and the French another and on the Lord's Day so to divide the hours between them that the one might be no hindrance unto the other It hath been also said That there was another condition imposed upon them of being conform to the French in Doctrine and Ceremonies Which condition if it were imposed and not sought by themselves must needs be very agreeable to the temper and complexion of their principal Leaders who being for the most part of the Zuinglian Gospellers at their going hence became the great promoters of the Puritan Faction at their coming home The Names of Whittingham Williams Goodman Wood and Sutton who appeared in the head of this Congregation declare sufficiently of what Principles they were and how willing they would be to lay aside the face of an English Church and frame themselves to any Liturgy but their own The noise of this new Church at Frankfort occasioned Knox who after proved the great Incendiary of the Realm and Church of Scotland to leave his Sanctuary in Geneva in hope to make a better market for himself in that Congregation These Frankfort-Schismaticks desire That all Divine Offices might be executed according to the Order of the Church of Geneva which Knox would by no means yield to thinking himself as able to make a Rule for his own Congregation as any Calvin of them all Infinite were the Confusions which they had amongst themselves and from hence was the beginning of the Puritan Faction against the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church that of the Presbyterians against the Bishops or Episcopal Government and finally that also of the Independents against the Super-intendency of Pastors and Elders But Sorrow seldom goes alone for their Differing from the Government Form and Worship Established in the Church of England drew on an Alteration also in point of Doctrine Such of the English as had retired to Geneva employed themselves in setting out a New Translation of the Bible in the English-Tongue which afterwards they published with certain Marginal Notes upon it very Heterodox in point of Doctrine some dangerous and seditious in reference to the Civil Magistrate and some as scandalous in respect of Episcopal Government From this time the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination began to be dispersed in English Pamphlets as the only necessary Orthodox and saving Truth Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning these Protestants But now leaving these Confusions the Effect of Schism we will here Relate a Princely Work of Piety done by the Queen CHAP. V. Of the Queens Resolution of Restoring Church-Lands and of what She did Actually Restore before Her Death Anno Reg. Mar. 4. Dr. Heylyn pag. 56. BEfore She undertook this Work She thought it necessary to Communicate her purpose unto some of the Council and therefore calling them to Her She is said to have spoken to them in these following words We have willed you to be called to Us to the intent you might hear of Me my Conscience and the Resolution of my Mind concerning the Lands and Possessions as well of Monasteries as of other Churches whatsoever being now in my Possession First I do consider that the said Lands were taken away from the Churches aforesaid in time of Schism and that by unlawful means such as are contrary both to the Law of God and of the Church For which cause my Conscience doth not suffer me to detain them And therefore I here expresly refuse either to claim or retain those Lands for Mine But with all my heart freely and willingly without all Paction or Condition here and before God I do Surrender and Relinquish the said Lands and Possessions or Inheritances whatsoever and renounce the same with this mind and purpose that order and disposition thereof may be taken as shall seem best liking to the Pope or his Legat to the Honor of God and Wealth of this our Realm And albeit you may object to Me again That the State of my Kingdom the Dignity thereof and my Crown Imperial cannot be Honorably Maintained and Furnished without the Possessions aforesaid Yet notwithstanding and so She had affirmed before when She was bent upon the Restitution of the Tenths and First Fruits I set more by the Salvation of my Soul than by Ten such Kingdoms And therefore the said Possessions I utterly refuse here to hold after that sort and Title And give most hearty Thanks to God who hath given me a Husband of the same mind who hath no less good Affection in this behalf than I my self Wherefore I Charge and Command That my Chancellor with whom I have conferred my Mind in this matter and you Four do â—…esort to morrow together to the Legat signifying to him the Premises in my Name And give your Attendance upon me for the more full declaration of the State of my Kingdom and of the aforesaid Possessions according as you your selves do understand the matter and can inform him in the same Upon this opening of Her Mind the Lords thought it reqâ—…isite to direct some course wherein She might satisfie Her desires to Her own great Honor and yet not Alienate too much at once of the publick Patrimony The Abbey of Westminster had been Founded for a Convent of Benedictin Monks by King Edward the Confessor valued at the Suppression by King Henry the Eighth at the yearly Sum of Three thousand Nine hundred Seventy seven pounds in good old Rents Anno 1539. At which time having taken to himself the best and greatest part of the Lands thereof he Founded with the rest a Collegiate Church consisting of a Dean and Secular Canons But now the Queen put into it a Convent of Benedictins consisting of an Abbot and Fourteen Monks which with their Officers were as many as the Lands then left upon it would well maintain A Convent of Observants being a reformed Order of Franciscan Friers had been Founded by King Henry the Seventh near the Mannor of Greenwich and was the first which felt the fury of King Henry the Eighth by reason of some open opposition made by some of the Friars in favour of Queen Catherine the Mother of the Queen now Reigning Which moved Her in a pious gratitude to re-edifie that ruined House and to restore as many as could be found of that Order to their old Habitations making up their Corporation with some new Observants to a competent number She gathered together also a New Convent of Dominican or Black-Friars for whom She provided a House in Smithfield in the City of London fitting the same with all conveniences both for the Divine Office as likewise for other necessary Uses At Syon near Brentford there had been anciently a House of Religious Women Nunns of the Order of St. Bridget dissolved as were all the rest by King Henry the Eighth Such of these as remained alive with the addition of some others who were willing to embrace that course of Life made up a competent number for a New Plantation These She restored likewise to their
stretching forth her body her head aâ—… two blows was taken off This end had Mary Queen of Scots in the Forty Sixth year of her Age and of her Imprisonment in England the Eighteenth A Lady so compleat in all excellent parts of Body and mind that it must needs have made her a happy Woman if she had not been a Queen and perhaps a happy Queen too if she had not been Heir to the Crown of England Thus Baker I will insert here one Passage more concerning this Queen which hath been omited in order of this story Dr. Heylyn pag. 160. Certain of the Queens Servants being assembled for their Devotions in the Chappel Royal of the Palace of Holy-rood House in Edenburgh the doors were broken open some of the company haled to the next Prison and the rest dispersed The Priest escaping with much difficulty by a private passage The Queen was then absent in the North but questioned Knox at her return as the cause of the uproar By which Expostulation she got nothing from that fiery Spirit but neglect and scorn Thus Dr. Heylyn ' concerning this ' barbarous action CHAP. VIII A short Relation concerning the Affairs of Ireland as to Religion And how the Hugonots in France betrayed the English Dr. Heylyn pag. 128. WE shall find the Queen there as active in advancing the Reformation as she had been in either of the other Kingdoms King Henry had first broke the Ice by taking to himself the Title of Supream Head on Earth of the Church of Ireland exterminating the Popes Authority and suppressing all the Monasteries and Religious Houses In matters of Doctrine and Forms of Worship as there was nothing done by him so neither much endeavoured in the time of King Edward the Sixth It being thought perhaps unsafe to provoke that people in the King's Minority considering with how many troubles he was else here exercised If any thing were done thereâ—…n it was rather done by toleration than command But Queen Elizabeth having setled her Affairs in England and undertaken the protection of the Scots conceived her self obliged in point of Piety to promote the Reformation in that Kingdom likewise A Parliament is therefore held where pass'd an Act restoring to the Crown the Jurisdiction over all Ecclesiastical persons By which Statute were established both the Oath of Supremacy and the High Commission as before in England There also pass'd an Act for the Uniforâ—…ity of Common-Prayer with permission of saying the same in Latin where the Minister had not the knowledge of the English Tongue But for translating it into Irish as it was afterwards done into Welch there was no care taken The people are required by that Statute under several penalties to frequent their Churches and to be frequent at the reading of the English Liturgy which they understand no more than they do the Mass. By which means the Irish were not only kept in continual ignorance as to the Doctrines and Devotions of the Church of England but we have likewise furnished the Papist with an excellent Argument against our selves for having the Divine Service celebrated in such a language as the people do not understand There also pass'd another Statute for restoring to the Crown the first Fruits and Twenty parts of all Ecclesiastical promotions as also of all Impropriated Parsonages of which there are more in number than those Rectories which have Cure of Souls The like Act passed for the Restitution of all Lands belonging to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem with the Annulling of all Leases and other Grants made by the late Lord Prior of the same The Bishops of Ireland finding how things went in England and knowing that the like Alteration would ensue amongst themselves resolved to make such use of the present times as to enrich their Friends and Kindred by the the spoyl of their Churches To which end they so dissipated the Revenues of their several Bishopricks by long Leases Fee-farms and plain Alienations that to some of their Sees they left no more than a Rent of Five Marks Per Annum To others a bare yearly Rent of Forty shillings to the high displeasure of God the reproach of Religion and the perpetual ignominy of themselves for that horrible Sacriledge Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning Ireland How the English were betrayed by the Hugonots Dr. Heylyn pag. 161. A Peace being concluded betwixt the King and the Hugonots they betrayed the English whom they had brought into the Country and joyned their Forces with the rest to drive them out of Newhaven a Town besieged where the Pestilence had gotten amongst them and raged so terribly that the Living were scarce able to bury the Dead And to compleat the misery of the Besieged the Prince of Conde and Duke of Monpensier who had been the Heads of the Hugonot party shewed themselves openly amongst the rest in the Camp of the Enemies whereupon they were necessitated to yield This might be looked upon as an Argument of God's displeasure on this Nation for giving Aid unto the Rebels of a Christian Prince masked with the vizard of Religion And for a further punishment of this Action the Plague brought out of France by the Garrison Soldiers of Newhaven had so dispersed it â—…elf and made such a desolation in many parts of the Realm that it swept away above Twenty Thousand in the City of London Thus Dr. Heylyn And thus far as to these particul Relations of other Countries We will now prosecute our story of England CHAP. IX A Word concerning the then Pope's Letter to the Queen with a long Relation concerning the Presbyterians Dr. Heylyn pag. 131. WE find the new Bishops in England very high and resolute in opposing the Church of Rome Whereof the then Pope being informed directs unto the Queen an affectionate Letter calling Her his Dearest Daughter and declaring unto Her how sollicitous he was for her Salvation and the prosperity of her People which he told Her was not to be found by wandring out of the Communion of the Catholick Church Unto which he again invites Her with much Christian meekness But the Queen had set up her Resolution to go forward with the Change Wherefore all was lost labour But all this while there was no care taken to suppress the practices of the Calvinists who secretly endeavored to subvert the English Liturgy For whilst the Prelates of the Church of England bent all their forces towards the confuting of the Papists another Enemy appeared which seemed not openly to aim at the Churches Doctrine but quarrelled rather at some Rites and Extrinsecals of it Their purpose was to take in the Outworks of Religion first before they levelled their Artillery at the Fort it self The Schismaticks of Frankfort had no sooner heard of Queen Maries Death but they make what hast they could for England in hope of fishing better for themselves in a troubled water than a quiet Followed not long after by the Brethren of the Separation which
vacant There was one Scambler made Bishop of Peterborough But during the vacancy thereof Sir William Cecill possessed himself of the Mannors in Soak which belonged unto it And for Scambler's readiness to confirm the same Mannors to him he preferred him to the See of Norwich Dr Thomas Young Bishop of St. Davids was translated to the See of York which was done in an unlucky hour to that City For scarce was he setled in that See when he pulled down the Goodly Hall and the greatest part of the Episcopal Palace in the City of York which had been built with so much care and cost by one of his Predecessors in the year 1090 Whether it were for Covetousness to make Money of the Materials of it or out of sordidness to avoid the charge of Hospitality let them guess that will But neither the filling up of those vacant Sees nor the Queens Proclamation for the Banishing of Sectaries could free the Land from those dangerous Inmates or preserve the Church from the Contagion of their poysonous Doctrines A short Note concerning St. Paul's Church Dr. Heylyn in the same page The Zuinglian Gospellers or those of the Genevian party rejoyced much at a most lamentable accident which hapned to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul on the Fourth of June on which day a fearful Fire first shewed it self near the top of the Steeple and from thence burnt down the Spire to the Stone-work and Bells and raged so terribly that within the space of Four hours the Timber and Lead of the whole Church and whatsoever else was combustible in it were burnt and consumed Now when Men began to cast about to find out what might be the occasion of this misfortune The generality of the Zuinglian or Genevian party affirmed it to be a just Judgment of God upon an old Idolatrous Fabrick not throughly Reformed and purged from its Superstitions and would have been content that all other Cathedrals in the Kingdom had been so destroyed The Emperors Zeal Dr. Heylyn pag. 142. The Emperor Ferdinand being informed of these Confusions of Religion in England perswaded the Queen by his Letters to return to the old Religion and not relinquish the Communion of so many Catholick Kings and Princes and Her own Ancestors also nor to prefer Her singular judgment and the judgment of a few private Persons and those not of the most Learned neither before the Judgment and Determination of the Church of Christ. And that if She were resolved to persist in her own Opinion at least that She would deal favourably with so many Reverend and Religious Prelates as She kept in Prison and that meerly for adhering unto that Religion which himself professed And finally he entreas her most earnestly That she would set apart some Churches to the use of the Catholicks where they might freely exercise their Religion A Nuncio sent to the Queen Dr. Heylyn in the same page Pope Pius also sent his Nuncio to the Queen with whom he conceived himself to stand upon terms of Amity It had been much laboured by the Guises and Spanish-faction to divert him from it by telling him That it would be an undervaluing of his Power and Person to send a Nuncio into England or to any other Princes of the same Perswasions who openly professed a Separation from the Church of Rome To which he made this prudent and pious answer That he would humble himself even to Heresie it self in regard whatsoever was done to gain Souls to Christ did beseem that See Thus Dr. Heylyn CHAP. XI Of the Contest between the Church of England and the Presbyterians and how they sought to undermine the said Church Dr. Heylyn pag. 144. THe Genevians slept not all this while but were busily employed in practising against the Church of England nothing being able to satisfie them but the nakedness and simplicity of the Zuinglian Churches the new fashions taken up at Frankfort and the Presbyteries of Geneva And they drove on so fast upon it that in some places they had taken down the steps where the Altar stood and brought the Table into the midst of the Church In others they laid aside the Ancient use of God-fathers and God-mothers in the Administration of Baptism and left the answering for the Child to the charge of the Father the Weekly Fasts the time of Lent and all other Days of Abstinence were look'd upon as Superstitious observations No Fast by them allowed of but occasionally only and them too of their own appointing And the like course they took also with Festival Days neglecting those which had been instituted as Human Inventions not fit to be retained in a Reformed Church And finally that they might bring in their Outlandish Doctrines with such Foreign usages they had procured some of the inferior Ordinaries to impose upon their several Parishes certain new Books of Sermons and Expositions of the Holy Scripture To stop these proceedings the Arch-Bishop with Advice of some of the Bishops set forth a Book of Orders But notwithstanding these Orders the Calvinists drive on their designs as appears by this following Relation of Dr. Heylyn pag. 154. The Genevians had already begun to blow the Coals and brought Fuel to them But it was only for the Burning of Caps and Rochets The Common-Prayer-Book was so fortified by Act of Parliament that there was no assaulting of it And as to Episcopal Government it was so interwoven and incorporated with the Laws of the Land so twisted in with the Prerogative of the Crown and the Royal Interest that they must first be in a capacity of trampling on the Laws and the Crown together before they could attempt the destruction of it But Caps and Tippets Rochets and Lawn-sleeves and Canonical Coats seemed to be built upon no better Foundation than Superstitious custom some old Popish Canon or at the best some Temporary Injunction of the Queens devising which could not have the Power and effect of Law This Game they had in chase in King Edwards time which now they are resolved to follow to the very last The obstinacy of these Men in matter of Ceremony prompted the Bishops to make tryal of their Orthodoxy in Points of Doctrine Whereupon the Articles of Religion lately agreed upon were required to be subscribed to in all places with threatning no less than Deprivation to such as willfully refused Many there were that boggled at it as they all did but yet not so perversly nor in such great numbers as when their faction was grown strong and improved to multitudes Some stumbled at it in regard of the first clause added to the Twentieth Article about the Authority of the Church Others in reference to the Thirty Sixth touching the Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops Some thought they Attributed more Authority to the Supream Magistrate over all Persons and Causes both Ecclesiastical and Civil than could consist with that Independency which Calvin arrogated unto his Presbyters and other Churches of the
Platform And others looked upon the Homilies as beggerly Rudiments scarce Milk for Babes But by no means to be looked upon as Meat for a stronger stomack In general thought by the Genevians and Zuinglian Gospellers to have too much in them of the Pope or too little of Calvin and therefore no way to be subscribed unto Of which number none so much remarkable as Father John Fox the Martyrologist who had before appeared in the Schism at Frankfort and left that Church when Cox had got the better in it to retire to Geneva Who being now called upon to subscribe that the opinion which was had of his parts and Piety might advance the work he is said to have appeared before the Bishop carrying the New-Testament in Greek with him before whom he spake these words To this Book I will subscribe and if this will not serve take my Prebend'ry at Salisbury the only Preferment which I hold in the Church of England and much good may it do you But notwithstanding this refractory Answer so much kindness was shewed to him that he both kept his resolution and place together The Genevians for the greater countenanceing of their inconformity had stirred up the most eminent Divines of the French and Zuinglian or Helvetian Churches to declare in favour of their doings And it appears also by remembrances in some Authors that Calvin apprehending some neglect from Mr. Secretary Cecill in making either no return or a return which signified nothing to his first Addresses had laid aside his care of the Church of England But Peter Martyr whilst he lived conceived himself to have some Interest in this Church in which he had enjoyed such a good preferment but more in some particular Persons and Members of it who seemed to depend upon his judgment and to ask counsel of him as their surest Oracle in which how much he countenanced the Faction in King Edward's time both by his Practice and Pen and what encouragement he gave them in this present Reign hath been shewn before But how much he was out-gone by Beza who next usurped a Super-intendency over all the Churches of this Island may be seen hereafter All that shall now be said of either of them or of altogether shall be briefly this That this poor Church might better have wanted their best helps in Points of Doctrine than have been troubled with their intermedlings in matter of Discipline Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning the Calvinists Dr Heylyn having little or nothing in the Fourth and Fifth year of this Queens Reign that belongs to the matter of these Notes we will pass to the 6th year CHAP. XII Of one Cartwright a great Promoter of Presbytery and of the Earl of Leicester and the death of Calvin Anno Reg. Eliz. 6. Dr. Heylyn pag. 164. THis Summer in a Progress the Queen came to Cambridge where were sown the seeds of those Divisions and Combustions with which the Church of England hath been continually distracted to this very day For so it happened that one Preston and Cartwright were appointed to hold a Disputation In which the First was both liked and rewarded by Her the Other receiving neither reward nor commendation Which so incensed the proud man that he retired to Geneva Where having throughly informed himself in all particulars both of Doctrine and Discipline wherein the Churches of that Platform differed from the Church of England he returned home with an intent to repair his credit or rather to get himself a name by raising such a fire and such combustions in the Church of England as never were to be extinguished but by the immediate hand of Heaven The next considerable Action which followed on the Queens Reception at Cambridge was the preferring of Sir Robert Dudley the Second Son then living of the Duke of Northumberland to the Titles of Lord Denbigh and Earl of Leicester She had before Elected him into the Order of the Garter made him Master of her Horse and Chancellor of the University of Oxon suffered him to carry a great sway in all Affairs both of Court and Council and given unto him the fair Mannor of Denbigh being conceived to be one of the goodliest Territories in England And now She adds unto these Honors the goodly Castle and Mannor of Kenelworth part of the parrimony of the Duchy of Lancaster Advanced unto which height he engrossed unto himself the disposing of all Offices in the Court and State and of all Preferments in the Church proving in fine so unappeasable in his Malice and unsatiable in his Lusts so Sacrilegious in his Rapines so false in Promises and treacherous in point of Trust And finally so destructive of the Rights and Proprieties of particular Persons that his Little Finger lay heavier on the English Subjects than the Loins of all the Favourites of the Two last Kings And that his Monstrous Vices most insupportable in any other but himself might either be connived at or not complained of he cloaks them with a seeming zeal to the true Religion and made himself Head of the Puritan Faction Who spared no pains in seting forth his praises upon all occasions Nor was he wanting to caress them after such a manner as he found most agreeable to those Holy Hypocrites using no other language in his Speech and Letters than pure Scripture-phrase in which he was become so dextrous as if he had received the same Inspirations with the Sacred Pen-men But notwithstanding the viciousness of this man yet the Queen laboured further to advance him even to a Marriage with the Queen of Scots As appears by this Relation of Dr. Heylyn pag. 169. Queen Elizabeth kept a Stock still going in Scotland the returns whereof redounded more to her own security than to the profit and advantage of the Church of England The Queen of Scots being now a Widow possessed of that Kingdom and next Heir to this Queen Elizabeth proposes to her a Marriage with the Earl of Leicester whom she pretended to have raised to those Eminent Honors to make him in some sort capable of a Queens Affections Which Proposition proved agreeable to neither party the Queen of Scots disdaining the unequal offer and Leicester dealing under-hand with Randolph the English Resident to keep her still in that aversness having given himself a hope of Marrying Queen Elizabeth interpreting all her Favors to proceed in order to it I had not spoken so much of this Earl of Leicester but that he seemed to have been born for the destruction of the Church of England as will appear by what shall be here said concerning the Presbyterians in this Queens Reign But leaving this Court-Meteor to be gazed on by unknowing men we will now conclude this Sixth year with that which was very advantageous to the Church of England to wit the Death of Calvin By whose Authority if he had lived longer much more Disorders and Confusions must have necessarily succeeded For his Name was much Reverenced not only by
those of his own party but by many others grave and moderate men who did not look at first into the dangers which ensued upon it His Platform at Geneva was made the only Pattern by which all Reformed Churches were to frame their Government His Writings were made the only Rule by which all Students in Divinity were to square their judgments Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning Cartwright Leicester and Calvin CHAP. XIII The first Origine of the name Puritan and of the Protestation devised to hinder the Disorders caused by this Sect. Anno Reg. Eliz. 7. Dr. Heylyn pag. 172. THis year the Zuinglian or Calvinian Faction began to be first known by the name of Puritans Which name hath ever since been appropriated to them because of their pretending to a greater Purity in the Service of God than was held forth unto them as they gave it out in the Common-Prayer-Book and to a greater opposition to the Rites and Usages of the Church of Rome than was agreeable to the Constitution of the Church of England But this Purity was accompanied with such Irreverence this opposion drew along with it so much licentiousness as gave great scandal and offence to all men So that it was high time to give a check to those Disorders and Confusions which by their practises and their Preachings they had produced and thereby laid the ground of that woful Schism which soon after followed For the preventing these Disorders for the future a Protestation was devised to be taken by all Parsons Vicars and Curates by which they were required to declare and promise 1. That they would not preach nor publickly interpret but only read that which was appointed by publick Authority 2. That they would use sobriety in Apparel and especially in the Church at Common Prayers according to Order appointed 3. That they would not openly medle with any Artificers Occupation as covetously to seek a Gain thereby having in Ecclesiastical Livings Twenty Nobles or above by the year Which Protestation if it either had been generally pressed upon all the Clergy as perhaps it was not or been better kept by them that took it the Church might questionless have been saved from those Distractions which by the Puritan-Innovators were occasioned in it Thus far Dr. Heylyn concerning this strange Reformation of the Church of England Doctor Heylyn having Prosecuted his History of the Reformation of the Church of England until the Eighth year of Queen Elizabeths Reign was not willing to wade any further into the Confusions of those times and therefore makes this following Conclusion of it CHAP. XIV The Order of the Establishment of this New Church and of the strange Disorder it was at this time brought unto by the Puritan Faction Dr. Heylyn's Conclusion of his History THus we have seen the publick Liturgy confirmed in Parliament with divers Penalties on all those who either did reproach it or neglect to use it or wilfully with-draw their attendance from it The Doctrine of the Church declared in the Book of Articles External matters in Officiating God's Publick Service and the Apparel of the Clergy regulated by the Book of Orders and Advertisements the Episcopal Government setled The Church of England is therefore now fixed on her Natural Pillars of Doctrine Government and Worship not otherwise to have been shaken than by the blind zeal of such furious Sampsons as were resolved to pull it on their own heads rather than to suffer it to stand And here it will be time to conclude this History having taken a brief view of the State of this Church with all the Aberration from its first Constitution as it stood at this time when the Puritan Faction had begun to disturb its Order And that this may be manifested with a greater certainty I will speak it in the words of one who lived and writ his knowledge of it at this time I mean John Rastel in his Answer to the Bishops Challenge Who though he were a Papist and a Priest yet I conceive he hath faithfully delivered too many sad Truths in these particulars Three Books he writ within the compass of Three years against Bishop Jewel In one of which he makes this Address unto him And though you Mr. Jewel as I have heard say do take the Bread into your hands when you celebrate solemnly yet thousands there are of your inferior Ministers who esteem it as death to be bound to any such External Fashion And your order of Celebrating the Communion is so unadvisedly conceived that every man is left unto his private Rule or Canon whether he will take the Bread into his hands or let it stand at the end of the Table where it pleases the Sexton or Parish-Clerk to set them pag. 28. Thus as to the Communion now as to Altars he hath these words In the Primitive Church Altars were used amongst Christians upon which they offered the unbloody Sacrifice of Christ's Body yet your Company to declare what Followers they are of Antiquity do account i even among one of the kinds of Idolatry if an Altar be kept standing And indeed you follow a certain Antiquity not of Catholicks but of desperate Hereticks Optatus writing of the Donatists says That they did break raze and remove the Altars of God pag. 34. 165. Now as to the Objection of Praying in an unknown Tongue he writes thus Where Singing is used what shall we say to the case of the People that kneel in the Body of the Church Yea let them hearken at the Chancel-door it self they shall not be much wiser Besides how will you provide for great Parishes where there are a Thousand People An Objection of the Presbyterians Then to come to the Apostles Where do you read that in External Behavior they did wear Frocks or Gowns or Four corner'd Caps Or That at their Prayers they sate in sides fell prostrate or sung Te Dâ—…um or looked towards the South Or wore Copes of Tâ—…ssue or Velvet with a thousand more such questions pag. 446. The next question he asks him is Where the Church of God so well ordered with excellent men of Learning and Piety was ever constrained to suffer Coblers Weavers Tinkers Tanners Card-makers Tapsters Fiddlers Goalers and others of like Profession not only to enter into Disputation with her but also to climb up into Pulpits and to keep the place of Priests c. pag. 2. Or That any Bag-pipers Horse-coursers or Jaylors were admitted then into the Clergy pag. 162 Or that any Bishop then did Swear by his Honor when in his Visitation he would warrant his Promise to some poor Prisoner-Priest under him or not satisfied with his imprisoning did cry out and call upon the Prince not disposed that way to put them to most cruel deaths Or That refused to wear a white Rocket Or To be distinguished from the Laity by some decent Priests Apparel pag. 162. Or Gathered a Benevolence of his Clergy to set him up in his Houshold pag. 163.
very Gall of Schism by usurping an Authority which express Scripture says belongs only to Pastors I fear much fewer than is ordinarily imagined of those who have any liberal Education will be excused from this sin by any Ignorance Surreptition Provocation c. by reason of that great evidence and light which they have of the continued Succession Unity of Doctrin perfect Obedience to their spiritual Superiors Pennances and Retirements from the World and several other signal marks of the One Holy Catholick and Apostclick Church Some may be more deeply guilty and obnoxious to a heavier damnation than others as Ring-leaders more than their Followers But Damnation is by the Fathers generally denounced as the portion of them all Thus of the sin of Schism CHAP. VI. Of the Schism of the Church of England NOw whereas some Protestants seek to vindicate the Church of England from Schism by likening it to the Church of St. Cyprian of whom it is said That it condemned no man nor separated none from its Communion yet you are to know that this Plea helps them not at all For although this Moderation did exempt St. Cyprian from Schism because as St. Augustin says The Church had not then decided the dispute to whose decision St. Cyprian would certainly have submitted Yet this Moderation does not at all exempt the Church of England from Schism because her separation from her mother-Mother-Church is for very many Doctrins of Faith defined and determined by the same Church This following Example will make the Case of the Church of England evidently appear For if for Example a Province in England had with-drawn it self from the Publick Civil Authority this Excuse would not exempt them from being Rebels to say We do not intend to quarrel with Those that continue in Obedience to the King we mean neither him nor them any harm They shall be welcome to come among us if they will we will be good friends we will not meddle with their doings but we will be governed only by our own Laws and Magistrates c. I believe I say This would not take from them the Guilt of Rebellion Their Civility in such their Rebellion would not change the Title of their crime nor free them from the punishment due unto it It may perhaps qualifie the Prince's resentment but the civilest Treason is Treason In this Point of Schism to the end that Doctor Peirce in his Court-Sermon may clear Protestants and lay the weight of so great a crime on the Catholick Church he argues thus Since besides the corruptions in Practice which yet alone cannot justifie separation there were in the Roman Church so many corruptions in Doctrin likewise entrenching on Fundamentals the Schism could not be on the Church of England's side which was obliged to separate so just cause being given but on theirs who gave the cause of the separation This Plea of the Doctors if it be admitted totally destroys all Governments and lays all the Guilt of Schisms and Rebellions in Church and State upon Civil and Ecclesiastical Governors For if Subjects may accuse their Governors and be themselves Judges of the Justice of such their Accusations the Governors are always sure to be condemned and pronounced guilty and the Subject justified Now to admit this Liberty of the Subject in Church-Government above all others is the most unjust Thing imaginable because that Government is protected from all error in Doctrins of Faith by the assistance of the Holy Ghost who was sent by our Saviour to teach it all Truth Wherefore to tax that Government with Errors in Faith is either to tax the Holy Ghost with them or to blaspheme against our Saviour by saying he has not kept his word in sending the Holy Ghost to teach the Church All truth Besides There is this other consideration which doth further manifest the weakness of this the Doctor 's Plea For if the Church of Rome be our Mother-Church as King James acknowledged her to be in a publick Speech made to his Parliament wherein he says I acknowledge the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church See Stow pag. 840. then it will follow as it was urg'd in Parliament by Doctor Heath Archbishop of York in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth That if now after so many Ages this Church of Rome be found an Erroneous Church then we have hitherto received no benefit by our Christianity but rather have been all along deceived Since if this mother-Mother-Church be false the Doctrin which she taught us must necessarily be false A Church being said to be false because she teacheth false Doctrin Thus the Doctor may see what he has gotten by his Reformation There is one thing yet that deserves well to be taken notice of in this change of Religion here in England For if all the Clergy and the Universities had generally assented to this Change it might have seemed a lesser crime But to have this done as de facto it was done in Queen Elizabeths Reign by Laymen only and this only with the Difference of Six Voices in Parliament although that Parliament was pack'd for this purpose and in opposition to the contrary Protestations and Declarations of all the Clergy and Universities This does heighten this crime to the utmost of all Impiety I will yet for a close add one thing more which does not a little manifest this Impiety For although Reformation of Religion was here pretended yet it evidently appears by our English History that nothing but worldly and carnal Interests carried on this business For was not the Liberty obtained by King Henry the Eighth to bring into his Bed a new handsom Wife instead of his former vertuous Queen a very carnal Interest Was not his invading all the Possessions and Treasure of Monasteries a great Secular Interest Was not the dividing the said Lands amongst the Nobility and Gentry at very easie rates a very great Interest In King Edward's days was not the Protector 's seizing on the remainder of Churchspoyls a great Interest Was not the freeing of Clergy-men from a necessity of saying daily and almost hourly long Ecclesiastical Offices from lying alone without Bedfellows c. matters of great both carnal and secular Interest Was not the exempting of All both Layity and Ecclesiasticks from the Duty of confessing their Sins and submitting themselves to Penitential Satisfactions from rigorous Fasts out of Conscience and Religion and other Austerities a matter of considerable Interest to Flesh and corrupt Nature By what hath been hitherto said appears but even too clearly how that the Fundamental Rule of all Government and Subordination was utterly neglected in England at the time that the pretended Reformation was contrived and executed Here is a new and thorough moulding of a Church both in Doctrins and Discipline called a Reformation Wherein all the Synodical Acts of this Church since Christianity entred among us are as to any obliging Power by their Authority reversed wherein all the Decisions of
of Lands and Ornaments as when she came into the World in her Natural Nakedness Nor was it like to happen otherwise in the following Reign of Queen Jane if it had lasted longer than a Nine-days wonder For Dudley of Northumberland who then ruled the rost and had before dissolved and in hope devoured the wealthy Bishoprick of Durham might easily have possessed himself of the greatest part of the Revenues of York and Carlisle By means whereof he would have made himself more absolute on the North-side of Trent than the poor Titular Queen had been on the South-side of it To carry on whose Interest and maintain her Title the poor remainder of the Churches Patrimony was in all probability to have been shared amongst those of the Party to make them sure unto that side Thus far out of Dr. Heylyn ' s Preface Summarily concerning this Rapine and Sacriliege which followed this Second Change of Religion Now in the History it self Page 33. Dr. Heylyn begins orderly to treat of the Reign of this King as to matters of Religion as will appear by what shall be here said CHAP. I. Of the many Policies used in the Introducing this Second Change of Religion Anno Regni Edwardi Sexti 1. THE Solemnities of the Coronation being passed the Grandees of the Court began to entertain some thoughts of a Reformation In which they found Archbishop Cranmer and some other Bishops to be as forward as themselves but on different ends endeavoured by the Bishops out of Zeal but by the Courtiers upon a hope of enriching themselves by the spoil of Bishopricks To the Advancement of which Work the Conjuncture seemed to be as proper as they could desire Fot first the King being of such tender Age and wholly governed by the Wâ—…ll of the Lord Protector who had declared himself a Friend to the Lutheran party in the time of King Henry was easie to be moulded into any form And as the Champions of the Papacy were removed out of all Office so it was thought expedient for the better carrying on of the Design not only to release all such as had been committed unto Prison but also to recal all such as had been forced to abandon the Kingdom for not submitting to King Henries Six Articles But the business was of greater moment than to expect the coming back of these Men. Wherefore neither to lose time nor to press too much at once upon the People it was thought fit to smooth the way to the intended Reformation by setting out some Preparatory Injunctions and this to be done by sending out Commissioners into all parts of the Kingdom armed with Instructions to enquire into all Ecclesiastical Concernments Which Commissioners were accompanied with Preachers appointed to instruct the People And that they might not cool or fall off again from what they had been taught they were to leave some Homilies with the Parish-Priest which the Archbishop had composed Now besides the Points contained in the said Injunctions the Preachers were to perswade them from Invocation of Saints Praying for the Dead Images Use of Beads Ashes Processions Mass Dirges c. All which was done to this intent That the People being prepared by little and little might with more ease and less opposition admit the total Alteration in the face of the Church which was intended in due time to be introduced Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning this Policy Another Policy But there was something more than the Authority of a Minor King which drew on such a general Conformity to these Injunctions and thereby smoothed the way to those Alterations both in Doctrine and Worship which the Grandees of the Court and Church had began to fashion The Lord Protector and his Party were more experienced in Affairs of State than to be told That all great Counsels tending to Innovation in the Publick Government especially where Religion is concerned are either to be back'd by Arms or otherwise prove destructive to the undertakers For this cause he resolves to put himself at the Head of an Army as well for the security of his Person and the preservation of his Party as for the carrying on of the Design against all Opponents And for the raising of an Army there could not be found a fairer colour nor a more popular pretence than a Wat with Scotland not to be made on any new Emergent Quarrel which might be apt to bread suspition in the heads of the People but in pursuit of the great Project of the King Deceased for uniting that Realm by a Marriage to the Crown of England On this Pretence Levies are made in all parts of the Kingdom He entertained also certain Regiments of Walloons and Germans because they were conceived more likely to enforce Obedience if his Design should meet with any opposition than the natural English Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning this War with Scotland A Third Policy But in the first place care was taken that none of the Neighboring Princes should either hinder his Proceedings or assist the Enemy That which seemed to give most satisfaction to the Court of France was the performance of a Solemn Obsequy for King Francis the First Whose Funerals were no sooner Solemnized in France but Order was given for a Dirge to be sung in all the Churches of London as also in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in the Quire whereof hung with Black a sumptuous Hearse was set up for the present Ceremony And the next day Archbishop Cranmer assisted with Eight other of the Bishops all in their rich Miters and other their Pontificals did sing a Mass of Requiem the Funeral Sermon being Preached by Dr. Ridley This great Solemnity being thus honorably performed the Commissioners for the Visitation were dispatched to their several Circuits and the Army drawn to their Rendezvous Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning what was done before the calling of a Parliament CHAP. II. Of what was done in Parliament in order to the Establishing this Change of Religion Dr. Heylyn Page 47. A Parliament began upon the Fourth of November in which the Cards were so well pack'd by Sir Ralph Sadler that there was no need of any further Shuffling till the end of the Game This very Parliament without any sensible Alteration of the Members of it being continued until the Death of the King And though this Parliament consisted of such Members as disagreed amongst themselves in respect of Religion yet they agreed well enough together in one common Principle which was to serve the present time and preserve themselves which appears plainly by the strange mixture of the Acts and Results thereof some tending to the present Benefit and Enriching of particular Persons And some again being devised on purpose to prepare a way for exposing the Revenues of the Church unto spoil and rapine There was an Act made in King Henry the Eighths time Inhibiting the reading of the Old and New Testament in the English Tongue But this was here abrogated together with all
and every Act or Acts of Parliament concerning Doctrine and matters of Religion and all and every Article Branch Sentence and Matter Pains and Forfeitures in the same contained By which repeal all Men seem to have been put into a liberty of reading Scripture and being in a manner their own Expositors and of entertaining what Opinions in Religion best pleased their fancies and promulgating such Opinions as they entertained So that the English enjoyed that liberty which the Romans are affirmed by Tacitus to have enjoyed without control in the times of Nerva that is to say A liberty of being of what Opinion they pleased and of speaking freely their Opinions wheresoever they listed There was also an Act passed Entituled An Act against such as speak against the Sacrament of the Altar And to say truth it was but time that some provision should be made to suppress that Irreverence and Profaneness with which the Blessed Sacrament was at that time handled by too many of those who seemed most ignorantly Zealous of Reformation For they reproached it with such names and so unbecoming the mouths of Christians that they were never taken up by the Turks and Infidels There was another Act passed for the Receiving the Communion in both kinds yet with these Provisoes notwithstanding If necessity did not otherwise require as in the Case of sudden Sickness and other such like Extremities in which it was not possible that Wine could be provided for the use of that Sacrament nor the sick Man depart in peace without it And Secondly That the permitting this Liberty to the People of England should not be looked upon as a condemning of any other Church or Churches or their Practices in which the contrary is observed Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning these acts of Parliament Another Act of Parliament The next great Business was the Retrieving of a Statute made in the Twenty seventh year of King Henry the Eighth By which all Chantries Colleges Free-Chappels and Hospitals were given to the King But he died before he had taken many of them into his Possession And the Grandees of the Court not being willing to lose so Rich a Booty it was set on foot again and carried in this present Parliament In which were Granted to the King all Chantries Colleges Free-Chappels Hospitals Fraternities Brotherhoods and Gilds not already seized on by his Father with all their Lands and Goods which being sold at a low rate enriched many and ennobled some And therefore made them firm in maintaining the change Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning the ground of maintaining this Change of Religion Of Chantries Now as concerning the Nature of these Chantries here given to the King something hath been said out of Mr. Dugdale in the Reign of Henry the Eighth But it will not be amiss in this place to set down what Dr. Heylyn says concerning them pag. 51. His words are these THese Chantries consisted of Salaries to one or more Priests to say Mass daily for the Souls of their deceased Founders and their Friends Which not subsisting of themselves were generally Incorporated and united to some Parochial Collegiate or Cathedral Church no fewer than Forty seven being Founded in St. Paul's Free Chappels which though ordained for the same intent with others yet were independent of stronger Constitution and richer Endowment though therein they fell short of the Colleges which exceed them both in the beauty of their Buildings the number of their Priests maintained by them and the proportion of Revenue allotted to them Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning these Foundations made for Praying for the Dead A Sermon Preached Now concerning the Suppressing of these Chantries it was Preached at Mercers-Chappel in London by one Dr. Cromer a Man that wished well to the Reformation That if Trentals and Chantry-Masses could avail the Souls in Purgatory then the Parliament did not well in giving away Colleges Chantries c. which served principally for that purpose But if the Parliament did well in dissolving and bestowing them on the King which he thought that no Man could deny then was it a plane case that such Chantries and private Masses did confer no Relief on the Souls in Purgatory Which Dilemma though it were unanswerable yet was the matter so handled by the Bishops seeing how much the Doctrine of the Church was concerned therein that they brought him to a Recantation at St. Paul's-Cross in the June next following this Sermon being Preached in Lent where he confessed himself to have been seduced by naughty Books contrary to the Doctrine then received in the Church But the current of these times have run another way and Cromer might now have Preached that safely for which before he had been brought into so much trouble Thus far Dr. Heylyn as to these Chantries An Act of Parliament for the Election of Bishops BUt that which made the greatest Alteration and threatned most danger to the State Ecclesiastical was The Act Entituled An Act for the Election of Bishops and what Seals and Stiles shall be used by Spiritual Persons c. In which it is Ordained That Bishops should be made by the Kings Letters Patents and not by the Election of the Dean and Chapters and that all their Processes and Writings should be made in the King's Name only with the Bishops Teste added to and Sealed with no other Seal but the Kings or such as should be Authorized and appointed by him In the composing of which Act there was more danger couched than at first appeared By the last branch thereof it was plain and evident That the intent of the Contrivers was by degrees to weaken the Authority of the Episcopal Order by forcing them from their strong hold of Divine Institution and making them no other than the King's Ministers only his Ecclesiastical Sheriffs as a Man might say to execute his Will and disperse his Mandates And of this Act such use was made That the Bishops of those times were not in a capacity of Conferring Orders but as they were thereunto impowered by special Licence The tenor whereof if Saunders be to be believed was in these words to wit The King to such a Bishop Greeting Whereas All and All manner of Jurisdiction as well Ecclesiastical as Civil flows from the King as from the Supreme of all the Body c. We therefore Give and Grant to you Full Power and Licence to continue during our good Pleasure of conferring Orders within your Diocess and promoting fit Persons unto Holy Orders even to that of Priesthood Which being looked upon by Queen Mary not only as a dangerous Diminution of the Episcopal Power but as likewise an odious Innovation in the Church She caused this Act to be Repealed in the First year of her Reign There was also in the first branch more contained than did appear For though it seem'd to aim at nothing but that the Bishops should depend wholly upon the King for their Preferment yet the true drift of that Design was
new Palace called Sommerset-House Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning this Example given of pulling down of Churches According to this beginning all the year proceeds in which there was nothing to be found but Troubles Commotions and Disquiets both in Church and State For about this time there started up a Sect of Men that were nam'd Gospellers who asserted the Blasphemous Doctrine of Calvin of Gods being the Author of Sin And at the same time the Anabaptists who had kept themselves unto themselves in the late King's time began to look abroad and disperse their Dotages For the prevention of which mischief before it grew to a Head some of the chief of them were Convented in the Church of St. Paul before Archbishop Cranmer who in Examining them took up his Seat upon an Altar of our Lady These Men being convicted of their Errors some of them were dismissed only with an Admonition others condemn'd to bear their Faggots at St. Pauls-Cross Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning these Sects Now the time draws on for the putting forth the new Liturgy which differed little in the main no not so much as in the Canon of the Mass from the Latin Service But notwithstanding the Publishing and Commanding the use of this Book yet many did Celebrate their Private Masses in such secret places that it was not easie to discover them More confidently carried in the Church of St. Paul in many Chappels whereof by the Bishops Sufferance the former Masses were kept up that is to say Our Ladies Mass the Apostles Mass c. performed in Latin but disguis'd with English names of the Apostles Communion and our Ladies Communion But these were afterwards suppressed Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning the new Liturgy An Opposition against the new Form of Religion Page 75. UPon the Imposition of this Book and a new Form of Religion obtruded many Counties took up Arms to oppose it But yet so that they were presently ready to lay down if the King would grant them some few Demands whereof one was this to wit That for as much as we constantly believe that after the Priest hath spoken the words of Consecration being at Mass there is very really the Body and Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ God and Man And that no Substance of Bread and Wine remains after but the very self same Body that was born of the Virgin Mary and was given upon the Cross for our Redemption therefore we desire to have Mass celebrated as it was in times past Because we find that many presume unworthily to receive the same putting no difference between our Lords Body and other kind of Meat Some saying That it is Bread both before and after Consecration And some again say that it is profitable to no man unless he receives it with many other abused terms Secondly we desire that Curates may Administer Baptism at all times of necessity as well upon Week-days as Holy-days Thirdly That Children may be Confirm'd by the Bishop Fourthly That there may be Holy-Bread and Holy-Water in remembrance of Christ's precious Body and Blood Fifthly That our Lord's Body be reserv'd in Churches Sixthly That Priests may live unmarried Seventhly That the Six Articles set forth by King Henry the Eighth may be continued at least till the King comes to full Age. They further made this Remonstrance viz. That the Free-born Commonalty was oppress'd by a small number of Gentry who glutted themselves with Pleasures whilst poor Commons wasted with daily Labor did like Pack-horses live in extreme slavery Secondly That Holy Rites establish'd by Antiquity were abolished and new ones Authoriz'd with a new Form of Religion obtruded to the subjecting of their Souls to those horrid pains which no death could terminate And therefore Thirdly they declar'd That they thought it necessary and convenient to have new Counsellors plac'd about the King during his Minority with the removing of those who Ruling as they list confounded things Sacred and Profane regarding nothing but the enriching themselves with the Publick Treasure that they might riot it amongst those Publick Calamities Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning this Commotion But these Men were soon suppressed and the Changes went on As appears by this following Relation of Dr Heylyn pag. 79. But then there started up another Faction as dangerous to the Church as opposite to the Publick Liturgy and as destructive of the Rules of Reformation then by Law establish'd as were those of Rome The Archbishop and the rest of the Prelates having so far proceeded in abolishing the Religion and Doctrine of the Church of Rome resolv'd in the next place to go forwards with a further Reformation in a particular point of Doctrine concerning the Sacrament In order whereunto Melancthon's coming was expected in the year before But he came not then and therefore Letters were directed by the Archbishop to Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr who were more addicted to the Zuinglian than the Lutheran Doctrines in the Point of the Sacrament Martyr coming over was made the King's Professor of Divinity at Oxford and about two years after made Canon of Christ's-Church In his first Lectures he is said by Saunders if he may be credited to have declared himself so much a Zuinglian in the Point as to give great offence to Cranmer and the rest of the Bishops But afterwards upon notice of it to have been more moderate and to conform his judgment to the sense of the Prelates But however it were it is certain that his Readings were so much disliked by some of the University that a publick Disputation was shortly had betwixt him and some of those who disliked his doings in which he publickly maintained these Two Propositions 1. That the Substance of the Bread and Wine was not changed 2. That the Body and Blood of Christ was not carnally and bodily in the Bread and Wine but united unto them Sacramentally When the Disputation was ended it was declared in the open Schools That Martyr had the upper hand and had sufficiently answered all Arguments But Chadsey the chief of the Opponents and the rest of those that Disputed with him acknowledged no such Satisfaction to be given unto them their Party noising it abroad that they had the Victory But Bucer not coming over at the same time was earnestly invited by the Archbishop's Secretary upon which he came and presently writ to Peter Martyr Being now settled here he receives Letters from Calvin by which he was advised to take heed of his old fault and to run a moderate course in his Reformations The first thing that he did at his coming hither was to make himself acquainted with the English Liturgy Of this he gives account to Calvin and desires some Letters from him to the Lord Protector with whom Calvin had already began to tamper that he migh find the greater Favor from him He was sent to take a Chair at Cambridge where his first Readings gave no such distast as to put him to the necessity of Challenging
Glory which by rash talk and words many have pretended And in so doing they should best please God and live without danger of the Laws and maintain the tranquillity of the Realm And furthermore for as much as it is well known That Sedition and false Rumors have been nourished and maintained in this Realm by the subtilty and malice of some evil-disposed Persons who take upon them without sufficient Authority to Preach and Interpret the Word of God after their own brains in Churches and other places both Publick and Private and also by playing Enterludes and Printing of false fond Books Ballads Rhymes and other lewd Treatises concerning Doctrine in matters now in Question Her Highness therefore strictly Charges and Commands That nothing in this kind be evermore Acted Thus Dr. Heylyn Relates Her moderate Proceedings as to Religion CHAP. III. A full Relation of the Reconciling this Nation to its former Obedience and Subjection to the Church of Rome Anno Reg. Mar. 2. Dr. Heylyn pag. 41. THe next work was the Reconciling this Nation to its former Obedience and Subjection to the Church of Rome But before the attempting this it was thought fit to remove one Difficulty which was most likely to hinder the progress of this Design The Difficulty was this There was a general fear That if the Popes were restored to their former Power the Church might challenge Restitution of her former Possessions Now to secure them against this Fear they had not only the Promise of the King and Queen but some Assurance underhand from the Cardinal Legat who knew right well that the Church Lands had been so chopped and changed by the Two last Kings as not to be restored without the manifest ruine of many of the Nobility and most of the Gentry who were invested in the same Thus Dr. Heylyn concerning this Obstacle Which being removed the work goes on The Relation whereof is thus delivered by Sir Rich. Baker Page 461. Cardinal Pool being sent for by the King and Queen came over into England from Rome as Legat à Latere Whereupon a Parliament being called and the King and Queen sitting there under a Cloth of State with the Cardinal on their right hand All the Lords Knights and Burgesses being present the Bishop of Winchester Lord Chancellor made a short Speech signifying the Presence of the Lord Cardinal and that he was sent from the Pope as his Legat à Latere to do a work tending to the Glory of God and the Benefit of them all which says he you may better hear from his own Mouth Thus Sir Rich. Baker Dr. Heylyn pag. 41. Then the Cardinal rose up and made a very grave and eloquent Speech First giving them Thanks for being restored unto his Country In recompence whereof he told them That he was come to restore them to the Country and Court of Heaven from which by their departure from the Church they had been estranged He therefore earnestly exhorts them to acknowledge their Errors and chearfully to receive the benefit which Christ was ready by his Vicar to extend unto them His Speech was said to have been long and Artificial but it concluded to this purpose That he had the Keys to open them away into the Church which they had shut against themselves by making so many Laws to the dishonor and reproach of the See Apostolick On the revoking of which Laws they should find him ready to make use of the Keys in opening of the door of the Church unto them It was concluded hereupon by both Houses of Parliament That a Petition should be made in the Name of the Kingdom wherein should be declared how sorry they were That they had withdrawn their Obedience from the Apostolick See and consented to the Statutes made against it promising to do their best endeavor hereafter That the said Laws and Statutes should be Repealed beseeching the King and Queen to intercede for them with his Holiness that they might be Absolved from their Crimes and Censures which they had incurred and be received as Penitent Children into the bosom of the Church These things being thus resolved upon both Houses are called again to the Court on Sr. Andrews day Where being Assembled in the Presence of the King and Queen they were asked by the Lord Chancellor Gardiner Whether they were pleased that Pardon should be demanded of the Legat and whether they would return to the Unity of the Church and Obedience of the Pope Supreme Head thereof To which they assenting the Petition was presented to their Majesties in the Name of the Parliament Which being publickly read they arose with a purpose to have moved the Cardinal in it who meeting their desires declared his readiness in giving them that Satisfaction which they would have craved And having caused the Authority given him by the Pope to be publickly read he shewed how acceptable the repentance of a Sinner was in the sight of God and that the very Angels in Heaven rejoyced at the Conversion of this Kingdom Which said they all kneeled upon their Knees and imploring the Mercy of God received Absolution for themselves and the rest of the Kingdom Which Absolution was pronounced in these following words viz. Our Lord Jesus Christ who with his most precious Blood hath redeemed and washed us from all our sins and iniquities that he might purchase to himself a glorious Spouse without spot or wrinkle and whom the Father hath appointed Head over all his Church He by his Mercy Absolve you And we by Apostolical Authority given unto us by his Holiness Pope Julius the 3d. his Vice-gerent here on Earth do Absolve and Free you and every one of you with the whole Realm and the Dominions thereof from all Heresie and Schism and from all and every Judgment Censures and Pains for that cause incurred and also we do restore you again to the Unity of our Mother the Holy Church as in our Letters more plainly it shall appear In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Which words of his being seconded by a loud Amen by such as were present he concluded that days work with a solemn Procession to the Chappel for rendring Prayers and Thanks to Almighty God And because this great work was wrought on St. Andrews day the Cardinal procured a Decree or Canon to be made in the Convocation of the Bishops and Clergy That from thenceforth the Feast of St. Andrews-day should be kept in the Church of England for a Majus Duplex as the Rituals call it and Celebrated with as much Solemnity as any other in the year It was thought fit also That the Actions of that Day should be communicated on the Sunday following at St. Paul's Cross in the hearing of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and the rest of the City According to which appointment the Cardinal went from Lambeth by Water and landing at St. Paul's-wharf from thence proceeded to the Church with a Cross two Pillars
began to build new Altars and set up the Mass So fared it now with the Zealots among the Protestants who measuring the Queens Affections by their own or else presuming that their Errors would be taken for an honest Zeal employed themselves as busily in the demolishing of Altars and defacing of Images as if they had been Licensed and commanded to it by some Legal Warrant It happened also that some of the Ministers who remained at home and others which returned in great numbers from beyond the Seas had put themselves into the Pulpits and bitterly enveighed against the Superstitions and corruptions of the Church of Rome The Papists accused the others of Heresies Schisms Innovation in the Worship of God For the Suppressing of which Disorders the Queen Commanded there should be no Disputes concerning Religion and that no Man of what Perswasion soever he was should be suffered to Preach in publick but only such as should be Licensed Which Command and Proclamation was so strictly observed that no Sermon was Preached at St. Paul's Cross or any Publick place in London till the Easter following At which time when the Preacher was to go into the Pulpit the Door was locked and the Key thereof not to be found So that a Smith was sent for to break open the Door and that being done the like necessity was found of cleansing and making sweet the place which by a long disuse had contracted so much filth and nastiness as rendred it unfit for a present Sermon By another Proclamation it was enjoyned That no Man of what quality or degree soever should presume to alter any thing in the State of Religion or innovate in any of the Rites and Ceremonies thereunto belonging But that all such Rites and Ceremonies should be observed in all Parish Churches of the Kingdom as were then used and retained in her Majesties Chappel until some further order should be taken in it Only it was permitted That the Litany should be said in the English Tongue as likewise the Epistle and Gospel at the time of High Mass which was accordingly done in all the Churches of London on the next Sunday after and by degrees in all the other Churches of the Kingdom Further than this She thought it not convenient to proceed at the present Only She Commanded the Priest or Bishop for some say it was the one and some the other who Officiated at the Altar in the Chappel Royal not to make any Elevation of the Sacrament the better to prevent the Adoration which was given to it which she could not suffer to be done in her sight without a most apparent wrong to her Judgment and Conscience Which being made known in other places and all other Churches being commanded to conform themselves to the Example of her Chappel the Elevation was forborn also in most other places And though there were no further progress made towards a Reformation by any publick Act or Edict yet secretly a Reformation in the Form of Worship and consequently in point of Doctrine was both intended and projected Thus far Dr. Heylyn ' Concerning ' the Policy used in making this Change This Relation is thus otherwise delivered by Sir Rich. Baker pag. 474. QUeen Elizabeth intending an Alteration of Religion would not do it all at once and upon the sudden but by little and little As at first she permitted only the Epistles and Gospels of the Day to be read at Mass in English But in all other matters they were to follow the Roman Rite and Custom until order could be taken for Establishing Religion by Authority of Parliament And a severe Proclamation was set out prohibiting all Disputations of Religion By which means She both put the Protestants in hope and put not Papists out of hope Yet privately She committed the Correcting of the Book of Common-Prayer set forth in the English Tongue under King Edward the Sixth to the care and diligence of Dr. Parker and others But the matter was carried on so closely that it was not communicated to any but the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Bedford and Sir William Cecil Soon after this the use of the Lord's Supper in both kinds was by Parliament allowed And within Two or Three Months the Sacrifice of the Mass was abolished and the Liturgy in the English Tongue Established though as some say but with the difference of Six Voices in the House of Commons The next Month the Oath of Supremacy was offered to the Catholick Bishops and others and the Month following Images were removed out of the Churches broken and burnt By these degrees Religion in England was changed The Supremacy confirmed to the Queen As many of the Bishops as refused to take the Oath were presently deprived of their Bishopricks and Protestant Bishops put in the possession of them Thus Sir Rich. Baker relates this strange manner of changing Religion by degrees A necessary consequence of these Proceedings was a general Confusion in matters of Religion Which is thus set down by Howes upon Stow pag. 635. At this time the English Nation was wonderfully divided in Opinions as well in matters of Ecclesiastical Government as in divers Points of Religion by reason of Three Changes within the compass of Twelve years Every one of these varying from that which was Authorized by Henry the Eighth For King Henry assuming the Ecclesiastical Supremacy with the First Fruits and Tenths maintained Seven Sacraments with Obits and Mass for the Quick and Dead King Edward abolished the Mass Authorized a Book of Common-Prayer in English with Hallowing the Bread and Wine c. and Established only Two Sacraments Queen Mary restored all Things according to the Church of Rome reduced all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to the Papal Obedience with restitution of First Fruits and Tenths permitting nothing within her Realm and Dominions repugnant to the Roman Catholick Church Queen Elizabeth in Her First Parliament expelled the Papal Supremacy resumed the First Fruits and Tenths Suppressed the Mass and for the general Uniformity of her Dominions Established the Book of Common-Prayer in the English Tongue forbidding all others Thus Stow ' concerning these Prodigious Changes in Religion made by Publick Authority CHAP. III. Of the order of the Establishment of this last Change of Religion by Parliament And of a Speech made in Parliament in Opposition to the Queens Supremacy Dr. Heylyn pag. 107. NOw a Parliament draws on Summoned chiefly in reference to the Reformation which was therein to be established The Queens design in order to it could not be so closely carried but that such Lords and Gentlemen as had the managing of Elections in their several Counties retained such Men for Members of the House of Commons as they conceived most likely to comply with their intentions for a Reformation Amongst whom none appeared more active than the Duke of Norfolk the Earl of Arundel and Sir William Cecil In this Parliament there passed an Act for Restoring to the Crown the Tenths and
Obedience at the Font saying Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam that is I believe the Holy Catholick Church Which Article containeth That we must receive the Doctrine and Sacraments of the same Church obey her Laws and live according to the same Which Laws do depend wholly upon the Authority of the See Apostolick And like as it is here openly professed by the Judges of the Realm that the Laws agreed upon in the Higher and Lower Houses of this Honourable Parliament be of small or none effect before the Royal Assent of the King or Prince be given thereunto Even so Ecclesiastical Laws made cannot bind the Universal Church of Christ without the Royal Assent and Confirmation of the See Apostolick Thirdly We must forsake and fly from the Judgment of all other Christian Princes whether they be Protestant or Catholick Christians when none of them do agree with these our doings King Henry the Eighth being the first that ever took upon him the Title of Supremacy And whereas it was of late here in this House said by a Nobleman That the Title of Supremacy is of right due to a King for that he is a King then it would follow That Herod being a King should be Supreme Head of the Church at Jerusalem And Nero the Emperor Supreme Head of the Church of Christ at Rome they being both Infidels and therefore no members of Christ his Church And if our Saviour Christ at his departure from this World should have left the Spiritual Government of his Church in the hands of Emperors and Kings and not to have committed the same to his Apostles how negligently then should he have left his Church It shall appear right well by calling to mind That the Emperor Constantinus Magnus was the First Christian Emperor and was Baptized by Sylvester Bishop of Rome about Three hundred years after the Ascension of Christ Jesus If by your Proposition Constantine the first Christian Emperor was the First Head and Spiritual Governor of Christ his Church throughout his Empire then it followeth That our Saviour Christ for the space of Three Hundred years unto the coming of this Constantine left his Church which he had so dearly bought by effusion of his most precious Blood without any Head at all But how untrue the saying of this Nobleman was it shall further appear by Example of Ozia and also of King David For King Ozia did take the Censor to do Incense to the Altar of God The Priest Azarias did resist him and expelled him out of the Temple and said unto him Non est Officii tui Ozia ut adoleas Incensum Domino sed est Sacerdotum Filiorum Aaron Ad hujusmodi enim Officium consecrati That is to say It is not thy Office Ozia to offer Incense to the Altar of God But it is the Priests Office and the Sons of Aaron for they are Consecrated and Anointed to that Office Now I shall most humbly demand this question When the Priest Azarias said to the King Non est Officii tui whether he said Truth or not If you answer that he spake the Truth then the King was not Supreme Head of the Church of the Jews If you shall say No Why did God plague the King with Leprosie and not the Priest The Priest Azarias in resisting the King and thrusting him out of the Temple in so doing did the Priest play the faithful part of a Subject or no If you answer No why then did God spare the Priest and not spare the King If you answer Yea then it is most manifest Ozia in that he was a King could not be Supreme Head of the Church And as touching the Example of King David in bringing home the Ark of God from the Country of the Philistians to the City of David what Supremacy or Government of God's Ark did King David there take upon him Did he place himself amongst the Priests Or take upon him any Spiritual Function unto them appertaining Did he approach neer unto the Ark Or yet presume to touch the same No doubtless For he had seen before Ozia strucken to death by the hand of God for the like arrogance and presumption And therefore King David did go before the Ark of God with his Harp making Melody and placed himself amongst the Minstrels and humbly did abase himself being a King as to dance and leap before the Ark of God like as his other Subjects did Insomuch as his Queen Michol King Saul's Daughter beholding and seeing this great Humility of King David did disdain thereat Whereunto King David making answer said Ludam vilior fiam plùs quà m factus sum c. That is I will dance and abase my self more than yet I have done and abjecting my self in mine own eyes I shall appear more glorious with those Handmaids that you talk of I will play here before my Lord which hath chosen me rather than thy Father's House And whereas Queen Michol was therefore plagued at God's hand with perpetual Sterility and Barrenness King David received great praise for his Humility Now may it please your Honours to consider which of both these Kings Examples shall be most convenient for your Wisdoms to make the Queens Majesty to follow whether the Example of Proud Ozia moving Her by your perswasions and Councils to take upon her Spiritual Government and thereby exposing her Soul to be plagued at the hand of God as King Ozia was or else to follow the Example of the good King David which in refusal of all Spiritual Government about the Ark of God did humble himself as I have declared unto you Whereunto our Sovereign Lady the Queens Highness of Her own nature being well inclined we may assure our selves to have of Her as Humble as Virtuous and as Godly a Mistress to Reign over us as ever had English People here in this Realm if that her Highness be not by your Flattery and Dissimulation seduced and beguiled Fourthly and Lastly We must forsake and fly from the Holy Unity of Christ's-Church Seeing that St. Cyprian that Holy Martyr and great Clerk doth say that the Unity of the Church of Christ doth depend upon Peter's Authority and his Successors Therefore by leaping out of Peter's Ship we must be overwhelmed with the Waves of Schisms of Sects and Divisions Because the same Holy Martyr in his Third Epistle to Cornelius testifieth That all Heresies Sects and Schisms do spring only from hence that Men will not be obedient to the Head-Bishop of God And how true this saying of St. Cyprian is we may see it most apparent to all Men that list to see both by the Example of the Germans and by us the Inhabitants of this Realm of England And by this our forsaking and flying from the Unity of the Church of Rome this inconveniency amongst many must consequently follow That either we must grant the Church of Rome to be the True Church of God or else a malignant Church If you
Answer that it is a True Church of God where Jesus Christ is truly taught and his Sacraments rightly Administred how can we disburthen our selves of our forsaking and flying from that Church which we do confess and acknowledge to be of God When with that Church which is of God we ought to be One and not to admit of any Separation If you Answer the Church of Rome is not of God but a Malignant Church then it will follow that we the Inhabitants of this Realm have not as yet received any Benefit of Christ seeing we have received no Gospel or other Doctrine nor no other Sacraments but what was sent unto us from the Church of Rome First in King Lucius his days at whose humble Epistle the Holy Martyr Elutherius then Bishop of Rome did send into this Realm two Holy Monks Fugatius and Damianus by whose Doctrine and Preaching we were first brought to the knowledge of the Faith of Jesus Chrrst of his Holy Gospel and his most Holy Sacraments Then Secuâ—…y 〈◊〉 St. Gregory being Bishop of Rome did senâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Realm two other Holy Monks St. Austin 〈◊〉 the Apostle of England and Milletus to receive the very self same Faith that had been before planted here in this Realm in the days of King Lucius Thirdly and Last of all Paulus Tertius being Bishop of Rome did send hither the Lord Cardinal Pool his Grace by Birth a Nobleman of this Land his Legate to restore us unto the same Faith which the Martyr St. Eleutherius and St. Gregory had Planted here many years before If therefore the Church of Rome be not of God but a false and Malignant Church then have we been deceived all this while seeing the Gospel the Doctrine Faith and Sacraments must be of the same nature as that Church is from whence it and they came and therefore in relinquishing and forsaking that Church the Inhabitants of this Realm shall be forced to seek further for another Gospel of Christ other Doctrine other Faith and Sacraments than we have hitherto received Which will breed such a Schism and Error in Faith as was never in any Christian Realm And therefore of your Wisdoms worthy of Consideration and maturely to be pondered and be provided for before you pass this Act of Supremacy Thus much touching the First chief Point Now to the Second Deliberation wherein I promised to move your Honors to consider What this Supremacy is which we go about by vertue of this Act to give unto the Queen and wherein it doth consist whether in Spiritual Government or Temporal But if Spiritual as these words in the Act do import Supream Head of the Church of England immediately and next unto God Then it would be considered in what Points this Spiritual Government doth consist and the Points being well known it would be considered Whether this House hath Authority to grant them and her Highness Ability to receive them And as concerning the Points wherein Spiritual Government doth consist I have in reading the Gospel and the whole course of Divinity thereupon as to my Vocation belongeth observed these Four as chief among many others whereof the first is The Power to loose and bind Sins When our Saviour in ordaining Peter to be Chief and Head-Governor of his Church said unto him Tibi dabo Claves Regni Coelorum c. That is To thee will I give the the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Now it would be considered by your Wisdoms whewhether you have sufficient Authority to grant unto her Majesty this first Point of Spiritual Government and to say unto Her Tibi dabimus c. To Thee will we give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven If you say Yea then do we require the sight of Warrant and Commission by the Virtue of God's Word And if you say No then you may be well assured and perswade your selves that you have not sufficient Authority to make her Highness Supream Head of the Church of Christ here in this Realm The Second Point of Spiritual Government is gathered out of these words of our Saviour Christ spoken to St. Peter in the 20th Chapter of St. John's Gospel Pasce Pasce Pasce That is Feed my Lambs Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep Now whether your Honors have Authority by this Court of Parliament to say unto our Sovereign Lady Pasce Pasce Pasce c. That is to say Feed you the Flock of Christ you must shew your Warrant and Commission for it And further it is evident that Her Majesty being a Woman by Birth and Nature is not qualified by God's word to feed the Flock of Christ appears most plainly by St. Paul in this wise Taceant Mulieres in Ecclesiis sicut lex dicit Ler Women be silent in the Church for it is not Lawful for them to speak but to be in subjection as the Law saith And it followeth in the same place Turpe est enim Mulieres loqui in Ecclesiâ that is for that it is not seemly for a Woman to speak in the Church And in his second Epistle to Timothy Dominari in virum sed esse silentes that is to say I allow not that a Woman be a Teacher or to be above her Husband but to keep her self in silence Therefore it appears likewise as your Honors have not Authority to give her Highness this second Point of Spiritual Government to Feed the Flock of Christ So by St. Pauls Doctrine her Highness may not intermeddle her self with the same And therefore She cannot be Supream Head of the Church here in England The Third chief Point of Spiritual Government is gathered out of those words of our Saviour Christ spoken to St. Peter in the 22th Chapter of St. Lukes Gospel Ego rogavi pro Te ut non deficiat fides Tua Tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres Tuos That is I Prayed for Thee that thy Faith shall not fail and thou being converted Confirm thy Brethren and ratifie them in wholesome Doctrine and Administration of the Sacraments which are the Holy Instruments of God so Instituted and Ordained for our Sanctification that without them his Grace is not to be received But to Preach or to administer the Sacraments a Woman may not be admitted to do neither may she be Supream of Christ's Church The Fourth and Last chief point of Spiritual Government which I promised to Note unto you doth consist in the Excommunication and Spiritual Punishment of all such as shall approve themselves not to be the Obedient Children of Christ's Church Of which Authority our Saviour Christ speaks in St. Matthew's Gospel in the 18th Chapter saying If your Brother offending will not hear your charitable admonition whether secretly at first or yet before one or two Witnesses then we must complain of him to the Church and If he will not hear the Church let him be taken as an Heathen or Publican So the Apostle did Excommunicate the
That all the Doctrins and Practices which this Nation hath deserted in these Changes of Religion were delivered to us by those Apostolical Men that converted the Saxons our Predecessors to the Christian Faith and this by the Confession of many Learned Protestants themselves Which being so it must necessarily be granted that we have as much certainty of the Truth of those Doctrins and Practices as we have of any other Doctrins or Practices in Christianity Since they were all confirmed to us by the same Miracles that first made us Christians So that if they be now found to be false and erroneous all the other Doctrins and Practices of Christianity must be so likewise since the truth of them all depends upon the same Testimony To wit the Miracles that were then wrought and the Authority of those Apostolical men that delivered them to us Now for warrant of what I have here said concerning this besides the Testimony of St. Gregory's Writings Liturgy Ritual Missal c. and besides the ancient Ecclesiastical History especially of England and the Synods anciently Assembled in this Nation I appeal to the Confession of the most Learned Protestants as Humfrâ—…y Fulk the Centuriators of Magdeburg c. Whose words describing the Religion brought into England by St. Gregory and St. Augustin the Benedictin Monk are these They brought in say they Altars Holy Vestments Images Chalices Candlesticks Censors Sacred Vessels Holy-Water and Sprinkling with it Reliques and the Translation of them Dedication of Churches with the Bones and Ashes of Dead men Consecrations of Altars of Chalices of Corporeals of Baptismal Fonts of Chrysme of Oyl of Churches by using sprinkling of Holy-Water Celebration of the Mass use of the Archiepiscopal Pall in the Solemnizing of the Mass Books of Roman Rituals and a Burden of Ceremonies Free-will Merit and Justification by Works Pennance Satisfaction Purgatory Single-life of Priests Publick Invocation of Saints and Worship of them Veneration of Images Exorcisms Indulgences Vows Monachism Transubstantiation Prayer for the Dead Exercise of the Jurisdiction of the Roman Bishop and his Primacy over all Churches In a word the remaining Chaos as these zealous Reformers are pleased to call them of Popish Superstition Here you have had it clearly confessed by these Protestants that these Doctrins and Practices were delivered unto us by those that first Converted our Predecessors the Saxons to the Christian Faith And therefore be your self a Judge whether these men do with Justice and Reason call the said Doctrins and Practices Superstitions And withal by this you may further perceive how unjust all the Choppings and Changes in Religion have been which have been related to you in this Book And moreover it will appear That by these proceedings we have renounced our Right and made our selves uncapable of defending the Truth of our Christianity Since if those who first brought us the News of it and Converted us to it brought such a Mass of Superstitions with it as Protestants are pleased to call them then it is evident we cannot be certain of the Truth of any Thing they taught us Thus we may see how unjust we have been to our selves in pretending these Reformations of Religion Now yet further to manifest the sad condition of this Nation in having thus deserted its Mother-Church I will here annex some other Additional Chapters to make this appear CHAP. II. Testimonies of Scripture evidently convincing That there can be no hope of Salvation for such as are separated from the Church by Heresie or Schism SAint Paul says Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren observe those who make Schisms and Scandals contrary to the Doctrin which you have been taught and avoid them For such men serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by kind Speeches and Benedictions seduce the hearts of the simple Annotations St. Paul here carefully warns them to take heed of Seditious sowers of Sects and dissention in Religion and this ever to be the mark to know them by to wit If they teach or move them to any thing which was not agreeable to that which they had learned at their Conversion Not bidding them to examine the case by the Scriptures but by their First Form of Faith and Religion delivered to them before they had or did read any Book of the new Testament Now his saying That such Seducers serve their own belly does evidently manifest that howsoever Hereticks pretend in words and external shew of their Sheeps-coat to preach the Truth yet indeed they seek but after their own profit and pleasure And by the Apostle's own Testimony here we are warranted so to judge of them as of men that indeed have no Religion nor Conscience Now to manifest how much such Hereticks are to be detested he writes thus to Titus Tit. 3. 10. 11. A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition avoid Knowing that he that is such an one is subverted and sinneth being condemned by his own judgment Annotations It is here to be noted that not every one who errs in Religion is an Heretick but he only that after the Churches determination wilfully and stubbornly stands in his false Opinion not yielding to the Decrees of Councils or to the chief Pastors of the Church therein Tâ—…y saith St. Augustin Epist. 162. that defend their Opinions although they be false and erroneous with no stubborness nor obstinacy especially if they be such as themselves did not broach by bold presumption but received them of their deceived Parents and do seek the Truth warily and carefully being ready to be reformed if they find it such are not to be reputed Hereticks And again Lib. 18. De Civitat Dei Cap. 11. They that in the Church of Christ hold any unsound or erroneous Opinion if being admonished to be of a right and sound Opinion they resist obstinately and will not amend their pestiferous opinions but persist in defence of them are thereby become Hereticks and going forth out of the Church are to be accounted for Enemies that Exercise us to wit by Disputing against them Again Lib. 4. De Baptism cont Donatist cap. 16. He is an Heretick that when the Doctrin of Catholick Faith is made plain and manifest to him had rather resist it and chuse that which himself held And in divers places he declares that St. Cyprian though he held an Error yet was no Heretick because he would not defend it after a General Council had declared it to be Erroneous Lib. 2. De Bapt. Cap. 4. So Possidonius in the Life of St. Augustin Vit. August cap. 18. reports how after the Determination of the See Apostolick to wit that Pelagius his Opinion was Heretical all men esteemed Pelagius an Heretick and the Emperor made Laws against him as against an Heretick Again St. Augustin says Lib. De Utilit Credendi cap. 1. He is an Heretick in my opinion that for some Temporal Commodity and specially for his Glory and
Principality coins or else follows new Opinions St. Augustin likewise notes in the latter end of his Book De Haeresibus That the People need not to be curious to know what Opinions Hereticks hold much less to labour to confute them It being enough for them to know that they are condemned And St. Cyprian Epist. 52. Num. 7. sayes notably to Antonianus demanding curiously what Heresies Novatian taught No matter saith he what Heresies he holds or preaches when he teaches without That is to say out of the Church Now although Hereticks be often incorrigible yet the Church of God ceases not by all means possible to revoke them Therefore St. Augustin says Epist. 162. The Heretick himself though swelling with odious and detestable pride and mad with the frowardness of wicked Contention as we admonish that he be avoided lest he deceive such as are weak and little ones so we refuse not by all means possible to seek his amendment and reformation Now to understand the Reason why the Apostle here says That an Heretick is condemned by his own judgment we are to know That some other grievous offenders are separated by Excommunication from the Communion of Saints and the Fellowship of God's Church by the Sentence of their Superiours in the same Church But Hereticks more miserable and unfortunate than they run out of the Church of their own accord and so give Sentence against their own Souls to damnation Now further to shew the Reason why Heresie which seeks to divide and tear in pieces the body of the Church is so horrid a crime St. Paul here describes its Unity saying 1 Cor. 12. 12. For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of the Body whereas they be many yet are One Body So also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body And vers 23. God hath tempered the Body giving to it that wanted the more abundant honor that there might be no Schism in the Body but the Members together might be careful one for another And a little after You are the Body of Christ and Members of Member Now to prevent the making a Schism in this Body he says 1 Cor. 1 10. I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you All say one Thing and that there be no Schisms among you but that you be perfect in one Sense and in one Knowledge Again Eph. 4. 1. I beseech you that you walk worthy of the Vocation in which you are called And a little after Careful to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace One Body and One Spirit as you are called in one Hope of your Vocation One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of All. And now to manifest what care our Saviour had taken to preserve this Unity of the Church he further adds vers 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and other some Evangelists and other-some Pastors and Doctors to the Consummation of the Saints unto the Work of Ministry unto the Edifying or building up of the Body of Christ to wit his Church until we meet all into the Unity of Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect Man into the measure of the Age of the Fulness of Christ That now we be not Children wavering and carried about with every wind of Doctrin in the wickedness of Men in craftiness to the circumvention of Error But doing the truth in charity let us in all things grow in him who is the Head Christ Of whom the whole Body to wit the Church being compact and knit together by all juncture of Subministration according to the Operation in the measure of every Member maketh the encrease of the Body unto the edifying of it self in charity Thus the Apostle fully delivers the admirable Structure of the Church Annotations Now as Rebellion is the bane of Civil Common-wealths and Kingdoms and Peace and Concord the preservation of the same so is Schism Division and diversity of Faith the Calamity of the Church and Peace Unity and Uniformity the special Blessing of God therein And in the Church above all Common-wealths Because it is in all points a Monarchy tending every way to Unity There being but One God One Christ One Church One Hope One Faith One Baptism One Head One Body as the Apostle here assures us Thus the Apostle of the United Body of the Church Now to manifest the great Dignity of the Church and how much she is beloved by our Saviour St. Paul Ephes. 5 22. says The Man is the Head of the Woman as Christ is the Head of the Church Himself the Saviour of his Body to wit the same Church and of no other And a little after vers 25. Husbands saith he love your Wives as Christ also loved the Church and delivered himself for it that he might Sanctifie it cleansing it by the laver of Water in the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it may be holy and unspotted And again a little after vers 29. No man ever hated his own flesh but he nourisheth and cherisheth it as also Christ the Church Because we be the Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones Annotations The Apostle here saying that Christ is the Saviour of his Body to wit his Church doth evidently declare That none can be saved or have any benefit by Christ that is not of his Body the Church And what Church that is St. Augustin expresseth in these words The Catholick Church only is the Body of Christ whereof he is the Head Out of this Body of the Church the Holy Ghost quickeneth no man And a little after He that will have the Spirit let him beware he remain not out of the Church Let him beware he enter not into it feignedly August Epist. 50. ad Bonifacium Comitem in fine It is an unspeakable Dignity of the Church which the Apostle expresseth often elsewhere but more especially in this whole passage to be that Creature for which Christ effectually Suffered to be washed and embrued with Water and Blood issuing out of his holy side to be nourished with his own Body to be his Members to be so joyned unto him as the Body and Members of the same Flesh Bone and Substance to the Head to be loved and cherished of him as a Wife of a Husband yea to be his Wife and most dear Spouse taken and formed as St. Augustin often says out of his own Side upon the Cross as Eve our First-Father Adam's Spouse was made of his Rib. August in Psalm 126 127. In respect of which great Dignity and Excellency the same holy Father affirms the Church to be the principal Creature of God and therefore named in the Creed next after the Holy Ghost And he proves against the Macedonians the Holy Ghost to be God because
Out of this Church neither the Title of Christian secures any one neither doth Baptism confer Salvation neither doth any man offer a Sacrifice agreeable to God neither doth any man attain to Eternal Life For there is one only Church one only Dove one only Well-Beloved one only Spouse And again in his Book De Fide ad Petrum cap. 39. Hold this saith he most firmly and doubt not of it in any wise That every Heretick and Schismatick whatsoever Baptized in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost if before the end of his Life he be not Reunited to the Catholick Church let him bestow never so many Alms yea though he should shed his Blood for the Name of Christ he cannot obtain Salvation Likewise St. Prosper says Lib. de Prom. Praedestinat Dei p. 4. cap. 5. He who does not Communicate with the Universal Church is an Heretick and Antichrist See Athanasius in the beginning of his Creed Whosoever expects to be saved must necessarily before all things Assent to and retain the Catholick Faith which unless he preserves intire and inviolate that is entirely submits to it without all question he will perish everlastingly And again at the end thereof thus This is the Catholick Faith which except a Man believe Faithfully he cannot be saved See St. Augustin writing upon this Beatitude Blessed are those that suffer Persecution for Justice Lib. 1. de Sermone Domini in Monte. It is not the suffering these Things saith he that makes men Blessed but the undergoing them for the Name of Christ not only with an equal mind but likewise with joy and much satisfaction For many Hereticks deceiving Souls under the name of Christians have suffered many of these things But they are therefore excluded from this reward of being Blessed because it is not here only said Blessed are those which suffer Persecution but it iâ—… further added for Justice Now where Faith is not sound and entire there can be no perfect Justice since the Just man lives by Faith Neither can Schismaticks promise to themselves any thing of this reward because likewise where there is no Charity there can be no Justice For the love of our Neighbor cannot design any thing that is evil or unjust against him Hence it is manifest that if they had such Charity they would not seek to rent and tear in pieces the Body of Christ which is his Church Likewise the same Father in his Fourteenth Sermon De verbis Domini proves in general against all Hereticks and Schismaticks That whatsoever in particular their opinions are yet since they profess otherwise than the Church does and requires of them to do they are in a damnable Estate because thereby they virtually renounce one Fundamental Article of Faith viz. of the Authority and Unity of the Catholick Church And therefore if they break Communion though but for one Doctrin and that of it self of no great importance their Orthodoxness in all other Points will not avail them wanting Truth and especially renouncing Charity and Obedience to the Universal Church Hereupon the same Father in Psal. 54. saith of the Donatists We have each of us one Baptism in This they were with me We celebrated the Feasts of the Martyrs in This they were with me We frequented the Solemnity of Easter in This they were with me But they were not in All Things with me In Schism they were not with me In Heresie they were not with me In many Things they were with me and in some few Things they were not with me But in those few Things in which they were not with me those many Things do not profit them in which they were with me So again the same Father speaking to the same Donatists Epist. 48. saith You are with us in Baptism in the Creed and in other Sacraments of the Lord But in the spirit of Unity in the bond of Peace and finally in the Catholick Church you are not with us To the same purpose writeth St. Cyprian in his Book De Unitate Ecclesiae One Church saith he the Holy Ghost in the Person of our Lord designeth and saith One is my Dove This Unity of the Church he that holdeth not doth he think that he holdeth the Faith He that withstandeth and resisteth the Church He that forsaketh Peters Chair upon which the Church was built doth he trust that he is in the Church When the Blessed Apostle St. Paul also sheweth this Sacrament of Unity saying One Body and one Spirit Ephes. 4. 4. Which Unity we Bishops especially that Rule in the Church ought to hold fast and maintain that we may prove the Bishoply Function also it self to be one and undivided And again in one of his Epistles Epist. 40. There is one God and one Christ and one Church and one Chair by our Lord's Voice founded upon Peter Another Altar to be set up or a new Priesthood to be made besides one Altar and one Priesthood is impossible Whosoever gathereth elsewhere scattereth It is adulterous it is impious it is sacrilegious whatsoever is instituted by mans Fury to the breach of God's Divine Disposition Get ye far from the contagion of such men and fly from their speeches as from a canker and pestilence Our Lord having premonished and warned us beforehand saying they are Blind leaders of the Blind Matt. 15. 14. St. Hilary likewise Libro ad Constant. August thus applieth this same place of the Apostle Ephes. 4. 4 5. against the Arians as we may do against the Calvinists Perillous and miserable it is saith he that there are now so many Faiths as Wills and so many Doctrins as manners whiles either Faiths are so written as we will or as we will so are understood And whereas according to one God and one Lord and one Baptism there is also one Faith we fall away from that which is the only Faith and whiles more Faiths be made they begin to come to that that there is none at all Noah's Ark is an acknowledged Type of the Church as it appears by St. Peter 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. Wherefore as All perished Temporally by the Deluge that were not in the Ark so all perished Eternally who are out of the Church Witness St. Cyprian whose words are these Cyprian lib de Unitat. Ecclesiae Whosoever separates himself from the Church is separated from the Promises of Christ. Whosoever forsakes the Church is an Alien an Enemy a prophane Person He cannot have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his Mother Could any escape drowning being out of the Ark So neither shall any one escape Damnation out of the Church They cannot abide with God who refuse to continue with one accord in his Church Though they be cast into the Fire and burnt though they be devoured by wild Beasts c. yet shall not that be any Crown of their Faith but a punishment of their perfidiousness Such an one may be killed he shall
never be crowned Thus St. Cyprian Now concerning the Supereminent Power of Bishops in the Church as to the Excommunication of Hereticks and of the effect thereof St. Jerom Epist. ad Heliodorum cap. 7. has these remarkable words God forbid saith he I should speak sinistrously of them who succeeding the Apostles in degree make Christ's Body with their holy mouths by whom we are made Christians who having the Keys of Heaven do after a sort judge before the day of Judgment who in sobriety and chastity have the keeping of the Spouse of Christ to wit his Church And a little after They may deliver me up to Satan to the destruction of my Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus And in the old Law whosoever was disobedient to the Priests was either cast out of the Camp and so stoned of the People or laying down his neck to the Sword expiated his offence by his Blood But now the Disobedient is cut off with the spiritual Sword or being cast out of the Church is torn by the furious mouth of Devils Thus St. Jerom. The Church's Practice in this is taken from the Example of St. Paul 1 Tim. 1. 19. where having exhorted Timothy to preserve his Faith and a good Conscience he presently adds Which certain repelling have made shipwrack about the Faith that is of their Faith of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme Now to prevent our being Seduced by Hereticks St. Paul says 2 Tim. 3. 1. And this know you that in the last days shall approach perillous times and Men shall be lovers of themselves covetous haughty proud blasphemous not obedient to their Parents unkind wicked without affection without peace accusers incontinent unmerciful without benignity traytors stubborn puffed up and lovers of voluptuousness more than of God having an appearance indeed of Piety but denying the vertue thereof and these avoid For these be they that craftily enter into houses and lead captive silly Women laden with sins which are led with divers desires always learning and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth But as Jannus and Jambres resisted Moses so these also resist the Truth men corrupted in mind reprobate concerning the Faith But they shall prosper no further For their folly shall be manifest to all as theirs also was All these words St. Cyprian Epist. 55. Num. 3. Expounds of such as by pride and disobedience resist God's Priests Let no faithful man saith he that keepeth in mind our Lords and the Apostles Admonition marvel if he see in the latter times some proud and stubborn fellows and the Enemies of God's Priests go out of the Church or impugn the same when both our Lord and the Apostle foretold us that such should be Now one Reason why the going out of the Church by Heresie is so great a crime is because the Church is always preserved from Error by the priviledge of Christ's Presence of the Holy Ghosts Assistance of our Lords Promise and Prayer of which see St. Augustin upon those words of the 118 Psalm Conc. 13. Ne auferas de ore meo verbum veritatis usque quâque Where he writes admirably of this matter To the same purpose also these words of Lactantius are very remarkable It is the Catholick Church only that keeps the true Worship of God This is the Fountain of Truth This is the House of Faith This is the Temple of God into which if a Man enter not or from which if any Man goes out he is an Alien and Stranger from the hope of everlasting life and salvation No Man must by obstinate contention flatter himself for it stands upon Life and Salvation St. Cyprian Epist. 55. ad Cornel. Num. 3. says The Church never departs from that which she once hath known And St. Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 3. That the Apostles have laid up in the Church as in a rich Treasury all Truth It were an infinite labour to recite all that the Fathers say of this matter All counting it a most pernicious absurdity to affirm That the Church of Christ may err in Doctrins of Faith St. John the Apostle 1 John 2. 18. says Little Children it is the last hour and as ye have heard that Antichrist comes now there are become many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last hour They went out from us but they were not of us St. Cyprian upon this place writes thus Epist. 76. Num. 1. ad Magnum The holy Apostle St. John did not put a difference betwixt one Heresie or Schism and another nor meant any sort that especially separated themselves but generally called All without exception Antichrists that were adversaries to the Church or were gone out from the same And a little after It is evident that All be here called Antichrists that have severed themselves from the Charity and Unity of the Catholick Church Concerning St. Peter's Supremacy or Charge of the whole Church from which Hereticks separate themselves St. Cyprian writes thus Lib. de Unitat. Ecclesiae To Peter saith he our Lord after his Resurrection said Feed my Sheep and built his Church upon him alone and to him he gives the charge of Feeding his Sheep For although after his Resurrection he gave his Power alike to all saying As my Father sent me so I send you Receive the Holy Ghost If you remit to any their sins they shall be remitted c. Yet to manifest Unity he constituted one Chair and so disposed by his Authority that Unity should have origin of one The rest of the Apostles were that which Peter was in equal Fellowship of Honor and Power but the beginning comes of Unity the Primacy is given to Peter that the Church of Christ may be shewed to be one and one Chair St. Chrysostom also says thus Lib. 2. de Sacerdot Why did our Lord shed his Blood Truly to redeem those Sheep the Cure of which he committed both to Peter and also to his Successors And a little after Christ would have Peter endowed with such Authority and to be far above all his other Apostles For he saith Peter Dost thou love me more than all These do Whereupon our Master might have inferred If you love me Peter use much Fasting Sleep on the hard Floor Watch much be a Patron to the Oppressed a Father to Orphans and Husband to Widows But omitting all These things he says Feed my Sheep For all the other Vertues certainly may be done easily by many Subjects not only Men but also Women but when it cometh to the Government of the Church and committing the charge of many Souls all Women-kind must needs give place to the burden and greatness thereof and a great number of Men also St. Gregory likewise Lib. 4. Epist. 76 writes thus It is plain to all men saith he that ever read the Gospel that by our Lord's mouth the charge of the whole Church
Patriarchal Councils yea of Oecumenical Synods are called into Examination All their Laws so far as to them seemed meet reformed the whole regard that England had to all other Catholick Churches as a Member of the whole is utterly broken by one National Church Nay not so much By one Luxurious King By one Child and by one Woman Even when the whole Body of the Clergy protested against it Let the world now be judge Whether this Action can be justified Thus of the Schism of the Church of England CHAP. VII The Assertions of some Protestants concerning Church-Authority And of some of them concerning the Dignity and Authority of the Church of Rome SChism and Heresie being here so evidently demonstrated to consist in denying Obedience to Church-Authority it may seem strange to find any Protestants so much to their own condemnation to write any thing in defence of such Church-Authority and particularly of the Authority of the Church of Rome from which they have separated totally casting off all obedience to it But yet this they have done as will appear by these following Testimonies of some very Eminent amongst them See Sir Edwyn Sands in his Europae Speculum Numb 12. where he has this following Discourse of the Security in submitting to the Authority of the Church of Rome Which although he delivers in the Person of a Catholick yet it is without Reply or seeking to deny the Truth of any thing here said The Discourse then is this SInce Christianity is a Doctrin of Faith a Doctrin whereof all Men are capable as being in gross and in general to be believed by all and since the high Vertue of Faith is in the Humility of the Understanding and the Merit thereof in the readiness of Obedience to Embrace it and withal since of outward proofs of our Faith where the true sense of Scripture is disputed the Churches Testimony whether for declaring to us the sense of Scripture or the judgments of the Ancients is a proof of most weight What madness were it for any man to tire out his Soul and to wast away his Spirits in tracing out all the thorny paths of the Controversies of these days wherein to err is no less easie than dangerous what through forgery of Authors abusing him what through sophistry beguiling him what through passion and prejudice transporting him and not rather betake himself to the right path of Truth whereunto God Nature Reason and Experience do all give witness And that is to associate himself to the Church whereunto the custody of this Heavenly and supernatural Truth hath been from Heaven it self committed To weigh discreetly which is the true Church and that being once found to receive faithfully and obediently without doubt or discussion whatsoever it delivers Now to discover this let him reflect that besides the Roman Church and such others as are United with it he finds all other Churches to have had their end or decay long since or their beginning but of late This Church was founded by the Prince of the Apostles with a promise to him from Christ That Hell Gates should never prevail against it Matt. 16. 18. And that himself would be assistant to it to the Consummation of the World It hath now continued Sixteen hundred years with an Honorable and certain Line of near Two hundred and forty Popes Successors of St. Peter both Tyrants Traytors Pagans and Hereticks in vain wresting raging and undermining it All the Lawful general Councils that ever were in the World have from time to time approved and honored it God hath so miraculously blessed it from above that many Learned and wise Doctors have enriched it with their Writings Armies of Saints with their Holiness and Virtues Armies of Martyrs with their Blood and of Virgins with their Purity have sanctified and embellished it And even at this day in such difficulties of unjust Rebellions and unnatural Revolts of her nearest Children yet she stretcheth out her arms to the utmost corners of the World newly embracing whole Nations into her bosom Lastly in all other opposite Churches there are found inward dissensions and contrarieties change of opinions uncertainty of resolutions with robbing of Churches rebelling against Governors confusion of Order Whereas contrariwise in this Church there is the Unity undivided the resolutions unaltered the most heavenly Order reaching from the hight of all Power to the lowest of all Subjection all with admirable Harmony and undefective correspondence bending the same way to the effecting of the same work all which do promise no other than a continual encrease and victory Wherefore let no Man doubt to submit himself to this glorious Spouse of Christ. This then being accorded to be the true Church of God it follows that she be reverently obeyed in all things without further inquisition she having the warrant that he that hears her hears Christ and whosoever hears her not hath no better place with God than a Publican or Pagan And what folly were it to receive Scriptures upon the credit of her Authority and not to receive the interpretation of them upon her Authority also and credit And if God should not always protect his Church from Error and yet peremptorily command Men always to obey her then had he made very slender provision for the Salvation of Mankind which conceit concerning God whose care of us even in all things touching this transitory Life is so plain and evident would render us very ungratefully impious And hard were the case and mean had his regard been of the vulgar People whose wants and difficulties in this life and whose capacities will not suffice to sound the deep and hidden Mysteries of Divinity and to search the truth of intricate Controversies if there were not others whose Authority they might safely follow and rely upon Blessed are they who believe and have not seen Joh. 20. 29. The merit of whose Religious Humility and Obedience exceeds perhaps in honor and acceptation before God the subtle and profound knowledge of many others Thus Sir Edwyn Sands To the same purpose Dr. Jeremy Taylor in his Treatise of the Liberty of Prophesying These following Considerations says he may very easily perswade persons of much reason and more Piety to maintain that which they know to have been the Religion of their Fore-fathers which had actual possession and seizure of Mens minds and understandings before the opposite Professions had a name As first its Doctrin having had a long continuance and possession of the Church Which therefore cannot easily be supposed in the present professors to be a design since they have received it from so many Ages And it is not likely that all Ages should have the same purposes or that the same Doctrin should serve the several ends of divers Ages Secondly its long prescription which is such an advantage that it cannot with many Arguments be retrenched as relying upon these grounds to wit that Truth is more Ancient than Falshood and that God would not
for so many Ages forsake his Church and leave her in an Error Again the beauty and splendor of that Church their Solemn Service the stateliness and magnificence of their Hierarchy their name of Catholick which they claim as their own due and to concern no other Sect of Christianity The Antiquity of their Doctrin the continual Succession of their Bishops their immediate derivation from the Apostles Their Title to Succed St. Peter whose Personal Prerogatives were so great The Honorable Expressions concerning this Church from many eminent Bishops of other inferior Sees which being old Records have obtain'd a credibility The multitude and variety of People which are of their Perswasion Apparent consent with elder Ages in matters Doctrinal The Advantage which is derived to them by retaining the Doctrin of the Church of Ancient times The great consent one part with another in that which they affirm to be de Fide The great differences which are commenced amongst their Adversaries abusing the liberty of Prophesying unto a very great Licentiousness Their happiness in being instrumental in converting divers Nations The advantage of Monarchical Government and the benefit which they daily enjoy by it The Piety and the Austerity of their Religious Orders of Men and Women The single life of their Priests and Bishops The riches of their Church The severity of their Fasts and other their Exterior Observances The great Reputation of their Bishops for Faith and Sanctity The known Holiness of some of those Persons whose Institutes the Religious Persons do now imitate and follow Their Miracles The Casualties and Accidents that have hapned to many of their Adversaries The oblique Acts and indirect Proceedings of some of those who have departed from them And among many other Things the names of Heretick and Schismatick which they fasten upon all that disagree from them c. Thus Dr. Taylor See the Learned Grotius declaring the impossibility of Uniting Christians into one Body but by their adhering to the Roman See What is the reason saith Grotius in his First Reply to Rivet ad Artic. 7. That such as differ in Opinion amongst Catholicks remain in the same Body not breaking Communion But on the contrary when dissensions happen amongst Protestants they cannot thus compose Disputes and oppositions although they speak much of Fraternal Love Now he that shall examine this well will find how much force and power there is in the Primacy Thus he This brings to mind that saying of St. Jerom concerning St. Peter's Primacy Wherefore amongst the Twelve One was chosen that a Head being constituted and appointed all occasion of Schism might be taken away Hieronym lib. 1. cap. 14. advers Jovinian Now again the same Grotius in the close of his last Reply to Rivet written not long before his death writes thus It is well known that Grotius has always wished for a Restitution and Reuniting of Christians into one and the same Body He was sometime of Opinion that this might have been begun by a Conjunction or Union of Protestants amongst themselves But he afterwards discerned that this was impossible to be effected because besides that most of all the Calvinists are totally averse from any such Peace or Union Protestants are not associated or united under any Common Ecclesiastical Government which is the cause why the diverse parts of them cannot be collected into one Body And withal this is the Reason that they must necessarily still divide into more new Sects or Parts Wherefore Grotius now plainly sees and judges as likewise many others with him that Protestants can never be united amongst themselves unless they be joyned with those that adhere to the Roman See whithout which no common Government can be expected in the Church And therefore he wishes that the Division and Separation which has been made and likewise the causes of it may be taken away Now amongst these the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome according to the Canons cannot be looked upon as one cause even by the Confession of Melancthon himself who thinks that Premacy to be necessary for the retaining and preserving of Unity Thus Grotius concering the Uniting all Christans by their adhering to the Roman See See Doctor Field in the Preface to his Book of the Church recommending the ending all Disputes in Religion by a lawful Church-Authority Seeing saith he the Controversies in Religion in our times are grown in number so many and in matters so intricate that few have time and leisure fewer strength of understanding to examine them what remaineth for men desirous of satisfaction in Things of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst all the Societies of the World is that Blessed company of Holy Ones that Houshold of Faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the Living God which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth that so he may embrace her Communion follow her Directions and rest in her Judgment Thus Dr. Field In like manner Dr. Hammond in his Treatise of Heresie Sect. 13. Num. 2 3. speaks thus of the Christians Security from the Divine Providence in his adherance in matters of Faith to Church Authority If we consider saith he God's great wise and constant Providence and care over his Church his desire that All Men should be saved and in order to that come to the knowledge of all necessary Truth his Promise That he will not suffer his Faithful Servants to be tempted above what they are able nor permit scandals and false Teachers to prevail to the seducing of the very Elect his most Pious Godly Servants If I say we consider These and some other such-like general Promises of Scripture wherein this question about the Errability of Councils seems to be concerned we shall have reason to believe that God will never suffer All Christians to fall into such a Temptation as it must be in case the whole Representative of the Church should err in matters of Faith and therein find approbation and reception amongst all Those Bishops and Doctors of the Church diffused which were out of the Council Thus he See also his Commentary on 1 Tim. 3. 15. The Church the Pillar and Ground of Truth According to this it is saith he that Christ is said Ephes. 4. 12. to have given not only Apostles c. but also Pastors and Teachers that is Bishops in the Church for the compacting the Saints into a Church for the building up of the Body of Christ confirming and continuing them in all Truth that we should be no more like Children carried about with every wind of Dectrin And so again when Heresies came into the Church in the first Ages 't is every where apparent by Ignatius his Epistles that the only way of avoiding Error and Danger was to adhere to the Bishop in Communion and Doctrin And whosoever departed from him and from that Form of wholesome words kept by him was supposed to be corrupted Thus far Dr. Hammond See Doctor Jackson on the
Creed lib. 2. cap. 4. pag. 165. Sundry saith he in profession Protestants in eagerness of opposition to the Papists affirm That the Church or Spiritual Pastors must then only be believed then only obeyed when they give Sentence according to the evident and express Law of God made evident to the Heart and Consciences of such as must believe and obey them And this in one word is to take away all Authority of Spiritual Pastors and to deprive them of all Obedience Unto whom doubtless God by his Word hath given some special Authority and Right to exact some peculiar obedience of their Flock Now if the Pastor be then only to be obeyed when he brings evident commission out of Scripture for those particulars unto which he demands Belief or Obedience what obedience do men perform to him more than to any other man whatsoever For whosoever he be that can shew us the express undoubted Command of God it must be obeyed of all But whilst it is thus obeyed it only not he that sheweth it unto us is obeyed And if this were all the Obedience that I owe unto others I were no more bound to believe or obey any other man than he is bound to obey or believe me The Flock no more bound to obey the Pastors than the Pastors the Flock Yet certainly God who hath set Kingdoms in Order is not the Author of such confusion in the Spiritual Regiment of his Church Thus Doctor Jackson tying All to Obedience or Submission to the judgment of their Spiritual Superiors See lastly Doctor Ferne. pag. 48. The Church of Christ saith he is a Society or Company under a Regiment Discipline and Government and the Members constituting that Society are either Persons Taught Guided and Governed or Persons Teaching Guiding Governing And this in order to preserve all in Unity and to advance every Member of this visible Society to an effectual and real participation of Grace and Union with Christ the Head And therefore upon no less account is Obedience due unto them Ephes. 4. 11 12 13 16. and Heb. 13. 17. And he that will not hear the Church is to be as an Heathen and Publican Matth. 18. 17. Thus Doctor Ferne. Now in Confirmation of what has been here said by these Protestants concerning Obedience to Church-Authority See St. Augustin in his Book De utilitate credendi of the benefit of believing the Church written to his Friend Honoratus led away by many extravagant Manichaean Dotages advising him Submission of judgment to Church-Authority There is nothing saith he more easie than not only to say but also to think or conceive that we have found out the Truth but in reality it is very difficult Aug. de utilitat credendi Cap. 10. And Chap. 12. who is there but even of a mean capacity that does not plainly see it to be more secure for all such as are not profoundly knowing in Divine matters to obey the Precepts of the wise than to rely upon their own judgments For if this be convenient to be observed in lesser matters as in Merchandizing Tilling of Ground c. certainly much more in concerns of Religion For human Affairs are far more easily understood than the Divine Things of Faith Which being more sacred and sublime as they ought to be more reverenced and esteemed by us so the danger and offence is greater if we fail in the true notion of them And Chap. 17. he argues thus If every Discipline although never so mean and easie to be understood requires a Master or Teacher what can be a more temerarious Pride than not to learn the Books of the Divine Sacraments or Mysteries from the Interpreters of them And Chap. 7. No man that is not a Poet presumes to read Terence without a Master And will you venture upon the reading of those Books which by the Confession of almost all man-kind are accounted Holy and full of Divine Mysteries and presume to give a judgment of the sense of them without a Master And Chap. 16. he thus goes on Since it is so difficult a thing to come to the knowledge of God by Reason Do you think that all men are capable of comprehending the reasons which are produced to guide mens minds to this Divine Knowledge Thus he to induce his Friend Honoratus in such Divine matters to yield the guidance of himself to Church-Authority And then the Church Authority he would have him Submit to he describes thus Chap. 17. Which Church saith he hath obtained Supream Authority from the Apostolick See by a Succession of Bishops Hereticks in vain barking against it Who were lastly condemned partly by the judgment of the People partly by the Gravity or Authority of Councils and partly also by the Majesty or Greatness of Miracles Now not to submit to this Authority were the height of Impiety or a precipitant arrogancy For if there be no other way of obtaining Wisdom and Salvation but by Faith preparing and disposing Reason what could more manifest our Ingratitude unto God for his Divine aid and assistance than to make it our endeavours to resist the forementioned Authority Lastly he concludes with him thus Chap. II. If now you have been sufficiently toss'd and wearied out with variety of Disputes and desire to put an end to them follow the Direction of the Catholick Church or the way of Catholick Discipline which his derived from Christ himself to us by his Apostles and is to continue in the same Channel of Succession unto the End of the World Thus St. Augustin concerning the Security of adhering to Church-Authority Now because in the precedent Historical Collections there is so often mention made of the great contests that hapned concerning the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper I will endeavour to give some satisfaction and to settle mens minds in the true notion of this Doctrin of Faith CHAP. VIII What Ways the Church has made use of to settle mens minds in the Doctrin of the Sacrament of the Eucharist or our Lord's Last Supper TO make this appear more fully I will give you a brief Relation of the past proceedings of the Church in the Decision of the Disputes concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament and the Substantial Conversion of the Elements of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. This Real presence and Substantial Conversion Berengarius and some Followers of his long ago denyed Who being complained of Two Councils were called one after another at Rome and Verseilis Anno Domini 1050. Berengarius Summoned and he not appearing his Heterodox Opinions were condemned He according to the now Protestant Grounds thinking his a Doctrin of great consequence and the Decrees of the Two Councils a manifest Error and that himself had manifest Scripture and Demonstration against it judged himself freed from the obedience of silence or noncontradiction of these Councils And so he and his Followers publickly justified his Tenent desiring a reversing by some new
justified by the Practice of this English Synod in their requiring Assent and Obedience then is the Reformation rendred unlawful as likewise their Appeal to future Councils which can afford us no more just satisfaction than the fore-pass'd Here you have seen that for the Deciding this Controversie a General Council that is the most General that the Times would permit was Assembled in the West nay of These more than One as has been shewed A Substantial Conversion of the Elements and Real Presence declared to be the Sense of those Scriptures and a reverence suitable required in this great Mystery Not one Bishop in these Councils for any thing we know Dissenting and Those of the Eastern Churches Absent consenting in the same judgment What more can be done Ought not Sense Reason and Philosophy here be silenced And ought not such a Decree rather be Assented to than the contrary Decree of the fore-mentioned Synod called at London Now for a further Confirmation of This Doctrin I will here deliver Evident Testimonies of the most Eminent Fathers and Doctors of the Church concerning it A further COLLECTION Of Matters Relating to Monasteries And their DISSOLUTION Under King Henry the Eighth Of the Abbey of Combe and its Dissolution thus 't is related by Sir William Dugdale in his History of Warwickshire pag. 157. col 2. THus in great Glory plentifully Endowed stood this Monastery little less than Four hundred years till that King Henry the Eighth a Person whose sensual disposition suiting so right with that corrupt Age wherein he lived finding instruments fit for his Sacrilegious purposes contrived the Destruction of it and all the rest of those pious Foundations that his Ancestors and other Devout Persons had made of whose subtile practices for effecting that work I shall in a short corollary before I finish this Tract make some discovery Amongst which that general Survey and valuation by Commissioners from him in 26 th 〈◊〉 his Reign at Robin-hoods penniworths did not a little conduce thereto At which time this Monastery with all its Revenues over and above Reprises was certified to be worth 302 l. 15 s. 3 d. per Ann. Of their Hospitality to Strangers and great Charity in daily relief of poor people I need not descend to particulars our common Historians and the Tradition of such who were eyes witnesses thereof before that fatal subversion of those Houses may sufficiently inform the World I shall therefore only add what the Certificate upon the before mentioned Survey takes notice of touching this Abbey viz. That by their Foundation and a decree by a general Chapter of their Order they bestowed in Alms on Maunday Thursday every year 4 s. 8 d. in Money Ten Quarters of Rye made in Bread at 5 s. the Quarter Three Quarters of Malt made in Beer at 4 s. the Quarter and Three hundred Herrings at 20 d. the Hundred distributed to poor people at the Gate of the Monastery Their principal Officers being at that time these viz. Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk High Steward whose fee therefore was 5 Marks per Ann. which shews what respect the great Nobility had to those Religious persons William Wilcock Receiver general whose Fee was 6 l. per Ann. And Baldwin Porter Auditor his Fee being 40 s per Ann. And pag. 148. col 1. t is thus said As for the Curses which were usually pronounced by the Founders of these Religious houses whither they have attended those Violators of what they so Zealously and with Devout minds had Dedicated to Gods Service I will not take upon me to say But sure I am that after King Henry the Eighth had accomplished this work he thrived but a little as I shall elsewhere in particular observe And how long such Possessions have been enjoyed by those that had them they that have looked into the course of this World may easily see For this whereof I am now speaking it was by King Edward the Sixth first granted to John Earl of Warwick and to his Heirs 22 Junii 1 E. 6. and after his attainder whereof in Warwick I have spoke in 3 and 4. Ph. and M. Rob. Kelway had a Lease of the Site and divers Lands thereunto belonging for 40 years at the Rent of 196 l. 8 s. 1 d. And afterwards another for 60 years which Robert Kelway in 23 Eliz. died seized in fee of certain Lands belonging to this Monastery Anne the Wife of John Harrington Esq being his sole Daughter and Heir and then 30 years of Age. Of the Grey Friers in Coventry he gives this Relation concerning their Dissolution pag. 116. Col. 1. The next thing whereof I am to take notice in Relation to this Friery is King Henry the Eighth's Survey in 26 of his Reign At which time it did appear that they had no Lands or Tenements nor other Possessions Spiritual or Temporal but only a liberty in the Country to receive the Charity of good people This being so I expect that some may demand why it was not Dissolved in 27 H. 8. when the lesser Houses went to wrack Whereunto I answer that the Act for that purpose extendeth only unto Monks Chanons and Nuns But if it be asked why these were then so sheltred from the first storm the reason I think is apparent viz. There was nothing to be got by their ruin for as much as they had no endowment of Lands c. tho God was as much dishonored by the lewd lives of the Friers for want of good Government as the Preamble of that Act imports in case it say true as by any other whose Houses were certified to be of less value than 200 l. per Ann. which favor we see gave those poor Friers liberty to breath here a while longer in expectation of their Ruine viz. till 30 H. 8. that all the great Houses were dissolved In relation to Coventry Cross and the stately Monastery there demolished he writes thus pag. 96. Col. 1. But it was neither the Luster of their Beautiful Cross nor all those large and easie acquisitions that did any whit ballance the loss this City sustained by the Ruine of that great and famous Monastery and other the Religious Houses c. which had so lately preceded For to so low an Ebb did their trading soon after grow for want of such concourse of people that numerously resorted thither before that fatal dissolution that many Thousands of the Inhabitants to seek better lively-hoods were constrained to forsake the City insomuch as in 3 E. 6 it was represented to the Duke of Somerset then Protector by John Hales a person of great note in those days and whose memory is still famous here that there were not at that time above 3000 Inhabitants whereas within memory there had been 15000. Of the Dissolution of the aforesaid Monastery he thus continues pag. 105. Col. 1. But behold the Instability of these terrestrial things what the Pious Founder and all other its worthy Benefactors had with
First-Fruits For the better drawing on of which Concession it was pretended that the Patrimony of the Crown had been much dilapidated and that it could not be Supported with such Honor as it ought to be if Restitution were not made of such Rents as were of late dismembred from it Upon which ground they also passed an Act for the Dissolution of all such Monasteries Convents and Religious Orders as had been Founded and Established by the Queen deceased When the Act of Parliament concerning the Supremacy came to be Debated it seemed to be a thing abhorrent even in Nature and Policy that a Woman should be declared Supream Head on Earth of the Church of England But those of the Reformed Party meant nothing else than to contend about words so they might gain the Point they aimed at Which was the stripping of the Pope of all Authority within these Dominions and fixing the Supream Ecclesiastical Power in the Crown Imperial And this they did not by the Name of Supreme Head which they perceived might be lyable to some just Exceptions but which comes all to one of Supreme Governess Thus Dr. Heylyn I will here insert a Speech made in this Parliament against this Supreme Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Authority granted to the Queen The Person that spake it was Nicholas Heath who was First Bishop of Worcester and Lord President of Wales Afterwards Archbishop of York and Embassador into Germany And made Lord Chancellor of England by Queen Mary in the year of our Lord 1555 and continued until he did surrender it up in Queen Elizabeth's time to Sir Nicholas Bacon The Person from whom I had this Speech is yet living who told me That he found it in Manuscript amongst Papers and Notes of his great Grandfather George Parry who had been High Sheriff of Hereford-shire in the Second year of the said Queen A Speech Made in the Upper House of Parliament against the Supremacy to be in her Majesty by Nicholas Heath Lord Chancellor of England in the first year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth above 100 years since In the Original Copy it is stiled A Tale told in Parliament For Oaths the Land shall be cloathed in Mourning My Lords WIth all humble Submission of my whole Discourse to your Wisdoms I purpose to speak to the Body of this Act touching the Supremacy that so what this Honourable Assembly is now a doing concerning the passing of this Act may thereby be better weighed and considered by your Wisdoms First When by the Virtue of this Act of the Supremacy we must forsake and fly from the See of Rome it would be considered what matter lieth therein and what matter of danger or inconvenience or else whether there be none at all Secondly If the intent of this Act be to grant or settle upon the Queens Majesty a Supremacy it would be considered of your Wisdoms what this Supremacy is and whether it doth consist in Spiritual Government or Temporal If in Temporal what further Authority can this House give Her more than what She already hath by right of Inheritance And not by our Gift but by the Appointment of God Being our Sovereign Lord and Lady our King and Queen our Empress and Emperor And if further than this we acknowledge Her to be Head of the Church of England we ough also to grant that the Emperor or any other Prince being Catholick and their Subjects Protestants are to be Heads of their Church Whereby we shall do an Act as disagreeable to Protestants as this seems to Catholicks If you say The Supremacy consists in Spiritual concernments Then it would be considered what the Spiritual Government is and in what points it doth chiefly consist Which being first agreed upon it would be further considered of your Wisdoms whether this House may grant it to her Highness or not And whether her Highness be an apt Person to receive the same So by through Examination of these parts your Honors shall proceed in this matter groundedly upon such sure knowledge as not to be deceived by ignorance Now to the First Point wherein I promised to examine what matter of weight danger or inconvenience might be incurred by this our forsaking and flying from the Church of Rome if there were no further matter therein than the with-drawing our Obedience from the Popes Person supposing that he had declared himself to be a very Austere and Severe Father to us then the business were not of so great importance as indeed it is as will immediately here appear For by relinquishing and forsaking the Church or See of Rome we must forsake and fly from all General Councils Secondly From all Canonical and Ecclesiastical Laws of the Church of Christ. Thirdly From the Judgment of all other Christian Princes Fourthly and Lastly We must forsake and fly from the Holy Unity of Christ's Church and so by leaping out of Peter's Ship we hazard our selves to be over-whelmed in the waves of Schism of Sects and Divisions First Touching the General Councils I shall name unto you these Four The Nicene Council the Constantinopolitan Council the Ephesine and the Chalcedon All which are approved by all Men. Of these same Councils Saint Gregory writeth in this wise Sicut enim Sancti Evangelii quatuor Libros sic haec quatuor Concilia Nicenum Constantinopolitanum Ephesinum Chalcedonense suscipere ac venerari me fareor That is to say in English I confess I do receive and reverence those Four General Councils of Nice Constantinople c. even as I do the Four Holy Evangelists At the Nicene Council the first of the Four the Bishops which were there Assembled did write there Epistles to Sylvester then Bishop of Rome That their decrees then made might be confirmed by his Authority At the Council kept at Constantinople all the Bishops there were obedient to Damasus then Bishop of Rome He as chief in the Council gave Sentence against the Hereticks Macedonius Sabellius and Eunomius Which Eunomius was both an Arrian and the first Author of that Heresie That only Faith doth justifie And here by the way it is much to be lamented that we the Inhabitants of this Realm are much more inclined to raise up the Errors and Sects of Ancient condemned Hereticks than to follow the True Approved Doctrine of the most Catholick and Learned Fathers of Christ his Church At the Ephesine Council Nestorius the Heretick was condemned by Celestine the Bishop of Rome he being chief Judge there At the Chalcedon Council all the Bishops there Assembled did write their humble Submission unto Leo then Bishop of Rome wherein they did acknowledge him there to be their Chief Head Six Hundred and Thirty Bishops of them Therefore to deny the See Apostolick and its Authority were to contemn and set at nought the Authority and Decrees of those noble Councils Secondly We must forsake and fly from all Canonical and Ecclesiastical Laws of Christ his Church whereunto we have already professed our