is there that will say that Christians have not their sacrifices Nay who is there that knows the nature of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or the Heb. 13. 15 16. Doctrin of Antiquity concerning it but will confesse it to be a true and rightly so called sacrifice 2 Neither can all this be accused of superstition for confessing a Sacrifice and an Altar wee intend not either the reviving of the Leviticall bloody sacrifices of the old Law nor the unbloudy propitiatory sacrifice offered in the Popish Masse for the quick and the dead we hold with the subscribed Articles Transubstantiation Artic. 28. 31. a bold and unwarranted determination of Christs presence in the Sacrament and thinke such sacrifices no better then blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits We beleeve that our blessed Saviour upon the Crosse by his owne oblation of himselfe Communion book Heb. 10. once offered made a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world and that he needeth not to be often offered nor can without impiety and imposture be said to be made of bread by the Priests and dayly offered in the Masse The sacrifice which we admit is onely 1. Representative to represent to us visibly in those elements the all-saving sacrifice of Christs death and to behold him crucified before our eyes and his body broken in the bread and in the wine his blood powred out 2. It is spirituall offered and participated by faith 3. It is Commemorative done according to our Saviours institution in remembrance of him and of his death and passion This is all the sacrifice we acknowledge and we desire no other Altar than what may suit with it and serve for the offering of such sacrifices A spirituall Altar for a spirituall sacrifice It may bee still and must bee a Communion-Table and yet neverthelesse an Altar that properly this mystically A Table it is for the Lords Supper and an Altar for the memoriall sacrifice of the Lords death And both a Table and an Altar it is what ever the matter of it bee whether of stone as sometimes and in some places they have beene or of wood as among us in most places they usually now are Yea and wheresoever they be placed whether in Of their standing the West end as sometimes in the Church at Antioch in Syria as Socrates reporteth or to the East which Ecclesia Antiochiae Syriae contrarium ab aliis Ecclesiis sitam habet nam altare non ad orientem sed ad occasum spectat Socrat. hist eccl l. 5. c. 21. was the custome in other places as the same Author intimates and with what site soever whether it stand Table-wise as they call it with the ends to the East and West or Altar-wise with the ends from North and South whether upon a plain levell or mounted by steps These are but accidents which alter not the nature and use of it but that though these vary yet still it remaines both a Table and an Altar in the sense that I have mentioned And that it may be placed at the East end of the Church according to the ancient and most received fashion of the Christian world Queen Elizabeths Injunction for that purpose Injunction for Tables in the Church is warrant sufficient which appointeth it to be set in the place where the Altar stood and not thence removed except at the time of the Communion for more conveniency of hearing and communicating Which if it may be as well there as in some places without question it may as in any other part of the Church or Chancell for ought that I can see it may stand there still And however the placing of it as of appointing the place for the rest of the Service of Morning and Evening prayer and the decision of all doubts about Ceremonies is left to the discretion of the Ordinary as is evident out of the Rubrick before the beginning of Morning prayer and the Preface prefixed to the Booke of Common prayer In case then that the Ordinary which is every Bishop in his Diocese shall appoint it to be so placed hee doth no more but what he hath pattern for from the Ancient Church and by warrant from the Injunctions mentioned and Booke of Common prayer it selfe that I say nothing of the Episcopall power which was never abridged of liberty to take order in things of this nor of farre higher nature I will adde one thing more That that place is of all others the most fit for the standing of the Lords Table because as S. Iustine Martyr saith Quia corum quae apud nos sunt meliora praestantiora ad Dei honorem secernimus hominum autem opinione sententia ea pars in qua sol oritur caeteris naturae partibus praestantior est orientem cum precamur omnes intuemur S. Iust Mart. ad orthodox quaest 118. Communicants going up to the Altar to receive Ips new p 7. Those things which are the best and most excellent with us we set apart for the service of God and for that in the opinion and judgement of men that part where the Sunne riseth is the chiefe of all the parts of created Nature wee looke to the East when wee pray for that cause And as that part of the Church hath beene ever accounted the chiefest so it is great reason that our best services should thence be tendred unto God and that his Table should have the highest place in his owne house and no man suffered to perk above it and him And if it may bee there placed and in case the Ordinary shall think that place convenient for ministration there remaine Then can it not as some think and as the Ipswich-libell glancingly intimates be unlawfull for the Communicants to goe up thither when they receive As for the custome which in too many places is of late crept in of the Priests carrying of the holy Bread and Cup to every person in their seats it is both unseemly and derogatory to the Majesty of those sacred Mysteries and I am sure beside the intention of our Church expressely commanding all those that intend to cōmunicate to draw neere to thē And this is also the intention of the often mentioned Injunction when it appoints the removing of the holy Table from the place where the Altar stood that the Communicants more conveniently and in more number might communicate with the Minister For what need any removing for that if the Minister must carry the Sacrament to every man Who sees not but that the whole Congregation though never so great may communicate with the Minister and the Table stand still at the East end or any where if communicating with him were understood in that sense But without all doubt the intent of the Injunction was that Communicants should goe out of their places and draw neere to the Table when they did receive and care was thereby taken that
INNOVATIONS Unjustly charged upon the Present CHVRCH and STATE OR AN ANSVVER TO THE MOST MATERIALL PASSAGES of a Libellous Pamphlet MADE BY MR. HENRY BURTON AND INTITVLED An Apologie of an Appeale c. BY CHRISTOPHER DOW B. D. LONDON Printed by M. F. for JOHN CLARK and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhill M DC XXXVII To the Ingenuous Reader THis Treatise was finished and intended for the Presse at the beginning of Easter Terme last at which time it was expected that M. B. and his Confederates would have had their censure Had it then comne forth the speed it made would perhaps have made some Apology for the defects of it However in all this delay I wanted both leisure and will to adde or alter any thing and resolved to let it passe in its first dresse If it seeme incompt and lesse accurate then might haply be expected the comfort is that with all faults it is a cover fit enough for such a cup. Only one thing may seeme strange That having promised it I adde nothing particularly of the Appeale and its Apology The truth is the onely point of moment which I reserved for that part was The Legality of the Bishops exercising their Jurisdictions in their owne names and of their proceedings in the High Commission The rest excepting his often repeated railings and frivolous reasons which I never thought worthy of any serious answer I have met with in the Sermons and answered so far as I thought fit Now for that point That which was spoken in that High and Honourable Court of Star-Chamber at the Censure and the expectation of somewhat shortly to be declared by Authority for the full clearing of it Made me even when this booke was more than halfe printed to alter my first determination and suppresse those things which I once intended to publish upon that part judging it altogether needlesse if not presumption to bring my poore verdict either to second or prevent so judiciall and authentick a decision and that point excepted I held the rest not worthy a peculiar Chapter I will adde no more save the best wishes of Thine in our common Saviour C. D. THE CONTENTS OF the CHAPTERS Chap. 1. Fol. 1. AN Introduction to the ensuing Discourse containing the reasons inducing the Author to undertake it and his aime in it Chap. 2. Fol. 7. A short Relation or Description of M. H. Burton his course and manner of life Of the occasion of his discontent his dismission from the Court The ground of his dislike and hatred against the Bishops and betaking himselfe to the people The course he hath since taken in his Bookes and Sermons to make himselfe plausible and the Bishops envied Of the Booke called A divine Tragedie c. Chap. 3. Fol. 14. Of this booke of his The parts of it Of the title of his Sermons The dedication of it to his Majesty and some passages in it Chap. 4. Fol. 21. Of the Sermons The Authors intention in the examination of them A generall view of their materialls Their dissonancy from the Text in every part of it Their principall argument Supposed Innovations The Authors pitching upon them as containing the summe of all Chap. 5. Fol. 32. Of the supposed Innovations in Doctrine Of K. James his Order to the Vniversities for reading the Fathers done long since unjustly charged upon the present Bishops By whomsoever procured upon just grounds Not Popish but against Popery King James his other Order for preaching of Election c. justified Chap. 6. Fol. 38. Of his Majesties Declaration prefixed to the Articles of Religion M. Burtons cunning trick to colour his railing against his Majesties actions and the danger that may come of it All truths not necessary to be knowne or taught The Doctrine of predestination in M. Burtons sense best unknowne The Gospell not overthrowne but furthered by the want of it An uncomfortable Doctrine Chap. 7. Fol. 43. Of the bookes that have beene printed of late Of Franciscus à S. Clara. Desire of peace warranted by S. Paul We and they of Rome differ not in fundamentalls What are fundamentalls in M. Burtons sense The distinction in fundamentalibus circa fundamentalia justified The Church of England not Schismaticall How far separated and wherein yet united with the Romish Church Good workes necessary to salvation Iustification by workes By charity in what sense no Popery Whether the Pope be That Antichrist disputable Of confession Of prayer for the dead how maintained by our Church Praying to Saints justly condemned by Protestants Chap. 8. Fol. 58. Of the Doctrine of obedience to Superiours How taught and maintained by the Bishops Wherein it must be blinde and how quick-sighted Chap. 9. Fol. 67. Of the Doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords-day falsely accused of Novelty The summe of what is held or denyed in this point by those whom Mr B. opposeth The Churches power and the obligation of her precepts The maintainers of this doctrine have not strained their braines or conscience Chap. 10. Fol. 73. Of his Majesties Declaration for sports c. M. Burtons scandalizing the memory of K. James about it His wicked censure of His Majesty for reviving and republishing it His abusive jeere upon my Lords Grace of Cant. Five propositions opposed to his so many unjust criminations in this argument Chap. 11. Fol. 78. Of the 1. Proposition The Declaration no inlet to profanenesse His Majesties respect to piety in it Recreations onely permitted not imposed Of the 2. Proposition The sports allowed are lawfull on those dayes and in themselves not against the Law of the Land M. Burtons seeming respect of the Fathers Of Revelling Of mixt dancing how unlawfull and how condemned by the Ancients and by the Imperiall Edicts Of Calvins judgement in this point Of the 3. Proposition The Booke no meanes of violation of the 5. Commandement Chap. 12. Fol. 97 Ministers commanded by His Majesty to reade the Book They may and ought to obey The matter of the Book not unlawfull Things unlawfully commanded may sometimes be lawfully obeyed What things are required to justifie a subjects refusing a Superiours Command Refusers to reade the Book justly punished The punishment inflicted not exceeding the offence Not without good warrant Chap. 13. Fol. 108. Of the Innovation pretended to bee in Discipline The Courts Ecclesiasticall have continued their wonted course of Iustice St. Austines Apology for the Church against the Donatists fitly serves ours The cunning used by delinquents to make themselves pitied and justice taxed Their practises to palliate and cover their faults Mr. B's endeavour to excuse Ap-Evans Mr. Burtons opposites not censorious What they thinke of those whom hee calls Professors and the profession it selfe True Piety approved and honoured in all professions The answere to this crimination summed up The censured partiall Iudges of their own censures How offences are to be rated in their censures Chap. 14. Fol. 113. Of the supposed Innovations
in the worship of God Ceremonies no substantiall parts of Gods worship The crimination and a generall answer Of standing at Gloria Patri What will-worship is Standing at the Gospell Bowing at the name of Jesus Of the name of Altar and what sacrifice is admitted Of the standing of the Altar Of Communicants going up to the Altar to receive Of the railes Of bowing toward the Altar and to the East and turning that way when we pray Of reading the second Service at the Altar Chap. 15. Fol. 121. Innovation in the civill government slanderously pretended without proofe His slander of my Lords Grace of Canterbury about Prinnes Prohibition confuted Other calumnies against His Grace c. answered The Bishops falsely charged with dividing the King and His Subjects Chap. 16. Fol. 132. Of the altering of the Prayer-books The putting In for At. The leaving out of Father of thine elect c. no treason Master B. rather guilty His pretty shift about it and how he and some of his use the Prayers of the Church Of the Prayers for the fifth of November altered Those Prayers not confirmed by act of Parliament The Religion of the Church of Rome not Rebellion Of the alterations in the last Fast-booke The restraint of preaching Fasting-dayes no Sabbaths Chap. 17. Fol. 150. Of the sixth pretended Innovation in the meanes of Knowledge The Knowledge of God necessary The Scriptures the key of Knowledge Impious to take them away or hinder the knowledge of them The difference between the Scriptures and Sermons How faith is begotten of Rom. 10. 17. The Word of God must be rightly divided what it is so to do Chap. 18. Fol. 162. Of the seventh pretended Innovation in the Rule of Faith What matters of Religion are submitted to the Bishops decision The Doctrine of our Articles The properties of the Bishops decisions Master Burtons clamors against the Bishops in this particular odious and shamefull Of that speech which he ascribeth to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Catholick Church What is justly attributed to the Church and how wee ordinarily come to know the Scriptures to be Scriptures Chap. 19. Fol. 170. Of the jurisdiction of Bishops how far of Divine right given by Christ to his Apostles and from them derived by succession The power given to the Apostles divided into severall orders What power Ecclesiasticall belongs to the King and the intent of the Statutes which annexe all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to the Crowne Of Mr. Burtons Quotation of the Iesuits direction to be observed by N. N. M. B. and the Iesuite confederates in detraction and ignorance Chap. 20. Fol. 182. The last Innovation in the Rule of manners The Scriptures acknowledged to be the sole rule of manners and how Old Canons how in force The Act before the Communion-booke doth not forbid the use of ancient and pious customes Master B. incurring the penalty of that Statute Of Cathedrall Churches The argument from them frees the rites and ceremonies there used from novelty and superstition Of the Royall Chappell His dangerous insinuations referred to the censure of Authority The Close Chap. 21. Fol. 193. A briefe Discourse of the beginning and progresse of the Disciplinarian Faction Their sundry attempts for their Genevian Dearling Their Doctrines new and different from the true and ancient tenets of the Church of England and they truly and rightly termed Innovators REcensui librum hunc cui titulus est Innovations unjustly charged c. in quo nihil reperio quô minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur Iune 17. 1637. Sa. Baker R. P. Episc Londin Cap. domest INNOVATIONS UNJUSTLY CHARGED UPON THE PRESENT CHURCH and STATE CHAP. I. An Introduction to the ensuing Discourse containing the reasons inducing the Author to undertake it and his aime in it IT is better in the judgement of St Melius errantis imperitiam silentio spernere quaÌ„ loquendo dementu insaniam provocare Nec hoc sue â—â—gistâ—â—ii diviniâ—eâ— nominis aucteritate faciebam c. Cypr. ad Demetrian Cyprian by silence to condemne the ignorance of the erroneous than by speaking to provoke the fury of the enraged And for this judgement of his he had the warrant as hee saith of divine authority And certainly it must needs be a great point of folly to grapple with those who as that Father of Demetrianus by the noyse of clamorous words seek rather to get vent and passage for their owne than patiently to hear the opinions of others it being more easie to still the waves of the troubled sea than by any discourse to represse the madnesse of such men To undertake such a task therefore is but a vaine attempt and of no more effect than to hold a light to the blinde to speake to the deafe or to instruct a stone Foule-mouth'd railers and barking dogs are soonest still'd by passing on our way in silence or by severe and due correction Yet notwithstanding this rule is not without some exception and therefore Solomon who giveth this counsell not to answer a foole according Prov. 26. 4 5. to his folly addes in the next words as it were a crosse-proverb to it bidding us Answer a foole according to his folly lest he be wise in his owne conceit In that case an answer to clamorous and slanderous railers whom the Wise-man comprises under the name of fooles is not unfit or unseasonable And there are no doubt other cases in which without deserving the imputation of folly a man may yea and it is expedient that he should make answer to the envenomed railings of imbittered spirits And if at any time surely then when such detractors are not onely wise in their owne conceits but which is more have enveigled many simple and perhaps otherwise well-meaning people and drawne them to an opinion of their wisedome and beliefe and approbation of their false and wicked calumnies Much more when they levell their poisoned arrows of detraction against the Soveraigne Power and against the Fathers of the Church which if they should prevaile would wound and endanger the setled government and peace of both Church and State In such case it cannot be accounted rashnesse for any true-hearted subject and sonne of the Church to breake an otherwise resolved silence to prevent what in him is the growth of so great a mischiefe I will adde one other particular When men shall be so impiously presumptuous as to break into the secrets of the Almighty and peremptorily to pronounce of his unscrutable judgements as if they had beene his counsellors and to cast the causes of the present plague and all the evills that have lately threatned or befallen us upon those men to whom next under God we owe and in duty ought to acknowledge our preservation hitherto and that the plague and other evils have no more raged amongst us yea and upon those meanes which God hath sanctified for the removall of his judgements It is high time then to speake lest silence
make the Commandement to speake riddles and arrant non-sense They deny that there is any Commandement given in the New Testament for the observation of the Lords day Though they acknowledge sufficient ground there to warrant the Churches institution and observation of that day And this they suppose they may justly maintaine till Mr. B. or some other of his mind in this point produce the place where it is written which if they would once do they would easily bring off the Bishops and others who agree with them to make a recantation and to subscribe to their better information That which they ascribe unto the Church in this argument is 1. The institution of the Lords day and other holy dayes that is the determination of the time of Gods publick worship to those dayes 2 The prescription of the manner of the observation of these dayes both for the duties to be performed and the time manner and other circumstances of their performance Concerning which they affirme 2. things Bishop of Ely p. 149. First That the Church hath liberty power and authority thus to do Secondly that Christians are in conscience bound to observe these precepts of the Church and that they that transgress Bern. de praec et dispens c. 12. Obedientia quae majoribus praebetur Deo exhibetur quamobrē quicquid vice Dei praecipit homo c. them sin against God whose law requires that we must obey every lawfull ordinance of the Church And as S. Bernard speakes The obedience that is given to Superiours he speakes of the Prelates and governors in the Church is exhibited to God wherefore whatsoever man in Gods stead commands if it be not for certaine such as displease God is no otherwise at all to be received than if God had commanded it For what matters it whether God by Himselfe or by his Ministers men or Angels make known his pleasure to us So hee and much more to that purpose in that place So that they which maintaine the institution of the Lords day to be from the Church doe not thereby as they are wrongly charged discharge men from all tye of obedience and give them liberty to observe it or not at their owne pleasure which no man will affirme but those onely who have learned to under-value and despise the Church of God and her rightfull Authority Now these things have beene so fully proved so plainly demonstrated already that it is needless yea impossible for me to adde any thing and as impossile for Mr. B. or any other to gain-say with any reason or evidence of truth Which because he cannot do hee betakes him to the forlorne hope of contentious spirits railing against his opposers and traducing the doctrine which he knowes not how to confute For his opposers he saith that in this point they have strained all the veines of their conscience and braines and that they are so mad upon it that no shame will stay them pag. 126. till confusion stop their mouthes But God bee praised they have not neither need they much to straine either Their conscience need not be strained at all in delivering that doctrine and acknowledging that truth which is after godliness And for their braines it is not Mr. Burtons Tit. 1. 1. Pamphlets or lawless Dialogues that can straine them No nor his larger answer which he threatens in answer to my L. of Elyes Treatise which were it not that simple and well meaning people might haply be seduced and made to thinke them unanswerable were quickly answered with that which best befits them silence and scorne As for that grave and learned Prelate whom he useth with such contempt and base language The world hath seene his humility joyned with that masse of learning which is lodged in that venerable brest that he hath not disdained to stoope to answer this railers railing dialogue of A. and B. which hee hath done like himselfe with great strength and evidence of reason and solidity of judgement and yet blessed be God hath not sacrificed the least dramme of reason which yet remaines in so great yeares to admiration quick and pregnant and will be able if need be to discover Mr. Burtons arrogancy and bold-fac't ignorance So that he must be faine to sacrifice the remainder of his modesty and honesty if any be yet left him to finde any thing to reply CHAP. X. Of his Majesties Declaration for sports c. Mr. Burtons scandalizing the memory of K. James about it His wicked censure of His Majesty for reviving and republishing it His abusive jeere upon my Lords Grace of Cant. Five propositions opposed to his so many unjust criminations in this argument THis is all he saith of his supposed innovations in doctrine But before I part with this last point I must annexe somewhat of his Majesties Declaration concerning lawfull sports to be used upon Sundayes as depending hereupon and being the great pretended grievance in this argument This Declaration and the publishing of it according to his Majesties Royall intent and command hath afforded Mr. Burton plentifull occasion of calumniation and caused him to utter many shamefull and slanderous invectives not onely against the Declaration it selfe but against the Royall authority commanding and those whom hee conceives procurers of it or that in obedience to his Majesty have urged the publishing of it and punished any that have obstinately refused For first hee hath endeavoured to blase the Honour of that great Patron of the Church K. Iames of Blessed memory by an odious and base insinuation of I know not what extraordinary temper wherein the King should be when this Declaration was first published a passage so unworthy and execrably scandalous that I will not so much as mention it Nor hath he dealt better but farre worse 2 with his sacred Majesty that now is in making his reviving and republishing of his Fathers Act to tend to the publick dishonour of God the annihilation of the holy Commandement touching the Sabbath p. 56. the alteration of the doctrine of the Church of England the violation of his solemne Royall protestations all which and more supposing the republishing of this Declaration to be his Majesties Act and by his Authority hee layes to his Majesties charge Indeed hee seemes not willing that the world should take notice of these blasphemies as directly sent out against his Majesty and therefore would make men beleeve that this Act was none of his Majesties But then I would Declaration concerning the dissol of the last Parliament demand of him how he knowes any Declaration or Proclamation to be set forth by his Majesty and in particular how he knows that Declaration to be his which he puts His Majesty so often in minde of Sure I am he can have no greater evidence for any than hee hath for this His Majesties name prefixed his Royall Test subscribed And who is there without danger of being found guilty of high treason can
restored to the singular benefit of Christian soules CHAP. XVIII Of the seventh pretended Innovation in the Rule of Faith What matters of Religion are submitted to the Bishops decision The Doctrine of our Articles The properties of the Bishops decisions Master Burtons clamors against the Bishops in this particular odious and shamefull Of that speech which he ascribeth to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Catholick Church What is justly attributed to the Church and how we ordinarily come to know the Scriptures to be Scriptures THe seventh Innovation he makes to be in pag. 151. the rule of Faith for whereas the perfect and compleat rule of faith is the holy Scripture as 2 Tim. 3. Our new Doctors cry up the dictates of the Church to wit of the Prelates to bee our only guides in Divinity as in Reeves Communion booke Catechisme expounded pag. 20. 206. where as he saith that authour affirmes all Ministers must submit to the judgement of the Prelates in all matters pertaining to Religion and all Prelates must submit to the judgement of the Arch-prelate And then addes his owne glosse as having a Papall infallibility of spirit whereby as by a Divine Oracle all questions in Religion are finally determined My Answer to this shall bee very briefe for that the same crimination is by Master B. objected in his Lawlesse Pamphlet intituled An Answer to a late Treatise of the Sabbath day and since by the Reverend Author of that Treatise that venerable masse of solid learning the L. Bishop of Ely so profoundly answered that my poore endeavours In his Treatise intituled An Examination vid p. 17 18 19 20 c. seeme to me altogether needles it being abundantly sufficient to referre my Readers thither for satisfaction Yet somewhat I will say for their sakes that have not that Booke at hand First it is confest that the holy Scripture is the sole and compleat Rule of Faith This is the constant and subscribed Doctrine of our Church Artic. 6. And therefore it were strange that they who themselves have so often subscribed and who exact subscription from others should goe against so confessed a truth and certainly if hee had had but the least graine of ingenuity in interpreting the writings of other men or rather if malice had not wholly filled him with ignorance and confidence hee would never have dream't of any contradiction to this Doctrine in the words by him alledged or to have stretched matters of Religion subjected to the Bishops determination to the substantiall points of Faith which no Protestant ever affirmed But somewhat sure there is in it that is in matters of Religion submitted to the Bishops judgement True and so it ever was in the Church of God But this extends not to matters of Faith or manners to be believed and done of necessitie to salvation so as to coine new articles in either kinde The power which by them is challenged and by all understanding Christians in all ages of the Church ascribed to them is no other but that which is given them by the tenth Article of our Religion whose words are That the Church hath power to decree rites and ceremonies and authoritie in Controversies See Preface to the Booke of Common-Prayer referring parties doubting of any thing that is conteined in that Booke to the Bishop and the Bishop doubting to the Arch-Bishop of Religion Where by the Church whoever Master B. understands is meant the heads and Governors in the Church to whom the right of direction and government doth peculiarly belong and therefore they are called Bishops or Overseers and Rulers or Guides and Leaders as being by their Office to judge of things needfull and to direct those that are under their charge Now this power of theirs hath these properties 1. It is not supreme but ministeriall not ruling but ruled by the Scriptures by which rule they are to square their determinations in all matters of Religion being altogether unlawfull for them to define any thing contrary thereunto 2. The things wherein they have power to decree ordaine alter and change any thing touching Religion in the Church is onely in matter of Ceremonie which are in comparison of the points of Faith onely circumstantiall as concerning time place gesture order and the like to bee observed in the service of God 3. In these things which they thus order and ordaine they must keepe them to those generall Rules 1. That things be dâ—â—e decently and in order 2. That nothing bee ordained contrary to the Scripture 3. That things beside the Scripture ordained be not inforced to be believed of necessitie to salvation as our Article speakes 4. Their decisions in matters of Religion are not infallible neither did they ever challenge nor any that ever I heard of among us ascribe unto them no not to the Arch-prelate any Papall insallibilitie of Spirit Neither did they arrogate any other abilitie of right and true judgement in things than is attained by ordinary meanes nor any immediatly Divine Inspiration or Assistance annexed to their Chaire all which the Pope doth Lastly the submission that is required by those that are under them Ministers and people is not absolute and such as no inferiour Priest or Christian can without sinne dissent from their judgements but in regard of externall order and for the avoiding of confusion and sects in the Church as it is not left free for every man to appoint or judge of matters of Religion or to have them after their owne way so it cannot but be a great disorder and consequently a sinne for any man out of his private humour openly to reclaime or to disobey those who are invested with the power of Judicature This being the power that is given or challenged by the Bishops it cannot but be a wonder to thinke that any man should bee so past all shame as so odiously to clamour upon this ground against the Bishops and Fathers of the Church and to deride and scorne the most Reverend Arch-Bishop of Cant. calling him the Oracle and one that hath a Papall infallibilitie of Spirit and the like But for a Priest to doe it puts it beyond all wonder and astonishment especially if wee consider these two things First which is also observed by the Reverend Bishop of Ely that See the Booke of Ordination at his Ordination he promised yea swore that hee would reverently obey the Bishops and with a glad minde and will follow their godly admonitions and submit to their godly judgements 2. That every Priest hath a power of directing those that are under his charge in matters of Religion and that the people ought to inquire the Law at their Mouthes and to submit to their judgements which to take away from them were to robbe them of a maine part of the Priestly function and yet I suppose neither challengeth any Papall infallibilitie of Spirit nor requireth any blind obedience and therefore how he can
68 69. royall prerogative and much more to the same purpose Here not to meddle with Doctor Bastwicks case against whom there are other crimes objected than that which hee here mentions I will onely lay downe some briefe conclusions and their consectaries declaring the truth in these points and referre those that desire further satisfaction to such as have purposely treated of this subject And my first conclusion shal be That the Kings Conclu 1 and Queens of this Realme neither have nor doe See the Queens Injunctions challenge in right of their Crownes any authority or power of the ministration of Divine Offices in the Church Wee give not to our Princes saith the thirtie seventh Article the ministring of Gods Word or of the Sacraments neither doe they claime the power of the Keyes for remitting or retaining of sins either privately or publickly From this I inferre these consectaries First Consect 1 That it is no derogation or intrenchment upon the Prerogative Royall to deny the Kings Majesty the power of administration of the Word and Sacraments of ordination excommunication or any other act belonging to the personal execution of the Episcopall or Priestly function And this is so evidently deduced froÌ„ the former that it being granted as it must be by those that will not deny the Articles of our Church this cannot be denied That no man can reasonably imagine that the Consect 2 Statutes which annexed Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to the Crowne intended to give the King any power of this nature which Queene Elizabeth in her injunctions and all other godly Kings and Princes ever disclaimed That it can bee no deniall of his Majesties just right nor violation of Statute nor danger of Consect 3 Praemunire for Bishops to exercise their jurisdictions thus farre in their owne names or to say they have them not from the King My second conclusion is This Ecclesiasticall Conclu 2 power was given by Christ to his Apostles both for preaching and administring the Sacraments Matth. 28. 29 30. and for the power and use of the Keyes Iohn 20. 21. Matth. 18. 18. Thirdly Our Saviour giving this power intended Conclu 3 that it should continue in the Church to the end of the world as it is most evident First in regard of the equall necessity and use of it in the Church aswell afterwards as in their times Secondly in regard of his promise of his assisting presence or being with them alwayes even to the Mat. 28. ult end of the world From which will follow First the necessity of the power of ordination for the transmitting this power by the Apostles to some others in whom the same power though not in the Apostolicall latitude should remaine when they who were not alway to continue should bee translated out of this world Secondly the necessity of an un-interrupted succession in the Church of those who shall bee lawfully invested with this power which can at no time bee wanting in the Church without the ruine of that building for the edification of which Ephes 4. 12. it was first given Our Saviour together with this power given Conclu 4 to his Apostles did give the grace to enable them to exercise that power and discharge that function which hee had imposed upon them This is manifest First because God never useth to call Vactio antiquitus olâ—o ficbat quod quia secundum naturalem efficientiam tum fragrantia reddebat corpora tum agilia accummodum erat duabas rebus supernaturalibus significandis quarum una est personae ad munus aliquod divinum obeundum sanctificatio consecratio altera adoptatio seu donorum ad illud necessariorum collatio Armin. Disp pub any to a charge without furnishing them with grace to discharge it and therefore in the Old Testament annointing with Oyle was used which because naturally it made mens bodies both fragrant and active was to signifie both the consecration and designation Gods worke and the fitting of those upon whom it was imposed with gifts necessary thereto required Secondly it is manifest from the plaine words of our Saviour in that giving them their Commission hee breathed on them and saith unto them Receive the Holy Ghost And from hence we may inferre That in the transmission of this power and function there is necessarily required a continuall supply of grace though not in the same measure as in the Apostles nor for all those operations which were usefull in the first foundation of the Christian Church yet in the same kinde and for the discharge of the function so farre as it should be necessary ever to continue in the Church and that therefore in the consecration and ordination of those who are called to this function and to whom this power is committed God doth ordinarily confer this grace as appeares by that of S. Paul putting Timothy whom he had consecrated Bishop at Ephesus in mind to stir up the grace that was given him by the laying on of his hands and that God doth in the same way still give the like grace is out of all question unlesse men shall thinke either that the grace is not now necessary or that God is wanting to his Church or that the Apostles did faile in prescribing the right way for the conferring of it So that of this Saint Ambrose truly said Man Homo imponit manus Deus largitur gratiam Sacerdos imponit supplicem dextram Deus benedicit potenti dextra Episcopus mitiat ordinem Deus tribuit dignitatem Ambros de dign Sacerd c. 5. layes on his hands God gives the grace the Priest layes on his right hand in supplication and God blesseth it by his powerfull right hand The Bishops mitiates into the Order and God bestowes the dignity Lastly the Apostles who from Christ received both the Priestly and Episcopall power in one did divide the same and made distinct orders and degrees of them in the Church in which they appointed Bishops Priests and Deacons all which wee finde mentioned by Saint Paul in his Epistles and in the Acts of the Apostles and in the most ancient Writers and records that are extant in the Church And these orders thus by them distinguished were subordinate in such sort as the whole remainder of the Apostolicall Office that is so much as the perpetuall necessity of the Church required was in the Bishops who besides that which they had in common with Priests as power to preach administer the Sacraments and of absolution had also power of jurisdiction and ordination and both Priests and Deacons were by them ordayned and subjected to their authority All which may be proved out of Saint Paul prescribing to Timothy Titus whom he had ordayned See Mason de Minesterio Eccles l. 1. c. 2. l. 4. c. 1. c. D. Field of the Church l. 5. c. 25. Bishops how to exercise their jurisdiction and to use the power of ordination or laying on of hands which he
Bookes and Sermons to make himselfe plausible and the Bishops envied Of the Booke called A divine Tragedie c. VVHERE the waight and power of reason enforceth a Discourse it makes its owne way to credit and challengeth beleefe without respect to the Author but when matters of fact are barely related or opinions or conjectures broached they must bring their credence from the Authors worth whose wisedome and sinceritie must usher them to beleefe with wise men For in this case it is with words as with weapons which receive their force from the hand that useth them and so these pierce according to the waight of the speakers authoritie Now the worke whose survey I have undertaken being for the most part of this kinde it will be very requisite that the Author of it be taken into our consideration To which end I shall make a briefe relation of some part of his story with this onely intention that the impartiall Reader may be able to know at what rate to value his authoritie and what credit his bare word may justly merit The Author then Mr. H. Burton had his breeding at first for some short time in St. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge where hee was never observed for any excellency but that hee could play well on an Instrument and after his removall from thence having for a while been a Schoolemaster in a Noble-mans house hee found the favour to be admitted to a meane place in the Closet of His Majestie that now is then Prince of Wales Which sometime he was wont to execute in his hose and dublet with a perfuming pot in one hand and a fire-shovell in another and as I have heard received for his pains 5li. per annū a livery But the Prince being gone into Spaine and Mr. Burton before this time being got into Holy orders among others of his Highness Houshold that were designed to goe thither this man was one But whether his indiscretion which he hath since abundantly manifested did then minister grounds of suspition or what ever the cause were certaine it is that hee was put out of the List for that voyage that when his goods were a-shipboard which he was fain to take home again and to stay behinde Now all this while and for some space after he was not any whit popular I meane gratious with the People no not in his owne Parish witnesse his seldome preaching and when he did preach his thinne audience yea so ill was he relisht in those dayes that it was usuall with many in his parish though I doe not commend them for it to enquire who preached and if it were he they would forsake their owne Church and wander elsewhere Hee did not then inveigh against those which did not preach twice every Lords-day which himself did not practice neither was he noted to express any distaste of the forme of Divine service used at Court in the Royall Chappell or to call it long Baby lonish a p. 160. service bellowed and warbled out nor the use of Organs b p. 163. Piping the Copes Altar tapers c. which were dayly in his eye did not then offend him or if haply they did not altogether please him yet hee was content to hold his peace and to tolerate them But to go on After it pleased the King of kings to put a period to the terrestriall Kingdome of King Iames of famous memory our gracious Soveraigne succeeding Mr. B. would needs serve His Majesty in the same place as before when he was Prince of Wales And he thinking the time now come wherein hee might come even with those whom he conceived to be his adversaries and hinderers of that his intrusion into the Closet and of his hoped voyage into Spaine and so of his desired preferment hee behaved himselfe in such sort that His Majesty dismissed him the Court and his service whence being cashier'd and all his hopes of preferment dasht he betakes himselfe to the people as more patient of his criminations and more apt to side with him against the Reverend Bishops and having by the help of popular applause advanced from the hatred of some Bishops persons to a totall dislike of their order and of all their proceedings hee made their actions his continuall theme and his Sermons See his Plea to an Appeale and writings so many satyres and bitter invectives accusing them of Arminianisme Popery Seven vials c. and whatsoever might make them odious and himselfe gracious with his new-masters the People and proceeding in this course with strange violence the State and Church-governours as I conceive bearing the more with him in regard of his discontent for the losse of his hopes at Court hee sent forth a booke called A Divine Tragedy lately acted c. wherein he hath See p 61. in a strangely presumptuous and daring manner perckt up into Gods throne and taken upon him to read the darke and dimme characters of the causes of his inscrutable judgements and wrested many late accidents that have happened to make them speake Gods indignation against such as have used the liberty granted by His Majesties late Declaration for sports upon the Sundayes and Holy-dayes of which accidents there are some which fayle in the truth of story others that are so common and ordinary that it is ridiculous to reckon the for memorable examples of Gods judgments others that though they may well be accounted such yet have other causes of them that may with more probability bee assigned than that for which he brings them yea there is not one of them that so clearely speakes that which hee pretends that any man without the just imputation of impious rashness can say that they were inflicted for that cause onely or principally and which is yet more granting that they were all true and so remarkable as hee makes them and that they did in as plaine language as is possible for them speake Gods indignation against the profanation of the Lords-day yet will it not follow that God did thereby confirme the Sunday-Sabbatarian doctrine and condemne the contrary and express from Heaven his disallowance of his Majesties Declaration or the lawfull making use of that liberty which is there permitted For without all question whether the observation of the Lords-day stand by vertue of Gods immediate precept in the fourth Commandement or otherwise or onely by Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall constitution the profanation of that day must needs bee a grievous sinne and powerfull attractive of Divine vengeance seeing it is acknowledged by all that in the prophanation of that day both Gods precept so farre as it is moral in the fourth Commandement is violated and the authority which God hath commanded all Christians to obey is contemned yea and the publick worship of God without which there can bee no true religion neglected vilified and overthrowne But his chiefest ayme in all this was by this means to stirre up against the Prelacy the envy and
Neuters g N. Ips causers of the plagues continuance and other judgements which as it is in his Epitome we must never looke to have removed till some of them be hanged and indeed what not that may either vent his owne or move others splene against them Neither hath he beene contented to keepe himselfe in generalls but hath shot out the poysoned shafts of his serpentine tongue against particular persons a thing hatefull and intolerable in a publicke sermon as not to speake of those of lower ranke of whom the meanest is farre above him in every kind of worth The L. Bishop of Norwich a man eminent for his learning and approved to his Sacred Majesty by his long and faithfull service upon whom hee bestowes these titles An h pag 71. usurper a bringer in of forraigne power an Innovator Oppressor Persecutor and troubler of the peace of the Church and Kingdome The L. Bishop of Chichester that mirrour of learning hee calls a i pag. 126. Tried Champion for Rome and joyning him with that thrice Venerable the L. Bishop of Ely whom in contempt hee calls Dr. White saith k pag. 121. They are men well affected to Rome when it is well knowne they have done more reall not railing service to this Church against Rome then ever Mr. Burton or any or all his faction ever did or could but I am beneath their worth thus to compare them But if ever hee shewed himselfe his crafts-master in the art of reviling lying and slandering it is against the most reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Cant. his Grace Against whom he hath with an impudent forehead framed such odious lyes endeavouring to load him with so many false and foule aspersions and using so insolently base and reproachfull termes against his person his chaire and dignity that he may seeme to use a phrase of his owne to have strained the veines of his conscience no less than of his braines in the venting and inventing p. 126. of them and perhaps hee thought he could not sufficiently raile upon an Archbishop unless hee proved himselfe an arch-railor and peereless in his faculty The particulars at least the chiefe of them I shall hereafter meete and answer and therefore I forbeare here to relate them Yet further It was wisely and truly observed by that worthy Prelate and late glory of our Church Bishop Andrewes upon this same Bishop Andrewes serm p. 95. text That they that in the end prove to be seditious marke them well they be first detractors Ever as at first it did so doth it still begin in the gain-saying in the contradiction of Corah So began he This Moses and this Aaron they take too much upon them doe more than they may by Law they would have somewhat taken from them So Absolon Here is no body to doe any justice in the land So Ieroboam Lord what a heavy yoake is this on the peoples neck Meddle not with these detractors So he And indeed what more powerfull detractive of obedience from the Soveraigne power can there bee invented than to fill the peoples heads with conceits of the Kings neglect of religion his p. 56. c. oathes and protestations to perswade them that as if unable to rule hee suffers his royall throne Appeale p. 29. to bee overtopped by others his Lawes trampled on and himselfe swayed to acts against justice p. 54. p. â—6 and religion what greater incentive what readier way to kindle the fire of sedition than to cast contempt and scorne upon those in authority under him to make them hated as contemners of law oppressors persecutors enemies of God and all goodness What lowder alarme to rebellion than the noyse of the losse of the setled religion and the imputation of the present calamities to those who under his Majesty have the government of the Church Lastly whereas the text advises men not to joyne side or meddle with those that are given to change and that under a great penalty Mr. Burton though himselfe expound it of changes in Church or State that hee might in all points run counter to his text under the colour of crying out against changes becomes a projector himselfe and a ring-leader to others and that with so great confidence and zeale that he would adventure with an haltar about his neck to the great Senate p. 110. of this land with this proposition That the Lordly Prelacy might bee changed into such a government as might better suit with Gods word and Christs sweet yoake Thus from a detractor he is become not a medler with changers that were little for so great a Captaine as hee would seeme to be but a p. 31. leader and fore-man of their company which is just as that reverend Prelate said When men by their detraction have made the present State naught no remedy but we must have a better for it and so a change needs What change A good one you may be sure from a Lordly Prelacy to Christs sweet yoke So Mr. B. But I 'le tell you his meaning in his words that understood the text better than Mr. Burton and was well acquainted with such mens intentions You shall change for a fine new Church-government A presbytery would doe much better for you than an Hierarchy And perhaps not long after a government of States than a Monarchy And then adds Whom you find thus magnifying of changes and projecting new plots for the people be sure they are in the way to sedition and if that bee not lookt to in time the next newes is the blowing of a trumpet and Shebaes proclamation Wee have no part in David It begins in Shimei and ends in Sheba And what ever faire colours he puts upon it the change he aymes at is neither so agreeable to the word of God nor Christs sweet yoake as is the present Church-government nor the Presbytery save intitle less Lordly than the Prelacy Nay there is no Prelate nor all of them together that doth or will challenge that power and dominion which is exercised in that discipline to which not the people onely but the King himselfe must be subject yea and deposed too if hee will not submit As by their practice at Geneva where it had its first beginning is most apparent Mr. Calvin himselfe relating both of his urging Epist 71. the oath which Mr. Burton and others so much startle at and cry out against and his putting one of their foure Syndicks which is the chiefe Magistracy among them out of his place till by his publick repentance he had given satisfaction to the Presbyterian Consistory But this onely by the way To our purpose By this the Reader may judge how well Mr. Burton hath suited his text with a discourse which is fraught with matter of so farre different nature as I know not how better to resemble it than to that deformed monster I mentioned out of the Poet where the body
Turpiter atrū Desinit in piscem mulier formosa superne and lower parts of an ugly fish was joyned to a faire and beautifull womans face Or like some Apothecaries boxes which bearing the inscription of a Cordiall or pretious antidote containes nothing in it but some banefull drugge or deadly poyson I confess I have knowne men of his straine to start strange doctrines from texts where a man would never have dreamed of any such matter as if their texts were but a colour serving onely to bring in their owne fancies As one that preaching upon the parable of the Prodigall Luk. 15. 15. from that where it is said Hee joyned himselfe to a Citizen of that country which hee did constrained by necessity and to avoid starving observed this doctrine That it is the duty of Christians in choosing their calling to make choyse of men eminent for religion and piety Another that in that of S. Iohn Hee is the propitiation for our Iohn 15. 15. sins and not for our sins onely but for the sins of the whole world found this That Christ did not dye for all men but onely for the elect But yet Mr. Burton passes them all in that having such a Text could in all the parts of it so directly contradict it as if he had learned of the Canonist to expound constituimus by abrogamus But I go on The pretended ground of all these clamours calumniations and contumelies against the Bishops and Hierarchy we find by him set downe p. 111. in these words According to our text we are professedly against all those usurpations and innovations which the Prelates of latter dayes have haled in by the head and shoulders being besides and against the law of the Land and much more against the Law of God And indeed the summe of all these declamatory sermons and of his libels and Epistles c. is briefly this There are divers Innovations lately brought into the Church and State and that with a strong hand and strange persecution of those that yeeld not to them by the Archbishop of Cant. and some other Bishops of dangerous consequence as tending to the subversion of the religion and government established and the bringing of us back againe to idolatry and union with the Church of Rome and therefore that the Bishops ought to bee severely punished and their orders abolished So that if it appeare that this is false in every part of it As namely that the innovations which he raves upon are injuriously so termed That they are not popish or tending to the overthrow of the religion established and reconciling us to Rome That the Bishops urging these supposed innovations have kept within the bounds of their lawfull power and not exercised any tyrannie nor persecuted Gods people or the Kings good subjects If I say these severals shall be made to appeare and this by Gods assistance I doubt not but I shall be able to do to the conviction of such as are not wilfully blinded then the iniquity of his clamors the falsehood odiousness and impudency of his calumniations will without more adoe be discovered and it will be easie to judge who they are that have troubled Israel And therefore that I may not leade my readers through the maze of his manifold tautologies nor tyre my selfe and them in the wilde and pathless thicket of his impertinencies nor take the paynes to wipe off every spot of dirt which he hath cast upon his opposites My purpose is to examine this Grand crimination and to speake of the severall supposed innovations and that according to that division and in that order that wee finde them ranked by him in that forenamed place Where he thus writes And these Innovations or changes wee may reduce to eight generall heads 1. Innovation in Doctrine 2. Innovation in Discipline 3. Innovation in the worship of God 4. Innovation in the civill government 5. Innovation in the Altering of bookes 6. Innovation in the meanes of knowledge 7. Innovation in the rule of faith 8. Innovation in the rule of Maners CHAP. V. Of the supposed Innovations in Doctrine Of King James his Order to the Vniversities for reading the Fathers done long since unjustly charged upon the present Bishops By whomsoever procured upon just grounds Not Popish but against Popery King James's other Order for preaching of Election c. justified FIrst saith he they the Prelats have laboured to bring in a change of Doctrine as appeareth by these instances 1. By procuring an Order from King James of famous memory to the Vniversities that young students should not read our Moderne learned Writers as Calvin Beza and others of the reformed Churches but the Fathers and Schoolemen This first crimination is farre fetcht being if I mistake not a thing acted above twenty yeeres agoe so that it seemes hee meanes to take him compasse enough the times present not affording him sufficient store and if hee had gone backe but twice as many more hee might have found the reading of Calvin and Beza accounted as great an Innovation as now he holds the debarring of men from reading of them and that by those that were as good Protestants as Mr. Burton and as farre from Popery But secondly being so long agoe done I cannot see how hee can lay it upon the present Prelates especially upon those whom hee most strives to make odious none of them being Bishops at that time But if they must inherit the guilt and punishment of their Predecessors faults In the third place how doth it appeare that it was the Bishops doing Marry because King Iames approved and magnified those Orthodox Authors and gave the right hand of fellowship to those reformed Churches which those Authors had planted or watered calling that the Orthodox faith which those Churches did professe and in particular did commend Calvin as the most judicious and sound expositor of Scripture And therefore it were impious to imagine that King James should doe any act in prejudice of Calvin c. Well But might not that judicious King or any man else approve the Authors in the general and yet dislike some things in them for which hee might thinke them not so fit for young students in Divinity to lay them for the foundation of their studies It is no prejudice to the best of them nor indeed to any man as being a common infirmity of humane nature to say that in some things they erred Much lesse can it wrong them to have the ancient Fathers from whose torches they lighted their candles preferred as the more worthy And it is one thing to give the right hand of fellowship to a particular Church which we willingly doe to all the reformed Churches beyond the Seas and another to like and approve every Tenet that any man in that Church shall hold or deliver I suppose Mr. Burton is not so uncharitable as to deny the Lutherane Churches the right hand of fellowship and to exclude them from being
a true Church and yet I beleeve hee would bee loath to agree with them in all opinions which they maintaine especially if hee knew for I have heard that in place where not many yeeres agoe he bewrayed his ignorance and was faine to be informed by a brother Minister then in presence that they held all those Tenets about Predestination Freewill and falling from grace which hee so much condemnes in those whom hee termes Arminians Neither can it be imagined that King Iames when hee acknowledged Calvin and therein did him but right to bee a most judicious expositour of Scripture ever intended to exempt him from errour when it is most manifest that hee did utterly condemne many opinions of his and that though he had been bred and brought up among those who received their doctrine and discipline from Calvin yet as himselfe professed in the Conference at Hampton-Court from the time that he was tenne yeeres old hee ever disliked their Confer p. 20. opinions and that though he lived among them he was not of them And therefore might without crossing his owne judgement enjoyne young students rather to looke into the Fathers and acquaint themselves with the judgement of the Ancient Church than to take up opinions upon trust of those moderne Authors who though as he after addes they were not without their Naevi or spots yet no man without betraying insufferable pride and ignorance will account their workes a dunghill or heape of mud where haply with much raking and prying a man may chance to light upon a Pearle so as they that reade them must Margaritas è caeno legere gather pearles out of the mud as Mr. Burton is pleased to speake I am sure other men as sound and judicious as himselfe every whit have held it a point of wisedome to draw water as neere as they can from the well-head rather than from lakes and cisternes And the truth is that King Iames of famous memory whether by the procurement of the Bishops or not it matters not for neither the Author nor the procurers need blush for it having taken some just distaste at some novell points delivered by some young Divines which trenched upon his Regall power and dignity and knowing from what pits that water was drawne and that those moderne Authors mentioned were ill affected to Monarchicall Government and injurious to the just right of Kings going hand in hand with the Iesuites in the principles of popularity Did in his Princely wisedome for the preventing of so great a danger as might ensue if such principles were drunk in at the first by young and injudicious Novices give charge to the Heads of the University of Cambridge I am sure and whether of Oxford too I know not that they should take order that young students should bee well seasoned at the beginning and well grounded in the principles of Our owne Catechisme and the Articles and Doctrine of our Church and that they should not ground their studies upon those men where they might with their first milke in Divinity sucke in such unsound opinions and dangerous to the State But rather that they would search into Antiquity and study the writings of the Fathers whose consentient Doctrine is without doubt the best and soundest Divinity And if Mr. Burton had taken this course in his studies hee had learned better obedience to his Superiours and beene lesse troublesome to himselfe and others This then is but a fetch and brought in onely to increase the heape of odium upon the Bishops with those Pag. 114. who judge of things not by weight or worth but by noise and number For there is no colour for that which he suggests that it should be done the more easily to make way for the accomplishing of their the Prelats plot so long a hammering for the reinducing of Popery seeing neither that which was done nor the end for which it was done have the least affinity with Popery but was intended for the opposing and preventing of that point of Popery or Jesuitisme which animates and armes the people against their Princes But further To this purpose saith he they procure Pag. 114. another order in King James his name for the inhibiting of young Ministers to preach of the Doctrines of Election and Predestination and that none but Bishops and Deanes shall handle those points And is it not great reason that those high points should bee handled with great wisedome and sobriety And who are then fitter so to handle them than the Bishops and Deanes who how contemptible soever Mr. Burton esteemes of them are presumed in reason and in the judgement of the King from whom they receive their dignities to bee the most discreet and judicious Divines Hitherto wee have no Innovation in Doctrine and much lesse any Popery For the Doctrine may bee and is still the same that it ever was from what Authors soever it is fetched and by what persons soever it be delivered So that Mr. Burton is beside the matter and hath not yet come home to the point by him proposed which was Innovations in Doctrine CHAP. VI. Of his Majesties Declaration prefixed to the Articles of Religion Mr. Burtons cunning trick to colour his rayling against his Majesties actions and the danger that may come of it All truths not necessary to be knowne or taught The Doctrine of predestination in Mr. Burtons sense best unknowne The Gospell not overthrowne but furthered by the want of it An uncomfortable Doctrine BUt leaving King Iames hee comes to our gracious Soveraigne that now is and saith After that there is set forth a Declaration before the Articles of Religion in King Charles his name And why in King Charles his name and not by him The title calls it His Majesties Declaration and the whole tenor of it runs in His Majesties style How then shall we know it was not his This is but a cunning quirk to teach the people to decline obedience to His Majesties commands If they can be perswaded that His Majesties Declarations and Proclamations which are sent out if they concerne things that crosse their fancies be none of his acts Then to what passe things in short time will grow it is easie for any man that is but halfe witted to conjecture If men may at their liberty Father the Kings acts upon the Prelates or any other whom they favour not and then rayle at them at their pleasure and reject them as none of his His Majesty will ere long be faine to stand to his subjects courtesie for obedience to his royall commands Or if men may say of such things as come out in the Kings name that they tend to the publick dishonour of God and his word to the violation and annihilation of his commandements the alteration of the Doctrine of the Church of England the destruction of the peoples soules and that they are contrary to his solemne royall protestations as Mr. B. speakes about the declaration
of our owne Church cannot but say this Doctrine hath beene ever taught and maintained among us That is Wee praise God for all those that are departed this life in the faith of Christ and pray that they may have their perfect consummation and blisse both in body and soule c. And thus farre Prayer for the dead is no Innovation and much lesse Popish For wee maintaine no Suffrages for the reliefe of soules in the fooles-fire of Purgatory which prayers and Artic. 22. place wee condemne as fond things vainly invented and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God So our Church-article speakes and in the same condemnation joines that other point of Mr. Burtons charge Invocation of Saints which Doctrine Of praying to Saints taken at the best and as the learned Papists defend it deserves that censure and as it is commonly practised by the vulgar sort among them is not foolish onely but flatly Idolatrous And therefore justly exploded and condemned by all Protestants and I dare boldly say Mr. Burton cannot produce any one of those whom hee endeavours to blemish that holds or teaches that doctrine CHAP. VIII Of the Doctrine of obedience to Superiours How taught and maintained by the Bishops Wherein it must be blind and how quick-sighted VVEE have two changes in Doctrine yet remaining First in the doctrine of obedience to Superiours Secondly in the doctrine of the Sabbath or Lords Day pag. 126. By the first hee saith Man is so set in Gods throne as all obedience to man must be absolute without regard to God and conscience I verely beleeve there is none of those he meanes that have raised obedience so high but that Mr. B. would bring it downe to as low a pegge and haply considering how prone such as he are to debase it it might not be thought ill policy to exact somewhat more than of strict right it can callenge But where or by whom is this doctrine taught Of that he saith nothing here but tells us he hath spoken of it sufficiently before And indeed wee find more than enough by him spoken about this point for speaking of the connexion of the feare of the a pag. 84. Lord and of the King and from thence rightly observing that these two ought not to be separated But that God must be so honoured as wee doe also in the second place honour our Superiours And our Superiours so honoured as that in the first place we honour God Hee b pag. 8â— comes to reproove those that separate these two the second sort of whom he makes Those that separate c pag 87 the feare of the King from the feare of the Lord by attributing to Kings such an unlimited power as if he were God Almighty himselfe So as hereby they would seeme to ascribe that omnipotency to the King which the Pope assumes and his Parasites ascribe to his Holiness And this he saith these parasites and paramours of the Kings Courts do c. All this is easily granted The doctrine there is no good Christian but will subscribe to yea and the use too and thinke those not onely worthy of reproofe but unworthy the name of Christians and to bee accounted none of Gods good subjects that shall goe about by flattery or otherwise to advance the power of the King to the prejudice of Gods supereminent soveraigntie or which when the commands of the one and the other come in opposition shall not as the Apostles choose rather to obey God than Act. 4. 12. man and as those ancient Christian Souldiers under Iulian the Apostate who as S. Augustine In Ps 124. Distinguebant dominum aeternuÌ„ a â—omino temporali tum subditi erant propter dominum aeternum notes were so subject to their temporall Lord for their eternall Lords sake as they still distinguished their eternall from their temporall Lord And though they would obey that wicked Emperor when he sent them to fight against his enemies yet when hee would have them to worship Idols or to burne Incense to them they preferred God before him and denyed their obedience And if any man shall presume to teach that which shall be contrary to this so sure and well grounded a truth hee shall thereby make himselfe the author of a doctrine impious against God and novell in the Church as by those places out of the Fathers which Mr. B. alledgeth and infinite more to the same purpose may be easily demonstrated Yet it seemes by him some have dared so much and that beside the Iesuits whom he calls the Masters of this mystery in their blinde p. 77. obedience there are gotten too many Doctors to be their Disciples and broachers of this new doctrine and againe Many false prophets are now pag. 82. abroad being possessed with the spirit of the Beast which so magnifieth the power of man and his authority in commanding that ipso facto all must yeeld obedience thereunto without further adoe And in the place formerly mentioned he makes the Bishops to be those Parasites and Court Paramors which ascribe such an unlimited power to the King But in a matter of this high nature to accuse onely is not sufficient If he can prove it as substantially as he hath boldly affirmed it let them goe for Iesuiticall Novell Doctors and Parasites and spare not Hic labor hoc opus est Here as it is wont the water sticks with him Proofes I can finde none but instead of proofes I finde conjectures and surmises of some ends which the Bishops may have to induce them to hold and teach this Doctrine Their ends he saith are 1. To keepe the K. from Parliament lest they might be brought Coram 2. By their flattery to endeare the K. unto them as the onely supporters of his Prerogative Royall thereby to protect themselves having incurred the hatred of the whole land 3. That they may borrow this abused regall Power to execute a lawless tyranny over the Kings good subjects 4. Lastly that they may trample the lawes and liberties of the subjects and in fine bring the whole State King and all under their girdle as being true to their principle That a Bishop ought not to Episcopus non debet subesse Principibus sed prae esse Decret de maj et obed Tit. 33. Innocent 3. be subject to Princes but rule over them These hee brings instead of reasons to make good this accusation and these he knowes to be sufficient to make thoses Judges I meane the people before whom he hath brought them to be tryed to passe sentence against them and pronounce them guilty Yet God be thanked the Bishops do not stand or fall by their sentence And prudent Judges if they find no greater proofes will rather judge the accuser guilty of Scandalum magnatum than upon such weake evidence to condemne the accused For all this notwithstanding it appeares not otherwise than by Mr.
Bs. words either that the Bishops have these ends or that for these ends they do teach this doctrine But it is enough There is no Parliament and that they wish hoping if some such spirits as Mr. Burtons disciples get voyces in it and can prevaile they may do somewhat for their cause and ruine the Hierarchy and that there is none it must needs be the Bishops doings who as hee perswades credulous auditors will not bee able to purge themselves to a committee of the Lower-house for Religion and then if this be granted it cannot be thought a thing unlikely for them to broach such doctrine as this which cannot but be very usefull for their purpose But M. Burton will have much adoe to prove and words must not carry it that the Bishops are not Parliament-proofe and as much that they therefore are the meanes to hinder the King from having a Parliament I would to God that men of his straine and humour and poysoned with such principles of Popularity as hee labours to instill into the people had beene no greater meanes to cause heart-burning between the King and his subjects and so to keep them from meeting in Parliament than the Bishops are It is not the Bishops but the disobedient and seditious carriage of those ill-affected persons of the house of Commons in the last Parliament who raised so much heat and distemper upon causelesse jealousies That His Procla before the Declar. for the dissolut of the Parliament Majesty to use his owne words His Regall authority and commandement were so highly contemned as his Kingly office could not beare nor any former age parallel This is the meanes that severed King and people being met and this humor still fomented by turbulent and malevolent spirits such as Mr. Burton is the true and sole cause that yet hinders their re-assembling in Parliament And if thereupon any damage have or doe ensue the blame must light upon those entrenchers not upon those whom hee falsely makes the over-enlargers of the Royall prerogative Yet necessity may make them doe much and feare of danger may make them willing by any meanes whatsoever to make the King sure that they may have shelter and though God be praised they have not justly no not incurred the hatred of the whole land yet perhaps he knowes some intended mischiefe towards them or hopes well that his Sermons and the Ipswich Libell will worke so with some bloudy Assassines that they may be brought as his brother Leighton speaks Sions plea pag. 166. to strike that Hazael the Bishops in the fift rib to strike that Basilike vein as the onely cure for the plurisie of this State However it were but a poor device for their security to flatter the King into a conceit of his boundlesse authority which beside that it would be a vaine attempt upon so wise and just a Prince and such as cannot without derogation from his Majesties wisdome and gracious disposition be once imagined as faisible would but increase the subjects hatred and in the end cause his Majesty to forsake them and justly to expose them to the fury of their malice Their best security and that which they onely rely upon is their integrity and just proceedings wherein they assure themselves the just God and King whom they serve will never forsake them or deny them protection Neither doe they need to borrow a lawlesse and abused Regall power nor can it be accounted tyranny to punish those that deny obedience to his Majesties commands which whatsoever he untruely and seditiously suggests shall be proved both to be his Majesties and beseeming his Royall justice and goodnesse As for their ayming by this meanes to bring the State and King under their girdle and to make Princes subject to the Bishops If malice had not made him as blind as Impudent he would have wanted a forehead to have vented for if they meant any such thing their way had beene to advance their owne and not the Kings power and prerogative which if they make boundlesse will be sure to hold themselves as well as others under the yoke of subjection To conclude this point then The Bishops teach no other doctrine of obedience to Superiours than hath beene ever taught in the Church of God They give the King that onely prerogative which we see hath been given alwaies to all godly Artic. of Relig. p. 37. Princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the civill sword the stubborn and evill doers This is the doctrine of our Church To this they have ex animo subscribed and to this they exact subscription of all that are under their severall Jurisdictions And this is not to give him any unlimited power they give to God and Caesar both their dues They make God the first the King the second and onely lesse than God as Tertullian speaks They make no Idol of their King nor Ad Scapulam Hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem place his throne above but immediately under Gods That 's all Under God they grant acknowledging his power to be from God and that hee ought to use his power for God and not against him and our obedience to the King not sufficient to warrant disobedience to God yet immediately and above all others in his Dominions So as They beleeve and teach that his actions are not liable to the scanning much lesse to the controule no not of his greatest subjects This The King to speak with all humble reverence cannot give c. p. 72. They doe not know They dare not practice Neither will or dare They no not with humble reverence premised tell the people that the King hath not and therefore cannot give power to others to do those things which crosse their fancies as namely to punish those that refuse to conforme to his commands and the orders of the Church which he miscalls the altering of the state of Religion and to suppresse the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel this They judge no humble reverence but outragious and desperate impudency and boldnesse Yea and that it savours of unchristian disloyalty to insinuate to the people that the King is carelesse of his reiterated solemne protestations and oathes That he is forgetfull of the law of God and regardles of the laws of the Land That he useth his power or suffers it to be used to alter the state of Religion to oppresse and suppresse the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell against both law and conscience All pag 56. pag. 73. which Mr. Burton hath done ad nauseam usque even to his readers surfet and loathing Neither will his usuall scheme help him off or excuse him to say he doth not nor will not beleeve such actions as hee is pleased so deeply and desperately to censure to be the Kings
is too heavy 2. Without warrant For 1 will no less censure serve the turne then suspension excommunication deprivation and the like I answer No especially for those that after admonition instruction and long forbearance remaine not onely refractary but adde thereto many intollerable affronts to Authority by publick invectives private whisperings and false suggestions buzzing into the people I know not what dangerous issues meere fictions of a pettish fancy to follow for these men these censures are milde enough And I dare appeale to that conscience which Mr. B. hath yet left him whether if hee did erect his new discipline and godly government pag. 110. hee would not exercise as harsh censures upon them that not onely wilfully but thus turbulently oppose the commands of those in authority and wee may easily guesse what hee would doe if hee had once the upper ground when being on the lower hee can so severely censure those that are above him with deprivation not of living but of life and turne suspension Ips News p. 6. into plaine English hanging And that the Churches where that purer discipline is in place for matters of lesse moment hath inflicted as heavy censures is better knowne than to need rehearsing But not the example of others like dealings but the proceedings themselves are the best justification For with how slow a pace did justice march to these punishments that have beene three yeeres space in the execution and yet of delinquents in that kinde how few are they that have suffered And what admonitions were spent upon them what paines in information what patience in expectation of their conformity is sufficiently knowne and remaines upon record and will justifie themselves before any indifferent Judges So that I may truely say of these proceedings as S. Austine of the Churches in his time against the Donatists that it was a most mercifull discipline that was used upon Misericordissima disciplina them And what other censures hath the Church to inflict but these except it be an admonition and if they would onely have that used and rather to bee misused upon them to no purpose they might then have just ground for their usuall practise in contemning the whole power of the Church 2 But what warrant have they There is no Canon Statute Law or precept extant that requires Div. Trag. p. ult it I grant it if he meane particularly requiring it for since at least the last setting forth of the booke there have beene no Canons or Statutes made But it were very hard if the Kings Majesty should not have power to command men to declare his pleasure in any thing and to punish such as refuse without the assistance of new Canons and Statutes for every new occasion God be thanked his owne Royall right and the Lawes and Canons already made do abundantly enable him to doe farre more than this Well perhaps hee doth not deny the Kings right or power but what power have the Bishops for their proceedings If saith he they alledge the Kings p. 57. authority as they do where shew they this authority Where do they shew it Marry where they are by duty bound to doe it to those that have authority to demand it to whom they are ready to give a just account of their proceedings but not to Mr. Burton For what authority hath hee to demand a sight of their Authority Or who made him Inquisitor generall over the Bishops to examine their actions and so imperiously to require their warrant as here he doth and in like maner in another place hath dealt with my Lord Bishop of Norwich for his proceeding in his owne Diocesse And all this hee presumes to doe meerely of himselfe without and against all Law and Canon yea and reason too hee not having the least occasion offered him as not having been so much as questioned for the things nor touched by the authority whereof hee complaines If hee had beene suspended excommunicated and deprived for not reading the Booke or for not conforming to the new Ceremonies as he calls them he could have done no more nor indeed could hee justly have done so much It belongs not to any man that is questioned for any crime or cause before any subordinate Magistrate Civill or Ecclesiastick in such manner to question their Authority if haply they think them to have no warrant for what they doe they who are questioned have the benefit of Appeale Ad praesidium innocentiae est Apellationis remedium institutum Lancellot Perusin instit jur Can. l 3. tit 17. which was instituted for the reliefe of innocency as the Canonists speake and by this meanes the Iudge à Quo shall bee compelled to transmit both his proceedings in the cause and his authority by which he so proceeded to bee scanned by the Iudge ad Quem But for the parties questioned to doe it is an unsufferable insolency and affront to Iustice And if Mr. Burton 1 Pet. 4. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alienas Curas agens S. Cypr. ad Quirin Curiosus nemo est qui non sit malevolus Plau◠now suffer for this hee cannot bee said to suffer as a Christian but as a busie body or Bishop in anothers Diocesse And certainly every man that is such is an evill member in the Common-wealth and ill-affected to the Government under which he lives for as the Comick once said well No man is a busie-body which is not malevolent But beside this the Book expresly commanding the Bishops to take order for the publication of the Book doth whatsoever Mr. Burton saith to the The book orders no such severe and wicked censures to be inflicted upon any in that behalfe No nor yet gives the Bishops any expresse order or power at all to punish any Ministers in this case p. 56. contrary sufficiently warrant them to punish such as refuse otherwise they doe but poorely discharge the trust committed to them To send it to the severall Churches and there to leave it to be read or not at the pleasure of the Minister is not to take order for the publication of it but to permit the publication of it to the discretion of every Minister which if his Majesty had onely intended hee would have imployed some inferiour persons but intending to have it done to purpose His Majesty committed it to the Bishops whose power he knew to bee sufficient to take order in that case without any new warrant or express order in the booke for the punishment of offenders against his Royall pleasure And thus much of that Book and of the first kind of supposed Innovations viz. in Doctrine CHAP. XIII Of the Innovation pretended to bee in Discipline The Courts Ecclesiasticall have continued their wanted course of Iustice St. Austines Apology for the Church against the Donatists fitly serves ours The cunning used by delinquents to make themselves pitied and justice taxed Their practises to palliate and cover their faults Mr.
scholer to preach in Yea and our Saviour himselfe whom Saint Paul would not contradict told his Disciples of such an out of season that he thought not fit to preach to his Disciples the things which they should afterwards be taught when he saith I have yet many Ioh. 16. 12. things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now It must needes therefore behoove the governors of the Church the Bishops who are the grand Pastors and Ministers of their whole Dioces if they will not bee wanting to the Cure of soules committed to their charge to see that those whom they admit to partake in their cure and charge doe rightly divide the word of truth to see 2. Tim. 2. 15. that it be not onely the word of truth but rightly divided rightly 1. in regard of the quality of it that it may be suited to the condition and capacity of those to whom it is divided putting a difference 1. Cor. 3. 1. betweene those that are carnall and those that are spirituall betweene babes and strong men in Christ between those who are unskilfull in Heb. 5. 13. the word of righteousnesse and those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discerne both good and evill 2. It must be rightly also for the time maner and measure of it 1. There is a time for all things a time to preach and a time to pray Eccle. 3. and a time for worke a time also for recreation and it is a point of wisedome to fit every worke to its best time and season and the fitnesse of the season is a great furtherance to the worke which many times by unseasonablenes becomes unprofitable and gaines contempt It is without question then best received when mens minds are freest from distraction of worldly cares or pleasures and therefore the Sundayes and Holidayes are the fittest times for Preaching and not upon Market-dayes when men must be dilemm'd betweene the word of God and their worldly affaires and when some willingly others sometimes are necessitated to preferre their body and the world before their soules and Heaven and much lesse as if a sermon were of kin to a fiddle or a bagpipe to have preaching upon every merry meeting or feasting or at a Beare-baiting at which I once heard of a sermon made which cannot be but a prophanation of Gods Name and derogation from the honour of his ordinance Secondly For the manner of it it must bee done gravely with religious reverence for the edifying of men in their holy faith and godlines not vainely or with intermixture of Fables newes or passionate declamations for such prophane and vaine bablings will encrease unto 2 Tim. 2. 16. more ungodlinesse and their words will eat as doth a Gangrene edifying to nothing but sedition and the subversion of the Church Thirdly For the measure That cannot bee rightly done that is over-done and there may be a too-much even in the best things and spirituall food as well as corporall must bee taken with respect to the digestive faculty of the eaters The too-often and over-much taking of the best and daintiest fare begets loathing and contempt whereas the moderate use procures appetite helps digestion and mantaines their due esteeme and certainly there is nothing more advantagious to piety than to uphold the Majesties of the Priestly or ministeriall offices and among the rest of Preaching which cannot but bee impaired if it be either too often or out of due measure obtruded upon men for familiarity we know breeds contempt but retirednesse is the preserver of Majesties and rarity commends pleasures and makes them more delightfull and with moderation must needs make preaching pretious and become more acceptable which if it be not it cannot profit Besides Sermons must be ordered for their measure and length that they leave roome sufficient for solemne Prayers and other Divine Offices these must not bee curtall'd to lengthen them nor vilified by meanes of any new-devised formes of praier either ushering or following them And therefore when the Bishops to whom the care and charge of these things belong shall in their wisdomes thinke fit to use their just power to order and regulate Preachers and Sermons according to these rules they doe no wrong but right to the Word of God and what in duty they are bound to doe If Lectures be unseasonable or not in places fitting if they be upheld with faction abused and made nourishers of sedition male-contented thoughts or cast contempt upon the Pastorall charge and setled ministery To suppresse such Lectures and suspend such Preachers is but just and fit and others than such as have beene guilty in these or the like kindes have not received any such censure If Sermons upon the Lords day bee produced to that length that they justle out the Prayers of the Church or be become of that esteeme as that men shrinke up all religion into hearing or that they be of that straine that the ignorant may be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth it is but reason that they both cut them shorter and provide for the due esteem of other religious duties and for the instruction of the ignorant by turning Sermons into catechising and if that be abused too and that men in stead of laying the foundation and teaching the first principles of the Oracles of God which is the true catechizing shall soare aloft and adventure upon the most high and abstruse points in Divinity and notwithstanding his Majesties Declaration to the contrary shall deliver the doctrines of Election and Reprobation and that in such wise as to make God the author of sinne and obduration in sinne which is blasphemy in the highest degree if men use to catechise after this manner as some of late have done is it not high time to reduce men to the prescribed platforme of the Church Catechisme which even in the bare questions and answers as it is there set forth cannot bee denied without extreame ignorance or impudent malice to containe the principles of Christian Religion and whatsoever is necessary to be known of those for whom it was intended for the fitting of them for the receiving of the Lords Supper Lastly if Sermon-prayers shall bee used as libels as some have used them or be exalted above the prayers of the Church as with too many they are it cannot but bee much better to tie men to the forme prescribed in the Canon which was the old use of these prayers in this Church and to shut up all in the Lords Prayer which is without all contradiction the most absolute patterne of prayer and the summe of all rightly-conceived petitions My conclusion then is that the Reverend Bishops doing these things upon these grounds and no otherwise and upon other grounds they have done nothing in this kinde are unjustly charged to take away the key of knowledge whose right use by these meanes is preserved and
charge these things upon the Bishops for clayming the same power over the inferiour Clergie and people which himselfe as a Priest hath over the people committed to him is more than wonderfull Well but for all that here is a strange piece of Poperie which hee addes uttered by the Chiefest Prelate of England in the High Commission p. 152. viz. That in matters of Divinitie wee are not tyed to the Scriptures but to the Vniversall Catholicke Church in all ages for how said hee so Master Burton affirmes shall wee know the Scriptures but by the Church But that this man hath set his faith to sale for popular breath so that his testimony is of no value I should here runne aground and miscarry in my undertakings How not tyed in matters of Divinity to the Scriptures surely His Grace did much forget himselfe and what himselfe hath both subscribed and publickly maintayned against the Romanists Or rather Master Burtons zeale hath farre over-reached in imputing so grosse an error so insulsly expressed to so learned and every way accomplisht a Divine Yet somewhat perhaps there was said which might minister occasion to malevolence thus to traduce him Perhaps if occasion were offered Hee might make the consentient testimonie of the Catholicke Church in all ages the best interpreter the best rule to follow for the setling of the understanding in the true meaning of holy Scripture Yea he might perhaps say in all matters in Divinity taking it to include Doctor Field of the Church l. 4. c. 20. matters of ceremony and other things in which consist not the substance of faith or manners necessarily required to salvation we are not tyed Perkins refor Cath. to the Scriptures It is no innovation to admit traditions which was ever granted in our Church and never denyed by any learned Protestant We baptise infants Chemnit exam Concil Trid Sess 1. 4. receive the Apostles Creed acknowledge the number names and authors of the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture that I mention not for feare of displeasing Master B. the observation of the Lords day all which besides a number of rites ceremonies and observations whereof we have neither irrefragable precept nor example in the Scriptures onely wee doe not admit any traditions contrary to the Scriptures nor doe wee as the Councell of Trent receive them with the same reverence and pious affection or advance them to an equality of authority with Scriptures but as subservient unto them Further though Master B. startle at it it is no innovation neither to make the Churches testimonie to bee the meanes of our knowledge the Scripture to bee the Scripture which is no more than our Articles allow calling Artic. 20. the Church a witnesse and a keeper of holy writ I wish Master B. would have given us his answer to the question and have told us how hee came to know the Scriptures seeing he will not seeme to bee beholding to the Church for that peece of learning surely hee had it by revelation or received that booke as Saint Iohn did from the hand of some Angel for I will not bee perswaded hee brought that knowledge into the world with him Revel 10. 9. But whatsoever hee shall perswade himselfe and others it is an undoubted truth that we come to know the Scriptures by the Testimony of the Church and that secluding that wee cannot ordinarily bee perswaded that they are the word of God But withall we must know that it is one thing to suspend the authority of the Scriptures upon the Church and to make the Churches testimonie the foundation of our beliefe of those things which are conteyned in the Scripture and another to make the Churches proposall and testimony a necessary meanes and condition without which ordinarily men cannot know them to be those divine oracles whereon our faith is to be builded And because Master B. may thinke the better of this tenet if it be delivered by others he shall heare the same from the late learned Deane of Glocester whom I know he will not count any D. Field Appendix l. 2. sect 8 Popish Innovator who answering a Popish Treatisor that would needs fasten a Popish absurd doctrine upon this assertion writes thus If Protestants receive the number names of the Authors and integrity of the parts of bookes divine and Canonicall as delivered by Tradition as I say they doe and if without tradition we cannot know such divine bookes he The Popish Treatisor thinketh it consequent that tradition is the ground of our faith But indeed there is no such consequence as he imagineth For it is one thing to require the Tradition of the Church as a necessary meanes whereby the Scriptures may be delivered unto us and made knowne and another to make the same Tradition the ground of our faith c. Thus that judicious Doctor with much more to that purpose evidently proveth his assertion Briefely the authority of the holy Scriptures depends onely upon the author God himselfe the Church receiving them as delivered by God and so approving publishing preaching interpreting and discerning them from other writings doth not adde any thing to the authority of them which by her meanes beeing made knowne of themselves they are able to perswade and to yeeld sufficient satisfaction to all men of their divine truth And this authority thus made knowne is that into which as into their highest and utmost cause and end our faith and obedience is resolved And this may serve for answere to this false and groundlesse crimination CHAP. XIX Of the jurisdiction of Bishops how farre of Divine right given by Christ to his Apostles and from them derived by succession The power given to the Apostles divided into severall orders What power Ecclesiasticall belongs to the King and the intent of the Statutes which annex all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to the Crowne Of Master Burtons Quotation of the Iesuites Direction to be observed by N. N. Master B. and the Iesuite confederates in detraction and ignorance BVt there are two things here which I am unwilling to passe over The first is that here he saith that the words which he ascribes to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury were by him spoken at the censure of Doctor Bastwick for oppugning the jurisdiction of Bishops Iure Divino as being no where found in the Scripture c. This is one thing which though here brought in upon the by I cannot passe because I finde him else where much harping upon the same string Hee will not have the Bishops derive their succession from the Apostles cryes out upon Dr. Pocklington for delivering pag. 41. Ips Newes pag. 4. Appeal p. 7. 1. that doctrine affirmes their authority and jurisdiction to be onely from the King that not to derive it thence is against the law of the Land and I know not what danger besides and that Doctor Bastwick is imprisoned for defending his Majesties Ips N. p. vult See pag. 67
no where doth to the Priests or Deacons but more clearely by the ancient Canons and writings of the Fathers in the primitive B. Andrewes Resp ad Epist Moâ—inaei 1. 3. Tortur Terti p. 151. Church That which results from all this is That to affirme the Episcopall order or authority as it is meerely spirituall to bee received not from the King but from God and Christ and derived by continuall succession from the Apostles is no false or arrogant assertion nor prejudicall to the Kings prerogative royall and so not dangerous to those that shall so affirme or that challenge and exercise their jurisdiction in that name For the further demonstration hereof I will also briefly set downe what power in causes Ecclesiasticall is due and challenged by the King and other Soveraigne Civill Magistrates what Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction is annexed to the Crowne of this Realme which the Bishops must acknowledg thence to be received and exercised in that right My first conclusion shall be in the words of Conclu 1 our thirty seventh Article where the power of Artic. 37. Kings in causes Ecclesiasticall is described to bee only That they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Civill Sword the stubborne and evill doers other authority than this as Queene Elizabeth in her Injunctions His Majesty neither doth ne ever will Qu. Eliz. Injunct challenge nor indeed is due to the Imperiall Crowne either of this or any other Realme Where I observe two things wherein the Soveraigne authority of Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall doth consist First in ruling Ecclesiasticall persons under which are comprised 1 their power to command and provide that spirituall persons do rightly and duly execute the spirituall duties belonging to their functions 2 to make and ordaine Lawes to that end and for the advancement and establishing of piety and true Religion and the due and decent performance of Divine worship and for the hinderance and extirpation of all things contrary thereunto Secondly in punishing them as well as others when they offend with the Civill Sword Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall persons being offenders are not exempt from the coercive power of the King but that he may punish them as well as others but it is with the Gladium spiritualem stringere est Episcoporum non Regum quan quam hic licet Episcoporum manu piorum tamen Regum sancto monitu et evaginari in vaginam recondi solet Mason de Minist Ang. l. 4. c. 1. Civill Sword as that only which he beareth not with the Ecclesiasticall or by the sentence of Excommunication It belongs to Bishops and not to Kings to draw the Spirituall Sword yet that is also wont to be unsheathed and sheathed at the godly command and motion of religious Kings And they may as pious Princes use second yea and prevent the spirituall Sword and with the Civill as namely with bodily and pecuniary punishment compell his subjects as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall to the performance of the duties of both Tables My second conclusion or as I may rather Conclu 2 terme it my inference upon the former is That the Bishops having any civill power annexed to their places and exercising the same either in judging any civill causes or inflicting temporall punishments whether bodily or pecuniary have and use that power wholly from the King and by his grace and favour in his right That the Episcopall jurisdiction even as it is Conclu 3 truly Episcopall and meerely spirituall though in it selfe it be received only from God yet in asmuch it is exercised in his Majesties Dominions and upon his subjects by his Majesties consent command and royall Protection according to the Canons and Statutes confirmed by his Authority nothing hinders but that thus-farre all Ecclesiasticall Authority and jurisdiction may bee truly said to be annexed to the Crowne and derived from thence And this onely is the intent of those Statutes which annex the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to the Crowne Which notwithstanding it may truly bee affirmed that the Bishops have their function and jurisdiction for the substance of it as it is meerely spirituall and so properly Ecclesiasticall by Divine right and only from Christ and that it is derived by a continuall and uninterrupted succession from the Apostles But if Master Burton conceive that the Bishops affirme that they have power to exercise this their spirituall jurisdiction within His Majesties Dominions and over His Subjects of themselves and without licence and authoritie from His Majestie Or that their temporalities their revenewes their Dignities to bee Barons of the Parliament c. or the authority that they have and use either to judge in Causes temporall or to inflict temporall punishments belong to them by Divine right or otherwise than by the favour of his Majesty and his predecessors hee makes them as absurdly ignorant and presumptuous as himselfe The other thing which I cannot let passe is that which he here cites out of the Iesuites pamphlet intituled A direction to be observed by N. N. c. wherein the Iesuit it seemes applauds the present state of our Church as comming on towards Vnion with Rome The temper and moderation of the Arch Bishop and some other learned prelates and the allowance of some things in these dayes which in former times were counted superstitious as the names of Priests and altars and the acknowledging the visible beeing of the Protestant Church for many ages to have beene in the Church of Rome c. My purpose is not here to enter the lists with the Iesuite who I doubt not ere long will bee more sufficiently answered than I have either leisure or ability to doe All that I shall say for the present is First that Master B. is willing it seemes to take dirt from any Dunghill to cast in the face of his Mother the Church of England and that though hee professe such mortall hate to Rome that the last affinity with her though many times but imaginary makes him breake forth into strange expressions of his abomination Yet hee can bee content to joyne hands with the worst of the Romanists the Iesuites and use their aide to slander and make odious the Church in which hee was bred But it is no Innovation this it hath beene a long practise of the Faction whereof he is now ambitious to become a captaine both to joyne with them in their principles and to make use of their weapons to fight against the Church wherein they live Secondly It is manifest from hence that the Iesuite and he are confederates in detraction and ignorance of the Doctrine of our Church which both of them judge of not by the authorised Doctrine publikely subscribed or the regular steps of those that have continued in the use of her ancient and laudable customes rites and ceremonies but by their owne humours and uncertaine reports of some
should be interpreted a confession of guilt and inability to wipe off such desperate and malicious slanders And herein I have for my warrant the authority of the same Father who having upon the grounds before mentioned long held his peace and with patience overcome the rage of his adversaries at length hee thus breaks forth Seeing thou Demetrianus Sed enim cum dicas plurimos conqueri quod bella crebriùs surgant quod lues quod fames saeviont quodque imbres pluvias serena longa suspendant nobis imputari tacere ultranon oportet ne jam non verecundiae sed diffidentiae esse incipiat quod tacemus dum criminationes falsas contemnimus refutare videamur crimen agnoscere Respondeo igitur c. Cypr. loc suprà citat saist many complaine that it is to be imputed to us Christians that warres so often rise that plague and famine doe rage and that wee have such long droughts We must no longer be silent lest now it bee not modesty but diffidence that we hold our peace and while we scorne to refute your criminations we should seeme to acknowledge the crime Upon these considerations and in imitation of that holy Father and Martyr I have set upon this worke in a calme and compendious way to endeavour the stopping of the mouth of detraction and to shew the groundlesnesse and vanity of those suspicious jealousies and clamors which of late have beene raysed in many parts of this Kingdome and which Mr. B. having first vented in the Pulpit did after send abroad gathered into one bundle in his book intituled An Apology of an Appeale c. And though I know it to be most true that among the ruder sort and common people the lowdest cry takes the most eares and that audacious errours and bold calumnies finde more free entertainment and welcome with light and weak judgments than peaceable and modest truth And that there seeme so great an indisposition and disaffection in the minds and hearts of some in these dayes either to the present Authority or to the things by it either commended or enjoyned that important truths and wholesome orders becomming once countenanced or pressed by authority in stead of credit and obedience receive nothing but clamor and detraction and that such as according but as duty bindeth them doe undertake to plead in their just cause or speake in their defence shall from many in stead of thankes gaine nothing but odious and opprobrious names and contumelies Yet withall I know and am perswaded that the iniquity of the times is not such but that truth and a good cause may yet finde equall judges who following the precept of our blessed Saviour Iudge not according to appearance Iohn 7. 14. but judge righteous judgment not taking their information of a cause from the cry of the crowde or rumor of the people which for the most part conveighs not the truth of the cause but the affections of the reporters but from right and solid grounds weighing things in the ballance not of profit or particular interest but of sound reason and abstracting the cause from the parties and from malevolent aspersions wherewith truth many times is obscured and defaced doe imbrace truth in the love of it And others there are no doubt who though led away for the present with the example of the multiutde and ensnared by the opinion they have unwarily drunk in of the worth of the broachers of error yet will notwithstanding be patient of better information and upon due consideration be ready to expresse their love to truth and peace To these sorts of men principally I addresse my selfe in this discourse whom I shall desire not to expect that verbosity much lesse that virulency opprobrious language which Mr. B. useth I leave that contention and victory to base mindes and shall study rather what is fit for me to speake than what he and such as he deserve to heare Neither doe I reckon upon their censure who judge of bookes not by the weight but by the words For as S. Austine saith well what is more talkative than vanity which yet cannot therefore Quid loquacius vanitate Quae non ideo potest quod veritas quia si voluerit etiam plus potest clamare quam veritas Sed considerent omnia diligenter et si forte sine studio partium judicantes talia essè perspexerint quae potius exagitari quâ—m convelli possint garrulitate impudent issima et quasi satyrica velmimica levitate cohibeant suas nugas et potius â— prudentibus emendari quam laudari ab imprudentibus eligant Aug. de civ l. 5. c. 27. doe that which truth can because it can cry lowder And I would to God that Mr. B. and if there bee any other of his minde and temper would as the same Father addes in that place consider all things diligently and if haply judging without partiality they shall perceive the things against which they have rayled such bitter invectives by their impudent pratings and Satyre-like or mimical lightnesse to be such as may rather be exagitated than confuted they would represse their scandalous trifles and choose rather to be rectified by the judicious than to be applauded by the unskilfull As for those who are the abettors and applauders of those contumelies and criminations cast upon the government and governors of the Church and State and so fautors and propagators of the suspitions and discontents received against them whether they bee in the same gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity or only seduced by their leaders I shall only desire one boone from them namely that they would cease to have mens persons in admiration for profit sake or any other by-respect and endure with patience the examination of their complaints by the word of God and sound reason the only infallible rules of sound judgement That they would not as they are wont think those whom their popular breath hath swollen great to be the only oracles of truth and patrons of religion and godlinesse and in comparison of them contemne and vilifie all others even those of highest eminency and authority in the Church and State and reject whatsoever though never so reasonable shall proceed from them as if their doctrine were deadly and their persons Anathema Maranatha This request if they shall grant me I doubt not but the unnaturall heat of their distemper will in some measure be abated and they brought to entertaine a more reverent and dutifull esteeme of their superiours and begin to study to maintaine the peace of the Church which the proposterous zeale of boisterous spirits hath of late so much disturbed CHAP. II. A short Relation or Description of Mr. H. Burton his course and manner of life Of the occasion of his discontent his dismission from the Court The ground of his dislike and hatred against the Bishops and betaking himselfe to the People The course hee hath since taken in his