confess I have oft heard how some upon all occasions have bitterly run at the Doctrine of Predestination as if none maintained such a Doctrine but we And a Minister of your Island called it A damnable Doctrine and I now justly wonder to receive such a Character of Predestination from some that it is contrary to the word of God and a great discouragement to Piety Therefore I am now to produce the received and approved Doctrine of the Church of England concerning Predestination since the Reformation to this Day and shall begin with the 39 Articles agreed upon in a Convocation held at London 1552 in the Reign of Edw 6 and requently renewed ratifyed in the following Reigns and continued the established Doctrine of the Church to this day which Dissenters with some allowed exceptions subscribe as their own Doctrine as a legal qualification for our Liberty I wish you would read and consider again the 17th Article Viz. Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from curse damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ Jesus out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as vessels made to honour wherefore they that be endued with so Excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the calling they be Justifyed freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity As the Godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to Godly persons and such as feel in themselves the workings of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their mind to high heavenly things as well because it doth establish and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth frequently kindle their Love towards God so for curious and carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous downfall whereby the Devil doth thrust them either to desperation or into wretchlessness of most unclean living no less perilous than desperation Furthermore we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in the holy Scriptures and and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expressly declared to us in the word of God And as to the sense of this Article take it from the Learned of the Church of England Dr. Whitaker in his Cygne a Cantio pag. 16 17. Dr. Bridges stiles this The chiefest Article of the Church in Doctrine Mr Thomas Rogers in his Analysis bound up formerly with the Articles Dr. Thysins in his Commentary on Lambeth Articles sully explain this Article raise these conclusions from it 1. That there is a Predestination of certain men to eternal Life a preterition predestination or Reprobation of certain men unto Death 2. That this Predestination is no manifest no open Decree into the grounds causes of which every mean capacity may dive but a hidden purpose counsel or decree of God which is kept secret from us 3. That this Predestination to life is from Eternity 4. That it is altogether immutable and unchangeable as God himself This is the established Doctrine which all the Clergy of the Church of England subscribe or assent unto at Ordination The next demonstration and discovery of the Doctrine of the Church in this point is from the Lambeth Articles agreed upon at Lambeth House by John Arch-bishop of Canterbury Richard Bishop of London Richard Bishop of Bangor D◠Tindall Dean of Elie Dr. Whitaker professor of Divinity at Cambridge with several learned Divines of the Church with the approbation of Matthew Arch-Bishop of York composed at first in Latin and sent to the University of Cambridge to prevent and crush some Arminian Controversies that were beginning to be raised there yet I shall give you in English Four of Nine that relate to Predestination never yet impeached or rejected by the Church as inconsistent with the 39 Articles but inserted in the Ireland Articles and allowed of in the conference at Hampton Court 1. God from eternity hath Predestinated certain men unto Life certain men he hath Predestinated or reprobated unto Death 2. The moving and efficient cause of Predestination unto Life is not the fore sight of Faith or Perseverance or good works or of any thing in the persons Predestinated but only in the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is a Predestinate number of Predestinate which can neither be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not Predestinated unto Salvation are necessarily damned for their Sins This is more plain and particular than any thing I have heard taught by Presbyterians and yet it is the Doctrine of the Church of England The next Testimony from that Church for Predestination is the Articles of Ireland agreed upon by the arch-Arch-Bishops Bishops and the Clergy of that Kingdom in a Convocation held at Düblin 1615. seeing they were English Divines and a part of the English Church under one King they were received approved and licensed by the Government as agreeable to the 39. Articles and also those of Lambeth therefore I shall record out of them what concerns Predestination or the Decrees of God Art 11 God from all eternity did by his unchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as thereby no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable Creatures and neither the Liberty nor Contingency of Second causes is taken away but established rather 12. By the same eternal Counsel God hath Predestinated some unto Life and Reprobated some unto Death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither he encreased nor diminished 13. Predestination unto Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed in his Secret Counsel to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as vessels made unto honour 14. The cause moving God to Predestinate is not the fore-seeing of Faith or Perseverance or Good Works or of any thing in the persons Predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his Glory and his Glory being to appear both in the works of his Mercy Justice it seemed good unto his heavenly wisdom to choose out a certain number toward whom he would extend his undeserved Mercy leaving the
TRUTHS In a true LIGHT OR A Pastoral LETTER to the Reformed Protestants IN BARBADOS Vindicating the Non-Conformists from the Misrepresentations commonly made of them in that Island and in other places AND Demonstrating That they are indeed the truest and soundest part of the Church of ENGLAND From Francis Mackemie Minister of the Gospel 2 Pet. 3.17 Beloved Seeing ye know these things before beware Lest ye fall from your own stedfastness EDINBVRGH Printed by the Successors of Andrew Anderson 1699. Truths in a true Light An Epistle To the Reformed PROTESTANTS of Barbados Gentlemen IT has been too notorious what Diabolical Designs and base Plots the Emissaries of Rome have contrived promoted and attempted to over throw that Glorious work and cause of Reformation or to lead or cajole us back into our antichristian Slavery Idolatry and Supersttion and for Effectuating thereof they have not been wanting neither have stuck at any thing to widen our breaches augment our Differences hinder our mutual Condescentions and our endeavoured Accommodations raising implacable heats and keeping us asunder by Distinguishing Characters and Discriminating Names setting up contrary Interests and often raising violent Storms of bitter Persecutions instigating the Ascendent Party still to trample upon the Non-Con's and by all means to render them black and odious and all this and much more to ruin Protestants and weaken the Protestant Interest And it deserves to be bewailed that in all their Jesuitical Intrigues and evil designs they soon found too many Protestant Tools unadvisedly to concur with such sworn Enemies of the Reformation too much whereof appeared in the late Reigns I wish there may not be found among us still too many Incendiaries to raise Dissentions and stir up unchristian Heats among Reformed Protestants that we may become a prey still to the Common Enemy But blessed be God for our seasonable and happy Revolution that has in a great measure broke the deep projects of that Jesuitical Party and by an Established Liberty to all Dissenting Protestants has bound the Hands of former Persecutors I wish the Persecuting Spirit and Inclination were gone too and that many unawares were not promoting and encouraging again the old Malice and grand Designs of the common Enemy by their Tongues in railing reproaching and decrying a great part of the purest Reformation under the Discriminating names of Presbyterian Puritan Fanatick Calvinist and what not And how many are simply led away by a hot violent party and suffer themselves to be imposed upon who know not the matters of our lesser Differences and say little against Intolerable Popery and the most dangerous Haereticks but all their Industrious Venom is spewed out and levelled against their Protestant Brethren of the same Reformation and of the same Kingdom and yet seem to be in Charity with the same particular Profession in other parts of the World All who study Histories of the Protestant Reformation may be assured that the Reformed Church of England consisted all along of two sorts of men first many Sober Moderate Sound and Tender men who never were for Persecution of Protestants and would willingly have parted with many unscriptural Ceremonies for the Churches Peace and gaining Dissenters and the Seed or Root of these have been from the Original of the Reformation and abounded in the Reigns of Q. Eliz. and K J I. of England and were Anti-arminian and faithful to the first Doctrine and Protestant Articles of the Church of England and continued the prevailing party until the Reign of Ch. the I. There was also another hot and Violent party who were ready to brand the Sober and Serious of their own Church as Puritans Precisians and Fanaticks betrayed their own Articles embraced Arminianism and grew more zealouâ— for Rites and Ceremonies than for the Essentials and Substantials of Religion crying up Vniformity and Conformity more than true Christianity acting Supra-Canon and instead of coming farther from Rome by a further Reformation which our first Reformers designed and the moderate party desired they both in Doctrine Practice and Ceremonies made several advances towards Rome as Dr. Du Moulin sometimes History-Professor of Oxford relates in his Short History thereof which advances gave Popes and Papists no small hopes of Englands return to Rome as a Jesuit affirms shewing the changes in the Church of England and its affinity to Rome for he saith The Doctrine is altered in many things The Pope is no longer Anti christ Images are tollerated Praedestination on fore seen works Vniversal Grace Inherent Righteousness are all granted Free-Will is Preached up they have given to the 39. Articles a Catholick sence they acknowledge the Authority of the Church in deciding Controversies about matters of Faith and interpretation of Scripture they make frequent use of the more venerable Names of Priests and Altars and to be a Calvinist in England is to be a Traitor and a Heretick or worse to which may be added bowing to the East and Altar and setting up unlighted Candles in Churches which Dr Warmestry one of their own spoke against and said That they were a fit Emblem of our Ignorant and unprofitable Clergy which filled up the Candlesticks of the Churches but gave no Light And this party was Rampant in Lauds time who had a party of Monstrous tools as Montague Heilin Pocâ—…nton Dow Couzins Shelford Beel Stafford Watts and Fedder of no small figures with many more who under their own hands Publish'd Arminian and down-right Popish Doctrines and Tyrannical and enslaving Maxims of State and were so countenanced and protected by the King and some of the Court that they carried all before them and it was no small Crime for any to speak against their Romish Innovations and Intollerable Vsurpations both in Church and State as in the Cruel unchristian and Illegal punishments inflicted on some of their own Communion until their Designs were seasonably opposed checked by such of their Church who were sincere and uncorrupted when backt by Lords and Commons Assâ—mbled in Parliament in the year 1640 complaining in bold speeches of those that went after the Romish Way and though Laud had justly meted to him what he measured out to others which gave a considerable blow to his party and by that Revolution of Affairs greatly frustrated the hopes of Rome who were filled with great Expectations of Changes by their Agents and Deputies in England and though many suffer of almost Twenty years abducation from the Pulpits during the Civil Wars yet it is to be feared the Seed and Spawn of this faction has been growing since in the Church and so prevailing a party as were able to obstruct that Union accommodation and Comprehension designed between the Church of England and Dissenters first by a Commission from our most Gracious KING and late Gracious QUEEN and next by a Convocation who had but very small regard to their Majesties Supremacy in Ecclesiasticks and who so vigorously opposed what they had so lately addressed their Majesties
a Table Feast as his was and notwithstanding the Rubrick was originally a consequence of Transubstantiation and came in with it 1200. years after our Saviour and was a stumbling block to many Reformed Protestants highly resented by Beza and many more and proved so grateful to Papists that Bonner having learned that Cranmer and Ridley had kept this and other Ceremonies said that he doubted not since their Broth went down with them so well that er'e long they should eat of their Beef too 9. We cannot we dare not in Baptism exclude the Parents from engaging and promising in behalf of their own Children and take in other Sureties whom all know and none expect they will endeavour to perform what they promise and undertake which indeed is impossible for any to perform especially when more Ignorant and more Irreligius Sureties are called in than the excluded Parents as Papists Ignorant and prophane Persons Strangers and sometimes Young Children which we apprehend to be a willful promoting of known perfidiousness and a down-right mocking of God 10 Because we find the Common Prayer Book in its several parts translated out of several Popish Books the Frayers are taken out of the Breviary the Administration of Sacraments Burial Matrimonies and Visiting of the Sick are taken out of the Romish Rituall the Consecration of the Lords Supper Collects Epistles and Gospels are taken out of the Mass Book though some things are left out as Prayers to the Virgin Mary Saints and Angels This is to us one just prejudice against the use of it 11. We cannot away with nor dare we assent to nor believe many things and sayings in the Common Prayer nor use that Corrupt Translation of the Psalms while God has provided us with a better we dare not pretend the imitation of our Saviours Miraculous Feast by that Popish and Mock-Feast of Lent consisting not in abstinence but in choosing of Meats In Te Deum we dare not say all the Earth worship thee while we are assured the greatest part are Infidels to this Day and neither Worship nor know the true God we dare not assent to the Damning Sentence of Athenasius's Creed which many of the Eldersons of your Church wished it never had been in Common-Prayer We dare not say Every person Baptised is immediately Regenerated for so all Baptised should be Saved We dare not alter add to and diminish from the Scriptures the Word of God as the Common Prayer and the corrupt Translation of the Psalms does particularly we cannot consent to the taking away of the Scripture Titles of the Psalms given from Immediate Inspiration and putting Popish and Lattine Titles in their Room In the Burial of the Dead we dare not call every one whether we know them or not our dear Sister or Brother and as a part of Publick Worship say We have a sure and certain Hope of their Resurrection unto eternal Life and to make no difference between the Wicked and Godly a Protestant and a Papist an Atheist once Baptised and a serious Christian allowing them the same Charity and Character seems an encouragement to ungodliness and a discouragement to Holiness 12. Though we are for Visiting Instructing convincing admonishing praying for and comforting the Sick according as we find their state and condition various and different Yet we apprehend the Burial Service to be Symbolizing with Rome and no part of God's Publick Worship or any Commanded part of a Ministers Work and though it is said It has no relation to the dead at all but only for the Edification of the Living why was it denyed to the Living at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. Henry Vaughan why is it deny'd to the Living at the Funeral of Vnbaptised and Excommunicated persons Why is it read oft times when the People are gone except two that remain to cover the Corps Why do the deceased persons pay for it and lately there was a poor man to whom it was denyed because unbaptised Actions with vulgar People are more demonstrative than Words And what Edification does that afford to the Living that is read at the entry of the Church yard of which few or none hear one Word and why is not all either read in the Desk or at the Grave II. The Second thing wherein we dissent from you is your Canons which few of your selves obey and observe no not such as have Sworn Obedience to them They are most Arbitrary Decrees when not ratifyed by Authority not at all suitable to the state of the Church neither dare we take the Oath of Assent and Consent that they contain nothing contrary to the Word of God while both you and we are otherwise perswaded III. A Third thing wherein we dissent is concerning the Government of the Church by Arch-Bishops Bishops Chauncellors Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch Deacons c. as not haveing foundation in the Scriptures nor the Government of the Gospel-Churches nor agreeable to the Government of the first Centuries after our Saviour And though we are for Scripture Bishops both name and office and wish with Dr. Wild in his poetical flight Where there is one there were ten neither would refuse the Government of the first two or three hundred years after our Saviour and it is known most of the Presbyterians in England ostered to embrace Dr. Vsher his model of Church Government yet there are several things in which we dissent and which many of yours dislike in English or Diocesan Bishops or Praelacy as 1. Creating Erecting new Offices Officers besides what Christ gave to and Instituted in his Church the Names whereof are not so much as known or mentioned in the Scriptures 2. Promoting Praeeminence and destroying that Ministerial Parity our Saviour Commanded and Inoustriously maintained in his days for bidding all Mastery and Dominion over one another 3. Their asseming high and Lordly Titles and Temporal Dignities and Civil places being advanced above most Peers and States men This was offensive to good Old Latimer who in a Sermon advised King Ed. 6 to untord all the Lordly Bishops and remove them from all their Temporal Offices and Employments that they might follow their Spiritual Plough Tail 4. Their frequenting the Court attending the Council Table and sitting in Parliaments to the great neglect of their Charge and Work being above Preaching Praying and Administring of Sacraments and Church Government too therefore a Non Preaching Bishop called a Preaching Bishop a Preaching Coxcomb And what prejudice would it be to the State but what a great advantage to the Church if the Government saw it meet to revive again that old vote of a Church of England Parliament recorded in Bakers Chronicles That no Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star Chamber nor bear any sway in Temporal Affairs and that no Clergy man should be in the Commission of the Peace 5. Their Grasping at a larger Charge over many great Congregations of a Vast
Diocess whereby an Episcopal Charge and care can no more be performed or Discharged in the sight of God As over the Diocess of London and all English Plantations while so much Time is spent at Court and in secular affairs than the Italian Bishop can be Metropolitan of the Christian World 6 Though they have Forms prescribed for many things yet no Forms nor Directions for tryal and examination of Candidates or Expectants for Ordination to the Ministry For turning one of the 39 Articles into Latin and proving it from Scripture is already done to their hands so that any Grammarian or School Boy may do it IV Lastly We dissâ—nt from the Discipline and Censures of the Church of England and though they are without all Church Discipline and Censure in every Plantation of America yet as it is managed in England many of your own Sons dislike it as well as we especially in these particulars 1. It s absoluteness being exercised by a sole Authority in the breast of a particular Diocesan acting all in his own name without Commission or Warrant from any other and Sir Francis Bacon who was highly for the Church of England tells us the Bishop gives orders alone excommunicates alone and affirms it to be without Example in all good Government for Kings and Monarchs have their Councellours the Courts of Kings bench Common Pleas and Exchequer have many Judges and the Chancellor hath the assistance of 12 Masters of Chauncery And I am assured the Scripture warrant is directed to a number Dic Ecclesiae tell the Church 2. The Authority Power of Discipline is generally managed by Delegation or Deputation of Lay Persons as Chauncellours Officials Registers Sumners Canonists c. choosing such as helps in Government rather than the Clergy which the Lord Verulam affirms to be contrary to all rules of good Government for Offices of confidence and skill cannot be exercised by Deputies the confidence and trust being Personal and Inhaerent cannot be transposed to an ignorant and unqualifyed Lay-Person more than such can be deputed to Preach the Word and Administer the Sacraments 3. The English Church-Discipline is turned into a meer Money matter and the use of Christs Keyes is made Mercenary punishing the Purses and not afflicting the Consciences of the Delinquents as a great man of the Church in a Sermon Preached at one of the Vniversities told them Claves Christi pulsant crumenas non verberant Conscientias And Hickringale assures us from his certain knowledge that Guinea's will procure Absolutions from Drs Commons without any Confession or shew of Repentance yea without a sight of the guilty party a more bare-faced practice than of the Romish Churches who always use Confession and Pennance for a Cloak I hope these things will engage you to be more favourable and charitable to Dissenters until you more rationally weigh and confider the grounds and reasons of their Dissent for they may sometimes and in some cases be the purer better part of a Nation as the Church of Israel in Egypt and in all their other Captivities were Dissenters The three worthies in Daniel were Dissenters in Babylon and Daniel under Darius was a Dissenter Our Saviour all his Disciples and Apostles with their Christian followers were Dissenters until Constantines Reign and all Christians in Mahometan Dominions and Pagan Countries all Protestants in Popish Countries and your selves in Scotland and all forreign parts are Dissenters and it were hard and uncharitable to condemn all these as Traytors and Schismaticks In favour of some Dissenters I shall only lay down one saying from your Hale of Schism All pious assemblies in times of persecution and corruption are the only lawful Congregations and the publick Assemblies though according to form of Law are indeed nothing but Riots and Conventicles if stained with Corruption and Superstition Therefore let us still value and esteem unity in Doctrine and Worship and the greater and more weighty matters preferring it before an exact and accurate Vniformity in every Punctilio of Circumstance and Ceremony which no Nation hath hitherto attained the Church of England not excepted for what uniformity is between your Cathedral and Parochial Worship between such Churches as have Organs and those that want them between such as Sing or Chant the Service and such as do not between such as read the whole Service and others that Mince it and read but a part between those that begin with a free Prayer and such as do not And in the same Congregations what Uniformity is between such as use Responses and such as do not between such as Bow to the East or the Altar and such as do not between such as bow the knee and those that only bow the head at the Name or Word Jesus What uniformity between such as Sing Psalms and most that do not And I find many of the Sons of the Church break uniformity and Canons as well as their Neighbours what uniformity-act or Common Prayer allows any to begin with a Prayer of their own as the greatest and best have done though others call it a Geneva trick What uniformity-act enjoins Organs and Singing Boyes and where is bowing to the East and Altar with all other Church Honours commanded What warrants the use of the publick Form for private Baptism why is the burial Service read over any Dissenters that are all excommunicated by your Canons Let me humbly and earnestly with all Submission address the conformable Clergy in this Island to instruct their People that they and we profess the same Christian and Protestant Religion only with some alterations in external Ceremonies and circumstances that we may unite in affection and strength against the common Enemy of our Reformation and concur in the great work of the Gospel for the manifestation of Gods Glory and the Conviction Conversion and Salvation of Souls in this Island instructing such as are Ignorant in the principal great things of Religion promoting vertue and true holiness and Preaching down and reproving all Atheism irreligion and profanity sealing and confirming all by an universal Copy pattern and example of a holy and Ministerial Life and Conversation I have often done it and I continue to Pray for the zealous concurrence of the Secular power and Civil Magistrate to whom the Sword of Justice is committed for the terrour of the Evil doers and praise of those that do well that for promoting a visible Reformation in this Island from the Evils that have long exposed us to the heavy Judgments of a Righteous God they would first reform their own Lives and impartially execute these Good Laws according to their Oaths against all Blaspheming Cursing Swearing Whoredom Sabbath breaking all Prophanity Impiety and Irreligion that our Land may be exalted by Righteousness and Sin may no longer be our Reproach Candid Reader They frequently charge Dissenters that when others are the Ascendent they cry out against Persecution and for Moderation but when they are