Your first Paragraph is of the first Article of the Covenant.

1. Wherein first we are not satis­fied, how we can with Judgement sweare to endeavour to preserve the Religion of another Kingdome, whereof, as it doth not concerne us to have very much, so we professe to have very little understanding.

2. Which (so far as the occurrents of these unhappy times have brought it to our knowledge, and we are able to judge) as in three of the foure specified particulars, (viz.) Worship, [Page 5]Discipline and Government, much worse; and in the fourth, that of Do­ctrine, not at all better, then our own, which we are in the next passage of the Article required to reforme.

Blessed Saint Paul was much of another spirit, he earnestly pro­fesseth a most hearty sence of the welfare of all Churches, he hath a Sollicitous care of all: he cryes out, Who is weake, and I not weake, who is offended and I burne not? 2 Cor. 11.28. He is highly sensible not onely of all Churches, but per­sons. See him, 1 Cor. 1.10. how carefull he is to have all speak the same thing, and that there be no division amongst them: but that they be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judge­ment. Reade him in all his Epi­stles, see how he and his fellow labourers, even anxiously esteemed themselves concerned in all the [Page 6]Churches progresse in true Do­ctrine and practise. See what he sayes to the Romans. Chap. 12. the aime of his Doctrine is, that we must rejoyce with the joyfull, weep with the sad; we must mutually feele each others passions: we must be deeply concerned in our Brethrens spirituall affaires chiefly, but ye contrariwise professe, not to be so much concerned, in preser­ving the Religion of your Neigh­bour Church.

Solomon would have judg'd your title surreptitious, with the pretended Mothers, who was con­tented to have the Child quarter­ed, so that she might rob the true Mother of her infant; ye caused indeed the breach in Scotland from their Mother of Rome, having done that, you professe your selves now not much concern'd to preserve her in any Religion. [Page 7]Ye could not have used any Argu­ments more forcible, to prove your selves not true lively Mem­bers of Christs great Spirituall bo­dy, since it is cleare by your pro­fession here, that you are not ve­gitated with the common spirit of it, for ye are not concerned, &c. Con­trary to Saint Pauls teaching, 1 Cor. 14.33. where he professeth to teach peace of Doctrine in all Churches.

Ye professe also, that you differ from them in Worship, Discipline, and Government.

The Philosophers at Athens (however different in their Schooles touching their opinions of the Deity, Providence, &c. as appeares in the tenents of the Platonists, Stoiques and Peripate­tiques, yet) in their Temple, touch­ing Worship, Discipline and Govern­ment, did far more agree, then [Page 8]you, meeting quietly at their common oblations to God, which ye professe not to be amongst you.

Have ye not in this undeniably abolished one Article of the Creed; which is, Communion of Saints, and consequently taken a­way your very pretence to a Church? Externall Communion consists in uniformity of Worship, Discipline, and Government, most especially indeed in Worship, and in this, as you are seperated from Rome and their whole Communi­on, so ye are, (as you professe) from your neighbouring Churches, whence it followes you are not a true Church of Christ.

I speak not this, as if I were at all scandalized at your breaches: Aristotle treating of Beasts, calls a Wolfe (though a Pestilent creature) animal generosum, because [Page 9]it will not be made tame: I can say no lesse of you, it is generous not to degenerate, all your prede­cessours disagreed with each other, as Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, and the rest. Tertullian not far from the end of his treatise of Praescrip­tions, will rub you hard upon the gills. Mentior, si non etiam à regu­lis suis variant inter se dum unus­quis (que) proinde suo arbitrio modulatur quae accepit, quemadmodum de ar­bitrio ea composuit illi quae tradidit, &c. It hath beene alwaies the cu­stome from the beginning that you thus vary from one another, and yet Tertullian speaks of it, as a thing most ridiculous. I lye, saith he, if it be not true, that they differ from their owne rules, &c. he was afraid that future ages would not beleeve so prodigious a thing, but succeeding ages make it appeare even to children. Ye have there­fore [Page 10]just title not onely to the Wolfe in this point of generosity, but to the Foxes under Sampson, in biting each other with all viru­lency, and yet agree in your tailes by firing all behinde you, which is Gods Church.

It's Cato's aphorisme, opertet mendacem esse memorem: You have been also observed to have been in divers tales. At the first under Henry the 8. your rule was to ad­here to holy Scriptures, determi­nation of the Primitive Church or Generall Councells, held before the last 600. yeares, as appears in the Articles of union betwixt you and the Germans; In B. Jewells time, you confined your selves to the first 600. yeares. After in Per­kins time to the first 400. yeares, and now in D'allie to the Apostles only: And so by degrees you creep to your invisibility, where every [Page 11]one is [...], a Son without a Father.

For the Doctrine you adde as followes.

Wherein if hereafter we shall find any thing (as upon farther under­standing thereof it is not impossible we may) that may seeme to us sa­vouring of Popery, Superstition, He­resie or Schisme, or contrary to sound Doctrine, or the Power of Godlinesse; We shall be bound by the next Arti­cle to endeavour the extirpation, after we have bound our selves, by this first Article, to the preservation thereof.

Wherein we already finde some things (to our thinking) so far tend­ing to superstition (in accounting Bishops Anti Christian, and indiffe­rent Ceremonies, unlawfull) and Schismes (in making their Discipline [Page 12]and Government a marke of the true Church, and the setting up thereof the erecting of the Church of Christ) that it seemeth to us more reasonable that we should call upon them to re­forme the same, then that they should call upon us to preserve it.

Here you have toucht the mat­ter againe more deeply to the quick, your quarrels in Doctrine are of no lesse nature, then of Superstition and Schisme: Thus Presbytery and Prelacy are at open wars. We heard of the Heralds at armes menacing mutuall defi­ance at the Scotts first entring our Countrey, yet there were hopes of an attonement, but this Co­venant hath rendred them irre­concileable. Tertullian in his book of Prayer propounds a question worth your knowing. Quale sa­crificium est, à quo sine pace recedi­tur? No peace, no Sacrifice. He [Page 13]indeed insinuates an old and con­stant custome of the Catholick Church in a religious embrace of each other in time of Masse, which he here calls Sacrifice, signifying the charity which should be a­mongst Christians, but you have professedly cast away Masse and Peace together.

The causes which each of you already alleadge are true enough, but I leave your selves to prove them; its more then sufficient for all good Christians, who tender their salvations, not to adhere to either of you, since you are so far from unity in Doctrine, that your bodies respectively need Reformation, as ye confesse of them and they of you; where­in ye have destroyed your selves wholly; First, from the pretence of being one Christian Church, and consequently any Church, [Page 14]according as the universall Church teaches us, I beleeve one holy Ca­tholique and Apostolique Church. If therefore no unity, no Church. And with no lesse evidence ye have Secondly destroyed either of you to be a Church, having de­clared your severall errours in Superstition and Schisme; For ac­cording to Holy Scriptures, and the consent of all, especially old Christians; A Congregation, which should generally and solemnly teach and professe Superstition and Schisme, neither is nor can be a Church of Christ, this would ren­der it inconsistent with the light presented in Saint Johns Candle­sticks, and consequently alienate it from Christ. This needs no further proofe to a man who hath observed the hinges of Christia­nity.

Doth not the whole world also [Page 15]know by your voluminous wri­tings, that ye have condemned the very Ceremonies of the Roman Church, as unlawfull, and made that amongst the vulgar people a maine argument of our Superstiti­on, and now ye say it is Superstiti­on in the Presbyters to condemne them in you. Ile not presse you, for I should presently cast you into Democritus his Well: Ye wholly forget the force of an Argument called in the Schooles ad hominem, drawne from a mans owne prin­ciple, as here against you.

Ye goe on.

Secondly, we are not satisfied in the next Branch, concerning the Re­formation of Religion in our owne Kingdome, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government, how we can sweare to endeavour the same, which (without makeing a change therein) cannot be done.

It is very well noted, that ye cannot reforme without a change. Phylosophy would laugh at you to attempt a Reformation without a proportionable mutation; whence it followes, that you have chang'd your Doctrine, whence it further followes, that its false; you know Gamaliels rule, if it be of God, it will stand, ye know then whence yours comes, for if it change, it is not of God. You pretend to reverence the foure first generall Councells, heare what the Councell of Chal­cedon saith, Act. 1. Sic sancivit sancta synodus, &c Si quis innovat, Anae­thema sit, sanctorum patrum fidem servemus, &c. you see your sen­tence, if you change you are gone, and yet you must change. If your Proselites would without preju­dice observe, how you tumble and tosse one another in recipro­call recriminations, in matter of [Page 17]these high inconsistencies with Christianity, they would relin­quish such communion. Your rea­sons to the contrary in order to you, are important, for it cannot be done.

1.Papists & In­dependents are equally rejected by the Praela­tique party. Without mani­fest scandall to the Papist, and Separa­tist, by yeilding the cause, which our Godly Bishops and Martyrs, and all our learned Divines ever since the Reformation, have both by their writings and sufferings maintained, who have justified against them both, the Religion established in the Church of England, to be agreeable to the word of God.

2. By Justifying the Papists in the reproaches and scorne by them cast upon our Religion, whose usuall ob­jection it hath been and is, that we know not what our Religion is, that [Page 18]since we left them, we cannot tell where to stay, that our Religion is a Parliamentary Religion, (let us not be blamed, if we call it a Parliament Religion, Parliament Gospell, Par­liament Faith. Harding Consul. of Apology, part 6. cap. 2.

These are very home, let me a little dilate them.

To your first. You have indeed scandalized all the world, and most of all those whom ye call Pa­pists, by yeilding the cause, and shewing, that hitherto ye have per­secuted them to bloud, to all man­ner of cruelties for not adhering to that, which now is confessed to be Superstitious and Schismaticall. Trajan was a Heathen and a pro­fest enemy of Christian Religion, yet he came not neere your cruel­ties: He made a law that no Poursivants should search the hou­ses or looke after Christians or [Page 19]their Priests, but onely apprehend them, if they should happen to meet them. But under your reigne, all our houses (against the liberties of free borne Subjects, as was de­clared in Master Pims case) were disquieted by the very dregs of mankind, continually infested with Saint Ignatius his Leopards, who the better he treated them, the worse they were, but as he said, Iniquitas eorum mea doctrina est, their iniquities taught us pati­ence.

This permission even of assemblies in point of Religion, especially in the exercise of a Religion which was not newly taken up, though different from that which was then in vogue, was by the Senate al­lowed, as that of the Jewes at Rome; Nay Suetonius tells us, that even the Christians were tol­lerated to assemble. Eusebius Hist. [Page 20]lib. 5. cap. 20. saith, that Commodus the Emperour punished even by death, such who accused Christi­ans, by reason of their quietnesse. And in his third booke, cap. 15. he tells how Nerva the Emperour did set Christians at liberty gene­rally by publique Proclamation, & hence Saint John was freed from Patmos. In fine, he recalled all power given to Poursuivants by his predecessours. How much more should Christian Senates allow of innocent meetings in celebration of a Religion, which all our fore­fathers professed. But ye persecu­ted both new and old Religions; I feare the bloud of all those, who have suffered death either by hanging, Loaplanding (as the Dutch call it) famishing or starving for Religion, will call for revenge, but we pray with our blessed Saviour and his Protomartyr, Saint Stephen, [Page 21]ne statuas illis hoc peccatum.

Saint Paul hath also taught us Rom. 12.5.21. Be not overcome of evill, but overcome good with evill. Nay Aristotle himselfe in 4. Eth. cap. 3. saith, it is a signe of magnani­mity to forget injuries. For as it is a marke of a weake Stomack not to be able to digest hard meat, so it is of a pusillanimous Soule, not to be able to indure a harsh word or harder threats. Cicero. lib. 2. Tusc, ques. (speaking of wise mens patience) saith, si fortis in perferen­do, officii satis est: ut laetetur, non postulo. These Christian wise men have gone further even to joy in Persecutions. Aristotle, when the Athenians were consulting to pro­ceed in judgement against him, up­on suspition of some impiety in his opinions, departed from A­thens and removed his Schoole, saying to his Schollars, Discedamus [Page 22]Athenis, ne prebeamus iis secundam occasionem sceleris, quale prius per­petraverunt in Socratem, neve iterū per impietatem violent Philosophi­am, Thus tender Aristotle was of Philosophy and of their inno­cency: but our Christian Philo­sophers here have gone further, they think it necessary to confirme what they teach by their blood, and therefore will not desist. This Paraphrase comes not yet home. Ye are ambitious to challenge Martyrs in confirmation of your Prelatique Protestancy, but how unhappily, let all men witnesse even by Master Foxes adulterate Monuments.

For first, never any dyed for the whole complex or the Encyclopedia of your 39. Articles, the confessi­on whereof renders an adequate Praelatist, this is cleere in all Histo­ries: the truth is, it would have [Page 23]argued a phrensie to maintaine those Articles by death, which were only made to maintaine you in life; Againe, no man in his wits would expose himself even to dan­ger of death for matter of opinion, which must needs involve uncer­tainty, neither doe your Articles mount any higher, as Chilingworth ingenuously confesseth & therefore ye all professe a fallibility in your owne decrees, which is consequent enough. In some of your Articles you agree with us, so that if any of yours should dye for those, we might, if it were worth the while, challenge such as well as you, but Saint Paul to the Cor. 1. Chap. 13. Tertul. against Marian, lib. 4. Saint Cipr. to Antoniatus, Ep. 52. To Cornelius, Ep. 54. &c. S. Aug. against the Donatists and all the rest assure us, that, Esse Martyr non potest, qui in ecelesia dei non est. [Page 24]No member of Gods Catholique Church, no Martyr, and hereupon the Novatians, though sharply per­secuted by Macedonius for the same Doctrine concerning the Blessed Trinity, for which the Ca­tholiques also were, yet the Chri­stian world never esteemed them Martyrs.

Out of this ground it arose that none could be acknowledged or venerated, as Martyrs, except the Bishop of the place had fignifyed by writing to the Primate all par­ticulars in the processe, and then he declared them to be such, as appeares in S. Aug. Brevic. Collat. diei 3. cap. 13. where he shewes how Secundus Bishop of Trigisitan in Numidia signified to Mensurius Bishop and Primate, of Carthage, the particular passages of such, who had been put to death, because they would not obey Dioclesians Pro­clamation, [Page 25]in delivering the Sacred Bookes into their profane hands, and Mensurius declared them worthy to be celebrated, as Mar­tyrs: but to others who had suf­fered under the same pretence, yet for other defects, hee denied that honour, as appeares there. This solemne Act of Declaration was afterwards transferr'd and limited to the Pope, being conceived a businesse of high concernment to the whole Church. Truly, the Church hath beene alwayes so tender in this, that Councels, as Eliber. Can. 60. assume this authori­ty to themselves, and prescribe Rules in it, as there, if a Christian should be put to Death for having broken Idols, it is forbidden that hee be accounted a Martyr. It must bee done with due circum­stances.

And the case of St. Abda comes [Page 26]home to it, hee had pulled downe an Idolatrous Temple, for which Christians commended him not, but his refusall to rebuild the Temple was judged cause enough of Martyrdome, as Theodor. l. 5. c. 38. shewes. There might be rash­nesse in the first, but surely the re-building of an Idolatrous Temple, had beene impiety, and therefore was noble to die for it.

But if you will know what is required to be esteemed a Martyr in the sense of Catholiques, advise with our Authors especially, St. Thomas 2.2. q. 124. a. 40. & 50. and our other Divines. If you will further know the great ten­dernesse the universall Church hath used in recording & admitting the Gests of her undoubted Martyrs, read the 6. Gen. Councell Can. 63. which will tell you that the Roman Church will not permit the Acts [Page 27]of Martyrs to be read, which have beene written by Heretiques, nay the councell will have such Re­cords to be burnt.

In some Articles you agree with the Presbyterians, in others with the Independents: If any have dyed for either of these, each of them may come in as well as you, and yet these (consequent to your Principles) yee esteeme Separatists, that is, not capable of being Mar­tyrs.

Againe in some Articles you differ from us and them, which are the peculiar Tenents of Prae­latisme, and for these, they and wee know, that never any Man dyed, namely for your Episcopa­cy; and the adherent Doctrines, Therefore without doubt yee have no Martyrs, no not so much as Pseudo-Martyrs.

Secondly, you your selves in [Page 28]time of your Espiscopall Raigne cast many (besides Catholiques) Presbyterians, and Independents in­to Dungeons, where they dyed, beggard Families with oppressures, wherewith they famisht, cut off Eares, and banisht such, who adored not your Episcopall Idoll; And may not these joyne issue upon a farre greater title to Mar­tyrdome, then you? That the Prelatists had almost intreated the common people into a beliefe of this Fancy, I wonder not; For if wee looke back to the Donatists, who most of all represent them, as being zealous Prelatists, they were so ambitious of this honour, that many cast themselves into Precipices, and other wayes sought their owne Death, upon this pre­tence, as Optaetus Milevitanus, St. Augustine, and diverse others re­late. I leave you to tell us, whe­ther [Page 29]some of your party have not done the like in our memories.

The renowned Apollinaris in Eusebius l. 5. c. 15. saith of the Ca­taphrygeans or Montanists, that when all their Arguments were confuted and they driven to a non plus, they left disputing by way of Reason, and produced their Mar­tyrs, as proofe enough of their errours; Truly the Prelatists being reduced to a losse in point of rea­soning, for they have already confessed their domestique incon­sistencies, now (as yee see) they begin with them to challenge Martyrs, whom they would take up from all hands, but if wee de­plume them, by giving to each part their own, as I have toucht, wee shall leave them as naked in point of Martyrs, as Plato's Cock in point of being a man.

We might wonder that in every [Page 30]clause, even in this your fainting condition, you still strike at the poore Catholiques, (Wormes tro­den will shew their heads, for de­fence) truly you seeme to be much of the nature of Foxes, whose an­tipathy is so great against innocent Lambes, that their Skinnes made into Drummes will by invisible beames or spirits, endeavour the breaking of a Drum made of Lambs Skin; But it recoyles upon you, this Drum being well beaten, will with innocency destroy your rangling and jangling dissonancies. You force us to sharpen our Pens, and against our inclination to give our Inke a tincture of Gall, lest wee should not seeme sensible of your frequent scornes in this Act. It was S. Hierem & S. Augustines case in their conflicts with the Donatists, Pelagians and the rest.

S. Augustine tell us of a House [Page 31]infested with evill spirits, for re­medy whereof hee sent some of his Monkes to say Masse, which presently dispelled the Divells, it would be no lesse efficatious now against all ill spirits, who infest Gods Servants in their quiet at­tending to his Service. The holy Masse is able to humble those fictitious Priests in Iamblicus in his Treatise of Mysteries, who threatned the Gods to breake the Heavens, and reveale Isis her Se­crets, to stop the Egyptian Sacred Ship, &c. you seeme to threaten Gods Ship, which is his Church, &c. but all signifie your imminent destruction.

Your second Reason is also con­siderable, that wee know not what your Religion is, since you your selves cannot yet agree on it, nor indeed know where to stay, since yee left us, you rightly conclude [Page 32]this, and the changes of your Ar­ticles of Beleife even in the highest mysteries of Doctrine, as of Pre­destination, finall Apostacy from grace and the rest, &c. too too abundantly declare, that hitherto you have wandered in false and strange Doctrines. A miserable con­dition for all your Proselites, now after so many years to be to seeke Reasons in point of Doctrine, why yee left us, and yet severely punished us to bloud for not fol­lowing you.

Yee assumed to your selves a magisteriall power of dictating Divinity to your followers, and yet you are not agreed upon your owne Tenets, this is like Peter Martyr in Oxford, who sent to the Parliament to know how hee should expound, Hoc est corpus meum to his auditors; Thus your own practises discover and destroy [Page 33]your designes, every proposition used in your Pulpits against us was Demonstratio [...], no reason durst be offred against it, and yet now you have destroyed all your selves.

Touching your additionall Reason of our charging you with embracing a Parliament Religion.

Can you your selves call it any other, then Parliamentary? I wonder yee boggle at this, did not a Parliament lay the first Stone, when Hen. the 8. made his breach from Rome, which yee cite after in your Paragraph to the Oath of Su­premacy? did it not in the begin­ning of Queen Elizabeth augment that breach in abolition of Masse, &c.? Is not the Supreame power over all Doctrines by severall Acts transferred by Parliament to the [Page 34] Imperiall Crowne of this Realme, cited in the same Paragraph? was it not also re-established by King James in the Parliaments? and so ever since continued to your great griefes. All men know the passages of this. Is there any thing believed to this day any further then setled by Parliament, as you in your next (number 2.) confesse? Nay, doe not your posteriour Writers pro­fesse, that settlement of Religion is solely to be had from the civill Power? And upon this ground, they teach that Inhabitants in any Countrey should follow the Re­ligions, how often soever changed there, which was the antiquated impiety of Celsus, strengthned by him in many examples, and strong­ly confuted by Origen, fol. 484. c. 2. Upon which supposition, wee might come at last to worship a [...] insteed of GOD, as the [Page 35] Aegyptians did, by Origens relation fol. 485. c. 1.

But to prevent such absurdi­ties, the Prophet Isay 49.43. foretelling the times and Method of Government under Christiani­ty, and the Churches Supremacy, as condistinct to temporall prin­cipality, saith, Kings shall bow down to her with their Face toward the Earth, and lick up the dust of her Feete, which surely will reach to a submission in Doctrines; but this concernes not your imaginary Church; the Prophet, who fore­told Christs comming, and his true Churches Birth and Progresse, ne­ver dreamed of such a Hypocentaur, as you had framed, which nei­ther was Catholique nor Pro­testant.

I conceive it therefore the no­blest pretence you have to pleade your Origin from a Parliament, [Page 36]which being supposed, you will easily finde the way of your Re­formation and destruction to bee equally authenticall, because by Act of Parliament; warranted by that Rule Per easdem causas aliquid resolvitur, per quas componitur, but because this is a Rule amongst Lawyers; whom you esteeme no Friends to Athens, I doe not urge it; onely remember it is the same way, and as far from your Col­ledges to the Convocation House, as from thence to your Colledges, and all is done.

You go on in your Reasons.

3. By a tacite acknowledgment that there is some thing in the Doctrine, and worship, whereunto their conformity hath beene required, not agreeable to the Word of God, and consequently justifying them both, the one in his Recusancy, the other in his separation.

You well conclude this, for indeed it followes very evidently, being necessarily and virtually in­cluded in the premises: If your forme of Faith must be changed, surely it convinces that wee, not you, have beene in the right, agree­ably to Gods Word, which can not change. So that it is cleare that you are the Separatists being changed in Doctrine and worship, yet here you very prodigally call others Separatists, as not agreeing with your fancies.

Why the Independent party should be styled Separatists by you of the Prelatique, I know not: The Independents indeed justly Se­parated from you, and you unlaw­fully from us; Why a just Separa­tion from you should make these to be Sectaries (as you often stile them) or Separatists, and your unlawfull separation, not more [Page 38]strongly conclude against your selves, who first separated from your true Mother, they from an Adulteresse; Let all men judge. I feare you have forgotten the Ante-Predicaments, and the Rules of denomination: you have hitherto done with us, as the Gentiles did with old Christians, when they appointed some upon their Theaters, to imitate their Religious Acts in derision of Christians, as Eu­sebius and the rest relate; But God sometimes even miraculously turn­ed their jests into earnest, as Baron. To. 2. a. 303. and elsewhere shewes in the case of Ardalion and Genesius, and S. August. Ep. 67. of Dioscorus. You have acted our parts at your pleasure in your Pulpits hitherto, and yee have taught others to doe the like to you: many of yours with Genesius and some of your Diosco­rists, [Page 39]the Arch Players, of deriders, have become serious imbracers of Catholique truth. It is the grea­test harme we wish you all.

Nicetas Choniates in his Annals under Manuel Comnenus, tells of a Magician, who had so farre dementated a poore Waterman, that hee broake in pieces his Boat full of Pots and Pans, and such like Vessells of Earth; The poore man seemed to see a horrible Serpent creeping towards him, which hee endeavouring to kill, broke all, and then the Serpent vanished. This was done in sight of all at Court. Methinks much after this manner, you have beene dementated to breake your selves off from all Communion with others, esteeming all Separatists, where as indeed you made all the breaches, and even in all our sights and at the Court, as that poore [Page 40]man did, still thinking to preserve your selves by that which was your ruine.

But you goe on.

4. By an implyed Confession, that the Lawes formerly made against Papists, in this Kingdome and all punishments by vertue thereof in­flicted upon them, were unjust, in punishing them for refusing to joyne with us in that forme of worship, which our selves, as well as they, doe not approve of.

Thus far you rightly observe; And surely it concernes you to thinke sadly upon it: how many have lost their Lives, others their Estates for not conforming to your unsound Doctrines, which all your Brethren, and almost the whole Country are weary of, and therefore urge for change in your [Page 41]Doctrine and Worship, as not agreeable to the Word of God. Julian was more visibly punished by God then many Heathen per­secuting Emperours, by reason of his Apostacy, the crime seemed greater in him; I doubt you will bee the like examples of Gods Justice, and confesse with him, when it is too late, Vicisti Galilaee. When wee are first entred into Aristotles Schoole, we are taught to proceede in due forme, lest an acute adversary should reduce us ad impossibile, that is, to some in­evitable absurdity. Truly, you have argued so preposterously that though your Adversary would not, yee have intricated your selves in a sad labyrinth.

It was accustomarily given out that Catholiques were not in time of your Reigne punished for Re­ligion, but for non-conformity [Page 42]in points of State. But here yee have taken away that Vizard, in holding forth to all the World, that the Lawes were made, and the punishments, (in order to those Lawes) inflicted, for refusing to joyne in your forme of Worship. You see into what a Dilemma you are unadvisedly plung'd, me-thinkes you might have made provision in your Convocation Acts against cor­nuted Arguments. The truth is your proceeding against. Catho­liques, argued the whole Roman Church in your judgements to bee [...] a City of Rogues, not civitas sancta, Gods Church, and therefore wee were in all things used like and numbred with rogues and thieves.

The Cynicks, that they might be like to Hercules, fighting against the Lyons, assumed for their Dresse, a Staffe, instead of his [Page 43]Club, and an old cloake. Hence the Donatists and their off-spring the Circumcellians in Afrique used just the same: you have beene indeed very formall and more Ecclesiastique-like, then your neighbouring Scots in your Cano­nicall cloakes, but you agreed in your club-law in persecution of Ca­tholiques and all others, who could not conforme their consciences to your Ganons, and behaved your selves very cynically towards us all, unhappily following your old Friends the Donatists; though Lactantius saith, that nothing is so voluntary, as Religion, which without the wills consent, is no­thing. It was therefore esteemed high gallantry in the Roman Emperours, to impose onely such commands upon the Jewes, as were consistent with their Religion, as Ʋlpian Records. [Page 44]

None of you are ignorant how much, and how long wee have suffred under the heavy imputati­on of the Gunpowder Treason, a crime so highly opposite to our Tenets, that to assert it lawfull, were heresy with us. Nero, when he had set Rome on fire, could not easier turne the horrour of it upon any, and free himselfe, then to lay it upon us, as hee did, accord­ing to the testimony of all the Roman Historians, though they themselves discover his falsnesse in it: Even thus when the Plot was layd for that horride attempt of the Gunpowder, it was easily cast upon us, and to that end a few young desperate persons over-reached and drawne into it, that under that colour, wee might all be traduced, whereas the very memory of it is odious to all Catholiques; but time discovers [Page 45]the most secret machinations, and will cleare all calumnies.

Yet you adventure to goe on:

1. Without manifest wrong unto our selves, our Consciences, Repu­tation and Estates, in bearing false witnesse against our selves, and sundry other wayes: by swearing to endeavour to reforme that as corrupt and vicious; Which wee have for­merly by our personall Subscription, approved as agreeable to Gods word, and have not beene since either condemned by our owne Hearts for so doing, or convinced in our Judg­ments, by any of our Brethren, that therein we did amisse.

2. Which in our Consciences, wee are perswaded not to be in any of the foure specified particulars (as it standeth established) much lesse in the whole foure against the Word of God.

3. Which wee verily believe and (as wee thinke upon good grounds) to be in sundry respects much better, and more agreeable to the Word of God, and the practise of the Catho­lique Church, then that, which wee should by the former words of this Article sweare to preserve.

4. Whereunto the Lawes (Stat. 13. Eliz. 12.) yet in force require of all such Clerks as shall bee admitted to any Benefice the signification of their hearty assent to bee attested openly in the time of Divine Service; before the whole Congregation there present, within a limitted time, and that under paine (upon default made) of the losse of every such Benefice.

5. Without manifest danger of perjury, this Branch of the Article (to our best understanding) seeming directly contrary

1. To our former Solemne Pro­testation [Page 47]which wee have bound our selves neither for Hope, Feare or other respect ever to relinquish. Wherein the Doctrine, which wee have vowed to maintaine, by the name of the true Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England. We take to be the same, which now we are required to endeavour to Reforme and Alter.

2. To the Oath of Supremacy, by us also taken according to the Lawes of the Realme, and the Statutes of our Ʋniversity in that behalfe, wherein having first testified and declared in our Consciences, that the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreme Governour of this Realme, wee do after Sweare to our power to assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Priviledges, Preheminences, and Authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highnesse, his Haires and [Page 48]Successours, or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme. One of which Priviledges and Preheminences, by an expresse. Statute so annexed, and that ever In terminis in the selfe same words, in a manner with those used in the Oath, is the whole power of Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction for the Correction, and Reformation of all manner of Errours and Abuses in matters Ecclesiasticall (such Juris­dictions, Priviledges, Superiorities, and Preheminences Spirituall, and Ecclesiasticall, as by any, &c. for the Visitation of the Ecclesiasticall State and Persons, and for Reforma­tion, Order and Correction of the same, and of all manner of Errors, Hevesies, Schismes, Abuses, Offences, Contempts, and Enormities, shall for ever by Authority of this present Parliament be united, and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this [Page 49]Realme, as by the words of the said Statute more at large appeareth. The Oath affording the Proposition, and the Statute the Assumption, wee finde no way how to avoyd the Conclusion. The Statute is en­tituled, An Act Restoring to the Crowne the ancient Jurisdiction, &c. 1. Eliz. 1.

To these in briefe thus.

I doubt not but many of your weaker Proselites esteeme this Discourse so harmonious, as to have power to make Stones dance, as they followed Amphion to the Theban Walls, or to tosse the lofty Offa and Banchaia, and take us all off our Legs, as of old at the hearing the Odrysian Harpe: But wee'l ponder your Musick.

1. If it be not lawfull for you without manifest wrong to your [Page 50] selves, Consciences, Reputation and Estates to reforme your Doctrine. How was it lawfull for the first Broachers of your Articles, to pretend Reformation of the Doctrines they had sworne unto under us, did not they beare false witnesse against themselves, and are not you their issue conceived in Perjury? It is ingenuously done of you, to confesse you had a very considerable Eye to the losse of your Estates, in refusing the Covenant, though experience now teacheth you, that the Covenan­ters themselves are not exempted from that losse. Non est consilium contra Dominum, your policies did not succeed. How free were Catholiques from this Avarice? They prodigally exposed all, ra­ther then to grate upon their Consciences. This was not obsti­nacy but constancy, like the old [Page 51]Christians in S. Basiles time, who would not admit the change of a particle, superest disserere de Syllaba, oum unde caeperit, &c. No change of Faith with them.

2. Catholiques were forced (as much as in you lay) to condemne what they were not, nor yet are convinced of in their Judgements, that the former, that is, the old Catholique Doctrines are not a­greeable to Gods Word; Wee must therefore cry aloud with Tertullian (de Pres. c. 3.) against Hermogenes. Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officinae, &c. Shew us where it is written that we must forsake stated truths for your variable conceits, altogether dis­agreeing from Gods word. This plea will destroy you wholy, and with all Justice restore us at least to a quiet condition under the Profession of our old Tenets. [Page 52] Ptolomey (though of a different profession to both parties,) was thought capable to determine the Schismaticall Controversie of the two Temples of Hierusalem, and Garizim.

3. Catholiques did not onely believe, but knew that their Doctrines were much better, and more agreeable to the Word of God, and the practise of the Catholique Church, then your fancies: And yet were compel­led either to sweare to them, or lose all. Wise men do not onely provide for the present in ma­king Lawes, but foresee and pre­vent future, and as much as may bee even possible dangers. Had yee consulted with old Lycur­gus, hee found other wayes to perennize his owne Lawes, and perswade an Opinion of their Divine Origen: but your Eutopia [Page 53]hath destroyed it selfe by your owne Fundamentall Lawes, they are now with full force retorted upon your selves, as all men see, and consequently enforce your ruine for want of Foun­dation.

Besides the falsity of your Doctrines in themselves, you have all the outward Habiliments of Sectaries, by which the old Church of Christ discovered their No­velties. Athanasius destroyes Arianisme in his Tract of the Synods of Arimine, and Seleucia by this most certaine Argument. Ʋrsacius & Valens, Geminius, cum caeteris suis Gregalibus id fecere, quod antea nec factum nec audi­tum est apud Christianos. Cum enim Scripsissent eam fidem quam voluerunt, addidere & Consulatum & mensem, diemque ejus tempo­ris, ut omnibus prudentibus palam [Page 54]facerent, non olim sed nunc demum eorum fidem sub Constantio initi­um accepisse. Thus S. Basil (Ep. 82.) and the rest confuted He­resies even by this Extrinsecall consideration, and it was alwayes amongst Christians esteemed suf­ficient to assigne the Consulship, the time and day of their Sub­scriptions. Which of you or us cannot retrive your forme of Faith not onely to the reigne of which Prince, but of the Lord Major under whom it began, even with as much ease as this Act of the Convocation? The Pithagorians did use to build Hearses for such, who should apostatize from Philosophy, e­steeming them no better then dead men; How much more should some such course bee taken for those, who forsake Christian Phi­losophy, and turne to Heresies and Errors! [Page 55]

I wonder you doe not blush to pretend the practise of the Catholique Church: Here is re­pugnantia in adjecto as Logitians speake, a Catholique Church con­fined to England, you pretend no further then England, for you say true Protestant Religion ex­pressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England; Indeed this Iland hath beene stiled Orbis Bri­tannicus, a World by it selfe, but it is a very little Catholick Church, which encompaseth not this very Iland. (For, Scotland is exclu­ded by your own Confession.) So that if this Iland were the World, it is not Catholique.

The reason why at Antioch the Name of Christians was ad­ded as a Surname to the Belie­vers in Christ; St. Athanasius in a Disputation against Arius sets downe to bee, because they [Page 56]were before called Disciples, which Name also Dositheus, one Judas and others (as well false as true Teachers) gave to their Dis­ciples, and therefore the Apostles, for distinction would have their Disciples to be surnamed Christians, which was prophecied by Isaias e. 62. Servientibus mihi vocabitur novum nomen, &c. yet afterwards Heretiques abusively tooke this Name also, and rendred it exe­crable to the Pagans, by their ill lives and abominable Doctrines, as Tertullian demonstrates in his Apologetico. Whereupon the ce­lebrated adjunct of Catholique was taken up and appropriated to Orthodox Christians against the Marcionites, Harpocratians, and after the Donatists, and the rest; of which also they were am­bitious (as appeares often in St. Augustines Collations with them) [Page 57]even by as much title as you, peruse him, and acknowledge your selves non Suited: the reason of this attribute was universality, as Origen declares in his Dialogue, and all the ancient testify: Pacia­nus wrote a whole Treatise of the very Name Catholique, which is yet extant, though hee lived somewhat before St. Hierome. Out of these examine your Title, and you will finde it vaine, trie it by this test, and learne to renounce, what yee have unjustly usur­ped.

Your last plea of perjury was not admitted to Catholiques, who adhered to their first Tenents in the generall revolt of this Coun­try, yet you urge it handsomly to convince all your Brethren of high perjury, in taking such an Oath, which you your selves judge to be false, since yee deny [Page 58]that there is such a power in Parliaments, as yee said above, and consequently in the Crowne, being all the pretence you al­leadge; for it was from Parlia­ments.

This point of forcing mens Consciences with Oathes in mat­ter of beliefe, is excellently de­clared (in a Letter written by Sir Alexander Irving a Scot, da­ted the 20. Jan. 1651. to the Presbytery of Aberdeen, and since Printed by authority) to bee greater then any other tyranny, namely to make men sweare that they believe, what the imposers know, or may presume they doe not thinke: This is a sure way to send the swearers to the De­vill, especially if (to compleat their Malice) the Imposers should presently kill them, as I hear of a Varlet, who out of revenge [Page 59]made a wretch first forsweare his Religion, and then instantly stabd him, lest he should live and repent.

I could wish you & others would vouchsafe to reade, not our School­men, that were too much labour, but our Summists at least, to learne what conditions are required in a Lawfull taking, or imposing Oaths.

You proceede. The SECOND ARTICLE OF THE COVENANT.

First, is cannot, but affect us with some griefe, and amazement to see that ancient forme of Church-Government, which wee heartily and (as wee hope) worthily ho­nour, as under which our Religion was at first so orderly without Violence or Tumults, and so hap­pily reformed, and hath since so long florished with Truth and Peace, to [Page 60]the honour, and happinesse of our own, and the envy and admiration of other Nations, not only

1. Endeavoured to be extirpa­ted, without any reason offered to our understandings, for which it should be thought necessary, or but so much as expedient so to doe; But also

2. Ranked with Popery, Supersti­tion, Heresy, Schisme and prophanesse, which wee unfainedly professe our selves to detest as much as any others whatsoever.

3. And that with some intimation also, as if that Government were some way or other so contrary to sound Doctrine, or the power of Godlinesse, that whosoever should not endeavour the extirpation thereof, must of ne­cessity partake in other mens sinnes, which we cannot yet be perswaded to believe.

To your first.

Was not England reformed from [Page 61]Infidelity to Christianity without violence or tumult, and so continu­ed till Henry the Eights rupture, both in body and minde? did it not continue in admiration of all Nations, because it never admitted any Heresies? was it not endeavor­ed to bee extirpated without any reasons offered to our understand­ing, &? yet let mee also tell you that your pretended Reformation came not in, nor continued without violence. At the very first, was there not violence offred in the first Parliament w^ch began it in Edw. 6. time, what course was then taken in the choice of Parliament men? again what violence in keeping out the Bishops, who then were necessary Members, that the Vote might be carried for suppression of Masse, and establishing your Common-Prayer Book. And did it not con­tinue by bloud? The onely argu­ment [Page 62]used to induce Catholique to adhere to your new Schismati­call Prelacy, was that, which began and continues the Alcaron, which is the Sword, or (which is more ignominious) the Gallowes, Yet you live under those Governours, who promise not to exercise vio­lence upon Consciences, which is your happinesse. But if they should make use of your Lawes, and argue with you ad hominem, that way out of your principles, there would be title for cruelties enough: yee hare very closely followed the steps of your predecessors the Donatists, whose bloudy proxagation of their Heresies St. Hierom in his Treatise against them towards the end of the third Booke, shewes: So does Orosius also and St. Augustine, (of the City of God) which he dedicated to Marcellinus, who was mur­thered by them. God forbid that [Page 63]any Phalaris should put you to Perillus his punishment, recorded in Ovid.

What a number of penall Lawes were in your time & by your pro­motion, made against tender Con­sciences? and how rigidly put in execution? How many tyrannicall Sentences and Censures did you passe in your high Comm ssion court, for meer Peccadillo's? What Forfei­tures and Mulcts were imposed on all such as refused to be present at your adored Service of Common-Prayer? which is now become so nauseous to the generality of People, that it is not to be heard of in the whole Nation, unlesse in some occult or remote Crany, and of whose Origin, continuation, and Exit, you may take this as a sure re­cord, [Page 64]that it was established by a Parliament on the 29 of May, 1549. and was abolish'd on the 26 of Novemb. 1644. by the like authori­ty; Thus long did it, and your Re­ligion continue, without flourishing, either to the happinesse of our own, or to the envy or admiration of any other Nation.

But on the contrary, is it not most apparent, that these and such like your unchristian actions and fana­tique Innovations, were the onely cause of all our late troubles?

Hinc illae Lachrymae.

From this Source hath issued a stream of bloud, and a fountain of tears in the late warres; Nor can it seem strange, that Almighty God should at length unsheath his sword to revenge the innocent: You know Haman was hang'd on the Gallowes, which he erected for Mardocheus: But wee pray, that you may finde mercy.

To the Second.

Was not Catholike Religion by you called Popery, and ranked with Superstation? &c. and hath it not by your selves to this day been so ca­lumniated amongst the common people, that they do yet take it to be really so? In so much that one of your learned'st Prelates (whose name out of civility I spare, for I fight not against persons, but causes) being asked by a grave gentleman of your Prelatick Church, why you did accuse the Church of Rome of such crimes, as Superstition and Idolatry, which she had suppres­sed in this Nation, and in the whole world, as all Histories witness. Your Bishop answered ingenuously, That this Prelatick Protestancy began with lies and so it must continue. Hence this Gentleman took his rise to become Catholike, Credidit & domus ejus iota. and all his Family. Let [Page 74]not any man much wonder at this private confession of the Bishop, for it is very well consistent with what others have taught in publike. M^r. Gregory in his Opuscula page 145. hath these words; We make Religion but a politike engine; which being supposed, the Bishop would not have had much labour to prove his Thesis.

It's pretty to observe what strange devises Bishop Bancroft and others used to raise schismes amongst Ca­tholikes, as was confessed in Parlia­ment; as S. Augustine saith of Ju­lian, By this means he thought to de­stroy the Christian name, when out of his envy to the Churches unity, whence he had fallen, he permitted sacrilegi­ous dissentions, to be free from censure. You see whence they derived their Machiavelisme; but all in vain, we all stick to the rock, when their san­dy foundation failes. And question [Page 75]lesse it had fail'd as soon as concei­ved, if the people had not easily been carried away with any, though meer appearances of Reformation, and the hope of gain, by the sup­pression of religious houses, accord­ing to that, Sparta diu stetit, non quod Rex bene imperabat, sed quia po­pulus bene parebat. You are well read in the history of Perkin War­beek, he had so long lied in perso­nating a King, that the Lord Chan­cellour Bacon saith, he did at last verily think himself to be the King. And really I do believe you had so long told this untruth of Catho­liques, that many of you began to believe, that we were superstitious indeed; your serious manner of speaking would almost make us think so, were not the thing so ridiculous; that we should be superstitious, who onely have destroyed superstition, to the asto­nishment [Page 76]of the world.

Who could believe that D. Ʋsher should not blush to preach so impu­dent an untruth, as that Catholiques hold Fornication to be lawfull; a­gainst Scriptures, Fathers, and Coun­cells, and the very Catechismes wherewith we teach our children yet this he said on Sunday the 25. of Jan. 1651. at Lincolns-Inne. I would not mention so high a crime to his dishonour, if it had not been com­mitted in that publique Theater and so first published by himselfe. And by this we see what ground the other Bishop had for his ingenuous Confession.

To your third.

Still it runs right. Here is poem talionis, which God inflicts upon you. Reflect upon this well, and se [...] how justly God hath retorted upon you, what your Pulpits belched con­stantly [Page 77]against us for so many years, and through our sides against your and our parents, and against the whole Catholique world, in respect of which, ye deserve not the imagi­nary title of a Shadow.

But you go on.

4. And we desire it may be conside­red, in case a Covenant of like form should be tendered to the Citizens of London, wherein they should be re­quired to swear they would sincerely, really, and constantly, without respect of persons, endeavour the extirpation of Treason, (the City Government by a Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffes, Common Councell, and other Officers depending thereon) murther, adultery, theft, cosenage, and whatsoever shall be, &c. left they should partake in o­ther mens sins; whether such a tendry could be looked upon by any Citizen that had the least spirit of freedome in [Page 78]him, as an act of justice, meekness and reason.

How still it runs alike, and justly to be retorted upon you from Ca­tholiques, and with some notorious advantage: for this plea of yours is but a pretty fancy, and ends in words, but you have gone further with us, we have been publiquely and ignominiously hanged with murtherers, thieves, and reputed Traytors; and these have been look­ed upon by you, as acts of justice, meekness and reason; as appears in my L. of Canterbury his Epistle to the late King. But we will hear you fur­ther.

Secondly, for Episcopall Govern­ment; we are not satisfied how we can with a good conscience swear to endea­vour the extirpation thereof; first in respect of the thing it self; concerning which Government we think we have reason to believe;

1. That it is (if not Jure Divino in the strictest sense, that is to say, ex­pressely commanded by God in his Word) yet of Apostolicall Instituti­on, that is to say, was established in the Churches by the Apostles, accord­ing to the mind, and after the example of their Master Jesus Christ, and that by vertue of their ordinary power, and authority derived from him, as de­puted by him Governours of his Church.

2. Or at least, that Episcopall A­ristocracy hath a fairer pretention, and may lay a juster title and claim to a divine justification, then any of the o­ther forms of Church Government can do; all which yet do pretend thereun­to (viz.) that of the Papall Monar­chy, that of the Presbyterian Demo­cracy, and that of the Independents by particular Congregations, or gathered Churches.

How feebly do these (however [Page 80]learned) men argue in this radicall point, which cuts the very sinews and heart strings of their Idol: their motions are unequall, like a hen, when her head is struck off, they skip and leap inordinately with If's and Ana's. B. Ʋsher at the Isle of Wight gave a short come off, saying, that the Government by Bishops was not so necessary, as to break the peace for it; yet he scruples not to break the peace of the universall Church, for things which they all confess less necessary. In fine, all of you are very short in this fundamentall point; I love Lypsius his Laconisme, rather then Cicero'es Dilatations; but this must be considered promateria sub­strata: this matter needed all possi­ble to picks to strengthen it, if you had them; but I see your pantry is slenderly provided, forasmuch as concerns your title to Episcopacy, which is your aim to defend, I will [Page 81]afterward shew the weaknesse of your title.

Had you consulted the Archives of the University, and retrived the businesse now in hand to Wickliffs time and Tenets, you would have found another kind of solution re­gistred of the Convocation house, and I believe much more savouring of well-grounded Divinity, as applied to Episcopacy in it selfe, not to yours. For the comparison you make of Episcopall Aristocracy, and Papall Monarchy, are termes, which your young Sophisters call Oucate­gorimaticall, they signifie nothing as to this purpose; For the question is not which is best, but whether the first can be without the last; you must first secure us de re, then de modo.

For example, there is a controver­sie betwixt Aristotle and Galen, whe­ther the seat of the soul is in the head or heart: it were little to their [Page 82]purpose to assert one of these to be better then the other, as separate from the other in its own nature; but the way to determine it, is from the operations of the soule, to see first if it will give life to one with­out the other; and therefore Aver­roes saith, that he saw a ram walk a little when the head was struck off: Truly this proof will hold in you; you have made a great bluster for a time, since the Popes head was taken off by Harry the VIII but ye see now you could continue no more then Averro's [...]am, because your life was from the Pope; and upon this supposition, the second question ceaseth.

Ye go on.

2. But we are assured by the un­doubted testimony of antient Records, and later Histories, that this forme of Government hath been continued with [Page 83]such an universall, uninterrupted, un­questioned succession in all the Chur­ches of God, and in all the Kingdomes that have beene called Christian throughout the whole world, for fifteen hundred years together, that there ne­ver was in all that time any considera­ble opposition made thereagainst. That of Acrius was the greatest wherein yet there was little consideration beside these two things; that it grew at the first but out of discontent, and gained him at the last but the reputation of an Heretique. From which antiquity and continuance, we have just cause to fear that to endeavour the extirpation thereof, &c.

Excuse me that I tell you here a­gain you speak high words without sense, as they are applied to your pre­tence of Episcopacy. It is a great truth, that Gods Church was uni­versally govern'd by Bishops; but this is not the question, but whether [Page 84]your Schismaticall Bishops succeed­ed lawfully from that old Episcopa­cy; that is, whether the Church of God acknowledged Episcopacy law­full, which erected Altar against Al­tar, which stood in division from all Bishops throughout the rest of the world, and could not give letters Communicatories to Rome, or to the other Patriarchs.

Your Proposition I deny not, be­ing in it self true; as in the Councell of Constantinople, where under Ar­cadius, Origen's books were questi­oned; the Fathers rejected not such books as wer [...] found Orthodox, notwithstanding his others were full of err [...]s; and [...]oth S. Hierome Ep. 75. and S. Aug. Ep. 9. followed the same method in them, and after the Se [...] Apostolique. But as ve [...] qui­vocally use the term Episcopacy, as signifying your nothing, so I must de­ny it, and connumerate it with your errours.

Again, you strike upon Tradition for your Episcopacy, wherein you commit a great soloecism in Divini­ty. If it had been for Episcopacy in it self, without restriction to your Idol, you had come home indeed; but as it was presented in your pide-coloured tincture, it was never a­mongst the Ancient, except Coly­thus and his complices might be ad­mitted into the head of your list, from whom you have an Jschyrian generation of Priests; which S. A­thanasius, and (as he assures us) the generall Councell, and (I am sure) the whole Church ever since con­demned for spurious.

But in good earnest, it is strange to see with what modesty you e­steem a meer pretences for as much as concerns your Episcopacy of fifteen hundred years possession, to be an invincible plea in this point, and a reall and clear prescription for so [Page 86]many ages shall not hold for all o­thers, as most undoubtedly there was not any considerable opposition a­gainst Masse, till Calvins time; (Lu­ther was not so impudent as to take it away,) and how he fared in the sense of the whole Church, we all know; and so for many more high Articles (of which I speak after­ward) wherein you are fallen: All men, carefull of their souls, will sad­ly consider this.

It was truly and usually said of an eminent Bishop of your Order, that he was Puritanus tantùm non in Episcopatu. The same is as truly said of these pretenders to Episcopacy; that they condemn Antiquity in all things except Episcopacy: If novelty be not lawfull in this, why in all o­ther doctrines, which you relin­quisht against Antiquity? It's not Antiquity, but fancy and ambition you follow, els a true Syllogism in [Page 87]the same form will always con­clude.

You put me in mind of the Asse, who wresting Orpheus his sharp out of Apollo's hand, played so ill-fa­vouredly, that the very dogs barked at him. I will not be thought to ap­ply this to you, yet I must needs say that you begin to wrest our divine Arguments out of our hands, and ye handle them so unhandsomly and jarringly from all our and your principles, that all sorts of men will see, whence, and how injuriously you take them.

You go on.

1. —Would give such advantage to the Papists who usually object a­gainst us and our Religion, the con­tempt of antiquity, and the love of novelty, that we should not be able to wipe off the aspersion.

2. Would so diminish the just au­thority due to the consentient judg­ment [Page 88]and practise of the universall Church; the best Interpreter of Scriptures in things not clearly exprest;Reader, ob­serve what ne­cessity there is for all sorts of Christians to recurre to Tradition. (for, Lex currit cum praxi) that without it we should be at a loss in sundry points, both of faith and manners, at this day firmly believ­ed, and securely practised by us; when by the Socinians, Anabaptists, and other Sectaries, we should be called upon for our proofs. As name­ly, sundry Orthodoxall explicati­ons concerning the Trinity and Co­equality of the persons in the God­head against the Arians and other Heretiques; the number, use, and efficacy of Sacraments; the Bapti­zing of Infants National Churches; the observation of the Lords day; and even the Canon of Scripture it selfe. [Page 89]

3. In respect of our selves, we are not satisfied, how it can stand with the Principles of Justice, In­genuity, and Humanity, to require the extirpation of Episcopall Go­vernment, (unlesse it had been first clearly demonstrated to be unlaw­full) to be sincerely and really en­deavoured by us.

To the first.

Indeed you cannot wipe off the aspersion, no more then a Blackmore his colour. You have given us a strange advantage; and in this one passage put an affront upon all your former abettors. An eminent per­son of your order, (being urged with the antiquity of our tenets) re­plied, that if things were to be sal­ved by antiquity, then sin would chal­lenge great pre-eminency. Thus far hath this plea been derided by you. I could fill and foul many sheets, in [Page 90]giving a syllable of your Authors for this. Yet all antient Fathers and Councells esteemed this an infallible Plea; and therefore the Nicene Fa­thers, as appears in Athan. his Epistle of the Nicene Decrees, cryed, Ecce nos demonstramus istiusmodi sententi­am, à patribus ad patres, quasi per ma­nus traditam esse. They esteemed it enough to shew a constant descent of their faith, and this is our chal­lenge against you.

To the second.

I see you forget that your 6.20.21. Articles exclude all orall Tra­ditions, it hath been the maine pre­tended cause of scandall, and (as ye have judg'd it) most fundamentall, that Catholiques plead a necessity of Apostolicall I raditions with the divine Scriptures. Have not all the books of your Writers to this day been filled in proofe of the suffici­ency [Page 91]of Scriptures? and yet now e­ven in the highest points of Christian Doctrine, you acknowledge a ne­cessity to have recourse to Tradition: what man could have read this your second reason, and not have concei­ved that this Praelatike slip had been again inserted into the old incorrup­tible Trunk or Body of the Catho­lique Church? but the truth is, that self-interest compells you to speak truth against your old Doctrines: this blow hath struck you under the fifth rib; and like the poor Pilgrime of Hiericho, layed you wholly on your backs, as objects of pity.

You specifie here many of the highest mysteries, and to omit the rest; you acknowledge, that the Orthodox explication of the B. Tri­nity cannot be had from the Scrip­ture alone without the Church. Have not we then reason to confesse the Scripture alone not sufficient? If you [Page 92]did stand to this truth, there had not been such subdivisions of sects, who deny the B. Trinity, amongst you. I have not indeed heard of many who embrace Arrius his Tenet, that is, that the Son is God, but not co-e­ternall with the Father, nor equall to him, as Athanasius shews that he held; but there are under the lati­tude of the Praelatique party, who with Paulus Samosatenus, Corpo­cras, &c. call in question his Deity, and restraine him to his humanity; and hence some eminent persons, taking scandall, left you, and are joyn'd to the Catholike Church.

Nay, you are not ashamed to run, though vainly, to Traditions, for the chiefest grounds of your own Praela­tive Sect, herein confessing, that, Scripture cannot reach them: But to leave this to your selves, let me in­stance more of our Doctrines which you most calumniate. What more [Page 93]universal Tradition was extant then Masse? that is the propitiatory Sa­crifice of the Body and Bloud of Christ, offered daily and perpetually for the living and the dead. Read Mr. Perkins his Problemes, he tells you, that it was universally believed, that Christ gave his true Body and Bloud at his last Supper. Ask all the Liturgies since Christ. In like man­ner read them for Jnvocation of Saints, and Prayers for the Dead.

Nay that you may be assured, ask a Heathen Historian Ammianus Marcellinus, he will secure you, that Christian Religion teacheth Cultum Sanctorum, and to make ad­dresses to them, as he writes to Va­lentinian. If you bad yet rather have a Schismatique of your owne stamp, ask Lucilla a Patroness of the Donatists in lib. 1. of Optatus Millevitan.

As for prayers for the dead in or­der [Page 94]to remission of debts after this life, before that great day of gene­rall goal-delivery, or last fiery pur­gation, it was (as I conceive) pra­ctised always according to the sense of the Church universall by the East and West, and judged very profitable by them all. To omit particular Greek and Latine Fathers, it seemeth in the Councell of Florence to be the sense of the Greek and Latine Church, as appears in the narration of the whole dispute, printed at Lei­den in Holland; and the definition of the Councell it self seems to come exceeding home, where, in de­fining what souls come to heaven before the day of Iudgment (for that is the question there decided) the Fathers spake thus: Illorum etiam animas, qui post baptismum suscep­tum, nullam omnino peccati maculam incurrerunt, illas etiam quae post con­tractam peccati maculam vel in suis [Page 95]corperibus, vel eisdem exuti corpori­bus (prout dictum est superius) sunt purgatae, in coelum mox recipi, &c. Here they suppose some souls to be purged before the last day, els the discourse is not consequent, nor to the purpose: Which also is cleare in Pope Benedict XI. his Extravagant, which begins Benedictus Dens, &c. where, defining the same truth agita­ted under John 22. his words are, Si tum erit aliquod purgabile in eisdem, lamen post mortem suam purgabunt, &c. etiam ante resumptionem suorum corporum & judicium generale, &c. e­runt in coelo, &c. He defines that some will be purged before the re­taking of their bodies, and the gene­rall judgment, and will go to hea­ven.

This definition opens fully the sense of the definition of Florence, which is made in conformity to this, and almost in the very same words: [Page 96]so that I do not easily see what can be desired more. The sense of the old Church S. Augustine declares in his Enchyridion to Laurence, where speaking of such souls, he saith, quan­to magis minúsve bona pereuntia di­lexerunt, tanto tardiùs, citius (que) sal­vari. This clears all: Its true, he leaves the fire of Purgatory some­what disputable, (which is not yet desined) but he clears the meaning of Christians in their durance there; and indeed tells us, what the old Fa­thers, and Liturgies, and Councells, signified in their degrees and practi­ses of helping the dead by suffrages, which was, that answerably to their demerits, they might, tardiùs citius­ve salvari.

There were many Foundations in this Nation made piously by your and our Predecessouis for the dead, which you perverted to prophane uses, as maintaining wives and chil­dren [Page 97]with manifest neglect, and even professed contempt of praying for the dead, as holding it unprofitable and uselesse, contrary to all anti­quity; wherein you committed theft and sacriledge according to the Canons Concilii Vasensis; Ami­co quippiam rapere furtum est, & ecclesia [...] fraudare sacrilegium: and the Canon spea [...]s of this very mat­ter largely. And the fourth Councel of Carthage c. 95. saith, Qui oblati­ones defunctorum aut negant ecclesiis, aut cum difficultate reddunt tanquam egentium necatores, excommunicen­tur; They are excommunicated as murtherers. Other Synods are as se­vere, which I omit, these signifying sufficiently the sense of the old Church.

See your friends of Magdeburg, for these and for the rest of the Do­ctrines, wherein you differ from us, whether antiquity did not ackdow­ledge [Page 98]them. Ask B. Ʋsher and the rest, who have any ingenuity a­mongst you, whether the Popes Su­premacy was not acknowledg'd? Read the history of the famous Dio­nisius Bishop of Corinth, in Eusebius and S. Hierome, who lived under Antoninus Verus; you know how neere this was to the Apostles, you will conclude of how great autho­rity the Popes of Rome were in those first daies, when their commands (signified in their Epistles) were (e­ven amongst the Greeks) published in the Churches in time of Divine Service by the Bishops; and S. Epi­phanius (in Panar. heresi. 30. against the Ebions) witnesseth, that S. Cle­ment his Encycles were solemnly read in Churches, which was an act of high reverence, far from your scorn of that Supreme Seat. See for this and all other points, even all true Generall Councells to this day, [Page 99]they will let you see clearly. Ask Perkins, and your most eminent Writers, whether almost all the Te­nents, for which you separte from us, were not held above 1300. years.

If Traditions prove Episcopacy, they will as well prove the rest. Tru­ly this sole Paragraph destroyes all your Praelatique Protestancy, and renders you to your first condition of invisibility, where ye lay for 1500. years hidden, not in Abrahams bo­some: But if you can faine any exi­stence, it must be in some occult re­ceptacles, or crany holes of your own fancies. Plato's Ideas, though fanatique enough, never reacht you, but Luther being in drink, and his fancy weakned, first began to dream of you, though confusedly. I know many of you are well acquainted with Gyges his Ring, which renders you invisible at pleasure, but you [Page 100]have not the perfect use of it, els you could as well make your selves visi­ble to all the world. Your old friend B. White and B. Ʋsher laboured much to get this art, but unsuccessefully, I must needs touch this main point a little farther.

I more commend Monsieur D'al­ly, Chillingworth, and all his schools ingenuity, who though they ener­vate the grounds of Christianity, yet they far more consequently deny the Fathers to have that authority, which Catholiques and the General Councells universally give them, in clearing points of faith (as in the first four, where they were alledged, examined, and accordingly Faith declared by their authorities, and so in every Councell hitherto in point of Christian Doctrine) then you, who play fast and loose. Here you pretend necessity and high authori­ty for Tradition, which must needs [Page 101]be conveighed by them to us, and in all your works (as I have noted, and as all know) you have cryed out a­gainst it, as not being necessary. Thus you fight and contradict each other, and your selves in these fundamen­talls.

I remember Plato in his Timaeo tells of an Aegyptian Priest, who thus spoke to Solon; O Solon! Solon! vos quidem Graeci pueri semper estis, senex autem Graecorum nemo, nulla est enim apud vos disciplina quae senio incanuerit. Will not this come home to you? if your years are to be numbred with the continuance of your doctrines, surely you will never be very aged.

Since you have toucht this point of the Fathers, let me put in one observation, whereby any ignorant person may judge, whether the Fa­thers (of how great or little autho­rity soever they are with you) were [Page 102] Protestants or Catholiques, without discussing their many volumes, which only learned men can master; that is, look upon their persons, see what they were in themselves, per­use their lives, without their books; was not S. Augustine confessedly a Priest?l. 9. Conf. c. 11, 12, 13, &c. Ʋita ejus à Possidio. De moribus ec­cles. Cath. Ep. 90.92.45. & aliis. unmarried? did he not say Masse? that is, offer up the body and bloud of Christ in sacrifice for the li­ving and the dead? was he not Bishop of Hippo? did he not institute a religi­ous order of Monks? did he not in fact acknowledge the Pope to be Head of the Church, and his Superi­our? &c. Whether could he with these be a Protestant? Nay, whe­ther were not many upon far lesse grouds often convicted at New­gate for Popish Priests, and in your [Page 103]reign hang'd and quartered. Take the same course with S. Hierome, Vita ejus Ep. 25. ad Aug. & alibi. was he not a Monk, a Priest, unmarried, said Masse, a subject of S. Damasus Pope?Vita Ambrofit ante ejus opera. to. 5. collecta ex operibus e­jus. See his Dia­logue and Re­gister. See his life. &c. Take S. Am­brose, was he not a Bishop, and in the same sense a Priest, that is in your lan­guage a Sacrificant of the body and bloud of Christ, un­married, subject to Rome? &c. Take S. Gregory, See S. Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration of S. Basile. he was not only a Priest unmar­ried, but a Pope, and began a Religious Order.

If you go to the Greek Fathers, S. Bafile was a Monk, instituted a re­ligious [Page 104]Order, a Priest, a Bishop un­married, made a form of Masse, u­sed this day by the Greek Church, &c. and all these and the rest lived and died in the communion of the Church of Rome: Ask your selves, whether these could be other then Papists. Take twelve men from the Sessions in the Old Baily, put them upon the same test that you did our Priests, tell me what the Verdict will be. This consideration alone is sufficient to compell any reasonable man to become Catholique; and to see that your Praelatique Protestan­cy is a Bull in Christianity, invol­ving manifest implicancy.

I should advise you therefore to leave the Fathers, renounce them; nay, you'l do well to make an act of your Convocation for this; and as you have new Doctrines, get new Pa­trons, your own fancies will be best, coloured with the name of reason, [Page 105]though abusively, as your more ele­vated wits of late have done with your allowance, as appeares in the publique approbations of Chilling­worth.

S. Gregory Nissen writing the life of Gregory the Wonder-worker, comes home to this, saying that there were Nonnulli qui piam & sinceram religionis doctrinam adulte­rarent, ac per probabiles argumentati­ones se penumero etiam doctis & pru­dentibus viris veritatem facerent am­biguam. There were some who would adulterate the sincerity and piety of Christian Doctrine by ap­parent probability of reason, inso­much that even learned and prudent men would be caught by them. I would that too too many were not taken with this guilded engine to the prejudice of Christianity.

Examine whether this warrants not all Catholiques from consenting [Page 106]to your new Articles, and all your Proselites to leave you, for them? was it ever clearly demonstrated to be unlawfull to continue in the Ro­man Faith? nay hath not the contra­ry been demonstrated by arguments, and confirmed by suffering death for it, by learned men. You would seem here to have a sense of the principles of justice, ingenuity and hu­manity, though they are not pro­portionable Pleas for perswasion of Christianity; neither did the Apo­stles by civilities court men to be­come Christians; yet some respect might in the beginning of your re­volt, and now also be used to Ca­tholiques upon these titles, since England received their first know­ledge of Christ from the Pope, and all Church endowments from them, they should not in justice, ingenuity, and humanity, be persecuted for these good deeds, as they have beene by [Page 106]you, though some of you I know were of milder spirits, and disliked such cruelties.

After in the numbers ensuing you bring more motives, but they are domestique, within your own walls, as some of the former were; but as far as they have any force, more strongly convince a necessity for the continuance or re-assuming of Ca­tholique Religion; though many of them are rather drawn from the kitchin then the Church; there is little Christian Philosophy here, but much of Praelatique policy, as from Dea­naries, fat perfonages, &c. which are also glanced at in the former Ar­ticle. I omit also the joyned Para­graphs, being very extrinsecall to our purpose, and indeed to the busi­nesse, only ye seem to strike at the present Parliament, wherein we leave you, desiring you may be com­prehended in the Act of perpetuall Oblivion.

You are indeed in the pursuit con­tented, that Princes have Papall rights, upon condition, that you may have Episcopall honors and be­nefices; you speak it very plainly, and joyn them as closely, you plead hard also for Bishops out of another topick, namely, because (as you say) King James had learned by experi­ence, that no Bishop, no King. Our former histories I believe could give some strength to such a pretence, but this kind of argumentation ever since your time was antiquated in England, for you were ever in true Logick, in the judgment of all the Church-Praelates (beside your selves) no other then equivocally Bishops, that is idem nomen, and ratio diversa.

So that it was alwaies (since you were concern'd in it, and now much more) acknowledged by all other di­vines to be subjectum non supponens, that is a subject which signifies no­thing: [Page 109]I discusse not here at large, whether it was for lack of true form, or matter, or Ministery, which are all required in true Ordination; yet you know it's hard enough to prove that you had either: your form, es­pecially of Priesthood, as used in the sense of your Authors, in the more generall opinion, is not valid any more then the Arrians Baptism; of Episcopacy also it's dubious, how­ever if Priesthood fails, Bishops fall, matter ye reject, as not necessary, and therefore you keep imposition of hands, as a ceremony only, as many among you teach; so that it cannot be cleared, that you had any, much lesse all necessaries.

Wherefore it must be presumed, that here was some essentiall defect, & consequently no Ordination, if no Ordination, no Sacraments, by your ordinary Ministery. And from hence how many have we known, who [Page 110](without your note of Apostasie) have left your pretended Priest­hood and became Lay-persons; as Souldiers, Physitians, and the like, according to that of Tertul. de Prae­scrip, Alius hodie Episcopus, cras ali­us: hodie Diaconus qui cras Lector, hodie Presbyter qui cras Laicus. Some of you have indeed strugled hard for your succession from us, as the Donatists did, and therefore they supposed a Bishop at Rome, from whom they might seem still to de­scend, wherein they did more wise­ly then you, who judge him Anti­christ, who is your Head, according to your own Tenets; but you could never clear this imaginary title even of your Ministery; For first, though your Record were true, as touching the matter of fact in the Ordination of Archbishop Parker, which will never be cleared, for it is gathered out of Stow, 1. Eliz. Holinshed, and [Page 111]other Protestant Historians, that Parker and the rest of your first pretended Bishops were Bishops in your account before these Consecra­tors returned into England (having run away in Q. Maries reigne) ther­fore not ordained by them, and by consequence the Record cannot be true; Yet if it were, there are many titles will render all invalid, especi­ally as touching the pretended Or­dainers Ordinations.

Hodgkinson was one of the 26. who were instituted in the time of Henry the 8^th. his Schism; if he were ordained, it was by the new form, which (Sanders saith) the King newly prescribed to Bishops, and consequently of no effect: Barlow was elected of Asaph, and nomina­ted Menevensis, but no man hath hi­therto prov'd, that he was at all or­dained; Scory and Coverdal were e­lected under Edw. 6. but not ordai­ned [Page 112]by a lawfull Bishop, as that dili­gent and neer neighbour to those times (Sanders) shewes. Landaff indeed was a true Catholike, though pusillanimous Bishop; but being threatened excommunication by Bonner, Bishop of London, if he should ordain them, he feigned him­self sick, and declined the matter. And it must be highly considerable, that Bishop Oglethorp, Bishop of Carlisle, Kitchin, Bishop of Landaff, and other Bishops never acknow­ledged them, as validly ordained: Yet if all were true, (since some emi­nent Divines hold, that to ordain is an act of jurisdiction; and almost all hold, that jurisdiction, at least in the exercise, is lost by deposition or ex­communication) the title of your succession cannot be certain.

Secondly, You should be well read in the opinion of Armachanus, Panormitanus, Delphinus, which [Page 113] Scotur is thought to hold probable, and Durand will not have to be er­roneous, out of S. Hierome, which if supposed, would crush you wholly. I only propound this to you, as be­ing consonant to your doctrine in this Act, in the Paragraph concern­ing Episcopall Government, and de­structive to your succession, because by this opinion all titles except di­vine, which your Act challengeth not, are surely lost, because as Ter­tul. in the place cited saith, Ordinati­ones eorum temerariae, leves, inconstan­tes: wanting divine foundation, they must needs totter.

Thirdly the confusion at the Nags. head, witnessed by such who were present and afterward suffer'd severe imprisonment, for their con­science, must needs make a consider­able argument for your nullity, these aver'd that Landaff having withdrawn himself, Scory was suffe­cted [Page 114]Ordainer, who laying his hands over their heads with the Bible, said; Take power to preach the word of God sincerely. So that he doing it alone, and in this only form, nothing was done, which will convince a nullity in all your first pretended Bishops, and consequently in all those who have been ordained by them, which renders the whole to be invalid, be­cause it cannot appeare that the se­quent Ordainers were not descend­ed from these Parliamentary Bi­shops, as Sanders calls them, in that they supplicated the Parliament to confirm them, and to supply what was wanting, according to holy Churches Doctrine and practise.

Lastly, Christian Divinity teach­eth us, that in the matter of Sacra­ments, all are obliged to follow the more certain opinions, and to leave the less probable; whence it follows, that all your Proselites are bound, [Page 115]though there were some probability for your Ordination, to leave you, and return to us, where it is unque­stionable, according to your confes­sed Principles.

Hence it appears in what a dange­rous praecipice all souls are, who de­pend on you for Sacraments, since your title at the best is uncertaine; and how secure are those of our Communion, even according to your principles, since all you pretend is from us: yet I know not whence, somwhat you seemed also to have in point of Jurisdiction, which belong'd to true Episcopacy, and this you ex­ercised with unexemplar severity, by imposing Oaths ex Officio, & the like, not only praeter but contra, Canoni­call burthens, extremely hard to all, who did not even superstitiously ad­here to you, and these your proceed­ings, were judg'd highly prejudiciall to the last King.

But to return to your propositi­on: it would admit a greater truth being modified according to your intention with that which Logicians call a simple conversion, thus, no King, no Bishop, & for this you need not ar­gue ab authoritate, al of us wil grant it in order to you, and out of this self-interest I should almost conceive you wish the one with the other, but not a King, without a Bishop: Your whole discourse inclines to this. And for the former Aphorism, indeed your reformed Episcopacy had no such influence upon the people, as to conclude no Bishop, no King; their uxorious complexion rendred them too vulgar and contemptible: You pretend indeed much zeale for the late King, especially lest he should be perjured in violating his oath of preserving your Priviledges: But it is conceived to be a fallacy of non causa, pro causa, and grounded not [Page 117]upon amor amicitiae, but concupis­centiae, that is, you loved him for your own sakes, you would not have him forsweare, lest you lose all. So you are tender against sacriledge, wheras none are ignorant that your Reformation was grounded upon it, the ruinous walls of houses dedi­cated to Gods service witnesse it, and the Bishopricks of Oxford, Pe­terborough, Bristol, Chester, and Glo­cester were wholly founded upon Church-rapine: But as in the for­mer, so in this, you are suspected to seek quae vestra sunt, non quae Jesu Christi.

Finally ye add.

We hope we shall be the lesse blamed for our unwillingnesse to have any a­ctuall concurrence in the extirpating of Episcopall Government, seeing of such extirpation there is no other use i­maginable, but either the alienation of [Page 118]their revenues and inheritances, (which how it can be severed from sacriledge and injustice, we leave others to find out) or to make way for the introdu­cing of some other form of Church-Government; which whatsoever it shall be, will (as we think) prove ei­ther destructive of, and inconsistent with Monarchicall Government, or at leastwise more prejudiciall to the peace­able, orderly, and effectuall exercise thereof, then a well regulated Episcopa­cy can possibly be.

These were the last words of the dying Praelacy, and Praelatique Prote­stancy. And truly the conjunction of them is so weak, as being drawn à Posteriori, and from very remote and extrinsecall topicks, that they declare your cause desperate. Alas, why would you trouble your selves, us, and the world with a tedious contrast about a pure fanatique I­dol, which as in this upshot appears, [Page 119]had never any reall foundation, but only civitas solis, a pretty invented Eutopia in the Sun, where none but Knights Errant appeared in battell, and like high-drawn Meteors vani­shed in the midst of the ayery com­bate, leaving some ill-savours behind them, which require suffumigations of sacred incense, or at least aspersi­ons of holy Water.

These last words being pro­nounc'd, you quitted the stage; the Chorus replying sadly.

How truly may we apply to you our blessed Saviours inculcation to the Jewes; Quoties volui, &c. you have murthered his Prophets and A­postles lawfully sent to you for a­bove 80. years, you have had their examples of Christian fortitude in undergoing cruell deaths for the antient Religion of Gods universall Church, and of this Nation from the infancy of Christianity here, and you [Page 120]would not be advised by them. Wherefore you are now dissipated, and none will receive you: The Ca­tholique Church declines you, all Protestant Congregations disclaime you, which the B. of Cant. at the Councell table confess'd, when (up­on a false rumour of his flying be­yong Seas) he said, If he were minded to leave England, he knew not whither to go.

All that now remaines of your Religion within the whole Domini­on of this Nation by authority, is, that among the Articles upon the surrender of Virginia to the Parlia­ments navall forces dated the 12. of March 1651. The 11. Article is this, That the use of the Common-Prayer Book be permitted there for one yeare ensuing, &c.

God in nature, in all ordinate mo­tions to corruption, never ceaseth, till the subject be reduced to mate­ria [Page 121]prima, that is to your first invisi­bility, wherein you now are; there­fore you must content your selves to be numbred, inter non entia, for the Law saith, De non existentibus, & not apparentibus eadem est ratio.

Truly I am of opinion that future ages, which shall read your history, will take it to be a Romance; it seems so full of prettily contrived impli­cancies; like the old Romans, who endeavoured by a tumultuous noise of kettles to enchant the Moon; you have entertain'd this little world with high noyses in Pulpits, in hope to enchant the Inhabitants, but the curtain being opened all vanisheth.

What God will work out of this (for generation certainly followes corruption) we yet know not, only we learn (according to Aristotle) that the more imperfect form is first produced, and then the more No­ble; as in man, first the vegetative, [Page 122]then the sensitive, and at last the in­tellectuall.

The Synagogue had three States even after Christs coming first it was obligatory til Christs Passion; it was lawfull, not profitable till Pentecost: but from thence (after sufficient pro­mulgation of the Gospell) it was un­lawfull every where: By these de­scents, it was degraded, and honour­ably buried. And truly somewhat after this manner, though not so handsomly in the close, your Episco­pal Idol was to be adored under ob­ligation from 1. Eliz. till the be­ginning of this Parliament, when your Bishops came to their purgati­on: Then the Idoll was reduced to the second state of being lawfull, not profitable or obligatory: this continued til the Covenant was esta­blished by Parliament in Sept. 1643. From thence it became unlawfull, and so ingloriously expired, yet was [Page 123]not publikely exposed in order to interment, till the Common Prayer Book was (on the 26. of Novemb. 1644.) voted down by Parl [...]an [...]nt, and the Presbyterian Directory esta­blished in its room (which is since also vanished;) Moving and inviting all Catholiques, Presbyterians, and Independents to sing the Dirige of O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, quae occi­dis Prophetas &c. they shall not leave on thee one stone upon another, Luk. 19.

All passengers will easily see the reason of the ruine of this high­built Babel to be, because they made the walls without Morter; they nei­ther had unity, community, nor anti­quity, which only can cement a Chri­stian structure.

The Roman world was astonisht to see the Pompeian faction, having the conscript Fathers of Senate joyned in and with them, to be so often, and at last totally routed: their answer [Page 124]which Cicero celebrates, was, Nemo mirari debet humana concilia divina necessitate esse superata. The same answer in a Christian sense may be given, as cause of your ruine, Gods decrees have evacuated your ayery policies.

Let me with all possible instance, and charitable seriousnesse conclude to all our Country men with S. Au­gustine in his seventeenth chapter, de utilitate credendi, written to Ho­noratus, wherein he first shews the power and prejudice, which habits and customes work in us, as if he would admonish all to suspect them­selves; and therefore since Religion is a business of so high concernment, as upon which our salvation radical­ly depends, you will do well to ex­amine, whether it is not custome, rather then Christian reason, which keeps you where you are, without duly weighing the grounds.

Be pleased seriously to read and ponder S. Augustine, who had deep­ly studied (in this Treatise against the Manichees) your very case: see a summary of the grounds of true Religion, you need read no more: truly this sole chapter well pondred and the great truths therein wel ob­served, are able to satisfie all the world, and powerfully to compell your relinquishing an ill-drawn pi­cture of a Church, which hitherto you have exhibited to the world, his words are these;

All customes have such vertue and power to win the love and affection of men, that we sooner can condemn and detest even the things that are naught and wicked in them, then forsake and change them; and this for the most part comes to passe, when our unlaw­full appetites and desires have gotten a Dominion and predominancy over us. Doest not thou think that great care [Page 146]hath been taken about the affairs of mankind and that they are put into a good state and condition, that not only Divines, but most learned men do ar­gue and contend, that nothing that is earthly, nothing that is fiery; finally nothing that is perceptible by the cor­porall senses ought to be worshipped and adored for God, but that he is to be prayed unto, intreated and supplicated only by the understanding or intellectu­all power; but also that the unskilfull multitude of both sexes, doth in so ma­ny and so divers Nations, both believe it and publish it? that there is conti­nency and forbearance of meats, even to the most slender diet of bread and water, and fastings, not for one day only, but also continued for divers dayes together; that there is chastity even to the contempt of marriage and Issue; that there is patience, even to the contemning of crosses and flames; that [...]here is liberality, even to the [Page 127]distribution of Patrimonies to the poor, and finally so great a disesteem and contempt of all things that are in this world, that even death it self is wished and desired.

Few there are that do these things, fewer that do them well and prudently: yet the people do approve them, hearken to them and like them, yea they love and affect them, and not without some progress of their minds towards God, and certain sparks of piety and vertue: they blame and reprehend their own weakness, and imbecility that they can­not do these things: this the divine pro­vidence hath brought to passe by the predictions of the Prophets, by the hu­manity and Doctrine of Christ, by the voyages of the Apostles, by the Contu­melies, crosses, bloud, and death of Martyrs; by the laudable and excel­lent lives of Saints, and by miracles done at convenient times, in all those things worthy of so great matters and [Page 128]vertues. When therefore we see so great help and assistance from God, and so great fruit and increase there­by; shall we make any doubt or que­stion at all of retyring into the bosome of that Church, which, even to the confession and acknowledgement of mankind, from the See Apostolique by succession of Bishops, hath obtained the soveraignty and principall authority? Heretikes in vain barking round a­bout it, and being condemned, partly by the judgement of the people them­selves, partly by the gravity of Coun­cells, partly also by the majesty and splendor of miracles, unto which not to grant the chief place and prehemi­nence, is either indeed an extream im­piety, or a very rash and dangerous ar­rogancy; for if there be no certain way for the minds of men to wisdome and salvation, but when faith prepareth and disposeth them to reason; what is it els to be ungratefull unto the di­vine [Page 129]Majesty for his aid and assistance, but to have a will to resist an authori­ty, which was gained and purchased with such labour and pains? and if e­very art and trade, though but base and easie, reqires a teacher or Master that it be learned and understood; what greater expression can there be of rash arrogancy and pride, then both to have no mind to learn the booke of the Di­vine mysteries from their Interpreters, and yet to have a mind to condemn the unknown? Thus far this glorious Saint.

Here we see how highly necessary blessed S. Augustine judged it for all Christians to adhere to the Ca­tholique Church in all points of be­lief, which he declares here to be the Roman Church, that is to say, that universall multitude of Chri­stians, which acknowledgeth Rome for their head; whose authority, as he saith, is confirmed by consent of [Page 130] Nations, Councells, and Majesty of Miracles: Was ever your fictitious Church thus adjusted?

Here great S. Augustine puls down sails, and of a Master glories to be­come a Scholler: Whence we learn, that if an Origen (the crums of whose plenty rendred Clemens A­lexandrinus rich in the esteem of all) or an Apollinarius (with his con­quests against Porphyry and other e­nemies of Gods Church) or any o­ther prodigious Comets of wit and learning, or whatsoever posteriour Masters (who can be but pedants to the former) should presume to teach the Church, or to question her Magisteriall Dictates or Conciliary Decrees, we must say with Vinc. Lyr. ca. 10. that with the Church we ought to receive Doctors, and not with Do­ctors to forsake the faith of the Church.

Could we attaine to S. Paulins [Page 131]contempt of our selves, we should not at so high a rate, as to the pre­judice of Gods Church and his di­vine truths, sell our raw conceits: S. Hierome and S. Augustine made high esteem of his learned and pi­ous Epistles, and S. Amand kept them as Diadems in his Storehouse, whereof he sent to S. Paulin a far­dle, to which he replies, Legimus in tergo epistolae annotationem epistola­rum, quas meas esse indicatis: nam ve­rè prope earum omniumimmomor eram ut meas esse non recognoscerem, nisi vestris literis credidissem, unde majus accepi documentum charitatis vestrae: quia plus me vobis quàm mihi, notum esse perspexi. If he had been tickled with our vanity, he would have kept a better bed-roale of his writings in his memory, then to borrow, and e­ven unwillingly, from S. Amand a knowledge of his own works. Here is no danger of recalcitration in or­der [Page 132]to the holy Churches great trea­sury opportunely dispensed, and humbly received by her learned chil­dren.

S. Paul (our Grand Master) puts all Doctrine and Doctors to the test thus: If any preach unto you other­wise then you have received, be he ac­cursed? It's high time therefore to leave Pope Celestine his golden rule, celebrated in Lirinensis; let novelty cease to molest antiquity; for who­soever he is, or of whatsoever emi­nency for learning or sanctity he seems to be, if he introduceth no­velty; alienus est, prophanus est, hostis est; he is a wolfe in a sheeps cloath­ing. What greater expression can there be of rash Arrogancy and pride, &c. as S. Augustine hath taught us.