THE CHVRCH OF ENGLANDS OLD ANTITHESIS TO NEW ARMINIANISME Where in 7. Anti-Arminian Orthodox Tenents are euidently proued their 7. opposite Arminian once Popish and Pelagian Errors are manifestly disproued to be the ancient established and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England by the concurrent testimony of the seuerall Records and Writers of our Church from the beginning of her reformation to this present By WILLIAM PRYNNE Gent. Hospitij Lincolniensis GALATIANS 1. 9 2. IOHN 10. If any man preach any other Gospell vnto you then that you haue receiued let him be accursed If there come any vnto you and bring not this Doctrine receiue him not into your house neither bid him God speede Vincentius Lerinensis contra Haereses Cap. 39. Quicquid omnes vel plures vno eodemq sensu manifeste frequenter perseueranter velut quodam sibi consentiente magistrorum Concilio accipiendo tenendo tradendo firmauerint id pro indubitato certo ratoq habeatur London 1629. TO THE HIGH AND Honourable Court of Parliament now assembled RIght Christian Honourable and Religious Senators that all-disposing Prouidence of our euer-blessed GOD which hath lately Conuented and since that Centered you with an vnanimous and inflexible resolution vpon the examination of the seuerall Innouations Restraints and Pressures of our much endangered Religion to the great content and ioy of all good Christians hath at this time directed me to pen and inuited me to publish this ANTI-ARMINIAN Index which here lies prostrate at your feete imploring your most gratious and free Protection to further your religious and happy Proceedings in the discouery and suppression of those Hereticall and Grace-destroying Arminian nouelties which haue of late inuaded affronted and almost shouldred out of doores the ancient established and resolued Doctrines of our Church to the intolerable griefe of all true Christian hearts the exultation and triumph of our Romish Aduersaries the prouocation of Gods heauy wrath and curse against vs who hath blasted all our publike Enterprises since these Arminian Errous haue crept in among vs and to the great endammagement and disturbance of our Church and State which are like to sincke and perish vnder them vnlesse your medicinall and helping hands forthwith support them For me or any other now to question as I feare too many doe Whether Parliaments haue any true or legall right in the reformation establishment and rescue of Religion in the explanation of our Articles or in Church affaires were but to dispute not onely our Non-Preaching Pluralitie Commenda and Non-resident men the chiefe Fomenters of Popery and Arminianise and the onely Cauellers at Parliamentary proceedings in matters of Religion out of all their Benefices and Ecclesiasticall Promotions a happy and much desired worke but euen all our Bishops our Ministers our Sacraments our Consecration our Articles of Religion our Homilies Common-Prayer Booke yea and all Religion out of our Church which are no other way publikly receiued supported or established among vs but by Acts of Parliament as I haue more largely proued in a former Epistle Hee who hath seriously suruayed the Statutes of our Kingdome shal finde Religion and Church-affaires determined ratified declared and ordered by Act of Parliament and no wayes else euen then when Popery and Church-men had the greatest sway ingrossing all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction to themselues alone and shall wee then doubt whether Parliaments haue any Conusance of Religion now It is the positiue Resolution of all the Fathers of all Proâ—estant and I thinke of most Popish Diuines That Kings and temporall Magistrates ought to bee the chiefe Defenders and Patrons of Religion the suppressors of Haeresies Idolatries and false Doctrines the principall Reformers of the Church and they produce the Examples of Moses Ioshua Dauid Iehosaphat Solomon Hezechiah Iosiah Constantine Charles the Great Iustinian Theodosius William the Conquerour Henry the first of England Canutus Edgar Edmund Richard the second Henry the fifth King Iue Alured Ercombert Ethelbaldus and others together with the Prophesie of Isay cap. 9. 13. Kings shall bee thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy Nurses the 17. of Deutr. 18. 19. Psalm 2. 10. the 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. Rom. 13. 1. 2. 3. Iude 1. 2. and other Scriptures for to prooue it Why then may not our King our Parliament and Temporall Magistrates now as well as heretofore intermedle with Religion if all these examples this conclusion passe for currant Is it from any disability in their persons because they are but Laicks Why such were all these Kings and Magistrates Such were all the Ancient and Moderne Reformers of the Church that euer I could read of Such were all our Parliamentary men in former Ages who established Poperie and since that abolished it by publike Acts of State confirming that Orthodox and true Religion in our Church which now we all professe yet none findes fault with them Such a one was Valdo that Citizen of Lions the Father of the renowned Waldenses or Protestans in France and the originall Author of the first open defection from the Antichristian Church of Rome yet all good Protestants applaud this Act of his Such are the Maior part of our Ecclesiasticall Commissioners who yet determine of Haeresies false Doctrines Scismes and the sense and meaning of our Articles yet no man quarrels or excepts against them Why then should they deny this power vnto Parliaments because they are but Lay which they acknowledge and admit in these Especially since all our Churchmen are virtually included in our Parliament and so suffragate to its Conclusions in our Prelates the vnquestionable Iudges of Points and Controuersies in Religion who are chiefe Members of this mixt Assembly compacted both of Church and State and so not wholly Lay or Ciuill as some vainely fancy Is it because Parliaments want Conusance or power to deale in Church affaires and matters of Religion How then was Popery heretofore implanted since that exiled and our present Orthodoxe Religion with all its seuerall circumstances and adiuncts estated and lawfully setled in our Church by Act of Parliament if Parliaments haue no Legall but onely an vsurped Iurisdiction in Matters Articles Rites and Tenents of Religion as some Papists haue auerred and the fore-quoted learned Prelates and Writers of our Church refelled Certainely if our Parliaments haue such a transcendent power as to authorize Sheriffes in their Turnes and Stewards in their Leetes and Wapentakes to enquire of haeresie and haeretiques as to enable Iustices of the Peace and Quorum to indite and punish Scismatiques as to associate an equall number of the Temporalty with the Clergie in collecting ordering and composing Ecsiasticall Canons Lawes and Constitutions for the regulating of Ecclesiasticall Courts and persons and the better ordering of the Church As to authorize his Maiesties Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall though Lay-men as many of them are to exercise all Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Iurisdictions Priuiledges Superiorities Preheminences and Authorities as
Professours authorized Writers in their raignes and our godly Martyrs in King Henry the 8. and Queene Maries dayes whose names and works I haue here particularly recorded in their order since the Fathers and Councels of the primatiue Church the primitiue and moderne Churches of England Scotland and Ireland with their seuerall established Articles Homilies Catechismes Leiturgies and Records as I haue here infallibly demonstrated together with the late dissolued Parliament haue professedly oppugned and solemnly condemned those Semi-Pelagian and Arminian grace-annihilating Errours which haue lately crept into our Church embracing authorizing and establishing their Opposite Positions as the Orthodox Catholicke and vndoubted truth Let mee now beseech your Pieties as you tender the honour of God the glory of his grace which should be dearer to you then your dearest soules as you would gaine the loue and discharge the trust of your blessed Sauiour and Master-shepheard Iesus Christ who will summon you ere long before his dreadfull Tribunall to render an account of all the stewardships and soules committed by him to your charge which we may iustly feare too many sloathfull Ministers who fish for tithes not soules do much neglect as being seldom resident at their charge which they scarce ever saw but neuer resident in their pulpits into which they seldome clime As you respect the peace and happinesse of our Church in which you are aduanced the safety and dignity of our long professed Religion to which you haue subscribed in which you haue beene borne bred and nourished the honour and popularity of our Religious Soveraign by whom you are now intrusted with Religion as with his chiefest treasure the conservation of whose purity and freedome will most ingratiate indeare his Maiesty to all his faithfull Subiects whose loue will proue his strongest guard his richest mine and best supply As you would faithfully discharge that great Episcopall trust and dignity which now rests vpon your shoulders not as a meere empty pompous Lordly pleasurable gainfull sloathfull or voluptuous honour not as an Epicurean Euripus See or receptacle of delight which calls men from their former humility frugality and diligence in their ministeriall function vnto a voluptuous sloathfull secular Pontificall Lordly proud vnpreaching life as most Prelates deemed it made it in S. Bernards age but as a ponderous Office a laborious Calling a heauy difficult and perpetuall Worke which summons you to feed the purchased and redeemed flocke of Christ ouer which the Lord hath made you Ouerseers with trible diligence readinesse and anxiety of heart and hand because it both redoubles your wages and augments your worke As you desire to perpetuate the dignity the respect of your Episcopall Iurisdiction which hath grown distastfull vnto many through the defaults of some As you tender your owne personall credit and esteeme with all good Christians who will reuerence you more for your piety and goodnesse then your state or greatnesse As you long to satisfie the expectation to forestall the secret iealosies and censures of our Church Kingdome here whose eyes are now intent vpon you or to avoid the irrepealable the eternall doome of Christ hereafter when all fearefull sloathfull inuigilant and lukewarme shepheards who want zeale and valour for the truth on earth shall haue their portion in the vnquenchable and fiery brimstone lake which burnes foreuer As you desire to anticipaete all future Parliamentary proceedings in matters of Religion the former which no doubt were legall iust and honourable though some repine against them being occasioned onely as most coniecture by the remisnesse conniuancy cowardice or indulgence of some Ecclesiasticall Courts in questioning in controlling the impudency the treachery and Errors of such Churchmen whose hereticall scandalous vnorthodox and pernitious doctrines Bookes and liues haue innouated and blemished our Religion embroyled and defiled our Church Let me now I pray vpon all these weighty considerations and ingagementâ— if it may stand with my Iuvinility and your venerable your hâ—ary grauity to exhort you to that duty which the ancient of dayes yea the verygrauest of our Church and State require at your hands excite your Episcopall power and providence to extirpate to exile all Semi-pelagian Errors and Arminian Nouelties all grace-defeating all Church-molesting Heresies with their chiefe Fomenters all late-erected Altars Images Tapers Crucifixes all new reuiued Popish Doctrines Ceremonies Duckings Genuflexions Easterne yea Altar-adorations complained of not long since in Parliament as you may remember with all those other corruptions and superstitious reliques which haue lately crept into our Church in despite of all our Statutes Rubricks Homilies Articles Canons and Iniunctions which prohibit them through the audacious practises of some domestique crafty Mountebanks who would slily Cozen vs of our Religion vnder the golden and holy pretence of Canonicall Devotion and withall to reestablish these Anti-Arminian orthodox Tenets of our Church which here I humbly tender to your best protections in their ancient and long enioyed purity peace and freedome that so by these religious atchieuements you may giue some publike demonstratiue actuall testimony to the world which is oft times iealous of your integrities vpon small occasions that you are all cordiall sincere and faithfull to our Religion Church and State that you are all valiant and zealous for the truth committed to your trust and that you are not onely tiâ—ular but reall Bishops well worthy to succeed those pious and victorious Prelates who haue in graven those Anti-Arminian Conclusions which I haue here contracted with their mellifluous pens and sealed them with their blood a sufficient engagement for me for them to challenge the priuiledge of your Episcopall patronage against the malignancy of all Opposers But perchance your wisdomes will obiect that by intermedling with these nice Arminian Controuersies I haue incurred the danger of his Maiesties Declaration prefixed to the late reprinted Articles therefore I must onely expect an High-Commission Censure from your Lordships not an Approbation or friendly enterteinment of this vntimely Treatise which may chance to proue distastfull vnto some To this I answere first and for the truth of it I appeale vnto your Lordships by whose advice this Declaration was at first contriued that it was neuer his Maiesties nor I thinke your Lordships intention to silence or suppresse but rather to aduance by this Declaration the ancient positiue established and resolued Doctrines of the Church of England especially those which were professed and ratified in the dayes of Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth and King Iames of happy memory as these Anti-Arminian Positions were as is cleere by the expresse words of his Maiesties last Declaration to all his louing Subiects which well explaines the former But all these dogmaticall Anti-Arminian Conclusions which I haue published or iustified in this Antithesis are but the ancient positiue established and receiued
stone and setting a watch for feare lest his Disciples should come by night and steale him away and say that hee was risen What these vile miscreants vainely did in Antichristian doe you Right noble Christians in true Christian Policie Pelagius with his late-born brat Arminius hath beene oft times buried by sundry Ancient some Moderne Councels and Fathers of the Church but yet they haue alwaies risen from the dead againe to the great disquiet of all true Christian Churches If then you chance to crucifie them once againe as now wee hope wee pray you may for feare their life proue all our deathes they being the Archest Traitors to our Church our State our soules and sauing Grace you must not only see them intombed for the present though it be in graues of stone but likewise watch and seale their Sepulchres making them sure for all succeding Ages by some inexorable strict and vigilant Acts of Parliament which no Charme no Wile no Force or Policie may euade Else their Disciples will come by night againe as they haue oft times done and steale them quite away and not onely say but to our great disturbance prooue that they are once more risen from the dead So shall their last resurrection be farre worse our second danger your latter Error farre greater then the first which God forbid Now the GOD of grace and wisdome so ayde direct and guide your Honours with his Spirit in this great weighty Worke which needes an heauenly power to accomplish it that wee to our vnutterable ioy and comfort may now at last behold our drooping and declining Orthodox Religion the onely Center Pillar Bulwarke Garrison Honour Treasure and conseruer of our declining State which ebbes and flowes together with it reuiued aduanced established and secured once againe against all Forraine all Domestique hostile Forces all Stratagemes that oppugne it and that all our eyes may see with triâ—mph all Popery all Olde all Newe Pelagianisme with all the grand Fomentors and Master-springs that feede them in despight of all their new-erected and much adored Altar-Idols arraigned at your dreadfull Barre condemned at your great Tribunall executed before your faces layd dead and prostrate at your feet interred in some brasen Dungeon yea sealed vp and strictly watched with such enuironing cautelous ir-repealable and adamantine Lawes as may so presse them downe for all eternitie that they may neuer raise themselues nor yet bee raised in our Church againe Amen Amen Your Honours in all humble seruice whiles you stand for Christ Religion Church or Countrey WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHERS IN GOD THE ARCH-BISHOPS and Bishops of the Church of ENGLAND RIGHT Reuerend Fathers in God in whose pious integrity and industrious vigilancie the chiefest safety in whose vnfaithfulnesse negligence or insollidity the greatest hazard the inevitablest danger of our Protestant Church and long professed religion are suspended I here most humbly tender vnto your fatherly and pious considerations an vninterrupted Antithesis of the Church of England from her very first reformation to this present against that most venemous Semi-pelagian heresie and those Arminian Novelties which haue of late invaded yea much endangered her ancient established and professed Doctrines which your Ecclesiasticall Dignities and frequent Subscriptions to the Articles Homilies Tenents of our Church engage you in a more speciall manner to protect It is not yea it cannot be vnknowne to your grauities that olde Pelagius and Faustus who haue lyen dead and rotten in their graues 1100 yeares or more haue by a kinde of Pythagorean Metempsy chosis revived in Arminius and his followers now of late as Origen Priscillian and Iouinian did in them and not onely spoken openly against the grace of God and doctrines of our Church which is miserable but even publikely preached and written against them in our Church without any Ecclesiasticall censure or controll which is farre worse It was the complaint of a Reuerend and learned Prelate of our Church about some ten yeares since in an Epistle Dedicatorie vnto his Maiesty then Prince of Wales That the stinking vapors of Arminius whose heresies hee there learnedly encounters had beene blowne ouer from the Belgique shores vpon our English coast and so infatuated some of our Diuines that leauing the beaten and approued path of faith they betooke themselues vnto the crooked wayes and praecipices of Arminius destroying the Articles of our Religion with their Tenents which they had formerly confirmed by their owne subscription What hee lamented and condoled then we haue much more cause to complaine of now when as these contagious vapours haue not onely dangerously infected many but likewise animated some Goliahs to bid professed defiance to the host of Israel in Arminius his quarrell and to take vp armes in his defence against the oft resolued and subscribed Doctrines of their Mother Church who hath enriched them with sundry fauours and yet alas Ab Ecclesia siquidem haereseos impugnator expellitur et nutriri in sinu Ecclesiae haereticus inuenitur the impugners of Arminius his Champions haue beene questioned and molested when as they were neuer hitherto once publikely conuented by any Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction for these their dangerous Innouations When these Arminian Errours were first broached by Barret and Baro in Queene Elizabeths happy Raigne the zeale of our Reverend Prelates and Vniuersity heads was such that they forthwith proceeded iudicially against them not suffering them to rest or harbour in our Church But alas the cowardice indulgency and luke warmnesse of our age is such that those who haue succeeded them in their Episcopall Dignities not their zeale some few only excepted whose paucity indears theÌ„ more to God to man and adds vnto their praise haue scarce so much as once opened their mouths in publike against those Arminian theeues and robbers who by their secret pollicies and publike writings haue lately preyed vpon the sheepe and Doctrines of our Church But now since our religious Soueraine hath publikely professed in his late Declaration to all his louing Subiects to maintaine the true Religion and doctrine established in the Church of England of which the Anti Arminian Tenents comprised in this Antithesis are the chiefest branch without admitting or conniuing at any backsliding either to Popery or Scisme and hath called God to record that he will never giue way to the authorizing of any thing whereby any innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserue that vnity of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queen Elizabeth In whose Raigne Arminianisme was particularly exiled â—ndour Anti-Arminian Assertions settled in our Church whereby our Church of England hath stood and flourished ever since Since King Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth and King Iames of blessed memory an implacable professed Antagonist to Arminianisme to Arminians to his dying day with all our learned Prelates Divinity
Issue which will put a period to our praesent Controuersies and stablish peace and vnity both in Church and State I haue heere Epitomized into this compendious Briefe the seuerall scattered Euidences and most materiall Witnesses that the Church of England hath affoorded me to this purpose since her Reformation to this present all which giue punctuall testimony and vnanimous sentence against our new Arminian Assertions discouering them to bee not onely nouell and erronious but diametrally repugnant to the anciently established and professed Doctrine of our reformed Church as the sequell will eftsoone demonstrate The Method which I shall obserue in the legall deciding of this Issue is this First I shall set downe at large the seuerall grand Charters to wit The Articles of the Church of England The Articles of Lambheth The Articles of Ireland The Common Prayer Booke The Homilies Established in our Church The Chatechisme authorized by King Edward the 6. and Barrets Recantation which entitle the Anti-Arminian Tenents to the Church of England and the Church of England vnto them and withall disproue the meere pretended title of the Arminian Tenents to our English Church which neuer yet gaue colour or allowance to them Secondly I shall propound the Anti-Arminian Orthodox Assertions in their order applying these seuerall Charters to them as vnanswerable euidences and likewise quoting to them the workes and names of all such Orthodox and learned Writers of the Church of England from the beginning of Reformation to this present that haue hitherto come vnto my hands who giue direct and punctuall testimony either on their side or against their opposites or both as irrefragable witnesses to vindicate and proue them to be the ancient and vndoubted and the contrary Arminian Tenents the spurious and pretended Doctrines onely of the Church of England I shall begin with the first of these and in that with the established and allowed Articles of the Church of England The Articles of the Church of England agreed vpon in the Conuocation holden at London in the yeere 1552. in the raigne of Edward the 6. afterwards confirmed and repromulgated in the yeere of our Lord 1562. in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth and since that ratified by King Iames 1604. and by our gracious Soueraigne King Charles in the yeare 1628. ARTICLE 2. THe Godhead and Manhood were ioyned together in one person neuer to be diuided whereof is one Christ very God and very Man who truely suffered was Crucified dead and buried to reconcile his Father to vs and to be a sacrifice not onely for Originall guilt but also for all actuall sinnes of men ARTIC 9. ORiginall sinne standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians doe vainely talke but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of euery man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very farre gone from originall Righteousnesse and is of his nature enclined to euill so that the flesh lusteth alwaies contrary to the spirit and therefore in euery person borne into this world it deserueth Gods wrath and damnation And this infection of nature doth remaine yea in them that are regenerated where by the lust of the flesh called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some doe expound the wisdome some sensualty some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subiect to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation for them that beleeue and are Baptised yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscense and lust hath of it selfe the nature of sinne ARTIC 10. THe condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes to faith and calling vpon God Wherefore wee haue no power to doe good workes pleasant and and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preuenting vs that wee may haue a good will and working with vs when we haue that good will ARTIC 13. VVOrkes done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Iesu Christ neither do they make men meet to receiue grace or as the Schoole-Authors say deserue grace of congruitie yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to bee done wee doubt not but they haue the nature of sinne ARTIC 15. CHrist in the truth of nature was made like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted from which hee was cleerely voide both in his flesh and in his Spirit Hee came to be a Lambe without spot who by sacrifice of himselfe once made should take away the sinnes of the world and sinne as Saint Iohn saith was not in him c. ARTIC 16. NOt euery deadly sinne willingly committed after Baptisme is sinne against the holy Ghost and vnpardonable Wherefore the grant of Repentance is not to bee denyed to such as fall into sinne after Baptisme After wee haue receiued the holy Ghost wee may depart from grace giuen and fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee may arise againe and amend our liues And therefore they are to bee condemned which say they can no more sinne as long as they liue heere or deny place of forgiuenesse to such as truely repent From this Article some Arminians haue endeuored to iustifie their Doctrine of the totall and small Apostasie of the Saints from grace Yet the Conference at Hampton Court pag. 24. together with learned Doctor Whitakers in his Cygnea Cantio October 9. An. Dom. 1595 Cantabrigie ex Officina Iohannis Legat. 1599. pag. 20. Profound Doctor Feild in his answere to Theophylus Higgons Part. 1. cap. 3. 2. Part. Sectio 2. Edition 2. at Oxford by William Turner 1628. pag. 834. Reuerend and solid Doctor Robert Abbot late Bishop of Sarum in his Animaduersio in Thompsoni Diatribam cap. 27. Londini 1618 p. 218. Laborious Doctor Benefield De Perseuerantia Sanctorum lib. 1. cap. 15. Francofurti 1618. pag. 162. to 167 Reuerend and religious Doctor Carleton late Bishop of Chichester in his Examination of Master Mountagues Appeale Edit 2. p. 135. 136. 137. Acute Doctor Daniel Featly in his Second Parallel London 1626. pag. 22. 23. 24. Industrious Master Henry Burton in his Plea to an Appeale London 1626. p. 13. 14. 15. Master Wotton in his Dangegerous Plot discouered or his Answere to Master Mountagues Appeale cap. 12. London 1626. p. 42. 43. 44. 45. Studious Master Francis Rouse in his Doctrine of King Iames c. Edit 1. London 1626. p. 43. to 48. Facetious Master Yates in his Ibis ad Caesarē London 1626. part 4. c. 15. p. 134. 135. 136. To omit mine owne Perpetuitie of a Regenerate mans Estate Edit 2. London 1627. p. 309. to 319. All these I say together with Master Thomas Rogers his authorized Analisis on this Article confesse and prooue the meaning of this
Diuinity in the yeere 1627. which I shall here set downe in briefe as I find them printed QVESTIONES IN SACRA THEOLOGIA DISCVTIENDAE OXONâ—â—IN VESPERâ—S SEPTIMO DIE IVLH AN. DO 1627. Quaestiones inceptoris Accepti Frewen An Praedestinatio ad saluteÌ„ sit propter praeuisam fidem Neg. Praedestinatio ad salutem sit mutabilis Neg. Gratia ad salutem sufficiens concedatur omnibus Neg. Quaestiones inceptoris Cornelij Burges An Veri fideles possint esse certi de sua salute Aff. Fides semâ—l habita possit amitti Neg. Vera sides caedat in Reprobum Neg. Quaestiones inceptoris Christophori Potter An Eâ—â—icatia gratiae pendeat a libero influxu Arbitrij Neg. Christus Diuinae iustitiae vice nostra propriâ— integre satiffecerit Aff. Ipse actus fidei 〈◊〉 credere imputetur nobis in institiam sensu proprio Neg. All these recited testimonies of this my famous Mother Vniuersity who hath constantly bent her selfe against Arminius and his Followers together with the late conuinction of one Brookes a yong vngrounded Diuine before her Heads for broaching some Arminian Tenents in a Sermon at Saint Maries doe vndoubtedly proue our Anti-Arminian Assertions thus constantly defended professed and resolued by her chiefe Professors the vnquaeâ—tionable and receiued Doctrines of our Church That which both our Vniuersities haue constantly embraced professed patronized since the reformation to this preseÌ„t must needs be the ancient receiued and vndoubted Doctrine of our Church But both our Vniuersities haue euer from the beginning of Reformation to this present euen constantly embraced professed and protected our Anti-Arminian positions but oppugned their Arminian opposites this the present with the praecedent and subsequent euidences will infallibly demonstrate Therefore they must needs be the ancient receiued and vndoubted doctrine of our Church My 3. Euidence is the expresse confession of three reuerend Diuines of speciall note and credit in our Church The first of them is famous Doctor Whitakers who informeth vs in his last Sermon That the Church of England euer since the Ghospell was restored to 〈◊〉 hath alwayes held and embraced this opinion of Election and Reprobation which he there and we here maintaines This Bucer saith he in our Vniuersity this Peter Martyr at Oxford haue professed two eminent Diuines who haue most abundantly watered our Church with their streames in the dayes of King Edward whose memories shall be alwayes honourable among vs vnlesse we will be most vngratefull This opinion their Auditors in both our Vniuersities the Byshops Deanes and other Diuines who vpon the aduancement of our famous Queene Elizabeth to the Crowne returned either from exile or were released from the prisons into which they had beene thrust for the profession of the Ghospell or saued from the hands of persecuting Bishops those by whom our Church was reformed our Religion established Popery thrust out and quite destroyed all which we may remember though few of this kinde be yet liuing This opinion I say they themselues haue held and commended vnto vs in this faith haue they liued in this they dyed in this they alwayes wished that wee should constantly continue And shall wee then renounce this Opinion or quaestion whether it be the Doctrine of our Church or no Lastly I appeale saith he to our confession in which I am perswaded the same Doctrine which I haue this day handled is not obscurely deliuered not only because all our Articles were composed by the Disciples of Bucer and Martyr but euen out of the very words and meaning of the Confession and so he proceeds to proue his Doctrine to be warranted by our 17. Article by 5. seuerall Arguments The second Witnesse is Reuerend Bishop Carlton in his Examination of Master Mountagues Appeale cap. 2. where he writes thus The Church of England was reformed by the helpe of our learned and Reuerend Bishops in the dayes of King Edward the sixt and in the beginning of the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth They who then gaue that forme of reformation to our Church held consent in Doctrine with Peter Martyr and Martin Bucer being by authority appointed Readers in the two Vniuersities and with other then liuing whom they Iudged to be of best learning and soundnesse in the reformed Churches and of the Ancients especially with St. Augustine and were carefull to hold this Vnity amongst themselues and with the reformed Churches For that these worthy Bishops who were in the first reformation had this respect vnto P. Martyr and M. Bucer it is apparent both because the Doctrine of our Church doth not differ from the Doctrine that these taught and because that worthy Arch-Bishop Cranmer caused our Leiturgy to be Translated into Latine and craued the consent and iudgement of M. Bucer who gaue a full consent thereto as it appeareth in his workes Inter opera Anglicana And P. Martyr being likewise requested writeth in his Epistles touching that matter his iudgement and consent of the gouerment and discipline of our Church This vniformity of Doctrine was held in our Church without disturbance as long as those worthy Bishops liued who were employed in the reformation For albeit the Puritanes disquieted out Church about their conceiued Discipline yet they neuer mooued any quarrell against the Doctrine of our Church which is well to be obserued For if they had embraced any Doctrine which the Church of England denied they would assuredly haue quarrelled about that aswell as they did about the Discipline But it was then the open confession both of the Bishops and of the Puritanes that both parts embraced a mutuall consent in Doctrine onely the difference was in matter of inconformity Then hitherto there was no Puritane Doctrine knowne The first disturbers of this vniformity in Doctrine were Barret and Baroe in Cambridge and after them Thompson â—arret and Baroe began this breach in the time of that most Reuerend Prelate Arch-Bishop Whitgift Notwithstanding that these had attempted to disturbe the Doctrine of our Church yet was the vniformity of Doctrine still maintained For when our Church was disquieted by Barret and Baro the Bishops that then were in our Church examined the new Doctrine of these men and vtterly disliked and reiected it And in the point of Predestination confirmed that which they vnderstood to bee the Doctrine of the Church of England against Barret and Baro who oppugned that Doctrine This was fully declared by both the Arch-Bishops Whitgift of Canterbury and Hutton of Yorke with the other Bishops and learned men of both Prouinces who repressed Barret and Baro refuted their Doctrine and iustified the contrary as appeareth by that Booke which both the Arch-Bishops then compiled The same Doctrine which the Bishops then maintained was at diuers times after approued as in the Conference at Hampton Court as will be hereafter confirmed And againe it was confirmed in Ireland in the Articles of Religion in the time of our late Soueraigne Articulo 38. The Author of the
by diuers Batchellors in Diuinity proceeded in the examination of the cause according to our Statutes and vsuall manner of proceeding in such causes whereby it appeareth by sufficient testimonies that Doctor Baroe hath offended in such things as his Articles had charged him withall There is also since the former another complaint praeferred against him by certaine Batchellors in Diuinity that he hath not onely in that Sermon but also for the space of these 14. or 15. yeeres taught in his Lectures preached in Sermons determined in the Schooles and printed in seuerall Bookes diuers points of Doctrine not onely contrary to himselfe but also contrary to that which hath beene taught and receiued euer since her Maiesties raigne yet agreeable to the Errors of Popery which we know your Lordship hath alwayes disliked and hated So that we who for the space of many yeeres past haue yeelded him sundry benefits and fauours here in the Vniuersity being a stranger and forborne him when hee hath often himselfe busie curious inalienarepublica broached new and strange questions in Religion now vnlesse we should be carelesse of maintaining the truth of religion established and of our duties in our places cannot being resolued and confirmed in the Truth of the long professed and receiued Doctrine but continue to vse all good meanes and seeke at your Lordships hands some effectuall remedy hereof least by permitting passage to these Errors the whole body of Popery should by little and little breake in vpon vs to the ouerthrow of our Religion and consequently the withdrawing of many here and elsewhere from true obedience to her Maiestie May it therefore please your good Lordship to haue an honourable consideration of the premises and for the better maintaining of peace and the truth of Religion so long and quietly receiued in this Vniuersity and Church to vouchsafe your Lordships good ayde and aduice both to the comfort of vs wholy consenting and agreeing in iudgement and all others of the Vniuersity soundly affected and to the suppression in time not only of these Errors but euen of grosse Popery like by such meanes in time easily to creepe in among vs as wee finde by late experience it hath dangerously begun Thus crauing pardon for troubling your Lordship commending the same in prayer to the Almighty God we humbly take our leaue From Cambridge the 8. of March 1595. Your Lordships humble and bounden to be commanded Roger Goade Procan R. Some Thomas Legge Iohn Iegon Thomas Neuill Thomas Preston Humphry Tyndall Iames Mountague Edmund Barwell Iames Chaderton THe seuerall obseruations from this Letter I haue briefely touched in the margent yet giue me leaue to trauerse them once againe since repetition will make them more obseruable First it is euident by this Letter that the Articles of Lambheth are no fained no priuate Articles or priuate spirits as some repute them since not only our two Arch-Bishops and their other Associates but euen the whole Vniuersity of Cambridge concurred in their composition in their two famous Doctors Tyndall and Whitakers men specially chosen by them for this purpose Secondly that the Articles of Lambheth which were afterwards printed at Cambridge by themselues and since that with the last Lectures of Doctor Whitakers were after their constitution approued and receiued by the Vniuersity of Cambridge who inioyed much peace and quiet by them which disproues that forged storie of Coruinus touching the reuocation of the Articles by Queene Elizabeth and of Bishop Whitgifts incurring a Praemunire and the Queenes displeasure by them Thirdly that the Articles of Lambheth containe in them no noualties but only the substantiall points of Religion taught and receiued in the Vniuersity of Cambridge the Church of England and consented vnto by the best approued Diuines both at home and abroad during the whole raigne of Queene Elizabeth Therefore we may safely embrace them as a full declaration of the professed and vndoubted Doctrines of our Church Fourthly that our Anti-Arminian Conclusions directly opposite to Barrets and Baroes Errors which this Letter mentions are the resolued and confirmed truth yea the receiued established and long professed Doctrines of the Chuch of England and the Vniuersity of Cambridge Fiftly that the Arminian Errors for these only were Barrets and Baroes Errors of which this Letter speakes are agreeable to Popery and quite contrary to the Religion taught and receiued in the Church of England euer since Queene Elizabeths raigne Sixtly that Arminianisme is but a Bridge or Vsher vnto grosse Popery yea a meanes to draw away Subiects from their obedience to his Maiestie and to bring in the whole body of Popery into our Church by little and little then all which obseruacions there can be nothing more punctuall or aduantagious for our Anti-Arminian positions more opposite or disaduantagious to these Arminian Errors Compare this Letter and its seuerall passages with the Recantation of Barreâ— with the Vniuersity Order formerly quoted and then it will be vndeuiably euident that our praesent Assertions were formerly held the vndoubted and resolued Doctrines of the Church of England by the whole Vniuersity of Cambridge and dare any of her Heads or members disclaime or disauow them now My second Euidence is the authority and resolution of my much honored Mother the Vniuersity of Oxford who from her Learned Diuinity Professor Peter Martyrs time who planted and propagated our Anti-Arminian Assertions in her in King Edwards dayes by his excellent Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans hath constantly to this very praesent embraced professed and publikely defended our present positions in her Diuinity Schooles as the vndoubted truth and Doctrine of our Church Witnesse the 4th Thesis of her incomparable Reinolds Sancta Catholica Ecclesia quam credimus est â—aetus Vniuersus Electorum Dei. Tractata in Schola Theologica Nouem 3. 1579. The solemne Anti-Arminian Lectures of her Reuerend and learned Regius Diuinity Professor Doctor Robert Abbot late Bishop of Salisbury De Gratia perseuerantia Sanctorum and De Veritate Gratiae Christi read publikely in her Diuinity Schooles in her Act time in the yeeres 1613. 1614. 1615. the professed Anti-Arminian Lectures of her vnparalled praesent Regius Diuinity Professor Doctor Iohn Prideaux De Absoluto Reprobationis Decreto De scientia media De Gratia Vniuersalâ— De Conuersionis modo De Perseuerantia Sanctorum De salutis Certudine and De salute Ethnicorum all which were solemnely read in her Diuinity Schooles at her publike Acts in the yeeres 1616. 1617. 1618. 1619. 1621. 1622. 1623. the publicke Anti-Arminian Lectures of her iudicious and learned late Lady Margaret Professor D. Sebastian Benefield De Sanctorum perseuerantia lib. 2. reade solemnely in her Schooles in the yeere 1617. and since that printed at Franckfort for their better dispersion into the parts of Germany in the yeere 1618. together with the late Act Questions of her proceeding Doctors of
lerem 6. Ambros. De Vocatione Gentium libâ— 2. cap. 9. Folio 267. 5 5 * Part. 1. pag. 7. to 13. * Part. 2. Pag. 167. to 234. * Part. 1. pag. 13. to 29. a Perpetuitic of a Regenerate mans estate Edit 2. p. 322. to 329. b Mr. Wottons Dangerous plot discouered c. 11. sect 8. 9. p. 45. to 49. Mr. Yates Ibis ad Câ—â—sarem 2. Part. p. 133. to 140. 1 1 7 7 1 1 7 7 2 2 1 1 6 6 4 4 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 6 6 7 7 1 1 7 7 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 2 2 6 6 4 4 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 * The Heads therefore of the Vniuersity of Cambridge who composed this Recantation were of this opinion that the 17. Article doth make the will of God not sinne the true and primary cause of Reprobation therefore they recited it at large in the Latine Copy * They were vndoubtedly of their opinion in these points now controuersed * Therefore of their opâ—nion in our present Tenents * Allegauit dictas posiâ—â—onessaâ—sas erroneas repugnantesesse religioni in regno Angliae publica legâ—tima authoritate receptae stabilitae These are the words of the Articles exhibited against him by the Vice-chancellor * Habita matura deliberatione necnon visis et diligenter examinatis positionibus praedictis quia manifesto constabat positionesâ— praedictas errorem et falsitatem in se continere necnon aperte repugnare Religionâ— in Ecclesia Anglicana receptae ac stabilitae ideo iudicaberunt c. These are the expresse words of the Order entred in the Vniuersity Register * BB Carlton his Examination of Mr. Mountagues Appeale cap. 2 a Ephes. 1. 4. 2. Tim. 1. 9. ler. 1. 5. c. 31. 3 b Psal. 33. 11. Psa. â—9 28 33 34. Esa. 14. 24. 27. Mal. 3. 6. Rom. 9. 11. 2. Tim. 1. 9. c. 2. 19. Ephe. 1. 9. 11. c Mat. 20. 16. c. 24 40 41. Luke 17. 36. Ro. 9. 27. c. 11. 5 d Ephe. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 30. 2. Tim. 2. 19. Iohn â— 19. Reu. 21. 27. e Heb. 11. 23. and all Protestant 〈…〉 that write of the Church f Roâ— 9. 11 17. Iude 4. Mat. 24. 40. 41. g Exod 33. 19. Iohn 5. 11. Mat. 8. 2 3. c. 11. 27. Luk. 10. 21. Deut 7. 8. Hosea 14. 4. 1. Sam 12. 22. Iames 1. 18. Ro 9 11 to 27. c. 1â— 5. Eph 1 5 9 11. c. 2. 5 8. 2. Tim 1 9. h Deu. 7. 6 7 8 Eze. 16 6. Ro. 9. 11. 16. Mat. 24. 40. 41. Mal. 1. 2 3. i Cor 1. 26. 27 28. Ro. 11. 5 6 Mat. 25. 41 42. Rom. 2. 9. k Mat. 11. 25. c. 24. 40. 41. Luke 17. 38. Ro. 9. 11. 13. 17. to 33. Mal 1 2 3. l Ier 10. 2â— Pro. 16. 1. 9. Isay. 26. 12. Iohn 1â—5 5. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Psal. 2. 1â— Iohn 6. 44 m 1. Ioh. 2 1 2 n Mat 1. 21. Ioh 10â— 11 15 17. Eph. 1. 4 7 c. 5. 25 26. 27. Reu. 5. 1. c 5. 9. 10 see my Perpetuity â— p. 29. o Cant. 1. 4. Ro 8. 30. c. 9. 19 Rom 3. 7 Acts 16. 1. c â—6 1. 9 Eph 1. 10 19 Iohn 6. 37 1. Thes. 1. 4 5 6 9. Iob 9. 4 12. Psalâ— 115. 3. Psal. 135 6. Pro. 21. 1. 30. â—say 54. 21. c. 43. 13 see God no Imposter p 7. q Titus 1. â— Acts 13. 48. Rom. 11 7. r Psal. 37 24 Psal. 145 14 see my Perpetuity of a Regenerate mans estate * Quicquid vel omnes vel plures vâ—o â—odemque sensu manifeste frequenter perseueranter velut quodam sibi con 〈◊〉 Magistrorum Concilio acciâ—â—â—ndo teneÌ„dâ— tradeÌ„do firmauerint id prâ— indubitato certo ratoque habeatur Quicquid â—ero quaÌ„uis ille sanctus doctus quaâ—â—uis Episcopus quarauis Confessor Martyr praeter omnes autetiam contra omnes senserit id inter propriâ—s occultas priuatas opâ—â—â—â—â—culas a communis publicae generalis sententiae autheritate secretuÌ„ sit ne cum â—umo salutis aeternae-pericuâ—o iuxta sacrilegaÌ„ haereticorum scismaticoruÌ„ coÌ„â—uetudinem vniuersalis dogmatis veritate diâ—â—issa vnius hoÌ„inis noâ—itium sectemur errorem Vinâ—eÌ„tius LerineÌ„â—is CoÌ„tra hereses cap. 39. The probate of the first Anti-Arminian position to bee the vndoubted doctrine of the Church of England a 2. 3. Edw. 6 cap 1. 19. 3. 4. Ed. 6. cap. 10. 5. 6. Edw. 6. cap. 1. 1. Eliza. c. 1. 13. Eliz. cap. 12. b See Article 35. Henry the 8. Edward the 6. c See the Oration of his life and death before his Loci communes d Peter Martâ—â— Epistola nuncuÌ„patoria in Romanos Oratio de â—ita morte Petri Martiris prefixed to his Loci Communeâ— accordingly a Cignea Cantio Cantabrigiar Octo. 9. 1595. p. 15. 16. b Concio ad Clerum Cantabrigiae Ianu. 12. 1625. p. 45. c First sermon before King Edward Fol. 58. Queene Eliz. d Cignea Cantio p. 16. King Iames. * See his Meditation on the Lords Prayer his Paraphrase on the Reuelation c. 13. 8. c. 17. 8. * Meaning Pelagianisme * See Pelagiâ—â— Rediuitius Epistle to the Reader and King Iames his Cygnea Cantio newly printed Lâ—n 1619. p. 32. a Quicquid ciuitatis princept in honore habucrit necesse est iâ—sdem rebuâ— consentaneam reliquorum ciuium sententiam esse Aristotle Polit. l. 2. c. 9. p. 140. Nemo suos haet est aulae natura potentis sed Domini mores Caesaria nus habâ—t Martial Epigram l. 9. Epigr. 61. b Honestissimum â—st maiorum vâ—â— stigiasequi recte si praecesserim Plinie Epist. lib. 5. Epist 8. c Bishop Hall Epist. Decad 1. Epist â— * King Charles * See the Authors quoted in the 2. 3. Thesis next ensuing as punctuall to this purpose 2 Anti-Arminian Assertion 2. the constant proued to bee and received Doctrine of the Church of England * Henry the 8. * Edwa. the 6. * Queene Mary * Queene Elizabeth * So is he stiled by â— Hall Epist. decadâ— 1. Epist. 7. * B. B. Hall Epist Decad 1. Epist. 7. * See his Religion professed by the ancient luth p. 8. 9. accordingly The third Anti-Arminian position proued * See page 8. 9. * Lectâ—ra 1. De Absoluto Decreto sect 10 p. 25. * Henry the 8. * Edw the 6â— * Certe Regis auspicijsâ— a quae hic â—eges Oâ—onij postremoeius tempore docuiâ— cumque a menon peteretur tantum â—edessagitaâ—â—tur vtopuâ— extarâ—t acquie i. Queene Eliz. * King Iames. * King Charles The 4th Antâ— Arminian Conclusion ratified Peter Martyr Coment in Ro. 11. p. 96â— c. 5. p. 321. a Rom. 11. 5â— 7. c 9. 11. 13 1. 21. 23. 27 29. Mat. 11. 13 15. 16. Deut. 10. 15. c. 26. 18. Psal. 147. 19. 20. b Quicquid natura tradit aequale est omnibus statim Incertum est inequale quicquid ars tradit ex aequo venit quod natura