The Design and Nature of Historical Mistakes Found in Stillingfleet, Argument 2
2. Argument.
The Diſſenters have blaſted the Reputation and honour of the firſt Reformation, which is the great thing the Jeſuits would(c)Fillincius Tract. Quſt. Moral Ttract. 23. c. 3, N. 67.6.8. de Bellarm. de bon. oper. impartic. lib. 1 c. 10. nemo enim poteſt certam formam orandi preſcribere, niſi qui praeeſt. Itaque in Concilio Milevitano, can. 12. Sic legimus: Placuit, ut Preces, Orationes, ſeu Miſſae, quae probatae fuerint in Concilio, ab omnibus celebrentur. Nec aliae omnino dicantur in Eccleſia, niſi quae a prudentioribus tractatae, vel comprobatae in ſynodo fuerint. Et in Concilio Toletano. IV. c. 2. Statuitur ut in tota Provincia idem officium celebretur. Et Gregorius Papa VII. in Concilio generali numerum Pſalmorum, & Lectionum officii Divini praeſcripſit, ut habetur. Can. In die, de conſecratione. diſt. 5. c Durant. in ſent. lib. 4. diſt q. 15.12. be at, for ſaith the Dr. Preface, p. 9. What is it which the Papiſts have more envied, and maligned than the Church of England? What is it they have more wiſhed to ſee broken in pieces? that is, than the Conſtitution and Government of this Church? Did not Cranmer, Ridley, and Hooper, and Farrar, and Latimer, all Biſhops of this Church, ſuffer Martyrdom by their Means? Had not they the ſame kind of Epiſcopacy which is now among us, and which ſome now are ſo buſie in ſeeking to deſtroy.—Is all this done for the Honour of the Reformation? Is this the way to preſerve the Proteſtant Religion among us, to fill mens minds with ſuch prejudices againſt the firſt ſettlement of it: to go about to make the World believe, that the Church Government then eſtabliſhed, was repugnant to the inſtitution of Chriſt, and that our Martyr-Biſhops exerciſed an unlawful Authority over Dioceſan Churches? Such men do the Jeſuits work for them as effectually, as if they had been ſet on work by them.
1. In anſwer, it muſt be carefully obſerved that the Papiſts do not ſo much envy, and maligne the Epiſcopal Government, 'tis the Drs. miſtake, for the Hierarchy, or the Engliſh Epiſcopacy is not ſo formidable a thing in a Jeſuits Eye; neither is it their principle or Intereſt to deſtroy it.
1. Not their principle, which is for the conſerving Epiſcopal Government, for
1. The Papiſts plead moſt zealouſly for that difference, there is ſaid by the Church of England to be between a Biſhop, and a Preſbyter,
2. They deny the peoples right of calling their own Miniſters.
3. Aſſert that the Church hath power to inſtitute new Ceremonies.
1. They do diſtinguiſh between a Biſhop, and a Preſbyter, and with the Church of England aſſert, that the Catholick Church doth acknowledge a diſtinction to be between a Biſhop and a Preſbyter, and that the Biſhop is jure divino, greater than a Preſbyter; and this Bellarmine, and the Romiſh faction inſiſt on in oppoſition to the Reform'd, namely in oppoſition to Wickliff, the Lutherans and Calveniſts, whence they go on with the greateſt malice againſt the Proteſtants; to the end they may Haereticate and damn every Soul among 'em, and ſay that the Biſhop only hath power to ordain, and that if any be ordained by Presbyters, that Ordination is null, which is according to that of Gregory III in his Epiſtle to Boniface, from which they proceed, as I ſhall ſhew immediately) to deny the Lutherans and Calveniſts to be true Churches for want of the right Adminiſtration of Sacraments, that is the product of the want of true Miniſters, or which is the ſame, becauſe they have not Miniſters Epiſcopally ordained, ſofBel. de Cleric. lib. 1. c. 14. Bellarmine. Whereby it appears that the papiſts are not againſt this part of the Prelacy of Biſhops.
2. That the People have no Intereſt in the Vocation, or calling of their own Miniſters, is alſo the Principle of the Church of Rome. ForgBellarm. de Cleric. lib. 1. c. 2. &c. 7. Bellarmine in ſtating this point, ſaith, that the Controverſie between them and their Adverſaries, to wit the Reformed, is about the Right of Creating Biſhops or Presbyters in the Church, and he aſſerts that Martin Luther, John Calvin, Mat Illyricus, Brentius, Chemnitius, and others of the Sectaries, i.e. of the Proteſtants, do hold, That no one is Lawfully called, or choſen to the Office of a Biſhop, but by the conſent and ſuffrage of the People, and therefore they infer (ſaith Bellarmine,) that there are no Biſhops or Paſtors among the Papiſts rightly called, for want of the ſuffrage of the People: But on the other ſide, the Church of Rome concludes, that the people have no right to call their Miniſters, and that although the People did formerly chooſe their own Miniſters, it was through the Conceſſion or Connivance of the Popes. And therefore they ſay that the Hereticks, or the Proteſtants have no true Miniſtry, no right Adminiſtration of Sacraments, no Church, no Salvation, (for extra Eccleſiam nullaſalus.) The Reaſons they give againſt the Peoples Election beſides many others, are theſe; drawn
1. From the Indiſcretion of the People, and conſequently their inability to judge of the Capacity of the Perſon to be Choſen.
2. The greater Number of the people are Fooliſh, and the viler ſort, and conſequently-will chooſe men like themſelves.
3. Such a practice is obnoxious and liable unto ſad Tumults, &c. Not remembering that the people, who are to chooſe, muſt be conſidered as men fearing God, and that there is care taken that the perſon to be Choſen is out of ſuch a number, as are by the Godly and Judicious approv'd of, as men of Competent Abilities, &c. In this alſo the Principles of the Jeſuites are far from deſtroying the Church of England.
3. That the Church hath power to inſtitute new(h)Bel. de effect. Sacram. lib. 2. c. 29. Quaedam caeremoniae inſtituuntur ad ſolum ornatum & ſignificationem, ut veſtis alba Neophytorum, Lumina cercorum, &c. & de his agimus. — c. 30 Fatemur enimomnes Catholici Caeremonias Eccleſiaſticas non eſſe praecipuum cultum; nec ab iis pendere eſſentiam & eſſicaciam ſacramentorum: nec habere vim Juſtificandi, ut habent ſacramenta, proinde inferiora eſſe ſacramentis, nec eſſe approbandos ritus qui pugnant cum verbo Dei, nec eſſe nimis multiplicandos. Et cap. 31. Sed quicquid de hoc ſit: noſtra propoſitio ſolum aſſerit contra haereticos, licere Eccleſiae inſtituere novas caeremonias non ad juſtificandum a peccatis mortalibus ſed ad alios fines.—Omnes noſtrae caeremoniae ſunt bonae & divinae: nam indicantur in genere a Deo & probantur multis modis 1. In ipſo teſtimonio Pauli, 1 Cor. 14. Omnia honeſte, &c: 2. Cum Deus jubet obediri praepoſitis, in genere jubet ſervari omnes leges Eccleſiaſticas, quorum non paucae ſunt de caeremoniis. Ceremonies, which Aſſertion they thus limit.
1. Not ſuch Ceremonies, as are repugnant to the Word of God;
but 2. Such as are generally contain'd in that Scripture, Let all things be done decently and in order, and that they are not to be preferred to the Sacraments, nor muſt the ſame efficacy be attributed unto them; they only aſſert againſt the Hereticks, that 'tis lawful for the Church to inſtitute new Ceremonies, not for Juſtification but for other ends.
The white Garment being for Ornament and Signification. All this Bellarmine is expreſs in, and therefore not againſt this part of the Church of England. That I abuſe not the Epiſcopal, nor Bellarmine, will ſoon appear to ſuch as will but ſeriouſly conſult the ſenſe of the Church of England and Bellarmine, who are expreſs in aſſerting all this and much more; namely, that as the Decency of the Ceremonies is one Reaſon why we muſt obſerve them, ſo our Superiours Command is another.
Thus the Principles of the Jeſuits, and other Papiſts being ſo much for a Prelatical Epiſcopacy, ſo much againſt the peoples Choice, and ſo much for Ceremonies with the mention'd Limitations, how is it poſſible that the Dr. preſum'd to aſſert that the Papiſts aim at the deſtruction of what they too much contend for againſt the Generality of our Reformed Divines? But▪
2. It is not the Intereſt of the Jeſuites to deſtroy Epiſcopacy, or eradicate the Ceremonies, and thereby break the Conſtitution of this Government. 'Tis probable they would add unto the Conſtitution, but the deſtroying it they abhor. For,
1. A great part of their bait would be loſt, if Epiſcopacy be ruin'd▪ What more evident than that the Papiſts aim at our Biſhopricks; not at the deſtroying them, but at the poſſeſſing themſelves of them. 'Tis the Epiſcopal Grandeur, Church Honours, and Church Lands that they would be at.
2. The Jeſuits know, that 'tis much more eaſie to introduce their Religion under the ſhadow, and name of Epiſcopacy, and Ceremonies than otherwiſe. What difficulty is there in drawing the vulgar to the whole of Popery, under pretences of a more firm eſtabliſhing Epiſcopacy, and a making the Ceremony the more ſplendid and ſolemn.
3. May there not be an alteration in our Doctrines, when no alteration in our Government; and might not the Papiſts gain greater advantage by their being made Biſhops, than by the Ruine of Biſhopricks?
4. It is not dangerous to break Conſtitutions, eſpecially ſince the deſtruction of Epiſcopacy may be attended with the Royal diſtribution of Church Lands among our Nobility and Gentry, than which a greater blow cannot be given the Papal intereſt in England, as appears by the Heroick actings of Henry the 8th. in a like Caſe.
Are not the Papiſts ſenſible of this? Whatever the Dr. may think, there are the higheſt Reaſons to ingage us to conclude that the Jeſuits dread nothing more than the deſtruction of Epiſcopacy and the removal of the Ceremonies.
§. 2. That the Reputation of the firſt Reformation is not hereby blaſted, nor are the firſt Reformers in the leaſt Reproached But▪ 1. The memory of theſe Worthies, namely, Cranmer, Ridley, and Hooper, &c. is precious unto the diſſenters, who can diſtinguiſh between their Epiſcopacy and their Martyrdom, they not being Martyr'd for Epiſcopacy but for renouncing tranſubſtantiation, &c. They ſealed thoſe Truths with their blood unto which the Diſſenters deſire to give in their Teſtimony, in abiding by them faithful to the Death.
2. Theſe famous Martyrs we honour, yea and the Reformation they carried on, it being a wonder, that in leſs than ſix years time, they ſhould do more towards Reformation than all the Biſhops in England beſides have done in almoſt ſix ſcore years, They went as far as poſſibly they could in that juncture, and probably would have gone p…ri…paſſu with Luther, Calvin, &c. had they the time and opportunity.
3. I find in the Report of the Examination of William Nixon, had the 20th. day of June, Anno, 1567. before the Lord Mayor, and the Biſhop of London, that Mr. Nixon gives this following anſwer to the like objection made then by the Biſhop of London, which is moſt pat to this of the Doctor. We condemn them not, we ſhould go forward unto Perfection, for we have had the Goſpel along time among us. And the beſt of them that did maintain it, did recant it at their Death, as did Ridley, ſometime Biſhop of London, and Dr. Taylor. Ridley did acknowledge his fault to Hooper, and when they would have put on him the ſame Apparel, he ſaid they were abominable, and too fond for a vice in Play. Which is ſufficient to evince, that if theſe Biſhops had outlived the Marian Perſecution, they would have gone on towards a greater Reformation.
4. 'Tis very conſiderable, that thoſe very Perſons▪ who were ſo zealous in Q. Elizabeths days for Epiſcopacy, were perſons of whom 'tis recorded.
1. That in the time of Perſecution they were men of the ſame Principles with Diſſenters.
2. That after the Perſecution was over, they did proceed with the ſmarteſt Proſecution of Laws againſt them.
1. That in the time of Perſecution, Q. Elizabeths Biſhops were of the ſame Principles with the Diſſenters concerning Ceremonies, &c. for this conſult the Letter of Mr. D. Wy, written about the Year 1570. who ſaith, That ſuch Biſhops as fled in Q. Maries time, or elſe tarried here under the Croſs; had caſt off, renounced and forſaken all this Trumpery, i. e. (the Ceremonies) for the which the Peace is now diſturbed, and afterward for their promotion ſake put them on again. The like in a Letter written by Mr. A. G. to Mr. Coverdale, Turner, &c. who ſpeaking of the Ceremonies, ſaith, That all theſe things were abhor'd, as Popiſh Superſtition and Idolatry among the Engliſh Goſpellers, both Biſhops and others; when they were under Gods Rod in Poverty: But they have now learned Courtly Divinity, to ground all upon Policy.
2. That when theſe very men were raiſed to Honour, they began to be very ſevere in perſecuting their Brethren, and their quondam fellow-ſifterers, the Diſſenters Yea, to diſcover greater enmity againſt them, than againſt the Papiſts. This may be ſeen in a Letter of Dr. Wy. They ſay they would that all Traſh and Trumpery were out of the Church, [meaning the Ceremonies] and yet they ſtretch the utter moſt piece of their Authority to the keeping of it. And a little after 'tis ſaid, 'I could rehearſe by Name a Biſhops boy, ruffainly both in behaviour and apparel, at every word ſwearing and ſtaring, having Eccleſiaſtical promotions, a worthy prebend, no doubt: I could name Whoremongers being taking, and alſo confeſſing their Letchery, and yet both enjoying their Livings, and alſo having their Mouths open, not ſtopped, not forbidden to Preach. I know alſo ſome, that have ſaid Maſs divers years, ſince it was prohibited, and upon their Examination confeſſed the ſame, and yet are in quiet poſſeſſion of their Eccleſiaſtical promotions. I know double-beneficed men, that do nothing but eat, drink, ſleep, play at Dice, Cards, Tables, Bowls, and read Service in the Church; but theſe infect not their Flocks with falſe Doctrine, for they teach nothing at all.
Thus it is evident, that Gods Commandments are fain to give place to mans traditions; and yet ſtill all theſe are but ſmall matters. Verily the puniſhment is great I wonder what puniſhment they would uſe, if they had tranſgreſſors of great matters in handling, that deal after this ſort with ſuch as offend (and yet offend not at all) but as they ſay, in ſuch ſmall matters. But this muſt not be mentioned, leaſt the Honour of the firſt Reformation be blaſted, that is, the Diſſenters muſt ſubmit not only unto the greateſt ſeverities with all manner of Patience; but moreover, though Gods Truths be neglected, and a ſinful Miniſtry countenanced, they muſt remain in ſilence, leaſt the reputation of theſe men be blaſted. That ſurely muſt be the meaning of the blaſting the Reformation. But
5. Notwithſtanding the ſeverity exerciſed againſt the Proteſtant Diſſenters; even when the Papiſts eſcaped the ſmartneſs of the Law, yet it is obſervable, that the Queens Council, whoſew ſdom and firmneſs to the Proteſtant Religion hath been renowned all the World over, did then diſcover themſelves to judge otherwiſe of the Diſſenters, than the Eccleſiaſticks did, yea, although the Biſhops were then very baſie in turning the dege of thoſe Laws that were deſigned for Papiſts, againſt Diſſenters; Yet that wiſe Council did diſtinguiſh between the Papiſts and Diſſenters, and thereby plainly diſcover, that the Diſſenters there, were far from carrying on the Popiſh deſign, as appears by their Letter ſent to their Juſtices on the complaint of the Diſſenters, made to the Right Honourable Lords of Her Majeſties Privy Council.
A Copy of which Letter ſent from the Right Honourable the Lords of Her Majeſties Council, I will as I find it in a part of the Regiſter inſert.
AFter Our very hearty Commendations; whereas we are informed, that heretofore, at your Aſſizes in your Circuit divers good Preachers, and others Godly diſpoſed, have been indicted (by colour of Law,) for things not ſo much againſt the matter and very meaning of the Law, as in ſome ſhew, ſwearving from the Letter thereof; Namely, for not uſing the Surpleſs, reſorting to Sermons in other Pariſhes, for want at home; leaving out ſome collects on the dayes of Preaching, for uſing private Prayer in their houſes, and ſuch like. All which we ſuppoſe cometh to paſs by the practice of ſome Informers, not ſo well diſpoſed in Religion, as alſo of men returned upon great Inqueſt. Many times ſuch as be ſtill in Ignorance cannot broke the Goſpel, and being in love with the Licence of former times, cannot ſo well indure the preſent plain Teachers; who by laying open their faults, would draw them to a more preciſe, and Goſpel-like Life. Theſe are therefore to require you, and heartily to pray you, that in every ſitting of your Circuit, you ſift and examine the affection of ſuch Informers, touching Religion, and thereafter give ear to them. As alſo to have a ſpecial regard, That the Inqueſt at large may be Religions, wiſe, and Honeſt: And if (notwithſtanding your diligence in this behalf,) ſuch Jurours (nevertheleſs) creep in (as by like information moleſt good men) that yet your ſpeech, and whole proceedins againſt them at the Bar, (or elſewhere called before you) may be according to their quality: not watching them at bar, or in the inditement with Rogues, Fellons or Papiſts, but rather giving apparent note (in the Face of the Countrey) what difference you hold betwixt Papiſts (diſſenting from us in the ſubſtance of Faith to God, and Loyalty to our Prince) and theſe other men, which making ſome Conſcience of theſe Ceremonies, do yet diligently, and ſoundly Preach true Religion, and obedience to her Majeſly: maintaining the Common peace in themſelves. and in their Auditory; ſo ſhall the Countrey thereby learn (at the Aſſizes) better to reverence the Goſpel, and love the Miniſters and Profeſſors thereof. Thus promiſing our ſelves thus much at your hands, we bid you heartily Farewell, From, &c.
Thus you have the ſence of Q. Eli. Council, and may have the like ſence from our Parliament now.
Theſe things being ſo, let the Impartial Reader judge who it is that hath blaſted the Reputation of the firſt Reformation.
Whether
1. Thoſe that remained faithful to theſe Principles of the Martyrs and other Proteſtant ſufferers in Q. Maries dayes, or thoſe that receeded from them.
2. Thoſe that hazarded the loſs of their Liberties and Benefices for the ſake of Proteſtant Principles, or thoſe that perſecuted the Proteſtants, when the debauched Papiſts were favoured by them.
3. Thoſe that would carry on the Reformation as far as Luther and Calvin, and the generality of the firſt Reformers, or thoſe that gratified the Papiſts, by putting a ſtop to ſo Goſpel-like a procedure, reviling Junius and Tremelius, as German-Drunkards, &c. as ſome of the Epiſcopal Clergy did in Queen Elizabeths dayes.
4. They who acknowledge the Church of Rome to be a true Church, having a Miniſtry rightly, i. e. Epiſcopally ordained, when all the Reformed beyond the Seas, are reproached for want of it, or Thoſe who concur with the Reformed.