the Book being to be set fâ—rth by his Graâ—es censure and judgement he would have nâ—thing therein that Momus himself could reprehend referring notwithstanding all his Annotations to his Majesties exacter judgement Nor staid it here but being committed by the King to both Houses of Parliament and by them very well approved of as appears by the Statutes of this year Cap. 1. concerning the Advancing of true Religion and the abolition of the contrary it was published again by the Kings command under the title of Neâ—essary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man And it was published with an Epistle of the Kings before it directed to all his faithful and loving Subjects wherein it is affirmed 'To be a true Declaration of the true knowledge of God and his Word with the principal Articles of Religion whereby men may uniformly be led and taught the true understanding of that which is necessary for every Christian man to know for the ordering of himself in this life agreeable unto the will and pleasure of Almighty God ' 5. Now from these Books the Doctrine of Predestination may be gathered into these particulars which I desire the Reader to take notice of that he may judge the better of the Conformity which it hath with the established Doctrine of the Church of England 1. That man by his own nature was born in sin and in the indignation and displeasure of God and was the very childe of Wrath condemned to everlasting death subject and thrall to the power of the Devil and sin having all the principal parts or portions of his soul as Reason and understanding and free-wil and all other powers of his soul and body not onely so destituted and deprived of the gifts of God wherewith they were firstendued but also so blinded corrupted and poysoned with errour ignorance and carnal concupiscence that neither his said powers could exercise the natural function and office for which they were ordained by God at the first Creation nor could he by them do any thing which might be acceptable to God 2. That Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God the Father was eternally pre-ordained and appointed by the Decree of the Holy Trinity to be our Lord that is to say to be the onely Redeemer and Saviour of Mankinde and to reduce and bring the same from under the Dominion of the Devil and sin unto his onely Dominion Kingdom Lordship and Governance 3. That when the time was come in the which it was before ordained and appointed by the Decree of the Holy Trinity That Mankinde should be saved and redeemed then the Son of God the second Person in the Trinity and very God descended from Heaven into the world to take upon him the very habit form and nature of man and in the same nature to suffer his glorious Passion for the Redemption and Salvation of all Mankinde 4. That by this Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ not onely Corporal death is so destroyed that it shall never hurt us but rather that it is made wholesome and profitable unto us but also that all our sins and the sins also of all them that do believe in him and follow him be mortified and dead that is to say all the guilt and offence thereof as also the damnation and pains due for the same is clearly extincted abolished and washed away so that the same shall never afterwards be imputed and inflicted on us 5. That this Redemption and Justification of Mankinde could not have been wrought or brought to pass by any other means in the world but by the means of this Jesus Christ Gods onely Son and that never man could yet nor never shall be able to come unto God the Father or to believe in him or to attain his favour by his own wit and reason or by his own science and learning or by any his own works or by whatsosoever may be named in Heaven or Earth but by faith in the Name and Power of Jesus Christ and by the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit 6. But to proceed the way to the ensuing Reformation being thus laid open The first great work which was accomplished in pursuance of it was the compiling of that famous Liturgie of the year 1549. commanded by King Edward the sixth that is to say the Lord Protector and the rest of the Privy Council acting in his Name and by his Authority performed by Archbishop Cramner and the other six before remembred assisted by Thirdby Bishop of Westminster Day Bishop of Chichester Ridley Bishop of Rochester Taylor then Dean after Bishop of Lincoln Redman then Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and Hains Dean of Exeter all men of great abilities in their several stations and finally confirmed by the King the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in Parliament assembled 23 Edw. 6. In which Confirmatory act it is said expresly to have been done by the especial aid of the Holy Ghost which testimony I finde also of it in the Acts and Monuments fol. 1184. But being disliked by Calvin who would needs be meddling in all matters which concerned Religion and disliked it chiefly for no other reason as appears in one of his Epistles to the Lord Protector but because it savoured too much of the ancient forms it was brought under a review the cause of the reviewing of it being given out to be no other than that there had risen divers doubts in the Exercise of the said Book for the fashion and manner of the Ministration though risen rather by the curiosity of the Ministers and Mistakers then of any other cause 5 6 Edw. 6. cap. 1. The review made by those who had first compiled it though Hobeach and Redman might be dead before the confirmation of it by Act of Parliament some of the New Bishops added to the former number and being reviewed was brought into the same form in which now it stands save that a clause was taken out of the Letany and a sentence added to the destribution of the blessed Sacrament in the first year of Queen Elizabeth and that some alteration was made in two or three of the Rubricks with an addition of Thansgiving in the end of the Letany as also of a Prayer for the Queen and the Royal Issue in the first of King James 7. At the same time and by the same hands which gave us the First Liturgie of King Edward the sixth was the first Book of Homilies composed also in which I have some cause to think that Bishop Latimer was made use of amongst the rest as one who had subscribed the first other two Books before mentioned as Bishop of Worcester anno 1537. and ever since continued zealous for a Reformation quitting in that respect such a wealthy Bishoprick because he neither would nor could conform his judgement to the Doctrine of the six Articles Authorized by Parliament For it will easily appear to any who is
conversant in Latimers writings and will compare them carefully with the Book of Homilies that they do not onely savour of the same spirit in point of Doctrine but also of the same popular and familiar stile which that godly Martyr followed in the course of his preachings for though the making of these Homilies be commonly ascribed and in particularr by Mr. Fox to Archbishop Cranmer yet it is to be understood no otherwise of him then that it was chiefly done by encouragement and direction not sparing his own hand to advance the work as his great occasions did permit That they were made at the same time with King Edwards first Liturgie will appear as clearly first by the Rubrick in the said Liturgie it self in which it is directed that after the Creed shall follow the Sermon or Homily or some portion of one of them as they shall be hereafter divided It appears secondly by a Letter writ by Matrin Bucer inscribed To the holy Church of England and the Ministers of the same in the year 1549. in the very beginning whereof he lets them know That their Sermons â—r Homilies were come to his hands wherein they godlily and effectually exhort their people to the reading of Holy Scripture that being the scope and substance of the first Homily which occurs in that Book and thâ—rein expounded the sense of the faith whereby we hold our Christianity and Justification whereupon all our help consisteth and other most holy principles of our Religion with most godly zeal And as it is reported of the Earl of Gondomar Ambassador to King James from the King of Stain that having seen the eleganâ— disposition of the Rooms and Offices in Burleigh-House not far from Stansord erected by Sir William Cecâ—l principal Secretary of State and Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth he very pleasantly affirmed That he was able to discern the excellent judgement of the great Statesman by the neat contrivance of his house So we may say of those who composed this Book in reference to the points disputed A man may easily discern of what judgement they were in the Doctrine of Predestination by the method which they have observed in the course of these Homilies Beginning first with a Discourse of the misery of man in the state of nature proceeding next to that of the salvation of mankinde by Christ our Saviour onely from sin and death everlasting from thence to a Declaration of a true lively and Christian faith and after that of good works annexed unto faith by which our Justification and Salvation are to be obtained and in the end descending unto the Homily bearing this inscription How dangerous a thing it is to fall from God Which Homilies in the same form and order in which they stand were first authorized by King Edward the sixth afterwards tacitly approved in the Rubrick of the first Liturgie before remembred by Act of Parliament and finally confirmed and ratified in the Book of Articles agreed upon by the Bishops and Clergie of the Convocation anno 1552. and legally confirmed by the said King Edward 8. Such were the hands and such the helps which co-operated to the making of the two Liturgies and this Book of Homilies but to the making of the Articles of Religion there was necessary the concurrence of the Bishops and Clergy assembled in Convocation in due form of Law amongst which there were many of those which had subscribed to the Bishops Book anno 1537. and most of those who had been formerly advised with in the reviewing of the Book by the Commandment of King Henry the eighth 1543. To which were added amongst others Dr. John Point Bishop of Winchester an excellent Grecian well studied with the ancient Fathers and one of the ablest Mathamaticians which those times produced Dr. Miles Coverdale Bishop of Exon who had spent much of his time in the Lutheran Churches amongst whom he received the degree of Doctor Mr. John Story Bishop of Rochester Ridley being then preferred to the See of London from thence removed to Chichester and in the end by Queen Elizabeth to the Church of Hereford Mr. Rob. Farran Bishop of St. Davids and Martyr a man much favoured by the Lord Protector Sommerset in the time of his greatness and finally not to descend to those of the lower Clergie Mr. John Hooker Bishop of Gloucester and Martyr of whose Exposition of the Ten Commandments and his short Paraphrase on Romans 13. we shall make frequent use hereafter a man whose works were well approved of by Bishop Ridley the most learned and judicious of all the Prelates who notwithstanding they differed in some points of Ceremony professeth an agreement with him in all points of Doctrine as appears by a Letter written to him when they were both Prisoners for the truth and ready to give up their lives as they after did in defence thereof Now the words of the Letter are as followeth But now my dear Brother forasmuch as I understand by your works which I have but superficially seen that we throughly agree and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion against the which the world now so rageth in these our days Howsosoever in times past in certain by-matters circumstances of Religion your wisdom and my simplicity and ignorace have jarred each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgement Now I say be you assured that even with my whole heart God is he witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in truth and for the truths sake that abideth in us and I am perswaded by the grace of God shall abide in us for evermore The like agreement there was also between Ridley and Cranmer Cranmer ascribing very much to the judgement and opinion of the learned Prelate as himself was not ashamed to confess at his Examination for which see Fox in the Acts and Monuments fol. 1702. 9. By these men and the rest of the Convocation the Articles of Religion being in number 41 were agreed upon ratified by the Kings Authority and published both in Latine and English with these following Titles viz. Articuli de quibus in Synodo Londinens A. D. 1552. ad tollendam opinionum dissentionem consensum verae Religionis firmandum inter Episcopos alios eruditos viros convenerat Regia authoritate Londin editi that is to say ' Articles agreed upon by the Bishops and other learned men assembled in the Synod at London anno 1552. and published by the Kings authority for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent to the loving of true Religion ' Amongst which Articles countenanced in Convocation by Queen Elizabeth an 1562. the Doctrine of the Church in the five controverted points is thus delivered according to the form and order which we have observed in the rest before 1. Of Divine Predestination Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby
the rest before that is to say the reconciliation of all men to Almighty God the universal redemption of Man-kinde by the death of Christ expresly justfied and maintained by the Church of England For though one in our late undertaking seem exceeding confident that the granting of universal redemption will draw no inconvenience with it as to the absoluteness of Gods decrees or to the insuperability of converting Grace or to the certain infallible perseverance of Gods elect after conversion Yet I dare say he will not be so confident in affirming this That if Christ did so far dye for all as to procure a salvation for all under the condition of faith and repentance as his own words are there can be any room for such an absolute decree of reprobation 〈…〉 and precedent to the death of Christ as his great masters in the school of Calvin have been pleased to teach him Now for the Doctrine of this Church in that particular it is exprest so clearly in the second article of the five before laid down that nothing needs be added either in way of explication or of confirmation howsoever for avoiding of all doubt and Haesitancy we will first add some farther testimonies touching the Doctrine of this Church in the point of universal redemption And secondly touching the applying of so great a benefit by universal vocation and finally we shall shew the causes why the benefit is not effectual unto all alike 5. And first as for the Doctrine of universal redemption it may be further proved by those words in the publick Carechism where the Childe is taught to say that he believeth in God the Son who redeemed with him all mankinde in that clause of the publique Letany where God the Son is called the Redeemer of the world in the passages of the latter Exhortation before the Communion where it is said That the Oblation of Christ once offered was a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD in the proper Preface appointed for the Communion on Easter-Day in which he is said to be the very Paschal Lamb that was offered for us and taketh away the sins of the world repeated in the greater Catechism to the same effect And finally in the Prayer of Conservation viz. Almighty God our heavenly Father which of thy tender mercies didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption who made there by his own Oblation of himself once offered a firm and perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD To this purpose it is said in the Book of Homilies That the World being wrapt up in sin by the breaking of Gods Law God sent his onely Son our Saviour Christ into this world to fulfil the Law for us and by shedding of his most precious blood to make a Sacrifice and Satisfaction or as it may be called amends to his Father for our sins to asswage his wrath and indignation conceived against us for the same Out of which words it may be very well concluded That the world being wrapt up in sin the Recompence and Satisfaction which was made to God must be made to him for the sins of the world or else the plaister had not been commensurate to the sore nor so much to the magnifying of Gods wonderful mercies in the offered means of Reconcilement betwixt God and man the Homily must else fall short of that which is taught in the Articles In which besides what was before delivered from the second and 31. concerning the Redemption of the world by the death of Christ it is affirmed in the 15 as plain as may be That Christ came to be a Lamb without spot who by the Sacrifice of himself once made should take away the sins of the world Then which there can be nothing more conducible to the point in hand 6. And to this purpose also when Christ our Saviour was pleased to Authorize his Holy Apostles to preach the Good Tidings of Salvation he gave them both a Command and a Commission To go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16. 15. So that there was no part of the world nor any Creature in the same that is to say no Rational Creature which seems to be excluded from a possibility of obtaining Salvation by the Preaching of the Gospel to them if with a faith unfeigned they believed the same Which the Church further teacheth us in this following Prayer appointed to be used in the Ordering of such as are called unto the Office of the Holy Priesthood viz. ' Almighty God and Heavenly Father which of thine Infinite Love and Goodness toward us hast given to us thy Only and Most Dear Beloved Son Jesus Christ to be our Redeemer and Author of Everlasting Life who after he had made perfect our Redemption by his Death and was ascended into Heaven sent forth abroad into the world his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctors and Pastors by whose Labour and Ministry he gathered together a great Frock in all the Parts of the World to set forth the Eternal Praise of his Holy Name For these so great Benefits of thy Eternal Goodness and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call thy Servant here present to the same Office and Ministry of Salvation of Mankind we render unto thee most hearty thinks and we worship preise thee and we humbly beseech thee by the same thy Son to grant unto all which either here or elsewhere call upon thy name that we may shew our selves thankful to thee for these and all other thy benefits and that we may daily encrease and go forward in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Son by the Holy Spirit So that as well by these thy Ministers as by them to whom they shall be appointed Ministers thy Holy Name may be always glorified and thy Blessed Kingdom enlarged through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee in the Unity of the same Holy Spirit world without end Amen ' Which Form in Ordering and Consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons I note this onely by the way being drawn up by those which had the making of the first Liturgie of King Edward the sixth and confirmed by Act of Parliament in the fifth and sixth of the said King was afterwards also ratified by Act of Parliament in the eighth year of Queen Elizabeth and ever since hath had its place amongst the Publique Monuments and Records of the Church of England 7. To these I shall onely adde one single testimony out of the Writings of each of the three godly Martyrs before remembred the point being so clearly stated by some of our Divines commonly called Calvinists though not by the Outlandish also that any longer insisting on it may be thought unnecessary First then Bishop Cranmer tells us in the Preface to his Book against Gardiner of Winchester
they ought earnestly and with a fervent devotion and stedfast faith to aske of him which gave the beginning that he would vouchsafe to performe it which thing God will undoubtedly grant according to his promise to such as persevere in calling upon him For he is naturally good and willeth all men to be saved and careth for them and provideth all things by which they may be saved except BY THEIR OWN MALICE they will be evil and so by the righteous judgement of God perish and be lost For truly men be to themselves the AUTHOR OF SIN and DAMNATION God is neither the AUTHOR of SIN nor the CAUSE OF DAMNATION And yet doth he most righteously damne those men that do with vices corrupt their nature which he made good and do abuse the same to evil desires against his most holy will wherefore men be to be warned that they do not impute to God their vice or their damnation but to themselves who by Free-will have abused the grace and benefits of God All men be also to be monished and chiefly Preachers that in this high matter they looking on both sides so attemper and moderate themselves that neither they so preach the Grace of God as to take away thereby Free-will Nor on the other side so extol Free-will that injury be done to the grace of God 3. Such was the judgment of the Bishops and Clergy assembled in Convocation An. 1543. touching the nature of Free-will and the co-operations of it with the grace of God In which I can see nothing not agreeable to the present establisht Doctrine of the Church of England And if it be objected as perhaps it may that this Convocation was held in times of Popery and managed by a Popish Clergy it may be answered that the Bishops and Clergy then assembled were such as had a principal hand in the Reformation and generally subscribed unto the Articles of Religion agreed upon and published in King Edwards time Anno 1552. At which time fifteen of the Bishops which had been present at the Convocation Anno 1543. were not only living but present and consenting to the Articles in King Edwards time that is to say Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury Parfew Bishop of Saint Asaph Buchely Bishop of Bangor Bush Bishop of Bristol Sampson Bishop of Litchfield Butler Bishop of Saint David Goodrich Bishop of Elie Ship Bishop of Hereford Folgate Bishop of Landaff and afterwards Arch-bishop of York King Bishop of Oxon Chambers Bishop of Peterborough Cepon Bishop of Sarum Thiâ—bly then Bishop of Westminster Aldrich then Bishop of Caerlile and Bird Bishop of Chester By which proportion we may conclude that a farre greater number of the Deans and Arch-deacons who have a personal right of voting in all Convocations and coming to the number of eighty and thereabouts must be living and consenting also to the Reformation as being younger men than the Bishops were not to say any thing of the Clerks or Procurates of Cathedral Churches and those of the Diocesan Clergy as being variable and changeable from time to time though possibly a great part of them might be present and consenting also 1552. Nor stood this Book nor the Article of Free-will therein contained upon the order and authority only of this Convocation but had as good countenance and encouragement to walk abroad as could be superadded to it by an Act of Parliament as appears plainly by the Kings Preface to that Book and the Act it self to which for brevity sake I refer the Reader 4. But if it be replyed that there is no relying on the Acts of Parliament which were generally swayed changed and over-ruled by the power and passions of the King and that the Act of Parliament which approved this Book was repealed in the first year of King Edward the sixth as indeed it was we might refer the Reader to a passage in the Kings Epistle before remembred in which the doctrine of Free-will is affirmed to have been purged of all Popish errors concerning which take here the words of the Epistle viz. And forasmuch as the heads and senses of our people have been imbusied and in these days travelled with the understanding of Free-will Justification c. We have by the advice of our Clergy for the purgation of Erroneous Doctrine declared and set forth openly plainly and without ambiguity of speech the meere and certaine truth of them so as we verily trust that to know God and how to live after his pleasure to the attaining of everlasting life in the erd this Book containeth a perfect and sufficient Doctrine grounded and established in holy Scriptures And if it be rejoyned as perhaps it may that King Henry used to shift opinion in matters which concerned Religion according unto interest and reason of State it must be answered that the whole Book and every Tract therein contained was carefully corrected by Arch-bishop Cranmer the most blessed instrument under God of the Reformation before it was committed to the Prolocutor and the rest of the Celrgy For proof whereof I am to put the Reader in minde of a Letter of the said Archbishop relating to the eighth Chapter of this Book in which he signified to an honourable friend of his that he had taken the more paines in it because the Book being to be set forth by his Graces that is to say the Kings censure and judgement he could have nothing in it that Momus himself could reprehend as before was said And this I hope will be sufficient to free this Treatise of Free-will from the crime of Popery 5. But finally if notwithstanding all these Reasons it shall be still pressed by those of the Calvinian party that the Doctrine of Free-will which is there delivered is in all points the same with that which was concluded and agreed on in the Council of Trent as appears Cap. de fructibus justificationis merito bonorum operum Can. 34. and therefore not to be accounted any part of the Protestant Doctrine which was defended and maintained by the Church of England according to the first Rules of her Reformation the answers will be many and every answer not without its weight and moment For first it was not the intent of the first Reformers to depart farther from the Rites and Doctrines of the Church of Rome than that Church had departed from the simplicity both of Doctrine and Ceremonies which had been publickly maintained and used in the Primitive times as appears plainly by the whole course of their proceedings so much commended by King James in the Conference at Hampton Court Secondly this Doctrine must be granted also to be the same with that of the Melancthonian Divines or moderate Lutherans as was confessed by Andreas Vega one of the chief sticklers in the Council of Trent who on the agitating of the Point did confesse ingenuously that there was no difference betwixt the Lutherans and the Church touching that particular And then it must be confessed also
Clergy do believe of Predestination that we be elect in respect of our good works and so long elected as we do them and no longer Yet thou cannot deny but that you are at a jar amongst your selves in the Kings Bench and it is so throughout all your Congregation for you will not be a Church No Master Doctor that is not so there is a thousand times more variety of opinions amongst your Doctors which you call of the Catholick Church yea and that in the Sacrament for the which there is so much blood shed now adayes I meane of your later Doctors and new Writers as for the old they agree wholly with us 3. Now in this conference or examination there are divers things to be considered For first I consider Carelese as a man unlettered and not so thoroughly grounded in the constitution of the Church of England as not to entertaine some thoughts to which the doctrine of this Church could afford no countenance Amongst which I reckon that strong confidence which he had of his own salvation and of the final perseverance of all those who are the chosen members of the Church of Christ which was not taught him by the Church and could not be obtained in any ordinary way by the light of that doctrine which then shined forth unto the people Secondly I consider him as one so far instructed in the knowledge of Predestination as to lay the foundation of it on Gods great mercy and infinite goodnesse in Christ Jesus which plainly crosseth with the new Gospellers of those times who found the same upon his absolute will and pleasure without relation to Christs sufferings for us or our faith in him Thirdly I consider that the Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption by the death of Christ and the effectuality thereof to the sons of men was then so generally received and taught in the Reformed Church of England as not to be known to Artificers Tradesmen and Mechanicks and that they were so well instructed in the nicities of it as to believe that though Christ died effectually for all yet the benefit thereof should be effectually applied to none but those who do effectually repent Fourthly I consider that if the Popish Clergy of those times did believe no otherwise of Predestination then that men be elected in respect of good works and so long elected as they do them and no longer as Carelese hath reported of them the Doctrine of the Church hath been somewhat altered since those times there being now no such Doctrine taught in the Schooles of Rome as that a man continues no longer in the state of Election then whilest he is exercised in good works And finally I consider the unfortunate estate of those who living under no certaine rule of Doctrine or Discipline lie open to the practices of cunning and malicious men by whom they are many times drawn aside from the true Religion For witnesses whereof we have Trew and Carelese above mentioned the one being wrought on by the Papists the other endangered by the Gospellers or Zuinglian Sectaries For that Carelese had been tampered with by the Gospellers or Zuinglian Sectaries doth appear most clearly first by the confidence which he had of his own salvation and of the final perseverance of all others also which are the chosen members of the Church of Christ and secondly but more especially for giving the scornful title of a Free-will man to one of his fellow prisoners who was it seemes of different perswasion from him For which consult his letter to Henry Adlington in the Act. Mon. Fol. 1749. which happened unto him as to many others When that Doctrine of the Church wanted the countenance of Law and the Doctors of the Church here scattered and dispersed abroad not being able to assist them In which condition the affaires of the holy Church remained till the beginning of the Reigne of Queen Elizabeth and for some yeares after 4. But no sooner had that gracious Lady attained the Crown when she took order for the reviewing of the publick Liturgie formerly Authorized by Act of Parliament in the fifth and sixth years of King Edward the sixth The men appointed for which work were Dr. Parker after Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Dr. Grindall after Bishop of London Dr. Pilkington after Bishop of Durham Dr. Cox after Bishop of Elie Dr. May Deane of Pauls Dr. Bill Provost of Eaton after Deane of Westminister Mr. Whitehead sometimes Chaplaine to Queen Anne Bullen designed to be the first Arch-Bishop of this new plantation and finally Sir Thomas Smyth a man of great esteeme with King Edward the sixth and the Queen now Reigning By these men were the Liturgie reviewed approved and passed without any sensible alteration in any of the Rubricks Prayers and Contents thereof but only the giving of some contentment to the Papists and all moderate Protestants in two particulars the first whereof was the taking away of a clause in the Letany in which the people had been taught to pray to Almighty God to deliver them from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities The second was the adding of the sentences in the distribution of the Sacrament viz. The Body of our Lord Jesus which was given for them preserve thy body and soul to everlasting life The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee c. which sentences exclusive of the now following words of participation as they were onely in the first so were they totally left out of the second Liturgie of King Edward the sixth Other alterations I finde none mentioned in the Act of Parliament 1. Eliz. â— 2. but the appointing of certain Lessons for every Sunday in the year which made no change at all in the publick Doctrine before contained in that Book and that the people might be the better trained up in the same Religion which had been taught and preacht unto them in the time of King Edward the sixth She gave command by her Injunctions published in the first year of her Reign An. 1559. that the Paraphrases of Erasmus should be diligently studied both by Priest and people And to that end it was required as formerly in the Injunctions of the said King Edward 1. That the Paraphrases of the said Erasmus and on the Gospel in the English tongue should be provided at the joynt charges of the Parson and Parishoners and being so provided should be set up in some convenient place of every Church so as the Parishioners may most commodiously resort unto the same and read the same out of the time of common service And secondly that every Parson Vicar Curate and Stipendary Priest shall provide and have of his own within the time therein limited the New Testament in Latine and English with the Paraphrases on the same conferring the one with the other And the Bishops by themselves and other Ordinaries and their Officers in Synods and Visitations shall examine
Calvin no more than to the judgement of Wicklif Tyndall Barns or Frith whose offered assistance they refused when they went about it of which he sensibly complained unto some of his friends as appears by one of his Epistles I answer next affirmatively in the words of an Act of Parliament 2. 3. Edw. 6. where it is said That they had an eye in the first place to the mo pure and sincere Christian Religion taught in the Scriptures and in the next place to the usages of the Primitive Church Being satisfied in both which ways they had thirdly a more particular respect to the Lutheran Plat-forms the English Confession or Book of Articles being taken in many places word for word out of that of Ausberg and a conformity maintained with the Lutheran Churches in Rights and Ceremonies as namely in kneeling at the Communion the Cross in Baptism the retaining of all the ancient Festivals the reading of the Epistles and Gospels on Sundays and Holy-days and generally in the whole Form of External Worship Fourthly in reference to the points disputed they ascribed much to the Authority of Melancthon not undeservedly called the Phoenix of Germany whose assistance they earnestly desired whose coming over they expected who was as graciously invited hither by King Edwâ—rd the sixth Regiis literis in Angliam vocari as himself affirms in an Epistle to Camerarius His coming laid aside upon the fall of the Duke of Sommerset and therefore since they could not have his company they made use of his writings for their direction in such points of Doctrine in which they thought it necessary for the Church to declare her judgement 3. I observe finally That as they attributed much to the particulars to the Authority of Melancthon so they ascribe no less therein unto that of Erasmus once Reader of the Greek Tongue in Cambridge and afterwards one of the Professors of Divinity there whose Paraphrases on the four Evangelists being translated into English were ordered to be kept in Churches for the use of the People and that they owned the Epistles to be studied by all such as had cure of souls Concerning which it was commanded by the injunctions of King Edward the sixth published by the advice of the Lord Protector Somerset and the Privy Council in the first year of the said Kings Reign 1. ' That they should see provided in some most convenient and open place of every Church one Great Bible in English with the Paraphrase of Erasmus in English that the people might reverendly without any let read and hear the same at such time as they listed and not to be inhibited therefrom by the Parson or Curate but rather to be the more encouraged and provoked thereunto And 2. That every Priest under the degree of a Bachellour of Divinity should have of his own one New Testament in English and Latine with the Paraphrases of Erasmus upon the same and should diligently read and study thereupon and should collect and keep in memory all such comfortable places of the Scripture as do set forth the Mercy Benefits and Goodness of Almighty God towards all penitent and believing persons that they might thereby comfort their flock in all danger of death despair or trouble of Conscience and that therefore every Bishop in their Institution should from time to time try and examine them how they have profited in their studies ' A course and care not likely to have entred into the thoughts of the Lord Protector or any of the Lords of the Council if it had not been advised by some of the Bishops who then began to have an eye on the Reformation which soon after followed and as unlikely to be counselled and advised by them had they intended to advance any other Doctrine than what was countenanced in the writings of that learned man Whereupon I conclude the Doctrine in the points disputed to be the true and genuine Doctrine of the Church of England which comes most near to the plain sense of holy Scripture the general current of the Fathers in the Primitive times the famous Augustane Confession the Writings of Melancthon and the Workes of Erasmus To which Conclusion I shall stand till I finde my self encountred by some stronger Argument to remove me from it 4. The ground thus laid I shall proceed unto the Reformation which was built upon it first raking in my way some necessary preparations made unto it by H. 8. by whom it had been ordered in the year 1536. That the Creed the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandments should be recited publiquely by the Parish Priest in the English Tongue and all the Sundays and other Holidays throughout the year And that the people might the better understand the duties contained in them it pleased him to assemble his Bishops and Clergie in the year next following requiring them ' Upon the diligent search and perusing of Holy Scripture to set forth a plain and sincere Doctrine concerning the whole sum of all those things which appertain unto the Profession of a Christian man ' Which work being finished with very great care and moderation they published by the name of an Institution of a Christian man containing the Exposition or Interpretation of the common Word the seven Sacraments the Ten Commandments the Lords Prayer c. and dedicated â—t to the Kings Majestie ' Submitting to his most Excellent Wisdom and Exact Judgement to be by him recognized overseen and corrected if he found any word or sentence in â—t amiss to be qualified changed or further expounded in the plain setting-forth of his most vertuous desire and purpose in that behalf ' A Dedication publikely subscribed in the name of the rest by all the Bishops then being eight Archdeacons and seventeen Doctors of chief note in their several faculties Amongst which I finde seven by name who had a hand in drawing up the first Liturgie of King Edward the sixth that is to say Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Goodrich Bishop of Ely Hobeach then Bishop of Rochester and of Lincoln afterwards Skip then Archdeacon of Dorset after Bishop of Hereford Roberson afterwards Dean of Durham as Maro was afterwards of S. Pauls and Cox of Westminster And I finde many others amongst them also who had a principal hand in making the first Book of Homilies and passing the Articles of Religion in the Convocation of the year 1552. and so it rested till the year 1643. when the King making use of the submission of the Book which was tendred to him corrected it in many places with his own hand as appeareth by the Book it self remaining in the famous Library of Sir Robert Cotton Which having done he sends it so corrected to Archbishop Cranmer who causing it to be reviewed by the Bishops and Clergie in Convocation drew up some Annotations on it And that he did for this intent as I heard exprest in one of his Letters bearing date June 25. of this present year because
to Baroe betwixt whom and Dr. Whitacres there had been some clashings touching Predestination and Reprobation the certainty of salvation and the possibility of falling from the grace received And the heats grew so high at last that the Calvinians thought it necessary in point of prudence to effect that by power and favour which they were not able to obtaine by force of argument To which end they first addressed themselves to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh then being there Chancellor acquainting him by Dr. Some then Deputy Vice-Chancellor with the disturbances made by Barret thereby preparing him to hearken to such further motions as should be made unto him in pursuit of that quarrel Bat finding little comfort there they resolved to steere their course by another compass And having prepossest the most Reverend Arch-bishop Whitgift with the turbulent carriage of those men the affronts given to Dr. Whitacres whom for his learned and laborious Writings against Cardinal Bellarmine he most highly favoured and the great inconveniences like to grow by that publick discord they gave themselves good hopes of composing those differences not by the way of an accomodation but an absolute conquest and to this end they dispatcht to him certain of their number in the name of the rest such as were interessed in the quarrel Dr. Whitacres himself for one and therefore like to stickle hard for the obtaining their ends the Articles to which they had reduced the whole state of the business being brought to them ready drawn and nothing wanting to them but the face of Authority wherewith as with Medusa's head to confound their enemies and turne their adversaries into stones And that they might be sent back with the face of authority the most Reverend Arch-bishop Whitgift calling unto him Dr. Flecher Bishop of Bristol then newly elected unto London and Dr. Richard Vauhan Lord Elect of Bangor together with Dr. Tyndal Deane of Elie Dr. Whitacres and the rest of the Divines which came from Cambridge proposed the said Articles to their consideration at his house in Lambeth on the tenth of Novemb. An. 1595. by whom these Articles were agreed on in these following words 1. Deus ab eterno praedestinavit quosdam ad vitam quosdam reprobavit ad mortem 1. God from eternity hath predestinate certaine men unto life certaine men he hath reprobate 2. Causa movens aut efficiens predestinationâ—s ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aut perseverantiae aut bonorum operum aut ullius rei qui insit in personis Praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. Praedestinatorum praefinitus certus est numerus qui nec angeri nec minui potest 3. There is predetermined a certaine number of the Predestinate which can neither be augmented or diminished 4. Qui non sunt Praedestinati adsalutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur 4. Those who are not predestinated to salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. Vera viva justificans fides piritus Dei justificantis non extinguitur non excidit non evanescit in Electis aut finaliter aut totaliter 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God justifying is not extinguished falleth not away it vanisheth not away in the Elect either totally or finally 6. Homo vere fidelis id est fide justificante praeditus certus est pleriphoria Fides de Remissione peccatorum suoâ—um salute sempiterna sua per Christum 6. A man truly faithful that is such an one who is endued with a justifying faith is certaine with the full assurance of faith of the remission of his sinnes and of his everlasting salvation by Christ 7. Gratia salutaris non tribuitur non incommunicatur non conceditur universis hominibus qua servari possint si velint 7. Saving grace is not given is not granted is not communicated to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum nisi datum ei fuâ—rit nisi pater eum tâ—axerit omnes homines non trahuntur a patre ut veniant ad filium 8. No man can come unto Christ unlesse it be given unto him and unlesse the father shal draw him and all men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son 9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate uniuscujusque hominis servari 9. It is not in the will or power of every one to be saved 3. Now in these Articles there are these two things to be considered first the Authority by which they were made and secondly the effect produced by them in order to the end proposed And first as touching the authority by which they were made it was so far from being legal and sufficient that it was plainly none at all For what authority could there be in so thin a meeting consisting only of the Arch-bishop himself two other Bishops of which but one had actually received consecration one Deane and half a dozen Doctors and other Ministers neither impowred to any such thing by the rest of the Clergy nor authorized to it by the Queen And therefore their determinations of no more Authority as to binding of the Church or prescribing to the judgement of particular persons then as if one Earl the eldest son of two or three others meeting with half a dozen Gentlemen in Westminster Hall can be affirmed to be in a capacity of making orders which must be looked on by the Subject as Acts of Parliament A Declaration they might make of their own opinions or of that which they they thought fittest to be holden in the present case but neither Articles nor Canons to direct the Church for being but opinions still and the opinions of private and particular persons they were not to be looked upon as publick Doctrines And so much was confessed by the Arch-Bishop himself when he was called in question for it before the Queen who being made acquainted with all that passed by the Lord Treasurer Burleigh who neither liked the Tenents nor the manner of proceeding in them was most passionately offended that any such Innovation should be made in the publick Doctrine of this Church and once resolved to have them all attainted of a Premunire But afterwards upon the interposition of some friends and the reverend esteem she had of the excellent Prelate the Lord Arch-Bishop whom she commonly called her Black Husband she was willing to admit him to his defence and he accordingly declared in all humble manner that he his associates had not made any Articles Canons or decrees with an intent that they should serve hereafter for a standing Rule to direct the Church but only had resolved