ADVICE TO THE Confuter of Bellarmin, With some Considerations upon the Antiquity OF THE Church of England.  
With Allowance.  
LONDON, Printed by Henry Hills, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, for His Household and Chapel. 1687.   

Advice to the Confuter of Bellarmin, with some Considerations upon the Antiquity of the Church of England.  
I Apprehend 'tis much easier Confuting Bellarmin over a Pot, than by taking Pen in hand and Writing an Answer. And yet I fear, 'tis possible by the Powerful Influence of an Ill Habit, that a Man may have so often knocked down that Roman Champion with a Bellarmin thou Liest, under a Bush; that he may be blown up with a Vanity, of being as Able to meet and overthrow him in the Field of Controversy.  
I don't pretend, that this is the case of him, who has undertaken to Answer Bellarmin's Marks of the Church; but because I am sensible, he has engaged himself in a Task of some Difficulty, I presume he would willingly so discharge himself, as not to be thus censured by Adversaries; and upon this score I make bold to present him with a short Advice, which are some Observations upon his Second Paper, wherein he Examines the Second Note of the Church, viz. Antiquity; for the First I had not the luck to see. If they prove serviceable in his Undertaking, he'll be obliged to an Unknown Friend; if not; there's only a little Good Will lost, and half a Sheet of Paper.  
My First Remark and Advice is, that when he is upon Confuting Bellarmin, he would take care, that what he engages to disprove, should be something that Bellarmin asserts; otherwise 'twill be almost impossible to Confute him. And therefore I apprehend, the Papists will be apt to think, that in the First of the Three things he undertakes to demonstrate, viz. That the Plea of bare Antiquity is not proper to the Church, he has not at all Confuted Bellarmin, because Bellarmin no where asserts, that it is. He says indeed, that whoever at this time will find out the Catholic Church professed in the Creed, amongst so many Pretenders, must not apply himself to any Upstart Congregation, which was never Visible in the World but of late Years; but to such a Church, which has been of as long standing as ever since Christ and the Apostles days, and consequently such a Church, to which Antiquity of necessity at this time belongs. This Bellarmin asserts; but he no were says that Bare Antiquity is a Note of Truth. And so the Confuting of this, will be thought only a knocking down of an Imaginary Principle of the Answerers own raising, but no Confuting of Bellarmin. And this leads me to my,  
2. Advice, That when he Confutes Bellarmin, he would not say the same thing as Bellarmin does: Which yet he seems unluckily to do in this Paper, p. 45. where having owned, that Bellarmin by the Antiquity of the Church, means that the True Church must necessarily be Ancienter than the False; as God was before the Devil; he takes pains to explicate and prove the very same thing, and thus strangely seems to Answer Bellarmin, by showing from Reason and the Fathers, that what Bellarmin says is true; and that Antiquity, as by him explicated, must of necessity belong to the True Catholic Church.  
3. That he would be Cautious, not to Fight against himself, while he's earnest upon Confuting Bellarmin. And therefore when he thinks he has made it out, p. 42. That Antiquity is not a Note proper to the Church, because there was a time when the Church was New. He does not do prudently within three pages after, (p. 45.) to assert, That the Scriptures are the True Antiquity. Because every one of his Fresh Men in Learning, will begin to argue, That if with this Man, Antiquity cannot belong to the Church, because there was a time, when the Church was New; How can he say, it truly belongs to the Scriptures, since there was a time when the Scriptures were New as well as the Church? This will not seem proper Arguing for a Confuter of Bellarmin, especially since every body knows, that the Church was before the Scripture or Written Word; and that if Antiquity does not belong to what was First, 'twill be very difficult to make it belong to the Latter, which was not in being till some years after.  
4. That he would be careful not to Contradict himself: And therefore, methinks, when he has asserted absolutely p. 42. That Antiquity is not a Note proper to the Church, it does not make good Music with p. 45. where he has found out an Antiquity, which is proper to the Church. This last sort of Antiquity (says he) is the same with what is, First: Unto which we are desirous to go, to which we are willing to stand, and by which we would be judged: Is not this something like saying, Antiquity IS, and IS NOT proper to the Church?  
5. That in Quoting Fathers, he would only make choice of such as seem to be against his Adversaries, and not Those which Favour them. And therefore when he is drawing up his Plea against Antiquity p. 47. he might very well have omitted one, which Supports his Adversaries, and is the very ground of what they maintain, and he opposes. The words are these; There is a short way for Religious and Simple Minds to find out what is Truth; For if we return to the Beginning and Original of Divine Tradition, Human Error ceases. Thither let us return to our Lord's Original, the Evangelical Beginning, the Apostolical Tradition: And hence let the Reason of our Act arise, from whence Order and the Beginning arose. Is not this pleading for Antiquity, instead of writing against it? Is not this the very Doctrine of Bellarmin; and the setting up the very Tradition, which Catholics appeal to, whilst the way to find out the Truth, according to the Fathers, is by following Divine and Apostolical Tradition? What's this against Bellarmin or his Antiquity?  
Now I come to the Second thing he intends to prove, viz. That the present Church of Rome vainly pretends to True Antiquity, i. e. to Ancient Truth. And in the Perusal of this I must advise him,  
First, That when he treats of any Church or Body of Men, he would not forget Good manners, and Ordinary Civility: As he seems to have done p. 49. where he is not contented to charge the Church of Rome with Errors only, but, in plain English, with LIES too. As if he thought an Argument would not sound well in Controversy, unless 'twere put in the Billings-gate-phrase. But he proves the whole Charge thus Ib. That Church has not the Mark of True Antiquity, which does not hold the same Christian Doctrine, it did at the beginning, but has introduced Errors and Lies, under the pretence of Ancient Truth. But this is the case of the present Church of Rome; as is evident by that Alteration they have made in the Ancient Creed: Unto which they have added as many more Articles as there were at first: Ergo. Upon the Consideration of which Proof I advise him,  
2. Not to be so blindly earnest in kicking down the Church of Rome, as to overthrow his own at the same Blow. For if the Addition of Articles to the Ancient Creed, takes off all claim to the Ancient Truth, what becomes of the Church of England, which besides the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, has another of a latter date of Nine and Thirty Articles, besides another Plot-Creed called the Test? Can she be the Ancient Church, which had only one Creed, and but Twelve Articles?  
3. That he would not advance Absurdities, whilst he pretends to show Bellarmin's Ratiocination to be but Sophistry. Bellarmin shows, that in all great changes of Religion, the Authors of the change may be assigned, the New Doctrine that was brought in, the Time when it began, etc. That therefore, since these cannot be shown in any change pretendedly charged upon the Church of Rome; there was never any such change. This the Confuter undertakes to prove Notoriously False; because, says he, the Body Spiritual, is like the Body Natural, and therefore as a Man may be worn away with a Consumption to Skin and Bone, tho' no body can tell the precise time, when or where his Blood began to be tainted: So the whole Body of the Church may be corrupted with Error and Heresy, tho' it crept in so secretly at first, and so indiscernably, that 'twas not suspected. And what's this to the purpose? This shows indeed that a Great Change of Religion may be unknown as to it's beginning, while as yet 'tis working in Secret and Indiscernible; for what wonder for things while Indiscernible not to be seen? But does it prove, that when the Change or Alteration began publicly to be Abetted, Maintained, Propagated, appearing in open Contradiction and Defiance to the True Church, condemning its Doctrine, and opposing the Articles of her Faith as Erroneous and Heretical; that then such an Alteration in Religion could spread itself over the whole Christian World, and yet the Authors, Promoters, Abetters, and Embracers of it, not to be known, or taken Notice of? Let him prove but this, and he'll come to the Point. We don't doubt, but the Seeds of Innovation may, like the Tares in the Gospel, lie for some time under ground, and not be taken notice of, while in all outward appearance they are not discernible from the Good Corn. But that they should grow up, choke the Wheat, every where break it down and consume it, and yet not be seen or discerned, this he'll never prove out of the Gospel. What kind of Servants must the Housholder have, to suppose this Absurdity? And yet upon this ground stands our Confuter and his Whole Church of England. She to wipe off the soul guilt of Schism, cries out; The Church of Rome has Erred, and made Innovations; therefore we left her. And what Errors and Innovations are these? Why She has brought in an Idolatry worse than that of the Heathens, Infinite Superstitions, Abominations; coined New Articles of Faith, contrary to all Sense and Reason, Stupid Doctrines, Absurd and Senseless Doctrines, Foolish Doctrines, Monstrous Doctrines, etc. This is a very severe Charge, and the Crimes of which she stands Indicted, are obvious to every Ordinary Reason, and Weak Christian. Well, but how long has she been polluted with these Doctrines? With some, Six hundred years, with others Nine hundred, Eleven hundred, Thirteen hundred years. And these Errors she propagated over the whole Christian World, and with them infected all the Kings of the Earth. Well, but did not the True Church of Christ stand up against the Church of Rome, while she thus left the Faith, and corrupted the Faithful? Where was the Church of England all this time? Did not she withstand these Abominations, Preach and make Laws against them and the Abetters? Did she assemble no Councils, Synods or Convocations to Censure and Condemn them? No, there was no Church visibly appeared to oppose the Growth of Popery, it spread Invisbly, it infected all Christians Insensibly, and so came down all over Christendom Imperceptibly to the days of Luther, who opposed it vigorously; tho' neither He, nor the Church of England, (as many are apt to think) have so prosecuted those Errors, but they continue infected with a great many of them still, and don't know it or perceive it. Strange and Wonderful News; What's the Forty thousand Pilgrims, and the Army in Incognito to this Relation? Oates' Narrative is not half so big with Absurdities, as this Wonderful Story of Changes and Alterations over the whole Christian World, and yet Invisible and Insensible. The Errors, it seems, brought in and propagated by Papists in those Alterations of Religion, are now so Palpable, so Evident, so Clear; that 'tis not only every Beardless Divine can disprove them, and show them to be Ridiculous; but every Smatterer in Controversy, every Tinker and Cobbler sees them to be against Sense and Reason forsooth, and undertakes to prove them Absurd and Foolish. And yet these so Palpable, so Plain and Evident Errors were received over the whole Christian World without the Opposition of the True Church of Christ for above a Thousand Years. What! Never a Church of England Disputant never a Cobbler, Tinker, never a Divine, all this time, to show and Confute these Errors? Where was this Pure Church of England all this while? This Church, which our Confuter of Bellarmin, is sure is the True Ancient Church; where was she, when these Errors, were every where taught, publicly professed and propogated? Could she not then See Errors so Plain and Obvious? But how should she See, when her Nine days were not out till a Thousand years after? But the Confuter has found out Changes in Religion which grew insensibly; as the Communion in one kind: And concerning this,  
4. I advise him in his next, to prove that a Diversity of Practice, is an Alteration in Religion. And especially of such a Practice, which Christ left indifferent in respect of the Laity, and without any Positive Command of their receiving it in both kinds; as Luther owns, who says, that in this Point Christ has left no Necessary Precept. In Ep. ad Bohem. And in his Book de Vtraque specie. If you come (says he) to a place where the Sacrament is given only in One kind, receive it in one. The like Indifferency is acknowledged by Melancthon. Centur. Ep. Theol. p. 252. Spalatensis too, for whom I presume the Confuter has some respect, l. 5. c. 6. de Repub. Eccles. has these words; I affirm that the Receiving the Sacrament in Both kinds is not so under a Precept, but upon a considerable cause, tho' Private and of Private Persons, it may profitably and lawfully be received under the Species of Bread alone. And certainly what Private Persons may lawfully do, when they judge convenient, as this Author Ib. says, Exempla Antiqua docent, is evident from the Practice of the Ancients, cannot be unlawful in the Church: And may be done without any Alteration in Religion. Besides this he has found another change in Religion and Faith, viz. concerning the Papal Authority; and here he pretends to show, by whom this was brought into the Church. Victor, says he, p. 53. Began the Dance, Zozimus followed it; Celestine carried it on: And in relation to this,  
5. I advise him to be cautious for the future, how he goes so far back into the Primitive times, to look for Authors of pretended Alterations in the Church of Rome. Because it being Generally believed, that the Church of Rome was Pure and Uncorrupt in those First Ages, his Readers will be apt to think, that what was then Practised and owned by those Primitive Christians, was no Error or Alteration, but an Apostolical Truth; and that he that comes above fifteen hundred years after, and urges such a Charge against those times, must have no small stock of confidence. For how can Men possibly think otherwise, when they consider, that Pope Victor, who is here indicted, lived in the Second Century, and was chosen to that See of Rome in the Year 203. which was above an hundred and twenty Years before the First General Council of Nice. The Some Others he there mentions, as Maintainers of the Papal Authority, together with Zozimus and Celestine, were all Bishops of Rome, either before or in the time of the First Four General Councils Received and acknowledged here in England. And can any Man think, that if the Excercise of that Authority, as maintained by those Popes, was such an Alteration, such an Innovation, such a Tyranny, as 'tis now pretended, that those First Councils, of so many Learned and Orthodox Prelates, would have taken no notice of it? Is it not likely, in those Assemblies there were some as Zealous for preventing Innovations, some as Wise and Learned, and Understanding in the Scriptures as our Church-Divines are now a days? Or did there want in those Councils, some Church of England Laymen, a Learned Tradesman, some Quick-sighted-penetrating Barber, or perchance a Lecturer or Confuter of Bellarmin, to put those Fathers in mind of their Duty, and tell 'em of the Alteration brought into the Church; to show 'em Victor beginning the Dance, Zozimus following it, and Celestine carrying it on? Well, these are very hard things; and certainly, he that believes these, and afterwards pretends to boggle at Transubstantiation, must needs be a Dissembler. And the Absurdity of this pretence still grows the more Monstrous, when we reflect that St. Irenaeus, Optatus, Augustin, and other Ancient Fathers, urge the continued Succession of these very Bishops of Rome, as an Argument of the True, Orthodox Faith and Religion professed in that Church; without the least mention or hint of any such pretended Alteration. And Fulk, Calvin, with other Protestants, say that these Fathers specially named the Succession of Bishops in the Church of Rome, because the Church of Rome, continued all that time in the Doctrine of the Apostles, as it was founded by them. And yet now at last, when it is to serve the turn, these same Bishops must be branded, as the Setters up and Promoters of Tyranny and Usurpation. But what better shift can those make, who cannot justify themselves, but in condemning the Church of Rome? The only way they have to look Fair is by Blackening her, and what wonder they are so industrious, in throwing dirt in her Face? Besides this the Confuter has brought a Third Instance of Alteration in the Church of Rome, viz. The creeping in of Images into the Church; And in reference to this,  
6. I advise him to consider better for the future, what Alterations he charges upon the Church of Rome; especially not to mention such, which, if to the purpose, would as certainly lay his own Church and cause upon their backs, as he thinks he does the Church of Rome. For here among the Alterations relating to Images, he says the Historical use of them came not into Churches till above 300 Years after Christ; and the Rhetorical use of them, viz. the stirring up Devotion, not till 300 Years more, and for this reason, besides others, he condemns the Church of Rome for Innovation in Religion. And yet these very Practices are allowed too by the Church of England, as Mr. Montague confesses in his Appeal to Caesar, c. 19 20. 21. who likewise besides this, Ib. approves the giving Respect and Reverence to them, as was done by Pope Gregory in Rememoration, and more effectual representment of the Prototypes. Now if this use of Images leaves the Church of Rome, without all Title to Antiquity, what better has the Church of England? If this be enough to un-church the Church of Rome, does it not at least make the Church of England Stagger? But if these Practices and the like be enough with the Confuter, to charge a Church with the Gild of Innovation and Alteration in Religion, I believe against the next Edition, he may easily find more of the like Nature to add to his Margin; viz. the wearing the Surplice, the Cope and Lawn Sleeves; the saying of Litanies and Common-Prayer, with many others, which were not all practised from the time of the Apostles, but are of a more modern date.  
These are the chief Remarks I observed in the perusal of this Paper; if the Confuter will but consider them well, I may expect his next to come out more exact, at least as far as his cause will bear. I have only one thing more to observe, and that is his Conclusion; in which, after he has Confuted (as he thinks) all the claim of the Church of Rome to Antiquity, he asserts the Church of England, as established by Law, for the only True, Ancient, Primitive Church. And this is a thing I cannot tell possibly which way to make Sense of. For how can this Church of England, which started into the World only an hundred and fifty years ago, be the True, Ancient, Primitive Church of Christ, which has been visibly extant in the World, above these sixteen hundred years, ever since Christ and his Apostles? Where were her Pastors, her Teachers, her Prelates, for a thousand years before Edward the Sixth? Where were her Nine and Thirty Articles, her Homilies, her Common-Prayer Book, her Test? Don't every body know, that Christ and his Apostles had never a hand in these, they being all framed of late years; the Where, the When, the By Whom, and the Wherefore being as well known, as the way to the Parliament-house. 'tis true, the Act in Confirmation of the First Common-Prayer Book says, that this Book was compiled by the Aid of the Holy Ghost: But the Great Alterations and Additions that were made by the same Parliament, in the same King's Reign, even in things of Weight and Moment, are enough to make any Man Jealous; and to suspect that that Holy Spirit which is Unchangeable, was not very particularly assistant in such a Changeable Matter; and that if the Parties concerned had seriously thought, it had been effected by his Aid, they had not so soon applied themselves to the mending it. As to this Church therefore, as far as concerns its being Established by Law, the World knows when 'twas done; and that as Established by Law it sometimes Prayed for the Dead, and as Established by Law it does not Pray for the Dead. But where this Church was before 'twas Established by Law, that is not so easy to tell. We know that this Church separated from the whole Body of Christians, and that it joined to no Congregation of Believers or Church then in being; if it did, let it be shown, to which: If it did not, we must judge it as Modern and Novel, as the Separation; and if She be True, that there was before that time no True Church of Christ in being throughout the whole Christian World, which is as Absurd as well can be. Let not the Confuter therefore boast too much of his Church's Antiquity; 'tis not enough to pretend, that She believes the Creed, but 'tis to be proved, that She believes it entirely and fully in that Sense, as 'twas taught by the Apostles and professed by the Primitive Church; this she must show as to those Four Articles, He descended into Hell, I believe The Holy Catholic Church, The Communion of Saints, The Forgiveness of Sins: She must show likewise, that besides believing the Creed, She Denies nothing of what was taught by the Apostles, and was the Belief of the Pure and Primitive Church. He that denies all the Sacraments, may say he believes the Creed, and yet he is not of the Church of Christ. He that should subscribe Negative Articles, in the denial of Original Sin, and the Necessity of God's Grace, may boast he believes the Creed, and yet is nothing better than a Pelagian. He that will be a True Member of Christ's Church, must believe the Catholic Faith Wholly and Entirely, as we profess in the Athanasian Creed. Let him prove this of the Church of England, and then he'll show her to be the Ancient Church. But alas! When this Pure and Entire Belief is denied to the Church of Rome, notwithstanding her Continued Succession of Bishops and Pastors from Christ's time to this, and her determining nothing, but in a General Assembly of those Prelates, whose charge it was to do it: Who can believe, that this is found in the Church of England, who awaking out of a thousand years' sleep, of Ignorance, Errors, and Idolatry, as they own; in a confusion and hurry of affairs jumped into this Pure and Entire Faith of Christ in the Parliament-house, by the help of a few Bishops, Divines and Laymen? Certainly if the Bishops of the whole Christian World erred for above a thousand years, notwithstanding their frequent Meetings and Conferences about Faith and Religion, 'tis very hard to believe, that our Parliament did not Err; especially when the Spirit that moved in those times of Reforming, had so much of Lust, Avarice, Rapine, Confusion, and Sacrilege, that 'tis not likely it should protect from Error, but rather lead them to it: And if it did not, let those believe it that can.  
FINIS.