NO NECESSITY OF REFORMATION OF THE PUBLICK DOCTRINE OF THE Church of England By JOHN PEARSON D. D. LONDON Printed by J. G. for Nathaniel Brook at the Angel in Cornhill 1660. No Necessity of Reforming THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH Of ENGLAND WHereas there hath lately come forth a Book endeavouring to give Reasons shewing the Necessity of Reformation of the Publike Doctrine offered to the Consideration of the Parliament by divers Ministers of sundry Counties in England being I have hitherto constantly believed the Publique Doctrine of our Church to be true and Orthodoxe and have often blessed God for continuing me in the Faith professed amongst us since the Reformation I did resolve to examine impartially at my first leisure the Reasons pretending to shew the Necessity of Reforming that Doctrine Perusing that Part of the Book which treateth of this subject with some diligence I found not any one Reason which could in the least perswade me that there is any such Necessity of Reformation of the publique Doctrine of our Church and consequently did resolve notwithstanding what is yet brought to the contrary to continue in the Faith which I have hitherto professed and not to repent of my Subscription to the Articles of the Church of England After this private satisfaction of mine own Conscience entring into a further consideration that it is an undoubted disparagement of any Doctrine to be in a Necessity of being reformed and fearing lest some if not of the Parliament to whose consideration the Reasons are offered yet of the People for whose instruction they are published might hereby conceive some sinister Opinion of the Doctrine of our Church I thought it not unfit to give a publique account of my private thoughts concerning this Particular But lest any man may imagine that this writing of one Minister against others might hinder that Union of all Parties which as at all times so especially at this is to be wished and embraced I shall begin with this unfeigned Profession that I do heartily and earnestly desire a full compliance concurrence and union with such persons as those Ministers who offer the Reasons professe themselves to be that is to say such as truly and unfeignedly will make good those words It is far from our thoughts to oppose or disparage Orthodox Doctrine a well-composed Liturgy Rites for decency and order Ordination of Ministers Apostolical Episcopacy or due Rules of Discipline We are for all these with truth and against rigid impositions which may debar a Christian of any liberty allowed him by Christ And lest this Publication might any way become or be thought guilty of hindering or retarding that so much expected and desired Union I have resolved to use my Pen with such brotherly temper and Christian moderation as that there come not from me any provocation or the least Reflection either upon their Persons their Parties or Perswasions applying my self wholy and solely to a due examination and orderly discussion of their Reasons weighing and trying whether they have in them any force to inferre the pretended Conclusion and in case they prove not of that validity discovering and declaring the insufficiency and weakness of them Now the Proposition or Conclusion propounded and to be proved by them according to the Title of their Book and Front of the first Part is this There is a Necessity of the Reformation of the Publique Doctrine of the Church of England This Proposition I confesse to be the opinion of some men for it is the Tenet of the Church of Rome and I am assured that there is not one Papist who doth not resolutely maintain it but that it is or ever was since the Reformation of the Church and Confirmation of the Articles the Opinion of the Ministers of sundry Counties in England still professing themselves Ministers of the Church of England I never yet understood To this Proposition they have added an Appendage in these words Reputed to be but indeed not established by Law Which Addition must be considered in the laying down or fixing the Conclusion to avoid all manner of misconception In order whereunto in the first place I shall lay down this Assertion Whether the Publique Doctrine be established indeed by Law or whether it be Reputed onely to be established there is no Necessity of the Reformation of it And the reason of this Assertion in relation to the Appendage or Addition is clear because the adding of these words Established or Reputed can have no influence at all upon the Reformation of the Doctrine For if the Publique Doctrine be indeed established by Law as it is reputed the establishment by Law cannot put it into a Necessity of Reformation because no Doctrin◠〈…〉 the worse by a Legall establishment if the Publique 〈…〉 be onely Reputed to be established by Law and be indeed not established the Nonestablishment may put it in need of a Confirmation but can put upon it no Necessity of Reformation because the truth of the Doctrines of Religion dependeth not upon the Legall establishment There is therefore a necessity of distinguishing these two conceptions of Reformation and Confirmation of the Publique Doctrine They are not more industriously confounded in their Treatise then they must be carefully distinguished in our Answer Wherefore I shall make my opposition distinâ—t and deliver it in two Conclusions the one opposed to the pretended Necessity of Reformation the other to the objected want of Confirmation Of the first I shall treate resolvedly as a Divine to whom it properly appertaines to speake of Theologicall Doctrines and shall take the leave earnestly to contend for the Faith of the Church of the other I shall speake with all reverence and submission to the Learned in the Laws who understand the force of them better then I can with any modesty pretend to do Our first Conclusion then is this There is no Necessity of a Reformation of the Publique Doctrine of the Church of England This I here present by way of negation opposing it to their affirmation not designing here to prove it but onely to vindicate the truth of it from their objections and to shew the invalidity of their Reasons They begin to lay the Foundations of their Reasons thus The Publique Doctrine of the Church of England as it is commonly received and insisted upon is said to be contained in the 39. Articles c. Where it is to be observed First that it is not said All the Publique Doctrine of the Church is contained in the 39. Articles Secondly that whatsoever Publique Doctrine of the Church is not contained in the 39. Articles is not so much as pretended to be in a Necessity of Reformation So that if there be any Publique Doctrine not contained in the Articles as I conceive they will confesse there is that Doctrine is not onely clear from all their exceptions but will serve also to invalidate something of them when they are brought against the rest Their Reasons framed against
agreed upon in the Convocation and published by the Kings Majesty and more fully by the Latine Edition set forth by Renold Wolfe with this Title Articuli de quibus in Synodo Londinensi Anno Dom. M. D. LII ad tollendam opinionum dissensionem consensum verae Religionis firmandum inter Episcopos alios eruditos viros convenerat Regiâ Authoritate in lucem editi Which is also prefixed in John Day 's English Edition before the Catechisme published at the same time with the Articles and in the English Edition of Richard Grafton set forth by it self all which were printed in the same year viz. 1553. Thus farre they went in the beginning of the Reformation and this was the Authority which those Articles had and that might be sufficient if no more were thought necessary The same Articles of Religion with some alterations in the Reviviscency of the Reformation in the days of Queen Elizabeth were again Ratified by the Authority of the Queen and of the Clergy as appeareth by the English Edition set forth by Richard Jugge and John Cawood whose title is this ARTICLES whereupon it was agreed by the Arch-bishops and Bishops of both the Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year of our Lord God M. D. LXII according to the Computation of the Church of England for th' avoyding of the diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true Religion Put forth by the Queens Authority A Latine Title to the same effect is praefixed to the same Articles of the Latine Edition by Renold Wolfe with this addition concerning the Queens Authority at the Conclusion Quibus omnibus Articulis Serenissima Princeps Elizabeth Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Regina Fidei Defensor c. per seipsam diligenter prius lectis examinatis Regium suum assensum praebuit Thus did they continue for above eight years as they conceived sufficiently confirmed and established The Articles thus established in the year 1562. were again Ratified and confirmed in the year 1571. as appeareth by two English Editions both set forth the same year by Richard Jugge and John Cawood with the same Title before mentioned and with this Ratification added at the Conclusion This book of Articles before rehearsed is again approved and allowed to be holden and executed within the Realme by the assent and consent of our Soveraigne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen Defender of the Faith c. Which Articles were diligently read and confirmed again by the subscription of the hands of the Arch-bishops and Bishops of the Vpper-house and by the subscription of the whole Cleargy in the Neather-house in their Convocation in the year of our Lord God 1571. The same Title and Ratification were printed with the Articles the same year in Latine by John Day Thus were the Articles again established by the Authority of the Queen and the Subscription of the whole Clergy in Convocation But all these Confirmations though greater were never had before in matters of Articles of the Church did notwithstanding not amount unto a full and formall Law till it was thought fit that not onely the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the Clergy convened in the Convocation should subscribe them but that the same Subscription should be required of all the Ministers in all places of the Kingdome and then these Articles were confirmed by a compleate Law that is an Act of Parliament made in the same year 1571. by the consent of the Queen Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons of England 13. Eliz. cap. 20. From whence my Second Conclusion in reference to the Confirmation of the Publique Doctrine is this The Articles of Religion of the Church of England are established by the Law of England Against this Conclusion so plain and evident our Brethren the Ministers of sundry Counties have made some Objections but very short contained in their two first Paragraphs the first of which is this It appears not that they were all or any of them confirmed by Parliament in the 13. of Eliz. forasmuch as they are not therein expressely inserted nor so much as their number but onely the Title-page of them mentioned Nor is it known when the Originall is inrolled For the Assertion it self contained in the first words of this Paragraph It appears not that they were all or any of them confirmed by Parliament in the 13. of Eliz. I shall evince the contrary first ad homines proving out of their own words that they were confirmed which against them is sufficient In their Answer to the Objection that the Kings Declaration may be laid aside they urge that there is a necessity of repealing that branch of the Act so farre as it concerneth subscription But there can be no Necessity to repeal that branch of the Act if neither all nor any of the Articles be confirmed by that Act for the Subscription required by that Act is express'd to be a Subscription to the said Articles and no other Again they argue thus against the Subscription There is no more Necessity for Ministers to subscribe those Articles which that Act confirmes then there is for others to subscribe to all other Acts of Parliament which doe concern them In which words they plainly confesse that the Act confirmes the Articles and certainly whatsoever is confirmed by an Act of Parliament is established by Law Again these are their plain and formall words The Statute doth require belief of every one of these Articles when it enjoynes not onely Subscription but an assent unto them punishing all with Deprivation that shall affirm and maintain any Doctrine repugnant to them Now if it be true that the Statute doth require belief of every one of these Articles How can it be also true that neither all nor any of them is confirmed by that Statute These two Assertions are so different and contradictory that they may well be pend in sundry Counties as well as by divers Ministers Secondly that the Articles were confirmed by the Act of the 13. of Eliz. will thus appear The Act begins thus That the Churches of the Queens Majesties Dominions may be served with Pastors of sound Religion be it enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament c. Either therefore something is established concerning Religion in that Act or nothing If you say nothing then first you charge the Parliament with folly to make an Act for establishing nothing Secondly you make their determinations no way correspondent to their intentions for they make this Act to the intent that the Churches might be served with Pastors of sound Religion whereas the Act it self you say establisheth no Religion If the Act did establish something in Religion then it either established the Articles or something beside the Articles But it is most plain that it established nothing in Religion beside the Articles therefore it must be at
the Publique Doctrine contained in the Articles are laid upon two Foundations upon the Doubtfulness and the Defectiveness of it more Reasons of a Necessity of Reformation they pretend not to For thus they assume But these Articles are both Doubtfull and Defective First they endeavour to prove them Doubtfull at large and when they have done with the Doubtfulnesse they proceed immediately to the Defectivenesse which having handled much more briefly they conclude their Treatise of the Doctrine As to their Reason grounded on their first Foundation it must run thus Whatsoever is doubtfull is Necessarily to be reformed But the Doctrine contained in the 39. Articles is doubtfull Therefore the Doctrine contained in the 39. Articles is necessarily to be reformed The Major Proposition is not by them expressed neither is there any thing offered for the Proof or credit of it And yet in some sense it may certainly be denied But that is not so materiall The very Minor Proposition upon which the Reason mainly depends hath no formall Proof annexed to it For in stead of proving the Doubtfulnesse of the Doctrine contained in them which can be the onely pretence in this case of a Necessity of Reformation of Doctrine the Doubtfulnesse of the Confirmation of the Articles is onely insisted upon in the two first Paragraphs the Declaration of his Late Majesty 10. Caroli is rehearsed in the 3. Paragraph The sad consequences of the Continuation and Confirmation of that Declaration are urged by 7. severall Reasons An Objection foreseen prescribing a Cure by taking away that Declaration is answered in two Paragraphs And more then this is not produced to prove that the Doctrine contained in the 39. Articles is doubtfull To this I answer in Generall Though the Articles had not been confirmed by Parliament though the Declaration 10. Caroli prefixed to the Articles were of evil consequence though the Taking away of that Declaration would not give satisfaction if the Ministers be still tied to Subscription yet it followeth not from any or from all of these that the Doctrine contained in the 39. Articles is doubtfull For the Certainty of the Doctrine dependeth neither upon the Confirmation of the Parliament nor the Declaration of the King The Doctrine contained in the Articles was agreed upon declared and set forth some years before the Act of Parliament of the 13. of Eliz. many years before the Declaration of K. Charles of blessed memory If the Doctrine were doubtfull after the Act and Declaration it was doubtfull before if it were not doubtfull before it cannot be doubtfull after because it is the same Doctrine both before and after and neither the Act nor the Declaration is any part of the Doctrine or Articles Here is no pretence of any Doubtfulnesse in the Articles in themselves antecedent to the Act and Declaration and independent of them But unlesse they prove the Publique Doctrine it self to be doubtfull in it self they bring nothing at all to prove a Necessity of a Reformation of it According to the foundation of the second Reason grounded upon the Defectiveness of the Articles their Argument must run thus Whatsoever is defective is in a Necessity of being reformed The Doctrine contained in the 39. Articles is defective Therefore the Doctrine contained in the 39. Articles is in a Necessity of being reformed To which I answer that they have not express'd the Major Proposition much lesse have they brought any Reason to shew the truth of it and that it is in the sense in which they understand it untrue is most certain For it is not Necessary to reform any one or more Doctrines onely for this reason because they are not all Doctrines Nor is any thing in it self therefore false or evil because there is something else beside it true or good Their Argument is the same with this That to which any thing may be added must be reformed But to the Publique Doctrine of the Church something may be added Therefore that Doctrine which is professed must be reformed They may as well inferre a Necessity of reforming the Gospel of S. Matthew because there may be something added to the Relations contained in it out of the Relations contained in the other Gospels and thus every Evangelical Harmony would be a Reformation of each Evangelist There is a large difference between Addition and Reformation A defect supposes the Necessity of one not of the other Were therefore that proved by them which is expressed it would no way inferre the Conclusion because that is not proved which is implied for the illation of it and without which the Conclusion cannot follow For if it be not Necessary that whatsoever is Defective should be Reformed then he which proves onely that any Doctrine is defective by want of Addition of other Doctrines to it doth not prove that the Doctrine to which the Addition should be made must of Necessity be Reformed If therefore I should answer no more then this to either of their Arguments what hath been already said were sufficient to shew that there is no Reason produced in that Book which doth or can prove the Necessity of a Reformation of the Doctrine of the Church of England But to give yet fuller Satisfaction and to leave nothing unanswered which hath the least appearance of Opposition I shall endeavour to occurre to all Particulars which may seem to inferre the Doubtfulnesse of the Doctrine or the Defect of the Articles omitting nothing which can be brought out of that Discourse to prove either In relation to the First it is most certain that the two former Paragraphs concern only the Legal Establishment and therefore shall be considered and refuted in my 2. Generall Conclusion The 3. Paragraph onely reciteth part of the Declaration of 10 Caroli 1. Prefixed to the Articles and that is there recited onely to shew the Inconveniences supposed to flow from it As yet therefore there is nothing brought to manifest the Doubtfulnesse of the Doctrine and if there shall appear to be any thing it must be contained in the 7. sad Consequences as they call them which are mainly and directly intended against the Declaration of that pious King and blessed Martyr but obliquely strike at the Articles themselves and the Doctrine contained in them Whatsoever therefore is contained in them to that purpose I shall examine and clearly shew that is of no Validity to prove the doubtfulnesse of the Publique Doctrine The first sad consequence as they call it speaks only of barring the Ministers from liberty to interpret the Articles which is certainly far from proving the doubtfulness of them for the Interpretation may be prohibited as needless because of the Certainty Evidence and Persâ—icuity of the Doctrine As for the Notorious truth mentioned by them whether it be a truth or whether it be notorious it is equally unconcerned in this proof and may prove the Doubtfulness of the Publique Doctrine as much if it be false The second sad consequence
very well omit and conclude with them Thus much of the doubtfulnesse of the Articles which they have much pretended no way proved scarce endeavoured As for the second Part of their charge the Defectivenesse of the Publique Doctrine they endeavour to prove it by three severall Arguments The First is brought from the 6. Article the onely Article of all the 39. accused by them of defect in it self Their Objection is this The Article is defective in the not enumerating all the Books of the New Testament And my Answer is plainly this Though the Article doe not enumerate all or any of the Books of the New Testament yet the Doctrine of this Article is not defective and my Reason is because the Article describes them as well as if it did enumerate them so that any man may rest as much satisfied with the Description as with the Enumeration As for Example the Council of Trent doth enumerate all the Books of the New Testament by name Sess. 4. the Church of England not following that Council expresseth her self otherwise saying All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received we doe receive and account them Canonicall Now all the Books named in the Council of Trent are commonly received or they are not if they be not commonly received then I confesse the Article may be thought defective but this I suppose our Brethren will not say or if they doe it is a known untruth if they be all commonly received then hath our Article left none out in her description more then they have in their enumeration If they did or could name any one Book which they could prove to belong to the New Testament and yet is not commonly received then they might charge the Article with defect for it would want that Book so named and yet not received But if they can name no Book of the New Testament which is not commonly received then the Article containeth every Book of the New Testament which can be named and if it contain all that can be named it must contain all that can be enumerated and consequently it cannot be defective in the not enumerating Wherefore I entreat our Brethren the Ministers of sundry Counties that they will not preferre the Council of Trent before the Articles of our Church where nothing materiall can be objected to either As for the doubts which have been in the Church of the Epistles of S. James and the second of S. Peter they make nothing against this description for though they have been doubted of yet they are now commonly received and the Article embraceth all as they are commonly received referring to the time in which the Articles were penn'd not to the age before Eusebius wrote the History of the Church and the Differences about the Scriptures Now at this time the Church of Rome had declared and enumerated all the Canonicall Books of the New Testament the Church of England upon the Reformation did no way differ from the Church of Rome in this Particular but had in its Practice received and used all the same Books and therefore needed no other way to denote them then by the Books of the New Testament commonly received Where there was a difference between our Church and theirs there to make good the Reformation it was necessary to enumerate the Books because the difference could not be otherwise known and therefore we have in reference to the Old Testament a Catalogue of the Canonicall Books and another of the Apocryphall but where there was difference neither with them nor among our selves there such an Expression as might acknowledge the consent and no way prejudice the truth was thought most proper In the Article made in the time of King Edward 6. in the year 1552. printed by Richard Grafton 1553. there was neither description nor enumeration of any Books of the Holy Scriptures and therefore it is hard measure that the Church in the days of Queen Elizabeth 1562. adding an enumeration of the Books of the Old Testament and a Description of those of the New for the supplying of a supposed defect should be accused as defective The second Argument to prove the Defectivenesse of the Publique Doctrine is that There are no Articles for discovering and condemning sundry points of Popery To which my Answer is That if they meane no more then that which will discover a man to be a Papist there is abundantly sufficient contained in the Articles to discover any man For we may assure our selves the Church of Rome will admit no man to their Society who shall be ready to subscribe our Articles This therefore as to such a Discovery can be no reall Defect because we can need no more then what is enough But if the Articles did want some Doctrines for the Discovery of Popery which they doe not yet those which our Brethren mention cannot be wanted for that purpose They signify a defect of such Tenets as are opposite to those of Arminius and think that they if they were setled would discover Popery Whereas it is most evident that the deniall of the Doctrines contrary to those of Arminius is no good or sound way to discover a Papist If the Church of England had found out no other way to discover a Romanist then the denying of Arminianisme there would suddenly be Popish Priests enow to possesse mine and all your Benefices I look upon the Dominican Friers to be as great enemies of Armianisme as I or you are and yet to be as much Papists as any are I suppose no man thinks a Praedeterminant or a Jansenian to be inclining to an Arminian and yet 't is probable that the Major part of the Papists are of those Opinions I therefore conclude as a most evident and infallible truth that the Articles are not defective in the way of discovering Popery or Papists for that reason onely because they have not sufficiently express'd themselves against Arminianisme The third Argument endeavouring to prove the Defectivenesse of the Publique Doctrine is an enumeration of severall Common-places in Divinity not comprehended in the Articles For so they argue Those Articles contain nothing of the Creation of Providence Fall of man c. and these they urge thus All which the Scripture teacheth and that as necessary as appears by the comprizing most of them in the Apostles Creed To which I answer That this Argument containeth in it two Objections neither of which can be made good and yet if both were true they could not prove that which they intend The first part of the Argument asserts That the Articles contain nothing of the Creation Providence and the rest of the Doctrines enumerated at least 20. in number Which is a manifest untruth For it cannot be said that the Articles contain nothing of the Creation when the first Article teacheth us that God is the Maker of all things Visible and Invisible How can it be true that the Creation is comprized in the
last confess'd that it established the Articles Thirdly Those which are Learned in the Laws are certainly the best Interpreters of the Law and know best what things are established by Law and what not Amongst them the Memory of Sir Edward Coke with me is most precious in relation to himself while he lived and to his Sons since his death and his Authority great with all He therefore speaks in this manner in the fourth Part of his Institutes cap. 74. Subscription required by the Clergy is twofold one by force both of an Act of Parliament confirming and establishing the 39. Articles of Religion agreed upon at a Convocation of the Church of England and ratified by Queen Elizabeth under the Great seal of England In the Opinion therefore and Language of that learned Chief Justice the Act of Parliament doth confirme and establish the 39. Articles and those words I oppose to theirs it appears not that they were all or any of them confirmed by act of Parliament Let us now consider the Reasons inducing them to deny this Legall Confirmation which seem in the forecited Paragraph to be two First forasmuch as they are not therein expressely inserted nor so much as their number but onely the Title-page of them mentioned To which I answer First that this is the same Argument which you us'd against the Articles for not enumerating the Books of the New Testament onely here it is much weaker for there it would have satisfied you if the names of the Books of the New Testament had been enumerated though the whole New Testament had not been inserted in the Article but here nothing can satisfy but an express Insertion of all which is to be allowed Secondly I answer that it is not materiall what is actually inserted to conclude what is actually to be performed The Title of the Articles is inserted and yet neither the sound Religion designed in the Preamble nor the Subscription urged in the body of the Act hath any reference to the Title for there is neither any Religion contained in the Title nor any Subscription required to it But the Articles which are not inserted are affirmed by the Act to concern the Confession of the true Christian Faith and the assent and subscription are required unto them not to the Title Deprivation is denounced to all which shall affirme any Doctrine directly contrary or repugnant to any of the said Articles not to the Title We must not therefore look unto what is inserted but what is intended in the Act. If any Ministers had pleaded before the Lord Chief-Justice Wray or Coke that they were ready to subscribe to the Title of the Book of Articles expressed in the Statute but not to the Articles contained in the Book because they were not expressed in the Act certainly they would have far'd as ill as he who subscrib'd them with a condition As for the Number of them it is no way materiall because though now they are known under the names and number of 39. yet then they were not so generally called The Articles of Edward the sixth were of another number and those which were agreed upon 1562. had no number affix'd to them neither in the English nor Latine Edition They were not therefore then so well known by their number as by their Title and the Act while it rehearseth the Title confirmeth the Book which was so intituled Their second Reason upon which they deny this Legal Confirmation is delivered in these words Neither is it known where the Original is enrolled To which I answer First that if the Original Copy of the Articles had never been enrolled yet the Articles themselves had never been the lesse confirmed and my Reason is because the Act taketh no notice of the Articles as they were at first written but as they were at that time printed For thus the Act speaks That the Churches of the Queens Majesties Dominions may be served with Pastors of sound Religion be it enacted by the authority of this present Parliament that every person under the degree of a Bishop shall declare his assent and subscribe to all the Articles of Religion which onely concern the confession of the true Christian Faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments comprised in a Book imprinted intituled ARTICLES whereupon it was agreed by the Arch-bishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year of our Lord God 1562. according to the Computation of the Church of England for the avoiding of the diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true Religion put forth by the Queens Authority These Articles were agreed upon in the year 1562. and then printed with this very Title before by us transcribed out of that Edition In the year 1571. Those Articles were reprinted and then this Act was published whether therefore the Originall were enrolled or not enrolled the Articles comprised in the Book imprinted and so intituled were confirmed by the Statute I Answer secondly that the Enrollment of the Originall is not so obscure as they pretend We know that there was an Originall enrolled we can tell them how many pages that Originall consisted of even determinately 19. we can assure them this was deposited with Matthew Arch-bishop of Canterbury we can tell them the day when it was done viz. the fifth day of February in the year 1562. All which appeareth by the Postscript printed with the Articles in Latine in the year 1563. by Renald Wolfe the Queens Printer The words are these Hos Articulos Fidei Christianae continentes in universum novendecim paginas in autographo quod asservatur apud Reverendissimum in Christo Patrem Dominum Matthaeum Cantuariensem Archepiscopum totius Angliae Primatem Metropolitanum Archepiscopi Episcopi utriusque Provinciae regni Angliae in sacra provinciali Synodo legitime congregati unanimi assensu recipiunt profitentur ut veros atque Orthodoxos manuum suarum subscriptionibus approbant vicessimo nono die mensis Januarii Anno Domini secundum computationem Ecclesiae Anglicanae millesimo quingentesimo sexagesimo secundo universusque Clerus Inferioris domus eosdem etiam unanimiter recepit professus est ut ex manuum suarum subscriptionibus patet quas obtulit deposuit apud eundem Reverendissimum quinto die Februarii Anno praedicto The Late Arch-bishop giveth testimony to the same in his speech delivered in the Starre-chamber June 14. 1637. His words are these p. 69. I sent to the Publique Records in my Office and here under my Officers hand who is a Publique Notary is returned me the Twentieth Article with this Affirmative Clause in it And there is also the whole Body of the Articles to be seen To those therefore which know the Publique Records unknown perhaps to the Ministers of sundry Counties it is known where the Originall is preserv'd And this I conceive a sufficient Answer to their first Paragraph Their second Paragraph to the same purpose is this Of the 39. there were 36. of them set forth yet not ratified by Parliament the other were added by the Convocation in An. 1562. As for the Parenthesis of this Paragraph signifying that the Articles made in K. Edward 6. time were not ratified by Parliament it no way opposeth them who thinke our Articles established by Law because no man imagines that our Articles were under the Consideration of any Parliament in the days of Edward 6. The other words of that Paragraph are something doubtfully penn'd and seem to be capable of two senses First that in the time of Edward 6. there were but 36. Articles set forth If this be the sense of their words they are not true For the Articles agreed upon in the year 1552. and set forth in the year 1553. that is to say the Articles in K. Edwards Raigne if you look upon those which were printed by Renald Wolfe in Latine or John Day in English you will find 42. Heads or Contents without figures if you look into the Edition of Richard Grafton you will find not onely the Contents but the numbers affixed to each Article to amount to 42. It is not therefore true that in the time of Edward 6. there were but 36. Articles set forth The second sense of the words of that Paragraph may be this That of those 39. Articles set forth in the days of Queen Eliz. there were 36. set forth in the Raigne of Edward 6. And in this sense their words are not true For the 5. Article Of the Holy Ghost the 12. Article Of Good works the 29. Of the wicked which eat not the body of Christ in the use of the Lords Supper and the 30. Of both kinds these four are not to be found in the Articles set forth in the Raigne of Edward 6. And if 4. of the 39. be not to be found there cannot be 36. of the same 39. Wherefore I conclude that I can find no sense in which those words are true that Of those 39. Articles there were 36. of them set forth in Edward 6. his raigne Now being this is all which is objected by them against the Legall establishment of the Articles being an Act of Parliament hath propounded the same Articles as a Confession of the true Christian Faith and sound Religion and acknowledgeth any Doctrine contrary to the said Articles to be untrue Doctrine and upon this acknowledgment and publike Declaration of the truth of the Faith and soundnesse of the Religion hath required all Ministers to declare their unfained assent to the same upon pain of being deprived ipso facto I conclude that the Articles of the Church of England are confirmed by the Law of England And thus having answered all the Objections endeavouring to prove a Necessity of Reformation or Confirmation of the Publick Doctrine of our Church I earnestly entreat all these my Brethren in sundry Counties to advise with the more sober counsels of those of our Brethren who have lately declared that They take it for granted that there is no difference between us in matter of Doctrine FINIS
Apostles Creed as they say and not in the Articles when the words of the Article speak as expressely of it as the Creed It cannot be said that the Articles contain nothing of the fall of man when the 10. Article begins thus The condition of man after the Fall of Adam is such and then goeth on to expresse the condition of man fallen It cannot be said that the Articles contain nothing of Sin or the Punishment of sin when the 9. Article giveth a full Description of Originall Sin which is it self a sin and the fountain of all other sins when the 15. Article sheweth Christ alone to be without sin and sin to be in every one beside him when the 16. Article treateth of the nature of sin after Baptisme When the second Homily whose doctrine is approved by the Articles treateth at large of the misery of all mankind and of his condemnation to death everlasting by his own sin It cannot be said that the Articles contain nothing of Effectual calling when the 17. Article treating of Praedestination to life hath these words Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made sons of God by adoption c. Certainly this is an Effectuall Calling and that with something of Adoption It cannot be said the Articles contain nothing of Faith when the 4. Homily the Doctrine whereof is confirmed by the Articles treateth solely thereof according to the Title A short Declaration of the true lively and Christian Faith Much lesse can it be said they contain nothing of Repentance when the 19. Homily intituled of Repentance is expressely named Article 35. and the Doctrine acknowledged which Homily treateth largely of that subject in three Parts It cannot be suid the Articles contain nothing of the Law when the 7. Article speaketh of the state of those which lived under the Law of the cessation of the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Law and the continued obligation of the Morall Law From these and others which I might yet mention it appeareth that it is not justly charged upon the Articles that they contain nothing of the Doctrines enumerated As for the other part pretending a Necessity of adding or inserting those Doctrines or Heads of Divinity because taught as they say by the Scriptures as Necessary which they prove onely thus because as they say it appears by the comprizing most of them in the Apostles Creed To this I answer First that it cannot possibly appear thereby For granting that most of them were comprized in the Apostles Creed granting that whatsoever is comprized in the Apostles Creed is taught by the Scriptures as necessary yet it no way followeth that the other Heads or Common-places not comprized in the Creed are taught by the Scriptures as necessary For no Doctrine in the Creed can transferre the Necessity of it to another which is not in the Creed or if it can it must be by a Necessary consequence from it or Dependance of it But if any one should argue thus the Doctrine of Creation is comprized in the Creed from whence it is esteemed as necessary therefore the Doctrine of Liberty of Conscience which is not contained in the Creed must be equally esteemed as necessary the Doctrines of the Resurrection and the last Judgment are necessary as contained in the Creed therefore the Doctrines of Marriage and Church-discipline are necessary which are not contained in it I say if any one should argue thus a man with modesty might deny the Consequence If therefore most of the Doctrines mentioned were comprized in the Apostles Creed yet it followeth not that all the rest were Necessary Secondly I answer by a flat denyall The most of those Doctrines mentioned are not comprized in the Apostles Creed Which thus I make good The Doctrines mentioned as not at all contained in the Articles are these 1. Creation 2. Providence 3. Fall of man 4. Sin 5. Punishment of sin 6. God's Covenants 7. Effectuall calling 8. Adoption 9. Sanctification 10. Faith 11. Repentance 12. Perseverance 13. Law of God 14. Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience 15. Sabbath or Lords day 16. Marriage and Divorce 17. Communion of Saints 18. Church-government and Discipline 19. Resurrection 20. The Last Judgment Which are in number 20. at the least But the most part of these are not comprized in the Apostles Creed except four or five be the most part of 20. I answer Thridly that it seems to me a very strange Objection to say that most of these Doctrines are comprized in the Apostles Creed and nothing of them contained in the Articles when the Apostles Creed it self is contained in the Articles and two Creeds more which have been generally looked upon as the Expositions of that Creed For these are the words of the 8. Article The three Creeds Nice Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought throughly to be received and believed Being then severall of those Doctrines are contained in the Articles being they are no otherwise proved to be necessary then because they are comprized in the Creed being farre the major part of them are not to be found in the Creed being all which are in the Creed must be contained in the Articles which contain the Creed it self I therefore conclude the third Argument doth no way prove that the Articles are defective Again being those are no more then these three Arguments brought to evince the Defectivenesse and all these are answered being I have formerly shewed the invalidity of those which pretended to prove the Doubtfulnesse of our Doctrine being there is no other Topick used beside these two of the Doubtfulnesse and Defectivenesse of the Articles to prove the Necessity of a Reformation I therefore stick to my first Conclusion There is no Necessity of a Reformation of the Publique Doctrine of the Church of England Having thus vindicated the Doctrine in it self we shall now consider by what Authority it is established having shewed that it wanteth not any Reformation we will enquire whether it stand in need of any Confirmation Certain it is that the Publique Doctrine of the Church of England is reputed to be established by Law but divers Ministers of sundry Counties tell us that though it be reputed yet indeed it is not so established To make way for as clear a Determination of this Question as I can I shall shew all the ways by which the Articles of our Church have been confirmed and then consider upon the whole whether it amount to a Legall Confirmation or no The first Articles of Religion framed since the Reformation were made in the Raign of Edward the sixth in the year 1552. the Authority which they had was from the King and from the Clergy This appeareth by the English Edition set forth by John Day with this Title Articles