forth of private men is apt to exceed into a tumultuary motion yet I would not put them so far behind as they should lie like the lame and the diseased at the Poole of Bethesda wayting till a supream power came down amongst them there are many publick engagements which they are capable on and which providence will often guide them to as in finding out wayes of facilitation and advancement for the businesse besides some other arcana and secret preparations we see every thing naturally is spirited with an instinct of ayding the whole water and ayre will part with their own interests to serve the universall in the danger of a vacuity the very Romans by a morall principle would contend to be first in the service of their Countrey and it remaines as a crime upon record that Gilead abode beyond Iordan and that Dan remained in ships and Ashur abode in his breaches that is that they would sit downe circled with their own interests and affaires And though you would put private men upon such duties here as are godly and commendable the policy is to keep them exercised in one good duty that they should not advance another and thus you would cunningly make one piece of Divinity betray another and make the friends of the Reformation do it a discourtesie in ignorance Sermon pag. 19. Lastly with carefulnesse not to give any just offence to the Papists Examination I wonder you should here expresse an indulgence which is not allowable and the memory of the Parliament will be honourable for that they knew so much Divinity as taught them not to value their offence and to proclaime to them both in Ireland and England an irreconcileable war this carefulnesse and tendernesse you plead for was the first principle which embased our Church so farre as to take up their Altars and Ceremonies to avoid offence Saint Paul was of another spirit who forbore not a Disciple and Apople When I saw sayes he that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel You doe much mistake the Divinity of Christ in matter of offence who never forbore to preach or publish any necessary truth nay when his Disciples were scandalized and said this is an hard saying doth this offend you sayes he what and if c. he goes on and pursues the offence till they left him and his Doctrine too and for the Papists they are much of the relation and constitution that the Scribes and Pharisees were not without as you say nor within and yet fee if you can finde our Saviour or his Apostles letting out themselves into your restrictions and moderations and cautions those truths which are essentially universally alwayes and at all times holy ought not to be measured by the umbrage and scandall of the Adversary indeed in things meerly civill or indifferent our use and liberty may appeare more but for such truths as our Reformation brings they will be alwayes an offence to the Adversary We preach Christ sayes the Apostle unto the Jewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse and yet the Apostle preaches and layes these blocks and this rock of offence in the way too Sermon page 24. That it is to be desired not hoped for a Plato's Common-wealth and Moores Vtopia these phansies are pleasing but unfeizable Examination He that looks abroad shall soone have his sight terminated but the more he goes on the more hee sees and that which closed his prospect opens then into new discoveries if you see no perfect Reformation as you stand doe not therefore say there is none they that stand higher and on a holier Mountaine perhaps see further you that stand in the Horizon of Prelacy cannot see much beyond it corruption is deceit full and makes us like Adam see all generations in our selves because we will not be perfectly reformed let us not argue our Judgements into a beliefe that we cannot let us think it as possible to be the best as easie to be the worst let us not think that a Plato's Common-wealth or a Moores Vtopia which for ought wee know is reall and existent There is under the Gospel a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People and certainly had former Ages lived to see but the discoveries of later times they would have admired their owne ignorance and our happinesse Sermon page 24. There are some now adayes that talk of a great light manifested in this age more than before indeed we Modernes have a mighty advantage of the Antients whatsoever was theirs by industry may be ours all contribute themselves to us who live in this latter age Examination If wee had no more light than what you insinuate were seen from the Fathers why doe we see more and more clearly and further hee that sees farre must either have a good sight or a cleare light and sure in this age we have both those errors which our Fathers saw for dimme truths we see for heresies so surely both our eyes and our light are better for the light which our Fathers have in their lamps can discover but so much to us as it did to them and we know our discoveries are such as we are able to see the shadow which followed them even that mystery which was working in their dayes both in Prelacy and Ceremony who will deny but that the cloud of Antichristianisme was thick in their times and then the light could not be so glorious as now when these clouds grow thinner and more attenuated by the Preaching of the Gospel the Gospel doth work and wind its beames into the world according to the Propheticall seasons for Revelation many Propheticall truths were sealed up and those not unsealed but successively and as our generations after may have a starre rising to them which we have not so we may have beames and radiations and shootings which our Fathers had not The Apostles had not all their truths and light revealed at once some early some late some not till the Holy Ghost was bestowed Revelations are graduall and the vaile is not taken off at once nor in one Age wee honour the Fathers as men in their Generations famous their light was glorious in its degree and quality but they had not all the degrees attainable they had a light for their own times and we for ours and who cannot think we are rising into that Age where in God shall poure his spirit upon all flesh and wherein the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as the light of seven dayes But we see the policy of commending the Fathers light to our Generation for could you prevaile with us to set our Dials by that you then might reform our Church by the Canterburian gnomen and so set us back to a falsly-reputed Primitive Reformation Sermon page 13 14 15 16. The Qualification for Reformers the decent buriall of such Ceremonies as are taken from the
EXAMINATIONS OR A DISCOVERY Of some Dangerous Positions delivered in A SERMON OF REFORMATION Preached in the Church of the Savoy last fast day Iuly 26. by Tho. Fuller B. D. and since printed 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof By Iohn Saltmarsh Master of Arts and Pastor of Heslerton in Yorkshire Raptim Scripta LONDON Printed for Lawrence Blaiklock and are to bee sold at the Sugar loafe near Temple Barre 1643. Nihil invenio in hoc libello cui titulus Examinations or a Discovery of some dangerous Positions delivered in a Sermon of Reformation preached by Tho. Fuller B. D. quin utiliter imprimatur Charles Herle An Advertisement returned to the Author by a Reverend Divine to certifie him touching the Licensers allowance of Mr. Fullers late Sermon of Reformation Sir TO satisfie you concerning Mr Downams approbation of Mr Fullers Sermon of Reformation I can assure you I heard him complaine that hee was wronged by him in that he having taken exception at some passages of that Sermon Mr Fuller promised to amend them according to his correction but that he did not performe what he promised To the Reverend Divines now convened by Authority of Parliament for Consultation in matters of RELIGION I Have but the thoughts of an afternoon to spread before you for I examined the same pace that I read that if it were possible a truth might overtake an errour ere it got too farre It is not a little encouragement that I may sit like the Prophetesse under the Palmetree under such a shade as your selves and what weaknesse soever may appeare in these my assertions This ayring them under your Patronage will heale them for so they brought forth the sick into the streets that at least the shadow of Peter might touch some of them Thus have I suddenly set up my Candle for others to light their Torch at and I hope you will pardon me if my zeale to the truth made mee see anothers faults sooner than my own Your Servant in Christ Jesus JOHN SALTMARSH THE POLICY OF THE Sermon of Reformation THe Scope of the Sermon is Reformation but it so moderates so modificates and conditionates the Persons and Times and Businesse that Reformation can advance little in this way or method As our Astronomers who draw so many lines and imaginary Circles in the Heavens that they put the Sun into an heavenly Labyrinth and a learned perplexity Such is the Zodiack you would make for the light of the Gospel and the Sun of Reformation to move in it was one of the Policies of the Iewes Adversaries that when they heard of their buildings they would build with them They said let us build with you for wee seek your God as you doe But the people of God would have no such helpers there is no such Jesuiticall way to hinder our work as to work with us and under such insinuations set the Builders at variance when they should fall to labour and how easie is it to reason flesh and blood back from a good way and good resolutions I remember the old Prophet had soone perswaded even the man of God to return when he told him I am a Prophet as thou art I finde there are three Principles animates the Sermon 1 How imperfect a Church will be and a Reformation doe the best you can 2 That the light which the Fathers had formerly was as full and glorious as the light of these aayes or rather brighter 3 That none but the Supreme authority or authority Royall and that alone ought to begin and act in this Reformation These are your principles and let any judge if this bee a qualification fit for him that judges or writes of such a truth for first hee that conceits there can bee no perfection of a Church on earth will scarce labour to make that Church better which he is sure will be bad at all times nor will hee care for any new light while the old is in best reputation with him Nor will he seek to advance the work but stay for a supreme authority alone a good policie to stay the Reformation till his Majesties return and then there is hopes it may coole in their hands Sermon Page 9. Withall we flatly deny that Queene Elizabeth left the dust behind the doore which she cast on the dunghill whence this uncivill expression is raked up The doctrine by her established and by her successours maintained in the 39 Articles if declared explained and asserted from false glosses have all gold no dust or arosse in them Examination I will not detract from the Religious houswifery of such a Queen of famous memory but wee know her Reformation is talkt on now in a politick reverence and we are commended back into her times only to hinder us from going forward in our own for I am sure till this engine was contrived she was not such a Saint in the Prelates Calender For the Doctrine established from her times though it bee not the businesse so much of our Reformation as the 39 Articles where it dwels yet this wee know either the light of the Doctrine was very dimme or the eyes of our Bishops and Iesuites for one of them would needs spie Arminianisme and the Iesuite Popery and some will make it a Probleme yet whether their glosse may accuse the Article or the Article their glosse such Cassanders found so much latitude in our Doctrine as to attempt a reconciliation of their Articles and ours together Sermon page 9. Againe we freely confesse that there may be some faults in our Church in matters of Practice and Ceremonies and no wonder if there be it would be a miracle if there were not besides there be some innovations rather in the Church than of the Church as not chargeable on the publike account Examination These are but subtle Apologies and distinctions for the superstitions in the Church and to take off the eyes of our Reformers and entertain them into changeable discourses as if they were faults and no faults and those that were were irreformable and could not be made better and thus while the errours of our Church should call them to reform your difficulties and impossibilities would call them off you say it were a miracle to have none this is such Sophistry as the malignity of your Clergy would cast in the way of our Reformation and for the Innovations they have been made by your most learned the immediate issues of our Church our Rubrick and Practice have been called to witnesse it therefore goe not on to perswade such a fundamentall integrity and essentiall purity you know in what a poore case that Church was when shee thought her selfe rich and full and glorious he is no lesse an enemy to the patient than to the Physitian that would perswade him that all is well or at least incurable Sermon page 9. A through Reformation wee and all good men doe desire with as
Fathers the honourable Reservation to our first Reformers Examination That it may appear I look not onely at the worst of the Sermon there are excellent truths in it and it is pitie they are not better situated I could alwayes wish to see a Diamond set in Gold These are good Positions and in their Pages not without their enamill of wit yet there is a Policy to write faire in one leafe though you make a blot in another but I cannot let these passe without some observation First for the Qualification I dare say never age afforded more eminent in this Kingdom their Calling lawfull their Pietie exemplary their knowledge radiant their courage experienced thorow a legion of difficulties their prudence in the conduct of a businesse though opposed with the Policy and Malignity of a grand and potent Enemy And for the decent buriall of Ceremonies and superstitions of the fathers they shall have a Parliament of Senators and an Assembly of Divines to lay them in their Grave and I dare say a godly Congregation in the Kingdom to sing a Psalm at their Funeralls and will not this be a very decent buriall And for the honourable reservation to the Reformers and their memories our Divines and Reformers now have ever made resorts and appeals to the truths they delivered and in those times when Beza and Calvin and P. Martyr were set lowest till the Master of the feast came lately and bid them sit up higher a Caietan and Bellarmine and a Councell of Trent I am sure had more honour from the Divinitie of the other year or your times so farre we admire the Reformers as to love their Truths and to pitty their errors But I will not say much a errors may be more provoked than remedied with overhandling let us be wise in the Colours of good and evill b though it be an honest yet it is a dangerous mistake to think too many our Friends and too few our Enemies Conclusion If I be now examined what Reformation I aime at I answer my endeavour here was only to take out of the way such rubbish as others would bring in if we can but clear the passage we go far in the work and in the meantime let us like Ioshuas spies bring no evill report upon the land we are going to But suppose this perfect Reformation or Church were among the c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the d {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Ragione di sacro dominio he were no wise nor faithful Divine who would not preserve that secret for holy advantages 't is Gods own design and his Apostles to hold out a perfection to us be perfect as your heavenly father and some Pastors for the perfecting of the Saints I commend Bodin Tacitus for their politicall faithfulness they writ far yet would not e sun the Imperiall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nor make them popular Apology I have now done I will not say refuting but committing errors I am afraid my haste at this time hath made me mend one fault only with another FINIS New Quaeres OF CONSCIENCE Touching the late OATH Desiring Resolution Q. How it consists with 1. The threefold conditions of an Oath in generall of Truth Iudgement Righteousnes Jer. 4. 2. 2. The threefold Oath taken in particular viz. of 1. Allegiance 2. Supremacy 3. Protestation 3. Theirown introduction Limitation in speciall in order to the security and preservation of the True Reformed Protestant Religion I. Quaere How it consists with the three Conditions of an OATH 1. OF Truth which excludes falshood doublings fictions mentall evasions aequivocations and reservations and requires simplicity and sincerity according to the sense and purpose of the imposer 1 Liquide jurare 2. Of judgement not unadvisedly lightly or wantonly to satisfie the times to comply with great persons for advantage or carnall securitie not upon a Popish implicite faith but to let every man be perswaded in his own minde that it be grounded upon a necessary Cause and taken soberly advisedly discreetly reverently and in the rear of God 3. Of Righteousnesse That it be not to the prejudice of my Neighbour Hee that takes it with his private Reservation inconsistent with the Sense and purpose of the Oath offends against the first He that takes it for favour of men offends against the second He that takes it out of emulation and rage to the dammage of his Brother offends against the third For these Causes D. Augustine concludes Falsa juratio exitiosa est vera juratio periculosa nulla juratio secura False swearing is pernitious True swearing is dangerous no swearing is secure Ser. 28. de verb Apost. By an ancient Law of the Church No man was to be sworn but fasting Quaere II. How can it consist with the Oath 1 OF Supremacy For if he be once supream over all persons in all causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall how can I swear to subject him or bring him under any person in any Cause whatsoever and though the chief occasion of that Oath was upon the Popes pretending jurisdiction yet the intention and extention was to shut all his Subjects under the same condition of Obedience 2 Of Allegiance For I am bound First To defend the King and his Successours to the uttermost of my power against all Treasons Conspiracies against his Person Crown and dignity Secondly To doe my best endeavour to reveal all Conspiracies I know or hear against him or any of them and Third That no person whatsoever hath power to absolve me of the Oath and All which seem to be endangered by taking up Armes against him or his life-guard or the forces raised by him 3. Of the late Protestation in regard of a double seeming Contradiction For I promise vow and protest to maintain the Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England But this assertion That in my Conscience I do beleeve that the Forces raised by the two Houses of Parliament are raised and continued for their just defence and for the defence of the true Protestant Religion seems to contradict the Protestant Religion Doctrin of our Church For though there be many strange Fancies and doctrines in the Church of England yet there is but One expresse Doctrine of the Church of England and that is conteined in the 39 Articles and Book of Common Prayer to which all the regular Clergy must subscribe and are confirmed by an Act of Parliament Now one Protestant point of our Religion expressed in the Doctrine of this Church is in the 37 Article Viz. 1. The Kings Majesty hath the Chief power id est supremacy in this Realme of England unto whom the Chiefe gouernment of All Estates of this Realme whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill in all Causes doth appertaine To Rule All estates and degrees committed to his charge and to restrain with the sword the Stubborne and evill doers