The Fastening of Saint Peters Fetters, Tract · Section 3 · Subsection 4
Subſectio quarta.
The Maſter, Scholars, and other Officers and Members of the Univerſity of Oxford, in their Apology for not taking the Covenant, urge their Reaſons againſt the ſame as unlawful not, in the matter it ſelf ſimply conſidered, but by accident, in reſpect of ſome circumſtances attending themſelves; and diſcapacitating them unto the Act, and they offer their exceptions unto the Articles ſeverally and diſtinctly.
Unto the firſt Article they except againſt the Preſervation of the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland in Doctrine, Oxford Reaſons Sect. 3. pag. 4.and Worſhip. Diſcipline, and Government; and then againſt the Reformation of England in thoſe particulars.
Unto the firſt they tell us, 1 Except.They are not ſatisfied how they can in judgment ſwear to endeavour to preſerve the Religion of another Kingdom.
To which I anſwer in General, it is but reaſon they ſuſpend the Act untill they can ſwear in judgment; though ſuch as have raſhly in ignorance prophaned the Oath by ſwearing it, muſt in ſence of its Sacred Obligation inform their judgments, that they may performe it, and not caſt it off: but what hindreth their judgment in this required Act?
They urge four obſtructive reaſons: As
Firſt, As it did not conc rn them to have very much, 1 Reaſon of this exception.ſo they profeſs they had very little underſtanding thereof.
In which reaſon it is to be noted,
1. They had ſome underſtanding of the Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline, and Government of the Church of Scotland; and that little might ſo farre enlighten their judgment, as lawfully to ſwear the preſervation thereof: I preſume many Citizens have little and but general notion of the Liberties they ſwear to preſerve, yet are judged to ſwear in judgment.
2. I wonder an Vniverſity, and Proteſtant Vniverſity, converſing in all Books, (and I muſt imagine) meeting with the two Books of the Diſcipline of the Church of Scotland, their Confeſſion of Faith, and Form of Worſhip. entertaining Schoolmen and Biſhops, thence fled, by reaſon of the ſame; and openly oppugning and diſputing againſt the ſame, ſhould profeſs they had thereof little understanding; but it may be they minded not to ſtudy theſe things.
3. Some underſtanding in the Religion of another Kingdom was neceſſary to them as Chriſtians and Proteſtants, by vertue of the Communion of the Church; and ſome as an Ʋniverſity, and Proteſtant School of Learning, where the true Religion of the Reformed Churches was to be defended, duobts diſſolved, and errors oppugned and contradicted; and ſome was neceſſary, to them as Subjects, required to ſwear the preſervation thereof for the injunction could not but provoke an enquiry after the matter to be preſerved: I wonder therefore how theſe men could profeſs it did not concern them to have much, who (if I miſtake not) ought to know as much as all the Nation beſides: but from what they know, they adde the next Reaſon, (viz.)
In three of the four ſpecified particulars; (viz.) Worſhip, 2 Reaſon of this exception.Diſcipline, and Government, it is much worſe; and in the fourth, that of Doctrine, not at all better than our own to be reformed.
I wonder Sir, what account of the Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline, and Government of the Church of Scotland was by the occurrences of thoſe unhappy times, brought unto the knowledge of the Univerſity of Oxford? I hope they were more wiſe and juſt than to take it from Mr. John Maxwel, pretended Biſhop of Roſs, (a man excommunicated by the Church, and cenſured by the State of that Kingdom, a profeſſed Enemy, and enraged Delinquent, curſing his very Judges) whom I find about that time at Oxford, writing his Iſſachars Burden, (a moſt railing, reproachful diſcovery of the Diſcipline of the Church of Scotland:) and the rather, for that the heat of expectation and oſtentation of many (in reference to that book) was cooled by a providential fire which ſeiz'd on the Printing-Houſe, and burned the Copies ready to be publiſhed the next day, as Mr. Baylie in his Ʋindication of the Government of that Church (which theſe Gentlmen might have met with) doth teſtifie.
Yet Sir, had theſe men of reading regarded what more ſober and impartial men have ſaid and written, they would have had another Character of this Church: I may not mind them of the Apology to the Doctors of Oxford, in the time of King James, preferring the Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline, and Government of Scotland, before that of England, or of their Philadelphian purity, Bright man on Apocalypſ. 3.who did not only keep the Doctrine of Salvation pure and free from corruption, but doth alſo deliver it in writing, and exerciſe in practice that ſincere manner of government, whereby men are made pertakers of Salvation mentioned by Mr. Brightman our Countreyman; they will poſſibly tell us, theſe were Seperatiſts to whom Scotland is no friend) or Puritans: Yet methinks *Magnum hoc Dei munus quod una & religionem puram & foreign doctrinae, viz. retinendae vinculum in Scotiam intuliſtis. Sic obſecro & obteſto haec duo ſimul rebinet, ut uno amiſſo alterum diu permanere non poſſe ſemper memineritis Beza Epiſt. 79.Beza may call for a little audience and reſpect from this Learned Aſſembly: and he told us long ſince, This is the great gift of God, that you have brought into Scotland together pure Religion, and good order, which is the bond to hold faſt the Doctrine; and I heartily pray and beſeech you for Gods ſake hold faſt theſe two together, and alwayes remember, that if one be lost, the other cannot long remain: And no leſs venerable, I preſume, is the Corpus Confeſſion, the Harmony of Confeſſions of all the reformed Churches; and yet therein they have an account of the Church of Scotland, which might render it more acceptable, and worthy to be preſerved. For thus it is reported by the Collector, who much rejoyced in the providence that brought their Confeſſion into his hand: *Eſt illud eccleſiae Scoticanae privilegium rarum prae multis, in quo etiam Nomen apud exteros ſuit celebre, quod circiter aut nos plus minus 54. ſine Schiſmate nedum Haereſi, unitatem cum puritate doctrinae prevaverit & retinuerit; hujus unitatis adminiculum ex Dei miſericordia maximum fuit quod paulatim cum doctrina, Chriſti & Apoſtolorum Diſciplina ſicut ex verbo Dei praeſcripta eſt, una ſuit recepta, & quam proxime fieri potuit ſecundum eam totum eccleſiae regimen fuit adminiſtratum. D…t Dominus Deus pro immenſa ſua bonitate Regiae Majeſtati, omnibuſque Eccleſiarum gubernatoribus, ut ex Dei verbo illam unitatem & Doctrinae puritatem perpetuo conſervat. Corpus Confeſſ. p. 6.It is the rare priviledge of the Church of Scotlaod before many, in which reſpect her name is famous even among ſtrangers, that about the ſpace of fifty and four years without Schiſme, yea or Hereſie, ſhe hath holden faſt unity, with purity of Doctrine; the greateſt help of this unity by the mercy of God was, that with the Doctrine, the Diſcipline of Chriſt and his Apostles, as it is preſcribed in the Word of God, was by little and little together received, and according to that Diſcipline ſo near as might be, the whole government of the Church was diſpoſed; the Lord God of his infinite goodneſs grant unto the Kings Majeſty, and to all the Rulers of the Church, that according to the Word of God they may perpetually keep that unity, and the purity of Doctrine.
Unto theſe might be added the teſtimony of Arundel, Hutton, and Matthews, three Engliſh Archbiſhops, approving the order of the Church of Scotland; and the joy of King James profeſſed in the Aſſembly 1590. That He was born to be a King of the ſincereſt Church in the world: All which might have brought to their knowledge a better account: but they looked not ſo farre back, but take it up by occurrents of thoſe unhappy times; in which I fear Scotland was not more full of perplexities, than Oxford of paſſion and prejudice.
3. But in what particulars are the Doctrine, Worſhip Diſcipline, and Government, much worſe than that of England? They ſhould ſpecifie theſe bad things; for generalia non pungunt; I confeſs in a Notion of Philoſophy, or queſtion in Divinity, the Say ſo of a Univerſity is of ſome Authority; but of none in the caſe of an accuſation which muſt be particularly charged and plainly proved, if Englands Doctrine be doudtful and defective in reſpect of its clearneſs and certainty, or ſophiſticated by the obtruded fancies and terms of private men, as Mr. Prynn hath plainly charged in his Epiſtle to the late King, prefixed to his Quench-coal, and as the Miniſters of ſundry Counties in their Reaſons for Reformation have ſuggeſted; and Mr. Ham…lton in his modeſt anſwer to Dr. Peirſon, hath cleerly demonſtrated, it will be found as much better than the Doctrine of the Church of Sco land, as its Worſhip, Diſcipline, and Government, is worſe than that of England: And I hope, if the one be as good; though nothing better than the other, there can be no great Scruple, to ſwear to endeavour the preſervation of it: 3 Reaſon of this exception referred to the fifth Section of this Treatiſe 4th Reaſon of this exception.But to proceed,
Their third Reaſon is a ſuppoſed contradiction in this firſt Article of the Covenant. This ſhall be conſidered under another Head.
The fourth Reaſon why they could not ſwear the preſervation of the Religion in Scotland, is this, Wherein we already find ſome things, to our thinking, tending towards Superstition and Schiſm, which call for Reformation.
Here Sir, they ſeem to ſpecifie what in the 2d reaſon they had ſuggeſted in general terms: But let it be obſerved,
1. That they find not in the Church of Scotland any formal Superſtition or Schiſme, but at the moſt ſomething tending towards them. I imagine many Oxford Maſters will not willingly admit a Reformation, or be denied a preſervation of many things apparently tending towards Popery, bua not Popery it ſelf.
2. The things they find, do but to their thinking, tend towards Superſtition or Shiſme; but they have no certainty of it; Muſt conjecture ſtand againſt the Covenant and concluſions of others? Methinks Superſtition and Schiſm ſhould be ſo well known to the Scholars of Oxford, that they might be able to conclude what things tend thereunto.
3. What are the things they find in the Church of Scotland which tend (in their thinking) to Superſtition and Schiſm? They point us unto the Margine, and there we find (viz.) in accounting Biſhops Antichriſtian, and indifferent Ceremonies unlawful; this they refer to Superſtition: And (viz.) in making their Diſcipline ad Government a mark of the true Church, and the ſetting up thereof the erecting of the Throne of Jeſus Chriſt; and this they referre to Schiſm. Sure Sir, they were in a great ſtrait, that made a ſhift to ſpecifie theſe ſad corruptions; but yet they do not tell us, where they find theſe laid down as the Doctrines of the Church of Scotland; whether in their Confeſſion, or form of Diſcipline; Whilſt in their Confeſſion of Faith they give unto general Aſſemblies authority about Ceremonies, Corpus Confeſſi. Conf. Scot. Art. 20. p. 120, 121.I cannot think they deem indifferent Ceremonies unlawful; nor do I find that they (as England hath done) do any where make their Diſcipline a part of their faith; that ſo they might damn Biſhops as Antichriſtian; I find indeed, Artic. 8. p. 118.that they make Diſcipline rightly adminiſtred as is preſcribed in the Word of God, the note of a true Church; but they do not appropriate it to their Diſcipline and Government, as theſe learned men would have us read it. I know indeed, that the Scotch Divines do account Engliſh Biſhops Antichriſtian, and Engliſh, Popiſh Ceremonies unlawful; but they deny them to be indifferent; but theſe are ſpecials, and far from the generals charged on them; nor can theſe ſpecials be condemn'd in them, until Catherwoods Al…are Damaſcenum, and Mr. Gilleſpies Diſpute againſt the Engliſh-Popiſh Ceremonies, (which have paſſed with much approbation through all the Reformed Churches, and I preſume, miſſed not Oxford) be fully anſwered.
4. But wherein lieth the tendency of theſe principles to Superſtition and Schiſm, that theſe learned men think of? As to their nature they are negative and excluſive; and I deem a denial of any of Gods appointments to be prophaneneſſe not ſuperstition. I am apt to think Superſtition to be a poſitive innovation and erection of ſome new matter and action into the worſhip of God on mans meer will and invention, without Gods inſtitution, I remember Mr. Blake denieth the baptizing of Bells, or the Horſe in Huntingtonſhire, to be Superſtition, and damns it as a prophane miſapplication of Gods Ordinance: How then the excluſion, neglect, or prophane eſteem of Biſhops and Ceremonies can tend to Superſtition, I confeſſe I ſee not. Think you Sir, the Learned men of Oxford did deem Biſhops and indifferent Ceremonies to be ſuch immediate inſtitutions and eſſential parts of Divine worſhip, that they think a profane contempt of them might tend (by excluſion thereof,) to make way for ſome innovation in their room; then I alſo will think they tend towards Superſtition, but muſt think they are not indifferent:
I wiſh Sir, they have not miſtaken the Scotch notion of a true Church, Gent. 2da. c. 2. col. 109.which is oppoſed as well to a corrupt, as falſely conſtituted Church; the Magdeburgences do ſo oppoſe it in the very ſame caſe, Ʋera enim eccleſia, &c. For, a true Church, as it retains pure Doctrine, ſo alſo it keep; ſimplicity of Ceremonies; but an hypocritical Church for the moſt part, changeth the Ceremones inſtituted by God, and multiplieth to its own traditions. And Biſhop Halls Ʋere and vera Eccleſia, is no ſtranger at Oxford, and if then Scotland (concluding her Government to be according to the Word of God) ſhould ſay, De ſpecie, It is the ſign of a true (that is, a pure) Church beſt Reformed, becauſe the erecting of the Throne of Chriſt, doth it not tend more to provoke Reformation of Churches truly conſtituted but not compleated, than to ſtirre up Schiſm? For they do ot, nor ever did deny communion with Churches herein defective, and under male-adminiſtration of Diſcipline and Government.