THE LATE ACT OF THE CONVOCATION AT OXFORD Examined: OR, The OBITS of Prelatique PROTESTANCY: Occasioning the Conversion of W.R. (Sometimes of EXETER College in OXFORD) to Catholic UNION.  PSAL. 118.59. 
Cogitavi vias meas, & converti pedes meos in Testimonia tua.  St. Ambr. Ep. 31. ad. Valent. 
Erubeseat senectus, quae se emendare non potest: nullus pudor est ad meliora transire.  
Printed at Roven, 1652.   

A NARRATIVE Of the Motives and Effects of this Treatise,  
Learned READER,  
IT hath been a no less famous than celebrated Custom amongst the Ancients, for Converts to write Apologies, or some kind of Literary Expressions of their Inductives to Matriculation into the Womb of Christ's Church, as St. Justin Martyr, Arnobius and the rest, who of Heathens, became Christians. Great Origen, and St. Augustine, who from siding with Herctiques, became Catholics. Hence I esteem it my duty to address some Reason to the World, why I left that Body of Christians, where I had been Baptised, and Educated, and now incorporate myself to the Roman Catholic Church, from which our Nation had this last age divided itself.  
After my younger Studies in the University of Oxford, I endeavoured to season myself in our greatest Authors, as Bishop Juell, Bishop Morton, the last Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Usher, with Field, White, and the rest; whose Apothegms I received, as Oracles without dispute; and by the poursuite of them, I began much to admire our Doctrines, and no less to disesteem the Roman Catholic; But upon further growth in years, with Themistocles, I attempted to reach higher, and entering, though with great tenderness, to examine our Tenets and Proofs very speciously alleged out of antiquity; I found so many adulterated Texts of holy Fathers, especially in Bishop jewel, and Bishop Morton, so many (to speak modestly) misinterpreted in the rest (of which I may opportunely give a list) that I could not but blush to find our main Pillars so stramineous in their very foundations.  
Hence what curiosity had first invited, now Conscience enforced me earnestly to a serious and deeper search, wherein I resolved with Cato, not to be ashamed to Learn, as he Greek, So I Latin, not according to the vulgar stile, but the old pure Roman Language, expressed in St. Hierome, St. Augustine and the rest of those Professors of Christian Rhetoric; neither did I omit with old Plato to peragrate Greece, Egypt and the Eastern parts to find any holy Gymnosophists, who could embowel, not nature, but the Sacred Mysteries of Christianity, which I found not sufficiently dived into at home.  
In my return from this Sedentary Pilgrimage, (wholly settled by the researches of Antiquity in the truth of the Roman Church, and her Tenets) I fell upon this Act of the Convocation-House, the Discussion whereof I present to all understandings, not biased with the Praejudice of Customs, Education, or Ambition, that they may judge, out of this Summary, what might be said, if I should expatiate upon this subject.  
I blush not to publish the impulsive cause of my actual Conjunction to our old Roman Mother Church, to be from this Act of the Convocation; for though I was before fully satisfied of those old Tenets in a Speculative sense, yet in reduceing myself to the Practical part or profession of them, I found many Phanatique Bugbears, till happening upon this Act, (composed by a great Body of our most learned men) and evidently seeing the inconsistency of the Doctrine here asserted (especially concerning the necessity of Traditions) with our former Tenets, and Positions against Catholics, I was inavoidably compelled to an actual, and humble Submission of my will, as well as of my judgement, to the obedience of the Church: And in this my voluntary retirement from the World, I found unexpectedly in these Foreign parts divers of both our Universities to have taken the rise of their Conversions from the same ground, and to have prevented me in their Resolutions herein, which made me more thankfully to admire the Divine Providence, in the secret conduct of Souls, culled out for himself.  
Master Gregory (a very learned person, and my contemporary in Oxford, in his Preface to his Opuscula, page 17.) hath this ingenuous acknowledgement; I am sorry (says he) I have so much to accuse my Natition of, that ever since the Times of Henry the eighth, they should go about in a Maze of Reformation, and not know yet how to get either us, or themselves out: And truly who ever does well consider this Act of Convocation, and the sad consequences of it, will conclude with me, that there is but one way to get out of this Maze, and that is by an humble return to our Mother, the Catholic Church, which the dazzled Eyes and selfe-biased Judgements of the contrivers of that Act could not then discern; But this short Examination of it may I hope contribute something towards their illumination.  
From Paris this 1. of July, 1652. Stilo loci. W. R.   

The OBITS of Prelatique Protestancy; OR The last dying words of Episcopacy, faintly delivered in the Convocation house at Oxford, 1. of June, 1641. Containing their reasons against the Scottish Covenant and Presbytery.  
Chemists amongst Physicians desire so far to reform the Doctrine and Discipline of the Galenists, that they neither observe the same Method nor drugs in their Cures, as appears in Paracelsus, Crollius, Helmontius and others; nay they would willingly so far be thought to differ from them, as that out of that respect they assume another name, and therefore commonly style themselves Phylosophos per ignem, Fiery, that is, hot spirited Philosophers. And truly when I look upon this Consult and Result of the Convocation house, Consisting of Masters, Scholars, and other Officers & Members of the University, as you profess, I conceive you have endeavoured so far to reform the Doctrine and manners of all others, that you neither agree with them, who would be esteemed reformed Churches, nor with their and your Mother Church of Rome, either in Doctrine or Disscipline.  
Nay ye have gone so far with the Chemists, that ye will not retain the common name of all the Modern Reformers (as your later Masters profess) in which all your Progenitors vaunted; namely under the Notion of protestants, but ye style yourselves here Christians or Protestants (with this distinctive appellative) of the Church of England; Others deny the name wholly, as in our daily congresses we experience, so that the more Unigenious name is Puritan, which is also more uniform to the Chemists hot spirited Philosophy. As therefore ye are separate in place, so in nature and name, from all, who rightly, or falsely acknowledge Christ, whence at the most (according to your own principles) ye are but Anologically (I fear I might better say equivocally) Christians, as it signifies a body of people uniformly professing Christ, with the Universal Church. So that what Celsus improperates in origen's third book, would surely come home to you: Nec jam quicquam preter nomen eye common superesse, si tamen vel hoc prae pudore relinquitur.  
Let us proceed to particulars.  

Your first Paragraph is of the first Article of the Covenant.  
1. Wherein first we are not satisfied, how we can with Judgement swear to endeavour to preserve the Religion of another Kingdom, whereof, as it doth not concern us to have very much, so we profess 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 four specified particulars, (viz.) Worship, Discipline and Government, much worse; and in the fourth, that of Doctrine, not at all better, than our own, which we are in the next passage of the Article required to reform.  
Blessed Saint Paul was much of another spirit, he earnestly professeth a most hearty sense of the welfare of all Churches, he hath a Solicitous care of all: he cries out, Who is weak, and I not weak, who is offended and I burn not? 2 Cor. 11.28. He is highly sensible not only of all Churches, but persons. See him, 1 Cor. 1.10. how careful he is to have all speak the same thing, and that there be no division amongst them: but that they be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. Read him in all his Epistles, see how he and his fellow labourers, even anxiously esteemed themselves concerned in all the Church's progress in true Doctrine and practice. See what he says to the Romans. Chap. 12. the aim of his Doctrine is, that we must rejoice with the joyful, weep with the sad; we must mutually feel each others passions: we must be deeply concerned in our brethren's spiritual affairs chief, but ye contrariwise profess, not to be so much concerned, in preserving the Religion of your Neighbour Church.  
Solomon would have judged 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 profess yourselves now not much concerned to preserve her in any Religion. Ye could not have used any Arguments more forcible, to prove yourselves not true lively Members of Christ's great Spiritual body, since it is clear by your profession here, that you are not vegitated with the common spirit of it, for ye are not concerned, etc. Contrary to Saint Paul's teaching, 1 Cor. 14.33. where he professeth to teach peace of Doctrine in all Churches.  
Ye profess also, that you differ from them in Worship, Discipline, and Government.  
The Philosophers at Athens (however different in their Schools touching their opinions of the Deity, Providence, etc. as appears in the tenants of the Platonists, Stoiques and Peripatetics, yet) in their Temple, touching Worship, Discipline and Government, did far more agree, than you, meeting quietly at their common oblations to God, which ye profess 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 separated from Rome and their whole Communion, so ye are, (as you profess) from your neighbouring Churches, whence it follows 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 Wolf (though a Pestilent creature) animal generosum, because it will not be made tame: I can say no less of you, it is generous not to degenerate, all your predecessors disagreed with each other, as Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, and the rest. Tertullian not far from the end of his treatise of Prescriptions, will rub you hard upon the gills. Mentior, si non etiam à regulis suis variant inter se dum unusquisque proinde suo arbitrio modulatur quae accepit, quemadmodum de arbitrio ea composuit illi quae tradidit, etc. It hath been always the custom from the beginning that you thus vary from one another, and yet Tertullian speaks of it, as a thing most ridiculous. I lie, saith he, if it be not true, that they differ from their own rules, etc. he was afraid that future ages would not believe so prodigious a thing, but succeeding ages make it appear even to children. Ye have therefore just title not only to the Wolf in this point of generosity, but to the Foxes under Samson, in biting each other with all virulency, and yet agree in your tails by firing all behind you, which is God's Church.  
It's Cato's aphorism, 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 General Counsels, held before the last 600. years, as appears in the Articles of union betwixt you and the Germans; In B. Jewels time, you confined yourselves to the first 600. years. After in Perkins time to the first 400. years, and now in D'allie to the Apostles only: And so by degrees you creep to your invisibility, where every one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Son without a Father.   

For the Doctrine you add as follows.  
Wherein if hereafter we shall find any thing (as upon farther understanding thereof it is not impossible we may) that may seem to us savouring of Popery, Superstition, Heresy or Schism, or contrary to sound Doctrine, or the Power of Godliness; We shall be bound by the next Article to endeavour the extirpation, after we have bound ourselves, by this first Article, to the preservation thereof.  
Wherein we already find some things (to our thinking) so far tending to superstition (in accounting Bishops Anti Christian, and indifferent Ceremonies, unlawful) and Schisms (in making their Discipline and Government a mark 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 reform the same, then that they should call upon us to preserve it.  
Here you have touched the matter again more deeply to the quick, your quarrels in Doctrine are of no less nature, then of Superstition and Schism: Thus Presbytery and Prelacy are at open wars. We heard of the Heralds at arms menacing mutual defiance at the Scots first entering our Country, yet there were hopes of an atonement, but this Covenant hath rendered them irreconcilable. 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 indeed insinuates an old and constant custom of the Catholic Church in a religious embrace of each other in time of Mass, which he here calls Sacrifice, signifying the charity which should be amongst Christians, but you have professedly cast away Mass and Peace together.  
The causes which each of you already allege are true enough, but I leave yourselves to prove them; it's more than 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 confess of them and they of you; wherein ye have destroyed yourselves wholly; First, from the pretence of being one Christian Church, and consequently any Church, according as the universal Church teaches us, I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. If therefore no unity, no Church. And with no less evidence ye have Secondly destroyed either of you to be a Church, having declared your several errors in Superstition and Schism; For according to Holy Scriptures, and the consent of all, especially old Christians; A Congregation, which should generally and solemnly teach and profess Superstition and Schism, neither is nor can be a Church of Christ, this would render it inconsistent with the light presented in Saint John's Candlesticks, and consequently alienate it from Christ. This needs no further proof to a man who hath observed the hinges of Christianity.  
Doth not the whole world also know by your voluminous writings, that ye have condemned the very Ceremonies of the Roman Church, as unlawful, and made that amongst the vulgar people a main argument of our Superstition, and now ye say it is Superstition in the Presbyters to condemn them in you. I'll not press you, for I should presently cast you into Democritus his Well: Ye wholly forget the force of an Argument called in the Schools ad hominem, drawn from a man's own principle, as here against you.  
Ye go on.  
Secondly, we are not satisfied in the next Branch, concerning the Reformation of Religion in our own Kingdom, in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government, how we can swear to endeavour the same, which (without making a change therein) cannot be done.  
It is very well noted, that ye cannot reform without a change. Philosophy would laugh at you to attempt a Reformation without a proportionable mutation; whence it follows, that you have changed your Doctrine, whence it further follows, 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 four first general Counsels, hear what the Council of Chalcedon saith, Act. 1. Sic sancivit sancta synodus, &c Si quis innovat, Anaethema sit, sanctorum patrum fidem servemus, etc. you see your sentence, if you change you are gone, and yet you must change. If your Proselytes would without prejudice observe, how you tumble and toss one another in reciprocal recriminations, in matter of 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 scandal to the Papist, and Separatist, by yielding 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 scorn by them cast upon our Religion, whose usual objection it hath been and is, that we know not what our Religion is, that 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 Gospel, 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 scandalised all the world, and most of all those whom ye call Papists, by yielding the cause, and showing, that hitherto ye have persecuted them to blood, to all manner of cruelties for not adhering to that, which now is confessed to be Superstitious and Schismatical. Trajan was a Heathen and a professed enemy of Christian Religion, yet he came not near your cruelties: He made a law that no Poursivants should search the houses or look after Christians or their Priests, but only apprehend them, if they should happen to meet them. But under your reign, 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 Jews at Rome; Nay Suetonius tells us, that even the Christians were tolerated to assemble. Eusebius Hist. lib. 5. cap. 20. saith, that Commodus the Emperor punished even by death, such who accused Christians, by reason of their quietness. And in his third book, cap. 15. he tells how Nerva the Emperor did set Christians at liberty generally by public Proclamation, & hence Saint John was freed from Patmos. In fine, he recalled all power given to Poursuivants by his predecessors. 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 fear the blood 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, ne statuas illis hoc peccatum.  
Saint Paul hath also taught us Rom. 12.5.21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome good with evil. Nay Aristotle himself in 4. Eth. cap. 3. saith, it is a sign of magnanimity to forget injuries. For as it is a mark of a weak Stomach not to be able to digest hard meat, so it is of a pusillanimous Soul, not to be able to endure a harsh word or harder threats. Cicero. lib. 2. Tusc, ques. (speaking of wise men's 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 suspicion of some impiety in his opinions, departed from Athens and removed his School, saying to his Scholars, Discedamus Athenis, ne prebeamus iis secundam occasionem sceleris, quale prius perpetraverunt in Socratem, neve iterum 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 confirm 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 witness even by Master Foxes adulterate Monuments.  
For first, never any died for the whole complex or the Encyclopedia of your 39 Articles, the confession whereof renders an adequate Praelatist, this is clear in all Histories: the truth is, it would have argued a frenzy to maintain those Articles by death, which were only made to maintain you in life; Again, no man in his wits would expose himself even to danger of death for matter of opinion, which must needs involve uncertainty, neither do your Articles mount any higher, as Chilingworth ingenuously confesseth & therefore ye all profess a fallibility in your own decrees, which is consequent enough. In some of your Articles you agree with us, so that if any of yours should die 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. etc. S. Aug. against the Donatists and all the rest assure us, that, Esse Martyr non potest, qui in ecelesia dei non est. No member of God's Catholic Church, no Martyr, and hereupon the Novatians, though sharply persecuted by Macedonius for the same Doctrine concerning the Blessed Trinity, for which the Catholics 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 signify'd by writing to the Primate all particulars in the process, and then he declared them to be such, as appears in S. Aug. Brevic. Collat. diei 3. cap. 13. where he shows 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 Dioclesian's Proclamation, in delivering the Sacred Books 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, he denied that honour, as appears there. This solemn Act of Declaration was afterwards transferred and limited to the Pope, being conceived a business of high concernment to the whole Church. Truly, the Church hath been always so tender in this, that Counsels, 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 he be accounted a Martyr. It must be done with due circumstances.  
And the case of St. Abda comes home to it, he had pulled down an Idolatrous Temple, for which Christians commended him not, but his refusal to rebuild the Temple was judged cause enough of Martyrdom, as Theodor. l. 5. c. 38. shows. There might be rashness in the first, but surely the re-building of an Idolatrous Temple, had been 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 Catholics, 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 tenderness the universal Church hath used in recording & admitting the Gests of her undoubted Martyrs, read the 6. Gen. Council Can. 63. which will tell you that the Roman Church will not permit the Acts of Martyrs to be read, which have been written by Heretics, nay the council will have such Records to be burnt.  
In some Articles you agree with the Presbyterians, in others with the Independents: If any have died for either of these, each of them may come in as well as you, and yet these (consequent to your Principles) ye esteem Separatists, that is, not capable of being Martyrs.  
Again in some Articles you differ from us and them, which are the peculiar Tenants of Praelatisme, and for these, they and we know, that never any Man died, namely for your Episcopacy; and the adherent Doctrines, Therefore without doubt ye have no Martyrs, no not so much as Pseudomartyrs.  
Secondly, you yourselves in time of your Espiscopall Reign cast many (besides Catholics) Presbyterians, and Independents into Dungeons, where they died, beggared Families with oppressures, wherewith they famished, cut off Ears, and banished such, who adored not your Episcopal Idol; And may not these join issue upon a fare greater title to Martyrdom, than you? That the Prelatists had almost entreated the common people into a belief of this Fancy, I wonder not; For if we look 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 ways sought their own Death, upon this pretence, as Optaetus Milevitanus, St. Augustine, and divers others relate. I leave you to tell us, whether 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 proof enough of their errors; Truly the Prelatists being reduced to a loss in point of reasoning, for they have already confessed their domestic inconsistencies, now (as ye see) they begin with them to challenge Martyrs, whom they would take up from all hands, but if we deplume them, by giving to each part their own, as I have touched, we 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 clause, even in this your fainting condition, you still strike at the poor Catholics, (Worms trodden will show their heads, for defence) truly you seem to be much of the nature of Foxes, whose antipathy is so great against innocent Lambs, that their Skins made into Drums will by invisible beams or spirits, endeavour the breaking of a Drum made of Lamb's Skin; But it recoils 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 Ink a tincture of Gall, lest we should not seem sensible of your frequent scorns in this Act. It was S. Hierem & S. Augustine's case in their conflicts with the Donatists, Pelagians and the rest.  
S. Augustine tell us of a House infested with evil spirits, for remedy whereof he sent some of his Monks to say Mass, which presently dispelled the Devils, it would be no less efficatious now against all ill spirits, who infested Gods Servants in their quiet attending to his Service. The holy Mass is able to humble those fictitious Priests in jamblicus in his Treatise of Mysteries, who threatened the Gods to break the Heavens, and reveal Isis her Secrets, to stop the Egyptian Sacred Ship, etc. you seem to threaten God's Ship, which is his Church, etc. but all signify your imminent destruction.  
Your second Reason is also considerable, that we know not what your Religion is, since you yourselves cannot yet agree on it, nor indeed know where to stay, since ye left us, you rightly conclude this, and the changes of your Articles of Belief even in the highest mysteries of Doctrine, as of Predestination, final Apostasy from grace and the rest, etc. too too abundantly declare, that hitherto you have wandered in false and strange Doctrines. A miserable condition for all your Proselytes, now after so many years to be to seek Reasons in point of Doctrine, why ye left us, and yet severely punished us to blood for not following you.  
Ye assumed to yourselves a magisterial power of dictating Divinity to your followers, and yet you are not agreed upon your own Tenets, this is like Peter Martyr in Oxford, who sent to the Parliament to know how he should expound, Hoc est corpus meum to his auditors; Thus your own practices discover and destroy your designs, every proposition used in your Pulpits against us was Demonstratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, no reason durst be offered against it, and yet now you have destroyed all yourselves.   

Touching your additional Reason of our charging you with embracing a Parliament Religion.  
Can you yourselves call it any other, then Parliamentary? I wonder ye boggle at this, did not a Parliament lay the first Stone, when Hen. the 8. made his breach from Rome, which ye 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 Mass, & c.? Is not the Supreme power over all Doctrines by several Acts transferred by Parliament to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, cited in the same Paragraph? was it not also reestablished by King James in the Parliaments? and so ever since continued to your great griefs. All men know the passages of this. Is there any thing believed to this day any further then settled by Parliament, as you in your next (number 2.) confess? Nay, do not your posteriour Writers profess, that settlement of Religion is solely to be had from the civil Power? And upon this ground, they teach that Inhabitants in any Country should follow the Religions, how often soever changed there, which was the antiquated impiety of Celsus, strengthened by him in many examples, and strongly confuted by Origen, fol. 484. c. 2. Upon which supposition, we might come at last to worship a 〈◊〉 instead of GOD, as the Egyptians did, by origen's 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 Church's Supremacy, as condistinct to temporal principality, saith, Kings shall bow down to her with their Face toward the Earth, and lick up the dust of her Feet, which surely will reach to a submission in Doctrines; but this concerns not your imaginary Church; the Prophet, who foretold Christ's coming, and his true Church's Birth and Progress, never dreamt of such a Hypocentaur, as you had framed, which neither was Catholic nor Protestant.  
I conceive it therefore the noblest pretence you have to plead your Origin from a Parliament, which being supposed, you will easily find the way of your Reformation and destruction to be equally authentical, 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 esteem no Friends to Athens, I do not urge it; only remember it is the same way, and as far from your Colleges to the Convocation House, as from thence to your Colleges, and all is done.   

You go on in your Reasons.  
3. By a  acknowledgement that there is some thing in the Doctrine, and worship, whereunto their conformity hath been 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 follows very evidently, being necessarily and virtually included in the premises: If your form of Faith must be changed, surely it convinces that we, not you, have been in the right, agreeably to God's Word, which can not change. So that it is clear 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 style them) or Separatists, and your unlawful separation, not more strongly conclude against yourselves, who first separated from your true Mother, they from an Adulteress; Let all men judge. I fear 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 theatres, 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 shows 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 ye have taught others to do the like to you: many of yours with Genesius and some of your Dioscorists, the Arch Players, of deriders, have become serious imbracers of Catholic truth. It is the greatest harm we wish you all.  
Nicetas Choniates in his Annals under Manuel Comnenus, tells of a Magician, who had so fare dementated a poor Waterman, that he broke in pieces his Boat full of Pots and Pans, and such like Vessels of Earth; The poor man seemed to see a horrible Serpent creeping towards him, which he 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 been dementated to break yourselves 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 poor man did, still thinking to preserve yourselves by that which was your ruin.   

But you go on.  
4. By an employed Confession, that the Laws formerly made against Papists, in this Kingdom and all punishments by virtue thereof inflicted upon them, were unjust, in punishing them for refusing to join with us in that form of worship, which ourselves, as well as they, do not approve of.  
Thus far you rightly observe; And surely it concerns you to think 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 Doctrine and Worship, as not agreeable to the Word of God. Julian was more visibly punished by God then many Heathen persecuting Emperors, by reason of his Apostasy, the crime seemed greater in him; I doubt you will be the like examples of God's Justice, and confess with him, when it is too late, Vicisti Galilaee. When we are first entered into Aristotle's School, we are taught to proceed in due form, 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, ye have intricated yourselves in a sad labyrinth.  
It was accustomarily given out that Catholics were not in time of your Reign punished for Religion, but for nonconformity in points of State. But here ye have taken away that Vizard, in holding forth to all the World, that the Laws were made, and the punishments, (in order to those Laws) inflicted, for refusing to join in your form of Worship. You see into what a Dilemma you are unadvisedly plunged, methinks you might have made provision in your Convocation Acts against cornuted Arguments. The truth is your proceeding against. Catholics, argued the whole Roman Church in your judgements to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City of Rogues, not civitas sancta, God's Church, and therefore we were in all things used like and numbered with rogues and thiefs.  
The Cynics, that they might be like to Hercules, fight against the Lions, assumed for their Dress, a Staff, instead of his Club, and an old cloak. Hence the Donatists and their offspring the Circumcellians in Africa used just the same: you have been indeed very formal and more Ecclesiastique-like, than your neighbouring Scots in your Canonical cloaks, but you agreed in your club-law in persecution of Catholics and all others, who could not conform their consciences to your Ganons, and behaved yourselves 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 Emperors, to impose only such commands upon the Jews, as were consistent with their Religion, as Ulpian Records.  
None of you are ignorant how much, and how long we have suffered under the heavy imputation of the Gunpowder Treason, a crime so highly opposite to our Tenets, that to assert it lawful, were heresy with us. Nero, when he had set Rome on fire, could not easier turn the horror of it upon any, and free himself, then to lay it upon us, as he did, according to the testimony of all the Roman Historians, though they themselves discover his falseness in it: Even thus when the Plot was laid for that horrid attempt of the Gunpowder, it was easily cast upon us, and to that end a few young desperate persons overreached and drawn into it, that under that colour, we might all be traduced, whereas the very memory of it is odious to all Catholics; but time discovers the most secret machinations, and will clear all calumnies.   

Yet you adventure to go on:  
1. Without manifest wrong unto ourselves, our Consciences, Reputation and Estates, in bearing false witness against ourselves, and sundry other ways: by swearing to endeavour to reform that as corrupt and vicious; Which we have formerly by our personal Subscription, approved as agreeable to God's word, and have not been since either condemned by our own Hearts for so doing, or convinced in our Judgements, by any of our Brethren, that therein we did amiss.  
2. Which in our Consciences, we are persuaded not to be in any of the four specified particulars (as it standeth established) much less in the whole four against the Word of God.  
3. Which we verily believe and (as we think upon good grounds) to be in sundry respects much better, and more agreeable to the Word of God, and the practice of the Catholic Church, then that, which we should by the former words of this Article swear to preserve.  
4. Whereunto the Laws (Stat. 13. Eliz. 12.) yet in force require of all such Clerks as shall be admitted to any Benefice the signification of their hearty assent to be attested openly in the time of Divine Service; before the whole Congregation there present, within a limited time, and that under pain (upon default made) of the loss 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 Solemn Protestation which we have bound ourselves neither for Hope, Fear or other respect ever to relinquish. Wherein the Doctrine, which we have vowed to maintain, 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 Reform and Alter.  
2. To the Oath of Supremacy, by us also taken according to the Laws of the Realm, and the Statutes of our University in that behalf, wherein having first testified and declared in our Consciences, that the King's Highness is the only Supreme Governor of this Realm, we do after Swear to our power to assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Privileges, Preeminences, and Authorities granted or belonging to the King's Highness, his Hairs and Successors, or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm. One of which Privileges and Preeminences, by an express. Statute so annexed, and that ever In terminis in the self same words, in a manner with those used in the Oath, is the whole power of Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for the Correction, and Reformation of all manner of Errors and Abuses in matters Ecclesiastical (such Jurisdictions, Privileges, Superiorities, and Preeminences Spiritual, and Ecclesiastical, as by any, etc. for the Visitation of the Ecclesiastical State and Persons, and for Reformation, Order and Correction of the same, and of all manner of Errors, Hevesies, Schisms, Abuses, Offences, Contempts, and Enormities, shall for ever by Authority of this present Parliament be united, and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, as by the words of the said Statute more at large appeareth. The Oath affording the Proposition, and the Statute the Assumption, we find no way how to avoid the Conclusion. The Statute is entitled, An Act Restoring to the Crown the ancient Jurisdiction, etc. 1. Eliz. 1.   

To these in brief thus.  
I doubt not but many of your weaker Proselytes esteem this Discourse so harmonious, as to have power to make Stones dance, as they followed Amphion to the Theban Walls, or to toss the lofty Offa and Banchaia, and take us all off our Legs, as of old at the hearing the Odrysian Harp: But we'll ponder your Music.  
1. If it be not lawful for you without manifest wrong to your selves, Consciences, Reputation and Estates to reform your Doctrine. How was it lawful for the first Broachers of your Articles, to pretend Reformation of the Doctrines they had sworn unto under us, did not they bear false witness against themselves, and are not you their issue conceived in Perjury? It is ingenuously done of you, to confess you had a very considerable Eye to the loss of your Estates, in refusing the Covenant, though experience now teacheth you, that the Covenanters themselves are not exempted from that loss. Non est consilium contra Dominum, your policies did not succeed. How free were Catholics from this Avarice? They prodigally exposed all, rather than to grate upon their Consciences. This was not obstinacy but constancy, like the old Christians in S. Basiles time, who would not admit the change of a particle, superest disserere de Syllaba, oum unde caeperit, etc. No change of Faith with them.  
2. Catholics were forced (as much as in you lay) to condemn what they were not, nor yet are convinced of in their Judgements, that the former, that is, the old Catholic Doctrines are not agreeable to God's Word; We must therefore cry aloud with Tertullian (de Pres. c. 3.) against Hermogenes. Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officinae, etc. Show us where it is written that we must forsake stated truths for your variable conceits, altogether disagreeing from God's word. This plea will destroy you wholly, and with all Justice restore us at least to a quiet condition under the Profession of our old Tenets. Ptolomey (though of a different profession to both parties,) was thought capable to determine the Schismatical Controversy of the two Temples of Jerusalem, and Garizim.  
3. Catholics did not only believe, but knew that their Doctrines were much better, and more agreeable to the Word of God, and the practice of the Catholic Church, than your fancies: And yet were compelled either to swear to them, or lose all. Wise men do not only provide for the present in making Laws, but foresee and prevent future, and as much as may be even possible dangers. Had ye consulted with old Lycurgus, he found other ways to perennize his own Laws, and persuade an Opinion of their Divine Origen: but your Utopia hath destroyed itself by your own Fundamental Laws, they are now with full force retorted upon yourselves, as all men see, and consequently enforce your ruin 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 destroys Arianisme in his Tract of the Synods of Arimine, and Seleucia by this most certain Argument. Vrsacius & 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 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 always amongst Christians esteemed sufficient to assign the Consulship, the time and day of their Subscriptions. Which of you or us cannot retrieve your form of Faith not only to the reign 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 apostatise from Philosophy, esteeming them no better then dead men; How much more should some such course be taken for those, who forsake Christian Philosophy, and turn to Heresies and Errors!  
I wonder you do not blush to pretend the practice of the Catholic Church: Here is repugnantia in adjecto as Logicians speak, a Catholic Church confined to England, you pretend no further than England, for you say true Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England; Indeed this Island hath been styled Orbis Britannicus, a World by itself, but it is a very little Catholic Church, which encompaseth not this very Island. (For, Scotland is excluded by your own Confession.) So that if this Island were the World, it is not Catholic.  
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 down to be, because they 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 prophesied by Isaias e. 62. Servientibus mihi vocabitur novum nomen, etc. yet afterwards Heretics abusively took this Name also, and rendered it execrable to the Pagans, by their ill lives and abominable Doctrines, as Tertullian demonstrates in his Apologetico. Whereupon the celebrated adjunct of Catholic 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 appears often in St. Augustine's Collations with them) even by as much title as you, peruse him, and acknowledge yourselves 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 Catholic, which is yet extant, though he lived somewhat before St. Hierome. Out of these examine your Title, and you will find it vain, try it by this test, and learn to renounce, what ye have unjustly usurped.  
Your last plea of perjury was not admitted to Catholics, who adhered to their first Tenants in the general revolt of this Country, yet you urge it handsomely to convince all your Brethren of high perjury, in taking such an Oath, which you yourselves judge to be false, since ye deny that there is such a power in Parliaments, as ye said above, and consequently in the Crown, being all the pretence you allege; for it was from Parliaments.  
This point of forcing men's Consciences with Oaths in matter of belief, 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 be greater than any other tyranny, namely to make men swear that they believe, what the imposers know, or may presume they do not think: This is a sure way to send the swearers to the Devil, especially if (to complete their Malice) the Imposers should presently kill them, as I hear of a Varlet, who out of revenge made a wretch first forswear his Religion, and then instantly stabbed him, lest he should live and repent.  
I could wish you & others would vouchsafe to read, not our Schoolmen, that were too much labour, but our Summists at least, to learn what conditions are required in a Lawful taking, or imposing Oaths.   

You proceed. The SECOND ARTICLE OF THE COVENANT.  
First, is cannot, but affect us with some grief, and amazement to see that ancient form of Church-Government, which we hearty and (as we hope) worthily honour, as under which our Religion was at first so orderly without Violence or Tumults, and so happily reform, and hath since so long flourished with Truth and Peace, to the honour, and happiness 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 do; But also  
2. Ranked with Popery, Superstition, Heresy, Schism and profaneness, which we unfeignedly profess ourselves 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 Godliness, that whosoever should not endeavour the extirpation thereof, must of necessity partake in other men's sins, which we cannot yet be persuaded to believe.   

To your first.  
Was not England reform from Infidelity to Christianity without violence or tumult, and so continued till Henry the Eights rapture, both in body and mind? did it not continue in admiration of all Nations, because it never admitted any Heresies? was it not endeavoured to be extirpated without any reasons offered to our understanding, &? yet let me also tell you that your pretended Reformation came not in, nor continued without violence. At the very first, was there not violence offered in the first Parliament which 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 Mass, and establishing your Common-Prayer Book. And did it not continue by blood? The only argument used to induce Catholic to adhere to your new Schismatical Prelacy, was that, which began and continues the Koran, which is the Sword, or (which is more ignominious) the Gallows, Yet you live under those Governors, who promise not to exercise violence upon Consciences, which is your happiness. But if they should make use of your Laws, and argue with you ad hominem, that way out of your principles, there would be title for cruelties enough: ye hare very closely followed the steps of your predecessors the Donatists, whose bloody proxagation of their Heresies St. Hierom in his Treatise against them towards the end of the third Book, shows: So does Orosius also and St. Augustine, (of the City of God) which he dedicated to Marcellinus, who was murdered by them. God forbidden that any Phalaris should put you to Perillus his punishment, recorded in Ovid.  Et Phalaris tauro violenti memb a Perilli Torruit: in felix imbuit auctor upus. 
What a number of penal Laws were in your time & by your promotion, made against tender Consciences? and how rigidly put in execution? How many tyrannical Sentences and Censures did you pass in your high Commission court, for mere 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, unless in some occult or remote Cranny, and of whose Origin, continuation, and Exit, you may take this as a sure record, that it was established by a Parliament on the 29 of May, 1549. and was abolished on the 26 of Novemb. 1644. by the like authority; Thus long did it, and your Religion continue, without flourishing, either to the happiness 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 only cause of all our late troubles?   

Hinc illae Lachrymae.  
From this Source hath issued a stream of blood, and a fountain of tears in the late wars; Nor can it seem strange, that Almighty God should at length unsheathe his sword to revenge the innocent: You know Haman was hanged on the Gallows, which he erected for Mardocheus: But we pray, that you may find mercy.   

To the Second.  
Was not Catholic Religion by you called Popery, and ranked with Superstation? etc. and hath it not by yourselves 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 Prelatic 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 Prelatic Protestancy began with lies and so it must continue. Hence this Gentleman took his rise to become Catholic, 
Credidit & domus ejus iota.  and all his Family. Let not any man much wonder at this private confession of the Bishop, for it is very well consistent with what others have taught in public. Mr. Gregory in his Opuscula page 145. hath these words; We make Religion but a politic 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 schisms amongst Catholics, 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 Church's unity, whence he had fallen, he permitted sacrilegious dissensions, 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 fails. And question less it had failed as soon as conceived, if the people had not easily been carried away with any, though mere 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 Chancellor 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 Catholics, 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 only have destroyed superstition, to the astonishment of the world.  
Who could believe that D. Usher should not blush to preach so impudent an untruth, as that Catholics hold Fornication to be lawful; against Scriptures, Fathers, and Counsels, and the very Catechisms 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 public Theatre and so first published by himself. 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 against us for so many years, and through our sides against your and our parents, and against the whole Catholic 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, aldermans, Sheriffs, Common Council, and other Officers depending thereon) murder, adultery, theft, cozenage, and whatsoever shall be, etc. left they should partake in other men's sins; whether such a tendry could be looked upon by any Citizen that had the least spirit of freedom in him, as an act of justice, meekness and reason.  
How still it runs alike, and justly to be retorted upon you from Catholics, 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 publicly and ignominiously hanged with murderers, thiefs, and reputed Traitors; 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 Episcopal Government; we are not satisfied how we can with a good conscience swear to endeavour the extirpation thereof; first in respect of the thing itself; 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, expressly commanded by God in his Word) yet of Apostolical 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 virtue of their ordinary power, and authority derived from him, as deputed by him Governors of his Church.  
2. Or at least, that Episcopal Aristocracy hath a fairer pretention, and may lay a juster title and claim to a divine justification, than any of the other forms of Church Government can do; all which yet do pretend thereunto (viz.) that of the Papal Monarchy, that of the Presbyterian Democracy, and that of the Independents by particular Congregations, or gathered Churches.  
How feebly do these (however learned) men argue in this radical point, which cuts the very sinews and heart strings of their Idol: their motions are unequal, like a hen, when her head is struck off, they skip and leap inordinately with If's and Ana's. B. Usher 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 universal Church, for things which they all confess less necessary. In fine, all of you are very short in this fundamental point; I love Lypsius his Laconism, rather than 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 afterward show the weakness of your title.  
Had you consulted the Archives of the University, and retrived the business now in hand to Wickliffs' time and Tenets, you would have found another kind of solution registered of the Convocation house, and I believe much more savouring of well-grounded Divinity, as applied to Episcopacy in itself, not to yours. For the comparison you make of Episcopal Aristocracy, and Papal Monarchy, are terms, which your young Sophisters call Oucategorimaticall, they signify 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 controversy betwixt Aristotle and Galen, whether the seat of the soul is in the head or heart: it were little to their purpose to assert one of these to be better than the other, as separate from the other in its own nature; but the way to determine it, is from the operations of the soul, to see first if it will give life to one without the other; and therefore Averro 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 Pope's head was taken off by Harry the VIII but ye see now you could continue no more than 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 ancient Records, and later Histories, that this form of Government hath been continued with such an universal, uninterrupted, unquestioned succession in all the Churches of God, and in all the Kingdoms that have been 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 Heretic. From which antiquity and continuance, we have just cause to fear that to endeavour the extirpation thereof, etc.  
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 God's Church was universally governed by Bishops; but this is not the question, but whether your Schismatical Bishops succeeded lawfully from that old Episcopacy; that is, whether the Church of God acknowledged Episcopacy lawful, 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 Patriarches.  
Your Proposition I deny not, being in itself true; as in the Council 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 errors; and ●oth S. Hierome Ep. 75. and S. Aug. Ep. 9 followed the same method in them, and after the Se● Apostolic. But as ve● quivocally use the term Episcopacy, as signifying your nothing, so I must deny it, and connumerate it with your errors.  
Again, you strike upon Tradition for your Episcopacy, wherein you commit a great soloecism in Divinity. If it had been for Episcopacy in itself, 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 general Council, 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 mere pretences for as much as concerns your Episcopacy of fifteen hundred years' possession, to be an invincible plea in this point, and a real and clear prescription for so many ages shall not hold for all others, as most undoubtedly there was not any considerable opposition against Mass, till calvin's 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, careful 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 lawful in this, why in all other doctrines, which you relinquished against Antiquity? It's not Antiquity, but fancy and ambition you follow, else a true Syllogism in the same form will always conclude.  
You put me in mind of the Ass, who wresting Orpheus his sharp out of Apollo's hand, played so illfavouredly, 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 unhandsomely 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 judgement and practice of the universal Church; the best Interpreter of Scriptures in things not clearly expressed; 
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 Orthodoxal explications concerning the Trinity and Coequality of the persons in the Godhead against the Arians and other Heretics; the number, use, and efficacy of Sacraments; the Baptising of Infants National Churches; the observation of the Lords day; and even the Canon of Scripture itself.  
3. In respect of ourselves, we are not satisfied, how it can stand with the Principles of Justice, Ingenuity, and Humanity, to require the extirpation of Episcopal Government, (unless it had been first clearly demonstrated to be unlawful) to be sincerely and really endeavoured by us.   

To the first.  
Indeed you cannot wipe off the aspersion, no more than 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, than sin would challenge great pre-eminency. Thus far hath this plea been derided by you. I could fill and foul many sheets, in giving a syllable of your Authors for this. Yet all ancient Fathers and Counsels esteemed this an infallible Plea; and therefore the Nicene Fathers, as appears in Athan. his Epistle of the Nicene Decrees, cried, Ecce nos demonstramus istiusmodi sententiam, à patribus ad patres, quasi per manus traditam esse. They esteemed it enough to show 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 oral Traditions, it hath been the main pretended cause of scandal, and (as ye have judged it) most fundamental, that Catholics plead a necessity of Apostolical I raditions with the divine Scriptures. Have not all the books of your Writers to this day been filled in proof of the sufficiency 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 Catholic Church? but the truth is, that self-interest compels you to speak truth against your old Doctrines: this blow hath struck you under the fifth rib; and like the poor Pilgrim of Hiericho, laid you wholly on your backs, as objects of pity.  
You specify 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 confess the Scripture alone not sufficient? If you 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 coeternal with the Father, nor equal to him, as Athanasius shows that he held; but there are under the latitude of the Praelatique party, who with Paulus Samosatenus, Corpocras, etc. call in question his Deity, and restrain him to his humanity; and hence some eminent persons, taking scandal, left you, and are joined to the Catholic 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 yourselves, let me instance more of our Doctrines which you most calumniate. What more universal Tradition was extant then Mass? that is the propitiatory Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ, offered daily and perpetually for the living and the dead. Read Mr. Perkins his Problems, he tells you, that it was universally believed, that Christ gave his true Body and Blood 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 bade yet rather have a schismatic of your own stamp, ask Lucilla a Patroness of the Donatists in lib. 1. of Optatus Millevitan.  
As for prayers for the dead in order to remission of debts after this life, before that great day of general goal-delivery, or last fiery purgation, it was (as I conceive) practised always according to the sense of the Church universal by the East and West, and judged very profitable by them all. To omit particular Greek and Latin Fathers, it seemeth in the Council of Florence to be the sense of the Greek and Latin Church, as appears in the narration of the whole dispute, printed at Leiden in Holland; and the definition of the Council itself seems to come exceeding home, where, in defining what souls come to heaven before the day of judgement (for that is the question there decided) the Fathers spoke thus: Illorum etiam animas, qui post baptismum susceptum, nullam omnino peccati maculam incurrerunt, illas etiam quae post contractam peccati maculam vel in suis corperibus, vel eisdem exuti corporibus (prout dictum est superius) sunt purgatae, in coelum mox recipi, etc. Here they suppose some souls to be purged before the last day, else the discourse is not consequent, nor to the purpose: Which also is clear in Pope Benedict XI. his Extravagant, which gins Benedictus Dens, etc. where, defining the same truth agitated under John 22. his words are, Si tum erit aliquod purgabile in eisdem, lamen post mortem suam purgabunt, etc. etiam ante resumptionem suorum corporum & judicium generale, etc. erunt in coelo, etc. He defines that some will be purged before the retaking of their bodies, and the general judgement, 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: 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, citiusque salvari. This clears all: It's true, he leaves the fire of Purgatory somewhat disputable, (which is not yet defined) but he clears the meaning of Christians in their durance there; and indeed tells us, what the old Fathers, and Liturgies, and Counsels, signified in their degrees and practices 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 Predecessoviss for the dead, which you perverted to profane uses, as maintaining wives and children with manifest neglect, and even professed contempt of praying for the dead, as holding it unprofitable and useless, contrary to all antiquity; wherein you committed theft and sacrilege 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 Council of Carthage c. 95. saith, Qui oblationes defunctorum aut negant ecclesiis, aut cum difficultate reddunt tanquam egentium necatores, excommunicentur; They are excommunicated as murderers. 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 them. Ask B. Usher and the rest, who have any ingenuity amongst you, whether the Pope's Supremacy was not acknowledged? Read the history of the famous Dionysius Bishop of Corinth, in Eusebius and S. Hierome, who lived under Antoninus Verus; you know how near this was to the Apostles, you will conclude of how great authority the Popes of Rome were in those first days, 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 General Counsels to this day, they will let you see clearly. Ask Perkins, and your most eminent Writers, whether almost all the Tenants, 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 destroys all your Praelatique Protestancy, and renders you to your first condition of invisibility, where ye lay for 1500. years hidden, not in Abraham's bosom: But if you can feign any existence, it must be in some occult receptacles, or cranny holes of your own fancies. Plato's Ideas, though fanatique enough, never reached you, but Luther being in drink, and his fancy weakened, 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 have not the perfect use of it, else you could as well make yourselves visible to all the world. Your old friend B. White and B. Usher 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 Catholics and the General Counsels universally give them, in clearing points of faith (as in the first four, where they were alleged, examined, and accordingly Faith declared by their authorities, and so in every Council hitherto in point of Christian Doctrine) than you, who play fast and lose. Here you pretend necessity and high authority for Tradition, which must needs be conveyed by them to us, and in all your works (as I have noted, and as all know) you have cried out against it, as not being necessary. Thus you fight and contradict each other, and yourselves in these fundamentals.  
I remember Plato in his Timaeo tells of an Egyptian 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 numbered with the continuance of your doctrines, surely you will never be very aged.  
Since you have touched 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 Protestants or Catholics, 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, etc. Vita ejus à Possidio. De moribus eccles. Cath. Ep. 90.92.45. & aliis.  unmarried? did he not say Mass? that is, offer up the body and blood 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 Superior? etc. Whether could he with these be a Protestant? Nay, whether were not many upon far less grouds often convicted at Newgate for Popish Priests, and in your reign hanged 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 Mass, 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.  etc. 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 blood of Christ, unmarried, subject to Rome? etc. 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 Order, a Priest, a Bishop unmarried, made a form of Mass, used this day by the Greek Church, etc. and all these and the rest lived and died in the communion of the Church of Rome: Ask yourselves, whether these could be other than Papists. Take twelve men from the Sessions in the Old Bailie, put them upon the same test that you did our Priests, tell me what the Verdict will be. This consideration alone is sufficient to compel any reasonable man to become Catholic; 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'll 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, though abusively, as your more elevated wits of late have done with your allowance, as appears in the public 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 Catholics from consenting to your new Articles, and all your Proselytes to leave you, for them? was it ever clearly demonstrated to be unlawful 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 persuasion 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 Catholics 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 been by 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 domestic, 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 reassuming of Catholic Religion; though many of them are rather drawn from the kitchen than the Church; there is little Christian Philosophy here, but much of Praelatique policy, as from Deaneries, fat perfonages, etc. which are also glanced at in the former Article. I omit also the joined Paragraphs, being very extrinsecall to our purpose, and indeed to the business, only ye seem to strike at the present Parliament, wherein we leave you, desiring you may be comprehended in the Act of perpetual Oblivion.  
You are indeed in the pursuit contented, that Princes have Papal rights, upon condition, that you may have Episcopal honours and benefices; you speak it very plainly, and join them as closely, you plead hard also for Bishops out of another topic, 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 Logic, in the judgement of all the Church-Praelates (beside yourselves) no other then equivocally Bishops, that is idem nomen, and ratio diversa.  
So that it was always (since you were concerned in it, and now much more) acknowledged by all other divines to be subjectum non supponens, that is a subject which signifies nothing: I discuss not here at large, whether it was for lack of true form, or matter, or Ministry, 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 general opinion, is not valid any more than 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 less all necessaries.  
Wherefore it must be presumed, that here was some essential defect, & consequently no Ordination, if no Ordination, no Sacraments, by your ordinary Ministry. And from hence how many have we known, who (without your note of Apostasy) have left your pretended Priesthood and became Lay-people; as Soldiers, Physicians, 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 struggled 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 than 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 Ministry; 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 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. Mary's reign) therefore 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 8th. 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 proved, that he was at all ordained; Scory and Coverdal were elected under Edw. 6. but not ordained by a lawful Bishop, as that diligent and near neighbour to those times (Sanders) shows. Landaff indeed was a true Catholic, 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, Kitchen, 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 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 Episcopal 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 suffered severe imprisonment, for their conscience, must needs make a considerable argument for your nullity, these averred that Landaff having withdrawn himself, Scory was suffected 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 appear 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 Church's Doctrine and practice.  
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 Proselytes are bound, 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 precipice all souls are, who depend on you for Sacraments, since your title at the best is uncertain; 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, somewhat you seemed also to have in point of Jurisdiction, which belonged to true Episcopacy, and this you exercised with unexemplar severity, by imposing Oaths ex Officio, & the like, not only praeter but contra, Canonical burdens, extremely hard to all, who did not even superstitiously adhere to you, and these your proceed, were judged highly prejudicial 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, all of us will 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 rendered them too vulgar and contemptible: You pretend indeed much zeal for the late King, especially lest he should be perjured in violating his oath of preserving your Privileges: But it is conceived to be a fallacy of non causa, pro causa, and grounded not upon amor amicitiae, but concupiscentiae, that is, you loved him for your own sakes, you would not have him forswear, lest you lose all. So you are tender against sacrilege, whereas none are ignorant that your Reformation was grounded upon it, the ruinous walls of houses dedicated to God's service witness it, and the Bishoprics of Oxford, Peterborough, Bristol, Chester, and Gloucester 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 less blamed for our unwillingness to have any actual concurrence in the extirpating of Episcopal Government, seeing of such extirpation there is no other use imaginable, but either the alienation of their revenues and inheritances, (which how it can be severed from sacrilege 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 Monarchical Government, or at leastwise more prejudicial to the peaceable, orderly, and effectual exercise thereof, than 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 topics, that they declare your cause desperate. Alas, why would you trouble yourselves, us, and the world with a tedious contrast about a pure fanatique Idol, which as in this upshot appears, had never any real foundation, but only civitas solis, a pretty invented Utopia in the Sun, where none but Knights Errand appeared in battle, and like high-drawn Meteors vanished in the midst of the eyrie combat, leaving some ill-savours behind them, which require suffumigations of sacred incense, or at least aspersions of holy Water.  
These last words being pronounced, you quitted the stage; the Chorus replying sadly.  
How truly may we apply to you our blessed Saviour's inculcation to the Jews; Quoties volui, etc. you have murdered his Prophets and Apostles lawfully sent to you for above 80. years, you have had their examples of Christian fortitude in undergoing cruel deaths for the ancient Religion of God's universal Church, and of this Nation from the infancy of Christianity here, and you would not be advised by them. Wherefore you are now dissipated, and none will receive you: The Catholic Church declines you, all Protestant Congregations disclaim you, which the B. of Cant. at the Council table confessed, 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 remains 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 naval 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 year ensuing, etc.  
God in nature, in all ordinate motions to corruption, never ceaseth, till the subject be reduced to materia prima, that is to your first invisibility, wherein you now are; therefore you must content yourselves to be numbered, 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 entertained this little world with high noises 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 follows 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, than the sensitive, and at last the intellectual.  
The Synagogue had three States even after Christ's coming first it was obligatory till Christ's Passion; it was lawful, not profitable till Pentecost: but from thence (after sufficient promulgation of the Gospel) it was unlawful every where: By these descents, it was degraded, and honourably buried. And truly somewhat after this manner, though not so handsomely 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 Idol was reduced to the second state of being lawful, not profitable or obligatory: this continued till the Covenant was established by Parliament in Sept. 1643. From thence it became unlawful, and so ingloriously expired, yet was not publicly 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 Catholics, Presbyterians, and Independents to sing the Dirige of O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, quae occidis Prophetas etc. they shall not leave on thee one stone upon another, Luk. 19  
All passengers will easily see the reason of the ruin of this high-built Babel to be, because they made the walls without Mortar; they neither had unity, community, nor antiquity, which only can cement a Christian structure.  
The Roman world was astonished to see the Pompeian faction, having the conscript Fathers of Senate joined in and with them, to be so often, and at last totally routed: their answer 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 ruin, God's decrees have evacuated your eyrie policies.  
Let me with all possible instance, and charitable seriousness conclude to all our Country men with S. Augustine in his seventeenth chapter, de utilitate credendi, written to Honoratus, wherein he first shows the power and prejudice, which habits and customs 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 custom, rather than 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 pondered and the great truths therein well observed, are able to satisfy all the world, and powerfully to compel your relinquishing an ill-drawn picture of a Church, which hitherto you have exhibited to the world, his words are these;  
All customs have such virtue 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 pass, when our unlawful appetites and desires have gotten a Dominion and predominancy over us. Dost not thou think that great care 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 corporal senses ought to be worshipped and adored for God, but that he is to be prayed unto, entreated and supplicated only by the understanding or intellectual power; but also that the unskilful 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 days 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 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 itself is wished and desired.  
Few there are that do these things, fewer that do them well and prudently: yet the people do approve them, harken 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 virtue: they blame and reprehend their own weakness, and imbecility that they cannot do these things: this the divine providence hath brought to pass by the predictions of the Prophets, by the humanity and Doctrine of Christ, by the voyages of the Apostles, by the Contumelies, crosses, blood, 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 virtues. 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 retiring into the bosom of that Church, which, even to the confession and acknowledgement of mankind, from the See Apostolic by succession of Bishops, hath obtained the sovereignty and principal authority? Heretics in vain barking round about it, and being condemned, partly by the judgement of the people themselves, partly by the gravity of Counsels, partly also by the majesty and splendour of miracles, unto which not to grant the chief place and pre-eminence, is either indeed an extreme impiety, or a very rash and dangerous arrogancy; for if there be no certain way for the minds of men to wisdom and salvation, but when faith prepareth and disposeth them to reason; what is it else to be ungrateful unto the divine 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 easy, 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 book 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 Catholic Church in all points of belief, which he declares here to be the Roman Church, that is to say, that universal multitude of Christians, which acknowledgeth Rome for their head; whose authority, as he saith, is confirmed by consent of Nations, Counsels, and Majesty of Miracles: Was ever your fictitious Church thus adjusted?  
Here great S. Augustine pulls down sails, and of a Master glories to become a Scholar: Whence we learn, that if an Origen (the crumbs of whose plenty rendered Clemens Alexandrinus rich in the esteem of all) or an Apollinarius (with his conquests against Porphyry and other enemies of God's 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.  
Can we attain to S. Paulins contempt of ourselves, we should not at so high a rate, as to the prejudice of God's 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 fardel, 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 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 wolf in a sheep's clothing. What greater expression can there be of rash Arrogancy and pride, etc. as S. Augustine hath taught us.  
FINIS.    

A cursory Animadversion upon Henry Fernes Treatise, of the Division between the English and Romish Church upon the Reformation.  
IF I had not seen the two Capital letters D. D. in the title page of his Treatise, I should have esteemed 〈◊〉 not worthy taking more notice ●f then of a scurrilous Pamphlet, neither dare I play the Cabalist to ●ive the divers significations of those Hieroglyphics, but reading them without notes they import Doctor of Divinity, the Preface, a Country Sermon, which ever must have a fling at the Papists; neither that nor the ensuing discourse is ad Clerum, else they would more savour of the Doctor, according to the antientstle of the University.  
In his said preface (to take notice first of some of his calumnies there) he falls into these expressions. All the Christian world sees how long the poor distressed Eastern Church has lain under that heavy condition, unpitied by them of the Romish Communion, and how they have stood affected to us since our Reformation, has sufficiently appeared by their several practices against us; what hand they had in our present troubles, is not unknown to some; what joy they now take in them, let their own hearts tell them, etc.  
His chief aim in the book is to show, that the arguments which they use to condemn the Independents are not retortable upon themselves by us; and what greater use of reason they grant to their Proselytes, than we: All which he labours for in the seventh, and the ensuing Sections, till the thirteenth, wherein verily he is so unhappy, that any child may return his arguments with great advantage; His result being this, that private judgement, or judgement of discretion (which he allows to private men) must submit to the public, else the power of Jurisdiction must proceed to judge, censure, and cast out the disobedient; and therefore he exacts (even in case of error) all external peaceable subjection. Did ever the Roman Church go thus far? was there ever challenged any higher captivation of understanding, then that every one should submit to the public? Was ever external subjection exacted in point of error, which this D. D. will have in his Church.  
Further the Independents (whom he involves with Sacrilegists) he will have inexcusable in their breach from them, because it was not warranted by a Nationall Synod, as theirs, which how untrue it is, all know; for all the Bishops of this Nation were excluded and imprisoned when the Doctor's party first decreed the breach from their old Mother Church, as the very Acts testify; so that they had no more Nationall Synod, than these, who can when they please, congregate as many of their party, and style it a Nationall Synod, especially if warranted by Parliament, as the Presbyterians have lately done, whom he equally rejects.  
Secondly, he says the Independents, or Sectaries (as he calls them) have not plain and evident Scripture, but places unlearnedly wrested: Who knows not that the Prelatists could never hitherto bring Scripture or antiquity, except places unlearnedly wrested? have not we demonstrated this 100 times? do not they stand registered upon this accusation in all Courts of Justice, equity, and reason, and yet are not able to wipe off the least part? These are D. D. his peculiar Aphorisms, which by a little redargution, rise up in judgement against himself and his faction.  
The other Sections are built upon Topics, as common as Robin Hoods Song, and answered by every Stationer's Catalogue of Frankfort Mart, therefore I trouble not the judicious Reader with the rehearsal.  
But to return to the words cited out of his Preface, it is most evident to all who read histories, what pains the Roman Church hath, and doth take, in maintaining Colleges and sending Missionaries for the reducing of the Eastern Church; and with what affection and solicitude she laboured the recovery of England to her pristine Religion, does clearly appear by the innocent blood of many of her Priests shed at Tyburn, and other places of public execution, merely upon that account, which is the only practice he can justly accuse the Roman Church of: & what hand we Catholics have had in the present troubles of the Land, cannot be unknown, but to those that are truly simplicians, & of very short consideration, when our Priests, being every where throughout the Country since the beginning of the late wars, imprisoned and persecuted to death, and our Laity ransacked almost to utter ruin in point of temporal estate, only upon the score of their old Recusancy, no one of them could be hitherto convicted of Incendiarisme, notwithstanding the extreme eagerness of their enemies to accuse them upon any cavil that malice could surmise; let the D. D. convince me of the contrary by any particular instance, if he can: On the other side, what hands and heads, what pens and Pulpits those that were not Catholics have had in their own and our late troubles, the Parliamentary Records, Scaffolds and Gallows do make so evident, that none can pretend ignorance, but such as have their skulls stuffed with Fern.  
That we joy in our Adversaries troubles, is another unproveable calumny of the Doctors. We do extremely pity them, and hope that the Divine permission of an infinity of Sects, and subdivisions among them, may sooner bring them to reflect on their common Schism, and of their own accord to endeavour a reunion with the root, whence they separated themselves.  
But I presume, when the Doctor has read the foregoing discourse, he will ingeniously confess, who were the only cause of our late troubles; or if he will still seem to be wilfully ignorant, let him inform himself further of the Scotchwomen of Edinburgh, who fling their stools at the late Archbishop of Canterbury's Legat's head, that came to put in practise his new Service Book, and other innovations there in the year 1639. I his bred the first disturbance, and gave the Alarm to all the sad ensuing troubles in both Nations, as our modern histories unanimously agree.  
It would seem strange that a grave D. D. should nor be sensible of the sin of calumny against so celebrated a Church, but to reproach her with want of charity, or rather excess of malice, (in joying at their neighbours spiritual ruins, which by all possible solicitude she hath laboured to prevent,) and to accuse her Members, as Boutefeus' of State: But this is the Prelatists constant stile, since they were dispossessed of true charity by embracing Schism; neither do I know what should move them thus to detract from the innocent, but desperation.  
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
PAge 89. line 19 for salved read valued. p. 96. l. 15. r. Decrees. p. 106. l. 16. r. Parsonages.