so distant a Nature and Consideration that it is very reasonable to believe his Design was to amuse and not to instruct and edify his Reader 3. He seems to have a greater Kindness for the Papists than the Lutherans He can afford them the Title of Learned Papists But contemns the Lutherans all along as miserable and foolish Triflers Nay he has brought in St. Paul among the Jesuites formerly and here we shall find him again rankt among the Roman Adversaries so that in time he may possibly set up for a Papist Reconciler and I believe his common place Book is furnished with Materials for such a Work as well as for this which he has put out under another Title 4. In Reference to the several Parties he mentions Dr. Womock would say there has not been sufficient said to convince them of their Errours if others had not said more to the purpose to confute them than this Reconciler 5. If Con-substantiation be a foolish Doctrine yet 't is but a Metaphysical Speculation and so innocent of its own Nature it never brake the Peace in that Communion wherein 't is entertained 6. Tho this Reconciler would fain get into the Chair and pass his Sentence we pretend not to judge such as are not within our own Jurisdiction Let them Stand or Fall to their own respective Masters 't is enough when we have occasion to consider their Tenents to evince their Falsehood if we can and to discover their dangerous Consequence if they have any 7. Our Discourse relates to such as attempt to Subvert that Order and Government under which they have been bred and to which they owe Subjection 'T is true Contenders are ever stiff Judg. 8. 1. cap. 12. 1. 1 Sam. 19. 43. and confident and many times they are most fierce who have the worst Title But we know the Truth cannot lie on both sides nor can the Light of Evidence be equal to their Advantage Yet the Parties will not yield unless they be determin'd by Authority which is a clear Demonstration of the Necessity of Governours without whom now a dayes especially instead of being a Law unto himself every Man wou'd be a Gospel to himself and take what Liberty he list To prevent the Mischief of such Licentiousness we have these Commands upon us Obey them that Heb. 13. 17. Mat. 18. 17. have the Rule over you and he that will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen Man and as a Publican And 't is Calvins own Doctrine That Men who are Contentious against the Custom and Practice of the Church in the Ad 1 Cor. 11. 16. use of Decent Rites are not to be treated with Disputations to gratify their itch of contending but to be bridled by Authority otherwise there could be no end of Strife and consequently no bounds set to the Exorbâ—tances of wicked Men For Jam. 3. ver 16. where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work But Authority should have some Rule to proceed by and Who shall give it Dr. Womock he sayes has borrowed a Rule from our Roman Adversaries Why Did Soto ever write against the Church of England He presented his Book de Naturâ and Gratiâ to the Council of Trent whereof he was a Member and it 's like he writes something therein against the Lutherans whose Doctrines this Reconciler contemns as foolish and trifling and so as for as we can see he is as much an Advocate for the Roman Party as their Adversary But What is his Quarrel to the Rule Will no Rule serve his turn but such a one as is without Exception Where shall we find it But let us give Soto's Rule fair Play and let it speak for it self He is supposed to Err through Malice who has been so far admonished that he cannot justly pretend Ignorance or may easily be convinced of it Can there be any thing said more rational If he cannot pretend ignorance or may easily be convinced of it and yet will persist in his errour Then his Fault proceeds not from the weakness of his Understanding but from the Pravity or corrupt Inclination of his Will which the School-Men call Malice For Passion and Surprize can have no place or pretence here where things are done with so much Deliberation and continued in against a Known Law and a just Authority as well as against frequent and publick Admonitions and when stubborness is added to the Opinion and Practice then of a matter of Choice and Knowledge it becomes Heresy But Why did the Reconciler single out Soto to the Combate when Perkins and St. Paul were in the same File on the Front and on the Rear of him and Verdict 100 101. no less concern'd in the Dispute than he Such Transgressions as our Reconciler undertakes to Excuse or Vindicate are hardly consistent with Mr. Perkins definition of weak Ones For these he saith are such as have turned to God and carry in their Hearts a Purpose in all things to please God and if they do amiss 't is out of simple Ignorance or bad Custom and 't will last no longer than till they be better inform'd but if after a sufficient Information they hold and practice bad things 't is then of willful Ignorance and of Malice and in that case He calls them Obstinate And for St. Paul his decretory Sentence is this A man that is an Heretick after Tit. 3. 10 11. the first and second admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself This is a General Rule laid down by Apostolical Authority and prescribed to the Governours of the Church who are to take their measures from the Epistles to Timothy and Titus which were wrote on purpose for their Directions and not from the Epistles to the Romans where it does not appear that Church-Governours are concern'd at all much less directed in their Office And because that Rule of St. Paul is of so great importance I shall be the more large in giving the sence of it according to the exposition of the most learned Protestants By a Heretick the Apostle meanes Sectarium Hominem saith Aretius Sectarum Authorem the Author of Sects or a Sectary as Bullinger and Hyperius and others have it Calvin makes no distinction betwixt the Heretick and Schismatick in this place for he saith Ambitiosos omnes praefractos contentiosos qui Libidine impulsi turbant Ecclesiae pacem ac dissidia concitant hoc nomine comprehendit He comprehends under this Title all Ambitious Stubborn and Contentious Men who upon the impulse of their own lust stir up Discord and disturb the Peace of the Church In summa quisquis suâ proterviâ unitatem ecclesiae abrumpit is Haereticus vocatura Paulo Whosoever breaks the Peace of the Church by his frowardness St. Paul calls him an Heretick And yet further to reach such as set up Conventicles among us Quoties eo
Suffragium Protestantium Wherein Our GOVERNOURS ARE Justifyed In Their Impositions and Proceedings Against Dissenters Meisner also and the Verdict rescued from the Cavils and Seditious Sophistry of the Protestant Reconciler By Dr. LAURENCE WOMOCK Arch-Deacon of Suffolk Col. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc dico Ne quis vobis imponat Oratione speciosa Per falsas Ratiocinationes Sive ex malitia sive ex Inscitia Id Fiat London Printed for Robert Clavel at the Peacock in St. Pauls Church-yard 1683. A Special Verdict Against the PROTESTANT RECONCILER S. Paul foretold that after his departure grievous Wolves should enter in with a design and malice not to spare but to devour the Flock these were Wolves in Sheeps cloathing whose business was to steal to kill and to destroy but these were not all and perhaps not the most pernicious of the Churches Enemies He foretells further that also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them And this Prophecy is fulfilled in our Reconciler For among others he is risen up with his perverse Principles to make and engage a Party Had he intended the satisfaction or information of his Superiors his Duty would have prompted him to have presented his Papers humbly into their hands and with a modest submission to have expected the result of their wise Councils But a Noverint Vniversi was fitter to carry on his popular Design and to caress his dear Vain-glory. He should have come in the Spirit of Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers unto the Children the Holy Fathers Mind and Principles their Faith and Affections into the Children and the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just That what the Fathers have believed and practised â— L. Brug ad â—uc 1. 17. Paul de Palatiâ— in Mal. 4. 6. the Children may also embrace and follow He could have told them that Christ having assured his Disciples that God who hears the Addresses of His Church he streightly commands them also to hear Her upon pain of forfeiting Her which is the same with His Blessing being deservedly for their contumacy in their Disobedience turned out of Her Communion as Publicans and Heathens He might have been pleased to take notice how Christ resolves the case of Conscience about the Tythe of Mint and Cummin and the weightier matters of the Law saying unto such as were concerned to be well informed These things Matth. 23. 23. ought ye to have done and not to have left the other undone How Christ observed not only the service solemnly established but such Customs and Festivals as had no divine Institution laying down this for a Rule of Conscience Thus it behoves us to fulfill all Righteousness He might have put them in mind as Matth. 3. 15. Tit. 3. 1. St. Paul exhorts to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey their Spiritual Guides in their Conduct and to submit to their Orders in regard that Heb. 13. 7. 17. 1 Cor. 14. the spirit of the very Prophets ought to be subject to the greater authority of the Prophets He knows very well that we ought not to be contentious about the Customs and Practices of the Church when they do not supersede the Commands of God nor interfere with them That the Governors of the Church have a great Authority from our Lord and are intrusted in his stead to set things in Order for Edification and Decency in Gods public Worship and Service And when they have done this with great prudence and deliberation that the subjects are to do their duty without murmuring or disputing and to honour such their Governors very highly for their work-sake If not he could have informed his Readers That Christ hath furnisht those Governors with the power of the Keys to shut the door as well as to open it with a Rod for Discipline Authority to mark and censure to admonish and rebuke sharply to stop their mouths who speak preverse things and to reject them from the Communion of Christ's Church if they will neither obey her commands nor regard her admonitions Are they not entrusted by our Lord to make Orders for Discipline and to take the measures of Decency by their own Judgment and Prudence and when they have estabished all things to God's Glory the Peace and Edification of the Church is it our Duty to follow our Guides or to controul them to confront our Governors or to obey them When a difference arose betwixt the Jews and Gentile Converts 't was thought the most prudent and likely Way to compose it to have recourse to Acts 15. Acts 16. 4. the Apostles and Elders about it and the Holy Ghost did assist them in the Decision and S. Paul himself carried about the Decrees to be kept But our Reconciler takes another course to buoy up a sinking Cause and Faction He Censures all the Governors of Church and State decrys their Impositions and directly quarrels their Authority Yet 't was the Resolution of the Brittish Acta Synod in jol De aequitate Decreti Synodici pag. 139. Divines at the Synod of Dort In adiaphoris Supremus Magistratus vice Dei ostendit quid expedit decet The Supreme Magistrate declares in God's stead what is decent and expedient in things indifferent This the whole Synod assented to and by this Rule they justified their Proceedings against the Remonstrants And if the pretence of Christian Liberty be allowed to retrench the Kings Prerogative in Church-matters 't will soon follow the Pope's Practice in Ordine ad Spiritualia and invade his Authority in Temporals All times have afforded examples of turbulent Spirits who thought their Christian Liberty could not consist without the downfall of the Civil Power That their Religion did exempt them from all the Laws and Ordinances of men and gave them a Priviledge to oppose and banish the very Office of the Magistrate from among Argument Ep. ad Rom. 6. Ad Rom. 13. them This Calvin as well as Bullinger has observed And Gualter tells us that the Jews elated with the conceit of their Ancient Dignity took it in great disdain that the Posterity of Abraham Eâ— ad Rom. 13. and the Elect people of God should be in Subjection to the Romans wherefore they made frequent Insurrections to recover their Ancient Liberty and 〈◊〉 had not quite cast off these Principles of Sedition when they embraced the 〈◊〉 of the Gospel Many also of the 〈◊〉 did with no less impaâ—â—â—â—e bear the Yoak of such as were the Professed Enemies of Christ and 〈◊〉 Gospel And 〈◊〉 these a sort of subtil 〈◊〉 did insinuate themselves and having 〈◊〉 the Grace of God into 〈◊〉 that they might enjoy 〈◊〉 câ—rnal satisfactions with the greater license and impunity as St. Jude ob 〈…〉 they made it their business to â—bolish Government By this means the Christian Religion 〈…〉 among such as were in Authority as the Parent and Breeder of Tumults
their Duties without doubt He would have injoyn'd them to defend the Congregation of the Faithful and to restrain those incroaching Wolves For we see St. Paul himself smote the false-Prophet Barjesus with Blindness because he endeavour'd obstinately to maintain a Falshood and to reject the Truth And if an Heretick is only to be avoided and not also to be punished Why did the Apostle smite Elymas with Blindness Why did our Lord Command to take the false-Prophet from among the Living But you will say He Commanded these things under the Law True But Magistracy was not Abrogated with the Law for now as well as then 't is the Gift of God Besides the Liberty of the Law belongs Tim. 1. 9 10. only to them that walk after the Law Wherefore seeing we are obliged to receive the Law in all things which are not Repugnant to the Gospel or to sound Doctrine no Man whatsoever under any pretence of the Gospel shall ever obtain of us to suffer false-Doctrine to encrease in the Church of God without restraint These are very true and plausible Sayings to wit That Faith is the Gift of God That Faith is not wrought in any Man by the Power of the Sword but these signify nothing to the present purpose For we do not speak concerning Internal Faith as the Gift of God but concerning the Doctrine of Faith as the Profession of our Religion which we desire to promote not so much by restraining their Incredulity nor their Opinions as false but as they become infectious I confess Faith and Unbelief are of the Heart no Man can judge of them but by Men's Words and overt Actions we may judge of them St. Augustin was sometime of that August advincent Epist Ordine 48. Opinion That Hereticks were to be dealt with only by the Word of God but he afterwards confessed That many Reasons and Examples had prevailed with him to be of another Perswasion But What need so many Words The Church and Christian Truth must necessarily be asserted and defended from Errours Blasphemies are to be punished and we must take care of the Sound Members of the Church that they be not infected by the Rotten But the Manner of performing this Godly Zeal the judgment of Faith and Christian Charity must prescribe that herein we do nothing either too much or too little 'T is the Bishop's Duty to warn to restrain and to use all Opportunity and Importunity to gain him that is out of the Way But if in contempt of the Truth he shall still go on in the Errour of his Wayes and also strive to draw others with him into the same Errour then his Stubbornness and Errour is to be refuted by the Word of Truth in the Face of the Church and care to be taken lest any one should give credit to the Impostor Besides the Magistrate also is to be put in mind if he be remiss and the Wolf proceeds more and more to infest the People of God to have a greater care of God's Flock that the Wolves may not set upon them For such Mischiefs are to be removed from the People of God who as much as is possible are to be Preserved Lastly The Punishment is to be inflicted upon Offenders not for their Ruin but Salvation to wit that they may repent Nor are we presently to proceed to a Capital Punishment against those that are in Errour or infected with Heretical Pravity but when their Blasphemies are so Execrable that they cannot be born with without reproach to God Or when the obstinacy of Erring does manifestly tend to the Subversion of Religion and the Laws Established and they are openly and truly convicted hereof For there is a great Difference between him that doth not Err out of Malice and him who Errs willfully and out of a design to do Mischief Nor are all Offences to be Capitally Punished for sometimes the Punishment is Corporal sometime Pecuniary as the Quality of the Offence and the Equity of the Law shall require This Learned Protestant was of Opinion That in certain Cases the Magistrate should Assist the Bishop to suppress Sectaries And such a one he accounts him that is a Broacher of Execrable Blasphemies to the high Dishonour of Almighty God and whose stubborn and seditious Practices do manifestly tend to the Subversion of Religion and Piety good Order and the Lawes Establish't and yet even in this Case he does not approve of such a Procedure as savours of Wrath and Bitterness Pius enim Magistratus inquit c. A Pious Magistrate sayes he would rather argue thus What can't the Truth prevail with you Can't the the Authority of the Scriptures Can't the undoubted Faith and Religion of all Ages Can't the Care and Diligence of all Pious Men Can't an Holy Oath and taken in a good Matter move you Can't the Fear of God Can't the Charity you owe to your Neighbour Can't the publick Peace and Tranquility perswade you Can't you Perish alone but you must draw others with you into Perdition Morere igitur tuâ culpâ tuoque vitio si salutem quam vivus excludis invenias Moriens You must Dye therefore by your own Willfulness and Stubbornness if you think you can find that Salvation when you are Dead which you now refuse while you are alive And this Learned Protestant tells us He Disputed the more copiously in this Point against such as thought they did the Church great Service if they left it free for every Man to revive the Heresy of the Donatists Arrians Pelagians Novatians and others Disputare libere Factionesque nectere To Dispute freely about these things and to make Factions To Bullinger I shall add the Judgment Ad Tit. 3. 8 9. 10 11. in locis Communib De Processu cum Haeret n. 17. p. m. 571. of a later Protestant Professor Joannes Crocius He moves the Question Whether it be Lawful for the Christian Magistrate to restrain Hereticks and we must remember what Calvin has observed viz. That Schismaticks are comprehended under the same title Faith as a thing that pertains to Conscience is to be perswaded not compel'd As Stephen King of Poland said very fitly God hath reserved three things to himself To make something of nothing To foretell future Contingencies and to rule over Conscience For Compulsion for the most part does not make Believers but Hypocrites But for all this saith he the Magistrate may compel his Subjects both by Laws and Penalties to the Means of Faith that is to hear the Word And being obliged to secure his Subjects in the true Religion He is concerned to keep out such as would Advance and Propagate Sects and Errours to remove them if they be entred in to divest them of their Dignities and if the Peace of the Church cannot be preserved otherwise to proscribe or imprison them according to the Quality of their Offence that by such means they may if possible be brought unto Repentance And thus
name the Persons that are so censured let him repeat the Words and cite the Page or Pages where this Censure is to be found If he can produce none of these things I have Commission in Dr. Womock's Name to proclaim him a malicious and shameless Libeller But 't is a small matter with him to Judge and Libel Dr. Womock he has the forehead to do as much by his Prince and all that are in Authority in Church and State and is it possible for the Dissenters to escape his Lash Indeed P. 114. he concludes them a Pack of damned Villains who go astray out of Pride Malice Stubbornness and he saith p. 108 We have cause to fear the thing is too true that there be men of this Malicious Proud Stubborn Temper among the Body of Dissenters But alas Good man he would not Censure them for a World And yet at another time he thinks p. 58. 59. fit but it is in the Spirit of Meekness to ask them these few Questions Do they prefer Mercy before Sacrifice who will not submit to Rites or Circumstances or to the Use of things no where forbidden in the Word to prevent Schism and all the dreadful Consequences of it But rather will give cause to their Superiours to Judg them scandalous Resisters of Authority and pertinacious Disturbers of the Churches Peace Are they compassionate towards the Sheep according to our Lord's Example who rather will refuse to become Labourers in his Harvest and Teachers of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God than submit to these little Things in order to their regular Performance of this Blessed Work Do not they scandalize offend and contribute unto the Ruin of Christ's Little Ones who do involve them in a wretched Schism on the account of things which they may Lawfully submit to Do not they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men who forbid them to enter when they may Do not they impose heavy Burthens also who say to their Disciples Hear not the Common-Prayer Receive not the Sacrament kneeling Suffer not your Children to be signed with the Cross Communicate not with that Minister who wears a Surplice or with that Church who imposeth any Ceremonies or any Constitutions But concerning the Time and Place of performing publick Worship If the Good Shepherd should lay down his Life for the Sheep should not they lay down their unnecessary Scruples for their sakes If nothing doth so scandalize Christ's Followers as to find their Teachers at Discord and divided can They act as becometh his Disciples who are not willing to procure Unity and Concord and to avoid this Scandal by their Submission to things indifferent in their own Nature and not forbidden in the Law of God Now whether this be not much more Magisterial and not a whit less Censorious than any thing that fell from the pen of Dr. Womock in his Verdict let the Reader Judge However Dr. Womock is not much concern'd at the Reproaches of his Prayers but thinks fit to return his Charity in the Exprobration and Command of our Common Judge which may concern Luc. Brug Significatur Curiositas intuendi in alienos errores Studio reprelendendi the Reconciler no less then Dr. Womock Mat. 7. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers Eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own Eye ver 5. Thou hypocrite first cast out beam out of thine own Eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy Brothers Eye And now we may take leave to reflect upon the other Mistakes and false Suggestions in this Paragraph 1. What dormant Warrant he may have to pass the Decretory or Final Sentence of Damnation upon any Person I cannot tell but I am sure there is no such Warrant to be found in Scripture nor any such Sentence to be pronounced by any man without the Spirit of Prophecy 2dly Whereas He saith the Dissenters differ only from us about Meats or Festivals or things Indifferent in which God's Kingdom does by no means consist We say otherwise The Difference is in matters of Obedience under the command of Righteousness and in matter of Uniformity under the command of Peace which with Joy in the Holy Ghost are the very Foundation and Pillars of God's Kingdom For he that in these things Rom. 14. 17. 18. serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. 3dly For our Saviours Prohibition Judge not Mr. Calvin saith His Verbis praecise non prohibuit Christus a Judicando which is flatly opposite to the Reconciler Christ by these Words doth not precisely forbid Judging but would cure a disease which is commonly bred of Curiosity or Malevolence Calvin But to condemn all Sin is not only Lawful but Necessary unless we have a mind to Bark against God to abrogate his Laws to rescind his Judgments and to overthrow his Tribunal For he will have us be the Heraulds of that Sentence which he hath pronounced against the Wickedness of men though withal we are obliged to be so modest as to acknowledg him the only Judge and Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy The Publick Judgment of Prince Praelates Senates whose Office it is to condemn the Guilty and absolve the Innocent being no less necessary than beneficial to Civil Societies is by no means forbidden by our Saviour and why should Divines study Cases of Conscience but to Judge and satisfie such as are Scrupulous and Doubtful and a good man that values his Soul his Conscience his Interest in Christ in Grace and Heaven would be glad to receive some Satisfaction therein and if he be wise he will apply himself to some Ghostly Father to that Effect but how can He do him good if he doth not Judge for him The Judgment our Saviour forbids is Private and not all private Judgment neither but only what is Rash and Malicious To condemn Crimes Manifest and Notorious that is not to Judge but to follow God's Judgments who hath expresly condemned Them already in his Word We are forbidden to Judge of Others when their Actions are Doubtful but not when their Works are Manifest and the matter of Fact clear and out of Question as St. Augustine hath resolved it and our Lord before him in that Direction By their Fruits ye shall know them which is to be understood of such manifest Deeds as cannot be done of a Good mind such as Theft Whoredome and all matters of Fraternal Correction which cannot Irenaeus 2. 4. c. 49. be performed without a Proevious Judgment which therefore cannot be here forbidden They therefore abuse this Testimony saies Mr Calvin who under In Mat. 7. 1. pretence of that Moderation which Christ commends would take away all distinction of Good and Evil. 4thly But the Reconciler urgeth That those places of Scripture may Justly be suppos'd to forbid the Judging and Condemning of our Brother without sufficient cause To this I