Romans differed from our Church in some points of Doctrine touching the Kings Supremacy concurring therein with the Papists for which his Book was here publickly condemned burnt and likewise in some other points therefore it could not be properly said that their Religion and ours was the same in all particulars Secondly it seemed to determine a great controversie between Protestant Divines among themselves and likewise between them and the Church of Rome whether the Pope be Antichrist which was never yet determined by any Councell and of which there is great doubt and difference in opinion even among the learned Now I conceived it a very unfitting thing to determine such a doubtfull controversie definitively by Letters Patents under the great Seale which is not yet resolved in the Schooles Upon these grounds the King thought fit to revoke the Patent though it were under the Great Seale which I had no power to recall but the KING onely Thirdly I deny that I called in the Declaration of the Palsgraves Religion neither doe I rememeber any such thing Fourthly it is true that I questioned the Dutch and Walloone Churches but not for any ancient Priviledges but onely for their encroachments beyond their priviledges to the prejudice of our English Churches and Parishes wherein they lived yet my Injunctions and proceedings towards them in this kind were so faire and just that they rested satisfied with them and returned me speciall thanks for my favour towards them and their Congregations therefore I much mervaile that this my carriage should be so much blamed as to make it a CAPITALL CRIME and CHARGE against me To this was replyed in the generall that the premised proofes with his late military proceedings against the Scots for complying with those Churches in their Doctrine Discipline Government sufficiently evidence his enmity to his opposition against those forraigne Protestant Churches because they had no Bishops insomuch that he blamed Bishop Hall for dealing so mildly with them in his Book for Episcopacy which he submitted to his censure where on the contrary he is so zealous of the Popes honour that he could not but complaine to the King of some harsh passages in it bestowing the Title of Antichrist on his Holinesse and procured a speciall command from his Majesty to the Bishop to expunge them to gratifie the Pope yea his purging out the objected clause in the Kings Patent and suppressing of the Declaration of Palatinate Churches Faith and Religion argues little affection in him to those Churches and much inward rancour against them but a very high esteem of Rome As for his encouraging of Master Dury in his designe of reconciling the Calvinists and Lutherans Master Dury undertook this worke without his privity or advice and found so small encouragement from him that he oft complained thereof to his friends as we are credibly informed To the particulars we reply First that in his Conference with Fisher he doth not recite but misrecite and pervert Saint Jeroms words and opinion who dogmatically resolves in his very Epistle to Evagrius which this Archbishop quotes and elswhere That Bishops and Presbyters Jure Divino are both one and the same as well in Jurisdiction as Office and that Presbyters have the power of Ordination as well as Bishops Therefore his appropriating of the word Sacerdos and Jeroms saying Vbi non est Sacerdos non est Ecclesia to Diocesian Bishops which he cleerly meanes of Priests and Ministers in generall is a grosse perverting of Jeroms meaning and his inferene thence So even with him NO BISHOP and NO CHVRCH is only a Declaration of his owne private opinion not of Jeroms who held no such Prelaticall Paradox For Bishop Mountagues Book it was licensed by his Chaplaine presented to received approved by himselfe Bishop Hals Propositions were not onely interlined with but allowed under his owne hand as fit for a generall subscription and now he justifies them not onely by Bishop Bilsons opinion but likewise by Master Calvins as great an enemy to Bishops as Saint Jerome whose words he wilfully perverts as he did his in applying that to Diocesian Bishops which he spake onely of ordinary Ministers who succeeded the Apostles in their Ministeriall Function In briefe his owne Conference together with Mountagues Book and Bishop Hals Propositions approved by him doe necessarily unchurch all the reformed Protestant Curches un-minister all their Ministers and make them no Churches no Ministers of Christ whereas he averres the Church of Rome to be a true Church and her Priests to be true Ministers as we have formerly proved therefore he must needs be guilty of the extreamest malignity and anmity against them what ever he pretends to the contrary Secondly he denies and yet at last justifies and maintains what we charge him with to wit that he denies the Religion of forraign Protestant Churches to be the same with ours or to be true Religion he instanceth in the opinion of Paraeus whose Commentary on the Romans he caused to be burnt as erronious when as he writes no more then Bilson did before him whom himself hath cited in defence of Episcopacy other orthodox Writers of our Church have maintained publickly for truth before since As for the burning of Paraus his Book being of a forraign Nation and no Subject to our King without summoning him to defend himselfe it was an unjust rash inconsiderate action to say no more as his Son hath manifested to the world in print who hath justified his Fathers opinion to the full as orthodox However the extravagant opinion of one Palatinate Divine in point onely of the Kings Supremacy not about any Article of Faith cannot make the reformed Churches and ours to be of different Religions especially since he argues in his Star-chamber Speech that the Papists Religion and ours are both one though we differ in some private Tenets Yea his deniall of the Protestants Religion in forraigne parts to be the true Religion when as he contends that Rome is a true Church argues his virulency against the one and good affection to the other Thirdly the calling in of the Declaration of the Palsgraves Religion is directly and punctually proved to be his act its impudency therefore in him to deny it and policy not to remember it Fourthly for the purgation and revocation of the Letters-Patents he not onely confesseth but shamelesly justifies it most undutifully laying the blame the scandall of it on the King himselfe who did naught therein but by his instigation and that upon two false scandalous grounds First that the Religion of the forraigne Palatinate Churches and ours differ and are not the same then which falshood nothing can procure a greater scisme and juster ground of scandall between us and those Churches Secondly that no Councill had defined the Pope to be Antichrist of which there was great variety of opinions amongst Protestant Divines touching the same unfit to be decided by the Kings Letters-Patents Therefore
of their complaint That it would introduce a Ministery independent on the Bishops is a false surmise since none were recommended to officiate or preach at any of the purchased Impropriations but by speciall license of the Bishops in whose they were and none were presented to them but conformable men free from all just exceptions if he could justly except against ought in their proceedings Master White deposeth he offered that he himselfe should rectifie it so as the work might proceed but this would not content him but they must be suppressed and criminally proceeded against That he did it in a legall way is no justification nor excuse since those who work and accomplish mischiefe by colour of Law are worse then open Tyrants For the sentence no doubt it was most unjust and so the Earle of Dorset who was present at it told the King himself affirming the buying in of Impropriations to be the best work that ever was set on foot for the Churches good his owne beging the Impropriations in Ireland from the Crowne for the pretended good of the Church proves it infallibly against himselfe But that the Judges onely must answer for this unjust sentence not he is a meer Nonsequitur because the Law resolves that Plus peccat Author quà m Actor and the Judges had never given such an unjust sentence in this cause had not he by his violence power fraud interressing the King himselfe against the Feoffees over-awed swayed the Judges to swarve from the rules of Piety and Justice That some of the revenues of purchased Impropriations were contributed towards the maintainance of Saint Antholins Lecturers is true but that it was a mis-imploying by them contrary to trust or that any unworthy or unconformable Ministers were put into them is a grosse falshood disproved by Master White upon Oath However had it been true he should then have reformed the abuse not utterly destroyed the good work so much conducing to Gods glory and the peoples edification For Heylins Sermon it was presented to retained approved yea himselfe advanced by him and no doubt he preached it by his direction As for Master Foxly he did not onely check but persecute imprison and most barbarously handle him to his undoing onely for his promoting this pious project even after he had quite overthrowne it and openly vaunted of this his wickednesse All which considered each branch of this charge sticks most immovably upon him notwithstanding all his evasions to shake it off The sixteenth charge urged against me is That I have endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other reformed Churches and endeavoured to suppresse the Priviledges Immunities of the reformed Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdome wherein it was objected First that I esteemed them no Churches of God or Christ at all because they â—â—nted Bishope which they endeavoured to prove by mine owne Conference with Fisher Bishop Hals Propositions approved by me and Bishop Mountagues Book authorized by my Chaplaine Secondly that I deemed their Religion and ours not to be one but different and their Religion not to be the true Religion Upon which ground I grew angry with Master Ruly and caused the Letters-Patents granted by the King for a Collection for the Palatinate Ministers to be revoked after they had passed the great Seale and a clause in them to be expunged to their great injury and scandall as Master Wakerly and Master Hartlib attested Thirdly that I caused the Declaration of the Faith and Ceremonies of the Pals 〈◊〉 Church to be called in and suppressed Fourthly That I molested the DUTCH FRENCH and WALLOONE reformed Churches in England sundry yeers and infringed their ancient Priviledges by my Injunctions in divers particulars To this I answer in generall that I deny both the Charge and Article and that I have endeavoured to promote and preserve peace between the Protestant Churches abroad and encouraged Master Dury who was imployed to make a reconciliation between the Calvinists and Lutherans beyond the Seas as I could evidence by sundry of his Letters therefore I had a good affection to these Churches and no intent to make any discord between them To the objected particulars I answer First that in my Conference with Fisher I cite only St Jeroms words to prove a difference in order and degree between a Bishop and ordinary Presbyter and inferre from his words as his opinion not mine so even with him no Bishop no Church But it hath been objected that Bish Mountagues Book determines expresly that there can be no Church without Bishops nor Ministers but such who are ordained by Diocesian Bish distinct from an ordinary Minister and that no Minister no not in case of necessity can be ordained by any other therefore the forraign Protestant Churches which have no such Bishops and their Ministers being not ordained by Bishops but other Presbyters can be no Churches nor Ministers I answer that this Book and opinion of his concernes not me being none of mine but the Authors Yea but I maintained and approved the same opinion in effect in Bishop Hals Propositions touching Episcopacy to which I endeavoured to procure a generall subscription pressing it upon others and therein I determine That there was no Church of Christ upon earth ever since the Apostles times governed otherwise then by Bishops and that this government is unalterable and ought to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world Which doth wholly unchurch all the reformed Churches and resolve them to be no Churches of Christ I answer that these Propositions were sent me by Bishop Hall of his owne accord that what I did in them was by his consent neither were any pressed to subscribe them nor they propounded concludingly And though Episcopacy be not alterable yet it may be regulated That it is unalterable Bishop Bilson hath proved it long since it continuing so in all Churches at least fifteen hundred yeers after Christ and is allowed approved by the Book of Ordination yea Master Calvin himselfe on that of John As my Father sent me so send I you acknowledgeth the perpetuity of Bishops in the Church Secondly I deny that I esteem the Reformed Churches Religion ours not to be the same true it is we they differ in some particular points of Doctrin as wel as in Disciplin but this makes us not wholly to differ in Religion nor did I deny their Religion to be true As for Master Ruly I used him very civilly with all respect and promoted the Collection for the Palatinate all I could having received a Letter from the Queen of Bohemia for that purpose True it is I caused the objected clause in the first Patent of the Collection to be altered but it was by the Kings direction who gave order for it upon my acquainting him therwith and I conceive there was ground enough to doe it First because some of the Palatinate Divines as Paraus upon the
prepare a blacke letter and to send it to his servants at Edenburgh for Printing this booke Of his approbation of his proofes sent from the Presse Of his feare of delay in bringing the worke speedily to an end for the great good not of that Church but of the Church Of his encouraging Rosse who was entrusted with the Presse to goe on in this peece of Service without feare of Enemies All which may be seene in the Autographs and by letters sent from the Prelate of London to Rosse wherein as he rejoyceth at the sight of the Scottish Canons which although they should make some noyse at the beginning yet they would be more for the good of the Kirke than the Canons of Edenburgh for the good of the Kingdome So concerning the Liturgy he sheweth that Rosse had sent to him to have an explanation from Canterbury of some passage of the Service Booke and that the Presse behoved to stand till the explanation come to Edenburgh which therefore he had in hast obtained from his Grace and sent the dispatch away by Canterburies owne conueyance But the Booke it selfe as it standeth interlined margined and patcht up is much more than all that is expressed in his Letters and the changes and supplements themselves taken from the Masse Booke and other Romish Ritualls by which he maketh it to vary from the Booke of England and are pregnant testimonies of his Popish spirit and wicked intentions which he would have put in execution upon us then can be denyed The large declaration professeth that all the variation of our Booke from the Booke of England that ever the King understood was in such things as the Scottish humour would better comply with than with that which stood in the English service These Popish innovasions therefore have beene surreptitiously inserted by him without the Kings knowledge and against his purpose Our Scottish Prelates doe petition that something may be abated of the English ceremonies as the Crosse in Baptisme the Ring in marriage and some other things But Canterburie will not only have these kept but a great many more and worse superadded which was nothing else but the adding of fewell to the fire To expresse and discover all would require a whole booke we shall only touch some few in the matter of the Communion This Booke inverteth the order of the Communion in the Booke of England as may be seene by the numbers setting downe the orders of this new Communion 1. 5. 2. 6. 7. 3. 4. 8. 9. 10. 15. Of the divers secret reasons of this change we mention one onely In joyning the spirituall praise and thanksgiving which is in the Booke of England pertinently after the Communion with the Prayer of Consecration before the Communion and that under the name of Memoriall or Oblation for no other end but that the memoriall and Sacrifice of Praise mentioned in it may be understood according to the Popish meaning Bellar. de Missa lib. 2. cap. 21. Not of the spirituall sacrifice but of the oblation of the body of the Lord. It seemeth to be no great matter that without warrant of the Booke of England the Presbyter going from the North-end of the Table shall stand during the time of consecration at such a part of the Table where he may with the more ease and decency use both hands yet being tryed it importeth much as that he must stand with his hinder parts to the People representing saith Durand that which the Lord said of Moses Thou shalt see my hinder parts He must have the use of both his hands not for any thing he hath to doe about the Bread and Wine for that may be done at the North end of the Table and be better seene of the people but as we are taught by the Rationalists that he may by stretching forth his Armes to represent the extension of Christ on the Crosse and that he may the more conveniently lift up the Bread and Wine above his head to be seen and adored of the people who in the Rubricke of the generall confession a little before are directed to kneele humbly on their knees that the Priests elevation so magnified in the Masse and the peoples adoration may goe together That in this posture speaking with a low voyce and muttering for sometimes he is commanded to speake with a loud voyce and distinctly he be not heard by the people which is no lesse a mocking of God and his people then if the words were spoken in an unknowne language As there is no word of all this in the English Service so doth the Booke in King Edwards time give to every Presbyter his liberty of gesture which yet gave such offence to Bucer the censurer of the Booke and even in Cassanders owne judgment a man of great moderation in matters of this kind that he calleth them Nunquam satis execrandos Missa gestus and would have them to be abhorred because they confirme to the simple and superstitious ter impiam exitialem Missae fiduciam The corporall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament is also to be found here for the words of the Masse-booke serving to this purpose which are sharpely censured by Bucer in King Edwards Liturgy and are not to be found in the Booke of England are taken in here Almighty God is in called that of his Almighty Goodnesse he may vouchsafe so to blesse and sanctifie with his Word and Spirit these gifts of Bread and Wine that they may bee unto us the body and blood of Christ The change here is made a worke of Gods Omnipotency the words of the Masse ut fiant nobis are translated in King Edwards Booke That they be unto us which are againe turned into Latine by Alesius Vt fiant nobis On the other part the expressions of the Booke of England at the delivery of the Elements of feeding on Christ by faith and of Eating and drinking in remembrance that Christ dyed for thee are utterly deleared Many evidences there be in this part of the Communion of the bodily Presence of Christ very agreeable to the Doctrines taught by his Sectaries which this paper cannot containe They teach us that Christ is received in the Sacrament Corporaliter both objective and subjective Corpus Christi est objectum quod recipitur corpus nostrum subjectum quo recipitur The Booke of England abolisheth all that may import the oblation of any unbloody Sacrifice but here we have besides the preparatory oblation of the Elements which is neither to be found in the Booke of England now nor in King Edwards Booke of old the oblation of the body and blood of Christ which Bellarmine calleth Sacrificium Laudis quia Deus per illud magnopere laudatur This also agreeth well with their late doctrine We are ready when it shall be judged convenient and we shall be desired to discover much more matters of this kind as grounds laid for missa sicca or the halfe
Fleece All these Idolatrous superstitious Popish Pictures lately broken and defaced by the Souldiers placed in Garison in Lambeth House by reason of the great scandall they gave unto them were thus repaired and set up as new by the arch-Arch-Bishops owne speciall direction at his proper charges in his Chappell at Lambeth in the Yeare 1634. as appeares by the Glasiers Bills found in his owne Study at Lambeth indorsed with the word Payd Master Pember the Glasier deposed that the Archbishop caused his Master to repaire the said Chappell Windowes and set up all those Pictures paying him for that worke Mr. Dell the Archbishops Secretary at tested that the Archbishop thought fit to repaire them they being formerly defaced and thereupon gave order for their reparation And the Archbish himselfe in answering this charge confessed justified the fact alleaging that the Chappell at his comming to Lambeth lay so nastily and the Windowes were so peeced and quite out of Order and reparation that it grieved his very heart to see it in such a condition so as he could not resort unto it to worship God with any comfort whereupon hee gave Order for repairing renewing these Glassewindowes and out of his fragments of the old painted Glasse remaining in them not by the help of the Pictures in his printed Masse-Booke he made a shift as well as he could to make up the stories and representations formerly defaced without any addition but only of New-Glasse in leiu of the old that was demolished Besides Browne his Joyner being examined at the Lords Barre against his will confessed upon his Oath that in the Chappell at Croyden there was an old broken Crucifix in the Window which he by the Archbishops direction caused to bee repaired and made compleate which Picture was there remaining very lately for which worke Master Pryn found the Glafiers Bill discharged by the Archbishop himselfe among other of his Papers Now that this Archbishop being by his place Primate and Metropolitan of all Engl. principally intrusted with the care of Religion who should of all other men be most vigilant against all Popish Idolatrous Innovations even in his owne principall Chappell at Lambeth whether many of the Nobility Judges Clergy and persons of all sorts as well strangers as Natives usually resorted and where most of our New Bishopâ— were commonly Consecrated should thus studuously and professedly repaire adore and set up a fresh those Idolatrous Superstitious Blasphemous Romish Pictures which were by vertue of our Statutes Homilies Injunctions purposly defaced and broken down as Monuments of Popish Superstition Idolatry contrary to the Word of God and the established Doctrine of our Church in the very beginning of Reformation which had thus continued defaced during all his Protestant Predecessors times without the least renovation restauration and that by the helpe and president of the very Masse-Booke making the Pictures in it the very Patterne to shape his Chappell windowes by even after sundry complaints against such practises in and by sundry late Parliaments and one Remonstrance in Parliament of this kinde against himselfe Anno 1628. in open affront of our Lawes Homilies Articles Injunctions Parliaments Writers to the great incouragement of Papists the infinite scandall of all sincere Protestants and ill example of diverse others both Clergy and Laity who generally imitated his example in repairing or new erecting in their Churches Chappell 's Colledges Houses the like unlawfull Popish Idolatrous Images it can doubtlesse proceed from no other roote but a rotten Idolatrous Romish heart and Traiterous endeavour to alter or subvert oun establishd Protestant Religion in a more audacious open way then ever any Protestant Prelate before him durst attempt But was this all the Popish superstition and furniture in this Archbishops Chappell Truly no all other parts of it must bee sutable to the windowes else there would neither be uniformity nor decency in it according to his corrupt opinion Wherefore 2ly As he new moulded his Chappell Windowes so he likewise altered the ancient Communion Table standing with the ends East and West some distance from the Wall Table-wise even from the beginning of Reformation till his comming to the Arch-Bishopricke without any Rayle about it into a New Altar placed Altar-wise against the Wall with the ends North and South hedged in with a new costly Raile Attested by Doctor Featly Sir Nathaniell Brent and Master Pryn. 3ly Vpon this new Altar he had much superstitious Romish furniture never used in his Predecessors dayes as namely two great Silver Candlestickes with Tapers in them besides Basons and other Silver Vessels with a costly Common Prayer-Bocke standing on the Altar which as some say had a Crucifixe on the bosses with the Picture of Christ receiving his last Supper with his Disciples in a peece of Arras hanging just behind the midst of the Altar and a Crucifix in the Window directly over it expresly taken out of the very Caremoniale Romanum found in the Archbishops study who was very well versed in it reformed by Pope Clement the 8. Parisijs 1633. l. 1. c. 12. p. 69. 60. which prescribes thus Supra vero in planitie Altaris adsunt Candelabra argentea si haberi possunt sin minus ex Aurichalco aut Cupro aurato pulchre fabricata c. Et super illis Cerei albi in quorum medio locabitur Crux ex eodem Metallo opere praealta ita ut pes Crucis aequet altitudinem vicinorum candelabrarum Crux ipsa tota Candelabris superemineat cum imagine sanctissimi Crucifixi versa ad anteriorem Altaris faciem Quod si Altare parieti adhareat applicari poterit ipsi Parieti supra Altare pannus aliquis caeteris nobilior speciosior ubi intextae sint DOMINI NOSTRI JESU CHRISTI aut gloriosae Virginis vel Sanctorum IMAGINES nisi jam in ipso pariete essent depictae decenter ornatae Pag. 71. Habeant quaelibet Altaria DUO CANDELABRA CUM CEREIS in medio CRUCEM CUM IMAGINE CRUCIFIXI c. Out of Pontificale Romanum set forth by Pope Clement the 8. Antuerpiae 1626. pag. 57. In the Rubricke De Consecratione Electi in Episcopum Paratur Altare cum Cruce duobus Candelabris super illud Missale Pontificale pluviale album c. Page 280. 281. Vestiunt Altare tobaleis ornamentis benedictis ponentes desuper Crucem alia Ornamenta And out of the Canons of the Popish Councell of Aix An 1583. The only Canon I have met with for railing in Altars from which the Archbishop borrowed both the Railes and furniturne of his New-erected Altar which prescribes thus Unumquoaque Altare ubi Commode Episcopus fieri posse judicarit SEPI ATUR OMNINO septo ferreo vel lapideo vel saltem LIGNEO Quod septum ab Altari distet saltem polices septem Nec vero septum illud Laicus ingrediatur dum Missae sacrificium fit Habeat unumquodque Altare propriam superlectilem ornamenta decentia
said Miles Burkitt in contempt of his said Ordinary doth come forth out of the said rayles and doth administer the Sacrament to many that will not come up to the said rayles Hocque fuit est verum c. Item we Article and object that you the said Miles Burkite did consent procure and abet Paul Gardner one of the Churchwardens of Pateshall in the County of Northampton aforesaid to remove and carry down forth of the rayles the Communion Table into the body of the Chancell and there did minister the holy Sacrament on Easterday last past and other times notwithstanding the Articles of your Diocesan to the contrary Hocque fuit est verum c. Upon which Articles this good Minister was for a long time vexed in the High-commission and almost ruined From Ministers thus persecuted for opposing these Innovations of rayling in Communion Tables Altarwise and administring the Sacrament at the Rayles we shall proceed to Church-wardens severally prosecuted excommunicated and undone for not rayling in Communion Tables only or removing them out of the rayles We shall begin with the Churchwardens of Beckington in the County of Somerset whose case by the testimonies of Mr. John Ash a Member of the House of Commons and Lord of that Parish of M. William Long and M. George Long who solicited the cause in the Churchwardens behalfe was manifested to be thus The Communion Table in the Parish-church of Beckington had for 70 years and more stood in the midst of the Chancell enclosed with a very decent Wainscot-border and a dore with seats for the Communicants to receive in round about it In the year 1633. D. Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wels a great creature of Canterburies appointed certaine Commissioners to view the Churches within his Diocesse certifie to him the defects thereof who viewing the Church of Beckington certified among other things that there was not a decent Communion Table in it neither was it placed under the East window nor railed in otherwise then with a Border about it where the communicants kneel at the holy Communion and that there were seats above the Communion Table To which Certificate the Churchwardens and Sidemen of Beckington were ordered by the Bishop to return an answer under their hands before Ascension-day 1634. which they did accordingly After which the Churchwardens were enjoyned by the Bishop by word of mouth to remove and rayle in their Communion Table Altarwise against the East end of the Chancel which they refusing to doe conceiving it to be against the Rubrick Q. Elizabeths Injunctions and the 82 Canon thereupon Iames Wheeler Iohn Fry Churchwardens were on the 9 of June 1635. cited into the Bishops Court at Wels before William Hunt the Bishops Surrogate and D. Duck his Chancelour for that the Communion Table in the Chancell of Beckington was not placed under the East window of the Chancel nor rayled in otherwise then with a Border about it and that there were seats above the said Table who admonished them to repaire the said defects and to place the Lords Table against the East wall of the Chancell with the ends of it North and South as it stood in the Cathedrall Church at Wels with a rayle about it and to certifie that they had done all this by the 6 of October following At which day they were excommunicated in open Court by the Bishop himself for refusing to remove and rayle in the Table and pull down the said seats Whereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches for relief where after much waiting and solicitation they procured from Sir Iohn Lambe Dean of the Arches a Letter to the Bishop to absolve them for a time which he did only for 27 dayes admonishing them to submit to what he had formerly enjoyned them for not doing whereof he excommunicated them againe in open Court on the 12 of January following Hereupon the Churchwardens appealed to the Arches the second time and petitioned the Archbishop for reliefe to which Petition this Certificat under the hands of about one hundred of the Parishioners was annexed To the most Reverend Father in God and Right Honourable William by Gods providence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan ever all England We the Inhabitants and parishioners of Beckington in the County of Somerset do humbly certifie that the Communion Table of our Church of Beckington hath and doth stand in the midst of the Chancel being the most convenientest place time out of minde and beyond the remembrance of any of our parishioners now living And that near threescore years since the pavement of the said Chancel upon which the Communion Table standeth was new made and in the new making thereof raised about a foot above the rest of the ground of the said Chancell and then also compassed about with a fair Wainscot border in which there is only one Wainscot door to come into the said Table which door is kept fast and none doth enter in thereat but the Minister and such as he doth require which said Communion Table doth at the day of the date hereof stand so conveniently and decently as aforesaid And we the said parishioners with an unanimous consent do humbly pray That it may so continue freed from all Innovation And so do humbly take our leaves dated this 19 day of December Anno Dom 1635. But notwithstanding this Petition and Certificate the Archbishop refused to admit of their Appeal threatned them with the High-commission and to lay their Solicitour by the heels commanding them to submit to and obey their Diocaesan who sent up all the proceedings in this cause to the Archbishop with severall reasons why this Table should be removed found in the Archbishops study by Mr. Prynne endorsed with his own hand Whereupon they were enforced to petition the King himself for reliefe informing his Majesty That the Communion Table had continued as then it stood by the approbation of all the Archbishops Bishops of that Diocesse during the reignes of Queen Elizabeth King James and even eleven years in his Majesties reigne as appeared by a Certificate under the hands of almost an hundred of the parishioners hands annexed to the Petition desiring the Table might not be removed but the Archbishop by his power hindred them from receiving any relief from his Majesty upon what grounds and reasons this Letter of the Bishop of Bath and Wels to Sir Iohn Lambe will best discover Good Master Deane According to my promise in my Letter to you the last week I have now sent unto you a copy of all my proceedings in the cause concerning the Chancel of the Parish-church of Beckington and the placing of the Communion Table therein together with my reasons for the same which I hope will give you full satisfaction in this businesse I have sent likewise a copy to my Lords Grace of Canterbury not that I think it worthy of his reading or that he hath leisure to peruse it
his Consecrating of Churches and Chappels after the popish manner wherein the case stands briefly thus The Pope his Romish Prelates had in times of ignorance superstition for their own proper lucre introduced solemn consecrations of Churches Chappels with all furniture belonging to them appropriated these Fopperies to Bishops as a jurisdiction peculiar to them alone though we reade in Scripture that the Tabernacle all the furniture thereto belonging was consecrated only by Moses and the Temple at Jerusalem by King Solomon the chief temporall Magistrates not by Aaron or the High Priests as they were among the Romans by the Senate These formes of consecrations full of Ethnicall ridiculous superstitions exorcismes conjurations were contained only in Roman Pontificals Missals Ceremonials which were wholly abolished upon the reformation of Religion in King Edwards daies by the expresse statutes of 3 4 E. 6. cap. 1. 5. 5 6 E. 6. cap. 1. and after that by the statute of 1 Eliz. cap. 2. 8 Eliz. cap. 1. which abrogited all rites ceremonies and consecrations whatsoever but those comprised in the Books of Common Prayer and Ordination of Ministers where there is not one syllable to be found touching consecration of Churches or Chappels or Church-yards nor any forme of such consecrations reteined or prescribed which by these Acts were wholly discontinued abolished in our Church till this Papish Prelate to renue them and to assume a Papall power of making Churches Chappels Altars and their furniture holier then other places by his solemne consecrations of them as if the meere sequestring of them from a common or prophane to a sacred use were not a sufficient consecration of them without a Bishops Benediction and exercising of those creatures suspended thereunto We shall begin first with his consecration of Churches next of Chappels Anno 1630. St. Katherines Creed-church in London being repaired only by the parishioners not new built from the ground when Mountain was Bishop of London and the Church thought holy enough by him without any new consecration not requisite in such a case by the very Canon law this popish Prelate succeeding Mountaiue in the Bishoprick of London suspended this new repaired Church for a time from all Divine service Sermons and Sacraments till it was re-consecrated by himself of which he writ down this speciall memoriall with his own hand in his Diary read in the Lords House in manner following January 16. 1630. Sunday I consecrated S. Katherine Creed-church in London In what a popish ridiculous bedlam manner was thus attested upon oath by M. Willingham a parishioner there who then took special Notes of all the passages in short-writing thinking some good use might be made thereof in after-times the particulars whereof he thus expressed That the Archbishop then of London on the 16 of January 1630. being the Lords day came in the morning about nine of the clock in a pompous manner to Creed-church accompanied with Sir Henry Martin Dr. Rive Dr. Duck and many other High-commissioners and Civillians there being a very great concourse of people to behold this novelty the Church doores were garded with many Halberders at the Bishops approaching near the West door of the Church the hangbies of the Bishop cryed out with a loud voyce Open open ye everlasting doores that the King of glory may enter in and presently as by miracle the doores flew open and the Bishop with three or four great Doctors and many other principall men entred in and as soon as they were in the Church the Bishop fell down upon his knees with his eyes lifted up and his hands and armes spread abroad uttering many words and saying This place is holy and this ground is holy In the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost I pronounce it holy and then he took up some of the earth or dust and threw it up into the aire as the frantick perseenting Jewes did when they were raging mad against Paul this was done in the great middle Isle several times as they came up Eastwards towards the Chancel which Chancel was then paved when they approached near to the Rayle and Lords Table unto which was an ascent of two or three steps the Bishop lowly ducked and bowed towards it some five or six times and returning went round about the Church in Procession on the inside thereof they saying the 100 Psalme and after that the 90 Psalme prescribed in the Roman Pontificall for this purpose p. 262. and then this Prayer Lord Jesu Christ who art the eternall Word of thy eternall Father God Almighty to be blessed for ever and diddest at first in the beginning of time create man out of the dust of the earth to restore and repair in him the ruine and fall of Angels and when as he by transgression had lost his originall state diddest according to thy threatning returne him againe unto his dust but so that he should not perish everlastingly but should in due time by an omnipotent power be raised againe out of the earth and therefore in assurance of the resurrection the bodies of men the work of thine own hands are in this place to be deposited in their sepulchres graves or vaults as in a repository or resting place untill the end of all things when that mighty Arch-angell shall sound his last Trumpet with Rise ye dead and come to judgement accept we beseech thee this our holy service who doe give and consecrate this beautifull Church unto thee and we separate it unto thee and thy Church AS HOLY GROVND not to be prophaned any more to common use this we beseech thee to accept at our hands for Christ Jesus sake c. Then was read aloud the 23 chapter of Genesis which being read then followed another prayer taken almost verbatim out of the Roman Pontificall beginning thus Merciful God the resurrection and the life of all that trust in thee wee most humbly intreat thee to vouchsafe us of thy grace that all those thy servants who from hence forth shall come into or be intered within the Circuit of this holy and sacred place now by our service HALLOWED unto thee may so lead their lives in thy feare that they may leave them in thy favour and that their bodies resting in their Sepulchres in this Church in peace untill thy comming unto Iudgment may rise again unto immortall life and live with thee for ever in those glorious mantions of eternity Heare us O Saviour for thy passion sake heare us O Father for thy Christs sake heare us O Sanctifying Spirit for thy comforts sake who livest and reignest one God c. Then The peace of God followed c. After all this the Bishop betook himselfe to sit under a cloath of State in an Isle of the chancell neare the Communion Table and taking a written book in his hand in imitation of the Roman Pontificall and the Councell of Trents Decrees therein cited pag. 247 c.
hallowed as they say with their conjured water Crossings Censings Processions c. But blessed be that God our Lord which by the light of his Word doth confound all such wicked and fond fantasies which they devise to fill their bellies and maintaine their Authority by Although these Ceremonies in the old Law were given by Moses for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts to keep thē exercised that they fall not to the Idolatry of the Gentiles yet is there no mention of them in the New Testament nor yet commanded now either to us or them but forbidden to be used of all both of us and them We be no longer under shaddowes but under the truth Christ hath fulfilled all and taken away all such darke kind of Ceremonies and hath placed the cleare light of his Gospell in the Church to continue to the end The Popes Church hath all things pleasant in it to delight the people but where the Gospell is preached they knowing that God is not pleased but onely with a pure heart they are content with an honest place appointed to resort together in though it were never hallowed by Bishops at all It is written that God dwels not in Temples made with hands nor is worshipped with any worke of mens hands but he is a spirit an invisible substance and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not in outward words onely of the lippes but with the deepe sighes and groanes of the heart and the whole power of the mind and earnest hearty calling on him in praier by faith And therefore he doth not so much require of us to build him an house of stone and timber but hath willed us to pray in all places and hath taken away the Iewish and Popish holynesse which is thought to be more in one place then another All the earth is the Lords and he is present in all places hearing the Petitions of them that call upon him in faith Therefore those Bishops which thinke with their conjured water to make one place more holy then the rest are no better then the Jewes deceiving the people and teaching that onely to be holy which they have censed crossed oyled and breathed upon for as Christ said to the woman thinking one place to be more holy to pray in then another Woman beleeve me the time is come when yee shall worship neither at Jerusalem nor in this Hill but the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth So it is now said the place makes not the man holy but the man makes the place holy and ye shall not worship your Idols Stocks and Stones neither at Wilsingham Ipswich Canterbury nor Sheen for God chuses not the people for the places sake but the place for the people sake But if yee be in the midst of the field God is as ready to heare your faithfull praiers as in any Abbey or Priory yea a thousand times more for the one place he hates as defiled with Idolatry and the other he loves as undefiled and cleane If the good man lie in prison tyed in Chaines or at the stake burned for Gods cause That place is holy for the holynesse of the man and the presence of the holy Ghost in him as Tertullian saith yet there should be common places appointed for the people to Assemble and come together therein to praise our God c. Those who in the Apostles times were buried in no Church or Church-yard nor Christen-moldes as they be called when it is not better then other earth but rather worse for the conjuring that Bishops use about it It appeares in the Gospell by the Legion living in graves the Widdowes sonne going to buriall Christ buried without the Citty c. That they buried not in hallowed Churches by Bishops but in a severall place appointed for the same purpose without the Citty which custome remaineth to this day in many godly places c. A most expresse Authority against Bishops Popish consecrations of Churches and Church-yards to make them holyer then other places The second Authority they produced was Mathew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths reigne who was of a quite contrary judgment to this his Popish Successor condemning this manner of consecrating Churches Altars c. as Superstitious Paganish childish ridiculous in his Antiquitates Ecclesiae Brittannicae p. 85. 86. 87. in these termes Legat enim qui volet recentiores et nostro praesertim avo editos Pontificales ac Missales libros reperiet eos et Caeremoniarū multitudine peragendi difficultate atque taedio et exorcisationis amentia priores illos longè superare Quibus enim non dicam verbis sed portentis has et ejus modi a Pontisiciis adhuc adjurantur c. Dedicatio recentis Ecclesiae Altaria vasa indumenta Linteamina et ornamenta Ecclesiastica Hac omnia quam solemni ritu sanctarum scripturarum sententiis ad suas decantationes perperā adhibitis Potificij peragunt paucis videamus c. In dedicatione Ecclesiae jam exstructae Episcopus ter ' circumiens ostium bacculo pastorali ferit hoc Psalmi carmine Attollite Portas c. Cui Diaconus intus existens respondet fere exanimatus Quis est iste Rex gloriae c. Deinde ingredicus Episcopus in fundamento Ecclesiae Cineribus sparso Alphabetum Gracum et Latinum bacculo describit tum variis multisque Episcopi Clerique incessibus rectis obliquis retrogradis transuersis parietes ac pavimenta aqua sparguntur cruces in parietibus chrismate cum dextro Episcopi pollice depinguntur infinitis penè completis caeremoniis ad extremum precatur ut populus in ea conveniens per sacerdotum libamina caelesti sanctificatione salvatus animae salutem perpetuam consequatur discedens portam his verbis Episcopus ungit chrismate porta sis benedicta sanctificata consecrata consignata Deo commendata c. Altaria autem innumeris hujus generis precibus consecrantur c. Et sane valde deflenda est hujus temporis conditio quod Ecclesiae Patres eadem mentis acie ab ecclesia resecare has hujusmodi caeremonias seu potius nugas aut nolunt aut non possunt qua priora illa Ordalii vitia cernebant atque corrigebant sed illis ut superstitiosis damnatis deletis hac quae mordicus retinent quamvis puerilia deliria sint ex illis tamen fabricantur atque struunt Quanto modernis Pontificibus aequior fuit Gregorius qui scribit Quomodo regulae sanctorum Patrum pro tempore loco persona negotio instante necessitate traditae sunt Hi autem nulla neque temporis neque loci neque negotii neque personae neque cujusquà m rei quà m suae voluntatis atque gloriolae rationem habentes ne pusillis in rebus veritate cedere volunt A very good character of the Prisoner at the bar and his proceedings in this kinde
stone in A Chappell O Lord Mercifull and gracious these thy people are preparing to build a place for thy service Accept I humbly beseech thee their present devotion and make them perfect both in their present and future duty That while thou givest them case to honour thee they may with the greater Alacrity goe on in thy service And now O Lord I have by thy mercy and goodnesse put to my hand to lay the first stone in this building T is a Corner stone make it I beseech thee a happy foundation a durable building Let it rise up and be made and continue a house of praier and devotion through allages that thy people may be taught to beleeve in Jesus Ch. the true Corner stone upon whom they and their soules may be built safe for ever Grant this for the same Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all power majesty and dominion this day and for ever Amen Now this Ceremony of consecrating and laying the first stone of a Chappell or Church by the Bishop is expresly taken out of the Roman Pontificall pars 2. cap. De Benedictione impositione primarij lapidis pro Ecclesia edificanda p. 199. c. Where all the solemnity of this consecration is at large prescribed and the substance of the Prayer the Bishop used upon this occasion thence derived This ceremony of consecrating and laying the first stone of a Church or Chappell is severely censured as ridiculous Popish Superstitions by Matthew Parker his predecessor Archbishop of Canterbury in his Antiquitates Ecclesia Britannicae p. 85. Quibus enim non dicam verbis sed portentis haec hujusmodi à Pontificiis adorantur Q. Primarius lapis caementum per Ecclesia aedificanda Lapis cum caemento Episcopi manibus primum aqua benedicta sparsus insculpto Gracis signo his sententiis in fundamento positus est lapidem quem reprobaverunt aedifieantes hic factus est in caput Anguli Devide tu es Petrus super hanc Petram c. postea precabantur ut qui ad perficiendam Ecclesiam auxilium dederunt corporis animae salutem consequantur c. Yet notwithstanding the Popish Prelate in contempt of his Predecessors Judgement needs must introduce this Popish Innovation not onely at Hammersmith but even at the Cathedrall of Pauls it selfe where he consecrated and laid the first stone at its reparation with many prayers and Ceremonies And not content herewith caused a second Edition of Sir Tho. Ridlyes View of the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Law to be re-printed at Oxford Anno 1634. Cum Privilegio with some Marginall Additions added to it by J. G. Master of Arts p. 51. 52 191 192 193. Wherein he justifies the consecrating of Churches Chappels and the foundation-stone thereof by the Bishop in these words The Bishop with Prayer is to lay the first stone of a Church or Monastary and lift up his hands to heaven and consecrate the place to God by prayer and there erect the symbole of our Salvation we mean the venerable and truely precious Rood That this Ceremony of laying the first stone hath been of ancient use in the Greeke Church may be observed out of their Euchologue where it is said That the Bishop after some other Rites performed standing in the place where the holy Altar shall be set saith a prayer which being ended he giveth the Ita missa est and then taking up one of the stones and having cut a crosse upon it himselfe with his own hands layeth it upon the ground-worke then he pronounceth the c. and so the workemen begin the building That which followeth in the Euchologue discovereth the forme and manner of setting up the Crucifix which the Law calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like ceremonies are used in the Latine Church as this day as may be seen in their Pontificall page 281. of that which Clement the 8. set out at Rome in the yeare 1565. The crucifix must be sent to the place where the Church is to be erected and there the Bishop useth certaine prayers fumeth the ground with his Incense circular-wise crosseth the corner stone which he layeth for the foundation and when he maketh the consecration the crosse must he set up behinde the holy Altar there being prepared for it some lofty structure c. Which addition was patched to Doctor Ridley meerly to countenance and justifie the Arch-bishops consecrations of this kinde of which we shall produce some other Instances We read in his Diary under his own hand this Memoriall following May 26. 1632. Saturday Trinity Sunday Eve I consecrated the Lord Treasurers Chappell at Roe-hampton And in an Abstract of the Arch-bishops Metropoliticall Visitation Anno 1635. found in his studdy we finde his Visitor and Vicar Generall interdicted the Chappell of Buckston and of Down in Derbyshire though long used for want of consecration and in some Visitation Articles this inquiry made Whether any Chaplaines did Preach or administer the Sacrament in any Chappell not consecrated In the year 1636. there was a great contestation between the Arch-bishop and the University of Cambridge heard before his Majesty and his Privy Councell at Hampton Court whether the Archbishop meerly as Metropolitan or the King alone as King and founder of the University should have the Visitation thereof where it was ruled for the Arch-bishop against the King and University At which time the Arch-bishop declared that one principall cause why he desired to visit the University of Cambridge was because there were some Chappels belonging to Colledges where Divine Service had been used and the Sacrament administred divers years though they were never consecrated by any Bishop as namely Emanuel Colledge Chappell built in the year 1584. And Sidney Sussex Colledge Chappell built in the year 1598. And ever since used as Chappels without any Bishops consecration no Archbishop or Bishop of the Diocesse taking any exceptions at it yet now forsooth the Archbishop as Metropolitan must become Visitor to the University of Cambridge to consecrate these Chappels as if they were prophane before and the holy Ordinances used in them not sufficient to hallow them without his Popish Episcopall consecration-ceremonies Bishop Pilkington Walter Haddon Mr. Fox and others much jeer and deride the madnesse folly and superstition of Cardinall Poole and his Deputy Visitors of this very University of Cambridge for digging up Mr. Bucers and Paulus Fagius bones out of S. Maries Church in Cambridge 3. yeares after they were interred and interdicting and new consecrating the Church again as prophaned by them for fear their Masses and Divine Service there used should be nothing worth the place being made prophane and unholy by these heretickes funeralls as they judged them when as the Church was holy enough to say Masse in for three yeares space before and all that would not heare it must be imprisoned burned although
the parties lay there buried And is it not then a far greater madnesse superstition and ridiculous frenzie for this domineering Arch-Prelate to deem these two Chappels prophane places unfit to administer the Sacraments and celebrate divine Service in because never yet consecrated by a Bishop not onely after three but almost three-score yeares use and practise of divine Service Sermons Sacraments in them When as neither his predecessors Whitgift Bancroft and Abbot men very ceremonious and two of them much addicted to superstition ever so much as moved any such question concerning the necessity of their consecration Especially since there is no such Canon Law to enforce the consecration of them now as was to justifie the re-hallowing of S. Maries Church in Queen Maries time which the Popish Canon Law then approved in the case of Bucer and Fagius We read in the Ecclesiasticall Constitutions of Otho the Popes Legat made in an English Synode in the Raigne of King Henry the third that even in those dark times of Popery there were not only divers Parish Churches but some Cathedrals in England which were used as such for many yeares yet never consecrated by a Bishop as appears by these words of the Constitution it self Multas invenimus Ecclesias aliquas Cathedrales quae licet fuer unt ab antiquo constructae nondum tamen sunt sanctificationis Oleo consecrate Whereupon this Popish Legat for his own lucher Enjoyned all Churches then built or to be built to be consecrated within two years space under pain of interdiction from having Masse said in them unlesse some reasonable cause were shewed to the contrary By colour of which Popish constitution this Prelate it seems urged the consecration of these ancient Chappels there being no other shaddow of reason Canon or authority for it After this Archbishop had thus procured a power to himself to visit the Vniversity of Cambridge Matthew Wren Bishop of Ely Decemb. 1. 1639. Sent him up an account signed with his own hand of some things amisse within his Diocesse and that University which he left to his Graces consideration to amend which account was seized by Master Prynne in his study at Lambeth and thus indorsed with the Arch-bishops own hand My Lord of Elyes Account 1639. In which there were these two Passages concerning consecration of Chappels The first concerning a Chappell in Sir John Cuts house in the town of Childerley which Chappell the Knight said was consecrated by Bishop Heton producing an Instrument under seal purporting that on such a day at Childersly Bishop Heton did consecrate a Chappell by saying Service there himselfe and having a Sermon this was all the Solemnity of its Consecration I questioning the whole matter have required him to waiteupon your Grace to see whether that consecration must be allowed of The second concerning some Chappels in Colledges never yet consecrated which is thus expressed in this Account It was presented unto me That in the Colledges of Emanuel Sidney and Corpus Christi there have been Roomes built within the memory of man which are used for common Chappels wherein they have dayly prayers and do Preach there without any faculty or license granted unto them so to do And wherein also they ordinarily celebrate the holy Communion The said places never having been consecrated thereunto Ma. Elie. The Scottish troubles it seems prevented his consecration of these Chappels which were sufficiently hallowed before by the Divine Duties exercised in them The last Chappell we finde consecrated was that in Covent Garden which was hallowed or rather prophaned with all Popish Ceremonies expressed in the Roman Pontificall and far more than were used at Creed-Church The Arch-bishop having thus far advanced his Popish designes in consecrating Churches Chappels and Church-yards proceeded one step further even to set up the exploded Annuall Baccanalian feasts of Dedication whereon Churches were hallowed prescribed at first onely by the Decrees of Pope Felix Pope Gregory recorded by Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. who Decreed thus Solennitates Ecclesiarum dedicationem per singulos annos solemniter sunt celebrandae Those Feasts of Dedication turned by the people into meer Bacchanals were exceedingly declaimed against as necessary to be suppressed by Nicholaus de Clemangiis in his Tract De Novis Celebritatibus non instituendis suppressed by the Injunctions of King Henry the S. An. 1536. As the occasion of much idlenesse excesse riot and pernicious to the Souls of men Whereupon they were all of them restrained to the first Sunday in the moneth of October not to be kept on any other day and afterwards totally abolished by the statute of 5. and 6. E. 6. c. 3. Of holy-dayes Which being revived again by degrees with their Baccanalian disorders in sundry places of this Realm under the names of Wakes or Revels and suppressed by some Judges in their Circuits and Justices of Peace in Sessions this Arch-bishop in the year of our Lord 1633. by a Declaration compiled by himselfe but published in his Majesties Name intituled The Kings Majesties Declaration concerning Lawfull Sports to be used revived and enjoyned the Observation of these Wakes and Feasts of Dedication never formerly established by any Christian Prince together with the use of divers Sports and pastimes on the Lords own Sacred day after Divine Service ended to the great Dishonour of God of his Majesty of our Religion the disturbance of the Civill Government encrease of all Licensiousnesse prophanenesse impiety and great griefe of all godly peoples Souls This Book he enjoyned all Ministers to read and publish openly in the Church in time of Divine Service though not commanded by the King and those who out of conscience refused to read it in this kinde were by his means suspended excommunicated prosecuted in the High-Commission Sequestred from their Livings yea many of them enforced to desert their Cures and depart the Kingdome this book being made a snare onely to entrap or suppresse most of the painfull godly preaching Ministers throughout the Realm who were all more or lesse prosecuted about it Yet such was this Arch-Prelates unparallel'd impiety transcending all examples in former Ages that he not onely caused his Instruments Edmond Reeve Dr. Heylyn Christopher Dowe and others to defend the Lawfulnesse and usefulnesse of this prophane licentious Declaration but also to justifie the persecution silencing suspending depriving of those Godly Ministers who out of Conscience refused to publish it in sundry Printed Books authorized by him and his Chaplaines for the Presse Quis talia fando temperet à Lachrymis at leastwise can refrain from the heaviest censures against this prophane Arch-bishop That this Declaration since ordered to be publikely burnt by the common hangman by Order of both Houses of Parliament was Printed published by the Archbishops procurement and upon what Occasion was thus attested upon Oath by Master Edward Richardson and Master Prynne Sir Thomas Richardson Lord chiefe Justice
Change or Subversion of RELIGION is grounded upon the daily increase of Papists the only professed Enemies thereof for the reasons formerly mentioned so are the hearts of Your Subjects no lesse perplexed when with sorrow they behold a daily growth and spreading of the faction of the Arminians that being as Your Majestie well knowes but a cunning way to bring in Popery and the professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and Incendiaries of those States wherein they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Jesuites in Opinion and practise which caused Your Royall Father with so much pious wisdome and ardent zeale to endeavour the suppressing of them as well at home as in our Neighbouring Countries and Your Gratious Majestie inimating his most worthy example have openly and by your Proclamations declared your mislike of those persons and of their opinions who notwithstanding are much favoured and advanced not wanting friends even of the Clergie neere to Your Majestie namely Doctor Neale Bishop of Winchester and Doctor Laud Bishop of Bath and VVells who are justly suspected to bee unsound in their opinions that way And it being now generally the way to preferment and promotion in the Church many Schollers do bend their Studies to maintaine these Errours their Bookes and opinions are suffered to be printed and published and on the other side the impressions of such as are written against them and in defence of the Orthodox Religion are hindered and prohibited and which is a boldnesse most incredible this restraint of Orthodox Bookes is made under colour of Your Majesties formerly mentioned Proclamation the intent and meaning whereof we know was quite contrary c. To which Declaration Bishop Laud returned a Peremptory answer in His Majesties Name written and endorsed with his owne hand the Originall whereof attested by Master Prynne was reade at the LORDS Barre in these following words so farre as concerned the charge of Arminianisme THe next feare is the daily growth and spreading of the Arminian faction called a cunning way to bring in Popery But We hold this charge as great a wrong to Our selfe and Our Government as the former For our People must not bee taught by a Parliament Remonstrance or any other way that We are so ignorant of Truth or so carelesse of the profession of it that any opinion or faction or what ever it be called should thrust it selfe so far so fast into Our Kingdomes without Our knowledge of it This is a meere dreame of them that wake and would make Our Loyall and loving People thinke We sleepe the while In this charge there is great wrong done to two eminent Prelates that attend Our Person for they are accused without producing any the least shew or shaddow of proofe against them and should they or any other attempt Innovation of Religion either by that open or any cunning way we should quickly take other order with them and not stay for Your Remonstrance To helpe on this Our People are made believe there is a restraint of Bookes Orthodoxall But wee are sure since the late Parliament began some whom the Remonstrance calls Orthodox have assumed to themselves an unsufferable liberty in printing Our Proclamation commanded a restraint on both sides till the passions of men might subside and calme and had this beene obeyed as it ought wee had not now been tossed in this tempest As for any distressing or discountenancing of good Preachers Wee know there is none if they be as they are called good But Our good people shall never want that spirituall comfort which is due unto them And for the preferments which VVee bestow Wee have ever made it our great care to give them as rewards of desert and paines but as the preferments are ours so will wee bee Judge of the desert our selfe and not bee taught by a Remonstrance After which the Commons in pursuance of their Opposition against the growing Arminian Faction On the 28. of January 1628. but 11. dayes after the forementioned Proclamation concerning Mountagues Booke and prohibiting books against it passed this notable Vote in Parliament after a large debate which the Archbishop in his indorsment on it stiles The Challenge of the lower House in matters of Religion An Order made by the lower House of PARLIAMENT the 28th of IANVARY 1628. WEE the Commons now Assembled in Parliament doe claime professe and avow for Truth the sence of the Articles of Religion which were established in Parliament the thirteenth yeare of Queene Elizabeth which by the publike Acts of the Church of England and the generall and currant exposition of the Writers of our Church have beene delivered unto Vs and we reject the sence of the Iesuites Arminians and all others wherein they doe differ from Vs. To which Challenge of theirs this pragmaticall Bishop then returned this bold peremptory answer written with his owne hand produced attested by Master Pryn and read at the Lords Barre in Evidence against him 1. The publique Acts of the Church in matters of Doctrine are Canons and Acts of Councells as well for expounding as determining the Acts of the High Commission are not in this sence publike Acts of the Church not the meeting of few or more Bishops Extra Concilium unlesse they be by lawfull Authority called to that worke and their decision approved by the Church 2. The Currant exposition of writers is a strong probable Argument de sensu Canâ—nis Ecclesiae vel Articuli yet but probable The Currant exposition of the Fathers themselves hath sometimes missed sensum Ecclesiae 3. Will ye reject all sence of lesuit or Arminian may not some be true may not some be agreeable to our writers and yet in a way that is stronger then ours to confirme the Article 4. Is there by this Act any Interpretation made or declared of the Articles or not If none to what end the Act If a sence or Interpretation be declared what authority have lay-men to make it for Interpretation of an Article belongs to them only that have power to make it 5. T is manifest there is a sence declared by the House of Commons the Act sayes it wee avow the Article and in that sence and all other that agree not with us in the aforesaid sence wee reject these and these goe about misinterpretation of a sence Ergo there is a Declaration of a sence yea but it is not a new sence declared by them but they avow the old sence declared by the Church The publike authenticke Acts of the Church c. yea but if there be no such publique authenticke Acts of the Church then here 's a sence of their owne declared under pretence of it 6. It seemes against the Kings Declaration 1. That sayes we shall take the generall meaning of the Articles this Act restraines them to consent of VVrighters 2. That sayes the Article shall not be drawne
constant care to uphold and maintaine the Religion prefessed in the Church of England in its purity without Error or Corruption Doth therefore hereby declare His Royall Will and pleasure to be and doth straightly Charge and Command all persons of what degree quality or condition soever to whose hands any of the said Bookes are or shall come that without delay they deliver or send them to the Bishop or Chancellor of the Diocesse whom His Majestie requireth to cause the same to be publikly burnt as such of them as have beene already seized on have beene by His Majesties expresse Commande And to this His Majesties Royall Pleasure he requireth all his loving Subjects to yeeld all doe Conformity and Obedience as they will avoid the censure of high Contempt God save the KING Given at Our Court at White-hall the fourteenth yeare of Our Reigne Vpon this Proclamation some few of these Bookes were seised and publikely burnt in Smithfield the poore Printer Oakes imprisoned divers Monthes almost to his utter undoing though he proved he complained of it to Doctor Haywood who commanded him to proceed but the Stationer was brought Ore tenus to the Star-Chamber and charged with the insertion of the Popish Passages after the Doctor had expunged them which he denied where the Archbishop made a Speech to cleare himselfe and his Chaplaine in which there was not one word of truth after which the Stationer was ordered to be committed to Prison and to find out the Translator which he affirming he could not do if he were imprisoned thereupon his imprisonment was respited and no further examination had of this foule businesse then to cleare the Archbishop and his Chaplaine by this devise in the meane time Mr. Prynnes Crosse Bill which truly related all the carriage of the businesse was suppressed that so the truth of it which he thou could would have manifested by sundry punctuall witnesses had he been permitted might never come to publike knowledge to the Archbishops and his Chaplaines shame who abused his Majesty and the People with false representations of this businesse which was now charged proved and testified against him at the Barre by Mr. Prynne Mistresse Oakes Michaell Sparke Senior and others to his shame The Epistle to a devout Soul written by a Friar then newly translated into English was licenced the selfe same day for the same Stationer that Sales book was being as full of Popery as it vvhich Mr. Prynne likewise charging in his Crosse Bill thereupon some of the Bookes were seized by the Stationers and the rest vented in private But Sales to make the Papists ammends was soone after reprinted here withall the Popery in it and sould publikely without restraint notwithstanding his Majesties Proclamation which was but a meere Pageâ—â—â— and devise of the Archbishops to cleare himselfe and his Chaplaine Having thus given you a summary Catalogue of the Popish Bookes Sermons licenced and published by him his Chaplaines and Agents we shall next present you with a List or Extract of the severall Popish Errors Doctrines Positions Paradoxes authorized and maintained in them most of them so grosse so execrable that they never durst appeare in any of our Impressions from the infancy of Reformation till this Arch-Prelate became their Patriot We shall begin with Auricular Confession and the power of Priests to remit sinnes the summe whereof is this 1. That Priests have not only a Ministeriall but an Authoritative and Juditiall Power to râ—mit sine confessed And that we ought frequently to confesse our sins to our Priests and Confessors at least once every Month especially in Lent We read in the Popes Nuntio compiled by the Venetian Ambassador concerning the Negotiation of Signior Panzanioes p. 12. That an English Doctor told Panzanioes friend that the King did approve of Auricular Confession was willing to introduce it and would use force to make it received were it not for feare of Sedition amongst the people Certainly all who shall read these ensuing authorized passages touching Auricular confession of Sins to Priests Confessors of Priests not only Ministeriall but Iuditiall Power to remit sinnes will undoubtedly beleive that at least our Popish Priests Prelates and this Archbishop in particular had a plotted resolution to introduce Auricular confession and set up an Authoritative Iuditiall power in Priests to receive confessions and remit sinnes confessed in all his Majesties Dominions The Passages to this purpose are these Mountagues Gagge p. 78. 83. 84. It is confessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive sinnes It is confessed that private confession unto a Priest is of very ancient practise in the Church we urge it and perswade it in extremis ut supra we require it in case of perplexity and likewise before the receiving of the Lords Supper according to which Doctrine and Injunction our Bishops do or should enquire of it in their Visitations touching the use and neglect of this so good an order VVhich he thus seconds in his Appeale p. 299. My words are It is confessed that private confession unto a Priest is of very Ancient practise in the Church of excellent use and benefit being discrectly handled We refuse it to none if men require it if need be to have it we urge and perswade it in extremis Wee require it in case of perplexity for the quieting of men disturbed in their consciences This is my Popery per partes for wariant whereof I bring my witnesse and authority the Injunction direction and practise of the Church and of the Bishops accordingly in the Church that which their Mother holy Church hath commanded in that sort and case to be observed pag. 312. Priests have power not only to pronounce but to give remission of sinnes which seemeth to be the Doctrine of the Communion Book in the Visitation of the sicke where the Priest saith And by his Authority committed unto me I absolve thee from all thy sinnes It is Justifiable it is the Doctrine and practise of the Church of England Pag. 315. 316. Informers it is confessed that all Priests and none but Priests have power to forgive sinnes And is it not so confessed when by publique warrant in ordination that power is given unto all Priests to doe soe in those solemne words of Ordination whose sinnes you forgive they are forgiven c. But with you Puritans this Doctrine and practice of the Church is held to bee Popery And here you inferre that Priests have no more power to do this than Laymen here you cast confession upon both one and other and Laymen may heare it aswell as a Priest and therefore it is probable you will not be very precise for Absolution to conferre it on a Layman as well as on a Priest But such absolution is a part of that Priestly power which could not be given by men or Angels but onely and immediatly by Almighty God himselfe a part of that Paramount power which the
speciall Letter of all his proceedings herein wherein he thanks God for enabling him in some good measure to effect that there which other able men had only sufficiently spoken of but not accomplished elsewhere likewise boasts of his solitary opposition of the Archbishop of Armagh and the whole Convocation at Dublin in the points of Election and Gods Decree when the Articles of Ireland were in a violent manner suppressed and called in by his Graces procurement making the signe of the Crosse in the frontispeece of his Letter as the Popish Priests and Jesuites use to doe in all their Letters one to another Which Letter sound in this Arch-bishops Study at Lambeth and attested by Master Prynne was openly read at the Lords Barre in forme ensuing My LORD IN humblest manner I begge your gratious acceptance of this just as necessary duty whillst I make an unquestionable relation of that which so nearely concernes my selfe To provide the best J could for the more worthy receiving of the holy Communion this last Easter J have I thanke God for it beene able in some measure to do that here which able men have sufficiently spoken of else-where I have Sacramentally heard the Confessions of the people Committed to my Charge in Goran a certaine through-fare towne in the County of Kilkenye in the Chancell they kneeling before the Altar This is every where now counted a most strange Act without all warrant sayes bold ignorance there is no president for it saies the Divill Envie and double blinded malice t is as voyd of Law as full of singularity So unbidden so unled did I once protest against that horrible decree obtruded as it was received from Calvine by the Archbishop of Armagh and the whole body of this Kingdomes Clergy then Assembled in the Convocation at Dubline that I stood then alone that no man then stood by me when I made that Protestation I appeale to the not yet forgotten so eloquent so godly so very leaud railing cursing Censure upon that occasion publikely delivered by one that was then called Chancelllor Sing since Deane of Drummore the Lord Bishop of Derrie and Master of the Rolls were not many houres ignorant of the very words by the then Chancellor and now Deane then and there uttered The luckie opportunity of a trustie Messenger a servant to the Earle of Ormond and Chirurgian to his Troop by name Michaell Oxenbridge with the just conscience of my dutie on this behalfe emboldens me thus humbly to pray for such acceptance in a Cause most acceptable as may yet make the person of the poore receiver more worthy to be accepted Goran Aprill 18. 1638. Your Graces most devoted Iames Croxton To the most Reverend Father in God William by the Divine providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Primate and Metropolitan of all England This Letter was thus endorsed with the Archbishops owne hand Received July 6. 1638. Mr. Croxton his receiving of Confession BY which it is most apparent that the introducing of Auricular Confession was a speciall designe of the Archbishops prosecuted by his Emissaries and Creatures in all places who gave him exact accounts of their proceedings herein the more to endeare themselves in his favour To what end these Doctrines and practises of Auricular Confession and Priests absolution were thus urged Master VVilliam Tyndall in his Practise of Popish Prelates and Obedience of a Christian man with other Protestant VVriters will informe us to wit to enslave the Laity to the Clergie to advance the Priest above the King the Myter above the Scepter the Ecclesiasticall Tribunall above the Secular to fish out all mens secrets to awe and keepe them under bondage and accomplish all their owne designes upon them with more facility as they doe in Popish Kingdomes where such Confessions and Absolutions are in use Having thus done with this Arch-Priests Master-Peece Confession and the power of Priests to remit sinnes confessed wee shall proceed to that which depends upon it and must have necessarily followed on it to the great oppression of the ignorant seduced people that is 2. The use of Popish Penances as wearing of haire-cloth and such like corporall punishments enjoyned by Priests for sinnes Confessed with intention to satisfie God thereby for the sinnes confessed lately pressed as lawfull profitable commendable THe use and lawfulnesse hereof never heard of nor maintained in our Church since Reformation till this Archbishops Domination is thus pressed justified commended in these ensuing authorized bookes Christs Epistls to a Devout soule pag. 252. Enjoyne thy selfe for thy Pennance to say some devout prayer or to doe some greater Pennance as thou and thy spirituall Director shall thinke fit Franeis Sales his Introduction to a Devout Life pag. 131. Recompence this losse at least by multiplying Jaculatory prayers and by reading some books of Devotion with some voluntary Pennance or other for committing this fault Pag. 209. The soveraigne balsome of Confession or pennance Pag. 428. Disciplying the body likewise hath a marvellous efficacy to stir up in us desire of devotion when it is moderately used Haire-Cloath tameth the flesh very much upon the principall dayes of pennance one may well use it with the advise of a discreet Confessor Dr. Pocklingtons Altare Christianum p. 42. writes thus The first Room is called the Church-Porch where penitents used to stand or rather to cast themselves downe and in humble manner to desire the faithfull to pray for them as they went into the Church after Delinquents had perfectly fulfilled their penance they were reconciled to the Sacraments and communicated This distinction of places in the Church is very ancient and observed even from the Apostles times Pag. 44. This man after penance done for this fault was admitted into the Church againe Pag. 52. Cap. 10. Of dayes of pennance and absolution Citizens pennance P. 54. None that had fallen into any notorious crime were admitted againe into the Church before they had done open penance in Sack-cloth and Ashes Cerdon was not received into the Church before he had performed his penance Exomologesin faciens Pag. 55. In what sort penitents performed their penance and made Confession the Act it selfe will discover This Exomologesis giveth law both to our food and rayment sacco cinere incubare and ordereth men to lye in Sack-Cloth and Ashes to humble your selves before the Priest and to fall downe upon the knees before Gods Altars to sue unto all Brethren for their prayers in their behalfe Haec omnia exomologesis penance worketh all this P. 56. Feeling nothing but rough Sack-Cloth galling the sides seeing nothing but head hands face cloaths covered over with ashes have nothing to be seene but a pale face thinne cheekes and a meagre looke and this continued two three sometimes foure yeares together before perfectionem suam reciperent P. 57. Hereupon the Bishops made an addition to the Ecclesiastcall Canon that in every Church a Penitentiary shold be appointed to admit
in orbem redeuntes in Sancto Stephano Proto-Martyre honoramus eorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exosculamur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Reliquias ipsorum lipsana cimaelia deposita si quae sint quaead nostram notitiam pervenerint Si quae nancisci poterimus genuiua non fucata libenter suscipimus veneratione sua debita congrua honeramus Imprimis autem de Martyribus ubi non constat veritas disquisitionem censemus instituendam Pag. 40. Repraesenta mihi fase as illas Seruatoris Dâ—ce certissimo illas ipsas etiam numextare quibus Infans sacratissimus involvebatur Ego quod ad me attinâ—t libens merito cum summâ— gandio gratulatione reverentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accurram suscipiam ultra omnia quae vocant Barbari Jocalia Cimelia lapides preciosos aurum astimaâ—â— And in his Antidiatr p. 17. Ossa Sanctorum Cineres Reliquias vase aureo velamine precioso convolvebant Ego certè cum Constantino illas reliquias fascijs involvam auro includam circumge standas admovebo labijs ac collo suspensos manibus oculisque crebrò usurpatat intuebor vel in apothecas condam recludam inter preciocissima cemelia censendas 17. That vowed Poverty Virginity a Monasticall life and Monasteries are lawfull usefull Popish Votaries Saints Orders to be imitated applauded CHrists Epistle to a Devout soule p. 86. 87. 88. 89. brings in Christ thus speaking to Christians I Was driven into banishment brought up by the labour of my mother and fed by Almes at other Folkes cost having neither house nor lodging of mine owne withered often in the mountaines how was I spoiled of all my garments at the time of my passion c. Looke therefore upon my poverty and leave to be sad why art thou not grieved like a good Emulatresse if thou see any man poorer then thy selfe as Saint Francis was if thou perceivest any man more agreeable to my life and poverty then thy selfe this indeed should bee a kinde of emulation Embrace with mee the crosse of Poverty c. Determine therefore now and make a firme resolution from the bottome of thy heart to contemne all things for the love of mee and be unwilling to possesse any thing but even such as of necessity thou art inforced to use delighting in all Poverty contempt and penury that thou maist be worthy to enjoy mee Francis Sales His Introduction to a devout life page 19. True it is that the Devotion altogether contemplative Monasticall and Religious cannot be exercised in these Vocations of Artificers c. yet are there many other degrees of devotions Page 200. The solitarines of Saint Paul the first Hermit is imitated in some sort by the spirituall retreates of which we have spoken and the extreame poverty of St. Francis may be imitated by those practises and exercises of spirituall poverty which we will hereafter set downe Page 354 Charity only placeth us in the heigth of perfection but Obedience Chastity and Poverty are excellent Instruments to attaine unto it I will not say any thing of these three vertues as they are vowed solemnly for so they appertaine to Religious persons Page 335. When they are vowed solemnely they place a man in the way and state of perfection Henry Stafford his Female Glory page 23. Let us then imagine that this holy Recluise confined her body to this sacred solitude c. Page 28. The bonds of her Matrimony were askt in heaven and no impediment found why shee might not wed God himselfe yet at the earnest solicitation of the Reverend Priests saith Mantuan she was content to bee betrothed to Joseph not that he should doe the Office of an Husband but serve as a barre to the importuninity of other suitors that so she might the more freely enjoy the inconceivable pleasure she tooke in her Vowed Virginity Page 148. You who have vowed Virginity Mentall and Corporall you shall not only have ingresse here but welcome Approach with comfort and kneele downe before the grand white Immaculate Abbesse of your snowey Nunneries Page 235. My Arithmeticke will not serve mee to number all those who have registred their names in the sodality of the Rosary of this our blessed Lady c. All which are Canonized for Saints Bishop Mount Orig. page 303. Quantum detrimenti Regijs accesserit vectigali busper illam desolationem Monasterijs invectam per importunum Henrici Octavi rigorem per Parliamentarias Impropriationes c. Page 382. Ejusmodi vitae genere Ioannem jecisse fundamenta Monasticae vitae hoc est Anacoreticae et Ascetica cum illustrissimo Baronio non abnuerim c. 18. That there are written Traditions which we must observe and are of equall Authority with the word BIshop Mountague in his Gagge page 30. There are Traditions written and unwritten you meane not here Traditions written I know it no more doe wee Page 31. Traditions instituted by our Saviour even in points of beleife and Faith have divine Authority as his written word hath Traditions derived from the Apostles have equall authority with their preachings and their writings Traditions of the Church have such authority as the Church hath all binde and oblige as they were intended and as their extent is For they must be considered not only from the Author but from the end some were intended to be permanent others only to be transient for a time only or else for ever some Vniversall some onely Partiall for the Catholike or else a private Church such variety and difference is in Traditions We do grant it in every kinde that either there are or have beene Traditions of Christ his Apostles the Church privat men Pag. 37. Quae universa tenet Ecclesia ab Apostolis praecepta benè traduntur quanquam scripta non reperiantur said Saint Augustine and I subscribe unto it Omni modo bind they unto Obedience so long in such sort so farre forth as the Authors did intend till the same Authority disavow them which gave unto them being at the first In the 34. Articie to this purpose we read of and concerning Ecclesiasticall Traditions Loe Traditions not only avowed but maintained Page 41. No Protestant living in his right wit will deny this that the Apostles spake much more then is written Therefore the Traditions of the Apostles and of the Church is without all question of good credit and esteeme and so much we professe Art 34. I grant it hath displeased some which is said It is Tradition which avoweth it seeke no further I see no reason why any should be displeased therewith Doctor Pocklintons Altare Christianum Page 48. None of all these Heretikes can derive their succession from the Apostles nor shew how their Doctrines were received by Tradition from them Page 49. According to Apostolicall Tradition Page 50. Those that deprive us of the benefit of this Apostolicall Tradition Page 180. Traditions of holy Church of absolute Authority The Archbishop himselfe in his Reply to Fisher determines
printed copy page 196. Finally the Doctor in his Manuscript page 106. had this serious Exhortation We have begun in pure and sound religion Let us not end in Popery in Atheisme in Brownisme in Anabaptisme The Licenser to demonstrate where he and his Arch-grace would have us end and settle at last blots out the word popery and puts in prophanenesse in its stead and so it is is printed page 140. Let us not end in prophanesse instead of Let us not end in Popery in which they then intended we should all shortly end though God by his omnipotent power and admirable providence hath wholy frustrated this their intended end We shall now proceed to another head of expunctions to wit 2 Passages expunged out of bookes tendred to license against the Papacy Rome the Popes Supremacy Pride Tyranny Cruelty Treasons murthering and deposing Princes Popes vicious lives practises and being Antichrist that man of sinne c. Doctor Jones in his Comentary on the Hebrewes had inserted these severall passages against the Pope in his written copy which the Licenser expunged as insufferable and thereupon they are quite omitted in the printed book page 179. 251. 309. 377. 396. 406. Page 206. in the written copy Our Saviour Christ was as wise a man as the Pope furnished with guifts for both affices as well as he yet he would not meddle with civill matters Luke 12. 14. of the extraordinary example of Melchesedeck no ordinary rule can be made Page 266. All papists kisse the Pope's feet yea Kings Princes and Emperours saith the copy yea in so doing they make an Idol of him as the idolaters kissed Baal Page 284. Antichrist hath been discovered every man may see what he is unlesse the God of the world blind their eyes naught is wanting unlesse it be the open conversion of the Jewes Page 301. Nay the Pope himselfe he must be carried on mens shoulders Page 308. The holy Ghost thinks it sufficient to call Christ the great Priest that will not content the Pope he must be Sacerdos maximus Christ hath the positive he must have the superlative a proud prelat that Antichrist that exalteth himselfe above God Page 130. As for the calling of Luther Calvin and Beza and of the Ministers of the Gospel it is warrantable by the Word we can shew our Letters of Orders from Jesus Christ the great Bishop of our soules Are we not true Ministers because we are not created by the Pope and his Bishops The Apostles were not made by the Pharisees or any priestes of that time yet good Ministers and so may we though not made by the Bishop of Rome it is succession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speakes that is a good lawfull succession Good God! that such passages as these should ever be expunged by such who professe themselves protestant prelats or Ministers certainly they had a Pope in their hearts whatever good words we find in their mouths Master Ward in his Comentary upon Matthew had an Index expurgatorius passed on these ensuing clauses against the Pope his pardons power and usurped authority fol. 224. The Pope is called the Adversary or he who opposeth himselfe against Christ 2 Thes 2 11. and is justly so called because he and his admirers doe maintaine assertions directly contrary to the word of Christ one example whereof we have in this verse Whosoever shall put away his Wife Fol. 314. Quest 7. We have no need of a second purging How derogatory then are the Papists to the sufferings of Christ who ascribe more to the Popes pardons then to Christ's pangs Antichrist by his indulgencies can both deliver and preserve from purgatory and send the soule streight into Heaven but they will dye in the quarrell before they will grant such or so much power and efficacy to be in the death blood-shed and merits of Christ fol. 160. Quest 2. who are like unto the Pharisees c. Answ The Church of Rome whose commandements are more observed then the commandements of God as appeare by this it is there taught c. II. That to eat flesh upon a good Friday is a greater sinne then to commit murther or adultery and yet that is the Friday on which Christ did ordinarily eat the paschall Lambe III. To blaspheme the name of God in this world is a small offence but to speak ill of the Pope especially in Italy and Spaine is an unpardonable and damnable offence IV. The Jewes have a Religion whereby they affirme Christ to be a cozener but to say that there is no other purgatory but the blood of Jesus Christ is a crime deserving the inquisition V. Every Bishop of France may give absolution for faults committed against the law of God but they cannot absolve men of sin◠committed against the Pope and his Sea Secondly in the Roman church they teach things contrary to the Word of God for first God saith c. II. God saith in his Law six dayes shalt thou labour but the Pope saith thou shalt not labour six dayes but shalt observe the Feasts commanded by the Pope to be observed IV. God's commands by his Apostle 1 Cor. 10. That when we are invited to the house of Infidels we should eat of that which is set before us making no scruple On the contrary the Church of Rome commands when we are invited to the house of Hereticks not to eat of all that which is set before us in Lent or on Good-Friday and fasting dayes Fol. 163. Answ 2. Let us avoyd all Popish errors Answ 3. Thirdly they are to blame also who bind themselves by a Vow not to eat flesh upon some certaine dayes and upon such dayes have no other care then to abstaine from flesh onely Ibid. On Mat. 15. 9. these passages are oblitered In vaine doe they worship me These words being urged by us against the Popes power in making lawes which binds the conscience Bellarmine answers three things thereunto namely First by the Commandements of men are understood Commandements which are contrary to the law of God but the Popes precepts are not so To this we answer I. All the commandements of men in whose observation the worship of God is placed is expresly and directly condemned for God is to be worshipped as himselfe prescribes II. All such commandements are contrary to the law of God which saith Thou shalt not adde to the word which I command thee namely in substantiall things or which are imposed as essentiall parts of God's worship III. There is no mysticall ceremony introduced or brought into the Church by the Popes or Popish Clergy which was lesse contrary to the laws of God then was that tradition of washing hands before meat which was ordained by the Elders of the Jewes Secondly the Jesuit answers that our Saviour blames here onely unprofitable and frivolous ceremonies onely invented by a humane braine or spirit but the precepts of the Pope are no such To this we
answer I. If all the Jewes both Priests and people did use such foolish and frivolous ceremonies as Bellarmine here saith are condemned then why may not the Pope and Papists use such or be guilty of the same error II. All such mysticall ceremonies which are brought now into the Church of Rome without the warrant of God's Word were invented by a humane spirit for the blessed Spirit of God never taught any other worship to the Church then that which Christ instituted John 14. 26. III. If many yea most of their ceremonies be not frivolous foolish and ridiculous I know not what is but as a work or subject not worth the insisting upon I passe it by Thirdly the Jewes saith Bellarmine were taxed by Christ because they esteemed more highly of some humane lawes then they did of the law of God as Mat. 23. 23. but the Papists doe not so To this I answer that this was never more seen in the Jewes then in the Papists as was cleerly shewed and proved in the last Qestion of the former verse Many such like passages are purged out of this Author which we pretermit But the grossest purgations of all the rest were made by Doctor Bray in Doctor Clarke's Sermons upon the fifth of November and upon other occasions as will appeare by these ensuing purgations at which every zealous Protestant may wel stand amazed Page 228. 229. 230. c. the Licenser hath expunged this which followeth Such another woman saw the Prophet Zachary her name was Wickednesse Kins-woman to this nay was not this shee for the Prophet sayes shee was carried into Babylon And they say Rome is Babylon we say it themselves say it But I will discharge the Pope so to make his Holinesse this Wickednesse Now what this vision meanes and who this woman is an Angel expounds in the rest of the chapter looke at the last verse the woman is said there to be the great City that usurps soveraignty over the whole earth by which that Rome is meant is superfluous to prove Romanists acknowledge it and Rome too in a Metonimy not the streets and wals of Rome but the power and policy and government of Rome they yeeld that also but with caution that we meane of Heathen Rome not Christian Rome as it was the seat of Caesars not the seat of Popes the throne of Antichrist they grant that too but the Pagan Emperours must be that Antichrist not their Bishops But I find it with their favours to be the Church of Rome and therefore this woman I expound to be the Papacy I prove it not it is needlesse unto you and bootlesse unto them if their learned labours who daily write of it cannot perswade them what am I to hope it and yet some of their Jesuits Vega and Ribera doe now at length acknowledge it The woman then is Rome not onely Neronizing under Emperours but also tyrannizing under Popes who shee was in John's time doth not skill us much we are to consider what shee is now It is not the Empire but the Church of Rome it was the Empire once that being converted cherished the church But filia devoravit Matrem the Church hath choaked the Empire and is her selfe become this woman Now this bloody woman drunken with the blood of Saints In the third chapter whereof this chapter is a comentary there is not one onely but two Beasts the first is the Empire the latter is the Papacy which therefore had two hornes which are the Popes two swords as in whom are met both poweâ— Patriarchall and Emperiall Pope Boniface profest it at the publique Jubilee riding one day in the Habit of a Pope and the next of an Emperour commanding to be cryed Ecce duo gladij hic behold he had two swords Nay why should I grant it was the Empire once I meane this woman what though the blood of Saints were shed by Roman Emperours yet this is not meant here the Article is relative it referres us to the first verse to the woman there there she is called a Whore that title is proper onely to the Papacy superstition and Idolatry and prodigious impiety hath cast the appellation of an Harlot upon it I am not worthy to hold the light to them that have written on this Prophesie but me thinks they need not yeeld that this vision concernes the Empire but meerly the Pope for this whorish woman is said at the second verse to have made drunke all Kings with her abominations that is with her idolatry shall I say all Nations had their idolatry from Rome I meane the Empire where read we it where prove we it nay but Rome had rather her idolatry from them It worshipped all the gods of all the countries that it conquered That I read both in prophane and Ecclesiasticall History What needed the Empire to teach the Empire that they had before it learned of them it taught them not being tyed to so short a time I cannot argue any point that to prove the Pope this woman the title of Antichrist is intayl'd to him and the number of the beast fals fit to him What need I when so many and so learned books proves them both yea as the high Priest prophesied of Christ unwillingly so hath a learned Bishop of our Land observed that one of the Popes men hath inscribed a book to him and in his simplicity hath put the beasts name on him Paulo quinto vice-Deo To Paul the fifth Vice-God In the numerall letters of these words is just contained the number of the beasts 666. Nay but the Pope will none of it if the date be not out and expired in the Empire but we will needs extend it unto these times too and make the woman the Malignant church then it is the church of England we are this vvoman vve prosecute vve execute vve shed the blood of Saints even this very church of Canterbury both shed the blood of Saints Saint Thomas Beckets blood 't is not the Popes of Rome but the Kings and Queens of England King Henry was this vvoman Queen Elizabeth King James all slaughterers of Saints vvitnesse Sir Thomas Moore 's and Bishop Fisher's blood witnesse Saint Campions and Saint Gornets blood a blood that vvrought miracles If Canonists say truly that if the Pope send troops of soules to hell no man may oppose him Domine cur sic facis ask him why he does so shall I be unmannerly if I list to lose a little and belye our Kings to cry Domine cur sic dicis ask him vvhy he sayes so the Pope hath power to alter substances can he not change qualities make Treason Holinesse and Traitors Saints But it is Harlots manner to call honest vvomen Whores This proves the Pope rather to be this whorish woman constat de persona vve have the person Pilate said of Christ behold the man I may say of Christ's Vicar behold the woman We have her person let us have her parts
it seems for he doubted of hell of the resurrection and of God surely Gregory the IX was none he called Christ an Imposter Yet the Pope pretends Christ's name titles himself by him will be Christ's Vicar beare Christ's name above all men affect Christs titles above all men his attribute of Holinesse Men on earth Saints in Heaven are but called holy Peter is no more his Predecessor sanctus Petrus Christ's Mother is no more sancta Maria holy Peter holy Mary God's selfe rests in it too every person holy Father sayes Christ John 17. The sonne sanctus Dei God's holy one Mark 1. the Spirit the holy Ghost The Pope likes not this positive degree he will be stiled Sanctissimus the most holy 't is not likely that iniquity is in this man this most holy man Lutherans and Calvinists charge him with much both his person and his doctrine but they are lyars hereticks all Sacriledge and Symony Incest and Adultery setting of Subjects against Soveraignes King against King Murther and Massacre infinite iniquities sic that holy Father Pope should doe such things they are not Calvin's calumnies nor Luther's lyes but confest by their owne Writers nor doe Popes thus in person onely that craves some pardon But 't is their Doctrine too their Churches Doctrine That a Priest of Jesuit may forsweare deny his parents defraud his friend betray his country kill his King fie that holy Mother Church should teach such things This theame some may say sits not this place neither the Pope is not here c. In his Sermon upon Quadragessima page 122. line 10. page 124. line 37. the Licenser hath quite expunged these following lines How then is the Popedome in the Devils gift if Kingdomes be not Satan gives it and it is a kind of Kingdome Regnum sacerdotale a priestly Kingdome The Pope a Melchesedeck King and Priest wears a Crowne beares a sword both Regallities three Crownes multa diademata Christ does Revel 19. and he is his Vicar two swords Ecce duo gladij hic Popes are Kings betters Cardinals Kings Peers is the Pope the Devils creature and not Kings But the Popedome is not Satans gift neither Aeneas Sylvius himselfe sometimes a Pope writes that one got the Popedome fraude diabolica we beleeve it moe then one Silvester the Nccromancer Boniface 7. Gregory 7. all fraude diabolica by devillish machinations that does not prove the Devill made them or construe it if you will by the Devils meanes it will not serve so neither so Kings come often to their Crownes by devillish meanes and yet God gives them God may be the author of an act whereof Satan may be in the meanes God gave his Sonne to death for us yet the Devill had his hand in it John sayes the Devill put in Iudas heart to betray Christ God destroyes Ahaz but the Devill was his meanes a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets God would afflict Iob the Devill was his instrument 't is plaine in the story For the poynt as I would not belye so I would not rob the Devill of his right the Popedome is of God but the Papacy is of Satan To be a Prince and Bishop yea I will yeeld him highest Bishop too God gives him that but his universall Prelacy and presumption over Princes the Devill gives him that his power is from God but his pride is from the Devill Satan is yet more frank The Pope Patrissall playes satan some here craves not prostraction onely least happily you say that 's but civill reverence and yet saving his reverence 't is more then the greatest Monarch craves in all our Westerne Kingdome I say he craves not prostraction onely but adoration too Worship divine worship what else meant the cry of the Cicilian Ambassadours prostrate before him Tu tollis peccati mundi misereri nostri O thou that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon us c. Ibid. page 172. line 4. this is deleted by the Licenser Was not Iudas an Apostle Origen sayes he was the Gospell sayes he was among the twelve Apostles not Disciples onely but Apostles Saint Matthew reckons him here is then a place put for the Papists which they never yet observed for their Apostolicall Traditions here is Traditio Apostolica indeed Here I observe it not what doe they else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trechery their occupation Treason the Pope's trade best they leave it 't is Iudas act and brings a sort of them to Iudas end it will strangle the Papacy it selfe at length In his second Sermon upon severall occasions page 293. l. 10. the Licenser deletes And there 's a man in Rome the Pope will be as God the Sonne for he is his Vicar Ibid. page 495. l. 22. Gods Peere that 's little will be his superior will be worshipt Paul sayes above all that is called God Who is that even the Pope c. This Monster c. Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers Paul bids be the Clergy exempt they are not bound to the Lay barre Thou shalt not make an Image nor bow downe to it thou shalt doe both Gods lawes are strait the Pope will dispence with them break thy Oath marry thy wives sister thine owne sister thine Aunt keep a Concubine be a Catamite or Sodomite kill a King though a catholike the Pope will absolve thee Hold we the Pope arrogant in the title of Christs Vicar he is more his power it seems is above Christs Page 296. bids God a Bishop be the husband unius of one Wife the Popes bids nullius marry not at all forbids the Cup at the Communion of the Lord though Christ have ordained it Scripture Gods Word sayes Sylu Perer hath none authority but from the Pope I must end the Pope is Omnipotent Gods Attribute yet one cals this Pope so He can doe all things yea he is all things Gods peculiar too so he is Gods Peere behold the man is become like one of us Idem page 301. There 's a people in Affricke curse the Sunne because it fireth them there 's a Pope to curse the Starres Mars Venus Iupiter and Mercury because he lost at dice gamesters here curse Cards and Dice bite them teare them that 's all at most banne one another tame Protestants and base spirited learne of holy Father Pope to curse the Heavens and God why wrong I our brave spirits as hereticall as the Pope was not Christ God his passions wounds nayles blood and death yea heart and soule black mouthed blasphemy what dares it not doe against Heaven in execrable Oathes The Law c. page 338. The Popes Mint can coyne words too to his Forge nothing comes amisse in its Scriptures Fathers Counsels yea if it needs be hee in a word writes too In spite of all Gramarians if the Pope say but. Fiatur page 344. Balaak of Spaine heires Balaam of Rome to curse Israel his brothers
the word of Christ one example we have in this verse Bellarmine saith c. page 57. Ob. 3. Christ saith unto me is given all power therefore Antichrists imp Pererius saith the Pope hath power over Infidels And a little after Answ 2. all power is given to Christ therefore to the Pope is a blasphemous and Antichristian consequence displaying the Pope to his colours to be the Where in making himselfe or suffering himselfe to be made equall with Christ is obliterated Would not any Protestant admire such passages as these should be expurged to gratifie the Pope The Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in Convocation holden at Dublin in the yeere of our Lord 1615. for the avoyding of diversities of opinions and the establishing of consent touching true Religion reprinted at London 1629. Artic. 78. 80. determined thus against the Pope THE power which the Bishop of Rome now challengeth to be the supreame head of the Universall Church of Christ and to be above all Emperours Kings and Princes is an usurped power contrary to the Scriptures and Word of God and contrary to the example of the Primitive Church and therefore is for just causes taken away and abolished within the Kings Majesties Realmes and Dominions The Bishop of Rome is so farre from being the Supreame Head of the Universall Church of Christ that his works and doctrine doe plainly discover him to be that Man of sin foretold in the holy Scriptures whom the Lord skall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his comming These Articles were so displeasing to the Arch-bishop together with some others against Arminians that in the yeere 1634. this whole book of Articles was revoked suppressed by Parliament in Ireland through his procurement then which strange act there could not be a more apparent undermining of the Protestant Religion In the yeer 1634. there were at the speciall request of the Queen of Bohemia Letters Patents granted to Master Rulie a Palatinate Minister for a collection throughout 〈…〉 of the poore Ministers of the Palatinate in which Patent there was this notable â— clause inserted relating to their Religion and sufferings Whose cases are the more to be deplored for that this extremity is fallen 〈◊〉 them for their 〈…〉 constancy to the true Religion which we together with them doe professe and 〈◊〉 we are all bound in conscience to maintaine to the utmost of our powers whereas these relations and godly persons being involved amongst many others their couâ—trymen in 〈◊〉 common calamity might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes if with other back-sliders in the times of tryall they would have submitted themselves to the ANTICHRISTIAN YOKE and have renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion The very same formall words were used in former Patents of collections for them in King James his Reign and in the Patent dated the 29. of Jan. in the third yeere of King Charles his Reign by which this Patent was drawn The Arch-bishop perusing this Patent brought to him by Master Rulie after it had passed the Seale grew extreamly cholerick at it rated Master Ruly who pleaded ignorance of the customes of England and that the Patent was drawne by the Kings Atturney according to former presidents without any directions from himselfe who was a meer stranger chid him very sharply threatned to suppresse the whole collection detained the Patent under seale and carrying it the next day to the Court complained of it to the King checked the Lord Keeper and Secretary Cooke for letting such a clause passe in the Patent who justified themselves by former presidents by which they were guided and by his violence wholly cancelled the Patent after it was sealed then caused a new Patent to be drawne wherein this former clause was omitted the King telling the Lord Keeper that the Arch-bishop would have it altered and therefore it must be done which thereupon was done occordingly Now the cause of all this stirre and anger of his Grace-ship against this clause was onely because it stiled those of the Palatinate professors of the true Religion c. and tacitely censured the Pope as Antichrist in this latter clause Where as these religious and godly persons might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes if with other back-sliders in the times of tryall they would have submitted themselves to the Antichristian Yoke and renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion As was punctually attested upon oath by Master Wakerly and Master Hartlib Of which more fully hereafter Now that all the forementioned purgations of passages against the Pope and his being Antichrist proceeded originally from the Archbi himselfe without any other motive but his own inherent affection to his Holinesse and the Roman party we shall most apparently evidence to all the world by a Letter of his to Dr. Hall the Bishop of Exeter signed with his owne hand and Bishop Hal's answer thereunto the Originals of which Letters Master Prynne seized in his Study at Lambeth and attested at the Lords Barre where they were both acknowledged and read in these ensuing tearmes My very good Lord I Have received your Lordships Letters of Decemb. 6. 23. and with them the copy of your Book and in them a paper of short propositions which you think and so doe I is fitter for the attestation of divers hands then the book it selfe These propsitions shall be well weighed against the time of Convocation which I conceive will be a fit time to take other Bishops attestation without further noyse or trouble For your book I first thanke you very heartily for your paines and next more then heartily were it possible for your noble and free submission of it not onely to many eyes and judgements but also in the maine to be ordered and after that prest or supprest as it shall be thought fit here Which care or conscience would men use which set out books we should not have so much froth and vanity in the world as now 't is full of But whereas you writ First that the Booke grew into greater length under your pen them you expected I cannot be sorry for that since that which you have added concerning Parker Anti-Tilenus and Vedelius seems to me very necessary Secondly that you are pleased to subject the work to me and to interpret it that you meant not personally to me because I could not have time for other great occasions to revise it but by way of desputation These are to let you know that were my occasions greater then they are I would not suffer a book of that Argument and in these times to passe without my owne particular View And therefore my Lord these may tell you that both my Chaplaines have read over your book and that since them I have read it over my selfe very carefully every line of it and I have now put it into
and most Honourable my singular good Lord the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane Chancelour of Oxford and one of the Lords of his Mijesties most honourable Privy Counsell present these And after the receit thereof thus indorsed with the Arch-bishops owne hand Rec. Jan. 22. 1639. L. B. Exon. concerning some amendments in his book for Episcopacy In this Letter of the Arch-bishops and the answer to it besides the grand designe of asserting Episcopacy of divine Right and Institution we may observe these considerable particulars First that he blames Bishop Hall for being a little too favourable to the forraigne Protestant Churches and their authors Secondly for passing by the Sabatarians or strict observers of the Lords day without any touch at all which he desires him to rectifie and help by some touches of shapnesse against them this is his charity to the Protestants and Sabatarians or Puritans of you please they were too candidly handled and therefore must be more harshly dealt withall but now on the other hand mark his extraordinary affection to and care of the Popes honour and reputation He doth in the third place tax the Bishop for bestowing the title of ANTICHRIST on him three or four times in his Book positively determinately This was such a transcendent crime that he must needs acquaint the King himselfe with it of his owne native disposition without any other Monitor and procures a speciall royall command to him from his Majesty to expunge those scandalous and dishonourable clauses against his Holinesse out of his Treatise Fourthly in the reason which he renders for acquainting his Majesty herewith and desiring him to make this change there are these considerable things to be taken notice of First that King James himselfe did in his printed Works at large prove and declare the Pope to be Antichrist by very strong proofes Secondly that when the Spanish match was in agitation and the Popes Dispensation required for the facilitating of it being one of the first Articles in the Marriage Treaty he was challenged by the Pope and his agents for it but not before Thirdly that King James hereupon to satisfie the Pope and gaine his favour was put to a hard shift and enforced to coyne a new distinction which he never thought of till then to excuse the matter That he writ thou not concludingly but by way of Argument onely c. Fourthly that he made this answer and distinction when King Charles went into Spaine and acquainted him with it by word of mouth that he thereby might satisfie the Pope and his party Fifthly that this whole passage was knowne to him and he privy to this secret not knowne formerly to others therefore he was certainly one of the Cabinet-counsell who was privy to the Kings going into Spaine and to the private instructions given him by King James before his departure hence yea very likely one who suggested this distinction to King James to please the Pope and promote the Match and therefore HE COULD NOT BUT SPEAKE WITH THE KING ABOUT IT who hereupon commanded this Bishop to qualifie his expressions in these particulars and so not differ from the knowne judgement of his pious and learned Father from whose orthodox judgement notwithstanding the Arminians might freely dissent both with his Majesties and this Arch-prelats approbation Whereupon we find that these passages were qualified according to his desire although Bishop Andrewes positive opinon in sundry passages was that the Pope was Antichrist All which considered we may infallibly conclude from his owne pen that all the forementioned purgations of passages against the Papacy Pope and his being Antichrist were made by this Arch-bishops owne speciall direction without any other suggestion but his owne Romish Genius and good affection to the Pope to induce a more easie reconciliation with him and this in direct opposition First to the severall Statutes of 16 R. 2. c. 5. 25 H. 8. c. 19. 20. 21. 28 H. 8. c. 10. 37 H. 8. c. 17. which tacitely define the Pope to be the Antichrist who did obfuscate and wrest Gods word Testament a long season from the spirituall and true meaning thereof to his worldly and carnall affections as pompe glory avarice ambition and tyranny covering and shadowing the same with his humane and politick devices traditions and inventions set forth to promote and stablish his onely dominion both upon the soules and also the bodies and goods of all Christian people excluding Christ out of his Kingdome and rule of mans soule as much as he may and all other temporall Kings and Princes out of their Dominions which they ought to have by Gods law upon the bodies and goods of their subjects whereby he did not onely rob the Kings Majesty being onely the supreame head of this his Realme of England immediately under God of his honour right and pre-eminence due unto him by the law of God but spoyled this his Realme yeerly of innumerable treasure and with the losse of the same deeemed the Kings loving and obedient Subjects perswading to them by his lawes buls and other his deceivable meanes such dreames vanities and fantisies as by the same many of them were seduced and conveyed unto superstitious and erronious openions Secondly to the book of Homilies in the second part of the Sermon for Whit-Sunday page 316. and the 6. Sermon against wilfull Rebellion page 316. which determines the Pope to be Antichrist in these tearmes Wheresoever you find the spirit of envy hatred contention robbery murther extortion witchcraft neeromancy c. assure your selves that there is the spirit of the devil and not of God albeit they pretend outwardly to the world never so much holinesse c. such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appeare by the story of their lives and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of the false Prophets and false Christs which deluded the world a long while The Lord of heaven and earch defend us from their tyranny and pride that they never enter into his Vine-yard againe c. and he of his great mercy so work in all mens hearts by the mighty power of the holy Ghost that the comfortable Gospel of his Sonne Christ may be truly preached truly received and truly followed in all places to the beating downe of sinne death the Pope the devil and ALL THE KINGDOME OF ANTICHRIST c. The Bishop of Rome understanding the bruit blindnesse ignorance of Gods Word and superstition of English men ond how much they were inclined to worship the BABYLONISH BEAST OF ROME Thirdly to the 80. Article of the Church of Ireland defining the Bishop of Rome to be THE MAN OF SINNE foretold in the holy Scripture Fourthly to the Book of Common-prayer appointed for the fifth of Novemb. stiling the Pope Papists and Jesuits A Babylonish and Antichristian sect and to the Kings Letters Patents forementioned defining
Clerks Sermons page 237. after the word wickednesse these words are blotted out Becket did 't is in his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sinne I fetch his name from Hebrew because I have read his father was a Jew he sinned against his Country and his King betrayed both to the Pope and dyed though not directly yet deservedly In Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew fol. 178. the last line but two this is gelded out Where a Papist prayes to any Saint in Heaven for sometimes they pray to those who in all probability are in hell as Thomas Becket Hildebrand and divers cheating Impostors Doctor Featlies Clavis Mystica page 604. Postremum genus eorum est qui oves Christi pascunt sed cibo insalubri quo magis inficiuntur quam reficiuntur Christi oves agnique eorum dico qui floribus fructibus Paradisi aut noxias herb as admiscent aut flores Adonidis adspergunt cujusmodi sunt ista dogmata Vires liberi arbitrij ab Adami lapsu ad bonum spirituale fract as debilitat as non penitus profligatas amissas labem originis nemini unquam fraudi fuisse unumquemque enim suum scelus luere Gratiam novo foedere promissam omnibus expositam esse nec cuiquam unquam defuisse nisi qui ei defuerit imputatam Christi justiciam absque inhaerente non plus prodesse quam inducium candidum Aethiopi superinductum fiduciam salutis propria a praesumptione parum aut nihil differre Genevates Presbyterianos infestiores Ecclesiae hostes quam Pontificios Calvinum in commentariis foede Hallucinari non unquam ut ipsorum verbis utar Judainare in multis Arrianizare quid hoc sibi vult calumniae nunquid Calvinus ejusque discipuli qui in Arrianos non stilum modo sed gladium strinxere nuper evaserunt Arriani quam praepostere a Bellarminus Pontificiorum Corypheus hanc notam a quibusdam imperitis ipsisque adeo Papistis Calvino inustam eluit qui religionis reformatae vindices audire volunt banc ei notam inurunt Doctor Iones his Comentary on the Hebrewes in the written copy page 150. As for the calling of Luther Calvin Beza and of the Ministers of the Gospell it is watrantable by the Word we can shew our letters of Orders from Jesus Christ the great Bishop of our soules 16. Passages deleted concerning Bishops IN Doctor Clarks Sermons page 173. the Licenser hath put out these words Why may I not adde a Bishop too let another take his Bishopricke sayes Saint Peter in the Acts and meanes it of Iudas Idem page 398. after Amasiah these words Arch-bishop of that Province are blotted out Doctor Iones his Comentary on the Hebrewes in the written Copy page 138. It may be Bishops and Arch-bishops have little feeling of the burden poore Ministers in the Country are faine to sustaine 17. Passages expunged against the Blindnesse Superstition Idolatrous Pompous worship and Adoration of Papists prophane persons Popish Saints Reliques IN Master Wards Comentary on Matthew page 35. 36. written copy this passage is evpunged What blindnesse are we subject unto without Christ There is a double blindnesse which men are subject and incident unto to wit First the blindnesse of Superstition which is apparently seen in the Papists who first teach us to worship Demoniacks or damned soules in hell or traitors as Thomas Recket and impious Gregory the seventh called Heldibrand And secondly teacheth us to worship Chimeâ—â—es fictious and things that never were in rerum natura Thus they teach us to worship Saint Christopher Sanit George Saint Katherine and many hundreds more which cannot be proved to have been or at least not Saints but some of them grand impostors Thirdly they teach us to worship vile and base things as peeces of rotten wood making then beleeve they were peeces of Christs Crosse and old thred-bare garments for some sacred Vestments although the Priests themselves knew them to be otherwise yea the Eucharisticall wafer-cakes although they have been consecrated flightly the Priest thinking of some other thing else and not intending the consecration thereof which according to their owne doctrine is not then transubstantiated and therfore is palpable idolatry to fal down to a bare piece of bread Fourthly they teach us to place Religion in outward things as in the observation of dayes meats apparrell and the like Col. 2. 17. 18. None of all which things we are taught to doe in the Word of God and therefore we had need beware of this blindnesse of superstition Secondly there is a blindnesse of prophanenesse which is twofold to wit either Pura negationis or Pravae dispositionis i. e. either naturall or affected ignorance First there is in us a naturall ignorance we by nature not knowing those things which concerne the glory of God or our owne salvation and this blindnesse is in all even in the elect untill they be enlightned by the Spirit of God Secondly there is an affected ignorance when men refuse the meanes of knowledge like those deafe Adders that stop their eares against the voyce of the charmer charme he never so wisely Now this blindnesse of heart is also in every man by nature for as naturally we know not our duty towards God so naturally we desire not the knowledge thereof but are backward and negligent in the use of those meanes which God hath appointed for the curing of this blindnesse And this Ibidem page 365. Because our Saviour doth acknowledge the powring of this precious oyntment upon him to be a good work it may therefore be demanded if the Papists doe not well who worship the Lord in great cost and pomp First Christ praysed the precious oyntment not as an ordinary worship which should alwayes afterwards he imitated but onely as a singular ministery of his funerall ver 12. shee did it for my buriall But Christ now is ascended into Heaven and is no more to be buried and therefore this fact of Maries will he no ground for the Popish pompom worship Secondly the Popish pompous worship is full of superstition and idolatry but in this anointing there was none and therefore it will not support their pomp Thirdly when Christ departed from the world to Heaven he left behind him in his stead the poore commanding us to honour him by our bounty toward them and therefore if we would bestow our liberality aright we should enrich or refresh with our substance the poore members of Christ for he doth accept of that which is done unto them as done unto himselfe Heb. 13. 16. 18. Passages deleted against Superstitious Popish Ceremonies and the abolition of them IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew page 212. this clause is obliteraned Adde nothing unto the Word of God neither first the chaffe of Superstition with the Papists neither secondly Machiavillianisme and unwarrantable policy with some statists neither thirdly new opinions Secondly indeed if any ceremony which our Church useth should be
to which we shall onely adde That the Arch-bishop having stopt the English Presses to all Orthodox Books against his Popish Innovations at home endeavoured to hinder the Printing of them abroad in Forraign parts to which end by Sir William Boswels means then Leager Ambassador at the Hague and the assistance of one Iohn le Maire preacher in Amsterdam his constant Spie and Intelligencer to give notice of all English and Scottish Books there printing as appears by sundry Originall Letters under his hand and seal found in the Arch-bishops studdy he procured the States of the United Provinces in the Low Countries to make a generall Proclamation in Aprill 1639. against the Printers and spreaders of Libellous and Seditious Books against the Church and Prelates of England and obtained a Proclamation or Order from the Townes of Amsterdam and Roterdam for the apprehending and punishing of Master Can and other English men who Printed such English and Scottish Books which is evident by divers coppies thereof and Letters from Sir William Boswell and others to the Arch-bishop By meanes whereof the Presses both in England and the Netherlands were all closed up against Orthodox English Books under the notion of Libellous and Seditious Pamphlets and could neither be Printed nor imported without great danger and censure On the contrary divers Popish books of all sorts as well in English as Latin French and other Languages were Printed and dispersed in London by Priests Jesuits Papists and their Agents without any restaint or search made after them or punishment inflicted on the Printers or dispersers of them yea many thousands of them were dayly imported by help of the Queens Priests and Capucins who dispersed them and if the searchers or others seized them at the Custome house according to the Statute of 3. Iacobi c. 5. which Enacts That no person or persons shall bring from beyond the seas nor shall print buy or sell any Popish Primers Ladies Psalters Manuels Rosaries Popish Catechismes Missals Breviaries Portals Legends and Lives of Saints conteining any superstitious matter Printed or Written in any Language whatsoever nor any other superstitious Books Printed or Written in the English tongue upon pain of forfiture of 40. s. for every such Booke c. The Arch-bishop or his Chaplains would presently send to the Searchers and enjoyn them to restore these Books to the owners that claimed them or else command them to bring them in to the High Commission Office upon pretence to proceed against the Importers and to have the Books themselves publikely adjudged to be burnt where after a little space they were delivered out from thence to the Importers without any penalty or confiscation and then freely dispersed among the Roman Priests and English Catholiques to foment them in their Idolatry Superstition and seduce others unto Popery as one Iohn Egerton a searcher deposed and others attested of which more hereafter Which compared with the premised Licensing of Popish and purging Orthodox Books against Popery will most perspicuously discover his impious designes to advance and set up Popery among us by degrees The fifth particular branch of the Evidence to prove the first Generall Charge against the Arch-bishop of Canterbury WEE shall in the next place proceed to the eighth and ninth Originall Article which we shall addresse our selves to prove and make a fifth Generall Proof of his Trayterous Endeavours to subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in our Church and to set up Popish superstition and Idolatry in its steed and that is His countenancing commending fomenting and preferring of divers Clergy-men who were most addicted to and greatest Writers sticklers for Arminian Errors and Superstious Popish Doctrines Ceremonies Innovations to the best Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions Benefices and making some of them Chaplaines to his Majesty to the Princes Highnesse and Heads of Colledges in our Vniversities to poyson those Fountaines of Religion Seconded with his contrary discountenancing suppressing suspending censuring imprisoning persecuting and driving forth of this Kingdome such zealous Orthodox Preaching Ministers who were most bold and resolute to oppose them For pregnant proof of the former Branch of this particular First it is clear and undenyable not onely by known experience and divers Letters found in his study but by the Docquet Bookes and privy Signets on record that this Archbishop contrary to the use of his Predecestors incroached usurped to himselfe from the year of our Lord 1627. when he first grew potent at Court and became Bishop of Bath Wells afterwards of London before he was Archbishop and ever since he mounted to the See of Canterbury the disposition and donation of all or most Bishopricks Deaneries Prebendaries and Benefices of note in his Majesties gift or in the gift of the Lord Keeper and Master of the Court of Wards not onely within the Kingdomes of England but of Scotland and Ireland too and that he usurped the power of nominating Chaplaines in ordinary to his Majesties and the Princes Highnesse contrary to all former Presidents belonging time out of mind to the Lord High Chamberlaines Office who had the nomination of these Chaplaines and swore and invested them in their office as Master Oldesworth a Member of the House of Commons Secretary to the late High Chamberlaine the Honourable Earle of Pembrooke attested upon Oath and the Noble Earle himselfe averred upon his Honour a thing so notorious to all old Courtiers and Chaplaines in ordinary to the King as to doubt of it were a Solecisme To make this apparent by punctuall proofes we shall instance in such particular persons which were advanced by him to Bishopricks even for their erronious Arminian opinions or dangerous Popish Tenets and Practises We have formerly proved that Richard Mountague was questioned and voted against in the Commons House in Parliament April 13. 1626. for his Arminian and Popish Tenets published in his Gagge and Appeale and endeavouring as much as in him lay to reconcile us to Popery which complaint was revived against him in the ensuing Parliament An. 1627. No sooner was that Parliament dissolved but this Prelate then Bishop of London who fomented protected him against the Parliament all he could in stead of discountenancing punishing advanced him to the Bishoprick of Chichester in the place of Bishop Carlton who writ against him This was evidenced by the Docquet Book it selfe wherein this entry of the Privy Signet and Election is recorded Iuly 18. 1628. His Majesties Royall assent for Richard Mountague Batchelour in Divinity to bee Bishop of Chichester signified By order of the LORD BISHOP OF LONDON Laud And by the Record it selfe of the Kings Royall Assent produced at the Bat by Master Prynne and there Read in these Words CHARLES R. REX c. Reverendissimo in Christo Patri perdilecto perquam fideli Nostro Domino Georgio providentia divina Cantuar Archiepiscopo ac totius Angliae Primati Metropolitano ac aliis quibuscunque Episcopis quorum in hac
Popery and Arminianisme which this Bishops creatures excepted against and speedily informed him off Dr T. Cumber then Vice-Chancellor informs him of this Sermon in a Letter of his May 22. 1632. wherein he writes in this manner I cannot but further advertise your Lordship in a word that here was one Mr Bernard a discontinuer and a Preacher as I hear about London who uttered some offensive words concerning some Ceremonies and Rites used in some Churches in a Sermon of his at Saint Maries and as I have heard in some other Church before I gave a decree to the Beadle to convent him but he could not be found To which the Bishop returned this answer written with Mr Dells hand and thus endorsed May 27. 1630. A clause of my Letter to Dr Cumber concerning Mr Bernard c. I AM sorry you have been troubled at Cambridge with the distempered speeches of any men in the Pulpit And I must confesse I heard of both the particulars you mention before I received your Letter That in St. Johns it seemes they have punished and you doe very worthily to joyn with them in case any thing for the publique shall be further requisite And as for Mr Bernard I am the more sorry for him because he is in London within my Charge Neverthelesse if he have done unworthily I shall be very ready to assist you and the Vniversity in what I may be able And since you gave a Decree to the Beadle to convent him and he slipt away the while I will do the best I can to send him backe there to be answerable to the Government against which he hath offended And if he shall refuse so to do without giving better reason then I thinke he can I shall certainly suspend him till hee do it So in hast I leave you c. W. London Before this Doctors Letter the Bishop had received an information of the heads of his Sermon from others thus endorsed with his own hand May 6. 1932. Notes of Mr Bernards Sermon at Cambridge the particulars whereof are hereafter expressed more at large in his own words Soone after Mr Bernard by this Bishops prosecution was brought into the High Commission Court and forced to deliver in a Copy of his Sermon to the Bishop which he did who excepted against these Passages in it for which he was articled against Gods Ordinances for his publike Worship are the glory of any Nation By Gods Ordinances here I understand chiefly the Word Sacraments and Prayer which if blended and adulterated with any Superstitious Innovations of men cease to bee Gods Ordinances and he ownes them no longer It is not the single having of Gods Ordinances for his publike Worship but the having of them in their purity and integrity that dignifies a Nation Gods Ordinances for his publike Worship in their Purity and Integrity are a sure shield between a Nation and publike ruine and desolation For proofe whereof I challenge all Recordes both divine and humane to produce one instance wherein God punished any part of his Church with any Nationall ruine and destruction before they had either departed from or corrupted his Ordinances The Apostle Rom. 1. 16. affirmeth of the preaching of the Word that it is the power of God to salvation It is the meanes by which God manifesteth his omnipotent and irresistible power in the conversion and salvation of all those who from eternity were ordained thereunto by Gods absolute and immutable Decree This seemes to confute their errour who think meanly and basely of these Ordinances of God which we have proved to be the glory of that Nation where they are in their purity and integrity These men turn their glory into shame for is there not a generation of prophane men among us who are afraide and ashamed to preach twice on the Lords day to preach plainly powerfully and spiritually to the soules and consciences of their people least they should be accounted Puritans Many who are afraide to hear too often especially on the weeke dayes least they should be accounted Bible-bearers and gadders after Sermons Many who are as much afraide to performe holy duties in their families and to speake like Christians as Peter was who that his speech might not betray him began to curse and swear Many who complain that there is too much preaching and that it was never merry since Many who esteem very meanly of prayer especially of the publike prayers of the Church Some that have scorufully called the sirging of a Psalme a Geneva Iigge But the principall exception was for this ensuing Discourse in the close of his Sermon Further I will not deny that God hath his true invisible Church among those Nations as he had in Israel in the dayes of Ahab and Eliah nay I see no reason why in a large yet true sence we may not call the Church of Rome Italy or Spain a particular visible Church of Christ as Israel in the Reign of Jeroboem was a Church of God though Idolatrous and Apostaticall Yet I say that it is imposible that any should be saved living or dying without repentance in the doctrine and Idolatrous worship of the Church of Rome as the late Tridentine Councell hath decreed it My reason is this Hee that thinkes to go to heaven any other way then by faith in Christ onely shall never come there But he that dyes without repentance in the Doctrine of the Church of Rome as the Councell of Trent hath decreed it thinkes to go to heaven another way then by faith in Christ onely as namely by the merits of his own workes Ergo such a one shall never come there Thirdly if Gods Ordinances for his publike worship in their purity are the glory of a nation then it followes that they who go about to deprive a Nation of any of Gods Ordinances for his publike Worship either in whole or in the best part of them idest in their purity and integrity they go about to make that Nation base and inglorious and if so then are they enemies to that Nation and Traytors to it if it be their own Nation for Treason is not limited to the royall blood as if he only could be a Traitor who plotteth and attempteth the dishonour and shedding thereof but may be and is too oft committed against the whole Church and nation which last is by so much the worst of them two by how much the end is better then the meanes and the whole of greater consequence then any other part alone Whereby we may learn what to account of those among our selves if any such be which is better known to you then to mee who endeavour to quench the light and abate the glory of our Israel by bringing in their Pelagian errours into the Doctrine of our Church established by Law and the Superstitions of the Church of Rome into our warship of God as high Altars Crucifixes and bowing to them id est in plain English
Imprisonment by them voted Illegall there being all this while no proceedings against him nor any crime objected to him in any Court of Justice By means of which Imprisonment he was much prejudiced and undone in his Estate and his wife with four small children exposed to Pennury and Beggery Such a spite did He bear this witnesse for his Activity in the businesse of Impropriations Mr William Kendall Mr Iohn Lane and Mr Tempest Miller severally deposed at the Lords Bar that the Archbishop in the presence of them and divers others speaking of the Feoffees of Impropriations said that they were the bane of the Church and then uttered these words in a vaunting manner I was the man that did set my self against them and then clapping his hand upon his brest said I thank God I have destroyed this work So as he did not only subvert this pious project to propagate the preaching of the Gospell but boasted of it and had so much shamelesse Impiety as to thanke God himselfe for effecting it who hath now in justice brought him into judgement for it and made it one part of that Charge and Evidence which we conceive will most justly destroy him The seventh and next stratagem he used to subvert the Protestant Religion which he had almost totally suppressed corrupted with Popish Errours Superstitions Innovations in our English Churches was his endeavours to undermine and suppresse it in these few Duth and French Churches planted here among us who enjoyed their owne Government Priviledges Discipline without any interruption by any of his Predecessors or other English Prelates in all our Protestant Princes reignes from King Edward the sixth his reigne till this Archprelates molestation of and attempts against them thus laid down in the twelfth Originall Article of his Impeachment He hath Traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other Reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have been by his Majesty and his Royall Ancestors granted to the Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdom And divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such dis-union the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow and extirpation of both To make good this Article we could produce many Letters Papers Instructions Orders under the Archbishops own hand or indorsed by him found in his own study here ready at the Barre but for brevity sake we shall instance only in some few particulars of more speciall note The first is that this Arch-prelate though he beares so good an affection and honourable respect to the Church of Rome as to justifie her to be a true visible Apostolike Church which never erred in fundamentals and wherein men may be saved and that we and she are one and the same Church still no doubt of that both one as we have formerly proved Yet he is so maliciously despitefull to the Protestant Churches in forraign parts and at home that he reputes them not only no true Churches but even no Churches at all because they have no Lord-bishops different in Order and Degree from ordinary Ministers This opinion of his we shall manifest not only by his Divinity Questions when he was to proceed Batchelor and Doctor of Divinity for which Dr Holland publickly checkt and turned him out of the Schools with disgrace as a sower of discord between Brethren to wit the Church of England and other reformed Churches but by his own late reprinted Book An 1639. entituled A Relation of the Conference between William Laud then Lord Bishop of St. Davids now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr Fisher the Jesuite c. p. 175 176. where thus he writes in justification of his former Theses in the Divinity Schools For the calling and Authority of Bishops over the inferiour Clergy that was a thing of known use and benefit for preservation of Truth and Peace in the Church And so much St Ierom tels us though being none himselfe he was no great friend to Bishops And this was so setled in the mindes of men from the very infancy of the Christian Church as that it had not been till that time contradicted by any So that then there was no controversie about the calling all agreed upon it Then citing Jeroms words in the margin he thus comments upon them So even according to St. Ierom Bishops had a very ancient and honourable descent in the Church from St. Mark the Evangelist And about the end of the same Epistle he acknowledgeth it Traditionem esse Apostolicam Nay more then so he affirmes plainly That ubi non est Sacerdos NON EST ECCLESIA St. Ierom advers Luciferianos And in that place most manifest it is that St. Ierom by Sacerdos meanes a Bishop for he speaks de Sacerdote qui potestatem habet Ordinandi which in St. Ieroms owne judgement no meere Priest had but a Bishop only St. Ierom Epist. ad Evagrium so even with him NO BISHOP NO CHURCH Which being his own positive judgement the Dutch and French Protestant Churches both at home and abroad must needs be no Church at all in his opinion because they have no such Bishops and so are in farre worse condition then the Church of Rome in his repute To make this more apparent we shall desire you to take notice that in Decemb. 1639. there was a plot between this Archbishop and others of our Prelates to obtrude upon all our Ministers this subscription as the received Doctrine of the Church of England to wit that there could be no Church of Christ without Diocesan Lord Bishops which clearly appeares by the forementioned propositions of Bishop Hall which the Archbishop thought fit for the subscription of others but especially by the 1. 12. and 13. propositions viz. God had never any Church on earth that was ruled by a Parity There was NO CHVRCH OF CHRIST VPON EARTH ever since the times of the Apostles governed any otherwise then by Bishops This course of government thus set by the Apostles in their life time by the speciall direction of the holy Spirit is unalterable by any humane Authority but OVGHT to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world From whence it inevitably followes that the reformed forraign Churches having no such imparity of Governours nor Lordly Bishops in them are in this Arch-Prelates and his Confederates judgements No Churches of God or Christ at all and if the designe of subscribing these Propositions had succeeded as it did in the Etcetera Oath for a time he would have engaged the whole Church of England with all our Ministers by a publike subscription in this most unchristian and uncharitable opinion which not prevailing was yet soone after thus seconded in print by his grand Favourite Bishop Mountague whom he advanced to two Bishopricks in his Originum Ecclesiasticarum Tomi prioris Pars posterior p. 464 published with his approbation
Articles of the Duke of Buckingham against the Lord Digby and the Lord Digbies Articles of impeachment against him in Parliament charging one another reciprocally with high treason for endeavouring to withdraw the Prince when in Spaine from his Religion and make him a Roman Catholike of all which we find Authentick Copies endorsed with his owne and Windebanke his creatures hands among both their seized papers already published at large in print where you may peruse them at leizure and therefore he could not possibly be ignorant of this Plot The rather because the sending of the King when Prince into Spaine was the Duke of Buckingham's project of purpose to seduce him in his Religion for which there were Articles of high Treason exhibited against him by the Lord Digby in the House of Peers in Parliament on the first of May 1626. as appeares by the Lords Journall and the Bishops owne Diary to which Duke this Bishop was both a Confessor and cabinet bosome Covnseller as these clauses in his owne Diary manifest June 9. 1622. My Lord Marquesse of Buckingham was pleased to enter upon a neerer respect to me the particulars are not for paper therefore certainly some deep Mystery of iniquity fit to be concealed June 15. I became C. Confessor as himselfe expounded it to my L. of Buckingham Jan. 11. My Lord of Buckingham and I in the inner Chamber at York-house c. and Fed. 17. next following The Prince and Marquesse Buckingham set forwards very secretly for Spaine That this Prelat was privy to the plot of sending the Prince thither before he was sent and to the Instructions given him here how to demean himself even toward the Pope and his instruments when he came thither is most apparent by his owne Letter under his owne hand sent to Bishop Hall Jan. 14. 1639. wherein there is this notable passage formerly urged upon another occasion The last with which I durst not but acquaint the King is about Antichrist which Title in three or four places of your Book you bestow upon the Pope positively and determinately whereas King James of blessed memory having brought strong proofe in a work of his as you well know to prove the Pope to be Antichrist and being aftewards CHALLENGED ABOUT IT he made this Answer WHEN THE KING THAT NOW IS WENT INTO SPAINE AND ACQUAINTED HIM WITH IT that he wrote that not concludingly but by way of Argument onely that the Pope and his adherents might see there was as good and better Arguments to prove him Antichrist then for the Pope to challenge temporall jurisdiction over Kings THIS WHOLE PASSAGE BEING KNOWNE TOME I could not but speake with the King about it who commanded me to write unto you that you might qualifie your expression in these particulars and so not differ from the knowne judgement of his pious and learned Father c. By this relation under his owne hand and Seale it is as cleere as the noon-day Sunne this Prelat was not onely privy to the Kings voyage into Spaine before he departed hence but likewise to the private instructions for his carriage towards the Pope his agents when he came there and his zeal to have this title of Antichrist given to the Pope by Bishop Hall so lately thus qualified obliterated and his complaint of it to the King at this time plainly shewes that he bare a good affection to the Pope and his designes both then and now and politickly furnishes King James with this equivocating Answer to please his Holinesse and to put all out of question that he was privy to this journey before it was undertaken we shall prove it by his owne Diary wherein thus he writes Feb. 17. 1622 The Prince and the Marquesse Buckingham set forwards very secretly for Spaine Feb. 21. I writ to my Lord of Buckingham into Spaine March 31. 1623. I received Letters from my Lord of Buckingham out of Spaine April 19. I received Letters from my Lord of Buckingham out of Spaine June 13. I received Letters from the Duke of Buckingham out of Spaine Aug. 17. I received Letters from the Duke of Buckingham out of Spaine By which it is apparent First that he knew of the time of their secret departure to Spaine the very day they went Secondly that he knew whether they went and writ Letters to the Duke into Spaine within foure dayes after their departure hence before they were neere there or knowne to be arrived there Thirdly that he held constant intelligence with the Duke all the time he was in Spaine writing frequently to him and received no lesse then four Letters from him from thence therefore questionlesse he was privy to this perilous journey of the Prince into Spaine one of the horridest treasons that ever was acted thereby to pervert him in his Religion and reconcile both him and our Kingdomes to the Sea of Rome for this very act alone which his profession as a Bishop ought to have engaged him against with all his might he deserved to be impeached of high treason as well as the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Digby who impeached one one another of high treason for it in Parliament anno 1626. In one word this Bishop at the time of the Princes being in Spaine was so farre in love with the Masse-book and so studious of it that he noted his Missale Romanum neatly bound up gilt in folio almost in every leaf with his own hand by way of approbation and every moneth in the Callender of it by inserting into it with his own pen the Feasts and Stories of divers Popish Saints with the translations of their Reliques and in the Moneth of Sepetmber the 13. day he writes this Memoriall of the Princes returne out of Spaine Prince Charles this night took ship at Saint Andrews to come out of Spaine but had no prayers in his ship that night because so many Spaniards were aboard To prove which the Missal it selfe was produced This his noting and studying of the Masse-book at that very time doth as we conceive strongly intimate his approbation of it his good hopes and assistance to introduce it by that Spanish Match had it succeeded But that breaking off to his griefe soone after the Princes returne from Spaine the next designe of the Duke and his popish confederates to reconcile reduce us to Rome was the translation of their Scene from Spaine into France and making up a popish Match there between the King and our present Queen Mary a zealous Roman Catholike grand patriot of that party whose powerfull mediation and solicitations might as theythen writ in time effect and accomplish this plot as we have elswhere cleerly demonstrated And in this project likewise this Arch-bishop had a finger if not a hand For the Duke of Buckingham with whom he was a Cabinet Counsellour being sent into France to consummate that Match and bring over the Queene from thence we find this Arch-bishop
evasions that this Picture was conceived to bee the picture of God the Father as Master Caryl deposed not a picture of him in truth It is a most childish evasion for the Scripture is expresse That God being a spirit an invisible infinite Essence can have no true pillure likenesse or similitude made of him by any corporall visible representation Isay 40. 18. to 27. c. 46. 5 6 Acts 17. 29. Rom. 1. 23. 24 25. whence every such Image of God is tearmed a lye in Scripture Isay 44. 20. Hab. 2. 18. Rom. 1. 25. c. And if ever any Image of God were a lye then certainly this as hath bin proved Now whereas he pretends it appeared not it was adored and idolozed till the hearing it is certaine it appeared to Mr. Sherfield long before the hearing or demolishing of it as he deposed in his answer and this appearing by witnesses upon Oath to the Bishop and whole Court when the cause was heard made his unjust and heavy censure farre more abominable to God and man Eghtly Mr. Workman was principally censured for his preaching against Images though his expressions were the very words of our Homilies The other particulars vvere all justifiable true no wayes censurable except the sixt which was pretended but not proved Therefore his censure most unjust and his censuring of some of those of Gloucester that joyned in a grant of Annuity to him under the City Seale though the Fine was but small and afterwards remitted was far more unjust 1. Because the grant of this Anpuity was not only an act of Charity but justice and equity punishable by no Law and highly to bee commended 2ly Because they were censured in their privat naturall Capacity for what they acted only in their politique as Members of the Corporation under their Common Seale wherein the whole City were engaged as much as they 3ly Because they damned this grant of which they had no cognisance to starve a faithfull Minister and his Family who had no other Livelyhood As for his prohibiting him to teach Schoole to practise Phisick when he had put him from his Ministry without any just cause it was a treble tyrany and oppression he being enforced to take this course only to supply himselfe and his family for which the Law of God and nature enjoynes him to provide unlesse he will be worse then an Infidell and doubtlesse he must needs be worse then any Infidell who had the heart to do it upon such a poore pretence that he might infect others with his opinions to wit of the unlawfullnesse of Images in Churchs or private houses the very approved resolved Doctrine of our Statutes Homilies Injunctions Writers Church 9ly For that he alleageth by way of justification and excuse touching the most barbarous censures of Mr. Prynne Mr. Burton Dr. Bastwick We reply 1. That his hand was to all the Warrants for their Illegall commitments crose imprisenments before their censures That the Books for which they were questioned were neither scandalous Seditious nor Schismaticall but necessary Apologies Pleas against his unjust tyrannicall proceedings in the High Commission and Popish Innovations in the Church to subvert our Religion That himselfe in his Starchamber Speech and Heylin and Dove after him confesseth justifieth the truth of these Innovations wherewith those Bookes did charge him all which the former and this present Parliament have unanimously complained off and voted to be illegall Popish destructive to our Religion Therewere these Bookes were neither Scandalous nor Libellous 3ly Both the proceedings and sentence against them are voted adjudged by both Houses to be altogether illegall unjust barbarous contrary to Magna Charta the Lawes of the Land and liberty of the Subject and unparralel'd in any age therefore ordered to be utterly rased and taken off the file as unfit to remaine upon record to prejudice posterity 4ly Their prosecution proceeded principally from him the Orders for shutting them up close prisoners denying them pen inke paper and speech with one another were procured by him The Orders for denying them liberty to put in their Answers under their owne hands taking them pro confesso were made when himselfe sate and Voted in Court being both prosecutor party and Iudge the sentence was given He sitting in Court though particularly excepted against though he gave no Vote in the Censure it selfe yet al knowe he was the cause and contriver of it before it was given yea he approved and thanked the Lord for it in his Speech when it was given caused it to he most seveerly executed when given against the will of those that gave it instigating his Majesty to the bloudy execution of it afterwards when executed denyed Mr. Pryns servant liberty upon Rayle to attend him during his wounds set his hand first to all the Warrants for sending them to and close imprisoning them in remote Castles and after that for banishing them into forraigne Islands where they were so strictly mewed up that neither freind Wife Children could have the least accesse unto them for their releife nor they procure liberty of pen inke or paper to write unto them for necessaries Yea had not he ingaged his extraordinary power and malice in their prosecution neither the Court Iudges Officers nor Lords had bin so extravagant so unjust in their proceedings Censures Executions against them nor their Councell so over-awed as they were nor they denyed liberty to answer for themselves and to impeach their Opposites by a Crosse Bil which if admitted as it ought of right and justice it would have prevented their heavy Censure elsewhere which probably would have falne short of this he is now likely to incurre All which considered this part of the charge stickes fast upon him in each particular 7ly Himselfe sent for Dr. Featly and commanded him to carry his Sermons to his Chaplin to peruse who thereupon expunged this and other passages out of them after they were printed to please his Lord and his Chaplains Act in this case is his own And though other passages against Images remained yet no reason can be given for expunging this being the direct words of the Homily but his complyancy with the Papists Yea Dr. Featlie sweares expresly that he did complaine of it to Sir Edmond Scot who told him it would bee bootlesse to complaine to the Archbishop who would undoe nothing his Chaplaine had altered 8ly For the Popish pictures we have proved them printed in London by the Archbishops own authority and direction that himselfe saw and approved them whiles in printing being the very same with those his Chapell windowes the Masse-Booke and Boetius a Bolswort found in his study That they were ordinarily bound up in Bibles and sold in shops of which the Stationers complaining to him he thereupon gave them the foresaid answer himselfe But that the Lords of the Counsel gave any such order he produceth no proofe at all In few words if the pictures were lawfull to bee
within the Church least they should be polluted with the feet of those who passed by 8ly That none should touch the consecrated Altars Vessells Vestments or be enabled to keep them but consecrated persons 9ly That if the Altar of any Church were renewed or the walls new built or defiled with murther blood-shed or the meeting or burying of Hereticks therein that then it should be re-consecrated otherwise not 10. That no man whatsover should presume to build any Church before the Bishop of the City first came to the place fixed a Crosse thereon and the Patron informed him what stipend he would alow for the finding of Tapers Gardians to keep it Priests to Officiat in it agree to have it consecrated and to sprinkle the floore and Court thereof with holy water Of latter times many Ethnicall superstitious Exercismes Conjurations Vnctions Ceremonies Notions and frantick inventions have bin added by Popes and Prelates to these consecrations recorded at large in the Roman Caeremonialls Pontificalls Thomas Beacons Reliques of Rome Mr. Calfehill and others whereby it will appeare to be most Popish superstitious in the highest degree whatever is pretended to the contrary Whereupon it was exploded condemned by our Church State Bishops and other writers in the beginning of Reformation as Popish Jewish Superstitious and by forraigne Protestant writers See Aretij Problemata Locus 121 De Encaenijs as we have formerly proved Therefore it must needs be a Popish designe in this Archbishop to revive it now For his Argument that Churches cannot be called Holy unlesse consecrated by a Bishop it being his consecration that makes them so We answer 1. That Bishop Pilkinton and others define this very Doctrine of his to be Popery as we haye proved so doth Aretius too Secondly That the most Holy Place was so stiled though never consecrated 1 King 8. 6. 10. So Jerusalem is called very frequently the Holy City Matth 4. 5. c. 27. 53. though never consecrated And God told Moses the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Exodus 3. 5. though never consecrated by a Bishop Thirdly Our owne Homilies informe us That the Church is counted and talled Holy not of it selfe nor yet for its consecration by a Bishop but because Gods people resorting thither are holy and exercise themselves in holy and heavenly things Fourthly The hearing and preaching of Gods Word Prayer and receiving the Sacraments therin are sufficient of themselves to sanctifie and make it holy without any other consecration See 1 Tim. 45. Centur Mag 3. and 4. c. 6. Aretij Problemaia Locus 126. who resolves further against this superstition Vana est etiamilla superstitio quod dicunt Nisi dedicatur Templum non posse ibi preces haberi non exandiri orantes non rectè praedicari verbum Dei nec Sacramenta administrari quae sententia MANIFESTE JVDAISMUM RESIPIT Christus tamen praemonstravit Horam nunc esse ut veri adoratores nec in monteistonec Jerosolymis sed ubique lieorum Deum adorent in spiritu veritate Athanasius sane non erubuit preces habere populum ad audiendum verbum Dei convocare in Templum Alexandrinum majus quamvis nondum esset Dedicatione consecratum nondum enim jusserat Imperator Id nostri hodie magnum nefas ducunt Fifthly sanctification in its owne nature is nothing else but a sequestring of any thing from a common or ordinary use to a religious and sacred purpose And this may be done without a Bishops exorcisme or conjuration in which respect the first borne first fruits and oblations among the Jewes were termed Holy though never solemnly consecrated because appropriated and devoted unto God For his other Argument that if places bee not holy persons cannot be so and our Church allowes of the consecration of persons Ergo of places It is both a fallhood and absurdity For first it is God and his Spirit only that make persons holy not Prelates who never sanctifie places as they do persons Secondly Our Church allowes only of the Ordination not consecration of Bishops and Ministers confirmed by Statute many of whom ordained such are so far from being holy that they are most polluted and unclean but not of consecrating Churches utterly exploded by the Common Prayer Booke and book of Ordination comprising all the authorized Rites and Ceremonies of our Church whereof consecration of Churches is none And thus much in answer to his defence in generall for consecration of Churches Secondly For the particulars Objected our witnesses depose that his comming to Creed Church was pompous not decent that he fell downe on his knees to pronounce the place and ground holy in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost not to adore and pray to God which the Examples of Moses Aaron and Hezekiah warrant not who never fell down at the Tabernacle door not bowed the head and worshipped to consecrate either the Tabernacle Temple or Altar And whereas he objects that his pronouncing of the place holy as soon he entred into it was legall c. we answer 1. That himselfe avers that no Church or place is legally holy before it be consecrated and when he pronounced it holy upon his entrance to it hee had not consecrated it therfore by his own doctrine it was not legally holy when he pronounced it so Secondly If our Churches be legally holy by their consecration then the consecration of our Popish Prelates in times of Popery with superstitious Popish Ceremonies conjurations Exorcismes enoylings processions sprinklings with holy water made them so since most of them were onely consecrated in though none re-consecrated since the times of Popery And if such Popish consecrations make them legally and really holy then they are of as great efficacy at his owne or Bishop Andrewes his forme and no difference at all between them Thirdly For Iustinian he makes no mention at all in that Title of consecration of Churches and stiles them holy Churches only in respect of the holy duties publikely performed in them For his throwing up of dust two witnesses expresly depose it which must overballance his own bare negation and there is so little difference between dust and ashes that they are usually coupled together as Synonimaes in Scripture and Authors That he took his forme from Bishop Andrewes is only averred by himselfe nor proved by any witnesses but that it agrees with that in the Pontificall which we found in his Study even in terminis is most cleare and therefore we cannot but presume he derived it from thence However if Bishop Andrewes imitated the Pontificall and he Bishop Andrewes the charge is still alike both of them imitating and complying with the Pope herein He grants his prayer taken out of the Pontificall therefore no doubt the rest especially his frequent bowings and Jackanapes trickes at the Altar which he cunningly pretermits and answers not For Dr. Ienison he objected only his preaching against Images to him at his censure
me or deceive their Proselites there For Master Challoners testimony it is but a report too from I know not whom and a discourse of others to him without any ground arising from me and I have cause to feare that what he testified was meerly out of spleen and a meer engine to ruine me because upon complaint I caused him to be Committed for some high Offences charged against him amounting to little lesse then Treason to avoyd which he was enforced to fly beyond the Seas where he heard these reports concerning me it we may beleeve him which are no evidence at all in Law To this the Commons replied First that though common fame be no convincing evidence of it self yet in many cases both in common Civill and Canon Law it is a good ground of suspition inquisition accusation and apprehension too especially if it be a generall universall and long continued fame both abroad and beyond the Seas as this is but being seconded with concurrent actions as his it is a most satisfactory proofe and in such a case vox populi est vox Dei Besides himselfe gave the occasion of this evidence by his examining Sir Henry Mildmay to know what report they gave and what opinon or repute they had of him at Rome when he was there Whether he were not the most odious man to them of any living c. If the reports and common fame they heard of him at Rome were no evidence at all to cleer him as he reputed it why then did he produce Sir Henry as a principall witnesse for him and examine him meerly what report and repute he had at Rome If he conceived it good evidence to cleere him in case Sir Henries testimony had proved answerable to his expectation then certainly it must be as available to confirme and prove his guilt yea Sir Henries testimony falling quite crosse to what he pretended must needs be farre stronger against him then it could have been for him had he testified what the Archbishop pretended because he is a witnesse of his owne producing and had been but a single witnesse for him but is seconded with two more concurrent testimonies against him even concerning the opinion they had of him in Rome it selfe which is backed with a generall opinion of the same kind both among Papists and Protestants too who concurred in their judgements and reports concerning his good affection to Popery and endeavours to reconcile us to the Church of Rome Yea as this good opinion and report concerning him was universall in all places both abroad and at home so it is fortified by a publike charge in Parliament given in against him by the two whole Kingdomes of England and Scotland and confirmed by so many pregnant evidences of all sorts that it must made be granted to be a most enforcing convincing argument of his guilt the rather because himselfe gave the first occasion of this kind of euidenes For Doctor Featlies testimony it is a report of one of the Archbishope owne Pupils who hast knew his opinions Sir Nathaniel Brents testimony is upon his owne knowledge ratified by the concurrent opinions of others grounded upon his popish supposition taken out of Bellarmine his familiarity with Master Browne a reputed Papist Noscitur ex Comite Upon his owne confession in his Petition and the common fame of the University that he was cleered upon his Petition of this imputation he produceth no evidence at all neither mentions he any particular time when nor persons by whom he was cleered For Doctor Abbots Sermon it is the clearest testimony in the world that he was then generally reputed a Papist in the University both by Protestants and Papists and likewise in forraigne parts for which cause alone and no other this Doctor was his enemy As for his complaint against it as injurious it no way extenuates nor takes off the common fame and reputation of being a Papist which Doctor Hals 〈◊〉 not denied by him to be written and meant of himselfe and Francis Harris his testimony second and confirme Whereas he faith he never know nor saw this Harris this invalids not his testimony and his little acquaintance in reallity that he knew him if not 〈◊〉 in â—ute by 〈◊〉 Fame and â—â—putation to be a Papist in heart opinion and the onely thing for which are produce his testimony Secondly for Sir Henry Mildmayes testimony it is more then a bare report for he testifies on his owne certaine knowledge that which the Archbishop produced him to prove what opinion the Jesuits Priests and Popishâ—â—ad of him at Rome when he was there together with the reasons of their opinions and report and he deposeth the truth hereof quite contrary to what the Archbishop suggested whose Oath is not to be credited in his owne case to impeach Sir Henries testimony fortified with two others concurring with it The like we answer to Captaine Anthony Mildmayes and Master Challoners testimonies they both depose what opinions and reports the Popes Nuncio Con Father Fitton Father Talbot and other English Jesuits Priests and forraigne Papists had of the Archbishops good affection to their Religion and how instrumentall he was to introduce Popery and reduce us backe to ROME declaring punctually each particular Therefore their testimonies are all reall and no hear-sayes or bare reports as he pretends As for Master Challoners pretended malice it is but a bare surmise and being a Gentleman of quality and integrity this poore pretence is altogether insufficient to disparage his testimony upon Oath The rather because the Archbishops endeavours to imprison and bring him into the High Commission heretofore was onely for speaking of the Priests and Jesuits Plots to bring in Popery and some of our Bishops compliance with them the party who complained against him being both a Priest and Jesuit now in actuall Armes against the Parliament in the Kings Army as Master Challoner deposed a great confirmation of the truth of his Testimony and of the Archbishops guilt In few words all these recited testimonies what opinion they had at Oxford heretofore and at Rome and other places since of his being a Papist and confederating with them in their Designe of introducing Popery by inches and reducing us backe to Rome compared with his preceding practises doe fix this charge so fast upon him that all his Sophistry or Oratory cannot shake it off The second thing objected is this That there was a dangerous Plot laid and seriously pursued to introduce Popery and reconcile the Church of England to the Church of Rome to which I was privy and had certaine notice of it yet I complyed with it and never laboured to prevent it which the Commons laboured to prove by divers generall instances First by the Spanish Match propounded to the King when Prince of Wales and his sending over into Spaine of purpose to pervert him in his Religion as appeares by the Articles of the Treaty the Popes Letters to the
He pronounced many curses upon all those which should hereafter any way prophane that holy and sacred place by any Musters of Souldiers or keeping any prophane Law-courts or carrying burdens through it At the end of every curse which were some 20. or 30. in number he bowed himselfe lowly towards the East or Table saying Let all the people say Amen When the Curses were ended he then pronounced the like number of Blessings to all those that had any hand in the culture framing and building of that holy sacred and beautifull Church and pronounced Blessings to all those that had given any Challices Plate Ornaments or Vtensills and that should here-after give any At the end of every Blessing hee also bowed downe himselfe towards the East Saying Let all the people say Amen After this followed the Sermon which was worthily performed by Dr. Stephen Dennyson he taking for his theame the 19 of Luke 46. wherein he bitterly inveighed against setting up Pictures and Images in Churches saying it was Popish and heathenish Superstition and Idolatry Which Sermon after-wards when Bishop Laud came to the high chaire of Canterbury he remembred at Dr. Dennysons censure in the high Commission upon another occasion and passed a heavy Censure upon the said Dr. under which he hath ever since groaned After the Sermon which was but short the Bishop and two fat Doctors consecrated and administred the Sacrament with a number of bowings duckings and cringeings in manner following As first when the Bishop approached neare the Communion Table he bowed with his nose very neare the ground some six or seven times Then he came to one of the corners of the Table and there bowed himselfe three times then to the second third and fourth corners bowing at each corner three times but when he came to the side of the Table where the bread and wine was he bowed himselfe seven times and then after the reading of many praiers by himselfe and his two fat chaplins which were with him and all this while were upon their knees by him in their Sirplisses Hoods and Tippits he himself came neare the Bread which was cut and laid in a fine napkin and then he gently lifted up one of the corners of the said napkin and peeped into it till hee saw the bread like a boy that peeped after a bird-nest in a bush and presently clapped it downe againe and flew backe a step or two and then bowed very low three times towards it and the Table when he beheld the bread then he came neare and opened the napkin againe and bowed as before then he laid his hand upon the gilt Cup which was full of wine with a cover upon it so soone as he had pul'd the Cupp a litle neerer to him he lett the Cupp goe flew backe and bowed againe three times towards it then hee came neere againe and lifting up the cover of the Cupp peeped into it and seeing the wine he let fall the cover on it againe and flew nimbly backe and bowed as before After these and many other Apish Anticke Gesturs he himselfe received and then gave the Sacrament to some principall men onely they devoutly kneeling neere the Table after which more praiers being said this Sceane and Enterlude ended Mr. Hope likewise deposed the same that Mr. Willingham did in all particulars touching the manner of the Archbishops consecrating Creed-Church at which consecration he was present and tooke speciall notice thereof Upon which evidence the Committee of the house of Commons observed and urged before the Lords First that it appeared by the praiers used by the Archbishop that he consecrated this Church rather for a Churchyard or a burying place then for an Oratory or place of praier and preaching using the same praiers in substance as are prescribed in the Roman Pontificall at the consecration of a Church-yard to inter dead bodies in Secondly that the consecration of Churches after this sort is a meere Popish and Superstitious Ceremony prescribed onely by Popes and Popish Councels Canonists for their owne gaines and luchre and not by any Protestant Canons Synodes Authors witnesse Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. and the Glosses on it Summa Hostiensis lib. 3. Tit. De Consecratione Ecclesiae et Altaris Angelus De Clavasio his Summa Angelica Tit. Consecratio Ecclesiae Summa Rosella Tit. Consecratio Iuo Carnotensis Decretalium pars 3. De Ecclesia C. 8. to 38. Bochellus Decreta Ecclesiae Gallicanae lib. 4. Tit. 1. Iohannis De Aton Constitutiones Ecclesiasticae Tit. 1. De Consecratione Ecclesiarum with divers other Popish Canonists Thirdly that the forme and manner of consecrating Churches was no where to be found but in the Roman Pontificall set out by the Popes authority wherein it is at large described P. 209. to 280. Cap. De Ecclesiae Dedicatione seu Consecratione and not extant in the Booke of Common-praier or of the Ordinition of Ministers or in any other Records or Rituals of our Church which abollished the Roman Pontificall and Ceremony of consecrating Churches by the Statutes of 2. 3. E. 6. C. 1. 3. 4. E. 6. C. 10. 1. Eliz. C. 1. 8. Eliz. C. 1. Fourthly That the very forme the Archbishop used in consecrating Creed-Church was taken from the Roman Pontificall published by command of Pope Clement the eight found in this study P. 214. 217. 219. where the Bishop comming to the doore of the Church he is to consecrate Percutit illud semel cum inferiori parte baculi pastoralis super luminare dicens intelligibili voce Attollite portas Principes vestras et apperiamini portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae c. The very words the Archbishop now used and then entring the Church pronouneeth it holy and blessed in the name of the Father Sonne holy ghost After which he useth many Praiers Psalmes bowings Ceremonies and Vnus ex Ministris spargit cinerem per pavimentum in modum crucis as this Archbishop did who followed the Roman Pontificall in all the particulars he there practised exceeding it in his blessings and cursings which are not so fully expressed in the Pontificall and in his reconsecration of this Church upon the repairing onely of the wals in which case the forecited Canonists all accord it is not to be reconsecrated but the wal onely to be exorcised and sprinkled with holy water Fiftly That our owne Protestant Bishops and writers condemne the consecration of Churches Chappels and Church-yards by Bishops to make them holier then other places as a meere Popish Iewish ridiculous and absurd practise The first they instanced in was reverend Dr. Pilkington a fugitive for Religion in Queene Maries and Bishop of Durham in he beginning of Queene Elizabeth reigne in his Exposition of Aggens c. 1. v. 7. 8. cap. 2. v. 2. 3. where he determines thus IT IS POPISH TO BELEEVE that which the Bishops doe teach That place to be more holy then the rest which they have
confirmer of the good and a reformer of the Reprobate all her visitants were but so many converts whose bad affections and erronious opinions the sweetnes of her discourse had rectefied the Leprosie of sin was her daily cure and they whom vice had blinded were by her restored to their inward light and their prostrate Soules adored Divine Majesticall vertue residing in this sacred Temple the knowledge of her humbled the most 〈…〉 Natures for the lustre of her merits rendered their owne obscure And in his Epistle to the Masculine Reader But this I will say that though I impute not the late troubles and afflictions of the Protestant party in Germany to the small Reverence there paid her many of Gods judgments according to Saint Augustine being secret none unjust yet truly I beleeve that the under-valuing of one so great and deare in Christs esteeme as his Mother cannot but bee displeasing to him and that the more we ascribe to her setting Invocation a part the more gracious we appeare in his sight He concludes it thus I will only adde this that since the finishing of this story I have read a Booke of the now Bishop of Chicester intituled Apparacus c. And I am glad to finde that I have not digressed from him in any one particular Soe he Loe therefore what a Metomorphosis of our Religion is here Here is a new Goddesse brought in among us the Virgin Mary adorned extolled deified with Titles Courtships Encomium Hymnes taken out of Popish Missalis Houres Breviaries Poems The Author glorieth that he is the first who hath written as he saith in our Vulgar tongue on this our blessed Virgin And God grant he be the last But he beares himselfe in all this upon the Church of England where wee pray you at last wee perceive this Church of England is the then Bishop of Chihester Mountague in his Apparatus from whom hee hath not digressed in any particular This Booke of Staffords giving very great scandall to Protestants and encouragement to Papists Mr. Henry Burton in his Sermon intituled For God and the King page 123. 124. 125. discovered censured these extravagant Popish Passages in it advising the people to beware of it For which among other things he was brought into the Star-Chamber and there censured But on the contrary this Popish Booke of Staffords with the forementioned scandalous Passages in it were by the Archbishops speciall direction professedly justified both by Doctor Heylin in his Moderate Answer to Mr. Burton licensed by the Arch-bishops owne Chaplaine and written by his command pag. 123. 124. and by Christopher Dow in his Innovations unjustly charged page 51. 54. and this Booke neither called in nor corrected so audatiously Popishwas he growne in this particular among many others 20. That the Church is alwayes Visible Bishop Mountague his Appeale Page 139. The Church of Rome hath ever beene visible The Church of Rome is and ever was a true Church since it was a Church Therfore the true Church hath ever bin visible Which he thus seconds Orig. Ecclesiasticarum Tomi prio pars poster page 463. Sanctè credimus defendimus c. Ecclesiam nullis interceptam intercisam intercapedinibus perpetuô extantem alicubi visibilem oculis usurpandam in eum finem et eo modo ut intelligere possint quibus curae illud est apud quos habeatur verbum vitae c. 21. That Churches Altars Chalices Church-yards c. ought to bee Consecrated by the Bishop and that his Consecration puts an inherent holinesse into them That one part of the Church or Chappell is holier then another That the place within the new Railes where the Altar stands is Sanctum Sanctorum into which none but Priests ought to enter yea Christs Throne and Mercy seat DOctor Pocklingtons Altare Christianum page 51. Dedication and Consecration of Churches used by Godly Bishops and taxed by the Centurists for the mystery of Iniquity I will passe from the placing of the Bishops Chaire to the dedication of his Church where it was set The dedication of Churches within two hundred yeares after Christ shewes cleerely 〈…〉 were Churches Saint Clemens his Command both for building and Consecrating of Churches makes it apparent page 80. At the upper end of the Chancell was a place inclosed and Railed in from the rest of the Chancell whereunto none neither Priests that were Penitents nor Deacons were permitted to enter and there to communicate and officiat in the Consecration of the Eucharist or in the administration thereof unto Priests but they themselves This place was called Sacrarium here stood the Altar or Lords Table and hitherto none might approach but the Priests themselves The Canon is cleare for it no Lay-man may come within the Altar Page 83. Prayer for Kings for Bishops for the whole Church and the Lords Prayer was then only said at the Altar by the Priest in the holy of holies Hee deserves not to be named in the Priests prayer at the Altar that is an occasion to withdraw Priests from the Altar page 108. They had shut up the Doore of the holy of holies whereunto he was entred to doe his reverence to the holy Altar Page 141. A man may as lawfully and Christianly administer the blessed Sacrament in a Barne or Towne-hall as in any place that is not Consecrated to such holy uses And when the Church was Consecrated was not the Altar the chiefest place which with most Ceremony and devotion was hallowed when it was hallowed was it not kept more carefully from Prophanation then any other part of the Church was there not a Feast annually kept in a joyfull remembrance of the Dedication of every Church and did not the consecration of the Altar carry the name of the Feast page 142. Was not the Altar set in Sacrario or sancto sanctorum in the highest place of all whereunto the Priest ascended by steppes and degrees and when they so assended were there not said Psalmes of degrees This holy Altar is in his owne nature but a stone but being consecrated and dedicated benedictionem accipit Shelfords five Treatises page 2. From hence appeareth that the Altar is the principall part of Gods House as being the cause and Originall of all the rest c. Doctor Ridley his view of the Civill Law reprinted at Oxford 1634. in the marginall Annotations newly added to it page 52. The Bishop of the place shall come lift up his hands to Heaven and consecrate the place to God P. 191. For that which concernes foundation and erection All that the Patron had free to himselfe was but the thought hee might thinke where he would designe the ground c. but this was nothing without execution and to this the Diocesan vvas to be required as the most principall and most effectuall agent If the Patron built a Church upon his ovvne ground vvithout the Bishops consent the Bishop might pull it dovvne vvithout the Patrons consent page 192. When he
makes the consecration the Crosse must bee set up behinde the holy Altar word being brought to the Patriarch concerning the Church that is to be built letters are directed either to the Exarch or to some of the Bishops to request that the Church may be founded Consecrated and entituled to the Patriarchs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Consecrated in the Name of such a Saint page 193. Things for the most part were altogether disposed by but nothing at all without the Bishops Jurisdiction That the Patriarch or Bishop should challenge this Jurisdiction over the new Church c. it seemes most reasonable For what did the lay Patron more do then a man of Israell who brought a Lambe but the Priest made it an Offering and an Attonement The Patron parhaps might chuse the place but till the Prelate came and sanctified the Ground it might be as well a Denne of Theeves as a House of Prayer The Patron might bring the Stones the Bishop made it a Church till then nothing was but the breathlesse body of a Temple the soule being yet to come from a Diviner influence of the Diocesan therefore the priviledge of a new Church followed not the building but the consecration of it c. Richard Tedder in his Visitation Sermon Licensed by Doctor Samuell Baker Feb. 6. 1636. Printed at London 1637. It is the Consecration that makes Churches holy and makes God esteeme them so which though they be not capable of Grace yet they receive by their Consecration a spirituall power whereby they are made fit for Divine Service and being consecrated there is no danger in aseribing a holinesie unto them 21. Totall and finall Apostacy from Grace Predestination a desperate Doctrine Resisting of Grace BIshop Mountague in his Appeale pag. 29. 30 31. Ex Artic. 16. After that wee have received the Holy Ghost we may depart away from Grace Till the Church expound otherwise it is as free for me to take it according to the Letter as for you to devise a figure The Article insisteth on men justified after Grace received challenged it was in this sense as unsound at the Conference at Hampton Court but defended maintained avowed averred for true ancient justifiable good and Catholike by the greatest Bishops and Learnedst Divines then living in this Church against that absolute irrespective necessitating and fatall decree of your new Predestination stiled then and there by Bishop Bancroft in publike audience with much vehemency without any Checke dislike distast dissent for we reade of none a desperate doctrine of Predestination At what time also that Reverend Prelate and most accomplisht Divine Dr. Overall Bish of Norwich c. said That a justified man might fall away from Grace and so ipso facto incurre Gods wrath and was in state of wrath and damnation untill he did recover againe Pag. 33. Can your Learning and understanding make any other Construction of these words then That a man may fall away from Grace and become no Child of God at all This is spoken and meant Not only of totall lapse for a time but also of finall separation and for ever Pag. 37. I see no reason why I might not have beene as confident in maintaining falling away from Grace as you and your Divines are upon weaker grounds in defending the contrary Pag. 60. I must confesse my dissent through and sincere from the faction of Novelizing Puritans but in no one point more than in this their desperate Doctrine of Predestination Vide pag. 50. and 70. 71. c. to like purpose Pag. 72. Id. It is not in reason probable that you should have the doctrin of the Church on your side against Master Mountague For the Church holdeth and teacheth punctually and that against the Opinion and with the dislike of the Learnedest of your side that Faith true justifying Faith once had may be lost and recovered againe that a man endued with Gods holy Spirit and enlightened with the heavenly light may loose that holy Spirit have that light put out become like unto Saul and Iudas Pag. 89. If a man justified may fall away from Grace which is the Doctrine of the Church of England then without question hee may resist the grace of God offered Pag. 214. It is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your other singularity That Faith once had cannot be lost totally and for ever Edmond Reeve pag. 13. Mar. The Church signifyeth that it is possible for such as are made the Members of Christ to become the members of the Devill if they take not due care Pag. 64. Seeing then that some have perished which have beene pronounced to have beene in the number of Gods Elect. Shelfords five Treatises pag. 187. Such as shall fall double from lesse and from greater grace and never rise for such Justice hath a double due a naturall and a supernaturall death seated not only in paenâ damni but in paenâ sensus which the torments of hell fire afford 22. That there is universall Grace and Redemption and no absolute Reprobation THis having beene formerly touched in the Evidence concerning Arminianisme wee shall bee the briefer in it here Edmond Reeve writes thus page 19. 20. Whereby doth God the Father draw all mankind unto Christ Ans Holy Church doth signifie it unto us where it saith that Almighty God doth shew unto all that be in error the light of his truth to the intent they may returne into the way of Righteousnesse St. Iohn saith Christ is the light that lighteth every man which commeth into the world Many Scriptures more declare that God is mercifull to universall mankinde not willing the death of a sinner c. as the Divine service teacheth and informeth us The which Doctrine of hers as sundry more though we in our youngnesse of Christian knowledge do not understand yet are we to believe also to know that the Fathers which set forth the divine service did perfectly understand like as also we are to beleive that the Fathers of the Church now and alwayes doe in the great Mystery of Godlinesse comprehend many things which the Common people doe not yea also some things which Ministers of the inferrior Order as Priests Pastors and Teachers do not apprehend who are therefore to bee guided in Divinity by those most reverend and right reverend Fathers in God and not to say that such and such sayings in the Communion Booke are untrue because they understand them not Page 60. Saint Paul saith That he gave himselfe a ransome for all hee died for universall mankind Againe the death of Christ is available for the redemption of all the world Page 61. Whereas it is said by some that Christ died not for Vniversall mankind efficiently or effectually namely for such as perish they consider not what the Scripture signifieth Christ to have done yet hee did it not in phantasy but in reality in every deed Page 66. 67. How could the Church ordaine and require for to