Animadversions on Doctor Heylins Quinquarticular History, Part 62 – Part 63
Dr. H. Ibid.
Fourthly, in reference to the Points disputed, they ascribed much to the Authority of Melancthon, (not undeservedly called the Phoenix of Germany,) whose assistance they earnestly desired, whose coming over they expected, who was as graciously invited hither by King Edward, his coming laid aside on the fall of the Duke of Somerset; therefore since they could not have his company, they made use of his Writings for their direction.
Answ. Of this passage I am not able to give such an account as I desire. Well I remember I have read, that Melancthon in an Epistle to Camerarius, mentions his being invited into England by King Henry the Eighth, about the year 1534, and the cause of his refusal to accept the invitation, some intelligence he had received, that the King had no great care of the affairs of the Church. That he was ever invited by King Edward, I can neither affirm nor deny, having not Melancthon's Epistles at hand. But when was it that this great Scholar's assistance was so earnestly desired? The fall of the Duke of Somerset is placed by Mr. Fox at the 22. of Ian. 1552, the sixth year of the King's Raign, but a few moneths before the King's own death. He had indeed two years before lost his Protectorship, and so as to that may be said to be fallen. Before either his fall as Duke of Somerset or as Protector, Peter Martyr and Martin Bucer, had been in England. Now both these Worthies I shall prove to be Calvinistical in the Points under debate. And certainly the sending for two Calvinists, is a better and stronger Argument, that our first Reformers had a respect to Calvin in drawing up the Articles of Faith, than the sending for one Melancthon is, that they had an Anticalvinistical project: especially if it be considered that Hierom Zanchy, a Calvinist if not more than a Calvinist, was also sent for over into England, and had come over to assist in carrying on the Reformation, if when he was just upon his journey, a call to another Church had not diverted him. Let me also ask, What Writings of Melancthon be they that our Reformers had for their Directory? The first Edition of Melancthon's Common places, approved by Luther, was written as Calvinistically as to the matter of Predestination, as Calvin himself could desire. Calvin's own Book against Pighius was approved by Melancthon, and indeed dedicated to him. If in any other writings he seems to contradict Calvin (he doth but seem) in these matters, it is to be imputed not to any contrariety in his own judgement, but to a contrariety in those mens tempers that he had to deal with: and there is even betwixt St. Iames and St. Paul, writing against contrary errors, such a seeming contrariety, as every man is not able to reconcile. Something there is in what Lampadius writes, in the continuation of P…zelius his History, page 409, Philippus rigidissime olim, si quisquam alius, de praedestinatione scripsit in Loc. communibus, Anno 1523. Postea cum videret infirmos duris Lutheri phrasibus offendi, & perduelles eas passim cippo affixas ad inflammandum Evangelium traducere & calumniari, mitigavit sententiam suam: ut qui satis esse putaret, auditores deduci ad Christum, vitae librum; & tanto magis fructus fidei deposceret, & urgeret, viz. concordiam & charitatem; neque tamen ob hanc sobrietatem ab Orthodoxis unquam est repudiatus aut condemnatus; neque ipse propterea a severioribus syntheticis alienior fuit, sed ad Bezam se per omnia cum Genevensibus Orthodoxis …acere scribit. No Church can be more Melancthonian than the Church of Breme: it answering by Pezelius to the Bes…huldigung van Calvinischer the accusation of Calvinism, hath these words (translated:) We and our Predecessors have alway so declared our selves, and by this do again declare our selves, that as by the Magistrate of this City we are called to the Function Ecclesiastical, to teach according to the Prophetical and Apostolical Writings, the Catholick Symbols of Christian, the Augustan Confession, the Apology, the Franckford Recess, and the whole Body of the Doctrine of Philip Melancthon; so we have by the grace of God hitherto taught congruously thereunto, and by none have been convinced by solid reasons to teach any thing different therefrom: in which kind of teaching, by the help of God, we have moreover decreed to persevere. Yet the three Divines of this Church did not refuse to subscribe the Canons of the Synod of Dort; so that in the opinion of these men, who seem to have studied the five. Points as much as any, Melancthonism and Calvinism are not irreconcileable: And if our first Reformers were regulated by M…lancthon, they and the Calvinists may shake hands as good Friends. But how comes the Dr. in this History to speak more favourably of Luther than of Calvin? It was but Iu…e 6th 1654, that he did write a Preface to his Fides Veterum, In that, thus he expresseth himself, Though I had a good respect both to the memory of Luther, and the name of Calvin, as those whose Writings had awakened all these parts of Europe out of the ignorance and superstition under which they suffered; yet I alwaies took them to be men: Men as obnoxious unto error, as subject unto humane frailty, and as indulgent too to their own opinions, as any others whatsoever. The little knowledge I had gained in the course of story had preacquainted me, with the fiery spirit of the one, and the busie humour of the other: thought thereupon unfit by Arch-Bishop Cranmer, and others, the chief agents in the Reformation of this Church, to be employed as instruments in that weighty business. Nor was I ignorant how much they differed from us in their Doctrinals, and forms of Government. And I was apt enough to think, that they were no fit Guides, to direct my judgement in order to the Discipline, and Doctrine of the Church of E…gland, to the establishment whereof they were held unuseful; and who by their practises and posi…ions had declared themselves Friends to neither. Here's plain downright dealing indeed, sentence given impartially. Luther and Calvin both, … by th…ir practises and positions declared themselves to be Friends neither to our Doctrine nor Discipline: both much differed from us in their Doctrinals and Forms of Government: both were thought un…it by Arch-Bishop Cranmer, &c. to be employed as instruments in the Reformation of this Church. Luther was of a fiery spirit, Calvin of a busie humour, and yet the Doctor presently adds, he was never Master of so little manners as to speak reproachfully of either Luther or Calvin. All other men whatever, I suppose, think he hath spoken reproachfully of both those Reformers, in sundry of his Books; and in the passage before us, he speaks not over respectfully concerning either of them: and I believe vilely wrongs both, and Cranmer too; For where doth it appear that the Arch-Bishop thought either Luther because of his fiery spirit, or Calvin because of his busie humour unfit to be employed in the Reformation of this Church? Our Church was not reformed to any great purpose till Luther was in his grave; for he died the 8th of Feb. 1546, not a month after King Henry the eighth, whose decease is placed by Iohn Speed 28 Ian. 1546. How far Reformation was advanced by that King, may be collected from his Will signed Decemb. 30. 1546, in which Masses, multitudes of Masses, are appointed to be said for his Soul. Indeed Mr. I. Fox acquaints us from A. Cranmer, that the King the August before he died, declared his purpose to abolish all Masses, and in stead of them to set up the Communion. Had he lived and performed that resolution, and had Luther lived to hear of the Performance of it, yet might not Cranmer perhaps have accounted it adviseable to keep any correspondence with him, because he had written against his Soveraign more bitterly than was meet, and had repented of that repentance which he sometime expressed for his bitterness. No such thing had the Arch-Bishop to charge on Calvin, and therefore, it is like enough▪ would have desired his assistance in King Edward's time, had he not known, that G…n…va could not, or would not, have parted with him. Certain I am, Cranmers and Calvins principles differed very little either as to Doctrine or Discipline; nor did either greatly dissent from L…ther, unless in the matter of the corporal pre…nc… of Christ in the Sacrament. I have done, only desiring the R…ader to consider, (1) Whether it be not difficult to reconcile the Author of the Fides Veterum, and the Historia Quinquarticularis? seeing the one saith that our first Reformers had …n eye to the Lutheran Platform, and took the Articles of our Church word for word out of the Augustan Confession, the other saith that Luther (by a spirit of Prophecy no doubt) declared himself no friend either to our Doctrine or Discipline. And if any one can reconcile this contradiction, then let him (2) compare our Articles with the Augustan Confession, and see whether our Reformers were such plagiaries as to take their Articles of Religion, all or any, out of those drawn up at Ausberg. And then (3) let him also well weigh, whether it be not a great discouragement to all good endeavours, to say that Luther and Calvin after all their prayers and study were as subject to error and humane frailty, and as indulgent to their own opinions as any men whatever. Learning and Piety would scarce be so earnestly prayed for, if after we had attained both in some good measure, we should still remain as subject to error, as obnoxious to humane frailty, as indulgent to our own private opinions as any men how unlearned and wicked soever.
Is there any one else that the Doctor thinks the first Reformers attributed much unto? Yes, one; viz. Erasmus. Of whom he tells us, that he was Greek Professor in Cambridge: Which every one knows, (as also that he is put in the Catalogue of the Lady Margarets Professors of Divinity in that University; but died 1536.) And though it be true which the Doctor relates out of Fox, that by the Protector, in the first year of King Edward's Reign, it was commanded, That Erasmus his Paraphras…s on the four Evangelists should be set in some convenient place in Churches, and that every Priest should have of his own one new Testament in English and Latine, with the Paraphrases of Erasmus on the same: yet it doth not follow, as is inferred, that our Reformers intended not to advance any other Doctrine, than what was countenanced in the writings of that Learned man.
I say this follows not: or if it do follow, then if follows much more from the Canon of our Convocation, …, that our Church never intended to propagate any Doctrine, but what had countenance in the Martyrology of Fox. But that consequence the Doctor will at no ha…d allow, but sets himself against it totis viribus, Part 3. …. 56. See the difference; King Edward's Council in the first year of his Reign, when the Church was scarce crept out of Popery (if crept out of Popery) placed Erasmus his Paraphrases in Churches; therefore the Church intended no Doctrine, but that which was countenanced in Erasmus: This is a good Argument. Queen Elizabeth, when Reformation was come to a great height, by the advice of her whole Convocation, placed Mr. Fox in Churches and Houses of great resort; therefore the Church intended no Doctrine, but what was countenanced in the writings of Mr. Fox: This is no good Argument, because the case is altered. But, I hope, the Doctor thinks the Protector did intend to propagate some other Doctrine, than what was countenanced in the Writings of Erasmus; Why else did he go to fight against the Scots, which War was unlawful on the Principles of Erasmus? If the Protector warred against his conscience, yet, I trow, the Articles were not drawn up against the minds of those that form'd the… yet in one of them War is justified. Yea, I heartily wish that the Article of the Trinity, were not against some Doctrine countenanced in the Writings of this learned man Erasmus. The blot of Arianism shall not fall on his face from my pen: but our new Arians, the Socinians, do boast of him as their own. I hope not upon so good grounds as they may boast of Hugo Grotius his Countreyman: But boast of him they do. The Ministers of Transilvania, in the most cursed Book of the Knowledge of one God, number him among their Ancestors: and Socinus himself in his Epistles saith of him, that he was, not undeservedly, suspected by the Trinitarians of Arianism; and of the Antitrinitarians, reckoned among those who somewhat darkly renounced the Trinity.
But now at last, that Dr. Heylin may say, that he hath met with a very good natured man, I will give but not yield, that Erasmus his Paraphrases were eyed by our first Reformers, in making their Confession of Faith: What will he gain thence? Truly just nothing at all, or less than nothing, if nothing more be found in them than what is picked out, and set before us pag. 109, 110, 111, For in all those collections, there is not one phrase or sentence, that doth contradict any one of the five Points, as stated by the rigidest Calvinists. Even those who say, that Christ died only for the Elect (in which number I never put my self,) will bring themselves off from all and every thing that is here alledged out of Erasmus.
Dr. H. Pag. 110.
Of universal Redemption, saith the Doctor, he tells us thus, This Lamb is so far from being subject to any sin, that he alone is able to take away all the sins of the whole World.
Answ. Will Amesius, Gomarus, or any other that most restrains the death of Christ, deny this? Do they not all distinguish, betwixt the worth of the death, and the will of him that died? and say, that the worth of the death was such, that God might without any indecency, have accepted it for the redemption of ten thousand Worlds, if there had been so many. But Erasmus further adds,