The Church of Englands Antithesis to Arminianism, Part 9 (2 of 2)
This is the true Relation and carriage of this Recantation, which I hauehave taken verbatim out of a Transcript of the Vniuersitie Register of Cambridge, vnderunder the Registers owne hand; wherein all the passages of it are entred and recorded, for the benefit of posteritie. For the recantation it selfe, (of which Thysius, and*BB Carlton his Examination of Mr. Mountagues Appeale. cap. 2 others make some mention) it was fairely Printed and Published in Queene Elizabeths dayes, (some Copies of it being yet extant) in the very selfesame words, and forme as here you see it. And that none may suspect it to be forged, or corrupted: I hauehave a transcript of it in Latine, taken out of an Originall Coppy vnderunder Master Barets owne hand: which agrees verbatim with this English one, onelyonly in this they differ: that our 17. Article is at large recited in the Latine Coppy in the ende of the 6. Section, wheras as it is onelyonly named in the English.
From this Recantation, and the carriage of it; it is cleerely euident; That the Vniuersitie of Cambridge in those dayes, did vndoubtedly beleeue and mainetaine the now Arminian Heresies of the finall and totall Apostasie of the Saints: Of vncertainety of Saluation; of Election from faith, and Reprobation from sinne foreseene. Of a personall, not a reall difference, betweene temporary and true sauing Faith: (the Points which Barret recanted) to be not onelyonly false and erronious; but likewise manifestly repugnant to the Religion and Doctrine, established and setled in the Church of England, and to the 17. Article: For so are the expresse words of the Order, and Articles recorded in the Vniuersitie Register: If they were thus euidently repugnant to them then; I doubt not but they are so now: at leastwise in all Cambridge mens repute, who will not (at leastwise should not) so farre dishonor their renowned Mother, as to degenerate from her ancient Orthodoxe and Dogmaticall Resolutions.
These are the more ancient publike Monuments, and Euidences of our Church, by which the subsequent Conclusions now in Issue must bee iudged. The seuerall figures inserted into them, and likewise placed in the Margent, hauehave reference to the 7. Anti-Arminian Positions following: the figure of (1) noting out such passages, as punctually confirme the first: the figure of (2) such clauses as euidently backe and proue the second of these Assertions, and so eueryevery figure successiuely, answers to its proper Position. If then all these Records which doe either Really containe, or at leastwise, euidently declare, the ancient, established, and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England, giuegive punctuall Euidence for these Conclusions, oppugning the contrary Arminian Theses in terminis, or substance, as they doe; this question will be then resolued: and our succeeding Anti-Arminian Conclusions acknowledged the vndoubted Doctrines of our Church, without any more debate.
Hauing thus at large recited the seuerall Grand-charters… and more eminent Records and euidences which our Church affords for triall of this weightie cause, I come now to apply them to the points in issue, which I shall distinctely lay downe in this ensuing Antithesis.