domino You see out of what Popish quiver this Archbishop drew this leaden shaft of his To his pretended antiquity for the consecration of Churches Chappell 's Altars c. since Christs time we answer first that before the raigne of Constantine the Great there is no credible president or authority at all for dedication of any Churches And that Eusebius who De vita Constantini l. 3. c. 24. to 40. 45. 47. 49. 50. 51. lib. 4. c. 39 makes mention of Constantines and his Mother Helenaes building of divers stately Churches at Bethlehem in the Mount of Olives in Constantinople Nycomedia Mambre in Phaenicia and elsewhere by his Edicts enjoyned Christians to build Churches yet makes no mention of any Edicts for their hallowing True it is that De vita Constantini l. 4. c. 43. 45. 47. we read that Constantine summoned a General Councell of Bishops to Jerusalem to settle some differences in the Church and that at this meeting he thought best to consecrate and thereupon kept the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple which he had built at Jerusalem over our Saviours Sepulchre which the Priests then Consecrated but how with prayers disputations preachings expositions of Scripture and receiving the Sacrament as he expresly defines c. 45. But of any other particular Church then this thus consecrated by his appointment we finde no mention Indeed the same Eusebius in his Ecclesiast Historiae l. 10. c. 3. De Encauijs ubique locorum celebratis writes that Churches being reedified under Constantine Deinceps celebre spectaculum nobis omnibus optabile vehementer desideratum ante omnium occulis proponebatur Dedicationum scilicet festivitates per urbes singulas templorum nuper aedificà torum consecrationes which intimates that Churches then new built were solemnly dedicated to God in most places but what those Dedications of them were he informes us in the same Chapter That they were Panygericall Orations in praise of their founders c. of which he cites a memorable one made to Paulinus Bishop of Tyre in the next Chapter These Dedications therefore of Churches then were farre different from those used by the Papists and this Archbishop now We read not then of any consecration of their foundation stones any pompous processions to them any knocking at the doores by the Bishop crying with a loud voyce Open Open ye everlasting doores c a cleare perverting of Scripture of no flying open of the doores there-upon No falling downe upon the marrow bones and saying This place is holy c. No casting up of dust in the ayre no such prayers processions round about the Church bowings to the Altar pronouncing of cursings and blessings Peepings recoylings and other Antick tricks as this Bishop used at Creed Church and elsewhere no Hallowing of Altars Altar-clothes Vessells Vestments Churchyeards Chappell 's Therefore these Consecrations in Constantines dayes are no warrant at all for his the rather because not made by Bishops alone who now monopolize them After Constantines time there is very rare mention of any Consecration of Churches in Ecclesiasticall Histories or the genuine writings of the Fathers till Popery overspread the Church and Popes brought it in by forged decrees Gratian himselfe being unable to cite so much as one Fathers Authority for it Di Consecratione distinct 1. where he professedly handles this subject but only the forged Decrees of Popes and the Canons of two or three late Popish Councells there being no Canons concerning it in any ancient genuine Synods Yea the consecration of Churches was so much neglected even in the very darkest time a of Popery above a thousand yeares after Christ that Oâ—hobon the Popes Legat and the Synod held under him here in England in Henry the third his Raigne acknowledge that there were many Parish Churches and some Cathedralls then uncrusecrated although built long before Now to prove the consecration and meerly Popish as of late ages it hath beene used at least it is agreed by Gratian Platina the Centuryators Thomas Beacon and others that Pope Hyginus Gelasius Iohn Nicholas Clemens Sylvester Felix and Gregory whose spurious Decrees are cited by Gratian De Consecratione Distincti and Surius in his 1. and 2 Tome of Councells were the first inventors and prescribers of this Ceremony of Consecrating Churches and Altars prescribing 1. That no Church should be built or consecrated without the command Authority or consent of the Bishop of Rome 2ly That every Church should be consecrated with a Masse and no Masse said or Sacrament administred unlesso in case of absolute necessity but in a consecrated Church and at a consecrated Altar 3ly That these Priests should be deprived who said Masse or officiated in unhallowed places or at unconsecrated Altars 4ly That no Altars should be consecrated without the Reliques of Saints and if any Altars were consecrated without them they should be pulled downe 5ly That all Stone Altars should be anoynted and consecrated with Chrisme 6ly That no Church should be consecrated wherein a Pagan was interred unlesse his corps were first digged up and cast out of it 7ly That the Timber of a consecrated Church and Vestments once consecrated though worne out decayed should not be converted to any other good use but burnt to Ashes and these to be laid up safely in some place