follow that not only nominally but also really and essentially there may be Bishop Quâ—â—dams without Bishopricks and that they have not their authority granted them only from the King but from Christ or some other power But I had thought that his Majesty had been yielded by Episcopalians to be supreme Pastor or Head-shepherd under Christ over the Church within his Dominions and might as well as Bishops seeing they are but his Curates or Commissioners to see that all Ecclesiastical matters be ordered according to the will of Christ revealed in his Word commit as much as in him lyeth not only the power of Ordination but the care of part of the flock committed to him to ordained Ministers that is ordained Presbyters by other ordained preaching Presbyters and institute them Pastors of that little part of his great flock but it seems the Bishops will be chief under Christ here as the Pope of Rome would be of all the World but indeed neither he nor they as such are of Christs institution but only of mans as might be proved by the Bishops acknowledgment in King Henry the Eighth his time to be seen in the Bishops Book in Fox his Acts and Monuments p. 1037. in one Volume But to go on against what points of Popery do they preach Papists themselves 't is well known write very zealously and learnedly against some points of Popery as do the Dominicans against the Franciscans and Jesuits yea even in some of those points of Popery wherein some long-named men agree-with them I find learned Dr. Abbot * afterwards made Bishop by learned King James in a Dr. Heylin in his Cypâ— Anglic l. 1. p. â—â— Sermon before the Vniversity of Oxford preached at 〈◊〉 Peters upon Easter-day 1615 saying thus Some are partly †He aimed at Laud as Heylin saith in his Cypr. Anglic. l. 1. p. 66 67. Romish and partly English as occasion serveth them that a man may say unto them noster â—s an adversariorum who under pretence of truth and preaching against the Puritans strike at the heart and root of faith and Religion now established among us This preaching against the Puritans was but the practise of Parsons and Campians counsel when they came into England to seduce young Students when many of them were afraid to lose their places if they should professedly be thus the counsel they then gave them was That they should speak freely against the * Those that do so now do the Jesuâ—â— anâ— the Devils work Puritans and that should suffice and they cannot pretend that they are accounted Papists because they speak against the Puritans but because they are Papists indeed they speak against them if they do at any time speak against the Papists they do but beat a â—â—ttâ—e about the bush and that softly too for fear of troubling or disquieting the birds which are in it They speak of nothing but that of which one Papist will speak against another as against Equivocation the Popes * As Bishop Buckridg A. B. Laud's Tutor did Heylin's Cypr. Angl. l. 1. p. 48. Temporal Authority and the like and perhaps against some of their blasphemous speeches but in the point of Free-will Justification Conoupiscence being sin after Baptism inherent righteousness certainty of Salvation the Papists beyond the Seas can say they are wholly theirs and the Recusants at home make their * As they did of Dr. Cozens and some others as 't is said in the Epistle to Mr. Prin's Quench-coal p. 40. brags of them and in all things they keep themselves so near the brink that upon all occasions they may step over to them Now for this speech that the Presbyterians †Which was Laud ' s in his Sermon at St. Maries preached about seven weeks before as Heylin â—stews ubi supra are as bad as the Papists there is a sting in the speech which I wish had been left out for there are many Churches beyond the Seas which contend for the Religion established amongst us and yet have approved and admitted the Presbytery And after which saith Heylin having spoken something in justification of Presbyteries he proceeded thus Might not Christ say what art thou Romish or English Papist or Protestant or what art thou a Mungrel or compound of both a Protestant by Ordination a Papist in point of Free-will inherent righteousness and the like A Protestant in receiving the Sacrament a Papist in the Doctrine of the Sacrament What do ye think there are two Heavens if there be get you to the other place your selves there for into this where I am ye shall not come The Learned and Loyal Lord Faulkland who lost his life in his late Majesties service at Newberry made a speech in the beginning of the old long Parliament much to the same purpose p. 3. Mr. Speaker He is a great stranger in our Israel who knows not that this Kingdom hath long laboured under many and great oppressions both in Religion and liberty and his acquaintance here is not great or his ingenuity less who doth not both know and acknowledg that a great if not the principal cause of both these hath been some Bishops and their adherents Master Speaker a little search will serve to find them to have been the destruction of unity under the pretence of Uniformity to have brought in superstition and scandal under the titles of reverence and decency to have defiled our Church by adorning our Churches to have flackned the strictness of that union which was formerly between us and those of our Religion beyond the Sea an action as unpolitick as ungodly And Pag. 7. of the same speech he saith further thus As Sir Thomas Moor says of the Casuists their business was not to keep men from sinning but to inform them Quam prope ad peccatum siâ—e peccâ—to liceat accedere so it seemed their work was to try how much of a Papist might be brought in without Popery and to destroy as much as they could of the Gospel without bringing themselves into danger of being destroyed by the Law Mr. Speaker to go yet further some of them have so industriously laboured to * As Dr. Pocklington doâ—â— in his Altare Christianum pag. 50. deduce themselves from Rome that they have given great suspicion that in gratitude they desire to return thither or at least to †Vide Heylins Cyp. Anglicus meet it half way some have evidently laboured to bring in an English though not a Romish Popery I mean not the outside only and drâ—ss of it but equally absolute a blind * Vide Kellets Tricennium p. 330. Supplement to Laudensium Autocatacrisis p. 65. dependence of the people upon the Clergy and of the Clergy upon themselves and have opposed a Papacy beyond the Sea that they might settle one beyond the water Nay common fame is more than ordinarily false if none of them have found a way to reconcile the opinions of Rome to the preferments
unnecessary thing that Idolaters do in Exod. 23. 24. Levit. 18. 13. Levit. 19. 27 28. Deut. 12. 30 31 32. Deut. 14. 1 2. and this reason given them for it For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that are upon the earth And are we not commanded to come out of Babylon the Church of Rome that we partake not of her sins and receive not of her plagues Revel 18. 4. Are we not as dear children to follow Christâ—â— Mat. 16. 24. Ephes 5. 1. And are not his modes of Worship better and freer from scandal suspicion and appearance of evil than Antichrists If not let 's speak out plainly in words at length and not in figures But they preach much against Popery Well blessed be God for it I am glad with St. Paul that Christ is preached though it should be out of envy and strife and contention supposing to add affliction to his bonds I am glad that Popery is preached down in sincerity and hatred thereof or only in design pretence or on purpose to add affliction to Nonconformists bonds which is verily suspected For when his Gracious Majesty declared liberty for Nonconformists before this last time 't is well known that a man of the long Name was up at Oxford with Non fuit sic ab initio and others elsewhere and now presently after his Majesties last Declaration with Licenses was not the Kingdom filled with their sound of Popery Popery Popery as if to license sound Protestant Divines to preach who are most against Popery were to tollerate Popery Papists had the same liberty before it that they had after it but not a word of complaint against Popery before Nonconforming Protestants to â—eremoâ—ieâ— â— had liberty granted to preach the Truth and worship God without their ceremonies and rites not one new Law made nor one old one executed against Papists and Popery these twelve or thirteen years last past but new Laws made and old ones never intended against Nonconformists and the pure Worship of God their Religious meetings made rioters and riotous and men yea the vilest of men hired to inform against them for doing good and Justices of the Peace severely censured for not punishing Gods people for serving of him as he hath commanded them That 't is strongly suspected that Presbytery and purity and verity hatâ— been more hated and feared than Popery and that the Pope and his power is more feared than real and most Antichristian Popery But however and by whomsoever Popery is preached down I rejoyce yea and I will rejoyce But who are the men that preach it down what parts of Popery do they preach down how many dignified Clergy-men do preach it down Are there not more aspiring men do preach and print much of it up and those promoted and many deserving men that preach it down neglected if not discountenanced was not Dr. Cozens twice indicted and the Indictmens found and complained of in Parliament for uttering these words That the King was no more supreme Head of the Church of Vide Articles against him and the Parliaments Censure of him England than the boy that rubs his Horse-heels And 't is said he got off by flying of which necessity he hath since made a virtue and gotten to be Bishop of Durham Was there not a Book called Dr. Cozens his Devotions in which Mr. Prin saith There were twenty Popish Errors printed and that the Reformers Prin ' s Quench-coal Epist to King Charl. 1. p. 10. of our Church took away all Religion and the whole service of God when they took away the Mass Hath not another written a Book for the observation of Holy Lent as a * See Bishop Sparrow's Rationale p. 143 144 145. 5 Eliz. c. 5. vide Rastal Titleship p. 378. Religious Faest contrary 't is said to the intent if not to the express words of the Law Let any judicious and impartial man read Bishop Sparrow's Rationale upon the Common-prayer Book and judg what Popery he writes against therein P. 273. he saith 'T is the duty of people to receive the Sacrament kneeling for it is a sin not to adore when we receive this Sacrament And p. 391. he saith It is a dangerous deceit to say that creatures may be adored and is contrary to Exod. 20. 5. Thou shalt not bow down to them Them as Rogers calls the Sacraof the Lords-Supper an * Thomas Rogers upon Article 31 saith that 't is a Fable to say that the Mass is a Sacrifice The Sacrament is not a Sacrifice but only a Commemoration of that Sacrifice offered on the Cross Art 31. unbloody Sacrifice a Commemorative Sacrifice of the Death of Christ And p. 395 396 he saith That this Sacrament should be received fasting though Christ instituted it immediately after Supper for which he gives this reason It is for the honour of so high a Saerament that the precious †Is this for or against Transubstantiation body of Christ should first enter into the Christians mouth before any other meat And p. 89. he saith That by Curates here i. e. In the prayer for Bishops and Curates are not meant Stipendiaries as now it 's used to signifie but all those Parsons or Vicars to whom the Bishop who is the chief Pastor under Christ hath committed So Dr. Heylin speaks in his Introduction to his Cyprianus Anglicus p. 9. s. 10. the Cure of Souls of some part of his Flock and so are the Bishops Curates The Bishop with these Curates a flock or congregation committed to their charge make up a Church By which words I humbly conceive the * To hold Bishops Jure Divino and especially essential to the being of a Church as A. B. Laud did Cypr. Anglic. p. Divine right of Diocaesan Episcopacy is asserted and thereby the Kings Supremacy impreached for if the Bishops be the chief Pastors under Christ Adam Contzen 1. 2. Pol. c. 18. Rastal Title-crown p. 17. Sir Edward Cooks de jure Regis Ecclesiast fol. 8. Dr. Heylin saith that there are 26 Cathedral Churches or Episcopal Sees in England Cypr. Anglic. l. 4. p. 291. and the A B. of Canterbury is accounted Primate and Metropolitan of all England Heylin Cypr. Anglic. l. 4. p. 249. to whom the Cure of Souls is by Christ committed the King cannot place and displace them as he pleaseth and grant their authority for so long or so little while as he pleaseth as the Law and Law-givers say he may And this will follow that the right Reverend Father in God the Lord Primate of all England is the Head-pastor and the other 25 Reverend Bishops the A. B. of York being in respect of him but as one of the other are the chief Pastors and all the rest of the Ministers of the Church of England are but their Curates And then also it will
imputed to believers for Justification but that Mediatory righteousness of Christ whereby he suffered for our breach of Gods most righteous Law which deserves Gods curse Gal. 3. 13. and actively fulfilled the whole Moral Law of God for us which we were bound to do Levit. 18. 5. Gal. 3. 13. Gal. 4. 4 5. Mat. 3. 15. If a Creditor cast his debtor into prison for non-payment of such a sum of money as he owed him till he be payed the money or otherwise satisfied for his debt upon his sureties or friends coming to him and paying him all the money and he taking accepting and allowing of it as full and perfect satisfaction to him for the debt doth impute it or reckon it or put it upon his account and consequently to him as though it were paid and made by his debtor in person himself and doth therefore in manifestation thereof deliver up his bond or cross his Book and release him out of prison So 't is here Gods accepting taking and allowing of our Saviour Jesus Christs our sureties active and passive obedience for us as though actually and personally performed by us as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice and thereupon we applying it by Faith pardoning our sins delivering of us from the curse of the Law formally punishments and eternal death doth thereby impute his obedience or righteousness to us that by Faith in Christ do make application of it to our selves Now the Minor is the express Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland Homily for Salvation p. 13 14 15 16 17. And this Justification or righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits imbraced by faith is taken * Mr. Fowler himself makes Justification and acceptance with God all one Free Disc p. 134. accepted and allowed by God for our full and perfect justification And again Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 175. Neither was it possible for us to be loosed of this debt of our own ability it pleased him that is Christ our Surety to be the payer thereof and to discharge us quit his paying our debt meritoriously discharging us quit necessarily implys that God did accept of the merits of his death and doings for us And Ibi. p. 177. Christ was obedient to his Father even to the death and this he did for us all that believe in him And such favour did he purchase for us of his heavenly Father by his death that for the merit thereof if we be true Christians indeed and not in word only we be now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sins those expressions that Christ did purchase for us Gods favour and clearly discharged us from our sins manifest it to all the world that God did accept and take and allow as full satisfaction of what Christ did for us Again Ibi. p. 187 188. Christ by his own oblation and once offering himself upon the Cross hath taken away our sins and restored us again into Gods favour so fully and perfectly that no other sacrifice for sin shall hereafter be requisite or needful in all the world And in the 34th Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland they say thus We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jâ—sus Christ applied by Faith and not for our own works or merits And this righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits imbraced by Faith is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full Justification And in 35th Article they say thus And whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransome it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite mercy without any desert of ours to provide for us the most precious merits of his own Son whereby our ransome might be fully paid the Law fulfilled and his Justice fully satisfied So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly believe in him He for them paid their ransome by his death he for them fulfilled the Law in his life that now in him and by him every true Christian may be called a fulfiller of the Law for as much as that which our infirmity was not able to effect Christs justice hath performed And this Doctrine viz. that Christ hath for us made a full and perfect satisfaction to Gods Justice is the express Doctrine of the Church of England in her Order of the Communion which saith there That Jesus Christ did suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and that he made there by his own oblation of himself once offered 〈◊〉 full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And Homâ—ly of Christs Nativity T. 2. p. 169. Christ made perfect satisfaction by his death for the sins of all people And that God doth take accept and allow it as full and perfect satisfaction for the sins of all his elect people is most evident by the holy Apostles Creed which the Church of England also believeth as well as by the holy Doctrine of the Canonical Scriptures which hold that Jesus Christ did not only die and was buried and was for a time held under the power of death and the grave which was as his imprisonment but that he was raised again for our Justification which declared that God was fully satisfied with what he had done and suffered else he would not have let him out of Prison Rom. 4. 25. And that he ascended up into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God and that from thence he shall come to iudg both quick and dead Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 1. 3. And God hath declared that in him he is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. Mat. 17. 5. And that we are compleat in him Col. 2. 18. And that we are justified in and by him Rom. 3. 24. And that we have peace with God through him Rom. 5. 1 2. And that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And that he saves his people from their sins to the uttermost Mat. 1. 21. Heb. 5. 25. Of which you may see much more hereafter in the 13th particular concerning Purgatory To pass by many more arguments 4 Sacred Scripture doth evidently hold it forth unto all that will not wilfully shut their eyes or that are not judicially blinded 1. Jer. 23. 6. This is the name whereby Christ shall be called that is by all Gods people the Lord our righteousness * See Bishop Andrews his Sermon in locum All Gods people shall profess that they have their righteousness from Christ which is in effect the same with Isa 45. 25. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory All the spiritual seed of Israel that is all Gods Elect shall be justified that is shall obtain remission of their sins and right to everlasting life by virtue of the Son
So Dr. Potter in his Charity mistaken p 62. and Dr. Mountague Antig. p. 14. Gag p. 50. To whom I answer 1. That the contrary is hereby evident and well known 2. That though Papists profess the Apostles or Nicene Creeds yet by their erroneous Doctrines they overthrow them as Mr. Thompson in his Arraignment of Antichrist plainly shews the Papists do ART VII That men unregenerate or in tâ—â— state of nature have by theâ—â— Deum offerre gratiam omnibus singulis istam sufficientem reddi efficacem vel inefficacem per voluntatem noluntatem hominis in cujus potestate est illam vel acceptare vel respuere is the false Doctrine of Papists N. B. Totus Pelagianismus huic sententiae includitur saith Maccovius 〈◊〉 Pontif. c. 18. p. 39. Bel. de lib. art c. 3. own free-will power sufficient 〈◊〉 themselves to turn themselves 〈◊〉 God to believe repent and 〈◊〉 good works acceptable to God whâ—â— they will and also finally 〈◊〉 resist the efficacious grace of God in converting an elected sinner to himself THis Position I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrâ—â— of the Church of England Article the 10th The condition 〈◊〉 man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare hâ—â—self by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upâ—â— God Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that 〈◊〉 may have a good will and working with us when we have that good 〈◊〉 And Homily of the misery of man part 2. p. 11 12. We have 〈◊〉 goodness help or salvation of our selves but contrariwise sin damnation and deâ—â— Yet Dr. Patrick saith thus All the actions of nature you will grant to be easie for they flow from us with ease and facility Now there is nothing plainer than that the ways of temperance charity and trust in God and such like wherein we are to walk are most conformable to the right frame and constitution of your soul You will move consonantly to your own principles which God hath naturally endued you withall you will but follow the inclination of rational nature and that in its highest improvement Par Pilg. p. 252. What Bishop Jer. Taylor held in favour of that Popish Doctrine see his explanation of Original sin p. 467. What Dr. Heyliâ—â— held see his Introd to his Cyp. Angl p. 36. Sec. 37. p. 33. Sec. 35. everlasting We have in our selves as of our selves nothing whereby we may be delivered from this miserable captivity 〈◊〉 which we have cast our selves We are not of our selves able to think a good thought or work a good deed so that in our selves we can find no hope of Salvation but rather what maketh unto destruction And Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. p. 217. Whatsoever is good proceedeth from God as from the principal fountain and only author And p. 220. it saith what I alledged in the former Article renounced And Part third of the same Homily p. 228. Faith is the first entry of a Christian life without which no man can please God Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. Charity wherewith we love our brethren is the work of God If after our own fall we repent it is by him that we repent who reacheth forth his merciful hand to raise us up it is he that preventeth our will and disposeth â—s thereunto If after contrition we feel our consciences at peace with God through remission of our sins and so be reconciled to his favour and hope to be his children and inheritors of everlasting life who worketh these great miracles in us our worthiness our deservings and endeavours our wits and vertue nay verily St. Paul will not suffer flesh and clay in such arrogancy and therefore saith all is of God which hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ And there p. 229. 't is said That without the secret inspiration of the Spirit we cannot once so much as speak the name of our Mediator as St. Paul plainly testifieth No man can once name our Lord Jesus Christ but in the Holy Ghost much less should we be able to believe and know these great mysteries that be opened to us by Christ St. Paul saith that no man can know what is of God but by the Spirit of God As for us saith he we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God for this purpose that in his holy Spirit we might know things that be given us by Christ And Homily of Repentance T. 2. p. 263. This must be verified of all men Without me ye can do nothing Joh 15. And again Yet Dr. Patrick saith thus I am forced to love God by such a strong inclination as hath no cause but nature Par Pilgrim p. 468. of our selves we are not able so much as to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. And again in another place God worketh in us both the will and the deed And for this cause although Jeremy had said before If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterward be saith Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Jer. 4. 1. Jer. 31. 18. And a little before in the same Homily 't is said That we must beware that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or believe that we are able to repent aright or turn effectually unto the Lord by our own might and strength And the second Collect for Evening-prayer O God from whom all holy desires all 〈◊〉 counsels anâ— all â—ust works do proceed And Collect for second Sâ—â—day in Lent Almighty God which dost see that we have no power 〈◊〉 our selves to help our selves Collect for 19th Sunday after Triniâ—â— and Collect for Easter-day and Exhortation before Baptism 〈◊〉 he will grant to these children that thing which by nature they caâ—â— have And question after the Commandments in the Church 〈◊〉 techism That thou art not able to do these things of thy self And Veâ—â—cles said after the Lords Prayer O Lord open thou our lips and 〈◊〉 mouth shall shew forth thy praise Which implies that unless God do opâ—â— our mouths we cannot shew forth his praise 2. Because 't is contrary to Sacred Canonical Scripture Rom. 8. 7 〈◊〉 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law 〈◊〉 God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot pleâ—â— God 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of 〈◊〉 Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he 〈◊〉 them because they are spiritually discerned He wants the Spirit of Gâ—â— to discern them savingly Mat. 16. 16 17. Simon Peter answered 〈◊〉 said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered 〈◊〉 said unto him blessed art thou Simon
Barjona for flesh and blood hath 〈◊〉 revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven 2 Cor. 3. 5 〈◊〉 that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 〈◊〉 our sufficiency is of God Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing 〈◊〉 Christ Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to 〈◊〉 his good pleasure Ephes 2. 8. For by grace ye are saved through faâ—â—â— and that grace or that faith is not of your selves It is the gift of 〈◊〉 And so is repentance the gift of God Act. 5. 31. Act. 11. 18. 2 〈◊〉 2. 25. If God will give them repentanceâ— to the acknowledgement of 〈◊〉 truth 3. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Protestant Churches As 1. To the eighth Article of Lambeth which as you hearâ— before was declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England The eighth Article of Lambeth is this No man can come to Christ unlesâ—â— it be given to him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men 〈◊〉 drawn by the Father that they come to the Son 2. To the 32 Article of Religion of Ireland None can come 〈◊〉 Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father draw him 〈◊〉 all men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come unto the Soâ—â— neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto eveâ— man whereby he is enabled to come unto * The nature of man through the transgression of our first parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow thereof saving an inclination to â—ill those only excepted whom of his grace he hath sanctified and purged from their Original leprosie King James his Declaration against Vorstius p. 368. of his Works everlasting life This Confession includes the 8th and 7th Articles of Lambeth 3. To the latter Confession of Helvetia which saith thus Therefore man not as yet regenerate hath no free will to good no strength to perform that which is good In regeneration the understanding is illuminated by the Holy Ghost that it may understand both mysteries and will of God and the will it self is not only changed by the Spirit but is also endued with faculties that of its own accord it may both will and do good Harmony of Confessions Sec. 4. c. 9. p. 62 63. and the like may be there seen in the former Confession of Helvetia p. 65. art 9. See the Confession of Bohemia For that will of man which before was free is now so corrupted troubled and weakned that now from henceforth of it self and without the grace of God it cannot chuse judg or wish nay it hath no desire nor inclination much less any ability to chuse that good wherewith God is pleased Harmony of Confessions Sect. 4. p. 68. The Confession of the French Church is much to the same effect there to be seen p. 70. and there in the same Section is the Confession of Belgia full and clear to the same purpose with notable proofs out of Scripture against mans natural power to convert himself to God as John 3. 27. John 6. 44. Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Phil. 2. 13. John 15. 5. And p. 74. of the same Section is the Confession of Auspurg to the same purpose And p. 75. they say thus We condemn the Pelagians and all such as they are who teach that by the only powers of * This is directly contrary to Dr. Patricks Doctrine before recited in the Margent nature without the holy Spirit we may love God above all and fulfill the Law of God as touching the substance of our actions The Confession of the Church of Saxony is to the same effect there to be seen p. 77. That man by his natural strength is not able to free himself from sin and eternal death but this freedom and conversion of man to God and this spiritual newness is wrought by the Son of God quickning us by his Holy Spirit In the same Section p. 82 83. the Church of Wirtemberg saith thus And whereas some affirm that so much integrity of mind was left to man after his fall that by his natural strength and good works he is able to convert and prepare himself to faith and the invocating of God it is flatly contrary to the Apostolicâ— Doctrine and the true consent of the Catholick Church Rom. 5 By one mans trespass evil was derived unto all men unto condemnation Ephes 2. When ye were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times paâ—â— ye walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince c and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others he saith Dead in sins and the children of wrath that is strangers from thâ— grace of God But as a man being corporally dead is not able by his oâ—â— strength to trepare or convert himself to receive corporal life so be which is so spiritually dead is not able by his own power to câ—â—vert himself to receive spiritual life The Synod of Dort c. 〈◊〉 Article 3. say thus All men are conceived in sin and born 〈◊〉 children of wrath untoward to all good tending to salvation forward to evil dead in sins slaves of sin and neither will nor 〈◊〉 without the grace of the Holy Ghost regenerating them 〈◊〉 streight their own crooked nature no not so much as dispose theâ— selves to the amending of it And Article 4. they say thus Bâ—â— so far short is he from being enabled by this imbred light to coâ— to the saving knowledg of God and to convert himself unto hiâ— that he doth not make right use thereof in natural things and â—vil affairs nay that which it is he many ways defileth it all 〈◊〉 withholdeth it in unrighteousness and by so doing becomâ—â— inexcusable before God Who in the 4th error rejected reject thâ— error of those that teach That an unregenerated man is not properly nor totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength tendâ—â— to all spiritual good but that he is able to hunger and thirst aftâ—â— righteousness or everlasting life and to offer the sacrifice of 〈◊〉 humble and contrite heart even such as is acceptable unto God For these assertions march against the direct testimonies of Scripture Ephes 2. 1 5. Ye were dead in trespasses and sins Gen. 6. 5. 8. 11. Every imagination of the thought of mans heart is only evil continally Moreover the hungring and thirsting for deliverance out of misery 〈◊〉 for life-eternal as also the offering to God the sacrifice of a broken â—â—eâ—â— is proper to the regenerate and such as are called blessed Psal 51. 1â— Matth. 5. 6. That the efficacious grace of God in mans effectual calling or conversion doth not depend upon the aptitude or co-operâ—tion of the will of man but is from the supernatural work of Goâ—â— which the holy Scripture calls the drawing of the Father to the
〈◊〉 may be sufficiently yea abundantly proved by that which hath been said Cur gratia Dei sit efficax in quibusdam id dependit a voluntate hominum Bel. lib. 1. de graet lib. arbitr c. 12 13. before but that this efficacious grace of God in converting an elected sinner is not finally resistible by the will of man as Papists and * See the 3d and 4th Chapters of the Synod of Dort and therein the Remonstrants 8th error rejected about Conversion Arminians would make the world believe may further be proved by the Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. part 1. p. 21â— God doth what liketh him none can resist him for he worketh all things in his secret judgment yea even the wicked to damnation as Solomon saith and the Scripture saith Who hath resisted his will Rom. 9. 19. that is his effectual will in regenerating an elected sinner and God in his effectual calling or converting a sinner taketh away the resistibility against it out of his heart Ezek. 36. 26 27. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flâ—sh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Isa 43. 13. I will work saith God and who shall let it Job 9. 12. Behold he taketh away who can hinder him Isa 14. 24. The Lord of Host hath sworn Surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass as I have purposed so shall it stand V. 27. The â—ord of Hosts hath purposed and who shall disannull it Now Gods election of man is frequently called his purpose as Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 9. 11. Ephes 1. 11. To Papists I might urge â—sâ—her 13. 8 9. Lord Almighty King for the whole World is in thy power and if thou hast appointed to save Israel there is none that can gain-say it v. 11. no man can resist thee Ephes 3. 11. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Moreover if man can always resist the efficacious grace of God in converting an elected sinner then it might come to pass nay it would come to pass most certainly that Jesus Christ should have no peculiar people for the corrupt will of man cannot incline to imbrace the grace of God that is offered in the Word and Ordinances of God till the Spirit of Christ by saving * Deus qui voluntatem praeparat ipse eam donat quam si per suam gratiam homini non dederit nunquam potest homo in Deum velle credere Fulgentius de veritate praedestinat l. 1. grace do overcome and change the perversness of it and make it willing for though to will is of nature yet to will well is of grace It is God that worketh in 〈◊〉 both to will and to do of his good pleasure that is to will and to do well Phit 2. 13. as the Articles and Homilies and Liturgy of the Church of England ubi supra do abundantly declare Or 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ should have a peculiar people then he must by these meâ—â— Doctrine viz. That mans will can ponere obicem and always resiâ—â— Gods will and determine to refuse Gods grace offered yea reject it beiâ—â— wrought in him which indeed implies a contradiction be beholding to man for it who determined himself to accept of his gracious offers all which would otherwise have beeâ— in vain and ineffectual Lastly Bellarmine * Bellar. l. 3. de gratia c. 3. Ames Bellar. Enervat T. 4. l. 3. c. 3. de efficaci gracia p. 56. himself setting down the vanous opinions of men about effectual grace saith this is the first The first opinion is of them that do plaâ—â— efficacious grace in mans assent and co-operation so that it 〈◊〉 called efficacious grace from the event because it doth dispâ—â—â— the effect and therefore it doth dispose the effect because maâ—â— will doth co-operate or help with it This opinion saith hâ—â— is altogether alien from the judgment of St. Augustin and aâ—â— of the Sacred Scriptures it overthrows the foundation of Goâ—â— Predestination and abuseth the woâ—â— effectual grace * Wendelin Christ Theol. l. 1. c. 3. p. 132. Wendelin saith which is the meer and special frâ—â— gift of God to the free will of man corrupt and dead in sins as that 't is in mans power to believe or not believe do plainâ—â— broach a Pâ—lagâ—an-heresie contrary to the whole Scripture Effectual grace is not a physical action whereby God doth compel the will of Vid. August l. de correct gratia c. â—4 Cui volenti saâ—vum facere nulâ—um bomiâ—um resistit arbitrium c. Hier. in Ephes c. 1. Illt â—â—nullus resistere potest quia omnia quae voluerit faciat Aquin. 〈◊〉 q. 103. a. 8. 9. 19. 2. 6 c. ad 3. mâ—n or physically determine it without its own proper deliberation for a supernatural effect cannot be produced by a natural operation and so man nilling should be converted and believe which implies a contradiction neither is this effectual gracâ— only a moral perswasion in it self in different to which it is in mans power to yield or oppose for so God should not work more effectually in converting man than the Devil and seducers do in keeping him from conversion and the efficacy of grace should not consist in the motion of God but in the strength of arguments and so there should be placed in the will of man unconverted an aptitude of obeying that moral perswasion and converting himself but effectual grace is a supernatural action or work of God whereby he doth outwardly by his word and other appointed means and inwardly by the efficacy of his Spirit not physical action but divine secret and ineffable motion illuminate the blind mind of man change make new and convert the perverse will of man that the will being renewed doth begin by its own free election to will and chuse the good that is shewed it from the enlightned understanding And by this effectual grace God doth so work upon the will of man that his will doth no longer resist the grace of God but comply with Gods Will and wills what he wills Of this see further Nihil in libero arbitrio constitutum superat voluntatem Dei Aug. Enchir. c. 100. Nothing is in mans will can over-power Gods will the Synod of Dort Chapter 3 and 4. of Conversion Articles 10 11 12 13 14. and Errors 6 7 8. rejected by them See also the Confession of Faith made by the Assembly of Divines c. 10. of effectual calling Article 1 2. and the 33d Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland and the 9th Article of Lambeth It is not in the free choice and power of every man to be saved ART VIII That truly regenerated persons cannot Bellar. l. 2. de justificatione c. 14. Synod of Dort 3d
of jusâ—â— fication or to commit the sin unâ—â— death or against the Holy Ghost oâ—â— to be altogether forsaken of him and throw themselves headlong into everlasting destruction c. 7. For first 〈◊〉 all in these slips he preserveth 〈◊〉 them that his immortal seed bâ— which they were once born again that it die not nor be lost by them afterward by his Word and Spirit he effectually and certainly reneweth them again unto repentance so that they do heartily and according unto God grieve for their sins committed and with a contrite heart by faith in the blood of the Mediator craving forgiveness of them obtain it recover the apprehension of the favour of God reconciled unto them adore his mercies and faithfulness and from thenceforward more carefully work out their salvation with fear and trembling Canon 8. So not by their own merits or strength but by Gods free mercy they obtain thus much That they neither totally fall from faith and grace nor continue to the end in their falls and perish which in regard of themselves not only full easily might but doubtless would come to pass yet in respect of God it cannot so fall out since neither his counsel can be changed nor his promise fail nor the calling according to his purpose be revoked nor Christs merit intercession and custody be made of none effect nor the sealing of the holy Spirit be frustrated or defaced 4. That they that are predestinated unto everlasting life be or shall be effectually called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption and they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity Which Doctrine is not only contrary to that false Doctrine of the Papists and Arminians before renounced but 't is also agreeable to the Doctrine taught by St. Paul Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate them he also called Rom. 8. 15 16 17. Gal. 4. 6 7. and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified and therefore they cannot fall away from saving grace totally and finally and be damned 5. That 't is of the meer will or purpose or good pleasure of God that some men are in Christ Jesus elected and not others unto salvation for here you see this Election is called Gods purpose and his counsel to deliver from damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation Which is not only contrary to that erroneous Doctrine of the Papists before confuted and renounced viz. That God did elect men unto salvation for their foreseen faith good works and perseverance that would be in them but 〈◊〉 also consonant to canonical Scripture Rom. 9. 11 15. Luke 12. 〈◊〉 Ephes 1. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Agreeable to this is the second Articlâ—â— Lambeth The moving or efficient cause of Predestination unto life 〈◊〉 the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of 〈◊〉 thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and 〈◊〉 sure of God Agreeable to which is also the 14 Article of Religâ—â— of the Church of Ireland drawn up by A. B. Vsher as Dr. Hâ—â— tells us to which King James gave his consent and approbatioâ— Heylins Cypr. Anglicus l. 4. p. 271. 6. That the godly consideration of Predestination and our electioâ—â— Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly perâ—â— confirms our faith and fervently kindles our love to God But the Doctrine of the Papists who hold that true believers in Christ may totally and finally fall away from all the acts and habits of savâ—â— grace and become damned reprobates is full of bitter unplâ—â— and unspeakahle sorrow and vexation even to godly persons 〈◊〉 doth not confirm and establish their faith of eternal salvation 〈◊〉 be enjoyed through Christ but rather fill their souls with doâ—â— of their salvation and fears of their damnation and doth 〈◊〉 fervently kindle but rather quench the fire of their love to God 〈◊〉 they shall be taught that Gods love to them dependeth not upon 〈◊〉 self but upon their uncertain love to him from which they say 〈◊〉 may totally and finally fall away and be therefore eternally damned 〈◊〉 any Doctrine that ever was preached or printed did binder Piety 〈◊〉 true Christianity and comfortable walking with God this of the Paâ—â— falling away totally and finally from saving-grace is one and 〈◊〉 well be put among the chief causes of the decay of Piety amongst 〈◊〉 and put into that golden book so intituled and its contrary put 〈◊〉 of it Further I might draw an argument or two more from what 〈◊〉 Church of England saith in her old book of Common Prayers whiâ—â— she offers to Almighty God as in the Collect for St. Simon and Jâ—â— Apostles she saith this Almighty God which hast builded thy 〈◊〉 gregation upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesâ—s Câ—â— himself being the head corner-stone And the next Collect for All-Sâ—â— day where she saith this Almighty God which hast knit togethâ—â— thy elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of thy 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ our Lord from which this argument might be frame They that are built upon the sure foundation or rock Jesus Christ and are inseparably knit together in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Jesus Christ cannot totally and finally fall away from Christ and his Church and be damned but according to the Church of England Gods elect truly regenerated persons are so built and so united Ergo they cannot totally and finally fall away from Christ and his Church and consequently not from saving-grace by which they are so built and knit together the major is undeniable and clear by Matth. 7. 24 25. Therefoye saith Christ whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon the house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock Upon which place * Pareus in locum Veram fidem super petra aedificatam nunquam deficere sed semper conjunctam esse cum perseverentia Pareus hath this note That a true faith built upon the rock doth never fail but is always joyned with perseverance and Mat. 16. 18. I say unto thee Thou art Peter and upon this rock that is which thou hast confessed will I build my Church and the gates of Hell that is all the power and policy of the Devil and his instruments shall not prevail against it the Minor is the Doctrine of our Church in the two Collects before alledged and Gods elect regenerate true members of
aversion from that which is good materially 't is an inclination to that whiâ—h is morally evil There is in the will of man 1. an impotency to that which is spiritually good as the understanding of a meer natural man cannot rightly think of any thing that is spiritually good so the will of a meer natural man cannot rightly of it self will any thing that is spiritually good 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we â—â— sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our â—â—ciency is of God Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in us both to 〈◊〉 and to do of his own good pleasure 2. A proneness only to that whicâ— is evil Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in 〈◊〉 eâ—rth and that every imagination of the thoughts or purposes or desireâ—â— his heart was only evil continually 3. Aversness from that whiâ—â— is good Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for 't is 〈◊〉 subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Read Rom. 3. 10 11 12. Ephes 2. 1 2 3 5. We are all dead in trespasses and sins and 〈◊〉 by nature the children of wrath by nature not pure but corrupt aâ—â— that corrupted by Original sin That which is born of the flesh 〈◊〉 flesh John 3. 6. and who can bring a clean thing out of an uncâ—â— Job 14. 4. Now Papists grant that original sin imputed is pâ—â—perly a sin but inherent they say is not properly a sin Pelagâ—â— that old Heretick was the Father and the Popish Arminian aâ—â— Semi-pelagian Divines are the 〈◊〉 and followers of it Beâ—â—mine T. 4. l. 2. de peccato c. 3. saâ—â— from Jam. 1. Quod 〈◊〉 Jacobo in illo 〈◊〉 Bellar. l. 5. de amissione gratiae c. 3. 9. c. 10. Peccatum inhabitans Rom. 7. non nisi improprie dicitur peccatum non vocatur peccatum illud non est peccatum quod parit peccatum non est peccatum And Dr. Jeremy Taylor one 〈◊〉 Archbishop Lauds Chaplains late â—â—shop in Ireland in his further Exâ—â—nation of original sin saith expresly thus That original sin is not our sin properly not inherent in us but is only imputed so as to bring evil effects upon us for that which is inherent in 〈◊〉 is a consequent only of Adams sin but of it self no sin for theâ—â— being but two things the constituent parts of original sin the want of original righteousness and concupiscence neither of these caâ— So Pelagius and Arminius picad be a sin in us but a punishment 〈◊〉 Adams sin they may be P. 459. And p. 475. of the same book he saith That original sin is 〈◊〉 an inherent evil not a sin properly but metâ—nimically that is it is the effect of one sin and the cause of many a stain not a sin it doth not damn any infant to eternal pains of hell And p. 474. he saith thus And since no Church did ever in join tâ— any Catechumen any penance or repentance for original sin iâ— sâ—â—ms horrible and unreasonable that any man can be damneâ— for that for which no man is bound to repent But Sir is that only properly sin for which the Church injoins penance Did the Jews injoin any penance for Poligamy and doth the Christian Church injoin penance for inward sins is not the 19th Commandment made void by this Doctrine did not King David 〈◊〉 51. 5. and St. Paul Rom. 7. confess their original sin or was King Davids and St. Pauls Confession one of your Brother Dr. Haâ—â—onds free-will offerings commended even to meriting And I pray read there his Explanation of the 9th Article of the Church of England and then judg whether that of Knot the Jesuit be not true Preface to Charity maintained Sec. 2. Heylins Cypr. Anglicus l. 4. p. 252 253. viz. That the Doctrine of the Church of England began to be altered in many things for which our Progenitors forsook the Roman Church for example it is said that the Pope is not Antichrist prayer for the dead is allowed Limbus patrum it is maintained that the Church hath authority in determining controversies of faith and to interpret Scriptures about free-will predestination universal grace that all our works before effectual vocation are not sins merit of good works inherent righteousness faith alone doth not justifie Traditions Commandments possible to be kept your Thirty nine Articles are patient nay ambitious of some sense in which they may seem Catholick for Dr. Heylin in his Cyprianus Anglicus lib. 4. p. 252. alledgeth much of this charge of Knot as a commendation of our Church and upon the 20th and 34th Articles he saith That more power than this the Church of Rome did never challenge and less than this was not reserved unto it self by the Church of England in his Introduction to his Cyprianus Anglicus p. 20 21. where he saith That in the year 1571. the Articles agreed upon in the year 1562. were re-printed and this clause the Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and also in controversies of Faith as he saiâ—h was left out by the power of the Genevian * That was the Parliament that that year confirmed the Articlâ—s to which alone subscription was injoined yet Heylin saith it left out the Prayer against the Pope out of the Letany faction if it were not for the Genevian-faction your faction would soon bring us all to Rome but the times bettering and the Governors of the Church taking notice thereof there was care taken 't is believed 〈◊〉 A. B. Land as Mr. Prin and Burton discovered that the said â—â— should be restored unto its place in all following impressions of that â—â— but if it may be said to be restored to its place 't is wondred 〈◊〉 Dr. â—â—ocket Warden of All-Sâ—â— Colledge and Chaplain to A. B. â—â—bot Heylins Cyp. Angl. l 1. p. 76. And 't is left out of the Articles of Ireland 1615 which were allowed by King James should forget to put it into thâ—â— 20th Article when he made his book in Latin intituled De politia Ecoleâ—â— Anglicanae in which he set down all our Liturgy the 39 Articles of Religion the book of Ordination of Priests and Deacons and Consecraâ—ion of Bishops c. I say if it had been in the Article 〈◊〉 very strange that a man of his learning and integrity and pâ—â— and expectation too should leave it out but you see 't is put in 〈◊〉 you may well guess by whom and to what purpose by what 〈◊〉 Heylin saith of it it reserved or rather restored to it self as much power as the Church of Rome ever challenged which Knot the Jesuit observed That their Churches as the Jesuit goes on â—â—ginning to look with a new face their walls to speak a new language that men in talk and wriâ—ing use willingly the once fearful names of Priests and Altar and are now put in mind that for exposition of Scripture they are
11. saith Effectus baptismi primarius est ita peccatum omne abolere idque vi operis operati ut quae reliqua manet prava fidelibus concupiscentia peccatum verâ—â— censeri non debet and Bishop Taylor saith That this concupiscence or inclination to forbidden instances is not imputed to the baptized 〈◊〉 to the regenerated Further Explanat of original sin p. 500. And in the next Page he saith It is a contradiction to say that the sin remains and the guilt is taken away if he pardons he takes away the sin for in the justified no sin can be inherent or habitual Now is not this most notorious false Doctrine condemned in the Palestine Synod Article 9th objected against Pelagius and contrary to Article the 9th of the Church of England which saith That this infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerated And the 15th Article which saith thus But all we the rest although baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and contrary to 1 John 1. 8. yea is not this truly Antinomian yea Antichristian What have justified persons no sin inherent in them Is justification an abolishing of the being of sin in the justified And p. 461. he saith that in infants the very actions and desire of concupiscence are no sins and therefore much less is the principle but more to my purpose he saith ibid. p. 481. That after baptism the guilt of the first sin doth not remain which if it be true then according to him they die not for that sin and that all persons baptized be they non-elect are freed by it from the guilt of that sin and that if they die before they commit actual sin they are undoubtedly saved which many learned Divines doubt of and many more plainly deny it the Scriptures alledged by Papists as Ephes 5. 26. T it 3. 5. either are not understood of external baptism but of internal sanctification or regeneration or if of baptism then they are to be understood obsignificativè not physice significativè not realiter else it would follow that every person that is baptized is really and internally regenerated which is most apparently false For 1. many that are baptized live most wicked lives and die most wicked deaths if the tree may be judged by the fruits or else he must hold with Jesuitical Papists that truly regenerated persons may totally and finally fall away from saving-grace against which Popish Error read what is said before and become castaways and damned And because baptism came in the place of circumcision it would follow that all that were externally circumcised in their foreskins were also internally circumcised in their hearts which is clearly contrary to Romans 2. 28 29. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Where 't is obvious that some were outwardly but were not inwardly circumcised and in their hearts and so it may beh ere Besides our most learned and sound Divines as Bishop Prideaux Maccovius and many others out of St. Angustin hold that sin is taken away by baptism yea by justification non ut non sit but only non ut imputetur the blood of Christ washeth away sin meritoriously the Spirit of God efficiently the word instrumentally the Sacraments symbolically significatively and obsignificatively that original sin is washed away by baptism Our Conformists consent and assent and subscribe to this Position which whether true and so certain as it 's said I determine not because I know not how to prove it by Gods word It is certain by the wâ—â—â— of God that children which are baptized dying before they commit actual sin are undoubtedly saved Rubr. after Baptism by which they do yea must hold that original fin imputed is washed away from them by baptism and therefore original sin imputed is not cannot be according to them the meritorious cause of infants death dying before they commit actual sin in their own persons 2. I answer that many infants have died soon after they were baptized I saw one die within a quarter of an hour after 't was baptized before they could be conceived to have committed any actual sin in their own persons therefore original sin inherent was the procuring or meritorious cause of their death and consequently 't is properly sin their cryings cannot in reason be thought to be sinful frowardness or actual sin but are but the fruits of pains or wants which are punishments of original sin yet remaining and inherent in them which do undeniably prove it to be sin properly so called for God never punisheth but for fin as the Bishop himself saith ibid. p. 463. 5. There is one testimony more which is good against the Bishop and all Conformists and 't is a true one 't is the beginning of the order of Baptism set down in our Liturgy thus Dearly beloved for-as-much as all men be conceived and born in fin and our Saviour Christ saith None can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven except he be regenerate and born a new of Water and of the Holy Ghost by which 't is clear that 't is the Doctrine of the Church of England that infants are conceived and born in sin but not in actual sin Ergo in original sin Now I pray read all these things once again seriously â—nd consider how strangely the sound Doctrine of the Churâ—â— of England is undermined perverted if not wholly subâ—erted by â—er pretended dutifuâ—â— sons and the false Doctrine of the Church of Rome is contended for by them â—o bring in fâ—ee-will and natural power to convert a mans self c. But before I leave this a few words to the main argument for this Popish old Pelagian Error and that is this That which is not * Bishop Taylors further Explanation of original sin frequently and so Papists and Pelagians voluntary is not sin but original sin inherent in us is not voluntary Ergo 't is not sin properly To which I answer by denying the major all sin is not voluntary in their sense 1. Because the error of the mind which the will doth follow is fin and yet its involuntary because it goes before every act of the will 2. Sins committed through ignorance are not voluntary and yet are sins properly Levit 5 15. 2. I deny the minor 1. Because original sin was voluntary in Adam in whose loins we were who voluntarily committed the first sin for himself and us too And 2. Also it may be said to be voluntary in us because we in our wills are prone to sin 3. The main of the Adversaries arguments that Original sin is involuntary will reach only the propagation of it To which I answer that man is corrupted even from
The first and third of these three Conclusions shew the reasons of the second and hold forth this truth That the works of unregenerated men done before they receive the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not good works and so pleasing unto God and that because they spring not from a lively faith in Christ but are evil because they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done And therefore they make not men meet to receive grace or deserve not grace of congruity at Gods hands 2. And this erroneous Doctrine of merit of congruity and preparing and disposing and making men meet and worthy to receive grace is also contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Engâ—â— in her Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. p. 3. p. 223. which saith thus Faith is the first entry into a Christian life without which no man can please God Faith is the giâ—t of God Ephes 2. 8. Charity wherewith we love our brethren is the work of God If after our fall we repent it is by him that we repent who reacheth forth his merciful hand to raise us up if we have any WILL TO RISE it is HE that PREVENTETH OUR WILL AND DISPOSETH us thereunto If after contrition we feel our consciences at peace with God through remission of sins and so be reconciled to his favour and hope to be his children and inheritors of everlasting life who worketh these great miracles in us our worthiness our deservings and endeavours our wits and vertue Nay verily St. Paul will not suffer flesh and clay in such arrogancy and therefore saith all is oâ— God which hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ Lo here you see that your vertue wits endeavours deservings worthiness are excluded from being the efficient disposing much more from being the meritorious cause of the favour of God or grace of faith or love or repentance c. in us and that these are the gifts of God which he by his Spirit worketh in us And 3 't is contrary to the Church of England's Liturgy as Collect for the 17th Sunday after Trinity Lord we pray thee that thy grace may alway prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to good works And in one of the Collects after the Communion Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee c. Wherein we acknowledg that Gods grace and favour must prevent us and go before our doing or beginning to do any good works and that his grace must follow and further us with its continual help else we shall not be able to begin nor continue to do good works acceptable to him And 4. 't is contrary to the tenth Article of the Church of England of Free-will The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ PREVENTING us that we may have a good will and WORKING with us when we have that good will 2. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland Articles 25 and 26. which accords with the Doctrine of the Church of England verbatim in her tenth and thirteenth Articles 3. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland which also agreeth with the Doctrine of the Church of England to be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster Edenburgh August 27 1647. Sess 23. c. 9. Art 3 4. c. 10. Art 1 2. c. 16. Art 2 3. 7. Now these Errors of the Papists are grounded upon two Errors more which they have received from the Pelagians 1. The first Error which is the ground of these is this That men in the state of corruption before they are endued with a lively faith in Jesus Christ can by the power of their own free-will do good works which Papists call dispositions or preparations of grace which they say do out of congruâ—â—y move God to bestow his grace upon them and prepare or make them meet and worthy to receive Gods grace Now though this error be sufficiently yea abundantly confuted before especially in the seventh Article of this Renunciation yet because 't is the ground of many others and 't is so much stood upon and 't is so pleasing to corrupt reason Give me leave to say something more against it here also And 1. I say that this Doctrine is condemned by the Synod of Dort Chap. 3 4. Error 3. before recited And also Error 5 We reject the Doctrine of them that teach that corrupt and natural man can so rightly use common grace by which they mean the light of nature or those gifts which are left in him after the fall that by the good use thereof he may attain to a greater namely Evangelical or saving grace and by degrees at length Salvation it self And God for his part sheweth himself ready in this manâ—er to reveal Christ to all men seeing he doth sufficiently and efficaciously afford to every man necessary means for the making Christ known and for faith and repentance They give not their reason there for their rejecting of the former part of this Error because that they had it done before in the third and fourth Error rejected But against the latter they say thus For this is convinced to be false as by the experience of all ages in the world so also by the Scriptures Psal 147. 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel he hath not â—ealt so with any Nation and as for his judgments they have not known them Act. 14. 16 God in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Act. 16. 7 8. Paul and his company were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not And Error the ninth they reject the Doctrine of them that teach That grace and free-will are co-partening causes jointly concurring to the beginning of conversion and that grace doth not in order of causality go before the action of the will that is that God doth not effectually help mans will unto conversion before the will of man moveth and determineth or setleth it self thereunto For this Doctrine was long since condemned by the ancient Church among the Pelagian Errors out of the Apostles authority Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And 1 Cor. 4. 7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Item Phil. 2. 13 It is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure In that Synod were * Divines at the Synod of Dort five of our learned Divines sent by K. James Viz. George Carlton Bishop of Landaff John Davenant Priest Doctor and publick Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridg and Master of Queens Colledg there Samuel Ward Priest Doctor of Divinity Arch-deacon of Taunton and Master of Sidney-Colledg in the University of Cambridg Thoâ—â— Goad * Who I suppose was sent instead of Dr. Joseph Hall who fell sick after he came to the Synod Priest Doctor of Divinity chief Chaunter of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in London And â—â— Bâ—â—â—â—â—quall a Scotchman Priest â—â—chelor of Divinity who said of this an◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is our opinion and judgment in witness whereof we have 〈◊〉 subscribed And 't is as I shewed before directly contrary to the express words of the Doctrine of the Church of England in her tenth Article The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant Good works are brought forth by Grace Homily of Good works T. 2. p. 81. and acceptable to God without the special grace of Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will Lo here you see it clearly and plainly affirmed that man in the state of corruption before he receive the special grace of God in Christ cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength to faith or do good works acceptable to God And these reasons may be given for it 1. Because we are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1 Col. 3. 13. Now as a man that is corporally dead cannot of himself move dispose or prepare himself to his Resurrection or enlivening so a man that is spiritually dead in sin cannot raise or dispose and prepare himself or actively concur towards his raising up again or to his spiritual life Obj. But against this they object 1. That in a dead carkass there are no reliques of life but in unregenerated men they say there are some reliques of spiritual life Answ To which I answer and say 1. That there are no reliques of spiritual life in a man that is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins for death in Spirituals doth fully exclude spiritual life A maâ— is not cannot be said to be truly and properly dead while there is aâ—â— life in him 2. With this accords the Doctrine of the learned A. 〈◊〉 Vshar in his Sum of Christian Religion p. 143. who there saith thâ—â— Every man is by nature dead in sin as a loathsome carrion or as a dead corpse and lyeth rotting and stinking in the grave having in him the seed of all sins Ephes 2. 1. 1 Tim. 5. 6. 3. The Synod of Dort condemn as an error this Doctrine That an uâ—regenerated man is not properly noâ— totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength to spiritual good but that he is able to hunger and thirst after righteousness or everlasting life and to offer the sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart even such as is acceptable to God For these assertions march against the direct testimonies of Scripture Ephes 2. 1 5 Ye were dead in trespasses and sins And Gen 6. 5. 8. 21. Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil contiâ—ally Moreover the hungring and thirsting for deliverance out of misery and for life eternal as also the offering to God the sacrifice of a broken heart is proper to the regenerate and such as are called blessed Psal 51. 19. Mat. 5. 6. 4. The Church of England maintains this Doctrine also in her Homily of the Nativity of Christ T 2. p. 167. where we may read thus That Adam falling into sin had in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness And a little after His posterity had nothing in themselves but everlasting damnation both of body and soul Which fully proves that there was and is in every man since the fall before the special grace of Gods Spirit be wrought in him a total privation of spiritual life And in Homily for Christs Death T. 2. p. 182. 't is said That man could do nothing that might pacifie Gods wrath So Ibid. 183. and in Homily for Whitsunday T. 2. p. 209. Man by nature is fâ—esbly and carnal without any spark of godliness Doth not all this prove a total privation of all spiritual life Obj. But they say That God doth not bespeak dead carkasses to arise but he speaks to men dead in sins and then doth set before them their disease which implies some life and a power of rising in them Answ To this I answer thus 1. That Christ spake to Lazarus that had been four days dead and in the grave these words Lazarus come forth Joh. 11. 43. 2. That Gods raising of men dead in sins unto spiritual life is a great miralce as 't is called in the Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. p. 228. Who worketh these great miracles in us yea greater than Christs raising of dead Lazarus for to his Vivification and Resurrection there was no opposition in him but to the spiritual Viâ—ification and Resurrection of men in the state of corruption there is opposition not only from without by the Devil and the world but also within by their inbred corruption which makes them averse from that which is good yea which is enmity against God Rom. 8. 7. That Gods speaking to unregenerate men dead in their sins implies not that they have a power in themselves of raising themselves to spiritual life no more than Lazarus but it shews what they are 〈◊〉 what they should do not what they can do He gave them a power at first in Adam to do whatsoever he commanded them to do but they through their own default have disabled themselves he therefore mâ—â— justly require it of them and punish them for their loss of it and neglect of their duty Obj. But they say That the dead carkass cannot resist Gods raising of him but the unregenerate man can Ergo they have a power of rising Answ To this I answer 1. That the unregenerate Elect cannot finally resist their regeneration for the power of God in regenerating his Elect in Christ is irresistible as hath been proved before Art 7th 2. That it follows not that because unregenerated men have a power to resist their spiritual resurrection they therefore have a power to raise themselves but rather proves they have none their corruption is so great Obj. But they object That in the dead carkass there is no power to rise but in the unregenerate there is a power to regeneration Answ There is a passive power in unregenerated persons to regeneration that is to be regenerated by the Spirit
more over their fellow-Presbyters or shepherds of the flock but commanded to give good example to their flock expecting not a triple Crown here on earth that perisheth but a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away which Christ the only chief Shepherd will give at the great day of Judgment to all his holy humble diligent and faithful Pastors And thus was the Church governed in the Primitive times communi conciâ—io Presbyterorum by the common Jerom. in Tit. 〈◊〉 1. Jerom. ad Evagrium council of the Presbyters as St. Jerome told the Pope himself and this Council was not such a pickt Council of Princely Cardinals of his own creatures and sworn vassals as the Popes is which hath only a shew of the ancient Government of the Church but is indeed a wicked combination against it a meer device to uphold his Usurpation tyranny power pride and Lordly dominion over the Princes of the world and the Churches and Church-officers of Jesus Christ But it was a common Council of fellow-Presbyters of the same Church chosen by the Church in which Council for necessary order sake was by common consent toâ— chosen for that time one Presbyter that was the most worthy grave aâ—â— able man to be president or if you will Speaker of that Council for tâ—â—â— time who had only a precedency of order but no more a superiority of jurisdiction over the Colledg of Presbyters than the Speaker of the House of Commons hath over the rest of his fellow-commoners in Parliament assembled here in England 2. That the Pope of Rome is not St. Peter ' s Successor either in his Apostleship for that was extraordinary and died with him or Bishoprick For Peter the Apostle was not properly a Bishop neither could he be as the word Bishop is now commonly taken with us For he was an Apostle of the whole Church and so could not be tyed to the Church of Antioch or Rome as Papists would make the world believe he was He that makes Peter the Apostle a Bishop brings him oâ—â— of the Parlor into the kitchin as Dr. Raynolds speaks of St. James the Apostle in his Conference with Hart. He that makes the King of England a Justice of Peace or the Lord Chief Justice of England a Justice of Peace but of one County Diocess City or Parish or Town unkings the King and Unlord-chief-justiceth the other Peter had no superiority of authority over the rest of his fellow-Apostles Peter was not the Rock upon which Christ promised to build his Church but that Confession that Peter made in the name of Christs Disciples Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Peter had the same Commission from Christ and no other that the other Apostles had and they had the same that he had Peter was no more Bishop of Rome than S. Paul was Nay it can never be proved by Sacred Scripture that Peter the Apostle was at Rome at any time but that he was elsewhere above twenty years may be proved by Sacred Scripture and very probably that he was not at Rome when we cannot certainly prove him elsewhere in this or that particular place Obj. Papists out of Eusebius say thus That when Peter had laid the foundation Hart in Conference with Dr. Raynolds c. 6. D. 3. P. 257. of the Church at Antioch where be saâ—e Bishop seven years he went to Rome and preaching the Gospel there twenty-five years continued Bishop of that City Ans To this I answer thus 1. That though Eusebius was a â—â—arned man yet he was a meer man and not infallibly guided in his History and works as the Prophets and Apostles were 2. Eusebius is reproved by Pope Gelasius in a Council of seventy Bishops as false in his History which reproof is proved to be just by Canus viz. For his reporting of Christs Epistle to Agbarus and his avouching many things by Clemens Alexandrinus whereas the fable of the one and the works of the other are reproved by the Council And moreover he writeth in the same Chronicle That Sennacherib who besieged Jerusalem and Salmanassar who took Samaria were one and the same man which Saint * Com. in Isa 36. Jerom hath shewed to be contrary to holy Scripture as Dr. †Confer c. 6. d. 3. p. 258. Reynolds answers Hart. And he saith further That such another oversight is this of Peter ' s being seven years Bishop of the Church of Antioch and 25 years after that Bishop of the Church of Rome and he gives those probable reasons that others do give to prove That Peter was never at Rome He proves the first part of the story to be false and contrary to Sacred Scripture thus Peter by this account should have gone to Antioch about the 4th year after Christs death and there abode seven years even till the second * So Cornel. a Lapide Chron. Actuum Apostolorum pag. 3. year of Claudius the Emperor in †Cornel. a Lapide saith he went to Rome the third of Claudius in his Preface to the first Epistle of Peter which he went to Rome But the holy Scripture sheweth that Paul who was not presently converted after Christs death after three years found Peter at Jerusalem Gal. 1. 18. He went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days And Peter after that abode within the coasts of Jury first at Lydda Act. 9. 38. then at Joppa where he tarried many days Act. 9. 43. then at Caesaria Act. 10. 48. then at Jerusalem Act. 11. 2 where Herod Agrippa cast him into prison in the second or * Cornelius a Lapide saith 't was in the third year of Claudius Chron. Act. Apostolor p. 3. the very time that he removed as he saith from his seven years sitting Bishop at Antioch to Rome and wrote his first Epistle Preface to the 1. Epistle of Peter Vid. Lightf Harmony p. 92. third year of Claudius as it is likely for he died in the fourth when the Church of Antioch was both †plainted and wâ—tered by others and not by Peter viz. by Barnabas and Paul and were called Christians before ever Peter câ—â— there And therefore the first branch of Eusebius his report that Peter having founded the Church of Antioch and that he sate there Bishop seven years in the second year of Claudius is flatly contrary to Scripture And Onuphrius in his Annotations upoâ— Platina in Vitam B. Petri Apostoli saith It is most clear and surely known by the Acts of the Apostles and Paul ' s Epistle to the Galatianâ— that for nine years after Christs death Peter never went out of Jury till the second year of the reign of Claudius and therefore he could not sit seven years Bishop at Antioch before he went to Rome Thus the former part of Eusebius his story being proved false why may not the latter part viz. that Peter after this sate twenty-five years Bishop of Rome be also false To which I
one Hence Amaziah who bowed down before the gods of the Edomites is judged to have committed Idolatry for the Lord was angry with him 2 Chron. 25. 14 15. Mark it that which is called bowing down before the gods of the Edomites in the 14th verse is in the 15th verse called seeking after that is serving of the gods of the people And to put it out of doubt learned Ainsworth upon Exod. 20. 5. saith the very same as Mr. Pool quotes him upon the place Idem est adorare coram Domino Domino to pray before God in 1 Chron. 17. 16. is in 2 Sam. 7. 27. called praying unto God idem est procumbere coram Diabolo Diabolo for that which is in Mat. 4. 9. called falling down before the Devil is in Luk. 4. 7. called worshipping of him And to bow down to images Non animi actum sed corporis designat imaginibus ullum signum honoris quocunque tandem animo id fieret exhibere prohibeatur say Grotixs and Rivet as Mr. Pool there quotes them To fall down before an image doth note not the act of the mind but of the body It 's forbidden to give to images any sign of honour with what mind or intention soever it be done In 1 King 12. 30. the people are said to worship before the Calf as they in Exod. 32. did which God who is the best interpreter of mens actions expounds to be worshipping of the Calf Exod. 32. 8. Psal 106. 19. for 't is called a sin v. 30. yea a great sin 2 King 17. 21. yea they are for it expresly called Idolaters 1 Cor. 10. 7. Neither be ye Idolaters as some of them were as it is written the people sate down to eat and rose up to play Which place where 't is so written is Exod. 32. 6. Where the story of their Idolatry is recorded Though I have but touched at these things yet I may seem to some men to dwell upon them therefore to proceed Who but Papists brought into the Church worshipping of Relicks as the tayl of the ass on which Christ rode into Jerusalem the clouts in which our Saviour was wrapped when he was a child one of which the Emperour * Vide Sleiden's Commentaries Charles the Fifth worshipped when he was made Emperour The Whighs of Joseph and our Saviour like Carpenters used when they made yokes kept close in a box if you will believe them The coals on which St. Laurence was broiled a feather of the Angel Gabriels wings alias of a Peacocks tayl Much more might be said of the superstition and Idolatry of the Pope and Church of Rome as his five superadded Sacraments Invocation of Saints decking and worshipping of Images but I forbear for brevities sake 2. That the Pope hath been the setter up of Pharisaical Sects against the word of God for besides the word is in Scripture sense against the word might be illustrated by his making more orders of Church-Officers than Christ or his Apostles appointed in his Nos maximè in eo a Pontificiis dissentimus quod illi inter Ecclesiae ministros numerant creaturas humanas nos autem nullos ministros Ecclesiasticos agnoscimus praeter illos quos Christus instituit Ecclesiae in Scripâ—â—ris commendavit Dr. Ames Bellar. Enervat T. 2. l. 3. c. 3. p. 108. Church as Ostiarius the Door keeper Lector the Reader Exorcista the Exorcist or Conjurer Acolyâ—kus a Clerk or Waiter upon the Bishop or Priest or Subdiaconus a Subdeacon Diaconus a Deacon Sacerdos a Priest Of which orders as they call them only two the Canons as the Master of the Sentences saith Sent. 4. Dist 24. think are sacred Orders because the Primitive Church so far as they can read had only these two viz. the order of Deaconship and Priesthood and of these only we have the Apostles precept And because all the Schoolmen that write upon Peter Lombard hold that Bishops are not an order Bonavent in Sen. 4. Dist 24. q. 3. a. 2. Aureolus in Sen. 4. d. 24 q. 1. a. 2. Omnis forma ex quo est in actu c. Every form in as much as it is in act hath power to communicate it self in the same kind therefore every Priest hath power to celebrate orders why then do they not celebrate them because their power is hindred by the Decree of the Church whereupon when a Bishop is made there is not given unto him any new power but the former power being hindred is set at liberty as a man when the act of reason is hindred and the impediment is removed there 's not given unto him a new soul And there he saith that Episcopatus is not a superior order is plain because it hath no superior act as it is distinguished against Priesthood which is apparent because the act of a Bishop as it differeth from Priesthood 〈◊〉 to or dain and the act of a Priest is to consecrate the Body of Christ i. e. to consecrate and administer the Sacrament distinct from preaching Presbyters and that the order of Priesthood is the highest and perfectest order and that a preaching Presbyter may by virtue of his order do all that a Bishop can do in the Church were he not restrained by the Bishop or Church And none that I find among the Papists but Jesuits and the Spaniards in the Council of Trent held or hold that Bishops are by divine right â—n order of Church-officers distinct from and superior to preaching Presbyters but only that they are a degree or dignity of Presbyters and that by humane institution if any way I shall not lay that to their charge though the Jesuitical party endeavoured what they could at the Council of Trent to carry it in those very terms as may be seen in the History of the Council of Trent B. 7. Yet Festus Hommius saith that the Apostolick and truly Primitive Church was altogether ignorant both of the names and functions of Popes Patriarchs Archbishops Metropolitans Arch-presbyters Arch-deacons Suffragans A. B. Vsher saith That new Ministeries are forbidden in the second Commandment Sum of Christ Religion p. 222. And Mr. Perkins in his order of Causes c. 21. p. 62. saith That in the second Commandment is forbidden the Romish Hierarchy from the Parrator to the Pope Abbots Priors Monks Canons Deans Prebends Vicars Sacrificers Priests and the like as they are now used in the Papacy Disp 2â— T. 5. p. 122. What are those Sects of Monks and Friers of which there are many Orders as Carmelites Franciscans so called from St. Francis Dominicans so called from St. Dominick Augustines so called from St. Augustine and Jesuits which Order Ignatius Loyola the founder got confirmed by the Popes of Rome whose creatures and vassals now they are in the Church of Rome but Pharisaical Sects all studious of the Popes Decrees and observant of his commands though never so superstitious idolatrous abominable and wicked and contrary to Gods
Law as the old Pharisees were of the Traditions of the Elders the latter swearing to him blind obedience all making a shew of Religion but under the pretence thereof devour widows houses they garnish and visit the Sepulchres of the Martyrs but shed the blood of Christs most faithful Ministers and members who observe the traditions and commands of the Pope but make void the commandments of God Mat. 15. Mat. 23. I know not any men under heaven more like the old Pharisees than these creatures of Antichrist in the Church of Rome are their Doctrines and doings declare them his Formalists who have it may be a form of godliness but denying the power thereof who make these latter times to be very perilous 2 Tim. 3. 3. That he challengeth Princely dominion over the Church of Christ and people and Nations needs no proof Three Popes of Rome successively forged and pleaded a forged Decree for the Pope of Rome's Supremacy his trampling upon Emperours and Kings making them to kiss his Toe hold his Stirrup deposing of them and making others making what Laws he pleaseth dispensing with and making void Gods Laws as he pleaseth releasing subjects of their allegiance to their lawful and godly Princes and commanding them to rebel against dethrone and destroy them and their most Christian and loyal Subjects In a word he exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped 2 Thes 2. 4. which is one great mark of Antichrist 4. That his usurped authority hath no good ground in holy Scripture but is expresly forbidden by our blessed Lord and Saviour Mat. 20 25 26. But Jesus called them i. e. his Disciples unto him and said ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant Even as the son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many Luk. 22. 25. 1 Pet. 5. 3. Nether as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock Neither in those places of Scripture where Christs Ecclesiastical Orders of Church-Officers are set down is there any mention of an Universal Bishop as 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes 4. 11. Peter the Apostle disclaims this Princely Monarchy and Supremacy when he called himself the Elders of the Churches Fellow Presbyter and forbid them to Lord it over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Cyprian in his Epistles to several Popes of Rome calls them brothers Jerom also writing to the Pope of Rome tells him and proves it too that by divine right a Bishop and a Presbyter is the same Act. 20. 17 28. Phil. 1. 1. Tit. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. Ephes 4. 11. in his Epistle ad Oceanum that with the ancient Fathers Bishops and Presbyters were all one And adversus Lucifera nos he saith that a Bishops preferment was not by necessity of Gods Law but granted to him by the Church to honour him withall In his Epistle ad Evagrium handling this question at large he saith Who can endure his foolishness that preferred Deacons before Priests that is Bishops seeing the Apostle plainly teacheth that a Bishop and a Presbyter are all one And for proof he alledgeth Tit. 1. 5. Act. 20. 17. 28. Phil. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. Ephes 4. 11. And of this judgment also was St. Augustine Chrysostome Beda Oecumenius Sedulius Primasius Theophilact Theodoret Anselm Ambrose John Wickliff Thom. Walden Luther Zuinglius Calvin Oecolampadius Melancthon John Lambert Martyr Bishop Hooper Bishop Bale Mr. Tindal Martyr Musculus Zanchius Bullinger Gualter Chemnitius Danaeus Chamier Junius John Bradford Mâ—rtyr Dr. Hâ—mphry Dr. Reynolds Dr. Hollard Professors of Divinity at Oxford Bishop This is Bishop Jewel's argument against the Pope in his Def. of his Apology Jewel Bishop Morton Dr. Whitaker Mr. Cartwright Dr. Willet Amandus Polauus Michael Medina among the Papists and many more that write upon the Sentences many of which may be seen in Mr. Masons defence of Ordination by Presbyters in the Reformed Churches where there are no Diocesan Bishops 5. That he produceth Antichristian * Antichristianism was covered for a long time under the Cloak of Orthodoxy and Ceremonial indifferency saith Mr. Tomson a Bishops Chaplain in his Antichrist arraigned p. 85. fruits practises and doctrines appears by his abominable pride superstition Idolatrous worships pretended miracles and lying wonders by his Council of Trent wherein he Decrees That mens persons are justified before God by their own good works and all the errors before confuted denying justification of mens persons before God by faith alone which Errors he labours to maintain by his Creatures as Bellarmine Stapleton Harding Cornelius a Lapide and others especially by the Jesuits and also introduâ—ing his Traditions and Apocryphal Scriptures in which are many things directly contrary to Gods word and Christs interest and upon these and some other accounts did our Church of England in King Edward the sixth his reign pray in her Litany thus From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and his detestable enormities good Lord deliver us 6. That he is the Babylonical Beast that hath two horns like a lamb and speaks as a dragon That is he professeth the innocency of Christ the Lamb of God but speaks and acts like a Dragon he uttereth blasphemous speeches thunders out cruel and unjust Excommunications against Christs servants and venteth and maintaineth Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having his conscience seared with an hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4. 〈◊〉 2 3. of them which believe and know the truth The tâ—â— horned beast by his Ecclesiastical and Temporal power pretending Orthodoxy and Ceremonial indifferency decency and order and Apostolical traditions better adorning and promoting Christianity restored the Image of the old Pagan Beast that is under these and some other pretences restored idolatry and tyranny again into the Roman Empire and persecution against the true Church of Christ The two Horned Beast in the 13th of the Revelations is say some the same with the great Whore arrayed in purple and scarlet that 〈◊〉 a golden cup in her hand full of all abominations and filthiness of her fornication upon whose forehead was a name written Mystery Babyloâ— the great the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth in the 17th of the Revelations But I humbly conceive with submission to better judgments that if this do not intend some other Beast like the great Whore of Rome as I fear it doth then the Whore or Church of Rome is in the 13th Chapter described by her Head and principal â—â—mbers chiefly because Horns signifie Powers And in the 17th Chapter she is described as taking in not oaly the Head and Cardinals but
who gave direction for it to his General Joab and he is guilty of it too for following of David's unjust command 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittiâ—e with the sword and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon So here what the ten-horned beast is said to do may be well charged upon the Church of Rome the Pope and his Hierarchy because he causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed and he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of these miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Rev. 13. 12 14. Rev. 19. 20. And therefore is the blood of the Prophets and of all the Saints and of them that were slain upon the earth for Religion said to be found in her Rome Revel 18. 24. 2. Their activity v. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb. In Rev. 13. 7. 't is said That this ten-horned beast shall make war with the Saints and overcome them But here in Revel 17. 14. he makes war with Christ and is overcome by him for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and faithful and chosen 'T is true that they that make war against Christs Saints do make war against Christ Act 9 4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Those Kings that make war against and persecute Christs Saints as such do make war against and persecute Christ himself and so he takes it and will reward it That this ten-horned beast is said to overcome the Saints and yet to be overcome by Christ may be both true of the same beast for he did overcome the Saints at first but he is or shall be overcome by Christ and his called chosen and faithful Soldiers at last and therefore 't is said That he that leadeâ—h into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints to suffer in the mean time and to believe and wait for the performance of this promise Rev. 13. 10. 2. The Whore is described more plainly by her large Dominion by the people upon whom she sitteth called in the first verse many waters which is interpreted by the Angel v. 15. And he saith uâ—â—o the waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues which is a manifest description of the Roman Empire which consisted of many People and Nations and Tongues and upon these as well as upon the ten-horned beast or chief secular rulers did the great Whore of Rome sit that is reign and rule prick on and stir up to Superstition Idolatry and Persecution against Christs Church And therefore 't is said That the Kings of the earth that is of the Empire or earthly Church and the inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication and been made drunk with the wine of her fornication Revel 17. 2. she claims universal power over all this Terrestial world 3. This great Whore is described by her destruction And that 1. By the * A learned man by ten Kings understands their Kingdoms or people who against the minds of their Kings will thus destroy the great whore Antic p. 23. Revel 18. 9. instruments of her ruin and they are the ten horns or the ten Kings unto whom the Roman Empire was divided v. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore c. 2. By the degrees of her destruction these ten Kings shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire 1. They shall hate the whore of Rome the Pope his Cardinals Hierarchy and Clergy with whom they have committed spiritual fornication whereas before they loved her while the virtue of her intoxicating cup lasted but now seeing their own folly and her cunning craftiness selfishness pride covetousness luxury filthiness hypocrisie and cruelty that her whole Government Religion Worship pompous Ceremonies Purgatory Indulgences Excommunions Jubilees Processions Doctrines of the Popes Infallibility and Supremacy Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works traditions merits holiness of times places Churches Altars Vestments Copes Hats Palls Surplices Crosses Spittle Cream Salt Holy-water Auricular confession of sins worshipping of Saints departed Angels Images Reliques of Saints kissing of the Popes Toe of the Tayl of the Asse on which Christ rode adoring of the pretended Cross on which Christ was Crucified bowing to the East setting up of Altars and Crucifixes and Tapers on them and bowing to them as they do baptizing of Bells forbidding to Marry but allowing of Stews dispensing with Oaths incestuous Marriages holding of Plurality of Dignities Benefices with cure of souls and causeless Non-residency and many more such Doctrines and practises politick devices to uphold enrich and advance themselves their relations and servants and suppress the pure Doctrine and Worship of Christ and undo and destroy his most faithful servants and sincere Worshippers I say these Kings seeing these things and many more clearly their inordinate love is turned into well-guided hatred of her They hate her that is they separate from her they avoid communion with her they cease to commit any spiritual fornication with her 2. They make her desolate they do not only forsake her themselves but also they cause their subjects to do so too and that they do by setting up in their respective Kingdoms Gods pure worship and service without her proper ceremonies which she calls * Bellar. de effectibus Sacrament l. 2. c. 3. a. 20. badges and †Aquinas 12â— q. 103. a. 4. O. professions of her Religion and Gods pure word without her Legends Apocriphals and Traditions 3. They make her naked which they do both by words and deeds 1. By words by publick Preaching Confessions and Writings declaring and demonstrating her abominable filthiness that she may be detested by others 2. By deeds by with-drawing her gold silver precious stones first-fruits Peter-pence Abbies Friories Commendams Benefices Dignities and Revenues from her which were wont to be given her which the Whore by her pious frauds cunning craftiness got from the Ancestors of Kings and deluded people 4. They shall eat her flesh which is to be understood not carnally but mystically these Kings shall not prove Canibals and corporally with their teeth eat the flesh that is upon the bones of the great Whore of the Pope and his Cardinals but they will retain either to their own proper use or rather for the maintenance of Gods pure Worship and Interests those revenues which were paid to the Whore out of their Dominions as such to the upholding of her Pride and Idolatries Superstitions Luxuries and Bawds and they shall persecute her which in Scripture-language is eating of ones flesh Job 19. 22. Why do ye persecute
agreeing with other marks of the Beast is very significant and convincing that the Pope of Rome with his apostatizing Clergy is the great Whore or Antichrist I have been so large in this point that I must for brevities sake forbear to alledg what learned King James in his Epistle to his Apology to all Christian Princes saith where he fully and clearly proves the Pope to be Antichrist And in his Paraphrase upon the Revelations in which he every where calls the Pope of Rome Antichrist and the Church of Rome the false persecuting and Antichristian Church However Dr. Heylin in his Cyprianus Anglicus endeavours dishonourably to pervert his words and works Dr. Prideaux in his Sermon upon Rev. 2. 4. p. 36. Sermonum saith thus roundly Fathers and brethren is this a time to make a doubt whether the Pope be Antichrist or no seeing his horns and marks are so apparently discovered Bishop Sanderson in his Sermon upon 1 Tim. 4. 4. p. 414. Sermonum saith thus The Apostle gives instance in two of those Antichristian Doctrines viz. a prohibition of Marriage and an injunction of abstinence from Meats which particulars being so agreeable to the present tenets of the Romish Synagogue do give even of themselves alone a strong suspition that there is the seat of Antichrist But joined unto the other prophesies of St. Paul and of St. John in other places make it so 2 Thes 2. 3. Apoc. 13. 11. unquestionable that they who will needs be so unreasonably charitable as to think the Pope is not Antichrist may at the least wonder as * Moulins Accomplishment in the Preface one saith well by what strange chance it fell out that these Apostles should draw the picture of Antichrist in every point and limb so just like the Pope and yet never think of him I have one thing more to remind you of and that is this That though the Antichristian Church of Rome do in words profess the Doctrine of the Apostles Creed yet by their other super added Doctrines they do overthrow it As is evidently to be seen in the sum of their Doctrine before recited their own 13 Articles superadded to the first 12 of the Nicene Creed do overturn and destroy in effect them Mr. Thomson in his Arraignment of Antichrist p. 96 97 c. will inform you how they cross every Article of the Creed and so will others as Hemingius Antichristi-machia Beza cap. 7. conf Dr. Abbot against Bishop Part 3. To all which let me I pray add but a little more which the Church of England plainly saith in her Homily for Whitsunday p. 213 214 215 216. where having declared three marks of a true Church whereby it may be Marks of a true Church known viz. 1. Pure and sound Doctrine preached 2. The Sacraments ministred according to Christs institution 3. The right use of Ecclesiastical Discipline It saith thus Now if ye will compare this with the Church of Rome not as it was in the beginning but as it is at present and hath been for the space of 900 years and odd you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide * Rome as 't is now is no true Church this A. B. Laud contradicts in his Relation of Conf. p. 〈◊〉 and Bishop Mountague in his Gag 50. A. B. Laud saith that Papists and Protestants hold not forth a different Religion 〈◊〉 Bishop Mountague saith That the present Church of Rome is not divers from the ancient Church of Rome but remains firm in the same foundation of Doctrine and Sacraments from the nature of a true Church that nothing can be more Neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets retaining the sound and pure Doctrine of Jesus Christ neither yet do they order the Sacraments or the Ecclesiastical keys in such sort as he did first institute and ordain them but have so intermingled their own traditions and inventions by chopping and changing by adding and plucking away the now they may seem to be converted into a new guise Christ commanded unto his Church a Sacrament of his body and blood they have changed it into a †So did Gyles Widdows in his Schismatical kneeless Puritan p. 34 89. the Church is the place of Gods presence the Communion-Table the Chair of State of the Lord Jesus and his chiefest place of presence in our Church where his Priests sacrifice the Lords Supper to reconcile us to God offended with our daily sins Bp. Sparrow saith 't is an unbloody sacrifice in his Ration p 391. p. 280. he saith the Priest offers up the sacrifice of the holy Eucharist Sacrifice Christ ministred to the Apostles and the Apostles to other men indifferently under both kinds they have robbed the lay-people of the cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ ordained no other element to be used in Baptism but only water whereunto when the word is joined it is made as St. Augustine saith a full and perfect Sacrament they being wiser in their own conceit than Christ think it is not well nor orderly done unless they use conjuration unless they hallow the water unless there be oyl salt spittle tapers why was the sign of the Cross left out and such other dumb ceremonies serving to no use contrary to the plain rule of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. who willed all things to be done in the Church unto edification Christ ordained the authority of the Keys to excommunicate notorious sinners and to absolve them which are truly penitent they abuse this power at their own pleasure as well in cursing the godly with bell book and candle as also absolving the reprobate which are known to be unworthy of any Christian society whereof they that list may see examples let them search their lives To be short look what our Saviour Christ pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel the same may be boldly and with safe conscience pronounced of the Bishops of Rome namely that they have forsaken and daily do forsake the commandments of God to erect and set up their own constitutions Which thing being true as all they that have any light in Gods word must needs confess we may well conclude according to the rule of Augustine that the Bishops Aug. contra Petiliam Donastae Epistol c. 4. of Rome and their adherents are NOT THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST much less then to be taken as CHIEF HEADS AND RULERS of the same Whosoever saith he do dissent from the Scriptures concerning the Head although they be found in all places where the Church is appointed yet are not in the Church a plain place concluding directly against the Church of Rome Wheresoever ye find the spirit of arrogance and pride the spirit of envy hatred contention cruelty murther extortion witchcraft necromancy c. assure your selves that there is the spirit of the Devil and not of God albeit they pretend to the world never
Popes Traditions and Ceremonies pestilent deadly poyson Yea forsooth I have for I have drunken of the pestilent Traditions and ceremonies of the Bishop of Rome Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1504. Col. 1. Mr. John Bradford Martyr proveth the Church of Rome not to be a true Church but a false Church and the Pope the Head thereof to be the wicked one that is Antichrist And he tells the Bishop of York and the Bishop of Chichester That they did wickedly in coupling themselves to the Church of Rome again Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1533. col 2. And in pag. 1543 he tells the Londoners thus That in testimony of this my Faith I render and give my life being condemned as well for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be Christs Vicar General and supreme Head of his Catholick or Universal Church here or elsewhere upon Earth as for denying the horrible and Idolatrous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and Christs real corporal and carnal presence in his Supper under the forms and accidents of Bread and Wine And he saith the same in his Letier to the University and Town of Cambridg pag. 1544. And a little after in the same Letter he saith to Cambridg Dost thou not know Rome to be Babylon And in his Letter to Lancashire he saith That Transubstantiation is the dearly beloved of the Devil and the daughter and heir of Antichrists Religion c. Ibid. p. 1546. And in his Letter to a Woman that desired to know Whether she might be present at the Popish Mattins or no refraining from the Mass he saith thus This Latin Service is a plain mark of Antichrists Catholick Synagogue so that the Communicants and approvers of it thereby declare themselves to be members of the same Synagogue and so cut off from Christ and his Church whose exterior mark is the true administration of his Word and Sacraments Furthermore the example of your going thither to allow the Religion of Antichrist as doubtless you do indeed howsoever in heart you think occasioneth the obstinate to be utterly intractable the weak Papists to be more obstinate the strong Gospellers to be sore weakned and the weak Gospellers to be overthrown which things how great offences they be no pen * Yet do not many men make nothing of scandalizing their brethren now by injoining and practising the needless ceremonies of the church of Rome is able to utter by Letters Ibid. p. 1565. And in a Letter to the Lady Vane he saith That the Bishop of Rome is undoubtedly that great Antichrist of whom the Apostles do so much admonish us Ibid. p. 1565. col 1. And a little after he saith That the Bishop of Rome is a Butcher or a Bite-sheep rather than a Bishop How can we call him Christs Vicar that resisteth Christ oppugneth his verity and persecuteth his people and like a Prelate preferreth himself above God and man Ibid. p. 1566. col 1. And in his Letter to certain godly men he saith thus Therefore take heed for the Lords sake take heed and defile not your bodies or souls with this Romish and Antichristian Religion set up amongst us again but come away from as the Angel cryeth from amongst them in their Idolatrous service lest ye be partakers of their iniquity Ibid. p. 1568. col 2. And in his Letter to a godly Gentlewoman that was cast off by her Friends because she would not go to the Popish Mass he saith thus You cannot be partaker of Gods Religion and Antichrists service whereof the Mass is most principal you cannot be a member of Christs Church and of the Popes Church Ibid. p. 1570. And in his Letter to N. and his Wife he saith Now hath Antichrist all 〈◊〉 power again Ibid. p. 1571. And in his Letter with a Supplication to Queen Mary and her Council he saith thus That the Lords eyes were set to destroy England and your Highness and all your Honours if in time ye look not better to your office and duties herein and not suffer your selves to be slaves and hangmen to Antichrist and his Prelates which have brought your Highness and your Honours already to let Barnabas loose and to hang up Christ Ibid. p. 1574. John Launder Martyr in his Confession before Bishop Bonner saith That whosoever doth teach or use any more Sacraments than Baptism and the Lords-Supper or get any Ceremonies he doth not believe that they be of the Catholick Church but doth abhor them from the bottom of his heart And doth further say and believe That all the service sacrifices and ceremonies now used in this Realm of England yea in all other parts of the world which have been used after this manner be erroneous and naught and contrary to Christs institution and the determination of Christs Catholick Church whereof he believeth that he himself is a member and in this Faith he died Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1593. M. Luther * History of the Counc of Trent lib. 1. p. 76. said to the Popes Nuncio that nothing can be received from Rome compatible with the Ministry of the Gospel Derrick Carver Martyr in his answer to Bishop Bonner saith That your Ceremonies used in the Church are beggarly and poyson Ibid. p. 1594. Thomas Iveson Martyr confessed and to his death stood to this Article objected against him by Bonner That he believeth that all the ceremonies now used in this Church of England are vain superfluous superstitious and naught Ibid. p. 1595. col 1. Of the same Faith was John Denley Gentleman as may be seen in his Answer to the seventh Article Ibid. p. 1598 And the said John Denley in Answer to the third Article objected against him by Bishop Bonner said thus That I believe that this Church of England using the faith and Religion which is now used is no part or member of the aforesaid holy Catholick Church but is the Church of Antichrist the Bishop of Rome being the head thereof Ibid. p. 1597. Patrick Packingham Martyr told Bishop Bonner plainly to his face That the Church which Bonner believed was no Catholick Church but was the Church of Satan and that therefore he would never turn to it Ibid. p. 1598. col 2. Henry Laurence Martyr being required to put his hand to his Answers writ thus Ye are all of Antichrist and him ye follow Ibid. p. 1599. col 1. George Tankerfield Martyr plainly told Bishop Bonner That the Church whereof the Pope is the supreme head is no part of Christs Catholick Church Ibid. p. 1602. col 1. Mr. Robert Glover Master of Arts and Martyr plainly told the Bishop of Leichfield That the Church of God knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of God whom ye have refused and chosen the man of sin the son of terdition enemy to Christ the Devils deputy and lieutenant the Pope Ibid. p. 1616. col 1. In which place he gives six notes of Christs true Church which the Church of Rome wanteth yea
godly hearted and peerless young Christian Prince Whom Dr. Heylin saith He was a man of ill principles and that 't was no infelicity to the Church he means Rome sure that he died so soon And in p. 1673 col 2. he saith thus Now then seeing the Doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this Realm and the old Laws of Antichrist are allowed to return with the power of their father again c. Mr. John Philpot Martyr in his seventh Examination and Answer saith That the Church of Rome is a false Church and the Synagogue of Satan Ibid. p. 1704. col 2. And in his ninth Examination he tells Harpsfield That the Religion of Rome is a false Religion Ib. p. 1709. col 1. So he told Chadsey Ibid. p. 1715. col 1. And at his last Examination he told the Lord Mayor of London That he was sorry to see that that authority which representeth the Kings and Queens persons should now be changed and be at the commandment of Antichrist And ye speaking to the Bishops pretend to be the follows of the Apostles of Christ and yet ye be very Antichrists and deceivers of the people and that Church which ye pretend to be the Catholick Church is the Church of Rome the Babylonical and not the Catholick Church of that Church I am not Ibid. p. 1721. col 1. Thomas Whittel Priest and Martyr saith That he was well content to give over his body for the testimony of Gods truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 1738. Barthlet Green a Scholar and Martyr affirmeth That the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist Ibid. p. 1744. A. B. Cranmer M. calleth and proveth the Pope of Rome to be Antichrist Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1768. col 2. That the Traditions and Religion of that usurping Prelate of Rome are most erroneous false and against the Doctrine of the whole Scripture and the author of the same to be very Antichrist so often preached by the Apostles and Prophets in whom do most evidently concur all signs and tokens whereby he is painted to the world to be known Ibid. p. 1774. col 2. Many of which marks he sets down there And at St. Maries in Oxford when he recanted his Recantation he said thus And for the Pope I refuse him as Christs enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine and this he declared he spake without dissimulation Ibid. p. 1781. col 1. And in his Letter to Queen Mary he saith thus of the Pope If this be not to play Antichrists part I cannot tell what is Antichrist which is no more to say but Christs enemy and adversary who shall sit in the Temple of God advancing himself above all others yet by hypocrisie and fained religion shall subvert the true Religion of Christ and under pretence and colour of Christian Religion shall work against Christ and therefore hath the name of Antichrist whom he there proves to be Antichrist Ibid. p. 1784. col 2. John Mandrell Robert Spicer and William Coverley denying the Pope to be head of the Church or Christs Vicar affirmed him to be Antichrist and Gods enemy Ibid. p. 1788. William Times Curate and Martyr answered Bonner That the See of Rome is the See of Antichrist and therefore to that Church I will not conform my self nor once consent to it Ibid. p. 1791. And p. 1793. he saith The Church of Rome is the Antichristian Church Sixteen Martyrs at once make this Confession The See of Rome is the See of Antichrist the congregation of the wicked whereof the Pope is head under the Devil Article the third for proof of which they offer to be burnt Ibid. p. 1810. col 1. ART XV. That it is lawful to set up and suffer Bishop Mountague in his Gag pag. 300. saith That Images and Pictures of Christ may stand in Churches pro institutione rudiorum commone factione Historiae excitatione devotionis And pag. 318. that the Images and Pictures of Christ the blessed Virgin and Saints may not only for Civil uses but also for Religious imployment and helps of piety be set up in Churches and that the Church of Rome and we differ not therein so practise exceed not Doctrine And p. 317. that Dulia may be given to them Images of the Sacred Trinity of God the Father of God the Son Crucifixes of God the Holy Ghost or of Saints departed this life in Temples or Churches where Gods people do usually meet to worship God THis I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry wherein she saith as followeth p. 12. These costly deckiâ—â— of Churches and Images have nothing profited those that are wise and of understanding but have thereby greatly hurt the simple and unwise occasiâ—â—ing them thereby to commit most horrible Idolatry p. 13. Our Images 〈◊〉 been be and if they be publickly suffered in Churches and Temples 〈◊〉 will be worshipped and so Idolatry committed to them Wherefore our Iâ—â—ges in Temples and Churches be indeed none other but Idols as unto 〈◊〉 which Idolatry hath been is and ever will be committed p. 15. That 〈◊〉 honouring of abominable Images is the cause the beginning and end of 〈◊〉 evil and that the worshippers of them be either mad-men or most wicked men p. 17. Although it be said now commonly that Images be Lay 〈◊〉 Books yet we see they teach no good lesson neither of God nor of goâ—â—ness but all error and wickedness and therefore God as he forbiddeth 〈◊〉 Idols or Images to be made or set up so doth command such as we find 〈◊〉 and set up to be pulled down broken and destroyed Deut. 7th and 〈◊〉 Chapters where 't is observable that all the occasions of Idolatry 〈◊〉 to be avoided and therefore did God forbid marriages with the children of Idolaters for they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly p. 18. To set up Images or Altars is a wickedness and great offence and abomination in the sight of the Lord. p. 19. It is impossible that we should be worshippers of Images and the true servants of God also as Paul teacheth 2 Cor. 6. p. 21. Upon 1 Joh. 5. ult Tertullian saith Keep your selves from Images and Idols he saith not now keep your selves from Idolatry as it were from the service of them but from the Images or Idols themselves that is from the very shape or likeness of them do ye think those persons which place Images and Idols in Churches and Temples yea shrine them even over the Lords-Table as 't were of purpose to the worshipping and honouring of them take good heed either to St. John ' s counsel or Tertullian ' s for so to place Images and Idols is it to keep themselves from them
authority yet for edification they are made rather superior than equal to the Canonical Scriptures that are laid aside to make room for those Apocryphals as more edificative than they 4. Apocryphals are not more easie institutes exciting to the imbracing of the Canonicals but rather to the rejecting of them in the matters of faith and good manners 5. Suppose they were such institutes yet it will not follow that such erroneous Books should be publickly read because of the greater parts easiness and conformity to the word of Truth for they may * Let us cast from us corrupt Doctrine that will infect our Souls Homily of the Resurrection p. 196. corrupt their souls with erroneous opinions and affections and lives with wicked practises 6. No corrupting-Homilies or Sermons are to be appointed to be read or preached in publick in the Church for all things are to be done to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. 7. Apocryphals are appointed to be read in Cathedrals as well as in Country Parochial Churches Now you will not say that in Cathedrals where the Bishop Dean and Prebends sit and hear are the popular and duller or slower sort of hearers This therefore is no true and satisfactory answer but a meer pretence and put-off ART XVII That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the supreme Head of the Vniversal Church of Christ above all Emperours Kings and Princes Pastors People and Churches THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England which in Article of Religion 37 saith thus The Queens Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which things the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie But that only prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all Estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or temporal and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England And I add as Dr. Reynolds offered at the Conference at Hampton-Court pag. 37. that be ought not to have any here Of which God willing and permitting I shall say more hereafter though much be said already in the 11th Article of Popery renounced as before The Articles of Lambeth the Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland THe Articles of Lambeth made by Dr. John Whitgift A B. of Canterbury Dr. Fletcher Bishop Elect of London Dr. Vaughan Bishop Elect of Bangor Dr. Tindale Dean of Eli Dr. Whitaker Dr. Chaderton and Mr. Perkins c. as I find them in Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus l. 3. p. 204. and as I find them among the Articles of Ireland 1. God from all eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated 2. The moving or efficient cause of Predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is predetermined a certain number of the Predestinate which neither can be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not predestinate to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God sanctifying is not extinguished doth not fall off or vanish in the Elect either totally or finally 6. A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain or with full assurance of faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ 7. Saving Grace is not given nor communicated nor granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. No man can come to Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men drawn of the Father that they come to the Son 9. It is not in the free choice and power of every man to be saved These Nine Articles or Conclusions And when the Articles of England were received in the Church of Ireland the Title of the Canon is thus Of the agreement of the Church of England and Ireland the profession of the same Christian Faith Which shews that the Churches of England and Ireland did agree in those Articles c. in the Convocation held at Dublin Anno 1615 were resolved upon and agreed to by A. B. Vsher and the Bishops and Clergy as the publick Confession of the Church of Ireland as may be seen in the Articles of Ireland and in Dr. Heylin's Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 271. And moreover these Nine Articles of Lambeth were declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England by the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament about June 14th Anno Domini 1628 as Dr. Heylin informs me in his Cyprianus Angiicus l. 3. p. 197. And 't is observable that though Dr. Heylin affirms that the five Arminian points condemned in the Synod of Dort are the Doctrine of the Church of England and though Dean White licensed Moungues Armin an Popish Books and affirmed that there was nothing in it but what was agreeable to the profession of Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 135. and the three Arminian Bishops Buckeridg Corbet and Laud that wrote and pleaded for him affirmed the same in which Books the five Arminian points were maintained by Mountague and Limbus patrum and many Popish points more though they clamoured very much against the Parliaments declaring That he had in his Books viz. his Gagg and his Apollo Caesarem disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies and that the whole frame and scope of his Books was to the discouragement of the well-affected in Religion from the true Religion established in this Church and to incline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 155 And laboured by the authority and interest of the then King to have those points referred to the decision of the Convocation to whom they said they did belong though all the knot * Cyp. Angl. l. 1. p. 59. of Arminians except Mr. Barlow that met at Bishop Neils and many more were promoted and dignified persons and Mountague †Cypr. Angl. l. 3. p. 185. himself made Bishop in