Rulers in Christ's time were notoriously couetous proud oppressing cruell superstitious our Sauiour feared not polluting in ioyning with them and was so farre from separating himselfe that hee called and sent others to them But a little Leauen leauens the whole lumpe it is true by the infection of it sinne where it is vnpunished spreadeth it sowreth all those whose hands are in it not others If we dislike it detest desist reproue and mourne for it we cannot bee tainted the Corinthian loue-feasts had grosse and sinfull disorder yet you heare not Paul say Abstaine from the Sacrament till these be reformed Rather he enioynes the act and controules the abuse God hath bidden you heare and receiue shew me where he hath said except others be sinfull Their vncleannesse can no more defile you then your holinesse can excuse them But while I communicate you say I consent God forbid It is sinne not to cast out the deseruing but not yours vvho made you a Ruler and a Iudge The vncleane must bee separated not by the people Would you haue no distinction betwixt priuate and publike persons What strange confusion is this And what other then the old note of Corah and his company Yee take too much vpon you seeing all the Congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift ye vp your selues aboue the Congregation of the Lord What is if this be not to make a Monster of Christs body hee is the head his Church the body consisting of diuers limbes All haue their seuerall faculties and imployments not euery one all vvho would imagine any man so absurd as to say that this bodie should be all tongue or all hands euery man a Teacher euery man a Ruler As Christ had said to euery man Goe teach and whose sinnes yee remit How senselesse are these two extreames Of the Papists that one man hath the Keyes Of the Brownists that euery man hath them But these priuiledges and charges are giuen to the Church True to be executed by her Gouernors the facultie of speech is giuen to the vvhole man but the vse of it to the proper instrument Man speaketh but by his tongue if a voice should be heard from his hand eare foot it were vnnaturall Now if the tongue speake not when it ought shall we bee so foolish as to blame the hand But you say if the tongue speake not or speake ill the whole man smarteth the man sinneth I grant it but you shall set the naturall body on too hard a rack if you straine it in all things to the likenesse of the spirituall or ciuill The members of that being quickned by the same soule haue charge of each other and therefore either stand or fall together It is not so in these If then notwithstanding vnpunished sinnes we may ioyne with the true Church Whether is ours such You doubt and your solicitors deny surely if we haue many enormities yet none worse then rash and cruell iudgement let them make this a colour to depart from themselues there is no lesse woe to them that call good euill To iudge one man is bold and dangerous Iudge then vvhat it is to condemn a vvhole Church God knowes as much vvithout cause as without shame Vaine men may libell against the Spouse of Christ her husband neuer diuorced her No his loue is still aboue their hatred his blessings aboue their censures Do but aske them were we euer the true Church of God If they deny it Who then were so Had God neuer Church vpon earth since the Apostles time till Barrow and Greenwood arose And euen then scarce a number nay when or where vvas euer any man in the vvorld except in the schooles perhaps of Donatus or Nouatus that taught their doctrine and now still hath he none but in a blind lane at Amsterdam Can you thinke this probable If they affirme it when ceased we Are not the points controuerted still the same The same gouernment the same doctrine Their minds are changed not our estate Who hath admonished euinced excommunicated vs and when All these must be done Will it not be a shame to say that Francis Iohnson as he tooke power to excommunicate his Brother and Father so had power to excommunicate his Mother the Church How base and idle are these conceits Are wee then Heretikes condemned in our selues Wherein ouerthrow wee the foundation What other God Sauiour Scriptures Iustification Sacraments Heauen do they teach besides vs Can all the Masters of Separation yea can all the Churches in Christendome set forth a more exquisite and worthy confession of faith then is contained in the Articles of the Church of England Who can hold these and bee hereticall Or from which of these are we reuolted But to make this good they haue taught you to say that euery truth in Scripture is fundamentall so fruitfull is errour of absurdities Whereof still one breeds another more deformed then it selfe That Trophimus vvas left at Miletum sicke that Pauls Cloake was left at Troas that Gaius Pauls hoast saluted the Romanes that Nabal was drunke or that Thamar baked Cakes and a thousand of this nature are fundamentall how large is the Separatists Creed that hath all these Articles If they say all Scripture is of the same Author of the same authoritie so say we but not of the same vse is it as necessarie for a Christian to know that Peter hosted with one Simon a Tanner in Ioppa as that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God vvas borne of the Virgin Mary What a monster is this of an opinion that all truths are equall that this spirituall house should be all foundation no walls no roofe Can no man be saued but he that knowes euery thing in Scripture Then both they and vvee are excluded heauen would not haue so many as their Parlor at Amsterdam Can any man be saued that knowes nothing in Scripture It is farre from them to be so ouercharitable to affirme it you see then that both all truths must not of necessitie bee knowne and some must and these we iustly call fundamentall which who so holdeth all his hay and stubble through the mercy of God condemne him not stil he hath right to the Church on earth and hope in heauen but whether euery truth bee fundamentall or necessarie discipline you say is so indeed necessarie to the well-being of a Church no more it may be true without it not perfect Christ compares his Spouse to an Army with banners as order is to an Armie so is discipline to the Church if the troopes be not well marshalled in their seuerall rankes and moue not forward according to the discipline of warre it is an Armie still confusion may hinder their successe it cannot bereaue them of their name it is as beautifull proportion to the bodie an hedge to a vineyard a wall to a City an hem to a garment feeling to an house It may be a body vineyard
Christs descent into Hell except he had ouer-reached not that Call you our Doctrines some generall truths Looke into our Confessions Apologies Articles and compare them with any with all other Churches and if you finde a more particular sound Christian absolute profession of all fundamentall truths in any Church since Christ ascended into Heauen renounce vs as you do we will separate vnto you But these truths are not soundly practised Let your Pastor teach you Inquir into M. Wâ—â—te p. 35. Mat. 13.33 that if errors of practise should bee stood vpon there could bee no true Church vpon earth Pull out your owne beame first wee willingly yeeld this to bee one of your truths that no truth can sanctifie error That one heresie makes an Heretike but learne withall that euery error doth not pollute all truths That rhere is hay and stubble which may burne yet both the foundation stand and the builder bee saued Such is ours at the worst why doe you condemne where God will saue No Scripture is more worne with your Tongues and Pens than that of the Leauen 1 Cor. 5.6 If you would compare Christs Leauen with Pauls you should satisfie your selfe Christ sayes The Kingdome of Heauen is as Leauen Paul sayes A grosse sinne is Leauen Both leauens the whole lumpe neither may be taken precisely but in resemblance not of equalitie M. Bredwell as he said well but of qualitie For notwithstanding the Leauen of the Kingdome some part you grant is vnsanctified So notwithstanding the Leauen of sinne some which haue striuen against it to their vtmost are not sowred The leauening in both places must extend onely to whom it is extended the subiects of regeneration in the one the partners of sinne in the other So our Sauiour saith Yee are the salt of the earth Yet too much of the earth is vnseasoned The truth of the effect must bee regarded in these speeches not the quantitie It was enough for S. Paul to shew them by this similitude that grosse sinnes where they are tolerated haue a power to infect others whether it be as Hierome interprets it by ill example or by procurement of iudgements Hierom. In hoc ignoratis quia malo exemplo possunt plurimi interire Sed peâ— vntus delictuÌ„ in omnâ—â— populuÌ„ Iudaeorum â—am Dei legimus advenisse and therevpon the incestuous must bee cast out All this tends to the excommunicating of the euill not to the separating of the good Did euer Paul say If the incestuous bee not cast out separate from the Church Shew vs this and we are yours Else it is a shame for you that you are not ours If Antichrist hold many truths and wee but many wee must needs be proud of your praises We hold all his truths and haue shewed you how we hate all his forgeries no lesse than you hate vs Yet the mysterie of iniquitie is still spun in the Church of England but with a finer threed So fine that the very eyes of your malice cannot see it yet none of our least Motes haue escaped you Thanks bee to our good God 1 Tim. 3.16 we haue the great mysterie of godlinesse so fairely and happily spun amongst vs as all but you blesse God with vs and for vs As soone shall yee finde Charitie and Peace in your English Church as heresie in our Church of England SEP Where say you are those proud Towers of their vniuersall Hierarchie One in Lambeth another in Fulham and wheresoeuer a Pontificall Prelate is or his Chancellor Commissarie or other Subordinate there is a Tower of Babel vnruinated To this and I desire to know of you whether the office of Archbishops Bishops and the rest of that ranke were not parts of that accursed Hierarchie in Queene MARIES dayes and members of that Man of sin If they were then as shoulders armes vnder that head the Pope and ouer the inferiour members and haue now the same Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction deriued and continued vpon them whereof they were possessed in the time of Popery as it is plaine they haue by the first Parliament of Queene ELIzABETH why are they not still members of that bodie though the head the Pope be cut off SECTION XXX Whether our Prelacie be Antichristian Seuen Argu. first Answ Counterpoys TO the particular instances I aske where are the proud Towers of their Vniuersall Hierarchie You answer roundly One in Lambeth another in Fulham c. What Vniuersall Did euer any of our Prelates challenge all the World as his Diocesse Is this simplicitie or malice If your Pastor tell vs that as well a World as a Prouince Let me returne it If hee may be Pastor ouer a Parlour-full Why not of a Citie And if of a Citie why not of a Nation But these you will proue vnruinated Towers of that Babel You aske therefore whether the Office of Archbishops Bishops and the rest of that ranke were not in Queene MARIES dayes parts of that accursed Hierarchie and members of that Man of sinne Doubtlesse they were Who can denie it But now say you they haue the same Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction continued This is your miserable Sophistrie Those Popish Archbishops Bishops and Clergie were members of Antichrist not as Church-Gouernours but as Popish while they swore subiection to him while they defended him whiles they worshipâ— him aboue all that is called God and extorted this homage from others how could they be other but limmes of that Man of sinne shall others therefore which defie him resist trample vpon him spend their liues and labours in oppugnation of him bee necessarily in the same case because in the same roome Let mee helpe your Anabaptists with a sound Argument The Princes Peeres and Magistrates of the Land in Queene MARIES dayes were shoulders and armes of Antichrist their calling is still the same therefore now they are such Your Master Smith vpon no other ground disclaymeth Infants Baptisme Character of the Beast against R. Clifton crying out that this is the maine relique of Antichristianisme But see how like a wise Master you confute your selfe They are still members of the bodie though the head the Pope be cut off The head is Antichrist therefore the bodie without the head is no part of Antichrist He that is without the head Christ is no member of Christ so contrarily I heare you say the very Iurisdiction and Office is here Antichristian not the abuse What in them and not in all Bishops since and in the Apostles times Alas who are you that you should oppose all Churches and times Ignorance of Church-storie and not distinguishing betwixt substances and appendances personall abuses and callings hath led you to this errour Yet since you haue reckoned vp so many Popes let mee helpe you with more Was there not one in Lambeth when Doctor Cranmer was there One in Fulham when Ridley was there One in Worcester when Latimer was there One at Winchester when Philpot was
parties written to and their crime 551 The Kindes of separation and which is iust 552 The Antiquity and examples of separation 553 What separation is to be made by Churches in their planting c 555 What separation the Church of England hath made 556 Consititution of a Church 557 Order 2. Part of constitution how farre requisite c. ibid. Constraint requisite 558 Constitution of the Church of England 559 The Answerers Title 561 The Apostasie of the Church of England ibid. The Separatists acknowledgements of the graces of the Church of England 564 The vnnaturalnesse of some principall Separatists 565 What the Separatists thinke themselues beholden to the church of England for ibid. The motherhood of the Church of England how farre it obligeth vs. 566 The want of pretended Ordinances of God whether sinfull to vs c. 567 The bonds of Gods word vniustly pleaded by the Separatists 568 The necessity of their pretended Ordinances 569 The enormities of the Church in common ibid. The Church of England is the Spouse of Christ 570 How the Church of England hath separated from Babylon 571 The separation made by our holy Martyrs 573 What separation England hath made ibid. The maine grounds of separation 574 The truth and warrant of the Ministery of England 575 Confused Communion of the profane 576 Our Errors intermingled with Truth 577 Whether our Prelacy be Antichristian 578 The iudgement and practise of other Reformed Churches 579 Our Synods determination of things indifferent 580 Sinnes sold in our Courts 581 Our loyalty to Princes cleered theirs questioned 582 Erros of free-will c. fained vpon the Church of England 583 Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 583 Whether our Ordinarie and Seruice-booke be made Idols by vs. 584 Marriage not made a Sacrament by the Church of England 587 Commutation of Penance in our Church 588 Oath ex Officio ibid. Holy-dayes how obserued in the Church of England 589 Our approbation of an vnlearned Ministerie disproued 590 Penances inioyned in the Church of England ibid. The practises of the Church of England concerning the Funerals of the Dead 591 The Churches still retained in England 592 The Founders and Furnitures of our Churches 593 On what ground Separation or Ceremonies was obiected 594 Estimation of Ceremonies and subiection to the Prelates 595 The state of the Temple and of our Church in resemblance 597 Whether Ministers should endure themselues silenced ibid. Power of reforming abuses giuen to the Church and the issue of the neglect of it 598 The view of the sinnes and disorders of others wherevpon obiected and how farre it should affect vs. 600 The neerenesse of the State and Church and the great errors found by the Separatists in the French and Dutch Churches 601 Conuersation with the World 603 The impure mixtures of the Church of England 604 The iudgement of our owne and our neighbours of our Church 605 The issue of Separation 607 The Brownists scornefull opinion of our people 608 The Conclusion from the fearefull answer of Separation ibid. A SERIOVS DISSWASIVE FROM POPERIE To W. D. Revolted c. YOV challenged me for my bold assertion of your manifold diuisions I doe here make it good with vsurie Those mouthes that say they teach you the truth say also and you haue beleeued them that they all teach the same As you finde them true in this so trust them in the other For me I cannot without indignation see that in this light of the Gospell God and his truth should thus bee losers by you and that a miserable soule should suffer it selfe thus grossely cozened of it selfe and glory Many can write to you with more profoundnesse none with more sincere feruencie and desire to saue you I call heauen and earth to record against you this day that if you relent or answer not your perishing is wilfull Wee may pittie your weaknesse but God shall plague your Apostasie if you had bin bred in blindnesse your ignorance had bin but lamentable now your choice and loue of darknes is fearefull and desperate Alas you cannot be condemned without our sorrow and shame What should we doe We can but intreat perswade protest mourne and gage our soules for yours if these auaile not who can remedie that which will perish Here this yet you weake Revolter if there be any care left in you of that soule which you haue thus prostituted to error if you haue any regard to that God whose simple truth you haue contemned and forsken what is this that hath driuen you from vs allured you to them For Gods sake let me but expostulate a little ere my silence Either be conuicted or inexcusable Our bad liues haue set you off Woe is me that they are no holier I bewaile our wickednes I defend it not Onely aske how they liue in Italie if they be not for the more part filths to the worst of ours goe with them and prosper Let all indifferent tongues say whether that very See whereon your faith depends euen within the smoke of his Holinesse be not for vitiousnes the sin be of the world we may condemne our selues their liues shal iustifie vs But you list not to looke so farre you see their liues at home you see ours The comparison is not equall They take this for the time of their persecution we of our prosperitie The stubbornest Israelite and the most godlesse Mariner could call vpon God in his trouble we are all worse with liberty Looke backe and see how they liued in former times while they prospered No Turkes saith ERASMVS more abominably though now as the worsâ— how 〈…〉 profeâ— might you 〈…〉 which would scorne that the most 〈…〉 should goe before them in a gracious life and in true 〈…〉 amon◠〈◊〉 there will be one Deuill I wish they were so good that wee â—gâ—ulate them but for my part I neuer yet could know that Papist which made conscience of all Gods ten morrall lawes Shortly whatsoeuer is vpraided to vs the truth is pure though men be vnholy and God is where he was whatsoeuer becomes of men For you if you had not fallen to coole affections and a loose life you had beene still ours It is iust with God to punish your secure negligence with error and delusion and to suffer you thus to lose the truth who had lost your care of obedience and first loue And now you doe well to shift off this blame to others sins which haue most cause to accuse your owne From maners to looke towards our doctrine the noueltie of our Religion you say hath discouraged you theirs hath drawne you with reuerence of her age It is a free challenge betwixt vs let the elder haue vs both if there be any point of our Religion yonger than the Patriarchs and Prophets CHRIST and his Apostles the Fathers and Doctors of the Primitiue Church let it be accursed and condemned for an vpstart shew vs euidence of more credit and age and
some kind-hearted Mediators may perswade vs eyther diuide Christ or betray him with a kisse The Truth is on high they may well ascend to vs as Leo sayd of old but for vs to descend to them is neither safe nor honest First of all how too plaine is it Epist ad Euph. Pell cit lib. 3. de Laicis that the Romane Church is palpably declined from that ancient puritie of Religion which she once professed It is not more certaine and sensible that the Citie of Rome is descended from her seuen Hils to the Martian Plaines that lye below them or Euseb Hist l. 3. c. 25. that the spightfull Heathens of old as Eusebius reports turned the Sacred Monument of the Tombe of Christ into the Temple of their Venus An. 1170. Ex lec com Henr. Token Illiric Prophrythmic Vita S. Brig Praefixa Reuela What a cloud of witnesses haue we of this noted decay of that Church yea witnesses of their owne To beginne with the other Sex Hildegardis a Numne and a famous Prophetesse of her time accuses the Apostolicall Order of the vtter extinguishing of Religion amongst them Matilda or Maâ—d who liued in the same Age censures them for common Apostasie from the Christian faith and both of them by some extraordinary Reuelation cleerely and directly prophesied of this Religious and Holy restauration of the Church which our dayes see accomplished Saint Brigit the Foundresse of the Order of Saint Sauiour which was * * Anno 1370. Reuel l. 1. c. 41. cruciare uno crucifigere electorum anim c. Reuel extrau c. 8 Grosse teste in Manusc Anno 1250. Io. Treuisa translated into English Habetur initio Polychron Kanulph in Manuscript Anno 900. Artic. in Concil Constant editu 1535. Anno 1350. lib. Vade mecum Lib. Aduers Ement donat Constant Aeneas Syl. de gest Concil Anno 1416. Ad Pium. 2. lib. Reform Cur. RoÌ„ Anno 1400. Auentin Annal. 〈◊〉 7. Osiand Confut. Thes Coster canonized by Pope Vrban sticks not to teach openly in her Writings that the Pope doth torment yea crucifie the soules of the Elect and boldly foretels that all his Followers and Abettors and whole Clergie shall be cut off and that his Sea shall sinke downe into the bottome of Hell and this shee doth so tartly and vehemently that the Romanists of those times threatned and indeuoured to burne her aliue Robert our Bishop of Lincolne to whom the greatnesse of his Head gaue an homely but famous name whom Illyricus mis-nameth Rupertus a worthy and peerelesse man in his age durst before the Popes owne fare openly accuse the Pastors of his time to be the Spoylers of the Earth the Dispersers and Deuourers of Gods flocke the vtter wasters of the Holy Vineyard of God That Carthusian of Coleyne which is said to haue gathered that Booke of the Bundle of times complaines that Truth was then perished from the sonnes of men Petrus de Aliaco a Cardinall confesses that the ancient Diuines built vp the Church but the then-present Seducers destroyed it And vnto these agree Iohn de Rupescissa a Monke Picus Earle of Mirandula Trithemius the Abbot Laurence Valla And those worthie Lights of the Councell of Basil the Cardinall of Arles and Thomas de Corsellis But Nicholas Clemangis the Archdeacon of Bayeux speakes nothing but stones and bullets who in a whole Volume hath freely painted out the corrupt estate of the Church neither did Dominicus Bishop of Brixia speake any whit more sparingly who euen in those times durst set before his Booke this Title The Reformation of Rome To say nothing of Ioachim of Peter of Ferrara the Lawyer of the three Theodericks of Lyra Petrarch Gerson Euerard the Bishop of Salisburg Erasmus Cassander Espensâ—us the Iury of Cardinalls selected by Paul the Third amongst which Gaspar Cotarenus Iames Sadolet and our Cardinall Poole were as they might of eminent note Aluarus Pelagius * * Io. Mirandula Marsil Fecin CoÌ„ineus report him to haue bin a Prophet Epenc in Tit. Ostand Papa non Papa SAVANAROLA of Florence and whomsoeuer those times yeelded at once both learned and good Euen Pope ADRIAN himself the Sixt of that Name whiles he instructs his Legate in his message censures the Church and ingenuously complaines that all was gone to wracke and ruine What shall we then say to this Can any man be so partiall as to thinke that so many Saints of both Sexes Prophets Prophetesses Monkes Doctors Cardinals Popes should as Ierome speakes of the Luciferian Heretikes meerely deuise these slanders to the disgrace of their holy mother If any man can be so mad he is well worthy to be euer deceiued Indeed Rome was once an holy Citie Mat. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—r hadammim Ezek. 21.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocrit edyss â—n Hier. de vita Pauli Ruff. l. 1. c. 20. Dum contentionis vitio nimis aguntur c. Hier. aduers Luciferianos but now as no lesse famous the other way she is become a City of bloud This Grape is growne a dry Raisin Neyther did that good Heremite ANTONY so iustly say of his Alexandria as wee may now of Rome Woe to thee thou Strumpetly Citie into which the Deuils out of all the rest of the World haue assembled themselues Certainely therefore so shamefull and generall a deformitie could not but bee discerned by our latter Papists and to auoyd all shifts wee haue gently and louingly laid our finger vpon these spots But in the meane time how haynously haue they taken it and as Ruffinus speakes of Apollinaris the Heretike whiles they are transported with the vicious humor of contention and will bee crossing euery thing that is spoken out of the vaine ostentation of a strong wit they haue improoued their idle brabbles to Heresies HIEROME sayd wittily They vse to winke and deny which beleeue not that to bee done which they would not haue done It is therefore a most lamentable and fearefull case that a Church which of her owne fauourites is iustly accused of many and dangerous errors should blocke vp against her selfe the way whereby shee should returne into the Truth Fr. à Victoria Relect quarta de Potestate Papae Concilij Propos duodecima Sect. vltima Deuentum est ad hunc talem statum vbi nec mala nostra nec remedia pati possumus Iudicij impeccantiam Senec. Ep. 28. and as FRANCIS a Victoria honestly complaines should neyther indure her owne euils nor their remedies For whiles shee stands vpon it that shee cannot erre and stubbornely challenges vnto her Chaire a certaine Impeccancie of Iudgement that wee may borrow a word from TERTVLLIAN what hope can now remaine of recouering the Truth How are we now too sawcie that dare mutter ought against her The first hope of health must needs bee fetcht from the sense and acknowledgement of the disease That of the Epicure is common and true The beginning of recouery is the
soule in death the same day The same day was Q. Elizabeths Initium Regni her Coronation Ianuary 15 following That leasure enough might be taken in these great affaires the See of Canterbury continued void aboue a yeare At last in the second yeare of Q. Elizabeth 1559 December 17 was Matthew Parker legally consecrated Archb. of Canterbury by foure Bishops William Barlow formerly Bishop of Bathe then elect of Chichester Iohn Scory before of Chichester now elect of Hereford Miles Couerdale Bishop of Exeter Iohn Hodgeskins Suffragan of Bedford Mathew Parker thus irrefragably setled in the Archiepiscopall See with three other Bishops in the same Moneth of December solemnely consecrated Edmund Grindall and Edwin Sands The publike Records are euident and particular relating the Time Sunday morning after Prayers The place Lambeth-Chappell The manner Imposition of hands The consecrators Mathew Cant. William Chichester Iohn Hereford Iohn Bedford The Preacher at the Consecration Alexander Nowell afterwards the worthy Deane of Pauls The Text Take heed to your selves and to all the flocke c. The Communion lastly administred by the Archbishop For Bishop Iewel he was consecrated the Moneth following in the same forme by Mathew Cant. Edmund London Richard Ely Iohn Bedford Lastly for Bishop Horne he was consecrated a whole yeare after this by Mathew Cant. Thomas S. Dauids Edmund London Thomas Couentry and Lichfield The circumstances Time Place Form Preacher Text seuerally recorded The particulars whereof I referre to the faithfull and cleare relation of Master Francis Mason whose learned and full discourse of this subiect might haue satisfied all eyes and stopped all mouthes What incredible impudency is this then for those which pretend not Christianitie onely but the Consecration of God wilfully to raise such shamefull slanders from the pit of Hell to the disgrace of Truth to the disparagement of our holy calling Let me therefore challenge my Detector in this so important a point wherein his zeale hath so farre out-run his wit and with him all the Brats of that proud Harlot that no Church vnder Heauen can shew a more cleere eeuen vncontrolable vntroubled line of the iust succession of her Sacred Orders then this of ours if his Rome for her tyrannous Primacie could bring forth but such Cards the world vvould bee too straight for her He shall maugre be forced to confesse that either there were neuer true Orders in the Church of England which he dares not say or else that they are still Ours The Bishops in the time of King Henry the eight were vndoubted If they left Rome in some corrected opinions their Character was yet by confession a a Quis ignorat Cathol c. similiter Ordinatos verè esse Ordinatos quando Ordinator verè Episcopus fuerat adhuc erat saltem quantum ad characterem Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 10. indeleble They laid their hands according to Ecclesiasticall constitution vpon the Bishops in King Edwards dayes And they both vpon the Bishops in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths They againe vpon the succeeding Inheritors of their holy Sees and they lastly vpon vs so as neuer man could shew a more certaine and exquisite Pedigree from his great Grand-father then wee can from the acknowledged Bishops of King Henries time and thence vpwards to hundreds of Generations I confesse indeed our Archbishops and Bishops haue wanted some Aaronicall accustrements Gloues Rings Sandals Miters and Pall and such other trash and our inferiours Orders haue wanted Gâ—eazing and Shauing and some other pelting Ceremonies But let C. E. proue these essentiall which we want or those Acts and Formes not essentiall vvhich we haue Et Phyllida solus habeto In the meane time the Church of England is blessed with a true Clergy and glorious and such a one as his Italian generation may impotently enuy and snarle at shall neuer presume to compete vvith in worthinesse and honour And as Doctor Taylor that couragious Martyr said at his parting Blessed bee God for holy Matrimonie SECT XVIII MY Cauiller purposely mistakes my rule of Basil the Great Refut p. 90. 91. and my Text of the Great Apostle whiles from both I resolue thus I passe not what I heare Men or Angels say while I heare God say Let him be the Husband of one Wife he wil needs so construe it as if I tooke this of S. Pauls for a command not for an allowance As if I meant to imply from hence that euery Bishop is bound to haue a Wife Who is so blind as the wilfull Their Leo b b Leo ep 87. abaâ— 85. Tam sacra semper est habita ista Praeceptio calls these words a Preception I did not If hee knew any thing he could not be ignorant that this sense is against the streame of our Church and no lesse then a Grecian errour Who knowes not the extreames of Greece and Rome and the Track of Truth betwixt them both The Greeke Church saith Hee cannot be in holy Orders that is not maried The Romish Church saith He cannot bee in holy Orders that is maried The Church Reformed sayes Hee may bee in holy Orders that is maried and conuertibly Some good friends vvould needs fetch vs into this idle Grecisme and to the societie of the old Frisons c c Espenc lib. 1. de Contin c. 1. and if Saint Ierome take it aright of Vigilantius Espencaeus and Bellarmine and our Rhemists free vs. There is no lesse difference betwixt them and vs then betwixt May and Must Libertie and Necessitie If then Let him be the Husband of one Wife argue that a Bishop may bee a maried man I haue vvhat I would and passe not for the contrarie from Men and Angels We willingly grant vvith Luther that this charge is negatiue Refut p. 91 92. Non velut sanciens dicit saith Chrysostome But this negatiue charge implyes an affirmatiue allowance we seeke for no more As for the authorities which my Detector hath borrowed of his Vncles of Rhemes they might haue beene well spared He tels vs Saint Ierom sayes Qui vâ—am habuerit non habeat He who hath had one Wife not hee that hath one I tell him Saint Paul saith d d Tit. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man be the Husband of one Wife not If hee haue beene Let e e Chrysost in 1. Tit. homil 2. Saint Chrysostome therein answer Hierome and Epiphanius and all other pretended opposites Obstruere prorsus intendit haereticorum era qui nuptias damnaâ—t c. He purpos'd in this to stop the mouthes of Heretikes that condemned mariage shewing that that estate is faultlesse yea so precious that with it a man might bee aduanced to the holy Episcopall Chaire Thus he whom their learned f f Esp vbi supra Bishop Espencaeus seconds and by the true force of the Text cleareth this sense against all contradiction Nec enim Paulini de Episcopis c. For
was a rod hee held it familiarly in his hand when once a Serpent he ran away from it 24 I haue seldome seene much ostentation and much learning met together The Sunne rising and declining makes long shadowes at mid-day when hee is at highest none at all Besides that skill when it is too much showne loseth the grace as fresh-coloured wares if they be often opened lose their brightnesse and are soiled with much handling I had rather applaud my selfe for hauing much that I shew not than that others should applaud me for shewing more than I haue 25 An ambitious man is the greatest enemie to himselfe of any in the world besides for he still torments himselfe with hopes and desires and cares which he might auoid if hee would remit of the height of his thoughts and liue quietly My onely ambition shall be to rest in Gods fauour on earth and to be a Saint in heauen 26 There was neuer good thing easily come by The Heathen man could say God sels knowledge for sweat and so hee doth honour for ieopardy Neuer any man hath got either wealth or learning with ease Therefore the greatest good must needs bee most difficult How shall I hope to get Christ if I take no paines for him And if in all other things the difficultie of obtaining whets the minde so much the more to seeke why should it in this alone daunt mee I will not care what I doe what I suffer so I may winne Christ If men can endure such cutting such lancing and searing of their bodies to protract a miserable life yet a while longer what paine should I refuse for eternitie 27 If I die the world shall misse me but a little I shall misse it lesse Not it mee because it hath such store of better men Not I it because it hath so much ill and I shall haue so much happinesse 28 Two things make a man set by Dignitie and Desert Amongst fooles the first without the second is sufficient amongst wise men the second without the first Let me deserue well though I bee not aduanced The conscience of my worth shall cheere me more in others contempt than the approbation of others can comfort me against the secret checke of my owne vnworthinesse 29 The best qualities doe so cleaue to their subiects that they cannot be communicated to others For whereas patrimony and vulgar account of honor follow the bloud in many generations Vertue is not traduced by propagation nor learning bequeathed by our Will to our heires lest the giuers should wax proud and the receiuers negligent I will account nothing my owne but what I haue gotten nor that mine owne because it is more of gift than desert 30 Then onely is the Church most happy when Truth and Peace kisse each other and then miserable when either of them balke the way or when they meet and kisse not For truth without peace is turbulent and peace without truth is secure iniustice Though I loue peace well yet I loue maine truths better And though I loue all truths well yet I had rather conceale a small truth than disturbe a common peace 31 An indiscreet good action is little better than a discreet mischiefe For in this the doer wrongs onely the Patient but in that other the wrong is done to the good action for both it makes a good thing odious as many good tales are marr'd in telling and besides it preiudices a future opportunitie I will rather let passe a good gale of wind and stay on the shore than lanch forth when I know the wind will be the contrary 32 The World teacheth me that it is madnesse to leaue behinde me those goods that I may carry with me Christianitie teacheth me that what I charitably giue aliue I carrie with me dead and experience teacheth me that what I leaue behinde I lose I will carrie that treasure with me by giuing it which the worldling loseth by keeping it so while his corps shall carrie nothing but a winding cloth to his graue I shall bee richer vnder the earth than I was aboue it 33 Euery worldling is an hypocrite for while his face naturally lookes vpward to heauen his heart grouels beneath on the earth yet if I would admit of any discord in the inward and outward parts I would haue an heart that should looke vp to heauen in an holy contemplation of the things aboue and a countenance cast downe to the earth in humiliation This onely dissimilitude is pleasing to God 34 The heart of man is a short word a small substance scarce enough to giue a Kite one meale yet great in capacitie yea so infinite in desire that the round Globe of the world cannot fill the three corners of it When it desires more and cries Giue giue I will set it ouer to that infinite Good where the more it hath it may desire more and see more to be desired when it desires but what it needeth my hands shall soone satisfie it For if either of them may containe it when it is without the body much more may both of them fill it while it is within 35 With men it is a good rule To try first and then to trust with God it is contrary I will first trust him as most wise omnipotent mercifull and try him afterwards I know it is as impossible for him to deceiue me as not to be 36 As Christ was both a Lambe and a Lion so is euery Christian A Lambe for patience in suffering and innocencie of life A Lion for boldnesse in his innocencie I would so order my courage and mildnesse that I may bee neither Lion-like in my conuersation nor sheepish in the defence of a good cause 37 The godly sowe in teares and reape in ioy The seed-time is commonly waterish and lowring I will be content with a wet Spring so I may be sure of a cleere and ioyfull Haruest 38 Euery man hath an Heauen and an Hell Earth is the wicked mans Heauen his Hell is to come on the contrarie the godly haue their Hell vpon earth where they are vexed with tentations and afflictions by Satan and his complices their Heauen is aboue in endlesse happinesse If it be ill with me on earth it is well my torment is so short and so easie I will not be so couetous to hope for two heauens 39 Man on his Death-bed hath a double prospect which in his life-time the interposition of pleasure and miseries debarred him from The good man lookes vpward and sees heauen open with Steuen and the glorious Angels ready to carrie vp his soule The wicked man lookes downeward and sees three terrible spectacles Death Iudgement Hell one beyond another and all to be passed thorow by his soule I maruell not that the godly haue beene so cheerefull in death that those torments whose very sight hath ouercome the beholders haue seemed easie to them I maruell not that a wicked man is so loth to heare of
I need not be so mopish as not to beleeue rather the language of the hand than of the tongue He that saies well and doth well is without exception commendable but if one of these must be seuered from the other I like him well that doth well and saith nothing 52 That which they say of the Pelican that when the Shepherds in desire to catch her lay fire not farre from her nest which she finding and fearing the danger of her young seekes to blow out with her wings so long till she burne her selfe and makes her selfe a prey in an vnwise pitty to her young I see morally verified in experience of those which indiscreetly medling with the flame of dissention kindled in the Church rather increase than quench it rather fire their owne wings than helpe others I had rather bewaile the fire afarre off than stirre in the coles of it I would not grudge my ashes to it if those might abate the burning but since I see this is daily increased with partaking I will behold it with sorrow and meddle no otherwise than by praiers to God and intreaties to men seeking my owne safety and the peace of the Church in the freedome of my thought and silence of my tongue 53 That which is said of Lucillaes faction that anger bred it pride fostered it and couetousnesse confirm'd it is true of all Schismes though with some inuersion For the most are bred through pride whiles men vpon an high conceit of themselues scorne to goe in the common road and affect singularitie in opinion are confirmed through anger whiles they stomacke and grudge any contradiction and are nourished through couetousnesse whiles they seeke abilitie to beare out their part In some others againe couetousnesse obtaines the first place anger the second pride the last Herein therefore I haue beene alwaies wont to commend and admire the humilitie of those great and profound wits whom depth of knowledge hath not lead to by-paths in iudgement but walking in the beaten path of the Church haue bent all their forces to the establishment of receiued truths accounting it greater glorie to confirme an ancient veritie than to deuise a new opinion though neuer so profitable vnknowne to their predecessors I will not reiect a truth for meere noueltie Old truths may come newly to light neither is God tied to times for the gift of his illumination but I will suspect a nouell opinion of vntruth and not entertaine it vnlesse it may be deduced from ancient grounds 54 The eare and the eie are the minds receiuers but the tongue is onely busied in expending the treasure receiued If therefore the reuenues of the minde bee vttered as fast or faster than they are receiued it cannot bee but that the minde must needs bee held bare and can neuer lay vp for purchase But if the receiuers take in still with no vtterance the minde may soone grow a burthen to it selfe and vnprofitable to others I will not lay vp too much and vtter nothing lest I be couetous nor spend much and store vp little lest I be prodigall and poore 55 It is a vaine-glorious flatterie for a man to praise himselfe An enuious wrong to detract from others I will therefore speake no ill of others no good of my selfe 56 That which is the miserie of Trauellers to finde many Oasts and few friends is the estate of Christians in their pilgrimage to a better life Good friends may not therefore be easily forgone neither must they bee vsed as suits of apparell which when wee haue worne threed-bare wee cast off and call for new Nothing but death or villanie shall diuorce mee from an old friend but still I will follow him so farre as is either possible or honest and then I will leaue him with sorrow 57 True friendship necessarily requires Patience For there is no man in whom I shall not mislike somewhat and who shall not as iustly mislike somewhat in mee My friends faults therefore if little I will swallow and digest if great I will smother them howeuer I will winke at them to others but louingly notifie them to himselfe 58 Iniuries hurt not more in the receiuing than in the remembrance A small iniurie shall goe as it comes a great iniurie may dine or sup with me but none at all shall lodge with me Why should I vex my selfe because another hath vexed me 59 It is good dealing with that ouer which we haue the most power If my state will not be framed to my minde I will labour to frame my minde to my estate 60 It is a great miserie to be either alwaies or neuer alone societie of men hath not so much gaine as distraction In greatest companie I will bee alone to my selfe in greatest priuacie in companie with God 61 Griefe for things past that cannot be remedied and care for things to come that cannot be preuented may easily hurt can neuer benefit me I will therefore commit my selfe to God in both and enioy the present 62 Let my estate bee neuer so meane I will euer keepe my selfe rather beneath than either leuell or aboue it A man may rise when he will with honour but cannot fall without shame 63 Nothing doth so befoole a man as extreme passion This doth both make them fooles which otherwise are not and shew them to bee fooles that are so Violent passions if I cannot tame them that they may yeeld to my ease I will at least smother them by concealement that they may not appeare to my shame 64 The minde of man though infinite in desire yet is finite in capacitie Since I cannot hope to know all things I will labour first to know what I needs must for their vse next what I best may for their conuenience 65 Though time be precious to me as all irreuocable good things deserue to be and of all other things I would not be lauish of it yet I will account no time lost that is either lent to or bestowed vpon my friend 66 The practises of the best men are more subiect to errour than their speculations I will honour good examples but I will liue by good precepts 67 As charitie requires forgetfulnesse of euill deeds so patience requites forgetfulnesse of euill accidents I will remember euils past to humble me not to vex me 68 It is both a miserie and a shame for a man to bee a Bankrupt in loue which hee may easily pay and be neuer the more impouerished I will be in no mans debt for good will but will at least returne euery man his owne measure if not with vsurie It is much better to bee a Creditor than a Debtor in any thing but especially of this yet of this I will so bee content to bee a Debtor that I will alwaies bee paying it where I owe it and yet neuer will haue so paid it that I shall not owe it more 69 The Spanish Prouerbe is too true Dead men and absent finde no friends
knowledge partly and partly for health There was nothing that made not my iourney pleasant saue the labour of the way which yâ—â— was so sweetly deceiued by the society of Sir Edmund Bacon a Gentleman truly honourable beyond all titles that I found small cause to complaine The Sea brookt not me nor I it an vnquiet element made only for wonder vse not for pleasure Alighted once from that woodden conueyance and vneuen way I bethought my selfe how fondly our life is committed to an vnsteady and reeling peece of wood fickle winds restlesse waters while wee may set foot on stedfast and constant earth Loe then euery thing taught me euery thing delighted me so ready are we to be affected with those forrain pleasures which at home we should ouer-look I saw much as one might in such a span of earth in so few moneths The time fauoured me for now newly had the key of peace opened those parts which warre had before closed closed I say to all English saue either fugitiues or captiues All ciuill occurrences as what faire Cities what strange fashions entertainments dangers delights we found are fit for other eares and winter euenings What I noted as a Diuine within the sphere of my profession my paper shall not spare in some part to report and that to your selfe which haue passed a longer way with more happy fruit of obseruation Euen little streames empty themselues into great Riuers and they againe into the Sea Neither do I desire to tell you what you know not it shall be sufficient that I relate ought which others shall thinke memorable Along our way how many Churches saw we demolished Nothing left but rude heaps to tell the passenger there hath beene both deuotion and hostility O the miserable foot-steps of warre besides bloodshed ruine and desolation Furie hath done that there which Couetousnesse would doe with vs would doe but shall not The truth within shall saue the wals without And to speake truly what-euer the vulgar exclaime Idolatrie pull'd downe those wals not rage If there had beene no Hollander to raze them they should haue falne alone rather than hide so much impietie vnder their guilty roofe These are spectacles not so much of cruelty as iustice Cruelty of man Iustice of God But which I wondred at Churches fall and Iesuits Colledges rise euerywhere There is no city where those are not either rearing or built Whence commeth this Is it for that deuotion is not so necessary as policy Those men as we say of the Fox fare best when they are most cursed None so much spighted of their owne none so hated of all none so opposed by ours and yet these ill weeds grow Whosoeuer liues long shall see them feared of their owne which now hate them shall see these seuen leane kine deuoure al the fat beasts that feed on the medowes of Tyber I prophecie as Pharaoh dreamed The euent shall iustifie my confidence At Bruxelles I say some English-women professe themselues Vestals with a thousand rites I know not whether more ridiculous or magicall Poore soules they could not be fooles enough at home It would haue made you to pitty laugh disdain I know not which more to see by what cunning sleights and faire pretences that weake sexe was fetcht into a wilfull bondage and if those two can agree willingly constrained to serue a master whom they must and cannot obey whom they neither may forsake for their vow nor can please for their frailty What followes hence Late sorrow secret mischiefe misery irremediable Their forwardnesse for will-worship shall condemne our coldnesse for truth I talked there in more boldnesse perhaps then wisedome with Costerus a famous Iesuit an old man more teasty then subtle and more able to wrangle then satisfie Our discourse was long and roauing and on his part full both of words and vehemency He spake as at home I as a stranger yet so as he saw me modestly peremptory The particulars would swell my Letter too much It is enough that the Truth lost lesse then I gained At Gaunt a city that commands reuerence for age and wonder for the greatnesse we fell vpon a Cappucine nouice which wept bitterly because he was not allowed to be miserable His head had now felt the razor his backe the rod all that Laconicall discipline pleased him well which another being condemned to would iustly account a torment What hindred then Piety to his mother would not permit this which hee thought piety to God He could not be a willing begger vnlesse his mother must beg vnwillingly He was the onely heyre of his father the onely stay of his mother the comfort of her widowhood depended on this her orphane who now naked must enter into the world of the Cappucines as he came first into this leauing his goods to the diuision of the fraternity the least part whereof should haue beene hers whose hee wished all Hence those teares that repulse I pitied his ill bestowed zeale and rather wished then durst teach him more wisedome These men for deuout the Iesuits for learned and pragmaticall haue ingrossed all opinion from other Orders O hypocrisie No Cappucine may take or touch siluer for these are you know the quintessence of Franciscan spirits This mettall is as very an Anathema to these as the wedge of gold to Achan at the offer whereof he starts backe as Moses from the serpent yet he carries a boy with him that takes and carries it and neuer complaines of either mettall or measure I saw and laughed at it and by this open tricke of hypocrisie suspected more more close How could I chuse while commonly the least appeares of that which is especially of that which is loathsome in appearance much more in nature At Namurs on a pleasant and steepe hill-top we found one that was tearmed a maried Hermite approuing his wisedome aboue his fellowes that could make choice of so chearfull and sociable a solitarinesse Whence after a delightfull passage vp the sweet Riuer Mosa we visited the populous and rich Clergy of Leodium That great Citie might well be dichotomized into Cloysters and Hospitals If I might aduenture I could here play the Criticke after all the ruines of my neglected Philologie Old monuments and after them our Lipsius call this people Eburones I doubt whether it should not rather be written Ebriones yet without search of any other Records saue my owne eyes while yet I would those streets were more moist with wine then with blood wherein no day no night is not dismall to some No law no Magistrate layes hold on the knowne murderer if himselfe list for three dayes after his fact the gates are open and iustice shut priuate violence may pursue him publike iustice cannot whence some of more hot temper carue themselues of reuenge others take-vp with a small pecuniary satisfaction O ENGLAND thought I happy for iustice happy for security There you shall find in euery corner a Maumet at euery
the faith and worship of the true God Miracles must be iudged by the doctrine which they confirme not the doctrine by the miracles The Dreamer or Prophet must bee esteemed not by the euent of his wonder but by the substance scope of his teaching The Romanists argue preposterously while they would proue the truth of their Church by miracles wheras they shold proue their miracles by the truth To say nothing of the fashion of their cures that one is prescribed to come to our Lady rather on a Friday as * * * * * Pag. 7 Henry Loyez another to wash nine dayes in the water of MONTAGV as Leonard Stocqueau another to eat a peece of the Oake where the image stood as * * * * * Histoire miracle de nostre Dame Pag 73. Pag. 102. Magdaleine the widow of Bruxelles All which if they sauor not strong of magicall receits let the indifferent iudge Surely either there is no sorcery or this is it All shall be plaine if the doctrine confirmed by their miracles be once discussed for if that be diuine truth we doe vniustly impugne these workes as diabolicall if falshood they doe blasphemously proclaime them for diuine These works tend all chiefly to this double doctrine that the blessed Virgin is to be inuoked for her mediation That God and Saints are to be adored in and by images Positions that would require a volume and such as are liberally disputed by others whereof one is against Scripture the other which in these cases values no lesse besides it One deifies the Virgin the other a stocke or stone It matters not what subtle distinctions their learned Doctors make betwixt mediatioÌ„ of Redemption Examen Pacifique de la doctrine dos Huguenots O sauueresse sauue moy Manuel of French praiers printed at Liege by approbation and authority of Anton Ghenatt Inquisitor c. and Intercession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saint and the Image We know their common people whose deuotion enriches those shrines by confession of their owne Writers climbe the hill of Zichem with this conceit that Mary is their Sauioresse that the stocke is their Goddesse which vnlesse it be true how doe their wonders teach them lies and therefore how from God But to take the first at best for the second is so grosse that were not the second Commandement by Papists purposely razed out of their Primiers children and carters would condemne it it cannot bee denyed that all the substance of prayer is in the heart the vocall sound is but a complement and as an outward case wherein our thoughts are sheathed That power cannot know the praier which knowes not the heart either then the Virgin is God for that shee knowes the heart or to know the heart is not proper to God or to know the heart and so our prayers is falsely ascribed to the Virgin and therfore these wonders which teach men thus to honor her are Doctors of lies so not of God There cannot be any discourse wherein it is more easie to bee tedious To end If prayers were but in words and Saints did meddle with all particularities of earthly things yet blessed Mary should bee a God if shee could at once attend all her suters One sollicits her at Halle another at Scherpenheuuel another at Luca at our Walsingham another one in Europe another in Asia or perhaps another is one of her new Clients in America Ten thousand deuout Suppliants are at once prostrate before her seuerall shrines If she cannot heare all why pray they If she can what can God doe more Certainly as the matter is vsed there cannot be greater wrong offered to those heauenly spirits then by our importunate superstitions to be thrust into Gods Throne and to haue forced vpon them the honors of their Maker There is no contradiction in heauen a Saint cannot allow that an Angell forbids See thou doe it not was the voyce of an Angell if all the miraculous blockes in the world shall speake contrary wee know whom to beleeue The old rule was * * * * * Let no man worship the Virgin Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either that rule is deuillish or this practice And if this practice bee ill God deliuer mee from the immediate author of these miracles Change but one Idoll for another and what differ the wonders of Apollos Temples from those of these Chappels We reuerence as we ought the memory of that holy and happy Virgin We hate those that dishonour her we hate those that deifie her Cursed be all honour that is stolne from God This short satisfaction I giue in a long question such as I dare rest in and resolue that all popish miracles are either falsely reported or falsly done or falsely miraculous or falsely ascribed to heauen To Mr. WILLIAM BEDELL at Venice EP. VII Lamenting the death of our late Diuines and exciting to their imitation WE haue heard how full of trouble and danger the Alpes were to you and did at once both pity your difficulties and reioyce in your safety Since your departure from vs Reynolds is departed from the world Alas how many worthy Lights haue our eyes seene shining and extinguisht How many losses haue we liued to see the Church sustaine and lament of her children of her pillers our owne and forraine I speake not of those which being excellent would needs be obscure whom nothing but their owne secrecy depriued of the honour of our teares There are besides too many whom the world noted and admired euen since the time that our common mother acknowledged vs for her sonnes Our Fulke led the way that profound ready and resolute Doctor the hammer of hereticks The 〈◊〉 of Truth whom your younger times haue heard oft disputing acutely and powerfully Next him followed that honour of our Schooles and Angell of our Church learned Whitakers than whom our age saw nothing more memorable what clearnesse of iudgement what sweetnesse of style what grauity of person what grace of cariage was in that man Who euer saw him without reuerence or heard him without wonder Soone after left the world that famous and illuminate Doctor Francis Iunius the glory of Leiden the other hope of the Church the Oracle of Textuall and Schoole-Diuinity rich in languages subtle in distinguishing and in argument invincible and his companion in labours Lu. Trelcatius would needs be his companion in ioyes who had doubted our sorrow and losse but that he recompenced it with a sonne like himselfe Soone after self old reuerend Beza a long fixed starre in this firmament of the Church who after many excellent monuments of learning and fidelity liued to proue vpon his aduersaries that hee was not dead at their day Neyther may I without iniury omit that worthy payre of our late Diuines Greâ—nham and Perkins whereof the one excelled in experimentall diuinitie knew well how to stay a weake conscience how to raise a
remit somewhat and both meet in the midst Thus I haue endeauored to doe with sincere intent of their good rather then my own applause For it had beene easie to haue reached to an higher straine but I durst not whether for the graue Maiesty of the subiect or benefit of the simplest reader You shal still note that I haue laboured to keepe Dauids entire sense with numbers neither lofty nor slubbered which mean is so much more difficult to find as the businesse is more sacred and the liberty lesse Many great wits haue vndertaken this task which yet haue either not effected it or haue smothered it in their priuate deskes and denied it the common light Amongst the rest were those two rare spirits of the Sidnyes to whom Poesie was as naturall as it is affected of others and our worthy friend M. Syluester hath shewed me how happily he hath sometimes turned from his Bartas to the sweet singer of Israel It could not be that in such abundant plenty of Poesie this work should haue past vnattempted would God I might liue to see it perfected either by my own hand or a better In the meane time let me expect your impartiall sentence both concerning the forme and sense Lay aside your loue for a while which too oft blindes iudgement And as it vses to be done in most equall proceedings of iustice shut me out of doores while my verse is discussed yea let me receiue not your censure onely but others by you this once as you loue mee play both the Informer and the Iudge Whether you allow it you shall encourage me or correct you shall amend me Either your starres or your spits Asteriscus Veru that I may vse Origens notes shall bee welcome to my margent It shall be happy for vs if God shall make our poore labours any way seruiceable to his Name and Church To M. Samuel Sotheby EP. VI. A Preface to his Relation of the Russian affaires TRauell perfiteth wisedome and obseruation giues perfection to trauell without which a man may please his eyes not feed his braine and after much earth measured shall returne with a weary body and an empty minde Home is more safe more pleasant but lesse fruitfull of experience But to a mind not working and discursiue all heauens all earths are alike And as the end of trauell is obseruation so the end of obseruation is the enforming of others for what is our knowledge if smothered in our selues so as it is not knowne to more Such secret delight can content none but an enuious nature You haue breathed many and cold ayres gone farre seene much heard more obserued all These two yeares you haue spent in imitation of Nabuchadnezzars seuen conuersing with such creatures as Paul fought with at Ephesus Alas what a face yea what a backe of a Church haue you seene what manners what people Amongst whom ignorant superstition striues with close Atheisme treachery with cruelty one Deuill with another while Truth and Vertue doe not so much as giue any chalenge of resistance Returning once to our England after this experience I imagine you doubted whether you were on earth or in heauen Now then if you will heare me whom you were wont as you haue obserued what you haue seene and written what you haue obserued so publish what you haue written It shall bee a gratefull labour to vs to posterity I am deceiued if the ficklenesse of the Russian state haue not yeelded more memorable matter of history then any other in our age or perhaps many centuries of our predecessors How shall I think but that God sent you thither before these broiles to be the witnesse the register of so famous mutations He loues to haue those iust euils which hee doth in one part of the world knowne to the whole and those euils which men doe in the night of their secrecy brought forth into the Theater of the World that the euill of mens sinne being compared with the euill of his punishment may iustifie his proceedings and condemne theirs Your worke shall thus honor him besides your second seruice in the benefit of the Church For whiles you discourse of the open tyranny of that Russian Nero Iohn Basilius the more secret no lesse bloody plots of Boris the ill successe of a stolne Crowne tho set vpon the head of an harmelesse Sonne the bold attempts and miserable end of a false yet aspiring chalenge the perfidiousnesse of a seruile people vnworthy of better gouernors the miscariage of wicked gouernors vnworthy of better subiects the vniust vsurpations of men iust tho late reuenges of God cruelty rewarded with blood wrong claimes with ouerthrow treachery with bondage the Reader with some secret horror shall draw-in delight and with delight instruction Neither know I any Relation whence hee shall take out a more easie lesson of iustice of loyalty of thankfulnesse But aboue all let the world see and commiserate the hard estate of that worthy and noble Secretary Buchinski Poore gentleman his distresse recals euer to my thoughts Aesops Storke taken amongst the Cranes He now nourishes his haire vnder the displeasure of a forraine Prince At once in durance and banishment He serued an ill master but with an honest heart with cleane hands The masters iniustice doth no more infect a good seruant then the truth of the seruant can iustifie his ill master A bad worke-man may vse a good instrument and oft-times a cleane napkin wipeth a foule mouth It ioyes me yet to thinke that his piety as it euer beld friendship in heauen so now it wins him friends in this our other world Lo euen from our Iland vnexpected deliuerance takes a long flight and blesseth him beyond hope yea rather from heauen by vs. That God whom he serues will bee knowne to those rude and scarce humane Christians for a protector of innocence a fauourer of truth a rewarder of piety The mercy of our gracious King the compassion of an honourable Councellor the loue of a true friend and which wrought all and set all on worke the grace of our good God shall now loose those bonds and giue a glad welcome to his liberty and a willing farewell to his distresse He shall I hope liue to acknowledge this in the meane time I doe for him Those Russian affaires are not more worthy of your records then your loue to this friend is worthy of mine For neither could this large sea drowne or quench it nor time and absence which are wont to breed a lingring consumption of friendship abate the heat of that affection which his kindnesse bred religion nourished Both rarenesse and worth shall commend this true-loue which to say true hath been now long out of fashion Neuer times yeelded more loue but not more subtle For euery man loues himselfe in another loues the estate in the person Hope of aduantage is the loadstone that drawes the iron hearts of men not vertue not desert No age afforded more
deserue You are a stranger to your selfe if you confesse not that God fauours you in this whip If he had stripped you of better things and scourged you with worse you should still haue acknowledged a mercifull iustice If you now repine at an easie correction you are worthy of seuerity Beware the next if you grudge and swell at this It is next to nothing which you suffer what can bee further from vs then these goods of outward estate You need not abate either health or mirth for their sakes If you doe now draw the affliction neerer then he which sent it and make a forraine euill domesticall if while God visits your estate you fetch it home to your body to your minde thanke your selfe that you will needs be miserable But if you loue not to fare ill take crosses as they are sent and goe lightly away with an easie burden EPISTLES THE SECOND VOLVME Containing TWO DECADS BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE SAME MOST GRATIOVS PATRONAGE OF THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE HENRY PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAINE HIS Highnesses VNVVORTHY SERVANT humbly prostrates himselfe and his second Labour With continuall Apprecations of all Happinesse THE CONTENTS AND SVBIECT OF EVERY EPISTLE DECAD III. EP. 1. To M rr SMITH and Mr ROB. Ring-leaders of the late separation at Amsterdam Setting forth their iniury done to the Church the iniustice of their cause c. EP. 2 To Sr ANDREW ASTELEY A Discourse of our due preparation for death and the meanes to sweeten it EP. 3. To M. SAM BVRTON Of the tryall and choice of the true Religion iustifying of all religions the Christian of all Christian the reformed EP. 4 To Mr EDM. SLEIGH Of the hardnesse of true Christianitie and the abundant recompence in the pleasures and commodities thereof EP. 5 To Mr W. L. Expostulating the cause of his vnsetlednesse in religion where is shewed that our dissentions are no sufficient ground of his suspension EP. To Sr EDMVND LVCY Of the different degrees of glory and our mutuall knowledge aboue EP. 7 To Mr T. L. Aduising concerning the matter of diuorce in the case of knowne Adulterie EP. 8 To Mr ROBERT HAY. Of the continuall exercise of a Christian whereby he may he preserued from hardnesse of heart c. EP. 9 To Mr I. F. Merchant Of the lawfulnesse of conuersation and trade with Infidels and Heretiques how farre it holdeth and wherein EP. 10 To the Gentlemen of his Highnesse Court A description of a good and faithfull Courtier DECAD IV. EP. 1 To Mr WALTER FITZ WILLIAMS Of the true and lawful vse of pleasure c. EP. 2 To Mr W. E.DD to Mr ROB. IERMIN Of the bloody and sinfull vse of single combats and the vniust pretences for this vnchristian and false manhood EP. 3 To Mr MAT. MYLWARD Of the pleasure of study and contemplation c. EP. 4 To M.I.P. Of the increase of Popery of the Oath of Allegeance and the iust sufferings of those that haue refused it EP. 5 To my brother Mr SA HALL Of the charge and weight of the Ministeriall function with directions for due preparation to it answerable cariage in it EP. 6 To M. A. P. Of the signes and proofes of a true faith EP. 7 To Mr EDWARD ALLEYNE A direction how to conceiue of God in our deuotions and meditations EP. 8 To Mr THOMAS IAMES Of the reason of the Papists confidence in appealing to the Fathers applauding his worthy offers and indeuors of discouering the falsifications of Antiquitie EP. 9 To M. E. A. Of fleeing or stay in the time of pestilence whether lawfull for Minister or people EP. 10 To M.R.B. A complaint of the iniquity of the Times with a prescription of remedy THE THIRD DECAD To Mr Smith and Mr Rob. Ring-leaders of the late Separation at Amsterdam EP. I. Setting forth their iniury done to the Church the iniustice of their cause and fearfulnesse of their offence Censuring and aduising them WEe heare of your separation and mourne yet not so much for you as for your vvrong you could not doe a greater iniury to your mother then to fly from her Say shee were poore ragged weake say she were deformed yet shee is not infectious Or if shee vvere yet she is yours This were cause enough for you to lament her to pray for her to labour for her redresse not to auoid her This vnnaturalnesse is shamefull and more hainous in you who are reported not parties in this euill but authors Your flight is not so much as your mis-guidance Plead not this fault is past excuse If wee all should follow you this vvere the vvay of a Church as you plead imperfect to make no Church and of a remedie to make a disease Still the fruit of our charitie to you is besides our griefe pitie Your zeale of truth hath mis-led you and you others A zeale if honest yet blind-folded and led by selfe-will Oh that you loued Peace but halfe so well as Truth then this breach had neuer beene and you that are yet brethren had beene still companions Goe out of Babylon you say The voice not of Schisme but of holinesse Know you vvhere you are Looke about you I beseech you looke behinde you and see if wee haue not left it vpon our backs Shee her selfe feeles and sees that shee is abandoned and complaines to all the world that we haue not onely forsaken but spoiled her and yet you say Come out of Babylon And except you will bee willingly blinde you may see the heapes of her Altars the ashes of her Idols the ruines of her monuments the condemnation of her errours the reuenge of her abominations And are wee yet in Babylon Is Babylon yet amongst vs Where are the maine buildings of that accursed Citie those high and proud Towers of their vniuersall Hierarchie infallible iudgement dispensation vvith the Lawes of God and sinnes of men disposition of Kingdomes deposition of Princes parting stakes vvith God in our conuersion through freedom of vvil in our saluation through the merit of our vvorks Where are those rotten heapes rotten not through age but corruption of transubstantiating of bread adoring of Images multitude of Sacraments power of Indulgences necessitie of Confessions profit of Pilgrimages constrained and approued Ignorance vnknowne deuotions Where are those deepe vaults if not mynes of Penances and Purgatories and whatsoeuer hath beene deuised by those Popelings whether profitable or glorious against the Lord and his Christ Are they not all raced and buried in the dust Hath not the Maiestie of her Gods like as was done to Mithra and Serapis beene long agone offered to the publique laughter of the vulgar What is this but to goe yea to runne if not to fly out of Babylon But as euery man is an hearty Patron of his owne actions and it is a desperate cause that hath no plea you alledge our consorting in Ceremonies and say still we
bodie vexation of conscience distemper of passions complaint of estate feares and sense of euill hopes and doubts of good ambitious rackirgs couetous toyles enuious vnderminings irkesome disappointments weary sacieties restlesse desires and many worlds of discontentments in this one What wonder is it that we would liue We laugh at their choice that are in loue with the deformed and what a face is this we dote vpon See if sinnes and cares and crosses haue not like a filthy Morphew ouer-spread it and made it loathsome to all iudicious eyes I maruell then that any wise men could be other but Stoicks and could haue any conceit of life but contemptuous not more for the misery of it while it lasteth then for the not lasting we may loue it wee cannot hold it What a shadow of a smoake what a dreame of a shadow is this wee affect Wise Salomon sayes there is a time to be borne and a time to dye you doe not heare him say a time to liue What is more flitting then time Yet life is not long enough to be worthy of the title of time Death borders vpon our birth and our cradle stands in our graue We lament the losse of our parents how soone shall our sonnes bewaile ours Loe I that write this and you that reade it how long are we here It were well if the world were as our tent yea as our Inne if not to lodge yet to bait in but now it is onely our thorow-fare one generation passeth another commeth none stayeth If this earth were a Paradise and this which we call our life were sweet as the ioyes aboue yet how should this ficklenesse of it coole our delight Grant it absolute who can esteeme a vanishing pleasure How much more now when the drammes of our honey are lost in pounds of gall when our contentments are as farre from sincerity as continuance Yet the true apprehension of life though ioyned with contempt is not enough to settle vs if either we be ignorant of death or ill perswaded for if life haue not worth enough to allure vs yet death hath horror enough to affright vs. Hee that would die cheerefully must know death his friend what is hee but the faithfull officer of our Maker who euer smiles or frownes with his Master neither can either shew or nourish enmitie where God fauours when he comes fiercely and puls a man by the throat and summons him to Hell who can but tremble The messenger is terrible but the message worse hence haue risen the miserable despaires and furious rauing of the ill conscience that findes no peace within lesse without But when he comes sweetly not as an executioner but as a guide to glory and profers his seruice and shewes our happinesse and opens the doore to our heauen how worthy is he of entertainment how worthy of gratulation But his salutation is painfull if courteous what then The Physician heales vs not without paine and yet wee reward him It is vnthankfulnesse to complaine vvhere the answer of profit is excessiue Death paineth how long how much with what proportion to the sequell of ioy O death if thy pangs be grieuous yet thy rest is sweet The constant expectation that hath possessed that rest hath already swallowed those pangs and makes the Christian at once wholly dead to his paine wholly aliue to his glory The soule hath not leysure to care for her suffering that beholds her crowne which if shee were conioyned to fetch thorow the flames of hell her faith would not sticke at the condition Thus in briefe he that liues Christianly shall dye boldly he that findes his life short and miserable shall dye willingly hee that knowes death and fore-sees glory shall die cheerefully and desirously To M. Samuel Burton Arch-deacon of Glocester EP. III. A discourse of the tryall and choice of the true Religion Sir This Discourse inioyned by you I send to your censure to your disposing but to the vse of others Vpon your charge I haue written it for the wauering If it seeme worthy communicate it else it is but a dash of your pen. I feare onely the breuitie a Volume were too little for this Subiect It is not more yours then the Author Farewell WE doe not more affect varietie in all other things then wee abhorre it in Religion Euen those which haue held the greatest falshoods hold that there is but one truth I neuer read of more then one Hereticke that held all Heresies true neither did his opinion seeme more incredible then the relation of it God can neither be multiplyed nor Christ diuided if his coat might bee parted his bodie was intire For that then all sides chalenge Truth and but one can possesse it let vs see who haue found it who enioy it There are not many Religions that striue for it tho many opinions Euery Heresie albe fundamentall makes not a Religion We say not The Religion of Arrians Nestorians Sabellians Macedonians but the sect or heresie No opinion challenges this name in our vsuall speech for I discusse not the proprietie but that which arising from many differences hath setled it selfe in the world vpon her owne principles not without an vniuersall diuision Such may soone be counted Tho it is true there are by so much too many as there are more then one Fiue religions then there are by this rule vpon earth which stand in competition for truth Iewish Turkish Greekish Popish Reformed whereof each pleads for it selfe with disgrace of the other The plaine Reader doubts how he may fit Iudge in so high a plea God hath put this person vpon him while he chargeth him to try the spirits to retaine the good reiect the euill If still he plead with Moses insufficiencie let him but attend God shall decide the case in his silence without difficultie The Iew hath little to say for himselfe but impudent denials of our Christ of their Prophecies whose very refusall of him more strongly proues him the true Messias neither could he be iustified to be that Sauiour if they reiected him not since the Prophets fore-saw and fore-told not their repelling of him onely but their reuiling If there were no more arguments God hath so mightily confuted them from heauen by the voice of his iudgement that al the vvorld hisseth at their conuiction Loe their very sinne is capitally written in their desolation and contempt One of their owne late Doctors seriously expostulates in a relenting Letter to another of his fellow Rabbins what might be the cause of so long and desperate a ruine of their Israel and comparing their former captiuities with their former sinnes argues and yet feares to conclude that this continuing punishment must needs be sent for some sinne so much greater then Idolatry Oppression Sabbath-breaking by how much this plague is more grieuous then all the other Which his feare tels him and he may beleeue it can be no other but the murder and refusall of their
with both and neither I flatter you not this of yours is the worst of all tempers heat and cold haue their vses luke-warmnesse is good for nothing but to trouble the stomacke Those that are spiritually hot finde acceptation those that are starke cold haue a lesser reckoning the meane betweene both is so much worse as it comes neerer to good and attaines it not How long wilt you halt in this indifferency Resolue one way and know at last what you doe hold what you should Cast off either your wings or your teeth and loathing this Bat-like nature be either a bird or a beast To dye wauering and vncertaine your selfe will grant fearfull If you must settle when begin you If you must beginne why not now It is dangerous deferring that whose want is deadly and whose opportunity is doubtfull God cryeth with Iehu Who is on my side who Looke at last out of your window to him and in a resolute courage cast downe this Iezabel that hath bewitched you Is there any impediment which delay will abate Is there any which a iust answer cannot remoue If you had rather wauer who can settle you But if you loue not inconstancy tell vs why you stagger Bee plaine or else you will neuer bee firme What hinders you Is it our diuisions I see you shake your head at this and by your silent gesture bewray this the cause of your distaste Would God I could either deny this with truth or amend it with teares But I grant it with no lesse sorrow then you with offence This earth hath nothing more lamentable then the ciuill jarres of one faith What then Must you defie your mother because you see your brethren fighting Their dissension is her griefe Must she lose some sonnes because some others quarrell Doe not so wrong your selfe in afflicting her Will you loue Christ the lesse because his coat is diuided Yea let mee bodly say The hemme is torne a little the garment is whole or rather it is fretted a little not torne or rather the fringe not the hem Behold here is one Christ one Creed one Baptisme one Heauen one way to it in summe one religion one foundation and take away the tumultuous spirits of some rigorous Lutherans one heart our differences are those of Paul and Barnabas not those of Peter and Magus if they be some it is well they are no more if many that they are not capitall Shew me that Church that hath not complained of distraction yea that family yea that fraternity yea that man that alwayes agrees with himselfe See if the Spouse of Christ in that heauenly mariage song doe not call him a young Hart in the mountaines of diuision Tell me then whither wil you go for truth if you will allow no truth but where there is no diuision To Rome perhaps famous for vnitie famous for peace See now how happily you haue chosen how well you haue sped Loe there Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe a witnesse aboue exception vnder his owne hand acknowledgeth to the world and reckons vp 237 contrarieties of doctrine among the Romish Diuines VVhat need we more euidence O the perfect accordance of Peters See! worthy to be recorded for a badge of truth Let now all our aduersaries scrape together so many contradictions of opinions amongst vs as they confesse amongst themselues and be you theirs No they are not more peaceable but more subtle they haue not lesse dissension but more smothered They fight closely within doores without noyse all our frayes are in the field would God wee had as much of their cunning as they want of our peace and no more of their policy then they want of our truth Our strife is in ceremonies their 's substance ours in one or two points theirs in all Take it boldly from him that dares auouch it there is not one point in all Diuinity except those wherein we accord with them wherein they all speak the same If our Church displease you for differences theirs much more vnlesse you will be either wilfully incredulous or wilfully partiall vnlesse you dislike a mischiefe the lesse for the secrecy VVhat will you doe then VVill you be a Church alone Alas how full are you of contradictions to your selfe how full of contrary purposes how oft doe you chide with your selfe how oft doe you fight with your selfe I appeale to that bosome which is priuy to those secret combats beleeue me not if euer you find perfect vnity any where but aboue either goe thither and seeke it amongst those that triumph or be content with what estate you finde in this warfaring number Truth is in differences as gold in drosse wheat in chaffe will you cast away the best mettall the best graine because it is mingled with this offall VVill you rather bee poore and hungry then bestow labour on the farme or the furnace Is there nothing worth your respect but peace I haue heard that the interlacing of discords graces the best musick and I know not whether the very euill spirits agree not with themselues If the body be sound what though the coat be torne or if the garment be whole what if the lace be vnript Take you peace let me haue truth I cannot haue both To conclude Embrace those truths that we all hold and it greatly matters not what you hold in those wherein we differ and if you loue your safety seeke rather grounds whereon to rest then excuses for your vnrest If euer you looke to gaine by the truth you must both chuse it and cleaue to it Meere resolution is not enough except you will rather lose your selfe then it To Sir EDMVND LVCY EPIST. VI. Discoursing of the different degrees of heauenly glory and of our mutuall knowledge of each other aboue AS those which neuer were at home now after much heare-say trauelling toward it aske in the way What manner of house it is what seat what frame what soile so doe we in the passage to our glory we are all pilgrimes thither yet so as that some haue lookt into it afarre through the open windowes of the Scripture Goe to then whiles others are enquiring about worldly dignities and earthly pleasures let vs two sweetly consult of the estate of our future happinesse yet without presumption without curiositie Amongst this infinite choice of thoughts it hath pleased you to limit our discourse to two heads You aske first if the ioyes of the glorified Saints shall differ in degrees I feare not to affirme it There is one life of all one felicity but diuers measures Our heauen beginnes here and here varies in degrees One Christian enioyes God aboue another according as his grace as his faith is more and heauen is still like it selfe not other aboue from that beneath As our grace begins our glory so it proportions it Blessednesse stands in the perfect operation of the best faculties about the perfectest obiect that is in the vision in the fruition of God All
graces your owne heart shall be the iudge which haue sate without palenesse or trembling in that holy chaire and spoken as if the words had beene their owne satisfying themselues if not the hearers And doe you whose gifts many haue enuied stand quaking vpon the lowest staire Hath God giuen you that vnusuall variety of tongues still of Arts a stile worth emulation and which is worth all a faithfull and honest heart and doe you now shrinke backe and say Send him by whom thou shouldst send Giue God but what you haue he expects no more This is enough to honour him and crowne you Take heed while you complaine of want lest pride shroud it selfe vnder the skirts of modesty How many are thankfull for lesse You haue more then the most yet this contents you not it is nothing vnlesse you may equall the best if not exceed yea I feare how this may satisfie you vnlesse you may thinke your selfe such as you would be What is this but to grudge at the bestower of graces I tell you without flattery God hath great gaines by fewer talents set your heart to employ these and your aduantage shall be more then your masters Neither doe now repent you of the vnaduisednesse of your entrance God called you to it vpon an eternall deliberation meant to make vse of your suddennesse as a meanes to fetch you into his worke whom more leisure would haue found refractary Full little did the one Saul thinke of a kingdome when he went to seeke his fathers strayes in the land of Shalishah or the other Saul of an Apostleship when he went with his Commission to Damascus God thought of both and effected what they meant not Thus hath hee done to you acknowledge this hand and follow it He found and gaue both facultie and opportunity to enter find you but a will to proceed I dare promise you abundance of comfort How many of the Ancients after a forceable ordination became not profitable onely but famous in the Church But as if you sought shifts to discourage your selfe when you see you cannot maintaine this hold of insufficiency you flie to alienation of affection in the truth whereof none can controll you but your owne heart in the iustice of it we both may and must This plea is not for Christians we must affect what we ought in spight of our selues wherefore serues religion if not to make vs Lords of our owne affections If we must be ruled by our slaues what good should we doe Can you more dislike your station then we all naturally distaste goodnesse Shall we neglect the pursuit of vertue because it pleases not or rather displease and neglect our selues till it may please vs Let me not aske whether your affections be estranged but wherefore Diuinity is a mistresse worthy your seruice All other Arts are but drudges to her alone Fooles may contemne her who cannot iudge of true intellectuall beauty but if they had our eyes they could not but bee rauished with admiration You haue learned I hope to contemne their contempt and to pity iniurions ignorance Shee hath chosen you as a worthy client yea a fauorite and hath honored you with her commands and her acceptations who but you would plead strangenesse of affection How many thousands sue to her and cannot be lookt vpon You are happy in her fauours and yet complaine yea so farre as that you haue not stucke to thinke of a change No word could haue fallen from you more vnwelcome This is Satans policy to make vs out of loue with our callings that our labours may be vnprofitable and our standings tedious He knowes that all changes are fruitlesse and that while we affect to be other we must needs be weary of what wee are That there is no successe in any endeauor without pleasure that there can be no pleasure where the mind longs after alterations If you espy not this craft of the common enemy you are not acquainted with your selfe Vnder what forme soeuer it come repell it and abhorre the first motion of it as you loue your peace as you hope for your reward It is the misery of the most men that they cannot see when they are happy and whiles they see but the outside of others conditions prefer that which their experience teaches them afterwards to condemne not without losse and teares Far be this vnstablenesse from you which haue beene so long taught of God All vocations haue their inconueniencies which if they cannot be auoided must be digested The more difficulties the greater glory Stand fast therefore and resolue that this calling is the best both in it selfe and for you and know that it cannot stand with your Christian courage to run away from these incident euils but to encounter them Your hand is at the plough if you meet with some tough clods that will not easily yeeld to the share lay on more strength rather seek not remedy in your feet by flight but in your hands by a constant endeuour Away with this weake timerousnesse and wrongful humility Be cheerfull and couragious in this great worke of God the end shall be glorious your selfe happy and many in you EPISTLES THE SIXT DECAD BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. THE SIXT DECAD To my Lord DENNY EPIST. I. A particular account how our dayes are or should bee spent both common and holy EVery day is a little life and our whole life is but a day repeated whence it is that old Iacob numbers his life by dayes and Moses desires to bee taught this point of holy Arithmeticke To number not his yeares but his dayes Those therefore that dare lose a day are dangerously prodigall those that dare mis-spend it desperate We can best teach others by our selues let me tell your Lordship how I would passe my dayes whether common or sacred that you or whosoeuer others ouer hearing mee may either approue my thriftinesse or correct my errors To whom is the account of my houres either more due or more knowne All dayes are his who gaue time a beginning and continuance yet some hee hath made ours not to command but to vse In none may wee forget him in some wee must forget all besides him First therefore I desire to awake at those houres not when I will but when I must pleasure is not a fit rule for rest but health neither doe I consult so much with the Sunne as mine owne necessity whether of body or in that of the mind If this vassall could well serue me waking it should neuer sleepe but now it must be pleased that it may be seruiceable Now when sleepe is rather driuen away then leaues mee I would euer awake with God my first thoughts are for him who hath made the night for rest and the day for trauell and as he giues so blesses both If my heart bee early seasoned with his presence it will sauour of him all day
perswade and pray these I will not faile of The rest to him that both can amend and punish To M. IONAS REIGESBERGIVS in ZELAND EP. VII Written some whiles since concerning some new opinions then broached in the Churches of HOLLAND and vnder the name of Arminius then liuing perswading all great wits to a study and care of the common peace of the Church and disswading from all affectation of singularity I Receiued lately a short relation of some new Paradoxes from your Leiden you would know what wee thinke I feare not to be censured as medling your truth is ours The Sea cannot diuide those Churches whom one faith vnites I know not how it comes to passe that most men while they too much affect ciuilitie turne flatterers and plaine truth is most-where counted rudenesse He that tels a sicke friend he lookes ill or termes an angry tumour the Gowt or a waterish swelling Dropsie is thought vnmannerly For my part I am glad that I was not borne to feed humors How euer you take your owne euils I must tell you we pitie you and thinke you haue iust cause of deiection and we for you not for any priuate cares but which touch a Christian neerest the Common-wealth of God Behold after all those hils of carkases and streames of blood your ciuill sword is sheathed wherein we neither congratulate nor feare your peace lo now in stead of that another while the spirituall sword is drawne and shaken and it is well if no more Now the politick State sits still the Church quarrels Oh! the insatiable hostilitie of our great enemy with what change of mischiefes doth he afflict miserable man No sooner did the Christian world begin to breathe from persecution but it was more punished with Arrianisme when the red Dragon cannot deuoure the childe hee tryes to drowne the mother and when the vvaters faile he raises warre Your famous Iunius had nothing more admirable then his loue of peace when our busie Separatists appealed him with what a sweet calmnesse did he reiect them and with a graue importunitie call'd them to moderation How it would haue vexed his holy soule now out of the danger of passions to haue foreseene his chaire troublesome God forbid that the Church should finde a Challenger in stead of a Champion Who vvould thinke but you should haue bin taught the benefit of peace by the long vvant But if your temporal state besides either hope or beleefe hath growne wealthy with warre like those Fowles which fatten vvith hard weather yet bee too sure that these spirituall broyles cannot but impouerish the Church yea affamish it It vvere pitie that your Holland should bee still the Amphitheatre of the world on whose scaffolds all other Nations should sit see varietie of bloody shews not without pitie and horror If I might challenge ought in that your acute and learned Arminius I would thus solicit and coniure him Alas that so wise a man should not know the worth of peace that so noble a sonne of the Church should not bee brought to light without ripping the vvombe of his mother What meane these subtil Nouelties If they make thee famous and the Church miserable vvho shall gaine by them Is singularitie so precious that it should cost no lesse then the safety and quiet of our common mother If it be truth thou affectest what alone Could neuer any eyes till thine be blessed with this obiect where hath that sacred veritie hid her selfe thus long from all her carefull Inquisitors that shee now first shewes her head to thee vnsought Hath the Gospell shined thus long and bright and left some corners vnseene Away with all new truths faire and plausible they may be sound they cannot some may admire thee for them none shall blesse thee But grant that some of these are no lesse true then nice points what doe these vnseasonable crochets and quauers trouble the harmonious plaine-songs of our peace Some quiet error may bee better then some vnruly truth Who binds vs to speake all we thinke So the Church may be still would God thou wert wise alone Did not our aduersaries quarrell enough before at our quarrels Were they not rich enough with our spoiles By the deare name of our common parents vvhat meanest thou Arminius Whither tend these new-rais'd dissensions Who shall thriue by them but they which insult vpon vs and rise by the fall of truth who shall be vndone but thy brethren By that most precious and bloodie ransome of our Sauiour and by that awfull appearance we shall once make before the glorious Tribunall of the Sonne of God remember thy selfe and the poore distracted limmes of the Church Let not those excellent parts wherewith God hath furnished thee lye in the narrow vvay and cause any weake one either to fall or stumble or erre For Gods sake either say nothing or the same How many great wits haue sought no by-paths and now are happy vvith their fellowes Let it bee no disparagement to goe vvith many to heauen What could he reply to so plaine a charge No distinction can auoid the power of simple truth I know he heares not this of me first Neither that learned and vvorthy Fran. Gomarus nor your other graue fraternitie of reuerend Diuines haue beene silent in so maine a cause I feare rather too much noise in any of these tumults There may too many contend not intreat Multitude of suters is commonly powerfull how much more in iust motions But if either he or you shal turne me home and bid mee spend my little moisture vpon our owne brands I grant there is both the same cause and the same need This counsell is no whit further from vs because it is directed to you Any Reader can change the person I lament to see that euery where peace hath not many clients but fewer louers yea euen many of those that praise her follow her not Of old the very Nouatian men women children brought stones and morter vvith the Orthodoxe to the building of the Church of the resurrection and ioyned louingly with them against the Arrians lesser quarrels diuide vs and euery diuision ends in blowes and euery blow is returned and none of all lights beside the Church Euen the best Apostles dissented neither knowledge nor holinesse can redresse all differences True but wisdome and charitie could teach vs to auoid their preiudice If we had but these two vertues quarrels should not hurt vs nor the Church by vs But alas selfe-loue is too strong for both these This alone opens the floud-gates of dissension and drownes the sweet but low valley of the Church Men esteeme of opinions because their owne and will haue truth serue not gouerne What they haue vndertaken must bee true Victory is sought for not satisfaction victory of the Author not of the cause Hee is a rare man that knowes to yeeld as well as to argue vvhat should we doe then but bestow our selues vpon that vvhich
Sauiour therefore as behooueth first shewes the falshood of their Glosses and the hollownesse of their profession and if both their life and doctrine be naught what free part is there in them And loe both of these so faulty that Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen What were the men What was their righteousnesse What wanted it Follow me I beseech you in these three and if my discourse shall seeme for a while more thorny and perplexed remedy it with your attention Those things which are out of the ken of sense or memory must be fetcht from Story The Sect or order whether of the Pharises ceased with the Temple since that no man reads of a Pharise and now is growne so farre out of knowledge that the modern Iewes are more ready to learne of vs who they were There is no point wherein it is more difficult to auoid variety yea ostentation of reading without any curious trauersing of opinions I study for simple truth as one that will not lead you out of the rode-way to shew you the turnings Ezr. 6.7 Scribes were ancient Ezra is called Sopher â—ahir a prompt Scribe As long before him so euer since they continued till Christs time but in two rankes some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some popular others legall Some the peoples others Gods the one Secretaries Recorders Notaries as 2 Chron 24. Ier. 8.8 11. Sopher hamelec the Kings Scribe The other Doctors of the Law of God The Law of the Lord is with vs in vaine made he it the penne of the Scribe is in vaine As the Pharises were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law-masters so these are the same which Luke 11.45 are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpreters of the Law Tho to some not meane Critickes it seemes these should be a third sort which consider not that our Sauiour on purpose addressing his speech to the Pharises fell by the way vpon the Scribes and being admonished by one of them as of an ouer-sight now auerres right downe of the Scribes what before he had but indifferently glanced at Neh. 8.4 Mat. 23. â— Clerics Iudaeorâ— saith Ierome What they were is plaine by Ezraes pulpit and Moses his chaire These and Pharises differed not so much they agreed in some good but in more euill But the profession of Pharises because it is more obscure you shall giue me leaue to fetch somewhat further Euseb eccl hist l. 4. c. 22. Erant in circumcisione diuersae sententia quae maximè tribu Iudae aduersabantur c. vide Ios Scalig. resp ad SeraruÌ„ Orig. lib. 5. aduers Cels Christianos noÌ„ habere veraÌ„ religionem quòd in varias sectas diuisi essent Domus Samâ—rai Hillel Ar. Mont. in Euanâ— Anâ—e aduentum Chriâ—ti noâ—â—ot tam blasphemae haereses iren lib. â— Act. 15.5 There were saith old Egesippus as Eusebius cites him diuers opinions in the Circumcision which all crossed the Tribe of Iuda Essens Galileans Emerobaptists Masbutheans Samaritans Pharises Sadduces It were easie to helpe him with more Sebuaeans Cannaeans Sampsaeans and if need were yet more Where are those wauerers that stagger in their trust to the Church because of different opinions receiuing that rotten argument of profane Celsus against the Christians Say the Papists one saith I am Caluins another I am Luthers We disclaime we defie these titles these diuisions we are one in truth would God we were yet more one It is the lace and fringe of Christs garment that is questioned amongst vs the cloath is sound But what Was the Iewish Church before Christ Gods true Church or not If it were not which was it If it were lo that here rent in more then eight parts and one of them differing from it selfe in eighteene opinions and yet as Irenaeus well obserues before Christ there were neither so many heresies nor so blasphemous Shew me a Church on earth without these wrinkles of diuision and I will neuer seeke for it in heauen although to some Pharisaime seemes rather a seuerall order then a sect but S. Luke that knew it better hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sect of the Pharises When the Profession began no history recordeth Some would faine fetch them Esay 65.5 Touch me not for I am holter then thou But these straine too farre for in the verse before the same men eate Swines flesh which to the Pharises is more then piacular Heare briefly their name their original their office Their name though it might admit of other probable deriuations yet by consent of all * * In eam conseâ—tinâ—nt omnes Hebraâ— tâ—â—e Bahal Harneb Pagnin in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar. Montanus Ios Scal. I. Drusius c. Hebrew Doctors I haue a great author for it is fetcht from separation tho vpon what grounds all agree not doubtlesse for the perfection of their doctrine and austerity of life Their originall is more intricate which after some scanning I haue thus learned of some great Masters of Iewish Antiquities Before there was any open breach in the old Iewish Church there were two generall and diuers conceits about Gods seruice One that tooke vp onely with the law of God and if they could keepe that thought they needed no more neither would they sapere supra scriptum be wiser then their Maker These were called Karraim of which sort there are diuers at this day in Constantinople and othere-where at deadly feode with the other Iewes which they now call Rabbinists The other that thought it small thankes to doe onely what they were bidden Gods Law was too straight for their holinesse It was nothing vnlesse they did more then content God earne him for these were popish Iewes and supererrogate of him These were therefore called Chasidim Holy aboue the Law They plyed God with vnbidden oblations gaue more then needed did more then was commanded yet so as both parts pleased themselues resisted not the other The more franke sort vpbraided not the other with too much niggardlinesse neither did the straiter-handed enuy the other for too much lauishnesse Would God we could doe thus They agreed though they differed But now when these voluntary seruices began to bee drawne into Canons as Scaliger speaketh and that which was before but arbitrarie was imposed as necessarie necessary for beleefe necessary for action questions arose and the rent began in the Iewes Those dogmaticall Doctors which stood for supererogation and traditions aboue Law were called Peruschim Pharises separate from the other in strict iudgement in superfluous holinesse These as they were the brood of those Chasidim whom wee finde first mentioned in the Machabees by the corrupt name of Asideans 1 Mac. 2.47 so from them againe in a second succession proceeded as their more refined issue the Essens Acts 26.5 Eruditius caeteris legem exponunt Phar. Ios l. 1. de bello
censure of that resolute Hierome Ego è contrario loquar c. I say saith he and in spight of all the world dare maintaine that now the Iewish ceremonies are pernitious and deadly and whosoeuer shall obserue them whether hee be Iew or Gentile in barathrum Diaboli deuolutum Shall frie in Hell for it Still Altars still Priest sacrifices still still washings still vnctions sprinkling shauing purifying still all and more than all Let them heare but Augustines censure Quisquis nunc c. Whosoeuer shall now vse them as it were raking them vp out of their dust hee shall not bee Pius deductor corporis sed impius sepulturae violator an impious and sacrilegious wretch that ransacks the quiet tombes of the dead I say not that all Ceremonies are dead but the Law of Ceremonies and of Iewish It is a sound distinction of them that profound Peter Martyr hath in his Epistle to that worthy Martyr Father Bishop Hooper Some are typicall fore-signifying Christ to come some of order and decencie those are abrogated not these the Iewes had a fashion of prophesying in the Churches so the Christians from them as Ambrose the Iewes had an eminent pulpit of wood so wee they gaue names at their Circumcision so wee at Baptisme they sung Psalmes melodiously in Churches so doe we they paid and receiued tithes so doe wee they wrapt their dead in linnen with odors so wee the Iewes had sureties at their admission into the Church so wee these instances might be infinite the Spouse of Christ cannot bee without her laces and chaines and borders Christ came not to dissolue order But thou O Lord how long how long shall thy poore Church finde her ornaments her sorrowes and see the deare sonnes of her wombe bleeding about these apples of strife let mee so name them not for their value euen small things when they are commanded looke for no small respect but for their euent the enemie is at the gates of our Syracuse how long will wee suffer our selues taken vp with angles and circles in the dust yee Men Brethren and Fathers helpe for Gods sake put to your hands to the quenching of this common flame the one side by humilitie and obedience the other by compassion both by prayers and teares who am I that I should reuiue to you the sweet spirit of that diuine Augustine who when hee heard and saw the bitter contentions betwixt two graue and famous Diuines Ierome and Ruffine Heu mihi saith he qui vos alicubi fiâ—al inuenire non possum Alas that I should neuer finde you two together how I would fall at your feet how I would embrace them and weepe vpon them and beseech you either of you for other and each for himselfe both of you for the Church of God but especially for the weake for whom Christ died who not without their owne great danger see you two fighting in this Theatre of the world Yet let me doe what he said he would doe begge for peace as for life by your filiall pietie to the Church of God whose ruines follow vpon our diuisions by your loue of Gods truth by the graces of that one blessed Spirit whereby we are all informed and quickned by the precious bloud of that Sonne of God which this day and this houre was shed for our redemption bee inclined to peace and loue and though our braines be different yet let our hearts be one It was as I heard the dying speech of our late reuerend worthy and gratious Diocesan Modo me moriente viuat ac floreat Ecclesia Oh yet if when I am dead the Church may liue and flourish What a spirit was here what a speech how worthy neuer to die how worthy of a soule so neere to his heauen how worthy of so happy a succession Yee whom God hath made inheritors of this blessed care who doe no lesse long for the prosperitie of Sion liue you to effect what hee did but liue to wish all peace with our selues and warre with none but Rome and Hell And if there bee any wayward Separatist whose soule professeth to hate peace I feare to tell him Pauls message yet I must Si tu pacem sugis ego te ab Ecclesia fugere mando Would to God those were cut off that trouble you How cut off As good Theodosius said to Demophilus a contentious Prelate Si tu pacem fugis c. If thou flie peace I will make thee flie the Church Alas they doe flie it that which should be therir punishment they make their contentment how are they worthy of pittie As Optatus of his Donatists they are Brethren might be companions and will not Oh wilfull men whither doe they runne from one Christ to another Is Christ diuided we haue him thankes be to our good God and we heare him daily and whither shall we goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life Thus the Ceremonies are finished now heare the end of his sufferings with like patience and deuotion his death is here included it was so neere that he spake of it as done and when it was done all was done How easie is it to lose our selues in this discourse how hard not to be ouerwhelmed with matter of wonder and to finde either beginning or end his sufferings found an end our thoughts cannot Lo with this word he is happily waded out of those deeps of sorrowes whereof our conceits can finde no bottome yet let vs with Peter gird our coat and cast our selues a little into this sea All his life was but a perpetuall Passion In that he became man he suffered more than wee can doe either while we are men or when we cease to be men he humbled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea he emptied himselfe We when we cease to be here are cloathed vpon 2 Cor. 5. Wee both winne by our being and gaine by our losse he lost by taking our more or lesse to himselfe that is manhood For though euer as God I and my Father are one yet as man My Father is greater than I. That man should be turned into a beast into a worme into dust into nothing is not so great a disparagement as that God should become man and yet it is not finished it is but begun But what man If as the absolute Monarch of the world hee had commanded the vassalage of all Emperors and Princes and had trod on nothing but Crownes and Scepters and the necks of Kings and bidden all the Potentates of the earth to attend his traine this had carried some port with it sutable to the heroicall Maiestie of Gods Sonne No such matter here is neither Forme nor Beautie vnlesse perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the forme of a seruant you haue made me to serue with your sinnes Behold hee is a man to God a seruant to man and be it spoken with holy reuerence a drudge to his seruants Hee is despised and reiected of men yea as
your leisure could allow you to walke along with me a while thorow these sweet and flowrie Meades of Vnity and happy conspiration of thoughts And yet I shall not so much bend the residue of my speech to the praise of vnity to what purpose were that waste as to the necessary vindication of it from the vniust challenges of the enemies of peace It is an heauy crime and of all other the most hainous wherewith we are charged by the Romanists That we are fallen off from the Catholick Church that we haue rent the seamlesse coat of Christ yea broken his bones and torne his very body in peeces whereof if we were indeed guilty how vnworthy were we to breathe in this aire how most worthy of the lowest Hell But we call heauen and earth to record how vniustly this calumny is cast vpon vs yea we protest before God and men that the enuie of this so foule a crimination lights most iustly vpon the heads of the accusers May it please you to heare a short Apologue A certaine man inuited to a feast one or two of his friends entertained them bountifully They sate together louingly they are together and were merry one with another In the second course as the custome is the Master offereth them wine sets before them an apple now a worme had somewhat eaten the apple and a spider by chance had falne into the cup The guest sees and balks it The Master vrgeth him Why doe you not eat quoth he why drinke you not I dare not saith the other t' is not safe to doe either seest thou not this vermine in the cup and that in the apple Tush saith the Master what so great matter is this It was I that set this before thee It was I that began to thee in the other Drinke it eat it at least for my sake But suffer me first replies the guest to take out this spider to cut out this worme the wine the apple likes me well enough the spider the worme I cannot away with Away with such ouer-nine and curious companions quoth he againe Fy vpon thee thou vngratefull fellow that dost so little regard my friendship so contemne my cheere and with that in a rage throwes the platters and pots in the very face of his guest and thrust him out of doores all wounded Tell me now I beseech you worthy Auditors whether of these violates the lawes of hospitality I dare say you haue easily applied it before me There was a time when we sate together in a familiar manner with these Romanists and fared well The spider in the cup The worme in the apple what else be they but superstition in their worship rotten and vnwholsome traditions in their faith without these the Religion pleaseth vs well But they will needs importunately thrust these vpon vs and we refusing are therefore scorned spit vpon beaten and cast out Had they but giuen vs leaue to take out this spider this worme we had still eaten and dranke together most gladly They obstinately resisted and prefer'd their owne headstrong will to our good and safety nay they repell vs with reproaches strike vs with their thundering Anathemaes condemne vs to the stakes what should we doe in this case Heare oh heauens and hearken oh earth and thou Almighty God the Maker and Gouernor of them both suffer thy selfe and thy glorious spirits to be called to the testimony of our innocencie We are compelled we are driuen away from the Communion of the Church of Rome They forced vs to goe from them who departed first from themselues We haue willingly departed from the communion of their errors from the Communion of the Church we haue not departed Let them renounce their erroneous doctrine we embrace their Church Let them but cast away their soule-slaying Traditions we will communicate with them in the right of one and the same Church and remaine so for euer But alas I must be forced to complaine and that not without extreme griefe of heart how that it cannot be determined whether those that boast themselues for Catholikes be greater enemies to Truth or to Charity To Truth in that they haue of late forged new errors and forced them vpon the Church To Charity in that they haue not stuck to condemne the aduerse part and to brand them with the black marke of Heresie I will speake if you please more plainly Three manner of waies doe these Romanists offend against Charity First that they will not remit any thing either of their most conuicted opinion or vitious practice no not for peace sake Secondly that for Articles of Christian faith they put vpon the Church certaine opinions of their owne false doubtfull and vncertaine peculiar onely to the schooles which doe no whit touch the foundation of Religion And lastly that if they meet with any faithfull and sound monitors which doe neuer so little gainsay these new Articles they cruelly cast them out of the bosome of the Church and throw them headlong into Hel Away with these Schismaticks Hereticks Acheists Iwis the Protestants haue no Church no faith no saluation Good Lord what fury what frenzy distempers Christians that they should be so impotently malicious against those who professe themselues to be redeemed by the ransome of the same most precious bloud At length At length O yee Christians be wise and acknowledge those whom the God and Father of mercies holds worthy of his armes yea of his bowels Let frantick error bawle what it list we are Christians we are Catholicks the vndiuided members of one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Let vs meet at this barre if you please Leâ— who will maintaine the plea What is it which maketh a Church What is it which maketh that Church One holy Catholick Apostolick Is it not one holy Catholick Apostolick saith But which is that Is it not the same which was deliuered by Christ and the Apostles to the whole world and was alwaies and euery where approued through all Ages euen vnto our times Wherefore are the Scriptures wherefore the Creeds wherefore were the primitiue Councells but that there might bee certaine markes whereby Catholicks might be vndoubtedly discerned from Hereticks You know the Epilogue of the Athanasian Creed This is the Catholick Faith If we may beleeue Leo the heads of all heresies are quite cut off with this one sword of the Creed How much more then with that two-edged sword of the Scriptures and of the Fathers their Interpreters What then Those that then were Catholicks can they in any age be condemned for Hereticks No Faith is alwaies constant to it selfe and so is the Church that is built vpon that Faith Did we euer deny or make doubt of any Article or clause of that Ancient Diuinity Either then Christ himselfe the Apostles Councells Fathers erred from the Catholick truth or wee yet remaine Catholicks What euer other opinions we meet withall concerning Religion neither make nor marre it Say they be false
one Head Christ one body the Church that being washed with one Baptisme ransomed with one price professing one Faith and holding the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of Peace we may at last happily enioy one and the same Heauen through Iesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be ascribed all honour and glory for euermore Amen FINIS AN HOLY PANEGYRICK A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls Crosse vpon the anniuersarie Solemnitie of the happie Inauguration of our drad Soueraigne Lord King James March 24. 1613. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR JOHN SWINERTON Knight Lord Maior of the Citie of LONDON All Grace and Happinesse RIght Honourable MY owne forwardnesse whereof it repenteth me not hath sent forth other of my labours vnbidden but this your effectuall importunitie hath drawne forth into the common light It is an holy desire that the eye may second the eare in any thing that may helpe the soule and we that are fishers of men should bee wanting to our selues if wee had not baits for both those senses J plead not the disaduantage of a dead letter in respect of that life which elocution puts into any discourse Such as it is J make it both publike and yours J haue caused my thoughts so neere as J could to goe backe to the verie tearmes wherein J expressed them as thinking it better to fetch those words I haue let fall than to follow those J must take vp That therefore which it pleased your Lo. to heare with such patient attention and with so good affection to desire J not vnwillingly suffer abroad that these papers may speake that permanently to the eyes of all our Countrymen which in the passage found such fauour in the eares of your Citizens and such roome in so many hearts Besides your first and vehement motion for the Presse your knowne loue to learning deserues a better acknowledgement and no doubt findes it from more worthie hands And if my gratulation would adde any thing those should enuie you which will not imitate you For the rest God giue your Lo. a wise vnderstanding and couragious heart that you may prudently and strongly menage these wilde times vpon which you are fallen and by your holy example and powerfull endeuours helpe to shorten these reines of licentiousnesse That so this Citie which is better taught than any vnder heauen may teach all other places how to liue and may honour that profession which hath made it renowmed and all Gods Church ioyfull The welfare and happinesse whereof and your Lo. in it is vnfainedly wished by Your Lordships humbly deuoted IOS HALL AN HOLY PANEGYRICKE 1 SAM 12.24 25. Therefore feare you the Lord and serue him in truth with all your hearts and consider how great things he hath done for you But if you doe wickedly ye shall perish both ye and your King I Hold it no small fauour of God Right Honourable and beloued that hee hath called mee to the seruice of this day both in the name of such a people to praise him for his Anointed and in his name to praise his Anointed to his people The same hand that giues the opportunitie vouchsafe to giue successe to this businesse That which the Iewes sinned in but desiring it is our happinesse to enioy I need not call any other witnesse than this day wherein we celebrate the blessing of a King and which is more of a King higher than other Princes by the head and shoulders And if other yeeres had forgotten this tribute of their loyaltie and thankfulnesse yet the example of those ancient Romane Christians as Eusebius and Sozomen report would haue taught vs Decimum quemque annum Imperatores Romani magna festiuitate celebrant Sozom l. 1. 24. Idem Euseb de vita Const that the tenth compleat yeere of our Constantine deserues to be solemne and Iubilar And if our ill nature could be content to smother this mercy in silence the very Lepers of Samaria should rise vp against vs and say We doe not well this is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace My discourse yet shall not bee altogether laudatorie but as Samuels led in with exhortation and carried out with threatning For this Text is a composition of duties fauours dangers of duties which we owe of fauours receiued of dangers threatned The duties that God lookes for of vs come before the mention of the fauours we haue receiued from him though after their receit to teach vs that as his mercy so our obedience should be absolute and the danger followes both to make vs more carefull to hold the fauours and performe the duties And mee thinkes there cannot be a more excellent mixture If we should heare only of the fauors of God nothing of our duties wee should fall into conceitednesse if onely of our duties without recognition of his fauours we should prooue vncheerefull and if both of these without mention of any danger we should presume on our fauours and be slacke in our duties Prepare therefore your Christian eares and hearts for this threefold cord of God that through his blessing these dueties may draw you to obedience the dangers to a greater awe and the fauours to a further thankfulnesse The goodnesse of these outward this as is not such as that it can priuilege euery desire of them from sinne Iuxta Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Monarchie 〈…〉 and likeâ—â— to his rule that sits in the assembly of Gods One God 〈…〉 the acclamation of those ancient Christians and ye it was mis-desired of the Isrâ—â—â—es Wee may not euer desire that which is better in it selfe but that which is bâ—tter for vs Neither must wee follow our conceit in this iudgement but the appointment of God Now though God had appointed in time both a Scepter and a Law-giuer to 〈◊〉 yet they sinned in mending the pase of God and sputting on his decree And if they had staid his leisure so that they had desired that which was best in it selfe best for them appointed by God and now appointed yet the manner and ground offended For out of an humor of innouation out of discontent out of distrust out of an itch of conformitie to other Nations to aske a King it was not onely a sinne as they confesse vers 29. but ragnah rabbah a great wickednesse as Samuel tells them vers 17. and as oftentimes we may reade Gods displeasure in the face of heauen he shewes it in the weather God thunders and raines in the middest of wheat-â—aruest The thunder was fearefull the raine in that hot climate and season strangely vnseasonable both to bee in the instant of Samuels speech was iustly miraculous The heathen Poets bring in their fained God thundering in applause I neuer finde the true God did so Psal 29. This voice of
it at any price At no price sell it It is the fauour of God that it may be bought for any rate It is the Iustice of God that vpon any rate it should not bee sold As buying and selling are opposites in relation So that for which wee must not sell Truth is opposite to that for which we may buy it We must buy it with labour therefore we may not sell it for ease If need be we must buy it with losse therefore we may not sell it for gaine we must buy it with disgrace we may not sell it for honour we must buy it with exile or imprisonment we may not sell it for libertie we must buy it with paine we may not sell it for pleasure We must buy it with death wee may not sell it for life Not for any not for all of these may we sell Truth this were damnosa mercatio as Chrysostome In euery bargaine and sale there must be a proportion now ease gaine honour liberty pleasure life yea worlds of all these are no way counteruailable to Truth For what shall it profit a man to win the whole world and leese his owne soule And hee cannot sell Truth but his soule is lost And if any thing in the world may seeme a due price of Truth it is Peace Oh sweet and deare name of Peace the good newes of Angels the ioy of good men who can but affect thee who can but magnifie thee The God of heauen before whom I stand from whom I speake knowes how oft how deeply I haue mourned for the diuisions of his Church how earnestly I haue set my hand on worke vpon such poore thoughts of reunion as my meannesse could reach but when all is done I still found we may not offer to sell Truth for Peace It is true that there be some Scholasticall and immateriall Truths the infinite subdiuision whereof haue rather troubled than informed Christendome which for the purchase of peace might bee kept in and returned into such safe generalities as minds not vnreasonable might rest in but sold out they may not be If some Truths may be contracted into a narrower roome none may be contracted for Qui diuinis innutriti sunt eloquijs as that Father said Those that are trained vp in diuine truths may not change a syllable for a world Tene quod habes Hold that thou hast is a good rule in all things which if in temporalities it were well obserued we should not haue so many gallants squander away their inheritances to liue Cameleon-like vpon the ayre of fauour But how euer this be too wel obserued in these earthly things by frugall hands which take as if they were quicke hold as if they were dead yet in spiritual graces it can neuer be obserued enough we get Truth we buy it as Iacob did his birth-right to keepe to enioy not to sell againe If therefore the world if Satan shal offer to grease vs in the fist for truth let vs answer him as Simon Peter did Simon the Sorcerer Thy mony perish with thee because thou hast thought the Truth of God may be purchased with mony What shall we say then to those pedling petty-chapmen which wee meet withall in euery market that will be bartring away the truth of God for trifles Surely the forme of our spirituall market is contrary to the ciuill In our ciuill markets there are more buyers than sellers there would be but poore takings if many did not buy of one but in the spirituall there are more Sellers of Truth than Buyers Many a one sels that he neuer had that he should haue had the Truth of God Here one chops away the Truth for Feare or ambition There another lets it goe for the old shooes of a Gebeonitish pretence of Antiquitie Here one parts with it for a painted gilded hobby-horse of an outwardly pompous magnificence of the Church there another for the bables of childish superstition One for the fancies of hope another for the breath of a colloguing Impostor Amongst them all Diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum Psal 12. Truth is failed from the children of men Yea as Esay complained in his time Corruit in platea veritas Esa 59.14 Truth is fallen in the streets What a shame it is to see that in this cleere and glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell vnder the pious gouernment of the true Defender of the Faith there should not want some soules that should trucke for the truth of God as if it were some Cheapside or some Smithfield-Commoditie Commutauerunt veritatem Dei They haue changed the Truth of God into a lie Rom. 1.25 And all their care is that they may be deceiued good cheape Whose heart cannot bleed to see so many well-rigg'd and hopefull Barkes of our yong Gentry laden with the most precious merchandises of Nature and Grace hall'd in euery day to these deceitfull Ports of Error the owners partly cheated partly robbed of Truth despoiled of their rich fraight and at last turn'd ouer-boord into a sea of Desperation Oh foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey that ye should not hold fast the Truth Where shall I lay the fault of this miscariage Me thinkes I could aske the Disciples question Nunquid ego Domine Is it we Lord Are there of vs that preach our selues and not Christ Are there that preach Christ and liue him not Woe to the world because of offences It must needs bee that offences should come but woe to the man by whom the offence commeth God forbid that we should be so bad that the seuen hils should not iustifie vs But what euer we be the Truth is still euer it selfe neither the better for our innocence nor worse for our guilt If men be faultie what hath Truth offended Except the sacred word of the Euer-liuing God can mis-guide you we haue set you right We are but Dust and Ashes yet O God giue vs thine humble vassals leaue in an awfull confidence so far to contest with thee the Lord of heauen and earth as to say If we be deceiued thou hast deceiued vs. It is thou that hast spoken by vs to thy people Let God be True and euery man a Lier Whither should we goe from thee Thou hast the words of eternall life Deare Christians our fore-fathers transmitted to vs the intire inheritance of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ repurchased by the bloud of their martyrdome Oh let not our ill husbandry impaire it Let not posterity once say they might haue beene happy but for the vnthriftinesse of vs their progenitors Let it not be said that the coldnesse of vs the Teachers and professors of Truth hath dealt with Religion as Rehoboham did with his shields which he found of Gold but lest of Brasse If Truth had no friends we should plead for it but now that we haue before our eyes so powerfull an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christian faith that
imbrace the truth and as generaly in the publike confession so particularly vpon good occasion giue iust testimonies of their repentance This is our case wee did not make a new Church but mended an old your CLIFTON is driuen to this hold by necessitie of Argument Otherwise he sees there is no auoiding of Anabaptisme Mended saith your Doctor and yet admitted the misceline rabble of the prophane Say now that such separation were not made Let some few be holy and the more part prophane Shall the lewdnesse of some disanull Gods Couenant with others This is your mercy Gods is more who still held Israel for his when but few held his pure seruice Let that Diuine Psalmist teach you how full the Tents of Israel were of mutinous Rebels in the Desart yet the Pillar by day and night forsooke them not and Moses was so farre from reiecting them that he would not endure God should reiect them to his owne aduantage Looke into the blacke censures and bitter complaints of all the Prophets and wonder that they separated not Looke into the increased masse of corruptions in that declined Church whereof the blessed eyes of our Sauiour were witnesses and maruell at his silent and sociable incuriousnesse yea his charge of not separating Yee know not of what spirit you are Mat. 23. Now you flie to constitution as if notorious euils were more tolerable in continuance than in the collection of Assemblies Sardi had but a few names that had not defiled their garments Reuel 3.4 God praises these bids them not separate from the rest Thyatira suffers a false prophetesse the rest that haue not this learning Reuel 2.24 yet are bidden but to hold their owne not to separate from the Angell which hath not separated IEzABEL from the Church SECTION VII What separation the Church of England hath made Bar. p. 22. 55. Fr. Iohns against M. H. Act. Mon. possâ—â— YOVR charge is no lesse iniurious that the Church of England hath made no separation Concerning which you haue learned of your Martyr and ouer-seers so to speake as if before her late disclamation of poperie in Queene ELIzABETHS time she had not beene Her monuments could haue taught you better and haue lead you to her ancient Pedigree not much below the Apostolike dayes and in many descents haue shewed you not a few worthy witnesses and patrons of Truth all which with their holy and constant off-spring it might haue pleased you to haue separated from this imputation of not separating Will you know therefore how the Church of England hath separated In her first conuersion shee separated her selfe from Pagans in her continuance shee separated her selfe from grosse heretiques and sealed her separation with bloud in her reformation shee separated her selfe from wilfull Papists by her publike profession of Truth and proclaimed hatred of error and shee daily doth separate the notoriously euill by suspensions by excommunications though not so many as yours Troubl excom p. 191. M Spr. p 1. Besides the particular separations of many from the acknowledged corruptions in iudgement profession practise All these will bee auowed in spight of all contradiction with what forhead then can you say The whole Church of England hath not at all separated After all your shifts and idle tales of constitution you haue separated from this Church against the Lord not with the Lord from it If there bee Christ with vs if the Spirit of God in vs F Iun. lib. de Eccles if Assemblies if calling by the word whatsoeuer is or is not else in the Constitution there is whatsoeuer is required to the essence of a Church No corruption either in gathering or continuance can destroy the truth of being but the grace of being well If Christ haue taken away his word and spirit you haue iustly subduced else you haue gone from him in vs. And when you haue all done the Separatists Idol visible Constitution will proue but an appendance of an externall forme no part of the essence of a true Church and therefore your separation no lesse vaine than the ground than the Authors Lastly if our bountie should which it cannot grant that our collection was at first deeply faultie Ratibabitio retrahi c. Subsequens consensus Iacobi in Leam fecit eos coniuges d. 29. q. 1. S. sed obijcitur Barrow against Gyff cannot the Ratibabition as the Lawyers speake be drawne backe may not an after-allowance rectifie and confirme it In contracts your owne similitude a following consent iustifies an act done before consent and why not in the contract betwixt God and his visible Church Lo he hath confirmed it by his gratious benedictions and as much as may be in silence giuen vs abundant proofes of his acceptation That after-act which makes your Baptisme lawfull why can it not make our Church SECT VIII BVT for as much as Constitution is the very state of Brownisme Constitution of a Church Let vs I beseech you inquire a little into the complexion of your Constitution Whether Physicke or Law or Architecture haue lent you it sure I am it is in this vse Apocryphall Neuer man vsed it this scrupulously till your times Though what need you the helpe of Fathers or Schooles new words must expresse new Paradoxes It is no treason to come termes What then is Constitution Your Doctor can best tell vs As the Constitution of a Common-wealth or of a City H. Answorth Counterp p. 170. is a gathering or vniting of a people together into a ciuill Politie So saith he the Constitution of the Common-wealth of Israel and of the City of God the new Ierusalem is a gathering and vniting of people into a diuine Politie The forme of which Polity is Order which Order is requisite in all actions and Administrations of the Church as the Apostle sheweth and specially in the Constitution thereof So that next vnto faith in God it is to be esteemed most necessary for all holy societies Coloss 2.5 Hence Paul reioyced in the Colossians Order and Faith To this Constitution therefore belong a people as the matter secondly a calling or gathering together as the forme whereof the Church consisteth The Constitution of the Church of England is false in both Why so Haue we not a people Are not those people called together To preuent this you say our Constitution is false not none Why false Because those people haue neither Faith nor Order For Faith first Who are you that dare thus boldly breake into the closets of God Tertull. de Praescript Tu vt homo extrinsecus vnumquemque nosti putas quod vides vides autem quousque oculos habes sed oculi Domini sunt alti Homo in faciem Deus in praecordia contemplatur Principles and inferences concerning the visible Church Anno 1607. p. 13. the hearts of men and condemne them to want that which cannot bee seene by any but diuine eyes how dare you
intrude thus into the throne of your Maker Consider and conferre seriously What faith is it that is thus necessarily required to each member in this Constitution Your owne Doctor shall define it Faith required to the receiuing in of members is the knowledge of the Doctrine of saluation by Christ 1 Cor. 12.9 Gal. 3.2 Now I beseech you in the feare of God lay by a while all vnchristian preiudice and peremptory verdicts of those soules which cost Christ as much bloud as your owne and tell me ingenuously whether you dare say that not onely your Christian brethren with whom you lately conuersed but euen your fore-fathers which liued vnder Queene Elizabeths first confused reformation knew not the doctrine of saluation by Christ if you say they did not your rash iudgement shall be punished fearefully by him whose office you vsurpe As you looke to answer before him that would not breake the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax presume not thus aboue men and Angels If they did then had they sufficient claime both to true Constitution and Church But this faith must be testified by obedience so it was If you thinke not so yours is not testified by loue both were weake both were true Weaknesse in any grace or worke takes not away truth Their sinnes of ignorance could no more disanull Gods couenant with them than multiplicity of wiues with the Patriarchs SECT IX Order 2. Part of Constitution how farre requisite and whether hindered by constraint D. Allis against the Descript Confess of the Brownists Brow State of true Christians Inquire into M. White Ans ibid. Arist Pol. 3. c. 1. WHat wanted they then Nothing but Order and not all Order but yours Order a thing requisite and excellent but let the world iudge whether essentiall Consider now I beseech you in the bowels of Christ Iesus whether this be a matter for which heauen and earth should be mixed whether for want of your Order all the world must be put out of all Order and the Church out of life and being Nothing say we can be more disorderly than the confusion of your Democracie or popular state if not Anarchie Where all in a sort ordaine and excommunicate We condemne you not for no true members of the Church what can be more orderlesse by your owne confessions than the Trine-vne Church at Amsterdam which yet you grant but faulty If there be disproportion and dislocation of some parts is it no true humane body will you rise from the feast vnlesse the dishes be set on in your owne fashion Is it no Citie if there bee mudwalles halfe broken low Cottages vnequally built no State-house But your order hath more essence than you can expresse and is the same which Polititians in their trade call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an incorporating into one common ciuill body by a voluntary vnion and that vnder a lawfull gouernment Our Church wants both wherein there is both constraint and false office Take your owne resemblance and your owne asking Say that some Tyrant as Basilius of Ruffâ—â— shall forcibly compell a certaine number of Subiects into Mosco and shall hold them in by an awfull Garrison forcing them to new lawes and Magistrates perhaps hard and bloudy They yeeld and making the best of all liue together in a cheerefull communion with due commerce louing conuersation submissiue execution of the enioyned lawes In such case Whether is Mosco a true Cittie or not Since your Doctor cites Aristotle Arist Pol. 3 c. 1. Edesius Frumentius pueri à Meropio Tyrio Philosopho in Indiam dâ—portati postca ibi Christianam religionem plantarunt Ruffâ—n l. 1. c. 9. Foemina inter Iberâ—s let it not irke him to learne of that Philosopher who can teach him that when Calisthenes had driuen out the Tyrant from Athens and set vp a new Gouernment and receiued many strangers and bondmen into the Tribes it was doubted not which of them were Citizens but whether they were made Citizens vniustly If you should finde a company of true Christians in vtmost India would you stand vpon termes and enquire how they became so Whiles they haue what is necessary for that heauenly profession what need your curiosity trouble it selfe with the meanes SECT X. Constraint requisite 2 Chr. 33.16 2 Chr. 34.32 33. 2 Chr. 15.13 Barr. against Gyff Brow Reformation without tarrying Greenewood Conference with Cooper Browne Reformation without tarrying Conference with Doctor Andr. Master Hutch Conference with D. Andr. Reformation without tarrying Ber. Fides suadenda non cogenda Counterpoyson Dixit Pater familias seruis Quoscunque inueneritis cogite intrare c. Aug. Epist 48. Pless de Eccles c. 10. Aug. Quod si â—ogip riegem aliquem vel ad bona sicuisset vos ipsi miseri à nobis ad fidem purissimam cogi deluistis sed absit à nostra conscientia vt ad fidem nostram aliquem cogamus Aug. Epist 48. 68. Qui phreneticum ligat qui letharg excitat ambobus molestus ambos amat Ibid. Clâ—mant Neminem ad vnitatem cogendum quid hoc aliud quam quod de vobis quidam Quod volumus sanctum est YOu see then what an idle plea constraint is in the constitution of a Citie the ground of all your exception But it is otherwise in Gods citie the Church why then doth his Doctorship parallel these two And why may not euen constraint it selfe haue place in the lawfull constitution or reformation of a Church Did not Manasses after his comming home to God charge and command Iuda to serue the Lord God of Israel Did not worthy Iosiah when he had made a couenant before the Lord cause all that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin to stand to it and compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord their God What haue Queene Elizabeth or King Iames done more Or what other Did not Asa vpon Obeds prophesie gather both Iuda and Beniamin and all the strangers from Ephraim Manasses and Simeon and enact with them that whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God should bee slaine What meanes this peruersenesse You that teach we may not stay Princes leisure to reforme will you not allow Princes to vrge others to reforme What crime is this that men were not suffered to bee open Idolaters that they were forced to yeeld submission to Gods ordinances Euen your owne teach that Magistrates may compell Infidels to heare the doctrine of the Church and Papists you say elsewhere though too roughly are Infidels But you say not to be members of the Church Gods people are of the willing sort True Neither did they compell them to this They were before entred into the visible Church by true Baptisme though miserably corrupted They were not now initiated but purged Your subtill Doctor can tell vs from Bernard that faith is to be perswaded not to bee compelled yet let him remember that the guests must be compelled to come in though
parts of that Church or no Was there any other ordination of Ministers than from them Reiect these and all the world will hisse at you Receiue them and where is our Apostasie What Antichristianisme haue we wherof these were freed But you leape backe if I vrge you farre from hence to the Apostles times to fetch our once true Church from farre that it might be deare You shall not carue for vs we like not these bold ouerleapes of so many Centuries I speake boldly you dare not stand to the triall of any Church since theirs Now I heare your Doctor say this Challenge fauours of Rome H. Answorth in his fore-speech to his Count. Inqu into Wh. Tertul. l. de Ora. Tertul. lib. de Praescript So. de Virginib Veland That no continuance of time can preiudice Truth Si me reprehendas errantem patere me quaeso errare cum talibus Aug. Hier. Fr. Iohnson in his Answ to T. Wh. pag. 26. Ans against Brough p. 17. These Dutch churches offend not only in practicall disorders but in their Constitution Gouernment Worship c. Troubl and Excom at Amsterdam p. 10. Browne charged with it by Barr. Letter to Master Egerton G. Iohnson ibid. pag. 194. Fr. Iohns Inqui. Act. 15.38 Departing that is not going with them Barr. pref to the Separation defend In his Obseruations p. 251. We doe not there condemne the Parish-Assemblies as separated from Christ but proue them not as yet gathered to Christ So Confe with Sperin p. 9. Fr. Iohnsons Inquiry pag. 36. H. Barr. Obseruation 242. Antiquitie is with you a Popish plea we haue willingly taken vp our Aduersaries at this by pretence their owne weapon You debarre it in the conscience of your own nouell singularitie Yet your Pastor can be content to make vse of Tertullian alone against all Fathers That such things are iustly to be charged with vanitie as are done without any precept either of the Lord or of the Apostles And the Apostles did faithfully deliuer to the Nations the Discipline they receiued of Christ which we must beleeue to be the tumultuary Discipline of the refined housefull at Amsterdam What all in all Ages and places till now Apostates Say if you can that those famous Churches wherein Cyprian Athanasius Ambrose Hierome Austen Chrysostome and the rest of those blessed Lights liued were lesse deepe in this Apostasie than ours O Apostaticall Fathers that separated not yea say if you dare that other reformed Churches are not ouer the Ankles with vs in this Apostasie What hard news is this to vs when as your Oracle dare say not much lesse of the reformed Churches of Netherlands with whom you liue Thus he writes For not hearing of them in other Congregations in these Countries this I answer That seeing by the mercy of God wee haue seene and forsaken the corruptions yet remaining in the publike Ministration and condition of these Churches if they bee all like to these of this Cittie we cannot therefore partake with them in such case without declining and Apostasie from the truth which we haue our selues alreadie receiued and professed See here to partake with them in Gods seruice is Apostasie If so in the accessories Alas what crime is in the principall It were but Apostasie to heare an English sermon a Dutch is no lesse Wo is you that you dwell still in Meshech Good men it were not more happie for you than the Church that you were well in Heauen No lesse than Apostasie Let no Reader be appalled at so fearefull a word this is one of the termes of Art familiar to this way Finde but any one page of a Dutch printed Volume without Apostasie Excommunication Commingling Constitution and suspect it not theirs Heresie is not more frequent at Rome than Apostasie at Amsterdam nor Indulgences more ordinary there than here Excommunications Common vse makes terrible things easie Their owne Master St. for holding with the Dutch Baptisme and Read-prayers is acknowledged to be cast out for an Apostate yea their Doctor Master Answorth is noted with this marke from themselues There is much latitude as happie is in their Apostasie For when Stanshal Mercer and Iacob Iohnson were to be chosen Officers in their Church and exception was taken by some at their Apostasie answer was made It was not such Apostasie as debarred them from Office it was but a slip Iohn Marke whether as Isichius and Theophylact thinke the blessed Euangelist or some other holy Minister is by the whole Parlour at Amsterdam branded with this lame Apostasie who departed indeed but from Paul in his iourney not from Christ in his faith and therefore his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 15.38 why doe we thinke much to drinke of an Euangelists Cup Yet let this ignorant Epistler teach his censorious Answerer one point of his own that is the Separatists skill and tell him that he obiects two crimes to one poore Church which are incompatible want of Constitution and Apostasie Thus writes your Master of vs If it were admitted which can neuer be proued that they sometimes had beene true established Churches Loe here we neuer had true Constitution therefore we are not capable of Apostasie If we once had it and so were true Churches heare what your Pastor saith As Christ giueth to all true Churches their being so we must leaue it vnto him to take it away when and as he pleaseth And therefore since he hath not remoued his Candlesticke nor taken away his Kingdome in spight of all obiected Apostasies wee still continue so and by consequent your separation vpon this ground is most vniust No faults disanull the being of a Church vntil contempt of Gods Word be added therunto after due coÌ„uiction The faults errors of a Church may be seuerely reproued conuinced according to the qualitie therof and yet the Church not be condemned N. B. Iob 24.19 Vulg. Edit Cypr. Epist ad Cornel. Non est maius peccatum quà m apostatare à Deo Aug. in Psal 18. Prou. 6.12 Iob. 3â— 18 Ezec. 2.3 Apocal. 2.3 Thou hast laboured and not giuen in Tertul. de Pat. Si hominibus placetur Dominus offenditur si vero illud eniâ—mur laboramus vt possimus Deo placere conuitia maledicta debemus humana contemnere Confessed by M. Iohn loc seq Inquir of Th. White pag. 65. Gen. 49.7 Cypr. de simplic prael Quid facit in corde Christiano Luporum seritas Caenum rabies Aug. Confess l. 9. c. 9. Qualia solet eructare turgens indigesta discordia An Apostate had wont to bee the fearefull surname of damned Iulian Tertus was an easie accuser to whom yet we may say with Elihu Nâ—â— dicis Regi Apostata Behold now so many Apostataes as men Holy Cyprian describes him by forsaking Christs colours and taking vp Armes for Gentilisme in life or heresie in iudgement And Augustine tells vs there cannot be a greater sinne than Apostasie
written p. 9 the truth of his Ministerie vpon the approbation also of his people he receiued this answer from him Though you had such allowance it could nothing auaile but rather ouerthrow your Ministerie they being as yet vngathered to Christ and therefore neither may not in this estate chuse them a Minister nor any exercise a Ministerie vnto them without hainous sacrilege O desperate iudgment we neither are Christians nor can be No Christianitie without Faith no Faith without the Ministerie of the Word Fr. Iohns seuen Reas against Iac. p. 46. G. Iohns Pref. to the Pastor no Word to vs without Sacrilege What are we that the very offer of bringing vs to God should bee criminall These are your acknowledgements of our good who haue learned of your Pastor to kisse and kill all at once to blesse and curse with one breath your mercies are cruell SECTION XV. The vnnaturalnesse of some principal Separatists Ruffin l. 2. Eccles Hist c. 3. Aug. ep Posid in vita Aug. BVT who can wonder at your vnnaturalnesse to the Church that heares what measure you mete to your owne Error is commonly ioyned with crueltie The outragious demenors of the Circumcelliones in Augustines time and more than barbarous tyrannie of the Arrians before him are well knowne by all Histories and not enough by any God forbid that I should compare you to these Heare rather of Nonatus the father of a not vnlike Sect of whom Cyprian reports Euseb Hist Eccl. Dâ—mnis grauissimis caedibus afficiebant armati diuersis telis Socrat. l. 2. c. 22. 30. Cyprian l. 2. epist 8. Nouati pater in vicâ— fame mortuus nec postea ab ille sepultus Sic Optat. lib. 1. Purpurius Donatista occidit seroris filios c. that hee would neither bestow bread on his father aliue nor burial on him dead but suffered him both to starue and stinke in the street and for his wife lest he should be mercifull to any he spurned her with his heele and slew his owne childe in her body What neede I seeke so farre I grieue to thinke and report that your owne Pastor hath paralleld this cruelty His owne brother which is no lesse sauage though one of your Sect is the publike accuser and condemner of him in this crime to all the World who after a pitifull relation of his eight yeeres quarrells with him and foure yeeres Excommunication in his Epistle before a large Volume to this purpose writes thus After all these hath not our kinde carefull and olde Father come a long iourney to make Peace Hath he not laboured with you the Elders and the Church to bring you to peace Hath he not vsed the helpe and counsell of the Reformed Churches herein Yet will you not be reclaimed but adding that sinne aboue all * * G. Iohns Discourse of troubles excommunications at Amsterdam printed 1603. Ibid. p. 5. haue also monstrously excommunicated your Father the Peace-seeker c. And straight How oft desired he you as if hee had beene the sonne and you the father euen with teares that you would repent In a word how came He and I to your doore shewing you that it might be vpon his departing you should see his face no more c. Yet you forced him by your ill dealing still to leaue vpon you his Curse and all the Curses written in Gods Booke against vnthankfull and disobedient children Thus farr a brother concerning a brother against father and brother Other strangely-vnkinde vsages of both I had rather leaue to the discouery of Master White and this miserable Plaintife Discouery of Brownisme Vid. G. Iohns Booke who haue written enough to make an enemie ashamed But wherevpon was all this fearefull broyle in a pure Church For nothing but a little lace and Whale-bone in his wiues sleeue The Troiane war could not bee slandered with so weighty a beginning As for your Elder Daniel Studly whom your Pastor so much extolleth if Master Whites Apostasie may be your shift against his Relation Inq into Th. Whites Discou let him speake who should haue beene a Fellow-Elder with him banished for your truth though eiected by your censure Marke saith G. Iohns of this Studly how the Lord hath iudged him with vnnaturalnesse to his owne children suffering them to lye at other mens feet and hang on other mens hands Same Epist 15. whiles he his wife and her daughter fared daintily and went prankingly in apparell They say Filia Sponsae Mihi accusatio etiam vera contra fratrem displacet Hieron aduersus Ruffin euen in this place of banishment It is no ioy to me to blazon these or your other sins would God they were fewer and lesse in vs all Onely it was fit the World should know as how vndutifull you are to your common Parent so that Father Brother Children beare part with your Mother in these your cruelties SEP The superabundant grace of God couering passing by the manifold enormities in that Church wherewith these good things are inseparably commingled and wherein we also through ignorance and infirmity were inwrapped But what then should we still haue continued in sinne that grace might haue abounded If God haue caused a further truth like a light in a darke place to shine in our hearts should we still haue mingled that light with darknesse contrary to the Lords owne practise Genes 1.4 and expresse precept 2 Cor. 6.14 What the Separatists thinke themselues beholden to the Church of England for Bar. Exam. before the Archbishop and L. Anderson Browne state of Christians p. 39 Qui non habet quod dei quâ—â— dâ— dei vox Donat Opt. lib. 1. SECTION XVI IF then such be the good things of our Church What good can you acknowledge to haue receiued from her Nothing giues what it hath not A Baptisme perhaps Alas but no true Sacrament you say yea the seale of gracelesnes and mischiefe As little are you beholden to the Church for that as the Church to you for your good acceptation Why are you not rebaptized You that cannot abide a false Church why doe you content your selues with a false Sacrament especially since our Church being not yet gathered to Christ is no Church and therefore her baptisme a nullitie What else doe you owe to the liberality of this Step-dame You are close your Pastor is lauish for you both who thus speaks of himselfe and you and vs I confesse that whiles I was Minister in your Church of EnglaÌ„d Bar. supra Fr. Iohn against M. Iacob p. 41. Exc. 2. I stood in an Antichristian estate yet doubt I not but euen then being of the Elect of God I was partaker through faith of the mercy of God in Christ to saluation but as for you Ma. IACOB his fellow-Christians whiles you thus remaine you cannot in that estate approue your selues to haue the promise of saluation Behold here the Church of England gaue you but
an Antichristian estate if God giue secret mercie what is that to her Gods superaboundant grace doth neither abate ought of her Antichristianisme nor moue you to follow him in couering and passing by the manifold enormities in our Church wherewith those good things are inseparably commingled Your owne mouth shall condemne you Doth God passe ouer our enormities and doe you sticke yea separate Doth his grace couer them and doe you display them Haue you learned to be more iust than your Maker Or if you be not aboue his iustice why are you against his mercy God hath not disclaimed vs by your owne confession you haue preuented him If Princes leasurees may not be stayed in reforming yet shall not Gods in reiecting Your ignorance enwrapped you in your errors his infinite wisedome sees them and yet his infinite mercy forbeares them so might you at once haue seene disliked stayed If you did not herein goe contrary to the courses of our common God how happy should both sides haue beene yea how should there be no sides How should we be more inseparably commingled than our good and euill But should you haue continued still in sinne that grace might haue abounded God forbid you might haue continued here without sinne saue your owne and then grace would no lesse haue abounded to you than now your sin abounds in not continuing What neede you to surfet of another mans Trencher Other sinnes need no more to infect you than your graces can sanctifie them As for your further light suspect it not of God suspect it to bee meere darknesse and if the light in you bee darknesse how great is that darknesse What so true and glorious a light of God and neuer seene till now No Worlds Times Churches Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Fathers Doctors Gen. 1.2 Esa 5.20 Woe to them that put darknesse for light Esa 59.9 Christians euer saw this truth looke forth besides you vntill you Externall light was Gods first creature and shall this spirituall light whereby all Churches should be discerned come thus late Mistrust therefore your eyes and your light and feare Esayes woe and the Iewes miserable disappointment we wait for light but loe it is darknesse for brightnesse but we walke in obscuritie SEP But the Church of England say you is our Mother and so ought not to be auoyded But say I we must not so cleaue to holy Mother Church as we neglect our Heauenly Father and his Commandements which we know in that estate we could not but transgresse and that hainously and against our consciences not onely in the want of many Christian Ordinances to which we are most straightly bound both by Gods Word and our owne necessities SECTION XVII THE Church of England is your Mother to her small comfort she hath borne you The Motherhood of the Church of England how far it obligeth vs. Deut. 21 22 23. and repented Alas you haue giuen her cause to powre out Iobs curses vpon your Birth-day by your not onely forsaking but cursing her Stand not vpon her faults which you shall neuer proue capitall Not onely the best Parent might haue brought forth a rebellious sonne to be stoned What then Doe we prefer dutie to piety and so plead for our Holy Mother Church that we neglect our Heauenly Father yea offend him See what you say it must needs be an Holy Mother that cannot be pleased without the displeasure of God A good wife that opposes such an husband a good sonne that vpbraids this vniustly Therefore is shee a Church your Mother holy Mater Ecclesia Mater est etiam Matris nostrae Aug. Epist 38. because shee bred you to God cleaues to him obeyes his commandements and commands them And so farre is shee from this desperate contradiction that shee voweth not to hold you for her sonne vnlesse you honour God as a Father It is a wilfull slander that you could not but hainously transgresse vnder her I dare take it vpon my soule that all your transgression which you should necessarily haue incurred by her obedience is nothing so hainous as your vncharitablenesse in your censures and disobedience Conscience is a common plea euen to those you hate we inquire not how strong it is but how well informed not whether it suggest this but whereupon To go against the conscience is sinne to follow a mis-informed conscience is sinne also If you do not the first we know you are faultie in the second He that is greater than the conscience will not take this for an excuse But wherein should haue beene this transgression so vnauoidable hainous against conscience First in the want of many Ordinances to which we are most strictly bound both by Gods Word and our owne necessities SECTION XVIII CAn you thinke this hangs well together The want of pretended Ordinances of God whether sinfull to vs and whether they are to bee set vp without Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—m per exteriorem viâ—lâ—â—tiaÌ„ corâ—â—pitur si interior innocentia custodiatâ—r cap. 114. 3. Custodi c. Ad docendum populum Israelâ—ticum omnipotens Deus Prophetis praeconium dedit non Regibus imperauit Aug. l. 2. contra Gau. c. 11. Barr. causes of separat def p. 6. Barr. Reformation without tarrying Aug. contra Petilian l. 2. Optatus Mileuit lib. 30. Bar. second Examination before the Lord Archbishop and Lord Chiefe-Iustice compar with his reply to M. Gyff Art 5. You should here want many of Gods Ordinances why should you want them Because you are not suffered to enioy them who hinders it Superior powers Did euer man wilfully and hainously offend for wanting of that which he could not haue What hath conscience to doe with that which is out of our power Is necessity with you become a sinne and that hainous Dauid is driuen to lurke in the wildernesse and forced to want the vse of many diuine Ordinances It was his sorrow not his transgression Hee complaines of this but doth he accuse himselfe of sinne Not to desire them had beene sinne no sinne to be debarred them Well might this be Sauls sinne but not his Haue you not sinnes enow of your owne that you must needs borrow of others But I see your ground You are bound to haue these Ordinances and therefore without Princes yea against them so it is your transgression to want them in spight of Magistrates Gaudentius the Donatist taught you this of old And this is one of the Hebrew Songs which Master Barrow sings to vs in Babylon that we care not to make Christ attend vpon Princes and to be subiect to their Lawes and Gouernment and his Predecessor the root of your Sect tels vs in this sense the Kingdome of Heauen must suffer violence and that it comes not with obseruation that men may say Loe the Parliament or loe the Bishops decrees and in the same Treatise The Lords Kingdome must wait on your policy forsooth and
God proclaimed our Church not his By whose hand hath he published her diuorce You haue shamed her wombe not she her bed not God her demeanour Your tongues are your owne who can forbid you We know you will plead and excuse and censure and defend till all the world be weary we may pray with Hierom to this sense that of the Psalmist Increpa Domine Bestiaes Calami yet we see your Pens Tongues and Presses busie and violent I will not applie to you that which Augustine of his Donatists Aug. cont Epist Parmen l. 1. Though truth compell you to be dumbe yet iniquitie will not suffer you to be silent But if you write whole Marts and worlds of Volumes you shall neuer be able either to iustifie your Innocence or excuse your fault In the meane time the noyse of your contentions is so great that your truth cannot be heard Learned Iunius and our learnedst Diuines and neighbour Churches haue oft heard your clamors neuer your truth Epist Iunij ad Separ So little haue you of this and so much of the other that wee are ready to wish as he of old either ourselues deafe or you dumbe SEP Is not Babylon the Mother of Gods people whom he therefore commandeth to depart out of her lest being partakers of her sinnes they also partake of her plagues And to conclude what say you more against vs for your Mother the Church of England than the Papists doe for their Mother and your Mothers Mother the Church of Rome against you whom they condemne as vnnaturall Bastards and impious Patricides in your separation from her SECTION XXIII THE spirit of your Proto-Martyr would hardly haue digested this title of Babylon Mother of Gods people a murdering Step-mother rather How the Church of England hath separated from Babylon Gyff refut 2. transg Reuel 18.2 Ans fore-speech to Counterpoyse Shee cannot be a Mother of Children to God and no Church of God Notwithstanding Gods people would he say may be in her not of her So Babylon bore them not but Sion in Babylon But I feare not your excesse of charitie You flye to your Doctors challenge and aske what we say against you for vs which Rome will not say for her selfe against vs Will you iustifie this Plea of Rome or not If you will why doe you reuile her If you will not why doe you obiect it Heare then what wee say both to you and them our enemies both and yet the enemies of our enemies First wee disclaime and defie your Pedigree and theirs The Church of Rome was neuer our Mothers Mother Our Christian faith came not from the seuen-hilles Neither was deriued either from Augustine the Monke A Simone Zelota Niceph. Alij à Ios Arimath cuius hic sepulchrum cernitur Angli Pascha Graeco more celebrarunt Iacob Armin. Disp Cant. 8.8 Fr. Iun. l. sing de Eccle. or Pope Gregorie Britanie had a worthy Church before either of them lookt into the world It is true that the ancient Romane Church was sister to ours heere was neere kindred no dependance And not more consanguinity than while she continued faithfull Christian loue Now she is gone a whoring her chaste sister iustly spitteth at her yet euen still if you distinguish as your learned Antagonist hath taught you betwixt the Church and Papacie she acknowledges her Sisterhood though she refraines her conuersation as she hath many slauish factious abettors of her knowne and grosse errors to whom we deny this title affirming them the body whereof Antichrist is the head the great Whore and Mother of abominations so againe how many thousands hath she which retaining the foundation according to their knowledge as our learned Whitakers had wont to say of Bernard follow Absolom with a simple heart all which to reiect from Gods Church were no better than presumptuous cruelty It were well for you before God and the world if you could as easily wash your hands of vnnaturall impiety and trecherousnesse as we of Bastardy and vniust sequestration There can be no Bastardy where was neuer any Motherhood we were nephewes to that Church neuer sonnes vnlesse as Rome was the mother City of the world so by humane institution we suffered our selues to bee ranged vnder her Patriarchall authoritie as being the most famous Church of the West a matter of courtesie and pretended Order no necessity no spirituall obligation As for our sequestration your mouth and theirs may bee stopt with this Answer As all corrupted Churches so some things the Church of Rome still holds a right a true God in three persons true Scriptures though with addition a true Christ though mangled with foule and erroneous consequences true Baptisme though shamefully deformed with rotten Traditions and many other vndeniable truths of God some other things and too many her wicked Apostasie hath deuised and maintained abhominably amisse the body of her Antichristianisme grosse errors and by iust sequell heresies their Popes Supremacie infallibility Illimitation Transubstantiation Idolatrous and superstitious worship and a thousand other of this branne In regard of all these latter wee professe to the world a iust and ancient separation from this false faith and deuotion of the Romish Church which neither you will say nor they shall euer proue faulty yea rather they haue in all these separated from vs who still irrefragably professe to hold with the ancient from whom they are departed In regard of the other wee are still with them holding and embracing with them what they hold with Christ neither will you I thinke euer prooue that in these we should differ As for our communion they haue separated vs by their proud and foolish excommunications if they had not wee would iustly haue begun from their Tyranny and Antichristianisme from their miserable Idolatry but as for the body of their poore seduced Christians which remaine amongst them vpon the true foundation as doubtlesse there are thousands of them which laugh at their Pardons Miracles Superstitions and their trust in merits reposing onely vpon Christ we adhere to them in loue and pittie and haue testified our affection by our bloud ready vpon any iust call to doe it more Phil. Morn du Plesses Lib. de Eccle. cap. 10. neither would feare to ioyne with them in any true seruice of our common God But the full discourse of this point that honourable and learned Plesses hath so forestalled that whatsoeuer I say would seeme but borrowed Vnto his rich Treatise I referre my Reader for full satisfaction Would God this point were thorowly knowne and well weighed on all parts The neglect or ignorance whereof hath both bred and nursed your separation and driuen the weake and inconsiderate into strange extremities This say wee of our selues in no more Charity than Truth But for you how dare you make this shamelesse comparison Can your heart suffer your tongue to say that there is no more difference betwixt Rome and vs than
there is betwixt vs and you How many hundred errors how many damnable heresies haue we euinced with you in that so compounded Church shew vs but one mis-opinion in our Church that you can proue within the ken of the foundation Counterp p. 171. Let not zeale make you impudent Your Doctor could say ingenuously sure that in the Doctrines which she professeth she is far better and purer than the Whore Mother of Rome and your last Martyr yet better If you meane saith he by a Church as the most doe that publike profession whereby men doe professe saluation to be had by the death and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ I am free from denying any Church of Christ to be in this Land 1. Penry Exam. before M Fanshaw and Iust Young Fr. Iun. l. de Eccles M. Hooker Eccles pol. Du Plesses l. de Eccl. Iacob Armin. disput D Reynolds Thess D. Feild of the Church Reuel 3. 2. for I know the doctrine touching the holy Trinity the natures and offices of the Lord Iesus free iustification by him both the Sacraments c. published by her Maiesties authority and commanded by her lawes to bee the Lords blessed and vndoubted Truths without the knowledge and profession whereof no saluation is to be had Thus hee with some honesty though little sense If therefore your will doe not stand in your light you may well see why we should thus forsake their Communion and yet not you ours Yet though their corruptions be incomparably more we haue not dared to separate so farre from them as you haue done from vs for lesse Still we hold them euen a visible Church but vnsound sicke dying sicke not of a consumption onely but of a leprosie or plague so is the Papacie to the Church diseases not more deadly than infectious If they be not rather in Sardies taking of whom the spirit of God saith thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead and yet in the next words bids them awake and strengthen the things which are ready to die And though our iudgement and practise haue forsaken their erronious doctrines and seruice yet our charity if you take that former distinction hath not vtterly forsaken and condemned their persons This is not our coolenesse but equality your reprobation of vs for them hath not more zeale than headstrong vncharitablenesse SEP And were not Luther Zuinglius Cranmer Latimer and the rest begot to the Lord in the Wombe of the Romish Church did they not receiue the knowledge of his truth when they stood actuall members of it whom notwithstanding afterwards they forsooke and that iustly for her fornication SECTION XXIV BVT how could you without blushing once name Cranmer Latimer The separation made by our holy Martyrs and those other holy Martyrs which haue beene so oft obiected to the conuiction of your Schisme Those Saints so forsooke the Romish Church as we haue done died witnesses of Gods Truth in that Church from which you are separated liued preached gouerned shed their bloud in the communion of the Church of England which you disclaime and condemne as no Church of God as meerely Antichristian Either of necessity they were no Martyrs yea no Christians or else your Separations and Censures of vs are wicked Chuse whether you will They were in the same case with vs we are in the same case with them no difference but in the time either their bloud will be vpon your heads or your owne this Church had then the same constitution the same confusion the same worship the same Ministerie the same gouernment which you brand with Antichristianisme swayed by the holy hands of these men of God condemne them or allow vs. For their Separation They found many maine errors of doctrine in the Church of Rome in the Papacie nothing but errors worth dying for shew vs one such in ours and we will not only approue your Separation but imitate it SEP But here in the name of the Church of England you wash your hands of all Babylonish abominations which you pretend you haue forsaken and her for them And in this regard you speake thus The Reformation you haue made of the many and maine corruptions of the Romish Church we doe ingenuously acknowledge and doe withall imbrace with you all the truths which to our knowledge you haue receiued instead of them But Rome was not built all in a day The mysterie of iniquitie did aduance it selfe by degrees and as the rise was so must the fall be That Man of Sinne and Lawlesse man must languish and die away of a consumption 2 Thess 2.8 And what though many of the highest Towers of Babel and of the strongest Pillars also beâ— demolished and pulled downe yet may the building stand still though tottering to and fro as it doth and onely vnderpropped and vpheld with the shoulder and arme of flesh without which in a very moment it would fall flat vpon and lie leuell with the earth SECTION XXV THE Church of England doth not now wash her hands of Babylonish abominations but rather shewes they are cleane What separation England hath made Would God they were no more foule with your slander than her owne Antichristianisme Here will be found not pretences but proofes of our forsaking Babylon of your forsaking vs not so much as well-coloured pretences You begin to be ingenuous while you confesse a reformation in the Church of England not of some corruptions but many and those many not slight but maine The gifts of Aduersaries are thanklesse As Ierome said of his Ruffinus so may wee of you that you wrong vs with praises This is no more praise than your next page giues to Antichrist himselfe Leaue out many and though your commendations bee more vncertaine we shall accept it so your indefinite proposition shall sound to vs as generall That wee haue reformed the maine corruptions of the Romish Church None therefore remaine vpon vs but slight and superficiall blemishes So you haue forsaken a Church of foule skin but of a sound heart for want of beautie not of truth But you say many not All that if you can picke a quarrell with one you might reiect all yet shew vs that one maine and substantiall error which wee haue not reformed and you doe not more embrace those truths with vs which we haue receiued than wee will condemne that falshood which you haue reiected and embrace the truth of that Separation which you haue practised The degrees whereby that strumpet of Babylon got on Horse-backe you haue learned of vs who haue both learned and taught that as Christ came not abruptly into the world but with many presages and prefigurations The day was long dawning ere this Sunne arose so his aduersarie that Antichrist breaks not suddenly vpon the Church but comes with much preparation and long expectance and as his rise so his fall must be graduall and leisurely Why say you then that the whole Church euery
where must at once vtterly fall off from that Church where that Man of Sinne sitteth His fall depends on the fall of others or rather their rising from vnder him If neither of these must be sudden why is your haste But this must not be yet ought as there must be heresies yet there ought not It is one thing what God hath secretly decreed another what must be desired of vs If we could pull that Harlot from her seat and put her to Iesabels death it were happy Haue wee not endeuored it What speake you of the highest Towers and strongest pillars or tottering remainders of Babylon wee shew you all her roofes bare her walles razed her vaults digged vp her Monuments defaced her Altars sacrificed to desolation Shortly all her buildings demolished not a stone vpon a stone saue in rude heapes to tell that here once was Babylon Your strife goes about to build againe that her tower of confusion God diuides your languages It will be well if yet you build not more than we haue reserued SEP You haue renounced many false doctrines in Poperie and in their places embraced the truth But what if this truth be taught vnder the same hatefull Prelacie in the same deuised office of Ministerie and confused communion of the prophane multitude and that mingled with many errors SECTION XXVI THe maine grounds of Separation YOu will now bee free both in your profession and gift You giue vs to haue renounced many false doctrines in Popery and to haue embraced so many truths we take it vntill more You professe where you sticke what you mislike In these foure famous heads which you haue learned by heart from all your predecessors An hatefull Prelacie Barr. and Gr. against Gyffe Confer Exam passim Penry in his Exam. Exo. 1.2 3 c. Ierem. 20.1 Ierem. 5. vlt. A deuised Ministerie a confused and profane communion and lastly the intermixture of grieuous errors What if this truth were taught vnder a hatefull Prelacie Suppose it were so Must I not imbrace the truth because I hate the Prelacie What if Israel liue vnder the hatefull Aegyptians What if Ieremie liue vnder hatefull Pashur What if the Iewes liue vnder an hatefull Priesthood What if the Disciples liue vnder hatefull Scribes What are others persons to my profession If I may be freely allowed to bee a true professed Christian what care I vnder whose hands But why is our Prelacie hatefull Actiuely to you or passiuely from you In that it hates you Would God you were not more your owne enemies Or rather because you hate it your hatred is neither any newes nor paine Who or what of ours is not hatefull to you Our Churches Bells Clothes Sacraments Preachings Prayers Singings Catechismes Courts Meetings Burials Marriages It is maruell that our aire infects not and that our heauen and earth as Optatus said of the Donatists escape your hatred Iohns praef to his 7. Reas Not the forwardest of our Preachers as you terme them haue found any other entertainment no enemie could bee more spightfull I spsake it to your shame Rome it selfe in diuers controuersarie discourses hath bewrayed lesse gall than Amsterdam the better they are to others you professe they are the worse Iohns 7. Reas p. 66. Tit. 3.4 yea would to God that of Paul were not verified of you hatefull and hating one another but we haue learned that of wise Christians not the measure of hatred should be respected Psal 69.4 but the desert Dauid is hated for no cause Michaiab for a good cause Your causes shall be examined in their places onwards It were happy if you hated your owne sinnes more and peace lesse our Prelacie would trouble you lesse and you the Church SECTION XXVII FOr our deuised office of Ministery you haue giuen it a true title The truth and warrant of the Ministery of England Mat. 28.19 Ephes 4.11 â— Tim. 2.2 1 Tim. 3.1 Act. 13. 1 Tim. 3.6 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Tim. 2.15 Discourse of the trouble and Excom at Amst It was deuised indeed by our Sauiour when he said Goe teach all Nations and baptize and performed in continuance when he gaue some to be Pastors and Teachers and not onely the Office of Ministery in generall but ours whom he hath made able to teach and desirous separated vs for this cause to the work vpon due triall admitted vs ordained vs by imposition of hands of the Eldership and praier directed vs in the right diuision of the Word committed a charge to vs followed our Ministery with power and blessed our labours with gracious successe euen in the hearts of those whose tongues are thus busie to deny the truth of our vocation Behold here the deuised Office of our Ministery What can you deuise against this Your Pastor who as his brother writes hopes to worke wonders by his Logicall skill hath killed vs with seuen Arguments which he professeth the quintessence of his owne and Penries extractions whereto your Doctor refers vs as absolute I would it were not tedious or worth a Readers labour to see them scanned I protest before God and the world I neuer read more grosse stuffe so boldly and peremptorily faced out so full of Tautologies and beggings of the Question neuer to be yeelded Let me mention the maine heads of them and for the rest be sorry that I may not be endlesse To proue therefore that no communion may be had with the Ministery of the Church of England he vses these seuen demonstrations First Certaine Arg. against the Minist of England Counterpoys Because it is not that Ministery which Christ gaue and set in his Church Secondly Because it is the Ministery of Antichrists Apostasie Thirdly Because none can communicate with the Ministery of England but he worships the Beasts image and yeeldeth spirituall subiection to Antichrist Fourthly Because this Ministery deriueth not their power and function from Christ Fiftly Because they minister the holy things of God by vertue of a false spirituall calling Sixtly Because it is a strange Ministery not appointed by God in his word Seuenthly Because it is not from Heauen but from Men. Now I beseech thee Christian Reader iudge whether that which this man was wont so oft to obiect to his brother a crackt braine appeare not plainely in this goodly equipage of reasons For what is all this but one and the same thing tumbled seuen times ouer which yet with seuen thousand times babbling shall neuer be the more probable That our Ministery was not giuen and set in the Church by Christ but Antichristian what is it else to be from men to be strange to be a false spirituall calling not to be deriued from Christ to worship the image of the Beast So this great challenger that hath abridged his nine arguments to seuen might aswell haue abridged his seuen to one a halfe Here would haue beene as much substance but lesse glory As for his maine defence First
sinne is as ill as the Deuill can make it a most loathsome thing in the eyes of God and his Angels and Saints and we grant to our griefe that among so many millions of men there may be found some thousands of Lepers Good Lawes and censures meet with some others escape It is not so much our fault as our griefe But that this Leprosie infects all persons and things is shamefully ouer-reacht Plague and Leprosie haue their limits beyond which is no contagion If a man come not neere them Certè nullius crimen inaculat nescientem Aug. Epist 48. if he take the wind in an open aire they infect not such is sinne It can infect none but the guilty Those which act or assent to or beare with it or detest it not are in this pollution But those which can mourne for it and cannot redresse it are free from infection How many foule Lepers spiritually did our Sauiour see in the publike aire of the Iewish Church wherewith yet hee ioyned and his not fearing infection so much as gracing the remnants of their ruinous Church Were those seuen thousand Israelites 1 Reg. 19.18 whose knees bowed not to BAAL infected with the Idolatry of their Neighbours yet continued they still parts of the same Church 3. Hierarchie But this yet exceeds Not onely all persons but all things What Our Gospell Our Heauen Earth Sea Our Bookes Coyne Commodities Behold you see the same Heauen with vs you haue no Bibles but ours our aire in his circular motion comes to be yours the water that washeth our Iland perhaps washeth your hands Our vncleane Siluer I feare maintaines you Our commodities in part in rich your Land-Lords and yet all things amongst vs infected you are content to take some euill from your neighbours The third is our blasting Hierarchie which suffers no good thing that is no Brownist no singular fancy for what good things haue we but yours to grow or prosper amongst vs but withers all both bud and branch would to God the root also The last 4. Seruice-booke is a daily Sacrifice of a Seruice-booke an Incense how euer vnsauoury to you yet such as all Churches in Christendome hold sweet and offer vp as fit for the nostrils of the Almighty we are not alone thus tainted all Christian Churches that are or haue beene present the same Censers vnto God But ours smels strong of the Popes Portuise See whether this be any better than triuiall cauilling If â—ither an ill man or a Deuil shal speake that which is good may not a good man if it If a good Angell Patres nostri non selum ante Cyprianum vel Agâ—â—ppinum sed pâ—stea salubeâ—rimam consuetudinem tenueâ—unt vt quicquâ—d diu nil atque legitimum in aliquâ— haeresi vel si bismate inâ—egruÌ„ reperâ—ent â—pprobent potius quà m negarent August or man shall speake that which is euill is it euer the better for the Deliuerer If Satan himselfe shall say of Christ Thou art the Sonne of the liuing God shall I feare to repeat it Not the Author but the matter in these things is worthy of regard As Ierome speakes of the poysoned Workes of Origen and other dangerous Treatisors Good things may bee receiued from ill hands If the matter of any Prayer be Popish fault it for what it containes not for whence it came what say you against vs in this more than Master Smith your from Anabaptist saith of our baptizing of Infants Both of them equally condemned for Antichristian Still therefore we bâ—ast of the fâ—ce and cleere aire of the Gospell if it bee annoyed with some practicall euills we may be foule the Gospell is it selfe and our profession holy neither can we complaine of all euills while we want you SEP That all Christendome should so magnifie your happinesse as you say is much and yet your selues and the best amongst you complaine so much both in word and writing of your miserable condition vnder the imperious and superstitious impositions of the Prelates yea and suffer so much also vnder them as at this day you doe for seeking the same Church Gouernment and Ministerie which is in vse in all other Churches saue your owne The truth is you are best liked where you are worst knowne Your next neighbours of Scotland know your Bishops Gouernment so well as they rather chuse to vndergoe all the miserie of bonds and banishment than to partake with you in your happinesse this way so highly doe they magnifie and applaud the same Which choice I doubt not other Churches also would make if the same necessitie were laid vpon them And for your graces we despise them not nor any good thing amongst you no more than you doe such graces and good things as are to be found in the Church of Rome from which you separate notwithstanding We haue by Gods mercy the pure and right vse of the good gifts and graces of God in Christs Ordinance which you want Neither the Lords people nor the holy Vessels could make Babylon Sion though both the one and the other were captiued for a time SECTION LVI THat which followeth is but words a short answer is too much The iudgment of our owne and our neighbours of our Church Socrat. l b. 1. c. 4. Constant Alex. Ario. Ac tamet si vos inter vos vicissim dere quapâ—am mâ—mini momenti dissentuis siquidem neque omnes de omnibus rebus idem sâ—ntimus nihilominus tamen fieri poterit vt eximia concordia sincere inter vos integreque seruetur vna inter omnes communio consocâ—atio custoâ—atur That all Christendome magnifies the worthinesse of our Church in so cleare euidences of their owne voices you cannot denie and now when you see such testimonies abroad lest you should say nothing you fetch cauills from home Those men which you say complaine so much of their miserable condition vnder the Prelates impositions haue notwithstanding with the fame pens and tongues not onely iustified our Church but extold it you haue found no sharper aduersaries in this very accusation for which you maliciously cite them How freely how fully haue they euinced the truth yea the happinesse of the Church of England against your false challenges and yet your forehead dare challenge them for Authors So hath their moderation opposed some appendances that they haue both acknowledged and defended the substance with equall vehemence to your opposition neither doe they suffer as you traduce them for seeking another Church gouernment looke into the Millenaries petition the common voice of that part I am deceiued if ought of their complaints sound that way much lesse of their sufferings deformitie in practise is obiected to them not indeauour of innouation That quarrell hath beene long silent your motion cannot reuiue it would God you could as much follow those men in moderate and charitable carriage as you haue out-run them in complaint It pleaseth you to deuise vs
like pictures vpon course Canuasse which shew fairest at farthest attributing forraine approbation which you cannot denie to distance more than to desert How is it then that besides strange witnesses we which looke vpon this face without preiudice commend it God knowes without flattery wee can at once acknowledge her infirmities and blesse God for her graces Our neighbours yea our selues of Scotland know our Church so well that they doe with one consent praise her for one of Gods best daughters neither doe the most rigorous amongst them more dislike our Episcopall Gouernment than imbrace our Church what fraud is this to flie from the Church in common to one circumstance we can honour that noble Church in Scotland may we not dislike their alienations of Church-liuings If one thing offend doe all displease Yet euen this Gouernment which you would haue them resist to bonds and banishment who knowes not begins to finde both fauour and place what choice other Churches would make as you doubt not so you care not If you regard their sentence how durst you reuile her as a false Harlot whom they honour as a deare Sister If you were more theirs than we you might vpbraid vs Now you tell vs what perhaps they would doe we tell you what they doe and will doe Euen with one voice blesse God for England as the most famous and flourishing Church in Christendome your handfull only makes faces enuies this true glory Who yet you say despise not our graces no more than wee those of Rome See how you despise vs while you say you are free from despite How malicious is this comparison as if wee were to you as Rome to vs and yet you despise vs more Wee grant Rome a true Baptisme M. Smiths retort vpon M. Clifton p. 50. true Visibility of a Church though monstrously corrupted you giue vs not so much Thankes be to God we care lesse for your censure than you doe for our Church We haue by Gods mercy the true and right vse of the Word and Sacraments and all other essentiall gifts and graces of God if there might be some further helps in execution to make these more effectuall we resist not But those your other imaginary ordinances as we haue not so we want not Neither the Caldeans nor any Idolatrous enemies could make Sion Babylon nor the holy vessels profane so as they should cease to be fit for Gods vse but they were brought backe at the returne of the captiuity to Ierusalem Such were our Worship Ministery Sacraments and those manifold subiects of your cauills which whilst you disgrace for their former abuse you call our good euill and willingly despise our graces SEP Where the truth is a gainer the Lord which is truth cannot bee a loser Neither is the thankes of ancient fauours lost amongst them which still presse on towards new mercies Vnthankefull are they vnto the blessed Maiestie of God and vnfaithfull also which knowing the will of their Master doe it not but goe on presumptuously in disobedience to many the holy ordinances of the Lord and of his Christ which they know and in word also acknowledge he hath giuen to his Church to be obserued and not for idle speculation and disputation without obedience It is not by our sequestration but by our confusion that Rome and Hell gaines Your odious commixture of all sorts of people in the body of your Church in whose lap the vilest miscreants are dandled sucking her brests as her naturall children and are be-blest by her as hauing right thereunto with all her holy things as Prayer Sacraments and other Ceremonies is that which aduantageth hell in the finall obduration and perdition of the wicked whom by these meanes you flatter and deceiue The Romish Prelacie and Priesthood amongst you with the appurtenances for their maintenance and ministrations are Romes aduantage Which therefore she challengeth as her owne and by which she also still holds possession amongst you vnder the hope of regaining her full inheritance at one time or other And if the Papists take aduantage at our condemnation of you and separation from you it concernes you well to see where the blame is and there to lay it lest through light and inconsiderate iudgement you iustifie the wicked and condemne the righteous SECTION LVII ALL the sequell of my Answerer is meerely sententious The issue of Separation it is fitter for vs to learne than replie Where the truth gaines say you God loseth not I tell you againe where God loseth the truth gaineth not and where the Church loseth God which indowed her cannot but lose Alas what can the truth either get or saue by such vnkinde quarrels Surely suspition on some hands on others reiection for as Optatus of his Donatists betwixt our Licet and your Non licet Inter licet vestrum non licet nostrum nutant ac remigant animae Christianorum Optat. coâ—â—â— Pâ—â—m many poore soules wauer and doubt neither will settle because we agree not Thanks are not lost where new fauours are called for but where old are denied While your Poesie is Such as the mother such is the daughter where are our old our any mercies They are vnthankfull which know what God hath done and confesse it not They are vnthankfull to God and his Deputie which knowing themselues made to obey presume to ouer-ruâ—â— and vpon their priuate authoritie obtrude to the Church those ordinances to be obseâ—ued which neuer had being but in their owne idle speculation Your Sequestration and our confusion are both of them beneficiall where they should not and as you pretend our confusion for the cause of your Separation So is your Separation the true cause of too much trouble and confusion in the Church Your odious tale of commixture hath cloyed and surfeted your Reader already and receiued answer to satietie this one dish so oft brought forth argues your pouertie The visible Church is Gods Drag-not and Field and Floore and Arke Non enim propter malos boni deserendi sed propter bonos mali tolerandi sunt c. Sicut tolerauerunt Prophetae c. Aug. Ep. 48. Barr. against Gyff here will be euer at her best Sedge Tares Chaffe vncleane Creatures yet is this no pretence for her neglect The notoriously euill shee casts from her brest and knee denying them the vse of her Prayers and which your Leaders mislike of her Sacrament If diuers through corruption of vnfaithfull Officers escape censure yet let not the transgressions of some redound to the condemnation of the whole Church In Gods iudgement it shall not we care litle if in yours Wee tell wicked men they may goe to hell with the water of Baptisme in their faces with the Church in their mouthes we denounce Gods iudgements vnpartially against their sinnes and them Thus we flatter thus we deceiue If yet they will needs runne to perdition Perditio tua ex te Israel Our Clergie is
c. Bell. de effectu Sacram. l. 2. cap. 25. pag. 300. Omnium Dogmatum firmitas c. So Pigh l. 1. de Hier. et Stapl. l. 9. Princ. doct c. 1. Compertum est ab his damnata vt haeretica in Lutheri libri◠quae in Bernardi Augustinique libris vt Orthodoxa imo vt pia leguntur Erasm Epist ad Card. Mogunt pag. 401. AVSTIN betwixt vs and the Donatists where the Church in What shall we do then shall we seeke her in her owne words or in the words of her Head the Lord Iesus Christ I suppose we ought to seeke her rather in his words which is the Truth and knowes best his own body for the Lord knowes who are his wee will not haue the Church sought in our words And in the same Booke Whether the Donatists hold the Church saith the same Father let them not shew but by the Canonicall Bookes of Diuine Scriptures for neither do we therefore say they should beleeue vs that we are in the Church of Christ because OPTATVS or AMBROSE hath commended this Church vnto vs which we now hold or because it is acknowledged by the Councels of our fellow Teachers or because so great miracles are done in it it is not therefore manifested to bee true and Catholike but the Lord Iesus himselfe iudged that his Disciples should rather be confirmed by the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets These are the rules of our cause these are the foundations these are the confirmations And vpon the Psalmes Lest thou shouldest erre saith the same AVGVSTINE in thy iudgement of the Church lest any man should say to thee This is Christ which is not Christ or this is the Church which is not the Church for many c. Heare the voyce of the Shepheard himselfe which is clothed in flesh c. He shewes himselfe to thee handle him and see Hee shewes his Church lest any man should deceiue thee vnder the name of the Church c. yet CHRYSOSTOME more directly thus Hee that would know which is the true Church of Christ whence may he know it in the similitude of so great confusion but onely by the Scriptures Now the working of miracles is altogether ceased yea they are rather found to bee fainedly wrought of them which are but false Christians Whence then shal he know it but only by the Scriptures The Lord Iesus therefore knowing what great confusion of things would bee in the last dayes therefore commands that those which are Christians and would receiue confirmation of their true faith should flye to nothing but to the Scriptures Otherwise if they flye to any other helpe they shall be offended and perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church This is the old faith Now heare the new contradicting it vs. The Scripture saith ECKIVS a Popish Doctor is not authenticall without the authoritie of the Church for the Canonicall Writers are members of the Church Whereupon let it be obiected to an Heretike that wil striue against the decrees of the Church by what weapons hee will fight against the Church hee will say By the Canonicall Scriptures of the foure Gospels and Pauls Epistles Let it be straight obiected to him how hee knowes these to be Canonicall but by the Church And a while after The Scripture saith hee defined in a Councell it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs that you abstaine from things offered to Idols and bloud and strangled the Church by her authority altred a thing so cleerely defined expressed for it vseth both strāgled and bloud Behold the power of the Church is aboue the Scripture thus ECKIVS And besides CVSANVS BELLARMINE saith thus If wee take away the authoritie of the present Church and of the present Councell of Trent all the Decrees of all other Councels and the whole Christian faith may be called into doubt And in the same place a little after The strength of all ancient Councels and the certaintie of all opinions depends on the authority of the present Church You haue heard both speake say now with whom is true antiquitie and on Gods name detest the newer of both It were as easie to bring the same if not greater euidence for the perfection and all-sufficiencie of Scripture and so to deliuer all the bodie of our religion by the tongues and pens of the Fathers that either you must bee forced to hold them Nouelists with vs or your selues such against them How honest and ingenuous is that confession of your ERASMVS who in his Epistle to the Bishop and Cardinall of Mentz could say It is plainly found that many things in LVTHERS Bookes are condemned for Hereticall which in the bookes of BERNARD and AVSTEN are read for Holy and Orthodoxe This is too much for a taste If your appetite stand to it I dare promise you full dishes Let me therefore appeale to you if light and darkenesse be more contrary than these points of your Religion to true Antiquitie No no Let your Authors glose as they list Popery is but a yong faction corruptly raysed out of ancient grounds And if it haue as wee grant some ancient errours falshood cannot bee bettered with Age there is no prescription against God and Truth What we can proue to be erroneous we need not proue new some hundreths of yeeres is an idle Plea against the Ancient of dayes What can you plead yet more for your change Their numbers perhaps and our handfuls You heard all the World was theirs scarce any corner ours How could you but suspect a few These are but idle brags we dare and can share equally with them in Christendome And if we could not this rule will teach you to aduance Turcisme aboue Christianity and Paganisme aboue that the World aboue the Church Hell aboue Heauen If any proofe can be drawne from numbers He that knowes all sayes the best are fewest The Peace of Rome left out because it was but a Translation in this Editiō c. What then could stirre you Our diuisions and their vnity If this my following labour doe not make it good to all the World that their peace is lesse than ours their dissension more by the confession of their owne months bee you theirs still and let mee follow you I stand not vpon the scoldings of Priests and Iesuites nor the late Venetian iarres nor the pragmaticall differences now on foote in the view of all Christendome betwixt their owne cardinalls in their Sacred conclaue and all their Clergie concerning the Popes temporall power Neyther doe I call any friend to bee our Aduocate none but Bellarmine and Nauarrus shall be my Orators and if these plead not this cause enough let it fall See heere dangerous rifts and flawes not in the outward barke onely but in the very heart and pith of your Religion and if so many be confessed by one or two what might bee gathered out of all and if so many bee acknowledged thinke how many
ep 13. Nullo concordia glutine aut vnitatis vinculo copulari possunt and that rabble of Opinions which they haue raked together so opposed that it cannot by any glew of concord as Cyprian speaketh nor bond of vnity be conioyned That which Rome holds with vs makes it a Church That which it obtrudes vpon vs makes it hereticall The truth of principles makes it one the error and impiety of additions makes it irreconcileable Neither do 〈◊〉 this late and spurious brood of traditions more oppose vs than it doth those very Principles of Religion which the authors themselues desire to establish Looke on the face therefore of the Roman Church she is ours and Gods Looke on her back she is quite contrary Antichristian More plainly for it is no disputing in Metaphors as Clemens said well Rome doth both hold the foundation and destroy it she holds it directly destroies it by consequent In that she holds it she is a true Church howsoeuer imputed In that she destroyes it what-euer semblance shee makes of piety and holinesse she is a Church of malignants Psal 26.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If shee did altogether hold it she should be sound and Orthodox If altogether she destroyed it she should be either no Church or deuillish but now that she professes to hold those things directly which by inference of her consequences shee closely ouerthrowes she is a truly visible Church but an vnsound In what shee holds the principles we embrace her in what she destroyes them we pitty her error and hate her obstinate The common bond of Christianitie neuer ties vs to fauour grosse errors so much as with silence there is no such slauerie in the deare name of a sister that it should binde vs to giue either aid Eph. 5.11 or countenance to lewdnesse Haue no such fellowship saith S. Paul but rather reproue So wee haue done both modestly and earnestly The same is befalne vs which befell the blessed Apostle we are become their enemies for telling the truth Gal. 4.16 Behold now we are thrust out of doore spet vpon rayled at and when opportunitie serues persecuted with most curious torments And lest any mischiefe should be wanting obstinacie is now at last added vnto error and a cruel rage arising from impatience and now their wickednesse began to please them the more because it displeased vs. And what should we now doe in such a case wee the despised and reiected Patrons of this spirituall chastitie To let fall so iust a cause wee might not vnlesse wee would cast off that God who challenges this plea for onely his To yeeld and giue in were no other than to betray the truth of God and damne our owne soules No course remaines but this one and here is our onely safety with all our courage and skill to oppose the wicked Paradoxes and Idolatrous practises of the Romish Church till either she be ashamed of her selfe or repent that euer she was SECT II. The Commodities and Conditions of Peace BEAVTIFVLL is the name of Peace as Hilary speaketh and truly sacred Hilar. cit a Cal. de vera pacific Iudic. 6.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam 18.29 Iud. 19.29 1 Chr. 12.18 Luc. 2.14 Ioh. 14.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 13.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 3.18 Rom. 14 19. 1 Pet. 3.11 and such as scarce sauoureth of the earth Neither did the Hebrewes by any other terme choose rather to expresse all happinesse and perfection of liuing Neither is there any thing which the Angels did more gladly congratulate vnto men or which Christ did more carefully bequeath or the Apostles more earnestly enioyne How oft and how vehemently doth the Spirit intreat and command vs to haue peace But this thou sayest is euery mans wish to haue peace but what if peace will not be had Loe then Saint Iames charges vs to make peace by our endeuours by our patience Once made and had what if it will not stay with vs Then Saint Paul bids to follow those things which concerne peace What if it will needs away and hide it selfe yet then Saint Peter commands to follow and inquire after it What if once found it refuse to come as Abrahams seruant presupposed of Rebecca Euen then study to be quiet saith Saint Paul or as the word implies Be ambitious of Peace 1 Thes 4.11 So let the Author of Peace loue vs as we loue Peace Socr. l. 1. c. 4. Socr. l. 3. c. 21. Who is there that would not rather wish with Constantine quiet daies and nights free from care and vexation It was a speech worthy of an Emperour and a Christian that fell from Iouianus about that querelous libell of the Macedonians I hate contention and those that are inclined to concord I loue and reuerence Our aduersaries would make vs beleeue they professe and desire no lesse with an equall zeale of charitie and agreement God bee Iudge betwixt vs both and whethersoeuer persists to hate peace let him perish from the face of God and his holy Angels Yea that this imprecation may be needlesse he is already perished Cypr. de simplic prae l. Ad Pacis praemium venâ—re non possunt qui pacem Dâ—mini discordiae furore ruperunt In Psal 28. For as Cyprian according to his wont grauely they cannot come to the reward of Peace which haue broken the Peace of God with the fury of discord And surely what but the flames of hell can determine the ambition of these fiery and boyling spirits Basil obserues well that Gods fire gaue light and burned not contrarily the fire of hell burneth without light and therefore is well worthy of those who despising the light of truth delight themselues in the flames of contentions Those are the true haters of Peace which doe wilfully patronize errors contrary to the Christian faith So long as wee must dwell by these tents of Kedar wee shall too iustly complaine with the Psalmist Psal 120. I loue Peace but in the meane while they are bent to Warre And as for vs which professe our selues the ingenuous clients of Peace since wee must needs fight it is not for vs to doe nothing For that blessed Quire of Angels before their Peace vpon earth Luc. 2.14 Iam. 3.17 well sung Glory to God in the highest Heauens and Saint Iames describes the wisdome of God to bee first pure then peaceable And that chosen vessell implies no lesse when to his charge of Peace hee addes If it bee possible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.18 That is as impossible to euery good man which ought not to be done as that which cannot bee done neither indeed as the rule of Lawyers runnes can we be said to be able to doe that which we cannot honestly doe God saith S. Paul is not the Author of confusion but of Peace It is a wicked peace it is no peace that necessarily breeds confusion That Peace is worthy of a
knowledge of the fault Thou must find thy selfe amisse saith Seneca ere thou canst amend thy selfe Rome brags that shee cannot bee sicke What doe we now talke of medicines for her These Doctrinall Principles as our Stapleton cals them are they from which a certaine fatall necessity of erring must needs follow For to what purpose is all this we doe If vpon the sentence of this Romish Oracle for in the closet or the Prison rather Epist ad Pammach de error Io. Hierosol An â—u solus Ecclesia of his Brest as Ierome obiected to Iohn of Ierusalem the Church is included all things do so depend that whatsoeuer he shall determine must be receiued without all contradiction and his decree can by no inferiour meanes be repealed in vaine doe we wrangle for truth in vain haue all those former Synods both met and defined in vaine doe we either teach or learne ought of any other Master Is it possible she should euer be drawne to remorse for her error which eagerly defends that she cannot erre Either therefore let our Papists suffer this vaine opinion of Infallibilitie to bee puld vp by the very roots out of their brests or else there can be no hope so much as of a consultation of Peace And doe wee thinke that our Masters beyond the Alpes will euer abide themselues stripped of this darling which they haue made so daintie of all this while Why doe wee not aswell demand Saint Peters Throne and his Reuenues and together with his Patrimony all the bodie of Religion For what one Title is there of the now Roman faith that hangs not on this string Let them giue vs this and Rome falls alone and lyes shamefully in the dust Let them denie it vs and shee shall be still that great Harlot still an enemie to Peace still hatefull to Heauen But so farre are their moderne Doctors from an ingenuous reiection of this Infallibility that no Age euer knew so well how to flatter a Pope For not onely haue some yeelded this vnto him Lib. 4. Hier. Eccl. si maturè procedat Ecl. l. 4. de Pontif. Rom. c. 2. G. Valencia Anlys fidei l. 8. de vi vsu auctorit Rom. Pontificis in fide Quaest sexta Respondeo siue Pontifex in definiendo studium adhibeat siue noÌ„ adhibeat modo tamen controuersiam defiâ—at infallibiter certè definiet atque adeore ipsa vtâ—tur authoritate sibi à Christo concessa c. Xiphilim Epit. Dionys Tiberio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Quar. Plat. de vitis Pontif. Clem. 6. Iul. 2. Ben. 9. Greg. 6. Syluest 3. Mart. 2. Syluest 2. Io. 23. 23. Luth. aduers falso nomin Episc without a Councell as Alber Pighius Gretser Bellarmine and all Iesuites wheresoeuer but some others as Gregory of Valentia haue fastned this vpon him without any care or study required on his part Oh happy Chaire of Peter firme eternall full of prodigious vertue which if we might imagine a woodden one I should sure thinke were made of Irish Oake there is no Spider of errour can touch it but presently dyes Behold the Tables written with Gods owne hand were soone broken and gone but the barres of thy frame can feele no Age cannot incurre the danger of any miscarriage Sure I thinke VIRIVS RVFVS is aliue againe which because hee sate in the same seat wherein IVLIVS CaeSAR had sate and maried CICEROE'S wife had wont to vaunt of both as if hee should sure bee CaeSAR for his seat or for his wife CICERO Belike all the vertue of it is from PETER it is well that his other Successors conferred nothing towards it lest perhaps ALEXANDER the Sixt should haue turned the succeeding Popes into Letchours CLEMENT into sacrilegious Church robbers IVLIVS into Swaggerers BENEDICT GREGORY SILVESTER into Symonists PASCALIS into Periurers Pope IOANE of Mentz into women Martin and that other SILVESTER into Magicians the two Iohns into Deuils incarnate Now on the other part can any man bee so foolish to hope that our Church will euer bee so mad as thus basely to bolster vp the great Bridge-maker of Tybur As though wee could bee ignorant how Christ neuer either performed or promised them any such priuiledge For where is it written as Luther iested well vnlesse perhaps at Rome in Saint Peters vpon some Chimnie with a Cole Christ said indeed Thou art PITER but Thou art Paul the Fift he neuer said Hee said I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not so he said too Goe behinde me Satan thou sauourest not the things of God Now let this Oracle of the Chaire teach vs how hee can at once make himselfe still heyre of the promise and yet shift off the censure at pleasure Yea to treat in the steps of the Times as though wee could not know that the following Ages knew not of this not Policrâ—tes and Irenaeus which resisted Victor the Pope not Cyprian which opposed Stephen not the Fathers of Calcedon which would not yeeld to Leo not the Easterne Bishops which would not yeeld to Iulius nor the Fathers of Constantinople which refused to yeeld to Vigilius and Honorius yea and of the latter Diuines those which haue had either sense of sâ—ame as Iohn Gerson Chancellor of Paris Bell. reckons vp most of these â— 4. de Pont. Alij à Cano. loc com lib. 6. cap. 8. Alphons de Castro lib. 1. contra Haeres cap. 4. Turrecremata Almain Alphonsus de Castro Pope Adrian the Sixt Archbishop Catharinus Cardinall Caietan Franciscus à Victoria and who not of the best ranke of their Doctors haue not feared openly to deny and disclaime this fancie and Alphonsus shall giue a reason thereof for all There are many vnlearned Popes saith hee that know not so much as the rules of Grammer how then should they bee able to interpret the holy Scriptures As though wee knew not which of their Popes fauored Arrius which Montanus which Nestorius which Alacâ—â—s which the Monothelites which the Sadduces and which were in league with Deuils which of them haue defined contrary to their fellowes and which contrary to God and that I may vse Ierome's words how â—lly a Pilot hath ofttimes 〈◊〉 the leaking Vessell of the Church Aâ— though euery 〈◊〉 and Tiâ—keâ— now a dayes could not point their finger to the long â—eaâ—roule of Popes and say Such and such were the Monsters of men such as PLATINA LYKA GENâ—â—RARD confesse were Apoâ—acticall Portenta hominum Plat. in vit Ecâ—ed 4. Christ 〈◊〉 Geneâ— 4. Sect. 10. Lyâ—a in â—at 16. and Apostaticall miscreants 〈◊〉 their life 〈◊〉 beene long the Table-â—lke of the World as BERNARD speakes There can therefore beene pâ—â—â—e possibly vnlesse they will bee content to bee head-lesse or wee can bee content to bee the slaues of Rome Imagine they could bee so ingenuous as to confesse that the same Serpent which insinuated himselfe of old 〈◊〉 Pâ—ise might perhaps creepe closely into PETER'S Chaire yet there would
soyle of our owne Vniuersities and Innes of Court nothing is more preiudiciall than speed Perfection is the childe of Time neither was there euer any thing excellent that required not meet leisure but besides how commonly it is seene that those which had wont to swimme onely with bladders sinke when they come first to trust to their owne armes These Lap-wings that goe from vnder the wing of their damme with the shell on their heads runne wilde If Tutors bee neuer so carefull of their early charge much must bee left to their owne disposition which if it leade them not to good not onely the hopes of their youth but the proofe of their age lies bleeding It is true that as the French Lawyers say merrily of the Normans which by a speciall priuilege are reputed of full age at 21. yeares whereas the other French stay for their fiue and twentieth that Malitia supplet atatem so may I say of the younglings of our time that Precocitie of vnderstanding supplieth age statute but as it is commonly seene that those blossomes which ouer-runne the spring and will be looking forth vpon a February-Sunne are nipped soone after with an Aprill frost when they should come to the knitting so is it no lesse ordinary that these rathe-ripe wits preuent their owne perfection and after a vaine wonder of their haste end either in shame or obscuritie And as it thus falls out euen in our Vniuersities the most absolute famous Seminaries of the world where the Tutors eye supplies the Parents so must it needs much more in those free and honourable Innes as they are called for their libertie Colleges for their vse of our English Gentry wherein each one is his owne master in respect of his priuate study and gouernment Where there are many pots boyling there cannot but be much scumme the concourse of a populous citie affords many brokers of villany which liue vpon the spoyles of young hopes whose very acquaintance is destruction How can these nouices that are turned loose into the maine ere they know either coast or compasse auoid these rockes and shelues vpon which both their estates and soules are miserably wracked How commonly doe they learne to roare in stead of pleading and in stead of knowing the lawes learne how to contemne them Wee see and rue this mischiefe and yet I know not how carelesse we are in preuenting it How much more desperate must it then needs be to send forth our children into those places which are professedly infectious whose very goodnes is either impietie or superstitiō If we desired to haue sons poysoned with misbeleefe what could we doe otherwise Or what else doe those Parents which haue bequeathed their children to Antichristianisme Our late iourney into France informed me of some ordinary factors of Rome whose trade is the transporting and placing of our popish nouices beyond the seas one whereof whose name I noted hath bin obserued to carry ouer six seuerall charges in one yeare Are we so foolish to go their way whiles we intend a contrary period Doe we send our sonnes to learne to be chaste in the midst of Sodome The world is wide and open but our ordinary trauell is southward into the iawes of danger for so far hath Satans policie preuailed that those parts which are only thought worth our viewing are most contagious and wil not part with either pleasure or information without some tang of wickednes What can we plead for our confidence but that there is an boushold of righteous Lot in the midst of that impure Citie that there are houses in this Iericho which haue scarlet threds shining in their windowes that in the most corrupted aire of Poperie some well reformed Christians draw their breath and sweeten it with their respiration Blessed be God that hath reared vp the towers of his Sion in the midst of Babylon We must acknowledge not without much gratulation to the Gospell of Christ that in the very hottest climates of opposition it findes many clients but more friends and in those places where authority hath pleased to giue more aire to the truth world haue had many more if the Reformed part had happily continued that correspondence in some circumstances with the Roman Church which the Church of England bath hitherto maintained God is my record how free my heart is both from partialitie and preiudice Mine eies and eares can witnesse with what approofe and applause diuers of the Catholiques Royall as they are tearmed entertained the new-translated Liturgy of our Church as maruelling to see such order and regular deuotion in them whom they were taught to condemne for hereticall Whose allowances I well saw might with a little helpe haue been raised higher from the practise of our Church to some points of our iudgement But if true religion were in those parts yet better attended and our young Traueller could find more abetters and examples of pietie on whom we might relie yet how safe can it bee to trust young eies with the view and censure of truth or falshood in religion especially when truth brings nothing to this barre but extreme simplicity and contrarily falshood a gawdy magnificence and proud maiesty of pompous ceremonies wherewith the hearts of children and foolts are easily taken That Curtizan of Rome according to the manner of that profession sets out her selfe to sale in the most tempting fashion here want no colours no perfumes no wanton dresses whereas the poore Spouse of Christ can onely say of her selfe I am blacke but comely When on the one side they shall see such rich shrines garish Altars stately Processions when they shall see a Pope adored of Emperors Cardinals preferd to Kings Confessors made Saints little children made Angels in a word nothing not outwardly glorious on the other side a seruice without welt or gard whose maiestie is all in the heart none in the face how easily may they incline to the conceit of that Parisian dame who seeing the procession of S. Genoueisue goe by the streets could say O que belle c. How fine a religion is ours in comparison of the Hugenoes Whereto must be added that supposing they doe not carry with them but rather go to fetch the language of the place some long time needs be spent ere they can receiue any helpe to their deuotion whiles in the meane season their vnthriuing intermission is assailed with a thousand suggestions And who sees not that this lucrumcessans as the Ciuilians terme it offers an open aduantage to a busie aduersarie SECT VI. IN a word it hath beene the old praise of early rising that it makes a man healthfull holy and rich whereof the first respects the body the second the soule the third the estate all fals out contrary in an early trauell For health The wise prouidence of God hath so contriued his earth and vs that he hath fitted our bodies to our clime and the natiue sustenance of the place vnto
cogitation working as it commonly doth remissely causeth not any sudden alteration in our Traueller but as we say of Comets and Eclipses hath his effect when the cause is forgotten Neither is there any one more apparant ground of that lukewarme indifferency which is fallen vpon our times than the ill vse of our wandrings for our Trauellers being the middle ranke of men and therefore either followers of the great or commanders of the meaner sort cannot want conuenience of diffusing this temper of ease vnto both SECT XV. ALl this mischiefe is yet hid with a formall profession so as euery eye cannot finde it in others it dares boldly breake forth to an open reuolt How many in our memory whiles with Dinah they haue gone forth to gaze haue lost their spirituall chastity and therewith both the Church and themselues How many like vnto the brooke Cedron run from Hierusalem thorow the vale of Iehosaphat and end their course in the dead sea Robert Pointz in his preface to the testimonies for the reall presence 2 Chron. 24. A popish writer of our Nation as himselfe thought not vnlearned complaining of the obstinacy of vs hereticks despaires of preuailing because he findes it to be long agoe fore-prophecied of vs in the Booke of the Chronicles At illi Protestantes audire noluerunt It is well that Protestants were yet heard of in the old Testament as well as Iesuites whose name one of their owne by good hap hath found Num. 26.24 Like as Erasmus found Friers in S. Pauls time inter falsos Fratres Socrat. in Iosuam l. 1. c. 2. q. 19. Gretser contra Lerneum c. 1. 2. Vere aiquidam haereticus Iesuitas in sacris literis repertri But it were better if this mans word were as true as it is idle Some of ours haue heard to their cost whose losse ioyned with the griefe of the Church and dishonour of the Gospel we haue sufficiently lamented How many haue wee knowne stroken with these Aspes which haue died sleeping And in truth whosoeuer shall consider this open freedome of the meanes of seducement must needs wonder that we haue lost no more especially if he be acquainted with those two maine helps of our Aduersaries importunity and plausibility Neuer any Pharisee was so eager to make a Proselyte as our late factors of Rome and if they be so hot set vpon this seruice as to compasse sea and land to winne one of vs shall we be so mad as to passe both their sea and land to cast our selues into the mouth of danger No man setteth foot vpon their coast which may not presently sing with the Psalmist They come about mee like Bees It fares with them as with those which are infected with the pestilence who they say are carried with an itching desire of tainting others When they haue all done this they haue gained that if Satan were not more busie and vehement than they they could gaine nothing But in the meane time there is nothing wherein I wish we would emulate them but in this heat of diligence and violent ambition of winning Pyrrhus did not more enuy the valour of those old Romane souldiers which he read in their wounds and dead faces than we doe the busie audacitie of these new The world could not stand before vs if our Truth might be but as hotly followed as their falshood Oh that our God whose cause we maintaine would enkindle our hearts with the fire of holy zeale but so much as Satan hath inflamed theirs with the fire of fury and faction Oh that he would shake vs out of this dull ease and quicken ourslacke spirits vnto his owne worke Arise O North and come O South and blow vpon our garden that the spices thereof may flow forth These suters will take no deniall but are ready as the fashion was to doe with rich matches to carry away mens soules whether they will or no. Wee see the proofe of their importunity at home No bulwarke of lawes no barres of iustice though made of three trees can keepe our rebanished fugitiues from returning from intermedling How haue their actions said in the hearing of the world that since heauen will not heare them they will try what hell can doe And if they dare bee so busie in our owne homes where they would seeme somewhat awed with the danger of iustice what thinke we will they not dare to doe in their owne territories where they haue not free scope onely but assistance but incouragement Neuer generation was so forward as the Iesuiticall for captation of wils amongst their owne or of soules amongst strangers What state is not haunted with these ill spirits yea what house yea what soule Not a Princes Councell-Table not a Ladies chamber can be free from their shamelesse insinuations It was not for nothing that their great Patron Philip the second King of Spaine called them Clerices negotiadores and that Marcus Antonius Columna Generall of the Nauy to Pius Quintuâ— in the battell of Lepanto and Viceroy of Sicile could say to Father Don Alonso a famous Iesuite affecting to be of the counsell of his conscience Voi altri padri di Ihesu hauete la mente al ciclo le mani al mondo l'anima al diauolo SECT XVI YEt were there the lesse perill of their vehemence if it were only rude and boysterous as in some other sects that so as it is in Canon shot it might be more easily shund than resisted but here the skill of doing mischiefe contends with the power their mis-zealous passions hide themselues in a pleasing sweetnesse and they are more beholden to policy than strength What Gentleman of any note can crosse our Seas whose name is not landed in their books before hand in preuention of his person whom now arriued if they finde vntractable through too much preiudice they labour first to temper with the plausible conuersation of some smooth Catholike of his owne Nation the name of his Countrey is warrant enough for his insinuation Not a word yet may be spoken of Religion as if that were no part of the errand So haue we seene an Hawke cast off at an Hernshaw to looke and flie a quite other way after many carelesse and ouerly fetches to towre vp vnto the prey intended There is nothing wherein this faire companion shall not apply himselfe to his welcome Countryman At last when he hath possest himselfe of the heart of his new acquaintance got himselfe the reputation of a sweet ingenuity and delightfull sociablenesse he findes opportunities to bestow some witty scoffes vpon those parts of our religion which lie most open to aduantage And now it is time to inuite him after other rarities to see the Monastery of our English Benedictines or if elsewhere those English Colleges which the deuout beneficence of our well-meaning neighbours with no other intention than some couetous Farmers lay saltcats in their doue-coats haue bountifully erected There it is a wondes
the sleeue and tel him in his eare so loud that all the world may heare him Lib. 4. de saiut Ind. c. 12. c. Prodigia nulla producimus neque vero est opus Of the same stampe are the daily-renewed miracles reuelations visions wherewith any mans eares must needs be beaten amongst them Africke was at the best but barren of nouelties in comparison of Rome and yet the world is incredulous if it will not suffer it selfe gulled with these holy frauds And no fewer are those lewd calumniations the stuffe of all their inuectiues whereby they labour to make vs loathsome to the world our persons our doctrines are loaded with reproaches neither matters it how iust they are but how spightfull What other measure can bee expected of vs when their best friends haue thus vpon some priuate dislikes smarted from them Their owne holy Fathers Clement the eighth and Sixtus Quintus and with them the honour of the Iesuiticall Order Cardinall Tollet can all shew bloudy wales in their backes from their lashes Their late Patron of famous memory whose heart they well merited and keepe it as their deare relique enshrined in their La-Flesche was after his death in their Pulpits proclaimed Tyran and worse Exemplar Epist sup cit no maruell then if after the virulent declamations of our Gifford their Gabriel and the malicious suggestions of others of that viperous brood we haue much adoe to perswade our neighbours that we haue any Churches Baptisme Liturgie Religion I appeale then to all eyes and eares how easie it is for a man that will take leaue to himselfe of making what truth he lists and defending them by what vntruths he pleaseth to leade a credulous heart whither he pleaseth SECT XIX BVt if the power of falsified reason preuaile not these desperate factors of Rome as I haue beene informed haue learned out of their acquaintance in the Court of the Prince of darknesse to imploy stronger aid On some of their hands I feare Magicall delusions and deuillish incantations shall not want rather than they will want a client Neither can this seeme strange to any that knowes how familiarly the Roman Church professes the solemne practise of coniuration in such a fashion as it doth more than trouble the best Casuists to set down a perfect difference betwixt their sacred Magick the Diabolicall From hence perhaps haue proceeded those miraculous apparitions if at least they were any other but fancy or fraud wherewith some of our death-sicke Gentlemen amongst them haue bin frighted into Catholikes A famous Diuine of France second to none for learning or fidelitie told me this one amongst other instances of his owne experience which he yet liues to iustifie A Gentleman of the Religion whose wife was popishly deuoted lying vpon the bed of his sicknesse in expectation of death sends for this Diuine his Pastor the sicke mans wife sends for a Iesuite both meet at the beds side each perswades him to his owne part both plead for their religion at this barre before these Iudges after two houres disputation not onely the Gentleman was cheerefully confirmed in that iudgement which he had embraced but his wife also out of the euidence of truth began to incline to him and it The Iesuite departed discontent yet within some few houres after returning when the coast was cleerer intreats some priuate conference with the Gentlewoman with whom walking in her garden he did vehemently expostulate mixing therewithall his strongest perswasions at last to shut vp his discourse he importun'd her with many obsecrations that shee would vouchsafe to receiue from his hands a little box which he there offered her and for his sake weare about her continually shee condescended No sooner had shee taken it than shee fell to so great a detestation of her husband that shee could by no meanes bee drawne into his presence and within two dayes after in this estate shee died An act more worthy the sword of iustice than the pen of an Aduersary These courses are as secret as wicked Not daring therefore peremptorily to accuse I had rather leaue these practises to further inquiry Sure I am that by their tongues Satan labours to inchant the world and hath strongly deluded too many soules And are wee weary of ours that we dare tempt God and offer our selues as challengers to this spirituall danger The Iesuites amongst much change of houses haue two famous for the accordance of their names one called The Bow at Nola the other The Arrow La Flesche in France though this latter were more worthy of the name of a whole Quiuer containing not fewer than eight hundred shafts of all sizes Their Apostate Fryer if I shall not honour him too much plaid vpon them in his Distich Arcum Nola dedit dedit illis alma Sagittam Gallia quis funem quem meruere dabit Nola the bow and France the shaft did bring But who shall helpe them to an hempen string This prouision is for the care of Christian Princes but in the meane time what madnesse is it in vs not onely to giue aime to these rouing Flights but to offer our selues to bee their standing Butt that they may take their full aime and hit vs leuell at pleasure Doe wee not heare some of their owne fellow Catholikes in the middest of their awfullest Senate the Parliament of Paris pleading vehemently against those factious spirits and crying out passionately of that danger which will follow vpon their admission both of lewd manners and false doctrine and doe we in greater opposition feare neither and especially from English Iesuites Some Countries yeeld more venomous vipers than others ours the worst I would it were not too easie to obserue that as our English Papists are commonly most Iesuitish so our English Iesuites are more furious than their fellowes Euen those of the hottest Climates cannot match them in fiery dispositions And doe wee put our selues out of our comfortable Sunne-shine into the midst of the flame of these noted Incendiaries Doe we take pleasure to make them rich with the spoile of our soules and because they will not come fast enough to fetch these booties doe we goe to carry them vnto their pillage SECT XX. THe danger is in the men more than in their cause and if this great Curtizan of the world had not so cunning Pandars I should wonder how shee should get any but foolish customers The Searcher of all hearts before whose Tribunall I shall once come to giue an account of this Censure knowes I speak it not maliciously Him I call to witnesse that I could not finde any true life of Religion amongst those that would be Catholikes I meddle not with the errors of Speculations or Schoole-points wherein their iudgement palpably offendeth I speake of the liuely practice of Piety What haue they amongst them but a very outside of Christianitie a meere formality of deuotion Looke into their Churches there their poore ignorant Laity hope to
whence he fetches his forceablest r r P. 94. Refut Testimony for forced Continency slit in the Nose and bored in the Eare long-since by Å¿ Å¿ Censur Coci p 133. Salmeron Baronius Bellarmine and Francis Lucas Of the same stampe that the Reader may here see once for all how he is gulled by this false Priest with foysted Authorites is his Augustine De bono Viduatis t t Refut p. 20. 49. 68. thrice by him here quoted not without great triumph branded by Erasmus Hosius Lindanus as likewise u u Refut p. 40. his Augustine de Eccles dogmat confessed counterfeit by Bellarmine his friends of Louain and x x Refut p. 80. the Sermons de Tempore cashier'd by Erasmus Mart. Lypsius the Louanians Whereto let vs adde the book of great Athanasius de Virginitate y y Refut p. 35. produced in great state by C. E. not without great wrong and shame fathered vpon that Saint as if Erasmus and Nannius did not shew the ridiculous precepts therein contained would speake enough To follow all were endlesse Of this kind lastly is his Cyprian de Disciplin bono Pudicitiae not more magnificently z z Refut p. 36. brought forth by C. E. then fairely eiected by Erasmus Espencaeus These are the glorious Testimonies which grace the swelling Pages of mine Aduersarie These are the pious frauds wherewith honest Readers are shamefully coozened It shall suffice thus in a word to haue thanked my Reuerend Monitor for his sage aduice and to aduise my Reader to know whom he trusts Vid. supra Refut p. 74 75. Refut p. 78. Pag. 79. For Origen we haue already answered My Detector could not haue chosen a better man for the proof of the facility of this Worke then him who according to the broad Tralation of his rude Rhemists gelded himselfe and made himselfe no man for it That all graces are deriued to vs from the Fountaine or rather the full Ocean of Christs Merits and Mercies which he shewes from S. Hierome we willingly teach against them so farre are we from being iniurious to the Passion of our Deare Redeemer But if he will therefore inferre that euery man may be a perpetuall Virgin he may as well hope that therefore euery Scribbler may write all true Our Sauiour himselfe which said I will draw all men vnto me yet said All men cannot receiue this not I cannot giue it but they cannot take it As for that practice which he cites from S. Austin of forcing men both into Orders and Continency it shewes rather the Fact then the Equity what was done in a particular Church rather then what should be The Refuter himselfe renounceth it in the precedent Page For the Church forceth none thereunto neither is it any other then a direct restraint of that which the Councell of Nice determined to bee left free Lastly that there may appeare to be no lesse impossibility of honest Truth in some men then true Chastity he cites one place for all out of S. Austin * * Lib. 2. c. 19. de Adulter Coniug vid. sup Let not the burden of Continency affright vs it will be light if it be of Christ it will be of Christ if there be Faith that obtaines of him which commands the thing which hee doth command See Reader with what fidelity and by this esteeme the rest S. Austin speakes there of persons diuorced each from other whom necessity as he supposes the case cals to Continency the Detector cites him for the power of voluntary votaries The very place confutes him It will be Christs yoke saith Austin if there be faith that obtaines of him which commands the thing which he doth command There can be no Faith where is no command Now C. E. will grant there is no o o Neque enim sicut non maâ—haueris non occides ita dici potest non nâ—bes Aug. de Virg. Sanct. l. sing c. 30. Refut p. 80. vsque ad 87. command of single life to all Therefore all cannot aske it in Faith therefore all cannot thinke it the Yoke of Christ all cannot beare it SECT XV. NOw at last like some sorie Squip that after a little hissing and sparkling ends in an vnsauoury cracke my Refuter after all these Flourishes of their possibilitie shuts vp in a scurrilous Declamation against our Ministerie granting it indeed impossible amongst vs to liue chaste and telling his Reader that wee blush not to blaze in Pulpits and printed Bookes this brutish Paradox that Chastitie is a vertue impossible to all because so it is to such lasciuious p p Illud dixerim tantum abfuisse vt ista coacta castitas illam coniugalem vicerit c. saith Polydor Virg. This I may say that it is so farre off that this compelled Chastitie excelled the Coniugall Châ—stitie that no crime of any offence could bring more hatred to the state of Priesthood or more disgrace to Religion or more sorrow to all good men then the blemish of the vnchaste life of Priests c. Polyd. l. 5. c. 4. Libertines sensuall and sinfull people as Heretikes are and here are sordes dedecora scabies libidinum the brutish spirit of Heresie fleshly and sensuall Impure mouth How well doth it become the sonne of that Babylonian Strumpet to call the Spouse of Christ Harlot How well doth it become lips drencht in the Cup of those Fornications to vtter blasphemous Slanders Spumam Cerberi against Innocence By how much more brutish that paradox is so much more deuillish is the vniust imputation of it to vs Which of vs euer blazed it Which of vs doth hate it lesse then the lye that charges it vpon vs How many Reuerend Fathers haue wee in the highest Chaires of our Church how many aged Diuines in our Vniuersities how many graue Prebendaries in our Cathedrall Churches how many worthy Ministers in their rurall stations that shine with this vertue in the eyes of the World If therefore the proper place of Chastitie be the Church of God as this Cauiller pleads it is ours in right q q Hier. l. 2. in Ose Quicunque amare pudicitiam se simulant vt Manichaeus Marcion Arrius Tatianus inflauratores veteris haereseos venenato ore mella promittunt caeterùm iuxta Apostolum quae secretò agunt turpe est dicere Minut. Fal. Octau theirs in pretence And so much more noble is this in ours for that in ours it is r r Inuiolati corporis virginitate fruuntuur potius quà m gloriantur free in them Å¿ Å¿ Talis castitas quia non est spontanea non habet magnam retributionem Bran. Carthus O mysteria O mores vbi necessitas imponitur castitati authoritas datur libidiâ—i Itaque nec casta est qua metu cogitur nec c. Illa pudica qua these tenetur Ambros l. 1. de Virg. forced Infida custos castitatis necessitas as that
Father said Neque opus passeri fugere ad montem In them as Chrysostome said long since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The grace of Virginitie is lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The world make sport with such Maiden-head For the rest The God of Heauen iudge betwixt vs and our enemies To him we appeale how vvee desire to serue him in chaste Wedlocke whom they dishonour with vncleane and false Virginitie Not to put my Detector in mind how honorably he now speakes of mariage how dares he talke of our fleshlinesse and their chastity as if hee had to doe with a world that were both deafe and blind Do not their owne Records fly in their faces and tell him there are but a few of them honest Did not their own t t Concil Delect Cardin. Paul 3. Exhib Alius busiâ—â— turbat populum Christianum in Monialibus c. Vbi in plarisque monasteriis fiunt publica sacrilegia cum maximo omnium scandalo select Cardinals complaine that the most of their Nunneries were iustly scandalized with sacrilegious incontinencies Do not our u u Mat. Paris Hist Angl. Hen 3. p. â—085 Et quâ—d indignum est scribi ad domâ—s religiosarum veniens facit exprimi mammillas earundem vt sic physice c. Histories tell vs that in the raigne of Henry the third Robert Grosthead the famous Bishop of Lincolne in his Visitation was faine to explore the virginity of their Nuns by nipping off their dugs indignum scribi as Matth. Paris Doe not the x x In haâ— etiam vrbe meretrices c. Concil del Card. Prius est quà m mechari continentiam ducere criminosam de singul cler Refut 88. forenamed Cardinals find it a common greeuance that their Curtezans rode in state thorow Rome it selfe attended euen at noone day with the retinue of their Cardinals and with their Clergy-men Doth he finde the Church of England to maintaine Stewes and to raise rents from professed filthinesse Can hee deny the vnnaturall beastlinesse that raignes in his Italy But what doe I stirre this puddle Let mee heare no more brags of their chastitie no more exprobrations of our lasciuiousnesse SECT XVI AS if my Refuter had vowed to write no true word he challenges me for translating Isidores Turpe votum a filthy Vow I turne to my Epistle and finde it not englished by me at all His own conscience belike so construes it or if some former Impression of mine which I beleeue not had so turned it here is neither ignorance nor vnfaithfulnesse Wheresoeuer is sinne there is filthinesse And if a lawfull vow bee properly de meliore bono can there not therefore be an vnlawfull vow What was that of Iepthaes or that of S. Pauls forty Conspirators But the word there saith he signifies a promise As if euery vow were not a promise and if Isidore takes votum for promissum y y Dist 28. Greg. Petro. Diac. l. 1. Ep. 42. Gregorie takes by his construction promissum for votum in this very case we haue in hand This vow of theirs therefore is metonymically filthy because it makes them such In one word that he may raue no more of Epicures Turks Pagans Their vow is in profession glorious filthy in effect And now for a conclusion of this point I must out of all these grosse and ignorant passages of his though vnproperly yet truely vow to the world that a truer Bayard did neuer stumble forth in the Presse SECT XVII HEe hath done with their owne vowes and now descends to vs whom hee confesses vowlesse His scorne cannot strip vs of the benefit of that Truth which hee confesseth Thus then hee writes I freely with other Catholikes grant Refut p. 89. that our English Ministers according to their calling make no vowes I grant their mariage to be lawfull I grant that euery one of them may bee the Husband of one Wife c. And why did not this liberalitie of my wise Detector tye vp his Tongue in his purse all this while No more was required no lesse is yeelded whereto is all this iangling But that his grant may proue worse then a deniall thus hee proceeds But wee deny them to bee truely Clergie-men or to haue any more authoritie in the Church then their wiues or daughters haue and this because they want all true calling and Ordination For they entred not in at the doore like true Pastors but stole in at the window like theeues We deny their ministerie I say to be lawfull because they did runne before they were sent tooke their places by intrusion c. Let Master Hall disproue this and I will say Tu Phyllidasolus habeto Thus he A deep crimination and such as if it could be proued would rob our question of the State and vs of our duely challenged honour Reader this vehemency shewes thee where his shoo wrings him It is the gall of Romish hearts that we prosper and are not theirs Where they haue presumed vpon credulitie they haue not stucke to say we are not men like others but more frequently and boldly that wee are no Christian men and here most peremptorily that we are no Clergie-men There is no Church no Christianitie no Clergie not theirs Neither can we be in Orders whiles we are out of Babylon The man dreames of the Nags-head in Cheape-side where his lying Oracle Tradition hath not shamed to report Iewel Sands Horne Scory Grindall and others in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths time being disappointed of the Catholike Bishop of Landaffe to haue laid hands mutually on each other and that from hence haue flowed our pretended Orders This our shameless * * Alias Halywell the Iesuite Sacrobosco heard of some good old folks they had it of one Neale Professor Ebrius in Oxford Kellison took it of Sacrobosco and C. E. of him Concordat cum Originali Diabolus est mendax pater eius And is not this a worthy engine to batter down the wals of a whole Church to blow vp all our ordination Is it possible that any Christian face should be so gracelesse as to beare out such an apparent and ridiculous falshood against so many thousands of witnesses against the euidence of authenticall Records against reason and sense it selfe For can they hope to perswade any liuing man that these hauing at that time a lawfull Archbishop of their owne religion legally established in the Metropoliticall chaire by an acknowledged authority the sway of the times openly fauoring them when all Churches all Chappels gladly opened to them that they would bee so mad as to goe and ordaine themselues in a Tauerne He that would beleeue this may be perswaded that their adored blocks can weepe and speake and moue that their Cake is God Neuer truth could be cleared if not this No lesse then the whole Kingdome knew that Q. Mary dyed in the yeare 1558 Nouember 17 and her Cardinal then Archb. of Canterbury accompanied her
see that in those yong dayes of the Church the mystery of iniquity began in this point to worke so as Mariage according to the Apostles prediction began to be in an ill name though the cleere Light of that Primitiue Truth would not endure the disgrace So as in all this I haue both by Moses and the examples of that Leuiticall Priesthood by the Testimonie of the Apostles by their practice by their anciently-reputed Canons and by the testimonie of the agedest Fathers so made good the lawfulnesse and antiquity of the Mariages of persons Ecclesiasticall that I shall not need to feare a Diuorce either from my Wife or from the Truth in that my Confident and iust Assertion THE HONOVR OF THE MARIED CLERGIE maintained c. The second Booke SECT I. AND now since in this point wee haue happily won the day lesse labour needs in the other Refut p. 130. It is safe erring with Moses and the Prophets with Christ and his Apostles Soone after according to Saint Pauls Prophesie Spirits of Errors were abroad and whether out of the necessary exigence of those prosecuted times or out of an affectation to win fauour and admiration in the eyes of Gentilisme Virginity began to raise vp it selfe in some priuate conceits vpon the ruines of honest Wedlocke neither is it hard to discerne by what degrees yet neuer with such absolute successe as to proceed to any Law of restraint I doe not therefore faine to my selfe as mine idle Refuter golden ages of mirth and k k Though Amram the Leuite father to Moses maried in the heat of Pharaohs persesecution and Dauid did the like in Sauls Refut p. 131. Refut p. 131 132 133 marying vnder those tyrannous persecutions but in those bloody ages I doe auouch to him and the World an immunity from the tyrannous yoke of forced continency This if hee could haue disproued by any iust instances he had not giuen vs words If he be angry that I said some of the pretended Epistles of his ancient Popes to this purpose are palpably foysted Let him fasten where he lists if he haue not an answer let me haue the shame in the meane time it is enough to snarle where he dares not bite That which I cited from Origen aduising the sons of Clergie men nor to be proud of their parentage he cannot deny he can cauill at The same perswasion saith he might be made to Saint Peters daughter as many are of opinion that he had one yet will it not follow that he knew his wife after he was an Apostle So he But what needs this Parenthesis if the man be true to his owne Authors Did wee deuise the Storie of Petronilla Did we inuent the passage of her Sutor Flaccus Of her Feuer the cure whereof her father denyed Of her Epitaph ingrauen in Marble by her fathers owne hand Aureae Petronillae dilectissimae filiae To my deare and precious Petronilla l l Esp 1. c. 8. Volat. 1.18 Pet. Nat. l. 5. c. 69. Plat. vis Paul 1. Sigeb 757. my most beloued daughter found by Paul the First Are not these things reported by their owne Volateranus Petr. Natalis Beda Vssuradus Sigebertus Platina Still where is the man that cryes out of reiecting authorities in other cases allowed either then let him giue the lye to his Histories or else let him compute the Time when Flaccus the Roman Count was a Sutor to her and see if he be not forced to grant that she was begotten of S. Peter after his Apostleship And so for ought he knowes might those sonnes be whom Origen thus dehoureth This man was not their Midwife The place of Origen which hee m m Orig. Homil. 13. in Numer cites to the contrary he tooke vp somewhat on trust let him goe and inquire better of his Creditor by the same token that in the Homily of Origen whither he sends vs he shall find nothing but Balaeams Asse an obiect fit for his meditation As for that parcell of the testimony Refut p. 133. which hee saith my chiâ— cough câ—used mee to suppresse sin ipsa Christianitate it is as Herbe Iohn in the Pot to the purpose of my allegation Origen speakes of that Text Many that are first shall be last c. Which he applies as a cooling-card to the children of Christian Parents especially Si fuerint ex patribus Sacerdotali sede dignificatis If they be the sons of them which are dignified with Sacerdotall honour The change of the Preprosition is remarkeable ex Patribus argâ—ing that hee speakes not of their education but their descent and therefore implying no lesse then I affirmed that their parentage giues them a supposed cause of exaltation SECT II. HOly n n Athanas Epist ad Dracent Many Bishops c. Refut p. 134. Athanasius was brought by me in stead of a thousand Histories Who tels vs that it was no rare thing to find maried Bishops in his time My wise Refuter after he hath idlely gone about the bush a little comes out with this dry verdict What will Master Hall hence infer That Bishops and Priests may lawfully marrie Saint Athanasius saith it not but onely recounteth the fact that some maried of both sorts but whether they did well or ill or whether himselfe did approue or condemne the same there is no word in this sentence Thus he We take what he giues and seeke for no more We cited Athanasius in stead of many Histories not of many Arguments Histories de facto not discourses de iure The lawfulnesse was discussed before the practice and vse is now inquired of This Athanasius witnesses and C. E. yeelds Wherein yet I may not forget to put my Refuter in minde how brittle his memorie is who in the same leafe contradicts himselfe For when he had before confessed that Athanasius doth neither approue nor condemne the practice Refut p. 136. either as good or euill now he plainly tels vs that the words were not spoken by way of simple narration but of mislike and reprehension He would be a good lyer if he could agree with himselfe Why of dislike For saith he it was neuer lawfull for Monks or Bishops to beget children Ipse dixit wee must beleeue him Not to tell him that o o Chrys ad Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome teaches vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is possible with Mariage to doe the acts of Monkes not to conuince him with counter testimonies let him tell me what fault it is to doe or not to doe miracles These in this sentence of * * Athanas ibid. We haue knowne Bishops working miracles and Monkes working none Many Bishops not to haue maried c. As likewise you may finde Bishops to haue beene fathers of Children and Monkes not to haue sought for mariage Athanasius goe in the same ranke with Mariage But to cleare Athanasius he brings Hierom against Vigilantius impudently called by him The
issue can distinguish betwixt a Dauid and a Doeg when they are both in the Tabernacle Honest Ahimelech could little suspect that he now offered a Sacrifice for his Executioner yea for the Murtherer of all his Family Oh the wise and deepe iudgements of the Almighty God owed a reuenge to the House of Eli and now by the delation of Doeg he takes occasion to pay it It was iust in God which in Doeg was most vniust Sauls cruelty and the trecherie of Doeg doe not lose one dram of their guilt by the Counsell of God neither doth the holy Counsell of God gather any blemish by their wickednesse If it had pleased God to inflict death vpon them sooner without any pretence of occasion his Iustice had beene cleere from all imputations now if Saul and Doeg be in stead of a pestilence or feuer who can cauill The iudgements of God are not open but are alwaies iust He knowes how by one mans sinne to punish the sinne of another and by both their sinnes and punishments to glorifie himselfe If his word sleepe it shall not dye but after long intermissions breakes forth in those effects which wee had forgotten to looke for and ceased to feare O Lord thou art sure when thou threatnest and iust when thou iudgest Keepe thou vs from the sentence of death else in vaine shall we labour to keepe our selues from the execution Contemplations THE FOVRTEENTH BOOKE Containing SAVL in DAVIDS Caue NABAL and ABIGAIL DAVID and ACHISH SAVL and the Witch of Endor ZIKLAG spoyled and reuenged The death of SAVL ABNER and IOAB By IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD PHILIP EARLE OF MONGOMERY ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN OF HIS MAIESTIES Bed-chamber and Knight of the most Honourable Order of the GARTER RIGHT HONOVRABLE AFter some vnpleasing intermissions Ireturne to that taske of Contemplation wherin onely my soule findeth rest Jf in other imployments I haue indeuoured to serue God and his Church yet in none I must confesse with equall contentment Me thinkes Controuersie is not right in my way to Heauen how euer the importunitie of an Aduersary may force me to fetch it in If Truth oppressed by an erroneous Teacher cry like a rauisht Virgin for my aid J betray it if J releeue it not when J haue done J returne gladly to these paths of Peace The fauour which my late Polemicall labour hath found beyond merit from the Learned cannot diuert my loue to those wrangling Studies How earnestly doth my heart rather wish an vniuersall cessation of these Armes that all the Professors of the deare Name of Christ might bee taken vp with nothing but holy and peaceable thoughts of Deuotion the sweetnesse whereof hath so farre affected mee that if I might doe it without danger of mis-construction I could beg euen of an Enemie this leaue to bee happy I haue already giuen account to the World of some expences of my houres this way and heere I bring more which if some Reader may censure as poore none can censure as vnprofitable J am bold to write them vnder your Honorable Name whereto I am deeply obliged that I may leaue behinde me this meane but faithfull Testimony of mine humble thankfulnesse to your Lordship and your most honoured and vertuous Ladie The noble respects J haue had from you both deserue my Prayers and best seruices which shall neuer be wanting to you and yours From your Honours sincerely deuoted in all true duty IOS HALL Contemplations SAVL IN DAVIDS CAVE IT was the strange lot of Dauid that those whom he pursued preserued him from those whom he had preserued The Philistims whom Dauid had newly smitten in Keilah call off Saul from smiting Dauid in the wildernesse when there was but an hillocke betwixt him and death Wicked purposes are easily checked not easily broken off Sauls Sword is scarce dry from the bloud of the Philistims when it thirsts anew for the bloud of Dauid and now in a renewed chase hunts him dry-foot thorow euery wildernesse The very Desart is too faire a refuge for innocence The hils and rockes are searched in an angry iealousie the very wilde Goats of the mountaines were not allowed to be companions for him which had no fault but his vertue Oh the seemingly-vnequall distribution of these earthly things Cruelty and oppression reignes in a Palace whiles goodnesse lurkes among the Rockes and Caues and thinkes it happinesse enough to steale a life Like a dead man Dauid is faine to be hid vnder the earth and seekes the comfort of protection in darknesse and now the wise prouidence of God leades Saul to his enemy without bloud He which before brought them within an hils dâ—stance without interuiew brings them now both within one roofe so as that whiles Saul seekes Dauid and finds him not he is found of Dauid vnsought If Saul had known his own opportunities how Dauid and his men had interred themselues he had saued a treble labour of chase of execution and buriall for had he but stopt the mouth of that Caue his enemies had laid themselues downe in their owne Graues The Wisdome of God thinkes fit to hide from euill men and spirits those meanes and seasons which might be if they had beene taken most preiudiciall to his owne we had beene oft foiled if Satan could but haue knowne our hearts sometimes we lie open to euils and happy it is for vs that he only knowes it which pitâ—ies in stead of tempting vs. It is not long since Saul said of Dauid lodged then in Keilah God hath deliuered him into mine hands for he is shut in seeing he is come into a city that hath gates and bars but now contrarily God deliuers Saul ere he was aware into the hands of Dauid and without the helpe of gates and barres hath inclosed him within the Valley of death How iust is it with God that those who seeke mischiefe to others finde it to themselues and euen whiles they are spreading nets are insnared Their deliberate plotting of euill is surprized with a sudden iudgement How amazedly must Dauid needs looke when hee saw Saul enter into the Caue where himselfe was what is this thinkes he which God hath done Is this presence purposed or casuall is Saul here to pursue or to tempt me Where suddenly the action bewrayes the intent and tels Dauid that Saul sought secrecy and not him The superfluity of his maliciousnesse brought him into the Wildernesse the necessity of nature led him into the Caue Euen those actions wherein wee place shame are not exempted from a prouidence The fingers of Dauids followers itched to sease on their Masters enemy and that they might not seeme led so much by faction as by faith they vrge Dauid with a promise from God The day is come whereof the Lord said vnto thee Behold I will deliuer thine enemy into thine hand and thou shalt do to him as it shall seeme
beene worthy to inioy him for her honest compassion Not more iustly then wisely therefore doth Salomon trace the true mother by the footsteps of loue and pity and adiudgeth the child to those bowels that had yearned at his danger Euen in morality it is thus also Truth as it is one so it loues intirenesse falshood diuision Satan that hath no right to the heart would be content with a peece of it God that made it all will haue either the whole or none The erroneous Church striues with the true for the liuing childe of sauing doctrine each claimes it for her owne Heresie conscious of her owne iniustice could be content to goe away with a leg or an arme of sound principles as hoping to make vp the rest with her owne mixtures Truth cannot abide to part with a ioynt and will rather endure to leese all by violence then a peece through a willing conniuency The Temple IT is a weak and iniurious censure that taxeth Salomons slacknesse in founding the house of God Great bodies must haue but slow motions He was wise that said the matters must be all prepared without ere we build within And if Dauid haue laid ready a great part of the metals and timber yet many a tree must be felled and squared and many a stone hewne and polished ere this foundation could be laid neither could those large Cedars be cut sawne seasoned in one yeare Foure yeares are soone gone in so vast a preparation Dauid had not beene so intire a friend to Hiram if Hiram had not beene a friend to God Salomons wisdome hath taught him to make vse of so good a neighbour of a fathers friend he knowes that the Tyrians skill was not giuen them for nothing Not Iewes onely but Gentiles must haue their hand in building the Temple of God Onely Iewes medled with the Tabernacle but the Temple is not built without the aide of Gentiles They together with vs make vp the Church of God Euen Pagans haue their Arts from heauen how iustly may we improue their graces to the seruice of the God of Heauen if there be a Tyrian that can worke more curiously in gold in siluer in brasse in iron in purple and blew silke then an Israelite why should not hee be imployed about the Temple Their heathenisme is their own their skill is their Makers Many a one workes for the Church of God that yet hath no part in it Salomon raises a tribute for the worke not of money but of men Thirty thousand Israelites are leauied for the seruice yet not continuedly but with intermission their labour is more generous and lesse pressing it is enough if they keep their courses one moneth in Lebanon two at home so as euer ten thousand worke whiles twentie thousand breathe So fauourable is God to his creature that he requires vs not to be ouer-toyled in the workes of his owne seruice Due respirations are requisite in the holiest acts The maine stresse of the worke lyes vpon Proselytes whose both number and paines was herein more then the Natiues An hundred and fifty thousand of them are imployed in bearing burthens in hewing stones besides their three thousand three hundred ouer-seers Now were the despised Gibeonites of good vse and in vaine doth Israel wish that the zeale of Saul had not robbed them of so seruiceable drudges There is no man so meane but may bee some way vsefull to the House of God Those that cannot worke in gold and siluer and silke yet may cut and hew and those that can doe neither yet may cary burdens Euen the seruices that are more homely are not lesse necessarie Who can dis-hearten himselfe in the conscience of his owne insufficiency when he sees God can as well serue himselfe of his labour as of his skill The Temple is framed in Lebanon and set vp in Sion Neither hammer nor axe was heard in that holy structure There was nothing but noise in Lebanon nothing in Sion but silence and peace What euer tumults are abroad it is fit there should bee all quietnesse and sweet concord in the Church Oh God that the axes of schisme or the hammers of furious contentions should bee heard within thy Sanctuary Thine house is not built with blowes with blowes it is beaten downe Oh knit the hearts of thy seruants together in the vnity of the spirit and the bond of peace that we may minde and speak the same things that thou who art the God of peace maist take pleasure to dwell vnder the quiet roofe of our hearts Now is the foundation laid and the wals rising of that glorious fabricke which all Nations admired and all times haue celebrated Euen those stones which were laid in the Base of the building were not ragged and rude but hewne and costly the part that lyes couered with earth from the eyes of all beholders is no lesse precious then those that are most conspicuous God is not all for the eye he pleaseth himselfe with the hidden value of the liuing stones of his spirituall Temple How many noble graces of his seruants haue been buried in obscuritie not discerned so much as by their owne eyes which yet as hee gaue so hee crowneth Hypocrites regard nothing but shew God nothing but truth The matter of so goodly a frame striues with the proportion whether shall more excell Here was nothing but white Marble without nothing but Cedar and Gold within Vpon the Hill of Sion stands that glittering and snowy pile which both inuiteth and dazeleth the eyes of passengers a farre off so much more precious within as Cedar is better then stone gold then Cedar No base thing goes to the making vp of Gods House If Satan may haue a dwelling he cares not though he patch it vp of the rubbish of stone or rotten sticks or drosse of metals God will admit of nothing that is not pure and exquisite His Church consists of none but the faithfull his habitation is in no heart but the gracious The fashion was no other then that of the Tabernacle onely this was more costly more large more fixed God was the same that dwelt in both hee varied not the same mysterie was in both Onely it was fit there should be a proportion betwixt the worke and the builder The Tabernacle was erected in a popular estate the Temple in a Monarchy it was fit this should sauour of the munificence of a King as that of the zeale of a multitude That was erected in the flitting condition of Israel in the desert this in their setled residence in the promised Land it was fit therefore that should bee framed for motion this for rest Both of them were distinguished into three remarkable diuisions whereof each was more noble more reserued then other But what doe we bend our eyes vpon stone and wood and metals God would neuer haue taken pleasure in these dead materials for their owne sakes if they had not had a further intendment Me thinkes
on the Church of England 551 As of Apostacy 561 Notably confuted 562 The Brownists acknowledgment of the graces of the Church of England 563 Instances of their horrible railings 564 Their vnnaturalnesse ibid. and 565 What they think themselues beholding to the Church of England for 565 Our Church iustified by theÌ„ against their wills 552 And that in instancing some particular men whom they acknowledge Martyrs 573 The four pillars of Brownists 595 Their wronging of vs about Ceremonies 596 An eleuen crimes that they haue laid on the French and Dutch Church 601 Their imputation of our impure mixtures 604 Their scorne of our people 608 Buriall Of decent buriall 1326 Bush The burning Bush a perfect Embleme of the Church 870 Busie-bodies His Character 188 Buying A rule in buying and selling 697 C CAlfe Of the golden Calfe 899 Calling remedies against dulnesse in it 375 Honest men may not bee ashamed of their lawfull Callings 869 When God finds vs in our calling we shall finde him in his mercy 870 Grosse sinnes cannot preiudice the calling of God 900 The peoples assurance of the Ministers calling very materiall 927 The approbation of our calling is by the fruit ibid. An honest mans heart is where his calling is 1017 Neuer any calling of God was so conspicuous as not to find some opposites 1119 Our deuotions attended without neglect of our calling 1186 Diligence in our calling makes vs capable of blessednesse 1200 Cana The mariage in Cana. 1202 Canaan Of its Searchers 916 Cappucine prettily painted out 282 Carelesnesse Of an holy carelesnesse 64 Carnall A carnall heart cannot forgoe that wherein hee delights 1009 Cares Of taking cares on a mans selfe 48 Worldly cares fitly compared to thornes 142 Censure The conscionable somtimes too forward in censuring 1030 There must bee discretion there may not bee partialitie in our censures of the greatest 1063 Centurion Of the good Centurion 1205 His humilitie 1206 His faith 1207 Christ maruels at him ibid. Ceremonies some are typicall some of order and decencie 426 A passionate speech concerning our diuisions about ceremonies 426 427 Ceremonies must giue place to substance 1092 Challenges Whence they came 1081 Charitie vid. Loue not suspitious 1088 Cheerefulnesse an excitation to Christian cheerefulnesse 306 and in our labour 375 Nothing more acceptable then cheerefulnesse in the seruice of God 1028 Children an excellent child of an excellent parent a rare sight and why 135 What they owe their parents 242 A good note for children which couer their parents shame 828 It is both vncharitable iniurious to iudge of the childs dispositioÌ„ by the Father 867 Iepthâ—'s daughter a notable patterne for our children towards their parents 994 Childrens contempt of their parents for pottery censured 1025 Of our ouer loue to our children 1028 What children are most like to proue blessings 1031 A caueat for mocking children 1374 Christ his Annunciation 1164 Hee hath nothing in the whole work of our Redemption ordinarie 1162 No man may search into that wonder of his Conception 1166 Of his birth 1167 Of his lodging Cradle c. 1169 The vse of this his abasement ibid. how found of the Wise men 1172 Of his flight from Egypt and the vse of it 1177 His being among the Doctors 1185 His Baptisme 1 89 His temptation 1191 Hee is caried vp to a pinacle of the Temple 1195 Christian and Christianitie how a Christian should be both a Lambe and a Lyon 6 7. His happinesse 13 He is a little Church with n himselfe ibid. More difference betweene a naturall man and a right Christian then betwixt a man and a Beast 27 A wise Christian hath no enemies 47 An halfe Christian liues most miserably 62 A Christian compared to a Vine ibid. There is more in a Christian then any can see 66 A Christian man in all his wayes must haue three guides First Truth Secondly Charitie Thirdly Wisedome 137 Christianitie both an easie and hard yoake 143 The estate of a true though but a weake Christian 293 The difficultie of it 323 His description difference from a worldling 366 A conscionable Christian in sorrow sweetly described 493 Church That Churches happinesse wherein Truth and Peace meet together p. 6 A Christian is a little Church within himselfe p. 13 An excellent rule for our cariage in Church-dissentions 29 Church Schismes how bred fostered and confirmed 29 30 The needlesnesse of our conformitie to ancient Churches in all things 364 The Church of England is the Spouse of Christ 570 How it hath separated from Babylon 571 Why our Churches may stand 593 It is good coÌ„ming to Church for what end soeuer 870 The way to haue a blessing at home is to be deuout at Church 1031 What institutes a Church 1159 Cold When all hearts are cold and dead it is signe of an intended destruction 1059 Combats of single combats 338. 339 The censure of it 1120 Comforts the intermission of them what they doe 857 Commendations the commendation of diuers good men with the vse of imitation 287 Communitie care of it a signe of bâ—ing spirituall indeed 902 Companie the euill of euill company discyphered 2 What company we should delight in 4 A rule in choice of our companions 140 Company in sinne how it infects a sinner 901 And how it brings punishment on him 921 The intirenesse with wicked consorts is one of the strongest chaines of hell 931 Companie in the Church what it doth 1186 Compassion vide Mercy how it must be ruled 1103 Compellations sweet compellation how helpfull for the entertainment of good admonitions 956 Concord is the way to conquest 1136. vide Peace Concubine of the Leuites Concubine 1015 Confidence what maketh it 141 Described 226 A presumptuous confidence commonly goes bleeding home when as an humble feare returnes in triumph 1062 Confession how much it honors God 956 how he is pleased w th it 1009 Dauids confession 1142 Confession how hardly gotten out of vs. 1143 Conscience a good conscience keepes alwaies good cheere 46 The torment of an euill conscience 76 The ioy of such but dissembled ibid. The remedy of an vnquiet conscience 77 our peace of conscience comes by faith 78 79 The vaine shifts of the guilty conscience 79 Crosses a main enemy to the peace of conscience 80 A second ranke of enemies to peace of conscience 87 88 89. The Shipwracke of a good conscience is the casting away of all other excellencies 148 A wide conscience will swallow any sin 1006 Trust him in nothing that hath not a conscience of euery thing 1006 When we may look to haue rest to our Conscience 1031 A good conscience will make a man bold 1060 None can be sure of him that hath no conscience 1089 The power of conscience 1359 Conspiracy Corahs conspiracy 919 Constancy Of it 109 An encouragement vnto it 399 It must be like fire 911 One act is nought without constancy 919 Constâ—â—â—tion what it is 557 Constraint Whether constraint may haue place
taken 1020 What an oath requires ibid. Obedience All the creatures more obedience then Man 37 All our obedience cannot beare out one sin with God 940 Obedience is a fit entrance into soueraigntie 1053 Blind obedience when it doth well 1054 True obedience is euer ioyned with humilitie and feare 1075 The truth and heartinesse of our obedience respected of God in the meanest 1175 Obstinate Neither scourges nor fauours can worke with them 341 Occasion Hee that would bee free from the acts of sinne must auoid the occasions 853 How the Deuill watcheth his occasions to lay his temptations 1193 Old Nothing more odious the fruitlesse old age 9 Of Gods not acceptance of the dregges of our old age 140 One One sinne what it doth 954 Opinion Among diuersities of opinions how to carie our selues 15 Opportunitie It with conuenience is guilty of much theft 1356 Opposition No calling of God so conspicuous as not to find some opposition 1119 Ostentation Of great ostentation with little learning 5 Seldome a good end of ostentation 1085 Ordinances A sweet description of Gods ordinances 492 That God at once requires both familiaritie and feare in our approach to them 897 It is a dangerous thing to be too bold with the ordinances of God 949 A consideration of the poorenesse and weaknesse of Gods ordinances 933 With what securitie they walke that take their directions from God 1047 A fearfull thing to vse Gods ordinances with vnreuerent boldnesse 1049 Gods children cannot bee discouraged from Gods ordinances 1050 How well it goes with them that take God and his Ministers with them in his ordinances 1114 Outward The outward face or countenance makes commentary on the heart 61 Of outward preparation how necessarie 897 What may bee well said to such as vse outward deuotion more then sincere obedience 972 How to looke on outward priuiledges 991 No measuring Religion by outward glory 1044 When men are caried away with outward shewes it is a signe that God meanes them a delusion 1053 Owne What a man should account his owne 6 The conceit of owning hardens a man against many inconueniencies 56 Of both ouer-prizing neglecting that which is our own 67 P PArables They sped well with Dauid 1148 Paradise A contemplation of it 815 Satan euen in it 816 The place of Paradise whether to be sought for 817 Paine It shall humble them whom shame cannot 1045 Painting a notable inuectiue against our painted plaister-faced Iezebels 700 Papists Of popish deprauing Antiquity 349 The papists and the ancient Iewes paralleld 415 Their superstitious heathenish and ridiculous worship of Idols 661 No possible reconciliation with papists 663 They haue nothing but the outside of Religion 684 Pardons popish pardons censured 433 651 Pardons may well stand with temporall afflictions 1143 Parents A good note for them in the education of their children 996 Parents indulgence a patron of vanity 1015 Reuerence to Parents neuer goes vnrecompenced 1025 Parents that haue bad children what they must doe 1032 Indulgent parents cruell to themselues 1034 A good note for parents in the example of Sauls father 1053 The sanctity of the parent cannot beare out the sinne of the sonne 1128 Passion nothing so befooles a man as passion 81 Christs passion sweetly layd out 427 428. The application of it 431 How subiect the best are to passion 1103. Vnruly passions euer run into extremities 1146 Patience the character of a patient man 177 In Gods affaires and mans iniuries 226 How well gods children are paid for their patience 854 A forceable argument thereto 890 There is no greater token of grace then to smart patiently 913 Patrons Their epethites being euill 412 A serious exhortation to theÌ„ ibid. Peace The happinesse of that Church which hath Truth and peace kissing each other 6 Impossible for an inferior to liue at peace except hee hath learned to be contemned 35 A perswasion to a study of the common peace 395 An earnest perswasion to liue in peace 413 414 The price of peace 481 482 Peace what without religion 482 Of true and false peace 529 Where to seeke for peace 530 Who giues it ibid. How made betweene God and man 537 Who are not and who are indeed the true enemies vnto peace 542 543 The commodities and conditions of peace 625 As the wicked haue no peace with God so the godly haue no peace with them 847 Whether peace may bee held on oath which is made by fraudulent conditions 959 Nothing so worthy of pity as the sinners peace 1006 It is the safest policie to bee at peace with God 1062 It is an vnreasonable in equality to hope to finde God in trouble that would not regard him in peace 1110 Propension to peace becomes a Victorâ— 1120 When peace is a friend to religion 1127 Of the aboâ—e of peace ibid. Penitent The Character of a true penitent 280 Penance how enioyned in the Church of England 590 Penuel Succotlâ— their reuenge 989 Perfection the imperfectnesse of it expressed by our Creation 809 Perish those that perish are blinded c. 921 Perkins commended 287 Permission euen that in thing we may remedy makes vs no lesse actors then consent 966 Persecution a pitty description of it 482 Bloody persecution an argument of an euil cause and the reason 865 Person the person must be in fauour that will haue his work to prosper 950 One sinful person how pernicious 954 The person honors the place and not contrariwise 1162 Pharoah his Embleme 872 He is like a beast that grows mad in baiting 874 Pharisaisme What. 408 Whether an order or Profession ibid. An austere sect 409 Their imployment ibid. The difference between the Pharisees and Scribes ibid. Of the seuen kinds of Pharisees ibid. About their strictnesse ibid. The Iewes sottishnesse in beleeuing of the Scribes and Pharisees 410 How farre Christians are behind them 411 Phineas 936 His heroicall spirit and courage 938 Philosophy or Philosophers The censure of it and them 73 Piety vid godlinesse True piety is not vnciuill 997 A forced pietie is thanklesse 1110 There is no villany but hath some shew of pietie 1172 Pilgrims A very fit meditation for them 51 A pilgrims paine for heauen prettily paralleld 54 The misery of our pilgrimage in respect of our home 811 No perfume so sweet to a pilgrim as his owne smoake 1017 The perilous passage in our pilgrimage 1065 Pitie vid. Mercie Foolish pitie is humane and dangerous 970 Place It honours not the person as the person doth it 1162 Therefore must we not bee transported too much with the glory of places 1163 Plague Whether lawfull for Pastor or people to fly in time of the plague 350 Plausibilitie Not fit for regeneration 1189 Pleasure It must not be bought at too deare a rate 13 How to carie our selues in the enioyment of pleasure and paine 14 15 No worldly pleasure hath any absolute delight in it 25 A rule in taking of pleasure 139 A discourse of the vse
and danger of it 222 Small A true note of a false heart is to bee nice in small matters and negligent in great 147 Societie Christian society how good 15 Our behauiour in society and priuacie 30 31 An inconstant man vnfit for societie 36 Solitarinesse How dangerous 15 The benefit of it 296 No cause hath he to bee solitarie that hath God with him 976 An help to the speed of temptation 1192 Sorrow How to bee well resolued in sorrow 16 Of the sorrow not to bee repented of 301 Against sorrow for worldly crosses 309 Soule Gods and the worlds profer for the soule compared 52 Our carelesnesse for our soule set downe 437 Spa Described to bee more wholesome then pleasant and more famous then wholesome 282 Speech The praise of a good speech 10 A good thing to inure youth to good speech 11 The censure of much speech and little wit 12 Not what or how so much as the end of a mans speeches are to be considered 145 Spirit It is good to try the spirits 1112 Spirituall spirituall things how soueraigne or hurtfull 1046 State Where the temporall and spirituall state combine not together see what followes 1062 Strife There are three things that wise and honest men neuer striue for 27 Subiect His duty to Prince and fellow subiects 233 234 The close relation betweene Prince and subiect 1117 The Soueraigne is smitten in his subiect 1259 Successe We must not measure our spirituall successe by our owne power c. 917 Good successe oft lifts vp the heart with too much confidence 955 The custome of successe what it doth in sinne 1007 Suffer In suffering euill wee must not looke to second causes 26 Suggestions It is more safe to keepe our selues out of the noise of suggestions then to stand vpon our power of deniall 1007 Sunne Of its standing still at Iosua's prayer 967 Superfluitie The affectation of it what 141 Nothing seemes so superfluous as religious duties 865 Superstition Its character 198 What it doth 900 It is deuotions ape 1047 How iniurious to God 1117 Superstition how it befooles men 1354 Suspition Charitie it selfe when it will allow suspition 958 Where it is good to bee suspitious 972 Suspition is quick-â—ighted 1144 Swine What swine the Deuill enters into 1302 T TAbernacle Sweet allusions of the Tabernacle with heauen 467 Tamar Of her and Ammon 1144 Her bewailing her virginitie 1146 Teachers The sinnes of Teachers are the teachers of sinne 1061 Teares Obseruations of them 135 That here our eyes are full of teares 462 How precious 463 The world full of causes of weeping 464 Temperance In diet words actions and affections 223 Temple Both the Tabernacle and it were resemblances of the holy Church of God 467 The Temple abused to Idolatry whether it may bee vsed to Gods seruice 593 Of their founders and furnishers ibid. The state of the Temple and our Church in resemblance 597 It is good comming to the Temple howsoeuer 870 There is now no Christian but is a Temple 1175 The building of the Temple 1266 Foure Temples to be seen in that one 1268 The resemblances of it with the Temple of our body 1268 1269 Temporals they are all troublesome 47 Temptations they are more perillous in prosperity then in aduersity 13 Those temptations are most powerfull which fetch their force from pretence of Religious obedience 1100 Christs temptation 1191 Strong temptation is a signe of sound holinesse ibid. The Deuils boldnes in tempting Christ ibid. Solitarinesse a great helpe to it 1192 In euery temptation there is appearance of good 1193 Satans motiue in the temptation of Christ worse then his motion ibid. 1194 No place left free from his temptations 1198 No temptation so dangerous as that which comes vnder the vaile of holinesse 1320 Tempter hee that would alwaies be our tormenter cares but sometimes to bee our tempter 1294 Testaments the maruellous accordance betweene the two Testaments 896 Thank-fulnesse we can neuer do though for a thankefull man 866 A true token of a thankefull heart 1032 Throne what it signifies 465 Thoughts good thoughts make but a thorow are in the wicked 874 Time its pretiousnesse and reasons of redeeming it 48 What to doe that time may neither steale on vs nor from vs. 60 Our wisdome in taking times for ought we doe 474 1051 Tongue the tongues and hearts correspondence 38 The tongue will hardly leaue that which the heart is enured to 149 A foule tongue punished with a foule face 915 Innocency no shelter for an euill tongue 921 How should men bee hypocrites if they had not good tongues 1048 Of the threefold vse of the tongue 1287 Traditions the Papists and Pharisees parallel in matter of traditions 413 Traffique 697 Tranquility vide Quietnesse Trauells aduice therein with the description of some mens ends therein 288 Two occasions of trauel 669 Youth not so fit for trauell as some thinke 670 Of too much speed in sending them forth 671 Early trauell and early rising compared in 3 things 672 What the trauels of our Gentry robs them of 674 675 Trauell for table-talke censured 676 The Trauellers stake for the goodly furniture of his Gentry 678 The trauellers entertainmeÌ„t in popish places 680 What by trauell men get for manners 685 A suit to his Soueraigne and the gentry in this thing 686 Transubstantiation concerning it 656 Treachery what it doth 280 Truth the Churches happinesse when truth and peace kisse each other 6 Diuine truth is most faire and scorneth to borrow beauty 139 Truth in words 217 Truth in dealings with its practice and reward 218 Truth within keeps the wals without 281 The veine wherein truth lies 516 Not bought with ease ibid. It is of an high rate 517 Why men tho doe not so much as câ—eapen it ibid. It is excellent alwayes thoÌ„ the issue be distastfull 518 It stands not more in iudgement then in affection ibid. Of petty chapmen which sell truth for trifles 519 How neere truth and falsehood meet together 933 Truth is not afraid of any light 1060 Truth how it may be concâ—aled though not denied 1077 1078 Truth must not be measured by the poll 1361 Truths lot ibid. V VAine-glory Its Character 294 Valiant the character of a valiant man 176 All valour is cowardise to that which is built vpon religion 1136 Vengeance Gods vengeance when it is hottest it maketh differences of men 921 vide Reuenge No strength can keep sinners for Gods vengeance 951 God hath more wayes for vengeance then he hath creatures 967 Small comfort in the delay of vengeance 1074 Vengeance against rebels may sleepe but cannot die 1263 Vertue euery vertuous action hath a double shadow glory and enuy 57 Vertue not lookt vpon alike with all eyes 853 Euery vertue a disgrace when euery vice hath a title 865 Those men are worse then deuils that hate men for vertue 1023 Vertue what great riches it is 1027 Vestals Prettily described 281 Vice Euery vice hath a title
Father Let vs not number but weigh your texts The rather for that I finde these as your Master-proofes set as Challengers in euery of your defences In Genes 4.13 CAIN a bloudy Fratricide is excommunicated In Genes 6.1 2. The sonnes of God married the daughters of men In Genes 7.1 7. NOAHS time is approued as righteous and enters the Arke In 1 Pet. 3.20 21. The rest in NOAHS time were disobedient and perished What of all this Alas what mockage is this of the Reader and Scriptures Surely you euen ioyne Scriptures as you separate your selues This is right as your Pastor to proue all members of the visible Church elect and precious stones cites 1 King 7.9 where is speech onely of Salomons house in the Forrest of Lebanon his Porch for his Throne his Hall his Palace for Pharaohs daughter and when he comes to describe the office of his imaginarie Doctor thwacks fourteene Scriptures into the margent whereof not any one hath any iust colour of inference to his purpose and in this discourse of the power of the Church that he might seeme to honour his margent with shew of texts hath repeated six places twice ouer in the space of six lines For these of yours you might obiect the first to the Cainites not to vs Cain was cast out worthily Doe we either denie or vtterly forbeare this censure Take heed you follow him not in your voluntarie exile to the land of Nod. The second you might obiect to those mungrell Christians that match with Turkes and Pagans There are sonnes of God that is members of the visible Church and daughters of men which are without the bounds meere Infidels it is sinne for those sonnes to yoke themselues with those daughters What is this to vs Noah was righteous the multitude disobedient Who denies it yet Noah separated not from the corrupted Church till the floud separated him from the earth but continued an ancient Preacher of righteousnesse euen to that peruerse and rebellious Generation But it sufficeth you that Cain and the Giants were separated from the rest We yeeld it what will follow hence saue onely that notorious Malefactors must bee cast out and professed Heathen not let into the Church We hold and wish no lesse your places euince no more These before the Law In Leuit. 20.24.26 God chose our Israel from other people This was Gods act not theirs a sequestring of his Israelites from the Gentiles not of Israel from it selfe yours is your owne and from men in all maine points of your owne profession But therefore Israel must be holy If any man denie holinesse to be required of euery Christian let him feele your Maranatha In Nehem. 9.2 The Israelites separated themselues from the strangers which were Infidels whether in their marriage or deuotion Neither Gods seruice nor an Israelites bed was for Heathens This was not the constituting of a new Church but reforming of the old If therefore you can parallel vs with Pagans and your selues will be Iewes this place fits you Lastly what if there be an hatred betwixt the World and Christs true Disciples Ioh. 17.14.16 what if PETER charged his Auditors to saue themselues from the errors and practise of that froward Generation whose hands were yet freshly imbrewed with the bloud of Christ Act. 2.40 What if the same which PETER taught PAVL practised in separating his followers from hearing some obstinate and blasphemous Iewes Act. 19.9 What if the Church of Corinth were Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 and therefore must be separated from the yoke of Infidels 2.6.17 Are these your patternes Are these fit matches for your brethren baptized in the same water and name professing euery point of the same true faith vsing for substance the same worship with you He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darknesse 1 Ioh. 2.9 SEP Which separation the Church of England neither hath made nor doth make but stands actually one with all that part of the World within the Kingdome without separation for which cause amongst others we haue chosen by the grace of God rather to separate our selues to the Lord from it than with it from him in the visible constitution of it SECTION VI. BVT all these examples perhaps are not so much to warrant what you haue done What separation is to bee made by churches in their planting or restauration In his Preface to the Reader and in his causes of separation defended pag. 4. Eiusdem p. 10. Refutat of M. Gyff p. 22. 2. Transgress p. 51. 52. 55. 66. 70. 85. 86. c. Inconstance of Browne p. 110. Inquiry into M White confessed by Fr. Iohnson pag. 63. Passage twixt Clifton and Smith And concerning the constitution of the Churches c. But the constituting of Churches now after the defection of Antichrist may more properly be called a repairing than a constitution c. as to condemne the Church of England for what shee hath not done for such a separation shee neither hath made nor doth make but stands actually one with all that part of the World within the Kingdome without separation Loe here the maine ground of this Schisme which your Proto-Martyr BARROVV hammers vpon in euery page an ill constitution Thus hee comments vpon your words For where such prophane confuse multitudes without any exception separation or choice were all of them from publike Idolatry at one instant receiued or rather compelled to bee members of the Church in some Parish or other where they inhabited without any due calling to the faith by the preaching of the Gospel going before or orderly ioyning together in the faith there being no voluntarie or particular confession of their owne faith and duties made or required of any and lastly no holy walking in the faith amongst them who can say that these Churches consisting of this people were euer rightly gathered or built according to the rule of Christs Testament In his words and yours I finde both a miscollection and a wrong charge For the former the want of noting one poore distinction breeds all this confusion of Doctrine and separation of men for there is one case of a new Church to be called from Heathenisme to Christianitie another of a former Church to be reformed from errors to more sincere Christianitie In the first of these is required indeed a solemne initiation by Baptisme and before that a voluntarie and particular confession of faith and therefore a cleare separation and exception of the Christian from the Infidell In the latter neither is new Baptisme lawfull though some of you belike of old were in hand with a rebaptization which not then speeding succeedeth now to your shame nor a new voluntarie and particular confession of Faith besides that in Baptisme though very commendable will euer be proued simply necessarie to the being of a Church so long as the erring parties doe actually renounce their doctrines and in open profession
making else-where this sinner worse than the Infidell And the old vulgar can giue no worse terme to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he findes it yea to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebels themselues What doth this brand to a Church not Christian onely though you denie it but famous Of whom is truly verified after all your spleene that which the Spirit writes to the Angell of Ephesus Laborasti non Defecisti Say if you can what Article of the Christian and Apostolike faith haue we renounced What Heresie maintaine we Wherein haue we runne from the Tents of Christ What hold we that may not stand with life in Christ and saluation We challenge all men and Deuils in this point for our innocence Distinguish for starke shame of so foule a word or which is better eat it whole and let not this blemish be left vpon your soule and name in the Records of God and the world that you once said of a Church too good for yours Drencht in Apostasie If wee crie Peace whiles you crie Apostasie surely we flatter whiles you raile betwixt these two dangerous extremes we know an wholsome meane so to approue that we foster not securitie so to censure that we neither reuile nor separate and in one word to doe that which your Pastor could exhort the Separators from your Separation for euen this Schisme hath Schismes If we should mislike yet to rest in our differences of iudgement and notwithstanding peaceably to continue with the Church Had you taken this course you should neither haue needed to expect our pittie nor to complaine of our crueltie Surely whether our loue be cruell or not your hatred is whereof take heed lest you heare from old IACOB Cursed bee their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell How can you expect compassion when you breath fire and write gall Neuer mention the fury of others indignation till the venomous and desperate writings of Barrow and Greenwood be either worne out with time or by the Thunderbolts of your not rare censures be strucke downe to Hell whence their maliciousnesse came I forbeare to recapitulate how much rather had I helpe to burie than to reuiue such vnchristian exprobrations SEP The first action laid against vs is of vnnaturalnesse and ingratitude towards our Mother the Church of England for our causelesse separation from her to which vniust accusation and triuiall querimonie our most iust defence hath beene and is that to our knowledge wee haue done her no wrong we doe freely and with all thankfulnesse acknowledge euery good thing shee hath and which our selues haue there receiued SECTION XIIII INGRATITVDE and vnnaturalnesse to your mother is obiected The Separatists acknowledgements of the graces of the Church of England in that you flie from her yea now woe is me that you spet in her face and marke her for an Harlot Would God the accusation were as far from being iust as from being triuiall Yet perhaps you intend it not in the lightnesse of this charge but the commonnesse you haue caused me to smart for my charitie yet I forbeare it not What is your defence That you haue done her no wrong to your knowledge Modestly spoken that doubtfully we know your wrong but we know not your knowledge it is well if your wrong bee not wilfull an ignorant wrong is both in more hope of amends and of mercie But is not this caution added rather for that you thinke no hard measure can possibly be a wrong to so vile a Church I aske and would bee denied No you doe freely and with all thankfulnes acknowledge euery good thing shee hath Whatsoeuer you doe to vs I will not any more in fauour of you wilfully wrong my selfe you haue bidden me now to take you as a complete Separatist and speake this for your selfe and yours Let the Reader now iudge whether the wrong of your Sect be wilfull and acknowledgment of our good H. Barr. Praef. to the separ defended Causes of separ def p. 12. Confer with Doctor Andr. free and thankfull Your first false-named Martyr shall giue the first witnesse of the titles of our Church Who saith he that were not drunke and intoxicate with the Whores Cup could affirme this confuse Babel these cages of vncleane Birds these Prisons of foule and hatefull Spirits to be the Spouse of Christ And else-where he calls the people of our Church Goats and Swine Is this any wrong to your knowledge The same Author They haue not saith he in their Churches any one thing in their practise proceedings not one pin naile or hooke according to the true patterne Pref. to separ def Do you not now freely and thankfully acknowledge our Churches good things What is more ordinarie with him and his brother in euill Iohn Greenwood than to call our Ministers Baals Priests Cainites the marked seruants of Antichrist Sellers of the Whores wares Worshippers of the Beast Is this yet any wrong to your knowledge Pastor Iohnson sticks not to say that the Ministerie Worship of the Church of England were taken out of the Whores Cup Gyff refuted touch Donat. Obseruat of M. H. Bar. p. 239. Fr. Iohns Reason 9. against M. Iac. p. 74. Iohns against M. Iac. Excep 3. Nota Bene. and plainly stiles our Church as which of you doe not Daughter of the great Babylon that mother of Whoredomes and abominations of the earth yet more That Hierarchie Worship Constitution and Gouernment which they professe and practise being directly Antichristian do vtterly destroy true Christianity so as their people and Churches cannot in that estate be iudged true Christians Do you not now freely and thankfully acknowledge our good things What can any Deuill of Hell say worse against vs than this That we are no Christians Or what good can there be in vs if no true Christianitie If we denied euery Article of the Christian Creed if we were Mahumetans as your good Pastor sticks not to compare vs if the most damned Heretiques vnder Heauen Ibid. what could he say but no Christians Your Teacher and Pastor which is a wonder agree For your Doctor Ainsworth makes this one head of his poysonous Counterpoyson that Christ is not the Head Mediator Counterpoys p. 127. 131. Prophet Priest King of the Church of England You their Disciple are not yet promoted to this height of immodestie yet what are your good things Euen to you we are Apostates Traytors Rebels Babylonish this is well for a Learner Hereafter if you will heare me keepe our good things to your selfe and report our euill Yea that your vncharitablenesse may be aboue all examples monstrous You do not onely denie vs any interest in the Church of Christ but exclude vs what you may from all hope and possibilitie of attaining the honor of Christendome For when a godly Minister protested to Master Barrow Barr. Conference with M. Sperin as Barr. himselfe hath
know none must it needs therevpon be false Which of their Histories is not lyable to variety of report To beginne with the first The succession of Linus and Cletus and Clemens is diuersly reported is there no truth in it To end with the last The title of Paul the fift to the chaire of Peter in the lawfulnesse of his election is diuersly reported hath hee therefore no true claime to his seat But who euer placed Gregories pond in Sicily This is one of the fittens of his Fitz-Simons If other authors haue mentioned this narration then all the strength of this History lyeth not on Hulderick If none besides him his words vary not These are but tricks to out-face truth The Epistle in spight of contradiction is so ancient and what care wee then for names Whether it were Saint Vdalricke or Hulderick or Volusianus wee labour not much Let it bee the taske of idle Criticks to dispute who was Hecuba's mother and what was her age No lesse vaine is my Refuter that spends many wast words about his Saint Vdalricke in shewing the difference of time betwixt him and Pope Nicolas the one dying Anno 869. the other being borne 890. and prouing out of his obscure Sorbonist Monchiacenus that there were fiue Bishops of Auspurge betwixt the times of the one and the other whereby a simple Reader might easily bee deluded and drawne to thinke there is nothing but impossibily and vntruth in our report whereas there is nothing in all this peremptory and colourable flourish of his but meere cogging or misprision For both Illyricus apart and the Centurists and Chemnitius all Germanes that should be best acquainted with the state of their owne haue long since told him that his Saint Vdalricke was not the man whom they held the Author of this Epistle but Hulderick another not much different in name but differing in time aboue seuenty yeares Ne nominis aequiuocatio lectorem turbet Chem. hist de Caeliâ—otâ— and lest the equinocation of the name saith Chemnitius should trouble the Reader There is another Vdalricke of Augusta whom Auentine writes to haue dyed Anno 973. But this Hulderick Aeneas Syluius writes to haue dyed Anno 900 and in the yeare of his age 83. Thus he from the authority of two their famousest Historians from whose account Onuphrius differs not much But that my Refuter may hereafter saue the labour of scanning their discordant Computations whether it were either or neither of them it is not worth to vs one hayre of his crowne since with our faithfull and learned Foxe wee rather from the authority of ancient English Copies Act. Mon. p. 1055. ascribe it to Volusianus whose second Epistle also in the same stile to the same purpose is extant from the same Records not inferiour to the former What matters it for the name when it appeares that the Epistle it selfe is truly anclent ponderous reuerend Theologicall conuictiue and such as the best Romanes heads cannot after seuen hundred yeares shape a iust answer vnto Euen in some Canonicall Bookes though there bee difference in the names of the Pen-men there is full assent to their diuine authority And why is it not so in humane Thus then we haue easily blowne away these light bubbles of Discourse which our Aduersary hath raised out of the Nut-shell of his computation from the Age Person Writings of his Saint Vdalricke and returne his impuram nescio cujus nebulonis Epistolam with his ferrei oris and plumbei cordis backe whence it came to the Writer cited by my Aduersary not named But by better due to the next hand whereto I am no whit beholding for leauing it vn-englished In that C. E. spared not mee but himselfe who is nescio quis but he that leapeth into the Presse without a name Who Nebulo rather then he that masketh and marcheth sub nebulâ hoping to passe in the conflict for a doughtie Knight or Champion Sconoscinto not daring to lift vp his Beuer Who writes impuram Epistolam but he that hath scribbled a Voluminous Epistle to cry down pure and Honourable Mariage for the inhauncing of impure Celibate not that in Thesi Celibate is impure but in Hypothesi theirs forced and hypocriticall SECT III. AS for the difference that he finds in our number of Pope Nicolas whether first or second or third we may thanke his Gratian whose fashion it is as likewise Sigeberts to name the Popes without the note of their number wee are sure it was not Nicolas Nemo which wrote to Odo Bishop of Vienna reprouing him for giuing leaue to Aluericus a Deacon to marry thereupon sending his contrary Decree to the Germane Churches which it seemes or the like imposition gaue occasion to this noble Epistle But can there be any Game amongst our English Popish Pamphleters where the Fox is not in chase Where is the shame of this Romane Priest whiles he so manifestly belyes our holy reuerend worthy Master Foxe whom this Scoganly Pen dare say playes the Goose in the inconstancy of his Relation of this Nicholas first reporting him the first then the second when it is most manifest in the during Monuments of that industrious and excellent Author that he stil insists vpon Nicholas the second reiecting by many Arguments the opinion of them which haue referred it to the first Such truth there is in shorne crownes Iohn Husse was a Goose by name and now Iohn Foxe is a Goose by reproch Two such Geese are more worth then all the fawning Curres of the Romane Capitoll And how much more wit then fidelity is there in my Detector whiles he would proue that Pope Gregory had then no pond because there is now no ponds at Rome As if Rome were now in any thing as it was as if twelue hundred yeares had made no alteration Nunc seges est vbi Troia fuit As if the streets of Troy were not now Champaine As if his Lipsius could now find Rome in Rome As if lastly that man were vncapable of a large pond whose Sea is vniuersall As for the number of childrens heads I say no more for it then hee can against it this Historie shall be more worth to vs then his deniall But this I dare say that I know persons both of credit and honour Vid. quâ— supra l. 1. S. 12. Histor Rodulphi Bourn c. that saw betwixt fifty and threescore cast vp out of the little Mote of an Abbey where I now liue Let who list cast vp the proportion After the refusall of this worthy Epistle according to his fashion he tries to disgrace it with vs telling vs that therin the Bishop of Rome is stiled Supreme Head Gouernour of the whole Church If it were thus so much more powerfull is the Testimony against them by how much more the witnesse was theirs There must needs be much cause when he that so humbly ouer-titles the person resists the Doctrine so vehemently But the
truth is that the Epistle stiles Pope Nicolas no otherwise in the superscription then Sanctae Ecclesiae Romanae prouisorem Ouer-seer of the holy Romane Church And in the body of the letter Summae sedis Pontificem Bishop of the chiefe See to whom the examination of the common affaires of the Church doth appertain which is far other then in the now Romane sense the Supreme Head of the Church Secondly he tels vs that this Epistle both grants and allowes a Vow of Continency He excepts none but a professor of Continence Nullum excipit nisi professorem continentiae wherin we are no other then friends we yeeld no lesse where there is good euidence of the gift and calling of God But whiles our Volusian grants the professor of continency bound and pleads the Clergy to be free how plainly doth he shew vs that there vvas no such Vow then required of no such made by the Clergie But what needs the man to be so furiously angry with the good old Epistler Pag. 272. for saying that the Apostles charge Let euery one haue his own Wife is generall to all reaching to the Clergy as well as the Laity excepting none but those which haue the gift of Continency What Logick the want whereof he somtimes causlesly obiecteth of me euer taught him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnusquisque was any other then vniuersall Euery one Or vvhat other sense can be put vpon the words of the Apostle Could I as truly vpbraid Sir Refuter with reading the Logick Lesson as he doth me with the Rhetorick surely I should not now be put to paines to teach this Nouice that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnusquisque is a terme of collectiue vniuersalitie and must be extended to all where kinde is excepted tacitely ex natura rei as this case must needs be acknowledged to be fore-prizing none but such as haue the gift of Continencie which S. Paul toucheth vpon in that Chapter Iudge then Reader whether the Catholike Bishop that wrote this or the Mis-Catholike Masse-Priest that reproues it be more worthy of Bedleem SECT IIII. LAstly yet as if in the loose he would shake hands and be friends with him Refut p. 273. whom he had so long defied he thus closes vp Then if Priests haue this gift and haue prefixed this course to themselues in the Lord they shall not need to marry And this is the case of all Clergy-men who vow Chastitie Thus he Beleeue him Readers if ye can All the Romish Clergie all Votaries haue the gift of Continency Witnesse our foresaid Volusianus in the same Period Multos eiusdem consilii assentatores hominibus non Deo pro falsâ specie continentiae placere volentes grauiora vides committere patrum scilicet vxores subagitare masculorum ac pecudum amplexus non abhorrere I wil not English it for shame Would God the World did not too well find still these proofes of Romish Chastitie Nunc etiam Romae quidlibet audet Amor. But as one that thinkes no man can be his friend except also he be our enemy Propert. Refut p. 274. like a true Make-bate he will tell vs a tale in our eare that shall set a perpetuall iarre betwixt vs and our Hulderick Iwis sayes my Refuter your Vdalricke is not the man you take him for For thus he there writes to the Pope Wherefore O reuerend Father it shall bee your part to cause and ouer-see that whosoeuer either with hand or mouth hath made a Vow of Continency as all Clergy men in holy Orders haue and afterwards would forsake the same should be either compelled to keep his Vow or else by lawfull authority should be deposed from his order So he But we are not so light of beliefe to lose a friend thus easily Know then Reader that the * * As all Clergy men in holy Orders haue Parenthesis which is the harshest piece of this clause is foisted into the Text and forged by this Cauiller the quite contrary whereof is affirmed in the former Period of our Vldaricke where thus he writes Non parùm quippe c. From this holy discretion thou hast not a little swerued when as thou wouldest haue those Clergy men whom thou oughtest onely to aduise to Abstinence from Mariage compelled vnto it by a certaine imperious violence For is not this iustly in the iudgement of all wise men to bee accounted violence when as against the Euangelicall Institution and the charge of the Holy Ghost any man is constrained to the execution of priuate Decrees The Lord in the old Law appointed Mariage to his Priest which hee is neuer read afterwards to haue forbidden So he Let my Refuter then reconcile this false Parenthesis with the true Text which he can neuer doe since it directly crosseth the whole scope of Huldericks Epistle and then he shall see vs easily reconcile Huldericks proposition with ours But not so long to delay my Readers satisfaction the truth is The Author pleades for an indifferent immunitie of Clergie men from the necessitie of this Vow else the Epistle were contradictory to it selfe for if he suppose that all the Clergy had vowed and all that had vowed should be compelled to keepe their Vow how could he plead that the Clergy should not be compelled to Continence The drift of Vldaricke or Volusian then is that it may be equally lawfull equally free for Priests either to vow or not to vow continency which granted if any one hauing liberty not to haue vowed Praefixit hoc sibi in Domino ibid. or obserued it shall notwithstanding prefixe this course to himselfe in the Lord out of a long-setled experience and assurance of this calling and gift of God and now when he hath thus ingaged himselfe to the expectation of the Church voluerit apostare shall be froward wantonly to abandon this vow willingly neglecting all good meanes for the continued obseruation thereof such a one shall be liable either to compulsion or deposition As now if any one of ours should in the midst of freedome bind himselfe by a voluntary vow it were pity and shame that he should play fast and loose at pleasure with impunity What Wooll then is here worthy of this cry Or wherein hath our Author offended vs whiles we neither make this vow nor can therefore euer breake it nor euer allowed the breakers of so made vowes guiltlesse Refut p. 276. One quarrell yet he cannot remit to Master Foxe and me that for this fore-named Hulderick we cite Aeneas Siluius in his Germania a booke that neuer was This great helluo librorum hath wearied all Libraries and consulted with his Tritemius and Posseuine neither of them mention any such worke of Aeneas Siluius whereas if he had but taken the booke next the doore Gesner Bibliotheca hee had found if at least he could haue seene the Wood for Trees Siluius his Germania which for fayling he might haue heard of in a