day that now they will not be persuaded that it is a Dream For the awakening of the which and their reduction to more sound and sensible Counsels next to my duty to Gods Church and your Sacred Majesty have I applied my self to compose this Story wherein I doubt not but to shew them how much they have deceived both themselves and others in making the old Jewish Sabbath of equal age and observation with the Law of Nature and preaching their new sabbath-Sabbath-Doctrines in the Church of Christ with which the Church hath no acquaintance wherein I doubt not but to shew them that by their obstinate resolution not to make Publication of your Majesties pleasure they tacitely condemn not only all the Fathers of the Primitive times the Learned Writers of all Ages many most godly Kings and Princes of the former days and not few Councils of chief note and of faith unquestionable but even all states of Men Nations and Churches at this present whom they most esteem This makes your Majesties interest so particular in this present History that were I not obliged unto your Majesty in any nearer bond than that of every common Subject it could not be devoted unto any other with so just propriety But being it is the work of your Majesties Servant and in part fashioned at those times which by your Majesties leave were borrowed from Attendance on your Sacred Person your Majesty hath also all the rights unto it of a Lord and Master Institut l. 1. tit 8. §. 1. So that according to that Maxim of the Civil Laws Quodcunque per servum acquiritur id domino acquirit suo your Majesty hath as absolute power to dispose thereof as of the Author who is Dread Soveraign Your Majesties most Obedient Subject and most faithful Servant PET. HEYLYN A PREFACE To them who being themselves mistaken have misguided others in these new Doctrines of the Sabbath NOT out of any humour or desire of being in action or that I love to have my hands in any of those publick quarrels wherewith our peace hath been disturbed but that Posterity might not say we have been wanting for our parts to your information and the direction of Gods People in the ways of truth have I adventured on this Story A Story which shall represent unto you the constant practice of Gods Church in the present business from the Creation to these days that so you may the better see how you are gone astray from the paths of Truth and tendries of Antiquity and from the present judgment of all Men and Churches The Arguments whereto you trust and upon seeming strength whereof you have been emboldned to press these Sabbatarian Doctrins upon the Consciences of poor people I purpose not to meddle with in this Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have been elsewhere throughly canvassed and all those seeming strengths beat down by which you were your selves misguided and by the which you have since wrought on the affections of unlearned men or such at least that judged not of them by their weight but by their numbers But where you give it out as in matter of fact how that the Sabbath was ordained by God in Paradise and kept accordingly by all the Patriarchs before Moses time or otherwise ingraft by Nature in the soul of man and so in use also amongst the Gentiles In that I have adventured to let men see that you are very much mistaken and tell us things directly contrary unto truth of Story Next where it is the ground-work of all your building that the Commandment of the Sabbath is Moral Natural and Perpetual as punctually to be observed as any other of the first or second Table I doubt not but it will appear by this following History that it was never so esteemed of by the Jews themselves no not when as the observation of the same was most severely pressed upon them by the Law and Prophets nor when the day was made most burdensome unto them by the Scribes and Pharisees Lastly whereas you make the Lords day to be an institution of our Saviour Christ confirmed by the continual usage of the holy Apostles and both by him and them imposed as a perpetual Ordinance on the Christian Church making your selves believe that so it was observed in the times before as you have taught us to observe it in these latter days I have made manifest to the world that there is no such matter to be found at all either in any writings of the Apostles or monument of true Antiquity or in the practice of the middle or the present Churches What said I of the present Churches So I said indeed and doubt not but it will appear so in this following Story The present Churches all of them both Greek and Latin together with the Protestants of what name soever being far different both in their Doctrine and their practice from these new conceptions And here I cannot chuse but note that whereas those who first did set on foot these Doctrines in all their other practices to subvert this Church did bear themselves continually on the Authority of Calvin and the example of those Churches which came most near unto the Plat-form of Geneva In these their Sabbath-speculations they had not only none to follow but they found Calvin and Geneva and those other Churches directly contrary unto them However in all other matters they cryed up Calvin and his Writings Hooker in his Preface making his Books the very Canon to which both Discipline and Doctrine was to be confirmed yet hic magister non tenetur here by his leave they would forsake him and leave him fairly to himself that they themselves might have the glory of a new invention For you my Brethren and beloved in our Lord and Saviour as I do willingly believe that you have entertain'd these Tenets upon mis-persuasion not out of any ill intentions to the Church your Mother and that it is an errour in your judgments only not of your affections So upon that belief have I spared no pains as much as in me is to remove that errour and rectifie what is amiss in your opinion I hope you are not of those men Quos non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris who either hate to be reformed or have so far espoused a quarrel that neither truth nor reason can divorce them from it Nor would I gladly you should be of their resolutions Qui volunt id verum esse quod credunt nolunt id credere quod verum est who are more apt to think all true which themselves believe than be persuaded to believe such things as are true indeed In confidence whereof as I was first induced to compose this History so in continuance of those hopes I have presumed to address it to you to tender it to your perusal and to submit it to your censure That if you are not better furnished you may learn from hence that you have trusted
Num. 2 3 4 5 6 Part 2. Cap. 1. Num. 10 c. Cap. 4 Numb 7. Cap. 5. Num. 5 6. Cap. 6. Num. 5 7. besides many other passages here and there interserted to the same effect that I shall save my self the trouble of adding any thing further to those Observations And to them therefore I refer the Reader for his satisfaction At this time I shall say no more but that the Church had never stood so constantly to Episcopal Government were it not for the great and signal benefits which redound unto it by the same Of which there is none greater or of more necessary use to Christianity than the preserving of a perpetual succession of Preists and Deacons ordained in a Canonical way to be Ministers of holy things to the rest of the people that is to say to Preach the Word Administer the Sacraments and finally to perform all other Divine and Religious Offices which are required of them by the Church in their several places Thus have I laid before thee good Christian Reader the Method and Design of this following Work together with the Argument and Occasion of each several Piece contained in it Which as I have done with all Faith and Candor in the sincerity of my Heart and for the Testimony of a good Conscience laying it with all humble reverence at the feet of those who are in Authority so with respective duty and affection I submit the same unto the judgment of which Persuation or Condition soever thou art for whose instruction in the several Points herein declared it was chiesly studied And I shall heartily beseech all those who shall please to read it that if they meet with any thing therein which either is less fitly spoken or not clearly evidenced they would give me notice of it in such a charitable and Christian way as I may be the better for it and they not the worse Which favour if they please to do me they shall be welcome to me as an Angel of God sent to conduct me from the Lands of error into the open ways of truth And doing these Christian Offices unto one another we shall by Gods good leave and blessing not only hold the bond of external peace but also in due time be made partakers of the spirit of Vnity Which Blessing that the Lord would graciously bestow on his afflicted and distracted Church is no small part of our Devotions in the publick Liturgy where we are taught to pray unto Almighty God that he would please continually to inspire his universal Church with the spirit of Truth Vnity and Concord and grant that all they which do confess his holy Name may agree also in the truth of his holy Word and live in Vnity and godly Love Unto which Prayer he hath but little of a Christian which doth not heartily say Amen Lacies Court in Abingdon April 23. 1657. The Way of the REFORMATION OF THE Church of England DECLARED and JUSTIFIED c. THE INTRODUCTION Shewing the Occasion Method and Design of the whole discourse My dear Hierophilus YOUR company is always very pleasing to me but you are never better welcome han when you bring your doubts and scruples along with you for by that means you put me to the studying of some point or other whereby I benefit my self if not profit you And I remember at the time of your last being with me you seemed much scandalized for the Church of England telling me you were well assured that her Doctrine was most true and orthodox her Government conform to the Word of God and the best ages of the Church and that her publick Liturgie was an Extract of the Primitive Forms nothing in all the whole composure but what did tend to edification and Increase of piety But for all this you were unsatisfied as you said in the ways and means by which this Church proceeded in her Reformation alleding that you had heard it many times objected by some Partisans of the Church of Rome that our Religion was meer Parliamentarian not regulated by Synodical Meetings or the Authority of Councels as in elder times or as D. Harding said long since in his Answer unto B. Jewel That we had a Parliament Religion a Parliament Faith and a Parliament Gospel To which Scultinguis and some others after added that we had none but Parliament Bishops and a Parliament Clergy that you were apt enough to think that the Papists made not all this noise without some ground for it in regard you have observed some Parliaments in these latter days so mainly bent to catch at all occasions whereby no manifest their powers in Ecclesiastical matters especially in constituting the new Assembly of Divines and others And finally that you were heartily ashamed that being so often choaked with these Objections you neither knew how to traverse the â—ndictment nor plead Not guilty to the Bill Some other doubts you said you had relating to the King the Pope and the Protestant Churches either too little or too much look'd after in our Reformation but you were loth to trouble me with too much at once And thereupon you did intreat me to bethink my self of some fit Plaister for the sore which did oft afflict you religiously affirming that your desires proceeded not from curiosity or an itch of knowledge or out of any disaffection to the Power of Parliaments but meerly from an honest zeal to the Church of England whose credit and prosperity you did far prefer before your life or whatsoever in this world could be dear unto you Adding withal that if I would take this pains for your satisfaction and help you out of these perplexities which you were involved in I should not only do good service to the Church it self but to many a wavering member of it whom these objections had much staggered in their Resolutions In fine that you desired also to be informed how far the Parliaments had been interessed in these alterations of Religion which hapned in the Reigns of K. Hen. VIII K. Edw. VI. and Q. Elizabeth What ground there was for all this clamour of the Papists And whether the Houses or either of them have exercised of old any such Authority in matters of Ecclesiastical or Spiritual nature as some of late have ascribed unto them Which though it be a dangerous and invidious Subject as the times now are yet for your sake and for the truth's and for the honour of Parliaments which seem to suffer much in the Popish calumny I shall undertake it premising first that I intend not to say any thing to the point of Right whether or not the Parliament may lawfully meddle in such matters as concern Religion but shall apply my self wholly unto matters of Fact as they relate unto the Reformation here by law established And for my method in this business I shall first lay down by way of preamble the form of calling of the Convocation of the Clergy here in England that
in the Primitive Church how justifiable in the whole course and order of her publick Liturgie with all the Rubricks and observances therein contained In which if any thing be done conducible unto Gods glory and the Churches peace the information of the Reader or the convincing of such men who are otherwise minded I shall think my labour well bestowed and my pains well recompensed Howsoever it will be some matter of contentment to me that I have done my duty in it according unto that poor measure of abilities which the Lord hath given me commending both the cause and these weak indevours to his Heavenly blessings without which Paul's planting and Apollo's watering are of no increase CHAP. I. What doth occurre and whether any thing at all for Set Forms of Prayer from the time of Adam unto Moses 1. Prayer the chief exercise of publick Worship 2. The ground use and necessity of publick Forms 3. What priviledge belongs unto the Priest or Minister in that part of Gods Service which consists in Prayer 4. The inconvenience and confusion that must needs arise for want of Set Forms in the Worship of God 5. Liturgies or Set Forms of Prayer in use amongst all sorts of people Jews Gentiles Christians 6. The meaning of the word Liturgy or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the civil sense 7. As also in the Ecclesiastical notion of it 8. Whether the offerings of Cain and Abel were regulated by a prescribed Form 9. A prescribed Form of Worship conceived by some to have been introduced by Enos 10. The Sacrifices and devotions of the ancient Patriarchs for the most part occasional only 11. The Consecrating of set places for Gods publick worship first begun by Jacob. IT is exceeding well observed by our incomparable Hooker as some truly call him Hook Eccl. Pol. l. 5. §. 23. That if the Angels have a continual intercourse betwixt the Throne of God in Heaven and his Church here militant upon the Earth the same is no where better verified than in those two godly exercises of Doctrine and Prayer For what saith he is the assembling of the Church to learn but the receiving of Angels descended from above What to pray but the ascending of Angels upwards His Heavenly inspirations and our holy desires being as so many Angels of commerce and intercourse between God and us And although these two godly and religious exercises seem to walk hand in hand together the Prayers made in and by the Church having for many Ages past even long before the birth of Christianity been intermingled with the reading of the Law and Prophets yet find we that of Prayer so acceptable in the sight of God so highly valued by the Lord above all other parts of his publick Service that he vouchsafed from hence to give a name to his holy Temple and to entitle it Isa 56.7 The House of Prayer Which holy and religious duty as it concerneth us two ways one way in that we are men and another way as parts and members of the Church the mystical Body of our Lord and Saviour so it admits of several considerations both for the matter of the same and the manner of it As men we are at our own choice for time place and form according to the exigences of our own occasions The Church requires not any thing in the performance of this pious office either as private or domestical but that we pray with understanding that we consider with our selves what it is we ask 1 Cor. 14.15 Jam. 4.3 and of whom we ask it Ye ask and receive not saith S. James because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts But for the Service which we do as a publick body that being publick is for that cause to be accompted so much the worthier than the other as a whole society of such condition exceedeth the worth of any one particular person and for that cause hath been more strictly tied in all former Ages as to prescribed times and places so to set Forms also For were there not some time prescribed in the great growth and spreading of the Church of God for the convening of the Congregation some place assigned in which to meet together at the times appointed the prayers and devotions of Gods people might and would happen oftentimes to be either at the same time in several places or in the same place at several times and so be nothing less than the common prayers the joynt devotions of Gods Servants Of all the circumstances which attend Gods publick Service those two of time and place come most near the substance and are de bene esse at the least of that weighty duty And if appointed times and places being meerly circumstances be of so great a consequence in Gods publick Service that without them it cannot be discharged with effect and comfort assuredly the form thereof containing the whole substance the main body of it hath much more need to be prescribed For what saith the Apostle in this case or one very near it If the whole Church should come together in some place and all speak with tongues 1 Cor. 14.23 and there come in those which are Vnbelievers would they not say that ye are mad Vers 26 Or what a tumult would it be if when you come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Tongue hath a Doctrine hath a Revelation would it not be a strange medly Vers 23 God as S. Paul hath told us is the God of order not of confusion in the Churches And therefore hath given power unto his Church that all things in it for the manner Vers 40 be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decently in a stablished order and for the end thereof Vers 26 to edifying A thing which could not be in possibility had every man the liberty to use his own tongue in the Congregation or to conceive and utter his own prayers or frame unto himself his own devotions which is the ground of all those several Liturgies and set Forms of Prayer which have from the Apostles times been used in the House of God and never quarrelled till of late Nor can it be ascribed as I conceive to any lower power than the Wisdom of God guiding the Counsels of his Church and therefore to be reckoned as a work of his singular Providence that the Church hath evermore observed a prescript form of Common-Prayer although not in all things every where the same yet for the most part retaining still the same Analogy Hook Eccl. Pol. l. 9. num 25. So that as Hooker well observeth if the Liturgies of all ancient Churches throughout the world be compared amongst themselves it may be easily perceived that they had all one original mould and that the publick prayers of the People of God in Churches throughly setled and established did never use to be voluntary dictates proceeding from any mans extemporal wit And certainly to drive this
neque Diaconus jus habeat baptizandi that without lawful mission from the Bishop neither the Presbyter nor Deacons might Baptize Not that I think there was required in Hieroms time a special Licence from the Bishop for every ministerial act that men in either of those Orders were to execute but that they had no more interest therein than what was specially given them by and from the Bishop in their Ordination As for the Act of Preaching which was at first discharged by the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists according to the gifts that God had given them for the performance of the same when as the Church began to settle it was conferred by the Apostles on the several Presbyters by themselves ordained as doth appear by Saint Pauls exhortation to the Presbyters 2 Tim. 4.5 which he called from Ephesus unto Miletum To this as Timothy had been used before doing the work of an Evangelist so he was still required to ply it being called unto the Office of a Bishop Saint Paul conjuring him before God and Christ that notwithstanding the diversions which might happen to him by reason of his Episcopal place and jurisdiction 2. Tim. 4.2 he should Preach the Word and not to Preach it only in his own particular 2 Tim. 2.15 shewing himself a Workman that needed not to be ashamed dividing the word of truth aright But seeing that others also did the like according to the trust reposed in them whether they had been formerly ordained by the Apostles or might be by himself ordained in times succeeding Those that discharge this duty both with care and conscience 1 Tim. 5.17 guiding and governing that portion of the Church aright wherewith they are intrusted and diligently labouring in the word and doctrine by the Apostle are accounted worthy of double honour Which questionless S. Paul had never represented unto Timothy but that it did belong unto him as a part of his Episcopal power and Office to see that men so painful in their calling and so discreet in point of government should be rewarded and encouraged accordingly By honour in this place the Apostle doth not only mean respect and reverence but support and maintenance as appears plainly by that which is alledged from holy Scripture viz. Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn And the Labourer is worthy of his hiâ—e Chrysost hom 15. in 1 Tim. 5. Ambros in locum Calvin in 1 ad Tim. c. 5. Chrysostom so expounds the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By honour here is meant both reverence and a supply of all things necessary with whom agree the Commentaries which pass under the name of Ambrose Calvin affirms the like for our modern Writers Victum praecipue suppeditari jubet Pastoribus qui docendo sunt occupati Paul here commandeth that necessary maintenance be allowed the Pastor who laboureth in the Word and Doctrin And hereto Beza agreeth also in his Annotations on the place Now we know well that in those times wherein Paul wrote to Timothy and a long time after the dispensation of the Churches Treasury was for the most part in the Bishop and at his appointment For as in the beginnings of the Gospel the Faithful sold their Lands and Goods Act. 4. v. ult and laid the money at the Apostles feet by them to be distributed as the necessities of the Church required So in succeeding times all the Oblations of the faithful were returned in unto the Bishop of the place and by him disposed of We need not stand on many Authors in so clear a business Zonaras telling plainly that at the first the Bishop had the absolute and sole disposing of the revenues of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zonaras in Concil Chalcedâ—n Ca. 26. no man whoever being privy to their doings in it And that they did accordingly dispose thereof to every man according to his parts and industry doth appear by Cyprian where he informeth us that he having advanced Celerinus a Confessor of great renoun amongst that people and no less eminent indeed for his parts and piety unto the office of a Reader he had allotted unto him Cypr. Ep. 34. vel l. 4. ep 5. and to Aurelius one of equal vertue then a Reader also Vt sportulis iisdem cum Presbyteris honorentur that they should have an equal share in the distribution with the Priests or Presbyters But many times so fell out that those to whom the Ministry of the word was trusted Preached other doctrin to the People than that which had been taught by the Apostles 1 Tim. 1.3 Tit. 1.10 11. Vain talkers and deceivers which subverted whole houses teaching things they should not and that for filthy lucres sake What must the Bishop do to them He must first charge them not to Preach such doctrins which rather minister questions than godly edifying 1 Tim. 1.4 And if they will not hearken to nor obey this charge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 1.9 he must stop their mouths let them be silenced in plain English The silencing of such Ministers as deceive the People and Preach such things they should not even for lucres sake to the subverting of whole Families is no new matter as we see in the Church of God Saint Paul here gives it as in charge to Titus and to all Bishops in his person Certain I am that Chrysostom doth so expound it If thou prevailest not saith he by admonitions Chrysost tom 2. n. Tit. 1. be not afraid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silentium iis impone the Translator reads it but silence them that others may the better be preserved by it Hierom doth so translate it also quibus oportet silentium indici such men must be commanded silence Hieron in Can. Tit. And for the charge of Paul to Timothy that he should charge those false Apostles which he speaks of not to Preach strange doctrines it carries with it an Authority that must be exercised For this cause I required thee to abide at Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that thou shouldst intreat but command such men to Preach no other doctrines than they had from me Theophylact on those words Theophyl in 1. ad Tim. c. 1. puts the question thus in the words of Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be asked saith he whether that Timothy were then Bishop when Paul wrote this to him To which he answereth of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is most probable giving this reason of the same because he is to charge those men not to teach other doctrines Oecumen in locum Oecumenius is more positive in the point and affirms expresly on these words that Paul had made him Bishop there before that time And Lyra if he may be heard Lyra in 1 Tim. c. 1. make this general use of the Apostles exhortation that the first Act here recommended to a Bishop is falsae doctrinae
under Eutychianus Baron Ann. Eccl. in An. 277. his next Successor and let them reconcile the difference that list for me Suffice it that the Heresie being risen up and being so directly contrary both to Faith and Piety the Bishops of the Church bestirred themselves both then and after for the suppressing of the same according to their wonted care of Her peace and safety Not as before in the case of Paulus Samosatenus by Synodical meetings which was the only way could be taken by them for the deposing of him from his Bishoprick which followed as a part of his condemnation but by discourse and Argument in publick Writings which might effectually suppress the Heresie although the person of the Heretick was out of distance and to say truth Epiph. advers haeres 66. n. 12. beyond their reach The Persian King had eased them of that labour who seizing on that wretched miscreant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commanded him to be flay'd alive and thereby put him to death as full of ignominy as of pain But for the confutation of the Heresie which survived the Author that was the business of the Bishops by whom as Epiphanius noteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. n. 21. many most admirable Disputations had been made in confutation of his Errors Particularly he instanceth in Archelaus Bishop of the Caschari a Nation of Mesopotamia Titus Bishop of Bostra Diodorus one of the Bishops of Cilicia Serapion Bishop of Thmua Eusebius the Historian Bishop of Caesarea Eusebius Emisenus Georgius and Apollinaris Bishops successively of Laodicea Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria with many other Prelates of the Eastern Churches Not that the Bishops of the West did nothing in it though not here named by Epiphanius who being of another Language could not so well take notice of their Works and Writings For after this St. Austin Bishop of Hippo wrote so much against them and did so fully satisfie and confute them both that he might justly say with the Apostle that he laboured more abundantly than they all So careful were the Bishops of the Churches safety that never any Heretick did arise but presently they set a watch upon him and having found what Heresies or dangerous doctrines he dispersed abroad endeavoured with all speed to prevent the mischief This as they did in other cases so was their care the more remarkable by how much greater was the person whom they were to censure Which as we have before demonstrated in the case of Paulus Patriarch of the Church of Antioch so we may see the like in their proceedings against Marcellinus one of the Popes of Rome the third from Felix who though he broached no Heresie as the other did yet gave as great a scandal to the Church as he if not greater far The times were hot and fiery in the which he sat so fierce a persecution being raised against the Church by Dioclesian and his Associates in the Empire as never had been before A persecution which extended not only to the demolishing of Churches Theod. Eccl. hist l. 5. c. 28. Arnob. cont gent. l. 4. in fine Damas in vita Marcellini the Temples of Almighty God but to the extirpation of the Scriptures the Books and Oracles of the Almighty And for the bodies of his Servants some of which were living Libraries and all lively Temples even Temples of the holy Ghost it raged so terribly amongst them that within Thirty days Seventeen thousand Persons of both sexes in the several parts and Provinces of the Romam Empire were crowned with Martyrdom the Tyrants so extreamly raging Marcellinus comes at last unto his trial where being wrought upon either by flattery or fear or both he yielded unto flesh and blood and to preserve his life Id. ibid. he betrayed his Master Ad sacrificium ductus est ut thurificaret quod fecit saith Damasus in the Pontifical He was conducted to the Temple to offer incense to the Roman Idols which he did accordingly And this I urge not to the scandal and reproach of the Church of Rome Indeed 't is no Reproach unto her that one amongst so many godly Bishops most of them being Martyrs also should waver in the constancy of his resolutions and for a season yield unto those persuasions which flesh and blood and the predominant love of life did suggest unto him That which I urge it for is for the declaration of the Course which was taken against him the manner how the Church proceeded in so great a cause and in the which so great a Person was concerned For though the crime were great and scandalous tending to the destruction of the flock of Christ which being much guided by the example of so prime a Pastor might possibly have been seduced to the like Idolatry and that great numbers of them ran into the Temple and were spectators of that horrid action yet find we not that any of them did revile him in word or deed or pronounced hasty judgment on him but left the cognizance of the cause to them to whom of right it did belong Nor is it an hard matter to discern who these Judges were Lay-men they could not be Amb. Epist l. 5. Ep. 32. that 's sure Quando audisti in causa fidei Laicos de Episcopis judicasse When did you ever hear saith Ambrose speaking of the times before him that Lay-men in a point of Faith did judge of Bishops And Presbyters they were not neither they had no Authority to judge the Person of a Bishop That Bishops had Authority to censure and depose their Presbyters we have shewn already that ever any Presbyters did take upon them to judge their Bishop is no where to be found I dare boldly say it in all the practice of Antiquity For being neither munere pares Id. ibid. nor jure suniles equal in function nor alike in law they were disabled now in point of reason from such bold attempts as afterwards disabled by Imperial Edict A simple Biship might as little intermeddle in it as a simple Presbyter for Bishops severally and apart were not to judge their Metropolitan no nor one another Being of equal Order and Authority and seeing that Par in parem non habet potestatem that men of equal rank qua tales are of equal power one of them cannot be the others Judge for want of some transcendent power to pass sentence on him Which as it was of force in all other cases wherein a Bishop was concerned so most especially in this wherein the party Criminal was a Metropolitan and more than so the Primate or Patriarch of the Diocess So that all circumstances laid together there was no other way conceivable in these ancient times than to call a Council the greatest Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Christ on earth there to debate the business and upon proof of the offence to proceed to judgment This had been done before in the case of Paulus and this is
concern Gods service and that the Apostles made it manifest by their Example Singulis diebus vel quocunque die That every day or any day Catech. qu. 103. §. 2. may by the Church be set apart for religious Exercises And as for Vrsine he makes this difference between the Lords day and the Sabbath that it was utterly unlawful to the Jews either to neglect or change the Sabbath without express Commandment from God himself as being a ceremonial part of divine Worship but for the Christian Church that may design the first or second or any other day to Gods publick service Ecclesia vero Christiana primum vel alium diem tribuit ministerio salva sua libertate sine opinione cultus vel necessitatis as his words there are To these add Dietericus a Lutheran Divine Dom. 17. post Trinit who though he makes the keeping of one day in seven to be the moral part of the fourth Commandment yet for that day it may be dies Sabbati or dies Solis or quicunque alius Sunday or Saturday or any other be it one in seven And so Hospinian is persuaded Dominicum diem mutare in alium transserre licet That is the occasions of the Church do so require the Lords day may be changed unto any other provided it be one of seven and that the change be so transacted that it produce no scandal or confusion in the Church of God Nay by the doctrine of the Helvetian Churches if I conceive their meaning rightly every particular Church may destinate what day they please to religious meetings and every day may be a Lords day Cap. 2. or a Sabbath For so they give it up in their Confession Deligit ergo quaevis Ecclesiae sibi certum tempus ad preces publicas Evangelii praedicationem necnon sacramentorum celebrationem though for their parts they kept that day which had been set apart for those holy uses even from the time of the Apostles yet so that they conceived it free to keep the Lords day or the Sabbath Sed Dominicum non Sabbatum libera observatione celebramus Some Sectaries since the Reformation have gone further yet and would have had all days alike as unto their use all equally to be regarded and reckoned that the Lords day as the Church continued it was a Jewish Ordinance thwarting the Doctrine of Saint Paul who seemed to them to abrogate that difference of days which the Church retained This was the fancy or the frenzy rather of the Anabaptist taking the hint perhaps from something which had been formerly delivered by some wiser men and after them of the Swinck feildian and the Familist as in the times before of the Petro-Brusians and if Waldensis wrong him not of Wiclef also Such being the Doctrine of those Churches the Protestant and those of Rome it is not to be thought but that their practice is according Both make the Lords day only an Ecclesiastical constitution and therefore keep it so far forth as by the Canons of their Churches they are enjoyned These what they are at Rome and those of her obedience we have seen already and little hath been added since It hath not been of late a time to make new restraints rather to mitigate the old to lay down such which were most burdensom and grievous to be born withal And so it seems they do Azorius the Jesuit being more remiss in stating and determining the restraints imposed on the Lords day and the other Holy days than Tostatus was who lived in safer times by far than these now present nor is their Discipline so severe as their Canon neither So that the Lords day there for ought I could observe when I was amongst them is solemnized much after the same manner as with us in England repairing to the Church both at Mass and Vespers riding abroad to take the Air or otherwise to refresh themselvas and following their honest pleasures at such leisure times as are not destir ate to the publick meetings the people not being barred from travelling about their lawful business as occasion is so they reserve some time for their Devotions in the publick Which is indeed agreeable to the most antient and most laudable custom in the Church of God Now for the protestant Churches the Lutherans do not differ much from that which we have said before of the Church of Rome and therefore there is nothing to be said of them But for the rest which follow Galvin and think themselves the only Orthodox and Reformed Churches we will consider them in three several circumstances first in the exercise of Religious Duties secondly in restraint from labours and thirdly in permission of Recreations And first for the excrcise of religious Duties they use it in the Morning only the Afternoon being left at large for any and for every man to dispose thereof as to him seems fitting So is it in the Churches of high Germany those of the Palatinate and all the others of that mould For I have heard from Gentlemen of good repute that at the first reception of the Lady Elizabeth into that Countrey on Sunday after Dinner the Coaches and the Horses were brought forth and all the Princes Court betook themselves unto their pleasures sures Hunting or Hawking as the season of the year was fit for either Which tend the Princcss thither answer was made it was their custom so to do and that they had no Evening-service but ended all the Duties of the day with the Morningsermon Nor is this custom only and no more but so art 46. There is a Canon for it in some places it must be no otherwise For in the first Council of Dort Anno 1574. it was Decreed Publicae vespertinae preces non sunt introducendae ubi non sunt introduciae ubi sunt tollantur that in such Churches where publick Evening Prayer had not been admitted it should continue as it was and where they were admitted they should be put down So Doctor Smith relates the Canon if so irregular a Decree may deserve that name in his collat doctr Cathol Protest cap. 68. Art 1. And so it stood till the last synod of Dort Anno 1618. what time to raise the reputation of the Palatine Catechisin Sess 14. being not long after to be admitted into their Canon it was concluded that Catechism-lectures should be read each Sunday in the afternoon nor to be laid aside propter auditorum infrequentiam for want of Auditors Now to allure the people thither being before staved off by a former Synod it was provided that their Ministers should read howsoever Coram paucis auditoribus immo vel coram suis famulis tantu Though few were present or none but their domestick servants in hope by little and little to attract the people And secondly it was resolved on to implore the civil Magistrate Vt opera omnia servilia seu quotidiana c. quibus tempus
which afterwards in the year 1625. he published to the World with his other Lectures Now in this Speech or Determination he did thus resolve it First that the Sabbath was not instituted in the first Creation of the World nor ever kept by any of the ancient Patriarchs who lived before the Law of Moses therefore no moral and perpetual Precept as the others are Sect. 2. Secondly That the sanctifying of one day in seven is ceremonial only and obliged the Jews not Moral to oblige us Christians to the like Observance Sect. 3. 4. Thirdly That the Lords day is founded only on the Authority of the Church guided therein by the practice of the Apostles not on the fourth Commandment which in the 7. Section he entituleth a seandalous Doctrine nor any other authority in holy Scripture Sect. 6. 7. Fourthly That the Church hath still authority to change the day though such authority be not fit to be put in practice Sect. 7. Fifthly That in the celebration of it there is no such cessation from the works of labour required of us as was exacted of the Jews but that we lawfully may dress Meat proportionable unto every mans estate and do such other things as be no hinderance to the publick Service appointed for the day Sect. 8. Sixthly That on the Lords day all Recreations whatsoever are to be allowed which honestly may refresh the spirits and encrease mutual love and Neighbourhood amongst us and that the Names whereby the Jews did use to call their Festival whereof the Sabbath was the chief were borrowed from an Hebrew word which signifies to Dance and to make merry or rejoyce And lastly that it appertains to the Christian Magistrate to order and appoint what Pastimes on the Lords day are to be permitted and what prohibited not unto every private person much less to every mans rash Zeal as his own words are who out of a schismatical Stoicism debarring men from lawful Pastimes doth incline to Judaisin Sect. 8. This was the sum and substance of his resolution then which as it gave content unto the sounder and the better part of the Assembly so it did infinitely stomack and displease the greater numbers such as were formerly possessed with the other Doctrines though they were wiser than to make it a publick Quarrel Only it pleased Mr. Bifeild of Surrey in his Reply in a Discourse of Mr. Brerewoods of Cresham Colledg Anno 1631. to tax the Doctor as a spreader of wicked Doctrine and much to marvel with himself how either he durst be so hold to say Page 161. or having said it could be suffered to put it forth viz. That to establish the Lords day on the fourth Commandment were to incline too much to Judaism This the said M. Bifeild thinks to be a foul aspertion on this famous Church But in so thinking I conceive that he consulted more his own opinion and his private interest than any publick maintenance of the Churches cause which was not injured by the Doctor but defended rather But to proceed or rather to go back a little About a year before the Doctor thus declared his judgment one Tho. Broad of Gloucestorshire had published something in this kind wherein to speak my mind thereof he rather shewed that he disliked those Sabbath Doctrines than durst disprove them And before either M. Brerewood whom before I named had writ a learned Treatise about the Sabbath on a particular occasion therein mentioned but published it was not till after both Anno 1629. Add here to joyn them altogether that in the Schools at Oxon Anno 1628. it was maintained by Dr. Robinson now Archdeacon of Gloucester viz. Ludos Recreationis gratia in die Dominico non esse prohibitos Divina Lege That Recreations on the Lords day were not at all prohibited by the Word of God As for our neighbour Church of Scotland as they proceeded not at first with that mature deliberation in the reforming of that Church which had been here observed with us so did they run upon a course of Reformation which after was thought fitting to be reformed The Queen was young and absent in the Court of France the Regent was a desolate Widow a Stranger to the Nation and not well obeyed So that the people there possessed by Cnoxe and other of their Teachers took the cause in hand and went that way which came most near unto Geneva where this Cnoxe had lived Among the first things wherewithal they were offended were the Holy days Proceedings at Perth These in their Book of Discipline Anno 1560. they condemned at once particularly the observation of Holy days entituled by the names of Saints the Feasts of Christmas Circumcision Epiphany the Purification and others of the Virgin Mary all which they ranked awongst the abominations of the Roman Religion as having neither Commandment nor assurance in the Word of God But having brought this Book to be subsigned by the Lords of secret Counsel it was first rejected some of them giving it the Title of Devote Imaginations Cnoxe Hist of Scotl. p. 523. whereof Cnoxe complains Yet notwithstanding on they went and at last prevailed for in the middle of the Tumults the Queen Regent died and did not only put down all the Holy days the Lords day excepted but when an uprore had been made in Edenburg about a Robin-hood or a Whitson-Lord they of the Consistory excommunicated the whole multitud Now Proceedings at Perth that the holy days were put down may appear by this That in the year 1566. when the Confession of the Helvetian Churches was proposed unto them they generally approved the same save that they liked not of those Holy days which were there retained But whatsoever they intended and howsoever they had utterly suppressed those days which were entituled by the Names of particular Saints yet they could never so prevail but that the people would retain some memory of the two great and principal Feasts of Christs Nativity and Resurrection For in the year 1575. Complaint was made unto the Regent how in Dunfreis they had conveyed the Reader to the Church with Taber and Whissel to read Prayers all the Holy days of Zule or Christmas Thereupon Anno 1577. it was ordained in an Assembly of the Church That the Visitors should admonish Ministers preaching or ministring the Communion at Pasche or Zule or other like superstitious times under pain of deprivation to desist therefrom Anno 1587. it was complained of to his Majesty That Pasche and Zule were superstitiously observed in Fife and about Dunfreis and in the year 1592. the Act of the Queen Regent granting licence to keep the said two Feasts was by them repealed Yet find we by the Bishop of Brechin in his Discourse of the Proceedings at the Synod of Perth that notwithstanding all the Acts Civil and Ecclesiastick made against the superstitious observation and prophane abuse of Zule day the people could never be induced to labour on
told how much my first engaging in this business might offend those men who loved to countenance their extravagancy by the name of the Church and what loud clamours they had raised against the most Reverend Dr. Whitgift for encountring with T. C. in behalf of the Liturgy against Dr. John Bridges Dean of Sarisbury for standing in defence of the sacred Hirarchy against the most Learned Bishop Bilson for crossing Calvins new device about Christ descent against Dr. Barce for opposing the Genevian Rigors in the points before us against Mr. Richard Montague for separating the opinions of private men from the Churches Doctrins and finall against the late Renowned Archbishop for labouring to restore this Church to its primitive lustre And though hI could not hope to be more savourably dealt withal in this case than my Letters were yet I might reasonably expect to be used no worse But on the contrary I have lately seen a scurrilous Pamphlet the Author whereof hath licked up all the filth of former Libels to vomit it at once upon me without respect to that civility which beseems a Scholar or that sobriety and modesty which adorns a Christian so Cocks are dieted sometimes with Garlick before they fight that they may rather overcome their Adversaries by the stinck of their breath than by the sharpness of their spurs or the strength of their blows But I have been so long accustomed to the noise of this Rayling Rhetorick that I am now no more troubled at it than were the Catadupi at the Rorings of the River Nilus or Socrates to see himself derided and exposed to scorn on the publick Theatre Or could I be exasperated to a Retaliation that saying of St. Cyprian would recal me to my wonted temper who being bitterly railed at by some of his Presbyters returned this Answer Non Oportet me paria cum illis facere that it becomes not me to answer them with the like revilings And yet I cannot but take notice of a mischievous project for throwing a Ball of discord betwixt me and some friends of mine Doctors in title and degree and by the Libeller declared to be of my own persuasion one of which is affirmed to say That I was an unhappy Writer and marred every thing which I medled with and for the finding of this one I have nothing but a blind direction of Hist in the margin placed there of purpose as it seemeth to put me into a suspition of all eminent persons whose names begin with those two Letters It is recorded in the History of Amianus Marcellinus that certain men informed the Emperour Valence by their Devilish Arts that one whose name began with THEO should succeed in the Empire Which put the sealous Prince into such a general distrust of all whose Names had that beginning Theodoret Theodofius Theopulos Theodulos Theodore that he caused many of them though men of eminent worth and most exemplary Loyalty to be made the subjects of his fear and cruelty And such a Devillish Art is this of T. C. the younger by which two Letters he affects to disguise his name to work me into a suspition of some eminent persons and such as must be also of my own persuasions But I have no such jealousies as Valence had and therefore shall create no trouble to my self or others upon that temptation For first I know the parties pointed to in those two letters to be the masters of so much Candor and Ingenuity that I am consident they rather would excuse my infelicities or insufficiencies be they which they will than bring me under the reproach of any such censure as none of different judgment ever laid upon me And secondly so much they have descended beneath themselves as of their own accord to certifie me both by Letters and Messages how free they were from giving any ground to that base suspition which was contrived with so much malice and design to divide between us And so Autorem Scelus repetet the Calumny must be left at the Authors door as the natural parent of it till he can find out more distinctly upon whom to charge it In the mean time I leave him to the mercy of the Laws as a common Barrator Drenched over head and ears in the waters of strife a sower of discord and discention amongst faithful friends But I have wasted too much time on this piece of impertinency and might perhaps have better studied my own fame if I had taken no notice of the Libel or the Author either but that to have been silent altogether in so just a grievance might possibly be taken for an argument of insensibility For otherwise as there is nothing in the Author but the stoln name of Theophilus Churchman which descries my Pen so there is nothing argumentative in the Pamphlet either which was not both foreseen and satisfied in the following papers before it came unto my hands I return therefore to my Post which if I can make good by Records and Evidence the fittest weapons for this Warfare I shall not easily be forced from it by Reproach and Clamors as were the ancient Gauls from surprising the Capitol by the noise and gagling of the Geese But whether I have made it good or not must be left to the Reader to whom I hope it will appear that Calvinism was not the native and original Doctrine of the Church of England though in short time it overspread a great part thereof as Arrianism did the Eastern Churches in the elder times Ubi ingemuit orbis as St. Hierom hath it when the world groaned and trembled under the calamity of that dangerous Heresie And I hope too it will appear by this discourse that I am not yet so far reduced ad secundam pueritiam as the Scorner taunts it as that my venerable back and buttocks pardon me for repeating such unmannerly language should be intituled to the Rod of this proud Orbilius Or if I be I doubt not but that God Almighty who ordaineth praise out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings will raise some glory to his Name from that second Childhood To which great God and his unspeakable mercies in Jesus Christ our common Saviour I do most heartily recommend this Church and all them that love it Lacies Court in Abington December 26. 1659. PETER HEYLYN Historia Quinqu-Articularis OR A DECLARATION Of the Judgment of the Western-Churches c. CHAP. I. The several Heresies of those who make God to be the Author of Sin or attribute too much to the Natural freedom of Man's Will in the Works of Piety 1. God affirmed by Florinus to be the Author of sin the blasphemy encountred by Irenaeus and the foul consequents thereof 2. Revived in the last Ages by the Libertines said by the Papists to proceed from the Schools of Calvin and by the Calvinists to proceed from the Schools of Rome 3. Disguised by the Maniches in another dress and the necessity thereby imposed on the Wills
Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Hooper c. 9. The Doctrine delivered in the Book of Articles touching the five controverted points 10. An answer to the Objection against these Articles for the supposed want of Authority in the making of them 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 12. The Articles not drawn up in comprehensive or ambiguous terms to please all parties but to be understood in the respective literal and Grammatical sense and the Reasons why I Have the longer stood upon the answering of this Objection to satisfie and prevent all others of the like condition in case it should be found on a further search that any of our godly Martyrs or learned Writers who either suffered death before the Reign of Edward VI. or had no hand in the carrying on of the Reformation embraced any opinions in Doctrine or Discipline contrary to the established Rules of the Church of England For otherwise as we must admit all Tyndals Heterodoxies and Friths high flying conceits of Predestination which before we touch'd at so must we also allow a Parity or an Identity rather in Priests and Bishops because John Lambert another of our Godly Martyrs did conceive so of it In the primitive Church saith he there were no more Officers in the Church of God than Bishops and Deacons that is to say Ministers as witnesseth beside Scripture S. Hierom in his Commentaries on the Epistles of S. Paul Whereas saith he that those whom we now call Priests were all one and no other but Bishops and the Bishops no other but Priests men ancient both in age and learning so near as could be chosen nor were they instituted and chosen as they be now a days the Bishop and his Officer only opposing them whether they can construe a Collect but they were chosen also with the consent of the people amongst whom they were to have their living as sheweth S. Cyprian But alack for pity such elections are banished and new fashions brought in By which opinion if it might have served or a Rule to the Reformation our Bishops must have been reduced to the rank of Priests and the right of Presentation put into the hands of the people to the Destruction of all the Patrons in the Kingdom If then the question should be asked as perhaps it may On whom or on whose judgment the hrst Reformers most relied in the weighty business I answer negatively First That they had no respect of Calvin no more than to the judgement of Wicklef Tyndal Barns or Frith whose offered assistance they refused when they went about it of which he sensibly complained unto some of his friends as appears by one of his Epistles I answer next affirmatively in the words of an Act of Parliament 2. 3. Edw. 6. where it is said That they had an eye in the first place to the more pure and sincere Christian Religion taught in the Scriptures and in the next place to the usages of the Primitive Church Being satisfied in both which ways they had thirdly a more particular respect to the Lutheran Plat-forms the English Confession or Book of Articles being taken in many places word for word out of that of Ausberg and a conformity maintained with the Lutheran Churches in Rites and Ceremonies as namely in kneeling at the Communion the Cross in Baptism the retaining of all the ancient Festivals the reading of the Epistles and Gospels on Sundays and Holy-days and generally in the whole Form of External Worship Fourthy in reference to the points disputed they ascribed much to the Authority of Melancthon not undeservedly called the Phoenix of Germany whose assistance they earnestly desired whose coming over they expected who was as graciously invited hither by King Edward the Sixth Regiis literis in Angliam vocari as himself affirms in an Epistle to Camerarius His coming laid aside upon the fall of the Duke of Sommerset and therefore since they could not have his company they made use of his writings for their direction in such points of Doctrine in which they though it necessary for the Church to declare her judgment I observe finally That as they attributed much to the particulars to the Authority of Melancthon so they ascribe no less therein unto that of Erasmus once Reader of the Greek Tongue in Cambridge and afterwards one of the Professors of Divinity there whose Paraphrases on the four Evangelists being translated into English were ordered to be kept in Churches for the use of the People and that they owned the Epistles to be studied by all such as had cure of souls Concerning which it was commanded by the injunctions of King Edward VI. published by the advice of the Lord Protector Somerset and the Privy Council Acts and Mon. fol. 1181. in the first year of the said Kings Reign 1. That they should see provided in some most convenient and open place of every Church one great Bible in English with the Paraphrase of Erasmus in English that the People might reverently without any let read and hear the same at such time as they listed and not to be inhibited therefrom by the Parson or Curate but rather to be the more encouraged and provoked thereunto And 2. That every Priest under the degree of a Batchellour of Divinity should have of his own one New Testament in English and Latine with the Paraphrases of Erasmus upon the same and should diligently read and study thereupon and should collect and keep in memory all such comfortable places of the Scripture as do set forth the Mercy Benefits and Goodness of Almighty God towards all penitent and believing persons that they might thereby comfort their flock in all danger of death despair or trouble of Conscience and that therefore every Bishop in their Institution should from time to time try and examine them how they have profited in their studies A course and care not likely to have entred into the thoughts of the Lord Protector or any of the Lords of the Council if it had not been advised by some of the Bishops who then began to have an eye on the Reformation which soon after followed and as unlikely to be counselled and advised by them had they intended to advance any other Doctrine than what was countenanced in the Writings of that Learned man Whereupon I conclude the Doctrine of the points disputed to be the true and genuine Doctrine of the Church of England which comes most near to the plain sense of holy Scripture the general current of the Fathers in the Primitive times the famous Augustane Confession the Writings of Melancthon and the Works of Erasmus To which Conclusion I shall stand till I find my self encountred by some stronger Argument to remove me from it The ground thus laid I shall proceed unto the Reformation
from time to time though possibly a great part of them might be present and consenting also 1552. Nor stood this book nor the Article of Freewill therein contained upon the order and authority only of this Convocation but had as good countenance and encouragement to walk abroad as could be superadded to it by an Act of Parliament as appears plainly by the Kings Preface to that Book and the Act it self to which for brevity sake I refer the Reader But if it be replyed that there is no relying on the Acts of Parliament which were generally swayed changed and over-ruled by the power and passions of the King and that the Act of Parliament which approved this Book was repealed the first year of King Edward the sixth as indeed it was we might refer the Reader to a passage in the Kings Epistle before remembred in which the Doctrine of Freewill is affirmed to have been purged of all Popish Errors concerning which take here the words of the Epistle Epist Ded. viz. And for as much as the heads and senses of our people have been imbusied and in these days travelled with the understanding of Freewill Justification c. We have by the advice of our Clergy for the purgation of Erroneous Doctrine declared and set forth openly plainly and without ambiguity of speech the meer and certain truth of them so as we verily trust that to know God and how to live after his pleasure to the attaining of everlasting life in the end this Book containeth a perfect and sufficient Doctrine grounded and established in holy Scriptures And if it be rejoyned as perhaps it may that King Henry used to shift Opinion in matters which concerned Religion according unto interest and reason of State it must be answered that the whole Book and every Tract therein contained was carefully corrected by Archbishop Cranmer the most blessed instrument under God of the Reformation before it was committed to the Prolocutor and the rest of the Clergy For proof whereof I am to put the Reader in mind of a Letter of the said Archbishop relating to the eighth Chapter of this book in which he signified to an honourable Friend of his that he had taken the more pains in it because the Book being to be set forth by his Graces that is to say the Kings censure and judgment he could have nothing in it that Momus himself could reprehend as before was said And this I hope will be sufficient to free this Treatise of Freewill from the crime of Popery But finally if notwithstanding all these Reasons it shall be still pressed by those of the Calvinian party that the Doctrine of Freewill which is there delivered is in all points the same with that which was concluded and agreed on in the Council of Trent as appears Cap. de fructibus justificationis merito bonorum operum Can. 34. and therefore not to be accounted any part of the Protestant Doctrine which was defended and maintained by the Church of England according to the first Rules of her Reformation the answers will be many and every answer not without its weight and moment For first it was not the intent of the first Reformers to depart farther from the Rites and Doctrines of the Church of Rome than that Church had departed from the simplicity both of Doctrine and Ceremonies which had been publickly maintained and used in the Primitive times as appears plainly by the whole course of their proceedings so much commended by King James in the Conserence at Hampton Court Secondly this Doctrine must be granted also to be the same with that of the Melancthonian Divines or moderate Lutherans as was confessed by Andreas Vega one of the chief sticklers in the Council of Trent who on the agitating of the Point did confess ingenuously that there was no difference betwixt the Lutherans and the Church touching that particular And then it must be confessed also that it was the Doctrine of Saint Augustine according to that Divine saying of his Sine gratia Dei praeveniente ut velimus subsequente ne frustra velimus ad pietatis opera nil valemus which is the same of that of the tenth Article of the Church of England where it is said That without the grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will we can do nothing that is acceptable to him in the ways of piety So that if the Church of England must be Arminian and the Arminian must be Papist because they agree together in this particular the Melancthonian Divines amongst the Protestants yea and St. Augustine amongst the Ancients himself must be Papists also CHAP. XIII The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the certainty or uncertainty of Perseverance 1. The certainty of Grace debated in the Council of Trent and maintained in the Affirmative by the Dominicans and some others 2. The contrary affirmed by Catarinus and his adherents 3. The doubtful resolution of the Council in it 4. The Calvinists not content with certainty of Grace quoad statum praesentem presume upon it also quoad statum suturum 5. The bounds and limits wherewith the judgment in this point ought rationally to be circumscribed 6. The Doctrine of the Church of England in the present Artìcle 7. Justified by the testimonies of Bishop Latimer Bishop Hooper and Master Tyndal 8. And proved by several arguments from the publick Liturgy 9. The Homily commends a probable and sted-fast hope But 10. Allows no certainty of Grace and perseverance in any ordinary way to the Sons of men OF all the Points which exercised the wits and patience of the School-men in the Council of Trent there was none followed with more heat between the parties than that of the certainty of Grace occasioned by some passages in the writings of Luther wherein such certainty was maintained as necessary unto justification and an essential part thereof In canvasing of which point the one part held that certainty of grace was presumption the other that one might have it meritoriously The ground of the first was Hist of the Coun of Trent fol. 205. c. that Saint Thomas Saint Bonaventure and generally the School-men thought so for which cause the major part of the Dominicans were of the same opinion besides the authority of the Doctors they alledged for reasons that God would not that man should be certain that be might not be lifted up in pride and esteem of themselves that he might not prefer himself before others as he that knoweth himself to be just would do before manifest sinners and a Christian would so become drowsie careless and negligent to do good Therefore they said that uncertainty was profitable yea and meritorious besides because it is a passion of the mind which doth afflict it and being supported is turned to merit They alledged many places of the Scripture also of Solomon that a man knoweth not
occasion to these controversies many appearing in defence of Perkins and his Opinions which afterwards involved the Sublapsarians in the self same quarrel Hal. in Holy State p. 50. Amongst our selves it was objected That his Doctrine referring all to an absolute decree ham-string'd all industry and cut off the sinews of mens endeavours towards salvation for ascribing all to the wind of Gods Spirit which bloweth where it listeth he leaveth nothing to the cares of mens diligence either to help or hinder to the attaining of happiness but rather opens a wide door to licentious security Absolv contr Tompsoni Diatrib But none of all our English was so sharp in their censures of him as Dr. Robert Abbot then Dr. of the Chair in Oxon and not long after Bishop of Sarum who in his book against Thompson though otherwise inclined too much to Calvins Doctrines gives this judgment of Mr. Perkinsius viz. Alioqui eruditus pius in discriptione Divinae Praedestinationis quam ille contra nostram contra veteris Ecclesiae fidem citra lapsum Adami absolute decretum constituit erravit errorem non levem cujus adortis quibusdam viris inita jamdudum suscepta defensio turbas ecclesiis non necessarias dedit quas etiamnum non sine scandalo periculo haerere videmus dum viam quisque quam ingressus est sibi ante tenendum judicat quam ductam sacrarum literarum authoritate lineam veritatis tanquam filum Ariadnaeum sibi ducem faciat that is to say Perkins though otherwise a godly and learned man in his description of Divine Predestination which contrary not only to the Doctrine of the primitive times but also unto that of the Church of England he builds upon an absolute decree of Almighty God without reference to the Fall of Adam ran himself into no small error The defence whereof being undertaken by some learned men hath given the Church some more than necessary troubles which still continued not without manifest scandal and danger to it whilst every one doth rather chuse to follow his own way therein than suffer himself to be guided in the Labyrinth by the line of truth as by the Clew of Ariadne drawn from the undeniable Authority of holy Scriptures And so I leave the man with this observation that he who in his writings had made the infinitly greatest part of all man-kind uncapable of Gods grace and mercy by an absolute and irrespective decree of Reprobation who in expounding the Commandments when he was Catechist of Christs Colledge in Cambridge did lay the Law so home in the ears of his Auditors that it made their hearts fall down Holy State p. 90. and yea their hair to stand almost upright and in his preaching use to pronounce the word Damned with so strong an Emphasis that it left an eccho in the ears of his hearers a long time after this man scarce lived out half his days being no more than forty-four years of age from the time of his death at the pangs conducing unto which he was noted to speak nothing so articulately as Mercy Mercy which I hope God did graciously vouchsafe to grant him in that woful Agony But to proceed this Doctrine finding many followers and Whitacres himself then Dr. of the Chair in Cambridge concurring in opinion with him it might have quickly over-spread the whole University had it not been in part prevented and in part suppressed by the care and diligence of Dr. Baroe and his Adherents who being a French man born of eminent piety and learning and not inclinable at all unto Calvins Doctrines had been made the Lady Margarets Professor for the University somewhat before the year 1574. For in that year he published his Lectures on the Prophet Jonah In one of which being the 29th in number he discourseth on these words of the Prophet viz. Baroe Fraelect 29. p. 216. Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed cap. 3. ver 4. where we find it thus Haec denunciatio non est quasi Proclamatio decreti divini absoluti sed quaedam patio praeponendae divinae voluntatis qua Deus eorum animos flectere voluit quare haec oratio etsi simplex absoluta videatur tacitam tamen habet conditionem nisi rescipiscant namque hanc in esse conditionem eventus comprobavit The denouncing of this Judgment saith that learned man is not to be beheld as the publication of one of Gods absolute Decrees but only as a form observed in making Gods Will known unto them by which he meant to put them to it and rouse their spirits to Repentance Therefore saith he although the Denunciation of the following Judgment seem to be simply positive and absolute yet hath it notwithstanding this Condition that is to say unless they do repent included in it for that such a Condition was included in it the event doth shew which said he leads us on to the denouncing of the like Judgment on the house of Abimelech which he had before in Dr. King Chap. 18. Num. 11. who herein either followed Baroe or at the least concurred in Opinion with him And in the next place he proceeds a little further than the case of the Ninevites Baroe Prael â—i 32. p. 217. touching upon the point of Election unto life Eternal by the most proper superstructure could be laid upon such a foundation Dei voluntas non erat ut perirent si rescipiscerent non vult enim mortem preccatoris sed ut convertatur Et rursus Dei erat voluntas ut perirent nisi rescipiscerent Haec enim duo unum sunt ut Dei voluntas est ut vitam habeamus si credamus Et Dei voluntas non est ut vitam habeamus nisi credamus aut si credentes perseveremus non autem si aliquandiu credentes non perseveremus that is to say It was not the Will of God that they should perish if they did repent For God desireth not the death of a sinner but rather that he be converted and live and yet it was his will that they should perish if they did not repent for these two are one as for Example It is the Will of God saith he that we should have eternal life if we believe and constantly persevere in the faith of Christ And it it is not the will of God that we should have eternal life if we do not believe or believing only for a time do not persevere therein to the end of our lives which point he further proves by the condition of the Message sent from God to Hezekiah by the Prophet Isaiah 2 Kings 20.1 as before was said in Dr. King For which together with the rest of his discourse upon that occasion concerning the consistency of these alterations with the immutability or unchangeableness of Almighty God I shall refer the Reader to the book it self So far that learned man had declared himself upon occasion of that Text and the case
those times did build their studies and having built their studies on a wrong foundation did publickly maintain some point or other of his Doctrines which gave least offence and out of which no dangerous consequence could be drawn as they thought and hoped to the dishonour of God the disgrace of Religion the scandal of the Church or subversion of godliness amongst which if judicious Mr. Hooker be named for one as for one I find him to be named yet is he named only for maintaining one of the five points that namely of the not total or final falling away of Gods Elect as Dr. Overald also did in the Schools of Cambridge though neither of them can be challenged for maintaining any other point of Calvins Doctrine touching the absolute decree of Reprobation Election unto life without reference to faith in Christ the unresistible workings of Grace the want of freedom in the will to concur therewith and the determining of all mens actions unto good or evil without leaving any power in men to do the contrary And therefore secondly Mr. Hookers discourse of Justification as it now comes into our hands might either be altered in some points after his decease by him that had the publishing of it or might be written by him as an essay of his younger years before he had consulted the Book of Homilies and perused every clause in the publick Liturgy as he after did or had so carefully examined every Text of Scripture upon which he lays the weight of his judgment in it as might encourage him to have it printed when he was alive Of any men who publickly opposed the Calvinian tenents in this University till after the beginning of King James his Reign I must confess that I have hitherto found no good assurance though some there were who spared not to declare their dislike thereof and secretly trained up their Scholars in other principles An argument whereof may be that when Dr. Baroe dyed in London which was about three or four years after he had left his place in Cambridge his Funeral was attended by most of the Divines then living in and about the City Dr. Bancroft then Bishop of London giving order in it which plainly shews that there were many of both Universities which openly favoured Baroes Doctrines and did as openly dislike those of the Calvinians though we find but few presented to us by their names Amongst which few I first reckon Dr. John Buckridge President of St. Johns Colledge and Tutor to Archbishop Laud who carried his Anti-Calvinian doctrines with him to the See of Rochester and publickly maintained them at a conference in York House Ann. 1626. And secondly Dr. John Houson one of the Canons of Christ Church and Vice-Chancellor of the University Ann. 1602. so known an enemy to Calvin his opinions that he incurred a suspension by Dr. Robert Abbots then Vice Chancellor And afterwards being Bishop of Oxon subscribed the letter amongst others to the Duke of Buckingham in favour of Mountague and his Book called Appello Cesarem as before was said And though we find but these two named for Anti-Calvinist in the five controverted points yet might there be many houses perhaps some hundreds who held the same opinions with them though they discovered not themselves or break out in any open opposition 1 King 19 18. 1 King 19 1◠as they did at Cambridge God had 7000. Servants in the Realm of Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal though we find the name of none but the Prophet Eliah the residue keeping themselves so close for fear of danger that the Prophet himself complained to God that he alone was left to serve him A parallel case to which may be that the Christians during the power and prevalency of the Arian Hereticks St. Jerome giving us the names of no more than three who had stood up stoutly in defence of the Nicene council and the points of Doctrine there established viz. 1. St. Athanasius Patriark of Alexandria in Egypt St. Hillary Bishop of Poictious in France and St. Eusebius Bishop of Vevelli in Italy of which thus the Father Siquidem Arianis victis triumphatorem Athanasium suum Egyptus excepit Hillarium è prelio revertentem galliarum ecclesia complexa est ad reditum Eusebii sui lugubres vestes Italia mutavit that is to say upon the overthrow of the Arians Egypt received her Athanasius now returned in triumph the Church of France embraced her Hillary coming home with victory from the battel and on the return of Eusebius Italy changed her mourning garments By which it is most clear even to vulgar eyes that not these Bishops only did defend the truth but that it was preserved by many others as well of the Clergy as of the People in their several Countreys who otherwise never had received them with such joy and triumph if a great part of them had not been of the same opinions though no more of them occur by name in the records of that age But then again If none but the three Bishops had stood unto the truth in the points disputed at that time between the Orthodox Christians and the Arian Hereticks yet had that been sufficient to preserve the Church from falling universally from the faith of Christ or deviating from the truth in those particulars Deut. 17.6 Mat. 18 19. the word of truth being established as say both Law and Gospel if there be only two or three witnesses to attest unto it two or three members of the Church may keep possession of a truth in all the rest and thereby save the whole from errour even as a King invaded by a foreign Enemy doth keep possession of his Realm by some principal fortress the standing out whereof may in time regain all the rest which I return for answer to another objection touching the paucity of those Authors whom we have produced in maintenance of the Anti Calvinian or old English doctrines since the resetling of the Church under Queen Elizabeth for though they be but few in number and make but a very thin appearance Apparent rari nautes in gurgite vasto in the Poets language yet serve they for a good assurance that the Church still kept possession of her primitive truths not utterly lost though much endangered by such contrary Doctrines as had of late been thrust upon her there was a time when few or none of the Orthodox Bishops durst openly appear in favour of St. Athanasius but only Liberius Pope of Rome Theod. Hist Eccles lib. 2. cap. 15. who thereupon is thus upbraided by Constantius the Arian Emperour Quota pars tu es orbis terrarum qui solus c. How great a part saith he art thou of the whole world that thou alone shouldst shew thy self in defence of that wicked man and thereby overthrow the peace of the Universe To which Liberius made this answer non diminuitur solitudine mea verbum dei nam olim
thirty sixth Canon Directions to the Vice-Chancellor Heads c. Jan. 18. 1616. that no man in the Pulpit or Schools be suffered to maintain Dogmatically any point of doctrine that is not allowed by the Church of England that none be suffered to preach or lecture in the Towns of Oxon or Cambridg but such as were every way conformable to the Church hoth in doctrine and discipline and finally which most apparently conduced to the ruin of Calvinism that young Students in Divinity be directed to study such books as be most agreeable in doctrine and discipline to the Church of England and excited to bestow their time in the fathers and Councils Schoolmen Histories and Controversies and not to insist too long upon Compendiums and abbreviations making them the grounds of their study in Divinity This seemed sufficient to bruite these doctrines in the shell as indeed it was had these directions been as carefully followed as they were piously prescribed But little or nothing being done in pursuance of them the Predestinarian doctrines came to be the ordinary Theam of all Sermons Lectures and Disputations partly in regard that Dr. Prideaux who had then newly succeeded Dr. Rob. Abbot in the Chair at Oxon had very passionately exposed the Calvinian Interest and partly in regard of the Kings declared aversness from the Belgick Remonstrants whom for the reasons before mentioned he laboured to suppress to his utmost power And yet being careful that the Truth should not fear the worse for the men that taught it he gave command to such Divines as were commissionated by him to attend in the Synod of Dort An. 1618. not to recede from the doctrine of the Church of England in the point of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ A point so inconsistent with that of the absolute and irrespective decree of Reprobation and generally of the whole Machina of Predestination and the points depending thereupon as they are commonly maintained in the Schools of Calvin that fire and water cannot be at greater difference But this together with the rest being condemned in the Synod of Dort and that Synod highly magnified by the English Calvinists they took confidence of making those disputes the Subject of their common discourses both from the Pulpit and Press without stint or measure and thereupon it pleased his Majesty having now no further fear of any dangers from beyond the Seas to put some water into their Wine or rather a Bridle into their mouths by publishing certain Orders and directions touching Preachers and preaching bearing date the 4th of August 1622. In which it was enjoyned amongst other things Directions of preaching and Preachers That no Preacher of what Title soever under the degree of a bishop or Dean at least do from henceforth presume to teach in any popular Auditory the deep points of Predestination Election Reprobation or of the Vniversality Efficacy Resistability or Irresistability of Gods Grace but rather leave those Theams to be handled by learned men and that modestly and moderately by use and application rather than by way of positive Doctrine as being fitter for Schools and Vniversities than for simple Auditors The violating of which Order by Mr Gabriel Bridges of Corpus Christi Colledg in Oxon by preaching on the 19. of January then next following against the absolute decree in maintenance of universal Grace and the co-operation of mans free-will prevented by it though in the publick Church of the University laid him more open to the prosecution of Dr. Prideaux and to the censure of the Vice-Chancellor and the rest of the Heads than any preaching on those points or any of them could possibly have done at mother time Much was the noise which those of the Calvinian party were observed to make on the publishing of this last Order as if their mouths were stopped thereby from preaching the most necessary doctrines tending towards mans salvation But a far greater noise was raised upon the coming out of Mountagues answer to the Gagger in which he asserted the Church to her primitive and genuine doctrines disclaimed all the Calvinian Tenents as disowned by her and left them to be countenanced and maintained by those to whom they properly belonged Which book being published at a time when a Session of Parliament was expected in the year 1624. The opportunity was taken by Mr. Yates and Mr. Ward two of the Lecturers or Preachers of Ipswich to prepare an Information against him with an intent to prosecute the same in the following Session A Copy whereof being come into Mountagues hands he flies for shelter to King James who had a very great estimation of him for his parts and learning in which he had over-mastred they then though much less Selden at his own Philologie The King had already served his own turn against the Remonstrants by the Synod of Dort and thereby freed the Prince of Orange his most dear Confederate from the danger of Barnevelt and his faction Archbishop Abbot came not at him since the late deplorable misfortune which befell him at Branzil and the death of Dr. James Mountague Bishop of Winton left him at liberty from many importunities and sollicitations with which before he had been troubled so that being now master of himself and governed by the light of his own most clear and excellent Judgment he took both Mountague and his dectrines into his Protection gave him a full discharge or quietus est from all those Calumnies of Popery or Arminianism which by the said Informers were laid upon him iucouraged him to proceed in finishing his just Appeal which he was in hand with commanded Dr. Francis White then lately preferred by him to the Deanry of Carlisle and generally magnified not long before for his zeal against Popery to see it licensed for the Press and finally gave order unto Mountague to dedicate the book when printed to his Royal self In obedience unto whose Command the Dean of Carlisle licensed the book with this approbation That there was nothing contained in the same but what was agreeable to the publick Faith Doctrine and Discipline established in the Church of England But King James dying before the book was fully finished at the Press it was published by the name of Appello Caesarem and dedicated to King Charles as the Son and Successor to whom it properly belonged the Author touching in the Epistle Dedicatory all the former passages but more at large than they are here discoursed of in this short Summary And thus far we have prosecuted our Discourse concerning the Five Points disputed between the English Protestants the Belgick Remonstrants the Melancthonian Lutherans together with the Jesuits and Franciscans on the one side the English Calvinists the Contra Remonstrants the Rigid Lutherans and the Dominican Fryers on the other side In the last part whereof we may observe how difficult a thing it is to recover an old doctrinal Truth when overborn and almost lost by the
attended by his Presbyters at the reception of Saint Paul Chrys in Act. 21. and they together joyning with him in the consultation then in hand the business being great and weighty And therefore Chrysostom observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that James determined nothing in it as a Bishop of his sole authority but took Paul into counsel with him and that the Presbyters on the other side carried themselves with great respect and reverence towards him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving him an account or reason of their following counsel The Bishop never fist in a firmer Chair than when his Chapter doth support it But that which is indeed the matter of the greatest moment is that which occurs in the 15. Chapter of the Acts touching the Council of Hierusalem wherein the Presbyters are so often mentioned as if without their presence and assistance the Apostles had been able to determine nothing Some would fain have it so perhaps but it will not be Saint Paul was so assured of the Doctrine by him delivered as not to put it to the trial of a mortal man and the Apostles of a spirit so infallible in the things of God as not to need the counsel and assistance of inferiour persons How many points of Doctrine did Saint Paul determine without repairing to the Apostles How many did the Apostles preach and publish without consulting with the Presbyters Somwhat there must be in it more than ordinary which did occasion this conjuncture and is briefly this Some of the Jews which had but newly been initiated in the faith of Christ and were yet very zealous of their ancient Ceremonies came from Hierusalem to Antiochia Acts 15.1 and there delivered Doctrines contrary unto those which Paul taught before It seems there were some Presbyters amongst them for it is said they taught the people and they pretended too that they did teach no other Doctrine than that which had been authorized by the Apostles The Doctrine was that except men would be circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved Paul might have over-ruled this case by his own authority But partly for the satisfaction of the Antiochians and partly for the full conviction of these false Teachers he was content by Revelation of the Spirit Gal. 2.2 to put the matter over to the resolution of such of the Apostles as were then abiding in Hierusalem that by their general attestation they might confirm his doctrine to be sound and true As for the Presbyters it concerned them to be present also as well to clear themselves from authorizing any such false brethren to disturb the Church as to prevent the like disorders in the time to come This is the sum of the proceedings in this business And this doth no way interest the Presbyters in the determination of points of faith further than as they are concerned either in having been a means to pervert the same or for the clearing of themselves from the like suspicions And yet I cannot but affirm withal that pure and primitive antiquity did derive from hence the Form and manner of their Councils in which the Presbyters did oftentimes concur both for voice and hand I mean as well in giving of their suffrages as the subscription of their names Concil Tarracon Can. 13. Certain I am that in the Council held in Arragon Anno 490. or thereabouts it was provided among other things ut non solum à Cathedralibus verum etiam de Diocesanis that certain Presbyters should be chosen as well out of the Diocesan as the Cathedral Churches to attend that service and that the Metropolitan should send out his Letters unto that effect according as is still observed in holding of the Convocation of the Church of England Next to the constituting of the Presbyters in time and order was the election of the Seven and this the Apostles did put over to the people only not intermedling in the same at all further than in commending them to the grace of God that they might faithfully discharge the trust committed to them The Church was then in that condition that the Disciples lived in one place together and had all things common some of them selling their Estates Acts 4.32.34 35. and laying down the price thereof at the Apostles feet that by them it might be distributed as occasion was But being it fell out that some did think themselves neglected in the distribution the Apostles both to free themselves of so great a trouble Acts 6.1 as also to avoid suspicion of being partial in the business required them to make choice of such trusty men as they conceived most fit to be the Stewards of their goods Acts 6.3 and the dispensers of the common stock This was the charge the Seven were called to by the people which being no Ecclesiastical function but a Civil trust no dispensation of the Word and Sacraments but a dispository power of the common Treasure it was most consonant to the Rules of Reason that the election of them should be left to the people only I know these Seven are commonly both called and accounted Deacons but I find no such thing in the Texts or story Neither in that Chapter nor in all the Acts is the word Deacon to be found nor find I either Stephen or Philip of whom the Scripture is most copious to be so entituled Acts 21.8 Philip indeed is called unus de septem but no more one of the Seven but no such stile as Deacon added which makes me think their Office was not such as it is conceived And this I am the rather induced to think because I find Saint Chrysostom Hom. 14. in Act. 6. and others of the same opinion Saint Chrysostom putting it unto the question what dignity or Office these men had what Ordination they received and namely whether that of Deacons makes answer first that in his time the use was otherwise the Presbyters being there intrusted with the distribution of the Churches Treasure and then concludeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it appeared not in his opinion that they were either Presbyters or Deacons The Fathers of the sixth Council in Constantinople building upon those words of Chrysostom Concil in Trullo Can. 16. do affirm the same determining expresly that those Seven mentioned in the Acts were not ordained to any ministration at the Lords Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but only to the service and attendance of the Common Tables Hieron in epist ad Euagr. In which regard Saint Hierom looking back unto the Primitive institution doth call the Deacons of his time mensarum viduarum Ministros in his Epistle to Euagrius For howsoever I believe not on my former ground that the Seven spoken of in the Acts had either the Office or the name of Deacons as it was used afterwards in the Church of God yet I deny not but the Church took some hint from hence even in the
45. n. 14. Ignatius did willingly resign his present interest unto Euodius whom he succeeded also after his decease But be this how it will certain I am that the preferment of Euodius to the See of Antioch is placed by Eusebius in the 45. year of Christs Nativity who having sate there six and twenty years did leave the same unto Ignatius Anno 71. S. John and perhaps other of the Apostles being then alive More than so Chrysostom affirms expresly Serm. de Ignat. Tom. 5. p. 499. edit Savil. not only that some of the Apostles were then alive but that he was made Bishop by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the hands of the Apostles touched his holy head And so much for the Bishops of Antioohia which lived and were co-temporary with the Apostles But to go forwards with S. Peter having thus setled and confirmed the Church of Antioch and by this Preaching to Cornelius opened a door unto the Gospel in Caesarea and amongst the Gentiles he followed on the course of his Apostleship Preaching unto the Jews dispersed in the Eastern parts as namely throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia as himself intimates in his first Epistle 1 Pet. 1.1 And when he was to leave those parts and make for Italy he left them not without a Ministery nor did he leave that Ministery without some Bishops to govern and direct the Flock The Roman Martyrology doth reckon in these Churches of S. Peters founding Cornelius the first fruits of the Gentiles Februar 2. Quem B. Petrus Episcopali honore sublimavit made by him Bishop of Caesarea Metaphrastes if he may be credited Citat ap Baron An. 44. n. 10. as in most things which do not tend to miracles I think he may relateth that S. Peter in his peregrination did ordain Bishops in the Churches of Sydon Berytus and Laodicea that he made Marson Bishop of Tripolis and Prochorus of Nicomedia and finally that in the Provinces of Pontus Cappadocia and Bithynia he did not only plant Churches but he founded Bishopricks But waving these things as I find them and the report of Agapetus in the fifth Council of Constantinople that the first Bishop of Bizantium was of Peters founding though of unquestionable credit Let us repair unto the Scriptures Conc. Constant 5. Act. 2. There find we the Apostles stirring up the Pastors to have a care unto the Flock The Elders which are amongst you I exhort who am also an Elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ Feed the Flock of God which is among you 1 Pet. 5.1 Oecumen in 1 Pet. cap. 5. Ask Oecumenius who these Presbyters or Elders were and he will tell you they were Bishops And then he gives this reason of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Bishops are called Presbyters in the book of Acts. But Oecumenius being of a later standing may possibly be undervalued when he speaks alone and therefore we will stare super vias antiquas enquire amongst the ancients and ask their judgments in the case And here we meet with Gregory Nazianzen Nazian in Apâ—â—get who pencelling and describing a perfect Prelate makes amongst others this to be a special quality belonging to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to constrain their people to the works of piety by force and violence but to allure them by persuasions For proof whereof he instanceth in this present Text Feed the Flock of Christ which is among you not by constraint but willingly of a ready mind But this construction may be verified from the Text it self as well as from the Glosses of the ancient Writers and that from three particular words or phrases that occur therein For first Saint Peter calling himself their Fellow Presbyter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek shews plainly that they were not simple Presbyters which he thus exhorteth but Presbyters invested with some higher dignity such as had some resemblance of the Apostolical function In which regard S. John the Apostle in his two last Epistles calls himself a Presbyter the Elder as our English reads it Which word he used as Oecumenius hath observed Oecum in 2. Joh. ep 1. v. 1. either because he was grown aged when he wrote the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or intimating that he was a Bishop according as the word Presbyter would bear in those former times And why not thus since Beza doth affirm on those words of Saint Peter Generale esse nomen Presbyteri Beza Annot. in 1 Pet. c. 5. that the name of Presbyter was very general so general as it seems by him ut etiam ipsi Apostoli hoc nomine comprehendantur that even the holy Apostles are comprised therein And therefore Beza being Judge S. Peter may mean Bishops here though he calls them Presbyters And that he meaneth Bishops may be also gathered from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feed ye the Flock which is among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek not signifying to feed only and no more than so but such a feeding as implyeth a rule or governance annexed unto it which is the proper act of Bishops Inferiour Presbyters may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed the particular Flock committed to them by the word of Doctrine The Bishop only may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so feed them with the word of Doctrine as that he also rule them with the rod of Discipline In this respect as the Apostle joyns the Shepherd and the Bishop in a line together 1 Pet. 2.25 So primitive Antiquity did arm the Bishop with a Crozier or Pastoral staff to shew the union of those Offices in the self-same person But hereof we shall speak more fully in another place And indeed need not speak more of it upon this occasion considering that there is another word behind in S. Peters Text which putteth the matter out of question Feed ye the Flock of God which is among you saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Text taking the oversight thereof as our English reads it doing the Office of a Bishop as the word doth signifie Phil. 3.17 cap. 9. v. 9. The ordinary Presbyters may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Seers if you will according to the notion of that word in the first of Samuel the Bishops are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as do over-see the Seers So then the Presbyters whom S. Peter speaks of being such as might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both feed and oversee and govern it is apparent they were Bishops and not simple Presbyters But in this point Saint Peter shall not go alone S. Paul will put in for a share and keep him company who writing to the Hebrews even to the very hebrews of Saint Peters Province Heb. 13.17 doth advise them thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch
the City Provinces As for the Church of Antiochia it spread its bounds and jurisdiction over those goodly Countries of the Roman Empire from the Mediterranean on the West unto the furthest border of that large dominion where it confined upon the Persian or the Parthian Kingdom together with Cilicia and Isauria in the lesser Asia But whether at this time it was so extended I am not able to determine Certain I am that in the very first beginning of this Age all Syria at the least was under the jurisdiction of this Bishop Ignatius in his said Epistle to those of Rome Ignat. ad Rom. stiling himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Bishop in Syria but the Bishop of Syria which sheweth that there being many Bishops in that large Province he had a power and superiority over all the rest Indeed the Bishops of Hierusalem were hedged within a narrower compass being both now and long time after subject unto the Metropolitan of Caesarea as appears plainly by the Nicene Canon though after they enlarged their border and gained the title of a Patriarch as we may see hereafter in convenient time Only I add that howsoever other of the greater Metropolitan Churches such as were absolute and independent as Carthage Cyprus Millain the Church of Britain Concil Ni. c. 7◠and the rest had and enjoyed all manner of Patriarchal rights which these three enjoyed yet only the three Bishops of Rome Antioch and Alexandria had in the Primitive times the names of Patriarches by reason of the greatness of the Cities themselves being the principal both for power and riches in the Roman Empire the one for Europe the other for Asia and the third for Africk This ground thus laid we will behold what use is made of this Episcopal succession by the ancient writers And first Saint Irenaeus a Bishop and a Martyr both derives an argument from hence to convince those Hereticks which broached strange Doctrines in the Church Iren. contr haer lib. 3. cap. 3. Habemus annumerari eos qui ab Apostolis instituti sunt Episcopi in Ecclesiis c. we are able to produce those men which were ordained Bishops by the Apostles in their several Churches and their successors till our times qui nihil tale docuerunt neque cognoverunt quale ab hiis deliratur who neither knew nor taught any such absurdities as these men dream of Which said in general he instanceth in the particular Churches of Rome Ephesus and Smyrna being all founded by the Apostles and all of them hac ordinatione successione by this Episcopal ordination and succession deriving from the Apostles the Preaching and tradition of Gods holy truth till those very times The like we find also in another place where speaking of those Presbyteri so he calleth the Bishops which claimed a succession from the Apostles He tells us this quod cum Episcopatus successione charisma veritatis certum secundum placitum Patris acceperunt that together with the Episcopal succession Ir. adv haeres l. 4. cap. 43. they had received a certain pledge of truth according to the good pleasure of the Father See to this purpose also cap. 63. where the same point is pressed most fully and indeed much unto the honour of this Episcopal succession Where because Irenaeus called Bishops in the former place by the name of Presbyters I would have no man gather Smectym p. 23. as some men have done that he doth use the name of Bishops and Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a promiscuous sense much less conclude that therefore Presbyters and Bishops were then the same For although Irenaeus doth here call the Bishops either by reason of their age or of that common Ordination which they once received by the name of Presbyters yet he doth no where call the Presbyters by the name of Bishops as he must needs have done if he did use the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a promiscuous sense as it is supposed And besides Irenaeus being at this time Bishop if not Archbishop of the Church of Lyons could not but know that he was otherwise advanced both in power and title as well in Dignity as Jurisdiction than when he was a Presbyter of that very Church under Pothinus his Predecessor in that See and therefore not the same man meerly which he was before But to let pass as well the observation as the inference certain I am that by this argument the holy Father did conceive himself to be armed sufficiently against the Hereticks of his time and so much he expresseth plainly saying that by this weapon he was able to confound all those qui quoquo modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per coecitatem malam sententiam praeter quam oportet Ire adv haeres l. 3. c. 3. colligunt Who any way either out of an evil self complacency or vain-glorious humour or blindness of the mind or a depraved understanding did raise such Doctrins as they ought not So much for blessed Irenaeus a man of peace as well in disposition and affection as he was in name Next let us look upon Tertullian who lived in the same time with Irenaeus beginning first to be of credit about the latter end of this second Century Baron ann eccl anno 196. Pamel in vita Tertull. as Baronius calculates it and being at the height of reputation an 210. as Pamelius noteth about which time Saint Irenaeus suffered Martyrdom And if we look upon him well we find him pressing the same point with greater efficacy than Irenaeus did before him For undertaking to convince the Hereticks of his time as well of falshood as of novelties and to make known the new upstartedness of their Assemblies which they called the Church he doth thus proceed Tertull. de praes adv haeres c. 32. Edant ergo origines ecclesiarum suarum evolvant ordinem Episcoporum suorum c. Let them saith he declare the original of their Churches let them unfold the course or order of their Bishops succeeding so to one another from the first beginning that their first Bishop whosoever he was had some of the Apostles or of the Apostolical men at least who did converse with the Apostles to be their founder and Predecessor For thus the Apostolical Churches do derive their Pedegree Thus doth the Church of Smyrna shew their Polycarpus placed there amongst them by Saint John and Rome her Clement Consecrated or Ordained by Peter even as all other Churches also do exhibit to us the names of those who being Ordained Bishops by the Apostles did sow the Apostolical seed in the field of God This was the challenge that he made And this he had not done assuredly had he not thought that the Episcopal succession in the Church of Christ had been an evident demonstration of the truth thereof which since the Hereticks could not shew in their Congregations or Assemblies it
was a very pregnant evidence that they had neither verity nor antiquity to defend their Doctrins nor could with any shew of Justice challenge to themselves the name and honour of a Church Id. ibid. ca. 36. And such and none but such were those other Churches which he after speaketh of viz. of Corinth Philippi Thessalonica Ephesus and the rest planted by the Apostles apud quas ipsae Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesidentur in which the Chairs of the Apostles to that time were sate in being possessed not by themselves but by their Successors By the same argument Optatus first and after him St. Austin did confound the Donatists that mighty faction in the Church St. Austin thus Numerate Sacerdotes vel ab ipsa sede Petri August contr Petil. l. 2. in illo ordine quis cui successerit videte Number the Bishops which have sate but in Peters Chair and mark who have succeeded one another in the same A Catalogue of which he gives us in another place Id. Epist 165. lest else he might be thought to prescribe that to others on which he would not trust himself Nay so far he relyed on the authority of this Episcopal Succession in the Church of Christ as that he makes it one of the special motives quae eum in gremio Ecclesiae justissimè teneant which did continue him in the bosom of the Catholick Church Id. contr Epist Manichaei c. 4. As for Optatus having laid down a Catalogue of the Bishops in the Church of Rome till his own times He makes a challenge to the Donatists to present the like Optat. de schis Donat. l. 2. Vestrae Cathedrae originem edite shew us saith he the first original of your Bishops and then you have done somewhat to advance your cause In which it is to be observed that though the instance be made only in the Episcopal succession of the Church of Rome Irt. adv haere lib. 3. cap. 3. the argument holds good in all others also it being too troublesome a labour as Irenaeus well observed omnium Ecclesiarum enumerare successiones to run through the succession of all particular Churches and therefore that made choyce of as the chief or principal But to return again unto Tertullian whom I account amongst the Writers of this Age though he lived partly in the other besides the use he made of this Episcopal succession to convince the Heretick he shews us also what authority the Bishops of the Church did severally enjoy and exercise in their successions which we will take according to the proper and most natural course of Christianity First for the Sacrament of Baptism which is the door or entrance into the Church Tertul. lib. de Baptism c. 17. Dandi quidem jus habet summus sacerdos i. e. Episcopus The Right saith he of giving Baptism hath the High-Priest which is the Bishop and then the Presbyters and Deacons non tamen sine Episcopi antoritate yet not without the Bishops licence and authority for the Churches honour which if it be preserved then is Peace maintained Nay so far he appropriates it unto the Bishop as that he calleth it dictatum Episcopi officium Episcopatus a work most proper to the Bishop in regard of his Episcopacy or particular Office Which howsoever it may seem to ascribe too much unto the Bishop in the administration of this Sacrament is no more verily than what was after affirmed by Hierom Hieron adver Lucifer shewing that in his time sine Episcopi jussione without the warrant of the Bishop neither the Presbyters nor the Deacons had any authority to Baptize not that I think that in the days of Hierom before whose time Parishes were assigned to Presbyters throughout the Church the Bishops special consent and warrant was requisite to the baptizing of each several Infant but that the Presbyters and Deacons did receive from him some general faculty for their enabling in and to those Ministrations Next for the Sacrament of the blessed Eucharist that which is a chief part of that heavenly nourishment by which a Christian is brought up in the assured hopes of Eternal life he tells us in another place non de aliorum manu quam Praesidentium sumimus Tertul. de Corona Militis that they received it only from their Bishops hand the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or President of the Presbytery as Justin Martyr seconded by Beza did before call him Which Exposition or construction lest it should be quarrelled as being injurious to the Presbyters who are thereby excluded from the honour and name of Presidents I shall desire the Reader to consult those other places of Tertullian in which the word Prefident is used as viz. Prescriptio Apostoll Bigames non sinit praesidere Tert. ad axor lib. ad uxorem and lib. de Monogamia in both of which the man that had a second Wife is said to be disabled from Presiding in the Church of God and on consideration to determine of it whether it be more probable that Presbyters or Bishops be here meant by Presidents Besides the Church not being yet divided generally into Parishes but only in some greater Cities the Presbyter had not got the stile of Rector and therefore much less might be called a President that being a word of Power and Government which at that time the Presbyters enjoyed not in the Congregation And here Pope Leo will come in to help us if occasion be assuring us that in his time it was not lawful for the Presbyter in the Bishops presence nisi illo jubente Leo Epist 88. unless it were by his appointment conficere Sacramentum corporis sanguinis Christi to consecrate the Sacrament of Christs body and blood The author of the Tract ascribed to Hierom entituled de Septem Ecclesiae ordinibus doth affirm as much but being the author of it is uncertain though it be placed by Erasinus amongst the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docta we will pass it by From the Administration of the Sacraments which do belong ad potestatem ordinis to the power of Order proceed we on to those which do appertain ad potestatem jurisdictionis unto the power of Jurisdiction And the first thing we meet with is the appointing of the publick Fasts used often in the Church as occasion was A priviledg not granted to the common Presbyter and much less to the common people but in those times wherein the Supream Magistrate was not within the pale or bosom of the Church entrusted to the Bishop only This noted also by Tertullian in his book entituled de jejuniis which though he writ after his falling from the Church and so not to be trusted in a point of Doctrine may very well be credited in a point of custom Quod Episcopi universae plebi mandare jejunia assolent non dico de industria stipium conferendarum sed ex aliqua sollicitudinis Ecclesiae causa
Hierusalem as when the Town was razed by Adrian or after peopled by the Saracens Surely if not before yet then this Duty was to cease and no Collection to be made by those of Corinth and consequently no Lords day to be kept amongst them because no Collection in case Collections for the Saints as some do gather from this place were a sufficient argument to prove the Lords day instituted by divine Authority But let us take the Text with such observations as have been made upon it by the Fathers In locum Vpon the first day of the week i. e. as generally they conceive it on the Lords day And why on that Chrysostom gives this reason of it that so the very day might prompt them to be bountiful to their poor Brethren as being that day whereon they had received such inestimable bounties at the hands of God in the resurrection of our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Father hath it What to be dene on that day Unusquisque apud se reponat Let every man lay by himself saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith not saith St. Chrysostom let every man bring it to the Church And why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for fear lest some might be ashamed at the smallness of their offering but let them lay it by saith be and add unto it week by week that at my coming it may grow to a fit proportion That there be no gathering when I come but that the money may be ready to be sent away immediatly upon my coming and being thus raised up by little and little they might not be so sensible thereos In locum as if upon his coming to them it were to be collected all at once and upon the sudden Vt paulatim reservantes non una bora gravari se putent as St. Hierom hath it Now as it is most clear that this makes nothing for the Lords day or the translation of the Sabbath thereunto by any Apostolical Precept so is it not so clear that this was done upon the first day of the week but that some learned men have made doubt thereof Calvin upon the place takes notice how St. Chrysostom expounds the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Apostle by primo sabbati the first day of the week as the English reads it but likes it not Cui ego non assentior as his phrase is conceiving rather this to be the meaning of St. Paul that on some sabbath day or other until his coming every man should lay up somewhat toward the Collection And in the second of his Institutes he affirms expresly Cap. 8. n. 33. that the day destinate by St. Paul to these Collections was the Sabbath day The like do Victorinus Strigelius Hunnius and Aretius Protestant Writers all note upon the place Singulis sabbatis saith Strigelius per singula sabbata so Aretius diebus sabbatorum saith Egidius Hunnius all rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Sabbath days More largely yet Hemingius who in his Comment on the place takes it indefinitely for any day in the week so they fixed on one Vult enim ut quilibet certum diem in septimana constituat in quo apud se seponat quod irrogaturus est in pauperes Take which you will either of the Fathers or the Moderns and we shall find no Lords Day instituted by any Apostolical Mandate no Sabbath set on foot by them upon the first day of the week as some would have it much less that any such Ordinance should be hence collected out of these words of the Apostle Indeed it is not probable that he who so opposed himself against the old Sabbath would crect a new This had not been to abrogate the Ceremony but to change the day whereas he laboured what he could to beat down all the difference of days and times which had been formerly observed In his Epistle to the Galatians written in Anno 59 Cap. 4. v. 10. he lays it home unto their charge that they observed days and months and times and years and seems a little to bewail his own misfortune and if he had bestowed his labour in vain amongst them I know it is conceived by some that St. Paul spake it of the observation of those days and times that had been used among the Gentiles and so had no relation to the Jewish Sabbath or any difference of times observed amongst them Saint Ambrose so conceived it and so did St. Augustine Dies observant In locum qui dicunt crastino non est proficiscendum c. They observe days who say I will not go abroad to morrow or begin any work upon such a day because of some unfortunate aspect as St. Ambrose hath it from whom it seems Saint Augustine learnt it who in his 119 Epistle directly falls upon the very same expression Eos inculpat qui dicunt non proficiscor quia posterus dies est aut quia luna sic fertur vel proficiscar ut prospere cedat quia ita se babet positio syderum c. The like conceit he hath in his Encheiridion ad Laurentium cap. 79. But whatsoever St. Ambrose did St. Augustine lived I am sure to correct his errour observing very rightly that his former doctrine could not consist with St. Pauls purpose in that place which was to beat down that esteem which the Jews had amongst them of the Mosaical Ordinances their New moons and Sabbaths I shall report the place at large for the better clearing of the point Vulgatissiâ—nus est Gentilium error ut vel in agendis rebus vel expectandis eventabus vitae ac negotiorum suorum ab Astrologis Chaldeis notatos dies observent This was the ground whereon he built his former errour Then followeth the correction of it Fortasse tamen non opus est ut baec de Gentilium errore intelligamus ne intentionem causae mark that quam ab exordio susceptam ad finem usque perducit subito in alind temere detorquere velle vide imur sed de his potius de quibus cavendis eum agere per totam Epistolam apparet Nam Judaei serviliter observant dies menses annos tempora in carnali observatione sabbati neomeniae c. But yet perhaps saith he it is not necessary that we should understand this of the Gentiles lest so we vary from the scope and purpose of the Apostle but rather of those men of the avoiding of whose Doctrines he seems to treat in all this Epistle which were the Jews who in their carnal keeping of New-moons and Sabbaths did observe days and years and times as he here objecteth Compare this with Saint Hieroms Preface to the Galatians and then the matter will be clear Cap. 8. n. 33. that St. Paul meant not this of any Heathenish but of the Jewish observation of days and times So in the Epistle to the Colossians writ in the sixtieth
say it is moved by it self And he condemned yea mocked the Lutherans manner of speech that the Will followeth as a dead and unreasonable Creature for being reasonable by Nature moved by its own Cause which is God it is moved as reasonable and followeth a reasonable And likewise that God consenteth though men will not and spurn at him For it is a contradiction that the Effect should spurn against the Cause That it may happen that god may effectually convert one that before hath spurned before sufficient prevention but afterwards cannot because a gentleness in the Will moved must needs follow the Efficacy of the Divine Motion Soto said That every Divine Inspiration was only sufficient and that that whereunto Free-will hath assented obtaineth efficiency by that consent without which it is ineffectual not by the defect of it self but of the man The Opinion he defended very fearfully because it was opposed that the distinction of the Reprobate from the Elect would proceed from man contrary to the perpetual Catholick sense that the Vessels of Mercy are distinguished by Grace from the Vessels of Wrath. That Gods Election would be for Works foreseen and not for his good Pleasure That the Doctrine of the Fathers in the Affrican and French Councils against the Pelagians hath published that God maketh them to will which is to say that he maketh them consent therefore giving consent to us it ought to be attributed to the Divine Power or else he that is saved would be no more obliged to God than he that is damned if God should use them both alike But notwithstanding all these Reasons the contrary Opinion had the general applause though many confessed that the Reasons of Catanca were not resolved and were displeased that Soto did not speak freely but said that the Will consenteth in a certain manner so that it may in a certain manner resist as though there were a certain manner of mean between this Affirmation and Negation The free speech of Catanca and the other Dominicans did trouble them also who knew not how to distinguish the Opinion which attributeth Justification by consent from the Pelagian and therefore they counselled to take heed of leaping beyond the Mark by too great a desire to condemn Luther that Objection being esteemed above all that by this means the Divine Election or Predestination would be for Works foreseen which no Divine did admit The Ground thus laid we shall proceed unto a Declaration of the Judgment of the Church of Rome in the five Articles disputed afterwards with such heat betwixt the Remonstrants and the Contra Remonstrants in the Belgick Church so far forth as it may be gathered from the Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent and such preparatory Discourses as smoothed the way to the Conclusions which were made therein In order whereunto it was advised by Marcus Viguerius Bishop of Sinigali to separate the Catholick Doctrine from the contrary and to make two Decrees in the one to make a continued Declaration and Confirmation of the Doctrine of the Churches Ibid. p. 215. and in the other to condemn and Anathematize the contrary But in the drawing up of the Decrees there appeared a greater difficulty than they were aware of in conquering whereof the Cardinal of Sancta Cruz one of the Presidents of the Council took incredible pains avoiding as much as was possible to insert any thing controverted amongst the School-men and so handling those that could not be omitted as that every one might be contented And to this end he observed in every Congregation what was disliked by any and took it away or corrected it as he was advised and he spake not only in the Congregations but with every one in particular was informed of all the doubts and required their Opinions He diversifyed the matter with divers Orders changed sometimes one part sometimes another until he had reduced them unto the Order in which they now are which generally pleased and was approved by all Nor did the Decrees thus drawn and setled give less content at Rome than they did at Trent for being transmitted to the Pope and by him committed to the Fryers and other learned men of the Court to be consulted of amongst them they found an universal approbation because every one might understand them in his own sense And being so approved of were sent back to Trent and there solemnly passed in a full Congregation on the thirteenth of January 1547. according to the account of the Church of Rome And yet it is to be observed that though the Decrees were so drawn up as to please all parties especially as to the giving of no distast to the Dominican Fryers and theis Adherents yet it is casie to be seen that they incline more favourably to the Franciscans whose cause the Jesuits have since wedded and speak more literally and Grammatically to the sence of that party than they to do the others which said I shall present the Doctrine of the Council of Trent as to these controverted Points in this Order following 1. Of Divine Predestination All Mankind having lost its primitive integrity by the sin of Adam they became thereby the Sons of wrath Concil Trid. Sess 6. c. 1. and so much captivated under the command of Satan that neither the Gentiles by the power of Nature nor the Jews by the Letter of the Law of Moses were able to free themselves from that grievous Servitude In which respect it pleased Almighty God the Father of all Mercies to promise first Ibid c. 2. and afterwards actually to send his only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the World not only to redeem the Jews who were under the Law but that the Gentiles also might embrace the righteousness which is by Faith and all together might receive the Adoption of Sons To which end he prepared sufficient assistance for all Hist of the Council f. 212. which every man having free will might receive or refuse as it pleased himself and foreseeing from before all Eternity who would receive his help and use it to God and on the other side who would refuse to make use thereof he predestinated and elected those of the first sort to Eternal Life and rejected the others 2. Of the Merit and Effect of the Death of Christ Him God proposed to be a propitiation for our sins by his Death and Passion and nor for our sins only Ses 6. c. 2 3. but for the sins of the whole World But so that though Christ died for all men yet all do not receive the benefit of his death and sufferings but only they to whom the merit of his Passion is communicated in their new birth or Regeneration by which the grace whereby they are justified or made just is conferred upon them 3. Of Mans Conversion unto God The Grace of God is not given no man by Jesus Christ to no other end session 6 can 2 3. but that thereby he might
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
extirpatio the extirpation of false doctrine This part of jurisdiction with those that follow I shall declare only but not exemplifie For being matters meerly practical and the proceedings on Record they will occur hereafter as occasion is in this following History And that which followeth first is very near of kin indeed unto that before For many times it happeneth so that howsoever men be charged not to teach strange doctrins and that their mouths be stopped and they put to silence yet they will persevere however in their wicked courses and obstinately continue in the same until at last their obstinacy ends in heresie What course is to be taken upon such occasions The Apostle hath resolved that also A man that is an Heretick saith he after the first and second admonition Tit. 3.10 is to be rejected Rejected but by whom why by Titus surely The words are spoken unto him in the second person and such as did possess the same place and office Hanc sive admonitionem sive correptionem intellige ab Episcopo faciendam Estius in Ep. ad Tit. c. 3. c. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Paul here speaks of whether that it be meant of gentle admonition or severe reproof must be done only by the Bishop and that not as a private person but as the governour of the Church and that both with authority and power by which he also may denounce him excommunicate if he amend not on the same So Estius in his Comment on the place and herewith Calvin doth accord Tito scribens Paulus Calvin in Titum c. 3. non disserit de Officio magistratus sed quid Episcopo conveniat Paul saith he writing unto Titus disputes not of the Office of the civil Magistrate but of the duty of a Bishop And this in answer unto some who had collected from these words of the Apostle that Hereticks were to be encountred with no sharper weapon than that of Excommunication nec esse ultra in eos saeviendum and that there was no other course to be taken with them In which these Moderns say no more as to the exercise and discharge of the Episcopal function in this case Hieron ad Riparium adv Vigilant a. than what the Ancients said before I marvail saith Saint Hierom speaking of Vigilantius a broacher of strange or other Doctrins in the Church of Christ that the Bishop in whose Diocess he is said to be a Presbyter hath so long given way to his impiety Et non virgâ Apostolica virgáque ferreâ confringere vas inutile and that he hath not rather broke in pieces with the Apostolick rod a rod of iron this so unprofitable a Vessel In which as the good Father manifests his own zeal and fervour so he declareth therewithal what was the Bishops power and office in the present business The last part of Episcopal jurisdiction which we have to speak of is the correction of ill manners whether in the Presbyters or in the People concerning which the Apostle gives both power to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.19 20. and command to use it First for the Presbyters Against an Elder receive not an accusation but before two or three Witnesses but if they be convicted them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear In the declaring of which power I take for granted that the Apostle here by Elder doth mean a Presbyter according to the Ecclesiastical notion of that word Hom. 15. in 1 Tim. in locum though I know that Chrysostom and after him Theophylact and Oecumenius do take it only for a man well grown in years And then the meaning of Saint Paul will be briefly this that partly in regard of the Devils malice apt to calumniate men of that holy function and partly to avoid the scandal which may thence arise Timothy and in him all other Bishops should be very cautious in their proceedings against men of that profession But if they find them guilty on examination then not to smother or conceal the matter but censure and rebuke them openly that others may take heed of the like offences The Commentaries under the name of Ambrose Amb. in 1. ad Tim. c. 5. do expound it so Quoniam non facile credi debet de Presbytero crimen c. Because a crime or accusation is not rashly to be credited against a Presbyter yet if the same prove manifest and undeniable Saint Paul commandeth that in regard of his irregular conversation he be rebuked and censured publikely that others may be thereby terrified And this saith he non solum ordinatis sed plebi proficit will not be only profitable unto men in Orders but to Lay people also Herewith agreeth as to the making of these Elders to be men in Orders the Comment upon this Epistle Hier. in Ep. 1. ad Tim. ascribed to Hierom Presbyters then are subject unto censure but to whose censure are they subject Not unto one anothers surely that would breed confusion but to the censure of their Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Epiphanius Epipha haer 75. n. 5. Theoph. in 1. ad Tim. c. 5. he speaks to Timothy being a Bishop not to receive an accusation against a Presbyter Theophylact also saith the same For having told us that if a Presbyter upon examination of the business be found delinquent he must be sharply and severely censured that others may be terrified thereby he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it becomes a Bishop in such cases to be stern and awful Lyra in eund locum Lyra observes the like in his Gloss or Postils viz. that the proceedings against inferiour Clergy-men in foro exteriori in a judiciary way is a peculiar of the Bishops But what need more be said than that of Beza Beza Annot. in 1. ad Tim. 5. who noteth on these very words that Timothy to whom this power or charge was given was President or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at that time of the Ephesian Clergy Which is a plain acknowledgment in my opinion that the correction of the Clergy by the law of God doth appertain unto the Bishop the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or President of the Presbytery call him what you will For what need we contend for words when we have the matter And this appeareth by the several Councils of Nice and Antioch Sardica Turin Africa and Sevil in all and every of the which the censure and proceedings against a Presbyter are left to their own Bishops severally but a course taken therewithal for their ease and remedy in case their own Bishops should proceed against them out of heat or passion For the Lay-people next that Paul gave Timothy a power of correcting them appears by the instructions which he gives him for the discharge of this authority towards all sorts of People whether that they be old or young of what sex soever Old men if they offend must be handled gently