those who are not wont much to deal in any books but our new Pamplets of a Catechisme set forth by Authority for all Schoolemasters to teach in King Edw. 6. daies the very year after the composing of the publick Articles the King prefixed his royal Epistle wherein he commands and chargeth all Schoolmasters whatsoever within his Dominions as they did reverence his Authority and as they would avoyd his royal displeasure to teach this Catechisme diligently and carefully c. In that Catechisme how doe Master and Scholar plainly declare themselves to be no friends to any of the Tenents which Mr. P. contends for If this Book be not at hand let the Bible printed by Rob. Barker Anno 1607. be consulted and at the end of the Old Testament there will be found certain Questions and Answers touching the Doctrine of Predestination which are as full and punctual against Arminianisme as may be But lest all this should not bee thought evidence sufficient we will produce our Arguments to prove the Church of England not to bee Arminian and if not Arminian much lesse could she account Anti-arminianism Blasphemy 1. Who were the Composers of our 39 Articles were they not all the Disciples and Auditors of Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr or at least such as held consent with them in Doctrine Dr. Alexander Nowel was Prolocutor of the Convocation in the time of Qu. Eliz. And whether he had any Communion with Arminians let his Catechisme speak I mean the English one dedicated to the two Archbish To the Church doe all they properly belong as many as do truly fear honour and call upon God altogether applying their minds to live holily and godly and which putting all their trust in God do most assuredly look for the blessednesse of eternall life they that be stedfast stable and constant in this faith were chosen and appointed and as we term it predestinated to this so great felicity pag. 44. and paulo post the Chuch is the body of the Christian Common-weale i. e. the universal number and fellowship of the faithfull whom God through Christ hath before all beginning of time appointed to everlasting life Shall we think that he and others engaged with him in the same Convocation were so ignorant that they understood not what they put into the Articles or so infatuated by God as to put in things that were quite contrary to their own judgement 2. If the Church of England did consent to the opinions commonly called Arminian how came she to dispose of her places of greatest influence and trust to such as were of a contrary perswasion no places in our Church are more considerable for leavening the Clergy than the Archbishoprick of Canterbury and the two Chaires in the University both these have been occupied by those who detested Arminianisme as the shadow of death Parker Grindall Whitgift Bancroft Abbot are all known particularly in the time of Bishop Bancroft came forth the book called The Faith Religion Doctrine professed in the Realm of England and Dominions thereof said in the Title page to be perused and by the lawful authority of the Church of England allowed to be made publick Let Mr. P. or any one for him name the Dr. of the Chaire in Oxon that did not totis viribus oppose such a Platform of Gods Decrees as men would faign obtrude upon us now In â—ambridge indeed we may find one Dr. Overall who may bee suspected a little to Arminianise but his opinion is disliked by Mr. Playfer in his Apello Evangelium and therefore is not that which Mr. P. stickleth for In the Conference at Hampton Court he did declare himselfe against the totall or finall falling away of Gods elect And would Mr. P. but come over to us in the point of Election Gods invincible working on the hearts of his chosen ones we should soon agree or else very easily bear with one another in our differences 3. If Mr. P. go the way that the Church of England hath taught him how came it to passe that as many as trod the Arminian path were wont to be suppressed censured so soon as they beganne to discover themselves Who is such a stranger in the History of the University that hath not heard of Barrets Recantation made in the University Church 10. of May 1595 And these are the words of the Order appointing him that penalty Habitâ maturâ deliberatione nec non visis diligenter examinatis positionibus praedictis quia manifesto constabat positiones praedictas errorem falsitatem in se continere nec non aperte repugnare religioni in Ecclesia Anglicanâ receptae ac stabilitae ideo judicaverunt c. See more in Mr. Th. Fuller Peter Baro's Arminianisme cost him the loss of his place and which was worst lost him the Affections of the University Mr. Edward Sympson a fine Critick preached a Sermon before King Iames at Royston taking for his Text Iohn 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh hence he endeavoured to prove that the Commission of any great sinne doth extinguish Grace and Gods Spirit for the time in man Hee added also that St. Paul in the seventh Chapter to the Romanes spake not of himself as an Apostle and Regenerate but sub statu legis Hereat his Majesty took publickly expressed great distaste because Arminius had lately been blamed for extracting the like exposition out of the Works of Faustus Socinus whereupon hee sent to the two Professors in Cambridge for their judgement herein who proved and subscribed the place ad Rom. 7. to bee understood of a Regenerate man according to St. Augustin his later opinion In his Retractations and the Preacher was enjoyned a publick recantation before the King which was performed accordingly Mr. Mountagues Appeale had almost been strangled in the womb by Archbish Abbot When it saw light how exceedingly it was disliked may appear by the several Answers made to it by Bish Carleton Dean Sutliffe Dr. Featly Mr. Yates Mr. Wooton all Episcopal Presbyt Mr. Francis Rouse Independ Mr. Henry Burton Nor doe his Respondents object any thing more than his dissent from the Doctrine of the Church of England He was censured for it by the Parliament Mr. Rim from the Committee for Religion made this Report to the House of Commons April 18. 1626. That hee had disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies that the whole frame and scope of the booke was to discourage the well affected in Religion from the true Religion established in the Church and to encline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Let mee here insert an Order made by the House of Commons 28 Ian. 1628. after a large Debate We the Commons now assembled in Parliament do claim profess and avow for truth the sense of the Articles of Religion which were established in Parliament 13
of his hatred the title of Calvinist and Puritan and because I find some to make use of this Jvybush to tole in customers that they are obedient Sons of the Chuch of England I shall beg thy patience good Reader whilest I shew that not the Remonstrant but the Contra-remonstrant opinion hath been the Doctrine of the Reformed Church of England and that the Countenancing of Arminianisme with us is no older than Bishop Laud and Bishop Mountague who are but of yesterday in comparison But do not these men much forget themselves whilest they appeale to the Church of England Was it not the Church of England that in her 35th Article did legitimate the books of homilies and are not such words to be found in the homily against the Peril of Idolatry The image of God Father Son or Holy Ghost either severally or the images of the Trinity be by the Scriptures expressely forbidden and condemned as appears by these places Deut. 4. Isa 40. Acts 17. Rom. 1. Vide ibidem plura How then was the late Arcshbishop an obedient Son of the Church of England who put Mr. Sherlfield a Bencher of Linc. Inne and Recorder of Sarum to so much cost and a disgracefull acknowledgment of his fault and caused him to be bound to his good behaviour for taking down a glasse Window in which there were made no lesse then 7. pictures of God the Father in forme of a little old man clad in a blew and red coat with a Pouch by his side about the bignesse of a Puppet Yea I have heard it from a Gentleman of good repute that the Archbishop then justified the Picturing of God the Father in forme of an old man out of that place of Daniel where God is called the ancient of dayes Nay Bishop Lindsey one of the Archbishops great Creatures was not ashamed to say That none but ignorant Calvinist Bishops did put down Altars at the beginning of the Reformation and that they were worse then Iesuites that he was much offended with the Homily's against the Perill of Idolatry against setting up of images in Churches that he would have these Homilies put out of the Homily book wondred why they were suffered to continue in it so long Was it not the Church of Enland who by her Lords Spiritual in the upper house and her whole convocatiō in the Act for the subsidy of the Clergy 3o. Iacobi defined the Pope to be the Antichrist was it not Bishop Andrews positive opinion that the Pope is Antichrist was it not Archbishop Whitgifts commencement assertion 1569. Papa est ille Antichristus was not this also positively asserted by Archbishop Vsher and proved by King Iames and must they now be called the onely obedient Sons of our Church who study by all their Learning to take off that ignominious name from the Pope and fasten it upon I know not whom Was it not the Church of England who in her 9th Article speaks so plainly concerning Original sin That it standeth not in following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainely talke but is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the off-spring of Adam c. And must he now that set forth the unum necessarium then whom Pelagius himself could not be more Pelagian be resorted unto and reputed as an Oracle by those who glory in nothing more then in beeing old Eliz Protestants O that those who have any zeal for the Religion sealed by the blood of our Martyrs defended by the pens of our Divines the swords of our Soldiers established by the Law of our Nation would consider what I write But these are Parerga'es to our grand design which was to find out the opinion of the Church of England in the matters debated betwixt the Remonstrants and Contra remonstrants for the carrying on whereof it will not be amisse to consider our Church in a twofold capacity before our general Reformation after it Before the general Reformation in whom should we seeke our Church but in our Martyrs and confessors who did witnesse against the Synagogue of Sathan what were the opinions of Wichlief we can scarce find but in the History of Papists who would be sure to make him as odious as they could tell how to draw him but by their laying it to his charge that he brought in fatal necessity that he made God the author of sin we may make a probable ghesse that there was no disagreement betwixt him and Mr. Iohn Calvin For the dayes of King Henry the eight wee have through special providence some workes of Mr William Tyndall Mr Iohn Frith Mr. Dr. Barnes preserved which are all bound up together and put forth by Iohn Day 1563 Mr. Iohn Fox than whom Magd. Coll. hath scarce ever had a member of whom she may more justly boast putting a large preface in which he stileth them the cheife ring-leaders of the Church of England How point blank they speake for the things that now are called Calvinistical errors may be seen with a little labour if any one will looke upon the index though he that will read the book it selfe once over for my sake will read it over twice for his owne Come we to the more conspicuous estate of our Church when Kings and Queens have vouchsafed to be nursing Fathers and Mothers to it when she hath spoken to her members by the 39. Art Homilies Liturgies Catechismes these we will consult that we may be sure if it be possible to know her mind The Articles were first agreed upon in the Convocation holden in the Reign of Edward the sixt 1552. confirmed and repromulgated Anno 1562. ratified by King Iames 1604. and by King Charles 1628. Some little variation there is in the several editions of them about which I mind not to trouble my self seeing the 17th Article is the same in all the words are as followeth Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundation of the World laid he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be call'd according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made sons of God by adoption they be made like the image of his onely begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity c. Nor can any one that reads the common prayer booke with an unprejudiced mind choose but observe divers passages that manifestly make for a personall eternall election That which may be collected out of our Homilies I will not transcribe seeing the booke is commonly to be had Let me only minde
Eliz. which by the publick Acts of the Church of England and the general and currant exposition of the Writers of our Church have been delivered to us and we reject the sense of the Iesuites and Arminians and all others wherein they differ from us If any one shall be desirous to know why we meet with no censures of Arminianisme in Oxon the answer wil be that thiâ— was not because she had lesse zealâ— against that error than her Sisterâ— but because her members either were free from it or else kept it to themselves Yet I could tell him oâ— Dr. Howsons suspension for flurtinâ— at Mr. Iohn Calvin 4. How comes it to pass thaâ— those who now follow Arminius diâ— heretofore follow Mr. Calvin Dâ—… Iacksons Questions in vesper 162â— were An peccatum originale liberum arbitrium in Adamo ipsius posteris penitus extinxit Affirm An voluntas hominis lapsi sic libera quoad actum conversionis ad Deum Neg. And whos 's these were 1627. An praedestinatio ad salutem sit propter praevisam fidem Neg. An praedestinatio ad salutem sit mutabilis Neg. An gratia ad salutem sufficiens concedatur omnibus Neg. Mr. P. knows if he knows who admitted him a Demy Nay he himself confesseth that he holdeth not the same opinions that he did when he first commenced Mr. What did not the Parents Masters Tutors of these persons know what the Doctrine of the Church of Engl. was or were they some schismatical Puritans who instructed them in a doctrine contrary to what is establisht by Law I hope they will not so blemish their education yet doe they not strangely blemish the Church her selfe For if shee did verily apprehend these Geneva Doctrines to be so contrary to the glory of God and the power of godlynesse why hath shee not in some Convocation declared the mischievousnesse of these tenents and warned her Sonnes against such Catechisms and Systems of Divinity as do contain them Why hath the Practice of Pietie Perkins his Principles Balls Catechisme with divers others been so often printed 5. If the Church be so cordially for Arminianisme how came it to pass that King Iames should bee so very solicitous to have it weeded out in other Churches Did he not put the States upon calling an Assembly to condemn Episcopius and his party Did he not send some of his Divines of singular Piety and parts to sit in that Assembly charging them not to agree to any thing contrary to the Church of England and yet rewarding them at their returne when they had suffraged to the contra remonstrants Did not he exclaim against the impudence of Bertius for saying that his Doctrine of the Apostasie of Saints was agreeable to the Doctrine of our Church Doe but observe how Mr. P. strives to get out of your hand though you think you have him fast Div. Puri p. 6 7. Although King Iames in his younger yeares had imbibed and suckt in even before hee was aware that Presbyterian opinion of the Genevizing Scotish Kirk which no man living will think strange who knows the place of his birth his education yet in riper and wiser years he found so great reason to retract and abjure his former error that he readily accepted of Bishop Mountagues Appeal and commanded it to be printed and to be dedicated also unto his royal self when even this was the Doctrine Appealed for that the children of God may fall away according to the tenour of our sixteenth Article which the King perceiving to be the words and mind of the Church of England and that Bertius had discerned it a great deal sooner than himselfe he did not think it below him to grow in knowledge wisdom as well as yeares The very mentioning of B. Mountague makes him talk like a Dictator rather than an Historian B. Mountague saith in his Appeale lest the Lambeth Articles should too much stand in his way that they were afterwards forbidden by publick authority But Mr. Tho. Fuller Book 9. p. 231. makes himself a little merry with the Learned man When where and by whom this prohibition was made he is not pleased to tell us and strange it is that a publick Prohibition should be whispered so softly that this author alone should hear it and none other to my knowledge take notice thereof Such another Winter tale hath Mr. Pierce told us King Iames changed his judgment when or where how many monthes or years before his death of these not a tittle Doth he think that so unlikely a change will bee believed without very strong proofs I can prove that not above a month before he dyed giving directions and instructions to two Divines having occasion to touch upon the treatises of St. August that are extant in the 7. Tome he stiled them S. Augustins Polemical Tracts against the Hereticks that agree with our Arminians and presently calling to minde their proper name termed those Hereticks Pelagians Vid. Feat Parallels Now though some people who vvill be prating about vvhat concerns them not do talk parilously about some poyson given to the King not long before his death yet that the poyson vvas the Arminian errors I never heard or dreamed That the Divines employed at that venerable Synod never changed their mind is beyond all doubt Hear Bishop Hall and Bishop Davenant in their Letters to one another Bishop Hall Yea as if this calumny was not enough there want not those whose secret whisperings cast upon me the foul aspersions of another sect whose name is as much hated as little understood My Lord you know I had a place with you though unworthy in that famous Synod of Dort where however sickness bereaved me of the honour of a conclusive subscription yet your Lordship heard mee with equall vehemence to the rest crying downe the unreasonablenesse of that way I am stil the same man and shall live and die in the suffrage of that reverend Synod doe confidently avow that those other opposed opinions cannot stand with the Doctrine of the Church of England Bishop Davenant replyeth As for the aspersion of Arminianisme I can testifie that in our joint employment at the Synod of Dort you were as farre from it as my selfe And I know that no man can embrace it in the Doctrine of Predestination and grace but he must first desert the Articles agreed upon by the Church of England nor in the point of perseverance but he must vary from the common Tenet and received opinion of our best approved Doctors in the English Church Mentis aureae verba bracteata Obj. Notwithstanding all this â—t is plainly said that we may fall away from grace received Article 16. As will appear if we compare the 16 th Article with the first part of the homily touching falling away from God Pag. 54.57 With the forme of Baptisme with the Catechisme and all with the Conference at Hampton-Court Pag. 29 30 31. Answ All these have been compared
ipso facto oblationis eateuus reddit placatū reconciliatum humano generi ut vere nunc dicatur paratus quemvis hominem in gratiam recipere simulac in Christum crediderit neminem tamen saltem ex adultis praedicta Christi mors reponit in statū gratiae actualis reconciliationis sive salutis antequam credat Hath two more extreamly opposite to his darling notions Conc 4 a. Positâ Christi morte omnibus hominibus applicabili sub conditione fidei stat cum bonitate justitia Divina suppeditare vel negare sive nationibus sive singularibus hominibus media applicationis idque pro bene placito voluntatis sue non pro disparitate voluntatis humanae p. 88. Mors Christi ex speciali intentione Dei patris illud sacrificium ab aeterno ordinantis acceptantis Christique illud idem in plenitudine temporis deo patri offerentis destinata fuit certis quibusdam hominibus quos electos Scriptura vocat iisdemque solis ut efficaciter infallibiliter applicanda ad aeternae vitae consecutionem The Comment upon this Thesis hee thus begins Hanc Thesin opponimus Arminiorum errori quem Grevinchovius stabilire conatur disser de morte Christi p. 7. Vbi docet Deum tradentem Filium suum intendisse impetrationem reconciliationis omnibus et singulis communem applicationem vero ejusdem impetratae nemini mortalium absolute voluisse If Mr. P. cannot swallow these two last let him answer the Doctors arguments and count me as much engaged to defend them as if I my selfe had made them If he can digest them let him know that I have no quarrell with him about the former which would never have found so many adversaries among Calvinists if the Arminians had stated it so clearly proved it by so good arguments as the Rev. Professor hath don But what do I talk of agreeing with such a man as Mr. P who rather than not fight will cōtend with his own shadow Dr. P. H. a bird of the same feather who also took his flight from the Angel in Ivy-lane will needs have Bishop Vsher to differ from the Church of England in the point of universal redemption mark his proof p. 102. The Church of England doth maintain an universal Redemption of all mankind by the death and sufferings of our Saviour Well and so doth the deceased Primate p. 103. We think not that all mankind is so perfectly reconciled to Almighty God as to be really and actually discharged from all their sinns before they beleeve but that they are so far reconciled unto him as to be capable of the remission of their sins in case they doe not want that faith in their common Saviour which is required thereunto Well and so thought the Primate too 'T is a wonder that a Doctor of Divinity should so unvvorthily handle a Reverend person and fasten upon him a dissent from the Church of England in a matter vvherein he doth so perfectly agree with her But he hath received the due desert of his bitternesse his Book being as I am informed burned by the hand of the common Hangman And now Reader thou wilt apply to me the speech of Diogenes concerning Mindas but I shall ease thy patience when I have onely desired thee to resolve this most plaine and easie question Whether those opinions which are contrary to the judgement of the Composers of our Articles which have been frequently recanted by the divulgers of them opposed by our Learned Professors condemned by our civil authority the contrary whereunto have been constantly defended in our Acts the greatest Academical solemnities be the Doctrine of our Church of England ERRATA Pref. r. that I. r. none know for one r. once p. 14. l. penult r. Mat. 7.3 4 5. p. 74. l. 12. r. à Deo p. 77. l. 24. r. 't is p. 96. l. 6. for them r. his reasons Mistakes in spelling or in accenting Greek words or in not distinguishing the members of sentences if I should note I should too much distrust the judgement of the Reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR A Justification of the Fathers and Schoolmen in their Opinion That Sin hath not a Positive Beeing EXercising my Ministry at Brackley I came into acquaintance with Mr. William Barlee who upon the publication of his Correptory Correction was pleased to bestow one Copy on me desiring me freely to spend my thoughts upon it In my Answer though I could not but Intimate how much I disliked the sharpnes of his stile in some passages relating to his adversary yet I could not but say that there was something in the Argumentative part unto which Mr. Pierce would scarce be able to returne a satisfactory Answer Which my opinion I yet see no reason to recant For notwithstanding all his bustle and ratlings yet impartiall and judicious men may discerne he is but like that Goth in Procopius who though he fought fiercely had the mortall arrows sticking in his helmet whereof he soon after fell The Gentleman had some part of his education among the Oxford Cavaliers who were wont to outface their defeats with bone-fires and to ring their Bells after the greatest routs and being a little tainted with that humour resolves to Triumph who ever gets the victory And indeed a Spirit of most childish insultation seems to have possessed as many as have lift up an English pen against the Orthodox in this quinquarticular controversy I l'e instance onely in Mr. John Goodwin who in the Preface to his Triumviri saith that he hath not met with any thing in the writings of any or of all the three men contesting with him which had in the least shaken his confidence concerning the truth of the things by him asserted or that for the least space of time put him to any stand or losse in his understanding concerning them or to seek what to Answer to any thing they offer or object against any of them which lines the greatest charity must needs look upon as so much vapouring Rhetorick dropt from his pen in the absence of Judgment and conscience Or as an essay of the Spartanes valour who being struck down by a mortall blow used to stop their mouths with earth that they might not be heard to quetch or groan thereby to affright their fellowes or animate their Enemies The reader hath not yet the occasion of my calamity Mr. Barlee resolves to undertake the Divine Philanthropie and writes a second letter to me desiring to borrow some books and withall to know what I thought of his assailants reply I had not then perused it nor have I yet perused it nor shall I ever peruse it except I can find some of the Rabbines hours which belong neither to night nor day But it seems I had espyed that his strange and long since exploded opinion of the positivity of sin which made me write that if he held sin to be positive he must either hold it to be from
the Readers purse and patience that I fill it no fuller Secondly I might strengthen my opinion from the Schoolmen amongst whom I have an Army to a man as is confessed even by Arriaga The first that ever was against me as Faventinus thinks was Cajetan and those that assert the positivity of sin are by Rada called Cajetanistae so that I may say to Mr. P. where was your opinion before Luther for Luther and Cajetan are known to be contemporaries Yet not to wrong Cajetan he onely holds the essence of the sin of commission to be positive but that the sinfullnesse of omission was so he never dreamed Do these authorities signify nothing with Mr. P hear him Pag. 174. If either the Schoolmen erre or were mistaken or were never read who can help it I see judgement often varieth with interest and things acquire a price not so much for what they are in themselves as for what they are relatively to our ends and purposes The Schoolmen's authority is no good money when he should take it is currant coyne when he should pay it I must needs say that the generall suffrage of the Schools doth signify much to me in matters where they are not overawed by a Church Canon But he hath a prettier evasion than this Pag. 170. The Jesuits in waggery did purposely propagate many blasphemies arising from the tenet of unconditionall reprobation in Protestant parts of the Christian world that by making them odious they might fright men from thence into the Church of Rome If there be any Jesuits that do propagate what they apprehend to be blasphemy I should think a fitter name might be given to so Devilish a practice than that of waggery Who betrayed him into this observation Dr. Jackson who yet doth not bluntly say that it 's the designe of the Factours for the Church of Rome to have this Doctrine generally embraced or acknowledged by us but inserts these words of Caution or at least to have the World believe that it were generally acknowledged by us Beshrew Mr. Bar who put Mr. P. upon a necessity of reading this Author if he can make no better use of him The Jesuits are generally reputed very Politick but if this be the best policy they have I should think we need not much fear their plots For what if they should fasten the Doctrine of absolute reprobation upon the Church of England Why thence it would follow that the God of heavē were worse than an incarnate Devil yea thou any wicked Spirit or the Devil himself can without stander be supposed to be But doth he not think that men would enquire whether that frightfull conclusion were rightly deduced from the former principle would they not tell those Popish factours that their Pastours teach them to confesse their sins and to take the shame of them to themselves Would they not bid them dwell at home and take notice of their own Dominicans who as strenuously assert the Doctrine of absolute reprobation as any that go by the name of Calvinists the same Dr. Jackson saith Pag. 3012. He that would diligently peruse Aquinas his writings and in particular his resolution of that Question An detur causa praedestinationis may finde him as strait lace't as Calvin was one and the same girdle would be an equall competent measure for both their errors Nay the Dr. saith the Dominican's and other Schoolmen were more faulty than Zuinglius or his followers But with Mr. P. Doctor Twisse is worse than the Jesuit's though the Jesuit's and Dominican's are too bad Pag. 170. Let me adde that two Papists as learned as ever did engage for upholding the Popish cause do acquit us of this imputation the making of God the Author of sin Suarez opus lib. 2. cap. 2. p. 111. The Hereticks potestants know well that God intendeth not that which is formall in sin nor inclineth the will of man to intend it Vasquez dis 99. cap. 4. n. 22. Calvin Zuinglius Beza do plainly affirm that sin as sin is not to be referr'd to God as the cause thereof both these Testimonies I take upon trust from D. F. Wh. P. 145. Having not the books themselves by me at the present But to requite him for this observation out of Dr. Jackson who attempts not the proof of it by any one example I shall give him another That the Popish Priests will sometimes go over to the Lutherans and pretend a conversion whereas their designe is onely to blow up the coals of contention betwixt them and the Calvinists And at the managing of such a designe I am sure Mr. P. hath as good a faculty as any man alive What successe can Mr. Duree expect in his negociations for peace when as men of bitter Spirits from among our selves do not stick to make the opinions of the Calvinists worse then those of the Atheists And that the Arminians are the consin-germanes to the Jesuits and do underhand aime at the introducing of Popery I shall give him the opinion of the whole house of Commons whose word 's in a Declaration of theirs to his Majesty are The hearts of your subjects are perplexed when with sorrow they behold a dayly growth and spreading of the faction of the Ariminians that being as your Majesty well knows but a cunning way to bring in Popery and the Professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and incendiary's of those states in which they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Jesuit's in opinion and practice Vid. a necessary introduction to the Archbish tryall by Mr. Prinne If he except against the house of Commons let him learn the same from a Jesuit's letter to the Rector at Bruxells Father Rector c. We have now many strings to our bowes and have strongly fortify'd our faction and have added two Bulwarkes more for when K. James lived we know he was very violent against Arminianisme and interrupted with his pestilent wit and deep learning our strong designes in Holland now we have planted the soveraigne drug Arminianisme which we hope will purge the Protestants from their heresy This letter was seized in the Archbish Study and attested against him at the Lords bar If yet there be not witnesse enough wee 'l call in the Lord Falklands speech p. 7. As Sir Tho. Moor sayes of the Casuists their businesse was not to keep men from sinning but to inform them quam prope ad peccatum sine peccato liceat accedere so it seemed their worke was to try how much of a Papist might be brought in without Popery and to destroy as much as they could of the Gospell without bringing themselves into danger of being destroyed by the Law Mr. Speaker to go yet further some of them have so industriously laboured to deduce themselves from Rome that they have given great suspicion that in gratitude they desire to return thither or at least to meet it half way Some have evidently laboured
by every one of those 7. writers that undertook the answer to Mr. Mountagues appeal yet they never thought it incumbent upon them to alter their minds Mr. Mountague saith both in his Gag appeale that our Church hath left this undecided and in the conference at Hampton-Court I find Dr. Reynolds moving that the words totally and finally might be added for explication of the Article and that the Lambeth Articles might be in serted The King then unacquainted with the Lambeth Articles thought not meet to put them in But liked it well enough in his Clergy of Ireland that they took them into their confession Dr. Overall said something touching an opinion of his about which he had been questioned by some but concluded that the elect do never fall away totally or finally The Bishop of London said he knew there were some that did make an ill use of the decrees But had before the conference agreed to the Lambeth Articles and after the conference when he was Archb. his Chaplain with his good liking and approbation published the exposition and Analysis of our Articles in which he gives the Calvinist as fair quarter as could be wished And now I would faing know why I am sent to the conference at Hampton-Court Mr. Hooker had I warrant you read Artic. Homilies forme of Baptism and seeing he could scarce tell how to speak not judiciously we will consult him the rather because it seems this Author was by the late King commended to his Children as an antidote against the poison of Popery Disc of justifi p. 506. As Christ beeing raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more power over him So the justified man beeing allyed to God in Iesus Christ our Lord doth as necessarily from that time forward allwayes live as Christ by whom he hath life liveth allway I might if I had not other where largely done it allready shew by many and sundry manifest and cleer proofs how the motions and operations of this life are sometimes so in discerneable and so secret that they seem stone dead who are notwithstanding still alive unto God in Christ For as long as that abideth in us which animateth quickeneth and giveth life so long we live and we know that the cause of our faith abideth in us for ever If Christ the Fountain of life may flit and leave the habitation where once he dwelleth what shall become of his promise I am with you to the end of the World If the seed of God which containeth Christ may be first conceived then cast out how doth St. Peter terme it immortall How doth St. John affirme it abideth If the Spirit which is given to cherish and preserve the seed of life may be given and taken away how is it the earnest of our in heritance untill redemption Anno 1625. one Mr. Damport did answer on this Question An renati possint totaliter finaliter excidere à gratiâ His opponent one Mr. Palmer of Lincolne Colledge urged out of Mr. Mountagues appeal the Article of our Church the Homilies the book of Common prayer the Dr. of the Chair handled the Appellator shrewdly saying he was Merus Grammaticus a fellow that studied Phrases more than Matter that he understood neither the Articles nor the Homilies or at least perverted both And what thinkes Mr. P. of the University of Oxon did not shee know the opinions of the Church of England or would she countenance any thing that had so much as the appearance of contrariety to our Church How came it then to passe that her congregations appointed questions to be disputed of at the publick acts in which are the greatest confluence of the of Sons of Levi. That proceeders maintained in a Calvinistical way How many are now alive that can remember this Question an ex Doctrina reformatorū sequatur Deū esse autorē peccati held Neg. And maintained to the satisfaction of the hearers the Arminian Doctors mean while shewing themselves rather angry than able opponents Let any one who questioneth the truth of what I now say consult the Act Papers that are printed as often as those Academical solemnities are celebrated What should I say more we know when Arminianisme began under whose wings it was sheltered viz. the D. of Buck. and Bishop Laud of whom the first had so much of an Herod in him as would not have suffered him so long to continue friendship with the latter if he had not had too little of a St. Ioh. Baptist whilest they did rule not before nor since passages in books against Arminianisme were blotted out reflections in Sermons upon Remonstrants were disliked by Bishop Lauds meanes Dr. Downhams book against the Totall finall Apostasy of the saints from grace was called in in his dayes Mr. Ford of Mag. H. Mr. Thorn of Baliol Mr. Hodges of Exeter were censured but let it be observed that the ground of the Censure was not their having preached any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Church which is the forme of the censure possed upon Arminians by the ancient Protestants but onely their going against the Kings Declaration which determined nothing but onely injoyned silence in these points Now I hope the Church did not live and dye with B. and C. Nay their flourishing was the decaying and languishing of Church and State too nor could either body vell recover but by spewing out such evill instruments Obj. The Church of England is for universal redemption the Calvinists that are Antiarminian are against it Ans Mr. P. indeed is hugely confident that it we grant him universall redemption the cause is yeelded to him But I am all most as confident that to grant him universall redemption is to grant him just nothing at all for what though Christ did so far die for all as to procure a salvation for all upon the conditions of faith and repentance what 's this to the absolutenesse of Gods decrees or to the insuperability of converting grace or to the certain infallible perseverance of Gods elect after conversion King Iames understood these controversies far better then either Mr. P. or I. and yet he even at that very time when he sent his Divines to the Synod of Dort to determine against the Arminianisme that was then growing in the Low Countries gave it them in charge not to deny that Christ died for all as I my self was told by Bishop Vsher the first time I had the happinesse to have any personall discourse with him who also further then told me that he gave in his own judgement to Dr. Davenant for universall redemption but withall added that there were a certaine number upon whom God absolutely purposed to bestow his Spirit taking away the heart of stone and giving them an heart of flesh and we know that Dr. Davenant in that very dissertation in which one conclusion is Mors sive passio Christi ut universalis causa salutis humanae deum patrem
words Dr. Crakanthorpe thought meet to use against him Mr. Barlee hath already told Mr. Pierce I shall onely adde the Book was dedicated to King Charles and hath this title put to it Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae of which Church Mr. P. professeth himself a dutifull and obedient son and that Dr. Abbot saith of that Treatise that it was the most accurate peece of controversie that was written since the Reformation Next let us hear the most learned and peaceable Dr. Sanderson con 2. ad Clerum p. 29 30. Sundry of the Doctors of our Church teach truly and agreeably to Scriptures the effectual concurrence of Gods will and power with subordinate agents in every and therefore even in sinfull actions Gods free election of those whom he purposeth to save of his own grace without any motives in or from themselves the immutability of Gods love and grace towards the Saints Elect and their certaine perseverance therein to salvation the justification of sinners by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applied unto them by a lively faith without the works of the Law These are sound and true and if rightly understood comfortable and right profitable doctrines and yet they of the Church of Rome have the forehead I will not say to slander my Text alloweth more to blaspheme God and his Truth and the Ministers thereof for teaching them Bellarm. Gretser Maldonate and the Jesuites but none more than our own English Fugitives Bristow Stapleton Parsons Kellison and all the rabble of that crew freely spend their mouthes in barking against us as if we made God the author of sinne as if we would have men sin and be damned by a fatal necessitie sinne whether they will or no be damned whether they deserve it or no as if we opened a gap to all licentiousnesse and prophanesse let them believe it is no matter how they live heaven is their own cock sure as if we cried down Good Works and condemned Charity Slanders loud and false yet easily blown away with one single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these imputations upon us and our doctrine are unjust but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them that misreport us know that without repentance their damnation will be just Dr. Field B. 3. p. 117. The next Heresie which they say we are fallen into is the Heresie of Florinus who taught that God is the author and cause of sinne This saith Bellarm. Calvin Luth. Martyr have defended in their writings of this sinfull and wicked and lying report we are sure God is not the author but the devil pag. 140. Cal. Then is not worse than the Manichees in making God the author of those evils which the Manichees attribute to an evil beginning as Bellarm. is pleased to pronounce of him but is farther from that hellish conceit than Bellarm. is from hell it selfe if he repent not of these hellish slanders Dr. Ward prae de pecca orig p. 148. Prodiit non ita pridem clanculum liber quem author intitulavit amor dei erga genus humanum qui acriter contendit ex concessis sublap satis evidenter inferri omnium peccatorum hominum reproborum deum esse verum principalem authorem Audax assertum vel verius impudens calumnia I might mention more but I forbeare and doe earnestly desire those Episcopall Divines who close with us in the points of present contest that they would bethink themselves and consider what favour they must expect from these Arminian Ardelio's no more than what Polyphemus promised Ulysses to be last devoured If they cannot fall down and worship the Idols which these men have set up they must expect to be thrown into the fierie furnace nay they are tormented in it already in Augustines sense who calls the mouth of an angry adversary by that name for mark his word ch 2. p. 61. Whatever dishonours have been done unto the Protestant name by those of the Kirk or Consistory or their adherents here in England yet the dutifull sons of the Church of England have ever been free from any part of that guilt This doth expunge Bishop Hall Bishop Morton Bishop Brownerig whom we as they deserve call Fathers out of the number of the dutifull Sonnes of the Church of England Nay he sticketh not in the Preface to the Reader p. 6. to place them among the very unsound and unruly members of this Church Let me take the boldness to beseech them who are of any authority in that party as they love the truth than which nothing ought to be more precious as they tender the wellfare and safety of poor soules for whom Christ dyed that they would either plainly say that they have all this while been mistaken and through ignorance Preached and Printed Blasphemy or else brand this false accuser with the letter K which when the I aw I allude to was made was the first letter of the word Calumniator 3. I have spent more time in reading the Authors Pro Con about these points than ever I intend to doe being of opinion that the greatest Scholars will never be able fully to satisfie their own or other mens Reasons about them Nor should this seem any wonder to us who cannot be ignorant how many points there be in Natural Philosophy in which a man plungeth himself into inextricable difficulties whether he affirm or deny them With what confidence have I heard one young Sophister maintain that continuum fit ex indivisibilibus and another that continuum non fit ex indivisibilibus both thought themselves in the right but men of mature judgements standing by could easily see that neither the one nor the other could free his Assertion from the common Objections brought against it I thank God I have not the least temptation to doubt concerning the Trinity of the Persons nor the Hypostatical Union of the two Natures yet I never thought my self able to vindicate those mysteries from all the subtile Arguments and niceties of unbelieving sophisters The like I think concerning the Doctrine of Gods Decrees and the manner of the Spirits working Grace in the hearts of the Elect these are matters so very mysterious and my understanding so dark that I can scarce hope ever in this world to be freed from all scruples about them Would you therefore know why I hold Absolute Eternal Personal Election Efficacious determining Grace and the certain infallible perseverance of all Believers Truly because I finde these opinions most agreeable to Scripture to the communis sensus fidelium the instinct and impulse of the new creature in all ages and because I finde they doe most tend to the debasing of sinfull man and to the exaltation of Christ my Saviour and that free Grace of his by which I hope to be acquitted at the last day To this end I will relate two Historicall passages with which J have been much taken the one from Father Paul who hath filled the Christian world with his