lovely and of good report If there be any vertue any praise think upon these things Phil. 4. 8. Lastly for satisfaction of those that desire to know why this College is erected at Chelsey and not in one of the Universities this we thought fit to add That this place was thought fittest to receive directions from our Superiours to consult with men of best experience to obtain intelligence from foreigne parts to print books and to disperse them and lastly to obtain the favour of the State and City Farther hereby as all emulation may be avoided so the help of both the Universities may as well be had by intercourse as if the College stood in either of the Universities Thus all things now stand God bless the proceeding of this College c. and give Grace Grace unto it Thus have you by the Author of the remarkable Monuments of and in and about London a just and full Narrative of Chelsey College in the Constitution Cause moving and promoving sovereign care and sollicitation the use and ends of it with some fair and forward Provision for it and great and gracious motives of perswasion to stir up mens hearts to contribute and that not in a sparing but liberal way unto it and not to let the Gates sink in the foundation of it Lament 2. 9. The Affair not only auspicated by King James his wisdome but forwarded by his zealous care in writing unto and calling upon the Archbishop and in his writing to the Bishops and the Chancellor of England and the Lord Mayor of London as also the Pithananches of vulgar prudence either from the grave Archbishop himself or some one of the Reverend Fellows as I gather from the latter words of his goads of his wise words where he saith that the reason of this College it's fitness to be more respectively at Chelsey is because of receiving directions from our Superiours In which exhortation even in the whole carriage of it I appeale unto the Godliest Judgements whether he has not spoken as with the tongue not only of men but as of an Angel of God so that now nihil supra And yet to him let me joyn or adde another Angel of our Church Doctor Joseph Hall sometimes our Diocesane Bishop of Exceter afterwards of Norwich who upon this Commencing of Chelsey College may well come after and second the business as Nathan after Bathsheba who in his Peace-maker wherein he most truly saith one of the principal means of Peace-making in the Church and State for ever is by absolute silencing of Schismaticks and Heresies is pleased in his prudence to shew and say and set down at full his Judgement of this Chelsey College suppositively if promoted and perfected and so according to the end prosecuted and adorned as to be the undoubted and blessed means both to purifie Truth and to set up Peace for ever not Peace alone without Truth nor Truth alone without Peace but both Peace and Truth together as the two Chapiters upon Solomon's two pillars with their carved works called Jachim and Boaz that Establishment and this Strength 1 Kings 7. 21. For the most reverend Bishop and Father in God as I must ever in honour mention him in that precious piece of his Peace-maker for which he must of future Generations be blessed O that he had not had the fate of Cassandra to prophesie truth but not to be believed and obeyed For upon rich grounds his divinely-illuminated heart foreseeing the Calamities which turbulent spirits in malecontents would bring by storm through Civil Warrs and intestine Contentions bethought himself as a true Prometheus of this Remedy shewed to K. James and to his Parliament whilst God's Good Spirit was with them and in them and before he suffered the Evil spirit the foul and Rebellious spirit to possess the hearts of Belials to open the postern to act his horrid deeds of darkness He foreseeing I say yea presuming that if the design of Chelsey College had been advanced into a forwardness and faithfully effected so as to have made choice of and placed these 20 Colleagues with two Historians sworn to defend the publick professed Truth of our Church according to the Articles they might have effected so much by their wisdome as with a Caduceus to have stilled the furious spirits of very many bad ones and so charmed them to have worshipped the blessed Peace of God and so prevented a world of Blood Mischief and Confusion and Misery and still pestilent Conspiracies to souls as well as bodies on all sides that we might have enjoyed to this day the blessed of the Lord and so only have fed and feasted with the banquet of the Peace of the kingdom of God in our Consciences and they have had all their Donatives and Honours blessed unto them The Bishop representeth his Judgement respectively about Chelsey College thus It is Great pitty saith he that the late Chelseyan Project was suffered so foully to fall to the ground whereof had not the Judicious King seen that great use might have been made of it he had not condescended to so gracious Privileges as his Majesty was pleased to inrich it withall The wise and Learned Prince well observed how great an advantage our Adversaries have of us in this kind who come with conjoined forces on every side being ready to be ingruent upon us with preparations as flood-gates set open and inlarged whilst we stand upon single resistance And therefore without a marvellous providence of Almighty God we might have verified the old word Dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur Blessed be God the world hath had ample proof of single yet singularly learned Champions and seen and heard such learned Advocates to plead for the Protestant Profession such Stephens such Jewells such Mortons such Fields Whites Abbotts Reynolds Featlyes who that is Featly especially alone as in single duell incountred abroad in France Dr Bagshaw and Smith and at home in England alone also sustained and incountred Fisher Sweete Eagle-stone Everard Muskett and ever came off from all intaminatis honoribus as also University Professors Peter Martyr Holland Prideaux Whitakers Collins so as one has been able in Spiritual Polemicks to resist a thousand But if these heads and hands have been so powerfull what would they have done if united together Ne Hercules contra eorum Duos Certainly none of these upstarts pernicious prodigious late Heresies would have stood before them For the Associating Divines of the Province of London in their testimony to the Truth of Jesus in detecting and detesting the Errors and Heresies have given them their deadly wound nor have breathed so long under their hands to have brought such Disturbances yea such Distractions Schisms Factions Divisions as of late we have seen to have crept in with their infestings amongst us and to be lamented if not possible by single hands to be amoliated making our present England an African Scene of new Heretical swarming Monsters threatning an hellish
perswaded to cast my Mite into their treasury that they might be thankfully remembred by me and diligently followed by others Again that which did set a little sharper Edge on my willingness herein was that I might take an occasion to clear the innocency of Dr Feately the late Provost of Chelsey College and one that is honoured in his dust for his known Vertues eminent Piety abundant Learning and Labours somewhat blotted by Dr Fuller's pen proceeding rather in my Judgment of Charity from an Error in his Judgment then Will. But that which principally moved me was a clear perswasion of heart how much the perfecting and compleating of this College would contribute Glory to God Honour to the true Religion encouragement to Learning and Learned men in every Age what invincible help and assistance it might afford our Gracious King and his Royal Successors against the many subtil and unwearied Adversaries of Christ's Kingdom Gospel Faith Doctrine and holy Discipline lastly what chearfull and beautifull light of divine and heavenly knowledge what soul-reviving and refreshing satisfaction the Lords People in these three Nations yea in all the world continually in every Age and Condition might receive from the Studies Disputations and Writings of such eminentlyqualified Persons as ought to have been chosen into the Orthodox Society and Learned Fellowship of this College so richly provided for and happily accommodated with encouragements of every kind Prolixity must be avoided I therefore reine in imploring the choicest Blessings of Heaven upon my Dear Sovereign his Royal Relations and Great Councel that the work of Righteousness may be Peace and the effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance in our Land Now the Great Counsellor give thee Good Reader peace and understanding in all things and that by all Means Which is the Prayer of the unworthiest of those that serve thee in the Faith JOHN DARLEY Erratum Pag. 7. lin 3. for read but. THE GLORY OF CHELSEY COLLEGE REVIVED I Shall not by any needless flourish of my own words begin this Treatise of CHELSEY College but First deliver the disert words of the Act of Parliament made in the seventh year of King James of Blessed Memory in the behalf of the same College as also a Declaration published by Authority in the year 1616. concerning the Reasons that moved his Majesty and the State to erect the same God assisting me as I find it diligently Collected and extracted to my hand by the Author of the most Remarkable Monuments of London and the Precincts thereof Then Secondly give you Bishop Hall's Judgement and Recommendation with Dr. Fuller his more special report of it as also Mr. Baxter's Instigation for it and Grounds of the Necessity of prudent provision of Able and adequate Men for the work And so I shall in the Conclusion adde something concerning Dr. Sutcliffe his being the first Mover under God to advance the design in this beginning of the Embryo that it now appears in Thirdly I shall intimate the Obstructions and Impediments of it Fourthly adjoin some prevalent Motives for the Renewing or rather the reviving of the Design to it 's original intended perfection Fifthly stop the mouth of the chiefer Objections against it Sixthly propose the means though in these hard and Exhausted times to compleat it Lastly conclude with prayer for Grace Grace unto it First The Abstract of the Act runs thus Whereas his Majesty of his Royal and zealous Care for the defence of true Religion now established within this Realm of England and for the Refuting of Errors and Heresies repugnant to the same hath been graciously pleased by his Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England to found a College in Chelsey near London and therein to place certain Learned Divines and to incorporate the same by the Name of the Provost and Fellows of the College of King James in Chelsey of the foundation of the same James King of England and hath of his most gracious Goodness and Bounty not only endowed the same with certain Lands Privileges and Immunities but hath also for their further Maintenance and sustentation given unto them a Capacity and Ability to receive and take from his Majesty or any of his Loving Subjects any Lands Tenements Hereditaments Gifts Benefits and Profits whatsoever not exceeding in the whole the yearly value of three thousand pounds as in and by the said Letters Patents doth more at large appear And whereas also it is manifest and evident that the bringing in of such streams of Running water to the City of London is very convenient necessary and profitable as well for the private use of such as shall rent the same for the help of cleansing the said City in the time of sickness and preserving the same against all suddain Adventures of fire c. whereby they had the free Grant of and for draining the field and Marishes between the Bridge called Lock-bridge in or near the parish of Hackney in the County of Middlesex and the Bridge called Bow-bridge at Straford-Bow in the parish of Stepney in the said County c. Which by reason of the Ample Grant may seem to be a Royal Privilege indeed yet by reason of the vast Labour and Cost not only of digging and trenching but of buying leave of the owners of the grounds fields and limitations may seem with Reverence be it spoken and regard had to Clergy-men not versed in such Affairs not only like that in Holland but somewhat resembling that of Hercules his Labour of cleansing Augeas his stable wherein 3000 Oxen so long were tyed up by drawing the River Alpheus to run through it When I consider the many Provisions in that Grant it appears somewhat like the Arduousness of their task and undertaking Notwithstanding Christian duty ought especially when back'd with so many advantageous incouragements to swallow up greater difficulty It is the most holy exhortation Jude 3. Earnestly to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints And it is the delight of the Holy One to behold his enabled Servants studying and labouring to ridd the Land of the immense Dunghill of Errors and Heresies which is not for every hand that can make of Scripture fine Posies in Preaching but are too tender to pluck up or thrust away thorns this can be done only by men fenced with Iron and the staffe of a speare 2 Sam. 23. 6 7. And this above all is now if ever especially to be looked unto that the Cause of Christ be not betrayed and lost in this Age abounding with so many Anti-Christian deceipts A brief declaration of the Reasons that moved his Majesty and the State to erect a College of Divines and other Learned men at Chelsey together with a Copie of his Majesties Letters in favour of the same and an Addition of some Motives very forceable to excite the zeal of good Christians to a voluntary and liberal Contribution Vnderstanding by experience that want of Information hath much hindred mens Devotion
Religious and yet yield no help to advance it Being a Project to maintain the honour of the State what good Subject will not contribute to set forward this Project But to touch only the point of Gods Honour let us remember the words of the Wise man Honour the Lord with thy substance let us also consider what the Lord himself saith Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be despised Now who can say that he honoureth God that suffereth him by Idolatry Superstition Blasphemy to be dishonoured and will give nothing to suppress Baal's Priests but is content that the Pope be worshipped like the Idol Bel Can God's Honour stand with the Superstition Heresie Idolatry and Blasphemy of Papists and the Prophaneness of Atheists It is not sufficient for true Christians to profess true Religion but they must with zeal maintain it and with heart abhor and with hand suppress Idolatry and Superstition Who will rise up with me against the wicked saith the Prophet And Psal 139. 21. he saith he hated those that hated the Lord with a perfect hatred The Law Deut. 13. is direct against such as intice us to serve other Gods our eye may not pitty them nor may we shew mercy unto them no although they be our brothers our wives that lye in our bosoms An odious thing also it is either to suffer Truth to be suppressed or Lyes to be received St. Augustine in his Epistle ad Casulanum saith it is a foul Fault to hide Truth as well as to tell Lyes Vterque reus est qui veritatem occultat qui mendacium dicit Chrysostome Hom. 25. in Matth. doth charge him to be a traitor to Truth that dares not boldly utter it to defend it Non ille solum est proditor veritatis qui veritatem transgrediens pro veritate mendacium loquitur sed etiam qui non liberè veritatem pronuntiat quam pronuntiare tenetur aut non liberè veritatem defendit quam liberè defendere convenit Some suppose that Christianity and Popery may stand together and themselves as Newters stand between both or as Mediators would reconcile both But can Christ be reconciled to Antichrist There is no Concord between Christ and Belial saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. 15 16. Upon which place Dr. Featly's Paraphrase is here fitly to be inserted Mark the Apostles Gradation saith he What fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness what Communion hath Light with daâ—kness and lastly what Concord hath Christ with Belial No more agreement may we have who are temples of the Living God with Idols There is great opposition between Righteousness and unrighteousness greater between Light and darkness greatest of all between Christ and Belial Righteousness and unrighteousness the one being a Vertue and the other a Vice are opposed contrarily but Light and darkness privatively which is a greater opposition but Christ and Belial contradictorily which is the greatest of all Righteousness and unrighteousness so opposite as that they cannot subsist in the same Soul Light and darkness so opposite as that they cannot subsist in the same room Christ and Belial so opposite as that they cannot subsist in the same heaven Righâ—eousness fighteth with unrighteousness wheresoever it meeteth with it Gal. 5. 17. But Light doth more it presently banisheth darkness But Christ doth yet more he utterly confoundeth Belial So true Religion not only fighteth with all Heresie and Superstition wheresoever it meeteth with it but banisheth it and in the end confoundeth it Dr. Featly Vertum. Rom. p. 156. No Toleration then of false and true Religion together no more then truce of the Dogg and the Hyaena Ecclus. 13. 18. No halting no halfing between God and Baal no sodering of Religion no pulling of Rome to Protestancy no more then the Fisher's pulling the Rock to his Boate who the more he pulls the more he brings his Boate to the Rock The Bishop of the Church of Pergamus was reproved for suffering them that taught the doctrine of Balaam and the Bishop of Thyatira for permitting Jezabel to teach and to deceive the people And shall the Church of England any longer suffer the Romish Balaamites the false Priests of Baal maintained by the Romish Jezabel and her Consorts to seduce God's people The false Priests of Bel used all Arts and cunning practices to deceive and now will not suffer any Religion but that of their God Bel the Pope And shall not true Christians use equal diligence to maintain holy Truth most pure Protestant holy and saving Truth and suppress Popery and all other Idolatrous and false Religions Ingemui fateor saith Hierome minus nobis inesse voluntatis ad propugnandum veritatem quà m inest illis cupiditas ad inculcandum mendacium I sighed saith he seeing less desire in us to defend Truth then in our Adversaries to maintain Lies Are not here motives of moment enough to be mighty with any that have any true tender Conscience more then to perswade them even to make them zealous after the Work Yet there is added more yet moving ones as followeth The College being erected then for the maintenance of Truth and God's true Service and for a resolute opposition against Errors and false worship of God it cannot but please God and content godly men if it be help'd onward The same also will be a means to increase Learning and prevent the dangers of places haunted with the spirits of Antichrist the Jesuits and Mass-Priests and therefore cannot chuse but be well accepted of all that either desire a learned Ministry or love Learning Finally seeing the Church hath received no greater dishonour by any then by insufficient and unlearned Church-men I hope this may be a means to recover some part of their lost Honour Wherefore whether we regard the Service of God or the Honour we owe unto the King or the love we bear unto our Country and State and above all that which omnes omnium complectitur charitates the Piety to our Church let us not shew our selves sparing and backward in yielding our aid to set forward a Work so religious and profitable for the Church so honourable for the State so necessary in regard of our Adversaries Malice and the defects and discouragement of our own Forces Other Collections have been either for private persons or Strangers or places remote or matters concerning some particular occasions This concerns a general good and toucheth every man both in Honour and Conscience Heretofore we have endeavoured to maintain Religion and favour others abroad let us not therefore now neglect our selves and our own honour and profit and necessary service at home Neither let any man think it strange that a work of such greatness should be advanced by this weak means or that a Project so necessary should proceed so slowly Almighty God albeit sufficient yet would have his own Tabernacle built by the voluntary Offerings of his own people Speak saith he to