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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95762	The judgement of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland. Of Babylon (Rev. 18. 4.) being the present See of Rome. (With a sermon of Bishop Bedels upon the same words.) Of laying on of hands (Heb. 6. 2.) to be an ordained ministery. Of the old form of words in ordination. Of a set form of prayer. / Published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard D.D. and preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne, London. Unto which is added a character of Bishop Bedel, and an answer to Mr. Pierces fifth letter concerning the late primate.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bedell, William, 1571-1642.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing U189; Thomason E1783_1; ESTC R209661	108,824	393

and all the kingdome of Antichrist c. This latter passage is only produced by Doctor Heylene as an evidence that the Pope is not declared to be Antichrist either here or any where else in the book of Articles or Homilies which how the force of it can be extended so farre beyond its own sphere doth not appeare For his principal argument that he finds here the Pope and Antichrist distinguished as much as the Devil and the Pope 'T is answered The destinction here is not between the Pope and Antichrist but between him and his Antichristian kingdom for the words are not the Pope the Divell and Antichrist but and all the kingdome of Antichrist That Universality all comprehending both head and members And if we should allow a Duumvirate in the Pope and Devill for the government of that kingdom one as the visible head the other as the invisible or the one him that reigneth the other by whom he receiveth power so to do Rev. 13.4 both might be thus owned without infringing the title of either Howsoever 't is not the arguings from such niceties in the placing of words which the book of Homilies are not strict in as might be shewed in several instances but the observation of the scope and drift of the place the comparing it with others the concurrance of the judgement of severall eminent Bishops afore-cited who cannot be imagined to declare against the doctrine of it will carry the sense of it accordingly with the judicious and unbiassed Reader and so much for the book of Homilies Unto which I might also adde the opinion of some learned men liveing and dying within the outward communion of the Church of Rome To instance onely in Padrio Paulo who wrote the History of the Councill of Trent After whose stabbing by an Emissarie from Rome many of the Clergy of Venice brake out into that application calling that See Impura insana superba meretrix pestis ac lues mortalium and her ruine to be expected according to Rvelat 18. Some of the verses are printed at the end of the Interdict writ by Padrio Paulo and translated out of Italian into Latin by Bishop Bedell who was often an ear-witnsse when he lived in those parts of divers learned men producing that of 2 Thes 2. the man of sin who exalts himself above all c. and shall sit in the Temple of God c. both as an argument that the Bishop of Rome is the person sitting and that those who are oppressed and tyrannised over by him are (u) Calvin Epist 104. Under the Papacy some Church remaineth a Church crazed forlorne mistaken yet some Church his reason is Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God which is cited by Mr. Hooker Instit Sect. 27. Gehazi a man though over-run with a Leprosy and to be shunned as unclean Antichristianismus est morbus in Christianismo the Church of God and from thence rejecting any application to Mahumet and fixing it upon the Bishop of Rome some questioning Is it he or shall we look for another others saying as the Jewes of the blind man This is one very like him but many This is he Which puts me in mind of the confident assertion of Cardinal Perron who affirms that whosoever maintaineth this wicked doctrine that Popes have no power to put Kings by their supreme thrones they teach men to beleeve that there hath not been any Church for many ages past and that indeed the Church is the very Synagogue of Antichrist and the Pope in good consequence to be the Antichrist which Oration the Cardinal himselfe addressed to King James upon a supposition it might have converted him See King James Preface to the defence of the right of Kings * The words of the Cardinal are these viz. by this Article i. e. that Kings are not deposable by the Pope we are cast headlong into a manifest heresie as binding us to confesse that for many ages past the Catholick Church hath been banished out of the whole world for if the Champions of the doctrine contrary to this Article do hold an impious detestable opinion contrary to Gods word then doubtless the Pope for so many hundred years expired hath not been the head of the Church but an heretick and the Antichrist p. 453. Now whereas both sides as you have heard are agreed upon the place to be Rome which checks the phansie of such as would apply it to Constantinople or to persons that never were at either I shall only confirm it out of one of the Popish Writers who hath quoted most of the rest to save the Reader any farther labour if he hath a mind to satisfie himself in it 't is Tyrinus the Jesuit in his Commentary upon the 17. Revelat. Where comparing the vision of the beast with 7 heads and 10 hornes cap. 13. with that of the 17. and granting it to be meant of the same like Pharaoh's dreames the seven eares of corne and the seven kine were both one then for the vision there he saith by the great harlot whose Mystical name is Babylon cannot possibly be meant of any other then Rome 't is plain saith he she sits upon (x) The usual stile of the Sybils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Roma septicollis in Plutarch Varro a Festival among the Romans called dies septem montium Tertul. in his time calls the people of Rome the people of the seven hills Ipsam vernaculam septem collium plebem convenio Apol. l. 35. seven Mountains and raigns over the Kings of the earth which can agree to no other city besides And urgeth that place of Saint Peter 2 Peter 5.13 the Church which is at Babylon salutes you to be meant of Rome for as Bishop Andrewes observes (x) Ita avidè avent homines hii Petrum Romae alicubi in Scripturâ reperire potius ut Babylonem velint esse Romam ubi Petrus fuit quam ut Petrus Romae non fuerit Valde enim illorum interest ad caput fidei ut Petrus Romae credatur fuisse c. Tort. Torti p 183. rather then Peter should not be at Rome which they have slender or no proofes for out of Scripture but yet is of great consequence to the Papacy they will confesse it to be Babylon And though 2 Thes 2. he saith the Temple of God where the man of sinne sits is Jerusalem yet here his seat of Babylon must be Rome Produceth the expresse Testimonies of the Fathers for it Lactantius Tertullian Jerome Ambrose Augustine c. and saith he even our hereticks meaning the Protestant Writers for after the same way he calls heresie so worship we the God of our Fathers and in conclusion produceth most of his own associates the Writers of the Church of Rome Sixtus Senensis Bellarmine Bozius Zuarez Salmeran Alcazar unto which I may adde Baronius (y) Certissimum esse nomine Babylonis Romam urbem significari Anno 45. n. 18. 'T

God though they live very dangerously under the captivity of Babylon as did Daniel Mordecay Hester Nehemiah and Ezra and many Jewes more notwithstanding both Cyrus Commission and the Prophets Command to depart This point may give some light in a Question that is on foot among learned and good men at this day Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church or no where I thinke surely if the matter be rightly declared for the tearms there will remain no question As thus whether Babylon pretending to be the Church of Rome yea the Catholick Church be so or not or this Whether the people of Christ that are under the captivity be a true Church or no either of both waies declare in these tearms and the matter will be soon resolved Object Except some man will perhaps still Object Though there be a people of God yet they can be no true Church for they have no Priesthood which is necessary to the Constitution of a Church As Saint Cyprian describes it Plebs sacerdoti adunata Epistola 6 9. people joyned to their priest They have no Priesthood being by the very form of their Ordidination Sacrificers for the quick and the dead Answ I answer under correction of better judgements they have the Ministery of Reconciliation by the Commission which is given at their Ordination being the same which our Saviour left in his Church John 20.23 Whose sins ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retain they are retained As for the other power to sacrifice if it be any otherwise then celebrating the Commemoration of Christs sacrifice once offered upon the Cross It is no part of the Priesthood or Ministery of the New Testament But as superfluous additions thereunto which yet worketh not to the destruction of that which is lawfully conferred otherwise This Doctrine I know not how it can offend any unless it be in being too Charitable that I am sure is a good fault and serves well for a sure mark of Christs sheep And hath very good opportunity to help Christs people out of Babel John 13.35 by this saith he shall men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Charitie one to another But they call us Hereticks miscreants Doggs c. and persecute us with more deadly hatred then Jewes and Turks yea this is Babylon and perhaps some of Gods People in it that are misinformed of us Thus did Saul for a while yet a chosen vessel to bear Christs Name over the world But let us maintain our Charitie to them as we are wont to bear with the weakness of our friends or children when in hot Fevers or Plurisies they miscal us Let us remember if they be Christs people how little loving soever they be to us they must be our beloved Brethren and this of the Persons Now let us see their dutie It is the Duetie of those people of Christ to come out of Babylon that is as we have already shewed the Obedience of the present Roman Monarchy And for this the very authority of Christs Voyce from Heaven should suffice For his sheep hear his voice But if that be yet doubted whether the Papal Monarchy be Babylon let us for the present set aside the mystical Arguments from this place and all other Prophetical Circumstances And let the matter be tried by plainer Arguments at the Bar of Reason out of the common Principles of Christian Doctrine as thus John 5.39 Luke 11.52 1 Cor. 14. Matthew 28.20 Jer. 17.5 Rom. 6.9 Where the use of Christs Word is forbidden to his people where they lay away the Key of Knowledge and Gods Worship is without understanding in an unknown tongue where Christs Sacraments are corrupted and maimed where Divine worship is communicated to Creatures where Christs Glorious Body is defended to be torn not onely with the teeth of the faithful but also of faithlesse men yea of Rats and Mice where besides a number of other superstitions the effects of Christs blood are communicated to Purgatory fire to Saint Francis frock and the Carmilites scapular where the sole infallible interpretation of Scripture decission of Crntroversies last resolution of our Faith is placed in the brest of one man who may be without true Faith and sound Knowledge of Religion or morall honesty it self where the Doctrine is maintained as Catholike that the Pope is Vice God Monarch of the Christian World Almightie that he can Depose Princes and Expose them to their subjects to be killed Command the Angels with many more like blasphemies From this place and society Christs people are to depart and separate themselves But the present Romane Monarchy is such The conclusion follows undenyable Goe out of her my People Object Here will I crave leave to answer on Objection that may be made by flesh and blood to be retentive to keep Gods people from hearkning to this voyce of Christ and is used for a motive to draw more also to the Obedience of Rome Gods people of which number I hope I am one may be saved nay which is more cannot perish why should I then be so solicitous if salvation may be had there on the contrary they deny that you have either Church or salvation Therefore it is the safest course by the Opinion of both sides to continue there still Answ I answer This is not the discourse of Christs sheep who make the hearing of his Voice and doing of his Will a higher end then their own salvation but well may become the mouth of those deceivers that would seduce them It is the very language of the old Serpent ye shall not surely die The reason and rule of Obedience is not the avoyding of hell fire or the attaining of bliss of Heaven but the doing of the Will of God And yet supposing this to be true that salvation mae be had in Babylon yet it is attained with great difficulty and as it were through the fire As the Apostle speaketh of those builders which foolishly lay upon the precious foundation of Christ the hay straw and stubble of mens Traditions And there is again a large entrance to be afforded into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2. 2 Peter 1.11 If the graces of Gods Spirit abound in us and make us not barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Again ignorance so that it be not wilful and affected may have some pardon but to hold the Truth of God in unrighteousness as all do that receive not the love of the Truth and knowing how they which commit such things are worthy of death yet doe the same and favour those that doe them The wrath of God from heaven is revealed against such Romans 1.18.31 Even the danger of temporal punishment threatned to the sinnes of Rome is not to be neglected Suppose a man were sure to goe to Heaven but although to humane infirmity it may perhaps seem otherwise even the Eternal punishments

two several times in the year in the Ancient Church set apart for it Easter and Pentecost called dies baptismatum which is Calvins and Bezaes or implying the double act in it the inward Baptisme of Christ and outward baptisme of John that is to say the Ministers which are Mr. (a) Answ t● Rhemist Comment on N. T upon this place Cartwrights words upon the place who also saith by a trope both Sacraments are here noted under one but I conceive that which we first gave is the best And 't is observable that the Apostle saith the doctrine of Baptismes 't is not the absolute want of it when it cannot be had but the rejecting of the doctrine of it that damnes 'T is possible that some of those three thousand converted by Saint Peters Sermon might have died before they could come to the water and yet be saved but if they had rejected the doctrine of it when they were bad to be baptized like the Pharisees rejecting the Counsel of God against themselves or like Naman who despised the river Jordan I question it A well ordered discipline is the ornament of the Church but upon the confession and doctrine of Saint Peter it was to be founded in which sence the Apostles and Prophets in their doctrines are called the foundation of it Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone and as some think is the sence of that Revel 21.14 that in the twelve foundations were the names of the twelve Apostles in relation to their doctrinals So much for that Now the next is the doctrine of laying on of hands Here is the great question What is meant by it That it is a Fundamentall cannot be denied if Baptisme be one this must be another see in the verse how like twins they are borne and bred under the same roof And 't is observable that in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number doctrines referring to both In the search of several Authours I find these two expositions most worthy of consideration The first is Confirmation of children after Baptisme which hath somewhat of Antiquity for it most of the Writers of the Church of Rome incline that way and even Calvin is of that mind also and in his Comment upon this place stands much for it and wisheth it had not been laid aside hodie retinenda pura institutio superstitio autem corrigenda and produceth this custome of confirming of children in the Primitive times to be an argument they were then baptized but I conceive it cannot be the sence for this reason because 't is not a Fundamentall and hard to prove it was then like Baptisme and the rest esteemed to be of a necessary use and belief in the Catholick Church according to that of Vincentius Lyrinensis Magnopere curandum est ut id teneamus quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est hoc est enim verè propriè Catholicum contr haeresin cap. 3. That is to be held for a Catholick verity which hath been believed every where alwayes and by all And our Church saith children baptized have all things necessary to their salvation The Papists that hold it to be a Sacrament do not say 't is a Fundamentall and when it was observed by us we took it to be only an ancient laudable custome of the Church and whether it was so in Saint Pauls time in the Church of the Hebrewes it doth not appear The second Exposition is that it should be meant an ordained Ministery which clearly in Saint Paul's time we find was wont to be by laying on of hands This is Pareus his sense upon this place It was saith he (a) Initialis doctrina de ministerio Ecclesiae quia tum ordinabantur per impositionem manuum an initial doctrine concerning the Ministery of the Church then ordained by imposition of hands * Totum munus Propheticum c. Gualterus in his Comment upon this place saith In this is contained the whole function of Preachers c. designed unto it by imposition of hands But none so full as Mr. Cartwright in his answer to the Rhemists upon this place his words are these viz. By the imposition of hands the Apostle meaneth no Sacrament much lesse confirmation after Baptisme but by a trope or borrowed speech the Ministers of the Church upon the which hands were laid which appeareth in that whosoever believeth not that there ought to be a Ministery by order or Ordination to teach and govern the Church overthroweth Christianity whereas if Confirmation of children were a Sacrament as it is not yet a man holding the rest and denying the use of it might notwithstanding be saved And some lines after gives us summarily the sense of this verse viz. to be the doctrine of the Sacraments and of the Ministery of the Church Ye see in his opinion what a dangerous thing it is no lesse then the hazard of their own salvation to lay aside an ordained Ministery or to deny the doctrine of it which men now frequently presume And 't is observable the argument which he useth he produceth as a Maxime then in his time taken for granted not to be proved but supposed no man then so much as questioning the necessity of it for though there were then divers disputes about discipline and ceremonies in which this learned Authour then appeared yet both parties esteemed alike of Ordination to be a sacred institution none presuming to take upon them the office of the Ministery without it Well this I conceive to be the sence here of laying on of hands viz. That it was a Principle of the Catechisme taught to Christians at their first reception that there was to be a successive ordination or setting apart of persons for the Ministery for an authorative preaching of faith and repentance and administration of Sacraments called laying on of hands from the outward rite as the Lords Supper by breaking of bread And this was the judgement of the most Reverend and learned Father of our Church the late Arch-Bishop of Armagh which hath the rather emboldned me to employ my thoughts in the confirmation of it and surely if it be a fundamentall the knowledge of the sense of it is of a greater consequence then to be slighted First it is considerable how well this doth sute with Saint Pauls expression elsewhere speaking of Ordination 2 Tim. 1.6 Stirre up the gift of God that is in thee by the putting on of my hands 1 Tim. 4.14 neglect not the gift that is in thee given thee with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery both thus sufficiently reconciled Saint Paul was the principal the Presbyters were his assistants according to the constitutions and custome of our Church in Ordination The Bishop is not to do it alone but with the assistance of at least three or four of the Ministers which was after the patte●n of the Primitive times The injunction of

doctrine in it that it should be a scandall to us either And yet we were not then to seek for an ordained Ministery there having been for many hundreds of years before that a flourishing Church among us which the Saxons whom he came to convert had been the persecutors and destroyers of as Gildas tells us so that in that or the former sense the objection is not worth the answering Answ 4 But fourthly I suppose they mean of later Centuries when that complaint of the Prophet concerning Jerusalem might be appliable to Rome How is that faithful City become a harlot it was full of judgement righteousnesse lodgeed in her but now murderers c. i. e. Since the Bishop of Rome became corrupt in doctrine and worship For this first we thus answer While we were under the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome it doth not appear that he ordinarily usurped more then a mandatory nomination of the Bishop to be consecrated which out of a blind fear of his excommunication was assented unto but the consecration was not by him but other Bishops here within our selves And I account the ordination or consecration to be derived from such as gave imposition of hands not from the mandate for them to do it Henry the eight and the Kings succeeding assumed the like power in the nomination of the person which accordingly might not be gainsaid but from thence it cannot be argued that our ordination or consecration was deduced from them for the Kings mandate served not to give power to ordain which those Bishops had before intrinsecally annexed to their office but only was a warrant to apply this power to the person named in that Mandate Now this being all which was usurped by the Bishop of Rome in relation to the consecrations of our Bishops in England when we were under the Tyranny of the Papacy there is as little force for our deriving our ordination from him also And if those Bishops of Sidon which as Arch-Deacon * De Minister Anglican Mason tells us assisted in the first consecration in Hen. 8. as in Edward the sixth's time were not meerly Titular but had their consecration from the Greek Church which is altogether a stranger to the See of Rome it would take off somewhat from the pretence of a totall derivation from thence Object But still it may be objected that we have at least received our Ordination from such as professed the Religion of Rome Answ First it could not be called properly the Religion of Rome till the Councell of Trent which determined many years after our falling off from the See of Rome The Papists ask us Where was our Religion before Luther we might reply Where was the Popish Religion before that time 'T is true most of those poysonous errours were sowen up and down the world before but not collected fully into a body and so owned and headed by the Papacy till then For till that time scarce any point we hold now against them but there were some of their own Authours who held it also So that to speak properly the now Romish Religion in their new Creed with other appurtenances was established since our form of ordination 2. Suppose we received our ordination from such who were corrupted with Popish errours yet if they retained the Fundamentalls of Christian Religion their ordination may be valid those like some part of the barke of the tree uncut may convey the Sappe from the root to the preserving of life in the branches What Saint Augustine saith of the Donatists in some things mecum sunt they concurre with me in other things they are defiled may be applicable to the Church of Rome and if so why may we not receive through them what was of Christs remaining in them without being defiled with that corrupt part which is their own why may not there be in this a separation of the precicious from the vile And in our reformation we withdrew our selves no further from her then she hath declined from her self in the Apostles time and from the ancient state and condition of it then as one saith well Nostra Ecclesia ab hodierna Romana Ecclesia contaminata recessit ut ad pristinam puram Apostolicam Romanam accedere posset We forsook the present corrupted Church of Rome that we might be nearer a kin to the first pure Apostolical Roman Church in the primitive times 3. In a word we do affirme that neither their corruption in opinion or vitiosity of life do or did void it to the party ordained none doubts of the Baptisme of our fore-fathers administred by those of the like in the Church of Rome as if there needed any reiteration by them who survived our reformation neither do we renew the orders received in that Church when any Priest is converted and betakes himself to our communion and why should it be questioned here Let the Seal be of Silver or brasse the impression is alike valid if affixed by order to the deed Parents in generation convey to the child what is essentiall to humane nature not that which is accidentall A maimed Father begets a Son like himself as he was before he lost his arme as the circumcised did and doth an uncircumcised child the like application may be made to the transferring of ordination in such a wounded diseased Apostatized Church as the Roman now is and by such corrupted persons in life and doctrine continuing in it so they do observe the * See Bishop Bedels letter to Wadsworth p. 157. My defence for your Ministry is that the forme Receive the H●ly Ghost whose sins ye remit are remitted doth suciffiently comprehend the authority c. essentials in ordination other superstructures or corruption in the ordainers doth not null it either to the persons themselves or successors which might be further manifested by the p●actice of the Church in all ages 1. That Ministration under the Law the Priests of which the Jewish Writers say were consecrated by laying on of hands had as much cause to stand upon succession as any yet ye find often that the Priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites had corrupted their wayes were defiled with Idolatry in Ahaz and Manasses time and others as bad or worse then the See of Rome yet after a reformation the succession which was by their hands was not questioned Though the Priesthood ran through much filth yet retaining the essentialls of the Jewish Religion as circumcision c. they were owned of God again in a successive ministration See in the height of their Idolatry when they were offering their children by fire unto their Idols yet by retaining the Sacrament covenant of circumcision their children are called the Lords children Ezek. 16.20 Thou hast taken thy sons which thou hast borne unto me c. thou hast slayn my children in causing them to pass through the fire etc. 2. In our Saviour Christs time there was as bad a succession as