great Learning and good Life was chose in his stead who after the Election declared himself to be a Catholick whereupon they persecuted him grievously causing the Circumcellians to pull out his Tongue and to cut off his Hand They dragged Restitutus a Presbyter Aug. de gestis cum Emerit through a Channel of Mud and after twelve days cruel Torment killed him They murdered Maximianus Bishop of Vaga in like manner for nothing but demanding of them the Possession of a Church which they had took of him and which he recovered of them at Law They put out the Eyes of others and poured Lime and Vinegar in the Holes Aug. Concresc Possid in vit Aug. in Hist of the Don. They terrified with Fire and Sword all the Churches of Africa insomuch that the Catholicks were afraid to Travel for fear of their Circumcellians They not only silenced the Catholicks but proclaimed it by the common Cryer that whoever did Communicate with Maximianus Aug. Ep. 166. lett E. should have his house burnt They laid wait for Possidius Bishop of Calame with a design to kill him and because he escaped their Snares as St. Augustines word is they fired the house twice in which he took Sanctuary The like outrages did these Pseudo-Zealots commit upon Marcus a Presbyter of Caspalia on Marcianus Vrgensis Ibid. and innumerable others In a word so long as they had Power no good Catholick that lived among them could be secure of his Possessions or Life its self C. 62. Obvios quosque erroribus suis alienos saies Danaeus all that were not of their Party and Opinion they made no Conscience of Killing and yet themselve would cry out of Persecution upon the least touch of restraint A further account of these Donatists may be seen in the 48 50 68 166 167 168 170 171 172. and others of St. Augustines Epistles shewing the great agreement of the modern Schismaticks with those of St Augustines time AERIANS AND PRESBYTERIANS PRESBYTERIANS were so called at first for the great share that they assigned to the Lay-Elders in the Government of the Church and State as also for a Parity that they would have among Ministers or a Coaequality between Bishops and Presbyters The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best rendred an Order of Elders an Ecclesiastical Senate or Clasis and so the word Presbyterian signifies one that is for the Government of the Church by Lay-Elders But custom which commands the propriety of words has made it appropriate to such Protestants as are for a Parity among Ministers in opposition to Episcopal Government Some perhaps may frame the Denomination from Aerius the first of that Opinion thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 old Aerius or Presbyter Aerius who was the first of any Sect that stood up for a Parity among Ministers in opposition to Episcopacy which was on this occasion Dan. on Aug. de Haeres c. 53. Aerius being ordained Presbyter by Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia was afterward by the Bishop made Master of an Hospital as I understand those words of Danaeus Ptochodocheio preficitur The Bishop controuling him in the managery of the Hospital He first quarrels the Bishop and then separates from him broaching this Error Presbyterum ab Episcopo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. ordine gradu non differre sed qui Presbyter est Episcopum dici c. that a Bishop and a Presbyter differ not either in Order or Degree but that a Presbyter is a Bishop c. On which very account Danaeus himself tho a sworn Enemy to Episcopacy confesses that Epiphanius Augustine and Isidore accounted him and his Followers Hereticks Aerianos Haereticorum albo ascripsere Epiph. Aug. Isid in eo quod Presbyteri Episcopi parem dignitatem constituerunt and Epiphanius Adv. Aerium calls the Aerians the most brainsick Hereticks that ever were for holding that Presbyters may ordain Presbyters and that Bishops and Presbyters were all one About the Year 1561. the Presbyterians began to be called Puritans on this account Queen Elizabeth having published a Book of Orders injoining strict Conformity to the Orders and Discipline of the Church in Opposition to Popery and Presbytery both Such as proceeded in Opposition to the Queens Injunctions relating to Presbytery or Nonconformity were called Puritans as the Novatians were Catheri as men professing the greater purity in the Worship of God which they placed chiefly in a shew of great Detestation of the Ceremonies and Corruptions of the Church of Rome above other men But taking the word Presbyterian in its first and most proper Acceptation for all such Protestants as are for a Parity among Ministers in Opposition to Episcopacy and to such Church-Ceremonies as the Episcopal Government requires there is this following account given of them Their first rise was in Geneva a City not above two miles compass governed by a Duke Heyl. Hist of Presb. l. 1. n. 2. n. 4. and a Bishop chiefly a Bishop who as Mr. Calvin confesses had not only the Ecclesiastical but Civil Jurisdiction over it till Viretus and Farellus exceeding studious of a Reformation in Religion laboureth with the Bishop for such Alteration as had been made in the Church of Berne But not able to prevail with the Bishop they practiced on the inferior sort of People and that so effectually that in a tumultuous manner they drove the Bishop and Clergy out of Town and not only alter'd every thing that displeased them in the Church but changed the Civil Government disclaiming all Allegiance to their Bishop or Duke either Ibid. n. 4. for which rebellious Atchievement Calvin calls Farellus the Father of the publick Liberty The Government of the City being thus put into the hands of the Common People by the endeavours of Farellus N. 5 Mr. Calvin was chose one of the Preachers of Geneva and soon after Divinity-Reader which done he presently negotiates with them to abjure all Obedience to their Bishop for the time to come Beza on the Life of Calvin and to admit of such a form of Discipline as he and his Colleagues had devised for them And having prevailed herein the said Discipline viz. the Presbyterian Discipline was generally sworn and subscribed to on July 20. 1537 the very same Year as I remember that the Order of Jesuits was founded and this was the first Extract of Presbytery as my Author says begot in Rebellion born in Sedition and nursed up in Faction No sooner was it setled in Geneva Hist of Pres lib. 1. n. 6. but Calvins next endeavours were to promote it in other places which he did effectually notwithstanding the Jars and Discords that it occasioned by these and the like means N. 11. 1. By the great Reputation that Calvin had attained to for his diligence in Preaching and Writing whereby he became the Oracle of the Times 2. His imposing it on the People on pain of Gods high displeasure and Beza after
Celecius and by the help of her money calls in Donatus à casa nigra with some others to strengthen the Party much after the same manner as Viret and Farellus did Calvin at Geneva This Donatus was presently made the head of the Faction who tho himself and most of his Party had been Traditors i.e. such as to evade the Dioclesian Persecution had delivered up their Bibles to be burnt yet accuses Cecilian of being a Traditor and on that account not fit to be Bishop of Carthage whereupon they set up Majorinus a Presbyter and Mock-bishop in the stead of or rather against the good Bishop Cecilian and thus the Schism began by erecting Altar against Altar Dan on Aug. de Haeres c. 69. in setting up Majorinus a Pseudo-Bishop against Cecilian the lawful and good Bishop of Carthage But this Majorinus died immediately upon the first broach of the Schism and was succeeded by Donatus à casis nigris and he by Donatus Magnus from whom they were called Donatists priding themselves much in this Denomination è parte Donati The Schism increased daily and began by the Conduct of Donatus to set up private meetings Ibid. which they called the only True and Holy Church of God but which St. Augustine commonly calls Conventicles and after a short time began to build for their Meetings basilicas non necessarias as Optatus calls them And this pernicious Schism being thus founded in proud and ambitious Discontent it was propagated much after the same manner and by the same means as well as all other Schisms usually are as 1. Pretensions to greater purity and stricter piety than others Thus they taught The Church is to consist of none but such as be holy and that such were not to be found in the Church of Carthage but in the Donatists separate Congregations only for which St. Augustine frequently reproves them and particularly in that one ⸫ Ep. 48 lett c. lett p. Epistle to Vincentius of boasting of themselves as the only Persons in whom the Son of Man should find Faith when he came and in the same Epistle compares them to the Pharisees on this very account For justifying themselves and despising others which he calls an establishing of their own Righteousness c. That which was at-first pretended by the Donatists as the ground of the Schism was that Cecilian the Orthodox Bishop of Carthage was a Traditor that he and the other Catholick Bishops had admitted lapsed Persons into their Church-Communion whereby all their Churches were defiled and ought not to be communicated with and therefore separated from them on the account of greater purity Hist of the Donat. In the Meeting which the Emperor Honorius appointed at the Gargilian Baths between the Catholicks and Donatists for the composing of matters between them the Donatists refused so much as to sit in their Company Primilianus the Donatist Bishop of Carthage his Words were Indignum est ut filii Martyrum est progenies Traditorum in unum coeant i. e. It is not fit that the Sons of Martyrs as they called themselves and the Sons of Traditors as they called the Orthodox should sit together and another of them Odi Ecclesiam malignantium cum impiis non sedebo I hate the Church of the Malignants the very same Name that the Schismatick-Rebels of 43 called the Orthodox and Loyal English by Such were their great pretensions to strict Purity and holy Ordinances that they washed the very Walls and Pavements of their Religious places where any of the Orthodox Christians had been 2. A second Expedient that they used for the propagating of their Schism was their proud and censorious slandering and traducing the Orthodox This Donatist Schism was first of all founded in the discontent that Donatus had took at his not being preferred to the Bishoprick of Carthage before Cecilian whereupon he separated and propagated the Schism very much by this very means Dan. on Aug. de Haeres cap. 69. traducing Cecilian as a Traditor as no Minister of Christ nor the people that adhered to him true members of the Christian Church that they had no true Sacraments nor saving Ordinances that all were corrupted by Idolatry and Superstition Opt. p. 47. and thus they generally called the Catholicks Pagans and Idolaters But more particularly the venerable St. Augustine having in publick Meetings soundly baffled Petilian Cresconius and others of their Ring-leaders and many ways mauled their Schismatick Cause for which he has been always stiled Donatistarum mallaeus him they traduced as a contentions Disputer a wrangling Sophister and a Perverter of Souls rather to be avoided than disputed with and to be dealt with as a Wolf or any beast of Prey and accordingly they employed their Circumcellions to murder him but that the Providence of God did so miraculously preserve him once by misleading him out of his way and at other times in miraculous manner The Emperor they traduced as misled by Hosius the famous Bishop of Corduba by Stilicho the great Staes-man and others whom they stiled Evil Counsellors Hist of the Dona. 135. of Mensurius Cecilians Predecessor they said he was Tyranno crudelior carnifice sevior more raging than a Tyrant and more cruel than a Hangman against the Magistracy it self says Danaeus they did multa emovere impie blatterare C. 69. tanquam ecclesiae lupi pestes magistratus essent lye muttering and vomiting out wickedly accounting the Magistrates the very Wolfs and Plagues of the Church and all this to promote the Schism by keeping up prejudice in the minds of People and to maintain in them an ill opinion of their lawful Ministers and Magistrates who otherwise might have reduced them to Unity and Communion with the Orthodox Christians 3. Obstinacy in their Perswasion they had been so oft condemned in full Councils and yet persisted in their error Ep. 167. let O. that made St. Augustine in indignation say Puto quod si ipse diabolus autoritate judicis quem ultro elegerat toties vinceretur non esset tam impudens ut in eâ persisteret I think that if the Devil himself had been so oft condemned as these Dotists have been by Judges of their own chusing he would not have been so impudent as to persist in such a Cause 4. A fourth Expedient which they used in propagating the Schism was Phanaticism or Enthusiasm When Donatus had a mind to engage the Circumcellians in any barbarous Enterprize his Custom was to pretend that an Angel had appear'd to him and assured him of success in answer to his Prayers Oravit Donatus respondit ei Deus says Optatus and of all the Donatists saith Danaeus C. 69. Jactant Revelationes Entheusiasmos ut sua dogmata plausibilius confirment se sanctos perfectosque sumosius glorientur to the end they may make their Opinons in Religion the more plausible and may the more speciously boast of themselves as
are in a late Book called Ravillack Redivivus Now either we must say That the Devil has Power of disposing of the gifts of Gods Spirit which is Blasphemy or that this Extemporate way of praying is no infallible sign of Gods Spirit and therefore that it is Phanaticism to ascribe it to him In a word as Miracles ceased so did the gift of inspired Prayer and ever since has the Church Worshipped God by allowed Forms or Liturgies not only in the Bohemian and Lutheran Churches but in the Presbyterian Churches of Geneva France Holland c. and that not only allowed but advised by Mr. Calvin himself till of late some Jesuits in Masquerade first set up the way of Extemporary Prayer on purpose to break good Order in the Protestant Churches and especially here in England Foxes and Firebrands as is lately made evident beyond all reach of scruple by a good credible Author 5. 'T is rank Phanaticism to resist Lawful Authority on pretence of Religion or to pretend Conscience for Disobedience to Magistrates hereby God has been intituled to as barbarous Massacres and as horrid Rebellions as ever were committed and this sort of men are so far Phanatick as they intitle God to self-inconsistency in opposing his Will to his Will and his Word to his Word by pretending his Authority for Disobedience to his Commissioners For Conscience is no less than a Divine Authority and therefore not to be pretended without much less against a Divine Law The pretence of Conscience is that we are afraid to displease God and therefore chuse rather to displease men but if we displease men to please God where God has forbid that Displeasing or Disobeying of men as in the case of Disobedence to Magistrates in things not sinful in that case the pleasing of God is but pretended and that pretence is but Fanaticism it being Disobedience on the account of Conscience or Duty to God where there is no Word or Law of God commanding it 'T is eternally true That a Conscience informed and governed by a Divine Law ought not to stoop to the greatest Prince That the Authority of God is to be opposed to the greatest Power upon Earth And that all the Powers in the World cannot deliver us from the Obligation of CONSCIENCE that is when it has Gods Law for its Rule But where that is wanting it is not properly Conscience but Humour and Fancy and pretending that Law and that Divine Authority when we have it not is plain intituling Gods Majesty not meerly to Humour and Fancy but to that damnable Sin of Disobedience which is properly called Phanaticism This Account have I given not to justifie that ill practice of giving odious Names to any Party but meerly to instruct the Vulgar Reader a little in that great evil of Schism and Faction which is so little discerned by such and less made Conscience of by most Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea for Moderation THE Arch-Pagan Celsus having wrote a most Pestilent Book against Christianity gave it this specious Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in imitation of him it was that * Not Pythago Commontat Hierocles an Egyptian Governour wrote two Books to prove the Scriptures guilty of Falshood and Contradiction The Apostles to have been Cheats and Impostors The Miracles of Christ to have been the Effect of Magick and not comparable to those of Apollonius Tyanaeus Yet this hellish Book he did Intitle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As tho its damnable Errors had been Divine Truths and not against but for the Christians In like manner Mr. Bolde a Conformist Minister who declares himself satisfied in the lawfulness of every thing required in the Church of England in imitation of Mr. Baxter's Pleas for Peace has published a Book which he calls A Plea for Moderation to'ards Dissenters which is indeed such a Plea for Licentiousness and Confusion such a piece of Hypocrisie and Church-Treachery and such a perfect Satyr upon the Government as deserves a worse Shammatha than what is ipso facto pronounced against him in the Sixth Canon for impugning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Or at least 't is a Plea for such Moderation as Dr. Taylor ‖ Ductor Dubit l. 3. c. 4. says has something of Craft in it but little of Ingenuity that may serve the ends of outward Charity or Phantastick Concord but not of Truth and Holiness Moderation saies Bishop Lany cannot be but between two Extreams Sermon on 1 Thes 4.11 and what Extreams are there in a setled Church as in England unless the Church be one Extream and the Schismatick the other saies the Bishop But to shew further the vanity and emptiness of his promising Title if you take the word Moderation in its forensick and primary Acceptation for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gentleness which is placed in relaxing the Rigour of the Laws when they press too hard upon Criminals I do undertake in these following Lines to make it evident That the Moderation of our Church and Church-Rulers is such that it is plain want of Moderation to question their Moderation and that they are utterly lost to all Moderation who attempt such Pleas in that behalf If you take the word Moderation in its Scripture-Acceptation it is no more than Meekness under Sufferings Persecutions c. as appears by the Context of that one and only place where it is used in Scripture Phil. 4.5 Let your Moderation or as the Geneva Translation let your Patient mind be known unto all men q. d. however immoderate your Persecutors are let your Moderation Meekness and Patience be known to all men not only Fellow-Sufferers but your Enemies and Persecutors Shewing plainly that the word Moderation in Scripture-Acceptation is accommodable to none but a suffering or persecuted Party Which makes it a contradictio in adjecto to call this Book a Plea for Moderation to'ards Dissenters And as the Title so the Book Dignum patellâ operculum For there 's scarce a Paragraph in it not fairly reducible to one of these Heads 1. Fraudulent Pleas for Compliance with Dissenters in the Disusance or Non-imposal of Church Ceremonies 2. For Indulgence to'ards them in relaxing the Rigour of the Laws 3. Scandalous Reflections 4. Impertinent Jorgon Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea concerning Church-Ceremonies TO see how in this he doth in limine impingere He begins his Book with this Fraudulent Insinuation concerning them Vnnecessary Rites and Ceremonies P. 1. 4. 8. 18. 20. and Zeal about them a Stratagem of the Devils Invention whereby to hinder the Progress of true Christianity humane Devices old Rites and Ceremonies trifling and frivolous Things with much more to the same purpose How far he hath hereby incurr'd the Penalty annex'd to violation of the 6th Canon which saies of the Impugners of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England Let them be excommunicated And of the 10th Canon which calls them maintainers of Schismaticks who shall
the Heathens to Christianity by severity and force but by severity and force he endeavoured to keep the Christians in unity and to that end enacted many severe Laws against the Dissenters of those times such says Augustine as did in conventiculis suis separatim congregare And 't is remarkable that though the Laws made against those Donatist-Dissenters were not only great pecuniary mulcts but banishment and seizing their Goods for the Emperours use as I understand those words ut fisco vinâ—icarentur yet doth the holy Father account these laws so favourable as not to punish but admonish only Lit. O. and having spoke of the Paganish Idolaters being punished with death for their Idâ—latry as that seveâ—ity which the Orthodox and Donatists both did approve of and rejoice in he adds Lit. O. P. that the wickedness of Schism is worse than that of Idolatry which is a broad intimation that that holy man thought Schism a Capital crime And here I cannot but take notice of his calling the wholsome execution of the Poenal Laws by the odious name of Persecution and not only so but like the Donatists of old and the Jesuits of late doth wrest and rack the holy Scripture to make it speak its sence of it Witness that very Text on which he preached his printed Sermon Gal 4 29. As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit so it is now where the Apostle doth plainly make the party prosecuting to be the party persecuted It was Isaac and Sarah that corrected Hagar and Ishmael and yet says the Apostle Ishmael he that was born after the flesh was the party persecuting tho the party suffering By which we may understand says St. Augustine upon the place that the Church rather suffers persecution by the pride and wickedness of carnal men Ep 48. Lit. L. by their Ishmaeliâ—ish reproaches when she endeavours to amend them by temporal punishments and corrections than they by the Church so that whatever the true Mother doth in this case though it may seem harsh and bitter yet she doth not render evil for evil but endeavour by wholsome discipline to expel sin not out of hatred or desire to hurt but out of love to cure Whereby it doth plainly appear that the execution of the poenal Laws against Dissenters for of such he speaks is so far from being Persecution that in that case the party Prosecuting is the party Persecuted with Ishmaelitish reproaches as being Persecutors c But the best account of the true notion of Persecution is in the learned Dr Hick's Sermon of Persecutiand thither I refer the Reader 6. Mr. Bolde's 6th Argument is no more than this It was never known that any Indifferent Ceremonies were universally imposed in a knowing age and the opinions of all good men did agree to them Which is no more in effect than if he had said That because some good men have not agreed to the use of some Ceremonies therefore the Church must prostitute her authority to every Sceptick Innovator in altering her ancient Constitutions 7. Hâ—â— 7th and last is taken from our condescentions to the Papists in a â—â—nâ— our Rubrick Publick Service and Articles in order to the bringing of the Papists to join with us in our worship c. He instance in the Churches expunging that passage in the Littany where we prayed to be delivered from the tyranny and all the detestable enormities of the Bishops of Rome c. 'T is true that for the first Eighteen years of Queen Elizabeth few of the Popish Recusants absented themselves from our Churches till Pope Pius the Fifth by his interdictory Bull would have all communion with us renounced and in meer hopes of uniting and bringing them over to the Reformed Religion there was that condescention and compliance made and the like and greater concessions were indulged or offer'd at least to the Nonconformists in Queen Elizabeths time till it did appear that they would be satisfied with no other concessions than what were judged inconsistent with the safety of Church and State Mr. Bold having finished his Seven Arguments against Imposition of Church-Ceremonies and execution of poenal Laws has this one Story more that when the Emperour took a Bishop in compleat Armour he sent the Armour to the Pope with this word haeccine sunt vestes Filii tui Whereby Mr. Bolde would insinuate again as the Precedent words shew that only Arguments and Reasons and not coercive means are to be used with Dissenters The error of this hath its refutal from some of my last Citations out of St. Augustine Ep. 48. Litt. T. And therefore no more but to return the Story Paulus Emilius Val. Max. a Noble General when several of his Souldiers took on them to prescribe and suggest to him their several models of management and discipline Acuite vos gladios says the General mind you your Swords and your business be ready to obey and execute what shall be commanded you but leave the discipline and management of affairs to me your General q. d. let Governours and Government alone keep you your station and mind your business in opposing the Enemy and obeying your Commanders but do not dare to medle with controlling directing or prescribing to those whom it is your business to obey But if these bold Soldiers that prescribed thus saucily to their General should have turn'd Runagadoes and been caught by him like this Pleader with his Militant Apologies for Dissenting Enemies going over into the Enemies Camp no doubt but he would have given them the very edge of Martial Law Thus have I faithfully remarked all that I judge any thing argumentative in Mr. Bolde's fraudulent Plea which is indeed nothing else but arrogant dogmatizing and prescribing to Superiours instead of Pleading for licentious and disorderly Toleration on pretence of Moderation of the sworn enemies of the Church and Government under the name of Dissenters I see little else in his Book but what is fairly reducible to one of these heads Impertinency or Scandal of the former sort is his spending so many Pages in telling who they are he pleads for they are says he more particularly men of such Learning as Mr. Baxter Mr. Hickman c. Mr. Hickman I know not Mr. Baxter's Learning no honest man will envy He must be acknowledged a Learned man If he had not skill in fencing he could not be so quarrelsom Arrius was stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was accounted the most logical and one of the most learned in his time But what of that The Orthodox Bishops thought him never the more fit for Church-toleration or comprehension But speaking of Impertinencies the very name forbids me insisting on the thing And so of his scandals also which are so detestable and notorious that it were a scandal to publish but the rehearsal of them witness the Story of the Register p. 40 which for its scandalous reflections on the Ecclesiastical Government there 's nothing in Martin Mar-Prelate H'ye any work for the Cooper or the Cobler of Gloucester can exceed So of those whom he charges with sitting as the Reader must compute it Sixteen or Seventeen Hours together in a Tavern or an Ale-house p 19. His fraudulent suggestions touching the great evil of imposing Church-ceremonies with many the like which run through his Book like a vein through his Body and which I cannot repeat without sin and shame Or if I could that It would even tire an indefatigable Reader to lead him through all the dark and dirty Labyrinth of his defamatory Libel I must therefore be abrupt in this Appeal to the Reader whether it be not the part of a most abominable Church-Traytor to play the CHAM with the Church in such a treacherous and deceitful manner FINIS