A Plea to an Appeal, Preface – Errata
The Preface to the Reader.
CHristian Reader, I present thee here with a Plea to an Appeale. That Appeale I meane styled, An Appeale to Cesar. Which is such, as I confesse (sauing for the Titles, wherein I find the Sacred name of Cesar) I had filed my feete, rather then my hands with it, if after my long frustrate expectation of seeing it burned, I had not, to my great wonderment, seene the contrary, namely, that it found so many friends and favorites. Besides sundry things therein, which at first might hauehave passed onelyonly for errours, as falling from some distemper of hastie passion: being now stoutly and stiffly, in cold blood, defended, they grow to be flat heresies, and so no further to be tollerated, as S. Augustine speaketh. For my owne part, when I perused the booke, my spirit was not a little stirred in me, to see Gods glory defaced, our Salvation vndermined, our Church scandalized, and popish Arminianisme triumphing, even vponupon the open Theater. Faine would I hauehave beene dealing with it, but both the consciousnes of my many both naturall disabilities, and personall infirmities, as also the hope I had of so many my worthy and able elder brethren (who I trusted would, and still hope will, vindicate at least their deare Mothers credit, the Church of England) held me backe. Notwithstanding at last (though the least of all) I gaue the on-set (nec tardum opperiens, nec praecedentibus instans) as, well knowing, that Hosanna is accepted of Christ, as well from the mouthes of little children, as of others; Yea, and sometimes, (if those should hold their peace, the very stones would cry. And where as not only my personall imperfections, but my naturall corruptions also stood vp to disswade me from such a Taske: yet even from them also, did I draw motiues vntounto it. First, because I thought my example of shewing willingnesse to my weaknesse, might provoke the more able, to be the more willing to supply my wants. Secondly, out of the sense and conscience of my many corruptions, that Law in my members, leading me (miserable!) captiue to the law of sinne; having such abundant experience of that superabundant grace of God, which hath mightily borne me vp even against the streame of rebellious nature, so that when my foote slipped, his mercy held me vp: I have learned hereby how deepely I am bound to expresse my thankfulnes to God, in setting forth to the vttermost of my power, the praise of the glory of his Grace, sufficient for me, against those thornes in my flesh, against those buffering messengers of Satan, threatning to overthrow me, if the Lords never fayling grace had not made me to stand. Yea how many stormes of temptations hath my brittle barke indured, yet blessed be God, it is not wracked. Those Reliques of rebellious Canaanites dwelling in me, as thornes in my side, and pricks in myne eyes, by Gods grace humble me onelyonly, overcome me not. So that God having put in my hand, such a tryed weapon of infallible experience of his saving grace: I should be very ingratefull to let it lie rusting in the sheath, and not to use it with my best strength, courage and skill, against the adversary of this grace, who saith, that the Child of God ma… fall away totally, and possibly also finally from grace and justification. Which one Heresy overthroweth the whole tenure and truth of the Gospell; it turneth vpside downe the very foundation of our salvation, grounded vponupon Gods eternall louelove, in Electing and Predestinating vsus in Christ to Grace and Glory, those gifts and calling of God without repentance; it revineth (directly in part, and by consequence, altogether) that wicked heresy of the Pelagians, noted by the Reverend Bishop of Chichester, and the worshipfull M. Francis Rovs, two noble champions of Gods Truth; it comes close vp also to make a league with the Councel of Trent, to truck with Rome, in all that fard…ll of Apostaticall doctrines, packed vp in the sixt Session of it, as of Freewill, Iustification, Predestination, Cortaintie of salvation, Perseverance in grace &c. In which poynts and many more of that nature, coincident to the doctrine of Iustification, the subiect of that whole Session, I had (I confesse) formerly taken some paynes, in setting downe the true difference betweene vsus, and the Church of Rome, in this mayne fundamentall. And having the Treatise by me, already finished, and priviledged also, (while the season served) for the Presse, onelyonly prvented by the last visitation: I hauehave ben the more willing to take this new occasion to borrow at least some Artillery from that greater worke, to encounter these fresh Assaults, made against the Truth.
And see, how the same motiue, that put me vponupon the former worke, hath drawne me also to this. Shall I tell the plaine truth? Why not? But I must name Doctor Francis White then, and discover something, which passed betweene him and me in private. But this I hope shall not violate the Law of fidelity, sith I shall say no more, but what himselfe, in his Approbation prefixed to the Appeale, hath not stuck to make open profession of to the world. It is this, I having about foure yeares agoe, taken a thorow survey of the sixt Session of the Councel of Trent, and finding therein Romes Apostacy from the faith of Christ cunningly couched: I tooke occasion (simply suspecting nothing, as then) to goe to the said Doctor, wishing he would vndertake so worthy a Taske, as to declare fully the true difference betweene vsus and the Church of Rome, in the doctrine of Iustification, according to the Councel of Trent. But his answer was, that the difference was but small between vsus. I wondring at his answere, No Sir, said I, then let vsus shake hands with them, and be good friends. For on this foundation stands the maine fabrick of Romes Religion, consisting in humaine satisfactions and merits, all devised to fill vp the vast emptines of their Iustification, from which Roote they all, as branches, doe receiue life and growth. Yet to be sure, another time I propounded the same question vntounto him; his answere was the same; and so was my reply.
Hereupon, farre aboue my strength, I tooke courage to attempt that taske my selfe, leuelled against Pontifician and Arminian Doctrines ioyntly all along: and now againe am I no lesse, if not much more, iustly prouoked, to reuiew and reuiue something of that former worke, being spurred thereunto, more (I confesse) by Doctor Whites Approbation, then Master Mountagues Appeale. Nor, in such a Cause, am I a whit moued with the name and fame of Doctor White. He is a learned man, I confesse; but Truth is better learned. Hee is an ancient graue Diuine, crowned with an hoary venerablenesse; true: but Salomon saith, The hoary head is a crowne of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousnesse. And howsoeuer the world may value Truth according to personall respects: yet God is no Accepter of persons. My brethren (saith Saint Iames) hauehave not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. He condemnes those, that in points of faith, preferres the Gold-ring, Tertul de Praescript aduersus hareticos. lib… mi….the soft or white rayment, before the poore man Tertullian saith, Quid si Episcopus &c. What if a Bishop, if a Deacon, if a Widdow, if a Virgin, if a Doctor, if also a Martyr, shall fall away from the Rule: therefore shall haeresies seen e to obtaine the truth? Ex personis probamus fidem, an ex fide personas? Doe we approue the faith by the persons, or the persons by the faith? Nemo sapiens &c. No man is wise, but hee that is faithfull; none great, none a Christian. Nemo autē Christianus &c. And no man is a Christian, but hee that shall perseuere vntounto the end. Auolent, quantum volent, paleae leuis fidei &c. Let the chaffe of light faith fly away as fast as they will, with eueryevery breath of temptation, the cleaner heape of graine shall be laide vp in the Lords Garner. Nonne &c. Did not some of the Lords Disciples forsake him, being scandalized, and offended with his Doctrine? Yea was not Iudas the Traitor one of the twelue Apostles? What then, if any great Doctor, yea or Bishop fall away from the faith, they once professed? Is this a sufficient proofe, that Gods saints may fall away totally or finally from sauing grace and iustification? Will any Appealer, or his Approuers make this good by their owne examples of falling away? No, saith Saint Iohn, cited by Tertullian in the foresaid place, Phigellus, Hermogenes, Philetus, and Hymeneus forsooke the faith; they went out from vsus, but they were not of vsus; for if they had beene of vsus, they would no doubt hauehave continued with vsus; but they went out, that they might bee made manifest, that they were not all of vsus. And why wēt they out? Saint Iohn a little before admonisheth Gods children to beware of the louelove of the world; whereupon he giueth them examples of Apostates; inferring, that the louelove of the world drew them away. Demas forsooke Paul, and imbraced this present world. So easie a thing is it for a louer of the world to fall into all heresy, the God of this world hauing blinded his eyes? Therefore when we see a starre shoote, as the vulgar call it: doe we, as they, thinke it to be a very starre, falling from the firmament? Nothing lesse. We know it to be nothing else, but an earthy slime, falling to the earth, whence it ascended in a vapour. For earth will to earth. Stella cadens non est stella, cometa suit. Such acry vapours then, when you see ambitiously mounting aloft towards the vpper part of the lowest heauen, well may they shine there for a time like starres, but maruaile not when you see them fall backe againe; they were no true starres. Sacerdotium, quod intus cecidit, diu foris stare non potest. It was Gregory the greats saying of ambitious simoniacks. Was Iudas once in the state of grace & iustification, because he was an Apostle? Indeede Andreas Vega, …one of the champions of the Trent Councell, puts him downe f… an in instance, that the Elect may fall away finally from grace: because Christ said, HaueHave not I chosen you twelue? Iudas then (saith he) was one of the Elect. But as Saint Augustine answereth well, it is one thing to be elected to the office of Apostleship, another, to the fellowship of the Quaest. super …. 1. qu. 117. … 4. and in Psal. 55.Saints. For there is, as a twofold vocation, so a twofold election; externall, and internall; temporary, and eternall. Iudas was of the externall and temporary, but not of the internall and eternall election. For of this, Christ said elsevvhere, I speake not of you all; I know whom I hauehave chosen. There Christ puts a plaine difference between Iudas an elect Apostle, & the rest, who were also elect Saints. But how came Iudas, an elect Apostle, to fall away? hee was a theefe, and bare the bagge. Yet he b…ught not his Apostleship, he was elected by Christ. He had a faire, and lawfu…l calling. Yet his coueteousnesse brought him to Apostacy, and euen to betray the innocent blood of the Lambe of God. Then wonder not at the Church of England. The sa…e Rebecca brought forth as well a rough Esau, as a smo…th Iacob. And, as Tertullian saith to the same purpose, Of the kernell of the milde, and fat, and vsefull oliue, doth spring the rough wilde oliue: and of the most pleasant, and sweete figges seede, doth grow the windy, and empty wilde figtree. So heresies (saith hee) hauehave fructisied of that, which was ours, but they are not ours, being degenerate from the graine of truth, and by lyes become wilde. They went out from vsus, but they were not of vsus. What then, if wee shall see some of the Apostles, or such as would bee accounted Apostolicall, to proue Apostaticall from the faith? shall this stumble Gods Saints? Or shall an impotent admiration of their persons draw beliefe to their heresies? God forbid. For as the same Tertullian Tertul ibid.(for I finde not an acuter authour for this purpose) comparing champion-like hereticks to wrastlers, or sword players, which many times ouercome, not by their owne strength, but by the others weaknesse: no otherwise (saith he) doe heresies preuaile ouer the infirmities of men, but hauehave no power at all vponupon a sound faith. Yea, of what qualitie or dignity soeuer hereticks be, whether for personall, or politicall respects, the holy Ghost warnes the Saints to auoid, and contemne them. Auoide an hereticke, saith the Apostle. And St. Iohn, 2. Iohn 10.If there come any vntounto you, that brings you not this Doctrine, receiue him not to your house, neither bid him God-speede: for hee that biddeth him God-speede, is partaker of his euill deedes. And Saint Paul doubles his admonition, If an Angel from heauen preach vntounto you any other Gal. ….Gospell, then that which we hauehave preached vntounto you, let him be accursed; which is not another Gospell; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospell of Christ. Into this condemnation be the new Pontifician Arminian (shall I say Hereticks? I need not, if they persist; I will not, if they *As Master Mountag… hath fairly promised, laying, though he may erre, yet he will be no Hereticke, especially against the Church of England Appeale c 1. p. 4. & p. 9.recant, and desist) Approvers of the Councel of Trent fallen: the doctrine whereof is a fowle and flat Apostacy from the Mystery of godlines. They would bring in another Gospell, though no Gospell, but they would obtrude it far the true and only Gospell of the Grace of God. And if the Galatians were said to be fallen from Christ, onelyonly for mingling Circumcision with the Gospel, as requisite with faith to their iustification: how fearefull is that Apostacy from Christ, which quite ouerthroweth the effectuall and free grace of God, excluding, yea, accursing the true sauing faith, in our iustification, as the Doctrine of Trent doth; so dangerous it is, to be any way accessary by yeelding the least assent vntounto it. And what execrable heresies will these proue to be, that goe about to pluck vp the tree of life, by the roote, out of the Paradise of Gods Church, and would plant instecde thereof, the forbidden tree of knowledge, teaching and perswading the eaters, that they are made thereby as Gods, selfe-sufficient, selfe-wise, selfe-able to saue themselues, not onelyonly in their receiuing, but retaining grace, which worke of their owne wills being foreseene of God, was (say they) the first mouing cause of electing and praedestinaring them to saluation? which what is it else, but a meere making voide of Gods vnchangable Decree of Praedestination, and free grace of Election, no farther fixed and certaine, but as mans receiuing and retaining of grace, and perseuering therein is certaine, which (say they) is vncertaine.
Pardon my zeale, gentle Reader. Impute it not to any bitternesse of spleene. I beare it not to any mans person liuing, God is my record, much lesse to the Authours of the Appeale, and the Approbation. I know none whom I hate more, then my sinfull selfe. But the Lord knowes, it is no small greife to me, that I am thus forced to sharpen my style. Which if it seeme tarter to thy Palate, then may sure with Christian moderation and modesty: examine I pray thee, whether the long custome of Court-smoothing, and eare-pleasing, specially in Diuine matters, hauehave not bred such a delicacy in the soules tast, as that downe right zeale for Gods glory, can hardly finde a slomack to take it downe, or digest it, but is reiected as a bitter pill, or potion, of such Patients, as account the remedy worse then the disease. Zeale will not passe now but for fury, or rude incinility, at the best. But ab initio non erat sic. In old time, it was lawfull to call a spade, a spade. Saint Peter dealt roundly Acts ….with Simon Magus for his Simony, Thy money perish Acts 13.with thee. How sharpe was Paul with Elimas the Sorcerer, for going about to turne away the Deputy fiō the faith? O full of all subtilty, and all mischiefe, thou child of the Deuill, thou enemy of all righteousnesse &c. And what would he hauehave said (trow we) to those men, who goe about to turne away, not a Deputy, but a whole kingdome, & a well settled flourishing Church, from the faith? What if they were graue & learned Diuines? So much the worse. If an enemy had, done this, it had ben more tolerable; but it was euen thou, my guide, and familiar freind. I will not adde Dauids imprecation, but rather aduise them, as Peter did Simon, to pray, that if it be possible, the sinne, not of their heart onelyonly, but of their hand, may be forgiuen. How did Paul, though but a young Apostle, reproue the prime Apostle Peter, onelyonly for a matter of dissimulation in his conuersation, not any default in his preaching? And shall wee not zealously resist those to the face, that, no… now dissemblingly anymore, but with opē profession, approue, auow, & stafly maintaine grosse and greiuous heresies, deuised by the Deuil, to betray Gods glory, and mans saluation? That sticke not to call the Doctrinas of Pradestination, freewill, and the like, Scholasticall speculations meerely, questions of obscurity, not fit for pulpits, and popular eares; but procuring rather discord and troubles in Church and State, then serue to edification, &c. (Appeale pag. 42. 78. 80.) Which speeches, and the like, whether doe they tend, but to suppresse those Doctrines of the Gospell, whereby God is most glorified, and man most humbled? shall we spare such? When Policarpus met Marcion the hereticke casually, Euseb. lib. 4 cap. 14.and neglecting him, was asked of him, Dost thou not know vsus? He replyed, I know thee for the Diuels eldest childe. Such was the zeale of holy men in times past, against, not onelyonly those that were Hereticks, but hinderers of the truth. The Apostle wished, that those false teachers of legall righteousnesse, were euen cut off, which troubled the Church of Galatia. Therefore what cause any faithfull Minister of Christ hath to vse sharpnesse of stile to seditious seducers, and troublers of Church and State, in so famous a Kingdome, in so perilous a season too, let any indifferent man iudge.
And consider iudicious Reader, if we had not a King, seasoned from his very cradle with the knowledge of the true faith of Christ, hauing now growne vp therein to a goodly ripenesse, in regard whereof we hauehave small cause to suspect his constancy herein: i…to what danger were we, and Gods religion brought, when such kind of Ministers are not wanting to helpe forward the reerecting of the Romish Baal in our Land, had they but a young Manasses to restore the Altars and Groues, which the good King Ezechiah his Father had pulled downe?
But to conclude: sith these two fore named Worthies, worthy to be named againe, the Reuerend Bishop of Chichester, Dostor Carlton, and the Worshipfull Maister Francis Rovs, hauehave so learnedly and zealously confuted some materiall points in the Appeale (which like expert archers, making speciall choyse of for their marke, they hauehave hit home) although I could hauehave wished, that they had with no lesse felicity coped with the rest of the materialls in the booke: yet sith they hauehave ben pleased to leaue behind them some liberall gleanings, yea some whole ricks of tares to be cut vp, and carried away from Gods wheat field: I will craue leaue, to shew at least my good will in all, hoping my defects will finde pardon of all them, who though they can, yet forbeare to make their best supply. The blasphemer was to be stoned of the whole Congregation, some hitting one part, some another, till he were beaten downe, and buried vnderunder the heape.
Yet in this Impression, the Plea reacheth no farther, then the first part of the Appeale. Which if it finde courteous intertainment, the other part is forth comming, and wants but time, to helpe the slownesse of the Presse to bring it forth. Farewell.
Thine in the Lord, H. B.
Good Reader, correct these faults with thy pen, with others of smaller note. The rest are noted in the end of the booke. Amend first, then reade.
Page 7, line 19, reade scantling. l. 28, r. Doctrines. p. 51, l. 13. r. preuifion p. 52, l 6, r. …ss…s. p. 54. l. 21. r. 4. 5. l. 29, r. s…scos. p. 82. l. 3, 1. …ude 10. l. 9, 1. vn … &c. Whence. l. 13, 1. anima. l. 24, 1. pr…ceth. p. 83, l. 15, r. the beginn…ng p. 84. l. 35, 1. into him. p. 85, l. 24, r. quomodo. p. 87 l, 13, 1. …xecrated. p. 91, l. 30, 1 ground of hope. l. 35, r. his Maiesties.