Pax Vobis OR GOSPEL AND LIBERTY Against Ancient and Modern PAPISTS By a Preacher of the Word The fifth Edition Corrected and amended Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangl'd again with the Yoke of Bondage Popery Gal. c. 5. v. 1. Printed Anno Dom. 1687. The PREFACE to the CHILDREN of the REFORMATION BE not concerned 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 according to 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 some Remedies have been applied to bring us to Peace and Conformity but all have proved ineffectual some of our Doctors 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 judgments 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 divers Kingdoms to a general Council in our Reformation there is none Popery believes it's 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 us 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 to be true and yet our whole Reformation is cemented and was first raised upon this Holy Liberty that every one should read 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 Vniversity or Doctors if we did not judge by Scripture his Doctrine was true If Prudence had as great a share in our Conduct as Passion we should regulate our future by the effects of our past actions and if we will cast an eye back to the transactions of later Years we shall 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 every one had liberty to believe and teach what Dectrine and Sense each one thought to be the most conformable to Scripture Consider the infancy of the Reformation when God raised Luther to repair the ruines of the Church how of a sudden it spred it self in Germany France Holland Poland Scotland and England and by what means Was it not by taking away all constraint of Mens Consciences used then only in the Popish Church our blessed Reformers taking to themselves and giving to others a Holy Liberty for to teach and believe whatever they judged to be the Doctrine and true Sense of Scripture tho it should be against the received opinion of the Councils Church Vniversities and Doctors Look into the Reign of Edward the VI. then did our Reformation flourish 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 understood it Descend to the Reign of Queen Mary then the light of the Gospel was ecclipsed 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 Come down a step lower to Queen Elizabeth's time then the flock recovering that Holy Liberty for to believe what each one thought was the Doctrine 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 prosperously as in Queen Elisabeth's time because Mens Consciences were not oppressed all Reformed Brethren had full Liberty to believe as they pleased the Protestancy was the Religion of the King Look down a stop lower to King Charles the first 's Reign his Majesty carried with a Godly Zeal 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 Vniformity of Doctrine but our zealous Brethren the Presbyterians impatient of any constraint in affairs of Religion and pleading for the Evangelical Liberty of our Reformation for to believe nothing nor use any Rites or Ceremonies but as each one judged by Scripture to be convenient they covenanted against his Majesty 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 look upon our Realm as it is at present the symptoms of disatisfactions which you may read and hear in Coffee-Houses in publick and private Conversations the sparkles of Jealousies which appear in our Land the Cabals against our Government the animosity of divided Parties the murmur and complaints of all what 's all this but the smoke of that hidden fire of Zeal wherewith Protestants would force Presbyterians by penal Laws to Profess their Tenets Presbyterians exclaim against Protestancy as against Popery Quakers judge both to be limbs of Satan Anabaptists look on all three as Children of Perdition and no Congregation would give Liberty for to Profess any Tenets but its own in so much that if you consider all well each of our Congregations are as severe Tyrants over 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 out of Heavens Gates and
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 Year 1634 expresly says 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 have nothing of Superstition or Idolatry in their manner of Divine 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 'll never miss to hit right And I pray can any Synod of our times have more Authority in point of Doctrine then Luther our first Reformer a man extraordinarily raised by God says the Synod of Charenton and replenisht with his Spirit for to repair the ruins of his Church He teaches the Elevation of the Sacrament is Idolatry yet he did practise it and commanded it should be practised in the Church of Wittemberg to spite the Devil Carolstadius Giving you to understand that for just reasons you may teach now one Religion now another Zuinglius also whose vertue and learning is known to the World says That God inspired him to Preach what Doctrin was suitable to the times which as it often changes you may often change your Doctrin And consider you if it be not therefore that Christ our Lord says his Yoke is easie and his burden is light that is Religion because we can withdraw our Necks from it as time and just reasons requires Ismael Could you give me any Synod of the Church of England which delivers this Doctrin you would go near hand to convince me for that some particular Doctors should have taught or practised it does not prove it to be the Doctrine of the Reformation Isaac And what a greater Authority has a Synod of England for to prove 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 us the purity of the Gospel Was it not from Luther and Zuinglius that England received the Doctrin of the Reformation And if England be so bold as to say they erred in this what assurance can we have but that they erred in the rest But since nothing will please you but a Synod of England you shall have not one but many Can there be any Synod in England of so great Authority as our wise and prudent Parliaments Read our Chronicles and you 'll find that in a few Years time they changed and established different Religions by publick Acts of Parliament In Henry the VIII 's Reign they voted for Popery and made Acts and Statutes against the Reformation In Edward the VI 's time they banisht Popery and voted for Zuinglianism In Queen Mary's they pull'd down this and set up Popery again In Queen Elizabeth's they decryed this and set up not Zuinglianism but Protestancy in the midst of her Reign they polisht this and added some new perfections to it In King James and succeeding Kings times Protestancy is of a different stamp from that of Queen Elizabeth's Hear Dove in his Exhort to the English Recusants An. 1603. Pag. 31. Henry the 8. had his Liturgy which was very good Edward the 6. condemned it and brought in another composed by Peter Martyr and Bucer In Elizabeth 's time that was condemned and another approved and in the middle of her Reign her Liturgy was also misliked and a new one introduced we are so wanton that nothing will content us but Novelties Ismael Dove does not commend this Doctrin for he calls that frequent exchange of Religion Wantonness and Love of Novelty Isaac It 's no great matter what he says of it my drift is but to convince you that this is the Doctrine and practice of the best Member of our Reformation even of England and if you be convinc'd it 's the Doctrine of the Reformation You cannot deny but that it is good Doctrine If Dove calls it Wantonness S. Paul Ephes 4.22 Coloss 3.9 and Rom. 6.6 Commends it and exhorts us to put off the old Man with its deeds that 's Popery with its Ceremonies and put on the new Man that 's the Reformation where there 's neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian or Scythian Bound or Free but Christ is all and in all That 's to say where there 's no distinction of Protestants or Presbyterians Socinians or Arians it 's all one which Religion you profess 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 Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Saviour of the World. This is the substance of Christian Religion be an Arian be a Presbyterian 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 Charity you will be a Member of the true Church and be saved Do not imagine this is any new Doctrine 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 Doctors you shall find it in them also Doctor Morton in his much applauded Book dedicated to Queen Elizabeth for which he deserved a Bishoprick says The Arian Church is to be esteemed a true Church because they hold the true substance of Christian Religion which is Faith in Jesus Christ Son of God and Redeemer of the World And again in the same place Sect. 4. whose Title is Hereticks are Members of the Church he says Whosoever believes in Jesus Christ though by Wickedness of Life or Heresie in Doctrine they should err in Doctrine they are still true Members of the Church Therefore our learned Fox Doctor Field and Illiricus say the Greek Church notwithstanding their error in denying the Procession of the Holy 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 Doctrine 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 Doctrine of the Reformation but as we have said in our Principles Scripture as Interpreted by any Man of sound Judgment in the Church And were not Doctor Morton Fox Field and Illiricus Men of sound Judgment eminent Learning and Godliness If therefore this be Scripture as Interpreted by them how can you deny it to be the Doctrine 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 commonly
most of our Congregations do absolutely deny any Right in our Clergy to those Rents because they are no Clergy Yeâ— none will be so bold as to accuse Henry the VIII of Sacrilege for having taken the Church-living from them for to put them to better use And why should we dare say our King would commit any for depriving our Clergy of those Rents Believe he can lawfully do it or believe he cannot you 'll be still a good Child of the Reformation Believe what you please Ismael This is a ticklish point let 's leave it to the consideration of our wise and prudent Parliament and be pleased to answer to my doubt How can we live in peace and tranquility in Religion if our Rule of Faith be Scripture as each one understands it I remember a discourse started in the House of Lords not many Years ago by his Grace the Duke of Buckingham he desired to know what it was to be a Protestant wherein did Protestancy properly consist The Bishops who were present looked one upon another and whether they feared the difficulty of the Question or that for modesty's sake each expected to hear another speak first they stood silent for a while at last the Ice 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 understood it and Protestancy nothing but Scripture as Interpreted by the Parliament and Church of England Whereupon he concluded We have been these hundred Years very busie for to settle Religion and for ought I perceive we are as unsettled nâ—w 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 understands and as it 's impossible we should all jump and agree in one sense and meaning of the Text so it 's impossible we shall ever be settled and agree in Religion Isaac The reason of our unsettlement 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 Engand to draw all to be Protestants of the Presbyterians to make us deny Episcopacy and of each other Congregation to force us to their respective Tenets And whilst this constraint and severity is used against Mens Consciences it 's in vain to expect peace or settlement in our Reformed Church But let us follow the Rule of Faith let each one believe as in his Conscience he best understands Scripture let us all believe what we please and be permitted so to do and we 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 there 's none why will not you permit me to follow that Rule of Faith which the whole Reformation even the Church of England gives me in her 39 Articles Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it To say we can never have settlement in Religion whilst this arbitrary Interpretation of Scripture is permitted is to speak like a Papist This the Pope and Papists said to our first blessed Reformers and the Popish Church says this day to us That we ought to submit our judgments to the Church and Councils that we ought not to believe what sense we think to be true but what the Pope and Councils propose unto us and if Luther and our other Reformers did not do ill in following 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 speak of our Reformation and Congregations I hear you reckon the Arians Socinians and Antitrinitarians among them sure you do not believe they or such like ancient condemned Hereticks were of the Reformation for we 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 some 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 you not own the Arians c. as your Brethren tho' you believe the Trinity against them You say they are Old condemn'd Hereticks and does this Language become a Child of the Reformed Church By whom were they condemn'd Was it not by the Popish Church which also condemns us and says we are as much Hereticks as they and as we ought not to be so called and judge the Pope and Councils Sentence against us to be bold uncharitable and unjust so we must say of the Arians Pelagians and others condemn'd by them You say Protestants will never own them to be their Brethren God forbid the Protestant Church should be so uncharitable to their fellow Christians and so unjust to themselves B. Morton as I cited in my first Dialogue as learned a Man as the Church of England bred says the Arian Church is a true Church and will say no less of the others But what need we the Testimony 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 Independants do esteem themselves to be of the same Faith and Religion because they all have the same Rule which is Scripture as each Congregation understands it Also notwithstanding the difference and variety of Congregations in Popery they hold all but one Faith as they say because they have all but one Rule of their Belief which is their infallible Pope and Church But it 's evident that those which you call Antient condemn'd Hereticks have one and the same Rule of Faith with our Reformation for ours is Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands 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 Gospel but each of them Interpreted it as he thought sit in the Lord and so purged the Church of many Errours 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 thought to be true tho' they knew it was against the Doctrine of the Church looking on Scripture alone as their Rule of Faith without any regard of the Pope
and a compassion of the poor Pagans so unjustly banish'd from our Nation if what Doctor Stillingfleet says be true he is a learned Religious and diligent searcher into Scripture the Ancient D. Drs. and Fathers of the Church reading Scripture judged and taught that Jupiter was a Devil as well as the rest of the Gods which the Gentiles adored Dr. Stillingfleet and other Reformed D. Drs. reading Scripture Judge he was no Devil but the the true God blessed for ever more any Child of the Reformation may believe either of both and put Jupiter into our Litanies as well as JESUS Christ and offer Sacrifice to him as formerly our Ancestors did for whatever any man of sound Judgment judges to be the Doctrine of Scripture may be safely believed and is the Doctrine of the Reformation As for my part I see our Wise Parliament sits now upon a new settlement of Government and Religion and I will not resolve upon any Religion until I see what it concludes If Dr. Stillingfleet be so zealous as to put in a good word for Paganism before that Religious Assembly he may find Abbetors 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 Jupiter his true and evermore blessed God and if he be successful in this undertaking as for exchanging Presbytery for Protestancy he was promoted to the Deanery of St. Paul so by changing Christianity for Paganism he may expect to be his Holy Jupiters High Priest in London Capitol and reign with him everlastingly in the other life in case he believes there is another FINIS a Epist ad Noremb in Comment in Jo. 6. 16. Matt. Theol. Calvin l. 2. fol. 70. c In parva Confes Germ. fol. 55. in Colloq fol. 110. d To. 2. fol. 202. e The Kingdom of Isra pag. 9. f Acts mon. pag. 36. lib. 3. c. 5. g Catal. estium pag. 976. 978. a L. 4. Instit c. 9. b To. 1. E. lit Jen. Resolut 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. ** 2 Tim. 2. ‖ Jo. 4. a In lib. ad Corin. c 11. b In Explan Art. 17. c To. 2. de minist Eccles instit fol. 369. lib. de Cap. Babyl c. de Ordin lib. de abroganda Missa d In Harm in Matth. c. 26. vers 64. in admonad Poâ—â—… in Tract Theolog. pag. 794. e Comment super Joan. c. 10. f In Act. Seiueti pag. 87. g l. con Cenebrat h In Postil Major in ennarat Evang Domin Trinit i Lib. 2. Dial. 2. k Harm in Evang. Mat. c. 26. vers 39. and c. 27. vers 46. lib. 2. Instit c. 16. sect 10. 11. l In Luk. par 2. hom 65. and in Joan. hom 54. m In March. c. 16. n Recogn pag. 376. o Lib. 2. Inst c. 16. fact 10. and seq p To. 3 Wettemp in sp 16. q In Ps 16. r In Confes majori de Coena Dni Å¿ To. 2. in respon ad Confes Luth. fol. 458. t In Histor Sacram. par 2. fol. 75. a Dom. 1. Adventus liber de Proph. Christi b In Postil super Evangel Dom. 1. Advent Dom. 26. post Trinit c Motives to good Works in the Epist. Dedic d Lib. 3. Inst. c. 4. Sect. 28. e Lib. 4. c. 7. Sect. 2. f In locis commun classe 5.27 g To. 2. Wittem de capr Babyl fol. 74. h De Eccl. cont Bellarm conf 2. quaest 5. i Epist 2.2 25. k To. 5. Wittem serm de Matrim in 1. ad Corin. 7 l Consil Theol. par 1 pag. 648. 134. m In Epist Pau ad Phil. in 2. ad Tim. 3. n lib 2. Dial. 21. o Lib de Repud Divort. pag. 223. p Canon Generales Genuen 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 Matth. c. 19. u In Consil Theol. par 1. pag. 648. s 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 Murim 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 Hookeri art 8. a In Praefat. Dialog b Serm. de 50. Artic. in summa summarum c In Harm super Luc. c. 2. d Epitom Cent. 16. par 2. e Tom. 2. cont Catabapt fol. 10 f Victoria verit arg 5 g In cap. 2. ad Gal. h de Eccles cont Bellarm. cont 2. c. 4. i To. 5. Wettem an 1554. in Epist. ad Gal. c. 1. k In Apol. Cof c. de Concil l In cap. 2. ad Gal. serm Aug. Pag. 204. m In Epist ad Gal. c. 1. 2. Tom. 5. Wittemb an 1554. fol. 29. n Lib. 5. de Eccl. Polit. sect 72. o pag. 495. 273. p Acts and Mon. pag. 514. q Lib. 2. Inst c. 17. sect 6. r In comment in cap. 2. ad Gal. Å¿ To. 1. Proposit 3. t Lib. 2. Instit c. 7.5 u Harm Evang. in Luc. c. 10 verse 26. x In Synop. Papismi pag. 564. y Lib. de servo Arbit cont Erasm z Lib. 3. Instit c. 21. sect 5. 7. c. 22. sect 11. cap. 13.1 a Lib. 2. Inst c. 4. sect 3. lib. 1. c. 18. sect 2. lib. 3. c. 23. sect 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. 373.70 395. b In Respons tredecem Propos c In Epist. ad Card. Belay Episc Pariens d In Tract Euchar. ad p. Sarmunm e In Annot. super Novum Testam cap. 10. Matth. sape alibi f To. 1. Edit Jonah l. de cap. Babyl h Lib. de caena Domini i Lib de cap. Babyl c. de Euchar. g Almonit 2. ad Westph defens Oxthod fit k Epist. ad Bahemos in declarat Euch. in serm de Euch. l In Concil Theol. ad March. Elect. de usu utriusque speciei pag. 141. a In Disput Theol. pag. 301. b In Concilliat loc Scrip. loco 191. c In locis Commun To. 1. de Potest Eccl. d In Apol. Conses Aug. art 13. lib. pag. 234. e In p. 5. Epist Jac. v. 4. f Lib. 4. Inst c. 14. sect 5. g In modest Examin h In Eccl. Polit. l. 5. sect 66. i In locis Commun tit de Numero Sacram. k In perpet Regem pag. 109. l In Eccl. Polit. lib. 5. sect 77. m Lib. 4. Inst c. 29. n Epit. Colloq Montisbel o In Centaur Exercit. Theol. pag. 270. p Exampar 4. q In respond ad acta Colloq Montisbel par 2. in Prefas r In locis Commun c. 18. 19. Å¿ Inscrip Angl. pag. 450. t To 1. in Eupian Aâ—t 90. Arâ— 60. u In Apolog. Confess Aug. x To 1. Wittem in resol de Indul. concl 15. Epist ad Spalat z Acts Mon. pag. 462. 312. a To. Germ. fol. 214. b De formula Missa To. 3. Germ. c In Histor Sâ— part 2. fol. 13. d In replis ad Hardingum