Confidence Encountered, Appendix
AN APPENDIX.
Reader,
I Have for thy further ſatisfaction publiſhed ſome Obſervations that I have collected, touching the Ordination of the National Miniſtery, ſince their revolt from Rome in the time of Hen. 8.
And firſt, it is obſervable, That the Church of England in the time of Hen. 8. did not ſeparate from Rome for conſcience, but for baſe ends, and for filthy lucre ſake, as appears by their retaining all the ſuperſtitious cuſtoms of the Roman Church, and their perſecuting to death thoſe that did out of a good conſcience oppoſe them. The truth hereof is plentifully manifeſted in the Hiſtories of that time.
Secondly, in the beginning of Edw. 6. his Reign, it is obſervable, that the whole frame of Religion was altered, and ſuch a Reformation begun, as did agree with the wills of a Committee of twelve Men; and what form of worſhip ſhould be agreed upon by any ſeven of theſe, was to be obſerved by the whole Nation. This was ſuch great preſumption, that the like cannot be parallel'd in any Eccleſiaſtical ſtory; and yet now the Anabaptiſts are cried down, as Men full of preſumption, and ſuch as ſwerve from the ſteps of Tradition.
Thirdly, it is obſervable, That in the time of Queen Mary, the Roman Religion was by her reſtored, and the Land was over-ſpread with Popery; and Popiſh Biſhops and Prieſts were ſet up in all parts of this Realm, and their Religion confirmed by Act of Parliament: and Cardinal Pool, the Pope's Legite, abſolved the Kingdom from the Excommunication, which the Pope had pronounced againſt the Land.
Fourthly, it is obſervable, That when Queen Elizabeth began to Reign, the whole Nation being over-ſpread with Popery; inſomuch, that all Biſhops that would not take the Oath of Supremacy, were turned out of their Biſhopricks; ſo that by this means, there was a want of Biſhops to ſupply the places of thoſe which the Queen had ejected for Popery: ſo that from that time to this, our Clergy have been at a loſs, touching their Ordination, as appears,
Firſt, becauſe they ſometimes plead an Ordination by ſucceſſion; and ſometimes, they leave ſucceſſion, and plead to neceſſity, and an extraordinary Call.
Now, if they plead they have their Ordination by ſucceſſion from Rome, then they muſt juſtifie Rome to be a true Church of Chriſt; and ſo are guilty of Schiſm, in renting, ſince they ſay, She was as good when they left her, as ſhe was when they were ordained by her. Again, if that Rome was not a Church of Chriſt when they were ordained by her, then they are at a loſs on the other hand, becauſe that they cannot prove a power of ordaining Miniſters, given to any out of the Church So that if their Ordination from Rome by ſucceſſion be valued, Rome muſt be juſtified to be a true Church.
Again, if they ſhall plead to neceſſity and an extraordinary Call, here they are at a loſs again; becauſe, firſt there were many reformed Churches in the World, from whom they might have been ordained, without receiving Orders from Rome: and alſo, they had no reaſon to plead neceſſity of Preaching without Ordination, ſince they might have had it from thoſe Churches that were reformed before them. Laſtly, they fear to plead this Argument of neceſſity, leſt they ſhould juſtifie their Adverſaries the Anabaptiſts, and other Sectaries, which have more reaſon to plead neceſſity then themſelves. This appears by M. Willes his refuſal to reſolve me, when I was at his Houſe, Whether he was a Miniſter by a lawful ſucceſſion, or neceſſity, becauſe he knew not whether I was a Jeſuite or an Anabaptiſt: for it is uſual for them to plead their Ordination by ſucceſſion, when they would oppoſe the Anabaptiſts, and to take up the Anabaptiſts Argument of neceſſity when they oppoſe the Papiſts: and therefore Dr. Fulk and Whittingam, and divers others when they have had to do with Papiſts, have inveighed againſt Ordination from them, as a ſtinking filthy thing, as I have already obſerved. So that the great loſs they are at among themſelves, touching the Derivation of their Authority, is one Reaſon why it may be queſtioned, Whether they have any or no?
The ſecond Reaſon is their unwillingneſs to anſwer thoſe Objections, that their Adverſaries the Papiſts, objected againſt their Ordination; which is a ſhrewd ſign, they feared it would not abide the trial.
As, 1. they objected, That the Engliſh Reformers in Queen Elizabeth's time, went to a Popiſh Iriſh Biſhop that was then Priſoner in the Tower, and promiſed him his liberty and a ſum of money, if he would ordain them Biſhops; but he refuſed.
2. It is objected by their Adverſaries the Papiſts, That they ſought to be ordained by the Biſhop of Landaff but he refuſed it.
3. It is further objected, That Parker, and others of the Queens new Biſhops, were ordained by one Scory a Priest, at a meeting which they had for this purpoſe, at the Nags-head-Tavern in Cheap-ſide.
To theſe Objections no Anſwer was given till Biſhop Maſons time, which was nigh fifty yeers after when moſt of the men were dead that were the chief Witneſſes to theſe things, though the Anſwer at that time much concerned them, theſe Objections being then the common talk of their Adverſaries.
A third Reaſon, why they are to be queſtioned, appears in the Caſe of the new-made Biſhop of Wincheſter, who indicted Biſhop Bonner; to which Bonner pleaded, That Wincheſter was no Biſhop according to any Law; and the Judges in Queen Elizabeth's time did reſolve, That Bonner's Plea ſhould be received: See the Abridgement of Diers Reports, 7 Eliz. 234. And that they were at this time no Biſhops, neither by Statute-Law or Canon-Law, appears by the great induſtry and care that the new Biſhops took to get themſelves confirmed by Act of Parliament; the words of the Act are theſe, All Acts and things heretofore made and done, about the conſecration of Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Prieſts, &c. by vertue of the Queens Letters Patents, ſince the begining of her Reign, be and ſhall be, by Authority of this Parliament, declared and judged good and perfect, &c. And a little after in the ſame Act it followeth, That all Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Prieſts, &c. be declared in very deed, by the Authority aforeſaid, and enacted to be Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Prieſts, &c. and rightly made, ordered and conſecrated: any Statute-Law, Canon-Law, or other thing to the contrary notwithſtanding, 8 Eliz. 1. So that you may ſee that the Clergy of England were no lawful ordained Miniſters, neither by Statute nor Canon-Law, till the 8 of Eliz. in the Opinion of the Judges in the Caſe of Bonner and Horn before mentioned: which I deſire may be conſidered by all judicious Chriſtians; and then I queſtion not but they will ſee, that the Clergy of England have little reaſon to glory in their Apoſtolical ſucceſſion, and to cry down others that ſtand upon a more religious foot of account then themſelves.
POSTSCRIPT.
Reader,
WHereas Mr. Willes in the forementioned-Letter, tells a ſtory of a man that was in company with me at his houſe, as though he ſhould ſay, He had rather hear the Devil then an ordained Miniſter; Give me leave to tell thee, That this ſcandal carries enough in the mouth of it, to diſcover the untruth thereof to all ſober and intelligent men: for I think no man in his wits, but had rather hear the worſt of men then the Devil himſelf. And if the Gentleman be points at, be Mr. Vancourt, as I know not who elſe he ſhould mean, I muſt tell thee, That his dayly hearing ſuch as are ordained in the ſenſe that Mr. Willes calls Ordination, is to all that know him, a ſufficient juſtification. And though Mr. Willes would have put ſuch a ſenſe upon ſome words that ſell from this Gentleman; yet Mr. Willes cannot but remember, that the Gentleman was offended at him, for that he miſrepreſented him to the company then preſent; and thereupon Mr. Willes was deſired not to miſconſtrue theſe words: and he promiſed that he would not, though ſince he hath done it, contrary to the Gentlemans then-declared meaning, and his own promiſe.
Vale.
Thou art deſired to take notice of theſe two errors viz. in the Epiſt read organical for original. pag 20. lin. 20. for Mat road Mal.
There is an excellent piece lately publiſhed, entituled, Goſpel-worſhip no work for infants; cleerly proving, the folly, vanity and deceit of infants Baptiſm: and that the true Worſhippers of God are believing men & women, converted by the preaching of the word, not infants. By H. Haggar.
Sound Doctrine, or the Doctrine of the Goſpel about the extent of Chriſts death: with a brief compendium of Doctrine of the holy Scriptures; clearing up the riches of God's love to all mankinde, and his deſires to ſave them that yet wilfully periſh. By William Pedelſden.
Both to be ſold by Dan. White at the ſeven Stars in Pauls Church-yard.
FINIS.
End of the text · Jeremiah Ives, Confidence Encountered (1658)