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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95762	The judgement of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland. Of Babylon (Rev. 18. 4.) being the present See of Rome. (With a sermon of Bishop Bedels upon the same words.) Of laying on of hands (Heb. 6. 2.) to be an ordained ministery. Of the old form of words in ordination. Of a set form of prayer. / Published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard D.D. and preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne, London. Unto which is added a character of Bishop Bedel, and an answer to Mr. Pierces fifth letter concerning the late primate.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bedell, William, 1571-1642.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing U189; Thomason E1783_1; ESTC R209661	108,824	393

returneth not in vain and where true Faith is Men are translated from death to life he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life John 3. last vers Some men perhaps may object the Faith which they describe and call by this name of Catholick Faith Is none other but such as the Divels may have I answer Religion is not Logick He that cannot give a true definition of the soul is not for that without a soul so he that defines not Faith truely yet may have true Faith learned Divines are not all of accord touching the definition of it But if as by the whole stream of the Scripture it should seem to be a trust and cleaving unto God this Faith many there have the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ is wrought in many there John 14.21.23 now he that loveth Christ is loved of him and of the Father also and because the proof of true love to Christ is the keeping of his sayings their are good works and according to the measure of knowledge great conscience of obedience Yea will some man say But that which marreth all is the Opinion of merit and satisfaction Indeed that is the School Doctrine but the Conscience enlightned to know it self will easily act that part of the Publican who smote his breast and said God be merciful to me a sinner I remember a good advice of one of that side let others saith he that have commi●ted few sinnes and done many good workes satisfie for their sins But whatsoever thou dost refer it to the Honour of God so as whatsoever good come from thee thou resolve to doe it to please God accounting thy works too little to satisfie for thy sins For as for thy sins thou must offer Christs works his pains and wounds and his death it self to him together with that love of his out of which he endured these things for thee These are available for the satisfaction for thy sins But thou whatsoever thou dost or sufferest offer it not for thy sins to God but for his love and good pleasure wishing to find the more grace with him whereby thou mayest doe more greater and more acceptable works to him let the love of God then be to thee the cause of well-living and the hope of well-working thus he and I doubt not but many there be on that side that follow this Councel here with I shall relate the speach of a wise and discreet Gentleman my neighbour in England who lived and died a Recusant he demanded one time What was the worst Opinion that we could impute to the Church of Rome It was said there was none more then this of our merits And that Cardinal Bellarmine not onely doth uphold them but saith De justifica lib. 5. cap. 7. we may trust in them so it be done soberly And saith they deserve Eternal life not onely in respect of Gods promises and Covenant but also in regard of the work it self whereupon he answered Bellarmine was a learned man and could perhaps defend what he wrote by learning But for his part he trusted to be sav●d onely by the merits of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and as for good works he would do all that he could Et valeant quantum volere possint To proceed In or under the Obedience of Rome there is Persecution and that is a better mark of Christs people then Bellarmines Temporal felicity all that will live godly in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle shall suffer persecution ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake saith our Saviour and so are all they on that side that are less superstitious then others or dare speak of redress of abuses yea there is Martyrdome for a free opposing mens traditions Image-worshipers Purgatory and the like Add that inobedience to this call of Christ there do some come dayly from thence and in truth how could our Saviour call his people from thence if he had none there How could the Apostles say that Antichrist from whose captivity they are called shall sit in the Temple of God since that Ierusalem is finally and utterly desolated unless the same Apostle otherwhere declaring himself had shewed us his meaning that the Church is the house of God and again 1 Tim. 3.15 ye are the Temple of the living God and the Temple of God is Holy which are ye It will be said that there are on that side many gross errors many open Idolatries and superstitions so as those which live there must needs be either partakers of them and like minded or else very Hypocrites But many errors and much ignorance so it be not affected may stand with true Faith in Christ and when there is true Contrition for our sins that is because it displeaseth God there is a general and implicite repentance for all unknown sins Gods Providence in the general revolt of the ten Tribes when Elias thought himselfe left alone had reserved seven thousand 1 Kings 19 18. that had not bowed to the Image of Baal and the like may be conceived here since especially the Idolatry practised under the obedience of Mystical Babylon is rather in false and will-worship of the true God and rather commended as profitable then as absolutely necessary enjoyned and the corruptions there maintained rather in superfluous addition then retraction in any thing necessary to salvation Neither let that hard term of hypocrisie be used of the infirmity and sometime humble and peaceable carriage of some that oppose not common errors nor wrestle with the greater part of men but do follow the multitude reserving a right knowledge to themselves and sometimes by the favour which God gives them to find where they live obtain better conditions then others can We call not Iohn the beloved Disciple an hypocrite because he was known to the High Priest John 18.15 16. and could procure Peter to be let to see the arraignment of our Saviour nor Peter himself that for fear denied him much less Daniel and his companions that by suit obtained of Melzar their keeper that they might feed upon pulse and not be defiled with the King of Babels meat Daniel 1. v. 16.2 and these knew themselves to be captives and in Babel But in the new Babel how many thousands do we think there are that think otherwise that they are in the true Catholike Church of God the name whereof this harlot hath usurped And although they acknowledge that where they live are many abuses and that the Church hath need of reformation yet there they were born and they may not abandon their Mother in her sickness Those that converse more inwardly with men of Conscience on that side doe know that these are speeches in secret which how they will be justified against the commands of Christ come out of her my people belongs to another place to consider For the purpose we have now in hand I dare not but account these the people of

of the Roman Empire should rise up in his stead and take his vacant dignity That these saith he are to be understood of the Bishop of Rome and are to be understood of him only we do affirm And for the name of Antichrist that most specially 't is appliable to him whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be understood by way of opposition to Christ a pretended substitution or a subordination in his stead c. Sect. 13. He hath made use of all sorts of instruments hypocrisies lies equivocations treacheries perjuries poison force and armes that he may well be said to have succeeded that beast like to a Leopard a Beare and a Lion Revel 13.2 by which the Roman Empire is signified whose Image he bare and brought it to passe whosoever would not worship the image of the beast should be put to death c. and concludes with a prayer that God would grant that the Church might be delivered from the fraud and tyranny of Antichrist And so much for the judgement of Arminius Now that the Divines of the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas do generally accord also in it need not to be inserted being sufficiently known such as Daneus Franciscus-Junius Tilenus Morneus Viguierus Rivetus Chamerus etc. The Reformed Church of France have made it one of their Articles in their confession as ye may find in Chamier Paustrat Cathol Tom. 2. lib. 16. de Antichristo cap. 1. where he gives you the words of the 31. Article conceived in Synodo Papinsensi owned by him to be the confession of the reformed Churches in France in these words following (t) Cùm Episcopus Romanus erecta sibi in orbe Christiano Monarchia dominationem usurpet in omnes Ecelesias pastores in tantam erectus superbiam 1. ut Deum se dicat Can. satis dist 96. lib. 1. Sacrar Cerem cap. de Benedictiensis velitq●e 2. adorari Concil Lateran ult Sess 1.3.9 10 omnemque tribui sibi potestatem in coelo in terra res Ecclesiasticas omnes disponat articulos fidei definiat Scripturarum authoritatem atque interpretationem à se esse dicat animarum mercaturam exerceat vota juramentáque dispenset novo Dei cultus instituat Tum in civilibus legitimam magistrat●um authoritatem pedibus su●igat datis ablatis transl●ti● Imperiis Credimus atque asserimus esse verum illum G●rmanum Antichrist●m perditionis filium pronunciatum in verbo Dei Meretricem purpuratam insidentem septem montibus in magna civitate quae regnum obtinebat in Reges terrae Expectamúsque dum Dominus prout promisit ac jam coepit conficiens eum spiritu oris sui tandem illustri adventu suo aboleat Whereas the Bishop of Rome having erected to himself a Monarchy over the Christian world doth usurp a Dominion over all Churches and Pastors and hath rose to such a height of pride as to call himself 1. God will be 2. adored and all power to be given him in heaven and earth disposeth of all Ecclesiastical things defines Articles of Faith saith the authority of the Scripture and the interpretation of it to be from him maketh Merchandize of soules dispenseth with vowes and oathes institutes new worships of God As also in civil affaires treads upon the lawful authority of the Magistrate in giving taking away translating of Empires We do believe and assert him to be the very proper Antichrist son of perdition foretold in the word of God the scarlet harlot sitting on seven mountains in the great city which hath obtained a rule over the Kings of the earth and we do expect when the Lord according to his promise and as he hath begun will destroy him with the spirit of his mouth and at length abolish with the brightnesse of his coming And Maresius in his preface to the Answer of Hugo Grotius his Observations upon the 2 Thes 2. and other places gives us the like Article agreed upon in Synodo Nationali Gapensi Anno 1604. which hath very little or no difference from the former and so needlesse to be repeated Which do fully agree with the Synod of Ireland by the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the rest of the Clergy there in the Convocation holden at Dublin 1615. num 80. viz. The Bishop of Rome is so farre from being the supreme head of the Vniversal Church of Christ that his works and doctrine do plainly discovar him to be the man of sin foretold in holy Scripture whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his coming The former Synod may possibly be undervalued with some by bearing the name of Presbyterian but seeing it consents with the latter which was Episcopal why may it not be an introduction to a further moderation betweene them in other matters And it stands but with justice that if Presbytery have had a hand in the match of Episcopacy with Popery which seems to have been without consent of parties it should upon this evidence be the more forward in assisting in the divorce Now in regard that above-said Article of the Church of Ireland confirmed by the judgement of the late Primate hath been objected against by Doctor Heylene for that as he saith there is no such doctrine in the book of Articles nor in any publick monument or record of the Church of England but the contrary rather I shall cite some passages out of the book of Homilies which are approved by the book of Articles as a larger declaration of the Doctrine of the Church of England and leave it to the Readers judgment In the third part of the Sermon of good works speaking against the Popish singing of Trentals and the superstitious Orders in the Church of Rome introduced to serve the Papacy these words are as followeth viz. Honour be to God who did put light in the heart of King Henry the eighth to put away all such superstitions and Pharisaical Sects by Antichrist invented c. which can be meant of no other but the See of Rome by the words not long after viz. Let us rehearse some other kinds of Papistical superstitions c. In the second part of the Sermon of salvation speaking against the Popish opinion of justification by works these words are as followeth Justification is not the office of man but of God for man cannot make himself righteous by his own works neither in part nor in the whole for that were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God etc. and so accounts it not the doctrine of a Christian that sets forth Christs glory but of him that is an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and a setter forth of mans vain-glory c.. And that passage in the third part of the Sermon against the perill of Idolatry p. 69. I leave to the Readers judgement if the sense can be understood otherwise then of the See of Rome in these words following viz. Now concerning popish

excessive decking of Images and Idols with painting gilding adorning with pretious vestures pearles and stones what is it else but for the further provocation and inticement to spiritual fornication whieh the Idolatrous Church understandeth well enough For she being indeed not only an harlot as the Scripture calls her but also a foule filthy old harlot for she is indeed of ancient yeares and understanding her lack of nature and true beauty and great lothsomnesse which of her self she hath she doth after the custome of such harlots paint her self and deck and tire her self with gold pearle stone and all kind of pretious jewels that she shining with the outward beauty and glory of them may please the foolish fantasie of fond lovers and so entice them to spiritual fornication with her Who if they saw her I will not say naked but in simple apparel would abhorre her as the foulest and filthiest harlot that ever was seen According as appeareth by the description of the garnishing of the great strumpet of all strumpets the Mother of whoredomes set forth by Saint John in his Revelation Apoc. 17. who by her glory provoked the Princes of the earth to commit whoredome with her c. and it followeth pag. 77. And it is not enough to deck Idols but at the last come in the Priests themselves likewise decked with gold and pearle and with a solemn pace they pass forth before these golden puppets and fall down to the ground on their marrow-bones before these honourable Idols and then rising up again offer up odours and incense to them c. He that reads the whole cannot judge of it to be meant otherwise then of the Papacy And if the fifth and sixth part of the Sermon against wilful rebellion be viewed there will be found such a large narration of the pride and ambition of the Bishop of Rome that there will not need any further help to an application of that 2 Thes 2. to him which thus beginneth viz. After that ambition and desire of dominion entred once into Ecclesiastical Ministers whose greatnesse after the doctrine and the example of our Saviour should chiefly stand in humbling themselves And that the Bishop of Rome did by intolerable ambition challenge not only to be the head of all the Church dispersed throughout the world but also to be Lord of all kingdoms of the world as is expressely set forth in the book of his own Canon-Lawes He became at once the spoyler and destroyer both of the Church which is the kingdom of our Saviour Christ and of the Christian Empire and all Christian kingdomes as an universal Tyrant over all The particulars of whose actions to that end are there related viz. The Bishop of Rome stirring up subjects to rebell against their Soveraigne Lords even the Son against the Father pronouncing such Schismaticks and persecuting them who refused to acknowledge his above-said challenge of supreme authority over them discharging them from their oath of fidelity made not only to the Emperour but to other Kings and Princes throughout Christendome The most cruell and bloody wars raised amongst Christian Princes of all kingdoms the horrible murder of infinite thousands of Christian men being slain by Christians the losse of so many great Cities Countries Dominions and Kingdomes sometimes possessed by Christians in Asia Affrick and Europe The miserable fall of the Empire and Church of Greece sometime the most flourishing part of Christendom into the hands of the Turks The lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian Religion and all by the practice and procurement of the Bishop of Rome chiefly which is in the Histories and Chronicles written by the Bishop of Rome 's own favourites and friends to be seen claiming also to have divers Princes and Kings to their vassals liege men and subjects c. behaving themselves more like Kings and Emperours in all things then remained like Priests Bishops and Ecclesiastical or as they would be called spiritual persons in any one thing at all c. and so concludes with an exhortation of all good subjects knowing those the speciall instruments of the Devill to the stirring up of all Rebellion to avoid and flee them Is not this a full description of the pride of that man of sinne 2 Thess 2. in exalting himselfe above all Kings and Princes and that son of perdition being understood actively who was the cause of the perdition or losse of so many thousands of Christian mens lives And in the sixth part of the same Sermon you have a more particular relation of the Bishop of Rome 's blood-shed according to the description of that Harlot Revel 17.6 in these words viz. And as these ambitious usurpers the Bishops of Rome have overflowed all Italy and Germany with streams of Christian blood shed by the rebellions of ignorant subjects against their naturall Lords and Emperours whom they have stirred thereunto by false pretences so is there no Countrey in Christendome which by the like means of false pretences hath not been over-sprinkled with the blood of subjects by rebellion against their naturall Soveraigns stirred up by the same Bishops of Rome c. And in conclusion as the Sermon often entitles the Bishops of Rome unsatiable wolfes and their Adherents Romish greedy wolfes so doth it in speciall call the See of Rome the Babylonicall beast in these words viz. The Bishop of Rome understanding the bruit blindnesse ignorance and superstition of the English in King Johns time and how much they were inclined to worship the Babilonical beast of Rome and to fear all his threatnings and causelesse curses he abused them thus c. I have transcribed these the more largely out of the Book of Homilies both that such as have rejected them as Popish may see their errour and those that now so much favour the See of Rome that they call such language railing may have their mouthes stopped being it is from the mouth of the Church of England in her Homilies which is a good warrant for her sons to say after her Let the Reader judge whether these passages do not confirme rather then contradict or be contrary as Doctor Heylene saith to the Articles of Ireland and the Primates judgement of the See of Rome I shall only alledge one passage more and that is in the conclusion of the second part of the Sermon for Whit-sunday viz. Wicked and nought were the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appear by the story of their lives and therefore worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets and false Christs which deceived the world a long while the Lord defend us from their Tyranny and pride that they may never enter into this Vineyard again but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world And he of his great mercy so work that the Gospel of his Son may be truly preached to the beating down of sin death the Pope the Devill

imponit manum subjecto reditum Spiritus sancti invocat indicta in populum oratione altari reconciliat c. advers Lucifer Jerome c. p. 96. He thus declares his judgement viz. As for the Ministerial sentence of private absolution it can be no more then a declaration what God hath done it hath but the force of the Prophet Nathan 's absolution God hath taken away thy sins then which construction especially of words judiciall there is nothing more vulgar For example the Publicans are said in the Gospel to have justified God the Jewes in Malachy to have blessed the proud man which sin and prosper not that the one did make God righteous or the other the wicked happy but to blesse to justifie and to absolve are as commonly used for words of judgement or declaration as of true and reall efficacy yea even by the opinion of the Master of sentences c. Priests are authorized to loose and bind that is to say declare who are bound and who are loosed c. Saint Jerome also whom the Master of the Sentences alledgeth directly affirmeth That as the Priests of the Law could only discern and neither cause nor remove Leprosies so the Ministers of the Gospel when they retain or remit sinnes do but in the one judge how long we continue guilty and in the other declare when we are clear or free Tom. 6. Comment in 16. Mat. So saith Mr. Hooker when conversion by manifest tokens did seem effected Absolution ensuing which could not make served onely to declare men innocent p. 108. When any of ours ascribeth the work of remission to God and interprets the Priests sentence to be but a solemn declaration of that which God himselfe hath already performed they i. e. the Church of Rome scorne it And so after much to this purpose he thus concludes p. 113. Let it suffice to have shewen how God alone doth truly give and private Ministerial absolution but declare remission of sinnes And thus I leave Mr. Hooker under Doctor Heylen's Censure who hath already concluded that forgivenesse of sins by the Priest onely declarativè doth not come up to the doctrine of the Church of England Though the reason he gives because it holds the Priest doth forgive sins authoritativè I do not see the force of The former supposing the latter for the Officer whose place it is solemnly to make Proclamation of the Kings pardon doth it authoritativè nay dares not do it unlesse he were authorized accordingly And so much for the Primates judgement of those words of Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest are forgiven whose sins thou retainest are retained The PRIMATES judgment of the Vse of a set Form of Prayer heretofore declared and now more fully enlarged and confirmed with the concurrence of the Votes of such eminent persons who are so esteemed by the contrary-minded THis Subject hath been so sufficiently discussed and determined by others that no new thing can be expected from me onely you have here the Judgement and Approbation of this eminent Primate which being of so great esteem with all good men 't is possible now upon near an even scale of mens opinions in it his may be of that weight as to give satisfaction First that the Vse of a set Form of Prayer is not a setting up of any new doctrine as the Athenians judged of Saint Paul appeares in that 't is the practise of the Belgick Churches for which ye have the determination of the Divines of Leyden Polyander Rivetus Walaeus Thysius in their (a) Disput 36. de cultu invocat Sect. 33. non tantum licitas sed valde utiler esse contendimus c. in magnis conventibus atientio auditorum per usitatas formulas non parum juvatur Synopsis Theologiae And the resolution of Mr. Aimes our countryman who lived and died a Professor of Divinity among them in his cases of conscience who saith 't is (b) Licitum hoc esse manifestum est ex approbata sanctorum praxi quam in praescriptis Psalmis benedicendi formulis scriptura nobis commendat Vtile etiam necessarium est quibusdam istiusmodi formam sequi quamvis ex libelloisit denotanda l. 4. cap. 17. de oratione mentali vocali lawfull from the approved practice of the Saints in the Psalmes and other Formes of blessing in the Scripture nay profitable and necessary for some though it be read out of a book Then for the judgement and practice accordingly of the Reformed Church of France Ludovicus Capellus gives us a sufficient account of who is Professor of Divinity in the University of Somer in one of his Theses lately published de Liturgiae formulis conceptis or a set form of a Liturgie where after hee hath answered all the pretended arguments against it which it seemes he had gleaned up out of some of our English Writers of late he concludes (a) Vbi sunt e●uditi Pastores S. Liturgiae publica formula est apprimè utilis necessaria ad communem Ecclesiae aedificationem c. earum usus jure damnari ●on potest nec debet cum semper ubique in universa Ecclesia Christiana toto terrarum orbe jam à plusquam 1300 annis perpetuo obtinuerit etiamque hodie ubique obtineat nisi apud nov●tios c. Donec tandem nuperimè exorti sunt in Anglia c. de Liturg. concept form pa●s 3. that 't is very necessary both for the most learned Pastors and congregations as unlearned and the edification of both being used throughout the Christian world in all ages at least for these 1300 years and is still at this day in all places excepting only as he saith some of late with us in England whose censure of them is so severe that it would be offensive in me to repeat it And surely the general custome and practice of the reformed Churches which Saint Paul urgeth 1 Cor. 11.16 cap. 14.33 cannot be contemned by any sober Christian unto which may be added the judgement of diverse pious and eminent men of onr own nation and so esteemed by such as have asserted the contrary whose judgements being too large to be inserted here I shall deferre them till the last who do very fully concurre with the Primate in it Calvin was a wise and learned man now as Beza tells us it was his constant practice to use a set form of Praier before Sermon without alteration So was it his advice in his Epistle to the Protector of England in Edward the sixth's time which hath bin mentioned elsewhere for the establishing of a set form of a Liturgy here from which it might not be lawfull for pastors to depart both for the good of the more ignorant preventing of an affected novelty in others and the declaring of an unanimous consent in all the Churches For which practice and advice he had sufficient warrant from the President of the Ancient