The Introduction.

THO the first two thousand years of the World, called the Patriarchal Ages, [which was from the Creation, to the giving of the Law to Moses] were called by the Jewish Rabbies, the two thousand years of [Page 2] emptiness; because of that little that is recorded of the Transactions of those times; yet is not the Holy Scripture silent in this matter, but speaks of Schism and Schismaticks, as coaeval with Sin and Satan: St. Jude speaking of the Separatists of his time the Gnostick-Schismaticks, Jude 6. compares them first to the fallen Angels, the first that sinned; those Schismaticks from the Church tri­umphant, Jude 6. Where he plainly intimates, That as the Devil was the first Sinner, so was he the first Schis­matick: Saies the Apostle, The first that left his first estate, which was Communion with the Church triumphant.

From this he descends to com­pare them to some of the first Schismaticks from the Church Mili­tant. He instances first in Cain, Jude 11. They have gone in the way of Cain; or which is all one, they have followed the Principle and Practise of Cain, i. e. are Cainites. As those that go in the way of, or [Page 3] follow the Principles and Practise of Aerius, Donatus, Novatus, are called Aerians, Donatists, Novatians. And thus do some of the most learned Nonconformists interpreat those words, The way of Cain,Dr. Manton, and Mr Jen­kins Expositi­on on Jude. i e. say they, the way of Cains Separation. Cain was the first Separatist (saies Dr. Manton) He went out from the pre­sence of the Lord, that is, from the Church (saies he) where the presence of Gods Grace is. And therefore Cains example is produced, because (saies that Expositor) he was the first and chief of those that departed from the true Church and pure Service of God.

KORAHITES.

THus saies the Apostle of the Separatists of his time, Jud. 11. They have perished in the gainsaying of Korah. This Korah was one of the Sons of Levi, of great esteem among the People, and great inter­est [Page 4] in many of the Princes; and (no doubt) was accounted an able and godly man; only thus, he was a factious Levite, dissenting and mur­muring against Moses and Aaron, the King and the Priest, was his only fault. Whoever consults the History of Schismaticks from the times of the Apostles, to this present Age, and compares them with the Modern ones in their professed op­position, as well to the Monarchical as Episcopal Government, must give them Extraction from this famous Triumvirate Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Aeri. Red. Preface. combined in an Association against Moses and Aaron, the Su­pream Prince, and the High Priest. Dathan and Abiram descending from the line of Reuben, the eldest Son of Jacob, thought themselves more worthy of the Sovereign Power than Moses, who descended from the younger House; and Korah thought himself so much neglected in seeing Elizaphen, the Son of Ʋzziel, made Prince of the Koha­thites, [Page 5] [The principal Family of the Levites next to that of Gerson] when he himself descended of the eldest Brother, and therefore thought that if there were not a Parity, but an Episcopacy among the Jewish Ministers, that himself was as fit for the chief Priesthood as Aaron. Hereupon having compared their grievances, they resolved on a Con­spiracy, and that neither Sovereign Prince, nor chief Priest should Lord it over them, but rather that a Presbyterian Parity should be both in Sacred and Civil Matters: Upon this they presently formed their party, drew into the Conspiracy no less than 250 of the chief men of the Assembly, and with them boldly appear against Moses and Aaron; telling them to their faces, that they took too much upon them, that all the Lords people were holy; and that therefore they ought not to lift up themselves above the Con­gregation. Now tho some of the chief Princes of the house of Dan, [Page 6] did appear in the Conspiracy; yet it is plainly called in Scripture, the gainsaying of Korah, because chief­ly carried on by the interest and credit that he had among the Peo­ple; particularly on the account of his pretended Zeal for the Worship of God,Joseph. Antiq. lib. 4. c. 2. and his great pretence to the good of the Commonwealth. But a factious Levite he was; dis­senting and murmuring against the King and the Clergy, was his great and only fault. In the head of a numerous Faction, he endea­vour'd to stone Moses, and (as Jo­sephus saies) ran with great Noise and Uproar, crying before the Ta­bernacle of God, That the Tyrant (Moses) was to be cut off, and the People deliver'd from Bondage; and the like outcrys of Property and Priviledg against Prerogative and Arbitrary Government. By such Sedition (saies Mr. Jenkins) to throw Aaron out of the Priesthood, and gain it to himself, and with Dathan and Abiram, to depose Moses [Page 7] from the civil Government, and take it to themselves. St. Jude's purpose here is to shew (saies that great Nonconformist) that such seducing Separatists, as these Gnosticks,Exposition on the place. are Enemies not only to Ecclesiastical, but Civil Order and Superiority.

And this example of Korah is pro­duced (saith Dr. Manton) as to note the factious Practices of Seducers, Exposition on the place. so also Gods vengeance on all such; they were factious against Moses and Aaron, and they perished in their attempt, and so will all they that rise up against Magistracy and Ministry, as sure (saies he) as if it were al­ready accomplished. And the other Nonconformist-Expositor in his Ex­position, How miraculously did ven­geance overtake Korah and his com­pany [for their Schism and Sediti­on] the Earth clave and swallowed them up for making a cleft (or Schism) in the Congregation: and after that two hundred and fifty of their Princes, Men of Renown, were con­sumed by a fire from the Lord; and [Page 8] after that, fourteen thousand and se­ven hundred were slain by the Plague. And this St. Jude apply's to such Christians as separate themselves, as despise Dominion, and speak evil of Dignities; that renounce the Authority and Communion of the Church; of such as these he saies, they perish'd in the gainsaying of Korah.

PHARISEES.

THey were a most zealous and strict Sect above all others of the Jewish Religion; and were cal­led Pharisees from their Separation▪ From [...] separavit, secrevit, [...]i­visit; quasi sequestrato ab aliis vita religiosiri; because separated from others to a more strict way of pro­fessing Religion. Pasor cites Hesy­chius,Lexi [...]. for making [...], i. e. Pharisee, a Divider, a Separatist, a Puritan, all one; but the primary significa­tion [Page 9] of the word Pharisee is [one that separates.]

Josephus, tho himself a Jew,Antiq. Judaic. l. 17. l. 13. c. 23. & passim and sometime a Pharisee, gives this ac­count of them, That they were a crafty and subtil Generation of men, that imployed their power mightily in opposing Kings; that had insinu­ated themselves so far into the affe­ctions and esteem of the populacy, that their good or bad word was able to make or blast any one with the peo­ple; let their report be never so false and malicious. And therefore Alex­ander Jannaeus, when he lay a dying, advised the Queen his wife, as ever she regarded her safety, by all means to comply with them, and to pretend to govern by their Councel and Di­rection; affirming that his offending that sort of men, was that which derived the Odium of the Nation upon him, and was the greatest cause of his fatal miscarriage. Certain it is, that they were prodigiously proud and self conceited, censorious and ill­natured; that they hated all mankind [Page 10] but themselves; and whoever would not be of their way, they censured as a Reprobate and a Villian; exceeding zealous they were to make Proselytes to their Party, confining all Religion and Kindness within the bounds of their own party. Like the Donatists their Followers, that were the most grievous sort of Persecutors, when­ever they got power, and yet cried out most against Persecution, Matt. 23.4. They bound on mens shoulders heavy burdens, and grie­vous to be born; yet inveigh bitter­ly against it in others, vers. 30. If we had lived in the days of our fore­fathers, we would not have been par­takers with them in the blood of the Prophets. On which very account Christ calls them Serpents, vers. 33. a subtil insinuating Generation of men, full of Folds and Intreagues, that would put on the appearance of greatest Mortification, and Self-denyal, and Holiness; yet were (saies Christ in that very verse) Vipers, A generation of Vipers, for [Page 11] their abominable cruelty: The first Principles wherewith they inspired their new Converts (as Josephus re­lates) were, That none but they were the Godly party; and that all other Person were but Slaves and Sons of the Earth, and therefore endea­vour'd, especially to inspire them with a mighty Zeal and Fierce­ness against all that differ'd from them. To this end they were wont not only to separate, but discriminate themselves from the Community, by some peculiar Notes and Badges of Distinction, such as their long Robes, and broad Phylacteries, their large Fringes and Borders of their Gar­ments, &c. Their dogged and ill-natured principles, together with their Seditious and uncharitable Behaviour, they endeavoured to palliate and varnish over, with a more than ordinary pretence and pro­fession of Religion: Such Duties especially as did immediately refer to God and his Worship; as frequent fasting and praying, which they did [Page 12] very oft, and very long, with demure and mortified looks, in a whining and affected tone, and this almost in every corner of the streets: Thus Josephus of the Pharisees, Antiq. Judaic.

ZEALOTS.

THE Zealots were a Sect or Branch of the Pharisees, who looked upon themselves as the Suc­cessors of Elias, Samuel, and others of the Jewish Worthies, but especi­ally Phineas; which Worthies living under a perfect Theocracy, had the miraculous impulse and guidance of Gods Spirit, immediate Direction and Commission from God for what they did; and particularly in such Acts as those of Phineas [tho no Magistrate] his killing Zimri and Cosbi; Samuel's killing Agag, &c. And in imitation of these, the [Page 13] Jewish Zealots mistaking a Diaboli­cal Suggestion for supernatural Re­velation; a boiling Passion for holy Zeal; and a wild Imagination for holy Divine motion, pretended a Commission from Heaven for the most horrid and detestable under­takings, such as rebelling against Princes, Assassinating Nobles, &c. in pretence for the Honour and Glory of God.

The account Dr. Hammond gives of them, is briefly thus,Annotat. on 1 Pet. 4.15. Lett. G. The Jewish Zealots pretending to a perpetual im­munity from all humane Power, [as being the only Children of God, and upon that account, to be sub­ject to no men, especially Heathens, but to enjoy an [...], or perfect immunity] would force all men to joyn with them against the Romans, i. e. The publick peace; calling them­selves [...], the Bene­factors and Saviours of the Nation, and plundering all that would not be as Seditious as themselves, under pretence of Zeal for the Law of [Page 14] God, and making all men perform their duty.

Agreeable to this, is that of Dr. Cave [in the life of St. Simon the Zealot] from Maimonides, Josephus, &c. They were (saies he) a Sect of the Pharisees, mighty Assertors of the Law, and of the strictness and puri­ty of the Jewish Religion, assuming a Liberty to themselves to question (and punish) notorious Offenders, without staying for the formality of the Law; and (when they thought good) executing capital Vengeance on them. Thus (saies my Author from Maimonides) when a Blasphemer cursed God by the name of any Idol, the next Zealot that met him, had power to kill him, without bringing him before the Sanhedrim. Thus in imitation of Phineas (who in a great passion for the Honour of God, did immediate Execution on Zimri and Cosbi) they took upon them to execute Judgment in extraordinary Causes, and that (at first) not only by the Connivence, but good leave of the [Page 15] Rulers and People, till in after-times under a pretence of this, their Zeal de­generated into all manner of Licenti­ousness and wild Extravagance, and they not only became the very pest of the Commonwealth at home, but open'd the door for the Romans to invade them to their final ruin. They were continually prompting the people se­ditiously to throw off the Roman Yoke, to vindicate themselves into their na­tive Liberty [excelling the Phari­sees in their outcrys for property and priviledg against their Rulers Prerogative] and when they had turned all things into hurry and con­fusion, themselves in the mean time fished in those troubled Waters. Jo­sephus frequently bewails them as the great Plague of the Nation. He tells us that they scrupled not to kill many of the Nobility under pretence of their holding correspondence with the Ro­mans,Lib. 4. De bell. Judaico. and betraying the liberty of their Country, boasting that thereby they were the Benefactors and Savi­ours of the People: Joyning themselves [Page 16] with the Idumeans, they slew the High-Priest, profaned the most Holy Places, and committed all manner of outrages, yet stiled themselves the Zealots (pretending greatest Zeal for the Glory of God.)

Nor has this Phanatick Zeal, this kind of Zealots, been wanting, wherever Schism has prevailed in the after Ages of the World. The Donatists had among them an Order of men called Circumcelliones, that were wholly designed and set apart for these Zealotick exploits; they were as so many Hectors to fight for the Donatists on all occasions, and were exactly among the Dona­tists, as the Pseudo-Zealots were among the Pharisees. Ep. 48.166. Quas caedes, &c. (saies St. Augustine) what Slaughters and Outrages did they not commit, when Julian restored the Churches to them, and gave them Power? and all this by belie­ving, that they were inspired by God to do such extraordinary things, which they were ready to attempt, [Page 17] whenever their Brethren, or their own Lust did prompt them to it; the Donatist Bishops instructing them soundly in this, That they did certainly dye Martyrs, who suffer'd Death for Religion sake, as they called their Rebellious and most Murderous undertakings. Nor hath this Zealotick temper been more discernable in any than in the Schis­maticks of this latter Age. At the first planting of Presbytery in Scotland; History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, p. 387. in Mr. Knox's Disputa­tion with Ld. Secretary Lethington, about the Power of Princes, i [...] being asked whether the Subjects ought to suppress the Queen, sup­posing her an Idolater [or Papist]? Mr. Knox's Answer was, That not only Idolatry ought to be suppressed, but the Idolater also ought to die: But by whom (said the Secretary Lethington?) by the People of God, said Mr. Knox; for the command­ment was to Israel (saies he) Hear O Israel, the Statutes and the Ordi­nances of the Lord thy God; yet, [Page 18] commandment is given, That if Ido­latry be committed in any City, the whole body of the People rise and de­stroy the City, sparing neither Man, Woman, nor Child.

Secretary. But there's no command given to destroy their King.

Knox. If he be an Idolater, (or Papist) I find no Priviledg [or Ex­emption] given to him more than to the People, to offend Gods Majesty.

Secretary. I grant that; but Peo­ple may not be Judges to their King, to punish him, tho he be an Idolater.

Knox. God is the Ʋniversal Judg to him, as well as to the People; so that what his word commands to be punished in one, is not to be absolved in the other — and that the People; yea, or a part of the Peo­ple may not execute Gods Judgments against their King being an Offender, you have no other warrant for, than your own Imagination. Whereupon the Lord Secretary Lethington, cal­ling for his Papers, produced the Authority of Luthor, Melancthon, [Page 19] Musculus, and Bucer, for the Do­ctrine of Non-resistance in any case: And in another place,History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, p. 393. Mr. Knox saies, That God has armed Subjects against their natural King, and com­manded them to take Vengeance on him, according to Divine Law; and that accordingly Gods people have executed Gods Law against their King, having no further regard to him in that behalf, than if he had been the most simple Subject in the Realm. And in a Sermon before a great part of the Nobility. Ask of the Queen (saies he) that which by Gods word you may justly require; Page 358. and if she will not agree with you in God, you are not bound to agree with her in the Devil. And when the Queen asked him, Whether he allowed that her Subjects should take her Sword into their hand? His Answer was—They sin not that bridle Kings when they Trans­gress. For which he instances in Elias's not sparing Jezabel's false Prophets, and Baal's Priests, tho [Page 20] King Ahab stood by. And Samuel's not sparing to slay Agag King of Amalek, and Phineas's killing Zim­ri and Cosbi, tho no Magistrate; and in the People's conspiring against Amaziah King of Judah; their fol­lowing him to Lachish, and killing him. And so throughout all Ages, among Hereticks and Schismaticks, and none else, there have always been such rebellious Pseudo Zealots, acting quite contrary to the Gospel-Religion, and to the Precepts of Christ and his Apostles, and to the practice of all the Catholick Mar­tyrs, and Orthodox Christians of the Primitive time, and all in imi­tation of those Jewish Worthies, Samuel, Elias, Phineas, &c. who living under a perfect Theocrasie, had that real and miraculous im­pulse of Gods Spirit, and that im­mediate Guidance and Commission from Heaven, which the most fer­vent and daring Zealot in the Chri­stian World never could [without rank Phanaticism] so much as pretend to.

[Page 21]And as their Principle, so their Practice: At the first starting of Presbytery in Geneva, Anno 1535. When the Bishop of Geneva would not admit of the Presbyterian In­novations, Viret and Farellus with their Followers, presently turned Zealots, drove the Bishop out of Town, and set up Calvin in his stead, disclaiming all Allegiance to their Duke and Bishop. From Geneva the Presbyterian Discipline was sent into France, where the Abettors of them [called Albigenses] propaga­ted it at first, by their Arch-Zealot the Earl of Tholouse's mur­dering Trincannel the Viscount, and chief Governour of the City Bezi­ers, and dashing out the Bishops teeth. In the Low Countries, Pres­bytery was first set up at Embden in Friezeland, by renouncing all Alle­giance to their Prince, and taking up Arms against him, and setting themselves in form of a Common­wealth. In Scotland, the Earl of Bothwell and his Accomplices, rose [Page 22] Forces to Depose and Murder the King, under pretence of removing the Popish Lords, and promoting the Presbyterian Discipline. The Gowries Conspiracy to kill King James, was so approved of by the Presbyterian Ministers of Edenburgh, that they refused to give thanks for the Kings Deliverance, tho com­manded by the Kings Proclamation so to do. And as the Circumcillian-Zealots (of whom hereafter) were taught these practices by their Dona­tist Bishops and Ministers, so were these Presbyterian Zealots by their Ministers, as may be seen in the wri­tings of Knox, Buchanan, Willock, the Thes. 358, 368, 147, 136, 151, &c. Holy Commonwealth: Of all which the Murder of King Charles the first, the late Murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, and the late Con­spiracy of 83. against King Charles the second, are all most barbarous and bloody Comments. In short that the Presbyterian Sectaries, now called Dissenting Protestants, are perfect Zealots, Enthusiastick Zea­lots, [Page 23] is evident from hence, That ever since the Reformation from Popery, there has not been in any Protestant Countrey, any Rebelli­on, Massacre, Tumult, Treason, or Murders considerable, but what Papists or Phanatick, or both, had a hand in, as a means of Propaga­ting their Religion, on the same grounds and principles as all former Zealots did.

GNOSTICKS.

THese were the first and worse Schismaticks, first and worst Rebels in the Christian Church.Dr. Cave on the Life of St. Paul. The first Founder of them was Si­mon Magus, who not being able to attain his ends of the Apostles in getting power to confer miraculous gifts, resolved in discontent and re­venge, to make Schisms in the Chri­stian Church: So that as the first Schismatick in the World was a Devil, so the first Schismatick in [Page 24] the Christian World was a Witch. He began his Schismatizing first at Samaria, the first place that embra­ced the Christian Faith.Dr. Hammon. Annot. Acts 8.12, 14. Tho their Schisms and Errors were broached in the Apostles times, yet they had not the name of Gnosticks till after, when they assumed it to themselves on pretence of greatest Knowledg above other men, and particularly in mystical Interpretations. They pretended to be well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, to know all the Mysteries of the Old Testa­ment, which pretended knowledg is that (saies Dr. Hammond) which the Apostle charges Timothy to a­void,Annot. on 2 Pet. 1.5. 1 Tim. 6.20. calling it [...], i. e. knowledg falsly so called, from whence they called [...], Gnosticks, i. e. knowing Persons, or the knowing Party: And by a strange Liberty, which they took in Interpreting the Scrip­tures, brought in (as the Apostle calls them) damnable Doctrines, such as resisting Magistrates, Liberty [Page 25] in the exercise of Uncleanness; for which they were called Borboritae, whereby they greatly strengthened their Faction.

And as they pretended to greater Knowledg, so to greater Piety and Holiness than others, (as Dr. Ham. Annot. 1 Joh. 1.10. Let. H. Irenaeus saies) they called themselves the Spi­ritual; this is the Character of the Gnosticks (saies he) to live in all Carnality and Uncharitableness, and yet pretend themselves to be the most perfect men. But the greatest pretension was, that Chri­stian Liberty which the Gospel in­stated them in, and on these ac­counts they separated themselves, opposed the Apostles and Governors of the Church, deposed the Orthodox Christians, as Carnal, and not having the Spirit; and looking on all others (beside their own Party) as Ignorant, they pretended to know more than the Bishops (saith Dr. Ham. Annot. Pre­face to 2d Ep. of John. Ignatius.) Yea, than the Apostles themselves, saies Epiphanius. Against these Gnostick-Sectaries, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. James, [Page 26] and St. John, direct their Epistles chiefly; and St. Jude his Epistle whol­ly, where in less then six verses he gives more than sixteen distinctive marks whereby they may be known.

Mr. Jenkins on the place.1. The first is their insolence a­gainst Government, ver. 8. They despise Dominion, and speak evil of Dignities, i.e. were sawcy with the Government; of Antimagistratical and Tumultuous Carriage to'ards Governours; for which cause the Apostles press no one Doctrine in all their Epistles more than Loyalty and Obedience, not only to the good and gentle, but to the froward and wicked; not to good Governors as good, but to Governors as Gover­nors, and the Ordinance of God.

2. A second mark the Apostle gives of the Gnostick-Sectaries, is their discontent and murmuring a­gainst Governors,Mr. Jenkins on the place. ver. 16. They are Murmurers, Complainers, never content with any Government. The Greek word [...], imports a secret muttering and grumbling; [...] [Page 27] from [...] Grunnio, to grunt like a Swine, importing a speaking against another secretly with hatred and im­patience. Like some now-adays, who, if for committing a spoil in Gods Harvest, Justice takes them by the Ears, with hideous outcrys they call all the compassionate Herd to condole their suffering, and that they call Persecution, and the suf­fering days of the Saints. Are any of them cut off by the hand of Ju­stice for their Seditious Villanies; How doth their Party murmur a­gainst the Magistrate, that they suf­fer wrongfully? &c. As the Rebels Korah and his company did against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 16.41. Ye have killed the people of the Lord, the people of the Lord, when God had declared from Heaven most miracu­lously, that they were Rebels, and that his Wrath was kindled against them on the account of their being so.

3. A third mark is Erratick Zeal, verse 13. Wandering Stars, so called,Dr. Manton on the place. as for inconstancy and unsetledness, [Page 28] pretending to be Stars and great lights, that a reindeed but false lights, and wandering Stars that seduce and mislead into error; so wandering Stars for the irregularity of their motion; they separate themselves on the ac­count of greatest purity, yet allow themselves in greatest Impieties; like those who have a Conscience so tender, as to boggle at a Ceremony, and yet so tough as to bear a Schism, and make light of the great Do­ctrine of the Gospel, that great es­sential of true Religion, Subjection for Conscience sake.

Dr. Manton.4. Their tumultuous Turbulence, verse 13. raging waves of the Sea; so called for their boysterous Vio­lence (saies Dr. Manton) in en­raging mens minds against all Go­vernment and Rule in Church and State; putting all Places into Con­fusion and Combustion, by Schism and Sedition. Whenever the Winds of Power,Mr. Jenkins on the place. Ecclesiastical or Civil, Word or Sword, blow against the Tide of their Factious Errors, they [Page 29] presently grow boisterous, like raging Waves of the Sea.

5. A fifth mark the Apostle gives of the Gnostick Sectary, is their proud scorn and contempt of others, for which they are called mockers, verse 18. They having incircled their heads with their own Phan­tastick rays, and having swoln their imaginations into a self-conceit of their greater Spirituality, and more Knowledg than others, did hereup­on separate themselves, and despise the true Church, and all sober Members of it, as a People of low form, and unacquainted with the Heighths and Spiritualities of the Gospel.

6. A sixth Character St. Jude gives the Gnostick-Sectary, is their specious pretences, and shew of Pie­ty and Knowledg above others, not­withstand their emptiness of it: For which they are called Clouds with­out water, verse 12. with the specious Title of the spiritual and knowing People, the only true Church and [Page 30] People of God, they reconciled Re­bellion, and all Licentiousness; were Religious without Religion, Godly without Goodness, Christians without Christianity, Clouds with­out Water. Clouds which tho shi­ning with a counterfeit Light, which nothing exceeds but the Sun that lent it; yet when turned black, and grown numerous, discharge themselves of most dangerous and terrible Principles of Thunder and Lightning, Storms and Tempests on the places of Religion, the High-Towers of Government, and whatever is great and eminent.

7. Another Character St. Jude gives of these Separatists of his time, is their successesness in proje­cting against Governors and Go­vernment, v. 11. They perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

8. Their Ignorant malice, ver. 10. They speak evil of things they know not.

9. Obstinate in their perswasion, v. 16. Walking after their own lusts.

[Page 31]10. Canting and Mysteriousness of Phrases, ver. 16. Their mouth speaks great swelling words. With as many more distinctive Characters which the Apostle Jude gives in that one Chapter, whereby to know the Gnosticks, the Schismaticks of his time, who admired themselves, and withdrew from the Communian of the best Christians, under pretence of greater knowledg and holiness than others.

NOVATIANS.

THis Sect commenced when Decius was Emperor,Danaeus's com­ment on St. Aug. de Haeres. cap. 38. and Cornelius Bishop of Rome in the year of Christ 220, which was 78 years before that of the Donatists. They had the Denomination from Nova­tus the first Author of the Sect, who was a Presbyter of St. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage, and afterwards by [Page 32] Cornelius Bishop of Rome, was made a Presbyter of the Church. But (saies Danaeus on St. Augustine) Ad Episcopatum aspirans, dolore repulsae, &c. Aspiring at the Bishoprick of Rome, i. e. endeavouring to thrust Cornelius out (for holding Com­munion (as they falsly accused him) with Trophimus one of the Thuri­ficati) and to make himself Bishop in his stead, was sadly disappointed in the attempt; whereupon in grief and discontent at the disappoint­ment, he joyns himself with Nova­tianus, once his Scholar, and after­ward his Fellow Presbyter, who having drawn many after them, Secessionem ab Orthodoxis fecerant, & seorsim suas Ecclesias & Basilicas habebant: Refused Communion with the Orthodox, and met in their Ba­silicae, which St. Augustine frequent­ly calls Conventicles. They made the Separation on the occasion of the Orthodox Bishops receiving lapsed Penitents into Communion; in opposition to which Novatus and [Page 33] his Adherents taught, that the Church of God was to consist of none but Saints; and therefore, if through infirmity, or the rage of Per­secution, any lapsed into Idolatry, or the like gross Sin after Baptism, they would never receive them more into Communion with them, but gave them up as damned Persons, and such as were never capable of Repentance, notwithstanding the greatest and most infallible signs of true repentance that could be shewn. Upon this most strict and rigid, most censorious and uncharitable Opinion, they separated from the Orthodox Christians, because they received the Penitents into Com­munion, upon sufficient Evidence of their Repentance given. And this was soon improved into such a Schism, that lasted from the Reign of Decius, to the Reign of Archadius, which was a 148 years, and much longer. All that while disturbing the Peace of Church and State, to the great prejudice of Christianity, [Page 34] in most places of the World, espe­cially Italy. These Sectaries were also called Cathari, i. e. Puritans, a name not given them by others, but arrogated to themselves (saith St. Augustine) Se ipsos isto nomine quasi propter munditiem superbissime, Lib. de Haeres. & odiosissimè nominant. They were so called (says his Commentator) because they separated from the Or­thodox, as more Pure and Holy, as the only true Church and People of God; accounting all the Church-Assemblies of the Orthodox Chri­stians polluted with the Communi­on of the lapsed Penitents; on which very account Danaeus calls them Fanaticks. Comment on Aug. de Hae­res. c. 38. Haecuna ratio vel maxime Fanaticos istos impulit, ut se Catharos appellarent. And on which very account the Orthodox Christians were called Catholicks, in opposition to that uncharitable Opinion of the Novatians, Dona­tists, and other Sectaries of old (as the Papists do of late) in confining the only true Church and People of [Page 35] God to their own party. These Novatians or Kathari looked upon the poor Orthodox Penitents, as so many Reprobates, calling them in scorn Thurificati; but themselves and their party Purificati; and as Danaus, Ibid. Sub specioso illo Purificato­rum, & sanctorum nomine & fuco, turpissima tum in Doctrina, tum in vita scelera tegebant. That under the specious name and disguise of the Purificati, and the Saints, they did cloak the basest Villanies, both in Life and Doctrine. By Doctrine meaning chiefly that of their bar­barous rigor to'ards the lapsed Pe­nitents. For they were at first for the most part sound in the Faith. As St. Augustine said of the Dona­tists, De sola communione infaeliciter litigârunt. They separated on the account of not receiving lapsed Pe­nitents into Church-Communion, on the account of their conceited purity above all others; which is that Danaeus calls, Perniciosissimum illud dogma quod in ecclesiae exitium [Page 36] cudit Novatus.Ibid. A most pernicious Principle framed by Novatus, on purpose to destroy the Church; which Principle prevailed very much (floruit saies Danaeus) in Arcadius's Reign, which was 148 years after it's first broaching, and was at last exploded by the Preaching and Di­sputing of St. Chrysostom Bishop of Constantinople, Cyril Bishop of A­lexandria, and Innocent the first Bishop of Rome; but especially St. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage. As also by the severe Proceedings of the Or­thodox Bishops against them, parti­cularly in the Council held at Rome, in which were 60 Bishops besides Presbyters; where they were by the common Vote of the Church exclu­ded the Communion of the Church,Dr. Cave Life of St. Cyprian. not so much on the account of their different Sentiments about pardon of Sin, and Ecclesiastical Penance, as their insolent and domineering Temper, their proud and surly Carriage, their rigorous and impe­rious Imposing their way upon [Page 37] other Churches, their bold denying the Governors of the Church that great power lodged in them, and particularly in remitting Crimes up­on Repentance; which seems to have been the very Soul and Spirit of Novatianism. The Schism was also vehemently opposed by Dionysius Alexandrinus, of which there is par­ticular instance in his Pathetical Epistle to Novatus, which in regard of its brevity, it may not be grie­vous here to subjoin.

MELETIANS.

THE Meletian Schism began a­bout the year 286, when Constantine was Emperor, and Syl­vester Bishop of Rome: The Mele­tians were for the most part the same with the Novatians; the whole [Page 39] difference between them, lies in these three particulars.

1. The Novatians denied to the lapsed any possibility of Repentance;Danaeus on St. Aug. de Hae­res. cap. 48. these allowed them a possibility of Repentance, but agreed with the Novatians in denying them Church-Communion, notwithstanding the most infallible marks of true Repen­tance that could be given.

2. They differed in time, as Da­naeus, Hi plane similes sunt Novati­anis, a quibus sunt profecti, sed tem­pore posteriores: This Schism not commencing till 66 years after the Novatian.

3. They differ'd in their Foun­ders, or first Authors; their Origine, or first rise. As the Novatian Schism was first made, and promoted by Novatus, so was the Meletian Schism by Meletius Bishop of Lycus in Thebais in Aegypt, a Person of greatest Authority and Power. And next to Peter Bishop of Alexandria, was Director General of all the [Page 40] Affairs of the Church. The Schism arose in this manner: The severity of the Dioclesian Persecution tempt­ed many of all orders of men to re­nounce the Faith,Epiph. adv. Haeres. Melet. 68. p. 306. ap D. Cave Life of Athan. and comply with the Gentile rites; who afterwards repenting of what they had done, applied themselves to the Martyrs and Confessors in prison for Abso­lution, that they may be restored to peace and Communion with the Church. This Meletius and others would by no means yield to. Peter acted with the Resentments and Compassion of a common Fa­ther, was for the more mild opini­on, That a time of penance being assigned, they might be re-admitted into the Church. But not being able to prevail, he hung up his Mantle cross the prison, crying out, They that are on my side, let them come hither; they that are for Me­letius let them go to him; where­upon some Bishops came over to him, the rest remained with Mele­tius, which widened the difference [Page 41] into such a breach, that ever after they kept their separate Assemblies, refusing to communicate with the Orthodox Bishops. But it was not long before Meletus himself stood in need of that Mercy which he had so uncharitably denied to others, being through the infirmity of his Faith betrayed to sacrifice to Idols:Socr. l. 1. c. 6. For which, as also for his Schisma­tical proceedings, he was deprived of his Bishoprick by Peter, in a common meeting of Bishops. Me­letius having got out of Prison, still bore up himself with the Reputation of a Bishop, gathering Churches of his own Party, ordaining Presby­ters and Deacons to his Schismatical Assemblies, and refusing to commu­nicate with the Orthodox Churches, on pretence of greater Zeal for the Glory of God,Commen. c. 48. and stricter Disci­pline to'awds the [...], as Epi­phanius calls the lapsed: By which specious pretences, this Schism which Danaeus calls Poyson, had infected most parts of the Christian World, [Page 42] and was a lasting Plague,Latissimì sparsum èst, & a Monarchis pretextu severio­ris in [...] disciplinae, & Zeli in Deum majoris: Epba­tum, adeo ut omnes pene Chri­stiani nominis regiones labife­cerit; Diutissime etiam duravit venenum hoc in Aegypto, &c. Arianis Haereticis sese Meleti­ani adjunxerunt, &c. Dan. on St. Aug. de Haeres. c. 48. and of very long continuance in the Christian Church. They stiled themselves the Church of the Mar­tyrs: Tho Meletius himself died a Schis­matick and Apostate, when Peter the Or­thodox Bishop, that opposed him, received the Crown of Mar­tyrdom, Athan. Apol. 11. As Arrius himself was at first a Meletian, so the Meletians were at last Arrians. As, Schism generally useth to ter­minate in Heresie. They were at first sound in the Faith, Primum cum Orthodoxis in Doctrina fidei plane consentiebant, saith Danaeus; and when they differed from the Orthodox in nothing but Church-Communion; even then did they join with the Arrians against the Orthodox Bishops, Petitioning the Emperor against them, and slander­ing them in most Diabolical man­ner. [Page 43] Athanasius Bishop of Alexan­dria, whomOrat. 21. p. 378. Nazianzen after great commendation of his incomparable Learning, and strict Piety, in con­stant Watchings and Fastings, Pray­ers and Praises, calls A Comforter to the Miserable, a Staff to the Aged, a Tutor to the Youth, a Benefactor to the Poor, a Steward to the Rich, a Patron to the Widows, a Father to the Orphans, a Harbour to the Stranger, a Physician to the Sick, a man of such Apostolick sanctity, and Angelick Disposition, that his Doctrine was accounted the Rule of Orthodoxy, and his Life the very Standard of the Episcopal Function: He was (saies that Encomiast) the most holy Eye and Light of the World, a Pillar of the Faith, and a second John the Baptist; yet did these Meletian Schismaticks (when they were otherwise sound in the Faith) join with the Arrian Hereticks in loading this holy man with false ac­cusations, and hell-bred Slanders, calling him Sathanius; accusing him [Page 44] as Arsenius Euplus, Pachomius, and others of the Meletian Schism did, of Murder,Dan. on Aug. de Haeres. c. 48. and the like hellish Crimes, as in the Council of Tyre, and other places; till at last by that black art of Slandering, they prevailed with the Emperor to banish him. Of the notoriousness of their Slandering, there is among many others, which a late Writer gives from Sozomen, Dr. Cave the Life of Athan. Sect. 5. n. 3. Theodoret, and Ruffinus, this in­stance. The Meletian Bishops in the Synod of Tyre, accused Athanasius of ravishing a Woman, whom they had prevailed with to come into the Council, and to own and attest the Fact; who accordingly declared, that Athanasius in her own House, violently forced her into lewd Em­braces. Athanasius came into the Court, attended with Timotheus one of his Presbyters, who was by agreement with Athanasius, to take his part upon him. The Judg cal­ling upon Athanasius to Answer to the matter of Fact, he stood silent. But Timotheus turning to the Wo­man, [Page 45] Woman (saies he) was I ever in your house? did I ever, as you pre­tend, offer violence to you? Yes, yes, saies the Woman, you are the man that forcibly pressed upon me, and stained my Chastity and Ho­nour. The cheat thus plainly dis­covering it self, put the Contrivers of it to the blush; but no end to their false Accusations. They pro­ceed to accuse him of Oppression, Murder, and [like the modern cry of popishly affected] of compliance with the Thurificati, till at last he was deprived of his Bishoprick, and Ba­nished.Ibid. Sect. 4. n. 6. The like they did to Eu­stathius Bishop of Antioch, and o­thers of the Catholicks that oppo­sed them, and endeavoured the Unity of the Church. And tho the Arrian Hereticks joyned with the Meletian Schismaticks in these Diabolical practices against the Or­thodox Christians, yet were these principal in it. Ʋt Meletiani (saies Danaeus) pene Soli divinum illum, A­thanasium conarentur opprimere, &c.

[Page 46]In the first General Council of Nice, in which were 318 Bishops, besides innumerable Presbyters, Deacons, and Acoluthi; an Assembly of men so venerable for their Age, their confessions, and constancy in the Faith, for the Gravity of their Manners, the Wisdom, Learning, and Reason of their Arguments and Discourses, and meeting out of all parts of the Christian World; was certainly the most August and Vene­rable Assembly that ever the World saw, either before or since. In this Council the Arrian Heresie being condemned, they proceeded to take into consideration the Meletian Schism;Ep. Synod Nice ap Socr. l. 1. c. 9. ap Dr. Cave the Life of Athan. they deprived Meletius of all his Episcopal Jurisdiction and Power, lest he should excite the same Troubles and Factions which he had formerly raised in the Church of God. And tho the Meletians were at that time sound in the Faith, yet on no other ac­count then the Separation did this venerable Council declare in their [Page 47] Letter to the Church of Alexandria, That in strict Justice they deserved no Pity. The Council of Sardica did the like. Having deposed Gre­gory a Meletian Bishop, they de­creed in that Council, That all Or­dination made by him, should be null and void; which is in effect to de­cree, that a Schismatick is ipso facto divested of his Ministerial Function, and no true Minister on the account of his Schism.

DONATISTS.

THE light of the Gospel had scarce been well fix'd and diffused in the World, but the Devil stired up the Pagan Emperors of Rome to extinguish it, by perse­cuting the Professors of it, with the most grievous Torments and Tor­tures that the most twisted Malice and Subtilty of Earth and Hell [Page 48] could devise; and that in such mea­sure, that in the Dioclesian Perse­cution, which lasted for ten years, there were put to Death Seventeen thousand in a Month. And of the Decian Persecution, Nicephorus saies, It was as easie to number the Sands of the Sea, as to reckon up all that suffer'd Martyrdom in that one Perscution under Decius. This bloody work continued with its little Intermissions for about 250 years (viz.) from the Reign of Nero, Anno Dom. 54. to the Reign of Constantius Clorus, Anno Dom. 304. These Flames of Persecution were scarcely extinguished, and peace and quiet restored to the Church, but new Heats and Lights were raised by the pride and discontent of Schismaticks, which infested the Church of God, till Mahometanism and Popery divided the greatest part of the World, and were more per­nicious to Christiany, than all the ten Persecutions. Among these Schismaticks, the Donatists were [Page 49] chief; who were (as St. Augustine shews at large) sound in the Faith; but asEp. 50. let. O. P. he saies, De sola communio­nae infaeliciter litigarunt, & contra unitatem Christi rebelles inimicitias perversitate sui erroris exercuerunt. They quarrelled only about Church-Communion [as the Novatians and Meletians in another part of the World did] and through the Per­versness of their Error, exercised (saies he) Rebellious enmity against the Unity of the Church.

For the right understanding of the rise and progress of this Schism, we must note, that Dioclesian in the heat and heighth of his Persecu­tion, had put forth an Edict that Christians should deliver up their Bibles, and the Writings of the Church, to be burnt; which Edict was prosecuted with so much rage and vigor, that many Christians to avoid the Storm, deliver'd up their Bibles, to the great Scorn of their Enemies, for which they were called Traditores. The Persecution being [Page 50] over, some of the Orthodox refused to receive them into Communion, notwithstanding the greatest evi­dence that could be given of their true Repentance; the difference broke out into open Schism and Fa­ction, and gave Birth to that un­happy Sect of the Donatists in the year 298, which was about twelve years after the Meletian Schism was made, when Constantine the Great was Emperor, and Silvester Bishop of Rome, in this wise:

Botrus and Celesius, two Presby­ters, being in Competition with Ce­cilian, for the Bishoprick of Car­thage; Cecilian, a man of note for Learning and Integrity, was by the general Suffrage of that whole Church chosen Bishop. Botrus and Celesius discontented hereat,Opt. p. 14. Danae on Aug. de Haeres. c. 69. with some others that had been proceeded against by Cecilian, refused to hold Communion with him, and parti­cularly Lucilla a Spanish Lady, rich and factious, thinking her self af­fronted by Cecilian's sharp reproof [Page 51] of her Superstitious practice [in kissing the Reliques of some Martyr, before her receiving the Sacrament] in Discontent and Anger joyns her self to Botrus and Celecius, and by the help of her money, calls in Donatus à casa nigra, with some others to strengthen the Party: [much after the same manner as Vi­ret and Farellus did Calvin at Geneva.] This Donatus was pre­sently made the head of the Faction; who tho himself, and most of his Party had been Traditors [i.e. such as to evade the Dioclesian Per­secution, had delivered up their Bibles to be burnt] yet accuses Cecilian of being a Traditor, and on that ac­count not fit to be Bishop of Car­thage; whereupon they set up Ma­jorinus a Presbyter and Mock-bishop in the stead of [or rather against] the good Bishop Cecilian; and thus the Schism began by erecting Altar against Altar,Dan on Aug. de Haeres c. 69. in setting up Majo­rinus a Pseudo-Bishop against Ceci­lian, the lawful and good Bishop [Page 52] of Carthage: But this Majorinus died immediately upon the first broach of the Schism, and was suc­ceeded by Donatus à casis nigris, and he by Donatus Magnus, from whom they were called Donatists: priding themselves much in this De­nomination, è parte Donati: The Schism increased daily, and began by the Conduct of Donatus to set up private meetings,Ibid. which they called the only True and Holy Church of God, but which St. Au­gustine commonly calls Conventi­cles; and after a short time began to build for their Meetings, basilicas non necessarias, as Optatus calls them: And this pernicious Schism being thus founded in proud and ambitious Discontent, it was propagated much after the same manner, and by the same means as well as all other Schisms usually are, as

1. Pretensions to greater purity and stricter piety than others: Thus they taught, The Church is to consist of none but such as be holy, and [Page 53] that such were not to be found in the Church of Carthage, but in the Donatists separate Congregations only; for which St. Augustine frequently reproves them, and particularly in that oneEp. 48 lett. &c. lett. p. Epistle to Vincentius, of boasting of them­selves as the only Persons in whom the Son of Man should find Faith when he came; and in the same Epistle, compares them to the Pharisees on this very account, For justifying themselves, and despi­sing others, which he calls an esta­blishing of their own Righteous­ness, &c.

That which was at-first pretended by the Donatists as the ground of the Schism, was, that Cecilian the Orthodox Bishop of Carthage, was a Traditor; that he and the other Catholick Bishops had admitted lapsed Persons into their Church-Communion, whereby all their Churches were defiled, and ought not to be communicated with, and therefore separated from them, on [Page 54] the account of greater purity:Hist. of the Donat. In the Meeting which the Emperor Honorius appointed at the Gargilian Baths between the Catholicks and Donatists for the composing of mat­ters between them, the Donatists refused so much as to sit in their Company: Primilianus the Dona­tist Bishop of Carthage, his Words were, Indignum est ut filii Martyrum est progenies Traditorum in unum co­eant; i. e. It is not fit that the Sons of Martyrs [as they called them­selves] and the Sons of Traditors [as they called the Orthodox] should sit together; and another of them, Odi Ecclesiam malignantium & cum impiis non sedebo: I hate the Church of the Malignants [the very same Name that the Schismatick-Rebels of 43 called the Orthodox and Loyal English by]: Such were their great pretensions to strict Purity and holy Ordinances, that they washed the very Walls and Pavements of their Religious places where any of the Orthodox Christians had been.

[Page 55]2. A second Expedient that they used for the propagating of their Schism, was their proud and censo­rious slandering and traducing the Orthodox: This Donatist Schism was first of all founded in the dis­content that Donatus had took at his not being preferred to the Bishoprick of Carthage before Cecilian, where­upon he separated and propagated the Schism very much by this very means,Dan. on Aug. de Haeres. cap. 69. traducing Cecilian as a Tra­ditor, as no Minister of Christ, nor the people that adhered to him true members of the Christian Church; that they had no true Sacraments, nor saving Ordinances; that all were corrupted by Idolatry and Supersti­tion;Opt. p. 47. and thus they generally called the Catholicks, Pagans and Idolaters. But more particularly the venerable St. Augustine having in publick Meetings soundly baffled Petilian, Cresconius, and others of their Ring-leaders, and many ways mauled their Schismatick Cause [for which he has been always stiled [Page 56] Donatistarum mallaeus]; him they traduced as a contentions Disputer, a wrangling Sophister, and a Per­verter of Souls, rather to be avoided than disputed with, and to be dealt with as a Wolf, or any beast of Prey; and accordingly they employ­ed their Circumcellions to murder him, but that the Providence of God did so miraculously preserve him, once by misleading him out of his way, and at other times in miraculous manner; The Emperor they traduced as misled by Hosius the famous Bishop of Corduba, by Stilicho the great Staes-man, and others whom they stiled Evil Coun­sellors;Hist. of the Dona. 135. of Mensurius, Cecilians Pre­decessor, they said, he was Tyranno crudelior, & carnifice sevior; more raging than a Tyrant, and more cruel than a Hangman; against the Magistracy it self (says Danaeus) they did [multa emovere, & impie blatterare, C. 69. tanquam ecclesiae lupi & pestes magistratus essent] lye mutter­ing and vomiting out wickedly, ac­counting [Page 57] the Magistrates the very Wolfs and Plagues of the Church; and all this to promote the Schism, by keeping up prejudice in the minds of People, and to maintain in them an ill opinion of their law­ful Ministers and Magistrates, who otherwise might have reduced them to Unity and Communion with the Orthodox Christians.

3. Obstinacy in their Perswasion; they had been so oft condemned in full Councils, and yet persisted in their error,Ep. 167. let. O. that made St. Augustine in indignation say, Puto quod si ipse diabolus autoritate judicis quem ultro elegerat toties vinceretur, non esset tam impudens ut in eâ persisteret: I think that if the Devil himself had been so oft condemned [as these Dotists have been by Judges of their own chusing] he would not have been so impudent as to persist in such a Cause.

4. A fourth Expedient which they used in propagating the Schism, was Phanaticism, or Enthusiasm; [Page 58] When Donatus had a mind to engage the Circumcellians in any barbarous Enterprize, his Custom was, to pre­tend that an Angel had appear'd to him, and assured him of success in answer to his Prayers, Oravit Dona­tus & respondit ei Deus (says Opta­tus); and of all the Donatists, saith Danaeus, C. 69. Jactant Revelationes, & Entheusiasmos ut sua dogmata plausi­bilius confirment, & se sanctos per­fectosque sumosius glorientur; to the end, they may make their Opinons in Religion the more plausible, and may the more speciously boast of themselves as the Saints and perfect ones, they pretended Inspiration and Revelation from God; that their Cause was the Cause of God, and that whosoever died for it, received the Crown of Martyrdom; and by this very means did they encourage themselves and their Party in their contempt of Magistrates, and put the Circumcellions on Massacres and the like most barbarous Outrages.

[Page 59]5. Their Seditious possessing the people with Jealousies and Prejudi­ces against the good Emperor Con­stantine: For instance,Hist of Don. p. 67. when he sent Paulus and Macarius with his gifts and largesses about Africa, and with them his own Effigies, in­tending nothing hereby, but some Expression of his good Affection to the people, and his endeavour of promoting that Peace and Unity in the Church, which he so extream­ly desired: These Donatists here­upon, [as Schismaticks always use to put the worst construction on their Princes best Actions] brute it all over Africa, that the Emperor had sent Images to be set upon the Al­tars, and that he was setting up Idolatry and Superstition in the Churches.

6. That which conduced as much as any thing to the growth and con­tinuance of this Schism, was the great Toleration and Liberty that they enjoyed, and the want of Laws inflicted rigorously upon them: [Page 60] Thus Danaeus, Cap. 69. Gregory the great, complains (saies he) of the Bishops and Magistrates of his time, that this grievous and pestilent Error of the Donatists did so long prevail and infest the Church, through their fault and negligence; it being heavy Penalties laid upon them, that must reduce them; this (he saies) did effectually Suppress them formerly, when Arcadius and Theo­dosius were Emperors.

To all this may be added innu­merable instances of secret Fraud, and open Violence, as the ordina­ry means of promoting the Schism, such as that of Ingentius's forging Letters, containing the Testimony of Alfius Cecilianus, Hist. of Don. concerning Faelix Bishop of Aptung's being a Traditor, and other the like in­stances, which made the Emperor call this Sect, Officinam Diaboli, when they were convicted of Schism in the Council of Arles. So also their beating and kil­ling any that opposed them; yea, [Page 61] or that were not of their wicked Party and Perswasion, saies Danae­us, Obvius sibi quosque in plateis & agris homines à suis erroribus alienos caedunt & jugulant furiosè, Cap. 69. maximè ij qui inter eos Circumcelliones appel­lantur. In a word, notwithstand­ing their greatest Pretensions to Pu­rity and Holiness above all others, they stuck at nothing (tho ever so barbarous and flagitious) to strengthen their Party, and pro­mote their Schismatical interest; which they did succesfully, till the good Emperors Constantine, Theo­dosius, Arcadius, &c. put a stop to, and suppressed them by the same infallible means and method that Queen Elizabeth did the Schisma­ticks of her time, (viz.) by strict Laws made against them, and executed severely on them. So saith the Hi­storian,Sozom. Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 30. Hist. trip. l. 3. c. 11, Constantine the first Chri­strian Emperor, finding the Church disturbed by Schisms, made a Law against all Conventicles, by which Law the Memory of Schismaticks [Page 62] was destroyed (speaking of the Do­natists only:) And St. Augustine in his Epistle to Vincentius, Ep. 48. Let. U. Mine own City (saies he) which was wholly schismatical, of Donatus's party, is now converted to the Ʋnity of the Church, by the fear of the Imperial Laws, and do so perfectly detest their former stubborness, that you can scarce believe them ever to have been guilty. To some of these (Donatists) the terror of the Imperial Laws hath been so profitable, Let. X. that they have thanked God for it; saying, God be thanked that hath quickened us by the Terror of the Laws, to seek what formerly we did not care to find; others say, We were frighten'd by false Rumors from coming into the Church, which we should never have known to be false, if we had not come to Church; and we should never have come to Church, if we had not been compelled. Thus did the Execution of Penal Laws, [when all other means failed] effectually Suppress them.

[Page 63]But when Julian the Apostate,Aug. Ep. 166. Emperor, designing thereby [among other expedients] to root out Chri­stianity, gave them Toleration, the Schism revived, and the Schisma­ticks grew numerous. And as the English Schismaticks in 48, when they got Liberty and full Power in their hands, were presently di­vided into Independents, Anabap­tists, Quakers, Seekers, High-at­tainers, &c. So these Donatists had no sooner got Liberty by the Emperors Indulgence, but they were presently divided, and subdivided (as in St. Augustines Epistles passim) into,

1. Luciferians, so called from their Ringleader, Lucifer Calarita­nus, Bishop of Sardinia; these dif­fered from the rest of the Dona­tists, on the account of rebap­tizing;Dan. on Aug. de Haeres. c. 69, 81. the other Donatists opini­oning that in the Catholick Churches there were no true Mi­nistes, and consequently no true [Page 64] Sacraments, [The efficacy of the Sa­crament (say they) depending upon the dignity and sanctity of the Mi­nister] did rebaptize all that they received into Communion, and (which shews from whence the Ana­baptists did arise) refused to Baptize Children; Lucifer Calaritanus dif­fering from them in this, heads a party that separated from other Do­natists, called from their Ringleader Luciferians.

2. Another Sect or Faction among the Donatists, were the Maximia­nists, who separated from the o­ther Donatists, as well as from the Catholicks, on pretence of greater Purity; they were so called from Maximianus their Ringleader, who discontented at Primitianas's being preferred before him to the Pseudo-Bishoprick of Carthage, refused to hold Communion with his Fellow-Donatists, as well as Catholicks, and drew many after him.

3. From these sprang up soon after, the Rogatians and Claudia­nists, [Page 65] who were otherwise called Montenses Campitae and Rupitani, Dan. c. 69. from those Fields and Caves where they kept their Conventicles; they were much what the same with our English Quakers. Optatus speaks of them thus, Salutationis officium auferunt, &c. & ne ave dicunt cuique nostrum. They salute none of the Orthodox when they meet them, nor so much as bid them God speed. Thus did Toleration and Liberty, make them divide and subdivide; every Schismatick being ready to set up for himself, as soon as the Schism is made; Danaeus mentions two other Sects among the Donatists, the Permenianists and the Cirtenses, besides the Circumcel­lians; such a superfetation there is in Schism, wherever it is tolerated: And as all Schismaticks, when to­lerated and indulged, do usually commence Hereticks in the end; what St. Augustine said of Donatists himself,De Haeres. c. 69. his Commentator said of his Followers: Arianis consentiunt, [Page 66] as the Meletians did before them, they at last turned Arrians. Ano­ther effect of their Toleration or Liberty, was the many barbarous outrages that they committed upon the Orthodox, as oft as Toleration empowered them; for instance, Pre­textatus a Donatist Bishop, being dead, Rogatus a man of note for his great Learning and good Life, was chose in his stead; who, after the Election declared himself to be a Catholick, whereupon they per­secuted him grievously, causing the Circumcellians to pull out his Tongue, and to cut off his Hand: They dragged Restitutus a Presby­ter,Aug. de gestis cum. Emerit. through a Channel of Mud, and after twelve days cruel Tor­ment killed him: They murdered Maximianus Bishop of Vaga in like manner for nothing, but demand­ing of them the Possession of a Church, which they had took of him, and which he recovered of them at Law: They put out the Eyes of others, and poured Lime and [Page 67] Vinegar in the Holes:Aug. Concresc. Possid. in vit. Aug. in Hist. of the Don. They terri­fied with Fire and Sword all the Churches of Africa, insomuch that the Catholicks were afraid to Tra­vel for fear of their Circumcellians: They not only silenced the Catho­licks, but proclaimed it by the com­mon Cryer, that whoever did Communicate with Maximianus, Aug. Ep. 166. lett. E. should have his house burnt: They laid wait for Possidius Bishop of Calame, with a design to kill him; and because he escaped their Snares (as St. Augustines word is) they fired the house twice in which he took Sanctuary: The like outrages did these Pseudo-Zealots commit upon Marcus a Presbyter of Caspa­lia, on Marcianus Ʋrgensis, Ibid. and in­numerable others. In a word, so long as they had Power, no good Catholick that lived among them, could be secure of his Possessions or Life its self;C. 62. Obvios quosque errori­bus suis alienos (saies Danaeus:) all that were not of their Party and Opinion, they made no Conscience [Page 68] of Killing; and yet themselve would cry out of Persecution up­on the least touch of restraint. A further account of these Donatists may be seen in the 48, 50, 68, 166, 167, 168, 170, 171, 172. and others of St. Augustines Epistles, shewing the great agreement of the modern Schismaticks with those of St Augu­stines time.

AERIANS AND PRESBYTERIANS.

PRESBYTERIANS were so called at first, for the great share that they assigned to the Lay-Elders in the Government of the Church and State, as also for a Pa­rity that they would have among Ministers, or a Coaequality between [Page 69] Bishops and Presbyters: The Greek word [...] is best rendred an Order of Elders, an Ecclesiastical Senate or Clasis, and so the word Presbyterian signifies one that is for the Government of the Church by Lay-Elders: But custom (which commands the propriety of words) has made it appropriate to such Protestants as are for a Parity among Ministers, in opposition to Episcopal Government.

Some perhaps may frame the De­nomination from Aerius, the first of that Opinion; thus [...], old Aerius, or Presbyter Aerius, who was the first of any Sect that stood up for a Parity among Ministers in oppositi­on to Episcopacy, which was on this occasion.Dan. on Aug. de Haeres. c. 53. Aerius being or­dained Presbyter by Eustathius Bi­shop of Sebastia, was afterward by the Bishop made Master of an Hospi­tal, as I understand those words of Danaeus [Ptochodocheio preficitur.] The Bishop controuling him in the [Page 70] managery of the Hospital. He first quarrels the Bishop, and then sepa­rates from him, broaching this Error. Presbyterum ab Episcopo [...],Ibid. ordine & gradu non differre, sed qui Presbyter est, Epis­copum dici, &c. that a Bishop and a Presbyter differ not, either in Order or Degree, but that a Pres­byter is a Bishop, &c. On which very account Danaeus himself, tho a sworn Enemy to Episcopacy, con­fesses that Epiphanius, Augustine, and Isidore accounted him and his Fol­lowers, Hereticks, Aerianos Haere­ticorum albo ascripsere, Epiph. Aug. & Isid. in eo quod Presbyteri & Episcopi parem dignitatem constitue­runt; and Epiphanius [Adv. Aeri­um] calls the Aerians, the most brainsick Hereticks that ever were, for holding that Presbyters may ordain Presbyters, and that Bi­shops and Presbyters were all one.

About the Year 1561. the Pres­byterians [Page 71] began to be called Puri­tans, on this account; Queen Eliza­beth having published a Book of Orders, injoining strict Conformity to the Orders and Discipline of the Church, in Opposition to Po­pery and Presbytery both: Such as proceeded in Opposition to the Queens Injunctions relating to Presbytery, or Nonconformity, were called Puritans (as the No­vatians were Catheri) as men pro­fessing the greater purity in the Worship of God, which they placed chiefly in a shew of great Detestation of the Ceremonies and Corruptions of the Church of Rome, above other men. But taking the word (Presby­terian) in its first and most pro­per Acceptation, for all such Protestants as are for a Parity among Ministers in Opposition to Episcopacy, and to such Church-Ceremonies as the Episcopal Go­vernment requires, there is this following account given of them.

[Page 72]Their first rise was in Geneva, a City not above two miles compass, governed by a Duke,Heyl. Hist. of Presb. l. 1. n. 2. n. 4. and a Bishop, chiefly a Bishop; who as Mr. Cal­vin confesses, had not only the Ecclesiastical, but Civil Jurisdiction over it, till Viretus and Farellus, exceeding studious of a Reforma­tion in Religion, laboureth with the Bishop for such Alteration as had been made in the Church of Berne: But not able to pre­vail with the Bishop, they pra­cticed on the inferior sort of People, and that so effectually, that in a tumultuous manner they drove the Bishop and Clergy out of Town; and not only alter'd every thing that displeased them in the Church, but changed the Civil Government, disclaiming all Alle­giance to their Bishop or Duke ei­ther;Ibid. n. 4. for which rebellious At­chievement, Calvin calls Farellus, the Father of the publick Liber­ty.

[Page 73]The Government of the City being thus put into the hands of the Common People by the endea­vours of Farellus, N. 5: Mr. Calvin was chose one of the Preachers of Ge­neva, and soon after Divinity-Rea­der; which done, he presently ne­gotiates with them to abjure all O­bedience to their Bishop for the time to come,Beza on the Life of Calvin. and to admit of such a form of Discipline, as he and his Colleagues had devised for them; And having prevailed herein, the said Discipline (viz.) the Presby­terian Discipline, was generally sworn and subscribed to, on July 20. 1537, the very same Year (as I remember) that the Order of Jesuits was founded; and this was the first Extract of Presbytery, as my Author says, begot in Rebel­lion, born in Sedition, and nursed up in Faction: No sooner was it setled in Geneva, Hist. of Pres. lib. 1. n. 6. but Calvins next endeavours were to promote it in other places, which he did effectual­ly [notwithstanding the Jars and Dis­cords [Page 74] that it occasioned] by these and the like means.

N. 11.1. By the great Reputation that Calvin had attained to, for his dili­gence in Preaching and Writing, whereby he became the Oracle of the Times.

2. His imposing it on the People, on pain of Gods high displeasure; and Beza after him, making it as unlawful to recede from the Pres­byterian Discipline, as from the most Material Points in the Christian Faith.

3. The Self-ends and Ambition of some Ministers, affecting the Parochial Episcopacy, or Supreme Ministerial Power in their own Parishes.

4. The Covetousness of some Great Persons, who thought there­by to raise to themselves great for­tunes by the Spoils of the Bi­shopricks; and for the attainment of these Ends, they stuck at nothing, whether the deposing of Kings, or subverting the Fundamental Con­stitutions, [Page 75] of all Civil States where­ever they came; and it's observable, that that very thing which the English Dissenters at this day insist on, as the Articulus Stantis vel ca­dentis Presbyter, the very basis on which their Nonconformity doth stand, [as Popery doth on the infal­libility] was the main rule which Calvin went by in all his Reforma­tion work [viz.] That there ought to be nothing (and consequently no ceremony) in the Worship of God, Lib. 6. n. 3. which is not warranted and required in Gods Word, or which hath not par­ticular and express command in Scrip­ture for its use: An Error which Mr. Baxter himself hath soundly confuted by many substantial Argu­ments in his Defence of the Princi­ples of Love, Part 1. p. 97, 98, 99, 100, &c.

Calvin having compleated the settlement of his new Discipline in Geneva about the Year 1541. thought himself of such grand assu­rance, that no Church could be re­formed [Page 76] without his interposal; He offers his Assistance to Arch-Bishop Cranmer, as soon as he heard of the Reformation intended here in En­gland; but the Arch-Bishop know­ing the Man, refused the offer; where­upon he took Order with Martin Bu­cer at his first coming into England to give him some account of the English Liturgy; which was no sooner done, but he presently makes those Excep­tions, which afterward became the main ground of those many Trou­bles, those horrible Disorders and Confusions with which his Faction had involved the Church of En­gland from that Time to this.

Prevailing nothing with that Ho­ly Martyr, he tampers with the Lord Protector, with the King himself, and the Lords of his Coun­cil; had his Agents in the City and Country,N. 15, 16. the Universities and Convocations; all of them Practising in their Several Provinces to decry the use of Kneeling, the Cross at Baptism, &c. and to bring the [Page 77] People to a dislike of the Common-Prayer-Book; which at its first composure was looked on by the People generally as a Heavenly Treasure (says Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monum. Preface) sent down by God in great Mercy to the En­glish Nation; all moderate Men beyond Sea applauding the Happi­ness of the Englanders in having such an Excellent form of Gods Publick Worship:Lib. 6. n. 3. And an Act of Parliament declared it composed by the special Aid and Assistance of the Holy-Ghost: But all Mr. Calvin could do, would avail nothing, nor could his Presbyterian Discipline get any footing in England, till

1. Popery introduced it by Queen Mary's banishing most of the most Eminent of the English Prote­stant Divines into Embden, Basil, The first rise of Pres. out of Popery. Strasburgh, Geneva, Frankford, and where the Presbyterian Disci­pline and Government was; from whence they returned into England [Page 78] tainted when the Persecution was over,Lib. 6. n. 14. and had preferment gi­ven them in the Churches, whereby they got opportunity of preparing the minds of People for such inno­vations, as they hoped (when Time served) to bring into the Church; But the Fabrick of the State was joined together with such ligaments of Power and Wisdom, that they were able to act but little, and to effect less.

About this Time died Calvin, having sat 28 Years in the Modera­tors Chair at Geneva, and was suc­ceeded in the same Year, 1564. by Beza, who [tho at last he recanted very far] at first endeavoured the settlement of the Presbytery in England with more Zeal and for­wardness than Calvin had done. He presently brought it to an open Schism, and a resort to Conventicles, which himself takes notice of in a Letter to Bishop Grindal, Rem tan­dem in pertinax schisma evasisse — Nonnulli tam seorsim suos caetus ha­bent, [Page 79] &c. Bez. Ep. 23.

Having by this means got some footing in England, [as also by the connivence of some Bishops, and by the Queens indulgence to'ards them, particularly in tolerating the French church in London, where the Geneva discipline was exercised] they be­came so insolent, as to publish those pestilent Pamphlets called the Admo­nitions, wherein they proceeded so far, as to tell the Parliament, that it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, than for them; and that if they would not coun­tenance the Geneva Discipline, themselves would be their own car­vers.Lib. 7. n. 23. 24. Whereupon the Queen issued forth her Proclamation for the fur­ther suppressing of them; so that by means of the Rigor of the Laws, the Government being too strong for them, their next Expedient was,

2. To dissemble Conformity,Lib. 7. n. 33, 34, 35. thinking thereby to breed up their Presbytery under the Wing of Epis­copacy, [Page 80] till it should be strong e­nough to subsist of it self.

Lib. 8. n. 24, 26Next they proceed to libel the Government with such ridiculing Pamphlets, as Mar-prelate, Ha' y' any work for the cooper; the Epistle to the Confocation house, &c. in which they far exceeded the railings of the Donatists against the Catholicks; calling the Arch-Bishop, Pope of Lambeth, and Belzeebub of Canter­bury; the rest of the Bishops, petty Popes, and cogging Knaves, &c. and the rest of the Clergy, worse.

To stop the Mouths of these Rabshakehs, there were several grave Refutals given, but all in vain, till Tom. Nash the Observator of those Times, a man of Sarcastick Wit, by some Pamphlets written in the same loose way [such as the Pasquil, the Counterscuffle, Pap with the Hatchet, &c. stopped their Mouths for ever medling more in that way.

About the Year 1592. they were busie in petitioning the Queen. [Page 81] Their Petitions were such as gave the Queen a full assurance of what restless Spirits they were,Lib. 9. N. 22. and that no quiet was to be expected, till they were utterly suppressed: In order thereto a Parliament was cal­led; at their first Sitting, the Queen signified it to both Houses, that they should keep themselves to the redress of popular Grievances, but that they should leave all matters of State to Her and Her Council, and all Ecclesiastcal matters to Her and Her Bishops: But contrary to her Command, Mr. Peter Wentworth, a Member of the House of Com­mons, and a great Zealot for the Presbyterian Discipline, with Mr. Bromley, and others of the House of Commons, deliver'd a Petition to the Lord Keeper Puckering, de­siring that the Lords would joyn with them of the lower House, in becoming Suppliants to the Queen, for entailing the Succession of the Crown, according to a Bill which they had prepared: At this the [Page 82] Queen was so displeased, that Mr. Wentworth was sent to the Tower; Mr. Bromley and some others of the Commons, committed to the Fleet.

N. 25.In this Parliament it was enacted, that, If any Person should come to, or be at any unlawful Assemblies, Conventicles, or Meetings, under pretence of Religious exercise, contra­ry to the Laws and Statutes made in that behalf, &c. that every Person so offending should be committed to Pri­son, without Bail or Mainprise, or depart the Realm at such time and place as was assigned, with this Pro­viso,N. 27. that if he departed not at the time appointed, or come back without leave first granted, he should suffer Death, as in the case of Felony. And when all other means failed, these sharp Laws made against them, and some severe Executions done upon them, humbled the Ringlea­ders of them, ruined the whole Machina of their devices, and effe­ctually [Page 83] promoted the Peace and Tranquillity of Church and State, and the happy Preservation of Her Majesties Person, to a prosperous and peaceable Reign.

And 'tis believed, that at King James's first coming to the Crown of England, about the year 1603, the Presbyterians in both Kingdoms, England and Scotland, were brought so low,Lib. 11. N. 1. that they might have been suppressed for ever without any great danger, had that King held the Reins with a steady hand, and not remitted so much [as he did] in the cares and severities of Go­vernment; particularly, in admit­ting the Presbyterian-petitioning, and especially, in that called the Millenary-petition, because said to be Subscribed by a thousand hands, when indeed it wanted some hundreds of it: This Peti­tion was for Reformation of sun­dry Ceremonies and Abuses, (viz.) Cross in Baptism, Church-Musick, [Page 84] &c. which occasioned the confe­rence at Hampton Court, where the King himself was present as Mode­rator,N. 6. between the Episcopal and Presbyterian Divines; the result of the conference was this sharp re­primand▪ If this be all they have to say (saies the King) I'le make them conform, Conf. at Hamp. Court, p. 85. or I'le hurry them out of the Kingdom; or somewhat worse, at the conclusion of the conference. The Presbyterian Di­vines, when they saw that they could not obtain their desires in such Concessions and Alterations, as they disputed for; they were (notwithstanding) not transported with heat and passion, or any such bigottery, as the modern Dissenters are, on such occasion; but ingenu­ously promised the Bishops, their Antagonists, That they would never­theless reverence them as spiritual Fa­thers, and joyn with them against the common Enemy.

[Page 85]Upon this Conference,N. 8. the Kings Proclamation was issued forth, commanding strict Conformity, and admonishing all his Subjects of what sort soever, Never after to expect any Alteration in the pub­lick form of Gods Worship; and things being accordingly put in Ex­ecution, and the Government hold­ing a hard hand upon them, incon­formity soon grew out of fashion again,N. 10.

Till the Gunpowder-Treason, N 12. Presbytery out of Popery, the second time. from whence they took occasion to possess the People with fears and jealousies of new dangers from the Papists; and by a shew of greatest Zeal for the Protestant Religion, they got a Party in the House of Commons, who by the specious pretences of standing for the Sub­jects Property, and the Preservati­on of the Protestant Religion, weakened the Prerogative Royal, and advanced their own; and by degrees, got so strong in Parlia­ment, [Page 86] that at the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the first, they were able to proceed from Coun­cil to Execution; beginning their Embroilments first in Scotland, by sending thither the English Liturgy, and Book of Canons;Sir R. Bak. Anno 1638. whereupon the Scots took up Arms, declaring not to lay them down, till the Presbyterian Religion was setled in both Nations; they being incou­raged so to do, by some of the English Parliament;Ibid. 1640. which the King understanding, went to the House of Commons, to demand five of their Members, whom he accused of se­ditious Intercourse had with the Scots in that Insurrection. And here began the first Eruption.

The King wanting Money to ma­nage the War with Spain, was for­ced to have almost continual Parlia­ments, of which many Members be­ing Scotized, fell presently on Vo­ting the Ship money unlawful, the Convocation of the Clergy Illegal, [Page 87] and their Canons void;Bak. Chron. 1641. [...]. passed a Bill for taking away the Bishops Votes in Parliament; [Which when the King consented to, he saies, he never enjoyed comfortable day after] they passed a Bill for a Triennial Parliament, &c. All which they forced from the King, by terror of the Scottish Army, which they kept in pay nine Months on pur­pose: And tho the Lords and o­thers at York, in their Declaration,Bak. Chron. 1642. protested before God, and testified to all the World (as they had often done before) that they were fully perswaded that the King had no in­tention to make War upon the Par­liament, but that all his endeavours tended to a firm Settlement of the Protestant Religion, the just Pri­viledges of Parliament, the Liber­ty of the Subject, &c. yet they proceeded [chiefly on pretence of the fear of Popery] to wrest the Mili­tia out of his hand, as also the Tower of London, the Navy Royal, and all his Revenues; using all [Page 88] Terror imaginable, to affright his Subjects from Supplying or Assisting him: In short, a rebellious and most unnatural War being com­menced, which shed the Blood of so many thousands, they reduced the King to consent to these, and the like Proposals;Baker Chron. Anno 1648. That the Pres­byterian Discipline should be set up for three years [in the interim of which they would endeavour the Settlement of Peace in Church and State:] That the Militia should be lodged into their hands for twenty years: That the whole Government of Ireland, both Military and Civil, should be put into their hands: That they should confer all Officers, and all chief Magistrates of the Kingdom of England for twenty years.

And having thus got the whole Soveraignty to themselves, they were willing on these most unna­tural Concessions, to comply with the King, and voted a full agree­ment [Page 89] with him: But alas, too late; they having by this time cut off his hands and feet, empowered the Inde­pendent Army to cut off his Head: And now when the Presbyterian Discipline was to be compleatly setled, the Army [which themselves had raised] declare for the Inde­pendent Way, and serve them, as they had served the King, turn them out of Doors, and resolve upon nothing less then the Death of the King; which was at first attempted by private Conspiracy, with Poyson and Pistol, by Captain Rolph, Baker's Chron. Anno 1648. with the privity of Collo­nel Hammond, and some other chief Officers of the Army: But afterwards effected with such Hell­bred Solemnity, and in such barba­rous manner, as [to the everlasting reproach of the Protestant Religion] Turks and Tartars have startled at: Thus did they wade through the Blood of men, the best of men, to destroy the Peace of the Church, and to set up that Presbyterian Dis­cipline, [Page 90] which was no sooner up but down, as that which will no more comport with the Constitu­tion of the English Government, than Popery or the Mussleman Faith. And as this barbarous Regicidy, so that which introduced it with so much Murder, Perjury and Rapine, I mean the Civil War, which cost so many millions of Treasury, and so many thousands of Mens lives, was undeniably the effect of the Presbyterian Schism; as is sufficient­ly acknowledged by the mouth of a modern Dissenter, which is Mr. Baxter, a dying man, and there­fore to be believed; speaking to a Nonconformist (whom he doth so orthodoxly and honestly write against.] Cathol. Com­munion doubly Defended, p. 31.] If you know not (saies he) I do, that the principles of Separation were the great cause of the Subversions and Confusions which brought us to what we have felt — in England, Scot­land, and Ireland, for these forty years; and if I may not have leave to say with Bradford, Repent O Eng­land; [Page 91] you should give me leave to repent my self, that ever I preach­ed one Sermon with any Biass of overmuch desire to please Persons of the accusing separating humour. Thus Mr. Baxter in that late, and last of all his Books. But to pro­ceed.

In conclusion of this War and Regicidy, the men in Buff fell to Reformation-work in Churches, which I cannot but take notice of in this place, it being so exactly agreeable to the pattern of Julian the Apostate's reforming Christiani­ty: In Winchester Church, Col­lonel Waller with some of his Re­giment,Hist. of Presb. lib. 13. n. 23. threw down the Commu­nion Table, broke down the Rails, and burnt them in an Ale-house, strewed the pavement of the Quire, with the Leaves which they tore out of the Common-prayer Book; and whereas the remains of several Sax­on Kings and Bishops, had been [by the care of Bishop Fox] gathered [Page 92] into leaden Chests, they scattered the Dust of their Bodies before the Wind, and threw their Bones about the Church; The very same that Julian the Apostate did to the remains of John the Baptist [buried at Samaria] He caused his Bones to be digged up, and being mixed with the Bones of Beasts, he burnt them to Ashes, and scattered the Ashes before the Wind.

N. 24, 25.In the Cathedral Church of Chi­chester, after they had picked out the Eyes of the portraitur'd King Edward the sixth, saying in scorn, That all the mischief came from him, in establishing the Common-Prayer at first; they fell to pillaging and plundering, like the Goths at the Sack of Rome; and when it was beg'd that they would leave but one Chalice for the use of the Sacrament, it was answered, A wooden Dish may serve turn: The same words almost, as of Faelix [Colleague to Julian, that renounced Christianity in [Page 93] complement to Julian] who taking up the Communion-plate, which the Religious Constantine had in piety bestowed upon the Church, See here (saies he in scorn) what brave Cups and Vessels the Son of Mary is served in.

The Church of Exeter they turn­ed into a Jakes, leaving their filth on and about the Communion Table; whereas the Apostate Julian did but piss against the Com­munion Table, in a Church at Antioch, and the Presbyter Euzoius reproved him (tho an Emperor) sharply to his face. And in all this they wrote, as after the Copy of the Apostate Julian, so with the practice of the Donatist-Dissenters. As Optatus relates, that in Thipasa, Opt. 55. ap. Hist. of Don. a City of Mauritania, the barba­rous Donatists assaulted an Assem­bly of the Orthodox Christians, while they were at their Devotions, and driving them out of the Church, slew a great many of [Page 94] them; the Bread of the consecra­ted Eucharist, they threw to the Dogs, who having eaten it, by the just Judgment of God, presently grew mad, fell upon their Masters that gave it them, and tore them to pieces.

But in the reforming the Church of Canterbury, they exceeded Ju­lian or the Donatists either;N. 25. for finding there some Figures of Christ in the Arras-hangings in the Quire, they did in the most literal Sence, crucifie Christ in Effigie; some swearing that they would stab him, others that they would rip up his Bowels, which accordingly they did, so far as the Figures of Christ in the Hangings were capable of it.

The principal Instrument in framing this Reformation, and Hammering out all that mischief of the War and Regicidy, was a Tool called the Solemn League [Page 95] and Covenant; as appears by the dying words of one of the chief contrivers of it, Sir Henry Vane, Speech p. 3. at his Execution on Tower-Hill: That what the House of Commons did singly by themselves (which was their Levying of War, Murdering the King, proscribing his Son, Voting down Monarchy) with much more which, he saies, lay yet in the breast of the House, was but a more refined pursuit of the Covenant: Thus Sir Henry Vane, who being sent hence Commissioner into Scot­land, was one of the first Contrivers of it; and therefore most likely to know the use and design of it; and being then ready to die, was most likely to speak truth.

But thus much is demonstrably true, that the Covenant put them on altering the Government, and that Alteration on the aforesaid Reformation; as also upon War­ring against the King, and that [Page 96] War upon conquering, and that Conquest upon Imprisoning, and that Imprisoning upon Impowering a rude Conquering Army to Mur­der him: So that their laying all on a rude conquering Army (as Mr. Baxter doth) is no other Plea for the Presbyterians not kil­ling the King,Plea for Peace. &c. than Pilates was, for his Innocency in putting Christ to Death, because he left the Execution of it to the Soldi­ers: But to shew what an Engine this Covenant was against the Church; what a Solemn piece of Perjury, and what a snare of Souls, what a mystery of Iniquity, and what a bane of Monarchy, 'tis fit all Posterity should be instru­cted in these three Articles of it:

1. That without respect of Per­sons, they would endeavour to extir­pate Popery and Prelacy, i. e. Church-Government by Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Deans, &c. and all this not only [Page 97] contrary to the Kings Proclama­tion, strictly forbidding it; but contrary to an Oath previously ta­ken by a great part of the Covenan­ters.

2. That they would endeavour the discovery of all such as had been, or should be Incendiaries, Malignants, evil Instruments, &c. whereby they bound themselves and others (as the event shew'd) to bear false against, to Condemn and Murder the Kings best Friends, as those that stood most in their way, as the Earl of Strafford, Arch-Bishop Laud, &c.

3. That they would preserve the Kings Person in the preservation of the true [i. e. Presbyterian Religion] and the Liberties of this Kingdom: Which was in effect a covenanting to Rebel against the King, if not to Murder him, in regard that the Covenanters had already declared from Pulpit and Press, that the [Page 98] Religion and Worship established in the Church of England, and main­tained by the King, was Popish and Idolatrous; and that the Presbyte­rian was the only true Religion; and that the King had actually in­vaded the Liberties of the Subjects, &c. and on this account, this Ar­ticle took in its limitations, did in effect empower them to absolve themselves from their Allegiance, and to take up Arms against the King: So that if we consider this Covenant in these four circumstan­ces, the Subject-matter of it, the Design and Occasion of it, the Per­sons engaged in it, and the manner of Imploying it; it will appear to be,Farewel Serm. p. 37. not only as Mr. Baxter calls it, A dividing Engine, an imposing on the Providence of God, &c. but as another Nonconformist called it, A very nest of Villany; and as ano­ther of them,Nar. of the Covenant. Mr. Phil. Nye, Such a Covenant as was never heard, nor read of, nor ever the World saw; and as yet this was made the Test of all [Page 99] such as were to be trusted or accept­ed: And of the same stamp with these old Covenantiers are there great numbers at this day, The cer­tain men among us crept in unawares, of whom Dr. Hickes gives this em­phatical Mark,Serm. at Wor­cest May 29. Preface. That are for the King against his evil Councellors, and for the Protestant Religion against the Church: Of their barbarous Cru­elties to'ards the Orthodox Clergy, and others (wherein they exceeded the Cruelties of the Donatists to'ards the Orthodox Clergy of those times) see Aerius Rediv. lib. 13. Mercurius Rusticus, &c.

No sooner had they battered down Episcopacy by their Westmin­ster Ordinances, and set up Presby­tery in its stead; but that beloved Discipline and Government [whose settlement in England cost so many millions of Treasure, and so many thousands of Lives] in the turn of a hand was made sub to Independency, and that soon dwindled into more Sects, than ever old Donatism was; [Page 100] such as Anabaptists, Quakers, Seek­ers, High-Attainers, &c. Some of which would in all probability have become the prevailing Religion of the Nation, had not the seasonable Restoration of King Charles the 2d prevented it: By all which we are taught to look on it, as what God hath written to us in Characters of Blood, That no other than the Epis­copal Government will comport with the Constitution of the English Nati­on.

And to shew yet further, the a­greement of these men with the Donatists, and other Sectaries of old; I shall conclude this Head with that Character which King James gave of them, That tho they refused to be called Anabaptists; [...]. yet they partook too much of their humour; not only agreeing with them in that general Rule, the contempt of the Civil Magistrate, and in leaning to their Dreams, Imaginations, and (pretended) Revelations; but par­ticularly [Page 101] in accounting all men pro­phane, that agree not to their Fancies, in making as much commotion for every particular question of Church-polity, as if an Article of the Trinity were called in question; in making the Scripture to be ruled by their Con­science, and not their Conscience by the Scripture; in accounting every one as a Heathen and Publican, and not worthy to enjoy the benefit of breathing, much less to partake with them in the Sacraments, that denies the least jot of their ground: And in suffering the King, People, Law, and all to be trodden under foot, ra­ther than the least of their Grounds be impugned: He stiles them the very Pests of the Commonwealth, whom no deserts can oblige, breathing out nothing but Calumnies and Sedition; Aspiring without Measure, Railing without Reason, and making their own Imaginations the square of their Consciences. Thus doth King James Characterize the Presbyterians of his time, exactly agreeing in every [Page 102] clause of the Character, with the Donatists, and the rest of the An­cient Schismaticks. To all which he subjoins in the form of a Prote­station, That one shall never find in any High-landers, or bordering Thieves, greater Ingratitude, more Lies and Perjuries, than among these Phanatick Spirits, (as he calls them:) And because the Novatians, the Donatists, and other Schismaticks of old, as well as of late, have had the Denomination (of Phanaticks) given them; and because 'tis a no­tion, that I have observed to be grosly misunderstood, even by ma­ny great pretenders to knowledg, especially of the Dissenters, I shall subjoin this brief account of it.

PHANATICISM.

THE word is used to signifie (false) pretensions to Divine motion, [...]. or Inspiration from God; and is appropriate to those, who in matters of Religion, inti­tle God to Enthusiastick Fancies, ascribe their whimsical perswasions, unaccountable Humours, and Phan­tastick Motions, to the Suggestion and Impulse of the blessed Spirit of God; that to defend an (other­wise indefensensible Cause, pretend to the aliquid [...], some impulse or motion from God: Thus Do­natus, when he had a mind to en­gage the Circumcellians in any barbarous design, his custom was to pretend that an Angel had ap­peared to him, and assured him [Page 104] of immediate Answer to his Prayers, for the Confirmation of his Party, Oravit Donatus, & respondit ei deus (saies Optatus.)

1. The grossest sort of Phana­ticism is of those, who pretend to the aliquid [...] the impulse of Gods Spirit, for things in them­selves sinful; when men do inti­tle God to such Villanies, as Fraud, Treason, Sedition, &c. As that of Donatus, Aug. Ep. 165. & passim. who would pretend to conference with an An­gel, and Revelation from God, telling the Circumcellions, that he would seek God, and give them Directions, when he had a mind to put them on any Massacre, Rapine, or the like. Of this sort was the Scotch Mrs. Mitchelson, Spirit of Po­pery out of the mouth of Phanat. whom the Presbyterians of Scotland set up for a Prophetess; She pretended to be inspired, and that it was re­vealed to her by God, that the Solemn League and Covenant was [Page 105] approved of by him, and ratified in Heaven:Speech at his Execution. So Kid [a Conventicle Preacher of Scotland, hanged for Sedition in the year 1680] his cal­ling the conceited strength and number of the Rebels, the Lords power and presence, and the strong hand of the Lord, &c. which is so far forth Phanaticism, as it is an intituling the Power and Provi­dence of God to Rebellion: So al­so Coppinger in Queen Elizabeth's time, after a strict Fast [held for freeing of Cartwright, Snape, &c. out of Prison, and for success in promoting the Presbyterian Dis­cipline] in his Journey to'ards Kent, he fancied,Aeri. Red. That he was admitted to a familiar conference with God, that he received many Directions from him, and parti­cularly that God had shewed him a way to bring the Queen and all her Nobles to Repentance, or to prove them Traytors to God, &c.

[Page 106] Baker Chron. An. 1591.Of this Coppingers School of Hypocrisie, was Hacket, a man of such desperate Malice, that bear­ing an old Grudge to one that had been his Schoolmaster, bit of his Nose; when the School­master begged that he may have it to sow on again before it was cold,Hist. of Pres­byt. lib. 9. n. 6. he chewed it with his Teeth, and swallowed it down: yet did this man attain to that esteem among the People, and conceit of himself [by his counterfeit ho­liness, and extemporate Prayers] that at last, his pride improved into such Phanaticism, as has scarce been heard of; pretend­ing to extraordinary Zeal for the Reformation; he pretended also to extraordinary Revelations from God, for the accomplish­ing of it: He pretended that God had revealed to him, that there should be no more Popes; that England would be that year, grie­vously afflicted with Plague and [Page 107] Famine, unless the Reformation, and the Lords Discipline (mean­ing the Presbyterian Discipline) were admitted; he bruted abroad, that the Queen was an Usurper, and the like Seditious Speeches; for which he was Hang'd and Quartered; about the same time, 1593. Penry was Hanged for the like seditious Practices, for which [in a The Hist. of Korah, Dath. and Abiram, Preface. Post­script. Book published soon after his Execution] he was stiled by the Dissenters, A Martyr of Je­sus Christ, a godly Man, Religi­ous and Learned, Zealous, and of most Christian Carriage and Cou­rage, who suffer'd for writing for the Truth of Jesus Christ. In the same year Barrow, who was Hang­ed for condemning the Church of England, as no true Church,Hist. of the Presbyt. l. 9. and Derogating from the Queens Au­thority in matters Ecclesiastical, and the like seditious Practises; speaking to Dr. Andrews, and Dr. Parry, after his Condemna­tion, [Page 108] 'Tis true (said he) Arch-Bi­shop Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, and others, were Martyrs in Queen Mary's days; but these bonds of mine [shaking his Fetters] are much more glorious then any of theirs, because they had the mark of An­tichrist in their hands. And of the same sort, are all who suffer on the account of Sedition, Rebel­lion, and the like; and yet intitle God to those Villanies, in calling their just Punishment, Persecution, suffering for Righteousness-sake, &c.

2. There is a rank smatch of Phanaticism in that fundamental Article of the Presbyterian Faith, That it is unlawful to use any thing in the Worship of God, which is not expresly commanded by some Divine Law. If the belief of this be a fathering of our Sins upon God, then is it rank Phanaticism; but that the belief of this is a fa­thering [Page 109] of our Sins upon God, is sufficiently proved by Mr. Bax­ter himself, in his Defence of the Principle of Love, Part 1. page 100.

3. A third Instance of Phana­ticism, is false pretension to the Spirit of God in Preaching, as among the Quakers, a Spawn of the Popish Franciscans, who made unlearnedness a Profession, pri­ding themselves in the Title of Fratres Ignorantiae; and among the Presbyterians,Erasm. Ep. 59. ad frat. Ger­man. there is Pha­rellus of Geneva, the first lay-Pa­tron of Presbytery, who in pre­tension to the Spirit, called all humane learning, The invention of the Devil. Somewhat like Qua­kers in Preaching, are some others, who in Preaching, take boiling Passion for holy Zeal; and wild Imagination for Divine Motion; when a fiery Fancy mounting a­loft, flutters in mystical Nonsence, [Page 110] and flows into the Tongue in extravagant Ramble, abusing the Name and Word of God, with sensless Notions, phantastick Phrases, and unintelligible Cant, and all this ascribed to the blessed Spirit of God, as the extraordi­nary Work of that adorable Spi­rit; and as Preaching by the Spi­rit, so of writing by the Spirit, Mr. Baxter in his Treatise of Episcopacy, P. 1. ch. 14. p. 169. gives this remarkable Instance, That there are many poor men a­mong us, divers Weavers and Ploughmen of his own Church at Kid­derminster,To disabuse the Weavers of Kidderminster in this matter, I must Insert in their behalf, that I know them to be for the most part men of such Moderation and Sobriety in Judgment, as to disdain such Flattery, and resent such a­buse as Mr. Baxter here offers them. who are able, not only to Pray and Teach, as well as most of those (Bishops and Fathers of the Church) who are by Eu­sebius extolled, as the famous Bishops of the se­cond [Page 111] and third Age; but to write as methodical, weighty, pious Tractates, as any that were writ­ten by men, that neither con­versed with the Apostles, nor had been bred up in Phlosophy; no, not excepting Clemens Romanus himself, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Cy­prian, Macarius, Ephrem Sy­rus, Isidor, &c. And as of Preach­ing and Writing by the Spirit, so

4. Praying by the Spirit, I mean the extemporate faculty of pray­ing, to make this (as some do) the infallible Mark or Sign, Work or Effect, of Gods Spi­rit, is that many call Phanati­cism: God doth undoubtedly vouchsafe to devout and pious minds, the special Assistance of his Spirit, which perhaps may be properly enough called pray­ing by the Spirit: But then this must be placed not in the ex­temporate [Page 110] [...] [Page 111] [...] [Page 112] Faculty, not in vo­lubility of Tongue, or quick­ness of Fancy, variety of Inven­tion, or readiness of Expression; but in such devout affections, and such reverent Apprehensions of Gods Majesty, as do best be­come the most solemn acknow­ledgment of him, and as are aptest to incite Faith, Re­pentance, and a Holy Fear and Love of God; this, if any thing, is Praying by the Spirit; and not the extem­porate Faculty, that is so far from being the distinguishing Work of Gods Spirit, that the vilest Profligates may have it; and therefore to ascribe it to the Spirit of God, as such a Work, is properly called Phanaticism: And of this there is this remark­able Instance to be gi­ven.

[Page 113]At St. Ives, Counterm. ch. 7. p. 49. in the Coun­ty of Huntington, in the memo­ry of many Persons now a­live, there was a Woman most Zealously devoted to the Presbyterian Party, then called Professors, or Puri­tans; a constant frequenter She was of Religious Meetings, whereby She became so Emi­nent, especially in this gift of Prayer, that she was ge­nerally admired, and looked upon as a first-rate Saint: The noise of her Fame, and the boasts of her Party, brought many Neighbouring Ministers of the Adjacent Counties of Cambridge and Huntington, to hear her Pray; which She did in that Ecstatick manner, that they never parted from her with­out excess of Admiration. After some time, She went [Page 114] (with many others) into New England, for Liberty of Conscience; where She lived for some time in greatest esteem; but the Devil ow­ed Her a Shame, and She owed him a Soul; She was at last Suspected and Accu­sed of being a Witch, was brought to her Tryal, con­fessed her Guilt, and that her Contract with the Devil was, That in lieu of her Soul, which she had con­signed to him, he should assist her with the gift of Extempore-Prayer; after which Confession, Sentence passed upon her, and she was ac­cordingly executed for an abominable Witch. Many the like Instances of this, there are in a late Book, called Ravillack Redivivus. Now ei­ther we must say, That the Devil has Power of dispo­sing [Page 115] of the gifts of Gods Spirit (which is Blasphemy) or that this Extemporate way of praying, is no infallible sign of Gods Spirit; and therefore, that it is Phanati­cism to ascribe it to him: In a word, as Miracles ceas­ed, so did the gift of inspi­red Prayer; and ever since, has the Church Worship­ped God by allowed Forms, or Liturgies; not only in the Bohemian, and Lutheran Churches, but in the Presby­terian Churches of Geneva, France, Holland, &c. and that not only allowed, but advised by Mr. Calvin him­self; till of late, some Je­suits in Masquerade, first set up the way of Extemporary Prayer on purpose to break good Order in the Protestant Churches, and especially, here in England; Foxes and Firebrands. as is lately made [Page 116] evident beyond all reach of scru­ple, by a good credible Au­thor.

5. 'Tis rank Phanaticism to resist Lawful Authority on pretence of Religion; or to pretend Conscience for Disobedience to Magistrates; hereby God has been in­tituled to as barbarous Mas­sacres, and as horrid Re­bellions, as ever were com­mitted; and this sort of men are so far Phanatick, as they intitle God to self-inconsistency, in opposing his Will to his Will, and his Word to his Word; by pretending his Authority for Disobedience to his Com­missioners: For Conscience is no less than a Divine Au­thority, and therefore not to be pretended without, much less against a Divine [Page 117] Law. The pretence of Con­science is, that we are afraid to displease God, and there­fore chuse rather to displease men; but if we displease men to please God, where God has forbid that Displea­sing, or Disobeying of men, [as in the case of Disobedence to Magistrates in things not sinful] in that case, the pleasing of God is but pretended, and that pre­tence is but Fanaticism; it being Disobedience on the ac­count of Conscience, or Duty to God, where there is no Word or Law of God commanding it.

'Tis eternally true, That a Conscience informed, and go­verned by a Divine Law, ought not to stoop to the greatest Prince; That the Au­thority of God is to be [Page 118] opposed to the greatest Pow­er upon Earth; And that all the Powers in the World, cannot deliver us from the Obligation of CONSCIENCE, that is, when it has Gods Law for its Rule: But where that is wanting, it is not properly Consci­ence, but Humour and Fan­cy; and pretending that Law, and that Divine Au­thority, when we have it not, is plain intituling Gods Majesty, not meerly to Hu­mour and Fancy, but to that damnable Sin of Disobedience, which is properly called Phana­ticism.

This Account have I given, not to justifie that ill pra­ctice of giving odious Names to any Party; but meerly to instruct the Vulgar Reader a little in that great evil of [Page 119] Schism and Faction, which is so little discerned by such, and less made Conscience of by most.

Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea concerning Church-Ceremo­nies.

TO see how in this he doth in limine impingere, He begins his Book with this Fraudulent Insi­nuation concerning them. Ʋnneces­sary Rites and Ceremonies, P. 1. 4. 8. 18. 20. and Zeal about them; a Stratagem of the De­vils Invention, whereby to hinder the Progress of true Christianity; hu­mane Devices, old Rites and Cere­monies, trifling and frivolous Things; with much more to the same pur­pose.

How far he hath hereby incurr'd the Penalty annex'd to violation of [Page 6] the 6th Canon, which saies of the Impugners of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, Let them be excommu­nicated: And of the 10th Canon, which calls them maintainers of Schis­maticks who shall dare to publish that any separated Church has of long time groaned under the burden of certain grievances imposed upon it, [speaking before of Gods Worship in the Church of England,] and that whosoever shall presume so to do, shall be excommunicated, and not restored till they repent and publickly revoke such their wicked error.

And of the Act for Uniformity, 1. Q Eliz. which saies, If any de­clare or speak any thing in deroga­tion of the Common-Prayer, or any thing therein contained — he shall lose and forfeit for his first Offence, the profit of all his spiritual Benefices or Promotions for one whole year, and suffer Imprisonment for six Months without Bail or Main­prise; and for the second Offence shall [Page 7] be imprison'd one whole year, and de­prived of all his spiritual Promoti­ons: How far he has incurr'd this Penalty, let others judg; that which I remark is in these following par­ticulars.

1. His insinuateing concerning the Church Ceremonies,P. 4. 20. as humane Devices, and humane Inventions.

Whereas the Church of England has retain'd but one Ritual or Cere­mony, that is not of Divine Ordi­nance and Apostolick practice (as Bishop Taylor has observed) and that is the Cross at Baptism,Ductor Dubit. lib. 3. c. 4. which is a compliance with the practice of all Ancient Churches: The Church has but this one Ceremony of its own appointment; for the Ring in Marriage is the Symbol of a Civil and religious Contract, a Pledge and Custom of the Nation, not of the Religion. As for other Circum­stances, they are but Determinati­ons of time, place, and manner of Duty, and serve for no other pur­poses then significations for Order [Page 8] and Decency: For which (saies he) there is an Apostolical precept, and a Natural reason, and an evident necessity, or great convenience.

And notwithstanding the use of this sign in Baptism has ever been ac­companied with the greatest Excep­tions, Care and Cautions against all Popish Superstition and Error (as the 30th Canon shews.) And not­withstanding the reverend esteem that the Primitive Church had of it, in so much (saies that Canon) That if any opposed it, they would certainly have been censured not only as Enemies of the name of the Cross, but of the Merits of Christ: And notwithstanding the Concessions of the most Eminent Nonconformists granting the lawfulness of its use:Mr. Baxter Christ. Direct. Q. 113. Yet doth this Pleader give it as ri­diculous and absur'd a name as any could be thought of, calling it in plain English, contradictio in adjecto, and this on no other then this silly account;P. 12. The ill Opinions that it begets in the minds of the Ignorant, [Page 9] as tho it were indispensibly necessary, and a part of the Ordinance of Bap­tism, and as tho private Baptism without the Cross is not true sound Baptism.

To this there is this sufficient An­swer in the 30th Canon.

1. That the abuse of a thing doth not take away the lawful use of it (or make the use of it unlaw­ful) which is the more regardable, because spoken as the Church's sense in special reference to the Cross in Baptism.

2. The same Canon saies, That the use of this sign was ever accom­panied with sufficient Cautions and Exceptions against Superstition and Error:Common-Prayer Book Preface of Church Cere­monies. And the Church has elsewhere fully declared against re­taining of any such Ceremonies as are like to be abused to Superstition, &c.

3. Tho this Proposition [private Baptism is no true sound Baptism] seem somewhat contradictory, yet to shew that it is nothing so, to [Page 10] make it what Mr. Bolde calls it contradictio in adjecto; there must be incompossibilitas terminorum: The Adjecta or Termini here, are [pri­vate, sound]; and who can appre­hend any incompossibility or re­pugnancy in those terms, as they relate to Baptism? Besides, if by sound Baptism may be meant com­pleat and perfect Baptism; then the Rubrick (and Directory also) doth scarce allow of private Baptism as sound Baptism, except in the case of dying Infants. And since he speaks of the Ignorant only, why may not such take sound Baptism in that Sense? So that in plain his hinting the Cross at Baptism by that odious name, is such a thick piece of Error as may be felt, and (in a Conformist) such a thin piece of Hypocrisie, as the weakest eye may see through; and ten times worse then Mr. Baxter's whimsey in que­stioning whether we do not make the Cross at Baptism A new Sacra­ment of the Covenant of Grace, First Plea for Peace. which [Page 11] no one part of the Definition of a Sacrament can be made to agree with. He proceeds against the im­posing of Ceremonies in general, thus.

Our Saviour lays no stress on any thing, but real practical Religion.

Obedience to lawful Authority in things indifferent, is real practi­cal Religion, and Inconformity or Disobedience to lawful Authority, is damnable Sin.

He adds,Page 9. The Apostles upon mature Deliberation— would lay no more on the Disciples, then what was then necessary.

1. No more do the Apostles and Governours of our Church now. But to shew how impertinently this is urged,

2. 'Tis evident by the Context, that those words of the Apostle James relate particularly to Circumcision,Acts 15. which was not a Jewish ceremony, but a Jewish sacrament of divine instituti­on and alteration both, and therefore nothing to our purpose; and yet St. [Page 12] Paul circumcised Timothy, Acts 16.3. meerly in conformity to the Jews: And at that same Council, Acts 15. when the Apostles had declared against Circumcision, at the same time (as in the next verse) they declared for the Gentiles abstaining from things strangled, and from Blood, which there was no Law of God for oblige­ing the Gentiles to, but what the Apostles enjoined them meerly on the account of Peace and Confor­mity to the Church National of the Jews they lived in, according to the grand Exemplar Christ his com­plying all along with the Jewish Church in their Rites and Customs, observing their Feasts, and making his own Institutions of Baptism and the Lord Supper as agreeable to their Customs as was possible. And ac­cording to his example all a long, the Apostles not like inflexible starch't Pharisees, but like humble com­plaisant Christians, became all things to all, to the Jews as Jews, and to those without the Law, as without the Law.

[Page 13]In the next place he starts this Question,Page 9. as that which he saies some do much insist upon; Whether the Apostles had not power to deter­mine indifferent Ceremonies, so as to oblige the Church in her several Ad­ministrations to the use of some, and to forbear the use of all others? He resolves it thus, They never made use of their power, that we read of, Page 10. about these indifferent and unneces­sary things.

It was not necessary they should; the general Rule and Reason being sufficient to secure the Church a­gainst any capital Mistake. That the Apostles never obliged the Church to the use of some Ceremo­nies, or the difuse of others, so as to oblige all after-times to any particular form of Rituals, is certain; And also, that they gave only gene­ral Directions, but left it to the Power and Prudence of Church-Rulers to determine of Particulars, as the various Conditions of People, Time and Place should respectively [Page 14] require; This is evident from hence, that the Apostles instituted several things in the Primitive Churches, which were in after-times to be used or disused, as Church-Rulers should think fit. For instance, the Agapae, or Love-feasts, the holy Kiss, the order of Deaconnesses, and several other things, which are now utterly disused and laid aside, tho of Apo­stolical Institution. Nor doth any man scruple the Disuse or Abroga­tion of them; which is a palpable evidence, that the Apostles never designed a certain form of Rituals to all after-ages, but left it to the Prudence and Power of Church-Rulers to appoint as they see fit. And thus Mr. Calvin himself,Calv. Inst. l. 4. c. 10.30. In externa disciplina & Ceremoniis non voluit Christus, &c. Christ would not prescribe singularly and specially concerning external Discipline and Ceremonies, because he foresaw these things were to depend on the occasions and opportunities of times, and ought to be accommodated to the Edification [Page 15] of the Church, according to the different disposition and custom of Times and Countries.

He adds,Page 10. I think it will be very difficult for any man to make it appear, that for some hundreds of years after the Apostles, the Orthodox Christian Church did ever require any more then common Christianity, as a term or condition of Church Communion, or that any Ceremony was for so long a time imposed on the Church.

The Orthodox Christian Church did require it as the term or conditi­on of Church-Communion, That the lapsed Penitents should perform the five several Stages of Penance in such Posture and Gesture as the Church imposed, and no other; wherefore one sort of Penitents were called [...], i. e. the Prostrate, be­cause they were to perform their Penance in the Gesture of Prostra­tion, and no other. They wore cer­tain Marks of Penance about them, with several other Ceremonies that I could name, which were imposed [Page 16] on them as terms of Church-Com­munion.

Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and Martyr, who lived in the Apostles times,Socr. Hist. l. 6. c. 8. is reported by Socrates to have heard in a Vision the Angels cele­brating the Praises of God in Alter­nate Hymns; and in Imitation there­of appointed the ceremonious way of Antiphones, or responsal Hymns in the Church of Antioch, which was immediately appointed in (or imposed on) most Christian Churches in the World. The Ce­remony or Order of reading the two Lessons after the Psalms, is men­tioned in the Apostolick Canons,Ap. Can. lib. 2. can. 57. as a thing decreed or appointed (in­joined or imposed) which Cassianus mentions as the Ancient custom of all the Egyptian Churches,Cassian. l. 2. c. 4. which he saies was not taught by men, but by the Ministry of Angels from Heaven.Epipha. adv. Aerians. Epiphanius calls the Aeri­ans the most Brainsick Hereticks that ever were, for holding that Bishops and Presbyters were all one, [Page 17] and that they were not bound to keep Lent, and the Holy week, as the Laws of the Holy Church re­quired: Sozomen speaks of standing up at the Gospel,History lib. 7. c. 19. as a thing very anciently and universally imposed: He saies it was a new Fashion in Alexandria, that the Bishop did not rise up, when the Gospel was read, and that he never heard of the like elsewhere.

And the Council of Toleta or­dained,Con. 11. c. 3. That all Governours of Churches, and their People, should observe the same Rites and Order of Service, which they knew to be appointed in the Metropolitan See. In the early days of Tertullian, who lived near the Apostles times, there was distinction of Garments, bowing to'ard the East, and innu­merable other Ceremonies; and among the rest, there's no question to be made of what Mr. Bolde has such a spight at, the Cross at Bap­tism, since the Church saies (Canon 30.) that it was used in the Pri­mitive [Page 18] and Apostolical Churches with one consent. All which Ce­remonies Tertullian callsHarum & aliarum ejus­modi Disciplinarum si legem expostules Scripturarum, in­venies nullam; sed traditio est auctrix, consuetudo conser­vatrix, & fides observa­trix. Disciplines, which implies that they were imposed; yet there was then no such thing as scru­pling of Ceremonies, but obedience active and passive, even to Pagan Governours; and conformity to Christian Church-Orders, was a Characteristical mark of primitive Christianity.

Whatever the Pleaders name be, to shew that his Temper is daring; he tells us, p. 11, 12. He dares affirm, That if the Rights and Ceremonies now in use, in the Church of England, should be alter'd, some changed, and some wholly laid aside, by the same Autho­rity that did at first injoin them, the Church of England would still be as impregnable a Bulwark against Po­pery, as now she is; and I am fully satisfied (saies he) there is no man will deny this, unless he be either a [Page 19] real Papist, or an ignorant supersti­tious Fool.

The King, Parliaments, and Con­vocations have denyed it; and I am fully satisfied they must and will deny it on these accounts following.

1. On the account of the great danger that universal Observation and Experience have found to be in such Innovation as he pleads for, in altering the Constitutions of a Church [that have heen com­posed and setled by wise men and Christian Martyrs, reverenced and admired by others, incorporated into the Laws of the Land, rivetted by Custom and long Prescription] for the sake of such novel Notions, and inconsistent Alterations, as no dissenting Party could ever yet agree in, and such as is inseparably twisted with seditious and penici­ous Alterations in the State. It being much more true of England, what Optatus said of Milevis, Res publica non est in ecclesia, sed eccle­sia in republica; and therefore, that [Page 20] the Church being contained in a Civil Society, must conform its self (in externals) to that which con­tains it, for Safety and Preservation.

Which made King Charles the first call such Alteration, [...]. c. 11. The old leaven of Innovation, under the mask of Reformation, which in his two last Predecessors days, heaved at, and threatned both Prince and Parlia­ments. They first desired Alterati­on of him, and then obtruded it on him with the point of their Swords; with such a trusting to their Moderation, which he there calls abandoning his own Discretion; and shews throughout, that they who began with nothing else but such desires of Moderation and Al­teration (as Mr. Bolde Pleads for) ceased in nothing else but utter Subversion and Dissolution: And Arch-Bishop Bramhall (whom Mr. Baxter truly calls,Lett. to Mr. Militier. that clear-headed Metropolitan) teaches, That it is a rule in prudence, not to alter (no not) an ill custom, when it is well setled. [Page 21] Needless Alteration doth so diminish the venerable esteem of Religion, and lessen the credit of ancient Truths; break Ice in one place (saies he) and it will crack in another. And twen­ty years smart Experience of the ill consequences of giving way to such fraudulent Pleas for Moderation, and little Alterations, hath made it necessary to deny [without being real Papist, or superstitious Fool] that such Alteration should be made in consideration of the Church of Englands being as great a Bulwark against Popery in the Alteration, as without it; especially considering,

2. The great advantage it would give the Papists; the ill Reflection it would make on the Protestant Reformers; and the Scandal it would cast upon the Protestant Reforma­tion, to see men make no difference between intolerable Superstitions, and innocent Rites and Ceremonies; we have instance of this in Bishop Hooper's scrupling the Episcopal Vestments, of which said Peter [Page 22] Martyr, Such needless scrupulosity will be a great hinderance to the Re­formation; and 'tis certain, that there was scarce any thing gave so great check to the Reformation, in France especially, among moderate and learned men, as the putting no dif­ference between the Corruptions of Popery, and the innocent customs of the Ancient Church: For when those of France, that were inclined to the Reformation, saw that the Reformers opposed the undoubted Practices of Antiquity, equally with the Popish Corruptions; they cast them off, as men guilty of an unreasonable humour of Innovation. And so at this day, when men contend about things indifferent, as tho unlawful, and would have such Ceremonies as are of truly Primitive, and for the most partCan. 30. Apostolical Practice, equally disused as things perfectly Superstitious, the vulgar Papists (at least) that cannot distinguish, must conclude, that we alter or abolish such innocent Ceremonies as [Page 23] Standing, Kneeling, &c. on the same grounds as we do the rest of their detestable Corruptions; and so by seeing our unwarrantableness in reforming from those innocent Ceremonies, are easily (if not ne­cessarily) induced to believe the unwarrantableness of our departing from the whole Mass of Popery; especially considering, that it is the business of their Teachers to instruct them in this, That we reform from both, on the same grounds; and what can this tend to, but to harden Papists, and scandalize Protestants, and so endanger the Reformed Reli­gion?

And for these, and perhaps many more weighty Reasons than Mr. Bolde, or my self can apprehend, Our Rulers have thought fit, in point of Moderation, to retain the Ceremonies now in use, in opposi­tion to Enthusiastick Innovation on the one hand, and Popish Supersti­tion on the other hand. And therefore Mr. Bolde doth very ill [Page 24] in calling every one a real Papist, or superstitious Fool, that will not con­sent to the Alteration or Abolition of our Church-Ceremonies, on the supposal of the Church of England's being as great a Bulwark against Po­pery in the Alteration, as without it; I say, he doth very ill to call every such one, by such odious Names; especially considering, that the King and Parliaments are most immedi­ately concerned in it.

Mr. Bolde having told us in the following lines, of the fruit and effect of Impositions, and the want of making some Concessions and A­batements for the sake of those that are yet unsatisfied; adds more particularly, that there are yet two dreadful events which have followed these Impositions.

1. Many worthy, pious, and other­wise every way qualified Persons, have been hinder'd from either en­tering into, or continuing in the Lords Vineyard to labour and work there.

[Page 25]1. They hinder themselves: All that the Law doth, is but to hold forth one common Rule, which Mr. Bolde cannot deny, but that they may conform to without Sin.

2. There are as many worthy, and well qualified men of the Churches Communion, as there are Dissenters, who are yet destitute expectants of being called into the Vineyard: I heard a Reverend Pre­late but t'other day speaking of an account which the Arch-Bishop said was lately given in to him, of above two thousand such in England: And tho it cannot be denied, but among the Dissenters, there are many who Preach well; yet take a great part of those who are most admired by the Vulgar, and you will find, that the excellen­cy of their Preaching lies chiefly in a faculty they have of moving a Passion; either by transporting or confounding the Imagination with some Mystical Representations, or [Page 26] by thundering into mens ears the most formidable or dreadful Expres­sions; or by smiling out now and then a soft Similitude, or a chiming Cadency, a curled Metaphor, or some such Pseudotrope; and with insinuating Harmony of voice and gesture, tickle the Soul up into the Ear of the weakest Sex especially, and those of shallow Judgment and warm Affection; but are more like to provoke the Scorn and Laughter of a sturdy Profligate, than to con­vince his Judgment, or work upon his heart.

But among the conforming Cler­gy, the business in preaching, is not to stand fluttering in mystical Nonsence, and Stentorian Noise; but to deliver themselves gravely and considerately, rationally and judiciously, calmly and modestly; to enlighten the Hearers minds with such substantial and nervous Di­scourse, as is fitted to stop the mouths of Gainsayers, that they shall not be able to resist that [...], [Page 27] that Spirit and Power of Reason and Religon with which they speak; And of these, since God has spoke the word, great is the company, more by some hundreds than the Vineyard will hold: And therefore 'tis not to be believed that the hindering Dissenters on such dangerous and unreasonable terms on which they would come into the Vineyard, is such a dreadful event or effect of Impositions, as Mr. Bolde speaks of; especially consi­dering (as has been shewn) that the hindrance is of themselves.

2. Another dreadful event or effect of Imposition, that he instan­ces in, is this,P. 12. The constant imposed use of these things has almost una­voidably begot in the minds of Igno­rant People, a belief, that they are indispensably necessary, and undoubted parts of those Ordinances to which they are annexed, &c.

The 30 Canon yeilds sufficient Answer to this, in these two parti­culars.

[Page 28]1. That the abuse of a thing, doth not take away the use of it.

Comm. Prayer Preface, con­cerning Cere­monies.2. The Church has positively declared against the retaining any Ceremony in use, which may be a­bused to Superstition.

3. Why may not the ignorant People, as well believe them indi­spensably necessary to be used, as indispensably necessary to be dis­used? the Superstition of the one is just as much as the Superstition of the other. But,

4. I know no Error in the be­lief of Ceremonies being indispensa­bly necessary, and undoubted parts of the Ordinances they are annexed to. Mr. Calvin himself seems to be of that belief; when he calls those Institutions, which are founded in Scripture,Instit. lib. 4. c. 10. prorsus divinas, altoge­ther Divine; Divine, because a part of that decency, the care and observation whereof is commend­ed to us in those words, let all things be done decently and in order; [Page 29] but humane, so far as they are ap­propriated by men to some circum­stance of Person, Time, or Place.

Mr. Bolde proceeds next to play the Emperick, in prescribing to the body-politick, Church and State: The disease is, falling out and quar­relling about old Rights and Ceremo­nies, p. 8. & passim; and he has no remedy for this; but the Churches yeilding [to its Enemies] in altering some, and wholly laying aside other of her Ceremonies, p. 11. That abatements might be made to Dissenters, p. 12. who are to be Proselyted by the Churches condescending and yielding, p. 19. And the like throughout his Book, like a Vein through his Body; and thus he prescribes to Parliaments in chief, p. 25.

Can any thing be more Baxteri­ous, than such arrogant prescribing to Princes and Parliaments? Or is not this, as if he had said, that the makers of the Law must concede to the Subjects of the Law? that Laws and Law-makers, both, must con­form [Page 30] to Nonconformity? that Par­liaments and Synods, [those most august and venerable Assemblies in the World] must stoop to Scepticks and Innovators? Authority and Anti­quity to Novelty and Bigotry? Primitive practice to innovating humour? and Majesty its self to peevish, and turbulent, and endless Scrupulosity? And all this, saies Mr. Bolde, to satisfie some that are un­satisfied, i.e. (as some love to speak) unsatisfied in Conscience, profane­ly calling by that sacred Name of Conscience, what men of greatest Learning, strictest Piety and Holi­ness, and most comfortable Consci­ences, have called sturdiness of Opini­on in some, weakness and unsetled­ness of Judgment in others, and in­deed a meer fear of doing what God commands, for fear of Sin: But pur­suant to his Plea for the Churches yielding to its Enemies in the Al­teration and Abolition of Church-Ceremonies, He tells this dull Story from Beza, that was a sworn Enemy to Episcopacy:

[Page 31] A Noble-man having finish'd the building of his house, suffer'd a great Stone to lie before the house, which he had no occasion for; the People stumbling at it in the dark, com­plained; the Noble man would not suffer the Stone to be took away, but order'd a Lanthorn to be hung out over it; this not securing the People from the inconveniences of it, the Noble-man was at last intreated to remove the Stone and Lanthern both: But whether he did remove them or no, that Mr. Bolde keeps to him­self.

Without any remark on the im­pertinence of this dull Story,Serious and compassionate Enquiry, p. 10. I shall be so civil to Mr. Bolde, as to return it from a more considerable Author than Beza, thus:

Apelles to deride the conceited folly of the Age, exposes to pub­lick view, a Master-piece of his Work, and as it usually happens (by the encouragement of the Pro­verb, Facile est inventis adhere) every body pretends to skill in re­forming; [Page 32] scarce any passed by, but passed their Verdict on the Picture, all generally commend it; yet to give some instance of their skill, every one finds some fault or o­ther; one would have had more shade, another less; one commends the Eye, but blames the Lip, &c. The cunning Artist observes all, but says nothing; and still as any Passenger gave his Verdict, he al­ters the Picture accordingly; the result was this, by its Alteration and Reformation, it became such Abomination of Deformation, such a horrid monstrous Piece, that the very Reformers themselves won­der'd at its Ugliness. Apelles to right himself, produces another piece of the same Art and Beauty which he had hitherto kept up by him, and so had escaped their cen­sure; with this he upbraids them thus, Hanc ego faci istam populus: This I made, the t'other is a Devil of your own making.

[Page 33]Now not to be so abrupt as Mr. Bolde was, as to run from my Story without any Application. Christian Religion was by Wise and Holy men, our Reformers, divested of those meretricious and gaudy Accoutrements, that the Papists had drest her up with, and habited her according to pri­mitive simplicity; but this (tho amiable of it self) would not please every Body, every Sect or Party would have something alter'd, which if it were allowed (the Opi­nions of men are so contrary to one another, as well as to truth) the true lineaments of Christianity would be lost, and so our Religion have the same fate, that the poor Picture of Apelles had.

But in pleading for Alteration of some Ceremonies, and laying others wholly aside, Mr. Bolde proceeds to seven Arguments.

1. The first is this, It is unque­stionably certain, that the closer any [Page 34] Church doth keep, or the nearer she approaches to the first Churches, in their simplicity and freedom from hu­mane inventions, the more justifiable she will be; and so on

1. The Ceremonies we retain are so few, that if compared with the vast numbers used in the Church of Rome, or in the Or­thodox Christian Churches in St. Augustine's time, they will appear to be vix quod Thebarum por­tae, next to none in the compari­son.

2. Those few Ceremonies we do retain, are according to the Practice and Simplicity of the first Churches. The 30th Canon saies, we depart from the Churches of Italy, France, Spain, and the like Churches, in those points only, wherein they are fallen from them­selves in their ancient Integrity, and from the Apostolical Churches, which were their first Founders. Thus the Church of England de­clares [Page 35] concerning Church Ceremo­nies in general; and of the Cross at Baptism in particular it says, we therein follow the primitive Apo­stolic Churches. And

3. It is on no account more then agreement with the Primi­tive Churches, that we retain the use of our few Ceremonies, and refuse to yield to Dissenters in altering some, and abolishing others; and therefore according to the Pleaders own Hypothesis, our Church is most justifiable in so doing.

2. His Second Argument is this, That teaching that humane autho­rity has an unlimited power to im­pose any thing on the Church, which is not expresly forbid in Scripture, may be of dangerous consequence.

The word (unlimited) is here impertinently foisted in; for if hu­mane authority has power to im­pose on the Church what the Scripture doth not forbid, it must [Page 36] in that case have an unlimited power, because nothing can limit it but the Scripture. If you take his assertion without the word (Ʋnlimited) then it is that which Dr. Sanderson called the very mystery of Puritanism, Serm. Preface. and that which the very Protestant Reconciler doth contradict and confute;P. 187. and which is not only the very characteristick doctrine of the Dissenters, but their chief fundamental, the very ground and foundation of their out-cries against ceremonies, as uncomman­ded rites, humane inventions, Su­perstitions, &c. And whereas he says, this may be of dangerous con­sequence, it's certain that the con­trary is so; to teach that humane authority has not this power of imposing on the Church, things not forbid in Scripture, but to demand a Scripture prohibition or precept, for every thing that hu­mane authority imposeth on the Church, is of most dangerous [Page 37] consequence, as Mr. Baxter has soundly proved, and shewed wherein, by an induction of about Twenty particulars;Defence of the Principles of Love; p. 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. &c. I shall no more than name but some of them.

1. It draws men into the dange­rous guilt of adding to the word of God, under pretence of defending its perfection. (He shews how)

2. It sorely prepares men for infidelity. (He shews how)

3. It alters the very definition of the Scripture, and makes it quite another thing, &c.

4. It tends to cast all-rational worship out of the Church, &c

5. It will bring in all confusion, instead of pure reasonable wor­ship, &c.

6. It will fright poor People from Scripture and Religion, and make us, our Doctrine, and Worship, ridiculous in the sight of all the world, (as he shews at large.)

7. All possibility of Union a­mong Christians and Churches, [Page 38] must perish, if this error prevail, and be practised, &c.

8. It will have a confounding influence into all the affairs and business of our lives. These and as many more Mr. Baxter doth not barely name, (as I have done) but foundly proves to be the conse­quence of making Scripture a particular rule of circumstantials in worship; or teaching, that humane authority has not power of imposing on the Church things not forbid in Scripture. To all which, I add, That Sedition and Rebellion is not so apt to arise from any one Presbyte­rian Tenet whatsoever, as from this; for when men deny humane authority, the power of imposing Church-ceremonies, for want of Scripture-precept or prohibition, they do on the same account call those ceremonies Humane devices, uncommanded Rites, Popish and Superstitious, &c. and therefore (mark the consequence) to be re­formed; and if the Magistrate will [Page 39] not reform it, the people must; and on this very principle have commenced the most barbarous and unnatural wars in England, Scotland, and other places: And therefore 'tis very disingenuous in Mr. Bolde, not only to assert and vindicate this fundamental and most distinguishing principle of Dissenters, but to accuse its con­trary [a most undoubted truth] of Dangerous consequences; when 'tis so apparent, that the dangerous consequences are all on the other side.

He proceeds on this head thus;P. [...]2. It is not demonstrably certain, that humane authority has power any further than to punish and restrain indecencies and disorders in the Church.

Not to say whether this be not that speaking against the Kings Sovereign Authority in causes Ec­clesiastical, which the 27th Can. censures.

[Page 40]1. It is demonstrably certain, that humane authority had power to appoint Church-ceremonies, and to determine the circumstantials in Religion. David alter'd some things, and instituted others, even in the Temple-Service, upon no other authority than humane. He­zekiah on the same authority, and no other, broke the Brazen Serpent to pieces, though it was a sym­bolical ceremony of Gods own institution. He appointed the Le­vites to kill the Passover, which by Gods appointment was to have been performed by the people themselves: He preferr'd the Le­vites to assist the Priests in killing the other Sacrifices, which they were never before admitted to: So that it is demonstrably certain, That humane authority had once a power to determine the circumstantials of Religion. Nor can Mr. Bolde tell when or how they came to be divested of it. But on the con­trary, when Christ said, His King­dom [Page 41] was not of this world, he plainly intimated, that he never intended to divest Governours of the authority they were possessed of.

2. It's demonstrably certain, that the Scriptures do no where restrain the power of humane au­thority to punishing of disorders or indecencies in the Church; when the Scripture commands, obey every ordinance of man, it supposeth in man, or humane au­thority, a power of making ordi­nances; Church-ordinances not ex­cepted; and ubi lex non distinguit, non est distinguendum.

It has been all along the practise of humane authority in all the reformed Churches, to institute Church-discipline, and to impose it upon the people; and lex currit cum praxi: Thus Calvin himself writes to Farellus; Ep. 87. To prevent the desultory levity of those who affect novelty, it always prevailed in the Church (which was decreed in ancient [Page 42] Councils) That those who would not be subject to the laws of common discipline, should be dismissed from their function. And Beza (on the life of Calvin) that subscription to their Church-discipline was enjoined, not only Ministers but people.

4. That every Church National has power to institute or appoint its Church-ceremonies, was one principal argument that our Pro­testant Reformers made use of against the Papists, in altering our Religion from Popish to Prote­stant.

3. Mr. Bolde's 3d Argument runs thus; The things we contend about are of such a nature, they cannot bear so much weight as some lay upon them, &c.

1. How much the less the mat­ters are we contend about, so much the more is the sin and shame of contentious disobedience, and inconformity to them.

[Page 43]2. The more fit they are to be made a sacrifice to peace; especi­ally when in obedience to that great Gospel-precept of obedience to every humane ordinance, 1 Pet. 2.13. And since Mahomet must to the Mountain, or the Mountain to Mahomet, (as he speaks) for shame let not Governours stoop to Sub­jects, antiquity to Novelty, and publick Authority, the highest on earth, to private fancy, the most humoursome and peevish: Since these things are not (says the Plea­der) matter of such moment, P. 24. as moderate men should lay out much of their zeal about.

He proceeds to shew how much mischief men laying out too much zeal, and too much stress upon these things has occasioned; he gives not so much as one in­stance of the mischief; but instead of all instances, he cites Mr. Burgess in his Sermon before King James, for this Story.

[Page 44] The Roman Emperour Augustus, in going to dine with a Senator of Rome, saw some company dragging a man after them, that made a horrid out-cry: The Emperour demanding the Reason; it was answered, their Master had condemned him to the Fish-ponds for breaking a Glass of great value: The Emperour stopp'd the Execution; and when he came to the Senators house, in expostula­ting the case with him, he asked him whether he had Glasses worth a mans life: That I have, says the Senator, Glasses that I value at the price of a Province. Let's see them (says the Emperor;) the Senator brought them: The Emperour broke them; with these words, Better all these perish, than one man. My Author (says he) left it to his Majesty to apply, and so do I to the Reader.

And the Reader applies it thus; The Glasses are Church-ceremonies, the Senator is the Imposer of them, the Emperour is the Opposer of [Page 45] them; the breaking of the Glasses, is the abolishing of the Ceremo­nies; rather than one man should perish, is rather than a peevish Party of Dissenters should be unsatisfied, who could never yet agree in the matter of their satisfaction, or in what alteration, condescension or concession would satisfy them: But as in Queen Elizabeths time,Dr. Ham. view of the Liturgy. when to satisfy the clamours of Dissenters against the Liturgy and Ceremonies, upon the impetra­tion of the Lord Burleigh, it was granted them, That an altera­tion should be made, and a Classis of their own Party was appointed on purpose: But what alteration the first Classis made, was repre­hended by a second Classis of them, as more faulty than the old Liturgy; and that second was reprehended by a third Classis, as most faulty of all: Whereby the Queen plainly saw that their cla­mours for alteration was for they knew not what, and that it was [Page 46] impossible for them to agree in what they would have altered. The case is the same at this day; some dissent on one account, others on another; some hold the whole Liturgy unlawful, others inexpe­dient only; some hold it inexpe­dient in some Offices, others in other; some stick at standing or kneeling, others at nothing but the circumstances of Baptism; some have accounted the Scotch Cove­nant the great Mountain in the way; others scruple nothing but reordination:Grand de [...]ate. So that as a great Author of their own said, 'Tis as easy to make a Coat for the Moon, as to reconcile them to one ano­ther, and make them agree in what alterations they would have. To what purpose then doth any Dogmatist trouble himself with Pleas and Interposals in that be­half. But to return Mr. Bolde's Story of the Emperour and Senator of Rome, Serious and compassionate Enquiry. I will tell him one, from as good an Author as Mr. Burgess, [Page 47] of the Emperor and Senator of Capua.

The People were all in a rage against the Senate, and would needs have them all deposed; the Emperour Pacuvius Calavius shuts up the Senators all together, and claps a Guard upon them, and then comes to the People and tells them, All was in their power now, advices them to determine their several fates, according to their demerits, one by one; this they readily hearkened to; and as they pass'd a doom upon any one, he approved the Sentence; but before the Execution, he perswades them to bethink themselves of another and a better man to be in his room, since a Senate they could not be without; but here the business stuck, as he had foreseen it would; the People who agreed unanimous­ly against the old Senator, could by no means agree who should succeed; one named this man, another that, but whoever was [Page 48] named by one Party, was sure to be rejected by another; that in con­clusion as great a pique as they had received against the old Se­nate, for want of agreement in better men to come in their room, they unanimously concluded it best to keep the old ones in. Mr. Bolde left his story to the Reader to ap­ply, and so do I.

4. Mr. Bolde's Fourthly runs thus; I never yet met with any argument (that I can call to mind) for the absolute inforcing of some particular needless ceremonies to be observed in the Church, by all who live under one Civil government, but what could be of the same force, if it were applyed to all the Churches in the world: There is as much reason (I think) that every Church and Congregation for the service of God throughout the world, should observe the same ceremonies, as that all the Congregations in one Nation should.

[Page 49]1. I shall not here stand to enquire how far this doth (in hy­pothesi at least) violate the 27th Canon, which forbids and censures all speaking against his Majesties Authority in maters Ecclesiastical; or whether this doth not (in the same manner) clap the brand of PERJURY, (so far as he is able) upon all Parliaments, who in the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy (which they are ob­liged to take before they can sit in Parliament) do assert the Kings Authority in matters Ecclesiastical thus, That he is Supream Moderator and Governour in all causes, and over all persons, as well Ecclesiastical as Civil, in these his Majesties Do­minions [and no other.] Whereas if the King have no more power to inforce particular Ceremonies on all who live under the same Civil Government of England, than he has to enforce it on those of Germany, France, Spain, and other Churches; he is so far from being [Page 50] the Supream Head and Gover­nour, or having the supream pow­er in all causes Ecclesiastical, that in all such causes within these his Dominions, he hath no power at all.

And as in the Church of Eng­land, so in all other reformed Churches, there is the same power among themselves, and no other: As the Churches of the Lutheran Confession,Dure's vindi­ciae. give the Sacrament to none, but kneeling; the Geneva Churches, and the Protestant Churches of France, give it to none but those that stand in the act of receiving; and the like ceremonies there are inforced up­on all that live in those Churches under one and the same Civil Go­vernment. But

2. I think it sufficient answer to this, to tell Mr. Bolde, that there would be the same reason for every Church throughout the world to observe the same ceremonies, as [Page 51] for all the Congregations in one Nation, in case they were all in­joined by the same or alike Au­thority.

'Tis true, Mr. Bolde doth seem to bound and limit his aforesaid assertion with this Parenthesis, (if we respect only the observations and reflections that Heathens and the like will make, when they see that in one and the same Nation, people professing the same Religion, do ob­serve different rites) as he supposeth Heathens and the like enemies of Christianity to do, on the account of Christians of different Nations, observing different rites: Which groundless supposal is all he al­ledgeth to confirm and strengthen his 4th bold assertion: Now to see how impertinently this is al­ledged,

1. No Church-ceremonies are inforced or not inforced among Christians upon any such considera­tion, or in any such regard to [Page 52] Heathens, as his Reason doth sup­pose.

2. Heathens and the like ene­mies of Christianity cannot reaso­nably make any such observations, reflexions and exceptions on our holy faith, on the account of our observing the same or different rites in Gods service, as the Rea­son he renders doth suppose. And therefore is very frivolously and impertinently render'd.

Mr. Bolde's Fifthly runs thus; Long and often experience hath made it undeniably evident, that putttng the paenal Laws rigorously in execution against humble, modest, conscientious Dissenters (and I plead for none but such) has not answered the design for which they were inten­ded — Severity (says he) is not a proper method for the satisfying of mens judgements, or the removing of their scruples; with much more to the same purpose.

[Page 53]When Vincentius seemed to argue thus in behalf of the Dissenters of St. Augustine's time; St. Augustine's Answer was, Nunquid ideo negli­genda est medicina, quia nonnullo­rum insanabilis est pestilentia? what then (says he) is medicine therefore to be neglected, because some mens plague is incurable? Ep. 48. Litt. I. K. L. It is better to love with severity, than to deceive with lenity: Do you think (says that Father) that none are to be com­pelled when the master of the Family said, 14 Luke, Compel them to come in, that my house may be full; and that he admired with great thankfulness, that they (the Donatists) who could by no other means be brought to think of a change for the better, Lit. H. yet when once affrighted with the terrour of the Laws, set their hearts seriously to consider the truth, lest if they should suffer punishment not for righ­teousness, but stubbornness sake, their patience would be fruitless and vain, and lest they should afterwards find [Page 54] no other reward from God, than what was due to wickedness: And a tolerating of them, he there calls a rendering evil for evil, verè ma­lum pro malo redderemus (says he) And in the same letter of the same Epistle, O that I could shew (says he) how many of those Circumcellians, [i. e. the worst sort of Donatists,] are now become good Christians, con­demning their former error, whereby they taught whatever they did through their unquiet rashness, was for the Church, (or glory) of God; who had never been brought to this pre­sent soundness of belief, unless they had been bound, like mad men, with the Cords of those very laws which you find fault with: And here it is to be remarked of the Donatist-Dissenters of old, and of the Mo­dern Dissenters of late,

2. What ill use they always made of Toleration and Power, when­ever they attained it: While Con­stantine [Page 55] was Emperor, none pe­titioned and pleaded more for Toleration than the Donatists, and declared themselves utter enemies to any person or principle that was for disturbing or punishing men for conscience sake: But as soon as Julian was setled in the Empire, and (with a design of root­ing out Christianity) countenan­ced the Donatists, gave them To­leration, and at last restored the Churches to them: that Apostate Emperor himself was not so im­perious, so tyrannical and sangui­nary as they. In like manner the Modern Dissenters (as Mr. Bolde says of the contrary) long and often experience has made it evi­dent, that the toleration which they lately enjoyed, made them as imperious as ever the Laws would suffer, especially in 81, and 82; when a Conforming Minister (as I am credibly informed) could scarce walk London Streets with­out [Page 56] some open affront offer'd him by that Party. But when they had the power in the Usurpation-times, let who will read Mercurius Rusticus, and the like Books, and he shall find their barbarous cru­elty in Persecuting, scarce exceeded by the Mari [...]n Persecution. They inflicted censures for a meer sus­picion of covetousness, for dancing at a Wedding for a superfluity in Raiment, for fetching a little water on the Lords day to boil a Pot, or wash ones hands, though not twenty Yards distant from their Houses: Whereas the mild and wholsome Laws against Dissenters are executed on them for crimes of another nature, for Sedition in the State, which, as long and often experience has made undeniably evi­dent, has always accompanied Schism in the Church.

3. But why doth Mr. Bolde call it severity, and (as in his Sermon) [Page 57] Persecution? Did the King treat them as those of their principle do in New England, such as dissent from them, with banishment and death. The Independents of New England impose a penalty of five shillings a day on all that come not to hear their Sermons; they banish all the Antinomians, Thornd. for­bearance of Penalties. and put the Quakers to death: Or were they treated by us, as we are by Papists, with a go ye cursed, sending them to Hell with Anathe­ma's, for meer inconformity and no more? then indeed one may talk of severity or persecution ei­ther, and plead for Moderation towards Dissenters. But instead of this, our Church calls them Bre­thren, and treats them like such. The King indulged to them as great a Toleration as many of them would desire, till the fruit of it appeared in a barbarous con­spiracy against his Life and Go­vernment. I say the Fruit of it;Anno 1683. [Page 58] for it's impossible to apprehend how such a Conspiracy should be contrived and carryed on with any hopes of success, without strong presumption and confident expecta­tion of help and strength from the Dissenting Protestants; which makes it evident and certain, that though the generality of Dissen­ters be acquitted from so much as knowing any thing of the Tray­terous design, yet it cannot be denied, but that it is eventually, and per accidens (at least) the effect and product of the Non­conformity; and this will appear to be undeniably, true by this Dilemma. This Conspiracy in 83▪ was contrived and carried on either with hopes of success, or without hopes of success; without hopes of success, no such conspi­racy ever was, (or can possibly be imagined ever to be) contrived and carried on: With hopes of success this could not be, with­out [Page 59] expectation (if not grand assu­rance of help and strength from the Dissenting Party; for no o­ther Party could afford them any help considerable. And to say, that any Church-of-England man were, or possibly could be con­cerned in it, is that most senceless of all absurdities [a contradiction in the terms]; for a Church-of-England man he cannot be, who is not well affected to the King, the Church, and the Govern­ment: Now is it not a contra­diction to say, that a Person or Party well affected to the King, should be in such a Hellish con­spiracy against him? that one well affected to the Church and the Government, should be in con­spiracy against the Church and Government? If it be said the Conspirators came to Church, re­ceived the Sacrament, observed the Ceremonies and Orders of the Church; why this would argue [Page 60] their greater hypocrisy, and the more dangerousness of their Fa­ction, but would be conclusive of nothing against the Dilemma: Which makes it as clear and plain as any first principle, That the late Phanatick Plot in 83, was e­ventually (at least) the effect of Nonconformity: This I say can­not be denied, though it should be granted, that not one Non­conformist in England so much as knew of it till the publick dis­covery.

So that whereas Mr. Bolde talks of the rigorous execution of penal Laws not answering the end and design they were intended for; it's evident from hence, that so far as not putting the Laws in such execution on Dissenters doth mi­nister to the increase of their Party; so far it doth gratify and minister to the designs of Phana­tick Conspirators, though the Dissenters were ever so innocent, [Page 61] and as great haters of such con­spiracy as the most loyal Confor­mists whatever.

But the main thing that Mr. Bolde insists on in this place, is this, that the rigorous execution of the poenal Laws doth not answer the end it was intended for; (which is suppressing Nonconformity) but doth rather incourage the thing, and increase the Party: For this he appeals to long and often experience; and this he asserts at large, with the greatest assu­rance imaginable. Whereas 1st, in statu quo, the thing is yet sub judice, the event scarcely yet dis­cernable, the effect yet scarcely known, because since Queen Eli­zabeths reign, the Laws have not been put into rigorous execution till this last year. When Mr. Bolde wrote his Book, the rigorous exe­cution of the Law was much re­laxed, and it was the relaxation that so increased the Party: Our [Page 62] State-Physitians have found it so, that that pestilent Lax, was the true morbifick cause of that dangerous superfaetation in the Body politick. And let Bolde Quacklings pretend what they will, Perilis in sua cu­jusque arte credendum est; and thus as to the present or late state of things.

2. If we look back on former times, Long and often experience has made it undeniably evident, that putting the paenal Laws rigorously in execution against Dissenters, hath answered the end for which they were designed. i. e. Hath suppressed Dissenters, and reformed Noncon­formity, when nothing else would do.Hist. of Presb. lib. 9. n. 25, 27. In Queen Elizabeth's Reign, it was enacted in Parliament, That whosoever should be found at any Conventicle or private meeting on pretence of Religious exercise, were to suffer imprisonment, or to depart the Realm, never to return without leave first granted, and the [Page 63] failure herein was made Felony: And it was such sharp Laws made against them, and rigorously exe­cuted on them, that utterly sup­press'd them, and thereby effectu­ally promoted the peace and tran­quility of Church and State, when all other means failed; and that it was K. James's relaxing this rigour that first revived their faction, is undeniably evident to any that understands the History of England for these Hundred and Thirty years last past.

And of Old, the whole History of the Donatists doth make evident, 1. That as the Emperours and their Councils became more zealous for the Christian Religion, their Laws were made more and more strict against Dissenters, and executed with more and more rigour, ac­cording to the growth and pro­portion of their zeal for Christia­nity. And 2dly, that putting the Laws rigorously in execution, was [Page 64] the only thing that restrained that dangerous faction, and restored peace and unity to the Church: Mine own City (says St. Augustine) which was once all Donatists,Civitas mea cum tota esset in parte Donati ad unitatem Cathol. timore legum imperialium con­versa est. Ep. 48. lit. Ʋ. X. is now converted to the Ʋnity of the Church by [this very means] the terror of the Imperial Laws: The terror of the Laws was so profitable to them, (says he) that they did bless God for them, saying, God be thanked that hath quickened us, stimulo ter­roris, by the terror of the Laws, to seek and to find the truth. Others (says he) say we were frigheed by false rumours, from entering into the Church, which we should never have known to be false, if we had not come to the Church; and we should never have come to it, if we had not been compelled: And in his 50th Epistle to Bonifacius, They who formerly had been on the Donatists Party, thanked God, that now by [Page 65] the correction of the Laws they are delivered from that fur [...]os [...] perni­cies, as he calls their Nonconformity; and that they who did so hate the Laws, do now love them, and rejoice in the cure that they had made on them, as formerly they did in their mad­ness detest the wholsome Laws as trou­blesome to them. He elsewhere calls them mad that divide the Church, and would have them like mad­men tyed and bound with the Chain of wholsome Laws and Severities:Contra hos Imperator (Con­stan.) lege sancivit, auferri eorum oratoria & Ecclesiis ap­plicari & neque in domiv [...]s privatorum eos Congregationes, neque publice celebrare, sed in Ecclesia Cathol communicare & in eam cunctis convenire s [...] ­debat, propter quam legem haeresi on m [...]mor am arb [...]tror fuisse destructam. Hist. trip. lib. 3 c. 11. Constantine the first Christian Emperour finding the Church divided and distur­bed by Schismatick Dissenters, made a Law against them, forbidding and sup­pressing all their Conventicles, by which very means (says Sozomen) the memory of Schismaticks was utterly destroy­ed. And whereas Mr. Bolde says,P. 28. [Page 66] that severity is not a proper me hod for the satisfying of mens judge­ments, or removing their scruples. I answer, St. Augustine says, that he was once of that mind, and was not for having the Laws rigorously executed against Dissenters; but he acknowledges his error in it, and tells us that this opinion of his was conquered and changed non contradicentium verbis, Ep. 48. lett. Ʋ. sed de­monstrantium exemplis; i e. as Mr. Bolde speaks, by long and often experience. 'Tis true, says St. Au­gustine,Let. T. none can be made good a­gainst his will, but the fear of suf­fering may make him leave off his animosity against the truth; or make him willing to receive the truth which he formerly knew not, and persist in it when he knows it. We know many (says he) not only single persons, but whole Cities, that were Donatists (or Separatists) now be­come good Catholicks, heartily de­tested their devilish separation, and [Page 67] fervently loving the unity (and Com­munion) of the Church; all which were made such Conv [...]r [...]s by the fear of those Laws which Speaking to Vincentius a Donatist. you so disl [...]e: And these examples propounded to me by my Colleague, made me change my opinion: For saith he, I was once of that opinion, that no m [...]n ought to be comp [...]lled to the Ʋn [...]ty of the Church but that this was to be done only by force of V [...]rbo agendum disputatione pugnandum ratione vincen­dum. argumen [...] and dis­putation, that they were to be convict by Rea­son, not compelled by Law; for this I thought could do no [...]hing but make open Schismaticks, Litt. Ʋ. or counter­feit Catholicks; but this I was convinced to be an error non con­tradicentium verbis, sed demon­strantium exemplis, by long and often experience. And therefore the Holy Father in his Epistles to Bonifacius, Januarius, Festus and others, doth mightily press the ri­gorous execution of the Imperial [Page 68] Laws against Dissenters, not only at that which is necessary to the unity and safety of the Church, but of sufficient tendency to satisfy m [...]ns judgments, and remove their scruples, by compelling them to the most apt and proper means of that satisfaction and removal: But suppose that it were not as the venerable St. Augustine says, but as Mr Bold says, that severity is not a proper means to satisfy mens judgments, or remove their scruples: Yet,

2. It cannot be denyed, but that it is a proper means to preserve the Churches unity; and therefore Constantine the most Religious Emperour, the first that ever made Laws against Dissenters, did not seek to bring the Heathens to Christianity by severity and force; but by severity and force he en­deavoured to keep the Christians in unity, and to that end enacted [Page 69] many severe Laws against the Dissenters of those times; such says Augustine as did in conventi­culis suis separatim congregare. And 'tis remarkable, that though the Laws made against those Donatist-Dissenters, were not only great pecuniary mulcts, but banishment, and seizing their Goods for the Emperours use, as I understand those words ut fisco vin [...]icarentur; yet doth the holy Father account these laws so favourable, as not to punish but admonish only;Lit. O. and having spoke of the Paganish Ido­laters being punished with death for their Id [...]latry, as that seve [...]ity which the Orthodox and Donatists both did approve of and rejoice in; he adds,Lit. O. P. that the wickedness of Schism is worse than that of Idolatry; which is a broad intima­tion that that holy man thought Schism a Capital crime.

And here I cannot but take no­tice of his calling the wholsome [Page 70] execution of the Poenal Laws, by the odious name of Persecution, and not only so, but like the Dona­tists of old, and the Jesuits of late, doth wrest and rack the holy Scripture, to make it speak its sence of it: Witness that very Text on which he preached his printed Sermon, Gal 4 29. As he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so it is now, where the Apostle doth plainly make the party prosecuting, to be the party persecuted: It was Isaac and Sarah that corrected Hagar and Ishmael and yet (says the Apo­stle) Ishmael he that was born after the flesh, was the party persecuting, tho the party suffering By which we may understand (says St. Augustine upon the place) that the Church rather suffers persecution by the pride and wickedness of carnal men, Ep 48. Lit. L. [by their Ishmaeli [...]ish reproaches] when she endeavours to amend them by temporal punishments and correcti­ons, than they by the Church; so that [Page 71] whatever the true Mother doth in this case, though it may seem harsh and bitter, yet she doth not render evil for evil, but endeavour by whol­some discipline to expel sin; not out of hatred or desire to hurt, but out of love to cure: Whereby it doth plainly appear, that the execution of the poenal Laws against Dissen­ters (for of such he speaks) is so far from being Persecution, that in that case, the party Prosecuting is the par­ty Persecuted [with Ishmaelitish re­proaches, as being Persecutors, &c] But the best account of the true notion of Persecution, is in the learn­ed Dr Hick's Sermon of Persecuti­and thither I refer the Reader.

6. Mr. Bolde's 6th Argument is no more than this; It was never known that any Indifferent Ceremo­nies were universally imposed in a knowing age, and the opinions of all good men did agree to them

Which is no more in effect, than if he had said, That because some [Page 72] good men have not agreed to the use of some Ceremonies, therefore the Church must prostitute her authority to every Sceptick Inno­vator in altering her ancient Con­stitutions.

7. H [...] 7th and last is taken from our condescentions to the Papists in a [...]n [...] our Rubrick, Publick Ser­vice, and Articles, in order to the bringing of the Papists to join with us in our worship &c. He instance in the Churches expunging that passage in the Littany, where we prayed to be delivered from the tyranny and all the detestable enor­mities of the Bishops of Rome, &c.

'Tis true, that for the first Eighteen years of Queen Elizabeth, few of the Popish Recusants absent­ed themselves from our Churches, till Pope Pius the Fifth, by his interdictory Bull would have all communion with us renounced; [Page] and in meer hopes of uniting and bringing them over to the Reformed Religion, there was that con­descention and compliance made; and the like and greater concessi­ons were indulged (or offer'd at least) to the Nonconformists in Queen Elizabeths time, till it did appear that they would be satisfied with no other concessions, than what were judged inconsistent with the safety of Church and State.

Mr. Bold having finished his Se­ven Arguments against Imposition of Church-Ceremonies, and exe­cution of poenal Laws, has this one Story more, that when the Emperour took a Bishop in compleat Armour, he sent the Armour to the Pope, with this word, haeccine sunt vestes Filii tui?

Whereby Mr. Bolde would insi­nuate again (as the Precedent [Page 72] words shew) that only Arguments and Reasons, and not coercive means, are to be used with Dissen­ters.

The error of this hath its refutal from some of my last Citations out of St. Augustine: Ep. 48. Litt. T. And therefore no more but to return the Story: Paulus Emilius, Val. Max. a Noble General, when several of his Souldiers took on them to prescribe and suggest to him their several models of ma­nagement and discipline, Acuite vos gladios (says the General) mind you your Swords, and your business, be ready to obey, and exe­cute what shall be commanded you, but leave the discipline and manage­ment of affairs to me your General: q. d. let Governours and Govern­ment alone, keep you your station, and mind your business in opposing the Enemy, and obeying your Com­manders, but do not dare to medle with controlling, directing or pre­scribing [Page 75] to those whom it is your business to obey. But if these bold Soldiers that prescribed thus sau­cily to their General, should have turn'd Runagadoes, and been caught by him [like this Pleader with his Militant Apologies for Dis­senting Enemies,] going over into the Enemies Camp, no doubt but he would have given them the very edge of Martial Law.

Thus have I faithfully remarked all that I judge any thing argu­mentative in Mr. Bolde's fraudu­lent Plea; which is indeed nothing else but arrogant dogmatizing and prescribing to Superiours [instead of Pleading] for licentious and dis­orderly Toleration [on pretence of Moderation] of the sworn ene­mies of the Church and Govern­ment, [under the name of Dissen­ters] I see little else in his Book, but what is fairly reducible to one of these heads, Impertinency [Page 76] or Scandal; of the former sort is his spending so many Pages in telling who they are he pleads for; they are (says he) more particu­larly, men of such Learning as Mr. Baxter, Mr. Hickman, &c. Mr. Hickman I know not; Mr. Baxter's Learning no honest man will envy: He must be acknowledged a Learned man: If he had not skill in fencing, he could not be so quarrelsom. Arrius was stiled [...], was accounted the most logical, and one of the most learned in his time: But what of that? The Orthodox Bishops thought him never the more fit for Church-toleration or comprehen­sion: But speaking of Impertinen­cies, the very name forbids me insisting on the thing.

And so of his scandals also, which are so detestable and no­torious, that it were a scandal to publish but the rehearsal of them; [Page 77] witness the Story of the Register, p. 40, which for its scandalous reflections on the Ecclesiastical Government, there's nothing in Martin Mar-Prelate; H'ye any work for the Cooper, or the Cobler of Gloucester, can exceed. So of those whom he charges with sit­ting [as the Reader must compute it] Sixteen or Seventeen Hours together in a Tavern or an Ale-house, p 19. His fraudulent sug­gestions touching the great evil of imposing Church-ceremonies; with many the like, which run through his Book, like a vein through his Body; and which I cannot repeat without sin and shame: Or if I could that, It would even tire an indefatiga­ble Reader to lead him through all the dark and dirty Labyrinth of his defamatory Libel.

I must therefore be abrupt in this Appeal to the Reader; whe­ther [Page 78] it be not the part of a most abominable Church-Traytor, to play the CHAM with the Church, in such a treacherous and deceitful manner.