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A03336
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A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the third of March, 1610. By Theophilus Higgons. In testimony of his heartie reunion with the Church of England, and humble submission thereunto. Published by command
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Higgons, Theophilus, 1578?-1659.
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1611
(1611)
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STC 13456; ESTC S104096
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44,137
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62
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confesse that in all probability I framed no such proiect in my thoughts but that I was a real substantial Papist howsoeuer some men led with an honest errour haue seemed to conceiue otherwise of my case If the testimonies of eminent persons may be required or admitted in this kind I would make choice of one singularly aboue the rest to acknowledge whose kindnes towards me it is the least recompence that I owe him yet the greatest that I can make him for the same He then doth know that vpon my return I did expresse a great auersion from this Church pardon me it was more euen a detestation thereof And when hee would seeme to nourish some hope aboue hope of my reduction thereunto I did beseech and request him most affectionately not to sow his fauours vpon the conceit of such an haruest For I was throughly acquainted with the nature and quality of mine owne soile too barren for such fruit Here also I may not forget nor conceale his answere vnto me for it was full of comfort and conscience to wit that I should not be allured nor pressed by his maiesties royal fauour and grace of which he conceiued good hope otherwise then I had the secret testimony and certain perswasion of mine owne heart Wherefore out of his noble and religious disposition he persisted still in his pious and charitable worke J say pious and charitable For what other aduantage did hee seeke or could he find then that which S. Augustine did long since in a like case Quid quaero Quo fructu quaero saith b Coâ—… de â—…gest 〈◊〉 Eâ—…ito hee of a Donatist in his time What is it which I seeke Or with what profit doe I seeke it He answereth Vt aliquando dâ—…tur mihi Frater tuus mortuus erat reuixit perierat inuentus est that once it may be said vnto mee c Luc. 15.31 Thy Brother was dead and is aliue againe he was lost but he is found To this end and purpose J was recommended by his speciall care but against my will for I loued my owne euill and feared the remedy thereof vnto the Reuerend Deane of Pauls a man so rarely qualified with Morall and Intellectual vertues that his worth doth no lesse verifie his name then his name doth signifie his worth And this I esteeme one of the greatest if not the greatest blessings of God vnto me that when I was as blinde in the eies of my minde as d Act. 9. S. Paul was in the eies of his body yea of minde also I should be sent or rather brought vnto this worthy Ananiah nubes Domini the cloud of the Lord so it is by interpretation for the restitution of my sight and bee mollified againe by the sweet showres of his learned and iudicious discourse Thus after a long vnhappy flight I returned with Noahs e Gen. 8.9 Doue into the Arke which J once forsooke and fluttered vpon the swelling waters of Babylon which can giue no true rest but a Lethargie vnto the soule Finally after a long and tedious motion I found rest and repose vnto my soule in the same center wherein I was seated from my tender and more happie yeeres This was the Lords doing and it is maruellous in mine eies What ensued Mutantur suscipiuntur saith f Vbi supâ—…à S. Augustine of the Donatists They relinquish their opinion the Church receiueth them into her vnion againe So it was with mee such was the gratious fauour of God such the great indulgencie of his Church You will peraduenture demand now Vpon what intellectuall motiues I did returne since I had some in my wrong apprehension to depart I will speake the truth in Christ I will not lie my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost The only thing wherein J did intend to conforme my selfe vnto the desire of my friends and will of my superiours was to take the oath of Allegiance as it is truly and iustly styled For what else doth it containe in the substance thereof but a ciuill obedience and faith due from subiects vnto their Soueraigne Lord by lawes diuine and humane yea founded in the very principles of Nature and Reason Wherein I did obserue FIRST how carefully the matter of State is heere distinguished from controuersie of Religion In which regard it was the determinate pleasure of his sacred g See his Maiesties Premonition to all Christian Monarkes c. pag. 9. Maiestie to ease the burden of the Papists not requiring them to sweare that the Pope hath no authoritie to excommunicate his Highnesse and to subiect him vnto a spirituall censure but that the power of such excommunication cannot by any meanes extend it selfe vnto the preiudice of his royall Life or Crowne SECONDLY then I obserued thereupon that though there are some circumstantiall points in this oath vpon which some Papists doe principally insist for their refusall thereof yet that they did heerein but gloze with his Maiestie and vse a specious pretense to reiect the substance of the Oath which being abstracted from all circumstances and accessaries therein hath this principall issue to wit that the Pope hath no power directly nor indirectly to depose his Maiestie from the right of his Crowne nor to expose his person vnto the perill of his life So that the refusall of this Oath thus sensed and this is the true sense thereof by any popish subiect in this land doth demonstrate euidently and expresly that he wanteth meanes and not a mind to dethrone our most gratious Soueraigne Lord the KING whom God preserue to his honour and our comfort yea which I tremble to speake but he would not feare to doe to take away his pretious life with sacrilegious hands specially if such be the resolution of h See this particular handled by D. Morton in his encounter against Parsons lib 2. cap. 2. §. 6. our Lord God the POPE To shew therefore my zealous and hearty detestation of such impious and execrable doctrine sent continually from Rome sowen plentifully in the hearts of English subiects and this seed will grow into an haruest of lamentable combustion if our iust lawes be not enliuened by a seuere execution in this behalfe I tooke this Oath vpon such mature deliberation and aduice that I dare confidently pronounce Whatsoeuer subiect in this Land doth pertinaciously refuse to sweare allegiance vnto the King according to the sense and substance of this oath he is a TRAITOR in his heart against the life and soueraigntie of his Prince But now as by this act I gaue testification of my loialty vnto the State so withall I incurred the suspition of heresie and apostasie with others Why what was my offence Oh a great yea a double offeÌ„ce against his Holinesse which euery one that taketh this oath must necessarily commit FIRST he denieth the infallibility of the Popes iudgement yea hee admitteth farther that the Pope erreth not onely materially but formally not in
remained a substance of faith sufficient vnto saluation Finally that as a generall Reformation was expedient and necessary so our particular was orderly good and iust In a word therefore to acquaint you with my totall conformity vnto the doctrine of this Church contained in the 39. Articles of Religion I haue submitted my self thereunto by profession of mouth by subscription of hand by consent of heart In this faith J desire to spend and end the course of my life to the honour of GOD the benefit of his CHVRCH the comfort of my owne soule Now I may say ioyfully with Dauid z Psal 116.7 Returne vnto thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee Or with Simeon a Luke 2.29 Lord now let rest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation I lost thee but thou didst not loose me I fled from thee and thou didst seeke me I erred and thou didst reduce me I was blind and thou didst illuminate me I was hardened and thou didst mollifie me so I returned by thee vnto thee and thou hast receiued me againe Therfore I will exalt thy name for euer and humble my selfe with Dauid befor thee saying b Psal 86.11.12.13 Teach me thy way ô Lord and I will walke in thy truth knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name I will praise thee ô Lord my God with all my heart yea I will glorifie thy name for euer For great is thy mercy toward me thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost hell Thus you see Brethren in part what God hath done vnto my soule as also what I owe vnto him for his mercy loue and grace and what I shall perform vnto him for the same by the assistance of his Spirit Hereunto I will adioin a briefe remonstrance of my duty vnto the CHVRCH of my loialty vnto the KING finally I will conclude with a petition and promise vnto your selues The FIRST is my duety vnto the Church of God in this flourishing Iland or rather little world the glory whereof I haue laboured to obscure with my vnfortunate and misaduised pen. But as c See August epist 13. Stefichorus lost his eies by dispraising the faire Helena of Greece recouered them by praising her againe so to reobtaine my former sight I wil expend al the faculties that I haue in aduancing the dignity lustre of this incōparable Church incomparable in many respects but specially in two First in the excellency of preaching the Gospell For as God hath giuen the word and great is the multitude of Preachers so in their gifts matter and manner of preaching singular also is the perfection of Preachers in this Land Secondly in the Common praier and Liturgy a iewel so pretious that it cannot be valued at too high a rate The SECOND thing was my loialty vnto our gratious Soueraigne Lord and King whose mercy towards me hath been very great in pardoning my offences which mediatly at the least did touch his roiall Selfe The Subiects whom I grieued are vnder his dition the Lawes which I violated are vnder his administration the Church which I scandalized is vnder his protection the Faith which I impugned is vnder his DEFENCE by common right and speciall title So that all these coniunctiuely might plead for a reuenge from his princely hands since d Rom. 13.4 Hee beareth not the sword in vaine But as J said before his Highnesses mercy hath bin very great vnto me in making me an example of his clemency which in truth is so naturall vnto Him that He as sometimes e Senec. de Clem lib. 1. cap. 10. Augustus may well be called Parens Patriae the Father of his Country because as Seneca testifieth of Augustus apparet illum dare poenas cùm exigit It appeares that He doth suffer punishment Himselfe when by compulsion He doth take it of another It is my speciall obligation therefore beyond a common duty to pray yea I pray now and beseech you all to ioyne your hearts with mine lifting them vp vnto GOD for Him that his Maiesty may inioy a peaceable raigne a prosperous estate and obtaine a blessed end after a long and happy life that He may be translated from an earthly vnto an heauenly kingdome where the glorious Lambe sitteth f Apoc. 19.16 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords that as now he raigneth g Prou. 8 15. by him so there he may raigne with him in that happinesse which hath no misery in that abundance which hath no want in that security which hath no feare in that eternity which hath no end Amen Now THIRDLY and lastly I turne my speech vnto you deare and welbeloued Countrimen in whose audience and with whose patience I haue made a full and free confession of my error I haue not hid it for thereby I should hide God from me not me from God I haue not hid it I say by Negation nor by Extenuation nor by Iustification thereof remembring what was h Februar 10. by Mr. Kitson of Peterhouse in Cambridge lately deliuered here in the prosecution of a Text well chosen and excellently handled i Prou. 28.13 He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy As for your charity towards me I cannot doubt but that at the least you will esteem of me as S. Paul did sometimes iudge of Onesimus Philemons seruant k Philem. vers 15. It may be that he departed for a season that thou shouldest receiue him for euer As for me I trust in God by the gratious assistance of his holy spirit so to comport my self in the whole course of my studies and actions that with iust application you may call vnto your remembrance that which S. Paul said a little l Ibid. vers 12. before of that fugitiue seruant He was vnprofitable in times past vnto thee but now profitable both vnto thee and me Wherefore I request you Brethren to praise God with me and for me who hath thus extended his Mercy Loue and Grace towards me when I was dead in sinne Pray him also that I may vse his blessings to the honour of his name and benefit of his Church Finally I beseech him for you and my selfe that we all may haue for the end of our actions his glory for the rule his word for the fruit of our faith the saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the blessed spirit of both be ascribed all maiesty power and dominion in heauen and in earth now and for euer Amen FINIS