The Church of Englands Antithesis to Arminianism, To the reader
To the Christian Reader.
CHristian Reader, I heere present vntounto thy view, and prostrate to thy Censure, a compendious Summary of those scattered Euidences; a concise Catalogue of those eminent Writers, and illustrious Witnesses of our Mother Church, since the beginning of her Reformation to this Instant; who hauehave positiuely maintained, and punctually defended those 7. Anti-Arminian Theses, which I heere prooue: but diametrally oppugned, yea constantly condemned their 7. opposite erronious Arminian Tenents which I here disprooue, to be, the ancient, established, and resolued Doctrines of our English Church. The multitude of my other distractions, and ineuitable interruptions, together with the narrow scantling of those few Winter dayes, I had for to compose it in, hauehave denyed it that exact mature Summer perfection, which others may expect, my selfe desire. Accept it therefore as a Winter fruit, impatient of a tedious Summer ripening, which might perchance adde much vntounto its fulnesse, but derogate from its seasonablenesse. The Wise man hath informed:aEccl. 3. 1. … 12. That to eueryevery thing there is a season, and a time to eueryevery purpose vnderunder heauen: and that eueryevery thing is beautifull, (yea onelyonly beautifull and vsefull) in its time. I hauehave therefore chosen to thrust out this Antithesis more incompleat and mutilated then I did desire; hoping that its seasonable and timely birth (if the vnexpected and vnhappy dissolution of our present Parliament hath not made it now abortiue, or vnseasonable) shall excuse, will salue its hasty, its immature Natiuity. This Treatise consists of two parts; the one, the Records, the Acts, and Monuments of our Church; the other, the Names and Testimonies of our Writers.
The speciall and more publike Records and Euidences of our Church which tend vntounto our purpose, I hauehave heere at large recited: The Authors and Authorities, which are m…y, I hauehave onelyonly named, and so past ouer with a briefe quotation of their workes, their Chapters, Pages, and those Editions which I fellow, (which I thought good to specifie, for the greater certainety and more speedy search: Their words, their copious passages, and discourses touching our present Conclusions, I hauehave purposely omitted, not related, for sundry swaying reasons: First, to auoid prolixitie, and to keepe this petty Treatise from swelling into an excessiue Volume, which it must needs hauehave done, had I transcribed the one moity of the ensuing Quotations in their latitude. Secondly, because the most, the chiefe of all these Bookes, and Authors, are obuious and common vntounto all mens view; so that their bare Quotation is sufficient, their Transcript needlesse. Thirdly, to encourage learned Readers, (especially, our young vngrounded Schollers, and Diuines) who desire satisfaction in these much agitated and perplexed Controuersies, to reade, yea, studiously to peruse the workes, and writings of our vnparalleld home-bred Authors,*See Bishop Halls Q…o vadis? Sect. 10. who are generally honoured in all Forreine Churches, despised and neglected no where but at home, and now lately more then euer. Strange it is to see, and lamentable to consider, how the excellent, Orthodox, eminentest, and learned Impressions of the most transplendent Lampes, and Ornaments of our Church (whose very names strike terrour into our Romish Aduersaries, admiration into our Forraigne Friends,) are now so muchbMat. 13. 57. Marke 5. 4. Luke 6. 24. dishonoured (as Prophets for the most part onelyonly are) in their owne natiue soyle, and Fathers house, that many young pragmaticall Schollers, some graue, more young Diuines, who reuerence and adore all Popish Schoolemen, (which oft impoyson, and corrupt their iudgements,) as if they were some Saints or petty Gods, disdaine for to peruse, much lesse subscribe vntounto them: accounting it a disparagement to their reading, so much a… once to vouch them, vnlesse it bee by way of censure or controule. How venerable are the names and memoryes; how sweet, how gracefull, and delightfull the poysonous VVorkes of Aquinas, Lombard, Scotus, Suarez, Bellarmine, and such like Popish Schoolemen (whom many make the groundworke and foundation of their Diuinity studies,fQuo semel est imbutae recens seruabit odorem, Testa di…. whence they smell and stinke of Popery and Neutrality euer after, to their owne perdition, and our Churches preiudice) vntounto some; who cannot brooke the Honorable names and pious VVorkes of Caluin, Beza, Zanchie, Iunius, or other Orthodox forraigne Protestants: much lesse, reuolue, digest, approue, or magnifie the venerable Names, the vnparalleld Writings of our owne Martyr, Bucer, Tyndall, Iewell, Fox, Whitakers, Fulke, Babington, Reinolds, Perkins, Willet, Abbot, …ield, White, Bilson, Morton, Carlton, Vsher, Prideaux, Benefield, Ames, and the like; who far transcend all Popish Writers, not onelyonly in Orthodoxic of Matter, but in Art, Solidity, and depth of Learning. Alas, it grieues me to consider (and I hope our vigilant Watchmen will lay it neere to heart, as being an ominous presage, a fatall preamble to our Religions downefall, if it bee not in time preuented:) that not onelyonly all kind of Pseudo-Lutheran and Arminian; but euen of Iesuiticall Popish books (which hauehave arriued here of late in*See Mr. Fetherstones Catalogues, and Mr. Gees Catalogue. great varietie and abundance, without the least restraint,) are now more diligently inquired after, more speedily and greedily bought vp and vented, though at excessiue rates; more studiously, more commonly read, more generally quoted, more plausiblie vouched in Sermons, Schooles, and Writings; more highly magnified in the hearts and lips of many, then the best and learnedest of all Forraigne, or our owne vn-matched protestant VVriters, whose Impressions almost canker for want of vse, and sometimes perish in the Printers hands, for want of Chapmen for to vent them.
It is the pollicy of our Romish Achitophels, to traine vp their Schollers in their owne Popish Authors, and to inhibit the transportation, much more the reading of any Protestant (yea of some Popish) VVriters, without a speciall licence, vnderunder paine of their Inquisition Slaughter-house; for feare they should conuert their Readers, yea quite subuert their Antichristian Babell, and shake the rotten Pillars of their Machiauillian state-Religion, (consarcinated and made vp of Heresie, Pollicie, Luxury, Pride, and Couetousnesse, the greatest Opposites to Religion,) which cannot once withstand their strong assaults: And shall we then giuegive free allowance to their pernicious Bookes, who thus exile our true soule-sauing Authors? Is it no blow, no danger, thinke wee, to our Religion, to suffer or perswade young Schollers to skip from Aristotle, to some Popish Schoolemen; or to giuegive open Hospitality, and free welcome to all Popish, Arminian, and other seducing forraigne VVriters, which hauehave lately turned our Faith, into meere doubting;aSee Agrippa De vanitate Scientiarum. ea 97. De Theologi… Scholastica. our Religion, into Quaerees; our Scriptures, into fancies: our Grace into Free-will, or Nature:bThis was a late complaint in Parliament. our Communion Tables, into Altars; our Cathedrall Praying, into Piping, our Substance, into Ceremony: our Deuotion, into Superstition; our Zeale, into Neutrality; our Perseu…rance, into Apostasie; and the certainety of our Saluation, into a bare Contingency? Alas, these cursed fruits are sufficient testimonies of those seuerall dangers, of those varieties of mischiefes which result from hence. O therefore let vsus now at last (especially before wee are thorowly grounded, and setled in our owne vndoubted Religion:) reiect these pestilent, seducing, yea State-disturbinge VVriters, (which will prooue our combustion, our ruine at the last, vnlesse they bee in time suppressed or restrayned,) and cheerefully betake our selues vntounto the serious and delightfull study of our owne incomparable Authors, (who are therefore vnderualued by vsus, because they are our owne) who will re-establish, re-confirme vsus in our Ancient Faith, reduce vsus to our true Religion: exile all Popish Ceremonies, and Arminian Nouelties; reconcile and comprimise our present Differences, and settle such Peace, such Vnity in our Church and State, as shall secure our selues, and daunt our …oes for future times.
…othing is there that doth more vnsettle vsus in Religion, then the neglect, contempt, and ignorance of the Scriptures, and our own approued Writers, with our ouer-studious dotage vponupon Popish and Arminian forraigners; Let vsus therefore quite abandon their poysonous Works, at leastwise read them as the Bookes of Heretiques;cLegimus aliqua, ne legantur: legimus, ne ignoremus: legimus non vt teneamus, sed vt retud…emus, & vt sciamus qualia sunt in quibus magnifice isti cor exaltant suum. Ecclesia; cum quatuor Euangel…i libros habeat, per vniuersum mund…m Euangeliis redundat: Haereses cum multa habeant vnum non habent. Ambros. Comment in Luc. 1. c. 1. Tō. 3. p 3 C. to know, auoid, reiect them, not retaine them: to answere or refell them, not admire them; to discouer their Errors, not embrace them: and now at last betake our selues vntounto our owne approued Authors, especially those here quoted, who will put a Period to all these new Arminian Controuersies, which now disturbe our Peace. The Apostle informes vsus,d1. Cor. 14. 32 that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets: Let vsus therefore submit our spirits to the spirits and doctrine of all those famous Martyrs, Prophets, and Fathers of our Church, whose works I hauehave here recited, and then Popery and Arminianisme will prooue odious to vsus, which hauehave little in them for to make them amiable. Not to speake of Popery which besots so many, what beauty, what spirituall sweetnesse, what excellency, is there in Arminianisme, that wee should so much degenerate from all our famous Ancestors, our selues, yea, all the Worthyes of our Church and Nation, as now to dote vponupon it? Its eEzech. 16 33.father was an Amorite, its mother an Hittite: corrupt Ambition, proud Nature was the Father, Pelagius the Midwife; Popery the Nurse: Arminius and Socinus, the modern… Aduocates, Champions, and Godfathers of this infernall Monster, which Proclaimes professed Hostility to the freedome, soueraigntie, certaintie, and perpetuity of the grace of God, and breakes the golden chaine of Saluation into peeces, which onelyonly links vsus vntounto Christ. Certainely, Arminianisme (whateuer some …en vainely dreame) is but an*See Pelagius Rediu… olde condemned He…sie, raised vp from hell of late, by some Iesuits and infernall spirits, to k…dle a combustion in all Protestant States and Churches; to trample vnderunder feete the soueraigntie and kingdome of Gods grace, and true Religion in all places where they raigne or flourish; that so Romes grand Impostors might possesse their throne: to make way and passage for an vniuersall Spanish, Papall Monarchie, which hauehave much enlarged their Dominions by this Church firing, and State-disturbing Heresie: It is but a desperate, and bloudy Error, which cuts off all peace, all ioy, all comfort, and saluation from the soules of men: especially from broken hearts, and wounded consciences, to which the Arminian Doctrines of Freewill; the Resistability of grace; Conditionall, yea mutable Election; with totall and finall Apostasie from the State of grace, are but so many Lectures of despaire. It is a cursed Error, which hath brought a curse, a plague, diuisions, tumults, defeatments, shame, consumption, innouations, pressures, and sundry other iudgements, on all those Protestant States and Churches where it hath bene harboured, which hauehave neuer thriuen since this contagious, blasting Heresie (which must needes be accompanied, with the very wrath and curse of God, because it nullifies his fauour, and disauowes his grace,) hath crept into them. It is but a bridge, an vsher vntounto Popery, and all Popish Ceremonies, which winde themselues into our Church apace (if Parliament complaints prooue true) by their Arminian Agents, as some new erected Altars, Images, Tapers, and late vsurped Altar-adorations, with the reuolt of sundry Arminians vntounto Popery, doe experimentally testifie. O therefore as we tender the peace and safety of our Church and State, the supportation, soueraignty, or aduancement of Gods Grace: the peace, the comfort, or saluation of our endeared soules: the perpetuity and perennious preseruation of our graces: or the prosperity and happinesse of our declining Nation: As wee desire the subuersion of the P…pall, or Spanish Monarchy: the defeatment of all Iesuiticall combinations against our Church or State: the ouerthrow and extirpation of Popery: the continuance, safety, growth, and flourishing of our precious Protestant Religion (which Arminianisme and Popery vndermine almost as fast at home, as Popish Policies or Spanish Forces doe abroad:) let vsus now at … lay downe these grosse Arminian Errors, which hauehave constantly, beene brandid, censured, and condemned by all the Euidences, yea Writers of our Church: embracing from, and with our hearts and iudgements, these Orthodox sweet, and gracious Anti-Arminian Dogmaticall Conclusions heere recorded, (wherein our happinesse, comfort, and saluation rest,) as the ancient, established, professed and vndoubted Doctrines of our Church, (as this whole Antithesis infallibly prooues them:) that so our Church and Kingdome, (which being *Mark 3. 24. 25. 26.diuided against themselues by these distracting opinions, and other ciuill dissentions, cannot stand,) may once more flourish in these declining, turbulent, and perplexing dayes, and repossesse that former vnitie, safety, honour, peace, and glory, which wee all desire. Wee all know in what dangerous and fickle times wee liue: We see the generall desolations, and lamentable ouertures of Gods Church abroade; Wee see Religion sincking, Grace decaying, Popery triumphing, Arminianisme spreading, Heresies and new Errors springing, and getting head in eueryevery corner: We see Nation rising vp against Nation, Kingdome against Kingdome, Church against Church: yea, we may behold one Church, one state, one People, one House, (yea the Members of one and the selfe same Body,) diuided against it selfe. Looke we vponupon all the Christian World abroad, vponupon our selues at home, wee can behold nought else but the fatall Symptomes, and dismall Characters of an almost ineuitable, and neere-approaching confusion. O therefore let vsus now cast Anchor and take Sanctuary in Heauen; Let vsus*Psal. 73. 28. Deut. 11. 22. 23 draw neere and sticke fast vntounto our God: let vsus cleaue inseparably to these Anti-Arminian Conclusions and Doctrines of our Church, which will be our onelyonly cordialls, our all sufficient contentment, our best security, support, and comfort in the midst of all the ruines, calamities, and miserable perplexities which befall the World: If our Religion be but safe, our Church, our State, our Goods, our Liberties, our very soules and bodies, all we hauehave, are then secure: if we hold but this, all else is sure; if we part with this, then farewel all; let vsus neuer expect one halcion happy day or houre more,. Whiles Religion flourished and grew great among vsus, wee were then the head of Nations, the dread, the honour, the mirrour, and paradise of the World: since the Tares of Popery and Arminianisme hauehave sprung vp within our Church, since we hauehave halted and declined in our Faith, wee hauehave beene the very obloquie, scorne, derision, and taile of all our neighbour nations: Plagues hauehave deuoured, Diuisions weakned, discontents, decay of Trade, with sundry other grieuances impouerished vsus, at home: Enemies, tempests, vnskilfulnesse, and ouer-reaching Policies, consumed, defeated, and dishonoured vsus, by Sea, by Land abroad: All our counsels hauehave beene infatuated, our designes frustrated, our hopes dashed, our prayers vnanswered, our Parliaments broaken vp in discontent: the curse and vengeance of God hath clinged close vntounto vsus to our great destruction: and for all this, we see, we finde, we feele, (and I pray God wee may be truely sensible of it ere it bee too late,)aIsay 9. 12. 17. 21. Gods anger is not yet turned away, but his hand is stretched out still against vsus, becausebIsay 1. 4. 5. wee reuolt from him, and our long-professed, and established Religion more and more. Let vsus therefore now at lastcReuel 2. 5. remember whence we are falne, and doe our first workes; Let vsusdHeb. 4. 14 Tit. 1 9. hold fast our first professed Religion, constant to the ende: VVe were borne, we were baptized, bred, and nursed in it; we hauehave growne vp safely, wee hauehave prospered happily vnderunder it; we hauehave hitherto liued in it, by it: Let vsus now die in it, yea, with it, for it, if God calls vsus to it; lest we all suddenly perish, consume, and die eternally without it, because we hauehave thus backe-slided from it.
Farewell. The true endeauourer of Religions safety, and our Churches Vnitie, WILLIAM PRYNNE.