The Life of William Archbishop of Canterbury Examined, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Canterburians avowed Arminianisme.
ARminianisme how great and dangerous an innovation of the reformed Religion it is, … a great and dangerous innovation of …we may learne by the late experiences of our neighbours, when that weed began to spread among them. The States of Holland have declared in many passages of their Dordracen Synod, that they found it a more ready meane to overthrow both their Church and State, then all the engines, policies, armes which the Pope, and Spaniard, in any bygone time had used against them. The Church of France the other yeare, when Amirot, and Testard, and some few of their Divines, were but surmised to incline a little towards some small twigs of one article of Arminius, was so affrighted, that they rested not till in a generall Assembly at Alenzon, they did run together for the extinguishing of the first sparkes as it were of a common fire. When P. Baro in Cambridge began to run a little on this rock, how carefull was my Lord of Canterbury and the Bishops then in their meeting at Lambeth for the crushing of that Cockatrice in the … when that serpent again in the same place began to set np the nose in the writtes of Thomson, how carefull was the Bishops then by the hand of their brother of Salisbury Doctor Abbots to cut of the head of that monster? But what speake wee of the Churches reformed? The very Synagogue of Rome whose conscience is enlarged as the Hell to swallow downe the vilest morsels of the most lewd errours that Antichrist can present, yet did they sticke much at this bone, when the Jesuit Molina began to draw out these dregs of Pelagianisme from the long neglected pits of some obscure Schoolmen, what clamours were raised there, not only by Alvarez and his followers, but also by numbers of Prelats and some great Princes, till the credit of the Jesuits in the Court of Rome, and the wisdome of the Consistory prognosticating a new rent in their Church did procure from the Pope a peremptory injunction of silence to both sides, on all highest paines: hoping if the Dominicans mouthes were once stopped, that the Jesuits by their … arts, and silent policies would at last worke out their intended point, which indeed since that time, they have wel-neare fully gained.
But to King Charles eye no evidence useth to be King James judgment of ….so demonstrative, as that which commeth from the learned hand of his blessed Father. Would wee know how gracious a plant Arminianisme and the dressers of it will prove in England, or any where else, advise with King James, who after full tryall and long consultation about this emergent, with the Divines of his Court, especially the late Archbishop Abbots, gave out at last his Decree in print, and that in Latine, not only for a present declaration to the States of Holland, of his minde against Vorstius, and a cleere confession of his Faith in those points to the Christian World, but above all to remayne a perpetuall Register for his Heires and Succ essors, of his faithfull advise, if after his death … Kingdomes should be ever in danger to be … with that wicked seed.
In that Treatise, his Majesty doth first aDeclarat. contra … p. 15. …avow all them to be grosse Lyers, who do not blush to affirme that any of the Arminian Articles, even that most plausible one of the Saints … are consonant with the Doctrine or Articles of the Church of England. bIbid. p. 12. …He styleth Bertius for such a slander, a very impudent and brazen-faced man. Secondly, cIbid. pag. 18 …Hee pronounceth these Doctrines of Arminius to be Heresies lately revived and damnable to the Hels from whence they come. Thirdly, dIbid. pag. 12. …That Bertius for the very title of his booke, The Saints apostasie deserved burning Fourthly, eIbid. pag. 14. …That Arminius and his Scholars were to be reputed pests, enemies to God, proud, …, hereticall, Atheists. Fifthly, fIbid. pag. 15. …Hee affirmeth that their toleration would not faile to bring upon the heads of their Tolerators let be favourers, Gods malediction, an evill report, slander and infamy with all the Churches abroad, and certaine Schisme, Division and Tumults at home. Shall wee then make any doubt of King Charles full contentment, that wee avow Arminianisme, to be such a dangerous innovation of our Religion as the reformed Churches abroad, and his Father at home hath taught us to count it where ever it is found.
The great increase of Arminians in Scotland, by Canterburies mean.Notwithstanding this bitter root amongst us was setting up the head of late very boldly in all the prime places of our Kingdome, wee have had since the reformation many bickerings about the Church Government and Ceremonies, but in matters of Doctrine neverany Controversie was knowne, till some yeares agoe a favourable aire from the mouth of Doctour Lad at Court began to blow upon these unhappy seeds of Arminius. No sooner was those Southwinds sensible in our climate, but at once in S. Andrews, Edinburg, Aberdeen, and about Glasgow, that weed began to spring amaine. Doctour Wederburn in the new Colledge of Saint Andrews did stuffe his Dictates to the young Students in Divinity with these errours. This man upon the feares of our Churches censure, having fled the Countrey, was very tenderly embraced by his Grace at Court and well rewarded with a faire Benefice in England, for his labours: But to the end his talents should not lye hid, although a man very unmeet either for preaching or government, hee was sent downe tous, without the knowledge of our Church, by Canterburies only favour, to be Bishop of Dumblane, for this purpose mainly, that in the Royall Chappell, whereof that Bishop is alwayes Dean, hee might in despite of all our Presbyteries weave out the web he had begun in Saint Andrews. So quickly there was erected a society of twenty foure Royall Chaplains, who were thought fittest of the whole Clergie of the Kingdome, to be allured with hopes of favour from Court, to preach to the State the Deans Arminian tenets. In Edinburgh, Master Sydserfe did peartly play his part, and for the reward of his boldnesse, had cast in his lap in a trace the Deanry of E. dinburgh, the Bishoprick of Brechen, and last of …, with full hopes in a short time of an Archbishops cloake. In the North, Doctour Forbes the only Father of the most of those who fell away from the Doctrine of our Church, came too good speed in his evill labours, and for his pains was honoured with the first seate in the new erected Chaire of our principall Citie. Others about Glasgow made their preaching of the Arminian errours the pathway to their assured advancement. In our generall Assembly wee found that this cockle was comming up apace in very many furrows of our field: Some of it we were forced, albeit to our great griefe, to draw up and cast … the dyke, which at once was received and replanted in England, in too good a soyle.
Wee confesse, that it happened not much beside The Kings name stolne by … to the defence of ….our expectation, that our Arminians after the censure of our Church should at Court have beene too graciously received and sheltered in the Sanctuary of his Grace at Lambeth; But, this indeed, did and doth still astonish us all, that any should have been so bold as to have stolne King Charles name to a printed Declaration, wherein not only our generall Assembly is condemned for using any censure at all against any for the crime of Arminianisme: gLarge Declar. pag. 74. According to their weake and … power they did determine … Predestination, Universall Grace, irresistibility of Grace, concurrance of Free Will with Grace, totall and finall perseverance in Grace, and other such like intricate points, that some men would be loth to live so long as they could make them understand them.But also Arminius Articles are all-utterly slighted and pronounced to be of so obscure & intricate a nature that both our Assembly was too peart to make any determination about them, and that many of our number were altogether unable by any teaching ever to winne so much as to the understanding of the very questions: hP. 16. Some Ministers were deprived for …, a course never heard of in any place where any rule of justice was observed, that a Minister should bee deprived for holding any Tenet which is not against the Doctrine of that Church wherein hee liveth, and that before it bee prohibited and condemned by that Church. Now there is nothing in the … of that Church against these Tenets.Yea, those Articles are avowed to be consonant, and in nothing to be opposite to the confession of our Church, and are freely absolved of all poperie. iPag. 303. They could make no answer when it was told them these Tenets could not be counted Popish, concerning which, or the chiese of which as learned Papists as any in the World, the … and Jesuits did differ as much as the Protestants, and that those which doe adhere to the Augustan Confession did hold that side of those Tenets which the Arminians did hold, and yet they were very farre from being Papists, being the first Protestants, and therefore it was against all sense to condemne that for Popery which was held by many Protestant Churches, and rejected by many learned Papists.Because indeed (for this is the onelyonly reason) some learned papists finde divers of Arminius points to bee so absurd that their stomacks cannot away with them, and some of the Lutheran divines agree with the Arminians in certaine parcels of some of their Articles: They must bee strangers in these questions, who are ignorant in how many things the Dominicans and all Papists agree with Arminius, and in how many the Lutherans disagree from him. However wee were and are amazed to see Canterbury so malapeart, as to proclaime in the Kings name, beside many other strange things, the Articles of Arminius, to bee so far above the capacitie of our generall Assembly, that it deserves a Royall reproofe for minting to determine any thing in them, and that they are no wayes contrarie to the doctrine of onr Church, neither any ways popish, and that for a reason, which will exeeme from the note of Poperie every errour which is so grosly absurd, that some learned Papists are forced to contradict it; or some grosse Lutheran can get his throat extended to swallow it downe.
This boldnesse cannot in any reason be imputed … is the author of this part of the Declarationto our gracious Soveraigne: For how is it possible that he upon any tolerable information, should ever have suffered himselfe to be induced to write, or speak in such a straine of these thinge, which so lately by his learned Father was declared in print, and that in Latine to be no lesse then heresies worthy of burning; yea, damnable to the very infernall pit whence, as he sayes, they did first come up. Neither is it like that these sentences come from the heart of Doctor Balcanquel the penman of them; for he was a member of Dort Synod, and brought up in the Church of Scotland, the man is not unseene in the Popish Tenets; How is it possible that his conscience should absolve the Arminian errours of all Popery, and all contrarietie to the Scottish confession. May any be so uncharitable, as to suspect his late promotion in Durham, hath altered so soon his minde? Sure not long since, both in England and Scotland, hee did desire to be esteemed by his friends, one of those whom Canterbury did maligne, and hold downe for his certain and known resolutions, and reputed abilities to oppose his Graces Arminian, and Popish innovations. His Majesty being certainly cleer of this imputation, and readily also Balcanquel, the Amanuense, on whom can the fault ly but Canterbury, the directors back? For the world knowes, that on his shoulders for common alone, the King doth devolve the trust of all Bookish and Ecclesiasticall affaires that concerne him, that at his commandement … hath written in the Kings name that part at the least of the declaration, which patronizeth the Arminian persons and cause, we doe not conjecture but demonstrate by the constant and avowed course of his Graces carriage in advancing Arminianisme at all occasions; in all the Kings Dominions.
That this may appeare, consider his practises, The Irish Church infected with … by Canterburie.not so much amongst us, and in the Irish Church, where yet his hand is very nimble, to set these ungracious plants, and to nippe off all the overspreading branches of any tree that may overtop them: For who else in a moment, hath advanced Doctor Bramble, not only to the sea of Derrie, but to the Kings … Generall? Who sent Doctor Chappell first to the University of Dublin, and then to his Episcopall chair? Who holds … the head of that Orthodox Primat, and of all who kyth any zeale there to the trueth of God; Who caused not onelyonly refuse the confirmation of these Arminian Articles of Ireland, in the last Parliament, but threatned also to burne them by the hand of the Hangman? Whose invention are these privy Articles, which his creature Derry presents to divers, who take Orders from his holy hands? Wee will passe these and such other effects, which the remote rayes of his Graces countenance doe produce in so great a distance; OnelyOnly behold! How great an increase that unhappy plant hath made there in England, where his eye is neerer to view, and his hand to water it.
In the 25 yeare, at the very instant of King James The Canterburians in England, teach the first and second Article of Arminianisme.death, Doctor Montague, with Doctor Whites approbation, did put to the Presse all the Articles of Arminius in the same termes, with the same arguments and most injurious calumniations of the Orthodox Doctrine, as Spalato and the Remonstrants had done a little before, but with this difference, that where those had dipped their pens in inke Doct. Montagu doeth write with vinegar and gall, in every other line, casting out the venome of his bitter spirit, on all that commeth in his way, except they be fowles of his own feather; for oft when hee speakes of Jesuites, Cardinals, Popes, hee anoints his lips with the sweetest honey, and perfumes his breath with the most cordiall tablets. If any doe doubt of his full Arminianisme, let them cast up his Appeale and see it cleerely, k…, 60 … my through and sincere … from the faction of novellizing …, but in no point … then in the … of desperate Predestination. …. … 70. I see no reason why any Divines of our … present at the Syned of …, should take any … at my …, who had no authority that I … to conclude me, … then I doe at them, … from mee in their …, … in …. Ibid. pag. 71. I am sure the Church of England never … in her …. Ibid pag 72, at the Conference of Hampton Court, before his Majesty, by Doctor …, that doctrine of irrespective Predestination was stiled against the … of …, then urged by the …, a desperare doctrine without reproofe or taxation of any. Ibid. … 50. your absolute, necessary, determined, irresistible, irrespective Decree of God to call, save, and … Saint …, for …, without any consideration had of, or regard unto his …, obedience, …: I say it truly, it is the fancie of some … men.in the first and second Article of Election and Redemption, hee avoweth his aversenesse from the doctrine of Lambeth and Dort which teacheth, that God from eternity did elect us to grace and salvation, not for any consideration of our faith, workes or any thing in us as causes, respects or conditions antecedent to that decree, but onelyonly of his meere mercy; And that from this Election all our faith, works, and perseverance doe flow as effects. Hee calleth this the private fancie of the Divines of Dort, opposite to the doctrine of the Church of England: For this assertion he … the Synod of Lambeth, as teachers of desperate doctrine, and would father this foule imputation; but very falsely on the conference at Hampton Court. lIbid. … 61. 64. I shall as I can briefly set downe what I conceive of this act of Gods Decree of Predestination, setting by all execution of purpose: thus far we have gone, and no word yet of Predestination, for how could it be in a paritie? There must be first conceived a disproportion, before there can be conceived … election or dereliction: God had compassion of men in the masse of perdition, upon …, & genera …, and out of his mercy in his love motumero, no otherwise … out to them deliverance, in a Mediatour the Man Iesus Christ, and drew them out that took hold of mercy, leaving them there that would none of him.Againe hee avoweth positively that faith goeth before Election, and that to all the lost race of Adam alike, Gods mercy in Christ is propounded till the parties free-will, by believing or mis-believing, make the disproportion antecedent to any divine either election, or reprobation.
One of the reasous why King Iames stiled Arminius Why King Iames styled them Atheists.disciples atheists, was because their first article of conditionall election did draw them by an inevitable necessitie to the maintenance of Vorstian impiety: For make mee once Gods Eternall decree posterior, and dependant from faith, repentance, perseverance, and such works, which they make slow from the free will of changeable men; that Decree of God will be changeable, it will be a separable accident in him; God will bee a composed substance of subject, and true accidents, no more an absolute simple essence, and so no more God. Vorstius ingenuitie in professing this composition is not misliked by the most learned of the Belgick Arminians, who use not as many of the English, to deny the cleare consequences of their doctrine, if they be necessary, though never so absurd. However in this very place Montagu maintaines very Vorstian atheisme as expresly as any can do making the divine essence to be finite, his omni-presence not to be in substance, but in providence, mAppeal, pae. 49. the … among others … that … of old, … to …. They meant it substantially, and so …: Christians … it too, but disposively in his providence.and so making God to be no God. This thought long agoe by learned Featly objected in print to Montagu, lyes still upon him without any clearing. Certainly our Arminians in Scotland were begun both in word and writ to undertake the dispute for all that Vorstius had printed: I speak what I know, and have felt oft to my great pains.
Arminianisme is a chaine, any one linke whereof, They teach the third and … Article.but specially the first, will draw all the rest; yet see the other also expressed by Montagu. In the Articles of Grace and Freewill, not only hee goes cleare with the Arminians, teaching that Mans will hath ever a faculty to resist, and oft times according to the doctrine of the Church of England actually doth resist, reject, frustrate, and overcome the most powerfull acts of the spirit and grace of God, even those which are employed about regeneration, sanctification, justification, perseverance. n… … 89. St. … in … hath the very word antipiptete, you resist, nay, fall crosse with the holy Ghost, not suffering him to … grace in you. If the Councell meaned it …, operante: I thinke no man will deny it, de gratia …, subsequente, cooperante; there is without question in the naturall will of a regenerate man so much … concupiscence, as may make him resist and rebell against the law of the Spirit. And if a man justified may fall away from grace, which is the doctrine of the Church of England, then without question, your selves being judges, he may … the grace of God offered.Not onelyonly doth hee thus far proceed, but also hee avowes that all the difference which is betwixt the Church of England and Rome, in this head of freewill, is in nothing materiall, oIbid. … 95. Thus having with as great diligence as I could examined this question inter partes of Free-will, I doe ingenuously confesse, that I cannot finde any such materiall … between the …, at least of better temper, and our Church.and really long agoe to be ended and agreed amongst the most judicious and sober of both the sides.
For the fifth of perseverance hee is as grosse as any Also the fifth.either Remonstrant or Molinean Jesuite, professing, that no man in this life can have more assurance not to fall away both totally and finally from all the grace he gets, then the devils pAntigag. p. 161 Man is not likely in the State of grace to be of an higher alloy then Angels were in the state of glory, then Adam was in the state of innocencie: Now i Adam in Paradise, and … in heaven did fall and lost their originall estate, the one totally, … and the other eternally, what greater assurance hath any man in the state of proficiencie; not of consummation.had once in Heaven, and Adam once in Paradise.
Behold the Arminian ensigne fairly now displayed Silence by proclamation enjoyned to both sides.in England by the hands of Montagu and White, under the conduct of Doctor Lad Bishop of Saint Davids, even then the President, the chiefe in Ecclesiasticall affaires of the Duke of Buckinghams secret councell. At the first sight of this black banner a number of brave Champions got to their armes; pulpits over all England rang, presses swate against the boldnesse of that but small handfull then of courtizing Divines. Their crafty leader seeing the sloud of opposition, and finding it meet for a little to hold in, and fold up his displayed colours, did by the Duke his patron perswade the expediencie of that policy, which the Jesuites had immediately before, for that same very designe moved the Roman consistory to practice. Hee obtained a Proclamation, commanding silence on both sides, discharging all preaching, all printing in these controversies, astricting to the cleare, plaine and very Grammaticall sense of the Articles of England in these points, without all further deductions. By this meanes his intentions were much promoved, open avowers of Arminianisme were by publique authority so exempted from any censure, a reall libertie was thus proclamed over all the land, for any who pleased to embrace Arminianisme without oppotion.
Hereby in two or three years the infection spread The Arminians in England advanced.so far and broad, that the Parliament was forced in the 28. to make the encrease of Arminianisme their chiefe grievance to his Majestie; But at that time Doctor Lad was growne greater. He had mounted up from the Bath to London, and to make a shew there in Parliament of his power in the eie of all the complainers, he raised up Montagu to the Episcopall Chaire of his own Diocesan, Doctor Carleton, who had lately chastised him in print for his Arminian appeale. D. White his other …, that all great spirits might be encouraged to run the wayes which Doct. Lad pointed out to them, in despight of these Parliamentarie Remonstrants, was advanced from Bishoprick to Bishoprick, till death at the step of Elie did interrupt the course of his promotion, that to Wren a third violent follower of his Arminian Tenets, way might bee made for to clime up the remaining steps of the ladder of his Honours. Now to the end … the world may know, that my Lord of Canterbury doth nothing blush at the advancement of such men, heare what a publique testimony of huge worth and deserving, hee causeth his Herauld Peter … to proclame to that Triumvirat, not onelyonly at his own directions, (for that moderate answer of Heylens is the Iusto volumine which his G. did promise to the world in his Starre-chamber speech) but also in name of authority, if Heylen lie not, who sayes, He writes that book at the commandement of the State: There, after the cryasse of Canterburies owne extraordinary prayses qA moderate answer, pag. 78 you will be troubled to finde Canterburies equall in our Church, since King Edwards Reformation, whether yee looke to his publike or private demeanours.the renowme of his three Underleaders, is loudly sounded as of plain Non-suches rIbid pag. 84. White, Montagne, and …, whom you so abuse, are such, who for their endeavours for this Churches honour, fidelity in their service to the King, full abilities in Learning, have had no equals in this Church, since the Reformation..
All these his graces favours to his followers would Their opposites disgraced and persecuted.have been the more tolerable, if he would have permitted his Orthodox opposites to have had some share in their Princes affection, or at least to have lived in peace in their own places. But behold, all that crosses his way must downe, were they the greatest Bishops in the Dominions. For who else wrought the … Archbishop so farre out of the Kings Grace, that he remained some yeers before his death well-neere confined to his house at Lambeth? Who hath caused to cage up in the Tower that great and learned Bishop of Lincolne? what ever else may be in the man. What fray makes that worthy Primate Vsher, to foretell oft to his friends his expectation, to be sent over Sea, to die a Pedant teaching boys for his bread, by the persecution of this faction whose ways he avows to many, doth tend to manifest Arminianisme, and Popery. This their resolution to persecute with Albeit to this day fleshly feares have made him to let passe with silence in publike the most wicked of their courses.all extremity, every one who shall mint to print or preach any thing against Arminianisme, they avow it openly not only by deeds (for why else was Master Butter the Stationer cast by Canterbury in the Fleet for printing Bishop Davenants letter to Bishop Hall against some passage of Arminianisme at the Authors direction, as we see it set down by Huntley in his Breviat?) but even in open print, for when Master Burton complains to the King that hee was silenced by Canterbury, for expounding of his ordinary text, Rom. 8 Whom God hath predestinate, those he hath called, and applying it to the present Pelagianisme and Popery of the Arminians, Christopher Dow sChr. Dow. Answer to Master Burton, M. Burton did preach on the highest point of Predestination in a cōtroverted way with disputes and clamorous invectives against those who dissented from him in opinion, his questioning and suspending for this cause, was nothing contrary to his Majestics Declarations. ibid pag. 40. Be it so that the doctrine of election, effectuall vocation, assurance of …, are by the Declaration suppressed, rather then the peace of the Church should bee disturbed, wee might truly say of that time when his … Declaration was published, that men were uncapable of these doctrines, when men began to chide, and to count each other …, … it was with our neighbours, it began to be with us, was it not time to enjoyne both sides silence? By this meanes you say, there is no Minister, not one among a thousand that dare clearly preach of these most comfortable doctrines, and so soundly confute the … heresie. Blessed be God, that there are so few who dare, and I with those few who dare, had shewed more obedience to his Majesty.approved by Canterburies Chaplain, and Peter Helyn directed to speak by Canterbury himselfe doth not stand to affirme, that this was a cause well deserving all the sufferings hee complained of.
Could any here but expect of his Graces wisedome Canterbury and his … contrary to the Proclamation goe on still to print, let be to preach their Tenets.and loyalty, when his solicitude appeareth to disgrace and punish, without respect of persons, all who in contempt, as he saith, of the Kings Proclamation will not desist from the publike oppugning of Arminianisme, that on the other hand the Preachers and Printers for Arminianisme according to that same Proclamation should be put to some order? yet this is so farre neglected, that all who are so affected, Cousins, Colines, Beal in CAMBRIDGE, Potter and Jackson in OXFORD, and many more prime Doctours in both Universities, in the Citie, in the Court, and over all the Land, boldly give out their mind to all they meet with for the advancement of the new way; yea boldnesse in running those paths hath beene knowne to have beene the high way in all the three Dominions these yeeres bygone to certain promotion in many men, who to the Worlds eyes had no other singular eminencie of any good parts.
But that his Graces tramping upon the Kings Proclamation may bee yet the more evident, behold how hee doth daily dispense both with his owne pen and those also of his Friends to write and print for Arminianisme, what they please. White being taxed by Master Burton for his subscription to Montagues Appeale, is so farre from the least retractation, that the fift Article of Apostasie and uncertainty of salvation which Master Burton did single out of all Montagues errours as most opposite to Christian comfort, hee maintaines it in his owne Answer to the Dialogue; but as the custome now is under the covert of some Fathers name, at great length with much bitternesse, and casts out without provocation in his Treatise of the Sabbath, the first and second Article: tPag 82. The benefit of redemption by the antecedent will of Christ is intended to all men living, though all men by reason of their own demerits doe not actually receive the fruit of it. Volūtas antecedens est voluntas … & … Dei ex ejus nativa … existens, … sumens occasionem ex nobis.Master Dow and Schelfoord use the same plainnesse. Yea, in the one and thirtieth yeare that Faction was so malepeart as to set out the Historicall Narration by one Aileward wherein all the Articles of Arminius at length with these false and bitter Calumniations of our Doctrine, which are usually chanted and rechanted by the Remonstrants are not onelyonly set downe as truths, but also fathered upon the first reformers and Martyrs of England. That Booke when it had beene out a while was called in, not because the doctrines were false, not because the story was forged, as that learned Knight Sir Vmphrey Lyne by the ocular inspection of that originall manuscript did since demonstrate, but the onelyonly reason of the calling of it backe, as his Grace makes Heylen declare to us, was, the dinne and clamour which Mr. Burton, then one of the Ministers of London, made against it.wModerate answer, pag. 121. The historicall narration was called in also for your pleasure.
Conterbury himselfe is nothing afraid to lend his owne hand to pull downe any thing that seemes crosse to Arminianisme. The certainty of Salvation, the assurance of Election, is such an eye-sore, that to have it away, hee stands not with his owne hand to cut and mangle the very Liturgie of the Church, otherwise a sacred peace, and a noli me tangere in England in the smallest points, were they never so much by any censured of errour: yet if any clause crosse Arminianisme or Poperie, his grace doth not spare without dinne to expurge it, did it stand in the most eminent places thereof in the very morning prayers for the Kings person. Here was this clause fixed since the reformation (who are the Father of thine elect and their seed) this seemed to bee a publike profession that it was not unlawfull for King Charles to avow his certainty and perswasion that God was his Father, and hee his adopted Childe elected to salvation. His grace could not endure any longer such a scandalous speech to bee uttered, but with his own hand scrapeth it out. Being challenged for it by Master Burton, and the out-cryes of the people, he confesseth the fact; only for excuse, bringeth three reasons of which you may judge: xStar-chamber, speech, p. 28. It was delet at the King, direction in my Predecessors time, when theKing had no childrenFirst, he saith, It was done in his Predecessours time: Doth not this make his presumption the more intolerable, that any inferiour Bishop living at the very eare of the Archbishop, should mint to expurge the Liturgie? Secondly, Hee pretends the Kings command for his doing. Doth not this encrease his guiltinesse, that hee and his followers are become so wicked and irrespective, as to make it an ordinary pranke, to cast their owne misdeeds upon the broad back of the Prince? Dare hee say, that the King commanded any such thing motu proprio? Did hee command that expunction without any information, without any mans advise? Did any King of England ever assay to expurge the publike Bookes of the Church, without the advise of his Clergie? Did ever King Charles meddle in any Church matter of far lesse importance without Doctour Lads counsell? The third excuse, That the King then had no seed: How is this pertinent? May not a childlesse man say in his prayers, that God is the Father of the Elect, and of their seed, though himselfe as yet have no seed? But the true cause of his anger against this passage of the Liturgie, seemeth to have been none other then this Arminian conclusion; that all faith of election in particular, of personall adoption or salvation, is nought but presumption. That this is his Graces faith, may appear by his Chaplains hand, at that base and false story of Ap-Evan by Studley, wherein are bitter invectives against all such perswasions as puritanick delusions, ySatan like an Angell of light stirring up in the heart of immort fied persons, a spirituall pride in a high conceit of their …, the assurance of their election, illumination, conversion, imaginary sense of their adoption, &c.yea, hee is contented that Chouneus should print over and over again his unworthy collections, not onelyonly subscribed by his chaplain, but dedicated to himself, wherein salvation is avowed to be a thing unknown, and whereof no man can have any further, or should wish for any more then a good hope. zPag. 82. Salus … satis certa quā vis ipsis ignota, ex gratia & … sua misericordia det Deus … suavissimam & … spei …, … non expectamus.And if any desire a cleare confession, behold himselfe in those opuscula posthuma of Andrewes, which hee setteth out to the world after the mans death, and dedicates to the King; avowing that the Church of England doth maintaine no personall perswasion of predestination, which Tenet Cardinall Peroun had objected as presumption. *Stricturae, wee thinke it not safe for any man peremptorily to presume himselfe predestinate.White also in his answer to the dialogue, makes mans election a mysterie, which God hath so hid in his secret counsell that no man can in this life come to any knowledge, let bee assurance of it, at great length from the ninety seventh page to the hundred and third, and that most plainly.
But to close this Chapter passing a number of evidences, A demonstration of Canterburies Arminianisme in the highest degree.I bring but one more which readily may bee demonstrative, though all other were laid aside. By the Lawes and practises of England, a Chaplains licencing of a booke for the presse is taken for his Lord the Bishops deed: So Heylen approven by Canterbury teacheth in his Antidotum, aPag. 3. … if you bee so … as not to apprehend that, yet must the publishing of this libell … in conclusion, on my Lord high treasurer the Bishop of London, at whose house the booke was licentiat, which is so high a language against authority, against the practice of this Realme, for licentiating of bookes against the honour of the Star-chamber on whose decree that practice is founded, &c.and for this there is reason, for the Lawes give authority of licencing to no chaplaine, but to their Lords alone, who are to be answerable for that which their servant doth in their name. Also the chaplaine at the licencing receives the principall subscribed copie, which hee delivereth to his Lord, to bee laid up in his episcopall Register. William Bray, one of Canterburies Chaplaines, subscribed … collectiones …, as consonant to the doctrine of the Church of England & meet for the presse. The authour dedicated the treatise to my L. of Canterbury, it was printed at London 1636. into this booke, the first article, which by the confession of all sides, draws with it all the rest, is set downe in more plain and foul tearmes then Molina or any Jesuite; sure I am then Arminius, Vorstius, or any their followers ever did deliver, bPag. 18. Non video … in … quare cum quae est ex Deo per … eandem que actionem bonitatis à seipso emanantem, recta … fidei in Christum resipiscentiae, obedientiae, perseverantiae, sit causa salvationis, perversa quae … hominibus est damnationis, in eadem unitatis ratione, electinis & reprobationis … causae ….teaching in one These those three grosse errours. 1. That mens faith, repentance, perseverance, are the true causes of their Salvation; as Misbeleefe, Impenitencie, Apostasie are of Damnation: Doth Bellarmine goe so farre in his Doctrine of justification and merit? 2. That those sinnes are no lesse the true causes of reprobation then of damnation. 3. That mens faith, repentance, perseverance are no lesse the true causes of their eternall election, then misbeliefe or other sinnes of their temporall damnation. Let charity suppone that his grace in the midst of his numerous and weightie imployments hath been forced to neglect the reading of a booke of this nature, though dedicate to himselfe, albeit it is well known that his watchfull eye is fixed upon nothing more then Pamphlets which passes the presse upon Doctrines now controverted, yet his grace being publikly upbraided, for countenancing of this book by Doctor Bastwick in the face of the Starre-chamber, and being advertised of its dedication to himselfe, of the errours contained in it, yea of injuries against the King of the deepest staine, as these which strooke at the very roote of his supremacie, and that in favour of Bishops. When in such a place Canterbury was taxed for letting his name stand before a Booke that wounded the Kings Monarchicall government at the very heart, and did transferre from the Crowne to the Miter one of its fairest diamonds which the King and his Father before him did ever love most dearely, no Charity will longer permit us to believe, but his Grace would without further delay lend some two or three spare howers to the viewing of such a piece which did concerne the King and himselfe so neerely. Having therefore without all doubt both seen & most narrowly sifted all the corners of that small Treatise, and yet been so farre from reproving the Authour, from censuring the licencer, his Chaplain, from calling in the booke, from expurging any one jot that was in it, that the Treatise the second time is put to the presse at London with the same licence, the same dedication, no letter of the points in question altered: May wee not conclude with the favour of all reasonable men, that it is my Lord of Canterburies expresse minde to have his owne name prefixed, and his chaplaines hand subjoined to the grossest errours of Arminius, and so to professe openly his contempt of the Kings Proclamation, for the pretended violation where, of he causeth stigmatize, mutilat, fine excessively, imprison for time of life, very vertuous gentle-men, both Divines, Lawyers, Physitians, & of other faculties.
What there can be said for his graces apologie Arminianisme is consonant to the Articles of England, and not contrary to the Proclamation.nothing commeth in my mind, except one alledgeance, that the point in hand crosseth not the proclamation, discharging toproceed in those questions beyond the Grammaticall construction and literall sense of the articles of England. The Authour indeed in the Epistle dedicatory avowes to his grace that the These alledged, and all the rest of his Booke doth perfectly agree with the English Articles, in the very first and literall sense, whereof the Proclamation speaketh, cNec videantur sensum articulorum … in literali & grammaticali nedum in … verborum sensu transgredi.And to this assertion the Licencers hand is relative as to the rest of the booke: but of this miserable apologie, which yet is the onelyonly one which I can imagine possible, this will be the necessary issue, that the grosse lie, which good King James put upon the bold brow of impudent Bertius, for his affirming that one article of the Saints apostasie, let bee other more vile Arminian Tenets, was consonant with the Articles of England, must bee throwne back from Bertius on the Kings face, and that in as disgracefull a way as it was first given: Montague and White, with his graces permission, did give that venerable Prince long agoe the lie at home in English, affirming the perfect agreeance of the Arminian apostasie with the Doctrine of England. But this afront contents not his Grace except the barbarous medicine, under the shelter of his Archiepiscopall name belie his Majesty over sea, and over the whole world, where the Latine is understood. Beside this shamefull inconvenience, another dangerous evill will necessarily follow from this apologie, to wit, that the Arminian doctrine may not onelyonly be tollerat in England, which yet if King James bee trusted, cannot faile to draw downe upon England a curse from God, shame from abroad, horrible schisme at home, but also since their grossest Articles are declared in print and in Latine, under the shadow of Canterburies name, to be fully consonant to the very literall sense of the Articles of England, all the members of that Church may bee compelled presently without more delay to embrace those doctrines; and that any manis permitted in England, to believe in peace the Antiarminian Articles, wherein Queene Elisabet and King James did live and die, it is of meere favour and the Princes mercy, who readily by the Arch-bishops intercession is diverted from pressing the profession of those articles; according to the first and most literall sense, which now is clearly avowed to be after Arminius; yea, Molina his mind.