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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43507	Aerius redivivus, or, The history of the Presbyterians containing the beginnings, progress and successes of that active sect, their oppositions to monarchial and episcopal government, their innovations in the church, and their imbroylments by Peter Heylyn ...	Heylyn, Peter, 1600-1662.; Heylyn, Henry.	1670 (1670)	Wing H1681; ESTC R5587	552,479	547

the Dukes of Bouil●on That he was most disgracefully deprived of his Place and Function by those of the Calvinian Party because he had delivered in a Sermon on those words of St. ●ames c. 1. v. 13. God tempteth no man c. That God was not the Author of Sin 7. But possibly it may be said That these Oppressions Tyrannies and Partialities are not to be ascribed to the Sect of Calvin in the capacity of Presbyterians but of Predestinarians and therefore we will now see what they acted in behalf of Presbytery which was as dear to all the Members of that Synod but the English only as any of the Five Points whatsoever it was For in the Hundred forty fifth Session being held on the 20 th of April the Belgick Confession was brought in to be subscribed by the Provincials and publickly approved by the Forreign Divines In which Confession there occurred one Article which tended plainly to the derogation and dishonour of the Church of England For in the Thirty one Article it is said expresly That forasmuch as doth concern the Ministers of the Church of Christ in what place soever they are all of equal Power and Authority with one another as being all of them the Ministers of Iesus Christ who is the only Vniversal Bishop and sole Head of His Church Which Article being as agreeable to Calvin's Judgment in point of Discipline as their Determinations were to his Opinion in point of Doctrine was very cheerfully entertained by the Forreign Divines though found in few of the Confessions of the Forreign Churches But being found directly opposite to the Government of the Church by Arch-bishops and Bishops with which a parity of Ministers can have no consistence was cordially opposed by the Divines of the British Colledg but most especially by Dr. George Carlton then Lord Bishop of Landaff and afterwards translated to the See of Chichester who having too much debased himself beneath his Calling in being present in a Synod or Synodical Meeting in which an ordinary Presbyter was to take the Chair and have precedency before him thought it high time to vindicate himself and the Church of England to enter a Legal Protestation against those proceedings Which though it was admitted and perhaps recorded received no other Answer but neglect if not scorn withall Concerning which he published a Declaration after his return in these words ensuing 8. When we were to yeeld our consent to the Belgick Confession at Dort I made open protestation in the Synod That whereas in the Confession there was inserted a strange conceit of the Parity of Ministers to be instituted by Christ I declared our dissent utterly in that point I showed that by Christ a Parity was never instituted in the Church that he ordained Twelve Apostles as also Seventy Disciples that the Authority of the Twelve was above the other that the Church preserved this Order left by our Saviour And therefore when the extraordinary Power of the Apostles ceased yet this ordinary Authority continued in Bishops who succeeded them who were by the Apostles left in the Government of the Church to ordain Ministers and to see that they who were so ordained should preach no other Doctrine that in an inferior degree the Ministers were governed by Bishops who succeeded the Seventy Disciples that this Order hath been maintained in the Church from the times of the Apostles and herein I appealed to the Iudgment of Antiquity and to the Iudgment of any Learned man now living and craved herein to be satisfied if any man of Learning could speak to the contrary My Lord of Salisbury is my Witness and so are all the rest of our Company who speak also in the Cause To this there was no answer made by any whereupon we conceived that they yeelded to the truth of the Protestation But it was only he and his Associates which conceived so of it and so let it go 9. His Lordship adds that in a Conference which he had with some Divines of that Synod he told them That the cause of all their troubles was because they had no Bishops amongst them who by their Authority might repress turbulent spirits that broached Novelty every man having liberty to speak or write what they list and that as long as there were no Ecclesiastical men in Authority to repress and censure such contentious Spirits their Church could never be without trouble To which they answered That they did much honour and reverence the good Order and Discipline of the Church of England and with all their hearts would be glad to have it established amongst them but that could not be hoped for in their State that their hope was That seeing they could not do what they desired God would be merciful to them if they did what they could This was saith he the sum and substance of their Answer which he conceived to be enough to free that people from aiming at an Anarchy and open-Confusion adding withall that they groaned under the weight of that burden and would be eased of it if they could But by his Lordship's leave I take this to be nothing but a piece of dissimulation of such a sanctified Hypocrisie as some of the Calvinians do affirm to be in Almighty God For certainly they might have Bishops if they would as well as the Popish Cantons of the Switzers or the State of Venice of which the one is subject to an Aristocracy the other to a Government no less popular than that of the Netherlands In which respect it was conceived more lawful by the late Lord Primate for any English Protestant to communicate with the Reformed Churches in France who cannot have Bishops if they would than with the Dutch who will not have Bishops though they may there still remaining in their hands Seven Episcopal Sees with all the Honours and Revenues belonging to them that is to say the Bishoprick of Harlem in Holland of Middlebourgh in Zealand of Lewarden in Friesland of Groining in the Province so called of Deventer in the County of Overyssell and of Ruremond in the Dutchy of Gueldress all of them but the last subordinate to the Church of Vtrect which they keep also in their Power 10. Somewhat was also done in the present Synod in order to the better keeping of the Lord's Day than it had been formerly For till this time they had their Faires and Markets upon this day their Kirk-masses as they commonly called them Which as they constantly kept in most of the great Towns of Holland Zealand c. even in Dort it self so by the constant keeping of them they must needs draw away much people from the Morning-Service to attend the business of their Trades And in the Afternoon as before was noted all Divine Offices were interdicted by a Constitution which received life here Anno 1574 that time being wholly left to be disposed of as the people pleased either upon their profit or their recreation But their

having concluded a Truce of Twelve years with the States United wanted Employment for his Army and that he might engage that King with the greater confidence he reconciles himself to the Church of Rome and marries the Lady Magdalen Daughter to the Duke of Bavaria the most potent of the German Princes of that Religion which also he established in his own Dominions on the death of his Father This puts the young Marquess to new Counsels who thereupon calls in the Forces of the States Vnited the Warr continuing upon this occasion betwixt them and Spain though the Scene was shifted And that they might more cordially espouse his Quarrel he took to Wife the Sister of Frederick the fifth Prince Elector Palatine and Neece of William of Nassaw Prince of Orange by his youngest Daughter and consequently Cousin-German once removed to Count Maurice of Nassaw Commander-General of the Forces of the Sates Vnited both by Sea and Land This kept the Balance eeven between them the one possessing the Estates of Cleve and Mark and the other the greatest part of Berge and Gulick But so it was that the old Marquess of Brandenbourgh having setled his abode in the Dukedom of Prussia and left the management of the Marquissate to the Prince his Son left him withall unto the Plots and Practises of a subtil Lady Who being throughly instructed in all points of Calvinism and having gotten a great Empire in her Husband's Affections prevailed so far upon him in the first year of their Marriage Anno 1614 that he renounced his own Religion and declared for Her 's which he more cheerfully embraced in hope to arm all the Calvinians both of the Higher and the Lower Germany in defence of his Cause as his Competitor of Newbourgh had armed the Catholicks to preserve his Interest 15. Being thus resolved he publisheth an Edict in the Month of February Anno 1615 published in his Father's Name but only in his own Authority and sole Command under pretence of pacifying some distempers about Religion but tending in good earnest to the plain suppression of the Lutheran forms for having spent a tedious and impertinent Preamble touching the Animosities fomented in the Protestant Churches between the Lutherans and those of the Calvinian Party he first requires that all unnecessary Disputes be laid aside that so all grounds of strife and disaffection might be also buried Which said he next commands all Ministers within the Marquissate to preach the Word purely and sincerely according to the Writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles the Four Creeds commonly received amongst which the Te Deum is to go for one and the Confession of Ausberg of the last Correction and that omitting all new glosses and interpretations of idle and ambitious men affecting a Primacy in the Church and a Power in the State they aim at nothing in their Preachings but the Glory of God and the Salvation of Mankind He commands also That they should abstain from all calumniating of those Churches which either were not subject to their Jurisdiction nor were not lawfully convicted of the Crime of Heresie which he resolved not to connive at for the time to come but to proceed unto the punishment of all those who wilfully should refuse to conform themselves to his Will and Pleasure After which giving them some good Counsel for following a more moderate course in their Preachings and Writings than they had been accustomed to in the times fore-going and in all points to be obedient to their principal Magistrate he pulls off the Disguise and speaks plainly thus 16. These are saith he the Heads of that Reformation which is to be observed in all the Churches of Brandenbourgh that is to say All Images Statua's and Crosses to be removed out of the place of publick Meetings all Altars as the Relicks of Popery and purposely erected for the Sacrifices of the Popish Mass to be taken away that in their room they should set up a Table of a long square Figure covered at all times with a Carpet of Black and at the time of the Communion with a Linnen Cloth That Wafers should be used instead of the former Hosts which being cut into long pieces should be received and broken by the hands of those who were admitted to communicate at the holy Table That ordinary Cups should be made use of for the future instead of the old Popish Chalice That the Vestments used in the Mass should be forborn no Candles lighted in any of their Churches at noon-day No Napkin to be held to those that received the Sacrament nor any of them to receive it upon their knees as if Christ were corporally present The sign of the Cross to be from thenceforth discontinued The Minister not to turn his back to the people at the Ministration The Prayers and Epistles before the Sermon to be from thenceforth read not sung and the said Prayers not to be muttered with a low voice in the Pulpit or Reading-Pew but pronounced audibly and distinctly Auricular Confession to be laid aside and the Communion not to be administred to sick persons in the time of any common Plague or Contagious Sickness No bowing of their knee at the Name of Iesus Nor Fonts of stone to be retained in their Churches the want whereof may be supplied by a common Bason The Decalogue to be repeated wholly without mutilation and the Catechism in some other points no less erroneous to be corrected and amended The Trinity to be adored but not exprest in any Images either carved or painted The words of Consecration in the holy Supper to be interpreted and understood according unto that Analogy which they held with the Sacrament and other Texts of holy Scripture And finally That the Ministers should not be so tyed to preach upon the Gospels and Epistles that were appointed for the day but that they might make choice of any other Text of Scriptures as best pleased themselves Such was the tenour of this Edict on which I have insisted the more at large to show the difference between the Lutheran and Genevian Churches and the great correspondence of the first with the Church of England But this Calvinian Pill did not work so kindly as not to stirr more Humours than it could remove For the Lutherans being in possession would not deliver up their Churches or desert those Usages to which they had been trained up and in which they were principled according to the Rules of their first Reformation And hereupon some Rupture was like to grow betwixt the young Marquess and his Subjects if by the intervention of some honest Patriots it had not been closed up in this manner or to this effect That the Lutheran Forms only should be used in all the Churches of the Marquissate for the contentation of the people and that the Marquess should have the exercise of his new Religion for Himself his Lady and those of his Opinion in their private Chappels 17. But the

Free Exercise of Gods true Religion and his promoting of his Gospel 17. These Premises being laid together he comes at last to this conclusion as to assure her in plain terms but with all humility That he could not with a safe Conscience and without the offence of the Majesty of God give his assent to the suppressing of the said Exercises much less send out any Injunction for the utter and universal subversion of the same that he might say with the Apostle That he had no power to destroy but onely to edifie that he could do nothing against the Truth but for it And therefore finally that if it were her Majesties pleasure for this or any other cause to remove him out of his place he would with all humility yeild thereunto and render again unto her Majesty that which he had received from her For to what purpose as he said should he endeavour to retain a Bishoprick or to gain the world with the loss and hazard of his Soul considering that he which doth offend against his Conscience doth but digg out his own way to Hell In which respect he humbly desires her to bear with him if he rather chuse to offend her earthly Majesty then the Heavenly Majesty of Almighty God But not content with such an absolute refusal and setting her at such a distance from Almighty God he takes upon him to advise her to discharge her self of the concernments of the Church or not to manage it at the least with so high a hand as she had done hitherto Fitter it was as he conceived it That all Ecclesiastical matters which concerned Religion the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church should be referred unto the Bishops and the Divines of this Realm according to the example of all Christian Emperours and the godly Princes of all ages in the times before her And this he further pressed upon her by her own Example in not deciding any questions about the Laws of the Realm in her Court or Palace but sending them to be determined by her Judges in the Courts of Westminster and therefore by the self-same Reason when any question did arise about the Discipline and Doctrine of the Church within her Dominions the ordinary way must be to refer the same to the Decision of the Bishops and other chief Ministers of the Church in Synodicall Meetings and not to determine of them in the Court by the Lords of her Council 18. But notwithstanding his refusal to conform to her will and pleasure on the one side and this harsh Counsel on the other which must needs be unwelcome to a Prince that loved and understood her own Authority so well as his Mistress did he might have kept his Bishoprick with her Majesties favour which he appeared so willing to resign unto her He might I say have kept them both having so many great Friends about the Queen who app●oved his doings if a breach had not happened about this time betwixt him and Leicester the mighty Patron and Protector of the Puritan Faction occasion'd by his denying at the Earls request to alienate his goodly House and Mannor of Lambeth that it might serve for a retiring place to that mighty favourite And hereunto he did contribute further as was said by others for refusing to grant a Dispensation to marry one which was too near of kindred to him clearly within the Compass of those degrees which seemed to him to be prohibited by the Word of God This Leicester thought he might command and was exceedingly vexed not to finde obedience in one who had been raised by him and depended on him Upon which ground all passages which b●fore were shut against his Enemies were now left free and open for them and the Queens ears are open to their informations as the passages were unto her person By them she comes to understand what a neglect there was of the publick Liturgy in most parts of the Kingdom what ruine and decay of Churches what innovations made already and what more projected by which she would be eased in time of all cares of Government and finde the same to be transferred to the Puritan Consistories She was told also of the general disuse of all weekly Fasts and those which annually were required by the Laws of the Realm and that instead thereof the Brethren had took upon them according to the Arrian Doctrine to appoint solemn and occasional Fasts in several places as at Leicester Coventry c. in defiance of the Laws and her own Prerogative Touching which last she gave another hot Alarm to Archbishop Grindal who in a long Letter did excuse the matter as not being done by his allowance or consent though it could not be denyed but that it had been done by his connivance which came all to one so that the Accusation being strong his Defences weak and no Friend left about the Queen who durst mediate for him for who durst favour him on whom Leicester frowned the Archi-Episcopal Jurisdiction was sequestred from him conferred upon four Suffragans of the Province of Canterbury and he himself confined to one of his Country-houses till the Queens ●●rther pleasure should be signified to him Which Sequestration must needs happen before the beginning of the Convocation which was held this year the Pesidency whereof was then devolved on the Bishop of London by reason of Grindals incapacity to perform that Service 19. For on the sixteenth day of Ianuary it pleased the Queen to call a Parliament to be held at Westminster in which some things occurred of great importance in order to the Presbyterian History which we have in hand The Puritans following the Arrians in that particular as in many others had openly decryed all set and determinate Fasts but then ascribed more merit unto those of their own appointing then any Papists do to those of the Popes Ordaining They had also much took off the edge of the people from the Common-prayer-book but ●●st especially from the Litany none of the meanest Pieces in it which ●ill that time was read accustomably in the House of Commons before the Members setled upon any business But in the beginning of this Parliament it was moved by one Paul Wentworth in the House of Commons that there might be a Sermon every Morning before they sate and that they would nominate some day for a solemn Fast. How the first motion sped I have nowhere found but may conclude by the event that it came to nothing because I never heard that any thing was done in puisance of it till the late Long Parliament where the like Toy was taken up for having Sermons every Morning in the Abbey-Church But that about the Fast being made when more then half the Members were not present at it was carried in the Affirmative by fifteen voices And thereupon it was ordered as the Journal t●ll●●h us That as many of the House as conveniently could should on the Sund●y fortnight following assemble and meet

again by Admonition or Threatning of God's Judgments or by Correction It appertains to the Eldership to take heed that the Word of God be purely preached within their bounds the Sacraments rightly ministred the Discipline entertained and Ecclesiastical Goods uncorruptly distributed It belongeth to this kind of Assemblies To cause the Ordinances made by the Assemblies Provincial National and general to be kept and put in execution To make Constitutions which concern 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Kirk for decent Order in the particular Kirk where they govern providing that they alter no Rules made by the Provincial and General Assemblies and that the Provincial Assemblies aforesaid be privy to the Rules that they shall make and to abolish Constitutions tending to the hurt of the same It hath power to excommunicate the obstinate formal process being had and due interval of times observed Anent particular Kirks if they be lawfully ruled by sufficient Ministers and Session they have Power and Jurisdiction in their own Congregation in matters Ecclesiastical and decrees and declares the Assemblies Presbyteries and Sessions-Jurisdiction and Discipline aforesaid to be in all times coming most just good and godly in it self notwithstanding whatsoever Statutes Acts Canons Civil and Municipal Laws made to the contrary to which and every one of them these Presents shall make express derogation 44. And because there are divers Acts of Parliament made in favour of the Papistical Church tending to the prejudice of the Liberty of the true Kirk of God presently professed within this Realm Jurisdiction and Discipline thereof which stand yet in the Books of the Acts of Parliament not abrogated nor annulled Therefore His Highness and Estates foresaid hath abrogated casted and annulled and by the tenour hereof abrogates casts and annuls all Acts of Parliament made by any of His Highness Predecessors for maintenance of Superstition and Idolatry with all and whatsoever Acts Laws and Statutes made at any time before the day and date hereof against the Liberty of the true Kirk Jurisdiction and Discipiline thereof as the same is used and exercised within this Realm And in special that Act of Parliament holden at Sterling the 4 th of November 1543 commanding obedience to be given to Eugenius the Pope for the time the Act made by K. Iames the 3d in His Parliament holden at Edenborough the 24 th of February in the year of God 1480. And all other Acts whereby the Pope's Authority is established The Act of the said King Iames in his Parliament holden at Edenborough the 20 th of November 1469 anent the Saturday and other Vigils to be Holy-day from Even-song to Even-song Item That part of the Act made by the Queen-Regent holden at Edenborough the first day of February 1551 giving specially License for holding of of Pasch and Zuil 45. And further the King's Majesty and Estates aforesaid declare That the 129 th Act of Parliament holden at Edenborough the 22 d of May in the year of God 1584 shall no ways be prejudicial or derogate any thing from the Priviledg that God hath given the Spiritual Office-bearers in the Kirk concerning Heads of Religion Matters of Heresie Excommunication Collation or Deprivation of Ministers or any such like Ecclesiastical Censures specially grounded and having warrant of the Word of God Item Our Soveraign Lord and Estates of Parliament foresaid abrogates casts and annihilates the Acts of the same Parliament holden at Edenborough the same year 1584 granting Commission to Bishops and other Judges constitute in Ecclesiastical Causes to receive His Highness Presentation to Benefices to give Collation thereupon and to put Order to all Causes Ecclesiastical which His Majesty and Estates foresaid declares to be expired in the self and to be null in time coming of none avail force or effect And therefore ordains all Presentations to Benefices to be direct to the particular Presbyteries in all time coming with full Power to give Collation thereupon and to put Order to all Matters and Causes Ecclesiastical within their bounds according to the Discipline of the Kirk Providing the foresaid Presbyters be bound and astricted to receive and admit whatsoever qualified Minister presented by His Majesty or Laick Patrons 46. Such was the Act by which the Presbyterian Discipline was setled in the Kirk of Scotland They had given Him trouble enough before when they had no authority of Law to confirm their actions But now He must expect much more and they will see His expectation satisfied to the very full So that it may be much admired that He yeelded to it the rather in regard the Reasons of it are not certainly known nor very easie to be guessed at Whether it were that he were not well enough informed touching the low condition which the English Puritans were at this time brought to or that He stood so much in fear of the Earl of Bothwell whose treacherous practises threatned Him with continual danger that He was under a necessity of conforming to them for His own preservation or that He thought it His best way to let them have their own Wills and pursue their own Counsels till they had wearied both themselves and the rest of the Subjects by the misgovernment of that Power which He had given them or whether it were all or none of these it is hard to say Nor is it less to be admired that the Nobility of Scotland who had found the weight of that heavy yoke in the times fore-going should take it so easily on their necks and not joyn rather with the King to cast it off But they had gotten most of the Church-Lands into their possession and thought it a greater piece of wisdom to let the Presbytery over-top them in their several Consistories than that the Bishops Deans and Chapters or any other who pretended unto their Estates should be restored again to their Power and Places and thereby brought to a capacity of contending with them for their own In which respect they yeelded also to another Act against the everting of Church-Lands and Tenths into Temporal Lordships for To what purpose should they strive for such empty Titles as added little to their profit and not much to their pleasures There also passed some other Acts which seemed much to favour both the Kirk and the Kirk-men as namely For the ratification of a former Act 1587 in favour of the Ministers their Rents and Stipends for enabling Lay-Patrons to dispose of their Prebendaries and Chaplinaries unto Students and that no Benefices with Cure pay any Thirds There passed another Act also which concerned the Glebes and Manses in Cathedral Churches preserved of purpose by the King though they thought not of it that when he found it necessary to restore Episcopacy the Bishops might find Houses and other fit Accommodations near their own Cathedrals 47. Thus have the Presbyterians gained two Acts of great importance The one for setling their Presbyteries in all parts of the Kingdom The other for repressing all