fomented the fatal divisions of that Kingdom to establish the Throne of Christ's Vicar upon the Ruines of the Monarchy they instructed and encouraged the Assassins and yet they did not kill him 't is easie to apply it but 't is hard to make them believe it I believe so too Sir said I for with the same confidence that the Jesuits could splendidly embalm the heart of that * Henry 4. Prince whom they had traiterously Murthered do our Presbyterians seem to lament for the Death of King Charles the First and who but they restored King Charles the Second who now such Defenders of the Regalia of France as the Jesuits and Father Maimbourg writes against the Usurpations of the Pope who but Presbyterians are Loyal Subjects who but they the Preservers of their Country and of the true Protestant Religion Hiccius Doxius of Colchester writes his Black Nonconformist and Dedicates it to the Archbishop of Canterbury just as * Answered by Dr. Durel Philanax Anglicus a Jesuit did before him these are the men that are so irreconcilable to Popery that every honest Orthodox Church-man is a Jesuitical Tory and is mark't out in Libels and Pamphlets to the Rabble who have a fair occasion to complement him when they Cart the Whore of Babylon through the streets of London These are your true Protestant Processions wherein they burn the Pope in Effigie that they may establish his Authority for the multitude are as ready to change Crucifie him into Hosanna's as Hosanna's into Crucifie him they are but as Dogs to Perk that fair game the Jesuits never want a consecrated Gun to shoot at this is the old game of 41 but they will neither acknowledge their former guilt nor fear that punishment which attended it which King Charles says was like that of Corah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 261. and his Complices at once mutining both against Prince and Priest in such a method of divine Justice as is not ordinary the earth of the lowest and meanest people opening upon them and swallowing them up in just disdain of their ill-gotten and worse-used Authority upon whose support and strength they chiefly depended for their building and establishing their designs against me the Church and State As soon as I had spoken these words the roof was in a moment uncovered and there descended the most glorious object that ever I beheld it was in the shape of a Virgin Beautifull as the Sun and which had all the Charms of Heaven and Earth her garments were not very rich but decent and comly her eyes piercing as lightning and on her face was enthron'd all the glories of modesty and innocency her feet which were bare seemed torn and bloody with Thorns and Briars on her right hand sat Kings and Princes and immediately next her King Charles the First with a Crown of light upon his head her left was guarded with a long row of Reverend Prelates in garments white as Snow she no sooner descended with a quickning light all about her but both the Trent Fathers and Assembly of Divines were so strangely Metamorphosed that I could not distinguish them from Devils or from one another for the Fucus and Paint of Hypocrisie upon their faces with which they had deluded and bewitch'd such multitudes of people melted off with the warmth of her Rays and she no sooner espied them but with an angry grief she threatned to make them in a short time as contemptible and odious to future Ages as the worst Hereticks in the world ever were I have said she turning and looking around her travelled through the Wilderness of this World now more than Sixteen hundred years and never yet could find any long-continued abode or resting-place But when the Defenders of the Faith like true Christian Champions had set me free from my long and dark imprisonment and had restored me to my Primitive purity and just Authority the Honour the Peace the Plenty I brought to these Kingdoms made me reflect not only upon their gratitude but their interest too for my security But wo is me I still like the Sun must pass through Clouds of various shapes which are every where drawn from the combined humours of a feculent world yet never was I so much darkned with sorrow and lamentations as in these Islands for the unparallell'd Indignities inflicted upon my head and my members by the most ungratefull men upon the most unjust accusation that ever was lay'd to my charge by Heathens or Infidels I who freed them from the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities was condemned and torn in pieces as guilty of Popish Superstitions So my great Bridegrome was accused as instrumental to the bringing the old Romans to take away the Place and Nation of the Jews but their destruction followed his Crucifixion and the Rebellious divisions of those very Jews provok't the Roman Emperours and lay'd them open to that final vengeance that they left that Land delug'd with blood which they found overflown with Milk and Honey Oh my people of England whom I love and pity with the tenderest compassion and with an unlimited charity Oh that ye weeping said she would know in this your day the things that belong unto your peace that ye would open your eyes and see and consider who they are that will by undiscreet zeal preposterous fears or an ambitious policy subject you to a more intollerable bondage than ever this Nation yet felt Are they not those Pharisaical Hypocrites which strain at a Gnat but swallow a Camel who Pray against Popery in the Church but Preach Jesuitism in the Conventicle who fight against me under a form of Godliness who for a pretence make long Prayers and thorough Reformations that they may destroy Widows houses and God's too Certainly ye have been sufficiently taught from the Calamities ye have lately felt without comparing them to others of a farther distance of time and place not to trust to any change of that Government which was restored with so Universal satisfaction and has still preserved you in peace but by an union of Loyal and truly Christian Resolutions to maintain it against all opposition upon what pretence soever which thing if ye doe then shall ye be delivered from the Presbyterianism of the Council of Trent and from the Jesuitism of the Assembly of Divines from Popish Leagues and Protestant Covenants from the Good Old Cause with a new name to it from establishing Christ's Throne upon the Blood Of Pious Prelates and of Christian Kings From Killing God's Anointed to his Glory From Prayers in unknown words for unknown things And from the Mass and from the Directory THE Third VISION OF THE REFORMATION A short Vindication of the Reformation of the Church of England The Methods the Presbyterians used to ruine it A full Description of their thorough Reformation Parallel desideratur IT is a great and lawfull conveniency that a well-meaning man has in Visions
imagine any thing else should be the Consequence of destroying so just and wise a Government both in Church and State which was a sufficient Bar to keep out those wild Heresies they have now let in upon themselves Surely no Body at home will pity them and all the Reformed Churches abroad do utterly condemn them Beza himself whose Cholerick Disposition was of fatal Consequence to the Reformed Churches will tell their Publick Faith it self that it lies when they said * An Ordinance for putting the Directory c. 1644. They resolv'd to Reform according to the Example of the best Reformed Churches For let but any Man reade over that †To the Prince of Conde Epistle Dedicatory of his before his Translation of the New Testament and he will find how positively he condemns the Methods of their Reformation long before he will find that the same Beza acknowledges the King's Edict to be Jure Divino of Supreme Authority in Ecclesiastical Cases relating to that very Reformation though the King himself was of another Opinion or else what means those words speaking of the Prince of Conde and some others Quos dominus Ecclesiae suae nutritios ex Regiae majestatis edicto constituit He would have continued his Discourse somewhat longer had not a Gentleman interrupted him who was so full that he could not hold but turning himself toward the Smectymnuans Ye meagre Hypocrites quoth he because ye have devoured the Fat of the Land and the Plenty of a whole Age Do ye now look like Pharaoh's Lean Kine Do ye who have long been the Trumpeters of Sedition now look like Drums unbrac'd untill your Chaps like loose Parchment flap inwards What Fast so soon after the Exceedings of the Flesh of Kings and mighty Men Ye in vain pinch those Bowels that deserve to be burnt for Traytors for ye have made the Members fight against the Head so long that for want of a Head they now quarrel with the Belly Ye have made so many spare a Meal to cram the Good Cause that at last 't is grown too Fat and Wanton so that ye may pine your Gutts to Pack-thread untill ye have enough to hang your selves before ye shall make those People obedient to your Discipline who were at first taught to be Rebellious by your Doctrine and besides all the Tith-Geese and Pigs are grown so wild with so much shooting that they will not stay long with any of you but they are for Liberty of Gizard and Pettytoes and the first turn Ana-Baptists and the latter have thrown off the Yoke and are become Independents so that ye are like to starve for all them Alas poor Bards the Druids from every Tree preach down your Kirk and now hope ye have enough of thorough Reformation to chew the Cud upon for one while It was in vain for them to open their Mouths for they had nothing either to Answer or Eat so there being a continued Silence for some time I at last turned to the honest Clergy-man I before mentioned and desired him if he could doe me that Favour to give me a short view of the several Pranks the Saints A-la-mode had played up and down the Kingdom Nothing said he can pleasure me more than to satisfie you with a Description of their thorough Reformation which I shall soon do if you follow me As we were walking together you must consider said he that all the Villanies that are acted under that Notion are the Effects of Presbyterian Zeal and however they complain mightily in the Gangraena 't was they first putrified the Nation 't was they first taught the Rabble to Reform and then they learnt of themselves to Blaspheme Boccalin says 'T is the duty of Reformers to provide themselves of a sure Remedy before they take notice of the Wound and that the Chirurgeon deserves to be punished who first open'd the Sick Man's Vein and then runs for things to close it But they to strain it in their own Phrase bled the Kingdom in the Basilick Vein and then pretended to stop it set the Nation in a Flame and then for fear of being burnt themselves endeavoured to quench it And the same Authour says Sir replyed I That every Man ought to mind his own Trade that a Taylor cannot reform an Apothecary much less a Cobler the Church No said he do you think he cannot What and if he should fancy himself to be shod with the Preparation of the Gospel or imagine himself a Gibeonite with his old Shoes may not he be in League with Israel to reform the old Inhabitants of the Land Yes by St. Crispin he hates Popery and since he is a Translatour he is no mean Reformer why should not those Thumbs which have long been in Mourning for the Sins of the Nation joyn with all true Protestant Fingers in pulling down high Places But Sir said I to him again is it possible that the Presbyterians should encourage such lewd Fellows of the baser sort who naturally delight in mischief to reform as they should think fit Yes replyed he that they did and though Boccalin should say the same thing an hundred times and although they have experienc'd the ill Effects of their rash Reformation yet they would make use of the same means again and rather than fail would call in the Pope and the Devil too to help them As soon as he had spoke we saw a great Dust arising like a Cloud and heard a confused noise but could not distinguish any Person of a long time untill Greenhill a famous Stickler for the new Pilgrimage of Grace appeared at the Head of a vast multitude of Mechanicks intermix'd with Troopers and other Souldiers my Friend and I fell in among them and march'd along untill we came in view of a great and stately Cathedral Church which seem'd to rock like a Cradle as soon as we were come pretty near it the Multitude stood still and Greenhill turning to them cryed If Greenhill to the Commons 1643. p. 37. Justice be at a stand and cannot take hold of living Delinquents to keep the Axe from rust let Justice be executed upon liveless Delinquents Are there no Altars no High Places no Crucifixes At this the whole Multitude rusht into the Church with such Violence as if they would have thrown it out at the Windows and to make way for it they broke all the Painted Glass which in lively Colours and large Figures represented many remarkable Histories of the Old and New Testament calling them Popish Pictures Painted Jezabels looking out at Windows which an ingenious Gentleman observing with Indignation these Wall-eyed dapple Saints quoth he will be for reforming the Rainbow one of these days and fancy it to be set in Holy Water and then down it goes if possible I could not hear what he said more for the Echoes of chopping hacking and defacing whatever came in their way which was either decent or magnificent but observing a Fellow at
above those who design mischief when they are awake and dream of nothing that is good when they are asleep above Popish Priests up to the Ears in Legends Fanaticks in Pulpits or Witches upon Bromstaves for his fancies are for the real good of others as well as for to please himself Parables are lively Pictures of significant truths and Morality was excellently described in Fables by a Heathen but it does not a little trouble me that the Beasts in Aesop should shame some men now a days who will not be convinc'd of the Errors and Mischiefs they are engaged in when they have the opportunity of being better taught by the truly ancient and Catholick Doctrine of the Church of England but her Adversaries the Jesuits and Fanaticks who deny the King to be Head of the Church do likewise reject the Reformation by his Authority the Papists Sham it and would make it a ridiculous Schism the Presbyterians though they renounce the Pope yet retain to themselves that Usurpation which was above 500 years a gaining by the Popes finding that such a Discipline was not consistent with the Doctrine of the Church of England Preach't up a Reformation more pure and primitive as they pretended the reasons we shall know afterwards Therefore the Emblem of the Church we saw in the last Vision having vanquish't and discovered the unjust Stratagems both of the Council of Trent and of the Assembly of Divines ordered her own Convocation of Orthodox and Learned Church-men to defend her for the future against both Papists and Presbyterians They were no sooner fat but in came Harding and boldly told them That they were a small obscure meeting of Calvinists that reformed the Church As soon as Bishop Jewel espied him That is very false said he I will tell you the truth and tell you otherwise in the Epistle I wrote concerning the Council of Trent to a Venetian Noble man my words relating to our Reformation are these For our selves we have done nothing but with very good reason nothing but what we saw to be lawfull and to have been practised by the Ancient Fathers without any reprehension at all wherefore we called a full Synod of Bishops and by common consent of all estates purged our Church as it were Augeas 's Stable of all superfluities which either the negligence or malice of men had brought in this was justly in our power to doe and because we could doe it we did it faithfully At this I was so encouraged as to ask Harding whether or no they were Calvinists or a small obscure meeting that signed the Judgment of the Convocation that the Pope cannot call them without the King's consent in the year 1536 there being present the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London 13 Bishops 49 Abbots c. Now the fatal blow was given to the Papal Authority in England and yet these could not be Calvinists nor were they few or contemptible indeed you Popish Writers are great adversaries to National Councils because they will look after the Civil Rights that the Court of Rome do not encroach upon them which a General Council wherein the Pope is what he pleases cannot therefore Cardinal Palavicini profoundly tells Lib. 14. cap. 12. us that Concilio Nazionale sempre abhorrito dà Pontifici That the Pope did always abhor a National Council and good reason because it sometimes stops that Torrent of Money which he says is so necessary to maintain the carnal felicity of the Church therefore we know why you stickle so much against the Methods of our Reformation which Mr. Shaw has well justified and Origo Protest which Dr. Burnet says was advanced with such deliberation in King Henry the Eight and King Edward the Sixth's time as is as great an evidence of the ripeness Part 1. Pag. 289. of their proceedings as can be shewed in any Church in any Age So that we were Reformed without that violence the German Divines were as the Letters between Osiander and Cranmer testifie or without Rebellion which is always the consequence of Popish Reformations At this he march't off and made room for Raynolds a Rhemish Renegado who came Busling up And although said he ye have fob'd off Mr. Harding yet I suppose I shall prove your Reformation to be a wicked Separation from the Roman Communion which the irreconcilable divisions among you testifie for hear what I say to Whitaker Pag. 481. Have you not at this present among you a great murmuring even amongst the Protestants against the Communion-Book and State of Religion which in the beginning of her Majesties Reign was Queen Elizabeth brought in If the Catholicks said nothing have you not the Puritans detesting your Faith and were it not for the Prince's Sword ready to dispossess you of Chairs and Churches I was mightily amazed to hear this for 't is 99 years ago since these words were Printed which a Gentleman observing See you not said he what a scandal these rascally Schismaticks are to our Reformation indeed the man foretold what too certainly came to pass but he must know that we do not acknowledge that any of their Principles had any share or part in it any more than they had in bringing in the King for in the days of Queen Mary Knox that peevish Puritan was as malicious towards the Orthodox in Francfurt as the Papists were to them in England And moreover 't is no wonder that they agree not with us for they disagree among themselves and are not the same they were Those in King Edward's time scrupled only some Ceremonies as Bucer Rogers and Hooper those in Queen Elizabeths time excepted against some Prayers Canons and Articles but now they are for Abolishing Supremacy and Episcopacy they have lay'd the Ax to the root and are gone so far from the Church of England that they are come round about to the Church of Rome and are worse Papists than any before the Reformation We perceive by Raynolds that the Jesuits very well knew this and therefore whilst the Presbyterians were busie to advance their Discipline they thought them fit tools to carry on their Fifth Monarchy their Principles being both alike destructive both of Church and State in order to which they quarrel with our Reformation and as the Pope and the Devil would have it Cry up a thorough one of their own Of which I will give you such a full sight if you will go along with me that you shall never forget it untill you are in heaven Pray Sir said I before you doe that let me know by what methods they brought their Discipline to that perfection in 48. I will not trouble you said he with a long relation of their several Cabals they had all King James his Reign he himself was sufficiently sensible of their restless humour and said What his Son King Charles found by experience that there were not greater thieves and cut-throats among the Highlanders and Borderers for as soon
Greg. Epist lib. 6. cap. 3. know it he detested it as a Symptome of Antichrist and Phocas who bestowed it upon Pope Boniface did not doe it untill he had an occasion to bestow his Master the Emperour Mauritius in the other World But now said he you may plainly see it with your Eyes look you there there is the Globe of the whole Earth of which the Pope is the Lord and Governour 't is true you Hereticks wander in some little bye Places as in England and in some petty Hans-Towns of Germany but his Authority is extended over all the World all the Indies acknowledge him all Italy France Spain Poland Hungaria Transylvania Gallicia Valentia Granada Andalusia Hold Hold Sir cryed he if you should stumble o'er the Straits Mouth you will beat out your Brains against Hercules's Pillars Pray let us examine this Monster 's Noddle what a grievous bruise has Martin Luther given him with his High Dutch Knuckles he has broken I do not know how many Degrees of Longitude and Latitude all Great Britain is quite beat out and the Low-Countries are so sunck in that I believe he must be trepan'd before he can recover in short the Protestants are almost as numerous as the Papists But suppose we grant him that thumping Appellation why did Pope Paul the 5th in his Bull wherein he excommunicated Queen Elizabeth use that sneaking Title of Servant of Servants your Triple Servant He should have sent a good deep-mouth'd Nuncio that should have stretch'd his Muzzle to the uttermost and have roar'd like a crack of Thunder among the Alpes and have cryed Paolo quinto Papa Monarcha di Regno di Vaticano Segnor del mondo supremo santissimo Vmano magistrato c. This would have conjur'd down all the Protestants and have put them into such a trembling Fit that they would have shak'd all their Heresie out of the Knees of their Breeches this would have better suited him who is the most serene and invincible Sultan of Contradictions the Grand-Seignior of all Mental Reservations and Equivocations the Sophi of Legends and Romances the Great Mogul of Indulgences the Czar of Holy Impostures and Pious Cheats the Great Cham of the Inquisition c. Hold Sir cryed one of the Papists this is Railery and Abuse 't is as true replyed he as that the Pope is Vniversal Bishop let him but keep within his own Diocese and not meddle any more with the Rights of Sovereign Kings and Princes and there is no body that I know of will be so ready to complement him from the Artick to the Antartick Pole for the Future But we hope cryed several of them you will allow our Church to be the Catholick Church For this word Catholick there has been much scrambling these many Years replyed he and you have taken much pains to monopolize it to your See of Rome in order to which for the great number of humane Hereticks whom you excommunicate you take all manner of Beasts Fowles and Fishes into the Pale of your Church St. Francis first converted the Birds and then afterwards he fully convinc'd and satisfied a Wolf that had a very tender Conscience nor was he the onely Apostle to the Brutes but the Bishop Book of Conf. p. 114. of Canaglion managed as difficult a Diocess in the Year 1593 for he Catholickly accused the Fishes so that afterwards they without all doubt believed the Doctrine of Holy Water St. Bernard in a Fit of Popery is reported by * Pet. de Nat. in vit Bern. Petrus de Natalibus to have excommunicated the Flies and therefore several Species of Creatures observing that all Regular Orders had put themseves under the Protection of some considerable Saints have likewise listed themselves the Dogs under St. Hubert a Huntsman the Horses under St. Loys their Ostler-General and because the Geese once preserved the Capitol there was an Order from the Vatican that St. Feriol should take care of them And so said he I hope we are all satisfied as to the Vniversality of the Romish Church pray set forth the Antiquity of it Upon this all the Papists desired that they might save that Argument untill the last fancying that it gathered strength every Moment and desired the Assembly to take into their consideration the Vnity of their Church and the Supremacy of the Pope as for the Protestants cryed one of them they are divided into as many Factions as there are days in the Year and make an Anarchy of the Kingdom of Grace but the Roman Catholicks are all united under one Head the Pope so making the true Hierarchy of the Holy Catholick Church Upon this one of the Church of England stood up and said as for our Church it has no more to doe or answer for the Factions among Protestants than yours nor so much neither when did ever any Minister of the Church of England preach the Doctrines of Fanaticks to promote its Interest when did any of them ever preach that which in their Consciences they knew to be a Lye for the sake of the Truth and if you look into your own you will find those Divisions which never were in our Church as the differences betwixt the Dominicans and Franciscans betwixt the Jansinists and Mollinists which have been continued with the greatest heats imaginable 't is true the Pope hath sometimes interposed his Authority but to no great purpose but where was the Papal Authority in the days of the Anti-Popes or what will become of it if the Jesuits gain their designs will all other Orders acknowledge the Papal Authority if the Jesuits confine it to their own the Church of England can never be subject to such a Fatal Division so long as the King of England is acknowledged to be in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil Supreme Governour As for the Pope's Supremacy that has been so sufficiently pelted with good Greek and Latin by many of these Learned Authours that I will onely humbly drop a few Queries concerning it at this time First then We desire to know Whether our Saviour ever granted it to St. Peter Secondly Whether the present Pope be his Successour Thirdly Suppose it was granted to St. Peter Whether there was any need of forging the Donation of Constantine afterwards Fourthly If it was granted to St. Peter because he first confess'd him to be Christ the Son of the living God Whether Pope Leo the 10th had any right to it for saying to Cardinal Bembo * Crispinus Quantum nobis nostrique ea de Christo fabula prosuerit satis est omnibus secuâ— notum Fifthly we desire to know whether any Bishoprick in Christendom remaining can shew a Succession so disordered and corrupted as that of Rome Not to mention their strange Schisms let any Person but consider the Stratagems and impious Intrigues of the Conclave the Factions of the Nepotism contrary to that Solemn Oath they take enough to make Angels tremble and he will conclude