Protestants set not up a differeÌ„t ReligioÌ„ for the christian Religion is the same to both but they differ in the same Religion and the difference is in certain grosse corruptions to the very endangering of salvation which each side saith the other is guiltie of Star-chamber speach pag. 36. My second reason is That the learned make but three Religions to have beene of old in the world Paganisme Iudaisme and Christianitie and now they have added a fourth which is Turcisme Now if this ground of theirs be true as it is generally neceived perhaps it will be of dangerous consequence sadly to avow that the popish religion is rebellion though this clause passed in the â—iturgie through inadvertrance in King Iames time this reason well weighed is taken from the very foundation of Religion it selfe ibid. pag. 34. His Majesty expresly commanded mee to make the alteration and to see it printed 2 They will have us to understand though wee the papists differ in some things yet that this very day their is no schisme betwixt papists and Protestants that protestants keep union and communion with the Church of Rome in all things required for the essence of a true Church necessarie for salvation that though they communicate not with some of her doctrines and practices yet this marres not the true union and communion of the two Churches both in faith and charitie That these who passe harder censures upon Rome are but zelots in whom too much zeale hath burnt up all wisedome and charitie (z) Pottar p. 3. 66. Wee darre not communicat with Rome either in her publicke Liturgie which is manifestly polluted with grosse superstition or in these corrupt and ungrounded opinions which she hath added to the faith These make up the poperie but not the Church of Rome In them our communion is dissolved but wee have still a true and reall union with that and all other members of the Church universall in faith and charitie ibid. pag. 74. To depart from the Church of Rome in some doctrines and practices wee had just necessarie cause though the Church of Rome wanted nothing necessarie to salvation There is great difference betwixt shisme from them and reformation of our selfe It is one thing to leave communion with the Church of Rome and another to leave communicating with her erros whosoever professeth himselfe to forsake the communion of any one member of Christs bodie must confesse himself consequently to forsake the whole And therefore wee forsake not Romes communion more nor the body of Christ whereof wee acknowledge the Church of Rome to bee a member though corrupted If any Zelots hath proceeded among us to heavier censures their zeal may bee excused but their charitie and wisedome can not hee iustified Cant. relat p. 192. The Protestants have not left the Church of Rome in her essence but in her errors not in things which constitute a Church but only in such abuses and corruptions which worke toward the dessolution of a Church 3 Thar the points wherein the two Churches doe differ are such as prejudge not the Salvation of either partie that they are not foundamentall and albeit they were so yet the truths that the papists doe maintaine are of force to hinder all the evil that can coÌ„me from their errours (†) Cant. relate pag. 249. The foundation is and remaineth whole in the mids of their superstitions Heylens answere pag. 124. Suppose a great Prelat in the high Commission Court had said openly That wee and the Church of Rome differed not in fundamentalibus yet how commeth this to be an innovation in the doctrine of England For that church telleth us in the 19. article That Rome doth erre in matters of Faith but it hath not told us that she doth erre in fundamentalibus Halls old religion after the beginning It is the charitable profession of zealous Luther that under the poperie there is much Christian good yea all that under the papacie there is true Christianity yea the kernell of Christianitie Neither doe wee censure that Church for what it hath not but for what it hath Fundamentall truth is like the Maronian wine which if it bee mixed with twentie times so much water holds his strength Rome as it is Babylon wee must come out of it but as it is an outward visible Church wee neither did nor would Butterfields Maskell Poperie is poyson but fundâ—mentall truch is an antidot A little quantitie of antidot that is soveraigne will destroy much poyson Pottar pag. 62. The most necessarie and fundamentall truths which constitute a Church are on both sides unquestioned ibid. By fundamentall points of Faith wee understand these prime and capitall doctrines of Religion which make up the holy Catholick Faith which essentially constitutes a true Church and a true Christian The Apostles Creed taken in a Catholicke sense that is as it was further opened in some parts by occasion of emergent heresies in the other catholicke creed of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and Athanasius is said generally by the Scholemen Fathers to comprehend a perfect catalogue of fundamentall truths to imply a full rejection of fundamentall heresies ibid. pag. 109. It semeed to some men of great learning and judgement such as Hooker and Morton that all who professe to love the Lord Iesus are brethren and may be saved though with erros even fundamentall truths to imply a full rejection of fundamentall heresies ibid. p. 109 It seemed to some men of great learning and judgement such as Hooker and Morton that all who professe to love the Lord Iesus are brethren and may be saved though with errors even fundamentall Heretickes doe imbrace the principles of Christianitie and erre only by misconstruction Whereupon their opinions albeit repugnant indeed to Faith yet are held other wise by them and maintained as consonant to the Faith 4 That the popish errours let bee to bee fundamentall are of so small importance as they doe not prejudge either faith hope or charitie let be salvation (a) Cant relat pag. 361 Holcat Non omnis error in his quae fidei sunt est aut infidelitas aut haeresis In things not necessarie though they bee divine truths if about them men differ it is no more then they have done more or lesse in all ages and they may differ and yet preserve that one necessary Faith intire and charitie also if they be so well minded for opinions which flattereth about that one souls saving Faith there are dangerous differences this day Pottar pag. 38. It is a great vanitie to hope or expect that all learned men in this life should absolutely consent in all the particles of the divine truth so long as the Faith once delivered to the Saints and that common faith containing all necessary verities is keeped So long as men walke charitably according to this rule though in other things they be otherwise minded the unitie of the Church is no wise
autâ—m dicit author ille tuus dans gloriam Deo 8 That the temporall principalities which the Pope enjoyeth this day in Italie or elswhere are but his just possessions which none ought to invy him (p) Montag antid pag. 95. Habeat ille suas sibi opes facultates fundos habeat latifundia principatum dominium per Ecclesia terras Petri possessiones obtineat dummode contentus vetuctiorum principum liberalitate alienam non invadat possessionem 9. That the restitution of the Popes ancient authority in England and yeelding unto him all the power that this day he hath in Spaine or France would be many wayes advantageous and in nothing prejudiciall to the King (q) Cant. relat pag. 202 Hee that is not blinde may see if hee wil of what little value the popes power in France and Spaine is this day further then to serve the turns of their Kings therewith which they doe to their great advantage 10 The old constitution of the Emperour whereby all the westerne clergie is so farre subjected to the Bishop of Rome that without him they are disabled to make any Ecclesiasticall law and obliged to receave for lawes what he doth enjoyne was very reasonable Yea if the King would be pleased to command all the church men in his dominions to be that far subject to the Pope they would be unreasonable to refuse present obedience (r) Montag antid pag. 156. Quod è codice allegatur Theodosiano decernimus ne quid tam Episcopis Gallicanis quaÌ„ aliarum provinciarum contra consuetudinem veterem liceat sine viri venerabilis Papae urbis alternae authoritate tentare sed illis omnibusque legis loco sit quicquid sanxit sanxeritve sedis apostolicae authoritas Quicquid hic pontifici sayeth Montagow arrogatur id totum edicto debetur Theodosiano vel vetustae consuetudini quicquid autem per rescriptum tribuitur imperatoris ad occidentales credo solos pertinebat nec omnes quibus juxta veterem consuetudinem Pontifex praesidebat ut Patriarcha Decernat imperator de Gâ—rmanis episcopis Rex Angliâ— de Britannis suis Francorum de Gallicanis quod olim Theodosius decrevit dicto erunt omnes obedientes Onely by all meanes my Lord of Canterburies prerogative behoved to bee secured his ancient right to the patriarchat of the whole Isle of Britaine behoved to be made cleare that to his rod the whole clergie of the Isle might submit their shoulders as to their spirituall head and Monarch from whom to Rome there could bee no appeale (Å¿) Cant. relat pag. 171. It is plaine that in these ancient times in the Church government Britaine was neever subject to the Sea of Rome for it was one of the six diocies of the West Empire and had a pâ—â—mat of its own Nay Iohn Capgraw and William Mabinnesburrie tell us that Pope Vrbâ—n the second in the Councel at Bari in Apuleia accounâ—ed my worthie predecessor S. Anselme as his owne Compeer and said Hee was as the patriarch and apostolick of the other world quasi comparem veluti Apostolicum alterius orbis Patriarcham Now the Britains having a primate of their own which is greater then a Metropolitan yea a patriarch if yee wil he could not be appealed from to Rome in any cause which concerned onely the churches of the Kings dominions for in causes more universall of the whole catholicke Church willingly they are contented that the Patriarch of Britaine and all others should submit to their grand Apostolicke father of Rome (t) Montag Antid pag. 57. Rectè cautum erat olim per canones vetustae Ecclesiae ut Romanus ille primus Episcoporum cui tot per occidentem suffraganei adherebant suam sententiam rogatus adhiberet ubi fidei Ecclesiae universalis vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in rebus ad politiam spectantibus agitabatur supra Everie one of these pontificall positions since the midst of Henrie rhe eights raigne would have beene counted in England great paradoxes yet now all of them are avowed by Canterbuerie himself in that verie booke which the last yeare at the Kings direction hee set forth for to satisfie the world anent their suspition of his Poperie or else by D. Montagu in his books yet unrepealed and cleanged of all suspition of Poperie by M. Dow under the seal of his Graces licencing servant This much for the Pope About the Cardinalls they tell us that their office is an high and eminent dignitie in the Church of God Their minde to the Cardinalat for the which their persons are to be handled with great reverence and honour (w) Montag ap pag. 56 Penitere non potuit Baronium eruditissimuÌ„ laboriosissimum virum industriae suae ac deligentiae Cardinalitiame niminde merito quidem suo adeptus suscepit dignitateÌ„ ibid. pag. 75. Virum illustri adeo nominis celebritate eminentissima dignitate coÌ„stitutum honestum probum preterea in vita privata rigidem severum ac tantum non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nusquam nisi honorificentissime compellavi that their office is a reward due to high graces and vertues that some of them though the greatest enemies that ever the reformed Churches have felt such as Baronius that spent all his time in opposing the trueth and advancing Antichristianisme and Barromaeus (x) Pokling Alt. pag. 34. The Linchonshire Minister it his jearing veine flouteth Cardinal Baromaeus whereas if he list to read his life he may not be ignorant that the Cardinall was a man of exemplarie holinesse and spent the greatest part of his life in fasting prayer almes-deeds preaching exhoration and doctrine and did detest both impietie and vanitie both in word and deed Me thinkes his conscience should checke him for his scornfull usage of a man who had the report of so vertuous and pious a Bishop a bloudy persecutor of our religion and one of the fathers of Trent that even such men are so full of grace and pietie that it is a great fault in any protestant to break so much as a jest on their red hattes Where the head and shoulders are so much affected it is hard to restraine charitie from the rest of the bodie These good men vent their passion no lesse towards the bodie of the present Church of Rome then towards the Pope and the Cardinalls Foâ— first his grace avowes over and over againe that the Papists and wee are of one and the same religion They affect much to be joyned with the Church of Rome as shee stands that to speak otherwayes as the Liturgie of England did all King Iames dayes were a matter of very dangerous consequent and therefore he confesseth his helping that part of the liturgie which puts a note of infamie upon the popish religion least that note should fall upon our owne religion which with the popish is but all one (y) Cant. relat p 36 The Church of Rome
violated for it doth consist in the unitie of faith not of opinions in the union of mens hearts by true charitie which easily tolerateth unnecessar differences Some points of religion are primitive articles essentiall in the obiect of Faith Dissension in these is pernitious and destroyeth unitie Other are secundary probable obscure and accidentall points Disputations in these are tolerable Unitie in these is very contingent and variable As in musicall consort a discord now and then so it bee in the discant and depart not from the ground sweetens the harmonie So the varitie of opinions and rites in divers parts of the Church doth rather commend then prejudice the unitie of the whole Montag Antigog page 14. Truth is of two sorts among men manifest and confessed truth or more obscure and involved truth Plainly delivered in Scripture are all these points which belong unto Faith and maners hope and charitie I know none of these contraverted inter partes The articles of our creed are confessed on both sides held plaine enough The contraverted points are of a larger and inferiour allay Of them a man may be ignorant without any danger of his soule at all A man may resolve or oppose this way or that way with out perrell of perishing Cant. relat about the end The coruptions of Rome materially and in the very kinde and nature are leaven drosse hay and stubble yet the Bishop thought that such as were misled by education or long custome or overvalving the Soveraignity of the Romane Church and did in simplicitie of heart imbrace them might by theyr generall repentance and Faith in the Merits of Christ attended with charitie and other verues finde mercie at Gods hands Shelfoord pag. 235. Though there bee some difference among us in ceremonies and expositions which destroy not yet still our head Christ by Baptisme stands upon our bodie and the substance of the Gospel is intire and whole among us by retaining the articles of the Faith the volume of the New-Testament and the practice there of by Faith and good workes ibid. page 239. There bee differences which hinder our agreement What then Among the Greekes there were divers Dialects and yet they had but one language they held together in the maine So though Papists have a letter more then wee and wee one letter for another yet wee hold together in the radix Paul could beare with differences expecting Gods reformation If you bee otherwise minded God shall revaile For the present let us bee patient and afterward God will shew where the errour lyeth Why should wee presume so much of our skill while wee are in our none-age and know but in part Have not better men then wee beene deceived Have not dissenting Fathers and slyding Schoolists been alwayes borne with in points of Religion Fiftly That a generall repenrance for all unknowne sinnes is sufficient to secure the salvation not only of these who have lived and died in the popish tenets before the councell of Trent but even to this day not only their people but their most learned Clergie Popes Cardinalls Iesuits living and dying in their bitter oppositions and persecutions of protestants are in no hazard of damnation though they never come to any particular acknowledgement of their sinfull opinions or practises following thereupon (b) Pottar page 77. Wee hope well of these holy soules who in former ages lived and died in the church of Rome for though they died in many sinfull errours yet because they did it ignorantly through unbeliefe not knowing them either to bee errours or sins and repented in generall for all their unknowne trespasses wee doubt not but they obtained pardon of all their ignorances Nay our charitie reacheth further to all these that this day who in simplicitie of heart believe the Romane religion and professe it But we understand only them who either have no sufficient meanes to finde the truth or else as after the use of the best meanes they can have all things considered finde no sufficient motives to convince their consciense of errours Chomley his defence of Hall I dare bee bold to say that the church of Rome had not for many hundreth yeares before the councel of Trent so good a forme of doctrine as the Tridentin catechisme doth containe Sixtlie They teach us that papists may not in reason be stiled either idolaters or hereticks or schismaticks His Grace in that great large folio set out the last yeare to declare to the world the fartherst that his minde could be drawen for to oppose poperie is not pleased to my memorie in his most verhement oppositions to lay to their charge any of these three cirmes neither doe I remember in all the search my poore lecture hath made that any of his favourits in their writtes these twelve yeares bygone hath layed to the charge of Rome in earnest either idolatrie heresie or shisme but by the contrary hath absolved them clearly in formall termes of al those three cirmes (c) Shelfoord p. 300 I am not in the minde that all images are idols but only when they are worshipped for gods This the word idolatria signifieth the wotshipping of images with latria that is divine worship as it is used by Divines Cant. relat pag. 299. They keepe close to that which is superstition and in the case of images come near to idolatrie Montag apar page 79. Et certè quamdiù palam non deficiunt à pietate cultu Dei proprio ad idolatriam etiam moribus impii vita contaminati tolerantur in Ecclesia non minus quam milvus corvus immunda animalierant in arca Ecclesia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singulari At nullus in arca erat idololatres quia Christianam pietatem quatenus Christianam idololatres execratur Montag pag. 309. Dei cultum latriam quam appellant nec possumus alicui creaturae nec debemus sive humanae sive angelicae quamvis excellentissimae impendere Hoc fatibitur Bullingerus Pontificius tota schola non insanientium adversariorum nolunt enim illi quovis modo cuicunque creaturae latriam nequidem cultu relativo exhiberi Montag Antigag page 319. You say that images must not have latria so we let your practice and doctrine goe together and wee agree Dow against Burton obiecteth that my lord Canterburie did raze out the publicke booke of fasts this sentence Thou hast delivered us from superstition and idolatrie wherein we were utterly drowned his chief answere is That men may bee good Protestants and yet not damne all their forefathers who lived before the reformation as hee must doe who saith of them they were wholly drowned in idolatrie which though M. Burton perhaps will not yet some men may thinke it to be a reason sufficient for the leaving out of that sentence Of idolatrie because they teach not the giving of latria to any image or any creature (d) Cant relat page 306. Non omnes error in his que fidei
sunt est aut infidelitas aut heresis Pottar page 102. Every sect hath some zelots so passionatly in love with their own opinions that they condemne all other differing from them to bee hereticall so there liveth not a Christian on earth who in the judgement of many other is not an hereticke ibid. page The Gyant in Gath was a true man though much deformed with superfluous fingers and toes but if one lose any vital part hee is a man no longer there is not so much danger in adding superfluities as is in detracting what is essentiall and necessarie that the Church shall never bee robbed of anie truth necessarie to the beeing of the Church the promises of Christ assureth us but that shee shal adde no unnecessarie truth wee have no warrant Of heresie because their errours taketh no part of the fundation away but are onely excesses and additions consisting with all fundamentall trueth (e) Cant. relat page 316. If any will bee a leader teaching hereticke and adde shisme to heresies and bee obstinate in both hee without repentance must needs bee lost while many that succed him in the errour onely and no obstinacy may bee saved I say those howsoever misled are neither schismaticks nor hereticks before God and are therefore in a state of salvation Monag Apar pag. 28. Sectam haeresin non faciunt ii qui constanter retinent doctrinam traditam nec enim ille haereticus dicetur qui per omnia Romanam fidem integerrimè profitetur ibid. p. 389. Schismatici singularitate rapti in transversus quales Scaliger Calvinus Pareus alii opinatores quaero autem an quis ferendus sit homo novis terrae filius qui contempto spretoque consensu majorum suas phreneticas observationes obtruserit Of shisme because they goe on in the practice of their forbeares without introducing any late novations 7. They declare it were very good we had present peace with Rome as she stands her errours being but in opinions which charitie ought to tolerate that the Church of England would gladly embrace this peace that Cassander and the like who further this reconciliation are the men of the world most worthie of praise that the Iesuits and Calvinists both purytanes who hinder this peace are the most flagitious and intollerable (f) Shelford page 238. Let us Christians leave off our divisions the papists and wee call upon one God our Father upon one Christ our Saviour one holy Ghost our sanctifier and wee have but one meane to unite us to this holy Uni-trinitie which is Baptisme How then should wee not bee brethren O blessed Iesus raise up one to bid the people returne blessed bee that peace maker among men Nulla salus bello pacem te poscimus omne ibid page 296. Why judge wee so eagerly others for holding of errours ane asy without them Some errours we may beare with charitie teacheth me to judge that errours of Christians are not of intention but ignorance For I beleeve that willingly and willingly neither Papist Protestant nor Lutheran would wrong their Head Christ whom daily they professe Montag apar page 45. Citius inter digladiantes Philosophos de summo bono quam inter Protectantes Papistas inaudita nomina superioribus saeculis subintroducta nuper inauspicato de controversis inter ipsos quaestionibus conveniet sed viderunt posteri de dissidiis istis quae penè nihil sani sancti nihil in vita moribus nobis reliquerunt cum profani homines politici sub praetextu simulatione religionis suas improbas actiones enormia desideria soleant palliare Post mota haec certamina inter partes odiis decertatim vatinianis atque eo deventum est utrinque insaniae excessus ut ferre eos nequeant zelotae furiosi plerique utrinque theologi qui non una cum ipsis velint insanire Quam indignis modis Cassander vi◠usque ad miraculum eruditus ipsissima modestia pro bitatis anima exceptus fuerit ab importunis utrinque Consoribus Calvino nimirum propter editum illum aureum libellum de officio viri pii pluribus inter Iesuitas propter consultationem Paulo liberiorem ignorat nemo quam fortunae aliam subire Andreas Tricius aliique qui impudenter noluerunt essa contentiosi ibid. page 78. Hoc tempore tituli insilices protestantium papislarum variantibus de fide ae pietate sententiis distraxerunt in diversum Christianum orbem si qui sint qui bellum malint aeternum qui velint odia exerceri immortalia traducant illi nostram quae solet odiosius exagitari tepeditatem vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego filius illius pacifici pacificatoris qui fecit utraque unum desiecta macerie separalionis neque certè arbitror ab hac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab horret nostrae Anglicanae Ecclesiae suffragium voluntas quod nonnulli putant vehementer contendunt ibid. page 245. In Pharisaeis ad vivum depictas imagines intueamur eorum hominum qui Pharisaica nobis insituta in Christianismum retulere puritanos intelligo Iesuitas sive ut verius dicam utrumque puritanos honestatis etiam civilis reduviae pietatis carcinomata Christianismi dehonestamenta pacis concordiae alastoras pernities persons of this age All this and much more of such stufe you may see printed not onely with allowance but with applause by the chiefe of that faction his Grace himselfe Montagow the first of the three none suches Pottar in that his much beloved piece put out as he sayeth at the command of authority (g) Pottars Epistle to the King it was undertaken in obedience to your Maiesties particular commandement Shelfoorde in his pious Sermons printed by the Vniversity of Cambridge presse at the direction of the Vice-Chancellour D. Beel dedicated to the Lord Keeper of England adorned with many triumphing Epigrammes both latine and english by a number of the fellows and although called in yet no censure to this day for all the complaints against it to our hearing hath been put either on the author or printer or licencer or adorners or any Doctrine contained therein but the worst that Burton could pycke out of it is all defended by Dow and Heylen at his Graces speciall direction and subscribed licence as wee shall hear anone I hope now that all true protestants pondering the passages I have brought beside many mo wherewith themselves from their owne readings are acquainted will not only absolve my alledgeances of rashnesse and slander but also wonder at the incredible boldnesse of those men who in these times wherein the Prince and state are by so many and deep tyes obliged and according to their obligations hath so oft declared themselves possionatly zealous for the maintenance of protestant orthodoxie that yet they should be so peart as to print in the royall city and after long and great grumblings of the people formal