A Reply to a Relation, Dedication
TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY. THE TRVE CHVRCH AND CHILDREN, THE TRUE FAITH AND RELIGION OF JESUS CHRIST do humbly present their Petition of Right.
THAT whereas a Book intituled, A Relation of a Conference between WILLIAM LAUDE, and Mr. FISHER the Iesuite, hath been by the said WILLIAM, now of Canterbury, lately republished, and that, under your Majesties Patronage, and in the publishing whereof (as he saith) he hath obeyed your Majesty: And whereas A Reply to the said Relation is now, under the Patronage of JESUS CHRIST, and in obedience to his Word, and by assistance of his Grace, here published and presented to your Majesty and before all the World; in which Reply are detected and clearely evinced, by manifold and infallible Testimonies sundry particular passages and Doctrines of the Relator, which directly overthrow all true Christian Faith and Religion: And whereas in this Reply is clearely proved, that Prelaticall Government of the Church, or the Hierarchy (as they call it) is meere Antichristianisme, and the very Mistery of Iniquity, branded by the Apostle, and expresly forbidden by Christ himselfe to his Apostles, whose Successors the Prelates falsely pretend to be; and that all Prelates, even as they are Prelates, are both by their Profession and Practise, so many Anti…hrists, adversaries to CHRIST, who (as the Great Antichrist) sit as Gods in the Temple of GOD, Lording over the Faith, Soule, and Conscience of GODS People, thrusting CHRIST out of his Throne: And whereas notwithstanding the manifest truth hereof confirmed by most cleare Testimony, and undeniable Proofes of Scripture, the Relator, or Prelate, hath in his said Relation uttered sundry blasphemous Speeches, belying the Wisedome, Counsell, and Providence of GOD, and of CHRIST, as making Him the Author and Ordainer of such a Hierarchicall Government of his Church, which is to Father upon GOD and CHRIST, a most notorious Lye and Falshood; where he addes withall a blasphemous New Article of Belief of the Church of England, that this is a truth: And whereas the Holy Scriptures is and hath been in all Ages, and by all Sound and Orthodox Divines, both Ancient and Moderne, both Forraigne and Domestick, universally received, held, and constantly beleeved and maintained against all Adversaries of the Truth, to be the OnelyOnly Rule of Faith and Iudge of Controversies in Divinity, and alone Selfe-sufficient to give Testimony to it selfe, that it is the undoubted Word of GOD; as in this Reply also is fully prooved: And whereas the Relator notwithstanding hath loded the Scripture with many intollerable repr…ohes, and blasphemous words of disgrace, censuring it as an insufficient witnesse to it selfe, and an incompetent Iudge of Controversies in Faith, as being both a blinde, dumbe, and dead Judge, and that it hath no light in it selfe, but is as a Candle in a box without light, till, Tradition of the present Church doe light it; and the like, the very ground of all Infidelity and Apostacie. And whereas notwithstanding all such his blasphemies against the Scripture, wherewith he hath stuffed some 30 leaves in Follio, besides many other the like, scattered all along his Book, he, the same Relator out of his grosse hypocrisie addeth this proud Blasphemy to all the rest, That he hath given the Scripture all honour, and ascribed unto it Sufficiencie more then enough: And whereas also (as appeareth in this Reply) the Relator belyes and blasphemes the Holy Ghost himselfe, making him the Author of most notorious lyes and vanity: And whereas the Relator doth define a meere false and counterfeit Catholicke Church, contrary to that Holy Catholick Church, beleeved in the Creed, whereby he overthrowes both that Article of Faith, and with all the Communion of Saints, teaching, that his Catholicke Church, though it cease to be holy, yet is a true Church of CHRIST still: And whereas of and in this his new Catholicke Church which the Relator beleeveth, he makes the Church of England and of Rome to be one and the same Church, and both to hold one and the same Faith of that his Catholicke Prelaticall Church (which Faith is declared in the Reply not to be the true saving Faith) and that they both do set up and professe one and the same Religion, not different, in which Faith and Religion of the Church of England and of Rome (he saith) as he hath lived, so he resolves to dye; as much to say, as he will live and dye an English-Romish-Catholicke: And whereas the Replyer proveth (and which no Papist denyeth) that the maine substance of the Romish Religion is the Masse: And whereas the Relator confesseth, that (though a simple Papist may, as he saith) yet no Romanist, as a Romanist, living and dying in the Roman Faith can be saved, and yet this Faith of Rome is the same with that of England, wherein he will end his dayes; So as the Church of England may hereby see in what a case she is, and how highly she is preferred by her Primate, as to be brought to be of the same Church, the same Faith, the same Religion with Rome; enough to startle all your Majesties Subjects, that till now thought themselves to bo Protestants, and no Papists; and to cause all zealous Christians to abandon all communion with such a Church, as is the same Church, of the same Faith and Religion with Rome: And wheras this Relator professeth and teacheth a blind Charity (sutable to his Faith) which he boldly affirmeth to be not a mistaken Charity, in granting, that a silly ignorant Papist, so living and dying, may be Saved by his Ignorance in that Religion, conforming himselfe to his Religious life: and on the contrary condemning such Protestants of stiffenesse and churlishnesse, that are not of the same Charity with him, though the Replyer proveth, that there is no true Charity without true Faith and Verity: And whereas the same Relator is shewed in this Reply to give much more liberty to your Majesties Protestant People to go… to the Romish Masse (as being with him one and the same undiffering Religion with that of England) then the Jesuite doth to his blind Romanist, to come to the English Church: And whereas the same Relator hath many passages, wherein he makes a Generall Councell of Prelates, Iudge in all Controversies of Faith, ascribing unto them an Infallibility; and in case they shall erre, and that even in grosse things, and points of Faith, yet that all men are bound to yeeld obedience, at least externall, till another Generall Counsell equall to the former reverse those Errours; whereupon by Consequence of this Prelaticall doctrine (as the Replyer doth instance) the Church of England it self is bound to observe the worship of Images, and the forbearance of the Cup in the Sacrament, &c. decreed in Generall Councels, and not yet reversed by other Generall Councels equall to those: And whereas the Relator calls Transubstantiation, Purgatory, and the forbearance of the Cup but disputable and Improbable Questions (the nature of which is, to be taken indifferently Pro and Con: And whereas he never once in all his Relation calls the Romish-worship of Images, and of the Sacrament, or any other Idolatry in all the Romish Church, but onelyonly by the name of Superstition, abstaining altogether from the name of Idolatry, as if with him the Roman Church were no Idolatresse: And whereas he much lamenteth the Seperation and rent between the Protestants and Rome, with the continuance of it; although with the Iesuite, he confesse, that errour in Faith is just cause of separation: And whereas he the same Relator doth cunningly, yet palpably enough, in sundry passages of his Booke (as also he hath openly done viva voce at the High-Commission-Board) exclude all the Reformed Protestant Churches beyond the Seaes, as no Churches of Christ, as not admitting the Hierarchy; Finally also in his Book quipping Luther, and in him all the Reformed Churches, as having made a rent not onelyonly from Rome with her corruptions, but even from the Catholick Church it selfe; which indeed (in the Relators sense and difinition of the Catholicke Church) is most true, to wit, from the universall Hierarchy: And whereas he, the Relator, doth every where highly extoll his Ceremonies in Gods worship, as without which (he saith) there is no light left to shine before men that they may see his Devotion, and so glorify GOD, (therein most foulely and odiously perverting and abusing the holy Text of Scripture uttered by CHRIST to a cleane other purpose as the Replyer hath noted) all which Ceremonies, being a will-worship after the Tradition and Commandement of men, the Apostle doth utterly condemn, as wherby the very merits of Christs death are made of none effect, who in his death destroyed All Ceremonies in Religion obliging the Conscience, and not onelyonly the Levitic…ll, but all other whatsoever of humane Ordinance, as the Replyer clearely proveth; So as it is not left to any Power on Earth to impose the least Ceremony, (yea though it be of nature indifferent) to bind the Conscience in the service of GOD, seeing all such imposition is Antichristian Tyranny: And whereas all Prelaticall, Hereticall, and Antichristian Faction erected by the Prince of darkenesse against Iesus Christ, and his Kingdome, as is apparent both by their profession and practice, wherein they have nothing at all, yea not any one thing to show, wherein they resemble either Christ, or any one of his Apostles (except Iudas) Christs Kingdome being altogether spirituall, and not of this world, but the Hierarchy a meere carnall and worldly Kingdome, onelyonly guilded over with the bare name of spirituall: And whereas the Relator throughout his whole Booke bewrayeth his most palpable and profound ignorance, and notorious blindnesse in the whole mystery of Faith and all true divinity, in so much as when ever he Cites Scripture, he still perverts it to a wrong sense, and is not able to bring any proofe either from Scripture, or Common Reason (except from some of his Jesuiticall Authors) for any of his Paradoxes and strange doctrines, delivering all without Book, tanquam è Cathedra, as but of some Papall unerring Chaire, upon the Authority of his bare word, and upon meere trust: And whereas the Relator saith, That worth once misled, is of all other the greatest misleader, and who of greater worth in the Church of England, and in the Esteem of Great ones too, then the Great Primate himselfe, whose very word with many is taken as a divine Oracle; So as if the Church and State of England will but pin their soules upon this Leaders sleeve, he will not fayle to lead them in that way, the issue whereof (seem it never so right in the eyes of credulity) will certainly prove to be (as Solomon saith) the wayes of death: And whereas by the Relator, sundry occasions are ministred to the Replyer of instancing divers practises charged upon the Prelate, as the principall Agent or Instrument of setting up sundry Innovations in Religion in the Church of England, all which have been done under his Primacie; as, The republishing under your Majesties Name, the Book for liberty of profane Sports on the Lords day, with pressing Ministers to read the Sayd Book in their severall Congregations, and upon refusall, extreamely persecuting them, and thrusting them from their Ministry and meanes, with their poore wives and children; The authorizing and licencing of some Doctors Books, which cry down the Morality of the 4th Commandement for the Sanctifying of the Lords Sabbath day▪ The setting forth of a New Order to restraine Preachers from Preaching in the Afternoones on the Lords dayes, much pressed by the Prelates and their Officers in all their visitations: The setting forth of a Declaration in your Majesties Name, prefixed to the Articles of Religion, which the Prelates practises plainly interpret to be for the restraining, and prohibiting altogether the Doctrines of Saving Grace to be preached, and wherein the genuine sense of those Articles touching Grace (which formerly were universally interpreted to have but one sence agreeable to the Scripture) is confounded with the heterodox hereticall doctrines of the Pelagians and Arminians, so as none can tell what to make of those Articles, saving that by this meanes the Orthodox Ministers must not preach the truth, and the Adverse party and Faction may find footing and countenance for their groundlesse and gracelesse heresies, and all this to the manifest dishonour of the Word of Grace, the distraction of good Ministers, and the destruction of many thousand soules; The pressing and setting up of Altars, attended with sundry adorations, images, crucifixes, to the open Scandall of many, and for non-admittance whereof, with other Innovations, or rather Renovations of old Popish Reliques, many good Ministers and people of GOD have deeply suffered; by all which practises and sundry more, the Replyer hath plainly and particularly proved, how the very Foundations of Faith and Christian Religion are not onelyonly terribly shaken, but razed, and ruined, so as the very Foundations of the earth doe tremble withall, and more especially, how not onelyonly by unmoralizing of the 4th Commandement (whereby the Floodgates of all profanenesse are broken up) and the uncannonizing (as it were) or making voyd of the doctrines of grace, but by the setting up of Altars, with all their Service and Ceremonies, is an absolute denying and renouncing of Iesus Christ our onelyonly Altar, as the Replyer hath shewed at large: And whereas notwithstanding terrible persecutions (if it be lawfull to call a Spade a Spade) have followed upon these Innovations, which have fallen most heavy upon the faithfull Ministers and their Families, yet the sayd Relator (whether out of notorious hypocrisie ▪ or egregious malice, or both) is not afraid to abuse the Sacred Name of GOD, nor ashamed to cast a myst before the open eyes of all the world, saying, * GOD forbid, I should ever offer to perswade a Persecution in any kind, or practise it in the least; whereas, if Persecution be Persecution, whether he hath perswaded to it, or diswaded, perhaps your Majesty can tell; and how little he hath practised it, thousands have sufficiently felt: And whereas the Replyer upon occasion by the Relator, hath declared fully the Tragicall Story of the Cause, Censuring, and suffering of a late Minister of the Gospell (depriving him of his Ministry and all worldly comforts) and all for the meere discharge of his Ministeriall duty, in admonishing his people of such dangerous Innovations, as were then creeping, yea and crowding into many Churches; for the which he hath been so terribly censured, and still suffereth both closse Imprisonment and Punishment, with Divorcement and Seperation from wife, and children, and all friends whatsoever, as a man buried quick in a Marble Tombe of perpetuall Calamity, the very Image of hell; such an Example as no age, no history, sacred or profane is able to parrallell, that a man should be so terribly Censured, and that upon this very ground, that he would not do that, whereby he should assent to the condemning of his Cause before the hearing his Answere in Court for Defence of his Cause being wholly precondemned by the two Judges, as impertinent and Scandalous: And whereas notwithstanding the Relator doth still insult, trample upon, and imbitter his inke with gall, blacking the innocent with foule reproaches, whom all the Court could not charge with the least offence or crime, but that they said, he was too bitter, which he gave good reason for: And whereas the cry of innocent blood both of that Servant of Christ, and of his Companions, is gone up to heaven against the whole Land, pleading and clayming Iustice at that High and righteous Throne, so as heaven and earth are troubled with the cry, which will not be appeased, till Iustice be done: And whereas GOD hath put into your Majesties hand, both the word of his Truth, as the onelyonly Rule whereby to reforme all errors and corruptions wherewith his worship is profaned; and the Sword of Iustice to vindicate the Cause of the oppressed Innocents: And whereas so great a worke, as the Reformation of Religion is above the Spheere of any ordinary Court of your Kingdome, so as even the Honourable Boord of Starre-Chamber disclaymed that Office, where the sayd Innocent standing before them desired Justice in that behalfe; yea and is too heavie a burthen to lye upon the Kings shoulders alone, and much more as the case now stands in such a perplexity of things, and universality of corruptions, which as a leprosie hath overspread the whole body of the Land: And seeing Christian, Prudent, Grave and Pious Princes use not upon the first sound or sight, to slight, or reject as fables or flashes of some brain-sick man, such deepe charges as the Replyer here presenteth, and presseth hard upon the Relator by such sound and demonstrative arguments, and which do so nearely concerne the State of the whole Land, which (by reason of Prelaticall outrages, seconded with the publication of the said Relation, the very Portent of Confusion) lies now a bleeding: And whereas the contempt of just complaints, and neglect of Iustice in such Cases of so high a nature, would necessarily argue, that men have sold themselves, as having made a covenant with death (as the Prophet speakes) and an agreement with hell, being justly given up of GOD to d…struction, as in the case of Amasiah King of Iuda, who threatning the Lords Prophet for reprooving him,1 Chron. 25. the Prophet replyed, Now I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast not hearkened to my Counsell; even as it came to passe a little after in the same Chapter, Amasiah would not heare; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the Gods of Edom: as the Prelate professeth for the Church of England one Faith and Religion with Rome: And whereas the Hierarchy being an Antichristian Kingdome, shall perish with Antichrist, and all they together, that support and confederate with it against Christs Kingdome, his Gospell, and Truth, as the Relator doth in his Book; So as to suffer such a Rebell against Christ (as the Replyer hath proved him to be) and much more to Patronize him and his worke, were to maintain open warre against heaven, and to make your Majesty guilty of all those blasphemies and heresies in it; which GOD forbid: And whereas to whom much is committed, of him much shalbe required, and the Office of Kings is of all other highest on earth, and therefore God will require the strictest account of them, and the more, where the light of the Gospell hath also clearely shined forth, leaving no place for pleading ignorance, it being lo the honour of Kings to search out a matter (as Solomon saith) throughly to inquire into the Cause brought before him, and therein to do exact and impartiall justice, much lesse committing the Cause to be judged by the Adversary or Party, but to judge righteous judgement: And whereas GOD hath sent of late sundry fearefull signes from heaven, as warning-pieces to England, to awaken the State thereof to a more deepe consideration of the condition, wherein it stands obnoxious unto, and naked before that dreadfull Judge for her most notorious and hideous crying sins, iniquities, transgressions and impieties in all kinds, and in the highest degree, and to lay down her high pride, and selfe-confidence, and gyant-like daring in lifting her selfe up against Iesus Christ and his High-Throne, in oppressing and trampling upon his sacred Word, and Ministers, and People; least by standing out in open defiance against God, and in the defence and maintenance of her Rebellion with a high hand, God be provoked altogether to confound her; So as (if a more mature Reformation of such hideous enormities, whereof the Relator is here, by the Replyer, convinced, be not seriously thought of, and speedily and effectually put in execution) to be secure in looking for Peace, or any Good, (not having thus made peace with God) were but to bewray a mind desperate, and past all hope of remedy: And lastly, whereas the Replyer to all these his high Charges upon the Relator hath (for some speciall reasons to himselfe) not set his Name (it being neither out of any distrust of the goodnesse of his Cause, nor yet feare of men by others Example) when as your Majesty shalbe pleased to send forth your Royall Edict, commanding that the Repyer (whoever he be) come forth and appeare to make proofe of all his Allegations against the Relator, assuring him of an equall, just, and faire unpartiall hearing in such a Court of Iustice, as the Replyer himselfe shall nominate, and appeale unto, which is not, cannot be lesse, then the most High and Honourable Court of Parliament, which the necessity of things, so nearely concerning the whole Land, doth with all importunity call for; he (the Replyer) will then be ready (God giving him life and health) in all humble duty and allegeance to present himselfe, and personally face to face, before the Honourable Court (by the assistance of that Grace, which first set him aworke, and inabled him to finish it) make good his whole Reply against the Relator.
It would therefore please your most Excellent Majesty (the waighty Premises seriously consi…ered, and upon your mature Revisall of this Reply, or at least of the brief contents thereof prefixed to the Reply, with the eye of your soundest and sollidest judgement, directed by the wisdome of Gods owne Spirit, which hath the hearts of Kings in his all-swaying hand, and for vindicating of Gods glory, and your own honour, so deeply suffering in the forenamed respects, and for staying of Gods hand stretched out, and the preventing of further calamities) not onelyonly to take to heart, and into your Royall hand the speedy reformation of such things, as have been done (and all in your Majesties Name still; for that must beare all the burthen) since the Relators Primacy: as namely in the first place, to send forth your Royall Edict for the taking downe of all Altars (which where ever they stand, doe stand in open defiance against Christ) another, for the calling in of your Book for Sports on the Lords dayes: a third, for the calling in of your Declaration before the Articles of Religion: a fourth, for the calling in of all Orders for the restraint of Preaching: a fift, for the restoring in Integrum, that is, not onelyonly to their Ministry and Charge, but to their liberty in Christ from the bondage both of Prelates and Ceremonies, all those godly Ministers, who out of Co…scien…e and duty towards God, and not out of any disrespect, or muc… lesse disloyalty towards your Majesty, for refusing to read the said Book, have been by the Prelates thrust out of all: a Sixt (if not the First) for the quite releasing and setting at full liberty your three poore banished Prisoners, that the loud cry of their oppressions breake not through the walls and barres, and roofes of their straight inclosure to the piercing of the heavens, and the provoking of their wrath to dart downe the thunderbolt of Divine revenge to the blasting of the beauty of your State, while (as a tall Ceder, or sturdy Oake) it stoutly lifts it selfe up on high, as if it would threaten heavens throne: and lastly, all this done (without which what can prosper?) and that you may make your Peace with GOD, as you have done with Scotland, to Proclaime a Publick Fast with Prayer and Humiliation, for the deprecating of Gods high displeasure for what is past, and the procuring of his favour and blessing upon you and your Kingdome: and thereupon send forth your Royall writs for the calling of a Parliament for the redressing and removing of the maine Causes of all the disorders and enormities in the Church and State: So shall your Kingdome be established, and your Crowne flourish in abundance of Peace and Prosperity to your Majesty, and your Royall Posterity, which the Petitioners, the true Church and Children, the true Faith and Religion of Iesus Christ will never be wanting to sollicite the throne of Grace for.