haue much wickednesse in the City where wee liue you in the Church But in earnest doe you imagine wee account the Kingdome of England Babylon or the Citie of Amsterdam Sion It is the Church of England or State Ecclesiasticall which wee account Babylon and from which we withdraw in spirituall Communion but for the Common-Wealth and Kingdome as we honour it aboue all the States in the World so would we thankfully imbrace the meanest corner in it at the extremest conditions of any people in the Kingdome The hellish impieties in the Citie of Amsterdam doe no more preiudice our Heauenly Communion in the Church of Christ than the Frogs Lice Moraine and other plagues ouer-spreading Aegypt did the Israelites when Goshen the portion of their inheritance was free Exod. 8.19 nor than the Deluge wherewith the whole World was couered did NOAH when he and his Familie were safe in the ARke Genes 7. nor than Satans throne did the Church of Pergamus being established in the same Citie with it Reuel 2.12 13. SECTION LIII THe Church and State if they bee two yet they are twins and that so The neerenesse of the State Church the great errours found by the Separatists in the French and Dutch Churches as eithers euill proues mutuall the sinnes of the Citie not reformed blemish the Church where the Church hath power and in a sort comprehends the State shee cannot wash her hands of tolerated disorders in the Common-Wealth hence is my comparison of the Church if you could haue seene it not the Kingdome of England with that of Amsterdam I doubt not but you could bee content to sing the old song of vs Bona terra mala gens Our Land you could like well if you might bee Lords alone Thanks be to God it likes not you and iustly thinks the meanest corner too good for so mutinous a generation when it is weary of Peace it will recall you you that neither in Prison nor on the Seas nor in the Coasts of Virginia nor in your way nor in Netherland could liue in Peace What shall wee hope of your ease at home Where yee are all you thankfull Tenants cannot in a powerfull Christian state moue God to distinguish betwixt the knowne sinnes of the Citie and the Church How oft hath our Gracious Soueraigne and how importunately beene sollicited for a Toleration of Religions It is pittie that the Papists hyred not your Advocation who in this point are those true Cassanders Cassand de Offic. boni viri which Reuerend Caluin long since confuted Their wishes herein are yours To our shame and their excuse his Christian heart held that Toleration vnchristian and intollerable which you either neglect or magnifie Good Constantine winkt at it in his beginning Bellar. de Laicis Euseb in vita Const but as Dauid at the house of Zeruiahâ— Succeeding times found these Canaanites to bee prickes and thornes and therefore both by Mulcts and banishments sought either their yeeldance or voydance If your Magistrates hauing once giuen their names to the Church indeuour not to purge this Augean Stable how can you preferre their Communion to ours But howsoeuer now lest wee should thinke your Land-lords haue too iust cause to packe you away for Wranglers you turne ouer all the blame from the Church to the Citie yet your Pastor and Church haue so found the Citie in the Church and branded it with so blacke markes as that all your smooth extenuations cannot make it a lesse Babylon than the Church of England Behold now by your owne Confessions either Amsterdam shall be or England shall not be Babylon These eleuen crimes you haue found and proclaimed in those Dutch and French Churches Fr. Iohns Artic. against the French and Dutch Churches FIRST That the Assemblies are so contriued that the whole Church comes not together in one So that the Ministers cannot together with the Flocke sanctifie the Lords day the presence of the members of the Church cannot be knowne and finally no publike action whether Excommunication or any other can rightly be performed Could you say worse of vs Where neither Sabbath can bee rightly sanctified nor presence or absence knowne nor any holy action rightly performed what can there be but meere confusion SECONDLY That they baptize the seede of them who are no members of any Visible Church of whom moreouer they haue not care as of members neither admit their Parents to the Lords Supper Meere Babylonisme and sinne in constitution yea the same that makes vs no Church for what separation can there bee in such admittance what other but a sinfull commixture How is the Church of Amsterdam now gathered from the World THIRDLY That in the publike worship of God they haue deuised and vsed another forme of Prayer besides that which Christ our Lord hath prescribed Matth. 6. reading out of a Booke certaine Prayers inuented and imposed by man Behold here our fellow-Idolaters and as followes a daily Sacrifice of a set Seruice-Booke which in stead of the sweet Incense of spirituall Praiers is offered to God very Swines-flesh Barr. against Gâ—ff a new Portuise and an equall participation with vs of the Curse of addition to the Word FOVRTHLY That rule and commandement of Christ Matth. 18.15 they neither obserue nor suffer rightly to bee obserued among them How oft haue you said that there can bee no sound Church without this course because no separation Behold the maine blemish of England in the face of Amsterdam FIFTHLY That they worship God in the Idoll Temples of Antichrist so the Wine is marr'd with the Vessell their seruice abomination with ours neither doe these Antichristian stones want all glorious ornaments of the Romish Harlot yet more SIXTLY That their Ministers haue their set maintenance in another manner than Christ hath ordained 1 Chron. 14. and that also such as by which any Ministerie at all whether Popish or other might be maintained Either Tythes or as ill Behold one of the maine Arguments whereby our Ministerie is condemned as false and Antichristian falling heauy vpon our Neighbours SEVENTHLY That their Elders change yeerely and doe not continue in their Office according to the Doctrine of the Apostles and practise of the Primitiue Church What can our Church haue worse than false Gouernors Both annuall and perpetuall they cannot be What is if not this a wrong in Constitution EIGHTLY That they celebrate marriage in the Church as if it were a part of the Ecclesiasticall Administration a foule shame and sinne and what better than our third Sacrament NINTHLY That they vse a new censure of suspension which Christ hath not appointed no lesse than English presumption TENTHLY That they obserue daies and times consecrating certaine daies in the yeere to the Natiuitie Resurrection Ascension of Christ Behold their Calendar as truely possessed Two Commandements solemnly broken at once and we not Idolaters alone ELEVENTHLY which is last and worst that they receiue vnrepentant Excommunicates
of priuiledge of intirenesse Religion is the greatest care aduices for cariage and improuement of trauell challenge the next place I need not counsell you to keepe your state with affability and so to menage your selfe as that your courtesie may be more visible then your greatnesse Nature hath taught you this and hath secretly propagated it from your father who by his sweetnesse of disposition wonne as many hearts as by his valour and munificence I rather tell you that a good nature hath betrayed many who looking for that in others which they found in themselues haue at last complained of their owne credulity and others deceit Trust not strangers too much with your counsell with your person and in your greatest familiarities haue an eye to their common disposition and infirmities Those natures wherewith you conuerse are subiect to displeasure and violent in pursuit of small indignities Yesterday heard I named from no vnfaithfull report a French Courtier that in single combat hath sent 18 soules from the field to their place yet he euer as the patient in the quarrell and for this mentioned with more than excuse I censure not how iustly This is others care Onely hence I argue the rifenesse of vnkindnesse taken and pursued You shall see that the soyle is not so diuers as the inclination of persons who in all Climates though they differ in particulars yet still agree too well in common faults The Italian deepe close and crafty the French rash the German dull One not forward to offer wrongs but apprehensiue of a small wrong offered another prone eyther to take or giue them but not vneasie to remit another long in conceiuing long in retaining What doe I exemplifie There are long Catalogues of peculiar vices that haunt speciall places which if they were not notoriously infamous my charity would serue me to particularize It were pity there should be fewer vertues locall and proper There are good vses to be made of others enormities if no more by them to correct our owne who loaths vice in another is in good forwardnesse to leaue it in himselfe The view of the publike calamities and disorders of other Churches shall best teach you thankfulnesse for the better state of ours But better vse of their vertues by how much it is more excellent to know what we should doe than what should not You must now looke vpon all things not with the eye of a stranger only but of a Philosopher but of a Christian which accounts all losse that is not reduced to practice It is a great praise that you are wiser by the contemplation of forraigne things but much greater that you are better That you haue seene Cities and Courts and Alpes and Riuers can neuer yeeld you so sound comfort as that you haue lookt seriously into your selfe In vaine doe we affect all forraign knowledge if we be not throughly acquainted at home Thinke much and say little especially in occasions of dispraise wherein both a little is enough and oft times any thing is too much You cannot inquire too much that which in vs inferiors would be censured for dangerous curiosity in your Greatnes shall be construed as a commendable desire of knowledge Aske still after men of greatest parts and reputation and where you finde Fame no lyer note and respect them Make choyce of those for conuersation which either in present or in hope are eminent and when you meet with excellencies in any faculty leaue not without some gaine of knowledge What are others graces to you if you onely admire them not imitate not appropriate them Lo your equals in time grow vp happily in the Colledge so I may terme it of our yong and hopefull Court which you haue left and aboue all that gratious President of worthinesse and perfection whom while in all other things you serue you may without reproofe emulate for learning vertue piety My selfe am witnesse of their progresse which I doe ioyfully gratulate to the succeeding age Beware lest their diligence shall out-strip you and vpbraid you with that ancient check of going far and faring worse I am bold and busie in counselling you abound with better monitors and the best you cary about I hope in your owne bosome Though these should be needlesse yet they argue my humble affection and discharge my duty My prayers are better than my counsels both of them hearty and vnfained for your good God guide and returne you safe from a iourney not more happy and prosperous than I wish it To Sir ROBERT DRVRY and his LADY EPIST. IX Concerning my Remoue all from them WIth how vnwilling a heart I leaue you hee knowes that searches the heart Neyther durst I goe but that I sensibly see his hand pulling mee from you Indeed desire of competency betrayed me at first and drew mine eyes to look aside but when I bent them vpon the place and saw the number and the need of the people together with their hunger and applause meeting with the circumstances of Gods strange conueyance of this offer to me I saw that was but as the Fowlers feather to make me stoope and contemning that respect of my selfe I sincerely acknowledged higher motiues of my yeelding and resolued I might not resist You are deare to me as a charge to a Pastor If my paines to you haue not proued it suspect mee Yet I leaue you God calls me to a greater worke I must follow him It were more ease to me to liue secretly hidden in that quiet obscurity as Saul amongst the stuffe then to be drawne out to the eye of the world to act so high a part before a thousand witnesses In this point if I seeme to neglect you blame me not I must neglect and forget my selfe I can but labour wheresoeuer I am God knowes how willingly I doe that whether there or here I shall digge and delue and plant in what ground soeuer my Master sets me If hee take me to a larger field complaine you not of losse while the Church may gaine But you are mine owne Charge No wise father neglects his owne in compassion of the greater need of others yet consider that euen carefull Parents when the Prince commands leaue their families and goe to warfare What if God hath called me to heauen would you haue grudged my departure Imagine I am there where I shall bee although the case be not to you altogether so hopelesse for now I may heare of you visit you renue my holy counsels and be mutually comforted from you there none of these He that will once transpose me from earth to heauen hath now chosen to transpose me from one peece of earth to another what is here worthy of your sorrow worthy of complaint That should be for my own good this shall be for the good of many If your experience haue taught you that my labors doe promise profit obtaine of your selfe to deny your selfe so much as to reioyce that the losse of
of the Romish Church will not admit Reconciliation SECTION VII The Romish Heresie concerning Iustification SECTION VIII Concerning Free-will SECTION IX Concerning Merits SECTION X. Concerning Satisfaction SECTION XI Concerning Purgatorie SECTION XII Concerning Pardons SECTION XIII Concerning the distinction of Mortall and Veniall sinne SECTION XIV Concerning the Canon of the Scripture SECTION XV. Concerning the insufficiencie of Scripture SECTION XVI Concerning the authoritie of Scripture SECTION XVII Concerning Transsubstantiation SECTION XVIII Concerning the Multi-presence of Christs bodie SECTION XIX Concerning the sacrifice of the Masse SECTION XX. Concerning the number of Mediators and the Inuocation of Saints SECTION XXI Concerning the Superstitious Heathenish and ridiculous worship of the Papists SECTION XXII Concerning the impossibilitie of the meanes of Reconciliation THE OPINION OF George Cassander A LEARNED PAPIST AND GRAVE DIVINE That by two seuerall Emperors FERDINAND and MAXIMILIAN was set on worke to compose these quarrels of the CHVRCH In his consultation pag. 56. 57. YEt J cannot denie but that in the beginning many out of a godly zeale and care were driuen to a sharpe and seuere reproofe of certaine manifest abuses and that the principall cause of this calamitie and distraction of the Church is to bee laid vpon those which being puffed vp with a vaine insolent conceit of their Ecclesiasticall power proudly and scornefully contemned and reiected them which did rightly and modestly admonish their reformation Wherefore my opinion is that the Church can neuer hope for any firme Peace vnlesse they make the beginning which haue giuen the cause of the distraction that is vnlesse those which are in place of Ecclesiasticall Gouernment will bee content to remit something of their too much rigor and yeeld somewhat to the Peace of the Church and hearkening vnto the earnest Prayers and Admonitions of many godly men will set themselues to correct manifest abuses according to the rule of Diuine Scriptures and of the ancient Church from which they haue swarued NO PEACE WITH ROME SECT I. The state of the now-Roman Church THERE is no one question doth so racke the mindes of men G. Cassand l. de Consult Art 7. Ex articulo hoc de Ecclesia omnis haec distractio quae hodie est in republica Christiana originem ducit at this day as this of the Church The infancy of the Church was sore and long vexed with heresies of an higher nature concerning God concerning Christ which stil strook at the head but her vigorous hoary age is exercised with a slighter quarrell concerning our selues which yet raiseth vp the greater broyles euery where by how much euery man naturally loues himselfe more than God Not to meddle with any forraine questions of this nature Too many seeme vnto me to mis-conceiue the state of our Church the Romish as if they had beene alwaies two as if from their first foundations they had been sensibly seuered in time and place like to Babylon and Hierusalem Aug. de Ciuit. or those two famous Cities opposed in S. Austens learned discourse Hence are those idle demands of some smattering questionists Where our Church hath thus long hid it selfe What yeere and day it came to light in which age that other Church lost it selfe Why we haue withdrawne our selues no further from them What is become of our sorefathers Which was the religion of the former world From hence haue those sharpe and rigorous censures passed on both sides whether of nouelty or of the desperate condition of those soules which haue departed out of our owne way Alas what monsters both of opinions and questions haue risen hence and haue vexed not their owne Authors onely for the Delphick Oracle said well It is fit a man should haue as he doth Iulian Caes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudicum si quis quae secit perferat aequum est but together with them the whole Church of God How many silly soules haue splitted vpon this rocke which had neuer needed any votiue monument of their wracke if they had but learned to hold no other difference betwixt vs and Rome than must needs be granted betwixt a Church miserably corrupted and happily purged betwixt a sickly languished and dying Church and one that is healthfull strong and flourishing Neither therefore did that Valdus of France nor Wickliffe of England nor Hierom of Prague Anno. Do. 1160. nor Luther of Germany euer goe about to frame a new Church to themselues which was not but onely endeuoured not without happy successe to cleanse scoure restore reforme that Church which was from that filthy soyle both of disorder errors wherewith it was shamefully blemished Al these rather desired to be accounted Physitians to heale than parents to beget a Church And the same haue we carefully done euer since do seriously and ingenuously professe of our selues this day Rome is alike to vs as it was of old to Hierome with Eugubium Rhegium Alexandria saue that this citie is both more famous Hierom. Epist ad Euagr. more neere vs Places do not varie either faith or title What Church soeuer God shall call daughter wee will call sister and so we safely may How many honest and chaste matrons haue we knowne that haue beene ashamed of a lewd sister and haue abhorred filthinesse in one of their owne bloud So it fareth now with vs Rome is ouergone with heresie with Idolatrie Let her practise her whoredome at home by her selfe It was not for vs with the safegard of our honestie to dwell with such a partner Not onely her wickednesse hath thrust vs out but her violence We yeeld therefore and sorrowfully complaine with the Prophet Esa 21.22 How is the faithfull citie become an harlot It was full of iudgement and iustice lodged therein but now it is full of murderers Thy siluer is become drosse and thy wine is brewed with water Away with the imperious name of a mother Wee are all the same Church by the virtue of our outward vocation whosoeuer all the world ouer worship Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world and professe the same common Creed some of vs doe this more purely Iren. l. 1. c. 2.3 others more corruptly In the meane time we are all Christians but sound Christians wee are not But how harslhly doth this sound to a weake Reader and more than seemes to need reconciliation with it selfe that the Church should be one and yet cannot be reconciled certainly yet so it is The dignitie of the outward forme which comprehends this vnitie in it selfe auailes nothing to grace nothing to saluation nothing to the soundnesse of doctrine The net doth not straight make all to bee fish that it hath dragged together ye shall finde in it vile weeds and whatsoeuer else that deuouring Element hath disgorged The Church is at once One in respect of the common principles of faith and yet in respect of consequences Cyp.l. 3.
soyle of our owne Vniuersities and Innes of Court nothing is more preiudiciall than speed Perfection is the childe of Time neither was there euer any thing excellent that required not meet leisure but besides how commonly it is seene that those which had wont to swimme onely with bladders sinke when they come first to trust to their owne armes These Lap-wings that goe from vnder the wing of their damme with the shell on their heads runne wilde If Tutors bee neuer so carefull of their early charge much must bee left to their owne disposition which if it leade them not to good not onely the hopes of their youth but the proofe of their age lies bleeding It is true that as the French Lawyers say merrily of the Normans which by a speciall priuilege are reputed of full age at 21. yeares whereas the other French stay for their fiue and twentieth that Malitia supplet atatem so may I say of the younglings of our time that Precocitie of vnderstanding supplieth age statute but as it is commonly seene that those blossomes which ouer-runne the spring and will be looking forth vpon a February-Sunne are nipped soone after with an Aprill frost when they should come to the knitting so is it no lesse ordinary that these rathe-ripe wits preuent their owne perfection and after a vaine wonder of their haste end either in shame or obscuritie And as it thus falls out euen in our Vniuersities the most absolute famous Seminaries of the world where the Tutors eye supplies the Parents so must it needs much more in those free and honourable Innes as they are called for their libertie Colleges for their vse of our English Gentry wherein each one is his owne master in respect of his priuate study and gouernment Where there are many pots boyling there cannot but be much scumme the concourse of a populous citie affords many brokers of villany which liue vpon the spoyles of young hopes whose very acquaintance is destruction How can these nouices that are turned loose into the maine ere they know either coast or compasse auoid these rockes and shelues vpon which both their estates and soules are miserably wracked How commonly doe they learne to roare in stead of pleading and in stead of knowing the lawes learne how to contemne them Wee see and rue this mischiefe and yet I know not how carelesse we are in preuenting it How much more desperate must it then needs be to send forth our children into those places which are professedly infectious whose very goodnes is either impietie or superstitiō If we desired to haue sons poysoned with misbeleefe what could we doe otherwise Or what else doe those Parents which haue bequeathed their children to Antichristianisme Our late iourney into France informed me of some ordinary factors of Rome whose trade is the transporting and placing of our popish nouices beyond the seas one whereof whose name I noted hath bin obserued to carry ouer six seuerall charges in one yeare Are we so foolish to go their way whiles we intend a contrary period Doe we send our sonnes to learne to be chaste in the midst of Sodome The world is wide and open but our ordinary trauell is southward into the iawes of danger for so far hath Satans policie preuailed that those parts which are only thought worth our viewing are most contagious and wil not part with either pleasure or information without some tang of wickednes What can we plead for our confidence but that there is an boushold of righteous Lot in the midst of that impure Citie that there are houses in this Iericho which haue scarlet threds shining in their windowes that in the most corrupted aire of Poperie some well reformed Christians draw their breath and sweeten it with their respiration Blessed be God that hath reared vp the towers of his Sion in the midst of Babylon We must acknowledge not without much gratulation to the Gospell of Christ that in the very hottest climates of opposition it findes many clients but more friends and in those places where authority hath pleased to giue more aire to the truth world haue had many more if the Reformed part had happily continued that correspondence in some circumstances with the Roman Church which the Church of England bath hitherto maintained God is my record how free my heart is both from partialitie and preiudice Mine eies and eares can witnesse with what approofe and applause diuers of the Catholiques Royall as they are tearmed entertained the new-translated Liturgy of our Church as maruelling to see such order and regular deuotion in them whom they were taught to condemne for hereticall Whose allowances I well saw might with a little helpe haue been raised higher from the practise of our Church to some points of our iudgement But if true religion were in those parts yet better attended and our young Traueller could find more abetters and examples of pietie on whom we might relie yet how safe can it bee to trust young eies with the view and censure of truth or falshood in religion especially when truth brings nothing to this barre but extreme simplicity and contrarily falshood a gawdy magnificence and proud maiesty of pompous ceremonies wherewith the hearts of children and foolts are easily taken That Curtizan of Rome according to the manner of that profession sets out her selfe to sale in the most tempting fashion here want no colours no perfumes no wanton dresses whereas the poore Spouse of Christ can onely say of her selfe I am blacke but comely When on the one side they shall see such rich shrines garish Altars stately Processions when they shall see a Pope adored of Emperors Cardinals preferd to Kings Confessors made Saints little children made Angels in a word nothing not outwardly glorious on the other side a seruice without welt or gard whose maiestie is all in the heart none in the face how easily may they incline to the conceit of that Parisian dame who seeing the procession of S. Genoueisue goe by the streets could say O que belle c. How fine a religion is ours in comparison of the Hugenoes Whereto must be added that supposing they doe not carry with them but rather go to fetch the language of the place some long time needs be spent ere they can receiue any helpe to their deuotion whiles in the meane season their vnthriuing intermission is assailed with a thousand suggestions And who sees not that this lucrumcessans as the Ciuilians terme it offers an open aduantage to a busie aduersarie SECT VI. IN a word it hath beene the old praise of early rising that it makes a man healthfull holy and rich whereof the first respects the body the second the soule the third the estate all fals out contrary in an early trauell For health The wise prouidence of God hath so contriued his earth and vs that he hath fitted our bodies to our clime and the natiue sustenance of the place vnto