Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, Part 2 · Chapter 2
Chap. II. Why Parliaments and Archbishop Abbot and the Church of England Antecedent to A. Bishop Laud, were against the Design of Coalition with Rome.
§ 1. IT was not because they were Enemies to Christian Concord, or did not desire it on lawful possible terms with Papists and all others; Nor was it because they were maliciously bent to be cruel to the Papists, by denying them the common Love which is due to Mankind, or any Benefits or Peace which was consistent with the Nations Peace and Safety. But it was on such Reasons as these following.
§ 2. I. They took the design to be a real restoring of Popery under the Name of Reconciliation and Peace; And they had an excuseable Opinion that if Popery were set up, it was not laying by the Name, and calling it Reformation, or the Church of England, that would deliver us from the Sin or Suffering. They were not of the new Opinion, that none are Papists but those that would have the Pope Absolute above General Councils, and Govern Arbitrarily against the Canons: They took the foundation of Popery to be the Heresie that the whole Church on Earth must have one Soveraign or Supream Government, with Universal Legislative and Judicial and Executive Power under Christ, in which it must be Vnited or made One Church. This they took to be Antichristian, the intolerable Treasonable Usurpation of an Impossible thing, tending to the Confusion of Mankind. But whether this Traiterous Soveraignty should be Monarchical or Aristocratical, in Pope or Councils feigned to be General, or in both Conjunct, and when Conjunct whether the Pope should be above the Council, or the Council above the Pope, or each have a Negative Voice, or he have but the Calling and Presiding Power; They took these to be but several sorts of Popery, or differences among the Papists themselves. And they took it for a ridiculous absurdity that a Council of men dead an Hundred or a Thousand Years ago (and that only of men of one Empire called by their own Prince) should be taken for the Vnifying Constitutive Soveraign Power of the Universal Church which now existeth, and that the Body can live many Hundred Years after the Head is dead, and yet be a Church of the same Species.
And for them that say the Bishops of all the Earth have a Jus Conveniendi and are a Virtual Council, It is but to say (could they prove it) that they are a Virtual Head, and not an Actual, and so that we have no Actual Universal Church, but a Virtual.
And as for the new Dream that they are Actually the Supreme Unifying Power, and Actually Govern the whole Christian World per literas format as, it's a sad case with Christians when such deliration needs a confutation, and sadder if such a Land or Clergy as ours must remedilesly Perish by believing or following such a Dream. Shall all the Bishops of Asia, Africa, Europe and America, out of the Dominions of the Turks, Persians, Tartarians, Indians, Papists, Protestants, Abassines, &c. meet in despite of their involuntary forbidding Princes? How, and by whose Call, and where and when? in how long time; and who shall bear their Charges from next to the Antipodes, or from Abassia, Mexico, &c. Must they be old Men fit for Council, or Boys fit for Travel, when the age of a Man will scarce serve for their coming together, their business, and their return, and execution? And what's all this to do? Is it to make new Universal Laws? Hath not Christ in Nature and Scripture given us enow for the Practice of Christianity, without all this ado of Congregating duplicate page duplicate page Bishops for Legislation all over the World? Oh that these Law-makers would keep Christ's Laws? And if it be for mutable Circumstances, is not every Church or Countrey sufficient for such variable Determinations? Must men come from the Antipodes, Ethiopia or Turky, to tell me here what Cloaths I must wear, or what place or time I shall Preach in, or what Tune to Sing in, &c.
But if they must not meet, what Messengers must be sent to them all over the World to gather their Votes? How shall we be sure that they truly state all the Cases to them? And that they truly bring us back their Judgments? And that those Judgments were truly past without hearing what could be said against them? And is every single Bishop infallible; or the Majority only? and how shall it be known what the Majority said? And whither shall all their collected Votes be carried, and to whom? Is it to every Christian, or to every Bishop? And how many Ages will this require?
And if it be not for Legislation but Judgment, if the Question be whether A. B. be a Heretick, or C. D. be a Fornicator, &c. who shall bear the Messengers Charges that must go through the World to all the Bishops to decide it? And shall the Cause be tryed without witnesses, or hearing the defence of the accused? And must the accused and witnesses go through all the World? Reader, is it not a shame to confute such Dreams? Had not I tryed in with the Leading Men I should have taken him for a Slanderer that had said that any English Dr. and Bishop should maintain that the Collegium Pastorum through the World, is that summa Potestas under Christ, which hath the Chief Government of the Vniversal Church in Vnity, per literas formatas, and that our Concord lyeth only in obeying this Power, and it's Schism not to unite in such Obedience.
§ 3. II. Moreover the former Church of England and Parliaments thought that the Oath of Supremacy which excluded a Foreign Jurisdiction, did mean as well the Foreign Jurisdiction of the Pope as President of a Council, and that Council with him, and of the Pope as Patriarch and Principium Vnitatis, and of the Bishops of Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Mexico, Turky, &c. as of a Pope above Councils. And they were not willing again to Subject the King and Kingdom to Foreign Priests, nor to be cheated into Slavery by the bare Name of [the Catholick Church] and the [Ecclesiastical Government.]
§ 4. III. And they indeed took the Pope to be the Antichrist, (specially for his Usurping an Universal Kingdom or Governing Power proper to Christ) And therefore were angry with Archbishop Laud and his Chaplains, for leaving out all such words from the Liturgy to avoid the Pope's displeasure; of which Dr. Heylin (ubi sup.) giveth you an account. See but Bishop Downame's large Latine Book to prove the Pope Antichrist, who yet hath written the strongliest for Diocesan Bishops of any man (in my Judgment) that ever I read.
§ 5. IV. And they thought that the Doctrinal differences were very many and very great (and in divers Points I believe they thought them greater than they are) see the huge Catalogue gathered by Bishop Downame in the End of the foresaid Book; Morton, White, Whitaker, Abbot, Field, Sutliffe, Chaloner, Bernard, Crakenthorpe, and abundance more chief Drs. of the old Church of England have opened them at large. But how small the new Drs. made them to be Dr. Heylin fully tells you. And Archbishop Bromhall saith (ubi sup. p. 72, 73. when all these empty Names and Titles of Controversies are wiped out of the Roll, the true Controversies between us, may be quickly Mustered, &c. (See the rest).
§ 6. V. But none doubted but the Differences about Worship were unreconcileable till one Party much changed their Forms of Worship: Their great Mass of superstitious Inventions (if not Idolatry, as the Church of England thought, (and Dr. Stillingfleet even of late hath charged on them) Protestants could never be reconciled to. But of A Bishop Laud's reconciling attempts in Worship, See Heylin Vbi supra in his Life. And Archbishop Bromhall saith, P. 141. Speaking against Chillingworth's true way of Concord, [That Form which the Protestants would allow, the Romanists cry out on as defective in Necessary Duties, and particularly wanting five of their Sacraments. Nay certainly to call the whole frame of the Liturgy *The Mass Book.into Dispute, offers too large a Field for Contention; and is nothing so likely a way for Peace, as either for us to accept of their Form *The Mass Book., abating some such Parts of it as are Confessed to have been added since the Primitive times, and are acknowledged not to be simply necessary but such as charitable Christians ought to give up and Sacrifice to an Vniversal Peace, and would do it readily enough, if it were not for mutual Animosities of both Parties, and particular Interests of some Persons.]
§ 7. VI. And they thought it as unlawful to obey the Pope as Patriarch of the West, or as President with his Council, if he imposed on us the Mass, or the Worship of Angels, Dead Men, or Images, or any new Sacraments or unlawful things, as if he did it as above General Councils.
§ 8. VII. And they made no doubt but if the Pope and his Foreign Councils (and all his attendant Trumpery) were once received as Principium Vnitatis Vniversalis and the President of Councils, he would soon come in, in the same Capacity that other Popish Countries do receive him.
§ 9. VIII. For they knew that it is that same Man that is more absolute in Popish Kingdoms, who would submit to some restraint in this: And that by Possession, Agents, and that foreign help, he would easilier reduce this to the Case of others, than the Case of any others to this.
§ 10. IX. They had not lost the Remembrance of the Spanish Invasion, the Gunpowder Plot, and the many Treasons of late by such committed; and it made them fear both the Power and the Company of such a sort of men.
§ 11. X. They remembred the heavy Taxes, Oppressions and the Rebellions and Wars that had been in the times of Popery in England. And they had felt the ease and sweetness of Deliverance, and were loth to return to that Captivity again.
12▪ XI. They had not forgotten Queen Maries Days; Fox's Book of Martyrs was in the hands of many: Nor had they forgot the French Massacre, or the greater Murders formerly committed by Wolves in Sheep-skins, who were known by their bloody Fangs and Jaws.
§ 13. XII. They saw that the same Clergymen who were for this Union with Rome, were the chief Defenders of the King's absolute Power of raising Money without Parliaments (as the known History of Abbot's Dejection, and Laud's Sibthorp's, and Mainwaring's Cases shew.) And this made them the lother to draw nearer Popery.
§ 14. XIII. They found the Power of the Clergy in the High Commission, and their Courts and Councils so uneasie to them, that they greatly feared so great an increase of it as the Coalition with Rome would cause.
§ 15. XIV. They found that the Papists and reconciling Prelates were the greatest Enemies to them whom they accounted the most Godly serious Christians, Ministers and Lay-men, not only Nonconformists, but such as they devised to call conformable Puritans. And they were not for Uniting their strength against serious practical Piety.
§ 16. XV. They found that the prophane Drunkards and ignorant Rabble greatly rejoyced in the Bishops prosecuting such Puritans; And were loth to see them much more so animated, by the Coalition with Rome.
§ 17. XVI. They found so great a number of the Clergy that were for the Coalition and Enemies to the Puritans, to gape so greedily after Preferment, and live such indifferent lives, and Preach so unprofitably, and do so little to cure the ignorance of the People, as made them fear, much worse, if we came nearer the Roman Clergy, who are so much for blind obedience, and cherishing ignorance that they may Rule.
§ 18. XVII. They did not perceive that the Case of any Popish Country, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Bavaria, Poland, no, nor France, was so much better than ours as might tempt us to be liker to them than we are. Yea, that the best of them both in Civil and Religious Respects are so much worse, as may well deter us from such desires.
§ 19. XVIII. And it's not to be doubted but they made some Conscience of their Obligations to the King, and were loth he should be tempted to give away half the Government of his Kingdom, yea, of himself to Foreigners, under the Name of Ecclesiastical Government, (by such Courts as theirs.)
§ 20. XIX. And no doubt they remembred what Doctrine against Kings and States are subject to the Church and Pope, their Councils and Drs. do assert, and what they have done to their disturbance and destruction. And therefore were loth to give any more strength and advantage to men of such Principles and Pretensions. If the Pope will give a Protestant King fair quarter, and promise him freedom from his Tyranny, while the same man (according to his Canons) layeth claim to more, and exerciseth Tyranny in other Lands, he may soon break his Promise here.
§ 21. XX. And no doubt but they saw how loth other Princes and States were to return nearer Rome, that had once escaped, and to subject themselves to such a Usurper: And they thought it unwise and unsafe for England to stand alone in a singular odd condition, neither Papists, nor such Reformers as any of the rest, and so to be strengthened by a Concord and hearty Friendship with neither.
§ 22. XXI. And it is not to be doubted but the Lords and Gentlemen of England, were unwilling to give up all their Abby Lands, as long as they thought a sufficient Ministry competently provided for: And unwilling to take the Pope or Clergies promises for security for the continuance of their Possessions, yea and to save them from being burnt as Hereticks.
§ 23. XXII. And no doubt but common reason told them how great a part of England (not the unwisest nor the worst) would refuse consent to the Coalition with Rome, and the nearer approaches when imposed, and therefore what a doleful encrease it would make of our Divisions: If we are so sadly divided already by a few Oaths and Promises, and New Covenants and Formalities, and Church Judicatures, how many hundred thousand more would dissent, if all were imposed which the new Church-men judge necessary to the Union with Rome?
§ 24. And these would unavoidably draw on a grievous Persecution: For when all this stir, loss, cost and hazard had been made to bring on such a general Concord, Dissenters would not have been endured by the Clergy, when yet they would be multiplied.
§ 25. And how much such a Division and Persecution would weaken the Kingdom, they that did not believe Christ (that a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand) might easily know by reason and the Worlds experience.
§ 26. On such accounts as these the two sorts of Episcopal Conformists differed, and the old Tribe called then the Church of England, resisted the endeavours made by Bishop Laud and such as A. Bishop Bromhall, and the rest that were for a Coalition with Rome. Till the latter got into the chiefest Chairs, and then they called, their side The Church: And thus Church and Church here began our strife. And the difference twisted with the Civil differences between King and Parliament, widened and utterly exasperated by War (the A. Bishop of Canterbury beheaded, and the A. Bishop of York being in Arms for the Parliament) each Party claimeth the name of the Church of England: And the Party that is uppermost doth it with advantage; while sober men know that denominating à Formâ as existent in Materiâ capaci seu dispositâ, the Church of England is nothing but a Protestant Soveraign, and a Protestant Kingdom of Subjects guided by Protestant Ministers of the Word, Sacraments, and Keys.
So that in the Reign of King James, and of any Papist King, there was, and can be no Protestant Kingdom or National Church, deficiente formâ denominante, in the Judgment of those Royalists that think Parliaments have no part in the Legislation and Soveraignty: And according to them that think otherwise, it is but a National Church secundum quid, in respect to the Power of Parliaments and Laws.
But Particular Churches, Parochial, and Confederate, and Diocesan may yet continue their Constitutive causes continuing: But not an informed National Church.