have the reins any longer you cannot expect any other issue thereof than the curse of God infamy throughout all the Reformed Churches and a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of your State Given at Westminster Octob. 6. 1611. And Sir Ralph Winwood his Majesties Ambassador there in his Remonstrance to the States-General by his Majesties approbation saith thus If therefore Religion be as the Palladium of your Common-wealth and that to preserve the one in your glory and perfection be to maintain the other in her purity let your selves then be judg in how great a danger the State must needs be at this present so long as you permit these Schisms of Arminius to have such vogue as now they have in the principal Towns of Holland and if you suffer Vorstius to be received Divinity-professor in the University of Leyden the Seminary of your Church who in scorn of the holy Word of God hath after his own fancy devised a new Sect patched together of several pieces of all sorts of ancient and modern Heresies Ibid. p. 358 and p. 361. he saith further thus His Majesty doth exhort you that you having gotten the upperhand of your miseries you would not suffer the followers of Arminius to make your actions an example for them to proclaim throughout the world that wicked The Doctrine of Arminians of the apostacy of the Saints a wicked Doctrine Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints To be short the account which his Majesty doth make of your amity appears sufficiently by the Treaties which he hath made with your Lordships by the succours which your Provinces have received from his Crowns and by the deluge of blood which his subjects have spent in your Wars Religion is the only sowder of this amity for his Majesty being by the Grace of God Defender of the Faith doth hold himself obliged to defend all those who profess the same The Protestant Hollanders of the same Faith and Religion with us Faith and Religion with him Ibid. p. 361. And p. 365. King James himself saith If the subject of Vorstius his Heresies had not been grounded upon questions of an higher quality than touching the number and nature of the Sacraments the points of Justification of Merits of Purgatory of the visible Head of the Church or any such matters as are in controversie at this day betwixt the Papists and us Nay more if he had medled only with the nature and works of God ad extra if we say he had soared no higher although we should have been very sorry to see such * Mark it he calls those points also Heresies Heresies begin to take root among our Allies and ancient Confederates we should not have been so zealons as we have been in this business And p. 368. he saith thus of the main point of Arminians The nature of man through the transgression of our first Parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow hereof saving an inclination to evil those only excepted whom God hath sanctified and purged from their original Leprosie And p 366. he saith thus The principal bond of our conjunction is our uniformity in Religion King James was of a mind better than and different from A. B. Laud. He you see thought himself obliged to help the Hollanders as being of the same Profession and Religion with him yea and uniform in the same Religion for substance though they and he differed in Discipline mode of Worship and form of church-Church-Government but A. B. Laud would not acknowledg the Protestant Ministers of the Palatinate Churches to be of the same Religion with us here in the Church of England * Cypr. Anglicus l. 4. p. 305 306. where you 'l find that he caused the Letters-Patents for a Collection for those Orthodox Protestant Ministers though procured by the Queen of Bohemia of K. Ch. her Brother to be cancelled and new ones drawn and those expressions expunged c. and that because they received the Doctrine and rigors as Heylin calls them of Calvin in the point of Predestination and the rest depending thereupon as Orthodox And also for that they maintain a parity of Ministers and hold not our Episcopacy essential to the being of a Church as A. B. Laud plainly did and also for that they called the Doctrine and Government of the Church of Rome an Antichristian yoke King James called and proved the Pope of Rome to be Antichrist and the Doctrines of Arminius and his followers wicked and heretical and held those of Calvin to be Orthodox in those points and uniform with our Profession here in England as may be seen by his Declaration against Vorstius by his procuring the Synod of Dort and sending Orthodox Divines to it who condemned the five Articles of Arminius or Arminians and by his ratification of the nine Articles of Lambeth in the Articles of Ireland And for further proof of King James his judgment against Arminianism take and read a Jesuits Letter to the Rector at Bruxells Father Rector The Jesuits Letter c. We have now many strings to our bows and have strongly fortified our faction and have added two Bulwarks more for when King James lived WE KNOW HE WAS VERY VIOLENT AGAINST ARMINIANISM and interrupted with his pestilent wit and deep learning our strong designs in Holland now we have planted the Soveraign drug Arminianism which we hope will purge the Protestants from their Heresie This Letter was seized in A. B. Laud's Study Vide Prin's Introduction to A. B. Laud's tryal and attested against him at the Lords-Bar as Mr. Hickman informs me in his Justification of the Fathers and Schoolmen pag. 63. To which purpose the The Commons Declaration Commons of England assembled in Parliament declared to his late Majesty thus The hearts of your Subjects are perplexed when with sorrow they behold a daily growth and spreading of the faction of Arminians that being as your Majesty well knows but a cunning way to bring in Popery and the professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and Incendiaries of those States in which they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Jesuits in opinion and practise Of which growing faction Neile Bishop of Winchester and Laud Bishop of Bath and Wells are named particularly for the principal Patrons as Dr. Heylin saith Cyp. Angl. l. 3. p. 181. And though Dr. Heylin and Bishop Mountague stand much upon King James his words at the Conference at Hampton-Court yet being well considered they make nothing for their false Doctrine That truly justified persons may totally and finally fall away from the acts and habit of saving Grace but rather against it For 1. King James though he did not yield as they say at the Conference at Hampton-Court that those words totally and finally should be added to the sixteenth Article of our Church yet he yielded to it and to all the Articles of Lambeth
473. mentioneth many good things that that Committee were preparing but being obstructed by A. B. Laud though then in the Tower and some other Bishops the Commons laid the ax to the root of all evil as * Tindal of the Obedienâ—â— of Christian Magist p. 114. Tindal of old called the Bishops looking upon them as the â—inderers of all good as Martin * Martin Bucer de regnâ— Christ l. 2. c. 1. Bucer told King Edward the Sixth and so instead of mending things they grew worse Heylin confesseth nay braggeth that Books against Arminianism which he saith is * Cypr. Anglic. Introduct p. 36. agreeable to the Council of Trent cap. de fructu Justificationis Can. 3 4 were suppressed Sure I am that Dr. Prideaux his Sermons which he had preached at Court were not permitted to be reprinted at Oxford because he would not yield to the obliterating of some passages in them against Arminianism yet several passages which he as Doctor of the Chair rased out of Mr. Chillingworth ' s Book were inserted and printed after the good old Doctor had put his hand to the license for its printing which Book is now highly commended though the Doctor openly disowned it in the Chair saying That he had been abused in that Book Mr. Cheynell being opponent upon this Socinian question An ratio sit fundamentum fidei But what are these things to the purpose now I answer 1. The Author of the Friendly Debate often printed and its continuation hath raked up things against some Nonconformists which were of longer standing 2. If some Clergy-men of these times preach or print or act as they did in those days it is directly to the purpose Let any judicious indifferent man read the Book intituled The causes of the decay of Piety and he will find much of the Soveraign drug planted here as the Jesuit said in A. B. Laud ' s time to purge the Protestants of their Heresie as they call our true Religion Let him read Mr. Fowler ' s two Books viz. his Free Discourse and his Design of Christianity and he will see whatsoever he pretends to the contrary that his endeavour if not prime design is to promote that most Antichristian Doctrine of the Papists viz. Justification of our persons before God by our own good works or inherent holiness and overthrow the true Doctrine of Faith of the Church of England to which 't is believed he hath subscribed denying the * Free Discourse p. 126 128 129 130 145. Imputation of Christs Righteousness in the sound sense of the Church of England sometimes calling it a false yea a grosly false notion thereof and sometimes a * Ibi. p. 141. sottish and mischievous Doctrine abusing those that hold it by branding them with the ignominious name of * Ibi. pag. 141 143. and Design of Christianity c. 19. p. 223. Antinomians affirming That our persons are justified before God by our own inherent holiness and good works and that faith * Free Discourse 159. Design of Christianity c. 19. p. 221. as it includes sincere obedience justifieth our persons before God and to this end using and improving Bellarmine ' s arguments to the utmost And lest any should charge him with the Doctrine of the Church of England which he cannot but know is contrary to his Doctrine he endeavours to prevent it saying That those Divines of his opinion do heartily subscribe to the 39 Articles of our Church taking * Free Discourse Edit 2. p. 2. p. 191. that liberty in the interpretation of them that is allowed * But where doth the Church allow this liberty what do you mean by the Church it's contrary to the end of the Law of 13. of Elizabeth and of the fifth Canon by the Church her self though it is most reasonable to presume that she requireth subscription to them as to an instrument of peace only And again p. 2. p. 305. he saith further thus What was said of General Councils we also most heartily acknowledg concerning our own particular Church viz. that we are bound by no means to oppose the determinations of the Governours and Representatives in disputable matters nor do they as hath been shewed require our internal assent to their Articles but enjoin our submission to them as to an instrument of peace only Lo here you may see what these Latitudinarians are â—a name which some I know not who have given them but whether they deserve it let others judg but such is the latitude of these men that they would have liberty for themselves to preach and print what Doctrine they please but would have none allowed to dissenters in points of Church-government and Ceremonies as may be evidently seen in his Free Discourse by which we may see what Broth and Beef his palate relisheth best But what is there no internal assent required to the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England and yet an unfeigned assent and consent to the use of the Liturgy and the Ceremonies and Rites thereof Are these more essential to the being of the Church of England than those Are the Ceremonies Rites and Liturgy more surely and certainly and indisputably grounded upon the Canonical Scriptures than the doctrine of Faith which concerns the Trinity justification of a sinner Christs satisfaction c. Have not all our 39 Articles been disputed nay do not some amongst us question whether there be a God and whether the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament be the Word of God and of divine authority and have not the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome which our Rulers have retained been from the first beginning of the Reformation here disputed and opposed by godly and learned Bishop Hooper and Mr. John Rogers and denied and detested even to the death by many godly Martyrs Do not all the Calvinistical Churches abroad join with the Church of England in maintaining the Articles of Religion which concern the confession of the true Christian Faith and the Sacraments and yet reject the Liturgy Ceremonies and church-Church-government of the Church of England â—nd if only indisputable matters may not be opposed and all disputable ones may be opposed I pray what Article of our Creed and Religion may not be opposed by these men of the long name It is â—â—ear that though these men heartily subscribe to the 20 the 34 and the 36 Articles Whatsoever is not read in the holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of Faith Art 6 Church of England which are not Articles of Religion of the true Christian Faith because not contained in or proveable by the Word of God in their sense yet they give not an unfeigned assent and consent to the Articles of Religion concerning the Doctrine of Faith and the Sacraments for they take liberty they say 't is allowed them by the Church to interpret them as
which ought to be the rule of all mens religious actions declaim against and thereby condemn his Majesties piety and prudence and suppress in many places the Whosoever forbids us to do what God commandeth or commandeth us to do what God forbiddeth is accursed unto all them that love the Lord. Basilius Moral c. 14. quoted by Bishop Jewel in his Reply to Harding a. 14. d5 p 373. most pure worship and service of God the preaching up the real interests of the Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching down the Errors Heresies Idolatries and Suâ—â—â—stitions and Antichristian inventions of the Apostatized Church of Rome with whom the Laudensian party long laboured a reconciliation Let any unprejudiced man that is judicious seriously read Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus and his Introduction thereunto and he will see much more than I do but hint and also what a mongrel Religion he would make ours and have established here and what principles of Tyranny and Popery he therein lays down and commends But though these things might be true in some heretofore yet now they see the error their selfish and passion hath led themselves and it may be others inconsiderately into that they may fear they shall be put besides the saddle it may be beaten with those rods which they made for other men that earnestly desired the Churches peacé and the Kingdoms welfare by any powerful ill-minded and ill-principled Prince as Heylin most falsely saith King Edward the sixth was of that will but make use of those weapons which they have made to subvert their dissenting brethren they are well content at least some of them to tolerate Protestant dissenters as may be seen in and about the Cities of London and Westminster and they preach against Popery very much Very good 't is well their eyes begin to be opened if they be not shut again before they 'l see and forsake the true causes and sin no more Old Bishop Bonner told them long since That liking of the Popes Broth would incline men to like in time their Beef too I wish their moderation might be known to all men But is a toleration of the pure Worship of God and preaching his truth all the fruit the sight of their error hath brought them to no question they I mean the Episcopal party would grant as much to home-born Papists 'T is granted to foreign Protestants though 't is true their great Father in God A. B. Laud overthrew that liberty of the Protestant Religion which King Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth and King James granted them under hand and seal as Dr. Heylin largely shews in his Cyprianus Anglicus and thereby he made such an evil president as 't is believed did his present Majesty much mischief in his late Wars and rendred his gracious offers to the Netherlanders of protection and liberty of their Religion if they would come under his Government ineffectual lest such Bishops as A. B. Laud was should in time have though not his yet some succeeding Princes ears and thereby as he make void all grants and promises unto them What is no more to be granted to home-born Protestants who adhere to our doctrine of Faith and the Sacramants than to Foreigners Is granting a bare and uncertain toleration of the pure Worship of God to those godly Protestants that adhere most firmly to the pure Protestant Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Worship and a full comprehension with rewards and great promotions allowed and given to those that hold Popish Doctrines not only contrary to the Word of God but also to the sound Doctrine of the Church of England well becoming those Bishops that are in profession Protestant Is this a sufficient and the right way to keep out Popery is it proper for the chast Spouse of Christ to take upon her the badges of the great Whore of Rome Is it proper for the Israel of God to sâ—mbolize with her who is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Is it proper for those that profess themselves the Saints and servants of the most high God and the followers of Jesus Christ to impose and contend for the proper marks of the Beast spoken of in Revelations the 1â— and 17 Chapters Doth not learned and religious Peter * Et nos si verè Christiani sumus non decet ritus caeremonias vel a Judoeis vel à nationibus aliis accipere sed tantum debem is usurpare quae nobis mandata sunt in literis divinis P. Martyr loc com clas 2 ae c. 5. S. 16. P. 220. Martyr say That if we be Christians indeed it becomes us not to receive Rites and Ceremonies from the Jews or other Nations but that we ought to use those things only which are commanded in the Divine Writings a Should we believe that those men †Aquin. 12 ae q. 103. a 2. Pet. Mart. loc Com. cl 2 ae p. 197. Pareus Beza in 1 Cor. 10. 18. those Jews who after pretence of sight of their errors are sound Christians and intend really to keep out and root out Judaism yet command and rigorously enjoin the use of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion which are the proper badges and real professions thereof as Papists themselves say and our men prove Can any rational sound Protestant be so silly as to think and say that if the Ceremonies be left in their use as the Bishops themselves say they are in their own nature indifferent that then farewell the Church of England For what is the Church of England like the Church of Rome built upon such sandy weak or unnecessary foundations or must the Kingdom be said to be so much in love with the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome as to give 400000 l. per Annum to the Bishops and their agents and dependants to uphold them Doth not the Church of England say * Homily against peril of Idolatry Part 3. p. 69. That the Church of Rome Knowing her self to be a foul filthy old withered Harlot understanding her lack of natural and true beauty and great lothsomeness which of her self she hath doth after the custom of such Harlots paint her self and deck and attire her self with gold pearl stone and all kind of precious jewels that she shining with the outward beauty and glory of them may please the foolish phantacy of some lovers and so entice them to spiritual fornication with her who if they saw her but in simple apparrel would abhor her as the foulest and filthiest Harlot that ever was seen Are not Ministers bound and do they not subscribe and give assent to this very Doctrine how can we then without great shame and suspicion wear her apparel and call her a true Church carry her name as it were in our foreheads comply with her in suâ—h unnecessary things except we have a months-mind to return to her ugly bosom and base drâ—â—gery Are not the Lords people forbidden Mark the word Unnecessary to do any
by God Mr. Cartwright upon the place referreth the sigh of the Cross to the mark of the Beast Dionis Carthusianus Vpon Revel 13. 13. saith That conformity to the Doctrine and life of Antichrist is the mark of the Beast and upon this account did * Vid. General Confession of Faith of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland to be seen at the end of the Harmony of Confessions King James renounce and detest the Bishop of Rome's five bastard Sacraments with all his rites ceremonies and false doctrine added to the administration of the true Sacraments without the word of God 'T is observed by Mr. Mede that one may receive the number of the name of the Beast that is his impieties and yet not receive the mark of his name that is not subject himself to his authority Which is exemplified in the Greek Church who imbrace the same form of impiety derived from the Dragon or the Idolatry of the Latins and yet refuse to be subject to the Latin Bishop or to bear his name So may others refuse to subject themselves to the supreme authority of Antichrist and to be called Papists and yet they may imbrace his Altars Images Fasts Feasts Ceremonies forms of Worship Government Laws Number yea and many of his Antichristian Doctrines and like well of much if not of almost all of that he holds and doth and yet will be called Protestants and take it very ill at the Papists hands when they call them Calvino-Papistae Calvin-Papists that is partly Papists and partly Protestants such as hold with the Papists and yet profess with the Protestants Mungrels as Bishop Abbâ—t called them in his Sermon above have great charity for professed 〈◊〉 but crâ—el hatred for real Protestants account true Calvinism heresie yea little less than Treason as Knot the Jesuit told some of our Mungrels but gross Popery yea blasphemy in doctrine to be but errour and more tollerable than Presbytery and Popery in practise to be indifferent and therefore lawful and commendable Many of these Heresies and errors I have renounced are by some of our Mungrels called the Doctrines of the Heylin's Introd to his Cyprianus Anglic. Church of England and Books have been printed if not licensed to confirm it but very falsely and slanderously except by Church of England they understand a faction for sure I am that the true and whole Church of England â—olds soundly against all these ensuing false Doctrines renounced Only her doctrine at least practise about Apocriphal Scriptures is not I fear so full and clear as I believe it might be Some mens plausible Sermons are abroad which are by too many persons swallowed down without due examination 'T is said by one a learned man That God doth only * Dr. Till Ser. offer grace in his Gospel but he forceth none to receive it To prevent mistakes I say and acknowledg 1. That God doth not force men against their wills to accept of the grace and assistance that he doth offer them but I deny that Quo minus tolerabilis est eorum inscitia qui Evangelium communiter ita Offerâ—i fingunt ut promiscuâ— liberum sit omnibus salutem fide amplecti Calvin in 1 Cor. 2. 14. God doth only offer assistance or grace to his children for though he do not convert them against their wills whether they will or no yet he takes away their hearts of stone and gives them hearts of flesh and makes them of unwilling to become willing in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. He worketh in them to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. 2. I acknowledg that Reprobates may finally resist the ineffectual grace of God 3. I affirm that the elect of God to Salvation shall not cannot finally withstand the effectual grace of God but that they shall at one time or other be effectually called converted and eternally saved And 4. That God who hath from all eternity elected them to the end everlasting Salvation hath also appointed them to the means conducing to the attainment of it as Faith in Christ Repentance for sin sincere obedience to the Law of God and perseverance in the same to the end Though I have not used many Arguments to confute every particular Error that would have been Voluminous yet I have sufficiently confuted them and proved that Papists and Protestants Religion differ or that the Church of Rome and Protestants hold a different Religion which was the main design of my undertaking and in alledging the Doctrine of the Church of England I should I conceive if I had done no more he thought to have done enough to convince if not professed Papists yet those that pretend to be the most dutiful Sons of the Church of England that these Doctrines are not Protestant but rather Popish and at least contrary to their Professions Subscriptions and Declarations as well as to Gods word and keep others from imbracing and imbibing and spreading of them If by alledging the Sermons Speeches and Writings of any learned Conformist heretofore I have displeased any of our great Conformists now I hope they will excuse and pardon me and blame them that printed and licensed them or themselves or others that have traduced or suffered the Truth to be bespattered or gainsayed or undermined by any Pelagian Arminian Socinian or Popish writer upon any pretence whatsoever And now my prayer to the God of Peace and Truth for England is That Gods true Religion may be setled here in its power and purity and that all Popery in Doctrine and Discipline and Worship may be burned with fire Revel 17. 16. that is as learned Dr. Moor expounds the place utterly consumed and to this end that God who hath the hearts of Kings and all men in his hands would incline the heart of our King and Parliament and all sorts of people to deny themselves and resign up themselves wholly to be guided by the will of God revealed in the Canonical Scriptures which ought to be the rule of all mens actions as our Book of * Homil. for Rogat on Week Part 3. p 230 Homil against Wilful Rebellion Part 6. p. 318. Homilies plainly declares which saith thus In Gods word Princes must learn how to obey God and to govern men in Gods word Subjects must learn obedience both to God and their Princes Is our reverend Fathers of the Church would stick close to the sound and necessary Articles of Religion established which concern the Doctrine of the true Christian Faith and the Sacraments to * Anno 3 Edw. 6. c. 11. which only all Ministers were bound to subscribe and give their assent and countenance men that do so and discountenance all those that hold or vent any Doctrine against the same and not stand too much upon those things which they have devised to uphold their own worldly power and interests and abate those things that are not of themselves or by Divine institution
one in the world they worship the idol of their own brains and therefore may lawfully be called Idolaters Will-worship is the worship of any besides God or of God himself otherwise than he hath commanded as A. B. Vsher shews in his Sum of Christian Religion p. 222. and in p. 223. he saith expresly That we are to worship God by those means only which he approveth in his Word according to his saying to Moses Do that which I command thee and do no more Deut. 〈◊〉 12. 6. That if any thing in Gods Worship be done contrary to or besides his command Non est honor sed dedicus it is not an honour to him but a disgrace to him as both St. * Hom. 51. in Matthew Chrysostome and Jerom †Honor praeter mandatum est dedicus affirm as Bishop Andrews quotes them in his Exposition of the second Commandment Where p. 274. he divides the external worship of God into two parts Substance and Ceremony By which 't is clear that Ceremonies are parts of Worship then if they be not specially commanded by God they are forbidden under the notion of Will-worship And Mr. Henry Jeanes in his first and second part of his Scholastical and Practical Divinity shews * Mr. H. Jeanes his mixture of Scholastical and Practical Divinity pag. 1. of Christs All-fulness pag. 64 68. that the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome are forbidden in 1 Cor. 14. ult out of Dr. Ames in answer to Dr. Hammond especially in his second Part. But in his first Part after a most learned Discourse of the All fulness of Christ he infers reprehension to Papists and Prelatists 1. To Papists who prejudice him in all his Offices 2. To Prelatists who have prejudiced him in his Kingly Office as he is the chief so the only Law-giver in his Church by institution of divers Church-Officers which he hath not appointed nor given them authority to appoint as also of divers Ceremonies of ordained and mystical signification appropriated unto the worship and service of God And in his Prophetical Office by their institution of Doctrinal Ceremonies which teach spiritual duties by their mystical signification which he saith is made good by the abridgment of that Book which the Ministers of Lincoln Diocess delivered to King James December 1. 1605 pag. 41. Christ say they is the only teacher of his Church and appointer of all means whereby we should be taught and admonished of any holy duty and whatsoever he hath thought good to teach his Church and the means whereby he hath perfectly set down in the Scriptures so that to acknowledg any other means of teaching and admonishing us of our duty than such as he hath appointed is to receive another teacher into the Church besides him and to confess some imperfection in those means he hath ordained to teach us by To which he takes leave to add the words of Dr. Ames in his fresh suit of Ceremonies pag. 210 211. Only this by the way I would learn how we ca◠acknowledg and receive any means of Religious teaching with faith except it appear to be Appointed by an authentick teacher and law-giver And how our Prelates in appointing means of spiritual teaching which Christ appointed not can be accounted therein Ministerial teachers under him is their and our only authentick teacher as also if Christ be our authentick teacher in all good that we learn about Religion who taught our Prelates such good manners as to put Pescues of their own making into his hand and so appoint him after what manner and by what means he should teach us Though this that Mr. Jeanes hath alledged and said be very pat to his purpose and hard to be answered or fairly wiped off yet I conceive that which he saith in his Bellarmines Enervatus in answer to Bellarmines Bellar. Enervat T. 3. c. 8. p. 57 58 59 61. arguments for Ceremonies more full and pertinent to my purpose to prove them unlawful because they are Will-worship or works of Supererogation besides the words of God to which for brevities sake I must refer the learned Reader where his arguments against them may be seen Where p. 61. he answers to Bellarmine urging for humane Ceremonies 1 Cor. 14. ult thus 1. Honesty and order did best consist in the Primitive * Yet Dr. Heylin calls the pure Worship of God performed by the French and Dutch Churches here in Archbishop Lauds time indecencies and thereby condemus our Saviour Christ and his holy Apostles of indecencies in their worship of God because without the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome Cyprian Angl. l. 4. p. 281. Church without humane Ceremonies 2. In that very place they are tacitly prohibited because there is nothing left to the Church besides the honest ordering of things instituted by Christ for the things instituted and the ordering of them do differ as the subject and its external adjunct 3. We must obey rulers that are set over us by God while they do the Commendments of him that set them over us 4. True Religion doth bring honour to God according to his will by those means that are appointed by him therefore it admits not humane Ceremonies Bellarmine argueth for Ceremonies that some Ceremonies have a spiritual virtue in them Protestants answer 1. Why some and not all if they all proceed from the same spirit 2. Seeing the Scripture is a rule perfectly directing us in spiritual life from it alone we must be shewed what those means are which have a spiritual virtue 3. If those some Ceremonies have a spiritual virtue in them or assisting them then they are of more efficacy and dignity than the Sacraments of the Old Testament or the Baptism of John They are parts of the New Testament which alone is the ministry of the Spirit and then the whole New Testament by Bellarmines judgment is not contained in the Scriptures which is too absurd Bellarmine saith the Church may institute new Ceremonies to spiritual effects as to adorn and represent some mystery of Religion and by that means help rude and ignorant people Protestants answer 1. That the Church is not called to make 〈◊〉 Institutes but to observe those that have been already instituted by Christ Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you 2. Every one may institute a Ceremony saith Bellarmine to adorn and represent as well as the Church Bellar. l. 2. c. 8. or God himself But indeed no man can institute 〈◊〉 ceremony to represent a mystery of Religion but he that hath authority over Religion over the minds of men to enlighten them when and how he pleaseth and over the consciences of men to subject them to himself and his ordinances for all these things are required rightly to institute such a ceremony Bellarmine saith It 's lawful for the Church to institute new Ceremonies for some ends because private men inspired by God have invented new
A Renunciation OF SEVERAL Popish Doctrines BECAUSE Contrary to the Doctrine of Faith of the Church of ENGLAND By R. R. B. D. Babylon's Brats must not be dandled but dasht against the wall Phinehas his Zeal Jehu's March Josiah's Resolution Luther's Heroical Spirit have ever best prevailed against the mystery of iniquity Bishop Prideaux his Sermon upon Revel 2. 4. Pag. 25. Whosoever denieth this Doctrine That Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily of Salvation of mankind Pag. 16 17. Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum S. August l. de fide operibus c. 4 14. The Pope is Antichrist and Popery is the loosing of Satan for blasphemeth he not in denying us to be saved by the imputation of Christs righteousness King James his Godly Meditations upon certain Verses of Revel 20. Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Jude vers 3. LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultry over against the Stocks-Market 1680. CHRISTIAN READERS THough I confess I have long had it in my thoughts to prove That the Doctrine of the Laudensian faction is not the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England and that the greatest Conformists to the Ceremonies are the greatest Nonconformists in deed and in truth to the Doctrine of faith or the articles of Religion of the Church of England concerning the Confession of the true Christian faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments yet I sate still earnestly expecting that some one Orthodox Conformist or other whom it most concerned to maintain it would appear to prove the former or some learned Nonconformist to the Ceremonies would do the latter but neither seeing nor hearing of any one of them to attempt either the one or the other being incouraged by the Parliaments late Act for renouncing Transubstantiation I have though the unfittest of a thousand adventured to renounce not only that blasphemous Doctrine but many more of the Papists erroneous and Antichristian Doctrines and in doing of this may possibly be thought obliquely if not directly to do them both And I begin with renouncing their abominable Transubstantiation partly because the Parliament did so and also because it 's not only destructive of the humane nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but also inductive of adoration of the Lords-supper and the Tables or Altars whereon 't is celebrated Several of our high Conformists having so beld and 't is feared that some do so now the presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament of the Altar as they have been pleased to call it that they might well be thought to hold it after the Papists or Lutherans Doctrine for 't is clear that they have not only been against Orthodox mens discovery of the way that Christs body is not in Bp. Forb's de Eucharist l. 1. c. 1. par 7. A. B. Laud in his Star-Chamb Speech Dr. Heyl. Hist of Presbytery p. 2. the Sacrament of the Lords-supper but they have plainly held that he is more and some other way in that Sacrament than in that other of Baptism and that he is there truly really substantially as 't is in the 18th Article of the Popes Creed to be seen in this Renunciation Article 14th yea essentially as Dr. Lawrence speaks in his Court-sermon p. 18. And in the second place I have renounced Adoration or bowing to Altars or Communion-Tables purposely and upon the Religious account of more religâ—ouâ— excelâ—â—nâ—â— c. because that Doctrinâ— and practise being â—dmitted worshipping of the Sacrament of Images of the Cross of Relicks c. may easily be introduced and maintained And thirdly I have renounced their Heretical Doctrine of Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works because it overthroweth the Gospel and in effect denieth Christ to be come in the flesh and is most dangerously Antichristian and very commonly brâ—â—ched amongâ—â— us and the sound Doctrine of the Church of England against it called Antinomianism and the imputation of Christs Righteousness vilified and denied and Faith as an act habit or work or as it includes sincere obedience set up in its room and the Papists Justification of our persons before God by our own actual or habitual righteousness re-introduced I have also renounced the sufficiency of the natural active power of mans Free-will while in the state of nature to turn of it self to God to believe c. and there by the ground and foundation of the Old and New Pelagian long since condemned though of late too much revived and affected Doctrine and those that usually flow from or are companions of it as also the lawfulness of setting up and suffering of Images in places of publick worship because they have been are and will be occasions of Idolatry Superstition and much mischief in Church and State where they have been and are tolerated as may be seen in that excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry I have also proved by the Doctrine of the Church of England and our own learned mens approved works That the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist and that therefore he is not supreme Head of the Church and that therefore his humane inventions should not be imposed upon nor followed by the Churches of Jesus Christ but that Christ himself the supreme Head of his Church should be only so acknowledged his word duty and constantly consulted and followed in all matters which concern his Church â—is pure Doctrine Discipline and Worship and Truths countenanced and maintained and not suppressed or disgraced and also that Antichrists erroneous and Antichristian doctrines usurpations superstitious and scandalous ceremonies and other Worships should be detested * Vide the Confessioâ— of Faith made the 28 of Jan. 1581 in the 14 year of K. James his Reign there and subscribed and sworn to by K. James his Houshold and whole Kingdom of Scotland set down in the latter end of the Harmony of Confessions and renounced and suppressed 'T was once a sad and great complaint made to a Sub-Committee in which were many eminent Bishops and three Doctors of Divinity That all the tenents of the Council of Trent except only such points of State-policy against the Kings Supremacy as were made Treason by the Statute as good works co-causes with Faith in Justification private Confession by particular enumeration of sins needful necessitate medii to Salvation that the oblaâ—ion or as others the consumption of the Elements in the Lords-Supper holdeth the nature of a true Sacrifice Prayers for the Dead lawfulness of Monastical Vows the gross substance of Arminianism and some dangerous points of Socinianism had been preached or printed by some amongst us saith Dr. Fuller in his Ecclesiastical History Dr. Heylin ' s Cypr. Anglicus l. 5. p. 472
they please and as experience shews oppose them too against the determination of the Church which allowance I hope I may have to defend them But do not these men lay a foul aspersion upon the Church who say They do allow those men that will give an hearty assent and subscribe to their authority ceremonies and traditions and injunctions to interpret and secretly undermine and openly oppose the Doctrines of Faith of the true Christian Religion I profess I do not believe it of the whole Church-representative of England of which I should believe he speaks though I have not heard of one of them or of any Conformist that hath appeared against these mens false interpretations yea open contradictions of the articles of Religion concerning the true Christian faith But what security of peace and truth the Magistrate whom like their elder brethren in Holland they claw while he will suffer them to carry on their destructive designâ— can have by these mens subscriptions declarations yea oaths I know not Would not all the Jesuits of Rome subscribe declare and swear too upon these conditions I have heard of one Minister that would subscribe assent consent and declare if they would hate him but one syllable un And so it may be would others too if they might do as they do not perform what they promise and write against what they subscribe assent and consent to too as these men say they are allowed by the Church But I know not well what Church the man means by our Church for I do not know well of what church he is though I hear he is in the Church of England and promoted so was the Bishop of Spalato till King James found out his Knavery and so was Dr. Lewes who returned to Winchester and when he had received some thousands of pounds of current English money he returned to his Church of Rome who therein followed not the cunning advice of Thuanus a learned and cunning Papist to Casaubon * Wedderbornes Book p 23 vid. Supplement to Laudensium autocatacrifis p. 18. not to come away to them but stay here seeing he had and might have more means here than he could or would have there and might do them more service here than he could do them if there I have dwelt too long upon this large man else I could set before your eyes many more of his erroneous and dangerous Doctrines but I must leave him What I have said in my following Renunciation will I hope sufficiently confute Dr. Patrick's Doctrine of Justification by our own good works and by faith as it worketh by love and some Friendly Debate pag. 13 〈◊〉 14. other of his false Doctrines I meddle not with some others because better heads and pens have undertaken them Though the Arminian c. faction he they say much increased yet that it was greater and more Popish before the late Civil Wars and that there was more danger of bringing in Popery then than there is now I could offer many reasons as I. That the body of Popery except the Popes Supremacy was then preached and printed as Dr. Fuller shews was complained of and so much Dr. Heylin confesseth as was shewed before and may in a very great part he seen gathered to your hands in Laudensium Autocatacrisis and the Supplement thereunto and Laudensium Apostasia which I believe cannot be proved now 2. Then there were the High Commission and the Star-Chamber Courts which are not now wherein A. B. Laud and his party used to crush whosoever appeared in the least against their Arminian Doctrines and Popish Innovations 'T is true we have some disadvantages we want a Dr. Humphrie Abbot Holland and Prideaux in the Chair in Oxford a Cartwright Whitakers Davenant and Ward at Cambridge a Dr. Ames Twisse Kendal and a Mr. Jeanes who are gone to their Rests and we lack liberty and encouragement for our thousands of Orthodox Nonconforming Ministers freely to preach and print against Popish Arminian and Socinian Innovations in Doctrine Discipline and Worship If orthodox and learned and godly Divines Nonconformists indeed to the Ceremonies but real Conformists to the Doctrine of Faith of the Church of England who did not only preach the truth to the elder but taught it to the younger sort of people had not been turned and kept out of the Ministry and silenced and cast out of their Freeholds and Corporations except they would do such things as they judged unlawful or at least inexpediâ—â— and put into their places either ignorant or erroneous or scandalous persons men either unapt or unfit to teach though I acknowledg there are many learned sober men sound in the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach in the Ministry whose persons God knows I love and whose learning I honour and admire yet I say there are many as selfish malicious covetous ambitious some as erroneous if not idolatrous men as many that are of the Church of Rome and so would openly profess themselves to be if time should serve them 't is very probable and verily believed that neither Popery nor Arminianism that cunning way to bring in Popery nor Prophaneness and Atheism would have gotten that head which some say they have Where the fault is is not for me to determine not suggest But verily I think his Gracious Majesty cannot be so much as suspected much less accused of it for he was graciously pleased to issue out a Declaration for liberty for tender Consciences from Bredah and another soon after his return home which was turned into a Bill by a worthy Gentleman and offered to the Parliament then called healing Since that his Majesty made another Gracious Declaration for liberty of Conscience but that 't is known was cried down by the Episcopal party and now at last his Majesty upon pious and politick accounts hath given forth another and more Gracious Declaration for liberty of Conscience and licensed several sound Protestant Divines who have lost their livings and suffered the spoiling of their goods and refused dignities rather than comply with our Bishops and their Latitudinarian party in things they judged unlawful inexpedient and inductive to Popery c. to preach and teach the word of God truly and worship God purely as he hath commanded in his Word without humane additions and inventions c. But this also the Episcopal party under the specious pretence of being against bringing in Popery which many of them preach and practise and love more than the truth and the pure worship of God as God and their own consciences well know though they have formerly extolled the Kings Supremacy and Prerogative above Law Right Reason and Religion and these thirteen years last past scarce ever executed one Law of those many that are made against Popish Recusants no nor mentioned publickly any fear of Popery till his Majesty granted his most loyal Protestant Subjects liberty to serve God purely as he hath commanded in his Word
unnecessary thing that Idolaters do in Exod. 23. 24. Levit. 18. 13. Levit. 19. 27 28. Deut. 12. 30 31 32. Deut. 14. 1 2. and this reason given them for it For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that are upon the earth And are we not commanded to come out of Babylon the Church of Rome that we partake not of her sins and receive not of her plagues Revel 18. 4. Are we not as dear children to follow Christâ—â— Mat. 16. 24. Ephes 5. 1. And are not his modes of Worship better and freer from scandal suspicion and appearance of evil than Antichrists If not let 's speak out plainly in words at length and not in figures But they preach much against Popery Well blessed be God for it I am glad with St. Paul that Christ is preached though it should be out of envy and strife and contention supposing to add affliction to his bonds I am glad that Popery is preached down in sincerity and hatred thereof or only in design pretence or on purpose to add affliction to Nonconformists bonds which is verily suspected For when his Gracious Majesty declared liberty for Nonconformists before this last time 't is well known that a man of the long Name was up at Oxford with Non fuit sic ab initio and others elsewhere and now presently after his Majesties last Declaration with Licenses was not the Kingdom filled with their sound of Popery Popery Popery as if to license sound Protestant Divines to preach who are most against Popery were to tollerate Popery Papists had the same liberty before it that they had after it but not a word of complaint against Popery before Nonconforming Protestants to â—eremoâ—ieâ— â— had liberty granted to preach the Truth and worship God without their ceremonies and rites not one new Law made nor one old one executed against Papists and Popery these twelve or thirteen years last past but new Laws made and old ones never intended against Nonconformists and the pure Worship of God their Religious meetings made rioters and riotous and men yea the vilest of men hired to inform against them for doing good and Justices of the Peace severely censured for not punishing Gods people for serving of him as he hath commanded them That 't is strongly suspected that Presbytery and purity and verity hatâ— been more hated and feared than Popery and that the Pope and his power is more feared than real and most Antichristian Popery But however and by whomsoever Popery is preached down I rejoyce yea and I will rejoyce But who are the men that preach it down what parts of Popery do they preach down how many dignified Clergy-men do preach it down Are there not more aspiring men do preach and print much of it up and those promoted and many deserving men that preach it down neglected if not discountenanced was not Dr. Cozens twice indicted and the Indictmens found and complained of in Parliament for uttering these words That the King was no more supreme Head of the Church of Vide Articles against him and the Parliaments Censure of him England than the boy that rubs his Horse-heels And 't is said he got off by flying of which necessity he hath since made a virtue and gotten to be Bishop of Durham Was there not a Book called Dr. Cozens his Devotions in which Mr. Prin saith There were twenty Popish Errors printed and that the Reformers Prin ' s Quench-coal Epist to King Charl. 1. p. 10. of our Church took away all Religion and the whole service of God when they took away the Mass Hath not another written a Book for the observation of Holy Lent as a * See Bishop Sparrow's Rationale p. 143 144 145. 5 Eliz. c. 5. vide Rastal Titleship p. 378. Religious Faest contrary 't is said to the intent if not to the express words of the Law Let any judicious and impartial man read Bishop Sparrow's Rationale upon the Common-prayer Book and judg what Popery he writes against therein P. 273. he saith 'T is the duty of people to receive the Sacrament kneeling for it is a sin not to adore when we receive this Sacrament And p. 391. he saith It is a dangerous deceit to say that creatures may be adored and is contrary to Exod. 20. 5. Thou shalt not bow down to them Them as Rogers calls the Sacraof the Lords-Supper an * Thomas Rogers upon Article 31 saith that 't is a Fable to say that the Mass is a Sacrifice The Sacrament is not a Sacrifice but only a Commemoration of that Sacrifice offered on the Cross Art 31. unbloody Sacrifice a Commemorative Sacrifice of the Death of Christ And p. 395 396 he saith That this Sacrament should be received fasting though Christ instituted it immediately after Supper for which he gives this reason It is for the honour of so high a Saerament that the precious †Is this for or against Transubstantiation body of Christ should first enter into the Christians mouth before any other meat And p. 89. he saith That by Curates here i. e. In the prayer for Bishops and Curates are not meant Stipendiaries as now it 's used to signifie but all those Parsons or Vicars to whom the Bishop who is the chief Pastor under Christ hath committed So Dr. Heylin speaks in his Introduction to his Cyprianus Anglicus p. 9. s. 10. the Cure of Souls of some part of his Flock and so are the Bishops Curates The Bishop with these Curates a flock or congregation committed to their charge make up a Church By which words I humbly conceive the * To hold Bishops Jure Divino and especially essential to the being of a Church as A. B. Laud did Cypr. Anglic. p. Divine right of Diocaesan Episcopacy is asserted and thereby the Kings Supremacy impreached for if the Bishops be the chief Pastors under Christ Adam Contzen 1. 2. Pol. c. 18. Rastal Title-crown p. 17. Sir Edward Cooks de jure Regis Ecclesiast fol. 8. Dr. Heylin saith that there are 26 Cathedral Churches or Episcopal Sees in England Cypr. Anglic. l. 4. p. 291. and the A B. of Canterbury is accounted Primate and Metropolitan of all England Heylin Cypr. Anglic. l. 4. p. 249. to whom the Cure of Souls is by Christ committed the King cannot place and displace them as he pleaseth and grant their authority for so long or so little while as he pleaseth as the Law and Law-givers say he may And this will follow that the right Reverend Father in God the Lord Primate of all England is the Head-pastor and the other 25 Reverend Bishops the A. B. of York being in respect of him but as one of the other are the chief Pastors and all the rest of the Ministers of the Church of England are but their Curates And then also it will
follow that not only nominally but also really and essentially there may be Bishop Quâ—â—dams without Bishopricks and that they have not their authority granted them only from the King but from Christ or some other power But I had thought that his Majesty had been yielded by Episcopalians to be supreme Pastor or Head-shepherd under Christ over the Church within his Dominions and might as well as Bishops seeing they are but his Curates or Commissioners to see that all Ecclesiastical matters be ordered according to the will of Christ revealed in his Word commit as much as in him lyeth not only the power of Ordination but the care of part of the flock committed to him to ordained Ministers that is ordained Presbyters by other ordained preaching Presbyters and institute them Pastors of that little part of his great flock but it seems the Bishops will be chief under Christ here as the Pope of Rome would be of all the World but indeed neither he nor they as such are of Christs institution but only of mans as might be proved by the Bishops acknowledgment in King Henry the Eighth his time to be seen in the Bishops Book in Fox his Acts and Monuments p. 1037. in one Volume But to go on against what points of Popery do they preach Papists themselves 't is well known write very zealously and learnedly against some points of Popery as do the Dominicans against the Franciscans and Jesuits yea even in some of those points of Popery wherein some long-named men agree-with them I find learned Dr. Abbot * afterwards made Bishop by learned King James in a Dr. Heylin in his Cypâ— Anglic l. 1. p. â—â— Sermon before the Vniversity of Oxford preached at 〈◊〉 Peters upon Easter-day 1615 saying thus Some are partly †He aimed at Laud as Heylin saith in his Cypr. Anglic. l. 1. p. 66 67. Romish and partly English as occasion serveth them that a man may say unto them noster â—s an adversariorum who under pretence of truth and preaching against the Puritans strike at the heart and root of faith and Religion now established among us This preaching against the Puritans was but the practise of Parsons and Campians counsel when they came into England to seduce young Students when many of them were afraid to lose their places if they should professedly be thus the counsel they then gave them was That they should speak freely against the * Those that do so now do the Jesuâ—â— anâ— the Devils work Puritans and that should suffice and they cannot pretend that they are accounted Papists because they speak against the Puritans but because they are Papists indeed they speak against them if they do at any time speak against the Papists they do but beat a â—â—ttâ—e about the bush and that softly too for fear of troubling or disquieting the birds which are in it They speak of nothing but that of which one Papist will speak against another as against Equivocation the Popes * As Bishop Buckridg A. B. Laud's Tutor did Heylin's Cypr. Angl. l. 1. p. 48. Temporal Authority and the like and perhaps against some of their blasphemous speeches but in the point of Free-will Justification Conoupiscence being sin after Baptism inherent righteousness certainty of Salvation the Papists beyond the Seas can say they are wholly theirs and the Recusants at home make their * As they did of Dr. Cozens and some others as 't is said in the Epistle to Mr. Prin's Quench-coal p. 40. brags of them and in all things they keep themselves so near the brink that upon all occasions they may step over to them Now for this speech that the Presbyterians †Which was Laud ' s in his Sermon at St. Maries preached about seven weeks before as Heylin â—stews ubi supra are as bad as the Papists there is a sting in the speech which I wish had been left out for there are many Churches beyond the Seas which contend for the Religion established amongst us and yet have approved and admitted the Presbytery And after which saith Heylin having spoken something in justification of Presbyteries he proceeded thus Might not Christ say what art thou Romish or English Papist or Protestant or what art thou a Mungrel or compound of both a Protestant by Ordination a Papist in point of Free-will inherent righteousness and the like A Protestant in receiving the Sacrament a Papist in the Doctrine of the Sacrament What do ye think there are two Heavens if there be get you to the other place your selves there for into this where I am ye shall not come The Learned and Loyal Lord Faulkland who lost his life in his late Majesties service at Newberry made a speech in the beginning of the old long Parliament much to the same purpose p. 3. Mr. Speaker He is a great stranger in our Israel who knows not that this Kingdom hath long laboured under many and great oppressions both in Religion and liberty and his acquaintance here is not great or his ingenuity less who doth not both know and acknowledg that a great if not the principal cause of both these hath been some Bishops and their adherents Master Speaker a little search will serve to find them to have been the destruction of unity under the pretence of Uniformity to have brought in superstition and scandal under the titles of reverence and decency to have defiled our Church by adorning our Churches to have flackned the strictness of that union which was formerly between us and those of our Religion beyond the Sea an action as unpolitick as ungodly And Pag. 7. of the same speech he saith further thus As Sir Thomas Moor says of the Casuists their business was not to keep men from sinning but to inform them Quam prope ad peccatum siâ—e peccâ—to liceat accedere so it seemed their work was to try how much of a Papist might be brought in without Popery and to destroy as much as they could of the Gospel without bringing themselves into danger of being destroyed by the Law Mr. Speaker to go yet further some of them have so industriously laboured to * As Dr. Pocklington doâ—â— in his Altare Christianum pag. 50. deduce themselves from Rome that they have given great suspicion that in gratitude they desire to return thither or at least to †Vide Heylins Cyp. Anglicus meet it half way some have evidently laboured to bring in an English though not a Romish Popery I mean not the outside only and drâ—ss of it but equally absolute a blind * Vide Kellets Tricennium p. 330. Supplement to Laudensium Autocatacrisis p. 65. dependence of the people upon the Clergy and of the Clergy upon themselves and have opposed a Papacy beyond the Sea that they might settle one beyond the water Nay common fame is more than ordinarily false if none of them have found a way to reconcile the opinions of Rome to the preferments
of Godfry Goodman Bishop of Gloucester was accused of it in Court and Convocation and declared and professed it by his last Will and Testament as Dr. Heylin shews in his Cypr. Angl. l. 4. p. 416. 'T is said of Dr. Theodore Price Bishop of that though he lived like an Atheist yet he died like a Papist Prin ' s Epistle to K. Châ—r I before his Quench-coal p. 42. England be so absolutely directly and cordially Papists that it is all that 1500 l. per Ann can do to keep them from confessing it This and much more may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Cypr. Angl. l. 4. p 392 408. Doth not A. B. Laud p. 36. of his commended Relation of his Conference with Fisher say thus The Church of Rome and Protestants set not up a different Religion And doth not Dean Potter iâ— Charity mistaken p 62 say thus That the most necessary and fundamental Truths which constitute a Church are on both sides unquestioned by fundamental points of faith we understand these prime and capital Doctrines of Religion which * But what are those a Bishop and a people or a Pope and the multitude of Professors of Christianity as Bishop Sparrow intimates in his Rationale upon the Common-prayer Book p. 89. Bishops Curates and people committed to their charge make up a Church make up the holy Catholick Church But did not the Church of England before A. B. Laud altered the Prayer for the Fifth of November say That Papists Religion is Rebellion and A. B. Laud held that Bishops are essential to the being of a Church as Heylin shews in his Cypr. Anglic. l. 1. p. 54. l. 4. p. 400 401. their faith is faction Which cannot be said of Protestants Religion or Faith truly without great slander though Dr. Heylin as they say most wickedly standers all the first restorers of the Reformed Religion with it Doth not the Church of Rome hold such points of faith as do destroy the foundation and those not only questioned but denied by real Protestants Doth not the Church of Rome hold this Doctrine as a point of faith for denying or not believing of which they have put many thousands of Protestants to death viz. That the body and blood together with the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ is truly really and substantially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and that there is made a turning of the whole substance of the bread into his body and of the whole substance of the wine into his blood which turning the Catholick Church as they falsly call themselves doth call Transubstantiation If this be denied see the 18th Article of their Religion set down in the 14th Article of this Book And doth not our Vide Bull Pii 4 bound up with the Council of Trent super forma juramenti professionis sidei Church of England hold the truth in this point against the Church of Rome that this their Doctrine is false and doth destroy the humane Nature of Christ and consequently destroy all the Articles of our Creed which concern Jesus Christs humane nature and consequently our Salvation And is not this a fundamental point of faith that true believers persons are justified before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and applied by faith alone Is it not the main drift of the Apostle to prove and settle the Romans and Galatians in this truth That believers persons are not justified before God by their own good works even of that Law of which câ—meth the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledg of sin Yea doth not the Apostle say that if he shall teach justification of our persons before God by our own good works he should frustrate the grace of God that is overthrow the Gosâ—el of Jesus Christ for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. 21. And could these great Grandees who imposed and took subscription to the Book of Homilies upon and from others be ignorant of what the Church of England holds therein especially this Whosoever denieth this Doctrine THAT FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIETH is not to be accounted a Christian man nor a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory that 't were the greatest arrogance and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sin and justifie himself Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. Now because some of our English conforming Divines have by their Preachings and Writings said that most of these ensuing false Doctrines I Heylin in his Introduction to his Cypr. Angl. p. 36. S. 36. have renounced all which the Church of Rome holdeth and maintaineth are the Doctrines of the Church of England and thereby induced many persons to believe and allow them I have to prevent the growing mischief of this grand deceit and to vindicate the Church of England from these calumnies and to inform the ignorant and inconsiderate that have subscribed assented and consented to the Articles of Religion and Homilies of the Church of England but never throughly read and considered them spent as much of my time with my pen as could be spared from my fork and rake this Harvest whiles many great Conformists to the Ceremonies and Government enjoy their Plurality of Benefices besides their great dignities but labour not in the Word and Doctrine much less preach or write against these gross Popish Doctrines but rather preach or print them to the great dishonour of God especially of Jesus Christ the increase of Popery and Atheism and the great grief of those godly Christians that are Protestants indeed and in truth as well as in profession Antichrist professeth the Creed as well as these men yet by his superinduced Doctrines and practices he overtbrows it So these men of long Name may profess subscribe and assent to the Doctrine of the Church of England and yet by superinduced Doctrines contradict and destroy it for they give not an internal assent to it as was observed before out of Mr. Fowler ' s Free Discourse p. 305. And whether those men do not play the Hypocrites lâ—t the world judg The Pope of Rome in divâ—ding Rome unto 25 Priests the fatal squarâ—-root of the number of the Beast 666 laid the foundation of his Iâ—olatrous and tyrannous Kingdom long before his Supremacy was perfected yea claimed He arose out of the earth as grass by little and little insensibly so possibly may a Pontifex Maximus with such a number of such Priests in time â—o elsewhere especially if rulers and ruled are willing to be ridden by them Of all Beasts tâ—e two horned Beast is the most dangerous to be ridden by next that which is most like him as
is cultus religiosus of which incurvation in such circumstances is assuredly one kind I mean exhibited to either an invisible power or to its visible representation in an Image And consent of Nations Dr. More Mystery of Iniquity c. 11. p. 36. hath made it an appropriate sign of religious worshipâ— especially in a Temple Yea c. 5. p. 14. of the same learned Book he saith thus To do religious worship to the picture or image of any creature of any Person of the holy Trâ—nity or of all three or particularly to the image of Christ though this religious worship is intended to pass through the representation to God himself Father Son or Holy Ghost is notwithstanding Idolatry according to the second instance where worshipping the true God by an image is proved to be Idolatry and every thing that is not God that hath religious worship given to it thereby becomes an Idol And c. 14. p. 46. of the same Book he saith That an Idol and Images in religious worship are all one one is a Latin and the other is a Greek word they both signifie the likeness of some thing and the worshipping of the true God by an Idol is Idolatry And p. 50. of the same Book he saith That whatsoever is interposed betwixt God and us by way of God in our worshipping is not an help but an hinderance to the perfection of that worship You may read much more to this purpose in that useful and learned Book but I forbear Now apply this to your Altars and corporal bowing to them upon your religious accounts of divine excellency and then I believe you will be forced either to acquit the Papists yea the Jews of Idolatry in worshipping the true God by Images or representations or else you must condemn your selves of Idolatry and will I hope renounce it But lest this should not suffice consider what other of our learned Divines say To worship God in at or before an image purposely is Idolatry and superstition and God so worshipped is made an Idol which is forbidden Deut. 4. 15 16 17 18 19. So Perkins in his Cases of Conscience l. 2. c. 11. S. 2. p. 206. A. B. Vsher upon the second Commandment saith 1. That such are Sum of Christ Religion p. 229. 230. guilty of Idolatry as worship those things that are not God 2. Such as countenance them or do any thing to the furtherance of Idolatry and that outward religious adoration of those things that are not God is forbidden in the second Commandment and that this worship be denied to every thing that is not God as the Sun and Moon Angels Saints Reliques Images and such trash as Rome alloweth Deut. 4. 17 19. Col. 2. 18. Revel 19. 10. 22. 8 9. Act. 10. 25 26. That Idem ibidem p. 232. we must not give the least token of reverence either in body or soul unto any religious Images Psal 97. 7. Hab. 2. 18. Isa 44. 15. Exod. 32. 4. for that is a further degree of Idotry as to shrine clothe or cover them with precious things to light candles before them to kneel and creep to them or to use any gestures of religious adoration unto them 1 King 19. 18. wherein although the gross Idolatry of Popery be taken away from amongst us yet the corruption cleaveth still to the hearts of many as may be seen in them that make courtesie to the Chancel where the high Altar stood and give the right hand unto standing Crosses and Crucifixes c. Now upon this account do our learned Divines condemn the Papists as guilty of Idolaty for their worshipping as they say Bishop Andrews upon 2 d. Comm. p. 279. the true God before or in or by Images or Crucifixes as some amongst us do before in or by or through their Altars And indeed I think they are as much Idolaters as the Heathens were who as the Ancients say and prove out of the Heathen Authors that they intended not the worship of their Images of Jupiter * Bishop Andrews ubi supra A. B. Usher upon 2 d. Comm. in Sum of Christ Religion p. 232. Mars but those Deities as they called them whom they represented as the Papists pretend they worship not the Image but the thing represented by it 8. That is an abuse of Gods Ordinance to use any thing that God hath commanded for his Worship otherwise than he himself hath appointed forbidden in the second Commandment as to hang pieces of St. John ' s Gospel about mens necks c. 1 Chron. 15. 13. 2 King 18. 4. 2 Sam. 6. 3 7 8. So saith reverend A. B. Usher Now though it be Sum of Christ Relig. p. 226. granted that God hath appointed the Communion-table as an help or mean for the decent comely and orderly celebration of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper viz. To be consecrated and set thereon to shew forth the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11 24 25. yet he hath not appointed it to be used in his worship as a mean motive or memorative object to mind men of and move them to adoring him or worshipping God before towards in or by it Good King Hezekiah's breaking the Brazen Serpent set up by Moses at Gods command when 't was abused to Idolatry is a good president for good Magistrates to destroy Altars and restore Communion-tables when set up altarwise against the East-wall of the Chancel and abused to Idolatry to their ancient place the body of the Church and forbid their subjects purposely and upon any religious accounts whatsoever to bow or adore or do bodily reverence to or towards them 9. If to bow corporally versus altare or worship God towards the Communion-table purposely and upon religious accounts it being will-worship be not flat Idolatry yet 't is a manifest appearance of Popish Idolatry which should be carefully avoided 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil Upon which place Bishop * Exposition in locum Jewel saith thus Be not Idolaters leave off to do any thing that may bring you into suspition of Idolatry give not that honour unto any creature which is proper unto God Have no fellowship with their works bear no appearance of liking their evil Abstain from appearance of evil in word and deed it 's an appearance of evil needlesly to use Idolaters words as Priest Altar Sacrifice as they do it 's a greater appearance of evil and the more to be avoided to set our Communion-tables altarwise it 's a preparation to make them Altars and to bowing to them and it 's the greatest appearance of evil and the more to be abstained from when any Crucifix or Image is set upon the altar or on the wall or glass window over or near it as was in times of professed Popery and in some places in A. B. Laud's time directly contrary to the drift of the Homily against the peril of Idolatry and Queen Elizabeths Injunctions so much
seek for another righteousness or justification to be received at Gods own hands that is to say the forgiveness of his sins and this justification or righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits embraced by faith is taken accepted and allowed by God for our perfect and full justification We are justified freely by faith without the works of the Law Homily of Salvation of Mankind pag. 13. there 't is further said That on our part we are justified by faith in the merits of Christ which is not ours but by Gods working it in us There 't is said also That the justice of man is shut out of Justification and yet that faith shutteth not out repentance hope love fear of God to be joined with faith in every man that is justified but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying so it shutteth not out good works which are necessary to be done afterwards of duty to God but it excludeth them so that we may not do them to this intent to be made just by doing of them Whosoever denieth this Doctrine that faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary 〈◊〉 Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Mans righteousness cannot make himself righteous by his owâ— works neither in part nor in wholâ— That we are justified only by faith 〈◊〉 * We are not justified by our own good works either in part or in whole Christ So speak all the Fathers botâ— Greek and Latin Hilary Basil Aâ—brose Hilary saith these words plaiâ—ly Faith only justifieth Canon 9th upon Matthew Ambrâ— saith thus This is the ordinance of God that they which belieâ—â— in Christ should be saved without works by faith only freely receiving remission of their sins Consider diligently these wordâ— without works by faith only freely we receive remission of oâ— sins Ibi. p 14 15 16 17. The true meaning of this Doctrinâ— we be freely justified by faith without works or that we be justâ—fied by faith in Christ only is not that this is our own act to bâ—lieve in Christ or this faith in Christ doth justifie us and deserâ— our justification unto us for that were to count our selves to 〈◊〉 justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but tâ—â— true understanding and meaning thereof is that although we heâ— Gods word and believe it although we have Faith Hope Chariâ—â— Repentance and fear of God within us and do add never so maâ— works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our saâ—â— vertues of Faith Hope Charity and all other vertues and gooâ— deeds which we either have done shall do or can do as thing that be far too weak insufficient and imperfect to deserve remissioâ— of our sins and our justification and therefore we must trust oâ—ly in Gods mercy and that Sacrifice which our high * Which shews that faith justifieth as it receives Christ as an high Priest or Saviour not as a King as Mr. Fowler would have in the first place in his free Discourse p. 161. I receive Christ as my Prophet but he doth not justifie mâ— as he is my Prophet or my King Priest anâ— Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of Goâ— once offered thereby Gods grace Iâ—â— p. 17. Faith as great a vertue as it is yet it putteth us from it self and remitteth or appointeth us unto Chrisâ— for to have only by him remission oâ— our sins or justification so thâ— our faith doth as it were say to uâ— it is not I that take away your sins BUT IT IS CHRIST ONLY to him only I send you for thaâ— purpose forsaking therein all your good vertues words thoughts and works and only putting your trust in Christ Ibid. pag. 18. 2. 'T is not only contrary to her Homilies but also to her Articles of Religion Article 11th We are counted righteous before God only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith and not for our own good works That we are justified by faith alone is a must wholesome Doctrine as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification To which for further proof I refer you And Article the twelfth 't is said thus Albeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification cannot put away our sins Now Mr Fowler or any of his party cannot put off the Doctrine of the Church of England to which he hath subscribed as he doth our learned mens arguments against the Papists by saying as they do that the Apostle meant when he said That we are not justified by works works of the Ceremonial * Mr. Fowler 's Free Discourse p. 186. Law but not the works of the Moral Law or if them Those only which are done by the strength of nature but not those which proceed from faith For the Church of England excludes all our works even those that proceed from Faith And they intended in their Homilies and Articles of Religion Dr. Field of the Church 2d part p 861. We teach that he excludeth all these that is that St. Paul excluded from Justification all the works of Moses Law Ceremonial and Moral to overthrow the false Doctrine of the Church of Rome and to establish the Doctrine of Justification according to the Doctrine of the Gospel in opposition to Popery For it saith expresly That whosoever denieth this Doctrine that Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a CHRISTIAN MAN nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an ADVERSARY to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily for Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. And again That were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sins and so justifie himself Ibid. pag. 17. By which you may see that to deny this Doctrine That we are justified by faith alone and to affirm that we are justified by our own good works is not a Christian but a proud presumptuoâ—â— antichristian Doctrine And to affirm or insinuate that our persons are justified before God partly by our faith and partly by our own good works is also cleaâ—ly against the express Doctrine of the Church of England for 〈◊〉 saith that faith shuteth out good works yea it self as 't is an act habiâ— or work from our justification and remitteth and directeth us to Chrisâ— merits for our justification as may be seen above 3. 'T is contrary also to Canonical Scripture Gal. 2. 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be jâ—stified by the faith of Jesus Christ and not by the works of the Law 〈◊〉 by the works of the Law shall no flesh be
it theâ— he did more sensibly and firmly rest upon God for the performance of his promise to him 2. If mens persons are justified before God by their own personal good works then they are so justified either by those good works they do before their faith or by those that follow after their faith but they are not justified before God by their own personal good works which they do before their Faith nor by those which they do after their Faith or after they believe in Christ therefore they are not justified before God by their own personal works 1. Their persons are not justified before God by their works which they do before they believe in Christ because they are not formally good they are not pleasing unto God for as much as they spring not from faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make men meet to receive grace and so do not dispositivè justifie as Papists hold or as the School-Authors say deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath commanded them to be done we doubt not but that they have the nature of sin So saith the Church of England in her 13th Article of Religion Works done before faith in Christ though they may be materially good yet they are not formally good but are perfectly evil yea are * Virtutes Eâ—hnicorum sunt splendida peccata Rom. 1. 17. sins for whatsoever is not of faith is sin saith St. Paul and the Church of England Rom. 14. 23. Homily of good Works T. 1. p. 30. 2. Their persons are not justified before God by those good works which they do after they believe in Christ and which proceed from Faith in Christ which I prove thus 1. By the twelfth Article of Religion of the Church of England Albeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification cannot put away our sins and endure the severity of Gods judgment 2. Because they are imperfectly good and so stand in need of the perfect righteousness of Christ to cover their infirmities as may be proved by our Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 177. Our acts and deeds be full of imperfectness and infirmity and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christ acts and merits 3. Because they follow the justified and are done after their justification and this argument the Church of England teacheth out of Saint Augustine in her Homily of good works T. 2. p. 82. Good * Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequntur justificatum S. August de fide operibus c. 4. 14. And this Doctrine John Lambert Martyr sealed with his blood Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1091. works go not before in him which shall afterward be justified but good works do follow after when a man is justified 4. Because it was confessed on all hands that no mens persons were ever justified before God by doing of evil works and therefore the Apostle had no need to prove that men were not justified by them but the works of unbelievers are †If an Heathen may cloath the naked feed the hungry and do such other like works yet because he doth them not in faith for the honour and love of God they be but dead vain and fruitless works to him Hom. of Faith p. 31. See there also p 30. all the life of them that lack true faith is sin Ibi. p. 31. evil works for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat 7. 17. And whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Therefore it follows that the Apostle Paul did intend to prove that the good works of men which proceed from faith do not justifie menspersons in Gods sight 5. And lastly Papists themselves distinguishing of a twofold Justification first and second confess that all works are excluded from the first Justification which only is properly Justification their second is Sanctification properly Bellarmine himself Lib. 4 c. 15. de Justificatione confesseth that the Apostle Paul doth in the Epistle to the Romans dispute of the first Justification therefore he excludes all our works from the Justification of our persons before God 4. It is contrary to the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches of Christ as may clearly be seen in the Harmony of Confessions Sect. 9. To give you a sight of some things they declare at large the latter Confession of Helvetia c. 15. saith thus To justifie in the Apostles disputation touching Justification doth signifie to remit sins to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof to receive into favour to pronounce a man just for the Apostle saith to the Romans God is he that justifieth who is he that can condemn where to justifie and condemn are opposed and in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 13. the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that believeth is justified For in the law also and in the Prophets we real Deut. 25. 1. That if a controversie were risen amongst any and they came to judgment the judg shaâ—l judg them that is justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked And in the fifth Chapter of Isaiah Wo to them that justifie the wicked for rewards Now it is most certain that we are all by nature sinners and before the judgment-seat of God convicted of ungodliness and guilty of death but we are justified that is acquitted from sin and death by God the Judg through the grace of Christ alone and not by any respect or merit of ours For what is more plain than that which Paul saith All have sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus for Christ took upon himself and bare the sins of the world and did satisfie the justice of God God therefore is merciful unto our sins for Christ alone that suffered and rose again and doth not impute them to us but he imputeth the justice of Christ unto us for our own so that now we are not only cleansed from sin and purged and holy but also endued with the righteousness of Christ yea and acquitted from sin death and condemnation finally we are righteous and heirs of eternal life To speak properly then it is God alone that justifieth us and that only for Christ by not imputing to us our sins but imputing Christs righteousness unto us But because we do receive this Justification not by any works but by faith in the mercy of God and in Christ therefore we teach and believe with the Apostle that sinful man is justified only by faith in Christ not by the Law or by any works For the Apostle saith Rom. 3. We
conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law To which they add Rom. 4. 2 3. and Ephes 2. 8 9. and say further Therefore because faith doth apprehend Christ our righteousness and doth attribute all to the praise of God in Christ in this respect Justification is attributed to faith chiefly because of Christ whom it receiveth and not because it is a work of ours for it is the gift of God Now that we do receive Christ by faith the Lord sheweth at large Joh. 6. where he putteth eating for believing But it is most clear in Joh. 1. 12. and believing for eating for as by eating we receive meat so by believing we are made partakers of Christ therefore we do not part the benefit of justification giving part to the grace of God or to Christ and a part to our selves our charity works or merit but we do attribute it wholly to the praise of God in Christ and that through faith And moreover our charity and our works cannot please God if they be done of such as are not just wherefore we must first be just before we can love or do any just works We are made just as we said through faith in Christ by the meer grace of God who doth not impute unto us our sins but imputeth unto us the righteousness of Christ yea and our saith in Christ is imputed for righteousness unto us The Church of Basil saith thus We confess the remission of siâ—â— through faith in Christ crucified and though this faith doth without intermission exercise and shew forth it self in the works of charity and by this means is tried yet we do not attribute righteousness and satisfaction for our sins unto works which are fruits of faith but only to a true confidence and faith in the blood of the Lamb of God shed for us There may be seen the Confessions of Faith of the Churches of Bohemia France Belgia or Holland Ausburg Saxony Wirtemberg Scotland to which might be added the Confession of Faith of the Church of Ireland agreed upon Ann. 1615. in Articles 34 35 36 37. but they being almost the same verbatim with the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England for brevities sake I forbear But I pray take and consider the Confession of Faith of England and Scotland made by the late learned and orthodox Assembly of Divines Chapter the eleventh of Justification Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone nor by imputing faith it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith which faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness is the alone instrument of Justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead faith but worketh by love Now let any indifferent and judicious and impartial man compare this with the ancient Doctrine of the Church of England set down in her Books of Articles of Christian Religion and Homilies and then judg whether it be not more consonant thereunto and also to Sacred Canonical Scripture than is 1. Dr. H. Hammond's * Practical Catechism p. 1649. p. 31. p 41. p. 33. p. 29. who saith That sincere obedience with faith justifies mens persons before God Or 2. Dr. Sim. Patricks †Parab of Pilgrim p. 511. 〈◊〉 who saith That new obedience must go before we can expect to be justified by the grace of God And thus * p. 32. Suffer not your faith to rest no not on Christ till it animate you to a free and cheerful obedience to all his commands Which destroys the faith of adherence and founds Faith upon his own works and not solely upon Christ if he means as he must do an actual animation to such an obedience as he speaks of Who saith also That good works are * Friendly Debate p. 13 14. necessary to justification He must mean a priori and antecedent to Justification else he speaks not ad rem but cuffs the man of clouts of his own making for all men even those he pleads against hold that they necessarily follow it And that faith justifies as 't is effectual by love to our Saviour he must mean so else he answers not his question How can this be seeing we are justified by faith only very well saith he for it is not an idle ineffectual faith which justifies but that which works by love to our Saviour and love is the keeping of his Commandments Which implys that Faith justifies our persons before God either as 't is a work or as 't is working by love and so he makes good works * Mans righteousness cannot make himself righteous either in part or in whole Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 17. concauses at least with Faith of our Justification before God or that faith doth justifie our persons before God by good works of which Justification he would perhaps too have love the form as Papists would have it to be And this seems to be his meaning and of his Pilgrims guide to Jerusalem or rather to Rome because he faith It cannot be understood nor defined without works which implys that good works are of the constitutive essence of Faith Par. Pilgrim p. 139. and that all definitions of justifying faith that separate obedience from faith are but cheats and dangerous illusions And thence he derides the words recumbency adhesion rest acquiescence as lazie and slovenly expressions of Faith as justifying though our * Vrsin Catechism p. 27â— q. 21. p. 134. Bp. Davenants Determin 39. and of Justif c. 32 p. 411. Bp. Downham of Justif l. 6. c. 4. Dr. Ames Med. Theol. l. 1. c. 3 R. 4. Pareus in Act 15. 6. judicious learned and orthodox Divines have commonly used them in defining Faith as justifying Or 3. Mr. Fowler 's who saith That justifying faith is such a belief of the truth of the Gospel as includes a sincere resolution of obedience unto all its precepts or true holiness in the nature of it and that it justifies as it doth so Who saith also †Design of Christianity c. 19. p. 221 223. That this principle admitted viz. that faith justifies only as it apprehendeth the merits and righteousness of Christ gives advantage to Antinomianism Who saith That * Free Discourse part 1. p. 164. In the 160 page of his Free Discourse he saith that faith justifieth as it worketh by love And in p. 159. he saith it justifieth as it implieth obedience Justification is mostly
your abundant modesty to call A. B. Vsher Bishop Downham Bishop Davenant Mr. Perkins Pemble Dr. Ames and many others of our own learned orthodox Divines besides many more of foreign Countries consider not Faith as 't is the principle of good works but according to its proper office as justifying which is to rest trust upon to receive and apply and so in that office it actually needs no good works or vertues to be coupled with it because it is but the souls instrument to apprehend and apply the righteousness of Christ that is freely offered in the Gospel to it self and which no other grace or work of man doth or can do as was shewed before * Dr. Patrick calls this I am nought I have nought his Pilgrims charm Par. Pilgr p. 283. Which sure is not so good a comparison as Mr. T. W. his painted post is of an hypocrite condemned by him in his Debate He that will be Christs disciple must deny himself and his own righteousness as Paul did Phil. 3. 7. 8 9. Christ will be a whole Saviour or none at all He that comes to Christ for justification with his own good works in his hand doth in effect say that he hath in truth some but not much need of him and his righteousness and thereby he incapacitates himself to lay hold upon and receive Christ and his merits for inâ—us existens prohibet extraneum he must let go his own works before he can apprehend and relye only upon Christs merits as he must do as was evidenced before out of the Doctrine of our Church of England which saith * Hom of Salv. of Mank p. 17. We must trust only in Gods mercy and that sacrifice which our high Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of God once offered for us upon the Cross to obtain thereby Gods grace For further and fuller confutation of this gross and most Antichristian error not to say heresie as Dr. Slater calls it I refer you back to what I have alledged out of the Church of Englands Books of Homilies and Articles of Religion upon the serious reading of which and their Books and comparing them together all judicious and sound Christians will find that there is great cause for all men to take heed of their Books as of cheats and dangerous illusions to use Dr. Patrick's words by which they have defamed the sincere and sound professors and assertors of the true and pure Protestant Religion which to do their learned Dr. H. More in his Mystery * Lib. 2. c. 13. p. 〈◊〉 This saith he must needs be very antichristian and uncharitable to misrepresent mens actions and opinions in publick speeches or writings or invent notorious lyes or fictions in the disparagement of mens persons and Doctrines and suborn men to write them and divulge them to the world for truths which is to do as was the custome of those who were under the Dragon that old Serpent and false accuser of the ancient Primitive Christians c. of Iniquity saith is one part of Antichristianism and cunningly under the pretence of confuting the errors and reproving the follies and infirmities of Nonconforming Protestants to those errors and impositions and modes of worship and government which they profess they like very well have printed what they have preached I cannot tell not to say Arminian Socinian but Popish Errors contrary to the express word of God and the sound and clear Doctrine of the Church of England to which 't is believed they have subscribed if not declared their assent and consent yea even that antifundamental error or rather heresie of Justification of sinners persons before God by their own inherent righteousness or good works and thereby slighted our free Justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ apprehended and applied alone by true Faith in Jesus Christ which is in effect denying the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their Dr. More shews in his Mystery of Iniquity and is obvious to every man that fully understands what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and that is not resolved virtually to deny Christ to be come in the flesh and to profess himself to be fallen from grace as the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3. Gal. 5. 4. From all which I shall not peremptorily conclude any thing but only ask this question as Dr. Patrick Friendly Debate pag. 2 3. doth Can he be a good subject a good * Hom. of Salvat of Mankind p. 16 17. before quoted and alledged Christian and a Minister of Christ that doth so To conclude 't is true that good works do either actually or habitually accompany a true justifying Faith or do follow a justified person but they have no hand or efficiency at all in the justification of a sinners person before God as the Doctrine of the Church of England plainly shews We are justified by Faith with works associativè but not by Faith and works copulativè that is we are justified by that Fâ—â—â—h that is accompanied with works but not by the works that do accompany it as concauses with it thereof but by faith alone because that only and no other vertue grace or work doth or can do it apprehends and applies that which doth justifie our persons before God viz. Christs righteousness ART IV. That Faith that doth justifie sinners persons before God is a bare and naked assent to the truth of Gods word and that so and as an act habit or work in us it justifies THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homily of the Salvation of Mankind p. 17. which saith thus The true meaning of this Doctrine We be freely justified by faith without works is not that this our own act to believe in Christ or that this faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us For that were to count our selves to be justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but the true meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have faith we must renounce the merit of our said vertues c. And in the Homily of Christs Death and Passion T. 2. part 2. p. 1â—7 thus The only mean or instrument of Salvation required of our part is faith that is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God c. ut supra where 't is clear that the faith that doth justifie us is not a bare notitia or knowledg of and assensus assent unto the truth of Gods word but also as our sound Divines do hold and maintain Bishop Davenant Determ 37. fiducia a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercy c. So also in Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 20. A true and right Christian is not only to believe the holy Scriptures and all the Articles of our Christian Faith that is to assent to them but also to have a sure trust and confidence
have quoted your own approved Authors Take therefore the Confession of Protestant Churches in this matter 1. The Confession of Belgia who Article 22 say thus Yet to speak properly we do not mean that faith by it self or of it self doth justifie us which is but only an instrument whereby we apprehend Christ which is our justice Christ therefore himself is our righteousness which imputeth all his merits unto us faith is but the instrument whereby we are coupled unto him by a participation and communion of all his benefits 2. See also the Confession of Ausburg who say thus When therefore we do say that we are justified by faith we do not mean that we are just for the worthiness of that vertue but this is our meaning that we do obtain remission of sins and imputation of righteousness by mercy shewed us for Christs sake But now this mercy cannot be received but by faith and faith doth not signifie here only a knowledg of the History but it signifieth a belief of the promise of mercy which is granted us through our Mediator Jesus Christ And seeing that faith is in this sort understood of a * Not of a strong fancying as Mr. Fowler saith they do Free Discourse p. 127 p. 130 confidence and trust of mercy St. Paul and St. James do not disagree for whereas James saith the Devils believe and tremble he speaketh of an Historical faith now this faith doth not justifie for the wicked and the Devils are cunning in the History But Paul when he saith faith is reckoned for righteousness heâ— speaketh of a trust and confidence of mercy promised for Christs sake whom we must receive by faith And so it goes on Harmony of Confessions Sect. the ninth 3. And the Synod of Dort in the second Chapter and fourth Error rejected the Synod having delivered the Orthodox Doctrine rejecteth the Errors of them Who teach that the New Covenant of Grace which God the Father by the Mediation of Christs death made with men doth not consist herein viz. That we are justified before God and saved by faith in so much as it apprehends the merits of Christ but herein viz. That God the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated reputes faith it self and the imperfect obedience of faith for perfect obedience of the Law and graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternal life For these contradict the Scripture Rom. 3. 24 25. All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And with wicked Socinus they bring in an uncouth and strange justification of man before God Arminians Socinians and Papists agree in this Antichristian Doctrine contrary to the consent of the whole Church 4. The Confession of Faith of the Church of Ireland made as Dr. Heylin saith by A B. Vsher and assented and consented to by the whole Clergy there and allowed and confirmed by the Parliament there and by King James here Anno 1615 When we say that we are justified by faith only we do not mean that the said justifying faith is alone in man without true repentance hope charity and the fear of God for such a faith is dead and cannot justifie Neither do we mean that this our act to believe in Christ or this our faith in Christ which is within us doth of it self justifie us or deserve our Justification unto us for that were to account our selves to be justified by the vertue or dignity of something that is within our selves but the true understanding and meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have Faith Hope Charity Repentance and the fear of God within us and add never so many good works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our said vertues of Faith Hope Charity and all other vertues and good deeds which we either have done shall do or can do as things that be far too weak and unperfect and unsufficient to deserve remission of our sins and our justification and therefore we must trust only in Gods mercy and the merits of his most dearly beloved Son our only Redeemer Saviour and Justifier Jesus Christ Nevertheless because Faith directly sends us to Christ for our Justification and that by faith given us of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercy and the remission of our sins which thing none other of our vertues or works properly doth therefore the Scripture useth to say that faith without works and the ancient Fathers of the Church to the same purpose that only faith doth justifie us By justifying faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion and a perswasion of the truth of Gods word in general but also a particular application of the gracious promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits having an earnest trust and confidence in God that he will be merciful to us for his only Sons sake Articles 36. 37. This is almost the same that I have before alledged out of our Books of Homilies 6. I shewed before the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland to be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the late learned and Orthodox Assembly of Divines That God doth freely justifie those whom he hath effectually called not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone not by imputing faith it self the act of believing or any â—ther Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness C. 11. And in their larger Catechism p. 95. which would be very useâ—ul and profitable not only for all young Students but also for our â—roud conceited Photinian Divines to study they shew how Faith doth â—ustifie Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other graces which do always accompany it or of good works that are the fruits of it nor as if the grace of faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for his Justification but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness Gal. 3. 11. Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 4. 5. with Rom. 10. 10. Joh. 1. 12. Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 2. 16. I conclude this particular with what Cicero said Oratio 19. to Cataline Nihil horum ora vultusque movêre ART V. That the persons of true Believers in Christ are not justified before God by the righteousness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ imputed to them on Gods part and apprehended and applied by faith alone on their part THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England 1. In her 11th Article of Religion We are accounted righteous before God only
Writer of our Church have been delivered to us and we reject the sâ—â— of the Jesuits Arminians and all others wherein they differ frâ—â— us To be seen in Dr. Heylins Cyprianus Anglicus l. 3. p. 190. Aâ— the Parliament afterward declared 〈◊〉 presly the Articles of Lambeth to be 〈◊〉 Articles of Lambeth declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England Doctrine of this Church of England 〈◊〉 that all that did oppose them were to 〈◊〉 called in question which declaratioâ— Heylin informs us of in his Cyp. Angliâ—â— l. 3. p. 197. The Synod of Dort in which were several of our Learnâ—â— and Orthodox Divines as Bishop Carleton Davenant Hall Dr. Ward Dr. Belcanquall in their 1st Chapter and 9th Article say thus This said Election was made not upon foresight of faith and the obedience of faith holiness or of any other good quality or disposition as a cause or condition before required in men to be chosen but unto faith and the obedience of faith holiness c. and therefore Election is the fountain of all saving-good from whence faith holiness and the residue of saving-gifts lastly everlasting life it self do flow as the fruits and effects thereof according to that of the Apostle Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen us not because we were but that we should be holy and without blame before him in love And therefore Error the 5th they reject as erroneous the Doctrine of them who teach That the incompleat and not peremptory Election We deny any such incompleat Election of singular persons is made by reason of foreseen Faith Repentance Sanctity and Godliness begun or continued for some time but the compleat and peremptory Election by reason of the final perseverance of foreseen Faith Repentance Sanctity and Godliness and this is the gracious and evangelical worthiness by which he that is chosen becomes worthier than he that is not chosen and therefore that faith the obedience of faith sanctity godliness and perseverance are not the fruits and effects of unchangeable Election unto glory but conditions and causes sine quibus non that is to say without which a thing is not brought to pass before required and foreseen as already performed by those who are compleatly to be chosen A thing repugnant to the whole Scripture which everywhere beats into our ears and hearts these and such-like sayings Rom. 9. 11. Election is not of works but of him that calleth Act. 13. 48 As many as were ordained unto life-eternal believed Ephes 1. 4 He hath chosen us that we should be holy John 15. 16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you Rom. 11. 6 If of grace not of works 1 John 4. 10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he first loved us and sent his Son c. The Church of Scotland saith That those of manking that are predestinated unto life God before the foundations of the world were laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory out of his meer free-grace and love without any foresight of faith or good works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the creature as conditions or causes moving hiâ— thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious grace Whiâ—â— Confession may be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the 〈◊〉 learned Assembly of Divines c. 3. Art 5. 4. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine and Confession of our godly Maâ—tyrs Robert Clover Master of Arts and Martyr in answer to 〈◊〉 Devil objecting against him his own unworthiness saith That 〈◊〉 Fathers before him were no bringers of any goodness to Goâ— but altogether receivers they choâ—â— not God first but God chose thâ—â— Fox his Acts and Monuments in one Folio p. 1618. 2 Col. first they loved not God first 〈◊〉 he loved them first yea he boâ—â— loved and chose them when thâ—â— were his enemies full of sin and corruption and void of 〈◊〉 goodness And that stout and learned and orthodox Martyr Mr. John Philpot in answer to Dr. Saverson and saying thâ—â— Where is there one of your Synagogues of Rome that ever hâ—â— been able to answer any of the godly learned Ministers of 〈◊〉 many who have disclosed your counterfeit Religion Which 〈◊〉 you all at this day is able to answer Calvins Institutions whâ—â—â— is Minister of Geneva To whom Dr. Saverson said A goâ—â— Minister indeed of Cut-purses and Runnagate Traitors and of 〈◊〉 I can tell you there is such contention fallen between him and 〈◊〉 own Sects that he was fain to fly 〈◊〉 Town * A gross lye or mistake which Hooker in his Preface to his Eccles Pol. confutes about Predestination 〈◊〉 whom and which John Philpot 〈◊〉 swereth thus I am sure you blaspheâ—â— that godly man and that godly Câ—â— where he is Minister as it is your Churches condition when you 〈◊〉 not answer men by learning to oppress them with blasphemies and 〈◊〉 reports for in the matter of Predestiâ—â—tion * Fox Acts and Monuments in one Volume p. 1697. 2 Col. HE IS IN NO OTHER OPINION THAN ALL THE DOCTORâ— OF THE CHURCH BE AGREEING TO THE SCRIPTURES Mark 〈◊〉 words for the matter of Predestination he that is Calvin is of 〈◊〉 other opinion than all the Doctors of the Church be and agreeiâ—â— to the Scriptures And in answer to the Bishop of Coventrey 〈◊〉 said plainly thus * Fox Acts and Monuments in one Volume p. 1721. 1 Col. I allow the Church of Geneva and the Doctrine of the same for it is una Catholica Apostolica and doth follow the Doctrine the Apostles did teach And when his Keeper at Newgate his old acquaintance promised him all kindness and favour if he would recant his Heresie he answered resolutely and plainly thus I will never recant whilest I have my life that which I have spoken for Fox Acts and Monuments in one Volume p. 1722. 2 Col. it is a most certain truth and in witness whereof I will seal it with my blood which he did few days after Now what Calvin held concerning Predestination in general may be seen at large in his Institutions and what of this one particular may be found there lib. 3. c. 22. Sect. 1 2 3. clear against the Doctrine of Papists concerning Gods electing man to salvation for his foreseen faith c. and Sect. 6. may be seen his Doctrine clearly against Popish and Arminian Writers exposition of the 9th Chapter to the Romans where Mr. Fowlers shifts and glosses are answered too which he hath cunningly and perniciously inserted in pag. 263 c. of his free Discourse too large now here to be inserted I have been the larger in setting down these Confessions because Archbishop Laud in his too much applauded Relation of his Conference with Fisher p. 36. saith thus The Church of Rome and Protestants set not up a different Religion
Barjona for flesh and blood hath 〈◊〉 revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven 2 Cor. 3. 5 〈◊〉 that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 〈◊〉 our sufficiency is of God Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing 〈◊〉 Christ Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to 〈◊〉 his good pleasure Ephes 2. 8. For by grace ye are saved through faâ—â—â— and that grace or that faith is not of your selves It is the gift of 〈◊〉 And so is repentance the gift of God Act. 5. 31. Act. 11. 18. 2 〈◊〉 2. 25. If God will give them repentanceâ— to the acknowledgement of 〈◊〉 truth 3. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Protestant Churches As 1. To the eighth Article of Lambeth which as you hearâ— before was declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England The eighth Article of Lambeth is this No man can come to Christ unlesâ—â— it be given to him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men 〈◊〉 drawn by the Father that they come to the Son 2. To the 32 Article of Religion of Ireland None can come 〈◊〉 Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father draw him 〈◊〉 all men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come unto the Soâ—â— neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto eveâ— man whereby he is enabled to come unto * The nature of man through the transgression of our first parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow thereof saving an inclination to â—ill those only excepted whom of his grace he hath sanctified and purged from their Original leprosie King James his Declaration against Vorstius p. 368. of his Works everlasting life This Confession includes the 8th and 7th Articles of Lambeth 3. To the latter Confession of Helvetia which saith thus Therefore man not as yet regenerate hath no free will to good no strength to perform that which is good In regeneration the understanding is illuminated by the Holy Ghost that it may understand both mysteries and will of God and the will it self is not only changed by the Spirit but is also endued with faculties that of its own accord it may both will and do good Harmony of Confessions Sec. 4. c. 9. p. 62 63. and the like may be there seen in the former Confession of Helvetia p. 65. art 9. See the Confession of Bohemia For that will of man which before was free is now so corrupted troubled and weakned that now from henceforth of it self and without the grace of God it cannot chuse judg or wish nay it hath no desire nor inclination much less any ability to chuse that good wherewith God is pleased Harmony of Confessions Sect. 4. p. 68. The Confession of the French Church is much to the same effect there to be seen p. 70. and there in the same Section is the Confession of Belgia full and clear to the same purpose with notable proofs out of Scripture against mans natural power to convert himself to God as John 3. 27. John 6. 44. Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Phil. 2. 13. John 15. 5. And p. 74. of the same Section is the Confession of Auspurg to the same purpose And p. 75. they say thus We condemn the Pelagians and all such as they are who teach that by the only powers of * This is directly contrary to Dr. Patricks Doctrine before recited in the Margent nature without the holy Spirit we may love God above all and fulfill the Law of God as touching the substance of our actions The Confession of the Church of Saxony is to the same effect there to be seen p. 77. That man by his natural strength is not able to free himself from sin and eternal death but this freedom and conversion of man to God and this spiritual newness is wrought by the Son of God quickning us by his Holy Spirit In the same Section p. 82 83. the Church of Wirtemberg saith thus And whereas some affirm that so much integrity of mind was left to man after his fall that by his natural strength and good works he is able to convert and prepare himself to faith and the invocating of God it is flatly contrary to the Apostolicâ— Doctrine and the true consent of the Catholick Church Rom. 5 By one mans trespass evil was derived unto all men unto condemnation Ephes 2. When ye were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times paâ—â— ye walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince c and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others he saith Dead in sins and the children of wrath that is strangers from thâ— grace of God But as a man being corporally dead is not able by his oâ—â— strength to trepare or convert himself to receive corporal life so be which is so spiritually dead is not able by his own power to câ—â—vert himself to receive spiritual life The Synod of Dort c. 〈◊〉 Article 3. say thus All men are conceived in sin and born 〈◊〉 children of wrath untoward to all good tending to salvation forward to evil dead in sins slaves of sin and neither will nor 〈◊〉 without the grace of the Holy Ghost regenerating them 〈◊〉 streight their own crooked nature no not so much as dispose theâ— selves to the amending of it And Article 4. they say thus Bâ—â— so far short is he from being enabled by this imbred light to coâ— to the saving knowledg of God and to convert himself unto hiâ— that he doth not make right use thereof in natural things and â—vil affairs nay that which it is he many ways defileth it all 〈◊〉 withholdeth it in unrighteousness and by so doing becomâ—â— inexcusable before God Who in the 4th error rejected reject thâ— error of those that teach That an unregenerated man is not properly nor totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength tendâ—â— to all spiritual good but that he is able to hunger and thirst aftâ—â— righteousness or everlasting life and to offer the sacrifice of 〈◊〉 humble and contrite heart even such as is acceptable unto God For these assertions march against the direct testimonies of Scripture Ephes 2. 1 5. Ye were dead in trespasses and sins Gen. 6. 5. 8. 11. Every imagination of the thought of mans heart is only evil continally Moreover the hungring and thirsting for deliverance out of misery 〈◊〉 for life-eternal as also the offering to God the sacrifice of a broken â—â—eâ—â— is proper to the regenerate and such as are called blessed Psal 51. 1â— Matth. 5. 6. That the efficacious grace of God in mans effectual calling or conversion doth not depend upon the aptitude or co-operâ—tion of the will of man but is from the supernatural work of Goâ—â— which the holy Scripture calls the drawing of the Father to the
due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity As the godly consideration of Predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be injoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God Now this is very true and excellently good and comfortable Doctrine in which are many truths against the Church of Rome and heâ— followers very remarkable As 1. That Gods decree of Election or Predestination unto eternal life is immutable and not changeable as Papists and Arminians hold very erroneously for 't is called Gods everlasting purpose whereby 〈◊〉 hath constantly decreed by his counsel The decrees of God are in Godâ— and whatsoever is in God is God and God is immutable Mal. 3. 6. I am tâ—â— Decretum Dei est ipsissima Dei voluntas Wol. Chr. Theol. l. 1. c. 3. p. 20. Et quicquid est in Deo est ipse Deus Decreta Dei secundum esse absolutum sunt ipse Deus Maccovius Redivivus Theol. Polem c. 6 p. 6. c. 7 p. 63. Lord I change not Jam. 1. 17 With Gâ—â— there is no variableness nor shadow of turning Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Gods loâ—â— to his elect in Christ is unchangeable Isa 54. 8. With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Jer. 31. 3. The Lord hath appeareâ— of old unto me saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 32. 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will 〈◊〉 turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearâ—â— that they shall not depart from me John 13. 1. Jesus loved his own which were in the world to the end John 10 28 29. Christ sâ—ith of his sheep thus I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither sâ—â— any man pluck them out of my hands My Father which gave them me 〈◊〉 greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand I and my Father are one John 17. 9 20. Christ hath prayed for them not only that their faith fail not as he prayed for Peter Luk. 22. 32 but that they may be delivered from the evil of the world v. 15. and that they may be one and that they may be with him v. 21 24. Rom. 8. 35 36 38 39. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ See for this also the 3d Article of Lambeth declared as I shewed before to be the Doctrine of the Church of England which is this There 〈◊〉 predestinated a certain number of the predestinate which can neither bâ— augmented nor diminished See also the 13th Article of the Religion of the Church of Ireland which is this By the same eternal counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto * Which is the first Article of Lambeth death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be increased noâ— diminished See also the Synod of Dort c. 1. of Predestination Can. 7. Election is the UNCHANGEABLE What Election is purpose of God by which before the foundations of the world according to the most free pleasure of his will and of his meer grace out of all mankind fallen through their own default from their first integrity into sin and destruction he hath chosen in Christ unto salvation a set-number of certain men neither better nor more worthy than others but lying in the common misery with others which Christ also from all eternity he appointed the Mediator and head of all the elect and foundation of salvation and so he decreed to give them to him to be saved and by his Word and Spirit effectually to call and draw them to a communion with him that is to give them a true faith in him to justifie sanctifie and finally glorifie them being mightily kept in the communion of his Son to the demonstration of his mercy and praise of the riches of his glorious grace as it is written Ephes 1. 4 5 6. Rom. 8. 30. Canon 11 12. of the same Chapter As God himself is most wise unchangeable omniscient and omnipotent so the Election made by him can neither be interrupted nor changed revoked or disannulled the elect cast away nor their number diminished Of this their eternal and immutable election unto salvation the elect in their time although by several degrees and in a different measure are assured and that not by searching curiously into the depths and secrets of God but by observing in themselves with spiritual joy and holy pleasure the infallible fruits of Election signed out unto us in Gods word such as are a true faith in Christ a filial fear of God grief for our sins hungring and thirsting after righteousness And the Synod rejects the error of those who teach That not all election unto salvation is unchangeable but that some which are elected notwithstanding Gods decree may perish and for ever do perish by which gross error they both make God mutable and overthrow the comfort of the godly concerning the certainty of their salvation and contradict the holy Scriptures teaching Matth. 24. 24. That the â—lect cannot be seduced John 6. 39 That Christ doth not lose those which â—â—e given to him of his Father Rom. 8 30 That God whom he hath preâ—estinated called justified them he doth also glorifie 2. That Gods decree of predestination to eternal life was made by â—â—m before the foundations of the world were laid as may be seen also in the first Article of Lambeth-Articles which is this God froâ— eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life and certain men hâ—â— he reprobated And also in the 13th Article of Ireland which coâ—tains the same Doctrine in the same words that our 17th Artiâ—â— doth and also in the Synod of Dort c. 1. Canon 7. before fâ—â— recited and Canon 8. they say That this Election is not maniâ—oâ—â— but one and the same of all which are to be saved both under â—â— Old and New Testament because the Scripture speaks but of 〈◊〉 only good pleasure purpose and counsel of the Will of God 〈◊〉 which he hath chosen us from eternity both unto grace and gloâ—â— both unto salvation and the way of salvation which he hath prâ—â— pared that we should walk therein and according to this Doctrine is
Christs Church which is his mystical body are inseparably knit together to Christ and to one another Hypocrites may be externally by outward profession and separably united to the Church and Christ but true believers in Christ abide in Christ Joh. 15. 2. they are inseparably united to Christ else as was said before Christ may lose his peculiar people yea be a head without a body for if one of his members may be eternally separated from See Dr. Field of the Church his Appendix part 1. p. 833. That the elect called according to Gods purpose have that grace that excludeth sin from reigning and that this grace once had by them is never totally nor finally lost him then others may also and if others then all of them may be so separated from him for there is the same reason of one that there is of another yea of all Our Saviour saith Not one of them his Father gave him is lost John 17. 12. yea the Apostle speaks fully that nothing shall be able to separate us that are in Christ Jesus from the love of Gâ—â— which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. Those whom Chriâ—â— loved he loved to the end John 13. 1. Isa 54. 8. But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeeâ—â— Jerem. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefâ—â— with loving kindness have I drawn thee Jerem. 32. 40. And I 〈◊〉 make an everlasting covenant with thâ—â— that I will not turn away from them 〈◊〉 do them good but I will put my feâ—â— Vide King James his Declaration against Vorstius wherein he called the Doctrine of the Apostasie of the Saints taught by Bertius a Scholar of Arminius that enemy to God an heretical blasphemous and wicked Doctrine in their hearts that they shall not depart from me and Rom. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 gifts and calling of God are witâ—â— repentance Gods decree of Eleâ—â— is unchangeable and therefore thâ—â—â— gifts that flow from it are imâ—â— table too God taketh not thâ—â—â— away from them neither can thâ—â— that have them lose them Chrâ—â—â— prayed for them John 17. 9 15 19 20 24. and Bishop Mountagâ—â— himself confesseth that Christ was ever heard in what he prayâ—â— for ART IX That the corruption of our nature commonly called Original sin which remaineth in truly regenerated persons after Baptism is not properly a sin THis I renounce 1. because 't is contrary to the sound Doctrine of the Church of England in Homily of Christs Nativity T. 2. p. 167. where we may read how excellently man was made after Gods own Image and that Adam falling into sin had in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness but being altogether spoâ—ted insomuch that he seemed to be altogether a lump of sin and therefore by the just judgment of God was justly condemned to everlasting death and this plague fell not only upon himself but also upon all his posterity and children for ever as St. Paul Rom. 5. By one mans offence sin entred upon all many were made sinners by which words we are taught that as in Adam all men universally sinned so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin that is became mortal and subject unto death having nothing in themselves but everlasting damnation both of body and soul they became as David saith corrupt and abominable they went all out of the way there was none that did good no not one And in the Homily of the Death of Christ T. 2. p. 184. Is not sin think you a grievous thing in Gods sight seeing for the transgression of Gods Precept in eating of one apple he condemned all the world to perpetual death and would not be pacified but only with the blood of his own Son And in Homily of Christs Resurrection T. 2. p. 195. Hard it is to subdue and resist our nature so corrupt and leavened with the sowre bitterness of the poyson which we received by the inheritance of our old Fatheâ— Adam But more fully the Church of England in her 9th Article of Religion of Original sin thus Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendered of the off-spriâ—â— of Adam whereby man is very far gone from Original Righteousâ—â— and is of his own nature inclined to evil so that the flesh lusteth 〈◊〉 ways contrary to the spirit and therefore in every person 〈◊〉 into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and 〈◊〉 infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regeneratâ—â— whereby the lust of the flesh called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiâ—â— some do expound the wisdom some sensuality some the affectioâ—â— some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the law of God 〈◊〉 although there is no condemnation for them that believe and 〈◊〉 baptized yet the Apostle doth confess that concupiscence and 〈◊〉 hath in it self the nature of sin In which Article is declared 1. That Original sin doth not consist in following or imitating of 〈◊〉 in sinning against God as Pelagians vainly teach 2. That Original sin is the FAULT AND CORRUPTION of 〈◊〉 nature of every man that by ordinary generation descends from 〈◊〉 Psal 51. 5. Rom. 7. 15. Gal. 4. 17. Jam. 1. 17. 1 Pet. 2. 11. 3. That Original sin deserves Gods wrath and damnation in every â—â—â—son so born into this world Rom. 7. 23 24. Gal. 5. 17. Ephes 2. 3. 4. That Original sin is and remains in every person so born eveâ—â— them that are regenerated Rom. 7. from vers 7. to vers 25. 5. That concupiscence oâ— lust hath in it the nature of sin Rom. 〈◊〉 11 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 23 24. Gal. 5. 17. Now sum up what the Church of England saith of Original sin 〈◊〉 then judg whether she doth not affirm that Original sin is propâ—â— a sin 2. Because 't is contrary to the sound Doctrine of other reformâ—â— Churches to be seen in the Harmony of Confessions Sec. 4. p. 〈◊〉 1. 'T is contrary to the latter Confession of Helvetia Man was frâ—â— the beginning created of God after the Image of God in righteâ—â— ness and true holiness good and upright but by the instinct of 〈◊〉 â—â—rpent and his own fault falling from goodness and uprightâ—â—â— became subject to sin death and sundry calamities and such 〈◊〉 one as he became by his fall such are all his off-spring even 〈◊〉 ject to sin death and sundry calamities and we take sin to be 〈◊〉 natural corruption of man derived or spread from those our 〈◊〉 parents unto us all through which we being drowned in evil 〈◊〉 â—upiscences and clean turned away from God but prone to 〈◊〉 evil full of all wickedness distrust contempt and hatred of Goâ—â— can do no good of our selves no not so much as think of any 2.
Ceremonies Protestants answer As if the inspiration of God did not make God the author of the fact as well as the command expressed in his word Otherwise it were lawful for the Papists to conclude by the same reason that they have authority to institute new Sacrifices and Sacraments Bellarmine replies and saith That the Congregation made a new Feast Esth 9. 1. Mac. 4. Protestants answer That the first was political the second was to be disallowed Bellarmine saith the Apostles instituted a new Ceremony Act. 15. Protestants answer That there was no new ceremony instituted but a respect to scandal in tollerating an old ceremony Bellarmine saith the Church may institute some things and ceremonies are not repugnant to the Gospel neither hath the Lord forbidden that we should add no ceremonies for the more commodious and profitable administration of the Sacraments Protestants answer 1. The Church cannot appoint any new thing by her own authority 2 Carnal ceremonies void of the Spirit as all humane ceremonies are are repugnant Hildersham proves from Job 4. 23. that humane Ceremonies are forbidden in the Gospel in loc Bishop Andrews in Command 2. p. 263 or 255. Dr. Reynolds Conference with Hart c. 8. d. 4. p. 565. John Launder Thomas Iveson John Denly Martyrs professed that they believed that the Ceremonies used here in Q. Maries days were naught vain superfluous superstitious which they sealed with their blood Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1593 1594 1595 1598. to the perfection of the New Testament 3. Humane ceremonies can make â—o more to the commodious and profitable administration of Christs Sacraments as they were administred by Christ and his Apostles than the decrees of faith made by men do make more commodiously to illustrate the faith revealed by Christ What shall we think that certain new men have a better insight and know better what ceremonies are to be used in Baptism than the holy Apostles and Christ himself So of the Supper too Bellarmine saith That ceremonies iustituted by the Church cannot be omitted without sin yea not without scandal Protestants answer There cannot be instituted Religious ceremonies by the Church without sin and therefore they may be omitted without sin and ought to be omitted 4. That we cannot fully and perfectly perform all that the Law of God requireth for Christ saith plainly That when we have done all we can do we are unprofitable servants Which shews that we cannot perfectly keep the Law for if we could we should be profitable servants getting thereby much glory to God and everlasting life to our selves Do this and thou shalt live And the Homily of the Death of Christ T. 2. part 2. p â—82 saith Our acts and deeds be full of imperfectness and infirmity and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christs acts and merits And again in the same Page it saith thus of Adam after his fall He could not keep the Law neither if Adam and his posterity had been able to satisfie and fulfill the Law perfectly in loving God above all things and their neighbours as themselves then should they have easily quenched the Lords wrath and escaped the horrible sentence of eternal death For 't is written Do this and thou shalt live that is fulfil my Commandments keep thy self upright and perfect in them according to my will then thou shalt live and not die But such was the frailty of mankind after his fall such was his weakness that he could not walk uprightly in Gods Commandments though he would never so fain but daily and hourly fell from his bounden duty offending the Lord his God divers ways to the great increase of his condemnation all are gone astray Our frailty is such that we can never of our selves fulfil the Law according to that the Law requireth And our 15th Article of Doctrine saith thus That all we the rest that is besides Christ although baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Yea the Popes Doctrine viz. That meer men since Adams fall can in this life perfectly fulfil Gods whole Moral Law is not only contrary to Sacred Scripture the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homilieâ— and Articles but also her Book of Common Prayers As to the Lords-Prayer wherein Christ taught his holy Apostles and all Gods children to say every day Forgive us our trespasses To our commoâ— general Confession We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts We have offended against thy holy Laws We have left undone those things we ought to have done and we have done those things we ought not to have done And 't is contrary to the prayer after every Commandment for pardon of sin committed against it Lord have mercy upon us Yea the Litany might be brought against Papists in this point And Prov. 7. 20. Rom. 7. 15. 17 18 20 23 24 1 Joh. 1. 8 9 10. and contrary also to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches to be seen in the Harmony of Confession Sect. 4. and the 43 Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland and the fourth Article of the 16th Chapter of the Confession of Faith of Scotland Yea the gates of Hell I believe will never be able to overthrow that Faith in that Confession made by that Assembly Heâ—â— what Shelford Serm. p. 121 127 136 139 147. and White Bishop of Eli on the Sabbath p. 157. say for mans ability to fulfil the Law against the Doctrine of the Church of England and what Shelford saith for works of Supererogation Serm. p. 184. may be seen in Laudensium Autocatacrisis p 70 71. And what Bishop Forbes saith in his Book de Justificatione may be seen in the Supplement thereunto p. 300. And what Dr. Patrick saith may be seen in his Parable of the Pilgrim p. 324. who there saith thus 'T is true we are not tyed to that which we cannot do but yet the flesh will sometimes juggle and complain of impotence when there is nothing hinders it but sloth This is Bellarmines argument de observatione Legis c. 7. si praecepta c. if the precepts are impossible then they oblige none To this argument Dr. Ames gives this answer Dr. Ames his Bellar. Enervatus T. 3. c. 7. p. 191. 1. That this argument doth not prove that the Law is more possible to be kepâ— by believers than by unbelievers by the just than by the unjust 2. That the obligation to keep the Law is not taken away by the impossibility that flows from our fault To which I shall say but thus that the words imply as they may well be taken one or both of these errors 1. That men now are not bound to keep the Moral Law of God Or 2. That 't
of God But there is not in them an active power or ability to regenerate themselves Ob. But God calls upon unregenerated men to cast away their sins and to make them a new heart and a new spirit and turn your selves Ezek. 18. 31 32. Now say they if they cannot do these things and if he alone can do them how can he in reason call upon them to do them Ans To this I answer thus 1. That praecepta ostendunt non quâ—â— possumus sed quid debemus Precepts do shew not what we can do but what we ought to do Or they shew what by grace we can do but not by our selves saith the learned Fasciculus controversiarum c. 3. q. 4. p. 122. Bishop Prideaux 2. That God doth do some things and yet exhort and command men to do them God worketh in men to will and to do and yet he exhorts them to will and to do to love him and to keep his Commandments Our Saviour commands us to believe in him Joh. 14. 〈◊〉 And yet he saith That no man can come to him except the Father which sent him do draw him Joh. 6. 44. And you know that Faith is the giâ—â— of God Ephes 2. 8. So here turn ye shews what we ought to do 〈◊〉 what we can do We had once in Adam a power to do what he commands he doth call upon us for doing of it though now we cannot do it without his special help and grace 3. Consider what thâ—â— Church of England saith in her Homily of Repentance T. 2. p. 263. 〈◊〉 must be verified of all men Without me ye can do nothing And again of our selves we are unable so much as to think a good thought and again it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do And for this cause pray mark this although Jeremy had before said Jer. 4. 1. If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterward he saith Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned Which plainly shews that they could not turn themselves to the Lord but the Lord himself must turn them or else they would never return or be turned And the next words of the Homily are St. Ambrose doth plainly affirm that the turning of the heart unto God is of God But to return to my proof of the point That a man in the state of corruption cannot without the special grace of God turn and prepare himself to grace 2. Because a man by nature is not capable of those things which are spiritual but they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them 1 Cor. 2. 14. 3. Because the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. 4. Because an unconverted man is unfit to think any thing that is spiritually good 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our idoniety or fitness is of God The very thoughts the imaginations of unconverted men are only evil and that continually Gen. 6. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God and therefore not fit to prepare and dispose men to grace 5. Because before his conversion he is an evil tree now au evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. 18. He is an Ethiopian accustomed to do evil Jer. 13. 23. which cannot change his skin 2. They ground this their false Doctrine of merit of congruity upon auother error which they suppose and teach viz. That God â—oth dispense his grace according to the preparations and dispositions of men that are to receive it as was shewed before But God saith otherwise Rom. 11. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Mark it he doth not say I will have mercy on them who by doing first that which is in them are by themselves disposed to the receiving of saving grace by the merit of congruity but he saith on the contrary in the next words It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy That is on whom he pleaseth Which place Peter Martyr understands thus That neither Election is in respect of any thing in man and that â—e hath no power to will of himself but that 't is of God himself who sheweth mercy on whom he will and 〈◊〉 he will he hardneth St. * De Predestinatione c. 14. Defendimus contra novum Pelagianorum errorem gratiam Dei non secundum merita nostra dari sed gratis dari cui datur quia neque volentis neque currentis sed miserentis est Dei justo autem judicio non dari cui non datur quia non est iniquitas apud Deum Augustine sâ—â— We defend against the new error of 〈◊〉 Pelagians that the grace of God iâ— giâ—â— not according to our merits but that 〈◊〉 given freely to whom 't is given Beâ—â— 't is not of him that willeth nor of 〈◊〉 that runneth that is as I humbly coâ—ceive of him that inwardly willeth 〈◊〉 outwardly endeavoureth that it's nâ—â— for any thing in man that he hath done but of God that sheweth mercy Aâ—â— that by a just judgment it is not giveâ— to him to whom 't is not given For there is none iniquity with God And that of the Apostle Ephes 1. 11. God worketh all things according to tâ—e counsel of his own will is very considerable and to our purpose And besides all these things it will follow from this erroneous Pelagiâ—â— Doctrine that some men before saving-grace received from Gods Spirit may by their own endeavours difference themselves from others which have not performed such endeavours as they have which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine in 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee 〈◊〉 differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive the sense of which is as our Church declareth in the Contents of that Chapter That we have nothing but what we have râ—ceived For every one of these men may answer and say that the preparations and disposition gotten by 〈◊〉 own endeavours have differenced me for I have had an endeavour â—o good which I have not received from the fulness of Christ the Mediator but from the fountain of nature or from my own free-will yet remaining in me but this is abominably false and contraâ—y to the Doctrine taught by St. Paul and St. Ambrose St. Augustine aâ—â— all the Reformed Churches I named before Lastly I deny this error That a man unregenerated can dispose â—â—elf to true real regeneration or that 〈◊〉 A. B. Vsher in his Sum of Christ Religion pag. 338. saith That unregenerate men do no good works which he there proves man unregenerate can do such works 〈◊〉 so please God as to move
for in King Hen. 8. and in the second of King Edward the sixths days the people were appointed to pray for their deliverance from the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and his detestable Enormities Now from this sound Doctrine of the Church of England I hope I may have leave without offence to our Heylinists to prove the Pope of Rome successively to be the Antichrist the holy Scripture writes of As thus He that under the pretence of Religion being the Servant the Vicar of Christ and the Successor of Peter is the Inventor and setter up of Superstitious and Pharisaical Sects which are against the Word of God and the glory of his name that challengeth and exerciseth Princely dominion over Nations and people and dominion over the Church of Christ which is his Kingdom whose usurped authority hath no good ground in holy Scripture that produceth Antichristian fruits practises and doctrines affirming that a man can by his own works take away and purge his own sin and justifie himself and denying this Doctrine that a man is justified alone by faith That is the Babylonical beast that is the successor of the Scribes and Pharisees the spoiler and destroyer of Christs Church the instrument and minister of Satan the head of that Antichristian Babylonical Sect which say of Jerusalem that is the true Church of God Down with it even to the ground whose Religion is rebellion whose Faith is faction and whose practise is murdering of souls and bodies is not to be accounted a Christian man the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Peter but an adversary to Christ and his Gospel That is Antichrist the Antichrist the holy Scripture writes of But the Pope of Rome successively is so and 〈◊〉 therefore he is the Antichrist the holy Scripture writes of The major is the Doctrine of the Church of England The Minor is also very largely proved in every particular by Dr. Henry More in his Learned and Elaborate and Ingenious Book called The Mystery of Iniquity which deserves seriously to be read and compared with the Doctrine and practises of the Church of Rome The full proof of the Minor would take in the whole Body of Popery which is learnedly confuted by Dr. Ames in his Bellarminus Enervatus Festus Hommius in his seven Theological Disputations against the Papists and others Yet I shall take the pains to set down some of the heads and leave you to apply them 1. The Pope of Rome is not as he pretends to be Christs Vicar General here on earth 1. Papists do not prove that the Pope of Rome is Christs Vicar General either in Temporals or Spirituals by Sacred Scripture 2. Christ is such an Head of his Church that he needs not such a Vicar on Earth as the Pope pretends to be for Christ is God as well as Man and is ever with his Church and will be even to the end of the world Mat. 18. 20. Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you even to the end of the world 3. To set up the Pope of Rome to be Christs Vicar is to deny Christs presence with his Church For a Vicar is one that doth supply the place of one that is absent and it is to deny Christ to be the Monarch of his Church and saith in effect that he is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and makes the Church of Christ monstrous Biceps having two heads 4. The Officers that Christ hath appointed in his Church are not his Vicars but his Ministers Stewards c. their Office is not Magisterial but only Ministerial 5. When Christ ascended up into Heaven he did not commit the Government of his Church Universal to one man but to the whole Colledg or company or society of his Apostles Joh. 20. 21. Christ said to all his Apostles except Thomas that were alive this As my Father sent me even so send I you c. Here Christ performed that which he promised to Peter Mat. 16. 19. And I will give thee c. That was but a promise of this gift here Christ performed it to him and to all his Disciples to whom in Peter the promise was made Read also for this Mat. 28. 18 19 20. And when the Apostles died they did not institute one particular man over the whole Universal Church of Christ on Earth but ordained fit men in every particular Church or Congregation of believers to rule it and gave them authority and a charge to govern it by common counsel as ye may see was the practise of two Apostles when they solemnly took their leave of the Churches which they had planted Act. 20. 28. Take heed therefore unto your Hooker saith That the Apostles themselves ordained only in each Christian City a Colledg of Presbyters and Deacons to administer holy things Evaristus a Bishop of Rome about 112 years after the Birth of our Saviour begun the distinction of the Church into Parishes Ecclesiast Pol. l. 5. p. 433. And in the end of the same he saith That Presbyters and Deacons having been ordained before to exercise Ecclesiastical Functions in the Church of Rome promiscuously he was the first that tyed each one to his own station selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops as he there calls all the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Here you may see that the Government of the Church of Ephesus was committed not to one singular man alone over the flock and the Pastors too as Papists would have but to the whole Presbytery or company of Presbyters whom Paul sent for at Miletus Act. 20. 17. to whom he gave this authority and charge Read also I pray what St. Peter saith whose Successor the Pope pretends to be to the Elders that is the Presbyters of the Churches of Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3 4. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder he doth not say Bishop much less Bishop of Bishops but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-Presbyter and a witness of the sufferings of Christ also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed Feed the flock of God which is among you not far distant from you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords mark this over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock of humility holiness meekness righteousness patience constancy charity mercy c. not of pride prophaneness tyranny injustice cruelty beastiality covetousness c. And when the chief sâ—epherd Christ shall appear that is come to Judgment ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away Lo here again the Government of the Church is not committed to one man or Bishop but to the Presbyters of the Churches and they forbidden to Lord it over the flock much
one Hence Amaziah who bowed down before the gods of the Edomites is judged to have committed Idolatry for the Lord was angry with him 2 Chron. 25. 14 15. Mark it that which is called bowing down before the gods of the Edomites in the 14th verse is in the 15th verse called seeking after that is serving of the gods of the people And to put it out of doubt learned Ainsworth upon Exod. 20. 5. saith the very same as Mr. Pool quotes him upon the place Idem est adorare coram Domino Domino to pray before God in 1 Chron. 17. 16. is in 2 Sam. 7. 27. called praying unto God idem est procumbere coram Diabolo Diabolo for that which is in Mat. 4. 9. called falling down before the Devil is in Luk. 4. 7. called worshipping of him And to bow down to images Non animi actum sed corporis designat imaginibus ullum signum honoris quocunque tandem animo id fieret exhibere prohibeatur say Grotixs and Rivet as Mr. Pool there quotes them To fall down before an image doth note not the act of the mind but of the body It 's forbidden to give to images any sign of honour with what mind or intention soever it be done In 1 King 12. 30. the people are said to worship before the Calf as they in Exod. 32. did which God who is the best interpreter of mens actions expounds to be worshipping of the Calf Exod. 32. 8. Psal 106. 19. for 't is called a sin v. 30. yea a great sin 2 King 17. 21. yea they are for it expresly called Idolaters 1 Cor. 10. 7. Neither be ye Idolaters as some of them were as it is written the people sate down to eat and rose up to play Which place where 't is so written is Exod. 32. 6. Where the story of their Idolatry is recorded Though I have but touched at these things yet I may seem to some men to dwell upon them therefore to proceed Who but Papists brought into the Church worshipping of Relicks as the tayl of the ass on which Christ rode into Jerusalem the clouts in which our Saviour was wrapped when he was a child one of which the Emperour * Vide Sleiden's Commentaries Charles the Fifth worshipped when he was made Emperour The Whighs of Joseph and our Saviour like Carpenters used when they made yokes kept close in a box if you will believe them The coals on which St. Laurence was broiled a feather of the Angel Gabriels wings alias of a Peacocks tayl Much more might be said of the superstition and Idolatry of the Pope and Church of Rome as his five superadded Sacraments Invocation of Saints decking and worshipping of Images but I forbear for brevities sake 2. That the Pope hath been the setter up of Pharisaical Sects against the word of God for besides the word is in Scripture sense against the word might be illustrated by his making more orders of Church-Officers than Christ or his Apostles appointed in his Nos maximè in eo a Pontificiis dissentimus quod illi inter Ecclesiae ministros numerant creaturas humanas nos autem nullos ministros Ecclesiasticos agnoscimus praeter illos quos Christus instituit Ecclesiae in Scripâ—â—ris commendavit Dr. Ames Bellar. Enervat T. 2. l. 3. c. 3. p. 108. Church as Ostiarius the Door keeper Lector the Reader Exorcista the Exorcist or Conjurer Acolyâ—kus a Clerk or Waiter upon the Bishop or Priest or Subdiaconus a Subdeacon Diaconus a Deacon Sacerdos a Priest Of which orders as they call them only two the Canons as the Master of the Sentences saith Sent. 4. Dist 24. think are sacred Orders because the Primitive Church so far as they can read had only these two viz. the order of Deaconship and Priesthood and of these only we have the Apostles precept And because all the Schoolmen that write upon Peter Lombard hold that Bishops are not an order Bonavent in Sen. 4. Dist 24. q. 3. a. 2. Aureolus in Sen. 4. d. 24 q. 1. a. 2. Omnis forma ex quo est in actu c. Every form in as much as it is in act hath power to communicate it self in the same kind therefore every Priest hath power to celebrate orders why then do they not celebrate them because their power is hindred by the Decree of the Church whereupon when a Bishop is made there is not given unto him any new power but the former power being hindred is set at liberty as a man when the act of reason is hindred and the impediment is removed there 's not given unto him a new soul And there he saith that Episcopatus is not a superior order is plain because it hath no superior act as it is distinguished against Priesthood which is apparent because the act of a Bishop as it differeth from Priesthood 〈◊〉 to or dain and the act of a Priest is to consecrate the Body of Christ i. e. to consecrate and administer the Sacrament distinct from preaching Presbyters and that the order of Priesthood is the highest and perfectest order and that a preaching Presbyter may by virtue of his order do all that a Bishop can do in the Church were he not restrained by the Bishop or Church And none that I find among the Papists but Jesuits and the Spaniards in the Council of Trent held or hold that Bishops are by divine right â—n order of Church-officers distinct from and superior to preaching Presbyters but only that they are a degree or dignity of Presbyters and that by humane institution if any way I shall not lay that to their charge though the Jesuitical party endeavoured what they could at the Council of Trent to carry it in those very terms as may be seen in the History of the Council of Trent B. 7. Yet Festus Hommius saith that the Apostolick and truly Primitive Church was altogether ignorant both of the names and functions of Popes Patriarchs Archbishops Metropolitans Arch-presbyters Arch-deacons Suffragans A. B. Vsher saith That new Ministeries are forbidden in the second Commandment Sum of Christ Religion p. 222. And Mr. Perkins in his order of Causes c. 21. p. 62. saith That in the second Commandment is forbidden the Romish Hierarchy from the Parrator to the Pope Abbots Priors Monks Canons Deans Prebends Vicars Sacrificers Priests and the like as they are now used in the Papacy Disp 2â— T. 5. p. 122. What are those Sects of Monks and Friers of which there are many Orders as Carmelites Franciscans so called from St. Francis Dominicans so called from St. Dominick Augustines so called from St. Augustine and Jesuits which Order Ignatius Loyola the founder got confirmed by the Popes of Rome whose creatures and vassals now they are in the Church of Rome but Pharisaical Sects all studious of the Popes Decrees and observant of his commands though never so superstitious idolatrous abominable and wicked and contrary to Gods
who gave direction for it to his General Joab and he is guilty of it too for following of David's unjust command 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittiâ—e with the sword and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon So here what the ten-horned beast is said to do may be well charged upon the Church of Rome the Pope and his Hierarchy because he causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed and he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of these miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Rev. 13. 12 14. Rev. 19. 20. And therefore is the blood of the Prophets and of all the Saints and of them that were slain upon the earth for Religion said to be found in her Rome Revel 18. 24. 2. Their activity v. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb. In Rev. 13. 7. 't is said That this ten-horned beast shall make war with the Saints and overcome them But here in Revel 17. 14. he makes war with Christ and is overcome by him for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and faithful and chosen 'T is true that they that make war against Christs Saints do make war against Christ Act 9 4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Those Kings that make war against and persecute Christs Saints as such do make war against and persecute Christ himself and so he takes it and will reward it That this ten-horned beast is said to overcome the Saints and yet to be overcome by Christ may be both true of the same beast for he did overcome the Saints at first but he is or shall be overcome by Christ and his called chosen and faithful Soldiers at last and therefore 't is said That he that leadeâ—h into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints to suffer in the mean time and to believe and wait for the performance of this promise Rev. 13. 10. 2. The Whore is described more plainly by her large Dominion by the people upon whom she sitteth called in the first verse many waters which is interpreted by the Angel v. 15. And he saith uâ—â—o the waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues which is a manifest description of the Roman Empire which consisted of many People and Nations and Tongues and upon these as well as upon the ten-horned beast or chief secular rulers did the great Whore of Rome sit that is reign and rule prick on and stir up to Superstition Idolatry and Persecution against Christs Church And therefore 't is said That the Kings of the earth that is of the Empire or earthly Church and the inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication and been made drunk with the wine of her fornication Revel 17. 2. she claims universal power over all this Terrestial world 3. This great Whore is described by her destruction And that 1. By the * A learned man by ten Kings understands their Kingdoms or people who against the minds of their Kings will thus destroy the great whore Antic p. 23. Revel 18. 9. instruments of her ruin and they are the ten horns or the ten Kings unto whom the Roman Empire was divided v. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore c. 2. By the degrees of her destruction these ten Kings shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire 1. They shall hate the whore of Rome the Pope his Cardinals Hierarchy and Clergy with whom they have committed spiritual fornication whereas before they loved her while the virtue of her intoxicating cup lasted but now seeing their own folly and her cunning craftiness selfishness pride covetousness luxury filthiness hypocrisie and cruelty that her whole Government Religion Worship pompous Ceremonies Purgatory Indulgences Excommunions Jubilees Processions Doctrines of the Popes Infallibility and Supremacy Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works traditions merits holiness of times places Churches Altars Vestments Copes Hats Palls Surplices Crosses Spittle Cream Salt Holy-water Auricular confession of sins worshipping of Saints departed Angels Images Reliques of Saints kissing of the Popes Toe of the Tayl of the Asse on which Christ rode adoring of the pretended Cross on which Christ was Crucified bowing to the East setting up of Altars and Crucifixes and Tapers on them and bowing to them as they do baptizing of Bells forbidding to Marry but allowing of Stews dispensing with Oaths incestuous Marriages holding of Plurality of Dignities Benefices with cure of souls and causeless Non-residency and many more such Doctrines and practises politick devices to uphold enrich and advance themselves their relations and servants and suppress the pure Doctrine and Worship of Christ and undo and destroy his most faithful servants and sincere Worshippers I say these Kings seeing these things and many more clearly their inordinate love is turned into well-guided hatred of her They hate her that is they separate from her they avoid communion with her they cease to commit any spiritual fornication with her 2. They make her desolate they do not only forsake her themselves but also they cause their subjects to do so too and that they do by setting up in their respective Kingdoms Gods pure worship and service without her proper ceremonies which she calls * Bellar. de effectibus Sacrament l. 2. c. 3. a. 20. badges and †Aquinas 12â— q. 103. a. 4. O. professions of her Religion and Gods pure word without her Legends Apocriphals and Traditions 3. They make her naked which they do both by words and deeds 1. By words by publick Preaching Confessions and Writings declaring and demonstrating her abominable filthiness that she may be detested by others 2. By deeds by with-drawing her gold silver precious stones first-fruits Peter-pence Abbies Friories Commendams Benefices Dignities and Revenues from her which were wont to be given her which the Whore by her pious frauds cunning craftiness got from the Ancestors of Kings and deluded people 4. They shall eat her flesh which is to be understood not carnally but mystically these Kings shall not prove Canibals and corporally with their teeth eat the flesh that is upon the bones of the great Whore of the Pope and his Cardinals but they will retain either to their own proper use or rather for the maintenance of Gods pure Worship and Interests those revenues which were paid to the Whore out of their Dominions as such to the upholding of her Pride and Idolatries Superstitions Luxuries and Bawds and they shall persecute her which in Scripture-language is eating of ones flesh Job 19. 22. Why do ye persecute
product if there be any fractions remaining maketh the firâ—â— number Now the square-root of the Beasts number 666 is the fatal evil number 25 and the fractions remaining are 41. Prove this by multiplying In short that is the square-root of a number which being multiplied by it self exactly makes the number given or comes nearest to it but doth not exceed it 25 by it self 25 times which makes 625 add the remaining 41 and you have the just number 666. As 12 is the greatest and least square-number which is or can be contained in the number 144 so 25 is the greatest and least number which can be contained in the number 666. It 's frequent in many Mathematical praxi or Arithmetical operations to cast away and not to regard the fractions of numbers If a * An Example Captain have 666 men under his command and would reduce them to a square-figure which he would find to be 2541 51 by that he would conclude that he must of necessity take the number 25 to be the number of his ranks and the number of men in every rank and no other number would serve his turn and the 41 odd men he must reject as unuseful if he will have his Army exactly square 25 is the root of the square-number without fractions and of other numbers with fractions added to it Potter 68. 25 is remarkable in the root of 666 two ways 1. In that 't is the only Cardinal number of the prime or Cardinal Vnities 2. In that 't is the only number of ordinal unities or fractions by which that root can be by fewest figures most exactly expressed and therefore I conclude that this fatal number 25 is the number of Antichrist opposed to the number 12 and that in an higher and greater degree of opposition than 666 is opposed to the number 144 seeing that number is most remarkably applicable to the City and Hierarchy of Antichrist and is chiefly intended by the number 666. 12 Is a good and a perfect number always taken in a good sense in Scripture So 25 is an unfortunate number in it self and hath been branded for an evil and unluckie number both by Prophane and Sacred Writers although they knew no relation that it had either to Antichrist or the number 666. The number 5 is a fatal number and all numbers ending in 5 or made by it are evil Jerome upon Ezek. 11. saith that the 25 is never used in a good sense Jerome and Lyra upon Ezek. 11. say that the 25 men mentioned there that were at their Images do signifie Apostates from Faith and Religion John Huss on Ezek. 8. interprets the 25 men which stood before the pictures to be understood of the mystical Whore So Oecolampadius upon the place it mystically and typically shews that quintessence of impiety and malice and Idolatry which these latter times have discovered in the Church of Rome Petrus Bougus shews that this number 25 which doth not only end in 5 but is made by the multiplication of 5 by 5 is mysteriously evil And let me add that those that were to be trained up for the service of the Tabernacle were to pass that number before they were to be admitted except extraordinarily called Numb 8. 24. From 25 years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the Tabernacle As Antichrist is opposed to Christ and as 666 is opposed to 144 so is 25 opposed to 12 so must those things which are chiefly to be measured and numbred by this number 25 be correspondent on the one side and in some sort opposed to or set against those things which are measured numbred and described by the number 12. For this cause is the Church-militant in Revel 21. measured numbred and described by these two numbers only 144 and 12 that there might be an express example in sacred Scripture not only shewing in general how the number 666 ought to be interpreted but also leading us as it were by the hand to those particulars in which the root of the number ought principally to be applied As that Rome is answerable to Jerusalem and the Popeâ—â— Cardinals to Christs Apostles 1. As Jerusalem was truly Mater gremium ostium omnium Ecclesiarum so doth Rome falsely pretend her self to be And so Rome really is the mother of all spiritual whoredom and abominations in respect of all those Churches which have been seduced by her 2. That the Popes Cardinals are answerable to Christs Apostles they stile themselves by way of eminency the Apostles Successors they are the soul of the Papacy and the Pope accounts them parts of his own body who with him make a compleat Corporation and Mystical body maintaining and upholding and representing all Ecclesiastical power and jurisdiction 1. They were instituted at Rome in the first foundation of the Papacy by the Pope about the time of Constantine the Great in imitation of our Saviour Jesus Christ who did in the first most remarkable foundation of his Church erect the Colledg of Apostles at Jerusalem giving them a name prefixing their number and giving their office as the Pope hath done at Rome 1. The name which Christ gave to his Disciples was to be called Apostles Luk. 6. 13. and the name which the Pope gave his best beloved Disciples is to be called Cardinals For as Christ in his Church gave some to be Apostles some Teachers some Prophets 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes 4. 11. so the Pope in the Romish Church hath given some to be called Cardinals some Abbots some Jesuits some Monks some Friers some Exorcists some Acolytes and some other titles and dignities 2. The first limited number which Christ gave to his Apostles was according to the number of the Gates and Tribes of Jerusalem so the first limited and prescribed number of Cardinals given by the Pope was according to the number of the common Gates of Rome and according to those divisions of the City and people of Rome which the Popes have made answerable to the Tribes of Jerusalem 3. The office and commission which Christ gave to his Apostles consisted in three things 1. The administration of Baptism was committed chiefly and originally to them and they were first commanded to go and baptize all Nations and as it were by the 12 Gates of their Baptism to bring all true Israelites into the spiritual Jerusalem so at the first institution of the Popes Cardinals their office and commission was chiefly to baptize and they were fixed to certain Churches in Rome in which only Baptism was to be celebrated 2. The Apostles were to preach the Gospel and to plant Christian Religion in all the world So the Cardinals having quickly committed the celebration of Baptism to others employed themselves wholly to preach the Pope and to plant and propagate Popery in all Kingdoms of the world 3. Christ gave to his Apostles chief power to forgive and retain sins so likewise the Pope committed the chief care
and dispensation of selling Pardons and Indulgences to his Cardinals saying to them as Christ said to his Apostles Whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained As the Apostles truly were and are the root and foundation of the Christian Church and all jurisdiction so the Cardinals falsely pretend themselves to be and truly they are the very basis and foundation of the Romish Religion and Hierarchy and therefore the root and foundation of that superstition and impiety which being derived originally from Rome hath diffused it self into all the Christian world by them As 't is the priviledg of the 12 Apostles to be as it were 12 stars set in that crown which is mentioned Revel 12. so 't is the special priviledg of the Popes Cardinals to have their names written in the crowns of their Prince the Pope as witnesseth Jacobatius de Consil num 153. There was a twofold state and condition of the Apostles 1. They were Apostoli urbis affixed as it were to the City Jerusalem where they were to abide till * Till they received the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost they were endued with power from above but afterwards they were Apostoli Orbis So likewise the Cardinals in imitation and affectation of like honour are stiled Cardinales Vrbis Orbis They remain as it were affixed to the City of Rome until they are endued with power from above i. e. till they are sent out by the Pope as his Nuncio's and Legates into the Kingdoms of the World As the Apostles in respect of their spiritual Fatherhood are fitly answerable to the 12 Patriarchs who were the Fathers of all the Israelites according to the flesh so the Pope's Cardinals are called Patres spirituales Ecclesiae As the Apostles having supreme authority in the Church may in some sense be said to be the Judges of the world and to sit upon twelve Thrones to judg the twelve Tribes of Israel So the Cardinals make their Consistory of their Apostolical See to admit of no appeal but to be of such a Coelestial sublimity that 't is equal to the Tribunal-seat of God and therefore they are stiled Judices Orbis and they do exercise all Civil and Ecclesiastical power over the City and people of Rome which the Patriarchs did in the Literal or the Apostles in the spiritual Jerusalem There is not one of the Titles which the Apostles had but they are emulous of or else to be the image of that kind of Government which was before their lives remarkable in the City of Rome Both which Considerations are incident to the right discerning of that Antichrist who is not only to resemble some ancient Government of Rome but also to be that Synagogne of Satan mentioned Rev. 2. 2 9. which say they are Apostles but are not which say they are Jews but are the Synagogue of Satan The first number of Cardinals in their first institution is chiefly to be considered as that which doth most remarkably characterize Antichrist in his first original Now they were instituted as their own Authors * Gondisalnus de origine Cardinalatus Onuphrius Panvin de praecipuis urbis Romae Basilicis Pol. Virgil l 4. de inventoribus rerum c 9. Bibliothecarium Damasum Platina â—aron An. 378. say in the time of Pontiani Marcelli Rom. Pontif. but Isidore Muscovius saith of the Cardinals thus But others more warily have affirmed that they were first created in the time of Sylvester the first in the â—ear 314 who as they say ordained a Colledg of Cardinals according to the similitude of the Senators c. About which time the Pope divided the City and people of Rome into 25 Titles or divisions in each of which division * When these Parishes were made Diocesses then were these Priests made Cardinals saith Polidore Virgil by having a formal power and jurisdiction added to them as is apparent by like testimony of Volateranus there was a Parish-Church erected for the administration of Baptism and in every one of these Churches a several Presbyter was assigned and appointed who was called afterwards Cardinal When these Parish-Priests degenerated into Cardinals and were made a Colledg and corporation exercising a new kind of super-Episcopal jurisdiction in and over these Churches then was the birth of Antichrist then did Antichrist truly really and locally sit in these Christian Churches at Rome and from thence his Pseudo-Apostolical authority hath been obtruded and imposed upon other Churches There were in Rome according to the sense literal 25 Gates and according to the sense spiritual 25 Churches for Baptism and 25 Pastors placed in those 25 Churches and 25 Cardinals sitting and ruling in them and 25 Titles Tribes or Parishes belonging to them Jerusalem was in compass 1200 furlongs in which Christ did first and chiefly erect his Church and Hierarchy For the number 12 having 1000 of furlongs added to it is the true solid measure of an imaginary Cube which compass is equal to the compass of the City Jerusalem so the number 25 having 1000 of furlongs added to it is the true The number twenty-five notes the seat of Antichrist solid measure of that imaginary Cube whose compass is equal to the compass of the City of Rome 25000 Furlongs will make 14 miles and half and almost half a quarter which agreeth to Rome The Apostles creed which is the sum of the 12 Apostles Doctrine of Faith which Christs Church believes divides it self into 12 Articles the Papists have added 13 more and made the number of their articles of faith 25. For whether we take the Doctrine of the Council of Trent it self to be the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of Rome or that Creed which was composed by Pope Pius the fourth according to the Doctrine decreed in that Council in either of these the number of 25 is as remarkably applicable to the Romish Faith as the number 12 to the Apostles Creed And 't is their whole faith Sacrosancta oecumenica Tridentina Synodus ejus fidem confiteamur ejus decreta semper servemus Responsio patrum Semper confiteamur semper servemus Cardinal a Lothoringia Omnes ita credimus omnes id-ipsum sentimus omâ—â—s Acclamationes patrum in fine Concillii pag. 396. consentientes amplectentes subscribimus Haec est fides beati Petri Apostolorum haec est fides Patrâ—â— haec est fides orthodoxa Responsio Patrum Ita credimus ita sentimus subscribimus I pray mark this all along that the Pope of Rome divided the City of Rome into 25 Parishes and in thâ—â— placed 25 Presbyters which were first The number of Cardinals was 25 in St. Jerom's time as appears by his words upon Ezek. 11. 25. Hodie in Ecclesia quae est Dom. Dei called Parish-Priests afterward they were called Cardinal-Priests to whom was given a larger power and that these are parts of his body and his Apostles And I pray mark this
agreeing with other marks of the Beast is very significant and convincing that the Pope of Rome with his apostatizing Clergy is the great Whore or Antichrist I have been so large in this point that I must for brevities sake forbear to alledg what learned King James in his Epistle to his Apology to all Christian Princes saith where he fully and clearly proves the Pope to be Antichrist And in his Paraphrase upon the Revelations in which he every where calls the Pope of Rome Antichrist and the Church of Rome the false persecuting and Antichristian Church However Dr. Heylin in his Cyprianus Anglicus endeavours dishonourably to pervert his words and works Dr. Prideaux in his Sermon upon Rev. 2. 4. p. 36. Sermonum saith thus roundly Fathers and brethren is this a time to make a doubt whether the Pope be Antichrist or no seeing his horns and marks are so apparently discovered Bishop Sanderson in his Sermon upon 1 Tim. 4. 4. p. 414. Sermonum saith thus The Apostle gives instance in two of those Antichristian Doctrines viz. a prohibition of Marriage and an injunction of abstinence from Meats which particulars being so agreeable to the present tenets of the Romish Synagogue do give even of themselves alone a strong suspition that there is the seat of Antichrist But joined unto the other prophesies of St. Paul and of St. John in other places make it so 2 Thes 2. 3. Apoc. 13. 11. unquestionable that they who will needs be so unreasonably charitable as to think the Pope is not Antichrist may at the least wonder as * Moulins Accomplishment in the Preface one saith well by what strange chance it fell out that these Apostles should draw the picture of Antichrist in every point and limb so just like the Pope and yet never think of him I have one thing more to remind you of and that is this That though the Antichristian Church of Rome do in words profess the Doctrine of the Apostles Creed yet by their other super added Doctrines they do overthrow it As is evidently to be seen in the sum of their Doctrine before recited their own 13 Articles superadded to the first 12 of the Nicene Creed do overturn and destroy in effect them Mr. Thomson in his Arraignment of Antichrist p. 96 97 c. will inform you how they cross every Article of the Creed and so will others as Hemingius Antichristi-machia Beza cap. 7. conf Dr. Abbot against Bishop Part 3. To all which let me I pray add but a little more which the Church of England plainly saith in her Homily for Whitsunday p. 213 214 215 216. where having declared three marks of a true Church whereby it may be Marks of a true Church known viz. 1. Pure and sound Doctrine preached 2. The Sacraments ministred according to Christs institution 3. The right use of Ecclesiastical Discipline It saith thus Now if ye will compare this with the Church of Rome not as it was in the beginning but as it is at present and hath been for the space of 900 years and odd you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide * Rome as 't is now is no true Church this A. B. Laud contradicts in his Relation of Conf. p. 〈◊〉 and Bishop Mountague in his Gag 50. A. B. Laud saith that Papists and Protestants hold not forth a different Religion 〈◊〉 Bishop Mountague saith That the present Church of Rome is not divers from the ancient Church of Rome but remains firm in the same foundation of Doctrine and Sacraments from the nature of a true Church that nothing can be more Neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets retaining the sound and pure Doctrine of Jesus Christ neither yet do they order the Sacraments or the Ecclesiastical keys in such sort as he did first institute and ordain them but have so intermingled their own traditions and inventions by chopping and changing by adding and plucking away the now they may seem to be converted into a new guise Christ commanded unto his Church a Sacrament of his body and blood they have changed it into a †So did Gyles Widdows in his Schismatical kneeless Puritan p. 34 89. the Church is the place of Gods presence the Communion-Table the Chair of State of the Lord Jesus and his chiefest place of presence in our Church where his Priests sacrifice the Lords Supper to reconcile us to God offended with our daily sins Bp. Sparrow saith 't is an unbloody sacrifice in his Ration p 391. p. 280. he saith the Priest offers up the sacrifice of the holy Eucharist Sacrifice Christ ministred to the Apostles and the Apostles to other men indifferently under both kinds they have robbed the lay-people of the cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ ordained no other element to be used in Baptism but only water whereunto when the word is joined it is made as St. Augustine saith a full and perfect Sacrament they being wiser in their own conceit than Christ think it is not well nor orderly done unless they use conjuration unless they hallow the water unless there be oyl salt spittle tapers why was the sign of the Cross left out and such other dumb ceremonies serving to no use contrary to the plain rule of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. who willed all things to be done in the Church unto edification Christ ordained the authority of the Keys to excommunicate notorious sinners and to absolve them which are truly penitent they abuse this power at their own pleasure as well in cursing the godly with bell book and candle as also absolving the reprobate which are known to be unworthy of any Christian society whereof they that list may see examples let them search their lives To be short look what our Saviour Christ pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel the same may be boldly and with safe conscience pronounced of the Bishops of Rome namely that they have forsaken and daily do forsake the commandments of God to erect and set up their own constitutions Which thing being true as all they that have any light in Gods word must needs confess we may well conclude according to the rule of Augustine that the Bishops Aug. contra Petiliam Donastae Epistol c. 4. of Rome and their adherents are NOT THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST much less then to be taken as CHIEF HEADS AND RULERS of the same Whosoever saith he do dissent from the Scriptures concerning the Head although they be found in all places where the Church is appointed yet are not in the Church a plain place concluding directly against the Church of Rome Wheresoever ye find the spirit of arrogance and pride the spirit of envy hatred contention cruelty murther extortion witchcraft necromancy c. assure your selves that there is the spirit of the Devil and not of God albeit they pretend to the world never
so much holiness for as the Gospel teacheth us the spirit of Jesus is a good spirit an holy spirit a sweet spirit a lowly spirit a merciful spirit full of charity and love full of forgiveness and pity not rendering evil for evil extremity for extremity but over coming evil with good and remitting all offence even from the heart According to which rule if any man live uprightly of him it may be safely pronounced that he hath the Holy Ghost within him if not then 't is a plain token that he doth usurp the name of the Holy Ghost in vain Ye shall judg them by their fruits which if they be wicked and naught then 't is impossible that the tree of whom they proceed should be good Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appear by the story of their * See Dr. Prideaux his Introduction to History from p. 77. to p. 155. there you 'l read of Usurping Nimrods Luxurious Sodomites Aegyptian Magicians devouring Abaddons incurable Babylonians Bishops of Rome Lives and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets and false Christs which deceived the world a long while The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride that they never enter into his Vineyard again to the disturbance of his silly poor flock but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world And be of his great mercy so work◠in all mens hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost that the comfortable Gospel of his Son Christ may be truly preached truly received and truly followed in all places to the beating down of sin death †By K. Edward the sixth and Q. Elizabeth's Injunctions all Deans Archdeacons Parsons Vicars and Ecclesiastical persons were to the best of their skill to declare against the Bishop of Rome's pretended and usurped power and jurisdiction two times at least every year openly Art 1. but have not some of them really neglected it been ready to declare four times in the year for the Bishop of Rome's traditions inventions and dumb Ceremonies and that the Pope of Rome is not Antichrist the Pope the Devil and all the Kingdom of Antichrist that like scattered and dispersed sheep being at length gathered into one fold we may in the end rest togetogether in the bosom of Abraham Isaac and Jacob there to be partakers of eternal life through the merit and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Obj. But it may be objected by some that all this that is here in this Homily said against the Bishop of Rome and his Adherents may be said of some other Churches or at least against some other Bishops and their Adherents as have rejected the Bishop of Rome's authority as Mr. Mede observes that the Greek Churches have who imbrace the beasts impieties but refuse to be subject to him Ans To this I answer thus 1. with Mr. Mede and Dr. More that there may be little Babylons but Rome is Babylon the great they may be sister or daughter-harlots but Rome is the mother of harlots They may be little Misses but she is the great Whore other Churches may be corrupt in Doctrines of Faith and the Sacraments and the exercise of the Keys but none so corrupt as Rome is 2. If any Churches have retained too much of the Popes Doctrine Discipline Ceremonies Practises let them come out of Babylon that they partake not of her sins and receive not of her plagues Apoc. 18. 4. have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 2. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland which Church in her 80th Article of Religion saith thus The Bishop of Rome is so far from being the supream head of the universal Church of Christ that his works and doctrine do plainly discover him to be that man of sin foretold in the holy Scriptures whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightness of his coming 3. 'T is contrary to the Confession of Faith by the Church and Kingdom of Scotland and sworn to by King James and the Subjects of Scotland which saith thus But especially we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God upon the Church the civil Magistrate and consciences of men The whole Confession is very considerable and imitable to be seen in the latter end of the Harmony of Confessions 4. Not to mention what other Churches hold of the Pope of Rome's being the Antichrist yet because Dr. Heylin finds so much fault with the 80th Article of Cypr. Angl. lib 4. p. 269. 273. Ireland and pleads so much for Romish erroneous Doctrines as taught by our first Reformers and Martyrs but most falsely as I have shewed in some points before I shall give their sense of this point as I find their sayings set forth by Mr. Fox in his Book of Martyrs in one Volume Walter Mantell in his Apology prayeth thus I beseech the living God which hath received me to his mercy and brought to pass that I die stedfast and undefiled in his truth at utter defiance and detestation of all Papistical and Antichristian Doctrine I beseech him to keep and defend all his chosen for his names sake from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome that Antichrist p. 1398. Q. Mary March 2. 1554. Bishop Hooper of whom Dr. Heylin boasts much to little purpose in his Letter of Consolation sent to certain godly brethren taken in Bow-Church-yard in Prayer and laid in the Counter in Breadstreet saith thus I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so cruel devilish and tyrannical to persecute the people of God for serving of God saying and hearing of the holy Psalms and the word of eternal life These cruel doings do declare that the Papists Church is more bloody and tyrannical than ever was the sword of the Ethnicks and Gentiles When I heard of your taking and what ye were doing wherefore and by whom ye were taken I remembred how the Christians in the Primitive Church were used by the cruelty of Be-like there are some Christned Heathens unchristned heathens in the time of Trajan the Emperour about 77 Christians of old looked upon and accused as Traytors and movers of sedition for serving the true God truly so now by Papists and such like years after Christs ascension into heaven and how the Christians were persecuted very sore as though they had been Traytors and movers of sedition whereupon the gentle Emperour Trajan required to know the true cause of Christians trouble A great learned man called Plinius wrote unto him and said it was because the Christians said certain Psalms before day unto one called Christ whom they worshipped for God When Trajan the Emperour understood it was nothing but Conscience and
Popes Traditions and Ceremonies pestilent deadly poyson Yea forsooth I have for I have drunken of the pestilent Traditions and ceremonies of the Bishop of Rome Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1504. Col. 1. Mr. John Bradford Martyr proveth the Church of Rome not to be a true Church but a false Church and the Pope the Head thereof to be the wicked one that is Antichrist And he tells the Bishop of York and the Bishop of Chichester That they did wickedly in coupling themselves to the Church of Rome again Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1533. col 2. And in pag. 1543 he tells the Londoners thus That in testimony of this my Faith I render and give my life being condemned as well for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be Christs Vicar General and supreme Head of his Catholick or Universal Church here or elsewhere upon Earth as for denying the horrible and Idolatrous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and Christs real corporal and carnal presence in his Supper under the forms and accidents of Bread and Wine And he saith the same in his Letier to the University and Town of Cambridg pag. 1544. And a little after in the same Letter he saith to Cambridg Dost thou not know Rome to be Babylon And in his Letter to Lancashire he saith That Transubstantiation is the dearly beloved of the Devil and the daughter and heir of Antichrists Religion c. Ibid. p. 1546. And in his Letter to a Woman that desired to know Whether she might be present at the Popish Mattins or no refraining from the Mass he saith thus This Latin Service is a plain mark of Antichrists Catholick Synagogue so that the Communicants and approvers of it thereby declare themselves to be members of the same Synagogue and so cut off from Christ and his Church whose exterior mark is the true administration of his Word and Sacraments Furthermore the example of your going thither to allow the Religion of Antichrist as doubtless you do indeed howsoever in heart you think occasioneth the obstinate to be utterly intractable the weak Papists to be more obstinate the strong Gospellers to be sore weakned and the weak Gospellers to be overthrown which things how great offences they be no pen * Yet do not many men make nothing of scandalizing their brethren now by injoining and practising the needless ceremonies of the church of Rome is able to utter by Letters Ibid. p. 1565. And in a Letter to the Lady Vane he saith That the Bishop of Rome is undoubtedly that great Antichrist of whom the Apostles do so much admonish us Ibid. p. 1565. col 1. And a little after he saith That the Bishop of Rome is a Butcher or a Bite-sheep rather than a Bishop How can we call him Christs Vicar that resisteth Christ oppugneth his verity and persecuteth his people and like a Prelate preferreth himself above God and man Ibid. p. 1566. col 1. And in his Letter to certain godly men he saith thus Therefore take heed for the Lords sake take heed and defile not your bodies or souls with this Romish and Antichristian Religion set up amongst us again but come away from as the Angel cryeth from amongst them in their Idolatrous service lest ye be partakers of their iniquity Ibid. p. 1568. col 2. And in his Letter to a godly Gentlewoman that was cast off by her Friends because she would not go to the Popish Mass he saith thus You cannot be partaker of Gods Religion and Antichrists service whereof the Mass is most principal you cannot be a member of Christs Church and of the Popes Church Ibid. p. 1570. And in his Letter to N. and his Wife he saith Now hath Antichrist all 〈◊〉 power again Ibid. p. 1571. And in his Letter with a Supplication to Queen Mary and her Council he saith thus That the Lords eyes were set to destroy England and your Highness and all your Honours if in time ye look not better to your office and duties herein and not suffer your selves to be slaves and hangmen to Antichrist and his Prelates which have brought your Highness and your Honours already to let Barnabas loose and to hang up Christ Ibid. p. 1574. John Launder Martyr in his Confession before Bishop Bonner saith That whosoever doth teach or use any more Sacraments than Baptism and the Lords-Supper or get any Ceremonies he doth not believe that they be of the Catholick Church but doth abhor them from the bottom of his heart And doth further say and believe That all the service sacrifices and ceremonies now used in this Realm of England yea in all other parts of the world which have been used after this manner be erroneous and naught and contrary to Christs institution and the determination of Christs Catholick Church whereof he believeth that he himself is a member and in this Faith he died Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1593. M. Luther * History of the Counc of Trent lib. 1. p. 76. said to the Popes Nuncio that nothing can be received from Rome compatible with the Ministry of the Gospel Derrick Carver Martyr in his answer to Bishop Bonner saith That your Ceremonies used in the Church are beggarly and poyson Ibid. p. 1594. Thomas Iveson Martyr confessed and to his death stood to this Article objected against him by Bonner That he believeth that all the ceremonies now used in this Church of England are vain superfluous superstitious and naught Ibid. p. 1595. col 1. Of the same Faith was John Denley Gentleman as may be seen in his Answer to the seventh Article Ibid. p. 1598 And the said John Denley in Answer to the third Article objected against him by Bishop Bonner said thus That I believe that this Church of England using the faith and Religion which is now used is no part or member of the aforesaid holy Catholick Church but is the Church of Antichrist the Bishop of Rome being the head thereof Ibid. p. 1597. Patrick Packingham Martyr told Bishop Bonner plainly to his face That the Church which Bonner believed was no Catholick Church but was the Church of Satan and that therefore he would never turn to it Ibid. p. 1598. col 2. Henry Laurence Martyr being required to put his hand to his Answers writ thus Ye are all of Antichrist and him ye follow Ibid. p. 1599. col 1. George Tankerfield Martyr plainly told Bishop Bonner That the Church whereof the Pope is the supreme head is no part of Christs Catholick Church Ibid. p. 1602. col 1. Mr. Robert Glover Master of Arts and Martyr plainly told the Bishop of Leichfield That the Church of God knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of God whom ye have refused and chosen the man of sin the son of terdition enemy to Christ the Devils deputy and lieutenant the Pope Ibid. p. 1616. col 1. In which place he gives six notes of Christs true Church which the Church of Rome wanteth yea
acteth against and contrary to them By which saith he they do declare themselves to be none of the Church of Christ but rather of the Synagogue of Satan Yea he there tells his Wife That he called them with good conscience as Christ called their forefathers the children of the Devil and that as their father the Devil is a lyar and murtherer so their Kingdom and Church as they call it standeth by lying and murdering therefore my dear Wife have no fellowship with them Ibid. Bishop Ridley in his Letter in Captivity calls the Church of Rome the Strumpet of Babylon and the Pope of Rome Antichrist Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1626. col 1. And in his Answer at his Examination to Bishop White he saith He cannot but confess with St. Gregory a Bishop of Rome also that the Bishop of that place is the very true Antichrist whereof St. John speaketh by the name of the Whore of Babylon And I say saith he with the said St. Gregory that he that maketh himself a Bishop of all the world is worse than Antichrist Ibid. p. 1650. col 2. And in his Communication with Dr. Brooks Bishop of Gloucester when he degraded him exhorting him to recant and submit to the Church of Rome he saith thus You know my mind concerning the usurped authority of the Romish Antichrist Ibid. p. 1659. col 2. And a little after when he would Bishop Ridley though when he was in his Pontificalibus he contended too much for the Surplice c. yet when he came to die he refused it and abominated it put on him the Surplice c. he inveighed against the Romish Bishop and all that foolish apparel calling him Antichrist and the apparel foolish and abominable Ibid. In his Farewell Letter to all his Friends he calls the Bishop of Rome the Babylonical Beast and the then Bishops of England thieves of Samaria Sabei Caldei These robbers have rushed out of their dens and have robbed the Church of England of all the aforesaid holy treasure of God they have carried it away they have overthrown it and instead of Gods holy word the true and right administration of Christs holy Sacraments as of Baptism and the other they mix their Ministry with mens fantasies and many wicked and â—â—godly traditions Ibid. p. 1674. And these Bishops he calls the Soldiers of Antichrist Ibid. p. 1675. col 1. And in his Letter to the Lords Temporal he saith thus I wonder my Lords what hath bewitched you that ye are so suddenly fallen from Christ unto Antichrist from Christs Gospel unto mens traditions from the Lord that bought you to the Bishop now of Rome I warn you of your peril be not deceived except ye will be found willingly consenters unto your own death For if ye think thus we are Lay-men this is a matter of Religion we follow as we are taught and led if our teachers and governours teach us and lead us amiss the fault is in them they shall bear the blame My Lords 't is true I grant you that both the false teacher and the corrupt governour shall be punished for the death of their subjects whom they have falsely taught and corruptly lead yea and their blood shall be required at their hands But yet neverthelss shall that subject die the death himself also that is he shall also be damned for his own sin For if the blind lead the blind Christ saith not the leader only but both shall fall into the ditch Shall the Synagogue and the Senate of the Jews trow ye which forsook Christ and consented to his death therefore be excused because Annas and Caiphas with the Scribes and Pharisees and their Clergy did teach them amiss yea and also Pilate their Consenters and doers are both guilty saith Bishop Ridley Ibid. p. 1675. governour and the Emperours Lieutenant by his tyranny did without cause put to death Forsooth no my Lords no. For notwithstanding that corrupt Doctrine or Pilates washing of his hands neither of both shall excuse either that Synagogue and Seigniory or Pilate but at the Lords hand for the effusion of that innocent blood on the latter day shall drink of the deadly whip * Bishop Gardners six Articles called the Whip with six strings I â—elieve he alluded to Ye are witty and understand what I mean Therefore I will pass from this to tell you that ye are fallen from Christ to his adversary the Bishop of Rome pag. 1667. And immediately after he tells them That he doth not in calling the Bishop of Rome Christs adversary or Antichrist rage or raile but speak the words of truth and sobriety And shews That that Church while it continued in the Apostles Doctrine was Apostolick and those that sate in that See might be called Apostolici but since that See hath degenerated from the trace of Truth and true Religion which it received of the Apostles at the beginning and hath preached another Gospel hath set up another Religion hath exercised another power and hath taken upon it to order and rule the Church of Christ by other strange Laws and Canons and rulers than ever it received of the Apostles the Apostles of Christ which thing it doth at this day and hath continued so doing alas alas of too too long a time since the time I say that the state and condition of that See hath thus been changed in truth it ought of duty and of right to have the names changed both of the See and of the Sitter therein As that See then for that true trade of Religion and Doctrine of Christs Apostles justly and truly was called Apostolick so as truly and justly for the contrariety of Religion and * Is this not directly contrary to A B. Laud's Doctrine in his Relation wherein pag. â—â—6 he saith That the Church of Rome and Protestants set not up a different Religion diversity of Doctrine from Christs and his Apostles that See and the Bishop thereof at this day both ought to be called and are indeed Antichristian The See is the seat of Satan and the Bishop of the same that maintaineth the abominations thereof is Antichrist himself indeed And for this cause this See at this day is the same which St. John calleth in his Revelation Babylon or the Whore of Babylon and spiritual Sodoma and Egyptus the mother of fornications and of the abomination upon the earth and with this Whore do spiritually meddle and lye with her and commit most stinking and abominable adultery before God all those Kings and Princes yea all Nations of the earth which do CONSENT TO HER ABOMINATIONS and use or practise the same Ibid. p. 1668. And in his Lamentation for the change of Religion in England he saith thus The head under Satan of all mischief is Antichrist and his brood and the same is he which is the Babylonical Beast Ibid. p. 1671. col 2. And in p. 1673 he calls King Edward the sixth that innocent that
godly hearted and peerless young Christian Prince Whom Dr. Heylin saith He was a man of ill principles and that 't was no infelicity to the Church he means Rome sure that he died so soon And in p. 1673 col 2. he saith thus Now then seeing the Doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this Realm and the old Laws of Antichrist are allowed to return with the power of their father again c. Mr. John Philpot Martyr in his seventh Examination and Answer saith That the Church of Rome is a false Church and the Synagogue of Satan Ibid. p. 1704. col 2. And in his ninth Examination he tells Harpsfield That the Religion of Rome is a false Religion Ib. p. 1709. col 1. So he told Chadsey Ibid. p. 1715. col 1. And at his last Examination he told the Lord Mayor of London That he was sorry to see that that authority which representeth the Kings and Queens persons should now be changed and be at the commandment of Antichrist And ye speaking to the Bishops pretend to be the follows of the Apostles of Christ and yet ye be very Antichrists and deceivers of the people and that Church which ye pretend to be the Catholick Church is the Church of Rome the Babylonical and not the Catholick Church of that Church I am not Ibid. p. 1721. col 1. Thomas Whittel Priest and Martyr saith That he was well content to give over his body for the testimony of Gods truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 1738. Barthlet Green a Scholar and Martyr affirmeth That the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist Ibid. p. 1744. A. B. Cranmer M. calleth and proveth the Pope of Rome to be Antichrist Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1768. col 2. That the Traditions and Religion of that usurping Prelate of Rome are most erroneous false and against the Doctrine of the whole Scripture and the author of the same to be very Antichrist so often preached by the Apostles and Prophets in whom do most evidently concur all signs and tokens whereby he is painted to the world to be known Ibid. p. 1774. col 2. Many of which marks he sets down there And at St. Maries in Oxford when he recanted his Recantation he said thus And for the Pope I refuse him as Christs enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine and this he declared he spake without dissimulation Ibid. p. 1781. col 1. And in his Letter to Queen Mary he saith thus of the Pope If this be not to play Antichrists part I cannot tell what is Antichrist which is no more to say but Christs enemy and adversary who shall sit in the Temple of God advancing himself above all others yet by hypocrisie and fained religion shall subvert the true Religion of Christ and under pretence and colour of Christian Religion shall work against Christ and therefore hath the name of Antichrist whom he there proves to be Antichrist Ibid. p. 1784. col 2. John Mandrell Robert Spicer and William Coverley denying the Pope to be head of the Church or Christs Vicar affirmed him to be Antichrist and Gods enemy Ibid. p. 1788. William Times Curate and Martyr answered Bonner That the See of Rome is the See of Antichrist and therefore to that Church I will not conform my self nor once consent to it Ibid. p. 1791. And p. 1793. he saith The Church of Rome is the Antichristian Church Sixteen Martyrs at once make this Confession The See of Rome is the See of Antichrist the congregation of the wicked whereof the Pope is head under the Devil Article the third for proof of which they offer to be burnt Ibid. p. 1810. col 1. ART XV. That it is lawful to set up and suffer Bishop Mountague in his Gag pag. 300. saith That Images and Pictures of Christ may stand in Churches pro institutione rudiorum commone factione Historiae excitatione devotionis And pag. 318. that the Images and Pictures of Christ the blessed Virgin and Saints may not only for Civil uses but also for Religious imployment and helps of piety be set up in Churches and that the Church of Rome and we differ not therein so practise exceed not Doctrine And p. 317. that Dulia may be given to them Images of the Sacred Trinity of God the Father of God the Son Crucifixes of God the Holy Ghost or of Saints departed this life in Temples or Churches where Gods people do usually meet to worship God THis I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry wherein she saith as followeth p. 12. These costly deckiâ—â— of Churches and Images have nothing profited those that are wise and of understanding but have thereby greatly hurt the simple and unwise occasiâ—â—ing them thereby to commit most horrible Idolatry p. 13. Our Images 〈◊〉 been be and if they be publickly suffered in Churches and Temples 〈◊〉 will be worshipped and so Idolatry committed to them Wherefore our Iâ—â—ges in Temples and Churches be indeed none other but Idols as unto 〈◊〉 which Idolatry hath been is and ever will be committed p. 15. That 〈◊〉 honouring of abominable Images is the cause the beginning and end of 〈◊〉 evil and that the worshippers of them be either mad-men or most wicked men p. 17. Although it be said now commonly that Images be Lay 〈◊〉 Books yet we see they teach no good lesson neither of God nor of goâ—â—ness but all error and wickedness and therefore God as he forbiddeth 〈◊〉 Idols or Images to be made or set up so doth command such as we find 〈◊〉 and set up to be pulled down broken and destroyed Deut. 7th and 〈◊〉 Chapters where 't is observable that all the occasions of Idolatry 〈◊〉 to be avoided and therefore did God forbid marriages with the children of Idolaters for they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly p. 18. To set up Images or Altars is a wickedness and great offence and abomination in the sight of the Lord. p. 19. It is impossible that we should be worshippers of Images and the true servants of God also as Paul teacheth 2 Cor. 6. p. 21. Upon 1 Joh. 5. ult Tertullian saith Keep your selves from Images and Idols he saith not now keep your selves from Idolatry as it were from the service of them but from the Images or Idols themselves that is from the very shape or likeness of them do ye think those persons which place Images and Idols in Churches and Temples yea shrine them even over the Lords-Table as 't were of purpose to the worshipping and honouring of them take good heed either to St. John ' s counsel or Tertullian ' s for so to place Images and Idols is it to keep themselves from them
or else to receive or imbrace them P. 22. Origen saith That in the Commonwealth of the Jews the Carver of Idols and Image-maker was cast far off and forbidden lest they should have an * Occasions of Idolatry forbidden occasion to make Images which might pluck certain foolish persons from God and turn the eyes of their souls to the contemplation of earthly things And again in another part of his Book against Celsus he saith thus It is not only a mad and frantick part to worship Images but also once to dissemble or wink at it Athanasius saith that the invention of Images came of no good but of evil and whatsoever hath an evil beginning can never in any thing be judged good seeing it is altogether naught Lactantius saith That no Religion is in that place wheresoever any Image is For if Religion stand in godly things and there is no godliness but in heavenly things then be Images without Religion P. 23. Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine in Cyprus who lived 390 years after Christs ascension writeth to John Patriarch of Jerusalem thus As I entred into a certain Church to pray I found there a linnen cloth hanging in the Church-door painted and having in it the Image of Christ as it were or of some other Saint for I remember not well what Image it was therefore when I did see the image of man hanging in the Church of Christ contrary to the authority of the Scriptures I did tear it and gave counsel to the Keepers of the Church that they should wind a poor man in the said cloth and so bury him And afterwards the same Epiphanius sending another unpainted cloth for that painted one which he had torn to the said Patriarch writeth thus I will you will the Elders of that place to receive this cloth which I have sent by this bearer and command them that from henceforth no such painted cloths contrary to our Religion be hanged in the Church of Christ For it becometh your goodness rather to have this care that you take away such scrupulosity which is unfitting for the Church of Christ and offensive to the people committed to your charge Upon which the Homily notes as followeth 1. That Epiphanius judged it contrary to Christian Religion and the authority of the Scriptures to have any Images in Christs Church 2. That he rejected not only carved and molten Images of Christ or of any other Saint but also * Such as are in many Church-windows and walls painted Images out of Christs Church 3. That he regarded not whether it were the Image of Christ or any other Saint but being an Image would not suffer it in the Church 4. That he did not only remove it out of the Church but with a vehement zeal tare it in sunder and exhorted that a Coarse should be wrapped and buried in it judging it meet for nothing but to rot in the earth following therein the example of good King Hezekiah who brake the brazen Serpent to pieces and burned it to ashes for that Idolatry was committed to it 5. That Epiphanius thinketh it the duty of vigilant Bishops to be careful that no Images be permitted in the Church for that they be * Occasions of scruple or offence are not to be permitted in the Church occasions of scruple and offence to the people committed to their charge To these some other good Notes might be super-added as 1. that Epiphanius Had A. B. Laud been Patriarch there he might possibly have been fined 1000 l. and deprived of his Bishoprick and been bound to his good behaviour for time to come for so doing as Mr. Sherfield the Recorder of Salisbury was for taking down the pictures of the Trinity in painted glass and setting up white glass in the place of it in St. Edmonds Church there as Dr. Heylin relates l. 3. pag. 228 229 230. was out of his own Diocess and yet he brake down the Image and tare it to pieces 2. That he gave notice of it after he had done it to the Patriarch of Jerusalem whom it chiefly concerned to look to it 3. That he willed him to will the Elders of that Church upon the door of which the painted cloth was hung to take that unpainted cloth he had sent for that for that painted one he had torn and command them that from henceforth no such painted cloths be hanged in the Church of Jesus Christ But the Homily goes on p. 24. and saith That whereas Images began at that time secretly and by stealth to creep out of private houses into the Churches and that first in painted cloths and walls such Bishops as were GODLY AND VIGILANT when they espied them removed them away as unlawful and contrary to Christian Religion as did here Epiphanius to whose judgment you have not only St. Jerome the Translator of his Epistle and the writer of the History Tripartite but also all the LEARNED AND GODLY Then will it not follow that they that set them up and plead for them are not learned and godly Clarks and not godly and vigilant Bishops that do not what they can to remove them CLARKS yea the whole Church of that age and so upward to our Saviour Christs time by the space of above 400 years consenting and agreeing And P. 25. St. Augustine saith Such as worship the dead are not CATHOLICK CHRISTIANS He esteemeth worshipping of Saints Tombs and Pictures as good Religion as gluttony and drunkenness He alloweth greatly Marcus Varro affirming that Religion is most pure without Images and saith himself that Images be of more force to crooken an unhappy soul than to teach and instruct it and that Images in Churches do by and by breed error and Idolatry P. 26. and p. 27. Jerome upon Jer. 10. saith That the errors of Images have come in and passed to the Christians from the Gentiles by an heathenish use and custom Where note saith the Homily That St. Jerome and Eusebius agree that these Images came in among Christian men by such as were Gentiles and accustomed to Idols and being converted to the faith retained This well considered why may we not wonder that some of our first Reformers wholly bred up in Popery reformed so much and did not retain all the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome seeing as much may be said for them as for those they retained and the grounds and reasons upon which they rejected some would if men would be ruled by right reason and religion reject those they retained yet some remnants of Gentility not throughly purged We see saith the Homily Act. 15. That the Jews being newly converted to Christianity would have brought in their Circumcision whereunto they were so long accustomed with them into Christs Religion with whom the Apostle St. Paul had much ado for the staying of that matter for which there was more to be said than for Images yea or humane Ceremonies But a man may most justly wonder of
Images so directly against Gods holy word and strait commandment how they should enter in And P. 28. Serenus Bishop of Masile a godly and learned man who lived about 600 years after Christ seeing the people by occasion of Images fall to most abominable Idolatry brake to pieces all the Images of Christ and Saints that were in that City and was therefore complained of to Gregory the first of that name Bishop of Rome who was the first learned Bishop that did allow the having of Images in Churches that can be known by any writing or history of antiquity But though he permitted that Images should be in Churches yet he forbad worshipping of them as appears by his Epistle to Serenus yet blames him for breaking of them upon whose authority they were set up in Churches but they fell presently all in heaps to manifest Idolatry by worshipping of them which Bishop Serenus not without just cause feared would come to pass Now if Serenus his judgment thinking it meet that Images whereunto Idolatry was committed should be destroyed had taken place Idolatry had been overthrown for to that which is not no man committeth Idolatry But of Gregories judgment thinking that Images might be suffered in Churches so iâ— were taught that they should not be worshipped what ruin of Religion and what mischief ensued afterward to all Christendoth experience hath to our hurt and sorrow proved by the schism arising between the East and West Church about the said Images next by the division of the Empire into two parts by the same occasion of Images to the great weakning of all Christendom Whereupon last of all hath followed the utter overthrow of the Christian Religion and noble Empire of Greece and all the East-parts of the world * And by this means Antichrist got into the Saddle and his Throne and the increase of Mahomet's false Religion and the cruel dominion and tyranny of the Saracens and Turks in worshipping of them P. 30. and 31. Constantine the fifth after the example of Leo his Father kept Images out of the Church called a Council of all the learned men and Bishops of Asia and Greece who decreed that it is not lawful for them that believe in God through Jesus Christ to have any Images neither of the Creator nor of any creature set up in Temples to be worshipped but rather that all such things be by the Law of * Cum quid prohibetur prohibentur illa omnia per quae pâ—â—â—enitur 〈◊〉 illud God forbidden and for the avoiding of offence ought to be taken out of Churches But Paul Bishop of Rome and Stephen the third refused to obey the Emperours Decree and assembled another Council and therein condemned the Emperour and his Council of Heresie and made a Decree that the holy Images of Christ and the blessed Virgin and other Saints were indeed worthy of honour and worshipping And P. 33 Not only the simple and unwise were ensnared with Images but now the learned and Bishops fell to worshipping of Images For 't was decreed in the East also in Irene's and Theodora's time that Images should be set up in all Churches of Greece and that honour and worship should be given to them and now ye may see that come to pass which Serenus feared and Gregory the first forbad in vain viz. that Images should in no wise be worshipped Again 't is hard yea impossible any long time to have Images publickly in Churches without Idolatry And P. 34. At Eliberi a notable City in Spain the Spanish Bishops called and held a Council and there decreed in Article 36. thus We think that Pictures ought not to be in Churches lest that be honoured or worshipped which is painted on walls And Canon 44 they say thus We thought good to admonish the faithful that as much as in them lyeth they suffer no Images to be in their houses but if they fear any violence of their servants at the least let them keep themselves clean and pure from Images if they do not so let them be accounted none of the Church There was another Council in Spain called Concilium Tolletanum 12 which decreed against Images and Image-worshippers And P. 36. The Bishop of Rome Excommunicated the Emperour because he opposed his Images and chose Charles King of France to be Emperour because he succoured his Images Then the Nobles of Greece chose Nicephorus to be Emperour he and Scaurus the two Michael's Leo and Theophilus and other Emperour opposed Images And when Theodorus Emperour would have agreed with the Bishop of Rome at the Council at Lions and have set up Images He was by the Nobles of the Empire of Greece deprived and another chosen in his place And P. 40. All Images as well ours as the Idols of the Gentiles are forbidden and unlawful in Churches 1 Of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Deut. 4. As in thâ— first part of this Homily Isa 40. 3. Part. To paint Christ for remembrance of his death is forbidden in the second Commandment For 1. because his body is a creature in heaven therefore not to be represented by an Image in the service of God 2. An Image can only represent the manhood of Christ and not his Godhead which is the chiefest part of him both which natures being in him unseparable it were dangerous by painting the one part from the other to give occasion of Arianism Apollinarism or other Heresies 3. Sith that in all the Scriptures which speak so much of him there is no shew of any portraiture or lineament of his body it 's plain that the wisdom of God would not have him painted A. B. Ushers Sum of Ch. Relig. p. 231. Act. 17. Hab. 2. 2. Of Christ for he is God and man and you cannot paint the Godhead P. 41. and p. 42. Images are lies therefore they are not Lay-mens Books And again If true Images of Christ and Saints could be made yet they are unlawful to be made and see up in Churches to the great and unavoidable danger of Idolalry Primitive Christians were complained of that they had no Images in their Churches Hence 't is inferred there that they took all Images to be unlawful in the Church or Temple oâ— God and therefore had nonâ— Which is a good negative argument for matter of fact And P. 44. The Primitive Church which is especially to be followed 〈◊〉 most incorrupt and pure had publickly in Churches neither Idols 〈◊〉 the Gentiles nor any other Images as things †Observe that the Homily saith before That they are not simply unlawful but for their offence as being occasions of Idolatry then it will follow that occasions of Idolatry and so of other sins are directly forbidden in Gods Word directly forbidden 〈◊〉 Gods Word But 't is objected Thâ—â— Images are not absolutely forbidden to be made but only that they should be made to be worshipped and thâ—â— therefore we may have Images so 〈◊〉 worship them not for
that they 〈◊〉 things indifferent which may be abâ—sed or well used Answ This 〈◊〉 yielded in part Flowers are wrougâ—â— in Carpets Arras and Pictures 〈◊〉 Princes printed or stamped in theâ—â— Coyns which when Christ did see in the Roman Coyn we read 〈◊〉 that he reprehended it neither do we condemn the art of Painting and Image-making as wicked of themselves but we would grant them that Images used for no Religion or Superstition rather we mean Images of none worshipped nor in danger to be worshipped of any may be suffered But Images placed publickly in Temples cannot possibly be without danger of worshipping and Idolatry wherefore they are not publickly to be had or suffered in Temples The Jews to whom the Law was first given and should best know the meaning of it would not suffer Images publickly to be in the Temple at Jerusalem though no worshipping was required at their hands but rather offered themselves to death than to assent that Images should be once placed in the Temple neither would they suffer any Image-maker among them And Origen added this clause lest their minds should be plucked from God to the contemplation of earthly things And they are much commended for this earnest zeal in maintaining Gods honour and true Religion P. 45. And truth it is that Jews and Turks who abhor Images and Idols as directly forbidden in Gods Word will never come to the truth of our Religion while the stumbling-blocks of Images remain among us and lie in their way And P. 49. What meaneth it that Christians after the use of the Gentiles Idolaters cap and knee before Images is not this stooping and kneeling before them adoration of them which is forbidden so directly by Gods Word P. 50. Satan desiring to rob God of his honour desireth exceedingly that such honour might be given to him wherefore those which give the honour due to the Creator to any creature do service acceptable to no Saints who be the friends of God but unto Satan Gods and mans mortal and sworn enemy Obj. But they say that they do not worship the Image as the Gentiles did their Idols but God and the Saints whom the Images do represent and therefore that their doings before Images are not like the Idolatry of the Gentiles before their Idols Answ 'T is answered thus St. Augustine Lactantius and Clemens do prove evidently that by this their answer they be all one with the Gentiles-Idolaters The Gentiles saith St. Augustine which seem to be of the purer Religion say We worship not the Images but by the corporal Images we do behold the signs of the things which we ought to worship And Lactantius saith the Gentiles say we fear not the Images but them after whose likenesses the Images be made and to whose names they be consecrated And Clemens saith that Serpent the Devil uttereth these words by the mouth of certain men We to the honour of the invisible God worship visible Images which surely is not false See how in using the same excuses which the Gentile-Idolaters pretended they shew themselves to join with them in Idolatry For notwithstanding this excuse Augustine Lactantius and Clemens prove them Idolaters And the Scriptures say they worship stocks and stones notwithstanding this excuse even as our Image-mongers do And Ezekiel therefore calleth the gods of the Assyrians stocks and stones although they were but Images of their gods So are our Images of God and the Saints named by the names of God and his Saints after the use of the Gentiles What should it mean that they according as did the Gentile-Idolaters light Candles at noon-time or at midnight before them but therewith to honour them for other use is none of so doing for in the day it needeth not but was ever a Proverb of foolishness to light a candle at noon-day And in the night it availeth not to light a candle before the blind and God hath neither use nor honour thereof By which it appeareth that Are not Tapers appearances of the same Religion to be abstained from as well as candles we do agree with the Gentile-Idolaters in our Candle-Religion And P. 52. As the Gentiles so our Image-maintainers have invented and spread many lying-tales and written many Fables and Miracles of Images And P. 53. Among the holy Relicks they have they say the tayl of the Asse on which our Saviour rode which they offer to be kissed and to be offered unto And P. 55. The having of Images in Churches publickly hath not only brought us to worshipping of them but to worshipping of them with the same kind of worship wherewith they worship the Copy as the Homily shews out of Naclaâ—tus Bishop of Clugium And P. 56. the Homily saith thus Having shewed and proved that our Images have been be and will be worshipped and by their own confession that they ought to be worshipped I will out of Gods Word make this general argument against all such makers setters up and maintainers of Images in publick places thus And first I will begin with the words of our Saviour Christ Wo be to that man by whom an offence is given Wo be to him that * Is there not the same reason against Popish Ceremonies and other unnecessary things offendeth one of these little ones or weak ones Mat. 18. Better were it for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the sea and drowned than that he should offend one of these little ones or weak ones And in Deut. 27. God himself denounceth him accursed that maketh the blind to wander out of the way And in Levit. 19. Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block or stone before the blind But Images have been be and as afterwards shall be proved ever * May not the same be said of Popish Ceremonies Con the Popes Nuncio brought with him into England in A. B. Laud ' s reign many Reliques of Saints Medals and pieces of gold with the Popes picture on them to seduce the Ladies of the Court and Country Heylin ' s Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 358. will be offences and stumbling-blocks especially to the weak simple and blind common people deceiving their hearts by the cunning of the Artificer as the Scripture expresly in sundry places doth testifie and so bringeth them to Idolatry and therefore wo be to the erector setters up and maintainers of Images in Churches for a greater penalty remaineth for them than the death of the body Obj. If it be replied that this offence may be taken away by diligent and sincere doctrine and preaching of Gods Word as by other means and that Images in Churches therefore be not things absolutely evil to all men although dangerous to some and therefore that it were to be holden that the publick having of them in Churches is not expedient as a thing perilous rather than unlawful and utterly wicked Ans This will be answered by proving the third Article which
followeth That it is not possible if Images be suffered in Churches either by preaching of Gods Word or by any other means to keep the people from worshipping of them and so to avoid Idolatry And 1. concerning preaching if it should be admitted that although Images were suffered in Churches yet might Idolatry by diligent and sincere preaching of Gods Word be avoided it should follow of necessity that sincere Doctrine might always be had and continue as well as Images and so that wheresoever to offence were erected an Image there also of reason a godly and sincere Preacher should and might be continually maintained for it is reason that the warning be as common as the stumbling-block the remedy as large as the offence the medicine as general as the poyson but that is not * At least not probable for those rulers that are so foolish as to set up or suffer needless Images will be so wicked as to set up idle or Idolatrous Preachers also possible as both reason and experience teacheth Wherefore preaching cannot stay Idolatry Images being publickly suffered For an Image which will last for many hundred years may for a little be bought but a good Preacher cannot with much be continually maintained Item if the Prince will Those Preachers that are offended at their pulling down and see no hurt in them but conceive much good in and by them will never be good Preachers against them and such was Bishop Sanderson as appears by his Sermon upon Rom. 3. 8. p. 70. in 4to fuffer it there will be by and by many yea infinite Images but sincere Preachers were and ever shall be but a few in respect of the multitude to be taught For our Saviour Christ saith the Harvest is plentiful but the workmen are but few which hath been hitherto true and will be to the worlds end And in our time and in our Country so true that every Shire should scarcely have one good Preacher if they were divided Now Images will continue to the beholders preach their Doctrine that is worshipping of Images and Idolatry to which preaching mankind is exceeding prone and inclined to give ear and credit as experience of all ages and Nations doth too much prove But a true Preacher to stay this mischief is in very many places scarcely heard in one whole year and some where not once in seven years as is evident to be proved And that evil opinion which hath been long rooted in mens hearts cannot suddenly by one Sermon be rooted out clean And as few â—â—inclined to credit sound Doctrine as many and almost all be prone to Superstition and Idolatry so that herein appeareth not only a difficulty but also an impossibility of the remedy It appears not that sound and sincere Preaching hath continued in one place above a hundred years but 't is evident that Images superstition and worshipping of Images and Idolatry have continued many hundred years For all writing and experience do testifie that good things do by little and little ever decay until they be clean banished and contrariwise evil things do more and more increase till they come to a full perfection and wickedness For example for preaching of Gods Word most sincere in the beginning by process of time waxed less and less pure and after corrupt and at last altogether laid down and left off and other inventions of men crept in place of it And on the other part Images among Christian men were first painted and that in whole stories together which had some signification in them afterwards they were embossed and made of timber stone plaister and metal And first they were only kept privately in private mens houses and then afterwards they crept into Churches but first by painting but afterwards by embossing and yet were they at first no where worshipped but shortly after they began to be worshipped of the ignorant sort of men as appeareth by Gregory the first Bishop of Rome in his Epistle to Serenus Bishop of Marcelles Of which two Bishops Serenus for Idolatry committed to the Images brake and burnt them Gregory although he thought it tollerable to let them stand yet he judged it abominable that they should be worshipped and thought as is now alledged that the worshipping of them might be stayed by teaching of Gods Word according as he exhorts Serenus to teach the people as in that Epistle appeareth But whether Gregory's opinion or Serenus his judgment were better herein consider ye For experience by and by confuteth Gregory's opinion For notwithstanding Gregory's writing and others preaching Images being once set up in Temples simple men and women shortly after fell on heaps I humbly pray may not the same be said of kneeling at receiving the Sacrament was it not at first injoined as a thing indifferent but was it not received of ours as a gesture of the highest reverence due to so great a mystery as Bishop Prideaux speaks And doth not Bishop Sparrow call it adoring in his Rationale p. 273. Vide Art 1. p. 5. hujus to worshipping of them and at last the learned also were carried away with the publick error as with a violent stream or flood And at the second Council at Nice the Bishops and Clergy decreed That Images should be worshipped and so by occasion of these stumbling-blocks not only the unlearned and simple but the learned and wise not the people only but the Bishops not the sheep only but the shepherds themselves who should have been guides in the right way fell to Idolatry in worshipping of Images And P. 69. the Homily saith thus The Romish Church is not only an Idolatrous Church an Harlot as the Scripture calleth her but also a foul filthy old withered Harlot for she is of ancient years understanding her lack of nature and * Yet Hooker in his Ecclesiast Policy l. 4. Sec. 9. p. 145. in answer to Mr. Cartwright ' s and Bucer ' s Objection against Popish Ceremonies viz. That Popery for want of utter extirpation of her Ceremonies hath taken root and flourished again but hath not been able to re-establish it self in any place after provision made against it by utter evacuation of all Romish Ceremonies saith thus As we deny not but that this may be true so being of two evils to chuse the less we hold it better that the friends and favourers of the Church of Rome should be in some kind of hope to have a corrupt Religion restored than both we and they conceive just fear lest under the colour of rooting out Popery the most effectual means to bear up the state of Religion be removed and so a â—â—y made for Paganism or for extream barbarity to re-enter To which by the way I give this short answer 1. That he acts directly against the Doctrine of the Church of England and therefore it is no wonder that his Book was commended to the Pope of Rome as the best written in English and that he alone deserved
justifie And if they are not to be accounted Christians then they are not to be accounted Believers 2. Because 't is not only acknowledged to be a sin yea a great trespass Ezra 9. 13. Ezra 10. 2 10. but they that were guilty of it entred into a Covenant to put away their strange wives and swore to perform their Covenant and they performed it Ezra 10. 3 9 12 16 19. Yet upon this account only it would be unlawful because they will provoke to Idolatry or occasion their serving of other gods or the true God after an idolatrous manner which God abhors So though it should be yielded that it were lawful in it self to set up and suffer Idolatrous Images in the publick places of Gods worship yet they are not to be erected or tolerated in them because they are scandalous objects they are provocations to and occasions of committing Idolatry forbidden in the second and sixth Commandments and also in Rom. 14. 13. Let no maâ—â— a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way And Mat. 18. 6. and 't was observed before that Images are directly forbidden in Gods Word because they are occasions of Homily against peril of Idolatry p. 44. idolatry Which plainly shews that occasions of idolatry are directly forbidden in Gods Word And so saith Bishop * Bishop Andrews upon Com. p. 109. A B. Vsher's Sum of Ch. Religion p. 206. Andrews and A. B. Vsher Cum quid prohibetur prohibentur illa omnia per quae pâ—â—venitur ad illud When any thing is forbidden all things which lead thereunto are also forbidden Bonae legis non est solum tollere vitiae sed etiam occasiones vitiorum It 's the part of good Laws not only to take away vices but also to take away the occasions of vices and therefore to take away Images if the Law-makers really intend to prevent Idolatry â—nd so for other sins â—nd this was the wisdom and piety of good King Hezekiah when the people fell to worshipping of the Brazen Serpent which Moses at Gods command set up for the curing of the people that were stung with Serpents He set not up declarations of the use of it and preachers against worshipping of it but he took the best surest and * Frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora readiest way to hinder the peoples idolatry he brake it down 2 King 18. 4. So if Magistrates will prevent Idolatry and superstition in their subjects they must pull down Popish Images Altars and abolish all Popish Ceremonies and occasions of idolatry and superstition Otho's shewing his fair Wife Poppaea naked to lustful Nero was not more actively scandalous than mens setting up and willing permitting of such Images as have been and may be abused to Idolatry in publick places of Gods Worship are or may be They shew that they have neither such zeal for God nor love to their neighbours as they ought to have 2. God hath commanded all Idols to be broken down Exod. 23. 24. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods nor serve them nor do after their works but shalt utterly overthrow them and quite break down their images So Exod. 34. 13. Numb 33. 52. Deut. 7. 25 26. Deut. 12. 2 3. 3. Good Kings have been highly commended for destroying the Images and Altars of Idolaters as Asa in 1 King 15. 13. and Hezekiah 2 King 18. 4. and Josiah 2 King 23. 24. 4. They do not only offend Papists but professed adversaries without the Church they do not only allure Papists to commit Idolatry but they so offend Jews and Turks that they will not embrace Christian Religion because some who profess themselves to be Christians set up Images and Pictures in their Churches 5. We are all commanded to keep our selves from Idols 1 Joh. 5. ult The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. John's time signified generally an Image for Idol and Image signifie the same thing only one is a Greek word originally and the other is a Latine word If you will keep your selves from Image-worship you must keep your selves from Images especially in publick places of worship 6. The Temples of God were not built to that end that the Images of the Creatures should be placed in them but that they might serve for the publick performance of that worship which is appointed and approved of God Mat. 21. 13. My house shall be called the house of prayer 7. Images in Churches have a shew of evil which ought to be abstained from 1 Thes 5. 22. A Papist a stranger coming into one of our great Churches where Images were 〈◊〉 said aloud Profecto hic est facies ecclesiae nostrae how truly I determine not but the learned * Speech in Parliament p. 3. 4. Lord Faulkland said of some of our late Bishops that under the pretence of adorning our Churches they have defiled our Church Our 35 Article of Religion saith thus Our Books of Homilies contain a godly and wholsome Doctrine and necessary for these times And that against the peril of Idolatry speaks notably against setting and suffering Images in Churches ART XVI That those Books which are commonly To ordain any other Word or Sacraments than those which God hath appointed is Will-worship forbidden in the second Commandment saith A. B. Vsher in his Suâ— of Ch. Religion p. 228. Homily for Almesdeedâ— T. 2. p. 〈◊〉 is quoted Tab. 4. in the Margent called Apocryphal as Tobit Judith Esdras c. are the pure word of God and in all things agreeable thereunto THis â—â— Because 't is contrary to the sixth Article of Religion of the Church of England which excludeâ—â—m out of the number of Canonical Books of Scripture 2. Because many things 〈◊〉 contained are contrary to Canonical Scripture for Doctrine and manners as is shewed in the following Appendix intended first for another Book and therefore cannot be fit for confirmation of Doctrine nor instruction of manners Obj. But they are often alledge in tâ—â—â—â—ok of â—â—iliâ—s as Scripture which the Holy Ghost doth teach Answ 'T is answered that they are not used as Canonical Scripture Object But 't is a rule in reasoning Analogum per se positum stat pro suo famosiori significato Sanders Log. l 1. c. 6. par 4. That an analogal put by it self stands for the most excellent significate Here Scripture put by it self without any Epithete stands for Canonical Scripture the most famous significate of Scripture Answ To this I say that if there be Canonical Scripture producible to prove the thing it was ill in the Margent to quote an Apocryphal Text and not it but if there be no Canonical Scripture for it it was ill to call it Scripture in the Text without any Epithite or adjunct and worse to say * Vide appendicem the Holy Ghost doth teach it Obj. But they are called part of the Old Testament in the order for reading the first and
authority yet for edification they are made rather superior than equal to the Canonical Scriptures that are laid aside to make room for those Apocryphals as more edificative than they 4. Apocryphals are not more easie institutes exciting to the imbracing of the Canonicals but rather to the rejecting of them in the matters of faith and good manners 5. Suppose they were such institutes yet it will not follow that such erroneous Books should be publickly read because of the greater parts easiness and conformity to the word of Truth for they may * Let us cast from us corrupt Doctrine that will infect our Souls Homily of the Resurrection p. 196. corrupt their souls with erroneous opinions and affections and lives with wicked practises 6. No corrupting-Homilies or Sermons are to be appointed to be read or preached in publick in the Church for all things are to be done to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. 7. Apocryphals are appointed to be read in Cathedrals as well as in Country Parochial Churches Now you will not say that in Cathedrals where the Bishop Dean and Prebends sit and hear are the popular and duller or slower sort of hearers This therefore is no true and satisfactory answer but a meer pretence and put-off ART XVII That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the supreme Head of the Vniversal Church of Christ above all Emperours Kings and Princes Pastors People and Churches THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England which in Article of Religion 37 saith thus The Queens Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which things the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie But that only prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all Estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or temporal and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England And I add as Dr. Reynolds offered at the Conference at Hampton-Court pag. 37. that be ought not to have any here Of which God willing and permitting I shall say more hereafter though much be said already in the 11th Article of Popery renounced as before The Articles of Lambeth the Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland THe Articles of Lambeth made by Dr. John Whitgift A B. of Canterbury Dr. Fletcher Bishop Elect of London Dr. Vaughan Bishop Elect of Bangor Dr. Tindale Dean of Eli Dr. Whitaker Dr. Chaderton and Mr. Perkins c. as I find them in Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus l. 3. p. 204. and as I find them among the Articles of Ireland 1. God from all eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated 2. The moving or efficient cause of Predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is predetermined a certain number of the Predestinate which neither can be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not predestinate to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God sanctifying is not extinguished doth not fall off or vanish in the Elect either totally or finally 6. A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain or with full assurance of faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ 7. Saving Grace is not given nor communicated nor granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. No man can come to Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men drawn of the Father that they come to the Son 9. It is not in the free choice and power of every man to be saved These Nine Articles or Conclusions And when the Articles of England were received in the Church of Ireland the Title of the Canon is thus Of the agreement of the Church of England and Ireland the profession of the same Christian Faith Which shews that the Churches of England and Ireland did agree in those Articles c. in the Convocation held at Dublin Anno 1615 were resolved upon and agreed to by A. B. Vsher and the Bishops and Clergy as the publick Confession of the Church of Ireland as may be seen in the Articles of Ireland and in Dr. Heylin's Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 271. And moreover these Nine Articles of Lambeth were declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England by the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament about June 14th Anno Domini 1628 as Dr. Heylin informs me in his Cyprianus Angiicus l. 3. p. 197. And 't is observable that though Dr. Heylin affirms that the five Arminian points condemned in the Synod of Dort are the Doctrine of the Church of England and though Dean White licensed Moungues Armin an Popish Books and affirmed that there was nothing in it but what was agreeable to the profession of Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 135. and the three Arminian Bishops Buckeridg Corbet and Laud that wrote and pleaded for him affirmed the same in which Books the five Arminian points were maintained by Mountague and Limbus patrum and many Popish points more though they clamoured very much against the Parliaments declaring That he had in his Books viz. his Gagg and his Apollo Caesarem disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies and that the whole frame and scope of his Books was to the discouragement of the well-affected in Religion from the true Religion established in this Church and to incline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 155 And laboured by the authority and interest of the then King to have those points referred to the decision of the Convocation to whom they said they did belong though all the knot * Cyp. Angl. l. 1. p. 59. of Arminians except Mr. Barlow that met at Bishop Neils and many more were promoted and dignified persons and Mountague †Cypr. Angl. l. 3. p. 185. himself made Bishop in
Orthodox Carleton's place at Chichester who wrote against Mountagues Books and Popish Goodman who * Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 446. lived and died a Papist was made Bishop of Gloucester in Orthodox Smith's place who opposed Laud in his Altar-worship there yea though A. B. Abbot was by Laud's means sequestred from the execution of his office and his authority committed to such hands as were no favourers of the Genevean faction they are Heylin's own words of which Bishop Laud as Heylin * Cypr. Angl. l. 3. p. 170. saith informed the King that A. B. Abbot was the head viz. to Mountain Bishop of London Neile Bishop of Durham Buckeridg Lauds Tutor Bishop of Rochester Howsâ—â— Bishop of Oxford and himself Bishop of Bath and Wells or any two of them yea when Laud was gotten uppermost and had gotten stout-hearted Williams Bishop of Lincoln into the Tower and had his Spies upon Orthodox Hall Bishop of Exceter and Davenant Bishop of Salisbury two of those learned Divines which were sent by King James to the Synod of Dort and had almost and did what he listed in promoting those of his party and suppressing those of the Genevean party as Dr. Heylin evidenceth yea brags in his Cyprianus Anglicus yet I say he never durst put those five Arminian points to the hazard of decision by the Convocation though he had a great mind to it as appears by his moving the Duke of Buckingham about it and his consulting with Bishop Andrews about it as Dr. Heylin relates in his Cyprianus * Lib. 2. p. 133. 'T is probable he first advised and then ordered the Catalogue of the most eminent Divines distinguished according to their perswasions by the Letters O and P made him fear the Convocation and therefore take his other courses which brought himself and others to ruin Cyp. Angl. l. 2. p 133. And the eighth Article objected against him viz. That there must be a blow given to the Church such as hath not been yet given before it would be brought to conformity Cyp. Angl. l 5. p. 512 513. might be brought to prove his fear of the Convocation as is said Anglicus least they should be condemned by our Convocation as well as they were by the Synod of Dort and by Bishop Carleton Dean Sutcliff Dr. Featly Mr. Goad Mr. Yates Mr. Ward Mr. Burton Mr. Rouse and Mr. Pryn asunder that the encounter seemed to be betwixt a whole army and a single person as Heylin writes in his Cyprianus Anglicus l. 2. p. 155. and by Dr. Prideaux in the Chair in the Divinity School at Oxford as they had been by learned Dr. Humphries Dr. Holland and Dr. Abbot before him and by Dr. Whitaker Mr. Perkins Dr. Davenaut and Dr. Ward and many more at Cambridg and by many more in the Universities and elsewhere in Cities Towns and Country Parishes And were never declared either by any Convocation at or since the first reformation or by any Parliament except in Queen Maries reign to be the Doctrine of the Church of England And for further confirmation of this truth that those five Arminian points condemned by the Synod of Dort to which Synod King James sent several Learned and Orthodox Divines who joined with the rest of that Learned Synod in condemning and rejecting all those five Armanian points which sure neither he nor they would have done if they had been the Doctrine of the Church of England were not the Doctrine of the Church of England read King James his Declaration against Vorstius wherein he writes thus to his Ambassador Sir Ralph Winwood Trusty and Welbeloved c. You shall repair to the States-General with all possible diligence in our name telling them that we doubt not but that their Ambassadors which were here about two years since did inform them of a forewarning that we wished the said Ambassadors to make unto them in our name to beware in time of * Arminians called seditious and heretical Preachers seditious and heretical Preachers and not to suffer any such to creep into their State Our principal meaning was of Arminius who though he were late dead yet had he left too many disciples behind him Declarat pag. 350. of his Works That Vorstius hath published such monstrous blasphemy and horrible Atheism in a scandalous Book fit to be burnt and the Author punished and that Arminius late Divinity-Reader at Leyden was but of little better stuff who though he be dead hath left his sting yet living among them Ibid. p. 350 351. And in pag. 355. he saith thus in his Letter to the States-General We had well hoped that the corrupt seed of that enemy of God Arminius did sow amongst you some few years since had given you sufficient warning to take heed of such infected persons seeing your own Country-men divided into factious upon this occasion a matter so opposite to unity which is indeed the only â—roâ— and safety of your State next under God as of necessity it must by little and little bring you to utter ruin if wisely you do not provide against it and that in time Ibid. p. 355. It is true it was our hard hap not to hear of this Arminius before he was dead and that all the Reformed Churches of Germany had with open mouth complained of him But as soon as we understood of that distraction in your State which he left after his death behind him we did not fail to use some such speeches to your Ambassadors as we * That is those above named to beware of seditious and Heretical Preachers thought fittest for the good of your State which we doubt not but they have faithfully reported unto you For what need we make any question of the arrogancy of these †Arminians called Hereticks or atheistical Sectaries Hereticks or rather Atheistical Sectaries among you when one of theâ— at this present that is Bertius a Scholar of Arminius as he described and called him in his former Letter to his Ambassador Ibid. p. 354. remaining in your Town of Leyden hath not only presumed to publish of late a blasphemous * Bertius his Book de Apostasia Sanctorium called a blasphemous Book Book of the Apostasie of the Saints but besides hath been so impudent as to send the other day a copy thereof as a goodly present to our Archbishop of Canterbury together with a Letter wherein he is not ashamed as also in his Book †To say that the Doctrine therein contained is agreeable to the profession and Doctrine of the Church of England a gross lye to lye so grosly as to avow that his Heresies contained in the said Book are agreeable with the religion and profession of our Church of England for these respects therefore have we cause enough very heartily to request you to root out with speed those * Arminianism Heresie and Schism Heresies and Schisms which are beginning to bud forth among you which if you suffer to
superstitious and truly Magical abuse of it And Disputation the 38. Thes 2. p. 208. he saith further thus For seeing that Idolatry is nothing else than to attribute to the Creatures that honour that is due to God alone and those virtues which are proper to God it is manifest that all they whosoever they be that ascribe to Creatures and most of all to Inanimate Creatures the Divine Properties and the proper effects and benefits of God or Christ do manifestly make Idols of those Creatures and whoever they be that do earnestly desire or expect these benefits from them do commit gross Idolatry And Mr. Perkins in his Order of Causes of Salvation and Damnation upon the second Commandment p. 63. in 4to saith thus Satanical means I call those which are used in the producing of such an effect to the which they neither by any express rule out of Gods Word nor of their own nature were ever ordained I pray let these things be humbly and meekly considered and withal remember that there is an Amen said to the use of the sign of the Cross which is a prayer as appears in the Office of publick Baptism and the Church-Catechism I do not charge our men with it but humbly submit it to their serious consideration and desire them if any shall think they are concerned hereby to go about to clear themselves from that is here charged upon the Papists they do not as the practise of some hath been answer so as to acquit the Papists too and justifie the ungodly but rather abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. and abolish that which is amiss or hath but the real appearance of that which is evil to godly sober judicious and consciencious men Vpon the whole matter 't is Queried I. WHether among the Conformists to the Discipline and Ceremonies there be not as many Nonconformists to the Doctrine of the Church of England that is against Popery holding if not all yet many of these false Doctrines renounced as there are Nonconformists to the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church of England II. Whether those Conformists in name that are Nonconformists in deed to the Doctrine of the Church of England that is against Popery be not more dangerous and likely to disturb the peace of the Church and Kingdom by Preaching and Printing and endeavouring to bring in Popery than those Nonconformists to the Rites and Ceremonies and Declarations enjoined but are real Conformists to the Articles of Religion of the Church of England which only concern the Doctrine of Christian faith and the Sacraments which is all the Subscription was enjoined by the ancient Law 3 Edw. 6. c. 11. 13 Eliz. c. 12. III. Whether the twentieth Article of the Authority of the Church since the first clause hath been added by the Bishops and the thirtyfourth Article of Traditions especially seeing Dr. Heylin saith in his Introduction to his Cyprianus Anglicus pag. 20 21. That authority to decree Rites or Ceremonies and authority in Controversies of Faith contained in the twentieth and thirtyfourth Articles of Religion the Church of Rome never challenged more and the third Article concerning Christs descent into Hell if it be expounded other way than that of the Apostles Creed to which assent is given in the eighth Article and the thirtysixth Article of ordering the consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons seeing the Order of Diocesan Provincial and Oecumenical Bishops distinct from and superiour to Preaching-Presbyters hath been by Papists contended for to be of Divine right or institution and yet hath been denied by sound Protestants as appears by the History of the Council of Trent and is by Archbishop Laud and his party made essential to the being of a Church which saith Adam Coutzen a Romish Priest in the second Book and eighteenth Chapter of his Politicks is the readiest and easiest way to cheat the Protestants of their Religion and Ordination by Protestant Preaching Presbyters is denied to be valid and yet Ordination of Popish Priests is allowed to be good be against Popery or may not in fine bring in the whole body of Popery if not timely prevented especially when that which Mr. Fowler * Free Discourse second Edition pag. 2. p. 191 saith shall be seriously considered viz. that those Divines of his opinion do heartily subscribe to the Thirty-nine Articles of our Church taking that liberty in the interpretation of them that is allowed †p. 2. p. 305. by the Church her self though it is most reasonable to presume that she requireth Subscription to them as to an instrument of peace only And that the †What liberty is that to interpret them as they please and contrary to the Grammatical and common sense of them as Dr. Jeremy Taylor did the Ninth and Johannes de Sancta Clara Archbishop Laud's Fovourite did all the Thirty-nine Governours of the Church require not their internal assent to the Articles of the Church of England and yet require an unfeigned assent and consent to the Ceremonies and Declarations by them invented and injoined as the Act for Uniformity shews as if they were more necessary and essential to the being of the Church of England than those substantial and fundamental Truths that are contained in the other Articles of our Christian Religion Most especiall◠seeing * Gretzer de Festis l. 1. c. 2. Gretzer a Romish Priest calls the conforming part of the Clergy of England Calvino-Papistae Calvin-Papists as was noted before in the Epistle to the Christian Reader IV. Whether for the prevention of Popery it be not necessary to authorize some known Orthodox Nonconformists who stand not in awe of Bishops as Conformists do to license Books against Popery Arminianism Socinianism and Anabaptism and for defence of the Articles of Religion of the Church of England at least whether it be not more convenient and safe to authorize such Nonconforming Divines than it is to authorize Bishops Chaplains to license Books seeing in A. B. Lauds time they suppressed the printing of many Orthodox Books and Sermons and licensed many Heterodox and Popish Arminian and Socinian Books as may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus and they may do the like or the same or worse hereafter FINIS The Christian Reader is humbly desired to correct these ERRATA'S which escaped in the Printing in the Authors absence IN the Epistle p. 1. l. last in the Marg. r. Presbytery p. 11. l. 32. r. riots p. 12. l. 29. these words he faith it is a dangerous decert to say that Creatures may be adored and is contrary to Exod. 20. 5. Thou shalt not bow down to them which are not the words of Bishop Sparrow but of Thomas Rogers upon Art 31. and should have been put in the Margent against Bishop Sparrow's former words then should follow what Bishop Sparrow saith p. 391. thus and hs calls the Sacrament c. p. 20. l. 5. marg r. Balduin l. 12. for dixerit r.