that all other graces are radically in faith and spring from it They make all other holy graces to be inherent in sauing faith as the natiue qualities of it essentiall and inseparable not as accidents which are seperable Saint Augustine saith What is it to beleeue in him By beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to goe vnto him and to be incorporated into his members And againe Paulus fidem c. Paul approueth and commendeth that faith which worketh by loue which cannot be without hope therefore neither is loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without faith And which we cited before Faith is so on the soule as a good roote which bringeth forth the fruite S. Chrysostome saith Faith is the foundation of the most holy religion the bond of charity the supply and succour of loue it confirmes sanctity it strengtheneth chastity it gouernes all sexes it promotes all degrees it obserueth all offices faith keepeth the Commaundements practiseth the precepts accomplisheth the promises And much more to this purpose according to his fluent golden elegancy Saint Ambrose There are in faith great prerogatiues what be they piety iustice sobriety charity discipline or good gouernment And to conclude with St. August In ipsa fide sunt omnia opera quae diligit Deus in faith it selfe are all those workes which God loueth Nor need this poynt seeme so strange Morall Philosophy can teach vs that there is such an inseparable combination of all moral vertues as he that hath one hath all And shall wee deny then this inseparable conjunction of Spirituall graces whereof Faith is the Radicall and principall Though it is a marveile that these Philosopers Aristotle and Tully haue escaped the fiery purgatory-Index sith not even Romes owne Gratian for saying no more in Divinitie then those in Morality hath had the grace to escape their Singe or Spunge For where he saith Sed commodo c. But how can I haue such a faith to remoue mountaines and not charity Sith he that hath one vertue hath all I could not haue it but miraculously All these words must out as may be seene in Collat. censurae in gloss iuris canonici vum 84. Such a hatred they haue to the living saving faith as though a Princesse they will not allow her any necessary attendance coÌ„comitancy of other graces Whereas Bernard saith To beleeue in God is to hope in him and to loue him And Hieronymus Osorius Faith containeth all religion and piety for all vertues are by faith consorted and combined together and with it are connexed and intwined in a most holy knot But Deleantur haec verba let these words be cancelled saith the Index expurgatorius Also these words of his Ergo cùm fides c. Therefore seeing faith doth governe the whole soule and drawe it to the studie and loue of Gods word it followeth necessarily that it is proved not only in beleeving but also in obeying And those words also of Osorius must passe their purgatory Tune igitur verè fideles sumus cùm Dei verbo audiontes sumus Therefore then are wee truely faithfull when wee are obedient to the word of God I will conclude with the golden saying of our Royall Paraphrase vpon the Reuelation God by faith onely iustifieth man which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of faith cannot be seperated from it and be are witnesse of the same to men of the earth I might seeme to haue digressed all this while from the point of freewill in speaking of faith But partly you haue moued me and the more willingly haue I followed you it being very pertinent to set forth discouer the Councell of Trents egregious hypocrisy in her Doctrine of grace and freewill For vnto what is the will stirred moued assisted by grace Parturient montes we expect some wonderfull consequent Thereby forsooth the will conceiueth faith by hearing the word and prepareth and disposeth it selfe to iustification And what faith is this thus conceiued Nascetur ridiculus Mus behold a ridiculous Mouse in steede of a young Mountaine For of their freewill is conceiued by hearing not that iustifying sauing liuing faith whereof the Apostle Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17 that faith whereof rightcousnesse is ver 5. that which beleeueth to righteousnesse ver 10 that which beleeueth In D. Iesâ—m in the Lord Iesus ver 11 but this conceiued faith of Rome is a bare historicall implicit generall dead faith like that of the Deuils no grace but such as euery wicked man may haue as their * fideles fornicarii c. their faithfull fornicaters adulterers c. And that grace of God their first grace whereby they say the will is first moued to conceiue a dead faith is with them but an ordinary common grace in deede no grace and by their owne confession no sauing sanctifying iustifying grace at all Yea and though they stile it a preparatory grace yet it neuer bringeth a man to true iustification sith they disclame that liuing sauing faith the onely faith whereby instrumentally we are iustified The summary conclusion then is that seeing the Trent Councell hath in her Doctrine of freewill so slily vndermined and ouerturned the fundamentall doctrine of saluation consisting in the iustifying sauing liuing faith powerfully wrought by the sanctifying grace of Gods Spirit in the heart euen in the whole man the soule with all the faculties from which faith as from a liuing and fructifying roote doe spring all other holy graces therefore for any man to goe about to excuse the Councell of Trent in the point wherein for the maine she is altogether to be condemned yea executed with Anathema Maran-atha I see not how such a one can be excused from being a reconciled confederate in all that damnable Doctrine of Trent about freewill Is this the way to make vs beleeue the Apppealers profound protestations that he is a Protestant of the Church of England while he so religiously pleadeth for the Councell of Trents mystery of iniquity and that flatly against the Doctrine of the Church of England Doth he thus perswade vs hee is no Papist Fy Maister Mountagu for shame learne not thus of your Councell of Trent to equiuocate with your brethren yea with your Mother Church of England You hold with the Step-mother of Rome in her most damnable Doctrines whereby she vtterly euacuates Christ Iesus and the whole mystery of our saluation and yet you are no Papist Why Because forsooth you doe not hold those Doctrines to be Popery but catholicke with those of the Church of England If you can bring no better arguments to proue you a good Protestant these you haue brought will sufficiently conclude you to be a reconciling reconciled English Romane-catholicke Babylonius Sir to trouble you no longer for this time and for a conclusion of the first part of this Appeale
A PLEA TO AN APPEALE Trauersed Dialogue wise By H. B. August De Tempore Sermo 98. Idcirco Doctrinam Catholicam contradicentium obsidet impugnatio vt fides nostra non otio torpescat sed multis exercitationibus elimetur Ibid. There must be heresies euen among you that they which are approued may bee made manifest among you 1. Cor. 11. 19. Printed at London by W. I. 1626. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES KING OF GREAT Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Most gratious Soueraigne IF it be a mans glory to passe by an offence how much more a Kings who being armed with power to reuenge his pardon is the more glorious the more gratious This is Your Maiesties glory that You haue passed by the offence of Your seruant and Your glory how beautifully shall it shine forth if Your noble pardon shall be sealed with Your Royall Patronage of this poore Plea which if it passe not vnder the Priuiledge of the Caesarean Maiestie it is like to fare the worse for the Atturneys sake whom besides his many personall imperfections the very scarres of his late disgrace with so gracious a Maister expose with his Plea as no lesseridiculous to the Antagonists then Dauids sling was to Golia◠and his Philistims Who if they aske me vpon what hope I presumed to impleade an Appeale to Caesar I cannot answere with Solon vpon old age rather vpon pouerty rather vpon Caesars equity rather vpon the causes verity Yea my duty to God to your Maiestie to the sacred memory of your Royall Father to the Church of God to my Mother Church of England to the State to my Reuerend Fathers to my reproached Brethren all these summon me from my sweete safe Priuacy to runne a hazzard vpon the Theater of importune opposition And see also Dread Soueraigne how deeply You stand ingaged in this Plea Therein seuen Plaintifes sollicite Your Grace for justice First Truth she complaines of hard vsage how shee is driuen to seeke corners sith shee cannot passe the Presse Cum Priuilegio but must be silēced yea Gagged least while shee refuseth to subscribe to An Appeale she should by writing cleare her Doctrines from the infamous terme of Puritanisme and her selfe from being reproached for a Puritan The next Plaintife is Gods Glory Grace Gospell complaining they are vndermined ouerturned by an Appeale wherein Gods foundation of his free grace and mercy in electing vs in his Son to saluation is laid vpon the sandy ground of Mans freewill his eternall and vnrepentant loue to his Elect made to depend vpon the haire of humaine mutability standing on its owne vnsteddy bottome to fall totally finally The third Plaintife is the Sacred Ashes of Your Royall Father of famous memory complaining His honor is polluted prophaned in a high degree by An Appeale so much depressing the Synod of Dort which His Maiestie so much graced and exalting Arminianisme which His sacred Maiestie so much detested The fourth Plaintife is Gods Church especially our Mother Church of England iustly complaining how impiously she is abused and her Doctrines traduced by an Appeale as if in the very Fundamentalls as Praedestination Election Freewill Iustification Faith Perseuerance in sauing grace Certainty of saluation and the like shee iumped with the Apostatized Church of Rome and her confederate Arminians as if her Doctrines were not the same with the holy Scriptures as if they must be rated by a few priuate spirits ingrossing as by a Monopoly the name of the Church of England reducing Ecclesia Romana to Curia Romana as if her Doctrines were as mutable as their vniust Iudges who Cameleon like will change colour with euery obiect of time The fifth Plaintife is the State complaining of a ruefull distraction and rent it suffereth by a most factious and seditious Appeale which coming very vnseasonably like a disastrous Comet portendeth vniuersall ruine both to Church and State if the vast breach made thereby for the grand enemy to enter bee not all the sooner and surer if possible made vp againe The sixth Plaintife is the Ghost of some of the Reuerend forefathers of our Church as Doctor Bancroft once Bishop of London and Doctor Ouerall once Deane of Pauls and Bishop of Norwich complaining that their speeches in the Conference at Hampton Court Ianua 14. 1603. now lately printed the one about Praedestination the other Perseuerance in grace are pitifully and palpably peruerted in An Appeale to the great reproach of their owne Credits and in them the scandall of the Church of England The seuenth Plaintife is the Communion of Saints militant in this Church and elswhere yea some now Triumphant in heauen complaining that notwithstanding they striue both in faith and practise to come as neere as is possible for humaine frailtie to Christ and his Apostles yet for that very cause they are persecuted and reproached in An Appeale with the odious name of Puritan and what not Now all these Plaintifes most noble King do as by speciall interest craue iustice at Your Maiesties hands Truth claimes it as You are King of England Defender of the faith that as It makes You free so You would it with full priuiledge to plead its owne cause Gods glory claimes it of You as whom aboue all Princes in Christendome He hath put such a rich crowne of grace and glory vpon that thereby Your Maiestie might learne how highly to prize His infinite glory which the more You stand for against its enemies the more firmely it shall make You to stand against all Your Aduersaries The Sacred Ashes of Your royall Father of pious memory require justice of You not onely as you are a King but as the most pious Son of such a Father that as by An Appeale You are called to be an vmpire You would accordingly determine whither in Your judgement the Synod of Dort with the Decrees of it be rather to be reiected and set at nought for the Appealers vilifying and disclaming of it or religiously maintained by Your Maiestie at least for the incomparable judgement of King IAMES who both sent thither a learned select representatiue Church of England and Himselfe also gaue His royall assent to all the conclusions of it as being in all points consonant to the Doctrine of the Church of England The Church of England with the State like Hipocrates twinnes mutually affected with each others weale or woe both liuing together both dying together with one heart and voyce humbly craue justice of Your Maiestie as being next vnder Christ ouer both in all causes ouer all persons the onely supreme Gouernour that You would chastise their contumacious children who fasten reproaches and hasten ruines to both The fame of our Forefathers craveth justice of Your Maiestie to free them from the false aspersion of blasphemy and from the opinion of being Arminians All Gods children co-heires with Your Maiestie of the same Kingdome of glory implore Your iustice to rescue their innocency
from the reproach of Puritanisme the very name being enough to cause Truth to be taken for Heresie sincerity for hypocrisy a peaceable Conformitant for a seditious Schismaticke a loyall subiect for a traitor an honest man for a varlet Thus by iustice shall Your Maiesties throne be established Thus may fearefull consequents bee preuented if the causes be timely remoued I reade but of two maine things which wrought Ierusalems wracke the one Idolatry causing often desolations and miseries vpon that Church and state the other Heresy in reiecting of Christ and his righteousnesse seeking iustification by workes This later alone euen without the other for in Christs time and after not an Idol or Image was found in Iudea caused that fatall and finall irreparable ruine once for all Parallel to these two are Pontifician Idolatry and Arminian Heresy the summe whereof is to abolish the true and to establish a new Religion For the first it is grosse enough to bewray it selfe and to deserue to bee cast out least such lading not onely cause but conspire with the storme to drowne the ship it is carried in For the second because it is somewhat more refined and hath learned to goe vailed vnder the Maske of the Church of England the more dangerous both for seducement and sedition as a poyson the more subtile the more mortall be your Maiestie pleased to take aduertisment of the more proper markes of an Arminian An Arminian is in his personall qualities just like his Religion First he is no lesse ambitious of head-ship ouer men then his Religion is of copartnership at least with God in His glory Secondly as his Religion flatters him so he men very officious in soothlesse soothings the Spaniels that finde his ambition game Thirdly as his religion is contrary so hee cannot away with Reformed Churches and their learnedest and foundest writers as Caluin specially beyond the Seas Fourthly as he hates to be reformed so one peece of his Sermon must be an inuectiue against a reformed Christian his Puritan Fifthly sith his Religion complies so well with Popery he will therefore euer preferre the Church of Rome before any yea all Reformed Churches Sixthly though he loue to be a droane yet brings he a kinde of honey to Preferments hiue And he is now so fleshed with confidence that as euery where abroad hee will more frankly at Court make the theames of his Sermons to be Uniuersall grace equally offered to all to receiue if they will when a man hath receiued grace he may fall away totally yea finally from that grace of God and iustification Hee teacheth also that man can haue no other certainty of saluation but coniecturall that God hath predestinated none to glory but those whom hee foresaw would both by their Freewill receiue grace and would or could of themselues perseuere to the end that in the maine and fundamentall points of religion the Doctrine of the Church of England agreeth with the Councell of Trent These and the like bee the Doctrines of the Appeale which how true this insuing Plea will plainly shew Pardon my plaine zeale gratious Prince The Romaines despised not the noyse of their geese whereby their Capitol was preserued from the Gaules Let mee be accounted one of them for telling truth so our dangers may thereby bee preuented Yea those geese were highly rewarded I desire no other but that I may bee a common sharer in those blessings which shall attend both Church and State if but those Plaintifs bee righted whose satisfaction shall bee Your Maiesties honour the setling of Your Crowne the comfort of Your best friends the confusion of Your greatest foes the retaining of Gods fauour vpon Your Maiesties Person for grace peace and prosperity here for glory and immortality hereafter for all which I shall be as I am euer bound Your Maiesties most humble Orator though vnworthy seruant HENRY BVRTON The Preface to the Reader CHristian Reader I present thee here with a Plea to an Appeale That Appeale I meane styled An Appeale to Cesar. Which is such as I confesse sauing for the Titles wherein I find the Sacred name of Cesar I had filed my feete rather then my hands with it if after my long frustrate expectation of seeing it burned I had not to my great wonderment seene the contrary namely that it found so many friends and favorites Besides sundry things therein which at first might haue passed onely for errours as falling from some distemper of hastie passion being now stoutly and stiffly in cold blood defended they grow to be flat heresies and so no further to be tollerated as S. Augustine speaketh For my owne part when I perused the booke my spirit was not a little stirred in me to see Gods glory defaced our Salvation vndermined our Church scandalized and popish Arminianisme triumphing even vpon the open Theater Faine would I haue beene dealing with it but both the consciousnes of my many both naturall disabilities and personall infirmities as also the hope I had of so many my worthy and able elder brethren who I trusted would and still hope will vindicate at least their deare Mothers credit the Church of England held me backe Notwithstanding at last though the least of all I gaue the on-set nec tardum opperiens nec praecedentibus instans as well knowing that Hosanna is accepted of Christ as well from the mouthes of little children as of others Yea and sometimes if those should hold their peace the very stones would cry And where as not only my personall imperfections but my naturall corruptions also stood vp to disswade me from such a Taske yet even from them also did I draw motiues vnto it First because I thought my example of shewing willingnesse to my weaknesse might provoke the more able to be the more willing to supply my wants Secondly out of the sense and conscience of my many corruptions that Law in my members leading me miserable captiue to the law of sinne having such abundant experience of that superabundant grace of God which hath mightily borne me vp even against the streame of rebellious nature so that when my foote slipped his mercy held me vp I have learned hereby how deepely I am bound to expresse my thankfulnes to God in setting forth to the vttermost of my power the praise of the glory of his Grace sufficient for me against those thornes in my flesh against those buffering messengers of Satan threatning to overthrow me if the Lords never fayling grace had not made me to stand Yea how many stormes of temptations hath my brittle barke indured yet blessed be God it is not wracked Those Reliques of rebellious Canaanites dwelling in me as thornes in my side and pricks in myne eyes by Gods grace humble me onely overcome me not So that God having put in my hand such a tryed weapon of infallible experience of his saving grace I should be very ingratefull to let it lie rusting in the sheath and not to use
Church and State then serue to edification c. Appeale pag. 42. 78. 80. Which speeches and the like whether doe they tend but to suppresse those Doctrines of the Gospell whereby God is most glorified and man most humbled shall we spare such When Policarpus met Marcion the hereticke casually and neglecting him was asked of him Dost thou not know vs He replyed I know thee for the Diuels eldest childe Such was the zeale of holy men in times past against not onely those that were Hereticks but hinderers of the truth The Apostle wished that those false teachers of legall righteousnesse were euen cut off which troubled the Church of Galatia Therefore what cause any faithfull Minister of Christ hath to vse sharpnesse of stile to seditious seducers and troublers of Church and State in so famous a Kingdome in so perilous a season too let any indifferent man iudge And consider iudicious Reader if we had not a King seasoned from his very cradle with the knowledge of the true faith of Christ hauing now growne vp therein to a goodly ripenesse in regard whereof we haue small cause to suspect his constancy herein iâ—to what danger were we and Gods religion brought when such kind of Ministers are not wanting to helpe forward the reerecting of the Romish Baal in our Land had they but a young Manasses to restore the Altars and Groues which the good King Ezechiah his Father had pulled downe But to conclude sith these two fore named Worthies worthy to be named againe the Reuerend Bishop of Chichester Dostor Carlton and the Worshipfull Maister Francis Rovs haue so learnedly and zealously confuted some materiall points in the Appeale which like expert archers making speciall choyse of for their marke they haue hit home although I could haue wished that they had with no lesse felicity coped with the rest of the materialls in the booke yet sith they haue ben pleased to leaue behind them some liberall gleanings yea some whole ricks of tares to be cut vp and carried away from Gods wheat field I will craue leaue to shew at least my good will in all hoping my defects will finde pardon of all them who though they can yet forbeare to make their best supply The blasphemer was to be stoned of the whole Congregation some hitting one part some another till he were beaten downe and buried vnder the heape Yet in this Impression the Plea reacheth no farther then the first part of the Appeale Which if it finde courteous intertainment the other part is forth comming and wants but time to helpe the slownesse of the Presse to bring it forth Farewell Thine in the Lord H. B. Good Reader correct these faults with thy pen with others of smaller note The rest are noted in the end of the booke Amend first then reade Page 7 line 19 reade scantling l. 28 r. Doctrines p. 51 l. 13. r. preuifion p. 52 l 6 r. â—ssâ—s p. 54. l. 21. r. 4. 5. l. 29 r. sâ—â—scos p. 82. l. 3 1. â—â—â—â—â—ude 10. l. 9 1. vn 〈◊〉 c. Whence l. 13 1. anima l. 24 1. prâ—â—â—ceth p. 83 l. 15 r. the beginnâ—ng p. 84. l. 35 1. into him p. 85 l. 24 r. quomodo p. 87 l 13 1. â—xecrated p. 91 l. 30 1 ground of hope l. 35 r. his Maiesties A PLEA TO AN APPEALE Asotus Babylonius Orthodoxus ASotus Master Babylonius you are well met Babylonius And you Master Asotus Asotus Sir I thanke you for your last good company at the Ordinary and especially for your both merry and learned discourse wherein among other passages you wittilie disciphered the nature of a Puritan that common opposite to vs both I was much delighted to heare you and haue often thought of you since and shall loue you the better for it for of all men I cannot away with these Puritans a precise sect crosse and contrary to all other men A man may not sweare an oath forsooth nor play the good fellow a little in drinking a cup or two more then needs for good fellowship-sake nor loue a wench and the like but wee must passe their most sharpe censure Nay hauing deeply waighed the matter I am perswaded that were it not for these Puritans wee and you should agree together as louing brethren and Countreymen Babylonius Are you aduised of that friend Asotus you haue hit the very nayle on the head and herein you discouer your wisdome and judgement For it were no hard matter I wis to reconcile you and mee and such as wee are as well in Religion and opinion as we are already in affection were it not for these make-bate Puritans And you haue well said in saying we and you for howsoeuer the Puritans both in England and beyond the seas I meane the Caluinists and Hugenots are called Protestants yet betweene them and vs Romane Catholicks there is a great Gulfe set so that there is no hope of reconciliation betweene vs. And indeed for those ciuill and good fellow Protestants whom I know you meane that hold of the Church of England and of the Doctrine of the Church for the prop and piller of their Faith there is great hope that they will ere long be reconciled to the holy mother Church of Rome for he that beleeueth as the Church beleeueth is not farre from the kingdome of God But these Puritans they will not acknowledge any rule of faith from the Church but are all for Scriptures Scriptures so that so long as they are of that minde there is no hope of reconciliation betweene vs and them vnlesse they will yeeld to this Manime That the Church is the Iudge and interpreter of the Scriptures which they most obstinately deny Asotus But by your leaue Master Babylonius I neuer vnderstood but that the Doctrine of the Church of England was all one with the Doctrine of the Scriptures as I euer haue ben taught Babylonius I will not take vpon me now to dispute that point but haue you not seene an excellent Booke set out of late by one of your most learned Ministers which he calls his Appeale to Caesar. Asotus I haue heard of it the Author is highly commended by some for a great Scholler but a great many on the other side and especially those we call Puritans doe very much condemne the booke saying it is written in the gall of bitternesse and with the spirit of sedition enough to set all in a combustion if his books should passe for currant Babylonius In the gall of bitternesse That was the doome of Saint Peter vpon Simon Magus but by such like puritanicall censures you may the better judge of the worthinesse of the booke which is both learnedly and wittily pend Asotus You say well I thinke neuer a whit the worse of the booke for the Puritans taxing of it nor the Author the lesse learned when you Master Babylonius sticke not so to commend him Babylonius I must needs ingenuously confesse that I like the booke the better
because it plagues the Puritans and plots a reconciliation betweene vs and you Asotus Wee agree in that But sith you so much commend the booke and so much rumor runnes of it I will goe cast away one couple of shillings vpon it Babylonius Friend Asotus though I would not preuent you of buying so worthy a booke yet for this time I will lend it you here it is read it then as you like buy it Asotus Sir I accept it thankfully Let mee a little peruse it Babylonius Freely Asotus Appello Caesarem c. But I find here Doctor Whites approbation prefixed to it which I must tell you Master Babylonius doth make me much maruell that you so much commend the booke for you know what a publicke adversary hee hath ben to Romane Catholicks so that I should imagine this booke which Doctor White so much approueth is more an aduersary to Romane Catholiques then to our home-bred Puritans Babylonius Yea but you must know Master Asotus it is one thing what a man saith in publicke for popular applause and salary and another what he thinketh in his owne priuate opinion and conscience As the Mathematician cited by Saint Aug said to his wife disciplining her for abusing his art for wantonnesse shee imputing her lightnesse to the aspect of Venus and that he should beate Venus not her for it It is one thing what I do as a gouernour of my wife another what I vent to the buyer for the maintenance of my life Doctor White is a good wiseman knoweth how to attemper himselfe to the times It is lesse enuie to passe his judgment vnder anothers name which he thought not so fit in his owne Asotus But in Law if there be any default the Accessary is no lesse guiltie then the Principall the Receauer then the Thiefe Babylonius True but here the case is different For say the booke containes matter vnapprouoble to many yet Doctor White if he se occasion may easily winde himselfe out of the snare as I heare he doth already saying That the Copie printed varieth from that which hee approued Blame him not till the booke as happily and hopefully it will get better footing in the worlds affection and good will In the meanetime it is good pollicy a little to pull in the hornes For it is obiected by the Puritan faction that Master Mountagues former booke called his Gag which his Appeale defendeth doth in many particulars containe expresse contrarieties to the Doctrine of the Church of England and consequently his Appeale with the factors and abettors as Accessaries at least come within the compasse of a Premunire But you know these pestilent Puritans will say and make the worst of things and they are a strong faction And perhaps the buzze may somewhat possesse the good old man with a panicke feare least not onely hee loose what hee hath but which is much more what his many merits may hope for sauing that Saints merits are not so high flowne in the Church of England but they are easily ouersoared by Simon Magus flying to the top of euery pinnacle of the highest Temple vpon Angels wings But for the booke I doe not hold it so greatly blame worthy as finding it a faire and towardly beginning to produce in time most hopefull consequents as they say Rome was not built in one day but let me a little excuse the good old man And the rather because the Puritans sticke not to cast him in the teeth with White dyed blacke which colour say they comming from the fatt of a Romane Catholick Dyer would not haue holden soe sure if it had not found the ground of a selfe-woading to make it the more permanent Yet the Appealer I can tell you hath faire Cards on his sides and almost all the Helps for the fiue-fingers being the Club-trump turnd vp The first Card dealt him is the best help but one Yea all the Cards in his hand are blacke and hee hath a faire pull to rubbe for his ase colours for it puting his Appello in good hope But the mischiefe is after much hard drawing his Ase proues a Spade Well yet he hath a strong hand of the best Coates and what hee cannot doe by strong hand with Clubbs hee hopes to play his part with the vndermining Spade whereof he is well stored Onely he misseth the Ase of Hearts which some make an embleme of truth being alwaies a Helpe whatsoeuer is trumpe nor hath he any of that colour But hee well hopes that Helpe sleepeth as also the rubb-aseâ— which if his aduerse part haue not he doubts not but the game will go cock-sure on his side with his number of Coates Pardon mee this comparison I was late the last night at Maw with two or three faire Ladies Asotus And I could haue wished to haue beene so happy as to haue borne you company But is it lawfull for those of your Order to play at Cards Babylonius Lawfull Doth not the Apostle say All things are lawfull Asotus But he addes withall All things are not expedient all things edifie not Babylonius But the same Apostle saith elsewhere I became all things to all men that I might win the more Asotus Yea to saue some but what was that with Card-play Babylonius Come now you play the Puritan But is it not more to gaine then to saue Asotus But there is a gaining to a mans losse For what shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule Babylonius On my soule I thinke you will turne Puritan Asotus Ha ha ha Babylonius But wee gaine the world to the Church wherein the world is saued as the Beasts were in Noah Arke which were therefore saued to be foode for Noah who was then the Priest Asotus You reason very learnedly ad oppositum Babylonius But in a word friend Asotus we of our holy Order and Societie howsoeuer in our Cells and Cloysters we liue strictly obseruing the ancient Cannons of Priests yet conuersing here amidst many Wolues I meane the vengeable Puritans which are stil pressing the Lawes against vs we are faine to be wise as serpents and to put on all habits and fashions yea euen those of Russians and Roring-boyes that so wee may not appeare to be those Sheepe whom the Wolues seeke to deuoure Asotus Now you say something I commend your wit but I know not how this stands with honestie Should ye not also be innocent as doues Babylonius Tush man wee must doe as wee may and in case of necessity dispence with honestie for spirituall aduantage Asotus Well these be Paradoxes But to returne to your former matter concerning this booke mee thinkes you tell strange things of it Babylonius Strange things I tell you you shall finde it a most rare booke written with a braue authoritie and with a most lofty spirit mee thinkes he writes as if he were the very Orâ—elo of the Church of England as the Popes Holinesse is the
for losse of faith he must meane iustifying and sauing faith and not that faith of the Romane Church hee alledgeth the 16. Article in these words After we haue receiued the holy Ghâ—st we may depart from grace giuen fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee way rise againe and amende our liues Now in all due remembrance to my blessed mother the Church of England is it not as lawfull for mee her Sonne to take her in a good sense as for another in a bad And if it be lawfull for me to interpret her words according to the letter it is one thing recedâ—re a gratia another excidere one thing to depart aside as out of the way erroniously another 〈◊〉 fall quite away and to abandon the way at least for the time to fall quite away from grace nor doth the Article speake of a totall falling away but of such slips as are recouered by repentance against the Doctrine of Nâ—â—atus as is there expressed It being one thing to fall into sin of infirmitie another to fall away from grace totally But if by departing be meant a totall falling away then how doth this accord with the Scripture that saith If such as were once enlightned c doe fall away it is impossible they should be renewed againe to repentance Againe for the words of the Homilie alledged by the Appealer they containe a wholsome admonition to pietie and perseuerance therein but they mention no totall falling away from true and sauing grace in any one particular true beleeuer Therefore by departing is meant some other thing then any totall falling away from grace so that howsoeuer wee imbrace and adore the generall Doctrine of the Church of England our deare Mother yet whatsoeuer she saith we must not presently take it at the first rebound according to our priuate fancie which what it affects and inclines to it can easilie as the corrupt stomacke assimilate euen wholesome meates and cause them to corrupt or as the Naturall thinkes the bells ring that which hee imagines so apt is mans fancie to take words rather by the sound then by the sense to feede his pre-conceiued opinion yet as neither the Church of England her selfe auoucheth or concludeth any thing for Doctrine and matter of Faith but so farre as is consonant to the word of God so that her Doctrines are to be called the Doctrines of God rather than of the Church so neither are we to measure her Doctrines but by the onely line and rule of the Scriptures But by the Scriptures there is either no totall falling away from grace or if there be as from the common grace it must necessarily be finall too for it is impossible saith the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 such as fall away should be renewed againe to râ—pentance Therefore the Church of Englands words speaking of dâ—pâ—â—ting from grace and yet of returning againe cannot be understood of a totall falling away of particular persons from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 grace so that it appeaâ—es the Appeallâ—r hath wrested the words of the Article to his owne fancie he should first conclude out of the Scriptures that there is a falling away from grace totally But if the Scriptures teach the contrary let no man fasten such a reproach vpon the Church of England casting durt in his Mothers face as teaching otherwise then her heauenly Husband hath taught in his Word Babylonius But where doe the Scriptures teach that a man cannot fall away from grace and saâ—ing 〈◊〉 after he once hath it Orthodoxus In many places and that so pregnantly and definitiuely as the very Aduersaries of this truth confesse it may be waued and taken indifferently either way whither for a penny as we say their OpinioÌ„ or Gods Truth Babylonius But if Scripture say and gainsay how shall we beleeue them or how shall we reconcile them Orthodoxus Very easily for as there is but one truth so if wee first pitch vpon that truth where wee finde it clearely and positiuely laid downe in the Scripture then whatsoeuer places of scripture seeme to contradict yet the sense thereof must of necessitie bee reduced to that positiue truth For the purpose 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because hâ— is borne of God Here is set downe a positiâ—e truth Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne and the reasons are annexed first for the seede of God remaiâ—eth in him and secondly because he is borne of God he cannot sinne But this seemes a hard and a darke saying doe not Gods 〈…〉 sinne yoâ— surâ—ly for In many things we 〈◊〉 all saith Saint 〈◊〉 but the same Apostle cleares the sense in his 5. Chapter of the Epistle Verse 16 17. There is a sinne vnto death and there is a 〈◊〉 not vnto death now Gods children commit sinne which is not vnto death whereof ver 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death he shall aske and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death But of the sinne that is vnto death of that the Apostle speakes ver 18. Wee know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death Now Gods child sinneth not vnto death that is falleth not from faith as Saint Augustinâ— vnderstands this sin vnto death neither totally nor much lesse finally for the seede of God remaineth in him The seede of God is the holy Spirit of God by which as a holy and liuing seede wee are begotten and borne of God This seedâ— is that annointing whereof the Apostle speakes 1 Iohn 2. 27. The annointing which yee haue receiued of â—im abideth in you and therefore yee shall abide in him Therefore none shall be able to seduce you v. 26. Now if thâ— the annointing abide in vs if the seede of God remaines in vs how then can we fall totally much lesse finally from grace for the Spirit of grace remaineth in vs. So long as this seed of God remaines in vs and being once receiued it abideth with vs Gods regenerate cannot so degenerate as by falling from grace to cease to be his sonnes He that is of the blood royall yea who is descended immediately from the Kings owne loynes cannot cease to bee the Kings sonne for the seede and blood of the King is in him And yet though a Kings sonne may degenerate from his Fathers vertues notwithstanding his Fathers blood bee in him yet the bâ—gotten of God as they haue his seede alwaies remaining 〈◊〉 them so it is an actiue quickning and pregnant seede springing vp to life eterâ—all wherin Gods child groweth in grace till he be a perfect man in Christ Iasus Againe this seede of God is immortall as the Father is immortall Now as a mortall father begets a mortall son So the immortall God can beget no sonne but is immortall as his Father is It is impossible for the
them to his shâ—â—pe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand My Father which gaue them me is greater than all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers â—and I and my Father are one And Saint Peter said we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. And the Prophet Dauid sheweth by this reason that the righteous shall neuer fall totally away because Gods band euer supporteth them as Psal. 37. 24. Though he fall hee shall not bee vtterly cast downe for the Lord vpholdeth him with his band Which place Aquinas applies to the same purpose in Rom. 8. A fourth reason from the will of God Ioh. 6. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing but should arise is vp at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth on him should 〈◊〉 euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day A fifth reason drawne from the efficacie of Christs prayer Ioh. 17. 20. and so to the end of the Chapter A sixth reason from the impossibilitie of seducing the Saints from Christ by Antichrist and false Prophets Mat. 24. 24. A seuenth reason from the perpetuall mansion and inhabitation of Gods Spirit in all the faithfull 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death as chap. 5. â—6 For his seede remaineth in him and be cannot sinne because he is borne of God An eight reason from the infallibility of Gods knowledge of all his called Gods foundation 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his whereupon Saint Augustine concl deth thus If the elect may perish and fall away then God may be deceiued But God cannot be deceiued therefore his elect cannot perish nor fall away And if at any time the elect doe exorbitate or decline out of the way vpon reproofe they are reformed and returne into the way from which they had digressed As Aquinas cites the glosse on Rom. 8. verse 28. Vsque adeo c. To such as loue God he doth so cause all things to cooperate for good as if any of them stray or straggle euen this also hee causeth to turne to their further good yea euen their sinnes cooperate to their greater good in causing them to walke more humbly and carefully A ninth reason is from the inseperable vnion betweene Christ and euery true beleeuer Christ himselfe expresseth this sweetly applying it as a speciall tye and token of the saints continuâ—ance in him Ioh. 17. 20. I pray not for these aloâ—â— but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorow their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And that glory which thou hast giuen me I haue giuen them that they may be one euen as wee are one I in thee and thou in met that they may be made perfect in one So that as not a bone of his naturall body was broken so neither a bone of his mysticall body For he keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Psal. 34 20. Not a haire of their head shall perish that are his members I will adde but one reasonâ—more of many vsed in Scripture to confirme the Doctrine of the Saints perseuerance and it is taken from Gods eternall election and effectuall vocation of his elect vnto eternall life As Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did praedestinate them he also called and whom hee called them he also iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified This is such a golden chaine as all the Diuells of hell can neuer breake Christ vseth the same reason Ioh. 15. 16. Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite should remaine which place Saint Augustine sweetly applyeth to Gods eternall election whence springeth thâ— perseuerance of his elect whose fruite remaineth for euer As also the same Augustine applieth that other place to the Romans to the Saints perseuerance and onely to the elect Saints quoruÌ„ it a certus est numerus c. whereof the number is so certaine that none of them can perish no more than any of the reprobate can be saved And so hee concludes the Saints perseverance from the foundation of Gods eternall election and praedestination Quis c. What one could be ordained to eternall life but with the gift of persence raÌ„ce This is the Doctrine also of the Church of England Artiâ— 17. So then if God can breake his euerlasting covenant with his people if his sauing feare be such as to whom it is giuen it will not suffer them to depart from God if Gods loue in Christ to his owne be immutable and endlesse if Christs power and his Fathers be so great that none can plucke his elect out of his hands if it be the Fathers will that none of his elect shall perish but haue eternall life if Christs prayer for his elect cannot bee in vaine if it be impossible for all Antichrists power and policie and lying wonders to seduce Gods elect if the perpetuall residence of Gods holy Spirit in his regenerate preserue them from sinning vnto death if Gods infallible knowledge of his owne cannot be deceiued but remaineth as a sure and sealed foundation if all things cooperate for their good and nothing can seperate them from the loue of Christ if Gods eternall election and praedestination of his to grace and so to glory cannot be frustrate then who dare be so bold as to affirme that the Saints may fall away either totally or finally from grace so fall short of glory Babylonius But my authour instanceth two examples of totall falling away from grace the one of King Dauid the other of the prime Apostle Saint Peter now if these did fall totally from grace at least for a time then is it possible for any in the state of grace to fall totally from that stateâ— and so come short of finall perseâ—â—rance And to proue thier totall fall he argueth thus 〈◊〉 â—ter fell now if he fell he must needs full totally or finally for Cedo tertium And saith hee if Dauids and Peters repentance had beene preuented by death they should haue perished eternally And you know that a supposition must necessarily imply a possibilitie of the thing supposed else it were absurd so that it was possible they might haue beene preuented by death before they had repented and so haue perished eternally As the Authour saith elsewhere * cap. 4. that it is possible for the fallen away to arise againe possible but not certaine and necessary Orthodoxus By mentioning this last
louing kindnesse will I not vtterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile My couenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gon out of my lips once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not faile Dauidâ— his seede shall endure for euer And St. Ioh. saith If any man sin we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sins Babylonius But say their fall was not totall yet fearefull it was and such as without repentance would haue tumbled them downe to hell Where is then perseuerance where praedestination and election vnto grace and glory Orthodoxus True it is that without faith and repentance there is no saluation and a man dying impenitent is damned But we must know that as faith and repentance are conditions which God hath ordained and so requires on our part though himselfe giue them and worke them in vs so they are a part of those meanes which God hath appointed to attaine the end of our saluation And the meanes are such so fixed and established of God as they shall alwaies attend vpon his purpose and pleasure in our election to grace and glory So that as God hath in his eternall decree preordained vs vnto glorie hee hath also preordained the meanes in time as the way vnto that glory so that none of his Elect shall fall through infirmitie into any sinne as Dauid and Peter did but Gods grace which neuer faileth his shall raise them vp againe by the renouation of their faith and repentance before that any sodaine death shall be able to preuent them or so to take theÌ„ out of Christs and his Fathers hands Neither doth the stabilitie of Gods election depend vpon the condition of our faith and repentance but contrarywise the condition of our faith and repentance depeÌ„deth vpon the immutabilitie of Gods Praedestination producing all the meanes and conditions requisite to the end as the roote of the tree doth the branches and fruits And this is the expresse Doctrine of the Church of England most sweetly set downe in the 17. Article of Praedestination and Election Babylonius But this Doctrine howsoever it may seeme to be true yet it tendeth to presumption and carnall securitie to commit and continue in sinne Also Dauids and Peters sinne if it were not a totall falling it giues too much encouragement to others to commit the like or at least lesse sinnes boldly Orthodoxus No this doctrine appertaines properly to the faithfull penitent that if through frailty they haue sinned they may not bee without hope of mercy vpon their repentance So that this doctrine is an Antidote against desperation when Gods childe through humaine frailtie is ouercome with a temptation it is a cordiall of comfort quickning his hope vnto a godly sorrow But if it be or seeme to be a Doctrine of presumption it is so to none of Gods Saints who pray with Dauid as to be cleansed from their secrets faults so to be kept backe from presumptuous sinnes And where St. Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate c. There hee sets a barracado against presumption in the frontire of it My little children these things write I vnto you that you sin not And God hath his rod likewise to scare his children from sinning by presuming on his mercy for hee saith If they sinne I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes Yea Gods holy feare is in their hearts that they shall not by presumption depart from God as Ieremy speakes As for Dauids sand Peters sinne while we defend it not to be a totall alling away we doe not any way extenuate it for they were notwithstanding great and fearefull sinnes neither of them exemplarie to be imitated but rather to be auoided Their examples are left vs in Scripture that we might imitate not their sinne but their repentance sith they found mercy not their fall but their speedy rising againe As the Apostle saith of such Scriptures they are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15. Yea their examples tend rather to humiliation then presemption for if such pillars shake the laths may well tremble Lapsus maiorum sit tremor minorum saith Augustine Let the fall of the greater and stronger be the feare of the lesser and weaker And to conclude with Saint Augustine this point concerning Dauids sinne he saith Mâ—lticadere c. Many will fall with Dauid but they will not rise with Dauid therefore he is not set for a precedent of falling but if thou hast fallen of rising againe beware thou fallest not let not the fall of the greater bee the reioycing of the lesser but their trembling for this end is it set forth for this written for this often read and sung in the Church Let them that haue not fallen heare that they may not fall and they that haue fallen let them heare that they may get vp againe But saith he Auiunt male vinentes c. Ill-liuers heare it and seeke thereby a patronage of sinning they attend that they may haue to defend what they are about to commit and not to preuent what they haue not as yet committed and they say to themselues if Dauid why not also I Hereupon is their soule more wicked which doing so because Dauid did so they doe worse then Dauid whereas Dauid sinned not by sample he fell by the slip of his lust not by the patronage of sanctity thou louest that in Dauid which he hated in himselfe In a word such ensamples stand for sea-markes to warne vs to decline not to teach vs to rush vpon the rocke And who would to inioy Dauids sinne indure Gods rod the smart whereof went so to Dauids heart It was a sinne dearely bought though mercifully pardoned Babylonius But the Doctrine of perseuerance tendeth to possesse men with carnall security Orthodoxus It may seeme so to those that know not the true nature of sauing grace which is such as in whomsoeuer it is it preserueth that man from all carnall security sauing grace and carnall security being opposite one to the other as in the forenamed place of Ieremy chap. 32. 40. Gods feare causeth perseuerance And Saint Ioh. saith expresly He that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure So farre is a liuely hope of eternall life from possessing him that hath it in him with carnall security the more licentiously to wallow in the puddle of sinne It is an euill signe to that man to whom the truth of Christ becomes a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence Let such beware lest so stumbling they be broken and so least at last this stone falling vpon them grinde them to powder Babylonius But Sir you conclude the point of perseuerance with a dangerous and difficult Doctrine of praedestination a Doctrine which it were to bee
wished might neuer bee mentioned by Diuines and Preachers Yet the mentioning of it by you in this place ministers vnto me a fit occasion to desire your resolution concerning this point it being also the next thing in order treated of by our Authour Orthodoxus Sir you speake contradictories first you wish all were mute in the mention of this Doctrine and yet in the second place you desire me to speake my minde of it But I pray you tell me why you wish the mention hereof to be altogether silence Babylonius Because of the generall offence taken at it for it is a stumbling stone whereon many doe fall Orthodoxus So is Christ a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence to many would ye therefore haue the mention of Christ suppressed But what if many men are offended with this Doctrine an offence may be vniustly taken where it is not iustly giuen Babylonius But it is called by a late great Bishop of this Land quoted by the Authour cap. 4. a desperate Doctrine as himselfe also stileth it in his 7 chapter and none saith he did contradict the Bishops words at that Conference Orthodoxus I haue by this time learned to lessen my wondering to see which Saint Iude tells vs a raging waue of the sea foaming out his owne shame hee hauing not once but so often leapt ouer all the limits of modesty The Romanes had a custome if the dogs that kept their Capitall did barke in the day time ' or causlesly at friends and those that came to worship their Gods crura suffringere to breake their legges The Orator applies it to accusers Yea I haue knowne a poore dog beaten by his Master for giuing warning of theeues approach So easie it is to finde a staffe to beate a dog And yet shall Censure pardon the Crow and punish the Doue shall a man thus impune lawlesly reproach Gods truth his Church his children yea the prime Fathers of our Church no small scandall to our Religion and yet be suffered to triumph and glory in his owne shame How The Lord Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft in publicke audience with much vehemency without any checke dislike distast dissent to stile praedestination a desperate Doctrine Is it possible a Bishop of the Church of England should say so to call praedestination a desperate Doctrine And if he did so is it credible that such a speech so vehemently avoucht in a publike assembly should passe without hissing And in what assembly surely where were present the most wise learned judicious pious King in Europe or in the whole World the most renowned King IAMES with many reuerend and learned Diuines And none of these to check such a speech surely their honor and credit lies at the stake vpon it But how doth it appeare that the Bishop vttered such a speech How Pythagoras himselfe hath said it M. Mountagu the Appealer saith it But by his leaue by our former experience of his allegations we will aske and enquire in the originall record whither it be so or on In the summe of the Conference pag. 29. line 8. wee finde these very wordes indeede a desperate Doctrine But what did he call a desperate Doctrine The doctrine of praedestination Nothing lesse The Appealers wits are too nimble out-running his his reason by many degrees Wee must put a clog vpon his heeles setting downe the whole passage of that vpon this occasion The Bishop of London tooke occasion to signifie to his Maiestie how very many in these dayes neglecting holinesse of life presumed too much of persisting of grace laying all their religion vpon Praedestination if I shall bee saued I shall bee saued which he tearmed a desperate Doctrine shewing it to be contrary to good Diuinitie and the true Doctrine of Praedestination wherein we should reason rather ascendendo then descendendo thus I liue in obedience to God in loue with my neighbour I follow my vocation c. therefore I trust that God hath elected me and praedestinated me to saluation not thus which is the vsuall course of argument God hath praedestinated and chosen me to life therefore though I sinne neuer so grieuously yet I shall not be damned Thus the words run Now I must confesse I am to try the matter at the Appealers owne chiefe weapon euen the Syntax of Grammer wherein he is no small Critick He saith that the Relatiue which hath for the Antecedent Praedestination I a poore Punie say Which hath for his Antecedent Presuming too much of persisting of grace laying all their Religion vpon Praedestination If I shall be saued I shall be saued Which he tearmed a desperate doctrine For it is plaine the Bishop called not Praedestination a desperate doctrine but the sinister conclusions that carnall and impious men abusiuely draw from thence being of the number of those vnlearned in the true mystery of Christ and vnstable which as Saint Peter speakes wrest this and other Doctrines of the Scriptures and particularly of St. Pauls Epistles to their owne destruction Such wreched peruerting of the Doctrine of Praedestination the Bishop calleth a desperate doctrine and not Praedestination it selfe For Praedestination and the holy vse of it such as the Scripture hath reuealed and described vnto vs he calleth good diuinitie and true doctrine laying downe very godly and ancâ—â—tly the right order and rule of euery faithfull mans particular vse and application of Praedestination to himselfe namely that we labour to know we are rooted in that deepe mystery of Gods Election in Christ by the fruits of a liuely faith in all obedience Thus and no otherwise doe the Scriptures teach Thus and no otherwise doe all orthodox Diuines euen Caluin himselfe apply this Doctrine Such the learned Caluin calleth plaine hoggs that say if they bee of the number of the Elect their sins shall not hinder them from attaining to life Facessant ergo c. Away therefore with such sacrilegies which wickâ—dly peruert the whole order of Election And hee calls also such conclusions blasphemies So that the Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft and Master Iohn Caluin say in effect one and the same thing the one calling the corrupt conclusions which carnall men draw from Praedestination a desperate Doctrine the other the blasphemies and sacrilege of hogges and swine which is the very Doctrine of the Church of England as it is excellently set downe in the Article of Praedestination and Election 17. Thus wee see the Appealer hath brought his hogges to a faire market while through poore Caluins sides he smites the Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft yea and the whole Church of England and through all by his vndisciplined solecisme hee wounds Praedestination it selfe while hee will needes haue it absolutely called A DESPERATE DOCTRINE Nor is it a new thing that carnall men stumble and cauill at the Doctrine of Praedestination The Pelagians in Saint Augustines time did the like Nor can I shape you a fitter
answere then hee did to them and so to all aduersaries of this Doctrine of the grace of God Nuâ— propter malos c Is the truth of this Doctrine to wit of praedestination to be forsaken or shall it bee thought worthy to bee cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked cold Let the truth be spoken especially where any question doth require it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it least haply while it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth wherby falshhood may bee detected bee not onely defrauded of the truth but may be ouertaken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum c. Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue may receiue it than to be suppressed that not onely neither can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is importunate and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued that it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now be no more grace and yet we will not speake that which by the testimonie of the Scriptures wee may speake for we feare forsooth lest if wee speake hee that cannot receiue the truth be offended and we feare not lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by error For either is praedestination so to be preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be praedestinate the gifts calling of God may be without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giueÌ„ according to our merits which is the opinion wisdome of the Pelagians And againe cap. 2 1. ibid. he saith Nimiae coÌ„tentionis est c. Itis too much peruersues to contradict praedestinatioÌ„ or yet to doubt of it Babylonius But you know that the late wise and judicious King IAMES of famous memory did inhibite and restraine the preaching of the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election Orthodoxus But in what respect His Maiestie did not restraine Preachers from the liberty of preaching the Doctrine of Praedestination it being a speciall part of the Gospell but rather to giue caution and direction at least to yonger Ministers and Diuines lest through want of mature judgment in the manner of opening that mystery and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the inâ—udicious and ignorant hearer or those of weake consciences As Saint Aug. denies not but wisdome and discretion is to bee vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so to be preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe Nam dolosi vel imperiti medici est c. It is the propertie of a deceitfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt This was the minde of his Excellent Maiestie of blessed Memory in that his iniunction to aduise all Ministers to play the faithfull and skilfull Physitians in in the applycation of so wholsome profitable and comfortable a plaster and Doctrine as the Church of England calls it Art 17 though the Appealer doth flout his Informers and those which call Praedestination a comfortable doctrine Appeale pag. 39. But otherwise his Maiestie himselfe of blessed Memory hath left His royall record of this Diuine Doctrine in his learned and Diuine Paraphrase of the Reuelation the 20 chap. in the latter end in these words The Booke of life was opened to the Elect that all those those whose names were written into it to wit Praedestinated and Elected for saluation before all beginings might then be selected for eternall glory Babylonius Neither doth the Authour here simply oppose or question the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election but as it is deliuered by the new Diuines as hee calls them to wit Caluin and his fellowes whom he chargeth with a two-fold error as touching Praedestination The first is that they teach especially Caluin that Gods eternall election and praedestination was irrespectiue and absolute without any respect or reference to Adams fall The second error of Caluin is in deliuering the doctrine of praedestination in such a rigid manner as he doth Orthodoxus For Master Caluin there needeth none other Apologie then his owne Workes or Writings which shall euer praise him in the gate For his workes and in summe his Institutions if a man snatch at them as the Aegyptian dog doth at Nilus for feare of the Crocodile not obseruing his grounds taken from Scripture nor well waighing his reasons no maruell if such snatchers prepossessed with a preiudicate opinion can as easily opeÌ„ their mouths against such famous Authours as the Dog can barke at the Moone-shine But perhaps hee had no more quarrel to holy Caluin then that fellow had to just Aristides who not knowing Aristides by face but onely by fame that he was a just man came to him vnwittingly to craue him to write downe his name for him that hee might with the rest of the enuious Citizens consent to his banishment by their law of Ostracismon because he so much excelled others in honesty It may be he neuer read Caluins workes much lesse his Institutions to catechise him in the grounds of religion Or perhaps hee hates Caluin as Ahab did the Prophet Micaiah because his Doctrine is altogether against his Interim-religion with all his confederate Intermiists Orwhatsoeuer is the cause Thus did Heretickes by catching at the outward rinde and barke of some one part of Scripture maintaine their Heresies But I maruell what the Appealer could reade or heare of Master Caluin that hee should write so contemptuously of him sauing that he was a holy man faithfull and painfull in his calling exercised with continuall preaching writing watchfull prouidence in gouerning a man of great learning dexteritie of wit sincerity of judgment of great piety equity and sobriety of life a true patterne and precedent of vertue Therefore as Christ said Many good workes haue I done among you for which of these doe yee stone me so for which of Caluins vertues doth this Authour tongue-smite him The most noble and judicious King IAMES of happie Memory thought not so slightly of that learned Diuine while he prefered his Commentaries vpon the Scriptures before all others It were to be wished that the Authour going about to oppose such a worthy and famous man had imitated the heathen Academicke Carneades who intending to write against the positions of Zeno the Stoicke did first purge his stomacke and pectorall parts with white hellebore lest some malignant humour possessing the stomacke might distemper and imbitter his style which is no lesse a disparagment to a professed Christian Diuine than was wont to be of old to the Heathen
Philosophers But not the person of so worthy a man but his opinion is inueighed against Well what opinion about Praedestination and Reprobation But I pray you what is Caluins error about Praedestination Babylonius In that he holdes it to be an act of an irrespectiue decree of God ordaining some to saluation others to torments without any prerespect of good in the one or of euill in the other or without any reference to Adams fall Orthodoxus Why may not God doe so if it please him Is not his will absolute and free And hath not the Potter power to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honor and another to dishonor Is it not said of Iacoh and Esau twinnes newly conceiued in the wombe that before they did good or euill that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth The elder shall serue the younger And whatsoeuer God willeth it must needes be iust I would gladly see this place well solued But to let that passe what place doth your Authour alledge out of Caluin for this his opinion Babylonius Out of his Institutions booke 3. chap. 21 sect 5. you may reade his words here at large set downe by the Authour Orthodoxus This place in my simple judgment doth not conclude necessarily and such opinion as he is charged withall For it proveth not that God in his eternall decree had no respect to the corrupt masse in Adams fall Euery man is created to that end to which God hath ordained him True For God doth nothing but for a speciall end But is this creation meant of Adams first creation That is not necessary For although all men might be said to be created in Adams loynes yet it is onely potentially and seminally So that if Caluin may as well bee vnderstood to speake of the particular creation of euery man in his generation as of his generall creation in Adams loynes before his fall charity should induce a Christian to interpret in the better part where there is not euidence to the contrary But what if Caluin doe in expresse wordes otherwhere acquit himselfe of what the Appealer thus calumniously chargeth him with all in this point As indeede he doth in sundry places where he saith That Gods Election and Praedestination was not without speciall respect and reference to Adams fall and to the corrupt masse as is euident in the 22. chap. of the alledged booke and seuenth section saying Quaeritur an natura elects imò qui alieni erant trahendo suos facit It is demanded whether they are by nature elect yea they which were strangers and aliants by drawing them hee maketh his owne So that God chose them finding them strangers And a little after in the same section Si quis roget vnde elegerit alibi respondet Christus Ex mundo quem à precibus suis excludit vbi Discipulos Patri commendat If any aske whence he chose them Christ answereth elsewhere Out of the world which he excludeth from his prayers when he commends his Disciples to his Father If then they be chosen out of the world and the world be meant of all the wicked as heere then what else can Caluin meane hereby but that Gods eternall election had a speciall reference to that world of wickedness packt vp in Adams sinfull loynes after his fall out of which hee made his Election And yet more expresly and punctually being vrged by the Aduersaries of Gods Election in his 22. chapter of the same booke and 11 section Fatemur communem noxam sed dicimus qui busdam succurrere Dei misericordiam Wee acknowledge a common lapse in all but wee say that the mercy of God succoureth some And he concludes with the judgment and words of Saint August highly praysing his saying Duid in primo homine c. Seeing in the first man the whole masse of mankind fell into condemnation those which one of it are made vessels vnto honour they are the vessels not of their owne righteousnesse but of Gods mercy but that others are made to dishonour is not to be imputed to iniquity but to iudgment That God recompenseth due punishment to them whom he reprobateth and on those whom he calleth bestoweth vndeserued grace he is freed from all accusation by the example of a Creditor in whose power iâ— is to remit one and to exact his debt of the other The Lord then can giue grace to whom he will because he is mercifull and not giue to all because he is a iust iudge By giuing to some that which they deserue not he sheweth his free grace by not giuing to all he declareth what all do deserue For when Paul writeth that God hath shut all vnder sinne that he might haue mercy vpon all we areto adde withall that he is debtor to none because none hath giuen to him first that he should exact a recompence And Caluin vpon Iohn chap. 15. 16. hath these expresse words to confirme the former Si â—lecti fuerunt ex mundo c. If the Elect were chosen out of the world it followeth that they were a part of the world separated froÌ„ the rest that perish by the only mercy of God Moreouer by the name of world Christ in this place noteth all those which arenot regenerate by the holy Ghost This is so evident to cleare Calvin from all calumniation concerning this poynt that it retorts a just censure vpon those that taking a mans saying by snatches and not reading and waighing the whole throughly doe bewraye rather want of judgement and charity in themselues while they would clap their owne bitter censures and sinister interpretations vpon others then either of vnsetled judgment or vnfound learning in those whom they so rashly and impiously traduce But for the Appealer I can blame him no more for dealing thus with Caluin and with those whom he calls Caluinists then he hath done the Reuerend Fathers of our Church forementioned as also with Saint Augustine in the forecited sentence which according to the Appealers lopping of it begins with Credendum est c. opposing one dismembred sentence of Saint Augustine against the whole current of his writings in that point as hee hath one misdeemed sentence of Reuerend Master Caluin against his sound judgment in sundry other places of his diuine volumes expresly set downe His doctrine being none other but the very same with that of the Church of England Art 17 so that all the Appealers calumniations cast vpon Master Caluin doe strongly reuerberate and rebut vpon our deate mother Church of England he not sparing to smite her through the very loynes of her dearest children whose names shall euer be renowned both for learning and pietie while the world standeth Now what other irrespectiunesse of Gods irrespectiue decree the Appealer would so irrespectiuely fasten vpon the learned and reuerend Caluin I cannot conceiue vnlesse he meane an irrespectiuenesse in Gods
lost nature but grace this seemes to imply that Adam in his innocency had grace For else no man can be said to loose what he neuer had But what grace The grace that comes by Iesus Christ which is the onely grace the Scripture speaketh of Surely that he had not for before his fall he needed not Christ as Augustine saith yet he addeth Adam non habuit gratiam imo habuit magnam sed disparem Had not Adam grace yes great grace but farre vnlike that which commeth by Iesus Christ. He might be saide rather to haue naturall graces that is all ornaments and endowments of an absolute and compleat naturall man as hee was then simply that which the Scriptures calleth grace for grace came by Iesus Christ. But this by the way The two principall things I note is first his allegation of the Councell of Trent touching freewill the second his approbation of it seconded with his owne dâ—finiâ—iue sentence tanquam in Cathedra So that howsoeuer he seeme to hold with the Church of England and of Protestants in the point of freewill yet the whole concatenation of his other Doctrines with this as of falling from grace totall or finall praedestination vpon a Preuision of mans willingnesse to receiue grace vniuersally offered and the like doth necessarily conclude that he holds the very freewill of the Pelagians not only that of the Pontificians For all these Heresies are so combined together as so many members compact in one inâ—â—re body or as so many wheeles in a rack each receiuing motion from other But for breuitie because he makes no difference betweene the Decree of the Councell of Trent and his owne yea and the Tenent of the Protestants Church therefore it shall suffice to touch vpon the Councel of Trent onely and so if that proue sound well and good For then the Protestant Church holding therein with the Councel of Trent will proue to be beholden to the Appealer else but a little for shuffling vs in the same pack of Trents freewill I take his words pag. 98. quoted out of his former booke of the Gagge for which he is taxed Our conclusion saith he to the Popish Gagger and yours is all one wee cannot we do not deny freedome of will in man whose doth so is no Catholicke I adde no nor Protestant These bee his words Now all the controuersie about freewill is it not in regard of the grace of Christ with relation vnto it Else what needes all the stirre about it For that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therein lyes the state of the Question For all confelle as well Protestants as Papists that the naturall man hath some reliquâ—eâ— left of Adams naturall freewill we yeeld it not to bee altogether extinct no more then his other faculties of the soule But the Protestant Church the Church of England denyeth that by nature we haue any freewill dispositiue to grace But this is the marke which the Councell of Trent the standard rule of the Romish Church shoote at namely to aduance mans naturall freewill vnto grace onely confessing it is so weakened maimed by the fall of Adam that it needeth some diuine helpe to enable it the better to receiue grace As St. Augustine noteth of some more refined Pelagians who though they will not confesse that those are Praedestinate which by Gods grace are made obedient and permanent yet they confesse a kinde of preuenting grace But how Ideo vtique c. No otherwise but least grace should be thought to be giuen gratis as the truth speaketh but rather according to the merits of mans precedent will as the Pelagian error gainsayeth against This being also the Doctrine of the Councell of Trent howsoeuer the Appealer iumpe with them and ioyne the right hand of fellowship yet for ought I know hee must goe alone with them for any consent or countenance the Church of England will giue him in this his confederation For all orthodox true Protestants deny disclaime any freewill at all in a naturall or vnregenerate man vnto grace I meane the sauing grace of Christ. Naturall men haue it not no nor Adam in his purest naturalls euer had such a freewill For the will must follow the vnderstanding seeing it cannot affect good vnlesse first the vnderstanding apprehend it For Ignoti nulla cupido That which a man knowes not he desires not That the eye seeth not the heart sueth not after To this purpose Aquinas saith well that Those things which pertaine to faith doe exceed humaine reason And Man by assenting to those things which are of faith is eleuated aboue his nature And againe Hoc est ex institutitione diuinae prouidentiae c. This is by the appointment of diuine prouidence that nothing should worke beyond its proper vertue But eternall life saith he is a certaine good exceeding the proportion of created nature because it also transcendeth the knowledge and desires of it And hee concludeth that not euen Adam could attaine to eternall life without a supernaturall grace What needes then all that adoe about the quantity and measure of naturall freewill remaining â—n man when it wants the qualâ—â—y and property to qualifie it any way towards grace There is in vs as naturall men a naturall freewill still it is no more lost then other naturall faculties the poore reliques of Adams perfections but this will is but naturall it reacheth no higher then to naturall obiects So that while the Church of Rome or the Councel of Trent so much adoring her Goddes Freewill yet withall is forced to acknowledege a debility and lamnesse in it they would faine perswade the world that there is yet in our nature some antique venerable reliques of freewill disposing vnto grace Hence it is that they haue a whole chapter of Preparation vnto grace wherein they touch vpon freewill as being the ground sandy though it be of their preparatory workes vnto faith and iustification as also of all their meritorious workes And therefore are they so eager to maintaine and treasure vp at least some Reliques of Adams freewill least all should be attributed to Grace and nothing to Nature and then farewell all Merit either of congruity by preparation to grace or of condignity to glory So that for this very reason they anatheâ—ze all those that say Freewill is altogether lost Wherein if they will not confesse that they which say so meane that a man vnregenerate hath no freewill vnto grace then they cunningly equiuocate But the case is plaine all that their Doctrine driueth at is to aduance mans naturall freewill vnto grace as much as is possible Therefore they say that these remaines of freewill in man though much lessened and sore bruised with Adams fall yet neede but a kinde of stirring vp and awakning as it were oriogging on the elbow or helping vp being downe So that it shares stakes with their first grace as they tearme it though in hypocrisy
second grace and subtile equivocation of Merit of congruity and condignity This is Romes sophistry and the very Mystery of iniquity In the next place by their wills assenting vpon Gods moving of it they meane an assent of beleife of the truth revealed in the Scriptures namely a generall historicall faith as Sess. 6. chap. 6. And as * Soto plainly commenteth vpon it so And. Vega also For by the way it is to be observed that in that whole Session there is not once the least mention made of credere in Deum to beleeue in God which is the Act of true iustifiyng faith And therefore no maruaile if the Councel be not ashamed to confesse in the front and title of the 15 chap. and so in the chapter it selfe that by euery mortall sin the grace of iustification is lost but not faith So that their Romane Catholicke faith is one thing and their grace of iustification another Now summe vp all this together concerning this worke of God vpon mans freewill and the totall is That God doth no more but moue and stirre and call vpon the will not by that inward and effectuall calling according to his purpose but by an outward ordinary common calling which is no more but as a kinde of Monitor to the will Nor is God here said by this grace to giue faith but to stirre the will to an historicall assent of faith generally beleeuing the things reuealed to be true by their wills cooperation with their first grace which is no more any sauing grace then their faith occasioned by it any iustifying faith Thus wee see how the Church of Rome by her crafty mincing and malicious mangling of the grace of God in mans free iustification how by robbing from the worke of Gods grace to â—â—rich their Freewills co-worke she vtterly frustrateth Gods grace and euacuateth his glory making a meere mocke of both For doe but weigh these two together in the scales one against the other Gods grace and Mans freewill and the difference according to Romes vniust estimate will easily appeare Grace onely stirreth and moueth say they but the will is actiue and by its cooperation assenteth grace only calleth after a common and ordinary maner iust like the vniuersall grace but the will disposeth and prepareth it selfe grace is freely giuen onely in this respect by preuenting the will in stirring and mouing but not in iustifying the sinner but the wills selfe-disposition and preparation to iustification is a merit of congruity meriting the second grace to wit of iustification a farre greater grace I wis then the first grace the onely grace freely giuen of God So that Romes merit of congruity arising from her well disposed freewill is of more value and vertue then Gods free mercy for this giueth onely the first grace freely a sorry and slender grace but that meriteth a farre greater grace euen of iustification it selfe Here then euery man may easily judge of Romes egregious hypocrifie insolent sacriledge and false-fingering who while shee would seeme to giue the preeminence to Gods grace onely by colouring it ouer with the title of grace as of first grace and preuenting grace and the like in the meane time she aduanceth her owne freewill aboue the skies yea aboue grace aboue God and all Fulfilling that which Bernard saith It is high impiety to attribute to God that which is lesse and to our selues that which is more excellent Now if a man should neuer so much seeme to ascribe the praise of Sampsons Acts against the Philistims to Dalilah because she awakened and stirred him vp will any beleeue him It is against all reason The case here is alike betweene grace and freewill Freewill is a sleepe bound hand foote in the cordes of sinne but grace comes and awakenes it bids it arise whereupon the will begins Sampson-like to rowse it selfe to shake of the bands to prepare and dispose it selfe to the atchieument of some great worke Whither then deserueth greater praise grace awakening or freewill so brauely acting Though I confesse my shallow wits would neuer haue beene able to haue sounded the depth of this profound mystery to haue discerned a cleare difference betweene their first grace giuen of gratuity and their freewills merit of congruity but that they haue told vs plainly without equinocating that the second grace which they obtaine by their merit of congruity is of farre greater value then the first grace though bestowed of free gratuity But I feare I haue exceeded the bounds of my promise and purpose for breuity But pardon mee I haue ben in the perplexed Labyrinth of the Councell of Trent Now by that we haue said wee may see what reason any maÌ„ at leastwise so mighty lie protesting and professing himselfe to be no Papist as the Appealer doth hath so much to countenance yea to plead for the Councel of Trent in the point of freewill so as I dare say no Lawyer would doe in a case so corrupt not for the best fee though I know not what fee or feeling Maister Mountagu hath for playing Romes Proctor except it be his blind affection and some pale faced hope sith therein Rome hath laid the foundation of that her Babylonish fabrick of the mystery of iniquity and of all her meretricious merits So that I cannot see how such men can be excused from high impiety against God and euen joyning hands of fellowship with that most impious and blasphemous confederacy against the glory of God and the grace and truth of Iesus Christ. Babylonius Good words I pray you A man might speake as much for the Councell of Trent as you doe against it but for my part I will not vndertake that quarrell now I desire that you will show the true difference betweene the Councell of Trents Doctrine of freewill and that which you take to be the true Doctrine For is there any other Doctrine of freewill then that of the Church of England and of the Protestants which the Appealer makes all one with the Doctrine of the Councell of Trent Orthodoxus Sir for my words they are the words of truth and sobernesse For our Protestant Doctrine of free-will to be all one with the Councell of Trent God forbid it we deny it for Romes Doctrine to be all one with ours Rome forbids denyes and accurseth Nor doe I see how the Appealer will escape the Popes direfull excommunication for daring so to comment vpon the Trent Councell expressly forbidden by the Pope without speciall authority But I know not what speciall authority hee may haue from the Pope to doe this Nor can the Councell of Trent haue any other patronage then colourable pretence and sophisticall showes which are the best arguments the Appealer is able to bring for Trents Doctrine whereas the allegations against it feare no colours sith armed with truth it selfe But to satisfie your desire according to my weake capacitie I am not vnwilling As I noted before mans
passe wee to the last Chapter touching the Synod of Dort It is but short wherein the Authour saith The Synod of Dort is not our rule And Priuate opinions no rule Doth he not herein say truely Orthodoxus Why then should his owne priuate peruerse opinions be reputed as the rule of the Church of England For it is true no doubt that no Synod or Councell much lesse any priuate mans opinion is the rule of our faith Yet all Synods and Councels so farre forth as their Decrees are grounded vpon the Scriptures we are to imbrace and reuerence But of all other passages in the Appealers Appeale I muse at none more then this his eleuating and slighting the Synod of Dort And what spirit trow we is that man of or possessed with that stands so much for the Councell of Trent and so little esteemes the Councell of Dort I wot well the Synod of Dort is an aduersary to his Arminian Pontifician opinions and therefore no maruaile if he beare it no great good will But considering next vnder God the prime and principall mouer of that Synod his late Excellent Maiestie of eternall memory yea how He promoued it what Princely and prouident care what liberall cost He was at to adorne the Synod with some of the choicest and solidest Diuines that He had in His Kingdome what a zealous desire Hee had by that meanes to quench those fiery flames of dissention blowne by the factious spirits of Inâ—endiaries which threatned the ruine of those neighbour reformed Churches the tayles of which smoking firebrands are not altogether quenched but begin to reuiue hauing for want of vent till now lyen smoathering euen in our Church of England the smoake whereof hath blinded a great many and now the flames threaten to burne moe what a religious care He tooke to establish true religion and to abolish that Arminian roote of bitternesse springing vp and spreading abroad wherewith many were defiled which one act of His Maiestie shall no lesse eternize His name then the most famous and vnparalleld actions Hee atchieued in all His Princely gouernment this I say strikes me with an exceeding wonderment that the Appealer would euer suffer himselfe so farre to be transported with the spirit of contradiction as to fall foule vpon such a learned Synod a Synod of Protestants a Synod of many reformed Churches and which if nought else might haue most moued him a Synod assembled managed concluded by the most auspicious Peace-making spirit zeale wel-wishes and prayers of His late Maiestie yea and to fill vp the measure of his all-daring hardinesse to presume to thrust this booke in the name of An Appeale vnder the protection of our most Excellent patrizing Caesar here I am at a stand What so to disrepute the Synod of Dort O spare it either speake not at all of it or reuerently and honorably at least for the thrice noble religious zealous louer of the truth King IAMES He that so honoured that Synod imbraced those orthodox conclusions of it as that He aduanced those to Ecclesiasticall honours whom Hee had selected and sent to represent the Church of England Which also by the way addes to my wonderment that the Appealer should and that vnder the name of the Church of England dare to oppose the Councell of Dort if he had considered that his late Excellent Maiestie did vnderstand no other but that all the conclusions of that Councell did consent with the Doctrines of the Church of England as also the representiue Church of England as they were of the number of the primest and actiuest Agents in that Synod so with the rest they were the first still in order who by their subscriptions sealed vp their vnanimous assent to all the Conclusions Or can the Appealer taxe the incomparable judgement of that famous King of ignorance either in the choise of that representatiue Church of England or in the state of the Doctrines of it Farre be it His Maiestie knew as well the true state of the Doctrine of the Church of England as the most and greatest Scholars in England that I may not disparadge his Excellency so much as to say He knew it better then the Appealer himselfe And if I might pin my faith vpon any mans sleeue or referre the judgment of the Doctrine of the Church of England to my one man I would haue chosen His Maiestie as the â—â—pire oracle of it before any man liuing And yet He that professed protested writ wrought studied liued and dyed in the maintenance of that one truth wherein by His auspicious vnanimity the Church of England and the Councell of Dort haue confented according to the rule of faith Gods word shall He He I say His sacred ashes be raysed vp againe and by an Appeale be vrged to recaut His former profession to reuerse His iudgment to cancell or to bâ—râ—â— His bookes which no antiquity no iniury of time no elementary flames shall euer be able to abolish I might better appeale to those who were so happy as dayly to heare the wisdome of that our Salomon euen at His ordinary repast They can testifie what zealous protestations He made for the truth and with what vehement derestation He had of the contrary As for instance how did He abominate those that writ de apostasia Sanctorum Which very title of Bertius His Maiestie often in His pious zeale professed His indignation against as a blasphemous doctrine And as in His vsuall and ordinary discourse at table and at other times He shewed His Princely diuine spirit in refuting and refelling all the vanities of Popery and Pelagian Arminianismo so at His death He protested His owne constancy and finall perseuerance in that truth which He had formerly professed All this I say duely waighed I am still in a muse what should imbolden infatuate rather the Appealer to insert any such passage as the depressing and deprizing the Synod of Dort in his Appeale Yet doing so he is not more guilty of ingratitude towards our late Caesar as also of ignorance that I may not say starke folly in addressing this his Appeale to our present Caesar. Doth not the Appealer remember that Hee is the Son the onely Son of such a Father Yea a Son of that naturall and pious affection to His Father as all can witnesse with me Hee might well be a Princely myrrour of filiall piety to many Sonnes whose naturall affection commonly descends rather then ascends Nor only the Sonne the onely Sonne the most naturally and graciously pious Sonne but the very viue and expresse image of such a Father inheriting not onely His Fathers Kingdomes Crownes but which is the Crowne of all and more precious then all His Kingdomes His vertues and graces His wisdome His iudgment and aboue all His religion yea His loue care and zeale in maintaining the same This religion Hee first suckt in with His Nurses milke therein also bred brought vp vnder a religious
sound-hearted Tutor who besides other learned and godly gouernours ceassed not from His very infancy to instill into Him the deaw of all heauenly knowledge and that especially by acquainting Him with the Scriptures which according to His daily taske Hee missed not to reade by three or foure chapters a day being able also euen when He was very young not aboue seuen yeares old to giue a present account without booke of the principall things Hee had read I speake not by guesse I was so happy as to bee often an eye and eare-witnesse of it But aboue all those instructions Hee receiued from time to time from His Royall Father lighting vpon a subiect of such peerelesse indowments both of Nature and Grace haue made Him a compleate Prince in all excellent knowledge and worthy to be the onely Sonne and Heire of such a Father So that when He was now growne to riper yeares He was able euen at table to discourse and discusse points of controuersie betweene vs and the Papists to the great ioy of all His seruants about Him And yet after all this see the lucke of it must the Appealer haue the hap to foist in his fardell of fancies yea falsities and that by way of Appeale to His Excellent Maiestie And vpon what ground I hope if not presuming that His Maiestie now vpon His first happy entry into His Kingdomes is so taken vp with many waighty affaires that Hee will not haue the leasure to peruse his Appeale which is the Appealers happinesse yea and Maiesties too sauing that His judgment is so settled vpon the truth after so long and strong a seasoning that vneath it were for Master Mountagu to caule the liâ—uor of his musty caske to relish well in such an vncorrupt Palate And for this Chapter touching the Synod of Dort one part of his Appeale wherefore doth hee in this and other passages about this Synod appeale Forsooth he appeales to His present Maiestie King CHARLES to indge and determine whither the Councell of Dort bee now to bee holden in that esteeme as it was by His late noble Father King IAMES whither those conclusions of it bee not now to be reiected which His royall Father so much auowed and approued whither the Decrees thereof bee not now to be holden as opposite Doctrines to those of the Church of England which the most judicious King IAMES found to be so correspondent and consonant one to the other or whither the Doctrine of the Church of England be not now quite changed from that it was in the time of King IAMES his peaceable gouernment whither the learned representatine Church of England selected by the most judicious and learned King for that purpose which in that Councell swarued not from the Tenents and grounds of their Mother Church be rather to be admitted as interpreters of our Church Doctrines then singular Maister Mountagu whither the Decrees of that Synod being grounded vpon expresse texts of Scripture and concluded by so many learned and graue Diuines be to be accounted priuate opinions rather then Maister Mountagues owne fancies conceiued of some misunderstood Doctrines of the Church of England and so which of these should be admitted of vs rather for no rule In a word hee appeales I wisse whither the judgment of King IAMES approuing the Doctrine of the Synod of Dort as agreeable to the Doctrine of the Church of England and both to the holy Scriptures or his owne iudgment in his disallowing and reiecting the Synod as not agreeable to his owne fancies for his words are I haue no part nor portion in them either in them that maintaine the Decrees or in the Decrees themselues whither I say King IAMES His iudgment or his owne be rather to be intertained and approued of His sacred Maiestie His Son whom God for euer preserue in all integrity of judgment and loue of the Truth Asotus Gentlemen I thanke you both for your learned discourse though much of it aboue my capacity It is now dinner time If it please you to take the paines to meete here againe after dinner about two of the clock I shall bee glad to bee informed further of some points in the Second part of the Appeale Babylonius You haue made a good motion friend Asotus I shall be ready at the time appointed if it please Maister Orthodoxus to receiue further satisfaction with you Orthodoxus And seeing you haue giuen so good proofe of your patience thus farre I am not vnwilling to yeeld to your motion and desire so farre as God shall in able me So fare ye well Asotus Babylonius And you good Maister Orthodoxus Gentle Reader I pray thee correct these faults with thy pen. Page 7 Line 13 reade Philistian p. 13 l. 19 r. as his owne 〈◊〉 26 his forced l. 36 r. reuerence p. 21 l. 36 1. the Rocke p. 31 l. 36 r. recured p. 38 l. 7 r. presumption l. 12. r. audiunâ— p. 40 in margâ—nt râ—guauiter p. 41 l. 2 1. or no. p. 45 l. 20 r. Iuterimsists p. 48 l. 2 for Dued r. Quum l. 36 r. done with the. p. 62 l. 30. r. great p 69 l. 19 r. motiue FINIS Tertul de Praescript aduersus hareticos libâ—â—â—â—â— miâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Quaest. super 〈◊〉 1. qu. 117. 〈◊〉 4. and in Psal. 55. Tertul ibid. 2. Iohn 10. Gal. 〈◊〉 * As Master Mountagâ—â— hath fairly promised laying though he may erre yet he will be no Hereticke especially against the Church of England Appeale c 1. p. 4. p. 9. Acts 〈◊〉 Acts 13. Euseb. lib. 4 cap. 14. Aliud est quod competit Rectori aliud quod prosertur emptori For example Rusinus Ecc. hist. lib. 1. cap 11. Socratas lib. 1. cap 25. homoâ—ousios for homousiâ—s Of losse of Faith and Iustification Of totall and finall â—â—lling from grace * Pap. 34. Subscription to the Church of Englands Doctrine not to Mr. Mountagues priuate inteâ—pretation The Church of Englandâ— doctrine â—o other then that of the Scriptures Heb. 6. 6 The Churches rule of faith is the Scriptures A sure rule to interpret Scriptures Aug. de corrept grâ— cap. Aug de correpâ— c. cap. 13. a Aug. de fide et operibus cap. 16 Tom. 4. b 〈◊〉 de correpâ—â—â—t gratâ—a cap. 12. Et 〈◊〉 9. Note Baptisme is called Regeneration Sacramentally He quotes the booke De bono pâ—rseuerentia for the booke 〈◊〉 corrept gratia Saint Augustine guelded by the Appealler * Aug. de ben perseuer cap. 〈◊〉 Aug. de corrept et grat cap. 7 * He saith not whose faith doth fall totally away expressing the same thus ibid. 〈◊〉 si quando exorbitant electi correpts emendantur inâ—iam quam reliquerant redemus * Aug. de corâ—pâ— de graâ— cap. 1â— Act 27 28. Doctor Ouerall fred from the Appâ—alers wrestings Reasons of the Saints perscuâ—rance 1 Reason Ang. de â—omo perseâ—â—â— cap. 2. 〈◊〉 Reason Rom 11. 29. 〈◊〉 Reason 4 Reason * Exemplified also in Christâ— prayer for
that the Elect may fall away finally from grace because Christ said Haue not I chosen you twelue Iudas then saith he was one of the Elect. But as Saint Augustine answereth well it is one thing to be elected to the office of Apostleship another to the fellowship of the Saints For there is as a twofold vocation so a twofold election externall and internall temporary and eternall Iudas was of the externall and temporary but not of the internall and eternall election For of this Christ said elsevvhere I speake not of you all I know whom I haue chosen There Christ puts a plaine difference between Iudas an elect Apostle the rest who were also elect Saints But how came Iudas an elect Apostle to fall away hee was a theefe and bare the bagge Yet he bâ—ught not his Apostleship he was elected by Christ. He had a faire and lawfuâ—l calling Yet his coueteousnesse brought him to Apostacy and euen to betray the innocent blood of the Lambe of God Then wonder not at the Church of England The saâ—e Rebecca brought forth as well a rough Esau as a smoâ—th Iacob And as Tertullian saith to the same purpose Of the kernell of the milde and fat and vsefull oliue doth spring the rough wilde oliue and of the most pleasant and sweete figges seede doth grow the windy and empty wilde figtree So heresies saith hee haue fructisied of that which was ours but they are not ours being degenerate from the graine of truth and by lyes become wilde They went out from vs but they were not of vs. What then if wee shall see some of the Apostles or such as would bee accounted Apostolicall to proue Apostaticall from the faith shall this stumble Gods Saints Or shall an impotent admiration of their persons draw beliefe to their heresies God forbid For as the same Tertullian for I finde not an acuter authour for this purpose comparing champion-like hereticks to wrastlers or sword players which many times ouercome not by their owne strength but by the others weaknesse no otherwise saith he doe heresies preuaile ouer the infirmities of men but haue no power at all vpon a sound faith Yea of what qualitie or dignity soeuer hereticks be whether for personall or politicall respects the holy Ghost warnes the Saints to auoid and contemne them Auoide an hereticke saith the Apostle And St. Iohn If there come any vnto you that brings you not this Doctrine receiue him not to your house neither bid him God-speede for hee that biddeth him God-speede is partaker of his euill deedes And Saint Paul doubles his admonition If an Angel from heauen preach vnto you any other Gospell then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed which is not another Gospell but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospell of Christ. Into this condemnation be the new Pontifician Arminian shall I say Hereticks I need not if they persist I will not if they recant and desist Approvers of the Councel of Trent fallen the doctrine whereof is a fowle and flat Apostacy from the Mystery of godlines They would bring in another Gospell though no Gospell but they would obtrude it far the true and only Gospell of the Grace of God And if the Galatians were said to be fallen from Christ onely for mingling Circumcision with the Gospel as requisite with faith to their iustification how fearefull is that Apostacy from Christ which quite ouerthroweth the effectuall and free grace of God excluding yea accursing the true sauing faith in our iustification as the Doctrine of Trent doth so dangerous it is to be any way accessary by yeelding the least assent vnto it And what execrable heresies will these proue to be that goe about to pluck vp the tree of life by the roote out of the Paradise of Gods Church and would plant instecde thereof the forbidden tree of knowledge teaching and perswading the eaters that they are made thereby as Gods selfe-sufficient selfe-wise selfe-able to saue themselues not onely in their receiuing but retaining grace which worke of their owne wills being foreseene of God was say they the first mouing cause of electing and praedestinaring them to saluation which what is it else but a meere making voide of Gods vnchangable Decree of Praedestination and free grace of Election no farther fixed and certaine but as mans receiuing and retaining of grace and perseuering therein is certaine which say they is vncertaine Pardon my zeale gentle Reader Impute it not to any bitternesse of spleene I beare it not to any mans person liuing God is my record much lesse to the Authours of the Appeale and the Approbation I know none whom I hate more then my sinfull selfe But the Lord knowes it is no small greife to me that I am thus forced to sharpen my style Which if it seeme tarter to thy Palate then may sure with Christian moderation and modesty examine I pray thee whether the long custome of Court-smoothing and eare-pleasing specially in Diuine matters haue not bred such a delicacy in the soules tast as that downe right zeale for Gods glory can hardly finde a slomack to take it downe or digest it but is reiected as a bitter pill or potion of such Patients as account the remedy worse then the disease Zeale will not passe now but for fury or rude incinility at the best But ab initio non erat sic In old time it was lawfull to call a spade a spade Saint Peter dealt roundly with Simon Magus for his Simony Thy money perish with thee How sharpe was Paul with Elimas the Sorcerer for going about to turne away the Deputy fioÌ„ the faith O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe thou child of the Deuill thou enemy of all righteousnesse c. And what would he haue said trow we to those men who goe about to turne away not a Deputy but a whole kingdome a well settled flourishing Church from the faith What if they were graue learned Diuines So much the worse If an enemy had done this it had ben more tolerable but it was euen thou my guide and familiar freind I will not adde Dauids imprecation but rather aduise them as Peter did Simon to pray that if it be possible the sinne not of their heart onely but of their hand may be forgiuen How did Paul though but a young Apostle reproue the prime Apostle Peter onely for a matter of dissimulation in his conuersation not any default in his preaching And shall wee not zealously resist those to the face that noâ— now dissemblingly anymore but with opeÌ„ profession approue auow stafly maintaine grosse and greiuous heresies deuised by the Deuil to betray Gods glory and mans saluation That sticke not to call the Doctrinas of Pradestination freewill and the like Scholasticall speculations meerely questions of obscurity not fit for pulpits and popular eares but procuring rather discord and troubles in
Oracle of the World O that hee were but one of our holy Society which if hee were our discipline within a short time would so season him as hee would proue a most accomplished actiue instrument for the Catholicke cause He is full of mettall and he wants but the stampe of our minte to make it current O the gratefull tartnesse and smartnesse of his stile And such is the dexteritie of his wit that in his Limbecke he can easily draw and distill all learning into the quintessence of his owne singular and rare opinions Let him but conceiue a rare notion and by and by the Church of England either saith it or not expresly denying it or being altogether silent he can easilie conclude silence to be consent Yea he is strong as Sampson for when he is disposed neither the Philistines cords of the Councell of Dore which hee tramples as durt nor yet of his Dalilah his Church of England can hold him further then himselfe pleaseth Oh I am euen rauished with the loue of the man hee hath dared and damped all the Puritans in England Doe but goe on and reade the Contents which will giue you some scanting of the substance of the booke Asotus I doe I finde here many things the contrarie whereof I haue heard our Minister publikely teach and that with no lesse vehemencie then plaine euidence of argument from Scriptures and Fathers at least to the conuincing of my simple iudgement Babylonius I would your Minister were here present whosoeuer he be you should see what hee could say to many points maintained in this booke they being also the very Doctrine of our holy mother Church of Rome at this day and those also fundamentall as of Free-will Praedestination Iustification Falling from grace Certaintie of saluation Antichrist and the like Asotus And you wish in a very good time for if I be not deceiued yonder hee is walking shall wee goe neere him and accost him Babylonius With a good will But by the way I pray you informe me a little of the qualities and conditions of the man that so I may the better attemper my speech and cariage towards him is he not a Puritan Asotus Surely in one sence he is no Puritan for he is conformable none of the refractaries but doth both practise himselfe and preach vpon occasion in the defence of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies and that very earnestly insomuch as I haue seene him sometimes put backe from the Communion those which would not receiue it knâ—eling yet not leauing them till he brought them on their knees Now formerly Non conformitants onely were accounted Puritans But if wee vnderstand Puritan in a second degree to wit for a Minister to be a diligent Preacher and resident vpon his charge one that cannot away with non-residency that will not take two Benefices and makes conscience how he comes by one that is of an honest conuersation and is a very sincere rebuker of sinne an vrger of the more strict keeping of the Lords day as he vsually calleth it and rather content to suffer wrong in his tithes then contentions for his right and aboue all a vehement inueigher against the Masse and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Church of Rome as he tearmes them and one who I warrant you would neuer giue his consent that Iesuites and Masse-Priests should bee any way tollerated to liue vp and downe in our Land insomuch as I haue heard he being desired to be in a place where it was appointed and so expected that Father Fisher should dispute when all came to all hearing Fisher refused to dispute without speciall licence from the Arch-bishop of Cantâ—rbury hee replyed and said Master Fisher I maruaile by what licence you goe vp and downe seducing our simple people and yet you want a licencâ— to dispute with our learned Diuines It is pittie such as you are thus suffered to vndermine soules and states and so to proue the bane of our Kingdome and Church sith for your sakes if we had no other sins and for your abominable idols the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place where it ought not we are exposed and indangered to all those plagues and punishments which we haue partly felt and haue much more cause to feare and expect which 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 flames must 〈◊〉 breake forth from the kindled 〈◊〉 of Gods spouse-like iealousie to our consumption if ye may be but suffered thus to set your Dagon check by iâ—wle in câ—rrinall-ship with Gods Arke in this his pure Church Now Master Babylonius how far is he a Puritan in these respects I leaue to judge Babylonius How Can there be a more pestilent Puritan in all the Packe then such a one But now you haue informed me thus much of the man I will tell you after what manner I thinke it fit to deale with him By no meanes must he perceiue what professioÌ„ I am off For then ten to one hee will fall foule vpon me and so wee short of our purpose which is to try what he can say against this booke Therefore wee will onely by way of question as for your resolution sake see how he can answer some of the most materiall things therein And for the manner of dealing with him let me alone onely giue you the occasion and first on-set Asotus With a good will I applaude your prudence herein God giue you good morrow Master Orthodoxus Orthodoxus And you neighbour Asotus Asotus Sir you are very well met for this gentleman and I haue accidentally light vpon a booke wherein I finde sundry things maintained contrary to that I haue heard of you and wee shall be much beholden to you to resolue vs in some points which doe a little stumble vs. Orthodoxus Neighbour Asotus I am glad to heare you make such a motion to me it being no vsuall thing with you nor many others and more is the pitty once to moue a question of conscience or faith to your Minister vnlesse it bee more for cauill and contention then for Christian resolution Therefore seeing you seeme to doe it out of a good desire to be informed in the truth and propose such questions as concerne those Doctrines which I haue publikely taught I hold it my dutie to satisfie you the best I can As for this Gentleman aâ— it seemes your friend if hee be of the same minde herein with you though he be a stranger to me yet I shall not be curious but deale ingenuously with you both and I pray God giue a good issue to our meeting in directing vs in the way of his truth Babylonius Sir wee both thanke you for your courtesie Orthodoxus Sir it is my duty But neighbour what booke is that you speake of Asotus Sir the Title of it is in Latin which I vnderstand not so well Appello Casarem Orthodoxus O I know the booke Asotus I pray you Sir what thinke you of it Orthodoxus Nay pardon me for that I doe not
take vpon mee to be a censurer of bookes much lesse of an Appeale to Caesar if the Author haue any just cause for which to Appealâ— to Caesar and which is just and fit for Caesar to judge no doubt but hee shall finde a just Caesar to doe him right But the points you seeme to propose to me are matters of Faith wherein the Author seemeth too suspicious of his owne cause that like to fraudulent Merchants who haue run themselues into many mens debt and danger hee appeales to Caesar to haue a protection for his person But blessed be God wee haue a Caesar The Defender of the Faith not a protector of oppugners and vnderminers of the Faith And for matters of Faith our Caesar knowes they ought to be pleaded onely at Gods barre and tryed at the Common Law of the holy Land the Scriptures Nor will hee giue way for any Prohibition out of any Court of Chancery or conscience which may inhibite the proceeding of Gods cause in Gods Court by any prerogatiue whatsoeuer Therefore in such causes causes of Faith I say to appeale to Caesar giues to speake plainly a strong suspition of the weakenesse at least of the cause For so did Heretickes in times past to maintaine their heresies they had no other way but to patronize themselues vnder Caesars wings Thus did the Arians so mightilie preuaile against the Orthodox professors by the onely helpe and authority of Caesar. Not that I impute heresie to the Author of this booke onely for his appeale to Caesar. Let the booke like Baal plead for it selfe Asotus Sir you make me begin to suspect something Did Hereticks so as you say I pray you for my better satisfaction giue me some example of it Orthodoxus I will briefly Constantine the great he that restored the Church to a generall peace and calme sitting at the first Councell of Nice not as Iudge but rather as a Minister as himselfe piously confessed did for his part ratifie the Councels Decrees against Arius yet afterwards growing old hee was wonne by a woman his sister Constantia and she seduced by a sycophantizing Arian Priest to recall Arius from banishment that hee might againe declare his Faith whereof comming before the Emperour he made such a cunning confession as formerlie hee had done to the whole Councell of Nice which he had well nigh imposed vpon by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that the good Emperour suspecting no deceit tooke it to be in all points the very same with the Councels owne confession yet so as hee referred Arius to the determination of a Councell But the Emperour not long after dying Arius with his faction creepe into the fauour and protection of Constantines successors especially of his sonne Constantins who was by the same Arian Priest who had formerly inueagled Constantia about Arius perswaded to fauour and protect the Arians and the rather was the Emperour perswaded by this old Priest because Constantine had committed to him his last Will and Testament to deliuer it to his sonne Constantius which he did Thus Arius by his Appeale to Caesar and by the cunning insinuaâ—ion of his craftie confederate an old Court Priest got footing againe and had in all likelihood mightilie preuailed but that God in justice to that impious impostor and in mercy to his Church and children calling the cause into his superiour Court cut Arius short by a suddaine and strange infamous iudgement euen in hot blood as he was going with all his pompe and traine into the Cathedrall in Constantinople in despight of the good Bishop Alexander who all the night before and that morning continued his earnest supplications to God prostrate in the Temple to â—uert and preuent Arius from setting his wicked foote and proude Standard of triumph against Christ in that sacred place His deuout and zealous prayers were heard and Arius his infamous death strucke all his traine with a shamefull amazement and confusion I would this example might teach the Appealler to tremble before that God from whose Tribunall is no appeale but by speedie flying with repentance to his throne of grace and mercie in Iesus Christ. But for the Appeale here let me tell you thus much by the way which I dare be bold to auouch that as he thinks he hath done politickly so I know hee hath done very poorely to appeale to Caesar being such a Caesar as when his many waightie affaires shall lend him leisure to view the Appeale the Appealer will quickly find his owne errour and haue cause to repent his appealing to a Prince of such dexteritie and judgement as in humaine so also in diuine matters Asotus Sir I thanke you I am satisfied in this matter Now let me intreat you to performe your promise in resoluing some doubts ministred by this booke Orthodoxus If you instance any particular I am ready to doe my best indeauour Asotus Sir because this Gentleman my friend hath some more learning then my selfe and is somewhat acquainted with the booke I shall entreate him to propouÌ„d and obiect and your selfe to resolue the Obiections Babylonius Friend Asotus I pray you doe not impute that to mee which I was neuer guiltie of as matter of learning yet if as a friend you impose this taske vpon me to ease you I will the more willingly vndertake it prouided that where you see me faile you will supplieâ— and Master Orthodoxus pardon I shall onely act your part in propounding those particular pointâ— which you say are contrary to those which Master Orthodoxus hath taught you as being also the most materiall things in the booke Asotus Sir I thanke you I desire no more Babylonius Then to begin in order as they lye the first thing is about the losse of Faith and Iustification in the third Chapter and so consequently of falling away from grace totally in the fourth Chapter and if totally possibly also finally without recouery Now although the Authour doe not auouch absolutely his owne oppinion yet hee proues the affirmatiue from antiquitie of Fathers and from the authoritie of the Church of England vnto whose Articles and Homilies all the Ministers thereof haue subscribed Now we desire your resolution herein Orthodoxus True it is that the Authour is very cauâ—elous in auerring any thing in his owne opinion especially in points of such consequence therein I commend his wit as the Lord did the wisdome of the vniust Steward but his priuate conception hee fathereth vpon the Fathers and his mother Church yet it is to be concluded that what he goes about to proue by the Fathers and by the authoritie of the Church of England though most falsly by him forced and forged glosses himselfe is of the same judgement with them and by the way for the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England wee subscribed vnto them indeede but not to the priuate sense which any particular man may make of them Now
on the contrary Gods knowing or foreknowledge of his is to elect them This is the foundation of God which stands sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his I could be more copious to illustrate this but this may suffice to satisfie those that be not quarrellous Babylonius But Sir howsoeuer you may conclude that Gods Election is absolute without any respectiue foreknowledge of any good or grace in vs in accepting grace offered yet the same cannot so well be sayd of reprebation that God should reprobate any but with a respect and foreknowledge of their disobedience and infidelitie For else God should bee vniust to cast away and condemne any without iust cause in themselues Orthodoxus Sir there is the same reason of reprobation that is of Election for both were out of the corrupt mafle wherein all men were equally condemned whereof some God called and chose out to life the rest hee left as hee found them guiltie of eternall death and vpon whom the sentence of death had now passed seazed Gen. 2. 17 So that for God to leaue some whom he would wallowing in their blood it is an act of his justice as to free others an act of his mercie Which Saint Augustine very pregnantly exemplifieth by a Creditor in whose power it is to acquit some of his Debtors and to exact of the rest to the vttermost as we noted afore This is setforth also in the types of the elect and reprobate Iacob and Esau who being yet in the wombe before they had done good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth It was said to her the elder shall serue the yonger As it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Yet both Iacob and Esau were equally culpable in the wombe of originall sinne and so were children of death as all were in the wombe of our first Parents but the election comes and that makes a separation and puts a difference mercifully louing one and justly hating another and that before they had actually done good or euill that the purpose of God might stand according to election not of workes but of him that calleth So that the disproportion alledged by the Appealer was not betweene the elect and reprobate before the act of election but the election caused the disproportion not through any foreknowledge or foresight of any good or euill actually to bee done of either as the Appealer would inferre but Gods meere mercie on the one side and his justice on the other caused the disproportion And euen that place quoted by the Appealer out of Ezechiell makes altogether against himselfe though otherwise rightly alledged for if wee were in our blood if cast out if loathed if dead and yet if in this contemptible condition God saide vnto vs liue yea when wee were in our blood it is twice repeated ver 6. he faide vnto vs liue where is then that praescience of any good in vs moouing God to pull vs out of this miserable estate I am sure no mention of it is in Ezechiel no not in the whole Booke of God but the contrary as we haue proved no nor yet doth his pretended Goddesse indeede his nothing in the world the Church of England any where teach the same so nakedly yet shamlesly peremptory is this assertion of the Appealer hauing none to father his opinion vpon but Pelagius and his Disciples So weake and windy are his aspersions which he casteth vpon Caluin or vpon those whom hee calls Puritans for maintaining nothing but what the Scriptures plainely teach against his groundlesse and gracelesse opinion so that he fighteth against God and his truth against Gods glory and his grace against his Church yea the Church of England also Babylonius But Sir if the act of Election and Reprobation be without any respectiue foreknowledge in God of any actuall good or euill in man then what place is left for freewill or how can God bee just in punnishing the rebellious seeing he hath reiected them and denied them grace Orthodoxus Of freewill I suppose occasion will be giuen anon to speake of it by it selfe For the rebellious reprobate as he is justly reiected for his sinne in Adam so he is neuer but justly condemned and punished for all his actuall sinnes springing from that cursed roote Nor doth his reiection necessitate him to rebell the more against Cod his rebellion is from his owne peruerse will Nor is God bound to giue him grace But against all contentious quarrellers at the Doctrine of God wee cannot shape nor are we bound to giue a better answer melius enim non invenimus saith St. August many times against such cauellers for we finde not a better then that of the Apostle vpon the very same occasion Thou wile say then why doth he yet complaine for who hath resisted his will Nay but o man who art thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour and another to dishonour c. The comparison is very pregnant God is the Potter wee the lumpe of filthy and foule clay cast out as the clay in the streetes yet if the Potter will may hee not take some of the clay and make of it vessels of honour and make of the rest foule and filthy as he finds it to dishonour seeing it was in his power to put the whole lumpe and that justly to baser vses But as the Apostle saith God makes some vessels of his mercy to make knowne the riches of his glory leauing the rest to be vessels of wrath sitted for destruction to make knowne his iustice and power In a word if Gods election be an act of meere mercy then it excludes all respect to any good that hee could foresee to be in vs for as the Apostle saith There is at this present a remuant according to the election of grace And if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded I will conclude with Saint Aug. Non solùm c. Therefore by the preaching of Pradestination the Elect is not onely not hindered from this worke to wit of sanctification but also is furthered thereunto that when he glorieth he may glory in the Lord. The Pelagians could say Siâ—â—â— c. If yee will not haue the obedience to which you incite and inflame vs to freeze in our hearts doe not preach vnto vs that grace of God which we confesse God is the giuer of and which you exhort vs vnto But Saint Aug. meetes with