A REVISION OF DOCTOR GEORGE MORLEI'S IVDGMENT IN MATTERS OF RELIGION OR AN ANSWER TO SEVERAL TREATISES WRITTEN BY HIM VPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS CONCERNING THE CHVRCH OF ROME AND MOST OF THE DOCTRINES CONTROVERTED BETWIXT HER AND THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND TO WHICH IS ANNEXT A TREATISE OF PAGAN IDOLATRY BY. L. W. Permissu Superiorum 1683. THE PREFACE SEing my Lord of Winton is pleased to wipe off that odious aspersion of his being a Papist which myght in the late conjuncture haue cost him his civil endangered his natural life by declaring not only his judgment in matters of Religion but also the grounds on which it relyes contained in severall treatises long since compounded but never till now made publick I presume he will not be offended that with the respect due to his quality of Peere of the Realme these be reviewed Reviewed I say for althô Appellations lye only to hygher Revisions are committed to equal or even inferiour courts He protests he is no Papist I think so too I wish it were as easy to cleere him of Calvinisme of which he ownes pag. XII that he hath beene suspected to it he seemes enclined when he says that God by Miracles promoted the Jdelatrous worship of the Pictures Relickes of Saints This I think in reality is to make God the Authour of sin Which Blasphemy I do not beleiue the Church of England will owne thô it be a choice flower in Calvin's garden He declares his loyalty to the government establisht the Royal Family c. And J beleiue him in this also nay I judge as favourably of the greatest part of his rank moreover that they are loyal not only for their Interest but for conscience out of a sense of their duty to God their soveraigne their country that he they will oppose to their Power Schisme in the Church Faction in the State Yet I think all their endeavours will be ineffectual to prevent ether considering the constitution of the Protestant Church qualifications of its Clergy For as in some natural Bodyes there is a defect which maugre all care of Physitians cuts the thred of life before it be spun to its ordinary length so in some Bodyes Politick that of the English Protestant Church in particular Here are some reasons to proue this 2. The first Protestancy is a Schisme those who liue in it liue in a Schisme It is a Schisme because it is a party separated from the whole Catholick Church Luther was a Schismatick so was Calvin so was Zuinglius so was each Patriark of your Reformation for each of these at their first breaking forth left the Whole Catholick Church or Congregation of Christians of what denomination soever not any one single Person in the whole world to whome he or they did joine himself So that if ever any man was truly Schismatick each one of these was such Wherefore all who joined to them as all Protestants did were Schismaticks Now it is not probable that God will giue that greate Blessing of Ecclesiasticall Peace to Schismaticks who hate it oppose it My 2. is Protestants are Hereticks that is Choosers of the points which they beleiue For the Catholick Church delivered to her children not only what they beleiue but also many articles which they reject Each Protestant takes this complex examins it finding some Articles not to please him he casts them out of his creede Hence one rejects the Real presence another Free will A third Merits a fourth the Possibility of keeping God's Commandments c. Each one culling out what Articles he pleases composing of them not a Catholick but a Protestant Faith not a Faith of the Ghospels but of this time their Phancyes What more evident signes of Hereticks Now if they be such can we think them fit instruments to oppose Heresy who did introduce do still defend it This shall be further confirmed by my fifth Reason My 3. Protestants are a Cadmean broode they sprung out of the Earth armed no sooner did their soveraigne Lords see their faces but they felt their Jron hands Witnesse Germany France Hungary Bohemia Scotland swethland Denmark the Low countryes Geneva Our English Protestants say they are not concerned in these Rebellions but that is not tru for by approving applauding them they make them their owne encourage the Practice by commending the precedent With what force can they teach Obedience to his Majesty who praise Rebellion against other Or divert men from Treason who transforme Traitors into Heroes canonize Regicides My 4. There nether is nor ever was any Authority vnder the Heavens better grounded than that of the Catholick Clergy consisting of the Pope Bishops was before the Reformation It was establisht by Christ setled by the Apostles ratifyed by general particular Councils confirmed by an vninterrupted Possession of almost fifteene hundred yeares backt by all Laws Ecclesiastical Civil acknowledged by all Christians then aliue What gentleman can say so much for his estate What officer for his Authority What King for his crowne What Parson for his Tith What Protestant Bishop for his miter When a Calvin a Luther c. to say no more private men starte vp declame against that Clergy as a humane invention an Antichristian establishment you applaude them with them trample vnder feete the whole sacred Order teach your followers no submission no obedience is due to it When you haue taught them to breake such cables can you expect to bind them to their duty with single threds The English Protestant pretence to Bishops doth no satisfy 1. Because in reality they had no canonical ordination as we say proue 2. Althô they had imposition of hands were real Bishops which we deny See Anti-Haman Chapt. xxxv yet They entred not by the doore but climed vp some other way Iohn X. 1. Were not promoted according to any canonical forme ether ancient or moderne Wherefore what can we judge of them but according to Christ's words Loco citato 3. Your first Protestants promoted their Religion Spreade their noveltyes contrary to all even English Bishops in contempt of them first in Henry VIII his time Tindale others Secondly in Q. Elizabeths time when all the Bishops aliue detested your Reformation were for that stript of their jurisdiction deposed from their seates confined What wonder then your followers doe not regard that Crosier which you haue broken nor honour the Miter which they haue seene you trample vnder your feate Lastly suppose your Bishops wereas validly canonically consecrated as any ever were can you say that their Authority is better grounded than that of all the Catholick Clergy Sure you cannot pretend to better grounds for your Authority than our Clergy had As it was than lawfull laudable to three or four private men to contradict our whole Clergy then in being why may not
of our Charity Which three vertues are Cheifly or rather solely aimed at in Religion Haec maximè imo vero sola in Religione sequenda sunt Aug. Enchir. c. 4. Now if Moss the cheifest noblest of Religions Actions be Idolatry as you say elsewhere how do you say now it is Lawfull nay Commendable Worthy the imitation If it be so certainly it is not Idolatry But Contradictions are vnavoidable when we combate a known truth which by surprisal will force an acknowledment of it self altho we arm our selues against it when advertised Hence you approue here the same thing in Gross which you condemn in retail I leaue you this bone to pick proceed SECTION II. 1. Conferences to compose differences in Religion seldome successefull why 2. Security of Preists in England danger of Ministers at Brussels D. Morley 1. My lord Andover wisht that some learned moderate men of the Churchs of Rome England might meet debate freely charitably the Differences between the two Churchs which are not so many nor so great but they might find out some expedient to compose them 2. D Morley Sayd it would be imprudent vnsafe for him to disoute of Religion in Brussels thô the Preists in England had often with all boldnesse freedome safety before many witnesses mantained their opinions So vpon my life may you do here sayd F. Darcy be so far from offending me as J shall take it as a favour 1. Revisor Altho I readily grant the capacity of that noble man to be great yet I must beg leaue to dout whether he were a competent Judg of the most ready way to end the Differences in points of Faith betwixt dissenting Churchs this requiring a greater search into points of Doctrine interest then Persons of his quality education are willing commonly to vndergo Truth is ever pretended on both sides but it is onely pretended on the one side which in reality applyes all its industry to suppresse it for ether motives of Passion Interest Envy Spite Reveng what else is contrary to the law of God When these possesse the hart the head is busyed to make Vertu pass for vice vice for vertu to adorn Falshood with the dress of Truth by sophistical reasons make Truth be suspected of Falshood He will by calumayes as black as Hell reader odjoas or contemptible the persons who oppose his Passion thwart his Jnterest Cross his design procure his real good by discovering his errours by that inviting him to return to the ancient Faith Communion of the Church which he broke through want of Charity It is hard to discover the wiles of those Foxes ways of these wolves the fraudulent or fierce enemys of the Churchs Peace to see through that mist which they raise on purpose not to be seen to fathom these Depths of Sathan Apoc. 2.24 Now thò this noble man's capacity was great yet perchance not sufficient for so obscure intricate a work Yet when all the doubling of these Foxes are discovered the secrets of their harts layd open yet the work is not half don The greatest difficulty remaines to wean them from those beloved wandrings it being one of the dismallest effects of these sinfull errours that by secret yet power full charmes they fix the will in the loue of them Hence S. Prosper Tantum nocet error Vt juuet errare veteris contagia morbi Tam blande obrepunt vt quo languetur ametur Such charmes before our eyes doth errour lay That it e'en makes vs loue to go astray Whilst th' evil spreads we vnconcerned go Deceiu'd yet contented to be so The secretary of nature Aristotle never div'd deeper into the hart of man then when he sayd that althô Reason seemes to hold the scales discern betwixt two contending parts yet in reality it is the hart the will which deliberates decides the thing in question Hence comes that variety of judgments on the same individual Action of which one shall make a Panegyrick another a Satyre And thô the lyght of Truth the appearance of God be so cleer as not to be concealed yet this shall be as ineffectual as to all influence on our Actions as if they were dreames a sensual man prefers Pleasure before his Honour A vertuous man the contrary So we judg as we are affected not as we should our will doth not follow but lead nay drag after it our Reason that with so sweet a violence that it is not perceived without much labour great attention strict search into the beginning progresse end of our Actions This is the root of all incoherent discourses illogical deductions of Passion interest or self-loue which in many prevail over Truth controul the inclinations to good make men break all their dutys to God their country to Prince frends Relations thô they see what is better yet do the contrary Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor This difficulty seemes invincible when strengthned with the content which Proud Ring'eaders find in having their followers harts at a beck being esteemed by them as Oracles a satisfaction sayd St Francis Bacon as much aboue that of Tyrants as mens souls are aboue their Bodys In the whole black list of Heresiarks only two occur to my mind who truly repented viz Eutichius Patriark of Constantinople who denyed the Resurrection of the Flesh was converted by S. Gregory our Apostle Berengarius Patriark of the Sacramentarians Only these two to my remembrance dyed well professing the tru Faith contrary to their several errours Without doubt some if not all other Heresiarks were convinc'd of the vntruth of their doctrines were as the Apostle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Condemned of themselves or knowing that they deserved condemnation doubtlesse all felt those reproachs of conscience which follows all guilty Actions yet Pride hardened their harts against all Now what can work vpon these men in order to their Conversion set before theyr eyes Truth they know but will not acknowledg it Reproach vnto them their perfidious abandonning God and his spouse the Church the Holy Ghost doth it inwardly they slyght him Threaten Hell damnation to torrify them They are self condemned yet are vnconcerned this opposing known Truth is a sin against the Holy ghost impossible to be forgiven because it is morally impossible to be repented This is proved by Reason confirmed by experience delivered by the Apostle Which is to be vnderstood of Heresiarks such as school men call Formal Hereticks Yet I know many I hope most of those who liue in schism or Heresy do so either by misfortune of their birth or education or by weakenesse of reason or strength of Passion or fear of punishment or loue of goods of fortune rather then hatred to the Church or loue to Heresy therefore are not Formal Hereticks or
Forty yeares a goe it cost them much labour mony bloud time to get their armed Mirmidons about the Kings person within these four yeares few houres were enough to bring 20000. armed men to Temple Barre neere the King's Palace who knows but the next attempt will bring them to or within his gates Deus omen avertat say I as well as you But humanely speaking that can scarce be avoyded without God's opening your eyes to see the mischeife you promote or stirring vp publicke Authority to stop your mouths Otherwise You conceiue chaffe you bring forth stubble your spirit as fire will devour you Isayas 33.11 Now to your sermon In your 16. first pages I see little to the purpose The greatest part is De communi Sanctorum appliable to other things mingled with some slips through inadvertency such J take that to be p. 13. S. Paul saw it with his owne eyes when he says himself 1. cor 1.11 He heard it from those of Chloe 3. D. M. p. 17. This horrid conspiracy to which the Actors were prompted by some Doctrines of their Religion Rev. That it was a Horrid conspiracy J grant but not that the Doctrines of our Religion prompted the Actors vnto it Let experience decide the cause What Kings more absolute in their Dominions then Catholicks In England when were our Kings more honoured readily obeyed by their subjects than when Papists when more beloved by their freinds and Allyes when more feared by their Enemyes than when Papists Popery teachs to giue every one his due to God what is Gods to Caesar what is his that is it teaches to obey both Prelate Prince both spiritual temporal Magistrate Whereas your Reformation quite cast off obedience to the Prelate so weakened that to the Prince that this broke too And althô you haue endeavoured to piece it againe yet the common voice says that without a dose of Popery or Popish principles it can never arriue to its former vigour So different are the judgments of the world from your pretences But what are these Doctrines D. M. p. 19 That of the Popes supremacy not of order or precedency Only but of Authority jurisdiction Rev. That supremacy had been acknowledged 1000. yeares yet Monarchy remained in its vigour so it continues in Spaine France Germany without any bad effect to Monarchy But you lay the faults of your Reformation at our dore Then you cite some hard opinions out of Bellarmin Aug. Steucus who being no Rules of our Faith I passe by them D. M. p. 21. The Clergy was forbidden to marry that they myght haue no tye to their country exempted from secular jurisdiction that it myght depend only on the Pope Rev. You speake more dogmatically than the Pope for in doctrinal points he giues a Reason you giue none You may find other motiues for these two points if you consult our Divines or Controvertists D. M. p. 22. Oaths cannot bind them to their Allegiance Because 1. they take them with Aequivocation 2. The Pope can dispense in them 3. They keepe no faith with Hereticks Rev. Such stuffe myght passe in Oates's narratiue or rayling I. Philips before the Rabble but scarce in one of your degree before such an Auditory If Oaths to vs are such Cobwebs why do so many of vs loose their Estates their Libertys their Liues rather than take some Why doth the Parliament take the Paines to frame impose them You contradict experience I feare your owne Conscience D. M. p. 23. Another horrid Doctrine is the obligation of Preists to conceale what they heare in Confession And you mention Clement Ravaillac Rev. You myght with as much reason haue mentioned Brutus Pausanias for it doth not appeare that ether of these two ever discovered their designe in Confession The secret of Confession may bring a Ruffian to discover his damnable intention to a Preist by whome he may be diverted or the mischeife prevented Divines teach how without breaking the seale of Confession But it giues no advantage to a Preist to communicate bad designes because the obligation of secrecy binds not the Penitent D. M. p. 24. It is not enough to say these are not Doctrines of the Church of Rome but only of some particular Doctors of it because they never were condemned by the representatiue Body of that Church c. Rev. A discourse much below your self your Auditory yet you repeate it againe p. 30. What obligation is there that if one do a thing contrary to his duty all those of his Communion must by some publicke act declare against it Doth a man suspect his son of taking a purse if another doth so Or his wife of being vnfaithfull to him because his neyghbour's wife is so Or you your breth ren to be in a readinesse to take vp Armes against the King because a Bishop did so Because that man's son or wife or the Bishops never declared their abhorrence of those several Crimes Moreover some of the Doctrines you mention are censured by our Church in Santarelli Becanus In France Rome it self which you knew therefore say They were not condemned by the representatiue body of the Church that is a general Council But if you reade the last Chapter of S. Austins fourth book Contra duas Epistolas Pelagianorum you will find that generall Councils are not always necessary to condemne emergent errours that many more haue beene condemned out of than in Councils that without an absolute necessity all other meanes fayling the Church vses not to haue recours to a general Council Indeed were it not so such Councils must ether be perpetual so the cheife Pastors would be always absent from their flocks or be so frequent that they would scarce ever reside with it Wherefore God hath appointed in the Church for ordinary more frequent occasions inferiour Tribunals some of which haue declared already their dislike of some of these Doctrines others they leaue as likely to wither of themselues Sicut foenum tectorum as hay on the house top some it may be are left as not being legally knowne to those Tribunalls How ever ether there is or is not an obligation to condemne all bad Doctrines If there is none why do you blame our Church for omitting it Jf there is one how can you excuse your owne Church which never complyed with that Duty In reality there is an obligation which being a positiue precept obliges in time place not alwais is so kept by vs not at all by you D. M. p. 25. Bishop Andrews tells vs that Paul IV. offred to confirme all that Q. Elisabeth had done in Church affayres vpon condition she would owne his supremacy Rev. This requires a better proofe than the bare word of one interessed man How ever if it were so the guilt of Schisme sticks closer to you you may see how much you were
some private men amongst you withstand yours What reason can you alleadge against a Tub preacher Some texts of scripture Canons of Councils Tradition of the Church Laws of the Realme All these stood in favour of our Clergy against the first Reformers as more evidtntly than for you against your dissenters So your Schisme Reformation hath deprived you of all meanes to preserue the Peace of the Church My 5. Is taken from the manner of your Reformation From Rome our Ancesters had received by the same hands a systeme of Faith a body of Ceremonys some Ecclesiastical Laws The whole Faith as necessary to be beleived the Ceremonys as decent to entertaine devotion The laws as convenient to government order And your first Reformers changed all Jn Faith they first rejected the whole vnwritten word Tradition a greate part of the written scripture They secondly perverted many places of this by new interpretations retaining the word without its sense The Ceremonys laws were treated as licentiously throwing out of dores whatsoever they pleased Now why may not another imitate these your Patriarks Cur non licebit Valentiniano quod licuit Valentino de arbitrio suo fidem innovare What was lawfull to Luther is sure lawfull to a Lutheran what was laudable in the sixteenth is not a sin in the seventeenth age to giue new interpretations to scripture abolish other ceremonys repeale more Canons Especially the motiues of reforming being common Which is My 6. Your first reformers rejected some Articles of Faith as being delivered by fallible men some Ceremonys as men's inventions some laws as contrary to Evangelical liberty Now all this holds as strongly against what they Keepe in as what they leaue out for all Canons were imposed by men all Ceremonys prescribed by men scripture it self brought to you continued amongst you by fallible men as much as the real presence Now as you blot this out of your creede why may not another strike out Baptisme a third the Trinity a fourth the Incarnation afifth the vnity of God a sixth the Deity it self so farewell all Faith What reason is there to say that our Roman Missioners sent by S. Gregory were infallible in delivering the mysterys of the Trinity or Incarnation fallible in speaking of Purgatory or the Real presence They say they pared away these Articles because they were not from the beginning were abuses But will not a Monothelit alleadge the same against the distinction of wills in Christ an Eutychian against the distinction of natures a Nestorian against the vnity of Person in him a Macedonian against the Divinity of the Holy ghost an Arrian against that of the son a Manichean against the vnity of the Divine nature a Iew against the new Testament a Libertin and Atheist against both old new God himself These are not wyre drawne conclusions by obscure mediums far fetched illations but natural obvious sequels of the fundamental principles of your Reformation which are inconsistent with any constancy in Faith and settlement in Church government So I must conclude that your Church building is such as no principles can beare your principles are such as can beare no building By which we may guesse from whome your reformers had their vocation from Abaddon Apollion the Destroyer seing their principles are good only to Destroy Churchs not at all to Build them In fine a prudent man without casting a figure might haue seene the fate of the late troubles in their principles which were inconsistent with any setled forme of civil gouvernment would ruin them all successively as they did without any hopes of rest vnlesse these were layd aside the just ancient government restored The like conjecture may be made of Protestantisme its principles being inconsistent with any setled forme of Faith Church government will destroy them all by Schisme Heresyes no probability of a settlement vnlesse these be renounced the Ancient Catholick Apostolical Faith Government restored For a further proofe of this I appeale to experience which is a demonstration A posteriori as the former is A priori which is My 7. Experience shews that t is much easier to destroy than to settle a government ether in Church or State Nothing of Art or Power was wanting to the establishment of the Prelatical Church in England She appeared first with the plausible colours of an Apostolical Reformation was cherisht by Royal favour armed the severest laws imaginable Yet one age had not past over her head when the peccant humours bread within her layd her in the dust the crowne it self with her which it was hoped she would vp hold Both were againe restored yet how soone was the joy of that over both brought againe into a like danger Seeke no where abroade the spring of these mischeifes they rise from the Reformation are inseparable from the Protestant Church My 8. And last reason is drawne from the Protestant Clergy it self which as it is modelled principled can never sufficiently influence the Nation to preserue its vnion in the Worship of God its duty to the King to prevent Schisme in the Church Faction in the State This appeares by experience The reasons I reserue till some further occasion be given 3. D. M. so we shall hereafter call my Lord of Winton says in his Preface pag. 11. A french Iesuit called Mainbourg publisht something as writen by her late R. H. he repeates afterwards four times in the Preface once in his post script Mainbourg the Iusuit when it was Mainbourg the secular Preist who printed it Which that booke of his tells all the world so did the publike Gazets containing his dismission out of the society His superiors did never permit him to print it whilest he was a Iesuit knowing how sacred the secrets of Princes ought to be So that paper crept about only in written copyes seene by few of these not many beleiving it to be hers whose name it beares Now D. M. hath spreade it the rumor of her Change in Religion for his owne vindication so prejudiced his mother the Church of England for I doubt not but her R. H. example will moue more Powerfully to leaue that Church than D. M. S. judgment to retaine men in it He questions the Conference betwixt her R. H. the Bishop which being a matter of Fact must rely on the deposition of witnesses their credit interest She is positiue he conjectural she had no motiue but Truth he concerned for the honour of his Church his owne His topick is if the Bishop answered so he was nether so Learned nor Conscientious nor Prudent as he ought to be Which many will easier grant then that her R. H. in a matter of fact would wittingly tell an vntruth He relates many things in his Preface to little purpose v. c. His coming out of
being vncyp hered by their actions the best interpreters of them Wherefore F. Darcy's argument remaines in force that it is safer to joine with the Catholicks than with the Protestants as it was safer to avoyd Treason to joine with the king than with the Parliament there being no sin in remaining in the Communion of the Catholick Church two great sins Schism Heresy in joining with the Protestants You say that this Reason would proue that in S. Austin's time it was safer to joine with the Donatists than with the Catholicks seing both sides agreed that the Donatists could be saved the Donatists denyed that possibility to the Catholicks Answer you are here grossely mistaken pardon that word for S. Austin never sayd a Donatist remaining such Could be saved nay a great part of his workes against them is employed to proue that they cannot be saved that their Baptism avayles them nothing but serues for their greater damnation Let me beseech you only to open any leafe any page of the several bookes written against them there is none which will not correct that mistake What you should say is only that both sides owned tru Baptism amongst the Donatists which these denyed amongst Catholicks Which argument the Donatists not only myght but did make vse of to pervert Catholicks as you may see in S. Austin L. 1. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 3. l. 2. cont Petilianum c. 108. else where To this I answer that such a reason from a Donatist to a Catholick is of no force he having no good ground at all for that reason to rely on therefore denying Baptisme in the Catholick Church only out of a peevishnesse of nature Religion it was by them sayd with no more cause than Quakers had to say Thou art damned when they had nothing else to say Where as Catholicks proue that Assertion of theirs with jrrefragable reason drawn from those two crying sins Schisme Heresy of which we accuse the Protestants these do not nay cannot sufficiently cleere I haue all ready explicated these reasons That those of the Donatists were frivolous is evident for they sayd some Bishops of the Catholick Communion were Traditores had delivered the sacred bookes to the Persecutors that all Catholicks by communicating with them did contract the same guilt had lost the Holy Ghost And hence they inferred there could be no valid Baptisme in the Catholick Communion for those who haue not the Holy Ghost cannot give him to others To which the Catholicks answered 1. that those Bishops accused of that shamefull compliance with the jmperial Edicts against Christians were jnnocent of that crime which was never sufficiently proved vpon them no man ought to be condemned vnlesse the crime be evidently proved against him 2. They answered that althô the persons accused were really guilty yet their personal guilt could not prejudice all Catholicks communicating with them because another man's sin cannot prejudice me vnlesse J make it my own by commanding or perswading approving defending or imitating it Now the Catholicks were so far from being accessory to that pretended sin in another that they detested the sin always condemned it in all persons who were really guilty of it but never could find sufficient grounds to pronounce those accused by the Donatists guilty of it as those would haue them doe They answered 3. that supposing not granting that the Persons accused were really guilty that guilt had infected the whole body of Catholicks by communicating with them yet their Baptism myght be valid this not depending on the Personal sanctity of its Minister but on the justitution promises of Christ the operation of the Holy Ghost Hence S. Austin sayd he did not regard Peter when he Baptizes nor Paul nor Iohn nor Iudas but he considered the Holy Ghost who is the Baptist who ever he be who washes the body pronounces the words as Minister of that Sacrament You se how frivolous the reasons of the Donatists were to deny the validity of Baptism in the Catholick Church Shew that ours are as frivolous J will grant the parity but this you can never doe So our Reason stands good against you that of the Donatists against vs falls to the ground It seemes not discreet in an English Protestant to mention the Donatists there being so great a resemblance betwixt these two schismatical Churchs that they may seem sisters the later to haue copyed the other which appeares by these paralel points 1. Donatists were no where out of one corner of the world Africa Protestants of the Church of Eng. that is such as agree with her in points of Doctrine Hierarchy no where out of England 2. Donatists sayd theirs was the only perfect vnspotted Church you say yours is the only Apostolical Church perfectly reformed c. 3. Those endeavoured to justify their separation with some pretended faults of particular men you to justify yours alleadg some indiscreet devotions of old women and vnwary words of some otherwise pious Authours 4. Those appealed to some parts of scripture which you vse against vs And the Fathers proved against them the Vniversality of the Church the necessity of Communion with her out of the same texts which we vse against you 5. Donatists called Rome the seat or Chair of pestilence you call it a Pest-house letter to her R. H. P. 17. the seat of Antichrist 6. Those had their Circumcellions who thought to do God good service in murthering Catholicks you haue some of the same perswasion as appeares by their workes Yet I own a great difference betwixt the old Circumcellions the new ones Those when the toy took them would ether break their own necks or force others to cut their throates the new ones in this do not imitate them they loue too much their mothers sons 7. Those had the Maximianists who left them for the same reasons they had broken off Communion with the Church these haue the Presbiterians others who will not conforme with them vpon the same grounds for which they refuse to conform to the Catholick Church 8. And lastly the Non-conformist donatists made evident to the world that the Donatists had no real ground to break the Catholick Communion by forcing them to solue their owne Objections against the Church of which S. Austin l. 2. Retract C. 35. And your Non conformists with the same successe force you to answer all your pretences against vs breake those weapons with which you haue hitherto fought against the Church Those who will take the paines to examin further the Donatists principles will discover more points of agreement betwixt them you These are sufficient to shew that what is now hath been before will be that as the Church sticks constantly through all ages to the same Faith ways of defending it so Factious spirits seditious Brethren break her Communion turn Schismaticks
gathered into stackes or the Atlandick Ocean by ruming into halfe a dozen Fish-ponds What corner in all the Kingdome without some of your ministry before the troubles How then did this mysterious Dispersion spread them some of them travelled it is tru but haply as many did so before what Seeds did they sow abroade You your self were so wary as not to speake of Religion till you had a Iesuits hand word that it would not be ill taken A broade then you did not sow those seedes Did you sow them in England who sowed the Seedes of Treason falshood of which there was such store that it overrun the Nation are not as yet weeded out Were the Ministers negligent in sowing those good seedes before the war Or was their labour industry lost And how was it so successefull after the wars that it should be a work of Providence But you thought it honourable that Providence should appeare in the concernes of your Ministry so you bring it in without well considering to what intent purpose 5. D. M. p. 18. Begins to excuse the Bishops neglect of Excommunication all the time of the troubles Vpon which I aske him some questions Haue not the Bishops Power to excommunicate Js not that Power to be vsed against obdurate sinners Were there none such from 1640. till 1650 Sure there were How comes this censure to be forgotten The Parliament say you p. 21. could not be excommunicated Ryght but the Persons in of the Parliament myght if the censure did not bring them to their wits nor restore them to their duty it would haue fryghted many well meaning men who adhered to the others innocently Which is one effect of censures 1. Trin. 5.20 Vt caeteri timorem habeant D. M. p. 22. We would not cast our Pearls vnto swine nor our holy things to dogs p. 26. nor expose Christ to contempt who sayth who so ever despiseth you despiseth me Rev. A pretty pretext for all hen-harted Prelates The Apostles Fathers were of a far different opinion let one speake for all Non calcatur qui persecutionem patitur sed qui persecutionem timendo infatuatur Aug. l. 1. de serm D. in mon. c. 6. Heis not despised who suffers persecution but who through Feare of persecution is infatuated so as to neglect his duty Had the Apostles primitiue Bishops been so timorously prudent Paganisme had never been destroyed Semen est sanguis Christianorum says Tertullian Plures efficimur quoties metimur Our Bloud is seed our number encreases by our being mowed downe with your swords One graine falls hundreds grow vp One Christian is martyred thousands of Pagans embrace his faith the remnant honour Christ his Vicegerents even when they persecute them But this lesson is not learnt in the Protestant Church D. M. p. 22. Thirteene Bishops made a trial of their Authority when they made a solemn publick Protestation against the forcible keeping of them out of the House of Peeres were for that impeached of Hygh Treason clapt vp in the Tower Rev. What is this to the purpose Is Protestation an Episcopal Act Cannot meere lay men enter a Protestation Is your seate in the house of Peeres of Divine Ryght Shew the canon of a General Council or a text of Scripture that ground either of these two things If you can shew none no wonder the thing should not succeede which is not of your Ecclesiastical Function But how comes that concerne for your seate in Parliament to be greater than for all other things how sacred soever You see Faith destroyed by Heresy you are silent the Church torne in pieces by Schismes you are silent the Royal Power vndermined by Factions the King 's sacred person endangered by Seditions affronted by Insolent varlets souls poysoned with damnable opinions you are silent You are debarred sitting in the house of Peeres you cry out so loud as to provoke the Rebells to shut you vp in a Cage Js this seate of greater importance than souls than the King's person than Royal Authority than the Church than Faith D. M. p. 24. The Bishops thought they were obliged not to draw that sword of Excommunication to cut nothing but the Ayre with it or by striking on a Rocke to blunt or breake the Edge of it Rev. A straw is as good as such a sword which must strike only the Ayre or it will fly in pieces Oh but we must not strike Rockes Are then all the children of your Church as insensible of your censures as a Rocke of the stroke of a sword If so whose is the fault but yours who haue the breeding of them D. M. p. 25. By Excommunication they had exposed not only their Persons but their Order it self to be ruined for who can tell whither those who imprisoned some for the Protestation would not haue taken away their liues if they had interdicted the houses of Parliament and excommunicated their adherents And then what would haue become of the Episcopal Order it self of our Church Rome would giue vs no Bishops Lutherans Calvinists can giue none other Churchs are too far off Tarbox Revisor Did I not know your intention I should think you prevaricated your reasons are so far from giving satisfaction to a Christian so contrary to what hath been practiced Nothing but temporal motiues humane respects in all your discourse Was not the whole Catholick nay Christian Church in as greate danger when all the Bishops in the world were in Hierusalem And did this make them be silent Quite contrary they resolved to preach on beseeched God to confirme tem in this resolution Behold their threatnings sayd they Act. 4.29 grant vnto thy servants that with all boldnesse they speake thy word D. M. p. 29. We think the Power of Excommunication in the Church to be more then either a Political a Parliamentary or a meerly Ecclesiastical constitution as being an Ordinance Institution neither of the State or of the Church but of Christ himself Rev. It is not worth the while to examin whence you haue it when many doubt whither you haue it at all this neglect of vsing it in such vrgent occasions confirmes them in that doubt The same of other questious which pa. 29. You propose why the Pope did excommunicate Henry VIII Why not Charles V. Which are nothing to our purpose J will only say that if the Pope had no better nor other grounds than you alleadge his case is hard to be excused D. M. p. 32. Cressey May confesse truly that this whole passage was put into his Book by another hand without his knowledge that as he was forced to owne it at first so he was not permitted to retract or correct it in his second edition Rev. Here are three odious Accusations 1. Against the Benedictins of corrupting another man's workes making him say what he never sayd The 2.
you a father of the Protestant Church publish those betwixt your Penitent you And J heare that some persons of your Communion haue found that they had not made their Confessions themselues to Mute fishes Witnesse Capt. Hinde Catholickes haue indeed printed a letter of a Preist to my Lord of Stafford something written as is beleived by her R. H. but nether of these comes home to the point of this letter For what was written by her R. H. was probably designed to be seene at least it was not written to her Confessor nor was that letter to my Lord of Stafford by his Confessor it myght probably did come from one who never saw him nor knew of him but onely that he was preparing for Death Another reason why I was surprized at the syght of this letter is that it doth in a manner confirme the Report of her being a papist Now this lady being by alliance entred into the Royal Family making a very eminent figure in it I thought shee should haue beene partaker of that priviledge that none should publish their being Papists for if this be Treason by law when sayd of the head of that Family it ought to be held a hainous offence when spoken of others Besides this we learne in Tobie 12.11 That it is Good to reveale the secrets of God to conceale those of the King So that whereas Divines are permitted to dine as deepe as they can into Divine mysterys as to those of the King they are to remember that Qui scrutator est Majestatis opprimetur a gloriâ He that pryes into Majesty shall be opprest with glory Prou. 25.27 Death to the foole hardy 2. The booke called Anti Haman p. 309. hath these words There seemes to be as much difference betwixt the spiritual food which souls receiue in the Catholick Church that of Protestants as there is betwixt the nourriture a child receives sucking a breast stretched with milke that he gets by sucking a moistned finger We haue an occasion here to see whither this judgment be well grounded Two things are remarkable in the instructions which Ministers giue to the souls vnder their direction as appeares by their sermons spiritual bookes 1. A horrour hatred of Popery 2. A slyght touch of some holesome Catholick Truths yet so handled as not to moue considerably the soul for feare it moue them too far For example they speaking of some former sins the sorrow for them the purpose of amendment the preventing God's judgments by judging our selves appeasing his wrath by Penitencial workes they do it well yet knowing that those points are meere Popery to prevent their passing over to it they added an Antidote which destroyes all they had sayd One instance shall suffice Dr Hewit Repentance Conversion p. 51. hath these words we must confesse to men that both privately publickly according to the quality of the sin This is catholick Doctrine now he corrects it For though we condemne Auricular Confession as a trick of state Policy yet we allow exhort all Christians to a tru voluntary sincere Confession of their sins to the Bishop superintendents of the Church Thus he Now what is Private Confession but Auricular Confession Yet to the one he exhorts the other he condemnes or rather he approues condemnes the same thing vnder different names And what is this but to build with one hand pull downe with the other to plant roote vp the same thing To teach in Churchs as tru Protestant evidences depose in Courts plaine Downe ryght contradictions Now what can a soul do hearing this if she be truly desirous of salvation Practice those Truths They bring her to Popery Then they cannot seriously practice what you teach This inward combate seldome ceases till they leaue the Protestant Communion for either they become immediatly Papists if the loue of vertu overcomes or Presbiterians if the hatred of Papists prevailes by the helpe of a Morose nature Thus the surest tyes to Protestaney seeme to be 1. a carelessenesse of what is to come in the next world 2. a Presumption of God's goodnesse 3. Temporal motiues of all sizes All which are insignificant to a soul that prefers her eternal concerne before her temporal resolues to advance in vertu an Earth that shee may be more gratefull to her celestial spouse in Heaven 3. For this reason the report of the change in Religion of her R. H. easily found credit with me Of which report you speake p. 4. 5. God had giuen her a serious desire to serue him as he would be served I heard she was earnest in pursuing what she thought was for his glory attentiue in her Devotions exact in performing what seemed to be the will of God for the good of her soul that though her Fortune was exceeding greate yet she would rather forgoe it all then hazard her soul that Jewell being too precious to be compensated with any thing God had Giuen her an extraordinary good vnderstanding say you p. 14. with which she could easily discerne betwixt what was Tru what onely Seemed to be so Whence without any helpe of Bookes or instructions of men by only Hearing the discourse of Religion which is the most common in England will be so till men talke themselues either out of all Religion or into a good one either into Atheisme or Popery she myght easily discover that the devil was not so vgly as he was painted that somethings were charged on vs which we did not hold that what we really taught was not Blame worthy soe on both sides we were jnnocent And probably she myght declare so much being vnwilling to heare vs wronged Which gaue you occasion to say p. 4. that shee Declared in favour of Papists grounded that Report of her being one Then you spend several pages in proving how fatal a like Report had beene to her Father-in-law K. Charles I. what prejudice it had like to haue done to Charles II. altho both were jnnocent of that Crime averse to the Religion Which confirmes what I sayd how dangerous it is to entertaine that animosity against Popery which enables knaues to compasse the ruin of honest men even the King himself with only traducing him or them as Papists how jnnocent soever they be averse to that Religion D. M. p. 12. It is Impossible to silence this Report of your being a Papist vnlesse you your self appeare in it vpon all occasions declare your detestation of it c. Rev. How insignificant this remedy would haue proved appeares by its successe in the late King's time Whose declarations of that nature even at the Communion could not silence his Enemyes nor check a like report D. M. p. 15. None shall ever be able to proue that either we omit any thing necessary to salvation or teach any thing destructiue to it Rev. Your Schisme is
destructiue to Salvation It is vndeniable that Schismaticks remaming such cannot besaved They shall not haue God for their father who haue not the Church for their mother S. Cyprian And you are in a Schisme I myght alleadge several other things destructiue to Salvation but this one is enough D. M. p. 17. 18. The Papists say there is no salvation out of their Church The Donatists sayd so too And was it not for that saying so that they were pronounced Hereticks Revisor Here are three grosse mistakes of which I haue spoken sec 4. The 1. that the donatists sayd there was no salvation out of their Church Their grande errour was that the Church was lost by communicating with a sinner All their other errours were but sequels of this viz that there was no Church but theirs the rest of the Christians communicating with Cecilianus who had delivered vp the holy bookes 2. That there was no valid Baptisme but in their Communion 3. That the son was lesser than the father the Holy ghost than the son See S. Austin l. de Hereticis ad Quod vult Deum § 69. Epi. Baronij ad annu Dom. 321. n. 4. For these errours the donatists were tru Herticks But for saying that Heresy destroys salvation they could not be Hereticks vnlesse you will make S. Athanasius one who says in his creede Quam fidem nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit absque dubio in aeternum peribit No hopes of salvation where any point of Faith is denyed The 2. That they were pronounced Hereticks for saying so They were pronounced Hereticks for saying other things as J haue shewne The 3. that they were held for Hereticks The Catholick Church held them at first for Scismaticks such they were but not for Hereticks The Catholicks exacted nothing of them but that they should joine Communion with them they offred to that intent that in those cittyes which had two Bishops one of each Communion the surviver which soever it was should governe alone the Diocese that by that meanes the Schisme myght be extinguisht A condition never offred to any Heretick or Hereticks what soever At last indeed they turned tru Hereticks as I sayd on another score D. M. p. 19. For you to conclude in favour of Popery without hearing Protestants is that which cannot be done either in Equity or Conscience Rev. She did not conclude for one side without hearing the other She had heard Protestants from her jnfancy had weyghed maturely what they could say for themselues or against Popery It is wonderfull that a short Conference with some Papist it could be no more if there were so much should be of force sufficient to roote vp all those prejudices against God's Church which you so carefull instill to those vnder your conduct althô they had bin confirmed by long practice reiterated Acts contrary to the Catholick Faith all these backed with almost the greatest temporal interest in the world for on the one side she saw honour Riches the probable expectation of our Imperial crowne on the other Reproaches Calumnyes disgrace probably a tragical End for such had been the fate of her Father-in-law indeed what misery or vnjustice is so evident so greate as a Papist may not feare from a Tru Protestant But Magna veritas praevalet Truth seconded by God's interiour grace assisted by her generous resolution never to admit the whole world into consideration when her soul was concerned overcame all those difficultyes With this Truly Heroical resolution you acquaint vs. For you say to her D. M. p. 21. You your selfe haue told me more then once even since this false report hath beene raysed of you that you would not do any thing whereby you myght seeme to be of a Church or Religion which you are not of indeed no not for any wordly consideration whatsoever And p. 22. you are wont to say that no wordly either Advantage or Prejudice is to be considered when the gaining of the One or the avoyding of the Other comes into competition with the hazarding or securing of our spiritual everlasting jnterest of our souls consequently that if you were convinced there were no Salvation to be had but in the Church of Rome no consideration either of Losse or of Danger here in this world you myght incur by it should keepe you from it Rev. Out of these truly Christian Resolutions often declared to you I gather many material points either vnknowne before or not sufficiently knowne 1. That her R. H. was really enclined to be a Catholick So that Report was grounded 2. That you knew this inclination 3. That you endeavoured to divert her from it alleadging cheifly temporal interest to divert her from becoming a Papist This J gather out of those declarations which she so often made out of this very letter which containes little if any thing at all else 4. That either you which I do not beleiue or some other Protestant advised her to dissemble in matter of Religion professe her self a Protestant thô she were not so What other occasion could she haue to make that declaration that She would not do any thing to seeme to be of a Church of which she was not for all the world Lastly that she was too generous to be fryghted with such Bug beares When her soul lay at stake knowing full well it Would availe her nothing to gaine the whole world if she lost that Mar. 8.36 5. Thus this letter confirmes what was sayd but not commonly beleived of the Religion in which her R. H. dyed that she truly was a Catholick or as you call vs a Papist for you owne her inclination that way you had little to alleadge to divert her from it but temporal interest which was as little able to retaine her as a cobweb to hold a Lion so it is impossible to misse in the conjecture of the event But what judgment will the world make of your Church out of this letter The concerne you writ for was as greate almost as could occurre the retaining within your Communion a person as considerable almost as any whatsoever a person worthily esteemed as greate for her qualifications of mind as to vertu vnderstanding as for her dignity in the Kingdome a person who was a greate ornament to your Church nay a Piller of it So no doubt but all industry was vsed to prevent her leaving you that whatsoever your Art your wit learning could doe was employed to that intent we may guesse that as the cause was common so the concurrence was therefore we may conjecture that all the nerues of the Protestant Church joined to giue this Blow Yet how weake how inconsiderable is it And is then your Glorious Apostolical reformed Church come to this Haue you no motiues to commend her Communion retaine pious souls in it but Temporal will these weygh downe in the scales
of reason all considerations of Eternity And if they should be judged weyght by men will God judge so too At the greate day will it be a sufficient excuse for Schisme Heresy to say I was affrayd of loosing my estate of hindring my fortune of offending my freinds of giving advantage to my Enemys Will not Christ answer Seing You haue disowned me my Church before men I will disowne you before my father I will not deny but you haue given satisfaction as to what concernes your self that you are a Protestant Yet J must professe you giue little satisfaction as to your Church Nay I do declare that I would never desire other nor better grounds to vindicate the Truth of Catholick Religion the necessity of living in the Communion of the Catholick Church than what this letter affords For by it we may gather the condition of the Protestant Church to be like that of Laodicea Apoc. 3.17 Wretched miserable poore blind naked I hartily wish you those of your ranke were truly sensible of this Truth that you made a ryght vse of it by seeking ways to returne to the Communion of the Catholick Roman Church so put an end to this horrid Schisme Though the difficultyes to be overcome were greate yet greate difficultyes ought not to fryght vs from so greate so necessary a good as that of the Peace of the Church But in reality they are lesse then apprehended which you must say if you beleiue what you report after Bishop Andrews that the Pope was willing to confirme all that Q. Elizabeth had done in matter of Religion provided she would acknowledge his Supremacy This is then the grand nay the only obstacle Now all who haue been conversant in Catholick countryes see their customes even where that Supremacy is acknowledged see cleerly that this is no such formidable thing as to excuse justify a separation by consequence can be no just hindrance of Peace which the God of Peace grant vs giue all Schismaticks a tru desire of Amen SECTION XX. A Revision of his Letter to a Preist WHo this Regular Preist is you do not tell vs yet what you say of him he of himself describe him by infallible notes You endeavour to proue in this letter to him three things 1. That being so perswaded as he was he was bound in Conscience to leaue the Communion of the Roman Church 2. That he was bound to joine Communion with the Protestant Church of England 3. That he was bound to do it out of hand Which Propositions are built one vpon another the third on the second this on the first Which being Conditional not Absolute supposing his Present perswasion we must see what that is according to this Meridian we must calculate his Duty What this poore man's Perswasion is if he haue any setled is hard to judge of He hath vowed Obedience to his Regular Superiour will not keepe it He hath vowed Poverty breakes that vow He professe the Catholick Faith beleiues it full of Errors nay Heresyes He says he will remaine in the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church yet beleiues her to be Heretick Schismatick He hath beene ordred backe to his Convent he refuses to returne he hath been Canonically admonisht of his extravagances he slights it he hath been Excommunicated he Laughs at it In fine in him Hereticks find a constant freind Schismaticks a sure Advocate Apostates a certaine Patrone Catholicks an implacable Enemy yet he pretends he is nether Heretick nor Schismatick nor Apostata but a Catholick member of the Roman Church Who can square these circles reconcile these Contradictions betwixt his Declarations Actions that so a judgment may be framed of his Tru Persuasion Whither shall we giue credit to his declarations Or his Actions Those speake his being a Catholick he is nothing lesse These declare his hatred to Catholicks their Religion which yet he professeth So we must conclude him a Chimera one composed of contradictions his Religion is made vp of parts mutually destroying one another Or else that he hath no Religion for as a Chimera cannot haue a being In rerum naturâ so there can nether be an Entity composed of Contradictions nor a Religion for the same reason At least at the greate Audit he can never fayle to heare Discede a me c. Begon from me whither so ever Religion he be of his owne words will condemne him Ex ore tuo te judico serve nequam What can hence be gathered but that his Perswasion being so vncertain his Religion so dubious or certainly none at all nothing can be thence gathered as to the Communion which he should enter into If you think him well disposed for your Church you discover what kind of men it is composed of Ours that is the Catholick Church doth not desire such nor tolerate them further than there is hopes of their amendment little or none at all being left of this man she hath cast him out by Excommunication As I learne from your owne letter So by what I see I conclude that You haue spoyled a Catholick not made a Protestant Yet to moue him to come quite over you very learnedly distinguish three ages of the Church The first whilest she continued in that Faith which was once delivered to Saints p. 31. The second p. 32. from the time the Pope tooke vpon him the title of vniversal Bishop Yet you are not resolved what time to allow to this Second age whither one thousand or eleven or twelue hundred yeares The third p. 42. from the two Councils of Lateran vnder LEO X. Trent jmplying that all were bound to communicate with the Church of Rome in its first age myght communicate with it in the second must not in the third Jn the first Communion with it was a necessary duty in the second it was lawfull but not necessary in the third vnlawfull a sin And these dreames take vp aboue 30. pages Rev. All this is a dreame for the second age which you speake of is yet to come the Pope never having taken the title of Vniversal Bishop Besides this Christ promist his assistance to the Church not for any determinate time but for all times assured her of his presence till the end of the world now when you shall proue that Christ hath broken or can or will breake his word we will think your second age possible not till then so the first age in which all are obliged to joine in Communion with the Church of Rome is not expired nor will nor can ever expire D. M. p. 62. Having quitted the Communion of the Roman Church he is bound to joine with that of England in Conscience it being the most perfectly reformed Church in the world in Prudence in order to the protection of his Person provision