diuerse Heads and Diuisions that Decencie and Order might be preserued and Confusion shunned This superioritie of Priesthood continued till the new Couenant of Grace in all which time if equalitie of Priests had beene conducible to the Weale of the Church without doubt the Lord of the Church would haue established it Secondly after this Ceremoniall Law our Sauiour Christ ruled his Church as chiefe Bishop of our Soules hee adioyned no Elders to himselfe at his death hee gaue command to his Disciples to rule the Churches where they should gouerne throughout the World Wee reade that they did excommunicate alone that they did ordaine Ministers alone and did by supreme Authority rule both the Affaires and Goods of the Church Beza confesseth that Peter alone strucke Ananias and Saphira that Paul ordayned Timothie and Titus that hee prescribed Lawes to them and their Churches this plat-forme of Paritie was not so much as heard of in the time of Persecution Saint Paul did write to the Bishops of Ephesus and Smyrna and to seuerall Bishops of other Churches to them hee giueth Directions and them hee reprooueth which had beene very vnfitting if his Authority had not beene aboue other Ministers All Records witnesse that seuerall Bishops succeeded the Apostles at Rome Constantinople Ierusalem Antioch Alexandria and other places All the Councells giue preheminence to Bishops and to the Councells the Fathers consent To come to later times they whom you magnifie aboue all others did protest by their Writings That if Bishops would leaue Superstition and embrace the true Religion they would most willingly submit themselues to their Episcopall Iurisdiction as most godly and expedient for the Church Melancthon did testifie much to this purpose saying That if the Authoritie of Bishops were reiected a greater Tyrannie would follow Zancheus greatly extolled Bishops Bullinger Glocer and diuerse other Learned Protestants in Swethland and Germanie with Camerarius and Sturmius did the like Beza himselfe complayneth That his wordes against Roman Bishops were wrested against our Bishops But suppose that Beza Daneus Carpenter Golart Perot Tauergues Polan Snecan and the like haue written all which you would haue maintayned or doe yet hold shall the Church of Great Brittaine allow what they haue written for Oracles No there is no reason they should For who would not bee ashamed to oppose those and their followers to the practice of the Primitiue Church of Iesus Christ his Apostles Fathers Councells Canons to all Writings of Antiquity and to the most part of our owne Times All these by Practice or Decrees haue annulled Paritie and consequently all kinde of Gouernment grounded vpon it All Legall Courses haue censured against you the Parliaments the most Honourable Courts in the I le of Great Brittaine or else-where haue declared against you the Church Assemblyes wherein as Members you had Voyces haue found the nullitie of your cause and all these ioyning in one haue enioyned you to obedience and conformitie There resteth nothing on your side but exclayming bragging and libelling which will neuer be otherwayes censured by the Wise then the fumosities of idle Dreame-venting Braynes who assuming to themselues an vncontrouled Liberty leaues all Lawes without defence and exposeth Magistracie to Obloquie at their pleasure But as all Legists and Schoole-men determine priuate much lesse publike Lawes are neyther grossely to bee ieasted at carelesly disgraced or fondly to bee dealt withall Consider warily of this Point least Iustice correct such by Roddes as will not bee ruled by Reason So I come to the Third Part of my Taske and then to an end THE THIRD PART I Haue shortly leuelled at if not hit the most materiall Accidents and Circumstances of the Controuersies which long haue troubled the Peace of our Church of Scotland with their bad Effects and how contrary your opposition is to the best Institutions of former times Now after I haue runne poste through the Fauours of your gracious Soueraigne I will vnfold my sincere Wishes and so close vp all His Maiesties prouident care fore-seeing that your violent Platformes would in the end procure the ouerthrow of your cause did so long giue way to your inconsiderate proceedings till without greater inconuenience to the Church and State hee could not forbeare to represse them in which course I pray you consider with mee what Legall course hath his Maiesty taken what Lenitie hath hee vsed what mollifying Balmes of louing Admonition hath hee applyed to so long festred Sores Hee hath called many Generall and Prouinciall Assemblyes for settling or remoouing many needlesse Controuersies amongst you Hee hath in Royall Person beene present with you perswaded you by many Learned Orations graue Exhortations and Princely Admonitions Hee hath oft times confuted your vngrounded Assertions with Reason when hee might haue repressed them by his Royall Authority What vnseemely misdemeanour wee haue seene in the presence of such a King my Penne without blushing is not able to expresse Yet these hath his more then Humane Clemencie ouerpast and by the Load-stone of infallible Demonstrations and inuincible Arguments hath drawne the most Iudicious and Learned amongst you to assent to the Truth and leaue such factious courses Witnesse hereof were Learned Master Rollocke Master Nicholson and Master Cooper whose Workes will pleade their cause The first of these vpon his Death-bed did expostulate with his dearest Friends how much your hard censure of his honest Labours in the Affaires of the Church had shortened his dayes The last two after they were preferred to the place of Bishops and euer before had painefully laboured in the Lords Haruest were so detracted by your vniust Calumnies and profited so little in their sincere Intentions that very Griefe in the Autumne of their age did consummate their dayes But yet if I should insist vpon his Maiesties Clemencie towards you I should exceede my limitted Taske Hee hath spared the Liues of such of you as were guilty of High Treason hee hath vpon submission recalled such as were banished and eyther restored them to their owne or better Places Finally hee hath left nothing vndone that may make his Kingly Wisedome admired his Mercie aduaunced and you in case of further Contumacie vncapable of the like Royall Fauour hereafter I speake not this to aggrauate your Faults neyther fawningly to insinuate vpon Maiestie but least any of you should surmise that you haue beene wronged that the Lawes haue beene rigorously extended against you or that his Maiesties proceedings hath beene iniurious towards you But as I am in good hope of you so my earnest Wishes are that my friendly counsaile may seize on your future actions You know or may know that hitherto you haue onely procured a fruitlesse Reformation and in the end without doubt you will bee the cause of greater Euils if by more wholesome aduice you obuiate not the Dangers to which your inconsiderate Zeale hath subiected you the Axe of Iustice threateneth the Roote of the fruitlesse Tree of your disobedience and eminent
CALDER WOODS RECANTATION OR A Tripartite Discourse DIRECTED TO SVCH OF the Ministerie and others in Scotland that refuse Conformitie to the Ordinances of the Church Wherein the Causes and bad Effects of such Separation the Legall Proceedings against the Refractarie and Nullitie of their Cause are softly launced and they louingly inuited to the vniformitie of the CHVRCH Epist Iam. cap. 3. Vbi Zelus Contentio ibi Inconstantia omne opus pranum LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop dwelling in Distaffe Lane at the Signe of the Dolphin 1622. TO THE IMPARTIALL READER I Am not ignorant impartiall Reader that to perswade or contend for Redresse without Authority little preuailes and oft times exposeth such Motions to Contempt or Malice yet the loue I owe to the Peace of the Church enforceth me to sollicite Conformitie in a matter of great consequence If any challenge my insufficiencie or interest let them know that I much more estimate the weake endeuours of good meaning then the more learned shewes of Pharisaical Ostentation That I am as well lyable to giue account of my Talent as the Arch Pillars of most profound Learning and that armed with these Reasons I care not what the most Censorious Criticke or Thraso-like Braggadochio can degorge against me One fauor I craue That thou wilt not curiously enquire what I haue beene or pry into my former Errors for which I humbly begge pardon from the Mercy-Master in Heauen and from his Vice-gerent my dread Soueraigne vpon Earth but consider with iudgement what now I am and how affected to the Truth I haue in this ensuing home-spun Discourse freely expressed my selfe touching the Controuersies which haue long troubled the Church of Scotland In it I neyther wrong the dead cast contempt vpon the liuing neyther leuell I at any mans person further then in the inquirie of Truth may conduce to the aduancement thereof and publike good In this pursuit I haue left all extrauagant Wanders and balk'd all circulating Complements too common both to Wits and Writs in this Age and haue runne poste in the high way wherein if I haue stumbled I expect lesse harme or more pitty What I haue written is without Art or Insinuation perhaps it may proue the lesse gracefull yet I hope it shall finde correspondence in the mindes of those that are not imbarked in partialitie and loues the whole better then a part Farewell Amsterdam this 29. of Nouemb. 1622. CALDER WOODS RECANTATION Or A TRIPARTITE DISCOVRSE IT is fore-told of Christ That in the latter dayes it should be said Loe there loe here is Christ which by the Learned is vnderstood not as if the Person of Christ should be assumed and counterfeited but his Authoritie and Preheminence which is to be Truth it selfe that is to bee challenged Ecce in deserto ecce in penetralibus Some haue sought the Truth in the Conuenticles and Conciliables of Heretikes and Sectaries some in the externall forme and representation of the Church some one way some another but the true Badge of the Church and finding of Christ is in Vnity Peace and Brotherly Loue. Whosoeuer then by contentious controuersies in matters indifferent vnswaddle the Church of her Bonds of Peace are in the right way of diuiding the Vnitie of Spirit to open a Gap to all disorder and scandall that thereby the weake may be brought to an incertaintie of Religion the peruerse reiect it or that the Enemies of the Church may make Musicke by their disorder For this cause I am in good hope that whatsoeuer shall bee spoken sincerely and modestly for appeasing the Relikes of such controuersies as disturbe our Church of Great Britaine but more specially of Scotland will be taken in good part and be displeasant to none If any bee offended at this voyce Vos estis fratres you are Brethren why striue you Hee shall giue a great presumption against himselfe that hee is the party that doth his Brother wrong I will not enter into the controuersies themselues they are so fore-stalled and determined by many more Learned Pennes that whatsoeuer I might say might seeme borrowed or of lesse weight All men know and confesse they are none of the high Mysteries of Faith which detayned the Church many yeeres after her first Peace neyther doe they concerne that great part of the worship of God of which it is true Non seruatur vnitas in credendo nisi eadem sit in colendo but wee contend about Ceremonies Policie and things indifferent Let the offending side aggrauate their Grieuances as they please yet are they but Ceremonies for which they haue so long contended and wherein no Holinesse is put other then Order Decencie Conueniencie neyther are these Ceremonies so much stood vpon as due obedience to Superior Powers If God tryed Adam with an Apple it is enough the sinne is not valued but the prohibition Shimei was slaine for going out of the Citie the Act was little but the Bond was great I will then first take a sincere view and consideration of the accidents and circumstances of Church-controuersies at least such as concerne our selues to looke vnto amongst which I finde that the imperfections in the conuersation of those who had the chiefe place in the Church and their mis-gouernment hath euer beene the prime cause of Schismes and Diuisions For whilest the Gouernours of the Church continue full of Knowledge and Good Workes according to their Dignitie and the precious care of Soules imposed vpon them so long the Church is situated as it were vpon a Hill no man maketh question of it or seeketh to depart from it But when these Fathers and Leaders lose their Light and that they waxe worldly louers of themselues or pleasers of men then doe men begin to grope for the Church as in the darke they are in doubt whether they be the Successors of the Apostles or Pharisies Howsoeuer they sit in Moses Chayre yet they neuer speake tanquam authoritatem habentes because they haue lost their reputation in the Consciences of men by declining their steppes from the way they trace out to others so that nolite exire had neede continually to bee beaten in the eares of men so ready are they euery way to depart from the Church For it is the pollicy of the spirituall Enemy eyther by counterfeit holinesse of Life to establish and authorize Error or by the corruption of Manners draw in question Truth and lawfull things This concerneth certainely the Bishops to looke vnto to whom I am witnesse vnto my selfe that I stand affected as I ought No contradiction hath supplanted in me the reuerence I owe to their Calling neyther hath any detraction or calumnie imbeaseled my opinion of their Persons I know some of them who are most pierced with these accusations to bee men of great vertue and for the rest I can condemne none I know it is truely sayd of Fame Pariter facta atque non facta canit their taxations come not all from one
lesse and you not trouble the Church at all But it is against my purpose to amplifie Wrongs I onely poynt at them to mooue remorse and amendment on the offending side and not to animate seueritie on the other side which is the stronger party and who I know neuer without griefe did execute those Decrees against you which Law and Iustice did enioyne neyther haue they affected any contentious Motion or intended any Aspersions as Sectaries Schismatickes and Puritanes against you but contrariwise in all courtesie and loue haue reputed you to bee Brethren and Sonnes of one Mother the Church Yet giue mee leaue to tell you that although you haue not altogether cut your selues from the Body and Communion of the Church yet doe you affect certaine Cognizances and Differences wherein you seeke to correspond amongst your selues and bee seperate from it But I wish you to vnderstand Tam sunt mores quidem Schismatici quam dogmata Schismatica Saint Ierome telleth you that Haeresis Grece dicitur ab electione eo quod sibi eligat disciplinam You haue also impropried vnto your selues the Names of Zealous Sincere and Reformed as if all others were Colde Minglers of Holy Things Prophane and Friends to Abuses You ingrosse Christ and his true Worship so to your selues that as Cyprian sayd to Pupianus you will goe to Heauen alone If a man be endued with rare Vertues and fruitfull in Good Workes yet if you say not Amen to your seuerall Positions you tearme him in derogation a Ciuill Morall or Politike man if not worse Whereas the Wisedome of the Scripture teacheth vs the contrary to denominate men Religious by the Workes of the second Table because the Workes of the first are oft times counterfeit and practised in Hypocrisie S. Iohn sayth That a man doth vainely boast that hee loueth God whom hee hath not seene if hee loue not his Neighbour whom hee hath seene And S. Iames sayth That it is true Religion to visit the Fatherlesse and Widow So that which with you is but Phylosophicall is with the Apostles true Religion and contentious striuing which you doe account Religion and Zeale is with the Apostle holden Wickednesse But remember that there is a like Woe to them that speake good of euill as to those that speake euill of good If a Bishop or Preacher preach with care and meditation ordering the matter they handle soundly and distinctly for memory deducing and drawing it for direction and authorizing it with strong Warrants Some of you haue censured such Doctrine as a forme of speaking not becomming the simplicitie of the Gospell preferring it to the reprehension of S. Paul speaking of the enticing speeches of mans Wisedome But be not deceiued with such vncharitable censure woe were to all the World if Christ should tye his presence onely to your fashions or leaue learned peaceable Spirits and make his residence with Raylers As to reprehend iustly requireth a due discretion so to detract iniuriously in a Great man is stayne of Honor in a Learned man a note of Irreligion and in all sorts of men a plague of Nature arising from the thought of a corrupt vnbridled and sinfull heart If such of you say that you exclayme against none but against those that haue deserued it it is in that I taxe your indiscretion for whosoeuer disgraceth publikely before hee hath reprooued priuately may be a good Aristarchus but no good Christian If your owne manner of Preaching were exactly examined I speake not of all but of most what is it You exhort well worke compunction of Minde and bring Men well to the question Viri fratres quid agemus Men and Brethren what shall wee doe But that is not enough except you resolue the question The greatest part of your time allotted for Sermon or perhaps an houre or two more is spent vpon Controuersies or rayling vpon particular persons for euery mis-conceited Discontent but God knoweth you handle Controuersies weakely and Obiter as before a people that will accept of any thing as Oracles that commeth from you But the Word the Bread of Life must not bee wrested neyther tossed vp and downe it must be broken and Directions drawne ad casus Conscientiae that men may be warranted thereby in their particular Actions And this many of you are not able to performe through want of grounded Knowledge Study and Time your Labours for the most part beeing imployed vpon needlesse Controuersies and vpholding of Factious Courses Againe you carry not an equall hand in teaching the people their lawfull Libertie as well as their Restraints and Prohibitions You thinke a man cannot goe too farre in that which hath a shew of a Commaundement you forget that there bee sinnes on the right hand as well as on the left hand and that the Word is two-edged and cutteth on both sides as well the superstitious Obseruance as the prophane Transgression Who doubteth but it is as vnlawfull to shut where God hath opened as to open where God hath shut To binde where God hath loosed as to loose where God hath bound Amongst Men it is commonly as ill taken to returne backe Fauours as to disobey Commands Another Point of great inconuenience and perill is That you entitle the People to heare Controuersies in all Points of Doctrine alledging That there is no part of Gods Councell ought to bee suppressed or the People defrauded so as the difference which the Apostle maketh betwixt strong Meat and Milke is confounded and the Precept that the weake are not to be admitted to Controuersies taketh no effect and which is a greater Seminarie of further Euils whilest you seeke to expresse Scripture for euery thing and haue depriued your selues of a speciall helpe by imbeazeling the Authority of the Fathers you resort to naked Examples conceited Inferences and forced Allusions which enure men to all vncertaintie of Religion Another Extremitie you vse in magnifying your Preaching which I graunt is an holy Institution and powerfull meanes to saluation yet hath it Limits as all things else haue Wheresoeuer you finde in Scripture mention of the Word you expound it of Preaching which you haue made in a manner of the Essence of the Lords Supper as if it could not be effectuall without a Sermon going before and this hath beene specially grieuous to many hungry Soules who vpon their Death-Beddes with groanes haue desired so precious a Foode The other holy Sacrament of Baptisme you haue sometimes tyed to bee ministred onely in the Church and vpon Sundayes sometimes you haue restrayned it for the offence of the Fathers they being brethren of your owne Congregation by which rare vncharitable inuention thousands of children haue dyed in your default without the Seale of their Saluation prescribed by Christ You doe annihilate Church-Liturgies and set formes of Diuine Worship and both in your Sermons and Prayers onely magnifie your extemporarie Conceptions or Reuelations as you sometimes name them euery day bringeth new Conceits and one day