time especially in the prayers at Baptisme when after the Sacraments administred Wee give God humble and hearty thankes for that it hath pleased him to regenerate the Infant baptized Where they use to understand some such clause as this If hee bee elected or as I have heard some expresse it as we hope by which device they can without scruple of conscience both subscribe and use the prayers of the Church which in the Churches sence they doe not beleeve or assent to But this onely by the way The next booke that he sayth they have altered is that which is set forth for solemne thanksgiving for our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason In the last Edition whereof instead of this passage Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect which say of Ierusalem down with it c. They read Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect of them which say c. and little after for whose religion is rebellion and faith faction they read who turne religion into rebellion and faith into faction For answer to this I say first That those prayers were not as he falsely affirmes set forth by authority of Parliament The Act of Parliament which is obvious to every man that reads that book being prefixed to it and appointed to bee read on those dayes enjoynes the keeping of that day by resorting to the Church at morning prayer but mentions no speciall prayers either set forth or to be set forth afterwards for that purpose If he know any other act that authoriseth them I say to him as be to my Lord Bishop of Norwich and I hope I may doe it with lesse sawcines Let him shew it Then secondly pag. 72. I say that being done by the same Authority that first set them forth it is neither for him nor me nor any other of inferiour ranke to question them but with humble reverence to submit to their iudgements and to thinke them wiser and farre more fit to order those things that belong to their places than we whom it neither concernes nor indeed can know the reasons that move them either to doe or alter any thing But more particularly that which he obiecteth against the former is That they would not hereby have all Iesuites and Papists termed a Babylonish and Antichristian sect but restraine it to some few of them and mentally transferr it to those Puritans who cry downe with Babylon that is Popery But what then what if out of a charitable respect to those which in that Religion are honest and peaceable men as no doubt but some of them whatsoever Master B. beleeves of them are such they are not willing nor thinke it fit to pray for the rooting up and confusion of all Papists indiscriminatim under those harsh termes surely charitably minded Christians cannot but approve such an alteration if there were no other ground than that for it As for any mans transferring it to Puritanes that is as meere a surmise as it is a false slander that any of those whom he intimates doe call Rome Ierusalem or Popery the true Catholick Religion Yet I know not why such furious cryers downe of Popery as Master B. hath shewed himselfe may not bee accounted of a Babylonish and Antichristian sect as well as any Iesuit in the world nor why we may not pray and that with better reason than Master B. would have men to doe and under those titles against the Hierarchy of our Church that God would roote them out of the land when they cry so loud not of Rome but of our Ierusalem the truely and rightly reformed English Church Downe with it down with it even to the ground To the other his exception is that they which made that alteration would turne off Rebellion and Faction from the Romish Religion and faith to some persons as if the Religion it selfe were not Rebellion and their faith Faction But he craves leave to prove it so to bee according to the judgement of our Church grounded upon manifest and undeniable proofes and without expecting the grant of what hee craves from any but his good Mrs the People hee sets upon it but presently forgets his promised brevitie for he spends almost five leaves in that Argument And lest I forget my promise in the same kinde I le summe him into a very narrow roome 1. Their Religion First Reason is rebellion 1. Because the Oath of Supremacie is p. 132. refused by Iesuites Seminary Priests and Iesuited Papists and if any Papist take it hee is excommunicated for it But this reason concludes nothing Answered against the Religion but against the Practise of some of that Religion and some positions of a Faction rather than the generally received Faith among them It is well knowne that the French and Venetian States professe the Romish Religion and Faith and live in communion with that Church And yet they doe not acknowledge that Duaren de Benefic l. 5. c. 11. extravagant Power over Princes which some Popes have challenged and their flatterers doe ascribe to them As is evident 1. by the Pragmaticall Sanction as they call it in France in the time of Charles the VII approving and ratifying the Decrees of the Councels of Constance and Basill against the Popes usurped Power over generall Councels and Princes which notwithstanding the attempts of many Popes and the Bulls and Constitutions of Pope Iulius the II. and Leo the X. against it is not yet antiquated or abolished Secondly by the publick Decree made in France Christianography p. 132. Anno 1611. for expelling the Iesuites except they approved these foure Articles 1. That the Pope hath no power to depose Kings 2. That the Councell is above the Pope 3. That the Clergie ought to be subject to the Civill Magistrate 4. That Confession ought to be revealed if it touch the Kings Person 3. By that memorable Controversie that of late Controversia memorabilis inter Paul 5. Venetos Acta script c. edita 1607. happened betweene Pope Paul the V. and the State of Venice where the just libertie of Princes and States in their Dominions against that Popes tyrannicall Interdict and Sentence of Excommunication is defended by those who notwithstanding professe their union in Religion and due obedience to the Sea of Rome By all these I say it is evident that what ever the tenets of fiery spirited Iesuites and other furious Factionists of that Religion be the Religion may bee held and yet due obedience to Princes maintained and performed which could not be if the Religion were Rebellion and Faith Faction Besides our English Catholicks though for the most part more Pontifician and Spanish than French doe not all disallow the taking of the Oath of Allegiance nor their Priests themselves but though some of them doe yet others like and approve both the Oath and those that take it and others neither approve nor denie it but leave every man to his owne Conscience The
Bs. words either that the Bishops have these ends or that for these ends they do teach this doctrine But it is enough There is no Parliament and that they wish hoping if some such spirits as Mr. Burtons disciples get voyces in it and can prevaile they may do somewhat for their cause and ruine the Hierarchy and that there is none it must needs be the Bishops doings who as hee perswades credulous auditors will not bee able to purge themselves to a committee of the Lower-house for Religion and then if this be granted it cannot be thought a thing unlikely for them to broach such doctrine as this which cannot but be very usefull for their purpose But M. Burton will have much adoe to prove and words must not carry it that the Bishops are not Parliament-proofe and as much that they therefore are the meanes to hinder the King from having a Parliament I would to God that men of his straine and humour and poysoned with such principles of Popularity as hee labours to instill into the people had beene no greater meanes to cause heart-burning between the King and his subjects and so to keep them from meeting in Parliament than the Bishops are It is not the Bishops but the disobedient and seditious carriage of those ill-affected persons of the house of Commons in the last Parliament who raised so much heat and distemper upon causelesse jealousies That His Procla before the Declar. for the dissolut of the Parliament Majesty to use his owne words His Regall authority and commandement were so highly contemned as his Kingly office could not beare nor any former age parallel This is the meanes that severed King and people being met and this humor still fomented by turbulent and malevolent spirits such as Mr. Burton is the true and sole cause that yet hinders their re-assembling in Parliament And if thereupon any damage have or doe ensue the blame must light upon those entrenchers not upon those whom hee falsely makes the over-enlargers of the Royall prerogative Yet necessity may make them doe much and feare of danger may make them willing by any meanes whatsoever to make the King sure that they may have shelter and though God be praised they have not justly no not incurred the hatred of the whole land yet perhaps he knowes some intended mischiefe towards them or hopes well that his Sermons and the Ipswich Libell will worke so with some bloudy Assassines that they may be brought as his brother Leighton speaks Sions plea pag. 166. to strike that Hazael the Bishops in the fift rib to strike that Basilike vein as the onely cure for the plurisie of this State However it were but a poor device for their security to flatter the King into a conceit of his boundlesse authority which beside that it would be a vaine attempt upon so wise and just a Prince and such as cannot without derogation from his Majesties wisdome and gracious disposition be once imagined as faisible would but increase the subjects hatred and in the end cause his Majesty to forsake them and justly to expose them to the fury of their malice Their best security and that which they onely rely upon is their integrity and just proceedings wherein they assure themselves the just God and King whom they serve will never forsake them or deny them protection Neither doe they need to borrow a lawlesse and abused Regall power nor can it be accounted tyranny to punish those that deny obedience to his Majesties commands which whatsoever he untruely and seditiously suggests shall be proved both to be his Majesties and beseeming his Royall justice and goodnesse As for their ayming by this meanes to bring the State and King under their girdle and to make Princes subject to the Bishops If malice had not made him as blind as Impudent he would have wanted a forehead to have vented for if they meant any such thing their way had beene to advance their owne and not the Kings power and prerogative which if they make boundlesse will be sure to hold themselves as well as others under the yoke of subjection To conclude this point then The Bishops teach no other doctrine of obedience to Superiours than hath beene ever taught in the Church of God They give the King that onely prerogative which we see hath been given alwaies to all godly Artic. of Relig. p. 37. Princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the civill sword the stubborn and evill doers This is the doctrine of our Church To this they have ex animo subscribed and to this they exact subscription of all that are under their severall Jurisdictions And this is not to give him any unlimited power they give to God and Caesar both their dues They make God the first the King the second and onely lesse than God as Tertullian speaks They make no Idol of their King nor Ad Scapulam Hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem place his throne above but immediately under Gods That 's all Under God they grant acknowledging his power to be from God and that hee ought to use his power for God and not against him and our obedience to the King not sufficient to warrant disobedience to God yet immediately and above all others in his Dominions So as They beleeve and teach that his actions are not liable to the scanning much lesse to the controule no not of his greatest subjects This The King to speak with all humble reverence cannot give c. p. 72. They doe not know They dare not practice Neither will or dare They no not with humble reverence premised tell the people that the King hath not and therefore cannot give power to others to do those things which crosse their fancies as namely to punish those that refuse to conforme to his commands and the orders of the Church which he miscalls the altering of the state of Religion and to suppresse the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel this They judge no humble reverence but outragious and desperate impudency and boldnesse Yea and that it savours of unchristian disloyalty to insinuate to the people that the King is carelesse of his reiterated solemne protestations and oathes That he is forgetfull of the law of God and regardles of the laws of the Land That he useth his power or suffers it to be used to alter the state of Religion to oppresse and suppresse the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell against both law and conscience All pag 56. pag. 73. which Mr. Burton hath done ad nauseam usque even to his readers surfet and loathing Neither will his usuall scheme help him off or excuse him to say he doth not nor will not beleeve such actions as hee is pleased so deeply and desperately to censure to be the Kings
same Answer may serve to Mr. B. second reason which is drawn from their writings positions and doctrines which Second and third reasons they the Romanists professe and teach concerning the Popes usurped power and Soveraigntie over all Kings and Kingdomes of the earth And likewise to the third for both of them conclude no more than this That some Popish Authours exalt the Popes power over the Kings in deposing and exposing their Persons to the danger of Rebels and Traytors and that Popes of late have usurped that power which our Protestant Writers and by name these which Mr. B. citeth Dr. Iohn White and Dr. Crackenthorp and our Church-Homilies doe clearely prove and justly condemne as Anti-christian For all that can be rightly hence inferred will not reach the Religion or Faith it selfe which admit that these were parts of it is of farre larger extent and different nature than to receive it's Denomination from these few principles or some men's or Pope's practises To make this cleare by an instance wherein I am sure Mr. B. would be loath to admit this reasoning for true Logick Some Genevians and some of ours that learn'd it from See Chr. Goodman's treatise of obedience printed at Geneva p. 206. c Dangerous positions and proceedings for disciplne them allow the Deposition of Tyrannicall and Idolatrous Princes and Rulers and the Peoples rising against them commend Traytors for good men and their Treasons for godly enterprizes approve of private mens killing them as set on by God and in a word goe as farre in this kinde l. 1. c 5. Bucanan de jure Regni p 57. Alsted Syst Polit 2. cap. 3. Si tamen administratores of ficium suum facere no in t si impia iniqua mandent si contra dilectionem Dei proximi agant populus propriae salutis curam arripiet imperium male utentibus abrogabit in locum eorum alios substituet pag. 141. as the boldest and bloudiest among the Iesuites and are in this worse than they in that the Iesuites alledge their obedience therein and zeale to an higher authority pretended to bee in the Pope But these hold the right of Soveraigntie to be in the People and allow them to bee their owne carvers of their liberty If any man should be reupon conclude that the Genevian Religion were Rebellion and Faith faction I suppose Master B. would and for my part though I detest and abhorre these principles as most wicked and unchristian I should thinke they said more than they proved and so I thinke Master B. hath here done against the Papists The last book he mentions is the last Fast-book which with hideous out-cries he here and often in other places complaines that they have gelded as hee termes it and made a mock-fast of it c. and that contrary to the Kings expresse proclamation which ordereth the booke for the former fast to be reprinted and published There be two things that he quarrels against them in this First the alterations Secondly the restraint of preaching in places infected For the first he saith they have altered the booke in such wise as he being a man very tender in that kind and not willing to waive authority or to do things without warrant from it doth not see how any man may read it as being contrary to the proclamation But I would demand whether the proclamation were expresly for the having the former booke reprinted without any alteration if not as it is most evident that there was no such thing expressed then can it not bee said to bee contrary to it for contraries must both have a being and then onely could it have been said to bee contrary if another and not that had beene printed which this might still bee said to bee though in some things altered which is a common speech in matter of bookes and other things where the bulk remaining there are made as great and many times greater alterations than here were any But what were these alterations First in the first Collect this remarkable pious sentence was pag. 142. left out Thou hast delivered us from superstition and Idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and hast brought us into the most cleere and comfortable light of thy blessed Word by the which we are taught how to serve and honour thee and how to live orderly with our neighbours in truth and verity But what of that Loe here saith he these men the Bishops would not have Popery to bee called Superstition and Idolatry nor would they have the Word of God commended as that cleare and comfortable light which teacheth us all duties to God and man But the man is farre and wide from truth in this fond conjecture I dare boldly say there was no such thing thought on It is out of question for ought I know with Protestants that in Popery there are many grosse superstitions and Idolatries and that the Word of God is that cleare and comfortable light which teacheth us all things necessary to salvation But men may be good Protestants and yet not damne all their fore-fathers who lived before the reformation as he must doe that saith of them that they were wholly drowned in Idolatry and without the light of Gods Word to teach them to serve God and live orderly with their neighbours which though Master B. perhaps will not some men may thinke to be reason sufficient for the leaving out of that sentence But secondly they have left out a whole Collect true and perhaps it was thought fit so to be not for any thing conteined in it but only to abridge the length of the service which I know some of Master Burton's humour did as much grumble at when that first booke was appointed and tooke more liberty of shortening it than that comes to His conceit that they did it because in it preaching was commended is groundlesse and the dreame onely of a distemper'd fancy and shall receive from me the answer it deserves silence And that is the best answer also that I can give to that which followes about the clause left out in the last page in the order for the Fast which he would have the people beleeve was done because they esteemed fasting a meritorious worke but so without all shew of ground or reason that it were a vanity second to none but his to spend time and words about it And what hath Master B. or any other to doe with the leaving out of the Lady Elizabeth and her children which hee might well beleeve was done either not without his Majesties consent or at least that would soone come to His knowledge who Himselfe had the same prayers read in his Royall Chappell Nay I le tell thee more it was exactly done according to the last edition of the Common prayer-booke and His Majesties speciall direction in this particular as Master B. and I have beene often told by our betters Surely it was a great oversight that when Master
in the worship of God Ceremonies no substantiall parts of Gods worship The crimination and a generall answer Of standing at Gloria Patri What will-worship is Standing at the Gospell Bowing at the name of Jesus Of the name of Altar and what sacrifice is admitted Of the standing of the Altar Of Communicants going up to the Altar to receive Of the railes Of bowing toward the Altar and to the East and turning that way when we pray Of reading the second Service at the Altar Chap. 15. Fol. 121. Innovation in the civill government slanderously pretended without proofe His slander of my Lords Grace of Canterbury about Prinnes Prohibition confuted Other calumnies against His Grace c. answered The Bishops falsely charged with dividing the King and His Subjects Chap. 16. Fol. 132. Of the altering of the Prayer-books The putting In for At. The leaving out of Father of thine elect c. no treason Master B. rather guilty His pretty shift about it and how he and some of his use the Prayers of the Church Of the Prayers for the fifth of November altered Those Prayers not confirmed by act of Parliament The Religion of the Church of Rome not Rebellion Of the alterations in the last Fast-booke The restraint of preaching Fasting-dayes no Sabbaths Chap. 17. Fol. 150. Of the sixth pretended Innovation in the meanes of Knowledge The Knowledge of God necessary The Scriptures the key of Knowledge Impious to take them away or hinder the knowledge of them The difference between the Scriptures and Sermons How faith is begotten of Rom. 10. 17. The Word of God must be rightly divided what it is so to do Chap. 18. Fol. 162. Of the seventh pretended Innovation in the Rule of Faith What matters of Religion are submitted to the Bishops decision The Doctrine of our Articles The properties of the Bishops decisions Master Burtons clamors against the Bishops in this particular odious and shamefull Of that speech which he ascribeth to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Catholick Church What is justly attributed to the Church and how wee ordinarily come to know the Scriptures to be Scriptures Chap. 19. Fol. 170. Of the jurisdiction of Bishops how far of Divine right given by Christ to his Apostles and from them derived by succession The power given to the Apostles divided into severall orders What power Ecclesiasticall belongs to the King and the intent of the Statutes which annexe all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to the Crowne Of Mr. Burtons Quotation of the Iesuits direction to be observed by N. N. M. B. and the Iesuite confederates in detraction and ignorance Chap. 20. Fol. 182. The last Innovation in the Rule of manners The Scriptures acknowledged to be the sole rule of manners and how Old Canons how in force The Act before the Communion-booke doth not forbid the use of ancient and pious customes Master B. incurring the penalty of that Statute Of Cathedrall Churches The argument from them frees the rites and ceremonies there used from novelty and superstition Of the Royall Chappell His dangerous insinuations referred to the censure of Authority The Close Chap. 21. Fol. 193. A briefe Discourse of the beginning and progresse of the Disciplinarian Faction Their sundry attempts for their Genevian Dearling Their Doctrines new and different from the true and ancient tenets of the Church of England and they truly and rightly termed Innovators REcensui librum hunc cui titulus est Innovations unjustly charged c. in quo nihil reperio quô minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur Iune 17. 1637. Sa. Baker R. P. Episc Londin Cap. domest INNOVATIONS UNJUSTLY CHARGED UPON THE PRESENT CHURCH and STATE CHAP. I. An Introduction to the ensuing Discourse containing the reasons inducing the Author to undertake it and his aime in it IT is better in the judgement of St Melius errantis imperitiam silentio spernere quaÌ„ loquendo dementu insaniam provocare Nec hoc sue â—â—gistâ—â—ii diviniâ—eâ— nominis aucteritate faciebam c. Cypr. ad Demetrian Cyprian by silence to condemne the ignorance of the erroneous than by speaking to provoke the fury of the enraged And for this judgement of his he had the warrant as hee saith of divine authority And certainly it must needs be a great point of folly to grapple with those who as that Father of Demetrianus by the noyse of clamorous words seek rather to get vent and passage for their owne than patiently to hear the opinions of others it being more easie to still the waves of the troubled sea than by any discourse to represse the madnesse of such men To undertake such a task therefore is but a vaine attempt and of no more effect than to hold a light to the blinde to speake to the deafe or to instruct a stone Foule-mouth'd railers and barking dogs are soonest still'd by passing on our way in silence or by severe and due correction Yet notwithstanding this rule is not without some exception and therefore Solomon who giveth this counsell not to answer a foole according Prov. 26. 4 5. to his folly addes in the next words as it were a crosse-proverb to it bidding us Answer a foole according to his folly lest he be wise in his owne conceit In that case an answer to clamorous and slanderous railers whom the Wise-man comprises under the name of fooles is not unfit or unseasonable And there are no doubt other cases in which without deserving the imputation of folly a man may yea and it is expedient that he should make answer to the envenomed railings of imbittered spirits And if at any time surely then when such detractors are not onely wise in their owne conceits but which is more have enveigled many simple and perhaps otherwise well-meaning people and drawne them to an opinion of their wisedome and beliefe and approbation of their false and wicked calumnies Much more when they levell their poisoned arrows of detraction against the Soveraigne Power and against the Fathers of the Church which if they should prevaile would wound and endanger the setled government and peace of both Church and State In such case it cannot be accounted rashnesse for any true-hearted subject and sonne of the Church to breake an otherwise resolved silence to prevent what in him is the growth of so great a mischiefe I will adde one other particular When men shall be so impiously presumptuous as to break into the secrets of the Almighty and peremptorily to pronounce of his unscrutable judgements as if they had beene his counsellors and to cast the causes of the present plague and all the evills that have lately threatned or befallen us upon those men to whom next under God we owe and in duty ought to acknowledge our preservation hitherto and that the plague and other evils have no more raged amongst us yea and upon those meanes which God hath sanctified for the removall of his judgements It is high time then to speake lest silence
Turpiter atrū Desinit in piscem mulier formosa superne and lower parts of an ugly fish was joyned to a faire and beautifull womans face Or like some Apothecaries boxes which bearing the inscription of a Cordiall or pretious antidote containes nothing in it but some banefull drugge or deadly poyson I confess I have knowne men of his straine to start strange doctrines from texts where a man would never have dreamed of any such matter as if their texts were but a colour serving onely to bring in their owne fancies As one that preaching upon the parable of the Prodigall Luk. 15. 15. from that where it is said Hee joyned himselfe to a Citizen of that country which hee did constrained by necessity and to avoid starving observed this doctrine That it is the duty of Christians in choosing their calling to make choyse of men eminent for religion and piety Another that in that of S. Iohn Hee is the propitiation for our Iohn 15. 15. sins and not for our sins onely but for the sins of the whole world found this That Christ did not dye for all men but onely for the elect But yet Mr. Burton passes them all in that having such a Text could in all the parts of it so directly contradict it as if he had learned of the Canonist to expound constituimus by abrogamus But I go on The pretended ground of all these clamours calumniations and contumelies against the Bishops and Hierarchy we find by him set downe p. 111. in these words According to our text we are professedly against all those usurpations and innovations which the Prelates of latter dayes have haled in by the head and shoulders being besides and against the law of the Land and much more against the Law of God And indeed the summe of all these declamatory sermons and of his libels and Epistles c. is briefly this There are divers Innovations lately brought into the Church and State and that with a strong hand and strange persecution of those that yeeld not to them by the Archbishop of Cant. and some other Bishops of dangerous consequence as tending to the subversion of the religion and government established and the bringing of us back againe to idolatry and union with the Church of Rome and therefore that the Bishops ought to bee severely punished and their orders abolished So that if it appeare that this is false in every part of it As namely that the innovations which he raves upon are injuriously so termed That they are not popish or tending to the overthrow of the religion established and reconciling us to Rome That the Bishops urging these supposed innovations have kept within the bounds of their lawfull power and not exercised any tyrannie nor persecuted Gods people or the Kings good subjects If I say these severals shall be made to appeare and this by Gods assistance I doubt not but I shall be able to do to the conviction of such as are not wilfully blinded then the iniquity of his clamors the falsehood odiousness and impudency of his calumniations will without more adoe be discovered and it will be easie to judge who they are that have troubled Israel And therefore that I may not leade my readers through the maze of his manifold tautologies nor tyre my selfe and them in the wilde and pathless thicket of his impertinencies nor take the paynes to wipe off every spot of dirt which he hath cast upon his opposites My purpose is to examine this Grand crimination and to speake of the severall supposed innovations and that according to that division and in that order that wee finde them ranked by him in that forenamed place Where he thus writes And these Innovations or changes wee may reduce to eight generall heads 1. Innovation in Doctrine 2. Innovation in Discipline 3. Innovation in the worship of God 4. Innovation in the civill government 5. Innovation in the Altering of bookes 6. Innovation in the meanes of knowledge 7. Innovation in the rule of faith 8. Innovation in the rule of Maners CHAP. V. Of the supposed Innovations in Doctrine Of King James his Order to the Vniversities for reading the Fathers done long since unjustly charged upon the present Bishops By whomsoever procured upon just grounds Not Popish but against Popery King James's other Order for preaching of Election c. justified FIrst saith he they the Prelats have laboured to bring in a change of Doctrine as appeareth by these instances 1. By procuring an Order from King James of famous memory to the Vniversities that young students should not read our Moderne learned Writers as Calvin Beza and others of the reformed Churches but the Fathers and Schoolemen This first crimination is farre fetcht being if I mistake not a thing acted above twenty yeeres agoe so that it seemes hee meanes to take him compasse enough the times present not affording him sufficient store and if hee had gone backe but twice as many more hee might have found the reading of Calvin and Beza accounted as great an Innovation as now he holds the debarring of men from reading of them and that by those that were as good Protestants as Mr. Burton and as farre from Popery But secondly being so long agoe done I cannot see how hee can lay it upon the present Prelates especially upon those whom hee most strives to make odious none of them being Bishops at that time But if they must inherit the guilt and punishment of their Predecessors faults In the third place how doth it appeare that it was the Bishops doing Marry because King Iames approved and magnified those Orthodox Authors and gave the right hand of fellowship to those reformed Churches which those Authors had planted or watered calling that the Orthodox faith which those Churches did professe and in particular did commend Calvin as the most judicious and sound expositor of Scripture And therefore it were impious to imagine that King James should doe any act in prejudice of Calvin c. Well But might not that judicious King or any man else approve the Authors in the general and yet dislike some things in them for which hee might thinke them not so fit for young students in Divinity to lay them for the foundation of their studies It is no prejudice to the best of them nor indeed to any man as being a common infirmity of humane nature to say that in some things they erred Much lesse can it wrong them to have the ancient Fathers from whose torches they lighted their candles preferred as the more worthy And it is one thing to give the right hand of fellowship to a particular Church which we willingly doe to all the reformed Churches beyond the Seas and another to like and approve every Tenet that any man in that Church shall hold or deliver I suppose Mr. Burton is not so uncharitable as to deny the Lutherane Churches the right hand of fellowship and to exclude them from being
p. 56. for sports and often elsewhere and therefore that they are not the Kings acts What doth he else but perswade the people who for all his glosse beleeve them as indeed who can beleeve otherwise to be his That His Majesty is I tremble to speak it out such as he makes them whom he intitles to those acts And then what may we Calv. Inst l. 4. c 20. et 31. Bucan loc 40 77. See Goodman p. 190. expect to follow but the practise of that doctrine which is taught in many of his Orthodoxe Authors The withstanding and opposing of their commands and deposing of their persons But this passage is better answered by the justice of authority than a Scholers pen. Let us see then what it is he findes fault with in this Declaration First he intimates that Gods truth that is the saving doctrines of Election Predestination effectuall vocation Assurance and perseverance are thereby silenced and suppressed Be it so Is it not better that some truth for a while be suppressed than the peace of the Church disturbed St. Augustine saith It is prositable to keepe in some truth for their Facile est imo utile ut â—aceatur aliquod verum propter incapaces Aug. de persev SanctoruÌ„ c. 15. sakes that are uncapable and surely we might truly say of the time when this Declaration was published by His Majesty that men were uncapable of these doctrines When men begin once to strive about names to quarrell about abstruse mysteries to side one against the other and to count each other Anathema as it was with our neighbours and began to be with us was it not time to enjoyne silence to both parties All truths wee know are not of the same rank or of equall necessity some things there are which must be preached in season and out of season but those points he mentions come not within that number And though the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is ful of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons as our Church Article speakes that is if wise men in this argument Artic. 17. can be content to be wise unto sobriety and thus farre truth even in these points is not by the Declaration suppressed nor our Articles of Religion to which we all subscribe hung up upon the wall and cashier'd And though this may in some sense be called a saving doctrine yet not so as the ignorance of it should exclude from salvation However taking it in the sense he intends for those absolute and peremptory decisions desperate positions and high speculations and such as are opposite to the receiving of Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in the holy Scripture and harping upon that will of God which is secret and not declared unto us in the word of God which is the doctrine Multa etenim benè tecta latem neâ—câ—taâ— prosunt c. vid. Carm de Ingrat which he aymes at we may count this doctrine among those things of which Prosper saith that they profit being unknowne And Mr. Burton is much deceived and deceives the people when hee saith Thus the Ministery of the Gospell is at once overthrowne and nothing but orations of morality must be taught the people Indeed Mr. Burtons Gospell is thus overthrowne which consists in such daring speculations But blessed be God the Gospell of Christ by this meanes hath had a freer passage than it was like to have had if things might have beene suffered to have gone on as they begun And then is the Gospel in most vigor when the people by it are instructed what it is that God hath commanded and what they ought to doe which in contempt he calls orations of morality God doth not bring men to heaven by difficult questions the way to eternity is plaine and easie to be knowne To beleeve that Iesus Christ was raised from the dead to acknowledge him to be Lord and Christ and to live soberly righteously and religiously in this present world is the summe of saving doctrine and Christian religion and this is left written for our learning in so plaine characters that he that runs may read it And therefore it is good counsell which the son of Syrach gives Seeke not out the things that are above thy strength But what is commanded Ecclus. 3. 21. thee thinke thereupon with reverence And what the Iesuit thinks of this way of silencing Contzen polit controversies it is not much to be regarded yet it seemes Mr. B. and he jumpe in opinion here as well as in other things But how this should be a meanes to restore the Roman-Catholick religion for men to be enjoyned to hold themselves to the Articles of the Church of England and as it is in the Declaration that no man shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way but shall submit to it in the plaine and full meaning thereof c. This I confess is beyond my capacity But by this meanes there is not one Minister almost among a thousand that dare clearely preach of these most comfortable doctrines Of Absolute Election and Reprobation and so soundly and roundly confute So I finde it printed diverse times in the place the Arminian heresie And blessed be God that there are so few that dare and I wish that Mr. B. and those others that have dared would have shewed more obedience to his Majesty As for the comfortableness of that doctrine as they teach it let the poore tormented consciences speake which have by it beene affrighted and driven to desperation I heard one once an acquaintance of Mr. Burtons making this objection against his preaching about reprobation that said It was very fit that therefore it should bee taught that men that found in themselves the marks of reprobation should be driven to horror and despaire and have hell fire kindled in them here in this life A most comfortable doctrine no question CHAP. VII Of the bookes that have beene printed of late Of Franciscus à S. Clara. Desire of peace warranted by S. Paul We and they of Rome differ not in fundamentals What are fundamentals in Mr. Burtons sense The distinction in fundamentalibus circa fundamentalia justified The Church of England not Schismaticall How far separated and wherein yet united with the Romish Church Good workes necessary to salvation Iustification by workes By charity in what sense no Popery Whether the Pope be That Antichrist disputable Of confession Of prayer for the dead how maintained by our Church Praying to Saints justly condemned by Protestants FOr the bookes that he saith of late times have come abroad maintaining Popery and Arminianisme My answer is that Mr. Burton knowes well enough how to get bookes printed in spight of authority and therefore he cannot lay the blame there if any such have past out without license And for those that have Bishop Mount Appeale Dr.
Iacksons bookes beene licensed it passeth Mr. Burtons learning yea though Mr. Prinne should bee of his counsell to find any thing in them which is not consonant to the doctrine of the Church of England Dr. Cosens private devot Mr. Brownes sermons I have not seene conteyned in the 39. articles and the booke of Common prayer Nor which is contrary to this Declaration of his Majesty Onely here I except my Lo of Chichester his Appeale which was published some yeares before the making of the Declaration And what blemish can it bee to Authority or to the Prelates if the booke of Franciscus a S. Clara. Also that book of Fr. à S. Clara. had beene printed 23. times and in London too so long as it is not cum Privilegio And what if he were so bold as to dedicate it to his Majesty I have knowne others and Mr. Burton by name p. 117. more bold in that kind than either was fitting or as I beleeve well pleasing to his Majesty But they say it was presented to the King by a Prelate And how if his highly-esteemed author They say do mis-informe him and there were no such matter Yet granting it to be true what hurt can be in it Blessed be God his Majesty is of yeares and wisdome abundantly sufficient to be able to discerne truth from falsehood be it never so cunningly masked or disguised Lastly what if a Romanist acting his owne part like himselfe indeavour to pinne such a sense upon our Articles as may make them almost Romish Who can hinder such mens tongues and pens Much applauded by our Innovators But doe any of our Innovators approve or applaud his wresting of our Articles to serve his owne turne I thinke Mr. B. cannot name any of them that doth And yet I cannot see what harme can follow if any shall so farre approve him as to like his moderate straine his lessening the number and quality of the differences between us which most of his owne party like M. Burton study to multiply and increase and so his desire of peace and reconciliation which if salvâ veritate it might once be wrought were a most blessed and happy accomplishment Neither is that though M. Burton so terme it true Christian p. 121. zeale but a distempered heat of a contentious spirit that shall come between and make an interruption And if as hee confesseth Puritans and Calvinists be such men no matter if they had no place either in Synode or Church of England As for those who because they know better are not willing as Mr Burton and others of his straine use to call all opinions and practices Popish which are beyond their learning and crosse the principles of their Catechismes and are therefore by him in scorne termed peaceable and indifferent men and well affected to Rome as Ely and Chichester and the Arch-Prelates they by their wisdome and moderation doe more good and acceptable service to God and his Church than ten thousand such fiery spirited Zelotes who understanding nothing but that the Romish Church are not of their opinion make it their ambition and highest point of Religion to condemne whatsoever is held or practiced in that Church not because evill or erroneous but because theirs What warrant they can have from the God of peace for their courses I cannot imagine One thing I am sure of that the Apostle S. Paul doth sufficiently warrant the contrary when he commands us If it be possible and as much as in us is to live peaceably Rom. 12. 18. with all men and according to his wont makes good his precept by his owne practice and that having to doe with men Jews and Gentiles opposite not to the faith onely but even to the very name of Christianity which yet they of Rome though bad enough are not For to the 1 Cor. 9. 20 21. Iewes he became as a Iew that he might gaine the Iewes To them that were under the law as under the law that he might gaine them under the law c. Yea as he there saith he was made all things to all men that he might by all meanes save some Not that thereby he did betray the truth or joyn with either Iew or Gentile in their errors from which he laboured by all means to with-draw them but because commiserating their condition he did condescend to their weaknesse and yeelded to them in what he might that thereby hee might winne them to yeeld to him in the maine As S. Augustine expounds the place And thus to August Ep. 19. deale with them of the Church of Rome at this day not that I intend to parallel them with either how any man can without wrapping up the blessed Apostle within the same sentence justly condemne I must confesse I am altogether ignorant For whereas such are bruited abroad to comply with Papists in their errors that is meere clamour without ground or shew of truth saving that they joyne not with these hot-spurres in rayling and raging and so exasperating them but leave that part to them as most delighting and exercised in that way and lacking compassionate affections to seek to gain and reduce those that wander into the way of truth Yet here we must take heed of going too far and that we doe not while we pitty and seeke to gain the adversary become injurious to the truth and lose it as it seemes if M. Burton may be beleeved some Factionists and Factors for Rome among us so he is pleased to style the Reverend Prelates and those that oppose his crotchets have done for he saith it is a common cry among them that we and they of Rome differ not in fundamentals This is I confesse to goe farre yea and a great deale too farre if we measure Fundamentalls by M. Burtons last who under that name will comprise all matters of faith as is evident by his quotation of these words out of our 19. Art in the margent The Church of Rome hath erred in matters of faith And this is usuall with others of his party who more truly may be termed Factionists than those whō he so calls for I once lighted upon a small book set forth by one of them which bare this title Fundamentall truths and nothing but Fundamentalls in which were contained all Catecheticall Doctrines the high points of Predestination the ten Commandements of the Law yea and though some more sublimated among them will admit none ten Commandements of the Gospell But M. Burton hath beene told sufficiently if prejudice would let him see that by Fundamentalls See B. of Exon advertisement Cholmely Butterf treatises are meant those points of faith which are absolutely necessary to salvation which whosoever beleeves not cannot be saved and to admit that in the Church of Rome these points are yet to be found and believed among them is no more than not absolutely to deny salvation to all that live in communion with that
but to assert the Doctrine of St. Paul commanding Phil. 2. 12. us to Work out our salvation with feare and trembling and of St. Peter who tells us 2 Pet. 1. 11. That thus an entrance shall bee ministred into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ And I beleeve for I have not the Booke at hand if Mr. Shelfords justification by charity be well examined it will proove to bee no other than this at least no other than in St. Iames Iam. 2. 24. sense when he saith Yee see how that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely And I would demand of any reasonable man whether the expresse words of that Apostle may not without aspersion of Popery be even openly and publikely maintained if there be no sense obtruded upon them which may crosse St. Pauls doctrine which Mr. Burton can never prove that they did whom hee chargeth with that assertion But the the truth is such is the humour that possesses many men of Mr. Burtons straine that they cannot endure any glosse upon that place of St. Iames but such as shall both make the Text like themselves full of non-sence and to turne the seeming and verball into a reall and direct contradiction of St. Paul To the third That the Pope is not Antichrist I answere that though many of the learned in our Church especially at the beginning of the ReformatioÌ„ when the greatest heat was strickeÌ„ between us and Rome have affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist and his whole religion Antichristian and that some exceeding the bounds of moderation in this point have passed abroad that with the license of authority wherein yet they are to be excused in that they have beene so intolerably provoked by the odious criminations of the adversary yet to them that calmely and seriously consider it it may not without good reason bee disputed as doubtfull whether the Pope or any of them in his person or the Papall Hierarchy bee that great Antichrist which is so much spoken of And which way soever it be determined it makes not the religion any whit the better nor frees the practises of the Popes and Court of Rome from being justly accounted and stiled Antichristian For Mr. Shelfords second Book I have not seene it and therefore will say nothing but onely that if hee seeme to set as they thinke too light by preaching and pulpits hee doth at the worst but pay them in their owne coine who have magnified it to the vilifying and contempt of publick Prayer the most sacred and excellent part of Gods worship Neither have I seene that other Booke called the Female glory nor will I spend words by way either of censure or defence of it upon sight onely of those fragments which here hee presents us with as well knowing his art and at what rate to value his credit in quotations Yet in all those panegyrick straines of Rhetorick for such for the most part they seeme rather than positiue assertions he hath not deviated so much to the one extreme as Mr. Burtons marginall hath to the other in scoffingly calling her the New great Goddesse Diana And if it bee true that hee hath not digressed in any particular Lo here the new great goddesse Diana whom the whole Pontifician world worshippeth H. B. p. 125. from the Bishop of Chichester as Mr. Burton makes him affirme I dare boldly say Mr. Burton will never bee able to finde the least point of Popery in it For it is well known that Bishop whom he as if hee had bid adieu to all civility yea and shame too termes a tried Champion of Rome and so a devout votary to the Queene of heaven hath approved himselfe such a Champion against Rome that they that have tried his strength durst never yet come to a second encounter Beside we have elsewhere other points of Pag. 67. Popish Doctrine which he saith are preached and printed of late As Auricular Confession Prayer for the dead and praying to Saints Which because I finde onely mentioned by him without any proofe to evidence the truth of his assertion I might with one word reject till hee produced the Authors which have so Preached and Printed and what it was that they have delivered touching those points But because there are many that by reason of their ignorance of the truth in these points are apt to beleeve what he affirmes and to entertaine a sinister opinion of the Churches Doctrine in them I will briefly adde some of them in this place First for Confession It cannot bee denied Of Confession but that the Church of England did ever allow the private confession of sinnes to the Priest for Booke of Common Prayer Exhortation before the Communion the quieting of mens consciences burdened with sinne and that they may receive ghostly counsell advice and comfort and the benefit of absolution This is the publike Order prescribed in our Church And it were very strange if our Church ordaining Priests and giving them power of absolution and prescribing the forme to bee used Forme of absolution in the Visitation of the sick for the exercise of that power upon confession should not also allow of such private confession To advise then and urge the use and profit of private confession to the Priest is no Popish Innovation but agreeable to the constant and resolved Doctrine of this Church and that which is requisite for the due execution of that ancient power of the Keyes which Christ bestowed upon his Church And if any shall call it auricular because it is done in private and in the eare of the Priest I know not why hee should therefore bee condemned of Popery But if Mr. Burton by Auricular Confession meane that Sacramentall Confession which the Councell of Trent hath defined to bee of absolute necessity by Divine ordinance and that which exacts that many times impossible particular enumeration of every sinne and the speciall circumstances of every sinne This wee justly reject as neither required by God nor so practised by the ancient See Bishop Ushers answer to Iesuites â—chall Church And if Mr. Burton knowes any that hath Preached or Printed ought in defence of this new pick-lock and tyrannicall sacramentall Confession hee may if he please with the Churches good leave terme them in that point Popish Innovators For the second point Simply to condemne Of prayer for the dead all prayer for the Dead is to runne counter to the constant practise of the ancient Church of Christ Prayer for the dead it cannot bee denied it is ancient saith the late learned Bishop of Winchester That the ancient Church had Commemorations Oblations and prayers for the dead the testimonies of the Fathers Ecclesiasticall Histories and ancient Liturgies in which the formes of Prayers used for that purpose are Cannon 55. found doe put out of all question and they that are acquainted with the Canons and Liturgy
Ministers are and have beene censured by the Churches discipline so long as it is for offences by them committed from which they cannot exempt themselves unlesse they can be exempted from the common condition of all mankinde their punishment can neither be rightly termed an innovation nor a persecution but an act of justice and of that impartiall discipline which hath ever beene exercised in this Church and in every well ordered Church and State Politick Iustice lookes not at the person of any man but at the cause She waighs the offences of delinquents in her impartiall ballance while her eyes are blinded from all respect of persons Good men falling may deserve more pity from others but must receive the same doome at the barre of Iustice which others guilty in the like kind and measure But haply the edge of censure is more sharpe Obj. against them then other men or then their crime deserves which if it be they have good cause to cry out of an over-severity and injustice To this I answer 1. That the censured are but ill and very partiall Judges of their owne Censures there are but few that though convict of a crime would passe sentence upon themselves by the rule of justice without some favour though they and their favourers who for the most part are partakers of the same guilt and in feare of the same punishment cry out of cruelty and persecution it is not much to bee valued in this case 2. In the censure of sinnes and offences they are not altogether to be rated by the atrocity of the fact or by the law that is violated but by other circumstances whereby it comes to passe that a slight offence in it selfe considered and against a positive and humane law or constitution may sometimes without violation of justice be as deepely censured as sins of an higher nature and against the morall and eternall law of God and this is approved for good justice by all common-wealths in cases of treason and the like where sometimes a little aberration or word mis-placed is sentenced with death Yea God himselfe who is the Judge of all the world and must needs do right did set this pattern of judicature in the first sentence that was pronounced in the world sentencing Adam and all his posterity with death not for the violation of any law of nature but of the positive precept of eating the forbidden fruit which being a thing not for it selfe acceptable to God may seeme but a small sin in comparison of those that are against the law of nature yet in as much as by that sin man did as it were renounce his subjection and disclayme his obedience to his Maker whereof that precept was given for a symbole or testification God in this as in all other his actions must needs be justified In like manner if the violation of the orders of the Church being in themselves matters of ceremony rather than of the substance of Religion receive as heavy censures or perhaps more grievous then the breach of the morall Lawes of God himself Yet is not authority presently unjust besides that they are of more dangerous consequence than others or cruell considering that these offences when they come to be so censured are heightened by wilfulness and seconded by self-justification and contempt and condemnation of authority which if it should not with all severity be repressed would induce in short time a meere anarchie and confusion in the Church Then which there can be no greater evill under the Sun CHAP. XIIII Of the supposed Innovations in the worship of God Ceremonies no substantiall parts of Gods worship The crimination and a generall answer Of standing at Gloria Patri What will-worship is Standing at the Gospell Bowing at the name of Jesus Of the name of Altar and what sacrifice is admitted Of the standing of the Altar Of Communicants going up to the Altar to receive Of the railes Of bowing toward the Altar and to the East and turning that way when we pray Of reading the second Service at the Altar I Come now to the third kind of innovations pretended to be made in the worship of God which Mr. Burton saith they the Bishops goe about to turn inside outward placing the true worship which is in spirit and truth in a will-worship of mans devising c. This is the crimination which is set forth in most odious maner but proved as weakely as the former for whereas he pretendeth an Innovation in the worship he produceth nothing but certaine ceremonies or usages which cannot be accounted parts or any thing of the substance of Gods worship such as are bowing at the name of Iesus bowing toward the Altar turning toward the East standing at the Gospell and which he produces for another example in this kind a pa. 98. elsewhere at Gloria Patri reading the second Service at the Altar These and some other like mentioned by him in other places are by him charged as 1. Innovations lately brought in 2. That they are made part of Gods worship 3. That they are will-worship and as often elsewhere he calls them superstitious and idolatrous Lastly he taxeth the rigour which is used in urging of these things and punishing the refusers of them in the High-Commission c. my answer shall be briefe yet such as may give some satisfaction to the ingenuous in all these First I cannot but wonder with what face he can accuse any of these things of novelty when there is not one of the things he names which hath not been used in the primitive and purest ages of the Church and though by the disaffection of some and the carelesness and negligence of others they have beene in many places for some while too much neglected were never wholly out of use in this Church of ours but observed as religious customes derived from the ancient Church of Christ and that not onely in Cathedrals and the Royall Chappell though that might sufficiently cleare them from these foule imputations but in many Parochiall Churches in this Kingdome and generally by all that to their knowledge have added zeale and conscience by their practise to maintaine the honour and reputation of the pious and laudable rites and customes of the ancient Church And how these things can be more popish superstitious and idolatrous now then heretofore I cannot see View them every one single and let any man say which of them can justly thus be taxed For the standing at Gloria Patri which Cassianus who lived 1200. yeares agoe saith was used in all Cassian l. 2. de instit Caemb Of standing at Gloria Patri the Churches of France why any man that is not resolved to cavill and snarle at every thing that is good and commendable should judge it either superstitious or unfit is beyond my capacity Surely no man can deny but that to rise up and stand is a more reverent gesture than to sit or leane and if that bee
as many as might with conveniency should together there Communicate But the railes also offend as well as the site and Of railes have afforded some matter of railing and calumniation and Mr. Burton seemes angry at them because they insinuate into the peoples mindes an opinion of some p. 33. extraordinary sanctity in the Table more than in other places of the Church c. But I wonder at him and for my part thinke it very fit that that place be railed off and separated from common accesse and danger of profanation as finding it practised in ancient times and 2. that such an opinion of sanctity should by all means be insinuated into the peoples mindes What Sanctity and holinesse in the Table I in the Table but how this holinesse is not any internall inherent quality infused transforming the nature of it but an externall adherent quality which it hath by being consecrated to that most holy use and service in relation Euseb l. 10. c. 4. concil Turon 2. Can. 3. to which it is truly holy And this holinesse as it is only compatible to things of this nature which are inanimate and not capable of higher so it belongs to this Table in the highest measure so that though all the Church and the things belonging unto it be holy in their degree this may be said to be most holy as dedicated to the most August mystery of our religion and being as Optatus calls it The seat or place of Quid est â—altare nisi sedes corporis et sanguinis Christi Optat. Mil. l. 6. the body and blood of Christ and where God of all other places on earth doth vouchsafe the most lively exhibition of his gracious presence and so must needs make the greatest impression of holinesse to that place which no man can deny unlesse he withall will grant either that God is lesse present to us under the Gospel in these mysteries then he was in those under the Law or that being there he is lesse to bee regarded and the places where he is lesse worthy or lesse capeable of the impression of holinesse as I suppose no understanding Christian will doe Of bowing toward the Altar or the East Now in regard of this speciall presence of God in this place it is that Christians have in former times and some at this day use to tender their service to him directing their faces that way For though we doe not as Mr. B. slanders tie God to a fixed place yet wee doe not without good cause and warrant from Scriptures acknowledge different maners and degrees of his gracious presence He is we confesse truely present in all places and as the Prophet speakes fils heaven and earth yet there is no man that understands any thing in Divinity but will say Ier. 23. 24. he is otherwise in heaven otherwise in earth there as in his throne here as on his foote-stoole for which Esay 66. 1. cause we are to direct our prayers to him not as by us or in us though he be both but as above us and to say Our Father which art in Heaven In earth Mat. 6. Gods presence is not every where alike God is present in all things being not farre from every one of Act. 17. 27 28. us for in him wee live and move and have our being Yet he is not so in the brute creatures as in the rationall nor so in the wicked as in his Saints nor so in other things as in his owne ordinances of life and salvation nor yet in all of them by the same efficacy and exhibition of grace as in some and namely in that of the blessed Eucharist where he displayes the riches of his glorious Grace in the representation and exhibition of the vertue of that all-saving Sacrifice of Christs body and blood To looke that way then where God is wont thus graciously to be found can be no act of groundless superstition misguided zeale or empty forme of godliness but true piety and sound religious devotion To acknowledge Gods presence in one place is not to deny it in another Iacob said Surely the Lord is in this place will any one say that Gen. 28. 16. Iacob did not beleeve him to be elsewhere Surely he that shall argue so will make but a rediculous inference And yet this must be M. B's reasoning Wee by our adoration toward the Altar professe that wee beleeve God to be there therefore we tye him there What an absurd consequence is this But for praying toward the East let us heare S. Augustine upon those words of the Lords Prayer When S. Aug. de Serm. Dom. in Mont. lib. 2. we pray saith he we turne to the East not as if God who is every where were there and had forsaken the other parts of the world but that the mind may be admonished to turne it selfe toward the most excellent nature that is Nec vero mos et consuetudo quaÌ„ servantus cum orienteÌ„ solem spectantes precamur cum verbis Prophetae aut Apostol pugnat In omni enim loco oriens sol sese offert precantibâ— quoniamque quam in partem câ—rnendi sensum coÌ„vertimus in ea adoramus nec fieri potest ut precum tempore quatuor caelipartes intueamur unaÌ„ orbis partem intuentes veneramur et adoramus non quod solum Dei opus sit nec quod ea pars Deo ad habitandum secreta et constituta sit sed quod locus sit venerationi et cultui quia nobis Deo adhibetur constitutus A quibus autem Ecclesia precandi morem accepit ab iis etiam ubi precandum sit accepit idest à Sanctis Apostolis S. Iust Mart. ad Orthodox Quaest 118. to the Lord c. But most fully S. Iustin Martyr in the place before cited This maner and custome saith he which we observe looking toward the East when we pray is not repugnant to the words of the Prophet a Psal 103. 22. David that bids us praise the Lord in all places of his Dominions or of the Apostle that b 1 Tim. 2. 8. bids us lift up holy hands to God in every place for in all places the sunne offers it selfe to those that pray and because in that part where we turne our eyes we pray and that it cannot be that we should at the time of our prayer looke at all parts of heaven at once therefore we worship looking toward one part not that that is onely of Gods making or that he hath chosen that only for his dwelling but because it is the place that is appointed for that worship and service which wee performe to God And from whom the Church received the custome of praying from them also it received where to pray that is from the Holy Apostles Thus that ancient Father and holy Martyr who wrote about 150. yeares after Christ and so lived not long after the Apostles times From which words we
Thus I have smelt this which hee calles the sweet flower of candid sinceritie and find it to be no other than the unsavory and bitter weed of detraction As for that for which hee brings this and the other instances viz. To prove that the Bishops whom hee calles the Popes Factors doe by these practises labour to divide the King from his good Subjects and bring Him to have a hard opinion of the good Ministers of the Land and the Kings most loyall loving dutifull faithfull obedient peaceable Subjects I say first that if hee meane himselfe and his party as it is out of all question hee doth for wee shall never finde him to grace any others with those titles His Majestie hath such experience of their love and loyalty such as it is that hee needs no informers nor need Mr. B. feare till they alter their courses that ever His Majestie will or any of those hee aymes at goe about to alter his deserved opinion of them Secondly if the words bee taken in their latitude and as they sound I say onely two things First That it is a meere slander and groundlesse calumnie Secondly That if they should act their parts in that way with His Majestie as devoutly and with as great zeale as Mr. B. and others of his faction have done theirs with the people or to speake more plainly if they should as earnestly endeavour to bring His Majestie to have as hard an opinion of His Subjects as Mr. Burt. hath done to bring the Subjects to have of His Majestie all things had long before this beene in a combustion if not arrived at a totall ruine and desolation But enough of this Passe wee now to the fift kinde of Innovations CHAP. XVI Of the altering of the Prayer-bookes The putting In for At. The leaving out of Father of thine elect c. no treason Master B. rather guilty His pretty shift about it and how hee and some of his use the Prayers of the Church Of the Prayers for the fift of November altered Those Prayers not confirmed by act of Parliament The Religion of the Church of Rome not Rebellion Of the alterations in the last Fast-booke The restraint of preaching Fasting dayes no Sabbaths THe fift Innovation hee tels of is in altering of Prayer-bookes set forth by publick Authority And this out of the zeale hee beareth to Authority much troubles him so that he makes a great adoo about both in his sermons and so doth the Author of the Ipswich libell Let us briefly inquire what the matter may bee that thus moves his patience First he tells us of alterations made in the Communion-booke set forth by In the editions since 1619. Parliament within this seventeene or eighteene yeares as in the Epistle for the Sunday before Easter That In the name of Iesus is turned into At the name of Iesus Surely a mighty alteration and which toucheth the substance of Religion and worship of God To read it in the Epistle as it is used to be read in the Lesson when that chapter is appointed for so it is there turned both by his friends the Genevians and our last Translators But hee hath a matter of other-like moment than this In the Collect for the Queene and Royall Progenie they have put out Father of thine Elect and of their Seed This he keeps a foule pudder about and in the Epitome they cry out O intolerable Newes Ips p. 3. impiety affront and horrid treason and puts it in the title-page to startle and amaze the readers at first dash and make them cry shame upon the Bishops But if I could take the man in coole bloud I would demand of him who made that prayer If hee say as hee must it was made at the beginning of King Iames his raigne I would aske by whom If he say by the Bishops I shall then become his petitioner to bee informed why they may not as well alter it when the occasion ceased as well as make it to serve the present occasion of those times If he say as hee here intimates that it was set forth by the Parliament let him produce the Act that was made for that prayer then I shall say more to him But for all that it is not to bee so slighted for it sounds little better than high treason to dash the Queene and Royall Progeny out of the number of Gods Elect. Wee may very well let Master B. boast of his loyalty when hee gives such experiment of it by his zeale in detecting traitors treasonous practises But in good earnest doth he think it treason truly I can hardly beleeve he doth but if he or any other seduced by his sermons and libels should I will by asking a question or two get them assoyled from so heavie a charge For how if this Alteration were as indeed it was and for that cause alter'd before the Kings Majesty had any Royall Progeny Sure then it could bee no treason hee may perhaps if there be any such call it treason in the roote which in time may grow up to bee treason though at first it was no such thing but an act done upon good ground and reason But he is not very confident that they doe exclude them out of the number of Gods Elect it is but as it were or as if nor can hee doe otherwise in reason because it is no necessary consequence to say they doe not when they pray for them addresse their prayers to God by the name of Father of his elect and of their seed therfore they doe not think them they pray for to bee of Gods Elect. But what if Master B. himselfe doe indeed exclude them and doe not thinke them to be of the number of Gods Elect Will it be intolerable impiety and horrid treason still No question it must bee the same crime in him and them persons doe not so difference acts whose objects are the same And that this uncharitable and most unchristian-like Christian man is of this opinion were easie to demonstrate out of his senselesse bookes against my Lord of Exon and Master Cholmeley were it fit for me to prosecute this argument But he hath a pretty shift for that and by the helpe of a mentall reservation can use that clause well enough For though he doe not beleeve them to be Elect to an Eternall Crowne such is the wisedome and charity of this black Saint hee beleeves that they are to a Temporall And this is intimated in his Epitome where the leaving out of this clause is made to imply that they which did it made them all reprobates and none of the number of Gods Elect either to a Temporall or an Eternall Crowne By which men may judge with what faith such as Master B. use to say the prayers of the Church and what strange senses they are faine to put upon them to fit them to their fancies And this is no new thing with them but practised a long
scholer to preach in Yea and our Saviour himselfe whom Saint Paul would not contradict told his Disciples of such an out of season that he thought not fit to preach to his Disciples the things which they should afterwards be taught when he saith I have yet many Ioh. 16. 12. things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now It must needes therefore behoove the governors of the Church the Bishops who are the grand Pastors and Ministers of their whole Dioces if they will not bee wanting to the Cure of soules committed to their charge to see that those whom they admit to partake in their cure and charge doe rightly divide the word of truth to see 2. Tim. 2. 15. that it be not onely the word of truth but rightly divided rightly 1. in regard of the quality of it that it may be suited to the condition and capacity of those to whom it is divided putting a difference 1. Cor. 3. 1. betweene those that are carnall and those that are spirituall betweene babes and strong men in Christ between those who are unskilfull in Heb. 5. 13. the word of righteousnesse and those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discerne both good and evill 2. It must be rightly also for the time maner and measure of it 1. There is a time for all things a time to preach and a time to pray Eccle. 3. and a time for worke a time also for recreation and it is a point of wisedome to fit every worke to its best time and season and the fitnesse of the season is a great furtherance to the worke which many times by unseasonablenes becomes unprofitable and gaines contempt It is without question then best received when mens minds are freest from distraction of worldly cares or pleasures and therefore the Sundayes and Holidayes are the fittest times for Preaching and not upon Market-dayes when men must be dilemm'd betweene the word of God and their worldly affaires and when some willingly others sometimes are necessitated to preferre their body and the world before their soules and Heaven and much lesse as if a sermon were of kin to a fiddle or a bagpipe to have preaching upon every merry meeting or feasting or at a Beare-baiting at which I once heard of a sermon made which cannot be but a prophanation of Gods Name and derogation from the honour of his ordinance Secondly For the manner of it it must bee done gravely with religious reverence for the edifying of men in their holy faith and godlines not vainely or with intermixture of Fables newes or passionate declamations for such prophane and vaine bablings will encrease unto 2 Tim. 2. 16. more ungodlinesse and their words will eat as doth a Gangrene edifying to nothing but sedition and the subversion of the Church Thirdly For the measure That cannot bee rightly done that is over-done and there may be a too-much even in the best things and spirituall food as well as corporall must bee taken with respect to the digestive faculty of the eaters The too-often and over-much taking of the best and daintiest fare begets loathing and contempt whereas the moderate use procures appetite helps digestion and mantaines their due esteeme and certainly there is nothing more advantagious to piety than to uphold the Majesties of the Priestly or ministeriall offices and among the rest of Preaching which cannot but bee impaired if it be either too often or out of due measure obtruded upon men for familiarity we know breeds contempt but retirednesse is the preserver of Majesties and rarity commends pleasures and makes them more delightfull and with moderation must needs make preaching pretious and become more acceptable which if it be not it cannot profit Besides Sermons must be ordered for their measure and length that they leave roome sufficient for solemne Prayers and other Divine Offices these must not bee curtall'd to lengthen them nor vilified by meanes of any new-devised formes of praier either ushering or following them And therefore when the Bishops to whom the care and charge of these things belong shall in their wisdomes thinke fit to use their just power to order and regulate Preachers and Sermons according to these rules they doe no wrong but right to the Word of God and what in duty they are bound to doe If Lectures be unseasonable or not in places fitting if they be upheld with faction abused and made nourishers of sedition male-contented thoughts or cast contempt upon the Pastorall charge and setled ministery To suppresse such Lectures and suspend such Preachers is but just and fit and others than such as have beene guilty in these or the like kindes have not received any such censure If Sermons upon the Lords day bee produced to that length that they justle out the Prayers of the Church or be become of that esteeme as that men shrinke up all religion into hearing or that they be of that straine that the ignorant may be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth it is but reason that they both cut them shorter and provide for the due esteem of other religious duties and for the instruction of the ignorant by turning Sermons into catechising and if that be abused too and that men in stead of laying the foundation and teaching the first principles of the Oracles of God which is the true catechizing shall soare aloft and adventure upon the most high and abstruse points in Divinity and notwithstanding his Majesties Declaration to the contrary shall deliver the doctrines of Election and Reprobation and that in such wise as to make God the author of sinne and obduration in sinne which is blasphemy in the highest degree if men use to catechise after this manner as some of late have done is it not high time to reduce men to the prescribed platforme of the Church Catechisme which even in the bare questions and answers as it is there set forth cannot bee denied without extreame ignorance or impudent malice to containe the principles of Christian Religion and whatsoever is necessary to be known of those for whom it was intended for the fitting of them for the receiving of the Lords Supper Lastly if Sermon-prayers shall bee used as libels as some have used them or be exalted above the prayers of the Church as with too many they are it cannot but bee much better to tie men to the forme prescribed in the Canon which was the old use of these prayers in this Church and to shut up all in the Lords Prayer which is without all contradiction the most absolute patterne of prayer and the summe of all rightly-conceived petitions My conclusion then is that the Reverend Bishops doing these things upon these grounds and no otherwise and upon other grounds they have done nothing in this kinde are unjustly charged to take away the key of knowledge whose right use by these meanes is preserved and
restored to the singular benefit of Christian soules CHAP. XVIII Of the seventh pretended Innovation in the Rule of Faith What matters of Religion are submitted to the Bishops decision The Doctrine of our Articles The properties of the Bishops decisions Master Burtons clamors against the Bishops in this particular odious and shamefull Of that speech which he ascribeth to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Catholick Church What is justly attributed to the Church and how we ordinarily come to know the Scriptures to be Scriptures THe seventh Innovation he makes to be in pag. 151. the rule of Faith for whereas the perfect and compleat rule of faith is the holy Scripture as 2 Tim. 3. Our new Doctors cry up the dictates of the Church to wit of the Prelates to bee our only guides in Divinity as in Reeves Communion booke Catechisme expounded pag. 20. 206. where as he saith that authour affirmes all Ministers must submit to the judgement of the Prelates in all matters pertaining to Religion and all Prelates must submit to the judgement of the Arch-prelate And then addes his owne glosse as having a Papall infallibility of spirit whereby as by a Divine Oracle all questions in Religion are finally determined My Answer to this shall bee very briefe for that the same crimination is by Master B. objected in his Lawlesse Pamphlet intituled An Answer to a late Treatise of the Sabbath day and since by the Reverend Author of that Treatise that venerable masse of solid learning the L. Bishop of Ely so profoundly answered that my poore endeavours In his Treatise intituled An Examination vid p. 17 18 19 20 c. seeme to me altogether needles it being abundantly sufficient to referre my Readers thither for satisfaction Yet somewhat I will say for their sakes that have not that Booke at hand First it is confest that the holy Scripture is the sole and compleat Rule of Faith This is the constant and subscribed Doctrine of our Church Artic. 6. And therefore it were strange that they who themselves have so often subscribed and who exact subscription from others should goe against so confessed a truth and certainly if hee had had but the least graine of ingenuity in interpreting the writings of other men or rather if malice had not wholly filled him with ignorance and confidence hee would never have dream't of any contradiction to this Doctrine in the words by him alledged or to have stretched matters of Religion subjected to the Bishops determination to the substantiall points of Faith which no Protestant ever affirmed But somewhat sure there is in it that is in matters of Religion submitted to the Bishops judgement True and so it ever was in the Church of God But this extends not to matters of Faith or manners to be believed and done of necessitie to salvation so as to coine new articles in either kinde The power which by them is challenged and by all understanding Christians in all ages of the Church ascribed to them is no other but that which is given them by the tenth Article of our Religion whose words are That the Church hath power to decree rites and ceremonies and authoritie in Controversies See Preface to the Booke of Common-Prayer referring parties doubting of any thing that is conteined in that Booke to the Bishop and the Bishop doubting to the Arch-Bishop of Religion Where by the Church whoever Master B. understands is meant the heads and Governors in the Church to whom the right of direction and government doth peculiarly belong and therefore they are called Bishops or Overseers and Rulers or Guides and Leaders as being by their Office to judge of things needfull and to direct those that are under their charge Now this power of theirs hath these properties 1. It is not supreme but ministeriall not ruling but ruled by the Scriptures by which rule they are to square their determinations in all matters of Religion being altogether unlawfull for them to define any thing contrary thereunto 2. The things wherein they have power to decree ordaine alter and change any thing touching Religion in the Church is onely in matter of Ceremonie which are in comparison of the points of Faith onely circumstantiall as concerning time place gesture order and the like to bee observed in the service of God 3. In these things which they thus order and ordaine they must keepe them to those generall Rules 1. That things be dâ—â—e decently and in order 2. That nothing bee ordained contrary to the Scripture 3. That things beside the Scripture ordained be not inforced to be believed of necessitie to salvation as our Article speakes 4. Their decisions in matters of Religion are not infallible neither did they ever challenge nor any that ever I heard of among us ascribe unto them no not to the Arch-prelate any Papall insallibilitie of Spirit Neither did they arrogate any other abilitie of right and true judgement in things than is attained by ordinary meanes nor any immediatly Divine Inspiration or Assistance annexed to their Chaire all which the Pope doth Lastly the submission that is required by those that are under them Ministers and people is not absolute and such as no inferiour Priest or Christian can without sinne dissent from their judgements but in regard of externall order and for the avoiding of confusion and sects in the Church as it is not left free for every man to appoint or judge of matters of Religion or to have them after their owne way so it cannot but be a great disorder and consequently a sinne for any man out of his private humour openly to reclaime or to disobey those who are invested with the power of Judicature This being the power that is given or challenged by the Bishops it cannot but be a wonder to thinke that any man should bee so past all shame as so odiously to clamour upon this ground against the Bishops and Fathers of the Church and to deride and scorne the most Reverend Arch-Bishop of Cant. calling him the Oracle and one that hath a Papall infallibilitie of Spirit and the like But for a Priest to doe it puts it beyond all wonder and astonishment especially if wee consider these two things First which is also observed by the Reverend Bishop of Ely that See the Booke of Ordination at his Ordination he promised yea swore that hee would reverently obey the Bishops and with a glad minde and will follow their godly admonitions and submit to their godly judgements 2. That every Priest hath a power of directing those that are under his charge in matters of Religion and that the people ought to inquire the Law at their Mouthes and to submit to their judgements which to take away from them were to robbe them of a maine part of the Priestly function and yet I suppose neither challengeth any Papall infallibilitie of Spirit nor requireth any blind obedience and therefore how he can
so that in Baptisme infants receive remission of their sinnes and are truly regenerate These men will allow the Sacraments no such vertue accounting them as bare signes and seales of that grace which they have already received if they be elect if otherwise they hold them to be but as seales set to a blank being to no pupose and of no value acknowledging no such tie between the act of God and the Priest that what the Priest shall do visibly God should bee thought at the same time and by that meanes to effect inwardly by his grace and holy spirit And therefore when according to our forme of Ministration of Baptisme they are to say that the child baptized is regenerate some of them are faine to interlace we hope and think it true only in the judgement of charity or in case they bee elected in which case some think though others strongly contradict they may bee said truly to bee regenerate in Baptisme Of the same straine is their doctrine of the blessed Eucharist wherein they acknowledge no power of consecration in the Priest no other presence of Christ than by way of representation no other exhibition than by way of signation or obsignation nor other grace conveighed but in seeming or at best the only the assuring of what they had before which if they have not they must want for all that the Sacrament can do Thus have they made these saving ordinances of God of none effect through their traditions One thing more I cannot omit though I have already touched it in part which is their manner of observing of Fasts and the course they have devised how to have them their owne way The piety of the Church of Christ in whose steps the Church of England treads as they have their appointed solemne Festivals for the commemoration of Gods speciall mercies by publick thanksgivings and rejoycings so they have also appointed set times for fasting and humiliation as the time of Lent the foure Embers c. These though the work of fasting seem to please them they reject and scorn first for that they are set-times and perhaps because appointed by Authority for they would by their good-wils have them only occasionall and in the time of extraordinary calamities either felt or feared and to be appointed by the Minister when he shall judge the necessities of Christians so to require A second thing they dislike them for is That they are not enjoyned to be kept as Sabbaths extraordinary which is their doctrine and so to have the duties of the Sabbaths then observed after an extraordinary manner as namely abstinence from bodily labour and the works of mens particular Callings and two or more Sermons of a more than ordinary size of which I have already spoken somewhat Now because the diligence and care of the Church and State and the watchfulnes of Pursuivants hath frighted them from their private assemblies where they were wont to enjoy themselves and their owne way in this kind They have used in the City of London a new and a quaint stratagem whereby without suspicion they obtaine their desires The course they take is this Some good Christians that is Professors intimate their necessities to some Minister of note among them and obteine of them the promise of their paines to preach upon that occasion pitching upon such dayes and places as where and when Sermons or Lectures are wont to bee and having given under-hand notice to such as they judge faithfull of the day to bee observed and the places where they shall meet for that end thither they resort and mixing themselves with the crowd unsuspected have the word they so much desire with the occasion covertly glanced at so as those that are not of their counsell are never the wiser Thus I have divers times known them to begin the day upon a wednesday where they had a Sermon beginning at six in the morning and holding them till after eight that being done they post somtimes in troopes to another Church where the Sermon beginning at nine holds them till past eleven from thence againe they betake themselves to a third Church and there place themselves against the afternoone Sermon begin which holds them till night And so without danger of the Pursuivants they observe a Publick Fast as much as these hard times will give them leave after their owne way and heart I should tyre my reader if I should at large set downe their severall tenets and positions whereof some are besides others against the holy Scriptures the Doctrine of the ancient and of our mother Church of England Among which are the Doctrine of the Sabbath for which of late they have raised such lowd cryes as if without it bee established among us the glory were departed from Israel and the Arke of God taken Of the same straine are their opinions concerning contracts and their necessity which they use to solemnize in private houses with a Sermon and feasting two usuall companions I will not say to affront and baffle the orders and received customes of our Church I thinke that beyond the intention of many among them though the event proclaime that to be the attendant of their opinion and practise To these I might adde many more as their assertion of the impossibility of the observation of the Law of God not to the meere naturall man but even to the regenerate and assisted by the grace of God a point of dangerous consequence both in regard of that rub which it casts before Christians in their way to heaven and of the advantage which thereby the Iesuites have taken to cast a scandall upon our Church as if what these have in considerately broached were a part of her doctrine So likewise their traditions about callings with their many conceits about them obtruded upon many credulous and tender consciences by which they are many times needlesly affrighted and tormented while their Rabbies by tying and untying of these knots of their owne knitting doe gaine the people and suck from them no small advantage But I passe over these and many others as their innumerable signes and markes of Grace invented many of them to second that good opinion of themselves which by their faith at first they entertained I passe also their rites ceremonies and usages superstitiously observed among them in all or most of which any indifferent man may observe an affectation of singularity and opposition to the Church whereof they would seeme members omitting then all these I wil only adde somthing of their courses of late undertaken for the propagation of their new Church and Gospel amongst which the most dangerous and cunning that ever they hatched was that of the buying in of impropriations a pious a glorious worke and such as rightly intended is highly esteemed by all those that sincerely affect the good of this Church and Religion This project so specious in shew had for a long while a faire passage and the