Roman-Catholick doctrines no novelties, or, An answer to Dr. Pierce's court-sermon, miscall'd The primitive rule of Reformation by S.C. a Roman-Catholick.

CHAP. I. (Book 1)

Of Doctor Pierce's Sermon in General: What was probably the inward design of it.

I Cannot forbid my self to wonder that a Book so universally esteem'd, so often reprinted, and not only reprinted in our own, but transla∣ted into foreign Lan∣guages, should yet lye open to so many and so plain Excepti∣ons: Not one period can I find that seems to me Extraordinary; Not one Instance but has long since been often objected both with closer Reason and neater Rheto∣rick: So that now by experience, as well as faith, I see 'tis true that the Scripture sayes,* 1.1 The Race is not to the Wise, nor the Battle to the Strong, nor favour to men

of Skill, but Time and Chance happens to them all.

2. And are we not come to a fine passe, when not onely a dozen perhaps of the great∣est and subtilest Controversies in Religion shall be crowded into a short Sermon; but exprest with such vanity and affectation of ex∣otic and abstruse Phrases, as if the end of Preaching were nothing but to talk an hour of hard things in harder words? Ask the great Auditory of Lords and Ladies, that heard this Doctor (Persons of clear and inge∣nuous apprehensions, who like good sense, though not delivered in Greek, who pene∣trate into the connection of Things, though they have not mis-spent their lives in studying Words) Ask that Illustrious and Noble As∣sembly, what they think of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the Emperor Zeno; or of the itching to be as old as the Iulian period begun before the Proto∣plast. Some of them perhaps may have heard of the Palladium of the Conclave; but for the Embroidery of the Theopneust Aholiab, or the Antiquaryes Keimeliah, I believe the Ladies at least, were a little puzled on the sud∣den how to understand them; yet if those pompous Sounds were translated into plain English, not one of them but would easily see the sense, without other Dictionary than their own Cabinet.

3. As for the Doctor's profession in his E∣pistle Dedicatory, That his Resolution was,

the Sermon should never have been expos'd to the World, had not his Majesty commanded it. I readily beleeve him; for a Victory is easily and very cheaply got, if a Controversie be to be decided by a flourishing Speech, confident∣ly pronounc'd by a Person in esteem for Lear∣ning and Sincerity, in a Place where none must contradict, especially when he protests he has Proofs unquestionable for all his As∣sertions. But till those Proofs be examin'd, the Conquest is only over the Hearer's passi∣ons not their reason: It may be, (and I pray God this Sermon was not meant so) a good preparation to usher in the Calvinistical zeal for executing severities on innocent Persons, who sincerely abhor the crimes deserving such Rigors, and the unchristian Principles, the Fountains of those Crimes: that is, on Per∣sons against whom the Law-givers themselves have publickly professed they never intended those punishments. This kind of Iustice he may hope for from his Sermon, but a ratio∣nal conviction will never be the effect of it.

4. Truly Doctor Pierce must not blame us, if we fear he had some such thoughts in his mind, when he preached this Sermon, so dif∣fering from the style of Court-Sermons in the times of his Majesty of glorious memory, and of the late (as he styles him) immortal Arch∣bishop. But have we since those dayes deser∣ved such a change in the Tongues and Pens of any Protestants, especially the Clergy?

By what crimes? Is it because we have ever since been ready, and are so still, unanimously to sacrifice our Blood and Fortunes for his Majesty, by which also their Church hath been maintained and setled against all the ir∣reconcileable enemies both of monarchy and It? Methinks they might forgive us this fault, both for past and future: For we shall fall in∣to it again, if they do not take care, by de∣stroying us, to prevent it.

5. This suspition of ours is much encrea∣sed, when we reflect on that bitter passage in his Epistle Dedicatory, where he sayes, I sup∣pose my discourse, however innocent in it self, will yet be likely to meet with many, not only learned and subtile, but restless Enemies; men of pleasant insinuations, and very plausible snares; nay such as ar•• apt, where they have power, to confute their Opponents with fire and faggots.

Indeed it is possible his Sermon may some∣where fall into some such hands: But, unlesse he will renounce all Charity, justice and hu∣manity, he must not impute particular mens actions to Catholic Religion, and, for their faults, expose us to the common hatred and violence. Let all the received Canons of the Church be searched, and if one be found that justifies the shedding of blood simply on the account of Religion, he may have some pretence for such an indefinite odious reflexi∣on upon innocent suffering Christians.

Let all the practises of the World be ex∣amined, and it will clearly appear, 'tis not Catholick Religion that's chargable with these Excesses, since in so many places both they are not, where it is; and are, where it is not.

And, though for some few of these later Ages, the Civil Magistrates of some Coun∣tries have exercis'd a greater severity, then an••iently was us'd; Yet now even they have entertain'd a more calm and tractable Spirit, and seem to hope by other Arguments suffici∣ently to secure their Religion. However, why must our England imitate the rigidest of other Nations, against whom, for that very reason, we so loudly exclaim; rather than the moderate proceedings of those, who are nearer us both in scituation, temper, and in∣terest? Why thus continually be harping up∣on one string that jarres, and never touch the rest that move in harmony?

6. Our late unhappy wars have made the Preacher and many others besides him Travel∣lers; We appeal to their consciences and ex∣perience, if they would be pleased to speak, as Persons of honour and integrity; Did they in any Catholick Countries, even ROME it self (though here much spoken a∣gainst for cruelty) ever apprehend any dan∣ger for their opinions, or refusal to joyn in the exercise of Catholick Religion? so they would abstain from publick scandalous af∣fronts to the Church, they had freedom not

only with all quietnesse to enjoy their con∣sciences, but civilly to justifie their Doctrines. All expressions of kindnesse, tendernesse and compassion they received from their Catholick Opponents, but surely not the least hard u∣sage that might imprint terrour in their minds.

7. Thus much may be permitted us to al∣ledge in our own Defence upon this occasi∣on gives us by the Preacher; especially, con∣sidering we are the onely persons expos'd to the publick hatred and rigour, though we onely, of all the Dissenters from the Religi∣on of the Kingdom, least deserve it: For; we are no Innovators, but Professors of the same Religion that made this Nation Christian. A Religion, though now too ge∣nerally decryed, yet in those times confirmed by great Miracles, as even Protestants ac∣knowledge: A Religion, which for almost a thousand years was onely known and pro∣fessed here. When the Reformation entred, though almost all Subjects were Catholicks, yet seeing the change was introduc'd by a Supream Authority, no opposition was made to it by any other A••mes, but Prayers and Tears: Whatsoever Treasons have been acted by a few wretched persons, even our Princes themselves have acquitted the gene∣rality of Catholicks thereof, and our Religion from allowing them. There cannot be fra∣med any Formes of professing or acknowledg∣ing

due Supremacy and Allegiance to our Kings, but we are ready to subscribe them in the same sense that the most learned Protestants themselves ordinarily say they intend them. Publick atttestations of our fidelity and zeal, in serving and defending our Princes, and even the Religion of the Kingdom (al∣most destroy'd by a Conspiracy of all other Dissenters) have been made in our behalf, e∣ven by some, who now are most sharp against us: Yet after all this, of them who are not able to alledge any one of these excuses for themselves some are rendered in a capacity to Triumph over our Suffrings; unrepentant Traytors are among our Accusers; though it is known, the thing which most en∣rages them, is our fidelity; their Inve∣ctives, how false soever, are believ'd, and they hope to become popular for their at∣tempts to destroy us.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eccles. 9.