The English concord in ansvver to Becane's English iarre: together with a reply to Becan's Examen of the English Concord. By Richard Harris, Dr. in Diuinitie.

BECAN, Exam.* 1.1

THirdly, Becane giues me his fatherhoods counsell, to be warned by Plessaeus harms: yet after his Iesui∣ticall lying manner, he tells me withall, That had my booke beene as large as that of Plessaeus, vvhere there vvere 400. false citations in his booke; according to the proportion, there would haue beene in my booke, a thousand.

D^r. HARRIS Reply.

THe learned Bishop did not tax Plessaeus his ci∣tations, as this friuolous Iesuit doth mine, for the ouersights of the Composer, or Transcri∣ber, mistaking one syllable for another, one word for another, one name for another, or one Canon for an∣other; so that the substance of the matter, according to the meaning of the Author, or truth it selfe, were truly cited. Which graue and learned course, if Becane had kept with mee, he should haue found none, no not any one false citation of that kind; as this Reply doth demonstrate: wherein is iustified the very substance of all, yea the very words and syllables almost of all the citations, set downe in my booke of English Concord. Therefore, with strange impudencie, doth this Iesuit say, that my false citations, in proportion, would haue growne to a thousand: as though none to none had a∣ny proportion.

Neuerth••lesse; hereafter, because this trifling Iesuit

fowleth for feathers, that is, escapes in printing, throgh the composer, or Corrector; I will be Corrector my selfe, as my weighty busines will permit. In the meane time, gentle Reader, vouchsafe to obserue, what a wa∣rie course this Iesuit in his writings taketh, duly pro∣portioned to his very small learning and reading, viz. to vse in a manner, none, or very few, citations of any kind; but onely to set downe, with his penne, whatso∣euer his empty braines conceiue. After which course, it were no hard thing, to write a booke, as large and as materiall, as commonly his are, euery weeke through∣out the yeere, one.

Now the Iesuiticall Syrts are past: heereafter wee shall ride in the calme of apparant vniforme Concord touching the Kings Supremacie; how soeuer this turbu∣lent Iesuit (like those restlesse wicked ones, spoken of by Esay, whose waters cast vp myre and durt) endeuour to trouble the waters, with the myre and durt of his Iesuiticall discord: which, by this Reply following, is returned home, and impacted vpon his owne face.

English Concord.

IN these Questions, the Aduersaries dissent ex∣treamely: On the one side, Augustinus Triumphus, Aluarus Pelagius, Hostiensis, Panormitanus, Sylue∣ster, Henricus Gaudauensis, Rodericus Sancius, Alexan∣der Alensis, Celsus Mancinus, Thomas Bozius, Francis∣cus Bozius, Isidorus Moscouius, Laelius Zecchus, Cardi∣nall Baronius, & lastly, Alexander Carerius; who in his booke publiquely printed, was not afraid to call Bel∣larmine,

and all who tooke part with him, against the other forenamed; Impious Politicks, and Hereticks of our time. I say, in these points of the Popes Primacy, and at this present time, the Iesuits extreamely dissent from the Sorbonists; and the Venetian and French, from the Romane Papists.

On the other side, all Protestant-English Writers, with one vniforme consent agree in the Kings Supre∣macy; as they, who willingly haue taken the Oath of the Kings Supremacy, which is set downe in these ex∣presse words following, viz. I, A. B. doe vtterly testifie, and declare in my conscience, that the Kings Highnesse, is the onely Supreme Gouernour of this Realme, and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries, as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticll things or causes, as Temporall. And that no forraine Prince, person, Prelat, State, or Potentate, hath, or ought to haue, any Iurisdiction, Power, Superiority, Preheminence, or authority Ecclesiasticall, or Spirituall, within this Realme. And therefore I doe vtterly renounce and forsake all forrain Iurisdictions, Powers, Su∣periorities & Authorities: And doe promise that frō hence∣forth, I shall beare faith and true alleagiance to the Kings Highnesse, his heires, and lawfull Successors: And to my power shal assist, and defend all Iurisdictions, Priuiledges, Preheminencies, & authorities, granted, or belonging to the Kings Highnesse, his heires and Successors, & vnited or an∣nexed to the Imperiall crowne of this Realme. So helpe mee GOD, &c.

But, by the lawes of England, in these very words & syllables; Supreme Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall, or Power Spirituall, is for euer vnited and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this kingdome. These things then beeing so

certainly and manifestly true; let Becan himselfe iudge, if he will iudge sincerely & ingenuously, according to this oath of Supremacy (taken willingly by all Prote∣stant English Writers, without refusal of any one)

• 1 Whether the King of England hath not Supremacy, or Primacy in this Church?
• 2 Whether that Primacy or Supremacy, be not Ecclesi∣asticall and Spirituall? viz. vvhich is in all things & cau∣ses, Ecclesiasticall & Spirituall.
• 3 Whether the King by his Primacy, or Supremacy, may be called Primat of the Church? to weet, as one is called a King, of his kingdome: a Bishop, of his bishoprick: or a Bailife, of his Bailiwick?
• 4 Whether by the same Supremacy or Primacy, hee may not be called Head of this Church? that is to say, the onely supreme Gouernour in all things and causes Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall, & ouer all persons Ecclesiasticall.
• 5 Whether that Primacy or Supremacy do not consist in Power or Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall? to weet, which consisteth in all things Ecclesiasticall, and ouer all per∣sons Ecclesiasticall; and which is tearmed by the ex∣presse words of the lawes of England, Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction, or power Spirituall; seeing that the Oath of Supremacy, respecteth the Kings authority Ecclesi∣asticall: and the Oath of Fidelitie, his authoritie Ci∣uil. As our King IAMES in his Booke, most accu∣ratly distinguisheth them.
• 6 Whether the King, by his Primacy or Supremacy, may not call Councells, and presede in them? viz. as the onely supreme Gouernor of this Kingdome, in all things & causes: & ouer all persons, Ecclesiasticall & Spiritual. For do not all Coūcells consist of persons Ecclesiasticall? & are not

• things Spirituall & Ecclesiasticall handled in Councels?
• 7 Whether the King may not make Ecclesiastical lawes? to weet, as the onely supreame Gouernour in all things, & ouer all persons Ecclesiasticall; according to that of Saint Augustine:* 1.2 Heerein Kings, (as it is from heauen prescri∣bed vnto them) serue God, as Kings; if in their kingdome, they commaund those good things, and forbid those euills, which pertaine not onely to humane societie, but also to Di∣uine Religion.
• 8 Whether the King may not cōferre Eccle∣siasticall Benefices? As the only Supreame Gouernour in all cau∣ses. & ouer all persons Ecclesiasti∣call.
• 9 Whether the King may not make and de∣pose Bishops? As the only Supreame Gouernour in all cau∣ses. & ouer all persons Ecclesiasti∣call.
• 10 Whether the King may not compell his subiects to the oath of Supremacy? As the only Supreame Gouernour in all cau∣ses. & ouer all persons Ecclesiasti∣call.
• 11 Whether the King, hath not his Supre∣macie by the right of his Crowne? As the only Supreame Gouernour in all cau∣ses. & ouer all persons Ecclesiasti∣call.

As for Excōmunication, if the Iesuit meane by it Re∣taining of sins, that respecteth the Iurisdiction internall: and all, both Protestant, and Popish Writers acknow∣ledge, that our King challengeth no such power. But if he vnderstand, the inhibiting frō the Communion & other holy exercises performed by the Minister, and faithfull people in the Church, then in England, where euery, not only Archbishop, but Archdeacon, and his Officiall doe excommunicat, we shal haue (according to Becane his dispure heere) so many Primats of the Church of England, as there be in it Archdeacons, or their Officialls. But heere the controuersie is of one onely Supreame Primat, or Supreame Gouernour. Ther∣fore this Question of Becane, touching the Kings pow∣er to excommunicat, is very idle and ••riuolous.

As touching the Iudge of Controuersies, all Protestant Writers hold no mortall man to be Iudge of thē. Not∣withstanding, Hainrik Salobrig, and (long before him) Iewell, in his Defence of the English Apologie,* 1.3 out of the Ecclesiasticall Writers, especially out of Socrates, and Cardinall Cusanus, write, That Christian Princes, with good commendation, haue heard, and determi∣ned some Controuersies of faith. According also to these words of Charles the Great, produced by the re∣uerend Bishop of Ely, viz. Wee doe decree, and by Gods assistance haue decreed,* 1.4 what is to be firmly holden in that cause, or Controuersie. It was a cause of Faith, against Eli∣phandus, vvho asserted Christ to be the adopted Sonne of GOD.

Lastly, who would heere regard the naked names of Sanders, Genebrard, Pol. Virgil, and Thuanus, which Be∣cane doth heere muster? Are these also Aduersaries to Becane? or doe these, as Aduersaries, extreamely dis∣sent touching these Questions.

As for Caluin, Tortura Torti a good while since hath answered thus: As Caluin did not allow the Pope to be King, or the King to be Pope:* 1.5 so vve approue not that in the King vvhich we detest in the Pope. But Caluin vvith vs, and wee with him, thinke, that those things belong to the King, in the Church Christian, vvhich belonged to Io∣sias, in the Church Iudaicall. And we desire no more.

Now, hauing passed these Rocks, the remainder of our way is easie; and all Becans Iarres, heereafter ob∣iected against vs, may, as it were with the blast of some few words, bee eftsoones scattered, and brought to nought. For by this which is already demonstrated, it is most manifest, that all our English Protestant Wri∣ters,

doe fully and vniformely agree in the whole sub∣stance or matter of the Kings Primacy or Supremacie; and that Becane, throughout his Iarre, striueth onely a∣bout words or syllables. Against which kind of con∣tention, S^t. Paul writeth thus vnto Timothy:* 1.6 Protest before the Lord, that they striue not about vvords, vvhich is to no profit, but to the peruerting of the hearers.

Vnto all this, in my Concord, from page 12. vnto page 19, Becane in his Examin. answereth not one word.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Page 102.
• * 1.2

  Contra Crescon. lib. 3. c. 51.
• * 1.3

  Par. 6. c. 13. D••uil. 2.
• * 1.4

  Tort Tort. Pag. 165.
• * 1.5

  Pag. 379.
• * 1.6

  2. Tim. 2. ver. 14.