who must either honestly acquit us or condemn himself 3ly I observ'd farther that the Dissenters look on the VII Deacons as Ministers at Tables and not of the Word For proof of this I refer'd him to the Directory and infer'd that it is not likely they shou'd Corrupt a Text to assert the Peoples power in making Gospel Ministers which in their Opinion speaks not of those that Minister in Gospel Mysteries The Rector answers I can't help these Men's Judgments if they do not or will not see it 't is because there is no light in them p. 45. Nor can I help this Mans Obstinacy who shuts his Eyes against the Light for the question is not here whether the Dissenters be in the Right as to their Opinion of Deacons but whether or no they take 'em as Ministers of Tables and not of the Word This I prov'd and he cannot deny it Now if this be their Notion of Deacons my Inference holds good they wou'd not Corrupt a Text to assert the Peoples power in making Gospel Ministers which in their Opinion speaks not of those that Minister in Gospel Mysteries His Argument is the Corruption favours the Dissenters I answer in the Negative for which I give this Reason this Text speaks not of Ministers of the Word in their Opinion and therefore they wou'd not Corrupt it to assert the Peoples power in making Ministers Here he asks us an impertinent Question why do we not Ordian our Deacons or Overseeres of the Poor as the Apostles did p. 45. We set them not apart by imposition of Hands for the same Reason that the Church of England Ordains them not None will say that we are necessarily obliged to use Imposition of Hands in all cases wherein we find it used in Scripture Tho' we condemn not those that Ordain their Deacons as some Dissenters do I have now dismiss'd his 2d Argument and made it appear that the Corruption charged upon us does not only not favour any Principles of ours but is inconsistent with ' em Before I proceed to his 3d. Argument I must take notice of a base Suggestion as if I had not obtain'd my former Poste at Wr. by fair and honest Means but had betrayed and by a paultrey Trick supplanted Mr. B. my Predecessor and stept into his Place and discovered the Secrets of my inward Friend and Confident who disclosed his Heart to me as to a Confessor p. 45. I was so far from supplanting and betraying Mr. B. at Wr. that I knew nothing of the Difference between him and the Congregation which occasion'd his Deserting them until Mr. Tong now of Coventry was actually chosen by them and rended with them I being then in London And my Poste there has been and is hitherto Charitably to supply 'em and that mostly to my Charge until they be settl'd under a Minister of their own I have often recommended Mr. B. to them but for some Reasons I find 'em not willing to be farther concern'd with him I know of no Secrets he ever Committed to me and I challenge him or any other Person to mention any Secrets I ever Divulged to his Prejudice I always respected him for his true Worth but we never had any great Intimacy or inward Friendship to make me either his Confident or Confessor ARGVMENT III. His 3d. Argument is this It cannot be that the Episcopal Party design'd to Corrupt this Place for that would be to destroy what their Church Government seems to be built on I Answer'd this proves nothing against the Dissenters nor did they charge the Episcopal Party with any design of Corrupting it tho' the Press was in their Hands and strictly guarded against the Puritans in the Year 1638. The Rector according to his wonted Ingennity replies if it were designedly done or afterwards propagated with design then because Mr. Owen acquitted us the Dissenters must confess Guilty p. 46. Is this Candid because we charitably acquit the Episcopal Party from any Design of Corrupting it we must therefore acknowledge our selves Guilty We do not say it was designedly done nor do I know any body that says so and un-saith it again in another humour but the inconsistent Rector We say the Press was in the Hands of the Church-Party when it was first done and therefore in Justice they must be charg'd with the Error of the Press Had the Press been in Presbyterian Hands the Rector wou'd have urged it for a Demonstration that certainly they were Guilty of the Corruption because it first happen'd when they had the Power of the Press But the Press was in Episcopal Hands therefore the Corruption must be at their Door If one would allow himself the Liberty of Arguing from the same Topicks with the Rector he might retort the Charge of Corrupting this Place on the Episcopal Party and that designedly too 1st The Press was in their Hands in Thirty Eight when the first Corruption happen'd 2ly It was in their Hands when most of the rest happen'd and who should be Guilty of Corrupting the Place but those that had Power to do it without Suspicion 3ly The Corruption favours the Peoples Power in making their own Ministers Now it 's certain the Episcopal Party take the Deacons in Acts 6. 3. to be real Ministers which the Dissenters do not Therefore the Corruption favours their Opinion and they may be supposed the Guilty Persons It does not favour the Dissenters Sence of that Place and it does that of the Episcopalists 4. It favours a Principle much in Vogue among the Church-Party especially about Thirty Eight that all Power is Originally in the People This Principle is asserted by Mr. Hooker the Oracle of the Episcopal-Men in his Eccles Polity lib. 1. and lib. 8. Arch-Bishop Cranmer saith in the New Testament he that is appointed to be a Bishop or a Presbyter needs no Consecration by the Scripture for Election or Appointing * Dr. Stillingfleet Iren. p. 39. thereto is sufficient And also by Bishop Bilson and by Mr. Lawson who expresly Affirms that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or primary Subject of the Power of the Keys is in the whole Church †Polit. Sacra Civil cap. 13. And by Bishop Andrews Tortura Torti p. 42. Now who should be suspected to have designedly Corrupted this Place but that Party who so much advance the Popular Principle Here is Four Arguments to the Rectors Four Arguments and every one of them as good as his but far be it from me to Charge either the Episcopal or Dissenting Party with a Design to Corrupt the Word of God The Error is accidental as many more are and proceeds from the carelessness of the Corrector who I hear is usually an Episcopal Minister as well as the unconcerndness of the supreme Pastors who ought to depute Persons of Judgment Diligence and Integrity to Examine the several Editions of the Bible I cou'd easily enlarge upon these Arguments and make 'em look more Probable than those
Notes upon the Lord Bishop of Salisbury 's four last Discourses I never cou'd certainly tell who was the Author of those Notes which I have not by me and therefore can say nothing of ' em If he retorts the Schism upon the imposers of unscriptual Terms of Communion as the Rector seems to hint he wou'd do well to answer his Arguments instead of branding him causelesly and in the rudest Manner with ill Nature want of good Breeding c. And now his Hand is in the Bishop himself can't escape his Censure whom he takes upon him to correct for his too gentle Expressions of the Dissenters and wou'd have had him styled them the Foxes and Firebrands of this Church and Nation that is he would teach the Judicious and Moderate Prelate to speak the Language of the confident and fiery Author of the Sermons of Allegiance Here the Rector gives the Dissenters an Instance of his good Nature and the Bishop of his good Breeding p. 3. 3. Rather than want Objects of his Anger he 'l dig into the Graves of the Dead If he has not the courage to meet their Ghosts which he is not sure of p. 17. he dares trample upon their Memories He gives a Proof of this in the Aspersions he casts on the Reverend Mr. Baldwin who is now with the Lord. p. 4. He has pick'd up some imperfect Notes of an old Sermon of his which has so filled his Head that his Reflections upon it is become the standing Preface to all his late Works He mentions it in his Tentament Novum here you find it again and because you can't have too much of a good Thing he promise you shall hear more of it another time 4. At length sensible of his Impertinency he asks What 's this to the Minister at Oswestry Indeed nothing at all however it helps to fill up Paper for want of better Matter But doth he in Earnest think to resolve his Question by this following one And I also ask What was it to the Minister at Oswestry If the Rector of Bury preached a Sermon in Vindication of the Church of England against the Lancashire Dissenters The Sermon he preached and which I answered Charges the Dissenters in General with Corrupting the Word of God especially those in Cambridge in the year 1638. And affirms that the Corruption has been secretly promoted by that Party ever since that it has been publickly own'd by a Scotch Chameronian And was all this Charge against the Lancashire Dissenters who are not so much as mention'd in the whole Sermon A Man that dare thus boldly Charge the Body of English and Scotch Presbyterians and then think to come off by saying his Sermon was against the Lancashire Dissenters may affirm or deny any thing at his Pleasure It it a bad Omen to stumble thus at the Threshold Had the Rector preach'd a Sermon only against the Lancashire Dissenters as I hear he has done many he should never have heard from the Minister at Oswestry But when he not only Preaches but publishes an Invective against the whole Body I judged my self concern'd to vindicate Truth and Innocency Since he is upon asking Questions I will take the freedoom to ask him one What is it to the Rector of Bury if I thought fit to Vindicate my Ordination by Presbyters whilest I allow'd the Validity of Episcopal Ordination I only justified Ordination by Presbytery but did not condemn that by Bishops This is the design of my Plea for Scripture Ordination which one wou'd have thought inoffensive But the Rector like the old Donatists confining the Ministry Sacraments and Salvation to those of his own Communion would needs take upon him to answer my Book This occasion'd my Tutamen Evangelicum which I had no sooner sent into the Press but his Sermon came to my Hands When I had read it over I was easily persuaded to draw up a few Remarks upon it But the Rector who is the unhappiest Man in the World at Conjectures and perhaps one of the boldest in affirming 'em for Truths wou'd prove from the different Air in the Remarks from Mr. Owen's other Writings that he is but the reputed Father of this spurious Off-spring Who then is the true Father Why he believes the Note-Maker was principal in the Remarks and that they are the Work of a Club of Ministers and that the Remarkers true Name is Legion for they are many p. 5. If the poor Rector had not been grievously tormented by the Remarks he had scarce thought of this frightful Name He finds himself driven to a Precipice with the bristled Herd in the Gospel and wou'd fain keep above water but who can relieve the Animal whom a Legion pursues To be Serious I thought he had more Sense than to deny the Remarks to be mine because they are written in a Stile different from my Writings upon other Subjects Any Author that understands the Laws of Writing will adapt his Style to the Subject he is upon If my lines are something pointed the Rector's infamous detraction by which he had exposed a vast Body of Protestants to an unjust and publick reproach must be my Apology I perceive he is a great Stranger to the Dissenters when he affirms my Remarks to be drest up with all the gaudy Feathers and Embellishments which the Wit of the Party cou'd furnish them with They were wholly drest up such as they are by my self and the habit they appear in is neither Sordid nor Gay the Truth and Innocency they assert desires not the former nor needs the latter A very small degree of Wit will enable a Man to expose the Rector's Defamatory Libel which has as little of Wit as it has of Honesty I will not be so Injurious to the Reputation of his Party as to suspect any Man of Wit and Candor among 'em to have contributed so much as a single Stroke to the Criminatory part of his Sermon which so resembles the true Father that not only his Figure but his very Soul and Spirit are squez'd into it p. 5. But the Remarks in their way to London took a tour to Manchester p. 5. They did so for Zachary Whitworth of Manchester undertook the Printing of ' em I presume the Ministers might read 'em but I dare affirm and so will they that they neither alter'd them in whole or in part nor added to 'em except two lines â—n p. 11. and the short Advertisment after the end of my Book And now for his Satisfaction I have made him my Confessor for this once if it may be any relief to him to know by whom he suffers for he seems like a Man desperately wounded who turns himself every way to behold the Hand that directed the fatal Arrow to his smarting Side Had the Manchester Ministers put themselves to the trouble of answering his Sermon he would have felt more penetrating Strokes nor is he so formidable that they need be afraid or they so despicable as
Arguments I will give you a Tast of his Regard to the Word of God While he is charging us with Corrupting it he has made the boldest Attempt perhaps of any Man living to undermine it He has endeavour'd to expunge all the Titles of the Psalms out of the Sacred Canon He has affirm'd Ps 72. 20. to be manifestly False He disparages our English Bibles which agree with the Hebrew and wou'd persuade us that they are Corrupted by the Jews in material Things especially in Ps 96. 10. and in Gen. 11. 12. He tells us that two Thousand Years are lost in our Scripture-Chronology so that according to our Hebrew and English Bibles it cannot be prov'd that Christ is come in the Flesh He stands convicted of having Corrupted Acts 11. 19. and 1 Cor. 5. 4. to serve a Corrupt Design He saith that but for Tradition Plato Senecae and the Seven Wise Men of Greece and it 's pity but he were made the Eighth might lay claim to Inspiration as well as the holy Scripture III. I will give an Idea of such Vertues as shine forth in his Remarks on Remarks which render him a very remarkable Man I will shew him the Beauties of his own Face in the best Glass with which he has accommodated us hoping that the charming Reflection of his own Form will not transport him into an Adonic Passion 1st His Justice is so transcendent that it cannot be confined to that vulgar Rule of suum Cuique No the Rector has given us a new Rule of Justice which is alienum Cuique This is a Tentamen Novum in Ethicks He has given us an Instance of this new Sort of Justice in his Cameronian Story which he imputes to the whole Body of Dissenters I have read of One Haman who sought to be reveng'd of all the Jews for One Mordecai's Offence but this cannot Parallel the Rector's Justice which scorns to imitate such imperfect Patterns for Haman cou'd prove Matter of Fact upon Mordeâ—ai which the Rector has not been able to do upon the Cameronian Preacher and yet he has the Modesty to Vindicate this piece of Justice by telling us p. 47. The English Presbyterians are like to bear the Burthen of their Brethren in Scotland 2ly His Truth is as remarkable as his Justice He has advanced and attempted to Confirm a False Accusation against the Dissenters in General especially the Presbyterians of England and Scotland that they have Corrupted the Word of God And yet wou'd have us believe that his Sermon was preach'd in Vindication of the Church of England against Lancashire Dissenters who are not so much as named in the whole Sermon You have another Instance of his Truth where he says That according to Mr. Owen the People belike ordain'd the Deacons Remarks on Remarks p. 4 45. This is a notorious Un-truth which may be look'd upon as the Off-spring of his impregnated Wrath and we may suppose he is the more fond of this Spurious Brat because the Sayings of Fathers are a Rule of Faith to him we will suppose of Practice also and he has quoted a very eminent Father who as the Rector saith cared not what in his Heat he said or wrote for the support of his own Opinion p. 29. 18. The Story he tells of Mr. P. and Mr. B. are farther Evidences of his Regard to Truth 3ly His Candor and Charity are of a Piece with Truth and Justice for all the Vertues meet in him 1st I will take Notice of his Charity to the Dissenters in General concerning whom he is convinced that Meekness and Charity is due unto them and as a rare Instance of it he wou'd have 'em styled the Foxes and Firebrands of the Church and Nation p. 2 3. He makes it Religious Hypocrisy in us to Style our Selves Ministers of the Gospel which he and his Brethren seldom or never do because I presume they reckon themselves dignified by more honourable Titles p. 6. He falsly says That the Socinians and almost all the Nation of Schismaticks and Hereticks are in the Interest of the Dissenters If uncharitableness be a Characteristic of Schism I know no such Schismatic in the three Kingdoms as the Rector is And if the Obstinate maintaining a single Error in the Foundation denominate a Heretic what shall we call the Man who has endeavour'd to over-throw the whole Foundation of Religion by charging our Bibles with several material Corruptions and condemning them to be Burnt for a single One p. 28. 2ly We will give some Instances of his Charitable and Candid Temper towards particular Persons whom he abuseth without the least provocation He begins with Jerom that great Light of the Latin Church of whom he saith he is unworthy to be believ'd in any Thing that he cared not what in his Heat he said or wrote In plain English he makes a Great R gue of him and yet at the same time makes such another of Mr. B r for reaping up the Faults of the Ancient Fathers I perceive Mr. B's Fault was that he intruded into the Rector's Province whose proper Priviledge it is to revile the Ancient Fathers tho' he denies not but Mr. B's Reports are True but I have proved his Character of Jerom to be False p. 18 61. In a Word Mr. B. either did well or ill in reaping up the Faults of the Fathers if well why does the Rector with so much malignity censure him for it If ill who does he imitate him p. 18 61. He reflects on the Reverend Mr. Tallents as if he wanted Integrity tho' he can't disprove his Account of Cambridge in 1638 which Mr. Fuller justifies Here the Rector makes bold to step into the Throne of the Omniscient whose Prerogative it is to judge of Men's integrity Rom. 14. 10 11 12. He knows who has done so before him when he passed the same Censure on upright Job chap. 1. v. 9. p. 39. He reflects on his Majesties Words * Serm. p. 25. and hopes to Excuse it by telling us he derided only the Scotch-Reason †Rem p. 41 42. tho' he knows the King had approv'd of it and inserted it into his Letter of Instructions to his Commissioner in Scotland This is an Instance of his Loyalty for which his Three Sermons of Subjection have made him Famous in the Northern-Climate He reproaches the late Reverend Mr. P. as if be had Married his Wife without Consent of Parents which I am inform'd is most False Mr. Robert Milne of Rochdale affirms He often heard Mrs. P's Parents declare to his Father who was a Neighbour and Relation unto them that they had not only given free Consent but withall expressed a great deal of Satisfaction in the Marriage and look'd on it as a very gracious and merciful Providence p. 60. I am inform'd the Class-Rigister a Copy of which the Rector saith is in his Hands contains a Vindication of Mr. P. who being accused of an irregular and clandestine Marriage produced a
to be asham'd to own their genuine Productions 5. He stuffs p. 6. and 7. with more Invectives against the Dissenters and indeed he never seems to be so much in his Element as when he is upon that Subject But at last he comes to the Remarks p. 8. and begins with the Preface In my Preface which consisted of four Pages only I gave a short Account of the Heads of his Sermon with brief Remarks upon some passages in it which I judg'd Exceptionable He has a long Chapter Chap. 2. which takes up near half his Book from p. 8. to p. 32. in answer to my short Preface I told him I would not intermeddle in the Controversy between him and Mr. De Laun nor will I now I I only touch'd upon a few things concerning which I see no Cause to alter my Sentiments by what he has offer'd to the Contrary But I will not detain the Reader from the main Poin by attending his tedious digression about the Titles of the Psalms and the Corruptions of the Hebrew Text which I shall consider in a Postcript by it self CHAP. II. Being an Answer to the latter Part of his Second Chapter I Call'd the Rector's affirming the Sadducees to have rejected all but the Five Book of Moses a vulgar Error and gave my Reasons for it out of Josephus and Lightfoot to whom I refer the Reader whom I will not detain on this trifling Subject on which the Rector bestows the best Part of two Pages He says the Fathers were of another Opinion and he hopes I will not thrust them into the vulgar Form p. 27 28. It 's certain the Fathers are not free from all the vulgar Errors of the Age in which they lived the Story of the Phoenix springing out of the Ashes of the old One is mentioned by several Fathers Clemens Romanus has it and would prove the Resurrection from it The ingenuous Rector here desires his Reader to mark how we are advocating for the Samaritans and Sadducees which in good Time the Dissenters will comprehend also Some of the Quakers and Anabaptists the modern Sadducees and Mahometans I mean the Socinians and almost all the Nation of Schismaticks and Hereticks are in their interests already The Samaritans and Jews are happily coming into the confederacy p. 27. I advocate no further for them than Dr. Lightfoot to whose Judgment the Rector promises to stand thus he speaks * Li. Vol. II. P. 1101 1102. It 's the received Opinion amongst the Learn'd that the Sadducees refused all the old Testament but only the Five Books of Moses If they mean it absolutely I must confess my small reading hath not taught so far as to be satisfied in that But if they mean it with some Qualification it 's very True In such a qualified Sense as to say the rest of the Jews refused the third Part of the Bible i. e. the Hagiographa viz. Job Psalms Solomon's Writings Daniel c. They admitted not the reading of these in the Synagog not because they undervalued them but because they counted the rest Sufficient i. e. the Law and Prophets which were read every Sabbath p. 27. The Church of England admits not the reading of some Parts of the Bible in the publick Congregation will you therefore say she rejects them 2. But be this Matter as it will the Rector's inference has as little Sense in it as it has Truth and Charity If he means that the Quakers Anabaptists and Socinians are in the Interests of the Presbyterians it is a vile Calumny If he means that they are Dissenters from the Episcopal Churches so they are from the Presbyterian also Though I must tell him that the Socinians in some of their printed Pamphlets declare themselves of the Church of England nor do I hear that they are expell'd their Communion when any of them are disposed to joyn with her Nay it 's well known that Mr. S. N. a beneficed Parson of the Church of E. is the Author of several of the late Socinian Pamphlets I mention not this to reflect on the Church of England who disowns this Heresy and ought not to be charged with the Errors of particular Persons but as a necessary Vindication of our selves I do not know any one Congregation of Dissenters that wou'd tolerate a Socinian in their Communion As to the Samaritans and Jews I know none fitter for their Confederacy than the Rector of Bury who helps them to a Chronological Argument out of our English Bibles to disprove the coming of Christ in the Flesh For according to our Vossian Rabbi Christ was not to come untill the 6000th Year of the World and according to our Bibles the World is not yet 6000 years Old Mr. G. in his Sermon call'd the Scripture the supreme Rule of Faith to which I made this Answer We know no other Rule of divine Faith but the holy Scripture The Rector undertakes to teach us several Subordinate Rules of Faith such as Creeds Catechisms Decrees of Councils Testimony of Fathers Dictates of wise and good Men the Instrustions of Parents Consent of Adversaries the Voice of Conscience Reason Preaching Providence and lastly universal Tradition p. 29. The Industrious Rector has found out no less than Twelve new Rules of Faith and these may be multiplied into 12000 for every Article of a Creed every Canon of a Council every Dictate of a wise and good Man every Saying of a Father every Passage in a Sermon is a Rule of Faith with the Rector For Instance we will suppose the Rector a wise and good Man I hope then you 'l receive all his Dictates for so many Rules of Faith of which you have abundance in his Remarks upon Remarks and among others that all our Bibles are Corrupted in very material Things This look's a little Comical the supreme Rule of Faith is Corrupted and you must believe it because the subordinate Rule the wise and good Rector's Dictates assures us of it however it is not Impossible but the supreme Rule may be Right and Pure and the subordinate Rule Croked and Corrupt And the Rector will be so Good as to Pardon us or so Wise as to Instruct us better if we think so I now begin to understand the Reason why he is so very Impatient of Opposition why all his Dictates are Rules of Faith and ought to be received for Oracles But the best on 't is he allows us the Benefit of another Rule of Faith that is the Light of Reason what if these two Rules happen to clash We have known Creeds Councils Sermons c. to do so as contrary as they are they are still Rules of Faith with the Rector Yea the sayings of the Pagan wise Men of Greece are Rules of Divine Faith to him and but for Vniversal Tradition he wou'd know no difference between Plato Seneca the wise Men of Greece you may if you please put a wise Man of Gotham among them and the holy Scripture for
Especially when you positively Affirm that it was an accidental Slip an unhappy Mistake Thus his first and chief Argument is eternally dismissed by himself and his Attempts to defend it do but shew the Rector to be as Ill a Man as he is a Disputant To be willing to believe us Innocent and at the same time to endeavour to prove us Guilty be-speaks a Disposition worse than that of Pilate who tho' he condemn'd Jesus Christ when he had pronounced him Innocent did not seek for Evidence to prove him Guilty he contented himself to give an unjust Sentence to please the Jews But the Rector did not seem to be under the temptation of pleasing his own Party who were so far from extorting this unjust Sentence from him that several of them have condemn'd him for it yet he has not only passed an unrighteous Judgment upon us but has done his utmost to load us with an unproved Guilt after he had made our Crime an accidental Slip and unhappy Mistake 3. I prov'd ex abundanti that Presbytery was not in the Ascendant in England in 38. That conformity was then at the highest being urged by Arch Bishop Laud and his Faction with great Severity that many were suspended deprived and excommunicated for not reading the Book of Sports in 37. I gave an Account of about Thirty Ministers so used in the Bishoprick of Norwich And in 38. many more were Suspended for not using Hoods and Surplices many were driven to foreign Countries to Holland New-England c. whither the Arch-Bishop design'd to pursue 'em and to Dragoon 'em into the English Conformity I prov'd they were deprived not only of the Pulpit but of the Press also by a Decree passed in the Star Chamber July the 1st 1637. By Virtue of this Decree several Geneva Bibles with Notes were seized in Holland and a New Impression design'd for England was stop'd from coming over All this I prov'd out of Rushworth and Heylyn by which it appears what little Credit is to be given to his secret History of the Presbyterians Corrupting the Word of God in Thirty Eight when he so notoriously Contradicts the Publick History of that Time To this the Rector Answers He wou'd not for any Thing be found tripping in this Part of his Argument p 37. That Mr. Owen blunders about the signification of these Words being in the Ascendant which he understands of being in full Power and Authority as if it were the same with having the Ascendant And least you should think him an Ignoramus in the Mathematicks be informs us out of Lyburn when a Star is said to be in the Ascendant which is when having passed the Imum Caeli and being got into the the Ascendant it bends it's course towards Medium Caeli and the Meridian i. e. is Ascending I hope you are Edified by this Piece of Learning A Star is in the Ascendant when it is got into the Ascendant and is Ascending This puts me in Mind of that famous Verse of Battus the Poet Montibus inquit erant erant in montibus illis Which you may thus English in conformity to the Rector The Mountains high he did Ascend Ascending still he did Ascend His Explications are transcendent Blunders which wou'd have been more Excusable if he had not set up for a Teacher of the Mathematicks and involv'd a learned Author in a tautological Pleonasm The Rectors distinction between being in the Ascedant and having the Ascendant is a little Nice he owns Presbytery had not the Ascendant in Thirty Eight and yet Affirms it was got into the Ascendant But the happiness is this Distinction will do him no good for my Argument proves Presbytery to be so far from the Ascendant in his very Sense that it makes it to be in the Descendant in England that Year Episcopacy was never higher nor Presbytery lower The Episcopal Power was in its Meridian Altitude having the High Commission-Court and the Star-Chamber to support it and an Active Arch-Prelate moving in the highest Orb whose Influences were as Malignant to the Puritans the better Part of the Church of England then as they were favourable to the Men of Ceremony In a Word he had the Presbyterians if any such there were under his Feet and made this Climate too hot for them that they were glad to seek for shelter in the remotest Parts of the Earth This I have prov'd out of Heylyn but the Rector wisely overlooks it If being under Foot and trampled in the dust be Ascending towards the Meridian then were the Presbyterians in the Ascendant in Thirty Eight If bending their Course versus fines terrae be the same with bending it versus medium Caeli they must be acknowledg'd to be in the Ascendant But saith he That prodigious and terrible blazing Star the Covenant that very Year begun to appear in Scotland and soon drew the Eyes and Inclinations of a great Part of England upon it p. 37. The Covenant appear'd in Scotland long before Thirty Eight and was subscribed by King James I. as I shew'd in my Remarks p. 8. The renewing of the Covenant in Thirty Eight proves Presbytery to be in the Ascendant in Scotland but what is this to England Presbytery is now in the Meridian in Scotland I hope the Rector will not say it is so in England It must be so by his Argument He undertook to prove Presbytery in the Ascendant in England It must be so by his Argument He undertook to prove Presbytery in the Ascedant in England and his Argument is it was so in Scotland as if the State of England and Scotland were always the same Le ts see the Strength of this doughty Argument the Presbyterian Covenant appear'd in Scotland in Thirty Eight therefore the Presbyterians at Cambridge corrupted the Bible Did the Scotch Covenant depend upon altering of we into ye at Cambridge or did the Alteration depend on the Covenant Was there a Conspiracy between the Scotch Covenanters and the Cambridge Episcopal Printers Suppose the Covenant drew the Inclinations of some English this does not prove Presbytery in the Ascendant in England much less does it prove the Presbyterians Guilty of Corrupting the Word of God A Man may have Inclinations to Presbytery and not be a Corrupter of the Word of God Thus the Rector who wou'd not for any Thing be found tripping in this Part of his Argument is found not only to Trip but to Stumble and overthrow his Rider when he affirms Presbytery to be in the Ascendant in Thirty Eight in England But suppose Presbytery had been in the Ascendant then this will not prove the Presbyterians Authors of that Corruption 1st It does not favour their Principles 2ly Arch-Bishop Laud had guarded the Press against them as I have prov'd nor was the Rector able to Contradict me 3ly the Cambridge Printers in Thirty Eight were Episcopal Men who ought in Justice to be charged with the Errors of the Press 4ly The University of
Cambridge was far from being Presbyterian at that time the Heads of Colledges being all Episcopal a List of which Mr. Francis Talents communicated to me which I find agreeing with Mr. Fullers * Church History To this the Rector Answers That Mr. Owen talks like one who knows not Cambridge Nor had diligence enough to inform himself and Mr. Talents he fears is past his Memory and Judgment not to say his Integrity p. 37. 39. Mr. Owen has known Cambridge above twenty Years ago when he was admitted Student there Mr. Talents Judgment Memory and Integrity deserves not to be reflected on since Mr. Fuller in his History of the University of Cambridge fully writes the same thing he mention'd But saith he besides these sixteen Heads there are Fellows Scholars Noble-men a Follow-Commoners Persioners and Sisars or Servitors which make up about 2000 among which there were many that favour'd Presbytery especially in Emanuel which not long after furnished six Colledges with Heads and it was call'd pure Emanuel from the abundance of Puritans in it p. 39. The Rector informs us of what every body knows that there are a great many Students in Cambridge and if he can find there five or six Presbyterians among two Thousand Scholars he thinks he has prov'd his Charge against that Party of Corrupting the Word of God This puts me in Mind of a Passage in Lactamius He saith that as Diocletian was Sacrificing and the ordinary Marks in the Intrailes of the Sacrifices not appearing Tages that were set over the Diviners said that their Rites did not succeed because there were some prophane Persons i. e. Christians that had thrust themselves into the Assembly * Lactant of the Prim. Pers Ergl. by Dr. Burnet p. 75. This occasion'd the last and great Persecution of the Christians under that Emperour and his Collegues The Rector is as just to the Furitans as the Pagan Priests were to the Ancient Christians their being upon the spot is sufficient to make the one and the other Criminals Thus St. Paul was Accused for bringing Greeks into the Temple and the Evidence was they had seen Trophimus with him in the City Acts 21. 28 29. I have heard of a certain late Judge that as he passed a dirty Place in London-Streets he found a Man sheltring himself under a Belcony from a Shower of Rain Sir saith he to the Man I will have you indited for this Nusance The Man told him he was a Stranger there that 's nothing replies the Judg I have found you on the Premisses and you must Answer for the Nusance The Rector thinks he has found a few Puritans in Cambridge in Thirty Eight among near two Thousand Church-men and they must be Guilty of the Corruptive Nusance because he has found 'em on the Premisses But that which spoiles all is the Puritans were Members of the Church of England and generally of the Episcopal Judgment nay the Moderate and Pious Bishops cou'd not escape that Nick-name which was applied to all Calvinists in Doctrine as Dr. Heylyn confesseth †Life of Arch-Bishop Laud. p. 124. Tho' in strictness the Name was given to the Non-con-formists which were very few at that time the Terms of Conformity not being screw'd up to the present height But the Heads of Colledgs were no Puritans no not Dr. Haldsworth Master of Emanuel who was put out by the Parliament and any Man will judge of the State of the University and indeed of all Societies by the Governing Party who have a considerable Influence in their respective Provinces If Cambridge supplied Trinity Colledge Oxford with ten Fellows that were for the Parliament as he affirms p. 39. It does not follow they were Presbyterians before for we know its usual for abundance of People to change with the Times I doubt not but the Rector can Name the Men who took the Covenant and the Engagement and after all approv'd themselves to be right Episcopal-Men Besides many of those that were made Fellows at Oxford in the Year 1638. were very Young and not admitted in Cambridge till after 1648. From the whole it appears that Presbytery in Thirty Eight was not in the Ascendant in England especially in Cambridge where all the Heads of Colledges were Episcopal Thus I have expos'd the weak Vindication of his First Argument from the Circumstance of Time I affirm'd the Scotch Covenant and the Presbyterian Government in Scotland to be more Ancient than Thirty Eight which the Rector cannot deny but he endeavours to prove from the Fundamental Charter of Presbyter examin'd c. that the Reformation in Scotland was first cast into the Episcopal Platform and continued so for fifteen Years p. 40. The Pamphlet to which he refers has been learnedly answer'd by Dr. Rule in his good old Way defended to which I refer the Reader The Reformation there was gradually and with much opposition carried on as it was here in England and no wonder if in such a struggle Esau came forth before Jacob but certain it is when they came to some degree of Settlement Presbytery was set up and the confession of Faith in which they promised to ad-here to that Government was sign'd by King James the I. and his Houshold Anno 1580. and by Persons of all Ranks Anno 1581. by Ordinance of the Council and Acts of the General Assembly It was subscribed again by all Persons Anno Domini 1590. with a General Band for maintenance of the true Religion and the Kings Person I am still of Opinion saith he That the Scotch Kirk put away the Wife of its Youth I mean Episcopacy when it reform'd from Popery and joyn'd it self unto an Harlot I mean Presbytery I think Presbytery as Honest as Episcopacy and I am sure the Church lost it's purity and degenerated into a Harlot under the Lordly and Tyranical Government of Popish Bishops p. 41. What an honourable Character does this Gentleman give to the Reformation in which not only Scotland but most of the forreign Protestant Churches are concern'd When they cast off Idolatrous Popish Bishops they put away the Wife of their Youth when they put themselves under the Conduct of Protestant Pastors they joyn'd themselves to a Harlot In plain English they lived in chast Wedlock under Popery and defiled the Marriage-bed when they became Protestants This looks more like the Language of a Jesuit than of a Protestant-Minister The Rector in his Sermon basely reflected upon the ACT of Settling Presbytery in Scotland tho' touched by the Royal Scepter and also upon his Majesties Words in his Letter of Instructions to his Commissioner in Scotland both which affirms Presbytery most agreeable to the Inclination of the Scotch Nation which is such another Reason faith he as an Adultrer might give for his Wantomess He would fain Palliate this inexcusable Indecency towards the King which I complain'd of tho' he comes off but sorrily 1st This is the first time saith he I ever heard of a
Lord the work of the Hands of the Crafts-Man and putteth it in a secret Place In the Liturgy the words to worship it are added to the Text which denounceth a Curse upon such as make an Image for any Religious Ends as suppose to beget in us good reflections to be a help to our Devotions c. but the Addition restraineth the Curse to the Act or Intention of Adoration Now there is a Controversy of greater Consequence than that of ye and we depends upon this Addition viz. whether it be lawful to use Images as suppose a Crucifix c. for Religious Ends provided we don 't worship them The Papists say it 's not only lawful but in some Cases necessary that they are Laymen's Books and great helps to Devotion The Protestants affirm according to the Scripture they ought not to be made at all for the Ends of Religion much less set up either in the Congregation or in a secret Place Deut. 27. 15. Isa 44. 10. Habb 2. 18 19. This Addition in the Liturgy seems to favour the Popish Doctrine that we may use Images in our Devotions provided we don 't worship them I am the more Confirm'd in this by the Images of Christ and his Apostles which I find Printed in several of our Common-Prayers and I doubt not but they are intended as helps to Devotion and I wish they were not designed as an Introduction to Image Worship in the late Reigns when projects of that kind were conniv'd at However this be the making of such Images is against the Scriptures especially the 2d Commandment as is prov'd at large in the Book of Homilies It 's shew'd there 1st That no Image of Christ can be made but a LYING IMAGE because he is God and Man Nor can any true Image of his Body be made because it is unknown now of what Form and Countenance he was and there be in Greece and at Rome and in other Places divers Images of Christ and none of them like to other and yet every of them affirmeth that theirs is the True which cannot possibly be Therefore as soon as an Image of Christ is made by and by is a LYE made of him which by God's Word is forbidden 2ly If an Image of Christ cou'd truly be made yet it is unlawful that it should be made yea or that the Image of any Saint shou'd be made especially to be set up in Temples Ireneus reproves the Hereticks call'd Gnosticks for carrying about the Image of Christ In the same Homily is proved the unlawfullness of such Images from Lev. 26. Exod 20. and Deut. 27. and they quote this last Text aright without the Addition in the Common-Prayer * Serm. against Peril of Idolatry Part 3d. One may justly wonder that such a publick Use of Images shou'd be allow'd in our Churches and no Body that I hear of reprove or condemn it tho' all our Episcopal Ministers have subscribed to the Book of Homilies as containing a Godly and wholsome Doctrine The having of Images in our Books of publick Devotions is as unjustifiable as the setting 'em up in our publick Churches nay the former is in this respect Worse than the latter because in the latter Case one Image serves a whole Congregation but in the former there are as many Images as there are Worshippers with Pictur'd Common-Paryer-Books in their Hands Christians shou'd avoid all Occasions and Appearances of Idolatry but the Rectors Zeal runs another Way I will not tempt him to execute the fiery Sentence he passed on the Bible upon his Common-Prayer but I will recommend to his Reading the learned and pious Homilies against Idolatry which mention with Approbation Epiphanius's renting a painted Cloth wherein was a Picture of Christ or of some Saint affirming it to be against our Religion that any such Image shou'd be had in the Temple or Church If this Act of Epiphanius does not raise an Emulation in him to purge his Church of Images he ought at least to declare against the Corruption of Scripture to which he is accessary by giving his Assent and Consent to all and every Thing contain'd in the Liturgy Thus I have gratified his Request and given him such an Instance as he desires and yet I will not say this is a Corruption of which all the Episcopal Party is Guilty because I believe few of 'em have taken notice of it For a farther Confirmation of his Charge against the Dissenters he saith out of Arch-Bishop Laud's Speech that the Puritans expung'd part of the XX. Articles of the Church of England concerning the Power of the Church to decree Rites and Ceremonies 'T is yet Sub-Judice whether that Clause was added by some of the Bishops Friends or expung'd by some of their Adversaries whether it were the one or t'other it does not concern the Controversy in Hand Tho' it may seem more probable they were added by some Ceremonious Gentleman for the Puritans alledged that the Clause was not to be found in the Latine or English Articles of King Edward VI. or Queen Elizabeth ratified by Parliament The Arch-Bishop can't say that this Clause was in the Articles of King Edward VI. but comes off with this sly Answer That the Articles made in the time of King Edward VI. were not now in Force and therefore not Material whether that Clause be in or out * Heyl. Life of Laud. p. 339. I thought Articles of Religion were not like Acts of Parliament to be repealed at pleasure However one may conclude from Arch-Bishop Laud's Words that the Clause about Ceremonies was not in the Original Articles of the Reformed Church of England in King Edward VI. time If it had been in he would have taken notice of it as he does of all the Editions that had it in Queen Elizabeth's time If it was to be found in the Records of Convocation Anno 1562. as the Arch-Bishop saith it is a sign the Church of England was grown more Ceremonious than it had been in King Edward VI. time Be this Matter as it will it concerns not us tho' the Rector according to his wonted Justice reproaches us with it Remark on Remarks p. 51. 63. †Mr. Baxter 's Life p. 639. Arch-Bishop Vsher Arch-Bishop Williams Bishop Morton Bishop Holdsworth c. in a Committee at Westminster 1641. mention this Article among the Innovations in Doctrine in the Church of England He has a pleasant Digression on these Words of mine no Dissenters have urg'd this Corrupt reading in favour of a Popular Covernment in any of their Writings against Bishops and Ceremonies Remark p. 14. which he thus reports No Dissenters have urg'd this Corrupt reading against Bishops and Ceremonies And then adds who ever thought that ye had any thing to do with the Ceremonies p. 52. I spoke of the Corrupt reading as applied to a popular Government which is evident by my Words I Note this as an Instance of his Unfairness and pass by his
not have expected the Messiah when Jesus was born if this Chronology had been the same as it is this day Doubtless that Chronology was the same and they had just reasons to expect the Messiah then for Daniel's Weeks were at an end the Scepter was departed from Judah John the Baptist the forerunner of the Messiah had awakened their expectations Vossius's main Argument as the Rector calls these being answer'd what follows is of less Consideration however I will make some short reflections on his two last Arguments which are as follows IV. Cainan the Son of Arphaxad mention'd Luke 4. 35 36. is left out in Gen. 11. 12. which is a demonstration saith the Rector that the Jews have corrupted the Hebrew This Argument has been judiciously answer'd by several Learned Pens as the Reader may see in Pool to whom I remit him Sin Crit. in Luc. 3. I shall only take notice of what Doctor Lightfoot says to it He affirms it added to Moses's Text by Interpreters for these reasons 1. No reason can be given why it should be left out of the Hebrew Text. 2. But a probable reason may be given why it should be added in the Greek The Jews esteemed the Seventy Souls that went into Egypt beyond the Seventy Nations of the World This arrogant Doctrine must needs expose 'em to hatred and danger amongst the Gentiles To avoid this the Interpreters added another Cainan and five souls to those Lxx in Jacob's retinue They took care that the Gentiles should not in the Greek Bibles find exactly the Lxx Nations in Gen. 10. but 72 or 73 if we reckon Elisa also as also not 70 but 75 souls that went down into Egypt The same craft they us'd in Deut. 32. 8. which they read according to the number of the Angels of God whence the comparison between the 70 souls and the 70 Nations took its rise 3. Nothing more usual with them than to add according to their pleasure Gen. 10. 2. Elisa is added and v. 22. another Cainan among the Sons of Sem. So that they have added two Cainans to the Original Text one the Son of Noah the other the Son of Arphaxad and Grand-son of Noah Gen. 46. 20. they have added five Grand-children to the Sons of Joseph and in v. 27. they reckon up 7 Grand-children to him Shall we believe the Greek or Hebrew Bibles Let Reason and the Nature of the thing judge If these 5 were with Joseph when Jacob and his Family went down into Egypt and if they were not why are they numbred among those that went down into Egypt then must Manasseh at the age of 9 or 10 at the most be a Grand-Father Ephraim at 8 or 9. But how comes St. Luke to follow the 70 and to insert this additional Cainan To that the Dr. answers 1. Luke wrote to the Gentiles and therefore must follow the Heathens Bible in his Quotations 2. In the Genealogies he was to be a Copier and not a Corrector If he had not inserted it the Gentiles who were only capable of consulting the Gr. Copies might have call'd his Varacity in question as to the other part of the Genealogy which had been extracted out of Tables and Registers not familiarly known Luke is a faithful Transcriber Thus Jude mentions Michael striving with Satan and the Apostle names James and Jambres 2 Tim. 3. 9. they do not deliver these as certain things but refer to the common Tradition 3dly Aristeas and Josephus say when the Greek Translation â—… Demetrius commanded that according to their Custom they moâ—… Curses upon any that shou'd by addition or alteration or diminution â—… any Change in it 4thly He follow'd the Lxx. to shew that there was not a distinction as was imagined between Jews and Gentiles and that he miâ—… for t the Gentiles concerning their coming in See more in the learned Aâ—… 1. p. 488 490. Vol. II. p. 401 402 404. V. The Rector has one other Corruption to Charge the Hebrew Copieâ—… Psal 22. 16. As a Lyon instead of they pierced my Hands and Feet So â—… 15. 24. and the Lxx. This Place if it be a Corruption has not been â—…ted in all Hebrew Copies the Jews themselves being Witnesses R. Jacob Beâ—… the restorer of the Masora in Bibl. Venet. ingenuously confesses that he â—… the reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they pierced in some Copies Johan Isaac Levita â—… Jew became a Christian affirms the same of a Hebrew Psalter that was hâ—… fathers Several Hebrew Bibles have both readings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text and â—… Margin and Grotius acknowledges both to be Ancient so doth Dr. Hammâ—… observes as Glassius did before him that the Chald. joyns both readings â—…dring the Place mordentes sicut leo manus meas * Duplex fuit antiquitus lectio Grot. in loc Our English Translator the marginal reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have pierced as being at Liberty to chuse eitâ—… and the Jews themselves in other Places prefer the Keri or marginaâ—… Of the two readings here no wonder the modern Jews should prefer that whâ—… most to favour their Cause The famous and indefatigable Dan. Bomberg â—…ned himself in publishing the noble Venetian Edition of the Masoretic Bible have restor'd the marginal reading into the Text but the Jew that corrâ—… Press diverted him from his Intention by threatning to hinder the Sale oâ—… among his Country-men The learned Glassius who was a great Criâ—… Hebrew Tongue saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Lyon ought to be renderd as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pierced and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the 3d. plur praeter in Kal of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in an Aâ—… form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being inserted as is usual in other Words and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put in the end for Ezr. 10. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He refers to more Examples of tâ—… kind as in Jer. 50. 11. and he calls this Letter as Brixianus and others â—… before him not Jod but a diminutive Vau which is therefore thus Writteâ—… clarè inuat clavorum Christi stigmara To signify the Marks of the Nails iâ—… Hands and Feet Hence it is written in Codregiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been â—… of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it in Jer. 50. 11. four several Times and so it is used in other Placâ—… Thus I have Vindicated the Hebrew Bibles and our English Bibles which Translation of 'em from the Corruptions with which the Rector hath thouâ—… reproach them I desire the Reader to consider whether this Gentleman dâ—… be Credited in Reflections upon the Dissenters who so vilely Reflects on thâ—… Bibles which he wou'd have us believe are Corrupted by the Jews in materiaâ—… especially in Ps 96. 10. Gen. 11. 12. and in the Chronology in which above Years are lost So that according to these Corrupt Bibles we cannot prove thaâ—… is come in the Flesh for the World must be 6000. Years old when Christ â—… come if we may believe the Rector but according to our English Bibles but above 4000 Years old when he was Born In short the Râ—… brought us to this pass either we must reject the Authority of our English â—… Point of Chronology or deny that Christ is come in the Flesh Christ â—… come till the World was 6000 Years old as the Rector tells us and accordiâ—… our English Bibles it is not 6000 Years old to this Day Mr. Gippes is a â—…tron to the Christian Cause which is as much obliged to him as the Dissenters Speak out your Mind sweet Sir shall we burn our Corrupt Bibles | Serm. p. 27. that maâ—… in Jesus Christ Or shall we deny his Coming to save our Bibles You â—… you please good Mr. Rector but I am satisfied the Church of England and tâ—… the Dissenters will neither renounce their Christianity nor their â—… †Vid. Glass de Script styl FINIS