Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, Chapter 21
Chap. XXI. That this New sort of Prelatists who were for a Coalition with the French or Roman Church, have been the great Agents of all the Dividing, Silencing, Persecuting Laws, which have brought and kept us these Twenty seven Years in our dangerous lacerated State.
§ 1. THat the Church of England before the days of Buckingham and Laud were quite of another Mind, I have before fully proved: And no reasonable Man can doubt of it, who hath read the Apology of the Church of England, and Jewel's Defence of it, and the Writings of Whitaker, Fulk, Humphrey, Field, Willet, Airy, Bernard, Crakenthorpe, Sutliffe, G. Abbot, Rob. Abbot, I. Reignolds, Morton, Vsher, Downame, John White, Birkbeck, Cook, Perkins, Bilson, Andrews, Hall, Davenant, and many such Bishops, Dignitaries, and other Conformists; besides, Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Hooker, Farrar, Bradford, Philpot, and the rest of the Martyrs. Besides the Nonconformists.
§ 2. And that the true Church of England even in Laud's time and since, have never consented to this Coalition, is evident. 1. In that Heylin confesseth that Laud prevailed but with four or five more Bishops to be so much as Arminians, viz. Neale, Howson, Corbet, Buckeridge, and Mountague: And he that readeth Buckeridge his Book for Kings, and Mountague's Works, will think that even they were against this Coalition.
2. And he confesseth that Laud durst not put his Cause to a Convocation, because so small a Number there were for him.
3. And to this day the Church or Parliament have not revoked the Homilies, Articles, Liturgy, Apology, or any of the Writings of the Bishops and Doctors aforesaid, who have written against Popery.
4. And excellent Writings have all along to this day been Published by the Church Doctors against all such Confederacies with Papists; such as Dr. Stillingfleet, (who though to please his Superiors he defended Laud, yet defended not all that he said or did) Dr. More, Dr. Tillotson, Dr. Tennison, Bishop Th. Barlow, Mr. Wake, yea, even Henry Fowlis, and many more; But above all, Dr. Isaac Barrow of the Supremacy, unanswerably, though S. Parker had Confidence enough to pretend a Confutation.
§ 3. The Endeavours for a Coalition that were publickly attempted in Scotland, Ireland and England, by Laud and his Agents, have been so voluminously written of, Accused and Condemned in Parliaments, and his own Death, and the long Wars and all the Fractures that have followed, were so much of the Consequents, that to say more of this is Vain. Dr. Pet. Heylin's Life of Laud doth acknowledge and justifie all. And Prin's History of Laud's Tryal largely openeth it.
§ 4. When the Parliaments and Scots Opposition, and the ensuing Civil War had broken this Design, and the Bloody Massacre in Ireland had rendred Popery more odious and dreadful than all Arguments could do (before our War here) the Parliament that had before the War, begun to Purge the Church Ministry, of Drunkards, Scandalous, and ignorant incompetent Men, proceeded too far on Civil Accounts, and ejected some for adhering to the King, and being against them in the War (though some of us disswaded them from all such severity.) Cromwell first rebelled against the Parliament, and usurped the Government, and shortly died, and his distracted incoherent Army striving against the Democratical Relicts of the Parliament, dissolved their usurped Government, which Dissolution brought in King Charles II. (by Monk and the Presbyterians, as the Dissolution of the Parliament had brought in Cromwell. And with the King return many of the ejected exasperated Clergy, full of the Desires of Revenge, and of preventing all Danger to their Dignities and Promotions for the time to come; But at first they were diffident of their present Strength, and thought they must execute their Revenge and Mutation by degrees: The Lords, Knights and Gentlemen that had suffered for Fighting against the Parliament for the King, Published many Protestations to draw in the Presbyterians to restore the King, that they would be for Love and Concord, and seek no revenge: Dr. Morley was sent before the King to Cajole the Ministers to believe that the King was a Protestant, and inclined to Moderation; And thereupon a moderate Party of Episcopal Men, met with some called Presbyterians, and declared their desires of Concord on sober terms, (viz. Dr. Bernard, Dr. Gulston, Dr. Allen, and others such). But Dr. Morley used them to his Ends, and shifted off all discovery of his Designs, still quieting them by general pretences of Moderation, and Treaties. He had the Chief Power over Chancellor Hyde, who ruled the Land; And Sheldon was next him, and Hinchman the third: But under them truckled many of the same Mind.
The King published a Declaration of Liberty for tender Consciences (at Breda), (expounded since by 27 Years barbarous Persecution, laying all on the Protestant Prelatists that would not make a Law for it.)
I was past doubt in 1660. that the King was as he Died, or had engaged himself to promote it here, first by giving them Liberty of their Religion, and afterwards the Power of the Land, in Magistracy, Militia, and the Church. Knowing Men said that Morley, Sheldon, Guning, and the other Chief Agitators, knew this, and thought they had no other way to oblige him to keep up the English Prelacy, but to engage, that they would be firmer to his Absolute Power, and sole Legislation, and for Passive Obedience, and for the Extirpation of Puritans and Parliament Power, than the Jesuites were; and therefore that he should be more for them than for the Jesuites. And withal that they would begin where Laud was interrupted, and would attempt a Coalition; or if that failed, would yield to Liberty for the Popish Religion, (which joined with their power would soon prevail.)
§ 5. At that time Mr. Calamy and I motioned a Treaty with the Prelatists for Union and Concord, with which the Earl of Manchester and the Lord Orery acquainted the King: which he presently accepted as an Opportunity to quiet Men till his Absoluteness was settled. He promised us that the Church Bishops should meet us in the mid-way, if we would come as far as we could without Sin.
The Drs. that were for the nearer approach to Rome, and the defenders of Grotius his design, were the chief Agents Commissioned by the King to Treat with us, viz. Dr. Sheldon, Dr. Guning, Dr. Peter Cousins, Dr. Sparrow, Dr. Heylin, Mr. Thorndike, Dr. Tho. Pierce, Dr. Hinchman, Dr. Lany, Dr. Stern, and such other; but by their Power with the Lord Chancellor Hyde, Dr. Morley, Dr. Sheldon, and Dr. Guning over-ruled all the Work. When we told them how great a number of the most Godly and Loyal people of the Land would be undone for nothing by the Impositions which they seemed to resolve for, and how unavoidable a Division it would cause throughout the Nation, and what Encouragement Prophaneness and Popery would thence take, and what mischievous Effects among the Clergy and People would unavoidably follow, and how easily all this might be by them prevented, and the Love and Honour of their Persons and Order hereby won, Dr. Guning and others told us plainly that they had a greater party than we are to consider, that must not be alienated to please us: And when Dr. Bates said that abundance more of the Popish Ceremonies might be introduced by the same Reasons as were pleaded for those imposed, Dr. Guning answered, They must have more and not fewer. And Dr. Morley told me, That he had good reason to believe that most of the Roman Church on this side the Alpes (that is, France) would have joined with us, were it not for the stumbling Blocks that Calvin had laid in the way. They charged us with Sedition for telling them how many would dissent and suffer, and what a weakening such a Division, and the Penalties that must enforce it, would be to the Protestant Interest and to the Land: And they all agreed (save Dr. Gauden) that they would not abate one Ceremony to prevent all this: Yea lest they should not cast out enough of the Ministers, they put in more and harder Impositions, and made the Terms of Concord and Ministry such as they knew would turn out more; Sheldon and others of them saying, They were afraid too many would Conform, and if this much would not turn them out, there should be more; for Enemies in the Church were more dangerous than without.
§ 6. It is likely that the Drs. and Bishops that had been with him beyond Sea, knew the King's Religion and Designs, and to keep up their worldly Greatness, Dominion and Wealth, resolved to please him that he might please them: What Religion King Charles the Second was of at his Death, his Brother hath told us: And what he was before his Return, I marvel not that Huddleston tells us so obscurely. But I had rather believe his own words and deeds, than the reports or conjectures of others.
It was the Opinion of the wisest Papists that Liberty for all Religions, with the Power of Disposing of all Offices of Government and Preferments, would be enough to bring in Popery, and that there was no other way: And that till the King could safely declare himself for Popery, his way was to do all as a Protestant that might advantage them: Especially to divide and break the Protestants, and root out those of them, who were most unreconcileable to Rome, and to engage the other to persecute and destroy them, that it might not be doneas by the Papists, but they might seem their Fellow-Dissenters, and might come whenever the Necessity of others should open the Door.
The King had the Choice of the Bishops, and Deans and other Church Preferments, and of the Masters of Colleges, and of the Judges, and other Civil Powers and Honours: Accordingly he made those Bishops, Deans, Masters of Colleges, &c. who were known to be the most obedient to his Will, and the greatest Enemies to those called Puritans, and those that Philanax the Papist called Protestants of Sincerity. And by the help of the Lord Chancellor, Morley, Sheldon, and the rest, got the mastery of all the Dependent Clergy, when it was seen that all their preferments came much by their Wills. And that those called Puritans, and Presbyterians might end with that Generation they laboured to place all the Students in the Universities, under such as would possess them with the greatest contempt and hatred of those men, and to perswade them that all that Conformed not to all their Oaths, Covenants and Impositions, were but a pack of Fanaticks, Schismaticks and Rebels. And by their great Industry the Universities, Dignities and Clergy in most Power, were much thus constituted. And the Nonconformists being men who were noted for more seriousness in Religion than the common sort of men, and accordingly for a more serious way of Praying, Preaching, Discoursing and Living than the Multitude of Hypocrites, that are Religious but as far as pleaseth their Bellies, their Purses, and their Masters, it unhappily fell out that the doors of Preferment being open to those that had no Scruple of Conscience against any of the imposed Covenants or Practices, the main Body of those that had truly no Religion, became an engaged Party against the Nonconformists, and took the powerful Bishops for their Captains, and so Prelacy and Hypocrisie, and Prophaneness united their Interests, and became the strength of one another: And this is become the fatal Odium of Prelacy among the most Religious of the Land, and I fear will either finally root it out, or a Worldly Prelacy confederating first with the Prophane, and after with the Papists, will root out from the Publick Churches true serious Religion.
§ 7. From first to last King Charles shewed his own Judgment, I. In his Declaration for Toleration at Breda: II. When he granted us his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs; which was to try whether we would consent to a commoner Toleration: In the Conclusion of the Day, the distaste fell on me. The Lord Chancellor drew out another Paper, desiring a Liberty of Religion for all others that lived peaceably: And said, He knew not what to think of it himself, but desired the Company to speak their Minds: Neither Lords or Bishops, or any of their Drs. said a word to it: After twice or thrice asking, no one answered: Dr. Wallis standing next me, said, [I pray thee say nothing, It is an odious Business] I forbore, till I perceived that they would take our Silence for Consent, and then I said [May it Please Your Majesty, This reverend Dr. (Guning) just now accused us, as if we would let in Socinians and Papists: We suppose that this is not intended, as our deed.] The King answered, [There be many Laws against the Papists] I replyed, [We understand this to be for a dispensation with those Laws.] There was no more said, and that was the Conclusion of the day.
III. In 1662. came out a Declaration for Liberty of Religion, naming the Papists to have their part in it, but not a Toleration. I was desired to get the City Ministers to Subscribe a Thanksgiving for it: I told them, that it was the King's Work, and not to be done by us; But I knew it was the Bishops design to cast the Odium of a Toleration of Popery on the Nonconformists, while they would gratifie the King, by forcing us to Consent; But they should never do it: They should do it themselves, or it should not be done. And it presently died.
IV. The Lord Bridgman called Dr. Wilkins, and his Chaplain Dr. Hez. Burton, and Dr. Manton and me, and Dr. Bates (after) as by the King's Order, to attempt an Agreement, for a Comprehension to the Presbyterians, and a Toleration for the Independents. We agreed of the Comprehension in terminis, and Judge Hale drew it up into the form of an Act: But when we came to the other part, the form proposed was for a Toleration of all, not excepting the Papists. I told the Lord Keeper, that we could not meddle in measuring out all other mens Liberty, but only to declare what we desired our selves: Others must be consulted about their own concerns, we were not for severity against any: But it was the King's Work, and we unmeet to be his Counsellors in it. And so all was cast off by the Parliament by that means, and the Act forbidden to be offered.
§ 8. At last the King himself broke the Ice, and Published a Declaration for Licensing a Toleration: The Cruelty of the Prosecution of the Nonconformists, being still the seeming Necessity for all: But the Parliament broke it, and it did the Papists much more harm than good; for the Nonconformists continued to Preach though Persecuted.
§ 9. The Clergy now would lay all the Severities on the Parliament, and wash their own hands as guiltless of all. But 1. It was they, even their chief Bishops and Drs. that when the King Commissioned them [to Agree on such Alterations as were necessary to tender Consciences] after all importunity, concluded that no Alteration was so necessary.]
2. And it was the Bishops and Convocation that altered the Book for the worse, and put in new matter harder than before.
3. And the Bishops in Parliament were the Chief Agents in all the Laws by which we are undone.
4. And it is known that it was the Interest of the Bishops and their Church way that engaged the Long Parliament in all their terrible Acts against us; Viz. The Act of Uniformity, the Acts for Banishment, the Five mile Act, the Corporation Act, the Militia Act, the Vestry Act, and others.
5. And who knoweth not that it is they and their Disciples that make the great stir, against our Healing in jealousie of their Interests, which nothing but their own over-doing is like to overthrow.
6. And when did they ever once Petition any Parliament to reverse the dividing wicked Laws? or to restore the Silenced Ministers? or to free them from dying with Rogues in Jails, or to prefer the Ministers of Jesus, before Barabbas? or to request that the Eminent Ministers of Christ might have no greater Punishment for Preaching Christ, than debaucht Whoremongers, Drunkards, Swearers and Blasphemers usually have in England.
7. Yea, if a Godly Conformist do but write against their Cruelty to the Nonconformists (such as are Mr. Pierce, Mr. Jones, Mr. Bold,) they have for it Persecuted him as if he were a Nonconformist himself. And that you may know that it is not the old Church-men, nor yet a few single Persons, when Dr. Whitby Prebend of Salisbury who had wrote against Popery, did write an excellent Treatise for Peace and Reconciliation, the Oxford University Decreed the Publick burning of it (together with my Holy Common-wealth: The Lord Convert and Pardon them, that they prove not the burned fewel, when Reconciliation and a Holy Common-wealth are prosperous.] &c. God shall judge at last.
§ 10. All this time (from Laud till now), it is a hard Controversie which of the two Parties is to be called, The Church of England? Both Parties pretend to it, and some call both of them, the same Church. But the Infamous Roger L'Estrange set the Name of Trimmers on the old and reconciling Party, pretending that the other were, the Genuine Members of the Church; And was imployed by his Genius, and the Court, and the Papists, and the New Clergy-men, to do a work so truly Diabolical, as I never read of the like in History; even for many Years together to Write and Publish twice a Week a Dialogue called Observations, mainly levelled against Love, Peace and Piety, to perswade all men to hate their Brethren, and to provoke men to destroy them whom he Nick-named Whigs, and to render odious all save the Wolves (whom he called Tories, as if he owned the Irish Robbers); so that a Trimmer with him was the same as a Peace-maker, Blessed by Christ, and Cursed by L'Estrange.
§ 11. But whether the New Clergy or the Old be the Church of England, and whether both be of one Church, remaineth still doubtful: But whoever hath the Name, that one Name is equivocal when applied to Parties contrary and inconsistent. 1. That Church which owneth a Foreign Government and Jurisdiction, cannot be one and the same with that Church which renounceth and abhorreth it, and owneth only Christ's Universal Government, and a Foreign Concord and Communion. But this is the difference between the Old Reformed Church of England, and the New that call themselves the Church. Two Kings make two Kingdoms: For the Form denominateth: And the Relative Vnion of the pars Imperans, and Subdita, is the Form.
That Church which hath a Human Head above National, must have a Form and Name above National: that is, Above a Church of England: which makes them all talk so much of [The Universal Church] in this false humane Form. An Universal Church hath an Universal Soveraign Power; which is only Christ. If the Pope be Antichrist, it is his claim of this that maketh him so, because it is Christ's Prerogative, which no mortal Man or Council or College is capable of. And if so, is it not a Papal or Antichristian Church that these Foreign Subjects own and are of? whether it be of the French or Italian Form, if one be Antichristian, both are so, when the Claim of Universal Jurisdiction is the Cause.
I have voluminously detected the mistake of these deceived Men, who are deluded by the Name Oecumenical, Catholick and Universal, which they find in the Councils and Fathers; and fully proved to them, that it signified no Councils above the Imperial or National; But distinguished those that were Universal in that one Empire, from the Provincial.
2. The Reformed Church of England taketh the Parish Communicants to be true Churches, and the Pastors to have as much of the Oversight as is necessary to the Constitution of a true Political Church. (Though their Canons sinfully fetter them in the Exercise.) But the Foreigners hold the Diocesses to be the least or lowest Churches, and the Parishes to be no true Churches for want of Bishops in them, but only Parts of a Church, that hath a Bishop over them all.
3. The Old Church of England owned the Foreign Protestant Churches as true Churches, and their Ministers as true Pastors, and own Communion with them. But the Innovators say, that they have no true Bishops, because they have not Diocesans, and are no true Pastors if they have not an uninterrupted Succession of Diocesane Ordination from the Apostles; whereas for some Hundred Years after the Apostles, there was no such Bishops known in the World, as were not either Congregational (Parochial) Bishops, or Apostolick Overseers of such: and no Diocesans over many Hundred or Score Parish Churches, that had no Bishops under them.
§ 12. When you consider what Power the New Foreigners had at Court, and with the Parliament that made the Act of Uniformity, and required Re-ordination, and that made all the other persecuting Acts; and with the Justices that executed them: And when we see how they promoted the Roman Interest; and when we see how potently and obstinately they frustrated all attempts of the Protestant Union here, and read how they reviled the old Reforming Bishops (from Parker to Abbots) and the Parliaments as going too far from Rome; And when we consider that we have not one Bishop but who was chosen by K. Charles II. and K. James, and what Men they may be supposed to choose; we Contradict not these Men when they call themselves [the Church of England] But when we consider that the old Homilies, Apology, Articles, Liturgy, Canons, &c. were never yet repealed, and that they are all Sworn to Endeavour no Alteration of Government of Church or State, we have cause to think that the old Party have more right to be called The Church, the altering Endeavours having not changed its Essentials.
By this much the Reader may Expound whom I speak of in my Treatise of Episcopacy.
§ 13. The Church is nothing, but the Men that constitute the Church: If 1. It be denominated by their Numbers, no man can tell which Party hath the greater Number till they are further put upon the tryal. 2. If they are denominated by Laws, the better part are rather to be called the Church, because the Old Laws against Popery are not yet Repealed; Though yet some late Laws are to the Old, as poyson to a living Man: So if they be Denominated by Power, the Innovators have been the Church at least these 31 Years. For that Party Ruled, and had the Countenance of the Kings, who chose them. And indeed in the Days of the differing Emperors (Constantine, Constantinus, Valens, Theodosius, Arcadius, Marcian, Leo, Zeno, and the rest) that usually went for the Church or Orthodox party, which the Emperor owned: The uppermost will have the Name.
§ 14. Though the French and English (aforesaid) designed a Coalition, the long possession of their different ways, unavoidably hindered them from an immediate Union; But they were forced to approach by leisurely Degrees: England would not suddenly turn the Liturgy to a Mass-Book, nor France suddenly turn the Mass-Book Corrected into French: But what fair Approaches were made, and what further intended, Grotius his Counsel Magnified by both Churches, and the present practices of the French declare.
The Council of Grotius was to bring down the Pope to Moderation, that he might Rule but by the Canons, and not be above Councils, nor deprive Kings nor Bishops of their Rights, and that the Lives of the Clergy be Reformed, and School Niceties left indifferent, and the Lutheranes as Reconcileable Courted to a Concord, and the unreconcileable Calvinists brought down by force: But the Lutheranes are not so Reconcileable as they imagined; Princes that are once free, are loth to become Subjects to a Foreign Priesthood.
§ 15. And how much the French meant to bring down the Pope, their late Transactions shew a little, but their Doctrines much more: Mr. Jurieu himself in his Posteral Letters (Engl. p. 216.217.) thus Describeth them.
1. That the Church of Rome is no more than a Particular Church, as other Churches are. 2. That St. Peter had nothing but a Primacy of Order, and Presidence above the Apostles. 3. That St. Peter could give (to his Successor) over other Bishops, no more but that Primacy which he had over the Apostles. 4. That the Bishop of Rome Originally, and by Divine Right, had no Power over the Universal Church. 5. That he did not receive Appeals in the first Age of the Church. 6. That he had no Right to Assemble General Councils. 7. That he could take Cognizance of the Affairs of no other Provinces but his own; no not by Appeals. 8. That he had no Right to take Knowledge of Matters of Faith, to make Decisions therein; which should oblige the whole Church. 9. That before the Council of Nice, and after, he had no inspection over other Churches, but those which were in the Neighbourhood of Rome. 10. That he could not Excommunicate other Bishops, otherwise than the other Bishops could Excommunicate him. 11. That a Man might separate himself from the Bishop of Rome, without being a Schismatick, and out of the Church. 12. That the Pope had no Right over other Bishops. 13. That the Council of Sardica is the Fountain of that Right of receiving Appeals which the Pope claimeth. 14. That the Rights which the Pope hath at this Day, excepting his Primacy, are by Human Laws, and because he hath assumed them to himself, and because they have bin conceded to him. 15. To which they add, he is not Infallible, nor Superior to Councils, nor Master to the Temporalities of Kings.] This is the French Religion, and who would think that this is Popery: No wonder if the Pope be more hearty for other Friends, than for France.
§ 15. Lay all this together, and it's Notorious that (though Whetgift and some other Calvinists were too much guilty of the Persecutions, to keep up the Dominion and Preferments which they were jealous of) yet it was the French Reconcilers that have set, and to this Day kept on foot our present increased Divisions and Dangers: Since Le Strange new-named them, the old Church Protestants are called Trimmers, and are Men that love not Division or Persecution, and would fain see a Coalition of Protestants; though they have not zeal enough (save too few) to put it on openly, lest they provoke the opposites. But the Laudians called Tories, are still as much against the Removal of the Dividing, Persecuting, Snares, and against the Coalition of English Protestants, on any possible healing Terms, as ever, and as fiercely seek the Continuance of our Slavery and Silence.