The Church of Englands Antithesis to Arminianism, Title page – Dedication 1
THE CHVRCH OF ENGLANDS OLD ANTITHESIS TO NEW ARMINIANISME.
Where in 7. Anti-Arminian Orthodox Tenents, are euidently proued; their 7. opposite Arminian (once Popish and Pelagian) Errors are manifestly disproued, to be the ancient, established; and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England; by the concurrent testimony of the seuerall Records and Writers of our Church, from the beginning of her reformation, to this present. By WILLIAM PRYNNE Gent. Hospitij Lincolniensis.
GALATIANS. 1. 9, 2. IOHN 10.
If any man preach any other Gospell vntounto you, then that you hauehave receiued, let him be accursed.
If there come any vntounto you, and bring not this Doctrine, receiue him not into your house, neither bid him, God speede.
Vincentius Lerinensis contra. Haereses. Cap. 39. Quicquid omnes, vel plures vno eodemq, sensu, manifeste, frequenter, perseueranter, velut quodam sibi consentiente magistrorum Concilio, accipiendo, tenendo, tradendo firmauerint, id pro indubitato, certo, ratoq, habeatur.
London. 1629.
TO THE HIGH AND Honourable Court of Parliament now assembled.
RIght Christian, Honourable, and Religious Senators; that all-disposing Prouidence of our euer-blessed GOD, which hath lately Conuented, and since that Centered you, with an vnanimous and inflexible resolution, vponupon the examination of the seuerall Innouations, Restraints, and Pressures of our much endangered Religion, to the great content and ioy of all good Christians: hath at this time directed me to pen, and inuited me to publish, this ANTI-ARMINIAN Index, (which here lies prostrate at your feete, imploring your most gratious and free Protection,) to further your religious and happy Proceedings, in the discouery and suppression of those Hereticall and Grace-destroying Arminian nouelties, which hauehave of late inuaded, affronted, and almost shouldred out of doores, the ancient, established, and resolued Doctrines of our Church; to the intolerable griefe of all true Christian hearts; the exultation and triumph, of our Romish Aduersaries; the prouocation of Gods heauy wrath and curse against vsus, (who hath blasted all our publike Enterprises, since these Arminian Errous hauehave crept in among vsus:) and to the great endammagement and disturbance of our Church, and State; which are like to sincke and perish vnderunder them, vnlesse your medicinall and helping hands forthwith support them. For me, or any other now to question: (as I feare too many doe) Whether Parliaments hauehave any true, or legall right, in the reformation, establishment, and rescue of Religion; in the explanation of our Articles, or in Church affaires; were but to dispute; not onelyonly our Non-Preaching, Pluralitie, Commenda, and Non-resident men, (the chiefe Fomenters of Popery and Arminianise, and the onelyonly Cauellers at Parliamentary proceedings in matters of Religion,) aPluralities, Nonresidents, & Commendaes which are tollerated and admitted by the Statute of 25. H. 8. cap. 16. 20. & 61. 1 & 2. Phil. & Mary cap. 8. 21 H. 8. c. 13. et 28. c 13. are dissalowed by the Common Law.out of all their Benefices and Ecclesiasticall Promotions, (a happy and much desired worke:) but euen all our Bishops, our Ministers, our Sacraments, our Consecration, our Articles of Religion, our Homilies, Common-Prayer Booke, yea, and all Religion out of our Church, which are no other way publikly receiued, supported, or established among vsus, but by Acts of Parliament, as I hauehave more largely proued in a*Epistle Dedicatory to Mr. Cozens his cozening Deuotions. former Epistle. Hee who hath seriously suruayed the Statutes of our Kingdome, shal finde Religion and Church-affaires, determined, ratified, declared, and ordered by Act of Parliament, and no wayes else; euen then when Popery, and Church-men had the greatest sway, ingrossing all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction to themselues alone: and shall wee then doubt, whether Parliaments hauehave any Conusance of Religion now? It is the positiue Resolution of all the Fathers, of all Pro…estant, (and I thinke of most Popish) Diuines:bSee Mr. Iohn Northbrooke his Po…re mās Garden. cap 48 BB I…wels Defence of the Apologie pa…t 2. c. 2. Diuision 1. …. 522. &c BB. Bilson of Christian subiection, and Antichristian Rebellion part 3. neere the the end, where this point is largely prooued. That Kings, and temporall Magistrates, ought to bee the chiefe Defenders and Patrons of Religion; the suppressors of Haeresies, Idolatries, and false Doctrines: the principall Reformers of the Church: and they produce the Examples of Moses, Ioshua, Dauid, Iehosaphat, Solomon, Hezechiah, Iosiah, Constantine, Charles the Great, Iustinian, Theodosius, William the Conquerour, Henry the first of England, Canutus, Edgar, Edmund, Richard the second, Henry the fifth, King Iue, Alured, Ercombert, Ethelbaldus, and others: together with the Prophesie of Isay, cap. 9. 13. Kings shall bee thy nursing Fathers, and Queens thy Nurses: the 17. of Deutr. 18. 19. Psalm. 2. 10. the 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. Rom. 13. 1. 2. 3. Iude 1. 2. and other Scriptures for to prooue it. Why then may not our King, our Parliament, and Temporall Magistrates now, as well as heretofore, intermedle with Religion, if all these examples, this conclusion passe for currant? Is it from any disability in their persons, because they are but Laicks? Why such were all these Kings and Magistrates: Such were all the Ancient and Moderne Reformers of the Church, that euer I could read of: Such were all our Parliamentary men in former Ages,c2. H. 4. c. 15. 2. H. 5. cap. 7. 25. H. 8. c. 14. 31. H. 8. c. 8. 14. 32. H. 8. c. 15. 25 34. H. 8. c. 1. 1. Mar…ae Sess. 2. c. 2. 1. & z. Phil. & Mar. cap. 8. who established Poperie, and since that *28. H. 8. c. 10 34. H. 8. cap. 1. 1. Ed. 6. c. 1. 2. & 3. Ed 6. cap. 10. 11. 12. 5. & 6. Ed. 6. cap. 1. 3. 12. 1. Eliz. c. 1… 2. 13. Eliz… c. 12. 8. Eliz… cap. 1.abolished it, by publike Acts of State, confirming that Orthodox and true Religion in our Church which now we all professe: yet none findes fault with them. Such a one wasdSee the History of the Waldenses, Booke 1. c. 1… Valdo, that Citizen of Lions, the Father of the renowned Waldenses, or Protestans in France, and the originall Author of the first open defection from the Antichristian Church of Rome: yet all good Protestants applaud this Act of his. Such are the Maior part of our Ecclesiasticall Commissioners, who yet determine of Haeresies, false Doctrines, Scismes, and the sense and meaning of our Articles, yet no man quarrels or excepts against them. Why then should they deny this power vntounto Parliaments, because they are but Lay, which they acknowledge, and admit in these? Especially, since all our Churchmen are virtually included in our Parliament, and so suffragate to its Conclusions in our Prelates (the vnquestionable Iudges of Points and Controuersies in Religion) who are chiefe Members of this mixt Assembly, compacted both of Church and State, and so not wholly Lay or Ciuill, as some vainely fancy. Is it because Parliaments want Conusance or power to deale in Church affaires, and matters of Religion? How then was Popery heretofore implanted, since that exiled, and our present Orthodoxe Religion, with all its seuerall circumstances, and adiuncts, estated, and lawfully setled in our Church by Act of Parliament; if Parliaments hauehave no Legall, but onelyonly an vsurped Iurisdiction in Matters, Articles, Rites, and Tenents of Religion, as some Papists hauehave auerred, and theeBB. Iewel, BB. Bilson, and Mr. Northbrooke letter (C) and Mr. Tyndall, Obedience of a Christian man pag. 137. 138. fore-quoted learned Prelates and Writers of our Church refelled? Certainely if our Parliaments hauehave such a transcendent power, as to authorize f23. H. 8. c. 14.Sheriffes in their Turnes, and Stewards in their Leetes and Wapentakes, to enquire of haeresie and haeretiques: as to enableg1 Eliz c. 2. Iustices of the Peace and Quorum, to indite and punish Scismatiques: as to h27. H. 8. cap 15. 3 & 4. Ed. 6. cap. 11.associate an equall number of the Temporalty with the Clergie, in collecting, ordering, and composing Ecsiasticall Canons, Lawes, and Constitutions, for the regulating of Ecclesiasticall Courts and persons, and the better ordering of the Church: As toi1 Eliz. c. 1. 13. Eliz. c. 12. See ca. 32. H. 8. cap 15. 31 H. 8. c. 14. authorize his Maiesties Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall, though Lay-men (as many of them are) to exercise all Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Iurisdictions, Priuiledges, Superiorities, Preheminences and Authorities, as by any Spiritual or Ecclesiastical power or authority hath heretofore beene, or may lawfully be exercised or vsed, for the visitation of the Ecclesiasticall State and persons, and for reformation, order, and correction of the same, and of all manner of Haeresies, Errors, Scismes, and Ecclesiasticall Abuses, Offences, and Enormities: much more hauehave they Iurisdiction of these things themselues; else they could not collate, or transferre such Iurisdiction vntounto others. Is it then because the worthy, iudicious members of our present Parliament, want learning, iudgement, or sufficiencie, to discerne of Spirituall Truthes? to vnderstand the sense and meaning of our Articles which themselues long since k13. Eliz. c. 12confirmed? to distinguish Popish and Arminian Errors, from receiued, from vndoubted Orthodox conclusions? or because they are so barbarously illiterate, or irreligiously ignorant, as not to know the obuious, professed, established, and long continued Doctrines of our Church, which eueryevery catechized Country Peasant, or Schoole-boy can repeate? Alas, what English, Spanish, Romish spirit, can be so impudently absurd, so prodigiously intoxicated, as thus to idio…ize, yea quite vnchristen the Piety, and all-sufficiencie of our selected Senate, the most iudicious and supreame Counsell of our King and State? Can any man who knowes their most accomplished abilities; their dexterity and insight in Religion, so much as once conceiue, such a grosse stupidity, or more then damnable and vnchristian ignorance in this very flower of our Church, and Pillars of our State, as that the proper sence of our receiued Articles, or the long-continued, plaine, and oft-resolued Doctrines of our Church, are yet kept sealed from them? What is this, but to brand them all for ignorants, or to stitch the Colliers, or Papists blinde implicite faith vponupon them lSee Doctor Whites way to the Tr…e Church. Digresse 2.to beleeue onelyonly as our Church beleeues, and yet to know no distinct particular Tenents which she doth beleeue? What, but to aduance our Ecclesiasticall Commissioners aboue our Parliament, in admitting them to bee competent and able Iudges of Haeresie, Scisme, and of the sence and meaning of our Articles, when as the Parliament which confirmed them are not such? and to denie that priuiledgemActs 17. 11. Iohn 7. 17. ca. 10. 4. 10. 15. 27 1 Cor. 12. 10. 1 Thes. 5. 21. 1 Iohn 4. 1. 2. 3 2 Iohn 6. 7. 10. Gal. 1. 7. to 11. Math. 7. 15. 2 Pet. 3. 17. of iudging Doctrines; trying spirits; prouing all things, distinguishing the voyce of Christ, and of his Spirit, from the voyce of Strangers, Theeues, and false seducing Spirits, to the prime and choysest of Christs Flocke, which is common to, inseparable from, the very meanest of his Lambes and Sheepe? If then Parliaments hauehave alwayes anciently intermedled with matters of Religion, by a constant, iust, and Legall right: If there bee now no sufficient disability, either in the Members, Iurisdiction, Skill, or requisite Abilities of our present Parliament, to censure or examine the Violations of our established Articles, and Religion, or to settle, protect, define, declare, and ratifie the proper sense and meaning of our Articles, and the vndoubted Doctrines of our Church: I see no cause why any Clergy men (vnlesse they are guilty of Sophisticating, or betraying the Truthes, and Doctrines of our Church; and therefore feare the doome of Parliaments, from which there is no euasion) should quarrell, or except against your pious progresse in matters of Religion, (which most of all concerne vsus) nor yet repine at Laicks (as they do) for writing in their iust defence.
This stumbling-blocke of Parlimentary Iurisdiction in causes of Religion, (which stickes and takes with many) being thus in briefe remoued; and your present Honourable proceedings in the examination of the innouations, and violations of the ancient Religion, and the resolued Doctrines of our Church, absolued from the vniust exceptions of ignorant, obnoxious, or ill-affected Spirits, who only censure and dislike them: It may be here demanded, what Doctrines, what Religion are now to be established? Surely no other but those Ancient, Orthodox, and Dogmaticall Conclusions, which the Church of England, since her Reformation, hath alwaies constantly embraced, ratified, and defended as her owne; but those especially, which Popery and Arminianisme hauehave of late inuaded. Yea, but how may Parliaments infallibly discerne what Tenents are our Churches genuine Doctrines, when as both sides lay equall claime, and title to our Church? Arminians now appealing to Her, aswell as their Opposers.
For resolution to this Quaere, I shall first of all take two things as vndoubted Theories.
First, that the Church of England hath some certaine, positiue, particular, established, receiued, yea resolued Doctrines, which shee may truely call her owne: in which, all necessary Truthes, (especially such, wherein the very marrow, efficacy, life, and power of grace, and all true Christian comfort doe subsist) are actually, euidently, and fully comprehended: Else it will ineuitably follow, that as yet shee hath no sound Religion in her, and is as yet no true, no Christian Church.
Secondly, that all these seuerall Doctrines, are, not onelyonly cognoscible in themselues; but likewise publikly, indiuidually, and distinctly known in our Church: else all our Articles, Preaching, writing, and Disputes, (together with the bloud shedde of our famous Martyrs, and all Apologies for our Religion) from the beginning of reformation to this present, are in vaine; and wee hauehave yet no other, but an indefinite, confused Religion: an ambiguous, implicit, Popish Faith, (which in truth is no Religion, no Faith at all:) and so our danger is,aMath. 11. 21. to 25. Luke 10. 12. to 16. our condemnation shall be greater, then euer Sodomes or Gomorrahs were, who neuer had such meanes, such light as we.
These two irrefragable Conclusions being thus praemised: This Quaere may be thus resolued: The onelyonly infallible way to determine, to finde out the ancient, the vndoubted Doctrines of our Church, is to compare them with the Rules of triall: The originall Touch-stone by which all Theologicall Conclusions must bee examined, is the Scriptures: and these, (together with the Ancient Fathers, and approued Councels) wee dare to challenge as our owne, if the naked truth of our Assertions were the thing in Issue: But our present inquirie being of a different nature, to discouer the true Ancient Doctrines of our Church, and distinguish them from pestilent vpstart Errors; wee must heere proceed by other Triers; euen the Articles, Homilies, Common Prayer Booke; the publike Euidences, Records, and Declarations; with the concurrent Testimony of all the learned Writers of our Church: the onelyonly Grand-Iury-men to try, the best Euidences, the sole Witnesses to proue, the most impartiall and able Iudges to determine the Doctrines of our Church. That which all these doe ioyntly, cleerely, fully vote, confirme, approue, and testifie, a Parliament may safely declare, and ratifie to bee; that which they all, or most disclaime, a Parliament may iustly censure not to bee; the vndoubted and resolued Doctrine of our Church.
If then all these giuegive vp their ioynt and seuerall suffrages for our Anti-Arminian Conclusions; If they all passe Sentence against their opposite Arminian Errors, (as this present Treatise will vndenably prooue them to hauehave done) you may confidently declare, resolue, re-establish the one, as being; exile, yea damne the other, as not being, the Ancient, receiued, and vndoubted Doctrine of our English Church.
And why should you now make any doubt or scruple of passing such a sentence? Neuer were there any truthes more copiously confirmed; more constantly defended; more posit…uely resolued; more aboundantly propagated; more generally Preached; more vnanimously imbraced; more vncontrolably published, more peremptorily established in our Church, then these Anti-Arminian Tenents, which I heere present vntounto you: There is scarce one publike (whether Ancient or Modern) Act, Record, or Euidence of our Church, since her Reformation hitherto, but doth in terminis, at least in substance, guie iudgement for them: Scarse a learned or godly Martyr of note or eminency in our infant Church, but hath planted them with his hand, watred them with his bloud. Scarce one Diuinity Professor in either of our Vniuersities; hardly an Orthodox or renowned Writer in our Church, from the beginning of King Edward the 6. his Raigne till this very present: but hath subscribed them with his hand and feale, and transmitted them to posteritie in some publike Worke. Not one constant Preacher of a thousand, who hath not proclaimed them in the Pulpit. Scarce a Graduate in Diuinitie, but hath either in Lectures or Disputes, defended them in the Schoole. Scarce an Act, or Commencement hath passed in either of our Famous Academies, wherein all, or some of them, hauehave not bene publikely affirmed in Diuinity Exercises. Not one authorized or approued Writer of our Church (for I count not*Three of their bookes were not lycensed. Barret, Thomson, Mountague, or Iackson such, the only opposites to them, that I know off, and those generally opposed, by all our Orthodox Diuines) who did euer once oppugne them: Yea al such who hauehave formerly but barked against them in their inconsiderate Sermons, hauehave beene forced to sing a publike Palinodie for their paines: as the Recantations of Barret, Sympson, and others largely testifie: And shall wee now beginne to question, whether they are the Doctrines of our Church or no? because some pur-blinde, squint-eyed, ideall Arminian Nouellists, begin for to dispute it? What is this but to make a scruple, whether the day be light, or no; because Buzzards, and blindmen cannot see it? or sottishly to enquire, whether the Sunne stands centred in one constant climate, whiles the massie Earth wheeles round; because one brainesicke Copernicus out of the sublimitie of his quintessentiall, transcendentall Speculations, hath more senselesly, then Metaphysically, more ridiculously, then singularly auerred it? Shall others wilfull, gainefull, and aspiring blindnesse, make vsus to doubt our eye-sight? or shall the absurd and idle Quaerees of some Romish or Temporizing Spirits, so vnsettle vsus in our long-professed faith, as to cause vsus now to question the most positiue, palpable, and resolued Principles of our reformed Religion? Yea so farre to besot vsus, as to put vsus to this irrationall, this frantique scrutinie; Whether that bee the vndoubted Doctrine of our Church, which shee hath alwayes hitherto beleeued, embraced, professed as a truth: or that rather which she hath alwaies Diametrally opposed, yea censured as an Error? O let not vsus be so vnchristianly, so Atheistically wauering in the Fundament all Tenents of our long-professed Faith, as that this Apostolicall, Stigmaticall brand of an admired subitane Galathian Apostasie;*Gal. 1. 6. cap. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. (I maruell that you are so soone remoued from him, that called you into the grace of Christ vntounto another Gospell: O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you, that yee should not obey the truth, &c.) With the disgracefull and soule-pricking obloquies of our insulting Aduersaries (who will be apt to vaunt, that we now begin to doubt of our Religion, and fall backe to them) should now iustly seize vponupon vsus, for our halting in these oft, yea,*The Articles of Ireland cō posed 1615. & the Synod of Dort: 1619. 1620. hauehave resolued al these points in terminis. late resolued points, in which both we and our Forefathers hauehave beene so long instructed. Alas, why should Papists; why Turkes, or Atheists thus reproach vsus: Where now is your reformed Religion, in which you hauehave thus long reposed your Saluation, and imbarqued all your soules? Where is the Faith, the Doctrines of your Church, which you hauehave thus pertinatiously embraced since your reuolt from Rome? Where is the precious bloud of all your glorious mocke-Martyrs, in which you hauehave so long gloried? Where the Orthodoxie, Learning, and Solidity of your much renowned Academies? of your vnparallel'd Martyr, Bucer, Tyndall, Latimer, Beacon, Cranmer, Iewell, Nowell, Veron, Fox, Fulke, Reinolds, Whitakers, Hooker, Hutton, Cartwright, Hill, Babington, Willet, Perkins, Abbots, Field, Crakenthorpe, Whites, Vsher, Prideaux, Ward, Benefield, Sharpe, Sybthorpe, Ames, Featley, Wilson Carleton, Dauenat, Morton, Goad, Belcanckquall, Burtons, your imcomparably learned King Iames, (the Phaenix of his Age, and eminentest of his ranke for solid learning) with all your other Centuries of Writers in which you so much triumph? Where the Authority of your Church, you Parliaments, or your Articles; that you now begin to doubt, yea, question and re-examine the truth and verity of these dogmaticall Conclusions, which all these hauehave planted, watered, sealed, and setled thus among you? What a shame, a brand a downefall will this bee to our Religion? What an inexpiable blemish, and intollerable disgrace to all our godly Martyrs; to these our famous Writers; to our learned Soueraigne of blessed memorie; to his two vnparalleld Predecessors Queene Elizabeth, and King Edward: to our whole glorious, and flourishing Church, since the beginning of her Reformation to this present? What a griefe, a heart-breaking to all faithfull members of our Church & State? yea, what a dangerous Praecipice, and fatall ouerture to all our soules: if wee should now beginne to plucke those foundations vp, on which wee hauehave thus long built, the hopes, the structure of our eternall happinesse: or to call that into question, which wee hauehave so oft resolued for the vndoubted Orthodox beleefe and Tenent of our owne; yea, of the Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ, frō age to age, which can neuer totally, nor finally erre in Fundamentall truthes?
Memorable is the answere of that blessed ancient bEusebius Eccles. Hist. l. 4 cap. 15. Niceph: Calist Eccles. Histor. l. 3. c 34.Martyr, Policarpus, when hee was vrged by the Pro-consul to blaspheme and denye Christ, that so hee might escape: Fourescore and sixe yeeres (saith hee) hauehave I serued him, neither hath hee offended me in any thing; and how can I now reuile or denie that King, which hath thus kept mee? Surely not to ascend to Wickcliffe, Bradwardine, Bede, or Anselme (who all concurred with vsus in our present Tenents) but to confine our selues vntounto the Ages of those later Martyrs, and Writers of our Church, which I hauehave heere recorded: I can safely say, (and I hope I hauehave sufficiently euidenced it in the ensuing Catalogue: that our Church hath*Mr. Tyndall with whom we begin our Catalogue was Martyred in the yeere 1536. Iohn Frith in the yere, 1533. Dr. Barnes in the yeare 1541. King Edward was crowned in the yeare 1546. So that these points hauehave continued in our Church well-nigh an 100. yeares. this fourescore and sixe yeeres, and more; euen constantly embraced, and defended these Anti-Arminian Theses, neither did they euer offend, or doe her harme in any thing: (yea, they hauehave beene so farre from preiudicing, or offending, that they hauehave accumulated her with all varieties of blessings, of contentments, making hercIsay 51. 3. as the very Eden, and Paradise of God, while they dwelt in peace within her, whereas now shee ebbs and sinckes together with them:) And shall shee now proue so vngratefull to her gracious God; so iniurious to these blessed truthes, (wherein the very marrow of all true Christian comfort, yea the strength, the ground and certainety of our Saluation rest, though some hauehave …leited them as meere curious, and nice Disputes,) as now to question, yea silence and restraine them, when they hauehave thus long kept her in such peace and glory, as*Prisca parē nescit, aequalem poster… nullum Exhibitura dies: praeteritis m… li…r ma…or que futuris. Cābdeni Brittan. pag. 160. no former age hath euer matched, nor subsequent dayes ha…e hopes to parallell? What, shall we thus requite the Lord for these his documents, wherein his incomprehensible Wisdome, Freedome, Mercy, Iustice, Power, Grace, and glory, shine foorth in greatest luster; as after all the good they hauehave brought vponupon vsus, to dis-inherit them of their ancient Freedome, and by certaine Politike, and insensible gradations to shoulder them out of our Church; that so Popery and Arminianisme (the fertile mothers of all licentious dissolutenesse) may possesse their throne? Shall wee thus repay our blessed Martyrs for all their glorious sufferings, as now for to dis-martyr, yea, vncrowne, and tread them vnderunder foot, by disputing, or doubting these Theologicall positions, which they hauehave canonized, and sealed to vsus with their bloud? Shall we thus retaliate the very Pillars of our Church, and Patrons of our Faith, euen all our learned Writers, as to brand them for illiterate, erronious, and seducing Nouellers, to their eternall infamy, in rooting vp these fundamental Truths which they hauehave planted; or re-implanting those Pelagian, Arminian, Popish Errors, which they all hauehave laboured to extirpate? Shall we now proue so vnnaturall to our Mother Church, as to rip vp her wombe that bare, or cut off her duggs that nourished vsus, in offering violence to these her sacred Assertions, which did at first begette vsus vntounto grace, and now cheerish and prepare vsus vntounto glory? Or shall wee bee so iniurious, so destructiue to our owne distressed soules, as to strippe them naked of all coelestiall comforts? to vnbottome them of all their hope and stay? or to leaue them destitute of Saluation, in depriuing them of all these sweete and rauishing cordialls? in dis-lincking that Golden, that Adamantine chaine of Gods immutable and free Election; whereon their very happinesse, comfort, and Saluation are alone suspended? Let this, let this, bee far from all our thoughts; at leastwise from our practise. Farre be it from any of vsus, especially, from you right Christian Worthies, intrusted with the care and safety of Religion, as to question or doubt of these Orthodox, these sweet Conclusions, so long estated, so oft resolued in our Church, without any retractation, or controll.
Your onelyonly care, your worke is now, to defend, to settle them, not dispute them; to damne, yea, quite extirpate their opposite Arminian Errours, (which like Tares spring vp apace among vsus, and ouergrow our Wheate,) not to honour, countenance, or equalize them with them, by putting them both to triall: to question, censure, and condemne, their audacious open Aduersaries, their secret dangerous Master-vnderminers,dSunt enim quidam qui sustissime damnatas impietates, adhuc liberius defendendas putant: et surt qui occultius penetrant domos, et quod in aperto non clamare metuunt, in secreto seminare non quiescunt. Sunt autem qui omnino siluerunt magno timore compressi: sed adhuc corde retinent, quod ore iam proferre non audent, qui tamen possent fratribus ex …rioreipsius dogmatis defensione esse notissim… Proinde alii seuerius… coercendi, alii vigilantius vestigand…: alii tractandi guidem lenius, sed non segnius sunt docend…, vt si non timentur ne perdant, non tamen negligantur, no pereant. Aug. Epist. 105. Sixto. It was his speech of the old, I may as truly apply it to our new Pelagians. who are of different rankes, and must be dealt with in a various manner;) not to discusse their verity, of which our Church was neuer yet suspitious, in the least degree. Proceede, therefore as you (Gods name be blessed) hauehave already done: to inquire out the Heads, the Nurseries, rootes, and grand Protectors of our Popish, our Arminian mungrell rabble, (which swarme like Locusts in our Church of late) combining both together (as is iustly feared) to eate out our Religion by degrees, to spoile vsus of these temporall immunities, of those coelestiall treasures of Gods sauing truth, which are farre dearer to vsus, then our dearest soules: and when you hauehave once discouered them (as you may quickely doe, since practise, fame, and iealousie hauehave made them so notorious,) it will be worth your labour to hew them downe with speede, both root and branch, at once; else all your superficiall hacking of some smaller Issues, will but increase their growth, augment their strength, and multiply their fruit, their branches, and al-daring practises, when the time, the feare of lopping are but passed ouer. Trampling we know on Camomile stalkes, doth but make them grow the thicker, spread the faster: it is the breaking, not the bruising of the roote that kills it. The mowing down of weedes, of grasse; the lopping off of lesser branches doth neuer hinder, but aduance their growth; not lessen, but augment their number: The rootes must first bee stocked vp, or else the blades, the stalkes, the branches will not, cannot wither, or giuegive ouer budding. Strike therefore at the roots, as well as at the branches of these preuailing Factions, else all your lopping, will turne but into pruning: your launching into festring; your medicine into poyson, to kill our Church the Patient, but strengthen her diseases, which hauehave hitherto got ground vponupon vsus, by all those former Parliamentary lenitiues and verball purges, which your Medicinall skill applyed to them.
It is noted of Pelagianisme, (of which the doctrinall part of Popery, in the points of Grace, and the whole body of Arminianisme are the reuiued ashes, and new-raysed Goasts,)eIllustris olim protulit Britannia dogma hoc super…, &c. Festus Hommius in Co…onidem Gulielmi… Arnesij. that it tooke its rise in England, fHierom. aduersus Pelagium ad C…isiphontem: Argumentum: Prosperi Cronich…n. Bibliothecha Patrū: Tom. 5. pars 3. pag 1…2. Bede. Ecclesiast. Hist: Gentis Anglorum lib. 1. c. 10. Meredith Hā mers Chronograph p. …89.Pelagius the Father of it being himselfe a Brittaine, and a Monke of Bangor: What a regained Honour were it to our Nation; What an inutterable benefit to our Church; What a glory to this your Honourable and great Assembly, if you could now at last eternally interre it in the soile that bare it; and make its ancient (now its second) wombe, its last, its endlesse Graue? It was said by one of note, some fewe yeeres past: (and I wish it may be Prophetically true at least.)
gFestus Hō mius in Core…idem. Guliel…i Amesi… 1618.Tulit malum hoc & sustulit Brittania…:
That England had both hatched and destroyed this monster of old, of new Pelagianisme, which Arminius and his followers had then newly raised from Hell, to which it was of old condemned: But alas, we see its liuing, and springing vp like Hydraes heades; Its former*Multae dum leuiter corriguntur saepius maiorae co…surgunt. Cabilonense Concil. 1… Can. 13. ouer-indulgent decapitations both at Dort, at home, being but a bloodletting to increase its future vigour, not a fatall blow to bring it to its finall period; because it cut not off those master-veines which gaue greatest, though but hidden life and growth vntounto it. O therefore giuegive, and strike it, and its Arminian Issue now at last, a finall, fatall, and heart-killing blow, which needes no iteration; and bury them this once so deepe, so sure, that they may neuer neede a second Funerall.
But how you will say, may this bee done? I will informe you in a word or two.
It is Storied of thehMath. 27. 60 to the end. chiefe Priests and Pharises (who were euer the greatest and most imbittered enemies to Christ and his Apostles, as their successors, who will needes be stiled Priests, hauehave since bene to his members,) that hauing crucified our blessed Sauiour, because they would bee sure to keepe him from rising from his graue againe, according to his promise: they did not onelyonly suffer him to lye intombed in a rocky Sepulchre, to the doore of which there was a great stone rolled: but they likewise went and made the Sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch, for feare lest his Disciples should come by night, and steale him away, and say that hee was risen. What these vile miscreants vainely did in Antichristian, doe you Right noble Christians, in true Christian Policie: Pelagius with his late-born brat Arminius, hath beene oft times buried by sundryaConcilium Palestinum… Africanum. Arausicyaum: Ancient, (somebSynod of Dort, 1619. 1620. Conuocation of Ireland, 1615. in their Articles then composed Moderne) Councels, and *Hierom. contra Pelagianos Augustin. 7. Tom-pars. 2. Prosper. Fulgentius Bernard. Orosius. Bradwardine.Fathers of the Church, but yet they hauehave alwaies risen from the dead againe, to the great disquiet of all true Christian Churches: If then you chance to crucifie them once againe (as now wee hope, wee pray you may, for feare their life proue all our deathes: they being the Archest Traitors to our Church, our State, our soules, and sauing Grace:) you must not only see them intombed for the present, though it be in graues of stone: but likewise watch, and seale their Sepulchres, making them sure for all succeding Ages, by some inexorable, strict, and vigilant Acts of Parliament, which no Charme, no Wile, no Force, or Policie may euade; Else their Disciples will come by night againe, (as they hauehave oft times done) and steale them quite away; and not onelyonly say, but to our great disturbance, prooue; that they are once more risen from the dead: So shall their last resurrection be farre worse, our second danger, your latter Error, farre greater then the first; which God forbid.
Now the GOD of grace, and wisdome, so ayde, direct, and guide your Honours with his Spirit, in this great weighty Worke, (which needes an heauenly power to accomplish it:) that wee, to our vnutterable ioy and comfort, may now at last behold, our drooping and declining Orthodox Religion (the onelyonly Center, Pillar, Bulwarke, Garrison, Honour, Treasure, and conseruer of our declining State, which ebbes and flowes together with it) reuiued, aduanced, established, and secured once againe, against all Forraine, all Domestique hostile Forces, all Stratagemes that oppugne it: and that all our eyes may see with tri…mph, all Popery, all Olde, all Newe Pelagianisme, with all the grand Fomentors, and Master-springs that feede them, (in despight of all their new-erected and much adored Altar-Idols,) arraigned at your dreadfull Barre, condemned at your great Tribunall; executed before your faces: layd dead and prostrate at your feet: interred in some brasen Dungeon; yea sealed vp, and strictly watched with such enuironing, cautelous, ir-repealable, and adamantine Lawes, as may so presse them downe for all eternitie, that they may neuer raise themselues, nor yet bee raised in our Church againe.
Amen. Amen.
Your Honours in all humble seruice, whiles you stand for Christ, Religion, Church, or Countrey. WILLIAM PRYNNE,