and Religion when they protest with so much truth to our faces they cannot see any Church any Religion among us as uniform publick authentick Constant We might consider that the enacting of laws penalties and impositions against Papists is but a knotting Whipcord to lash our own posterity Seeing now there be so many Opinions in the World God knows upon whose children it may fall next For the Church of England is not a Manna that relisheth in every mans palate Secondly To use severity against Papists overturns the very ground of our retreat from Rome It is against Protestant sincerity for how can they exclaim against them for persecutors and are now the men themselves Was it an instance of weakness in their Religion and is it become a demonstration in ours Is it Antichristian in them and Christian in us For if men must be restrained upon prudential pretended considerations for their Religious exercise why not the same in France Germany Holland Constantinople c. where matters of State may equally be pleaded And if Protestants who maintain that no Councils or Church without tyranny may require belief or internal consent from their subjects to their definitions or Articles of Religion a practice much exclaimed against in the Church of Rome why then do they of the Church of England so inconsequently exact in practice such consent blamed in the Roman CAP. VII That by our own Concessions true Salvation is acquired in the Roman Church and therefore not to be persecuted THe most eminent Divines of the English Church allow the Church of Rome to be a true Church whence they acknowledge and derive their Orders Ordination Calling Mission Jurisdiction Authority to Preach c. wherein they agree Salvation may be had and all Fundamentals of Faith are profest v. g. Papists hold all positive Articles of Faith setled among Protestants as divine and undoubted Truths Protestants and Catholicks both are Christians Both Baptized in that holy name both lay hold on the promises of the Gospel have the Lords Prayer Belief the same three Creeds Apostolical Nicene Athanasian The first four General Councils They believe with the Roman Church Articles of Doctrine that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son terms of Trinity substantiality virginity of our Blessed Lady Scripture all Laws Canons Ordinances forms of Liturgy Prayer Service Discipline c. And though the Roman Church doth declare many doctrinal points as necessary to be believed being deduced from holy Writ and practice of the primitive times whch the Reformists deny Yet seeing they acknowledge all the necessary articles fundamentally required to Salvation as is by their Adversaries granted What reason or justice is it to condem them to so great cruelties for matters of their Belief I could produce innumerable testimonies from the best Authors and Writings of the English Church who teach the Roman notwithstanding her supposed errors to be the Church of Christ and therein perfect Christianity and hope of Salvation to be found To avoid prolixity I will mention a few Doctor Morton in his Treatise of King of Israel and the Church p. 24 Papists saith he are to be accounted of the Church of God because they hold the Foundation of the Gospel Hooker 5. Book of Eccles Policy saith The Church of Rome is reputed a part of the House of God and of the Family of Jesus Christ Doctor Couel in defence of Hooker p. 17. saith We affirm them of the Church of Rome to be part of the Church of Christ and those that live and dye in that Church may be saved Master White in defence c. 41. in the name of his Brethren saith We profess the Church of Rome it self in all Ages to have been the visible Church of God Field lib. 3. c. 8. saith We most firmly believe all the Churches of the World wherein our Fathers lived and died to have been the true Churches of God in which undoubted Salvation was to be had And after in the same Book We never doubted but that in the Churches wherein those holy men St. Bernard and St. Dominick lived were the true Churches of God Osiander witnesseth Bede had all Popish errors yet Dr. Humphrey in his Jesuitism acknowledges him to be in the number of the godly so doth Fulk of St. Bernard Luther the Centurists Tindal and Pantaleon title St. Francis and St. Dominick holy men though they bleieved all Papistical errors therefore Papists may be saved if Protestants may be believed Dove persuas saith in fundamental points of Doctrine the greatest Papists in the world agree with us Prot. rel affirmeth the Roman Church hath still inviolably the foundation of Religion l. 48. Downam l. 2. Antichr granteth it was a note of a good Christian to cleave to the Romish and Apostolical Church and p. 103. l. Antichr he yieldeth to Bellarmine that S. Augustine and Victor Oticensis were of opinion to adhere to the Church of Rome was a mark of a true Catholick in those times Our Stars of the first magnitude as Luther in Epist against Anabap. saith we confess that all Christian good is in the Papacy and from them it came down to us and ibid. I say in the Papacy is the true Christianity yea the true Kernel of Christianity and on the 28 of Genes we confess the Church to be among the Papists for they have Baptism Absolution the Text of the Gospel c. and there are many godly men among them Calvin Instit l. 4. confesseth in the Roman Church in the deepest of her supposed errors there ever remained inviolabile foedus Dei the Covenant of God inviolable Doth not Bunny Whitaker Junius Zanrchius Seravia and almost all Protestants generally hold as much at least that we agree in fundamentals that the Roman Church is a true Church the Mother C-hurch A thousand of learned Reformists confess in general Antiquity and the Fathers are for the Roman Church Whence a learned Writer noteth in some things or other yea in every particular Controversy Protestants grant their Assertions and there is no assertion by the Papists defended but some of the reformed yield too and confess as of great reason and authority Magdeburgenses 4. Cent. dedicated to Queen Elizabeth ad Jacobum Regem that the first purest times of the Church taught Sacramental Confession Tradition Invocation of Saints Purgatory Mass a propitiatory Sacrifice Miracles obtained at the reliques of Saints Images in Churches for the first 200 and 300 years Concerning the Primacy that one must be Cheif in the Church is taught by Melancton Luther in loc com Couel in examen Jacobus Andreas related by Hospiuian Mr. Perkins Prob. p. 237. saith Appeals were often made out of Africa to Popes of Rome in primitive days Middleton Papist p. 39. that the first general Council of Nice taught the Dignity of Rome over the West Provinces and hold p. 200. Papias living in the time of the Apostles taught Peters Supremacy Field lib. Church saith the
All Sides and Nations reproach us for it when the sensual and partial are so hardened in their self ishness that no warning can take off the Bias of their Judgments There is a kind of spirit in some which is so different from that charity which thinketh no evil that it thinketh nothing 1 Cor. 13. else concerning those that differ from them this is contrary to that charity which is not puffed up and doth not behave it self unseemly In that almighty God hath put enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent we may gather that as the Seed of the Woman should be at enmity with the Seed of the Serpent so should it be at unity with it self If even with Infidels and Heathens the Servant of God must not strive but be gentle to all men apt to teach c. 2 Tim. 2. 24. How much more is Gods family and inheritance to be used with love and tenderness There is in many Christians a strange inequality of partiality Alas how often have I heard wise and otherwise prudent persons cry out against pride and partiality in others who in their next discourse have shamefully shewed it themselves making much of their own inconsiderable reasonings and vilifying urgent evidence And being so intent on their own cause that they could scarce have patience to hear another speak and when they have heard them their first words shew that they never well weighed the strength of his arguments but were all the while thinking what to say against him or how to go on as they had begun Many an errour is taken up by going too far from others Some giddy and heady Professors saith Doctor Gauden have been so eager to come out of Babylon that they are almost run out of their wits so jealous of superstition that they are pandors for confusion so scared with the name of Rome that they are afraid of all right reason and sober Religion so fearful of being over-righteous by following traditions of men that they fear not to be over-wicked by overthrowing the good â—oundations of honour order peace and charity fierce enemies indeed against the Idolatry of Antichrist but fast friends to Belial and Mammon to Schism and Sacriledg And thus mens judgments and practices are depraved by flying indiscreetly from others while they think more from whence they go than whether More favouring the separate zeal of Pharisees than the winning zeal of Christ calling themselves a godly people and are but a company of superstitious Pharisees or a sort of melancholy humorists who must sit because their neighbour stands or must go out of the way because their neighbour goeth in it They that will find out the bottom of any Religion must prepare themselves to carry a spirit thoroughly discharged of all animosities passions and false apprehensions which corrupt the judgment and raise a mist upon the most resplendent lights of truth If we were impartially willing to know the truth and did pray God in meekness of spirit we would avoid and not choose deceits and resist the light and provoke God to forsake our understandings Many Christians are as children tossed too and sro fluctuating 'twixt wind and water there is no other remedy for such or satisfaction or peâ—ce to their Consciences but Christ's precept and prescript to hear the Church to be of the number and in the community of the generality of agreeing Christians seing the generality of those that have a long and constant delivered Series of their Doctrines is more unlikely to be in error or forsaken of Christ than a few odd-conceited new opinions And this may be one rational means left us to find out the truth as Baxter confesseth in cure of Church c. to submit to that the most religious the most learned the major part of Christians ever taught or submitted to Whence Bishop Gauden noteth The primitive Churches were as careful to act in their outward Order and Government of the Church according to Apostolical pattern and traditional constitutions which were first the rule of the Churches practice as they were faithful to preserve the Canon of Scriptures which were after written and delivered without corruption to posterity Every one will confess that the true spirit of Christianity is meek peaceable gentle and yet how contrary is the practice the people of God are realous but of what not to consume and destroy one another not to hate and vilifie one another but they are zealous to love one another to forbear what is contrary to love zealous of good works patient temperate gentle c. the way of heavenly wisdom is meek peaceable and easie to be entreated by all offices of Rom. 12. 18. love inclined to good to all The spirit of false zeal is censorious hurtful dividing following the works of the flesh which are hatred malice Galat. 5. 12. variance leading the way to cruelty and persecution Where is persecution but from thinking ill of others abhorring and not loving them robbing men of the priviledges of Christians not leaving them common liberty of men and subjects nor to plead for themselves This destroying cruelty leaveth them neither and will not suffer them to enjoy so much liberty as Heathens and Infidels may enjoy or as S. Paul did under such condemning them to the loss of the greatest Act. 28. priviledges on earth and to be left out with the dogs publicans and heathens Is persecution worthy all the calamitous divisions in Christendom and the blood of so many thousands shed for conscience sake and enduring the outcries of the imprisoned and banished and their prayers to Heaven from mens hands and the leaving such a name upon record to posterity as is usually left in History on the authors of such sufferings besides the present regret of mind in the calamities of others and sad divisions and destructions of charity which cometh hereupon Will force cure disagreements and errors better than evidence of truth and love will do will they be so cured without a greater mischief Is not the work to be done for saving mens Souls and shall any be saved against his will will penalties change the judgment in matters of religion is he any better than a knave or hypocrite who will say or swear to do that through fear which he thinketh God forbiddeth him and feareth may damn his Soul is it the honour of Church or Kingdom to be composed of such and are the lives of Kings peace of Kingdoms Estates c. competently secured where God is not feared more than fines or corporal punishments Is this to teach in love to instruct in meekness it is certain whosoever swerves from the dictate of his Conscience commits a sin Rom. 14. So they that endeavour to force or draw any man to profess or act contrary to what his Soul believes are as deeply guilty of the same crime We are all infirm and of imperfect understandings therefore we ought not to be too imperious or too censorious toward other dissenters lest you James 3. 12. receive a greater condemnation take heed you fall not into the hands of the living God They shall be judged without mercy who have shewed no mercy The rod of discipline must be used but it must be done only to the scandalous and so done that it may appear to be Christs own work and upon his interest and his command and not either arbitrarily or for our selves Christ teacheth us not to use violence when we speak for him but to beseech men in his name to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. And men would more easily be perswaded to believe that Religion to be from God whose Professors they saw to be god-like The whole Gospel is a revelation of the love of God and a Messias of peace and very opposite to envy and animosity all principles which are against universal love are against God and holiness it is Love which is predominant Fear is subservient and that fear which is contrary to love is vice I dare proclaim true piety love humility and prudence may happily heal a great many dissentions and the wounds which rash injudicious zeal hath made that to the proud carnal and uncharitable seem incurable and the cessation of unnecessary impositions might cease the saddest distractions of the Nation Oppression maketh a wise man mad saith the Preacher Eccles 7. 7. Conscience Persecution then among Christians is clearly repugnant to the Law of God the Light of Nature and evidence of our own principles For the sake then of Christ who purchased the weakest with his blood for the sake of those who are in danger of turning to Atheism for the sake of the poor distracted Nation for the sake of the King that he may have comfort in his Subjects of governing a quiet peaceable people and for your own sakes that you may give up account to God of your principal and most Christian duty and not make Apocriphal all those Texts of Scripture and plain injunctions to charity and love above cited and Rom. 14. 2 3 4. and 15. 34. Matt. 25. 40. 1 Phil. 15 16 17. Let then the Scripture Reason and Experience the Petitions and Tears of the distressed intreat you to moderation Rom. 3. 16. let the deformity and unreasonableness of the cruel maxims of persecution bringing nothing but destruction and misery be a determent to all tempestuous spirits let the conscientious and godly-minded people out of the bowels of mercy and compassion sollicite the Governours of the earth and pray unto heaven for an impartial freedom That eternal Majesty who raised so brave a fabrick of such indisposed materials that controuls the waves and checks the tumults of the people let his mercy be implored for speedy succour to the distressed for unity and charity to the divided That the rod of Aaron may blossom that the Tabernacle of David may be raised that the subtil and envious may be caught in their own snare that the result of all afflictions may be the greatening of his Glory and the exalting of his Scepter Amen FINIS
ages she hath had some glorious company professing her Religion even in points their adversaries now impugne There makes for them all that may or can be of any Christian man required Literal Text of holy Scripture approved Tradition general Councils ancient Fathers Ecclesiastical Histories Christian Laws Conversion of Nations divine miracles heavenly Visions Vnity Vniversality Antiquity Succession their true Mission Ordination c. all Monuments all Substance all accidents of Christianity No wit of man can find out Arguments more convincing in themselves the truth of Religion than plain Texts and literal Sense of holy Writ the infallible Decrees of Church and general Councils the indubitable Writings and unanimous consent of ancient Fathers the credible Histories of all times and places and often the common light of Nature and Reason it self And ad hominem for prevention of all evasions no victory more certain no objection more unanswerable than the plain confession of their adversaries themselves The Volumes of Fathers and Councils in the eldest and purest times be so clear in themselves for Romish Faith that the primest and most learned Reformists studying the same are enforced through evidence of their words and deeds to acknowledg as Master Bierly in King James's time produceth clear testimonies If that Church erred or changed by little and little or that the true Church was invisible c. they require some humane reason to shew it catigorically In what time in what Articles what Pope changed what tumults rise thereupon what Councils withstood c. which in all innovations they can shew easily a total change and in what particular points as by Arrians Sabellians Donatists Pelagians Protestants c. What places what Countries changed with them what Catholicks set against them what kept the old paths To say the Church was extinct a thousand years or unknown is expresly against the Scripture Christs Promises and Providence and Reason it self If the Church were invisible whether should Gentiles address for their Conversion or the doubtful for resolution or all faithful for their direction was our Saviour who was promised to all Nations brought to that streight that he had not a visible Chappel reserved to him in the whole world Is it not good reason God would preserve his Church which he had planted and watered with his Blood Is it not a denyal of Gods Providence and to say Jesus Christ was unjust or an Impostor to oblige all men to indispensible obedience to her if erroneous or invisible if men were changed into beasts they may be thus perswaded Is not the Church compared to a City to a Light to the Sun c. can the Church which is a Sun be drawn into a chinâ—k or all her Beams into the center of a Burning-glass Can any Proposition be more reasonable than to ask of those who maintain a thing to be in former ages to produce some marks thereof to shew where they had a being or a Company successively holding the same Articles with them The Building is perpetual where God layeth the Foundation The Church is the Pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3. cannot err Irenaeus l. 3. c. 4. Mat. 28. Act. 3. Go teach all Nations and I am with you all days to the consummation John 17. Father keep them in â—hy name whom thou hast given me See his Petition to keep his Church gathered of all Nations and his continual protection I will give you another Comforâ—â—â— â—o aâ—iâ—e with you for ever John 16. When the spirit of truth cometh he shall â—â—ach you all truth This assistaâ—ce promisâ—d was ever in all ages no Heresie or Jew could ever prevail against it The guard and strength of Truth in point also of antiquity is ever such that she resteth still accompanied attended and fortified with surest friends strongest towers and best munition Priority and ancestry is so specially affected by the Wisdom of God and maligned by the enemy of man that in first planting the Church it s said Mat. 4. 13 24 25. 5. Mat. 13 17. Luk. 8. 12. that he first sowed good seed in the field and after the enemie came and oversowed Cockle not obscurely intimating true Faith and Religion that is good seed was first and ancient to Sects and Heresies Even as temporal nobility is most honourable which is derived from the aâ—cientest Blood and in earthly possessions that Title strongest which pleadeth longest prescription or ancientest evidence So it cannot be denied but truth was before falshood substance before shadows the Gospel Faith Religion c. which is first and eldest is only the true Gospel Faith Church and other Congregations afterwards arising or going out from thence are only malignant inventions of the enemy In which respect to find out truth in all occurring difficulties we are specially forewarned to recurre to antiquity to suspect novelty Moses Deut. 32. before his death leaving documents to the Children of Israel saith Remember the old days ask thy Father c. so Bildab Jobs friend 1 Job 8. advised him in greatest extremities ask the old generation and search diligently Solom Eccl. 9. 8. 11 12. let not the â—â—rration of the ancient escape thee c. and Jer. c. 16. stand upon the ways and ask the old paths which is the good way c. on the contrary God reproveth such as walk in a way not trodden and Solomons lesson is Transgress not the ancient bounds which thy Father hath put So Saint Paul to Timothy to keep the Depositum avoiding profane novelties It 's very ordinary with the Fathers to confute Hereticks by their innovation So Tertullian reproveth Novelists of his time saying to them who are you when and from whence came you what do you in my grounds by what right Marcion didst thou cut down my woods by what licence Valentine dost thou overthrow my Fountains c. It is my possession long since I possessed it I possessed it first So Saint Hierom. of the Luciferians Why do you go about after four hundred years to teach that we knew not before until this day the world was Christian without that Doctrine So Athan. confuteth the Arrians Saint Hilarie and Saint Aug. Donatists These reasons may induce us to take new measures of that ancient Church and may easily perswade persons as Doctor Taylor in his Treatise of Liberty of Prophecying of much reason and more piety to retain that which they know to have been the Religion of their forefathers especially when her Soveraign Rights Titles and Prerogatives are admitted and acknowledged by her professed enemies Whence Chillingworth confesseth that Protestants cannot with coherence to their own grounds require of others the belief of any thing besides Scripture and the plain irrefragable and indubitable consequences of it without most high and schismatical presumption Dr. Bramh. Reply p. 264. We do not saith he hold our 39 Articles to be such necessary truths extra quas non est salus without which there is no salvation nor enjoin ecclesiastical
well of her as the Dutchess of Sommerset to Sir John Cheeke to Sir Edward Mountague Lord chief Justice who had subscribed and counselled her disinheriting to Sir Roger Cholmey to the Marqness of Northampton to the Lord Robert Dudley to Sir Henry Dudley to Sir Henry Gates c. who stood attainted and the Duke of Suffolke all obnoxious to her Justice she knew very well neither affected her Religion nor Title they being her prisoners in the Tower she released them all But for all this the Zealots of her time would not be quieted they libel against the Government of Women they pick quarrels and murmur at her Marriage they publish invectives and scurrilous Pamphlets against Religion yet forbear not to plot and conspire her deprivation Goodman writ a pernitious Book to have her put to death William Thomas a Gospeller conspires to Out of Fox his Martyrs kill the Queen and when hanged said he died for his Country Stow in Queen Mary p. 1056. On the contrary in Queen Elizabeths time although Catholicks then were the chief Ministers in Church and State and might have used indirect means against her she being of a contrary Religion and not of so clear a Title yet Catholick Bishops who set the Crown upon her head are commended by Holinshed a Prot. Hist ann Eliz. 26. pag. 1358 1360. for peaceable quiet Bishops and the Catholick temporal Lords there by him recorded to be far from opposing themselves against her interest as they are said there to offer her Majesty in her defence to impugne and resist any â—orreign force though it should come from the Pope himself Insomuch that they are commended by Holinshed for loyalty and obedience And Stow testifies how diligent Catholicks were to offer their service in that great action 88. neither were they altogether refused by her Majesty How the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellour of England Doctor Heath a Catholick Bishop instead of inveighing against her or casting forth of Libels as Cranmer did against Q. Mary her entrance and Government made a publick oration in her behalf to perswade the people to obedience and to acknowledg her power and authority Holin ib. 1170. whence the said Archbishops faithfulness was left to commendation also by Protestant Bishop Goodman in his Catalogue of Bishops How all Catholick Lords and Bishops repaired to London to proclaim her Queen who not long after turned them out of several Offices and Bishopricks Holinshed p. 1171. To use Cambdens own words and phrase the world stood Cambdens Britann p. 163. amazed and England groaned at it what would flesh and blood move him to was it not strange in the beginning to behold Abbies destroyed Bishopricks gelded Chaunteries Hospitals Colledges turned to profaneness change of Liturgies Rites c. to see people renounce their pious vows such unexpected alterations it being a pitiful thing as Stow saith to hear the Lamentations in the Country for religious Houses Stâ—w p. 964. Notwithstanding the loyalty and obedience of Catholicks towards her appeared undeniable in all things not only in their humble petitions but by their constant and general conformity unto her temporal Government in 88. and by their Protestations made at Ely 1588. as by other offers made to the Lord North the Queens Lieutenant there and by their just actions afterwards by their submission as to the Lords of the Privy Council and profession of all due acknowledgment to her Majesty notwithstanding the Sentence of Excommunication Whence the Author of Execution of English Justice acknowledges their obedience and loyalty to Elizabeth in a time when they wanted no matter of complaint Any man of candour and integrity may easily convince the vulgar error the unevenness of Queen Elizabeths nature and severity to that of Queen Marys Queen Elizabeth made new Laws against Catholicks and put them to death for not embracing a new heresie which has been condemned to the fire here and in all other Christian Countries She embrued her hands in the blood royal of Mary Stewart lawful Heir to the Crown put to death many noble persons by their blood to colour her Supremacy raised up upstarts Hereticks from nothing annihilated the antient Nobility and Gentry c. to use a Protest Historiographers words the bloody practices of Queen Eliz. if not so barbarous in appearance though more wicked in substance as being exhibited under the colour and pretext of Law in the starving and racking so many innocent worthy learned persons tearing out their hearts and bowels in publick view upon suborned witnesses base vagabond and perjured Catchpoles hired to swear Neither was there any reason then for persecution on the account of the Catholicks misdemeanours For as Cambden her own Historiographer noteth The reason of the penal Statutes in Eliz. was 1. the opinion of the Queens Illegitimation abroad 2. Jealousies had of the Queen of Scots her nearness to the Crown 3. the Bull of Pius 5. 4. the doubt of the house of Guise in behalf of their Neece 5. the offence given to the King of Spain in assisting Orange These causes induced the Queen with her Pauculi intimi saith Cambden We cannot excuse the persecution therefore under Queen Elizabeth against Catholicks for any cause given by them or just fear of their fidelity nor from the example of Christian Emperours and Kings that both for zeal of Religion and human policy to avoid danger of Rebellion made Laws and Statutes against Hereticks and innovators of the antient faith and sense of Scripture which descended to them by Tradition from the Apostles Queen Elizabeth taking a contrary way made Laws and Statutes against the ancient Religion and known sense of Gods word delivered from age tâ— age which practice destroys the order of Justice to persecute Christians for professing a Religion confirmed by the publick testimony and practice of the Christian world from the first propaâ—â—tion of Christianity to this present tâ—â—e No part of their Dectrine being â—â—er judged an heresie or novelty by antiquity otherwise they had not escaped the rigour of penal Laws made against Hereticks and Novelists in former ages But no History did or can ever mention any person that suffered as an Heretick for broaching or maintaining any one point which they now believe and profess Whereas Q. Mary her predecessors Emperours and Kings punished Novelists only that made Religons of their own heads condemneâ— as Hereticks by the Church in ancient times The disparity therefore was great Catholick Princes standing as defenders of their ancient Faith others as invaders and introducers of a new Belief They seek to keep what de jure they had Calvinists what they had not they possessors of the traditum and depositum left by Christ and his Apostles others descissors and injurious infringers of those Apostolick tyes and regulations so carefully delivered to all posterity Laws indeed have been made in Catholick Countries very severe against those the Church calleth Hereticks but they were none of the Churches