An answer to Monsieur de la Militiere his impertinent dedication of his imaginary triumph,: to the king of Great Britain to invite him to embrace the Roman Catholick religion. / By John Bramhall D.D. and Lord Bishop of London-Derry.

An Answer to Monseiur de la Militiere his Epistle to the King of great Britain, wherein he in∣viteth his Majesty to forsake the Church of England, and to em∣brace the Roman Catho∣lick Religion.

SIR,

YOu might long have disputed your Question of Transubstan∣tiation, with your learned Adversary, and proclamed your own Tri∣umph

on a silver Trumpet to the world, before any Member of the Church of England had interposed in this present Exigence of our Affairs. I know no necessity that Christians must be like Cocks,* 1.1 that when one Crows all the rest must Crow for Company.

Monseiur Aubertine will not want a surviving friend, to teach you what it is to sound a Triumph before you have gained the victory. He was no fool that desired no other Epitaph on his Tomb than this, Here lyes the Author of this sentence, Prurigo Disputandi scabies Ecclesiae,* 1.2 the itch of dis∣puting is the scab of the Church.

Having viewed all your strength with a single eye, I find not one of your Argu∣ments that comes home to Transubstantiation, but only to a true reall presence, which no genuine Son of the Church of England did ever deny, no nor your Adversary himself. Christ said, This is my Body, what he said, we do stedfastly believe; he said not, after this or that man∣ner, neque con, neque sub, ne∣que trans; And therefore we place it among the Opinions of the Schools, not among the Articles of our Faith.

The holy Eucharist, which is the Sacrament of peace and unity,* 1.3 ought not to be made the matter of strife and con∣tention. There wanted not

abuses in the Administration of this Sacrament, in the most pure and Primitive times, as prophaness and un∣charitableness among the Co∣rinthians.* 1.4 The Simonians and Menandrians, and some other such Imps of Sathan, unworthy the name of Chri∣stians,* 1.5 did wholy forbear the use of the Eucharist, but it was not for any difference a∣bout the Sacrament it self, but about the naturall Body of Christ; They held that his flesh, and Blood, and Passion, were not true and reall, but imaginary and phantasticall things.

The Maniches did forbear the Cup, but it was not for any difference about the Sa∣crament it self; They made

two Gods, a good God whom they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or light, and an evill God whom they tearmed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or darkness, which evill God (they said,) did make some creatures of the Dreg, or more feculent parts of the matter, which were evill and impure; And among these evill creatures they esteemed Wine, which they called the Gall of the Dragon: for this cause, not upon any other scruple, they either wholy absteined from the Cup,* 1.6 or used Water in the place of wine, which E∣piphanius recordeth among the errors of the Ebionites,* 1.7 and Tacians; And St. Au∣stine of the Aquarians. Still we doe not find any clashing either in word or writing

directly about this Sacrament, in the universall Church of Christ, much less about the presence of Christ in the Sa∣crament.* 1.8 Neque ullus vete∣rum disputat contra hunc er∣rorem primis sex centis An∣nis.

The first that are supposed by Bellarmine to have broa∣ched any error in the Church about the reall presence were the Iconomachi, after 700. years. Primi qui veritatem corporis Domini in Euchari∣stia in quaestionem vecarunt fuerint Iconomachi post An∣num Domini 700.* 1.9 only be∣cause they called the Bread and Wine the Image of Christs body. This is as great a mistake as the former. Their difference was meerly

about Images, not at all a∣bout the Eucharist; so much Vasques confesseth,* 1.10 that In his ••udgement they are not to be numbred with those who deny the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

We may well find different observations in those dayes,* 1.11 as one Church consecrating leavened Bread, another un∣leavened; One Church ma∣king use of pure Wine, ano∣ther of Wine mixed with Wa∣ter; One Church admitting Infants to the Communion, another not admitting them; but without controversies, or censures, or animosity one a∣gainst another: we find no debates or disputes concer∣ning the presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament, and

much less concerning the manner of his presence, for the first eight hundred years.

* 1.12Yet all the time we find as different expressions among those Primitive Fathers, as among our modern writers at this day, some calling the Sacrament the sign of Christs Body, the figure of his Body, the Symbol of his Body, the mystery of his Body, the exem∣plar type and representation of his Body, saying that the Elements do not recede from their first nature; others na∣ming it the true Body and Blood of Christ, changed not in shape but in nature, yea doubting not to say, that in this Sacrament we see Christ, we touch Christ, we eat Christ, that we fasten our teeth in

his very flesh, and make our Tongues red in his Bloud: Yet notwithansting there were no questions, no quarrels, no contentions amongst them; there needed no Councils to order them, no conferences to reconcile them, because they contented themselves to be∣lieve what Christ had said, This is my Body, without presuming upon their own heads, to determine the man∣ner how it is his Body, nei∣ther weighing all their own words so exactly before any controversie was raised, nor expounding the sayings of o∣ther men contrary to the ana∣logy of Faith.

The first doubt about the* 1.13 presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament seems to have

been moved not long before the year 900. in the dayes of Bertram, and Paschasius, but the controversie was not well formed, nor this new Article of Transubstantiation sufficiently concocted in the dayes of Berengarius, after the year 1050. as appeareth by the gross mistaking, and mi∣stating of the question on both sides; First Berengarius (if we may trust his adver∣saries) knew no mean between a naked figure, or empty sign of Christs presence, and a corporeall or Locall presence, and afterwards fell into a∣nother extreme of impanation; on the other side the Pope and the Councill made no diffe∣rence between Consubstan∣tiation and Transubstantia∣tion,

they understood nothing of the spirituall or indivisible being of the flesh and blood of Christ in the Sacrament, as appeareth by that ignorant and Capernaiticall retractati∣on and abjuration, which they imposed upon Berengarius, Penned by Umbertus a Car∣dinall,* 1.14 approved by Pope Ni∣cholas, and a Councill, Ego Berengarius, &c.

I Berengarius do consent to the holy Roman Apostolick See, and profess with my mouth and heart, to hold the same faith of the Sacrament, of the Lords Supper, with Pope Ni∣cholas and this holy Synod, &c. And what the faith of Pope Nicholas and this Sy∣nod was, follows in the next words; That the Bread and

Wine which are set upon the Altar after Consecration, are not onely the Sacrament, but the very body and blood of Christ. This seems to favour Consubstantiation, rather than Transubstantiation; if the Bread and Wine be the body and blood of Christ, then they remain Bread and Wine still; if the bread be not onely the Sacrament, but also the thing of the Sacrament, if it be both the Sign and the thing signi∣fied, how is it now to be made nothing? It follows in the Retraction; That the body and blood of Christ is sensibly, not onely in the Sacrament, but in truth, handled and broken by the hands of the Priest, and bruised by the teeth of the faithfull, If it be even so,

there needs no more but feel and be satisfied. To this they made Berengarius sweat, By the consubstantiall Trinity, and the Holy Gospels, and accurse and anathematize all those who held the contrary; yet these words did so much scan∣dalize and offend the Glosser upon Gratian, that he could not forbear to admonish the Reader,* 1.15 that unless he under∣stood those words in a sound sense, he would fall into a greater heresie than that of Berengarius. Not without reason, for the most favoura∣ble of the Schoolmen do con∣fess, that these words are not properly and literally true, but figuratively and me∣tanimically, understanding the thing conteining by the

thing conteined, as to say the body of Christ is broken or bruised, because the quantity or Species of bread are broken or bruised, they might as well say, that the body and blood of Christ becomes fusty and sowr, as often as the Species of Bread and Wine before their corruption become fu∣sty and sowr. But the Re∣tractation of Berongarius can admit no such figurative sense, that the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament are d••vided and bruised sensi∣bly not onely in the Sacrament, (that is in the Spec••es) but also in truth. A most igno∣rant Capernaiticall assertion; for the body of Christ being not in the Sacrament modo Quantitativo, according to

their own Tenet, but indivisi∣bly, after a Spirituall manner, without extrinsecall extension of parts, cannot in it self or in truth be either divided or bruised.

Therefore others of the School-men goe more roundly and ingenuously to work,* 1.16 and confess that it is an abusive and excessive expression, not to be held or defended, & that it hap∣pened to Berengarius, (they should have said to Pope Ni∣cholas, and Cardinall Umber∣tus,) as it doth with those who cut of a detestation of one er∣ror encline to another.

Neither will it a vail them any thing at all, that the Fa∣thers have sometimes used such expressions of seeing Christ, of touching Christ in the Sa∣crament,

of fastning our teeth in his flesh, and making our tongues red in his blood. There is a great difference between a Sermon to the people, and a solemn Retractation before a Judge. The Fathers do not say, that such expressions are true, not only Sacramentally or figuratively, (as they made Berengarius both say and ac∣curse all others that held o∣therwise) but also properly, and in the things themselves. The Fathers never meant by these forms of speech, to de∣termine the manner of the presence, (which was not dreamed of in their dayes) but to raise the devotion of their hearers and readers, to advertise the people of God, that they should not rest in

the externall symbols, or signs, but principa••ly be intent upon the invisible grace, which was both lawfull and commendable for them to do. Leave us their primitive liber∣ty, and we will not refrain from the like expressions.

I urge this to shew that the new doctrine of Transubstan∣tiation is so far from being an old Article of faith, that it was not well digested, not rightly understood, in any tollerable measure, by the grea∣test Clerks, and most concer∣ned, above a thousand years after Christ.

The first definition or de∣termination of this manner of the presence was yet later in the Councill of Lateran, in the dayes of Innocent the

third,* 1.17 after the year 1200. Ante Lateranense Concilium Transubstantiatio non fuit dogma fidei. And what the fruit of it was, let Vasques bear witness, Audito nomine Transubstantiationis, &c. The very name of Transubstantia∣tion being but heard, so great a Controversie d••d arise among the later School-men concern∣ing the nature thereof, that the more they endevoured to wind themselves out, the more they wrapped themselves in greater difficulties, whereby the mysterie of faith became more difficult, both to be ex∣plained, and to be understood, and more exposed to the Cavils of its Adversaries. He adds that the name of Conversion and Transubstantiation gave

occasion to these Controversies.

No sooner was this Bell rung out, no sooner was this fatall sentence given, but as if Pandora's box had been newly set wide open, whole swarms of noisome Questions and debates did fill the Schools. Then it began to be disputed by what means this change comes, whether by the Benediction of the Elements, or by the Repetition of these words of Christ, This is my body. The common current of your Schools is for the later:* 1.18 But your judicious Arch-Bi∣shops of Caesaria, since the Councill of Trent, in a Book dedicated to Sixtus the Fifth, produceth great reasons to the contrary.

Then was the Question star∣ted

what the demonstrative Pronoun Hoc signifies in these words, This is my Body; whether this thing, or this Substance, or this Bread, or this Body, or this Meat, or these Accidents, or that which is conteined under these Spe∣cies,* 1.19 or this Individuum va∣gum, or lastly (which seems stranger than all the rest) this Nothing.

Then it began to be argu∣ed, whether the Elements were annihilated; whether the matter and form of them be∣ing destroyed their essence did yet remain, or the essence be∣ing Converted the existence remained; whether the Sacra∣mentall existence of the body and blood of Christ do de∣pend upon its naturall exi∣stence;

whether the whole Host were Transubstantiated, or onely some parts of it, that is such parts as should be di∣stributed to worthy Commu∣nicants, or whether in those parts of the Host which were distributed unto unworthy Communicants the matter of Bread and Wine did not re∣turn.* 1.20 Whether the Deity did assume the Bread or the Species thereof, by a new Hy∣postaticall Union, called Im∣panation, either absolutely, or respectively Mediante Cor∣pore. Whether the body and blood of Christ might be pre∣sent in the Sacrament with∣out Transubstantiation, with the bread, or without the bread; whether a body may be transubstantiated into a

Spirit,* 1.21 and (which is most strange) whether a Creature might be transubstantiated in∣to the Deity.

Then the School-men be∣gan to wrangle what manner of change this was, whether a material change, or a formall change, or a change of the whole substance, both matter and form; And if it were a Conversion of the whole sub∣stance, then whether it was by way of Production, or by Adduction, or by Conservati∣on, each of which greater Squadrons are subdivided into severall lesser parties, speak∣ing as different Language, as the builders of Babel, pester∣ing and perplexing one ano∣ther with mextricable diffi∣culties.

It cannot be a new Produ∣ction (saith one) because the body of Christ, whereinto the Elements are supposed to be converted, did pre-exist before the change, neither can that body which is made of bread, be the same body with that which was born of a Virgin.

If it be not by Production (say others,) but onely by Adduction, then it is not a Transubstantiation, but a Tran-subiation, not a change of natures, but a locall succes∣sion. Then the Priest is not the Maker of his Maker, (as they use to brag,) but onely puts him into a new positure, or presence, under the Species of Bread and Wine.

Howbeit this way by Ad∣duction be the more common,

and the safer way (if we may trust Bellarmine) yet of all Conversions or changes, it hath least affinity with Tran∣substantiation. Suppose the Water had not been turned into Wine at Cana of Gallilee by our Saviour, but poured out, or utterly destroyed, and Wine new created, or ad∣duced by Miracle into the water-pots, in such a manner, that the introduction of the Wine should be the expulsion of the Water, not onely Co∣mitanter, but Causaliter, in such case it had been no Transubstantiation. Moses his Rod was truly changed into a Serpent, but it was by Production, if his Rod had been conveyed away invisibly, by Legerdemain, and a Ser∣pent

had been adduced into the place of it, what Tran∣substantiation had this been? None at all; no, though the adduction of the Serpent had been the means of the expulsi∣on, and destruction of the Rod. It is so far from Transub∣stantiation, that is no Con∣version at all. The substance of the Elements is not con∣verted, for that is supposed to be destroyed; The Accidents are not converted, but remain the same they were. It is no Adduction at all, when the body of Christ (which is the thing supposed to be adduced) remains still in Heaven, where it was before.

It cannot be a Conserva∣tive conversion, (say others,) for the same individuall thing

cannot be conserved by two totall distinct Conservations; but if this were a conserva∣tive conversion the body of Christ should be conserved by two totall distinct conserva∣tions, the one in Heaven, the other in Earth; Yea, by ten thousand distinct totall Con∣servations upon Eatth, even as many as there are consecra∣ted Hosts;* 1.22 Which seems to be ri∣diculous, and without any neces∣sity administers great occasion to the Adversaries of Christian Religion, of jeasting and deri∣ding the mysteries of our faith.

So here we have a Tran∣substantiation without tran∣substantiation; A production of a Modus or manner of Be∣ing, for a production of a substance; An Annihilation

supposed, yet no Annihilation confessed; an Adduction with∣out any Adduction; a Ter∣minus ad Quem, without a Terminus à quo; who shall reconcile us to our selves? But the end is not yet.

Then grew up the Questi∣on, What is the proper Ade∣quate body which is contei∣ned under the Species or ac∣cidents; Whether a materiall body, or a substantiall body, or a living body, or an Or∣ganicall body, or an humane body; Whether it have weight, or not, and why it is not perceived; Whether it can be seen by the eye of mortall man; whether it can act or suffer any thing, whether it be moveable or immovable; whether by it self, or by Ac∣cident,

or by both; whether it can move in one place, and rest in another; or be moved with two contrary motions, (as upwards and downwards, Southwards and North∣wards,) at the same time?

Add to these, whether the Soul of Christ, and the Deity, and the whole Trinity do fol∣low the body and blood of Christ under either Species, by Concomitance? Whether the Sacramentall body must have suffered the same things with the naturall body? As sup∣posing that an Host Conse∣crated at Christs last Supper had been reserved untill after his Passion, whether Christ must have died, and his blood have been actually shed in the Sacrament? Yea, whether

those wounds which were im∣printed by the whips in his naturall body, might and should have been found in his Sacramentall body with∣out flagellation?

Likewise, what blood of Christ is in the Sacrament? whether that blood onely which was shed, or that blood only which remained in the body, or both the one and the other? And whether that blood which was shed was assumed again by the Humanity in the Resurrection?

Then began those Para∣doxicall Questions to be first agitated in the Schools, Whe∣ther the same individuall bo∣dy, without division, or dis∣continuation from it self, can be locally in ten thousand places; yea, in Heaven and in

Earth at the same time; Or if not locally, yet whether it can be so spiritually, and in∣divisibly? And whether it be not the same as to this pur∣pose, whether a body be lo∣locally or spiritually present in more places than one? Bel∣larmine seems to incline to the affirmative.* 1.23 Though to be a∣ny where Sacramentally doth not imply the taking up of a place, yet it implies a true and reall presence, and if it be in more Hosts or Altars than one, it seems no less opposite unto Indivisibility, than the filling up of many places. Nay, he is past seeming posi∣tive, that, without doubt if a body cannot be in two places locally, it cannot be Sacramen∣tally in two places.

Compare this of Bellarmine with that of Aquinas,* 1.24 that it is not possible for one body to be in more places than one locally, no not by Miracle, be∣cause it implies a contradicti∣on; And consider upon what tottering foundations you build Articles of faith. It is impossible, and implies a Con∣tradiction, for the body of Christ to be locally in more Hosts than one at the same time (saith Aquinas,) But it is as impossible, and implies a Contradiction asmuch for the body of Christ to be Sacra∣mentally in more Hosts than one at the same time, as to be locally (saith Bellar∣mine). The Inference is plain and obvious.

Many more such strange

Questions are moved, as whe∣ther it be possible that the thing conteined should be a thousand times greater than the thing conteining? whe∣ther a definitive being in a place, do not implie a not be∣ing out of that place? whether more bodies than one can be in one and the same place? whether there can be a pene∣tration of dimensions? whe∣ther a body can subsist after a spirituall manner, so as to take up no place at all, but to be wholly in the whole, and wholly in every part? More∣over, whether the whole bo∣dy and blood of Christ be in every particle of the bread, and of the Cup, and if it be, then whether onely after the division of the Bread and

Wine, or before division also; And in how many parts, and in which parts, is the whole body and blood of Christ, whether in the least parts, and if in the least parts, then whe∣ther in the least in kind, or the least in quantity, that is so long as the Species may re∣tein the name of Bread and Wine, or so long as the mat∣ter is divisible, and whether the body and blood of Christ, be also in the indivisible parts, as points and lines, and su∣perficies?

Lastly, whether Accidents can subsist without their sub∣jects, that is, whether they can be both Accidents, and no Accidents? whether all the Accidents of the Elements do remain, and particularly

whether the Quantity doth remain? whether the other Accidents do inhere in the quantity as their subject, that is, whether an Accident can have an Accident? whether the quantity of Christs body be there, and whether it be there after a quantitative man∣ner, with extension of parts, either extrinsecall or intrinse∣call, and whether the Quan∣tity of the body of Christ, be distinct and figured, or indi∣stinct and unfigured? whether the Accidents can nourish or make drunken, or corrupt, and a new body be generated of them; And what supplies the place of the matter in such generation, whether the Quan∣tity, or the body of Christ, or the old matter of the Bread

and wine, restored by mi∣racle, or new matter created by God? And how long in such corruption the Body of Christ doth continue.

Whosoever is but mode∣rately versed in your great Doctors, must needs know that these questions are not the private doubts, or debates of single School-men, but the common Garboils and generall engagements of your whole Schools.

Wherefore it had been a meer vanity to cite every par∣ticular Author for each que∣stion, and would have made the margent swell ten times greater than the Text.

From this bold determina∣tion of the manner of the presence, how, have flowed

two other differences, First the detention of the Cup from the Laity, meerly upon pre∣sumption of Concomitance, first decreed in the Councill of Constance, after the year 1400. Let what will be∣come of Concomitance, whilst we keep our selves to the In∣stitution of Christ, and the universall practise of the Pri∣mitive Church. It was not for nothing that our Saviour did distinguish his Body from his Bloud, not only in the Consecration, but also in the distribution of the Sacrament. By the way give me leave to represent a Contradiction in Bellarmine, which I am not able to reconcile.* 1.25 In one place he saith, The provi∣dence of God is merveilous in

holy Scripture, for St. Luke hath put these words [do you this,] after the Sacrament given under the form of Bread, but he repeated it not after the giving of the Cup, That we might understand, that the Lord commanded that the Sacrament should be distri∣buted unto all under the form of Bread, but not under the form of Wine. And yet in the next Chapter but one of the same Book, he doth positive∣ly determine the contrary, upon the Ground of Conco∣mitance, that the Bread may be taken away,* 1.26 if the Cup be given, but both cannot be ta∣ken away together, Can that be taken away, which Christ hath expresly commanded to be given to all?

A second difference flow∣ing from Transubstantiation is about the Adoration of the Sacrament; One of those im∣pediments which hinder our Communication with you in the Celebration of divine Of∣fices: We deny not a vene∣rable respect unto the Con∣secrate Elements, not only as love-tokens sent us by our best friend, but as the In∣struments ordeined by our Saviour to convey to us the merits of his Passion: But for the person of Christ (God forbid) that we should deny him divine worship at any time, and especially in the use of this holy Sacrament, we beleeve with St. Austine that No man eats of that flesh, but first he adores. But

that which offends us is this, That you teach and require all men to adore the very Sa∣crament with divine Honour. To this end you hold it out to the people. To this end Corpus Christi day was in∣stituted about 300. years since.* 1.27 Yet we know that even up∣on your own grounds, you cannot without a particular Revelation, have any infal∣lible assurance that any Host is consecrated; And conse∣quently you have no assu∣rance that you do not com∣mit materiall Idolatry.

But that which weighs most with us is this, That we dare not give divine wor∣ship unto any creature, (no not to the very Humanity of Christ in the Abstract, much

less to the Host) but to the whole person of Christ God and man, by reason of the Hypostaticall union between the Child of the blessed Vir∣gin Mary, and the eternall Son, who is God over all bles∣sed for ever. Shew us such an union betwixt the Deity and the Elements, or accidents, and you say something. But you pretend no such things, The highest that you dare go is this,* 1.28 As they that adored Christ when hee was upon Earth did [after a certain kind of manner,] adore his Garments. Is this all? This is after a certain kind of man∣ner indeed. We have enough. There is no more Adoration due to the Sacrament, than to the Garments which

Christ did wear upon Earth. Exact no more.

Thus the seamless Coat of Christ is torn into pieces; Thus faith is minced into shreds, and spun up into ni∣cities, more subtil than the Webs of Spiders,

Fidem minutis diffecant ambagibus Ut quisque est lingua nequior.

Because curious wits can∣not content themselves to touch hot coals with tongs, but they must take them up with their naked fingers, nor to apprehend mysteries of Religion by faith, without descanting upon them, and determining them by reason, whilst themselves confess that they are incomprehensible by humane reason, and imper∣ceptible

by mans imagination; How Christ is present in the Sacrament can neither be perceived by sense,* 1.29 nor by i∣magination. The more in∣excusable is their presumpti∣on to anatomise mysteries, and to determine super∣naturall not revealed truths, upon their own heads, which if they were revealed were not possible to be compre∣hended by mortall man; As vain an attempt, as if a Child should think to lade out all the water of the Sea with a Cockleshell.* 1.30 Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but things revealed unto us, and our Children for ever.

This is the reason why we rest in the words of Christ, This is my Body, leaving the

manner to him that made the Sacrament; we know it is Sacramentall and therefore efficacious, because God was never wanting to his own Ordinances, where man did not set a bar against him∣self. But to determine whe∣ther it be corporeally or spiri∣tually, (I mean not only after the manner of a spirit, but in a spirituall sense,) whether it be in the Soul only, or in the Host also; And if in the Host, whether by Consubstantiation or Transubstantiation, whether by Production or Adduction, or Conservation or Assump∣tion, or by whatsoever other way bold and blind man dare conjecture, we deter∣mine not.

* 1.31Motum sentimus, modum nescimus, praesentiam credimus.

This was the belief of the Primitive Church, this was the Faith of the antient Fathers, who were never ac∣quainted with these modern questions de modo, which e∣difie not, but expose Chri∣stian Religion to contempt. We know what to think, and what to say with pro∣bability, modesty, and sub∣mission in the Schools; But we dare neither scrue up the Question to such an height, nor dictate our Opinions to others so Magisterially as Ar∣ticles of Faith.

Nescire velle quae Magi∣ster maximus

Docere non vult, erudita est inscitia.

O!* 1.32 how happy had the Christian world been, if Scholars could have sate down contented with a la∣titude of Generall, sufficient, saving Truth, (which when all is done must be the Olive branch of peace, to shew that the deluge of Ecclesiasticall division is abated,) without wading too far into particu∣lar subtilties, or doting about Questions and Logomac••ies, whereof commeth envy, strife, raylings, evill surmisings, per∣verse disputings. Old contro∣versies evermore raise up new controversies, and yet more controversies, as Circles in the water do produce other Circles.

Now especially these Scho∣lasticall quarrels seem to be

unseasonable, when Zenos School is newly opened in the world, who sometimes wanted opinions, but never wanted Arguments; Now when Atheism and sacrilege are become the mode of the times; Now when all the fundamentals of Theology, Morality, and Policy, are undermined and ready to be blown up; Now when the unhappy contentions of great Princes, or their Ministers, have hazarded the very be∣ing of Monarchy and Chri∣stianity; Now when Bello∣nia shakes her bloody whip over this Kingdom, it be∣cometh well all good Chri∣stians, and subjects, to leave their litigious questions, and * 1.33to bring water to quench the

fire of civil dissention alrea∣dy kindled, rather than to blow the Coals of discord, and to render themselves cen∣surable by all discreet per∣sons, like that half-wirted fellow personated in the O∣rator, Qui cum Capit is mede∣ri debuisset reduviem cura∣vit; when his head was ex∣tremely distempered, he bu∣sied himself about a small push on his fingers end.

But that which createth this trouble to you and me at this time, is your Preface,* 1.34 and Epistle Dedicatory; wherein to adorn your vain∣ly imagined Victory in an un∣seasonable Controversie, you rest not contented, that your Adversary grace your Tri∣umph, unless the King of

great Britain, and all his subjects, yea and all Prote∣stants besides attend your Chariot. Neither do you on∣ly desire this, but augurate it, or rather you relate it as a thing already as good as don:* 1.35 for you tell him, that his eyes and his ears do hear and see those truths, which make him to know the faults of that new Religion which he had sucked in with his milk; you set forth the causes of his Conversion, The tears of his Mother, and the Blood of his Father, whom you suppose (against evident truth) to have dyed an invisible Mem∣ber of your Roman Catho∣lick Church. And you pre∣scribe the means to perfect his Conversion, which must

be a conference of your Theo∣logians with the Ministers of Charentou.

If your charity be not to be blamed,* 1.36 to wish no worse to another than you do to your self, yet prudent men de∣sire more discretion in you, than to have presented such a Treatise to the view of the world under his Majesties protection, without his licence and against his conscience: Had you not heard that such groundless insinuations as these and other private whis∣perings concerning his Fa∣thers Apostatising to the Roman Religion did lose him the hearts of many sub∣jects? If you did, why would you insist in the same steps, to deprive the Son of

all possibility of recovering them?

* 1.37If your intentions be only to invite his Majesty to em∣brace the Catholick Faith,* 1.38 you might have spared both your Oyl and labour. The Catholick Faith flourished 1200. years in the world, before Transubstantiation was defined among your selves. Persons better acquainted with the Primitive times than your self (unless you wrong one another) do acknow∣ledge that the Fathers did not touch either the word or the matter of transubstantia∣tion.* 1.39 Mark it well, neither name nor thing. His Maje∣sty doth firmly beleeve all supernaturall truths revea∣led in sacred Writ. He em∣braceth

cheerfully whatso∣ever the holy Apostles, or the Nicene Fathers, or bles∣sed Athanasius, in their res∣pective Creeds or Summaries of Catholick Faith did set down as necessary to be be∣lieved. He is ready to re∣ceive whatsoever the Catho∣lick Church of this age doth unanimously believe to be a particle of saving Truth.

But if you seek to obtrude upon him the Roman Church, with its adherents, for the Catholick Church, excluding three parts of four of the Christian world from the Communion of Christ, or the opinions thereof for Articles and fundamentals of Catho∣lick Faith, neither his rea∣son, nor his Religion, nor his

charity will suffer him to li∣sten unto you. The Truths received by our Church are sufficient in point of Faith to make him a good Catho∣lick. More than this your Roman Bishops, your Roman Church, your Tridentine Councill, may not, cannot obtrude upon him. Listen to the third generall Councill,* 1.40 that of Ephesus, which de∣creed, that it should be lawfull for no man to publish or com∣pose another Faith or Creed than that which was defined by the Nicene Councill,* 1.41 And that whosoever should dare to compose or offer any such to any persons willing to be con∣verted from Paganism, Ju∣daism, or Heresy, if they were Bishops or Clerks should be

deposed, if Laymen anathema∣tized.

Suffer us to enjoy the same Creed the Primitive Fathers did, which none will say to have been insufficient except they be mad,* 1.42 as was alleged by the Greeks in the Coun∣cill of Florence. You have violated this Canon, you have obtruded a new Creed upon Christendom. New I say, not in words only; but in sense also.

Somethings are de Symbolo,* 1.43 somethings are contra symbo∣lum, and somethings are only praeter symbolum. Somethings are conteined in the Creed, either expresly or virtually, either in the Letter or in the sense, and may be deduced by evident consequence from

the Creed, as the Deity of Christ, his two natures, the procession of the Holy Ghost. The addition of these was properly no addition, but an explication. Yet such an ex∣plication, no person, no As∣sembly under an Oecumeni∣call Councill,* 1.44 can impose upon the Catholick Church. And such an one your Tri∣dentine Synod was not.

Secondly, somethings are contra symbolum, contrary to the symbolicall Faith, and either expresly or virtually overthrow some Article of it. These additions are not on∣ly unlawfull, but hereticall also in themselves, and after conviction render a man a for∣mal Heretick; whether some of your additions be not of this

nature, I will not now dis∣pute.

Thirdly, somethings are nei∣ther of the Faith, nor against the Faith, but only besides the Faith; That is, opinions or truths of an inferior na∣ture, which are not so ne∣cessary to be actually known: for though all revealed truths be a like necessary to be be∣lieved when they are known, yet all revealed truths are not a like necessary to be known. It is not denyed, but that Generall or Provinciall Councils may make con∣stitutions concerning these for unity and uniformity, and oblige all such as are subject to their jurisdiction to receive them, either active∣ly, or passively, without con∣tumacy

or opposition. But to make these, or any of these, a part of the Creed, and to oblige all Christians un∣der pain of damnation to know and believe them, is re∣ally to adde to the Creed, and to change the Symbolicall, Apostolicall Faith, to which none can adde, from which none can take away, and comes within the compass of St. Pauls curse,* 1.45 If we, or an Angell from Heaven, shall Preach unto you any other Gospell (or Faith,) than that which we have Preached, let him be accursed. Such are your Universality of the Ro∣man Church, by the Insti∣tution of Christ, to make her the Mother of her Grand-Mother the Church of Jeru∣salem,

and the mistress of her many elder Sisters. Your Doctrine of Purgatory and Indulgences, and the Wor∣ship of Images, and all o∣ther novelties defined in the Councill of Trent, all which are comprehended in your New Roman Creed, and obtruded by you upon all the world to be believed un∣der pain of damnation. He that can extract all these out of the old Apostolick Creed, must needs be an excellent Chymist, and may safely un∣dercake to draw water out of a Pumice.

That afflictions come not by chance,* 1.46 that prosperity is no evidence of Gods favour, or adversity of his hatred; that crosses imposed by God

upon his servants, look more forwards towards their a∣mendment, than backwards to their demerits, and proceed not from a Judge revenging, but from a Father correcting, or (which you have omitted,) from a Lord Paramount pro∣ving and magnifying before the world his own graces in his Servants for his glory and their Advantage, are unde∣niable Truths which we rea∣dily admit. As likewise that the dim eye of man cannot penetrate into the secret dis∣pensations of Gods tempo∣rall judgements and mercies in this life, so as to say this man is punished, that other chastised, this third is only proved.

But you forget all this soon after,* 1.47 when you take upon you to search into, yea more, to determine the grounds and reasons why the hand of God;* 1.48 aswell as the Parliament, hath been so heavy upon the Head of his late Majesty, and his royall Son.* 1.49 Namely on Gods part, because he called himself the head of the Church. God purposing by his punishment, to teach all other Princes that are in the Schism, with what severity he can vindicate his glory in the injury done unto the Unity and Authority of his Church,* 1.50 And on the Parlia∣ments part, because he would not consent to the Abolition of Episcopacy, and suppression of the Liturgy, and Ceremonies established in the Church of England.

First, what warrant have you to enquire into the Acti∣ons of that blessed Saint and Martyr, which of them should be the causes of his sufferings? Not remembring that the Dis∣ciples received a check from their Master upon the like presumption;* 1.51 Who sinned? this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

* 1.52The Heroicall Virtues, the flaming Charity, the admira∣ble Patience, the rare Humili∣ty, the exemplary Chastity, the constant and frequent Devotions, and the invinci∣ble Courage of that happy

Prince, not daunted with the ugly face of a most horrid death, have rendred him the glory of his Country, the Ho∣nour of that Church whereof he was the chiefest member, the admiration of Christen∣dome, and a pattern for all Princes, of what Communi∣on soever, to imitate untill the end of the world. His Suf∣frings were Palms, his Prison a Paradise, and his death-day the birth-day of his happi∣ness; whom his Enemies ad∣vantaged more by their cru∣elty, than they could have done by their courtesie. They deprived him of a corruptible Crown, and invested him with a Crown of glory; They snatched him from the sweet society of his dearest Spouse,

and from most hopefull Olive branches,* 1.53 to place him in the bosoms of the holy Angels. This alone is ground enough for his suffrings, to manifest unto the world those transcen∣dent and unparallel'd graces, wherewith God had enriched him, to which his suffrings gave the greatest lustre, as the stars shine brightest in a dark night.

* 1.54The like liberty you assume towards the other most glo∣rious Martyr, the late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, a man of profound learning, and ex∣emplary life, of clean hands, of a most sincere heart, a pa∣tron of all good learning, a Professor of antient truth, a great friend indeed, and ear∣nest pursuer, of Order, U∣nity,

and uniformity in Re∣ligion, but most free from all sinister ends, either a varitious or ambitious, wherewith you do uncharitably charge him, as if he sought onely his own Grandeur, to make himself the head of a Schismaticall body. In brief, you therefore censure him, because you did not know him. I wish all your great Ecclesiastiques had his Innocency, and fervent zeal for Gods Church, and the peace thereof, to plead for them at the day of Judge∣ment.

By applying these particu∣lar Afflictions according to your own ungrounded Fancy, what a wide gap have you opened to the liberty and boldness of other men? who

if they should assume to them∣selves the same freedom that you have done, might say as much, with as much reason, concerning the pressures of other great Princes abroad, that God afflicts them, be∣cause they will not become Protestants, as you can say that God afflicted our late King, because he would not turn Papist.

But if you will not allow his Majesties suffrings to be meerly probatory; And if (for your satisfaction) there must be a weight of sin found out to move the wheel of Gods justice, why do you not rather fix upon the body of his Subjects or at least a dis∣loyall part of them? Wee confess that the best of us did

not deserve such a Jewell,* 1.55 that God might justly snatch him from us in his wrath for our ingratitude. Reason, Religi∣on, and experience do all teach us, that it is usuall with Almighty God, to look upon a body politique, or Ecclesia∣stique, as one man, and to deprive a perverse people of a good and gracious Gover∣nour, as an expert Physician by opening a vein in one member, cures the distempers of another.* 1.56 For the Trans∣gressions of a Land, many are the Princes thereof.

It may be that two or three of our Princes at the most (the greater part whereof were Roman Catholiques,* 1.57) did stile themselves, or give others leave to stile them, the

Heads of the Church, within their Dominions. But no man can be so simple, as to conceive that they intended a spirituall headship to infuse the life and motion of grace into the hearts of the faith∣full, such an head is Christ a∣lone; No not yet an Ecclesi∣asticall headship; We did ne∣ver believe that our Kings in their own persons could exer∣cise any act perteining either to the power of Order or Ju∣risdiction:* 1.58 Nothing can give that to another, which it hath not it self. They meant one∣ly a Civill or Politicall head, as Saul is called the Head of the Tribes of Israel, to see that publick peace be preser∣ved, to see that all Subjects, aswell Ecclesiastiques as o∣thers

do their duties, in their severall places; to see that all things be managed for that great and Architectonicall end, that is the weal and be∣nefit of the whole body poli∣tique, both for soul and body. If you will not trust me, Hear our Church it self, When we attribute the Sove∣reign Government of the Church to the King,* 1.59 we do not give him any power to admi∣nister the Word or Sacraments; but onely that Prerogative which God in holy Scripture hath alwayes allowed to Godly Princes, to see that all Sates and Orders of their Subiects, Ecclesiasticall and Civill, do their duties, and to punish those who are delinquent, with the civill Sword. Here is no

power ascribed,* 1.60 no punish∣ment inflicted, but meerly politicall, and this is appro∣ved and justificed by S. Clara, both by reason, and by the example of the Parliament of Paris. Yet by vertue of this Politicall power, he is the Keeper of both Tables, the preserver of true piety to∣wards God, as well as right Justice towards men; And is obliged to take care of the souls, aswell as the skins and carkasses of his subjects.

* 1.61This power, though not this name, the Christian Em∣perours of old assumed unto themselves, to Convocate Sy∣nods, to preside in Synods, to confirm Synods, to establish Ecclesiasticall Laws, to receive appeals, to nominate Bishops,

to eject Bishops, to suppress Heresies, to compose Ecclesia∣sticall differences, in Coun∣cils, out of Councils, by themselves, by their delegates: All which is as clear in the History of the Church, as if it were written with a beam of the Sun.

This power,* 1.62 though not this name, the Antient Kings of England ever exercised, not onely before the Reformation, but before the Norman Con∣quest, as appears by the Acts of their great Councills, by their Statutes, and Articles of the Clergy, by so many Laws of provision against the Bi∣shop of Romes conferring Ecclesiasticall dignities and benefices upon foreiners, by so many sharp oppositions a∣gainst

the exactions and usur∣pations of the Court of Rome, by so many Laws concerning the Patronage of Bishopricks, and Investitures of Bishops, by so many examples of Church-men punished by the Civill Magistrate. Of all which Jewels the Roman Court had undoubtedly rob∣bed the Crown, if the Peers and Prelates of the King∣dom had not come in to the rescue.

By the antient Laws of England it is death, or at least a forfeiture of all his goods, for any man to publish the Popes Bull without the Kings Licence. The Popes Legate without the Kings leave could not enter into the Realm. If an Ordinary did refuse to accept

a resignation,* 1.63 the King might supply his defect. If any Ec∣clesiasticall Court did exceed the bounds of its just power, either in the nature of the cauie, or manner of proceed∣ing, the Kings Prohibition had place. So in effect the Kings of England were al∣waies the Politicall heads of the Church within their own Dominions. So the Kings of France are at this day.

But who told you that ever King Charles did call himself the Head of the Church?* 1.64 thereby to merit such an hea∣vy Judgement. He did not, nor yet King James his Fa∣ther, nor Queen Elizabeth before them both, who took Order in her first Parliament, to have it left out of her Title;

They thought that name did sound ill, and that it intrench∣ed too far upon the right of their Saviour. Therefore they declined it, and were called onely Supreme Governours, in all Causes, over all persons Ecclesiasticall and Civill; which is a Title de jure in∣separable from the Crown of all soveraign Princes; Where it is wanting de facto (if any place be so unhappy to want it,) the King, is but half a King, and the Common∣wealth a Serpent with two Heads.

Thus you see, you are doub∣ly, and both wayes miserably mistaken. First, King Charles did never stile himself Head of the Church, nor could with patience endure to hear that

Title. Secondly, a Politicall Headship is not injurious to the Unity, or Authority of the Church. The Kings of Israel and Judah; the Christian Em∣perours, the English Kings before the Reformation, yea, even before the Conquest, and other Soveraign Princes of the Roman Communion have owned it signally.

But it seems you have been told, or have read, this in the virulent writings of Sanders, or Parsons, or have heard of a ludicrous scoffing propositi∣on of a Marriage between the two heads of the two Chur∣ches, Sixtus Quintus, and Queen Elizabeth, for the re∣uniting forsooth of Christen∣dome. All the satisfaction, I should enjoyn you, is to per∣swade

the Bishop of Rome (if Gregory the Great were living,* 1.65 you could not fail of speeding,) to imitate the piety and humility of our Princes; that is, to content himself with his Patriarchicall dignity and primacy of Order, & Princi∣pium unitatis, and to quit that much more presumptu∣ous, and (if a Popes word may pass for current) Anti∣christian terme of the Head of the Catholick Church. If the Pope be the Head of the Catholique Church, then the Catholique Church is the Popes body, which would be but an harsh expression to Christian ears; then the Ca∣tholick Church should have no Head, when there is no Pope, two or three Heads,

when there are two or three Popes; an unsound Head, when there is an hereticall Pope; a broken Head, when the Pope is censured or depo∣sed; and no Head, when the See is vacant. If the Church must have one Universall, vi∣sible, Ecclesiasticall Head, a generall Councill may best pretend to that Title.

Neither are you more suc∣cessfull in your other Reason,* 1.66 why the Parliament persecu∣ted the King; Because he mainteined Episcopacy, both out of Conscience and Interest, which they sought to abolish. For though it be easily admit∣ted, that some seditious and heterodox persons had an e∣vill eye, both against Monar∣chy, and Episcopacy, from the

very beginning of these trou∣bles, either out of fiery zeal, or vain affectation of Novel∣ty, (like those, who having the green-sickness, prefer chalk and meal in a corner, before wholsome meat at their Fa∣thers table,) or out of a gree∣dy, and covetous desire of ga∣thering some sticks for them∣selves upon the fall of those great Okes, yet certainly they: who were the contrivers, and principall actors in this busi∣ness, did more malign Epis∣copacy for Monarchy's sake, then Monarchie for Episco∣pacies. What end had the Nuncio's faction in Ireland against Episcopacy? whose mutinous courses apparantly lost that Kingdom. When the Kings consent to the Aboli∣tion

of Episcopacy in Scot∣land was extorted from him by the Presbyterian faction (which probably the prime authors do rue sufficiently by this time) were those Presby∣terian Scots any thing more favourable to Monarchy? To come to England, the chief Scene of this bloody Tragedy: If that party in Parliament had at first pro∣posed any such thing, as the Abolition either of Monarchy, or Episcopacy, undoubtedly they had ruined their whole design; untill daily tumults, and uncontrollable uprores had chased away the greater, and sounder part of both Houses: Their first Protesta∣tion was solemnly made to God, both for King and

Church, as they were by Law established.

* 1.67Would you know then what it was that Conjur'd up the storm among us? It was some feigned jealousies and fears, (which the first broachers themselves knew well enough to be fables) dispersed cunningly among the people, That the King pur∣posed to subvert the funda∣mentall Lawes of the King∣dome, and to reduce the free English Subject to a condition of absolute slavery under an Arbitrary Government. For which massy weight of mali∣tious untruth, they had no supporters, but a few Bull∣rushes. Secondly, that he meant to apostate from the Protestant Religion to Pope∣ry,

and to that end had raised the Irish Rebellion by secret encouragements, and Com∣missions; For which mon∣strous calumny, they had no other foundation (except the solemn religious Order of di∣vine Service in his own Chap∣pell, and Cathedral Churches) then some unseasonable dis∣putes about an Altar, or a Table, and the permission of the Popes Agent, to make a short stay in England, more for reasons of State than of Religion. And some sensless fictions of some Irish Rebels, who having a Patent under the great Seal of Ireland for their Lands, to colour their barbarous murthers, shewed it to the poor simple people as a Commission from the

King to levy forces. And last∣ly some impious pious frauds of some of your own partie, whose private whispers, and printed insinuations did give hopes, that the Church of England, was comming about to shake hands with the Ro∣man in the points controver∣ted; Which was meerly de∣vised to gull some silly crea∣tures, whom they found apt to be catched with chaff; for which they had no more pre∣text of truth, than you have for your groundless intimations in this unwelcome dedication.

These suspitions being com∣pounded with Covetousness, Ambition, Envy, Emulation, desire of Revenge, and dis∣content, were the sourse of all our Calamities. Thus much

you your self confess in effect; that, this supposition, that the King and Bishops had an in∣tention to re-establish the Ro∣man Catholique Religion, was the venom which the Puri∣tan faction infused into the hearts of the people,* 1.68 to fill them with hatred against a King worthy of love; And the Parliament judged it a fa∣vourable occasion for their de∣sign, to advance themselves to Soveraign Authority, Be Judge your self how much they are accessary to our suf∣ferings, who either were, or are the Authors, or fomenters of these damnable slanders.

There was yet one cause more of this cruell persecuti∣on, which I cannot conceal from you, because it concerns

some of your old acquaintance. There was a Bishop in the world (losers must have leave to talk) whose privie Purse, and subtill Counsells, did help to kindle that unnatu∣rall war in his Majesties three Kingdomes. Our Cardinall Wolsey complained before his death, That he had served his King better than his God. But certainly this practise in your friend, was neither Good service to his God, to be the author of the effusion of so much innocent blood, nor yet to his King, to let the world see such a dangerous president. It is high time for a man to look to himself, when his next neighbours house is all on a flame.

As hitherto I have follow∣ed

your steps, though not al∣together in your own Method, or rather your own confusion; So I shall observe the same course for the future. Your discourse is so full of Mean∣ders and windings, turnings, and returnings, you congre∣gate Heterogenious matter, and segregate that which is homogeneous, as if you had made your Dedication by starts, and snatches; and never digested your whole discourse; On the contrary, where I meet with any thing, it shall be my desire to dispatch it out of my hands, with whatsoe∣ver perteins unto it once for all. I hope you expect not that I should amuse my self at your Rhetoricall flowers, and elegant expressions; they

agree well enough with the work you were about; The Pipe playes sweetly, whilst the Fowler is catching his prey. Trappings are not to be condemned, if the things themselves are good and use∣full, but I prefer one Pome∣granate Tree loaden with good fruit, before a whole row of Cypresses, that serve onely for shew. Be sure of this, that where any thing in your E∣pistle reflects upon the Church of England, I shall not miss it first or last, though it be but a loose unjoynted peece, and so perhaps hitherto un∣touched.

* 1.69Amongst other things which you lay to our charge, you glance, at the least twelve times, at our supposed Schism.

But from first to last, never attempt to prove it, as if you took it for granted. I have shaped a Coat for a Schisma∣tick, and had presented it to you in this answer, but con∣sidering that the matter is of moment, and merits as much to be seriously and solidly weighed, as your naked Cri∣mination without all pretext of proof deserves to be sleigh∣ted, lest it might seem here as an impertinent digression, to take up too much place in this short discourse, I have added it at the Conclusion of this Answer, in a short Tract by it self, that you may per∣use it if you please.* 1.70

You fall heavily, in this Discourse, upon the Presbyte∣rians, Brownists, and Inde∣pendents,

if they intend to return you any answer, they may send it by a messenger of their own. As for my part, I am not their Proctor, I have received no Fee from them. And if I should under∣take to plead their Cause up∣on my own head, by our old English Law, you might call me to accompt for unlawfull maintenance. Onely give me leave as a by-stander to won∣der why you are so cholerique against them, for certainly they have done you more ser∣vice in England, then ever you could have done for your selves.

And I wonder no less why you call our Reformation, a Calvinisticall Reformation, brought into England by Bu∣cer,

and Peter Martyr, a blind Reformation, yea, the intire ruine of the Faith, of the ve∣ry form of the Church, and of the civill Government of the Common-wealth instituted by God.* 1.71 Though you confess a∣gain in our favour, that if our first Reformers had been in∣terrogated, whether they meant:* 1.72 * 1.73 any such thing, they would have purged themselves,* 1.74 and avouched their Innocence with their hands upon the new Gospell. The gifts of Enemies are no gifts. If such as these are all your courtesies, you may be pleased to take them again; Our first Reformers might safely swear upon any Gospell, old, or new, that they meant no such thing. And we may as securely swear upon

all the books of God, old or new, that there is no such thing. But why our Gospell should be younger or newer than Sixtus Quintus his Gos∣pell, or Clemens Octavus his Gospell, passeth my under∣standing, and yours also.

Comparisons are odious, therefore I will not say, that the true English Protestant standing to his own grounds, is the best subject in the world. But I do say, that he is as good a subject as any in the world, and our princi∣ples as Innocent, and as auxi∣liary to civill Government, as the Maximes of any Church under Heaven. And more than yours, where the clashing of two Supreme Authorities, and the exemption of your

numerous Clergy from the Coercive power of the Prince, and some other novelties which I forbear to mention, do alwayes threaten a storm.

Tell me Sir, if you can, what Church in Europe hath declared more fully, or more favourably for Monarchy than the poor Church of England,* 1.75 That the most high and Sa∣cred Order of Kings, is of Divine Right, being the Or∣dinance of God himself, foun∣ded in the prime Lawes of Nature, and clearly establish∣ed by express Texts, both of the old, and new Testament. Moreover, that this power is extended over all their Sub∣jects, Ecclesiasticall and Ci∣vill; That to set up any Inde∣pendent coactive power above

them, either Papall, or popu∣lar, either directly, or indirect∣ly, is to undermine their great royall Office, and cunningly to overthrow that most Sacred Ordinance, which God himself hath established. That for their subjects to bear Arms against them, Offensive, or defensive upon any pretence whatsoever, is to resist the powers which are ordeined of God.

* 1.76And why do you call our Reformation Calvinisticall, contrary to your own Con∣science, contrary to your own confession, That in our Re∣formation we reteined the an∣tient Order of Episcopacy,* 1.77 as Instituted by divine authority, and a Liturgy, and Ceremo∣nies, whereby we preserved the

face, or Image of the Catho∣lick Church.* 1.78 And that for this very cause the disciplina∣rians of Geneva, and the Pres∣byterians did conceive an im∣placable hatred against the King for the Churches sake, and out of their aversion to it. Did they hate their own Re∣formation so implacably? If these things be to be reconci∣led, reddat mihi minam Dio∣genes. He that looks more in disputation to the Advantage of his partie, than to the truth of his grounds, had need of a strong memory; We reteined not onely Episcopacy, Liturgy, and Ceremonies, but all things else that were conformable to the discipline, and publick ser∣vice of the primitive Church rightly understood.

No, Sir, we cannot pin our faith upon the sleeve of any particular man, as one used to say We love no nismes;* 1.79 neither Calvinism, nor Lutheranisme, nor Jonsenianism, but onely one, that we derive from An∣tioch, that is Christianism, We honour Learning, and Pi∣ety in our fellow servants, but we desire to wear no o∣ther badge or Cognizance, than that we received from our own Master at our Bap∣tism. Bucer was as fit to be Calvins Master, as his Scho∣lar. So long as Calvin conti∣nued with him in Germany, he was for Episcopacy, Litur∣gy, and Ceremonies, (and for assurance thereof subscri∣bed the Augustane Confessi∣on) and his late learned Suc∣cessor,

and assertor in Geneva, Monsieur Deodate, with sun∣dry others of that Communi∣on were not averse from them. Or why do you call our Reformation blind? It was not blindness, but too much affectation of knowledge, and too much peeping into con∣troverted, and new fangled Questions that hath endama∣ged our Religion. It is you that teach the Colliers Creed, not we.

Howsoever you pretend to prove that our Reformation was the ruine of the Church, and Common-wealth: wee expect you should endeavour to prove it. You cannot so far mistake your self as to conceive your authority to be the same with us, that Py∣thagoras

had among his Scho∣lars, to have his Dictates received for Oracles without proof; what did I say, that you pretend to prove it? That's too low an expression, you promise us a demonstra∣tion of it,* 1.80 so lively and evi∣dent that no reason shall be able to contradict it. Are you not afraid that too much ex∣pectation should prejudice your discourse by diminishing our applause?

Quid tanto dignum feret hic promissor hiatu? Do you think of nothing now but Triumphs? Lively and evi∣dent demonstration, not to be contradicted by reason, is like the Phenix much talked of, but seldom seen. Most men, when they see a man strip up

his sleeves, and make too large promises of fair dealing, do suspect jugling. No man pro∣clameth in the Market that he hath rotten wares to sell; And therefore we must be carefull, notwithstanding your great promises, to keep well Epicharmus his Jewell, Re∣member to distrust. By your permission, your glistering de∣monstration is a very coun∣terfeit, not so valuable as a Bristol Diamant, when it comes to be examined by the wheel.

Sometimes nothing is more necessary than Reformation.* 1.81 Never was house so wel buil∣ded, that now and then nee∣ded not reparation. Never Garden so well planted, but must sometimes be weeded.

Never any order so well in∣stituted, but in long tract of time there will be a ben∣ding and declining from its Primitive perfection, and a necessity of reducing it to its first principles. Are your Houses of Religion which are Reformed, therefore the less Religious? Why then did all the Princes and Com∣monwealths in Europe, Yea the Fathers themselves in the Councill of Trent, cry out so often, so earnestly, for a Re∣formation? yet were forced to content themselves with a vain shadow for the sub∣stance, as Ixion embraced a Cloud for Juno, or Children are often stilled with an emp∣ty bottle.

* 1.82But Reformation is not

agreeable to all persons. Ju∣das loved not an Audit, be∣cause he kept the Bag. Dull Lethargick people had rather sleep to death than be awa∣ked; to and mad phrenetick Bigots are apt to beat the Chirurgion that would bind up their wounds; but none are so averse from Reforma∣tion as the Court of Rome, where the very name is more formidable than Hannibal at the Gates, yea than all the five terrible things. No mer∣vail they are afraid to have their Oranges squeesed to their hands; if they were in∣fallible as they pretend there was no need of a Reforma∣tion, we wish they were, but we see they are not.

On the other side,* 1.83 it can∣not

be denyed that Refor∣mation, when it is unseaso∣nable, or inordinate, or ex∣cessive, may do more hurt than good; when Reformers want just Authority, or due information, or have si∣nister ends, or where the re∣medy may be of worse con∣sequence than the abuse, or where men run out of one extreme into another; there∣fore it is a rule in prudence, Not to remove an ill custom, when it is well setled; Un∣less it bring great prejudices, and then it is better to give one account, why we have taken it away, than to be al∣waies making excuses why we do it not. Needless alte∣ration doth diminish the ve∣nerable esteem of Religion,

and lessen the credit of an∣tient truths. Break Ice in one place, and it will crack in more. Crooked sticks by bending streight are some∣times broken into two.

There is a right mean be∣tween these extremes,* 1.84 if men could light on it, that is nei∣ther to destroy the body out of hatred to the sores and Ulcers, nor yet to cherish the sores and Ulcers, out of a doating affection to the body, that is, neither to destroy an∣tient Institutions, out of a zealous hatred to some new abusers, nor yet to do at so upon antient Institutions, as for their sakes to cherish new abuses.

Our Reformation is just* 1.85 as much the cause of the ru∣in

of our Church and Com∣mon-wealth, as the building of Tenderden Steeple was the cause of Goodwins Sands, or the ruin of the Country thereabouts, because they hap∣pened both much about the same time.

—Careat successibus opto,

May he ever want success who judgeth of Actions by the Event. Our Reformation hath ruined the Faith, just as the plucking up of weeds in a Garden, ruins the good Herbs. It hath ruined the Church, just as a body full of superfluous and vicious humours is ruined by an healthfull purgation. It hath ruined the Common-wealth, just as the pruning of the Vine ruins the Elm. No, no

Sir, Our sufferings, for the Faith, for the Church, for the Monarchy, do proclame us Innocent to all the world, of the ruin either of Faith, or Church, or Monarchy. And in this capacity we choose ra∣ther to sterve Innocents, than to swim in plenty as No∣cents.

But this is but one of your doubles to keep us from the right forme. It is your new Roman Creed that hath ruined the Faith. It is your Papall Court that hath ruined the Church. It is your new Doctrines of the Popes Omnipotence over tempo∣rall persons in order unto spirituall ends, of absolving subjects from their Oaths of Alleageance, of exempting

the Clergy from secular ju∣risdiction, of the lawfulness of murthering Tyrants and excommunicated Princes, of aequivocation and the like, that first infected the world to the danger of Civill Go∣vernment. Yet far be it from me to make these the Uni∣versal Tenets of your Church, at any time, much less at this time, when they are much faln from their former cre∣dit; neither can I deny that sundry dangerous positions, destructive to all civill socie∣ties, have been transplanted by our Sectaries, and taken too deep root in our quar∣ters, but never by our fault. If God should grant us the benefit of an Oecumenicall or Occidentall Councill, it

would become both you and us in the first place to pluck up such seditious opinions root and branch.

You say our Calvinistical Reformation (so you are plea∣sed to call it as you would have it, for the moderate and orderly Reformation of Eng∣land, was the terror, and eye∣sore of Rome) is founded up∣on two maxims,* 1.86 The on•• ••hat the Church was faln to ruin and desolation, and become guilty of Idolatry and Ty∣ranny.* 1.87

This is neither our foun∣dation, nor our superstru∣ction, neither our maxim, nor our Opinion. It is so far from it, that we hold and teach the direct contrary. First, that the Gates of Hell

shall never prevail against the Universall Church, that though the rain descend, and the floods come, and the winds blow and beat upon it, yet it shall never fall to ruin or de∣solation; because it is builded upon a Rock. Secondly, we beleeve that the Catholick Church is the faithfull Spouse of Christ, and cannot be guil∣ty of Idolatry, which is spi∣rituall Adultery. Thirdly, we never said, we never thought, that the Oecumenical Church of Christ was guilty of Ty∣ranny. It is principled to suffer wrong, to do none, and by suffering to Conquer,* 1.88 as a flock of unarmed Sheep, in the midst of a company of ravenous Wolves, A new and unheard of kind of warfare

as if one should throw an hand∣full of dry flax, into the midst of a flaming fire to extinguish it.

But I presume this is one of the Idiotisms of your lan∣guage,* 1.89 in which by the Church you alwaies under∣stand the Roman Church, making Roman and Catho∣lick to be convertibles. As if Christ could not have a Church, nor that Church any privileges, unless the Court of Rome might have the Monopoly of them. There is a vast difference, between the Catholick Church and a Pa∣triarchall Church. The Ca-Catholick Church can never fail; any Patriarchall Church may Apostate and fail. We

have a promise that the Candle shall not be put out, we have no promise that the Candlesticks shall not be re∣moved.* 1.90

* 1.91But suppossing that (which wee can never grant) the Catholick Church and Ro∣man Church were Conver∣tibles, yet still you do us wrong. First we do not maintain, that the Roman Church it self is faln to ruin and desolation, we grant to it a true metaphy∣sicall being, though not a true morall being; we hope their errors are rather in superstructures, than in fun∣damentals; wee doe not say that the Plants of saving truth (which are common

to you and us) are plucked up by the roots in the Ro∣man Church, but we say that they are over-grown with weeds, and in danger to be choked.

Next for Idolatry,* 1.92 whe∣ther, and why, and how far, we accuse your Church of it deserves further Considera∣tion. First you agree with us, That God alone is the Object of Religion, and con∣sequently that all Religious worship is due terminative∣ly only to him, that God a∣lone is to be invocated, ab∣solutely or ultimately, that is so as to grant our requests and fulfill our desires by him∣self, and that the Saints are not the objects of our pray∣ers, but joynt petitioners

with us, and intercessors for us to the throne of Grace.

Secondly, we profess as well as you that there is a propor∣tionable degree of honour, and respect, due to every crea∣ture in Heaven and Earth, according to the dignity of it, and therefore more honour due to a glorified Spirit, than to a mortall man: But with∣all we adde, that this honour is not servitutis but chari∣tatis, not of service as to our Lords and Masters, but of love and charity as to our friends and fellow servants, of the same kind and nature with that Honour which we give to holy men on Earth. And herein we are confident that we shall have your con∣sent.

Thirdly, we agree in this also, that abundant love and duty doth extend an honou∣rable respect from the person of a dear friend, or noble be∣nefactor, to his Posterity, to his memory, to his Monu∣ment, to his Image, to his Reliques, to every thing that he loved, or that pertained to him, even to the Earth which he did tread upon, for his sake. Put a Liefhebber, or Virtue∣so, among a company of rare Pictures, and he will pick out the best pieces for their proper value: But a friend or a child will more esteem the Picture of a Benefactor, or Ancestor, for its relation. The respect of the one is terminated in the Picture, that of the other is radicated in the exemplar.

Yet still an Image is but an Image, and the kinds of re∣spect must not be confounded. The respect given to an I∣mage, must be respect proper for an Image, not Courtship, not Worship, not Adoration. More respect is due to the person of the meanest beggar, than to all the Images of Christ and his Apostles, and a 1000. Primitive Saints or Progenitors. Hitherto there is neither difference nor pe∣rill either of Idolatry; or su∣perstition.

Wherein then did consist this guilt of Idolatry contra∣cted by the Roman Church? I am willing for the present to pass by the private abu∣ses of particular persons, which seem to me no other∣wise

chargeable upon the whole Church than for Con∣nivence. As the making I∣mages to counterfeit tears, and words, and gestures, and complements, for advantage, to induce silly people to be∣lieve that there was some∣thing of divinity in them; and the multitude of fictiti∣ous Relicks and suppositi∣ous Saints, which credulity first introduced, & since cove∣tousness hath nourished. I take no notice now of those remote suspitions or suppositions of the possibility of want of inten∣tion, either in the Priest that consecrates the Sacrament, or in him that Baptised, or in the Bishop that ordeined him; or in any one through the whole line of succession;

in all which cases (according to your own principles,) you give divine worship to cor∣poreall Elements, which is at least materiall Idolatry.

I will not stand now to examine the truth of your distinctions, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, yet you know well e∣nough, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is no reli∣gious worship, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is coin lately minted, that will not pass for current in the Catholick Church. Whilst your common people under∣stand not these distinctions of degrees of honour, what holds them from falling down∣right into Idolatry?

Neither do I urge how you have distributed the Pa∣tronage of particular Coun∣tries, the Cure of severall

Diseases, the protection of all distinct professions of men, and all kinds of crea∣tures, among the Saints, just as the Heathen did among their Tutelary Gods; nor how little warrant you have for this practise from experience; nor lastly how you build more Churches, erect more Altars, offer more presents, powr out more prayers, make more vows, perform more offices to the Mother than to the Son. Yet though we should hold our peace, me∣thinks you should ponder these things seriously, and either for your own satisfa∣ction, or ours, take away such unnecessary occasions of scandall and disunion.

But I cannot omit, that

the Councill of Trent is not contented to enjoyn the A∣doration of Christ in the Sa∣crament, (which we never deny,) but of the Sacrament it self, (that is, according to the common current of your Schoolmen, the Accidents or Species of Bread and Wine, because it conteins Christ.) Why do they not adde upon the same grounds, that the pix is to be adored with di∣vine worship, because it con∣teins the Sacrament? Divine honour is not due to the very Humanity of Christ, as it is abstracted from the Deity, but to the whole person, Deity, and Humanity, hypo∣statically united. Neither the Grace of Union, nor the Grace of Unction can con∣fer

more upon the Humanity, than the Humanity is capable of. There is no such Union between the Deity and the Sacrament, neither immedi∣atly, nor yet mediately, mediante corpore.

Neither do you ordinarily ascribe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or divine wor∣ship to a Crucifix, or to the Image of Christ, indeed not Terminatively but transeunt∣ly, so as not to rest in the I∣mage or Crucifix, but to pass to the exemplar or person crucified. But why a piece of Wood should be made partaker of divine honours even in Transitu, or in the passage, passeth my under∣standing. The Heathens wanted not the same pretext for all their gross Idolatry.

Let them plead for themselves Non ego, &c. I do not wor∣ship that stone which I see, but I serve him whom I do not see.

Lastly, whilst you are plea∣sed to use them, I may not forget those strange insolent forms of prayer, conteined in your books, even ultimate prayers, if we take the words as they sound, directed to the Creatures, that they would, protect you at the hour of death, and deliver you from the devill, and confer spiri∣tuall graces upon you, and admit you into Heaven, pre∣cibus meritisque, by their pray∣ers and merias. (You know what merit signifies in your language, a Condignity or at least a Congruity of defer••.)

The exposition of your Do∣ctors is, that they should do all this for you by their pray∣ers, as improper a form of speech, as if a suppliant in∣tending only to move an ordinary Courtier to mediate for him unto the King, should fall down upon his Knees before the Courtier, and be∣seech him to make him an Earl, or a Knight, or to be∣stow such an Office or such a Pardon upon him, or to do some other Grace for him, properly belonging to the Prerogative Royall. How a∣grees this with the words, Precibus meritisque? A beg∣ger doth not deserve an Alms by asking it. This is a snare to ignorant persons, who take the words to signifie as they

sound. And (it is to be fea∣red,) doe commit down-right Idolatry by their Pastors faults, who prescribe such im∣proper forms unto them.

* 1.93Concerning Tyranny which makes up the arriere of the first supposed Maxim: Wee do not accuse the Roman Church of Tyranny, but the Roman Court. If either the unjust usurpation of Sovereign power, or the extending there∣of to the destruction of the Laws and Canons of the Church, yea, even to give a Non obstante, either to the Institution of Christ, or at least to the uniform practise of the Primitive Ages, or to them both; If the swallowing up of all Ecclesiasticall Jurisdi∣ction, and the arrogating of a

supercivill power paramont; If the causing of poor people to trot to Rome, from all the Quarters of Europe, to wast their livelihoods there; If the trampling upon Emperours, and the disciplining of Mo∣narchs be Tyrannicall, either the Court of Rome hath been Tyrannicall, or there never was Tyranny in the world.

I doubt not but some great persons, when they have had bloody Tragedies to act for their own particular ends, have sometimes made the Ro∣man Church a stalking horse, and the pretence of Catholick Religion a blind, to keep their Policies undiscerned: But if we consider seriously, what cruelties have been really a∣cted throughout Europe, ei∣ther

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by the Inquisitors Gene∣rall, or by persons specially delegated for that purpose, a∣gainst the Waldenses of old, and against the Protestants of later dayes, against poor igno∣rant persons, against women and children, against mad∣men, against dead carkasses, as Bucer, &c. upon pretence of Religion, not onely by Or∣dinary forms of punishment, and of death, but by fire and faggots, by strange new de∣vised tortures, we shall quick∣ly find that the Court of Rome hath died it self red in Christian blood, and equalled the most Tyrannicall persecu∣tions of the Heathen Empe∣rours.* 1.94

The other Maxim where∣upon you say that our Refor∣mation

was grounded was this; That the onely way to reform the Faith and Liturgy,* 1.95 and government of the Church, was to conform them to the dictates of holy Scripture, of the sense whereof every private Christian ought to be the Judge, by the light of the Spirit, excluding Tradition, and the publick Judgement of the Church. You add,* 1.96 that We cannot prove Episcopacy by Scripture without the Help of Tradition; And if we do ad∣mit of Tradition, we must ac∣knowledge the Papacy, for the Government of the Catholick Church, as founded in the Pri∣macy of St. Peter.

Your second supposed ground is no truer than the former,* 1.97 we are as far from

Anarchy as from Tyranny; As we would not have hu∣mane Authority, like Medu∣sa's head, to transform reaso∣nable men into sensless stones; So we do not put the reigns of Goverment into the hands of each, or any private per∣son, to reform according to their phantasies; And that we may not deal like blunderers, or deceitfull persons, to wrap up on involve our selves on purpose in confused Generali∣ties, I will set down our sense distinctly; When you under∣stand it, I hope you will re∣pent of your rash censuring of us, of whom you had so little knowledge.* 1.98

Three things offer them∣selves to be considered: first, concerning the Rule of Scrip∣ture;

Secondly, the proper Expounders thereof, and third∣ly, the manner of Expo∣sition.

Concerning Scripture we believe, That it was impossi∣ble for humane reason, with∣out the help of divine Reve∣velation, to find out those su∣pernaturall truths which are necessary to Salvation. 2. That to supply this defect of natu∣rall reason, God out of his a∣bundant goodness hath given us the holy Scriptures, which have not their authority from the writing which is humane, but from the Revelation which is divine, from the holy Ghost. Thirdly, that this be∣ing the purpose of the Holy Ghost, it is blasphemy to say he would not, or could not

attain unto it. And that therefore the holy Scriptures do comprehend all necessary supernaturall truths; So much is confessed by Bellarmine, that All things which are ne∣cessary to be believed,* 1.99 and to be done by all Christians, were preached to all by the Apo∣stles, and were all written. 4. That the Scripture is more properly to be called a Rule of supernaturall truths than a Judge, or if it be sometimes called a Judge, it is no other∣wise than the Law is called a Judge of civill Controversies between man and man, that is, the rule of judging what is right, and what is wrong. That which sheweth what is streight, sheweth likewise what is crooked.

Secondly,* 1.100 concerning the proper Expounders of Scrip∣ture, we do believe that the Gospell doth not consist in the words, but in the sense, non in superficie, sed in medullâ; And therefore that though this infallible rule be given for the common benefit of all, yet every one is not an able or fit Artist to make ap∣plication of this Rule, in all particular cases. To preserve the common right, and yet prevent particular abuses, we distinguish Judgement into three kinds.

Judgement of Discretion, Judgement of Direction, and Judgement of Jurisdiction.

As in the former Instance of the Law (the ignorance whereof excuseth no man) e∣very

subject hath Judgement of Discretion, to apply it par∣ticularly to the preservation of himself, his estate and inte∣rest; The Advocates and those who are skilfull in the Law, have moreover a Judgement of Direction, to advise others of less knowledge and expe∣rience; But those who are Constituted by the Soveraign power, to determine emergent difficulties, and differences, and to distribute, and admi∣nister justice to the whole bo∣dy of a Province or King∣dom, have moreover a Judge∣ment of Jurisdiction, which is not onely discretionary, or directive, but authoritative to impose an Obligation of obe∣dience upon those who are under their charge. If these

last shall transgress the rule of the Law, they are not ac∣comptable to their Inferiours, but to him or them that have the Soveraign power of Legis∣lative Judicature; Ejus est le∣gem interpretari, cujus est condere.

To apply this to the case in Question concerning the exposition of the holy Scrip∣ture. Every Christian keep∣ing himself within the bounds of due obedience and sub∣mission to his lawfull Superi∣ours, hath a Judgement of Discretion, Prove all things,* 1.101 hold fast that which is good. He may apply the Rule of holy Scripture for his own private Instruction, comfort, edification, and direction, and for the framing of his life and

belief accordingly. The Pa∣stors of the Church, (who are placed over Gods people as watchmen and guides,) have more than this, a judge∣ment of Direction, to expound and interpret the holy Scrip∣tures to others, & out of them to instruct the ignorant, to reduce them who wander out of the right way, to confute errors, to foretell dangers, and to draw sinners to repen∣tance. The chief Pastors to whose care the Regiment of the Church is committed in a more speciall manner, have yet an higher degree of judge∣ment, a Judgement of Juris∣diction to prescribe, to enjoyn, to constitute, to reform, to censure, to condemn, to bind, to loose, judicially, authori∣tatively,

in their respective charges. If their Key shall erre, either their Key of Knowledge, or their Key of Jurisdiction, they are accomp∣table to their respective Supe∣riours, and in the last place to a generall Councill, which under Christ upon Earth, is the highest Judge of Contro∣versies. Thus we have seen what is the Rule of Faith, and by whom, and how far respectively this rule is to be applied.

Thirdly,* 1.102 for the manner of expounding holy Scriptures, (for there may be a privacy in this also, and more dange∣rous than the privacy of the person,) many things are ne∣cessary to the right interpre∣tation of the Law, to under∣stand

the reason of it, the precedents, the terms, the forms, the Reports, and an ability to compare Law with Law. He that wants all these Qualifications altogether, is no interpreter of Law. He that wants but some of them, or wants the perfection of them, by how much the grea∣ter is his defect, by so much the less valuable is his expo∣sition; And if he shall out of private fancy, or blind pre∣sumption, arrogate to himself, without these requisite means, or above his capacity and proportion of Knowledge, a power of expounding Law, he is a mad-man.

So many things are requi∣red to render a man capable to expound holy Scriptures,

some more necessarily, some less, some absolutely, some re∣spectively; As first to know the right Analogy of Faith, to which all interpretations of Scripture must be of necessity conformed. Secondly, to know the practise and tradition of the Church, and the received expositions of former Inter∣preters in the successive ages, which gives a great light to the finding out of the right sense. Thirdly, to be able to compare Texts with Texts. Antecedents with Conse∣quents, without which one can hardly attain to the drift and scope of the holy Ghost in the obscurer passages. And lastly, it is something to know the Idiotisms of that language wherein the Scriptures were

written. He that wants all these requisites, and yet takes upon him out of a phanatique presumption of private illu∣mination to interpret Scrip∣ture, is a doting Enthusiast, fit∣ter to be refuted with Scorn than with Arguments. He that presumes above that de∣gree and proportion which he hath in these means, and a∣bove the talent which God hath given him, (as he that hath a little Language, yet wants Logick, or having both Language and Logick, knows not, or regards not either the Judgement of former exposi∣tors, or the practise, and tra∣dition of the purest primitive ages, or the Symbolicall faith of the Catholick Church) is not a likely work-man to build

a Temple to the Lord, but ruine and destruction to him∣self, and his seduced followers. A new Physician (we say) requires a new Church-yard; But such bold ignorant Empe∣ricks in Theology, are ten times more dangerous to the Soul, than an ungrounded un∣experienced Quacksalver to the body.

This hath alwayes been the doctrine,* 1.103 and the practice of our English Church; First, it is so far from admitting laymen, to be directive In∣terpreters of holy Scripture, that it allows not this Liberty to Clergy-men so much as to gloss upon the Text,* 1.104 untill they be Licenced to become Preachers. Secondly, for Judgement of Discretion on∣ly,

it gives it not to private persons above their Talents,* 1.105 or beyond their last. It disal∣lows all phantasticall, and Enthusiasticall presumption of incompetent and unqualified expositors. It admits no man into holy Orders, that is, to be capable of being made a Di∣rective interpreter of Scrip∣tures, howsoever otherwise qualified,* 1.106 unless he be able to give a good accompt of his faith in the Latin tongue, so as to be able to frame all his expositions according to the Analogy thereof.* 1.107 It forbids the Licenced Preachers to teach the people any doctrine as necessary to be religiously held and believed, which the Catholique Fathers, and old Bishops of the Primitive

Church, have not collected out of the Scriptures. It ascribes a Judgement, of Jurisdiction over Preachers to Bishops, in all manner of Ecclesiasticall duties, as appears by the whole body of our Canons. And especially where any dif∣ference or publick Opposition hath been between Preachers,* 1.108 about any point or doctrine deduced out of Scripture. It gives a power of determining all emergent Controversies of faith above Bishops to the Church,* 1.109 as to the witness and keeper of the Sacred Oracles. And to a lawfull Synod as the representative Church.

Now, Sir, be your own Judge how infinitely you have wronged us, and your self more, suggesting that temera∣riously,

and without the Sphere of your knowledge, to his Majesty for the principall ground of our Reformation, which our souls abhor. Is there no mean between stupi∣dity and madness? Must ei∣ther all things be lawfull for private persons, or nothing? Because we would not have them like Davids Horse and Mule, without understand∣ing, do we therefore put both Swords in their hands, to re∣form and cut off, to plant and to pluck up, to alter and abolish at their pleasure? We allow them Christian liberty, but would not have them Li∣bertines. Admit some have abused this just liberty, may we therefore take it away from others? So we shall

leave neither a Sun in Hea∣ven, nor any excellent crea∣ture upon Earth, for all have been abused by some per∣sons, in some kinds, at some times.

We receive not your up∣start supposititious traditions,* 1.110 nor unwritten fundamentalls: But we admit, genuine, Uni∣versall, Apostolicall traditions, As the Apostles Creed, the perpetuall Virginity of the Mother of God, the Anniver∣sary Festivals of the Church, the Lenton fast. Yet we know that both the duration of it, and the maner of observing it, was very different in the Pri∣mitive times. We believe E∣piscopacy to an ingenuous person may be proved out of Scripture without the help of

Tradition, but to such as are froward, the perpetuall pra∣ctise and tradition of the Church renders the interpre∣tation of the Text more au∣thentique, and the proof more convincing. What is this to us who admit the practise and tradition of the Church, as an excellent help of Expositi∣on? Use is the best interpreter of Laws, and we are so far from beleeving that We can∣not admit tradition without allowing the Papacy, that one of the principall motives why we rejected the Papacy, as it is now established with Uni∣versality of Jurisdiction, by the Institution of Christ, and superiority above Oecumeni∣call Councils, and Infallibi∣lity of Judgement, was the

constant tradition a•• the Pri∣mitive Church.

So Sir, you see your de∣monstration shaken into pie∣ces; You who take upon you to remove whole Churches at your pleasure, have not so much ground left you as to see your Instrument upon. Your two main ground-works be∣ing vanished, all your Pres∣byterian and Independent su∣perstructions; do remain like so many Bubbles or Castles in the air. It were folly to lay closer siege to them, which the next puff of wind will dis∣perse, ruunt subductis tecta Columnis.

Howsoever, though you have mistaken the grounds of our Reformation, and of your discourse, yet you charge us,

that we have renounced the Sacrifice of the Mass, Tran∣substantiation, the seven Sa∣craments, Justification by in∣haerent righteousness, merits, Invocation of Saints, prayer for the dead, with Purgatory, and the Authority of the Pope. Are these all the necessary Articles of the new Roman Creed, that we have renoun∣ced? Surely no; you deal too favourably with us. We have in like manner renounced your Image-worship, your half Communion, your pray∣ers in a tongue unknown, &c. It seems you were loath to mention these things.

* 1.111First, you say we have re∣nounced your sacrifice of the Mass. If the Sacrifice of the Mass be the same with the

Sacrifice of the Cross, we at∣tribute more unto it, than your selves; We place our whole hope of Salvation in it. If you understand another pro∣pitiatory Sacrifice, distinct from that (as this of the Mass seems to be, for confessedly the Priest is not the same, the Altar is not the same, the Temple is not the same,) If you think of any new meri∣torious satisfaction to God for the sins of the world, or of any new supplement to the merits of Christs Passion, You must give us leave to renounce your Sacrifice indeed, and to adhere to the Apostle;* 1.112 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sancti∣fied.

Surely you cannot think

that Christ did actually sacri∣fice himself at his last Supper, (for then he had redeemed the world at his last Supper, then his subsequent sacrifice upon the Cross had been superflu∣ous,) nor that the Priest now doth more than Christ did then. We do readily acknow∣ledge an Eucharisticall sacri∣fice of prayers and praises, we profess a commemoration of the sacrifice of the Cross, And in the language of holy Church, things commemorated are rela∣ted as if they were then acted, As Almighty God who hast gi∣ven us thy Son [as this day] to be born of a pure Virgin.* 1.113 And whose praise the younger, Innocents have [this day] set forth. And between the As∣cension and Pentecost, which

hast exalted thy Son Jesus Christ with great Triumph into Heaven, we beseech thee leave us not comfortless, but send unto us thy holy Spirit. We acknowledge a Represen∣tation of that sacrifice to God the Father, we acknowledge an Impetration of the benefit of it, we maintain an Appli∣cation of its vertue: So here is a commemorative, impetra∣tive, applicative sacrifice. Speak distinctly, and I can∣not understand what you can desire more. To make it a suppletory sacrifice, to supply the defects of the onely true sacrifice of the Cross, I hope both you and I abhor.

The next crime objected by you to us is,* 1.114 that we have re∣nounced Transubstantiation.

It is true we have rejected it deservedly from being an Ar∣ticle of our Creed; you need not wonder at that. But if we had rejected it 400. years sooner, that had been a Mira∣cle. It was not so soon hat∣ched. To find but the word Transubstantiation in any old Author, were sufficient to prove him a counterfeit.

* 1.115Your next Article of the septenary number of the Sa∣craments is not much older. Never so much as mentioned in any Scripture, or Councill, or Creed, or Father, or antient Author;* 1.116 first devised by Peter Lombard; first decreed by Eugenius the fourth; first con∣firmed in the Provinciall Councill of Senes, and after in the Councill of Trent.

Either the word Sacrament is taken largely; and then the washing of the Disciples feet is called a Sacrament, then the onely sprink••ing of Ashes on a Christians head is called a Sacrament, then there are God knows how many Sacra∣ments more than seven; Or else it is taken strictly for a visible sign, instituted by Christ, to convey or confirm invisible Grace, to all such partakers thereof, as do not set a bar against themselves, according to the Analogy be∣tween the Sign and the thing signified. And in this sense the proper and certain Sacra∣ments of the Christian Church, common to all, or (in the words of our Church,) gene∣rally necessary to Salvation,

are but two, Baptism and the Supper of our Lord. More than these St. Ambrose writes not of in his Book de Sacra∣mentis, because he did not know them. These we admit for genuine, and generall Sa∣craments. Their Sacramentall vertue we acknowledge.

The rest we retein more purely than your selves, though not under the Notion of such, proper and generall Sacra∣ments. As Confirmation, Or∣dination, Matrimony, Peni∣tence (though we neither ap∣prove of your preposterous manner of Absolution before satisfaction, nor of your Or∣dinary penitentiary tax,) and lastly, the Visitation of, and Prayer for the sick, which onely is of perpetual necessity.

The Unction prescribed by St. James,* 1.117 being appropriable to the miraculous gift of hea∣ling, or recovering men out of sicknesses, then in use; Whereas your custome is clean contrary, never, or rare∣ly to enoyl any man, untill he be past all hope of Reco∣very. The Ordinary and most received custome of preparing sick persons for another world in the primitive Church, was Prayer and Absolution, or the benefit of the Keys, and the Viaticum of the body and blood of Christ, which we retein.

Concerning Justification,* 1.118 we believe that all good Christi∣ans have true inherent Justice, though not perfect according to a perfection of degrees, as

gold is true Gold, though it be mixed with some dross. We believe that this inherent Ju∣stice and sanctity, doth make them truly just and holy. But if the word Justification be taken in sensu forensi, for the acquittall of a man from for∣mer guilt, to make an offen∣der just in the eye of the Law, as it is opposed to Condem∣nation,* 1.119 It is God that justifi∣eth, who is ••e that condemn∣eth; Then it is not our inhe∣rent righteousness that justi∣fies us in this sense, but the free Grace of God for the merits of Jesus Christ.

* 1.120Next for merits, we never doubted of the necessity of good Works, without which Faith is but a fiction. We are not so stupid to imagine

that Christ did wash us from our sins, that we might wal∣low more securely in sin, but that wee might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life. We ne∣ver doubted of the reward of good Works; Come ye blessed of my Father, &c. for I was hungry, and ye fed me. Nor whether this reward be due to them in Justice; Hence∣forth is layd up for me a Crown of righteousness,* 1.121 which the Lord the just Judge shall give me in that day. Faith∣full promise makes due debt. This was all that the antient Church did ever understand by the name of Merits. Let Petavius bear witness;* 1.122 Anti∣qui patres omnes & prae cae∣teris Augustinus, cumque iis

consentiens Romana & Catho∣lica pietas agnoscit merita eò sensu, nimirum ut ne{que} Dei gratiam ulla antecedant meri∣ta, & haec ipsa tum ex gratiâ, tum ex gratuitâ Dei pollici∣tatione tota pendeant. All the Antient Fathers, especially St. Austin, and the Roman and Catholique faith consent∣ing with them, do acknowledge Merits in this sense, that no Merits go before the grace of God, and that these very Me∣rits do Depend wholly on grace, and on the free promise of God. Hold you to this, and we shall have no more diffe∣rence about Merits; Do you exact more of us, than all the Fathers, or the Roman and Catholique piety doth ac∣knowledge?

It is an easie thing for a wrangling Sophister to dispute of Merits, in the Schools, or for a vain Orator to declame of Merits out of the Pulpit, but when we come to ly up∣on our death-beds, and pre∣sent our selves at the last hour before the Tribunal of Christ, it is high time both for you and us to renounce our own merits, and to cast our selves naked into the Arms of our Saviour. That any works of ours, who are the best of us but unprofitable servants, which properly are not ours but Gods own gifts, and if they were ours are a just debt due unto him, setting a∣side Gods free promise, and gracious acceptation, should condignly by their own in∣trinsecall

value deserve the joyes of Heaven, to which they have no more proporti∣on than they have to satisfie for the eternall torments of Hell: This is that which we have renounced, and which we never ought to admit.

* 1.123If your Invocation of Saints were not such as it is, to request of them▪ Patronage and Protection, spirituall gra∣ces, and Celestiall joyes, by their prayers, and by their merits, (alas the nisest Vir∣gins have oyl in their Lamps little enough for themselves;) Yet it is not necessary for two Reasons; First, no Saint doth love us so well as Christ. No Saint hath given us such as∣surance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ. No

Saint is so willing, or able to help us as Christ. And se∣condly, we have no command from God to invocate them.

So much your own Au∣thors do confess, and give this reason for it,* 1.124 Lest the Gen∣tiles being converted, should believe that they vere drawn back again to the worship of the creature. But we have a∣nother command, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee. We have no promise to be heard, when we do invocate them; But we have another promise, What∣soever ye shall ask the Fa∣ther in my Name, ye shall receive it. We have no ex∣ample in holy Scripture of any that did invocate them, but rather the contrary; See

thou do it not;* 1.125 I am thy fellow servant, worship God. We have no certainty that they do hear our particular prayers, especially mentall prayers, yea a thousand pray∣ers poured out at one Instant in severall parts of the world; We know what your men say of the glass of the Trini∣ty, and of extraordinary Re∣velations: But these are bold conjectures without any cer∣tainty, and inconsistent the one with the other.

We do sometimes meet in antient Authors, with the In∣tercession of the Saints in Ge∣nerall, which we also ac∣knowledge; or an oblique in∣vocation of them (as you term it,) that is a prayer directed to God, that he will

hear the intercession of the Saints for us, which we do not condemn; Or a wish, or a Rhetoricall Apostrophe, or perhaps something more in some single antient Author: But for an Ordinary Invo∣cation in particular necessi∣ties, and much more for pub∣like Invocation in the Li∣turgies of the Church, we meet not with it for the first six hundred years, or there∣abouts; All which time and afterwards also, the common principles and tradition of the Church were against it. So far were they from obtru∣ding it as a necessary funda∣mentall Article of Christian Religion.* 1.126

It is a common fault of your writers alwaies to cou∣ple

Prayer for the dead and Purgatory together, as if the one did necessarily suppose, or imply the other; In whose steps you tread. Prayer for the dead hath often procee∣ded upon mistaken grounds, often from true grounds, both inconsistent with your Purga∣tory. Many have held an Opi∣nion, that though the souls were not extinguished at the time of their separation from the body, yet they did lye in secret receptacles, in a pro∣found or dead sleep, un∣till the resurrection, doing nothing, suffering nothing in the mean time, but only the delay of their glory. Others held that all must pass through the fire of Conflagration at the day of judgement. These

opinions were inconsistent with your Purgatory, yet all these, upon these very grounds used prayer for the dead. Others called the mer∣cifull Doctors, held, that the very pains of Hell might be lessened by the prayer of the living: Such a prayer is that which we meet with in your own Missall, O King of Glo∣ry, deliver the souls of all the faithfull deceased, from the pains of Hell, from the deep lake,* 1.127 from the mouth of the Lion (that is the Devill,) that the bottomless pit of Hell do not swallow them up. A man may lawfully pray for that which is certain, if it be to come, but one cannot lawful∣ly pray for that which is past. The souls which are in Pur∣gatory

(by your learning,) are past the fear of Hell. Nor can this petition be any ways so wrested, as to become ap∣pliable to the hour of death. This prayer is not for the man, but for the soul sepa∣rated; nor for the soul of a sick man, or a dying man, but for the souls of men a∣ctually deceased. Certainly this prayer must have refe∣rence, either to the sleeping of the souls, or to the pains of Hell; To deliverance out of Purgatory it can have no relation. Neither are you a∣ble to produce any one pray∣er publike or private, Nei∣ther any one indulgence to that purpose, for the delivery of any one soul out of Purga∣tory, in all the Primitive

times, or out of your own antient Missals or records. Such are the Innovations which you would impose up∣on us, as Articles of Faith, which the greatest part of the Catholick Church never received untill this day. Moreover though the sins of the faithfull be privately and particularly remitted at the day of death, yet the publike promulgation of their pardon at the day of judgement is to come. Though their souls be alwaies in an estate of bles∣sedness, yet they want the consummation of this bles∣sedness, extensively at least, untill the body be reunited unto the soul, (and as it is piously and probably belie∣ved) intensively also, that the

soul hath not yet so full and clear a vision of God, as it shall have hereafter. Then what forbids Christians to pray for this publick acquit∣tall, for this Consummation of blessedness? So we do pray, as often as we say, thy kingdom come, or come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Our Church is yet plainer, that we with this our Brother, and all other departed in the faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect Consumma∣tion of blessedness in thy eter∣nall kingdom. This is far e∣nough from your more gain∣full prayers for the dead, to deliver them out of Purga∣tory.

* 1.128Lastly, concerning the Au∣thority of the Pope, It is he

himself that hath renounced his lawfull Patriarchall Au∣thority. And if we should offer it him at this day, he would disdain it. We have only freed our selves from his tyrannicall usurped Autho∣rity. But upon what termes, upon what grounds, how far, and with what intention, we have separated our selves, or rather have suffered our selves to be separated from the Church of Rome, you may find if you please in the Treatise of Schism.

I cannot choose but won∣der to see you cite St. Cypri∣an against us in this case,* 1.129 who separated himself from you, as well as we, in the dayes of a much better Bi∣shop than we, and upon

much weaker grounds than we, and published his dis∣sent to the world in two A∣frican Councils; He liked not the swelling title of Bi∣shop of Bishops, nor that one Bishop should tyrannically terrifie an other into obedi∣ence; No more do we. He gave a primacy, or principa∣lity of order to the Chair of St. Peter as principi••m unita∣tis; so do we: But he belee∣ved that every Bishop, had an equall share of Episcopall power; so do we. He provi∣ded a part, as he thought fit in a Provinciall Councill for his own safety, and the safe∣ty of his flock; so did we. He writ to your great Bishop as to his Brother and Col∣legue, and dared to reprehend

him for receiving but a let∣ter from such as had been cen∣sured by the African Bishops. In St. Cyprians sense, you are the beam that have se∣parated your selves from the body of the Sun; you are the Bough that is lopped from the Tree; you are the stream which is divided from the Fountain. It is you, princi∣pally you, that have divided the unity of the Church.

You collect as a Corolla∣ry from our supposed princi∣pall of the right and suffici∣ency of private judgement,* 1.130 inlightned by the Spirit, that no humane Authority can bind the conscience of an o∣ther, or prescribe any thing unto it. I have formerly shew∣ed you your gross mistake in

the premises, Now if you please hear our sense of the Conclusion. Humane Laws cannot be properly said to bind the Conscience, by the sole authority of the Law-giver, But partly by the e∣quity of the Law, every one being obliged to advance that which conduceth to a pub∣lick good, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self; And especially by divine Autho∣rity, which commands every soul to be subject to the higher powers; for conscience sake; not prudentially only. The question is soon decided, just Laws of lawfull Superiors, either Civill; or Ecclesiasti∣call, have authority to bind the conscience in themselves, but not from themselves.

How shall we beleeve that it is not you but God that re∣presents these things to his Majesty,* 1.131 that addresseth them to him by your mouth, that calleth him, that stret∣cheth out his hand to him, that hath set these things be∣fore his eyes, in Characters not to be defaced. What? That his Majesty should turn Roman Catholick? Are they like Belshazars Characters; and are you the only Daniel that can read them? we do not see a Cloven tongue upon your head, nor a Dove see∣ming to whisper in your ear. Be not too confident left some take it to be a little taint of Anabaptism, per∣haps you have had as strange phantasies as this heretofore,

whilst you were of a contra∣ry party.

Be it what it will be, you cannot offer it to his Majesty with more confidence, or pre∣tend more intimacy with God, or to be more familiarly acquainted with his Cabi∣net Counsail, than a Scotch Presbyter; And yet your self would not value all his con∣fidence at a Button. Wise men are not easily gained by empty shews or pretenses, that signifie nothing but the pretenders vanity, nor by en∣thusiasticall interpretation of occurrences. It is onely the weight of reason that depres∣seth the scale of their judge∣ment, and makes them to yield and submit unto it.

Howsoever it be God or

you that represent these things to his Majesty, you tell us that the end is to re∣duce him from those errors which he sucked in with his milk, which in the dayes of peace, and abundance, it had been difficult for him to dis∣cover. But now his eyes and his ears do see and hear those truths which make it evi∣dent to him, that God hath condemned them to reduce him to the Communion of the Church; wherein you promise him all manner of blessings. Who told you of his Majesties new Illumina∣tion? or what have you seen to beleeve any such thing? when you dare avouch such gross untruths of himself, to himself, how should he credit

your private presumptions, which you tell him as a new Mercury dropped down from Heaven.

* 1.132You tell us that it is ne∣cessary for every one to adhere to the true Church, which is the keeper of saving truth. That is true, but nothing to his Majesty, who hath more right already in the Catho∣lick Church than your self. You tell us moreover that this Church is the Roman Church. That is not true; but suppose it were most true, as it is most false, what should a man be better or nearer to the knowledge of the truth, and consequently to his salvation, for his sub∣mission to the Roman Church;* 1.133 As long as you cannot a∣gree

among your selves, ei∣ther what this Roman Church is, or what your in∣fallible Judge is? One saith it is the Pope alone; Another saith no, but the Pope with his Conclave of Cardinals; A third will goe no less than the Pope and a Provinciall Councill; A fourth will not be contented without the Pope and a generall Coun∣cill; A fifth is for a Generall Councill alone either with, or without the Pope; A sixth party, (and they are of no small esteem among you here at this present,) is for the es∣sentiall Church, that is the Company of all faithfull people, whose reception (say they,) makes the true ratifi∣cation of the Acts of its re∣presentative

body. It were as good to have no infallible Judge, as not to know or a∣gree who it is? Be not so cen∣torious in condemning others, for not submitting to your Roman Church or infallible Judge, nor so positive to make this submission so abso∣lutely necessary to salvation, untill you agree better what this Judge or Church is. It is five to one against you, that you your self miss the right Judge.

* 1.134Whatsoever become of your Church, you say Ours is pe∣rished by the proper Axioms of our own Reformation, and hath no more any subsistence in the world, nor pretence to the Privilege of a Church. This is hard. He perisheth

twice that perisheth by his own weapons. Even so Jo∣sephs Brethren told Joseph himself with Consciences guilty enough, One is not:* 1.135 This is that which the Court of Rome would be content to purchase at any rate. This hath been the end of all then secret Negotiations and In∣structions, by all means to support the Presbyterian fa∣ction in England against E∣piscopacy; Not that they lo∣ved them more than us, but that they feared us more than them.

There was an Israelitish Church, when Elias did not see it; but he must be as blind as Bartimaeus, that cannot see the English Church. Wheresoever there is a law∣full

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English Pastor, and an English Flock, and a subor∣dination of this Flock to that Pastor, there is a branch of the true English Protestant Church. Do you make no difference between a Church persecuted, and a Church ex∣tinguished? Have patience and expect the Catastrophe. It may be all this while the Car∣penters Son is making a Cof∣fin for Julian. If it please God, we may yet see the Church of England which is now fry∣ing in the fire, come out like Gold out of the Furnace, more pure, and more full of lustre. If not, his will be done. Just art thou O Lord, and righteous are all thy iudge∣ments. The Primitive Church was as glorious in the sight

of God when they served him in Holes and Corners, in Cryptis, Sacellis, conven∣ticulis, ecclesiolis, as when his worship was more splendid∣ly performed in Basilicis, and Cyriacis, in goodly Churches, and magnificent Cathedrals.

Your design stops not at the King of great Britain,* 1.136 but extends it self to all his subjects, yea to all Prote∣stants whatsoever. I won∣der why you stay there,* 1.137 and would not adde all the Ea∣stern Churches, and the great Turk himself, since you might have done it with one other penfull of Ink? and with as much pretence of reason, to secure himself from the joynt forces of Christendom thus u∣nited by your means. A

strong phantasie will discover Armies, and Navies in the Clouds, men and horses, and chariots in the fire, and hear articulate dictates from the Bels. This is not to write waking, but dreaming.

Yet you make it an easy work, to effect which there needs no disputation, but onely to behold the Hereticall Ge∣nius of our Reformation,* 1.138 which is sufficiently condem∣ned by it self, if men will onely take the pains to compare the fundamentall principles there∣of with the Consequences. Great Houses and Forts are builded at an easy charge in Paper. When you have con∣sulted with your Architects and Engeniers, you will find it to be a work of more dif∣ficulty.

And your adversaries resolution may teach you to your cost, what it is to pro∣mise your self such an easie conquest before the fight, and let you see that those golden mountains which you phantasied have no subsi∣stance but in your own brain, and send you home to seek out that self-conviction there, which you sought to fasten upon others. When you are able to prove your Universall Monarchy, your new Canon of Faith, your new Treasury of the Church, your new Ro∣man Purgatory whereof the Pope keeps the Keys, your Image worship, your com∣mon prayers in a tongue un∣known, your deteining of the Cup from the Laity in

the publike administration of the Sacrament, and the rest of your new Creed, out of the four first Generall Councils, or the Universall Tradition of the Church in those dayes, either as principles or funda∣mentall truths, (which you affirm,) or so much as ordi∣nary points of faith, (which we deny,) we will yield our selves to be guilty both of Contradiction and Schism. Untill you are able to make these innovations good, it were best for you to be silent, and leave your vapouring. Desperate undertakings do easily forfeit a mans reputa∣tion.* 1.139

Now are we come to the most specious piece of your whole Epistle, that is the

motion or proposition of a Con∣ference, by Authority of the King of France, at the in∣stance of the King of great Britain, before the Arch-Bi∣shop of Paris, and his Coad∣jutor, between some of your Roman Catholick Doctors, and the Ministers of the reformed Church at Paris, whom you do deservedly commend for their sufficiency and zeal. You further suppose that the Ministers of the reformed Church will accept of such a disputation, or by their Tergi∣versation betray the weak∣ness of their cause; And you conclude confidently beyond supposition, that they will be confuted and convicted, and that their conversion or con∣viction will afford sufficient

ground to the King of great Britain, to embrace the Com∣munion of the Roman Catho∣lick Church; And that his conversion will reduce all conscientious Protestants to unity and due obedience.

I will contract your larger Palm to a Fist. If the King of great Britain desire a so∣lemn conference, the King of France will enjoyn it; If he injoyn it, the Ministers will accept; if they do accept it, they are sure to be convi∣cted; if they be convicted, the King of great Britain will change his Religion; if hee change his Religion, all con∣scientious Protestants will be reduced: And all this to be done, not by the old way of disputing, No, take heed of

that, the burn'd child dreads the fire; But by a proper new way of refuting old Prote∣stant principles, by new In∣dependent practises. Why was this Remedy found out no sooner? This might have ea∣sed the Cardinals in their Consultations about propa∣gating the Faith; This might have saved Cardinall Allen all his Machiavillian Instru∣ctions to his English Emissa∣ries; This may in a short time turn the Inquisitors out of their employment, for want of an Object, and not leave such a thing as hereticall pra∣vity in the world. How must men praise your fortune, and applaud your Invention? But stay, the second thoughts are wiser; What if this Chain

supposed to be of Adamant, should prove a rope of sand? And so it is; I have seen a Sorites disgraced, and hissed out of the Schools, for drawing but one lame leg after it. This is foundred of all four, from the beginning to the end there is nothing in it but fu∣ture Contingents, which are known onely to God, not one grain of necessary truth.

* 1.140First Sir, be not angry if a man take away the subject of your whole discourse; It is but your officiousness, the King desires no such Confe∣rence. Let them desire Con∣ferences who waver in their faith. All these blustering storms have radicated him dee∣per in his Religion. And chiefly that which you make

the chiefest motive to his A∣postating, the Martyrdom of his royall Father, and an he∣reditary love to that Church which he hath justified with his blood.

Secondly,* 1.141 if his Majesty should encline to such a Con∣ference, do you think he would desert the English Clergy, who have forsaken their Country, their Friends, their Estates, out of their Conscience, out of their duty to God, and their Soveraign, who understand the Consti∣tution of the English Church much better than your self, or any Foreiners how sufficient soever, and cast himself whol∣ly upon strangers, whose Re∣formation (you say) is diffe∣rent from that of England,

in the points of Episcopacy, Liturgy, and the Ceremonies of the Church? Say, what was the Reason of this gross Omission? were you afraid of that Image of the Church (as you call it in a sleighting manner) which they reteined? Or did you not think any of the English Nation worthy to bear your books at a Con∣ference? It hath been other∣wise heretofore, and you will find it otherwise now, when you come to prove it. I know not whether England hath been more fortunate or unfor∣tunate since the Reformation, in breeding as many able Polemique writers on both sides, as any Nation in Eu∣rope; Stapleton, Harding, Par∣sons, Sanders, Reynolds, Bi∣shop.

&c. for the Roman Church. Jewell, Andrews, Abbot, Laewd, White, Field, Montague, Reynolds, Whi∣taker, &c. for the English Church (I forbear to name those that are living) And ma∣ny more who come not short of these, if they had pleased to communicate their Talents to the world. This is such a Contumely as reflects upon the Nation, and you must be content to be told of it.

Thirdly,* 1.142 how are you sure that the King of France and his Counsell would give way to such a solemn and publique Conference? private Insinuati∣ons use to prevail much when a man may Laevere & tack to and again to compass his ends. Authority or the Sword may

put an end to Controversies: But publick Conferences for the most part do but start new Questions, and revive old forgotten animosities. What were the Donatists the better for the Collation at Car∣thage? The mind of a man is generous, and where it looks for opposition, fortifies it self against it. Urban the Eighth was the wisest Pope you have had of late, who by his moderation and courtesie cooled much of that heat, which the violence of his Predecessors had raised against the Court of Rome. The mild beams of the Sun were more prevalent, than the blu∣stering blasts of the North wind. Multiplying of words more commonly engenders

strife, than peace.

Fourthly,* 1.143 upon what grounds are you so confident, that the Ministers of the Reformed Church would admit of such a publick Disputation upon those terms which you pro∣pose? That, is to accept of the Archbishop of Paris and his Coadjutor, two persons in∣teressed, for competent Judges. I am as confident of the con∣trary, that they would rather chuse to suffer, than wrong their cause so much; Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora. It were a rea∣dier way for them, and but the same in effect, to subscribe to a blank paper, and to sub∣mit without disputation.* 1.144

Fifthly, suppose (all this notwithstanding) such a Con∣ference

should hold, what reason have you to promise to your self such success, as to obtain so easie a Victory? You have had Conferences and Conferences again at Poissye, and other places, and gained by them, just as much as you might put in your eye, and see never the worse. When Conferences are onely made use of as Pageants, to grace the Introduction of some new Proselyte, and to preserve his Reputation from the asper∣sion of desultorious Levity, they seem much more effica∣tious than they are. As they know well enough who are privie to what is acted in the withdrawing room. The time was when you have been as confident in a contrary Opi∣nion,

that such a free Confe∣rence would have sealed the Walls of Rome, and levelled the Popes Triple Crown.

Sixtly,* 1.145 whether the Mini∣sters should accept of such a partiall unequall Conference or not, or whatsoever should be the success thereof, you trespass too boldly upon his Majesties patience, to dictate to him so pragmatically, so magisterially, what he should do, or would do, in such a case, which is never like to be. Doth his Fathers con∣stancy encourage you to be∣lieve, that He is a Reed shaken with the wind; Qui pauca considerat, facile pronunciat, He that weighs no more cir∣cumstances or occurrences than serve for the Advance∣ment

of his design, pronoun∣ceth sentence easily, but teme∣rariously, and for the most part unsoundly. When such a thing as you dream of should happen, it were good man∣ners in you to leave his Maje∣sty to his Christian Liberty. But to trouble your self and others about the Moons shi∣ning in the water, so unseaso∣nably, so impertinently, or with what will come to pass when the sky falls, is unbe∣seeming the Counseller of a King.

* 1.146Lastly, consider how your pen doth over-run your rea∣son, and over-reach all grounds of probability, to a∣scribe unto his Majesties change such an infallible In∣fluence upon all Protestants,

as to reduce them to the Ro∣man Communion, not onely his own subjects, but forei∣ners. His blessed Fathers ex∣ample had not so much influ∣ence upon the Scots his native Subjects. He was no Change∣ling indeed, neither to the right hand, nor to the left. Henry the Fourth his Grand∣father, did turn indeed to the Roman Church. Had his change any such Influence upon the Protestant party in France? I know no follow∣ers such a change would gain him, but I foresee clearly how many hearts it would lose him. Certainly Sir, if you would do a meritorious piece of ••…••…ice to his greatest Ad∣versaries, you could not fix upon any thing that would

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content them more highly, than to see you successfull in this undertaking. I have done with your Proposition. Hee than compares it and your de∣monstration together, will ea∣sily judge them to be twins at the first sight.

As a motive to his Majesties conversion, you present him with a Treatise of Transub∣stantiation, and desire that it may appear unto the world under his royall name.* 1.147

* 1.148I meddle not with your Treatise, some of your lear∣ned Adversaries friends will give you your hands full e∣nough. But how can his Ma∣jesty protect or patronise a Treatise against his Judge∣ment, against his Conscience, so contrary to the doctrine of

the Church of England, not onely since the Reformation, but before? About the year seven hundred,* 1.149 The body of Christ wherein he suffered, and his Body Consecrated in the Host, differ much. The body wherein he suffred was born of the Virgin, consisting of flesh and bones, and humane members; his Spirituall body, which we call the Host, con∣sists of many grains, without blood, bones, or human mem∣bers, wherefore nothing is to be understood there corporally, but all spiritually. Transub∣stantiation was neither held for an Article of Faith, nor a point of Faith in those dayes.

You charge the Protestants in divers places,* 1.150 That they

have neither Church nor Faith, but have lost both. And at the later end of your Trea∣tise you undertake to demon∣strate it:* 1.151 * 1.152 But your demon∣stration is a meer Paralo∣gism. You multiply your terms, you confound your terms, you change and alter your terms, contrary to the rules of right arguing, and vainly beat the air, conclu∣ding nothing which you ought to prove, nothing which your Adversary will denie. You would prove that Protestants have no Church. That you never attempt; But you do attempt to prove (how pit∣tifully God knows,) that they are not the onely Church, that is, the one, Holy Catholique Church. This they did never

affirm, they did never think. It sufficeth them to be a part of that Universall Church, more pure, more Orthodox, more Catholique than the Roman, alwayes professing Christ visibly, never lurking invisibly in an other Commu∣nion, which is another of your mistakes. I should advise you to promise us no more evident demonstrations; Either your skill, or your luck is so ex∣tremely bad.

In the second place you af∣firm that Faith is founded upon divine Authority, and Revelation, and deposited with the Church. All that is true; But that which you add, that it is founded in the Authori∣ty of Christ speaking by the mouth of his Church; By this

Church, understanding the Church of this Age, and (which is yet worse) the Church of one place, and (which is worst of all) the Bishop of that one Church, is most false.

* 1.153And so is that which you add, that the faith of Prote∣stants is founded upon their own reasonings, which makes so many differences among them. Reason must be subser∣vient in the application of the Rule of Faith. It cannot be the foundation of Faith. Bad reasoning may bring forth dif∣ferences and errors about Faith, both with you and us, but the abuse of Reason doth not take away the use of Rea∣son. We have this Advantage of you, that if any one of us

do build an erroneous Opini∣on upon the holy Scripture, yet because our adherence to the Scripture is firmer and neerer than our adherence to our particular error, that full, and free, and universall assent which we give to holy Scrip∣ture, and to all things therein conteined, is an implicite Condemnation and retracta∣tion of our particular error, which we hold unwittingly, and unwillingly against Scrip∣ture. But your foundation of Faith being composed of un∣certainties, whether this man be Pope or not, whether this Pope be Judge or not, whe∣ther this Judge be infallible or not, and if infallible, wherein, and how far; the faith which is builded there∣upon

cannot but be fallible and uncertain. The stricter the adherence is to a false, un∣certain, or fallible rule, the more dangerous is the error. So our right foundation purge∣eth away our error in super∣struction; And your wrong foundation lessens the value of your truths, and doubles the guilt of your errors.

I will (by your leave) requite your demonstration, and turn the mouthes of your own Canons against your self.

That Church which hath changed the Apostolical Creed, the Apostolicall Succession, the Apostolicall Regiment, and the Apostolicall Commu∣nion, is no Apostolicall, Or∣thodox, or Catholique Church.

But the Church of Rome hath changed the Apostolicall Creed, the Apostolicall Suc∣cession, the Apostolicall Re∣giment, and the Apostolicall Communion.

Therefore the Church of Rome is no Apostolicall, Or∣thodox, or Catholick Church.

They have changed the A∣postolicall Creed, by making a new Creed, wherein are ma∣ny things inserted, that hold no Analogie with the old A∣postles Creed; The Apostoli∣call Succession, by ingrossing the whole succession to Rome, and making all other Bishops to be but the Popes Vicars, and Substitutes, as to their Jurisdiction; The Apostolicall Regiment by erecting a visi∣ble and Universall Monarchy

in the Church; And lastly the Apostolicall Communion, by excommunicating three parts of the holy Catholique Apostolique Church.

Again, That Church which resolves its Faith not into di∣vine Revelation and Authori∣ty, but into Humane infalli∣bility, or the Infallibilitie of the present Church, without knowing, or according, what that present Church is, whe∣ther the Virtuall, or the re∣presentative, or the essentiall Church, or a body compoun∣ded of some of these, hath no true faith.

But the Church of Rome resolves it Faith, not into di∣dine Revelation and Autho∣rity, but into the Infallibility of the present Church, not

knowing or not according what that present Church is, whether the Virtual Church (that is the Pope,) or the re∣presentative Church (that is a generall Councill) or the Essentiall Church, (that is the Church of Believers diffu∣sed over the world,) or a body compounded of some of these, (that is the Pope, and a Ge∣nerall or Provinciall Coun∣cill.)

Therefore the Church of Rome hath not true faith. The greater number of your Wri∣ters is for the Pope, that this infallibility is fixed to this Chair. But of all other Judge∣ments, this is most fallible and uncertain, for if Simony make a Nullity in a Papall Election, we have great rea∣son

to doubt, that that Chair hath not been filled by a right Pope these last hundred years. These are no other but your own Mediums; Such luck you have with your irrefra∣gable demonstrations.

* 1.154In case his Majesty will turn Roman Catholique you promise him restitution to his Kingdomes.

Great undertakers are sel∣dom good performers; when you are making your Prose∣lytes, you promise them gol∣den Mountains, but when the work is done, you deal with them, as he did with his Saint, who promised a Candle as big as his Mast, and offred one no bigger than his finger. Do you however think it reason, that any man should change

his Religion for temporall re∣spects, though it were for a Kingdom? Jeroboam did so, you may remember what was the success of it.

You propose this as the readiest means to restore him. Others who penetrate deeper into the true state of his af∣fairs, look upon it as the rea∣diest way to ruine his hopes, by the alienation of his friends, by the confirmation of his foes, and in some sort the justification of their for∣mer feigned fears. Do you think all Roman Catholique Princes desire this change as earnestly as your self? Give them leave first to consult with their particular Interests. A common Interest prevails more with Confederates than

a common faith. The Sword distinguisheth not between Protestants and Papists.

But what is the ground of this your great Confidence? no less than Scripture. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of it, and all other things shall be added unto you. You say the word of God deceives no man. True, but you may de∣ceive your self out of the word of God. The Conclusion al∣wayes follows the weaker part, such as this, are com∣monly your mistaken grounds, when they come to be exami∣ned. The text saith, Seek the kingdom of God, You would have his Majesty desert the kingdom of God; The promise is of all things necessary or

convenient, you will be your own Carver, and oblige God Almighty to Kingdoms and particular conditions; The promise is made (as all tem∣porall promises are,) with an implicite exception of the Cross, unless God see it to be otherwise more expedient for us; He that denies us gold, and gives us patience and o∣ther graces more precious than Gold,* 1.155 that denies a temporall Kingdom to give an eternall, doth not wrong us. This was out of your head.

That the Scots had an an∣tienter Obligation to fidelity towards his Majesty,* 1.156 and that Royall Family than the Eng∣lish, is a truth not to be doubted or disputed of, I think I may safely adde, than

any Nation in Europe, or in the known world to their Prince, his Majesty being the hundred and tenth Monarch of that line, that hath sweyed the Scepter of that Kingdom successively. The more the pitty that a few treacherous Shebas, and a pack of baw∣ling seditious Orators, under the vizard and shadow of pure Religion, to the extreme scandall of all honest profes∣sors, should be able to over∣turn such an antient fabrick, and radicated succession of Kingly Government.

* 1.157But take heed Sir, how you beleeve that any ingagement of the Presbyterian faction in Scotland, proceeded either from conscience, or grati∣tude, or fidelity, or aimed at

the resetling of his Majesty upon his throne. No, no, their hearts were double, their treaties on their parts were meer treacheries from the be∣ginning. I mean not any of those many loyall patriots, that never bowed their knees to Baal-berith the God of the Covenant, in that Nation:* 1.158 Nor yet any of those serious converts, that no sooner dis∣covered the leger de main of a company of canting impo∣stors, but they sought to stop the stream of Schism and se∣dition, with the hazard of their own lives and estates. Nor even those whose eyes were longer held with the Spirit of slumber, by some stronger spels of disciplina∣rian charmers, but did yet

later open their eyes, and come in to do their duties, at the sixth or ninth hour. All these are expunged by me out of this black Roll. Let their posterities enjoy the fruit of their respective loyalties, And let their memories be daily more and more blessed. But I mean the obstinate Ring-leaders,* 1.159 and Standard-bearers of the Presbyterian Covenant of both robes, and the setters up of that mishapen Idoll. It is from these I say, that no help or hope could in reason be expected. They who sold the Father, and such a Fa∣ther, were not likely to proove loyall to the Son. They who hanged up one of the most antient Gentlemen in Europe, the gallant Marquess of Mon∣trose,

being then their law∣full Vice-roy, like a dog in such base and barbarous man∣ner, together with his Ma∣jesties Commission, to the publike dishonour of their King, in the chief City of that Kingdom, in a time of Trea∣ty; They who purged the Army, over and over, as loth on their parts willingly to leave one dram of honesty, or loyalty in it, who would not admit their fellow sub∣jects of much more merit and courage than themselves to assist them; They who would not permit his Ma∣jesty to continue among the Souldiery, lest hee should grow too popular; They who after they had proclamed to the world his Title and right

to that Crown, yet sought to have him excluded from the benefit of it, and from the execution of his Kingly Of∣fice,* 1.160 untill he should abjure his Religion, cast dirt upon his Parents, alienate his loy∣all subiects, and ratifie the asurpations of his Rebels; These, (there I say,) were most unlikely persons to be his re∣storers. Was it ever heard be∣fore, that subjects acknow∣ledged a Soveraign, and yet endeavoured to exclude him from his rights, untill he had granted whatsoever seemed good in their eyes?* 1.161 Others may be more severe in their judgements, but I for my part could be well contented, that God would give them the Honour to be the repay∣rers

of the breach, who have been the makers of the breach; to be the restorers of Monar∣chy, who have been the rui∣ners of Monarchy; to be the re-establishers of peace, who have been the chiefest Cata∣lines and promoters of War. But that can never be whilst they justifie their former re∣bellious practises, and after they have eaten and devou∣red, wipe their mouths, and say what have we done? un∣till they acknowledge their former errors; Repentance onely is able to knit the bro∣ken bone; why should they be more afraid to confess their faults, and shame the Devill, than to commit them?* 1.162

Yet I cannot say with you that this hath robbed his Ma∣jesty

of all hopes and means of recovery. We may not limit God to any time, who com∣monly with-holds his help untill the Bricks be doubled, untill the edge of the razor doth touch the very throats of his servants, that the glory of the work may wholy re∣dound to himself. We may not limit God to those means which seem most probable in our eyes. So long as Joseph trusted to his friend in Court, God did forget him; when Pharaohs Butler had quite forgotten Joseph, then God remembred him. God hath nobler wayes of restitution than by Battails, and bloud∣shed, that is, by changing the hearts of his creatures at his pleasure, and turning Esau's

vowed revenge into love and kindness.

I confess,* 1.163 his Majesties resolution was great, so was his prudence, that neither fear (which useth to betray the succours of the Soul,) nor any indiscreet Action, or word, or gesture, in so long a time should either discover him, or render him suspected. When I consider that the Heir of a Crown, in the midst of that Kingdom where he had his breeding, whom all mens eyes had used to Court as the rising Sun, of no com∣mon features or physiogno∣my, at such time when he was not onely believed, but known to be among them, when every Corner of the Kingdom was full of Spys to

search him, and every Port and Inne full of Officers to apprehend him, I say that he should travail at such a time, so long, so far, so freely, in the sight of the Sun, expo∣sed to the view of all per∣sons, without either discove∣ry, or suspition, seeme little less than a miracle. That God had smitten the eyes of those who met him with blindness, as the eyes of the Sodomites, that they could not find Lots door, or the Sy∣rian Souldiers, that were sent to apprehend Elisha. This strange escape, and that for∣mer out of Scotland, where his condition was not much better,* 1.164 nor his person much safer, do seem strangely to presage, that God hath yet

some great work, to be done by him in his own due time.

You attribute this rare de∣liverance,* 1.165 and the hopes of his conversion, in part to the prayers and tears of his Mo∣ther; prayers and tears were the onely proper Arms of the old Primitive Christians; more particularly they are the best and most agreeable defence of that sex; but es∣pecially the prayers and tears of a Mother, for the Son of her desires, are most powerfull. As it was said of the prayers and tears of Monica,* 1.166 for St. Austine her Son; fieri non potuit ut filius istarum lacry∣marum periret, It could not be that a Son should perish for whom so many tears were

shed. God sees her tears, and hears her prayers, and will grant her request, if not ac∣cording to her will and desire, (we often ask those things which being granted would prove prejudiciall to our selves and our friends) yet ad uti∣litatem, to his Majesties grea∣ter advantage, which is much better: She wisheth him a good Catholick, and God will preserve him a good Catho∣lick as he is. We do not doubt but the prayers of his Father (who now follows the Lamb in his whites) for his perseverance,* 1.167 will be more ef∣fectuall with God, than the prayers of his Mother for his change.* 1.168

Your instance of his Maje∣sties Grand-father, your grand

King Henry the fourth is not so apposite, or fit for your purpose. He gained his Crown by turning himself towards his people, you would per∣swade his Majesty to turn from his people, and to cast away his possibilities of resti∣tution, that is,* 1.169 to cut off a naturall leg, and take one of wood.

To the tears of his Mother you adde the blood of his Fa∣ther,* 1.170 whom you justly stile happy, and say most truly of him, that he preferred the Ca∣tholick Faith before his Crown, his liberty, his life, and whatsoever was most dear unto him. This faith was for∣merly rooted in his heart by God, not secretly and invi∣sibly in the last moments of

his life to unite him to the Roman Catholick Church, but openly during his whole Reign, all which time he li∣ved in the bosom of the true Catholick Church.* 1.171 Yet you are so extremely partiall to your self, that you affirm that he died invisibly a Mem∣ber of your Roman Catho∣lick Church, as it is by you contre-distinguished to the rest of the Christian world. An old pious fraud, or artifice of yours, learned from Ma∣chiavell, to gain credit to your Religion by all means, either true or false; but con∣trary to his own profession at his death, contrary to the express knowledge of all that were present at his murther. Upon a vain presumption,

that Talem nisi vestra Ecclesia nulla parerit fili∣um. And because you are not able to produce one li∣ving witness, you cite St. Au∣stin to no purpose to prove that the elect before they are converted, do belong invi∣sibly to the Church; Yea and before they were born also. But St. Austine neither said nor thought, that after they are converted they make no visible profession, or pro∣fess the contrary to that which they beleeve. Seek not thus to adorn your particu∣lar Church, not with barrow∣ed but with stollen Saints, Whom all the world know to have been none of yours. What Faith he professed li∣ving, he confirmed dying;

In the Communion of the Church of England he lived, and in that Communion at his death he commended his soul into the hands of God his Saviour.* 1.172 That which you have confessed here concer∣ning King Charls, will spoil your former demonstration, that the Protestants have neither Church nor Faith.

But you confess no more in particular here, than I have heard some of your famous Roman Doctors in this City acknowledge to be true in generall; And no more than that which the Bishop of Chalcedon (a man that can∣not be suspected of partiality on our side,) hath affirmed and published in two of his Books to the world in Print;

That Protestantibus creden∣tes, &c. persons living in the Communion of the Protestant Church, if they endeavour to learn the truth, and are not able to attein unto it, but hold it implicitely in the pre∣paration of their minds, and are ready to receive it when God shall be pleased to reveal it (which all good Protestants and all good Christians are) they neither want Church, nor Faith, nor Salvation. Mark these words well. They have neither Church nor Faith say you; If they be thus qualified (as they all are) they want neither Church, nor Faith, nor Sal∣vation (saith he.* 1.173)

Lastly Sir, to let us see, that your intelligence is as good in Heaven as it is upon Earth, &

that you know both who are there, and what they do, you tell us that the Crown and Conquest, which his late Majesty gained by his suffe∣rings, was procured by the intercession of his Grand-Mother Queen Mary. We should be the apter to beleeve this, if you were able to make it appear, that all the Saints in Heaven do know all the particular necessities of all their posterity upon earth. St. Austin makes the matter much more doubtfull than you, that's the least of his As∣sertion,* 1.174 or rather to be plain∣ly false; fatendum est nescire quidem mortuos quid hic a∣gatur. But with presumpti∣ons you did begin your De∣dication, and with presump∣tions

you end it. In the mean time till you can make that appear, we observe, that nei∣ther Queen Maries constan∣cy in the Roman Catholick Faith,* 1.175 nor Henry the fourths change to the Roman Catho∣lick Faith, could save them from a bloudy end. Then by what warrant do you impute King Charls his sufferings to his error in Religion? Be your own Judge.

Heu quanta de spe decidi∣mus; Alas!* 1.176 from what hopes are we faln! Pardon our er∣ror, that we have mistaken you so long. You have here∣tofore pretended your self to be a moderate person, and one that seriously endevoured the reuniting of Christendom by a fair Accommodation. The

widest wounds are closed up in time, and strange Plants by inoculation are incorpora∣ted together, and made one; And is there no way to close up the wounds of the Church, and to unite the disagreeing members of the same mysticall body? Why were Caleb and Joshua onely admitted into the Land of promise, whilst the carkasses of the rest pe∣rished in the Wilderness, but onely because they had been Peace-makers in a time of Schism? Well fare our learned and ingenuous Country-man S. Clara, who is altogether as perspicacious as your self, but much more charitable. You tell us to our grief,* 1.177 that there is no accommodation to be ex∣pected; that Cardinall Riche∣lieu

was too good a Christian, and too good a Catholique to have any such thought; that the one Religion is true, the other false, and that there is no society between light and darkness. This is plain dea∣ling, to tell us what we must trust to. No Peace is to be expected from you, unless we will come unto you upon our knees, with the words of the Prodigall Child in our mouthes, Father forgive us. we have sinned against Hea∣ven, and against thee. Is not this rare Courtesie? If we will submit to your will in all things, you will have no lon∣ger difference with us. So we might come to shake a worse Church by the hand, than that which we were separated from.

* 1.178If you could be contented to wave your last four hun∣dred years determinations, or if you liked them for your selves, yet not to obtrude them upon other Churches; If you could rest satisfied with your old Patriarchal power, and your Principium unitatis, or Primacy of Order, much good might be expected from free Councills, and Conferences from moderate persons; And we might yet live in Hope to see an Union, if not in all O∣pinions, yet in charity, and all necessary points of saving truth, between all Christians; to see the Eastern and Western Churches joyn hand in hand, and sing, Ecce quàm bonum, & quam jucundum est habi∣tare fratres in unum; Behold

how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell toge∣in unity. But whilst you im∣pose upon us daily new Arti∣cles of faith, and urge rigidly, what you have unadvisedly determined, we dare not Sa∣crifice Truth to Peace, nor be separated from the Gospel, to be joyned to the Roman Church; Yet in the point of our separation, and in all things which concern either doctrine or discipline, we pro∣fess all due obedience and sub∣mission to the judgement and definitions of the truly Catho∣lique Church; Lamenting with all our hearts the pte∣sent condition of Christen∣dome, which renders an Oe∣cumenicall Councill, if not impossible, (mens judgements

may be had, where their per∣sons cannot,) yet very diffi∣cult, wishing one, as generall as might be, and (untill God send such an Opportunity,) endevouring to conform our selves in all things, both in Credendis, & Agendis, to whatsoever is uniform in the belief or practise, in the do∣ctrine or discipline of the U∣niversall Church; And lastly holding an Actuall Commu∣nion with all the divided parts of the Christian world, in most things, & in voto, ac∣cording to our desires, in all things.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Plut.
• * 1.2

  Sir Henry Wotton.
• * 1.3

  rences in the Church directly a∣bout the Sacrament for the first 800. years.
• * 1.4

  1 Cor. 11.
• * 1.5

  Theod. ex Ignatio.
• * 1.6

  Leo. Ser. 4. de quad. Epiph. haer. 30. & 46.
• * 1.7

  Aug. li. de Haeres. c. 64
• * 1.8

  Bel. l. 1. de Sac. Euch. c. 1.
• * 1.9

  Bel ibid. Syn Nic. 2 Act 6.
• * 1.10

  Disp. 179. c. 1.
• * 1.11

  Yet diffe∣rent ob¦servations,
• * 1.12

  And diffe∣rent ex∣pressions.
• * 1.13

  The first difference abou•• the presence of Christ in the Sa∣crament.
• * 1.14

  Exact. Syn. Rom. sub Nich. 2.
• * 1.15

  De Cons. dist. 2 cap. Ego Ber.
• * 1.16

  Alex. Gab. Bonav. &c.
• * 1.17

  Scot. in 4. sent. dist. 11. q. 3. T. 3 q. 75. d. 81. c. 1. The deter∣mination of the manner of the pre∣sence ope∣ned a floodgate to a deluge of Con∣troversies.
• * 1.18

  Lib. de Corr. Theol. Schol.
• * 1.19

  Gloss. de Con•…•…. d. 2. cap. timo∣rem.
• * 1.20

  Guidmend. l. 1. de ver.
• * 1.21

  Vasq. disp. 184. c. 8.
• * 1.22

  Ʋasq. T. 3. q. 75. d. 181 c. 4.
• * 1.23

  Bell. l. 3. de Euch. c. 3. in fine.
• * 1.24

  In 4. d. 44. q. 7. art. 2. q. 3.
• * 1.25

  Lib. 4. de Euch. c. 25.
• * 1.26

  Cap. 27.
• * 1.27

  Conc. Vien.
• * 1.28

  Bell. l. 4 de Euch. c. 29. quodam modo.
• * 1.29

  Aq. p. 3. 1. 76. Art. 7.
• * 1.30

  Deut. 29.29.
• * 1.31

  Durand.
• * 1.32

  Against multiply∣ing of questions, and con∣troversies.
• * 1.33

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.34

  The Oc∣casion of this Dis∣course.
• * 1.35

  P. 37.
• * 1.36

  The Au∣thors in∣discretion.
• * 1.37

  To no purpose.
• * 1.38

  The King is already a better Catholick than him∣self.
• * 1.39

  Discursus modestus Jesuitarū p. 13. Wat∣sons quod- lib. l. 2. Art. 4.
• * 1.40

  Par. 2. Act. 6. c. 7.
• * 1.41

  Not law∣full to add to the old Creed.
• * 1.42

  Concil. Flor. Sess. 10. prof. sid. in bulla Pti quarti.
• * 1.43

  What are additions to the Creed, and what are only ex∣plications.
• * 1.44

  Aq. 2. 2. q. 1. Art. 10.
• * 1.45

  Gal. 1.8.
• * 1.46

  P. 4. Crosses are not al∣waies pu∣nishments but some∣times cor∣rections, or tryals.
• * 1.47

  Which the Author presently forgets.
• * 1.48

  P. 8.
• * 1.49

  P. 14.
• * 1.50

  P. 9.
• * 1.51

  Joh. 9.2.
• * 1.52

  Better grounds of his Maje∣sties suffe∣rings, than those of the Au∣thor.
• * 1.53

  Psa. 128.3
• * 1.54

  The Au∣thors rash censure upon the Archbi∣shop of Cant.
• * 1.55

  Sove∣raigns may be ta∣ken away for the sins of their sub∣jects.
• * 1.56

  Prov. 28.••
• * 1.57

  Not above two or three of our Prin∣ces cal∣led Heads of the Church.
• * 1.58

  That is onely poli∣ticall heads. 1 Sam. 15.17.
• * 1.59

  Art. 37.
• * 1.60

  Expos. Pa∣raphr. art. Conf. Ang. Art. 37.
• * 1.61

  The Chri∣stian Em∣perours politicall heads.
• * 1.62

  The old Kings of England politicall heads.
• * 1.63

  See Au∣thorities for all these in Cawdries Case, in Judge Crook his Reports.
• * 1.64

  Neither K. Charles, K. James, nor Queen Elizabeth stiled heads of the Church.
• * 1.65

  The Au∣thors satis∣faction to perswade the Pope to leave that vain Title.
• * 1.66

  Hatred of Episcopa∣cy or the true cause why the Parlia∣ment per∣secuted the King.
• * 1.67

  The true causes of the trou∣bles in Engl••••d.
• * 1.68

  P. 11.
• * 1.69

  We are onely ac∣cused of Schism.
• * 1.70

  Presbyte∣rians and Brownists have been Romes best friends.
• * 1.71

  P. 16.
• * 1.72

  P. 19.
• * 1.73

  P. 14.
• * 1.74

  P. 17.
• * 1.75

  L. Cant. 1643. C. 1.
• * 1.76

  The Eng∣lish Refor∣mation not Cal∣vinist. cal.
• * 1.77

  P. 9.
• * 1.78

  P. 10.
• * 1.79

  M. Tho. Sq.
• * 1.80

  P. 19.
• * 1.81

  Reforma∣tion is sometimes necessary.
• * 1.82

  Reforma∣tion not a∣greeable to all per∣son, espe∣cially the Court of Rome.
• * 1.83

  There is danger in Reforma∣tion.
• * 1.84

  The right rule of Re∣formation.
• * 1.85

  Our Re∣formation not the ru∣in of Faith Church or Common-wealth.
• * 1.86

  Our first supposed Maxim.
• * 1.87

  The Ca∣tholick Church cannot come to ruin or be be guilty of Idola∣try or Ty∣ranny.
• * 1.88

  Chrysost.
• * 1.89

  Catholick and Ro∣man not Conver∣tibles.
• * 1.90

  Rev. 2.5.
• * 1.91

  The Ro∣man Church it self not absolutely faln to ruin.
• * 1.92

  Whether the Roman Church be guilty of Idolatry.
• * 1.93

  The Ro∣man Court most Ty∣rannicall.
• * 1.94

  Our se∣cond sup∣posed Maxim
• * 1.95

  P. 21.
• * 1.96

  P. 26.
• * 1.97

  Much mi∣staken.
• * 1.98

  The Scrip∣ture the rule of su∣pernatural truths.
• * 1.99

  L. 4. de ver∣bo Dei, cap. 11.
• * 1.100

  Who are the proper expoun∣ders of Scripture, and ho•…•… far.
• * 1.101

  1 Thes. 5.21.
• * 1.102

  The man∣ner of ex∣pounding Scripture.
• * 1.103

  This is conforma∣ble to the doctrine and pra∣ctise of our Church.
• * 1.104

  Can. 1603. Can. 49.
• * 1.105

  See the Preface to the Bi∣shops Bi∣ble.
• * 1.106

  Cant. ••4.
• * 1.107

  Cant. 1571. tit. Concio∣natores.
• * 1.108

  Can. 1631. Can. 53.
• * 1.109

  Art. 20. Can. 1603. Can. 139.
• * 1.110

  The Eng∣lish Church an enemy to upstart, not to A∣postolicall traditions.
• * 1.111

  Of the Sacrifice of the Mass.
• * 1.112

  Heb. 10.14
• * 1.113

  In the Collects for these ••easts.
• * 1.114

  Of Tran∣substanti∣ation.
• * 1.115

  Of 7. Sa∣craments.
• * 1.116

  Anno 1439 1528. 1547.
• * 1.117

  Jam. 5.14.
• * 1.118

  Of Justifi∣cation.
• * 1.119

  Rom. 8.33
• * 1.120

  Of Me∣rits.
• * 1.121

  2 Tim. 4.••
• * 1.122

  Discrt. Ec∣cles. li. 2. c. 4.
• * 1.123

  Of Invo∣cation of Saints.
• * 1.124

  S. Clara Probl. 37. ex Horan∣tio.
• * 1.125

  Rev. 22.9.
• * 1.126

  Of prayer for the dead with Purgatory.
• * 1.127

  Tartarus.
• * 1.128

  The Au∣thority of the Pope.
• * 1.129

  P 27.
• * 1.130

  Whether humane Laws bynd the Con∣science.
• * 1.131

  P. 34. 69. The Au∣thor a lit∣tle Enthu∣siasticall.
• * 1.132

  The Ro∣manists require submission to their Church as necessary to salvati∣on,
• * 1.133

  Yet can∣not agree among themselves what this Roman Church is.
• * 1.134

  The English Church not peri∣shed.
• * 1.135

  Gen. 42.13.
• * 1.136

  P. 42.
• * 1.137

  The Au∣thors vain dreams.
• * 1.138

  P. 43. 44.
• * 1.139

  P. 47. &c. His vainer proposi∣tion of a confe∣rence.
• * 1.140

  The King of England desires no such Con∣ference.
• * 1.141

  If he should, he had nei∣ther rea∣son nor need to desert his English Clergy.
• * 1.142

  Such a Confe∣rence not fit to be granted by the King of France.
• * 1.143

  Nor to be accepted by the Mi∣nisters of the re∣formed Church.
• * 1.144

  Nor could any such Success be expected from it.
• * 1.145

  The Au∣thors im∣pertinence and sauci∣ness with the King.
• * 1.146

  His Pen over ••uns his wit.
• * 1.147

  P. 58.
• * 1.148

  His im∣proper choise of a Patron for his Trea∣tise.
• * 1.149

  Serm. Sax∣on. in fest•• Paschat.
• * 1.150

  P. 62.
• * 1.151

  P. 222.
• * 1.152

  His un∣skilfulnes, or his un∣fortunate∣ness in his Demon∣strations.
• * 1.153

  The great advantage of the Pro∣stant a∣bove the Roman Catho∣lique in the choise of his foundati∣on.
• * 1.154

  P. 68. His Maje∣sties Apo∣stacy is not the way to his restitu∣tion.
• * 1.155

  1 Pet. 1.7.
• * 1.156

  P. 70. The obli∣gation of the Scots to his Ma∣jesty the greatest of any Sub∣jects in the known world.
• * 1.157

  Their Treachery
• * 1.158

  The loyall Scots ex∣cepted.
• * 1.159

  The dis∣loyall Scots de∣ciphered.
• * 1.160

  P. 70.
• * 1.161

  No hope from that party un∣till they repent.
• * 1.162

  P. 73. God must not be li∣mited to time or means of delive∣rance.
• * 1.163

  P. 74. 75. His Maje∣sties es∣cape out of England almost mi∣raculous.
• * 1.164

  And seems to presage that God hath some∣thing to do with him.
• * 1.165

  P. 76. Prayers and tears the proper Arms of woman,
• * 1.166

  Especially of Mo∣thers;
• * 1.167

  Yet not so powerfull as his Fa∣thers in∣tercession now in Heaven.
• * 1.168

  P. 77. The Au∣thors in∣stance of Henry the great not pertinent.
• * 1.169

  Plutarch.
• * 1.170

  P. 77. 78. The just commen∣dation of K. Charls.
• * 1.171

  It is gross impu∣dence to feign that he dyed a Roman Catholick.
• * 1.172

  The Au∣thors con∣fession confutes his demon∣stration, that Pro∣stants have no faith.
• * 1.173

  His intel∣ligence as good in Heaven as upon earth.
• * 1.174

  Aug. de cu∣ra pro mor∣tuus. c. 15.
• * 1.175

  No faith sufficient armour a∣gainst bloody attempts:
• * 1.176

  The Au∣thor much faln from his former charity in seeking the ••euni∣on of Chri∣stendome.
• * 1.177

  P. 204.
• * 1.178

  The way to a gene∣rall Acco∣modation.