the Ecclesiastical Concerning the first 1. In the Civil Controversie I closed with the one party in the civil contest for these causes whereof the one is General and Privative the other Positive and Particular The former was the grieving or resisting the Spirit of God from whom I received no small concussion about this matter especially at the coming forth of * The resolving of conscience c. Edit Cambr. 1642. Dr. Fearn's first book in opposition to the Lords and Commons in their taking up Arms against the King The authority of Scripture there urged unto which God had given me ever to bear an awful reverence the Spirit setting it on exercised me more than all his arguments But 1 being in heart enclined unto the good things the other side proposed to be contended for and 2 judging his reasons might all be answered and 3 apprehending it much concerned the cause of God and of his servants and 4 my own reputation also being pre-engaged 5 and lastly my place seeming to call for it I holding then the publick Lecture in Cambridge I took all the former reluctancy of spirit to be onely a temptation and accordingly resolved to reply On Judg. 5.23 on which Mr. St. M. had preached before of whose notions that I know of I made no use Mr. J. B. which I did the next Lords day after the publishing of that Book wherein I answered all that seemed material in that Book and so answered it That some who were of the other judgment were pleased to say that so bad a cause could not be better pleaded Upon this I was sollicited to the publishing of my Answer But coming to London and finding another had done it before but especially my spirit working too and fro betwixt resolution and fear I did suppress it But that of Zachary hath been fulfilled in me since In that day the Prophets shall be ashamed Zach. 13.5 every one of his vision when he hath prophesied And blessed be God who hath verified another also towards me viz. Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying Isa 30.21 This is the way walk in it when thou turnest to the right-hand and when thou turnest to the left And blessed be his Name that although I have been a rebellious child as it is in the first verse of that chapter that would not take counsel of him nor cover with the covering of his spirit yet he hath not cast me away from his presence Psal 51.11 nor taken his holy Spirit from me Deliver me from bloods O Lord thou God of my salvation A Prayer and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise And Vphold me O Lord with thy spirit then will I teach sinners thy ways and transgressors shall be converted unto thee Lastly Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar Amen Sed irrideant nos fortes potentes Aug. confess l. 4. c. 1. nos autem infirmi inopes confiteamur tibi But let great and oveâ—-grown spirits laugh at this let us that are infirm and poor in heart confess to thee Tota palea areae ipsius irridet eum Aug. in Ps 21. in Prefat in Expos 2. gemit triticum irrideri dominum All the chaff of Christs own floor laughs at him and the good corn laments its Lords derision Thus of the general and privative cause SECT II. Particular Motives 2. THe particular follow and they were such as these 1. 1. Propounded The excellency and necessity of the things held forth to be contended for the Laws namely and the Liberties of the Nation and that which made them both most precious Religion Protestant by them established and secured 2. Next the credit that I gave unto the persons that did propound them both for their ability and for their faithfulness 3. A third was the awful opinion that I conceived of the power and authority of that place from which they seem'd to issue to wit the Parliament 4. That the exigences being such there was a virtual bond by all Laws to use remedies that were not usual 5. and lastly That examples of the like had been in Scripture among the Jews in the Primitive Church the former against Antiochus by the Maccabees the latter of the Christians against Maximinus Also in the Reformed Churches as the French Holland Scottish and owned by our former Princes and then present King defended also by our own Divines and Bishops as Jewel Abbot Bilson c. 2. Replies unto them But all these and such like as applyed to our case being put into the ballance of the Sanctuary in my eye seem much too light As touching the first my opinion and veneration of the Protestant Religion 1. Religion the Laws and Liberties of the Nation I hope is greater now than it was as I know them somewhat better But touching Religion to be defended by Arms especially of Subjects well spake the Dantzikers A notable speech of the Dantzikeâ—s in their material Letter to the Duke of Croy exhorting them to the like May 27. 1656. Evidently it doth appear say they how much the Roman-Catholicks are incensed through this war and that from thence no small persecutions yea the greatest danger may befall the Reformed Churches Vid. Mercurius Politicus Jul. 3. 1656. if God do not prevent it in his mercy We do confidently believe that no body can think or impute it to us as if God took pleasure in Apostates and Hypocrites and as if he would have Religion promoted in casting off the lawful Magistrate Note and in the slender esteem of a well grounded government Call to mind how at all times by Warrs the spirits of men grow more barbarous and inhumane Note and how the wars for Religion use commonly to extinguish Religion Thus they Note Now I call God to witness upon my soul that the sense of the dishonor done unto the Protestant Religion 2 Cor. 1. working upon my heart hath been one main occasion of further examining the grounds of those transactions and of altering my thoughts Homil. of disobedience part 4. pag. 300. And particularly one passage in the doctrine of this Protestant Church expressed in the Homily of disobedience did much affect me of which anon This for Religion 2. Then for the Laws and Liberties seeing first 2. Laws and Liberties that both Houses of Lords and Commons in all their solemn addresses to the King and that in Parliament and as such a Parliamentary body 1. Style of the H. H. do usually style themselves thus Your Majesties most humble and loyal subjects the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled In that Remonstrance which the King saith Kings Declaration Aug. 12. 1642. Remonstr of the State of
under the degree and calling of a Bishop or Dean of a Cathedral or Collegiat Church and they upon the Kings days and Festival days do take occasion by the expounding of any Text of Scripture whatsoever to fall into any set discourse or common place otherwise than by opening the coherence and division of his Text which shall not be comprehended and warranted in essence substance effect and natural inference within some one of the Articles of Religion set forth 1562. or in some of the Homilies Note set forth by authority in the Church of England not onely for a help for the non-preaching but withal for a pattern and boundary as it were for the preaching Ministers And for their further instruction for the performance hereof that they forthwith read over and peruse diligently the said Book of Articles and the two books of Homilies This I say had they observed the sound godly and comfortable doctrine therein contained might perhaps have so endeared them as not to be traduced by them so reproachfully that I say not their peoples edification the Kingdoms quiet and their own peace might have been more then now it is or like to be As to particulars the instances they give are few in number but two and weak in strength to bear up so heavy a charge as false doctrine The first is out of the Homily of the time and place of prayer part 1. Particular exception against the Homilies 2. 't is said that therefore plurality of wives was by special prerogative suffered to the Fathers of the old Testament because every one hoped and prayed that the blessed seed that should break the Serpents head might come of his stock The Brethren except As if every one did not know out of what Tribe Christ was to issue I answer No for these words may refer unto the Fathers more antient before any distinction of Tribes were Secondly After the distinction of Tribes it was long before this truth was made known and not till the latter Prophets if even by them understood of the people The next place is out of the Homil. of Alms-deeds part 2. pag. 160. The same lesson doth the Holy Ghost teach us in sundry places of Scripture saying Mercifulness and alms-giving purgeth from all sins and delivereth from death and suffereth not the soul to come into darkness The wise Preacher the son of Sirach confirmeth the same when he saith That as water quencheth burning fire even so mercy and alms resisteth and reconcileth sins Two particular places excepted against Against this passage they have three Exceptions 1. Against the expression reconcileth sins excellent sense say they Well we shall see how good theirs will be anon 2. Against the matter 3. Against the proof of it first for the matter they say that a charitable construction of them may be wyar-drawn implying they are not simply justifiable But why did not the Brethren retain so much ingenuity I say not honesty as to give the Homilies own explication of them which in that very page and the next saith But ye shall understand How good works do away sins dearly beloved that neither those places of Scripture before alledged neither the doctrine of the blessed Martyr Cyprian neither any other godly and learned man when they in extolling the dignity profit fruit and effect of vertuous and liberal alms do say that it washeth away sins and bringeth us to the favour of God do mean that our works and charitable deeds is the original cause of our acceptation before God or that for the dignity or worthiness thereof our sins may be washed away and we purged and cleansed of all the spots of our iniquity for that were indeed to deface Christ Note and to defraud him of his glory But they mean this and this is the understanding of those and such like sayings That God of his mercy and special favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting salvation hath so offered his grace especially and they have so received it fruitfully that although by reason of their sinful living outwardly they seemed before to have been the children of wrath and perdition yet now the Spirit of God mightily working in them unto obedience unto Gods will and commandments they declare by their outward deeds and life in the shewing of mercy and charity which cannot come but of the spirit of God and his especial grace that they are the undoubted children of God appointed to everlasting life And a little after The meaning then of these sayings in the Scriptures and other holy Writings How to understand the Script and Fathers concerning good works Alms-deeds do wash away our sins and mercy to the poor doth blot out our offences is That we doing these things according to Gods will and our duty have our sins indeed washed away and our offences blotted out not for the worthiness of them but by the grace of God Note which worketh all in all And that for the promise that God hath made to them that are obedient to his commandement that he which is the truth might be justified in performing the truth due to his promise Alms-deeds do wash away our sins because God doth vouchsafe then to repute us as clean and pure when we do them for his sake and not because they deserve or merit our purging Note or for that they have any such strength or merit in themselves In which words a double account is given of those expressions in Scripture which seem to attribute justification and salvation unto good works First Because they declare a man to be the child of God and to be endued with his Spirit and so do evidence that his sins are pardoned Secondly Because God hath unto believers promised a reward unto his own graces and especially that of Love and that which is prima charitatis deificantis filia eleemosyna as Theophylact calls it the eldest daughter of divine Charity Almes-giving Then which what could be spoken more Orthodox or more comfortable I know not But secondly Lest they should say these Answers are invented to salve Apocryphal and other human expressions they are to remember that the same doctrine for substance is delivered by our Saviour Christ and his Apostles Matth. 5.7 Chap. 6.14 As where he saith Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Again If ye forgive your Heavenly Father will forgive you which proceeds upon the same ground Luke 11.41 Also Give almes of such things as yee have and behold all things are clean unto you Calvan Harm Which Calvin expounds in this sense And in the next Chapt. Sell that ye have and give Almes Provide your selves bags which wax not old Luke 12.33 A treasure in the Heavens that faileth not c. And that expression Love covers a multitude of sins is used by the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 4.8 Gal. 5.6 as well as James to the same effect And the
sign it is sufficient that there be the profession of these outward Which yet by a Metonymy and figure of the adjunct or sign for the thing signified may very truly though figuratively be called Repentance and Faith Now this being all that outward Baptism doth require the outward repentance and faith or the profession of them this may be performed by others in the name of the baptized The inward so far as qualifies them for the Sacrament they have after the same manner as they have their sin or guilt that is by others And as the children of the Jews repented and believed in their parents For Circumcision was a Seal of the righteousness of Faith and therefore not to be administred to any but those that did repent and believe Rom. 4.11 in Gods acceptation Of which more in the next Answ 2 Answer Come we to their second mistake viz. in the matter of their Reply and that these things of which mention is made 1. From Scripture may in this or the like cases be performed by the Sureties for the children shall be shewn from Scripture God assisting from Antiquity and from later times First We must here lay for ground that of the Apostle viz. That the old Church of the Jews they did all eat the same spiritual meat 1 Cor. 10.1 c. and did all drink of the same spiritual drink for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ and they were all baptized with the same Baptism that we are though by the hand of Moses in the cloud and in the sea Hoc posito I say if the repenting and believing of one man for another were not sufficient whereby that other did receive all the spiritual benefit exhibited and sealed in the Sacrament how comes it that Abraham's conversion and faith availed for Ishmael Gen. 17. and the faith of his growen servants for their children who were circumcised Rom. 4. which was a Seal of the righteousness of faith for I take the Brethren not to be Anabaptists professed so as to deny that Scripture to define the nature of Circumcision in general And how could the children of a Proselyte be circumcised if the repentance and faith of one man be not accepted for anoâ—her As also we take it and so do all but Anabaptists that there were children baptized in those housholds that are mentioned to be baptized in the new Testament 1 Cor. 10. And all the children of the Jews were in the cloud and in the sea how that was done Mr. Aynsworth as I remember somewhere shews by comparing Psalm 77.17 the clouds poured out water with this of the Corinths Now this could not be but that the Repentance and Faith of one is available for another If it be answered Instance that these were the parents of the children I reply Answ that the Sureties are but onely the Churches and the Parents assistants and do undertake onely upon the supposition of the childs actual right as a virtual believer to be of the houshold of Faith though not actually incorporated So that the undertaking of the Sureties is onely by way of deputation from the Church or Parents and goes upon supposition of their repentance and faith by vertue whereof according to the Covenant Gen. 17. That God will be the God of his People and their seed after them the Infant hath title to the Ordinance So that it is so far untrue that it is never read or heard of in Scripture that one man repented and believed in the room and name of another that it is ever so and never read nor heard in Scripture to the contrary 2. Proof from Antâ—quity Come we to Antiquity Quâ in re satis piè rectéque creditur prodesse parvulo eorum fidem Aug. de lib. Arbit l. 3. c. 23. à quibus consecrandus offertur Et hoc Ecclesiae commendat saluberrima authoritas ut ex eo quisque sentiat quid sibi prosit fides sua quando in aliorum quoque beneficium qui propriam nondum habent potest aliena commodari In which point saith Austin we do rightly and religiously believe that the faith of those by whom a child is offered to Baptism doth avail for the child And this commends the Soveraign Authority of the Church that from hence every one may perceive what his own faith doth profit him seeing another mans faith can be usefull for the benefit of him that hath none as yet of his own he means actual Thus there And elsewhere Epist 23. Bonifac. Quando ad baptismum offeruntur Infantes parentes tanquam fidedictores respondent dicunt illos facere quod illa aetas cogitare non potest aut si potest occultum est Interrogamus enim eos a quibus offeruntur dicimus credit in Deum Respondent credit Et ad caetera sic respondent quae quaeruntur When saith he they the Infants are offered to Baptism the parents as Undertakers for them answer and say that they do that which at that age they cannot think and if they do 't is unknown for we ask those by whom they are offered and say Doth he believe in God They answer He believeth and so to the rest of the Questions they answer what is asked Which testimony of St. Austin Questions in Baptism declares the antiquity of this custom of Interrogatories in Baptism The answer he gives there unto the question made thereupon viz. How could they undertake for them so namely that they do believe by vertue of the Sacrament of Baptism which they receive which is the Sacrament of Faith he doth in the former part of the same Epistle more fully open Regenerans spiritus in majoribus offerentibus parvulo oblato renatoque communis est ideo per hanc societatem unius ejusdemque spiritus prodest offerentium voluntas parvulo oblato The regenerating Spirit saith he in those that offer the child to Baptism and in the child offered and regenerate is one and the same and thence by this fellowship in one and the same Spirit the will of those that offer it doth profit the child And in answer to that which the Brethren touch that the witnesses are not always truly believers he saith Spiritus autem ille sanctus Ibâ—d Unbelieving Witnesses qui habitat in sanctis ex quibus una illa columba deargentata charitatis igne conflatur agit quod agit etiam per servitutem aliquando non solùm simpliciter ignorantium verum etiam damnabiliter indignorum Offeruntur quippe parvuli ad percipiendum spiritalem gratiam non tam ab eis quorum gestantur manibus quam ab universa societate sanctorum atque fidelium Ab omnibus namque rectè offerri intelliguntur quibus placet quòd offeruntur quorum sancta individua charitate ad communicationem sancti Spiritus adjavantur Tota hoc ergo mater Ecclesia quae in sanctis