AN ANSWER TO A Lawless Pamphlet entituled, The Petition and Articles exhibited in Parliament against Doctor Haywood, late Chaplain to the Bishop of CANTERBURY.
By R. M.
LONDON, Printed by I.N. for Henry Seile, at the Tygres head in Fleetstreet, over against Saint Dunstans Church, 1641.
To the honorable, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House in Parliament, &c.
THat wee live under the pastorall Charge of one William Haywood Doctor of Divinity, who hath lately published, in sundry Sermons by him preached in his Parish Church, most damnable and erronious Doctrines full of grosse Popish tenents. And whilst he was House Chaplaine to the Archbishop of Canterburie, did licence a Book, intituled, An Introduction to a devout Life, containing the like Popish Doctrines, &c.
Whose practice in Church Discipline is superstitious and idolatrous; manifested by strange antike gestures of cringings and bowings, &c.
In whose Parish Church aforesaid, are set up Crucifixes, and divers Images of Saints, and likewise Organs, with other confused Musique hindring Devotion, &c.
I
1 HEE affirmed that a Minister hath power to remit and retaine sinnes, and not declaratively, or Ministerially onely, as (he said) some would have it, but actually and absolutely, &c.
II
2 He affirmed that every man in his natural condition is by the fall of Adam wounded only, and but halfe dead, &c.
III
3 He affirmed that the Virgin Mary was free from, and without any mortall sins, &c.
IV
4 He affirmed that Confession to the Priest, of our particular sins, is very necessary to the forgivenesse of sinne, &c.
Particular Erroneous, popish Doctrines, conteined in a booke Intituled, An Introduction to a devout life, &c.
The said Church is divided into three parts▪ the Sanctum Sanctorum being one of them, is seperated from the chancell by a large Screene in the figure of a beautifull gate, &c.
Seven or eight foot within this holy place is a raising by three steps, and from thence a long Raile from one wall to the other, into which place none must enter but the Priests and the subdeacons, &c.
[Page 3] This deske is overlaid with a covering of purple Ʋeivet, which hath a great gold and silke fringe round about, and on this Deske is placed two great Bookes wrought with needle worke, in which are made the pictures of Christ and the Virgin Mary with Christ in her armes, &c,
For the preparation of this duty, the said Doctor and three Sub-deacons doe all goe from the body of the said Church, &c.
Then they all advance to the beautifull Gate, where they stand; Then every one bowing to he ground three severall times as they goe; They enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum, in which place they read their second Service, &c.
It was proved, that when that Popish Book was printing, the Printer seeing such grosse popery in it, commanded his Workman to stay his hand, till he spoke with the Licencer: so hee tooke his Corrector of his worke, (being a master of arts) with him, and shewed the Doctor divers popish passages in the Booke, saying he durst not print it, &c.
The printer was troubled, and put into the Pursivants hands, threatned with Star-chamber, except hee would deliver up the originall Coppy by which he printed it, which he refused to doe, for that it is ever their custome to keep originalls by them for their own safeguards, &c.
But at length hee by promises and threats was constrained to deliver up the coppy wherein the Licence was, &c.
At the hearing of the businesse before the committee, the Doctour was asked in what places it was altered from that he licenced. Hee answered in page 691. Articie 4. hee allowed it to be read▪ Call to mind the Saints of Heaven, &c. and the printer had left out the word mind. &c.
[Page 4] It was proved that a Parishioner of his being seduced to Popery, the Doctor was intreated to admonish and reclaime her: and though he had beene solicited three or four sever all times, yet hee refused, &c.
Another woman being perverted, her husband got her to go to the Doctor, hoping by his counsell and reasons to have reclaimed her: instead whereof he confirmed, her, in saying, that Salvation might be had in the Church of Rome, &c,
He hath caused the Protestation to bee read and taken in that ridiculous, absurd, and disdainfull manner, &c.
What was already heard, appeared sufficient cause for his removall, which this Honourable assembly without all question will doe, &c.
His Altar stands dect continually, weeke days and all, and me wed up within the Screene and Rayles as before, some of the parishioners desiring to receive the Sacrament in their Pewes, were denyed it, and sent away without it, and hee forceth all to come up to the Railes still as before. In divers of his Sermons since the hearing of his businesse, he hath with much bitternes inveighed against the petitioners, and at those that goe from their owne parish Church, although he hath so weak a voice that hee cannot be heard by the one halfe of these that come to Church.
HApning lately upon a printed Pamphlet entitled, The Petition and Articles exhibited in Parliament against Doctor Haywood, &c. and finding many apparent untruths in it, I thought it a deed of charity to vindicate the man, lest hee should suffer in the opinion of them that know him not, and lest those that are wel-affected to him in his Parish should be too much scandalized by the boldnes of some few malicious ones, whose blinde zeale I much pity. Knowing therefore the Doctor imploy'd in continuall preaching, and having little leisure to answer for himselfe, I have endeavoured to give an answer to some particulars, such as are notoriously false or scandalous, and desire the indifferent Reader by that little here replyed, which will be found undoubtedly true, to judge of the rest of their accusations against the Doctor.
First, whereas they call it a Petition exhibited by the Parishioners of Saint Giles in the fields, it were to be wished they would tell [Page 6]us, who they are and how many of them. For as the world reports, the Petition was at first set on foot by two or three illiterate Trades-men in the Doctors absence having beene fourteene weeks sicke, and then scant recovered waiting at Court. And whereas in all reason & conscience they ought first to have repaired to him (taking offence at ceremoniall matters) to have tryed whether hee would have yeelded to alter any thing or no, they were so far from it, that they labourd under hand to procure as many hands as they could against him, & though they attempted all of al sorts many days together, yet they could draw none of any quality, not a Nobleman, not a Gentleman, not a Vestryman, not a Citizen of any better breeding, but a few such as themselves illiterate and ignorant, many of them not able to write their names, and scant any of them using to come to Church. And of those they could not make up 100. taking so great advantage of the Doctors long absence, [Page 7]and soliciting al persons against him, whereas the parish consisteth of above 5000. Communicants, numbers whereof are Noblemen, Knights, Gentlemen, and worshipfull Citizens, as greatly interested in the affairs of the Church, & as much ingaged in conscience to complain, if they thought the parish not well served, as any of the Petitioners, if not more.
The Petition it selfe. To the Honourable Knights, Citizens and Burgesses. &c.
TIs worth observing in this Petition, first that they touch not the Doctor any way for his life, nor his frequency in preaching, or residing amongst them, none of all which they would have spared if they had found any colour to accuse.
Secondly; where they charge him with popish doctrine in his sermons, tis wel known he hath preached in the Parish Church of St. Giles within this five yeers since hee was first Parson, neer upon 200. Sermons (neither fails hee any week being in health and not otherwise cald away) among all which Sermons they except but against three, two of them preached about two yeers since, the third more then a twelve-month ago. And it can hardly bethought if at any other time he had preached what these men could have excepted against, they would have failed to have inserted it.
[Page 10] But for the Sermons, to satisfie the world, the Doctor hath thē word for word as they were delivered writtē, and heere willing to promise for him, sith they are thus publikely traduced, they shall God willing, as soon as may be, bee publikely set forth for every mans reading, and he takes God to witnesse that hee will not alter, nor adde, nor diminish, a word from the coppie by which he preached them.
The particulars of the Sermons.
In the meane time the better to cleer these accusations, hee hath given me certain passages of the Sermons complained of, to set downe verbatim as they were spoken, and definitively uttered as his own opinion, which many that heard them will witnesse to be so. And let any man judge by those passages, whither it be possible for the Doctor so far to contradict himselfe in one and the same Sermon, as to say what these Petitioners would make him.
Out of the Sermon preached April 21. 1639 upon Whose soever sinns ye remit they are remitted.
Yea! What hath man then the authority of imprisoning or releasing the conscience? Hath Christ put off his power & given it to his Apostles? Hath the Father committed all judgement to him, that he may commit it to them, and set them as it were in Gods Throne to pronounce sentence of life or death upon sinners as they list? No, not so. A power though Christ hath granted, yet it is not an absolute power, and independent, but ministeriall onely and subservient. He hath not given over what is proper to himselfe, but onely honoured men to serve under himselfe, &c.
Out of the Sermon preached Iune 7. 1640. upon Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbour to him which fell among theeves? &c.
Thus miserably wounded he lies in the way to eternall Perdition, Adam and all mankind with him. Halfe dead, because though his body be alive, his soule is dead in sin, and as it were corrupted. Though he have some little motion to good, yet hee is utterly unable to fulfill it, &c.
Out of the Sermon preached Ianuary 20. 638 upon, Jesus said unto her, woman what have I to doe with thee?
For what concernes the Holy mother of our Lord, I must speake freely, I cannot see how it can any way advance the honour of our religion, to cast dirt on her honour, or to wrest all places in the Gospell to the worst sense that may bee made, onely to shew her guilty of sin, and not much holier then other women. Sure I am, wee may be far from adoring her, far from invocating her and cloathing her with Gods honour, and yet confesse her spotlesse and blamelesse from any fowle sinfull touch, as preserved by that holy Spirit that chose her for his Mansion. By sinfull touch, I meane not Originall guilt, nor lighter slips, but grose actuall crimes, and therein have St. Austin and many ancients to second me, &c.
Out of the Sermon first mentioned preached Aprill 21. 1659. upon VVhosesoever sinns ye remit, &c.
And yet, not as if no sinner could be forgiven but what the priest forgives: Let me not be so mistaken. God is [Page 12]mercifull at all howers, and hath not bound up his grace in such fetters. But because in great and weighty ones that wound the conscience deeply, there he would have our soules humbled, not onely before him, but before his Ministers. Where this may possibly be done, and without perill, this would be done; where not, we goe not to limit Gods infinite goodnesse, he hath other wayes of remitting then we imagine, &c.
Let any one judge by these passages which vvere uttered definitively, and not as an others opinion, whether the Doctor could so▪ contradict himselfe as in the same sermons to teach what these Petitioners charge him vvith. And let it vvithall be noted, that his Auditory at all the foresaid Sermons vvas very large, full, and Judicious, not one of which ever told the Doctor of any offence taken at the said Sermons or at any other preached by him: Neither vvere these Petitioners by the Doctor, or any of his friends heard to find fault vvith these Sermons, till some yeere or tvvo after they vvere preached viz. in December last, after this present Parliament had long sitten.
Particular erroneous Doctrines contained in a Book intituled An Introduction to a Devout Life.
It seems these Petitioners wanted matter to furnish up their charge against the Doctor, that they have brought in this Book, called in by authority, and burnt five yeers agoe. And by whose meanes vvas it called in, but by the Doctors own complaint first, finding divers popish passages, touching invocation of Saints, re-inserted after he had dashed them out. The Book is well known by all that know the latin original to be a very pious work, & excellent well worth the translating, and publishing in any language (abating onely some usuall superstitious passages touching invocation of Saints amongst those kind of people, &c. for it was made by a papist) & it had [Page 13]been divers times before translated into English though the Doctor then knew not so much. But knowing it in many things a godly treatise, and a booke that might doe much good, if well purged, hee bestowed his paines the more willingly on it; and never misdoubting the honesty of the translator that brought it to be licenc'd, one Christopher Barrows, as hee called himselfe, who came recommended to the Doctor by letter from a speciall friend, after the Doctor had kept the booke with him some halfe a yeere, and strooke out all passages contrary to our Religion, hee gave it licence in November 1636. being then at Croydon, by reason of the great sicknesse in London, which caused the Doctor to allow the larger time for printing, & to deliver it to the Translators hands alone, But this translator played the knave egregiously, For hee kept the Book in his hand after it was licenced, & caried it not to the Presse till towards the end of February following, and in the meane time had opportunity to make what alterations hee pleased. And so it appeared he did, for when the Book came out in Aprill following, diverse grosse passages of Popery were to be seene in it, which the Doctor was sure hee had cancelled. Whereupon according to his duty, the Doctor presently certified the Lord Keeper, and the Arch Bishop, as their Chaplains can witnesse, how much he thought the Church and himselfe abused. And the booke was presently called in, and the mattter was brought in question before the Lords of the Councell, Who required the Kings Atturney to send for the Authour, and the Printers, and the licencer, and to enquire where the abuse lay, which he did, and finding the whole fault to have beene in Barrows (who fled instantly upon the books calling in, and was discovered by his Trunk and papers left behind him to be a Romish Priest) the Kings Atturney accordingly certified the Counsel Bord. Whereupon a Proclamation went forth immediately [Page 14]for the apprehending of Barrows, and the D. and the Printers were dismissed without farther trouble.
No reason therefore hath the Doctor to stand to any thing in the said corrupted booke, which lay so long in the hands of a popish Priest to alter it how hee pleased. For this Barrows was afterwards Overseer of the Presse, and when the Booke was Printed, carried halfe the written coppy away with him. And how he might play false by inserting new sheetes and adding new passages who knowes; for the Doctor remembers no particulars now but what were turned over before the Kings Atturney, and his leisure vvould not serve to look on many. One thing the Doctor is sure of; The petitioners had little reason to complaine of theo Booke: For it gave them no offence, they never saw a coppie of it till they sought for it about December last to fill up their charge against the Doctor. Nor could they have met with it had they not hapned by chance upon Okes that Printed it.
Doctor Haywoods supersticious and idolatrouse manner of administration of the Sacrament, &c.
Here are many untruthes couched together. The Sanctum Sanctorum, and the Subdeacons, and the beautifull Gate, are all termes or these mens own invention. The Doctor never so called them, nor any by his aprobation. The Skreene a faire Ornament of the Church, and great honour to that religious Lady who bestowed it, vvas assigned vvhere to stand by the Parishioners, nor can it be placed conveniently but vvhere it now is. The Doctor neither perswaded the making of the Screene, nor contributed a peny towards it, nor knew of what fashion it would be, nor vvas present in the Parish, when it vvas set up. The Ornaments of the Holy Table, The silke curtaines, Carpet, Covering, Books, and [Page 15]much plate are all the pious guift of the same honourable lady which bestowed the Skreene. And being for the decencie of Gods servi e, and well accepted of by the Parishioners, the Doctor had no reason to refuse them. As for the Crucifix, Organs, and Church-musick me tioned in the Petition, they were there long before Doctor Haywords coming. There is no Deske upon the Lords Table, onely a little stay to hold up the plate, nor any such pictures on the Books as the Petitioner speake of. For the Ceremonies used in administring (the scornfull description whereof, and his abusive wit that drew it, the Doctor much pitties) they were none of them invented, nor new brought up by Doctor Haywood. His pattern he had from his Majesties Chappell, not far from that place: Neither did any man ever tell him he was offended with the sight of these few Ceremonies. Yet since the Petitioners complaint, the Doctor (as I heard) hath laid them downe; And professes that for matters of Ceremony he will ever be obedient to the lawfull orders of the Church wherein hee lives, nor ever use any hereafter, but what authority and generall custome require.
These Articles were all proved before the grand Committee, &c.
This seemes a stirewd evidence against the Doctor, but if well sounded makes rather for him. For what doth it prove, but that the Doctor beleeved well of his own industry in purging out Popery, and credited his owne judgement, rather then the Printers objections, an argument that he had bestowed good paines in perusing the Booke? But why doth not the Printer tell us what were the Popish passages that so much stumbled him? They were such as the Doctor denies to be popish. Three of them as hee remembers the Printer told him of. One [Page 16]that the Church triumphant praid for the Church militant, which the Doctor as tis said defended. Another, that we ought to desire the praiers of the Saints living upon Earth for us. A third, that before God there is no respect of Prelate, Prince, or People. Not one of these three are objected in the Doctors charge, and I beleeve the petitioners objected all they could find▪ But indeed the Doctor heartily wishes, either that the Printer had never come to him, or that hee had shewed him somewhat truly popish, that hee might have had cause to suspect Barrows, and to stop the presse. For shewing him such slight things (which in a translation might well enough be borne with, though, not so well perhaps in a new book) the printer lost the credit of his judgement with the Doctor, and increased the Doctors good opinion of Barrows, and made Barrows thereupon more bold to put in what popery he listed, while the Printers were the slacker to complaine of it.
As for the Originall Coppy the Printer reports to have been wrested from him, the D. wonders what became of the first part of it; for before the Kings Atturney there was produced but the latter halfe: The rest it was said Barrows had convei'd away with him. 'Tis well known the Doctor had never sight of the Originall Coppie after it was first delivered to the Presse, but onely before the Kings Atturney, while the falsifications were turned to: For the Coppie was laid up in the Star-chamber office where it is yet.
At the hearing of the businesse before the Committee.
The Doctor said not that the Printer had left out the word Mind, but that Barrows had falsified that place and strooke out the word Mind, so that the printer could read it no otherwise. And this the printers examination [Page 17]upon oath confirmed. The Doctor instanced in this place, because one of the Printers was so impudent, as to say before the Committee, there was never a blur, nor any thing canceld in the originall coppie, But it is evident to them that looke on the said Coppie, That where the Translator had first made it, according to the Latin, Invocate the Saints of Heaven, the Doctor had strooke out the word Invocate, and put over head Call to mind the Saints &c. And Barrows had again strooke out the word Mind, and left it Call to the Saints &c. which was done questionlesse after the book was licensed, and done of purpose. For what reason else had Barrows to run away? or how should the same vvords [call to mind] and the same manner of dashing out be found in severall places in the written coppie as it is?
But the D. takes God to witnesse, he never allowed any exhortation to invocate the Saints in that book nor in any other, Nor any superstitious passage else, contrary to our Religion, wittingly. Invocation of Saints is a point the Doctor hath often preached against, publikely disputed against, and subscribed against; Nor did he ever in his life favour that Romish Error, or abet any that did.
At the hearing of the businesse before the Committee, &c.
The D. denies not, but that this whole sentence taken together may beare an unsavory sense, but it may also as properly beare an Orthodox sense. And the Doctor might very well understand it in the better sense vvhen he read it, and not consider the worse: and according to the Latine, it must be so understood, Recordare sanctos (quibus specialiter devotus ei) ut te in coelesti itinere promoveant Cal to mind the Saints (to whom thou hast a special devotion) to help thee in the way to Heaven [call to minde] that needs little defence, for it is in regard of imitating their [Page 18]ventues [to whom thou hast a speciall devotion] that needs not much, There is devotion in calling the Saints to mind, and a special devotion in calling some speciall vertues of some Saints to mind, And this calling to mind the vertues and good life of the Saints doth helpe in the way to Heaven. But the Doctor rather believes it might besome mistake, for hee had in divers places before turned [invocate] into [call to minde] and might doe it here, hastily reading it, and thinking the place sufficiently purged, without deliberating upon what followed. And yet I Pray who knows whether those words (to whom thou hast a speciall devotion) were not the handwriting of Barrows, after the Book was Licensed?
It was proved that a Parishioner of his being seduced, &c. There is nothing here to be blamed but the Doctors memory, confounded with a multitude of other businesse. Tis notoriously false, that the Doctor was sollicited three or foure severall times: For hee never saw the Womans husband that reports this, but twice, till he saw him at the Committee. The first time he met the Doctor going upon earnest businesse to Westminster, and the Doctor tooke his name, and the place where he dwelt, promising to come; Yet appointing no certain time, through multitude of other businesse, forgot it. The man comming againe about a fortnight after, and perceiving his face, and his errand forgotten by the Doctor, went away in a chafe, and came no more.
But it is well known, and ready to be proved, that the Doctor hath conferred with divers Recusants, and converted more families then one, and brought them to Church; Although he hath great reason to take heed how hee talks with women, for that other womans sake mentioned presently after. For whereas tis delivered, that the Doctor should say Salvation might bee had in the Church of Rome: It was no saying of his, but a question put forth by the woman asking the Doctor whether he could deny it. To whom the Doctor replyed (as [Page 19]diverse will witnesse) That what ever might be thought of Papists beyond Sea, or of those in former times who knew no other Religion, yet for such as shee was, who lived in wilfull disobedience to the Church wherein shee was baptized, and refused to be better informed out of Gods word graciously offered her, there was no hope of salvation.
But above all things, the Doctor wonders any should except against his manner of taking the Protestation. What could be more solemne? Twas taken on Whitsunday last in the afternoon, immediatly after Sermon, before so great a congregation as usually no Sunday in the yeere hath more. It was told the Parishioners in the morning publikely that they should take it. The afternoons Preacher so soon as ever the Psalm after Sermon was ended, first read it in the Pulpit, then took it, so did the curate. Warning being then given to strangers, and women to depart, and the Parish gathering about the Doctors Pew, the Doctor himselfe first took the Protestation audibly in his own person, and give it to others to doe the like. When this was done, there was a place assigned, that as many as had taken it should come & subscribe their names in a book, namely, at the Vestry, on Tuesday following, where the Doctor and the Church-wardens subscribed their names, and others of the Parish as many as would did the like, both then and on the next Sunday following.
All which considered, it may bee wondred why any should yet doubt of the Doctors soundnesse [Page 20]in Religion, notwithstanding these mens objections. For lest their malice should not sufficiently appeare in alleaging things colourably true, they have not spared to print things manifestly false, such as these, That he hath inveighed against the Petitioners in his Sermons, a thing that all his hearers, except the Petitioners, will be ready to sweare the contrary. That hee forceth all Communicants to come to the Rails, whereas the Doctor knoweth not of any yet that hath ever refused to come, till Sunday last, being the 27 of June 1641. That he inveigheth against those which goe from their Parish Church, whereas hee never yet reproved or caused to be presented one of his Parishioners for so doing. That his voice is so weake halfe the Church cannot heare him, which none but deafe people will say. Nor is it much more to the purpose to alleage his keeping the Lords Table within the Screen and the Rayls, a thing that no authority hath yet enjoyned the contrary, As for the Honorable Houses of Parliament, for both which the Doctor daily prays, they need not be pointed out by these men what they have to doe. They see I doubt not, how much their justice is prejudiced by scattering such Libels, exposing men to obloquie before they are proved guilty. Let mee therefore desire these Petitioners not to snatch the power of judicature out of their hands, and to condemne and proscribe before sentence, Nor to follow with such implacable bitternesse a harmlesse Minister, of God, who prayes heartily that God [Page 21]would give them a better minde, And endevours nothing more then theirs, and all his Parishes proficiencie in godlinesse, desiring them for a farewell to think upon that sentence of S. Paul, 1 Thess. 5.12, 13. Wee beseech you, brethren, to know them that are ever you in the Lord, and admonish you. And to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake, and be at peace among your selves.