the chief Fathers and Pillars of the Church of which the Dioeces of London can have but one And so the plain Country-man doth no exactly understand you Sect. 32. Whil'st you say that some Protestants A fâ—ir Confessiâ—n how far a Protâ—stant mâ—y go and be still a Protestant as Bishop Bramhall and many more do hold the Pope may be obeyed by the Transmarine Western Churches as the Patriarch of the West and be taken by us all to be the Principium unitatis to the Catholick Church and the Roman determinations still may stand except those of the last 400. yeares and those if they obtrude them not on others p. 7. You help your Reader to conclude that Grotius might well have been a Protestant by the very allowance of his accuser And supposing my Reader to be intelligent I shall make no other use of your large Concession Sect. 33. You very confidently say Of Bishâ—ps â—nd Presbytery that in the pulished judgments of Bishop Hall Bishop Usher Dr. Holdsworth Forbes and others they would have all Presbyters to be Governours of the Churches one of them having a stated Presidency or Moderatorship and this will content them p. 9. I know not what they have declared in other parts of their writings which I have never yet seen Nor am I sure I know your meaning by the word Presbyters Presidency and Governours of the Churches much less am I sure that you your self do know theirs But I know what Bishop Hall hath done and suffer'd for that Episcopacy which had been established in this land with Christianity it self and had also been confirmed by 32. Acts of Parlament nor need I tell you how much an Act doth differ from an Ordinance and was abundantly provided for by Magna Charta which by statute is * 25. of Edw. 1. ch 1 2. declared the Common Lâ—w of the land I say I know what he hath done against the many-headed Smectymnuus in which are compendiously represented the chiefest sâ—icklers for the Presbytery as Dr. Gauden hath expressed in that crooked low shrub which ambitiously supplanted the well-grown Cedar Again I know what he hath suffered by his imprisonment in the Tower where yet the reason of his imprisonment made it a comfortable restraint I farther know what he was for when he writ his Peace-maker See Bishop Hall's Peace-maker p. 48 49 c. to wit the Primitive Government universally agreed upon by all antiquity for which he refers you to the writings of Clemens and Ignatius He makes use of the Confessions both of Camero and Beza of Marlorate and Calvin that in a Calvin Inst. l. 4. â— 4. very City there was chosen one Bishop least an equality in thâ— Clergy should engender strife That the Bishop was indeed the very b Marlorat in Apoc. 2. Prince of the Clergy That he was above the Presbyters in point of c Beza de Grad Minist Evang. order That being chosen by the Colledge of the Presbyters he was to be their President and that not without some d I. Camer Myrothâ—c in Tim 4 14. Authority over the rest Now though the Bishop doth consent that he be call'd a Moderator a President a Superintendent an Overseer or by any other such name if the name of a Bishop is displeasing as thinking it pity that words should break square where the things are agreed yet saith he for the fixedness or change of this person Bishop Hall p. 50. let the antient and universal practice of God's Church be thought worthy to oversway And he had said a little * p. 48. before that the President must be constant as well as oâ—e Now had you sworn in taking the Scotish Covenant to change the name of a Bishop and there had stopt you might have cited the Peace-maker with much more reason than now you do But you swore to endeavour the extirpation of the thing of Church-Government it self by law establish'd For that you might not be mistaken you explain'd the word Prelacy by the word Church-Government c. by a good token that in conclusion you superstitiously held it for Anchristian And because you often take the confidence to cite that Treatise of Bishop Haâ—l as if it had yielded you some fig-leaves to cover the shame of your undertakings I pray observe your concernments in his Epistle before the book I will but put you in mind when the Book was first printed to wit in the yeaâ— 1647. and who were the very first men who did quieta movere and then I will give you his Golden Paragraâ—h It is felony by our Municipal Lawes for a man to burn but the frame of a Building intended for an house Bâ—shop Hâ—ll's ceâ—sure of the Dâ—stuâ—bers â—f sâ—tled Goveâ—nment in the Church how hainously flagitious shall the God of heaven account it to set fire on his complete spirituall House the Chuâ—ch whereof every believer is a living stone Doubtless how slight soever the world mak's of theâ—e spiritual distempers it shall be easier in the day of judgement for Theeves and Whoremongers and Adulterers then for the breakers of publick Peace Never was there any so fearfull vengeance inflicted upon any Malefactors as upon Corah and his Combination Surely if we consider the sin it self other offenses had been far more hainous but in that it was a presumptuous mutiny tending to the affront of allowed Authority to the violation of Peace and to the destruction of community the earth could not stand under it hell only is fit to receive it Now Sir consider with your self both what you have done in these times and with what success You did not open your mouthes wider against Moses and Aaron pretending they had taken too much upon them than all the people of the earth have open'd theirs against you Presbytery like Corah was swallow'd up quick If the Bishops you were against did differ so little as you pretend from those very Bishops which you are for why was the publick peace broken for private interesses and ends Let me tell you in the words of the right Reverend Bishop Hall thâ—t you and others of your way who were born and bred under Authority * Ubi supra p. 93 94. should have contented your selves to be Disciples rather than Iudges and have entertained reverent thoughts of those that were set over you not more for the Gravity and Wisdom of their persons then for the Authority of their Places Even Timothie's youth may not be contemned Hereupon it was that holier antiquity even from the daies of great and gracious Constantine thought it very conducible to the good success of the Gospel to put respects of honour upon the sacred Messengers of God Damas. Epist. de Chorâ—piscopis It is too true an observation of Damasus where the name of Church-Governours is grown contemptible the whole state of the Church must needs be perturbed Could you expect any thing less from the common people than
that they should pay you in your own Coin and say yee took too much upon you and that all the Congregation was at least as holy as themselves Had your spirituall Superiours been more venerable in yours yee had not certainly been so vile in the Peoples eyes Th Lord Primate's censure of Presbyterian Ordinations as Iâ—valid and Schismaticall Published by Dr. B. p. 125.126 2. Next for his Grace of Armagh whom I can never find you calling by a higher Title then Bishop Usher I shall but mind you how he hath pleaded for the Prelacy of England in other workes and onely recite his words at length out of that very piece in which you seem to have taken the greatest pleasure For even there he hath concluded your Ordinations by Presbyters to be invalid in as much as they were made where Bishops might have been had there being nothing but necessity in case Bishops cannot be had which in the judgement of the Primate can make such valid And that you may not flatter your self his Grace intended such a necessity as against all reason you sometimes offer to pretend you shall read him subjoyning these following words Holding as I do that a Bishop hath Superiority in degree above a Presbyter you may easily judge that the ordination made by such Presbyters as have severed themselves from those Bishops unto whom they had sworn Canonical obedience cannot possibly by me be excused from being Schismaticall You see what necessity the Primate admitted for an excuse and in what respect you are unexcusable For besides that you are not under any necessity of ordaining Presbyters without a Bishop no necessity can happen but what will be of your own making and such an home-made necessity will but aggravate the wickedness of them that made it I make no doubt but you will say the same thing if a power succeeding shall deal with you and your Function as you have dealt with your Superiours I shall not add more of the Primate now than that the Reduction of Episcopacy is a posthumous work and yet pretend's to no other modell than what may stand with the preeminence both of Bishops and Archbishops 3. Dr. Holdsworth's Iudgement is as well known Dr. Holdsworth's sufferings a declaration of his judgement as what he suffered for his judgement during the memorable Reign of the Presbyterians Which puts me in mind of what was said by that learned Gentleman Mr. Morrice * The Nâ—w-inclosures broken down Sect. â—1 p. 212. the digladiations about Discipline have laid open Doctrin to those destructive wounds it bleed's under the discountenancing and depressing of so many learned Champions of the truth hath been the leaving the Church without a Guard When you were swearing and fighting to level the Bishops with the ground for want of merit and suâ—ficiency to seat your selves among the Bishops you had not the patience to consider or not the prudâ—nce to believe that you were laying out your strength as blinded Sampson did his to pull down a house upon your heads by laying your hands upon its Pillars Iudg. 16.29 But now you are taught by sad experience that what you covenanted against was even the glory and support of your own profession you will I hope be so just as to blame yourselves if you shall live to suffer as heavy things as you have done Sect. 34. Whereas you say in your excuse The Presbyterian excuses are aggravations of their offences that some of your party did not swear obedience to the Bishops or did not disobey such Bishops as Bishop Vsher assureth us were the Bishops of the Antient Churches and that the Schism is not such as makes men uncapable of our Communion and that since Bishop Prideaux dyed there hath been none in his place p. 12.13 I briefly answer first that you speak against your knowledge unless you know not what you did when admitted into the Priesthood And that I may not repeat two or three pages of what I have said in another book I refer you for a sight of your great and manifold obligations to obey your Ordinary with reverence and other chief Ministers unto whom the Government and Charge was committed over you to acknowledge the order of our Church as then it stood to be according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ to approve of Bishops and Archbishops to use the Common prayer to observe the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church and all according to the Lawes of this Realm I say I refer you for a sight of your great and manifold obligations to my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ch 2. p. 51.52 53. Next I must mind you that the Lord Primate did onely speak of Communion with the Transmarine Protestans in France and Holland upon this supposition that he were in those Countries But our English Presbyterians were under another consideration He never received the blessed Scrament at any one of your hands nor would he ever hold Communion with any one of your Revolting Scotizing Churches But if you return to our Communion from which you fell by transgression both our Armes and our hearts are alwaies open to receive you And that you may do it so much the sooner let me admonish you of the disorder which the Lord Primate wonder'd at in your late Presbyterian ordinations A disorder so great that it sufficeth of it self without your other imperfections to say no harder things of them to make a nullity in the things that you most confide in * See the Primates judgement of Ordinat by Pres. set out by Dr. Bern. p. 136.137 138 139. To give the Seal of Ordination as some are pleas'd to call imposition of Hands without any express Commission annexed or Grant of Authority to the person the Primate was wont to say seemed to him to be like the putting of a Seal to a blanck Your Presbyterian Ordinations he judg'd no better and the reasons of it at large you may find in those pages which I have cast into the Margin What Bishops there were in the Antient Churches or what the Primate thought of them it matter 's not Your disobedience was not the better for being acted against those to whom you had promis'd to yield obedience And those alone are the Bishops which here t is pertinent to speak of for they alone were the Bishops to whom the men of this Age had sworn Canonical obedience through the Non performance of which obedience you had extorted from the Lord Primate that heavy censure If since the Death of Bishop Prideaux none hath succeeded in his place remember what I said lately of self-created necessity and do not imagin your Sin is lessen'd by a principall part of its aggravation Add to this that there are Bishops though not perhaps in your County And where Bishops are to be had you were forbid by the Primate to ordain without them Sect. 35. Whereas you say of Bishop Prideaux Bishop Prideaux
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called them the unruly and phanatick spirits among the Ministeâ—y as bad as Highland or Border Thieves for Ingratitude Lies and vile Perjuries When you say he meant not all Presbyterians you do infer he meant some and more then some I never meant nâ—y I often professed I meant not all But which and how many Presbyterians were understood by King Iames you may collect by two Books already printed my Divine Purity defended chap. 2. p. 8.9 and my Self-Revenger Exempl chap. 3. p. 71. to p. 84. of which your Grotian Religion doth take no notice The truth is the word Puritaâ—e waâ— brought hither out of Scoâ—land I think I am not mistaken though if I am it s no great matter and so King Iames was the fittest definer of them though their name was in the World before his time viz. Anno Dom. 1564. So that after it was evident I spake of such what needed the muster of so many other notions yet to give you satisfaction I shall speak to each of them You say With a Papist a Puritane was a zealous Protestant c. Sect. 23. Sect. 7. If that doth signifie a firm Wâ—at Puritane signifies with the Papists or a constant Protestant who building upon rational and truly Catholick grounds is not onely no Papist but never can be then the notion of Puritane belongs to no other Protestants then those you commonly call Prelatists and Episcopal men But if by zeal is meant violence ignorance noise and virulence or calling the Pope the Whore of Babylon then it belongs to those men who declaim against Bishoâ—s as Antichristian and against a publick Form of Prayer as a stump of Dagon And so the soberest of the Papists do call them Puritanes who are enemies to Protestants as well as Papists You know who they are that are thus intitled to the word and for those of King Iames I have accompted to you already You say With some Protestants a Puritane is one of the old Catharists that thinks a man may be perfect without sin in this life as Grotius and the Papists do c. Sect. 23. Sect. 8. But could you not tell us what Protestant hath used the word as you say A mistake of the old Catharists who yet were Puritanes before the woâ—d was fitted to the thing or could you not tell in what writings either Grotius or the Papists have hâ—ld such Doctrine as that a man in this life may be without sin you often lay too great a weight upon your private fancy or bare assertion perhaps indeed some of the Papists may have said of the ever blessed Virgin that she was free from all sin in this present woâ—ld but she was a woman and therefore cannot be the man you are pleas'd to speak of Nay are you sure the old Catharists did ever teach any such thing I doubt you are not Bishop Andrews call'd the Catharists Puriâ—aneâ— inferring the Puritanes to be a new sort of Catharists but foâ— quite other reasons then you here fancy as I shall shew you at large in my following Sections The Scripture notion of the word Perfect you must acknowledge doth belong to divers men in this life it being ascribed both to Zachary and to Elizabeth his wife But such perfection is one thing and sinlesness is another Grotius groundlâ—sly calumâ—iated afrâ—sh Your bidding me take heed least by vindicating Grotius I make folks believe I am a Puritane my self ibid. is a most groundless intimation that all the vindicaters of Grotius do make themselves or some others to be without sin which what a calumny it is I need not tell you At first you bid me take heed lest by vindicating Grotius I be suspected to be a Papist if now a Puritane too my case is hard especially when Grotius himself was neither for the vindicating of whom I must be suspected to be both Perhaps your brethren did call you Papist for the very same reason even because you have appear'd in vindication of Grotius and taught that the righteousness of a Christian even in this present life is either perfect or none at all In this you have spoken as high as Grotius see if you have not Aphoris of justif Thes. 24. p. 129. 133. Thes. 22. p. 122.123 Thes. 27. p. 141. Saints Rest. part 4. p. 296. What I have * Self Revengeâ— ch 1. p. 35 36 37. spoken for Castellio to that I refer for you and Grotius You say with the old Episcopal party a Puritane was a Non-conformist Sect. 23. What the Puritâ—â—es were with the old Episcopal party Sect. 9. And glad I am of the Confession for 't is not long since that party was the prevailing and so had the Norman loquendi abiding with it which being granted what need we more to discover the vulgar use of the word Puritane If you consider the ill things which Non-conformist doth import a schismatick Boutefeux a strainer at Gnats and a swallower of Camels you have not spoken much amiss And as touching the late Prelates How good Sir doth it appear that they had any other notion you bring just nothing to prove they had and I can bring something to prove they had not For Bishop Carleton could say even then when he endâ—avour'd to speak in their favour or excuse that Puritanes were †This is confâ—ssed by Master Hickman p. 40. disquieters of the Church about their conceived Discipline * p. 99. Master Fuller to the word Discipline doth adde Church-Government from which the Puritanes dissented in former time And he saith in probability the word imported Non-conformists To the other two words you now adde Doctrinâ— and what an unruly sort of people must they have needs been who were ever snarling and disquieting the Church of God in which they lived for her Discipline and Goverâ—ment and Doctrine too Our Learned and Reverend Doctor Sanderson you do professedâ—y reverence in very great measure p. 2. and whether you do esteem him a new Prelatist or an old one it will equally be to my advantage First see him * Pâ—â—face to the fourth Edit of of his first Sermons Sect. XXIII citing the old Prelatists concerning Puritanes and then together with their judgments compare his own The Reverend Archbishop Whitgift and the learned Hooker men of great judgement and famous in their times The judgment of Archbishop Whitgift and judicious did long since foresee and declare their fear that if ever Puritanism should prevail among us it would draw in Anabaptism after it At this Carâ—wright Hooker concerning Puritâ—ns and other Advocates for the Disciplinarian Interest in those dayes seemed to take great offence c. but without reason saith Doctor Sanderson †Doctor Sanderson's judgment of the samâ— for those Godly men meaning Hooker and the Archbishop were neither so unadvised nor so uncharitable as to become Judges of other mens thoughts or intentions beyond what their actions spoke
Deduction And if the Deduction is irregular why is your dealing the very same to prove your irregular Ordinations exactly regular 4. Come we now from the Form to the matter of your Syllogism Your major is proved from the words of Dr. Hammond that the * See the whole Annotation on Act. 11.30 B. p. 406. to p. 409. Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture times belonged principally if not onely to Bishops there being no evidence that any of the second Order were then instituted Which words if you observe them do not deny but suppose that as soon as any of the second order were admitted into the Church they were immediately subject unto the First that is to say to the scripture-Scripture-Bishops there having been given him in Scripture a twofold power first a power of ordaining inferiour Presbyters next of Governing or Ruling them when so ordained Had you but fairly transcribed the Doctor 's whole Period you must have added to your Citation these following words though soon after even before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches And had you read unto the end of that excellent Annotation you would have found Epiphanius for Bishop Timothy his power or jurisdiction over Presbyters from 1 Tim. 5.1 19. Where whatever the word Presbyter may be concluded to import whether a single Priest in the common notion of the word Presbyter subjected to the Bishop or a Bishop subjected to the Metropolitan it equally make's against you that Bishop Timothy had power to rebuke and to receive an Accusation against a Presbyter which no meer Presbyter can pretend to have over another This would imply a contradiction to wit that an equall is not an equall because a Ruler and a Judge to the very same person to whom he is an equall The same use is to be made of what is cited from Theophylact concerning Titus * Ibid. to wit that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgement as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination of so many Bishops was committed to him And I pray Sir remember one special Emphasis which evidently lye's on the Doctor 's words Which do not run thus the Title of Presbyters in Scripture times belonged onely to the Bishops but if not onely yet at least Principally to them And therefore however the case might be whether onely or not onely all the course of his arguing will be equally cogent and unresistible 5. Now for your minor that most of your Ordainers are such Pastors you prove it by saying first they are Pastors But this is petitio principii with a witnesse to say they are because they are And 't is a gross transition ab Hypothesi ad Thesin to say they are such Pastors because they are Pastors The word Pastor in our dayes doe's commonly signify a Priest to whom is committed a Cure of Soules And when I have lately so us'd it it hath been onely in complyance with that vulgar Catachresis But in the use of Scripture and antient Writers Pastor signifies him to whom the charge of the Flock is Originally intrusted whereas our English acception of the word Rector which is not the Scriptural or antient stile is wholly extended to a deputed or partiary Government in the Church to wit a Government over part of the Pastors Diocess which Pastor in the old stile hath the plenary charge committed to him Your error therefore was very great in confounding the Pastors with the Rectors of the people unless you spake with the vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and supposing that so you did you spake completely besides the purpose And whereas you say in your Margin Mr. T. P. call's himself Rector of Brington I know not what you can mean by it unless an unkilfull intimation that I arrogate to my self somewhat more then is my due And therefore to undeceive either your self or your Readers I must tell you that in all Records which concern this Church or its Incumbent in all Leases and Compositions and Iudgments of Law in all Directions and Orders which have ever been sent by Supreme Authority the Church hath been stiled the Rectory and the Incumbent the Rector of it You may gather the reason from Mr. Sparrow's Learned Rationale upon the Book of Common Prayer The chief Rector oâ— a Parish called the Cardinal Priest of old quia incardinatus in Beneficio was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the rest under him his Clerks Where there were Chantries as there were in most Churches of England their assisting the Rector of the Church made up that Form of speech the Priest and Clerks And Brington being a Parish consisting of five distinct Members hath occasion'd the Rector in all times to be at the charge of an Assistant I have told you what I mean whensoever I write my self Rector of Brington If Mr. Cawdrey hath meant more when he hath written himself as publickly the Rector of Billing I leave him to give you a Reason for it Having done with your Argument and with your persoâ—all reflection I shall observe but one thing more to wit that whilst you say most of your Ordainers are such Pastors as Dr. Hammond spake of in Scripture-times which yet I hope you will retract you imply a confession that some are not Nor can I see by what meanes you will excuse your selves unto your selves for having admitted of such Ordainers As for your second and third sentences in your Sect. 5. p. 199. You have an answer included in what went before and so you will have in that which follows For Sect. 38. In your seventh Chapter Presbyterians are not Bishops by having Deacons under them p. 203. Sect. 18. You again pretend to fetch an Argument from the words of the Reverend Dr. Hammond Your naked affirmation is express'd in these words Where there are no such Presbyters with a President it is yet enough to prove him a Bishop that he hath Deacons under him or but one Deacon Your pretended proof of this assertion is from the words of Doctor H. which now ensue When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few converted they ordained in every City and Region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him there being at the present so small store out of which to take more and so small need of ordaining more Reduce this proofe into a Syllogisme which may serve your interest in any measure and it will be like your former most dishonourably false For thus you must form it do what you can if you intend to make it in imitation of a proof A primitive Bishop had no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him A Presbyter hath no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him therefore a Presbyter is a Primitive Bishop Here you see are three affirmatives in the second Figure And by an Argument so form'd I will prove you to be anything either Fish or Fowle
was begotten by the Progenitor of Monsters And lest his Readers should be to seek on whom he fasten's such ugly calumnies he frequently * Ibid. p. 319 329 338. nameth Sir Henry Vane neither regarding the Quality or Learned parts of that Knight nor any the least Reverence or Care of Truth Of this and many the like prancks I am particularly concern'd to take some notice first because Mr. Baxter hath coupled †Ibid. p. 391. the Vani with Mr. P. And both with four sorts of men by whom the Popish design is kept on foot to wit the Seekers the Infidels the Behmenists and the Quakers Next because mine own sufferings have taught me to look with indignation on other Men's how little soever their principles agree with mine And though I suppose Sir Henry Vane is very far from being partiall to the Episcopal Divines with whom I will rather choose to suffer the greatest hardships than embrace the * Iamâ—s 4.4 Friendship of the world †H b. 11. â—5 or enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season yet are we bound to do him right and to be sensible of his wrongs and to afford him that deference which both his Birth and his Breeding have made his due When St Paul had to do with a person of honour amongst the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—ts 26.25 he was so civil as to call him most noble Festus And he is sure a grosse Christian who think 's it his duty to be a Clown I cannot tell what judgement that Learned Gentleman may be of but he hath this commendation as well as Grotius that he is hated by Mr. Baxter beyond all measure and is sufficiently averse to the Presbyterians Christian Reader have the patience to be pre-admonish'd of one thing more The greatest abuse and the most groundlesse which I have suffer'd from Mr. Baxter in no less than three distinct Volumes is his indeavour to represent me as an Enemy to Purity and pious life Which however he hath done in as grosse a manner as if he had tryed to what Extremities both of absurdity and Falshood depraved Man may be transported by abusing the Liberty of his Will which God could never predetermine to such uncleannesse yet some at least of his Followers who have never yet seen him without his Vizard have been betrayed by that confidence with which he hath written against his Conscience to incourage his calumnies with their belief As for reason or proof he hath not offer'd any thing towards it but to supply that defect he hath thought it enough to declaim against me for being supposed to have declaim'd against Puritâ—nes neither naming any one passage in any papers which I had publish'd nor so much as referring to any page where any such passage was to be found I received letters of inquiry where I had written against Puritanes that Mr. Baxter should so largely rebuke me for it before the world My answer was that I never did it for ought I was able to remember and that untill Mr. Baxter could shew me where I should not believe I had been forgetfull Indeed I * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ch 3. p. 75. cited that part of King Iames his Letter which told the Bishops they had to do with two sorts of Enemies Papists and Puritanes and will'd them to goe forward against the one and the other But it appeare's by these words not that I or Archbishop Spotswood by whom the Letter is recorded but that King Iames who writ the Letter had sharply written against Puritanes In so much that Mr. Baxter hath dealt with me as he hath also dealt with Sir Henry Vane whom he †Key for Cath. p. 331. supposeth to have brought Corrupt Opinions out of Italy when it appeare's that Sir Henry was never there But now admit that I had written against the Puritanes before his clamour was put in print as very possibly I did though I professe I know not where and much desire to be inform'd yet I had done no other thing than had been donby the most eminent in point of Piety Learning Iudgment and Moderation from the dayes of Queen Elizabeth to these our own And if I am an Enemy to Religion for having cited the words of others what will be said by Mr. Baxter of Archbishop Whitgift Archbishop Bancroft Judicious Hooker Judge Popham Bishop Andrews Bishop Carleton Bishop Hall Dr. Sanderson with divers others whom I have cited in the first Chapter of this Book whose just severity to the Puritanes may serve to put Mr. Baxter to shame and silence If he means no more than this that I have cited out of the Writings of English and Scotish Presbyterians their own * ☞ See The Selâ— Revenger exemplified ch 3. p. 77 78 79 80 81 82 c. Confessions of their own principles and practise too he should have honestly told his Readers that I had written no worse of the Presbyterians than themselves had written of themselves Nor should he have called them Puritanes whom I had called Presbyterians as themselves in their Writings have call'd themselves unless he was willing to acknowledge that they were both the same thing Observe good Reader how the Case stands between us It is confessed by Mr. Knox that Iames Melvin with two more did privately murder the Archbp. of St. Andrews which the same Mr. Knox doth withall commend for a Godly Fact This Confession I †Ibid. p. 8â— observed and shewed his page where it is printed Again by 52. Ministers of the Province of London it was confessed from the presse too that instead of a Reformation they had a Deformation in Religion having open'd the very Flood-gates to all Impiety and profanenâ—sse c. This Concession I * Ibid p. 81. observed and shew'd the page where it was printed That proceeded from the Scotish this from the English Presbyterians What may now be the reason that Mr. Baxter pursues me with so much Rancor Was it my fault that the things were printed without my knowledge or consent and printed by the Authors from whom I had them Or may not a man relate a passage as he find's it printed before his eyes Which was worst of the two that Mr. Knox the Presbyterian commended Murder or that a man of the Church of England did fairly cite his commendation Let it be judg'd by my writings and by the Authors whom I produce whether I am so like an Enemy to Christian purity as they who say it are Friends and Fautors to the most Heathenish Impurity to be imagin'd And because I have met with a sort of men who having been led by blind guides have stuck so fast in the ditch of error as to believe the word Puritane is of a faire signification and import's a man of a pious life I think it my duty to declare before I admit them to read my Book that whensoever I shall be found to speak severeâ—y concerning
11. Grotius his Doctrine and Design more Catholical than Mr. Baxter's Sect. 12. And the terms to which he calls us less impossible Sect. 13. Grotius doth not cut off the holiest parts of the Church Sect. 14. His way is not uncharitable Sect. 15. It doth not tend to perâ—ecution Sect. 16. It doth not engage in a way of Sin Sect. 17. Mens thoughts of Grotius must be esteemed by their words Sect. 18. The Conclusion conteining a muster of those Reproaches which are cast on Grotius by Mr. Baxter and what disadvantage doth thence ensue CHAP. II. Concerning Subjects of several Natures Sect. 1. Mr. Baxter's acknowledgment of Charity with his uncharitable Requital Sect. 3. The title of Arminian unseasonably applied Sect. 4. Neither Grotius nor any else can be too severe against blasphemy Sect. 5. What differences are verbal and what are real Sect. 6. A material difference indeed Sect. 8. Of heads of Controversy reconcileable Sect. 9. Grotius made not uncharitable inferences but recited onely already made CHAP. III. Concerning the state of David and the Godly whilst yet Impenitent Sect. 1. A strange difference between the Godly and the notoriously ungodly Sect. 2. The excessive danger of making the greatest sinners to dream themselves into a Saintship The danger exemplified in a Presbyterian woman Sect. 3. The sins of David with their Circumstances Sect. 4. Peter's sins very different from those of David Sect. 5. Of Solomon's state and its uncertainty Sect. 6. The Reprobates are granted by Mr. Baxter to have grace sufficient Mr. Baxter's Description of Common Grace and its effects Sect. 7. Of men twice sanctified Sect. 8. Concerning the importance of Heb. 6. 10. Sect. 9. Gods testimony of David twofold each to be compared with the Rule Ezek. 18.24 c. Sect. 10. How far charity was decayed in David and how hard it is to murder wilfully in love Sect. 11. Of Davids Prayer Psal. 51. Sect. 12. His being clearly unsanctified by his accumulated sins Sect. 13. A signall quick-sand to be avoided by all that are ensnaâ—ed with the novel notion of perseverance Sect. 14. Of Faith as a practicall adherence unto God Sect. 15. David was soberly put to it Sect. 16. The fallacious use of the word Graceless Sect. 17. Some are thinkers to their own prejudice Sect. 18. It is an other quick-sand to be avoided which leads men to think they are the better for their Hypocrisie Sect. 19. What it is and what it is not to build upon a rock Sect. 20. The horror of a Doctrine should teach its vassals to disclaim it The equivocal refuge of being obedient in the maine Sect. 21. What was predominant in David when he deliberately sinned Sect. 22. None in adultery and murder can be really good men before the time of their repentance Sect. 23. The danger of the great error proposed to consideration what desperate Doctrines have been applauded by some of the ablest Presbyterians no whit better then those of Wickliff CHAP. IV. Concerning Subjects of several Natures Sect. 1. A tacite and groundless accusation sadly reflecting on the accuser Sect. 2. Of condemning brethren The accuser is the most criminal Sect. 3. Wants of charity examin'd and found to be in the accuser Sect. 5. The accusers character of himself Sect. 6. His obligation to reâ—ant if not resolutely mischievous CHAP. V. Concerning Puritanes Sect. 1. The Puritanes lives no better then their doctrines Sect. 3. Their partiality to their own Tribe The contrary lives of Antipuritanâ—s Sect. 4. The Accusers concurrence with the Iesuite Sect. 5. Fitz-Simmons his Artifice discovered and the Puritanes service-ablenesse to the Papists Sect. 6. King Iames his description of a Puritane Sect. 7. What Puritane signifies with the Papists Sect. 8. A mistake of the old Catharists who yet were Puritanes before the word was fitted to the thing Grotius groundlesly calumniated afresh Sect. 9 What the Puriâ—anes were with the old Episcopal party The judgement of Archbishop Whitgift and judicious Hooker concerning Puritanes Dr. Sanderson's judgement of the same Sect. 10. Bishop Andrews his judgement of Puritanes in his Sermon of worshipping imaginations p. 29. A.D. 1592. published by supreme Authority Sect. 11. Sir John Harrington's judgement of Puriâ—anes The judgement of Queen Eliz and her Privy Counsel and Archbishop Bancroft p. 12.13 and Archbishop Whitgift ib. p. 7.8 Of Judge Fopham Sect. 12. The Lord keeper Puckering's judgement of Puritanes by the direction of Queen Eliz delivered in the House of Lord in Parliament assembled Sect. 13. The judgement of Dr. R. Clarke one of the Translators of the Bible conceâ—ning the then-Puritanes in his second Visitation Sermon Zech 11.17 Sect. 14. An accompt of Puritanes from the Examen Historicum Wichliff's new Gospel Their helping on the Popish interest Their rebellious Principles Sect. 15. Bishop Montagues judgement of Puritanes Sect. 16. Grotius his judgement concerning Puritanes Mr. Thorndike's judgement of Puritanes Bishop Hall's judgement of Puritanes in his Latin exhortation to the Synod at Dort on Eccles. 7.16 Sect. 17. King Iames distinguished the Knaves-Puritane from the Puritane-Knave Sect. 18. Of the word Roundhead and praying aloud in private Sect. 19. How the Puritanes are the worst kind of swearers Sect. 20. The tale of drinking a bloody health to the Devil no less impertinent then uncharitable A gross and dangerous falsification in the management of the tale Men should be taught by their sufferings not to do wrong A Caveat against Raisers of false reports Confident corrupting of plain words Sect. 22. How some Puritanes have excommunicated themselves The Monopolizer of Censoriousness no good Projecter Sect. 23. A strange kind of Catholick who is against the whole Church yet partially cleaves unto a Sect whilst he condemn's it Sect. 24. A wilfull imposture or else a Patronage of impiety CHAP. VI. Concerning the Sequestration of Episcopal Divines Sect. 1. Of Episcopal Divines and the Archbishop of Cant. Sect. 2. Sequestrations misliked by their very Abettors Sect. 3. Sufficient information for such as want and desire it Guilty men must keep their secrets or not be angry that they are known Sect. 4. A sad plea for injustice from an opinion that it is good Sect. 5. Sequestrations disowned by their Defender Sect. 6. Accusations are of no value when onely general and without proof An ill man may have a good title to his Estate and must not be wrong'd for being unrighteous Evil must not be done in pretence of good ends Rom. 3.8 Sect. 7. He who craves help must have the patience to receive it Sect. 8. The shamefulness of Mr. Whites Centuries worse were put into livings then the worst that were put out Sect. 9. Unseasonable bitterness to the Protestants from one who would not befriend the Papists The indefinite Accuser brought to his triall by some particulars A signal Confession that what is call'd a Reformation was but a change unto the worse Presbyterian confessions to the advantage of the Prelatists The National Covenant confessed faulâ—y
Sect. 10. A strange way of arguing in the behalf of Cruelty It s consequence subversive of all humane society Sect. 11. Concerning Vsurpers and Restitution Sect. 12. What sequestrations are misliked and what not Sect. 13. Of growing Luâ—ty on Sequestrations and self-denial in usurpation CHAP. VII Of the Dort-Synod and the Remonstrants Sect. 1. A confessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 2. The Synodists unexcusable by standing out after yielding Sect. 3. Of grace which is really not verbally sufficient Sect. 4. Austin confessedly against the Synod of Dort Sect. 5. The extent of grace Sect. 6. The Synod of Dort parallel'd with the Iesuites even by its own Advocates Sect. 7. The Deniall of originall pravity falsely charged on the Remonstrants Sect. 8. How much there is in the will of man Sect. 9. To convert a sinner no breach of charity Sect. 10. Who it is that abuseth the choisest of Gods servants Sect. 11. Made appeare by an example The Contents of the APPENDIX Concerning severall Subjects both in The Key for Catholicks and in the Book of Disputations of Church-Government and Worship SECT I. The chief occasion of the Appendix Sect. 2. Mr. Baxters charge of Popery attended with self-contradictions Sect. 3. Made the more hainous in four respects Sect. 4. He is shew'd his Danger as well as guilt Sect. 5. Himself proved to be a Papist by fourteen Arguments according to his own Logick Grotius vindicated and cleared from all appearance of Popery from Sect. 6. to Sect. 26. The testimony of Poelenburg opposed to that of Sarravius Mr. Baxters confounding a Primacy of order with a supremacy of power And the New Canons of Rome with the antient Canons of General Councils His many and grievous mistakes in translating Grotius his Latin whether from wilfulness or weakness is referred unto the Reader Grotius his design had no influence on our English changes No Church-preferment was offer'd to him Franciscus à Sanctâ Clarâ had a contrary design Dr. Bezier cleared from an implicit Calumny The Popes Primacy allow'd by all sorts of Protestants as well as Grotius Bishop Andrews Bishop Bramhall Dr. Hammond c. A conjecture passed upon the letters which Mr. Baxter saith were sent to him of the real presence in the Lords Supper Material and formal Idolatry Two sorts of Pâ—pists The granted Primacy a Bulwarke against Popery Pacificks are not a cause of discord The Priâ—acy of the Pope how it removeth the whole mistake Sect. 29. By whom our Breaches were firâ—t made and are ever since widened The wrong sore rubb'd by Mr. Baxter and Presbyterians gall'd upon the Prelatists backs The Prelatists beaten for being abused yet are earnest desirers of Reconcilement The Church of England justified by the Confessions of her Desertors The Presbyterian separatists apparently unexcusable They are obnoxious to men of all sides for their sin of schisme Especially to the Episcopal whose sufferings have made them the more conformable to the Primitive Christians Sect. 30. Lay-Elders condemn'd by such as had sworn to assert them Sect. 31. A Calumny cast upon our Preachers to the sole disgrace of the Calumniator Once a day Preaching and Catechizing a great deal better then Prateing twice The Accuser most criminall The Presbyterian Readers are many more then the Episcopal And their Preaching much worse if we may credit their own confessions An agreement in point of Raileing between the Quakers and Presbyterians Sect. 32. A fair Confession how far a Protestant may go and be still a Protestant Sect. 33. Of Bishops and Presbytery Bishop Hall's censure of the disturbers of setled Government in the Church The Lord Primate's censure of Presbyterian Ordinations as invalid and Schismatiâ—al Dr. Holdsworth's sufferings a Declaration of his judgement Sect. 34. The Presbyterian excuses are Aggravations of their offences Sect. 35. Bishop Prideaux confessed a Moderate man though the sharpest Censor of our English Presbyterians He doth Characterize them by Ravenous Wolves By ambitious low shrubs conspiring against the goodly Oake By a petulant Ape on the house top By the greedy Dog and the Sacrilegious Bird in the common Fable By Baltasar and Achan By the title Smectymnuan importing a monster with many heads By the Bramble consuming the Cedar of Lebanon Bishop Prideaux us'd worse then any scandalous Minister Sect. 36. A vindication of Bishops and Doctor Hammond's Paraphrase Sect. 37. A Refutation of the prime Argument for Presbyterian Ordinations Mr. Baxter proved to be an Heathen by his own Art of Syllogizing Sect. 38. Presbyterians are not Bishops by having Deacons under them Sect. 39. Immoderate virulence towards those of the Episcopal way Mr. Thorndike's judgement of Presbyterian Ordinations Sect. 40. A parallel case between the Pharisees of old and our modern Puritans Sect. 41. What hath been meant by the word Puritan by Learned men The Lord Chancellor Egertoâ—'s judgement of Puritans Bishop Bramhall's judgement of the same Bishop Hall of Pharisaism and Christianity Sect. 42. The Presbyterian Directory exceedingly abominable The Kings reasons against the Directory And his reasons for the Common Prayer Sect. 43. Concerning Coppinger and Hacket and the communication of their Design to the Presbyterian Ministers Sect. 44. Dr. Steward's Sermon at Paris And Dr. Heylin's Antipuritanism To the Reverend Mr RICHARD BAXTER Reverend Sir Sect. 1. AFter so many of my indeavours to disappoint the open enemies of Truth and Reason thereby to rescue poor Christians from the worst kind of thraldom in which too many have been held by the Mythologie of the Turks whose desperate Doctrine of God's Decrees doth seem to me more terrible then all their Armies by how much the bondage of a man's Spirit is more to be fear'd then that of his Flesh for the effecting of which Rescue I verily thought you had laboured with me till what you rais'd with one hand you also ruin'd wâ—h the other which made me think many times of Penelope's Web I pleas'd my self with an opinion that my Disputes were all ended and that a liberty would be allowed me to pass the remnant of my dayes in my proper Element I take the words of old Hesiod as if they were spoke unto my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For although perhaps I may not say I have as great an averseness to all Contention as that of the Fish unto the Fire yet am I not able to indure it but when I steadfastly believe it to be a Duty And being perswaded that it is mine I dare not shrink from a discharge how much soever it may cost me in self-denials That alone is the time of my being imployed in my proper Element when I am studying the Doctrine and Life of Christ as both are ordinable to practice when I am preaching the glad tidings of the Gospel of Peace as one to whom is committed the Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 when I am teaching the Ignorant admonisâ—ing the Guilty procuring settlement to the Doubtful and binding up the broken-hearted when I am anxiously pressing
England * In ist's Remediis quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 medici vocant parum est auxilii Neque potest partium unitas nisi à corpoâ—is unitate sperari Non possum non laudare praeclarum Aâ—gliae Canonem An. Dom. 1571. c. De Imperio sum po circa sacra cap. 6 witness his sixth Chapter De Imperio summarum potestatum circa sacra wherein he doth not onely insist upon the same means of union for which he pleads in his later writings but exceedingly commends our English Canon agreed upon in the yeâ—r 1571. exactly tending to the very same end Inprimis verò videbunt Concionatores nequid unquam dâ—ceant pro Concione quod à populo religiosè teneri credi velint nisi quod consentaneum sit Doctrinae Veteris ac Novi Testamenti quodque ex illâ ipsâ Doctrinâ Catholiâ—â— Patres Veteres Episcopi collegerint Because the Scripture is made a Lesbian Rule by a great variety of Professors who are irreconcileable amongst themselves therefore no Exposition ought to be taken for authentick so soon as that which hath been made by the Catholick Fathers and Ancient Bishops of the Church In a word it doth appear as well by * Casauâ— Epist. 220. Hu. Gro. 1612 Epist. 221. c. Casaubon's and Bishop Overall's Epistles to Grotius as from his to them and to Thuaâ—us and divers others that his desires of union were no other then what were common to him with the soberest Protestants in the World in particular with Melanchthon whom he proposeth as his exemplar in all his writings of that affair Nay in two Epistles to Duraeus which a learned Mr. Clement Barksdale in his Mâ—morials of Grotius admirer of his Works hath very usefully made English he is as palpably a Protestant as Cardinal Bellarmin was a Papist for he clearly justifies our breach with Rome and heartily wisheth our agreement amongst our selves however hindered by those who defile themselves with a proud conceit of being holier and purer then their Fathers and Brethren of the Church He unites his Consultations with both our English Embassadors how our union may be accomplished to which he exhorts so much the rather because he observes that our Division doth strengthen Popery and make Proselytes for Rome Such were Grotius his Counsels no longer since then in the year of our Lord 1637. And though you confidently say that He mentions the Protestants with distaste as pretended Reformers p. 33. yet I know the contrary to be a very great truth * Traxit in auxilium sui Reformâ—torum Principes Pontificlorum fervidiores meam praesentiam aliis de causis suspectant Epist. 172. p. 422. A.D. 1635. Foâ— how severely soever he useth to speak of the rebellious and sacrilegious who by their Heathenish practises and oâ—inions had put a publick disgrace on the Reformation in pretending themselveâ— the Authors of it yet of regular Protestants he never speaks without love and reverence and simply calls them the Reformed in opposition to Pontificians who stand in need of Reformation That unavowable sort of Protestants whom he reproves with sharpness the meek and moderate †Look forward on ch 5. sect 9. Dr. Sanderson rebuketh as sharply as he hath done yet he is not the likelier to be a Papist Arg. 14. From many places of his Discussio printed in the year 1645. as well as from its whole design his aversion to Papism doth very sufficiently appear And as that is the book from whence you draw your objections so from that very book you could not have fail'd of satisfaction had you impartially either read or considered all * Discuss p. 10. His desire that the rules of Vincentius Lirinensis might be observed was common to him with King Iames Isaac Casaubon yea with Gregory Calixtâ—s and Doctor Reynolds against Hart. †Nec aliud desiderat Confessio Augustanâ— Diâ—unt enim qui eam amplexi sunt Principes Civitates de nullo Articulo Fidei dissentire se c. sed paucos abusus à se omitti qui novi sunt contra voluntatem Canonum vitio Temporum recepti ib. p. 14. He would not onely have the Canons of the Council of Trent to be commodiously expounded in order to peace but also in order to reformation he would have all taken away which evil customes and manners have introduced In a word he would have that then which the Augustan Confession desires no more And many moderate Papists desired no less He allowes the Pope no * Ibid. p. 1â— other Primacy then is allowed by the Canons of oecumenical Councils and may consist with the rights of the several Patriarchs of the East disapproving his usurpations no lesse then Casaubon himself †Ibid. p. 15. He loves to style that Vsurper by the modest name of the Bishop of Rome and fastens the Primacy which he allowes nâ—t so much on the Pope as the Church of God for Zanchy himself doth so expresse her Arg. 15. To prove he speaks as a Peace-maker which he was not as a Papist which he was not he cites the Declarations of some chief * Ibid. p. 69. Protestants in the behalf of such a Primacy as he and they have thought due to the Roman Prelate Not onely King Iames who granted as much in a manner as Cardinal Perron exacted of him in order to the Unity and Peace of Christendom nor onely Bucer a moderate Protestant but even Blondel the Patron of Presbyterians and even Calvin himself are brought in speaking to his advantage to whom I might adde Franciscus Iunius and our learned Mountague in his Appeal to Caesar. The words of Blondel are very remarkable Non negari à Protestantibus dignitatem Sedis Apostolicae Romanae neque Primatum ejus super Ecclesias vicinaes imâ—o aliquatenus super omnes sed referri hoc ab iis ad jus Ecclesiasticum Nor can I remember I ever read that Grotius pretended to any more For obedience due from all seculars unto the Bishops of the Churâ—h he cites the * Ibid. p. 70. Augustan Confession For the want of reformation in the Presbyterian Churches he cites the †Ibid. p. 73. Confession of Mr. Rivet For the admitting of such words as Transelementation and Transubstantiation with their convenient explications in order to Peace and Reconcilement * Ibid. p. 77. he cites Modreviâ—s and our King Iames. For the Protestants return to the Church of Rome upon condition that that Church will also return unto the Primitive he cites the Prayers and Protestation of learned Zanchy Ab Ecclesiâ Româ—nÃ¥ non aliâ— discessimus animo quà m ut si correcta ad priorem Ecclesiae formam redeat nos quoque ad illam revertamuâ— communionem cum illâ in suis porrò coetibus habeamus Apud Grot. p. 14. apud ipsum Zanch. in Confess Art 19. p. 157. who notwithstanding his being a Presbyterian concluded his
you a Papist and what Emissaries you have in all parts of the land * Ibid. p. 487. That you and the Worcester-shire Profession of Faith give too much counâ—enance to the Socinian abominations Again †Ibid. p. 487. you say that the hardest measure you had from Doctor Owen was in his Socinian Parallel in no lesse then eleven particulars * Ibid. p. 516. That Master Crandon bestows a whole Epistle to tell the Reader how he detests your BLASPHEMY * Postcript to an Admonition to Mr. Eyre of Sarum And that the main substance of his Book against your Aphorismes is this That you are a Papist and the worser sort of them too Now if such men as these whom you acknowledge to be your Brethren both learned and judicious are not hastily to be credited in what they write against you notwithstanding their number as well as quality how much less may you look for credit in what you write against Grotius For first the Advocates for Grotius will except against you as his enemy vel siâ— de poâ—te dejiciendum and so not fit to be a Witnesse much lesse a Iudge Next you are but a single person Thirdly you fasten the name of Papist so very wrongfully upon some as if you were willing not to be credited when you cast it upon others For you tell Master Tombes * Dispute with Mr. Tombs of Infants Church-Membership and Baptism Edit 3. â— 397. Doctor Taylor no Papist that if he hath read all the books of Doctor Taylor he will no more reckon him among the Protestants having so much of the body of Popery in them But Sir if you have read his Book of Transubstantiation which must needs be one of the all you mention you will find new matter of Retractation Adde to that his two Letters which do wholly concern the whole Body of Popery and which as soon as you have read you will not think his Discourses of Original Sin can by their single force become sufficient to metamorphise him into a shape which he doth not onely disclaim himself but enable others to disclaim also and doth antidote some against the contagion of that Disease with which you peremptorily speak him to be infected One thing comes into my minde upon this occasion of which I would be glad to have some account You say in * See your Chr. Concord p. 49. and compare it with p. 46. of the same book and with p. 100. of your Grotian Relig. one Book wherein you speak of Popish Bishops who lurk under the name of Episcopal That all their Writings or Discourses do carry on the Roman Interest That in those of them who write of Doctrinals or Devotion one may find the plain footsteps of common Popery You say You are loth to name men but you could shew a great deal of Popery in divers such books which you see much in Gentlemens hands as written by an Episcopal Doctor In contradiction to one important part of which words your being loth to name men you do name Doctor Taylor in your book above cited Bishop Wren and Bishop Pierce you also name in that Book in which you professe you are loth to name them as I shall shew by and by In the mean time I must challenge you but in the spirit of love and meeknesse to make good your words above written or to retract them That if Popish Divines do lie lurking under the name of Episcopal they may be punish'd for their Hypocrisie Or if it is onely your fiction that you may make reparation for so much wrong For again †Christ. Concoâ—d p 45 â—6 c. your charge of Cassandrian Popery is indefinitely laid against Episcopal Divines who lie mask'd here in England to do the Pope the greater service And although you now plead that you did not intend to raise a jealousie on all the Episcopal Divines p. 103. yet I believe you intended to raise a jealousie on the most because you feared not to name Bish. Wren and Bish. Pierce as a couple of your fancied Cassandrian Papists who yet are known to be as perfect persevering Protestants as you to be a Presbyterian if yet I may say you are truly such And though you judge it unmeet to name even those who you say have given you just cause of suspicion because it may tend to breach of peace and to the harder censuring and usage of the persons which you say is none of your desire p. 100. yet you have nam'd too many it seems against your own judgment who gave you no cause at all and have left your Readers to judge by them of the rest Nay without exception or disâ—rimination you name the Bishops and the Kings Chaplains and other Doctors Admit some Papists did lurk amongst them I hope you will argue nothing from thence but that themselves were no Papists For now you openly confesse that the Papists are crept in among all sects the Quakers Seekers Anabaptists Millenaries Levellers Independents yea and the Presbyterians also p. 99 100. Nay you farther make a Confession for which I commend your ingenuity that the Pope and the Italians might very probably have a considerable hand in raising our warres p. 106. Nor do you wonder if it be true that the Papists did not onely kindle our warrs here and blow the coals on both sides but also that it was by the Roman influence that the late King was put to death Claud Salm Defens Regis c. 10 c. 11. p. 108. When I compare your words with the words of Salmasius I guesse that the Papists and Presbyterians were both assistants to one another in contriving the mischieves of which you spake Sect. 7. You say on in your Preface Grotius at last is but a Papist with an â—f c. that had Grotius been living you think you should have had more thanks from him then I and that if you understand him he took it for his glory to be a Member of that Body of which the Pope is the Head even to be a Roman Cathâ—lick Sect. 2. Thus it pleaseth you to speak though without any tolerable shew of truth nor is there any proof offered but that so you think and if you understand him It s very strange that the one point on which your machine is wholly founded of the Grotian Religion and the new way in which the Prelatists are involved to wit Grotius his being a Roman Catholick should be thus feebly introduced with an I think and if I understand him An humble begging of the Question were a gentile quality to this There is hardly any the least of your baffled Adversaries but will be able to say as much in his own defence against your Aphorismes your Adversaries think or else they speak against their conscience and if they understand you 't is thus and thus you are a Socinian and a Papist and the worser sort of them too as some of your
any Grotius his Doctrine and Design more Catholical then Mr. Baxter ' s. Sect. 11. You object against Grotius That he was not truly Catholick in his designs and Doctrines p. 11. Yet he excluded not any but onely said who they were that would not indure to be included He knew that some peace was better then no peace at all And shall not parties of moderation seek an agreement with one another because they cannot agree with the two Extremes Can you name any one person whom he forbad to accept of the terms propos'd Or is an offer the lesse Catholick for being made upon conditions to every Creature You cannot say this who are for Catholick Redemption or when you write your self Catholick and set forth terms of Christian Concord can you imagine that your design is half so Catholick as his I cannot imagin that you can You indeed will be at unity with all the World if all the World will agree with your Worcestershire combination But so the World will be at Vnity if all will embrace the design of Grotius nay all the World had been at Unity if all had agreed with Iohn of Leyden Sed nihil hoc ad Iphicli boves And what you say against Grotius is gratis dictum And the terms to which he calls us less impossible Sect. 12. But you stick not to affirm that Grotius calls us all to impossible terms of unity as the onely terms p. 12. every whit as impossible as a medicine from the Moon or the Antipodes or the brains of a Phoenix to cure a Patient p. 13. 1. You seem to forget what you had said at another time to wit that Grotius was a man not of great reading onely and much learning but that he had also a * Christ. Câ—nc p. 45. mighty judgment to improve it Nay that you take him for so learned and so judicious a man as you do not judge your self worthy in any such respect to be named with him p. 4. Now whether it suits with a man of judgment to prescribe a medicine from the Moon or what is equally impossible and to spend so many years in it as Grotius professeth to have done I shall onely leave to your future consideration 2. You are unmindful of the parties to whom the terms of peace were more immediately propounded even the moderate Papists who were of the temper of Thuanus and the moderate Protestants who were of the temper of good Melanchthon not the rigidest of the Papists who were wholly devoted unto the Papacy nor the rigidest of the Protestants who perfectly doat on the Presbyterie and yet the onely way imaginable whereby to draw them to moderation were for those that are moderate to alluâ—e them to it by their example For whom was it possible to agree if not for the soberest of either party nay for whom was it probable if not for them who desir'd it with so much fervour 3. You little think how many or how important persons there have been who having the same aimes with Grotius and having used the same indeavours have expected to reap some better fruit then meerly their labour for their pains even Emperours Kings Cardinals Bishops and divers others as wise personages as the Christian world hath lately had and as well of the Protestant as Roman party The words of Zanchy are worth observing What can be more to be desired by every man that fears God De Ecclesia Romana jam tum locutus Quid inquiâ— Zâ—nchius pâ—o cuique optatius quà m ut ubi per baptismuâ— renati sumus ibi etiam in finem usque vivamus c. In Confess Art 19. p. 157. then that we live and die in that Church meaning the Roman of which alone he there speaks wherein by Baptism we were born again yet he was then no Papist but onely a moderate Presbyterian 4. You professe not to distaste the pacificatory desires or designs of Grotius p. 6. how much soever you accuse them p. 15 16 17 18. And you say You are a person of so little worth or interest that you cannot in reason expect that your endeavours in such a work should have any considerable success But yet that you will speak and write for peace though you saw not a man in the World that would regard it or return you any better thanks then a Reproch p. 6. Allow to Grotius the same zeal who was a man of great worth and great interest in the world knew better then you what peace was best and which were the best ways to gain it was regarded for what he did by the best men in the World however reproched by the most envious You have a confident †Preface to Dâ—sp of Sacram. p. 15. saying of your own project to make up the breaches which have been betwixt the Lutherans and Calvinists the Iesuites and the Dominicans c. That if your Principles propounded shall have an impartial Reception according to their evidence you will give us security to make good your confidence that they shall quiet the Christian World hereabouts When you have thus set forth your self you should permit me with patience to speak as highly for Grotius too 5. But I desire you in special to make reflexion upon a Passage you have printed in your debate with Master Tombes where having said in the Defence and Commendation of Erastus * Plain Script proof of Infants Church-Memb and Baptism p. 227 228. That he was a very learned judicious man in Divinity Philosophy and Physick and having justified his medling without the sphaere of his own calling in the business of Divinity and having also said of him that some of his book is erroneous his arguments very weak for mixt communion and that he seemeth oft to contradict what he there pleadeth for you proceed in these words which seem to me very remarkable Ibid. For my part were my judgment of any moment to others after my serious study in this point both in Scripture and Antiquity specially the Writers of the three first Centuries I am confidently perswaded that the true way of Christs Discipline is parcell'd out between the Episcopal Erastian Presbyterian and Independents and that every party hath a 〈◊〉 of the Truth in peculiar And I verily think that if every one of the four parties do entirely establish their own way they will not establish the Scripture-way These are all your own words and to these you adde more That let it be taken how it will you will acquaint the world with your thoughts of this also if God will so long draw out your life But if you put forth such a work you will quickly find your self more No Ishmael had ever more hands against him for your hand will be against all And may not your medicine from the Moon with the bruins of a Phoenix be applied by me against your attempt as well as you have appli'd it to that of Grotius Such a
others they might be brought to some exemplary punishment such scandalous sinners before these times would have been paradigmatiz'd in the Bishops Courts Nor could any thing less then extirpation of Episcopacy have gained an impunity for such a crime And now to tell you the very truth if I may judge of Antipuritanes by those whom I am acquainted with they are as free from this vice as most of the Puritanes are guilty of it I speak not of swearing nine Oathes in one breath but of swearing and forswearing as many times in two breaths whereof the one is hot and the other cold as they conceive to be for their carnal interest Are there not Puritanes who have sworn first an Oath of Allegiance 2. An Oath of Supremacy 3. An Oath of Canonical obedience 4. An Oath intitled the Negative Oath 5. An Oath which was called the solemn League and Covenant 6. An Oath which was taken by the name of an Engagement besides their University and Collegiate Oaths And I have heard they swore an Oath to live and die with my Lord of Essex Put all together and you will find them to be Nine with some advantage and the Sacrament taken at ordination of Ministers under the Bishops is the solemnest Oath that can be taken Much more I could say but that a word to the wise may seem sufficient You say The way that one Company of the Kings souldiers testified their freedom from this crime by as credible impartial witnesses in Somersetshire told you that saw them do it was by pricking their fingers and letting their blood run into the Cup and drinking a health to the Divel in their own blood Sect. 23. Sect. 20. If this were true it were not any thing to the purpose as being neither for you nor against my self I having spoken of Puritanes in the words of King Iames The Tale of dâ—inking a bloody health to the Divel no less impertinent then uncharitable not in words of my framing and as I found them in an Historian of unquestionable prudence and moderation Again I spake ex professo of Presbyterians and of Puritanes onely by accident Nor did I speak of them otherwise then Queen Elizabeth King Iames Archbishop Bancroft Archbishop Whitgift Bishop Andrews Bishop Hall Doctor Sanderson and others had afforded me a warrant from all their stiles Yet see with what Stories you entertain me without the least offer of any proof Nay see if it is not so contrived as if it were purposely intended to pass for incredible with all that read it For let me put you to a few questions 1. Was there ever any Company of his Majesties souldiers who were in very good earnest suspected to be Puritans so as to need a testimonial that they were none 2. Were they so far suspected of being Puritanes that nothing less then their own blood and a Health to the Divel could satisfie the suspecters and gain their freedom from such suspicion when the Tale in it self is so incredible what professor of Christianity would not suspect the very â—iâ—nâ—sses however professing to be no less then eye-witnesses who should suggest so strange and so incredible a thing or who would cite such testimonies in materiâ tamgravi without the naming of persons time and place and without the specifying of all other circumstances to free himself from being reckoned a False-Accuser which of the two is the greater sin to drink a health to the Divel or to gratifie the Divel by falsely affirming that some have done it to free themselves from being Puritanes I leave it to be judged by the indifferent Reader But nowâ—suppose it to be true A gross and dangerous falsification in the management of the Tale. that some did swear nine Oaths in a breath and others drink their own blood at a health to the Divel must you infer that they did it as a sign of purgation as you word it in your first story or to testifie their freedom from the crime of Puritanism as you expresse it in your second it were very easie to pay you home in your own coyn and to load you with more of it then you are able to bear But I will onely speak of some notorious matters of Fact to let you see the advantage you now afford me There was an eminent * Mr. Barker of Pitchley Presbyterian in this County of Northampton an able Preacher by repâ—te and a godly man who for Incest and Murder was hang'd in the â—ight of divers thousands there are thousands now living who saw it done his trial and execution were so publick that I need not tell you from whom I heard it But how would you take it if I should say that such a Puritane did purposely defile his Niece and consent to the murder of the child he had by her and end his dayes upon the Gallows to prove himself free from the Prelatical party if you find in your self that you would take it in ill part then learn not to speak what you would not hear I could also tell a story of a â—everend man of the Presbyterie of whom it will hardly be believ'd that taking upon him to be a Fighter as well as a Preacher in the Army he killed a souldier of his own Company in the Town of Warwick Men should be taught by theâ—r suffering not to do wrong But of all the men in the World you and I should be careful not to speak without ground of other men's failings since others have spoken so very groundlessly of you and me * Disp. 5. of Sacram. p. 489. Mr. Robertson you say did talk confidently of his discourses with Mr. Hotchkiss though Mr. Hotchkiss professed he never saw him And so you say that Mr. Blake hath printed things of your self Ibid. p. 500. so false and groundless that he might as well have said you take your self to be King of Spain Of Mr. Tombes his Aspersions you very frequently complain And you know by whom you have been accused as a Papist and a Socinian In all which I am obliged to take part with you by my resentment and to profess my disbelief of many things I hear of you I having suffered my self in the very same measure that you have done I will not mention mens names in a more publick manner then they do mine because I am tenderer of them then they have been of themselves or me But this I cannot forbear to say upon so pregnant an opportunity that malicious slanders are raised against me and unworthily whisper'd from one enemy to another though most evident Contradictions to the plainest matters of Fact The Temâ—ter many times betrayes his Instruments whilst he Imployes them As if in very good earnest he had owed them a spight as we use to say by a kind of Proverb He puts them upon speaking such ill-made stories as are not onely false but Impossible to be true 'T is said I did this and that which
was impossible to be done Juâ—t as if it should be said that I created my Parents or sqâ—ar'd the Circle Indeed I have read of Apollonius Tyanaeus that he could tell at Ephesus what in that very houre was done at Rome the Devill was such a Familiar to him But that I should speak a thing in England whilst my Body and my Soule were both in France is the wildest Invention I ever heard of It is my comfort that I suffer the most Incredible of Slanders which are as Innocent in one sense as they are criminal in another And that I suffer for well doing even to those very persons from whom I suffer But that a Sermon of Love should procure me more Hatred than All the Actions of my whole Life would seem as wonderfull a Thing as that Elijah with water should set the green wood on fire but that I consider what Age we live in And that the Fire is more common which comes from Hell then that which Elijah pray'd down from Heaven Besides I know it is part of the Chrâ—stians Lot which I take in good part and doe thank God for it But it were well if most men would make a Covenant with their Eares A Cavâ—at against Raisers of false Râ—ports not to listen to meer Rumors which doe not bring their warrant with them And another Covenant with their Lips not to utter such Rumors without all reason For through a defect of these two what Calumnies have been raised upon men of all sorts which with one sort or other have found great welcome and entertainment I will give you an Instance in some particulars which are many wayes pertinent to my present Enterprise It was dogmatically affirmed by the whole Assembly of Divines in a Letter which they sent to all the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas That the King and his party had an intent to set up Popery and even to extirpate the true Reformed Religion See Biblioth Râ—gia part 1. Sect. â— p. 58.59 to p. 65. And that they had not onely attempted but in great measure prevailed for the putting thereof in execution A thing so far from being true that the King protested his intentions were directly contrary and from the Primate of Armagh received the Sacrament upon it solemnly wishing that that Sacrament might be his damnation if his heart did not joyn with his lips in that protestation He also declared the same thing to all the Transmarine Protestant Churches Nay it was part of his last words the sincerity of which he also sealed with his blood And now you publickly confess as Mr. Prin had done before you in his Signal Memento p. 12. You do not believe he was a Papist but a moderate Protestant and that his Conference with the Marquess of Worcester may satisfie men for that p. 106. By the same excess of injustice Archbishop Bancroft Archbishop Laud Archbishop Usher Bishop Bramhal and Doctor Cousins have been exhibited to the people as downright Papists though as great adversaries to Rome as Rome hath had since the Reformation How many others in particular and the Prelatists in general have been traduced you know very well and Doctor Sanderson hath told you with what injustice It was not onely the saying of Doctor Bernard Of the judgm of the late Archbishop of Arm. p. â—61 concerning the late Archbishop of Armagh that some of the simpler sort hearing of a conjunction of Popery and Prelacy have thought they could not be parted in him but it was also the complaint of the Primate himself that exceptions were taken against his Letter Ibid. p. 19. as if he had thereby confirmed Papism and Arminianism Which yet I believe was as far from truth as what was said by your Adversaries of you or by you of Grotius Bishop Wren Bishop Pierce and Doctor Taylor Bolsec in vitâ Calvini Pref. to Disp. against Master Tombes Exam Hist. p. 204. or by Bolsec of Mr. Calvin that he was eaten up of Lice or by the Papists of the Waldenses that they were Sorcerers and Witches or by some of Saint Austin that he was a Manichaeâ—n or by the Puritanes of Bishop Andrews that he was guilty of superstition or by the same of Bishop Montague that he was turned unto the Papists or by Standish of Erasmus that he denied the Resurrection and blasphemed Christ's miracles as dâ—ne by Magick or by Bellarmine of the same that he was a friend to Arianism or by Mr. Hickman of myâ—self that the printed Doctrines of Zuinglius c. who were dead and buried before I was born were the meer Chimaera's of my brain I pray consider these things and set a guard upon your pen from this time forwards You say I must be supposed to mean by a Puritane a man that feareth God c. Sect. 23. Sect. 21. I more admire at this speech A confident corrupting of plain words then at all the rest that have fallen from you for your own conscience is my witness and so are all my Readers eyes that my notion of a Puritane hath been ever agreeable with those which I have lately set before you from Bishop Andrews and Bishop Hall Doctor Cleark and Doctor Sanderson with divers others beyond exception How can you hope to be believed in what you say of nine Oaths in a breath and drinking healths unto the Divel when you can wilfully corrupt the plainest words that can be spoken And say I MUST be supposed to mean a man that feareth God whereas there is not so much as any circumstance of any the least probability that I should mean as you say but the contrary is as visible as the Sun at noon that I mean such Puritanes as have a right to that Title Neither fearing God nor hating covetouness neither seeking God's Kingdom nor the righteousness thereof but making a stalking-horse of Religion whereby to come at their carnal ends You say I deviate lamentably from Catholicism in my uncharitable censures of the Puritanes and Presbyterians That it s no Catholick Church which cannot hold such men as these â—or a Catholick Disposition that cannot embrace theÌ„ with that unfeigned special love that 's due to Christians Sect. 24. Sect. 22. Still you lamentably beat upon the very same hoof How some Puritanes have excommunicated themselves standing still a great deal faster theâ— some can gallop With unsignificant Repetitions naked affirmations and want of any thing like a proof you are able to advance another Section concerning Puritanes and Presbyterians not referring to any word which I had spoken of either nor to any one page where my Censure may appear to have been uncharitable My opinion is you durst not cite my words or pages for then your foule dealing had been too viâ—â—ble to the Reader Nay then you must have written another book to some purpose not This which you know is to none at all Had you answered my Book or any little part of it I must
him to Herself by her so many great effects of her Love and Loyalty which have made her a pattern to other women and hereafter will make her a proverb too that he could not conceal his Religion from Her whom he had worthily seated so near his Heart What need we more in so clear a Case The Wife of Grotius was both a Protestant herself as well at her residence in Paris as at her return unto the Hague and hath constantly †Look back on ch 1. Sect. 5. p. 12 13. affirmed to all desirous of Information that her Husband and herself were never divided in their Religion That he did never * Neque in Galliis unquam neque extra Gallias alicubi c. at any time †Neque in Galliis unquam neque extra Gallias alicubi c. in any part of the world so much as permit himself to be * Aut eorum sacris Interfuisse present at any papistical Devotions Never was there a Wife of greateâ— Wisdom and Gravity and Christian courage in the esteem of an Husband than she in his Never was there a Husband who left behind him a greater Monument of honour gratitude to a wife And could he think you be a Papist without her Knowledge Or could he think you turn Papist without his own He made profession to Laurentius who writ the Grotius Papizans which you are now so unskilfull as to object that he was not turn'd Papist as had been slanderously reported which having told you of already ch 1. p. 11 12. I will incourage you to believe whatsoever his Wife hath affirmed of him by letting you see how much he prized her Nos quoque si quisquam multum debere fatemur Sylvae Grotian◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Augusti Thuani Franciscum Filium p. 5 6 Conjugio Memini post tot tua vota precesque Cynthia cùm nonum Capto mihi volveret orbem Qualem te primum Conjux fidissima vidi Carceris in Tenébris Lachrymas absorpserat Ingens Vis Animi neque vel gemitu Te Luctus adegit Consentire malis Rursus nova vincula sed quae Te Sociâ leviora tuli dum milite clausos Nos Mosa tristi Vahalis circumstrepit undâ Heic Patriam toties inania jura vocanti Et proculcatas in nostro corpore leges Tu solamen eras Heic jam Te viderat alter Et post se mediâ plus parte reliquerat Annus Cum mihi jura mei per Te solerte reperto Reddita Tu postquam jam caeca acceperat Alvus Dulce oâ—iâ—s opposâ—â—s libabas oscula claustris Atque ita semoto foribus custode locuta es Summe Pater rigido si non Adamante futurum Stat tibi sed precibus potìs es gaudesque moveri Hoc quod nostra Fides lucem servavit in istam Accipe Depositum tantisque exolve periclis Conjugii testor Sanctissima jura meaeque Spem sobolis Non huc venio pertaesa malorum Sed miserata virum possum sine Conjuge possum Quamvis dura pâ—ti Si post exempla ferocis Ultima saevitiae nondum deferbuit ira In me tota ruat vivam crudele sepulchrum Me premat triplicis cingat custodia Valli Dum meus aetheriae satietur pastibus Aurae Grotius Casus narret Patriaeque suosque Dixerat atque oculis fugientia vela secutis Addit Abi Conjux neque Te nisi Libera cernam Quod mea si auderet Famam spondere Camaena Acciperet quantis virtutem laisdibus istam Posteritas A Rejoynder to as much of the Key for Catholicks as pretend's to be â— Reply to my old Advertisement Sect. 7. I now pass on as you direct me to the latter part of your Key for Catholicks of which your Pen hath made great Boast But every man's cause is not the best who hath the fondest opinion of his performance For then there were no disputing with you You would be constantly in the right which part soever you undertook You say the Business of Grotius is it upon which you are to meddle with me p. 382. And first you promise me to yield what I told you That for the very same reasons upon which you conclude that Grotius is a Papist you must also conclude him to be a Protestant unless you think as hardly of the Augustan Confession as you seem to do of the Councill of Treâ—t But you will not performe it till the Greek Calends For you condition with me to prove That a Protestant is one who holdeth to the Council of Trent c. And are you fitted to be a Disputant whose strength is onely to be sturdy in a meer begging of the Question welfare thâ— Down-right Dr. Kendal for faithfully telling you in his Book That A little more of the Vniversity would have done you no harm See and wonder at your unhappinesâ— which was Rivet's as well as yours You objected against Grotius his having set out the Canons of the Trent Council in his Conciliatory Design To which I answered that he did equally set out the Articles of the Protestant Council at Augusta So as if that doth prove him a Papist This must prove him also a Protestant Whereas indeed they both prove him a Reconciler You confess it is not Popery to be a Peace-maker Nay you pretend at least to be one your self You often wish for peace and union between us and the Papists But how can Peace be ever made betwixt two Adversary parties without a mutuall Collation of both their Doctrines which if they are thought so to differ as to be quite irreconcilable who would labour to reconcile them When * At Grotius non eam Bullam solam edidit sed confess nem Augusâ— nam existimans comâ—â—dè acceptas Doctrinas Tridentinam Augustanam inter se non ita pugre ut multi credidere Discuss p. 7. Grotius told Rivet that he had put forth the Doctrines as well of the Augustan as the Tridentine Council because he believed they differed less than many others did apprehend he conceived the Papists Doctrines might be made to conforme unto the Protestants not the Protestants unto the Papists meaning not the Presbyterian but sober Protestanâ—s such as those at Augusta remember That for in the very same page as in twenty others which I have met with He pleads for the Reforming of Popish Errors whether the Pope will or no by Kings and Bâ—shops within thâ—ir Bounds But never yet could I find that he acknowledg'd the least Error in either the Discipline or Doctrine of sober Protestants such as the Followers of Melanchthon and the unchangeable Sons of the Church of England The words of Grotius Ibid. which have open'd shall stop your mouth Licuerit sanè Regibus legitime constitutis Episcopis intra suos fines quaedam corrigere quae videbantur corrigenda There he approves of the Reformationâ— in the Dukedom of Saxonie and here in England
Ibid. p. 8. At quo jure privati ubi Ecclesiae erant Novas constituerunt Ecclesias nullis ab Episcopis ortas nullis cum Episcopis cohaerentes There he condemns the Reformations so called which were made by the Scotish and other rebellious Presbyterians To beg the Question must not pass for a Reply Sect. 8. To the next part of your Reply p. 383. I easily give you this full Return 1. You do not so much as pretend a proof that you did not mistake the drift of the most excellent Discussio but poorly aske if his words are not plain enough and bid the Readers of his words become the Iudges Thus you are still an arrant Beggar of the Question and as to the duty of a Replicant a meer Tergiversator Any child might have said the first and why do you write so many books if you quit your self manfully in the second In stead of all your Disputes you might have appealed once for all to your partial Readers but then you must not pretend to give any Answer or Replies You aske if Grotius his words are not plain enough thereby implying that they are when yet you prove they are not for I have shew'd and shall shew you your gross mistakes I am ever as ready as you can be to submit my Cause to the indifferent Reader but I suppose it my duty to plead it first Indeed to Poelenburg and Mr. Thorndike and so unerring a person as Dr. Hammond the words of Grotius are plain enough Plain enough to let them see that Grotius was but a peacemaker not a Papist And it seems they are plain even to me because I see the same thing But even for that very reason they cannot be plain enough to you Sir because you seem to see from them that their Authour was what he was not The printed Judgments of those three above mention'd are directly contrary to yours Whether They or you are best able to interpret the Words of Grotius I may very well say Let the Reader judge The learnedest persons in all the world nor onely the learnedest but the most too as well of the Romish as of the Protestant Church do judge of his Words and his Religion as I have shew'd you And could you content your self to say when you could say nothing better Are not his words plain enough and frequent enough to open to us so much of his mind as I have charged him with It is but answering No and then where are you I beg your pardon for my prolixity when such a Syllable would have sufficed 2. You craftily omit the chiefest part of my charge which was that you did either not traslate your Citations or that you did it so lamely * Note that the later words are those of which I taxe you for the omission as to conceal the true meaning from English Readers You translate so much as might make him seem to be a Papist but you forbeared the translating of what would have proved him to be None Which was to use King Iames his instance as if an Atheist should cite those words out of the Psalmist There is no God concealing the words going before The fool hath said in his Heart Had you translated either all or none or as much as had cleared the Authors meaning in the whole you had not met with a reprehension And therefore you wrong your self extremely by saying you purposely omitted to translate the words of Grotius foredeeming that such men as I would have said they were mistranslated p. 383. For you did frequently translate them but you did it with partiality as hath been * See my Advertisement p. penult and compare it with both your books shew'd And so you speak against your knowledge in a publick matter of Fact Having printed your doings you now deny the things done as it were lifting up your right hand against your left If you foredeemed as you pretend why did you dare to translate a little if not why would you say it and why did you not translate a little more Happy is the man who condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth 3. Now at last indeed you translate his wish that the Divulsion which fell out and the Causes of the divulsion might be taken away The primacy of the Bishop of Rome according to the Canons is none of these as Melanchthon confesseth p. 383. But you conceal his next words which make for his and my advantage to wit The opinion of Melanchthon That the Bishop of Rome's primacy is also * Qui Melanchthon cum primatum etiam necessarium putat ad retinendam unitatem Discuss p. 256. necessary to the retaining of unity Which opinion if it made not Melanchthon a Papist in your accompt no nor our own Bp. Bramhal who yet is one of your late Prelates why should not Grotius have been a Protestant the Melanchthonian opinion notwithstanding Did you think that Primacy and Supremacy were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words for one thing That Primacy of Order in the Church is the same for substance with Supremacy of Power over the Church learn to think so no more from this day forward The Primacy yielded unto the Bishop of Rome is in respect of Order not at all of Iurisdiction and that in Grotius his sense as his next words teach you †Ibid. Neque enim hoc est Ecclesiam subjicere Pontificis libidini sed reponere Ordinem sapienter institutum Which shew's the error of your Confidence in your Grotian Religion p. 35. Sect. 9. Whereas you say you supposed that all you wrote this for understood latin p. 384. You do imply your self faulty for putting part of it in English unless you thought us unable to understand the whole But you confidently add you translated none of the sentence ibid. although you translated a part of it no less than twice in one page And though you thought it no Injury to give accompt in english but of part yet I have shew'd it was an Injury and told you why If I did not translate what I recited out of Grotius to my Advantage you should have thank't me for such a favour as the advancing your Interest by the neglecting of mine own But if you look on my Advertisement as I have done at your appointment you will find me complaining of your silence as to the Causes of the Breach which Grotius did wish might be taken away I had no doubt translated more but for the hastiness of the Carrier which did not allow me so great Advantage I meant by your silence your not acquainting your English Readers with that which serv'd to clear Grotius but onely with that which you thought against him The Negation of Causes viz. that of the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome cannot suffice for your task to prove Grotius a Papist because for that he cites Melanchthon Nor doth the Primacy signify the universall Headship as you do
the Catholicks have from Antiquity If some of the soberest of the Jesuites such as Peâ—avius and Sirmondus would for the love they bear to peace subscribe the Augustan Confession it might be much for the honour but could not be for the prejudice of our Religion for if we rejoyce for the Conversion of now and then a Iew why not for that of a Iesuite also Again supposing that Grotius had been able in his own sense to subscribe the Trent Articles in order to the peace and unity of Christendom it would no more be an Evidence of his being turnd Papist than of any Papist's turning Protestant who should subscribe the Augustan Confession * Compare this with Sect. 12. The very utmost of your Objections against Grotius is that he design'd to deal with the Articles of Trent as Sancta Clara with the Articles of the Church of England to wit by drawing them aside to another Sence than what is most obvious in the words themselves And admit it were so indeed yet 1. He had better grounds for it than Sancta Clara to wit the places of Scripture and Ancient Doctors in the Margin which may be used as a Key to unlock their meaning when it is Doubtful And if the meaning of the Text is truely agreeable to the Margin there is then a just ground of publick peace in case the Scripture and Antiquity do contain a good meaning which I hope you will not refuse to grant me 2. But however you must be minded that this is a thing which the Papists do most of all blame in our Reconciler to wit his assuming so great a liberty as to misinterpret their Definitions Just as we who are Protestants do lay a blame upon Sancta Clara for misexpounding our Articles against our mind From whence notwithstanding the Papists were never so irrational as to conclude that Franciscus à Sanctâ Clarâ turn'd Protestant Much less may we infer that Grotius turn'd Papist from his making their Doctrins comply with Scripture who had wrested the Scripture to serve their Doctrins 3. If he could find a sense in the words of Trent which being agreeable to Scripture and to the Protestant Confession might be by Protestants subscribed to what hurt were it to us or gain to them Even This would evince him to be no â—apist For if he were what need could there be of such commodious Explications 4. Adde to this as I said before Sect. 12. his Quâ—d si praeterea Quod sâ— praetereâ— tollantur ista quae cum piâ istâ Doctrinâ pugnant c. But if besides not and if as you translate it noting this to be required yet further towards a peace before the peace-Maker himself can rest contented that all the Errors of the Papacy be taken away which having never been introduced by Authority of Councils or ancient Tradition meaning no other Councils then what are ancient agreeable to the Tradition which comes immediately after he resolves may be Reformed by Kings and Bishops in their several Regions without the making of any Breach in the Church of God 5. And once for all let it be noted That Grotius his use of that * Especially taking in an old Tradition c. p. 386. phrase which you lately perverted to your own ends is onely to signify against the Romanist's Errors that they are not introduced by antient Tradition and therefore wanting that Authority to which they lay a dishonest claim they are unquestionably fit to be taken away Discuss p. 71. Sect. 15. What you recite out of Grotius in your p. 387. Must receive its true sense from the words of the Author before and after You must observe the Resolution both in France and else where * Inâ—eâ—im in Galliâ alibi Duo constare video neque pro Concilio universali lâ—abendum id quod à Patriarchalibus fedibus aut omnibus aut plurimis est improbatum c. That no one Council is to be reckon'd for universall which is disliked either by all or by the major part of the Patriarchal Sees This then must assure us what his Notion is of Councils when he speakes of them in gegerall without naming which And for the passage which you cite I pray Sir tell me Hath not France the Scriptures and the Dogmata that is the Doctrins in this place not the opinions as you translate it explained in the four Oecumenical Councils and also the Decrees against Pelagius If so why do you quarrell if not why do you say that you esteem that Nation an honorable part of the Church of Christ Grot. Rel. p. 10. If you did not strive to deceive your Reader why did you not faithfully translate the passage but purposely leave out the speciall words which would have served to clear their Author you know his sentence is plainly this That in those Churches which joyne with the Roman In Ecclesiis illis non Scriptura tantùm manet sed dogmata explicata in Magnis Synodis Nicaena Constantinop Ephesinâ Chalcedonensi Discuss p. 71. not onely the Scripture doth still remain but the Doctrins also explained in the GREAT COUNCILS Those of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and the Things decreed against Pelagius by the Bishops of Rome But in your Translation you neither express the word Great which is of vast consequence nor do you name so much as one of the four Great Councils As if you were willing that your Readers should imagin he might meane some partiall and trivial Councils and lay as much weight upon such as those as if indeed he had been a Papist Now concerning the Canons of those great Councils for Reformation of manners in the Bishop of Rome which Grotius call's for that reason Egregious Constitutions They are also received by Rome it self And were they put in execution there could not be any such thing as Popery Because according to those Canons the Bishop of Rome must quit his claim to the Universality of his Pastorship or to his being an Vniversal Iudicial Head and must leave the Church to be govern'd by her severall Primates Hence it t is that such wise and pacifick Protestants as Melanchthon Isaac Casaubon Grotius and Bishop Bramhall do still exact a Reformation Secundum Canones Yet this is but one of those many things for which good Canons have been enacted And thus you see at every turne how very little you were qualified to intermeddle in these Things Sect. 16. The next passage you translate in as fraudulent a manner as any other Discuss p. 48. Read and Repent what you have done These are the things which thanks be to God the Catholicks do not thus believe though many that call themselves Catholicks so live as if they did believe them But Protestants so live by force of their Opinions and Catholicks by the decay of Discipline p. 387. First you omit the word Quidam which is of greatest moment to shew the meaning of the
a contrary design nor can I imagin from what Familiar you may have received your Intelligence I grant he continued a perfect Papist for all he labour'd to reconcile the Church of England's Doctrine with that of Rome But then you must grant by the same reason that Grotius continued a perfect Protestant for all he proposed a Reconcilement of the Tridentine Articles with the Augustan If St. Clara did the former to draw the Protestants to be Papists Grotius also did the later to draw the Papists to be Protestants Can the designs of Grotius and St. Clara be both the same when Grotius endeavour'd so to moderate and soften Popery as to rob it thereby of all its poyson whilst St. Clara made it his business to infuse a poyson into the Articles of the Church of England Behold a strange partiality The poor Protestants of England must suffer on both sides It pleaseth a Papist to interpret our English Articles as a Pacifick and thereupon our Archbishop must needes be warping towards Popery An eminent Protestant doth the same by the Romish Articles which by analogy should infer that the Pope is warping towards the Protestants But still it must be quite otherwise this must also become an Argument against the Prelatists of England who if they approve of that Protestant's Labours or but refuse to raile at him for being turn'd unto the Papists must needes be turn'd Papists as well as he 4. Why do you say that I assure you of Grotius his Followers here in England If you meane here are Pursuers of his pacifick design I shall confidently challenge you to name One man who is employed at present in any such enterprise Not but that we do desire and wish for Peace as much as any but seeing the Papists are more invasive and more at enmity with us then ever we find it more needfull to betake our selves to our defence then either to offer them Termes of peace or to expect such from them as we can yield to If you have read the late writings of Bishop Bâ—amhall and Dr. Hammond two impregnable Propugners of the Protestant cause and let the Reverend Dean Cosins be ever remembred as a third you cannot but know that the Prelatists are more the adversaries of Rome than the Presbyterians 5. You aske in thâ—se words Is it any more proof that Grotius was a Protestant for joyning with them than that they are Papists who joyn with him ibid. Thus whilst you aske if it is any more proof you implicitly confess it to be as much that it must be as much you cannot modestly deny and even this Ad Hominem will serve the turn For t is plain you make them all Papists who joyn with Grotius whilst you call them the Grotian Cassandrian Papists and therefore according to your reasoning Grotius who joyn'd with our Episcopal Divines must have been a prelatiâ—al English Protestant 6. What you adde of the late King doth serve to prove him a Protestant and what you adde of Dr. Bayly doth serve to speak him a Papist but what of this Grotius was not that Doctor any more than that King Our Episcopal Divines made a discovery of the cheat and reckon'd Bayly no other than what they found him rather a man of the sword than a true pacifick Though t was observed by learned Montague that our Puritans were the men who did commonly turn Papists yet he did not conclude they were the likelier to be Papists who never turn'd Dr. Bezier â—leared from aâ— implicit Câ—â—â—â—y No to argue in such sort is your own peculiar Sect. 24. What you cite from I. B. to shew the judgement of those on whom the Iudgment of Grotius had any influence p. 390. is every way to your prejudice For 1. The Author is Dr. Bezier a French Protestant by birth and by education not one whit the likelier to have been poâ—ishly affected for having been prefer'd by the Bishop of Durham to be a Prebend in that Church the Bishop himself being so contrary and that in your knowldge 2. It is more then you know that the Judgment of Grotius had any influence upon His or that he ever took Grotius into consideration Take heed of sâ—eaking things out of your meer Imagination Dr. Bezier is a person of whose practice in France I have been an Eye-witness and that I know did evince him a sober Protestant But 3. Why should not a Frenchman preferr'd in England have leave to wish for the ancieâ—t Vnion so as each injoying their true Liberties they might reform all Errors in point of Doctrin for Themselves 4. The design of that Tract being to prove against the Papists that in casting out the Papacy we are not guilty of Schism or Heresie urging Barnes his Book as a good Confession on their side and his monstrous usage for that Confession what need was there of more than to clear the Liberties of our Church 5. Since the Gallican Church had the same Liberties with the British He could not take a fitter hint to expresse his wish for our Vnion 6. * Si utraque pars absque pre judicio sese mutuò intelligeret pars extrema de rigore suo vellet remittere ea Britannicae Ecclesiae cum Gallicanâ consensio non foret adeo improbabilis atque primâ fronte videtur Ecclesiam utramque vel alterutram ignorantibus I. B. de Antiq. Eccl. Britanâ— libert p. 34 35. What he speaks in their favour is only this That if the French Church would uâ—derstand us rightly and would thereupon remit of her present Rigor which you know implies a Reformation our Agreement would be likelier than appears at first sight to such as have not a knowledge of either Churche And will not you say as much as this of that or any other part of the Roman Church certainly these are to be thought those very tolerable terms upon which you profess for the French Papists that you would run with the forewardest to meet them p. 390. Sect. 25. Your odd Resolution Pacificks are not a Cause of Discord that bellum discordia non sunt nisi à pacificis propter pacem p. 392. can onely be verified through the wilfulness of the unreconcileable For Love of Peace by it self would never be apt to make war If any contention shall arise about the meanes of union that again must be charged on them that diâ—â—ike the mean's propos'd and yet propose no better nor more probâ—ble perhaps much worse and more unlikely to take a confortable effect whereas the Pacifici if they really propose the very best meanes they can and do the utmost that in them lye's to live peaceably with all men as they cannot be blame-worthy for doing no more so 't is their coâ—fort if they miscarry that they have freed their own soules Of the Pope's Primacy Sect. 26. You seem to forget the thing in Question when you inveigh against an opinion of the necessity of an
to our invitations we cannot do less than declare that we cannot help it We are no rigid exactors of Reparation Do but return to our Communion and we are satisfied Do but accept of our forgiveness and we are pleas'd If you cannot agree with us in every act of our obedience to the established Canons of the Church at least come back to that station from whence you fell and no small matter shall ever part us The Church of England jâ—stified by the Confessions of her Deserters 4. You profess to be for Bishops as well as we p. 5. you acknowledge a stinted Liturgy is in it self lawful and that in some parts of pâ—blick holy service it is ordinarily necessary and that in the parts where it is not of necessity it may not onely be submitted to but desired when the peace of the Church requireth it that the Ministers and Churches which earnestly desire it should not by the Magistrate be absolutely forâ—idden the use of a convenient prescribed Liturgy c. p. 358.359 Nay farther yet you do acknowledge That the use of the Surplice bâ—ing commanded by the Magistrate you would obey him and wear that Garment if you could not be dispensed with Yea though secundarily the whiteness be to signify purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would you obey p. 409.410 Next for kneeling at the Sacrament you say that as sinfully as this gesture was imposed you did for your part obey the imposers and would do if it were to do again rather then disturb the peace of the Church or be deprived of its Communion p. 411. You confess you see no reason to scruple at the lawfulness of the Ring in Marriage Ibid. You say that Organs or other Instruments of Musick in God's worship being a help partly natural and partly artificial to the exhilarating of the spirits for the prâ—yse of God you know no argument to prove them simply unlawfull but what would prove a cup of wiâ—e unlawfull or the Tune and Meter and melody of singing unâ—awfull p. 412. Again for Holy-daies you confess That some time for God's worship besides the Lord's-day must be appointed and God having not told us which the Magistracy may on fit occasions Ibid. Nay for the great Holy-daies of tâ—e Church to which you have the most aversion such as celebrate the memorial of Christ's Nativity Circumcision Fasting Transfiguration Ascension and the like you freely profess to be resolved if you live where such Holy-daies as these are observed to censure no man for observing them nor would you deny them liberty to follow their judgement if you had the power of their Liberties c. p. 416. Yea more if you lived under a Government that perâ—mptorily commanded it you would observe the outward rest of such a Holy-day and you would preach on it and joyn with the Assemblies in Gods worship on it p. 417. For the name and form of an Altar you think it a thing indifferent whether the Table stand this way or that way The primitive Churches you confess used commonly the names of Sacrifice and Altar and Priest and you think lawfully and you will not be he that shall condemn them p. 417. Last of all for the Cross in Baptisme which you have most suspected to be unlawfull you dare not peremptorily say it is unlawfull nor will you condemn the Ancients and Moderns that use it nor will you make any disturbance in the Church about it p. 418. 5. After all these acknowledgments many more in other places I wonder how you can excuse your departure from us The Pâ—esbyterian Sepâ—râ—tists apparently unexcusable or what should keep you from your return Will you not live in Communion with us because we observe the Rites and Orders of the Church which you confess to be very innocent Or do you abandon what is innocent because we use it Are our Bishops the worse for being derived from the Apostles as our Reverend Dr. Gauden hath lately proved by an induction Are they the worse for being in England ever since the first time that Christianity was planted Or the worâ—e for being setled by the fundamental Lawes of the British land They are not the worse for being approved and contended foâ— unto the death by the learnedst part and the most pious of the Reformed Churches of which our Confessors and Martyrs do make up a great and a noble Army That our Church was a true established Church in the year of our Lord 1641. You have so plentifully granted that 't is too late to deny They that * See Bishop Hali's peacemâ—ker Sect. 7. p. 58. flye out from a true established Church and run waies of their own raising and fomenting Sects and Schisms amongst God's people are sent for their Doom by our late Reverend Bishop Hall to those notable words of the Apostle Rom. 16.17 18. And whether or no the Presbyterians have not thus flown out judge I pray by the †See Dr. Ham. of Schism ch 11. p. 178 181. last Chapter of Dr. Hammond's Treatise concerning Schism Or let the men of that way but lay their hands upon their hearts Now when you seem to have profited not a little by that excellent Preface of Dr. Sanderson wherein you are personally concerned in coming up so far as hath been shew'd to the most disputable things of the Church of England what can make you stand off at so great a distance what kind of answer will you return unto your own expostulations Shall the breach be healed or would you have it to continue If it must continue tell us why and how long Would you have it go with us to Eternity Do you censure us to Hell Or will you not goe with us to Heaven I pray return to us in time rather than wish you had done it when 't is too late Thâ—y are obnoxious to men of all sides for thâ—ir sin of Schism 6. You cannot charge any sort of men for having separated from you without incurring the same charge for having separated from us When Mr. Cawdry writ against Independency and gave it the Title of A great Schism I could not but smile at the retortion which Dr. Owen very speedily and â—itly made him Nay it is publickly declared by a great Body of congregationals * Praef. p. 13. That they did not break from the Presbyterians but the Presbyterians rather from them You are so far from agreeing with one another that you can never be expected to be at unity with your selves unless by being reconcil'd to the Church of England whose Calamities have obscâ—r'd but not destroyed Her The sin of Schism is contracted saith the Judicious Dr. Hammond either by some irregularity of Actions loco supra citato contrary to the standing Rule and Canons of this Church or by Disobedience to some commands of Ecclesiastical Superiours And then by whom it is contracted I need not tell you But Blessed be God as
play with the Apple of God's eye as you unconscionably word it p. 19. When he writ so much against Puritanes and Puritanism in that incomparable Preface where you are personally concerned yet such as these are the men at whom you thrust through my sides It s true that now I have largely spoken concerning Puritanes But when you first of all rail'd against Antipuritanes I had not written upon the subject unlesâ—â— it were in a Citation and that by chance And therefore all your former bitterness was poured out against others of whom I reckon Bishop Andrews and Dr. Sanderson with the chief although your latter evomitions have partly lighted upon my self What hath been meant by the word Puritan by learned men Sect. 41. You make an excellent Confession that in the Vniversities and other intelligent Auditories the noâ—ion of a Puritane was so far understood as I and others do understand it that though you have heard before the King many a Sermon against Puritans which you judged impious yet it had this excuse that much of the Auditory partly understood it was not piety as such that was directly reviled p. 19. But then you add that it was not so among the common people through the land ibid. It were worth a man's knowledge from whom you heard those many Sermons which you impiously professe to have judged impious Whether it were from Bishop Andrews who preached more against Puritanes than any Bishop I ever read or whether it were from Bishop Hall from Doctor Sanderson or froâ— whom Or whether you ever heard a Sermon before the King I do not think it the liklier because you say it The most I have learnt from your writings is to beware how I believe you For you know where you have told me such things as these that it was safer in all places that ever you knew ☞ Grot. Relig. p. 109. for men to live in constant Swearing Cursing and Drunkennesse then to have instructed a man's Family on the Lord's day Well said Mr. Baxter If you are not confuted by your own sayings of this kind you never shall be by my consent But be it so that the common people do understand the word Puritane as you would have them yet give me leave to understand it with the Universities you speak of with Bishop Andrews and Dr. Sanderson and all the rest of those glorious lights whose judgment of Puritanes I have elsewhere recited It is for us to instruct the seduced people not to cherish them in their errors and misunderstandings of Names or Things I wish that all the common people would read that Preface of Dr. Sanderson so much commended by all good men that so they might know the word Puritane as well as he I wish them as knowing in this point The Lord Chancellor Egerton's judgement of Puritans in the Case of the Post-Nati p. 99. Apud Antidot Lincolniense p. 35.36 as the Lord Chancellor Egerton who speaking of a dangerous rebellious Doctrin affirmes it never to have been taught but either by Traytors or by treasonable Papists or by seditious Puritanes and Sectaries He gives an instance of the first in Spencers Bill in Edward the second 's time Of the second in Harding's confutation of the Apology Of the third in Buchanan de jure Regni apud Scotes Penry Knox and such like By these saith the Lord Chancellor and those that are their followers and of their faction there is in their pamphlets too much such Traiterous seed sown Upon which Dr. Heylin doth thus infer the Puritanes are I see beholding to you for lending them so faire a Cloak to hide their Knavery Directing this speech unto the Lincolnshire Minister who had too much favoured the Puritanical Faction I wish the people were as knowing Bishop Bramhals judgemâ—nt of Puritanes In his Answer to Militiere p. 46. as the right Reverend Bishop Bramhall in this particular who call's it no lesse then a damnable slander and also the venom which the Puritan Faction infused into the hearts of the people that the King and Bishops had an intention to reestablish the Roman Catholick Religion I wish the common people would yet consider though it is late that * Luk. 23.27 28. whited Sepulchres appear beautifull outward but are within full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness Even so yee also saith our Saviour Blessed for ever appear outwardly righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity And the outward appearance of Righteousness notwithstanding our Saviour's Erotesis is very no more terrible then it is just * Veâ—se 33. How can yee escape the Damnation of Hell Sir I wish you would consider the damning nature of Hypocrisy and how far D. Owen hath charg'd you wiâ—h it nay how far you were moved to charge your self And boast no more as now you do p. 29. How many there are in your own charge who make a shew of the fear of God The Scribes and Pharisees made a shew beyond the best of our English outsides Those Citizen-Puritanes made a shew of the fear of God whom yet our Excellent Bishop Hall did entertaine with these words Bishop Hall of Pharisaism and Christianity p. 38â— How many are there of you that under fair faces have foul Consciences All is good save that which appeare's not How many are there every where that shame Religion by professing it Whose beastly life makes God's truth suspected for as howsoever the Samaritan not the Iew relieved the distressed traveler yet the Iew 's Religion was true not the Samaritan's so in others truth of causes must not be judged by acts of persons yet as he said it must needs be good that Nero persecutes so who is not ready to say It cannot be good that such a miscreant professes Woe to thee Hypocrite Thou canst not touch not name goodness but thou defilest it God will plague thee for acting so high a part See what thou art and hate thy self oâ— if not that yot see how God hate 's thee he that made the heart sayes thou art no better then an handsome tombe the house of death Behold here a green turfe or smooth marble or ingraven brasse and a commending Epitaph all sightly but what is within an unsavoury rotten carcasse Though thou were wrapt in gold and perfumed with never so loud Prayers holâ— semblances honest protestations yet thou art but noysome carrion to God Of all earthly things Gâ—d cannot abide thee and if thou wouldst see how much lower yet his detestation reacheth know that when he would describe the torments of Hell he calls them as their worst title but the portion of Hypocrites Iam. 4.8 Wherefore cleanse your hands yee sinners and purge your hearts yee double-minded For unlesse your righteousness exceed the Hypocriticall righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Sect. 42. You express your displeasure to me for saying The Presbyterian
Learning of whiâ—h sort it were easie to name some hundreds were all exposed by the Presbyterians at least as far as in them lay to the utmost extremities of want and beggery without the least Mercy or Moderation Had they been Heapers up of Riches as Presbyterians and Iews are observed generally to be you might have squeez'd them as spunges without much harm And if the men of your party upon the present shifting the scene of things shall be forc'd to feel what they inflicted as some have presaged whilst they were reading your two Dedicatory Epistles wherein you are subscribed a Faithful Subject and wherein you complain of the * Epist. Ded. before Kâ—y for Cath. p 10. Democratical Polititians who were busie about the change of Government they will feel it so much the less by how much the greater the Treasures are which their Avarice and Rapine have raked up for them against their Winter A Vindication of Bâ—shops and D. Hammond's Paraphrase Sect. 36. Your principal Argument against our Bishops by law established in England which you urge from Scripture and Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase from p. 22â—to p. 27. I do the rather think fit for my consideration because I think it not fit at all that so learned a person as Doctor Hammond should ever take it into his own It s pity a Person of his employments should descend to a taske of so little moment And whilst he is doing those things which cannot be done but by himself let me have leave to do that for which your Argument's inability hath made me abâ—e You know the summe of it is this that Preaching Confirming Discipline Care of the poor Visiting the Sick Baptizing Congregating the Assemblies Administring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper guiding the Assemblies Blessing the people Absolving the Penitent and more then these p. 27. are the works of the Antient Episcopall Function But no one man can now performe all these to so many hundreds of Parishes as are in one Dioecess Ergo our Dioecesan Bishop is not the same with the Antient Bishop This being the summe of your chiefest Argument may be enlarged by my consent in the Major Proposition to the utmost pitch of advantage to which your own heart can wish the difficulty improved to wit by urging that the Bishops were at first invested by the Apostles with all manner of Ecclesiasticall both Power and Office And so the Bishop in every Dioecesse being lineally the successor of that numerical Bishop who was ordained by the Apostles is by consequence invested with all this power From whence there flow's another Sequel as unavoidable as the former that not the least part of this Sacred power can be possibly received but from the Bishop 3. All which being granted as very true and my thanks being returned for your service to the truth whilst you resist it for Presbyterian Ordinations are hence evinced to be null I shew you the vanity of your Minor by putting you in mind of a plain distinction per se aut per alium mediatè vel immediatè your meer forgetfullness of which for ignorant of it you could not be made you imagin there was a force where you will speedily acknowledge there can be none For what a Bishop is not able to do by himself he may very well do by the help of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing more obvious then that when Moses is * Exod. 18.18 22 26. overtask'd he should take in others in partem Curae and yet lose nothing of his Preeminence And even for this very reason had the Bishops all power as well as power to communicate it either in whole or in part that what they could not perform alone they might by Proxy whether by Presbyters Deacons Subdeacons Arch-Deacons Chancellors Officials I will add Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor what is done by their Delegates is done by them 4. Now that this was the case in the earliest times of the Church our learned and Reverend Dr. Hammond hath irresistibly * Consulatur Summi viri Disseâ—t 4. p. 210 211. evinced And had you first been well acquainted with his four Latin dissertations you had not stumbled at the light of his English Paraphrase †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Rom. Clemens Romanus would have told you that in the Regions and Cityes where the Apostles had preached and gathered Churches they constituted Bishops to Rule those Churches and likewise Deacons to be subservient to those Bishops Why no Presbyters as yet Epiphanius would have inform'd you out of the oldest Records For whilst there was not saith he so great a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiph. Haer. l. 3. t. 1. multitude of believers as to need the ordaining of any Presbyters between the two above said orders Bishops and Deacons they contented themselves with the Bishop onely who together with his Deacon whom he could not conveniently be without did then abundantly suffice for so small a Diocesse But when believers did so increase in the single Diocesse of a Bishop as that there needed more Pastors and fit men were to be had then they admitted into the Priesthood I do not say into the Prelacy that other sort of Church-Officers whom we now call Presbyters And I conceive that such Presbyters were ordained in Asia by St. Iohn because Ignatius in Trajan's time throughout his Epistles to those Churches of Asia doth distinctly make mention of all three orders If then the Primitive Bishops did thus communicate of his power to Inferiour Pastors and still reserve unto himself the super-intendency over all what should hinder their Successors from doing according to their example And why should any man presume to take any power unto himself but he whom the Bishop hath first ordained unto the office of a Deacon a kind of secundary Presbyter and after that to a Cure of soules which belongs to a Presbyter plenarius and after that too to the Episcopal Office of Ordination 5. Having shew'd you the full agreement betwixt the Ancient and modern Bishoâ—s I hope you see your Inadvertency and acknowledge the vanity of your Argumentation For 1. In the Infancy of the Church * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Epiph. l. 3. t. 1. none were worthy to be made Bishops in diverse places and in such the Apostles did all themselves at least the place remained vacant †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. 2. Where need requir'd and worthy persons were to be had in such the Apostles ordained Bishops But 3. Whilst the Churches were so thin as that the Bishops with their Deacons could well discharge the whole work Epiphanius tell 's us expresly and that from the eldest of the Church Histories there was not yet a constitution of single Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And of this we have the first instance in Iames the Bishop of Ierusalem to whom
were added seven * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 6.1 2 3 4 Deacons without the least mention of any Presbyters Yet 4. Many meer Presbyters were ordained not with a priviledge to ordain but to diâ—â—ense the Word and Sacraments as soon as the number of Believers had made it needfull And I pray Sir forget not to take due notice that what is spoken by Epiphanius is against the Heretick Aerius the very first Presbyterian that ever infested the Christian Church 6. After the levity and unfruitfullness consider the danger and unlawfulness of thiâ— your arguing It being just as much against all the Monarchs as against any one Bishop throughout the world For ' tiâ— the duty of every King and of every other supreme Magistrate let his Dominions be never so large to reward to punish and to protect to deale out Justice to every subject whether corrective or distributive as their merits or offences shall seem to challenge Now comes a Disputant like your self who first displayes the severall parts of the Magistrate's Office next he proposeth to consideration how many hundreds of Parishes and how many Myriads of Men may probably be found in his Dominions and then conceiving it impossible that any one Mortal should know them all much less be able to perform his several offices to each he presently sends the chief Magistrate his writ of ease and then forsooth in every Parish one or other of his subjects who thinks himself able to be a Ruler must take upon him to play Rex within that Territory or Precinct Never remembring or regarding the famous Division of the Apostle much less his Precept with which the division is introduced Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supreme or unto * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. From which words I intreate you to make this pertinent observation that as a single supreme Magistrate may well be qualified and fitted for the largest Taskes of the widest Kingdom by all those Emissaries and Envoyes who are deputed to act by his Commission so with a greater force of reason is every Bishop in his own Diocess very sufficiently enabled for every part of his office to every person by the assistance of those Presbyters and other officers under them who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him sent out into their several charges 7. You see how unhappy you have been even in that way of Arguing in which you seem to have taken the greatest pleasure there being less force in it against the Bishop of a Diocess than against that person to whom you dedicated your Book and acknowledged your self a faithfull subject May you be faithfull to those Superiours who are not onely permitted but appointed and Authorized to Rule over you in the Lord. You see the people of this Land will no more be ridden by your Presbyteries For though you found amongst them some patient Beasts for a while who lov'd the novelty of their Riders if nothing else yet rideing them as you did with switch and spur as soon as you got into the saddle you provoked your tamest creatures to reprove the * 2 Pet. 2.16 madness of the Prophets Saying implicitly to your selves as you did frequently to them and with every whit as much reason remember them which have the rule over you Heb. 13.7 That is to say saith our learned Paraphrast set before your eyes the Bishops and Governours that have been in your Church c. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves v. 17. that is be subject unto the Bishops as St. * See the Note of Dr. Haâ— on Heb. 13.7 A resutation of the prime Argument for Presbyterian Ordinations Chrysostom and the said Paraphrast do well explain it Sect. 37. As this may serve for a specimen of your voluminous medlings against our Bishops in which you say little against them which your enemies may not say with greater reason against you and with as much pretense of reason against the Ministry it self and with much more reason against their maintenance by Tithes so it sufficeth for a specimen of what you plead in the defence of your Schismaticall Ordinations to use the word of the Lord Primate that I acquaint you with the absurdity of your first and chief Argument In your second Dispute of Episcopacy ch 7. p. 199. l. 8 9 10 c. You strive to prove your Ordination is by Scripture-Bishops Meaning your titular Ordination without Dioecesan Bishops whose Episcopal Office you sacrilegiously invaded And you think you prove it by this sad Syllogism The Scripture-Bishops were the Pastors of particular Churches having no Presbyters subject to them Most of our Ordainers are such Pastors Therefore most of our Ordainers are Scripture-Bishops The major of this Syllogism you prove from Dr. Hammond and the minor from Mr. Pierce At least you are confident that you prove it though I shall prove you prove nothing except your forgetfulness of Logick and somewhat else to your prejudice of which anon 2. First for your Syllogisme by the disposition of the medium it appeare's to be in the second Figure and yet which is wonderfull it consist's of three affirmative Propositions which the second Figure cannot indure any more than the First can admit of three Negatives And so again you are obnoxious to the publick assertion of D. Kendal that a little more of the university would have done you no harm 3. Next to know what you have done by disputing thus in figure without all mood observe the Conclusiveness of your Syllogism by an other just like it in all respects Suppose in the person of Diogenes you were to prove that a Cock with his Feathers strips from him alive is a Man as well as Plato though not as able to teach School you may thus argue for him as you have done for your self A man is a living Creature with two feet and without Feathers A Cock deplumed like that of Diogenes is such a living Creaturo Therefore a Cock deplumed like that of Diogenes is a man But then you have taught an ill Sophistry against your self For the plainest person in all your Parish may prove you to be an arrant He athen by the very same Logick which you have err'd by An arrant Heathen is an Animal indued with reason Mr. Baxter is an Animal indued with reason Therefore Mr. Baxter is an arrant Heathen The major at least must be as true as that which you take from Dr. Hammond The minor infinitly truer than that which you take from Mr. Pierce And you know the conclusion is undeniable For if the premises are true Falshood cannot flow from them by any regular