ensuing conference I thus replied with great affection to their soules and in obedience to the Apostles command Gal. 6. Gal. 6.1 Yee which are spirituall restore c. with as much meeknesse as I could lest that in the flame of Passion and heat of contention Truth should singe her winges as too oft shee hath done and take her flight leaving the parties wholy unsatisfied Who is an Heretick First to avoyd all needlesse questions and endlesse disputes wee must distinguish between these two Things To be an Heretick and to embrace an Heresie or an Opinion that is erroneous For not every one whose Opinion is hereticall is to be reckon'd and listed in the black role of Hereticks but onely he who having been baptiz'd into the Christian Faith shall stifly maintaine and obstinatly defend an untruth against it By the Christian Faith wee are not to understand in generall the Word of God in it's whole Latitude viz. The Propheticall and Apostolicall Doctrine contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament For not every false Interpretation of any one place in Scripture nor every Opinion resulting from that place so interpreted falls under the name and notion of Heresie as S. Hierome seemes to assert in his comment upon the Galatians C. 5. v. 20. but by the Christian Faith The foure Principles of our Faith and Religion wee meane those foure Principles of our Faith which are the foure kindes of Fundamentalls the deniall and opposing any one whereof with pertinacy entitles a man to the guilt of Heresie and the name of Heretick The first of those Fundamentalls is placed in the Apostles Creed The second in the Decalogue or ten Commandements The third in the Lords Prayer The fourth in the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper Thus the Reverend and Learned Bishop Davenant determines the case in that most judicious and Schisme-confounding worke of his entituled ad Pacem adhortatio So then hee that shall perversly deny an Article of the Creed which is Christianorum fidei spei formula Veritatis summa ac fundamentum To use the termes of the Tridentine Catechisme The forme of a Christian's Faith and Hope The Epitome and Foundation of Truth Hee that shall likewise wilfully erre in principiis moralibus in the Principles of manners or good living Hee that shall believe or maintaine the contrary to any precept or morall command as that simple Fornication is no sinne which is the Opinion of the * Vid. Kinchi in Psal Iewes and Papists That it is lawfull to worship an Image the worke of mens hands or the like Hee that shall overthrow the Doctrine of the Sacraments either denying the exercise or use of the Sacrament of Baptisme or not Baptizing according to the tenour of Christs Mat. 28. v. ult injunction In the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost or not celebrating the Eucharist according to our Saviours institution by denying the Cup to the People or the like Lastly He or They that erre in the Fundamentall Doctrine concerning Prayer making their addresses to any one but to God alone through the mediation of Christ his Sonne by Faith in whom and being knit to them in love wee are bold to call God Our Father c. Hee that shall obstinatly persist both in Opinion and practice against any Precept or Doctrine in these foure kindes of Fundamentalls hee cannot be exempted from the number of Hereticks whose names are not registred in the Booke of Life into which none shall enter that worke abomination or make a lie Rev. 21.27 Such workers of mischiefe are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as †Cyril l. 1. in Ioh. cap. 4. Cyrill rightly tells them men that are Leaders and Abettours of an Haeresie Such men whom we may call Daemonice Meridiana as S. * Hieron Apol. adversus Ruffin lib. 2. Hierome once called Arius men blown up with pride and infected with a Diabolicall daring Spirit you must decline as you would those that have the Leprosie or Plague Haeresie is a catching disease and hardly to be cured it enters into the Soule by the Eye and Eare when you either reade the books or heare the Sermons of Haereticks and entring thus in it brings Death and Destruction as its attendants with it S. Paul was not ignorant of this as appeares by his wholsome and seasonable exhortation for these times Rom. 16. Ver. 17. I beseech you brethren observe the Apostles earnest supplication grounded upon the danger of Hereticall infection mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them †Ver. 18. For they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies They are commonly Covetous and Luxurious persons given over to their Appetites They are dissembling Hypocrites for as it followes there with faire Speeches and flatteries they deceive the hearts of their simple followers and Auditours 2 Joh. 10. If there come any such unto you and bring not the Doctrine of Christ but that which is contrary to it receive him not into your House neither bid him God speed i. e. have nothing to doe with him neither shew him any signe of familiarity or respect lest under the guise or fleece of a Lamb-like Teacher you meet in the conclusion with devouring Wolfes proud Anabaptists or Soul-murdering Jesuites Who now like their great Master the Prince of darknesse goe about seeking whom they may destroy with their Antiscripture Antichristian infectious Tenets or Haeresies None more then these grand Impostours are pleaders for Conventicles that so they may with more security open the fardall of their Masse that * So called in the Confutation of the Papists Catechisme pag. 29. maze of Idolatry amongst themselves and draw poor deceived Souls from the love of the Church and their Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke with diligence those that preach this Doctrine and conclude with your selves that they are either immediately sent from Rome that Antichristian Synagogue or seduced by the Romish Agents whose onely aime in these times is to blow the Cole of Division using the †Doctor Crakanth in his defence of our Church does call them fitly Flabella Jesuitarum Separatists as his bellowes for this very purpose and to draw mens mindes from the love of the Truth and Learning knowing full well that the fabrick of their Superstition and Idolatrous worship relyes onely upon the rotten pillar of Ignorance the onely prop too of the Pope's greatnesse For as that examinatour of the Councell or rather Conventicle of Trent saies well Gentillet ut bonarum literarum instauratione facessere caepit ignorantia c. So soone as the cloud of Ignorance was dispelled by the bright beames of Learning the Authority of the Pope began presently to faile and suffer a great diminution Therefore I exhort you againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to marke those who are sometimes of
which such Learned Wise Orthodox and pious men may be called and produced to govern particular Congregations and to sit at the Helme of the Church This cannot be preserved secure and entire from Heresies but will be like the †Luke 8.23 Ship wherein our Saviour was asleepe i.e. battered with tempests and beaten with the waves of contrary Opinions For this cause wee finde in ancient Records that not onely among the people of God the ancient Jewes and Christians but also even among the Gentiles evermore in all ages great care and diligence was used to ordaine and maintaine Schooles of learning and to place in them holy and knowing men whom they encouraged with large stipends by whose paines and parts the liberall Arts and Sciences together with the Doctrine of their Religion might be taught and fastened in the people's Memories To omit the Schooles of the Gentiles as of the Aegyptians * Alsted li. 24. c. 13. Encycl Scholast Heurn primord Philosoph to whom Learning and Arts were derived from the Jewes likewise those of the Chaldeans Babylonians Persians Greeks and Romans all which to the shame of Christians in these times had learned and men of Wisdome in high estimation especially of Professours and assertours of their Religion such were their Magi their Gymnosophists their Philosophers their Augures or Sowthsayers omitting these I shall onely make a plaine discovery of the Schooles erected by the People of God as well before as after Christ and then leave it to the Judgments of discreet and moderate Judges whether a want of love to Religion and the feare of God does not discover it selfe in the profane practises of those men who labour to pull down the Ministery which is now the Jesuits maine designe by doing as the * Gen. 26.18 Philistines did by the Wells of Abraham i. e. by seeking to stop the Springs and Fountaines of Learning into which they have thrown dirt and stones by undeserved slanders and reprochfull infamies Colledges and Schooles under the old Law If wee traverse the story of the old Testament wee shall find that there were and this not without the prescript or command of God in the Kingdome of Israel Schooles constituted and opened to publick use in some whereof were placed Levites in others Prophets to teach and explicate the Law of God to traine up Disciples or Scholars who afterwards should teach either in the Temples or Synagogues and propagate the Doctrine of the Law to succeeding Generations For who were the Sonnes of the Prophets of whom there is so often mention made in the Booke of the Kings but those that were students educated and brought up in those Schooles whereof the Prophets were heads and Governours 1 Kings 20 35. 1 Kings 2.3.7.15 This was the intent or meaning of the Prophet Amos when hee said I am not a Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet Amos 7.14 i.e. never brought up in the Schooles of the learned Prophets What was the reason that the Lord commanded 48 Cities with their Suburbs to be assigned to the Levites above their Brethren of the other Tribes Numb 35.2 was it not for this that in the Land of Israel there might be Schooles and Colledges in the which the Levites might teach and instruct young Novices their pupils in the Law of God and thereby fit them for the Offices of the Sanctuary Over these Schooles or Colledges there were ever placed men renowned for their Piety Learning Prudence and Gravity of Manners and those chosen out of the Prophets and Levites Thus †1 Sam. 29.28 Samuel was the Prefect or Governour of the Schoole which was at Naioth in Mount Ramah where was a Schoole and Scholers in the Raigne of Asa if we may believe the Talmudists who say that hee was therefore punished with lamenesse in his Feete Vid. Buxtorf in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chr. 16.12 because hee compelled all the Wisemen or Doctors of that place together with their Disciples or Scholers to leave their Studies and to take up Armes for his aide against Baasha King of Israel This they collect how truly I will not determine out of the 1 of Kings 15.22 where it is said that Asa made a proclamation thorowout all Judah none was exempted and they tooke away the stones of Ramah c. i. e. when the Scholars were all warned out by the King's Edict Elias was the Praepositus or Master of the Schoole at Hierico 2 Kings 2.5 In his place succeeded his Disciple Elisha and so others after him in succeeding ages In the second of Chron. 34.22 wee read of a Colledge in Hierusalem It is called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as a double House so called by reason of it's two Courts wherein Huldah the Prophetesse dwelt when Hilkiah went unto her with a message from Josiah Doubtlesse shee dwelt by her selfe in one of the Courts remote from the Prophets and their Sonnes who were taught in the other For Colledges indeed ought to be what a Name that is given them by Eusebius does import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 places of gravity and severity which cannot well stand with a mixture of both Sexes in one and the same place But to returne from this short digression To this end and purpose it likewise was I meane for the maintenance of Schooles that the Levites under the Law had such large incomes by Gods appointment they had well nigh as hath beene proved by mee in another †The Churches Plea c. Sect. 10 p. 23. Treatise the fifth part of the Jewes Revenues which large allowance was given them that being free from all cares to which the Ministers of the Gospell are too sharply exposed they might with the lesse distraction and more freedome of Spirit devote themselves wholy to their studies and their Ministeriall Functions Againe wee finde that the Jewes themselves ever in after Ages endeavoured even when they were dispers'd amongst the Gentiles to retaine their Schooles which are called sometimes Synagogues although in a strict sence a Schoole and a Synagogue differs Philo as hee is cited by Grotius on St. Mat. Grot. in Mat. 4.23 uses the Names promiscuously and calls those Synagogues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they did both Pray and Preach in them and withall as they doe now where they are traine up their youth and exercise themselves by disputes and polemicall Discourses concerning the holy Scriptures whereby they finde out many hidden Truths This is the practise of Colledges in the Vniversities by which meanes the Students learne to whet their Tongues in disputes against the Truth 's adversaries those of Rome together with other Hereticks Colledges and Schooles under the Gospell In the second place That there were Colledges places of publick concourse even under the Gospell in the time of the Apostles at Hierusalem wee may collect or gather out of the Acts. And there were dwelling at Hierusalem
glorious chaines c. Hee was borne in Devonshire bred up at Oxford †First in Mertâ—… afterwards in Corpus Christi Colledge and if it lay at my mercy to save or destroy it I should spare it because it bred such a Pillar of Truth and the scourge of Rome as the Conquerour spared Syracusa because hee found in it an Archimedes With him wee may parallel our famous Whitgift who was contemporary with him For the former dyed Anno. 1571. this latter was installed Bishop of Worcester Anno. 1577. afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury 1583. Hee was borne in Lincolneshire bred here at Cambridge first in Pembrook Hall afterward fellow of Peterhouse and not long after hee being of rare and eminent parts was made president of Pembrooke Hall next Master of Trinity Colledge in which time hee was first the Margaret then the Kings Professor of Divinity This matchlesse patterne of prudence and patience did stand as stoutly as the former in the defence of the Truth against our home bred Innovatours who as our learned Camden in his Annalls trampled on all Government and making Phansie the mistresse of their judgement pride and a zealous ignorance being their guides they inveighed against the †Elizah Queenes authority and herein spake the Language of Ashdod acted highly for the Jesuits denied uniformity in Divine worship although establish'd by the authority of Parliament sever'd the Administration of the Sacraments from the preaching of the Word Sacramentorum administrationeÌ„ à verbi divini praedicatione se jungebant Camd. Novos ritus pro arbitrio in privatis edibus usurpabant c. They neglected and despised the Sacraments forgetting that God will not save us without the use of the meanes They refused to go to Church thus making a dangerous Schisme and rending the seamlesse coat of Christ Pontificiis plaudentibus multosque in suas partes trahentibus quasi nulla esset in Ecclesiâ Anglicanâ unitas Hereby they made our adversaries to rejoyce and triumph over us and were the cause of many weake ones turning Papists upon this ground that there was no unity in our Church I feare our Separatists have now caused the like if not worse mischief in the revolt of many thousand from us Those Chams men of hot and fiery Spirits who inveighed against their Fathers and uncovered their Mothers nakednesse Those Scindentes as †Aug. l. de Civit. Dei 16. c. 2 comparat Chamo haereticos li. 4. c. 43. Irenaeus well calls them to which hee joynes elati superbi those proud high-minded daring Schismaticks that Reverend Learned and most patient Whitgife quell'd and suppressed in a short time by his discreet meeknesse and gentle exhortations to peace first stopping by arguments the mouths of their Antesignani their Leaders as Cartwright and others this hee did by disputes and mild perswasions to peace and at last having by a patient courage overcome many strong oppositions from the Nobles and their adherents abettours in that schisme by Gods blessing hee restored the Church to unity and concord both in Doctrine and Discipline Who but a man of great learning and grace could have done this and been the instrument of setling in a distracted Kingdome an universall Peace Let mee adde to these one though of a lower ranke in the Church yet not much inferiour in gifts of nature and grace the renowned Whitakers first Scholar and after Fellow of Trinity Colledge famous for his admirable skill in the Arts and Tongues as for his Excellency in the knowledge of Divinity his famous workes now extant his confutation of Campian Sanders Duraeus Rainolds Stapleton nay of Bellarmine himselfe with whom then living this our Champion encountred Hee confounded the former proving the Pope to be Antichrist and maintaining the authority of the Scriptures above the Church and at last singling out the †Bellarmine Cardinall himselfe the Goliah of Rome hee stunned him so with the strength of prevailing Truth and reason in his controversies concerning the Church Scriptures and councells c. That the Cardinall it seemes fiâ—st convinced by his argumentions having him in high estimation procured his Picture and hung it in his stuâ—y among the portraitures of other noted men and was heard to say That though hee was an Heretick yet hee was a Learned one Never any saying had more of Falsity and Truth in it When he confessed him to be learned it was all one as if hee had acknowledged that he was by him confuted What firmer testimony then that which falls from the Lips of a professed Enemy To these forenamed Worthies I might adde the late Reverend Bishop of Salisbury Davenant the now living and most knowing Prelats Armach and Morton true nursing Fathers of the Church fed with their Doctrine and defended by their Pennes which they have with great successe dipped in the Inke of confutation against Jesuites and Hereticks 2 Sam. 23.12.20 The Lord hath done great things by these Benaiahs and wrought great victories by meanes of their painfull works against our Adversaries Could these famous usefull and Church-preserving acts with many hundred more which have beene effected by men of parts could these mighty things have beene done without Learning could this have been attained without the helpe and furtherance of publike Schooles and Universities I suppose no man is so wanting to Truth and Modesty as to say it This made Alphonsus King of Arragon beare an open Booke in his Scutchion to testifie thereby to the World his high esteem of learning as being the prop of Religion and the Pillar of a State and Kingdome Middendorp l. de Academ 1. p. 104. And therefore Charles the Great wheresoever hee erected a Church there hee ever annexed a Schoole of Learning unto it Oh then let not the undermining and crafty Jesuits who now swarme amongst us blow any longer this poyson into your Eares believe not the voyce of these †De his vid. Franzii Histor S. p. 1. c. 20. Hyaenas who may speake like Men nay like Angells but within are ravening Wolves and savage Beasts Their common Trade and Worke now is to cry downe Learning and the Fountaines of it the Vniversities They know that their cause cannot thrive so long as Learning does flourish These * De his vid. Solinum Solifugae hate that confounding light These Frogs love to croake in the black Night of Ignorance They ever digge their Mines in darknesse The Traitour Faux and his dark Lanthorne was a true embleme of a Jesuit who has some light within which makes him sinne against his conscience yet that light wrapped up and obscured by malice which forces him to act in defence of the Catholick cause and contrive any bloody wickednesse And now is his Harvest who loves to fish in troubled waters Hee hath put forth the Sickle of his undermining policy to cut downe the Clergy and the Vniversities witnesse the late Petitions against Tithes and that other from some
who labour to draw the people's mindes from the love of the publick Congregation and engage them to their private meetings whereby they commonly intangle them in their errours and Haeresies Therefore if they say as the Vid. August Ep. 48. Donatists once did that Christ is onely amongst them in their Crypts and Conventicles beleeve them not for they doe contrary to the precept and practise of Christ He wills or enjoynes us to †Luk. 12.8 confesse Him and his Truth before men i. e. to make an open profession of our Faith both in times of persecution and peace He himselfe ever * Joh. 18.19,20 taught publikely as he witnessed of himselfe before Pilat He †Luk. 4.15.44 did so to teach us this lesson That Truth seeks not corners but loves the light therefore it is sometimes called light in the Holy Scriptures Eph. 5.8 Walke as Children of the Light Vid. Act. 26.18 But they that * Joh. 3.19 Men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill hate the Truth delight in darknesse dare not say that in an open Congregation what they spawn and vent in a Conventicle or private meeting Therefore avoyd them joyne not with them beware of making a Schisme in the â—hurch or making that rent wider which was first begun of late by the Presbyterians Adhere not to Schismaticks whose portion without a deep repentance for so great a sinne as wounding Christs Church shall be after death in the Land of darknesse because they loved darknesse rather then light I never read that saying of August Aug. Ep. 204. but with horrour and dread when I considered the common guilt Foris ab Ecclesiâ constitutus separatus à communione unitatis vinculo charitatis aeterno supplicio punireris etiamsi pro Christi nomine vivus comburereris i. e. He or She that out of pride or peevishnesse separates himselfe from the bodie of the Church whose members are knit together by the ligaments of one faith and bond of love that man shall be punished with everlasting torments although he should die in the flame and be burnt for the name of Christ Such biting Truths as these are the cause why Schismaticks and Hereticks love not to read the Fathers nor vouchsafe so much as to name them in their Sermons or writings Therefore let no man deceive you with vaine words for for such things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of Disobedience Be not then companions with them for ye were sometimes darkenesse but are now light in the Lord walk as Children of Light Eph. 5.6,7,8 And conforme your selves to the * Christi actio nostri debet esse instrinctio Aug. example of our Lord and Master Jesus who †Luke 19.47 preached in the Synagogues and the Temple notwithstanding they were places full of disorder and corruption He * Mat. 21.13 called the Temple a Denne of theeves and are there not too many in ours †Mat. 15.3 The Doctrine of the Law was then corrupted by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees is not the Doctrine of the Gospel as much corrupted by ours Besides all this they were loose and wicked in their lives witnesse that charge of our Saviour to his followers and Auditours against the Jewish Doctours Mat. 23.23 Doe not after their workes c. Notwithstanding all these corruptions and deformities in the Jewish Church yet our Saviour Christ made no separation from it but came and preached in those places of publick concourse where the Seducers and false Teachers were If this example and practise of our Saviour will not convince and startle into feare and obedience the Separatists of our age both Teachers and Disciples I know not what will doe it Area Dominica nondum ventilata est sine paleis esse non potest Nos eremus atque agamus quantum possumus ut palea simus Aug. Ep. 203. If Christ should have trodd in their steps been led by their fond opinion he would have made a Separation and fled from the Society of the Jewes and not so much as once gone into the Temple or taught in their Synagogues but he did otherwise and from what he did we may conclude that the practise of those Phanaticks who separate themselves from all Assemblies or publick places of Gods service pretending either a want of gifts or a defect of holinesse in the Ministers I say the practise of such men doth speake them to be those Antichrists which the Apostle S. John mentions in his first Epistle 1 Ep. Ioh. c 2. v. 18 19. Now there are many Antichrists whereby we may know it is the last time They went out from us c. i. e. They turn'd Separatists therefore Antichrists because they went flat against the practice and precept of Christ who commands us by his Apostle Phil. 1.27.2.2 to be of one heart and of one minde to thinke and speake and doe the same thing in good to love as Brethren who forsake not one anothers company and desert not their family when they discocover any infirmity in their Father or any deformity in their Mother but keep close to both in observance and humble duty We may have communion or fellowship with mens persons in publick worship and not partake in the guilt of their Sinnes I lle communicat malis qui consentit factis malorum Aug. Ep. 171. He communicates with the wicked that consents to their wickednesse abhorre and forsake his sinne then maist thou without feare or danger communicate with a wicked man Si malos odistis vos ipsi mutamini à Scelere Schismatis Si malorum permixtionem timeretis Optatum inter vos in apertissimâ iniquitate viventem per tot annos non teneretis Thus Augustine bespeakes the Donatists So may I the men of our times If you hate the ungodly shew your hatred towards your selves by repenting and turning from your Schisme and Heresies And if you feare the mixture or company of the wicked shun the Society and abhorre the persons of your Leaders by whom you are seduced and corrupted To conventicle on the Lords day a breach of the fourth Commandement A third Argument against such meetings in private on the Lords day may be deduced from the intent and scope of the fourth commandement whose morality in the judgement of all both Fathers and moderne writers consists in this that God be worshipped in the Congregation with publicke service in an open confession of our Faith and a profession of our love and thankfulnesse to him for all his mercies and blessings those which concerne our Soules and those which respect our bodies c. But to wave this and other Arguments which might be produced to confirme my former Thesis I proceed to reasons against Conventicles First Reason suggests this Truth to our Spirits that our Soules being as it were so many sparkes of the