of nature the impurity of mans life and manners the fulfilling and executing of a mans own excessive lusts and desires I say that that Religion is the more like to be orthodoxe and sound my reason is because God being of pure eyes with whom dwelleth no iniquitie is a God of order both inwardly in respect of himselfe and outwardly in respect of his creatures inwardly in respect of himselfe there is a prioritie of order of the Father before the Sonne of the Sonne before the Holy-Ghost outwardly and in respect of the creatures God made all things in order and measure yea in such order and measure that each creature keepeth its owne course and station I speake not in regard of corrupted but created nature for the mutuall comfort and conservation one of another the more then that we crosse order and measure the more I say that wee are excessive and exorbitant in our affections and actions especially in matters exercises of Religion and Divine worship the greater cause have we to suspect our selves and that Religion which we professe or which teacheth or warranteth us so to doe for what is sinne but an obliquity in our affections and actions and what is holinesse or true Religion but a conformity and rectitude of both these being sutable to Gods revealed will which is the rule of righteousnesse that Religion therefore whose doctrine teacheth us most conformitie and rectitude in our affections and actions to Gods word must of necessity be a true and sound Religion this is the second 3 A third marke of true Religion is when the doctrins practice thereof doe tend more to the advancement of the honour and glory of Christ then our owne worldly or private profit and advantage and when they doe affect us with a sense feeling of our owne wants and unworthinesse so that we are ready to say not with the Pharisee I am not like this man I have done thus and thus nor with the Papist I have performed this worke of condignity that of congruity a third of supererogation by the working or doing whereof I have deserved eternall life both for my selfe and others but rather confesse with the Apostle Non sunt condignae these our momentary sufferings are not worthy of that glory that shall be revealed and with that good Martyr onely Christ onely Christ or with that worthy Father Meritum meum miserationes Domini onely the Lords mercies are my chiefest merits 4 Fourthly that is surely a sound and warrantable Religion wherein most comfort is afforded and ministred to a distressed and perplexed conscience through the assured confidence of Gods love in our owne Election especially at the approach of death For whereas some false and pretended Religions for sinistrous and bad ends teach that it is great and damnable presumption to beleeve or be certainely perswaded that God hath elected us to salvation or that wee can have in this life any certaine feeling of Gods love in the pardon of our sinnes True and pure Religion exhorteth us with Saint Peter to give diligence to make our owne calling and election sure no wayes to doubt but to beleeve for he thâ—t doubteth beleeveth not and maketh God a lyar to beleeve I say and be perswaded with Saint Paul that nothing can separate us from his love but that Christ shall bee both in life and death our advantage 5 I could also mention a fifth marke of true Religion which is this namely when the principles and doctrines thereof doe not onely teach but move the professors thereof although in respect of persons innumerable yet in respect of opinion and affection to be as one man when of many hundreds or thousands of men and women that assemble themselves and enter into the place of Gods worship the habitation of Gods House it can be said as it was of these in the Primitive Church {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they all entred into the Church as one man but because I am to speake more largely of this point about the end of this Treatise and I am loath that my Citty should as they say runne out at the gates or my preface prove larger then my History Let these few passages serve to assure the Reader that such as is premised is our Religion ours I say deâ—ended and taught in this Angelike Monarchy the doctrines that wee doe maintaine the truths that we doe beleeve and the Circumstances which I would at this time commend to the serious observation of all my brethren and Countrie-men especially to these that are addicted to the Roman Sea within the Kingdome of Great Britaine or elsewhere to the effect they may not onely apprehend and perceive the true and solid grounds which our Religion and Church is built upon which is not the person or succession of one particulâ—r Peter but the doctrine and faith of many thousand Pauls or parvuli Christi even of all true Christians who by humility and faith depend upon the merits of the Sonne of God and the gracious promises revealed in his word or inspired Scriptures which were given unto men not by men not by any humane tradition or invention but by Divine inspiration being profitable of themselves through the working of the Holy-Ghost to instruct reprove correct and make the man of God perfect wise unto salvation and furnished unto every good worke But also behold and know the sandy foundation of the Romish Church and all other pretended srothy hereticall fantasticall phanaticall schismaticall frâ—ctious and factious Idolatrous and superstitious Religions in the world which is no other but quircks and tricks of fleshly worldly and naturall wisedome not able soundly and savingly to perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God yet permitted by God to remaine in his Church for the correcting disciplining and exercising of his militant members who without such things would freeze to death and settle themselves upon the lees of naturall corruption and like an Oxe to the slaughter runne on with others and precipitate themselves in that broad way that leadeth to destruction And likewise in the third place with griefe of heart bemoane the intollerable pride insatiable avarice unlimited ambition unquenchable malice hatred and tyrannie which the Romanists doe exercise and where-with their chiefe Prelates Doctors and ghostly Fathers doe burne against their innocent orthodoxe and reformed brethren and whereby they would ingrosse unto themselves wheresoever they take footing or beare sway all power authority and priviledges as well in Civill as Ecclesiasticall affaires fearing and sparing no lyes reproaches calumnies perjuries murthers which either the devils malice or mans wickednesse can invent for accomplishing their Politick designes and Machiavel-like machinations against all their opposers The truth whereof wee shall see to appeare plainely as in many other parts of Europe whereof also I suppose this Kingdome cannot be insensible so especially in the Kingdome of Poland and more particularly in the great Citty of Vilna
pride and insolency of Jesuites and Papists is growne to such a heigth that they spare not to persecute and assault our Ministers and Professors in the open streets affronting them with opprobrious speeches and sometimes with blowes yea often wounding them with gunnes shables clubs or stones as they lately did two of our Dukes Ministers in the Wilde about the moneth of December last one whereof a learned and Reverend Divine Master Iacobus they afflicted with three severall wounds one in the arme another in the left cheeke and a third on the backe of the left hand whereof I my selfe was an eye-witnesse so that they are now forced to forsake their Ministeriall habits and goe like Merchants or Souldiers with coloured clothes and weapons The truth whereof I my selfe have lately experienced having beene two severall times in great danger of my life once namely about the latter end of February last travelling peaceably in my sled from Keydan the place of my residence unto Rogola which is foure Polish miles distant I was set upon in the high-way by a Polish Boyarne or Gentleman who asked me what Bishop I served under but because I could not answer him in his owne language so well as he expected or perhaps by my habit surmised me to be one of Duke Radzivils Ministers stroke at me most desperatly with his shâ—ble or Polish sword three or foure severall times wounded me in the head and had I not warded two or three of his blowes with a thick Cane which I then had in mine hand and which he did almost cut through he had certainely bereft me of my life Not long after being in the Towne of Kowan six Polish miles from Keydan walking in the streets about nine of the clocke in the morning going to buy some necessaries because I saluted not the Crucifix which was then carryed by me in procession and encountred me unawares the Jesuite Schollars accompanyed with two Capushine Fryars fell upon me and assaulted me so fiercely first with words and then with blowes and stones that I was forced to make more then ordinary haste to my lodging Thus have I discharged my duty to my Illustrious Patron discovered unto you the afflicted estate of our reformed Churches under the Crowne of Poland and exposed to the world the treacherous practices malicious tyrannie unreconciliable hatred unlimited and unsatiable ambition of the Romish Prelats and their associates within the aforesaid Kingdome And yet I would not hereby absolutely and totally condemne the Romish Church as it is a Church and a part or member although a diseased and rotten one of the true Catholicke Church of Christ and as it beleeveth approveth and maintaineth with Christs Apostles and us many essentiall and Orthodoxe points of truth both in doctrine and discipline agreeable to the word of God and the analogy of fâ—ith Nor would I discourage too much the modest and better sort of Papists who living in simple ignorance make innocencie and charity the touchstone of their Religion For I am very confident that he that cannot try the truth of his Religion by these two let him be Protestant or Papist or of whatsoever other Religion he will all that he beleeveth knoweth or professeth of that Religion cannot profit him to salvation but is as founding brasse or a tinckling Cymball because the faith or knowledge which he professeth or pretendeth to have is meerely notionall and speculative residing onely in the braine and shewing it selfe onely by words or outward posture but not inwardly affecting or heating the heart with a desire to doe good or frame our actions according to our profession For that Religion that must save us must be a practicall Religion that faith that must justifie us before God must be an effectuall operative faith which worketh by love and that knowledge of God and of his Sonne Christ that knowledge I say of Religion and Divine worship which is true and able to doe us good and bring us to life eternall must bee such a knowledge saith Pet. Mart. Quia ita mutamur ut quae scimus opere conemur exprimere P. M. inloe com otherwise the better our Religion is and the more that we know of it or are leaned in it it will be the worse for us for Potentes potenter torquebuntur that swimming learning or knowledge which we have will but aggravate our condemnation for according to our talent of knowledge doth God expect from us a correspondent reckoning of obedience whereas he doth not so to such unto whom he hath not shewed himselfe so bountifull a Creditor But first I would hereby admonish and give notice unto all the simpler and more ignorant sort of Papists who either have beene lately seduced by these Romish impostures or have not as yet taken deepe footing and are but newly entred into that Antichristian Laborynth that they would in time and before they passe too farre retire and withdraw themselves least in the end they provoke the Lord to complaine of them as he did of those in the fourth Psalme O yee sonnes of men how long will you follow after vanities and seeke after leasings Secondly I would hereby bewayle and condemne Crassam illam supinam Pontificiorum ignorantiam that most grosse or rather wilfull and obstinate ignorance of the Roman Prelates and Church-men who I am perswaded in my conscience beleeve in their hearts know with their understanding discerne by their judgement although they will not confesse with their mouthes most if not all of these humane inventions unnecessary traditions idolatrous superstitions false cruell treacherous and ungodly practices doctrines devices and machinations wherein they differ from us and from that truly antient Catholicke and Apostolike doctrine professed and beleeved in the purer times of the Church many hundred yeares before ever there was the least mention of the Popes holinesse and by Gods grace is continued beleeved and maintained by us in this Angel-like Monarchy I say it is not possible but that they must needs know these things which they teach write professe and maintaine for the grounds of their Religion and maintaining improving and advancing of their Hierarchy to be unjust false unchristian and hereticall and blasphemous did they not by reason of that Regnum ignorantiae erroris that is of that kingdome of ignorance that is amongst them shut up the gates of truth that is of holy Scriptures which is the rule and ground of truth from themselves and their people Haeretici Sacerdotes claudunt Ianuam veritatis the hereticall Priests shut the gates of truth because they know that if the truth were knowne their Religion should be forsaken and they cast downe and debased from their Pontificall dignity into the meane condition of ordinary people yea I should rather have said did not the Prince of this world which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience shut their eyes that they should not see stop their eares that they cannot heare harden their
hearts that they should not understand nor discerne the wayes of truth wherein they should walke and therefore it is no marvell that God hath given them over to a reprobate sense to be like other Sectaries and heretiks obstinate in their errors to beleeve strong delusions and to hold the truth in unrighteousnesse Thirdly I would hereby incourage my Brethren and Country-men whether in this Kingdome or else-where to stand firme and constant in the truth of their profession and not to be moved and-shaken with every winde of doctrine nor by their Sects Schismes separations private and confused opinions or Assemblies rend the unseamed Coat of their Redeemer or thereby teare that part of his mysticall body which hee doth graciously please to continue in this Kingdome but to agree rather in one consent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace to follow after peace with all men and holinesse yea to forbeare one another in love and to follow after the truth in love with peaceable and loving affections not with hot and furious distempers as some of us seeme to doe who thinke they cannot be religious enough unlesse they be enemies to peace and that there can be no better patterne of wholesome doctrine to hold fast keep and frame their faith by then that which is of their owne weaving I tell you good Brethren this patterne of doctrine which is maintained and I hope shall be maintained in these Kingdomes is good enough yea so good that I know none in the world better and I am sure I have read heard knowne and seene as much of the world almost as any other of my Coate and calling within this Iland yea I say there is none so good none so neare that patterne which Paul commended to Timothie therefore keep it fast which you cannot doe unlesse you love the truth and peace Say not one of you I am of Paul another I am of Apollos a third I am of Cephas a fourth I am of Christ Let me intreat you for Christ his sake not to deceive your selves for Christ neither will not can be divided nor will he ever send his Spirit into you to illuminate or inspire you with the truth if hee see you inclined or addicted to schisme or faction for in malevolam animam non introibit sapientia Heavenly wisedome and truth will not enter into soules that through fraction contention schisme or separation are divided and dissipated Vna est Columba mea saith Christ of his Spouse the Church My Dove is one and as his Church is one so is his Spirit which once descended upon him in the likenesse of a Dove to teach all posterities that he will never send his graces but into dove-like soules that is into men and women that are of a dove-like innocent humble and loving heart Certainely that knowledge which they have or professe of Gods worship that are otherwise cannot be true and good it cannot I say be true unlesse it make them one with their brethren as Christ is one with the Father Iohn 17. 20. Be not therefore divided give not the Papists occasion to say as I have heard some of them lately say to my selfe The Protestants have so many Sects amongst them that they know not what to embrace nay said one there are in this City for the present above ninety severall Religions each one differing from another nay each one despising excommunicating and separating themselves from other O let not this be heard in Gath nor published in the streets of Askalon For shame for shame give not this occasion to the adversary forsake not Christs Spouse for her blacke spots nor his true Reformed Church in this Land for her imperfections what would you have a Church Militant to be Triumphant or doe you dreame of or seeke for a Church in this life that hath no blemish such men as these had best buy wings to themselves and flee beyond the Moone to the garden of Hesperideâ— wherein some say was Paradise and which if wee will beleeve Poets is altogether free from stormes and tempests sure I am beneath the Moone there is no man no Religion no Church free from blemishes nor possibly can be Seeing that of the Apostle is as true of all the Church as of one of the Church here we see darkely through a glasse we know but in part but then we shall know as we are knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. Let us not say in matters of Religion draw backwardly or contrariwayes like Sampsons Foxes that were bound together tayle to tayle for then can follow nothing but jars contention combustion and tumultuous confusion but let us be rather like the Cherubins having our faces looking one towards another that is let us all with one consent and unity of mind especially in matters of faith and Religion joyne together in love opinion judgement and affection to embrace beleeve and practice such a forme of doctrine discipline and government as hath been ever since Christ or at the least in the purer times after Christ received and followed in the Christian Church and as I hope through Gods goodnesse and providence shall shortly be established in this Kingdome by the religious care and wisedome of our King and Parliament which I am perswaded will be no other then such as shall be most pleasing unto God justifiable and harmelesse to the people sutable to the Scriptures and most approveable and comfortable to mens consciences Such I say as shall have for their ground and warrant not mens inventions humane policy and traditions but absolutely and immediatly Gods inspired Scriptures which are sufficient in all things to instruct reprove correct in righteousnesse and to make the man of God perfect furnished throughly to every good work in a word such as shall most conduce for the advancement of Gods glory and depressing the pride and ambition of mens hearts such as are most contrary to the corruption of mans life manners such as are most spirituall sutable to the nature of God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit truth finally such as can afford most comfort and ease unto troubled and perplexed consciences if I say such doctrines discipline and manner of Government be admitted established in our Church as I make no doubt they shall and also if all the people from Dan to Beersheba both in City and Country from all places and corners of the Land joyne together as is aforesaid without contention preposterous zeale schisme and separation to approve beleeve receive and practice the same then shall our Church like Aarons rod flourish to all possible perfection even to the astonishment and admiration of all her enemies being as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but remaineth for ever as the mountaines about Ierusalem so shall the Lord be about his people from henceforth and for ever Psa. 150. Fourthly and lastly let these and such like treacherous practices of Jesuites and Papists
abovementioned be a foelix quem faciunt or warning-peale unto all the Orthodoxe and Reformed Churches in the world to make them not only hate and abhorre all Popish and Antichristian devices but also abandon if they wish their owne welfare and as much as is possible exterminate and extirpate out of their Lands and Kingdomes all pragmaticall and busie heâ—ded Romanists but especially these of the Jesuited sort which are more rigidly devoted and addicted to the Roman Sea Let this Historie I say be as wormwood to the dug to make the Sons of our Mother the children of this Church forsake the paps of that Antichristian whore and not to admit upon any termes much lesse to approve or maintaine the least semblance of a Papisticall Hierarchie least if they doe their ghostly fathers Prelates and Fraternities shew them a tricke of Machiavelisme and how doggetly they can insult and domineere over their simple and Reformed Brethren whersoever they take footing as they have lately done these two yeares past in the Kingdom of Poland over that famous Illustrious and Orthodoxe Prince Duke Christopher Radzivil the father and his distressed Ministers and are like to do still over his most excellent and Illustrious sonne Prince Ianussius unlesse the Lord provide some remedy to the contrary But especially let them take notice of this unto whom both God and his Anointed our Soveraigne hath freely and graciously granted all sort of power right Law and prerogative to execute establish and reforme matters tending to the preservation and welfare of this Kingdome for whom as true and naturall sonnes of this Sion let us be carefull in our best devotion and prayers to sollicite and implore the favourable assistance and gracious presence of the Almighty who hath the hearts of Kings and great men in his hands turning them like the rivers of water which way he listeth That he may be pleased so to affect and dispose the hearts of the Peeres and Princes Magistrates of this Land that they may speedily bethinke themselves of some opportune way and meanes whereby all fractions and factions schismes separations sidings and backslidings contentions combustions confusions prevarications finally all Antichristian polypragmaticall tyrannicall and treacherous heresies schismes practices professions and enterprises may be quite or at least as much as is possible abolished and removed from the body and bounds of this Monarchie and that all his Majesties subjects here and elsewhere may from henceforth concurre and consent in unity of mind opinion judgment conscience and affection to embrace professe maintaine retaine beleeve and Practice such a platforme and patterne of wholesome doctrine and Religion as is most consonant and agreeable to Gods revealed will loving the truth and peace and following after the truth in love in a word if it be possible and as much as in them lyeth following peace with all men and holinesse that there may be amongst them all but one body and one spirit even as they are called in one hope of their vocation one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of them all in them all and through them all Amen Ephes. 4. FINIS Lord William Cavendise ANAGR A wise Lord can live milde ACROST LEt Natures seeming lustre gull or blind Our dazeled eyes with earths vaine glistering rayes Rarest soule-filling pleasures you shall find Deriv'd from thence where grace and vertue swayes Were all perfections in the earths great round Inclosed and ingros'd in one Free-hould Let Pearles streame as the pibles gold abound Like silver silver as the sand yea could In one great Magazing Dame Nature fold All that the Heaven or Earth and Sea containes My Muse hath here from Truths bright fountaine told Combind in one that yet the soule remaines A wandring wondring wavering Pilgrim toile Voyde of her Maker barr'd from restfull blesse Ever with sinnes feare care or sorrow soild Never appeased in this vast Wildernesse Did reason season wit and faith comply In all these stormes with love hopes Anchor then Should safely make this brittle Barke of clay Enter with joy into her wished Haven Vestrae Magnificentiae addictissimus E. G.