understanding to examine them It 's hard for the most judicious and learned men to give a right judgment of many points and yet notwithstanding many engaged persons are ready to force Dissenters by coercive Power or blacken them with opprobrious terms The Controversies of Justification by faith or good works hath filled volumes with Arguments Definitions and Distinctions but it is hard to find whether the difference be not de nomine and of words only The Controversie of free-will since neither part doth absolutely exclude Divine Grace or concurrence of the will with it may be called verbal if understood cum grano salis and by those who carrie no partial biass on their judgments Some rigid Calvinists indeed though not all conclude an absolute fate by Predestination to Salvation or Reprobation to those I answer they need not trouble themselves but let every one go quietly to his destinie since by their own Principles all their Praying Preaching c. can neither help nor hurt Seeing it is not in their power to avoid evil or do good Worship of Images exclaimed as Idolatrous the scandal is chiefly as I conceive taken from the word Adoration which in the Grammar sense is but adorare to pray to but the generality of Rome disown that acceptation and told them chiefly as Memorials as I shewed before The Pope to be Antichrist the Etymology of the very word is repugnant to it the being by us acknowledged likewise the great Patriarch of the most Christian and Western Church and every one that hath but an ordinary reason sense or knowledge of Scripture can own but one Antichrist to come the Prophet Daniel spoke of And that he should give pardon for Sins or Sinners whatsoever without first having remission from God by Sorrow Repentance and Amendment is so great a Calumny that I pray God to pardon such malicious ignorance I tremble to hear such horrid blasphemies out of Christian mouths to derogate and scandalize their fellow Christians with more than Hâ—athenish impleties Many and other great things have been objected against them through ignorance weakness mistakes or malice which unjust men scatter too and fro as chasse to blinde the eyes of simple and credulous people The crimes of a few miserable wretches by none more detâ—sted than themselves are made their guilt but it is the fashion Papists and Popery must be brought in by head and shoulders and sit down under any affronts what ever the difference be to exasperate mens spirits and make odious and suspected those whom we can never confute It is hard they should alwaies lie under such undeserved imputations and be persecuted without liberty of a just defence The Morality of the Heathens was more equitable and less envious where the Emperor Adrian commanded unto Minutius his Proconsul of Asia as a thing of great importances ne nomen condemnaretur sed crimen A Divine of our English Church exclaiming against such proceedings saith Our affections change our thoughts and our imaginations fit the scene and what we call reason is many times but a chain of phantasms and we are guided by prejudices and overwhelmed by Authority and formed by education and suck in opinions carelesly are deeply setled before we examine them and when we examine them it is but by halfes we see but few things and judg all things by them and either seek not truth at all or are unable to manage a due and impartial search When we stumble upon it we are afraid and run away from it or stand to pelt it with dirt and vile names In the mean time we catch at shadows and grow fond of the imaginations of our own fancies Doctor Taylor one of our late and most eminent Divines in Treatise of Liberty of Propheâ—ying § 2. 10. p. 249. Collecting some considerations inducing persons saith he of much reason and more piety to retain the Religion of their forefathers Their Doctrines having had a long continuance and possession of the Church which therefore cannot easily be supposed in the present Professors to be a design for Covetousness Ambition c. since they have received it from so many ages and it is not likely that all ages should have the same purposes or that the same Doctrine should serve the several ends of diverse ages It s long prescription which is such a prejudice as cannot be retrenched as relying upon these grounds that truth is more ancient than falshood that God would not for so many ages forsake his Church and leave her in error I add not such gross errors as are imputed on them as Idolatry c. Again the beauty and splendor of that Church their pompous Service the stateliness and solemnity of the Hierarchy their name of Catholicks which they suppose and claim as their own due and to concern no other Sect of Christians The antiquity of many of their Doctrines the continual succession of their Bishops their immediate derivation from the Apostles their title to succeed Saint Peter and in this regard chiefly honoured and submitted to by antiquity the supposal and pretence of his personal prerogatives much spoken of by the Fathers the flattering expressions of minor Bishops in modester language honourable expressions which by being old records have obtained credulity The multitude and variety of people which are of their perswasion apparent consent with elder ages in many matters doctrinal the advantage which is derived by entertaining some personal opinions of the Fathers the great consent of one part with another in that which they affirm to be de fide The great differences which are commenced among their adversaries their happiness of being instruments in converting divers Nations The advantage of Monarchical Government the benefit of which they daily enjoy The piety and austerity of their religious Orders of men and women the single life of their Priests and Bishops the severity of their Fasts and their exterior observances The great Reputation of their Bishops for Faith and Sanctity The known holiness of some of those persons whose institutes the religious persons preâ—end to imitate Their Miracles false or true substantial or imaginary The causalities and accidents that have happened to their adversaries the oblique acts and indirect proceedings of some of those who departed from them To which join that of Sir Edwine Sands in his relation of the western Religion p. 29. saying Beside the Roman Church and those Churches united with her we find all other Churches to have had their end and decay as Hussits Sollards Waldenses Albigenses Berengarians c. or their beginning but of late This being founded by the Prince of the Apostles with promise to him by Christ c. much more to that purpose ibid. What Church but one can shew the fulfilling of innumerable Scriptures touching the Churches Infallibility Vniversality by time place and person Which can spread before your eyes her Line and Pedigree descendâ—ng from the Apostles to these times which can declare that in all
not take it upon them For any indifferent Judg would wonder you should have better intelligence of their Religion than they themselves Thirdly All examples and practices of the Primitive Churches mentioned in the Ecclesiastical Histories the custom was when any Dispute did arise concerning the integrity of the Doctrine professed in any particular Church that Church so question'd did always set down in writing a Confession of their Faith and transmit it either to the Patriarch or some general Council that so the sincerity of their belief might be tried by the touchstone of the Church universal Fourthly Faith being an internal consent of our will and subjection of our understanding to truths revealed in absolute justice none but we our selves can make an authentical manifestation of what passeth in our souls of that nature And besides it being the duty of every Christian not only to make open profession of his Faith when occasion requires it but also to make such a profession with all possible sincerity and truth for to use any falsity or dissimulation in a case of this concern were not only to deceive men but even to belye the holy Ghost It will necessarily follow first no judgment can be made of anothers faith but by the confession of the party himself and secondly that a greater assurance cannot be given between man and man of veracity and secret dealing than when we publickly declare our faith upon any point of Controversie Upon these grounds and these circumstances I presume their Antagonists will be so reasonable as not to question the truth and reality of their meaning in what they declare concerning their Tenets in the points of Allegiance or Doctrine Here I will set them down submitting to the honour and conscience of all sober men and to any indifferent Judges who will not retain the animosity and prejudice of parties to give sentence whether they are not consistent with loyalty and the duty of good Subjects and Christians v. g. They hold CHARLES the II. is their true and lawful Soveraign Secondly that no Power on earth shall absolve them from their natural Allegeance Are ready by Oath in the face of Heaven to profess their loyalty indispensable from which no power can free them Thirdly that they are bound with their lives and fortunes to defend the sacred Person of his Majesty in his just Rights against all opposers whatsoever domestick or forraign Fourthly that Faith is to be kept with all men indifferently and equally whether they be Roman Catholicks or of any other Religion And that our engagements promises and contracts cannot lawfully be broken or dispensed with by any power on earth to the prejudice of any third Person They believe the holy Scriptures to be of infallible authority and assent to it as the word of God They believe the sacred mystery of the blessed Trinity one eternal almighty and incomprehensible God whom only they adore and worship as alone having soveraign dominion over all things to whom only is due from Men and Angels all glory service and obedience abhorring to give their CREATORS honour to any creature whatsoever Whence they solemnly profess that by the Prayers they address to Angels and Saints they intend no more but to sollicite their assistance before the throne of God as we desire the Pravers of one another here upon earth not that they hope any thing from them as original authors thereof but from God through Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Redeemer Neither do they believe any Divinity or Virtue to be in Images for which they ought to be worshipped as the Gentiles did their Idols But they retain them with due and decent respect in their Churches as instruments which we find by experience do often assist our memories and excite our affections Pictures may be of good use saith our learned Bacon if the representation of divine stories as well work upon them to contemplate those things as lascivious Pictures do Obscenity Charity obligeth us no other construction of the words of men than what they profess to be their own sense but I never heard or read Images absolutely to be worshipped or Saints absolutely prayed to They firmly believe that no force of nature or dignity of our best works can merit our justification but we are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ and though we should by the Grace of God persevere in a godly life yet are our hopes of eternal Glory built upon the mercy of God and the merits of Christ Jesus All other merits according to the sense of that word signifie no more than actions done by the assistance of Gods Grace to which it has pleas'd his Goodness to promise a reward A Doctrine so suitable to the sense of holy Scripture that nothing is so frequently repeated in it as his gratious promises to recompence with everlasting Glory the Faith and Obedience of his Servants 1 Tim. 4. 8. Rom. 2. 6 8 13 Heb. 6. 10. Luke 16. 38. thus we believe the merit or rewardableness of holy living both which signifie the same with us arises not from the value even of our best actions but from the grace and bounty of God And for ourselves we sincerely profess when we have done all we are are able or commanded we are unprofitable servants Luke 17. 10. These they sincerely and solemnly profess as in the sight of God the searcher of all hearts taking the words plainly without any equivocation or mental reservation And now let them that judg so severely lay their hands on their hearts and with the same justice and equity with which they expect to be judged themselves at the last day Let them pronounce whether or no their Doctrine or Principles are inconsistent with the duty of good Christans or Subjects and the peaee and safety of Government In Law and Reason every man à fortiori a society of men ought to be esteemed honest and just till the contrary appear to be proved but nothing hath hitherto appeared to be proved against the loyalty of Catholicks therefore in reason and justice they ought to be esteemeed good Subjects and Neighbours and it is a meer Calumny to asperse them That nothing can be proved is evident their accusers being often pressed thereunto were never able to produce any particular or any proof sufficient to satisfie any rational man But dwelling in vain general suspicions triflings and false presumptions laying to their charge extravagant crimes that have not the least proof or probability objecting positions of some private and disavowed persons the crimes and indiscretions of particular men to all the party to traduce and defame the whole we aggravate the failings of a few The world knows it were no difficulty to recriminate in this kind and repay them with the same dirt If such accusations pass current who would or could be innocent No people on the earth can be safe at this rate Would not this Logick make the
Church of England guilty of Fanatick Principles because Taylor one of their renowned Doctors and Bishops writes for liberty of Prophecying And of Murder and Theft c. because some of them are condemned every Sessions Whence an English Divine ingenuously speaketh We cast an aspersion on a sort of people whose tried loyalty in all vicissitudes of dangerous troubles as it should have altered your judgments so their grievous sufferings for loyalty should from the Charity of our Profession have found rather pity for their afflictions than aspersion on their innonence So good deserving an opinion they know Papists deserve from these times that no security needs to tye them deeper Nor can there be any apprehension of the least danger from them to his Majesties Person or State for in point of fidelity they have given unquestionable proofs by their actions as their enemies witness Needham in his Book Interest will not lye saith ' Papists adhered generally 'to the King Oliver pressed by Cardinal Mazarine for liberty to Papists said they were his greatest enemies lib. Of Treaty at St. John de Luze They can say two things no profession else can viz. that no person of Honour or Estate among them was ever against the King and on the contrary hardly any one so qualified but did assist him Who can therefore look on those men as to have any honesty wisdom or charity who are ever grudging and repining at the least favour indulged to a faithful loyal and sociable people and can never rest satisfied with their own unlimited immunities unless they see others contemned afflicted and abused When by all the Apostolick Rules of Christianity we should help and compassionate and not make it our business to supplant one another Before I answer the vulgar objections and undeserved clamours so confidently though without any legal examination and process according to justice and judgment laid upon them and so frequently though disingenuously urged against them I will shew more largely what they teach concerning loyalty and fidelity to their King and Country 1. It is an undoubted verity generally taught in all their Councils Canons Synods Divines Civilians c. that our duty to God cannot be complied with without an exact performance of our duty towards our Soveraign to obey him not for advantage private interest or temporal concerns but of Conscience Nay what other Sectaries have bogled at if the King should be a Heathen and make Laws contrary to the Gospel we ought not to resist but patiently endure No Roman Catholick can be true to his Religion who is not true to his Prince and Country Saint Peter and Saint Paul did vehemently press obedience to the Emperours in Nero and Claudius times who were Idolaters No Divinity can be warranted from Scripture against evil Princes but Prayers and Tears Whatsoever they command which is not contrary to the great Charter of the word of God I am bound in Conscience to obey If they command any thing repugnant evidently to Gods revealed Will I must obey them still though not actively in doing what they command yet passively in submitting to those penalties they shall inflict He that proclaimed the Prerogative of Kings vos estis Dii taught the World People are to obey Xephlon in vita Mar. Anton. tells us Solus Deus est Index Principum God alone is the Judg of Kings I know no sin against the second Table set forth in more bloody colours by Catholick Authors than this of disobe dience to Governours they saying it is compounded of Homicide Parricide Christicide and Deicide They compare it to Witchcraft where the partie intends and covenants with the Devil himself God commanded the Amalekite who had a hand in Sauls death to be slain before his eyes Sheba blowing a Trumpet against David is stiled a Son of Belial What made Jeroboâ—m so infamous in Scripture but because he lifted up his hand against the King 1 King 11. 26. an irreverent or wry word against the King is in Scripture called Blasphemy Proverb 27. thou shalt not blaspheme the Gods And Naboth was accused in that he did blaspheme God and the King Curse not the King no not in thy thoughts for a bird in the air shall carry the voice is it fit to say to the King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Job 34. 18. It hath been observed God hath signally punished those wrongs have been done to his Vicegerents What an unluckie time was it and accompanied with a deluge of miseries when Kings were taken away from Rome and Consuls set up We read in our Annals after Richard the Second was deposed followed a War wherein a hundred thousand were slain besides what of late in our memorie What more hurtful and hateful Creature than the Locusts Yâ—â— they are observed only to have no King if we obey not the King who is a visible God how shall we obey God who is an invisible King Since the lines of our peace and happiness do meet and center in him as in our common Father Who can think that any natives of a Land professing themselves followers of Christ who in the days of his humiliation was obedient to Caesar that he wrought a miracle to give him his due and expecting a protection from a lawful Prince should once demur to swear and yield Obedience Mens ears are open saith a learned Divine to receive any tragical complaints concerning their Governours Sheba's Trumpet is pleasant Musick to that great Beast the common people they hearken with both ears to Detractions and Calumnies against Governours that they are tyrannical Bishops are Antichristian Popery is coming in apace the Gospel is adulterated Justice obstructed Profaneness countenanced What Hurricanes will these men raise I even tremble any should profane the Pulpit poison the Air or which is worse the very hearts of men with such seditious and devilish Doctrines Who can chuse but renounce that way of Discipline which startles at renouncing War with the King For my part as Lactantius said to Constantine the same say I of our Soveraigns Restauration Ille dies foelicissimus illuxit c. Whose Person if we be not worse than Heathens we ought to love and honour and whose prosperity we ought to pray for His unquestionable Title and most noble and high Descent and Birthright cannot but strike a reverential aw upon us for it may lineally and successively be derived from the British Scottish Danish Saxon and Norman Princes above two thousand years which is more antient and truly noble than any Prince in the World caâ— shew A Prince whose great Judgment Gentility Educarion candid Nature Meekness Generosity Benignity and justness in Dealing all the world cannot but know and may imitate And his very enemies if he can contract any must if not injudiciously passionate or deserve in some measure to be ranged in the Categories of fools and mad men acknowledg But we our selves his Subjects are more pathetically sensible of the
ages she hath had some glorious company professing her Religion even in points their adversaries now impugne There makes for them all that may or can be of any Christian man required Literal Text of holy Scripture approved Tradition general Councils ancient Fathers Ecclesiastical Histories Christian Laws Conversion of Nations divine miracles heavenly Visions Vnity Vniversality Antiquity Succession their true Mission Ordination c. all Monuments all Substance all accidents of Christianity No wit of man can find out Arguments more convincing in themselves the truth of Religion than plain Texts and literal Sense of holy Writ the infallible Decrees of Church and general Councils the indubitable Writings and unanimous consent of ancient Fathers the credible Histories of all times and places and often the common light of Nature and Reason it self And ad hominem for prevention of all evasions no victory more certain no objection more unanswerable than the plain confession of their adversaries themselves The Volumes of Fathers and Councils in the eldest and purest times be so clear in themselves for Romish Faith that the primest and most learned Reformists studying the same are enforced through evidence of their words and deeds to acknowledg as Master Bierly in King James's time produceth clear testimonies If that Church erred or changed by little and little or that the true Church was invisible c. they require some humane reason to shew it catigorically In what time in what Articles what Pope changed what tumults rise thereupon what Councils withstood c. which in all innovations they can shew easily a total change and in what particular points as by Arrians Sabellians Donatists Pelagians Protestants c. What places what Countries changed with them what Catholicks set against them what kept the old paths To say the Church was extinct a thousand years or unknown is expresly against the Scripture Christs Promises and Providence and Reason it self If the Church were invisible whether should Gentiles address for their Conversion or the doubtful for resolution or all faithful for their direction was our Saviour who was promised to all Nations brought to that streight that he had not a visible Chappel reserved to him in the whole world Is it not good reason God would preserve his Church which he had planted and watered with his Blood Is it not a denyal of Gods Providence and to say Jesus Christ was unjust or an Impostor to oblige all men to indispensible obedience to her if erroneous or invisible if men were changed into beasts they may be thus perswaded Is not the Church compared to a City to a Light to the Sun c. can the Church which is a Sun be drawn into a chinâ—k or all her Beams into the center of a Burning-glass Can any Proposition be more reasonable than to ask of those who maintain a thing to be in former ages to produce some marks thereof to shew where they had a being or a Company successively holding the same Articles with them The Building is perpetual where God layeth the Foundation The Church is the Pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3. cannot err Irenaeus l. 3. c. 4. Mat. 28. Act. 3. Go teach all Nations and I am with you all days to the consummation John 17. Father keep them in â—hy name whom thou hast given me See his Petition to keep his Church gathered of all Nations and his continual protection I will give you another Comforâ—â—â— â—o aâ—iâ—e with you for ever John 16. When the spirit of truth cometh he shall â—â—ach you all truth This assistaâ—ce promisâ—d was ever in all ages no Heresie or Jew could ever prevail against it The guard and strength of Truth in point also of antiquity is ever such that she resteth still accompanied attended and fortified with surest friends strongest towers and best munition Priority and ancestry is so specially affected by the Wisdom of God and maligned by the enemy of man that in first planting the Church it s said Mat. 4. 13 24 25. 5. Mat. 13 17. Luk. 8. 12. that he first sowed good seed in the field and after the enemie came and oversowed Cockle not obscurely intimating true Faith and Religion that is good seed was first and ancient to Sects and Heresies Even as temporal nobility is most honourable which is derived from the aâ—cientest Blood and in earthly possessions that Title strongest which pleadeth longest prescription or ancientest evidence So it cannot be denied but truth was before falshood substance before shadows the Gospel Faith Religion c. which is first and eldest is only the true Gospel Faith Church and other Congregations afterwards arising or going out from thence are only malignant inventions of the enemy In which respect to find out truth in all occurring difficulties we are specially forewarned to recurre to antiquity to suspect novelty Moses Deut. 32. before his death leaving documents to the Children of Israel saith Remember the old days ask thy Father c. so Bildab Jobs friend 1 Job 8. advised him in greatest extremities ask the old generation and search diligently Solom Eccl. 9. 8. 11 12. let not the â—â—rration of the ancient escape thee c. and Jer. c. 16. stand upon the ways and ask the old paths which is the good way c. on the contrary God reproveth such as walk in a way not trodden and Solomons lesson is Transgress not the ancient bounds which thy Father hath put So Saint Paul to Timothy to keep the Depositum avoiding profane novelties It 's very ordinary with the Fathers to confute Hereticks by their innovation So Tertullian reproveth Novelists of his time saying to them who are you when and from whence came you what do you in my grounds by what right Marcion didst thou cut down my woods by what licence Valentine dost thou overthrow my Fountains c. It is my possession long since I possessed it I possessed it first So Saint Hierom. of the Luciferians Why do you go about after four hundred years to teach that we knew not before until this day the world was Christian without that Doctrine So Athan. confuteth the Arrians Saint Hilarie and Saint Aug. Donatists These reasons may induce us to take new measures of that ancient Church and may easily perswade persons as Doctor Taylor in his Treatise of Liberty of Prophecying of much reason and more piety to retain that which they know to have been the Religion of their forefathers especially when her Soveraign Rights Titles and Prerogatives are admitted and acknowledged by her professed enemies Whence Chillingworth confesseth that Protestants cannot with coherence to their own grounds require of others the belief of any thing besides Scripture and the plain irrefragable and indubitable consequences of it without most high and schismatical presumption Dr. Bramh. Reply p. 264. We do not saith he hold our 39 Articles to be such necessary truths extra quas non est salus without which there is no salvation nor enjoin ecclesiastical
well of her as the Dutchess of Sommerset to Sir John Cheeke to Sir Edward Mountague Lord chief Justice who had subscribed and counselled her disinheriting to Sir Roger Cholmey to the Marqness of Northampton to the Lord Robert Dudley to Sir Henry Dudley to Sir Henry Gates c. who stood attainted and the Duke of Suffolke all obnoxious to her Justice she knew very well neither affected her Religion nor Title they being her prisoners in the Tower she released them all But for all this the Zealots of her time would not be quieted they libel against the Government of Women they pick quarrels and murmur at her Marriage they publish invectives and scurrilous Pamphlets against Religion yet forbear not to plot and conspire her deprivation Goodman writ a pernitious Book to have her put to death William Thomas a Gospeller conspires to Out of Fox his Martyrs kill the Queen and when hanged said he died for his Country Stow in Queen Mary p. 1056. On the contrary in Queen Elizabeths time although Catholicks then were the chief Ministers in Church and State and might have used indirect means against her she being of a contrary Religion and not of so clear a Title yet Catholick Bishops who set the Crown upon her head are commended by Holinshed a Prot. Hist ann Eliz. 26. pag. 1358 1360. for peaceable quiet Bishops and the Catholick temporal Lords there by him recorded to be far from opposing themselves against her interest as they are said there to offer her Majesty in her defence to impugne and resist any â—orreign force though it should come from the Pope himself Insomuch that they are commended by Holinshed for loyalty and obedience And Stow testifies how diligent Catholicks were to offer their service in that great action 88. neither were they altogether refused by her Majesty How the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellour of England Doctor Heath a Catholick Bishop instead of inveighing against her or casting forth of Libels as Cranmer did against Q. Mary her entrance and Government made a publick oration in her behalf to perswade the people to obedience and to acknowledg her power and authority Holin ib. 1170. whence the said Archbishops faithfulness was left to commendation also by Protestant Bishop Goodman in his Catalogue of Bishops How all Catholick Lords and Bishops repaired to London to proclaim her Queen who not long after turned them out of several Offices and Bishopricks Holinshed p. 1171. To use Cambdens own words and phrase the world stood Cambdens Britann p. 163. amazed and England groaned at it what would flesh and blood move him to was it not strange in the beginning to behold Abbies destroyed Bishopricks gelded Chaunteries Hospitals Colledges turned to profaneness change of Liturgies Rites c. to see people renounce their pious vows such unexpected alterations it being a pitiful thing as Stow saith to hear the Lamentations in the Country for religious Houses Stâ—w p. 964. Notwithstanding the loyalty and obedience of Catholicks towards her appeared undeniable in all things not only in their humble petitions but by their constant and general conformity unto her temporal Government in 88. and by their Protestations made at Ely 1588. as by other offers made to the Lord North the Queens Lieutenant there and by their just actions afterwards by their submission as to the Lords of the Privy Council and profession of all due acknowledgment to her Majesty notwithstanding the Sentence of Excommunication Whence the Author of Execution of English Justice acknowledges their obedience and loyalty to Elizabeth in a time when they wanted no matter of complaint Any man of candour and integrity may easily convince the vulgar error the unevenness of Queen Elizabeths nature and severity to that of Queen Marys Queen Elizabeth made new Laws against Catholicks and put them to death for not embracing a new heresie which has been condemned to the fire here and in all other Christian Countries She embrued her hands in the blood royal of Mary Stewart lawful Heir to the Crown put to death many noble persons by their blood to colour her Supremacy raised up upstarts Hereticks from nothing annihilated the antient Nobility and Gentry c. to use a Protest Historiographers words the bloody practices of Queen Eliz. if not so barbarous in appearance though more wicked in substance as being exhibited under the colour and pretext of Law in the starving and racking so many innocent worthy learned persons tearing out their hearts and bowels in publick view upon suborned witnesses base vagabond and perjured Catchpoles hired to swear Neither was there any reason then for persecution on the account of the Catholicks misdemeanours For as Cambden her own Historiographer noteth The reason of the penal Statutes in Eliz. was 1. the opinion of the Queens Illegitimation abroad 2. Jealousies had of the Queen of Scots her nearness to the Crown 3. the Bull of Pius 5. 4. the doubt of the house of Guise in behalf of their Neece 5. the offence given to the King of Spain in assisting Orange These causes induced the Queen with her Pauculi intimi saith Cambden We cannot excuse the persecution therefore under Queen Elizabeth against Catholicks for any cause given by them or just fear of their fidelity nor from the example of Christian Emperours and Kings that both for zeal of Religion and human policy to avoid danger of Rebellion made Laws and Statutes against Hereticks and innovators of the antient faith and sense of Scripture which descended to them by Tradition from the Apostles Queen Elizabeth taking a contrary way made Laws and Statutes against the ancient Religion and known sense of Gods word delivered from age tâ— age which practice destroys the order of Justice to persecute Christians for professing a Religion confirmed by the publick testimony and practice of the Christian world from the first propaâ—â—tion of Christianity to this present tâ—â—e No part of their Dectrine being â—â—er judged an heresie or novelty by antiquity otherwise they had not escaped the rigour of penal Laws made against Hereticks and Novelists in former ages But no History did or can ever mention any person that suffered as an Heretick for broaching or maintaining any one point which they now believe and profess Whereas Q. Mary her predecessors Emperours and Kings punished Novelists only that made Religons of their own heads condemneâ— as Hereticks by the Church in ancient times The disparity therefore was great Catholick Princes standing as defenders of their ancient Faith others as invaders and introducers of a new Belief They seek to keep what de jure they had Calvinists what they had not they possessors of the traditum and depositum left by Christ and his Apostles others descissors and injurious infringers of those Apostolick tyes and regulations so carefully delivered to all posterity Laws indeed have been made in Catholick Countries very severe against those the Church calleth Hereticks but they were none of the Churches
for success that go down into Egypt for help cutting and launcing with lyes and falsities as with sharp Razors can such weapons prosper as are sharpened at the forges of Philistines is there no way to undermine Romanists but by digging as low as Hell in slandering the footsteps and traducing the persons of our Progenitors can that wisdome come from above which representeth the highest devotions practiced from antiquity as Fanaticism that makes all supernatural favours revelations extasies c. matter of drollery to term S. Francis S. Dominick c. Enthusiasts whom Tindal Act. Mon. 1338 Paâ—teleon Luther and the Centurists their very Adversaries call holy and good men and our very Almanacks these two hundred years have included in the Category of Saints The Doctor hath founded all the weight of his arguments upon false suppositions grosly imagining any inferior relative honour given to Saints Angels c. it is derogatory to the honour of God and perfect idolatry imitating therein the craft of the Devil who always covereth his malice with pretext of good impugneth the same under colour and pretence to defend Gods honour so the Serpent sâ—duced Eve So he boldly chargeth them with giving divine honour to Images accidents of bread and wine and unto Saints using the word adoration or honour for divine worship this we must suppose otherwise his whole book and arguments doth not â—ouch them or any thing to the purpose but phalerae aâ— populum Who ever that preteâ—ds to the name of a Christian but confâ—sses all religious divine worship is proper and due to God alone and no created thing whatsoever is capable of it He should have first proved his grounds solidly before he made his inferences upon them And so his large chapter of Idolatry might have seemed at least to have been somewhat ad rem whereas now it serveth to no other end but to discovery his fâ—lly and humoâ—r against Catholicks Why doth he cavil so about words all the ground of his disputation is upon the equivocation of words Can he be ignorant that the vulgar use have not words enough properly to signifie all our notions and conceptions The terms worship prayer invocation bowing down adoration c. for want of words are or may be equivocal For worship or prayer directed to God imports a total dependance in him and so our prayers c. are offered to God alone As applied to just and holy men it implies only a communion in the members of the Church militant or assistance of their prayers to him who only can give what we ask They pray not to Saints in the manner as they pray to God but desire their prayers as we do the just men on earth to pray for us How comes then the one to be idolatry and the other a recommendable action The word Adoration signifieth not only divine honour and worship but also religious and civil As may be proved out of the Scripture and Fathers The Protestants themselves grant the different kinds of worship and honour signified thereby These three Adoratious have many examples and testimonies in holy Writ as the word adoration is to be understood diversly either to God alone called Latria or to Angels and Saints holy men as servants of God and for love of him called Dulia The third a civil worship to men of dignity for some civil or temporal excellency These three kinds of adoration c. according to the different applications thereof cannot be distinguished in reading but by circumstances And because the corporeal exhibition of the same exterior acts of submission and reverence is common to all kinds of worship thence they are distinguished and diversified only by the intention and will of him that doth perform them Whence it is not to be wondred that as the ancient Fathers so Catholicks now following the custome and phrase of holy Scripture do use also the word adoration in different manner and sense The Doctor grants the civil adoration though absurdly he denies the Religious Calling that civil worship which is testified in Scripture to have been done to Angels and holy men Whence the adoration Abraham Lot and Joshua did to Angels could be only civil Which would be absurd because there was not therein any civil or temporal respect the motive of their adoration being a supernatural excellency including also a sanctity or holiness as appears by the example of Joshua's adoration of the Angel who besides his falling prostrate on the ground was commanded to do more reverence viz. to put off his shooes because the place was holy viz. in respect of the Angels presence The like is to be said of the examples exhibited by Abdias to Elias of the children of the Prophets to Elizaeus for although Abdias was in temporal dignity a greater man and more worthy than Elias the Prophet yet he fell upon his face before Elias 3 Kings 18. acknowledging thereby the spiritual excellency of Gods Prophet and did therein an act religious So the children of the Prophets did the like to Elizaeus adoraverunt â—um proni in terram 4 Reg. 2. specifying a supernatural respect of his miraculous passage over the River the motive of this adoration Therefore it cannot be only civil This I thought good to note by the way to shew by this occasion the piece of Legerdemain iâ— the Doctor who denies that Angels might be adored in any sense yet it appears that Abraham Lot Joshua adored Angels prostrate on the ground Genes 18. 19. Joshua 3. therefore there is some inferiour adoration or we must charge the holy men with Idolatry It cannot be called civil only for the spiritual excellency of Angels and sanctity of the Prophets being supernatural doth not import any temporal or civil consideration but a religious respect because it is exhibited to Angels and Saints as Servants of God for the honour and love of him so as the worship resteth not in them but hath a spicial relation to Almighty God being yielded to them for his sake because they are his Servants and to the end to honour him in them which must be a religious act This honour being finally and principally to God for whose sake they are honoured in respect of the participation of the divine excellency and abundance of Grace given them which is so far from dishonouring that we do him a special honour and service therein for seeing he said to his Disciples qui vos recipit me recipit qui vos spernit me spernit he that receiveth you receiveth me c. so that the honour done to them redounds to the honour of God This being so and most manifest in our Doctrine and Practice How impudent and unheard of a thing is it to make them idolaters whereas their Books written of Worship and Ad ration c. and their Doctrine in Schools and Pulpits do proclaim unto the world and their Consciences do witness it betwixt God and them although they honour Saints and Angels yet they hold