The Life of William Archbishop of Canterbury Examined, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The Canterburians professd affection towards the Pope and Popery in grosse.
IT was the opinion of many among us for a The faction once suspected of Luthcranisme.long time, that the innovating faction did minde no more nor Arminianisme, but at once, those who touched their pulse neerer, did finde a more high humour working in their veines. With Arminius errours they began incontinent to publish other Tenets, which to all meere Arminians were ridiculous follies. The elements of the Lords Supper began by them to bee magnified, above the common phrase of protestant Divines, a corporall presence of Christs humanitie in and about the elements to bee glanced at, a kind of omnipresence of Christs flesh to bee preached, a number of adorations before those elements, and all that was neere them, both the altar, bason, chalice, and chancell to bee urged; many new ceremonies, which for many yeares had beene out of use, to bee taken in, a great bitternesse of spirit, against all who ran not after these new guises to appeare. This made us thinke they intended to step over from Arminius to Luther. In this conception wee were somewhat confirmed, considering their earnest recommendation, to the reading of young Students the late Lutheran Divines, such as Hutter, Meisner, Gerard, with their crying down, both in private and publike, of Calvine, Beza, Martyr, Bucer, and the rest of the famous Writers both ancient and late of the French and Belgicke Churches. Their giving it out also that their martyred Reformers, Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, were of Luthers Schoole, and from him had learned those things, wherein the English Church did differ from the other Reformed of Calvines framing. But most of all, by my Lord of Canterburies great diligence under-hand, to promove and reward that late negotiation of Master Duries with the Churches over Sea, for the extenuating of the Lutheran errours, and procuring with their Churches, not only a syncretisme, which all good men did ever pant for, but also a full peace in tearms so generall, so ambiguous, so slippery, that are very suspitious to many, other wayes very peaceable mindes.
This I speak without any intention of putting the least note of blame either upon the person or pains of Master Durie, or any of the Divines of either side, who have been ready to declare their inclination, and employ their labours towards that more desired then hoped for union of the Protestant Churches, whom evill instruments have keeped too too long asunder in a lamentable, dangerous, and disgracefull distraction. Master Duries labours in this kind were ever by mee esteemed worthy of great prayse, honour, and reward: I wished alwayes in my heart to them a most happy successe ever rejoycing when in any of his informations, I did perceive the lest step of advancement.
My remarke only is upon the malice of the Canterburians, who to their wicked designe of re-uniting to Rome, and so overthrowing all the Protestant Churches, doe most perversly abuse as all, whatsoever at any time hath falne from the pen of any Reformed Writer, tending towards mutuall peace or moderation, so especially the negotiations which of old or late, hath beene in hand for the drawing of us and the Lutherans, into one body: These Treaties whether for a full agreement, or a friendly toleration, are laid by them as the principall ground-stones of their negotiation with Rome, for to them both the persons and doctrine of the Lutherans are more odious than these of the Papists, as you will see it hereafter demonstrate from the Writs of Forbes and Kellet; so that all the countenance they have showne hitherto towards the negotiations of our peace with the Lutherans did not proceed from any true affection, they carried either to the men or to their negotiation in it selfe: but their ayme mainly was to have these Treaties abused as plausible means to advance their own greater designe. This for a time, while their mysteries lay vailed, was not well perceived: the most of men did suspect no more in all their seeming favours towards the Lutheran party, then that a kind of Lutheranisme had beene there uttermost intension, hoping that the motion of their violent minds might have consisted here, without any further progresse.
But it was not long, while every common eye did But at last … was … to be their marke.observe their bowle to roll much beyond that …. They published incontinent a number of the Romish errours, which to the Lutherans were ever esteemed deadly poyson, the Popish Faith, the Trident'ne Justification, merit of Works, Works of Sup …, Doctrinall Traditions, Limbus Patrum, the sacrifice of the Masse, Adoration of Images, Monastick Vows, Abbeys and Nunneries, the authority of the Pope, a re-union with Rome as shee stands. Finding it so, wee were driven to this conclusion, that as ordinarily the spirit of defection doth not permit any Apostates to rest in any midde tearme, but carrieth them along to the extreams of some palpable madnesse, to some strong delusion for the recompence of the first degrees of their fall from the love of the Truth, so also our Faction was carried quite beyond the bounds both of Arminius and Luther, yea of their owne so much once beloved Cassander and Spalato, and all the Lists of that which they were wont to call moderation, to drinke of the vilest abominations, and the lowest dregs of the golden Cup of that Romish Whore: For now Canterburie and his followers, are not ashamed to proclaime in print their affection to popery both in grosse and retail. Let no man in this cast up to me any slander till hee have heard and considered the probation of my alleageance.
f His fifth Sermon through the whole.Popery is a body of parts, if not innumerable, To make way for their designes, they cry downe the Pope. Antichristianisme.yet exceeding many. Their is scarce any member great or smal in this monster, wherto the faction hath not kythed too passionate a love. But for shortnesse, I will shew first their affection to the whole masse of Popish errours, their respect to the Church of Rome, and to the Pope the head thereof, than in particular to the most principall and abominable parts of that Chaos. As for the whole of that confused lumpe, that they may winne the more easily to the embracement of it, they cast downe in the entry the chiefe wall, they remove the mayne impediment, whereby Protestants were ever keeped there from. What ever wee speake of some very few private men, yet all Protestant Churches without exception made ever the Popes Antichristianisme, their chiefe bulwarke to keepe all their people from looking backe towards that Babylonish Whore. No Church did make greater state of that Fort than the English, and no man in that Church more than King Charles blessed Father. Hee was not content himselfe to believe and avow the Pope that great Antichrist, but also with Arguments invincible drawn mainly from some passages of the Revelation, cleared now as light, by the Commentary of the Popes practices, to demonstrate to all Neighbour Princes and States of Christendome in a monitory Treatise this beliefe, for that expresse end, that from this truth cleerly proved, they might not only see the necessity hee had to keepe himselfe and his Subjects for evermore from returning to Rome, but they also by this one argument might be forced to cast off the yoke of the Pope, when they saw him clothed with the garments of Antichrist. It was the the continuall song of all the Bishops and Clergie in England, till Doctor Lad got absolute credit wjth the Duke of Buckingham, that the Popes Antichristianisme was an engine of such efficacie as was able of it selfe alone, if well manadged to overthrow the wals of Rome. For this I give but two witnesses, two late English Bishops both of them deponing before all England to King James and hee accepting their testimony, aCaeterum agendo quam nihil agent, & … disputatione ista de antichristo, liquido constare poterit; quia si causam hanc obtinuerimus esse romanum pontificem antichristum, de reliqua controversii dubitandi no erit … locus, quia de Antichristo Doctrina quin perniciosa sit et impia dubitari non potest.Abbots of Salisbury in his dedicatory Epistle to King James before his treatise of Antichrist, and Downame of Derry in the first paragraph bIlla mihi imprimis quaestio, quae est de antichristo, dignissima semper est …, in qua docti determinanda omnes tum ingenii, tum industriae nervos contenderent: illa enim de veritate quam nos in hac causa singulari Dei beneficio tenemus, si inter omnes semel conveniret, de reliquis statim controversiis actum esset, debillatumque, neque aliquid in posterum periculi foret, quemquam omnino Christianum, cui sua cara esset salus, detecto jam antichristo, agnitoque ….of his booke dedicated also to K. James upon that same subject. Notwithstanding my Lord of Canterburyi For making the way to Rome more smooth, spareth not to cause raze downe to the earth this fort. Montague and White his non-such Divines, as wee heard them stiled at his Graces direction by his Herauld Heylene, will have the Kings unanswerable arguments proponed by him even to sorreine Princes; not onelyonly counted-weak but … frensies. This word doth feately cite from their Appeale. cPelag. rediv. 2. tab. pag. 39. As for the Protestant arguments taken out of the Apocalypse, to prove the Pope to be the Antichrist. … calleth them deliramenta, dotages: And the Appealer to shew more zeale to the Popes cause straineth further, aad tearmeth them Apocalypticall phrensies.Christopher Dow is licentiat by Canterbury, to affirme that howsoever our Divines at the beginning of the Reformation in the heat of dispute did upbraid the Pope with antichristianisme, yet now that heat being cooled, the matter to men in their sober bloud appeares doubtfull, dP. 53. Many … in our Church especially when the greatest heat was stricken betweene us and Rome, have affirmed the Pope to be the Antichrist, yet to them that calmely & seriously consider it, it may not without good reason be disputed as doubtfull.his Graces Herauld appointed to speake for his Lord by the State, doth correct this simple dow and puts the matter out of all doubt, assuring by good scripturall proofe, by a text miserably abused, that the pope is not, was not, and cannot bee Antichrist. ePag. 128. I have yet one thing more to say to you in this point, St. Iohn hath given it for a rule, that every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the slesh, is not of God, but is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof yee have heard. So that unlesse you can make good (as I thinke you cannot) that the Pope of Rome confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, you have no reason to conclude that hee is that Antichrist.And that in this matrer there may hereafter betwixe rhe Canterburians and Rome remaine no shadow of Controversie, their man Shelfoord, comes home to Bellarmine, well nere in omnibus: making Antichrist one single man; a Jew preaching formall blasphemies against Christs natures and person thre yeeres and an halfe, killing by his hands Enoch and Elias, and least any footstep of this belief should ever appeare in the Church of England; Canterbury confesseth that the place of the publick liturgie wherein it was imported, was changed by his own hand.gStar-chamber speech, pag. 32. the first place is changed thus, from, Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian Sect, which say of Jerusalem, into this forme of words, Root out that Romish and Babylonish Sect, of them, which say, This alteration is of sosmall consequence that it is, not worthy the speaking. or if there be any thing of moment in it, it is answered in the next, where the chiefe thing hee sayes, is, that hee was commanded to alter it by the King for to remove scandall from the Papists.
This scarre-crow being set aside, at once the They are content to have the ….Pope, the Cardinals and all their Religion began to looke with a new face. Anent the Pope they tell us first, h…that the reformers did him pittiful wrong in spoiling him, not onelyonly of those things he had usurped, but of many priviledges which were his owne by due right, and should have beene left to him untouched. Againe they will have us to believe, that the See of Rome was truely Peters Apostolick Chaire, that Peter was truely a Prince among the Apostles, that the Pope is i… of the … pag. 183. A primacie of order was never denied to St. Peter, that Rome had … … other Churches: the Protestants grant, and that not only, because the Roman … was ordine primus, first in order and degree, which some one must be to avoid confusion, but also, &c. Ibid. pag. 154. … saith indeed, that in the Church of Rome there did ever … the principalitie of an …, this no man denies. Ibid. pag. 133. No man of learning doubts but the Church of … had a powerfull … within its own …. Montag. Antid. p. 51. Damus à … ad …. Augustini in … Romana Apostolicae … princ patum. Ibid. pag. 57. Quae ratio … singulorum in suis foreign Ep scoporum, cadem erat in provinciis …, in …, recte autem (quis negat …, & cautum per …, ut … ille … (nec hoc …) …, cui tot per occidentem …, ubi fides … universalis, at foreign in rebus ad foreign … & quicquid … suo … confirmaret, … ratum …, … legis vim & essicaciam per … un versal mobtincret. Ibid. pag. 80. Monarchae sunt … in … foreign, Monarchae in suis foreign Metropolitae, … augustiores, … per unam … Catholicam: Praecipuae … parti Christiani orbis hoc est, cunctis ad … cum … quadam non … praesuit Pontisex, … obstaret illa … ambitio etiam hedie ….Peters onelyonly successour, that within the bounds of his owne Patriarchat hee is a Prince, hee is a Monarch. Thirdly, that order and unity doe necessarily require one Bishop to have the inspection and superioritie ouer all Bishops, and that this prerogative by good Ecclesiasticall right is due to the Pope. kCant. relat. pag. 183. The Roman Prelate was ordine primus, first in order or degree, which some one must bee to avoid confusion. …. antid. p. 116. Certum est ratione vinculi … inter … ord … inter Patriarchas universalis … curam ad … sed m const …. Ibid. pag. 51 … ordinata … foreign constitu a. …; multi & …, ut … eluceat, & harmonia conservetur ab … est origo …. Vnde … ab …, & illum ord …, & … beat, si … Pontiser. Inter … sacerdotes … & societas … quoad … & … executionem non … fieri & …; Inde … per consensum … ani orbis …, …, à … Romano …. Ibid. pag. 158 Illi … principatum …, super … anti quitas tribui, ….Fourthly, that all the authoritie which the English Bishops have this day, specially his Grace of Canterbury, is derived to them from the Pope and Peters Chaire, That if this derivation could not be clearlie demonstrate, the Clergie of England might justly refuse all obedience to their Bishops jurisdiction. lPokling. … p. 50. Miserable were we, if he that now … Archbishop of Canterbury, could not derive his succession from St. …, St. Augustine … St Gregory, St. Gregory from St. …. What a comfort is it to his Grace, that he can say, … Apostolorum, I, and my preducessours have …. …. Sunday at the beginning. Our Diocesan can derive himselfe the Successour of an Apostle, otherwise we should have taken his call for the voice of a stranger, and not have here appeared. It is St. … resolution, … Episcoporum ab ipsa sede Petri, is that which among other things by … named, keep, us in the bosome of the Church, and subjects us to our Bishops jurisdictionFifthly, that divers of the late Popes have beene very good men, yea, among the best of men, that those of them who have beene verie monsters of men, yet for that veneration which their high and eminent place in the Church of God, doth require all the stiles of Honour in Justice is due to them, even holinesse it selfe in abstracto, that to refuse them this, or their other titles is but brainsick puritanisme.mMontag orig Eccles. pag. 114. Patrum nostrorum vel avorum memoria duo summi Pontisices viri … & doct …, Hadrianus sextu, & Bellarmini avunculus Marcellus secundus. An id. pag. 47. … Pontisex Maximus …, scio vocatum …, … Papam & Pastorem …, quid si hec …. Orig. p. 417 Certis quibusdam titulis, & … foreign … ab … viri … etiam & … honorarunt, isto honorum …, non est …, sed nec … reprehendere, aut … derogare id quod solent foreign, … indigitare certissimus est character … … adorator, cum … portan … Paulo al cui … … Sexto, … … & caeteris, si qui sunt … … ….
Sixthly, That the dignity of the Episcopall office specially the Bishop of Rome his eminencie was as far above the dignitie of the Emperors and Kings, as the soule is above the body, or God above the creature, yea, that the stile of GOD was but the Popes due: nMontag. …. pag. 166. Est …, ut recte observat Philo. foreign itaque ut foreign Iesu Christi ut Dei atque hominum foreign summus à Christianis omnibus, Divino instituto debetur honor & reverentia singusaris, ibid. p. 40. Fatetur ultro … aliquo modo in … supra regiam …, cum vetusti & orthodoxis …, foreign (inquit Chrysostom foreign (… prius …) foreign, & Nazian. in apologia foreign ibid pag. 161. Allusum est a pussimo rege ad illud Exodi, Constitui te Deum Pharaonis, communicat … foreign, seu Pontificio, seu Civili, sui ipsi is foreign, dii … quis vingatur ob hanc foreign, & merito quos locum ille suum … inter … sustinere.Seventhly, that Emperours and Kings dld but their duety in giving reverence; yea, adoration unto the Pope with great summes of money by way of tribute: oMontag. antid. pag. 40. Non est mirum si Constantinus, olim …, Carolus, & alii …, de equis descenderint, venientes exceperint, religionis antistites Christianae venerationemque exhibuerint. Quid … non ita pridem lot Sultanos tautam observantiam exhibuisse tam ampla … persolvi se: Non minora quondam principes & populi Christiani Christianis … Ramanis … exhibuerunt, exhibebunt … ad pristinos illos mores, si tantum revertatur, & exempla pietatis …. ibid. pag. 158. Adoravit Johannem Justinus, sic & Constantinus inferiores Joanne sacerdotes, adoravit autem, dicit autor ille tuus dans gloriam Deo.Eighthly, that the temporall Principalities which the Pope enjoyeth this Day in Italie, or elsewhere are buthis just possessions, which none ought to envy him: pMontag. antid. pag. 95. Habeat ille suas sibi opes & facultates, fundos habeat & latisundia principatum & dom nium per Ecclesiae terras, & Petri possessiones obtineat, dummodo contentus … liberalitate, alienam non invadat possessionem.Ninthly, that the restitution of the Popes ancient authority in England, and yeelding unto him all the power that this day he hath in Spaine or France, would bee many wayes advantageous, and in nothing prejudiciall to the King: qCant. relat. pag. 202. Hee that is not blinde may see, if hee will, of what little value the Popes power in France and Spaine is this day further then to serve the turns of their Kings therewith, which they doe to their great advantage.10 The old constitution of the Emperour, whereby all the westerne clergie is so farre subjected to the Bishop of Rome, that without him they are disabled to make any Ecclesiasticall law, and obliged to receive for lawes what hee doth enjoyne, was very reasonable: yea, if the King would be pleased to command all the Church men in his dominions to be that far subject to the Pope, they would be unreasonable to refuse present obedience: rMontagantid. pag. 156. Quod è codice allegatur Theodosiano decernimus ne quid tam … Gallicanis quam alierum …, contra … veterem liceat … viri venerabilis … urbis … authoritate tentare, sed illis omnibusque legis loco sit, quisquid sanxit sanxeritve sedis … authoritas. Quicquid … pontifici (saith Montagow) arrogatur id totum edicto debetur Theodofiano vel vetustae consuetudini, quicquid autem per rescriptum … imperatoris ad occidentales … solos pertinebat, & nec … quibus juxta veterem … Pontifex, praesidebat ut …: Decernat imperator de … is …, Rex Angliae de … suis, Francorum de Gallicanis, quod olim Theodosius decrivit, dicto … omnes obediantes.OnelyOnly by all meanes my Lord of Canterburies prerogative behoved to bee secured, his ancient right to the patriarchat of the whole Isle of Britaine behoved to be made cleare, that to his rod the whole clergie of the Isle might submit their shoulders, as to their spirituall head and Monarch, from whom to Rome there could bee no appeale, sCant. relat. pag. 171. It is …, that in … times, in the Church government, Britaine was never subject to the Sea of Rom; for it was one of the six dioces of the West Empire, and had a Primat of its own: Nay … Capgraw, and … tell us, that Pope … the … in the Councel at Bari in …, accounted my worthy … S … …, and said, He was as the … and Apostolick of the other world, … comparem, & veluti … orbis & Patriarcham. Now the Britains having a Primate of their …, which is greater then a Metropolitan; yea, a Patriarch, if ye will, he could not be … from to Rome.in any cause which concerned onelyonly the Churches of the Kings dominions; for in causes more universall of the whole Catholicke Church, willingly they are contented that the Patriarch of Britaine and all others should submit to their grand Apostollcke father of Rome. t…Every one of these pontificall positions since the midst of Henry the eights raigne, would have beene counted in England great paradoxes, yet now all of them are avowed by Canterburie himselfe, in that very booke which the last … at the Kings direction hee set …, for to satisfie the world anent their suspition of his Popery, or else by D. Montagu in his bookes yet unrepealed, and cleanged of all suspition of Poperie by M. Dow, under the seale of his Graces licensing servant.
This much for the Pope. About the Cardinalls they tell us that their office is an high and eminent Their minde to the Cardinalat.dignity in the Church of God; for the which their persons are to be handled with great reverence and honour, wMontag. ap. pag. 56. … potuit $$Para$$.that their office is a … due to high graces and …, that some of them though the greatest enemies that ever the reformed Churches have felt, such as … that spent all his time in opposing the truth and advancing Antichristianisme, and Barromaeus x…. Alt. p 34. The … … in his jearing … Cardinall Baromaeus, whereas, if he … to read his life, he may not be … that the Cardinall was a man of …, and spent the greatest part of his life in fasting, prayer, …, preaching, …, and doctrine, and did … both impiety and vanity both in word and deed. Me thinkes his … should check him for his scornfull usage of a man who had the report of so vertuous and pious a Bishop.a bloudy persecutor of our religion and one of the fathers of Trent, that even such men are so full of grace and piety, that it is a great fault in any Protestant to break so much as a jest on their rid hattes.
Where the head and shoulders are so much affected it is hard to restraine charity from the They affect much to bee joyned with the Church of Rome, as she stands.… of the body. These good men vent their passion no lesse towards the body of the present Church of Rome, then towards the Pope and the Cardinails. For first his grace avowes over and over againe that the Papists and we are of one and the same religion, that to speake otherwaies, as the Liturgie of England did all King Iames dayes, were a matter of very dangerous consequent, and therefore he consesseth his helping that part of the liturgie which puts a note of infamy upon the Popish religion, least that note should fall upon our owne religion which with the Popish is but all one. yCant. relat. p. 36. the Church of Rome & Protestants set not up a different Religion, for the Christian Religion is the same to both, but they differ in the same Religion, and the difference is in certain grosse corruptions to the very endangering of salvation, which each side saith the other is guilty of. Star chamber speech. p. 36. My second reason is, That the learned make but three Religions to have been of old in the world, Paganisme, Judaisme, and …, and now they have added a fourth which is …. Now if this ground of theirs be true, as it is generally received, perhaps it will bee of dangerous consequence sadly to … that the … religion is rebellion, though … clause passed in the … through … in King … …, this reason well … is taken from the very foundation of Religion it self. ibid. page 34. His Majesty … commanded … to make the alteration, and to see it printed.2. They will have us to understand though wee and the Papists differ in some things, yet that this very day there is no schisme betwixt Papists and Protestants, that Protestants keepe union and communion with the Church of Rome in all things required for the essence of a true Church and necessary for salvation, that though they communicate not with some of her doctrines and practices, yet this marres not the true union and communion of the two Churches both in faith and …. That these who passe harder censures upon Rome are but zelots in whom too much zeale hath burnt up all wisedome and charity. z…. pag. 3. 06. We dare not communicat with Rome, either in her publick … which is … with grosse superstition, or in these corrupt and ungrounded opinions, which shee hath added to the faith. These make up the …, but not the Church of Rome. In them our communion is dissolved, but … have still a true and reall union with that and all other members of the Church universall in faith and charity. ibid. p. 74. To depart from the Church of Rome in some … and practices, we had just and necessary cause though the Church of Rome … nothing necessary to salvation. There is great difference betwixt shisme from them and reformation of our selfe. It is one thing to leave communion with the Church of Rome, and another to leave communicating with her errors, whosoever professeth himselfe to forsake the communion of any one member of Christs body, must confesse himselfe consequently to forsake the whole. And therefore we forsake not Romes communion more nor the body of Christ whereof we acknowledge the Church of Rome to be a member, though corrupted. If any Zelots … proceeded among us to heavier censures, their zeale may be excused, but their charity and wisdome cannot be justified. Cant. relat. p. 192. The Protestants have not lest the Church of Rome in her essence, but in her errors, not in the things which constitute a Church, but only in such abuses and corruptions which work toward the dissolution of a Church.3. That the points wherein the two Churches doe differ are such as prejudge not the Salvation of either party, that they are not foundamentall, and albeit they were so: yet the truths that the Papists doe maintaine are of force to hinder all the evill that can come from their errours. &Can. …. 1. p. 249. The foundation is & … whole in the midst of their superstitions. … answer, p. 124. Suppose a great Prelate in the high Commission Court had said openly, That we and the Church of Rome differed not in fundamentalibus, yet how commeth this to be an innovation in the doctrine of England for that Church telleth us in the 19. article, That Rome doth … in matters of Faith, but it hath not told us that she doth erre in fundamentalibus. … old religion after the beginning: It is the charitable profession of zealous …, that under the Popery there is much Christian good, yea, all, that under the Papacy there is true Christianity, yea, the kernell of Christianity? Neither doe wee censure that Church for what it hath not, but for what it hath. Fundamentall truth is like the … wine, which if it be mixed with twenty times so much water, … his …. Rome as it is Babylon, we must come out of it, but as it is an outward visible Church, we … did nor would, … Maskel. Popery is …, but fundamentall truth is an antidote. A little quantity of antidot that is soveraigne, will destroy much poyson. Pottar. p. 62. The most necessary and fundamentall truths which constitute a Church, are on both sides unquestioned, ibid. By fundamentall points of … we understand these prime and capitall doctrines of Religion, which … up the holy Catholick Faith, which … constitutes a true Church and a … Christian. The Apostles … taken in a Catholick sense that is as it was … opened in some parts by occasion of emergent … in the other Catholick creeds of Nice, …, Epbesus, Chalcedon and … is said generally by the Schoolmen and Fathers to comprehend a perfect … of fundamentall truths and to imply a full rejection of fundamentall …. ib. p. 109. It seemed to some men of great learning and judgement, such as Hooker and …, that all who prosesse to … Lord …, are …, and may be …, though with errors, even fundamentall. Hereticks do imbrace the principles of …, and … onelyonly by misconstruction. Whereupon … opinions, albeit repugnant indeed to Faith, yet are held otherwise by them, and maintainedas consonant to the Faith.4. That the Popish errours, let bee to bee fundamentall, are of so small importance as they doe not prejudge either faith, hope, or charity, let be salvation.
aCant. relat. pag. 361. Holcat. Non omnes error in his quae fidei sunt est aut …, aut …, In things not necessary, though they bee divine truths if about them men differ, it is no more then they have done, more or lesse in all ages, and they may differ and yet preserve that one necessary Faith intire, and charity also, if they be so well …, for opinions which fluttereth about that one soules saving Faith, there are dangerous differences this day. Pottar. pag. 38. It is a great vanity to hope or expect that all learned men in this life should absolutely consent in all the … of the divine truth, so long as the faith once delivered to the Saints, and that common faith containing all necessary verities is keeped. So long as men walke charitably according to this rule, though in other things they be otherwise minded, the unity of the Church is no wise violated: for it doth consist in the unity of faith, not of opinions, in the union of mens hearts by true charity, which easily tolerateth unnecessary differences. Some points of religion are … articles essentiall in the object of Faith. Dissention in these is pernitious, and destroieth unity. Other, are secundary probable obscure and accidentall points: … in these are tolerable. Unity in these is very contingent and variable. As in musicall consort, a discord now and then, so it bee in the discant, and depart not from the ground sweetens the harmony: so the variety of opinions and rites in divers parts of the Church, doth rather commend then prejudice the unity of the whole. Montag. Antigag pag. 14. Truth is of two sorts among men, manifest and confessed truth, or more obscure and involved truth. Plainly delivered in Scripture are all these points which belong unto Faith, and manners, hope and charity. I know none of these contraverted inter partes. The articles of our creedare confessed on both sides, and held plaine …. The contraverted points are of a larger and inferiour alloy. Of them a man may bee ignorant without any danger of his … at all. A … this way or that way without … of … Cant. …. about the …. The … of Rome …, and in the very kinde and nature, are …, …, hay, and stuble, yet the Bishop thought that … as were … by education, or long custome, or overvaluing the Soveraignty of the … Church, and did in … of heart imbrace …, … by their generall … and … in the … of Christ, attended with charity and other vertues … at Gods hand. … pag. 235. Though there be some difference among us in ceremonies and …, which …, yet still our head Christ by … stands upon our body, and the substance of the Gospel is intire and whole among us by … the articles of the Faith, the volume of the New-Testament, and the practice thereof by Faith and good workes. ibid. 239. There bee … which … our agreement. What then? Among the Greekes there were divers …, and yet … but one language, they … together in the maine. So though Papists have a letter more then wee, and we one letter for another, yet we hold together in the …. Paul could beare … differences, expecting Gods reformation. … you be otherwise minded God shall …. For the present let us be patient, and after … God will shew where the … heth. Why should we presume so … of … wee are in our none-age, and know … in part? Have not better men then we … Have not … Fathers and slyding Schoolists been alwaies borne with in … of Religion?Fistly, That a generall repentance for all unknowne sinnes is sufficient to secure the salvation not only of these who have lived and died in the Popish tenets before the Councell of Trent, but even to this day not onelyonly their people, but their most learned Clergie, Popes, Cardinalls, Jesuits, living and dying in their bitter oppositions and persecutions of Protestants, are in no hazard of damnation, though they never come to any particular acknowledgement of their sinfull opinions or practises following thereupon. bPottar pag. 77. We hope well of these holy …, who … ages lived and … in the Church of Rome, for though they … in … sinfull …, yet because they did it ignorantly through …, not knowing them either to be … or sinnes, and repented in generall for all … knowne …, … doubt not, but they obtained pardon of all their ignorances. Nay, our charity … further to all these this day, who in … of heart … the Roman … and … it. But we understand onelyonly them who either have no … to …, or … such as after the use … the best meanes they can have, … things …, find no sufficient motives to … Hall, I dare bee bold to say … Church of Rome had … years before the councel of …, to good a … of … doth ….Sixtly, They teach us that Papists may not in reason bee stiled either idolaters, or hereticks, or shismaticks. His grace in that great large folio set our the last yeare, to declare to the world the farthest that his minde could bee drawen for to oppose Popery, is not pleased to my memory, in his most vehement oppositions to lay to then charge any of these three crimes, neither doe I remember in all the search my poore lecture hath made, that any of his favourits in their writtes these twelve yeares bygone hath layed to the charge of Rome in earnest, either idolatry heresie or shisme, but by the contrary hath absolved them clearly in formall tearmes all those three crimes. c…, page 300. I am not in the … that all images are idols, but only when they are … for gods. This the … the … shipping of …, with …, that is divine worship, as it is used by …, …. …. p. 299 They keepe close to that which is superstition, and in the case of images come … to …. … p. 79. Et … palam non …: à pretate & … moribus … in … non … quam milvus & corvus … animalierant in area … foreign singulari, At nullus in area erat idololatres, quia … quatenus Christianam …. Montag. Orig. p. 309. … cultum latriam quam appellant …, nec debemus sive … sive … quamvis excellentissimae impend re. … Pontificius & … non …, … modo … creaturae … ne …. Montag. Antigag. p. 319 Yousay, that images must not have … so we: let your practice and doctrine … together, and we agree. Dow against Burton. p. 142. When Burton objecteth that … did … out of the publick … of fasts, this sentence, Thou hast delivered us from superstition and … wherein we were … drowned, his chiefe answer is, That men may be good Protestants, and yet not … all their sorefathers, who lived before the reformation, as he must doe, who saith of them, they were wholly drowned in idolatry, which though M. … perhaps will not, yet some men may think it to be a reason sufficient for the leaving out of that sentence.Of idolatry because they teach not the giving of … to any image or any creature, d…. page 306. Non omnis error in his quae … insidelitas aut heresis. Pottar. p 102. Every … so passionately in love with their owne opinions that they condemne all other differing from them to bee hereticall, so there … not a … on earth who in the judgement of many other is not an …, ibid. page The Giant in Gath was a true man, though much deformed with … sing is and toes, but if one lose any vitall part, … a man no longer, there is not so much danger in adding super …, as is in …, what is essentiall and …, that the Church shall never bee robbed of any …, necessary to the being of the Church, the promises of Christ assureth us, but that she … no … truth wee have no warrantOf heresie, because their errours taketh no part of the foundation away, but are onelyonly excesses and additions consisting with all … trueth. eCant relat. page 316. If any will bee a leader and teaching …, and adde … to …, and bee … in both, … without repentance must needs be lost, while many that succeed him in the errour onelyonly, and notobstinacy may bee saved: I say, those, howsoever …, are neither … nor hereticks before God and are therefore in a state of salvation. Montag Apar. p. 283. … & … non … qui constanter retinent doctrinam …, necenim ille haereticus dicetur, qui per omnia Romanam fidem integerrimè prositetur. ibid. p. 389. Schismatici & singularitate rapti in transversum quales Scaliger, …, Pareus, & … opinatores, quaero autem an quis ferendus fit homo novus terrae filius, … contempto spreto que consensu majorum suas phreneticas observationes … seritOf shisme, because they goe on in the practice of their forbeares without introducing any late novations. 7. They declare it were very good wee had present peace with Rome as shee stands, her errors being but in opinions which charity ought to tolerate, that the Church of England would gladly embrace this peace, that Cassander and the like who further this reconciliation are the men of the world most worthy of praise, that the Jesuits and Calvinists both puritanes who hinder this peace are the most flagitious and intollerable fShelford p. 238. Let us Christians leave off our divisions, the Papists and we call upon one God our Father, upon one Christ our Sav our, … holy Ghost our …, and we have but one mean to unite us to this holy …, which is baptisme, How then should we not be brethren? O blessed … raise up one to bid the people returne, blessed be that peace-maker among men, Nulla … pacem te … omnes. ibid. p. 296. Why judge we so eargerly others for holding of errours, are any without them? Some errours we may beare with, charity … me to judge that errours of Christians are not of intention but ignorance. For I beleeve that …, and willingly, …, Protestant nor Lutheran would wrong their head Christ, whom daily they professe. Montag …. p 45 Citius inter … bono, quam inter Protestantes & Papistas inaudita …, & … nuper inauspicato … controversis inter … questionibus conveniet, sed … de … istis quae penè … sani, …, in vita & … bus nobis …, cum prophani homines & politici sub … & … religionis suas … actiones, enormiz desideria soleant …. Post mota … inter … odiis decertatum vatinianis, atque eo … est … & excessus ut ferre eos nequeant zelota & … I heologi qui non una cum ipsis velint …. … Cassander vir usque ad miraculum eruditus … modestia & …, … ab importunis utrinque censoribus, Calvino nimirum propter editum … aureum libellum de officio viri pii, & … inter … propter consultationem … … nemo, quam fortunae … subeite … Fricius … qui impudenter noluerunt esse …. ibid pag. 78. Hoc tempore … protestantium & papistarum variantibus de fide ac pietate sententiis distraxerunt in diversum Christianum otbem, si qui … qui bellum malint …, qui velint odia exerceri im nortalia traducant illi nostram quae solet odiosius exagitari tepeditatem vel foreign: Ego filius illius pacifici & … qui … utraque unum … materie separationis; neque certè arbitror ab … foreign abhorret nostrae Anglicanae Ecclesiae … & voluntas, quod nonnulli … & … contendunt, ibid. p. 245. In Pharisaeis ad vivum depictas imagines intueamur corum … qui Pharisaica nobis institu ta in Christianismum retulere, … intelligo & Jesuitas, sive ut verius dicam utrinque puritanos honestatis etiam civilis reduvias, pietatis carcinomata, & Christianismi dehonestamenta pacis & concordiae alastoras & pernities.persons of this age. All this and much more of such stuffe you may see printed not onelyonly with allowance but with applause by the chiefe of that faction his Grace himselfe, Montagow the first of the three nonesuches, Pottar in that his much beloved piece put out as hee saith at the command of authoritie. gPottars Epistle to the King, it was undertaken in obedience to your Majesties particular commandement.Shelfoord in his pious sermons printed by the university of Cambridge Presse at the direction of the Vice-chancellour, D. Beel dedicated to the Lord Keeper of England, adorned with many triumphing Epigrammes both Latine and English by a number of the Fellows, and although called in, yet no censure to this day for all the eomplaints against it, to our hearing hath beene put either on the Author or Printer, or Licencer, or Adorners or any Doctrine contained therein, but the worst that Burton could pick out of it, is all defended by Dow and Heylen, at his Graces speciall direction, and subscribed licence, as we shall heare anon.
I hope now that all true Protestants pondering the passages I have brought, besides many moe, wherewith themselves from their owne readings are acquainted, will not onelyonly absolve my alledgeances of rashnesse and slander, but also wonder at the incredible boldnesse of those men, who in these times wherein the Prince and State are by so many and deep tyes obliged, and according to their obligations hath so oft declared themselves passionately zealous for the maintainance of Protestant orthodoxie, that yet they should bee so peart as to print in the royall city, and that after the long and great grumblings of the people and formal challenges of divers of the learned to reprint their clear affection to the Pope and Cardinalls, and the whole Romish religion, albeit truely this their ventorious boldnesse seemes not more marveilous then their ingenuity commendable: For they have said nothing for the Pope, or Rome, but that which conscience would pouse any man upon all hazards to avow, who was so perswaded in the particular heeds of controversies betwixt Papists and Protestants, as they confesse themselves to be; to the end therefore that we may see the former strange enough passages not to have dropped from their pennes by any inadvertance, but upon plaine designe and deliberate purpose, we will set downe in the next roome the affection they professe to the speciall heads of Popery, very consonant to that which they have already said of that which wee count the whole lumpe and universall masse … Antichristianisme. The speciall heads of Popery are moe then I have leasure to relate, or you can have patience to heare enumerate. Take notice therefore but of some prime articles which Protestants use most to detest in Papists, foure by name; their idolatries, their heresies, their superstitions, their abomination of desolation the masse. If from their owne mouths I make cleare that in these foure they joyne with Rome against us, it is like none hereafter shall wonder of any thing that yet they have done or said for the advancement of the popish party, and the subverting of the Protestant Churches either at home, or over sea, but rather embrace their sobriety and moderation, who being minded, as they professe, doe not breake out in many moe both words and deeds, for the destroying of the Protestant schisme, and bringing all backe to the Catholick Apostolick mother Church of Rome, and unto the feet of his Holinesse the vicar of Christ, the successor of Peter, under whose obedience our holy and blessed antecestors did live and die.