Prescience by which he seeth all things past and all things to come as if present with him And therefore having past a general Decree of Predestination touching the saving of all those which believe in Christ and knowing most infallibly who and how many of all Nations will believe in Christ continue in the faith to the end of their lives and consequently attain salvation The number of the persons so Predestinated is as well known unto him in the universal comprehension of his Heavenly Prescience as if they had been personally elected unto life Eternal the accomplishing of which number that so his Kingdom may be hastned and the hastning of his Kingdom that we with all the rest which are departed in the true faith of his holy Name may have our perfect Consummation and bliss both in body and soul is the scope and purpose of that Prayer And being the sole scope and purpose of it cannot imply such a Personal and Eternal Election as some men imagine though it conclude both for a number and for a certain number of Gods Elect. CHAP. X. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Reprobatin and Universal Redemption 1. The absolute Decree of Reprobation not found in the Articles of this Church but against it in some passages of the publick Liturgy 2. The cause of Reprobation to be found in a mans self and not in Gods Decrees according to the judgment of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper 3. The Absolute Decrees of Election and Reprobation how contrary to the last clause in the seventeenth Article 4. The inconsistency of the Absolute Decree of Reprobation with the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ 5. The Vniversal Redemption of man-kind by the death of Christ declared in many places of the publick Liturgy and affirmed also in one of the Homilies and the Book of Articles 6. A further proof of it from the Mission of the Apostles and the Prayer used in the Ordination of Priests 7. The same confirmed by the writings of Archbishop Cranmer and the two other Bishops before mentioned 8. A Generality of the Promises and an Vniversality of Vocation maintained by the said two godly Bishops 9. The reasons why this benefit is not made effectual to all sorts of men to be found only in themselves AS the speaking of Heaven doth many times beget the discovery of Hell so the foregoing discovery of Predestination to Eternal life conducts me to the speaking of a few words concerning the Doctrine of Reprobation Rejection Eternal death a point of which the Church of England is utterly silent leaving it to be gathered upon Logical inferences from that which is delivered by her in the point of Election for contrariorum contraria est ratio as Logicians say though that which is so gathered ought rather to be called a Dereliction than a Reprobation No such absolute irreversible and irrespective Decree of Reprobation taught or maintained in any publick Monument of Record of the Church of England by which the far greater part of man-kind are preordained and consequently pre-condemned to the pit of torments without any respect had unto their sins and incredulities as generally is maintained and taught in the Schools of Calvin Much I am sure may be said against it out of the passages in the Liturgy before remembred where it is said that God hath compassion upon all men and hateth nothing which he hath made but much more out of those which are to come in the second Article touching the Universal Reconciliation of man-kind unto God the Father by the death of Christ Take now to more than this one Collect being the last of those which are appointed for Good Friday on which we celebrate the memorial of Christ his death and passion and is this that followeth viz. Merciful God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldst the death of a sinner but rahter that he should be converted and live have mercy upon all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved amongst the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one Shepherd Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer as utterly inconsistent with the Calvinians Decree of Reprobation as the finding of an Hell in Heaven or any thing else which seems to be most abhorrent both from faith and piety More may be said against it out of the writings of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper before remembred Latimer in his 4. Sermon third Sunday after Epiphany 4. Serm. in Lincoln Beginning first with Latimer he will tell us this viz. That if most be damned the fault is not in God but in themselves for Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would that all men should be saved but they themselves procure their own damnation Thus also in another place That Christ only and no man else merited Remission Justification and Eternal Felicity for as many as believe the same that Christ shed as much blood for Judas as for Peter that Peter believed it and therefore was saved that Judas could not believe it therefore was condemned the fault being in him only and no body else More fully not more plainly the other Bishop in the said Preface to the Exposition on the Ten Commandments where it is said That Cain was no more excluded from the promise of Christ till he excluded himself than Abel Saul than David Judas than Peter Esau than Jacob concerning which two brethren he further added That in the sentence of God given unto Rebecca that there was no mention at all that Esau should be disinherited of Eternal life but that he should be inferiour to his brother Jacob in this world which Prophecy saith he was fulfilled in their Posterity and not the persons themselves the very same withat of Arminius and his followers have since declared in this case And this being said he proceedeth to this Declaration That God is said by the Prophet to have hated Esau not because he was disinherited of Eternal life but in laying his mountains and his heritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.3 that the threatning of God against Esau if he had not of wilful malice excluded himself from the promise of grace should no more have hindred his salvation than Gods threatning against Nineve that the cause of Rejection or Damnation is sin in man which will not hear neither receive the promise of the Gospel And finally thus That by Gods grace we might do the good Exposit of the Command cap. of Ignor. and leave the evil if it were not through malice or accustomed doing of sin the which excuseth the mercy and goodness of God and maketh that no man shall be excused in the latter judgment how subtilly soever they now excuse the matter and put their evil doings from them and
too much to our ancient Martyrs c. exemplified in the parity of Ministers and popular elections unto Benefices allowed by Mr. John Lambert Page 547 2. Nothing ascribed to Calvins judgment by our first Reformers but much to the Augustine Confession the Writings of Melancthon Page 548 3. And to the Authority of Erasmus his Paraphrases being commended to the use of the Church by King Edward VI. and the Reasons why ibid. 4. The Bishops Book in order to a Reformation called The institution of a Christian man commanded by King Henry VIII 1537. correcied afterwards with the Kings own hand examined and allowed by Cranmer approved by Parliament and finally published by the name of Necessary Doctrine c. An. 1543. ibid. 5. The Doctrine of the said two Books in the points disputed agreeable unto that which after was established by King Edward VI. Page 549 6. Of the two Liturgies made in the time of King Edward VI. and the manner of them the testimony given unto the first and the alterations in the second Page 550 7. The first Book of Homilies by whom made approved by Bucer and of the Argument that may be gathered from the method of it in the points disputed ibid. 8. The quality and condition of those men who principally concurred to the Book of Articles with the Harmony or consent in judgment between Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Hooper c. Page 551 9. The Doctrine delivered in the Book of Articles touching the five controverted points ibid. 10. An Answer to the Objection against these Articles for the supposed want of Authority in the making of them Page 552 11. An Objection against King Edwards Catechism mistaken for an Objection against the Articles refelled as that Catechism by John Philpot Martyr and of the delegating of some powers by that Convocation to a choice Committee Page 553 12. The Articles not drawn up in comprehensible or ambiguous terms to please all parties but to be understood in the respective literal and Grammatical sense and the Reasons why ibid. CHAP. IX Of the Doctrine of Predestination delivered in the Articles the Homilies the publique Liturgies and the Writings of some of the Reformers 1. The Articles differently understood by the Calvinian party and the true English Protestants with the best way to find out the true sense thereof Page 555 2. The definition of Predestination and the most considerable points contained in it ibid. 3. The meaning of those words in the definition viz. Whom he hath chosen in Christ according to the Exposition of S. Ambrose S. Chrysostom S. Jerom as also of Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Latimer and the Book of Homilies Page 556 4. The Absolute Decree condemned by Bishop Latimer as a means to Licentiousness and Carnal living ibid. 5. For which and making God to be the Author of sin condemned as much by Bishop Hooper ibid. 6. Our Election to be found in Christ not sought for in Gods secret Councils according to the judgment of Bishop Hatimer Page 557 7. The way to find out our Election delivered by the same godly Bishop and by Bishop Hooper with somewhat to the same purpose also from the Book of Homilies ibid. 8. The Doctrine of Predestination delivered by the holy Martyr John Bradford with Fox his gloss upon the same to corrupt the sense Page 558 9. No countenance to be had for any absolute personal and irrespective decree of Predestination in the publique Liturgie ibid. 10. An Answer to such passages out of the said Liturgie as seem to favour that opinion as also touching the number of Gods Elect. CHAP. X. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Reprobation and Universal Redemption 1. The absolute Decree of Reprobation not found in the Articles of this Church but against it in some passages of the publick Liturgie Page 560 2. The cause of Reprobation to be found in a mans self and not in Gods Decrees according to the judgment of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper ibid. 3. The Absolute Decrees of Election and Reprobation how contrary to the last clause in the seventeenth Article Page 561 4. The inconsistency of the Absolute Decree of Reprobation with the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ ibid. 5. The Vniversal Redemption of man-kind by the death of Christ declared in many places of the publick Liturgie and affirmed also in one of the Homilies and the Book of Articles Page 502 6. A further proof of it from the Mission of the Apostles and the Prayer used in the Ordination of Priests ibid. 7. The same confirmed by the Writings of Archbishop Cranmer and the two other Bishops before mentioned Page 563 8. A Generality of the Promises and an Vniversality of Vocation maintained by the said two godly Bishops ibid. 9. The reasons why this benefit is not made effectual to all sorts of men to be found only in themselves ibid. CHAP. XI Of the Heavenly influences of Gods grace in the Conversion of a Sinner and a mans cooperation with those Heavenly influences 1. The Doctrine of Deserving Grace ex congruo maintained in the Roman Schools before the Council of Trent rejected by our ancient Martyrs and the Book of Articles Page 564 2. The judgment of Dr. Barns and Mr. Tyndal touching the necessary workings of Gods grace on the will of man not different from that of the Church of England Page 565 3. Vniversal grace maintained by Bishop Hooper and approved by some passages in the Liturgie and Book of Homilies ibid. 4. The offer of Vniversal grace made ineffectual to some for want of faith and to others for want of repentance according to the judgment of Bishop Hooper ibid. 5. The necessity of Grace Preventing and the free co-operation of mans will being so prevented maintained in the Articles in the Homilies and the publique Liturgie Page 566 6. The necessity of this co-operation on the part of man defended and applied to the exercise of a godly life by Bishop Hooper ibid. 7. The Doctrine of Irresistibility first broached by Calvin pertinaciously maintained by most of his followers and by Gomarus amongst others Page 567 8. Gainsaid by Bishop Hooper and Bishop Latimer ibid. 9. And their gain-sayings justified by the tenth Article of King Edwards Books Page 568 And 10. The Book of Homilies ibid. CHAP. XII The Doctrine of Free-will agreed upon by the Clergy in their Convocation An. 1543. 1. Of the Convocation holden in the year 1543. in order to the Reformation of Religion in points of Doctrine Page 569 2. The Article of Free-will in all the powers and workings of it agreed on by the Prelates and Clergie of that Convocation agreeable to the present Doctrine of the Church of England ibid. 3. An Answer to the first Objection concerning the Popishness of the Bishops and Clergie in that Convocation Page 571 4. The Article of Free-will approved by King Henry VIII and Archbishop Cranmer Page 572 5. An Answer to the last Objection concerning the Conformity of
lay it upon the Predestination of God and would excuse it by ignorance or say he cannot be good because he is otherwise destined which in the next words he calls A Stoical Opinion refuted by those words of Horace Nemo adeo ferus est c. But that which makes most against the absolute irrespective and irreversible Decree of Predestination whether it be life or death is the last clause of our second Article being the seventeenth of the Church as before laid down where it is said that we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture and that in all our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared to us in holy Scriptures And in the holy Scripture it is declared to us That God gave his Son for the World or for all mankind that Christ offered himself a Sacrifice for all the sins of the whole World that Christ redeemed all mankind that Christ commanded the Gospel to be preached to all that God wills and commands all men to hear Christ and to believe in him and in him to offer grace and salvation unto all men That this is the infallible truth in which there can be no falshood otherwise the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospel preaching the same should be false witnesses of God and should make him a liar than which nothing can be more repugnant to the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination which restrains Predestination unto life in a few particulars without respect had to their faith in Christ or Christs sufferings and death for them which few particulars so predestinate to eternal life shall as they tell us by an irresistible Grace be brought to God and by the infallible conduct of the holy Spirit persevere from falling away from grace and favour Nothing more contrary to the like absolute decree of Reprobation by which the infinitely greatest part of all mankind is either doomed remedilesly to the torments of Hell when they were but in the state of Creability as the Supralapsarians have informed us and unavoidably necessitated unto sin that they might infallibly be damn'd or otherwise as miserably leaving them under such a condition according to the Doctrine of the Sablapsarians which renders them uncapable of avoiding the wrath to come and consequently subjected them to a damnation no less certain than if they were created to no other purpose which makes it seem the greater wonder that Dr. Vsher afterwards Lord Primate of Ireland in drawing up the Article of predestination for the Church of Ireland Anno 1615. should take in so much as he doth of the Lambeth Articles and yet subjoyn this very clause at the foot thereof Article of Ireland Numb 12.14 17. which can no more concorporate with it than any of the most heterogeneous metals can unite into one piece of refined Gold which clause as it remaineth in the Articles of the Church of England how well it was applyed by King James and others in the Conference at Hampton Court we shall see hereafter In the mean time we must behold another Argument which fights more strongly against the positive decree of Reprobation than any of the rest before that is to say the reconciliation of all men to Almighty God the universal redemption of mankind by the death of Christ expresly justified and maintained by the Church of England For though one in our late undertaking seem exceeding confident that the granting of universal redemption will draw no inconvenience with it as to the absoluteness of Gods decrees or to the insuperability of converting Grace Cap. 10. or to the certain infallible perseverance of Gods Elect aftec Conversion Yet I dare say he will not be so confident in affirming this That if Christ did so far die for all as to procure a salvation for all under the condition of faith and repentance as his own words are there can be any room for such an absolute decree of Reprobation Antecedaneous and precedent to the death of Christ as his great Masters in the School of Calvin have been pleased to teach him Now for the Doctrine of this Church in that particular it is exprest so clearly in the second Article of the five before laid down that nothing needs be added either in way of explication or of confirmation howsoever for avoiding of all doubt and hesitancy we will first add some farther testimonies touching the Doctrine of this Church in the point of universal Redemption And secondly touching the applying of so great a benefit by universal Vocation and finally we shall shew the causes why the benefit is not effectual unto all alike And first as for the Doctrine of Universal Redemption it may be further proved by those words in the publick Catechism where the Child is taught to say that he believeth in God the Son who redeemed with him all mankind in that clause of the publick Letany where God the Son is called the Redeemer of the World in the passages of the latter Exhortation before the Communion where it is said That the Oblation of Christ once offered was a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD in the proper Preface appointed for the Communion on Easter day in which he is said to be the very Paschal Lamb that was offered for us and taketh away the sins of the world repeated in the Gloria in excelsis to the same effect Hom. Salvation p. 13. And finally in the Prayer of Conservation viz. Almighty God our heavenly Father which of thy tender mercies didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption who made there by his own Oblation of himself once offered a firm and perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD To this purpose it is said in the book of Homilies That the World being wrapt up in sin by the breaking of Gods Law God sent his only Son our Saviour Christ into this world to fulfil the Law for us and by shedding of his most precious blood to make a Sacrifice and Satisfaction or as it may be called amends to his Father for our sins to asswage his wrath and indignation conceived against us for the same Out of which words it may be very well concluded That the World being wrapt up in sin the Recompence and Satisfaction which was made to God must be made to him for the sins of the World or else the plaister had not been commensurate to the sore nor so much to the magnifying of Gods wonderful mercies in the offered means of Reconcilement betwixt God and man the Homily must else fall short of that which is taught in the Articles In which besides what was before delivered from the second and 31. concerning the Redemption of the world by the death of Christ it is affirmed in the 15. as plain as may be That
given unto them by some godly and devout Disciple it was by them Consecrated for a place of Gods publick worship Now that the Christians of this time had the like places for publick worship as well in other Cities as in Jerusalem and Troas is evident enough from a remarkable passage in S. Pauls Epistle according to the Exposition of the ancient Fathers What saith the Apostle have ye not Houses to eat and drink in 1 Cor. 11.22 or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not Where by the Antithesis or opposition between common Houses destinate unto eating and drinking on the one side and the Church of God designed unto Religious uses on the other side it appeareth plainly unto me that by those words Ecclesiam Dei or the Church of God we are not to understand the Congregation or the men assembled but the very place of the Assembly And to this sense the general current of the Fathers gives a strong assurance none speaking more plainly than S. Austin and therefore I shall give you his words at large Aug. qu. 57. sup Levit. Ecclesia homines sunt faith he de quibus dicitur ut exhiberet sibi gloriosam Ecclesiam Hanc tamen vocari etiam ipsam domuml orationem idem Apostolus testis est ubi ait Nunquid domos non habetis ad manducandum bibendum aut Ecclesiam Dei contemnitis That is to say the word Ecclesia or the Church doth properly signifie those men of whom it is said by the Apostle that he might present it to himself a glorious Church and yet that it doth also signifie the House of Prayer or publick worship is testified by the same Apostle saying Have ye not Houses to eat and to drink in or despise you the Church of God c. See to the same effect and purpose S. Basil in his moral Reg. 30. The Commentaries on S. Pauls Epistles ascribed to Hierome 1 Cor. 11. Sedulius on the same Epistle St. Chrysostom upon the place and finally the same affirmed by Theodoret Theophylact and Oecumenius all good men and true to whom for further satisfaction I refer the Reader The like Argument may be also borrowed from those Texts of the Apostle in which he maketh mention of the Church which was in the House of some particular persons whom he there remembreth the church which was in the House of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16.4 5. and again 1 Cor. 16.19 The Church that is in the House of Nymphas Col. 4.15 The Church that was in the House of Philemon in the first words of that Epistle Where clearly he intendeth not by that expression the Christian Families of those persons whom he there remembreth but the Assemblies of Gods people convened together in their Houses which they had dedicated to those pious and religious exercises as by many other godly persons had been elsewhere done For where he mentioneth the Families of such godly Christians who had not given their Houses or some convenient parts thereof to this publick use he doth it in a different expression and of less significancy as the House of Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 4.19 The Houshold of Aristobulus Rom. 16.18 The Houshold of Narcissus vers 11. Asyncritus c. and the Brethren that are with them vers 14. Philologus c. and all the Saints that are with them vers 15. Brethren and Saints and Housholds in the Texts last mentioned but Churches in the Text before because the Houses of those men or some parts thereof had been converted into Churches for the publick use as the Houses of these last were not And for this Exposition of these Texts of Scripture I must ingenuously confess my self indebted to Joseph Mede a man of most acute and discerning judgment who taking his hint from Oecumenius hath very rationally pressed and enforced this Argument This therefore being taken for granted as I think it may we have not only set and appointed places for Gods publick worship in Jerusalem Troas and Corinth but also at Laodicea where Philemon at Colosse where Nymphas at Rome where Aquila and Priscilla had their Habitations and questionless in many other places accordingly and these too honoured by the Spirit of God with the name of Churches Which makes it the more strange unto me that the name of Church as it denoteth the publick meeting place of Gods people the material Church should grow so much into contempt in these later days that our own Sectaries at home should in derision call those Holy places by the name of Steeple houses or that the Hugonots in France in opposition to the Papists should call them Temples choosing to symbolize rather with the Jews than their Christian Brethren CHAP. VI. What doth occur concerning Liturgies and Set Forms of worship betwixt the death of the Apostles and the Empire of Constantine the Great 1. The Form observed in Baptism and ministration of the Eucharist and in the Celebrating of the Sundays Service according unto Justin Martyr 2. The order used in Baptism and in the publick Meetings of the Congregation in Tertullians time 3. That in those times the use of Psalms and Hymns was intermingled with the other parts of publick worship 4. Tertullian cleared from a wrong sense imposed on him in the point of worship by some late Writers 5. The course and order of the ministration according to the Author of the Constitutions who lived about those times in their accompt who place him latest 6. The order of reading holy Scripture in the Congregation prescribed and regulated in those times 7. Proofs for a publick Liturgie or Set Form of Prayer from the works of Origen 8. As also from the Writings of S. Cyprian 9. Touching the Prayer prescribed by the Emperour Constantine for the use of his Army 10. That prescribed Forms of prayer were not occasioned by the Arian or Pelagian Heresies as it is supposed 11. What was decreed conducing to Set Forms of prayer in the ancient Council of Laodicea 12. Several Offices or Set Forms of Prayer at that time in use agreeably untot he several sorts of people in the Congregation 13. A list of serveral solemn Festivals appointed by the Church for Gods publick worship in these early days 14. Churches erects by the Christians in these two Ages for the publick duties of Religion WHat doth occur concerning Liturgies or set Forms of prayer in the first and Apostolical Ages of the Church of Christ we have seen before We will next look into those times which intervened betwixt the blessed death of S. John the Apostle and the establishment of the glorious reign of Constantine the Emperor During which time the Church was always strugling between hope and fear whether to conquer and bring in the Gentiles or be mastered by them And yet in those uncertain times we find apparent certainty of those publick Forms which we are in quest of and that not only for the Ministration of the holy Sacraments
Evidence he may the better be enabled to give up his Verdict I close up this Address with these words in the Book of Judges cap. 19. v. 30. Consider of it take advice and then speak your minds THE HISTORY OF EPISCOPACY The First PART From the first Institution of it by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ until the death of St. John the Apostle CHAP. I. The Christian Church first founded by our Lord and Saviour in an Imparity of Ministers 1. The several Offices of Christ our Saviour in the Administration of his Church 2. The aggregation of Disciples to him 3. The calling of the Apostles and why twelve in number 4. Of the Name and Office of an Apostle 5. What things were specially required unto the making of an Apostle 6. All the Apostles equal amongst themselves 7. The calling and appointing of the Seventy Disciples 8. A reconciliation of some different opinions about the number 9. The twelve Apostles superiour to the Seventy by our Saviours Ordinance 10. What kind of superiority it was that Christ prohibited his Apostles 11. The several Powers and preheminences given to the Apostles by our Saviour Christ 12. That the Apostles were made Bishops by our Lord and Saviour averred by the ancient Fathers 13. And by the Text of holy Scripture OF all the Types in holy Scripture I find not any that did so fully represent the nature of our Saviours Kingdom as those of David Moses and Melchizedech David a Shepherd Psal 78.71 72. Gen. 14.18 and a King Moses a Legislator and a Prince Melchisedech both King of Salem and a Priest also of the living God as that Text hath stiled him Each of these was a type of our Saviour Christ according to his Regal Office he being like Melchisedech Heb. 7.2 Exod. a King of Peace and Righteousness leading his people as did Moses out of the darkness and Idolatries of Egypt to the land of Canaan 2 Sam. and conquering like David all those Enemies which before held them in subjection This Office as it is supreme so it is perpetual That God who tells us in the Psalms that he had set his King on Zion on his holy mountain Psalm 2. Luke 1.33 hath also told us by his Angel that he should reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there should be no end But if we look upon him in his Sacerdotal and Pastoral Offices if we behold him as a Lawgiver to his Church and people we find him not fore-signified in any one of these but in all together Heb. 5.6 10. A Priest he was after the order of Melchisedech Heb. 3.2 faithful to him that did appoint him as also Moses was faithful in all his house ordering and disposing of the same according to his will and pleasure And as for the discharge of his Pastoral or Prophetical Office God likeneth him to David Ezek. 34.23 by his holy Prophet saying I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard Which Offices although subordinate to the Regal power are perpetual also He was not made a Priest for a time or season but for ever Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum Heb. 5.6 Thou art a Priest for ever said the Lord unto him A Priest who as he once appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 so by that one offering hath he perfected for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 and sitting down at the right hand of God Heb. 7.25 he ever liveth and maketh intercession for them Of the same perpetuity also are those other Offices of Christ our Saviour before remembred He had not been sidelis sicut Moses Estius in Heb. 3. v. 2. faithful as Moses was in all his house i. e. as Estius well expounds it in administratione populi sibi credita in the well-ordering of the charge committed to him had he not constituted a set Form of Government and given the same unto his Church as a Rule for ever Nor had he faithfully discharged the part of David had he looked only to his flock whiles himself was present and took no care for the continual feeding of the same after he was returned to his heavenly glories And therefore Eph. 4.8 11 12 13. when he ascended up on high he gave gifts to men and gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and of the knowledg of the son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ He gave them then indeed after his Ascension when he ascended up on high because he then did furnish them with those gifts and graces wherewith they were endued by the Holy Ghost and thereby fitted for the execution of the trust committed to them by their Lord. For otherwise many of them had been given already not only in the way of choice and designation but of commission and employment Ite Matth. 28.19 docete omnes Gentes had been said before It was not long after our Saviours baptism by John in Jordan that some Disciples came unto him That testimony which came down from God the Father when the Heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended on him like a Dove Matth. 3.16 was of it self sufficient to procure many followers The evidence which was given by John the Baptist added nought to this And yet that evidence prevailed so far John 1.37 that two of his Disciples when they heard him speak forsook their old Master and went after Jesus Nor did it satisfie them that they had found the Christ and had talked with him but they impart the same unto others also Thus Andrew brings in his own Brother Simon Philip invites his friend Nathancel John 1.42 46. One tells another the glad tidings that they had found him of whom Moses in the Law and all the Prophets did write and all of them desire to be his Disciples John 1.45 Afterward as his fame increased so his followers multiplyed and every Miracle that he wrought to confirm his Doctrine did add unto the number of his Proselytes So great his fame was and so great the conflux of all sorts of people that Johns Disciples presently complained I know not whether with more truth or envy John 3.26 Omnes ad eum veniunt that all men came unto him both to hear his preaching and receive his baptism And certainly it was no wonder that it should be so that all men should resort to him who was the way or seek for him who was the truth John 6.86 or follow after him who was the life Lord saith Saint Peter
of the Holy Ghost his first Epistle being inscribed ad Parthos as some Antients say But that he came at last to Asia and there preached the Gospel is a thing past question Eusebius out of Origen doth expresly say it August qu. Evang l. 2. chap. 39. Eccl. Histor l. 3. cap. 1. And though that piece of Origen be lost out of which Eusebius took the same yet we may take it on his word without more authority Nor did he only preach the Gospel in those parts of Asia strictly and properly so called but he also planted many Churches and founded in them many Bishopricks All the seven Churches except that of Ephesus to which he writ his Revelation were partly if not totally his foundation and in all them he constituted Bishops as we shall manifest and declare anon And as for Ephesus although he came too late to plant it yet he came time enough to water it to settle and confirm the same being much weakned and endangered by the sorceries and devices of Apollonius Tyanaeus who for some time did therein dwell as also by the Heresies of Ebion and Cerinthus who at that time lived and therefore rightly doth Ignatius who then lived also joyn him with Paul and Timothy as a Co-founder of that Church Ignat. Epist ad Ephes p. 22◠Edit Vedelian But being in the middle of his course he was sent prisoner unto Rome Anno 92. thence confined to Patmos where he continued till the death of the Emperour Domitian which was in Anno 99. during which time he writ the Revelation And of those Churches I conceive it was that Tertullian speaketh where pleading in defence of the Catholick Faith delivered by the Apostles to the Churches by them severally planted and by the Bishops of those Churches taught and in their successions he thus brings them in Habemus Johannis alumnas Ecclesias c. We have saith he Tertul. lib. 4. contra Marci cap. 5. the Churches founded by Saint John For howsoever Marcion doth reject his Revelation Ordo tamen Episcoporum yet the succession of their Bishops reckoned up unto their original will stand for John to be their founder And probable at their request it was that he writ his Gospel Hier. descrip Fcc. in Johan prooem in Evang 8. Matth. For that he writ it at the intreaty of the Asian Bishops Rogatus ab Asiae Episcopis is positively affirmed by Hierom though like enough it is that other Bishops besides those of his own foundation might contribute their requests and importunities to so good a purpose being all equally afflicted with the pest of Heresies The quality and condition of these Asian Churches Saint John doth punctually describe in his Revelation written in Anno 97. when as he had been four or five years confined to Patmos It seemeth those Churches most of them at the least on the calamity which befel the Apostle in his deportation being deprived of the benefit of so Divine and excellent a Spirit and pressed by the importunity of these active Hereticks willing to make the best advantage of the present time began to stagger in the faith wax cold in their affection to the Gospel and to give way to such false Teachers as were crept in amongst them to rectify what was amiss amongst them and to inform them of their errours did he direct unto them his Apocalypse Apoc. 1.4 To the seven Churches in Asia so it doth begin But when he comes unto particulars to give them every one their particular charge from him who walked in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks then he addresseth his discourse to the Angels only Apoc. 2.1 Cap. 8.12 the Angels of those several Churches Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus and to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna and to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus sic de caeteris Now ask the Fathers what those Angels were and they will tell you that they were the Bishops of those several Churches Saint Austin writing on these words Vnto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus c. makes this observation August Ep. 162. in fine Divina voce sub Angeli nomine laudatur praepositus Ecclesiae that the Bishop or Governour of the Church remember what was said before of the word Praepositus is praised by the voice of Christ Vid. chap. 3. n. 5. under the name of an Angel But first he gives a reason of his resolution shewing that this Expostulation could not be applyed to those Ministring spirits in the Heavens because they still retained their first Love to God and therefore must be understood de praepositis Ecclesiae of the Rulers or Governours of the Church who had given way to false Apostles The like occurreth in his Comment on the Revelation wherein he maketh the Angels of these Churches to be Episcopi aut praepositi Ecclesiarum the Bishops or Rulers of the same The Commentaries under the name of Ambrose pointing unto this place of the Apocalypse Amb. in 1 Cor. cap. 11. give us this short note Angelos Episcopos dicit that by Angels there he meaneth Bishops And these ascribed to Hierom writing on those words Because of the Angels Hier. ib. 1 Cor. 11. observes the same Angelos ecclesiis presidentes dicit that there by Angels Saint Paul intends the Presidents or Rulers of the Churches Finally Oecumenius saith the same Oecumen ca. 1. in Apoca. who speaking of the seven Churches in Asia to whom Saint John addresseth his Discourses observe that John ascribes to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an equal or proportionable number of governing Angels And on those words Id. cap. 2. in Apocal. the seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches makes this gloss or Comment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he calleth these Angels governours of Churches by the name of stars because they borrow all their light from the Sun of Righteousness For Protestant Writers which affirm the same I begin with those which speak most generally and indefinitely Citat apud Marlorat in cap. ◠Apoca. v. 20. Bullin con 6. in Apocal. Id. in con 9. where first we have Sebastian Meyer Ecclesiarum Praefecti stellae Angeli in sacris literis dicuntur the Governours of Churches are called saith he in holy Scripture by the name of Stars and Angels Bullenger to the same effect Angeli sunt legati Dei Pastores Ecclesiarum the Angels are the Messengers of God the Pastors of the Churches in which lest possibly we might mistake his meaning in the word Pastor he tells us not long after that he means the Bishop for speaking of the Angel or the Pastor of the Church of Smyrna he tells us that he was that Polycarpus as it was indeed Ordinatus ab Apostolis ab ipso inquam Johanne Episcopus who was ordained Bishop of that Church by the Apostles nay by John himself Paraeus is as general as the other two but
it not been a graft of his own heavenly planting Which graft what root it took in this present Age in little more than half an hundred years after Christs Ascension we shall best see by looking on this brief Chronologie which I have drawn to that intent The state of Holy Church in this first CENTURY Anno Chr. 34. OVR Saviour Christ suffered and rose again and ascended into glory S. James made Bishop of Hierusalem 35. The conversion of Paul 39. S. Peter takes upon him the Bishoprick or government of the Church of Antioch 41. S. Peter baptizeth Cornelius and his family opening the door of life unto the Gentiles 43. The Disciples first called Christians at Antiochia 44. Bishops ordained by Saint Peter in the Churches of sidon Berytus and Laodicea of Syria and other Cities of the East Saint Peter cometh to Rome and undertaketh the government of the Churches of the Circumcision founded in that City Paul and Barnabas called forth by the holy Ghost to the Apostleship of the Gentiles 45. Euodius made Bishop of Antioch S. Mark ordained Bishop of Alexandria 46. Saint Peter ordaineth many of his Disciples Bishops and sendeth them abroad into France Italy and Spain 49. Saint Paul ordaineth Presbyters in Churches of his Plantation 50. Eucherius one of St. Peters Disciples made Bishop of the Church of Triers in Germany 51. The Jews banished from Rome by Claudius Caesar in which regard Saint Peter leaving Rome committeth the government of his Church to Cletus by birth a Roman The Apostolical Council in Hierusalem Saint Paul maketh his first Journey into Macedonia 52. Saint Paul first Preacheth at Athens Corinth c. 55. Saint Paul taketh up his aboad at Ephesus and from thence writeth to those of Corinth 57. Timothy ordained by Saint Paul the first Bishop of Ephesus Titus ordained Bishop of Crete by the same Apostle Other of Pauls Disciples ordained Bishops for the Eastern Churches 58. Saint Paul calleth the Elders from Ephesus to Miletum 59. Saint Paul brought Prisoner unto Rome takes on himself the Government of the Churches of the Gentiles there 60. Archippus Bishop of the Colossians Epaphroditus ordained Bishep of the Philippians 61. Crescens made Bishop of Vienna in Daulphine Paul passeth into Spain leaving the Church of Rome to the care of Linus 63. Simeon elected Bishop of Hierusalem in the place of James by the joynt consent of the Apostles and Disciples 64. Anianus succeedeth Mark in the Bishoprick of Alexandria 67. Saint Peter planteth Churches and ordaineth Bishops in the Isle of Britain 68. Peter and Paul return to Rome 69. The Martyrdom of Peter and Paul at Rome by command of Nero. 70. Linus and Cletus or Anacletus succeed the two Apostles in the government of their Churches there 71. Ignatius succeedeth Euodius in the See of Antioch 74. Valerius succeeds Eucherius in the Church of Triers 80. Saint John taketh up his abode in Asia planting and confirming the Churches there and ordaining Bishops in the same 81. Linus being dead Clemens succeedeth him in the government of the Church of the Gentiles in Rome 84. Polycarpus made Bishop of Smyrna by Saint John 87. Abilius succeedeth Anianus in the Bishoprick of Alexandria 92. Saint John confined unto Patmos by Domitianus 93. Cletus or Anacletus being dead the Churches of the Circumcision in the City of Rome and parts adjoyning became united with the Gentiles under the Government of Clemens 97. Saint John writeth the Apocalypse to the Seven Churches in Asia 98. Saint John restored to Ephesus foundeth the Churches of Trallis and Magnesia ordaining Bishops in them both as in other places 99. At the intreaty of the Asian Bishops St. John writeth his Gospel 100. Cerdo succeeds Abilius in the Bishoprick of Alexandria 101. Saint John dieth at Ephesus in a good old age leaving the government of the Church in the hands of Bishops as Successors to the Apostles and the Vicars of Christ The End of the first Part. THE HISTORY OF EPISCOPACY The Second Part. From the Death of Saint JOHN the APOSTLE To the beginning of the Empire of CONSTANTINE By PETER HEYLYN D. D. IREN Lib. III. Cap. III. Habemus annumerare eos qui ab Apostolis instituti sunt EPISCOPI in Ecclesiis Successores eorum usque ad nos LONDON Printed by M. Clark to be sold by C. Harper 1681. THE HISTORY OF EPISCOPACY PART II. CHAP. I. What doth occur concerning Bishops and the Government of the Church by them during the first half of the second Century 1. Of the Condition of the Church of Corinth when Clemens wrote unto them his Epistle 2. What that Epistle doth contain in reference to this point in hand 3. That by Episcopi he meaneth Bishops truly and properly so called proved by the scope of the Epistle 4. And by a Text of Scripture therein cited 5. Of the Episcopal succession in the Church of Corinth 6. The Canons of the Apostles ascribed to Clemens what they say of Bishops 7. A Bishop not to be ordained under three or two at least of the same order 8. Bishops not barred by these Canons from any secular affairs as concern their families 9. How far by them restrained from the employments of the Common-wealth 10. The jurisdiction over Presbyters given to the Bishops by those Canons 11. Rome first divided into Parishes or Tituli by Pope Euaristus 12. The reasons why Presbyteries or Colleges of Presbyters were planted at the first in Cities 13. Touching the superiority over all the flock given to the Bishop by Ignatius 14. As also of the Jurisdiction by him allowed them 15. The same exemplified in the works of Justin Martyr FROM the Apostles we proceed unto their Disciples such as conversed with them and lived nearest to them And first of all we meet with Clemens once one of Pauls Disciples and by him remembred afterwards Deacon to Saint Peter Philip. 4.3 Epist ad Trallianos as Ignatius tells us and finally successor to them both in the administration of the Church of Rome as before was shewed Chap. 3. n. 8. Amongst the several Monuments of Piety which he left behind him the most renowned is his Epistle to the Church of Corinth of which Eusebius gives this testimony Euseb Hist Ecc. 1.3 c. 12.16 that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famous and very much admired adding withal that as well anciently as in his times it used to be read publickly in the Congregation Tht occasion which induced him to write the same was a sedition or a faction rather raised in the Church which from the first Preaching of the Gospel there had been too much addicted to Divisions But what this faction was about 1 Cor. 3. or what occasion was then taken for the production of new broyls or the reviving of the old we shall best see by looking on this piece of Clemens recovered from the ruins of Antiquity by the care and industry of Patr. Yong Library-keeper to his Majesty Clemen
Epist ad Corinth p. 62. There find we the good man complaining that the Church of Corinth so ancient and well grounded in the faith of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should for the sake of one or two contentious persons tumultuate against their Presbyters and that the scandal of their functions should come unto the ears of Infidels to the dishonour of the Lord. Nor did the faction rest in the people only Ibid. p. 58. though it proceeded to that height as the ejecting of those Presbyters whom they had distasted but it had taken too deep sooting amongst the Presbyters themselves encroaching with too high an hand on the Bishops Office or wilfully neglecting his authority Part. 1. ch 5. For whereas in those times as before was shewn the blessed Eucharist regularly and according to the Churches Orders could not be celebrated but by the Bishop by his leave at least and that it did pertain to him to appoint the Presbyters what turns and courses they should have in that ministration these men perverting all good order neither observed the time and place appointed for that sacred Action nor kept themselves unto those turns and courses in the performance of the same which were assigned them by their Bishop Certain I am that the discourse of Clemens in the said Epistle doth militate as well against the one as against the other blaming as well the Presbyters for their irregular proceeding in their ministration as censuring the People for their insolency in the ejecting of their Presbyters So that we have two factions at this time in the Church of Corinth one of some inconformable Presbyters so far averse from being regulated by their Bishop as they ought to be Clem. p. 57. that they opposed the very Calling raising contentions and disputes about the Name and Office of Episcopacy another of the people against the Presbyters and that pursued with no less acrimony and despite than the former was For the repressing of these factions at this present time and the preventing of the like in the times to come the good old man doth thus proceed Beginning with the Presbyters Id. p. 48. he first presents unto them the obedience that Souldiers yield to their Commanders shewing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how orderly how readily and with what subjection they execute the several Commands imposed upon them by their Leaders that since all of them are not Generals Collonels Captains or in other Office every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his rank or station is to obey the charge imposed upon him by the King or Emperour and his Commanders in the Field Then represents he to them the condition of the natural Body Id. 49. in which the Head can do but little without the ministery of the Feet the Feet as little out of question without direction from the Head that even the least parts of the body are not only profitable but also necessary concurring all of them together to the preservation of the whole Which ground so laid he thus proceeds in his Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id. p. 52 c. These things being thus declared and manifested looking into the depth of heavenly knowledg we ought to do those things in their proper order the People in the tendring of their Oblations the Presbyters in the celebrating of the Liturgy according to the times and seasons by the Lord appointed who would not have these sacred Matters done either rashly or disorderly but at appointed times and hours and by such Persons as he hath thereunto designed by his supream Will that being done devoutly and Religiously they might be the more grateful to him They therefore who upon the times presixed make their Oblations to the Lord are blessed and very welcom unto him from whose commands they do not vary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For to the High-Priest was assigned his particular function the Priest had his peculiar ministery prescribed unto him and the Levites theirs the Laymen being left unto Lay-imployments Therefore let every one of you my brethren in his Rank and Station offer to God the blessed Eucharist with a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 53. keeping within the bounds of his ministration appointed to him by the Canon For so I take it is his meaning For not in every place was it permitted to the Jews to offer up the daily and perpetual Sacrifices whether they were Sin-offerings or Eucharistical Oblations but at Hierusalem alone nor there in any place indifferently but only in the Court of the Temple at the Altar the Sacrifice being first viewed and approved of both by the High Priest and the foresaid Ministers They that did any thing herein otherwise than agreeable to his will and pleasure were to die the Death you see my brethren that as we are endued with a greater knowledg so are we made obnoxious to the greater danger The Apostles have Preached the Gospel unto us from Christ JESUS Christ from God Christ being sent by God as the Apostles were by Christ and both proceeding orderly therein according to his holy Will For having received his Commands and being strengthened by the Resurrection of our Lord JESUS Christ and confirmed by the Word of God they spread themselves abroad in full assurance of the Holy Ghost publishing the coming of the Kingdom of God and having Preached the Word throughout many Regions and several Cities they constituted and ordained the first fruits of their labours such whom in spirit they approved of to be Bishops and Deacons unto those that afterwards were to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p. 54.55 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 55. Nor was this any new device it being written many ages since in the book of God Esay 60. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. I will appoint them Bishops in Righteousness and Deacons in Faith Afterwards laying down the History of Aarons Rod budding and thereby the miraculous confirmation of his Election he adds that the Apostles knowing by our Lord JESUS Christ the contention that would arise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the name or function of Episcopacy Id. p. 57. take it which you will and being for this very cause endued with a perfect foresight of that which afterwards should happen ordained the aforesaid Ministers and left to every one their appointed Offices that whensoever they should die other approved men should succeed in their several places and execute their several parts in the Ministration Those therefore which were either ordained by them or by those famous and renowned men that followed after them with the consent and approbation of the Church and have accordingly served unblameably in the fold of Christ with all humility and meekness and kept themselves from baseness and corruption and have a long time carried a good testimony from all men those we conceive cannot without much injury be deprived of their place and service it being
But for this School of Alexandria the first Professor there which occurs by name Id. ibid. is said to be Pantaenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man renowned in all parts of Learning first a Philosopher of the Sect of Stoicks and afterwards a famous Christian Doctor A man so zealously affected to the Gospel of Christ that for the propagating of the same he made a journey to the Indies and after his return he took upon him the Professorship in the School aforesaid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opening the treasures of Salvation both by word and writing Id. l. 5. c. 11. And I the rather instance in him because that under him Clemens of Alexandria learned his first Principles of Religion and after him succeeded in his Chair or Office who being by birth of Athens and of the same family with the former Clemens the fourth Bishop of Rome upon his coming and abode at Alexandria gained the surname or additament of Alexandrinus Now that Clemens was Divinity-reader in the School of Alexandria Id. l. 6. c. 5. is said expresly by Eusebius where he affirmeth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Origen was one of his Disciples Who after coming to the place himself Id. li. 6. cap. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was followed in the same by Heraclas and Dionysius successively both of them Scholars in the School of Origen both severally and successively Readers or Doctors in the same and both first Heraclas Dionysius next Bishops or Patriarchs of Alexandria So that within the space of half an hundred years this School thus founded or at the least advanced in reputation by Pantaenus brought forth the said four famous Doctors Clemens and Origen Heraclas and Dionysius all of them in their times men of great renown and the lights and glory of their Age. And though I might relate the names of many other men of fame and credit who had their breeding in these Schools did it concern the business which I have in hand yet I shall instance in no more but these and these it did concern me to make instance of because their Acts and Writings are the special subject of all that is to come in this present Chapter and were indeed the greatest business of that Age. And first for Clemens not to take notice of those many Books which were written by him a Catalogue whereof Eusebius gives us and from him St. Hierom Euseb hist Ecc. l. 6. c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those which concern us most were his eight books inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are now not extant and those entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are still remaining In the first eight he tells us in the way of story that Peter James and John after Christs Ascension Id. l. 2. c. 2. how high soever in the favour of their Lord and Master contended not amongst themselves for the place and honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but made choice of James surnamed the Just to be the Bishop of Hierusalem that Peter on perusal of the Gospel writ by Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. c. 14. confirm'd the same by his authority for the advancement of the Church that James 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. cap. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom the Bishoprick of Hierusalem had been committed by the Apostles was by the malice of the Jews done to a cruel death that John the Apostle after Domitian's death Id. l. 3. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 returned to Ephesus from Patmos and going at the intreaty of his friends to the neighbour Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some parts he ordained Bishops in others planted or established Churches in others by the guidance of the holy Spirit electing fit men for the Clergy telling withal the story of a certain Bishop to whom the said Apostle did commit a young man to be trained up All which he might affirm with the greater confidence because he tells us of himself Id. l. 6. cap. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he lived very near the Apostles times and so might have the better light to discern their actions And for the other eight remaining although there is but little in them which concerns this Subject the Argument of which he writeth not having any thing to do therewith yet in that little we have mention of the several Orders of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons in the Churchof God And first for Bishops speaking of the domestick Ministeries that belong to marriage he shews that by the Apostles Rule Clement Alexand Stroma lib. 3. such Bishops are to be appointed for the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by the orderly government of their private families may be conceived most fit and likely to have a care unto the Church Where clearly by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he means not Presbyters as the Apostle is conceived to mean in his Epistle to Timothy For howsoever the Presbyters might be trusted with the charge of a particular Congregation yet had they never the inspection the care or governance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a whole Church or many Churches joyned together as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred That was the privilege and power of Bishops So for the two inferiour Orders we find them in another place Id. ibid. li. 7. where he divides such things as concern this life into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matters of improvement and advantage and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subservient only thereunto then adds that in the Church of God the Deacons exercise the subservient Offices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that the Presbyters attend those others which conduce to our amendment or improvement in the way of godliness Out of which words if any man can gather that judging of the conversation or crimes of any members of the Church that discipline which worketh emendation in men is in the power of the Elders Smectymn p. 38. as I see some do he must needs have a better faculty of extraction than the best Chymist that I know of In all that place of Clemens not a word of Judging nor so much as a syllable of Discipline A power of bettering and amending our sinful lives he gives indeed unto the Presbyters but that I hope both is and may be done by the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments with which the Presbyters are and have been trusted This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bettering and improving power which belongs to them and not the dispensation of the Keys which have been always put into other hands or if at any time into theirs it hath been only in a second and inferiour place not in the way of judging in the course of Discipline Next let us look on Origen a man of most prodigious parts both for Wit and Learning who at the Age of eighteen years was made a
To Dionysius Bishop of Rome besides that before remembred from Eusebius a second extant in the works of Athanasius And one to Paulus Samosatenus Athanas opera graec lat Tom. 1. p. 558. Euse l. 7. c. 24. Nicephorus Ecc. hist l. 6. c. 27. Biblio Patr. T. 3. edit Col. Bar. An. 265. Euseb bist l. 6. cap. ult the wretched Patriarch of Antiochia of which though there is no mention in Eusebius who tells us that he would not vouchsafe to write unto him yet is it intimated in Nicephorus who affirmes the contrray and extant in the Bibliotheca Patrum and in the Annals of Baronius It were an infinite and endless labour to recite all those which besides these inscribed unto the Bishops of the greater Churches he writ and sent to others of less note and quality as viz. to Conon Bishop of Hierapolis the Churches of Laodicea and Armenia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to whom not almost either Priest or Bishop that was of any merit and consideration in the Church of Christ If you demand to what end serves this general muster of the Epistles of this Prelate why I have brought them thus into the field in their ranks and files I answer that it was to let you see what was the ancient form of government in the Church of Christ before they had the happiness to live under Christian Princes and thereby opportunity of meeting in their General Councils For all the Apostles being furnished by our Lord and Saviour with an equality of power and honour pari consortio praediti potestatis honoris as S. Cyprian hath it Cyprian de Ecclesiae unitate by consequence all Bishops also were founded in the like equality So that the government of the Church as to the outward form and polity thereof was Aristocratical And being so there was in manner a necessity imposed upon the Prelates of the Church to maintain mutual entercourse and correspondence betwixt one another by Letters Messages and Agents for the communicating of their Councils and imparting their advice as occasion was in all omergent dangers of the Church For howsoever that the Church had followed in some things the pattern of the Roman Empire and in each Diocess thereof taking the Word according to the civil sense had instituted and ordained a Primate to whom the final resolution of all businesses did appertain that fell within the compass of that Diocess Yet all these Primates being of equal power and authority each of them absolute and independent with the bounds and limits of his own jurisdiction there was no other way to compose such differences as were either indeterminable at home or otherwise concerned the publick but this of mutual entercourse and correspondence And this what ever is opined unto the contrary both by the Masters and the Scholars in the Church of Rome who have advanced the Pope into the Soveraign or Supream direction in all points of doubt will prove to be the practice of the Christian Church in all times and Ages till the Authority of all other Churches in the worst and darkest times of Christianity came to be swallowed up in the gulph of Rome For presently upon the death of the Apostles who questionless had the frequent resort the final ending of all businesses which concerned the Church a full and plenary authority to direct the same Ruseb hist Ec. l. 3. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. c. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we find that Clemens one of their Disciples sends his Epistle to the Church of Corinth for the composing of some Schisms which were raised amongst them and that Ignatius Bishop of Antioch another of their Scholars sends the like to Rome for their confirming in the faith Besides which as he travelled towards Rome or rather was haled thither to his Execution he dispatched others of his Epistles unto other Churches and one amongst the rest unto Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna commending unto him the good estate of the Church of Antioch Id. l. 4. c. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like we find of Dionysius Bishop of Corinth a right godly man of whose Epistles to the Lacedemonians Athenians Nicomedians and those of Crete as also to the Churches in Pontus nay to that of Rome conducing either to the beating down of Heresies or to the preservation of peace and unity or to the confirmation of the faith or rectifying of what was amiss in the Churches discipline there is full mention in Eusebius Thus when Pope Victor by his rash perversness had almost plunged the Church in an endless broil Id. l. 5. c. 23.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishops of these times bestirred themselves by publique writings to compose the quarrel particularly Irenaeus and Polyerates the one the Metropolitan of the Gallick the other of the Asian Churches And when that many of the Bishops severally had convocated Councils and Synodical meetings to make up this breach upon the rising of the same they sent out their Letters Ib. c. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying what they had Decreed advising what they would have done by all Christian people Ib. c. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For though Eusebius instanceth in none but the Bishops of Caesarea and Hierusalem in the records of which in two Churches he had been most versed which sent out these Synodical Epistles yet being so many other Metropolitans had called Synods also to the same intent I doubt not but they took the same course as the others did in manifesting their Decrees and Counsels Nay so exact and punctual they were in the continuance of this mutual amity and correspondence that there was almost no occurrence of any moment o◠consideration Id. l. 6. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. l. 6. c. 10.16 Cyprian Epist 42. not so much as the death of some eminent Prelate and the succession of a new but they gave notice of it unto one another ending their Letters of congratulation unto the party so advanced Examples of the which in Ecclesiastical Histories are both infinite and obvious By means of which continual intercourse there was mainteined not only an Association of the several Churches for their greater strength nor a Communication only of their Councils for the publick safety but a Communion also with each other Optat. de Schi Donat. l. 2. as Members of the Mystical Body of our Saviour Christ And this is that Optatus speaks of when having made a Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome from S. Peter down unto Siricius who then held that place or as his words there are Qui noster est Socius who was his Partner or Associate in the common Government of the Church He adds Cum quo nobis totus orbis commercio formatarum in una communionis societate concordant with whom the whole world doth agree with us in one communion or society by Letters of intercourse and correspondence For Literae
met together for religious exercises Which their religious exercises when they were performed or if the times were such that their Assemblies were prohibited and so none were performed at all it was not held unlawful to apply themselves unto their ordinary labours as we shall see anon in the following Ages For whereas some have gathered from this Text of the Revelation from S. John's being in the spirit on the Lords day as the phrase there is that the Lords day is wholly to be spent in spiritual exercises that their conceit might probably have had some shew of likelihood had it been said by the Apostle that he had been in the spirit every Lords day But being as it is a particular case it can make no rule unless it be that every man on the Lords day should have Dreams and Visions and be inspired that day with the spirit of Prophecy no more than if it had been told us upon what day Saint Paul had been rapt up into the third Heaven every man should upon that day expect the like Celestial raptures Add here how it is thought by some â—â—omarus de â— abbat c. 6. that the Lords day here mentioned is not to be interpreted of the first day of the week as we use to take it but of the day of his last coming of the day of judgment wherein all flesh shall come together to receive their sentence which being called the Lords day too in holy Scripture that so the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.5 S. John might see it being rapt in spirit as if come already But touching this we will not meddle let them that own it look unto it the rather since S. John hath generally been expounded in the other sence by Aretas and Andreas Caesariensis upon the place by Bede de rat temp c. 6. and by the suffrage of the Church the best expositor of Gods Word wherein this day hath constantly since the time of that Apostle been honoured with that name above other days Which day how it was afterwards observed and how far different it was thought from a Sabbath day the prosecution of this story will make clear and evident CHAP. II. In what estate the Lords day stood from the death of the Apostles to the reign of Constantine 1. Touching the orders setled by the Apostles for the Congregation 2. The Lords day and the Saturday both Festivals and both alike observed in the East in Ignatius time 3. The Saturday not without great difficulty made a Fasting day 4. The Controversie about keeping Easter and how much it conduceth to the present business 5. The Feast of Easter not affixed to the Lords day without much opposition of the Eastern Churches 6. What Justin Martyr and Dionysius of Corinth have left us of the Lords day Clements of Alexandria his dislike thereof 7. Vpon what grounds the Christians of the former times used to pray standing on the Lords day and the time of Penteco st 8. What is recorded by Tertullian of the Lords day and the Assemblies of the Church 9. Origen as his Master Clemens had done before dislikes set days for the Assembly 10. S. Cyprian what he tells us of the Lords day and of the reading of the Scriptures in S. Cyprians time 11. Of other holy days established in these three first Ages and that they were observed as solemnly as the Lords day was 12. The name of Sunday often used for the Lords day by the primitive Christians but the Sabbath never WE she wed you in the former Chapter whatever doth occur in the Acts and Monuments of the Apostles touching the Lords day and the Sabbath how that the one of them was abrogated as a part of the Law of Moses the other rising by degrees from the ruins of it not by Authority divine for ought appears but by Authority of the Church As for the duties of that day they were most likely such as formerly had been used in the Jewish Synagogues reading the Law and Prophets openly to the Congregation and afterwards expounding part thereof as occasion was calling upon the Lord their God for the continuance of his mercies and singing Psalms and Hymns unto him as by way of thankfulness These the Apostles found in the Jewish Church and well approving of the same as they could not otherwise commended them unto the care of the Disciples by them to be observed as often as they met together on what day soever First for the reading of the Law In Jos hom 15. Origen saith expresly that it was ordered so by the Apostles Judaicarum historiarum libri traditi sunt ab Apostolis legendi in Ecclesiis as he there informs us To this was joyned in tract of time the reading of the holy Gospel and other Evangelical writings it being ordered by S. Peter that S. Marks Gospel should be read in the Congregation HIst l. 2.15 1 Thes ca. ult v. 17. as Eusebius tells us and by S. Paul that his Epistle to the Thessalonians should be read unto all the holy Brethren and also that to the Colossians to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans as that from Laodicea in the Church of the Colossians By which example Ca. ult v. 16. not only all the writings of the Apostles but many of the writings of Apostolical men were publickly read unto the People and for that purpose one appointed to exercise the ministry of a Reader in the Congregation So antient is the reading of the Scriptures in the Church of God To this by way of comment or application was added as we find by S. Paul's directions the use of Prophesie or Preaching 1 Cor. 14. v. 3. interpretation of the Scriptures to edifying and to exhortation and to comfort This exercise to be performed with the head uncovered as well the Preacher as the hearer 1 Cor. 11.4 Every man Praying or Prophesying with his head covered dishonoureth his head as the Apostle hath informed us Where we have publick Prayers also for the Congregation the Priest to offer to the Lord the prayers and supplications of the People and they to say Amen unto those prayers which the Priest made for them These to contein in them all things necessary for the Church of God which are the subject of all supplications prayers intercessions 1 Tim. 2. and giving of thanks and to extend to all men also especially unto Kings and such as be in Authority that under them we may be godly and quietly governed leading a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty For the performance of which last duties with the greater comfort it was disposed that Psalms and Hymns should be intermingled with the rest of the publick service which comprehending whatsoever is most excellent in the Book of God and being so many notable forms of praise and prayer were chearfully and unanimously to be sung amongst them 1 Cor. 14.26 And thereupon S. Paul reprehended
the Scriptures only were in those times read publickly in the Congregation but the Epistles and discourses of such Learned men as had been eminent for place and piety as in the after-times on defect of Sermons it was the custom of the Church to read the Homilies of the Fathers for their edification Conciliorum Tom. 2. Concerning which it was ordained in a Council at Vaux Anno 444. that if the Priest were sick or otherwise infirm so that he could not preach himself the Deacons should rehearse some Homily of the holy Fathers Si presbyter aliqua infirmitate prohibente per seipsum non potuerit praedicare sanctorum Patrum homiliae à Diaconibus recitentur so the Council ordered it The third and last Writer of this Century which gives us any thing of the Lords day Strom. l. 7. is Clemens Alexandrinus he flourished in the year 190. who though he fetch the pedegree of the Lords day even as far as Plato which before we noted yet he seems well enough contented that the Lords day should not be observed at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ought saith he to honour and to reverence him whom we are verily persuaded to be the Word our Saviour and our Captain and in him the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in selected times as some do amongst us but always during our whole lives and on all occasions The Royal Prophet tells us that he preaised God seven times a day Whence he that understands himself stands not upon determinate places or appointed Temples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much less on any Festivals or days assigned but in all places honours God though he be alone And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. making our whole lives a continual Festival and knowing God to be every where we praise him sometimes in the fields and sometimes sailing on the Seas and finally in all the times of our life whatever So in another place of the self-same Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that doth lead his life according to the Ordinances of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then keeps the Lords day when he casts away every evil thought and doing things with knowledge and understanding doth glorifie the Lord in his Resurrection By which it seems that whatsoever estimation the Lords day had attained unto at Rome and Corinth yet either it was not so much esteemed at Alexandria or else this Clemens did not think so rightly of it as he should have done Now in the place of Justin Martyr before remembred there is one special circumstance to be considered in reference to our present search for I say nothing here of mingling water with the Wine in the holy Sacrament as not conducing to the business which we have in hand This is that in their Sundays service they did use to stand during the time they made their Prayers unto the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words there are Such was the custom of this time and a long time after that though they kneeled on other days yet on the Lords day they prayed always standing Yet not upon the Lords day only but every day from Easter unto Pentecost The reason is thus given by him who made the Responsions ascribed to Justin That so saith he we might take notice as of our fall by sin so of our restitution by the grace of Christ Resp ad qu. 105. Six days we pray upon our knees and that 's in token of our fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But on the Lords day we bow not the knee in token of the Resurrection by which according to the Grace of Christ we are set free from sin and the powers of death The like saith he is to be said of the days of Pentecost which custom as he tells us and cites Irenaeus for his Author did take beginning even in the times of the Apostles Rather we may conceive that they used this Ceremony to testifie their faith in the Refurrection of our Lord and Saviour which many Hereticks of those times did publickly gain-say as before we noted and shall speak more thereof hereafter But whatsoever was the reason it continued long and was confirm'd particularly by the great Synod of Nice what time some People had begun to neglect this custom The Synod therefore thus determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that forasmuch as some did use to kneel on the Lords day Can. 20. and the time of Pentecost that all things in all places might be done with an uniformity it pleased the holy Synod to decree it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that men should stand at those times when they made their prayers For Fathers which avow this custom consult Tertullian lib. de corona mil. S. Basil l. de Sp. S. c. 27. S. Hierom. adv Luciferian S. Austin Epist 118. S. Hilaries Praefat. in Psalm Ambros Serm. 62. and divers others What time this custom was laid by I can hardly say but sure I am it was not laid aside in a long time after not till the time of Pope Alexander the third who lived about the year 1160. Decret l. 2. tit 9. c. 2. For in a Decretal of his confirmatory of the former custom it was prohibited to kneel on the times remembred Nisi aliquis ex devotioned id velit facere in secreto unless some out of pure devotion did it secretly Which dispensation probably occasioned the neglect thereof in the times succeeding the rather since those Hereticks who formerly had denied the resurrection were now quite exterminated This circumstance we have considered the more at large as being the most especial difference whereby the Sundays service was distinguished from the week-days worship in these present times whereof we write And yet the difference was not such that it was proper to the Lords day only but if it were a badge of honour communicated unto more than forty other days Of which more anon But being it was an Ecclesiastical and occasional custom the Church which first ordained it let it fall again by the same Authority In the third Century the first we meet with is Tertullian who flourished in the very first beginnings of it by whom this day is called by three several names For first he calls it Dies solis Sunday as commonly we now call it and saith that they did dedicate the same unto mirth and gladness not to devotion altogether Diem solis laetitiae indulgemus Cap. 16. in his Apologetick The same name is used by Justin Martyr in the passages before remembred partly because being to write to an Heathen Magistrate it had not been so proper to call it by the name of the Lords day which name they knew not and partly that delivering the form and substance of their service done upon that day they might the better quit themselves from being worshippers of the Sun as the Gentiles thought For by their meetings on this
After the miserable fall of Adam August Confes cap. 2. all men which were to be begotten according to the common course of Nature were involved in the guilt of Original sin by which they are obnoxious to the wrath of God and everlasting damnation In which Estate they had remained but that God beholding all mankind in this wretched condition was pleased to make a general conditional Decree of Predestination Appel Eving cap. 4. under the condition of Faith and perseverance and a special absolute Decree of electing those to life whom he foresaw would believe and persevere under the means and aids of Grace Faith and Perseverance and a special absolute Decree of condemning them whom he foresaw to abide impenitent in their sins 2. Of the Merit and Efficacy of Christs Death The Son of God who is the Word assumed our humane Nature in the Womb of the Virgin and being very God and very Man he truly Suffered was Crucified Aug. Confess c. 3. Dead and Buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be the Sacrifice not only for Original sin but also for all the Actual sins of men A great part of St. Pauls Epistle to the Hebrews is spent in the proving of this Point that only the Sacrifice or Oblation made by Christ Id. cap. de Missa procured for others Reconciliation and Remission of sins inculcating that the Levitical Sacrifices were year by year to be reiterated and renewed because they could not take away sins but that satisfaction once for all was made by the Sacrifice of Christ for the sins of all men 3. Of Mans Will in the state of depraved Nature The Will of man retains a freedom in Actions of Civil Justice Ibid. cap. 18. and making Election of such things as are under the same pretension of natural Reason but hath no power without the special Assistance of the Holy Ghost to attain unto spiritual Righteousness according to the saying of the Apostle That the natural man perceiveth not the things which are of the spirit of God And that of Christ our Saviur Without me you can do nothing And therefore the Pelagians are to be condemned who teach that man is able by the meer strength of Nature not only to love God above all things but also to fulfill the Law according to the substance of the Acts thereof 4. Of Conversion and the manner of it The Righteousness which is effected in us by the operation and assistance of the Holy Ghost which we receive by yielding our assent to the Word of God Idem cap. 18. according to that of S. Augustin in the third Book of his Hypognosticks in which he grants a freedom of the Will to all which have the use of Reason not that they are thereby able either to begin or g o through with any thing in the things of God without Gods assistance but only in the Affairs of this present life whether good or evil 5. Of falling after Grace received Remission of sins is not to be denied in such who after Baptism fall into sins Idem cap. 11. at what time soever they were converted and the Church is bound to confer the benefit of Absolution upon all such as return unto it by Repentance And therefore as we condemn the Novatian Hereticks refusing the benefit of Absolution unto those who having after Baptism lashed into sin gave publick Signs of their Repentance so we condemn the Anabaptists who teach that a man once justified can by no means lose the Holy Ghost as also those who think that men man have so great a measure of perfection in this present life that they cannot fall again into sin Such is the Doctrine of the Lutheran Churches agreed on in the famous Augustin Confession so called because presented and avowed at the Diet of Auspurge Augusta Vindelicorum the Latins call it 1530. confirm'd after many struglings on the one side and oppositions on the other by Charles the fifth in a general Assembly of the Estates of the Empire holden at Passaw Anno 1552. and afterwards more fully in another Dyet held at Auspurge Anno 1555. A Confession generally ebtertained not only in the whole Kingdoms of Demnark Norway and Sweden but also in the Dukedom of Prussia and some parts of Poland and all the Protestant Churches of the High Germany neither the rigid Lutherans nor the Calvinians themselves being otherwise tolerated in the Empire than as they shrowd themselves under the Patronage and shelter of this Confession For besides the first breach betwixt Luther and Zuinglius which hapned at the beginning of the Reformation there afterwards grew a subdivision betwixt the Lutherans themselves occasioned by Flacius Illyricus and his Associates who having separated themselves from Melancthon and the rest of the Divines of Wittenberge and made themselves the Head of the rigid Lutherans did gladly entertain those Doctrines in which they were sure to find as good assistance as the Dominicans and their party could afford unto them The wisdom and success of which Council being observed by those of the Zuinglian or Calvinian Faction they gladly put in for a share being not meanly well approved that though their Doctrines were condemned by the Council of Trent yet they found countenance especially in the Sublapsarian way not only from the whole Sect of the Dominicans but the rigid Lutherans And that the Scales might be kept even between the Parties there started out another Faction amongst the Calvinists themselves who symbolized with the Melanctbonians or moderate Lutherans as they did with the Jesuit and Franciscan Fryers For the abetting of which their Quarrel this last side calling to their ayd all the Ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine who lived before the time of S. Augustine the others relying wholly on his single judgment not always constant to himself nor very well seconded by Prosper nor any other of great Note in the times succeeding Finally that Catarinus may not go alone in his middle way I will follow him with one of his own Order for he was afterwards made Bishop of Minori in Italy that is to say the right learned Doctor Overal publick Professor of Divinity in Cambridge Dean of S. Pauls and successively Bishop of Lichfield and Norwhich whose judgment in a middle way and though not the same that Catarinus went the Reader may find in Mr. Playferts notable Picce intituled Apello Evangelium to which I refer him at the present as being not within the compass of my present design which caries me to such difputes as have been raised between the Calvinians and their Opposites in these parts of the world since the conclusion and determination of the Council of Trent And for the better carrying on of my design I must go back again to Calvin whom I left under a suspition of making God to be the Author of sin from which though many have taken much pains none more than industrious Doctor Field to absolve and
determinations in a National Church no more than is of making Laws to bind the Subjects in an unsetled Commonwealth with an intent to leave them in their former liberty either of keeping or not keeping them as themselves best pleased Which said we shall enquire into the meaning of the Articles as before laid down whether they speak in favour of the Melancthonian or Calvinian way so far forth as the meaning of them can be gathered from the publick Liturgy and book of Homilies or from the Writings of those men who either had a hand in the making of them or died in the Religion here by Law established CHAP. IX Of the Doctrine of Predestination delivered in the Articles the Homilies the publick Liturgies and the Writings of some of the Reformers 1. The Articles indifferently understood by the Calvinian party and the true English Protestants with the best way to find out the true sense thereof 2. The definition of Predestination and the most considerable points contained in it 3. The meaning of those words in the Definition viz. whom he hath chosen in Christ according to the Exposition of St. Ambrose St. Chrysostom St. Jerom as also of Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Latimer and the Book of Homilies 4. The Absolute Decree condemned by Bishop Latimer as a means to Licentiousness and carnal living 5. For which and making God to be the Author of sin condemned as much by Bishop Hooper 6. Our Election to be found in Christ not sought for in Gods secret Counsels according to 〈◊〉 judgment of Bishop Latimer 7. The way to find out our Election delivered by the same godly Bishop and by Bishop Hooper with somewhat to the same purpose also from the Book of Homilies 8. The Doctrine of Predestination delivered by the holy Martyr John Bradford with Fox his gloss upon the same to corrupt the sense 9. No countenance to be had for any absolute personal and irrespective Decree of Predestination in the publick Liturgy 10. An Answer to such passages out of the said Liturgy as seem to favour that Opinion as also touching the number of Gods Elect. THUS have we seen the Doctrine of the Church of England in the five controverted Points according as it is delivered in the Book of Articles but in what sense we ought to understand it hath been made a Question Some take the Articles in the Literal and Grammatical sense which is the fairest and most approved way of Interpretation according to the saying of an ancient Writer Declar. before the Art 1628. That if the Literal sense of holy Scripture will stand with the Analogy of Faith and Piety it is to be preferred before any other Others they are of which his late Majesty complained who draw the Articles aside and put their own sense or Comment to be the meaning of the Articles fashioning them to their own fancies as they please themselves Each of the parties in those curious points in which the present differences do most consist conceive the Articles of the Church to speak for them exclusive wholly of the other but with a notable difference in the Application The Calvinists Our Divines commonly called Calvinists Yates in Ap Caesar cap. 5. p. 38. by which name they love to be called endeavour to captivate the sense of the Article and bring it to the bent of their own understanding but the true English Protestants whom for distinction sake we may call Confessionists accommodate though they do not captivate their own sense to the sense of the Church according to the plain and full meaning of the Articles in the points disputed But because possibly both parties may not be agreed on a Rule or Medium by which the proper sense and meaning of the Articles may be best discovered it will not be amiss to follow the directions of the Civil Laws in cases of like doubtful nature which is briefly this viz. Si de interpretatione Legis quaeritur imprimis inspiciendum est quo jure Civitas retro in hujusmodi casibus usa fuit And this we shall the better do if we enquire into the Doctrine of those Learned Religious and Godly men who either had a principal hand in the Reformation or were most conversant with them and beloved of them in their several stations taking along with us the Authority of the Homilies and publick Liturgy to which all parties have subscribed In order whereunto it will first be necessary to lay down the definition of Predestination as before we had it in the Article to sum up the particular points and contents thereof to shew the sense of one phrase in it and then to travel more exactly in this Enquiry whether the method of Predestination illustrated by the story of Agilmond and Amistus Kings of Lombardy cap. 7. num 4. agree not more hamoniously with the true sense and meaning of the Church of England than any other whatsoever First then Predestination unto life is defined in the seventeenth Article to be the everlasting purpose of God whereby and before the foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Council secret unto us to deliver from damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting salvation In which definition there are these things to be observed First That Predestination doth presuppose a curse or state of damnation in which all mankind was represented to the sight of God which plainly crosseth the Opinion of the Supra-Lapfarians the Supra-Creaturians or Credibilitarians as some call them now Secondly That it is an act of his from Everlasting because from Everlasting he foresaw into what misery wretched man would fall by the abuse of that liberty in which first he stood Thirdly That he founded it and resolved for it in the Man and Mediator Christ Jesus both for the purpose and performance which crosseth as directly with the Sublapsatians who place the absolute decree of Predestination to life and of Reprobation unto death both of body and soul before the decree or consideration of sending his only beloved Son Jesus Christ into the World to be the common Propitiation for the sins of men Fourthly That it was of some special ones alone Elect called forth and reserved in Christ and not generally extended unto all mankind a General Election as they say being no Election Fifthly That being thus elected in Christ they shall be brought by Christ but not without their own consent and cooperation to everlasting salvation And finally That this Council is secret unto us for though there be revealed to us some hopeful signs of our Election and Predestination unto life yet the certainty thereof is a secret hidden in God and in this life unknown to us For who hath known the mind of the Lord or hath been his Counsellour or of his Secret Council saith the great Apostle Such is the definition of Predestination and the substance of it in which there is
Christ came to be a Lamb without spot who by the Sacrifice of himself once made should take away the sins of the world Than which there can be nothing more conducible to the point in hand And to this purpose also when Christ our Saviour was pleased to Authorize his Holy Apostles to preach the good Tidings of Salvations he gave them both a Command and a Commission To go unto all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.15 So that there was no part of the World nor any Creature in the same that is to say no rational Creature which seems to be excluded from a Possibility of obtaining Salvation by the Preaching of the Gospel to them if with a faith unfeigned they believe the same which the Church further teacheth us in this following Prayer appointed to be used in the Ordering of such as are called to the Office of the holy Priesthood viz. Almighty God and Heavenly Father which of thine Infinite Love and Goodness toward us hast given to us thy only and most Dear Beloved Son Jesus Christ to be our Redeemer and Author of Everlasting Life who after he had made perfect our Redemption by his Death and was ascended into Heaven sent forth abroad into the world his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctors and Pastors by whose labour and Ministry he gathered together a great Flock in all the parts of the World to set forth the Eternal Praise of his Holy Name For these so great Benefits of thy Eternal Goodness and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call thy Servant here present to the same Office and Ministry of Salvation of Mankind we render unto thee most hearty thanks and we worship and praise thee and we humbly beseech thee by the same thy Son to grant unto all which either here or elsewhere call upon thy Name that we may shew our selves thankful to thee for these and all other thy benefits and that we may daily increase and go forward in the knowledg and faith of thee and thy Son by the Holy Spirit So that as well by these thy Ministers as by them to whom they shall be appointed Ministers thy Holy Name may be always glorified and thy Blessed Kingdom enlarged through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee in the Vnity of the same Holy Spirit world without end Amen Which Form in Ordering and Consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons I note this only by the way being drawn up by those which had the making of the first Liturgy of King Edward the sixth and confirmed by Act of Parliament in the fifth and sixth of the said King was afterwards also ratified by Act of Parliament in the eighth year of Queen Elizabeth and ever since hath had its place amongst the publick Monuments and Records of the Church of England To these I shall only add one single testimony out of the Writings of each of the three godly Martyrs before remembred the point being so clearly stated by some of our Divines commonly called Calvinists though not by the Outlandish also that any longer insisting on it may be thought unnecessary First then Bishop Cranmer tells us in the Preface to his Book against Gardiner of Winchester aforementioned That our Saviour Christ according to the will of his Eternal Father when the time thereof was fully accomplished taking our Nature upon him came into this World from the high Throne of his Father to declare unto miserable Sinners the Goodness c. To shew that the time of Grace and Mercy was come to give light to them that were in darkness and in the shadow of death and to preach and give Pardon and full Remission of sin to all his Elected And to perform the same he made a Sacrifice and Oblation of his body upon the Cross which was a full Redemption Satisfaction and Propitiation for the sins of the whole World More briefly Bishop Latimer thus The Evangelist saith When Jesus was born c. Serm. 1. Sund. after Epiph. What is Jesus Jesus is an Hebrew word which signifieth in our English Tongue a Saviour and Redeemer of all Mankind born into the World This Title and Name To save appertaineth properly and principally unto him for he saved us else had we been lost for ever Bishop Hooper in more words to the same effect That as the sins of Adam Pref. to the ten Commandments without Priviledg or Exemption extended and appertained unto all and every of Adams Posterity so did this Promise of Grace generally appertain as well to every and singular of Adams Posterity as to Adam as it is more plainly expressed where God promiseth to bless in the seed of Abraham all the people of the World Next for the point of Vniversal Vocation and the extent of the Promises touching life Eternal besides what was observed before from the Publick Liturgy we find some Testimonies and Authorities also in the Book of Homilies In one whereof it is declared That God received the learned and unlearned and casteth away none Hom. of Holy Scrip. p. 5. but is indifferent unto all And in another place more largely that the imperfection or natural sickness taken in Adam excludeth not that person from the promise of God in Christ except we transgress the limits and bounds of this Original sin by our own folly and malice If we have Christ then have we with him Hom. against fear of death p. 62. and by him all good things whatsoever we can in our hearts wish or desire as Victory over death sin hell c. The truth hereof is more clearly evidenced in the Writings of the godly Martyrs so often mentioned as first of Bishop Latimer who discourseth thus We learn saith he by this sentence that multi sunt vocati that many are called c. that the preaching of the Gospel is universal that it appertaineth to all mankind Serm. Septure that it is written in omnem terram exivit sonus eorum through the whole world their sound is heard Now seeing that the Gospel is universal it appeareth that he would have all mankind be saved that the fault is not in him if they be damned for it is written thus Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would have all mankind saved his salvation is sufficient to save all mankind Thus also in another place That the promises of Christ our Saviour are general they appertain to all mankind He made a general Proclamation saying Qui credit in me 1 Serm Lincol habet vitam aeternam Whosoever believeth me hath eternal life And not long after in the same Sermon That we must consider wisely what he saith with his own mouth Venite and me omnes Hook pres to Commo c. Mark here he saith mark here he saith Come all ye wherefore should any body despair or shut out himself from the promises of Christ which be general and appertain to the whole
upon so plain a Revelation of Gods secret Will than take up Arms against the Queen depose her from her Throne expel her out of her native Kingdom and finally prosecute her to the very death The Ladder which Constantine the great commended to Assesius a Novatian Bishop for his safer climbing up to Heaven was never more made use of than by Knox and Calvin for mounting them to the sight of Gods secret Council which St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or things unspeakable such as are neither possible nor lawful for a man to utter But of all Knox's followers none followed so close upon his heels as Ro. Crowly a fugitive for Religion in Q. Maries days and the Author of a Book called a Confutation of 13 Articles Ibid. p. 18. c. In which he lays the sin of Adam and consequently all mens sins from that time to this upon the Absolute Decree of Predestination for seeing saith he that Adam was so perfect a Creature that there was in him no lust to sin and yet withal so weak of himself that he was not able to withstand the assault of the subtile Serpent no remedy the only cause of his fall must needs be the Predestination of God In other places of this book he makes it to be a common saying of the Free-will men as in contempt and scorn he calls them that Cain was not Predestinate to slay his Brother Ibid. p. 2. ◠which makes it plain that he was otherwise persuaded in his own opinion That the most wicked persons that have been whereof God appointed to be even as wicked as they were that if God do predestinate a man to do things rashly and without any deliberation he shall not deliberate at all but run headlong upon it Ibid. p. 2. 6. be it good or evil That we are compelled by Gods predestination to do those things for which we are damned Ibid. 2.7 Ibid. 46. And finally finding this Doctrine to be charged with making God more cruel and unmerciful than the greatest Tyrant and pressed therewith by some of the contrary persuasion he returns his answer in this wise If God saith he were an inferiour to any superiour power to the which he ought to render an account of his doing or if any of us were not his Creatures but of another Creation besides his workmanship then might we charge him with Tyranny because he condemneth us and appointed us to be punished for the things we do by compulsion through the necessity of his Predestination For a Catholicon or general Antidote to which dangerous Doctrines a new distinction was devised Ibid. p. 4. 47. by which in all abominations God was expresly said to be the Author of the fact or deed but not of the crime which subtilty appeareth amongst many others in a brief Treatise of Election and Reprobation published by one John Veron in the English tongue Ibid. p. 32. about the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth which subtilty Campneys not unfitly calls a marvellous sophistication a strange Paradox and a cautelous Riddle and he seems to have good reason for it For by this Doctrine as he noteth it must follow that God is the Author of the very fact and deed of Adultery Theft Murder c. but not the Author of the sin Sin having as they say no positive entity but being a meer nothing as it were and therefore not to be ascribed to Almighty God And thereup on he doth infer that when a Malefactor is hanged for any of the facts before said he is hanged for nothing because the fact or deed is ascribed to God and the sin only charged on him which sin being nothing in it self it must be nothing that the Malefactor is condemned or hanged for By all the Books it doth appear what method of Predestination these new Gospellers drive at how close they followed at the heels of their Master Calvin in case they did not go beyond him Certain it is that they all speak more plainly than their Master doth as to the making of God to be the Author of sin though none of them speak any thing else than what may Logically be inferred from his ground and principles And by this book it appeareth also now contrary these Doctrins are to the establish'd by the first Reformers in the Church of England how contrary the whole method of Predestination out of which they flow is to that delivered in the Articles the Homilies and the publick Liturgy and witnessed too by so many learned men and godly Martyrs Which manifest deviation from the rules of the Church as it gave just offence to all moderate and sober men so amongst others unto Campneys before remembred who could not but express his dislike thereof and for so doing was traduced for a Pelagian and a Papist or a Popish Pelagian For which being charged by way of Letter he was necessitated to return an Answer to it which he published in the second or third year of Queen Elizabeth In which Answer he not only clears himself from favouring the Pelagian Errours in the Doctrine of Freewill Justification by Works c. but solidly and learnedly refuteth the Opinions of certain English Writers and Preachers whom he accuseth for teaching of false and scandalous Doctrine under the name of Predestination Ibid. p. 10. Rom. 5. for his preparation whereunto he states the point of Universal Redemption by the death of Christ out of the parallel which St. Paul hath made between Christ and Adam that by the comparison of condemnation in Adam and redemption in Christ it might more plainly be perceived that Christ was not inferiour to Adam nor grace to sin And that as all the generation of man is condemned in Adam so is all the generation of man redeemed in Christ and as general a Saviour is Christ by Redemption as Adam is a condemner by transgression Which ground so laid he shews how inconsistent their Opinions are to the truth of Scripture who found the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation on Gods absolute pleasure by which infinitely the greatest part of all mankind is precedaniously excluded from having any part or interess in this Redemption reprobated to eternal death both in body and soul as the examples of his vengeance and consequently preordained unto sin as the means unto it that so his vengeance might appear with the face of Justice Which preordaining unto sin as it doth necessarily infer the laying of a necessity upon all mens actions whether good or bad according to that predeterminate Counsel and Will of God so these good men the Authors of the books before remembred do expresly grant it acknowledging that God doth not only move men to sin but compel them to it by the inevitable rules of Predestination But against this it is thus discoursed by the said Campneys that if Gods Predestination be the only cause of Adams fall and filthy sin Ibid. p. 51. And
the English Catechism set forth by Mr. Alexander Nowel and the strength thereof 9. Several considerations on the said Catechism and the rest of the Authors making and what his being Prolocutor in the Convocation might add to any of them in point of Orthodoxy 10. Nothing to be collected out of the first passage in Mr. Nowels Catechism in favour of the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination and the points depending thereupon and less than nothing in the second if it be understood according to the Authors meaning and the determination of the Church MORE calmly and with less deviation from the Doctrine of the Church of England were the same points disputed in Queen Maries days amongst the Confessors in Prison which coming to the knowledg of the Queen and her Councli a Commission was granted to one Dr. Martin a busie man in all such matters as appears by the story to make enquiry amongst many other things into this particular and he according to the power given by the Commission convents before her one John Carelese born at Coventry of no better quality than a Weaver yet one that was grown very able to express himself when the matter came to examination by which Examination it appears that as Carelese somewhat differed in the Doctrine of Predestination and the point depending thereupon from the Church assembled according as it was established in King Edwards time so Trew another of the Prisoners but of what quality or condition I was yet to seek seems more inclinable to that Opinion if Carelese understood them rightly which was defended all that time by the Popish Clergy And that the Reader may perceive the better how the difference stood I shall lay down so much of the Conference between Dr. Martin and the Prisoner as concerns this business leaving the Reader to admire at Gods infinite goodness giving poor unlettered men such a measure of Christian courage as might enable them to speak both stoutly and discreetly in their greatest troubles Now the said Conference was as followeth 2. The Examination of John Carelese before Dr. Martin Martin Carelese I could wish that thou wouldst play the Wise mans part Act. and Mon. fol. 1742. thou art a handsome man and 't is pity but that thou shouldest do well and save that God hath bought Carelese I think your good Mastership most heartily and I put you out of doubt that I am most sure and certain of my salvation by Jesus Christ so that my Soul is safe already what pains soever my body suffer here for a little time Martin Yea marry you say truth for thou art so predestinate to life that thou canst not perish in whatsoever Opinion thou dost die Carelese That God hath predestinate me to eternal life in Jesus Christ I am most certain and even so I am sure that his holy Spirit wherewith I am sealed will so preserve me from all Heresies and evil Opinions that I shall die in none at all Martin Go to let me hear your faith in Predestination for that shall be written also Carelese Your Mastership shall pardon me herein for you said your self ere while that you had no Commission to examine my Conscience Martin I tell thee I have a Commission yea and a Commandment from the Council to examine thee of such things as be in Controversie between thee and thy fellows in the Kings Bench whereof Predestination is a part as thy fellow hath confessed and thy self dost not deny it Carelese I do not deny it but he that first told you that matter might have found himself much better occupied Martin Why I tell thee truth I may now examine thee of any thing that I list Carelese Then let your Scribe set his Pen to the paper and you shall have it roundly as the truth is I believe that Almighty God our most dear loving Father of his great mercy and infinite goodness through Jesus Christ did elect and appoint in him before the foundation of the Earth was laid a Church or Congregation which he doth continually guide and govern by his Grace and holy Spirit so that not one of them all ever finally perish When this was written Mr. Doctor took it in his hand saying Martin Why who will deny this Carelese If you Mastership do allow it and other Learned men when they shall see it I have my hearts desire Martin Did you hold no otherwise than is there written Carelese No verily no ne're did Martin Write that he saith otherwise he holdeth not so that was written it was told me also that thou dost affirm that Christ did not die effectually for all men Carelese Whatsoever hath been told you is not much material for indeed I do believe that Christ did effectually die for all those that do effectually repent and believe and for none other so that was written Martin Now Sir what is Trews faith of Predestination he believeth that all men be Predestinate and that none shall be damned doth he not Carelese No forsooth that he doth not Martin How then Carelese I think he doth believe as your Mastership and the rest of the Clergy do believe of Predestination that we be elect in respect of our good works and so long elected as we do them and no longer Martin Yet thou canst not deny but that you are at a jar amongst your selves in the Kings Bench and it is so throughout all your Congregation for you will not be a Church No Master Doctor that is not so there is a thousand times more variety of opinions amongst your Doctors Carelese which you call of the Catholick Church yea and that in the Sacrament for the which there is so much blood shed now adays I mean of your later Doctors and new Writers as for the old they agree wholly with us Now in this conference or examination there are divers things to be considered For first I consider Carelese as a man unlettered and not so thoroughly grounded in the constitution of the Church of England as not to entertain some thoughts to which the doctrine of this Church could afford no countenance Amongst which I reckon that strong confidence which he had of his own salvation and of the final perseverance of all those who are the chosen Members of the Church of Christ which was not taught him by the Church and could not be obtained in any ordinary way by the light of that doctrine which then shined forth unto the People Secondly I consider him as one so far instructed in the knowledge of Predestination as to lay the foundation of it on Gods great mercy and infinite goodness in Christ Jesus which plainly crosseth with the new Gospellers of those times who found the same upon his absolute will and pleasure without relation to Christs sufferings for us or our faith in him Thirdly I consider that the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ and the effectuality thereof to the Sons of men
Justif of the Fath. pref maintaineth in his Catechism a Doctrine contrary to that which the Arminians as some call them do now contend for and that it is not to be thought that he and others engaged with them in the same convocation were either so ignorant as not to understand what they put into the Articles or so infatuated by God to put in things quite contrary to their own judgments which being supposed or took for granted we are directed to his Catechism written in the English tongue and dedicated from the two Archbishops from which the Objector hath abstracted these two passages following viz. To the Church do all they properly belong as many as do truly fear honour and call upon God altogether applying their minds to live holily and godly and with putting all their trust in God do most assuredly look for the blessedness of eternal life They that be stedfast stable and constant in this faith where chosen and appointed and as we term it predestinate to this so great felicity p. 44. The Church is the body of the Christian Common-wealth i. e. the universal number and fellowship of the faithful whom God through Christ hath before all beginning of time appointed to everlasting life Such are the passages in this Catechism from which the Objector hath concluded that Mr. Nowel had no communion with Arminians as some please to call them And to say truth he could have no communion with the Arminians as some please to call them though he had desired it Arminius being not born or but newly born when Mr. Nowel wrote that Catechism and Mr. Nowel had been dead some years before the name of an Arminian had been heard in England But unto this it hath been answered that looking upon Mr. Nowel in his publick capacity as he was Prolocutor to that Convocation it cannot be denied but that he was as like to undersTand the conduct of all affairs therein as any other whatsoever And yet it cannot rationally be inferred from thence that therefore nothing was concluded in that Convocation which might be contrary to his own judgment for a private person admitting that he was inclined to Calvin in the points disputed as he was not neither For had he been of his opinion the spirit of that Sect is such as could not be restrained from shewing it self dogmatical and in terms express and not occasionally only and on the by as in the Catechism now before us and that too in full general terms that no particular conclusion can be gathered from them Justif of the Fath. pref It hath been answered again thus that the Articles in the five points being the same with those in King Edwards book and so confessed by the Objector and no new sense being put upon them by the last establishment they must be understood no otherwise than according to the judgment of those learned men and godly Maryrs before remembred who had before concurred unto the making of them from which if Mr. Nowels sense should differ in the least degree it is to be lookt upon as his own not the sense of the Church And thirdly it hath been observed that the Catechism to which we are referred for the former passages is not the same with that which is authorized to be taught in the Grammar Schools in Greek and Latine nor the same which was published with the consent of the Author in the English tongue Ann. 1572. but a Catechism of a larger size yet of less authority out of which the other was extracted such points as were superfluous and not well expressed not being reduced into the same And somewhat certainly there was in it which rendred it uncapable of any further editions and not thought fit to be translated into Latine though such a translation of it was propounded to the Archbishops Bishops in the Epistle Dedicatory to the shorter English And though to let us know what Catechism it is he means he seems to distinguish it from the other it being dedicated to the two Archbishops Yet that doth rather betray the Objectors ignorance than advance his cause the Authors own Latine Edition and the English of it beign dedicated to the two Archbishops as well as that But since he hath appealed to the larger Catechism to the larger Catechism let him go in which he cannot so much as find one single question touching the Doctrine of Predestination or the points depending thereupon and therefore is necessitated to have recourse unto the Articles of the Catholick Church the members and ingredients of it from whence he doth extract the two former passages And then again we are to note that the first of the two passages not being to be found in the Latine Edition nor the English translation of the same is taken almost word for word out of Nowels Catechism therefore to be understood in no other sense than before it was when it was perused and approved by the Bishops and other Learned men of King Edwards time And thirdly there is nothing in all that passage which justifieth the absolute and irrespective decree of the Predestinarians or the restraining of hte benefit of our Saviours sufferings to a few particulars nothing of Gods invincible working on the hearts of his chosen ones or the impossibility of mans co-operating any further in his resurrection from the death of sin to the life or righteousness than in that of his body from the grave to the life of glory nothing that teacheth any such certainly or infallibly of persevering in the faith and favour of God as all the sins of the world are not able to deprive them of it but that they shall must necessarily be brought again into the place and station from which they had fallen And as for the last of the said two passages being the very same with that in the Authors Latine and the English translation of the same there is nothing in it which either a true English Protestant or a Belgick Remonstrant may not easily grant and yet preserve himself from falling into Calvinism in any of the points disputed For granting that the Church is the universal number and fellowship of all the faithful whom God through Christ hath before all beginning of time appointed to everlasting life Yet must it so be understood that either they were appointed to eternal life upon the supposition of their faith and repentance which may extend to the including of all those who are called to the external participation of the Word and Sacraments or else that it is meant especially of such as are appointed from all eternity to life everlasting without excluding any from the Dignity of being members of the Church who have received the outward call and openly joyn with them in all publick duties and thereby pass in common estimate amongst the faithful Believers And then this definition will afford no comfort to our modern Calvinists or create any inconvenience unto those whom they call Arminians CHAP.
long professed and received doctrine but continue to use all good means and seek at your Lordships hands some effectual Remedy hereof lest by petmitting passage to these Errors the whole body of Popery should by little and little break in upon us to the overthrow of our Religion and consequently the withdrawing of many here and elsewhere from true obedience to her Majesty May it therefore please your Lordship to have an honourable consideration of the premises and for the better maintaining of peace and the truth of Religion so long received in this University and Church to vouchsafe your Lordships good aid and advice both to the comfort of us wholly consenting and agreeing in judgment and all others of the University truly affected and to the suppression in time not only of these errors but even of gross Popery like by such means in time easily to creep in amongst us as we find by late experience it hath dangerously begun Thus craving pardon for troubling your Lordship and commending the same in praise to Almighty God we humbly take our leave From Cambridge March 8th 1595. Your Lordships humble and bounden to be commanded Roger Goad Procan R. Some Tho. Leg John Jegon Thomas Nevil Thomas Preston Hump. Tyndal James Mountague Edmond Barwel Laurence Cutterton Such was the condition of Affairs at Cambridge at the expiring of the year 1595. the genuine Doctrine of the Church beginning then to break through the clouds of Calvinism wherewith it was before obscured and to shine forth again in its former lustre To the advancement of which work as the long continuance of Baroe in the University for the space of 20 years and upwards the discreet activity of Dr. Harsnet Fellow and Master of Pembrook Colledge for the term of 40 yeaas and more gave a good encouragement so the invincible constancy of Mr. Barret and the slender opposition made by Overald contributed to the confirmation and encrease thereof For scarce had Overald warmed his Chair when he found himself under a necessity of encountring some of the remainder of Baroes Adversaries though he followed not the blow so far as Baroe did for some there were of the old Predestination Leven who publickly had taught as he related it in the conference at Hampton Court all such persons as were once truly justified though after they fell into never so grievous sins yet remained still just or in the state of Justification before they actually repented of those sins yea though they never repented of them through forgetfulness or sudden death yet they should be justified and saved without Repentance Against which Overald maintained that whosoever although before justified did commit any grievous sin as Adultery Murder Treason or the like did become ipso facto Conf. at Ham. C. p. 42. subject to Gods wrath and guilty of damnation or were in the state of damnation quoad presentem statum until they repented And so far he had followed Baroe but he went no further holding as he continued his own story that such persons as were called and justified according to the purpose of Gods Election did neither fall totally from all the graces of God though how a justified man may bring himself into a present state of Wrath and Damnation without a total falling from all the graces of God is beyond my reason and that they were in time renewed by the Spirit of God unto a lively faith and repentance and thereby justified from those sins with the guilt and wrath annexed unto them into which they had fallen nor can it be denied but that some other Learned men of those times were of the same opinion also Amongst which I find Dr. John Bridges Dean of Sarum Anti-Armini pag. 202. and afterwards Lord Bishop of Oxon to be reckoned for one and Mr. Richard Hooker of whom more anon to be accounted for another But being but the compositions of private men they are not to be heard against the express words of the two Homilies touching falling from God in case the point had not been positively determined in the sixteenth Article But so it hapned notwithstanding that Overald not concurring with the Calvinists concerning the estate of such justified persons as afterwards fell into grievous sins there grew some diffidences and distrust between them which afterwards widned themselves into greater differences Insomuch that diffenting from them also touching the absolute decree of Reprobation and the restraining of the benefit of Christs death and Gods grace unto a few particulars and that too in Gods primitive purpose and intent concerning the salvation and damnation of man-kind those of the Anti-Calvinian party went on securely with little or no opposition and less disturbance At Oxford all things in the mean time were calm and quiet no publick opposition shewing it self in the Schools or Pulpits The reasons of that which might be first that the Students of that University did more incline unto the canvasing of such points as were in difference betwixt us and the Church of Rome than unto those which were disputed against the Calvinists in these points of Doctrine for witness whereof we may call in the works of Sanders Stapleton Allyns Parsons Campian and many others of that sid as those of Bishop Jewel Bishop Bilson Dr. Humphreys Mr. Nowel Dr. Sparks 〈◊〉 Hist l. 9. Dr. Reynolds and many others which stood firm to the Church of England And secondly though Dr. Humphreys the Queens Professor for Divinity was not without cause reckoned for a Non conformist yet had he the reputation of a moderate man a moderate Non-conformist as my Author calls him and therefore might permit that liberty of opinion unto other men which was indulged unto himself neither did Dr. Holland who succeeded him give any such countenance to the propagating of Calvins doctrines as to make them the subject of his Lectures and Disputations Insomuch that Mr. Prin with all his diligence can find but seven men who publickly maintained any point of Calvianism in the Schools of Oxon from the year 1596. to the year 1616. and yet to make that number also he is fain to take in Dr. George Abbot and Dr. Benfield on no other account but for maintaining Deum non esse authorem peccati that God is not the Author of sin which any Papist Lutheran or Arminian might have maintained as well as they And yet it cannot be denied but that by errour of these times the reputation which Calvin had attained to in both Universities and the extream diligence of his followers for the better carrying on of their own designs there was a general tendency unto his opinions in the present controversies so that it is no marvel if many men of good affection to that Church in government and forms of worship might unawares be seasoned with his Principles in point of Doctrine Instit fathers in the Pref. his book of Institutes being for the most part the foundation on which the young Divines of
insolencies of the Ephori towards their Kings altered the State into a Tyranny 10. The Spartan Kings stomach the insolency of the Ephori and at last utterly destroy them 11. An application of the former passages to the point in hand I Know it is conceived by some that the Kings of Sparta were but titular that they were little more than Subjects at best of no more power and influence in the publick Government Unlawfulness of resistance p 90. than the Duke of Venice at this day in that Republick And to say truth they were but little better in the latter times though not altogether so restrained after Lycurgus first and the Ephori afterwards had by their power and practices intrenched upon them and pared away so many of the fairest Jewels in the Regal Diadem But ab initio non fuit sic it was not so from the beginning the Spartan Kings being at first as absolute Monarchs as any other of those times Tacit. Annal. ubi addictius regnabantur when men were most devoted to the will of Princes For if we look into the ancient stories of the States of Greece it will there be found that at the return of the Heraclidae into Peloponnesus under the conduct of Temenus Ctesiphon and Aristodemus the sons of Aristomachus of the race of Hercules Temenus possessed himself of Argos Ctesiphon of Messene and Aristodemus conquered the City and Dominion of Sparta which dying very shortly after he left unto his two sons Eurysthenes and Procles Pausanias in Lacon l. 3. with the authority and name of Kings So that acquiring the Estate by Conquest and claiming by no other Title than by that of Arms there is no question to be made but that they governed in the way of absolute Monarchs it being not the guise of such as come in by Conquest to covenant and capitulate with their Subjects but to impose their will for a Law upon them In the first times and in Dominion so acquired Justin hist l. 1. Arbitria Principum pro legibus erant as we read in Justin 'T is true the Royal Family was divided from the very first into two Regal Stems or Branches both honoured with the name of Kings both ruling the Estate in common by their mutual Councils of which the eldest House was that of Agidae so called from Agis son and Successor unto Eurysthenes the second that of the Eurypontidae denominated from Eurypon Pausanius l. 3. the third from Procles It was appointed so to be by Aristodemus confirmed by the Oracle of Apollo and so continued till the subjugating of all Greece to Macedon But this concludes no more against absolute Monarchie than if it should be said on the like occasion that the Roman Emperors were no Monarchs or that State to Monarchy because Carus and Numerianus Diocletian and Maximianus Constantius and Maximinus ruled the same together as after Valentinian and his Brother Valens and the two sons of Valentinian and Theodosius did by their Example And so it seems it was conceived by Cleomenes who having rooted out the Ephori and being grown almost as absolute in the State of Sparta as any of his Predecessors caused his Brother Euclidas upon the expiration of the Eurypontidae to be made King with him â—â—â—tarch in Agis Cleemeâ— which certainly he would not have done had he believed that the assuming of a partner would have made him less For that the Spartan Kings were as absolute Monarchs as any others of those times when there was almost no Form of Government in the World but that doth appear by Plutarch where speaking of the condition of that Government in the time of Eurypon whom he calls Eurytion he saith that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently Montarchical if it were not more Plutarch in Lycurgo And hereto Aristotle doth agree who stiles the Government of Sparta under Charilaus before whose times by reason of the negligence and connivence of some former Kings the People were become too head-strong to be kept in order Aristot Polit. lib. 5. cap. 12. by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tyranny or absolute command of Charilaus in the State of Sparta But whatsoever it was in the first foundation it held not very long in so good condition For Eurypon the Nephew of Procles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Lycurg affecting to be plausible and gracious with the common people improvidently let loose the reins of Government and was the first that laid aside that sole and absolute power of a King whereupon followed great disorder and distraction which continued long For the People finding themselves at liberty became very bold and disobedient some of the Kings which did succeed being hated to the very death because they did indeavour the recovery of their old authority others being forced to dissemble and wink at any thing either in hope thereby to gain the love of the People or because indeed they were not strong enough to rule them And this did so increase the stomach of the dissolute and rebellious multitude that Eunomus the Father of Lycurgus being the fifth King from Procles and the third from Eurypon was slain amongst them in a tumult As such a dear and costly rate did Eurypon procure the favour and good will of the rascal rabble by which he purchased nothing but the loss of Royalty besides the empty honour of having the second house of the Royal Family to be called by his name the Eurypontidae Things growing thus from bad to worse and both the Kings and People waxing weary of that disorder and confusion which did reign amongst them both parties cast their eyes upon Lycurgus of whose integrity and wisdom they had conceived a great opinion For the People finding that their Kings had nothing but the name and title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and nothing else whereby they differed from the rest sent many a several message to him to require his counsel And on the other side the Kings were as desirous that he should return being then gone abroad to travel in hope that the authority of his presence would bridle and restrain the People from their insolency and disobedience towards them But herein they were both deceived Id. ibid. For Lycurgus seeing how things stood resolved to apply himself to neither party but presently began to project and cast how he might change and alter the whole frame of Government which to effect he armed himself and his Associates and possessed the market-place and so proceeded to the alteration which he meant to make Id ibid. et in Agis Cleomen Charilaus who was then King being forced to flie for sanctuary to the Temple of Juno But Plato saith there was another motive which induced him to attempt this change which was the ill success the other Kings his kindred of the house of Hercules had found at Argos and Messene where by degrees degenerating from a
Princes of the line of Cecrops now it began to be Elective Tacit. hist l. 1. and to be given to them who best pleased the people Et loco libertatis erat quod eligi coeperunt and it was some degree of liberty and a great one too that they had power to nominate and elect their Princes But long they did not like of this although no doubt a great intrusion on the Regal dignity The Princes were too absolute when they held for life not so observant of the people as it was expected because not liable to accompt nor to be called unto a reckoning till it was too late till death had freed them from their faults and the peoples censure And therefore having tried the Government of thirteen of these perpetual Archontes of which Medon the son of Codrus was the first and the last Alemaeon In decem annos Magistratuum consuetudo conversa est they introduced another custom Euseb in Chr. Asrican apud Euseb Chronâ— and every tenth year changed their Governors These they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Decennial Archontes of which they had but seven in all and then gave them over and from that time were governed by nine Officers or Magistrates chosen every year who for that cause were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Annual Magistrates And yet it is to be observed that in both these changes the Archon whosoever he was and whether he was for term of life or for ten years only had all the power which formerly was belonging to the Kings save the very name in which regard Eusebius doth not stick to call them by the name of Kings where speaking of the institution of these Annual Magistrates he doth thus express is Euseb Chron. Athenis Annui principes constituti sunt cessantibus Regibus as S. Hierom renders it Now for these Annual Magistrates they were these that follow that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jul. P. 〈◊〉 in Onomast l. 8. c. 9. which we may call the Provost who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was called the Archon the Bishop or High Priest the Marshal and the six Chief Justices Of these the Provost was the chief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom they did denominate the ensuing year and by whose name they dated all their private Contracts and Acts of State Id ibid. Sect. 2. To him it appertained to have a care of celebrating the Orgies of Bacchus and the great Festival which they termed Thargelia consecrated to Apollo and Diana as also to take cognizance of misdemeanors and in particular to punish those who were common Drunkards and to determine in all cases which concerned matter of inheritance and furthermore to nominate Arbitrators for the ending of Suits and private differences to appoint Guardians unto Orphans and Overseers unto Women left with child by their Husbands The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we call the Bishop or High Priest had the charge of all the sacred mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ibid. Sect. 3. and the administration of the usual and accustomed Sacrifices together with the cognizance of sacriledg prophaneness and all other actions which concerned Religion as also power to interdict litigious persons or Common Barretters as we call them from being present at the celebration of the holy Mysteries And he retained the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that anciently their Kings as in all places else had the chief hand in matters which related to the publick service of the Gods and the solemn Sacrifices On the which reason and no other the Romans had their Regem Sacrificulum whom Plutarch calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in imitation of the Latine but Dionysius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Problemat Dionys Halicarnas hist l. 5. Livie hist Roman lib. 2. in the true Greek phrase of which Livie thus Rerum deinde divinarum habita cura quia quaedam publica sacra per ipsos Reges factitata erant necubi Regum desiderium esset Regem Sacrificulum creant But to proceed the Polemarchus whom we English by the name of Marshal sat Judg in cases of sedition and such whereby the grandeur of the State might suffer detriment as also in all actions which concerned either Denizens or Merchant-strangers and unto him it appertained to sacrifice to Diana and to Mars the two military Deities Jul. Pollux in Onomast l. 8. c. 93. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to prescribe the funeral pomp for such as lost their lives in their Countreys service Each of these had their two Assessors Id. ibid. Sect. of their own Election but so that they were bound to chuse them out of the Senate of five hundred from no lower rank Finally for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who we call Chief Justices they were six in number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas in Lex and had authority to give Judgment absolutely in all Civil pleas to judg of strangers which abused the priviledges which they had in the City of Bribery Conspiracies false inscriptions in cases of Adultery and publick crimes in points of Trade Jul. Pollux in Onomast ll 4. c. 9. sect 1. and actions which concerned the Stannaries as also to review the sentence of the Provost and the decrees of the Senate if occasion were and to give notice to the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Julius Pollux if any man preferred a Law which was not profitable and expedient for the Common-wealth Such were the Officers and such the duty of those Officers ordained at Athens upon the last alteration of the Government which before we spake of and amongst these we find not any popular Magistrate who was to have a care of the common people and to preserve them in their rights and liberties from the oppression of the greater and more powerful Citizens much less set up of purpose to oppose the Senate And to say truth we must not look for any such amongst the Nine nor in these times in which this alteration of the Government was first established They could not fall immediately from a Regal State to a Democratical but they must take the Aristocratie in the way unto it They had been under Kings at first or such as had the power of Kings although not the name And when they chose these Annual Officers they chose them ex nobilibus urbis out of the Nobles only Euseb Chron. Scaliger in Aâ—imadveâ—s as Eusebius hath it which Scaliger is forced to grant to be so at first though out of a desire to confute his Author he would very fain have had it otherwise Whether or no they had such Officers as Calvin dreams of when they had setled their Democratie we shall see anon having first shewn by whom and by what degrees the Government of the State was cast on the peoples shoulders and the form thereof made meerly popular or Democratical For certainly it is most true that never
X. The Form of ministring the Sacrament of the blessed Eucharist described by Dionysius the Areopagite Page 100 XI That of the ministring of the Sacrament of holy Baptism described by him and seconded by the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens Page 101 XII Places appointed in this Age of Gods publick Worship and honoured with the name of Churches Page 103 CHAP. VI. What doth occur concerning Liturgies and Set Forms of Worship betwixt the death of the Apostles and the Empire of Constantine the Great I. The Form observed in Baptism and administration of the Eucharist and in celebrating of the Sundays service according unto Justin Martyr Page 105 II. The order used in Baptism and in the publick meetings of the Congregations in Tertullians time Page 106 III. That in those times the use of Psalms and Hymns was intermingled with the other parts of publick Worship Page 107 IV. Tertullian cleared from a wrong sense imposed on him in the point of Worship by some late Writers ibid. V. The course and order of the Ministration according to the Author of the Constitutions who lived about those times in their account who placed him latest Page 108 VI. The order of reading holy Scripture in the Congregation prescribed and regulated in those times Page 109 VII Proofs for a publick Liturgy or set Form of prayer from the works of Origen Page 110 VIII As also from the Writings of Saint Cyprian Page 111 IX Touching the Form of Prayer prescribed by the Emperour Constantine for the use of his Army Page 112 X. That prescribed Forms of prayer were not occasioned by the Arian or Pelagian Heresies as it is supposed Page 113 XI What was decreed conducing to set Forms of prayer in the antient Counâ—il of Laodicea ibid. XII Several Offices or Forms of prayer at that time in use agreeably unto the several sorts of people in the Congregation Page 114 XIII A list of several solemn Festivals appointed by the Church for Gods publick Worship in those early days Page 116 XIV Churches erected by the Christians in these two Ages for the publick duties of Religion ibid CHAP. VII Apparent proofs for Liturgies and Set Forms of Worship betwixt the Reign of Constantine and St. Austins death I. The Form of Baptism described by Cyril of Hierusalem conform unto the antient Patterns Page 118 II. As also of administring the blessed Eucharist Page 119 III. Conclusive proofs for Liturgies or set Forms of Worship in Saint Basils time ibid. IV. And from the Writings of Saint Chrysostom Page 120 V. The Liturgies of Chrysostom and Basil vindicated and the Objections answered which are made against them Page 121 VI. Liturgies or set Forms of Worship in the Western Churches by whom and what degrees established Page 122 VII Proofs for the intient Liturgies and prescribed Forms of Worship from Austins works Page 123 VIII What was decreed concerning Liturgies or prescribed forms of Worship in the African Councils Page 124 IX The Form of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons prescribed and regulated Page 125 X. A prescribed form of Marriage and set Rites of Burial used anciently in the Church of Christ Page 126 XI Touching the Habit used of old by Gods Priests and Ministers in the officiating his divine service in the Congregation Page 127 XII Several Gestures used by Gods people in the Congregation according to the several parts of publick Worship Page 128 XIII A brief Essay concerning the Antiquity of the Gloria Patri the time when it was first made a part of the publick Liturgies and the accustomed Gestures at the pronouncing of the same Page 129 CHAP. VIII A Corollary touching the Dedication of Churches and of the Anniversary Feasts thereby occasioned 1. Dedication of Religious places used anciently by all Nations and the reasons why Page 133 2. A repetition of some things that were said before with reference and application to the point in hand Page 134 3. The Tabernacle consecrated by Gods own appointment and the consequents of it ibid. 4. Antiquity of the like Dedications amongst the Romans and by whom performed Page 135 5. The Form and Ceremonies used in those Dedications by the antient Romans Page 136 6. The antiquity and constant usage of such Dedications in the Church of Christ Page 137 7. Titulus and Encaenia what they signifie in the Ecclesiastical notion Page 138 8. The great Solemnities and Feasts used by the Jews and Gentiles in the Dedication of their Temples Page 139 9. As also by the Primitive Christians Page 140 10. Dedication Feasts made Anniversary by the Roman Gentiles Page 141 11. And by the Christians in the times of their greatest purity ibid. 12. Continued till our times in the Church of England Page 142 13. The conclusion of the whole and the Authors submission of it to the Supream Judg. Page 143 Of the Form of Prayer appointed to be used by Preachers before their Sermons 1. THE Introduction to the whole Page 148 2. The Canon of the year 1603. Page 149 3. The meaning and purpose of that Canon ibid. 4. The Injunction of Queen Elizabeth to the same effect ibid. 5. The Injunction of King Edward VI. to the same effect Page 150 6. The like Injunction of King Henry VIII ibid. 7. The ground and reason of the Injunction of that King and the exemplification of it in the practice of Bishop Latimer ibid. 8. The difference between Invocation and that bidding of Prayer which is required by the Canon Page 151 9. The Canon justified by the practice of Bishop Andrews Page 152 10. By the practice of Bishop Jewel in Queen Elizabeths time Page 153 11. By the practice of Arch-bishop Parker in King Edwards time ibid. 12. By the like practice of Bishop Latimer in that Kings time also Page 154 13. More of the practice of Bishop Latimer in this point ibid. 14. The same proved also by the practice of Bishop Gardiner Page 155 15. The result arising both from the precept and the practice of the Church herein ibid. 16. How the now Form of Prayer by way of Invocation was first taken up Page 156 17. No Prayer by way of Invocation used by the Antients in their Sermons Page 157 18. The Prayer appointed by the Canon and the Injunctions used rather heretofore as a part of the Sermon than as a preparation to it ibid. 19. Bidding of Prayer more consonant unto the meaning of the Law than any set Prayer in the way of Invocation Page 158 20. Bidding of Prayer more proper for the place or Pulpit which was not made for Prayer but for Exhortation ibid. 21. The like concluded from the posture of the Preacher also Page 159 22. Some inconveniences arising from the Form of Prayer by Invocation ibid. 23. More inconveniences of that nature by accusing the Liturgy as defective Page 160 24. The conclusion and submission of the whole to his Lordships judgment Page 161 The Undeceiving of the People in the point of Tithes 1. THAT never any
part of the fourth Commandment Page 359 3. The Annual Sabbaths no less solemnly observed and celebrated than the weekly were if not more solemnly Page 360 4. Of the Parasceue or Preparation to the Sabbath and the solemn Festivals Page 361 5. All manner of work as well forbidden on the Annual as the weekly Sabbaths Page 362 6. What things were lawful to be done on the Sabbath days Page 363 7. Touching the prohibitions of not kindling fire and not dressing meat Page 364 8. What moved the Gentiles generally to charge the Jews with Fasting on the Sabbath day Page 365 9. Touching this Prohibition Let no man go out of his place on the Sabbath day Page 366 10 All lawful recreations as Dancing Feasting Man-like Exercises allowed and practised by the Jews upon their Sabbaths ibid. CHAP. VI. Touching the observation of the Sabbath unto the time the People were established in the Promised Land 1. The Sabbath not kept constantly during the time the People wandred in the Wilderness Page 368 2. Of him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day ibid. 3. Wherein the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist in the time of Moses Page 369 4. The Law not ordered to be read in the Congregation every Sabbath day Page 370 5. The sack of Hiericho and the destruction of that People was upon the Sabbath Page 371 6. No Sabbath after this without Circumcision and how that Ceremony could consist with the Sabbaths rest Page 372 7. What moved the Jews to prefer Circumcision before the Sabbath Page 373 8. The standing still of the Sun at the prayers of Josuah c. could not but make some alteration about the Sabbath ibid. 9. What was the Priests work on the Sabbath day and whether it might stand with the Sabbaths rest Page 374 10. The scattering of the Levites over all the Tribes had no relation unto the reading of the Law on the Sabbath-days Page 375 CHAP. VII Touching the keeping of the Sabbath from the time of David to the Maccabees 1. Particular necessities must give place to the Law of Nature Page 376 2. That Davids flight from Saul was upon the Sabbath Page 377 3. What David did being King of Israel in ordering things about the Sabbath ibid. 4. Elijahs flight upon the Sabbath and what else hapned on the Sabbath in Elijah's time Page 378 5. The limitation of a Sabbath days journey not known amongst the Jews when Elisha lived Page 379 6. The Lord becomes offended with the Jewish Sabbaths and on what occasion ibid. 7. The Sabbath entertained by the Samaritans and their strange niceties therein Page 380 8. Whether the Sabbaths were observed during the Captivity ibid. 9. The special care of Nehemiah to reform the Sabbath Page 381 10. The weekly reading of the Law on the Sabbath days begun by Ezra Page 382 11. No Synagogues nor weekly reading of the Law during the Government of the Kings Page 383 11. The Scribes and Doctors of the Law impose new rigours on the People about their Sabbaths Page 384 CHAP. VIII What doth occur about the Sabbath from the Maccabees to the destruction of the Temple 1. The Jews refuse to fight in their own defence upon the Sabbath and what was ordered thereupon Page 385 2. The Pharisees about these times had made the Sabbath burdensome by their Traditions Page 386 3. Hierusalem twice taken by the Romans on the Sabbath day Page 387 4. The Romans many of them Judaize and take up the Sabbath as other Nations did by the Jews example Page 388 5. Augustus Caesar very gracious to the Jews in matters that concerned their Sabbath Page 390 6. What our Redeemer taught and did to rectifie the abuses of and in the Sabbath ibid. 7. The final ruin of the Temple and the Jewish Ceremonies on a Sabbath day Page 391 8. The Sabbath abrogated with the other Ceremonies Page 392 9. Wherein consists the Christian Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures and amongst the Fathers Page 393 10. The idle and ridiculous niceties of the modern Jews in their Perasceves and their Sabbaths conclude the first Part. Page 394 BOOK II. CHAP. I. That there is nothing found in Scripture touching the keeping of the Lords day 1. The Sabbath not intended for a perpetual ordinance Page 400 1. Preparatives unto the dissolution of the Sabbath by our Saviou Christ Page 401 3. The Lords day not enjoyned in the place thereof either by Christ or the Apostles but instituted by the authority of the Church Page 402 4. Our Saviours Resurrection on the first day of the week and apparitions on the same make it not a Sabbath Page 404 5. The coming down of the Holy Ghost upon the first day of the week makes it not a Sabbath Page 405 6. The first day of the week not made a Sabbath more than others by S. Peter S. Paul or any other of the Apostles ibid. 7. S. Paul frequents the Synagogue on the Jewish Sabbath and upon what reasons Page 406 8. What was concluded against the Sabbath in the Council holden at Hierusalem Page 407 9. The preaching of S. Paul at Troas upon the first day of the week no argument that then that day was set apart by the Apostles for religious exercises Page 408 10. Collections on the first day of the week 1 Cor. 16. conclude as little for that purpose Page 409 11. Those places of S. Paul Gal. 4.10 Coloss 2.16 do prove invincibly that there is no Sabbath to be looked for Page 410 12. The first day of the week not called the Lords day until the end of this first age and what that title adds unto it Page 411 CHAP. II. In what estate the Lords day stood from the death of the Apostles to the Reign of Constantine 1. Touching the orders setled by the Apostles for the Congregation Page 413 2. The Lords day and the Saturday both Festivals and both alike observed in the East in Ignatius time Page 414 3. The Saturday not without great difficulty made a Fasting day Page 415 4. The Controversie about keeping Easter and how much it conduceth to the present business Page 416 5. The Feast of Easter not affixed to the Lords day without much opposition of the Eastern Churches ibid. 6. What Justin Martyr and Dionysius of Corinth have left us of the Lords day Clemens of Alexandria his dislike thereof Page 417 7. Vpon what grounds the Christians of the former times used to pray standing on the Lords day and the time of Pentecost Page 418 8. What is recorded by Tertullian of the Lords day and the Assemblies of the Church Page 419 9. Origen as his Master Clemens had done before dislikes set days for the Assembly Page 420 10. S. Cyprian what he tells us of the Lords day and of the reading of the Scriptures in S. Cyprians time ibid. 11. Of other holy days established in these three first Ages and that they were observed as solemnly as the Lords day was Page 421 12. The
fry in Hell and that he made them for no other purpose than to be the children of death and hell and that for no other cause but his meer pleasure sake and so say that God doth not only say but will swear to a lye For the Oath should have run thus As I live saith the Lord I do delight in the death of man Secondly it doth not by consequence but directly make God the Author of sin For if God without eye to sin did design men to hell then did he say and set down that he should sin for without sin he cannot come to hell And indeed doth not this Opinion say that the Almighty God in the eye of his Counsel did not only see but say that Adam should fall and so order and decree and set down his fall that it was no more possible for him not to fall than it was possible for him not to eat And of that when God doth order set down and decree I trust he is the Author unless they will say that when the Right honourable Lord Keeper doth say in open Court We order he means not to be the Author of that his Order Which said he tells us Thirdly Ibid. p. 135. that it takes away from Adam in his state of innocency all freedom of will and Liberty not to sin For had he had freedom to have altered Gods designment Adams liberty had been above the designment of God And here I remember a little witty solution is made that is if we respect Adams Will he had power to sin but if Gods Decrees he could not sin This is a filly solution And indeed it is as much as if you should take a sound strong man that hath power to walk and to lie still and bind him hand and foot as they do in Bedlam and lay him down and then bid him rise up and walk or else you will stir him up with a whip and he tell you that there be chains upon him so that he is not able to stir and you tell him again that that is no excuse for if he look upon his health his strength his legs he hath power to walk or to stand still but if upon his Chains indeed in that respect he is not able to walk I trust he that should whip that man for not walking were well worthy to be whipt himself Fourthly As God do abhor a heart and a heart and his soul detesteth also a double minded man so himself cannot have a mind and a mind a face like Janus to look two ways Yet this Opinion maketh in God two Wills the one flat opposite to the other An Hidden Will by which he appointed and willed that Adam should sin and an open Will by which he forbad him to sin His open Will said to Adam in Paradise Adam thou shalt not eat of the Tree of good and evil His Hidden Will said Thou shalt eat nay now I my self cannot keep thee from eating for my Decree from Eternity is passed Thou shalt eat that thou may drown all thy posterity into sin and that I may drench them as I have designed in the bottomless pit of Hell Fifthly Amongst all the Abominations of Queen Jezabel that was the greatest 1 Kings 21. when as hunting after the life of innocent Naboth she set him up amongst the Princes of the Land that so he might have the greater fall God planted man in Paradise as in a pleasant Vineyard and mounted him to the World as on a stage and honoured him with all the Soveraignty over all the Creatures he put all things in subjection under his feet so that he could not pass a decree from all Eternity against him to throw him down head-long into Hell for God is not a Jezabel Tollere in altum to lift up a man ut lapsu graviore ruat that he may make the greater noise with his fall But he goes on and having illustrated this cruel Mockery by some further instances he telleth us Ibid. p. 140. that the Poet had a device of their old Saturn that he eat up his Children assoon as they were born for fear least some of them should dispossess him of Heaven Pharaoh King of Egypt had almost the same plea for he made away all the young Hebrew Males lest they should multiply too fast Herod for fear our Saviour Christ should supplant him in his Kingdom caused all the young Children to be slain those had all some colour for their barbarous cruelty But if any of those had made a Law designing young Children to torments before they had been born and for no other cause and purpose but his own absolute will the Heavens in course would have called for revenge It is the Law of Nations that no man innocent shall be condemned of Reason not to hate where we are not hurt of Nature to like and love her own brood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the holy Ghost we are Gods Kindred he cannot hate us when we are innocent when we are nothing when we are not Now touching Gods Glory which is to us all as dear as our life this Opinion hath told us a very inglorious and shameful Tale for it saith the Almighty God would have many souls go to Hell and that they may come thither they must sin that so he may have just cause to condemn them Who doth not smile at the Grecians Conceit that gave their God a glorious title for killing of flies Gods Glory in punishing ariseth from his Justice in revenging of sin and for that it tells us as I said a very sad and unpleasant Tale for who could digest it to hear a Prince say after this manner I will beget met a Son that I may kill him that I may so get me a name I will beget him without both his feet and when he is grown up having no feet I will command him to walk upon pain of death and when he breaketh my Commandment I will put him to death O beloved these glorious fancies imaginations and shews are far from the nature of our gracious merciful and glorious God who hath proclaimed himself in his Titles Royal Jehovah the Lord the Lord strong and mighty and terrible slow to anger and of great goodness And therefore let this conceit be far from Jacob and let it not come near the Tents of Joseph How much holier and heavenlier conceit had the holy Fathers of the Justice of God Non est ante punitor Deus quam peccator homo God put not on the person of a Revenger before man put on the person of an Offender saith St. Ambrose Neminem coronat antequam vincit neminem punit antequam peccat he crowns none before he overcomes and he punisheth no man before his offence Et qui facit miseros ut miseratur crudelem habet miserecordiam he that puts man into miseries that he may pity him hath no kind but a cruel pity The absolute decree of Reprobation
being thus discharged he shews in the next place Ibid. 48. that as God desireth not the death of man without relation to his sin so he desireth not the death of the sinful man or of the wicked sinful man but rather that they shoudl turn from their wickedness and live And he observes it is said unto the Goats in St. Matthews Gospel Ite malidicti in ignem paratum he doth not say Maledicti patris Go ye cursed of the Father as it is Benedicti patris when he speaks of the sheep God intituling himself to the blessing only and that the fire is prepared but for whom Non vobis sed Diabolo Angelis ejus not for you but for the Devil and his Angels So that God delighteth to prepare neither Death nor Hell for damned men The last branch of his Discourse he resolves into six consequences as links depending on his Chain 1. Gods absolute Will is not the cause of Reprobation but sin 2. No man is of an absolute necessity the child of Hell so as by Gods grace he may not avoid it 3. God simply willeth every living soul to be saved and to come to the Kingdom of Heaven 4. God sent his Son to save every soul and to bring it to the Kingdom of Heaven 5. God offereth Grace effectually to save every one and to direct him to the Kingdom of Heaven 6. The nelgect and contempt of this Grace is the cause why every one doth not come to Heaven and not any privative Decree Council and Determination of God The stating and canvasing of which points so plainly curtly to the Doctrines of che old Zuinglian Gospellers and the modern Calvinians as they take up the rest of the Sermon so to the Sermon I refer the Reader for his furtehr satisfaction in them I note this only in the close that there is none of the five Arminian Articles as they commonly call them which is not contained in terms express or may not easily be found by way of Deduction in one or more of the six consequences before recited Now in this Sermon there are sundry things to be considered as namely first That the Zuinglian or Calvinian Gospel in these points was grown so strong that the Preacher calls it their Goliah so huge and monstrous that many quaked and trembled at it but none that is to say but few or none vel duo vel nemo in the words of Persius durst take up Davids sling to throw it down Secondly That in canvasing the absolute Decree of Reprobation the Preacher spared none of those odious aggravations which have been charged upon the Doctrines of the modern Calvinists by the Remonstrants and their party in these latter times Thirdly That the Sermon was preached at St. Pauls Cross the greatest Auditory of the Kingdom consisting not only of the Lord Mayor the Aldermen and the rest of the chief men in the City but in those times of such Bishops and other learned men as lived occasionally in London and the City of Westminster as also of the Judges and most learned Lawyers some of the Lords of the Council being for the most part present also Fourthly That for all this we cannot find that any offence was taken at it or any Recantation enjoyned upon it either by the high Commission or Bishop of London or any other having Authority in the Church of England nor any complaint made of it to the Queen or the Council-Table as certainly there would have been if the matter of the Sermon had been contrary to the Rules of the Church and the appointments of the same And finally we may observe that though he was made Archbiship of York in the Reign of King Charles 1628. when the times are thought to have been inclinable to those of the Arminian Doctrines yet he was made Master of Pembrook Hill Bishop of Chichester and from thence translated unto Norwich in the time of King James And thereupon we may conclude that King James neither thought this Doctrine to be against the Articles of Religion here by Law established nor was so great an Enemy to them or the men that held them as some of our Calvinians have lately made him But against this it is objected by Mr. Prin in his book of Perpetuity c. printed at London in the year 1627. 1. That the said Mr. Harsnet was convented for this Sermon and forced to recant it as Heretical 2. That upon this Sermon Perpetulty c. 304. and the Controversies that arose upon it in Cambridg between Baroe and Whitacres not only the Articles of Lambeth were composed of which more hereafter but Mr. Wotton was appointed by the University to confute the same 3. That the siad Sermon was so far from being published or printed that it was injoyned by Authority to be recanted For Answer whereunto it would first be known where the said Sermon was recanted and by whose Authority Not in or by the University of Cambridg where Mr. Harsnet lived both then and a long time after for the Sermon was preached at St. Pauls Cross and so the University could take no cognisance of it nor proceed against him for the same And if the Recantation was madea t St. Pauls Cross where the supposed offence was given it would be known by whose Authority it was enjoyned Not by the Bishop of London in whose Diocess the Sermon was preached for his Authority did not reach so far as Cambridg whither the Preacher had retited after he had performed the service he was called unto and if it were injoyned by the High Commission and performed accordingly there is no question to be made but that we should have heard of in the Anti-Arminianism where there are no less than eight leaves spend in relating the story of a like Recantation pretended to be made by one Mr. Barret on the tenth of May 1595. and where it is affirmed that the said Mr. Harsnet held and maintained the same errors for which Barret was to make his Recantation But as it will be proved hereafter that no such Recantation wass made by Barret so we have reason to believe that no such Recantation was imposed on Harsnet Nor secondly can it be made good that the Controversies between Doctor Whitacres and Dr. Baroe were first occasioned by this Sermon or that Mr. Wotton was appointed by the University to confute the same For it appears by a Letter written from the heads of that University to their Chancellor the Lord Treasurer Burleigh dated March 18. 1595. that Baroe had maintained the same Doctrines and his Lectures and Determinations above 14 years before by their own account for which see Chap. 21. Numb 80. which must be three years at the least before the preaching of that Sermon by Mr. Harsnet And though it is probable enopugh that Mr. Wotton might give himself the trouble of confuting the Sermon yet it is more than probable that he was not required so to do by that