Poperie stand by or else let every Doctrine insisted on by you be Popish so as withall opposite to the Religion by Law established and therein you shall do very well 12. Next in your Minor I may not suffer you to jumpe out of England into Scotland as you do in this Clause of it Our Religion and Lawes Ours whose yours in Scotland shall these men subjects of England and Members of this Church be punishable for teaching some Doctrine opposite to the Religion by Law established in Scotland when did they subscribe to your Religion or Lawes you * Scota ante aliquot Annos Anglorum Auxilus è servitute Gallica liberati Religionis Cultui Ritibus cum Anglis Communibus subscripserunt The scotish being some yeares before delivered from the slavery of the French by the Aydes of the English subscribed to the same Worship and Rite of Religion which the English used Buchan hist Scot. l. 19. have subscribed to ours as coy as you are of us now we to yours never And yet would you candidly set out even your own Lawes happily they would not refuse you upon them But if you superinduce the Bookes of Discipline or Records to them utterly unknowne y Large Declar p. 270 wonderfully preserved and now after a long silence of Time no doubt as uncorruptly exhibited by you if that must be a Canon to regulate your Church and Religion then they will recoile and desire to be tryed by their owne Lawes The summe of all is they would not have you juggle and sophisticate confound and tumble together Places Persons Things as every where you do to raise Clamour not to discover Truth In all Equity then this must be your syllogisme Whosoever in the Kings Dominions respectively spreads abroad any Doctrine opposite to the Religion by Lawes established ought to be punished But Canterburie and his Dependents being subjects of England have spread abroad Doctrines opposite to The Religion by Lawes established in England Ergo. Now if you can acquite your selfe of this Minor and carry it handsomly through your whole Booke you will doe a memorable performance But you meane no such thing and therefore I desire the Reader to do it for you upon every point to bring you to this test which he must do if he will be just and impartiall For make you up your parties as you please with reformed Divines and orthodox Preachers that wil be but to call up against you other orthodoxe Preachers and all to no purpose for nothing is punishable but by Law Simul ac a jure discesseris go you from that and either in Fact or Opinion men wil think they may use a moderate liberty 13 First touching Arminianisme in relation to Fact It is but hard measure in you to represent it presently with this Odium A * Pag. 8. dangerous innovation and such a one as was found to be the readiest Engin which had ever beene used by the Pope or Spaniard to overthrow the Church and State of Holland For were this true yet sure it could bee true by no other necessity then as Medicus cantat a Physitian may be skilfull in song but it is no intrinsecall act of his Profession An Arminian may bee a seditious Citizen but it flowes not from any of the five disputed points Divines may differ about the order of Gods Predestination and yet bee good subjects to their Prince In the meane while your selfe that make this objection living in a Monarchicall State make no bones to affirme * Postscrip p. 14. That publike Assemblies and Conventions may bee held without the authority of the Civill Magistrate * Ibid. p. 8. That subjects may beare Armes against their Soveraigne * p. 14. That there is and ought to bee in a Kingdome an Ecclesiastique Power supreme in it selfe and independent on the King These Opinions touch the life of a State and tend dangerously to the dissolution of Government yet these must be borne with in you but if men doubt of absolute Reprobation or sticke at any like rigid Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the State must looke about it is some secret Plot to betray the Kingdome to the Pope or Spaniard Ultra Sauromatas fugere hinc libet c. I take not upon me to Apologize for Arminians let them stand or fall by themselves But I thinke a dramme of equity will obtaine them thus much that they may bee as good and loyall subjects in any State or Kingdome as they which maintaine your aforesaid positions or any of them When my Lord of Canterbury that then was tooke so much care as you tell us to suppresse Barrow at Cambridge and to enact his Lambethane Articles which you ridiculously call the * Pag. 16. Synod of Lambeth the Queene even * Presat that most sacred Queene Elizabeth did not interpret it as any great service done to the State or as if the Kingdome had been thereby secured Which is plaine enough by the cold thankes shee gave him If you know not the carriage of that businesse I pray you informe your selfe better out of the story 14. The greatest Accusation that lies against my Lord of Canterbury here in this matter of Arminianisme is the preferment of men whom you suspect to encline to the opinions of Arminius wherein before you passe any Verdict you should doe well to consider First whether all Preferments be so absolutely in his Graces disposing that hee may bee truely said to preferre them all Secondly whether hee looke upon them in that Quality as they encline to such Opinions and bee not obliged to favour them for some other eminent Abilities or Merit of particular service done in Church or State Thirdly whether some others sufficiently known to be anti-Arminians be not as high in the Church as well promoted as they Fourthly whether most men promoted in the Church are not upon your own false grounds by you causelesly suspected to be Arminians Quicquid horum tetigeris Ulcus est you are not Proofe in any of these And because the Preferments of sundry men may bee upon sundry motives by sundry Meanes and Procurements Nor can it be any thing else in you but an invidious Presumption to thinke all done by his Grace in favour of Arminianisme whereas all in that kinde is not done by him nor any with an eye of favour upon Arminianisme clamour while you please my Answer is this and it is sufficient to satisfie any honest man There is no man promoted in the Church of England with or without my Lord of Canterburies helpe but subscribes to the Articles the established Doctrine of this Church Now these Articles either they condemne the Opinions of Arminius or they doe not If they doe not then is Arminianisme either a thing set by and left at liberty neither belongs it to my Lord of Canterbury or any other trusted with the Goverment of the Church to take cognisance of any mans
that he set himselfe about this Worke not out of any Love of Truth but out of a wicked purpose to doe Mischiefe They teach sayes he * P. 43. that not only the People but their most learned Clergie Popes Cardinals Iesuites living and dying in their bitter oppositions and persecutions of Protestants are in no hazard of Damnation though they never come to any particular Acknowledgement of their sinfull opinions and practices following thereupon as who should say for so the Words import though knowing them to be sinfull Opinions and practises yet never acknowledging them such never repenting nor asking God forgivenesse for them they are still in the way to heaven Belike these Canterburians would be content to save the Pope and his Cardinals though sinning against the Holy Ghost for truth is this were no lesse To make good this Accusation stand in his Margin this and such like sayings The Corruptions of Rome materially and in the very kind and Nature are leven drosse hay and stubble yet the Bishop thought that such as were misled by Education or long custom or over-valuing the Soveraigntie of the Romane Church and did in Simplicity of heart embrace them might by their generall Repentance and faith in the merits of Christ attended with Charity and other vertues finde Mercy at God's hands Reader how say you doth this come home to the Popes learned Clergie living and dying in bitter and unrepented Oppositions and persecutions of Protestants It was counted a Christian Speech that of * Euseb Hist L. 6. c. 45. Dionysius Alexandrinus to Novatus Thou oughtest to have endured any thing rather then to rent the Church of God To suffer for avoiding of Schisme is a Martyrdome never a whit lesse nay indeed more Glorious then for not sacrificing to Idols And S. Chrysostome cites this from the mouth of an holy man as he sayes That even Martyrdome will not satisfie for Schisme Now then what Spirit may we thinke guides these men that are so dearely affected to Division and Combustion that rather then faile to kindle a fire among us doe harden their faces to slander and in this bold Manner 37. Our Divines say there is a Difference in Case of Schisme or Heresie betwixt the Simple and the Learned the Misled and the misleaders They say A man may be a good Protestant and yet not damne all his forefathers They say we refuse Communion with Rome in her Publike Service being grosse and superstitious but in Charitie we hold Vnion with them and all the Church of Christ These and the like sayings are scored downe here in his Margin as foule and impious So that belike the Contradictory of them would have better become the Pens of Protestants They must say there is no difference betwixt Priest and people simple and learned Leaders and followers all are in a like Condition all must to hell alike They must say no man can be a good Protestant that lives in charitie with a Papist Nor can he be a good Protestant unlesse he damne all his Forefathers What Cause there may be to repent of that pious and prudent Way which hath hitherto beene insisted upon by this our Church in defence of the Truth and is most agreeable to Christian moderation and the practice of the most holy times I know not But if this keene zeale were the only Weapon left to destroy Poperie And the Bishops with their Adherents should wipe their Pens and give place to these fierie Champions What Fields of honour would be wonne by their devouring sword of damnation what accession made to the Protestant part wise men know well enough and time would teach the rest which is the best master to shew an errour but the worst to mend it 38. Hitherto you have stood upon Generalls you tell us now you will come up close to the Canterburians in particular points of Poperie and for that purpose you propound us foure heads * P 48. Their Idolatries their Heresies their Superstitions their abomination of Desolation the Masse In all which say you nay the grossest of which it shall appeare that the Canterburians joyne with Rome But having undertaken to present the Reader with such passages as are objected to my Lord of Canterbury from his owne pen which was to be expected would raise a great Cloud over him To see the ill luck of it my worke is done even where it should begin For except about the Matter of Altars in this next point of Idolatry I meet not with his Name cited above once or twice in all the residue of your Booke so that you are faine to give him over at the first loose only the word Canterburian runs through all but to keep the worke alive and your Reader in minde at what marke specially be it right or wrong he is to shoot This must be swallowed or els you have done just nothing that all these men whom you bring to the Barre for Canterburians wrote by his speciall encouragement and direction whereas some of them were his Elders and Antecessors in the Church as D. Andrewes and D. White 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them were and are meere strangers and unknowne to him so much as de facie which is most true and will be avowed Yea and when this is swallowed yet you have done just nothing for let the indifferent Reader but use the helpe of your Margin to confute your Text not distracting his owne eyes with passion or prejudice and this quarrell is well nigh ended Though were it otherwise yet to affirme that the Archbishop of Canterbury long before he was Archbishop for these many yeares hath held the Pens of all that have written in England amisse and of none of them that have written right is such a wild Presumption as no man of any honesty can say and no man of Common Sense will believe 39. Concerning the holy Table or Altar your Accusation is Canterbury saith that Worship yea and divine Worship or Adoration is to be given to the Altar Let us see now whether your Allegations in the Margin will come home to this there we finde Great reverence is due to the Body and so to the Throne where this Body is usually present Marke you Reverence not Worship But you say he gives Venite Adoremus to the Altar and no man can suppose that to be lesse than Divine Adoration Let us to your Margin againe there we read thus Therefore according to the Service-Book of the Church of England in this Compellation Venite adoremus the Priest and the People both are called upon for externall and bodily Worship of God in his Church Marke you againe Worship of God not of the Altar Let the Reader peruse the whole Passage as it is set downe within the Bounds of a few short Pages in his Starre-Chamber Speech and see if his constant expression be not Reverence to the Throne Worship to God q St. Sp. p. 43. God forbid sayes his
haereseos c. Sander de schism Angl. adversaries cannot but Confesse hath beene the strongest sinew and support of our Reformation To revile Bishops now that were then prime Martyrs as if their very calling were wicked to whom even b Scio instaurationem ecclesiae Anglicanae eversionem Papismi post Deum Reges deberi praecipue Episcoporum doctrinae industriae Quorum etiam nonnulli martyrio c. Pet. Moli n. Ep. 3. Strangers give this Testimonie that they were then the Chief Instruments of planting pure Religion among us and have beene of conserving it ever since We must be mad now and cut off our right hand with our left or else England is gone off you say from her zeale to the true Religion But leave this wicked vanitie Mocke not God the World and your owne Conscience Doe not parallell persons and things so extreamly different Prov. 17.15 to justifie the Wicked and condemne the just are both Abominations to the Lord. 11. In your first Chapter you seeme to seare the World is mistaken in your Quarrell and doth not understand it to be so extensive as it is being as you say not only that which a P. 2. properly concerneth your selves but that which rubbeth upon other Churches not the Booke Canons and Episcopacie only but many notable wrongs and affronts openly done to the reformed Religion Experience teacheth us to understand your meaning b P 12. you found in your generall assembly you say the cockle of Arminianisme comming up apace in many furrowes of your field which being cast over the dyke it was at once received and replanted in England in too good a soyle Were it so truly you have followed it so fast into that good soyle that it is likely to take no very deepe roote though how it has beene received or replanted here I know not except it offend you that your expulsed Bishops and Clergie were permitted fire and water or so much as livelyhood among us But we aske not quo Warranto by what Authority you take upon you this large Visitation to set right the Church of England Nor are we very solicitous to informe our selves of the extent of your quarrell This we are sure of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end and beginning of Businesse appeares not together especially of Contention which Salomon saith Prov. 17.14 is like the letting out of Water it will not alwayes stop where men think But whereas you are so charitable to judge * P. 4. sundry Bishops of the Isle to be innocent and very free of these Mischiefs and such as would readily purge themselves if only my Lord of Canterbury and his dependants were in any way to receive from the Kings justice some part of their Deservings Herein we cannot but challenge you of injustice that some of them being innocent you would make it the Concluding vote of your Booke that all without exception should be rid away Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked But yet your charity we are readie to compensate and tell you we believe there are involved in the Covenant many honest Hearts many well meaning Soules and that they are not all so blame-worthy as you their spirituall Misleaders are nay we believe divers of them were they truly taught the nature of this Action you have put them into would gladly purge themselves and leave you to receive from the King's Iustice some part of your deserving 12. You have brought us next a long Syllogisme which is to be the touchstone of your whole discourse and summarily is this P. 5. Whoever in the Kings Dominions spreads abroad Poperie or any Doctrine opposite to the Religion and Lawes of the Land now established ought to be punished But Canterbury and his Dependants have spread abroad in the Kings Dominions Doctrines opposite to our Religion and Lawes and especially Points of grossest Popery Ergo. Where I hope you will give me Leave to scruple two or three things without Offence and first touching your Major Let me tell you it is ever a lurching Tricke to Complicate many Termes in one Proposition as here be two Spreading abroad Poperie and spreading abroad any Doctrine opposite to the Lawes established It is a Fallacie Multarum Quaestionum to which the Respondent cannot very advisedly give his Answere at once for it may be halfe true and halfe false Know then one you must leave out by the Law of Art unlesse you will affirm them to be both one or convertible which I thinke you will not Let me Counsell you then to leave out the Word Poperie and that because it is an Ambiguous Word about which you and your Opposites are very little agreed and in all Controversies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principium est Nomen First you must agree upon the Cleare Meaning of your Terms or else instead of Disputing you will but beate the Ayre As heere in this Case you will urge them with some Doctrines and call them Poperie They will acknowledge the Doctrines but deny the Popery then you must revert to dispute what is Popery a thing that by all reason should have beene cleared at first You seeme to define it by Tenets of Reformed Churches and Tenets of reformed Divines as if what crosseth these were Poperie But this is to define it by uncertainties for Churches differ in their Tenets not to goe from home * P. 98. you tell us you could never in Scotland be induced to follow so much of the Masse as we retained in England Divines differ in their Tenets What thing more knowne He that followes not Calvin in the Point of Praedestination may yet follow Melancthon And he a man as a Pietas ordinum c. Hugo Grotius very truly saith never a whit inferiour to him Shall the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Rome be Poperie that will not be universally true for there was a Time when S. Paul commended both their a Rom. 1.8 Faith and b Rom. 16.19 Obedience Shall the Customes and usages of that Church be Poperie not all For they had many in Common with the whole Catholike Church which cannot without great scandall and falshood be taxed of Poperie You of all men have made this word Poperie such an ambulatory word that we know not where to fixe it Arminianisme shall be Poperie if you please to call it so to refuse the oathes of allegeance and supremacie shall not be Poperie if you please not to call it so Our English liturgie with you is a Popish masse our Ceremonies Popish ceremonies Now should your adversaries be so unadvised to grant themselves punishable for teaching and maintaining Popery admitting it ever in your acception In the meane while to say they are punishable for teaching any doctrine opposite to the Religion by Law established is to say a Consequent and undeniable truth which will they or nill they they must submit to Now then let this undefined thing