Oracle of the World O that hee were but one of our holy Society which if hee were our discipline within a short time would so season him as hee would proue a most accomplished actiue instrument for the Catholicke cause He is full of mettall and he wants but the stampe of our minte to make it current O the gratefull tartnesse and smartnesse of his stile And such is the dexteritie of his wit that in his Limbecke he can easily draw and distill all learning into the quintessence of his owne singular and rare opinions Let him but conceiue a rare notion and by and by the Church of England either saith it or not expresly denying it or being altogether silent he can easilie conclude silence to be consent Yea he is strong as Sampson for when he is disposed neither the Philistines cords of the Councell of Dore which hee tramples as durt nor yet of his Dalilah his Church of England can hold him further then himselfe pleaseth Oh I am euen rauished with the loue of the man hee hath dared and damped all the Puritans in England Doe but goe on and reade the Contents which will giue you some scanting of the substance of the booke Asotus I doe I finde here many things the contrarie whereof I haue heard our Minister publikely teach and that with no lesse vehemencie then plaine euidence of argument from Scriptures and Fathers at least to the conuincing of my simple iudgement Babylonius I would your Minister were here present whosoeuer he be you should see what hee could say to many points maintained in this booke they being also the very Doctrine of our holy mother Church of Rome at this day and those also fundamentall as of Free-will Praedestination Iustification Falling from grace Certaintie of saluation Antichrist and the like Asotus And you wish in a very good time for if I be not deceiued yonder hee is walking shall wee goe neere him and accost him Babylonius With a good will But by the way I pray you informe me a little of the qualities and conditions of the man that so I may the better attemper my speech and cariage towards him is he not a Puritan Asotus Surely in one sence he is no Puritan for he is conformable none of the refractaries but doth both practise himselfe and preach vpon occasion in the defence of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies and that very earnestly insomuch as I haue seene him sometimes put backe from the Communion those which would not receiue it knâ—eling yet not leauing them till he brought them on their knees Now formerly Non conformitants onely were accounted Puritans But if wee vnderstand Puritan in a second degree to wit for a Minister to be a diligent Preacher and resident vpon his charge one that cannot away with non-residency that will not take two Benefices and makes conscience how he comes by one that is of an honest conuersation and is a very sincere rebuker of sinne an vrger of the more strict keeping of the Lords day as he vsually calleth it and rather content to suffer wrong in his tithes then contentions for his right and aboue all a vehement inueigher against the Masse and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Church of Rome as he tearmes them and one who I warrant you would neuer giue his consent that Iesuites and Masse-Priests should bee any way tollerated to liue vp and downe in our Land insomuch as I haue heard he being desired to be in a place where it was appointed and so expected that Father Fisher should dispute when all came to all hearing Fisher refused to dispute without speciall licence from the Arch-bishop of Cantâ—rbury hee replyed and said Master Fisher I maruaile by what licence you goe vp and downe seducing our simple people and yet you want a licencâ— to dispute with our learned Diuines It is pittie such as you are thus suffered to vndermine soules and states and so to proue the bane of our Kingdome and Church sith for your sakes if we had no other sins and for your abominable idols the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place where it ought not we are exposed and indangered to all those plagues and punishments which we haue partly felt and haue much more cause to feare and expect which 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 flames must 〈◊〉 breake forth from the kindled 〈◊〉 of Gods spouse-like iealousie to our consumption if ye may be but suffered thus to set your Dagon check by iâ—wle in câ—rrinall-ship with Gods Arke in this his pure Church Now Master Babylonius how far is he a Puritan in these respects I leaue to judge Babylonius How Can there be a more pestilent Puritan in all the Packe then such a one But now you haue informed me thus much of the man I will tell you after what manner I thinke it fit to deale with him By no meanes must he perceiue what professioÌ„ I am off For then ten to one hee will fall foule vpon me and so wee short of our purpose which is to try what he can say against this booke Therefore wee will onely by way of question as for your resolution sake see how he can answer some of the most materiall things therein And for the manner of dealing with him let me alone onely giue you the occasion and first on-set Asotus With a good will I applaude your prudence herein God giue you good morrow Master Orthodoxus Orthodoxus And you neighbour Asotus Asotus Sir you are very well met for this gentleman and I haue accidentally light vpon a booke wherein I finde sundry things maintained contrary to that I haue heard of you and wee shall be much beholden to you to resolue vs in some points which doe a little stumble vs. Orthodoxus Neighbour Asotus I am glad to heare you make such a motion to me it being no vsuall thing with you nor many others and more is the pitty once to moue a question of conscience or faith to your Minister vnlesse it bee more for cauill and contention then for Christian resolution Therefore seeing you seeme to doe it out of a good desire to be informed in the truth and propose such questions as concerne those Doctrines which I haue publikely taught I hold it my dutie to satisfie you the best I can As for this Gentleman aâ— it seemes your friend if hee be of the same minde herein with you though he be a stranger to me yet I shall not be curious but deale ingenuously with you both and I pray God giue a good issue to our meeting in directing vs in the way of his truth Babylonius Sir wee both thanke you for your courtesie Orthodoxus Sir it is my duty But neighbour what booke is that you speake of Asotus Sir the Title of it is in Latin which I vnderstand not so well Appello Casarem Orthodoxus O I know the booke Asotus I pray you Sir what thinke you of it Orthodoxus Nay pardon me for that I doe not
second grace and subtile equivocation of Merit of congruity and condignity This is Romes sophistry and the very Mystery of iniquity In the next place by their wills assenting vpon Gods moving of it they meane an assent of beleife of the truth revealed in the Scriptures namely a generall historicall faith as Sess. 6. chap. 6. And as * Soto plainly commenteth vpon it so And. Vega also For by the way it is to be observed that in that whole Session there is not once the least mention made of credere in Deum to beleeue in God which is the Act of true iustifiyng faith And therefore no maruaile if the Councel be not ashamed to confesse in the front and title of the 15 chap. and so in the chapter it selfe that by euery mortall sin the grace of iustification is lost but not faith So that their Romane Catholicke faith is one thing and their grace of iustification another Now summe vp all this together concerning this worke of God vpon mans freewill and the totall is That God doth no more but moue and stirre and call vpon the will not by that inward and effectuall calling according to his purpose but by an outward ordinary common calling which is no more but as a kinde of Monitor to the will Nor is God here said by this grace to giue faith but to stirre the will to an historicall assent of faith generally beleeuing the things reuealed to be true by their wills cooperation with their first grace which is no more any sauing grace then their faith occasioned by it any iustifying faith Thus wee see how the Church of Rome by her crafty mincing and malicious mangling of the grace of God in mans free iustification how by robbing from the worke of Gods grace to â—â—rich their Freewills co-worke she vtterly frustrateth Gods grace and euacuateth his glory making a meere mocke of both For doe but weigh these two together in the scales one against the other Gods grace and Mans freewill and the difference according to Romes vniust estimate will easily appeare Grace onely stirreth and moueth say they but the will is actiue and by its cooperation assenteth grace only calleth after a common and ordinary maner iust like the vniuersall grace but the will disposeth and prepareth it selfe grace is freely giuen onely in this respect by preuenting the will in stirring and mouing but not in iustifying the sinner but the wills selfe-disposition and preparation to iustification is a merit of congruity meriting the second grace to wit of iustification a farre greater grace I wis then the first grace the onely grace freely giuen of God So that Romes merit of congruity arising from her well disposed freewill is of more value and vertue then Gods free mercy for this giueth onely the first grace freely a sorry and slender grace but that meriteth a farre greater grace euen of iustification it selfe Here then euery man may easily judge of Romes egregious hypocrifie insolent sacriledge and false-fingering who while shee would seeme to giue the preeminence to Gods grace onely by colouring it ouer with the title of grace as of first grace and preuenting grace and the like in the meane time she aduanceth her owne freewill aboue the skies yea aboue grace aboue God and all Fulfilling that which Bernard saith It is high impiety to attribute to God that which is lesse and to our selues that which is more excellent Now if a man should neuer so much seeme to ascribe the praise of Sampsons Acts against the Philistims to Dalilah because she awakened and stirred him vp will any beleeue him It is against all reason The case here is alike betweene grace and freewill Freewill is a sleepe bound hand foote in the cordes of sinne but grace comes and awakenes it bids it arise whereupon the will begins Sampson-like to rowse it selfe to shake of the bands to prepare and dispose it selfe to the atchieument of some great worke Whither then deserueth greater praise grace awakening or freewill so brauely acting Though I confesse my shallow wits would neuer haue beene able to haue sounded the depth of this profound mystery to haue discerned a cleare difference betweene their first grace giuen of gratuity and their freewills merit of congruity but that they haue told vs plainly without equinocating that the second grace which they obtaine by their merit of congruity is of farre greater value then the first grace though bestowed of free gratuity But I feare I haue exceeded the bounds of my promise and purpose for breuity But pardon mee I haue ben in the perplexed Labyrinth of the Councell of Trent Now by that we haue said wee may see what reason any maÌ„ at leastwise so mighty lie protesting and professing himselfe to be no Papist as the Appealer doth hath so much to countenance yea to plead for the Councel of Trent in the point of freewill so as I dare say no Lawyer would doe in a case so corrupt not for the best fee though I know not what fee or feeling Maister Mountagu hath for playing Romes Proctor except it be his blind affection and some pale faced hope sith therein Rome hath laid the foundation of that her Babylonish fabrick of the mystery of iniquity and of all her meretricious merits So that I cannot see how such men can be excused from high impiety against God and euen joyning hands of fellowship with that most impious and blasphemous confederacy against the glory of God and the grace and truth of Iesus Christ. Babylonius Good words I pray you A man might speake as much for the Councell of Trent as you doe against it but for my part I will not vndertake that quarrell now I desire that you will show the true difference betweene the Councell of Trents Doctrine of freewill and that which you take to be the true Doctrine For is there any other Doctrine of freewill then that of the Church of England and of the Protestants which the Appealer makes all one with the Doctrine of the Councell of Trent Orthodoxus Sir for my words they are the words of truth and sobernesse For our Protestant Doctrine of free-will to be all one with the Councell of Trent God forbid it we deny it for Romes Doctrine to be all one with ours Rome forbids denyes and accurseth Nor doe I see how the Appealer will escape the Popes direfull excommunication for daring so to comment vpon the Trent Councell expressly forbidden by the Pope without speciall authority But I know not what speciall authority hee may haue from the Pope to doe this Nor can the Councell of Trent haue any other patronage then colourable pretence and sophisticall showes which are the best arguments the Appealer is able to bring for Trents Doctrine whereas the allegations against it feare no colours sith armed with truth it selfe But to satisfie your desire according to my weake capacitie I am not vnwilling As I noted before mans
passe wee to the last Chapter touching the Synod of Dort It is but short wherein the Authour saith The Synod of Dort is not our rule And Priuate opinions no rule Doth he not herein say truely Orthodoxus Why then should his owne priuate peruerse opinions be reputed as the rule of the Church of England For it is true no doubt that no Synod or Councell much lesse any priuate mans opinion is the rule of our faith Yet all Synods and Councels so farre forth as their Decrees are grounded vpon the Scriptures we are to imbrace and reuerence But of all other passages in the Appealers Appeale I muse at none more then this his eleuating and slighting the Synod of Dort And what spirit trow we is that man of or possessed with that stands so much for the Councell of Trent and so little esteemes the Councell of Dort I wot well the Synod of Dort is an aduersary to his Arminian Pontifician opinions and therefore no maruaile if he beare it no great good will But considering next vnder God the prime and principall mouer of that Synod his late Excellent Maiestie of eternall memory yea how He promoued it what Princely and prouident care what liberall cost He was at to adorne the Synod with some of the choicest and solidest Diuines that He had in His Kingdome what a zealous desire Hee had by that meanes to quench those fiery flames of dissention blowne by the factious spirits of Inâ—endiaries which threatned the ruine of those neighbour reformed Churches the tayles of which smoking firebrands are not altogether quenched but begin to reuiue hauing for want of vent till now lyen smoathering euen in our Church of England the smoake whereof hath blinded a great many and now the flames threaten to burne moe what a religious care He tooke to establish true religion and to abolish that Arminian roote of bitternesse springing vp and spreading abroad wherewith many were defiled which one act of His Maiestie shall no lesse eternize His name then the most famous and vnparalleld actions Hee atchieued in all His Princely gouernment this I say strikes me with an exceeding wonderment that the Appealer would euer suffer himselfe so farre to be transported with the spirit of contradiction as to fall foule vpon such a learned Synod a Synod of Protestants a Synod of many reformed Churches and which if nought else might haue most moued him a Synod assembled managed concluded by the most auspicious Peace-making spirit zeale wel-wishes and prayers of His late Maiestie yea and to fill vp the measure of his all-daring hardinesse to presume to thrust this booke in the name of An Appeale vnder the protection of our most Excellent patrizing Caesar here I am at a stand What so to disrepute the Synod of Dort O spare it either speake not at all of it or reuerently and honorably at least for the thrice noble religious zealous louer of the truth King IAMES He that so honoured that Synod imbraced those orthodox conclusions of it as that He aduanced those to Ecclesiasticall honours whom Hee had selected and sent to represent the Church of England Which also by the way addes to my wonderment that the Appealer should and that vnder the name of the Church of England dare to oppose the Councell of Dort if he had considered that his late Excellent Maiestie did vnderstand no other but that all the conclusions of that Councell did consent with the Doctrines of the Church of England as also the representiue Church of England as they were of the number of the primest and actiuest Agents in that Synod so with the rest they were the first still in order who by their subscriptions sealed vp their vnanimous assent to all the Conclusions Or can the Appealer taxe the incomparable judgement of that famous King of ignorance either in the choise of that representatiue Church of England or in the state of the Doctrines of it Farre be it His Maiestie knew as well the true state of the Doctrine of the Church of England as the most and greatest Scholars in England that I may not disparadge his Excellency so much as to say He knew it better then the Appealer himselfe And if I might pin my faith vpon any mans sleeue or referre the judgment of the Doctrine of the Church of England to my one man I would haue chosen His Maiestie as the â—â—pire oracle of it before any man liuing And yet He that professed protested writ wrought studied liued and dyed in the maintenance of that one truth wherein by His auspicious vnanimity the Church of England and the Councell of Dort haue confented according to the rule of faith Gods word shall He He I say His sacred ashes be raysed vp againe and by an Appeale be vrged to recaut His former profession to reuerse His iudgment to cancell or to bâ—râ—â— His bookes which no antiquity no iniury of time no elementary flames shall euer be able to abolish I might better appeale to those who were so happy as dayly to heare the wisdome of that our Salomon euen at His ordinary repast They can testifie what zealous protestations He made for the truth and with what vehement derestation He had of the contrary As for instance how did He abominate those that writ de apostasia Sanctorum Which very title of Bertius His Maiestie often in His pious zeale professed His indignation against as a blasphemous doctrine And as in His vsuall and ordinary discourse at table and at other times He shewed His Princely diuine spirit in refuting and refelling all the vanities of Popery and Pelagian Arminianismo so at His death He protested His owne constancy and finall perseuerance in that truth which He had formerly professed All this I say duely waighed I am still in a muse what should imbolden infatuate rather the Appealer to insert any such passage as the depressing and deprizing the Synod of Dort in his Appeale Yet doing so he is not more guilty of ingratitude towards our late Caesar as also of ignorance that I may not say starke folly in addressing this his Appeale to our present Caesar. Doth not the Appealer remember that Hee is the Son the onely Son of such a Father Yea a Son of that naturall and pious affection to His Father as all can witnesse with me Hee might well be a Princely myrrour of filiall piety to many Sonnes whose naturall affection commonly descends rather then ascends Nor only the Sonne the onely Sonne the most naturally and graciously pious Sonne but the very viue and expresse image of such a Father inheriting not onely His Fathers Kingdomes Crownes but which is the Crowne of all and more precious then all His Kingdomes His vertues and graces His wisdome His iudgment and aboue all His religion yea His loue care and zeale in maintaining the same This religion Hee first suckt in with His Nurses milke therein also bred brought vp vnder a religious
this cloud is ouer it sends forth new rayes of grace It is the soule of the soule which euen in the middest of extream fainting of the soule yet remaines intire without diminution by the aqua caelestis of Gods neuer failing mercy actuates euery faculty of the soule afresh to the atchieuing of greater workes It is the ship of good hope which when couered with waues sets prayers to awaken Christ asleepe in it who by and by stilleth the storme or sends his Angel as to Paul to assure him that none in this little barke of ours shall perish but safely arriue vpon the hony hauen of Melita euen that true hony-flowing land of Canaan It is a fire which while raked vp vnder the dead ashes of deepe contrition though it seeme dead yeelding neither light nor warmth to our weake senses yet it is but fostered for a new fire that though heauinesse for sinne may indure for a night yet ioy of faith commeth in the morning feeding it selfe with the fewell of new works of obedience flaming forth in a holy conuersation The faithfull man as Dauid as Peter may be ouertaken with a dead sleepe of faith but awakened by grace his soule is inlightned that hee sleepes not in death but as the Sunne arising reioyceth as a gyant to runne his course with greater alacritie and vigor Thus wee see the fruite of sauing faith may be for a time suppressed yet the roote not supplanted the act of it may be suspended yet the habit not lost it may be ecclipsed to our sense yet his light not lessened or his course stayed it may bee in a dead sleepe yet liue faint yet not faile sicke yet not to death weather beaton yet not wracked languish yet not perish Babylonins But the famous Schollar Doctor Ouerall alledged by the Authour late Deane of Pauls and Bishop of Norwich held that a man might fall from grace into the very state of damnation and so remaine vnder Gods wrath till hee did recouer Yea that he auouched this to his late Maiestie and what concertations hee had with other Doctors in the Vniuersitie about it Orthodoxus If we take vp all the Appealer faith vpon trust without further examination wee shall recken before our host for hee playes the shuffler egregiously Nor will he I perceiue to saue his owne stake sticke to pawne the best credit of the most famous of our Church for the security of his most shamelesse slaunders of the truth And if we had not all the better euidence to conuince him he would carry it away hand smooth with downe right daring Pardon my zeale hearein I cannot but be moued when not only Godscause and glory then which nothing ought to be more precious vnto vs but also the credit of our learned and reuerend Fathers is so traduced But the summe of the Conference before the Kings Maiestie at Hampton Court now newly published in print will tell vs the plaine truth of the matter And that we may not with the Appealer falsifie the truth in dealing by halfes I will giue you the intire words of that worthy Deane and reuerend Bishop as they are set downe in the 42 page of that booke Namely that whosoeuer although before iustified did commit any greeuous sin as adultery murther treason or the like did become ipso facto subiect to Gods wrath and guiltie of damnation or were in state of damnation quoad praesentem statum vntill they repented adding hereunto that those which were called iustified according to the purpose of Gods election howsoeuer they might and did sometime fall into greiuous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to be vtterly destitute of all the parts and sccde thereof nor finally from iustification but were in time renued by Gods Spirit vnto a liuely faith and repentance and so iustified from those sinnes and the wrath curse and guilt annexed thereunto whereinto they are fallen and wherein they lay so long as they were without true repentance for the same Doe we not see plainely here how hee distinguisheth betweene a common iustification in regard of the externall and ordinary meanes of the Word and Sacraments and the true and reall iustification according to Gods purpose yet in the first he maketh no mention of a totall falling away Or if the Appealer will contend that so much is implyed we will not contend for that for such as are not truely and really iustified according to Gods purpose but onely according to the externall vocation no maruaile if they both totally and finally fall away But for those that are iustified according to Gods purpose to wit the elect and praedestenate vnto life he saith expresly that though they may and doe fall into greiuous sinnes yet they neuer fall either totally or much lesse finally from the grace of God but are in time renewed by Gods Sririt vnto a liuely faith and repentance A golden speech which all the Apealers chimicall counterfeit Philosophers stone cannot so easily transmute into his base copper alcumy coyne how brauely and boldly soeuer he braze it on according to his rule Caluâ—niare audacter aliquid barâ—bit To conolude this point of perseuerance in true grace it stands firmely built vpon sure grounds and euident reasons set downe in the Scriptures such as no wit of man or deuill can ouerthrow For the purpose one reason of the elects perseuerance in grace vnto glory is taken from the nature of that holy feare which God puts in the hearts of all his faithfull ones as Ier. 32. 39 40. where the Lord saith I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer c. And I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So here is a double reason of the Saints perseuerance first on Gods part He will not turne away from them to doe them good and that by an eternall couenant And secondly they shall not depart from him Vpon which words Saint Augustine saith Quod quid est aliud quam talis actantus erit timor meus quem dabo in cor coruÌ„ vt mihi perseueranter adhareant which what is it else but that my feare which I will put in their hearts shall bee such and so great that they shall perseueringly cleaue vnto me A second reason is alledged Ioh. 13. 1. drawne from the immutabilitie and eternity of Christs loue to his elect saying Hauing loued his owne which were in the world he loued them vnto the end * And as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance A third reason of the Saints perseuerance is taken from the power of Christ and of the Father Ioh. 10. 28. where Christ saith I giue vnto
wished might neuer bee mentioned by Diuines and Preachers Yet the mentioning of it by you in this place ministers vnto me a fit occasion to desire your resolution concerning this point it being also the next thing in order treated of by our Authour Orthodoxus Sir you speake contradictories first you wish all were mute in the mention of this Doctrine and yet in the second place you desire me to speake my minde of it But I pray you tell me why you wish the mention hereof to be altogether silence Babylonius Because of the generall offence taken at it for it is a stumbling stone whereon many doe fall Orthodoxus So is Christ a stumbling stone and a rocke of offence to many would ye therefore haue the mention of Christ suppressed But what if many men are offended with this Doctrine an offence may be vniustly taken where it is not iustly giuen Babylonius But it is called by a late great Bishop of this Land quoted by the Authour cap. 4. a desperate Doctrine as himselfe also stileth it in his 7 chapter and none saith he did contradict the Bishops words at that Conference Orthodoxus I haue by this time learned to lessen my wondering to see which Saint Iude tells vs a raging waue of the sea foaming out his owne shame hee hauing not once but so often leapt ouer all the limits of modesty The Romanes had a custome if the dogs that kept their Capitall did barke in the day time ' or causlesly at friends and those that came to worship their Gods crura suffringere to breake their legges The Orator applies it to accusers Yea I haue knowne a poore dog beaten by his Master for giuing warning of theeues approach So easie it is to finde a staffe to beate a dog And yet shall Censure pardon the Crow and punish the Doue shall a man thus impune lawlesly reproach Gods truth his Church his children yea the prime Fathers of our Church no small scandall to our Religion and yet be suffered to triumph and glory in his owne shame How The Lord Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft in publicke audience with much vehemency without any checke dislike distast dissent to stile praedestination a desperate Doctrine Is it possible a Bishop of the Church of England should say so to call praedestination a desperate Doctrine And if he did so is it credible that such a speech so vehemently avoucht in a publike assembly should passe without hissing And in what assembly surely where were present the most wise learned judicious pious King in Europe or in the whole World the most renowned King IAMES with many reuerend and learned Diuines And none of these to check such a speech surely their honor and credit lies at the stake vpon it But how doth it appeare that the Bishop vttered such a speech How Pythagoras himselfe hath said it M. Mountagu the Appealer saith it But by his leaue by our former experience of his allegations we will aske and enquire in the originall record whither it be so or on In the summe of the Conference pag. 29. line 8. wee finde these very wordes indeede a desperate Doctrine But what did he call a desperate Doctrine The doctrine of praedestination Nothing lesse The Appealers wits are too nimble out-running his his reason by many degrees Wee must put a clog vpon his heeles setting downe the whole passage of that vpon this occasion The Bishop of London tooke occasion to signifie to his Maiestie how very many in these dayes neglecting holinesse of life presumed too much of persisting of grace laying all their religion vpon Praedestination if I shall bee saued I shall bee saued which he tearmed a desperate Doctrine shewing it to be contrary to good Diuinitie and the true Doctrine of Praedestination wherein we should reason rather ascendendo then descendendo thus I liue in obedience to God in loue with my neighbour I follow my vocation c. therefore I trust that God hath elected me and praedestinated me to saluation not thus which is the vsuall course of argument God hath praedestinated and chosen me to life therefore though I sinne neuer so grieuously yet I shall not be damned Thus the words run Now I must confesse I am to try the matter at the Appealers owne chiefe weapon euen the Syntax of Grammer wherein he is no small Critick He saith that the Relatiue which hath for the Antecedent Praedestination I a poore Punie say Which hath for his Antecedent Presuming too much of persisting of grace laying all their Religion vpon Praedestination If I shall be saued I shall be saued Which he tearmed a desperate doctrine For it is plaine the Bishop called not Praedestination a desperate doctrine but the sinister conclusions that carnall and impious men abusiuely draw from thence being of the number of those vnlearned in the true mystery of Christ and vnstable which as Saint Peter speakes wrest this and other Doctrines of the Scriptures and particularly of St. Pauls Epistles to their owne destruction Such wreched peruerting of the Doctrine of Praedestination the Bishop calleth a desperate doctrine and not Praedestination it selfe For Praedestination and the holy vse of it such as the Scripture hath reuealed and described vnto vs he calleth good diuinitie and true doctrine laying downe very godly and ancâ—â—tly the right order and rule of euery faithfull mans particular vse and application of Praedestination to himselfe namely that we labour to know we are rooted in that deepe mystery of Gods Election in Christ by the fruits of a liuely faith in all obedience Thus and no otherwise doe the Scriptures teach Thus and no otherwise doe all orthodox Diuines euen Caluin himselfe apply this Doctrine Such the learned Caluin calleth plaine hoggs that say if they bee of the number of the Elect their sins shall not hinder them from attaining to life Facessant ergo c. Away therefore with such sacrilegies which wickâ—dly peruert the whole order of Election And hee calls also such conclusions blasphemies So that the Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft and Master Iohn Caluin say in effect one and the same thing the one calling the corrupt conclusions which carnall men draw from Praedestination a desperate Doctrine the other the blasphemies and sacrilege of hogges and swine which is the very Doctrine of the Church of England as it is excellently set downe in the Article of Praedestination and Election 17. Thus wee see the Appealer hath brought his hogges to a faire market while through poore Caluins sides he smites the Bishop of London Doctor Bancroft yea and the whole Church of England and through all by his vndisciplined solecisme hee wounds Praedestination it selfe while hee will needes haue it absolutely called A DESPERATE DOCTRINE Nor is it a new thing that carnall men stumble and cauill at the Doctrine of Praedestination The Pelagians in Saint Augustines time did the like Nor can I shape you a fitter
answere then hee did to them and so to all aduersaries of this Doctrine of the grace of God Nuâ— propter malos c Is the truth of this Doctrine to wit of praedestination to be forsaken or shall it bee thought worthy to bee cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked cold Let the truth be spoken especially where any question doth require it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it least haply while it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth wherby falshhood may bee detected bee not onely defrauded of the truth but may be ouertaken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum c. Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue may receiue it than to be suppressed that not onely neither can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is importunate and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued that it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now be no more grace and yet we will not speake that which by the testimonie of the Scriptures wee may speake for we feare forsooth lest if wee speake hee that cannot receiue the truth be offended and we feare not lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by error For either is praedestination so to be preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be praedestinate the gifts calling of God may be without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giueÌ„ according to our merits which is the opinion wisdome of the Pelagians And againe cap. 2 1. ibid. he saith Nimiae coÌ„tentionis est c. Itis too much peruersues to contradict praedestinatioÌ„ or yet to doubt of it Babylonius But you know that the late wise and judicious King IAMES of famous memory did inhibite and restraine the preaching of the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election Orthodoxus But in what respect His Maiestie did not restraine Preachers from the liberty of preaching the Doctrine of Praedestination it being a speciall part of the Gospell but rather to giue caution and direction at least to yonger Ministers and Diuines lest through want of mature judgment in the manner of opening that mystery and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the inâ—udicious and ignorant hearer or those of weake consciences As Saint Aug. denies not but wisdome and discretion is to bee vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so to be preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe Nam dolosi vel imperiti medici est c. It is the propertie of a deceitfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt This was the minde of his Excellent Maiestie of blessed Memory in that his iniunction to aduise all Ministers to play the faithfull and skilfull Physitians in in the applycation of so wholsome profitable and comfortable a plaster and Doctrine as the Church of England calls it Art 17 though the Appealer doth flout his Informers and those which call Praedestination a comfortable doctrine Appeale pag. 39. But otherwise his Maiestie himselfe of blessed Memory hath left His royall record of this Diuine Doctrine in his learned and Diuine Paraphrase of the Reuelation the 20 chap. in the latter end in these words The Booke of life was opened to the Elect that all those those whose names were written into it to wit Praedestinated and Elected for saluation before all beginings might then be selected for eternall glory Babylonius Neither doth the Authour here simply oppose or question the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election but as it is deliuered by the new Diuines as hee calls them to wit Caluin and his fellowes whom he chargeth with a two-fold error as touching Praedestination The first is that they teach especially Caluin that Gods eternall election and praedestination was irrespectiue and absolute without any respect or reference to Adams fall The second error of Caluin is in deliuering the doctrine of praedestination in such a rigid manner as he doth Orthodoxus For Master Caluin there needeth none other Apologie then his owne Workes or Writings which shall euer praise him in the gate For his workes and in summe his Institutions if a man snatch at them as the Aegyptian dog doth at Nilus for feare of the Crocodile not obseruing his grounds taken from Scripture nor well waighing his reasons no maruell if such snatchers prepossessed with a preiudicate opinion can as easily opeÌ„ their mouths against such famous Authours as the Dog can barke at the Moone-shine But perhaps hee had no more quarrel to holy Caluin then that fellow had to just Aristides who not knowing Aristides by face but onely by fame that he was a just man came to him vnwittingly to craue him to write downe his name for him that hee might with the rest of the enuious Citizens consent to his banishment by their law of Ostracismon because he so much excelled others in honesty It may be he neuer read Caluins workes much lesse his Institutions to catechise him in the grounds of religion Or perhaps hee hates Caluin as Ahab did the Prophet Micaiah because his Doctrine is altogether against his Interim-religion with all his confederate Intermiists Orwhatsoeuer is the cause Thus did Heretickes by catching at the outward rinde and barke of some one part of Scripture maintaine their Heresies But I maruell what the Appealer could reade or heare of Master Caluin that hee should write so contemptuously of him sauing that he was a holy man faithfull and painfull in his calling exercised with continuall preaching writing watchfull prouidence in gouerning a man of great learning dexteritie of wit sincerity of judgment of great piety equity and sobriety of life a true patterne and precedent of vertue Therefore as Christ said Many good workes haue I done among you for which of these doe yee stone me so for which of Caluins vertues doth this Authour tongue-smite him The most noble and judicious King IAMES of happie Memory thought not so slightly of that learned Diuine while he prefered his Commentaries vpon the Scriptures before all others It were to be wished that the Authour going about to oppose such a worthy and famous man had imitated the heathen Academicke Carneades who intending to write against the positions of Zeno the Stoicke did first purge his stomacke and pectorall parts with white hellebore lest some malignant humour possessing the stomacke might distemper and imbitter his style which is no lesse a disparagment to a professed Christian Diuine than was wont to be of old to the Heathen