against himself So that Romes persisting in her Saturday Fast is an Eternal evidence and record against her self that neither her Popes were Successors to St. Peter nor she truly Catholick and Apostolical in her Traditions and that leaving her St. Paul's Bible at last for St. Peter's Keyes which belong'd not to her alone she is fallen to the ground between two Chaires and Titles Now it is well known that to the time of the Council of Nice for about 300 years after Christ the Eastern Churches and such of the Western who were for observing Easter upon a Sunday and not one the precise day of the Jewish Passover continued their difference to that height that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Epiphanius r Lib 3. Haeres Audian they did not communicate with one another The Western or the Roman taking the Resurrection for their rule and the Eastern supported by the Authority of St. John the Evangelist a long Liver and St. Peter as afore and the Bishops of the Circumcision whom they followed whose determination by Apostolical Constitution the whole World was to follow to prevent Schisme and Division in the Church as the same Father Notes They having more to say by this for their r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Title to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief Judges of Controversy in the Church than the Bishops of Rome could ever pretend to because James the just the first Bishop of Jerusalem whom they succeeded stil'd the Brother of our Lord Å¿ Idem lib. 3. Haeres Antidicomarian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the first who received the Episcopal Chaire and whom the Lord entrusted with his throne upon Earth in the formost place And it is an Argument of greater Superiority to succeed the Master as they did than to succeed St. Peter his Minister which is the utmost that Rome doth or can pretend though with more ambition than antiquity or reason of its side Now of what side the Churches of Brittain were in this early Controversie whether of the East or of the West before the Councils of Arles and Nice determin'd it is gatherable from the answer of Colman the Bishop of Lindisfarn to Wilfrid at the dispute before the King of Northumberland at Streanshall or Whitby so that their conformity to the East as will appear proves the Brittish Church by consequence to have more adher'd to St. Peter and his party than did Rome for in that solemn Synod held upon this particular point in the year 664. they say Pascha hoc quod agere solo a majoribus meis accepi qui me huc Episcopum miserunt quod omnes patres nostri viri deo dilecti eodem modo modo celebrasse noscuntur quod ne cui contemnendum reprobandum esse videatur ipsum est quod beatus Johannes Evangelista Discipulus specialiter Domino dilectus cum omnibus quibus praeerat Ecclesiis celebrasse legitur Bed l. 3. c. 25. This kind of keeping of Easter which I observe I received from my Ancestors which sent me hither a Bishop which all our Fathers belov'd of God are known to have observ'd after the same manner And least any should imagine this way to be depised or disallowed it s the very same which the blessed Evangelist St. John the Disciple specially beloved by our Lord is recorded to have observ'd himself with all the Churches that were under him And Wilfrid on the other side referr'd his way of observing it after the manner of the Roman Church to a tradition derived down from St. Peter being both in the dark about the point now in difference which was not Doctrinal but Astronomical but clearly discovering the extraction and Communion of the Brittish Church and her Daughters in the belief and perswasion of Ancestours to be from and with the East and not from Rome For so Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus in his Synodicall Epistle writ against Pope Victor as it is mentioned by St. Hierome in his Catalogue In Asia lye St. Philip and his three Daughters at Hierapolis St. John who lean'd on our Lords bosom at Ephesus and with them Polycarp Thrascas Sagaris Papyrius Melito who all kept Easter according to Evangelicall tradition and the Canon of the Church on the fourteenth day without inclining to either side And I Polycrates according to the Doctrine of my Immediate predecessors Bishops being 7 in number whereof I am the Eight have alwayes observ'd Easter when the people of the Jews keep their feast of unleavened Bread But after the Councils of Arles and Nice interpos'd and decided this Controversie between the East and West it is as clear the Brittish Church kept Easter no more upon the day of the Passover but on the t Bed l. 3. c. 25. Sunday following according to the mind and decision of the Council wherein they differ'd from the Quartadecimani who are branded for Hereticks for keeping it on the Passover day and not on Sunday and that fasting and so much is also confessed in Wilfrid's reply to Colman Johannes adlegis Mosaicae Nihil de primâ sabbati curabat quod vos non facitis qui non nisi primâ sabbati celebratis that they differ'd from St. John and the East in having so punctual a regard to the Lords-day or the first day of the week which Moses and the Synagogue and those Eastern Christians that went their way never heeded where by the way we may observe that as the Bishops of the Circumcision were of Ancient Right and Custom Superiours to Rome and all our Gentile Churches so Christian Emperours in General Counsels were Superiours to both over ruling both the one and the other to peace and unity against their several traditions and in defect of General Councils who now never meet and the Bishops of the Circumcision who are exstinct the Brittish Church becomes Supreme within it self under its own Governours being no more under Rome than Rome under it and no other left that pretends to such Superiority But if the Church of Brittain left its Eastern traditions to observe the decrees of Councils which Rome alike observ'd where then was the difference between Augustine and the Btittains there was none in Doctrine but only in Almanack Calculation For as u Usher p. 925. the learned Primate proves both Churches followed the same Paschall Cycle from about the year 382. to the time of Dionysius Exiguus who taught the Church of Rome a better about the year 500. convinceing them to be two dayes out in theit account and x Baronius An. 325. N. 30. Baronius confesses that after the Council of Nice the Bishops of Rome received their directions from year to year for the week Easter was to be kept from the Church of Alexandria where they had better Mathematicians When the Roman Church followed the Cycle of 84 yeers which the Brittains also were guided by they would not keep their Easter on the 15 â—h day of the Moon though it fell upon
men as well lay as Clergy are bound to know upon their duty and Allegiance to God and their Country and Justice and Civility to their Neighbours least they be betrayed by willful Ignorance to aid an Usurper against the Right Heir wherein no more learning or Logick is required to master and understand the point but so much temper and Judgement as serves to hear an evidence and discern between soul and body or God and Creature or Christianity and Heathenism or Loyalty and Treason and to lay hand upon heart and to follow either the Laws of God and man whereby all men are Rul'd or fate and Providence whereby they are Over-ruled But whether in Gods mercy or Judgement we are to be freed or continued under our fears and anxieties to the fixed and resolved in faith it signifies no more than putting on a Winter or a Summer habit either the militant Garb of Patience to our great reward and comfort and your great account which alone can abate it or the Triumphant of thanksgiving to the mutual solace and bliss of both But as for the weaker flock whereof Paternal Princely bowels and pastoral charge are ever the most tender with what security and content will they lye down beside the still waters in green Pastures when they shall have such a Shepheard to be their guard and back and a terrour much less a harbour to the Roman Wolves that would devoure them How will the Mountains skip like Rams and our little Hills like Lambs Great and unparallel'd was our joy for your R. Brothers Restoration and your own together to your Ancient Rights and Dignities over us that the whole Nation seem'd like unto men that dream'd but so great is the sence and fear of Spiritual Slavery upon them and their children more insupportable than any Temporal which it also may draw along with it that the joy of that day is like to be but a dream indeed compared to those exultations and full content and streins of hearty Triumphs if heart-strings can hold that shall break out in every street and corner of the whole Nation with Bon-fires and Feasts and praises reaching up to Heaven and thence to earth again in the responses of Angels to our Anthems at the day of your return from the danger of errour to our Church and our blessing and the truth That your R.H. will be more glorious in the end than in the beginning after your Victories over temptations and deceitful guides like the Sun after an Eclipse which is the present trust or shall ever be as it ought the daily prayer and study and Patience of Your Royal Highness most humble most dutyful and faithful Servant T. JONES TO THE READER THe first part of this discourse being deliver'd before a worâ—… City Company and for reasons conceived just to be published comes forth with the addition of what was omitted out of regard to the limits of the time and the order of their feast and with a large corroboration of the chief exhortation therein against Popery Which Controversie is here reduced to one point whereon all the rest depend The Soveraign Authority arrogated by the Bishop of Rome and yielded to by many either more grossly over men's hearts and Judgments whereby many Surrender their reasons to him or to that Church by implicit Faith to Act many things out of Roman-Catholick obedience which the Laws of God and man and Truth and Honour and Conscience and natural affection directly forbid where therefore the dispute will lye between Christ and his high pretended Vicar which of them is God and the chief Sovereign and Legislator of the heart and the measure of good and evil and Judge of quick and dead an Argument of our Romanists being under a manifest curse and blindness to doubt or deny his Soveraignty either by word or deed whom all Christians in their Creeds do and are to recognize for their Lord upon the Peril of Eternal Damnation Or more plausibly claim'd upon some colourable pretences in reference to this Island where the Controversie then must lye between the Forreign claim and yoak of the Triple Crown who had nothing to do here Originally more than any other Bishop and the native rights and Immunities of our Brittish Crown and Mitre which all Inferiours are bound to defend and maintain not out of Conscience or Allegiance only but for fear or upon the Peril of Damnation Temporal and our Superiours also upon their honour and trust and account to God being no less a tye and their own self-preservation likewise it being their essential Prerogative to have none here before them which no chief Superiour can quit without a contradiction and dangerous diminution of his Soveraignty And the first of these pretences is Antiquity whereby some Illiterate amongst our Ancient Brittains are led to believe and stile the Modern Roman Religion the old Faith as if Ancienter than their own true which is 600 years Senior to Apostatical Rome which prevailâ—d here for 700 or 800 years and not a few years elder to Rome Orthodox and Apostolical if not its first Mother and planter before the real Arrival of St. Paul or the doubtful of St Peter amongst them The second is a belief or inconsideration of some few of our Learned English that the English Nation receiv'd their first Faith from Rome by Augustine the Monk and others intruding here whereby Rome can be conceiv'd by such no less than a Mother-Church to England by consequence the third a consequent stumbling block hereupon that our Reformation was Schismatical or the Daughter Correcting of her Mother which were inconvenient for Generous Princes to countenance least they give an example thereby of like disobedience and Insurrection against their own Authority All which pretences being false and groundless in themselves are herein revers'd and pluck'd up by the roots And the true Original Arch-Schismatick and sire of the brood and example is fully detected and unkennell'd the peculiar game and Sport of our Brittish Princes of most Renown and spirit and success Cadwalhan ap Cadvan Henry 8th Q. Elizabeth And not only the Right and Title of our Brittish Church in each respect asserted but the truth of Christian and natural Religion in General is also resolv'd into first and proper Principles of fact or Faith or Reason a Method well agreeing with the Soul and understanding which in all men are stamp'd with the same Divine broad Seal and natural Allegiance to God and Truth The chief principles made use of if heeded being two the difference between the Soul and Body and between God and Creature or between Creatures themselves in their several parts and Characters personating the Rule of the one or the subjection of the other which are ingredients that pervade all duties as 24 Letters all Words and Syllables or 7 Notes all variety of Musick or Black and White all Colours and are themselves resolv'd into their first Authour and Founder in whom alone we live
So then due separation and distinction is to be made now between the parts and degrees of liberty and Captivity and how much of the Talent these laid out they may be computed to have had from Brittain and how much from Rome It was demonstrated before from their own exceptions that the Brittains had the Christian Catholick Faith Entire and Complete amongst them saving the Easter Calendar and the Roman Tonsure and Baptism-spittle and subjection to the Pope and the love of lyes and Legends and growing superstition which followed the hearts resignation from God to man and this was the case of Bede and all his Disciples as well as of Willibrord and Winifrid yea of all the Plantations in the Churches of England and Germany who had the substantial part of Catholick Religion entirely derived to them and undeniably from the Brittains as from the fountain head but as for the mud and mire and misery of Idolatry Superstition and spiritual bondage and slavery which they received by way of Augmentation to it none can deny but that solely and Eternally all that is owing to the Church of Rome Schismatically disturbing the Plantations of Brittain If it be an obligation that the Enemy hath sowen his tares in the same feild where the Master sowed good seed Math. 13.28 Therefore all English and Germans were true and perfect Christians as many as were ever so upon the score of the Brittains only but Roman-Catholicks upon the score of Rome But it is replyed if they had not their learning nor Doctrine yet nothing is more express in the History but that they had their License and Authority to Preach the Gospel to the German-Heathens from the Pope by which Wilfrid was made a Bishop and Winifrid Legate of Germany with the honour of the Pall which also was conferred on Egbert Archbishop of York who first set the others on For answer it were hard if settled Churches could not obey Christ in Converting Souls or confirming Brethren by the obligation of charity without particular leave and License from the Pope or that Ignorant souls must perish Eternally upon any neglect in procuring or unreasonableness in the vending and price for such a License Can Antichrist be far from such Merchandizing besides the two Ewaldi d Bede l. 5. c. 11. Spondan An. 694. 696. began and ended their Ministry without such License and their Martyrdom was honoured with Miracles e Ubbo Emm. lib. 4 p. 131. Bed 5. c. 11. And Suidbert took no mission but from Wilfrid in England There is some further mystery to be found in this License office we 'le search into it by degrees we meet in the story three helping hands which contributed their several assistances to the German Conversion The Kings and Major-Dome's of France the English at home the Pope at Rome f Ibidem Magdeb. Cent. 8. c. 10. p. 822. Pipin and Martel and Charlemain did good service with Armes and bounty subduing the Heathen obstructors and founding Bishopricks to encourage the promotors The g Bonifacij Epistl English at home had publick fasting and prayer that God might bless their Ministry upon the Saxons and Germans their own flesh and bloud themselves besides their labour and pain hazarded their lives daily in the work and several perished out-right in it But the Pope assisted only with his License and Aurhority and Letters of recommendations and Palls which with Romanist is more than all yet he spared them little Money for Winifrid h Spondan A. 724. n. 2. had his necessaries towards cloths and Books and subsistence supplyed and sent him out of England the Pope cannot be therefore justly said to do much more herein than Poets towards Heroes by extolling their noble works at home with pleasure which the other did abroad amidst dangers and difficulties many have praised Robin-Hood who never shot in his bow but unless he had parted with treasure as did Charlemain or taken part of the labour he could do no more nor so much for he was not skilled in the German Language as our English or Saxons were but he had as great an aim to their subjection as we had for their Salvation i M. Westm A. 609. Phocas his Patent for the Universal Bishop was not to lye Idle And when as they win many sincere and unwary souls to this day to surrender themselves to serve their ends how much more might they then when their Arts were less detected and Politicians love to have holy and sincere men for their Instruments to work with and the ambitious shal be tamper'd with according to their inclination to set such on and preferments and Palls shall begin all as Egbert for such service as also for bringing over the Scots and Irish from their Brittish Traditions to Subject themselves to Rome k Baron Tom. 9. p. 110 hath a Pall conferred upon him at York which from Paulimus his departure for about 30 years that See had wanted l Usher p. 87. H. Lhuyd frag p. 55. Elbodus was wrought off to betray North-Wales to be under Rome with the like bait of honour to be made Archbishop there and they are never weary at these temptations And so through m Bede lib. 5. c. 11 Pipin the Popes great favourite Willibrord is brought to Rome for his Consecration there and likewise Winifrid is prevailed upon by such encouragements to sow Rebellion having Ments conferred upon him over the head of the lawful Bishop of the place because given to hunting and raised into an Arch-Bishoprick and Primacy which may not seem strange when the chief Master of this part of the confederacy the Pope himself arrives at his Grandeur for him and his successors through acting and encouraging Rebellion n Magd. c. 8. c. 9 p. 544. Math. Westm An. 726. seque Pope Gregory the third Excommunicates his Liege Sovereign Leo Isaurus and forbids him Tribute and subjection in the West upon a difference between them in the point of worshiping Images wherein yet the Pope was in the wrong and the Emperour in the right but the true reason was the Pope was weary of his Exarchs at Ravenna and he had now an interest and a back with the Major-Dome's of France to secure his Treason o Baron Tom. 9 p. 79 Magd. cent 8. c. 10 p. 684. by entring into a League with them while the Emperours subject who shall be well rewarded and exalted in time for it for Chilperick and the Royal line of Clodoveus the first Christian King of France shall be deposed by the next p Spondan A. 751. Pope Zacharia for no cause but Innocence and dulness to make Rome for Pipin to be not a Protector but a perjur'd Usurper of the Throne wherein our q Ubbo Emm. Coronam Septrumque Pipino c. Spond 75 752. Boniface and r Magd. Cent. 8. c. 10. p. 725. Burchard Å¿ Spond A. 791. n. 3. though Sainted at Rome were equally
29. Usher p. 69. Paulinus for York and to r Bede l. 1. c. 28 29. Usher p. 69. Siagrius of Augustodunum or Autun advancing his Seat thereby to be next in Dignity to Lyons And in like manner to several other with Canting Epistles touching their use and the Office of them that are exalted to wear them at proper seasons The first conditions that attend it were 1. It was to be given to none but first upon the score of Å¿ Greg. lib. 7 Epist 5. c. 5. Epist 114. high merit 2. Nor without great t Ibid. entreaty 3. And without u Ibid. Platina in Leone secundo all Fee which last came to be dispens'd with after it was well rung into credit by other Arts and divine additional definitions of it that it was taken from x Pontif. Rom. Clem. p. 8. 86. off the body of St. Peter having vertue in it y Innocentius â—tius de Officio misse l. 1. c. 51. Pontif Rom. Ibid. to give plenitude of Archiepiscopal power to the wearer And by this time lest the cheapness should bring it into contempt it was not parted with but for a great and round sum and an Oath z Antiq Eccl. in Deneo p. 302. of Allegiance and particular fidelity to the Pope and to be a Pontif. Rom p. 89. buried with every Archbishop and purchas'd b Gratian distinct 100 a new within three Months upon pain of suspension and deprivation Thomas c Eadmer Histor Nov. lib. 4. p. 98. Archbishop of York half broak himself in the time of Henry the first to gain it to have his will against the Archbishop of Canterbury Walâ—er Grey d Math. Paris 1215. p. 463. Bishop of Worcester laid down 10000 l. Sterling now 30000 l. to be translated by it to the See of York The Bishops of Mentz e Fox Acts and Mon. vol. 1. p. 223. used to purchase it at 1000. then 20000 25000 and 27000 Florens Our Archbishops of Canterbury and York came at last to a certainty of f Godwin Catalog p. 133. 5000 Duckets and the rest of the Bishops to a known proportion for their Investitutes which in 40 years compass were computed in Henry the 8th's time g Antiquitates Ecclesiasticae p. 326. to amount to one hundred and sixty thousand pounds Sterling Now this last Title by Pall the Ancient Brittish Church never heeded as appears by Pope Gregory's Confession upon search of his h Bede 1. 28. Registers before and therefore that allegation in i Girald Cambrens Itinerarium Cambr. lib. 2. c. 1. Cambrensis and Hoveden of 25 Archbishops of St. Davids who succeeded St. David and used a Pall till Sampson who carried it to Dole is inconsistent with that utter enmity that continued some hundreds of years between the Romish and the Brittish Church unless as the Learned Vsher k Usher p. 74 75. proves it be understood of Sampson of York that went over to Dole as Pope Innâ—cent himself could tell k Usher p. 74 75. and not of Sampson of St. David who might have had a Pall remaining at York from the guift of Emperours as usual and not of the Pope whose Supremacy here was not then acknowledg'd Neither were our Metropolitans the less Metropolitans for the want of the Roman Pall for they had all other requisites saving l that one which is sufficient and the rather because they were as Perfect Metropolitan Bishops as the Pope himself before the time of Pope Marcus who first us'd a Pall because upon the Summons of Constantine the great they Sate as Archbishops and were so allowed of by the great Council of Arles and by Pope Sylvester himself or his Deputies who made no exceptions then against their dignities and sitting as we can read or hear of which was several years before the time of Pope Marcus the first Founder of the Pall And therefore their Metropolitan rights which were firm and valid so long before in the esteem of those two great powers who were able to create and abrogate such dignities Emperours and great Councils could not be infring'd in after Ages for want of that suspicious new mark and Livery Apoc. 13.16 17. that was to be far fought and dear bought and after all impertinent and Insignificant for the Brittains had not Faith or Brains to believe all the Lyes and false suppositions that are required to support the Credit and Veneration of this Pall. 1. That it was taken from off the body of St. Peter as is alledg'd by the Pope m Antiq. Eccl. 302. in Deneo or his Deputy for him at the Altar that being moulder'd into dust and ashes so long time agoe Nor 2. that his dead body were it in visible being could by this contact communicate such sanctity and authority to a patch of Wollen Cloth 3. That this Cloth sanctified by such Contact can alone conveigh to Archbishops their lawful power of Ordination and the rest of their Archiepiscopal Authority 4. That it cannot invest the Successor with the same power but by a Canonical Flannel Act must be buried out of the way as useless For a touch of a Loadstone serves to attract many needles one after another and the Father's Cloak may serve his Child or some poor body after his death 5. n Pontific Rom p. 68. That all Consecrations of men and Sacraments are void and useless without this ragge upon which the Authority of the Archbishop depends as the Ordinations of Ministers and Bishops upon the Authority of the Archbishop and all their lawful Consecrations of Sacraments upon the Authority and validity of their Ordinations Nor 6. That the Primitive Church for the first three hundred or five hundred years was no Church and had no lawful Governours nor Metropolitans nor Bishops nor Ministers either to Ordain or Consecrate Successors or to Preach the Word or to administer Sacraments with a right Calling because they had not this Roman Pall. All these fundamental points of the new Roman-Catholick Faith could not go down with our Orthodox and sober Ancestors But since the Church with them at Rome hath got new marks and definitions and Palls and Fees are now its measures aâ—â—Touchstones instead of Christ and the Heart This Controversy is now reducible to a narrower compass to a Dilemma and a short Issue The Dilemma this The Brittish Churches and their Metropolitical Sees and Authorities upon Monk Augustâ—â—â—'s Arrival hither were for want of Palls which 〈◊〉 implyed against them by Pope Gregory either all null and void and vacant or not If the latter then Pope Gregory and Augustine his Missionary were manifest Schismaticks and worse as shall be furher shewed for Invading Sees and Consecrating and Ordaining Ministers and Bishops in other 〈◊〉 Dioceses against their wills and rights and the Canons of the universal Church But if the former be true that they were no Churches of Christ nor lawful Sees nor Metropolitans whatever was
by Ambrosius in a solemn Assembly Cleri Populi of Parliament and Convocation to express this matter in modern Terms By which may be guessed the irregularity and invalidity of Adeodatus his Ordination which was Ordain'd only by one Bishop of his Province who had received his own from such as were no lawfull Bishops as before and of Theodorus Arch-Bishop the Restorer of the Romish Religion in England who was Ordain'd by none in all this Province and came hither with Tyrannical Power against the will of the Bishops of this Province and to displace such as were regularly Ordain'd and Consecrated by the Bishops of this Territory who had lawful Power as Ceadda Archbishop of York by name whereby himself in the sence of the Catholick Church in the Canons before recited was neither Bishop nor Priest nor within Christian Communion whereby the Authority of the rest by and after him Ordain'd and the nature of the whole roman-catholick-Roman-Catholick-Church built in this land upon such rotten Pillars may be scann'd and judg'd of with trust that there is mercy and compassion with God for the sincere in heart and Vengeance and Indignation against insolent disturbers and Tyrannical Hypocrites Which by the way might be the occasion that our Politick Popes in the Controversies heretofore berween the Sees of York and Canterbury for Priority after both sides were craftily well squeezed and lurch'd in their Purses referr'd this matter out of their moderation to be ended and detetmin'd by our own Kings as Edward the third did it under his great Seal as before whereby some Authority was by the way acquir'd to his Romish See of Canterbury which before he well knew had none at all by Church Canons by the Royal Patents of our Soveraign Kings which are favour'd by General a Con. in Trul. Can. 38. Chalc. Can. 17 Councils else for Kings to meddle in such Ecclesiastical concerns had been to touch the Apple of the Popes eye and to incurr the displeasure of St. Peter and St. Paul forever to the manifest hazard of their Crowns and Souls as there are Instances good store in matters of less offence and far more Temporal in their natures But our Popes will not stand to any Council but take themselves to be above them all which is the true reason of the Schism between the Eastern and Western Church or indeed of the Schism and departure of Rome from the whole Christian Church the true Catholick being ever govern'd by Laws and Canons but the Roman-Catholick affecting to be absolute and to Rule all Churches by its own Arbitary Will and Lust The former Arguments from General Councils though they are sufficient to satisfie all honest and right Christians yet our Popes are no more concluded by them than was Cromwell by Magna Charta unless therefore the Nullities of the Romish Church in England be prov'd from their own Rules and Principles and from their own mouths against themselves they are not prov'd home enough as to them to instance in two or three So tender are they and averse from shedding of bloud or would at least somtimes be so Accounted that their Clergy cannot be present b Con. Lateran Can. 18. at a Sanguinary Tryal but if they have the ill fate to kill a man though through mistake and chaunce they become Irregular for it and depriv'd of their holy Orders irrecoverably Much more then are they forever unclerk'd by Murder whereof if our Augustine the Monk was manifestly guilty in principal manner not towards one but towards one or two thousand Innocents no men of Arms but of the Book and Gown and Prayer then the Orders he had or conferr'd after that on others as on Justus and Mellitus made Bishops by him after this fact came all to nought as to them in fact or desert and their whole Romish Church and Ministry by consequence but that he was principally guilty of the barbarous Murder and Massacre of our Brittish Monks at Bangor as before c Juell 5 part defence 438. who by good Relation came out Bare-foot and Bare-head to beg their lives and was present at the place to encourage the slaughter for the better propagating of the Romish Faith or at the least had a great hand in this bloud is not denyed by impartial Antiquaries yea those methods us'd by Romish forgeries to palliate his crime by corrupting Bede's text and also by Enthusiastical Hypocritical praedictions to father this execrable massacre upon the Spirit of God these Arts and devices are so far from excusing that they prove and fasten it the more upon him and in a very high and nefarious manner His Orders therefore and his after Actings in the See of Canterbury were all null by their own Rules And his Communion and much more his Fatherhood in the Christian Faith to be disown'd and detested by all English Christians and true Catholicks forever in their own defence Besides Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury at a Council at Herutford pass'd this Canon which ownes and espouses the like Canons of the Ancient Church with their penalties d H. Spelman Concil p. 153. Vt nullus Episcoporum c. That no Bishop Invade the Diocess of another but rest content with the Government of his own charge But such was Brittain towards Theodore and to the Pope that sent him as well as to his Successors that followed him as before is largely and fully prov'd the Faith here being planted by the Apostles or their followers among the Brittains and by the Brittains amongst the English Therefore Theodore the restorer of the Romish Faith in England stands condemn'd he and his new Church and Successors by his own Law and sentence as well as Augustine its first founder Withall Pope Gregory himself who was the first root and contriver of our English Popery allowes not his Augustine to entrench upon the Gallican Church or the Bishop of Arles his Jurisdiction because saith he that were against Scripture and the Ancient Institution of the Fathers pointing at the several Canons of Councils before recited and to thrust one's Sickle into another mans Harvest But Brittain was a Province ever more distinct and exempt from Rome than Gallia as before is prov'd Therefore Augustine for his Intrusion stands condemn'd by his Pope And his Pope by himself for sending him And Theodore and his Successors by the same definition Withall it is observable why yet Pope Gregory subjected our Brittish but not the Gallican Church to the Romish Jurisdiction of Monk Augustine because saith he e Bede lib. 1. c. 28. ab Antiquis praedecessorum meorum temporibus Pallium Arelatensis Episcopus accepit I find the Bishops of Arles to have had their Pall from Rome in the times of my Ancient Predecessors that is because France was subject to Rome Brittain before was not Now this modest and humble Pope declares in several of his lib. 4. Epist 76 83 178. 194. Antiquitates Eccl. p. 43 45. Epistles extant
being not the same what need more answer to it but a motion to be dismissed because the Plaintiff against us is not the same with the old Roman Church and if he were neither hath It nor ever had nor pretended any right of Supremacy over us in Brittain This I say was never the claim of old Christian Rome but the sally and invention of the Antichristian which are as much the same Church as a Wolf and a Lamb are the same Creature It cannot be denyed but that they have still amongst them the ruins and rubbish of old Christianity as well as the other of old Rome and both under like defacement And severall good Creeds and Canons of Councils and Scriptures it self if men were suffered to come at it conveyed unto them from the former Inhabitants or from St. Paul or from Brittain which with the sincerity of the heart may serve we trust to the Salvation of many thousands under that captivity as the wardrob of Comedians might serve honest men for good warmth and covering however by them imployed but to counterfeit persons and passions for a Livelyhood by the Hypocrisie to use that word in his Original and first notation For though Christ and Trinity and other Orthodox Articles of our Faith have place and mention amongst them yet it is not for their sakes so much as in order to their own Carnal designs to give them better countenance amongst deluded Christians what more then is their credit or respect thereby than of parcels of our Scripture standing in the Alcharon and as the Creatures groaning under the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.22 and longing to be deliver'd into Christian and Protestant Libertie and true sacredness from serving or countenancing the lusts and Impostures of Tyrants and false Prophets where Christ it is true is named with no less respect than at Rome but Mahomet among them as the Pope amongst these preferred before him in which preference the essence of Popery and its difference from Protestantism doth consist as before was proved Not to descant more on the servitude of the rest of their Christian Doctrines the Worship and Mass-Book of Modern Rome is not the same as was in use before with the Old but strangely altered and depraved with innumerable Superstitious additions and vain Repetitions Prohibited by our Saviour Matth. 6. Begun particularly and most remarkablely of any another by Pope Gregory who sent Augustine and Vitalian who sent Theodore hither but consummated at last by several Popes into a perfect Oglio and mixture of Judaism and Christianity such as the Alcharon it self was fram'd to be by the heads of Sergius and Mahomet And which is also as remarkable our Gregory pretended extraordinary assistance of Gods Spirit in the recourses of a Pigeon at his ear a Math. West An. 605 Spondan An. 604. n. 5. no less than Mahomet by which allegation in his behalf his Books escaped being burnt and served as he had served the old Statues and Monuments of Rome And for the alterations of their Mass by these two Popes particularly we have the Testimony of their own Platina in the lives of the one and the other b Platina in Gregorio prime Antiphonarium diurnum quam nocturnum composuit Introitum litanias stationum quoque magnum partem c. ejus quoque inventum ut novies Kyrie Eleeson caneretur Haleluja He composed their Antiphonary for day and light the Introitus their Lettany and a great part of their Stations the Repetition of Kyrie Eleeson and Halelujah nine times over was his patticular invention and whereas their Liturgy now requir'd to be us'd in their Vulgar tongue as it had been before the Latine tongue being disused at Rome from about the year 580. he so delighted to continue their service in the Latine now unknown to the vulgar and far therefore from the heart and understanding which is the true genius of Popery that he hides and cramps it further from them with unintilligible charms and Repetitions in Greek and Hebrew And in a Solemn Synod of 25 Bishops Establishes his Superstitious Innovations in sustulit quae nocitura multa etiam addidit quae profutura fidei nostrae videbantur He laid aside much of the Ancient formes as contrary and destructive and added many new in their place as more agreeable to their Modern Faith For how could their Ancient Sober and Orthodox Liturgy well agree with his Heathenish conceptions touching purifying Idol-temples with holy water as we heard before out a Bede l. 1. c. 30. of Bede And his Intercessions for Trajan's Soul in b M. Westm An 592. Hell which perhaps brought Purgatory in time in request and fashion in that new Church and with his new stress laid upon the great vertue of Wollen Palls whereon all their Ordinations and Consecrations and Archiepiscopal and Patriarchal Authorities and consequently their whole New-Roman Church depends Non bene conveniunt c. Sober and grave Religion and Worship and such unjustifiable Doctrines and pueril Infatuations how could they well agree Neither was Vitalianus the other great Restorer of the Romish Religion in England wanting in the like humour to alter and change the simplicity of their Roman Service which before kept close to the Scriptures chiefly for themselves acknowledge this their new mode of Liturgy had not been before in use c Platin in Caelestimo 1 mo ante fieri non consuevit perlectâ enim Epistolâ Evangelio finis Sacrificio imponebatur So that nothing by consequence can be imagined to be more the Liturgy of Ancient Rome than our own common Prayer as it is reformed out of the Mass by retaining the Old-Roman flower and casting away the New-Roman-Catholick bran and trash So that the Popish Religion ought not in any right or reason to be call'd Roman but a new Gothic Church as we find about this time their Ancestors and Founders the Gothes to agree and Symbolize with them Gothi d Platin. in Gregr. 1 mo Gregoâ—â— opera rediâ—re ad unionem Catholicae Ecclesiae or indeed the Gregorian Religion as they also term their Calender as well in respect of the great alteration made thereof at Rome by Pope Gregory both in Doctrine and Worship from the Ancient and Orthodox Roman Church as also of its propagation throughout Churches by his means and missions to the great e Antiquiâ— Eccles p. 42. corruption of Christendom and particularly amongst us in Brittain to the great wrong of the English who before had been rightly grounded and principled in the right and truly Catholick Faith by Brittish Ministry And here we have the Incunabula the first spring and beginning of Popery whose first entrance through Monk Augustine by Commission from this Pope Gregory was under no good Planet or Circumstances being near about the time that Pope Boniface was declar'd the Universal Bishop oâ— Antichrist in the sense of Pope Gregory in the Case of another as before and
OF THE HEART AND ITS Right Soveraign AND ROME no Mother-Church to ENGLAND OR AN HISTORICAL Account of the TITLE of our BRITTISH CHURCH And by what Ministry the Gospel was first Planted in every County With a Remembrance of the Rights of JERVSALEM above in the great Question Where is the true Mother-Church of Christians By T. J. of Oswestry in the County of Salop sometime Domestick and Naval Chaplain to His Royal Highness the Duke of York Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us London Printed for Edw. Foulkes and are to be Sold by T. Basset at the George in Fleet-street 1678. To His Royal Highness JAMES Duke of York and Albany c. May it please your Royal Highness AS the Peace of Kingdoms which your Royal Highness excellently knows and the duty and safety of Subjects together with the great ease of Princes consist in one short easie rule and equitable well maintain'd and practic'd The submission of the Creature to its Creator or the Obedience of Inferiours in the low condition of the one to their respective Superiours over them in the Authority and high Character of the other so it may be affirm'd that the Peace and welfare of the Church depends no less upon the like lesson and method For what are Conventicles Schismes Heresies Idolatries which disturbe the Peace and destroy the being of the one but like so many Riots Factions Seditions Treasons which alike undermine and overthrow the Constitution of the other so that in short the Disturbers of the World are those alone who disobey Superiours Who in the time and under the covert of Peace are of two sorts such as undutifully despise the right or treacherously erect a wrong Sovereign over themselves The first are those who from Avarice or Pride or Ambition by craft or force disobey the Laws and usurp and encroach upon the Rights and Prerogatives of their lawful Governours where every inconsiderable Inceptor and Puny Recusant is a Cromwel or Lucifer in his path and tendency The next those who through fear or easiness will admit or submit to any wrong pretender in his usurpations and believe the Serpent against God And then it cannot be expected but that they who mistake their Sovereign in the first place will mistake their Loyalty in the next And Allegiance misplac'd shall make men Rebels as much as the failer or subduction The prime indispensable â—charge therefore first of Heaven's King next of every King on Earth that represent him is that known Commandment Thou shalt have none other Gods but me The Peace therefore of Churches and States manifestly consists in two points 1. In the exact knowledge and discovery who are our right and lawful Superiours on Earth 2. In exact obedience perform'd to their Laws and wills and no other Nor to them acting beyond their Sphere and usurping upon Gods Rights in Heaven under whom all Earthly Superiours and Inferiours are equally fellow-subjects And not to be allowed the liberty of eyes and understanding or private judgment to discerne between right or wrong Leaders which is of such temporal concern and preservation to every man in this World nor between the will of God and his Creature where they interfere which is of such Eternal moment in the other wherein lyes the Radical errour of some Modern Christian Heathenism were to be depos'd from being men any more or reduc'd to an Eternal non-age and inability to discern between good and evil and fitter therefore to be governed than to govern either themselves or others Having therefore for the establishment of Friends and the comfort of Regular and recovery of Irregular and seduc'd sufferers for Religion bestowed endeavours to distinguish the several parts of Divine and Human Soveraignty whereon the Peace of Communities and the Salvation of Souls depends being as manifestly distinguishable as Heaven and Earth or Soul and Body and stated also and evinc'd the Title of Right Mother-Church to our own Brittain though it s known a Harlot can bid fair for a true Mother where she lights not on Solomons for Judges and where she does be willing the Child be divided into Sects and parcells which she is not like to enjoy to her self entire and sufficiently demonstrated to any whose invincible minds and Spirits are unreduc'd from their Loyalty to God and truth That Popery in its Leaders is an uniform invasion and in its followers a necessary disobedience to right Soveraigns in Heaven and Earth and Protestancy in its Principles to be safe and clear from such disorders I judg'd fit to dedicate the Argument to whom it was duty to present the first Copy to your Royal Highness my Gracious Prince and Master having afore-hand weighed and consider'd as I ought it would make for your Highness Honour and publick love either at home or abroad in the disjunctive whatever were its resentment or success At home with God and the Countrey if it serv'd in the least to fortifie your Royal Breast against temptations or at least with Forreign Lords of Celestial Crowns and Canonizations against whose Sacred Avarice and Catholick canting for Tribute and subjection and other Politick Arts which are not unknown and infallible errours and Idolatries which are not unconfuted such plain and manifest Truths from clean hands and ends could so little prevail though seconded with the sense of the whole Nation and the rights of this ancient Apostolical Church undoubtedly Senior if not Mother to Rome it self Withall the Subject being of the Heart and Conscience and comprizing as the heart doth in a narrow Room a competent stock of Divine Rules and measures to judge of Truth and about Church matters seem'd therefore the fitter present for a Prince so nigh to Soveraign who is a Nation contracted in one man And Princes like God whom they represent delight in hearts And no Prince in Story was ever the Darling of more English Hearts than your R. H. and strange and unjust it were you should suffer any abatement of that Glory for no other reason but your exalted superlative zeal for God and your Conscience above Crowns or Kingdoms being the highest strein and pitch of sublime and transcendant Honour that Mortality could ever exert or phancy and higher still if that zeal were well guided with discretion as the Apostle requires and not taken upon undue trust whereof if there were not some manifest cause to doubt or fear none were more inexcusable and worthy to be deserted forever by Your R. H. than him who having had once the honour to adhere to you in your military dangers should want a heart at last to follow you in your Ecclesiastical motions after truth my more proper Element and Profession Having therefore as I ought doubted my self not a little and reviewed my Principles upon this occasion and with best endeavours of Brain and Knee studied to know the Truth and Gods mind herein with a heart resolv'd to be of its side to my power against the
Fathers and Governours within their several Families depending on them for Education life and maintenance Invict Christian Princes and Holy Bishops in their several distinct Provinces and Kingdoms in matters of peace and order and external Ceremony being publick Consciences in their several Dominions which are so many larger Bodies or Families yet none of these are absolute or infallible any further than they agree with a Superiour Soveraign will which alone being such is their Rule and guide communicating its Infallibity to them that follow it which all are bound to do Now who this Infallible Soveraign guide and judge is whether the Pope in his Chair and Bulls or Christ and his Scriptures written in the Bible and mens hearts and Consciences seems to be the Question between Rome and us The Roman Church affirms it belongs to the Pope being near and visible on Earth The Reformed will have it to belong to Christ who is far nearer to mens Souls though in Heaven With Protestants the Invisible Soul is correlate with God its Invisible Lord where is its rest and satisfaction With Papists it must be correlate to the Pope a visible judge and guide else it wanders in uncertainties like a lost sheep Or though both agree perhaps that Gods mind and will is the Law and Rule of the Soul yet they vastly disagree about its promulgation That is Gods will say the Papists what the Pope defines to be his will that his Scripture and sense thereof what he allows and nothing but the sense of the Pope must be the sense of God though never so sensual and Carnal or contrary to truth and to common sense But Protestants hold Gods mind and will to be and to have been knowable by men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at several times and several wayes Heb. 1.1 Not only in the time of the Old Testament and before by the light of nature and the Law and the Prophets and Angelical Revelations and Vrim and Thummim and Visions and Dreams But also in the last dayes by his Son in his Holy Gospel and other inspired Writs delivered to his Church and sufficiently attested to the sense and Conscience by Miracles and right Catholick Tradition And that it is the first and proper work and duty of all mankind as soon as they come out of their Infancy and Non-age as on the one hand to know the difference between God and the Creature and the right and wrong Soveraigns and Legislators of their Souls and to follow truth and vertue which are ever the Laws of the one and to shun vice and lyes which are the dictates and Impostures of the other so also carefully to discern between the Authority of the Master and the Servant or the Prince and his Officer between the Canonical Scripture which is the Divine will and Testament of Christ and humane Tradition which is the Testimony of his Ministers subject to and controllable by and by no means Superiour to the other for next to the confounding of God and Idols in our values who are so infinitely contrary The levelling of all distance and degrees between Master and Servant though subordinate and friendly is most absurd and abominable with all sober Christians saving them at Rome with whom the Authority of their Church or the Pope which with them is equivalent is usually exalted above the authority of the Holy Scriptures though the will and mind of Christ the undoubted and confessed Lord and Master And we also hold that truth in the General which is ever Gods will and mind may be well known by men divers wayes without the Pope As matters of fact and Tradition by the Testimony of honest men of good lives and clean hands and Holy minds and Inclinations free from all worldly ends and designes in their report For where God alone doth rule and possess the heart there we may be sure of truth and sincerity where any Carnal interest or Idol prevails instead there we are to expect lyes Legends and Impostures which are the Dialect of false Gods as truth is of the true God dwelling in the heart And in like manner by the Oaths of Credible Neighbours wherein God is called present to the heart and mouth and by the decrees and sentences of Magistrates and just Judges who in Scripture are called Gods and the General consent of Nations vox populi vox dei and by every mans diligence and search after Truth as after hid Treasure which God rewards and prospers Prov. 2.4 5. and his pains and study in History Languages Customs Criticism c. As in the use of means without which God is tempted But instead of all these methods with Papists the sole report and decision of a Pope though unlearn'd or swayed perhaps by Interest or Avarice or Ambition or Fear which mislead the heart and tongue from God and Truth shall nevertheless be relyed on as an Oracle Infallible more conclusive than the famous Delphick and the heart and Conscience in every man which were made to indent with God and truth be totally excluded and silenc'd in that Church under the notion and bear-skin of private Judgment and opinion which endangers all Yet Protestants resolve to follow the former methods in whole or in part let the Pope contradict or Curse as much as he please So Papists are led by Authority Forraign and often false Protestants by Truth Domestick and more sure They follow the Doctrines of men as did the Scribes and Pharisees heretofore we the voice of Christ and the Commandments of God as all Christs sheep ought to do Herein I say lyes the main difference between us and not so much in those other many points and and Articles wherein we are divided As Image-Worship Invocation of Saints Transubstantiation Purgatory Indulgences c. Which are and will be Learnedly and voluminously defended on each side to the Worlds end while each party resolves firmly to adhere to the God or Idol that either have chosen for their guide to the last gasp with stedfast zeal and constancy For if Protestants as well as Papists could believe the Pope or the Papists as well as Protestants did once believe Christ to be this Infallible Judge and guide all Controversie between us would soon cease and be laid asleep The whole Controversy lyes therefore in the choice or rejection in obedience or disobedience to the right guide or immediate Soveraign of the heart whether Christ or the Pope And exact obedience to the wrong becomes perfect disobedience to the right Superiour And that the Issue will lye here may further appear from each ones case stated by himself and their charge and imputation each against the other and from the state of the question naturally arising hereupon For the Protestants say they take Christ and Scripture and Conscience and what agrees thereto for the guide and rule of their hearts and judgments And that the Papists take the Pope and hold opinions and practices upon his Authority against
Impostures are less tolerable than the open Treason of a Cromwell or the Tyranny of the Turk because men may easier endure to be robbed than to be cheated and deprived of their purses or Estates against their will than of their Honour and understanding with consent And as it hath been largely proved that Popery consists in evident disobedience and Rebellion against the Right Heir and Soveraign of the heart And Papists in a greater concern to jump exactly with the old Sexton whose Clock went truer than the Sun so positively also further to clear and evince the Truth to be on the Protestant side in this main point and Issue which is the hinge of the Controversie between us I shall also instance how we Protestants Loyally adhere to our Right guide and Judge and how the heart in all our principles relies on God and none else and on Christ who is the sole foundation of the Church 1 Cor. 3 3 11. and the Rock whereon it is built against which the gates of Hell can never prevail Math. 16.18 We build our Faith upon the Holy Scriptures which are Gods word for hearts to rest on whose Divine Authority themselves dare not deny without being the most convicted Hereticks that ever disturbed Gods Church in any age however they Blaspheme and traduce them before the Vulgar We come to know the Scriptures to be Gods word being not present our selves at passages by the Testimony and tradition of others such a Testimony as is also Divine or nearest to Divine to be relied on by the heart Not upon the Testimony of the Church of Rome by any means who hath so much cracked her credit by legending forgeing expurgating c. for it were a great fault as well as folly in us who profess our Devotion to God and the Truth to confide in the Father of lies or such his followers but upon our own honest Christian Ancestors with other Churches especially the Primitive when most pure and Holy and therefore likest to God and to be believed by consequence from the heart and the rather when seconded with the Testimony of the Holy Spirit to Holy Livers who is God We believe our sences in their own Sphere in many points against the whole world because we believe God in them with our hearts who made our sences and speaks through them Prov. 20.12 We believe beyond sence and can see things absent as if they were present to us when we have Gods word to assure the same to our Faith and consequently to our hearts and can discern Christ present in the blessed Sacrament and the Bread to be present nevertheless in different respects and be assured of both in our hearts through the evidence and strength of God in whom our Faith and sences act and move But in a Religion without the heart as is the Roman It is hard if not impossible to conceive or imagine how any Sacrament of Bread can be at all amongst them without Transubstantiation in the Elements who will not and cannot admit of any other change by the heart and Faith which are not much in use in that Church in this or any other part of worship which shews the root and occasion of that monstrous errour in that carnal Catholick Church which cannot distinguish between the objects of sence and Faith and is observ'd to Apostatize herein from their own Antient Mass which doth We believe plain and manifest Truths of Scripture without need of guides against the Glosses or Sophistry or Authority of the whole world to the contrary for we believe God himself in them with our hearts who requires and deserves to be so believed because God himself leads us by the hand as it were yea with both hands in plain Texts of Holy writ on the one side and his manifest Instincts of good and evil on the other in such manifest duties And when God himself doth speak all the world must hold the tongue while the Sun is above the Horizon Stars and Candles which answer to guides and supplies abscond and give way Hawks and all other Birds quit the Air where the Eagle Towres what Stupidity were it in a man of years and knowledge of the City to ask the way from Charing-Cross to Temple-bar out of Reverence to his guide and distrust of himself in things obscure and Controversiall wherein neither we nor others can clearly and assuredly discern Gods mind and will for the heart to acquiesce in here we make use of Candles and guides and especially our lawful Superiours who are Gods deputies to direct us and all others that resemble God in their gifts or years or places or Major vote For the next to God is as God unto us when God himself cannot be heard and our hearts can rest on them but not with equal assurance as on plain and manifest duties as their importance also is not equal for there is a greater respect of the two due to the Principal than to his deputy In like manner in all Indifferent matters which are the proper Province of the Magistrate for where Scriptures end there humane Laws begin where God withdraws there his Deputies step in we submit to the determinations and publick orders of our lawful Governours as to Gods voice and Authority out of the obedience of our hearts to Christ present in our Superiours to our Faith and regard to the Churches peace which is his image and darling And they that refuse to submit and conform do it in adherence to their conscience as they pretend now conscience without a Rule is an Atheist as is the heart without the Lord and of no use like a Sun-diall in the dark It is not conscience but the Quakers dark-light within and the Rule is Christs Will or to come nearest to his Will which is the utmost satisfaction of the heart now whether we keep nearest to Christ in adhearing stiffly to private fancy or submitting modestly to publick Authority and Major vote is the Question which St. Paul puts of question 1 Cor. 14.33 For Christ is where peace and humility and order is and not where pride and strife and division are and are ever like to be while each prefer themselves not only before their equals which is pride but their Superiours likewise which is disobedience and contempt of Christ in his Magistrates added to it which all true Christian hearts will avoid more than death as being not from God as Papists truly object And so we Protestants hold no Principle or Opinion but what agrees with the mind of God and Christ which was the Rule and measure that was to be agreed upon by both to arrive at Truth and endeavour always to approve our hearts to Christ who alone is their Judge and Soveraign and no mortal man whatsoever believing and considering that as there can be no sin or vertue where there is no Law so a Law were to no effect or purpose without a Judge to reward and punish the observers
or quicken either or like Pipes in an Organ Dead and Dumb as of themselves yet sounding out aloud the high praises of their God in his Church when they are filled with his Breath and Holy word and spirit However when these inward conceptions of mens spirits bud and break out in Births James 1.15 and land in another World in the Territories of Earthly Soveraigns who like God are both Omniscient and Omnipotent in their own Dominions and precincts Here the case is far otherwise Here Earthly Magistrates have their free Liberty and Authority to arrest and take as in the out-side and purliews of the soul whether they be Christian or Heathen as well the one as the other in their several capacities and Characters Heathen Kings being Gods Deacons Rom 13.4 or his Ministers in the State to preserve the peace of God and man by frowning upon all vice and sin and wicked lewdness Act. 18.14 which is spiritual Idolatry and War against God in the heart provoking his vengaence and judgement against a land and to Protect and praise them in every good work and vertue which is the amicable and loyall deportment and worship of righteous souls towards God whereby he is won to be favourable in his blessings and protections not only to them and their seed but to the whole land though less deserving for their sakes Gen. 18.32 And Christian Kings being the Fathers and Bishops of the Church and Christs undoubted Viccars on Earth in all the outward affairs of that Holy Polity to preserve its beauty and order and the holiness of its Communion against blemishes and scandals according to the Rules of Christ Christian Kings I say cannot be denyed to be the Fathers of the Church according to Gods own mind in Esa 49.23 Prophecies like to Faith being the evidence of things not seen given their right stiles and Titles to persons and degrees as yet not in being as if they were And as they are Fathers so they are Bishops and Overseers of Christs Flock the Church in things without as other Holy Bishops are in things within as it was declar'd by our Constantine the first Christian Emperour in the first and great general of Counsel of Nice of 318. Primitive and the best tried Bishops the Church ever had Nemine contradicente not one dissenting or disliking the expression either then or since but our Romish Popes of late after the Church began to slumber and degenerate And Viccars on Earth they all are severally in their own Kingdoms by the Popes own confession for so Eleutherius early declares in his Epistle to our Lucius the first Christian King in the world about the year 170. if it were the Act of Eleutherius or about the year 110. if the Act of Evaristus according to a. Usher de Britan. Eccles Primordiis p. 34. Ninius or sooner according to b. Usher de Britan. Eccles Primordiis p. 34. Paulus Jovius which though it be not Authentick in all its parts and purposes yet because some of our Kings might send to some of the Popes of Rome then Famous in the world for their uprightness to be Brotherly advised about some points of their Government unless our difference from them about Easter as well as the East might interrupt such correspondence or Communion and the Epistle passes for true and Authentick amongst many of our Romanists therefore the Testimony and citation in it touching Kings being Gods Vicars in their Territories is firm however and binding against them to the full And St. Paul doth no less in the Principles he layes down in my Text by which every master is Christs Vicar to his own Servant and by consequent proportion every King is Christs Vicar to his own Subjects for the Apostle would have tied obedience upon Subjects toward Christians Kings if they had been in his time in being in the same from and tenour as upon Christian Servants here towards their Christian Masters as is observed by a right learned Person towards whom they are to do all from the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as unto Christ himself this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as implies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as the master is is over the Servant in his Civil capacity his Civil Lord and Master so is he over him in his Christian capacity a Christian Servant as Christ is over Christians and Subjects Masters and Kings by consequence being Christs Image or similiude or Lievtenants or Viccars as the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies The same Apostle exhorting every soul to be subject to the higher Powers Rom. 13.1 amongst whom are comprehended Ecclesiastical persons as well as lay saith St. Chrysostom If those Powers become Christian as they are now with us they become the Vicars of Christ by consequence to all their Christian Subjects of the Clergy as well as Laity and were his Holiness a liege Subject of this Kingdom our King would be inevitably Christs Vicar on Earth unto him as he is undoubtedly to all English or Brittish Roman Catholicks who yet suffer themselves to be seduced by him who is no Viccar of Christ to them as such to withdraw their Christian obedience from him who truly is and Unchristianly and disloyally to disown his Supremacy over them who is as truly Christs Vicar over them in this world as he is their Christian King or they his Christian Subject Which is also agreeable to right reason as well as Scripture for there is a great difference between the Inside and the Outside of any Church or particular Christian which are in two several Kingdoms under two distinct Governments the one Heavenly and Eternal as is the soul the other Earthly or Temporal as is the body of which two they are severally made For such actions of the Soul as are concrete to the body and of use and moment in this present world only and not contrariant to Divine Institution and are circumstantiated with time and place whereby they become visible facts preceptible by mens senses and open to the view and cognizance of humane Authority though they be concerning matters Christian or deportments and behaviours and wears to be used within the Church and in time of service the same are not properly Spiritual as they are vulgarly call'd especially with them at Rome whose whole Religion is about the outside or Heavenly or Eternal and Invisible and belonging to Salvation which is equivalent but they carry a Temporal or Secular or Carnal nature in them and belong therefore to Temporal Jurisdiction to each Crown they are under and by no pretence to Rome but where Rome hath a temporal Authority to order them in her own Subjects but with us they belong to our Brittish Thrones and Tribunals and to Ecclesiastical Courts where they concern Christian and Temporal where they concern Civil Society and to the Kings Subjects as witnesses and Juries upon the place and not to any Forraign Chair or Rota or Pack of strangers to make
profit of the difference and laugh at the follies and credulity of the appellants The Supremacy of the King in all Causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal being that which hath been learnedly evinced by our Writers and is solemnly recogniz'd every day in Gods presence in Prayers and Oaths according to the settlement of our Laws by the Wisdom of the Nation But though this inside of the Church be properly Secular and Temporal because visible yet the Secular Causes which belong to the determinations of Christian Secular Authorities are well and orderly distinguishable into Ecclesiastical and Christian or Temporal and Civill as the whole Commonwealth may be considered either as a Society of men or a Society of Christian men or Church In the first respect as men all are Subject to their own Kings and Laws in matters of life limb and property whether they be Christian or Holy or Heathen and Antichristian as they were before Christ came into into the World and must be to the Worlds end For Magistracy is Gods Ordinance whom all men therefore are to be subject to from the heart which alwayes attends what God appoints though manag'd by a Claudius who was weak and infamously credulous or Nero who for his cruelty was believed by many to be Antichrist for to such the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul command obedience and subjection not only for fear of wrath and power but for Conscience sake and the fear of God Rom. 13.5 1 Pet. 2.14 16. For they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.2 Yet on this undoubted unforfeitable right of Earthly Kings and Governours according to their several Constitutions by the Laws of their Kingdoms the Pope like a fift Monarch hath ever and still doth affect and design new incroachments as before upon the King of Heaven and spiritual pretences of Superiority Not only by exempting his Subjects and Clergy from secular subjection assuming to be the mother of the Child that 's not her own but also through his Emissaries and influence in the time of his Reign and Power in bringing the Lives of Subjects to the Stake and their States into Forfeiture from their Posterity for Opinions and the Heads and Crowns of Kings themselves to the like danger for the like insufficient cause Absolving Subjects of their Allegiance which Christ binds on every Soul and leading them into perjury and Rebellion which God forbids and damns being not only Traytors against Heaven and Earth therein but which is infinitly worse Traitor-makers as Satan is worse than a sinner and as many Traitor-makers by their Doctrine and what lyes in them as there are Subjects or Polls in any Kingdom they would absolve and seduce Which made the Nation joyn unanimously against their methods not only by Acts of Treason since the Reformation but of premunire long before A very Apostolical and comely deportment in a chief Professor of Christian Holiness and vertue that he and his Missionaries should deserve to be thrust and shoulder'd out like Pests by a wise and a Religious people and their Friends and the door made fast against them with the strongest Barricadoes that could be thought of Hanging and Drawing and Quartering Yea many of his own Confessors and Martyrs our Native Roman-Catholicks to this day who sincerely adhere to all his other Doctrines though Flead Alive with penalties and inconveniences for it yet disclaim and desert his infallible guidance in this particular and would be ready to venter Lives and Fortunes for their Laws and Countrey against any Invasion of the Land though countenanc'd or authoriz'd by the Pope for though such Loyalty be looked upon at Rome with an evil eye as hath lately appeared in the Irish Excommunications for the like principle and profession of Allegiance yet they are resolved to be true to their King let who will call them Hereticks for being honest Subjects And this their Resolution must be grounded either upon Policy or vain glory to avoid the danger as well as the Infamy of Rebellious principles or upon Conscience to God which only is true honour I am apt if I do no wrong to believe the last and to acknowledge and own all such by Consequence as true English Protestants as any in our own Church for preferring Conscience before the Pope which as I have proved is the chief point in difference between Papists and Protestants And the rather if they deal alike with the rest of their opinions which set us at distance from one another by the same rule which if it be good and right must hold in the rest as well as this dismissing all other Tenets that are excepted against and have no support from God or Conscience or the Scripture but the bare Authority of the Pontifical Chair For being so dangerously and perfidiously deceived while trusting to its judgement and of right interpreting in a case so evident and plain and Important as Neck and Estate and Salvation can amount to If they will suffer themselves again to be over-rul'd to differ from their Brethren upon no reason of Conscience but this bare Authority alone whereof they have had tryal of its fidelity and the old sophisme of believing as that Church believes This cannot be counted worthy and filial piety and well weighed Religion in them but a negligent unadvisedness equivalent to plain fault and folly especially there being present suffering and future hazard in the Case according to the known Proverb The Friend that deceives me once it is his fault twice it is my own All differences in our Religion being thus easily compos'd between us if they stand constant to their good principle throughout its consequences as reason binds them to and there will be no reason else to believe or trust their Loyalty what a day of bliss would it be to them and us to go hand in hand together like Christian as well as English brethren to their Churches and ours what peace to themselves in their concerns both within and without what tears of joy would it cause in their Protestant Tenants and dependants who would willingly resigne their lives to see that blessed day what acclamation and bone-fire throughout the Nation for the restoration of its strength and Union what Ecchoes and Halelujahs amongst the Angels of Heaven that delight in mens Salvation and return from Errour But should they offer to make themselves and us and the Nation happy with such a Festival How must they expect to be well lash'd for this by their Old Friends for Hereticks and Schismaticks and Apostates from the Holy See besides the ignobleness of changing and being unconstant to which I shall not now reply But those of them that through Gods Grace assisting them nowithstanding such discouragements and obstacles that will be leaders and examples to their brethren in such paths of Peace and Life and count it Glory and magnanimity to adhere to truth through shame and calumny and but an Heathenish
in general and to all Nations in particular that it is not his will we should be led by strangers more than by guides of our own flesh and bloud for this cause Christ took upon him humane nature when sent by God John 17.3 to direct the world For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels for this purpose Heb. 2.16 which though greatly Holy is yet Forraign to ours and as it were of another Country and their best messages seldome received by the best Christians without fear and horrour and suspition Luk. 2.9 Math. 28.45 But he took upon him the seed of Abraham being sent unto his own John 1.11 And in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren to be the better fitted for Sympathy towards us on his part and the belief thereof on ours Heb. 2.17 18. In like manner in sending his Apostles for the conversion of Nations the first fruits in every Nation that were converted to Christ were appointed for Bishops and Teachers as soon as might be to convert their Brethren and the Supemacy over the Gentile Churches not entail'd upon a Jewish line and succession forever as our first Teachers but upon the Natives themselves in every City and Country when fitted for it to Govern and direct their people and every Province to have its own Metropolitan chief within it self and unsubordinate to Foreigners And it is likewise observed that the needs of every Country in point of food and Raiment and Physick is best supplied from within it self and whether it be for the health or interest of this Nation to delight to wear forraign Liveries above its own I shall not now dispute and but that the Witchcraft and fascination that is in errour doth Seal up the Intellect it deludes less dispute there would be with all sober minds but that we have Governours of our own Nation praised be God fitted as likely for ability and compassion to be faithful guides to their Inferiour Brethren as the greatest Angels of the Church of Rome to whom were it alwayes certain they would prove good Angels we are not so near and dear as to our own Pastors who are bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh And that our own wise Kings and Parliaments have and can make as wholesom Laws for this Church and State as the Conclave ever can or did how far and how dear soever fetched and bought To alledge as the Romanists do that Christ had his fix'd Officers his Apostles and Bishops in his Church before there were any Christian Kings which cannot be denyed that St. Peter was the chief of these Apostles which also may be granted for peace-sake as to his precedence but not any Jurisdiction that the present Popes are the successors of St. Peter in all his Authority and Holiness whether they follow him as he followed Christ or not and therefore are Superiours to all Christian Kings and Princes in their own Teritories as well as at Rome in all affairs relating to Religion is such a broken Title such a far-fetch'd Etymology and derivation of Authority as only fully proves the Antichristian humour of exalting themselves above every thing that is called God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majesty as the word may imply which is the Jaundize that overspreads the face and vitals of that Church all over but cannot satisfie the conscience of any sober English Christian to relinquish and renounce his manifest allegiance and Subjection to his own Prince and Church to whom it is due to bestow the same to his own wrong and Spiritual danger as well as Temporal upon a forraign Power to whom it is not due and to rob his King to maintain a cheat For neither are our Brittish Churches more Subject to the Chair of Rome than is the Crown of France to the Crown of Spain which it had long a mind to but never any right neither if degrees and dignities be compared are Crowns to be Subject to the Mitre but the Mitre to the Crown For Kings if Heathen are without the Church and therefore not Subject to the Pope were he a lawful Vicar of Christ for what have I to do to judge them that are without them that are without God judgeth 1 Cor. 5.12 13. neither do they forfeit their Soveraignty by being Christian Kings by any colour or pretence of St. Peters supremacy St. Peter himself being judge who writes to his fellow Elders to feed the flock of God which was among them 1 Pet. 5.1 2. and to be subject for the Lords sake to the King as supreme for so is the will of God 1 Pet. 5.1 2. There is no where less love and honour from the heart to that blessed Apostle St. Peter no not perhaps in Hell than amongst them at Rome an out-side love or Philauty for Secular ends and designs they may have for him beyond any such as the Ephesian Silver-smiths had for Diana by which they had their wealth Act. 19.24 25. or Turks for Christs Sepulcher which turns to account unto them which is not their love to St. Peter but to themselves and bellies for if they had the least love and honour from the heart in Christ to his name and dignity they would rather chuse to starve or beg than face their frauds and cheats upon all degrees of men with his name and Authority or make him a complice or an Author to all their impious Usurpations and Rebellions against the Kings both of Heaven and Earth against his mind and principles as before For St. Peter himself from whom Popes derive all the power over Kings they can pretend to yea Christ himself from whom St. Peter had his and the whole Christian Church in his divine person while he was on Earth did submit to Magistrates and Presidents acknowledging their Power to be from Heaven John 19.11 and his Kingdom not to be of this world Joh. 18.36 as his pretended Vicars cannot also be by consequence for a Deputy cannot have more Power than his Soveraign St. Paul commands every soul to be Subject or subordinate to the higher Powers Rom. 13.1 which St. Chrysostom upon the place as before extends to Apostles and Ecclesiasticks as well as Lay and with good reason for no Crime can be Treason where is no Subjection and gives the title of excellency to Festus an Heathen President Act. 26. as St. Luke to Theophilus a Christian Luk. 1.3 an evident argument that neither would have denied the title of Majesty to a King and much more to a Christian King for as Servants gained no outward liberty by becoming Christians but continued Servants after as well as before their conversion 1 Cor. 7 20 21. So neither do Kings lose their Prerogatives or Supremacy by being Christians but are to be received into the Christian Society or Church in the same degree and quality they had in the Civil or State Superiour to all Inferiour to none And the Texts therefore that command
obedience and submission to Heathen Magistrates do command the same much more to Christian And manifestly condemn the Pope as Antichristian in denying it And as in the World or the Kingdom of God they were Gods Deacons or Liturgists as they are stiled Rom. 13.4 6. or his Ministers for the encouragement and discouragement of Vertue and Vice v. 4. So in the Church or the Kingdom of Christ they are Christs Ministers to serve him with their Authorities in maintenance of Holiness and Order which is vertue in its highest degree and extirpation of Scandals which is Vice and Confusion under greatest aggravation Which trust and supremacy they bore in the Church of God in all Ages under all dispensations in Old Israel or the Jewish Church and New Israel or the Christian Gal. 6.16 For so Aaron gave place to Moses and Nathan though inspir'd counts himself but the servant of his King nevertheless bowing himself with his face to the ground when he came into his presence as his deportment is recorded not for naught by the Spirit of God 1 King 1.23 27. And such was the power and influence of the Kings of Israel in matters Ecclesiastical that the whole state and face of the present Church and the fate and destiny of the land it self is usually comprised by Scripture in one word in the Character of the Kings heart that reigned whether it was right with God or not When it sayes that such and such Kings did that which is good or that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and what was like to follow from such example for no face or figure of Heaven can be more benigne or fortunate No Comet so portending and ill boding to a Nation as a wakeful or a supine Prince in Mercy or Judgment appointed over it that eyes all himself in his Charge or trusts too far to others The Prince is the first and Master wheel even in the Church that gives motion and Order to all the rest all will be at a stand or out of order when this is He is the Architect in the building and ordering both of Tabernacle and Temple according to his Pattern from God he sets all to their proper work and erects and dedicates both the one and the other and places Aaron and Levi in their several Stations each one afterwards to look to their own work and duties of Instructing Sacrificing attoning interceding that God may dwell in the Camp or State as the Life and Soul and Strength there of And their care of Gods Church was not a free will Offering or a generous work of Super-erogation in the Kings of Israel which was their praise and honour to mind and attend and not their guilt to neglect and leave to others but it was the principal indispensable point of their trust and charge For Old Israel might be said to be more a Church than a Kingdom being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lot and Inheritance the Clergy or spiritual Kingdom of God The rest of the Heathen World being revolted from him and kept in slavery under the Prince of the power of the Air Ephes 2.2 And therefore the Governour of such a Nation was more the head of a Church than the King of a Countrey being truly both the one and the other the one supremacy being common to every Heathen Prince but the other proper and peculiar to Rulers in Israel For God himself by particular condescention was King of Israel 1 King 8.7 And men came to be Kings by his permission and allowance as his Vicars and Lieutenants to maintain his Worship and Honour wherein the peoples happiness as well as their Prerogative did consist In the World he was the best and completest Prince that had most of the Councellor or Captain in him to suppress all disorder and violence at home by Laws and all invasions and dangers from abroad by Arms and Courage But in Israel he was the best King that had most of the Priest and Bishop in him to win God of his side They conquered their enemies in the field then best when they served God best at home Their Victories and Successes depended not so much upon their Bow and Chariot or the Conduct of their Generals or the Courage and Number of their men as upon having the Lord of Hosts on their side to go along with their Armies which Blasphemous Lives never had the Happiness to procure that Rule of our Saviour that directs how to prosper in the World being true as well before as since his coming But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Rightousness and all things shall be added unto you Mat. 6.33 For it was their sins that gave valour and prevalence to their enemies and despondency to themselves Then was there War in the gate when they sought after new Gods Jud. 5.8 The children of Ephraim carrying Bowes turn'd their backs in the day of Battel because they kept not the Covenant of God Psal 79.9 And it was their Piety and Repentance made them miraculously Victorious when over-match'd Yea the Heathen Historian observes and confesses the like touching the Roman Empire that its progress and success was founded in sincere zeal for their Gods as its decayes and overthrow to arise from profane remissness and easie Luxury Upon good reasons therefore as well of Conscience and Equity to approve themselves Faithful and Loyal to Gods Honour and Interest to whom Kings are immediate Subjects as they expected the like Fidedelity and Loyalty from their people appointed to be their Subjects as of publick wel-fare and prosâ—erity to their Nation obliging Arguments with riâ—ht Princely dispositions We find the best Kings of Israel and even Heathen Kings when sober chiefly to imploy their Royal Authority and Power about matters Ecclesiastical to suppress Idolatry to reform Abuses to settle wholesom Laws and Fences about Doctrine Worship and Discipline in Gods Church To put down high places Groves Idolatrous Altars Sodomites-houses and all strange Religion as did Josia 2 Kings 23.4 5 6 7. And other Kings to break in pieces the Brasen Serpenâ— though made by Moses when abused to Idolatry as did Hezechia 2 King 18.4 To send able Teachers throughout the Land as did Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 2.8 to Dedicate and Repaire and Purifie the Temple as did Solomon 1 King 8.29.6 and Joash 2 Chron. 24.4 and Hezechia 2 Chron. 5. To institute the Feast for the Dedication of the Temple as did the Macchabees 1 Macch. 4.56.59 which our Saviour honour'd with his presence Joh. 10.22 To restore the celebrating of the Passoever to its Ancient Rite 2 King 22.21 To appoint a Faâ—r to save his Nation as did the King of Niniveh with success Jon. 3.7 10. To decree Blaspheming Hectors to be cut in pieces as did the King of Babylon when converted Dan. 3.29 To appoint Judges in Causes Ecclesiastical as well as Temporal 2 Chron. 19.8 Amaria the Chief Priest in all matters of the Lord and
Zebadia the Ruler of the house of Juda for all the Kings matters v. 11. To assemble Synods and Councells about Sacred Affairs for settling the Ark as did David 1 Chron 13.2 For dedicating the Temple as did Solomon 1 Reg. 8. and reforming the Nation and bringing them back unto the Lord God of their Fathers as did Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 19.4 To maintain their Command and Soveraignity in such matters not only over all the people in general 1 King 23.21 but over the High Priests themselves in particular by assigning their work and duty 2 King 22.8 12. Where Jehoshaphat layes command upon Hilkiah the High-Priest thrusting them out of their High-Priesthood for their Disloyalty as Solomon did Abiathar 1 King 2.27 And sparing them their Lives in courtesie to their Coat v. 26. And this their pious care and zeal for God and Religion which in the Popes account were little less than intermeddling in other mens rights is recorded in Gods account as their Eternal praise and honour and good service to their Countrey And like Josiah was there no King before him that turn'd to the Lord with all his heart and with all his Soul and with all his might Neither arose there any like him 2 King 23.25 And Jehoshaphat sought to the Lord God of his Father and walked in his Commandments and not after the doings of Israel Therefore the Lord established the Kingdom in his hands and all Juda brought to Jehoshaphat Presents and he had Riches and honour in abundance 2 Chron. 17.5 And the contrary neglect about the Worship of God in their wicked Kings and making their people to sin by their defection or ill example was the ruine of their Land 2 Chron. 36.17 And a Brand of Infamy upon their names in particular forever as the followers of Jereboam the Son of Nebat which made Israel to sin and therefore liker to Satan therein than to Gracious Kings and Fathers And what was thus their bounden duty and honour in the Kings of Israel to imploy their Authority and Government for God and his Church upon the like ground and proportion is the duty and interest of all Christian Kings for a Kingdom that becomes Christian becomes a Church thereby or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 3.5 the Heritage and Clergie of God a Christian Kingdom is a new Israel of God Gal. 6.16 and Christian Kings by consequence are heyres of the same Prerogative and Supremacy that did belong in Israel to the Kings of Israel where the High-Priests were subordinate in externals to the Kings and not the Kings to the Priests It is a contradiction to be a King and to be Subject wherein Popes are made Supreme Kings are made Subjects there cannot be two Supremes in the same Church or Kingdom and it were a great snare and Spiritual misery to be subjects under two contrary Soveraigns and to be bound in conscience to obey contrary injunctions and commands whereby inevitably their obedience to the one becomes their sin and transgression against the other Soveraign which is the condition of Roman Catholicks who own the Pope for supreme to the wrong of those Christians Soveraigns over them whose right it is whereby their conscientious Catholick obedience becomes unconscionable disobedience to their right Superiour It concerns and behoves them therefore and every other Christian subject in whom the word of Christ ought to dwell richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 to be fully satisfied who is to rule them He that mistakes his Soveraign will mistake his Loyalty The Old and New Testament knows but two Soveraigns God or the King Christ or Caesar 2. Chron. 19.11 Math. 22.21 so the Jewish so the Ancient Christian Church so the Church of England held upon the Reformation when the whole Nation both Parliament and Convocation unanimously agreed that the Pope had no more to do in England than any other Bishop The Soveraignty of the Lord the Pope starting up when the Church began to degenerate strongly savours of a fifth Monarchy or an Antichristian erection Christ only is the Immediate Soveraign of the Inside of men in his Church Kings the Immediate Soveraigns of the outside in their Dominions the Pope or Prelate is Soveraign in neither Pet. 5.3 Rom. 13.1 therefore there is no obedience due from the heart and conscience to spirituall Governours but wherein they agree in their Doctrines with Christs mind and clash not in their outward order and Discipline with the rights of Christian Kings for delegates are to be obeyed in and for and not against their Principals and the soul is subject to none but to a supreme either the Lord Christ who is absolutely such or our Lord the King who is such in externals by Christs concession Prov. 8.15 subject also it is to Governours but for his sake and by his command that is to say it 's subject not to them but to him But it will be still objected what have Kings to do with Religion that wholly belongs to Spiritual persons and the Clergy and to the Pope the Patriarch in such matters and by consequence Supreme and it must still be answered and acknowledged That the substantial part of Christian Religion lyes out of the Horizon and Territory of Kings in another world as it were where yet none is Soveraign but Christ alone Popes and Bishops and Inferiour Priests being all officers and Ministers under him in this Kingdom all of equal degree and power without difference in their Authorities or Keys saving that in equity and merit they are foremost and chiefest who are most painful and faithful in this trust Kings well observe their bounds therein they do not as they ought not intermeddle in such matters between the soul and God as are of divine Institution or immortal importance they meddle not with the Priestly office and great would be the peace of Churches and of the world if the Pope did as little meddle with the Kingly they take not upon them to preach and publish the Laws and mind of Christ in his name and Authority nor to denounce wrath and War against offenders high or low nor of themselves to Excommunicate the unworthy from the Holy Society of Christs Church and all hopes of mercy till they repent and change nor to arbitrate as for Christ who are fit and worthy of Grace or pardon neither do they travel between Heaven and Earth upon messages between Christ and souls as the Angels upon the ladder being now Gods mouth to the people in wholsom Counsels and Instructions anon the peoples mouths to God in humble confessions or thanskgivings as neither did the Kings of Israel ever offer to enter the holy place or order the Shew Bread or Sacrifice or incense which might have been done with the same skill though not with the same Authority by Common persons as by Priests and hath been attempted by one or two but to their wo No under both Law and Gospel these offices did solely belong to
peculiar Ministers and Levites set a part by Gods Institution on purpose who were and are the Clergy of his Clergy and Heritage and the Priests to those in speciall that were and are his peculiar people and Priest-hood Exod. 19.6 Revel 1.6 The Church it self being Laick and common compar'd to these as was the World to the Church For no less is implied in the reason of those expressions where both the Christian and Jewish Church are said to be a Kingdom of Priests as in Exodus or Kings and Priests to God as in the Revelation they being in special manner Kings and Priests and Clergy from whom the name and title is deriv'd to others for some likeness and comparison for what the Copy is that is the Original much more And if Christs mission was not from Secular but Divine Authority so neither is the Institution of the Evangelical Priesthood from man but from God being sent from Christ as he was sent from God Joh. 20.21 Bishops and Presbyters being equally from Christs own Ordination and appointment though not of equal order and degree between themselves but in several respects the one Superiour and which may seem strange inferiour likewise to the other For the better understanding whereof the distinction between Spiritual and Temporal is to be remembered and considered in its Primitive and Apostolical acception and not the modern Roman sense who confound Heaven and Earth in their notions as they do in their values and affections the one referring to the present visible world the object of sense the other to the Church or Invisible world to come wherein Christians live here by Faith the Church being more excellent than this world as eternity is more than time and yet this world more excellent than the Church which is dead unto it in the estimation of sense as is the living more excellent than the dead Eccles 9.5 whereby is discoverable the several Superiorities between Episcopacy and Presbytery in the same person in whom both are co-incident as they are in every Bishop and those Elders in Timothy who for Ruling well and labouring also in the word and Doctrine were counted worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 where in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have a clavis to decide this difference for the habitude and Character of a Bishop is that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ruler or Prince as the Brittains term their Arcsh-Bishop of Carleon to Monk Agustine but that of a Priest or Presbyter is the form and quality of a Subject or Servant or Labourer which two notions greatly differ like God and Creature But then their several allotments or respective worlds are to be considered wherein the one and the other are said to labour or bear Rule And clear first it is that the Presbyters labour as a Servant under Christ in his word and Sacraments is within the Vineyard of the Church and therefore belonging to Eternity as the Church it self doth and that the Rule of the Bishop in the second place is Temporal by consequence and about order in this present world and the better preservation of the Temporal out-side of the Church for to affirm it to be a Spiritual Rule over the Church in its in-side which is Eternal and Christs own Peculiar Jurisdiction were very inconvenient and unsound And this Temporal Superiority over the Temporal part of an Ecclesiastical Community as to all Causes and persons that be within it for any Society whether Sacred or Civil can no more subsist or fare well without a Governour or a Chief than a body without a head continues in Bishops by Christs establishment till the rising of the Sun that is till the Civil Magistrate of that Province become Christian whose defect they before supplied as Guardians and then it doth set or cease but Heliacally as the Stars set in the morning in deference to a greater lustre that is better able to do their work continuing still in the same firmament and Sanhedrin under his Rayes and bound nevertheless by their office and duty to be ready to shine again without him as before in case of darkness or Eclipse as was said before And it well appears how the Christian Temporal Magistrates and the Church have understood one another in reference to their several bounds and limits by those parcels of Ecclesiastical Authority the one hath resum'd as his right and the other willingly quitted and yeilded thereunto as just upon his arrivall to Supremacy in Church as well as state For we never find him offering to touch any part of the Priestly office or the Power of the Keys nor to preach or Baptize or absolve or consecrate which acts and Authorities belong to another Spiritual Kingdom farr enough out of his Temporal Dominion and Jurisdiction But several parts of Episcopal Rule and Government have been rightly assum'd and yielded to him in Generall Counsels and in our Church of England in particular wherein he is declared supreme in all Causes and over all persons Ecclesiastical which was the Original Right of Metropolitans but since held by them as was fit not as Soveraigns any more but as subordinate to their Christian Magistrates And by this Hypothesis is resolvable whether Bishops ordain Priests as they are Priests or as they are Rulers which would make for the strength and re-allyance of the Protestant Interest For Bishops cannot Ordain of themselves without Priests to assist much less can Priests Ordain without a Bishop to preside where he may be had and Christian Kings offer not to resume as their temporal right any part of the Ordination or Consecration of either sort but only nominate our Bishops in the right of Patrons or Founders or as representers of the whole Community by whom they were in the Primitive Church elected as likewise in the Brittish Therefore the Priest who is but a Labourer is Inferiour and subordinate in this World to the Bishop who is a Ruler by Divine Order and designation not to be violated by any without the guilt and scandal of being Rebells against Superiours And the Bishop in his Chair as a Ruler is Inferiour to himself in his Pulpit as Christs Labourer and Preacher in reference to the other World For it is a higher excellency to be the least in Eternity than the greatest in time to subdue sin than to subdue the World Psal 84.11 Which yet is so as to Faith and reason and the Consciences of all sober men with their own yet not as to sense or the Law and course of this present life and general Practice whereby through humane infirmity very few yet not wanting in our times have been observed to be as ambitious of the labour of Converting Souls as of the honour and command of a Rich Bishoprick though the worst and Welsey himself at their dying hour have yielded to this Truth Whereby no Inferiour Minister that is diligent in his work and calling can have
with the first in its adversity and contempt For every Religion expresses what honour it hath for the Deity it worships by the respect and honour it enjoyns to be paid to its Ministers and Attendants And amongst all degrees of Christians from the lowest to the highest neither Christ nor his Ministers can be said to be either lov'd or honour'd where both are not lov'd and honour'd equally if not above themselves And no man can despise the Ministers of his Religion without despising his Religion nor despise his Religion without despising himself for where is a man's self more than in his God or Idol If Christ and his Religion be to be honoured it is to be invited to sit equal with us in our Feasts if not above wherein no Church is more proportionable than this of England which hath its Minâ—stry so adequate and comporting with the several degrees and conditions of its Laity like Arteries with the veins along the body from the toe to the head But now far otherwise is it amongst Christians Teachers and Disciples when the world hath possessed their hearts And Christ dwells but at their tongues only many there are besides Quakers it is to be feared that would be well contented to be without any Gospel at all on condition to be Tith-free and judge no sort of men better to be spared or retrenched in this Commonwealth than Christs Ministers And if they had Power enough in their hands would judge an 100 l. per annum to be revenew enough or two much for any Bishop to support himself and Family and to keep Hospitality and relieve the poor and strangers and to defend the Church against its Enemies and not 10000 l. per annum too much for themselves to spend upon their lusts and Vanity And in some Nations the Lay sort Raign and Rule and the Clergy hold the stirrup or serve under revocable pay like other workmen and trained thereby to be as observant of the state as of God neither hath the degenerate Clergy been behind in over-reaching to the degenerate Laity in grudging and subducting especially in the Roman Church who conceived she never had enough untill she had all not only their Lands but their Liberties and all became her Tenants or Vassals or tributaries from the Plow to the Throne Now how would these two contrary lusts tear and destroy one another if God had not raised Kings to preserve the peace between them How would Religion and good literature all fall to the ground and Atheism and Barbarism or equivalent Ignorance and superstition come again in their place if Kings were not Nursing Fathers to secure their Rights and Defenders of the Faith to maintain their Priviledges and quietness to correct on the one hand the Idolatrous Avarice of some hard hearts who would starve the Lord Christ to cherish their Lord Mammon And to check the Hypocrisie and worldliness of others on the other hand who Christopher-like carry Christ upon their backs to begg mens hearts who make use of Purgatory and the world to come to gull men out of this present who call all men to be their Paymasters for the unvaluable unrequitable mysteries of the Gospel which they at best but counterfeit and make them Vassals for ever afterward upon the score of that Tribute and acknowledgement who claim a Supremacy over Princes not upon the score of the Pulpit and the Eternal obligations thereof which they quit but upon the score of their Chairs which was borrowed from the Throne and intended it should return to its subordination thereunto Though Spiritual Graces wherewith they are ill stock'd are above all Temporal reward as much as Salvation is above an Earthly Crown yet it doth not follow that the Instruments and conveyers of Grace are Superiours here in in this world to all that receive it by their Ministry The message and Author is but not the messenger Kings hear Gods word as Subjects to Christs whole word it is but not as Subjects to those that Preach it but their Masters rather It is an ill and Un-evangelical Inference and too much savouring of Antichrist from Spiritual Doctrines to raise Secular Superiority and to make wordly Rule and Ambition the chief end of the everlasting Gospel Ego Rex meus was a perfidious Traiterous crime in Wolsey to transfer his Masters honour and Soveraignty upon himself which is their great Disease at Rome and constant Boldness upon Christ A Pursiveant though sent from a King to Arrest a Peer is not Superiour in quality thereby to the Peer although his Authority and errand be we may as well conclude all Centinels to be Generals of the Field or every Chaplain declaring Christ will in a Sermon before the King to be Primate of the Church and every Christian who Conquers the world by his Faith to be Emperour of this world as Popes to be Supremes in Christian Kingdoms and Churches over mens souls and bodies because they are the Servants and Officers of Christ who is When St. Ambrose boldly durst suspend his Soveraign and Theodosius meekely yielded to the censure of his Subject there was no Superiority either lost or got by this in either both doing their parts of Servants herein the Bishop of fidelity about his Master's mysteries the Emperour of Submission to his Saviours Steward All orders and degrees in the Church are every one in the Postures of Servants to Christ and Servants to another for Christ his sake 1 Cor. 3.22 and he alone the only Master and Soveraign Math. 23.8 In this world it 's true it 's otherwise where some are Servants others are Masters some Rulers and others Ruled all to be regarded as unto Christ in their several Superiorities by Christians who are to serve and obey them all from the heart upon Christs account in addition to their Civil obligation which is correlative to their Civil Superiority for as we are Christians we serve none but Christ and those that Rule and Govern if Christians do it as his Servants and Pious Kings have justly esteemed it to be a greater Dignity to be Servants of Christ than Soveraignes of this world Whosoever therefore misguides or mis-governs his Inferiour or wrongs or deceives his Neighbour or disobeys or dishonours his Superiour Christian violates his Faith and duty first to his Heavenly Soveraign in his heart before he wrongs any other on Earth by his outward Act. And it is our concern and honour as to detect and shun all such as are Traytors and Faithless to our Saviour so dearly to embrace and love them from our hearts that are true But though Kings meddle not with the Substantialls of Religion or the rights of Christ yet with the out-side or Circumstantials that fall within their charge and cognizance they well may and must whatsoever in Church matters is of Temporal not of Eternal moment neither determined by Christ nor necessary to Salvation but conducing only to Order and Peace and Decency and good
ordinary prudence exactly gratifying the Italian sagacity by such useful Hostilities And contriving on the other hand to cut down all fences and securities of this Church and repeal its penal Laws out of generous Charity and for more free commerce with Ingenuous Roman Catholicks Whereby their numerous and Industrious Emissaries may over-run the Land and disturb and seduce our people with greater safety Where a Protestant may be discern'd at the Elbow of the Jesuite and a Jesuite at the Elbow of the Protestant in every page both contriving to assist one another against a Sun-shine or a Rainy day by betraying this Church for clear it is that the Italian out-wits the Jew in his part and the lurch befalls the English side For though the Protestant Vulgar think their cause well defended yet the more discerning Conclave finds its designs more Effectually promoted by such Arts. How do such deserve to be admir'd and noted for their Wit that can serve two contrary Masters with success and bid fair to be uppermost let what party that will prevail and be rewarded by both as the open Champions of the one and the secret Factors of the other Neither do they yet less deserve to be scorn'd and detested by all wise and true hearted English-men and Protestants for such scandalous wiles and abominable doubling and betraying their Mother Church with a kiss Others of duller studies and Epicurean Inclinations judge no method better than that of Balaam at Baal Peor Numb 24.15 2 Pet. 2.15 Whose stratagem according to the Chaldee Paraphrast was thus laid with Balak That the people of Israel could not be curs'd or weakned but by dividing them from their God That this was to be best effected by bringing the fairest Daughters of Moab into the field instead of an Army to allure them to their Embraces which soon took effect For the People began to commit Whoredom with the Daughters of Moab And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel Till the zeal of Phineas put a stay unto it Numb 25.1 2 8.11 To the like kind of Prophets and Romish suggestions and connivance we owe the present deluge of Debauchery amongst our Gentry and Superiours whereby men are fitted by Spiritual wounds and servitudes for Romish Plaisters and our Church and its guides disgraced and a greater deluge of judgment and destruction is hanging over us unless God grant us Grace timely to repent out of love and commiseration to our selves and Countrey as well as duty to God whom we have so unthankfully provoked And least Kings themselves who can have no ends but God and the publick should bring too great an happiness upon a Nation by taking the charge thereof themselves They suggest the management of the Reins of Government to be difficult and toilsom for Princes to tire their Arms or Brains with and that others may be better trusted with such fatigues and Princes to take their pleasure and if trusted than trusted for good and all by all means for to trust and suspect were disingenious and contradictory whereby the Prince shall be divested and depos'd from most of his Authority and a Juncto of petty Tyrants raised and multiplied to act under the shelter of the Government against its Interest and honour like unskilful Mountebanks that take liberty to kill under the colour of a License Whereas in truth nothing is more easie and plain especially in some Nations than the Rulers work and office For what more easie than to know good from evil which a Child will soon arrive to in difficult and knotty points they have Counsels and Tribunals to assist as Moses had his Exod. 18. And what more Divine than to be an encourager of the one and a Terrour to the other Or can be more their Interest and strength and blessing and Acclamation and praise from God and men Provided that they take a Text or two for their direction as my present Text to do all from the heart as to the Lord For none are able to Act Christ to the full both in the temper of his first and second coming as Princes may by Meekness in the first place towards such as are tractable by Resolution and severity in the next towards such as prove Incorrigible And that other Text Rom. 12.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that ruleth let him do it with diligence not consuming his time and thoughts upon mean and and common Recreations much less on scandalous and sinful pleasures but to make his Government his entertainment and pastime For what can be more the sport and health of a Prince than the prosperity of his people And what Musick more delighting in a Generous Eare than the Te Deums of Orphans and Widows and the Oppressed for their rescue and Protection Any Squire or lusty Clown can equal a Prince in skill and content at Hunting of a Fox or Deer But to detect and hunt Wolves in Sheeps cloathing out of the Church or the wild Bore out of Christs Vinyard and Foxes from Publick Tribunals and Sees and noisom Vermin that prey upon their innocent Neighbours out of every corner of the Land This is Game for a Prince wherein no Subject can be his Rival or share or partake in his Delight and Glory And what a glorious happiness doth it ever prove to a Nation when Kings inspect their own Affairs and trust not too far to others and are led by the heart more than by the ear by God more than by Man by Conscience and Christ its rule which can never deceive them than by Man who is a lyar which can and often doth deceive and betray them into manifold unworthiness and inconvenience The Proverb saith the eye of the Master feeds the Horse But it is far more true that the eye of the King will beatifie a Nation According to that of Solomon The King sitting in his Throne of Judgment scattereth away all Iniquity with his eye Prov 20.8 The Sun it self cannot be more useful to the world by its Beams and Influence nor less be spared than a diligent and wakeful Prince to his People for he is more than a Sun being as God and Christ amongst them not in Title only but in Efficacy and Benefit when by Precept and Example he acts all in conjunction with him and subservience to him and Christ is ever where he is and He is ever where Christ is What an eye-sore would this prove but to none other but to Flatterers Hypocrites Pimps Oppressors Atheists Epicures but to Satan and his Pope who envy every Kingdom the Divine and Fatherly care and inspection of its respective Kings and is ever incroaching for a share in every Crown by the pretence of his Chair though he hath no more right or authority to meddle here than the Lord Mayor of DVBLIN to Govern the City of LONDON or our British Church to rule and controll the See of ROME and not so much because junior in the Faith to Us as
Conversion of the Isle of Man to the Brittish Culdees Usher 642. Man together in a miraculous manner which was his Christian retaliation to his enemies Whose reward is great with God and the greater by this that he hath the less of praise from men his very Adorers since his plantation was long obscur'd by a Romish Fog that still lasts upon it never ceasing to defame and traduce his Divine work with Superstitious descriptions and unworthy Legends though intended perhaps for Honour In 451. †Usher p. 978. Gildas Albanius born at Arcluit in Beda's time called Alcluid that is a Town upon the River Cluid now Dunbritton Inhabited then by the Brittains preach'd to and converted the North parts of Scotland beyond the Hills whether Ninias before had not reach'd And after him in 565. St. Columba of Irish Birth and Brittish Doctrine and Institution assisted by u Idem 540. Constantine Duke of Cornwall repenting of his Adulteries and Murthers upon the reproofs of Gildas Badonicus and taking orders perfected the Conversion of the Picts Serfus one of the Culdees and consequently of Brittish either Birth or Principle promoting the same work as far as the Orcades About the Year 560. St. Kentigerne y p. 686. Nephew to King Arthur and Founder of St. Asaph returned to his Bishoprick of Glasco and preached first the Gospel to the English though enemies permitted upon (f) Histor Brit. lib. 8. C. 9. M. Westm 489. submission and fealty under Octa and Ebusa Sons of Hengist newly conquer'd by Aurelius Ambrosius to live in that Brittish Territory between the Friths and the Wall where they suffer'd the Brittains before being worsted by them to reside upon like submission About 596 what by divisions among themselves what by great invasions by Gormond from Ireland as well as by the Saxons in their bowels what by a great and Epidemical Plague and Jaundize and the entrance of Monk Austin the greatest Plague of all two of their Candlesticks were removed Thadiock Arch-Bishop of the See of York and Theon of London being forc'd from their Sees and charge with the Clergy and Gentry from their Estates and Homes to retire for their safety into the parts of Wales and Cornwall and Ireland very probably none staying behind but the Peasantry at the Terms and for the conveniencies and interest of the conquerour York faring best of the two Sees for the Cambrian (m) Usher p. 1005. Kingdom or Cumberland called Valentia with Scotland or old Albany which formerly had been parcels of the See of York stood yet entire and safe under the Protection of their own Kings and Princes who were able to defend their Religion and Territories both from Pagan and Romish Encroachments about this time infesting them But in the See of London and the body of Lhoegr as the Brittains still call England the Inhabitants that remain'd behind Tributaries to the Saxon Conquerour were to retain their Faith between the heart and God after their Clergy were expell'd by the procurement of Rome as is to be suspected unless some lurked behind in cognitò as is usual for their comfort and assistance or the Pagan Conquerours as we shall see anon gave them toleration of Religion either by Grace or Articles as did Irmericus in Kent and Penda in Mercia and Kerdic in West Saxony c. whereof Bede takes little notice though he could not and doth not wholly conceale the passages But then as the loss of one sense adds strength to the other and the shutting of one eye enlarges the others Candle Ireland grew rich and famous upon this dispersion and accession of learned men into its Teritories for refuge whereby it became about this time the University as it were of these Western parts of Europe for the Christian Orthodox Religion and term'd Insula Sanctorum the Island of Saints whither recourse was made for Spiritual knowledge from all parts and Kingdoms and Wales and its Sees and Abbies was no less stock'd with choice of Able-men and particularly the famous Monastery of Bangor-is-y coed where we find about this time above two thousand learned Monks living together in a holy Fraternity all Subject to the Metropolitical See of St. David whither the Chair was removed from Caerleon by the Authority of King Arthur and a Synod about the year 521 These in 602 gave Augustine the Monk a meeting about Worcester where the pretended Supremacy of the Church of Rome with its superstitious Innovations were Synodically disclaimed and rejected Augustines design being to seize our Brittish Churches as it were by occupancy and to subject them to Rome under colour of Conversion For that their Sees were made too hot to hold Thadiock and Theon at the arrival of Augustine or not long before is some Argument that the Pagan fury was made to burn the fiercer with Roman-Catholick bellows and that the believing Brittains who needed not their Conversion must veil their Ancient Metropolitan Chair of St. David or Caerleon likewise to an upstart See of Romes erection as Austine expected this manifestly proves and discovers it was their Temporal Dominion and superiority which by them is call'd the Catholick Faith that was the chief aim of Rome by all Inhumane and Unchristian Arts to propagate here in Brittain And if we were constrained to submit in part and for a time to their yoke and superstition when the Crown in our Kings for a time was miss-led by their influence and were freed from the same yoke in H. 8. when the Crown was better rectified by Providence we stand as we were holding fast our Liberty with a better conscience than they could usurp it from us being now under no Tye or obligation to Rome either for our Faith or errours not for our first Faith which we never had from them nor for some latter superstitions which we restor'd back unto them continuing a right Church from first to last because when we were at the worst we were as Orthodox as themselves who corrupted us and recovering our clearness again from their forc'd mud and mixture we continue as well English as Brittains now mutually Incorporated to profess the same Faith which was planted here above sixteen hundred and odd years ago not only before Lutâ—er was born but before Rome it self had its Christian being SECTION VI. Brittain had not the Faith from Pope Eleutherius THe first point being thus clear'd It becomes as clear we had not our Faith from Pope Eleutherius by King Lucius and were the Epistle and the Persons contemporary it makes more against them than for them whereof the sum is this You desired of us to send you the Roman Laws which you would use in the Kingdom of Brittain we can never disallow Gods Laws but may Caesars You have lately by Divine mercy received the Law and Faith of Christ you have with you in the Kingdom both the New and Old Testament whence by the advice of your Peers and the Council of
your Kingdom you may select holy and blameless Laws which may be enacted and supported not by any Forreign but your own Authority who are Gods Vicar in your Kingdom and represent his power to your People But not a word about Lucius his Baptism or the Nations conversion which it rather plainly pre-supposes Nor was it unbeseeming in a first Christian King much less the forfeiture of the Liberties of his Brittish Church and Kingdom forever to ask the advice of Neighbouring Churches or such excellent Christians as the Popes of Rome in those times were about the settlement and Government of the Church in his Dominion and the answer and the event do shew there was no such danger for the Popes answer is Protestant and Orthodox that the King is Christs Vicar in his Kingdom and the head of the Church which he may well Govern with his own Authority without depending upon Forreign provided he took along the Law of God and the opinion of his sages for his Rule and help the advice to be theirs the Acts of Governing to be his own which with the present Church of Rome is unsound and Heretical Doctrine for it 's the Land that moves with some and not themselves when they are sailing from it And it appears by event the Popes did never intermeddle in the Government of this Church or State yea that they were such strangers to us all along to the time of Pope Gregory who sent Austine hither that by his questions and clinches about the English he met at Rome in the Market Angli Angeli Deira Dei ira King Elle Halelujah it appears whether we were Pagans or Christians here in Brittain he did not very well know but some Papists are grown willing of late to relinquish this part of their pretence and to allow this Epistle to be counterfeit because so contrary to their present Doctrines and seditious principles more than for the considerable reasons Sir H. Spelman layes down against it which Mr. Prynne takes upon him to disallow and answer to severally but the other part of the story though thus crack'd in credit that Lucius was Baptiz'd together with all the Land by Eleutherius his Emissaries must stand nevertheless which yet is wholly improbable and contrary to all sense and reason for the Brittish Church in Augustines time was found so uniformly unlike in all its rites and customs to the Roman if the Roman observations in the time of Augustine and Eleutherius were the same that one may easily believe that the fair Nothern Nations are so many Colonies of Blackamoores as believe Brittain to be regenerated by the Baptism of Rome to which Mother it held so little resemblance in any of its Ecclesiastical features For one of the main points in difference between the Brittains and Austine we find in Bede lib. 2. c. 2. was about their Ceremonies of Baptism then that known and lasting difference and contention about Easter and their abstinence on Wednesdays and Frydays not on Saturday as was and is observ'd at Rome against the sense and Custom of the Catholick Church there being as little Conformity between this Church and that in the heads and guides as well as the whole body of the People in the former rites Our Deacons varying from them in point of tonsure our Priests and Bishops in that of Marriage our Arch-Bishops in the Characteristicall Badge and livery of the Pall which these Churches never fetch'd or wore in token of compliance or dependance on that Church as shall be further proved in every particular out of their own or better Authors so that they may be justly ashamed as much of the Second part of this lye and pretence touching the Baptism of our King and Kingdom as they are of the first touching the Epistle where by the way it may be observ'd with abhorrence and detestation what unworthy Arts and Methods this holy Roman-Catholick Church makes no conscience to use to compass its Unchristian Ambition and Supremacy over Kingdoms and Nations where it can find the least colour or occasion what lyes they scruple not to Father upon all manner of men the living and the dead even on their best Popes and the Apostles and the Virgin Mary and Christ and God himself so their Carnals ends and Grandeur may be advanced thereby and what forgeries and falsehoods have they not foisted into all manner of books and Records and Histories to promote their Dominion hook or by crook particularly into our Brittish in the time of Ignorance and their Kingdom of darkness extending once to all parts and Persons Geoffrey of Monmouth affirming that that he did not compile but only Translate into Latine his History out of a Brittish Manuscript which Gualter Arch-Deacon of Oxford brought over hither from little Brittain whereas that Gualter attests likewise in the close of that very book that he Translated a A mysi Cualter Archiagon Rydychen a droes y Llyfr hwn or Lladin yn gymraâ—g I Walter Arch-Deacon of Oxford Translated this out of Latine into Welsh Histor Brittan Galfr'd Monm M. S. Cambro Brit. the same out of Latine into the Brittish tongue by which device the Enemies of the Glory of our Brittish Church and Nation have to the wrong of the first and to help on their vain Supremacy by any Art or shift shuffled in this passage touching Lucius into ours as the other touching Constantine into other Histories that both were Baptized by Popes Eleutherius and Silvester by all means because the one the first Christian King the other the first Christian Emperour and both brag 's equally true as likewise that Dubritius Arch-Bishop of Caerleon in King Arthurs time was Apostolicae sedis legatus not unlike another of their fictions of the Popes sending the Pall to St. Patrick to make him Arch-Bishop of Ireland under Rome though a Pall in Ireland was never heard off till the time b Cambrens Topograph Hiber C. 17. of Malachias Anno. 1152 and to the diminution of the Second clogg'd the Archievements of the great and Religious King Arthur with their unworthy Legends and Fables as with a designe that the one with the other might in time be of equal credit which hath induc'd some blind to lead the blind to believe there was no such King In so much that Buchanan well knowing and seeing the contrary in the Records of his own Nation could not forbear to make a digression on purpose to vindicate his name and story which in other c Ubbo Emmius Rer. frisic Hist lib. 3. Nations concerned in that History is acknowled'd as well as in the Scottish and our own in a just indignation against the underminers of the fame of so great a Hero d Buchanan Rer. Scotic lib. 5. Reg. 45. p. 151. But some light and occasion perhaps they had for their Monkish Invention in that very probably Lucius was Baptized by one from Rome viz. e Usher cap. 3. p. 31. seq Timotheus
are more intent for peferments in the Church than for the Kingdom of Heaven or adorning such dignities with life and Doctrine who can hold their peace at the abominable sins of men whereby God is offended and roare to purpose at the least injury done to themselves as if done to Christ such are Gods Enemies and not his Priests the Ringleaders of the wicked and not Popes of the Church traitors not succcessors of the Apostles Rebels not Ministers of Christ And for our Brittish Customs they were and are Primitive and Catholick and Oriental and not Roman We observe with solemn fast the holy week in Lent called Grawys from n Leges Howeli Dha apud Spelman quasi garw-wysg different and rough attire as is conceived then us'd especially therein Dydh Mercher y Brà d and Dydh Gwener y Croglith that is as we term those two days Wednesday wherein he was betrayed and Friday with the lessen of the Cross and from thence all the n Usher 882. Baronius An. 34. n. 47. Wednesdays and Fridays of the year saving Pentecost as Bede confesses of us and the strict practice rhereof with the devouter sort is fresh in memory this and other Brittish Customs having escaped better under Popery than under the pretended Reformation of the late War whereas its well known the Church of Rome stands condemn'd and censur'd in her Clergy and laity the one to be depriv'd the other to be excommunicate by the 6th o Conc. in Trull c. 55. c. Plin. lib. 10. Epist 97. Generall Council for fasting upon the Saturdays 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrary to the Ancient tradition of the Church and the Apostolical Canon of like severity It 's no wonder therefore if the Church of Rome denies the Authority of this Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Scholiast in loc For it went like a Sword through their heart to find themselves charg'd and impeached of going contrary to the Apostolical Canon And though the Church of Brittain in the West and of Africa in the South and of Millain at her doors agreed with the Eastern and Apostolick followed by this Council yet this Universal consent must not prevail the single Church of Rome Schismatically dissenting from the whole Church in her traditions must be Catholick nevertheless and her Customs to be observed equally with the Scriptures The Asiatic custome of singing a Carol to Christ about Cock-crowing mention'd in Plinie p L. 10. Ep. 97. in his Epistle to Trajan the Emperour in the first Age of the Church is retain'd amonst us to this day in our Plygains or Pulgains as we term them Though we look upon the material Cross as a great rarity which at Rome they Idolize and are beholding to our St. Helena for any naile or part thereof they have to shew and honour that bearing as the Church's Coat of Arms yet our true sense and Religious use thereof appears in our Remembrances and obligations by it to brotherly love and charity having no other word to express welcome which ought to be from the heart but Croeso which is deriv'd from the Cross mae chwi groeso you are welcome in the Cross Though they believe no Purgatory yet at the death of their Friends it is usual with them to wish the party Deceas'd a good Resurrection Duw a Ro iddo Ailgyfodiad da God grant him a good Resurrection an Ancient q Epiphanius in Aerio practice in the Eastern Church much abus'd by them at Rome to their secular profit as usual None have firmer beliefs of the Immortality of the Soul and of the other World than the Ancient Brittains nor greater detestation and Dicipline against lying even in Children which the Roman Church indulges in her Records and Liturgies and chiefest Saints r Cyn gywired a'r Ancor Brittish Proverb as honest and true as an Anchorite Eremitas Anachoretas abstinentioe majoris magisqve spirituales alibi non videas Grald Cambr. Descript Cambr. c. 18. They had likewise besides Eremites and Anchorites of the stictest sort their Nuneries for Christ's Virgins and Abbeyes for Monkes not such as our Western Modern Orders of St. Benedict St. Francis or St. Domnick but far Ancienter and after the Rule in the East and Å¿ Usher p 110. Aegypt so much extoll'd in in the Ancient Fathers and especially in St. Chrysostom's Homilies all along not begging their Bread or being a burden to others but earning their Livelihood with the work of their hands and spending the rest of their time in Study and mutual Edification renowned in History for their great Sanctity and Learning yet it was not counted unlawful for any of their Clergy to Marry for St. Patrick was the Son of †Idem p. 818. Calphurnius a Deacon who was the Son of †Idem p. 818. Potitus a Presbyter And u Spelm. Concil Arelat Restitutus the Brittish Archbishop at the Council of Arles was a Married man and so was St. Hilarie his friend as well as St. Philip and St. Peter In their Tonsures which is also an x Bed l. 3. c. 25 exception by Augustin's party against them if they had any they followed the manner of the East which shaved the forehead not the Crown as did our Romanists who were as much dissatisfied with Theodorus of Tarsus St. Paul's City who being design'd Archbishop of Canterbury to revive and promote the Roman Interest in Brittain quite lost well nigh was y Bed lib. 4. c. 1. fain to stay four Months at Rome before his setting out into his dignity that his Haire might grow fit to be shaved after the Roman mode being well contented to part with an old lock for a new Throne which proves the Greeks to be as far different from the Romans as our Brittains in this Rite Episcopalem vero Confirmationem prae alia gente â—otus populus magnopere petit x Cambrens Descriptio Cambr. c. 18. no Nation had Episcopal Confirmation more in esteem and so desired by all as the Brittains saith Cambrensis whose Archbishops did Consecrate their Suffragans and were Consecrated by them in their own Province And never sought to Rome for their Pall as did several other Nations as Pope Gregory did a Cambrens Itmerar Cambr. lib 2. c. 1. acquaint his Augustine in answer to his 7â— Question directing to take no Superiority over Arles because ab Antiquis praedecessorum meorum temporibus pallium accepit that Archbishop did use to receive his Pall from Rome and therefore was not to be depriv'd of the Authority which once he had obtained a Cambrens Itmerar Cambr. lib 2. c. 1. Britanmarum vero Omnes Episcopes tuae fraternitate committimus But he 'le give leave to his Augustine to bring all the Bishops of Brittain under him who by consequence and in the Popes opinion and diligent search never had any Pall from Rome which by the Principles of the b Bed l. 2. c. 28. 7 â—
Episc Lond. l. 2. p. 134. c. Confession of all our Historians that this Wini became a Simonaick and therefore no Bishop in Law by their own Principles A remarkable vindication of the Innocent Bloud of our Bangor Martyrs through Gods wonderful Providence who is wont to give a Victory and a new Resurrection to his Church after mortal wounds and to confound its enemies For Augustine and his Italian Successors as they never had Right so neither had they any long continuance here notwithstanding all their craft and cruelty Honorius Å¿ Idem lib. 3. c. 7. was the fift and the last of their race and number from Augustine who died Anno 653. Then the Chair began to receive most an end †Mat. Westmin A. 666. English Successors such was Deusdedit a West-Saxon d G Malmesb. de Episc Lond. l. 2. p. 134. c. whose English name was Fridona whose Ordination was void by the Canons of the Church as well as his Chair For he was not Consecrated by any Archbishop in in due manner Paulinus being dead and gone but by one single Bishop †Bede l. 3. c. 20. Ithamar Bishop of Rochester who had no more power to make an Archbishop than hath a single Presbyter to Ordain and Consecrate his Superiour Bishop Therefore all his Acts and his whole sitting for 9 years were Void and Null And Will of Malmesburie's reason e Guil. Malmesbury de Gestis Roffens for their not calling the Northern Oswaldian Bishops to their assistance is very disingenious in one that had read their Principles in Bede to be so averse against Communion with the Romish See of Canterbury Cavebant Romanorum apud Cantiam Reliquiae Ordinationes erroneorumsequi The Reliques of the Roman Church in Kent saith he were shy to admit them that err'd about Easter to have an hand in their Ordinations whereas the shyness was on the other side shunning all Communion with them as Schismaticks and Intruders upon the Brittish Church So that there was no Archbishop at all in Canterbury from the time of Honorius 653. the See continuing actually Vacant for a year and a half to Deusdedit and also Deusdedit's nine years sitting being null in Law and a while after to the time of Theodorus of Tarsus in Cilicia his coming to the Chair in 668. Of which contrivance of Rome to begin a second Usurpation over the English Brittish Church as well as their first over the Brittains more shall be observed in proper place Therefore the Church of Canterbury was manifestly extinct for those 15 years between Honorius the last Italian and Theodorus the first and last Graecian Archbishop there And we have heard before of the extinction of the See of Rochester under Putta and Willelm besides the Archbishops that succeeded Theodore seem Brittish by their Countrey and Institution Birthwaldus his next successor Anno 692. was Brothers Son to Ethelfred King of Mercia x Antiquitates Eccles p. 55. where their Faith was right Brittish Tatwin after him in 731. was likewise of y Usher p. â—055 Ex Will. Malmesbury Mercia And three of his Bishops that ordain'd him Ingwald of London Aldwin of Lichfield Daniel of Winton were not of Roman but of Brittish Sees And the last ordain'd by Birthwald z Antiquit. Eccles p. 58. Nothelmus after Tatwin 736. had been Bishop of London where he was born Cuthbert after Nothelm came from the Chair of Hereford an Ancient Brittish See belonging to the Archbishoprick of Caerleon in Wales And not to mention Bregwin a Nobleman of Saxony who succeeded Cuthbert Lambert the thirteenth Archbishop was wholly depriv'd of his Primacy by the means of Offa King of Mercia who withdrew all his Revenues and Churches in Mercia from him and got the Pope to assent thereto misit nuntios donativis conferendis praemunitos b Spelman p. 302 303. Noverat enim Rex Offa desideria Romanorum for he had treated him according to his humour with great guifts And so Aldulphus Bishop of Lichfield was made Archbishop during the Reign of Offa. The Pope notwithstanding through the great darkness that was to be for several Ages in the Church restor'd the See and maintain'd his usurpation at Canterbury to the time of Henry 8. a Brittish King who putting a full end and period to all Popish powers and pretences continued here against the Laws of the Land and the Canons of the universal Church And judging fit to continue the Primacy of Canterbury upon a new and better Authority his own pleasure and the strength of the Law the Superiority of that See became lawful ever afterwards to be submitted to in Brittain according to Church Canons Which from the suppression of the old Archbishoprick of London was all along before a manifestly uncanonical and Schismatical usurpation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Photii Nomocanon Tit. 1. c. 20. infamous to boot in the sense of the Ancient Canons Usurpation and force and Conquest right or wrong being more comely in the field than in the Church and better to be legitimated by descent and time And this Argument of the English or Saxons receiving their first Faith from Brittain and not from Rome is further corroborated by that notable observation of the Reverend and Eloquent Archbishop Parker sometime Queen Elizabeths Latine Tutor as I am informed upon several Old d W. L'isle divers Ancient Monuments Antiquitates Ecclesiasticae p. 35 -to 47. Saxon Laws and Homilies containing several points and Articles and Suppositions in them quite contrary to those Doctrines that Augustine and his Romish successors endeavoured to sow and propagate as the Faith of Rome in England 1. Against Transubstantiation 2. For Communion under both kinds 3. And the Translations of Scripture into the Vulgar Tongue and Instances thereof before the time of Wicleff 4. Laymen to study and read the Scriptures and to learn Creed and Decalogue and Lords Prayer in the Vulgar Tongue 5. Against Invocation of Saints e Wheeloc not in c. 9. lib. 4. Bedae Antiquae Homiliae Saxonum nunquam sanctos invocant c. Worshiping of Images 6. Marriadges to be free 7. Kings to be Gods Vicars in their Kingdom 8. The Legislative Power to be in King and people Quae quidem veteris Ecclesiae Brittannicae dogmata c. Which verily saith he being the Tenets and Doctrines of the Old Brittish Church and long retain'd amongst the Ancient Saxons notwithstanding the influence and successions of their Roman Guides and Teachers to the contrary how agreeable they are both to to the word of God and our Modern Laws and Constitutions and how diametrically contrary in all respects to their way at Rome any one may with ease discern that will For as the same learned prelate again what Author did ever in his works report that Augustine did ever Preach to the English that they might come to believe by hearing that he was not capable to do it his own Pope
entangled in the Treason by their obedience to Apostolical orders which deposed God as well as the Prince and the allurements of guifts and honours to the one and the other Very ill Presidents to Princes and from Ecclesiastics who pretend in their Church to extol obedience to Superiours above any other whatsoever Whereas their whole establishment consisted in rejecting their right Soveraign both of Heaven and Earth If Popery then be a good Religion Rebellion must be no great Crime For Rebellion upon the pretence of Religion had its first rise and example from that Infallible Chaire It cannot therefore be denyed but our German Apostles took Commission from Rome being impos'd upon as several dayly are by Antichristian arts which was their great Ecclipse and Infelicity enough to blast all the Glory of their other good work But then it is to be considered that though it was an Ecclipse it prevail'd but so many Digits The foul spot of expedient Rebellion being added to the other obscurations from Superstition It was not a total Ecclipse of the whole Luminary which still retain'd a competency of light sufficient to direct dark Heathenism but far better if the Popish fog which they term help had been further off What was clear and sound Religion Germany had from Brittain what was unsound and Superstitious it had from Rome as appears not only in reason because the Roman Religion found no exceptions against the substance of the Brittish as before but only that it wanted some of their Catholick Ceremonies and additions which the Brittains looked upon as suspicious Innovations but also most irrefragably by Charlemagne's condemnation of Image-Worship in the Councel of Francofurt against both the Church of Rome and Greece degenerating into that gross errour by the advice of a M. Westmin 793 Spelm. 218. Alguinus and the Catholick Brittish Orthodoxy shining and surviving then in England solely when the cloud had gone over all the rest Alguinus by his b Idem p. 307. Epistle to Charlemagne who sent the 2d Nicene Decrees to England as Pope c Magd. Cent 8 c. 9. p 626. seq Adrian sent them him for his Approbation did so d Spelman Concil p. 307. shake and rouse him by the Scriptures that in full Synod the Nicene Decree was condemn'd but the e Idem p. 308. Decrees of that Synod wherein were 300 f Spondanus Anno 794. Bishops assembled out of Italy France Germany and Brittain and so great and Learned an Emperor as Charlemagne present are all suppress'd with that e Idem p. 308. Epistle of Alguinus his other works remaining Spondanus confesses the reason Ingenuously that Image Worship was then condemned in the Council not by the Council g Ibid. n. 3. Non accessit consensus corum quorum fuit statutum firmare ut non mireris si quae sint de eà re tunc Acta conscripta nusquam appareant utpote abolita quod ea non probassent legati Apostolicae sedis nec qui eos miserat Hadrianus Papa For their consent was wanting to whom it belong'd to pass that Decree That it is not to be wonder'd if what was voted touching that Controversy is not to be met extant any where neither in Baronius nor Crabbe nor Binius c. for it was abolished and suppressed because the Legates of the Apostolick See did not approve thereof nor Pope Adrian himself that sent them Lo now If these Roman-Catholick-Hereticks serv'd so great and venerable a Council in that course manner together with the Emperors Authority though their great friend and Patron and more a Schollar than any of their pack perhaps for clashing against their infallible Idolatries in the defence of Gods second Commandment as if Catholick Religion depended upon the Negative voice of one Pope against God and the Church which is not only a contradiction in it self but contrary to the course and custome of all general Councils of the Church where one though Pope or Patriarch was condemned by the Community for his Errour and not the Community by any one It s the less wonder if our Brittish Histories and Records were serv'd in the like sort as was all along suspected and far worse The Adulteraing with Legends being worse than burning and suppressing as King Lucius his Baptism Dubritius the Popes Legate King Cadwaldr's Pilgrimage to Rome the Brittish Communalty in Lhoegr all destroyed by the Pagan Saxons and their Clergy quite banish'd which might be true in many places at the first perfidious Insurrection as with Sampson at York till mollified by Ambrosius and Vortimers moderation in their Victories and a tast of Christianity they were afterwards tolerated amongst them to Augustine's coming and h Monastic Angl. par 1. p. 55. Usher p. 755. Diana Worship'd at London and Apollo at Thorney or Westminster instead of Christ as if the English during their Heathenism had preferr'd the Idols of the Brittains before i Munster l. 3. 718. Irmensul and Woden and Mars their own or the same Hostility had spar'd Diana or Apollo who were as great strangers to them as Christ perhaps whereby it is evident the Authors of Romish Histories and Legends have not alwayes present memory and their wits much less their honesty about them in their zealous tales for their Church But to return to our Argument It is clear that the Orthodoxy of Charlemagne and the Franckford Council was not from Rome or the Pope with whom they clash'd which right descendants from Monk Augustine would hardly have done nor from Greece whom they condemn'd nor from the Learned Emperor himself whose feet had well nigh slipt till our Alguin recovered him but therefore solely from Brittain So that our German Apostles being sound at heart against Idolatry upon the score of their Ancient Britttish derivation and Institution though in many parts Leprous upon the score of their new Roman Communion they were still sufficiently accomodated to encounter the Heathenism of Germany with the Remainder of their sound Brittish Faith but had been far more successful and spotless in their proceedings if Rome had stood far enough off And if as living Springs soon work off their mud and trouble which corrupt Lakes and Boggs can hardly do The Protestancy of England and Germany and Sweden and Denmark c. be ascrib'd to the Vigour and Fermentation of their first Brittish Seed strugling after its Original Pristin purity in good soil and erect minds and to early help from England and Wickliff before k Munster lib. 3. p. 800. Baleus of the Life and Tryal of Sir John O'd Castle Luther's appearing I shall not be a dissenter to the conjecture as the like may be observed in our Romanists some reviving the way of Simon Magus a great man heretofore at Rome others of their Gothic Ancestors and Audius their Apostle who is remarkable for three Roman parts 1. In leaving l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the title of
Bede lib. 3. c. 25. Key upon him in-displeasure and shut him out of Heaven whereupon Bishop Colman Wilfrids Respondent and the third from Aidan being discountenanced in his tradition by the Kings revolt retired with most of his Brittish Disciples to Ynis-bo-find in Ireland the Authority of his other Doctrines being much weakened and several scandalized at this victory of confident Ignorance over godly sincerity So well do our Romanists agree with their predecessors in Titus c. 1. v. 9 10. vain talkers and deceivers who subvert whole Houses Churches for filthy Lucres sake The Brittish planters however had continued in the North 30 years Aidan 20 Finan 7 Colman 3 a sufficient time and space for the sowing of the everlasting Gospel amongst those Nothern English throughly which continued as to its substance amongst them from that time to this But it was not enough thus to wound the Brittish Church but they had breaches in their own to heal and make up their Roman Plantion was so decayed and extirpated even in Kent its last retreat and their successions and Ordinations so fully defeated and interrupted that as we had occasion often to observe there was but one Bishop in all the k Bed l. 3. c. 28. Isle of Brâ—â—tain then and he afterwards a Simonaick that was not of Brittish Ordination A full demonstration of the recovery of the whole Brittish Church from the Roman yoak at that time before Theodore's arrival to be Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Anno 668. And herein Bede's disingenuity appears out of wonted envy to the Brittains that he hath not discovered who consecrated these new English-Brittish-Bishops over all the land whether Aidan or Finan who were Metropolitans of York all the while though they us'd no Pall and chose their residence in Lindisfarn or Helyge or Holy Island as the learned l Usher c. 5. p. 78. Vsherâ— proves out of Stephanus Bedes Cotemporary in Wilfrids life or whether they were Consecrated by Ced at London the old Metropolitan See which Canterbury had for some time invaded Therefore a new consultation is now to be taken for Rome's revival in England Oswi being now fully of the Roman way and Egbert King of Kent m W. Malmesbury de Gestis Angl. c. 3. Bed lib. 3. c. 28. lib. 4. c. 1. advise together and send to Rome for help to procure an Archbishop thence for Canterbury to ordain other Bishops throughout the Land of a Roman Race and Stamp Wiggard is sent as was said and never returned Then Wilfrid after him who is ordained by Agilbertus Archbishop of Paris bred in Ireland as afore who making too long a stay The meek and humble Ceadda Brother of Ced is sent to Deus Dedit at Canterbury to take his Ordination such as it was being himself Ordained and Consecrated but by one Bishop as afore who being dead before Ceadda could arrive at Canterbury he is over-rul'd to go to Winchester to Bishop Wini who though of the Roman way but French takes two Brittish Bishops to joyn with him in the Consecration of Ceadda to be Archbishop of York n Bed lib. 3. c. 23. there being no other Roman Bishops left then in the land Therefore the Pope makes hast to raise the Tabernacle of the English-Roman-Church which was quite fallen to ground Adrian a Roman is pitch'd upon but refuses out of modesty but inward motives are as well discover'd by subsequent events as Italian pretences then Theodorus a Graecian of Tarsus St. Paul's City is pitch'd upon and Consecrated by Pope Vitalian which argued him to be wise in his Generation and design for all England receives and submits to him o Idem lib 4. c. 2. say our Histories and to none that came from Rome in like manner Eastern Theodore better suiting with the humour and hopes of the Brittish Chuâ—ch than Roman Adrian who comes to England nevertheless along with Theodore and is made Abbot of Reculver to be a Spy upon our Greek Archbishop lest he should comply too much with the Brittains who liked and used Greek Customs But Theodore forgets his own Church and Country which all men love for the sake of dignity and takes Roman Tonsure which occasioned his stay at Rome for some Months for the growing of the Hair on the forhead which the Greek Tonsure shav'd off and as it were to remove all suspition of his Inclination after Greek rites more than Roman becomes the fiercest persecutor of any other of our Brittish Customs and Ordinations sends for Ceadda before him questions him for his Consecration as unlawful because not from Rome But he meekly answers p Bed lib. 4. c. 2. Voce humillimà saith Bede si me inquit nosti Episcopatum non ritè suscepisse libenter ab Officio discedo quippe qui neque me unquam hoc esse dignum Arbritrabar sed obedientiae caus jussus subire hoc quamvis indignus consensi If you know saith he that I have not been made Bishop Arch-Bishop in right manner I am ready and willing to quit the Office for indeed I never judg'd my self worthy of it but out of meer obedience being commanded to under take it I yielded thereto though unworthy whereupon Theodore would not depose him but only complete his ordination after the Roman manner But Bede delivers not the truth therein for it s known to himself he was laid aside for this and q lib. 4. c. 3. Wilfrid put in his place to be Archbishop of York and he retir'd to his Monastery in the North from whence he was invited by Wolfer to be Jaruma's Successor at Lichfeild where a magnificent Church as likewise at Shrewsbury in the same Diocess bears his name and memory to this day But to observe the proportions of this Roman Reformation here pride overcomes humility and a slavish Forreigner turns an upright Native out of his Right and dignity by his holiness order and justice But Wilfrid was scarce warm in his seat but he was outed by Egfrid Oswi's Svccessor his Queen and the Clegy all joyning against him for his a G. Malmesb. de Gestis Pontific lib. 3. de Episc Eborac Spelm. Concil p. 157. avarice and pride and pompous retinue and pluralities of Abbeys and Gold and Silver Plate c. and Theodore his Creator joyning with the stronger side against him which shewed the root of his Apostacy and by what Lust and humour he was prevail'd upon by the Arts of Rome to trouble and subvert the Brittish Church and himself Heaven frowning upon this unhappy Revolution Anno 664. with Comets and total b Usher p. 1164. Bede lib. 4. c. 13.5 20. Eclipses and unheard of b Usher p. 1164. Bede lib. 4. c. 13.5 20. Plagues and Sickness and Famine 40 or 50. together b Usher p. 1164. Bede lib. 4. c. 13.5 20. tumbling themselves from Rockes into the Sea out of weariness of such a life And though Will. Malmesbury saith that England was c G.
wherewith they are Intrusted by God for the defence of his and their People than Popes ever could or can unsheath their Spiritual Weapons in defence of Pride and ambition and scandalous Encroachments Excommunication being intended by Christ and his Apostles to better ends than they apply it to separate between the precious and the vile between scandalous and holy Christians and to cut off putrid parts with grief and compassion to preserve the Communion of Saints and the health and honour of the whole and not to defend proud and ambitious heights and sacrilegious invasions and Usurpations over Churches more Orthodox and more ancient than themselves with Unevangelical revenge and recalcitration after fair eviction Which is the abusing of Christs Ordinance to ends contrary to what he intended and the taking of Gods name in vain for which they will not be held guilt-less yea to have Excommunicated themselves rather by humble acknowledgements and reparations to their power for their wrongs and oppressions to Christ and souls and Churches had been the right Catholick use of their keyes and the surest sign of Salvation to the best and chiefest of their Church Neither is it needful by our Hypothesis and state of our case to defend the Reformation from the charge of Schism and departure from the Catholick Church thereby as they suppose and cry aloud against us for the alteration made by Henry the Eight cannot be called the Reformation of a Religion we derived from Rome by Inferiour Authority against superiour by the daughter correcting the Mother Church Irregularly but our lawful Restoration rather to our Ancient Rights and possessions from which we were wrongfully disseis'd and barr'd The deliverance of our Brittish Church after long captivity and disfiguration to its primitive liberty and health and beauty by just means from the violent hands and Spiriting Arts of Rome much Junior to it in faith and much impurer and unsounder than the true Church of Rome for these last thousand years Our Case I say is not so much Reformation as Restoration which no man of sence or honesty or conscience can find fault with and much less they at Rome who are pleas'd with their deliverance from the long Tyranny of their Exarchs though procur'd by unlawful and pernicious means as before but we had ours through lawful Authority without any wrong or hurt to others or our Superiours and with much right to our selves much less can we be tax'd or blam'd by any at home that have been long kept out from their own rights by Tyrants or Rebels or Oppressors who are bound in all Equity and Honour and Compassion to espouse rather and Assist so just a Cause before any others whatsoever according to Dido's temper in the Poet making the Case of Aeneas in Exile her own Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco The Pope had no more Original right and title to our Brittish Sees how long soever Usurped than Cromwell had to the Brittish Crown Whoever else may envy or hinder or undermine our recovery of our just freedom and liberty they that through Gods mercy have had the like Restoration and deliverance ought not either in Honour or Civility or Humanity to do it nor if themselves appear to have the greatest share and benefit therein without manifest hazard of their Judgement for by revolt to Popery Princes quit no less their external Supremacy in holy Church the choycest Jewel in their Crown than by Apostacy to Heathenism not more by the parity of the Idolatries than by their own Act and Resignation For they cannot longer hold the same in the Catholick-Roman without being Excommunicate as undutyful and they let go their hold thereof in the Protestant Christian by Excommunicating themselves as unkind and unwise Nor if after all this they be found to Act both against Gods revealed will and fate therein or the secret Decrees and discernable purposes of his Providence against it whereof the one was made as clear as the Sun before and the other will afterwards appear as clear as the Moon which is next unto it can they ever be thus unnatural to their own Church and Nation out of vain glorious kindness to forreign cheats without fighting against God as well as their friends to the certain overthrow and ruin either Temporal or Eternal or both of the weaker side Therefore the sharp and searching judgement of the great Arch-Bishop Bramhal could soon espy that the plea of the Antiquity and Independancy of our Brittish Church in the Controversy between us and Rome strikes the cause dead forever at one blow Not that being exempt from the pretences of a Junior Church once animated with Empire to step before her betters we are not bound nevertheless to hold Communion with every good Church of Christ where and when we may yea with Rome it self if it return'd to its Ancient purity and subjection to our Saviour as on the other hand to shun others as we do Rome that were guilty of the like Corruption and Apostacy which flight and distance we are wont to observe in our moral and natural Communion and converse as well as Christian embracing or shunning good or evil Company for our safety or credit as wholesome or Pestilential Air for Health as well as sound and unsound Churches out of Allegiance to Christ our common Lord or fear of scandal and partaking in their sins and judgments by our Complyance For our Communion though it be our great duty as Schisme is a great sin yet it is not in our absolute power and dispose in the general without any other Rule or reason to incline us to be of this or that Church but our own fancy and humour no we are acted by necessity in great part therein for it is a necessary tye upon us to embrace good and relinquish evil and corrupt Communion and to be guided by Christs will and not our own as our rule and standard and to shun all whom his word Excommunicates and to communicate with all whom his word approves For to approve whom Christ condemns or condemn whom Christ approves is not in the power of any Christian that ownes Christ for his Soveraign All the part that we have in our own power is the exercise of every mans Conscience and private judgment under the guidance of Christs rule which they hate the least mention of at Rome as impious and Haeretical and leading to a private spirit the root of all evil errours in the Church and comparing the lives and state of Christians and Churches by this general rule of Christ and this particular eye of our Souls to put our Communion in execution according to Christs mind and to embrace his friends and to shun his enemies and to like and dislike as we are to do all our other Affairs in him from our hearts according to my Text. For let there be no private judgment to distinguish between private good or evil or between the guides themselves we are
by his high disloyalty though not by his resolution and many other great parts if rightly used And what makes our Frustrations to be Panegyricks in many mouthes of his Attainments but that having the same men and courage and preparations and more we take not the same method to prosper in a good cause as he did in a bad And to borrow light from vanity what can the skill of the best Player avail if the Dice be altogether against him For some will say that Interest and reason of State all may see that the temper of the whole Nation and the wise may observe that Heaven and fate forbid the banes and realliance of this Land with Popery For who are more miserably rent and divided then we now of this Nation are though restor'd Our people distrusting their Princes and our Princes their people whereby our strength and glory by mutual subductions is brought to nothing like a Merchant that hath 10000 l. Stock and is 20000 l. in Debt and all this only by striving against fate And making Popery and our selves the weaker by favouring it against Profession Interest Duty Oaths Trusts halting between God and Belial between Christ and the Pope between Protestant and Papist being as they say neither good fish nor flesh but deservedly weak and improsperous and contemptible and acting all in the dark like men under fear or guilt or self condemnation yet a sincere Resolution to be firm and true to God and Protestant truth without further doubling Cures the whole Nation in an Instant clears all Debts dissolves all jealousies and fears strengthens all Interests opens all hands and hearts and purses and makes us Brittains again happy and united within our selves and serviceable to our friends and formidable to our enemies and acceptable to God All our Divisions in this Nation for these 1600 years and upwards were ever rais'd and fomented by harbouring Rome within our bowels either with or against our wills The Picts from the North and the Scots or Irish from the West were enemies heretofore to the Brittains though much their flesh and bloud solely upon the score of Rome upon the like inducement as Roman-Catholicks at this day are enemies to our peace and Nation the one gnawing our bowells as the other did Infest our borders upon the same score of Rome For the Roman power ruling here while Picts and Scots were unreduc'd forc'd the Brittains to serve and fight against them whether they would or not and them to fight against us by consequence and Provocation The Roman cheat since prevailing upon many through their want of love to the truth makes men enemies and Spies and Traitors to their own Countrey not through force but by their own choice and zeal to serve and promote the ambitious ends of Forreigners which less intoxicate than mens own personal lusts and passions and renders them therefore more inexcusable and despicable than any other Traitors or Malefactors whatsoever that set up for themselves An hearty embraceing of the Ancient Apostolick Brittish Faith which the Scotch and Irish defended with us heretofore against Monk Augustine and planted amongst the English before he and his Successors sowed their Tares amongst them which our Roman-Catholicks are so fond of would unite these three Nations as one man in mutual love and peace and truth and prosperity and renown and strength and Gods blessing which was the whole aime and designe of this discourse and an effectual care taken against Roman seducers on the one hand and compassion towards the seduced on the other and the exemplification of our own right faith by an answerable good life would under God easily effect this reduction They are unnaturally unkind to their own Countrey that take part with Rome against it which was ever a bad neighbour to our Brittain returning us evil for good It destroyed our Empire through the ambition of Maximus our Church through Monk Augustine whereas we ever did but Cures upon it Planting the first Gospel amongst them before the arrival of St. Peter or St. Paul Ridding their Roman World of the remainders of their old Pagan Idolatry which there was in great power and value by the zeal of our Great Constantine and healing their new Christian Idolatry in good part wherewith it was as much enamour'd by our Henry the 8th his President Let them beware of the Repentance of another Generous Prince descending together from the same Royal Brittish stock and of no less a spirit who being once fully undeceived shall see great wrongs to the Innocent to be repair'd great indignities to his own Interest and honour to be reveng'd and chastiz'd as King Henry did his Incest great oppression to patient Protestancy both at home and in Neighouring Kingdoms yea and great abuse to all Christendom in general by Holy frauds and Impostures and abominable Idolatries to be reliev'd and redress'd to whom Cromwel their Terrour was but a Blazing-warning Meteor who shall unite to himself both the heart of God and of the three Nations by his zeal for his cause and glory against such Hypocrites and everlasting troâ—â—â—â—ers of Kingdoms and Churches and judge it a design commensurate to his Princely Grandeur and Renown to go along with Fate and Providence to put a period to their Kingdom of Lyes and Forgeries and Profanations and begin the overthrow of Turkish by suppressing Christian Antichrist the great enemy of Souls and Truth which gave the other its chief rise and growth and was the first president in Christian Kingdoms of Rebellion against lawful Soveraigns upon the pretence of Religion the only obstacle of the Union of all Christian Churches by his Pride and usurpations And the most dangerous enemies to all humane Society and Government and to all Faith and Truth among men and Christians which support them by Dispens'd Perjuries Licensed Dissimulations Equivocations Mental Reservations Canoniz'd Tteasons c. The like practices being never known or heard of in the World before amongst sober Heathens nor the most wild and barbarous much less amongst the Primitive Christians and Martyrs but only the Gnostick Disciples of Simon Magus If it be the Fate of Brittain to give Rome another Cure and Castigation without which neither England nor Christendom are like be at rest And none are easier and sooner reduc'd than such whose principles and practices have long warr'd against Heaven and the Brittish Proverb saith Drwg y Ceidw Diawl ei wâas The Devil ill brings off his Servant It were to be wish'd and prayed it might please the Almighty to effect it mildly by the Authority and power of a generous and lawful Prince like as Constantine was from hence and not for our neglect raise a Tyrannical Cromwel for the scourge and ruine of their Degenerate Church as he did Ruffinus heretofore for the overthrow of their Degenerate Empire who is a Balaus Cent. 1.42 reported to be a Brittain born and his name greatly proves his Original were he born elsewhere
Usher 1129. Hist Britt l. 8. c. 8. Ubbo Emmius l. 3. p. 107. Emrys or Aurelius Ambrosius before him Here that Archbishop had his Residence that sent seven of his suffragan Bishops to meet the said Augustine near Worcester to defend their Brittish rights and Customes against Rome's Invasion Neither is Cressy's exception against the Welsh Epistle in Sir H. Spelman of any validity because it mentions the Archbishop of Caerleon to be their proper Superiour when as at this time saith he the See was at St. David and not at Caerleon c Usher p. 1132. p. 83. Quanquam ipsius Augustini temporibus inurbe Legionum sedem Archiepiscopatûs adhuc haesisse cum ab aliis tum ab Authore Chronici quod Brutus appellatur proditum inveniam unde ijdem Legionenses Menevenses Antistites Giraldo because though it were it was still the same See and the names were promiscuously us'd and there is nothing in that Epistle but what is in effect contain'd in the Narrations of Bede and Geoffrey of Monmouth who is no where more fabulous than for the Interest of Rome or the discredit of our Brittish Worthyes and both Authors appear more their Friends than ours And where Geoffrey Stiles Dubritius without any colour of Truth Britanniae Primas Apostolicae sedis legatus The Pope's Legate and Primate of Brittain though it was as absurd then as to fancy General Montecuculi now to be a Turkish Bashaw yet it serves very well to confirm that this Archbishop of Caerleon was the undoubted Primate at that time and not York or London because Lyes and Legends that expect any belief are ever fastned to some Truth And there this Primacy continued amongst the Brittians till sometime after the Norman Conquest But if the Question be of right Where the Primacy of Brittain ought of right to be and to be by all right English and Brittish-Christians obeyed from the heart as unto Christ The Resolution is far more easie For this Church may be considered as to its Inside or the heart and inward man or the Outside or its outward man As to the first the Primacy is solely in Heaven the heart being subject to no Pope nor Prelate but to Christ alone and to all lawful Governours for his sake Neither is this Primacy local or confin'd and limited to any place on earth either Rome or Canterbury as neither is the Soul or its thoughts but in all places of Europe and Asia Africa and America we are to obey and follow Christ the Soveraign of the Soul before any other whatsoever God before man Conscience before Interest Truth before Authority the Laws of God befere the Doctrines of men Duty before Fancy Honesty before Advantage Heaven before Earth and Everlasting Concernments before any Temporal whatsoever But if the Church be considered in its Outside the Case is in another World that is in this present World where the Civil Magistrate is Supream in all Temporal Concerns and Causes As in all Ecclesiastical are Ecclesiastical Magistrates and Governours and that two wayes 1. Originally 2. Eminently Originally the rightful Bishops of Brittain before the time of King Lucius and Constantine being of Apostolical descent and Institution and the chief of their Order were the chief and Prime Governours of this Church by right for the first Bishops are certainly known to be appointed by the Apostles themselves as James at Jerusalem c. And the Magistrate while Heathen had no right to controle them in any part of their Commission that was from Christ for the propagation of his Gospel or the publick weal and preservation of his Church in truth and order and regular Communion in this world therefore in that respect alone they were exempt and not subject to any human Laws and Authorities whatsoever which liberty hath been scandalously abus'd and extended by the principles of Popery to exemption from Christian Magistrates As if they had been equally as opposite and asymbolical with the Gospel as Heathen But when the Magistrate became Christian in Lucius and Constantine c. And were received into the Church according to their quality and station before in the World of Gods Erection the Case was otherwise again for now they were Ecclesiastial Magistrates as well as Civil and if Ecclesiastical therefore Supream in Ecclesiastical causes referring solely to this present life as well as Temporal that is Supream Primates and defenders of the Temporal concerns of the Eternal Church of Christ Therefore as the Supremacy of the Church was Originally in our Brittish Bishops so it came afterwards Eminently to be lodged and vested of right in our Brittish Christian Magistrates Christian Bishops giving place to Christian Kings like the lesser to the greater Lustre who yet acted little or nothing without their advice and counsel as we found King Arthur a little before chusing his Bishops and Archbishops with the advice of Synods Therefore as we say where the King is there the Court is so it may as well be said and justified where the Christian King of Brittain is there is the Primate of Brittain and head of this Church Notwithstanding as our Kings in their Civil Capacities have their standing Courts and Tribunalls for Habitation or Justice by Law and custome as well as Ambulatory and Personal so likewise in their Ecclesiastical their standing Primacyes where they pleased by Law to fix them as did King Lucius perhaps at London and Constantine at York and Arthur at Caerleon and others at Canterbury which they or their Successors may adjourn and remove elsewhere in like manner when they see good reason The vulgar practice of common Seamen penetrates and decides this point For with them at the motion of the Prince or Admiral from a first to a second or third Rate Ship the Flag shall follow by consequence and desert that Ship whatever be its Rate the Prince deserts and hover only there where he hath chosen to abide In like manner it is with the Primacy which answers to the Flag as Ships at Sea answer to Cities on Land It doth and alwayes ought to follow the will and Law of the Prince and any Forreign Pope hath as much to do to order and dipose of a Flagg in our Fleet by his Bulls and Canons as of a Primacy in our Kingdom There is an old appetite in Mitre and Crown to Re-unite and to be together as they were Originally in the same Persons in the Patriarchs yea in Heathen Kings and Emperours Holy and Publick signifying the same our English Primacy which travelled heretofore from London to Canterbury to be near King Ethelbert is since crawl'd back as far as Lambeth to be near White-hall The Christian Mitre attends the Crown the Antichristian would Controle it Both would have it near the one goes to it the other would have it to come to him Christian Bishops count themselves Subjects to their Kings Antichristian would have Kings to be Subjects unto them â—ea and
half a word spoaken to any of our Gracious Princes by our Reverend Bishops in behalf of a long oppressed Church would make Wales also a full sharer in the Common liberty and benefit of the Reformation They being the first sufferers in Europe for their early opposition against the Supremacy and Superstitions of Rome several hundreds of years before Martyn Luther was born or heard off and therefore more fit to be considered notwithstanding former enmities who ever was in fault in a Protestant Church and a Polite and curious Nation that hath a fam'd regard for Antiquity in stones and marbles The visible and distinct Remnant of the Ancient Brittains in Wales whom Rome hath endeavoured these 1000 years to suppress and destroy in their fortunes and faith and fame and value and love with several of the English being the most Ancient standing and living Monument and Record against Popery in this our Western World Must that Ancient leaven that gain is godliness and Superiority hook or by crook over Ancienter Churches be retained with scandall for ever in the best of Reformed Churches Is there none that will speak but for themselves none against themselves and purse and pride for conscience Justice and the interest of Protestantism And yet I believe the Brittish Church had rather rest in Patience as they are than arrive at any deliverance or redress or liberty by any means unpeaceable or unamicable much less indirect Neither can their rights and Priviledges be further withheld from them without deserving and Incurring the Censures and Anathemaes of General Councils manifest and unanimous in their defence which if they are not to be regarded wherefore are they Read or Printed and not without some defiling approbation of a most unrighteous and an unconscionable Popish Sentence past against them and their Successors without cause and with as little colour against all faith and Truth and promise of Protection leaving them in the Lurch in the midst of their trust and submission against the use and Custom and Instinct and honour of all Patrons and Creatures whatsoever but his Holiness alone Withall hard usage is more tolerable from an Enemy than from a friend and from the corrupt Roman Church where tyrannical and ambitious principles are so openly professed and own'd than from a neighbouring Orthodox Church of Christ who suck'd the breasts of the Brittish or others at least who had been nurs'd and nourished by her Milk Neither was it the Intention or practice of the Roman Court that Churches should remain concluded for ever by any of its Sentences whether just or unjust as appears in the frequent contests heretofore between the Arch-Bishops of York and Canterbury for Primacy where after both parties were well spunged and squeezed by decrees and Sentences for each the right of precedency reverted after all where it ran before in its former Channell If a Pope predecessor exempted York from Canterbury upon a considerable feeling The Next Pope his Successor who had no share in that Boon is troubled in Conscience if well illuminated by a splendid present from the adverse side till Canterbury were righted and the Ghost of Austin appeas'd At last this Controversy was referr'd by the Pope to the pleasure and decision of our own Kings whose Original right to judge of this Cause was now remarkably estabished in the Crown by this concession and president from what motive soever it proceeded for it thwarted two of their chiefest fundamentalls their Profit and their Incommunicable Judicature of Church matters which they seldom quit where they have either cowardly or credulous Kings to deal with And so we find that the wise and valiant King Edward the third put an everlasting period to that Controversy under his great a Sr. Roger Twisden Histor Vindicat. p. 21 22. Seal As any of his Protestant Successors being better enlightned and Brittishly allyed may give due redress to the Ancient See of St. David in like manner if they please and also unite Canterbury to London as it was ever at first The Extinction of great and Ancient Sees being Sacriledge but their Translation from that place to this the undoubted right of Princes which is the third point That the Protestant Constitution and Confirmation of the Primacy of Canterbury is according to the b Photii Nomocanon Tit. 1. c. 20. Concil Eph. Can. 8. Concil in Trullo Can. 38. Concil Chalced. Can. 12. 17. Canons of the Universal Church as well as the Law of this Land which is sufficiently cleared before and hereafter and more at large and irrefragably by several great Writers of our Church particularly Dr. Hammond and Archbishop Bramhall to whom they are referred who have a mind to meet more Instances and Presidents on this point And our Romanists of any men should not except or regret at the Constitution of our chief Chairs by the Authority of our lawful and Brittish Kings whose first power and footing here was by the aid and assistance of Conquerours and Invaders to the wrong of this Church For though the Pope first pointed out London who had the same right to dispose of the Crown as of the Chaire yet the Influence of King Ethelbert settled the Primacy at Canterbury as some of the Norman Kings wrested that of St. David to it by meer force and power If therefore they believe in behalf of themselves that Kings may constitute or translate Metropolitan Sees against old Right and Canons much more may they do the same with Right and Canons of their side For lawful Kings in their own Territories succeed in that power which was given or restor'd by General Councils to Christian Emperours to make what Alteration and translations of Sees and Primacies as they should see cause The Emperours and Metropolitans both agreeing and consenting that before any new Metropolitan See should be alter'd that the Mother Church should be satisfied and understand from his Majesty under his hand that he was not surpriz'd or sollicited or misled by others in what he did as well might be the Case of Canterbury in its Confirmation by our English Kings in the darkness of Popery before the Reformation but that he did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his own accord and choice and for a just and convenient cause either out of respect to the Dignity of the new place or City or out of particular honour to the personal vertue and merits of its present Prelate or for some publick benefit and advantage to the Church in general as Balsamon Notes on the 38 Canon of the General Council in Trullo whereby it appears that it is still in the power and Authority of the Kings of Great Brittain to settle continue or translate this Primacy by their Laws to what place they please and to restore the same to London where it formerly was if by any just cause they shall be mov'd thereunto Either 1. out of respect to the 6th Canon of the great and venerable Council of
either in Scripture or Ancient Fathers or Councils is it express'd that the Pope of Rome is this Chief that all Churches and Provinces are Bound to know and own for such for then this controversy of Supremacy were decided past all further dispute But what Metropolitan or Patriarch then is recommended to us in Scripture or Tradition to know and obey for such My Text and the 34 Canon of the Apostles answers this Question and resolves us whom we are to look upon as our chief both in Heaven and Earth For Christ is that Invisible Chief in Heaven we are to know and serve in all we do from the heart And on Earth the Primate of every Province and not the Pope over all was Him that all Christians in the Ancient and truly Catholick Church were bound to Know and own and obey as their head before Magistrates became Christians And the Pope of Rome is there quite forgot and not mention'd in the lest and at such a time as his Authority and Supremacy had been by all means to be salv'd or heeded if it had been then but a point of any right or order in the belief of the Apostolical Church which is now so great a point of Faith in the Roman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Bishops of every particular Nation ought to Know Him who is Chief amongst themselves and to count Him as their Head And to do nothing beyond their particular concern and duty without Him nor he either to do any thing without the advice of them all for so peace and concord shall be attain'd and preserv'd and God shall be glorified Whereby is evident that the Primitive Ecclesiastical state of Christendom was as its present civil is Aristocratical and not Monarchical where several Provinces had their several Bishops or Primates for their Ecclesiastical Princes As now-a-dayes several Kingdoms are under their own several Kings and States and no one Prince Supream or as a civil Imperial Pope over all the rest But in comparison of one another all were equals and unsubordinate to one another as to power and subjection though not to order and precedency And in their own Territories Monarchical or supream within themselves And if the State of the Church was so and so to be preserv'd by this Canon although the state civil was different and Monarchical all Christian Kingdoms and Provinces being then under one Emperour as he that hath read St. Cyprian or St. Hierome can make but little doubt what reason is there that the State Civil and Sacred being now equally Aristocratical the harmony should be dissolv'd and all should become slaves against right and Laws and Canons to please the Pride and sin of one He that drives at an Universal Monarchy is and ought to be taken by every Prince and State as a publick enemy The reason is the same in Church as well as State Yea there is president for Universal Monarchy in States but none in the external Church but only Prophecyes and warnings of Antichrist that should be such Now for Rome to be Soveraign as she pretends and every Metropolitan Church to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Chief and unsubordinate within its own Province according to right and Ancient customes is a manifest contradiction and inconsistency Both cannot be true together but the last was proved to be most true by as great a testimony and suffrage as Earth can afford the consent of several General Councils the greatest that ever met and in the best and purest times And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per omnia autem manifestum est This is universally manifest is the manner of wording of this point in this Canon as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manifestum namque est quod per singulas quasque Provincias in the other like unto it both in the Originals and their own Roman Translations Therefore if the one be so manifestly true the other of Rome's Supremacy is as manifestly false Let them shift off the consequence of Antichristianism as they can Yet Baronius a Spondanus An. 325. n. 32. would prove the Supremacy of Rome out of this very Canon as what will they not venter before they 'l part with their chiefest Idol but his offers are meer Cavil and Petitio Principii or begging of the Question contrary to the context and the design of this great Council and contrary also to the text in whole and in part The design being to strengthen the Authority of the Bishop of Alexandria against Meletius and Arrius who ordain'd Bishops for themselves within his Province against his will and consent which Consecrations were as Schismatical being done against his License in Egypt as the like were if done at Rome or Italy against the Authority of the Pope Both of Ancient custom having the like Authority within their proper Province and the Foundation of the Decree being the equality of Alexandria with Rome as likewise with Antioch in this respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where equality is suppos'd its absurd to imagine the same in the same respect to be subject and supream for that were inequality and contradiction Besides the union and strength of the Churches Government and Discipline that whosoever is excommunicate in one Province should stand so with all the rest is not grounded upon the necessary Dominion of One over all the rest which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Popery and one of its Master errours against the mind of our Saviour and the known state of the Primitive Church and the union and the peace of all Christendom but upon the Brotherly love and communion suppos'd amongst all Christian Churches in the 5th Canon of Nice wherein appears the difference between Ecclesiastical and Civil Polities of those times and this The Laws and Sentences of these being of force only within their own Territories by right of Empire but of those every where without through the bond and union of love And they at Rome bound to observe the decrees of their neighbouring Churches as well as these of It which imports mutual subjection to one another by mutual humility and excludes the proud conceit of Soveraignty in any one over the whole The whole Church in this respect being as one Province by the fiction of love and unity which in other respects was several and distinct by local limits as before One not by the dominion and supremacy of any one over all the rest which is the Carnal aime and Antichristian Tyranny of Rome but by the submission of all the parts to the Interest of the whole which is right Christian liberty and the harmonious Communion of Saints The act and deed of one being as the act and deed of all where the publick weal of the Church of Christ was concern'd And the ambitious swelling Supremacy of Rome is as much contrary to the Text of this Canon both in whole and in its parts as it was to the connexion and
design In whole for how can the Supremacy of Alexandria and Antioch and other Metropolitans which it establishes consist with their subjection For so they were Supream and absolute within themselves and not Supream And likewise in its parts as appears from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for likeness in priviledge and customes implyes equality in that respect for if Rome had the Supremacy then they were not like neither would the example and Instance fit Withall the Bishop of Rome is mention'd in the Canon with no more respect or character of dignity and Superiority than the Bishop of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is set as equal and parallel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this not from forgetfulness or Irreverence in the Council towards the Bishop of Rome but from Truth and Justice as appears when in the following Canon it establishes Priviledges to Aelia being as much old Jerusalem as modern Rome is old Rome though neither the one nor the other built upon the place and ground the former Cities stood on yet there the Council is very careful to remember and salve the rights and Superiorities of the Metropolitan of Caesarea which was Soveraign to it yet mentions Rome the Soveraign of all Churches according to our Romanists without any such proviso or distinct respect at all which argues either that the Council were not of the same sentiment with our Romanists touching Rome's Supremacy so much pretended or that the Council was unjust and unmannerly towards Rome and her Rights but Civil towards Caesarea yea it is much rather to be thought that the Arrogant pretences of Rome are vain and groundless if not mad and ridiculous For if the sence of the Romanists were true it would follow thereupon that Alexandria and Antioch and all other Metropolitans should be Soveraign to all the Churches in the World as well as Rome yea to Rome it self as much as It to them For Rome is Soveraign of all say they but several others are as Rome saith the Canon therefore equally Soveraign to all other Churches in the World and to Rome it self by consequence whereby Rome by their gloss becomes both Supream and not Supream to other Churches such absurdities they will rather force upon the Canon and themselves than allow it to be understood in its natural plain and genuine sense that all Metropolitans are equally Soveraign and unsubordinate each in their several Provinces Alexandria in the South Antioch in the East Rome in the West over such places as are subject to it a Scholiast in Can. 3. Concil Sardyc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scoliast not over Millain b Praefat. Monastic Anglic. part 1. next door unto it much less over Brittain so far out of its reach or knowledge but as c Ruffin lib. 1. c. 6. Ruffinus hath it about 12 or 1300 years ago together with another most Ancient Edition Et ut apud Alexandriam in urbe Româ consuetudo servetur ut vel illi Aegypti vel hic Suburbicariarum Eccliarum sollicitudinem gerat that the one should rule all in Egypt and the Bishop of Rome over the Suburbicarian Churches that is over the Territories within the Liberties of the Praefect of Rome and his deputy which some say were these four Picenum Tuâ—cia Latium Valeria others that they were 10. comprehending the South of Italy with Sicilia which last by Imperial prerogative was for a while taken from it and added to the then Patriarchat of Constantinople with several others it had gain'd in Greece as an accession Neither had Baronius reason to be so angry with Ruffinus for his gloss whom he scarce forbears to call a Heretick and Schismatick there being no signes of spite or want of Authority and skill and sufficient information in this his assertion and he was both d Non minima Pars doctorum Ecclesiae Gennad de Ruffino an Ancient Father and an Historian of the Church lived at Aquileia in the neighbourhood spent e Hierom Apol. adv Ruffinum l. 2. c. 1. 30 years in the East having his birth or extraction f Idem Proaem in Jeremiam from our Brittish Isles as St. Hierom affirms as his name and intimate acquaintance c. with Caelestius and Pelagius further imports which made him more fit and qualified to answer for Brittain as well as for East and West As his suspicious opinions less fit to provoke the Pope whom he is rather g Usher p 204 205. accused by St. Hierom to have flatter'd for protection and to clip his Holiness Title and pare his dominions in a matter of fact and practice where the falshood if any had been soon hiss'd at by thousands was not the right way to insinuate into his Holiness favour or to maintain his own repute Rome being thus reduc'd within her due bounds and limits and Brittain with other Churches restor'd to her rights and priviledges according to best and Ancient Canons Apostolical and Oecumenical and the Bishops of Brittain being as was shewed before in the possession of their Sees as the 7 Bishops of the Brittains in Bede or forc'd out by Heathen Invasion and Roman craft and cruelty conspiring together against them as in the Case of Theonus h Hierom Apol. Cont. Ruff. l. 2. Thadioc and Ceadda The several Nullities of the Roman-Catholick Church in England will the easier appear in order The first Nullity is from this 6 Canon of Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is an universal manifest principle that if any one be made a Bishop without the consent of the Metropolitan of that Province this great Synod decrees such a one to be no Bishop But Augustine took upon him to be a Bishop here in Brittain without and against the consent of our Brittish Metropolitans as he was told to his face Synodically and the Case is sufficiently evident by his Forreign Ordination and forcible intrusion Therefore he was no Bishop by this Law and his Consecrations of Mellitus and Justus Bishops of London and Rochester were void and null yea such Consecration and Ordination was a second nullity of the orders and dignities of all three by the 35 Canon of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A Bishop is not to presume to confer Orders out of his own Diocess in Cities and Villages that are no way subject to him And if he shall appear to have done so against the mind and will of them to whom those Cities and Villages do belong let him be depos'd for the same and all them likewise who were ordain'd by him which reaches in equity to Etherius Bishop of Arles who by Pope Gregorie's Orders ordain'd Augustine a Bishop for this Isle against the consent of the Bishops in it as well as to Augustine and his several Bishops ordain'd here by him who were all no Bishops and the Priests ordain'd by them no Priests with other scandalous consequences and further nullities
which how they were imputable to them alone who were the faulty Original Causes and how avoidable by the Innocent and Sincere in Gods Account who measures all our Actions by our hearts was explain'd a Sect. 10. p. 344. before To the like effect is the 13 Can. of the Council of Antioch that whosoever enters upon another's Diocess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless he be Invited by the letters of the Metropolitan together with the other Bishops of that place upon whith he enters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All that he hath done is void and nul and himself is forthwith deposed by this holy Synod as a just recompence of his disorder and unreasonable aggression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scholiast upon this Canon it gives cause and occasion of much scandal commotion in a land for one Bishop to enter upon anothers Province And Canon 22. of the same Council what Priest or Deacon soever he shall offer to ordain the Ordination shall be void and himself to be punished by the Synod And this Council though at first a Provincial yet being confirm'd by a general Council it partakes of the same Authority and Force And Augustine and Theodore and there Successors who were never invited hither by our Brittish Bishops or their Letters or assent stand fully condemn'd by it as also by the second Canon of the second General Council at Constantinople upon the same Subject matter extending the Prohibition not only to Ordination but any other b Bals in Can. 2 Con. Con. 35. Can. Apost Ecclesiastical Act whatsoever to be done by him in anothers Diocess which the Scholiast Construes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he ought not to break disorderly into another's Territory as a Robber but with the good leave and liking of the Bishop of the place for theives are frown'd upon by other Canons and being taken are by the 25 Canon of the Apostles to be excluded from the Ministry though not from all Christian Communion Yea to Preach in publick in another's Diocess against leave Degrades a Bishop to the Lower degree of a Presbyter by the 20. Can. in Trullo And there is hardly any shift or pretence for a colour to this Invasion but it is prevented and censur'd by other Canons will he say the Diocess was Vacant when he came in and Theonus the Archbishop of London was not to be heard off when he entred upon Canterbury this is met by other Canons 37. of the 6th General Council in Trullo The Impression of Heathens upon a See makes no Vacancy though the Bishops are forc'd to flee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council would by no means allow that Ecclesiastical rights should be abolished by Heathen Invasion And the 18th Canon of Antioch is to the same effect But suppose the place really and honestly Vacant without Heathens or Augustine himself or his Pope being the evil cause yet the entrance of him and his Successors stands eondemned by the 16th of Antioch and Sardyc Can. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If any Bishop unprovided of a Bishoprick thrust himself into a Vacant Church and Usurp its Throne without the consent of a perfect lawful Synod which requires the presence of the Metropolitan he is to be rejected though all the People whom he so entred upon should unanimously Elect or force him saith the 14th Canon of the Apostles By these Canons the consent or Invitation or Force of the People avails not to excuse this Trespass If the Invitation of some Potentate in the place and Territory be pretended which comes nearer to our Augustine's Case though by Bede it appears he came hither altogether uninvited out of meer Commiseration kindled in Pope Gregory by the fair English Youths sold at Rome in the Market it will not much mend the matter as appears by the 30th Canon of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man through the help of Secular Princes possesses himself of a Church or See belonging to another let him be deposed from his degree and Ex-Communicated both he and all that joyn with him This further increases the nullity of our Roman Catholick Church in England whereby Augustine stood Degraded from his Episcopal Dignity and all that favour'd him Excommunicate and all are a Brethren in Iniquity to Simonaicks as appears by the near conjunction of this Canon to the Precedent observed by the Scholiasts and what Church can that be where both Head and Members are all either deposed or Excommunicated from the Catholick Church of so little use and benefit is the Invitation of Infidel Princes to the wrong of Christian Prelates upon the place were it allowed and granted that Augustine settled here at the request of Ethelbert who was not King of England nor of all the Archbishoprick of London or Canterbury which Reached from Humber to Cornwall and Severn And what ever were the right of Ethelbert to Invite it was the manifest sin of Augustine and Gregory to accept the Primacy to the prejudice of the Christian Prelates in the same Province and in Wales that was not yet subdued For though the Canons approve of Charity yet to the breach and violation of Justice and Vnity amongst Christian Brethren or of obedience to Superiours it will by no means admit thereof Therefore their Priests and Inferiour Pastors if they had any are in no better condition than their Superiour Clergy both equally Degraded from their Orders for contempt of the Brittish Bishops who in this Province were to be owned by them as their just Superiours unless they had other guess exceptions against them than that the Infidels were too hard for them The 30th Canon of the Apostles saith If any Presbyter or Minister gather Conventicles apart in despite and contempt of his own Bishop and set up an Altar in his Diocess having nought to charge his Bishop in point of Holiness or honesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be deposed for his Pride and Ambition for such a one is seditious or next door to a Tyrant And whoever of the Clergy or Laity joyn with him the one to be deposed the other to be Excommunicated after one or too Monitions which was not in any probability omitted to Augustine and his Clergy in the first and second Synodical Meetings given him as before by the Learned Unblemished Brittish Bishops and their Associates For as at home for the Inferiour Clergy to confederate to suppress their Superiours were Schism and Ecclesiastical Rebellion in them by this Canon so for any from abroad of the same Christian Communion to Erect Chairs above the Chairs of the Bishops of this Province were such an Impudent Invasion of the rights of Lawful Superiours and an account will follow of that Epithite as if the French or any Forreign Church at London should go about to exalt it self above the See of Canterbury or London that gives it Harbour Yea whosoever shall attempt or cause himself to be made a
Eve in hearkning to the Serpent against Gods word were the first Types of credulous Papists Christ the reformed Adam in siding with plain Scripture against the glosses of the Serpent was the first example of wary Protestants All Religion and Irreligion consists either in turning from the Creature to God to the exaltation and righting of the Soul or from God to the Creatures to its overturning to be in dishonourable subjection to the body its slave to its great wrong and misery This Novel Supremacy therefore being so manifestly unjust for its matter and trespass upon the rights of Soveraigns and Churches and so ungodly and scandalous for the motive and manner of its prevalence being founded in the like Pride that tumbled the Angels into Hell as Pope Gregory affirms it of his Competitor in the like impatience and despair that keeps them in it And carried on with the like love of lyes and murder and seduction as makes them intrude and wander out into our Air and prevailing upon many by the like Arts either as a Catholick Angel of light to seduce the unwary and superstitious or as a bountiful Prince with glorious offers of Palls and Caps and Dignities to win the proud and servile to comply and worship and terminating in the like everlasting damnation both to them and their followers 2 Thess 2.12 Phil. 3.19 hath enough in it hereby to dis-ingage all sober and considering English-men from any necessary zeal or tye of Conscience to subjugate themselves or betray their Church and Countrey into such dangerous and unworthy slavery Yea it were to be hop'd at first sight to dispose Italian zeal and ambition concern'd if it would but lay hand upon heart either to let us alone to enjoy our Ancient rights without wrong or trouble as all would wish to themselves and therefore ought to permit the same to others or at least to let God and Christ and Catholick Religion alone as not to bring his holy name and glory which is to be honour'd above all we have to countenance their sin and wrong to their just rebuke But that from the character of such an Apostatical Church in Prophecy which is praescient History any regard to the heart and Conscience or fear of Blasphemy is the least to be expected yea the exclusion of the one and admission of the other to be rather alwayes met as the sum and total of such Religion as the practice sufficiently confirms and fulfills the Prophecy For what Herogliphick or Emblem could more lively describe such a Church where at once the Heart and Soul is excluded and yet sanctity and zeal profess'd than that of the beast with two horns like a Lamb and speech like a Dragon Rev. 13.12 For what is any Society of men devoid of Conscience and private judgment and common Justice whose part is suum euique tribuere neminem laedere but a meer rout of Ravenous beasts or as they are describ'd elsewhere men of corrupted minds 1 Tim. 5.6 For where the mind is corrupted and dead and the body alone alive what there remains but a beast in humane shape Of the same Herd are those who are deliver'd over to a reprobate mind or a mind void of judgement like Salt that hath lost its savour or those in the Prophet whose eyes are blinded and their hearts hearden'd that they neither see with their eyes nor understand with their heart Joh. 12.40 For an useless eye is equivalent to no eye and an unconscionable Soul to no Soul at all as a depos'd King is a living man but a dead Prince so a reduc'd Conscience dethron'd by lusts or the Tyranny of any Church or Gods desertion is no Conscience A Soul subject to man more than God is no Soul as are all such who by force or choice are to obey man against the Truth Wherein as was proved at first the master-errour of Popery did consist Men of depos'd Souls or silenc'd Consciences in Scripture account are beasts But the other part of the character or a profession of Holiness and zeal included as well as good Conscience excluded is set forth by the other notes Hornes like a Lamb and Speech like a Dragon That is this beast is as Christ for arrogated Holiness and authority and yet as Satan or the Dragon or Serpent in Paradice for destructive seduction Good God! what a monstrous profession of Christians is here painted which in vulgar blazonry would signifie a Church hearted Beast armed Christ and langued Satan And the two horns and not seven as had the other may note that the Roman Empire had more of Gods blessing and approbation though counted Beast for its violence for God blessed the 7th day but so he did not the second Gen. 1.8 And the Roman Empire enlightned and civil'd the Countries it subdued but far otherwise it was with the Empire of Popery The Roman Religion upon this Prophetical supposition being all Christ without for Satan or the Dragon mostly tips his temptations with Religion and nothing of heart or Soul within is a Sphynx or a riddle itâ—s a Religion and no Religion The last because where there is no heart there can be no Lord no God no Bible no Religion no Salvation The first because the Pope alone serves for all for heart and judgement and God and Christ and Church and Bible and Salvation He declares all Faith allows all Scriptures decides all Controversies and where private Conscience is not to be consulted or regarded nor Scripture without his sense what makes good or evil amongst such but his pleasure only Lyes and Perjuries and Murders and Treasons and Blasphemy in favour of that Church and approv'd by them can be no sins but rather meritorious works by this Hypothesis For how can it be otherwise where there is no place or vote for Conscience to except and all power is in him alone acknowledg'd to approve and judge Beasts or un-soul'd men being not capable of faults or misdemeanours Now how can those be true Christians who are not men and how men who want Souls for where is the Soul if it be given away from Christ to any mortal whatsoever For the hearts and judgements that is the Souls of Papists are absolutely subject to the Pope but of Protestants only to Christ and truth the one are holy from the heart to Christ as Christs servants the other without a heart to their Pope or guide as the Servants of men And this Diminutio Capitis or Moral or Legal Annihilation of the Eternal soul by such a sinful profession of absolute Subjection to a mortal Creature hath the like effect and influence upon mens Acts of Worship and Religion as if it were its Physical and real extinction for not to appear is not to be and not to be valued or regarded is not to appear Not that the soul ceases to act as a soul in this its degradation or to cut out means for ends by its work of reason But that
Church above any other 1. It s Addiction and delight in fictions and pious frauds and officious lies and equivocations and mental Reservations and Stolid Insipid Legends and Infamous unconscionable forgeries and falfifying of the Living and the dead both persons and Records and Histories Fathers Councils Saints Apostles Angels Virgin Mary and Christ himself as well when there is no need of such Arts as when there is out of meer delight in this ugly sin as it were to keep their hands in whereby few Ecclesiastical Authors saving the Bibles have escaped their forgeries and their Histories where they are worth the reading are scarce to be believed but where they speak against them and their Interest now a lye is a slight or repugnancy to the heart and to God present in it or to Ciceroe's Divine mind and by consequence never without a kind of perjury in its train But when the heart is with Christ Christ is with that heart by consequence and he that speaks with and from his heart never lies for Christ speaks through him by fiction and he in whom Christ speaks cannot lye for Christ is Truth and Truth is only that which God saith or approves And God can neither lie himself nor approve it in any others where lyes are in common request and vogue it 's a sign God and the heart are departed and the Dialect of Satan who is a lyar becomes the Language of that Country The Innundation of Legends and Fables that over-spreads the service and Religion and Profession of that Church manifestly proves that its banks are broken that there is little or nothing of the heart or Christ or Conscience left amongst them as the sole and proper walls and fences against all untruth and falshood for regard to the heart alone will keep out lyes as in Generous Heathens and all persons of true honour and honesty much more to the heart and Christ as with all true Christians there is an Antipathy and inconsistency between every Ly and Christ and the heart and Conscience and Honour Where lying and Legending and dissimulation before God and man are easily dispensed with as no where more than at Rome there Christ and the heart are but cashier'd Soveraigns and stand for Ciphers And in what Church or Profession soever Christ goes off the stage Antichrist soon comes on the Father and Patron of Lyes who primarily and originally sure is Satan Revel 2.9 c. 13.4 or the great Dragon and old Serpent in Paradice the first Anti-god that destroyed mankind with a Lie seducing them from their Allegiance to God and substituting his own will to be observ'd instead by interpretation from Gods Authority against his mind Whereof the Science and Mystery is retain'd and profess'd in the Academy of Rome but the common practice and lying Dialect of his Kingdom is to be met in other Apostatical places and Ages co-dispers'd with the Church like Tares among Wheat to destroy and choak it And though the Jewish Turkish and Popish Apostacy use different Dialects the Hebrew the Arabick and the Latine yet they understand one another and exactly agree in their common Mother Tongue of vain lying For our Popish Legends and Alcharon Dreams and Talmudical Dotages wherein differ they but in the Garb and Masquerade of different Languages being all three a breed of the same womb and the Genuine off-spring of the Father of Lyes strongly retaining as bred in the bone the humour and special faculty of vending their own Errours for Gods Truths whose Interpreters they pretend each to be but the Pope and Mahomet more especially 2ly The Unchristian Cruelties of that Church proves it to be an unconscionable Church without a heart and nearly Allyed to Antichrist For by the Heart and Conscience we carry all other men about us in our breasts and our Souls are the Armory and Magazines of Modells and Suppositions by which ouâ— Inward Actions are first form'd and conceived whereof our Outward are but Copies and Counterparts And no man can wrong another outwardly without wronging him in himself to the wounding of his own Conscience in the first place The hurt in both is to himself in the one to the life and quick in the inward guilt in the other in the outward effigie to his own flesh By our unconfin'd Souls whereby one man is all mankind by fiction we are naturally fram'd and dispos'd to compassion and justice and doing as we would be done by As by our confin'd bodies on the other hand or the existence of no more but our bodily life and concerns in the conceptions of the Soul which is our narrowest being and measure of self-preservation we become mean and solitary Individuals and prompted thereby to the sole care and defence of our skin and property and often betrayed to insatiable deceitful appetites after Luxury which more tire and disappoint than satisfie the immense desires of the Soul aiming at the beatifical enjoyment of its God in every lust and pleasure it blindly stumbles upon The whole Creation being not a sufficient meal and the narrow brittle Vessel of the body not large and tight enough to contain and digest its vast draughts and ingestions but in a bounded love or Mortification rather of its Carnal self and unbounded Charity and preference of God and Countrey and mankind iâ— finds a Divine and honourable repast to its full â—atietie and true content yea our Souls were made to be not only receptacles and Synods of mankind but the Temples of God and Christ and all Christians And where the Heart is given Christ Christ a Eph. 3.17 1 Cor. 6.20 in MS. Alexandr in his Law and Nature resides and acts in that heart As such a heart also by its inspir'd Commands and dispositions rules its own body and members whereby every Christian carrying Christ about him by his Faith or Christian supposition is partaker of his Divine Nature and become an inspir'd Actor of his Saviours Vertues meek and merciful to enemies as Christ himself was and kind and tender hearted b Jac. 3. â—7 and peaceable and gentle and easie to be entreated as he hopes to find Christ to himself from an assurance from and in himself of his Infinite and unbounded goodness A right Catholick Christian is angry aâ— Hereticks and transgressors with the same zeal and dislike as Christ is who delights not in their death and ruine but their repentance and return yea he had rather dye for them than be the death of any of them though his enemies Mercy therefore and mildness and compassion from the heart to erroneous fellow-Christians is a great demonstration of true Catholick Christianity where ever it occurres or shines as merciless hostilities and zealous killing and burning all Dissenters of the contrary and of the Eclipse of the heart and Conscience and Christ by consequence in such a Church or Christian Whereby the Protestant Spirit is justified to the World to be right Christian and that in
worldly design and private ends shall be most Uncatholick and so the Catholicism of their Church is more like to fall and vanish likewise But if they call themselves Catholicks for distinction from Protestants who pass with them but for Hereticks they are again very grossly mistaken in their Criticism For Orthodox b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phot. tit 12. c. ◠is contrary to Heretick and Catholick to Jew which was the first and Original sense of this word upon the Gentiles being taken into the Church as well as Jews And Protestants are no more Jews than themselves as is not doubted Nor perhaps so much for they are liker to the Jews in confining Gods Church within the Roman Pale as the other did within their Palestine But we Protestants Catholickly extend and enlarge it to all Nations according to the promises made to Abraham the Catholic◠Fathe◠of many Nations as the name God gave him imports as well as the particular Father of the Jews Therefore the Title Catholick more belongs in Truth and reason to Protestants than to our Romanists who are so restrain'd and Vncatholick and Jewish-like in the bounds of their Church which they so confine to Rome And by their waving the Title Orthodoxe which had been more proper for their distinguishing design they fatally allow Protestants for such and disallow themselves They therefore are in Truth neither Orthodox nor Catholick but only New Roman or a private Earthly Church below or a modern Italian Jerusalem that is in exile and bondage with her Children Not favouring either of the Apostolical purity of the right Christian or the Orthodoxy of the Ancient Roman or the Heavenliness and Spirituality of Jerusalem which is above the Mother of all true Christians who are in Heaven by Faith They are therefore in Truth but New Roman-Catholicks as who should say an Old-New a Particular-universal a Spiritual-carnal a Heavenly-earthly Church made up of Contradiction and Hypocrisy and Earth Whose chief end and Interest is the Advancement and glory of Rome not of Christ high like Kites in their soring pretences to eye Dunghills for prey the better making silly Souls to believe the only way to be saved is to become their Spiritual Slaves and Tributaries and to go to Rome and Heaven to be all one Which with an answerable personal Holiness of life without which none can see God might well be true of the old Apostolical Rome and any other Church agreeing with it in the like sound Rule and Doctrine but it is far from true as to the Modern Apostatical for it is a great and a gross mistake to take or imagine the Church of Rome Ancient and present to be one and the same because of the same Sirname and patch'd Succession for it is not name-sake or Succession which yet goes far with superficial judgments unlike to God that by their principles neglect and lay by the heart but the same soundness of Life and Doctrine or hearts in the same Heaven not feet in the same house or Countrey that make Churches to be the same and true the want whereof or any notorious corruption in Faith or Manners by the rules of Christianity cuts off and debars the Communion of Christians Members much more the Succession of Christian Governours For how can any succeed to be Heads where by the Apostolical Law they are out of capacity to be members of a Christian Church 1 Cor. 5.11 The old Roman Church for the first 400 years before Rome was burnt and several times sack'd and brought to the dust as before did disapprove the wayes and Doctrines of the Modern and consequently its Communion as much as we Protestants for she did not Worship Saints or Images nor slight and suppress the Scriptures under colour of respect nor curtayle Sacraments and Divine Institutions Nor usurp'd upon Christ nor Crowns nor Churches nor Consciences nor upon the liberties of our Brittish Church in particular as they cannot Instance in one Pall or appeal in any Age or History Pope Gregorie's account upon diligent search above 1000 years agoe to omit other Arguments is abundant proof and certainty there was none nor endur'd to carry God about in a Cage and to create as many Christs and Saviours as there be Wafers in Churches and Cities and Altars and every one of equal Deity and Worship to our Saviour in Heaven God blessed for ever which amongst them cannot otherwise fall out as we have shewed but that a Wafer should be Christ and Christ but a Wafer by their Hypothesis which excludes the heart whereby Christ by consequence is excluded and a gross Capernaitical sense of such Spiritual Mysteries as necessarily introduc'd nor made the Authority of man more than that of Scripture the Rule of Faith and Heresie nor burnt fellow Christians for their Errours much less for the same Truths which themselves maintain'd as Protestants are or are in danger dayly to be serv'd by the present nominal Church of Rome with other innumerable Superstitions and Unchristian cruelties and loathsome Fraud and Legends and Infernal Dispensations for sins and duties But was Orthodox in her Faith and Regular and sober and Christian like in all her Church-Rites and Practices and well approved of and acccorded with by this and all Christian Churches by all brotherly love and Communion as the distance of places did permit yea with some preference of honour before many other lesser and obscurer Churches for its Imperial situation and numerous Martyrs yet without any danger of being caught in any Noose by such respect or honourable Appellations which no doubt were return'd to every Church though lesser with the like or greater humility and respect than they were given In which Christ-like victories and contests between Brethren and Churches the Christian ambition did heretofore consist but the present Church of Rome abuses and converts the Christian honour of her equals into aliment and fuel for her Pride not exalting others for their humility as God doth but concluding against them from it through the barbarous forgetfulness of her own mutual Divine and Christian part and no Eulogy shall occur in History but must bespeak Supremacy to her alone and Slavery and Subjection to the rest of Christendom like the Wolf going to School who could discern nothing but Agnus in every word and Syllable and letter pronounced unto him No this Church of Rome is no more the old than a Cock is a French-man because both are Gallus in Latine than there City or their People or their Language is the same being all of a new and a different Situation and dialect and descent The Race of Old Romans are sooner to be met and found in Venice and else-where than in Gothick Rome where more inclination not only after Roman civility but also after Ancient Roman or Protestant Orthodoxy doth appear as some of their wisest Clerks and later Historians have given a tast And the parties in this Bill and Plea for this Roman Supremacy
promoted by and promoting that Authority here in contempt and breacâ— of all the Laws and Canons of the Catholick Church and the rights of this particular And attended in the Heavens above with dismal signes and prodigies as the like was never seen before Tanta hoc â—eâ— pore prodigia f Platina in Gregor 1 mo quanta nunquam antea Comeâ—es perlucidus puer quadrupes c. which last might serve as a significant Emblem of this new Religion which serv'd to make men Babes in knowledge and Beasts in heart and conscience And accompanied on Earth below so uniform are its Antichristian Symptomes with another parallel Deceiver in the East the prophet Mahomet both alike feigning the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost by a Pigeon at the Ear wherein Gregory was not taught by Mahomet who was Junior to him and born in the year of Monk Augustine's landing here But rather Mahomet might have heard or borrowed it from Gregory or both perhaps been taught the Art by one and the same Tutor But both Reignes the Mahometan and the Gregorian have much the same Epocha and Horoscope And both began to prevail the one in the West the other in the East in the duske and twilight of that long and Greenland night that was to prevail by Gods permission and secret judgement over the whole face of the Christian Church for the space and duration of eight or 900 years or more to count from the year 600 when the Western part thereof first began to the dawning of our Restoration in Henry the seventh as before The success of this Romish Plantation among us being answerable to its first manner of entrance and proving in the end the Eclipse of the true Religion before in the Land and it self a degenerate sort of Christianity falling short of sober Heathenism in many respects Of which that of St. Paul may be rightly applyed And the times of this Ignorance God wincked at but now Commandeth all men every where to repent Act. 17.30 About the dead time of this dismal long night of Popery that is about the years 900 to 1300. answering to the hours from 12. to 3. in the morning The dreams of Purgatory and Transubstantion first possess'd mens fancies and dead Ghosts and Specters and Hobgoblins began to fry and skreek in Purgatory and to cry for help from private Masses And the Franciscan and several other Melancholly Orders to walk bare-foot up and down like Noctambulon's or night walkers in their sleeps and shirts And men stumbl'd upon many Tutelar Gods and Patrons groping in the dark for the true and still us'd Candles at Noon-day throughout their Worship without any need as it were further to prove that it is a time of night amongst them And the Dreams of Nunnes and Monks were rehears'd in Pulpits instead of godly Sermons as the g Bradwardin in Prefat in lib. de causâ Dei Deriving his name or descent I suppose from Brordordhun Castle in Herefordshire belonging to the Family of the Vaughans Profoundest and greatest Clerks then hardly abstain'd from their own in their Writings and the eyes of all both Clergy and Laity sealed up in a deep sleep of implicit Faith And the Host went from Street to Street with a Bellman and the Popes Rid sleepy Kings and Emperours For in the year eleven hundred Hildebrand or Pope Gregory the seventh depos'd the Emperour Henry the fourth And another took his Crown from King John while he was nodding About the same time Canterbury oâ—erlay St. Davids and in Thomas Becket began to sting our Princes that had given it warmth and being But the Fornications and other works of darkness in that time are not to be nam'd or number'd the peculiar concomitant of this fleshly Haeresie as they say to this day scarce reckon'd or censur'd for a sin for its commonness amongst the chief Saints of this dark perswasion And this dark season serv'd as well for Robberies of all sorts of Goods Lands Houses Churches throughout the Isle which were secur'd and appropriated to Sanctuaries and Monasteries by the same dark Arts they were committed till about the time of Ricâ—ard the second several were awakned out of their first sleep with the â—â—r as was Wickliff and Sir Joâ—n Old-Castle Lord Cobham and the Lollâ—rds who were desirous to rise before it was day and to reform these abuses before it was Gods appointed time But all between that and morning fell asleep again as fast as ever till dawning of day in the Henryes 7. and 8. of Brittish race which last finding himself thin and unattended expected more respect and observation for saith he in a speech h Hall 24. H. 8 fo 205. We thought that our Clergy of our Realm had been our Subjects wholly but now we have well perceived that they be but half our Subjects for all the Prelates at their consecration make an Oath to the Pope clean contrary to the Oath they made to us so that they seem to be his Subjects and not ours And began then to take course to recover his Spiritual Subjects whom the Pope stole from him and to rouse and awaken both Court and Kingdom against the Burglaries they committed upon others in the dead of night anâ— to seize upon the stolen Gooâ—â— which in England seldom â—evert to the right owners and to Discipline the whole Fraternity into better dependance upon their Soveraign burning several in the hand to make them cry God save the King instead of the Pope and as i Sinnych Saul â—x Rex some affirm arraigning Thomas â—ecket of high Treason against Henry the second after he had been prayed to in Heaven for about 400 hundred years to heal his people of the seditious influence of his Canonization By this time it was Sun-rising and the Gospel appear'd in our Horizon and in the English tongue and in Edward the 6th and Queen Elizabeth and King James after some Eclipse encreased in ful lustre to a perfect day that all eyes were open and sluggards began to rise and understand themselves and to be asham'd of their somnolent Religion yea the chief Calebs and Spies and Writers of the Roman Church by peeping into our Hemisphere and reading our Heretical Books as they reproach them became strangely alter'd and enlightened ever afterwards in stile and learning as well as our selves for the Polite World ows all its knowledge to Protestantism as it former Barbarous Ignorance to Popery but to their greater guilt and Condemnation with those in the Gospel That had eyes and would not see and ears and would not hear their hearts through love of its Idol more than God and the Truth being out of order But since the weather in our English Church hath been dark and cloudy for some years through the contrivance and malignity of some evil spirits Infesting our Air and troubling our Elements recommending poison to Grandees in Marriage Wine and Treaties to dispose them to old drowsiness and a far
succeeded the Roman should be Antichrist yet none must be Catholicks and right Christians but they alone How far they may prevail on any of our Great ones with their tale and story I cannot tell yet the generality of the Nation God be praised are not so forsaken by him as to love to be so deluded but are as deaf as Vlysses against such charms what attempts soever have been used to prepare and mollifie them by debauchery for the Imposture and ready to answer these Impostors as did the Neighbour-hood in the fable the beggar at Towns-end with his counterfeit Lame legg Quaere Pergrinum vicinia tota reclamat go to Japan or Hispaniola to set up your Stage and boast your receipts In England mens eyes are open and the mystery too well known yea the Wisest and Stoutest and most Prosperous of our Kings and Princes in former Ages our Renown'd Edwards and Henries and Elizabeth have sufficiently unkennel'd these Foxes and hunted them and their craft and their stink and their fire-brands and their trouble far out of our Church and State But when ever by a Judgement upon a Nation they light upon any that are more tractable and credulous their first attempt will be immediately like that of a Crow setting upon a young Lamb for prey to play first at the eyes to peck them both out to sink and fix Implicit Faith and blind obedience like two hollow pits instead And then the rest of the design shall be finish'd with less disturbance and every blow and Inconvenience never seen till it light and then also Conscience and Honour and Publick Peace and Truth and the Allegiance of the soul to Christ must make no objections after the Judgement is once Idolatrously resign'd yea should they offer to draw back when they see their errour and danger for to err is human to recover is Angelical to persevere is Diabolical How will these false guides grinne and shake their heads if not brew worse things in them at their departure or their return from Forreign cheats to God and their Country and the Truth How will they rip up and wound his name and honour with the Imputations of Inconstancy Weakness Apostacy Perjury and what not as the unclean Spirit tore the man in the Gospel when he was to quit possession for doing no more but what themselves as they are men and Christians ought to do in point of duty and safety upon the Eternal Allegiance of their Souls to Christ and the Truth and count it high honour and glory in great ones to lead It being in reason a greater Arrival and perfection to be wise and holy against the deceitfulness of sin and Satan than to be couragious amidst dangers Scipio and Alexander being more admir'd in Story for their Continence than for their Conquest for their Victories over Beauty than over Enemies If our Romish Pretenders had any the least descent or resemblance in bloud or temper or Spirit with the Ancient Roman Worthyes or any drop of Camillus or Scipioes bloud in their Veines who valued the honour and Sanctity of their false Gods above their lives and Empire could their great and clear Spirits thus descend to pervert the Gospel into matter of Trade and Merchandize or truel and plaister their mean and unworthy ends with the bloud of the Son of God And make his Glorious Resurrection and Ascention a Varnish for their secular usurpations And his chief Apostles and Holy Catholick Church complices and Vouchers of all their Frauds and Tyrannies and Treasons Which is manifestly done when any wrong to men or Churches as the Case was made plain in our Brittish are palliated with their Sacred Names and Authorities as the practice is as plain and common in their Romish Church towards us and all Christendom besides If it be counted miserable Ignominious Harlotry corpore questum facere how much more abominable is it to make the like Trade and sinful gain of the Gospel and Christ and their own Souls as well as those of their Brethren It were far more fair and generous in them and the lesser of the two evils to renounce and deny Christ and his Religion outright than so to profess it and to spit in the face of their Redeemer than thus to kiss him and to abuse without ceasing his most Holy Name and Faith to â—oâ— and deal and cheat and disturb the World as it were a less indignity to a person of honour to be denyed Quarter than preserv'd alive to tread Morâ—eâ— or to gâ—ind in a Mill. Tolerabilior esâ— qâ—â— morâ— jubet quam qui turpiteâ— vivere Can any sort of Christians be more realâ—y Heathens saving such Ambidextrous Protestants who for their present advantage and Interest can promote Popery in their Countrey though they believe it to be a false and a dead Religion and betray their own which they possess and know to be most Orthodox and sound preferring madly a superlative Carnal self before both Religions and their own truth But though those of Rome are far from Old Romans either in Faith or Fame or Bloud yet so are not we in England from the Old Brittains in either of these respects But far ouâ—â—oing both in another good quality of containing our selves within the bounds of our Isle without great and just cause to sally out and not coveting turbulently other mens rights or their Kingdoms or Churches which is true past doubt of the Brittains in Wales and was prov'd before at large as to the English In the great and as it were second Deluge of Christendom for their Gygantick sins by Goths and Vandalls and Normans and Saxons for inundations of Nations in Mystical Scriptures are compar'd to those of Waters Rev. 17.15 wherein most other people were swept away and drown'd and their Languages and names obliterated and Scepters and Churches overturn'd our Brittains alone charg'd through and surviv'd the brunt of all Invasions and swame to Land through all those Billowes alive and safe with their Bibles in their hands and their Creed in their hearts and their own Language in their mouths living to see their Church restor'd to its old liberty and purity their Crown to their own Flesh and Bloud and the divided Island to great Brittain again Before their nunc Dimiâ—â—is and dissolution by Incorporation with the English Nation or rather Re-union with their Loeâ—â—â—a Brethren recovering themselves through Gods wonderful mercies and Resurrections to innocent and long sufferers and his blasts and periods upon Lines of Bloud and violence in 〈◊〉 Princes and Nobles and Generality into Oâ—a 〈…〉 again as was prov'd before diâ—â—câ—ing perhaps in names and Dialect but not in Nature and Humour and Succession to the like generous defence of their Faith and Glory being â—oth observâ—d in their Dispositions for the most part to be alike Fearless and Harmless and Warlike and Liberâ—l and Religious and subject to Indignation and neither the one nor the other our Modern or Middle or most
dyed in their hope and trust for us for whose sake he 'l continue his goodness to their seed but though his wrath ebb'd 800 years his Grace and mercy wherein he delights to abound and exceed hath not stowed yet full 200 years or is he unable to perfect what he hath begun He that can work a Resurrection from the dead cannot he accomplish a Restoration to a living and surviving People yea and great confusion to all opposers of it No good man ought to envy or hinder the longed for mercies of God to a Nation no great man can and if having his descent alike from the same People how can such be deem'd either good or great but rather miserably unnaturall and deservedly unfortunate and improsperous Earthly Potentates may not give stop to God's tides King Edgar tryed but fail'd their timely retreat will be their greatest safety and Wisdom how many mistaken Politicians have been drowned and Shipwrack'd in such clandestine contrary Councils No Emperour on Earth can command it to be night after the Sun is risen where God is for us we need not fear any seduc'd Dust and Ashes that may appear against us It is likewise most impossible in reason unless in case of Gods great desertion and extraordinary curse The radical difference between Protestants and Papists as was Stated from the beginning and Instanc'd in all along lyes herein that the one take Christ the other the Pope or his pretended Vicar for their Messia or the Lord of their Hearts and Judgements The Protestants who live by faith as all true Christians do and ever did hold firm their Allegiance to their invisible Soveraign in Heaven The Papists who love to live more by sence and show through dis-regard to Faith and the Heart change their Heavenly Soveraign for a visible Christ on Earth which Rebellion can never succeed nor be done no not when it is done already Should not be in the holy Language is shall not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which thing shall not be done say the Sons of Jacob touching the Ravishment of their Sister Dina already committed Gen. 34.7 The Soveraignty of Christ and the Allegiance of the soul to God and the Truth are Divine Eternal Establishments not to be alter'd by human pleasure they can no more be changed by the corruption of men or the combination and Clandestine Counsels of Conclaves and Politicians and seduced Grandees than the Constitution of Kingdoms or the Laws of Nations be repealed and changed by Conventicles of Pismires some rash attempt may be made while mens souls are besides themselves or drunk and intoxicated with Idols and vitious Customs but to no more effect than casting caps against the Moon which can never reach it or spitting against the wind which returns into the face or defiance of the Laws and Government by a strong Knot of High-way-men whose end in all likely-hood must be Repentance or Hell and Tyburn Which is further confirm'd by good Authorities the King of Prophets within the Church Psal 2. Why do the Heathens or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.12 rage and the People Imagine a vain thing The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed or Messia saying Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us away with these invisible fanatick Lords and Laws of Souls and Consciences Let none in Heaven or Earth be obeyed in matters of Religion or Conscience but a Pope in Temporal matters but a Prince He that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision to shew the Pittiful ridiculousnes and vanity of such void attempts And the Prince of Philosophers without the Church in his Golden Book of vertue and vice perceiv'd and affirm'd this Truth that the one is in it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commendable and lovely and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eternally deformed and censurable let men or Laws conspire what they can to the contrary And the unanimous consent and suffrage of all mens Souls and Counsciences to this particular points at the true cause hereof an indelible immediate Allegiance in every heart to God and the truth alone and a deafness to all other Forreign power whatsoever against him Yea and an accuser of it self under any such delinquency For Children and Clownes shall discern and condemn such disloyal deviations in their Prince whom they reverence and the Prince in himself being above all but not above the Soveraign of his heart Men of Honour or Reverence arriveing or supporting their Grandeur by the means and countenance of Vice upon the like Loyalty shall be despis'd by every mouth in the Streets and the Consciences of troubled silent Servants at home that dare not and of their own that dare and will reprove This loyalty and disloyalty against Heaven is such an eternal unalterable measure of mens Misery and bliss that Chast rags will not envy the condition of unclean Silks and Sattin but those shall often wish for the peace and pure content of these The Soul till drown'd in Lusts or gagg'd by Antichristian Tyranny never skrinks from its Heavenly Loyalty while it is a Soul it is for Christ It never deserts this Soveraign till it morally ceases to be a Soul Which is the reason a priori that Popery or the seduction of men from their Loyalty to Christ to slavery to a Mortal can never be well promoted without Debauchery which must first precede to extinguish the Soul Its obedience afterwards shall be blind implicit and servile like that of beasts that have no understanding nothing shall be its Conscience and Religion more but its Carnal Interest and gain and pleasures and complyance with its new false Christ for a false Salvation for human Nature cannot dispense to be without all Religion and Superstition too Its state and condition therefore is a state of enmity and rebellion against God whose Laws it neither is nor can b◠subject to Rom. 8.7 And therefore all its Actions and designes are null and void and damn'd in Law and also in Fact when Gods patience is out either by its timely or eternal Recantation either by Repentance here or durance hereafter for all cross and Irregular wills must at last come up to Christs will the judge of quick and dead either with or against their wills and know their true Soveraign at last either by life or death Rom. 8.6 13. Whereby the true ground appears for our Reduction of this Controversy from the beginning to one single point of obedience or disobedience to the right Soveraign of the heart For so doth the wisest of Kings reduce all Divine and human concern and wisdom into one Principle of Loyalty to God The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Prov. 1.7 And not only the beginning but complement and perfection For he is the wisest and soberest Christian who hath not the Pope but Christ most
within the Pale of the Church of Rome or to be subject to the Pope and to believe as the Church believes will do it and nothing else without it For let a man be never so vitious and Ungodly if he stick close to their Church which is allowed to be consistent provided he have the Absolution of a Priest at the last gasp upon his sorrow and condition or if this be wanting upon his attrition or fear of Hell he shall not miss Eternal Salvation nor ever attain the same if he be a Protestant though never so holy or charitable or Penitent and believing so are such Casuists for their want of love to the truth delivered over to deceive both themselves and others But to wave all parties and to give a plain and clear answer according to the truth or the mind of God in his word which is the same which the soul and Conscience loves to believe and build upon before any human Authority whatsoever This question may be divided into two points or Issues Stricti juris largi 1. What that is that makes one a Member of that Heavenly Church which if he wants he is none 2. What makes him more assuredly of it than many others that yet be in it The first question is best answer'd in St. Paul's Phrase in one word in the sence of that Phrase in three By the first he is of this Salvifical Church who is in Christ he is not of it who is out of Christ Rom. 8 1. Here the issue is short and clear with St. Paul Not to be In or out of the Church of Rome this he never saith but in or out of Christ which he affirms throughout Neither Jew nor Gentile nor Greek nor Barbarian nor Brittain nor Roman nor English or Scot or Irish are nearer or further from Salvation by their Countrey but their conditions Not by their first birth which is Temporal but their second which is Celestial and Catholick and one and the same to all true Christians stilâ—d for this Originally the Brethren Neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision nor the skin Black or White nor a Pall from the body of St. Peter nor the Vest of St. Francis to be buried in nor dispensations Seal'd in Lead more lasting than Wax nor sprinkling nor bathing in Holy Water can avail any thing to save the soul or to purifie the heart but only faith which worketh by love Act. 15.9 Gal. 5.6 Nor the sign of the Cross alone nor the very nails and wood of the Cross it self were they to be seen and touch'd nor any other contact or show or specious title nor the entring in at Porta Caeli at a Jubile nor the Popes Canonization nor the name and title of Roman-Catholick nor the Holy Roman Church like the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord with them in the old Testament Jer. 7.4 or saying Lord Lord with them in the New Math. 7.21 can give entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven but the doing the will of our Father which is in Heaven And did not this old anile faith of Modern Rome which serves to make so many Catholick Sons of their Church serve as much to make them children Universally in understanding also which the Apostle dislikes 1 Cor. 14 20. their practices would have more of their own suspition and less of their Neighbour's Censures What can any mortal excellency that hath visibility and hic nunc or perishing Temporality stamp'd upon it signifie to Christians who are not of this World as Christians but of the World to come by faith And look not at the things which are seen but at the the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal It 's true as men we are to prefer and provide for the nearest in flesh unto us before others or else we are worse than Infidels and prefer our Country and our Prince before our own flesh and life or else we fall short of Noble Heathens but as Christians who is to be nearest to us but he that is holiest and likest to God and Christ How unlike Christians therefore are they in their estimates and measures who think any man is a better or worse Christian or more capable or incapable of Salvation for being of this or that place or City or Nation on Earth rather than for having his affection with Christ in Heaven at Gods right hand Col. 1.3 In whom is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 2 Cor 5.16 Math. 12.50 Act. 10.34 35. But how Antichristian is it to make a contrary measure of Salvation to curse them as Hereticks though they be in Christ that be not of their way and Communion and bless them as Catholicks though out of Christ if they be According to the sence of that Phrase it may be further answer'd in three words 1. To be Christ's and not his own 2. to dye in his death to Earth 3. to live in his life to Heaven 1. To be Christ's and not his own All are yours and ye are Christ's 1 Cor. 3.22 23. and 2 Cor. 5.15 Christ dyed for all that none should live unto themselves No Christian is to live unto himself but unto Christ He is to eat and drink and converse and rise and lye down and labour and rest and study and serve and obey and command and rule and to bring up or provide for children and relieve the poor and poor friends every thing as to Christ as guided by his Law and accountable to his Judicature For he cannot be said to be a Servant to another that minds his own affairs or pleasure altogether and never his Master's but when himself pleases for a spurt or humour Neither is any selfish person a Servant of Christ nor a true salvable Christian by consequence but is one that sets up for himself And is not under Christ's Law and will but his own Neither shall be under his pay but must must expect his reward and Salvation from himself as he lived wholly to and for himself and his Conscience cannot gain-say this Law for such a one never hath Communion with God as all true Christians have but only with himself like a Rebel Mock-god ordering all things in the World for his own ends as God doth all for his own glory and never durst trust God so far as to go out of himself for his sake In himself shall he therefore ever remain and out of Christ forever because he never had the honesty to give God his glory nor the faith to give his heart that is himself to his Redeemer 2. To dye in Christs death to the Pomp and vanity of the World which according to St. Paul's comment is the mystical Christian meaning and fulfilling of the Ancient Circumcision Col. 2.11 12. Phil. 3.3 Gal. 6.14 16. That as amongst the Jews
s insensibly received and admitted into its rest at last and then and there lost forever and found forever in the Bosom of the Immense Ocean so is it most an end with every Christian soul at the beginning and progress and end of his Christian Race who is as sure to reach to his rest and glory in the bosom of God forever as Rivers to reach the Sea which they are reaching every day nearer and nearer as they move towards it in the channel that leads unto it and is the very same Element with it To conclude if all could be perswaded and won to walk up to this short and Catholick Rule which reaches all Nations and Churches and Conditions and Vocations and degrees to discharge all their duties to one another from the heart as unto Christ there would be more truth and veracity in the World not only towards Brethren but towards enemies and strangers who have Christ in mens hearts to hold in their behalf any promise pawn'd and made unto them the violation whereof carries as much of Atheism and contempt of Christ within the heart as dishonesty without towards him it wrongs There would be more meekness and patience towards enemies and persecutors if not for their sakes yet for Christs who commands forgiveness and love to enemies More obedience or submission to all Governours to the best for Christ's sake and their own to the worst for Christ sake however being our necessary duty and their due Almes There would be more love and readiness to help one another by Counsel or Purse or Prayer instead of eating and devouring one another by Craft and Power when it shall be consider'd that every benefit or wrong we do to our Neighbour without we do both in a higher degree and greater edge to Christ himself within our hearts to our Eternal reward or reckoning This would make men true Christians and Loyal Subjects and tender Fathers and Governours and just Masters and right members in their respective Communities and Societies and trusts and Genuine Sons of the Church not only of England our Mother on Earth but of Jerusalem above the Mother of us all in Heaven to the saving of our Souls Infallibly when the whole stock of Mountebank Indulgencies shall faile to effect the Cure This little Commandment well observ'd would be the Harmony of the World set Heaven and Earth in Tune again and God at peace with his Creatures and plant joy and concord and the peace of God which passeth all understanding in every Kingdom in every City in every Family in every Breast And that Angelical Prophetical Anthem at our Saviours Birth would recover its Truth and Power in the World And Glory should be to God on high and on Earth peace and good will towards men FINIS A Particular Table of the Contents PART I. MOral experiments proving the Body to be as nothing in comparison of the Soul pag. 1 2 11. Masters and Princes Symbols of Christ how 4. How the Stature of a Christian reaches from Earth to Heaven p. 5. The Heart is never without its God p. 7. 20. Sincere Heathens and Carnal Christians compar'd and which preferr'd 7. Outside Duties in Religion necessary though nothing when compar'd to the Inside p. 8. None ought to vilifie their own Faith before a fair and open Renuntiation ibid. Sincere and dangerous mistakes arising from the comparative excellency of the Soul above the Body p. 9 Monkery and Non-conformity compar'd p. 9 10. How a thought of the Soul true or false is preferr'd before Estate Health and Life p. 11. Three properties requir'd to Act from the heart p. 12. Of force about Religion p. 13 14. Both good and bad men are for pleasure and the difference and the necessity of Divine Grace to set the will free p. 14 15. The Heart is for God and Christ and none beside why How p. 16. seqq Two reasons why the heart is so and how the Soul is Correlate to God p. 19. seqq An Irrefragable proof of the Deity from wicked mens experience and why it operates not upon some p 20 21. The Scheme and Hypothesis of the Christian Faith out of St. Paul and Creed and Fathers and Baptismal Vow p. 21 22. The right rule to chuse or avoid Communion with Churches p. 23. The Christian Hypothesis the best foundation and support of Societies p 23 24. A description of a true and right member of a Society p. 25. seq Honour is more than Life Conscience more than Honour what more than Conscience p. 27. Of a false member and of self-love how sordid and destructive of it self p. 28. seqq What makes good Men good Subjects good Rulers p. 31. seqq The great Rule of doing as we would be done by fenc'd and exalted by the Text p. 32. seq Blind obedience and implicit Faith in the Church of Rome to Superiours fairly examin'd and found unsound and unworthy p. 32. 33. seq What is Truth p. 37. Which the greater sin Tyranny or Rebellion p. 38 39. Plenitude of Soveraignty and Liberty consistent p. 40. Christs Divinity prov'd against Socinians p. 41 42. SECT I. An Exhortation to adhere to the Church of England against Rome p. 43. seqq The way to be Infallible p. 44. Worship in an unknown Tongue excludes the heart p. 44. seq Men are to be Infallible for themselves first for their Brethren next p. 47. The Controversy consists in the Election of a right or wrong Infallible guide p. 47. This Question stated in the sense of both parties p. 48 49 51. All other Controversies would end if this were decided p. 51. Obedience to the wrong is disobedience to the Right Soveraign ibid. Three Questions propos'd to find out the true p. 52. The heart cannot be without a guide Christ or sin or man of sin p. 53. The Principles of Government with the last p. 54 55 No Law of Christ or Conscience or Countrey must be heeded against his Authority and Interest p. 56 57 The Soul is Gods Temple and the Pope instead of Christ affects to be Soveraigâ— there p. 61 62. Great folly and danger to hearken to a Perkin Warheck p. 63 64. The Principles of Protestants how they prove the uniform Loyalty of the heart to Christ as the right Soveraign p. 63 64. How the Brittish Church knowes the Scriptures to be Gods word p. 64. How our Controversies about things indifferent are decidable by these Principles p 65 66. Christ is the Judge of quick and dead and who are his Depuâ—â—â—â—on Earth 47 67. And nothing to be acted against him by â—â—â—s Authority p. 67. Such as be Hereticks with the Pope but Catholicks with God are in no danger p. 67. SECT II. Rome no Mother Churâ—h to us not Loyal to Christ her Soveraign p. 68 69. Every Church may be consider'd three wayes 1. According to its Inside 2. Outside 3. Or extraction p. 69. Jerusalem above not Rome is the Mother Church to all Christians in respect of their inside
Spirit and of Rome's disobedience to general Councils p. 368. No Church more led by a private Spirit than Rome why ibid. What a needless labour it is for the Church of Brittain to defend it self against Romish imputation of Schisme clear'd by several Instances p. 372 373. The Reformation commenc'd in its causes with H. 7th p. 374. seqq His Restoration Prophecyed of p. 375. Dr. Colet Founder of St. Pauls School began to preach against Superstitions and Legends Accus'd for Heresie liked by Henry the 7th Warner had his Principles from Colet Cranmer from Warner Henry 8th from Cranmer p. 377. seqq A strange alteration of the state of the Nation with King Henry the 7th p. 379. Of the hand of God and man in the Reformation Most Instruments acted against their first intention p. 381 382. The Spirit of Henry the 8th not to be parallel'd p. 381. Excommunicated by thy Pope though a Catholick and with right of his side ibid. The favour and frown of Providence upon this Nation according to its disposition against Popery or for it observed remarkably p. 384. seqq K. Henry 8. how Great p 385. Queen Mary unfortunate Ibid. The success and Fame of Q. Elizabeth p. 386. Whence are our troubles and ill successes p. 387. Cromwells police and successes ibid. The fate and humour of this Nation against Popery p. 388. What will cure this Nation probably p 389. 435. Rome and Brittain mutually and differently fatal to one another p. 389. seq English more inexcusable than Forreign Papists p. 389. 390. SECT XIII Of our Brittish Archbishopricks London York and Caerleon or St. Davids p. 393. seq How Metropolitical Sees began p. 396. Emperours honour'd the place of their birth and Seat of Empire p. 397. 398. Of the Roman pall which at Rome gives all their Authority to Patriarchs and Archbishops And how our Brittains had no faith for it Archbishop Sampson's Pall at York was Imperial not Papal p. 402. 403. â—ees and Pals at Rome constitute a Church instead of Christ and the heart p. 404. How Rome hath Unchurch'd her self by her new Principles p 404. 405. It 's hard to determine where the Brittish Primacy was de facto easie where de jure Ibid. The reasons for York Ibid. Perterna the name of Constantine's Pallace there what it signified p. 406. The Antiquity and merits of York not Inferiour to Rome or Antioch c. 40â— How unworthy it is to advise Princes to desert the rights of their Country p. 409. The Title of London p. 410. How greatly wronged by Rome p. 411. The Title of Caerleoni Ibid. Cressy's exception against the Welsh Epistle in Sir H. Spelman invâ—ild p. 412. Where the Primacy was of right p. 413. Originally emmently Our Kings are Primates of the Temporal part of the Eternal Church and Christ of the Eternal p. 415. The practice of Sea-men decides this point Ibid. An old appetite in Mitre and Crown to reunite p. 416. The different respects of Christian and Antichristian Mitres to the Crown Ibid. The fate of this Church observed to follow that of the Crown Ibid. The Revolutions of the Primacy of York p. 417. The duration and Period of the Archbishoprick of London p 419. Why Monk Augustine did not settle his Archiepiscopal Chair at London according to the first directions of the Pope and that London suffered pobably for its adherence to the Brittish Faith p. 420. 421 206. The primacy in Henry 8. was restored to Brittain though not to London p. 422 423. Bede's testimony that the faith never failed in Brittain p. 423. Some of the Sees in Wales erected since the Saxon Invasion others from King Lucius ibid. The See of St. David never Subject to Canterbury till Henry 1. and that by force and an unjust sentence of the Pope How first brought to be under Rome 424. 425 426. Sir H. Spelman bewails the wrong of the See of St. David how it may be remedied and why p. 427. How the Pope made advantage by the contests of our Metropolitans p. 427 429. Left them at last to the decision of our Kings p. 432 Kings have power by the Canons to alter and translate Metropolitical Sees p. 431. The Primacy of Canterbury a stumbling-block to some not versed in History to believe Rome to be a Mother-Church to Brittain and consequently our Reformation to be Schismatical and not fit to be countenanced by Princes for the disobedience how answered and remedied p. 433. Papists the first Schismaticks here and the causes of our divisions and troubles p 435 SECT XIV Rome will stand to no Councils that are against it p. 437. Yet calls for Obedience to its Bulls ibid. The probable cause why the Spirit of truth hath withdrawn from the latter Councils of the Church p. 432. Cyprus exempted from Antioch by the General Council of Ephesus and how the case of Brittain as to Rome's pretence is exactly the same p. 439. seqq Of the 6 Canon of Nice Our Brittish exemption confirmed by it because our Sees were before in being and proved by Ruffinus his sence thereof who was of these parts and knew our rights 443. seqq Rome's pretence of Supremacy if true overthrowes this and all General Councils if false proves it self to be Antichristian p. 444. 438. several Churches besides Brittain supreme within themselves p. 447. â—â—wes â—orgery openly detected in the Council of Carthage and its Supremacy shut out ibid In the Church as well as State men are bound to know their Chief and who this is p. â—49 The Government of the Primitive Church was Aristocratical when that of the State was Monarchical and the Pope would have it now Monarchical when the Governments of the World are Aristocratical and co-ordinate p. 450. The difference between the Ecclesiastical and Civil Powers as to extent of Authority heretofore p. 452. The several nullities of the Roman Church in England And how their Clergy stand deprived of their holy Orders and the danger of the Laity that abet their Intrusion proved at large by undoubted Canons of General Councils and particularly their beloved Council of Sardyca by which they are not to be reckon'd amongst Christians as the Ancient Brittains in Bede stifly insisted p. 456 to 465. Of other particular Nullities in the Ordinations of Romish Bishops here p. 465. seq The truly Catholick Church was govern'd by Laws the Roman-Catholick would be above all Laws and Canons p. 4â—0 The Nullities of the Romish Church here prov'd out of their own Rules and Principles p. 470. seqq The argument against their H. Orders Contracted p. 475. SECT XV. How Christendom is infected by such lawless examples of Popes made consistent with Holiness p. 477. How they make themselves incurable p. 479. Papists are more Pope's people than Gods people ibid. The cause and occasion of their Apostacy from History and how parallel for cause and effect to the fall of Angels p. 480 489. The advice of the Wesel to the Fox had been their Cure p
Nice upon which the Rights of London stood founded when they were Schismatically Invaded by a high hand from Rome and for many years wrongfully detain'd and usurp'd Or 2. to cut off all pretence and colour of subjection or dependance of this Church upon Rome and all occasion of stumbling to the weak Sons of the Church of England and Ignorant in History who are misled to believe that Rome is the Mother Church of Brittain because it was undoubtedly of Canterbury which is now the reputed Mother Church of all England And by consequence that our Reformation was Schismatical and scandalous the Daughter judging and rejecting the Mother the Inferiour the Superiour and of ill consequence to be approved by Princes Whereas Rome Originally never came to be a Mother to our Brittain so much as in pretence but only by Schisme and incroachment most fit and just to be remedied by Princes in discountenance of wrong and disobedience Because 3. The Learned of the Church of Rome dayly hit our Prelates of that See in the Teeth and the Unlearned likewise harbour evil opinions and surmises concerning them and forbear not to vent and utter them as if they were Vngrateful and Parricidial in their Actings against their first Founder and Maintainer whereby some of themselves also might be discourag'd and cool'd in their zeal against the Romish Vsurpation to which their honour'd predecessors owed Allegiance Whereas Augustine the first founder had his maintenance and dignity and ways of acquisitions from the Brittish See of London whereof Canterbury is parcel or the same and owed Canonical obedience and the rights and fortunes of his Successors to the Brittish Church to whom they are ultimately to refund if these are to refund to them as to the right and first owners Because 4. it would be a great strength and but a due and just vindication of Protestantism or the Apostolical Ancient Brittish Church after such long abuse and wrongful suffering by Rome and a New face and reviving glory to old Brittain to recover its Pristine right and condition in Church as well as State and Name and worthy of a share in those Solemn Consultations appointed as it were by providential instinct for its further Union in Laws and Government to the everlasting honour of that Prince in whose Reign it should be recorded to be accomplished Or 6. to make our chief See in Brittain hold some better proportion with the like in Neigbouring Kingdoms as Remes or Toledo whom in Universities and Colledge Endowments we far exceed to our Glory to be a fit preferment for some of our Princes or chiefest Nobles hereafter for the great support of the Church Or at least 7. that the name and memory of Monk Augustin the first Author of this disorder by his Infamous Schisms and murders which Reign'd so many hundreds of years in such glory under the darkness of Popery should set at last in due obscurity under the Sun-shine of Protestantism Which considerations are recounted not out of any design or desire of Innovation though into a Pristine right or to restore the bone into its due place with pain and danger that hath been so long out of joynt and well serves for use though not rightly set Though the whole design and plea of the Church of Rome be that a bone rightly set and settled and fully useful ought to be dislocated to the hazard and cripling of the whole to be in the wrong posture it once was for a time for their advantage and benefit But to solve scruples and unravel scandals and pluck up all misapprehensions by the roots whereby any might be deluded by any pretences of Equity or conscience or filial Reverence for a Mother-Church into a favourable opinion of Romish slavery Or if any be prick'd in conscience for the wrong done to Rome at the Reformation let the same prick reach to the wrong done before to Brittain by Romes Schismatical Invasion which no prescription of time or years could give right to and then all will be in right order as at first they were and ought to be and the first right owners shall have their due and old Trepassers their censure and rejection yea as by good providence they now are and stand for it ought to be well known and understood that the See of Canterbury as it stands Established is not a Roman but a Brittish See and consequently Exempt from all Romish Superiority or dependance by an Original Birth-right and Immunity and therefore forbiden by our Laws and Synods to use or wear any Pall or Liâ—â—â—y or Legatine power of Rome's bestowing and settled by our Brittish Soveraigns in Christ-Church Canterbury as effectually and Canonically as at St. Pauls in London which all Christians of Brittain whether of Protestant or Catholick stamp and Character may now with a safe and good conscience pay due submission and obedience to as they ought without Schism or scandal or forfeiture of their Christian Dignities and Orders and Communion by the Canons of the Universal Church hereafter to be recited which before they could not For though Schism be objected by the Romanists to the Episcopals as by the Episcopals to the Presbyterians and Non-conformists yet the Pope in Brittain and his Romish Convâ—â—â—clâ—s set up by craft or â—iolence over our Churches which lay out of his Jurisdiction ever were the Original Schismaticks and the first Patterns and ill examples of disobedience against Right Superiours against so many good Laws of the Catholick Church that do Excommunicate and depose them for it And nothing in all likelyhood hath or doth more foment and châ—â—ish our remaining divisions in the Land and Sâ—â—â—s in the Church than Jealousie of Popery and it spâ—â—ted hankerings and designs to reduce men again under the old yoak of Rome so much dâ—restâ—â— and justly abhorr'd by the whole Nation If All in Trust and Eminency could fully satisfie men's fears and Suspitions of their unfeigned adherence under God and the King to their Brittish Mother-Church in opposition and detestation of all Forreign Corrivals for Superiority It were strange and justly unexpected if all parties throughout this miserably divided Nation would not soon joyn hearts and hands and Church-meetings with one another in an entire and indissolvable Union and Brotherhood to the Infinite joy and happiness of Prince and People SECTION XIV That the Primacy of Canterbury as by the Pope and Monk Augustine is Schismatical and against the Canons of the Vniversal Church and of the several Nullities of the Church of Rome in England And how their Clergy Intruding here stand depriv'd of their Orders by the Canons of all the Ancient General Councils and their Laity that abet them of their Christian Communion by the same Authority BUt the Supremacy of the See of Canterbury by the Popes Authority alone as our Romanists would have it without the Authority of the Kings of England is Infamously Schismatical and irregular and against the Canons of the universal
Church and their own rules and principles first it is several wayes against the Canons in respect of their Invasions of the rights of other Metropolitans which was adjudg'd a Photii Nomoc. Tit. 1. p. 20. infamous and mulctable before that in the Council of Chalcedon and in Trullo power was yielded to the Emperours to erect or to translate Metropolitical Chaires and also against the Canons in respect of many Illegal Ordinations which made the Romish Church null in Law in England several wayes besides those nullities in fact and event we have before instanc'd Many are the Canons of the best and Ancientest Councils and the most general and Oecumenical that the Church of Christ ever had which condemn the first Entrance of Augustine and his Pope Gregory and the Re-entrance of Archbishop Theodore and his Successors upon our Brittish Church and Provinces under no less penalties than deposition or degradation of their Clergy from their several States and Dignities and Excommunication of their Laity from Christian Fellowship besides the making all their Ecclesiastical Acts and Ordinations to be utterly void and null to all intents If this were of any value or moment with them of the Church of Rome who boast and crack of a great respect they have above others for Fathers and Councils and Ancient Traditions but experience too much discovers it is all with Reservations and Provisoes that they offer not to touch or reflect upon their Church in any of its grossest errours or most enormous misdemeanours for if they do it in the lest the Canons of the Universal Church shall have no more respect at their hands than the Canonical Scriptures which are not allowed to have any sound or sense where they cross and disagree from the private interpretation of their Church I say private and suspicious because notoriously savouring of private ends and carnal designes and Worldly ambition and self-love above any Church or Haeresie whatsoever in all their Commentaries and Expositions and every point and Article of their Faith and Government wherein they differ from us Or they shall be openly disown'd and rejected for no lawful Councils either in whole or in part according to their liking or disliking of particulars who yet call for implicit obedience to their own petty Authorities and decrees how contrary soever to Common sense or reason while themselves dispute and contradict the power and jurisdiction of far greater Superiours acting and decreeing with the special assistance of the Spirit of God So that as to such Roman-Catholicks who are wedded and guided by their wills and Idols more than Truth or Conscience the Testimonies and Canons I shall produce will prove but Pearls ill cast yet with this advantage and satisfaction that they shall drive and force them either to submission or to rebellion either to confess and acknowledge themselves to be convict Schismaticks and Sacrilegious Robbers and Oppressors and their Popes and Missionaries depos'd and condemn'd in all their Titles Holy Orders and pretences by the Holy solemn Laws and Canons of the Universal and undoubtedly Catholick Church of Christ or manifestly detect themselves to be Antichrist in this as in their other practices and the Invaders of Gods Regiment and power in all its formes and varieties of of appearance as of God the Creator in disposing the Kingdoms of the World of God Redeemer in Lording over Souls and Consciences so of God the Holy Spirit and Sanctifier in slighting Scriptures and General Councils Which last part it is to be fear'd they 'l chuse to take as being thereto too much inclin'd by their Principles being one main cause if not perrhaps the principal that the spirit of truth and concord hath withdrawn it self in lamentable manner from Christian Churches and Councils these several last hundreds of years in whose Assemblies it cannot well appear with liberty and without diminution of its Divine Honour and Glory when its promis'd assistance to Gods Church gathered together in his name must be eftsoons check'd and controll'd by the Negative will and lust of one man that sets up himself above Both and the Interest of Rome made the mark to steer by instead of Truth and Holiness and Gods holy spirit thereby necessitated either to countenance Errour and Tyranny by its presence or to stand out whereby is left but a Carcass of a Church and not a Church for a Church without Gods spirit is but as the body without the Soul the one as ready moulders into errour and corruption as the other into stench and rottenness as is the condition of the Modern Roman Church too visibly The first Canon I shall instance in shall be the third General Council held at Ephesus than which hardly any president can be more apposite to the Case of Rome and Brittain and that Councill's determination upon the complaint of Cyprus against Antioch where three points may be observ'd 1. The state of their case and grievance 2. The sense and resentment of the Council 3. The decree and redress 1. Their complaint to the Council by Declaration and the Affirmation of their Bishops then and there present was that the Bishop or Patriarch of Antioch did send and Consecrate Bishops for the Isle of Cyprus in violation of their Ancient Rights and Customes The occasion of this encroachment was as is noted by Balsamon and Zonaras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon a pretence and imitation of the Duke of Antioch under the Romans sending thence a Deputy Governour for this Isle The plea of the Cypriots was as is imply'd in the Canon an Ancient immemorial right of chusing and consecrating their own Bishops among themselves On the other hand the Bishop of Antioch had his Patriarchal dignity and the Supremacy of St. Peters Chair to insist on from whom he deriv'd by undoubted Lineal Succession Now if this Controversy had come before the Pope of Rome and his Conclave or Lateran or Tridentine Council it is easie to coniecture who had gone by the worst but not so easie to know whom the prey should have been adjudg'd to whether to Antioch or rather to Rome her self although the other were the acknowledg'd Chaire of St. Peter establish'd for 7 years at Antioch at the lest before ever he arriv'd at Rome 2. But the sense and resentment of their wrong by this great Council is very remarkable who took this matter into their cognizance and Judicature though no lesâ— than the Patriarch of the East and as great as the Pope takes himself to be was one of the parties to aâ—ide their censure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus they represent the mischief and consequence of this encroachment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A new kind of Schismatical attempt in defiance of the Apostolical Laws of the Church and Canons of the Holy Fathers and striking at the common Liberty of Christendom yea the Spiritual Spiritual Liberty of men Souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Christ himself by his bloud hath purchas'd for us
blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and Divine Truths to the contrary reproached as Heresies and all wayes and Arts yea fire and faggot us'd to â—ar them out least their slaves and captives should be undeceived and set free by them and so become unmanageable whereby their Conquest over Souls shall be at peace and the misery and slavery of mens immortal Spirits turn to account and the enriching of their Holy Church A provocation against Heaven of long continuance enough to raise new Goths and Vâ—â—â—â—â—s against their Church and State but that the prosperity it enjoyes is a greater plague and desolation than the Sword can bring The Spiritual servitude of the Soul under Idols far exceeding the outward slavery of the body under Conquerors as much as Apoplexy exceeds sleep or the pangs of Conscience the pain of the Teeth To live in the causes of damnation being a greater misery in reason than to endure the execution there being nothing of Gods hand or justice in the one being our own mala culpae as there is in the other being Gods mala penae or the correction which he sends and inflicts and therefore the less tolerable evil of the two if properly evil Further correction therefore can do little good upon them It must be the Infinite mercies of God and the zeal of Christian Princes that must do good upon them against their wills as it is expected by diligent a Divine Dialogues p. 226. searchers into Divine Prophecies that some great Prince will be shortly rais'd by God to cast a Vial of wrath upon their glory And they have a common Tradition in France saith b Review of the Council of Trent by W R. a French Roman-Catholick Writer that some of the Carolingians of the Race of Charlemaigne shall have an Emperour of France Charles by name who shall be Prince and Monarch over Europe and shall reform the Church and State But the Glory of such a Cure and Deliverance being as it were the Redemption a new of those whom Christ redeem'd from Spiritual slavery seems more probably reserv'd for this Isle above any other whatsoever as before And so since our Island is become Great Brittain again and the true Religion is recovered with our Brittish Line and Monarchy which were fallen together it is to be conjectured from foregoing Instances of Providence upon this Monarchy that such of our Princes as will appear favourers of Popery are like to be the most unfortunate and inglorious and unbelov'd acting therein against the grain and fate of this Empire as those of the contrary design and activity as having Providence of their side the most successful and renowned and the darlings of God and men SECTION XVI What the Roman-Catholicks truly mean by the term Heretick they so liberally bestow on others And that none are greater Hereticks in Truth and reality than themselves and of their Title Roman-Catholick which they so well like And Old Rome and Brittain both Heathen and Christian compar'd with the Modern And that the yoak of Rome is not better to us than our present condition BY their condemning Protestants so confidently for Hereticks because they believe not after the manifest errours of their single Church though they profess to believe after Christ and his Scriptures and his true and purest Catholick Church they do but call others such what they make and convict themselves to be thereby It hath been ever the Custom or craft of men when sin or Satan or any vile design hath possess'd the Throne of their heart instead of Christ to imploy his Name and Laws and Power against not the enemies of Christ and the truth but the opposers of that lust or private Interest which succeeds him Upon which score the Soberest and Holiest Protestants though Catholicks with God are Hereticks with the Pope for opposing his Christ that is his Carnal Will and Grandeur which rules his heart instead of its right Soveraign For if Christ and his mind did reign therein such Hereticks as right Protestants are would soon be embrac'd for Christian Brethren And he that judges of Heresie contrary to Christs mind and will finds the first Heretick in himself The right method heretofore to judge of Heresie was the Holy Scriptures for a rule and holy Churche's Authority proceeding by such a rule or Scriptura animatae or Christ himself speaking in men But with some now a dayes one mans absolute will and pleasure and his worldly concerns and acquisitions a Haereticus arguitur qui monitus non restituit bona Ecclesiae Spondan Anno 794. n. 6. whether just or unjust or Libido Sainct fiâ—ata or a speaking Antichrist is the only rule and touchstone for to run cross to the one out of Allegiance to the other shall more involve in Rebellious Heresie than the other Install in Orthodox Loyalty and this in uniform agreeableness to the Hypothesis touching the right and wrong Soveraign we are upon And the reason in Scripture why a Heretick is to be finally avoided is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.11 or the condemnation of his own heart in changing his Soveraign which is manifestly discernable in his Conversation by all Christians that hold to their Heart-Loyalty and by the sleepy Intoxicated party it self if of a loyal inclination after two or three admonitions or else belike never The Portuguees General us'd the like Divinity in the Field in a passion as these do in their Schools and Pulpits who when the Auxillary English too tamely suffered as he conceived the advance of the Enemy towards them cry'd out in indignation the English Hereticks have betrayed us But when after a suddain Volley three stories high they clear'd the field with but-end he then confessed and vowed with as great content that the English Hereticks were excellent Christians So that Protestants by dexterous application are not out of hope but that they may retain their Heresies and be Catholicks nevertheless upon an Orthodox Tribute to an indulgent Pope who is not averse to tolerate publick Stews and License Incest c. upon the like terms But in several respects and considerations none are gâ—eater Hereticks in all desert and reason than our Roman Catholicks who are first at criminaâ—inâ—â— who in the first place slight the whole Canon of Scripture and forbid it to several as a dangerous book next to Heretical which no Father 〈◊〉 â—he Church oâ— any Council ever did and the gâ—eatest Hereâ—icks that ever were have been bâ—â—ded and condemned for no more but clashing against a few certain Texts and parcells thereof Who next renounce the whole Catholick Church which all Christians in their Creed profess to believe saving that degenerate rump and shadow thereof they at Rome have to shew Allowing none to be Metropolitans without their Palls c Concil Lateranens Can. 18. none to be Bishops or Ministers any where without Ordination deriv'd from them c Concil Lateranens Can. 18. none to have Authority to
Preach Gods word without a License sued out from their See Nor the Scriptures themselves to be Gods word without their stamp or Allowance nor any hope of Salvation to any Soul out of the Pale of their Church The Corinthians Ephesians Thessalonians Phillipians Galatians had their Gospel not from St. Peter but from St. Paul for he had it not of man nor by men Gal. 1.1 And therefore not from St. Peter if St. Peter were a man but from Jesus Christ who is therefore God as likewise the Brittains had theirs from Christs Apostles and Companions before St. Peter ever had a Chair at Rome yet all these must be no Churches with the Church of Rome which is an absolute Haeretical affront to the Article in the Creed touching the Church which they deny to be Catholick and universal by limiting it to their Roman Communion Did the Haeresie of the Donatists heretofore speak higher or plainer Or of a Epiphanius in Simonianis the Pepusians who affirmed their own City Pepusa to be Jerusalem above if the Church of Rome in St. Augustine's dayes had been so Heretical as our Modern had it escap'd the impartial zeal and censure of that Learned Father and wherein was Basilides the Ancient Gnostick worse than these Modern Who maintain'd that God reveal'd his Truth to His party only a Epiphanius in Simonianis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they alone were men all others as Swine and Dogs as Protestants are esteem'd in the Romish Territories Or wherein exceeded by Simon Magus the Father of the Gnosticks who b Idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said he was Christ as the Pope doth in effect who a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first Worshipped Images who made all Religion and the Cross of Christ subservient to their fleshly ends and pretended themselves to have Ecclesiastical Authority above any else or St. Paul himself though they were the enemies of Christ because the enemies of his Cross and Gospel and to be shunn'd therefore by all true Christians Phil. 3.18 as the Apostle there declares Whom no Oaths also can bind no more than they could the old Heretick c Epiphanus lib. 1. p. 24. Helxas in the Jewish Church who taught it was no sin to worship Idols in time of Persecution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and although he made profession with his mouth but denyed the same with mental reservation in his heart which is a Doctrine too well known at Rome he was not guilty of any offence at all Who lastly in a word not to enumerate any more particular Heresies whom they revive are our Apsychites as before who by their Principles and pactices deny the heart and its necessary use in Religious worship and by consequence deny Christ and God and all for without the heart or soul as a body is a dead body so a Church is a dead Church in reason and but the Carcass of a Church and as the death of the body contains most of the diseases that can be nam'd Deafness Blindness Apoplexy c. so deadness in a Church through the want and absence of the heart and soul pregnantly comprizes all sorts of errours and Heresies as Arrianism Nestorianism Pelagianism Manicheism Libertinism Antichristanism Atheism c. for take away the heart and take away God and take away God you take away all Religion whatsoever as take away smelling you take away odours or take away eyes and you take away light these being correlates to one another as was shewed before For the heart being intirely for Christ as its end and correlate as was shewed at the beginning when it loses its true end it ceases to be a heart the end in such things as are ordain'd for an end being as their life and soul and being whereof when depriv'd or frustrated in fiction of reason they cease to be as an eye that cannot see or an ear that cannot hear or a foot that cannot move is in reason no eye or ear or foot though the Ball or Organ or Limb remain in visible existence to the sense In like manner where the heart is seis'd or diverted by any Idol or vanity from Christ its end and life it ceases to be a heart To honour men for Christ's sake for any likeness to him bâ— Grace or Place or Quality may be done with the heart for it is not man so much as Christ himself is so honour'd by the heart which thereby attains its end and life by conjunction with him But to honour Christ upon the score of the Pope as is the way and Principle of Romanists with whom the Pope gives Authority to Scripture and Religion and to Christ himself by consequence It is not to honour or serve Christ so much as the Pope to whom the heart is thereby Principally directed and not to Christ but rather divided from him by the interposition and presence of another And whatever it be in like manner that severs and engrosses the heart from Christ its life and proper Element whether it be lust or Interest or wordly end or any sin or man of sin destroys and choaks it It is the extinction of reason to be besides it self the extinction of the heart to be besides its Christ The corps of a Religious Action remains in all Acts of Hypocrisie and Superstition and Idolatry but the heart and soul is lost and gone And generally the form of godliness no where more abounds than where the life and Power is wanting who more for outward zeal and show of Religion than the Hypocrite who hath none who more nice and exact in all minical Ceremonies than the Superstitious who wants the substance who more complemental than the hollow-hearted Forma viros neglecta decet men of great hearts and reality are more for deeds than words Now some superficial understandings that judge all by sense and outward appearance though but skin-deep are apt to mistake busie and zealous superstition and bigottry to be sincere and sober Religion whereas these differ in specie and are no more the same than a dying man sâ—picking bed câ—oaths is Family care or hollow Complement of the lip true friendship of the heart or an fâ—bullition of worms in a putrified Corps the Restoration of its former life unto it for in like manner as the cessation of natural life brings forth an unnatural bâ—ood of maggots in dead bodies so the departure of the heart and life from any Church ends in innumerable freaks of Religious whimsies and crossings and cringings without end There are several other Characteristical marks and effects of the want and absence of the heart and conscience in the Romish Religion wherein it goes beyond common Heresies and bids fair for Antichrist And waving the Principal or Lucifer-like Pride the womb of Antichrist and Universal Supremacy according to our Pope Gregory which hath been our game and Subject all along I shall instance but in three or four genuine properties very particular to that