then from almost any Writer in those subjects that ever you read Hardly any can speak higher unless I except Dr. Owen who saith that Grotius was almost-wise above the pitch of humane Nature if that is the meaning of his Latin ultra humanitatem pene sapuisse and that in * In omni literatura all manner of learning insomuch that he thinks there is nothing comparable to him if that is his meaning by Quicquam ei simâ—le esse vix credo Yet this Gentleman and you have been so far from avowing the being Followers of Grotius that ye are the onely men amongst us who have shewed your selves his publick Enemies Although ye vehemently dâ—ffered between your selves yet ye agreed in this that ye were both against Grotius Nay in this your Agreement ye differ'd too with a witnesse For he would have Grotius a Socinian and you a Papist Now a Papist and a Socinian are not onely so different but so utterly irreconcileable that nothing but Grotius his moderation can afford any excuse to one or other of his Accusers You have justified Grotius from the Heresie of Socinianism which you confesse he hath too often been charged with p. 89. And so you have sided with the Prelatists against the man before mentioned He again hath freed Grotius from the suspicion of being a Papist if no Socinian can be a Papist as you know none can and so hath sided with the Prelatists against your self I mean by Prelatists the unchangeable Divines of the Church of England Such as those two Reverend and Righteous men Dr. Hammond and Mr. Thornâ—ike whom I onely single out for this one reason because they have vindicated Grotius from each extreme of the Calumny which betwixt you two hath been cast upon him And to prepare you for the evidence with which I shall afterwards entertain you as well as to give you some ground to suspect your own judgment by letting you see how it differ's from such as theirs I think it as usefull as it is pertinent to give you some of their words There is no colour for this suggestion of Grotius his closeing with the Roman interest as far as Grotius his writings give us to judge Dr. Hammonds words in his second Defâ—nce of Grotius p. 5. and farther then those I have no perspective to examin his Heart For the Fomenters of the Divisions in Christendom being the onely persons whom he professed to oppose the irreconciliabiles qui aeterna cupiunt esse dissidia 't is consequent that the pacificatory interest was the onely one by him espoused and pursued most affectionately And I could never yet discern by any pregnant indication that this is the Roman interest We have seen two men of repute now amongst us censure Grotius his Labours upon the Scriptures Mr. Thorndikes words in his Epilogue to the Tragedy of the Church of England Epist. to the Reader p. 5. The one hath made him a Socinian the other a Papist Both could have given us no better Argument that he was Neither then this that he cannot be Both. I do but instance in an eminent person who must needs be a Papist though never reconciled to the Church of Rome who must needs be a Socinian though appealing to the originall consent of the whole Church Upon what Termes should there be any such thing as Papists or Socinians I remember an Admonition of his bitter Adversary Dr. Rivet that the See of Rome will never thank him for what he writ And from hence I inferred as charity obliged me to infer that the common good of Christianity and of God's Church obliged him to that for which he was to expect thanks on no side Thiâ— for certain Grotius never lived by maintaining Division in the Church whether any body doth so or not I say not their Master will judge them for it if they do Now Sir let me tell you that unlesse you think you have read more or can better judge in your Reading of Grotius his writings then the so venerable persons who speak before us you ought at least to suspend your censure untill you shall find by all that follows upon whose Misadventure you ought to place it If you shall possibly say that these are two of the English Followers of whom you speak you cannot do Grotius a greater pleasure they having both given blows to the Church of Rome more then all the whole party with whom you joyne To calumniate Grotius confeâ—sed odious You say you do confesse it an odious thing to calumniate so Learned a man as Grotius and all others of his mind and way and that you must needs repâ—nt and recant if you be guilâ—y of so great a Crime Sect. 1. Sect. 4. I would very fain know which are the men of his way as that is distinguished from his mind and seems to signifie his practice And what way it is which here you allude to obscurely but do not name I for my part can think of none but his not communicating in France with either Papists or Protestants And amongst us here in England I know nothing like it except the way of the Presbyterians many of whom for diverse yeares have been so averse unto Communions that in their Churches the world knows they have not had any at all yet even this way of his is sufficient to evidence his being no Papist As I shall shew most clearly in due time and place Repentance promised ex hypothesi Sect. 5. Because you promise Repentance and Recantation if you be found to be guilty of so great a Crime as you call it to calumniate such a man as Grotius I will first set down how far forth you have accused him next I will manifest his innocence of that whereof he stands charged and then I will leave you to consider whether you ought not to make him some Reparations You do not content your self to say Groâ—ius accused of turning Papist he was a Favourer of the Papists and one who thought not so hardly of them as other Protestants have done or that he was strongly inclin'd that way and put the best interpretation upon their Doctrins that they were capable of bearing that the Peace of Christendom might not seem so impossible as some would make it or that he stood in a preparedness of mind to reconcile himself unto the Papists upon condition the Papists also would reconcile themselves unto the moderate Protestants and the moderate Protestants unto them for this had been to say no more then I can say of Thuanus that he favoured the Protestants on all occasions although he remained a Papist still But you have said in grosse Termes That he took it for his glory to be a Roman Catholick Sect. 2. That hâ— turned Papist p. 11. That he dropt by thiâ— meanes into a deplorable Schism Ibid. So as if I shall demonstrate that there was never any such thing and that Grotius did not turn Papist no
them they onely considered as prudent men that Anabaptisme had its rise from the same Principles the Puritanes hold and its growth from the same courses they took together with the natural tendency of those Principles and Practices thithâ—rward And that it was no vain fear the unhappy event hâ—th proved and justified them since what they feared is come to passe and that in a very high degree Thus you see that Presbyterians and the prime of that party even such as Master Cartwright in Queen Elizabeth's dâ—yes were stiled Puritanes and Disciplinarians by these unquestionable men And I wish you would read once at least every week that most excellent Preface of Doctor Sanderson See Sect. XVII and compare it with XXI where he saith the right English Protestant is in the middle between the Papist and the Puritan you will find him placing the Church of England and the regular sons of the Church of England in the middle betwixt the two extremes Papists and Puritanes highly applauding the Episcopal Divines as the greatest enemies of Rome and converters of Papists from that Church to this which hardly ever a Presbyterian was known to be You will find him shewing how your party have been the great promoters of the Roman interest among us and that by many more waies then one You will find him confuting your Book of Concord p. 46. shewing how you and your brethren have hardened the Papists Sect. XVIII and betrayed the Protestant cause Nay how Libertinism it self hath over spread the whole face of the land by the means of fiery turbulent Presbyterians Sect. XX. You will find him discovering that dangerous point wherein the very mysterie of Puritanism consisteth they are his own words and from whence as from a fountain so many acts of sinful disobedience issue How the enemies of our Prelacy are both multiplied Sect XXIII and divided into Fractions and Factions not more opposite to truth many of them then to one another their opposition to the Truth being the onely property wherein the Factions do all agree Ibid. Yea you will find him express his fears which are extremely to be heeded proceeding from so good and so wise a man that our Atheists are more numerous then either our Papists or our Sectaries and perhaps go masking in all their vizors since the pretended Reformation you so much talk of Sect. XXIV To put an end to this Paragraph you will find him distinguishing as I have many times done as well before as since he did it between the moderate and the rigid Scotized through-paced Presbyterians The former he professeth to love and honour but such he saith the madness and obstinacy of the later that it is vain think of doing any good upon them by Argument But becauâ—â— you may objeâ—t that Doctor Sanderson is one of the neâ— Episcopal Divines or say of him as you did of Grotius thâ—â— he is an exasperâ—â—ed man as having been cast out of hiâ— own by the barbarous violence of your Reformers I will adâ— some judgments to which you cannot have such exceptions Sect. 10. Bishop Andrews of blessed memory hath described a branch of the old Cathari or Puritanes Bishop Andrews his judgment of Puritanes in his Sermon of worshipping imaginations p. 29. A.D. 1592. published by supreme Aâ—thâ—rity who call themselves Apostolici for an extraordinary desire above other men to have discipline and all things to the exact pattern of the Apostles dayes He citeth Epiphanius for the Catharists Haeresâ— 6â— so that it seems he thought Puritanes a sort of Hereticks revived He calls it fitly Cacozâ—lia an apish imitation to retain all in use thâ—n seeing divers things even then were onely temporary He also shews them to be a parcel of the Donatists for pressing all things alike which they found in Scripture Both which he tells us have not a little harmed the Church * Ib. p. 30. He discovers their Hypocrisie and Superstition so unfit are the Puritanes to accuse others of it with another riot and licentious liberty which he saith is a great deal worse then the former In a word he doth conclude them to be partly Idols and partly Idolaters †See from p 32 to the end for besides their vain imaginations touching the Apostles fellowship Lay-Elders and the rest of the Presbyterian inventions to which he saith a great number of the deâ—eived people bow down and worship p. 34. and besides their babling after the manner of the Papists yea of the Heathen in their long and pretendedly extemporary prayers in wâ—h he saith they err no less then either Papists or the Heathens do p. 37. He concludes of all their tricks together w ch he condemned in particular throughout his Sermon These are of many imaginations some set up and magnified by some and by others worshipped and adored under the names of the Apostles1 Doctrine,2 Government,3 Sacraments,4 Prayers In divers others of hiâ— Sermons he sets them out in their proper colours * See his second Sermon of sending the Holy Ghost p. 610. As mistaking their humours and misterming them the spirit calling that the spirit of zeal whâ—ch is indeed a hot humour onely flowing from the gall Another windy humour they have proceeding from the spleen supposed to be the wind Act. 2.3 4. with which being filled they term themselves THE GODLY BRETHREN I wish saith He it were not needful to make this Observation But you shall easily know it for an Humour Non continetur termino suo it s own limits will not hold it They are ever mending Churches States Superiours mending all save themselvs alieno non suo is the note to distinguish an humour by (b) Ezek. 13.13 Many follow their own ghost in stead of thâ— Holy Ghost For even that ghost taketh upon it to inspire And (c) Mat. 16.2 flesh and bloud we know have their revelations Having set up and shrin'd the worldly spirit in their hearts up shâ—ll all the golden Calves to uphold the present estate down shall Christ ne veniant Romani that the Romans come not and carry us all away †See his ninth Sermon of the same p. 694. Again he calls them the Automata the Spectra the Puppets of Religion Hypocrites Wiâ—h some spring within the eyes are made to rowle and their lips to wag and their brest to give a sob all is but Hero's Pneumatica 2 Pet. 3.5 a vizor not a very face an oâ—tward shew of godliness but no inward power of it at all And are there not somewhere in the World some such as will receive none other spirit or Holy Ghost but their own ghost and the Idol of their own conceit the vision of their own heads the motions of their own spirits And if you hit not on that that is there in their hearts they reject it be it what it will That make their brests the sanctuary That in effect say with the old Donatists Quod
opposing the Gospel Such service for the Papists was then done by the Puritanes whose Libels were cited and applauded by those of Rome even Hacket himself hath an Apology made for him although as execrable a miscreant as most have been of that paste (d) p. 256. The libellous Pamphlets of Martin-Mar Prelate thâ—t early Puritane in Queen Elizabeth's dayes were urged by the Papists as Authentick Witnesses and sufficient Evidences foâ— the disgrace and condemnation of the Protestant-Church So true was that which I shew'd you fâ—om the Lord Keeper Puckering that the Puritanes do joyn and concur with the Iesuites Thâ—ir rebâ—llious Principles What (e) p. 138 139. â—â—3 Principles of Rebellion were scattered abroad among thâ— peoâ—le by the Puritane leaders in seveâ—al Countreyâ— â—uch as Wickliff Clesselâ—us Knox and Winram that excellent Examen will quickly tell you p. 178.179 And what Heathâ—niâ—h Notes the Genevians put uâ—on â—he Bâ—ble (g) p. 151. How Felton a zealous Puritane comâ—itâ—ed his murder upon thâ— Duke How Covetousâ—ess and Non-conformity were so married together that 't was not eaâ—e to divorce them (h) p. 153. How an Act of Parliament wâ—s made against Puritanes 23 Eliz. c. 3. (i) p. 156. And a High-Commission enforced to curb them (k) p. 158. How mock-ordinations were made at Antwerp by a mongrel sort of Presbyterians consisting of two blew Aprons to each Cruel Nightcap In a word it will tell you their sabbatizing their downfall their essayes to rise their disappointments their new attempts by the way of Lecturing in which the Iesuites went before them their pride without parallel their malice without measure and thâ—ir acts of injustice without remorse Sect. 15. That irresistible Champion of the Protestant Church against her Adversaries of Rome Bishop Montague ' s judgmeâ—t of Puritanes I mean the learned Bishop Montague who was imployed by King Iames to write the Annals of the Church Catholick and all along as he went to reform Baronius on the one side as the Magdeburgenses on the other doâ—h often justifie and distinguish the Church of England no less from the Puritane then Popish party He calls them in one place * Religiosi nebulones nostrates Deum Ecclesiam emulgentes aiunt Deum culâ—u merè spirituali 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Montac in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad An. Chr. 2. See his Appello Caesarem â—art 2. c. 1. p. 11â— 111 112. the sacrilegious hypocrites of our Countrey who rob God and the Church under colour of spirituality saying that God is well pleased with no other worship then what is spiritual In another place he speaks of them as our Saviour spake of the Pharisees Ecclesia Anglicana recte quicquid vacillent Puritani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had long before noted That many were arrant Puritanes in heart who for preferment did conform holding with the Hare and running with the Hound And that many once Puritanes turn'd often Papists Fleeting being commonly from one extreme to another Men of moving violent quick-silver gun-powder spirits can never rely upon midling courses but dum furor in cursu est run on headlong into Extremes And so I may avow I will not be a Papist in haste because I never was a Puritane in earnest or in jeast having found it true in my small Observation that our Revolters unto Popery were Puritanes avowed or addicted first Ib. p. 113. A little after he calls the Iesuites the Puritane-Papists and for the Protestant-Puritanes he doth not reckon them as Members of the Church of England but onely an overweening-faction which was wont to be shrowded under the Covert of the Church of England and to publish their many idle dreams fancies and furies unto the World under pretext of the doctrine of our Church And our Opposites of the Romish side did accordingly â—harge our Church with them which words when I compare with divers things before mentioned I am apt to think that many Papists did call themselves of the Church of England and acted their parts on our English Theater under the name and disguise of the Puritane-party that so they might help the real Puritanes to bring our Protestant Church into disgrace and misery Sect. 16. To this I will adde some words of Grotius because he was so great an honour to the true Protestant Religion Grotius his judgment concerning Puritanes Serenissimi si per Puritanos liceaâ— Potentissimi Regis Britanniarum beneficio c. Discuss Riv. Apol. p. 57. not more for his learning then moderation who speaking of the King of Britain and of some obligations received from him thought fit to say The most serene and if the Puritanes will suffer him the most potent King of England words most worthy your consideration as having been written in the year 1645. when you cannot but remember how much his Majesty was promised to be made the mightiest King in Christendom It is but seldom that Grotius doth name the word Puritane although sometimes * Rex Iacobus se Puritanis semper exosum fuifse dicit non alio Nomine quà m quod Rex effeâ— Ibid. pag. 92. he names it too but he gives us so often a just accompt of their Tenâ—ts which have commonly broken forth into Blood and Rapine that I need not stay longer upon his exact judgment Mr. Thorndike 's judgment of Puritanes In his Epilogue to the Trag. of the Church of England Conâ—lus p. 405. Ib. p. 423. I will conclude my whole Catalogue with what I lately met with in my perusal of Master Thorndike It is evident saith he that Preachers and People are overspread with a damnable Heresie of Antinomians and Enthusiasts formerly when Puritanes were not divided from the Church of England called Etonists and Grindeltons according to several Countreys c. well had it been had that most pious and necessary desire to restore publick penance been seconded by the zeal and compliance of all estatesâ— and not stifled by the tâ—res of Puritanisme growing up with the Reformation of it In fine if any thing may have been defective or amisse in that order which the Church of England establisheth it is but justice to compare it with both extremes which it avoideth meaning Popery on one hand and Puritanisme on another If you read his whole Book you will probably return to the Church of England by being convincâ—d that you have left her If you will read but some part you will find him shewing what I shall now but say from him Id. lib. 1. p. 77. viz. 1 That the Scotish Presbyterians have done like them who oblige subjects to depose their Soveraign if the Pope excommunicate them making both subjects and Soveraigns the Popes vassals Ib. p. 78. Conclus p. 4â—4 them to rule and those to obey at his discretion who can excommunicate them 2 That it is Puritanism or Popery for subjects to fight against their Soveraign yea a Branch of Puritanism
him to Herself by her so many great effects of her Love and Loyalty which have made her a pattern to other women and hereafter will make her a proverb too that he could not conceal his Religion from Her whom he had worthily seated so near his Heart What need we more in so clear a Case The Wife of Grotius was both a Protestant herself as well at her residence in Paris as at her return unto the Hague and hath constantly †Look back on ch 1. Sect. 5. p. 12 13. affirmed to all desirous of Information that her Husband and herself were never divided in their Religion That he did never * Neque in Galliis unquam neque extra Gallias alicubi c. at any time †Neque in Galliis unquam neque extra Gallias alicubi c. in any part of the world so much as permit himself to be * Aut eorum sacris Interfuisse present at any papistical Devotions Never was there a Wife of greateâ— Wisdom and Gravity and Christian courage in the esteem of an Husband than she in his Never was there a Husband who left behind him a greater Monument of honour gratitude to a wife And could he think you be a Papist without her Knowledge Or could he think you turn Papist without his own He made profession to Laurentius who writ the Grotius Papizans which you are now so unskilfull as to object that he was not turn'd Papist as had been slanderously reported which having told you of already ch 1. p. 11 12. I will incourage you to believe whatsoever his Wife hath affirmed of him by letting you see how much he prized her Nos quoque si quisquam multum debere fatemur Sylvae Grotian◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Augusti Thuani Franciscum Filium p. 5 6 Conjugio Memini post tot tua vota precesque Cynthia cùm nonum Capto mihi volveret orbem Qualem te primum Conjux fidissima vidi Carceris in Tenébris Lachrymas absorpserat Ingens Vis Animi neque vel gemitu Te Luctus adegit Consentire malis Rursus nova vincula sed quae Te Sociâ leviora tuli dum milite clausos Nos Mosa tristi Vahalis circumstrepit undâ Heic Patriam toties inania jura vocanti Et proculcatas in nostro corpore leges Tu solamen eras Heic jam Te viderat alter Et post se mediâ plus parte reliquerat Annus Cum mihi jura mei per Te solerte reperto Reddita Tu postquam jam caeca acceperat Alvus Dulce oâ—iâ—s opposâ—â—s libabas oscula claustris Atque ita semoto foribus custode locuta es Summe Pater rigido si non Adamante futurum Stat tibi sed precibus potìs es gaudesque moveri Hoc quod nostra Fides lucem servavit in istam Accipe Depositum tantisque exolve periclis Conjugii testor Sanctissima jura meaeque Spem sobolis Non huc venio pertaesa malorum Sed miserata virum possum sine Conjuge possum Quamvis dura pâ—ti Si post exempla ferocis Ultima saevitiae nondum deferbuit ira In me tota ruat vivam crudele sepulchrum Me premat triplicis cingat custodia Valli Dum meus aetheriae satietur pastibus Aurae Grotius Casus narret Patriaeque suosque Dixerat atque oculis fugientia vela secutis Addit Abi Conjux neque Te nisi Libera cernam Quod mea si auderet Famam spondere Camaena Acciperet quantis virtutem laisdibus istam Posteritas A Rejoynder to as much of the Key for Catholicks as pretend's to be â— Reply to my old Advertisement Sect. 7. I now pass on as you direct me to the latter part of your Key for Catholicks of which your Pen hath made great Boast But every man's cause is not the best who hath the fondest opinion of his performance For then there were no disputing with you You would be constantly in the right which part soever you undertook You say the Business of Grotius is it upon which you are to meddle with me p. 382. And first you promise me to yield what I told you That for the very same reasons upon which you conclude that Grotius is a Papist you must also conclude him to be a Protestant unless you think as hardly of the Augustan Confession as you seem to do of the Councill of Treâ—t But you will not performe it till the Greek Calends For you condition with me to prove That a Protestant is one who holdeth to the Council of Trent c. And are you fitted to be a Disputant whose strength is onely to be sturdy in a meer begging of the Question welfare thâ— Down-right Dr. Kendal for faithfully telling you in his Book That A little more of the Vniversity would have done you no harm See and wonder at your unhappinesâ— which was Rivet's as well as yours You objected against Grotius his having set out the Canons of the Trent Council in his Conciliatory Design To which I answered that he did equally set out the Articles of the Protestant Council at Augusta So as if that doth prove him a Papist This must prove him also a Protestant Whereas indeed they both prove him a Reconciler You confess it is not Popery to be a Peace-maker Nay you pretend at least to be one your self You often wish for peace and union between us and the Papists But how can Peace be ever made betwixt two Adversary parties without a mutuall Collation of both their Doctrines which if they are thought so to differ as to be quite irreconcilable who would labour to reconcile them When * At Grotius non eam Bullam solam edidit sed confess nem Augusâ— nam existimans comâ—â—dè acceptas Doctrinas Tridentinam Augustanam inter se non ita pugre ut multi credidere Discuss p. 7. Grotius told Rivet that he had put forth the Doctrines as well of the Augustan as the Tridentine Council because he believed they differed less than many others did apprehend he conceived the Papists Doctrines might be made to conforme unto the Protestants not the Protestants unto the Papists meaning not the Presbyterian but sober Protestanâ—s such as those at Augusta remember That for in the very same page as in twenty others which I have met with He pleads for the Reforming of Popish Errors whether the Pope will or no by Kings and Bâ—shops within thâ—ir Bounds But never yet could I find that he acknowledg'd the least Error in either the Discipline or Doctrine of sober Protestants such as the Followers of Melanchthon and the unchangeable Sons of the Church of England The words of Grotius Ibid. which have open'd shall stop your mouth Licuerit sanè Regibus legitime constitutis Episcopis intra suos fines quaedam corrigere quae videbantur corrigenda There he approves of the Reformationâ— in the Dukedom of Saxonie and here in England
he goes on p. 179. the Church of England is not invisible It is still preserved in Bishops and Presbyters rightly ordained and multitudes rightly baptized none of which have fallen off from their profession 7. To your preposterous Demands then Especially to the Eâ—iscopal whose sufferings have made them the more coâ—formable to the primitive Christians why we separate from you and refuse to go to your Communion the first and shortest Answer is this that we are passively separated because you actively are separatists We by remaining as we were are parted from you and you by your violent departure have made our Difference unavoidable We are divided by necessity and you by choice we from you our Dividers but you from us and between your selves You like Demas having forsaken us and having embraced this present world it is our lot as it was Paul's to be unâ—voidably forsaken It is God's own Method to turn away from his Deserters When the Times are changed by some and others are changed by the Times you must at least excuse if not commend us that we * Prov. 24. â—1 meddle not with those who are given to change For you to go from us and then to chide us for being parted is the greatest injustice to be imagin'd because it requires us to verifie the two Extremes of a contradiction A second Answer I shall give you in better words than mine own even the same which Dr. Hammond once gave the Papists Sâ—e Dr. Hammond of Schism p. 180 181. The Night-meetings of primitive Christians in Dens and Caves are as pertinent to the justifying of our Condition as they can be of any and 't is certain that the forsaking of the Assemblies Heb. 10.25 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our wiâ—ful fault v. 26. but onely our unhappy Lot who are forced either not to frequent the Assemblies or else to incourage and incur the scandal of seeming to approve the practises of those that have departed from the Church That we do not decline Order or publick communion and consequently are not to be charged for not enjoying those Benefits of it which we vehemently thirst after is evident by the extensive Nature of our persecution the same Tempeâ—t having with us thrown out all Order and Form Bishops and Liturgy together And to that Curstnesse of theirs not to any Obstinateness or Vnreconcileableness of ours which alone were the guilt of non-Communion is all that unhappiness of the constant Sons of the present English Church to be imputed Lâ—y-elders condemned by such as had sworn to assert them Sect. 30. I am glad to find you thinking that unordained Elders wanting power to preach or administer the Sacraments are not Officers in the Church of God's Appointment and that as far as you can understand the greater part if not three parts for one of the English Ministers that we stand at a distance from are of this mind and so far against Lay-Elders as well as we of whom you confess your self one and Mr. Vines another p. 4. But I am not glad to find you excusing what you condemn 'T is true ye all swore when ye took the Covenant to preserve the Discipline and Government in the Church of Scotland and to reforme the Church of England in Discipline and Government according to the example of the best Reformed Churches of which the Scotish was implied to be the chief yea to bring the Churches in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and Uniformity in Church-government c. Lay-elders in Scotland were pretended to be by Divine right The Platforme of Geneva was highly magnified that I say not blasphemously for the Pattern shew'd in the Mount The Scepter of Christ and Evangelium Regni Dei were noted expressions of their Device But since you have printed your own opinion that therâ— were no such Lay-elders of God's appointment you should rather have recanted your having sworn the Scotish Covenant than have tryed by all means to make the best of so bad a matter Whilst you believe a fourth part of the Presbyterians are directly against the other three in thinking Lay-elders of God's appointment you give us to hope that your Kingdom will never stand And indeed if you will read but the first 5. Chapters of Bishop Bancrofts Survey of the pretended Holy Discipline you will find that no Sect hath been more divided against it self See what is said by Dr. Gauden in his excellenâ— * p. 17. Dendrologia concerning the Pertness and Impertinenâ—y the Arrogancy and Emptiness the Iuvenility and Incompetency the Rusticity and Insolency of some Ruling and Teaching Elders too the disagreement that was found betwixt High-shoes and the Scepter of Church-government especially mark what he †p. 18. saith of the Decoy and Fallacy the Sophistry and Shooing-horn of bringing in Lay-elders by Divine Right and perhaps when you have done you will hardly excuse your own Excuses much less the manner in which you make them for to excuse the Lay-eâ—ders as men not preaching Sect. 31. You say A Calumny cast upon our Preachers to the sole disgrace of the Calumniator In that our Readers are much like them p. 4. And again you speak of our Ignorant Drunken Worldly Readers and Lazy Preachers that once a day would preach against doing too much to be saved p. 16. But 1. that any have so preaâ—hed of the regular Clergy is your ungrounded Intimation for which you are answerable to God They have commonly been accused of having preached for the doing too much to be saved Their earnest pressing for the Necessity of Universal Obedience to the Law of Christ which carries along with it all manner of good works hath very frequently procured them the name of Papists Socinians Pelagians Moralists any thing in the world to express the dislike of your Presbyterians The Antinomians are the chief men who preach against doing too much to be saved and as the Fautors of that Heresie you your self have accused both Mr. Pemble and Dr. Twisse who were not Prelatists but Presbyterians And such were they who applauded The Marrow of modern Divinity which you have sharâ—ly written against for the like dangerous positions Nay you your self are more liable to undergo your own censure than any Prelatist I ever heard of for teaching the people how greaf a wickedness may well coâ—sist with their being Godly Of this I have given so many Examples that I shall adde but one more You put the Question Wâ—ether if men live many years in swearing or the like sin See Disp. of right to Sacram 3. p. 330. it is not a certain sign of ungodliness To which you answer in these words A godly man may long be guilty of them as 't is known some well-reputed for Godliness are in Scotland Reputation doth much with many even that are godly to make sin seem great or small With us now a swearer is reputed so great a sinner that he is
that they should pay you in your own Coin and say yee took too much upon you and that all the Congregation was at least as holy as themselves Had your spirituall Superiours been more venerable in yours yee had not certainly been so vile in the Peoples eyes Th Lord Primate's censure of Presbyterian Ordinations as Iâ—valid and Schismaticall Published by Dr. B. p. 125.126 2. Next for his Grace of Armagh whom I can never find you calling by a higher Title then Bishop Usher I shall but mind you how he hath pleaded for the Prelacy of England in other workes and onely recite his words at length out of that very piece in which you seem to have taken the greatest pleasure For even there he hath concluded your Ordinations by Presbyters to be invalid in as much as they were made where Bishops might have been had there being nothing but necessity in case Bishops cannot be had which in the judgement of the Primate can make such valid And that you may not flatter your self his Grace intended such a necessity as against all reason you sometimes offer to pretend you shall read him subjoyning these following words Holding as I do that a Bishop hath Superiority in degree above a Presbyter you may easily judge that the ordination made by such Presbyters as have severed themselves from those Bishops unto whom they had sworn Canonical obedience cannot possibly by me be excused from being Schismaticall You see what necessity the Primate admitted for an excuse and in what respect you are unexcusable For besides that you are not under any necessity of ordaining Presbyters without a Bishop no necessity can happen but what will be of your own making and such an home-made necessity will but aggravate the wickedness of them that made it I make no doubt but you will say the same thing if a power succeeding shall deal with you and your Function as you have dealt with your Superiours I shall not add more of the Primate now than that the Reduction of Episcopacy is a posthumous work and yet pretend's to no other modell than what may stand with the preeminence both of Bishops and Archbishops 3. Dr. Holdsworth's Iudgement is as well known Dr. Holdsworth's sufferings a declaration of his judgement as what he suffered for his judgement during the memorable Reign of the Presbyterians Which puts me in mind of what was said by that learned Gentleman Mr. Morrice * The Nâ—w-inclosures broken down Sect. â—1 p. 212. the digladiations about Discipline have laid open Doctrin to those destructive wounds it bleed's under the discountenancing and depressing of so many learned Champions of the truth hath been the leaving the Church without a Guard When you were swearing and fighting to level the Bishops with the ground for want of merit and suâ—ficiency to seat your selves among the Bishops you had not the patience to consider or not the prudâ—nce to believe that you were laying out your strength as blinded Sampson did his to pull down a house upon your heads by laying your hands upon its Pillars Iudg. 16.29 But now you are taught by sad experience that what you covenanted against was even the glory and support of your own profession you will I hope be so just as to blame yourselves if you shall live to suffer as heavy things as you have done Sect. 34. Whereas you say in your excuse The Presbyterian excuses are aggravations of their offences that some of your party did not swear obedience to the Bishops or did not disobey such Bishops as Bishop Vsher assureth us were the Bishops of the Antient Churches and that the Schism is not such as makes men uncapable of our Communion and that since Bishop Prideaux dyed there hath been none in his place p. 12.13 I briefly answer first that you speak against your knowledge unless you know not what you did when admitted into the Priesthood And that I may not repeat two or three pages of what I have said in another book I refer you for a sight of your great and manifold obligations to obey your Ordinary with reverence and other chief Ministers unto whom the Government and Charge was committed over you to acknowledge the order of our Church as then it stood to be according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ to approve of Bishops and Archbishops to use the Common prayer to observe the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church and all according to the Lawes of this Realm I say I refer you for a sight of your great and manifold obligations to my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ch 2. p. 51.52 53. Next I must mind you that the Lord Primate did onely speak of Communion with the Transmarine Protestans in France and Holland upon this supposition that he were in those Countries But our English Presbyterians were under another consideration He never received the blessed Scrament at any one of your hands nor would he ever hold Communion with any one of your Revolting Scotizing Churches But if you return to our Communion from which you fell by transgression both our Armes and our hearts are alwaies open to receive you And that you may do it so much the sooner let me admonish you of the disorder which the Lord Primate wonder'd at in your late Presbyterian ordinations A disorder so great that it sufficeth of it self without your other imperfections to say no harder things of them to make a nullity in the things that you most confide in * See the Primates judgement of Ordinat by Pres. set out by Dr. Bern. p. 136.137 138 139. To give the Seal of Ordination as some are pleas'd to call imposition of Hands without any express Commission annexed or Grant of Authority to the person the Primate was wont to say seemed to him to be like the putting of a Seal to a blanck Your Presbyterian Ordinations he judg'd no better and the reasons of it at large you may find in those pages which I have cast into the Margin What Bishops there were in the Antient Churches or what the Primate thought of them it matter 's not Your disobedience was not the better for being acted against those to whom you had promis'd to yield obedience And those alone are the Bishops which here t is pertinent to speak of for they alone were the Bishops to whom the men of this Age had sworn Canonical obedience through the Non performance of which obedience you had extorted from the Lord Primate that heavy censure If since the Death of Bishop Prideaux none hath succeeded in his place remember what I said lately of self-created necessity and do not imagin your Sin is lessen'd by a principall part of its aggravation Add to this that there are Bishops though not perhaps in your County And where Bishops are to be had you were forbid by the Primate to ordain without them Sect. 35. Whereas you say of Bishop Prideaux Bishop Prideaux
The New Discoverer DISCOVER'D By way of Answer to Mr. BAXTER his Pretended Discovery of the GROTIAN RELIGION With the Several Subjects therein Conteined To which is added AN APPENDIX Conteining a Rejoynder to diverse Things both in the Key for Catholicks and in The book of Disputations about Church-Government and Worship c. TOGETHER WITH A Letter to the Learned and Reverend Dr. Heylis Concerning Mr. Hickman and Mr. Bagshaw By THOMAS PIERCE Rector of Brington 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Ep. l. 4. c. 5. Their own Tongues shall make them fall Psal. 64.8 LONDON Printed by I. G. for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivye-lane 1659. A Preadvertisement to the Reader CHRISTIAN READER IF thou desirest to know the Reason why I begin to Mr. Baxter with more respect than thou allow'st him whereas I treat him in my Appendix with little more than he deserves making almost as great a difference in my stile to him as is observable in his to me be pleased to accept of this hasty but just accompt I was indulgent in the beginning to mine own particular Inclinations but at the end I consulted his greatest Needs My Inclinations would ever lead me to speak as * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.2 pleasingly as I may but that my Iudgment sometimes corrects them and makes them give way to my * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.2 Neighbour's profit His bitter Enmity against my person which he hath sturdily concluded in a state of Damnation and so by consequence a Reprobate after his way of reasoning though blessed be God his Conclusion is not deduced from any premises save what his Passion and his Fancy have shapâ—d out to him I say his Enmâ—ty to my person did onely move me to forgive and to use him gently But when I beheld him a second time as the bitterest Adversary of Truth reviling the Fathers of the Church and the Church herself more than any Presbyterian I ever met with unless I except Mr. Hickman with whom I shall reckon in due time for his great uncleannesse I durst not * Gal. 1.10 seek to please men so as to cease to be the servant of Iesus Christ. And therefore however I have begun my ensuing papers with what was most pleasant for me to write yet have I suffer'd my self at last to adde such things in the Conclusion as I found Mr. Baxter had need to read For if after my having been very liberal I find my Client so much the worse the likeliest method to make him better is to become for the future but strictly just He is a different man in his book of Government and Worship and in the later part of his Key for Catholicks from what he was in his Discovery of the Grotian Religion for so it seems he was pleas'd to word it and that did make him the fitter for somewhat a different Entertainment †Grot. Rel. â—râ—f Sect. 3. It is not long since he made profession that if any should gather from his Discourse my being such my self as he affirmed Grotius to have been he protested against all such Accusations as no part of his intention but in his two last Volumes his mind is changed or else his Members have prevailed against his mind so far forth as to accuse me of downright Popery and of having a hand in the Grotian plot which if we may prudently believe him is to bring Popery into the Land and together with that a Persecution He takes it ill that I am suffer'd to have a * Key for Cath. p 385 386. Rectory here in England and thereupon bewrayes his judgment that I am fitter for the * Key for Cath. p 385 386. Strappado which whilst he saith that such as he cannot escape in my Church implying me to be one of the bloodiest Papists whether Spanish or Italian he doth not say he doth abundantly insinuate his kindnesse to me Had I a heart to return him Evil for Evil I might fitly proclaim him either a Iesuite or a Iew. For without question he is either as much as I am a Papist but I will not vie slanders with men of Toung nor try the strength of my Invention to beat an Enemy at his own weapon for this were onely to be at strife who should be the most impious No let the Rigid Presbyterian take such victories to himself without receiving the trouble of being contended with at all I may often times punish but never wrong him and when I punish the Malefactor I spare the Man * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agapeâ— Diac. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 83. Vengeance is a thing which I leave to God I being fully content with a Vindication 'T is true I prove him to be a †See Append. Sect. 5. Papist by fourteen Arguments but they are Arguments onely ad Hominem and professedly urged by a Prosopopoeia and onely in order to his Conviction that more may be said against him than he can say against Grotius and that his injuries to Grotius do onely prove his own hurts And having thus proved him to be a Papist I freely * Ibid p. 175. professe to believe him none I hope his Calumnies of Grotius and the Episcopal Divines will now obtaine the less credit with his most credulous Admirers for that he hath poured out the same and a great deal worse against a person of great remarke amongst the Counsellours of State * Compare The Vindication of Sir Henry Vane with Mr. Baxter's unchristian usage of him in his Key for Catholicks The Vani or Vanists for he is pleas'd to speak in both Dialects are made the burden of his invective in his Key for Catholicks In his Dedicatory Epistle which some have call'd his Court-Flattery he make's a grievous complaint against ten sorts of men of whom he declare's he is very jealous The third of these are the Vani whom God by wonders confounded in new England but have here prevailed far in the dark To explain his meaning in the Epistle he tell 's us †Key for Catâ— p. 330 331. plainly in the Book that the first sort of Iuglers or Hiders of their Religion under whom the Papists do now manage their principal design are the Vani whose Game was first plaid openly in America in New-England where God gave his Testimonies against them from heaven upon their two Prophetesses Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Dyer the later brought forth a Monster with the parts of Bird Beast Fish and Man The former brought forth many neer 30. Monstrous Births at once and was after slain by the Indians This providence he add's should have awakened the Parliament to a wise and godly jealousie of the Counsells and Designs of him that was in New-England the Master of the Game and to have carefully searched how much of his Doctrine and design were from heaven and how much of them he brought with him from Italy or at least
no more then Mr. Baxter himself who yet hâ—th been branded for a Papist as well as Grotius and by an eminent Presbyterian also that is by one of your own party I shall at once open a way to shew the Nullity of your reasons and the Necessity of your Repentance of which you have made me to live in hope My Reasons oâ— Argumeâ—ts are these that follow Arg. 1. In his Epistle to Laurentius Proved to be none by 19. Arguments Gâ—ot Animadv in Animadv Riveti p. 83. who had written against him as a Papist whilest yet he liv'd as you have done after his Death intitling his Book Grotius Papizans he doth exâ—resly disown the charge facile videbis noâ— Grotium Papizare sed Laurentiadem nimis Calvinizare Now when I find him expresly disowning Popery even after his Notes upon Cassander who certainly knew his own mind best and when I find you declaring that every man shall by you be taken for that which he professeth to be p. 23. and again that you would take men to be of the Religion which they professe p. 98. and that you will believe the profession of Gâ—otius p. 89. I know not how you can chuse but see your error But come we from writing to word of mouth Arg. 2. There lives a Person of great Honour and of great Romark for his Wisdom as well as for hiâ— great Learning and Moderation and the eminent imployments he hath been in who hath affirmed in my hearing and not in my hearing onely That being conversant with Grotius during his Embassy in France he took his time to ask Grotius why hâ— did not communicate with either party Gâ—otius made him this Answer That with the Papiâ—ts he could not because he was not of their mind with the Calvinists he could not not onely because of his Embassy from Swedeland where they were not Followers of Calvin bâ—t alsâ— because he was deterrâ—d by their pernicious Doctrins of God's Decrees To this he added That he would gladly communicate with the Church of England if his condition of Embassador would well permit expressing an ample * This part will be attested by a Reverend person of our Churâ—h Mr. Matthias Turner who was personally conversant with Gâ—otius some yeares in France and whose excellent skill In Greek and Hebrew did make him the fitter for such converse so will it also by a great Personage distinct from him in my Text. Approbation of our Doctrine and Discipline as also heartily wishing to live and dye in that Communion I do not name that Noble person who is the Author of this Relation because I have not yet ask'd his leave If you can must to my integrity I need not say more if not I can prove it by so unquestionable a witness as I am very confident you cannot but trust However you find it to be agreeable to what himself whilst he was living made known in print and you shall find it agreeable to that which followes For Arg. 3. Many are able to attest that 't was the last advice which he thoughâ— it his duty to give his wife that she would declare him to dye in that Communion in which he desired than she her self would still live This she manifested accordingly by coming on purpose to our Church at Sir Richard Brown's House the King of England's Resident them in France where from the hands of Mr. Croâ—deâ— she received the * Of this Sir Thomas Dâ—râ—l professeth himsâ—lf an Eye-witness and that her two daughters â—â—â—â—ived with her Sacrament of the Lord's Supper And this iâ—mediately after her Husband's Death as soon as Reasons of state did cease to hinder Arg. 4. This is agreeable with the reports which I and others have met with in the publick place of his conversation for divers years towards his last I took my pension in Paris neer Cleromont College in which Pâ—taâ—â—ius hâ—d then a being and all I could learn from â—y inquiry was truly this that all took Grotius for a person of imparallel'd abilities in every kind but yet extremely to be lamented as one who could not be brought into the bosom of the Church that is to say they could not perswade him to be a Papist And I was lately assured by Mr Castiglio a learned person and a religious and so a very true speaker that in a conference which he had with some Augustine Friers with whom he travelled he found that Groâ—ius was an heretick in their â—steem as much as any other Protestants who were not followers of Calvin And I am very much mistaken if that which Mr Knott hath cited from Grotius p. 167. against Mr Chillingworth is not purposely ciâ—ed as from one of our own sidâ— I have also been told by a worthy person ofâ— a message sent from Grotiâ—s to Doctor Cousâ—nâ— that he should die in the Faith of the Church of England But because I want the same evidence of this which I am sure I have of other things I do not urge it as any new Argument Arg. 5. But it is to meâ— another Argument and of very great moment that so judicious an Author as Doctoâ— Hammond Dr. Ham. Cont. of Def. of H. Grot. p. 25. in his Continuation of the Defence of Grotiuâ— did think he had gâ—ound sufficient to say what follows viz. That Grotiuâ— had alwayes a sigâ—al valâ—e and kindness for this ouâ— Englisâ— Church and Natioâ— expressing his opinion that of all Churches in the world it was the most careful observer and transcriber of Primitive antiquity and more then intimating his desire to end his dâ—â—yâ—s in the bosâ—mâ— and comâ—uniâ—â— of our Mâ—râ—eâ— Now because it is added by so credible a speaker as Doctor Hammond that * Ibid. of this he wants not store of witnesses who from time to time had heard it from his own moâ—â—h whil'st he was Ambassadour in France and even in his return to Sweden immediately before his death and because my witnesses befoâ—e mentioned are distinct from his who yet agree in the thing attested I have added his intelligence as a very good Argument to back mine own which having said I proceed to argue as I began from several testimonies of Grotius concerning himself Gâ—ot Aâ—nal l. 1. p. 8 9 10 11 12. Arg. 6. As in his Annals de rebus Belgicis he strictly censures the corruptions which by little and little the Popes had obtruded upon the Church and discovers the Need of Reformation into which Christendom had been brought by the power and prevalence of those corruptions so likewise in his Histories which I have reason to believe were some of the last things he perfected he clearly sides with our Englâ—sh Protestants against the pretentions of Religion which came from Rome Pâ—aemium addidit sceleri scelerum immunitatem etiam apud Deum atque alia id genus ludibria quae rudibus seculis haud invalida nunc tantùm in specâ—em dantur in speciem accipiuntur c.
Christ in the Eucharist speaking of the most moderate whom he ever concludes the most worthy Protestants And with them he demonstrates how the most moderate Papists may be agreed by a commodious explication of words and meanings on either fide Nor doth he say in that place that the Protestants Article should be conformed to the Papists but that This should be made to comply with That Si quiescant Scholasticae Disputationes quid est cur non verba Concilii Tridentini explicari commode possint c. aut etiam recipi illa formula quam ex Actis Possiacenis desumpsi quam omnes qui ibi â—â—m erant Protestantes excepto unâ— P. Mart. approbarunt Animadv p. 29 30. Nay he addes expresly that the whole Protestant Form should be received and accepted as he had taken it out of the Acts agreed upon at Poissy where excepting Peter Martyr not one dissented Arg. 10. After this when he speaks to the twenty-first Article he reckons himself with the Protestants by way of discrimination from all the Papists comprehending even the French as well as the Spanish and Italian If we should count them all Idolaters who live in Communion with the Romanists it would extremely hinder our wish'd-for union Videbam mulâ—um obstare concordiae si omnes eos qui in communione sunt Romana pro Idololatris haberâ—mus gnarus Idololatriam esse eminentissimum seculi crimen ib. p. 43 44. This he renders for the reason why he who laboured a Reconcilement which would have carried with it a Reformation was not in reason to accuse the whole Universe of Papists without exception of the greatest crime in the world making them odious to others as well as implacable in themselves and most of all with the Reconciler It being his office not to widen breaches but to contract them nor to imbitter but emolliate the minds of men especially of the great and prevailing party The words of Grotius have this rational importance I saw it would hinder out Reconcilement if we who are Protestants should repute for Idolaters even all that are of the Roman Church or Communion though too many of them indeed are such This appears by the word omnes coâ—pared with habeâ—emus and with the person's Religion to whom he speaks Arg. 11. In his Votum pro pace he professeth that even the moderate and most peaceable Romanists were of a different communion from that whereof he professeth himself to be Verti me ad eos legendos qui etsi fuere in Communione diversa animum tamen magis ad sananda quà m ad fovenda divortia appulere Vo. pro pace p. 9. * p. 7 8 9. He deploreth the superstition with other corruptions and abuses which he saw had invaded the Church of Rome He saith Cassander's Consultation was commended to him by †p. 10 Gâ—saubon a famous Protestant And that his labour thereupon was approved in France * ibid. by both the opposite parties He shews what †Prompta sunt in Galliis Hispaniisque Remedia quibus impediantur Papae â—e aut Regum aut Episcoporum jura invadant p. 12. Remedies there are to cure the Popes of their Disease to put Hooks in their Nostrills and in despight of their ambition to preserve the just Rights of Kings and Bishops Nay he acknowledgeth the * ibid. Right of the Kings of Britain about all Ecclesiastical both Things and Persons which for a Papist to have done would have implied a contradiction But any thing will be Popery with them that out-act their Master Calvin who †Et illam mutationem quae Buceri Consilio in Anglia erat instituta Papismi accusavit pag. 115. accused that change in the Church of England which was made by the advice of so known a Protestant as Bucer of no lesser a crime then downright Papisme which unreasonable censure of our Church whether hiâ— passion or his judgement extorted from him and whether it was not a contradiction to what he spake of her at other times I leave you to guesse by his large Epistle to the Protector and that you know was in the dayes of King Edward the sixth But if to accuse were sufficient it iâ— sufficient that Mr. Calvin was accused of Iudaisme by one by another of Turcisme by a third Redolens plane Calvini spiritum contumeliosum illú ac turbulentuÌ„ Animadv p. 81. Quum sciam quà m inique virulente tractaverat viros multo se meliores c. ibid. pag. 9. of Fratricide by almost all the Latherans of the Arian heresie and even by Grotius himself who hardly ever spake in passion or without a just ground of a coâ—tumelious and turbulent spirit and of virulently handling such men as were much his betters Aâ—g 12. In his Epistles to the French-men of either party he doth so frequently and so clearly discover himself to be a Protestant that out of them it were easie to write a volume in his defence To give you an instance in as few as I may and not in as many as I am able * Epist. 154 Iohanne Cordefio p. 378. Epist. 166. Eidem p. 408. He writes against the seven Sacraments I mean against the number of them and against four of that number so tenaciously retained by all Rome He speaks sâ—arply of the †Epist. 154. p. 377. Iesuits from his meer humanity to one of the best of which order you hastily conclude him to be a Papist p. 86. and would have theâ—r evil Arts set out to the life as an anonymous Iansenian hath lately done If his esteem of Petavius a lover of unity and moderation could make you think him a Papist you must also suppose him to be a Protestant for disesteeming many more of the very same Order especially when he reckons that he and they are of two Religions as indeed he doth in one Epistle Dubium est apud meos an apud Iesuitas magis vapulem c. Epist. 14. pag. 36 37. Hotm Villerio where he also calls the Pope the Patriarch of the West and shews what it is which he would have towards a peace even the spirit of Melanchâ—hon on the one side and of Cassander on the other and a mutual forbearance with one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in things which are not simply necessary Will not every good Protestant desire the same yet he went farther and accounted them of * Apud meos quidem quod illud apud ipfos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defendo posse in unaquaque Ecclesia ferri eos qui dissideant in rebus non plane necessariis â—bid his party who would not hear of any such thing Such was his moderation towards that sort of men who had none at all Arg. 13. I find that Grotius his desire of helping forward the peace of Christendom was the same in the former as in the later part of his life and so was his love to the Church of
moderation like an Episcopal Divine Ego Hieronymus Zanchiuâ— septuagenarius cum tota familia mea testatum hoc volo toti Ecclesiae Christi in omnem aeternitatem The same Zanchy did acknowledge in the seventieth year of his age that the Church of Rome was a true Church of Christ however defiled with innovations because she retained the fundamentals of Christianity See Zanchy's Preface to his * Edit Neostadii Palat. A.D. 1585. Confession and compare it with what he saith in the Confession it self Art 8. de Eccles. Milit. p. 149. and again with his p. 157. where he doth not scruple to use these words †Non ab Ecclesiâ Rom. simpliciter in omnibus defecimus sed in illis duntaxat rebus in quibus ipsa defecit ab Apostolicâ atque adâ—ò a seipsâ veteri purâ Ecclesiâ neque alio discessimus animo c. ut supra Zanch. ib. p. 157. We have not simply and in all things made a defection from the Church of Rome but in those things alone wherein she hath departed from the Church Apostolical and so by consequence from her ancient and purer self Nor have we left her even so but with an intention to return as soon as she shall return her self to that pitch of integrity from which she fell All which being considered either let Grotius have been a Protestant as well as Zanchy and Blondel or let them both have been Papists as well as Grotius No other Primacy to the Popedom did he allow but what †Farente Melanchthone Primatum secundum Canonas necessarium esse ad retinendam unitatem Discuss p. 255.256 Melanchthon thought necessary to conserve the unity of the Church Nor would he have all to joyn with Rome as Rome now stands which yet you confidently suggest p. 35. but upon friendly condescensions on either side implying * Vide inter alia compluscula Grot. Animadv in Animadv A. Riveti p. 35. Vot pro pa. 7 8 9. Discuss p. 160.161.18.20 etiam p. 71 72. Reformation in some particulars and mutual forbearance in many others You confesse that Bishop Bramhall allowes the Pope to have his old Patriarchal power and his Primacy of order and somewhat else p. 22. whom yet you take not to be a Papist p. 23. Nor can I see that Grotius allowes him more And as Principium unitatis or Concordiae coagulum you will certainly allow it as well as Grotius Arg. 16. If you compare one passage of his Discussio p. 256. with his Epistle to Cordesius p. 352. you will find him so steadfastly and pertinaciously a Protestant that the largest offers of a King could not make him any thing else You say the French moderation is acceptable to all good men you think that many such Papists are blessed souls now with Christ and you pronounce that Nation an honorable part of the Church of Christ p. 10. yet all the advantages in the world could never work upon Grotius to have communion even with them no not at that point of time when the Calvinists had deprived him of his liberty of his livelihood Gratias ago summas Regi quod in me etiam absentem beneficia sua depluere voluerit amicis quod meis commodis tam perseveranter invigilent Caeterum ego ex quo Gallias reliqui nullam cur tali beneficio utar probabilem causam video ideoque comiter excusari volo Epist. 143. ad Cordes p. 352. and in preparednesse of minde of his very life In the depth of his poverty immediately after his bonds and banishment and confiscation of goods he refused the great offers which daily courted him in France I pray observe in what words he confuted that calumny which Rivet was bold to cast upon him Si Grotius tanto viro invitante voluisset id promittere quod eum promisisse fingit D. Rivetus poterat ille per malos Calvinistas exutus patriâ exutus bonis ampla illa honorum commodorum promissa adipisci quae à Rege Galliae nunquam aut habuit aut speravit neque illi opus fuisset exire Galliâ rebus alterius regni operam suam addicere Et nunc quoque cum omnia adferat ad pacem Ecclesia restituendam quae potest nihil illi dat Gallia si dare velit nihil iâ—le accipiat Discuss p. 256. Here you see the great reason why he went out of France when courted in it and why he chofe to serve a poorer because a Protestant State As he never had been brought to accept of any thing from France so you see he resolved he never would Arg. 17. That Grotius did never once communicate with any part of the Church of Rome Discuss p. 59 60 61. is a manifest sign he was never of them and he gives such reasons for his own abstinence from all communion in France with either Papists or Presbyterians as could not possibly be prâ—tended by any Romanist whatsoever and so they prove him by consequence to have been none for whose excuse or defence they were pretended Arg. 18. Whilest you say he turn'd Papist you cleerly grant him to have been Protestant it lies upon you then to prove that he renounced the one in exchange for the other and you must shew both when and where he did it For whosoever turns Papist is ever bound by them to whom he turns to make an abrenunciation of all other Churches upon which he is solemnly reconciled and received into the bosom of that at Rome of which you have the Queen Christina and the late Minister of Montanbaâ— exhibited as examples in the Weekly Newes-book Had Grotius been such a Convert in their language or such an Apostate in ours the Church of Rome had been proudeâ— of it then of a thousand such Queens as now I mentioned and their Gazetts had told us of it with great ambition But in the whole that you have said in a matter of Fact too you have not pretended any such thing how unadvisedly soever you have impli'd it Arg. 19. Notwithstanding all that I have urged to prove that Grotius was no Papist I shall adde one Argument from the signal manner of his Death which will also be much confirmed from the place and manner of his burial they are both attested by Doctor Quistorp a Lutheran Divine and so no Papist at the earnest entreaty of an eminent person as known a Protestant as Quistorp and they are published by both to embalm the memory of that Phoenix of learned men as learned Quistorp doth fitly call him Had Grotius been a Papist uâ—on his death-bed he would not have admitted much less have sent for a Protestant Minister to assist him in his last and greatest triall Nor would the chief Pastor of Rostock the publick Professor of Divinity have given his Narrative to the World with so much Eulogie as he hath done much lesse would he have buried him in the most honorable place of the chiefest Temple nor
Protestants a note of reproch to those that will not be reconciled to the Pope you do not onely beg the Question and speak without an offer of reason for it but as contrary to truth as if you had affected its opposition For I have made it appear that he did honour the name of Protestant and reckoned himself with the Reformed But he noted with a black coal those rebellious Schismaticks in the Protestant Churches if yet I may so speak without implying a contradiction for they cease to be of our Church by their separating themselves from our Communion who usurp'd the title of the Reformed and help'd to justifie the Papists in all their clamours by still pretending to be Râ—formers of our most excellent Reformation I can prove by your own Logick that you your self are a reviler of the Protestant name by throwing such Cart-loads of dirt upon the Regular Sons of the Church of England who will ever be esteemed do what you can the most judiciously-reformed of all the Protestants in the World Again you dishonour the Proâ—estant name by calling the irreâ—onciliaâ—iles the holiest men and by pleading so much for Puritanes as the godliest part of the Protestants who call a Rebellion a Reformation and stick the term of Christian purity on the most palpable hypocrisie to be imagined For these alone are the Puritanes whom both Grotius and Bisâ—op Andrews Bishop Hall and Doctor Sanderson and indeed the most renowned of all the Protestants in the World have taught us to know and to avoid under that very name And therefore let me intreat you to be so just for the future even to those whom you are pleased to single out for your Adversaries as to suffer their own words to be the interpreters of their own meaning Sect. 14. The next reason of your dislike p. 16. is but an uncharitable Assertion without so much as pretending to any proof that Grotius his way was uncharitable His way is not uncharitable and a trap to ingage the souls of millions in the same But they that read and understand him do know the contrary that Peace and Loyalty and Obedience and mutual Love were all the traps wherein Grotius would very fain have engaged the souls of men You think not so ill of his design as your Fathers and Superiours do think of yours yet iâ— it lay in your power you would engage the souls of millions in it And if you may be so zealous in your contrivance much more may Grotius be allow'd to have been in his you having confessed you are not worthy to be so much as nam'd with him and that a small measure of humility may make you serious in your profession p. 4. And if you fall so very short both of his learning and of his judgment take my word you fall shorter of his integrity of life if you will but allow me to take your own And I shall cite your own words in their proper place Sect. 15. As your fourth reason so called was the same in substance with your third It doâ—h not tend to persâ—cution so now your fifth if not your sixth is the same in substance with the two former As affirming a tendency in the design of Grotius to engage the Princes of Christâ—ndom in a persecution of their subjects that cannot coâ—ply with these unwarrantable terms p. 17. In this you say no more of Grotius then any man living may say of you or indeed of any man living But as you nakedly say it with a great deal of confidence in stead of reason so is it known to all the World to whom the meekness of Grotius is not utterly unknown that he was as far from such â— project as he was from being a Prâ—sbyterian If to hinder subjects from treading all under their feet as well their Soveraigns as fellow subjects must passe with you for a persecution then was Grotius as guilty as you expresse him for he indeed exhorted Prinâ—es to beware of those Ministers who taught the people to be rebellious and to call it by the fine title of setting Christ upon his Throne He would not have Sacrilege and Murder and all manner of Rapine to be freely exercised and used as the proper means of Reformation He could not indure that the filthiest fruits of the flesh should be ascribed to the suggestions of Gods good Spirit And if men are grown to such a pitch of impiety as not to be satisfied with less then with a liberty of Conscience to cut mens throats they ought not to call it a persecution to be happily bound to some good behaviour What you adde of the attempts of pride when men have such high thoughts of their own imaginations and devices that they think the Churches wounds can be healed by no other plaister but by this of their compounding p. 17 18. is so unduly appli'd to Grotius that it hath many reflexions upon your self for you know you have been a great promissor in your dayes You mislike the Plaister proposed by Grotius and that of some late Episcopal Divines which yet you prefer before that of Grotius p. 21. you mislike the â—lâ—ister of Bisâ—op Bramhal p. 22 25. and indeed what is there which in other men you do not publickly dislike But you like your own Plaister as abundantly sufficient to heal the wounds of the Church at least as better then other mens It appears by what I have cited from you in the twelfth Section of this Chapter and by what you said in your Preface to your book of Sacraments Iam. 3.5 and by what you now say in your Grotian Religion p. 29. that though the Tongue is a little member yet it boasteth great things It doth not engage in a way of sin Sect. 16. You say the sixth reason of your dislike of Grotius his Pacification and all such as his is because it engageth the Church of Christ in a way of sin both in false Doctrine Discipline and Worship p. 18. still a confident affirmer of what your interest or your passion suggesteth to you without the appearance of any ground excepting your absolute Decree to reprobate Grotius and his Design But 't is enough that I deny what you think it enough but to affirm and do know that Grotius his Pacification was as much superiour unto your own in all imaginable respects as you and your Writings are confessedly inferiour to him and his A little while since you were professing that you distaste not Grotius his Pacificatory designs and that if you could find such a heart within you you would cast it in the dust and condemn it to shame and sorrow and recantation p. 18. yet now you say in plain terms that you dislike his pacification p. 18. nay you vehemently dislike it as appears by the enormities with which you charge it It was the Motto of King Iames who had it out of Christ's School Beati pacifici Blessed are the Peace-makers And therefore
can find the least ground or occasion for them Had Grotius really been a Papist how many Protestants had we lost by the powerful attractive of his example Nay if Mr. Crandon and others durst call you Papist and one of the worst sort of Papists even before you contended for Grotius his turning from us to Rome how much more will they call you such if you shall possibly persist as you have begun to do the Papists so great a service I do assure you for my selâ— that if it lay in my power to prove an Apostasie of Grotius from us to Rome although the Pope should reward it with a Cardinal's Cap I would not yield the Church of Rome so great advantage so great is my love to the Church of England I know it is not your meaning to serve and gratifie the Romanists because you speak as ill of Grotius as if he were not worth having You say he was * Christ. Conc. p. 45. exasperated by his imprisonment c. That he was too much †Grot. Relig. Praef. Sect. 5. guilty of uncharitable censures That he was a * Ibid. Sect. 2. Dissembler if not a Papist a p. 11. That he dropt into a deplorable Schism b p. 15 16. That his way is uncharitable and censorious woundeth under pretense of healing in the name of a Peace-maker he divideth and cuts off the holiest parts of the Church on earth c p. 16. That his Design is a Trap to tempt and engage the souls of millions into the same uncharitable censorious and reprochful way d p. 17. That it tendeth to engage the Princes of Christendom in a persecution of their subjects that cannot comply with uncharitable terms e p. 17 1â— That this is the unhappy issue of the attempts of pride when they have such high thoughts of their own devices and depart from the word of God and the simplicity of the Faith p. 18. That his Design engageth the Church of Christ in a way of sin both in false Doctrine Discipline and Worship g p. 73. You imply that he calumniated the Patriarch Cyril You say of him expresly h p. 78. That the injustice and partiality shews the meaning of the man i p. 83. That his Design was Schismatiâ—al Partial and Cruel k p. 90. That you dare boldly say he was an unjust man c. putting a more odious vizor on the face of the Calvinists Doctrines of Faith Iustification c. then beseemeth any judicious man that understood the state of the Controversies or the strength of an Argument and had any Christian charity left l p. 91. You reproch him further with falshood and abomination of inhumane caâ—umnies wiâ—h too high an esteem of his espoused conceits and too odious thoughts of the contrary way m p. 92. with noise and bitter accusation poured out against the Reformed Churches with censures running upon meer mistake and odiously aggravating the opinions that deserve it not and that were far neerer his own then he imagined n p. 92 93 with bitter censures reproches clamours and a factions uncharitable way of pacification Again you say o p. 93. he is guilty of his own mistakes upon which he changed his Church and Religion Thus you speak of that holy and learned man in such a strange and amazing strain that Mr. Hickman himself could hardly have used a greater virulence And yet you pretend great honour to him yea a debt of * p. 4. Gratitude which you owe him for the great benefit of his works †p. 5. Yea that if you might be partial for any man it were very likely to be for Grotius Leaving your readers to imagine how vile a creature that man must be of whom his very partial and obliged and thankful Client or Disciple was forced to publish such ugly things And as if this were not sufficient you say you ever stopt your ears against the accusation of the blemishes commonly reported of his life in some points and suspended your censures of him p. 5. By which unchristian Paralipsis you leave your Readers to imagine that he was a very scandalous ungodly liver which is accounted by some the very worst way of slandering where notoreity of Fact doth not excuse it I therefore shall antidote your Readers if they are mine with this short Declaration That by all I have been able to learn of Grotius either from other mens writings or from his own or from those excellent persons who had many years enjoyed a friendship with him I cannot but value his godly life by many degrees above his learning You have done your self a shrewder turn then I could possibly have wish'd you by writing so bitterly of so good c so great a Christian. And though I hope you will acâ—nowledge that I oppose you in his defence without distemper yet do I heartily wish you had not writ against him that so I might not have been obliged thus to write against you That Grotius may be defended you will not deny having defended him * Append. to Aphor. p. 138. to p. 145. your self against the attempts of a modern Doctor And as you have defended him in one case I have but defended him in another CHAP. II. An acknowledgmâ—nt of charity Sect. 1. YOu very readily acknowledge my brotherly and moderate dealing with your self and you say you must acknowledge my gentleness and charity Sect. 4. I am glad my charity gentleness and moderation were so conspicuous in my Writings that you could not but see them and so undeniable that you could not but acknowledge them to all the World even at that very time too when you made it apparent how willing you were to find faults For you accuse me in the same breath of wanting charity to others and of making my learning subservient to partial interest or passion But you name not where or when or wherein or towards whom I had shew'd such passion or partiality which had you been able to have done I am forbid to believe you would have spar'd me If I was partial to you Sir by being more brotherly more moderate more charitable and gentle then you seem to your self to have deserved you ought in all reason to have * 2 Cor. 12.13 forgiven me this wrong Had others deserved no worse of me then your self had then done my gentle dealing with others had been as signal And had you been eitheâ— as slanderous or as blasphemous as others were the exâ—reâ—sions of my dislike had been as freely distributed unto your self as to any others with whom I dealt I must not be unwilling to â—lear mine own innocence as to the calumnies câ—st uâ—on me much less to clear God from the evil reporâ—s brought up against him for fear the friendâ— of the malefactors should accuse me as you have done of partial interest and passion Sect. 2. Nor did you onely say this
were more in words then matter then how much hath that party to answer for by opposing my notes with so much violence You farther adde and desire my pardon for the addition That I do not well understand the true state of the Controversie or else I would not take the breach to be wider then it is Sect. 5. Sect. 7. Who best understands it you or I neither you nor I must be the Iudge I pray let our Readers enjoy that Office You scrupled not to tell that learned person whom you so far honour as to profess you should have thought it an honour to you to have been one of his Pupills of saving Faith p. 5. I say you scruple not to tell him that you would have him understand you before he confutes you p. 83. Nor do I expect you should use me better Nay you charge even Grotius with the same mistakes and misunderstandings p. 90 91 92. But what Controversie do you mean if that which I have managed with several persons who had opposed me my very Opponents will say I understood it Nor do I think that you have read the whole state of the Controversie 'twixt me and them If you sâ—eak of the Controversie 'twixt me and you in these points you know that there never was any such I have shew'd sometimes how you and I are at agreement in many points which they call Arminian And you confess that most of them are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that if this is the thing which you call a Controversie I cannot chuse but understand the state of it whilest I am able to believe that your words have truth in them and so by a consequence unavoidable that either you are an Arminian or I am none You see 't was fitly done of you to ask my pardon Of heads of Controversie reconcileable and I think it as fit for me to grant it Sect. 8. One of the first heads of Controversie about which you suppose all quarrels will be laid aside Sect. 5. is no less then the whole Supralapsarian Doctrine of Pre-destination Reprobation and so the Twissian by consequence which so vehemently condemns the Synod at Dort besides the Doctrine of Christ's dying onely for the elect together with Physical Predetermination which contains the irresistibility of Grace A second is all matters unrevealed Part of the third about Methods as whether Prescience be before Decrees c. All which it seems are so far yielded by your self that you suppose I will consent they never be drawn into dispute which you have not any the least reason to suppose unless you readily grant what I assert in these points For if we differ how can we possibly agree as to the things about which we differ and if we agree in these points let us go lovingly together against the rigid Presbyterians who will not partake of our agreement Accordingly you profess Sect. 8. to wish no more in this Controversie then may consist with rational prayers and thanksgivings for Grace in which you have my full grant Nay in a very plain manner you grant what we call sufficient Grace in the very sense in which we mean it to the very worst of them that perish Sect. 8. And then excepting your Doctrine that whosoever is once justified can never totally fall away which I wonder how you can retain what difference remains 'twixt you and me nay even here too you yield me one great advantage For besides that you often seem to waver in your notion of perseverance and pretend to no more then a probability your Confession stands upon * Account of the controv of Persev c. in setting down the fourth opinion p. 4.5 Record That S. Austin was of my mind and that the Lord Primate said as much in the hearing of Master Kendall Nor am I out of all hope but that in tract of time you will come over to S. Austin and so to me in this point also Grotius made not uncharitable inferenâ—es Sect. 9. What you say is not owned by the Synod of Dort Sect. 5. I forbear to exagitate as well and easily I might both because Tilenus is only concerned in that subject and because I should be glad to find it so as you say and not to dispute against that which I would fain have true All your Sections which next ensue from Sect. 6. to Sect. 18. are the sole portion of Tilenus whom though you call my friend and seem to suspect him to be my self yet you know you do not know that he is so much as known to me The odious inferences you charge on Grotius and his uncharitable censures thereupon of which you affirm him to be too much guilty having been onely rais'd in your fancy do onely redound to your dishonour Grotius did not make loads of inferences but observe and transcribe them from the printed writings of the Calvinians by whom the inferences were made And so the want of charity must lie at your door you having unjustly censured Grotius who with very great justice had censured them I am exactly of your opinion that we differ little if at all in the point of Free-will Sect. 5. For if I discern any difference I do conceive it to be in this that some of your expressions concerning the freedom of the will have look'd more like Pelagian then mine have done But of this I accuse you not for nothing can be Pelagian that looks but like it CHAP. III. Sect. 1. NO sooner are you return'd from Tilenus unto my self A strange difference between the Godly and the notoriously ungodly then you implicitly tax me of injustice in three respects Sect. 18. How swift you are to speak hardly and to be guilty whilest you reprove even of that which you reprove I think I may make your self the judge if you will but read when you are cool what you seem to have written when too much heated For how could I fail in point of justice by not noting some difference between the men that are godly and not notoriously ungodly when you know your own words did contain this difference as I had faithfully and friendly set them down out of your book since your Book lies printed I and thousands besides can declare what you have written as well as you which makes me wonder not a little at the very strange nature of your put-off For under the first of the two heads to wit the godly * See your words by me cited in The Self-Revenger Exemp ch 4. Sect. 3. p. 115. and compare them with your pages which there are marked you reckon up such as have been oftentimes drunk such as rashly rail and lie despise reproof and defend their sin guilty of Schism and disobedience to their Guides and doing much to the hurt of the Church yea they that commit greater sins then these the denial of Christ Perjury Adultery Murder Incest Idolatry as Peter Lot David *
Remember what you call the opinion of most of your Divines p. 326. and how you excuse Solomon for his Idolatry p. 317. in contradiction to the Text and to your self p. 328. Solomon are affirm'd by you to be in the number of the godly For besides that you give them the stile of godly more then once you further add that to be notoriously ungodly or unsanctified which is the second head a man must be worse then all these Do but mark your own words A man must be guilty of more sin then Peter was in denying and for swearing Christ that is notoriously ungodly Observe I pray Sir you say not of as much but of more sin then Peter was guilty of c. Nor onely of as much but of more sin then Lot whose sins you reckon up thus He was drunk two nights together and committed Incest twice with his own daughters and that after the miraculous destruction of Sodom of his own wife and his own miraculous deliverance Nor do you say he must be as great but a greater sinner then Solomon was with his seven hundred wives and his three hundred Concubines and gross Idoluâ—ries when his heart was turn'd away from the Lord God of Israel which appeared unto him twice and commanded him not to go after other gods but he kept not that which the Lord commanded Now compare what you say of your godly men with what you say of the notoriously ungodly and how wicked you say a man must be to be such not onely as great but a greater sinner then all these remembring also what filthy Uses some men may make of such Doctrine and judge what wrong you have done your self by doing so great a wrong to me who had done you none Sect. 2. I must expostulate again about your second Accusation of my injustice Sect. 18. for first did you not say The excessive dâ—nger of making the greatest sinners to dream themselves into a Saintship in the place by me cited that a man who is notoriously ungodly i. e. unsanctified must be a greater sinner then Solomon was c. Secondly Where did you adde that 't is the common opinion as that doth signifie not your own you are not singular in all you think the opinion may be common and the more likely to be yours nor do I doubt but that it is if I thought it were not you should hear more from me then now you shall Thirdly What if you desired all men to take heed c. that is no more then to dig a pit and then to bid men beware that they fall not in But how can you or I be sure that they who believâ— what you have taught to wit that such sins cannot unsanctifie or put them into a state of damnation or make them cease to be Godly will abstain from such sins when strongly tempted O Sir take heed that you scandalize not your weak or your wilful brethren that you strengthen not the hands of evil-doers rather then so it were better that you were cast into the Sea Mat. 18.6 Fourthly This Caution was peculiar to Solomon not to any of those sinners you nam'd besides Fifthly Your supposing the sin of David with an Et caetera which must regularly include the sins of Lot and Solomon the Railing Professor the Rebel and the Schismatick and all the rest which you reckon up in your ample Catalogue to have been extremely different from the like in a graceless man will prove a sad principle of all security in sinning to one who doubts not but that himself is a gracious man For he poor wretch will be sure to hope that his Drunkenness is like Noah's his Incest like Lot's his Adultery and his Murder of all the world like David's and not at all like the sins of the graceless man Suppose a man shall be convinced of having been many times drunk besides a Railer a Liar a Rebel and a Schismatick may he not plead for all that he is a sanctisied man and in the number of the godly and cannot possibly miscarry when once he hath been sanctified as he takes it for granted that he hath been Nay may he not fiercely stand to it and cite the words of Mr. Baxter in his justification and what are the words of Mr. Baxter but these that follow * Disput. 3. p. 329. c. He that hath oftentimes been drunk may yet have true Grace and be in the number of the godly How many Professors will rail and lie in their passion how few will take well a reproof but rather defend their sin How many in THESE TIMES that we doubt not to be Godly have been guilty of disobedience to their Guides and of Schism and doing much to the hurt of the Church If the horrid nature of these sins be pressed home to such a Wretch he may presently flie out into a greater indignation and urge in the words of Mr. Baxter again * Grotian Relig. Praef. Sect. 18. towards the end That his Drunkenness Perjury Railing Lying Rebellion Schism and persecution of the Church are * Grotian Relig. Praef. Sect. 18. towards the end exceedingly different from the like facts in a gracelesse man in regard of manner ends concomitants c. The danger exemplified in a Presbyterian woman Sir I cannot but tell you on this occasion that I have laboured for four if not five howers together and there is witnesse of what I say to make a woman in this County not many miles from this place asham'd and sorry for her adultery which she took an occasion to profess unto me she had committed naming the person with whom and many circumstances with which and that in the presence of others also who together with my self were much amaz'd at her confidence we having never seen her face before She did not believe that the sin had done her any hurt or any whit lessen'd her in the favour of God She acknowledged that Adultery was a damnable sin in the Graceless but not in her who had Grace And as she was indeed the most fluent Disputant from Scripture that I have ever met with of either sex she seeming to have had the whole Bible in her memory so many chapters and verses came so readily into her mouth She urged David and Solomon as you have done with as many more as would make you wonder in her excuse She told me how she had been grounded in the opinion she was of by the Ministers of the Lecture which she frequented naming one in particular of great authority and eminence in that side of the County whom I shall not name unless need require as being more careful of his credit then his followers have been She alledged the great difference between the sins of the regenerate and unregenerate She said she had learn'd from the Pulpit of that noted man before hinted that the sins of the regenerate were ever committed with a reluctancy and trouble
afraid of it which no doubt but common Grace may bring them to * Ibid. p. 44. and thereforâ— are under a prudent impatiency till saving Grace come in and the Spirit have sealed them up to the day of Redempâ—ion and are crying out what shall we do to be saved In a word it seems you take common and special Grace to be so like unto each other that you profess †Ibid. p. 49. to fear very much lest many learned civil orthodox men do take common Grace to be special and so delude their own soules in the trial of themselves You farther adde * Ibid. p. 49. That there are many common gifts in man which are no more loseable then saving Grace You adde in the same Treatise by way of Postscript to the Reader †Ibid. p. 91. That an unsanctified man may love the true God and believe in Iesus Christ the Redeemer And again * Ibid. p. 94. that by common Grace men may have true Faith and Love And again †Ibid. p. 96. That we know not in our change just when common Grace left and special grace began where I am glad to find you condemning the practice of the triers Again you lay down this Proposition * Ibid. p. 92. That one and the same man may have two contrary ultimate ends of his particular actions Look forwards on the twelfth Section of this Chapt. even the pleasing of God and the pleasing of his flesh In your first reason you say That the very same heart may be partly sanctified and partly unsanctified You say in your second That a godly man when he is drawn to eat or drink too much doth it not onely as a mistaken means to Gods glory but ultimately to please his flesh Peter and David are your examples and of them you thus speak Peter did not only mischoose a means to Gods glory when he denied his Master Either David in adultery did desire flesh pleasing for it self or for some other end if for it self then it was his ultimate end in that Act if for somewhat else as his end for what no one will say his end was Gods glory And there is nothing else to be it Having premised these things for several uses which I foresee I now return to the particulars of your nineteenth Section which lies before me Of men twice sanctified Sect. 7. You do not find in Scripture that they or any others were twice regenerate or sanctified Sect. 19. But taking Repentance for a Regeneration you find in Scripture what you say you find not to wit that some have twice repented that is they have risen by Gods grace to undertake his service and have fallen after that and by the Grace of God they have risen again so saith the Article of our Church After we have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from Grace given and fall into sin and by the Grace of God we may rise again and amend our lives Artic. 16. Nor will any deny this except the Montanists and the Novatians and the Family of Love the Catharists and the Iovinians and such as are of their kindred I wish that no such heresie were still alive But I think I may say of the Novatians that though they would not yield place of absolution in the Church for such as had fallen after Baptism into any deadly or wilful sin yet for Repentance with God they willingly yielded them a place And I am sure the Church Catholick hath alwayes held both Concerning the importance of Heb 6. 10. Sect. 8. You tell me what two passages Heb. 6. 10. do seem to import Sect. 19. Wherein you did well to say they seem'd so for you do more then seem not at all to understand those famous passages of Scripture It is not absolute impossibility but an extreme great dâ—fficulty which there is meant nor is it any lesse fall then into wilful Apostacy from the profession of Christianity which is there spoken of To shew you the greatness of your mistake I cannot take a more short or effectual course then by referring you to the Notes of the learned and Reverend Doctor Hammond on either place more particularly on Heb. 6.4 Heb. 10.26 And since those places do not serve for your turn you need not be told how exceedingly much they make against it You say that David by Gods own Testimony was one of those hearers in our Saviours parable who like the good ground that gives deep rooting to the seed do not fall away in trial Sect. 19. Sect. 9. Whatever David was before his Adultery and his Murder Gods testimony of David twofold each to be compared with the Rule Ezek. 18.24 c. or whatever he was from after the time of his repentance he was not good by God's testimony in the whole matter of Uriah or in any part of it For that is * 1 King 15.5 excepted by God in Scripture and you cannot but know that this is the David of whom we speak so that before you were aware if not on purpose you have made a Transition ab Hypothesi ad Thesin It is true that God hath given a good testimony of David in the place I cited and with the exception of which I spake But this was also God's testimony concerning David †2 Sam. 12.9 That he had despised the commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight That he had killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and not onely so but that he had killed him also with the sword of the prophane children of Ammon nor onely so but that he had taken his wife from him to be his own wife With this particular testimony you may do well to compare God's general rule * Ezek. 18.24 26. That when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iâ—iquity all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned In so much that David must be confessed notwithstanding the Parable of the good ground to have fallen away in time of triall My way of arguing is ab actu ad potentiam which you know is uncontroulable David fell therefore he might fall And against matter of Fact your way of disputing is most unhappy But no Scripture tells us say you that David was void of charity though as to the degree and act and sense it was decayed and so far David beggs for a recovery Sect. 19. Sect. 10. If no Scripture had so told us How far charity was decayed in David and how hard it is to murder wilfully in love your negative Argument would be of no force But Scripture tells enough as I lately shew'd you when God excepted his dealings with Uriah that exception was as much Scripture as any other passage which you can name The Scripture tells how he continued in his wickedness without repentance untill the message of Nathan which was neer a whole year if
of many scandalous sins such as you may see a good account of both in my * See in particular Introduct p. 7 8 9 10 11. and the places there referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †See Ch. 3. p. 73.77 to p. 83. I did carefully distinguish betwixt the Rigid and Moderate Presbyterians I condemn'd the former out of their Writings but the later I * At the end of my premonition to my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declared to be of their number whom I do very unfeignedly both love and honour which I have also made apparent by my inviolable friendship with divers of theâ— in a word I did timely preadmonish my Readers and your self as one of them That my words cannot reach â—nto all Presbyterians indiscriminately but to such and such onely of whom the Authors by me cited are found to speak That what I say from the History of Master Knox I mean of those whom Master Knox himself meant who was a Chieftain of the Party That when I name Paraeus Buchanan Hacket and the like it is plain I mean them If when no body is named any one or more persons shall name themselves as one in the World hath very publickly done and apply my words to their particulars which I had left onely in common to be seized on by none but the proper owners they will be in that case their own Accusers And now that you see how I am innocent The accuser is the most criminal observe how ill you were qualified for my Accuser For if you reckon amongst your brethren the regular sons of the Church of England you have condemned them more then any man I ever heard of and reviled them even for that for which their Reward will be great in heaven Mat. 5.12 Luk. 6.23 To repeat your bitterness not onely to your Brethren but to your right Reverend Fathers and Superiours Heb. 13.17 who are over you in the Lord were to write a large volume in this one Paragraph It shall suffice me to put you in mind what wants of charity you have shew'd in your Reformed Pastor in your Christian Concord and not to rake into all your books in your Grotian Religion from p. 109. unto the end what your charity was to Grotius hath been shewn already and what to me will be seen anon If you mean by your Brethren the several Sectaries of the times you have condemned them all as they have all condemned you the Presbyterians not excepted Of very many instances I shall detain you but with a few You have condemned Master Colyer Append. to Apâ—or p. 99. Sprigs and Hobson for abominable Pamplets And all the approvers of the Marrow of Modern Divinity You have highly condemned both Doctor Twiss and Master Pemble as hath been shew'd †Ibid. p. 163 164. Nay many of your Divines are condemned by you for fighting against Iesuites and Arminians with the Antinomian weapons and for running thereby into the WORSE EXTREME Having called Maccovius an excellent Doctor you yet profess to be ashamed to confute so * Ibid. 147. senseless an Assertion as his is After Master Tombes had condemned you for a Railer †See your history of the Conception and Nativity of your book intitled Plain Scripture Proof c. you did condemn him also of stark brazen-faced and unconscionable dealing grosser then you had found in any Iesuiteâ— * Ibid. p. 174. Edit 1. p. 175. of playing the Devils part yea worse yea very far worse in several respects then if it were the Devil that did it †Ib. p. 202 203. of covetousness liberty in sinning and many more things then I have leisure to repeat You have condemned your own men whom you call the Godly * Disp. 3. of Sacram. p. 330. for disobedience to their guides in these times for Schism and for doing much hurt to the Church Nay you have publickly condemned your own long-Parliament and your whole Assembly of Divines for the iniquities of their (a) See Edit 3. of your plaâ—â— Script proof c. p. 120 121 122 123. and Append. to Aphor. p. 107. Solemn League and Covenant and of their Directory of their too great enmity to Episcopacy of their (b) Grot. Relig. p. 111 112. cruelty and injustice to Episcopal men of their (c) Plain Scrip. proof p. 120.122 discarding the practice of Confirmation and of their contentions for Presbyterie which you declare against as (d) Ibid. 227.228 unscriptural in a great part of it which as I have in part made bare already so I shall do it more largely in due time and place Lastly speaking of your Antagonists who were especially Presbyterians (e) Disp. 5. of Sacr. p. 516. You marvel what 's the matter that the Wasps of the Nation are gathered about your ears Sir You see my fair dealing in laying no more to your charge then I have cited your Writings for and I have done it so much the rather because you have charged me in general without producing the least proof which was so unhansom a dealing with me that I have shew'd you by my example how you ought to have dealt with your very enemies of whom you confessed that I was none Yet mark how you proceed You little suspect that the uncharitable passages in this very learned book of yours are as probable a symptome of the absence of charity as the sin of David or Peter was Sect. 20. Sect. 3. Thus again you affirm Wants of charity examin'd found to be in the Aâ—cuser without the least shew of proof that there is any want of charity in any one the least passage throughout that book unless you can think it a want of charity to others that I had some for my self in confuting some calumnies then cast upon me And I can now evince mine innocence as to that whereof I was accused from the very handwritings of my Accusers But having received some satisfaction and a little of that will serve my turn when I am wronged I will not causelessely revive what I have long since buried with my forgiveness So little do you oblige me by calling my book very learned whilest you also call it very uncharitable that as soon as you have upbraided my wants of charity you do immediately compell me to tax your own For you shut up your Section with these incomparable expressions If I must needs chuse one of the two I had ☜ rather die in the state of David before Nathan spake to him which was a state of Impenitence added to Murder and Adultery then of Mr. Pierce who hath committed no such sin c. Sect. 20. Sect. 4. Twice I have told you of this already but very briefly and till you seriously repent you cannot be told of it too often Yet will I not grieve you with repetition but onely adde those things which may probably convince
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called them the unruly and phanatick spirits among the Ministeâ—y as bad as Highland or Border Thieves for Ingratitude Lies and vile Perjuries When you say he meant not all Presbyterians you do infer he meant some and more then some I never meant nâ—y I often professed I meant not all But which and how many Presbyterians were understood by King Iames you may collect by two Books already printed my Divine Purity defended chap. 2. p. 8.9 and my Self-Revenger Exempl chap. 3. p. 71. to p. 84. of which your Grotian Religion doth take no notice The truth is the word Puritaâ—e waâ— brought hither out of Scoâ—land I think I am not mistaken though if I am it s no great matter and so King Iames was the fittest definer of them though their name was in the World before his time viz. Anno Dom. 1564. So that after it was evident I spake of such what needed the muster of so many other notions yet to give you satisfaction I shall speak to each of them You say With a Papist a Puritane was a zealous Protestant c. Sect. 23. Sect. 7. If that doth signifie a firm Wâ—at Puritane signifies with the Papists or a constant Protestant who building upon rational and truly Catholick grounds is not onely no Papist but never can be then the notion of Puritane belongs to no other Protestants then those you commonly call Prelatists and Episcopal men But if by zeal is meant violence ignorance noise and virulence or calling the Pope the Whore of Babylon then it belongs to those men who declaim against Bishoâ—s as Antichristian and against a publick Form of Prayer as a stump of Dagon And so the soberest of the Papists do call them Puritanes who are enemies to Protestants as well as Papists You know who they are that are thus intitled to the word and for those of King Iames I have accompted to you already You say With some Protestants a Puritane is one of the old Catharists that thinks a man may be perfect without sin in this life as Grotius and the Papists do c. Sect. 23. Sect. 8. But could you not tell us what Protestant hath used the word as you say A mistake of the old Catharists who yet were Puritanes before the woâ—d was fitted to the thing or could you not tell in what writings either Grotius or the Papists have hâ—ld such Doctrine as that a man in this life may be without sin you often lay too great a weight upon your private fancy or bare assertion perhaps indeed some of the Papists may have said of the ever blessed Virgin that she was free from all sin in this present woâ—ld but she was a woman and therefore cannot be the man you are pleas'd to speak of Nay are you sure the old Catharists did ever teach any such thing I doubt you are not Bishop Andrews call'd the Catharists Puriâ—aneâ— inferring the Puritanes to be a new sort of Catharists but foâ— quite other reasons then you here fancy as I shall shew you at large in my following Sections The Scripture notion of the word Perfect you must acknowledge doth belong to divers men in this life it being ascribed both to Zachary and to Elizabeth his wife But such perfection is one thing and sinlesness is another Grotius groundlâ—sly calumâ—iated afrâ—sh Your bidding me take heed least by vindicating Grotius I make folks believe I am a Puritane my self ibid. is a most groundless intimation that all the vindicaters of Grotius do make themselves or some others to be without sin which what a calumny it is I need not tell you At first you bid me take heed lest by vindicating Grotius I be suspected to be a Papist if now a Puritane too my case is hard especially when Grotius himself was neither for the vindicating of whom I must be suspected to be both Perhaps your brethren did call you Papist for the very same reason even because you have appear'd in vindication of Grotius and taught that the righteousness of a Christian even in this present life is either perfect or none at all In this you have spoken as high as Grotius see if you have not Aphoris of justif Thes. 24. p. 129. 133. Thes. 22. p. 122.123 Thes. 27. p. 141. Saints Rest. part 4. p. 296. What I have * Self Revengeâ— ch 1. p. 35 36 37. spoken for Castellio to that I refer for you and Grotius You say with the old Episcopal party a Puritane was a Non-conformist Sect. 23. What the Puritâ—â—es were with the old Episcopal party Sect. 9. And glad I am of the Confession for 't is not long since that party was the prevailing and so had the Norman loquendi abiding with it which being granted what need we more to discover the vulgar use of the word Puritane If you consider the ill things which Non-conformist doth import a schismatick Boutefeux a strainer at Gnats and a swallower of Camels you have not spoken much amiss And as touching the late Prelates How good Sir doth it appear that they had any other notion you bring just nothing to prove they had and I can bring something to prove they had not For Bishop Carleton could say even then when he endâ—avour'd to speak in their favour or excuse that Puritanes were †This is confâ—ssed by Master Hickman p. 40. disquieters of the Church about their conceived Discipline * p. 99. Master Fuller to the word Discipline doth adde Church-Government from which the Puritanes dissented in former time And he saith in probability the word imported Non-conformists To the other two words you now adde Doctrinâ— and what an unruly sort of people must they have needs been who were ever snarling and disquieting the Church of God in which they lived for her Discipline and Goverâ—ment and Doctrine too Our Learned and Reverend Doctor Sanderson you do professedâ—y reverence in very great measure p. 2. and whether you do esteem him a new Prelatist or an old one it will equally be to my advantage First see him * Pâ—â—face to the fourth Edit of of his first Sermons Sect. XXIII citing the old Prelatists concerning Puritanes and then together with their judgments compare his own The Reverend Archbishop Whitgift and the learned Hooker men of great judgement and famous in their times The judgment of Archbishop Whitgift and judicious did long since foresee and declare their fear that if ever Puritanism should prevail among us it would draw in Anabaptism after it At this Carâ—wright Hooker concerning Puritâ—ns and other Advocates for the Disciplinarian Interest in those dayes seemed to take great offence c. but without reason saith Doctor Sanderson †Doctor Sanderson's judgment of the samâ— for those Godly men meaning Hooker and the Archbishop were neither so unadvised nor so uncharitable as to become Judges of other mens thoughts or intentions beyond what their actions spoke
volumus sanctum est that they will have holy and nothing else Men causelesly puffed up with their fleshly mind Col. 2.18 * ib. p. 696. It is an old worn error of the Donatists and but new dressed over by some fâ—natical spirits in our dayes that teach in Corners one that is not himself inwardly holy cannot be the means of holiness to another And where they dare too that one that is not in state of grace can have no right to any poâ—session or place for they of right belong to none but to the true children of God that is to noâ—e but themselves And These the Bishop there call's Fond ignorant men Again * See his tenth Serm on the sâ—me p 703. Not onely mission but submission is a sign of one truly called to this business But of all prâ—positions they indure not super all equal all even at least Their spirit is not subject to the spirit of the Prophets nor of the Apostles neither if they were now alive but bear themselves so high do tam altum sapere as if this spirit were underling and their spirit above the Holy Ghost There may be a spirit in them there is none upon them that indure no super none above them You see how Puritanes were described by that so eminently judicious and godly Prelate who long before his preferments had been †See a brief view of the Church of England as it stood in the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James p. 143. earnestly dealt with by a great person being his Patron to hold up a side which was even then falling and to maintain certain state points of Puritanism but he had too much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as my Author alludes unto his name to be either scar'd with a Counsellors frown or blown aside with his breath and therefore answered his Tempter plainly It was against his learning and conscience too His Patron seing he would be no Fryer Pinkie to be taught in a Closet what he should say at Saint Paul's dismissed him then with some disdain but after did the more reverence his integrity and became no hinderer to his ensuing greatness Sect. 11. Now since the Author of this Relation was Sir Iohn Harrington of Kelston Sir John Harrington's judgment of Puritanes Ibid. p. 7.8 a knowing person in those times of which he hath left a view behind him it will be pertinent to observe his private judgement of those old Puritanes who then disquieted the Church When the Puritanes saith he whom some defined to be Protestants scared out of their wits did begin by the plot of some great ones but by the pen of Master Cartwright to defend their New Discipline their endeavour was to reduce all in shew at least unto the purity but indeed unto the poverty of the Primitive Church Ib. p. 150. That is to say they were sacrilegious For speaking after of the same men This saith he was the true Theorique and Practique of Puritanism One impugning the Authority of Bishops secretly by such Lectures as that which was lately founded by a sacrilegious Grandee and read by Dr. Reynolds The other impoverishing their livings openly The judgment of Q. Eliz. and her Privy Counsel and of Archb. Bancroft p. 12.13 and Archbishop Whitgift ib. p. 7.8 by such leases as would yield good fines to the Procurers He inferrs the judgement of Queen Elizabeth and her Councel in that he saith the learned Bancroft obtained the favour of Queen and State for his endeavours to sâ—ppress those fantastical Novellers And 't is known that his reward was the Archbishoprick of Canterbury Dr. Whitgift also though a great Anti-Arminian was then an eminent Confuter of Cartwright's Writings And as a step to his Archbishoprick was first rewarded with the Bishoprick of Worcester Of Iudge â—opham Nay Judge Popham who was unwilling to have them called Puritanes was yet accustomed to call them seditious Sectaries which he would not have done had he not judged them to be such Having said how the Queen did approve the books of Dr. Bancroft I did not add the opinion he had of Puritanes because his two books have done that for me the one discovering their discipline the other their dangerous positions in point of Doctrine more especially that Doctrine which hath a tendency to the subversion of Church and State Ib. p. 118.119 I will not give you my whole accompt of that Author but onely in brief put you in mind how the Puritanes in Cambridge had courted Dr. Iohnstill to abet that party and how they reviled him in their pulpits because he would not joyn with them yet he was after made Bishop of Bath and Wells How every one made reckoning that the Mannor-house and Park of Banwel should be made the reward of some Courtier which suspicion was increas'd in that Sir Thomas Henage was said to have an oare in the matter being an old Courtier and a zealous Puritane whose conscience if it were such in the Clergy as it was found in the Dutchy might well have digested a better booty * Ib. 135. in Doctor Herbert Westphaling Bishop of Hereford How Queen Elizabeth at Oxford had school'd Dr. Reynolds for his preciseness willing him to follow her laws and not to go before them But it seems he had forgot it when he went last to Hampton Court so as there he received a better schooling The Lord Keeper Puâ—kering's judgment of Puritanes by the direction of Q. Elizabeth delivered in the House of Lords in Parliament â—ssembled Sect. 12. Very remarkable are the words of the Lord Keeper Puckering touching the parity of the danger to Church and State which the Puritanes and the Iesuites had brought on both Remarkable I say as having been uttered in Parliament by the special command of Queen Elizabeth And here the fitter to be inserted because they are not to be had but from his own hand-writing from which by the favour of a most noble Gentleman I got about a year ago â—his following transcript A transcript not of the whole but of as much as concerns the case in hand And especially you are commanded by her Majesty to take heed that no ear be given nor time afforded to the wearisomâ— sollicitations of those that commonly be called Puritanes wherewithal the late Parliaments have been exceedingly importuned which sort of men whilest in the giddinesse of their spirits they labour and strive to advance †Mark who thâ—y were that were theâ— called Puritanes a new eldership They do nothing else but disturb the good repose of the Church and the Common-wealth which is as well grounded for the body of Religion it self and as well guided for the discipline as any Realm that professeth the truth And the same thing is already made good to the world by many the writings of learned and * Mark who they were that were so esteemed godly men neither answer'd nor answerable by
was impossible to be done Juâ—t as if it should be said that I created my Parents or sqâ—ar'd the Circle Indeed I have read of Apollonius Tyanaeus that he could tell at Ephesus what in that very houre was done at Rome the Devill was such a Familiar to him But that I should speak a thing in England whilst my Body and my Soule were both in France is the wildest Invention I ever heard of It is my comfort that I suffer the most Incredible of Slanders which are as Innocent in one sense as they are criminal in another And that I suffer for well doing even to those very persons from whom I suffer But that a Sermon of Love should procure me more Hatred than All the Actions of my whole Life would seem as wonderfull a Thing as that Elijah with water should set the green wood on fire but that I consider what Age we live in And that the Fire is more common which comes from Hell then that which Elijah pray'd down from Heaven Besides I know it is part of the Chrâ—stians Lot which I take in good part and doe thank God for it But it were well if most men would make a Covenant with their Eares A Cavâ—at against Raisers of false Râ—ports not to listen to meer Rumors which doe not bring their warrant with them And another Covenant with their Lips not to utter such Rumors without all reason For through a defect of these two what Calumnies have been raised upon men of all sorts which with one sort or other have found great welcome and entertainment I will give you an Instance in some particulars which are many wayes pertinent to my present Enterprise It was dogmatically affirmed by the whole Assembly of Divines in a Letter which they sent to all the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas That the King and his party had an intent to set up Popery and even to extirpate the true Reformed Religion See Biblioth Râ—gia part 1. Sect. â— p. 58.59 to p. 65. And that they had not onely attempted but in great measure prevailed for the putting thereof in execution A thing so far from being true that the King protested his intentions were directly contrary and from the Primate of Armagh received the Sacrament upon it solemnly wishing that that Sacrament might be his damnation if his heart did not joyn with his lips in that protestation He also declared the same thing to all the Transmarine Protestant Churches Nay it was part of his last words the sincerity of which he also sealed with his blood And now you publickly confess as Mr. Prin had done before you in his Signal Memento p. 12. You do not believe he was a Papist but a moderate Protestant and that his Conference with the Marquess of Worcester may satisfie men for that p. 106. By the same excess of injustice Archbishop Bancroft Archbishop Laud Archbishop Usher Bishop Bramhal and Doctor Cousins have been exhibited to the people as downright Papists though as great adversaries to Rome as Rome hath had since the Reformation How many others in particular and the Prelatists in general have been traduced you know very well and Doctor Sanderson hath told you with what injustice It was not onely the saying of Doctor Bernard Of the judgm of the late Archbishop of Arm. p. â—61 concerning the late Archbishop of Armagh that some of the simpler sort hearing of a conjunction of Popery and Prelacy have thought they could not be parted in him but it was also the complaint of the Primate himself that exceptions were taken against his Letter Ibid. p. 19. as if he had thereby confirmed Papism and Arminianism Which yet I believe was as far from truth as what was said by your Adversaries of you or by you of Grotius Bishop Wren Bishop Pierce and Doctor Taylor Bolsec in vitâ Calvini Pref. to Disp. against Master Tombes Exam Hist. p. 204. or by Bolsec of Mr. Calvin that he was eaten up of Lice or by the Papists of the Waldenses that they were Sorcerers and Witches or by some of Saint Austin that he was a Manichaeâ—n or by the Puritanes of Bishop Andrews that he was guilty of superstition or by the same of Bishop Montague that he was turned unto the Papists or by Standish of Erasmus that he denied the Resurrection and blasphemed Christ's miracles as dâ—ne by Magick or by Bellarmine of the same that he was a friend to Arianism or by Mr. Hickman of myâ—self that the printed Doctrines of Zuinglius c. who were dead and buried before I was born were the meer Chimaera's of my brain I pray consider these things and set a guard upon your pen from this time forwards You say I must be supposed to mean by a Puritane a man that feareth God c. Sect. 23. Sect. 21. I more admire at this speech A confident corrupting of plain words then at all the rest that have fallen from you for your own conscience is my witness and so are all my Readers eyes that my notion of a Puritane hath been ever agreeable with those which I have lately set before you from Bishop Andrews and Bishop Hall Doctor Cleark and Doctor Sanderson with divers others beyond exception How can you hope to be believed in what you say of nine Oaths in a breath and drinking healths unto the Divel when you can wilfully corrupt the plainest words that can be spoken And say I MUST be supposed to mean a man that feareth God whereas there is not so much as any circumstance of any the least probability that I should mean as you say but the contrary is as visible as the Sun at noon that I mean such Puritanes as have a right to that Title Neither fearing God nor hating covetouness neither seeking God's Kingdom nor the righteousness thereof but making a stalking-horse of Religion whereby to come at their carnal ends You say I deviate lamentably from Catholicism in my uncharitable censures of the Puritanes and Presbyterians That it s no Catholick Church which cannot hold such men as these â—or a Catholick Disposition that cannot embrace theÌ„ with that unfeigned special love that 's due to Christians Sect. 24. Sect. 22. Still you lamentably beat upon the very same hoof How some Puritanes have excommunicated themselves standing still a great deal faster theâ— some can gallop With unsignificant Repetitions naked affirmations and want of any thing like a proof you are able to advance another Section concerning Puritanes and Presbyterians not referring to any word which I had spoken of either nor to any one page where my Censure may appear to have been uncharitable My opinion is you durst not cite my words or pages for then your foule dealing had been too viâ—â—ble to the Reader Nay then you must have written another book to some purpose not This which you know is to none at all Had you answered my Book or any little part of it I must
justè and Ecclesiastica Ecclesiasticè It is a very good Rule in the Civil Law Quae à judice non legitimo aut non legitimo modo facta sunt ea praesumptionem habeâ—t contrase And such were our late Sequestrations that although they were made by his beloved long * Note I speak with the vulgar meaning oâ—ely the two Houses as Mr. Hickman calls them p. 45. or rather the Remnant of the two Houses of which Judge Ienkins hath well inform'd us Parlament yet M. Hickman himself undertakes not in all things to acquit them p. 46. And Mr. B. did avow in his very last Book that 't was a way he was not satisfied with p. 52. Nay a very great part of their proceedings you your self doe disown even in this very Section Nay towards the end of your Book you professe your detestation of them p. 111. And if you may detest what you haue got so much by much more may I who have lost no lesse Not to speak of their losses who have been very dear to me and for whose losses I was afflicted when I thank God for it I was not afflicted for mine own knowing how and for what and from what sort of men my sufferings came Sequestrations are scandalous and sinfull things when they proceed and are inflicted either a non-Iudice or in non-Reum or modo non debito or in fâ—â—em non rectum The particular consideration of which four things applied to all the Sequestrations which have happened within these eighteen years would administer matter for a very just volume had I time sufficient for such a work Yet should I have spoken more largely then now I shall to give you that information which you particularly desire were I not told of an able Gentleman who hath sent a Treatise unto the Presse upon this one subject and addressed it in particular to all your wants Sect. 3. Whereas you say You are dâ—sirous to be better inform'd in this thing Sufficient Information for such as wâ—nt and desire it to avoid much guilt which else you may and doe incurre if you be mistaken sect 26. I have two or three things to return unto you First that as I am glad of your good desire so I shall also be sorry if you are never the better for my Assistance Next for sufficient Information I had thought it enough that you knew the tenth Precept Non Concupisces Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house much less take it into possession with all the good land that lies about it nor any thing that is thy neigebour's much lesse All that is thy Neighbour's Of the Fundamental Lawes of this land and the established Canons of the Church I thought you had a sufficient knowledge If not you may when you please Read but the Works of Judge Ienkins whom God preserve from all Evil and reward at last with a Crown of Righteousnesse Read Magna Charta and the Petition of Right And compare with both * You may see a Copy of this in Biblioth Reg. part 1. â—ect 4. num 10. p. 324. The Proclamation against the oppression of the Clergy by the Insurrection of factious and Schismaticall persons into their Cures c. And compare with all Three The Declaration of the Lord General and his Counsel of Officers shewing the Grounds and Reasons for the Dissolution of the long Parlament 1653. You will find in the three former That the Church amonst others hath these Priviledges that regularly no Ecclesiasticall Possessions can be extended separated or sequestred but by the Ordinary That Distresses may not be taken of Lands wherewith Churches have been anciently endowed and that Churches presentative cannot be filled and the lawfull Incumbent thereof removed but by the Ordinary nor the Cure of the Incumbents served by Curates Lecturers or others but by their own Appointment or in their defect by the Appointment of the Ordinary Nor are any subjects of the Laity by the Common Laws of this Realm capable to take or receive Tithes which are the Portion of the Clergy unlesse by Demise from Them or such as are appropâ—iate or made Lay-fee c. In the 28 year of King Edward the third it was declared and enacted by Authority of Parlament which is also ratified in the Petition of Right That no man of whatsoever estate or condition be put out of his Land or Tenements nor taken nor imprisoned nor disherited nor put to death without being brought to answer by due Process of Law So by the Statute called The Great Charter of the Liberties of Engl. it is declared and enacted That no Free-man may be taken or imprisoned or be disseized of his Free-hold or Liberties or his free Customes or be out-lawed or exiled or in any manner destroyed but by the lawfull judgement of his Peers or by the Law of the Land c. Note that these are such Laws as are still in force by all confessions they who have broken them the most cannot pretend they have been repealed You cannot object your Scotish Covenant for you have written (a) Plain Sâ—r. proof of Infants Ch. mem p. 123. which compare with 120 121 122. with p. 274. and with your Aâ—en to Aphor. p. 107. against That And if you had not your case were worse The Remnant of the two Houses you cannot urge for the very same reasons and many more Nay since the writing of these words those very Houses which did obtrude you upon another man's Living or Free-hold do now implicitely stand charged with the Sin of Sacriledge as well by your self as by Mr. Vines as may be seen by his (b) Five Disp. of Ch. Gov. Worsh. p. 350.349 Letter which you have printed and by your words thereupon in the page going before it From hence consider very sadly whether they who transgressed so much in one thing doe not deserve your suspicion in many others And now I will hope you are sufficiently informed if you are not you shall be before I leave you Guilty men must keep their secrets or not be angry that they are known But by the way let me tell you that you were never in my Thoughts when I expressed my Dislike of Sequestrations I never knew you had any untill you told me Nor had I knowne it to this houre had you but kept your owne counsell So little Reason had you to use me with so much Bitternesse and Virulence in divers Books But worser dealing then from your selfe though not in print I have hâ—d from a Minister in this very County of whose Sequestration I was as ignorant as yet I am of his Face I knoâ— him by nothing but his Injuries and his ist Namâ— which I sâ—all therefore in Charity forbeare to publish I shot but at Rovers and because by accident he was hit he was as angry with the Arrow as if it had been its own Archer and vainly concluded that he was aim'd at when the very
your own Brotherhood you have endeavour'd to exâ—ose to shame and laughter before you censure those men who give you Examples of Moderation Who it is that abuseth the choicest of Gâ—d's Servants Sect. 10. I know not well what you mean by the choicest of Godâ— servants it being become in these Times a most equivocal Expression If you mean King Iames his Puritans I have spent a whole Chapter for the Rectification of your mistake If such as truly serve God who have also writen against Puritanes whereof I have given you a speoimen in Bishop Andrews Doctor Sanderson and other Episcopal Divines you know that Those are the men whom I am constantly defending If God hath any choice servants in any sense you are certainly the man who have writ against them for you have writtâ—n even with bitterness against your own Saints as in your calmer moods you sometimes call them But your Bitterness to the Bishops and to the Regular Sons of the Church of England and to all persons of honour in any part of the Land who either partake of the Common Prayer or attend to the preaching of the Eâ—iscoâ—al Clergy I say your Bitterness â—o These is so ineffably great that moâ—tal man cannot express it but by reâ—eating your own Termes I should proceed to shew you your frightful self from the Ten last pages of your Grotian Relâ—gion but that I see you have reprinted the substance of thâ—m in your Enormous Preface to your New Book of Church Gâ—vernment and Worship which I intend to consisider towards the end of my Appendix Sect. 11. It shall suffice in this place to put you in mind of your Malignity to a profound and pious Episcopal Divine Made appear by an Example whose Certificate touching the Primate I was constrain'd to make publick You call him a man of the New Way a Grotian-papist 't is thought you mean You say he blasted a good business by an unpeaceable writing and did not onely foment a Schism but fomented it by poor Insufficient Reasonings p. 118. Pretty words for a conclusion to your Grotian Religion But such as will sufficiently put their speaker to Rebuke as soon as your Readers shall be inform'd that your Bolt was shot at Mr. Gunning For how can you hope to be believ'd when you shall let flie your Censures of other men after the liberty you have taken to write so grosly of Mr. Gunning The world will conclude you extremely incontinent of your Passion when they shall find you throwing it out in three such palpable Contradictions as that Mr. Gunning was the Author of an unpeaceable writing that Mr. Gunning was guilty of Fomenting a Schism and that any thing poor or insufficient fell from Mr. Gunning Had you been honour'd with the Advantage of having sate for some years at his learned Feet you had certainly attain'd a greater measure of Understanding than to have mention'd his Writing with such irreverence AN APPENDIX Conteining a Rejoynder to Diverse Things both in The Key for Catholicks and in The Book of Disputations of Church-Government and worship c. WHilst I was drawing towards an End of what I thought fit to advertise you The chief Occasion of this Appendix concerning the principall Misadventures of your Grotian Religion my Stationer sent me two bookes at least as bitter and as irrational as the worst of that stuff which was laid before me It seemes my silence was hurtfull to you And what I intended in my Advertisment behind my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for nothing more than a promise that I would Answer you at leisure with an addition of Reasons for my Delay you fall upon with as much confidence and that in two Bookes at once as if you had hope'd that That Promise had been the onely Performance that I had meant you So very little is my Concernment in what you Intitle a Reply wherein you add little or nothing to your Grotian Religion how much soever you borrow from it That I might wel have abstained from giving you the Trouble of this Appendix by referring you to my Answer as a sufficient Rejoynder to your Reply but that I heare you are a scorner and so unhappily inclinable to flatter your self with your misfortunes as to think you are fear'd when you are but pityed and passed by Some men must be dealt with if not for other mens sakes yet for their owne if not because they deserve Resistance yet because they may want it to check their Pride It being pity in my opinion so to despise any mans weaknesse as to make him dream he is irresistible The Patient's acknowledgment of his Disease Sect. 2. This is the chief consideration by which I am moved to this Appendix there being nothing more visible in your two last Bookes than that you are sick of a shrewd Disease which having swell'd up to your Throat and broken out at your mouth doth serve to justify the charge which was fram'd against you by Dr. Owen without the Help of your own †See your Disp. of right to Sacram. 5. p. 486. Where you also confess you are Hypocriticall Making bolder with your self than I should ever have allow'd you by my consent Acknowledgment that you are proud and selfish Very faine would I follow my Inclinations to treat you as gently in the Conclusion as in the Beginning of my Book And what incredible pleasure should I have taken in the present Discussion of Diverse Truths had you but left me the possibility to be as respectfull towards your self as you must acknowledg me to have been towards a Couple of your Superiours by name D. Reynolds and Dr Bernard But so throughly have you convinc't me by your * Key for Catholicks from p. 381 to p. 194. Five Disp. of Church Gov. and Worship Preface from p. 16. to p. 38. two late Volumes of the irrefragable Orthodoxie and Truth of what you have put upon Record in another Place to wit †Disp. 5. of Sacram. p. 486. That your Pride neede 's sharper Reprehensions then your friends have ever us'd about you I do but Echo your own words that I must Cross my Inclinations and change my stile for no other end then to serve your Needes For you give it me under your hand both that your Malady is dangerous and that it needs a rough Cure You are not like Alexander's †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diod. Sic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bâ—cephalus to be subdued with soft usage My Brotherly Gentleness you * Grot. Rel. Praef. Sect. 4. spake of hath but inrag'd you my Moderation which you * Ibid. acknowledged hath made you Fierce my Charity towards you which you * Ibid. applauded hath accidentally Occasion'd your greatest Hatred For not to speak yet of your innocent Railing which I may therefore call Innocent because it is too gross to hurt me mark how desperately you strike both at my Lively-hood and my Life
Author as if you had purposely laid a Trap for your illiterate Readers to make them fall into a hatred of so incomparable a man for having written thus sharply against Protestants in general whereas you know he onely spake of some * Sed Protestantes quidam ex vi Dogmatum c. lin 13. certain Protestants who live wicked lives by force of their Doctrines or Oâ—inions And do you know any one Protestant who will not say the very same 2. You do not take the least notice what kind of Doctrine his words belong to Indeed if you had you had spoiled your own plot For the passage refers unto the †Quomodo vivas niâ—il interest Sine conditione pro paenâ quam ipsi debent satisfecit Christus Sine Conditione gloriam aeternam ipsis â—â—t meritus Ibid. Doctrine of Unconditionall Promises unconditionâ—l Satisfaction unconditional Glory And did he not say very truly that Catholicks do not bâ—lieve this though many live as if they did Did he not as truly say that at least some Protestants do hold these Doctrines and live accordingly you see the whole fault iâ— in your treâ—herous translation You promise me to translate as well as you can p. 383. If to do it very falsely is as well as you can I will not taxe you for breach of promise But then repent of your gibeing p. 383. l. penult Sect. 17. Your next Quarrel to Grotius is for calling the Roman Church the * Dâ—scuss p. 95. Mistress of other Churches p. 387. But in this your misfortunes are more than One. For 1. He speaks of the Roman Church not in her present but ancient state and this you could not but know if you knew the English of jam olim senserit Or if you read as far as those words quae tempora respiciens Grotius p. 96. l. 1. 2. Zanchy was a strict Protestant and which is more against you a Presbyterian yet he professeth the Roman Church to have been pure whilst she was ancient and desires no more for her Reformation than that she return to her former self Look back on chap. 1. p. 23. and you will find in my Margin his words at large words most worthy your meditation You will find in the same paragraph the affirmation of Blondel which being there in Latin onely I will here give you in English * look back on ch 1. p. 22. That the Dignity of the Roman Apostolical Bishoprick or See is not denyed by the Protestants no nor her primacy over the Neighbouring Churches and in some respect over †aliquatenus super omnes all the Churches but this by the Protestants is referred to her Ecclesiastical Right Is this an Argument to prove that Blondel turn'd Papist who lived and died the chief prop of the Presbyterians yet this is every whit as good as any you bring against Grotius 3. It is the point of Praedestination which occasions Grotius to use those words wherein the Arminian Presbyterians do jump with Rome And when he calls her a * aâ—iarum Magistra Mistriss not to tyrannize but to teach her Neighbours he calls her no more than indeed she was she having been often appealed to by other Churches as by the African and the French when any point of Tradition was called in Question You †Grot. Rel. p. 8. profess your very honourable and grateful thoughts of the Iesuits and Friers for their labours to convert the Infidel Nations unto the Faith of which you will not deny the Roman Church to be the Mistress 4. Higher Titles than this have been afforded to that Church by the Apostolical Father * Iren. adversus Haeres lib. 3. c. 3. miâ—â— p. 232 Irenaeus who allow'd her no less than a Principality in regard of which he thought it needful that all other Churches should be conformable to This as being the greatest and the most ancient and known to all to have been foundâ—d by the most glorious pair of Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul Ad hanc enim Ecclesiam propter potentiorem Principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire Ecâ—lesiam hoc est eos qui sunt undique Fideles in quâ semper ab his qui sunt undique conservata est ea quae ab Apostolis Traditio The reason of this I suppose may be fitly given out of Eusebius Euseb. Hist. l. â— c. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a word if you will know how great a Deference hath been given to the Roman Church by such as St. Cyprian Tertullian St. Ambrose St. Ierom St. Austin Sozomen and divers others among the Ancients nay by such as our Protestant King Iames and learned Bucer and Mr. Calvin himself Grotius his * p. 68 69 70. Discussio will strait inform you 5. What Grotius saith he will subscribe with a most ready mind is nothing else but the true Doctrin of Praedestination and other Doctrines depending on it which all the Remonstrant Presbyterians are as ready to subscribe as any Grotius And what is this to his turning Papist no more than it is to the Dâ—minicans being turned Presbyterians Sect. 18. The next passage which you cite from p. 7. in your p. 387. is much the same with what you cited from p. 14. and may be sent for its Answer to the 12th Section of this Appendix Discuss p. 7. but yet I will adde that this makes more to your disadvantage because it makes it more manifest how that passage was to be rendred concerning the Scriptures and the Fathers in the Margin of the Articles being made a fit medium for a commodious Interpretation and so it shew's you the less excusable that when you had seen both Places you should yet be guilty of such a misinterpretation 2. There is added in that place That Grotius did set out the Augustan Confession as well as the Bull of Pius Quintus It being the part of a Reconciler to compare the Pretenses of either Party and then to pitch upon a moderate commodius sense wherein both Parties may likely meet But remember that the middle cannot be either of the Extremes and therefore Grotius was aequedistant from a Papist and Presbyterian The Syâ—â—d at Dort and Assembly-mâ—n add Articles to those in the Creed 3. Whereas it is said that the Bull hath Articles in it besides those of the Creed But that the Synod of Dort hath more First I answer that it is True and therefore blamelesse as will be acknowledged by any of the Arminian Presbyterians Next that Grotius did onely use it as a most pertinent retorsion upon the Man with whom he was dealing Mr. Rivet who approved of the Synod at Dort had no reason to object against the Bull of Pius Quintus its having some Articles besides those in the Creed because his own Synod of Dort had many more Compare with both if you please Mr. Baxter's Confession of Faith and that of
the Westminster Assembly wherein it seemes there were added so many Articles to the Creed that the Parliament thought fit to lay aside a * Viz. cap. 30. 31. Sect. 4. of c. 20. also a great part of cap. 24. great many yet such a confidence there was in that Assembly that they posted their Issue into the world before the Parliament had declared their Resolutions about it Which though I guessed at before by the Division I had observed amongst †See the Testimony to the Truth of I.C. p. 37. the 52. Ministers within the Province of London whereof a Party did still waite for the Pleasuâ—e of the Houses whilst a greater party of the same Tribe would not be patient of such delay yet I never knew it so fully as since I saw the Declaration of the Congregational Churches wherein the Dealings of the Assembly are very usefully * Praef. p. 10. â—2 1â— exposed to publick view 4. As for the Novity or Newness of those Articles in the Bul That must be judged of saith Grotius by such a right understanding of them as is to be taken from the Scriptures and antient Doctors in the Margin And if it once come to that they will cease to sound as now they do How this project can be effected without forceing and wresting the words of the Counâ—il I must ingenuously profess I cannoâ— hetherto understand But Grotius his understanding could reach to see many things which are above the comprehensions of yours or mine Or if he came short of such a way as to which the Papists would have agreed then the Peace which he designed was still to continue in his Design And he would ever have this to object against them that we Protestants had offered them Termes of Peace Such as by their own Margin to wit the Scriptures and Fathers there they stand obliged to accept of And so the Blame of our Breaches is to be laid at their dore who refuse such Termes of Reconcilement Now can you think it any dettiment to the Protestant Cause That we alone are the men who as much as in us lies would live peaceably with all men And that others of each extreme will rather continue unreconcileable If you think it a foolish thing in so angelical a Person as Grotius was to propose such Termes as were so utterly unlikely to take effect To this I answer two Things 1. He professed to lay-in this Provision for Posterity to which he maketh his Appeal in diverse places He hop'd that men in tract of Time would grow to be weary of contending and place Religion in good life as now they do in maintaining Parties 2. You have * Grot. Rel. p. 6. professed for your own part that you will write and speake for Peace though you saw not a man in the world that would regard it or returne you any better thanks then a reproach And though you propose some Termes of reconciling the Protestants with the Papists †Ibid. p. 2â— that the work may not seem to be utterly Hopeless yet you proclaim in your Title-page to your Key for Catholicks That your Proposals are made for a hopeless Peace as if you thought you had the Priviledge above all other mortals to approve what you practice even whilst you practice what you condemn Sect. 19. The passage about the Reall Presence in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Real Presence in the Lords Supper at the bottome of your page 387 â—iscâ—ss p. 35. is placed by Grotius in the midst of many more taken from writers of all sorts both Antient and Modern and amongst the modern as well Protestants as Papists to shew the smalness of the difference as to that particular But of this you were resolved to take no notice 2. He adds another passage of the Council of Trent to wit that This Sacrament is the spirituall food of the Soul Another from the Gloss of the Canon Law a third from Clement the fourth a fourth from St. Bernard and then he shew's their affinity to Philip Melanchthon and the Waldenses to diverse Protestant Churches and in a word to Mr. Calvin who hath said as plainly as any of them †Calvinus Deum non ludere inanibus signis sed reipsâ praestare quod per symbola testatur communicationem Corporis Sanguinis verum substantiam nobis donari substantiae corp sang nos fieri participes p. 36. That God doth not moâ—k us with empty signes but doth really exhibit what he doth testifie by the signes the communication of his Body and blood That the very substance is given unto us That we are made partakers of the substance of his Body and Blood Will you infer from hence that Calvin also turn'd Papist or will you say the Council of Trent was as well Protestant as Popish for saying that Christ in that Sacrament is sacramentally present and not according to the natural manner of existing in earnest I know not what should hinder you could you but think it for your Advantage 3. As for that which you adde And the Council hath found words to express it that there is made a â—hange of the whole substance of the Bread into the Body and the whole substance of Wine into the Blood which conversion the Catholick Church calleth Transubstantiation Gretius you know hath nothing like it nor doth he any way appear to approve of that notion nor to go a step further than Melanchthon and Bucer nay the Waldenses and Mr. Calvin Nay he approves the Diallacticon which was clearly written by a Protestant The whole malignity of the passage lies wrapt in your addition about Transubstantiation which yet you have set in such a manner as I believe your english Readers will think you have taken it out of Grotius if they â—o not observe what now I tell them That Grotius hath not any such thing but that all the Addition is your Dâ—vice Your Translation is also faulty in two respects for the Latin runs thus Iesum Christum verum Deum atque hominem verè realiter ac substantialiter sub specie earum rerum sensibilium contineri Your English thus Iesus Christ true God and truely man is really and substantially contained under the form of those sensible things applying verè to hominem which belongs to contineri Again those words in the Latin assequi possumus you render thus we may be certain of which as I see not any reason so I verily believe you will shew me none Sect. 20. What Grotius saith of the Synod Material and Formal Idolatry that when tâ—e Synod of Trent saith the Sacrament is to be adored with divine worship Discuss p. 79. it intends no more but that the Son of God himself is to be adored in your p. 388. he citeth out of the Synods words which explicates herself as he hath recited her explication Sess. 13. C. 6. And could it be possible for
to our invitations we cannot do less than declare that we cannot help it We are no rigid exactors of Reparation Do but return to our Communion and we are satisfied Do but accept of our forgiveness and we are pleas'd If you cannot agree with us in every act of our obedience to the established Canons of the Church at least come back to that station from whence you fell and no small matter shall ever part us The Church of England jâ—stified by the Confessions of her Deserters 4. You profess to be for Bishops as well as we p. 5. you acknowledge a stinted Liturgy is in it self lawful and that in some parts of pâ—blick holy service it is ordinarily necessary and that in the parts where it is not of necessity it may not onely be submitted to but desired when the peace of the Church requireth it that the Ministers and Churches which earnestly desire it should not by the Magistrate be absolutely forâ—idden the use of a convenient prescribed Liturgy c. p. 358.359 Nay farther yet you do acknowledge That the use of the Surplice bâ—ing commanded by the Magistrate you would obey him and wear that Garment if you could not be dispensed with Yea though secundarily the whiteness be to signify purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would you obey p. 409.410 Next for kneeling at the Sacrament you say that as sinfully as this gesture was imposed you did for your part obey the imposers and would do if it were to do again rather then disturb the peace of the Church or be deprived of its Communion p. 411. You confess you see no reason to scruple at the lawfulness of the Ring in Marriage Ibid. You say that Organs or other Instruments of Musick in God's worship being a help partly natural and partly artificial to the exhilarating of the spirits for the prâ—yse of God you know no argument to prove them simply unlawfull but what would prove a cup of wiâ—e unlawfull or the Tune and Meter and melody of singing unâ—awfull p. 412. Again for Holy-daies you confess That some time for God's worship besides the Lord's-day must be appointed and God having not told us which the Magistracy may on fit occasions Ibid. Nay for the great Holy-daies of tâ—e Church to which you have the most aversion such as celebrate the memorial of Christ's Nativity Circumcision Fasting Transfiguration Ascension and the like you freely profess to be resolved if you live where such Holy-daies as these are observed to censure no man for observing them nor would you deny them liberty to follow their judgement if you had the power of their Liberties c. p. 416. Yea more if you lived under a Government that perâ—mptorily commanded it you would observe the outward rest of such a Holy-day and you would preach on it and joyn with the Assemblies in Gods worship on it p. 417. For the name and form of an Altar you think it a thing indifferent whether the Table stand this way or that way The primitive Churches you confess used commonly the names of Sacrifice and Altar and Priest and you think lawfully and you will not be he that shall condemn them p. 417. Last of all for the Cross in Baptisme which you have most suspected to be unlawfull you dare not peremptorily say it is unlawfull nor will you condemn the Ancients and Moderns that use it nor will you make any disturbance in the Church about it p. 418. 5. After all these acknowledgments many more in other places I wonder how you can excuse your departure from us The Pâ—esbyterian Sepâ—râ—tists apparently unexcusable or what should keep you from your return Will you not live in Communion with us because we observe the Rites and Orders of the Church which you confess to be very innocent Or do you abandon what is innocent because we use it Are our Bishops the worse for being derived from the Apostles as our Reverend Dr. Gauden hath lately proved by an induction Are they the worse for being in England ever since the first time that Christianity was planted Or the worâ—e for being setled by the fundamental Lawes of the British land They are not the worse for being approved and contended foâ— unto the death by the learnedst part and the most pious of the Reformed Churches of which our Confessors and Martyrs do make up a great and a noble Army That our Church was a true established Church in the year of our Lord 1641. You have so plentifully granted that 't is too late to deny They that * See Bishop Hali's peacemâ—ker Sect. 7. p. 58. flye out from a true established Church and run waies of their own raising and fomenting Sects and Schisms amongst God's people are sent for their Doom by our late Reverend Bishop Hall to those notable words of the Apostle Rom. 16.17 18. And whether or no the Presbyterians have not thus flown out judge I pray by the †See Dr. Ham. of Schism ch 11. p. 178 181. last Chapter of Dr. Hammond's Treatise concerning Schism Or let the men of that way but lay their hands upon their hearts Now when you seem to have profited not a little by that excellent Preface of Dr. Sanderson wherein you are personally concerned in coming up so far as hath been shew'd to the most disputable things of the Church of England what can make you stand off at so great a distance what kind of answer will you return unto your own expostulations Shall the breach be healed or would you have it to continue If it must continue tell us why and how long Would you have it go with us to Eternity Do you censure us to Hell Or will you not goe with us to Heaven I pray return to us in time rather than wish you had done it when 't is too late Thâ—y are obnoxious to men of all sides for thâ—ir sin of Schism 6. You cannot charge any sort of men for having separated from you without incurring the same charge for having separated from us When Mr. Cawdry writ against Independency and gave it the Title of A great Schism I could not but smile at the retortion which Dr. Owen very speedily and â—itly made him Nay it is publickly declared by a great Body of congregationals * Praef. p. 13. That they did not break from the Presbyterians but the Presbyterians rather from them You are so far from agreeing with one another that you can never be expected to be at unity with your selves unless by being reconcil'd to the Church of England whose Calamities have obscâ—r'd but not destroyed Her The sin of Schism is contracted saith the Judicious Dr. Hammond either by some irregularity of Actions loco supra citato contrary to the standing Rule and Canons of this Church or by Disobedience to some commands of Ecclesiastical Superiours And then by whom it is contracted I need not tell you But Blessed be God as
Learning of whiâ—h sort it were easie to name some hundreds were all exposed by the Presbyterians at least as far as in them lay to the utmost extremities of want and beggery without the least Mercy or Moderation Had they been Heapers up of Riches as Presbyterians and Iews are observed generally to be you might have squeez'd them as spunges without much harm And if the men of your party upon the present shifting the scene of things shall be forc'd to feel what they inflicted as some have presaged whilst they were reading your two Dedicatory Epistles wherein you are subscribed a Faithful Subject and wherein you complain of the * Epist. Ded. before Kâ—y for Cath. p 10. Democratical Polititians who were busie about the change of Government they will feel it so much the less by how much the greater the Treasures are which their Avarice and Rapine have raked up for them against their Winter A Vindication of Bâ—shops and D. Hammond's Paraphrase Sect. 36. Your principal Argument against our Bishops by law established in England which you urge from Scripture and Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase from p. 22â—to p. 27. I do the rather think fit for my consideration because I think it not fit at all that so learned a person as Doctor Hammond should ever take it into his own It s pity a Person of his employments should descend to a taske of so little moment And whilst he is doing those things which cannot be done but by himself let me have leave to do that for which your Argument's inability hath made me abâ—e You know the summe of it is this that Preaching Confirming Discipline Care of the poor Visiting the Sick Baptizing Congregating the Assemblies Administring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper guiding the Assemblies Blessing the people Absolving the Penitent and more then these p. 27. are the works of the Antient Episcopall Function But no one man can now performe all these to so many hundreds of Parishes as are in one Dioecess Ergo our Dioecesan Bishop is not the same with the Antient Bishop This being the summe of your chiefest Argument may be enlarged by my consent in the Major Proposition to the utmost pitch of advantage to which your own heart can wish the difficulty improved to wit by urging that the Bishops were at first invested by the Apostles with all manner of Ecclesiasticall both Power and Office And so the Bishop in every Dioecesse being lineally the successor of that numerical Bishop who was ordained by the Apostles is by consequence invested with all this power From whence there flow's another Sequel as unavoidable as the former that not the least part of this Sacred power can be possibly received but from the Bishop 3. All which being granted as very true and my thanks being returned for your service to the truth whilst you resist it for Presbyterian Ordinations are hence evinced to be null I shew you the vanity of your Minor by putting you in mind of a plain distinction per se aut per alium mediatè vel immediatè your meer forgetfullness of which for ignorant of it you could not be made you imagin there was a force where you will speedily acknowledge there can be none For what a Bishop is not able to do by himself he may very well do by the help of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing more obvious then that when Moses is * Exod. 18.18 22 26. overtask'd he should take in others in partem Curae and yet lose nothing of his Preeminence And even for this very reason had the Bishops all power as well as power to communicate it either in whole or in part that what they could not perform alone they might by Proxy whether by Presbyters Deacons Subdeacons Arch-Deacons Chancellors Officials I will add Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor what is done by their Delegates is done by them 4. Now that this was the case in the earliest times of the Church our learned and Reverend Dr. Hammond hath irresistibly * Consulatur Summi viri Disseâ—t 4. p. 210 211. evinced And had you first been well acquainted with his four Latin dissertations you had not stumbled at the light of his English Paraphrase †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Rom. Clemens Romanus would have told you that in the Regions and Cityes where the Apostles had preached and gathered Churches they constituted Bishops to Rule those Churches and likewise Deacons to be subservient to those Bishops Why no Presbyters as yet Epiphanius would have inform'd you out of the oldest Records For whilst there was not saith he so great a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiph. Haer. l. 3. t. 1. multitude of believers as to need the ordaining of any Presbyters between the two above said orders Bishops and Deacons they contented themselves with the Bishop onely who together with his Deacon whom he could not conveniently be without did then abundantly suffice for so small a Diocesse But when believers did so increase in the single Diocesse of a Bishop as that there needed more Pastors and fit men were to be had then they admitted into the Priesthood I do not say into the Prelacy that other sort of Church-Officers whom we now call Presbyters And I conceive that such Presbyters were ordained in Asia by St. Iohn because Ignatius in Trajan's time throughout his Epistles to those Churches of Asia doth distinctly make mention of all three orders If then the Primitive Bishops did thus communicate of his power to Inferiour Pastors and still reserve unto himself the super-intendency over all what should hinder their Successors from doing according to their example And why should any man presume to take any power unto himself but he whom the Bishop hath first ordained unto the office of a Deacon a kind of secundary Presbyter and after that to a Cure of soules which belongs to a Presbyter plenarius and after that too to the Episcopal Office of Ordination 5. Having shew'd you the full agreement betwixt the Ancient and modern Bishoâ—s I hope you see your Inadvertency and acknowledge the vanity of your Argumentation For 1. In the Infancy of the Church * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Epiph. l. 3. t. 1. none were worthy to be made Bishops in diverse places and in such the Apostles did all themselves at least the place remained vacant †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. 2. Where need requir'd and worthy persons were to be had in such the Apostles ordained Bishops But 3. Whilst the Churches were so thin as that the Bishops with their Deacons could well discharge the whole work Epiphanius tell 's us expresly and that from the eldest of the Church Histories there was not yet a constitution of single Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And of this we have the first instance in Iames the Bishop of Ierusalem to whom
Deduction And if the Deduction is irregular why is your dealing the very same to prove your irregular Ordinations exactly regular 4. Come we now from the Form to the matter of your Syllogism Your major is proved from the words of Dr. Hammond that the * See the whole Annotation on Act. 11.30 B. p. 406. to p. 409. Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture times belonged principally if not onely to Bishops there being no evidence that any of the second Order were then instituted Which words if you observe them do not deny but suppose that as soon as any of the second order were admitted into the Church they were immediately subject unto the First that is to say to the Scripture-Bishops there having been given him in Scripture a twofold power first a power of ordaining inferiour Presbyters next of Governing or Ruling them when so ordained Had you but fairly transcribed the Doctor 's whole Period you must have added to your Citation these following words though soon after even before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches And had you read unto the end of that excellent Annotation you would have found Epiphanius for Bishop Timothy his power or jurisdiction over Presbyters from 1 Tim. 5.1 19. Where whatever the word Presbyter may be concluded to import whether a single Priest in the common notion of the word Presbyter subjected to the Bishop or a Bishop subjected to the Metropolitan it equally make's against you that Bishop Timothy had power to rebuke and to receive an Accusation against a Presbyter which no meer Presbyter can pretend to have over another This would imply a contradiction to wit that an equall is not an equall because a Ruler and a Judge to the very same person to whom he is an equall The same use is to be made of what is cited from Theophylact concerning Titus * Ibid. to wit that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgement as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination of so many Bishops was committed to him And I pray Sir remember one special Emphasis which evidently lye's on the Doctor 's words Which do not run thus the Title of Presbyters in Scripture times belonged onely to the Bishops but if not onely yet at least Principally to them And therefore however the case might be whether onely or not onely all the course of his arguing will be equally cogent and unresistible 5. Now for your minor that most of your Ordainers are such Pastors you prove it by saying first they are Pastors But this is petitio principii with a witnesse to say they are because they are And 't is a gross transition ab Hypothesi ad Thesin to say they are such Pastors because they are Pastors The word Pastor in our dayes doe's commonly signify a Priest to whom is committed a Cure of Soules And when I have lately so us'd it it hath been onely in complyance with that vulgar Catachresis But in the use of Scripture and antient Writers Pastor signifies him to whom the charge of the Flock is Originally intrusted whereas our English acception of the word Rector which is not the Scriptural or antient stile is wholly extended to a deputed or partiary Government in the Church to wit a Government over part of the Pastors Diocess which Pastor in the old stile hath the plenary charge committed to him Your error therefore was very great in confounding the Pastors with the Rectors of the people unless you spake with the vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and supposing that so you did you spake completely besides the purpose And whereas you say in your Margin Mr. T. P. call's himself Rector of Brington I know not what you can mean by it unless an unkilfull intimation that I arrogate to my self somewhat more then is my due And therefore to undeceive either your self or your Readers I must tell you that in all Records which concern this Church or its Incumbent in all Leases and Compositions and Iudgments of Law in all Directions and Orders which have ever been sent by Supreme Authority the Church hath been stiled the Rectory and the Incumbent the Rector of it You may gather the reason from Mr. Sparrow's Learned Rationale upon the Book of Common Prayer The chief Rector oâ— a Parish called the Cardinal Priest of old quia incardinatus in Beneficio was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the rest under him his Clerks Where there were Chantries as there were in most Churches of England their assisting the Rector of the Church made up that Form of speech the Priest and Clerks And Brington being a Parish consisting of five distinct Members hath occasion'd the Rector in all times to be at the charge of an Assistant I have told you what I mean whensoever I write my self Rector of Brington If Mr. Cawdrey hath meant more when he hath written himself as publickly the Rector of Billing I leave him to give you a Reason for it Having done with your Argument and with your persoâ—all reflection I shall observe but one thing more to wit that whilst you say most of your Ordainers are such Pastors as Dr. Hammond spake of in Scripture-times which yet I hope you will retract you imply a confession that some are not Nor can I see by what meanes you will excuse your selves unto your selves for having admitted of such Ordainers As for your second and third sentences in your Sect. 5. p. 199. You have an answer included in what went before and so you will have in that which follows For Sect. 38. In your seventh Chapter Presbyterians are not Bishops by having Deacons under them p. 203. Sect. 18. You again pretend to fetch an Argument from the words of the Reverend Dr. Hammond Your naked affirmation is express'd in these words Where there are no such Presbyters with a President it is yet enough to prove him a Bishop that he hath Deacons under him or but one Deacon Your pretended proof of this assertion is from the words of Doctor H. which now ensue When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few converted they ordained in every City and Region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him there being at the present so small store out of which to take more and so small need of ordaining more Reduce this proofe into a Syllogisme which may serve your interest in any measure and it will be like your former most dishonourably false For thus you must form it do what you can if you intend to make it in imitation of a proof A primitive Bishop had no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him A Presbyter hath no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him therefore a Presbyter is a Primitive Bishop Here you see are three affirmatives in the second Figure And by an Argument so form'd I will prove you to be anything either Fish or Fowle
with which you have any the least Agreement Reduce your proof then a second time into a syllogisme truly made and your case will be alter'd but nothing mended Your fall into the Fire will indeed be regular but you will get no more by it than if you continue in the frying-pan For your truly form'd Syllogism will be but thus whosoever hath none but a Deacon or Deacons to attend him is a Primitive Bishop A Presbyter hath â—one but a Deacon or Deacons to attend him Therefore a Presbyter is a Primitive Bishop Here the matter is as untoward as the Form was before The Major proposition being admirably false For though a man may be a Bishop who hath no more to attend him when no more are to be had and that because no more are needfull which is the thing that Dr. Hammond hath often taught you yet his having no more doth not prove him to be a Bishop which was the thing to be proved from Dr. Hammond When Ignatius reckons the Three Orders Bishops Priests and Deacons 't is as impossible for him to meane that Priests are Bishops as that Deacons are Priests For though every Bishop is a Priest it can no more follow that every Priest is a Bishop than it can possibly follow that every Animal is a man because it is true that every man is an Animal A Primitive Bishop and a meer Presbyter may have a Conversion per Accidens and another conversion by Contraposition but a simple conversion they cannot have To say they can without proof is but the begging of the Question which being sure to be denyed you I shall advise you to beg no more I will conclude this subject with a remarkable passage of Mr. Thorndike And I will do it so much the rather because the weightiness and the price of that excellent Volume may probably keep it from the perusal of vulgar Readers who onely meddle with the cheapest Bookes Mr. Thorndik's judgement of Presbyt Ordinations c. In his Epilogue to the Tragoed Of the Ch. of Engl. Concl. p. 408. The Presbyterians sometimes pleade their Ordination in the Church of England for the authority by which they ordaine others against the Church of England to do that which they received authority from the Church of England to do provided that according to the order of it A thing so ridiculously senseless that common reason refuseth it Can any state any society do an act by virtue whereof there shall be right and authority to destroy it Can the Ordination of the Church of England proceeding upon supposition of a solemn promise before God and his Church to execute the ministry a man receiveth according to the order of it inable him to do that which he was never ordained to do Shall he by failing of his promise by the act of that power which supposed his promise receive authority to destroy it Then let a man obtaine the Kingdom of Heaven by transgressing that Christianity by the undertaking whereof he obtained right to it They are therefore meer Congregations voluntarily constituted by the will of those all whosâ— acts even in the sphere of their ministry once received are become voide by their failing of that promise in consideration whereof they were promoted to it Voide I say not of the crime of Sacriledge towards God which the usurpation of Core constituteth but of the effect of Grace towards his people For the like voluntary combining of them into Presbyteries and Synodes createth but the same equivocation of words when they are called Churches to signifie that which it visible by their usurpation in point of fact not that which is invisible by their authority in point of right For want of this authority whatsoever is done by virtue of that usurpation being voide before God I will not examine whether the form wherein they execute the Offices of the Church which they think fit to exercise agree with the ground and intent of the Church or not Onely I charge a peculiar nullity in their consecrating the Eucharist by neglecting the Prayer for making the elements the dody and blood of Christ without which the Church never thought it could consecrate the Eucharist Whether having departed from the Church Presbyteries and Congregations scorne to learne any part of their duty from the Church least that might seem to weaken the ground of their departure or whether they intend that the elements remaine meer signes to strengthen mens faith that they are of the number of the elect which they are before they be consecrated as much as afterwards the want of consâ—cration rendering it no Sacrament that is ministred the ministring of it upon a ground destructive to Christianity renders it much more Immoderatâ— viâ—ulence towards those of the Episcopal way Sect. 39. I now returne to your long Preface from whence I stept into your book that the things of one Nature might be consider'd together in one Head That for which I am next to complain of you unto your self is your immoderate bitternesse to the Episcopal way and to the men of all qualities who dare to own it Many Gushes of it there are of which I will here transcribe a few * Praef. to Disp. of Church-Gov p. 17. We see that most of the ungodly in the land are the forwardest for your waies You may have almost all the Drunkards Blasphemers and Ignorant haters of godliness in the Country to vote for you and if they durst againe to fight for you at any time The spirit of prophaneness complyeth with you Ibid. and doteth on you in all places that ever I was acquainted in * Grot. Rel. p. 113. should one of you now pretend to be the Bishop of a Diocess you would have a small Clergy and none of the best and the people in most Parishes that are most ignorant drunken prophane unruly with some civil persons of your mind c. * P. 114. The cause of their love to Episcopacy is because it was a shadow if not a shelter to the Prophane heretofore and did not trouble them with discipline and because they troubled and kept under the Puritanes whom they hated But if you did not exercise Discipline on them your Churches would be but the very sinks of all other Churches about you to receive the filth that they all cast out and so they would be so great a reproach to Episcopacy that would make it vile in the eyes of sober men So that a Prelatical Church would in the common account be near kin to an Alehouse or Tavern to say no worse * â— 11â— So that for my part were I your enemy I would wish you a toleration but being really a friend to the Church and you I shall make a better motion c. Whilst you rail at this rate not onely without but against all reason nor onely beside but against your own knowledge as if it were your design to be voted for an ill
to these expressions as if you had purposely reserved your whole stock of virulence for whosoever should happen to use you gently Dr. Heylin and I whilst you were capable did use you as gently as you could wish You have acknowledged our Candor and put it also upon Record Yet in how prodigal a manner have you bestow'd your whole stock upon him and me allowing me onely a treble portion for having most of all exceeded in my expressions of Love and Moderation Compare my first behaviour towards you which had something in it to oblige but nothing at all to provoke you with your acknowledgments of the same in the first addresse which you made unto me and call your self to an accompt what it was which could ingage you in such an uncharitable Requital You made Confession to * p. 281. Mr. Tombes of your guilt in this kind But pleaded too in your own excuse †Ibid. p. 274. that you had not the twentieth part of Mr. Calvin's keenness to Baldwin and Cassander * Ibid. p. 281. and that you are less Censorious now then ever Is this to the credit of Mr. Calvin that he was twenty times worse then Mr. Baxter in point of railing Never did Bolsec revile him more And if in your last three Volumes you have shew'd us the fruits of your amendment we do earnestly desire you to mend no more But if you meditate an answer either to me or to any else of the Church of England do not addict your self to Calumny and think it sufficient to call it keenness It was not keenness but Falshood which made me think it my duty to change my stile If it shall prove to do you good I shall change it again in your Commendation Deal but Faithfully with me and shew your Favour to whom you please For if you bring but Truth with you your greatest Freedom will â—ind most welcome For the Reverend and my much respected Friend Doctor Peter Heylin at Lacies Court in Abbingdon REVEREND SIR HAving so far comply'd with my inclinations as to begin with the second part of your Certamen Epistolare wherein you have excellently cleared our Common Mother from the Historical part of a dishonest Rhapsodie which Mr. Hickman the man of scorn as you have fitly * P. 19â— describ'd his Nature by the signification of his Name had most dishonorably purloined from those two Ordinary Collections Mr. Prinn's Antiarminianism and his Canterburie's Doom in which your pertinent observation you have many men's eyes to bear you witness who had long since observed as much in private as you have now made †P. 149 150. known in print and having read it quite over with as many degrees of satisfaction as our deplorable Filtcher hath done with grief I hold it my duty to send my thanks in as publick a manner of conveyance as that by which I received my obligation My obligation would have been weighty although it had lain upon me no otherwise than upon every true Son of the Church of England and even so you might have challenged my hearty thanks But that you were pleas'd to * P. 116. consider the multiplicity of my Employments and in that consideration to bear a part of my Burden that you were pleas'd to chastise so inconsiderable a Scribler and to do it chiefly at my incâ—tement notwithâ—tanding my being a stranger to you this I take to be a favour for which it is not sufficient to pay you thanks unless I also deâ—â—re your pardon I say your pardon so much the rather because I knew the Disparity between your persons I well consider'd it was below you to oâ—pose your strength to so much weakness I knew the man was unworthy of so much Favour as to fall under the weight of so Grave a hand Nay not to conceal any thing from you which stand's in need of an excuse I did esteem him the meanest Disputant that I had ever yet dealt with in these affaires I found Mr. Barlee some Formes above him and wonder'd why he made use of so poor a helâ—er Nay though I alwaies intended and still intend to call his Rhapsody to account not so much for the weakness as the extreme great wickedness of the thing yet did I intend it as nothing elâ—e but a resolute act of my Cond scension to which for the safety of his Disciples I shall cheerfully stooâ— as my Leisure serve 's me But being engaged with Mr. Baxter before Mr. Hickman had put his name to the English writings of other men as I shall manifest hereafter in greater meâ—â—ure then you imaginâ— and timely foreseeing iâ— would be late before my manifold Employments of greater moment would give me leave to descend to so mean a taske and having been importun'd by diverse persons to let out the wind of that Bladder which popular breath had puff'd up to so great a Bigness and verily thinking it unsafe as well for him as his poor Admirers to let him prosper in his impiety and pride himself in his unhappiness untill I could have leisure to mâ—ke him humbler and conceiving that Mr. Prinn was a Learned person as well as a person of yeares and Quality who could not cease to be the Author of all those Arguments of which Mr. Hickman is the Transcribâ—t by their being reprinted in any Plagiarie's Name and knowing well that those Arguments might very usefully be answer'd though not as filtch'd by Mr. Hickman yet as belonging to Mr. Prin and calling to mind the great Readiness as well as exactness of your Conceptions joyn'd to the zeal which you had shew'd for the Church of England and your personal concernment in diverse Calumnies and slanders which the Brasier as you call him had cast upon you I took upon me so great a Confidence how unhappily soever a stranger to you as to sollicite you to ingage against the Historicall way of arguing which yet you know I did acknowledge too much below you As for the part which is remaining concerning the positive entity of Sin in which alone I am peculiarly concern'd and which you tell me you * P. 149. leave to my sole management making me also a greater Complement then either my Modesty or my Merit is any way able to support I make no doubt but I shall publish such an accompt of that affaire as will noâ— faile of your approbation 'T were easie to do it in a few pages so as to give satisfaction to men of Learning but then it would not be so easie to vulgar Readers whom I do chiefly consider in what I publish that they may not be in danger to think that Sins are God's Creatures by thinking God is the Creator of all things reall And it being my purpose not onely to humble and put to silence but to Convince and convert so bold a Libertine I shall contentedly be as large in my intended enterprise as needes I must be to be pâ—rspicuous