Canterburys Doom, Branch 2
The ſecond BRANCH of the firſt generall CHARGE concerning the ARCH-BISHOPS endeavours to reconcile the Church of England to the Church of ROME.
WEE ſhall now paſſe on to the ſecond Branch of the Arch-biſhops firſt generall impeachment touching Religion, thus expreſſed in the tenth originall Article.
That he hath traiterouſly and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome; and for the effecting thereof, hath confederated with divers popiſh Prieſts and Jeſuits, and hath kept ſecret intelligence with the Pope of Rome, and by himſelfe, his Agents and Instruments, treated with ſuch as have from thence received authority and instructions; he hath permitted and countenanced a popiſh Hierarchy, or Eccleſiasticall government to be establiſhed in this Kingdome; by all which traiterous and malicious practiſes, the Church and Kingdome hath been exceedingly endangered, and hath been like to fall under the tyranny of the Roman Sea. Which is ſomewhat amplified in the ſeventh additional Article, which we ſhall conuex thereto.
To prove this Article, we ſhall lay downe and make good two ground-workes (which the precedent Evidence hath ſufficiently cleered:) Firſt, that this Arch-biſhop hath beene generally reputed a Perſon popiſhly affected, and a Papiſt in heart, both whiles he was reſident in the Univerſity of Oxford and ever ſince; and that he was beleeved, reported to be ſuch a one by the popiſh party, both at Rome, and elſwhere beyond the Seas. No wonder therefore if he endeavoured to reconcile and reduce the Church of England to the Church of Rome.
To prove the Arch biſhop a reputed Papiſt whiles he was reſident in Oxford, we ſhall produce two Witneſſes of credit, who knew him very well there, and have had ſome neere relation to him ſince. The firſt is Doctor Danel Featly, who depoſed viva voce at the Barre, That the Arch-biſhop whiles he was remaining in Oxford, was generally reputed to be popiſhly affected, and one addicted to the popiſh party, and that he meeting a Pupill of his at Paris in France (when he waited on Sir Thomas Edmonds as his Chaplaine there) which Pupill had turned a Papiſt; diſcourſing with him concerning this Arch-biſhop (then reſident in Saint John's Colledge in Oxford) he told him, that Doctor Laud his Tutor was againſt the Popes ſupremacy, NOTE.but did maintaine many Catholike points of their Religion. The ſecond is Sir Nathaniel Brent, his owne Vicar-generall, who depoſed at the Barre, that this Arch biſhop while he continued in Oxford, was there generally reputed to be popiſh; that he and others conceived him ſo, not upon any fained but upon very probable grounds; one whereof, then generally taken notice of, was, that when he did his exerciſe for Batchelour of Divinity, he tooke his ſuppoſition almoſt verbation out of Bellarmine, which he remembers the better, becauſe one Mr. Dale then Proctor, his Opponent, who took exceptions at it, ſhewed him his ſuppoſition in Bellarmines Works, concerning the neceſſity of Baptiſme, which was conſonant to the tenent of Rome. Another ground of this opinion of him was, that he held acquaintance, and moſt familiarly converſed with thoſe in the Univerſity who were moſt addicted to Popery, and reputed Papiſts, and had ſundry differences, bickerings, diſputes with many ſound Divines about points in Religion; particularly, he had very intimate acquaintance with, and oft frequented the company of one Browne, reputed a Papiſt in his life, and found to be ſo after his death; there being a manuſcript writ with his owne hand, and thought to be his owne, found in his Study, in defence of popery, and maintaining among other things, that one might be a Minister, officiate, and actually remaine in the Church of England, NOTE.and yet be actually reconciled to the Church of Rome. This book King James hearing of, ſent for it; which being brought to him, when he had read this paſſage, he ſaid, if this poſition of his were true, he could not now tell whom to truſt; And that there was ſuch a generall report of the Arch-biſhop then he thought himſelfe would not deny, and for that he had ſeen that book of Browns, a petition of this Biſhops in a great mans hands, to whom King James delivered them, wherein healleaged, that he NOTE.was traduced to be a Papiſt, but deſired his Majesty not to think ſo of him.
To theſe teſtimomies we ſhall adde a notable paſſage in Doctor Abbot's Sermon at Saint Peters in Oxford, on Eaſter-day, Anno 1615. formerly touched on p. 155. on which you may reflect.
That ſome were partly ROMISH, partly Engliſh, as occaſion ſerved them, that a NOTE.man might ſay unto them, Noſteres an adverſariorum? who under pretence of truth and preaching againſt the Puritan, ſtrike at the heart and root of the faith and Religion new eſtabliſhed among us, &c. That they cannot plead, they are ACCOUNTED PAPISTS, becauſe they ſpeak againſt the puritan, but becauſe BEING INDEED PAPISTS, they ſpeak nothing againſt them; If they doe at any time ſpeak againſt the papists, they doe but beat a little about the Buſh, and that but ſoftly too, for fear of waking and diſquieting the birds that are in it; they ſpeak nothing, but that wherein one Papiſt will ſpeake againſt another; as againſt Equivocation, the Popes temporall authority, and the like; and perhaps ſome of their blasphemous ſpeeches: But in the point of Freewill, Juſtification, Concupiſcence being a ſinne after Baptiſme, inherent righteouſneſſe, and certainty of ſalvation, THE PAPISTS BEYOND THE SEAS CAN SAY THEY ARE WHOLLY THEIRS, AND THE RECUSANTS NOTE.AT HOME MAKE THEIR BRAGS OF THEM, AND IN ALL THINGS THEY KEEP THEMSELVES SO NEERE THE BRINK, THAT UPON ANY OCCASION THEY MAY STEP OVER TO THEM.
Now for this ſpeech, that the Preſbyterians are as bad as the Papists; there is a ſting in the ſpeech, which I wiſh had been left out; for there are many churches beyond the ſeas, which contend for the Religion establiſhed among us, which yet have approved and admitted the preſbytery; and this is to make them as bad as the papists. Beſides, there have lived among us many reverend and worthy men, which have not rejected the preſbytery, taking it even for Lay-Elders: and among the reſt Doctor Nowell, late Deane of Pauls, in his Larger Catechiſme, pag. 29. & 71. affirmeth, that in every well-governed Church there was a Presbytery; and yet this Catechiſme by the late reverend Arch-biſhop of Canterbury, was commanded to be had in every Grammar Schoole; Which ſurely he would not have done, if the preſbyterians were as da… rous or bad as the papiſts.
And now that I have cleered my ſelfe from this imputation of being for the preſbytery, it will lye upon them to CLEARE THRMSELVES IF THEY CAN FROM THEIR SUSPITION OF POPERY: For as Saint Hierom ſpeakes NOTE.In crimine haereſeos patientem eſſe non decet: And for their ſpeech of preferment, its not that I look for; I make account I have lived to the end of a Students life; and God forbid that now for the hope of a little preferment, I ſhould betray the cauſe of Chriſt: I have been ever of this mind: if there be no preferment on earth there is enough in Heaven: And my deſire is, while I live here, to walk in ſincerity and truth: If I ſhould doe otherwiſe, how ſhould I look my Saviour in the face? might he not ſay uto me, what art thou? ROMISH or Engliſh? PAPIST or PROTESTANT? or what art thou? A MONGRELL OR COMPOUND OF BOTH? A Proteſtant by NOTE.Ordination, A PAPIST in the point of Freewill, inherent Righteouſneſſe, and the like; A Proteſtant in receiving the Sacrament, A PAPIST in the Doctrine of the Sacrament? What doe you thinke, are there two Heavens? If there be, get you to the other and place your ſelves there, for into this where I am, yee ſhall not come.
Theſe Notes of Doctor Abbots Sermon were found in this Arch-biſhops Study, written with his owne hand (produced and atteſted by Maſter Prynne) incloſed in a copy of a Letter of his to the then Biſhop of Lincolne, under his owne hand too, thus indorſed by him; April. 18. 1615. The copy of a Letter which I ſent to the Lord Biſhop of Lincolne concerning a Sermon, in which Doctor Abbot HAD WRONGED ME IN THE UNIVERSITY: In which Letter he incloſed theſe Notes for his Lordſhip to peruſe, complaining thus therein, I came time enough to be at the rehearſall of this Sermon: upon much perſwaſion I went to Church, where I was faine to ſit patiently, and heare my ſelfe abuſed almoſt an hour together, yet I was pointed at as I ſate; for this preſent abuſe, I would have taken no notice of it, but that THE WHOLE UNIVERSITY APPLIES IT TO ME; and my owne friends tell me, I ſhall ſink my credit, if I anſwer not Doctor Abbot in his own NOTE.kind: Nevertheleſſe in a buſineſſe of this kind, I will not be ſwayed from a patient courſe; OnelyOnly I deſire your Lordſhip to vouchſafe me ſome direction what to doe, &c.
By which it is cleere, under his owne hand-writing, that Doctor Abbot and the whole Univerſity in the yeer 1615. reputed and accounted him a Papiſt; a Papiſt indeed, at leaſtwiſe, partly Romiſh, and partly Engliſh; or a mongrell and a compound of a Papiſt and Protestant; one ready upon all occaſions to ſtep over to the Papists: A Papiſt in the Doctrine of freewill, justificaiian by works, inherent righteouſneſſe, concupiſcence no ſinne after Baptiſme, certainly of ſalvation, and the Doctrine of the Sacrament; and that the papiſts beyond the ſeas could ſay, he was WHOLLY THEIRS, and the Recuſants at home make their brags of him.
This his temper was the cauſe of Doctor Hals Letter to W. L. (William Laud as is generally conceived) long ſince printed, Anno 1608. in the third Decad of his Epiſtles; Epiſt. 5. page 55. (for which his works were lately threatned to be called in, or this Leter expunged out of them) wherein he thus expoſtulates with him for his unſetledneſſe and newtrality in Religion, and inclining to the popiſh party: I would I knew where to find you, then I could tell how to take a direct ayme, whereas now I muſt rove and conjecture; to day YOU ARE IN THE TENTS OF THE ROMANISTS; to morrow in ours; the next day betweene both, NOTE.againſt both: Our adverſaries think you ours; WEE, THEIRS. Your conſcience finds you with both, and neither: I flatter you not; this of yours, is the worſt of all tempers; how long will you walk in this indifferency? reſolve one way, and know at laſt what you doe hold; that you ſhould caſt off either your wings, or your teeth: and loathing this Batlike nature, be either a bird or a beaſt, &c.
We ſhall conclude this part of our Evidence with the depoſition of Francis Harris, a converted Prieſt, examined upon oath before the Lords, who being in the Parliaments Army, could not poſſibly be procured viva voce (of which oath was made) and thereupon his depoſition was read as followeth.