The Fastening of Saint Peters Fetters, Tract · Section 3 · Subsection 6
Subſectio Sexta.
Reformation cannot proceed without a removal of what is repugnant and obſtructive thereunto: Conſidereth the 2d. Article of the Solemn League and Covenant.the ſecond Article of the Covenant, doth therefore bind us to the extirpation of certain evils: we muſt then conſider in the next place, the juſtice and lawfulneſs thereof, and the weighty exceptions made againſt it.
In this Article we are to conſider the Act covenanted, An endeavor of extirpation; and the matter about which that Act is converſant, viz. Popery, Prelacy, Error, Hereſie, Schiſm, Superſtition, and Profaneſs.
As to the Act, it is not objected againſt by any, ſave Dr. Gaudens Nephew. No Body, who in his new born Doubts and Scruples (midwiv'd into the world by the Drs. Epiſtle) would ſuppoſe himſelf by an endeavour of Extirpation, to be ſworn into Gods Throne, whoſe only and immediate Act it is to extirpate the luſts, and principles of theſe impieties out of the heart of man; or mounted into the Magiſtrates Chair, who only may by Bonds or Baniſhment, or Mulct, or Death, extirpate the open exerciſe, and publick profeſſion of thoſe evils, and the promoters of them; as if Extirpation were no way a humane Act, or within the capacity of private men, though not to effect, yet by Moral Perſwaſion, Rational Diſcourſe, Scripture Conviction, Submiſſive Petition, and the like, ſo much as to endeavour it with ſincerity, reality and conſtancy; the very recital of this reception is a ſufficient confutation, and reſolution that folly, or ſome melancholy fancy, more than conſcience did ſtart this doubt, and ſtand perplexed at this Scruple without a grain of Reaſon.
And as to the matter covenanted to be endeavoured to be extirpated, none that are ſeemingly Proteſtants, and religious, will make queſtion of Popery, Errour, Hereſie, Schiſm, Superſtition, and Profaneſs, or whatſoever is contrary to ſound Doctrine, or the power of godlineſs: theſe are ſuch ſpreading Weeds, diſgraceful to the Church (Chriſt his Garden) and deſtructive to the principles and practices of all Religion, that almoſt all men will appear the foremoſt in an endeavour to extirpate them; and on this account Dr. Gauden in his late Epiſtle to the Doubts and Scruples, would divert our endeavour for extirpation of the Prelacy, Covenanted againſt, by directing the ſame unto Schiſme and Superſtition: But, Sir, by his leave, as we cannot own him as our Maſter, to be at his pleaſure, appointed our work further than our own prudence will guide us; ſo we muſt tell him, that every Plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, muſt be rooted out; that ſome weeds are more viſible & ſpreading than others; and as they need more ſpeed and diligence, ſo they call for more ſtrength and labour to remove them, being deeply rooted by their long continuance; and therefore the extirpation of them muſt be plied with endeavour, whilſt the Earth is looſe, and they unſetled; and it is more than probable, that many of the others, if not all, may come up with this one, which either occaſioneth Schiſm, or by its ſhade defendeth Superſtition and Profaneſſe, if I may not ſay Popery: But ſtay, Sir, the Maſters and Scholars of Oxford do pluck me by the Ears, and tell me I am miſtaken, if I deem Prelacy a weed, which is undoubtedly the faireſt flower in the Garden of Chriſt his Church, according to whoſe language I find Dr. Featley's Ghoſt Canting in his League illegal; but Sir,
I ſhall deſire to let them know that Prelacy in its general and genuine acceptation, is undoubtedly a very fair flower, and far from being weeded up; Oxford Exception by a general term fallacious.and therefore in the Solemn Leagus and Covenant it is ſpecified, and a particular kind of Prelacy ſprung up, and over-ſpreading the Church of England, is Covenanted to be extirpated: I ſhall be willing to give the honour of this reſtriction and ſpecification to the ſpeech of Dr. Daniel Featley, occaſioned by the over-hot preſſing of ſome (truly zealous for Reformation of what was amiſſe) that Prelacy in general (it having by appropriation to one kind obtained a vulgar evil acceptation) ſhould be extirpated; only I cannoc acquit his acute Executor from the diſhonour of miſapplying his Uncles ſpeech, (when dead) as ſpeaking againſt that which it had effected; (viz.) and expreſs mention of the ſpecies, and particular kind of Prelacy to be extirpated; that is, the Government by Archbiſhops, Biſhops, their Chancellors and Commiſsaries, Deans, Deans and Chapters, Arch-deacons, and all other Eccleſiaſtical Officers depending on that Hierarchy; whereby the general term Prelacy is limited and reſtrained; ſo that I ſhall expect their exceptions to lie againſt the extirpation of this ſpecies and kind of Prelacy, unto which the Covenant doth bind us; for we well know, doloſus verſatur in generalibus, Crafty men do deceive the vulgar by an Out-cry of extirpation of things in their general nature good, but in this or that ſpecial kind evil; I ſhall therefore eſpecially conſider the exceptions of the Maſters and Scholars of Oxford againſt this ſecond Article, ſo far as it relateth to the Prelacy therein ſpecified to be extirpated; as thoſe on which I obſerve others depend, from which others have derived theirs, and to which on all occaſion they do retreat as to their impregnable Fortreſs.
They therefore in the fourth Section of their Reaſons, for not ſwearing the Solemn League and Covenant, Page 7.do deface their exception with an expreſſion of their affection to that Government to be extirpated, and firſt preſent us with this fair Encomium of it; viz.
That Ancient form of Church-government under which our Religion was at firſt ſo orderly, Oxford Commendation of Prelacy conſidered.without violence or tumult, and ſo happily reformed; and hath ſince ſo long flouriſhed with truth and peace, to the honour and happineſs of our own, and envy and admiration of other Nations: But Sir, good wine needs no buſh; it is well if the Arguments be as cogent to the mind, as this glorious deſcription of Englands Church-government is captivating to the affections; I hope Sir, ſerious Caſuiſts in ſtating their Scruples, do not ſet a luſtre on the object by glorious Epithites o engage the admiration of the vulgar: But Sir,
1. Antiquity may be no Argument of its glory, verity, or goodneſſe; theſe learned men know this is the loud and common cry of Pagans for their Idolatry; and Papiſts for their Superstition and Papacy which will in point of Age appear the Elder Brother to Englands Prelacy: Pope Gregory being before Auſtin the Monk, the firſt Arch-biſhop of Canterbury; and yet is not owned as any addition to their glory, or demonſtration of their verity; for as true Religion is firſt received, ſo it is after corruption reformed by the Redeemed from the vain Converſation received by tradition from their fathers.
2. Order is indeed very amiable in any Act; but what they mean by the orderly proceeding of the firſt Reformation, I know not; ſure I am that the precedency of the Laity unto the Clergy in a work of this nature in which they ſhould have been Dictators, was more juſt than regular: And when I conſider the firſt ſtep of Reformation in the expulſion of the Popes Supremacy (ſupported by all the Biſhops unto a premunire) to have ſprung in Henery the eighth, from diſcontent at the Popes dealing in the buſineſs of Queen Katharine, rather than conſcience of its ſinfulneſs; to have been ſteered by policy, not piety; to ſtand conſiſtent with a retention, and fiery inforcement of Popiſh Doctrine and Worſhip, unto the perſecution and burning of Tyndal, Lambert, and others; and impoſing of the ſix Articles (in which I muſt confeſs Cranmer quit himſelf like a faithful Biſhop, but others I find not oppoſing) And when I obſerve the Line which firſt ruled in Henery the eighth his dayes, to be retained and runthrough the Reformation of King Edward the ſixth, and was too much regarded in the time of Queen Elizabeth (who both acted from a more pious principle, had but their Counſellors captivated their policy, and the little knowledge of thoſe reforming dayes given them to ſee, and ſet up in its luſtre and power, the ſquare and right Rule of Reformation) I cannot but ſay Gods power is much more manifeſt in the firſt Reformation of England, than was mans order; and yet what order was, Hiſtory witneſſeth to have been, though under, yet without, yea, againſt the Biſhops; Foxe, Acts and Monuments, p. 959.The hundred and eighteen thouſand eight hundred and forty pounds paid by the Biſhops of the two Provinces, Canterbury and York, for their pardon from the praemunire, doth proclaim their oppoſition at the firſt. The thirty perſons choſen out of the Parliament to conſider and conclude Articles of Religion, and Cranmer and Ridleys Politick plea againſt pious Prince Edward the ſixth, for the Maſs of his Siſter Mary, and the afterconcluſions in their Convocations, do not ſpeak much of forwardneſs at the laſt, whilſt in the one, or in the other, they went not any faſter; than driven by the Kings injunctions.
3. No marvel that they who could not ſee in this Reformation any diſorder, could not hear any noiſe of tumults attend it, and yet if I miſtake not, the Tarratantara-murmur of the Lincoln-ſhire and York-ſhire men in their rebellious holy pilgrimage, headed by Dr. Makeree, denominated Captain Cobler, and abetted by many of the Clergy; not that I find reſiſted or quieted by any Epiſcopal influence in the time of Henry the eighth; and the like inſurrections of Suffolk, York-ſhire, Oxford-ſhire, Devon-ſhire, Cornwal, and other Counties, againſt the Reformation by King Edward the ſixth, doth ſignifie unto me that the Reformation was not at firſt more prepoſterouss than violent and tumultuous, though not in the Authors, yet in the oppoſition and reluctancy of its ſubjects, occaſioning this note to be left upon it,
Tantae molis erat Romanum evertere ſedem.
Yet I muſt not by reaſon of the one or other, deny it to have been happy; but I deſire freely to acknowledge that this Reformed Religion in the degree attained, hath ſince happily flouriſhed unto the honour of our own, and envy of other Nations; only I ſee not wherein this Government (the extirpation of which is Covenanted to be endeavoured) did either occaſion, or add unto the happineſs and honour thereof; I am ſure it is noted by others; and were I the firſt obſerve of it, I durſt undertake to make it good, That Religion had ſparkled and flouriſh'd with more honor and happineſs, in an higher degree of Reformation, than it yet doth, if not retarded, and ſometimes retrogaded by Englands Epiſcopal Prelates, who have made it ſo much pompous unto ſenſe, and the Worlds admiration, but ſo little powerful to the ſpirit: But, Sir, I love not to recriminate, or reproach things or perſons; I ſhall therefore paſs this applauſe of our late Prelacy, with this Requeſt, That the Maſters and Scholars of Oxford, or any other, will pleaſe to tell us what there is in this Government, ſo ſpecial and peculiar for its efficacie, to the order and quiet of Reformation, that may not be ſound in another Form of Government; for that only is of the eſſence, and ſo muſt be the Emphaſis of this Epiſcopacy.