pag. 16 17 18. Who i. e. Mr Baxter in his Holy Common-wealth or his Political Aphorisms expresseth his mind thus in his additions to his Preface Consider how suitable Popery is with a carnal Inclination Secondly what plausible reasons Papists have to delude poor souls with from their pretended Universality Antiquity c. Thirdly how few of the vulgar are able to defend their faith or to answer to the two great Sophistical Questions of the Papists viz. Where hath your Church been visible in all Ages Only Dr Featley not only in his Disputation with Fisher but in his Manuscript dedicated to the Lord Craven not yet printed and in his Grand Sacriledge particularly concerning the taking away the Cup from the Laity has fully as much as they demanded answered that other point For the Nameless Romanist thus contrives and moulds his subtilties not as Cases of Conscience to be resolved by some learned Divine but as it were laying as Dr Featley resenteth a snare to intangle the Answerers therein Let saith he those points be propounded one after another and receive their positive answer under their hands to the first before they know the second and so in order to the rest when that is done you shall hear further from me What is this saies Dr Featley but in effect to say draw the Protestant Respondents by degrees and by little and little into the snares which I have laid for them and when they are intangled in them I will come and take them and intangle them with their own subscriptions Which Tract of Dr Featley's yea the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it is in the Right Honourable the Lord Craven's hands who is extreamly desired that he would be pleased to communicate it for the Churches good if he have it by him or else I have a transcript which I shall crave his leave to put forth And how prove you the Scripture to be the Word of God Though not only the Papists themselves but especially our Divines as Whitakers against Stapleton and in a large Tract besides yea Arminius himself Vrsinus and all our Catechetical Divines especially the Confession of our English Churches faith against the Popish Traditions and Papal Decretals have abundantly proved the sufficiency perfection and divinity of the Scriptures unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 16. that they be the word of God only and not of man as spoken and delivered by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1. 21. And therefore we may say What is the Chaff to the word of God what are Traditions Legends of Saints to the word of God Jer. 23. 28. Alphonsus de Villega his more refined Legends of the Saints Fourthly how will it take with the people to be told that their forefathers all dyed in the Roman faith which Reverend Mr Hocker that wrote the Ecclesiastical Policy in five books wil abundantly resolve them in And fifthly above all what a multitude of Jesuits and Friers and Priests they can prepare for the work and pour out upon us at their pleasure from Flanders France and Rome and other places and how those sorts of men are purposely trained up for this deceivable and illusive work and have their common Arguments at their fingers end which though they are thred-bare and transparent fallacies to the wise yet to the vulgar and to our unstudied Gentry they are as good as if they had never been confuted or as the best I appeal unto that gloriosum Certamen between King Charles the first and the Marquess of Worcester at Ragland Castle who I say the Marquess wanted not his College of Priests and Popish Jesuits with what hazzard did the Kings Majesty encounter and escape the most subtile Circumventings of that night in single Combats having only for his second Dr Bayley a single Chaplain Sixthly what a world of wealth and secular helps is at their becks in France Flanders Italy Spaine and Germany They have Millions of gold and Navies and Armies ready to promote their work which other Sects have none of So as that the Jesuitical Collegiated Hives for them in all Countries in Italy France Spaine Germany as one of credible Intelligence has mustred only the Jesuits and reported them smal and great Tyrones Veterani Pupils Tutors Pensioners Governors maintained in their Armies and pay are ten times more then all the Students in both Universities and in all the Inns of Court in London too viz. 2000000. Which Computation is taken out of the Muster-book of Harley's Defence Des Jesuits And therefore no marvel that these hives every where so swarm and such multitudes of them are sent to seek their hiving quarters in our England For they account Scotland as yet too poor for them or too cold and barren to thrive in as not having those flores inscripti nomina Regum for them to suck their hony out of Seventhly what worldly motives have their Priests and Friers to promote their zeal Their Superiors have such variety of Preferments and ample Treasures to reward them with and their single life alloweth them so much vacancy from domestick Avocations and withall they so much glory in a zeal in compassing sea and land to make Proselytes that it is an incredible advantage that they get by their Industry the Envious man by them sowing his tares whilst others sleep and are not half so industrious to resist them Eighthly What abundance have they lately wone in England Notwithstanding they have wanted publick liberty and have only taken secret opportunities to seduce persons many of the Nobility Gentry yea and of the Clergy as well as of the Common people and zealous Professors of Religion lately as well as of the profane have been seduced by them and by them Princes in other Countries have been won and the Protestant Religion cunningly worm'd out And what a lamentable increase they had made in England before our Wars by that Countenance and favour which through the Queen was procured them though incomparably short of this absolute Liberty is sufficiently known Ninthly It is not the least of our danger that the most of our Ministers are unable to deal with a Cunning Jesuite or Priest And this is not to be wondred at considering how many of them are young men put in of late in the Necessity of the Churches which the world knows who have caused and there must be time before young men can grow to maturity and an unfurnished Nation can be provided with able experienced men And the Cessation of Popish assaults of late hath disused Ministers from these Disputations The Reformation had seemed to have brought down Popery so low that we grew secure and thought there was no danger of it and the Papists of late have forborn much to meddle with us barefac'd and have played their game under the vizor of their Sects And withall young Ministers have been so taken up with the greater work of winning Souls from common profaneness that
perswaded to cast my Mite into their treasury that they might be thankfully remembred by me and diligently followed by others Again that which did set a little sharper Edge on my willingness herein was that I might take an occasion to clear the innocency of Dr Feately the late Provost of Chelsey College and one that is honoured in his dust for his known Vertues eminent Piety abundant Learning and Labours somewhat blotted by Dr Fuller's pen proceeding rather in my Judgment of Charity from an Error in his Judgment then Will. But that which principally moved me was a clear perswasion of heart how much the perfecting and compleating of this College would contribute Glory to God Honour to the true Religion encouragement to Learning and Learned men in every Age what invincible help and assistance it might afford our Gracious King and his Royal Successors against the many subtil and unwearied Adversaries of Christ's Kingdom Gospel Faith Doctrine and holy Discipline lastly what chearfull and beautifull light of divine and heavenly knowledge what soul-reviving and refreshing satisfaction the Lords People in these three Nations yea in all the world continually in every Age and Condition might receive from the Studies Disputations and Writings of such eminentlyqualified Persons as ought to have been chosen into the Orthodox Society and Learned Fellowship of this College so richly provided for and happily accommodated with encouragements of every kind Prolixity must be avoided I therefore reine in imploring the choicest Blessings of Heaven upon my Dear Sovereign his Royal Relations and Great Councel that the work of Righteousness may be Peace and the effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance in our Land Now the Great Counsellor give thee Good Reader peace and understanding in all things and that by all Means Which is the Prayer of the unworthiest of those that serve thee in the Faith JOHN DARLEY Erratum Pag. 7. lin 3. for read but. THE GLORY OF CHELSEY COLLEGE REVIVED I Shall not by any needless flourish of my own words begin this Treatise of CHELSEY College but First deliver the disert words of the Act of Parliament made in the seventh year of King James of Blessed Memory in the behalf of the same College as also a Declaration published by Authority in the year 1616. concerning the Reasons that moved his Majesty and the State to erect the same God assisting me as I find it diligently Collected and extracted to my hand by the Author of the most Remarkable Monuments of London and the Precincts thereof Then Secondly give you Bishop Hall's Judgement and Recommendation with Dr. Fuller his more special report of it as also Mr. Baxter's Instigation for it and Grounds of the Necessity of prudent provision of Able and adequate Men for the work And so I shall in the Conclusion adde something concerning Dr. Sutcliffe his being the first Mover under God to advance the design in this beginning of the Embryo that it now appears in Thirdly I shall intimate the Obstructions and Impediments of it Fourthly adjoin some prevalent Motives for the Renewing or rather the reviving of the Design to it 's original intended perfection Fifthly stop the mouth of the chiefer Objections against it Sixthly propose the means though in these hard and Exhausted times to compleat it Lastly conclude with prayer for Grace Grace unto it First The Abstract of the Act runs thus Whereas his Majesty of his Royal and zealous Care for the defence of true Religion now established within this Realm of England and for the Refuting of Errors and Heresies repugnant to the same hath been graciously pleased by his Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England to found a College in Chelsey near London and therein to place certain Learned Divines and to incorporate the same by the Name of the Provost and Fellows of the College of King James in Chelsey of the foundation of the same James King of England and hath of his most gracious Goodness and Bounty not only endowed the same with certain Lands Privileges and Immunities but hath also for their further Maintenance and sustentation given unto them a Capacity and Ability to receive and take from his Majesty or any of his Loving Subjects any Lands Tenements Hereditaments Gifts Benefits and Profits whatsoever not exceeding in the whole the yearly value of three thousand pounds as in and by the said Letters Patents doth more at large appear And whereas also it is manifest and evident that the bringing in of such streams of Running water to the City of London is very convenient necessary and profitable as well for the private use of such as shall rent the same for the help of cleansing the said City in the time of sickness and preserving the same against all suddain Adventures of fire c. whereby they had the free Grant of and for draining the field and Marishes between the Bridge called Lock-bridge in or near the parish of Hackney in the County of Middlesex and the Bridge called Bow-bridge at Straford-Bow in the parish of Stepney in the said County c. Which by reason of the Ample Grant may seem to be a Royal Privilege indeed yet by reason of the vast Labour and Cost not only of digging and trenching but of buying leave of the owners of the grounds fields and limitations may seem with Reverence be it spoken and regard had to Clergy-men not versed in such Affairs not only like that in Holland but somewhat resembling that of Hercules his Labour of cleansing Augeas his stable wherein 3000 Oxen so long were tyed up by drawing the River Alpheus to run through it When I consider the many Provisions in that Grant it appears somewhat like the Arduousness of their task and undertaking Notwithstanding Christian duty ought especially when back'd with so many advantageous incouragements to swallow up greater difficulty It is the most holy exhortation Jude 3. Earnestly to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints And it is the delight of the Holy One to behold his enabled Servants studying and labouring to ridd the Land of the immense Dunghill of Errors and Heresies which is not for every hand that can make of Scripture fine Posies in Preaching but are too tender to pluck up or thrust away thorns this can be done only by men fenced with Iron and the staffe of a speare 2 Sam. 23. 6 7. And this above all is now if ever especially to be looked unto that the Cause of Christ be not betrayed and lost in this Age abounding with so many Anti-Christian deceipts A brief declaration of the Reasons that moved his Majesty and the State to erect a College of Divines and other Learned men at Chelsey together with a Copie of his Majesties Letters in favour of the same and an Addition of some Motives very forceable to excite the zeal of good Christians to a voluntary and liberal Contribution Vnderstanding by experience that want of Information hath much hindred mens Devotion
certainly that as Mr Archer expresseth in his Forerunner of Christ's personal Reign on earth pag. 50. and 55. and Mr Mede Rev. 11. 7. his opinion is that Popery shall yet again for a while universally prevail in those Countries and Nations out of which it hath been expelled Mr Cartwright's Preface to the Gloriosum Certamen And therefore ought we not of England to advance this College thus to prepare to give the head of the Dragon his last deadly wound that the Prince of Peace may set up his Scepter of peace and be the Solomon of peace in governing his Saints in all the blessings of Peace and beauties of holiness that we may seek and love to have and keep the saving Truth in love and peace Zach. 8. 19. But as one saith Si nos iri perditum vult Dominus Jesus hâ—câ—tamen solamini erit nos nihil omisisse virtutis ad eluctandum ruinam as the two Witnesses in sackcloth or rather as becomes a Couragious souldier stantem in bellow mori in hope of a most glorious resurrection like that which the Roman Florus speaks of the holding out the last siege of Carthage Vt morsus morientium sunt maximè mortiferi sic plus negotii fuit cum semiruta quam cum integra Carthagine or as it is said of Sampson Judg. 16. 30. the dead which he slew at his death were more then they which he slew in his life-time And then the hope of everlasting rest after all our labours shall sweeten all our labours ease our torments mitigate our sorrows comfort our hearts that they faile not in their labour nor faint in their travail nor sink under their burden nor fall under their Crosses nor dye for sorrow of their wound but may say I have fought the good fight and finished my course and kept the faith 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Henceforth the spirit hath said we shall be pillars Rev. 3. 12. in the Temple of our God Finally may I humbly adde a word of the probable means of as it were buoying up this Ship of the sunk College to be rigged and to ride again as a Pretorian ship in its haven with respect to his most Gracious Majesty and the Great Wisdoms of his Councel and Parliament because it is said expressly that Kings shall be nursing Fathers and Queens nursing Mothers to the Church Esay 49. 23. Whatsoever the penury may seem to be in regard of the late great losses and exhaustings because of the sweeping tempests that have left as it were nothing or little good yet is it not the word of the Lord by Haggai The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts So that if it please Almighty God to stir up and put into the Kings Majesties heart an heroick care and resolution to set about the advancing and restoring of this ruinous College by taking the Course which his Royal Grand-father did viz. granting forthwith his Letters Patents once again generally all over England for a Collection of three years to be made and that the Archbishops Graces would be earnest with the Bishops of their Dioceses to sollicit their particular Ministers and that the Peers of the Upper house and the Burgesses of the Commons house would by their Munificence be exemplary Leaders unto the Collective body more respectively the new Bishops revived and restored as men of God to their Sees and dignities to act as Intelligences and Angels of the Churches in their own Spheres though possible their Sees are much impaired as having had the Line of Ahab upon them and Plummet of Samaria Yet if they shall meditate liberal things Esay 32. 8. or devise liberal things and out of their grave and gracious wisdoms prompt and promote unto the Kings Majesty a more probable way of wisdom then at first was projected and become also not only exhortative but exemplary to their power for so important godly and necessary a work especially the most Reverend Fathers Canterbury Winchester London Lincoln Yorke Durham c. This may doe much and much contribute towards the speedy adorning and advancement of the College to its due perfection and placing it in its sphere of activity yea and to the settling of it to become a pattern and president for Imitation to foreign Protestant Churches also in Christendom not yet in the Popes Captivity and dungeon of darkness of his Mystery of Iniquity and deceivableness of unrighteousness And if the late Archbishop Laud could have imagined that such Wolves and Monsters of Heresy upon his being put to death would have been in such readiness like Serpents and Toads and venemous creeping noxious beasts at the root of the stately Palm-tree of our Church in readiness I say thronging with their Fry whose word was Viam inveniam aut faciam to crawle up even so all over the fruitfull branches of this Palm for the shepheard being smitten how would the sheep be scattered how would he have roused up and awakened himself as the Cock who with his wings clappeth himself to have been most vigilant over them especially when Dr Featley being assigned the Provost of Chelsey College by Dr Sutcliffe his studious and solicitous obtaining of him and resigning all his Authority and power unto him sollicited Bishop Laud at London House to favour and further the College when the Church looked upon him as a son upon his Father and Patriot because of his fair opportunity by his high advancement for the greatest affaires of the Church which King Charles the First was pleased to grace and intrust him withall How would he have known and remembred that it was incumbent upon him to have served 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have looked upon Chelsey College as a grand business of Christ's as well as to be so zealous for the re-edifying of Pauls and not have daunted Dr Featley's suit with that short hasty word Cui bono as Pilate once seemed to have done to Christ What is Truth His eye with his heart being so immoveably fixed upon the repairing of the dead and decaying walls of Pauls Church not in the interim providently eying and spying the mischiefs Calamities Chaos of Heresies Sects and Schisms by Satan's Panurgy and by the madness of the people to be drawing in upon us like the Trojan Horse for want of that publick armature sword and spear of the spirit the spiritual sword of God's Word in the mouths of his more select Ministers those living stones of his spiritual Tower of Armory Could I say his Graces wisdom I mean Archbishop Laud's who was omni laude dignus have commanded his heart to have beheld and heeded the Angelical face of Chelsey College Project as Dr Featley presented it unto him and on a time did it more fully and freely at Fulham when he was better at leasure had not the Importunity of Pauls still been too clamorous in his ears for expediting it how would he not doubtless have