vnworthynesse of Gods favour and blind ignorance not in the necessary precepts of saith but in Contingents with what particular blessing when where and how God will blesse sinners Prayers at Baptisme doe regenerate though you denie this T is the text Aske and you shall haue To pray is to Aske To be Regenerate is to haue The blessed Apostles did confirme the Churches which they before had converted Act. 14. 22. Act. 15. 32. For confirmation is a Principle of the doctrine of Christ next to baptisme Heb. 6. 1. 2. Therefore S. Peter and S. Iohn did pray impose hands to confirme the Church with the holy Ghost Act. 8. 17. And little Children being more weake in the state of Grace then such Converts must necessarily be confirmed by the Bishop the Apostle of the Diocesse though not by miraculous yet by seaven of the holy Ghosts gifts We must pray for the dead Thy kingdome come Oh Lord raise the dead prisoners in the graue And herein we pray for their soules and bodies God be with them to comfort their soules deprived of their bodies I say to comfort them with hast'ning the Re-vnion and the consummate ioy of soule and body Thus the Primitiue Fathers Iunius B. Bilson Mornay Chameirus This is not to defend Purgatory but the receaued answere against Purgatory These things being thus answered obserue that this Puritan would obstinately cast out of the Church Gods sauing mercy saving hope saving charity and the seauen guifts of the holy Ghost And what then is his religion but faction But marke those that cause diuision in the Church contrary to the doctrine which you haue receiued For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17. 18. The third thing in which this Puritan is Nonconformist is the Canons of our reformed Church These 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 24. 29. 30. 31. 48. 49. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 60. 61. 73. 127. c. But who is this Puritan What is his name Mr Rogers in his Preface to the 39 Articles saith that since the suppression of Puritans by Arch-Bishops Parker Grindall and Whitegift none will seeme to be such irregular Professors But the eie that beholds their daring oppositions in the Church may very well beleeue that such Rebellions are taught in their Conventicles What Rebellions Their teaching against the Kings Supremacie a reiecting of our Reformed saith a refusing of Gods holy worship written which is the Common Praier-booke a despising of Canonicall obedience a repugning against our Reformed Church Yet this seditious Schysmatique would be the most true Reformist of Church and Religion but read the Suruey of the Pretended holy discipline and hence it is euidently proued that he knowes not what he is nor what he would be Therefore for his better edifying let him learne to beleeue to pray and obey according to the vnderstanding Rules of this Reformed Church For the 39 Articles are true precepts of faith all Collected out of holy writ The Common praiers are godly praiers The Canons are true wholesome lawes Therefore he that will not beleeue pray and obey according to this established estate of Church gouernment is noe pure man in heart He studies Consusion of Church and Common-wealth The specificall kinds of this Puritan promise neither truth nor goodnes and therefore let noe man fauour their vnrighteous dealing and let our Church stand fast in her faith instruct correct rebuke that this Non-conformist may be a true Reformist The species specificall kinds of this Puritan are these 1. the Perfectist 2. the factious Sermonist 3 the Separatist 4. the Anabaptist 5. the Brownist 6. Loues-familist 7. the Precisian 8. the Sabbatarian 9 the Ante-disciplinarian 10. the Presuming Predestinatist These ten kinds in their opinions are the best Christians and every one differs in the Reciprocall Quatenus i. e. in his proper essentiall Quality from other as much as white and blacke yet the same subiect of inhesion man may be all these ten as the same eie is white and blacke though whitenes and blacknes differ essentially The Perfectist is he whose purenes is continuata perseverandi actio sanctificans neuer to sinne after baptisme This is the Nouatian Catharist But St Paul did sinne after baptisme Rom. 7. This is a perfect keeper of Gods law Thus he is a Papist But S. Paul could not doe the good which he would but the evill which he would not His opinion is that a Christian sinning after baptisme is damned Our Reformed faith is That by the grace of God he may Repent and amend and thus S. Iohn if we confesse our sinnes he will forgiue 1. Iohn 1. This Puritan sinnes against the 16. Article The factious Sermonist is he whose purenes is to serue God with sermons and extemporary praiers made according to his supposititious inspiration His opinion is vaine glory Preachers Compos'de not according to his hasty rule he sayth are vn-worthy and therefore they must not be heard to preach nor resorted to at holy Communion Then S. Peter if vnworthines might depose Preachers should neuer haue preach'd after his forswearing his master Our reformed faith is that we may vse the ministery of vnworthy Ministers And t is strange that he commends himselfe to be worthy whereas S. Paul is not a teacher of his opinion 2. Cor. 2. 16. in these words Who is sufficient for these things This sinneth against the 26. Article Another opiniō of his is that preaching is better than Praier But both being most necessarie Preaching for to instruct the people and praier to worship God instrumentally to cause regeneration by baptisme c. It followes that this Sermonist is a peeuish disturber of Religion A third opinion of his is that priuate Praier made by a tardy commer to Church is the sacrifice of fools As if too late cōming to Church were not a sinne to be repented of and that one soe ill prepar'd to ioyne with the congregation should not pray for remission and Gods blessing and then praise the Lord with the whole Assembly The Separatist is he whose Purenes is Pharisaicall He commends himselfe in the Temple to be farre aboue all others for holines Our Sauiour sayth that the Publican repenting was more iust than he Luke 18. 14. His opinion is that only he is the Elect the Regenerate and faithfull child of God And that all others are reprobates the wicked the vnregenerat and the damned But Gods iudgments are vnsearchable Rom. 11. 33. And who art thou that iudgest why dost thou Iudge c Rom. 14. 4. 10. 11. 12. 13. The iudgment of our Church is that al that are baptized are regenerat Thus Seeing that this child is regenerat grafted into the body of Christs congregation c. And the Church regulated by scriptures is the pillar and groūd of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. therefore
the Lord Iesus ceased from his worke Heb. 4. He then appoynted a certaine day by saying to day ver 7. And because Christ rested from his worke of restoring his kingdome to Israel in the same manner as God did from his ver 10. appointing the first day after the creation to be the sabbath Therefore the first day of the Iewes weeke the scripture calls and t is instituted for to be the Lords day for this is the day of Christs rest religiously to be celebrated with holy worship in remembrance of our iustifying sanctifying sauing victorious and trivmphing Redemption But concerning other holy dayes there were seauen together in the time of the law Deut. 16. Therefore when God was to be praised for preseruing Israel in tents when he brought them out of Aegipt c then the text saith not labor 6. dayes but keepe holy 7. dayes c. So when God is to be praised for the Angells good newes to the Blessed Virgin for the Natiuity of our Sauiour for his circumcision c then the Church teacheth not 6. dayes labour but to praise the Lord on the holy time appoynted This Puritan sinnes against the 35. Article at the 7. 12. 13. 14. 16. and 17 homilies For these doe teach the holy obseruing of feasts vnto the Lord. The Anti-disciplinarian is he whose purenes is aboue the Kings Supremacy Imperious Imagination His holines is the Churches greatest Authority and as good a Rule for to know the Reformed true faith as holy writ He is a strict obseruer of the law therefore his Religion is the best religion But our Sauiour teacheth that mercy is the best part of Religion Matth. 9. 13. And he neuer learned that Christs kings office is aboue Christs Priests office in spirituall things for as much as Christ a Priest died for to make satisfaction for our sins to God the Supreame Iudge who is Christ a king and that from this office of Christ a king the king is derived and that the Priest is derived from Christs Priests office This Puritans tenet is that kings must be subiect to the Puritan-Presbyters Censure submit their Scepters throw downe their Crownes and licke vp the dust of their feete Thus Mr Rogers in the 11. page of his Preface to the 39. Articles and thus T. C. teacheth in his Reply page 180. Thus the oath of Supremacie allegiance are broken This Puritan is an Arch-traitor His prowd holynesse sinnes against the 21. Article which affirmeth that Princes in their Dominions haue supreame Authority to gather together Generall Councels and against the 35. Article at the last homily which preacheth downe Rebellion and against the 37. Article which saith that the King is supreame Governour of Church and Common Wealth next and immediately vnder Christ in his Dominions in all causes and over all Persons Ecclesiasticall and Civill His tenet is that all Priests should be Equall But who ever gaue all Priests authority to ordaine and did exalt inferiour Priests and pull downe Superiors for that equality but Farellus and Viretus by Sermons two Geneva-Presbyters But by what Law Whence was that authority This Puritan sinnes against the 23 33 and 36. Articles which teach the lawfulnes of Arch-Bishops and Bishops Superiority and Iurisdiction This Puritan is an enemie to Church-Ceremonies as if Gods Ministers and his house should be naked without all externall beauty He saith that he is only for essentials at baptizing c. And yet Metaphysicall divinitie is farre beyond the spheare of his plainely and briefly c. For the Scriptures deduceable sence transcends his capacitie This Puritan sinnes against the 20. Article The Presuming Predestinatist is he whose purenes is an inspired knowledge that hee shal be saved by Gods absolute election He is so sure of his salvation as if he were now in heaven as if thete were no life in him but Gods essentiall glory This is to sin without feare or wit He considereth not that the World the flesh and the Deuill are such cruell and subtile enemies that they did soe terrifie S. Peter as that he denied with an oath that he knew the Rocke of Saluation and the other Apostles fled And pray thou Continually that thou enter not into temptation Thus the 17. Article teacheth thee And presume not that thou art absolutely certaine of saluation for in denying Christs soules locall descent into Hell which is against the 3 Article thou deniest a part of Christs subduing euill spirits and his triumph ouer the power of hell for this end Christ descended to the spirits that were disobedient in the daies of Noah 1. Pet. 3. 18. 19. 20. And thou seemest to deny that good workes are the striving instrumentall causes for salvation in that thou regardest not Examples of good life by abhorring Apocrypha scripture which is against the 6. Article Suffer the words of exhortation be not factious in the Church to mainetaine an Imperious ruinating holynesse to amaze silly people to gaine a competency by way of collection God hath given the tenth part in al Israell for an inheritance to mainetaine the Priesthood Num. 18. 21. And if the humane positiue law hath not made provision according to this divine law stay the Lords leasure till he shall assist the king and the generall Councell of this land to reforme this thing as yet full of difficultie If thou hast no Benefice faction can never bring thee any de iure but reformation may Downe on thy knees repent and amend and praise God Almighty for as much as thy Dread Soveraigne Lord and king hath spared thy life so long thou being nothing better in tenet than an Arch-Traitor Downe on thy knees giue harty thankes to God in that the Most Reverend Arch-Bishops and the Right Reverend Bishops thy holy and Ghostly Fathers haue not delivered thee over to Satan Maiori Excommunicatione cursing thee forth from the Church and all humane societie thou being a most contumacious Schysmatique It is not sufficient that thou deny that thou art any such Puritan for thy faction is visible almost every where in this land Downe on thy knees and pray for Gods holy spirits illumination that thy zeale may be according to the infallible knowing faith and that God may thus incline thy heart to our true faithfull reforming Christian Religion The Lord Almighty and most mercifull make the light of his countenance to shine vpon thee and to reforme thee Then the Church shal enioy her much desired vnitie In which how happy a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together for Christians to liue and die I desire you to consider I pray you I beseech you Even I though I am very disdainefully hated of you am so charitably affected I labour alwaies to the vtmost of my praiers and studies to instruct you with true sanctifying reformation and so shall till death remaine Your hearty well-wisher to solid Reformation GILES WIDDOWES 1. COR. 14. V. VLT Let all things be done decently and
flesh by covenant by troth plighted by Church-authority which is the essentiall vnion is the fundamentall cause of the signifying vnion which is the ring giuen in marriage to signifie that mā wife are no more twaine but one flesh T is expresse Scripture that t is granted to the Church to weare fine linnen white and cleane Rev. 19. 8. There is a similitude betweene the triumphant and militant Church and so an expression of the ones glory by the others signification and is it then contrary to decency and order to weare the surplisse Holy daies are contain'd in the Scripture The Lords passeover which we call Easter Levit. 23. 5. The feast of vnleavened bread Levit. 23. 6. The feast of first fruits Lev. 23. 10. to the 24. verse The feast of Trumpets Lev. 23. from 24 to the 34 verse The feast of Tabernacles Mordecai had his Holy day Hest 9. Iudeth had her Holy day Iudeth 16. Macchabeus had his Holy day Macchab. 1. 4. And seeing that Holy daies did not transgresse the fourth commandement before Christs comming the Apostles Agapae Festivall daies and our Church-holy-daies doe not transgresse that law We should bee very vnthankfull vnto God for the multiplying of his great mercies if we did not solemnely keepe them the reason is shew'd before In his rebus de quib nihil certi statuit scriptura divina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenendasunt D. August Epist 68. to Casulanus In those things which the Scripture hath not verbatim set downe the customes of Gods people or the institutions of our Predecessors ought to bee receiued for lawes so that they be deduced from Scriptures and be not contrary to Scriptures they are S. Augustines limitations Seeing then that the church hath authority giuen her let her exercise her authority Let all things be done For as long as the church is rul'd by Scripture Shee is the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. to the vnlearned to the catechised to the vulgar vnderstanding then S. Augustine being an infant in faith beleeues quia dixit Ecclesia because the church did teach him to beleeue As long as the church is rul'd by Scriptures Shee cannot erre hell gates cannot prevaile against her Mat. 16. 18. And therefore let all things be done decently in order whatsoever our well reformed church commands to be done Let the Priest weare the surplisse let little children to be baptized haue their Godfathers and Godmothers let the baptized be signed with the signe of the Crosse Let all communicants kneele reverently at receiuing the Lords Supper Let all bow in solemne assemblies at the name of IESVS Let them that are to be married be married with the Ring Let Holy daies be kept Let the Lord bee praised vpon Church Organs and on the Sabbath and Holy daies thus let him bee magnified with the musicall sound of all Church-bells Let the dead be honorably buried You haue a little booke of Articles which containes seven generalls all our church-traditions The first is concerning the church-yard Vicarage-house The second is concerning the Ministerie divine service and Sacraments The third is concerning Ecclesiasticall Courts The fourth concerning School-masters The fift concerning the parish clearke and Sexton The sixt concerning the Parishioners The seuenth concerning church-wardens Sides-men Let all these things be done For the doing of them well doth honour God and saue your owne soules But if church-offenders are growne hard-hearted stiffe-necked stubborne not to be reformed by neighbourly loue good counsell wholsome exhortation Dic Ecclesiae tell the church For all things must be done Decently and in order which is my fourth part of text Decently and in order Here is the manner how Gods command first secondly how the churches command is to be obeyed and this is Decently and in order On the outside by beauty Decently within and without according to rule In order Nihil peruerso ordine vel per contentionem vel per inanem gloriam faciatis so S. Hierome vpon these words where there is perversenesse ouerthwarting faction there is noe church-decencie factious contention and vaine spirited glory is noe part of this church-order Non temerè non indecorè non insanè ordine conueniente so S. Chrysostome Not rashnesse not vnseemelines not distemper is the decency or order that which is seemely is church-decency that which is conuenient is church-order Omnia cum pace disciplinâ so S. Ambrose the peace of the church this is church-decencie the discipline of the church this is church order The decencie of the church is opposite to vanity to sordidnesse to luxury The order of the church is opposite to confusion and troublesomenesse soe Pareus The decency of the church is that Gods temple should be all glorious at least very conuenient that church-vessells and the materiall parts of the church be cleane and comely that the Priests vestments be seemely that all church actions publique and priuate be void of lightnesse and superstition that church-teachers and hearers behaue themselues with diuine grauity modestie and piety as it becometh them that stand in the presence of God and his holy Angells Church order giues euery one his conuenient place to superiors superior places to equalls equall places to inferiors inferior places to euery church-necessary a necessary place Order obserues church-time as well as church-place and it staies not there but appoints who shall be church-teachers and who shall be church-hearers and to keepe both in order there are appointed times to pray to preach to sing psalmes to catechise to communicate to baptize c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caueatur aedificatio ecclelesiae singulorum maximè promoueatur so Pareus The transgressing of church-decencie and order must be shun'd the edifying of the church and of all in the church must be carefully obserued And we must goe a little farther the beautifying and honour of the Church must be carefully regarded And wee must on a little farther The able gratious practise of the Church must be preferred aboue all the edifying beautifying and externall honour of the church S. Hierome saith that there is no church-decency no church-order where is peruersenesse and diuision and therefore Thomas Cartwright was noe true teacher of church decency and order let his 21 dangerous points of doctrine and his one and fifty vntruths falsifying of Scriptures fathers of the church Historiographers and other classicall Authors be witnesse as 't is obserued by D Whitguift in his booke against M. Cartwright S. Chrysostome saith where there is rashnes vnseemelinesse distemper that there is noe church-decencie noe church order and therefore the precise ones are noe teachers of church-decencie and order for they are rash to thrust that vpon vs for true religion which began at the 250 yeare after Christ and was put downe by the first Councell of Nice S. Ambrose saith that there is church-decency where is the peace and the discipline of the church
for these are the well growne fruits of the Apostles doctrine Let all things be done decently and in Order There is church-decencie where is noe lightnesse and there is church-order where is noe confusion and therefore frequenters of woods for churches haue noe church-decencie For a suppose of their owne pates rings them a peale to frequent woods that idolatrous Temples must never be frequented if once idolatrous and yet religion being reformed those temples though once idolatrous are againe to bee frequented to worship God with holy worship So Calvin Peter Martyr Beza Bucer and B. Iewell And to convert idolatrous temples into christian Temples was the practise of the Primitiue church at 179 yeare after Christ in king Luoius daies There is no church-order where is confusion where the same preacher or teacher doth contradict one doctrine with an other contradictions of doctrines are in Thomas Cartwright as Doctor Whitguift hath obserued And there are contradictions in Bellarmine and his fraternity for there are 37 generall parts of doctrine and 239 particular doctrines in which one Romanist contradicts an other as Pareus hath obserued in his Irenicum There is church-decency where the church and every part of the church is kept seemly And there is church order where superiors are in superior places equalls in equal places inferiors in inferior places And there is no Church-decencie where ruine neglect dust and filthinesse are Church-keepers this is almost customarie in these daies A wood a private conventicle a factious sect I feare is more solemnly frequented in many places in this land than the Church of God And there is no Church order where Superiors are made inferiors Kings to cast their Crownes at the feet of Schismatiques schismaticall Pastors yet thus M. Thomas Cartwright would haue it And hee calls the Deane of a Cathedrall Church the Canons the Major and Minor-Prebends the Chauncellour the Chaunter the Pistellers and Gospellers hee vnmannerly calls them all Abbi-lubbers Thus what Church-order hath established hee with a word of disgrace would put downe against all order There should be decency and order obseru'd in performing Gods holy worship which is the common prayers And this is reprou'd by some by others t is embrac'd but t is with a running reverence by others t is cut off in the middle to the dishonour of God and his Church by others t is mumbled vp in an vnknowne tongue as if Papists were vnwilling that all should knowe what they say vnto God yet every one had religion in his owne tongue Act. 2. T is decencie and order that we should stand vp at the rehearsing of the Apostles Creed to signifie that wee doe and will stand to our faith but this standing vp some doe maliciously oppose and this standing vp others doe vnwittingly neglect The Font is the commanded place for baptisme yet some doe baptize in Wells in Brookes in Rivers c. to defend to vphold a factious spirit T is decencie and order to edifie the Church but some care for no edifying To beleeue as the Church beleeues this forme of words is faith enough and the best of that false beleeuing side are afraid of essentiall and demonstratiue exposition of the infallible rules of exposition the scripture being granted to be the only axiomaticall principle of faith The learned rules of exposition of Scriptures which neither S. Austine nor any other father hath expresso praecepto these rules Papists dare not follow Some respect onely the factious edifying well known to the factious brethren by opposing Church-decencie and order But beyond this edifying they neuer intend to proceed like S. Pauls silly women who are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth And therefore the able gracious practise of the Church is neglected by them A father of the Church must not be heard in his owne language because that spends time and doth not edifie And Church Organs the musicall instruments of the Churches gracious practise are tedious to them because they doe not edifie To ring the Church-bells in peale on the Lords day this the separatists call profaning of the Sabbath And t is their ignorance being vnable to tell the difference betweene the worlds servile workes which are forbidden by the fourth commaundement and betweene Churches musicall works which in their due time done doe praise the Lord. T is Church-decency and Church-order that the scriptures be taught learnedly and grauely but now the children of the Prophets goe for Church-Doctors and a Mechanicke a presuming spirit is receiued amongst the Perfectists for a lawfull preacher if their non-Ecclesiasticall spirit calls him yet the Text faith No man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but hee that is called of God as was Aaron Hebr. 5. 4. But one will obiect what meanes all this discourse but to occasion appearing of evill and to giue offence to the weake brothers conscience Be not deceiued here is no appearing of evill no offence Here is nothing but Church-decency and Church-order which neither appeare evill nor are they any offence for appearance of evill and offence are opposite to these well governing and obeying properties And who are the weake brethren Thomas Cartwrights Disciples In their conceipts there are none so godly none so holy in the Churches of God Thus farre I haue followed an vnseemly a disorderd company This was the cause that you should knowe who are the vndecent and the irregular in our Church that you may avoid them I commend the decencie order of the church vnto you and doe exhort you in the words of S. Paul 1. Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee all speake the same thing that there be no division among you but that yee bee ioined perfectly together in the same minde and in the same iudgement And doe you assuredly beleeue that Non-conformists haue not the spirit of God to guid them For they are the troublesome inventers of division For whereas there is envying and strife and divisions among them are they not carnall While one saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollo whilst they will heare none but a division making preacher are they not carnall S. Paul saith that they are carnall 1. Cor. 3. 3. 4. But I haue taught you better things then to be carnall Here is church-decency to cleanse the Lords house and to beautifie it and therefore learne to be decent with church-decency Here is church-order to set all things vniformely in Gods holy Temple and therefore learne church-holy orders that you may be decent and well-ordered Temples of the holy Ghost that in this life you may so liue together in true faith and religious charity that in the world to come you may liue together in immortall glory Which God for his infinite mercy grant vnto all through Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one immortall God be ascribed all glory honour power might saluation and thankesgiving this day and for ever AMEN FINIS