PAX VOBIS OR GHOSPELL AND LIBERTIE AGAINST ANCIENT AND MODERN PAPISTS BY E.G. PREACHER OF THE WORD DEDICATED TO THE RIGHT HON BLE THE LORD HALYFAX Stand fast in the Libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not entangl'd again with the yoke of bondage Popery Gal. c. 5. v. 1. Anno 1679. THE PREFACE TO THE CHILDREN OF THE REFORMATION BE not concern'd to know whose hand it is which holds the link but follow the light it gives reach your hand to receive this Treatise which marks the shore where the Ark of our Reformation shatter'd by a deluge of troubles may rest which is a Holy liberty to all and each Person to believe or not believe act or not act as he pleases with a safe conscience acording the Principles of our Reformation We generally lament the convulsions which shake our Church and State through the diversity of opinions professed by our several Congregations som remedies have bin applied to bring vs to Peace and conformity but all have proved ineffectual som of our Drs judge nothing can cure our disease but a General Council or supream Authority to whose sentence we should all submit but this besides that it is Popish to grant any human Power for to oblige our consciences against our jugdments in matters of Religion is but an imaginary remedy for a real Evil for it 's not in the Reformation as in Popery in this there is a supream Authority for to convene the Pastors of diverse Kingdoms to a general Council in our Reformation there is none Popery believes its Councils and Popes infallible and therefore they cannot but acquiesce because an infallible sentence leaves no doubt of the Truth but in the Reformation all Councils and human Authority are fallible and consequently their Decisions may be doubted of and we are never certain of the Truth Others judge the remedy of our disease can be no other but Pills of persecution penal laws Acts of Parliament Ordinances of Synods forcing men to conformity but this has proved not only destructive to the peace of the Church but has shockt the very foundation of our Reformation for if we must believe under severe penalties what the State and Ecclesiastical Authority will have vs believe then scripture must be no more our Rule of faith but the state and Church which tells me what I must believe and we must be deprived of the right and power of interpreting Scripture and believing it in the sense we think it to be the true and yet our whole Reformation is cemented and was first raised vpon this Holy Libertie That every one should reade Scripture interpret it and believe whatever he thought was the true sense of it without any compulsion or constraint for to believe either Church State Universitie or Dr. if wee did not judge by Scripture his Doctrin was true If Prudence had as great a share in our Conduct as Passion wee should regulat our future by the effects of our past actions and if wee will cast an eye back to the transactions of later years we will find this compulsion of Mens Consciences has produced but confusion in our Church and fatal disturbances in our State contrarywise never did our Reformation enjoy more peace shin'd with more lustre and held its course with more happiness than when none was molested for his Profession but euery one had libertie to believe and teach what Doctrin and sense each one thought to be the most conformable to Scripture Confider the infancy of the Reformation when God raised Luther to repair the ruins of the Church how of a suddain it spred it self in Germany France Holland Poland Scotland and England and by what means was it not by takeing away all constraint of mens Consciences vsed then only in the Popish Church our blessed Reformers takeing to themselves and giving to others a Holy libertie for to teach and believe what ever they judged to be the Doctrin and true Sense of Scripture tho it should be against the received opinion of the Councils Church Universities and Drs. look into the Reign of Edward the VI. then did our Reformation florish in England and was miraculously propagated by the Liberty of Martin Bucer Cranmer Ochinus Peter Martyr and others in teaching Calvinism Lutheranism Zuinglianism by Scripture as every one vnderstood it Descend to the reing of Queen Marie then the light of the Ghospel was eclypsed because the flock was again popishly compelled to believe not what they judged by Scripture to be true but what the Pope and Church judged was such Com down a step lower to Queen Elizabeths time then the flock recouering that holy liberty for to believe what each one thought was the Doctrin of Scripture the Reformation gained ground our several Congregations lived peaceably for tho Protestancy was establisht the Religion of the Land others were not oppressed nor their liberty constrained by compulsions step down a degree lower to king James his time the Reformation held its course as prosperoussy as in Queen Elizabeths time because mens consciences were not oppressed all Reformed Brethren had full libertie to believe as they pleased tho Protestancy was the Religion of the King look down a step lower to king Charles the first 's reign his Matie carried with a godly zeale of restraining the diversity of opinions begot by the liberty enjoyed in his Predecessors times would by new Laws and Ordinances force the flock to an Uniformity of Doctrin but our zealous Brethren the Presbyterians impatient of any constraint in affairs of Religion and pleading for the Evangelical Libetty of our Reformation for to believe nothing nor vse any Rites or Ceremonies but as each one judged by Scripture to be convenient they covenanted against his Majestie and Bishops and the storm grew to that height that both Church and state were drown'd almost in the blood of our Reformed Brethren lastly looke vpon our Realm as it is at present the symptom◠of disatisfactions which you may read and hear in the Coffie houses in public and privat conversations the sparkle◠of jealousies which appear in our land the Cabals against our gouernment the animositie of deuided parties the murmur and complaints of all what 's all this but the smoke of that hidden fire of zeale wherwith Protestants would force Presbytherians by penal Laws to profess their Tenets Presbyterians exclaim against Protestancy as against Popery Quakers judge both to be limbs o◠Satan Anabaptists look on all three as Children of Perdition and no Congregation would give libertie for to profess any Tenets but its owne in so much that if you consider all well each of our Cōgregations are as severe Tyrants ouer our judgments and consciences as Popery was and our Reformation comes to be in effect but an exchange of one Italian Pope for many English ones for as in Popery we must submit our judgments to the Pope and Church of Rome or be esteemed putrid rotten members and be shut
any of our synods Did any teach that we may with a safe conscience change our Religion as you say Isaac Yes I can the Synod of Charenton in France held about the yeare 1634. expresly saies that for your salvation it s all alike whether you be a Calvinist Lutheran or of any other Congregation of the Reformed because says this Venerable synod they all agree in fundamental points and the Lutherans haue nothing of superstition or Idolatrie in their manner of divin worship Change then as often as you list be a Lutheran be a Presbyterian be an Anabaptist by the mouth of this synod you are assured you 'l never miss to hit right And I pray can any synod of our times haue more authoritie in point of Doctrin than Luther our first Reformer a man extraordinarily raised by God says the synod of Charenton and replenisht with his spirit for to repaire the ruins of his Church He teachs the elevation of the sacrament is Idolatrie yet he did practise iâ— and commanded it should be practised iâ— the Church of Wittemberg to spâ—te thâ— Deuil Carolstadius Giuing you tâ— vnderstand that for just reasons yoâ— may teach now one Religion noâ— an other Zuinglius also whose virtuâ— and Learning is knowen to the work says that God inspired him to preacâ— what Doctrin was suitable to the times which as it often changes you maâ— often change your Doctrin and consider you if it be not therefore thaâ— Christ our lord saies his yoke is sweâ—â— his burden light that is Religioâ— because we can withdraw our Neâ—â— from it as time and just reason requires Ismael Could you giue me any sâ—nod of the Church of England whicâ— deliuers this Doctrin you would gâ— neere hand to convince me for thâ— som particular Doctors should hauâ— taught or practis'd it does not provâ— it to be the Doctrin of the Reformation Isaac And what greater authoritiâ— has a synod of England for to provâ— a Doctrin to be of the Reformation than a synod of France which I have produced Or than Luther and Zuinglius our first Reformers inspired by God to teach vs the puritie of the Ghospel Was it not from Luther and Zuinglius that England receiued the Doctrin of the Reformation and if England be so bold as to say they erred in this what assurance can we haue but that they erred in the rest But since nothing will please you but a synod of England you shall haue not one but many Can there be any synod in England of so great authoritie as our wise and prudent Parliaments Read our Chronicles and you 'l find that in few years time they changed and established different Religions by publick acts of Parliament In Henry the 8. Reigne they voted for Popery and made Acts and Statuts against the Reformation In Edward the 6. time they banisht Popery and voted for Zuinglianism In Queen Mary's they pull'd down this and sett vp Popery again In Queen Elizabeths they decryed this and set vp not Zuinglianism but Protestancy in the midst of her reign they polisht this and added som new perfections to it In King James and succeeding kings times Protestancy is of a different stamp from that of Queen Elizabeths Heare Doue in his Exhort to the English Recusants an 1603. pag. 31. Henry the 8 had his Lyturgie which was very good Edward the 6. condemned it and brought in an other composed by Peter Martir and Bucer in Elizabeths time that was condemned and an otheâ— approued and in the middle of her reign her Lyturgy was also misliked and â— new one introduced we are so wantâ—â— that nothing will coÌ„tent vs but novelties Ismael Doue does not commenâ— this Doctrin for he calls that frequent exchange of Religion Wantonness and loue of noueltie Isaac It s no great matter what he says of it my drift is but to convince you that this is the Doctrin practise of the best Members of our Reformation euen of England and if you be convinc't its the Doctrin of the Reformation you cannot deny but that it is good Doctrin if Doue calls it wantonness S. Paul Ephes 4.22 Coloss 3.9 Rom. 6.6 commends it and exhorts vs to put of the old man with its deeds that 's Popery with its ceremonies and put on the new man that 's the Reformation where ther 's neither Greek nor Iew Circumcision nor Incircumcision Barbarian or Scythian bound or free but Christ is all and in all that 's to say where ther 's no distinction of Protestants or Presbyterians Socinians or Arians it s all one which Religion you profesâ— Ismael But is there no Tenet of Religion which we are all indispensably obliged to hold Isaac Yes there is and no more but one we are bound to have faith in Iesus Christ son of God and Saviour of the world This is the substance of Christian Religion be an Arian be a Presbyterian be a Socinian or what you please be also plung'd to your ears in wickedness of life and manners so you have faith in Jesus Christ son of God and Redeemer of the world and live in charitie you will be a member of the true Church and be saved Do not imagin this is any new Doctrin invented by me search the vulgar sort of our Reformed Brethren you shall get thousands of this opinion in our Realm search the Books of our Learned Drs you shall find it in them also Dr Morton in his much applauded booke dedicated to Queen Elizabeth for which he deserved a Bishoprick says The Arian Curch is to be esteemed a true Church because they hold the true substance of Christian ReligioÌ„ which is faith in Iesus Christ son of God and Redeemer of the world and again in the same place sect 4. whose Title is Heretics are members of the Church he says whosoeuer believes in Iesus Christ tho by wickedness of life or Heresy in Doctrin they should err in Doctrin they are still true Members of the Church Therefore our learnd Fox Doctor Fieldâ— and Illiricus say the Greek Church notwithstanding their error in denying the Procession of the H. Ghost from the son are holy members of the true Church because they have faith in Jesus Christ Ismael Sure you will not say this Doctrin is of the Reformation or can be safely believed Isaac I do admire how you can doubt of it and that it may be believed for what is the Doctrin of the Reformation but as we have said in our Principles Scripture as interpreted by any man of sound judgement in the Church and were not Doctor Morton Fox Field and Illiricus men of sound judgement eminent Learning and Godlines if-therefore this be Scripture as interpreted by them how can you deny it to be the Doctrin of the Reformation Ismael And what Jesus Christ are we obliged to believe in for Jesus Christ as believed by the Arians Socinians Luther and Calvin is far different from Jesus Christ as
king himself nor any other did doubt of their Right and now most of our Congregations do absolutly deny any Right in our Clergy to those Rents because they are no Clergy yet none will be so bold as to accuse Henry the VIII of sacriledge for hauing taken the Church Liuings from them for to put them to better vse And why should wee dare say our king would commit any for depriving our Clergy of those Rents believe he can lawfully do it or believe he can not you 'l be still a good Child of the Reformation Believe what you please Ismael This is a ticklish point let 's leaue it to the consideration of our wise and prudent Parliament and be pleased to answer to my doubt how can wee live in peace and tranquillitie in Religion if our Rule of faith be Scripture as each one vnderstands it I remember a discourse started in the house of Lords not many yeares agon by his Grace the Duke of Buckingam he desired to know what was it to be a Protestant wherin did Protestancy properly consist the Bishops who were present looked one vpon an other and whether they feared the difficultie of the question or that for modesty's sake each expected to hear an other speake firstâ— they stood sylent for a whyle at last the yce was broken by one others followed but hardly any two agreed and all that the Duke could gather out of their several answers was that our Rule of faith was Scripture as each one vndestood it and Protestancy nothing but Scripture as interpreted by the Parliament and Church of England whervpon he concluded Wee are these hundred yeares very busy for to settle Religion and for ought I perceive wee are as vnsettled now as at the beginning And truly he had great reason for Religion and faith is nothing else but that sense of Scripture which each Person of sound judgment vnderstands and as it 's impossible wee should all jump and agree in one sense and meaning of the text so its impossible wee shall euer be settled and agree in Religion Isaac The reason of our vnsettlement hitherto and at present is the violent efforts what by persecutions Acts of Parliaments and other oppressions what by Invectives intrigues and cabals of the Church of England to draw all to be Protestants of the Presbyterians to make vs deny Episcopacy and of each other Congregation to force vs to their respective Tenets and whylst this constraint and severity is vsed against mens consciences it s in vain to expect peace or settlement in our Reformed Church but let vs follow our Rule of faith let cach one believe as in his conscience he best vnderstands Scripture let vs all believe what wee please and be permitted so to do and wee shall without doubt enjoy perfect peace and Tranquillity believe you Figurative Presence if you will let the Lutheran believe his Real Presence if he likes it and let me believe no Presence at all if I judge ther 's none why will not you permit me to follow that Rule of faith which the whole Reformation euen the Church of England gives me in her 39. Articles Scripture as each Person of sound judgment vnderstands it To say wee can neuer have settlement in Religion whylst this arbitrary interpretation of Scripture is permitted is to speake like a Papist this the Pope and Papists said to our first blessed Reformers and the Popish Church saies this day to vs that wee ought to submit our judgments to the Church and Councils that wee ought not to believe what sense wee think to be true but what the Pope and Councils propose vnto vs and if Luther and our other Reformers did not do ill in follwing their own sense and interpretation of Scripture against all the world why do you blame me or any other for following their example Ismael When you speake of our Reformation and Congregations I heare you reckon the Arians Socinians and Antitrinitarians among them sure you do not belieue they or such like ancient condemned hereticks were of the Reformation for wee Protestants do believe the Mystery of the Trinity against them and will never own them to be our Brethren Isaac And do not you believe Episcopacy against the Presbyterians som Canonical Books against the Lutherans Supremacy against the Quakers and Infants Baptism against the Anabaptists and yet you own them as your Brethren and godly Congregations of the Reformation or if you will deny them they will also scorn you and say they are more of the Reformation than you are and why will not you own the Arians c. as your Brethren tho you believe the Trinitie against them you say they are old condemn'd Heretiks and does this language becom a Child of the Reformed Church by whom were they condemn'd was it not by the Popish Church which also condemns vs and saies wee are as much Hereticks as they and as wee ought not to be so called and judge the Pope and Councils sentence against vs to be bold vncharitable and injust so wee must say of the Arians Pelagians and others condemn'd by them You saie Protestants will never own them to be their Brethren God forbid the Protestant Church should be so vncharitable to their fellow Christians and so injust to themselves B. Morton as I cited in my first Dialogue as learned a man aâ— the Church of England bred saies the Arian Church is a true Church and will say no less of the others but what need wee the testimonie of any for what reason so convincingly proves They who walk by one and the same Rule of faith are of one and the same Religion therefore Lutherans Protestants Presbyterians and Independents do esteem themselves to be of the same faith and Religion because they all have the same Rule which is Scripture â— each Congregation vnderstands it also notwithstanding the difference and varietie of Congregations in Popery they hold all but one faith as they say because they have alâ— but one Rule of their beliefe whicâ— is their infallible Pope and Church but it 's evident that those which yoâ— call Ancient condemned Hereticks have one and the same Rule of faith with our Reformation for ours is Scripture as each Person of sound judgment vnderstands it without any obligation of holding the sense of it delivered by Pope Church Councils or any other therefore our first blessed Reformers did not care what sense of it the Church or Pope did hold when they began to preach the purity of the Ghospel but each of them interpreted it as he thought fit in the Lord and so purged the Church of many Errors This is the very self same Rule of faith which Arians Pelagians Nestorians and others peremptorily condemned by Rome as Hereticks did follow and walk by each of them read and interpreted Scripture preached and believed what sense of it they tought to be true tho they knew it was against the Doctrin of the Church looking on
I have bin hitherto an vnsettlement in my perswasion and a compassion of the poore Pagans so vniustly banisht from our Nation if what Dr Stillingfleet saies be true he is a learned religious and diligent searcher into Scripture the Ancient DDrs and Fathers of the Church reading Scripture judged and taught that Iupiter was a Devil as well as the rest of the Gods which the Gentils adâ—red Dr Stillingfleet and other Reformed DDrs reading Scripture judge he was no Devil but the tru God blessed for ever more any Child of the Reformation may believe either of both and put Jupiter in our Litanies as well as Jesus Christ and offer Sacrifice to him as formerly our Ancestors did for whatever any man of sound judment judges to be the Doctrin of Scripture may be safely believed and is the Dâ—ctrin of the Reformation as for my part I see our Wyse Parliament sits now vpon a new settlement of Gouvernment and Religion and I will not resolve vpon any Religion vntill I see what it concludes If Dr Stillinfleet be so zealous as to put in a good Word for Paganism before the Religious Assembly he may find Abettors and as the Parliament cherishes Dr Oates for the extirpation of Popery so it may cherish Dr Stillingfleet for the introduction of Paganism and the erecting of Temples and Altars for holy Iupiter his tru and evermore blessed God and if he be successfull in this vndertaking as for exchanging Presbytery for Protestancy he was promoted to the Deanry of S. Pole so by changing Christianity for Paganism he may expect to be his Holy Iupiter's heigh Priest in London Capitol and reign with him everlastingly in the other life in case he believes there is an other FINIS a Epist ad Noremb in Comment in 10.6 16. Matt. b Theol. Calvin l. 2. fol. 70. c in parva Confes cerm fol. 55. in Colloq fol. 110. d To. â— fol. 202. e The Kingdom of Isr pag 9. f Acts mon. pag 36. lib. 3. c. 5. g Catal. tesâ—ium pag. 976. 978. a l. 4 instit c. 9 b To. 1. Edit Ien. in Resolut c lib. de serv Ar bit cont Erasm edit 1. d In Colloq Mensal fol. 118. e To. 2. Wittem fol. 374. 375. f In Defens Art Reliq Protest pag. 199. g In his true Differ par 2. pag 353. h Bouclier de la Foy Matt. 12. Tim. 2. Io. 3. a In lib. ad Corin. c. 11. b In Explan Art 17. c To. 2. de Minist Eccles instâ—t fol. 369 lib. de Capt. Babyl c. de Ordin lib. de abroganda Missa d In Harm in Math. c. 26 vers 64. iâ— admonad Polan in Tract Theolog. pag. 794. e Commâ—nt sâ— per Ioanc 10. f In Act. Serueti pag. 87. g l. cont â—enebrar h In Postil Major in eâ—arrat Evang. Domin Trinit i lib. 2. Dial. 2. k Harm in Evang. Mat c. 26 vers 39. c. 27 vers 46. lib. 2. Instit c. 16 sect 10. 1â— l In Luc. par 2. hom 65. in Ioan. hom 54. m In Math c. 26. n In Recogn pag 376. o lib. 2. Inst c. 16. fact 10. seq p To. 3. Wâ—ttemb in sp 16. q in ps 16. r In Conses majori de Coena DnÌ„i Å¿ To. 2. in respoÌ„s ad Confess Luth. fol. 458. t In Histor Sacram par â— fol. 57. a Dom 1. Adventus libr de Proph. Christi b In Postill super Evangel Domi. 1. Advent Dom. 26. post Trinit c Moriuâ—â— to Good Works in the Epâ—st Dedic d lib. 3 Inst c. 4. sect 28. e lib. 4. Inst c. 7. sect 2. f In loeis common classe 5 c. 27. g To. 2. Wittem de capt Babyl fol. 74. h de Eccl. cont Bellarm coÌ„f 2. quaest 5 i Epist 2 2. 25. k To. 5. wittem serm de Matrim in 1. ad Corint 7. l Consil Theol. par 1 pag 648. 134. m In Epist Paul ad Phil. in 1. ad Tim. 3. n lib. 2â— Dial. 21. o lib. de Repud Divort. pag. 123. p Canon â—enerales Geuuen 1560. q Chap. 13. art 31 r To. 5. Wittem serm de Matrim Å¿ To. 5. Wittemb serm de Matrim t In Scriptis Anglic de Reg Chr. l. 2. c. 26. in Math c. 19 u in Consil Theol. par 1 pag. 648â— 134. x Dial. 200. 204 in Epist s. Paul ad Tim 3. y l. 4. Inst c. 19. sect 37. Discip Eccl c. 13. z serm de Matrim a lib. 4 Inst c. 15. sect 20. 21. b Act. 27. c Can. 29. d lib. 2. Eccles Polit. pag 103. e In Tim. c. 50. f In defens Hoo keri art 8 a In Praefat Dialog b serm de 50. Artic. in summa summarum c In Harm super â—uc c. 2. d Epitoâ— Cent. 16. par 2. e Tom. 2. cont Catabapt fol. 10. f Victoria verit aâ—g 5. g In cap. 2. ad Gal. h de Eccles cont Bellaâ—m Cont. 2. q. 4. i To. 5. Wittem â—n 1554. in Epist ad Gal. c. 1. k In Apol CoÌ„f. c. de Concil l In cap. 2. ad Gal. serm Angl pag 204. m In Epist ad Gal c. 1. 2. Tom. 5. Wâ—ttemb an 1554. soi 29. n lib. 5. de Eccl. Polit. sect 72. o Pag. 495. â—73 p Acts. and Mon pag. 514 q lib. 2 Inst c 17â— sect 6. r In CoÌ„ment in cap. 2. ad Gal. Å¿ To. 1. Proposit 3. t lib. 2. instit c. 7. sect 5. u Harm Evang. in Luc. c. 10. vers 26. x In Synop Papismi pag 564. y lib. de servo Arbit cont Erasm z lib. 3â— Instit c. 21. sect 5. 7 c. 22. sect 11. cap. 23. sect 1. a Lib. 2. inst c. 4 sec 3 l. 1. c. 18 sect z l. 3 c. z3 sec 4. Lo. 1 de deprovid c. 6. in Synops pag. 563. In manifest stratag Papist l. 4. Inst c. 7. sect 27. a In Defens c. pag. 373.70 and 395. b In Respons tâ—edecem Propos c in Epist ad Card. Belay Episo Pariens d In Tract Euchar. ad P. Sermondum e In â—not supeâ— Nouum Testam cap 10. Matth. soepe alibi f To. 1. Edit Ieâ—ae l de Capt. Babyl Westph defens 2. Orthod â—it g Admonit 2. ad h Lib. de Coena Domini i lib. de capt Babyl c. de Euchar. k Epist ad Bohemos in declarat Euch. in sermâ— de Euch. l in Concil Theol. ad Mareh Elect. de vsu vtriusque speciei pag. 141. a In Disput Theol pag. 301. b in Conciliat loc Scrip. loco 191. c In locis CoÌ„mun To. 1. de Potest Eccl. d in Apol. Confes Aug. art 13. l.b. 1. Epist pag. 234. e In cap. 5. Epist lac v. 4. f lib. 4. Iâ—st c. 14. sect 5. g In modest Examiâ— h in Eccl Polit. l. 5. sect 66. i In locis CoÌ„mun tit de Numero Sacram k in perpet Râ—gim pag. 109. l In Eccl. Polâ—t lib. 5. sect 77. m lib. 4. Inst c. 29. n Epit. Colloq MoÌ„tisbel o In Centur Exercit Theol. pag. 270. p Exam. par 4. q in respons ad acta Colloq Montisbelgar par 2. in Praefat. r In locis coÌ„mun c. 18. 19. Å¿ â—n script Angl. pag. 450. t To. 1. in Explan Art 90. Art 60. u in Apolog Confes Aug. x To. 1â— Wittem in resol de Indul. concl 15. y Epist ad Spalat z Acts. and Mon. pag. 46â— 1312. a To. 2. Germ fol. 214. b de formula â—issa To. 3. Germ. c in hiftor Sacram par 2. fol. 13. d In replica coÌ„t Hardingum