the King by his paternall right Sect. 3. and so indeed there is roome for an implicite Faith for that children have most of all an implicit Faith in that which their Fathers say Finally Master B. endeavours to shew saith Dr. Ferne how they can answere the Oath of Supremacy anâ— the Protestation by taking of Armes but who knowes not saith the Doctoâ— if that party of Brownists and Anabaptists which are now so prevalent in the Armes taken up against the King should get the upper hand what would become of the Kings Supremacy and Government An. Here is a loud cry against Brownists and Anabaptists but who are Brownists not all those that are against Prelates and not for the English Common Prayer Book for then all the Reformed Churches are Brownists And as for Anabaptists I wish it may bee considered whether they doe not take some footing for their opinion from the Common Prayer Booke They deny Baptisme to Infants upon this ground because actuall Faith and Repentance is pre-required to Baptisme and doth not the Common Prayer Book seeme to acknowledge as much when as before Baptisme the witnesses in name of the Infant must answer to these Questions dost thou beleeve dost thou renounce the divell and all his workes I must nakedly professe my judgement against that opinion yet were it not good that the very Common prayer booke should come under consideration upon this and other Reasons Secondly if men were so much for Protestant Religion and against Papists as is here pretended they would never be more afraid of Brownists and Anabaptists then of Papists seeing they are of the Protestant Religion and differ not from us in fundamentalls as the Papists doe Thirdly suppose that that Army should prevaile wherein there are Brownists Anabaptists as you say yet is there not so much danger that they should prevaile to mislead the Parliament who are three or foure hundred as that Papists should prevaile to mislead one Fourthly though there should be Anabaptists and Brownists in the Army yet they doe not sight against the Kings Supremacy and his Government as the Papists do against the Protestant Religion and being of Parliaments whose Powder Treason is famous or rather Infamous to all Generations At last the Dr. tells us concerning Supremacy that the King is Supreme not so much in opposition to particular persons as in relation to the whole body Politique of which he is head We say the King is Supreme and head of Kingdome severally and joyntly considered Dr. Ferne indeed tels us that the two Houses of Parliament are in a sort Co-ordinate with his Majestie to some act or exercise of the Supreme power that is to making laws by yeelding their consent And if they bee Co-ordinate in that act of Supremacy Paraeus and others will tell him that the Nomothetick part of Supremacy is the highest We acknowledge the King our Supreme to defend us But not to defend our selves where cause requires gives a supra-Supremacy unto him What else remaines in this Sectionis either matter of words and bare denyall to what hath been said or answered to his other Answerers In the next Section page 89 the Dr. saith Mr. B. enters upon a loose Discourse against Episcopall Government I reserve him for his better instruction to a Booke entituled Episcopacy asserted Ans. No other loose Discourse then what his loose Treatise lead mee into and for the Drs better instruction I refer him to Mr. Baynes his Diocesan Mr. Parkers Ecclesiasticall politieor Altare Damascenum And whereas I said now the Dr. shewes himself he had rather the Kingdom should be imbrued in a bloody Warre then Episcopacy should down because he had said in his Treatise page 25. that the King has Reason by power of Armes to divert the abolishing of Episcopall Government The Dr. Answers Nay Mr. Bridge you and your party in arms show your selves what Spirit you are of who will have this Land imbroyl'd in a bloody Warre rather then Episcopacy shall not down Not so Doctor there is not the same Reason why you should retort these words upon us for I had no where said the Parliament hath Reason by power of Arms to divert the evill of that Government yea I am so farre from it that I professe freely that if the King and Parliament would establish that Government still to be continued that the people is not bound to rise up in arms to root it out though I judge it evill Yea if any Man be of that opinion I think he is to be suffered to live enjoying himselfe and his estate here Then pag. 56. the Dr. saith to that of Sauls speare restored Mr. Bridge Replies though restored before demanded yet not before Saul had humbled himselfe to David saying I have sinned c. We know saies he what you looke for his Majestie hath not bin ashamed to doe it with great condiscention An 'T is possible a King may faile for not humbling himselfe before his Subjects Chron. 2. 36. 13. And Zedekiah did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himselfe before Jeremiah the Prophet And though His Majestie had yeelded and humbled himselfe yet lower he would be no loser thereby we know what the old Counsellors said 2 Chron. 10. 7. If thou be kind to this people and please them and speake good Words to them they will be thy servants for ever Finally whereas I had shewed that Ziba and those that resorted to David in his distresse were not of another Religion and by Law to bee disarmed as the Papists now are who have entertainment in His Majesties Army The Doctor answers though by law Papists are not to have Arms at their dispose yet are they not quit of the duty and service of Subjects They owe no more duty to King but according to Law and by Law they are to bee all disarmed Wherefore good Dr. maintaine this illegall way no longer give glory to God and say you are convinced of this truth which indeed you cannot but be if you doe not shut your owne eyes for you told us in your former Treatise that Subjects may lawfully for their owne defence hold the Kings hands and how so if he raise an Army but by an Army Neither can you be so weake as to thinke that the great Senate of the Kingdome that all the Commons Gentlemen and Nobles should be so at the mercy of every meane person invested with the Kings Authority that if a petty Constable or other inferiour Officer doe offer violence unto them that it shall not bee in their power to make a forcible resistance because they are clothed with the Kings Authority Good Sir in the feare of God make your humble addresses to His Majestie and Petition him to return to those that are faithfull to him The worst that he can lose you know if you pretend rightly is but a piece of prerogative or some exercise thereof for the present why should
of Egypt into Canaan they carried in their colours some significative signe Judah carried a Lyon in his Standard Ephraim an Ox Reuben the picture of a man Nepthali an Hinde a Lyon noting their courage a Man noting their skill and understanding an Hinde noting their swiftnâ—sse and readinesse for execution and an Ox for patience strength and obedience Such colours should those weare in their lives that are Souldiers for God The enemies of the Churches had their Colours also the Beare the Leopard c. Dan. 7. cruell in humane practises being more fit to be worne in their lives then ours How can men be faithfull to you that are unfaithfull to God Dr. Ferne your Adversary and mine writes thus of the Parliaments Forces If a list of the Army against his Majestie were examined there would be found if not a considerable number of Papists yet of such as they that employ them would have cause to be ashamed of c. It may be some of your Souldiers would say as Davids did Let me go over I pray thee and take off his head But let your answer rather be Let him alone and let him reproach it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his reproaching this day And as formerly so now yet more and more let your endeavour be to wipe off such aspersions by sending and employing such Souldiers as may not stain your good cause with their ill practise let your Motto be Militia fine malitia And as for your successe either it will be good or bad if bad measure not the goodnesse of your cause thereby Eventus est stultorum argumentum It is Gods course to give by denying Non habendo habemus Wicked Benjamin who took part with the delinquents of Gâ—beah must first prevaile against not representative but all Israel who took up armes to do justice that Israel might be the more provoked against them Judg. 20. And if your successe be good let your men carry it humbly humilitie after mercie makes men fit for more mercie And he that boasts in his own bodie boasts in his own prison Rejoyce not saith Solomon when thine enemie falleth Pro. 24. 17. Your Souldiers may rejoyce in Gods providence but not in their enemies blood Zonarus writes that this was the manner amongst the Romanes when any triumphed that an Officer stood behind him saying {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} look what is behind and there he saw a bell and a whip a whip noting that for all his greatnesse he might come under the lash of misery which bell-like would sound very loud Thus have I taken the boldnesse to present you with my rude thoughts and this small Treatise concerning which I say as Salvian I have not sought smooth but profitable words And in which because it hath pleased God to lay the foundation of your proceedings in your good successe at Crowland by the hand and Command of that worthie Gentleman Sir Miles Hobert I wish you that blessing which the Abbat of Crowland when he began to build the Abbey would have made the foundation thereof Perpetuam foelicitatem Your humble Servant in the Gospel of Christ Jesus W. BRIDGE An Advertisement to the Reader THou mayst perhaps wonder that this Answer was no sooner returned to the Doctors Reply which came forth so long agoe so that now it may seem to come forth too late Know therefore first that the Doctors Book it selfe some while went up and downe in the darke seen onely of a few Secondly that the Author of the Answer living farre from London it was much longer before he could have the sight of it After he had it he soone dispatched his Answer which he left in the hands of some friends here a moneth since to be published but new Licencers being appointed much time was spent in carrying of it from one to another for leave to travell safely as also Printers being full either of businesse or negligence it comes to passe that it hath been much longer in the birth then in the breeding I hope it comes not too late to satisfie the conscience of the well-affected or to encourage those that are engaged in this so necessary a defensive warre and it may be much more seasonable then if before whiles peoples mindes are generally inclined to goe up with one unanimous consent personally to maintain the true Religion Life and Liberty of the Subiect which seems to be the likeliest way to put an end to our unnaturall uncivill warres and happy shall that man be called that shall help forward that great worke and be a meanes to still the storme the end of a inst warre being peace as the lancing of the wound is for the cure of it Farewell I. A. AN INTRODVCTION TO THE READER GOOD Reader you see into what sad times we are now fallen our English Sunne is almost set out day of peace and plenty is almost done workmen go from their labour beasts go forth to their prey And it war be the worst of all miseries and civill warre the worst of all wars as indeed it is For there the parents do bury their children a whereas otherwise the children do bury their parents then is our condition of all the most lamentable The disputing time is almost now over The Doctor hath stared so long in bringing up his Rear that I fear the controversie depending is now rather to be determined with the dint of the sword then with the strength of the pen yet because the Temple must be built in troubleous times and the tide of truth doth usually at the first creep up by the bank side against the streame I am not unwilling for truths sake once more to appeare in this cause that I may deliver it from those exceptions wherewith the Doctor hath burthened the same It is not long since I met with the Doctors reply and at the first I thought it not necessary to give any answer unto it partly beeause the subject is so well beaten that he is almost answered before he hath objected partly because I count that Reply scarce worth a sober answer which is clothed with so many scoffing jeeres and vile reproches things unworthy of a D. D. especially such as pretend satisfaction of conscience but it will finde entertainment with conscience according to its owne nature For what Luther speakes of certaine Preachers is true of Writers also b Multi sunt saith he there are many hot and tumultuous Preachers who would have all things done as they say not so much willing to be heard because they speake the word of God as because they are teachers of it desiring rather that the Organ then the sonnd may be commended who having meditated and conceived some words do promise to themselves presently to convert those that heare them Whereas through the wonderfull wisedome of God they do nothing lesse then what
King Let him and them read what Almaine saith * A pol tic saith he is not there oâ—e said to be regall because there is one above all that is greater then all the Communitie but because there is one above the rest who hath â—urisdictionover every particular man in that Comâ—unitie neither were it fir that there should â—e one such who were so superiour unles he were indeviable as Christ who is able to rule the Communitie according to his own will â—hen the Poli ie shoulâ— be perfectly regâ—l And Fortescut saith Possâ— male â—g repotestarem potius mâ—ni it quam augment it We doe not say that God is lesse powerfull because h cannot sin nothing is more truly regall then to keep ones will within the bounds of good Lawes It is some miserie not to ave all which you would It is more miserie to will what you may not It is most miserie to have a power to doe what you see will But if you dâ—not saith the Doctor re-assume power from the Prince what means the d fference you make of things disposed of by trust from things disposed of by donation because they may be recalled these may not so you say pag. 25. I said not so but that there is a difference between things disposed by way of donation or sale and things disposed of by way of trust Things disposed of by way of sale or donation are not in our power to recall things disposed of by way of trust are in our power to look to when the trust is neglected I would this Doctor would but doe us the favour as to alledge our words rightly The 67. and 68. of his Book are spent in proving assertions of the same things that he had sayd before onely pag. 67. he confesseth it is likely that Kings were at first by election which acknowledgement we receive but how doth this agree with what he had said before Sect. 3. pag. 8 9 where he had said that election was a defection from that government that God set up at the first In the 69. pag. he commeth to the matter of the Kings Covenant and Oath which saith the Doctor is no condition on which the Kings of this Land are admitted to the Crown but a confirmation and strengthening of their mutuall duties by Oaths and promises as it was with the Kings of Israel The nature of this Oath we must leave unto the Parliament and Lawyers who better know then we how it is taken and on what termes only thus much I read in Speeds Cronicle that the Kencish men would not admit William the Conqueror to the Crowne but upon condition as I have shewed before And if the taking of the Oath were only for Confirmation carrying no condition with it why should it be taken at the first comming unto the Crowne and not rather afterwards What else remaines in that Section is so easie that the dimmest eye that hath conscience in it may see thorough for who knows not that it is a greater evill for a Comittee to be wronged by a particular person then for a particular person to be wronged by a Comittee Bonum quo communius eo melius malum quo Communius eo pejus And why doth not nature teach that a Prince who is married unto his people is to be faithfull to them as well as that the husband is to be faithfull unto his wife and therefore that conditions are implyed though not exprest between the King and his Subject aswell as between a man and his wife And so I passe from that Section to the Doctors two last CHAP. 6. WHereas the Dr. had said we sharpen many of our Weapons at the Philistims forge and I had shewed the difference between us and Papists in this cause He replieth difference there must needs be between you and Papists in this particular for they challenge such a power from the Pope you from the People Very well and is not here a vast difference the Papists say the Pope may despose Princes we say in case that Prince doth not performe his trust the People may look to their owne safetie Dr. Fern But we see your party making use of those examples which the Papists being for deposing of Kings as of Saul Uzziah and Athaliah The Papists bring these examples of Vzziah Atholiah c. to shew that the High â—riests did and so the Pope now may depose Princes proving that the Pope is above Princes Wee say with Chrisostome and others that every soul even Priests as they and you call them are to be subject to higher Powers That that lyes in the powre of no Priest to despose Princes 2. Is this to whet our Sythe at the Philistims Forge to use the same Scripture for one purpose which the Philistims doe for another The Papists use that Scripture Tibi dabo claves Thou art Peter and on this Rock I will build my Church to prove the Popes Supremacie The Reformed Churches use the same Scripture to prove that the power of the Keyes is penes Ecclesiam given to the whole Church and not unto a Peter onely do all the Reformed Churches therefore whet their weapons at the Philistims forge or are they therefore Popish because they use the same Scripture to other purposes So here Put you will give the Prince leave saith the Doctor to change his Religion so will the Papists if alâ— his Subjects may have free liberty for their Religion Not so but he turning Heretick as the Papists phrase it is to be excommunicated and so deposed Dr. Fern But in case he endeavour to force the contrary Religion upon his subjects for that must be supposed how then will your Allegeance bold Very well and yet not whet our â—ythes at the Philistims forge for they say that a Prince apostatising is to be excommunicated and so deposed as you shall presently see We say that Princes are not to be deposed for altering their Religion yea though they should be excommunicated for the Crown is not intailed upon Religion 2. They deprive Princes we only defend our selves 3. They deprive by the Popes authoritie we defend our selves by the highest civill authority of the Land Againe whereas I said the Papists hold it lawfull to kill a Prince and that a private man invested with the Popes authority may doe it we abhorre it The Doctor replieth that is their new forge under ground set up of late by Jesuites I did not meane you sharpened your weapons there but at the old forge and however you say you abhorre this Doctrine of killing Kings yet I feare and tremble to thinke if your Soveraigne had fallen in battell by the edge of your swoâ—d or shâ—t of your artillery you would have found him guilty of his owne death in that he would not being desired forbeare to goe downe himselfe into battell 1. 'T is well the Dr. will excuse us from Jesuitisme in this particular and well he may