by any Spiritual or Ecclesiastical power or authority hath heretofore beene or may lawfully be exercised or vsed for the visitation of the Ecclesiasticall State and persons and for reformation order and correction of the same and of all manner of Haeresies Errors Scismes and Ecclesiasticall Abuses Offences and Enormities much more haue they Iurisdiction of these things themselues else they could not collate or transferre such Iurisdiction vnto others Is it then because the worthy iudicious members of our present Parliament want learning iudgement or sufficiencie to discerne of Spirituall Truthes to vnderstand the sense and meaning of our Articles which themselues long since confirmed to distinguish Popish and Arminian Errors from receiued from vndoubted Orthodox conclusions or because they are so barbarously illiterate or irreligiously ignorant as not to know the obuious professed established and long continued Doctrines of our Church which euery catechized Country Peasant or Schoole-boy can repeate Alas what English Spanish Romish spirit can be so impudently absurd so prodigiously intoxicated as thus to idioâ—ize yea quite vnchristen the Piety and all-sufficiencie of our selected Senate the most iudicious and supreame Counsell of our King and State Can any man who knowes their most accomplished abilities their dexterity and insight in Religion so much as once conceiue such a grosse stupidity or more then damnable and vnchristian ignorance in this very flower of our Church and Pillars of our State as that the proper sence of our receiued Articles or the long-continued plaine and oft-resolued Doctrines of our Church are yet kept sealed from them What is this but to brand them all for ignorants or to stitch the Colliers or Papists blinde implicite faith vpon them to beleeue onely as our Church beleeues and yet to know no distinct particular Tenents which she doth beleeue What but to aduance our Ecclesiasticall Commissioners aboue our Parliament in admitting them to bee competent and able Iudges of Haeresie Scisme and of the sence and meaning of our Articles when as the Parliament which confirmed them are not such and to denie that priuiledge of iudging Doctrines trying spirits prouing all things distinguishing the voyce of Christ and of his Spirit from the voyce of Strangers Theeues and false seducing Spirits to the prime and choysest of Christs Flocke which is common to inseparable from the very meanest of his Lambes and Sheepe If then Parliaments haue alwayes anciently intermedled with matters of Religion by a constant iust and Legall right If there bee now no sufficient disability either in the Members Iurisdiction Skill or requisite Abilities of our present Parliament to censure or examine the Violations of our established Articles and Religion or to settle protect define declare and ratifie the proper sense and meaning of our Articles and the vndoubted Doctrines of our Church I see no cause why any Clergy men vnlesse they are guilty of Sophisticating or betraying the Truthes and Doctrines of our Church and therefore feare the doome of Parliaments from which there is no euasion should quarrell or except against your pious progresse in matters of Religion which most of all concerne vs nor yet repine at Laicks as they do for writing in their iust defence This stumbling-blocke of Parlimentary Iurisdiction in causes of Religion which stickes and takes with many being thus in briefe remoued and your present Honourable proceedings in the examination of the innouations and violations of the ancient Religion and the resolued Doctrines of our Church absolued from the vniust exceptions of ignorant obnoxious or ill-affected Spirits who only censure and dislike them It may be here demanded what Doctrines what Religion are now to be established Surely no other but those Ancient Orthodox and Dogmaticall Conclusions which the Church of England since her Reformation hath alwaies constantly embraced ratified and defended as her owne but those especially which Popery and Arminianisme haue of late inuaded Yea but how may Parliaments infallibly discerne what Tenents are our Churches genuine Doctrines when as both sides lay equall claime and title to our Church Arminians now appealing to Her aswell as their Opposers For resolution to this Quaere I shall first of all take two things as vndoubted Theories First that the Church of England hath some certaine positiue particular established receiued yea resolued Doctrines which shee may truely call her owne in which all necessary Truthes especially such wherein the very marrow efficacy life and power of grace and all true Christian comfort doe subsist are actually euidently and fully comprehended Else it will ineuitably follow that as yet shee hath no sound Religion in her and is as yet no true no Christian Church Secondly that all these seuerall Doctrines are not onely cognoscible in themselues but likewise publikly indiuidually and distinctly known in our Church else all our Articles Preaching writing and Disputes together with the bloud shedde of our famous Martyrs and all Apologies for our Religion from the beginning of reformation to this present are in vaine and wee haue yet no other but an indefinite confused Religion an ambiguous implicit Popish Faith which in truth is no Religion no Faith at all and so our danger is our condemnation shall be greater then euer Sodomes or Gomorrahs were who neuer had such meanes such light as we These two irrefragable Conclusions being thus praemised This Quaere may be thus resolued The onely infallible way to determine to finde out the ancient the vndoubted Doctrines of our Church is to compare them with the Rules of triall The originall Touch-stone by which all Theologicall Conclusions must bee examined is the Scriptures and these together with the Ancient Fathers and approued Councels wee dare to challenge as our owne if the naked truth of our Assertions were the thing in Issue But our present inquirie being of a different nature to discouer the true Ancient Doctrines of our Church and distinguish them from pestilent vpstart Errors wee must heere proceed by other Triers euen the Articles Homilies Common Prayer Booke the publike Euidences Records and Declarations with the concurrent Testimony of all the learned Writers of our Church the onely Grand-Iury-men to try the best Euidences the sole Witnesses to proue the most impartiall and able Iudges to determine the Doctrines of our Church That which all these doe ioyntly cleerely fully vote confirme approue and testifie a Parliament may safely declare and ratifie to bee that which they all or most disclaime a Parliament may iustly censure not to bee the vndoubted and resolued Doctrine of our Church If then all these giue vp their ioynt and seuerall suffrages for our Anti-Arminian Conclusions If they all passe Sentence against their opposite Arminian Errors as this present Treatise will vndenably prooue them to haue done you may confidently declare resolue re-establish the one as being exile yea damne the other as not being the Ancient receiued and vndoubted Doctrine of our English Church And why should you now
the Sower London 1623. p. 413 to 452. Of Master Iohn Downam Summe of Diuinity lib. 2. cap. 1. 6. and 7. and his Christian Warfare lib. 2. c. 13. to 22. Of Master Timothy Rogers his Righteous mans euidence for Heauen London 1621. p. 236. 237. 246. Of Caleb Dilechampius Vindictiae Solomonis Cantabrigiae 1622. Of Reuerend Bishop Hall Contemplation Volume 6. lib. 17. Solomons Defection p. 1274. in his workes at large Of Eminent Doctor Prideaux in his Ephesus Backsliding and Lectura 6. De perseuerantia Sanctorum Oxomae 1621. Iulij 7. in Vesperijs Comitiorum Of Master Samuei Crooke in his Guide to true Blessedresse Edit 3. p. 44. 45. 60. 68. 78. Of Master Samuel Smith his Dauids blessed man London 1623. Edit 7. page 222. to 227. and his Chiefe Shepheard p. 96. 97. 98. 486. 487. Of Master Thomas Couper Growing in Grace London 1622. p. 15. 346. to 379. Of Master Iohn Frewen Grounds of Religion London 1621. Quaest. 13. and 23. Of Doctor Griffith Williams in his Delights of the Saints London 1622. page 157. to 186. Of D. Thomas Iackson the raging Tempest stilled p. 319. to 345. Of Doctor William Gouge his whole Armor of God p. 256. 286. Of Master Ezechtel Culuerwell Treatise of Faith p. 489. to 506. Of Master Cleauer Sermon on Iohn 6. v. 26. 27. Doctr. 4. Of Doctor Francis White now Bishop of Norwich Reply to Fisher. page 49. to 55. 80. 82. 84. 87. 102. 167. 168. 200. Of Learned Master Thomas Gaetiker his Gaine of Godlinesse Dauids remembrance the lust mans Ioy and signes of Sincerity Of Doctor Carlton the late Reuerend Bishop of Chichester Doctor Dauenat Bishop of Salesbury Doctor Goade Doctor Balcanquel and Doctor Ward See Suffragium Brittanorum and the Synod of Dort Article 5. to which they haue all subscribed their names in the raigne of our late Soueraigne King Iames. Of Learned Master Richard Bernard his Rheemes against Rome page 303. to the end Of Reuerend Bishop Dauenat Expositio Epistolae Pauliad Collossenses cap. 1. v. 23. p. 144. 145. c. 3. v. 8. p. 364. 365. v. 8. p. 368. c. 4. v. 14. p. 519. Of Master Iohn Rogers Doctrine of Faith p. 319. to 345. Of Master Scudder in his Christians daily walke Edit 2. cap. 15. sect 7. Of Master William Pemble his Vindiciae Gratiae p. 34. 35. 36. Of Master Robert Bolton Generall Directions for the Comfortable walking with God p. 22. 23. 24. Of Master Iohn Barlow Exposition on 2. Tim. 1. p. 135. 278. 279. 367. 368. 369. 374. Of Doctor Ward Concio ad CleruÌ„ suffr Bri. Arti. 5. Of M. William Sparkes his Mistery of godlinesse Oxoniae 1629. c. 2. Of Doctor Thomas Goade Pelagius Rediuiuus Of Acute and learned Doctor Featly 2. Parallel page 21. to 95. Of Master Henry Burton of Christ-Church in Oxford in his Melancholie Edit 3. p. 641. Of Master Samuel Ward in his Balme from Gilead to recouer Conscience p. 56. 78. Of Master Henry Burton of St. Martins in Friday street his Plea to an Appeale p. 6. to 40. and his Truth triumphing ouer Trent cap. 17. Of Master Iohn Weemse his Portraiture of Gods image in man London 1627. c. 16. where this point is pithily handled Of Sir Christopher Sybthorpe his friendly Aduertisement to the Catholickes of Ireland cap. 7. 8. Of Master Francis Rouse in his Doctrine of King Iames. p. 39. to 98. Of Master Yates his Ibis ad Caesarem p. 104. to 157. Of Reuerend Bishop Carlton Examination of Master Mountagues Appeale cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. with the ioynt affections of all our Dort Diuines being men of note and eminency in our Church and of my owne Perpetuity of A Regenerate mans estate to omit the late printed workes of some other moderne Authors formerly quoted All these recited Writers of our Church being one hundred and more in number haue all of them in substance most of them in terminis euen purposely copiously vnanimously constantly and professedly defended the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints as the vndoubted Doctrine of our Church oppugning and largely reselling the Pelagian Popish and Arminian Haeresie of the Saints Apostacie and of true grace in Reprobates which is peculiar to the Elect alone Neuer was there any one point of Doctrine which our Church embraceth so copiously maintained so abundantly seconded and backed with a constant and vninterrupted streame and series of Authorites and printed Records as this no orthodox member of our Church so much as once impeaching it no spurious or rotten member since Barrets publike Kâ—cantation so much as once oppugning it in any authorized worke Master Mountagues and Doctor lacksons onely excepted which all men generally dislike Therefore we may now without all Quaestion or dispute declare resolue and finally adiudge it to be the ancient established and vndoubted Doctrine of our Church taking all such for Pelagians Papists Arminians yea pestilent Haeretickes atheisticall Sectaries and dangerous Innouators as King Iames hath long since doomed and adiudged them to our hands who haue beene are or shalbâ— so audaciously praesumptuous as either publickely in words or wrighting to oppugne it You haue seene now Christian Readers these 7 Anti-Arminian Positions infallibly irrefragably proued to bee the ancient established professed and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England by the seuerall yet vnanimous Articles of England Lambheth and Ireland by the Common prayer Booke and Homelies authorized in our Church the Catechisme allowed by King Edward the 6. the Quaestions and Answ. of Praedestination bound vp and printed with our ancient Bibles the famous Synod of Dort the Recantation of Barret and by the vnanimous punctuall full and copious testimonie of all the eminent learned godly and renouned Writers Martyrs Pillers and Fathers of our Church from the very infancy of her reformation to this praesent not one of them so much as as once oppugning the truth or orthodoxie of all or any of them and shall wee may mee can we now be so ridiculously absurd so audaciously irreligious as once to question whether they are the receiued Doctrines of our Church or no Doutlesse if the Church of England hath any Truthes or Doctrines in her these must these cannot but be they since I dare boldly auerre because I doubt not but to proue it that no points of Doctrine whatsoeuer no not the points of Iustification by faith alone of Transubstantiation or of the Sacrament in both kinds haue beene more punctually frequently vnanimously and copiously defended then all or most of these who haue all the learned of our Church their open and professed Aduocates If any man now be so strangly obdurated so wilfully blinded with Popish Arminian Errors that he will not yet subscribe vnto these euident and most apparant orthodox conclusions not yet acknowledge them for the ancient the vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England let him giue me leaue to vouch some other Praecedents and Records which shall force him to confesse it
The intire Church of England consists of three grand members The Church of Ireland the Church of Scotland and the Church of England the mother or mistres of the other two If then I can vncontroulable euidence that these three seuerall Churches did constantly heretofore and doe as yet vnanimously acknowledge defend and iustify these our Anti-Arminian Conclusions the victory triall and points in praesent issue must be yeelded to me For the Church of Ireland it s out of quaestion that she hath alwayes both in ancient and moderne ages concluded with vs. For in ancient times in the points of the immutabisity aeternity and freenesse of Gods Election the praedetermined number of Gods Elect the infallible certainety of their effectuall calling and saluation Reprobation Freewill and vniuersall grace we shall finde Saint Gallus Sedulius and Claudius three ancient Irish Fathers and with them the ancient Irish Church concurring fully with vs and with St. Augustine in these our orthodox positions as that Reuerend learned and incomparable Irishman Doctor Vsher Arch-Bishop of Ardmagh the honor of our Church and glory of his Nation hath euidently and largely proued in his Epistle of the Religion professed by the ancient Irish bound vp at the end of Sir Christopher Sybthorpes workes page 7. 8. 9. to which I will referre you What the moderne Doctrine of the Church of Ireland is the fore-recorded Articles of Ireland composed in the Conuocation at Dublin in the yeere 1615. which conclude in terminis for vs together with Bishop Vshers Answer to the Iesuits Challenge his now recited Epistle and Sir Christopher Sybthorpes Aduertisement cap. 7. 8. sufficiently euidence so that both the Primatiue and praesent Irish Church are wholy fully for vs point-blancke against our Opposites That the ancient and moderne Church of Scotland hath suffragated vnto our Conclusions it is vndeniablie euident by their vnanimous and generall Confession of the true Christian faith and religion subscribed by King Iames himselfe his houshold with sundry others at Edenborough the 28. of Ianuary in the yeere 1581. being the 14. yeere of his Maiesties raigne Articles Of Originall sinne Of Election of Faith in the holy Ghost Of the cause of good workes Of the Church of the immortality of the soule by M. Knox in his Answ. against the Aduersaries of Gods Praedestination by Master Rollocke Rector of the Vniuersitie of Edinburgh his Commentary on the Ephesians cap. 1. 2. 3. and 5. and on Psalme 51. By Master William Cowper Bishop of Galloway in Scotland once Minister of Perth in his Heauen opened on Rom. 8. v. â—9 28. to the end and in sundry other of his workes By Master Iohn Weenise his Portraiture of the Image of God in man cap. 16. of Freewill where all or most of these Arminian pointâ— are pithily discussed By Sharpius a learned Scot Professor of Diuinity now in Dyon Tractatus De Iustificatione cap. 5. and Syntagâ—â—a Theologiae who all concurre vnanimously with vs in these our praesent conclusions which they professedly and pertinaciously maintaine and iustify That the Primatiue Church of England hath suscribed to our praesent Assertions her ancient publicke opposition to Pelagianisme her Bede her Anselme her Bradwardine and Wickliffe testify in that they constantly adhaered to St. Augustines and so to our Assertions as the vndoubted truth oppugning these now Arminian then Pelagian Tenents as dangerous and grace-opposing errors as their places quoted in the margent and in part recited in my Perpetuity p. 257. 261. c. will more at large declare The ancient Church of England and these her famous writers were professed Anti-Pelagians therefore Anti-Arminians What this our Church hath beene of latter times the fore-recited euidences and Authors doe abundantly testify I need not here repeat it I will therefore onely adde some further euidences to proue our Anti-Arminian positions to be our Arminian noualties not to be the ancient receiued and vndoubted Doctrine of our Church My first of these more full and puctuall euidences is the ingeminated confession and reiterated protestation of of the Heades of the Vniuersity of Cambridge in a memorable Letter of theirs purposely written about the suppression of these new Arminian errors to their honoured Chancellor and subscribed with their seuerall hands March 8. 1595. which Letter I haue truely transcribed out of the originall Coppy remaining in the hands of Doct. G who can produce it if occasion serue in sorâ—e as followeth RIght Honourable our bounden dutie remembred Wee are right sorry to haue such occasion to trouble your Lordship but the peace of this Vniuersity and Church which is deare vnto vs being brought into perill by the late reuiuing of new oppinions and troublesome Controuersies amongst vs hath vrged vs in regard of the places we here sustaine not onely to be carefull for the suppressing the same to our powers but also to giue your Lordship further information hereof as our Honourable head and carefull Chancellor About a yeere past amongst diuers others who here attempted publikely to teach new and strange opinions in Religion one Master Barret more boldly then the rest did preach diuers Popish Errors in Saint Maries to the iust offence of many which he was inioyned to retract but hath refused so to doe in such sort as hath beene praescribed him with whose fact and opinions your Lordship was made acquainted by Doctor Some the deputis Vice-Chancellor Hereby offence and diuision growing as after by Doctor Baroes publike Lectures aâ—d doterminations in the Schooles contrary as his Auditors haue informed to Doctor Whitakers and the sound receiued truth euer since her Maiesties raigne Wee sent vp to London by Common consent in Nouember last Doctor Tyndall and Doctor Whitakers men especially chosen for that purpose for conference with my Lord of Canterbury and other principall Diuines there that the controuersies being examined and the truth by their consents confirmed the contrary Errors and the contentions thereabout might the rather cease By whose good trauell with sound consent in truth such aduice and care was taken by certaine propositions containing certaine substantiall points of Religion taught and receiued in this Vniuersity and Church during the time of her Maiesties raigne and consented vnto and published by the best approued Diuines both at home and abroade for the maintaining of the same truth and peace of the Church as thereby wee inioyâ—ed here great and comfortable quiet vntill Doctor Baroe in Ianuary last in his Sermon Ad Clerum in Saint Maries contrary to restraint and commandement from the Vice-Chancellor and the Heads by renewing againe these Opinions disturbed our peace whereby his Adhaerents and Disciples were and are much emboldened to maintaine false Doctrine to the corrupting disturbing of this Vniuersity and Church if it be not in time effectually praeuented For remedy hereof we haue with ioynt consent and care vpon complaint praeferred
will either euade or else withdraw and retract his euidence when he comes to triall as he is a principal in the present controuersie so no competent Iudge or Witnesse so he hath beene 4. seuerall times impeached by the high Court of Parliament for giuing false testimony in the points in Issue besides his testimony is wauering dubious and repugnant to it selfe and it hath beene counterpleaded by diuers of our Church and generally disclaimed by most as false and spurious Therefore it doth but weaken yea betray their cause and strengthen oures The last of these being transported beyond himselfe with metaphisicall Contemplations to his owne infamy and his renowned Mothers shame I meane the famous Vniuersity of Oxford who grieues for his defection from whose duggs he neuer suckt his poysonous Doctrines as his euidence is intricate and obscure beyond the reach or discouery of ordinary capacities so it hath beene blanched and blasted by a Parliament examination excepted against by the Conuocation house answered by some disanowed by most of our Diuines his single testimony therefore especially in his owne particular case where he cannot be both a party and a witnesse too makes nothing for their title to our Church These are the only euidences and Authors to my knowledge that our Arminian Tenents can produce to interest them in our Church and these all circumstances being well confidered make flat against them since our Chuch hath vtterly disauowed and distasted them reiecting yea condemning these their writings as diametrally opposite to her established Doctrines If any Arminian can produce any other English Writers whom our Church approues to patronize these errors I shall be willing to be informed of them for my owne part I neuer met with any but with these I confesse that some would wrest Bishop Hooper to the contrary in the point of Reprobation and vniuersall redemption but in truth he is for vs not against vs in these very points if rightly apprehended howeuer he is euidently for vs in the rest But admit he were not yet he is but one his singular opinion therefore will not preiudice vs since we haue an whole Century of better more punctuall witnesses for to backe vs. Thirdly our Church hath beene so farre from reputing these her established and receiued Doctrines that she hath conuented censured such as oppugners of her Doctrine and disturbers of her peace who haue hitherto published or patronized them in their Bookes or Sermons witnesse the solemne Conuiction and Recantation of Barret Baro and others in the yeere 1595. they being the first that broached them in our Church witnesse the Recantation of Master Sympson in Cambridge in King Iames his latter time and the late conuention of one Brookes in Oxford for broaching these Arminian Tenents witnesse the proceedings in Parliament against Master Mountagues and Iacksons Arminian Bookes which are generally distasted throughout the Kingdome and can any then be so shamelesly audacious as now for to auerre them to be the vndoubted established or receiued Doctrines of our Church Fourthly the whole Armie streame and torrent of the fore-recited learned Authors of our Church both of ancient moderne and present times haue alwayes constantly professedly oppugned them as directly opposit to the established receiued Doctrines of the Church of England as stigmatical damnable old-condeÌ„ned Errors first hatched by Pelagius theÌ„ nursed by his Followers fomented by Demi-Pelagians reuiued propagated by Popish Schoolemen and since that abetted by Pseudo-Lutherans Socinians Anabaptists and Arminians sects branded and condemned in our Church and can we then bee so stupendiously so damnably absurd as to affirme or iudge them the vndoubted the embraced Doctrines of our Church Certainely that which hath no Records no Euidences no authorized Writers of our Church to patronize it all of them to oppugne it that which our Martyrs neuer sealed but cancelled with their blood our first reformers neuer planted but displanted in our Church our Diuinity Professors neuer iustified but condemned in our Vniuersity Schooles that which all our Authors neuer patronized but constantly refelled as a branded Error in their writings that which both our Church and Vniuersities haue neuer constantly affirmed but solemnly enioyned men to recant as expresly contrary to the professed and resolued Doctrine of our Church cannot be the Doctrine of the Church of England But this is the case of all the fore-mentioned Arminian Errors witnesse all the praemises Therefore they cannot bee the professed and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England let Arminians vainely boast and babble to the contrary what they will Lastly that which sundry ancient Councels Fathers and moderne Synods haue positiuely censured and condemned as a pestilent dangerous and grace-destroying Error and not so much as one ancient Orthodox Councell Father or moderne Synod euer ratified as the ancient Catholicke and vndoubted truth can neuer be reputed the professed established and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England But sundry ancient Orthodox Councels Fathers and moderne Synods haue positiuely censured and condemned these very Arminian Tenents as a pestilent dangerous and grace-destroying Error and not so much as one ancient Councel Orthodox Father or moderne Synod euer ratified them as the ancient Catholicke vndoubted truth Therefore they can neuer be reputed the professed established and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England The affirmatiue part of my Assumption the Councels Fathers and Synods quoted in the margent with sundry others which I haue at large recited in my Perpetuity of a Regenerate mans estate page 213. to 270. to which I shall referre you doe fully warrant For the negatiue part let our Arminians disproue it if they can since I must needs affirme that I know not so much as one ancient Councell or moderne Synod no nor yet one orthodox Father of the Primatiue Church vnlesse Faustus an absolute Semi-Pelagian though in shew a professed Anti-Pelagian may be reputed orthodox when as both Protestants and Papists haue hitherto branded him as vnsound and Haeterodox in his Tenents that did euer yet maintaine or iustify these Semi-Pelagian or Arminian Errors If then they were neuer the receiued or approued Doctrines but the branded Haeresies of the Primitiue Church if they were neuer yet confirmed and setled in any Christian Church by any one nationall or generall Councell whether ancient or moderne though they haue beene censured and condemned by diuers they cannot be the established the vndoubted Doctrines of the Church of England You haue heâ—re good Christian Readers both heard and seene the seuerall Euidences and Witnesses which Anti-Arminianisme and Arminianisme can produce to intitle themselues vnto the Church of England to which they both of late lâ—y claime You haue seene the Articles of England Lambheth and Ireland the Common prayer Booke and Homelies established in our Church The authorized Catechisme of King Edward the 6. The Questions and Answers of Predestination The Synod of Dort The
make any doubt or scruple of passing such a sentence Neuer were there any truthes more copiously confirmed more constantly defended more positâ—uely resolued more aboundantly propagated more generally Preached more vnanimously imbraced more vncontrolably published more peremptorily established in our Church then these Anti-Arminian Tenents which I heere present vnto you There is scarce one publike whether Ancient or Modern Act Record or Euidence of our Church since her Reformation hitherto but doth in terminis at least in substance guie iudgement for them Scarse a learned or godly Martyr of note or eminency in our infant Church but hath planted them with his hand watred them with his bloud Scarce one Diuinity Professor in either of our Vniuersities hardly an Orthodox or renowned Writer in our Church from the beginning of King Edward the 6. his Raigne till this very present but hath subscribed them with his hand and feale and transmitted them to posteritie in some publike Worke. Not one constant Preacher of a thousand who hath not proclaimed them in the Pulpit Scarce a Graduate in Diuinitie but hath either in Lectures or Disputes defended them in the Schoole Scarce an Act or Commencement hath passed in either of our Famous Academies wherein all or some of them haue not bene publikely affirmed in Diuinity Exercises Not one authorized or approued Writer of our Church for I count not Barret Thomson Mountague or Iackson such the only opposites to them that I know off and those generally opposed by all our Orthodox Diuines who did euer once oppugne them Yea al such who haue formerly but barked against them in their inconsiderate Sermons haue beene forced to sing a publike Palinodie for their paines as the Recantations of Barret Sympson and others largely testifie And shall wee now beginne to question whether they are the Doctrines of our Church or no because some pur-blinde squint-eyed ideall Arminian Nouellists begin for to dispute it What is this but to make a scruple whether the day be light or no because Buzzards and blind-men cannot see it or sottishly to enquire whether the Sunne stands centred in one constant climate whiles the massie Earth wheeles round because one brainesicke Copernicus out of the sublimitie of his quintessentiall transcendentall Speculations hath more senselesly then Metaphysically more ridiculously then singularly auerred it Shall others wilfull gainefull and aspiring blindnesse make vs to doubt our eye-sight or shall the absurd and idle Quaerees of some Romish or Temporizing Spirits so vnsettle vs in our long-professed faith as to cause vs now to question the most positiue palpable and resolued Principles of our reformed Religion Yea so farre to besot vs as to put vs to this irrationall this frantique scrutinie Whether that bee the vndoubted Doctrine of our Church which shee hath alwayes hitherto beleeued embraced professed as a truth or that rather which she hath alwaies Diametrally opposed yea censured as an Error O let not vs be so vnchristianly so Atheistically wauering in the Fundament all Tenents of our long-professed Faith as that this Apostolicall Stigmaticall brand of an admired subitane Galathian Apostasie I maruell that you are so soone remoued from him that called you into the grace of Christ vnto another Gospell O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth c. With the disgracefull and soule-pricking obloquies of our insulting Aduersaries who will be apt to vaunt that we now begin to doubt of our Religion and fall backe to them should now iustly seize vpon vs for our halting in these oft yea late resolued points in which both we and our Forefathers haue beene so long instructed Alas why should Papists why Turkes or Atheists thus reproach vs Where now is your reformed Religion in which you haue thus long reposed your Saluation and imbarqued all your soules Where is the Faith the Doctrines of your Church which you haue thus pertinatiously embraced since your reuolt from Rome Where is the precious bloud of all your glorious mocke-Martyrs in which you haue so long gloried Where the Orthodoxie Learning and Solidity of your much renowned Academies of your vnparallel'd Martyr Bucer Tyndall Latimer Beacon Cranmer Iewell Nowell Veron Fox Fulke Reinolds Whitakers Hooker Hutton Cartwright Hill Babington Willet Perkins Abbots Field Crakenthorpe Whites Vsher Prideaux Ward Benefield Sharpe Sybthorpe Ames Featley Wilson Carleton Dauenat Morton Goad Belcanckquall Burtons your imcomparably learned King Iames the Phaenix of his Age and eminentest of his ranke for solid learning with all your other Centuries of Writers in which you so much triumph Where the Authority of your Church you Parliaments or your Articles that you now begin to doubt yea question and re-examine the truth and verity of these dogmaticall Conclusions which all these haue planted watered sealed and setled thus among you What a shame a brand a downefall will this bee to our Religion What an inexpiable blemish and intollerable disgrace to all our godly Martyrs to these our famous Writers to our learned Soueraigne of blessed memorie to his two vnparalleld Predecessors Queene Elizabeth and King Edward to our whole glorious and flourishing Church since the beginning of her Reformation to this present What a griefe a heart-breaking to all faithfull members of our Church State yea what a dangerous Praecipice and fatall ouerture to all our soules if wee should now beginne to plucke those foundations vp on which wee haue thus long built the hopes the structure of our eternall happinesse or to call that into question which wee haue so oft resolued for the vndoubted Orthodox beleefe and Tenent of our owne yea of the Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ froÌ„ age to age which can neuer totally nor finally erre in Fundamentall truthes Memorable is the answere of that blessed ancient Martyr Policarpus when hee was vrged by the Pro-consul to blaspheme and denye Christ that so hee might escape Fourescore and sixe yeeres saith hee haue I serued him neither hath hee offended me in any thing and how can I now reuile or denie that King which hath thus kept mee Surely not to ascend to Wickcliffe Bradwardine Bede or Anselme who all concurred with vs in our present Tenents but to confine our selues vnto the Ages of those later Martyrs and Writers of our Church which I haue heere recorded I can safely say and I hope I haue sufficiently euidenced it in the ensuing Catalogue that our Church hath this fourescore and sixe yeeres and more euen constantly embraced and defended these Anti-Arminian Theses neither did they euer offend or doe her harme in any thing yea they haue beene so farre from preiudicing or offending that they haue accumulated her with all varieties of blessings of contentments making her as the very Eden and Paradise of God while they dwelt in peace within her whereas now shee ebbs and sinckes together with them And shall shee now proue so vngratefull to her gracious God so iniurious
will giue according to his purpose and promise that which we require Qu. Doe the Children of God feele the motions aforesaid alwayes alike Ans. No truely for God sometime to prooue his seemeth to leaue them in such sort that the flesh ouermatcheth the Spirit whereof ariseth trouble of conscience for the time yet the spirit of adoption is neuer taken from them that haue once receiued it else might they perish But as in many diseases of the body the powers of the bodily life are letted So in some assaults the motions of spirituall life are not perceiued because they lie hidden in our manifold infirmities as the fire couered with ashes Yet as after sickenesse commeth health and after cloudes the Sunne shiâ—eth cleare so the powers of spirituall life will more or lesse be felt and percieued in the children of God Qu. What if I neuer feele these motions in my selfe shall I despaire and thinke my selfe a castaway An. God forbid for God calleth his at what time he seeth good and the instruments whereby he vsually calleth haue not the like effect at all times yet is it not good to neglect the meanes whereby God hath determined to worke the Saluation of his For as waxe is not melted without heate nor clay hardened but by meanes thereof so God vseth meanes both to draw those vnto himselfe whom he hath appointed vnto Saluation and also to bewray the wickednesse of them whom hee iustly condemneth Qu. By what meanes vseth God to draw men to himselfe that they may be saued Ans. By the preaching of his word and the ministring of his Sacraments thereunto annexed c. These Questions and Answers concerning Predestination which are full and punctuall to our purpose were alwayes Printed at the ende of the olde Testament and bound vp and sold Cum Priuilegio with this Authorized Translation of the Bible till the yeare 1614. since which no Bibles of this sort were printed Wee may therefore vse it as a pregnant testimony and punctuall declaration of the Doctrine of our Church in the particular points of Controuersie hereafter mentioned The Synod of Dort held in the yeares of our Lord 1618. 1619. at Dort in the Netherlands I meane not to recite the seuerall Articles and Conclusions of this late famous Synod conuented by the pious care and prouidence of our late Soueraigne King Iames at which the eminentest Protestant Diuines of most Reformed Churches were assembled and among the rest siue selected English Diuines to wit Dr. Carlton late Bishop of Chichester Dr. Dauenat now Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Belcanquell Deane of Rochester Dr. Samuel Ward publike Diuinity Professor in the Vniversity of Cambridge and Doctor Thomas Goade who not onely as Priuate men but as representatiue persons of the Church of England subscribed the seuerall Articles and Conclusions there resolued witnesse Theologorum magnae Britanniae Sententia in the Acts of the Synod at large The little English Synod of Dort and Dr. Ward his Suffragium Britannorum to which I shall referre you with a bare quotation they being obuious to mens hands and tedious to transcribe A COPPYE OF A RECANTATION OF certaine Errors raked out of the dunghill of Poperie and Pelagianisme publiquely made by Master Barret of Kayes Colledge in Cambridge the tenth day of May in this present yeere of our Lord 1595. in the Vniuersitie Church called Saint Maries in Cambridge which Errors he together with Maister Haâ—rsnet of Penbrooke Hall did rashly hold and maintaine Translated â—ut of Latine into English Anno. 37. Elizabeth PReaching in Latine not long since in the Vniuersitie Church Right Worshipfull many things slipped from me both falsely and rashly spoken whereby I vnderstand the mindes of many haue beene grieued to the end therfore that I may satisfie the Church and the Truth which I haue publiquely hurt I doe make this publique Confession both repeating and reuoking my Errors First I said that no man in this transitorie World is so strongly vnderpropped at least by the certainetie of Faith that is vnlesse as I afterwards expounded it by Reuelation that hee ought to bee assured of his owne Saluation But now I protest before God and acknowledge in my Conscience that they which are iustified by Faith haue peace towards God that is haue reconciliation with God and doe stand in that Grace by Faith therefore that they ought to bee certaine and assured of their owne Saluation euen by the certaintie of Faith it selfe Secondly I affirmed that the Faith of Peter could not faile but that other mens Faith may for as I then said our Lord prayed not for the Faith of euery particular man But now being of a better and more sound Iudgement according to that which Christ teacheth in plaine words Iohn 17. 20. I pray not for these alone that is the Apostles but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word I acknowledge that Christ did pray for the Faith of euery particular Beleeuer and that by the vertue of that Prayer of Christ euery true Beleeuer is so staied vp that his Faith cannot faile Thirdly touching perseuerance vnto the end I said that that certainetie concerning the time to come is proude forasmuch as it is in his owne nature contingent of what kind the perseuerance of euery man is neither did I affirme it to bee proud onely but to bee most wicked But now I freely protest that the true and iustifying Faith whereby the Faithfull are most neerely vnited vnto Christ is so firme as also for the time to come so certaine that it can neuer bee rooted vp out of the mindes of the Faithfull by any tentations of the Flesh the World or the Diuell himselfe So that hee which once hath this Faith shall euer haue it for by the benefit of that iustifying Faith Christ dwelleth in vs and wee in Christ therefore it cannot but be both increased Christ growing in vs daily as also preseuere vnto the end because God doeth giue constancy Fourthly I affirmed that there was no distinction in Faith but in the persons beleeuing In which I confesse that I did Erre Now I freely acknowledge that temporary Faith which as Bernard witnesseth is therefore fained because it is temporary is distinguished and differeth from that sauing Faith whereby sinners apprehending Christ are iustified before God for euer not in measure and degrees but in the very thing it selfe Moreouer I adde that Iames doth make mention of a dead Faith and Paul of a Faith that worketh by loue Fiftly I added that forgiuenesse of sinnes is an Article of Faith but not particular neither belonging to this man nor to that man that is as I expounded it that no true Faithfull man either can or ought certainely to beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen But now I am of another minde and doe freely confesse that euery true Faithfull man is bound by this Article of Faith to wit I beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes certainely to beleeue that his owne
page 117. 118. 187. 219. 230. 242. 243. Commentarie on Hebr. 11. Tom. 2. 3. page 165. 166. Exposition on the Reuelation c. 2. ver 7. page 280. 281. on cap. 3. ver 4. page 333. 334. where this point is fully and excellently discussed Doctor Iohn Hill Life euerlasting Booke 4. Quaest. 4. 5. page 348. 349. 350. In the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth Doctor Reinolds Apologia Thesium sect 12. to 23. Doctor Andrew Willet in his Excellent Treatise De gratia Vniuersali where this point is purposely debated in his Synosis papismi page 881. to 918. Commentary on Rom. 5. Quaest. 38. 39. and Controuersie 23. Master Francis Trigge his true Catholicke cap. 1. page 27. to 44. Doctor Abbot Bishop of Salisbury in his seuerall Lectures De veritate gratia Christâ— against Arminius and his followers read in the Diuinitie Schooles of Oxford whiles hee was there Regius Professor London 1618. page 15. to 82. Master Thomas Rogers Analysis on Article 10. Proposition 1. 2. 3. Master Samuel Heirons Abridgement of the Gospell page 157. 158. Master Stocke The Doctrine and vse of Repentance page 169. to 171. Master Paul Baynes Commentary on Ephes. 1. page 352. to 380. Doctor Iohn Whites Way to the Church Digressio 41. 42. Defence of his way cap. 25. sect 10. 15. 16. 17. Sermon at Pauls Crosse section 8. Doctor Francis White Bishop of Norwitch in his Orthodox cap. 9. page 106. 107. 108. Doctor Field of the Church Booke 1. cap. 4. Doctor Ames Coronis ad Collationem Hagiensem Article 2. 3. Doctor Crakenthorpe in his Sermon of Praedestination Doctor Doue Bishop of Peterburrow in his Sermon against Vniuersall grace on 1. Tim. 2. 4. where he confutes Huberus Doctor Prideaux Lectura 3. 4. De gratia Vniuersali Doctor Benefield De Sanctorum Perseuerantia cap. 18. 20. Doctor Griffith Williams his Delights of the Saints page 30. to 42. Master Elton on Colossians 1. Edit 2. p. 87. 88. on Ro 8. v. 30. M. Samuel Crooke his Guide sect 8. 9. 10. 12. 18. 19. Doctor Thomas Taylor on the 32. Psalme Epistle to the Reader M. Elâ—athaâ— Parre Grounds of Diuinity page 240. 241. Master Thomas Wilson on Rom. 3. ver 10. on cap. 5. ver 15. 16. 17. on cap. 8. ver 33. on cap. 9. ver 16. Master Thomas Draxe in his Worlds Resurrection page 110. 111. Master Sweeper in his Sermon against Vniuersall grace Master Humphrie Sydenham his Iacob and Esau part 1. 2. 3. Doctor Boyes his Postills 4. Sunday after Easter pag. 317. to 320. on Saint Markes Day page 685. 686. Master Iohn Dâ—wnams Summe of Diuinitie lib 1. cap. 17. lib. 2. cap. 1. 2. 3. Sir Christopher Syhthorpe his Friendly Aduertisement c. cap. 7. 8. together with all our Dort Diuines Article 2. 3. 4. of that Synod in the Raigne of King Iames. D. Dauenat Bishop of Salisbury his Expositio ad Epist. Coloss. cap. 1. ver 5. page 45. verse 12. page 78. 80. ver 27. page 171. 172. 173. cap. 2. ver 3. page 266. 267. Bishop Carltons Examination of Master Montagues Appeale cap. 2. 3. 4. Doctor Goade his Pelagius Rediuinus Doctor Warde his Concio ad Clerum Doctor Featly his 2. Parallel page 14. to 20. Learned Bishop Vshâ—rs Answere to the Iesuites Challenge page 464. to 492. Of the Religion professed by the ancient Irish page 7. 8. Master Richard Bernard his Rheemes against Rome Proposition 29. page 247. 248. Master Francis Rouse his Doctrine of King Iames page 25. to 39. Doctor Sclaters Exposition on the first of the Thessa-Ionians page 300. 301. 438. to 455. on Epistle 2. cap. 1. ver 3. page 5. 6. ver 10. page 53. 54. cap. 2. ver 13. page 180. to 191. Master Anthony Woottons Defence of Master Perkins cap. of Free-will and A Dangerous plot discouered c. cap. 7. 8. 20. Master Vicars in his Pusillus Grex. Master Yates in his Ibis ad Caesarem part 2. cap. 7 page 157 c. Master William Pemble in his Vinditiae Gratiae page 54. to 112. where this point is largely and excellently discussed Master Henry Burton his Plea to an Appeale page 65. to 90. and Truth triumphing ouer Trent cap. 17. to which I might adde all those learned Authors of our Church who haue copiously discussed the point of Free-will with all the Authors in the three former Positions and my owne Perpetuitie of a Regenerate mans estate page 9. to 38. All these I say doe fully testifie that there is no such Free-will or vniuersall and sufficient grace deriued vnto all men by which they may repent belieue and be saued if they will themselues Now because this vniuersall Grace or Free-will in man is the onely center vpon which the whole fabricke of Arminianisme is erected by the vndermining of which alone the whole superstruction both of Pelagianisme Popery Arminianisme and Libertinisme are vtterly subuerted I will briefely oppugne it with these seuerall atheisticall blasphemous absurd and dangerous consequences which will necessarily result and issue from it and those conditionall and secondary Decrees of Praedestination which are built vpon it First it ouerturnes the euerlasting and irreuersible Decrees of Election and Reprobation for if euery man may beleeue repent and be saued if he will himselfe then it ineuitably followes that there is no aeternall nor immutable Decree of Praedestination either way whence our Arminians to support this rotten Idoll of Free-will are forced to maintaine a conditionall mutable generall and confused Decree of Praedestination onely which in truth is no Decree not absolute immutable and particular by which they vtterly abolish the whole Decree and Doctrine of Praedestination and then marke the consequence If no Praedestination no vocation no iustification no faith no saluation Praedestination being the originall fountaine of all these and the maine foundation both of grace and glory as the Scriptures and all Writers teach vs. Secondly it makes the fickle wauering and vnconstant will of man the very basis and ground-worke of all Gods immutable and aeternall Decrees concerning man where as God onely workes and orders all things as the Scriptures certifie vs according to the counsell of his owne will not according to the bent and inclination of our wills by which it subordinates God to man and subiects his aeternall purposes and vnalterable Decrees to sundry mutabilities to his dishonour and our great discomfort Thirdly it makes man an independent creature and exempts him wholy from the disposing and ouer-ruling prouidence of his great Creator it makes the great controwler of the world a bare spectator not an orderer or disposer of humane actions it causeth God with all his counsels and designes to daunce attendance vpon the will of man not man to depend vpon the soueraigne will and pleasure of his God for whose onely will and pleasure he was at first created as if God were made for man not man for God Fourthly it constitutes an absolute and independent being and will
in man praeexistent to the aeternall will of God not onely in nature but in time For if Gods foresight and euerlasting Decrees haue their resultancie from the will of man as the sampler hath from the coppy the picture from the body the structure from the plat-forme or meâ—s after-determinations from antecedent euents as our Arminians teach vs then mans will must not onely necessitate and in some sort praedetermine the most free and absolute purposes of God which by this meanes take their rise and being from the creature as if God were insufficient not all-compleate and absolute in himselfe but it must likewise haue a selfe-dependance or praeexistence to them both in time and nature which were nothing else but to deifie the will of man in giuing it an aeternall being both in and from it selfe exempted from any antecedent or fore-ordaining will of God Fiftly it dethrones and pulls God out of heauen in depriuing him not onely of his all-disposing prouidence in ouer-swaying and controling the very wills and workes of men but likewise of his absolute soueraignty and power ouer all his creatures to dispose of them at his owne free-will Had man a freedome or vniuersall grace implanted in him to conuert to saue or damne himselfe at his pleasure Gods absolute supremacy ouer him â—his libertie to saue or not to saue him would then be quite abolished then men might saue themselues when God would damne them yea damne themselues when God would saue them an atheisticall and blasphemous consequent which defeates Gods power and supremacie in the ordering and disposall of his creatures both at once Sixtly it spoiles the Lord of the very glory praise and freedome of his grace for if euery man may thus conuert and saue himselfe those onely being saued who take care to saue themselues by a generall strength and common grace deriued aequally vpon all men what praise what loue or thankes is due to God for any speciall fauour man then must thanke himselfe not God who doth no further saue him then he saues himselfe Seuenthly it quite destroyes and vtterly abolisheth the very essence and nature of the grace of God and that in these respects First in that it communicates it in a like indifferency vnto all men when as grace is such a speciall fauour as is peculiar to some few hence Election Vocation Adoption Iustification Sanctification Loue Faith Hope Repentance Conuersion hence worldly honors fauours and praeferments are stiled grace because they are conferred vpon few not cast promiscuously vpon all Secondly in that it makes grace yea heauen and saluation a meere purchase of our owne not an absolute free gift of God without any relation to or dependancie on our selues and so no grace at all Thirdly it makes it subordinate and subseruient to our wills which are wholy subiect to itâ— Scepter so accounts it for a slaue where as it is a Lord a King and Monarch for to sway our hearts Fourthly in confining the taking or reiecting of it to times and seasons of our owne when as it breatheth when and where it listeth Fifthly in subiecting it to alterations and changes at our pleasure where as it is immouable and immutable in it selfe Eightly it susspends the efficacy fruite and application of Christs death the power of Gods ordinances the graces and working of his Spirit and so our whole saluation on our selues alone and so giues vs a power to euacuate or make them efficatious to vs at our pleasures which ouerthrowes the whole frame and order of the Scriptures which ascribe and yeeld vp all to God leauing nothing in or to our selues Ninethly It falsifies and ouerthrowes the whole contents and series of the Scripture which informes vs that we are wholy dead in sinnes and trespasses and so vnable for to moue or helpe our selues vnlesse God quicken vs by his grace that without Christs speciall assistance we are we can doe nothing that God must worke in vs both the will and the deed of his good pleasure that he must worke all our workes both in vs and for vs that all our sufficiencie proceeds from him that we cannot come vnto Christ except his Father who hath sent him drawe vs that he onely makes vs to differ from others that by his grace onely wee are what we are and that all our hearts wayes are in his hands to turne them which way soeuer it pleaseth him and a thousand such like places to this purpose Tenthly it puts all mankind into as good if not a better estate and condition since the fall as Adam had before it since Adam onely had a possibilitie giuen vnto him posse non peccare not to sinne or fall vnlesse he listed and wee if this proue truth haue all a possibilitie or power giuen vs to be saued not damned if wee will our selues and then what great what reall difference between Adams first estate ours now and if no difference what hurt what losse by Adams fall Eleuenthly it makes both faith repentance vocation adoption election iustification glorification and all other graces within the command and limits of our owne free power and so not the meere donations or free gifts of God or issues of his Spirit as the Scriptures stile them Twelftly it frustrates all our prayers and thankesgiuings and makes them meerely â—ugatory for in vaine doe wee implore that from another which issues from ourselues in vaine doe we giue thankes vnto another for that we haue receiued from our selues alone without his special fauor or assistance If then conuersion faith repentance and saluation are at our our owne deuotion or command our thankes our prayers for them are but vaine Thirteenthly it giues men cause tobost and glory in themselues alone which ouerthrowes the end and freedome of Gods grace and not to giue the praise and glory of their whole conuersion and saluation vnto God to whom alone it doth belong Fourteenthly it opens an inreparable gappe to sundry ineuitable inconueniences First to all licentiousnesse and prophanesse whatsoeuer since men as most prophane ones lay this for their ground may repent and be saued after all their wickednesse both if and when they will Secondly to all desperate atchieuements and audacious vilanies whatsouer hee that hath yet no truth of grace within him to restraine him from forecasting sinne will quickely runne into any desperate attempt or action whatsoeuer vpon this false praesumption that hee may praesently of himselfe repent and so be saued after all his sinnes Thirdly to prochrastinate repentance to the last and wholy to neglect the meanes of grace and all true Christian duties for the praesent What is the chiefe and primarie ground of the common neglect of meanes workes of grace of most mens delaying amendment to their latter ends but onely this vnhappy delusion that they may vndoubtedly beleeue repent