THE L O F William Bedell, D.D B ISH O O F KILMORE IRELAN LOR DON, Printed for John Southby , at the Harrow in Cornhil.MDCLXXXV. THE THe Conceits that have been raifed in this Age concerning the law* fulnefs and the uleful- nels of the Epilcopal Govern¬ ment , have engaged fo many learned Men to treat that Argu¬ ment fo fully, that as there is very little excule left for the Ig¬ norance or obftinacy of thole Who ftill Hand out againlt the Evidence of a Caule made out fd clearly, lo there is fcarce any thing left to be laid by any, whole Zeal may fet him on to A 3 handle TheP RE FACE. handle a matter that feems to be now exhaufted. There is one fort of Arguments yet remain¬ ing, that as they are more with¬ in every ones campais to appre* hend and apply, fo they have a greater force on Mens affections, which commonly give abiafs to their underftandings. For con¬ viction has an eafie accefs to us when we are already inclined to wifb that were true, concerning which we imploy our enquiries: And in practical matters, fuch as Government, Arguments fetched from great Patterns do not only prepare us to think well of fuch Forms, but really give us truer and jufter Ideas of them than fpeculative Difcourfes can raife in us; which work but coldly on perfons unconcerned. An Argument not foreign to this, is ufed by all the Aifertors of Epifco- E. ' The? KEF ACE. ids to 1* Epifcopacy, in which the force of £ is « the reasoning is equal to the truth t Kmii;; of the aflertion ; Which is, that Dotew'l it is not polfible to think that i to appie a Government can be criminal , hey bve; under which the World received siifoion Chriftian Religion, and that 'eabiafs t) in a courle of many Ages, in for C0|. which as all the corners Of the ccefs to us Chriftian Church, fo all the parts inclklto it, the found as well as the concetjm unlound, that is the Orthodox t enquiries: as ^ell as the Hereticks and rers fuck Schifmaticks, agreed : the perfe- mfetcki entions that lay then fo heavy o not onl on the Church made" it no de- •ell offuct fiteable thing for a Man to be .e us tt[|f! expofed to their firft fury, which them tb was alwaYs the Bifhops portion,- , an jjK and that in a courfe of many rat colli Centuries, In which there was j nothing but Poverty and labour to tliis t0 Bot hy the lmployment ; fetors ol ^here being no Princes to let it £pif© ^ ^ on The PREFACE. on as an Engine of Government, L/ 7 and no Synods of Clergymen gathered to affume that Autho¬ rity to themfelves by joynt de- figns and endeavours. And can it be imagined that in all .that glorious Cloud of -Witnelfes to the truth of the Ghriftian Reli¬ gion , who as they planted it with their Labours, fo watered it with their Blood, therefhould not fo much as one fingle per¬ son be found, on whom either a love to truth, or an envy at the advancement of others pre¬ vailed lb far as to declare againft fuch an early and univerfal cor¬ ruption (if it is to be efteemed one. ) When all this is compli¬ cated together , it is really of fo great Authority, that I love not to give the proper name to that temper that can withftand fo. plain a demonftration. For "4« The PREFACE. what can a Man, even heated with all the force of imagina= tion , and poflefled with all the fharpnefs of prejudice, ex= cept to. the inference made from thele Premilfes, that a Form fo loon introduced, and lo won¬ derfully bleft, could not be com crary to the Rules of the Gof- pel: and cannot be alcribed to any other Original, but that the Apoftles every where eftablifhed it, as the Fence about the Go- fpel which they planted, fo that our Religion and Government are to be reckoned Twins born at the lame time , and both derived from the lame Fa= thers. But things lo remote require more than ordinary knowledgto let them before us in a true light: And their diftance from us makes them •*; - I' ij jfe* i »' .f a The PREFACE. i our them leflen as much to thoughts, as Objects that are far from us do to our Eyes. There* fore it will be perhaps necelfary in order to the giving a fuller and amiabler prolpedt of that Apoftolical Conftitution, to chufe a Scene that lies nearer, and more within all peoples view ; that lb it may appear, that for the li* ving Arguments in favour of this Government We need not go fo far as to the Clement's, the 's, the Tolycarp's, the Irentus's, the T)e= np's and the Cyprian's that were' the glories of the Golden Ages : Nor to the Athanafms's, the Bafil's^ the Ghgoric's, the Chryfoflome's, the Martin's, the Ambrofe' and the Au- flin's, that wrere the beauties of the Second but Silver Age of Chri- ftianity; but that even in this Iron Age, and dreg of time, there have been fuch Patterns, as per- haps The PREFACE. haps can hardly be matched fince Miracles ceafed. We ought not to deny the Church of (Rome the juft Praifes that belong to fome of the Bi= fliops fhe has produced in this and the laft Age, who were bur¬ ning and fhining Lights : and we ought not to wonder if a Church fo blemifht all over with the corruptions of her Clergy , and in particular of the Heads of them , covers her felf from thole deferved Reproaches by the brightnefs of fuch great names; and by the exemplary Vertues of the prelent Pope, which being fo unufual a thing, it is not ftrange to lee them magnifie and cele¬ brate it as they do. France has likewile produced in this Age a great many Bifhops, of whom it mull be laid , That as the ap World iwf haps Tk PREFACE. World was not worthy of them fo that Church , that ufed them fo ill, was much kls worthy of them. And though there are not many of that ftamp now * Who left , yet Cardinal *, |dead the Bifhop of Anglers, and the this was Bifhop of Grenoble , may ferve firft to dignifie an Age , as Well as written. a Nation. The Bifhop of A' let was , a3 , a great and good Man told me , like a living and 1 peaking Go* fpel. It is true their intangle- ments with the See of %ome and the Court of France , were things both uneafie and dangerous to them ,• but I love not to point at their blind Sides, it is their fair one that I would let out: and if we can bear the higheft com¬ mendations that can be given to the The PREFACE. the Vertues of Heathen Philofo- phers, even when they do eclipfe the reputation of the greater pare of Chriftians; it will be unjuft for any to be uneafie at the Prai* ies given to Prelates of another Communion, who are to be lb much the more admired, if not* withftanding all the corruptions that lye fo thick about them, that JiMopot; they could hardly breakthrough i great a them, they have let the World iet lit fuch examples as ought indeed ailing ft to make others afhamed that have much greater advantages. But iince the giving of Orders is al- intaojjb raoft the only part of their fun* [3(«2iil ft ion, that is yet entirely in their wetliit| Hands, they have indeed brought ngerous 8 a regulation into that which was t to poiffl fo grofly abuied in former times, "isrheirhi that cannot be enough com men* tit: audi deda nor too much imitated ; they heft cot have built and endowed Semina* ries The V KEF ACE. *ies for their Diocefles, in which a competent number of young Ecclefiafticks are bred at Studies and Exercifes fuitable to that Profefiion, to which they are to be dedicated ; and as they find them well prepared, they are , by the feveral fteps and degrees of the Pontifical, led up to the Altar, and kept there till Bene* fices fall, and fo they are remo¬ ved from thence, as from a Nur- fery, into the feveral parts of the Diocelfes. By this means the Secular Clergy of France have in a great meafure recovered their reputation , and begin now to bear down the Regulars, whole Credit and Wealth had rilen chief¬ ly by the Ignorance and Scan¬ dals of the Curates. In this the prefent Archbifhop of has let a pattern to the reft, fuitable to the high Rank he holds in that CE- The? KEF ACE. that Church, for he has railed a I® Seminary that coft: him Fifty ,"v ^ thoufand Crowns a building, t0 ^ and above Five thouland Crowns i they ait a year infupporting theexpence ls ®f of it : in which there are about ' 'V1 One hundred Ecclefiafticks main- ' rained*, and out of thele he Or* led up at dains every Year fuch a number ere till Bet as the extent of his Diocefs does ey are rem require: And vyith thele he fup- i froraaNr plies the Vacancies that fall. This sal parts i is a way of imploying the Re- (this met venues of the Church, that is ex- ttrmh actly fuitable to the lenfe of the wetMa Primitive times, in which a Bi- innowt fhop was not conlidered as the lilts, fW Proprietor, but only as the Ad- liifencliif miniftrator and Dilpencer of the e and Scar Revenue belonging to his See : In tliisi And there is fcarce any one thing concerning which the Synods in ill, fnital thole Ages took more care than e holds- fQ diftinguifh between the Goods tit and The PRE FACE. and Eftate that belonged to a Bilhop by any other Title, and thole that he had acquired du¬ ring his Epifcopat : for though he might difpofe of the one , the other was to fall to the Church. But now to return to the Sub¬ ject that led me into this digref- . lion, there is nothing that can have a ftronger operation to o- vercome all prejudices againll Epilcopacy , than the propoling eminent Patterns, whole Lives continue to Ipeak Hill, though they are dead : Of which my native Country has produced , both in the laft and in the pre* lent Age, fome great and rare In- ftances, of which very eminent effe&s appeared, even amidft all that rage of furious Zeal , into which that Nation wis tranl* 5E. Tk PREF to, ported againft it: And I fuppole tt the Reader will not be ill plea- fed if I make a fecond digrelfion lot tiff to entertain him with lome paf- : the« lages concerning them,, but will fill to i bear with it perhaps better than with the former. i / . ■ t./i; t i J-C.il i to the! And fince my Education and 1 tliis digit the courfe of my Life has led n» kg me moll to know the Affairs of V ration too Scotland, I will not enter upon ces agiini a Province that is Foreign to me, e propolis and therefore fhall leave to others -hole Lin the giving an account of the though great Glories of the Church of jdiicl m England, and will content my ptoduced, felfwith telling fome moreemb the prt nent things of fome of our Spot* md rare Is- tifh Bifhops: In which I will fay j erajDa nothing upon flying Reports/ but amidlH tipon very credible, if nor cers fJj jim tain Information. There was fJ5 fljjf • one Patrick Forbes of Jberdeenjbire, ported ,w.: a a The PREFACE. a Gentleman of Quality and E- ftate, but much more eminent by his Learning and Piety, than his Birth or Fortune could make him. He had a moft terrible Calamity on him in his Family, which needs not be named: I do not know whether that or a more early principle determined him to enter into Orders : He undertook the labour of a private Cure in the Country, upon the moft earneft invitations of his Bilhop, when he was Forty Eight Years old , and difcharged his Duty there lb worthily, that with' in a few Years he was promo¬ ted to be Bifhop of Aberdeen ; in which See he fat about Seven¬ teen Years. It was not eafiefor King James to perfwade him to accept of that Dignity, and ma= ny Months paft before he could be induced to it, for he had in¬ tended The I'll El'ACE. tended to have lived and dyed, in a more oblcure corner. It ibori appeared how well he defer* ved his Promotion, and that his unwillingnefs to it was not feigned, but the real effed: of his humility : He was in all things an Apoftolical Man, he u* fed to go round his Diocefs with¬ out noife, and but with one Ser* vant, that lb he might be rightly informed of all matters. When he heard reports of the weak- nefs of any of his Clergy, his cuftome was to go and lodge unknown near their Church on the Saturday Night, and next day, when the Minifter was got into the Pulpit, he would come to Church, that fo heS might obferve what his Ordi¬ nary Sermons were, and ac¬ cordingly he admonifhed or encouraged them. He took a % fuch I 'H i w* Pi fei- ! i The PREFACE. fuch care of the two Colledges in his Diocefs , that they be¬ came quickly diftinguifhed from all the reft of Scotland: So that when the troubles in that Church broke out , the Do¬ ctors there were the only per- fons that could maintain the Caufe of the Church ; as ap¬ pears by the Papers that paft between them and the Cove¬ nanters. And though they be= gun firft to manage that Argu¬ ment in Print, there has no¬ thing appeared fince more per* fe£t than what they writ. They were an honour to the Church both by their Lives , and by their Learning , and with that excellent temper they leafoned ' that whole Diocels, both Clergy ' and Laity, that it continues to this day very much diftinguifhed from all the reft of , both •- for the PREFACE. Colldj ^ Learning?L0yaity an(j Peacc- ■n ,y ablenelsj and, iince that good Bifhop died but three years be- ™ fore the Rebellion broke out, . f . the true fource of that advan- i' , 1 tage they had, is juftly due to ^ ! his Memory : One of thefe Doctors was his Son John, the ffl's Heir of his Vertues. and Piety, as well as of his Fortune: But K i much fuperiour to him in Learn- J'ing ; and he was perhaps iiv ferior to no Man of his Age , ere kt which none will difpute , that emote pi ]iave rea(j his Hiflo= rat. Tb rico'Theologicx , a Work which :kCkirc [fhe had finifhed it, and had i ^ • been fuffered to enjoy the pri- Jwitiitli Va.cies of his Retirement and tey feafotic Syuc|y } fQ give us the Second WCiff Volume, had been the greateft ontinues: Treafure of Theological Lear- linguifc ning that perhaps the World has m, W yet feen. He was Divinity a 3 Pro= TheP RE FACE. ProfefTor at Aberdeen, an en* dowment railed by his Father t But was driven out by theCo* venant, and forced to fly be¬ yond Sea. One memorable thing of his Father ought not to be left unmentioned ; he had Synods twice a year of his Cler* gy, and before they went upon their other bufinefs, he always began with a flhort difcourfe, ex* cufing his own infirmities and charging them that, if they knew or obferved any thing a* mifs in him, they would uleall freedom with him , and either come and warn him in fecret of fecret errours, or if they were publick, that they would fpeak of them there in publick 5 and upon that he withdrew to leave them to the freedom of Speech. This condefcenfion of his was never abufed but by one pe¬ tulant ICE. TbePREFJCE. ') in ti tulant Man , to whom all y httf others were very fevere for his infolence , only the Bifliop t0 fyll bore it gently and as became ifflnoti! him. 1 oughta i tel One of the Doctors of Aber- f of iisCk deen bred in his time and of .ywenf op his name William , was I le a!w» promoted by the late King, fflcoiirle, a while he was in Scotland in the fatties a? Year one thoufand fix hundred at, Itlif thirty and three, to the Bifihop- w tlm riek of Edenburgb, that was then womiII founded by him , fo that that , and A glorious King faid on good ira in fa grounds, that he had found out iriftfcyn a Bifhop that deferved that a ivoold(pa) See fihould be made for him; uHidjat he was a grave and eminent iwtofa Divine; my Father, that knew i ofSpfa ^im l°ng> an(* being of Coun- 0f]jjsf cil for him in his Law-mat* , m p ters, had occafion to know tub a 4 him The PREFACE. ,bim well, has often told me, That he never faw him but he thought his Heart was in Hea¬ ven, and he was never alone with him but he felt within hithfelf a Commentary on thefe Words of the Apoftles, not our Hearts burn within us, 1Me he yet talked with us, and opened to us the Scriptures ? He . preached with a zeal and ve¬ hemence, that made him of¬ ten forget all the mealures of time, two or three Hours was no extraordinary thing for him ; thole Sermons wafted hisStrength lo faft, and his alcetical coutfe of life was fuch , that he fup- plyed it lb fcantly that he dy¬ ed within a Year after his Pro¬ motion j To he only appeared there long enough to be known, but not Ions enough to do what might have be^n other- The PREFACE. wife expected from fo great a Prelate. That little remnant of his that is in Print fhews how Learned he was. I do not deny but his earned; defire of a general Peace and Union among all Chri- ftians has made him too favour¬ able to many of the Corruptions in the Church of : but tho' a Charity that is not well ballan- ced, may carry one to very indis¬ creet thitigsjyet the Principle from whence they flowed in him was fo truly good , that the errors to which it carried him ought to be either exculed, or at leaft to be very gently cenfured. Another of our late Bifhops was tire nobleft born of all the Order, beingBrother to the Lord that is one of the beft Families of land, but was provided to the poor* eft Bilhoprick, which was yet he did great things in it. Fie found The PREFACE. found his Diocefs overrun with ignorance and barbarity, fo that in many places the name of Chrifl: was not known ; but he went about that Apoftolical Work of planting the Gofpel, with a particular induftry, and almoft with equal fuccels. He got Chur* ches and Schools to be railed and endowed every where ,• and lived to fee a great ble/fing on his en* deavours ; fo that he is not fo much as named in that Country to this day but with a particular ve» neration, even by thole who are otherwile no way equitable to that Order. The only anfwer that our angry people in Scotland uled to make when they were prelled with fuch Inllances, was,that there were too few of them : But fotne of the fevered: of them have owned to me, that if there were many luch Bifhops, they would all be Epi- Icopal. I The PRE FACE. I fihall not add much of the Bifhops that have been in that Church fince the Lift re-eftablifh- ing of the Order, but that I have oblerved among the few of them, to whom I had the honour to be known particularly, as great, and as exemplary things, as ever I met with in all Ecclcliaftical Hi- ftory : Not only the practice of the ftridteft of all the Antient Ca¬ nons, but a pitch of Vertue and Piety beyond what can fall under common imitation,or be made the meafure of even the moft Angeli¬ cal rank of Men 5 and faw things in them that would look liker fair Ideas, than what Men cloathed with Flefih and Blood could grow up to, But of this I will fry no more, fince thole that are con¬ cerned are yet alive, and their Character is too lingular, not to make them to be as eafily known, * > 4 ' ^ it The PREFACE. The if I enlarged upon it, as if I na- worthy tried them, perfon here meant, is dead fmce this was put in the Prefs; but both his Name and a more particular account of him, as it well deferves a Book by it felf, fo will perhaps be given on another occafion. But of one that is dead I may be allowed to fay fomewhat ,• with whom the See of Aberdeen was as happy in this Age, as it was in his worthy Predecelfor Forbes in the lali ; both in the number of the Years, for he fat feventeen Years in that Chair, and in the rare qua¬ lities that dignified them bothal- raoft equally. He alio law his Son fill the Divinity Chair, as the other had done; but here was the fatal difference, that he only lived long enough to raile the greateft expe¬ ctation that I ever knew upon any of that Nation of his Handing; for when all hoped to le in him a fe* condDr. Forbes,or,to bring it nearer home, another Bifhop for [Ct The? KEF ACE. as if J „ that was his Fathers name, he dy¬ ed very young. The endearing mWMs'I gentlenefs of the Father to all that xountofi differed from him, his great ftridt- "owiUpaisjs neps jn giving Orders, his mofl un- , , affe&ed humility and contempt of ^ ! the World, were things fo fingu* wt; i jar Jn hjmj that they deferved to Wffl» ^ much more admired than his sitffJS ill other Talents, which were alfo ex- iwiiij traordinary, a wonderful ftrcngth mberoft of Judgment, a dexterity in the enteen Yea: condndt of Affairs, which he im- therareqiE ployed chiefly in the making up kfflWi of Differences, and a Difcretion in fiwhisSoi his whole deportment. For he astkotk had a way of Familiarity, by to the fat which he gave every body all fort ylivelIon of freedom with him , and in leatelksp which at the fame time he infpired ewuponat them with a veneration for him, Hiding; > and by that he gained fo much on linliiraa' their affedlions, that he was confi- jjgitnefl dered as the common Father of ifopd) his ' **. k /!• nfr1 H; : I Mi i l f! >(■ . ' • i d: rii i .'if1 ■ « 1; * I. • I Si . jg • ' ml "wf The PREFACE. his whole Diocels, .and the Dif- fenters themfelves leemed to e* fteem him no lels than the Confor- mifts did. He took great pleafure in difcourfing often with young Divines, and fet himfelfto frame in them right and generous Noti¬ ons of the Chriftian Religion, and of the Paftoral Care ,• fo that a Set of Men grew up under his Labors, that carry ftill on them clear Cha¬ racters of his fpirit and temper. One thing more I will add, which may afford a more general InftruCtion. Several years ago he obferv'd a great heat inlbrne young Minds, that, as he believed, had very good intentions, but were too forward, and complained much ofabufes, calling loudly, and not - very decently, for a Reformation of them: upon which he told them, the noife made about re forming abufes was the. likelielf way ct. Tie PREFACE. ' i1' t way to keep them up; for that fflaito would raile Heats and Dilputes, and would be afcribed to envy and WpWi faction in them ; and ill-minded Nitti i; Men, that loved the abufes for klfto fin the advantages they made by them, I would blaft and mifreprefent thole %»,» that went about to correct them, "fotlimi by which they would fall under r bis lit the jealoulie of being ill affe&ed a cleatd to the Church; and they being 1 temper, once loaded with this prejudice , r will ai would bediiabled from doing the aote genet good, of which they might other- wife be the Inftruments: There* foraeyouai fore he thought a Reformation of level, It Abules ought to be carried on by Mtwetetf every one in his ftation, with no aitiel t!« other noile than what the things 11|, aula themlelves muft neceflarily pro- Hffifflia# duce, and then the filent way of licit k it conviction that is railed by great e about' Patterns would fpeak louder, and the. lfelt would recommend fuch Practices " $ more m:;. vis 1 Ml 1 1 .ik i !;** 1 :pii ! 1 |l v -$i' ti- The PREFACE. more ftrongly, as well as more modeflly. Difcourfes work but upon fpeculative people ,• and it has been io long the method of fa¬ ctious and ill defigning Men, to accufe publick Errors, that he wifhed thofe, to whom he addref- fed his advice, would give over all thoughts of mending the world, which was grown too old in wick- ednefs to be ealily corrected and would only fee themfelves to do what good they could, with lefs noife; and lo to give lefs occation to angry people to quarrel with them; and to juftifie thole abules which are by fuch indifcreet oppo» fition kept in fome credit, and pre- lerved 5 whereas without that they mult have fallen under fo general an Odium, that few could have the face to excule them. And now I have done with this digrefiion; which not being at all foreign ThePREF AC M, as 1,111,1 foreign to my defign ofrailing the , ■ credit due to that venerable Order. '' Ifhallmake no Apology for it j mm\[ l)Ut fhall come next to the fubjeCt 's^V of the following Book. I had a r#) ' : great Collection of Memorials put mtik jn my hands by a worthy and Mgivet leamed Divine, Mr. who iflgttewjj as he lived long in this Bifhops ooldini Houle, fo being afterwards Mi- rreclcdju nifter at CaVan, had occafion to ifdves'tol know him well,: And as he had a J, wittli great zeal to fee the Juftice done ltfsoccilii to his Memory and the Service (/whit done to the World, which the ichhih putting thele in order, and the fatofpo publifhing them rauft needs pro» duce; fo he judged it would come DDtthxdv better from another hand than his, bfojtiw that was fo much obliged by him, > couid I® that it might be thought affeCtion u and gratitude had bialfed him too onewitl ti much. I confels my part in this dxingati! was fofmall, that I can Icarce af- fee b fume w The PREFACE. fume any thing to my felf, but the copying out what was put in my hands. Lives mull be writ¬ ten with the ftriCtnels of a fevere "Hiftorian, and not helped up with Rhetorick and Invention. But there are two great Imperfections that mud be pardoned in this ac¬ count : The one is,That there is fo little faid of him gathered from a* ny of his own Writings, which would raile his Character much higher than any thing that others, though of his mod intimate Ac* quaintance, could prelervein their Memories : The other is, Thai1 fiiich Journals as perhaps lorne that intended to give a full reprelentati* on ofhim to Pofterity, might have writ, were all loft in the lame com¬ mon Shipwrack of the Rebel¬ lion : In which though our Bifhops Works were fwallowed up, yet he himfelfmet with a moll diftin- guifhed CE. - the PREFACE. \ fell, I guiflied Fate, more fuitable to his wis pi own rare merit, than to the en- Abe® raged fury of thole Cannibals. And ofifa it was fo unlike their deportment pippin all other places, and to all ition. 1 other perlons, that it ought rather fflpfel to be afcribed to a tender and ed in this; watchful Providence, and to be hit therekreckoned among its Miracles, than era)from to any impreflions that his worth jnj,S) ^made on thofe Barbarians, who racier Kieemed to be as incapable of all the >thotktenderneffesofHumaneNature,and i-dsmire Aas regardlefsof Religion andVer- k/Jfifltue, as Bears or Wolves are: Or jjs ^sif there was any difference, it lay Jotrfo t^at t'ie one are fatiated [KtIwith Blood and Prey, whereas • ^thefe burnt with a third: of Blood ififfletotthat fcemed unfatisfiable: And their ^g^eruel tempers being excited by iofflBfctheirPriefl:s» no wonder ^ they edup ?made havock °f a11 that fell in JJg.their way : The greateft Wonder giiil was, The PREFACE. \ was, how one that had To juft a title to the Rage of their Priefts, fliould have been fo preferved a= mong them, when he fell into their Hands, and fo honoured by them at his Death : By which it appear¬ ed that the fame mighty Power that laved Daniel's three v Friends from the violence of the Fire, and himfelf from the rage of the Lions, is not yet exhaufted. The Memorials here put in or¬ der, are nothing but what the me¬ mory of that good Man could afford, together with fome few Remnants of the Bifhops own Pen, gathered up like Boards af¬ ter a Shipwrack. But in them we may find all that is Great in a Man, in a Chriftian, and in a Bifhop : And that in fo eminent a manner, that if the fame of the perfon were not lo great, and if the ulage he met with among the The PREFACE. the JrtJl, were not a Teftimo- ny beyond exception, I could fcarce hope to be believed. I will give only a bare and fim- ple Relation of his Life , and will avoid the bellowing on him or his Adtions fuch Epithets and Praifes as they deferve : But will leave that to the Reader : For in writing of Lives all big Words are to be left to thole who drels up Legends , and Make Lives rather than Write them : the things themfelves mull praife the Perfon, other* wile all the good Words that the Writer bellows on him, will on¬ ly fhew his own great kindnels to his Memory, but will not perfwade others : On the con* trary it will incline them to fu- Ipedt his partiality, and make them look on him as an Author rather than a Writer. Letters Letters inferted in the Life of Bifhop . i. A Letter of Sir Henry Wottons to f\ K,. Charles I. concerning Bifhop Bedell. ' pag. 31 2. A Letter of Bifhop Bedells upon his being invited to go over to Ireland, p. 34. 3. A Letter ofB. Bedells to Archbifhop Laud concerning the fate of the Clergy, and other particulars relating to his Dio- cefs. p. 4 5 4. A Letter ofB. Bedells to Archbifhop Ufher, againjl Pluralities. p. 52 5. A Letter ofB. Bedells to Archbifhop Laud, fetting forth the infolence of the Irifh Priefts. - p. 69 6,7. Two Letters ofB. Bedells to Arch¬ bifhop Uflier concerning the abufes of the Spiritual Courts, and of the Lay Chan- cellours. p. 94, 96 8. A Letter ofB. Bedells to Archbifhop Ufher, jufifying himfelfm feveralparti¬ culars. p. 12 6 9. A Letter ofB. Bedells to the E. of Strafford, concerning the Tranjlation of the, Bible into the Irifh Tongue, p. 131 10. A io. A part of a Sermon of B. Bedells concerning brotherly love and moderation in the managing of Cont rover fie s. p. 14 8 11 .A part of a Sermon of B. Bedells, excufing fome well meaning perfons that were in the Church of Rome. p. 156 12. The Conclufion of that Sermon, ex¬ horting to a more entire Reformation of abufes. p. 166 1 J. The Remonfirance of the Rebels in the County of Cavan fetting forth the Grievances that had provoked them to the Rebellion. p. 185 14. A Letter of B. Bedells to the Po- pifh Bifhop of Kilmore when he was befet by the Rebels. p. 188 15. A Letter containing Chrijlian di¬ rections in time of Perfecution, writ by B.Bedel for aLady that defir dthemJp. 192 16. B. Bedells lajt Words. p. 210 At the end of the Life there are added fome Papers in Latine. 1. B. Bedells form of Injiitution to Benefices. p. 235 2. The Decrees of a Diocefan Synod that he held at Kilmore. p. 237 5. B. Bedells Declinator of Archbifhop Ufhers Lay Chancellour upon an Appeal p. 24$ 4. His Letter to Bijhop Swiney. p. 2 51. THE » JWI m, p(: rfk Serwoi, r«* * THE LIFE O F ^WILLIAM BEDELL, D. D. ftU* Bifliop of K I L MORE WIR ELAND. trJeciitiM, mi ~TS" "y ILLIAM BEDELL Ha f" Vl /% / Was born at %/ %/ in the ^,1- W W yeari57o.he was the ^ # younger Son of an P" ancient and good Family, and of no in- confiderable Eftate , which has now P.; defcended to his Son ( his elder Brother tor if M dying without Iffue ) : After he had ifontrnf paft through the common education at 11; Schools, he was lent to Emmanuel Col- SrityF ^edge in Cambridge, and put under Dr. Ch aider tons care, the famous and B long- The Life of long-liv'd Head of that Houlej^ and here all thole extraordinary things", that rendreH him afterwards lb confpicuousj began to fhew themfelVes in luch a man¬ ner, that he came to have a very emi¬ nent Charafter Ifoth fojr Learning and Piety: fo that Appeals were oft made to him, as Differences or Controverfies ardfe ih the Uhiverfify. He was, pay in Holy Orders by the Bifhop Suffragan of. Col'chefter. Till I met with this paffage, I did not think tlieli Suffra¬ gans had been continued fo long in Eng¬ land : How they Carrie to be put down, I do not know *, it is probable? theyr did ordain all that defired Orders, fo pro- mifcuoully, that the Bifhops found it neceffary to let them fall. For com¬ plaints were made, of this Suffragan ; upon which he was threatned with the taking his Commiffion from him r for though they could do nothing but by a Delegation from the Biflhop, yet the Ordersthey gave were ftill valid, even when;they tnanlgreffed in conferring them Upon that the Suffragan laid a thing that was as infolent in him, as it was honourable for Mr. Bedell',' That he haffordained a better Man than any the Bifhop had ever ordained, naming Bedell. He was cholen Fellow of the Colledge Ml Iwt .i neh ft i ■ -i BijhopBedell. Colledgc in 15 93. and took his Degree of Batchelour of Divinity in the year 1599- From the Univerfi'ty he-wis remov¬ ed td the Town of S. £dmtSffisbkry in Suffolk, where' he fefvdd long in the Gofpel, and with great fuccelsy he ah'cf his Colleague being' of 'fu&i different chara&efs, that Kvffidreas it was laid of him that lie macfe the diffitiilteft places of Scripture appear plain, ' it was laid, That his Colleague made the places appear difficult'; the opening of dark pallages,- and the comparing of many Texts of Scripture , together with a lerious and practical application; of them, being the chief fubjeft of His Sermons: Which method feveral other great Men at that time followed, fucll as Biflhop Vjher, Dr. Jaclifon , and Mr. Mede. Her had all otcafion given him not long after his fettlement in this charge, to fhew his courage , and how little he either courted pre¬ ferment, or was afraid of falling un¬ der the difpleafure of great Men: For when the Bifhop of Norwich pro- poled lome things to a meeting of his Clergy, with which they were ge¬ nerally diffatisfied, though they had not refolution enough to oppole them ; He B 25 took 4 Hx Life of took that hard Province upon himlelf, and did it with io much ftrength ofrea- lon, as well as dileretion, that many of thole things were let fall: upon which when his Brethren came and magnified him for it, he checkt them ana laid, He defired not the prailes of Men. His reputation was fb great and fb well eftablifhed both in the Uni- verfity and in Suffolk, that when King James lent Sir Henry Wotton to be his A mbaffadour at Venice, at the time of the Interdict; he was recommended as the fitted: Man to go Chaplain in lb critical a conjunfture. This Imploy- ment proved much happier and more honourable for him than that of his fellow Student and Chamber-fellow Mr. Wadfworth, who was at that time beneficed in the lame Diocele with him, and was about that time lent into Spain, and was afterwards appointed to teach the Infanta th t EnglifjTongue, when the match between the late King and her was believed concluded : for worth was prevailed on to change his Religion and abandon his Countrey, as if in them thole Words of our Saviour had been to be verified, There fhall he two in one Bed, the one he taken, and the othe he left. For as ^ (Eifbojt Bedell. j P liiii ^ the one of thefe was wrought on to forfake his Religion, the other was li that n very near the being an Inftrument of a 1 'ill', tf great and happy change in the Repub- ra caiKj gcjr 0f Venice.I need not fay much of t check tit • a thing fb well known as were the quar- tthe praifes; rels of Pope Paul the V. and that Re- 'i tvasfojt publick; especially fince the Hiftory of IbodtiatheBi them is written fo particularly by him tjstwkt that knew the matter beft, P. I'm to it; lo. Some Laws made by the Senate, it the time not unlike our Statutes of Mortmain, tcotmfc reftraining the excedive Donations, ex- Cbbii torted from fuperftitious Men, and the TIb It: imprifoning two lewd Fryers, in order ::r ami wto the executing J uftice on them, were k that of 1 die grounds oft he quarrel; and upon (MA thofe pretences, die Ecclefiaftical lm- 'Hittku munity from the Secular Tribunals was ode within aliened to fuch a degree, that after that eatiiitoSfw high fpirited Pope had tryed what .the ioted to tad fpiritual Sword could do, but without fongae, A fuccefs, fhis Interdict not being ob¬ late fct ferved by any, but the Jefuites, the Ca- (difotftt pucinsand Theatines,who were upon K dajjit that banifhed the State, for the age of ks Coat® die Anfclms and the Beckets could not fmh of i be now recalled ) he refolved to try the % Temporal Sword next, according to die j^jyl advice Cardinal Baroniuc gave him; ir lift, fi who told him in the Coniiftory, That B j diere 4 The Life of there were two things laid to S. Peter, the firft was, Feed my Sheep, the other was, Anfe Mi kilt \ and therefore fince he had already executed the firfl: part of §. Peter s. duty, in feeding the Flock, by Exhortations, Admonitions, and Cenfiires, without the defiredeffe£t, he had nothing left but to anfe and kill \ and that not being an Age in which Croifades could pals upon the World gnd the Pope :not finding any other prince that would execute his' Bulls, he refolved to make War upon them himfelf, hoping to find afliftance from the Crown, of Spami who, he believed, would be willing-to enlarge their Do¬ minions on that fide: but when all help failed him, nnd he law- that his- Genfures had not created "any diftraflh ons inrhe Republick, and-found their Trealiire and - Force like to prove a match too liard tO theApoftol-icalCham-: ber, and to Inch Forces as he could levy and pay, he was at iaft - willing to ac¬ cept of sd mediation,, in which the Se¬ nate, . though 4:hey were content to de¬ liver up the two profligate Ftyers, -yet: afferred their* Right-y ahd - maintained their LaWs y notwithstanding all* his tlireatnmg&- nor would they lb much as' ask p4\doiiror crave abfblution. But • 3 without wito fSifhop. fi eFd e i l. without going further into matters & generally known, I fhall only mention thofe things in which iMr. Bedell had fomefhare. . i . .i . ,. . T P. Paulo was; then the: Divine: of tlfe State, a man equally eminent, for, vaft learning and a rnoft confummated pru* dence ; and was i at: idnce .one :of the greateft Divines, andofthe wifeft Men of his Age. But to commend the ne* lebrated Hiftorian of the: Council of Trent, is a thing lb needlels that I may well flop ; yet it muft needs, raife the Character of Bedell much, that an It J* lian, who, befides the caution that is natural to the Countrey, and the pru-, dence that obliged one in his circum-* fiances toa more than ordinary diftruft of >11 the World,, was tyed up by the ftri£tnefi of that Government to a -ve^ ry great refer.vednefs with all people^ yet took Bedell into his very Soul; and, as Si rHenry Wot ton aifured the lateKing^ He communicated to him the inwardn eft thoughts of his Heart, and profefi ed that hediad learnt more from him in all the parts of Divinity,r whether Spe^ (iulative vor. Practical, than from any he had ever converfed with in his whole- life. So great an intimacy with lb ex¬ traordinary a perfon is enough to raife B 4 a 8 The life a Chara&er, were there no more to be added. P. Paulo went further, for he afftfted him in acquiring the Tongue, in which Bedell became fuch a Matter, that he fpoke it as one born in Italy, and penned all the Sermons he then preached, either in Italian or tine ; in this laft it will appear by tfie produ&ions of his Pen yet remaining, that he had a true Roman Stile, inferior to none of the Modern Writers, if not equal to the Ancients. In requital of the Inftruftion he received from P. Paulo in the Italian Tongue, he drew a Grammar of the Eaglifb Tongue for his ufe, and for fome others that defi- red to learn it, that fo they might be able to underhand our Books of Divini¬ ty, and he alio tranflated the Englijb Common-prayer Book into Italian; and P. Paulo and the (even Divines that du¬ ring the Interditf were commanded by the Senate both to preach and write againft the Popes authority, liked it 16 well, that they relblved to have made it their pattern, in cafe the diffe¬ rences between the Pope and them had produced the effedt which they hoped and longed for. The ' (Btfiopbedell. fr.fE® The intimacy between them grew . 5', fo great and fo publick, that when ii°1 e 5 P. Paulo was wounded by thofe AiTaffi- t(* k na£es ,-i^t; were fet on by the Court of w onebu Rpme t0 deftroy fo redoubted an Ene- 'y^#' my, upon the failing of which at- ? J11 tempt a Guard was let on him by the • ippear by senate) that knew how to value and -!!®> preferve fo great a Treafore; and much *'» Me, ii: precaution was ufed before any were ad- a writers, 1 mitted to come to him, Bedell was ex- ■ h ®1« cepted out of thole rules, and had free received ft# accels to him at all times. They had ioirne, tel many and long difeourfes concerning 0 Toagii Religion: He found P. Paulo had read e ottatki over the Greek New Teftament with ifotky ie fo much exaftnels, that having ufed to arBoofsofl mark every Word when he had fully Ukfy weighed die importance of it as he ikoMi; went through it; he had by going of- nDivkslk ten over it, and obferving what he paft recoimdei over in a former reading, grown up to preach aid t that at laft, that every word was mark- loritv, liinii ed of the whole New Teftament: and aiti) l»e ii when Bedell fuggefted to him critical cale tie i explications of fome paflages that he sudtta' had not underftood before, he received jjjiltyfy them with the tranfports of one that leapt for joy, and that valued the difeo- veries of divine Truth beyond all other ]) things. During The L i f £ of During- his ftay at Venice, the fa- mous Ant. de Dominis Archbiihop of Spd'at'a Carrie to Venice ; and having rei ceived a juft character:af Mr.B^//,:ha difcovered his fecret to him, andfhew. irig him his ten Books De Republic a K Eu clejiaflicdy which he afterwards printed at London : Bedell took thq free¬ dom which he allowed him, and cor- refted many ill applications- ofTexts of Scripture, and Quotations of Fathers, For that Prelate being, utterly ignorant of tht Greek T-ongue, could not . but he guilty of many miftakes Loth in the one and ' the other ; and if there remain fome places ftill that difcover his igno¬ rance of that Language too plainly, yet there had been'many more, if Ba dell had not correfted them: but no wonder if in fuch a. multitude feme efcaped his diligence. De Dominis took all this ill good part from him, and did enter into fitch familiarity with hiln, dnd found his afliftance fb ufefulj and indeed lb neceffary to himfelf, that he ufed to fay he could do nothing with-* out him. ' ' • A paffage fell out during the Inter- dift, that made greater noife than per¬ haps the importance of it -could well amount to : but it was fiiited to ^ the t - - ' Italian oD, the moft xntJinctble ®o . iumb of tije €b?i(h'axx Common" I anJ) rjje m0(j -ealou0 aftettec of rpe papal SDmntpotencp* All people were amazed at the :lt thereimpudence of this Title, but when Bedell obferved that the numeral too [ Letters of the firft Words, P A V\ " '•[! fflOfyljE, 0 V. VIC E-D E 0 being put to- er, made exactly 666. the number multitui cf the Beaft in the Revelation, he com- ft ft® municated this to P. Paulo and the 3e- Divines, arid they carried it to Duke and Senate: 'it * was enter- as if it had come from ✓ m • ' %~ *• • * f - '* J and it was publickly preached over all their Territories, that here was a certain evidence that the Pope was Antichrift : And it is like this was . , - ■ r doiI promoted by them more, becaufe they /if^MUound it took with the Italians. . than fid tf,! that they Could build- much upon it >4 ' thougl 7 Iff ■ i i •it' n Tie L i f e though it was as ftrong as the like com¬ putation from the Greek Word upon which fbme of the Ancients laid fbme weight. This flew fb over Italy, that left it fhould take too much among the people, the Pope cauled his Emiuaries to give it out every where, That Antichrift was now born in lony and was defcended of the Tribe of Dan; and that he was gathering a vaft Army, with which he intended to come and deftroy Chriftendome : and there¬ fore all Chriftian Princes were exhorted to prepare all their Forces for refilling fb great an Invafion. And with this piece of falle news that was gfVen out very confidently, the other conceit was choaked. But though Mr. Bedell makes ufe of it in his Book againll Wadfworthy yet he was too modeft a Man to claim the dilcovery of it to himfelf, but Sir HenWotton allured King James, That he firft obferved it, Here I muft add a pailage, concern¬ ing which I am in doubt whether it re- flebled more en the fincerity, or on the underftanding of the Englijb Ambafla- dour. The breach between the Pope and the Republick was brought very near a Crifis; fb that it was expebled a total feparation, not only from the Court, ; f Bifhop Bedell. j j Court, but the Church of , was iWordtjke t0 follow upon it. It was let on by [ the at:p. Paulo and the Seven Divines with his flw Sinuch zeal, and was very prudently dtike tffl;onduded by them. In order to the 16 % (advancing of it, King James ordered to wet; lis AmbafTadour to offer all poflible at 'Whottiiftance to them, and to accule the Pope iMoftltTjnd the Papacy as the chief Authors of ns gitktiijill the mifchiefs of Chriftendome. T he htiotadeprince and Senate anlwered this in i":;; itt vords full of relpebfc to King , inceswereiind laid, That they knew things were forces idiot lo bad as lome endeavoured to make to. Miiihe World believe, on defign to low •Jut was jfelilcord between Chriftian Princes: and kotbtrce-vhen the Popes Nuncio objeQcd, That • -j . King James was not a Catholiek, and , iis Jj.|b was not to be relyed on ; The Duke |raK anfwered, The King of England, be- 'jjf^jlieved in Jefus Chrift, but he did not know in whom lome others believed. -rritifes^.Pon w'^ch P- Paulo and the Seven ;,k iDi vines preffed Mr. to move the 'OrAmbalfadour to prelent King James's ^Premonition to all Chriftian Princes 51 'and States, then put in Latine, to the "Senate, and they were confident it would produce a great efteft. But the Ambalfadour could not be prevailed on " rC'to do it at that time, and pretended that 4% lines dlJe: L i i £ of finee S. J^^Ts day was not-far off, jr would be more proper to do it on that day.- If this- was only for- the lake of a Speech that lie had made on the con* ceit of S.James's Day and K,: James's Book, with which-he had intended to prefent it, that was a weaknels never to be exculed. But if this was only a pretence, and that there was a defign under it, it was a crime not to be for¬ given. All that Bedell could lay or do to perlwade him not to put off a thing of fuch importance was in vain; and indeed I can hardly think that Wotton was lo-weak a Man as to have added fin- cerely in this matter. Before S. James's day came, which I luppole was the Fir ft of May, and not the T wenty fifth of July, the difference was made up, and that happy opportunity was loft; fb that when he had his audience on that Day, in which he prefented the Book, all theanfwer he got, was, That they thanked the King of England for his good will, but they were now re¬ conciled to the Pope, and that therefore diey were relblved not to admit of any change in- their Religion, ac¬ cording to their agreement with the Court of Rome. E °f (Bijhop - B e b e V l . | J ls Mtfatt jt, may be eafily imagined what a ^V'ound this wasvto his Chaplain, but :J0Hliei mUQh -mare to; -thole. who. were more, immediately concerned in that matter ; y j mean p# Pauk. with the Seven Di- ^WinKi vines, and many others, who were u weary of the corruptions of .their Wor- jhip, jand wai;e^ groaning for a Refor- [mni patign. '• , But. now the reconciliation ^not to jvi^b Rome was concluded : the Senate -dcouldt J^rripcj'thematter .with all the dignity ^ to put of aacljyiaiehy thgt became that moil ie- e was ia vai rene Repuhlick, as to all civil things : !' Aink flar for (hey wquld aot.ask Absolution; but flastokvei the Nuiicio, . o laye .the; Popes credit, BeforeS;' Came.into the Senate-Houfe, before the dfuppofjF Puke was name, andcrqffcd his Cufhi- iuottfelw Qn,and abfolved him. Yet upon this they m mi would not fuffer any publick figns of joy pitiHiifw t0 be made ; nor would they recal the \ii feai Jefuites. . But in all thefe things greater idkjnff r$gard was had to the dignity of their trk%E S^e, than to the intereft of Religion ; in? o([p fclhat P. Paulo was out of all hopes of .y,mf bringing things ever back to Co promi- id kit ^mS a-conjuncture.; upon which he not to i wiQnt 'ie could have left/7""nice and come Mm over t0 Qngland' with Mr. Bedell: but 'iwni *ie was much efteemed by the Senate for. his great Wifdom, that he was con- jlulted by them as an Oracle, and trull- t , ed 16 Tk Life c/ ed with their moft important Secrets: fo that he law it was impoffible for him to obtain his Conge; and therefore he made a fhift to comply as far as he could with the eftablifhed way of their Wor- fhip ; but he had in many things parti¬ cular methods, by which he in a great meafure rather quieted than fatisfied his Confidence. In faying of Mafs, he paft over many parts of the Canon, and in particular thofe Prayers, in which that Sacrifice was offered up to the honour of Saints: He never prayed to Saints, norjoyned in thofe parts of the Offices that went againft his Con¬ lcience ; and in private Confeflions and Difeourfes, he took people off from thofe abufes, and gave them right No¬ tions of the purity of the Chriftian Re¬ ligion ; lo he hoped he was lowing Seeds that might be fruitful in another Age: and thus he believed he might live innocent in a Church that he thought fb defiled. And when one preft him hard in this matter, and objected that he ftill held communion with an Idola¬ trous Church, and gave it credit by ad¬ hering outwardly to it, by which means others that depended much on his ex¬ ample would be likewife encouraged to continue in it: All the anfwer he made to Bijh&p Bedell. this, was, That God had not given 'e'®l# him the Spirit of Luther. He exgreft- raotehti fed great tendernefs and concern for Bedell. ,when he parted with him; and >y of tfel faici that both he and many others would fflytbi^n jiave gGne over with him, if it had been [dik k if in their power: but that he might ne- aWfala ver be forgot by him, he gave him his i^ofMiS, Pi&ure, with an Hebrew Bible with- 3 if lit (is outPoints, anda little Hebrew Pfalter, * fe,- in which he writ fbme Sentences expret imup finghisefteem and friendship for him; leratrpjt and with thefe he gave him the unva- ltkfepits luable Manufcript of the Hiftory of igainf his Ct the Council of Tr, together with :Co»(fai the Hiftory of the Interdift and of the pipit of fe Inquifttion; the firft of thefe will e- tbujkl ver be reckoned the chief pattern after tChrU which all, that intend to fucceed well in it wis fwi writing Hiftory, muft copy. But a- itMiamotl t^ong other Papers that P. Paulo gave him, fome that were of great impor- ^ |,e tfn-tance are loft: for in a Letter of Mr Be- 0IKp[{jidells to Dr. Ward, he mentions a Col- d objedd tle^"i°n Letters that were fent him Jul Weekly from Rome during the contefts ■iicittt'between the Jefuites and Dominicans, fcrAlw■concerning- the efficacy of Graceof a oj liii which P. Paulo gave him the Origi- fflcjiiia! na's». an^ in his Letter to Dr. Ward he ierfc® mentJ'ons his having fent them to him. C Thefe,• 18 Thel ife Thefe , very probably , contained more particular relation of that matter than the World has yet leen, fince they were writ to lb curious and fo inquifitive a Manr but it leems he did not allow Be- dell to.print them, and To I am afraid, they ate now irlecdVerably lofl. ! When Bedell came over, he brought along with him the Archbiftiopof I at a j and one Defpotine a Phyficiari1, who could no longer bear with the corruptions of the RbritadW orihip ; and fo chofe a freer air. The latter lived near him in S. Edmundsbtiry, and was by his means introduced into much Pra¬ ctice , \yhich lie maintained jo weB, that he became eminent in his Profefli- on, and continued to-his death to keep up a conflant correfpondence with him, As for the Archbifhop of 8pal at a hisSto it is too well known to need to be much enlarged on. He was an ambitious Man, and let too great a value on him- felf, and exprelfed it fo indecently* that he funk much in the eflimation of the English Clergy, by whom he was at firft received with alfpoflible relpeft; but after he had flayed fome years in England, upon the promotion of Pope Gregory the XIV. that had been his School-fellow, and old acquaintance, he was Ef Bijbop Bedel l. c5®tit was made believe that the Pope inten- i ded to give him a Cardinals Hat, and ) fc to make great ufe of him in all affairs; flint* lb that he fancied that he fhould be the inftrument of a great Reformation in the Church: his Pride made him too eafie to flatter himfelf with thefe vain :ovcr, tete; Hopes, and the diftafte fome of the IrcHoptf English Clergy had taken at him for his ma% ambition and covetoufnefs, gave Gun- f bar to damor the Sparzifb Ambalfadour great irlhip: advantages in the conduft of that mat¬ ter : for his mind that was blown up t mi- with vanity, andfharpned with refent- >yment, was eafily wrought on, lo that fo he, believing that the Promifes made him nkh would not only be performed, but that 11 he might be the inftrument of bringing wjj about a great change, even at Rome > i&i went thither. He was at firft well re- vn[ongej ceived by the Pope himfelf: But lie happened to fay of Cardinal BelLrmine, uvajueftt that had writagainft him, That he had inkfitk not an^wered his Arguments, Upon which a complaint was carried to the Pope, as if he had been ftill of the fame mind, in which he was when he puh- lilhed his Books. He excufed him¬ felf, and faicf, That though BelLrmine had not anfwared his Arguments, yet he did not fay theys were unanf.wer.able C 2 and IfafJ? notion ofl qiflitf 1 iilB ijf ' -f - W 'i I; zo 'The Lite oj and he offered to anfwer them him^elf, if they would allow him time for it. But this excufe was not accepted, 16 he was caft into the Inquifition, but was never brought to any Tryal: He was poyfbned not long after, and his Body was caft out at a W indow, and all his Goods were confifcated to the Pope. Tins was the tragical end of that great but inconftant Man: If he had had as good a Soul as he had a great underftand- ing, together with vaft learning, con- fidering his education and other difad- vantages, he had deferved to have been reckoned among the greateft Men of his Age. In his Fate it appeared, how foolilhly credulous, Vanity makes a Man; fmce he that was an It dim born, and knew the Court of Rome fo well, could be wrought on fofar, as to believe that they were capable of par¬ doning and promoting him after the mifchief he had done their Caufe. This account of that matter , my Author had from Mafter BedelPs own Mouth. But now Mr. Bedell had' finifhed one of the Scenes of his life with great honour. The moft confiderable addi¬ tion he made to his learning at Venice^ was in the improvements fin the He- brew* H e°j Bedell. ti P^^brew, in which he made a great pro- timefagrefs by the afliftance of R.Leo, that accepted, |; was t|ie chief Chacham of the J ewifh Sy- pitioti, knagogue there:From him he leaned their : ft way of pronunciation, and fome other ltJ Mparts of Rabbinical learning ; but in ex- ™ow) ^change of it, he communicated to him, '^totklthat which was much more valuable, ^lendof that the true underftanding of many palfa- a; Wlge§ in the Old Teftament, with which -igreatin](fcthat Rabbi expreffed himlelf often to be. valHearninjhighly fatisfied : And once in a folemn ion and otheridifputey he prefthis Rabbi with fo clear dtrvedtoliproofs of Jeliis Chrift being the true ike graijVleffias, that he, and leveral others , Watehfpf his Brethren, had no other way to io^Vaijefcape, but to fay that their Rabbins nkii^every where did expound thole Prophe- k Courtneies otherwile, according to the Tra- sugliton.::, dition of their Fathers. By R. Leo\ r-cap: means, he purchafed that fair Manu¬ ring M&ript of the Old Teftament, which he rk tfeigave to Emmanuel Colledge ; and, as I Ait mater,credibly informed, it coft him its ttrtfi weight in Silver. After Eight Years ftay in Venice, he yjiife returned to England, and without pre- . tending to Preferment, or afpiring to coJtf •' it ? he went immediately to his charge at S. Edmundsbury, and there went on in miiith his minifterial labours ; with which he |i- C 3 rnixt The L i v e of mixt the tranflating P. Paulo s immor¬ tal Writings into Latiae. Sir Adam New* ton tranflated the two firft Books of the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, but was not matter enough of the two Lan¬ guages ; lb that the Archbifhop of Spa- lata faid it was not the fame Work; but he highly approved of the two laft, that were tranflated by Mr. Bedell, who likewife tranflated the Hiftory of the Interdict, and of the Inquifition, and dedicated them to the King. But no notice was taken of him, and he lived ftill private and unknown in that ob- fcure corner. He had a Soul of too ge¬ nerous a compofition to ftoop to tliofe fervile compliances, that are often ex¬ pended by thofe that have the diftribu^ tionof Preferments in their power. He thought that was an abjeftneft of Spi¬ rit that became not a Chriftian Philolo- pher, much lefs a Churchman, who ought to expreft a contempt of the World, a contentednefi with a low con¬ dition , and a refignation of ones out¬ ward circumftances wholly to thecon- du£t of Divine Providence ; and not to give that advantage which Atheifts and Libertines take from the covetouf- neft and afpirings of fbme Churchmen, to feoff at Religion, and to call Priefi- hoed ■of Bijhop Bedell. ■Pain's®hood, a Tride. He was content to de- -SiriJaierve Preferment, and did not envy irftBooktothfers*. who uponlefi merit, but more JofTc.induftry arrived at it. But though, he i of faiiwas forgot at Court, yet an eminent itdttofi Gentleman in Suffol Sir Thorns hkiimj# ,. who was a privy Counfellour, ^ifliand Vice-Chamberlain to King. bv.Mr.M( the Firft, and a great Patron of Ver- 'eft- tue and Piety, took fuch a liking to sfMfflhita, that as he continued his whole t'% } life to pay him ^ very particular efteem ; lb a confiderable Living that was in his Gift, falling void, he prefented him to it in the Year 1615. When he came to the Bifhop of Norwich to take out his Title to it, he demanded large Fees for his Inftitufion and Indu&ion: But Bedell would give no more than what jj'J was fufficient gratification for the Wri- Wi.pp ting, the Wax, and the Parchment; Ltimii and refilled to pay the reft. He lookt on it as Simony in the Bifhop, to de- ■ lf 1m: mand more, and as contrary to the ■ "niM c°mmand of Chrift , who Ibid to his j 'jjj Apoftles, Freely ye have received, and °ir freely give. And thought it was a branch "fj y of the fin of Simony to fell Spiritual V'J, things to Spiritual perfbns ; and fince 5 fluid w^atf®evef was askt, that was more ■l 1 tha* a decent Gratification to the Sef- C a vant Tk Lifeo/ vant for his pains, was asked by rea- Ion of the thing that was granted, he thought this was unbecoming the Go- fpel, and that it was a fin both in the < Giver and in the Taker. He had obler- ved that nothing was more exprefly con¬ trary to all the Primitive Rules. Chry- f ijlome examined a complaint made a- gainft Autonine Bifhop of for exa£bing Fees at Ordination. Autonine dyed before the Procefs was finilhed; but ibme Bifhops, that had paid thofe Fees, were upon that degraded and made incapable to officiate any more, though they pretended, that they paid that Mo¬ ney as a Fee for obtaining a Releafe from fuch Obligations as lay on them by Law, to ierve the Court. After¬ wards not only all Ordinations for Mo¬ ney, but the taking Money for any Im- ployment that depended upon the Bifhops Gift, was moft feverely con¬ demned by the Council of The Buyer was to lofehis Degree, and the Seller was to be in danger of it: And after that, fevere cenfures were every where decreed againft all Prefents that might be' made to Bifhops, either be¬ fore orafter Ordinations, or upon the account of Writings, or of Feafts, or any other, expence that was brought in '' ' • uie A tbijhop bedel l. 2j tjfe to be made upon that occafipn ; and even in the Council of Trent7 it was v, n ^ Decreed, That nothing fhould be taken n ,lK for Letters dimiifory, the Certificates, r< M1 the Seals, or upon any finch like ground, ,, B, either by Bifhops or their Servants, p '' even though it was freely offered. Up- on thefe accounts Mr. Bedell refolved ra- lk ther to lpfe his Prefentation to the Par- -Jr,M k fonage of Hormgfheatb , than to pur- chafe his Title to it by doing that which 1 he thought Simony. And he left the Bi- fhop and went home: But feme few HtH days after, the Bifhop fent for him, and gave him his Titles, without exacting Fees of him ; and fo he removed to that place, where he flayed Twelve ietkli Years, during which time he was a 'rimioai for) great honour to the Church, as well as fcfforanj 3. pattern to all Churchmen. His habit aided upon and way of living was very plain, and not felt'; becoming the fimplicity of hisProfeflion. rol of CM He was very tender of thofe that# were truly poor, but was fe ftrift in exami¬ ning all V agabonds, and fo dexterous furs wereen in difeovering counterfeit Paffes, and took fuch care of punifhing thofe that went about with them, that they carpe no more to him, nor to his Tpv*h. In all that time no notice was ever ta-? ken of him, though he gave a very fingular Tkl L I F E of lingular evidence of his great capacity. For being provoked by his old acquain¬ tance Wadjrvorth's Letters, he writ upon the points in controverfie with the Church of Rome, with lb much learn¬ ing and judgment, and in lb mild a ftrain, that no wonder if his Book had a good effect on him, for whom it was intended: It is true he never returned and changed his Religion himlelf, but his Son came from Spain into , when Bedell was promoted to the Bi- lhoprick of Kjlmore there, and told him, That his Father commanded him to thank him for the pains he was at in writing it: he laid, It was almoft al- wayes lying open before him, and that he had heard him lay, He was re- lolved to fave one. And it leems he in- ftrufted his Son in the true Religion, for he declared himlelf a Proteftant on his coming over. This Book was printed, and dedicated to the late King, while he was Prince of Wales, in the Year 1624. The true Realbns that obftru- cffed Bedell's preferment leem to be thefe j He was a CafainiJl in the matter of De¬ crees and Grace; and Preferments went generaty at that time to thole that held the Other Opinions. He had alfo ano¬ ther Principle, which was not very ac¬ ceptable (Bijhop Bedell fceptabletofomeinpower: he thought* ^oiaaaji Conformity was an exaffc adhereing to ^ ;llI[ the Rubrick $ and that the adding any rie hew Rite or Ceremony^ was as much ^ 0 much!; Nonconformity, as the paffing over vcwb thofe that were prefcribed> So that he rffeBooi:: would not ufe thofe Bowings or Gefticur 11 lations that grew fo much in faflhion,that ® Mens aflfeftions were meafured by them, i He had too good an underftanding, not to conclude , That thefe things were hot unlawful in themielves; but he had obfetved that when once the humour of adding ntw Rites and Ceremonies got into the Church, it went on by a fatal increafe, till it had grown up to that bulk, to which we find it {welled in the Church of Rome. And this began fo early, and grew fo fall, that S. Aufiin complained of it in his time, feying, That the condition of Chriftians was then more uneafie by that Yoke of Ob- fervances, than that of the Jews had been. And therefore Bedell thought the adhering toeftablifhed Laws and Rules was a certain and fixed thing; where¬ as Superftition was infinite. So he was •againft all Innovations, or arbitrary and affumed Practices; and fo much the more, when Men were diftinguifhed, and markt out for Preferment, by that which ^8 r The li f e bf which in ftriftnels of Law was a thing that deferved punilhment. For in the Aft of Uniformity, made in the firft Year of Queen Elizabeths Reign , it was made highly penal, to ufe any other Rite or Ceremony, Order or Form, either W the Sacraments j or in Morning or Evening Prayers, than what was. menti¬ oned and fet forth in that Book. And this was particularly intended to retrain fome that were leavened with the for¬ mer Superftition, and yet for laving their Benefices, might conform to the New Service, but retain ft ill with it many of the old Rites in lacred Offices. And it feems our Legiflators were of the lame mind, when the laft Aft of Uniformity was paft; for there is a fpecial Provifo in it, That no Rites or Ceremo¬ nies fhould be openly ufed in any Churchy other than rvhat was prefcribed and ap¬ pointed to be ufed in and by the fad Book. Therefore he continued to make the Rubrick the meafure of his Con¬ formity, as well before his promotion as after it. But he was well latisfied with that which the Providence of God laid in his way,and went on in the duties of his pa- ftoral care, and in his own private Stu¬ dies ; and was as great a Pattern in Sufi folk,y The Life of much amazed at this, to find that lb extraordinary a Man, that was fo much admired at Venice, by fo good Judges, was notfo much as known in his own Countrey; and fo he was out of all hope of finding him out, but by a meer acci¬ dent he met him on the Streets of Lon- deny at which there was a great deal of joy on both fides. And upon that Diodati prefented him to Morton the learned and antient Bifhop of Durefme, and told how great a value P. Paulo let on him; upon which that Bifhop treated him in a very particular manner. It is true, Sir Henry Wot ton was alwayeshis firm and faithful Friend ; but his Credit at Court had funk: for he fell under ne- ceflities, having lived at Heme in an expence above his appointments. And as neceffitous Courtiers muft grow to for¬ get all concerns but their own ; fo their intereft abates,and the favour they are in leifens, when they come to need it too much. Sir Thomas Jermyn was in more credit, though he was alwayes fufpefted of being too favourable to the Puritans; fo that his inclinations be¬ ing known, the character he could give of him, did not ferve to raife him in England. O While !Bijbop Bedell. While he was thus neglefted at home, his fame was fpread into Ireland ; and though he was not known either to the famous Bifhop Vfher , or to any of the Fellows of Trinity Colledge in Dublin, yet he was choten by their una- nirpous content, to be the Head of their Colledge, in the Year 1627* and as that worthy Primate of Ireland, together with the Fellows of the Colledge, writ to him, inviting him to come and accept of that Mafterfhip, fo an Addrels was made to the King, praying that he would command him to go over. And that this might be the more fuccefsfui, Sir Henry Wot ton was moved to give his Majefty a true account of him, which lie did in the following Letter. oh; K .1 vA May it pleafe your moft gracious Majc/Iy, HAving been informedy That certain per Jons have, by the good Wijhes of theArchbifhop of Armagh, be en directed hi- idqos ther, with a mofi humble Petition unto your julij Majefty, That you will be pleafed to make )g Mr. William Bedell ( now refident upon a fmall Benefice r% Suffolk ) Governour 'of your Colledge at Dublin, for the good ft - ; Of 31 The L i v e 0/ of that Society : and my Jelf being re¬ quired to render unto your. Majejly fome Tejlimony of the faid W illiam Bedell, who was long my Chaplain at Venice,', in the time of my imployment there ; I am hound in all Confcience and Truth (fofar as your Majefiy will accept of my poor Judgment J to affirm of him, That, I think, hardly a fitter Man could have been propounded to your Majejly in your whole Kjngdom, for fingular Erudition and Piety , Conformity to the Rites of the Church , and Zyyal to advance the Caufe of God ; wherein his Tra- yvells abroad were not obfcure, in the time of the Excommunication bf the Venetians. For , may it pieafe your Majejly to know, That this is the Mm whom Padre Paulo took (I may fay) into his very Soul, with whom he did communicate the inwardefl Thoughts of his Heart ; from whom he profejfed to have received more knowledge in all Di¬ vinity , both fcholaftical and pofitive , than from any that he had pratfifed in his Dayes : of which all the paffages were well known unto the Kjng your Father, of blejf ?d memory. And fo with your Majejlies good favour, I will end this nee dief office : for the general fame of his Learninghis Life 7 and Chri- ijnopbedell. 3 $ lulit'i ftun Temper, and thofe religious 'ffiam i hours which himfelf hath dedicated to ittVtnit your Maffly,do better (fit th I am able. Your Majefties molt humble and faithful Servant, H. . vmiuutm gut when this matter was propoled . iij it pit: t0 j^r. Bedell, he expreffed io much ihtikiiit both of true Phiiofbphy, and real Chri- td 'inftianity in theAnfwer that he made to mtli rkfo honourable an offer, that I will not tuitjl Us undertake to give it otherwife than in ' "'f'i his own Words, taken from a Letter iwtyti which he writ to one that had been im- :.:,iI ui\ ployed to deal with him in this matter. k U ptThe Original of this and moft of the nhJltkji other Letters that I let down, were j tin % found among the Moft Reverend Pri- wi, Mjt mate Vjhers Papers, and were commu¬ nicated to me by his Reverend and worthy Friend Dr. Pane. D Sir, The Life of S I R, With my hearty commendations re- membred: I have this Day re¬ ceived both your Letters, dated the 2. of this Month ; I thank you for your care and diligence in this matter. For anfver whereof, although I could have defired fo much refpite, as to have confer¬ red with fome of my Friends, fuch as pojfibly do know the condition of that place better than I do , and my inefficiencies better than my Lord Primate ;yet fince that I perceive by both your Letters, the matter requires a ffeedy and prefent an- fwer, thus I ft and : I am married, and have three Children; therefore if the place requires a fingle Man, the bufinef is at an end. 1 have no want, I thank my God, of any thing neceffary for this life ; 1 have a competent Living of above a hun¬ dred pound a Tear, in a good Air and Seat, with a very convenient Houfe near to my Friends, a little Parifh, not exceeding the compaft of my weak Voice. I have of¬ ten heard it, That changing feldom brings the belter ; efpecially to thofe that are well, ylnd I fee well, That my Wife, (though V; £Bijhop Bedell 35 ( though refolvwg, as /he ought, to he contented with whatfoever God /hall ap¬ point ) had rather continue with her Friends in her native Countrey, than put her felf into the haz,z,ard of the Seas, W and a foreign Land, with many ca/u allies 11 %in Travel, which [he perhaps out of fear, ^ the 2, apprehends more than there is cuufe. *fflr job jlu thefe reafons I have, if I confult after. For with Fle/h and Blood, which move me couli kt rather to rejett this offer; (yet with all tvt confer■ humble and dutiful thanks to my Lord , fuck ai p rimate for his Mind and good Opinion of fthitflnci me:) on the other fide, I confide r the end, fnjfcmti wherefore I came into the World, and the :',jetjk bufinefs of a Subject to our Lord Jefus Letter;, ill Chrifi , of a Minifier of the G of pel of a good Patriot, and of an honefl Man. rid) am If I may be of any better ufe to my Conn- ire if th trey, to Gods% Church,. or of any better e kfijli: fervice to our common Mafler, I mufi clofe [ thd fflj mine eyes* againfl all private refpecis }■ and if God call me, 1mufi anfver, Here I am. For my part therefore I will not Jlir one Foot, or lift up my Finger for or nur torn] againfi this motion ; but if it proceed from t atcAl the Lord, that is, If thof e whom it con- Ikivicf cerns there , do procure thofe who may command me here , to fend me thither7 jtk/t 111 I /hall obey, if it were not only to go into ffty Ireland, but into Virginia, yea though I D 2 were j The Life were not only to meet with troubles, dan¬ gers, and difficulties, but death it felf in the performance. Sir, I have as plainly as 1 can, Jhewed you my mind \ defiring you with my humble fervice to reprefent it to my reverend good Lord, my Lord Primate. And God Almighty direct this affair to the glory of his holy name, and have you in his merciful protection ; fo I reft From Bury -March 6. 1626. Your loving Friend Will. Bedel The conclufion of this matter was, That the King being well informed concerning him, commanded him to undertake this charge, which he did cheerfully obey ; and fet about the du¬ ties incumbent on him, in fuch a man¬ ner, as fhewed how well he had im¬ proved the long time of retirement, that he had hitherto enjoyed, and how .ripely he had digefted all his thoughts and obfervations. He had hitherto liv¬ ed Bijbop Bedell. ed as if he had been made for nothing but (peculation and ftudy ; and now when he entred upon a more publick Scene, it appeared that he underftood the practical things of Government and humane life fo well, that no man feem- ed to be more cut out for bufinelsthan he was. In the Government of the Colledge, and at his firft entry upon a new Scene, he refblved to aft nothing till he both knew the Statutes of the Houle perfeftly well, and underftood well the tempers of the people ; there¬ fore when he went over firft, he car¬ ried himfelf (b abftraftly from all aflairs, that he paft for a (oft and weak Man. The zeal that appeared afterwards in him, (hewed, That this coldnefs was only the effeft of his W ifdom, and not of his Temper: but when he found that fome grew to think meanly of him, and that even Vjber himlelf began to change his opinion of him: Upon that when he went over to England, (ome Months after,to bring his Family over to Ireland, he was thinking to have refign- ed his new Preferment, and to have returned to his Benefice in Suffolk; but the Primate writ (b kind a Letter to him, that as it made hiizi lay down thofe thoughts: (o it drew from him the fol- P j lowing 37 ■ y •' 'i> I '.ft: 'j'l w 11 vf:| I II | I wn la Vf ■r j d ' I 3 S The Life of lowing Words in the Anfwer that he writ to him. Touching my return, I do thankfully accept your Graces exhortation, advifing me to have Faith in God, and not to con- fult with Flefh and Blood, nor have mind of this Countrey. Now I would to God, that your Grace could look into my Heart, and fee how little I fear lack ofProvifton, or pafs upon any outward thing in this World: My chief fear in truth was, and is, lejl I fljould be unft and unprofitable ~ in the place; in which cafe, if 1 might have a lawful and honejl retreat, I think no wife Man could blame me to retain it: Ffpecially having underftood that your Grace, whofe authority 1 chiefly followed at the firfi, did from your own Judgment, and that of other wife Men, fo truly pro¬ nounce of me, That I was a weak Man, Now that I have received your Letters fo full of life and encouragement, it puts fome more life in me. For fure it can¬ not agree with that goodnefs and ingenui¬ ty of yours, praifed among all Gods Graces in you, by thofe that know you, to write one thing to me, and to fpeak another thing to others of me, or to go about to beguile my fmplicity, with fair Words, laying in the mean while a Net for my Feet, efpe- Stjbop Bedell. daily ftth my weaknefi (hall in truth re¬ dound to the blaming of your own difcre- tion in bringing me thither. Thus was he prevailed on to refign his Benefice, and cany his Family to Ireland, and then he applyed himfelf with that vigour of Mind, that was peculiar to him, to the government of file Colledge. He correfted fiich abules as he found among them ; he let fuch rules to them, and law thefe lo well executed, that it quickly appeared how happy a choice they had made : And as lie was a great promoter of learning among them, lb he thought his particular Province was to inftruft the Houfe aright in the Prin¬ ciples of Religion. In order to this he catechifed the Youth in the Colledge once a Week, and preached once a Sunday, though he was not obliged to it: And that lie might acquaint them with a plain and particular body of Di¬ vinity , lie divided the Church Cate- chifm into Two and Fifty Parts, one for every Sundayand did explain it in a way fb mixed with Speculative and Practical Matters, that his Sermons were both learned Leftures of Divinity, and excellent exhortations to V ertue and D 4 Piety : 4° The L IFE 0 f r % ■ •A: : ill * i n • SJI . fi 4 J - i api '■ vf.v, ■ f | '' f 'Lf ;:|® 1 Piety : Many took notes of them, and Copies of them were much enquired after ; for as they were fitted to the ca¬ pacity of his Hearers, fo they contained much matter in them, for entertaining the moft learned. He had not flayed there above two Years, when by bis Friend Sir Thomas Jermyns means, a Patent was, lent him to be Biflhop of Kjlmore and Ardagh, two contiguous Sees in the Province of Vljter. And in the Letters by which the King fig- nified his pleafure for his Promotion, he likewile exprefied his acceptance of the fervice he had done in the Col- ledge, in very honourable terms as fol¬ lows ; And as we were pleafed by our former gracious Letters to eftablifb the faid Wil¬ liam Bedell , by our Royal Authority in the Provoftjhip of the faid Colledge of the Bleffed Trinity near Dublin, where we are informed that by his care and good Government, there hath been wrought great Reformation , to our fin- gular contentment; fo we purpofe to con¬ tinue our care of that Society, being the principal Nurfery of Religion and Learn¬ ing in that our Re aim; and to recommend unto the Colledge fome fuch p erf on from whom we may expeff the like worthy eft feffs ■ fBifhop Bedell. 41 fK feels for their good, as rve and they have , S<* found from Mr. Bedell. JX ■ t0^: And now in the 59 Year of his fleW Age, lie entered upon a different courle weatataii 0f Life and Employment, when it • ™#tt might have been thought, that the vi- lS) , ! gour of his Spirits was much broken "win® andfpent. But by his adminiftration of Q * % his Diocels, it appeared that their re- i tirontj] mained yet a vaft heat and force of ® 1 Spirit to carry him through thole diffi- ItkKif cult undertakings, to which he found ■ hmii himlelf Qbliged by this new Chara&er; s WjttE which if it makes a Man but a little at it tie 0 lower than the' A ngels, lo that the term Afflwlj Angel isapplyed to that Office in Scri¬ pture, he thought it did oblige him to filly m ft an angelical courle of life, and to di- Mtkji'i vide his time, as much as could confift kfdh with the frailties and neceffities of a it (aid Body made of Flefh and Blood, as mi Dt thole glorious Spirits do, between the be- thg j'lii holding the Face of their Father which iliftUi, is in Heaven , and the miniftring to 0i ,*(s? the Heirs of Salvation: he confidered 'fgpjiiii the Bifhops office made him the Sliep- ^ if herd of the inferiour Shepherds, if not of the whole Diocels; and therefore he In 00 tefojved to Ipare himlelf in nothing, by hM v/hich he might advance the intereft of ■Itmf Religion among them: and he thought (6 ■ ' " it The Life of it a difingenuous thing to vouch Anti¬ quity for the Authority and Dignity of that Fun&ion, and not at the fame time to exprefs thofe Virtues and Pra¬ ctices that made it fo Venerable among them. Since the Forms of Church Go¬ vernment muft appear amiable and va¬ luable to the Word, not fo much for the reafbnings and arguments that learn¬ ed Men ufe concerning them, as for the real advantages that mankind find from them. So that he determined with the great Naz>ianz>eny To give Wings to his Soul\ to refcue it wholly from the World, And to dedicate it to God: And not to think it enough to perform his duty in fuch a manner, as to pafs through the reft of his life without reproach: for according to that Father, This was to weigh out Vertue by /mail weights ; but in the Language of that Father he re- fblved to live, As one that had got above his Senfes y and all fenfible things, that was recollected within himfelfy and had attained to a familiarity with divine matters y that fo his mind might be as an unfullied Mir r our y upon which he might receive and reprefent the imprelfes of God and divine tkingsy unallyed with the Cha¬ racters of lower objects. He faw he would fall under fome envy, and meet with (Bijboj) Bedell. with great oppofitions, but he confi- dered that as a fort of martyrdome for God, and refolved cheerfully to under¬ go whatfoever uneafie things he might be forced to fuffer, in the difcharge of his Confcience and Duty. In laying open his defigns and per¬ formances in this laft and greateft peri¬ od of his life,I have fuller materials than in the former parts. For my Author was particularly known to him during a large part of it, and Ipent foveral Years in his Family; fo that his oppor¬ tunities of knowing him were as great as could be defired, and the Bifhop was of fo gentle a temper, and of fo com¬ municative a nature, that he eafily o« pened himfelf to one, that was taken into his alliance as well as into his heart, he being indeed a Man of primitive fim- plicity. He found his Diocels under fo many diforders, that there was fcarce a found part remaining. 'The Revenue was waited by exceffive dilapidati¬ ons, and all facred things had been ex- poled to lale in fo fordid a manner, that it was grown to a Proverb. But I will not enlarge further on the ill things o~ thers had done, than as it is necelfary to fhew the good things that were done by him. One of his Cathedrals, dr- dagh, was fallen down to the ground, and there was Icarce enough remaining of both thele Revenues to fupport a Bifhop that was refblved not to lupply himlelf by indirect and bale methods: he had a very fmall Clergy, but Seven or Eight in each Diocels of good luffi- ciency ; but every one of thele was multiplyed into many Parifhes, they having many Vicarages a piece ; but being Englijhy and his whole Diocels confifting of Irifb, they were barbarians to them; nor could they perform any part of divine Offices among them. But the ftate of his Clergy will appear belt from a Letter that he writ to Archbifhop Laud concerning it, which I fhall here inlert. Right tBiJbop Bedell. 45 Right reverend Father, my honourable good Lord. Since my coming to this place, which was a little before Michaelmas ( till which time, the fettling of the fate of the Colledge, and my Lord Primate's Vifita- tion deferred my Confecration ) I have not been unmindful of your Lord/hips com¬ mands, to advert ifeyou, as my experience fhould inform me , of the fate of the Church, which I fhall now the better do, becaufe I have been about my Dioceffes, and can fet down, out of my knowledge and view, what I fhall relate : and fhort- ly to fpeak much ill matter in a few words, it is very miferable. The Cathedral Church of Ardagh, one of the mofi an¬ cient in Ireland, and faid to be built by S. Patrick , together with the Bijhops Houfe there, down to the ground. The Church here, built, but without Bell or Steeple, Font or Chalice. The Parifh Churches all in a manner ruined, and un¬ roofed, and unrepaired. The people, fa- ving afewBi'itiih Planters here and there, ( which are not the tenth part of the rem¬ nant ) obfiinate Recufants. A Popifh Clergy i m I (Si 1 III ffljl;* M ' ffl; ■ » Mf/' v Wi Mr .L-* Si U"> • **1 If •w §i ? 'n|M" K fliv I fj./. i '46 T?;e Life 0/ Clergy more numerous by far than we, and in full exercife of all jurifdiclion Ecclefi- aftical, by their Vicar-General and Officii alswho are fo conf dent as they Excom¬ municate thofe that come to our Courts, even in matrimonial cauf ?s: which affront hath been offered my [elf by the Pop iff) Pri¬ mates Vicar-General; for which I have be¬ gun a Procefs againjl him. The Primate himfelf lives in my Par iff , within two Miles of my Houfe ; the Biff op in ano¬ ther part of my Diocefs further off. Eve¬ ry Par iff hath its Priefi \ andjome two or three a piece, and fo their Mafs-Houfes al- fo ; in fome places Maf is faid in the Chur¬ ches. Fryers there are in div erfe places, who go about, though not in their Habit, and by their importunate begging impover- iff the people; who indeed are generally ve¬ ry poor, as from that caufe, fo, from their paying double Tythes to their own Clergy, and ours, from the dearth of Corn, and the death of their Cattle thefe late Tears, with the Contributions to their Souldiers and their Agents: and which they forget not to reckon among other caufes, the op- preffion of the Court Ecclefiajlical, which in very truth, my Lord, I cannot excufe, and do feek to reform. For our own, there are Seven or Eight Minijlers in each Diocefs of good Juffciency ; and ( which \ v Bip?op Bedell. ( which is no fmall caufe of the conti¬ nuance of the people in 'Popery fill) Englifh, which have not the Tongue of the people, nor can perform any Di¬ vine Offices y or converfe with them; and which hold many of them Two or Three, Four, or more Vicarages apiece ; even the Clerkfhips themfelves are in like ynanner conferred upon the Englifh; and fometimes Two or Three, or more, upon one Man, and ordinarily bought and fold or let to farm. His Majefty is now with the greatejl part of this Countrey , as to their Hearts and Confciences> Kjng, but at the Popes difcretion. KilmoreApr. i. 1630, Will. Kilmore & Ardagh. Here was a melancholy prolpebt to a Man of fb good a mind, enough to have difheartned him quite, if he had not had a proportioned degree of Spi¬ rit and courage to fupport him under fo much weight. After he had reco¬ vered fomewhat of the ipoils made by his Predeceffof, and lo put himfelf into a capacity to fubfift, he went about the rein- Tbe Life reforming of abules : And the firfb that he undertook was Pluralities, by which one Man had a care of Souls in lb ma¬ ny different places, that it was not pof fible to difcharge his duty to them, nor to perform thole Vows, which he made at his Ordination, of feeding and inilrucling the Flock committed to his care. And tho' moll of the Pluralifts did mind all their Parifhes alike, that is, They negle&ed all equally; yet he thought this was an abute contrary both to the nature of Ecclefiaftical F un- £tions, to the obligations that the care of Souls naturally imported, and to thofe folemn Vows that Church-men made at the Altar when they were ordained : And he knew well tnat this corruption was no looner obferved to have crept in¬ to the Chriftian Church, than it was condemned by the Fourth general Coun¬ cil at Chalcedon.For when lomethat had removed from one Diocels to ano¬ ther, continued to have their fhare in the dividend of the Church , which they had left, as well as of that to which they had gone ; the Council decreed, That luch tranlgreffours fhould reftore all that they had got from the Church, which they had left, and fhould be de¬ graded, if they refuled to fubmit to this regulation. ftifbop Bedell. regulation. He thought it a vain, and indeed an impudent thing, for a Man to pretend that he anfwered the obli¬ gation of lb facred a truft, and fo ho¬ ly aVoWj by hiring lonie mercenary Curate to perform Offices: fince the Ob¬ ligation was perlbnal, and the ecclefi- aftical Functions were not like the 2Lr- vitical Service in the Temple, in which theoblerving their Rites, was all that sjualy; y was required. But the watching over Souls had lb many other things involved in it, befides officiating according to the Ruhrick, that it drew this levere refle¬ ction from a witty Man , in which though the Wit of it may leem too pleafant for fo ferious a fubjeft, yet it had too much fad truth under it ; That when fuch Betrayers and Abandoner# of that trufi which Chriji pur chafed with his own Blood, found good and faithful Curates that performed worthily the ob¬ ligations of the pafloral Care, the Incum¬ bent fhould be faved by Proxy , but be damned in Per Jon. Therefore the Bi~ fhop gathered a meeting of his Cler¬ gy, and in a Sermon with which he o- pened it, hedaid before them, both out of Scripture, and Antiquity, the Infli- tution, the Nature, and the Duties of the Miniiierial Imployment; and after E Ser- 'ffr [I! I #{M Mmj aE? 1 W.) : :M s 1 ii'M' - I fi %{ : fP 41 ,. 4- i': fi:, 1 j! I I 5° Sermon he fpoke to them largely on the fame fiibjeft in Latin, ftiling them, as he alwayes did, His Brethren and fellow Presbyters: And exhorted them to reform that intolerable abufe, which as it brought a heavy fcandal on the Church, and gave their Adverfaries great advantages againft them ; fo it muft very much endanger both their own Souls, and the Souls of their Flocks. And to let them fee that he would not lay a heavy Burthen on them, in which he would not bear his own fliare* he refolved to part with one of his Bifhop- ricks. For though Ardagh was con- lidered as a ruined See, and had long gone as an acceffory to Kjlmore, and continues to be fb Hill; yet fince they were really two different Sees , he thought he could not decently oblige his Clergy to renounce their Pluralities, iinlefs he let them an example, and re¬ nounced his own ; even after he had been at a confiderable charge in reco¬ vering the Patrimony of Ardagh, and though he was fufficiently able to difcharge the duty of both thefe Sees, they being contiguous , and fmall ; and though the Revenue of both did not exceed a competency, yet he would not feem to be guilty of that which he (Bijbop Bedell j i he fo feverely condemned in others: And therefore he refigned Ardagb to Dr. Richardfon'j and fb was now only Bifhop of Kjlmore. The Authority of this example, and the efficacy of his Difcourfe, made fuch an impreffion on his Clergy, that they all relinquilhed their Pluralities. The A rguments that arife out of intereft are generally much ftronger than thole ot mere {peculation , how well loever it be made out ; and therefore this concurrence that lie met with from his Clergy in lb fenfible a point, was a great encouragement to him to go on in his other deligns; There feemed to be a Finger of God in it ? for he had no authority to compel them 4 to it, and he had managed the minds of his Clergy fb gently in this matter, that their compliance was not extorted, but both free and unanimous. For, one on¬ ly excepted, they all fubmitted to it: and he being Dean, exchanged his Dea¬ nery with another; for he was aiha- med to live in the Dioceis, where he would not fubmit to fuch terms, after both the Bifhop himfelf and all his Cler¬ gy had agreed to them. But the oppo¬ sition that was given him by the Dean, and both his fenfe of that matter, and his carriage in it, will appear from the E 2 following- flh -fk fit. W I r p~* i. : ? i .. :Jj! § Imjj '* :li ill •I ■M I ' Si ■. S'M' 3 ' to- ■ ' i ■ | J 1 i! MW 41 • 51 The Life of following cerning Letter, which he writ con- it to the Primate ; which , though it be long and particular , yet it teemed to me too important to be either ftifled or abridged. Moft reverend Father, my honourable good Lord, I Cannot eaftly exprefs what contentment I received at my late being with your Grace at Termonfeckin. There had no¬ thing hapned to me, I will not fay, fince I came into Ireland, but, as far as I can call to remembrance, in my whole life, which did fo much affeel me in this kind, as the hazzard of your good opinion. For, loving and honouring you in Truth (for the truths fake, which is in us, and fhall abide with us for ever ) without any pri¬ vate inter eft, and receiving fo unlookt for a blow from your own Hand, ( which I cpebted Jhouldhave tenderly applyed fome ex remedy to me, being fmitttrf by others ) 1 had not prefent the defences of Reafon and Grace. And although I knew it to be a fault in my felf, ft nee in the perfor¬ mance of our duties, the Judgment of our even alone, ought to fuftf ee us; yet Mafte p im Bedell. yet I could, not be fq much Mafter of mine Affections as to caft out this weaknefs* But bleffed be God, who fas I began to fay) at my being with you refreshed ?ny Spi- rit by your kind renewing and confirming your love to me : and all humble thanks to youj that gave me place to make my Defence, and took upon you the cognifance of mine innocency, And a* for mine Ac- cufer ( whofe hatred I have incurred only by not giving way to his covetotts defire of heaping Living upon Living, to the evi¬ dent damage, not only of other Souls com¬ mitted to him, but of his own J truly I am glad, and do give God Thanks that this malignity, which a while masked it felf in the pretence of friend/hip, hath at la ft dif- covered it felf by publick oppofition. It hath not, and I hope it [hall not be in his power to hurt me at allhe hath rather ftjamed him felf: and, although his high Heart cannot give his Tongue leave to ac¬ knowledge his folly, his Vnderjlanding is not Jo weak and blind as not to fee it. Whom I could be very well content to leave to tajl the Fruit of it alfo, without being further troublefome to your Grace, fave that I do not defpair, but your Grace s Authority will pull him out of the fnare of Satan, whofe inftrument he hath been to crofs the Work of God, and give me E 3 more 53 m I lb' If; I J4 T^e L I F E of more occafion of joy by his amendment, than I had grief by his perverfion and op- pofuion. Tour Grace s Letters of Aug. 2 J. were not delivered to me till the 29th. In the mean fpace what effect thofe that ac¬ companied them had with Mr. Dean you fhall perceive by the inclofed which were fent me the 28th. the Evening before our Communion. I anfwered them the next Morning, as is here annexed. As I was at the Lords Table, beginning the fer- vice of the Communion before the Sermon, he came in, and after the Sermon was done, thofe that communicated not being de¬ parted, he Jlopd forth and fpake to this purpofe : That whereas the Book of Common Prayer requires, That before the Lord's Supper, if there be any variance or breach of charity, there Should be re¬ conciliation ; this was much more re- quifite between Minifters : And becaufe they all knew that there had been fome difference between me and him , he did prcftfs. That he bare me no malice nor hatred, and if he had offended me in any thing, he was ibrry. I anfwered, That he had good reafon to be forry, considering how he had behaved him- felf. For my part I bare him no ma- Bijbop Bedell. 55 lice, and if it were in my power, would not make io much as his Finger ake. Grieved, I had been that he,in whom I knew there were many good Parts, would be¬ come an instrument to oppofe the Work of God, which I was ajfured he had called me to. This was all that pa (fed. He of¬ fered himfelf to the Lord's Board, and I gave him the Communion. After Din¬ ner he preached out of 1 Joh. 4. 10. And this Commandment have we from him, that he that loveth God, &c. When we came out of the Church, Dr. Sheriden delivered me your Grace's Letters. And thus Mr. Dean thinks he hath healed all, as you may perceive by his next Letters of Auguft 30. Only he labours about KiF dromfarten. Whereabouts I purpofed to have fpoken with your Grace at my being with you ; but I know not how it came not to my mind, whether it be that the Soul, as well as the body, after fome travel ea- fily falleth to reft ; or elfe God would have it referved perhaps to a more feafonable time. It is now above a Twelvemonth (the Day in many refpects I may well mjb that it may not be reckoned with the dayes of the year ) that your Grace, as it were, de¬ livered to me with your own Hands, Mr. Crian a converted Fryer, To whom E 4 I T?;e Life of I offered my [elf as largely as my Ability would extend unto ; though I had already at your Grace^s commendation received Mr. Dunfterville to be in my Houfe, with the allowance of Twenty Pound per an¬ num, The next Day before my depart¬ ing, Mr. Hilton made a motion to me, That where he had in his Hands fufficient to make the Benefice of Kildromfarten void, if I would bejlow it upon Mr. Dean he would do fo '7 otherwije it jhould re¬ main in ftatu. I anfwered with profejji- on of my love and good opinion ofMr. Dean, whereof I /hewed the re afons. I added, I did not know the place nor the people, but if they were mere Irifh, I did not fee how Mr. Dean jhould difcharge the duty a Minifler to them. This motion was conded by your Grace : But fo as I eafily conceived, That being follicited by your old Servant, you could do no lefs than you did; and notwithftanding the he [lure he promi- fed your Grace floould be read to me in the matter of Collations, would not be dif pleafed, if 1 did as became me, accord-- ing to my Confcience , and in confor¬ mity to your former motion for Mr. Crian. Mr.Dtd.Px after preffed me, that, if with¬ out my concurrence your Grace would conferr that Living upon him, I would not be againfi it j which I pro?nifed, but p tBijhop Bedell. heard no mere of it till about April lajh In the mean while the Benefice next unto that which Mr. Dunfterville was already poffeffed ofy falling void : Mr. Crian not coming to me, nor purpofing to do fo till after Chriftmas, and whenfoever hefhould come, my Houfe, as I found, not afford¬ ing room for him and Mr, Dunfterville both, whofe former Benefice was unable, he faid, to maintain him, chiefly he promi- fmg Refidence, and taking of me for that purpofe an Oath, abfolutely without any exception of Difpen fat ion, I united it to his former, and dif miffed him to go to his Cure; wherein how carelefy he hath be¬ haved himfelf, I forbear to relate. To return to Mr. Dean. About mid-April he brought me a Prefent at ion to Kildrom-? farten under the broad Seal. I could do no lefs but fignifie to the Incumbent, who came to mc, and maintained his Title, re¬ quiring me not to admit. Whereupon I returned the Prefent at ion, indorfing the reafen of my refufaland being then occafi- oned to write to the Lords fufhees, I figni- fed what I thought ofthefe Pluralities, in a time when we are fo far overmatcht in number by the adverfepart. This pa fed on till the Vifitation ; wherein Mr. Dean fhewed hirnfelfin his Colours. When the Ytear of Kildromfarten was called, he hit fald> 5 8 Tit Life of faid, he was Vicar; hut would exhibite no Title. After, the Curate, Mr. Smith, fignifed to me, That his Stipend was un¬ paid, and he feared it would be fill in the contention of two Incumbents. Upon thefe and other Reafons, I fequeflred the Profits,which I have heard by a Simonaical compact betwixt them fhould be for this Tear the former Incumbents. Neither did Mr. Dean write or fpeak a Word to me hereabout, till the day before the Com¬ munion in the inclofed. That very Morn* ing I was certified that he purpof A to ap¬ peal to your Grace, which made me in an- fwer to his next to add, Quod facias, fac citius. Here I befeech your Grace give me leave to fpeak freely touching this matter, fo much the rather, becaufe it is the only root of all Mr. Dean7/ defpite againjl me. Plainly I do thus think, That of all the dtfeafes of the Church in thefe times, next to that of the corruption of our Courts, this of Pluralities is the moft deadly and peftilent, efpecially when thofe are inftituted into charges Ecclefiafiical, who, were they never fo willing, yet for want of the Language of the people, are unable to difcharge them. Concerning which very Point, I know your Grace re¬ members the Propofitions of the learned and zealous / !BiJbop Bedell, jp zealous Bijhop of Lincoln before Pope Innocent. 1 mil not add the Confejjion of our Adverfaries themfelves in the Council of Trent, nor the judgment of that good Father, the Author of the Hiftory there¬ of , touching non-Refidency. Let the thing it felfjpeak. Whence flow the igno¬ rance of the people, the neglefit of Gods worjhip, and defrauding the Poor of the remains of dedicate things, the ruine of the manflon-Houfes of the Miniflers, the defolation of Churches, the jwallowing up of Parijhes by the Farmers of them, but from this Fountain ? There may be caufe, no doubt, why fometimes, in fome place, and to fome Man, many Churches may be committed ; but now that, as appears by the late Certifcates, there are, befldes the titular Primate and Bijhop, ofPriefls in the Dioceffes of Kilmore and Ardagh, 66. of Miniflers and Curates but 32. of which number alfo 3. whofe wives came not to Church : In this Jo great odds as the adverfaries have of us in number, ( to omit the advantage of the Language, the poffeffipn of peoples Hearts, the coun¬ tenancing of the Nobility and Gentry, Is it a time to commit many Churches to one Man, whom I will not difable, and he faith he hath a very able Interpreter, and I think no lefs ( which made me once to 6o Tk Life of to fty,That I would f loner confer the - fee of Kildromfarten upon him than upon himfelf, which refolution I do yet hold, in how illpartfoever he take it. J But what hath he done in the Parijhes already committed to him, for the infraction of the Irifh, that we fhould commit another unto him ? he that cannot perform his duty to one without a helper, or to that little part of it whofe Tongue he hath, is he fufficient to do it to three ? No it is the Wages is fought, not the Work. Andyet with the means he hath already, that good Man his Predeceffor maintained a Wife and a Fa- mily ; and cannot he in his folitary ( he had once written Monkijh ) life defray himf 7lf? Well, if there can he none found ft to difcharge the duty, let him have the Wages to better his maintenance. But when your Grace afureih us we fjall lack no Men, when there is befdes Mr. Crian ( whom Dr. Sheriden hath heard preach as a Frier in that very place \ which I account would be more to Gods Glory, if there now he fhould plant the Truth , which before he endeavoured to root out) befdes him we have Mr. Nugent? who offereth himfelf in an honefi and difcreet Fetter lately written to me, we have fun- dry in the Co Hedge, and namely, two train¬ ed up at the Irifh Leclure, one whereof hath OBiJhop B E D E L L. 61 hl\ ]utjj trAnflated your Graces Catechif?n r j J /#/ ter ) thoughts have any place in him ; Iqilf */S in bis I aft Letters he gives fome hope, } gift my complaints againft him be cafl into \ktnolti the Fire. God make him an humble and 0 ffk mode (I Man. But if Mr. Dean will needs It . ptrftfty Tl?e Life of perfiftj I befeech your Grace to view my Reply, to the which I will add no mora As touching his traducing me in your Pal- pit at Cavan, 1 have Jent your Grace the Tejlimonies of Mr. Robinfbn and Mr. Teate ; although he had been with them before, and denied what they former¬ ly conceived. And if your Grace will he p leafed to enquire of Mr. Cape, by aline or two, ( with whom I never fpake Word about the matter) or compare the Heads of his Sermon ( which he faith were ge¬ neral ) with his former Reports made of me, I doubt not but you will foon find the truth. I have fent alfo his P roteflat ion againfi my Vifitation, wherein I define your Grace to obferve the blindnefs of Malice : He pretends that I may not vifit but at or after Michaelmas every Tear. As if the Month of July , wherein I vifted, were not after Michaelmas: For before the lafl Michaelmas I vifted not. I omit that he calls himfelf the Head of the Chapter. The Canon Law calls the Bifhop Jo : he will have the BifJoop vifit the whole Diocefs together ; direHly con¬ trary to that Form, which the Canons prefcribe. But this Protefiation having neither Latin, nor Law , nor commoh Senfe; doth declare the skill of hhn that fergy wete in a ftrait. ; Tor if they built Monies.up¬ on thefe 'Glebe^lands, they would be thereby forced to live out ©f their Pa- rifhes, and it was very inconvenient for them to "have their Houfes remote from their Lands. Inorderto a reme¬ dy to this, the Bifhop that had Lands in every Parifli affigned him, reldlved to make an exchange with them, and to take their Glebe-lands into his own hands for more convenient portions of equal value that he affigned them: and tBijbop Bedell. that the exchange might be made upon a juft eitimate, 10 that neither the Bi- fhop nor the inferiour Clergy might fu£* fer by it, he procured a CommiflioE from die Lord Lieutenant, for feme to examine and fettle that matter, which was at iaft brought to a conclufion with To univerfal a fetisfadion to his whole Biocefs, that, fince the thing could not be finally determined with¬ out a Great Seal from the King, con* .firming all that was done, there was One fent over in all their names to ob¬ tain it >; but this was a work of time, and fb could not be finifhed in feveral Years: and the Rebellion broke out beforedtwas fully concluded. The Lord Lieutenant at this time was Sir Thomas Went worth, afterwards Earl of Strafford, a name too great to need any enlargement or explanation: for his Chara£ter is well known. At his firft coming over to Ireland,, he was poL felled with prejudices again# the Bilhop upon the account of a Petition fent up by the County of Cavan, to which the Bilhop had fet his hand, inwliichlbme complaints were made, and feme regu¬ lations were propofed for the Army : Which was thought an inlolent attempt, and a matter of ill example. So that F 2 Strafford, The Life of Strafford^ who was levere in his ad- mimfiration, was highly difpleafed with him: And when any Commiflion or Order was brought to him, in which he found his name , he dallied it out with his own Pen; and expreffed great indignation againft him. When the Bi- fihop underftood this, he was not much moved at it, knowing his own inno¬ cence ; but he took prudent methods to 'overcome his difpleafure. He did not ' go to Dublin upon his coming over, as ' all the other Bifhops did, to congratu¬ late his coming to the Government: but he writ a full account of that mat- - ter to his conftant Friend Sir Thomas Jermin, who managed it with (o much zeal, that Letters were lent to the De¬ puty from the Court, by which he was fo much mollified towards the Bifhop, that he going to congratulate, was well received,and was ever afterwards treated by him with a very particular kindnefs, So this Storm went over, which many thought would have ended in impri- fonment, if not in deprivation. Yet how much fbever that Petition was miftaken, he made it appear very plain, that he did not defign the putting down of the Army: For he law too evident¬ ly the danger they were in from Pope¬ ry* [fiijho}) B e d-ell ry, to think they could bo long fafe without it. But a.Letter that contains his vindication from that alperfion, car¬ ries in it likewife fuch a reprefentation of the ftate of the Popifh intereft then in Ireland , . and of their numbers , their tempers, and their principles, that I will let it down. It was written to the Archbifhop of Canterbury, and is taken from the printed copy of it that Mr. Prynne has given us. 69 1111 Right Honourable, my very good Lord, IN the midjl of thefe thoughts, • I have This been advertized from an honourable feems to friend in England, that 1 am accufedto he but his Majefy to have oppofed his fervice ; the halt and that my hand with two other Bifbops only, was to a Writing touching the Money t|ie to be levied on the Papijls for mainte- begin- nance of the Men of War. Indeed, if I ning. fhould have had fuch an intention, this had been not only to oppofe the fre vice of his Majefy, but to expofe with the pub,- lick peace, mine own Neck, to the Skeans of the Romifh Cut-throats. I that knew that in this Kjngdom of his Majefies , F 3 t he The Life of the Pope bath another Kingdomfargreat¬ er in number, and as I have heretofore fgnifed to the Lord Jufiices and Council ( which is alfo (ince ft fifed by them- felves in Print } confiantly guided and direcled by the Order of the new Congre¬ gation De propaganda Fide, lately ereclz ed at Rome, tranfmittedbythemeansof the Popes Nuntio s refding at Bruffells or Paris, that the Pope hath here a Cler¬ gy , if I may guefs by my own Diocefsy double in number to usy the heads whereof are by corporal Oath bound to himy to maintain him and his regalities contra omnem hominem, and to execute his Mandates to the uttermojl of their For¬ ces j which accordingly, they do, filing themfelves in Print, Ego N. Dei & ApoftoKeae Sedis gratia Epifcopus Fer- rnien 8c Offorien. 1that knew there is in the Kjngdom for the moulding of the peo¬ ple to t he Popes obedience, a rabble of irre¬ gular Regulars, commonly younger Br ae¬ thers of good Houfesy who are grown to, that infolency, as to advance themfelves to be members of the EcclefiaficalHierar¬ chy in better ranks than Priefs, in fo much that the cenfure of the Sorbon is fain to be implored to, curb themy which yet is called in again; fo tender is the Pope of his own Creatures. I that knew f (Bijhoj)WT^eTT. 71 4/k tbui bis Wwfs, hath erected a new nt M v&fity. inDublin to confront bis - 'aid jeJtks.Ciilledge there,cindtobrecd'theyouth fijuof the Kingdom to his Devotion, of which Vniverf.y one Paul Harris, the xnc» Author of that infamous which was ltdtut forth.ifi Print againfi my Lord Aim LtlJtmacli'r Wanfted Sermon, ftileth himfelf in Print, to be, Dean: I that knew and mmi have given advertifement to the State, rmk that thefe Regulars, dare ere ft new erier in the Gountrey, fnce the j, r ' ofthefeintheCity, that they have brought 4(0 fm J. J . r 1 r fi r r r r iill! COf the' %€0t t0 '• * I t fenfelefnefs, as. they, care not to learn, trbe Command- ments as God ihmfelf fjrake, and writ .ai., them ; hut they flock. in gyre at numbers to ^ Jj! the. preaching of new Ju^erJljtiom and , detejlablt Dofirines, fuck, as their own pprc. Prkfis are affamed of; and at all thofe mm they levy. Gs>lletlions, Three, Four, Five,r %jF or Six Founds at a Sermon. Shortly, I twky fanejv tfoAt pegiilars and this fjovfi Clergy, have at a general meeting like to tff(0 a. Synod, as themselvesfile it,, decreed, mtkjt fhat it is; not, lawful to take an Oath Ujtiffl ef jdllegiance and' if they\ be conjlant Pritpd to their own' Doffrine., do account his th Sp Madefy, in their Hearts to be Kjng but Itk*,* a(i the* FoPejs discretion. In this fate of tifikfi: p. ^ rhis , Itfa^ yi Toe~l i f e ' -- ^ - * this Kjngdorny to think the Bridle of the Army, way he., taken d>vay, (bould he the thought not of ahrain-fick\ hut of a brain" lefsMan. The day of our deli ve¬ rance from tliePopifli Po'frPiot, Your LordsfHp's in all'Duty, Will. < i ■ • '" . ^ " * *r **• - - y ■ y /a. •• V 1 v \ v. - V'" ^S| By his cutting off Pluralities there fell to be many V acancies in his Diocefs, fo the care he took to fill thefe, comes to be confidered in the next place. He was very ffrift in his Examinations be¬ fore he gave Orders to any. He went' otfer the Articles of the Church of Ire¬ land fo particularly and exaGtly, that one who was prefent at the Ordina¬ tion of him that was afterwards his Arch-Deacon, Mr .Thomas Brice, repor¬ ted that though he was one of 'the Se¬ nior Fellows of the Colledge of Dublin, when the Bifhop was Provoft; yet his* Examination held two fulh Hours f And v/hen he had ended any examina¬ tion, which was alwayes done in th6 pre- ' Bijhop Bedeli. 73 JtMf: prefence of his Clergy, he defired.eve- > Irn In ry ciergy-M&fi that was prefent to ex- : ' amine the perlbn further,if they thought , that any material thing was omitted by him; by which a fuller difcovery of his , temper and" lufficiency might be made, r When all was ended, he made all his Clergy give their approbation before 1 ^ % he would proceed to Ordination: For he would never affume that fingly to /, Kiha himlelf,nor take theLoad of it wholly on his own Soul. He took alio great care to be well informed of the moral and reli- kalitiesti gious qualities of thole he ordained, as sintt well as he latisfied himlelf by his Exami- 31 thefe, qe- nation of their capacity and knowledge, at pfe He had alwayes a conliderable number mm of hisClergy affifting him at his Ordina- ny. Hei tions, and he alwayes Preached and ad- miniftred the Sacrament on thole occa- ^)j': fions himlelf: And he never ordained . ^ Ori one a Presbyter, till he had been at lead: itentf a year a Deacon, that lo he might have jfw, if a good account of his behaviour in that * ie oft l°wer degree, before he railed him high- er. He lookt upon that power of Or- dination as the mod: lacred part of a ijjpjjp . Bifhop's truft, and that in which the ^ Laws of the Land had laid no fort of j^i impofition on them, lb that this was p intirely in their Hands, and therefore he thought • H>eL i RE thought the}.' had lb much, the more tq anlwer for to. God oa tliat account and he weighed carefully in his.thoughts the importance of thole Words,. bands Jaddmly. on no- and be not a partaker of other Mem There¬ fore he uled all the precaution that was, poffible for him in lo important an affair. He was never prevaifd.on.by any reconir mendations nor importunities to ordain any; as if Orders had been a Ibrt. of Free¬ dom in aCompany,by which a Man, was to be enabled to holid as.great a portion of the Ecclefiaftical Revenue as, he could compals, when he was. thus, qualified:. Nor would he ever ordain, any without a title to a particular Flock. For bo thought a title. to. a. maintenance was not enough ; as if the Church Ihpuld only take carethat none.in Qrdqjss might, be in want; but he law the abufes, of thofe emendicated titles, and of thenar grant Pti,efts that went about, as Jour¬ neymen, plying for Work, to tjiegreat reproach of that lacred Imployment; and in this he alio followed the Rule let by the fourth general Council that carri¬ ed this matter lb high, as to annul all Or¬ ders that were given witbouta particu¬ lar defignation of the Place, where the perlon was to ferve. Foe he made, the Primitive Ml fBiJbop B E D E £ L. 7J- Primitive times his Standard, and re- folved to come as near it as he could , confidering the corruption of the Age in which he lived. He remembred well the grounds he went on, when he re¬ futed to pay Fees for the Title to his Benefice in Suffolk, and therefore took care that thole who were ordained by him, or had Titles to Benefices from him, might be put to no charge: For he wrote all the Internments himtelf, and delivered them to the perfons to whom they belonged, out of his own Hands, and adjured them in a very 1b- lemn manner, to give nothings to any of his Servants. And, that he might hin¬ der it all that was poffible, he waited on them ahvayes on thole occafions to the Gate of hisHoufe, that lo he might be fiire that they Ihould not give any gratification to his Servants. He thought it lay on him to pay them fuch conve¬ nient wages as became them, and not to let his Clergy be burthened with his Servants. And indeed the abules in that were grown to fuch a pitch, that it was neceffary to correct them in lb exempla¬ ry a manner. His next care was to obferve the be¬ haviour of his Clergy ; he knew the lives of Churchmen had generally much more The Life of more efficacy than their Sermons, or- other labours could have ; and fo he let i hirnfelf muqh to watch over theManners of his Priefts ; and was very fenfibly touched, when an Irifhman faid once to him in open Court, That the Kjngs Priejls were as bad as the Popes Priejls. Thefe were fo grofly ignorant, and fo openly fcandalous, both for drunken- nefs, and all fort of lewdnefs, that this was indeed a very heavy reproach: Yet he was no rude nor morole Reformer, but confidered what the times could bear. He had great tendernefs for the weaknelsof his Clergy, when he daw reafon to think otherwife well of them: and he helpt them out of their troubles, with the care and compaffion of a Fa¬ ther. One of his Clergy held two Li- vings;but had been coufened by aGentle- man of Quality to farm them to him for lels than either of them was worth ; and he acquainted the Bilhop with this: Who upon that writ very civilly, and yet as became a Bifhop, to the Gentle¬ man, perfwading him to give up the bargain: but having received a liilien and haughty anfiver from him, he made the Minifter refign up both to him; For they belonged to his Gift, and he provided him with another Benefice, Bifbop Bedell. 77 and put two other worthy Men in thefe two Churches, and fo- he put an end both to the G entlemarfs fraudulent bargain, and to the Churchman's Plu¬ rality. He never gave a Benefice to any without obliging them by Oath to perpetual and perfonal refidence, and that they fhould never hold any other * Benefice with that: So when one Bu¬ chanan was recommended to him, and ' found by him to be well qualified, he ' offered him a Collation to a Benefice, but when Buchanan few that he was to be bound to Refidence^ and not to hold another Benefice; he that was already polfelfed of one, with which he refol- ved not to part, would not accept of it on thole Terms. And the Biihop was not to be prevailed with to dilpenfe with it, though he liked this Man fo much the better, becaufe he found he t was akin to the great Buchanan, whole Paraphrale of the Pfalrns he loved be¬ yond all other Latin Poetry . The La¬ tin form of his Collations will be found • at the end of this Relation, which con¬ cluded thus ; Obtejlin* you in the Lord, Sec at the and enjoyning you , by vertue of that , obedience which you owe to the great Shep¬ herd, that you will diligently feed his Flock committed to your care, which he Pur cha¬ fed j 8 Tl:e Life of fed with his.own Blood ; that you inflruH ■them in the Cutholick Faith, and perform ■Divine Offices in a Tongue under flood by thefpeqple: and above all things that yon flew your [elf .a pattern to Believers in good Worksy fo that the adverfaries may be put to {barney when they flnd not him for which they can reproach you. He put all the Inftruments in one, whereas devices had been found out, for the in- creafe of Fees, to divide thefe into fe- veral Writings: nor was he content to write this all with his own hand, but fbmetimes he gave Induction likewife to his Clergy; for he thought .none of thefe Offices were below a Bilhop : and he was ready to eafe them of charge all he could. He had by his zeal and earnelt endeavours prevailed with all his Pref byters to reiide in their Parifhes; one only excepted, whofe name was John- flon. He was of a mean Education, yet he had very quick Parts, but they lay more to the Mechanical than to the Spiritual Architecture. For the Earl of Strafford ufed him for an Engineer, and gave him the management of feme ^great Buildings f hat he was railing in the County of Wicklo. But the Bifhop finding the Man had a very mercurial Wit, and a great capacity, he relblvpd to iiilUjl i 'chj fBiflhty Bedell. 29 to fet him to work, that fo -he might not be wholly ufelefs to the Church and therefore lie propofed to him the compolmgan univerfal Chara&er, that might be equally well underftood by all aSPations: and he fhewed him, that fince there was already an uniyerlal-Mathe- xnatical 'Chara&er, received both for Arithmetick, Geometry, and Aftrono- diy, the other was not impolfible to bo done. JvhvftoK undertook it readily , imd the Bifhop drewfor him,a Scheme of the whole Work, which he brought to fiich perfection, that, as my Author tvas informed., lie put it under the Prels, but the Rebellion prevented his sfiniil> ingit. After the Bifhop had teen for many years carrying on the Reformation of hisDiocefs, he reiolvedto hold a Synod of all his Clergy, and to eftab'lifh Ibme Rules for the better government of the Flock committed to him: The Canons •then eftablifhed will be found at the end of this Work. He appointed that a Sy- thc nod fhould be held thereafter once a Nukb. u Year, or; "the Second Week of Septem¬ ber \ and that in the Bifhop^s abience, his Vicar General, if he were a Prieft, or his Arch-Deacon fhould prefide ; That no Vicar fhould be conftituted after w z Tlx L i f U of after that, unlefs he were in Orders, and fhould hold his place only du¬ ring the Bifhop^s Pleafure; He revived the ancient cuftome of Rural Deans, and appointed, That there fhould be three for the three Divifions of his Dio- cefs; who fhould be chofon by the Cler¬ gy, and fhould have an infpeftion into their deportment, and make report to the Bifhop of what paft among them, and tranlmit theBifhop'sOrders to them; and that once a Month the Clergy of each Divifion fhould* meet* knd Preach by turns, without long Prayers or Pre¬ ambles: And that no Excommunication ' fhould be made but by the Bifhop-in perfon, with the affiftance of fuch of his Clergy as fhould be prefent. The reft related to fbme things of lefs importance, that required amendment. When the News of this was carried to Dublin, fome faid it was an illegal Affembly, and that his prefiiming to make Canons, was againft Law , and brought him within the guilt of a Praemunire. So that it was expe&ed that he fhould be brought up as a Delinquent, and cen- fured in the Starr-Chamber, or High Commiffion-Court: But others lookt on what he had done, as nothing but the neceffary difcharge of his Epifcopal Fun&ion. Bijbop Bedell. Fun£tion. And it feemed ftrange if forne Rules laid down, by common con- fent, for the better Government of the Diocefs, fhould have furnifhed matter for an Accufation or Cenfiire. His Arch-Deacon,that was afterwards Arch- bifliop of Cafhill, gave fuch an account of this matter to the State, that nothing followed upon it. The Bifhop had in¬ deed prepared fuch ajuftification of him¬ felf, as would have vindicated him fully before equitable J udges, if he had been queftioned for it. Archbifhop Vjher\ who knew well how much he could fay for himfelf upon this Head, advifed thofe that moved that he might be brought up upon it, To let him alone, left he fhould be thereby provoked to fay more for himfelf, than any of his Accufers could fay againft him. When he made his Vifitations, heal- wayes preached himfelf, and admini- ftred the Sacrament; and the bufinefs of his Vifitations was, what it ought truly to be, to obferve the ftate of his Diocefs, and to give good Inftruftions both to Clergy and Laity. The Vifi¬ tations in Ireland had been matters of great Pomp and much Luxury, which lay heavy on the inferiour Clergy. Some flight enquiries were made, and thofe G chiefly 81 I The Life of chiefly for Forms fake; and indeed no¬ thing was fo much minded, as that which was the reproach of them, the Fees, that were exafted to fuch an intolerable degree, that they were & heavy grievance to the Clergy. And as the Bifhops Vifitation came about every Year ; fb every third Year the Archbi- fliop made his Metropolitical Vifitation, and every feventh Year the Kings Vi¬ fitation went round: And in all thefe as they were then managed, nothing feemed to be fb much aimed at,as how to fqueeze and opprefs the Clergy, who were glad to pur chafe their Peace by paying all that was impofed on them, by thofe fevere Exa£tors. Thefe Fees at Vifitations were not known in the Pri¬ mitive Times, in which the Bifhop had the whole Stock of the Church in his hands to defray what expence necelfari- fy fell on him, or his Church. It is true, when the Metropolitan, with other Bifhops, came and ordained the Bifhop at his See, it was but reafbnable that their expence fhould be difcharged; and this came to be rated to a certain Summ, and was called the Inthroniftick: and when thefe grew unreafbnably high, the Emperours reduced them to a cer¬ tain proportion, according to the-Re¬ venues as 6 Bedell venues of the Sees. But when the Bi~ fhops and the inferiour Clergy came to have diftiriQ: Properties, then the Bi- fliops exafted of their Clergy that which other YalTalls owed by their Tenure to the Lord of the Fee, which was the bearing the expence of their Progrefs: but when they began firlt to demand thole Subfidiesfrom their Clergy, that Practice was condemned, and provifion was made, That in cafe a Bifhop was lb poor that he could not bear the charge to which his Vifitation put him, he fhould be fupplyed by the richer Bilhops about him ; but riot prey upon his Cler¬ gy. And both Charles the Great,- and his Son Lewis took care to lee this exe¬ cuted : Yet this abufe was ftill kept up, lo that afterwards, in ftead of putting it quite down, it was only regulated, lo that it might not exceed fuch a pro¬ portion ; but that was not obferved: So that an arbitrary Tax was in many places levied upon the Clergy. But our Bilhop reformed all thefe excelles, and took nothing but what was by Law and Cuftome eftablifhed, and that was imployed in entertaining the Clergy: And when there was any overplus, he fent it alwayes to the Prilons, for the re¬ lief of the Poor. At his Vifitation he G 2 made 83 Tk L i v e oj ma^e his Clergy fit all with him, and be covered, whenever he himfelf was covered. For he did not approve of the State , in which others or his Order made their Vifitations; nor the diftance to which they obliged their Clergy. And he had that Canon often in his Mouth, That a Presbyter ought not to be letJland after the Bifhop was Jet. He was much troubled at another abufe which was, that when the Metropolitical and Regal Vifitations went round, a Writ was ferved on the Bifhops, fufpending their Jurifdiftion for that year: And when this was firft brought to him, he received it with great indignation , which was increafed by two Claules in the Writ: By the one it was afferted, That in the year of the Metropolitans Vifitation, the whole and entire Jurif ditiion of the Diocefs belonged to him; the other was the Reafon given for it, Beca/fe of the great danger of the Souls of the people : Whereas the danger of Souls rife from that fufpenfion of the Bifhops Paftoral power, finCe during that Year he either could not do the duty of a Bifhop ; or if he would ex- ercife it, lie mull either purchafe a De¬ legation to a£t as the Archbifhop's De¬ puty, and that could not behad with¬ out (Bifhop Bedell. 85 out paying for it, or be lyable to a Suit in the Prerogative Court, He knew the Archbifhop's power over Bilhops was not founded on Di¬ vine, or Apoftolical right, but on Eo clefiaitical Canons and Practice, and that it was only a matter of Order , and that therefore the Archbiihop had no Authority to come and invade his Paftoral Office, and fulpend him for a Y ear. Thele were Ibme of the worft of the abules that the Ganqnifts had introduced in the later Ages; by which they had broken the Epifcopal Authori¬ ty, and had made way for veiling the whole power of the Church in the Pope. He laid thole things often before Archbi- fhop Vfber, and prell him earnellly to let himfelf to the reforming them, fince they were a£ted in his name, and by vertue of his Authority deputed to his Chancellour, and to the other Officers of the Court, called the Spiritual Court. No Man was more lenlible of thofe a- bufes than Vfber was; no Man knew the beginning and progrels of them bet^ ter, nor was more touched with the ill effefts of them: and together with his great and vail learning, no Man had a better Soul and a more Apoftolical mind, In his conversion he expreifed the true G j ftmplici- Tlx Life of fimplicity of a Chriftian: For Paflion, Pride, felf-Will, or the Love of the World, teemed not to be lb much as in his Nature. So that he had all the innocence of the Dove in him. He had a way of gaining peoples Hearts, and of touching their Consciences that lookt like fomewhat of the A poftolical Age revived ; helpeiit much of his time in thole two belt Exercifes, lecret Prayer, and dealing with other peoples Conici¬ ences, either in his Sermons or private Dilcourles; and what remained he dedi¬ cated to-his Studies, in which thole ma¬ ny Volumes that came from him, fhew- ed a moll: amazing diligence and exaft- nels, joyned with great Judgment. So that he was certainly one of the greateft and bed Men that the Age, or per¬ haps the World, has produced. Put no Man is intirely perfect; he was not made for the governing part of his Fun¬ ction. He had too gentle a Soul to man¬ age that rough Work of reforming Abu- les: And therefore he left things as he found them. He hoped a time of Re¬ formation would come: He law the ne- cejffity of cutting-orf many abufes, and confeffed that the tolerating thole abomi¬ nable corruptions that the Canonifts had brought in, was luch a ftain- upon a Church, fBiJhop Bedell. Church, that in all other refpe£ts was the beft reformed in the World, that he apprehended it would bring a Curfe and Ruine upon the whole Conftitution. But though he prayed for a more fa¬ vourable conjuncture, and would have concurred in a joynt Reformation of thefe things very heartily ; yet he did not beftir himfelf fuitably to the Ob¬ ligations that lay on him for carrying it on: And it is very likely that this fat heavy on his thoughts when he came to dye; for he prayed often, and with great humility, That God would forgive him his fins of Omiffion, and his failings in his Duty. It was not without great uneafinefs to me that I overcome my felf lo far, as to fay any thing that may feem to diminifh the Character of fo extraordinary a Man, who in other things was beyond any Man of his time, but in this only he fell beneath himfelf: And thofe that upon all other accounts loved and admired him, lamented this defect - in him ; which was the only al¬ lay that feemed left, and without which he would have been held, perhaps, in more veneration than was fitting. His Phyfician Dr. Bootius, that was a Dutch¬ man, faid-truly of him, If our Primate 0^Armagh were as exalt a Difciplmarian, G 4 as The L i f e of he is eminent in fearching Antiquity, defending the Truth, • preaching the Gofpel, he might without doubt deferve to be made the chief Churchman of Chrijlen- dome. But this was neceffary to be told, fince Hiftory is to be writ impartially; and I ought to be forgiven for taxing his Memory a little ; for I was never fo tempted in any thing that I ever writ, to difguile the Truth, as upon this oc- cafion: Yet though Bifhop Vjher did not much himfelf, he had a fingular e- fteem for that vigour of Mind, which our Bifhop exprelfed in the reforming thefe matters. And now I come to the next inftance of lus Pafhpral care, which jnade more noife , and met with more oppofition, than any of the for¬ mer, He found his Court, that fat in his name, was an entire abufe: It was ma¬ naged by a Chaneellour, that had bought his place from his Predeceffqr; and lb thought he had a right to all the Profits that he could raife out of it, and the whole bufinefs of the Court feem- ed to be nothing but Extortion and Oppreflion. Eor it is an old obfervati- on, That men, who buy Juftice, will alio fell it, Bribes v/ent about almoft barefaced, and the exchange they made Bijhop Bedell. ; of Penance for Money was the worft fy fort of Simony ; being in effefl: the ve- ry fame abufe that gave the World fugh ' p a fcandal when it was lb indecently pra- uytokt in the Church of Rome, and o- pm pened the way to the Reformation, tomxiflj por felling of Indulgences is really B but a commutation of Penance.He found : I ever y the Officers of the Court made it their upoiulis bufinefs to draw people into trouble by op ijh vexatipus Suits, and to hold them fo 3%it long in it that for three Pence worth of W) wl the Tithe of Turf, they would be put ^ Am to five Pounds charge. And the folemn- Icometc eft.and facredeftof all the Church Cen- ilcare,w: fures, which was Excommunication, i met i went about in fo fordid and bafe a man- By of the ner, that all regard to it, as it was a Spi¬ ritual Cenfure, was loft, and the effe&s it hatfati had in Law made it be cryed out on as ; It waii a moft intolerable piece of Tyranny. til The Officers of the Court thought they Pried: had a fort of right to opprefs the Na- 4tot tives, and that all was well got that was ut of it)! wrung from them. And of all this the Court I g00^ Primate was fo fenfible, that he portion: gives this fad account of the Venality of Jrifc; all facred things in a Letter to the Arch:; . bifhop of Canterbury As for the ge- jjOUtak mral ft ate of things here, they are fode- j fieyl [perate, that I am afraid to mite any 9° The Life of tbing thereof. Some of the adverfepart have asked me the Queftiony Where I have heard or read before y that Religion and Mens Souls fhould be fet to faley af¬ ter this manner ? Vnto whom I could re¬ ply nothingy but that I had read in Mantu- an, That there was another place in the World where Caelum eft venale, Deiifque. Both Heaven and God himfelf are fet to fale./Qwt our Bilhop thought it not ' "enough to lament this; he relbived to do what in him lay to correQ; thefe abufes, and to goe and fit and judge in his own Courts himfelf. He carried a competent number of his Clergy with him, who late about him, and there he heard Caufes, and by their advice he gave Sentence. By this means lb many Caufes were dilmift, and fiich a change was wrought in the whole Proceedings of the Court, that inftead of being any more a grievance to the Countrey, none were now grieved by it but the Chan- cellour, and the other Officers of the Court; who law their Trade was funk, and their Profits were falling; and were already ^4jij already difplealed with the Bifhop, for m> Iff writing the Titles to Benefices himfelf, ' That if their places were jpjl, regulated, the Money, by which they lliidtatfc Purchaled that right to fqueeze the le Proof Countrey, ought to have been reftored. jufjjj,: The Bifhop defired that he might be ffiffered to plead his own Caufe him- , l|. felf; but that was denyed him, which he took ill: But he drew the Argu- acfs vssf ment t'iat: Ws Council made for him ; ^ for it being the firft Suit that ever was The Life of of that fort, he was more capable of compofing his Defence than his Councel could be. He went upon thefo Grounds, That one of the moft effential parts of a Bi- {hop's duty was to govern his Flock, and to infli£t the Spiritual Cenfures on obftinate Offenders : That a Bifhop could no more delegate this power to a Lay-man, than he could delegate a pow¬ er to Baptize or Ordain, fince Excom¬ munication and other Cenfures were a fufpending the Rights of Baptifm and Orders;and therefore the judging of thefe things could only belong to him that had the power to give them: and that the de¬ legating that power was a thing null of it felf. He fhewed, That feeding the Flock was inherent and infeparable from a Bi- fhop, and that no Delegation he could make, could take that power from him- lelf; fince all the effeQ: it could have,was to make another his Officer and Deputy in his ablence. From this he went to {hew how it had been ever lookt on as a neceffary part of the Bifhop's Duty, to Examine and Cenlure the Scandals of his Clergy and Laity in Ancient and Modern times: That the Roman Em- perours had by many Laws fupported the Credit and Authority of thefe Courts, 10 upartsof. /emhisfl tk tkh i aptifn ;atnup eecungtnef rablefrdi mm couldk icerandD? iishewa 0[ ^ the fe iftAflcien e M' M Cf ri ty oh } ft bop Bedel l. Courts, that fince the practices of the Court of Rome had brought in fuch a variety of Rules, for covering the cor¬ ruptions which they intended to fup- port; then that which is in it felf a plain and fimple thing was made very»intri- cate: So that the Canon Law was be¬ come a great ftudy; and upon this ac¬ count Bifhops had taken Civilians and Canonifts to be their Affiftants in thole Courts: but this could be for no other end but only to inform them in points of Law, or to hear and prepare mat¬ ters for them. For the giving Sentence, as it is done in the Bifhops name, lb it is really his Office ; and is that for which he is accountable both to God and Man: and fince the Law made thole to be the Bifhops Courts, and fince the King had by Patent confirmed that Authority,' which was lodged in him by his Office of governing thole Courts, he thought all Delegations that were ablolute and exclufive of the Bi- fhop, ought to be declared void. The Reader will perhaps judge better of the force of this Argument, than the Lord Chancellour of Ireland Bolt on did, who confirmed the Chancellours right, and gave him an hundred Poun; Cofts of the Bifhop. But when th; P. hop ask¬ ed 93 Thelir e 0/ ed him, How he came to make fo un- juft a Decree? he anfwered, That all that his Father had left him was a Regifter's place; fo he thought he was bound tofopport thofe Courts, which he law would be ruined, if the way he took had not been checkt. This my Author had from the Bifhop's own mouth. But as this matter was a leading Cafe, fo great pains were taken topoflelsthe Primate againft the Bifhop; but his Letters will beft difoover the Grounds on which he went, and that noble tem¬ per of mind, that fupported him in fo great an undertaking. The one is long but I will not fhorten it. Right Reverend Father, my honourable good Lord, THave received your Grace1s Letters con- cerning Mr. Cook, and I do acknow¬ ledge all that your Grace writes to be true concerning his Jefficiency and experience to the execution of the Ecclefiaflical Jurif diclion: neither did I forbear to do him right in giving him that Teftimony, when hi fore the Chapter I did declare and {hew f'/to ilk rituti (Bijhop Bedell. the nullity of his Patent. I have heard of my Lord of attemptand I do believe, That if this Patent had due form, I could not overthrow it \ how un¬ equal foever it be. But failing in the ef • Jential parts, befides fundry other defeats, I do not think any reafonable creature can adjudge it to be good. I[hall more at Urge cert ife your Grace of the whole matter, and the reafons of my C ounce I herein. I [hall defire herein to be tryed by your Grace's own Judgment, and not by your Chancellors ; or ( as I think in fuch a cafe I ought to be) by the Synod of the Province. I have re- folved to fee the end of this matter : and do defire your Grace's favour herein no farther than the equity of the Caufe and the good,asfar as I can judge, of our Church in a high degree dove quire. So with my humble Service to your Grace, and refpeff- ful commendations to Mrs. Uflier, I rejl KiImore,Oftob. 28. 1529. Your Grace's in all duty, Will. Kilmore. Moft 96 Tlx L 1 F E Moft reverend Father,my honourable good Lord, THe report of your Grace s indifpo- fit ion, how forrowful it was to me, the Lord knows. Albeit the fame was fomewhat mitigated by other News of your better eflate. In that fluff nation of my mind (perhaps like that of your health) the Saying of the Apoflle ferved me for an Anchor, That none of us liveth to himfelf, neither doth any dye to himfelf. For whether we live , we live to the Lord; or whether we dye, we dye to the Lord. Whether we live therefore or dye, we are the Lords. Thereupon from the bottom of my Heart commending your eflate, and that of the Church here, (which how much it needs you, He knows befl ) to our common Mafler, though I had writ¬ ten large Letters to you, which have lain by me fundry Weeks, fearing in your ftck- nefs to be troublefome; I thought not to fend them, but to attend fome other oppor¬ tunity after your prefent recovery to fend,or perhaps bring them. When I under flood by Mr. Dean of his journey, or at leaft fend¬ ing an exprefs Mejfenger to you with other Letters) 'JJtjhop Bedell. Letters putting me alfo in mind, That perhaps it would not he unwelcome to you to hear from mey though you forbare to an- f ver. I yielded to the example and condi¬ tion : fo much the rat her, becaufe I remem¬ bered my felf a Debtor to your Grace by my promife of writing to you more fully touch¬ ing the Reafons of my difference with Mr. Cooke ; and now a filter in your Court at his infance. Andy Firfi, I befeechyour Grace7 let it be a matter meerly of merriment , that I skirmijh a little with your Court touching the Inhibition and Citation which thence proceeded againf me, res you fihallperceive by the inclofed Recufat ion. For the thing it felf, as I have writ ten, I do fubmit it wholly to your Grace^s decifion. And to enlarge my felf a little, not as^to a Judge, but a Father y to whom, be fides the bond of your undeferved lovey I am bound alfo by an Oat h of God; I will pour out my Heart unto you, even without craving pardon of my boldnefs. It will be perhaps forne little diver (ion of your thoughts from your own infirmity, to underfiand that you fuffer not alone, but you in Body, others other- wife ; each mufi bear his Crofs, and follow the fteps of our high Mafier. My Lord, fince it pie, fed God to call me to thisplact in this Church, what my intentions have H been been to the difcharge of my duty, hebefi 'knows. But I have met with many im¬ pediments and dif:ouragements ; and chief¬ ly from them of mine own Profeffion in Re¬ ligion. Concerning Mr. Hoile , I ac¬ quainted your Grace : Sir Edward- Bag- Jhaw, Sir Francis Hamilton, Afr..Wil¬ liam F lemming, and diverfe more have been, and yet are, pulling from the Rights of my Church. But all thefe have been light in refpect of the dealing of fome o- t hers j prof effing me kindnefs, by whom I have been biased a Pap iff, an J r mini an, a Neuter, a Politician, an Equivocator, a niggardly Houfekeeper, an Vfurer: That I bow at the name of Jefus, pray to the Eafl , would pull down the Seat of my Predeceffor to fet up an Altar, deny- ed burial in the Chancel to one of his Daughters: and to make up all, That I compared your Grace s preaching to one Mr. Whiskins, Mr. Creighton, and Air. Baxters ; and preferred them : That you found your felf deceived in me. Thefe things have been reported at Dublin, and fome of the befi affected of mine own Dio- cefs ( as hath been told me ) induced here¬ by to bewail with tears the mifery of the Church: fome of the Clergy alfo, as it was faid, looking about how they might remove them]elves out of this Countrey. Of all phis fcifiop Bedell. this I heard hut lit, till Price J ',3' coming from Dublin he fore Chriftmas to he ordered Deacon, having for his memo- ft" ry fet down Twelve Articles , among a J11^! number of Points more, required fatisfa- clion of me concerning them. Which I ^ ®f endeavoured to give both to him, and to :rpci; fkem 0f tljC Mimfiry, that met at our w tk i. £ h afterfor the examination of Mr Cookes Patent. Omitting all the ref ; yet be- fy11}! caufe this Venome hath fpread it felf fo jsjji fAr, I cannot but touch the loft, touching in Mi the preferring others to your Grace's. Eii« preaching. To which Mr. Priced anfver Djmn was, as he told me, I will be quartered if f I" this be true. Thus it was, Mr. Dunfter- Filki ville acquainted me with his purpofe to x/ktj preach out of Prov. 20.6. But a taith- 'ti ful Man who can find; where he faid, pll, I the Doctrine he meant to raife was this7 %feji: That Faith is a rare gift of God. I eightofl, told him I thought he mijlook the mean- ing of the Text, and wifhed him to chcofe i ■ longer Texts, and not bring his Difcour- Dublin, fes to a Word or two of Scripture ; but 001. rather to declare thofe of the Holy G haft: ) rfM He faid your Grace did fo fometim.es- I Ay, anfwered, there might be juft caufe, but I I# thought you did not fo ordinarily. As Jill* for thofe Men, Mr* Whiskins, and the 1 I reft, I never heard any of them preach ]' H 2 to ioo The Life of to this day. Per adventure, their manner is to take longer Texts whereupon the comparijon is made up, as if I preferred them before you. This Jlander did not much trouble me. I know your Grace will not think me fuch a Fool (if I had no fear of God ) to prefer before your excel¬ lent gifts, Men that I never heard. But look as the French Proverb is, He that is difpofed to kill his Dog, tells Men he is mad: And whom Men have once wronged, unlefs the Grace of God be the more, they ever hate. Concerning the wrongs which thef epeople have offered mcy I fhall take another ft time to inform your Grace. Where they fay, Tour Grace doth fnd your felf deceived in me, I think it may be the truejl word they faid yet. For , indeed I do think both you and many more are deceived in me, accounting me to have fome honejly, difcretion, and Grace, more than you will by proof fnd. But if as it feemstb me, that form hath this mean¬ ing that they pretend to have undeceived you, I hope they are deceived ; yea I hope they fhall be deceived, if by fuch courfes as thefe they think to tinfettle me ; and the Devil himfelf alfo, if he think to dif may me. I IBiJhop Bedell. i I will go on in the ftrength of the Lord God, and remember his right foufnefs , even his alone, as by that reverend and good Father my Lord of Canterbury , when I firft came over, I was exhorted, and have obtained help of God to do to this day. But had 1 not work enough before, but I mu(l bring Mr. Cooke upon my top ? One that for his Experience, Purfe, Friends, in a Cafe already adjudged, wherein he is ingaged, not only for his profit, but re¬ putation alfo, will eafily no doubt overbear me. How much better to (tudy to be qui¬ et, and to do mine own bufmefs ; or, as I think Staupitius was wont to bid Lu¬ ther, go into my Study and pray. My Lord, all thefe things came to my mind, and at the fir ft I came with a refolution to take heed to my felf, and, if I could, to teach others moderation and forbear¬ ance by mine own example. But I could not be quiet, nor without pity hear the complaints of thofe that reforted to me, fome of them of mine own Neighbours and Tenants, called into the Court, common¬ ly by information of Apparitors, holden there without juft caufe, and not difmif- fed without excefjive Fees, as they ex¬ claimed. Laftly, one Mr. Mayot, a Minifter of the Diocefs of Ardagh, made H 7 a o I The Life of a complaint to me, That he was excommu* nicaied hy Mr. Cooke, notwithfandmg, as 1 heard alf) by oi hers, the correction of Minifters was excep ed out of his Pa- tent, Whereupon 1 defired to fee the Pa¬ tent, and to have a Copy of it, that I might know how to govern my felf He faid Mr, Ask, being then from home, jhould bring it to me at his return. Him- felf went to Dublin to the Term. At the frjl view I faw it was a formlefs Chaos of Authority, conferred upon him again/ all reafon and, eoguity. I had not long af¬ ter, occafion to call the Chapter together at the time of Ordination. Ijhewed the Original, beings brought forth by Mr. Ask, defired to know if that were the Chaf¬ ter Seal, and thefe their Hands \ they acknowledged their Hands and Seal, and faid they were lefs careful in faffing it, be- caufe t hey accounted it did rather concern my Predecejfor thanthem.l/hewed thefaife Latin, Non-fenfe, Injufiice of it, Preju¬ dice to them, Contrariety to it felf, and the Kjngs Grant to me. I (hewed there were "in one Period above 500 Words, and, which paffed the rejl, hanging in the air without any principal Verb. I defired them to con fide r if the Seal hanging to it were the Bijhofs Seal', they acknowledged it was not. Therefore withproteflafion, ■u - Thai (Bijhop Bedell. 10} That J meant no way to call in quefiion the /efficiency of Mr. Cooke or his for¬ mer Acts, 1 did jedge the Patent to be •void , and fo declared it j inhibiting Mr. Cooke to do any thing by vert tie thereof \ and them to affijl him therein. This is the true Hiftory of this bufinef howfo- ever Mr. Cooke difguife it. Ifufpend him not abfent, and indi£ta caufa it was his Commiffion,which was prefent ,thdtl viewed, which, with the Chapter, I cenfured \ which if he can make good, he {ball have leave , and time, and place enough. And now to accomphflj my promife , to relate to your Grace my purpofe here¬ in. My Lord I do thus ,account, that to any work or enterprise, to remove impedi¬ ments is a great part of the performance. And among/ all the impediments to the work of God amongjl us, there is not any one greater , than the abufe of Ecclef 7 aflical Jurifdiclion. This is not only the opinion of the mo [I Godly, Judicious, and Learned Men that I have known ; but the caufe of it is plain. The people pierce not into the inward and true Re a- fons of things \ they are fenfble in the Purfe. And that Religion that makes Men that profefi it, and, fhews them to be defpifers of the World, and fo far from encroaching upon others in matter qf H 4 baje 104 The Life bafe gain, as rather to part with their own \ they magnifie. This bred the admiration of.\ the Primitive Chrifiians, and after of the Monks. C ontrary caufe < mufl needs produce contrary effects. Wherefore let us preach never f1 painfully, and pioufly: I fay more, let us live never fo blamelefly our felves, fo long as the Officers in our Courts prey upon them, they efteem us no better than Publicans and Worldlings; and fo much the mere defervedly, becaufe we are called Spiritual Men, and call our felves reformed Chrifiians. Jnd if the honeftefl and befl of our own Proteflants be thus fcandaliz>ed, what may we think of Papifls, fuch as are all, in a manner, that we live among ? The time was when I hoped the Church of Ireland was free from this abufe, at leafl freer than her Sifier of England: But I fnd I am de¬ ceived \ whether it be that di fiance of place, and being further out of the reach of the Scepter ofjuflice, breeds more boldnefs to offend, or neceffarily brings more delay of redreffi. I have been wont alfo in Ire¬ land 7 to except one Court, ( as he doth Plato ) but trufl me my Lord, I have heard that it is faid among great per fo¬ ri ages here, That my Lord Primate is a good Man; but his Court is as corrupt as others. Some fayworfe', and which, Bijhop Bedell, I confefi to your Grace, did not a little terrife me from vifiting till I might fee how to doit with Fruit, that of your late Vifit at ion they fee no profit, hut the taking of Money. But to come to Mr. Cooke, of all that have exercifed fur ifdill ion in this Land thefe late Tears, he is the mo [I noted Man, and mofi cryed out upon. Info- much as he hath found from the Irifb, the nickname of Pouc : Albeit he came off with credit when he was que (Honed, and jufiified himfelf by the Table of Fees, ( as by a leaden Rule any Stone maybe ap¬ proved as well as hewed ). By that little I met with fince I came hither, I am indu¬ ced to believe , it was not for lack of matter, but there was fome other courfe of his efcaping in that Tryal. By this (Win pretended Commiffion, and that Table of Fees, he hath taken in my Predecejfors time, and feeks to take in mine for Ex¬ hibits at Vi ft tat ions, and his Charges there above the Bifhopf Procurations, for Uni¬ ons, Sequeflrations, Relaxations, Certi¬ ficates , Licences, Permutations of Pe¬ nance , Sentences (as our Court calls them J Interlocutory in Caufes of Cor re¬ el ion. Such Fees as I cannot in my Confcience think to be jufi. And yet he doth it in my Name, and tells me I can¬ not iod> Life of not call him into queJlion for it. Alas, my Lord! if this be the condition of a B?fhop, that he Jlandcth for a Cypher, and only to uphold the Wrongs of other Meny What do I in this place ? Am I not bound by my Profeffion made to God in your pre fence, and following your Words, To be gentle and merciful for Thrifts fake to poor and needy people, and fuch as be deftitute of help. Can I be excu- fed another day, with this, that thus it was ere I came to this place, and that it k is not good to be over juft? Or, fith I am perfwaded Mr. Cooke's Patent is m- jujl and void, am I not bound to make it fo f and to regulate, If I may, this mat¬ ter of Fees, and the reft of the diforders of the Jurifdiffion, which his Majefty hath intrufted me withal? Tour Grace faith, Truly it is a difficult thing, if not impof fible, to overthrow a Patent fo confirmed; and I know in deliberations it is one of the mo ft important conftderations, what we may hope to effect. But how can I tell till I have tryed: To be difc our aged ere I beginy is it not to confult with Flefh and Blood ? Verily I think fo. And therefore muft put it to the Trial, and leave the fucceft to God. If I obtain the Caufe, the Profit (hall be to this poor Nation \ if not , IJhall fhew my confent to thoft my 4 M u SSiJhop Bedell. ic tny Reverend Brethren that have endea¬ voured to redrefs thu enormity before me ; I jhail have the teflimony of mine ownCon- fcience, to have fought to difcharge my du¬ ty to God and his People. Tea, which is the main j the work of my Mini fry and fervice to this Nation, fall receive fur¬ therance howfoever rather than any hin¬ der an ce thereby. And if by the continu¬ ance offuch oppreffions any thing fallout othenv/fe than well, I fall have acquitted yny felf towards his Majefty , and thofe that have engaged tbemjelves for me. At lafl I fall have the better reajon and j li¬ fer cafe to refgn to his Majefy the ju- rifdiffion which I am not permitted to manage. And here I befeechyour Grace, to confder ferioufly whether it were not happy for us to be rid of this Charge, which not being proper to our Calling, is not pof fible to be executed without fiich Deputies, as fubjeel us to the ill conceit of their un- V jufl or indijereet carriage, and no way fur¬ ther our own Work ? Or if it fall be thought fit to carry this load fill, whether we ought not to procure fome way to be dif charged of the envy of it, and redrefs the abufe, with the greatef flrictnefs we can devife ? For my part I cannot bethink me of any courfe fitter fortheprefent, than to keep the Courts my felf and fet fome j, it A Hi 108 The Life of good order in them. And to this purpofe I have been at Cavan, Belturbet, Gra- nard, and Longford, and do intend to go to the reft, leaving with fome of the Miniftry there, a few Rules touching thofe things that are to be redrejfed, that if my health do not permit me to be always pre- fent, they may know how to proceed in my abfence. I find it to be true that Tully faith, Juftitia mirifica quasdam res mul- titudini ; and certainly to our proper work a great advantage it is to obtain a good opinion of thofe we are to deal with. But beftdes this there fall out occafions to fpeak of God and his pre fence, of the Re¬ ligion of a Witnefs, the danger of an Oath, the purity of a Marriage, the precioujnefs of a good name, repairing of Churches, and the like. Penance it felf may been- joyned, and Penitents reconciled, with fome profit to others beftdes themfelves. Wherefore, albeit Mr. Cooke were the jufteft Chancellour in thisKjngdome,1 would think it fit for me, as things now ft and, to fit in thefe Courts ; and the rather fith I cannot be heard in the Pulpits to preach as I may in them : Albeit innocency and Ju- ftice is alfo a real kind of preaching. I have fhewed your Grace my intentions in this matter. Now fijould I require your dire¬ ction in many things, if I were prefent Jjl Bedell. with you. But fof the prefent it may pleafe you to underftand, that at Granard one Mr. Nugent, a Nephew as I take it to my Lord of W eftmeath delivered his Let¬ ter to Mr. Aske , which he delivered me in open Court, requiring that his Te¬ nant might not be troubled for Chrijlnings, Marriages , or Funerals, fo they pay the Minijler his due. This referred to a Letter of my Lord Chancellors to the like purpofe, which yet was not delivered till the Court was rifen. I anfwered ge¬ nerally, That none of my Lord?s Tenants or others fhould be wronged. The like motion was made at Longford, by two or three of the Farralls, and one Mr. Faga- rah ,and Mr. RolTe to whom I gave the like anfwer, and added, That I would be ft riff in requiring them to bring their Children to be Baptized, and Marriages to be fo- lemnized likewife with us, fish they acknow¬ ledged thefe to be lawful and true ; fo as it was but wilfulnefs if any forbare. Mere I defire your Grace to direff me. For to give way that they fhould not be fo much as called in queftion, feems to fur¬ ther the Sch/fm they labour to make To lay any pecuniary mulff upon them, as the value of a Licence for Marriage, three Pence or four Pence for a Chriftning, I know not by what Law it can be done. To Ex com- Excommunic at e^them fmc not appearing or obeying, they being already none of our bo¬ dy, and a multitude \ it is to no profit> nay rather makes the exacerbation rvorfe. Many things more I have to confer with your Grace about, which I hope to do co¬ ram j as about the re-edifying of Churches, or employing the Mafs-houfes, ( which novo the State inquires of) about Books, Tek Jlaments , and the Gammon Prayer Book, which being to be reprinted would perhaps be in forne things bettered : But efpecia/ly about Men to uf e them ; and Means to maintain them, now that our Englifli have engroff°.d the Livings. About the printing the Pfalter, which I have caufed to be di¬ ligently furveyed by Mr. James Nangle, who advifeth not to meddle with the Verfe^ but fet forth only the Profe : Which he hath begun to write out fair to the Prefs. Mr. Murtagh King I have not heard of a long time, I hope hegoeth on in the Hifto- rical Books of the Old Teflament. Mr. Cri* an was with me about a Forthnight after I came to Kilmore ; fince I heard not of him. Of all thefe things, if by the will of God, I may make a journey over to you, we fhall fpeak at full. As I was clofing up thefe, this Morning, there is a complaint brought me from Ar- dagh, That where in a caufe Matrimoni¬ al tBip?op B E D 'E L L : f I i ^ fo 10 p mku Wotoift,; I ho/thili k [4 Mgli mt Ik Ml btd (kl I VlMtk \ on ink i the Court at, Longford, a Woman had proceeded thus far, contefta- tion, Husband was enjoyned to appear the next Court to receive a Libel \ one Shaw-oge, Mr. Ingawry, the Popifb Vi¬ car General of Ardagh, had excommuni¬ cate d her-, and (he was by one Hubart, and Mr. Calril a Priejl upon Sunday loft, put out of the Church and denounced excom¬ municate. Herein> whether it were more t to proceed again (I the Vicar and Priejl by vertue of the laft Lettersfrom the Coun¬ cil \ or complain to them : I Jhall attend r Graces advice. And now for very fljame ceafingtobe troublefome, I do re¬ commend your Grace to the protection of our merciful Father, and rejl, with my refpe- clive falutations to Mrs. U flier. Kilmorc, Feb. i$. 1629. sr Ikii * ifijtk Your Grace's in all duty, Will. IQlmore 8c Ardafhen. #,this$ kntfw gf'10 The 2 The Life of The other Bifhops did notftandby our Bifhop in this matter; but were contented to let him fall under Cen* fiirey without interpofing in it as in a caufe of common concern : Even the excellent Primate told him, The tide went fo high that he could affift him no more; for he flood by him longer than any other of the Order had done. But the Bifhop was not difheartened by this. And as he thanked him for abiding him lb long ; fo he laid he was refolved by the help of God, to try if he could ftand by himfelf. But he went home, and refolved to go on in his Courts as he had begun, notwithftanding this Cenfure. For he thought he was doing that which was incumbent on him, and he had a Spirit fo made, that he refol¬ ved to fuSer Martyrdome, rather than fail in any thing that lay on his Con- fcience. But his Chancellour was ei¬ ther advifed by thole that governed the State, to give him no difturbance in that matter ; or was overcome by the autho¬ rity he faw in him, that inlpired all peo¬ ple with reverence for him : For as he never called for the 100 Pound Cofts, fo he never difturbed him any more, but named a Surrogate, to whom he gave order e, rati Bijbop Bedell. order to be in all things obfervant of •fe the Bifhop, and obedient to him: So ^ itfeems, that though it was thought fit to keep up the Authority of the Lay Chancellours over Ireland, and not t# fiiffer this Bifhop's practice to pafs in¬ to a Precedent; yet order was given un¬ der hand to let him go on as he had be¬ gun ; and his Chancellour had fb great a value for him, that many Years after this, he told my Author, That he thought there was not fuch a Man on the face of the earth as Bifhop Bedell was; that he was too hard for all the itl Civilians in Ireland, and that if he lour had not been born down by meer liai force, he had overthrown the Confifto- rial Courts, and had recovered the Epis¬ copal Jurifdi&ion out of the Chancel¬ lours hands. But now that he went on undifturbed in his Epifcopal Court he made ufe of it as became him, and not as an Engine to raife his power and do¬ minion ; but confidering that all Church power was for Edification, and not for Deftruftion, he both difpenfed that Ju- ftice that belonged to his Courts equal¬ ly and fpeedily, and cut off many Fees and much expence,which made them be formerly fb odious; and alfo when fcan- dalous per ions were brought before I him The Life of him to be cenfured, he confidered that Church-Cenfures ought not to be like the a£ts of Tyrants, that punifih out of revenge, but like the Difcipline of Pa¬ rents,that correft in order to the amend¬ ment of their Children : So he ftudied chiefly to beget in all offenders a true fenfe of their fins. Many of the Irijh Priefhs were brought oft into his Courts for their lewdnefs ; and upon that he took occafion with great mildnefs, and without fcoffing, or infultings to make them fenfible of that tyrannical impofi- tion in their Church, in denying their Priefts leave to marry, which occafion- ed fo much impurity among them \ and this had a good effect on fome. This leads me to another part of his Character, that muft reprefent the care he took of the Natives; he obferved with much regret that the Ewgfojb had all along neglefted the In/by as a Na¬ tion not only conquered but undifci- plineable: and that the Clergy had fcarce confidered them as a part of theirCharge, but had left them wholly into the hands of their own Priefts, without taking any other care of them , but the making them pay their Tythes. And indeed their Priefts were a ftrange fort of peo¬ ple, that knew generally nothing but wp. J3 E D E L Lo i the reading their Offices, which were not |o much as underftood by many of them : and they taught the people no¬ thing but the laying their Paters and Aves in Latin, So that the rate both of the Clergy and Laity was fuch, that it could not but raife great companion in a Man that had lo tender a fenfe of the value of thole Souls that Chrift had pur- chaled with his Blood : therefore he re- lolved to fet about that Apoftolical work of converting the Natives with the zeal and care that lo great under- ftanding required. He knew the gain¬ ing on feme of the more knowing of their Priefts was like to be the quickeft way ; for by their means he hoped to jfpread the knowledge of the reformed Religion among the Natives ; or ra¬ ther of the Chriftian Religion, tolpeak . more ftri&ly. For they had no felt of notion of Chriftianity, but only knew that they were to depend upon their Priefts, and were to corifels liich of their aftions, as they call fins, to them ; and were to pay them Tythes. The Bifhop prevailed on feveral Priefts to change, and he was fo well fadsfied with the truth of their converfion, that he pro¬ vided feme of them to Eccfefigftical Be¬ nefices ; which was thought a ftrange I 2 tiling, ii 6 TheLire thing, and was cenfured by many, as contrary to the intereft of the Englijh Nation. For it was believed that all thole Irifh Converts were ftill Papifts at Heart, and might be lo much the more dan gerous, than other wile, by that dif guife which they had put on. But he on the other hand confidered chiefly the duty of a Chriftian Bifhop : he alio thought the true intereft of England, was to gain the Irifh to the knowledge of Religion, and to bring them by the means of that which only turns the heart to love the Englijh Nation : And lb he judged the wildom of that courfe was apparent, as well as the piety of it. Since fuch as changed their Religion would become thereby lb odious to their own Clergy,that this would provoke them to further degrees of zeal in gaining others to come over after them : And he took great care to work in thofe whom he trufted with the care of Souls, a full con- viftion of the truth of R eligion, and a deep fenfe of the importance of it. And in this he was fo happy,That of all theCon- verts that he had railed toBenefices,there was but one only that fell back, when the Rebellion broke out: And he not only apoftatized, but both plundered and killed the Enghfh among the firft. * cited to anfwer for what he had done.He il'M\went and appeared before them, butde- clined their Authority, and would not wlftlnl anfwer to them. He thought it below flSfflidi! the Office and Dignity of a Bifhop to ^j toj give an account of a lpiritual Cenfure, avfflhka! that he had inflifted on one of liis Cler- iWofli gy? before two Laymen that pretended 3 ^ ofcjti to be the Primate's Surrogates; and he id iffljiiSii put his Declinator in 24 Articles,all writ- ght, aadJt ten with his own Hand, which will be Mifci found at the end of this Narrativedie ex- Se at h i&tion fa cepted to the incompetency of the Court, end, witttai both becaufe the Primate was not there Numb. ?. Kb 1 in perlon, and becaufe they that fete m&k there had given clear Evidences of their rooftops partiality, which he had offered to prove :iof all! to thePrimate himfelf.He feid the appeal tjfei: from his Sentence lay only to the Pro- itofM Vincial Synod, or to the Archbifhop's one Confiftory; and fince the ground of Bai- r£fH' lyi Appeal,was thedilpenfetion that they fleet g had given him from his Oath, they could j tc not be the competent Judges of that, (lis wide for they ere Parties: And the A ppeal tafek ^'om abufive faculties lay only to a Biatf Court °f Delegates by the expfels words of the Law : And by many Indications .yjepj it appeared, that they had prejudged the matter in Btiilys favours, and had ex- % preffed * ■ ♦I* (124 The Life 0/ preffed great relentments againft the Bifhop; and notwithftanding the digni¬ ty of his Office, they had made him wait among the croud an hour and an half, and had given directions in the ma¬ nagement of the Caufe as Parties againft him ; they had alio manifeftly abu- fed their power in granting Dilpenfati- ons contrary to the Laws of God: and now they prefumed to interpofein the juft and legal Jurildi&ion that a Bifhop exercifed over his Clergy both by the Laws of God and by the Kings Authority. Upon thele grounds he ex¬ cepted to their uthority; he was ierved with ieveral Citations to anfwer, and appeared upon every one of them: but notwithftanding the higheft contempts they put upon him, he fhewed no in¬ decent paffion, but kept his ground ftill. In conclufion he was declared Contumax,and the perjured Intruder was abiolved from the Sentence, and confirm¬ ed in the pofteffion of his ill-acquired Be¬ nefice. It may be eafily iipagined, how much thele Proceedings were cenlured by all fair and equitable Men : The con- ftancy,the firmneis, and the courage that theBifhop exprefled being as much com¬ mended, as the injuftice and violence of his Enemies was cryed out upon. The ftrangeft flrf fillioli mm 9 HI HI j.1": II H f tm£*\ i4P:i -its A ■ 'fir f£oJ Bijbop Bedell, t ftrangeft part of this tranfaction was,that i which the Primate abted, who though lefe he loved the Bifhop beyond all the reft of °ur aadaa the Order, and valued him highly for the 111zealous difcharge of his office, thatdi- ffiinguifhed him lb much from others; ft yet he could not be prevailed on to in- . terpofe in this matter; nor to ftop the Laws of tin juft Prolecution that this good Man ^tointerphad fallen under, for lb good a Work. iciiOE tlndeed it went further , for upon the fe Cleijjendeavours he ufed to convert the Infb; adbytheiand after he had refuled to anfwer in fejjoookthe Archbifhop's Court, it appears that ty;kra(he was in Ibme meafiire alienated from torfw,him, which drew from the Bifhop the oeoftbfollowing Anfwer to a Letter, that he gMcoihad from him. e Hiewedi ;ept hisg: e was (fe" c^audooE •' iilkqi' iijiagid, were ced leu :1k • lecoui? Moft Life of ■ Reverend Father, my honourable good Lord, THE Superfcription of your Grace's Letters rvas mofi welcome unto me, " What I did> you know, was done out of " a good intention; but you were ajfured " that my frojecl would be fo quickly re- u futed with the frefent fuccefl and event, u that there would be no need my Friends 1, m: m ill flfc mm 1 li if 1 ib I I ill iM 1 lis 8 The L i f e of Trinity Colledge, or found (I thank God J any ill fuccefs, hut the fianders , only of fome perfons difcontented againfi' me for other occafions. Againfi which! cannot hope to jufiifie my felf, if yottr Grace will give ear to private informati¬ ons. But let me know, I will not fay, my Accufer, (let him continue masked till God dijcover him ) hut my Tranfgreffion, and have place of defence; and if mine Adver- fary write a Book againfi me, I will hope to bear it on my Shoulder, and hind it to me as a Crown. For my recufation of your Court, and advertifement of what I heard thereof\ I fee they have fiirred not only laughter, hut Jome coals too. Four Chancellour de- fires me to acquit him to you. That he is none of thofe Officers I me ant \ I do it ve¬ ry willingly : For I neither meant him nor any Man elfe. But though it concerned your Grace to know what I credibly heard to be fpoken concerning your Court \ nei¬ ther, as God knows, did I ever think it was fit to take away the fur if diction from Chancellours, and put it into the Bifhofs hands alone; or fo much as in a dream con¬ demn thofe that think they have reafonto do other wife, nor tax your Graced Vifita- tion : Nor imagine you would account that to pertain to your reproof, and take it as a EoJ H fn bit tlx fa fwntd,' 4#»| i tivitt aft I nil not In,. ©//7?0^ B E D E L L, Mlj ff»l} I til Uii ^ wrong from me, rvhich out of my duty to God and you, I thought was riot to be con¬ cealed from you. I befeech you pardon me this one err our, Si unquam poithac — For that knave whom ( as your Grace writes ) they fay I did abfolve y I took him for one of my Flock, or rather Chrijls, fdr whom he (bed hit blood. And I would have abfolved Julian the Apoftate under the fame form. Some other pajfages there be in your Grace*s Letters, which I, but I will lay mine Hand upon my Mouth and craving the blejjing of your prayersy fjoitrCm, ever remain, : IU i HTM OJDit, ft wint] Ik tr mad Mcl) ittn Unify w te 7 rjff.t Jmfhh Kilmore, March 29. i6$o> 'Grfrfi Your Grace's poor Brother, & humble fervant, Will. Kilmore.' K The The malice of Mr. Kjngs Enemies was not fatiated with the fpoiling him of his Benefice. For often it falls out, That thofe who have done a£ts of high injuftice feek fome excufe for what they have done, by new injuries, and a vex¬ atious profecution of the injured perfon, defigning by the noife, that fuch repeat¬ ed accufations might raife, to poffefs the World with an Opinion of his guilt, which much clamour does often pro¬ duce : and fb to crufh the perfon fo en¬ tirely that he may never again be ma capacity to recover himfolf, and to ob¬ tain his right, but be quite funk by that vaft encreafe of weight that is laid up¬ on him. But I will give the Reader a clearer view of this invidious affair from a Letter which the Bifhop writ concern¬ ing it to the Earl of Strafford. Right feijhop B E D F. L L. Right honourable, my good Lord. THat which I have fometimes done willingly, I do now necejfarily, to make my addrefs to your Honour by wri¬ ting. My unfitneflfor converfation here¬ tofore hath pleaded for me, and now your Lord/hip's infirmity allows, and in a fort inforces it. The occafion is, not my love of contention ( which I have com?nitted to God J or any other matter of profit, but God's honour , and (as he is witnefs) yours. I have lately received Letters from my Lord 0/Canterbury ; whereby I per* ceive his Grace is informed that Mr. King? whom I imployed to tranjlate the Bible into Irifh, is a Man fo ignorant that the Tran- flation cannot be worthy publick ufe in the Church, and be fides, obnoxious, fo as the Church can receive no credit from any thing that is his. And his Grace adds, That he is fo well acquainted with your Lordfhip's difpofition, that he ajfures him- felf you would not have given away his Living, hadyou not feen jufi caufe for it. I account my felf bound to fat is fie his Grace herein, and defire, if I may be fo K 2 happy, The Life of happy, to do it by fatisfying you. I do fub- fcribe to his Grace s ajjured perfvafon that your Lordjhip , had you not conceived Mr. King to be fuch as he writes, would not have given away his Living. But (my Lord ) the greatejl, wifejl ? and jujlefl Men do, and muji take many things upon the information of others ; who them¬ selves are Men, and may fornetimes out of weaknefs , or fome other caufe , be deceived. Touching Mr. King1 J fillinefs, ( which it concerns me the more to clear him of, that 1 be not accounted filly my felf) I hefeech your Lordfjip to take informati¬ on, not by them which never faw him -till ye (I er day, but by the ancient either Charch- prStatefmen of thisKjngdom(in whofe eyes he hath lived thefe many Tears) as are the Lord Primate, The BiJhopofNlezth, the LordDiWon, Sir James W are, and the like: I doubt not but your Lordjhip fballun- derjland that there is no fuch danger that the Tranflation floould be unworthy, be caufe he did it; being a Man of that known juf- fciency, for the Iriili efpecially, either in Profe or Verfe, as few are his matches in the Kjngdom. And jhortiy, not to argue by con) eft tire and divination, Let the Work it felf fpeak, yea let it be exa¬ mined rigorofo examine: If it be found ap- proveabLy let it not fujfer difgrace from the ifhop Bedell. ?t^ the fmall boafi of the Workman, but let * him rather ( as old Sophocles accufed of 'fn^; dotage ) be abfolved for the fiffciency of w Liw, : tke Work. Touching his being obnoxious, cfl) if iff} it is true that there is a fcandalom Infer-* ■ ^ *«!!' mat ion put in againjl him in the High Com- miffion Court, by his defpoiler Mr. Baily *9 /««; (as my Lord of Deny told him in my hear- '■ Amji, ing he was)and by an excommunicate defpoi- King'; jL ler, as my fe If before the Execution of any tmon i fentence-fecIar d him in theCourt to be. And 'mflljji Mr. King being cited to anfaver, and not 'otikf appearing, ( as by Law he rvas not bound ) mjmi was taken pro confeffo, deprived of his K»ttitU Mini fry, and Living, Fined an hundred 'iotn[mk Pound, Decreed to be attached, and impri- fhrila; /oned. His Adverfary Mr. Baily, before \opofM he was fentenced7 pur chafeid a new Dif , Ware i penfation to hold his Benefice, and was the Lorifoi}j|; very next day after ( as appears by the date ofthelnjlitution J both prefented in the Kjng s Title ( although the Benefice be of my Collation ) and injlituted by my Lord Primate1 s Vicar : Shortly after inducled m lis t an -Archdeacon of another Diocefs, and a few dayes after^ he brought down an At- ff tachment, and delivered Mr. King to the It it h' ^urfevant: ^Fe was haled by the Head and 'fitlik ^'eef t0 ^orfeback j and brought to Dub- 'kf lin, where he hath been kept, and continu- 16 ed under Arrejl thefe four orfve Months : K 3 and 134 The Life and hath not been fuffered to purge his ftp- pofed Contempt,by Oath and Witneffes,that by reafon of his ficknefs he was hindered, whereby he was brought to Deaths Door, and could not appear and profecute his de¬ fence : And -that by the cunning of his Ad- verfary he was circumvent ed, intreating that he might be refiored to liberty, and his caufe into the former efiate. But it hath not availed him : my Reverend Colleagues of the High Commiffion do fome of them pity his Cafe, others fay the Sentence pajl cannot be reverf ed, left the credit of the Court be attached* They bid him fmply fubmit himfelf and acknowledge his Sen¬ tence juft. Whereas the Bifhops of Rome themfelves, after moftformal proceedings, do grant reft it ut ion in integrum, and ac¬ knowledge, That, Sententia Roman# Se- dis poteft in melius commutari. My Lord', if I under ft and what is Right Divine or humane, thefe be wrongs upon wrongs; which if they reached only to Mr. KingV per- fon, were of lefs consideration ; but when through his fide, That great Work, the Tranftation of God* s Book*, fo neceffaryfor both his Majefty*s Kjngdoms, is mortally . wounded', pardon me (I befeechyour Lord- (hip J if I be fenfible of it. I omit to con¬ fide rwhatfe aft our adverfaries make of our rewarding him thus for that f twice \ or what $/y7?0/> b e DELL. what this example will avail to the alluring of others to conformity. What fhould your Lordfihip have gained if he had dyed (as it was almofi a miracle he did not) under Ar- reft, and had been at once deprived of Liv- ing, Liberty and Life. God hath repriev¬ ed him, and given your Lord/hip means up¬ on right information, to remedy with one word all inconve?iiencies. For conclufion (good my Lord ) give me leave a little to apply the Far able 0/Nathan to Kjng Da¬ vid to this purpofe: If the way-faring man, that is come to us (for fuch he is, having never yet been fettle din one place J have fo (harp a Stomach that he muft be provided for with Pluralities, fith there are Herds and Flocks plenty ; fujfer him not, I befeech you, under the colour of the Kjngs name to take the cofet Ewe of a poor Man, to fat if fie his ravenous appetite. So I befeech the Heavenly Phyftcian to give your Lordfljip health of Soul and Body. I reft, My Lord, Your Lordfhip's moft humble fervant Decemb. *• l63«- in Chrift Jefus, Will. K % The Life of By thefe practices was the printing of the Bible in Irifb ftopt at that time, but if the Rebellion had not prevented our Bifhop, he was refblved to have had it done in his own Houfe, aftd at his own charge; and as preparatory to that, he made feme of Chryfoftomf s Homi¬ lies, the three firft upon the parable of the rich Man and Lazarus, together with fome of Leos; all which tended chiefly to commend the Scriptures in the highefl: ftrains of Eloquence that were polfible, to be tranflated both into Eng- lifb and Irijh ; and reprinting his Cate- chilm, he added thefe to it in both Lkjri- guages: and thefe were very well re¬ ceived, even by the Priefts and Friers themfelves. He lived not to finifh this great de- fign ; yet, notwithftanding the Rebel¬ lion and confufion that followed in Ireland, the Manufcript of the Tran- flation of the Bible efcaped the ftorm, and falling into good Hands, it is at this time under the Prefs, and is carried on chiefly by the zeal, and at the charge of that Noble Chriftian Philofopher Mr. Boyle, who as he reprinted upon his own charge the new Tefhment, fohe very cheerfully went into a Propo- fition E 0/ UBiJhop Bedell. 137 lva$ | fition for reprinting the Old. But this * is only one of many inftances, by which he has exprelfed, as well his great and •, nJ a&ive zeal for carrying on the true in- letitofe terefl. 0f Religion, as by his other pub- ^ f 1 lick labours he has advanced and im- eparatoryto: proved Philofophy. m t But to go on with the concerns of our Bifhop, as he had great zeal for the w,,t| purity of the Chriftian Religion in op- ill rfcljts pofition to the corruptions of the Scripts Church of Rome ; fo he was very mo- pee tk derate in all other matters, that were ibotllii not of fuch importance. He was a •glisb great fupporter of Mr. Durfsdefign of toitintel reconciling the Lutherans and the Cal- 're very we vinifis ; and as he direfted him by ma- neM ny learned and prudent Letters, that he wrote to him on that liibjeQ:, ib he htbisjpE allowed him 20/. a year in order to the iingtW difcharging the expence of that negoti- at folk ation ; which he payed punftually to t of tie! his Cqrrefpondent at London. And it pedtiei appeared by his managing of a bufinels jdiij itii that fell out in Ireland, That if all idi$ that were concerned in that matter, had attlk been bleft with fuch an underftanding, pg| and fuch a temper as he had, there had been no reafbn to have defpaired of it. There came a company of Lutherans to Dublin, who were afraid of joyning in The Life of in Communion with the Church of Ireland, and when they were cited to an- fwer for it to the Archbifhop's Confifto- ry, they defired fome time might be granted them for confiilting their Di- vines in Germany : And at laft Letters were brought from thence concerning their Exceptions to Communion with that Church; Becaufe the Prelence of Chrift in the Sacrament was not ex¬ plained in fiich a manner, as agreed with their Do£trine. The Archbilhop of Dublin lent thele to our Bifhop, that he might anfwer them; and upon that he writ lb learned and lo full an anfwer to all their Objections, and explained the matter lo clearly, that when this was'leen by the German Divines, it gave them luch entire latisfaft ion, that upon it they adviled their Countreymen to join in Communion with the Church. For fuch is the moderation of our Church in that matter, that no pofi- tive definition of the manner of the Prelence being made, Men of diffe¬ rent lentiments may agree in the fame a£ts of Worfhip, without being obli¬ ged to declare their Opinion, or being underftood to do any thing contrary to their leveral Perlwafions. His B'tfliop Bedell. 139 His moderation in this matter was e,cit^ a thing of no danger to him, but he expreiied it on other inftances , in 12 ^ which it appeared that he was not a- fraid to own it upon more tender oc- cafions. The Troubles that broke out Sct in Scotland upon the account of the Book of Common Prayer , which ■eM encreafed to the height of the fwear- ing the Covenant and putting down of Epifcopacy , and the turning out of all Clergy Men that did not con¬ cur with them, are fb well known, that I need not inlarge upon them. It is not to be denyed but provocations were given by the heats and indifcretions of lome Men; but thefe were carried fb far beyond all the bounds either of Order in the Church, or Peace in the State, that, to give things their proper names, it was a Schifmatical rage againft the Church , backt with a rebellious fu-' ry againft the State. When the Bi- fihop heard of all thefe things, he faid, that which Nazianzene laid at Constan¬ tinople, when the ftir was rafted in the fecond General Council upon his ac¬ count, Jf this great tempejl is r if en for our Jakes, take us up, and cafi us into the Sea, that fo there may he a Calm. And if all others had governed their Diocef- fes, The Life of les, as he did his, one may adven¬ ture to affirm after Dr. Bernard, That Epifcopacy might have been kept fiill upon its Wheels. Some of thole that were driven out of Scotland, by the fury of that time, came over to Ireland: among thele there was one Corbet, that came to Dublin, who being a Man of quick Farts, writ a very lmart Book, fhewing the parallel between the Jefuites and the Scotch Covenanters, which he prin¬ ted under the Title of Lyfimachus Ni> canor. The Spirit that was in this Book, and the fharpnefs of the ftile procured the Author fuch favour, that a confi- derable Living falling in the Bilhop of Kjllalas Gift, he was recommended to it, and lo he went to that Bifhop ; but was ill received by him. The Bifhop had a great affe£Hon to his Countrey ( for he was a Scotchman born ) and though he condemned the courles they had taken, yet he did not love to lee them expoled in a ftrange Nation, and did not like the Man that had done it. The Bilhop was a little fharp up¬ on him; he played on his Name : Corby in Scotch being a Raven, and laid it was an ill Bird that defiled its own Nefh And whereas he had laid in his Book, That he had hardly efcaped with his own E / Bijhoj) Bedell. ineill , own life, but had left his Wife behind . d 'him to try the humanity of the Scots; (7/^' he told him, He had left his Wife to a very bale office. Several other things he ^ h faid, which in themfelves amounted to r , nothing, but only exprelfed an inclina- ■ : tion to lelfen the faults of the Scots, j w' . and to aggravate Ibme provocations that 5J?10!1 had been given them. Corbet came up ■ ^ | r°f wrath, and brought with him r e many Informations againft the Bilhop, ' J which at any other time would not have Lffmiii |Deen much confidered ; but then, it be- Mm jng thought necelfary to make exam- ^ ftile p pies of all that leemed favourable to the ur, tbti; Covenanters , it was relolved to turn jifltMt him out of his Bifhoprick, and to give irecomiijt to Maxwell, that had been Bifhop of tWiltf Rojfe in Scotland, and was indeed a n, TM Man of eminent parts, and an excellent 0 tis ft Preacher; but by his forwardnefs and wh afpiring he had been the unhappy in- tliecoi ftrument of that which brought on lid not If all the dilbrders in Scotland. (hugeI A Purlevant was lent to bring up the nthM Bifhop of Kjllala \ and he was acculed littleik before the high Commiffion Court for uVai.'i thole things that Corbet objefted to him; j aJj and every Man being ready to pufh a jjgoi) Man down that is falling under diP diiiliisl grace, many defigned to merit by ag¬ gravating The Life of gravating his faults. But when it came to our Bilhop's turn to give his Sen¬ tence in the Court, he that was afraid of nothing but finning againft God, did not ftick to venture againft the Stream: he firft read over all that was obje&ed to the Bifhop at the Barr , then lie fetched his Argument from the quali¬ fications of a Bilhop fet down by S. Pad in his Epiftles to Timothy and Titus; and affumed that he found nothing in thole Articles contrary to thole quali¬ fications ; nothing that touched either his Life or Doctrine. He fortified this by fhewing in what manner they pro¬ ceeded againft Bifhops both in the Greek and Latin Churches, and lo con¬ cluded in the Bifnops favour. This put many out of countenance, who had confidered nothing in his Sentence but the confequences that were drawn from the Bilhop's expreffions, from which they gathered the ill dilpofition of his mind, fo that they had gone high in their Cenfures, without examining the Canons of the Church in fiich Cafes. But though thole that gave their Votes after our Bifhop, were more moderate than thofe that had gone before him had been; yet the current run lo ftrong that none durft plainly acquit him, as our FE(f , ®i/7;op Bedell. 14^ ^4 our Bifliop had done : So he was de- to givhprived, fined, and imprifbned, and his sthat w Bifhoprick was given to Maxwell, who it not long. For he was ftript naked, wounded, and left among the thatwasidead, by the Irijh; but he was prefer- slaved by the Earl of Tomond, who pat it from tfing that way took care of him \ lb Wownkjthat he got to Dublin. And then his Talent of Preaching, that had been too ifound E^°ng negle&ed by him, was better im- 7 to tiiployed ? lb that he preached very often, ^^and very much to the edification of his ^.Hearers, that were then in fo great a r mt[ xonfternation, that they needed all the ,3p. y comfort that he could minifter to them ; ^UJ and all the Spirit that he could infufe in •' them. He went to the King to Ox- 'jord, and he faid in my Author's hear- Vc wing, That the King had never rightly ■ underftood the innate hatred that the Irijh bore to all that profeffed the true Religion, till he had informed him of it. But he was fo much affe&ed with an ; ill piece of News, that he heard con- ot®®jcerning fome misfortune in the King's 1111!; affairs in England , that he was fome petto hours after found dead in his Study. *®This fhort digreflion, I hope, may be one W forgiven me ; for the perfon was very 'HlflP exfranrrlinarir. if an iinnv»£(jtot|{|catechifed alwayes in the Afternoon be- J^jfore Sermon; and he preached always bitflBrt twice a Year before the Judges, when red fo ffltf r'ley mac^e the Circuit. I lis Voice was at#!fow and mournful, but as his matter L was 146 The Life was excellent, lo there was a gravity in his looks and behaviour that ftruck his Auditors. He obferved the Rubrick lo nicely, that he would do nothing but according to it; fo that in the reading the Plalms and the Anthems he did not obiervethe common cuftome of the Mi- nifter and the People reading the Verfes by turns; for he read all himfclf, be- caufe the other was not enjoyned by the Rubrick. As for the placing of the Communion Table by the Eaft wall, and the bowing to it, he never would depart from the Rule of obferving the Conformity prefcribed by Law; for he laid, That they were as much Noncon- formifts who added of their own, as they that came fhort of what was en¬ joyned ; as he that adds an Inch to a meafiire difowns it for a Rule, as much as he that cuts an Inch from it; and as he was levere to him that added Words of his own to the Colled, lb he thought it was no lels cenlurable to add Rites to thole that were prefcribed. When he came within the Church, it appeared in the compofednels of his behaviour, that he obferved the Rule given by the Preacher, of Kjeping his Feet when he went into the Houfe of God; but he was not to be wrought on by the greatnels of any n'f mn-opBedell. any Man, or by the Authority of any perfbns example, to go out of his own .dO* Yay;r t!1°U1Sh h2 COuldn<*but kun™ • i ■ that luch things were then much ob- 1 f lerved, and mealures were taken of Men n by thele little diftincfions, in which it ' V; was thought that the zeal of Conformi- # tydifcovereditfelf. ^ ' ; There is lb full an account of the uawsK. teriderrieds with which he advilbd all fJW Men, but Churchmen in particular, to ■ J1" ; treat thole that differed from them, in a it, he neve Sermon that he preached on thole Words of Chrilf, Learn of me,for j am meek and lowly; that I am allured the Rea¬ der will well bear with the length of it. ioftteii' Jt was preached loon after dome heats i of what t that had been in the Houle of Commons adds an It in the Parliament of , in which ira Rule,!- there were many Papifts; and in it the chfromin lenle he had of the way of treating all tliat added differences in Religion, whether great led, foki or firiall, is fo well laid down, that I hope Hetoaddiit will be looked on as no ordinary, nof nbed. ftulelels piece of Inftru&ion, srch, itf ofhis be& (til'M L 2 Is Tk Life oj 1S it not a fhame that our two Bodies, | the Church and Commonwealth, fhould exercile mortal hatreds, ( or im¬ mortal'rather ) and being lb near in place fhould be fo far afunder in affeffi- on ? it will be laid by each that other are in fault, and perhaps it may truly be laid, that both are; the one in that they cannot endure with patience the lawful fuperiority of the worthier Body ; the other in that they take no carefo to go¬ vern, that the governed may find it to be for their beft behoof to obey: until which time it will never be,but there will be repining and troubles,and brangles be¬ tween us. This will be done in my Opinion,not by bolftering out and main¬ taining the errours and unrulinels of the lower Officers or Members of our body, but by feverely punilhing them; and on both fides muft be avoided foch Men for Magiftrates and Minifters, as leek to dafh us one againft another all they may. And would to God this were all; but is it not a fhame of fhames, that Mens emulations and contentions cannot flay themlelves ' Bi(hop Bedell. rhemfelves in matters of this fort, but -—the holy profeflion of Divinity is made fuel to a publick fire; and that when we had well hoped all had been either quenched or raked up, it fhould afrefh j i!T: • be kindled and blown up with bitter and **! biting Words? God help us ! we had 31 need to attend to this Leffon of Chrift, i^eri- Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in ™tii Heart; or to that of the Apoftle, It be- ir rajt hoves the fervant of God not to contend, eonemi; but to be meek towards all, inftnfifting tiencetk with lenity thofe that be contrary af- fa Bog fefted, waiting if at any time God will !noari give them a better mind to fee the truth, sJniaffeJ 2 Tim. 2.25. oftoofe And here give me leave ( R. W. and rbe,buttk beloved Brethren and Sifters ) to fpeak j^ndhf freely my mind unto you: I know right' [k dOBi well that I fhall incur the reproof of ogouti divers, yet I will never the more for unriiM that fpare to utter my Confidence ; I bersofo 1 hope wile Men will aflent or fhew me gtbiiji better. For my part, I have been long edfucll of this mind, that many in. their Ser- ^jsfmons and Writings are to blame for ^ J their manner of dealing with the ad- verfaries of their Opinions, when they swerd' §*ve Reins to their Tongues and Pens, ]£S H to railing and reproachful Speeches, arid [jscani tbink they have done well, when they ' tfc L 3 exceed The Life of exceed or equal them in this Trade; wherein to have the better is indeed to be the worfe : and alledging that Text s for themfelves, Th a is to be "5* fwered according to his folly; they do not confider that other, where fiich manner of anfiver is forbidden, whereby the an- Iwerer becometh like him: Prov. 4. 15.1. 24. 2 6. ■ And this is yet more to be blamed, becaufe lometimes all realbns are laid by, and nothing is Ibundly refuted, but only hotWords are given,yea,and witha inifeonceiving,or mifreporting at leaft,of ther Opinions, and making every thing Worfe than it is : which many times arileth upon ambiguity of Words not Ufed in the like fenfe by both fides. What then ? Do I approve of tolerati¬ ons and unions with errours and here- fies ? truly I wilh not to live lb long. And yet as our fins are, and our folly too to fall together by the Ears about fmall matters amoogft our felves, there is juft caufe to fear it: but yet fuch Points as may be reconciled, laving the truth , I lee not what fhould move us to hold off in them,and why we may not feek to agree in word ? as we do in mean¬ ing : Eor the refir, their purpofe and endeavours lhall deferve thanks, who, E tBijhoj) Bedell. 151 ' bringing them to the feweft and nar- "^ J1; roweft terms, fhall fet down how far " f}^ we are to joyn with our dilfenting Bre- a i1! thren, and where for ever to dilfent; that fo controverfies being handled with¬ out the vain flouriflh of (welling Words, , and (like proportions ) our Opinions ta: Pit being fet down in the leaft terms, Men may know what to bend their Wits to, ore to be I ancj where againft to plant their Argu- • ments, not, as many do, roving always at randome; but may alwayes remember to rental imitate Chrift's meeknefs, and to deal with Arguments rather: let us not envy 5 the Papilts and other Hereticks, the gk> tali Mj ry and preheminenee in railing, where- itvofl in the more they excel, the more un- i by M like they are to Chrift, whole pattern prove of I is of meeknels, Learn of 'me, &c. irroorsam' Tea, but willfome Man fay, This c ourfe Objeff. to live 6 r?/// not flay Men from backfliding to any er- ) and on tpur or here fie, &rc. Who can keep off his tie E® enemy without (hot, 8cc. oorfete, I- Gods Truth needs not to be gra- Rcfp. r. ; ^yet ced, nor his Glory fought by my djould# Aga^ ^ is perhaps in an ig- Refp. 2. r^Mg norant Auditor, and at the firft; but if inquiring himfelf, he fhall find that they r prtfc or their Opinions are not fo bad as we Lu s make them to be, and would have them L 4 feem, 7l:e Life feem, it will be a hundred to one that in other things too, they will not feem to be fo bad as they are ; and, unlets 1 much miftake, it is not the ftorm of Words, but the ftrength of Reafbns, that fhall ftay a wavering Judgment from errours, &c. when that like a tempeft, is overblown , the tide of others examples will carry other men to do as the moft do ; but thefe like fo many Anchors will ftiek, and not come again. III. Befides, our Calling is to deal with errours, not to difgrace the Man withlcolding Words. It is faid of Alex¬ ander, I think, when he overheard one of his Souldiers railing luftily on Da¬ rius his enemy, he reproved him, and added, Friend (quothhe) I entertain thee to fight againft not to revile him. Truly it may be well thought that thole that take this courle fhall find but frnall thanks at Chrift's, our Captains, hands ; and it is not unlike but he would fay to them, were he here on earth again , Matters, I would you fhould refute Popery,and let your {elves againft Antichrifi my enemy, with all the difcoloured Sefts and Herefies, that fight under his banner againft me, and not call him and his Troops all to nought. And l w * ■■ At-i And this is my poor Opinion concern¬ ing our dealing with the Papifts them- felves, perchance differing from the pra¬ ctice of Men of great note in ChrifFs "Family,Mr. Luther and Mr. Calvin, and others ; but yet we mult live by Rules, not examples ; and they were Men, who perhaps by complexion, or other- wife, were given over too much to an¬ ger, and heat: lure I am, the Rule of the Apoftle is plain, even of fuch as are the flaves of Satan, that we muft with lenity inftruft them, waiting that when efcaping out of his Inare, they fhould re¬ cover a found mind to do Gods will, in the place I quoted before. But now when Men agreeing with our felves in the main ( yea and in pro- feffion likewife enemies to Popery ) fhall, varying never fo little from us in Points of left confequence, be thereupon cenlured as favourers of Popery , and other errours ; when Mole-hills fhall be made Mountains, and unbrotherly terms given : alas ! methinks this courfe favours not of meeknefs, nay it would hurt even a good caufe, thus to handle it; for where fuch violence is, ever there is errour to be fufpeCted ; Af- feCtion and Hate are the greateft ene¬ mies that can be to foundnefs of judg¬ ment, 2 Tim. 2. 25- if P. IP §i & 154 Tfo Life of ment, or exa&nefs of comprehenfion; he that is troubled with paflion, is not fitly difpofed to judge of truth. Befides, Is my conceit ever conlonant with truth ? and if I be fubjefl: to er- rour my felf, have I forgotten lb much the common condition of mankind, or am I fb much my own enemy, as to purfue with a terrible Scourge of Whip¬ cord, or wyer, that which was worthy of lome gentler la flies: for indeed he that taketh pet, and conceiveth in¬ dignation, that another fhould, I will not fay, differ from himfelf, but err, and be deceived, leems to proclaim war to all mankind, and may well look him¬ felf to find fmall favour, but rather to endure the Law that he had made, and be bated with his own rod. To make an end of this point, which I would to God, I had not had an oc- cafion to enter into : if this precept of our Lord Jefus Chrift be to be heard, thefe things fhould not be fb ; if it were heard, they would not be lo; and undoubtedly, if it be not heard, they that are faulty fhall bear their judgment, tyholbever they be. Mean while they fhall deferve great praile of all that love Peace, who fhall maintain quietnels, even with Ibrne injury to themfelves: And Bifhop Bedell. *55 A And in a good Caufe do ftill endeavour ®®i! to Ihew forth the vertue of Chrift, that hath called us, as the Apoftle Peter ex- horteth us at large from this example of Chrift, jn his firft Epiftle, 21. 20, 21, 22, 2 j. It is the glory of a Man to pals by an offence. Injuries, if by re¬ garding them a man lay himlelf open Pr07- to them, wound and hurt us: if they u. be contemned, or born off with the Shield of Meeknels, they glance off, or rebound unto the party that offereth them. Finally, he that in matters of contro? verfie fhall bring meeknels to his de¬ fence, undoubtedly he fhall overcome in the manner of handling ; and tf he bring truth alio, he fhall prevail at laffc in the matter. This is a part of one of his Sermons; of which I have leen but very few; and becaule they are not fufficient to give a full Character of him, I have not publifhed them .• But I will add to this two parcells of another Sermon that is already in print, and was publifhed by Dr. Bernard, the Text is that of the Re¬ velation 18. 4. Come out of her (Ba¬ bylon ) my people :And the defign of it is to grove that the See of Rome is the Babylon The Life of Babylon meant in that Text; but in this he mixes anApology for feme that were in that Communion ; and I doubt not but he had his Friend P. Paulo in his thoughts when he fpoke it: The paf- lage is remarkable, and therefore I will fet it down. WHerein obferve firft, (he calls his people to come out of Babylon,) a plain Argument that there are many not only good Moral and Men there, but good not re¬ deemed only, but in the pofleflion of the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift; which may be confirmed by thefe rea- fons. Firft, There is amongft thele that are under the tyranny of the Ba¬ bylon, the Sacrament of entrance into the Covenant of Grace; , by which thofe that are partakers thereof are made Members of Chrift, the Chil¬ dren of God, and Heirs of Eternal Life: And thefe that have but this Seal of God's Covenant, (viInfants) are jio fmall and contemptible part of God's people, though as yet, they cannot hear !BiJJ?Op B E D E L L, 57 this Voice of Chrift calling out of Baby¬ lon ; befides this there is a publication of the tenure of the Covenant of Grace to fuch as are of Years, though not lb openly and purely as it might and ought, yet lb as the grounds of the Catechifme are preached, finis fhewed, ChrilFs redemption ( or the Story of it) is j0hn?.i8, known, Faith in him is called iur, and 3<$- Se¬ this Faith is by the Grace of God,wrought in fome : For the Word of God and his Calling is not fruitlels, but like the rain returneth not in vain ; and where true Faith is, Men are tranflated from John 3.nit. death to life, he that believeth in the Son, hath everlafing life. Some Men perhaps may objeQ:, the Faith which they delcribe and call by this name of C at holick Faith, is none other but fuch as the Devils may have. I anlwer, Religion is not Logick, He that cannot give a true definition of the Soul, is not for that, without a Soul; fb he that defines not Faith truly, yet may have true Faith : Learned Divines are not all of accord touching the definition of it; But if (as by the whole ftream of the Scripture it mould feem') it be a trnfi and cleaving unto God ; this Faith many there have, the Love of our 8 The Life of our Lord Jefus Chrifi is wrought hi many there; now he that loveth Chrift is loved of him, and of the Father alfo; and becaufe the proof of true love to Chrift is the keeping of his Sayings, there,are good Works find, according to the meafure of knowledg great confcience of obedience. Yea, will Ibme Man lay, But that which marreth all is the Opinion of me¬ rit and fat isfact ion. Indeed that is the School Doctrine, but the Confcience en- lightned to know it lelf, will eafily aft that part of the Publican, who fmote his Breafty and faidy God be merciful to me a finner. I remember a good advice of one of that fide: Let others ( faith he ) that have committed few fins, and done many good works fat is fie for their fins ; But whatfoever thou dofl, refer it to the Honour of God: fo as whatfoever good come from theey thou refolve to do it to pleafe Gody accounting thy tvorks too lit¬ tle to fatisfie for thy fins : For as for thy fins thou rnufi offer ChrijFs Works, his Pains and Woundsy and his death it felf to himy together with that love of his out of which he endured thefe things for thee. Thefe are available for the fat is faction for thy fins. But thou whatfoever thou dofi or fufferefiy offer it not for thy fins to !dijhop Bedell. i jp B Wio| G od, /feb love and good pleafure, fotbetjj wishing to find the more grace with him, ^Fifhtfi whereby thou mayejl do more , greater °f true || and more acceptable Works to him) let the i h J;;, love of God then be to thee the caufe of laccorigt well-living, and the hope of well-working. 3®t ufa Thus he, and I doubt not but many there be on that fide that follow this counfel; Ian fay, I herewith I fhall relate the Speech of a le Opinion mfe and dilcreet Gentleman, my neigh- ndeedtk; hour in England, who lived and dyed eConfo a Recufant; he demanded one time, What was the worfl Opinion that we could impute to the Church of Rome ? It was laid, There was none more than this of our merits : And that Cardinal Bellar- vtjuflifi. mine not only doth uphold them, but faith, we may truft in them, fo it be done fo- berly ; and faith, they deferve Eternal life, not only in refpebt of God's Promi- les and Covenant, but alio in regard of the Work it felf: Whereupon he an- (wered, Bellarmine was a learned Man, and could perhaps defend what he wrote by learning) Rut for his part he trujled to be faved only by the merits of his Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrijl, and as for good Works he would do all that he could \ Et valeant quantum valere poffint. To I To proceed: la or under the Obedi¬ ence of Rome there is Perfecution, and that is a better mark of Chrift's peo¬ ple, then Be liar miners Temporal felicity. All that will live godly in Chrifi Jejm (faith the Apoftle ) fhall fujfer perfecu- tion ; ye (hall be hated of all Men for my Names fake, ( faith our Saviour ) and fb are all they on that fide that are left luperftitious than others, or dare fpeak of redrefs ofabufes ; yea, there is Mar¬ tyr dome for a free oppofing Mens Tra¬ ditions, Image-rvorjhippers, Purgatory) and the like. Add, That in obedience to this call of Chrifl) there do fome come daily from thence \ and in truth how could our Sa? uiour call his people from thence if he had none there ? How could the Apo- ftles fay that Jntichrif from whole cap¬ tivity they are called, fhallft in the Tem¬ ple of Gody (fince that Jerufalem is fi¬ nally and utterly defolated ) unlefs the fame Apoftle otherwhere declaring himfelf, had ftiewed us his meaning, that the Church is the Houfe of God: i Tiro. and again, ye are the Temple of the liv.- ingGody and the Temple of God is Holy} which are ye. It will be laid that there are on that fide many grofs errors, many open Idolatries, and Superftiti- ons^ M'lal '111 ; ■' 1 1 V (Bijhop BedEl l. x 6 i i Gns, fo as thole which live there muft "■ needs be either partakers of them, and like minded , or elfe very Hypocrites. Kut many errours and much ignorance, Mf£, fo it be not affeffedj may ftand with fill jij; true Faith in Chrift ; and when there Mr Sj^j' is true Contrition for one fin, ( that is, it fide tfr becaufeit difpleafeth God ) there is a ge- iers 0:r neral and implicite repentance for all un- vei known fins. God's Providence in the gene- ./:n(J \l ral revolt of the ten T ribes, when Eli as 0 * j thought himfelf left alone, had relerved 1 ' [even thouland, that had not bowed to the i Kmgar • V A | O v ,Image of Baal*, and the like may be 4 u 0!l conceived here, fince efpecially, the Ido- msmif latry pra&iled under the obedience of m or Myftical Babylon, is rather in falle and fwtk witl-worfhip of the true God,and rather Kooldt!; commended, as profitable, than enjoyn- ;'rc^i: ed as ablblutely necelfary, and the cor* mm rUptions there maintained are rather in a pj:r ftiperfluofts addition than re trail ion in iked) any thing necelfary to falvation. •wtot Neither let that hard term of hypocri- js fcitfie be ufed of the infirmity, and forne- f time, of humble and peaceable carriage 'mpl'f of Ibme that oppofe not common errors, ifiik nar wreftle with the greater part of effltk Men, but do follow the multitude, re- f ferving a right knowledge to themfelves: and fometimcs, ( by the fevour which M God 161 The Life of (5od gives them to find where they live,) obtain better conditions than o thers can. We call not fohn the belov¬ ed Difciple an hypocrite, becaufe he was i^1" <5.8# known to the High Priejl, and could procurePeter to be let to fee the arraign* ment of our Saviour : nor call we Peter himfelf one that for fear denied him; much lefs Daniel and his companions, that bySuit,obtained of Mel.zar their kee¬ per that they might feed upon Pulfe, mi Ean.i.v. not he defiled with the Kjng of Babefj 16'2' meat,and thefe knew themfelves to be cap¬ tives and in Babel. But in the new BMq ' how many thoufandsdo we think there are that think otherwife ; that they are in the true Cat ho lick Church of God, the name whereof this harlot hath ufur- ped : And although they acknowledge that where they live there are many a- bufes, and that the Church hath need of reformation, yet there they were born, and they may not abandon their Mother in her jicknejf. Thofe that converfe more inwardly with Men of Confci- ence, on that fide, do know that thefe are fpeeches in fecret; which how they will be juftified againft the commands of Chrift, ( come out of her, my people J belongs to another place to conlider. For the purpole we have now in hand, V I Cj ttitj 'jAiki c)bnlt toJU nor cali; Utf (iiii mfekf . in the»r «;« ill CM iktt fcri c tli tank rfiictito iecot* ir, If j to® 'Eijbop Bedell. 163 I dare not but account tliefe the people of God, though they live very danger- oufly under the captivity of Babylon, as did Danielj Mordechai, Hejler, Neh c mi ah, and Ezra, and many Jews more, not- * withftanding both Cyrws Commiffion, and the Prophets command to depart. This point may give fbme light in a Quejlion that is on foot among learned and good Men at this day, Whether the Church of Rome he a true Church or no ? where I think iurely if the maf- •ter be rightly declared, for the terms, there will remain no quefticm. As thus, whether Babylon fret ending to he the Church of Rome, yea tjie Catholick Church, be lb or not ? or this, Whether the people of Chrijl that are under that Captivity be a true Church or no? ei¬ ther of both wayes if declared in thefe terms, the matter will be ibon refol- ved. Except feme Man will perhaps ftill object, objetf, Though there be a people of God, yet they can be no true Church, for they have no Priefthood which is neceffary to the Conftjtution of a Church, as S. Cyprian delcribes it, Blebs F.pifleU Sacerdoti adunata^ people joyned to their 69' Prieft : They have no Priefthood, be¬ ing by die very form of their Ordi- M 2 nation, 1 fk-'l f M i & mII Pi § Ik. I Si If: In fei f m i^4 The Life of It# • Ti •• « v>;h i, • : • -||r • ;:,v « U 1'' :1J -K1 :« f|:U V#T; ''&li 1$tf H F7-" iI!TM it'ii! Mmi. w! ii nation, Sacrificers for the quick and the dead* Anfrv. I anfwer, under corredtion of bet¬ ter judgments, they have the Miniftry of Reconciliation by the Commiflion which is given at their Ordination; being the fame which our Saviour left Job'20'2?* in his Church , Whofe fins ye remit, they are remitted^ ivhofe fins ye retain they are retained. As for the other power to facrifice,if it be any otherwife than the celebrating the Commemoration of Chrift's Sacrifice once offered upon the Crofs, it is no part of the Priefthood or Miniftry of the New Teftament, but a fuperfhiom addition thereunto, which yet worketh not to the deftru&ion of that which is law¬ fully conferred other wife. This Do- ftrine I know not how it can offend any, unlefs it be in being too Charitable, and that I am fure is a good fault, and ferves well for a fure mark of ChrijFs Sheep, and may have a very good ope¬ ration to helpChrifts people out ofBabel: Joh.13.35. fy this, faith h Q,fha/l Men knorv that ye are myDifcipleSjif ye have Charity one to ano¬ ther .But they call usHereticks,Mifcreants, Doggs, &c. and perfecute us with more deadly hatred than Jews and Turks; yea, this is Babylon, and perhaps fome of God's s 66 The Life of NOW fhould I come to the Motives from the Danger of fin, and of partaking in punifhment. But the handling of thele would require a loflg time , let me rather make lome jp p lie at ion of that which hath been faid already. And Firjl and moid properly to thole that this Scriptufe moll con¬ cerns and is directed unto : The People of God holden in the Captivity of the Romane Babylon: But alas they ate not here, for this is one part of their Captivity, that they are kept , not only from hearing the yoyce of the Ser¬ vants of Chrift, or of S. John the be¬ loved Dilciple, but of himlelf here from Heaven; and fince they are fo contented, what remedy may there be for thole that are thus bewitched, un¬ lets you (My L.Vs. and Brethren) will be contented to become faithful Feoffees in truft, to convey this voyce and Melfage of Chrift unto them: and by my requeft you fhall be plealed to do it, with a great deal of Love. As this Prefident of our Lord himlelf doth lead you as to Brethren, and, as you hope, i of IBijhop Bedell. i 6/ hope, faithful People, loth to fin againfc him, and defirous to pleafe him in all things. Tell them then, that it is ac¬ knowledged by their own Doctors: to lie! That Rome is Babylon, and it is aver- of$r ( red, That this is the prefent Papal ft, | Monarchy, that out of this they, muft lheto depart by the Commands of our Lord flAif fyfusChrijPs own Voyce, under pain of jftjjjl being acceffary to all her fins, and ly- Juiolp: a^e t0 a^ 'ier P^nifliments: rvijh them ut to ufe the Liberty to read the Holy ito1 ft Scripture, and to come out of the blind n T Obedience of MensPrecepts andTraditi- 7jft. ons; be pleafed to tell them further,that ^ } others may have fome colour of excufe, nT' that live in fuch places where they may : 1 • not dif cover themfelves without danger ; .J7 of the lofs of their Goods, Honour or Life; they may do it here, not only ? !'• with fafety, but with Reputation and mcett Profit: intreat: them to beware left they lmf make themfelves extreamly Culpable, jww not onjy 0f partaking with the for- id I mer Idolatries , Extortions, Maffacres, Powder Treafons, and Kjng-killings of that bloody City, but the new deteft- to til®; able Doftrines, Derogatory to the blood jje p 0f Chrift, which moderate Men even fj* of her own Subjects detefl:: But which 0 file,for fear it fhould difcontent her own M* M 4 Creatures, 168 The Li f E I .'.A *?*• Creatures, and devoted Darlings will not difavow : O if they would fear the plagues of Babylon, and that of all o- a Thef. thers the fearfuleft, Blindnejs of Miniy and Jlrong delufions to believe Byes, that they may be damned that believed not the Truth, but had pie afare in unrighteouf- nef. But you hope better things of them, accompanying Salvation ; and this Meffage of our Lord Jefus Chrift, if you will be plealed to deliver, ac¬ companying it with thole General and common goods of Charity and Meek- nef(, Integrity, good Example, and the fpecial furtherance, which your Cal¬ lings and Places in State, Church or Family can give it, doubtlefs toChrifts people,it will not be uneffe&uah Blejfed be God that hath long ago iten 1.1. ftirred up the Spirits of our Princes, like Cyrus to give liberty to God's Peo- € pie to go out of Babylon, and to give uf.ii. large Patents, with Darius, and Ay- taxerxes, for the building of the Tem¬ ple, and eftabliflhing the Service of God. And bleffed be God, and his Ma- jefty that hath lent us another Nehemi- Nek2.18. ah, to build up the Walls of Jerufalem, and to procure that the Portion of the Levites Ihould be given them. Give E $ (Bijbop Bedell. i J? me leave ( Right Honourable ) to put c- 1([t;] you in mind, That this alfb belongeth & i,.//! to your Care, to cooperate with Chrift in bringing his People out of the Ro- L'/ ■ mifh Captivity. And if to help away 1 a poor Captive out of Turky hath V^fbeen Honourable to fome Publick ' ^Minifters : What (hall it be to help l*»To the enlarging of fb many thou- 1' ft land Souls out of the bondage of Mens to dk Traditions, and gaining to his Maje- MeGot fty fo many entire Subjects. Your wift mt) it, jom ( my Lord ) is liich, as it needeth xmf4, not to be adyifed ; and your Zeal as it At jt needeth not to to be ftired up: yet State, Ck pardon me one Word, for the purpofe oubtlett of helping Chrift's People out of Ba- neffedua!, bylon. it Wli They are called by himfelf often in ; of our: Scripture, His Sheep, and verily, as in ty to God many other, fb in this they are like to on, anil Sheep ; which being cooped up in a nar- i row Pent, though they find fome preC- ingoftk fure, and the Paffage be fet open, are the k not forward to come out; unlefs they be put on, but ftrain Courtefie, which | ai](||i fhould begin ; yet when they are once uflOtkrJr out with a joyful frisk they exult in their f j jg Freedome, yea, and when a few of the P01 foremoft lead, the reft follow; I fhall not need to make Application : Do according 170 The Life of according to your wifdom in your place, and Chrift whofe Work it js flhall be with you, and further your endea¬ vours. The like I lay unto you the reft of my Lords, Fathers and Brethren, help your Friends, Followers, and Tenants out of Babylon, what you may in your places; you have the Examples of Abu- ham, Jofbuay Cornelias, praifed in Scri¬ pture for propagating the Knowledge and Fear of God in their Families and Commands, with the report of God?s accepting it, and rewarding it, and this to the ule of others. Butfhall you not cany away fome- thing for your felves aljo\ yes verily, take to your felves this Yoyce of our Sa¬ viour, Come out of Babylon ; you will lay we have done it already, God be thanked we are good Chriftians, good Protef antsy fome of us Preachers and that call upon others to cdme out of Ba- c . bylon : But if S. Paul prayed the con¬ verted Corinthians to be reconciled to !':«* m y-r, y m God ; A nd S. Jo/m writing to Believers, lets down the Record of God touching i ll' Bj ' i Jolin 5 1 y his Son, That they might believe in the Name of the Son of God\ Why may not I exhort in ChrilFs Name and Words, even thofe that ate come out of Baby loriy [Bifhop Bedell, 171 ort to come out of her, Qui monet ut fc ^ kc. He that perfwades another tcrVnat which he doth already, in per- to you ^ lading1 ineeurdgeth him, and puts him adj^cftfta his performance;but if there he any, vers, ail yebtforelblved, ^hd halting or- hanging ' between two , ( as the people did in ^ Ellas time ) that prelent their bodies j Kings • at Rich meetings as -this is, When their 18.21. ' hearts are perhaps ?xRome,Ov no where; uLXf any are in ibme points tightly infor- ! riled arid cleared, and in others doubt- - fiil, to iiichChrift fpeaks, Come out of 1 hbr, my people, prefs 011 by Prayer, Con¬ ference, Reading, (if ChrifFs Voyce be t(J he heard ) If Rome be Babylon, r Crhhelcttk of her. ,°!al And let it be Ipdken with as little my, Ckri e ip '! $fehce as it is delight: we that feem to be the forwarded in Reformation,are ifot yet fb cbttie out of Babylon, &S that us-mi we have not many fhameful badges of AM her Captivity, witnelsher Impropria- prayed fc bding indeed plainChurch-robbcries, It rm deviled to maintain her Golonies o' He and irregular Regulars',idle to the C rurch and State, zealous and pragmatical to tklm fupport .and defend her power, pomp, ffijf aiid pride, by- whom- they lublifted : nrff witnels her Difpenfations,or diffipations e.ort rather, of all Canonical Orders; bear¬ ing 1/ l The Life of ing down all with her Non her Symoniacal and Sacrilegious Ve¬ nality of holy things, her manifold Ex¬ tortions in the exercile of Jurifdiltion, which we have not whol¬ ly banilhed: Let each of us therefore account it as Ipoken to himlelf, (Cow out of her my people.) In this J ourney let us not trouble and call [tumbling blocks before God's peo¬ ple, that are ready to come out; or hin¬ der one another with in matters either inexplicable, or unprofi¬ table : Let it have lome pardon, if lome be even lb forward in flying from Babylon, as they fear to go , to take their own goods for hafte : and let it not be blamed or uncharitably cenfured, if it qui tar- ^)me come in the Rear, and would diHsambu- leave none of Chrift's people behind lant, non them: No man reacheth his hand toa- qutndi. nother whom he would lift out of a s. Aug. in Ditch, but heJloops to him. Our ends immediate are not the lame, but yet Trad. 5. they meet in one final intention; The one hates Babylon, and the other loves and pities ChriJPs people : The one be¬ lieves the Angel that calt the Miljlone into the Sea; in the end of this Chap¬ ter, with that Word ( fo fhall Babylon rife no more.) The other fears the threat- FE j f" B'tfhop Bedell. ning of our Saviour againft fuch as lean- ^egjjs dalize anv of the little ones believing in i herp"~ " " ~ him, that it is better for fuch a one to have a Milftone hanged upon his neck, and "Wi he cajlinto the Seahi ® of lis Finally, let us all befeech our Lord Je- ChriJt to give us Wifdom and oppor¬ tunity to further his work, and to give unto the lame himfelf, to WttCofi the judgment of Babylon, to bring his )comeoutjtpeople out of this bondage, that we 'ith Dijfm with them and all his Saints in the able, or t Church Triumphant,may thereupon fing lime pari a joyful Hallelujah, as is exprelfed in the k next Chapter. . r ufktaiki if i Salvation, and Honour, and Glory, Rear, all and Power, he unto the LORD f'srdek our GOD, Amen. flit Hallelujah. i km, 0i: e lame, in ■MiiMflj ;: Tlet it tki d oftliist fa ,* He 174 The L i ve i'l. i. — : § ii is 111 He preached very often in his Epif. copal habit, but not alwayes, and ufed it leldome in the Afternoon; nor did he love the pomp of a Quire, nor Inftru- mental Mufick j which he thought fil- led the ear with too much plealure, and carried away the mind from the lerious attention to the matter, which is indeed the finging with grace in the Heart, and the inward melody with which God is chiefly plealed. And when another Bifhop juftified thefe things, be- caule they lerved much to raiie the af- fcctions; he anlwered, That in order to the railing the affections, thole things that tended to edification ought only to be uled : And thought it would be hard otherwile to make flops ; for upon the lame pretence an infinity of Rites might be broughtin. And the lenlepie had ofthe excefles of liiperftition/rom what he had oblerved during his long flay in Itnlj, made him judge it neceffary to watch carefully againft the beginnings of that dileale, which is like a green Sicknels in Religion. He never uled the Com¬ mon Prayer in his Family; for he thought it was intended to be the fo- lemn Worlhip of Chriftians in their Publick Alfemblies, and that it was not fa Us WJ8, t moon; ® Ijite, Djj 1 V Bedell. lo proper for private Families.He was fb exa£t an obferver of Ecclefiadical Rules that he would perform no part of his I 75 j Function out of his own Diocefi j with- c out obtaining the Ordinaries leave for : fo that being in Dublin, when his it ff, we Wife's Daughter was to be married to Mr. Clogy, (that is much more the Au¬ thor of this Book than I am ) and they both defired to be bleft by him,he would ^ not do it till he fird took out a Licence for it in the Archbifhop of Dublin % Confiftory. ch to fi So far I have profecuted the Relati- on of his mold exemplary difcharge of his EpifcopalFun .tionougtit( more perfonal and particular to the end lititrai: where I floall give his Character. I now come to the conclufion of his life, which was indeed (likable to all that had gone before. But here I mult open one of the d A 0 bloodied Scenes , that th Sun ever fhoneupon, and reprelenta Nation all covered with Blood, that was in full peace, under no fears nor apprehenfi- ons, enjoying great plenty, and under an eafie yoke, under no oppreffion in Civil matters, nor perlecution upon the account of Religion: For the Bifhops and Prieds o( the Roman Communion but enjoyed not only an impunity were I I 176 The Life of were almoft as publick in the ufe of their Religion, as others were in that which was eftablifhed by Law; fb that they wanted nothing but Empire,and a pow¬ er to deftroy all that differed from them. And yet on a fudden this happy Land was turned to be a Field of Blood. Their Bifhops relblved in one particular to fulfil the Obligation of the Oath they took at their Confecration of perfecu- ting all Hereticks to the utmoft of their power ; and their Priefts, that had their breeding in Spain, had brought over from thence the true Spirit of their Religion, which is ever breathing cru¬ elty, together with a tinfture of the Spanifb temper, that had appeared in the conqueft of the Weft-Indies, and fo they thought a Maffacre was the fiireft way to work, and intended that the Natives of Ireland ; flhould vie with the Spaniards for what they had done in America. The Conjun£ture feemed favourable; for the whole I fie of Britain was fo im- broiled, that they reckoned they Chould be able to mafter Ireland,before any For¬ ces could befentoverto check the pro- grefs of their butchery.TheEarl ofStraf¬ ford had left Ireland feme confiderable time before this. The Parliament of Hijbop Bedell. i ®4ii England was rifing very high againft 1"®'. the King j and though the King was 'ifcl then gone to Scotland, it was ratner for ?Mi: a prelent quieting of things that he" wfcni gave all up to therri, than that he gain- %1 ed them to his Service. So they laid °f* hold of this conjuncture, toinfufe it in* 1S ft to the people, That this was the pro- theOnl per time for them to recover their an¬ ion off cient Liberty, and fhake off the Exgkfo tuft Yoke, and to polfels themlelves of thofe i tkU Eftates that had belonged to their An- 1 brougl ceftors! And to fuch as had Ibme refts Spirit i of Duty to the King it was given out, tair That what they were about was war- tic ranted by his Authority, and for his si ip iervice. A Seal was cut from another IMifi Charter, and put to a forged Commifli •nit on, giving warrant to what they were eiiitJI going about. And becaufe the King was ye then in Scotland, they made ule of a t|™|i Scotch Seal. They alio pretended that the Parliaments of both Kingdoms be- ncita *n§ either in rebellion againft the King, ««t or very near it. That the English of ^jLj Ireland would be generally in the in- ^ j tereft of the Englijb Parliament 5 lo that it was laid, That they could not lerve 0 the King better than by making therfi- lelves Mafters in Irand then decla- pjifi rinS f°r ^ King againft his other rebel-' lious Subjefb.* N TKefe" 178 7k Life ill ill i lis Thefo things took ttniverfalfy with the whole Nation ; and the Conlpiracy was beftidnted by many Oaths and Sa- cfarhehts; and in concitiflon all things were found" to be lo ripe that the day was let in which they fhould eveiy where break out ; and the Caftle of Dublin being then as well ftored with a great Magazine; which the Earl of Strafford had laid up for the Army, that he intended to have carried in¬ to Scotland, had not the pacification prevented it, as it was weakly kept by a few carelefs Warders ; who might have been eafily furprized: it Was rc- lblved that they fhould fcize on it, which would have farnrfhed them with Arms and Amnmmition, and have put the Metropolis, and very probably the whole Ifland in their hands. But, though this was fo Well laid, that the execution could not have mift, in all humane appearance; and though it was kept fo fecret, that there' was not the lealt fulpicion of any defign on foot, till the Night before, and then orte that was among the chief of the managers of it, out of kindnefs to an hijJman , that was become a. Prote- ifant, communicated the Projeft to him : The other went and difcoveredit to ®i/7;o/> Bedell. '79 'iTjh to the Lords Juftices ; and by this means not only the Caftle of Dublin ,'j,4 ! was preferred, but in effect was '■ "j1?fared. For in Dublin there was both a ; 3; ® j fhelter for fiich as were ftript and turn- y, :!E ed out of all they had, to fly to, and ! ^:a place of rendezvous, where they that ® ®;efcaped before the ftorm had reached to Ik t them, met to confult about their pre- ■P ™ tit! fervation. But though Dublin was thus M®® lecured , the reft of the Englijh and tie pt Scotch in Irelandy particularly in Vljlcr, wis fell into the hands of thofe mercilefs tiers; rl Men, who reckoned it no fmall piece of Mil: ft mercy, when they ftript people naked, iflli fesand let them go with their lives. But fait) the vaft numbers that were butchered rams, : by them, which one of their own Wri- iifrtfpiters in a Difcourfe that he printed lome ICit.il years after, in order to the animating ■eSIii^G them to go on, boafts to have exceed- mi,ed two hundred thoufand, andthebar- barous cruelties they ufed in murthering {[{•jib them, are things of fo dreadful a na- 011 ture, that I cannot eafily go on with lo j [; difmal a Narrative, but muft leave it td , iff the Hiftorians. I fhall fay no more of Ijjg: it than what concerns our Bifhop: It may be eafily imagined how much he jifwas ftruck with that fearful ftorm, that jjfe "Was breaking on every hand of him, N. z though; The Lite though it did not yet break in upon himfelf. There feemed to be a fecret guard let about his Houfe: for though there was nothing but Fire, Blood and Defblation round about him j yet the Jrijh were fo reftrained, as by fome hidden power, that they did him no harm for many Weeks : His Houfe was in no condition to make any refinance, fo that it was not any apprehenfion of the oppofition that might be made them, that bound them up. Great numbers of his Neighbours had alfo fled to him for fhelter: He received all that came, and fhared every thing he had lb with them, that all things were common a- mong them ; and now that they had nothing to expeft from Men, he invi¬ ted them all to turn with him to God, and to prepare for that death,which they had reafon to look for every day ; fo that they fpent their time in Prayers and Faffing, which laft was now like to be impofed on them by neceffity. The Rebels expreffed their eftecmfor himin fucli a manner that he had reafon to aferibe it wholly to that overruling pow¬ er , that ftills the raging of the Seas, and the tumult of the people : they feemed to be overcome with his ex¬ emplary converfation among them, • • •• • •• J Bifhop Bedell. t treat; tied^ and with the tendernefs and charity l011f£,| that he had upon all occafions exprelfed tfire" j for them, and they often faid, He fhould be the laft Englijhman that fliould be ugj put out of Ireland. He was the only ^Englishman in the whole County of O- ^ I van that was fiiffered to live in his own V 1L Houfe without difturbance ; not only ■f. his Houfe, and all the out-Buildings, ; .P"" but the Church and Church-Yard were r full of people ; and many that a few rtcl dayes before lived in great eafe and much plenty, were now glad of a heap of Straw or Hay to lye upon, and of igneit ^me k0ijecj \y iieat to fupport Nature : weretand were every day expecting when ow tnati thofe Swords, that had according to the mk. Prophetick Phrafe, drunk up Jo much Bloody fhould likewife be fatiated with theirs. They did now eat the Bread of r cveiyi Sorrow, and mingled their Cups with time in! their Tears. The Bifhop continued to \mi encourage them to truft in God, and in miff order to that he preached to them the elbii fir# Lords Day after this terrible calami- eUfl ty had brought them about him, on the OFcrnif Third Pfalm, which was penned by ingoftk David when there was a general in? people: fiirrection of the people againft him un- »fjji der his unnatural Son Abjolom ; and he juoiij i applyed it all to their condition. He had N 3 a % 8z The Ljje of m A K - • Pi# Bii H! ff I w, ! II i p a doleful AfTembly before him, an An* ditory all melting in Tears: It re¬ quires a Soul of an equal elevation to his, to imagine how he railed up their Spirits, when he fpake to thefe Words, But thotly 0 Lord, art a Shield for mc\ my glory, and the lifter up of my Hed, I laid me down and jlept : I awaked, for the Lord fuftained me. I will not be afraid of ten thoufands of the people, that have Jet ihemfelves againjl me, round about. And to the conclulion of the Pfalm, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy bleffing is upon thy people. The next Lords day, hearing of the Scoffings, as well as the Cruelty, of the Irifh, he preached on thefe Words in Micah, Re- Joyce not againjl me, 0 mine enemy : when I fall, J jhall arife ; when I fit in darkneff the Lord fhall be a light unto me. J will bear the indignation of the Lor J becaufe I have finned againjl him, untill he plead my cauf % and execute judgment for me : he will bring me forth to the light, and 1 fhall behold his righteoufnef. Then {be that is mine enemy fhall fee it, and fhame fhall cover her which faid tin- io me, Where is the Lord thy God. By thefe means, and through the blef¬ fing of God upon them, they en¬ couraged themfelves in God,, and were prepared 1** , S: mies' could do to ttem. P Xhe Irijh themfelvcs were at a ftand; NfalijXhe milcarriage qf the defign on Dub- Caflle was a fad dilappqintment: '^tijthey were unarmed, they had no Trea- "f ini\Lire, no Fleet, nor foreign fuppor-t ; and "• '■athough there were fome good Officers hit:! among them, yet they found the Spul- 'M idlers to be as cowardly as the k, wInhabitants felt them to be cruel: For n of lit : as thole two Characters are Qhferved ij Ait- generally to meet in the fame per- flt. Hon ; lo it was very vifible upon this oc- oftliti: cafioo, fincea very fmall JEfody of good , oftkfji Men, could have gone over the whole risinl: Kingdom, and have reduced it .in few- Om er Months than it coft .Years.. Their '(■ gy chief hope was, the only thing in which fog, they were not dilappointed, That the w mDilputes between the King and the Parliament of England, would make Supplies come over lo flow, that they might thereby gain much time ; and in conclufion they might hope for a more y f, favourable conjuncture. Thofe of the : *( / County of Cavan feemed to fee their er- rour, and apprehend their danger: lo "... they came to the Bifhop, as the fitted: Man to interpofe for them; he was i willing to oblige thofe on the one hand, 4» ft N 4 at The Life©/ at whole mercy he was, and on the other hand to bring them to fuch a fut> million, as might at leaft procure feme breathing time to the poor Engli{by and jo thofe few Houfes that flood out, but were falling within doors under an Enemy, that was more irrefiftiblethan the Irtjh : For they were much ftraib ned, their Provifions failing them. The Petition, that they figned and lent up to the Lords Juftices and the Council, was too well penned to come from thole that let their hands to it. It was drawn by the Bilhop, who put their matter in his own Words; therefore I lhallinfert it here, though it gives the beft colours to their Rebellion of any of all their Paper} that I ever few. ' fiijbopBedell. i ®i ilj - , • . • ffltoi; aftpiHi ##y -» " " T ' tk|j ndoorst To the Right Honourable the ttimil Lords Tuftices and Council, rat mi pdlj humbleGfemonflra of the Gen- ItheCtig try an^ Q)tnmonaltyof the Qounty ircfrmt °f Cavan, of the Itw®: ttion with other parts of this fet 0/Ireland. We WTT J Here as we, ofalllki VV jetfs of his Highnefs Ireland, have of long time groaned under many grievous pre [fares, occafioned by the rigorous Government of placed over sis, as reffected more the advancement of their otvn private Fortunes, than the Honour of His Majefly, or the welfare of us his Subjects; whereof we in hum¬ ble manner declared our fetves to His Highncf by our Agents fent from the Parliament, the reprefentative body of this Kjngdom : Notwithjlanding which, we find our felves of late threatned with far greater and more grievotes Vexationsy either with captivity of our Confctencesy otr • J.,' 4'1: it I# 86 Tin Life of our lofing of our lawful Liberties, or ut¬ ter expulfioftfrom our Native Seats, with¬ out any jujl Ground given on our parts, to alter his Majefiies goodnefi f ? long contu nued unto its', of all which we findgreat caufe of fears in the proceeding of our Neighbour Nations, and do fee it already attemptei upon by certain Petitioners for the like courfe to be taken in this Kjngdom, for the effecting thereof, in a cornpulfory way, fo as Rumors have caufed fears of Invli¬ ft on from other parts, to the diffolving the Bond of mutual agreement, which hitherto hath been held inviolable between the feve- ral Subjects of this Kjngdom ; and where¬ by aU other his Majefiies Dominions have been linkt in one. For the preventing therefore of fuch evils growing upon us in this Kingdom ; we have, for the prefer- v at ion of his Majefiies Honour y and our own Liberties, thought ft to take into our Hands, for his Highneffes ufe and Service, fuch Forts, and other places of Strength as coming into the poffejfion of others might prove difadvantagious, and tend to the utter undoing the Kjngdom. And we do hereby declare, That herein we har¬ bour not the leaf thought of difoyalty to¬ wards his Majefiy, or purpofe any hurt to any of his Highneffes Subjects in their Poff effort, Goods or Liberty : only we de- fire ILkiti,, yj, ^ 'VeU Milt; •wjri W/ttwf it, utt p»; in a Dm ir tit ft, minif ft Iff lllli 'ti/ftd QM- m, d 1j:0? Bedell. /to Lordfljips will be pleafed to wake remonftrance to his Majejly, for usy of all our Grievances, andjuft Fears, /to //^ removed^ and fuch a courfe fetled by the advice of the Parliament of Ireland, whereby the Liberty of our Con¬ ferences may be fecured unto us, and we eafed of other Burthens in Civil Govern¬ ment. As for the mifchiefs and inconve¬ niences that have already happened through the diforder of the common fort ofpeople, againjl the Englifh Inhabitants, or any other ; we with the Noblemen, and Gen¬ tlemen , and fuch others of the feveral Counties of this Kingdom, are moft wil¬ ling and ready to ufe our and their befi en¬ deavours in cauftng reftitution and fatif- fact ion to be made as in part we have alrea¬ dy done. An anfwer hereunto is mof humbly deft- red^ with fuch prefent expedition as may by your Lord/hips be thought moft convenient for avoiding the inconvenience of the bar- barpufnefi and uncivility of the Commonal¬ ty ,who have committed many outrages with¬ out any order, confenting, or privity of ours. All which we leave to your Lordfljips moftgrave Wtfdom. -And we fhall humbly pray, &c. But Iln wit ill 88 The Life of But this came to nothing : while thefe things were in agitation, the ti¬ tular Bifhop of Kjcame to his name was , he was like his name, for he often wallowed in his own Vomit. He had a Brother, whom the Bifhop had converted, and had enter¬ tained him in his Houfe, till he found out a way of fubfiftence for him. He pretended that he came only to pro- te£f the Bifhop, Co he defired to be ad¬ mitted to lodge in his Houfe, and af- fured him that he would preferve him. But the Bifhop hearing of this, writ the following Letter in Latin to him; which will be found at the end of this Book, and is indeed a ilile fit See at the f°r one °f the moft eloquent of the end Roman Authors. Here I fhall give a Nam). 4. Translation of it in Engliflj. II Reverend Brother, I Am fenfible of your civility in offer¬ ing to proieff me by your prefence in the midf of this tumult; and upon the like occ afion I would not be wanting to do the like charitable office to you : but there #ye many things that hinder me from ma¬ king E#f fiijbopB E D E L L. l8p °!% king ufe of the favour you now offer me. 8N My Hou/e is fir ait, and there is a great number of miferable people of all Ranks, I 'le Ages ^ and of both Sexes, that have fled hi- ther as to a Sanctuary \ be fides that fome ®er) A of thepi are fick , among whom my own • tolkl Sen is one. But that which is beyond 4 tilt all the reft, is the difference of our way ^falt of worfhip : I do not fay of our Religi- \ only on, for 1 have ever thought, and have tfired t published it in my Writings , that -we > Houfc: have one common Chriflian Religion. would; Under our prefent miferies we comfort i hearing: our felves with the reading of the Holy etterinli Scriptures, with daily Prayers, which we found ate Qffer up to God in our vulgar Tongue , indeed2; tmd with the fingingof Pfalms; andfince eloquent ™e fnd fo little truth among Men, we rely re IH; on the truth of God, and on his afjifiance. Thcfe things would offend your company, if not your felf; nor could others be hin¬ dered,who would pretend that they came to —fee yoUy if you were among^ w \ and un¬ der that colour thofe murtherers would break in upon us, who after they have civilitlii' u* of all that belongs to us, would ' j, in concluflon think they did God good frr- f vice by our flaughter* Tor my own part, ' I am refolved to trufl to the Divine ^ P rot eel ion. To a Chriflian, and a Bi- } i /, flJ0P > that ts mxv alrnoft [eventy , no death 4 ' ■•>'4 , . • ' ' .j,': : ' *>■ »'• j fe|l| # Hi. lit'' >dv' ■ • if S;f|| :J;Jj Jfjf ■ Bl'i»I J-iV'1.?; :)i' 'G| mm ill ill Sf'ii liilrffl 190 The L1 v £ 0/ for the caufe of Chrifi cm be bit¬ ter : on the contrary, nothing is more de- fire able. And though I ask nothing for my felf done, yet if you will require the people under an Anathema , not to do any other atts of violence to thofe whom they have fo oft beaten , fpoiled and flript, it will be both acceptable to God, honourable to your felf, and happy to the people, if they obey you: But if noty confider that God will remember all that is now done. To whom, Reverend Brother y I do heartily commend you. Yours in Chrift, November 2.1641. WilL Kilmore. Endorfed thus, To my Reverend and Loving Brother, D. Swiney. The . WW ■?#!' ill ifrfllft If: 'IcT'S ii||l •;• i+Mi if Vf U'll if II iy% Tbe Life hnSon to the Earl of Rofcommon, ta¬ king him to be a Proteftant, and had married him, but enjoyed her felf very little after that: for though he ufed no violence to her, or her Children by her former Husband, in the point of Religi¬ on; yet he bred up his Children by her in his own Superftition, and he was now engaged in the Rebellion. So that Ihe had at this time a vaft addition to her former lorrows upon her; and there¬ fore deiired that the Bilhop, whofe Neighbour and coriftant Hearer Ihe had been, would lend her luch Inftru- ftions in this fed calamity, as might both dired and lupport her. Upon which he writ the following Pa- pen * ; ' ■ ; if YOU defire, as I am informed ( dear Sifter in Chrift Jefus j that I would fend you feme Ihort Memorial, to put you in mind how to carry your feif in this forrowful time. I will do it willingly ; the more, be- caufe with one and the feme labour, I ft j all both fetisfie you, and recoi¬ led: my own thoughts alio, to the ' «like lif! a like performance of mine own duty, ? " and bethinking my felf how I might ,, " beft accomplifh it, there came to my J,J " mind that fliort Rule of our Life, 1 " which the Apoftle mentions in his *!« gpjflje t0 fit us, and whereof you . have been a diligent hearer in the " School of Grace, where he reduceth the whole pra£bice of Chriftianity un- ® a to three Heads, of living Soberly, jujkr >ly , and Godly ; This laft directing )" our carriage towards God, the midlo- " moft towards our Neighbour, and " the foremoft towards our Selves Now finoe this is a dire&ion for our ." whole Life, it feems to me that we iiu have no more to do at any time, but u to conn this Lelfon more perfe&ly, " with lome particular application of " fuch parts of it, as are moft fuitable to the prelent occafions. And as to a Sobriety firft , ( under which the : I am iia Vertues of Humility, Modefty, Tem- iri Off " perance, Chaftity, and Contented- y0U I" nefs are contained ) fince this is a uiiiiif" time, wherein, as the Prophet faith, ;[orrog a The Lord of Hofts callcth to weeping , fjgjjn "and, mourning, and pulling off the Hair, |je u and girding with Sack-cloth , you ■ J " fhall, by my advice, conform your ''jV i "felf to thole, that by the Hand of O " God d lie LIFE OJ " God fuffer fucli things. Let your ap- C( parel and Drefs be mournful, as I " doubt not but that your Mind is; your " Dyet fparing and courfe, rather than " full arid liberal * frame your felf to u the i'ndifferency, whereof the Apoftle " fpeaketh, In whatfoever JIate you (hall " bey therewith to he content \ to be full, " and to be hungry; to abound and to " want. Remember now that which u is the Lot of others, you know not " how foon it may be your own. Learn u to defpile, and defie, the vain and " falfly called wealth of this World, u whereof you now fee, wehavefaca- u fual and uncertain a polfeflion. " This for Sobriety, the firft part a of the Lelfon pertaining to your " felf. rt Now for Juftice, which refpeQs a others ( and containeth the Vertues of " Honour to Superiors , difcreet and u equal government of Inferiors, peace- " ablenefs to all, Meeknefs, Mercy, a juft dealing in matters of getting and " {pending, Gratitude, Liberality, juft " Speech anddefires ) God's Judgments u being in the Earth, the Inhabitants of " the World fhould learn Righteouf- a nefi, as the Prophet fpeaketh: Call " to ?' Ill Bijbop B E D E L L. *95 4 r| rnie m <4 44 'W Jt to atapj 'DOWtkl •j you k your oi ie, tbi of this' V# taining i [nferior^ Likei oftjij elpi un Sif fpeafat a to mind therefore and bethink you, "if in any of thefe you have failed, and turn your Feet to God's Teftimo- nies ) certainly thefe times are fuch, " wherein you may be affii&ed, and " fay with the Pfalmift, Horronr hath " taken hold of me, and Rivers of Tears u run down mine Eyes, hecaufe they keep not thy Laws. Rebelling againft Su- " periors, Mifleading, not only by Ex- u ample, but by Compulfion, Inferiors, a laying their Hand to them, that were " at peace with them, uiljuftly fpoiling " and unthankfully requiting, thofe that u had fhewed them kindnefs, no Faith u nor Truth in their Promifes; judge " by the way, of the School that teach- u eth Chrift thus ; are thefe his doings ? u as for thofe that fuffer, I am well aft u fiired, I fhall not need to inform you, " or ftir you up to mercy and compaffl- " on. That which is done in this kind, li is done to Chrift himfelf, and fhall be " put upon account in your reckoning," " and rewarded accordingly at his glori- " ous appearance, " The laft and principal part of our "Leffon remains, which teacheth how " to behave our felves Godly, or religi- " oufly ; (to this belong, Firft, the O 2 " Duties The Life of " Duties of Gods inward Worfhip, as " Fear, Love, and Faith in God; then "outward, as Invocation, tlj^holy ufe " of his Word and Sacraments, Name " and Sabbaths ). The Apoftle makes " it the whole End and Work for which " we were let in this World, to feek the " Lord j yet in publick affliction, we " are fpecially invited thereto, as it is " written of Jehofbaphat, when a great " multitude came to invade him, He a fet his Face to feek the Lord, and cxl- " led the people to a folemn fafi: So " the Church profelfeth in the Prophet " Ifaiahy In the way of thy Judgments " Lord we have waited for thee, the de- " fire of our Soul is to thy Name, and " to the remembrance of thee. With my " Soul have I defired thee in the Night, cc yea with my Spirit within me will I feek " thee early. In this publick Calamity " therefore it is our duty, to turn to "himthat fmitethus: and to humble " ourielves under his mighty Hand, to " conceive a reverend ana Religious fear " towards him, that only, by turning " away his countenance, can thus trou- " ble us, againft that of Man, which "can do no more but kill the Bo- "dy. "Again, ECf itkinfc ion, dji world, tot ickafii 1 thereto, i k} wkii invade t" tk Lor I, i foltm | iiatki totlijm of tk I mblicit uty, ail and to t ajltji nljjtfl its a (Bifliof) Bedell. " Again, to renew e>ur love to our u heavenly Father, that now offereth " himlelf to us, as to Children, and to u give a proof of that Love that we u bear to our Saviour, in the keeping " of his Sayings, hating in companion " of him, and competition with him, u Father, ]VIother, Children, Goods, " and Life it lelf; which is the condi- " tion, and proof of his Dilciples ; and u above all to receive, and to re-inforce u our Faith and Affiance, which is now " brought unto the tryal of the fiery " Furnace,and of the Lions Den; O that " it might be found to our honour,praife, " and glory, at the appearing of Jefus u Chrift. In the mean Ipace, even " now, let us be partakers of ChrilFs " Sufferings, and hear him from Hea- u ven encouraging us, Be thou faithful u unto Death, and I mil vive thee a Crown V 1 i I'tt-m IS «r ii;:a F*.J : '"l Iflli iiiii ftlfel v#fe ti wis 3 m 200 Tk Life of " That" there is any Purgatory be- " fides Chrift's Blood. " That our good Works can merit " Heaven. " That the Saints hear our Prayers, " and know our Hearts. "That Images are to be wor- " fhipped, " That the Pope is Infallible, and " can command Angels. " That we ought to pray to the Dead, " and for the Dead. " In all thefe notwithftanding, you " may profefs your teachablenefs, if " by found Reafons out of God's Word, " you lhall he convinced of the truth " of them : And becaufo we know not " how far it will pleafe God to call us to 44 make refiftance againft fin, whether ** unto Blood it folf, or no; it lhall be " Wildomforus to prepare our felves " to the lafl: care of a godly life, which "is to dye Godly. This the Apojlle " PhhI calleth, Sleeping in im- " plying thereby our Faith in him, " our being found in his Work, and " our committing our Souls into his " Hands with peace ; fiich a fweet " and Heavenly Sleep was that of S. $te- " pheny whole lafl: Words for himfelf "were, Bedell. 201 j 3 " were, Lord Je/us receive my Spirit, * J " and for his Tormentors, Lord lay not ,0^ti"this fin to their charge; wherewith 1 ." I will end this Writing, and wilh to ^W«end my life, when the will of God : \ " fhall be, to whole gracious prote&i- ire ^ kf on ( dear Sifter ) I do heartily com- . T „ " mit you. 15 lull %k )prajtOt;Novembcr d 'itiani| teachabk Thefe Advices fhewin what temper >ut of God's that holy Man was in this his extremi- nced of 4 ty. They had a very good effedt on the aiifewcfc Lady; for as by reading them over very EGodtoc often, Ihe got to be able to lay them all iuft i without Book,lo llie did that which was ,rn0j jj much more, fhe lodged them in her qm w heart, as well as in her memory. While jodlj'l, this good Man was now every day wait-- litis- f°r his Crown, the Rebells lent to • -fr-fy him,defiring him to dilmils the company that was about him ; but he refilled'to jjjj ^ obey their cruel order, and he refolved Sjjjis to live and dye with them ; and would |U j much more willingly have offered him- rast|at0{ felf to have dyed for them, than have I accepted of any favour for himlelf, Hi v from The Life of from which they fihould be fliut out. And when they lent him word, That though they loved and honoured him beyond all the EngUjh that -ever came into Ire¬ land, becaufe he had never done wrong to any, but good to many, yet they had received orders from the Council of State at Kjlleenny, that had alfumed the government of the Rebells, that if he would not put away the people, that had gathered about him, they fhould take him from them; he laid no more, but in the Words of David and S. Paul, Here I am, the Lord do unto me as [ems good to htm, the will of the Lord be done: So on the eighteenth of December they came and feized on him, and on all that belonged to him, and carried him, and his two Sons, and Mr. Clogy prifbners to the Caftle of Lochwater, the only place of ftrength in the whole County. It was a little Tower in the midft of a Lake, about a Mufquet fhot from any Shoar : And though there had been a little Wand about it anciently, yet the Water had fb gained on it, that there was not a foot of Ground above Water, but only the Tower it felf. They dif¬ fered the Prisoners to carry nothing with them ; for the Titular Bifhop took pof- ieffioii of all that belonged to the Bi¬ fhop, Bijhop Bedell. 203 (hop, and (aid Mafs the next Lords day , ^ ! in the Church. They let the Bifhop ® on Horfeback, and made the other Pri- erc^ijoners go on foot by him ; And thus ^ he was lodged in this Caftle, that was iailI) 1% ftioft miferable dwelling. The Caftle J'1 thad been in the hands of one Mr. Cul- who, as he had the keeping of the ^MTort truftedtohim, (b he had a good disallowance for a Magazine to be laid up ]jni) fc in it, for the defence of the Country: fe faidi; But he had not a pound of Powder, nor W t one fixt Mulquet in it, and he fell under immmthe juft punifhment of the negleQ: of 'tkU: his truft,for he was taken the fir ft day of i of Dm the Rebellion, and was himfelf made a in, audi: prifoner here. All but the Bifhop were at carriedk firft clapt into Irons, for tlie Irijh that r, were perpetually drunk, were afraid left: Mtr} they Ihould feife both on them and on fiewholcC the Caftle. Yet it pleafed God fb far to intlieni: abate their fury, that they took off*their etJiotf- Irons, and gave them nodifturbance in ketaf the Worfhip of God, which was now M(F f all the comfort that was left them. The M j Houfe was extreamly open to the wea- ther, and ruinous: and as the place was l| j bare and expofed, fb that Winter was rrrnoffc vcrY ftvere \ which was a great addi- gp J tion to the mifery of thofe that the Re- L bels had ftript naked, leaving to many 5 - _ • not t i.J . ■ JM i i' ■ I- ••,»%. v pvi,? 204 Tk Life 0/ i "'1^ h/ H ?|!l ? W' Vi. :liii If not fo much as a Garment to cover their nakednels. But it pleafed God to bring .another Prilbner to the lame Dungeon, that was of great ufe to them, one Richard Caftledine, who had come over a poor Carpenter to Ireland with no¬ thing but his Tools on his back, and was firft imployed by one Sir Richard Wa/> dron in the carpentry work of a Caftle, that he was building in the Parifh of Cavan: But Sir Richard wafting his Eftate before he had finished his Houfe, and afterwards leaving Ireland, God had lb bleft the induftry of this Caftledm, during Thirty years labour, that he bought this Eftate, and having only Daughters, he married one of them, out of gratitude, to Sir Richard s young- eft Son, to whom he intended to have given the Eftate that was his Fathers: He was a Man of great vertue, and a- bounded in good Works, as well as in exemplary Piety; he was lo gpod a Husband that the Iriflj believed he was very rich ; lo they prelerved him, hoping to draw a great deal of Mo¬ ney from him; He being brought to this milerable Prifon, got lome Tools and old Boards, and fitted them upas well as was poffible, to keep out the Weather, The Keepers of the Prifon brought I ;fhoj ©//7;o/> bedell. 205 ftenttot brought their Priloners abundance of bfeJC^Provifion, but left them to drefs it for themfelves > which they that knew lit- tfetofetle what belonged to Cookery were ^otiaitiglad to do in fuch a manner as might ) Mdpreferve their lives; and were all of ttfe^them much fupported in their Spirits, le SirfcThey did not luffer as evil doers, and were not alhamed of the Crols of Chrift ; but rejoyced in God in the Ari|tmidft of all their affli&ions ; and the itvi Biftiop took joyfully the (poiling of gfeU(his Goods, and the reftraint of his per- 3 ten, comforting hirnlelf in this, That thele light affli&ions would quickly work for him a more exceeding and C1 eternal weight of Glory. The day af¬ ter his imprifonment, being the Lord's in.Jiday, he preached to his little flock on the Epiftle for the day, which let be¬ fore them the pattern of the humility , andfufferingsof Chrift; and on Chrift- mas day he preached on Gal. 4. 4^ j " and adminiftred the Sacrament to the r ^finall Congregation about him ; their 1F11{Keepers having been lo charitable as to at ^ fUmifh them with Bread and Wine, r And on the 26th. of December Mr. Wil- ®ham Bedell, the Bifhop's eldeft Son, preached on S. Stephens laft Words, ff which afforded proper matter for their "j . ' meditation, jf nf* ! r ■ '1 ? t 1 If A 206 The Life meditation, who were every day in ex- pe&ation when they fhould be put to give fuch ateftimony of their Faith, as that firft Martyr had done: And on die iecond of January, which was the Lift Sunday of their irnprifonment, Mr.C/e- gy preached on S.Luke 2. 32, During all their religious exercifes, their keepers never gave them any diftur- bance; and indeed they carried lb gen¬ tly towards them, that their natures feemed to be fb much changed, that it lookt like a fecond Hopping the mouths of Lions. They often told the Bifhop, that they had no perfbnat quarrel to him, and no other caule to be lb fevere to him, but becaule he was an man. But while he was in this difinal Pri- fbn, fbme of the Scots of that County, that had retired to two Houfes, that were ftrong enough to refift any thing but Cannon, and were commanded by Sir James Craig, Sir Francis Hamilton> and Sir Arthur Forker, now Lord Gre- mrd, finding themfelves like to fiiffer more by hunger, than by the Siege that was laid to them, made fb refolute a Sally upon the frifb, that they killed fe- veral, took ibme Prifoners, and difper- fed the reft, fb that many Months paf- fed 'Bip^op Bedell. 207 pitied before they offered to befiege them Wit any more. Among their Prifoners four '"tiltti;'were Men of confiderable filtered; fo k: fethey treated an exchange of them for WiUfthe Bifliop, with his two Sons and m^iMr. Clogy; which was concluded, and k 1, jithe Priloners were delivered on both Keaifides on the 7 tb.of "January: but though ta Htlie Ir/jb promifed to fuller the Bifliop baiiswith the other three to go fife to Dub- 4 fa lin,yet they would not let them go out clam of the Country, but intended to make )pj°t|furtlier advantage by having them ftill mto|,iamong them ; and fo they were differed mlorf0 §°t0 £'ie Houfe of an Minifter, Denis 0 S here den, to whom fbme re- mdpecf was fhewed, byreafonof hisex- ' tra&ion, though lie had forfiken their ^..Religion, and had married a (.'MWoman: he continued firm in his Re- ' n' -ligion, and relieved many in their extre- ' jjOiity. Here the Bifliop fpent the few ^remaining dayes of his Pilgrimage, ha- wing his latter end lo full in view, that '®khe leemed dead to the World and every 1 "thing in it, and to be hafting for the ® "looming of the Day of God. Dmiiw Ahe lalt Sabbaths of his life, though *jktliere were three Minirters prefint, he lt®!,:rcad all the Prayers and Lelfons himfilf, ®>,f find like wife preached on all thole days. ,f0 on I i ao8 T?;e Life 0/ r M'r pi< J w11111 I "J; I ft L[ | lain ■flif ipi On the 9th. of January he preached on the whole 44th. Pfalrn, being the firft of the Pfelms appointed for that day,and very (iiitable to the miferies the Englijb were then in, who were killed all day long, as Sheep appointed for Meat. Next Sabbath, which was the 16th. he preached on the 79. Pfalm, the firft Pfalm for the day, which runs much on the like Argument, when the Temple was defiled, and Jerufalem was laid on heaps, and the dead Bodies of God's fer- vants were given to be meat to the Fouls of Heaven , and their Flefh to theBeafts of the Earth, and their blood was flhediike Water, and there was none to bury them. Their condition being fo like one another, it was very proper to put up that Prayer, 0 re- member not againfl us, former iniquities: Let thy tender mercies fpeedily prevent us, for rve are brought very low. Toge¬ ther with the other. Let the fighingof the Prifoner come before thee, according to the greatnefs of thy power, preferve thou thofe that are appointed to dye. On the 2 3d. he preached on the laft ten Verfes of the 71. Pfalm, obferving the great fitnefs tha,t was in them to exprefs his prefent condition, efpeciaily inthefe Words, 0 God thou hafi taught me from w) fBifhop Bedell. Sfe my yduth, and hitherto have 1 declared eifor^ thy wonderous works : now alfo when I ar% niferiestle' ? anc^ £ra? beaded, for fake me not. lot ||j' And 011 the 30th. which was the laft Minted t" Lord's *n 'ie ftrength enough to preach, he preached on the po : 144. Pfalm, the firft appointed for that xifday, and when became to the Words in when tHthe feventh Verfe, which are alio re- n !„ peatcd in the eleventh Verft, Send thine , r fhand from above, rid me and deliver me ^^out of great Watersfrom the hand of njtiieigrange Children , whofe mouth fpeaketh , ,. vanity, and whofe right-hand is a right '' an, 'hand of faljh00d. He repeated them r'a? 'again and again , with (o much zeal h«and affeQ-_[on ^ t[iat; [t appeared how ^ -' much he was haftirig to the day of God, it ftf and that his Heart was crying out, Come fom L0rdjefus come quickly fow longjjow longf f Irfznd he dwelt lo long upon them, with 10 wflk-manyfighs, that all the little aflembly a- Lct bout him melted into Tears,and lookt on rtk this as a prefage of his approaching dif- :fm, Solution. And it proved too true, for nitlnhe day after, hefickned; which on the on tkifecond day after appeared to be an Ague, r, ofeand on the fourth day he apprehending themtochis fpeedy change, called for his Sons,, pdfend his Sons Wives, and fpake to them v P at 21 o 77; £ Life of at feveral times, as near in thefe Words their memories could ferve them to write them down fbon after. " I am going the way of all flefh, I u am now ready to be offered up, and " the time of my departure is at hand: " knowing therefore that Chortly I mull " put off this Tabernacle, even as our " Lord Jefus Chrift hath fhewed me, u I know alfo that if this my earthly " Houie of this Tabernacle were dif- u folved, I have a building of God, an " Houfe not made with Hands, eternal " in the Heavens, a fair Manfion in the " N ew Jcruf tlem, which cometh down " out of Heaven from my God. There- " fore to me to live is Chrift, and to " dye is gain ; which encreafeth my de- " fire,even now to depart,and to be with " Chrift, which is far better, than to " continue here in all the tranfitory, " vain, and falfe pleafiires of this world, " of which I have feen an end. Hear- " ken therefore unto the laft Words of " your dying Father ; I am no more in " this W or Id, but ye are in the W orld; " I afcend to my Father and your Fa- " ther,to my God and your God,through " the all-fufiicient merits of Jefus Chrift fBiJhop Bedell, hi erv^ ink "my Redeemer ; who ever lives to " make interceftion for me, who is a " propitiation for all my fins, and wafti- " ed me from them all in his own Blood " who is worthy to receive Glory and " Honour, and Power, who hath cre- " -ated all things, and for whole pleafure " they are and were created. " My witnels is in Heaven, and my " record on high , That I have endea- " voured to glorifie God on Earth, and " in the Miniftry of the Gofpel of his "dear Son, which was committed to " my truft; I have finilhed the Work, " which he gave me to do, as a faith- " ful Embalfadour of Chrift, and Stew- " ard of the myfteries of God. I have " preached Righteoufiiels in the great " Congregation : lo I have not refrained " my Lips, O Lord, thou know eft. I " have not hid thy righteoufiiels within " my heart, I have declared thy faithful-' "nels, and thy Salvation; I haVe not "concealed thy loving kindnels, and " thy truth from the great Congrega- " tion of mankind. He is near that ju- " ftifieth me, That I have not conceal- " ed the Words of the holy one ; but " the Words that he gave to me, I have " given to you, and ye have received " them. I had a defire and relblution P 2 a to 212 The Life of " to walk before God (inevery ftation " of my pilgrimage, from my youth up " to this day ) in truth and with ail up- " right Heart, and to do that which was " upright in his Eyes, to the utmoft of " my power ; and what things were "gainto me formerly, thefe things I " count now lofs for Chrift; yea doubt- "lefs, and I account all things but lofs " for the excellency of the kno wledgeof " Jefus Chrift my Lord; for whom I " have fuffered the lofs of all things, and " I account them but Dung, that I may " win Chrift, and be found in him, not " having my own righteoufiiefs, which " is of the Law , but that which is " through the Faith of Chrift , the "righteoufiiefs which is of God by " Faith ; that I may know him, and " the power of his Refurreftion, and " the fellowfhip of his fufferings, being " made conformable unto his Death, I " prefs therefore towards the mark, for " the price of the high Calling of God " in Jefus Chrift. " Let nothing feparate you from the "love of Chrift, neither tribulation nor " diftrels, nor perlecution, nor famine, " nor nakednefs, nor peril, nor Sword; " though ( as ye hear and fee ) for his " fake we are killed all the day long, " we tiijf- " < of innocency,and Palms in their Hands 4 in fign of Victory; which came out rdstliei*4 of great tribulation, and have wafhed ;hCipu their Robes, and made them white in " the Blood of the Lamb. They fhall iteyoufecC-hunger no more, nor thirft, nei- tlier fhall the Sun light on them, or on, norii and thole that flood about him, in an T) audible Voice, in thele Words. " God o{pft « of his infinite mercy blels you all, and ■Wf " prefent you holy, and unblameable, pf "and unreproveable in his fight, that 1 / we may meet together at the right- 21 "Hand of our blelfed Saviour Jefus I P 4 " Chrift, V" ' . H • r H r . , .' .f-':''': ■ * ■ t he I / ; 1 ■ r h ■ M ■*> • • to teJj UK 'i > ' 1 ft iiiiPi II! u a a The Life of a Chrifl, with joy unfpeakable and full " of glory, Amen. To which he added thefe Words, " I have fought a good a fight, I have finilhed the courfe of my Miniftry and life together. Though grievous Wolves have entered in a- mong us, not fparing the Flock; yet a I trull the great Shepherd of his Flock a will fave and deliver them out of all " places, where they have been fcatter- u ed in this cloudy and dark day; that " they fhall be no more a prey to the " Heathen, neither fhall the Beafts of u the Land devour them ; but they fhall u dwell fafely, and none fhall make them " afraid. O Lord, I have waited for a thy Salvation. And after a little in¬ terval, he faid, "I have kept the Faith once given to the Saints; for the which " caufe I have alio fuffered thefe things; " but I am not afliamed^ for I know " whom I have believed, and I am per- " fwaded that he is able to keep that " which I have committed to him a- "gainft that day. After this time he {poke little; for as his ficknefs encreafed, his Speech failed , and he flumbered out moll of the time, only between hands it appeared that he was cheerfully waiting for his change ; which at laft came about Midnight on the y/A. of Fe¬ bruary Bijhop Bedell, 1" ' bruary, that he fell afleep in the Lord,and ; V entred into his reft, and obtained his jjS* Crown, which in fome fort was a Crown of Martyrdom ; for no doubt piier, tjie pacj weight of forrow, that lay upon Ke ^ his Mind, and his ill ufage in his Impri- ^ fonment, had much haftened his death; TMo[| ^ncj foQ fuffered more in his mind by rtemt what he had lived to hear and foe thefo web laft fifteen Weeks of his Life, than he d drift could have done, if he had fallen by the Wapiti Sword, among the firft of thofe that lalltkl felt the rage of the Irijh. His Friends m; hi went about his Burying; and fince that leHi could not be obtained, but by the new [ben intruding Bifhop's leave , Mr. Clogy 1 afteral and Mr. S here den went to ask it, and arckpti Mr. Dillon was prevailed with by his its;fori Wife, to go and focond their defire. bdtli They found the Bifhop lying in his own ^ fori Vomit, and law a lad change in that | aujji Houfe, which was before a Houfe of )fetok Prayer, and of Good Works ; but was ynow a Den of Thieves, and a Nell of uncleannels. The Bifhop, when lie was awakened out of his Drunkennels, j j,£ j: excepted a little to it, and laid, The Church-Yard was holy Ground, and ^ was no more to be defiled with Here- ,!v! tick's Bodies; yet he confented to it at ij, Loft. So on the oth. of February he was ^ •• V 7 buried 21 8 The Life of buried according to the direction himfelf had given, next his Wife's Coffin. The Irijh did him unufual honours at his Bu¬ rial, for the chief of the Rebells ga¬ thered their Forces together, and with them accompanyed his Body from Mr- S here dens Houle to the Church¬ yard of Kjlmore, in great folemnity, and they delired Mr. Clogy to bury him according to the Office prefcribed by the Church ; but though the Gentlemen were lb civil as to offer it, yet it was not th ght aciviieable to provoke the Rab¬ ble 10 much, as perhaps that might have done; lb it was paft over. Butth difcharged a V olley of Shot at his In¬ terment, and cryed out in Latin, qmefcat in face ultimas Anglorumy Ms] the lajl of the Englifh reft in peace : for they had often laid, That as they eftee- med him the beft of the Bilhops, fo he ffiould fee the laft that Ihould be left among them. Thus lived and dyed this excellent Bifhop; in whom lb many of the great- eft Characters of a Primitive and Apo- ftolical Bifhop did fhew themfelves fo eminently, that it leemed fit that he fhould ftill fpeak to the World, though dead, both for convincing the unjuft enemies of that venerable Order, and bishop Bedell. up ®icj for the inftruction of thofethat fucceed Iliim in it; fince great Patterns give the ti eafieft notions of eminent Vertues, and teach in a way that has much more au¬ thority with it than all Ipeculative Di£ j courfes can poflibly have. And as the Lives of the Primitive Chriftians were a fpeaking Apology for their Religion, as well as a directionto thofethat grew 'Si UP' ^ ^iS t0 h°Ped that the Iblemn ntj yetn though filent language of lb bright an Example will have the defired elfebt i both wayes: And then my Author will 1.7; have a noble reward for his Labours. To { m "; this I fhall add a little of his Character. ')lD!." He was a tall and graceful perfbn; j" 'J1 there was lomething in his looks and ' p1" carriage that difcovered what was witli- f"? in, and created a veneration for him. Ire j|e jjacj an quaffefted Gravity in his De- fff portment, and decent Simplicity in his tffli i)refs ancl Apparel. He had a long and broad Beard; for my Author ne¬ ver faw a Razor pals upon his Face, if® His grey Hairs were a Crown to him, both for Beauty and Honour. His Strength continued firm to the laft; lb that the Week before his laft ficknels, he lov walked about as vigoroufly and nimbly n$tki as any of the Company, and leapt over Mr a broad Ditch; lo that his Sons were amazed 220 Tlx Life of amazed at it, and could fcarce follow him. His Eyes continued fo good, that he never ufed Spe&acles, nor did he fiiffer any decay in any of his natural Powers, only by a fall in his Childhood hef had contracted a deafnefs in his left Ear. He had great Strength and Health of Body, except that a few years before his death, he had fome fevere Fits of the Stone, that his fedentary courfe of life feemed to have brought on him, which he bore with wonderful patience. The beft Remedy that he found for it was to dig in his Garden till he had very much heated him{elf,by which he found a mi¬ tigation of his Pain. He took much pleafure in a Garden, and having brought over fome curious Inftruments out of Italyj for Racemation, Engraft¬ ing, and Inoculating, he was a great Mafter in the ufe of them. His Judgment and Memory, as they were very extraordinary, fo they re¬ mained with him to the laft. He al- wayes preached without Notes, but often writ down his Meditations after he had preached them. He did not af- fefl: to flhew any other learning in his Sermons, but what was proper for opening his Text, and clearing the dif¬ ficulties in it; which he did by com- f Bifbop Bedel l. 221 fat! paring the Originals with the mofi: an- % cient Verfions. His Stile was clear and I not; full, but plain and fimple ; for he ab- oftt horred all affe&ations of pompous Rhe- .hisCt torick in Sermons, as contrary to the tneft fimplicity of Chrift. His Sermons did igtfal: all drive at the great defign of infufing Hps':hi the Hearts of his Hearers right ap- m\: prehenfions and warm thoughts of the f cH great things of the Chriftian Religion ; onfe which he did with lo much the more patiena authority, becaufe it appeared that he ujfc was much moved himfelf with thole yw things that he delivered to others. He was always at work in his Study, when He tithe affairs of his Funftion did not lead him out of it. In which his chief im- '0i]S[D| ployment was the Rudy of the Text inontof the Scripture. He read the He- je 'brew and the Septuagint lo much, that ] " they were as familiar to him as the ' Englijh Tranflation. He read every , jj ■ Morning the Pfalms appointed by the ... . Common Prayer for the day in Hebrew; . y.' or if his Son, or any other that was 7 skilled in the Hebrew, was' prefent, he read one Verle out of the Hebrew, 3 J; turning it into Latin , and the other ^ read the next, andfo by turns till they f-.i went through them. He had gathered * a vaft heap of critical Expofitions of >Yhi ■ t i . "J: V V. -f i* *■% • f | f ffylf 'I;'!'*Y'lf m0 " II JW» Ittii km A ■);;• . 1 i ;■ ,ip iijr ' m m MM—iar 2 22 TkLlFEof Scripture. All this, with his other Manufcripts, of which there was a great Trunk full, fell into the Hands of the Irifh. He had writ very learned Paraphrafes and Sermons on all thofe parts of Scripture that were prefcribed to be read in the fecond Service, but all thefe are loft. His great Hebrew Ma- nufcript was happily refcued out of the hands of thole devourers of all facred Things, and is to this day preferred in the Library of Emmanuel Colledge: for an Ir?Jhmanywhom he had converted, went among his Country Men and brought out that and a few other Books to him. Every day after Dinner and Supper, there was a Chapter of the Bible read at his Table, wholbever were prelent,Pro- teftants or Papifts, and Bibles were laid down before every one of the Company, and before himfelf either the Hebrew or Greek, and in his laft years the Iriflj Tranllation was laid, and he ufually explained the difficulties that occur¬ red. He writ many Books of Contro- verfie ; which was chiefly occafioned by the engagements that lay on him, to labour much in the converlion of perlbns of the Roman Communion; and the knowledge he had of that Church, E ' Bijboj) Bedell. 225 SvJicu Church, and their way of Worfhip, J^! by what he had leen and obferved while he was at Venice y railed in him a great " 1 zeal againft their corruptions. He not only looked on tliatChurch asldolatrous, . ic ; but as the Antichriftian Babylon; con- cerning which S. John law all thole Vi- fions in the Revelation: And of this the • Sermon?out of which I have made lome 1 extra&s, gives Evidence. He writ a I large Treatifein anlwer to thole two ; Queftions, in which the Miflionaries of II that Communion triumph lo much, jMjf) where xvas our Religion beforeVuthcryand uWfit what became of our Ancejlors that dyed tn Popery ? Archbifhop Vfljer preft him to Herffi have printed it, and he had relblved )M to do it, but that, with all his other raps Works, was Iwallowed up in the Re- dlli' bellion. He kept a great correlpondence, At not only with the Divines of England, lertkS but with many others over Europe ; for lp he writ both Latin and Italian very and ft elegantly. He was vTery free in his con- ties .4 verfation, but talked leldome of indif- xfcoii ferent matters, he exprelfed a great mo- tyc defty of Spirit, and a moderation of at'laf temper in every tiling he [poke, and j (Ob? his DilcOurle ftill turned to lome what (ji that made his company uleful and in- y ftrjfting. He Ipoke his own thoughts very ; u ffr ■ • V' 41 i mm f;i 224 Tbe Life of very plainly, and as he bore well with the freedom of others, lb he took all the difcreet liberty that became a Man of his Age and ftation, and did not ftick to tell even the Learned and Worthy Primate L^r,fuch things as he thought were blame-worthy in him, and with the fame fincerity he fhewed him fome critical miftakes that he met with in fbme of his Works. They were very few, and not of any great importance; but they did not agree with the Pri¬ mates exaTnels in other things, andfo he laid them before him; which the other took from him with thatkindnefs and humility that was natural to him. His Habit was decent and grave; he wore no Silk, but plain Stuffs ; the fur¬ niture of his Houfe was not pom¬ pous nor fuperfluous, but neceflary for common ufe, and proper. His Table was well covered , according to the plenty that was in the Country, but there was no luxury in it. Great refort was made to him, and he obferved a true hofpitality in Houfe-keeping. Many poor Irijh families about him were maintained out of his Kitchin: And in the Chriftmafi time, he had the Poor always eating with him at his own Table ; and he brought himlelf to en¬ dure 'if! Bijbofi Bedell." 1£b,- dure both the fight of their Rags, fofet; and their rudenefs: He was not for- fflti' ward to Ipeak, and he expreffed him- auliijfelf in very few Words in publickcom- $ m! panics. Atpublick Tables he ufually ingsaskjiat,filent. Once at the Earl of n tin! ford's Table,one oblerved, That while ;|tK;they were all talking, he laid nothing. ibtnfi'So the Primate anfwered, Broach him, '[t and you will find good liquor in him ; t^jjUpon which that perlon propoled a ^. queftion in Divinity to him, and in 1£[t anfwering it the Bilhop fhewed both his own fufficiency lo well, and pulled the !other lb much, that all at Table, ex¬ cept the Bilhop himlelf, fell a laugh¬ ing at the other. The greatnels of his mind, and the undauntednels of his Spirit on alloccafions has appeared very ' evidently in many of the palfages of his life ; but though that height of *'• mind is often accompanied with a great •; mixture of Pride, nothing of that ap- c fe. peareci in t|ie Bilhop. He carried him- it, Gi - £ elf towards all people with fuch a gaining humility, that he got into their ^Hearts: He lived with his Clergy as if out they had been his Brethren: When he fit went his Vifitations, he would not ac- k\ikccpt of the Invitations that were made m i; him by the great Men of the Country, Q_ , but The L I F E 0 f but would heeds eat with his Brethren iii fuch poor Inns, and of fuch courle fare, as the places afforded. A perfonof Quality, that had prepared an entertain¬ ment for him during his Vifitation,took his refufmg it fo ill, that whereas the Bifhop promiled to come and fee him after Dinner; as foon as he came near his Gate, which was handing open, it was prelently fhut, on defign to affront him, and he was kept half an hour knocking at it: the affront was vifible, and when fome would have had him go away, lie would not do it, but fold, They will hear e re long. At laft the Mafter came out, and received him with many fhews of civility, but he made a very fhort vifit, and though the rudenefs he met with prevailed not on him, either to relent it, or to go away upon it, yet it appeared that he under- ftood it well enough. He avoided all a deflations of ft ate or greatnefs in his carriage : He went about always on foot, when he was at Dublin, one Ser¬ vant only attending on him, except on publick occafions, that obliged him to ride in Froceflion among his Bre¬ thren. He never kept a Coach: for his ftrength continued lo entire' that he was alwayes able to ride on Horleback: He E Bijhop Bedell. » He avoided the affeftations of humility :'.; j as well as of Pride; the former flowing ^ often from the greater pride of the two, and amidft all thofe extraordinary Ta- ' l 1 lents, with which God had blefl: him, 14 it never appeared, that he overvalued himfelf, nor defpifed others; that he 1454 a/fumed to himfelf a DiCfcatqrfhip, or va ™: was impatient of contradiction. He '0D% took an ingenious device to put him in 5 ®f mind both of his Obligations to purity lealironti ancj humility: It was a flaming Cru- odd It cible with this Motto in Hebrew, Take i not dot from me all my Tin. The Word in He- '% brew that fignifies Tin, was Bedil. This , aalitt imported that he thought that every of civifc thing in himfelf was but bale alloy, and tit, 2 therefore he prayed that God would cleanfehim from it. His great humi- kit, on lity made the fecreter parts of his good- saitdtb neft, as to his private walking with ill, fti God, lefs known, except as they ap- : orgroct peared in that bell and fureft indicati- itafc on of it, which his life and converfati- on gave ; yet if the Rebells had not deftroyed all his Papers, there would , have been found among them great dilcoveries of this ; for he kept a daily ptafti Journal for many years; but of what jjflg;: fort it was, how full, and how parti- cular, is only known to God; fince no Q_2 Man 8 The Li f e of Man ever faw it, unlefs fome of the Rebells found it. Though it is not probable that they would have taken the pains to examine his Papers, it being more likely that they deftroyed them all in a heap. He never thought of changing his See, or of rifingupto a more advantagious Bifhoprick, but confidered himfelf as under atyetohis See, that could not be eafily diffolved. So that when the tranflating him to a Bifhoprick in England, was propofed to him, he refilled it, and laid he Ihould be as troublelome a Bilhop in England as he had been in Ireland. It appeared he had a true and gene¬ rous notion of Religion, and that he did not look upon it fo much as aSyftem of Opinions, or a let of Forms, as a Divine Dilcipline that reforms the Heart and Life; and therefore when fbme Men were valued upon their zeal for lome lelfer matters , he had thole Words of S. Auguftim s often in his Mouth, It is not Leaves but Fruit that I feek. This was the true prin¬ ciple of his great zeal againft Popery: It was not the peevifhnels of a party, the Iburnels of a fpeculative Man, nor the concern of an interefted perfon, that wrought 011 him: But he confi- l( ftijhoj) Bedell. 229 dered the corruptions of that Church, as oil b an effe&ual courle for enervating the lis k true defign of Chriftianity ; and this he it tkrf not only gathered from Speculation, but lent;from what he law and knew, during his long abode in Italy. His Devoti¬ on in his Clojet was only known to m i him, who commanded him to pray in xealbfecret. In his Family he prayed al- iijiwayes thrice a day, in a fet Form, ( ^ though he did not read it : This he [jjy llFEf 'BtfhopBedell. 2jp 'pHijt At^ defellus omnes fupplen curet; Epif- *r» copalis procurations dimidium babe aty en tfll> condition nt Epifcopus illo Anno non vi- UBttrijfat. V. Vt fecundum prifiinam & anti- hujus Dicecefios Kjlmorenfts conjli- fwftffitutionem in trtbus ejus regionibus, tres tyitiirrDecanz fwty ab ipfiis Mini fir is ejufdem n, mk Dec an at us eligendi, qui vitam & mores bnji cleri jugi cireumfpeffione cufiodiant, & 'it in mad Epifcopum refer ant, ejufque manda- hipta accipiant, d* quoties opus erit per tdta apparitor em Dec mat us ad Compresbyteros Juos tranfmittant. piiM In quovis DecanatUy in oppido fmr ejus principalis convent us, five Capitis- tfitiltji ^um flt Minifirorum quolibet fait em Menfey ubi lechs plene public is precibus-, concionentur per vices fine longis precibus qig & proacmiis. Arfi VII. Advocationis Ec clef arum non- ' ' dum vacantium qux ad coll at i one m Epif- copi fpeclant , nemini conferantur aut confirmentiir. VIII. Poffeffiones Ecclefi£ non alie- nentur aut locentur contra Regni jura, nempe ten arum Menfahum nulla fit lo- mm * i ftrjd 0 ^ A catiOy cat to j nifi quoad Epifcopus in Sede out vita fuperfit, cater arum in plures annos, quam leges finunt , aut prioribus lo- cationibus, triennio minus nondum ex- pletis. IX. Vt Corpora defunctorum dein• ceps in Ecclefiis non humentur, fed net intra quintrum pedem a parietc extror- fum. $ X. Vt multeres in Sacrario non fe- deflnty fed infra CanceUosy & quidem a viris. XI. Vt Sacrarium in confiftorium non convert at ur, aut facra Men/a Not ar its aut Scribis fit pre pluteo- XII. Ne infuneribus mulieres liittm ant ullulatum facient. XIII. Vt Off a defunctorum tn Coeme- teriis non coacervcntur , fed tradxntur fepultura. \ , ' .... XIV. Vt matricula fity in quam re¬ fer ant ur nomina eorum qui ad f zeros or- dines admiffi funty aut infituti, aut ad- miffi ad Benefciay five ad cur am Anima- rum coaptatij clericonm item Parochiali¬ sm Bifbop Bedell. I (Of Ifj j, : um& Ludimagiftrorumj neque deinceps ad Ul lit eras t eft imorii ales in vifitationibus ex- hibendtts adigatur. XV. Ne quis Minijler Oblationes ad >r , Tuner a, Baft if mum, Euchariftiam, Nup- j^tias,poftpuerperium \ ant portionem C'and- ' nicam cuiauam locet. Itfffllll 2 XVI. Ne quis ejufmodi obi at a acer- ' be exigat, pr# 'ci figidum vefirum Uteris, in quibus Regia Majefias lafa fuerit, apponebatur minus difcrete3 15 o Tk Life of difcrete^ne quidgravius die am judex tamen indifcretus quoad rccufationem iniquo a* quiparatur.—Has oh caufts^quas omnes aut earum plurimas ego Epifcopus antedictus coram aquis arbitris verificare par at us fum ( adeoque reverendum virum Edrvar- dum Parry, S. Theologia Doctorem, ex parte me a nomino) vefir urn Tribunal, ah* Jente reverendo Prajide, vejlrafque per- fonasy tanquam mihi merito in hae caufa fufpettas, declino & recufo ad quemcunqut juris effeffum. Dublin, anno Domini i£$8. Reverendo 2JI The L 1FE 0 f qui cum c At era, omnia noftra deripuerunt, ad cxtremum, fe nece noftra eultum Deo gratum exhibit uros op in ant nr. Mihi igitur cert urn efi in divino prafidio acqui- efcere, Chriftiano homini & quidem Epi- fcopojam pene Septuagenario, Chrifii caufn, nulla mors acerb a effe pot eft, nulla non op- pet enda. Interea ft quid tibivifum fue- rit inter dicer e apud populum fub Anathe- mate ; ne deinceps, concujjis, fpoliatis, to- ties exutis vim adferant, ( mihi nempefo- li nihil pofco ) rem fades Deo gratam, tibi honorific am, populo ifti ( fit ibiobt em* per aver it) falutarem; fin minus, at fpe> rate Deum memorem. Qui te, reverend Fritter, ex animo commendo. Nov. 11. *641. Tuus in Chrifto, G. Kilmorenfis, A* j B'tfhop Bedell.; 253 »r . •R - kutii ini Jn Advertisement concerning a Char a* R [ter given by Sir Henry Wotton of F. Paul the Auth of ffj ft, r 1 "7 CT* ilik °J "ie Councli °J A rent. irn ji 1 4s, t O Ince there was fo particular a men- (£, tion made of Father Paul in the for- mer Life, I thought it would not be Hi - unacceptable to the Reader to lee a Cha- Jr rafter that was given of him by Sir Hen- j'" ry Wot ton, in a Letter that he writ from Venice to the Famous and Learn® Dr.Collings, the Kings Profeffor of Di¬ vinity in Cambridge, which is not prin¬ ted in his Remains: And therefore I hoped it would be received with theen- r, tertainment that is due to every thing Hi® that comes from Inch a Hand, and is writ on finch a Subjeft. And we may better depend on Charafters that are gi¬ ven in private Letters to Friends, than in more ltudied Elogies, where the heat either of friendfhip or Eloquence is apt to carry a Man too far; but Letters that pafs among Friends,are colder and more carelels things, and therefore they ought to be the lels lulpefted. 4 The Life of SIR, i ^Hough my Feet cannot perform that A Coun/el which I remember from fome Tran flat ion in Siracides, Teras limen feniati viri; yet J Jhould at leajt have often vifttedyou with my poor Lines i But on the other fidey while I durfl not trujl mine own conceit in the power of my pref mt infirmity, and therefore havefel- dome written to any ; I find my felfin the mean time overcharged with divers Let¬ ters from you of fwgular kindnefs, and one of them accompanied with a dainty peaceful piece : which truly I had not feen before, fo as be fides the weight of the Suh- jetf, it was welcome, even for the Grace ofnewnefs. Tet let me tell you, I could not but fomewhat wonder to fnd our Sfi- rit ual Seneca ( you know whom I mean ) among thefe Reconcilers, having read a former Treat ife of his f if my memory fail me not ) of a contrary complexion. Howfoever , let him now have his due praife with the reft, for /hewing his Chri- ftian Wifdom and Charity. But I fear, as it was antiently faid of a Roman General, That Bellum fefe alit, fo it wilt prove , though in fomewhat a different Jenfe, like wife as true of this Church- warfarey ; Bijbop Bedell. _ warfare , That the very pleafure of con- tending will foment Contention till the end of all flejb. But let me leave that Sacred Bufinefs to our well-meaning Fathers. rmi Jxd now} Sir, having a fit Mejfenger, A i and being not long after the time when ;; love-tokens ufe to pafs between Friends, let me be bold to fend you for a New- ilt I1, Tears-Gift, a certain Memorial not alto- \if/m get her unworthy of fome entertainment $r|ii under your Roof namely a true Picture fwlmyof Padre Paulo the Servite, which waf ml: jirjl taken by a Painter, whom Ifentun- jrfet to him from my Houfe, then neighbouring 1 gr this Monajlery. I have newly added there- if I lit! unto a Title of mine own conception, and f,f: had fent the Frame withal if it were p or- f- table, which is but of plain Deal coloured ft* black like the Habit of his Order. Ton fjjr have a luminous Par lor, which 1 have good caufe to remember, not only by delicate y Fare, and Freedome (the Prince of Difhes) ,'r but above all your own learned Difcourfe ; for to dine with you is to dine with many t jj; good Authors. In that Room, I befeecb you to allow it a favourable place for my jt; fake. And that you may have fomewhat to tell of him more than a bare Image, if any ^ (hall ask, as in the Table of Cebes ; I am defirous to characterize a little unto \ you 1 ^ tBiJhop Bedell ^ might often have been eafily , t'W ptly upon fuch a weakly and wearijb Body. Ujwtfl j~{e was 0f a quiet and fettled temper , 'F^ which made him prompt in his counfelsy f'r^t and anfrverSy And the fame in Conjulta- ttom which Themiftocles was in A£iiony ] Am !n as will appear unto you in a P aft age be- d if-tween him and the Prince of Condt; The F dfaid Prince in a voluntary journey toward 'dk: Rome came to Venice, where to give Minnfome vent to his own humours , he aiii Jlp would often devefl himfelf of his great- mf\ nefsy and after other lefs laudable curio- !li, dii Jities, not long before his departure, a de¬ al F fire took him to vijit the famous obfcure mh'.Servite9 to, whofe Cloy fter coming twice : Mlhe was the firft time denied to be within \ tjjgtrjkdt the fecond it was intimated,} That by rfmf/eafon of his daily admijjton to their deli- f (Am beratives in the place he could not receive wMl) the vifit of fo illuftrious a perfonage, with- p.- out leave from the Senate , which he would feekto procure. This fet a great jgjgi \ edge on the Prince, when he farv he jhould ' . confer with one participant of more than Monkifh Speculations: So after leave got- cffcten, he came the third time, and there be- ^ III ides other voluntary difcourfe ( which f it were a tyranny over you to repeat) he j :fiiini aJ[a^e^ with a queftion, enough to have , troubled any Man but himfelf and him ( r ) too, 157 n i f : , ■ H 1. • " ¥ ' ■ Jit1 j; 1# II?, Hi I fl Hi 111 f || Hit m a It Ml' 'it 5 8 The LI E E too, if aprecedent accident had not eafed him. The que (lion was this: He deH1 i ...j /.. ../j /. /• i r . i • y pr$ ra/ Z>/;» Zw 1 ! who was the true unmasked Author ' of the late Tridentine Hifiory. Tou muft know, that hut newly advert ifement ms miifj come from Rome, That the Archbifhop of Spalato being there arrived from Eng- ; land, in an interview between him and the 1 Cardinal Ludovifio, Nephew to Grego¬ ry XV, the faid Cardinal after a com- 1f jelemental welcoming of him into the Lap ^ 0/" /Z?£ Churchy told him by order from the m 1 Pope, That Z?# Holinefs would expeff from W yW/£ Recantation in Print y as an •I/; antidote againfi certain Books and Paw- f J 1 phlets, trZ^Z? Z?0 Z^df publijhed whilfi he :fi ® revolty namely his firfl Manife- > il fto e Item, Two Sermons preached at the Pf Italian Church in London, Againy a lit• y i tie Treatife intituled , Scogli. Anl fWj, lajllyy His great Volumes about Church :uP(l Regiment and C ont r over fie s : Thcfervere all named \ for as touching the Tridentine Hifioryy his Holinefsy faith the Cardi¬ nal, will not prefs you to any difavowment thereof though you have an Epifile before ufe the Original Edition, becaufe we well enough that Fryer Paulo is the Fa¬ ther of that Brat. Upon this lafi Piece of the aforefaid Advert if ement the good Father ERRATA. PAg. 79* Margent, for i. read 2. p. ioy; 1. 19. after Correction del.. p. 115". 1,1 fqr Vnderftanding r. an undertaking* p. 12 2,1,16, after Oath r. not, Lolt for B ally s Clerks %Bally p. 125?. 1.18.for 1630^1638. p. 132.I. ^.be¬ fore as V.fnch. p. 142.1. 12. for thofe Articles r. thefe Articles, p. iyo.l iy. for ther r. their, p. 206.1, 10. after carried:. themfelveSy 1. iy. for Forker l. Forbes. if A, ' Til. : • . m ■ m lUl'... mS 1 Jil® IH I 111 II lij: 41 III | i 4 1; i W: Is Iff Pi h ; r K •V Si V I , -1 • -> ' . 0,' To the moft High & Excellent PRINCE, Prince. CHARLES. I Should labour much in my excufe, even to my own Judg^ ment, of the higneft bofdneis, in daring to preient thefe Pa¬ pery to your Highnefs, if there were not fbme relieving Circumftam ces, that give me hope, it fhall not be difagreeable tQ your higher Good- nefs. There is nothing can fee the light, which hath the name of Spain in it, which feems not now proper¬ ly yours , ever fince it pleafed you to honour that Country with your prefence. And thofe very Motives to the Roman obedience, which had been reprefented unto you there , in cafe you had given way to the pror pounding them , are in thefe Letters The Epijlle Dedicatoryi ^ by his lack of Health, Nor fihould I ' have changed my relblution, but that I underftand that prefently after your* %i: Highnelfes departure from Spain, he 11 ® departed this Life. Which News, 11' though it grieve me as it ought in re¬ nt 1 fpeQ; 0f the i0{§ of my Friend, yet it ^ fomewhat contenteth me, not to have ■ ^ been lacking in my endeavour, to the - undeceiving a well-meaning man tou- ching the ftate of our differences in Re- i oati ligion; nor as I hope to have fcandali- of tki zed him in the manner of handling them. Me And conceiving thefe Copies may be of aMilome publick ufe, the more being lif- Offiii ted up above their own meannefs by lb ofel,! high Patronage, I have adventured to of til prefix yourHighnelfes name before them. ih Humbly befeeching the fame, that if ,er? iS thefe Reafbns be too weak to bear up yon I the prefumption of this Dedication, it ippofctt maybe charged upon the ftrong defire feme way toexprefs the unfpeakable joy to ri f°r your Highnelfes happy return into mi England, of one amongft many thou- felly, lands, Of your Highnejfes mofl humble ST? ' and devoted Servants, ®k: W. BedelL Bit® S THE THE CONTENTS. i. \ Letter of Mr. Waddefworth , containing his Motives to the Roman Obedience. Dated at Sevil in Spain, April i. 1615. printed as all the refl out of his ownHand-writing.p. 2 6 5. 2. Another Letter from him requi¬ ring anfwer to the former, from Madrid in Spain, April 14. 1619.' p. 282. 3. The Anfwer to the I aft Letter, Da¬ ted Aug. 5*1619. p. 284. 4. A Letter from Mr. Waddefworth upon the ^receipt of the former. From Madrid, datedOftob. 28. 1619, receiv¬ ed May 23. 1620. p. 291. 5* The Anfwer to the laft Letter, June 15.1620. p. 294. 6. A Letter from Mr. Waddefworth, from Madrid,, June 8. 1620. p.298 7. A Letter of Mr. Dr. Halls fent to Mr. Waddefworth , and returned into England with his Marginal Notes, p. 300. 5 2 8, A 8. A Letter returning it inclofed to Mr. Dr. Hall, p. 304. 9. A Letter fent to Mr. Waddefworth, together with the Examination of his Mo¬ tives, Octob. 22. 1620. p. 307. FiM 10. The Examination of the Motives14P in the firfi Letter, p. 308, L[1(1, Mk\ c The Heads of the Motives redu¬ ced unto twelve Chapters, a, rf$n I id I, .1 Chap. IV. Chap. V. Chap. ' VI. phap. v VIL The Contents. of Allegiance, p, 528, Of the fate of the* Church of England, and whether it may he reconciled with Rome. Whether the Pope be AntichriL PAULO V. VICE-DEO, OUR LORD GOD THE POPE: The Relation de moderandis titulis, with the iffue of it. p. 558, Of the fafenefs tojoyn to the Roman being confeffed a true Church by her Op- pofites. Mr. P. WottonV perverfion, printed at V enice. The Badge of Chrifis Sheep. p. 372. Of fraud and corruption in alledginj Councils, Fathers and Doffors. The fallo¬ cations imputed to Morney, Bifhop Jewel, Mr. Fox, Tyndals Tejlament: Paribus four Falfhoods in feven Lines. A tafi of the Forgeries of the Papacy. In the antient Popes Epijlles, Conftantines Do¬ nation, Gratian ; The Schoolmen and Breviaries by the complaint of the Vtnt- tun Divines, The Fathers not untouch. Nor the Hebrew Text. p. 384. Of the Armies of evident Witneffes for the Romanifls. Whence it feemsfo to the unexpert Soaldier. The Cenjure of the Centurifts touching the Dottrme of the Antients. Dan&us ofS. Auguftines opinion touching Purgatory. Anir/flance or two of Imp of are in wrefing 1er" tullian, fcf/jb k Calvi k%l p ifi IfMl I Mof jwlif, I OA H t pji feicrofts ft ». The Contents. ttflliari, Cyprian, Auguftine, p. 409. nlA Of the Invifibility of the Church faid Chap. film to be m Evafion of Protejlants- The VIII fit kPromifes made to the Church, and her 'DEO glorious Titles, how they are verified out IE f;ofS. Auguftine ; fffly apply ed to the h^whote Vifible Church, or Representative^ or the Pope, p. 422. f/ittii Of lack of Uniformity in matters of Chap. Jail Faith in all Ages and Places. What mat- IX. :od'j tors of Faith the Church holds uniformly ; 1 Ji;;, and fo the Protejlants. 0/ Wickliff Hus, cfo- whether they were Martyrs9 in in ■ 4 . P# 42&' fkii t^e original of Reformation in Lu- Chap, either, Calvin, Scotland, England. X. jm ther Kjng Henry the Eighth were a good ^ Head of the Church. Of the Reformers j) . in France and Holland. The original, ■J,growth and fupporting of the Popes Mo- narchy confidered, p. 429. UJ ,Mk 0/ Succejfion, Chap. ' , Ordinations, Orders, The XI. fabulous Ordination at the Nags-Head ex¬ amined. The Statute 8 Elizabeth. Bon- ners flighting the frfi and Or. Bancrofts anfver to Mr. Alabla- - iter. The Form of Pri if" " P;458- '• J 6' 4. Of 01 i If! i' I I i t 1 I if The Contents. Chap. Of the Conelufion. Majler Wadded jCII. worth'/ Agonies and Protejlation. The Protejlation and Refoltition of the Au¬ thor and conceipt of Mr. Waddefworth, . / and his accompty p. 481. M Cf pj/f RE THE Sal ? pw JU mi IIY- i|p| The Copies of certain Letters , THE COPIES O F Certain Letters Which have paffed between SPAIN and ENGLAND In matter of RELIGION. Salutem in Crucifixo. To the WorJJnpful, my good Friend Mr. William Bedell, &c. Air. Bedell\ MY very loving Friend: After the old plain fainion, I falute you heartily , without any new fine complements or afre&ed Phrafes. _ And by my inquiry , underftanding of this Bearer, that after your being at , you had paffed 6 Ihe Copies of certain Le t ter s. paffed to Conftantinople, and were returned to S. Edmundsbnry, inlfafety, and with health, I was exceeding glad thereof-, for I wifh you well as to my felf: and he telling me further, that to morrow, God willing, he was to depart from hence to imbark for England, and offering me to deliver my Letters, if I would write unto you, I could not omit by thefe hafty fcribled lines to fig- nifie unto you the continuance of my fin- cere love, never to be blotted out of my bread (if you kill it not with unkindnefs, like Mr. pfefh Hall) neither b^ diflance of place, nor fuccefs of time, nor difference of Religion. For ( contrary to the flanders raifea againft all, becaufe of the offences committed by fome) we are not taught by our Catholick Religion, either to diminifn our natural obligation to our native Coun¬ try, or to alter our moral affe&ion to our former friends- And although for my change becoming Catholick., I did expedt of fome Revilers to be termed rather than proved an Apftata, yet I never looked for fuch terms from Mr. EM,whom I efteemed either my Friend, or a modeller Man-, whofe flanting Epiftle I have not anfwered, becaufe I would not foil my Hands with a poetical Railer, more full with froth of Words than fub- ilance of Matter, and of whom according to his beginning, I could not expe£t any found Arguments but vain Flourilhes, and fo much, I pra^ let him know from me, if you pleafe- The fopksof certain Letters. Unto your felf, my good Friend, who do underftand better than Mr. Hall, what the Doctors in Schools do account Apoftafie, and how it is more and worfe than Herefie, I do refer both him and my felf, whether I might not more probably call him Here- tick , than he term me at the firft dafh Apoftata: But I would abftain from (uch biting Satyrs. And if he, or any other, will needs faften upon me fuch bitter terms, let them firft prove that, In all points of Faith I have fallen totally from C'hrifiian Re¬ ligion^ as did julian the Apoftata : For fo is Apoftafie defcribed and differenced from Herefie. Apofiafia efi error, hominis baptiz,a- tiy contraries Fidei Cat ho Ha ex toto : and H M I! tlli: : III it ■m. u 270 The Copies of certain Letters. vinift/, Proteflantsy of Germany^ France England &c. were all joyned together, and fhould agree all (which they never will do) to compound and determine the differences among themfelves, yet by the ordinary De¬ xtrine of moft Proteftants they might in fuch a Council err, and it were poffible in their Decrees to be deceived. But if they may err, how fhould I know and be fure when and wherein they did, or did not err? for though on the one fide,t Apojfe ad cjfe mn valet fem per confequentia, yet aliquando valet, 'and on the Other fide, fruftra diciturpotently qua nunquam ducitur in aclum. So that if neither in general nor in particular, in pub- - , lick nor private, in Head nor Members, joyntly nor feverally, you have no vifible, external, humane, infallible fudge, who cannot err, and to w hom I might have recourfefor decifion of doubts in matters of Faith, I pray let Mr. Hall tell me, Where fhould I have fixed my foot ? for God is my Wit- nefs, my Soul was like Noah's Dove, a long time hovering and defirous to difcover Land, but feeing nothing but moveable and troublefome deceivable Water, I could find no quiet center for my Confidence, nor any firm Foundation for my Faith in Proteftant Religion. Wherefore hearing a found of Harmony and Confent, That the Catholick Church could not err , and that only in the Catholick Church, as in Noah's Ark, was in¬ fallibility^ and poffibility of falvation • I was fo occafioned, and I think had important reafon, like Noalh Dove, to feek out, and to enter into :i" Tl:e Copies of certain Letters. 271 j! into this Ark^ of Noah. Hereupon I was IV. ",;f occalioned to doubt, whether the Church of '.:England were the true Church, or not ? For by confent of all, the true Church cannot ^ err 5 but the Church of England, Head and ^ Members, King, Clergy, and People, asbe- fore is faid, yea a whole Council of PrQte- 4 b ftants by their own grant may err, ergo, no ® : true Church. If no true Church, no fal- vation in it-, therefore come out of it: but that I was loth to do Rather I laboured mightily to defend it, both againft the Pu- •utn ritans, and againft the Catholicks: But the 'm: S: beft Arguments I could ufe againft the Pu- ^ticukil ritans from the Authority of the Church, and ■d nor 11:; of the ancient Doctors interpreting Scriptures lbl: againft them, when they could not anfwer juip them, they would rejed them for Popifti, km and flye to their own arrogant ipirit, by tcrsofFi which forfooth they muft control others. If is: This I found on the one fide moft abfurd,and lob to breed an Anarchy of confufion: and yet fsD^: when I came to anfwer the Catholic^ Argu- % to i » on the other fide againft Prot eft ants, Dtfflfd Urging the like Authority and Uniformity of iter, 1® the Church, I perceived the moft Prot eft ants ftp did frame evafions, in effed like thofeofthe jthinte Puritans, inclining to their private Spirited jinga (« other uncertainties. ■ theOs Next therefore I applyed my felf to fob bocii l°w their Opinion, who would make the m Church °f England and the Church of Rome 0): fldt to he all one in ejfental Points, and the IjXtf? to he accidentia I 5 COnfefting the ^ Church of Rome to be a true Church, though Tick, ...... . m fflomti zyi The Copies of certain Letters. fick, or corrupted, and the Proteftants to be derived from it and reformed: and to this end I laboured much to reconcile moft of our particular controverfies: But in truth, I found fuch contrarieties, not only between Catholicks and Proteftants, but even among Proteftants themfelyes, that I could never fettle my felf fully in this Opinion of fome reconciliation, which I know many great Scholars in England did favour. For confi- dering fo many oppofite great Points, for which they did excommunicate and put to death each other, and making the Pope to be Antichrift, proper or improper, it could ne¬ ver fink into my Brain how thefe two could be defcendent or Members found nor un- y found participant each of other. Rather I concluded, that feeing many of the belt learned Proteftants did grant The Church of Rome to he a true Church, though peradven ture faulty in fome things: And COntrarily, not only the Catholicks, but alfo the Purl- tans, Anahaptijls, Brownifts, &C. did all de¬ ny the Church of England to he a true Church: therefore it would be more fafe and fe- cure to become a Roman Catholickj who have a true Church by confent of both parties, than to remain a Protefiant, who do alone plead their own caufe, having all the other againft them: For the teftimony of our felves, and our contraries alfo, is much more fufficient, and more certain than to juftifie y it our felves alone. Yet I refilled and flood out ftili: and betook my felf again to read over and examine the chiefeft Controver¬ fies The Copies of certain Letters. 273 ePfoti fies, efpecially thofe about the Church, which is car do negotii (and herein becaufe the Bearer ftayes now a day or two longer, m'ji- I will inlarge my felf more than I purpofed ) s J* and fo I would needs perufe the Original jLt quotations and Texts of the Councils, Fathers, • A'f and Dottors , in the Authors themfelves, I J.1'; which were alledged on both parts, to lee Z j if they were truly cited, and according to the meaning of the Authors: a labour of much labour, and of travel fometime to .1, ": find the Books, wherein I found much 1 fraud committed by the Proteftants 3 and - l;\'. that the Catholicks had far greater and bet- ^ J A ter armies of evident tVitneffes on their fides, ™v much more than the Proteftants 3 in fo much ■ffr that the Centurifts are fain often to cenfure and rejedt the plain teftimonies of thofe ptM Ancients, as if their new cenfure were fuffi- Vf cient to difauthorize the others ancient fen- ; ®l'r tences. And fo I remember Danaas in Com- tell mentariis fuper D, Auguflin. Enchirid. ad Lau- II rentium. Where S. Auguflin plainly avouch- tdt mi eth Purgatory : He rejects S. Augu(lines Opini- noreifc- on, laying, hie eft navm Auguflini: But I had rather follow S.Augufiines Opinion, than ltofU? his Cenfure 3 for who are they to control f, m the Fathers ? /ingili; There are indeed fome few places in An- teffimoii]'-" thors, which prima facie feem to favour Ifyisik' Proteftants, as many Hereticks alledge fome ii tlrf Texts of Scriptures, whole found of Words flp' feem to make for their Opinions: But being jfp: well examined and interpreted, according fflQf to the Analogy of faith, and according to T many 274 VIII. IX. Ipenoi Icii The Copies of certain Letters. many other places of the fame Authors, ■% where they do more fully explain their Opi H nions •, fo they appear to be wrefted,and from vffe! the purpofe. In fine, I found my felf evidently convin¬ ced, both by many Authorities, and by ma¬ ny Arguments, which now I do not remem¬ ber all, nor can here repeat thofe which I do remember : But only fome few Ar¬ guments I will relate unto you which pre¬ vailed moft with me, befides thofe afore¬ mentioned. Firft, therefore I could never approve the Proteftants evafion by Invifibility of their Church : For though fometime it may be di- minifhed and obfcured , yet the Catholict SsCli ft Church my ft ever be vifibk, fet on a Hill, and not as Light hid under a Eujhelfor how fhould it enlighten and teach her Children, if inviiible, or how fhould Strangers, and p, i Pagans, and others, be converted unto lie \ So her?or where fhould any find the Sacraments, if iirvifible? Alfo the true Church in all places and all A.ges, ever holds one Vniformty and Con- cord in all matters of Faith, though not in all matters of Ceremony or Government: But the Proteftants Church hath not in all Ages, nor in all places fuch uniform concord, no not in one Age, as is manifeft to all the World, and as Father Parfons proved againlt Pox'S Martyrs , IVickliffe, Huffe , and the reft: Frgo the Proteftants Church, not the ft true Church. ill lot Again. The Copies of certain Letters. 275 Again, by that faying, Harefes ad orlginem x. revocaffe eft refutajfe -0 and fo COnfidering Lu¬ ther S firft rancor againfl the Dominicans, his difobedience and contempt of his former Su- periours, his vow-breaking , and violent courfes, even caufing rebellion againfl: the Emperour, whom he reviles, and other Prin¬ ces moft fhamefully•, furely fuch arrogant difobedience, Schifm, and Rebellions, had no warrant nor vocation of God to plant his Church, but of the Devil to begin a Schifm and a Se&. So likewife for Calvin, to fay nothing of all that D. Bolfecus brings againfl him 5 I do urge only what Mr Hook¬ er, Dr. Bancroft, 2Xi&Saravia doprovcaganft him, for his unquietnefs and ambition, re¬ volving the Commonwealth, and fo unjufl- ly expelling and depriving the Bifhop of Ge¬ neva, and other temporal Lords of their due obedience, and ancient inheritance. More¬ over, I refer you to the Airs, broils, fediti- on, and murthers which Knox and the Gent- z^-Gofpellers caufed in Scotland againfl their lawful Governours, againfl. their and againfl our King, even in his Mothers Bel- ly. _ Nor will I infift upon the paffions which firft moved King Henry violently to divorce himfelf from his lawful Wife, to fall out with the Pope his Friend, to marry the Lady Anne Bullen, and foon after to behead her *, to difinheric Queen Mary, and inable Queen Elizabeth, and prefently to difinheric Queen Elizabeth, and to re- ftore Queen Mary •, to hang up Catholicks for Tray tors, and to burn Proteftants tor" T i Hereticks/ 1 2 y 6 fhe Copies of certain Letters.' Hereticks, to deftroy Monaflcries ^ and to pill Churches: Were thefe fit beginnings for the Gofpel of Chrift ? I pray was this Man a good Head of Gods Church ? for my part, I befeech our Lord blefs me from be¬ ing a Member of fuch a Head, or fuch a Church. I come to France and Holland, where you know by the Hugonots and Geufes all Calvinifis, what Civil Wars they have raifed, how much Blood they have fhea, what Rebellion, Rapine, and Defolations they have occafioned principally for their new Religion, founded in Blood like Draco s Laws: But I would gladly know whether you can approve fuch bloody broils for Re¬ ligion, or no? I know Proteftants de fa- fto, do juftifie the Civil Wars of France and Holland for good againft their Kings ^ but I could never underftand of them quo jure: If the Hollanders be Rebels (as they are) why did we fupport them ? if they be no Rebels becaufe they fight for the pretended liber¬ ty of their ancient Priviledges, and for their new Religion s we fee it is an eafe matter to pretend Liberties, and alio why may not others as well revolt for their old Religion? Or I befeech you, why is that accounted Treafon againft the State in Cat ho- licks, which is called Reafon of State in Pro¬ teftants ? I reduce this Argument to few Words, That Church which is founded and be¬ gun in Malice, Difobedience, Pajfion, Blood and Rebellion, cannot be the true Church: but it IS evident to the World, That the Pmeftant Churches in Germany, France, Holland, Ge¬ neva, 4 Tl?e Copies of certain Letters. ^77 efe n: ;• neva, &c. were fi founded , and in Geneva > 1 and Holland are ftill continued in Rebellion: fCyij ergo, They are not true Churches. ftill Furthermore, where is not Succejfionboth XI. Hea( of true Paftors and of true Do&rine, there is no true Church: But among Proteftants the is no fucceflion of true Paftors, ( for I t(jj | omit here to treat of Dodrine) ergo, no true ogjyj Church. I prove the minor: where is no p ^ jj • confecration nor ordination of Bifhops and Prlefts, jLu according to the due Form and right inten- S| tion required neceftarily by the Church and uancient Councils, there is no fucceftion of u true Paftors: But among Proteftants the pi..... faid due Form and right intention are not vJ; obferved, ergo, no fucceftion of true Paftors. f,; The faid due Form and right intention are not obferved among Proteftants in J' France, Holland, nor Germany, wThere they f r; have no Biihops, and where Laymen do in- termeddle in the making of their Minifters. And for England, whereas the Councils re- ??! quire the Ordines minores of Suhdeacon and the eei^ reft, to go before Priefthood 5 your Mini- ' fters are made per faltum without ever being ::L:: Subdeacons. And whereas the Councils re- »,ffi; quire three Bifliops to aftift at the confecra- tion of a Biftiop, it is certain that at the tfki Nags-Head In Cheap fide, where confecrati- on of your firft Bifhops was attempted, 1/0* but not effe&ed, (whereabout I remember the controverfie you had with one) there d f was but one Bifhop, and I am fure there was vf; fuch a matter : And although I know and ilk T 3 have % ■ ■ |1 11 111 k >k ! " 278 The Copes of certain Letters^ have feen the Records1 themfelves, that af¬ terward there was a confecration ofDr.P^ her at Lambeth, and three Biihops named, viz. Miles Coverdal of Exceter , one Hodgef- kin Suffragan of Bedford, and another whofe name I have forgotten, yet it is very doubtful that Coverdal being made Bifhop of Exceter in King Edward's time (when all Councils and Church-Canons were little obferved) he was never himfelf Ca- nonically confecrated j and fo if he were no Canonical Bi(hop, he could not make another Canonical: And the third unna¬ med, as I remember (but am not fure) was only a Bifhog eleSt, and not confecra¬ ted, and fo was not fufficient. But here¬ of I am fure, that they did confecrate Par¬ ker by vertue of a Breve from the ffuecn, as Head of the Church, Who indeed being no true Head, and a Woman, I cannot fee how they could make a true Confecra¬ tion grounded on her Authority. Further¬ more, making your Minifters, you keep not the nght intention •, for neither do the Orderer nor the Ordered give nor receive the Orders as a Sacrament ♦, nor with any intention of Sacrificing. Alfo they want the Matter and Form with which accord¬ ing to the Councils and Canons of the Church holy Orders (hould be givenp namely for the Mattern Priefthood is gi¬ ven by the' delivery of the Pat en a with Bread, and of the Chalice with wine: Deacon- fhip by the delivery of the Book^tf theGo- foh 'j mm Tl:e Qfies of certain Letters, lycj Sifts, fats-., and Subdeaconihip by the delivery mtioji of die Patena alone, and of the Chalice alii,, empty. And in the fubftantial form of Priefthood you do fail mod: of all, which Form con fids in thefe Words, 1 uft at em offer endi Sacrifcium in Ecclefia pr m in the payment. But my fhamt Wl grows from the being behind with you in the jjt office of writing. Wherein yet hear my honcfi and true excufe. Neither will I go about to fet one debt with another. For you may re¬ member , how at our parting you promifed to |o] write 'to me touching the ftate of Religion there y which if we fhall make out a perfetb reckoning , I account to be a good debt fill. But this I fayy when your Letters of the firfi of April, 1615-. came to my Hands y I pur- ; fofed to return anfwer by the fame Bearer, who as he told me , was to return about the Midfummer following. But I had a fudden and extraordinary journey which came between, and kept me from home till after the Commence- rtai ment^ j~0 M tiyat 0pf,ortunity was lofl. Befdesy y1 upon the reading of your Letters y I perceived i» jour Mention was to have them imparted to fk Dr. Hall, expebling in a fort fome reply from 'if'1 him. To him therefore did 1 fend them. Af- ■' ter fome Months 1 received this anfwery which 'f' though I had once purpofed to concealyas not willing rt,{ to be the mean of any exafperation between you^ If Ft now hoping of your wifdom and patiencey I wv!' fend you inclofedy that it may be fome evidence '!11 °f my true excufe. Upon the receipt of ity I A' be The Copies of certain Let! er £ cf began to frame an anfwer to. the Points of yqur Letter> according to your defire, full W Jn faim, friendly terms. / W -well-nigh finifhed it, gii prefented to this Benefice, ^ thereby entered into a -world of difir anions. .ydfH 71?^ ? together with the labour of writing it pjtfc ew?*, uncertainty of fafe conveying my Let- T:;:i 4 ters to yoUj did make me procrafiinate my pay f ^ went, till now to my fhame you fhould need to |[gft demand it. And that I may by the more /ha- ^ t ming my felf obtain a more eafie penance front y (; you 'y I confefs to you, I was fbmetme half in phtp mindy ( having effect ally di'fferred it fo long) L^jj to fupprefs it altogether. Fir ft out of mine own L natural difpofition, who have ever abhorred :g(M contention : and whereas in matters of Relig ion there ought to be the fair eft Wars, 1 could net- p Jjy ver yet meet with any of that fide of fo pan- ent a mind, but by oppofition he would be m- ^ fetled. For your felf though I knew your for-ym[y mer moderate temper, and fas I remember I wrote to F)r. Hall ) believed you in that which you protefi , that out of Confcience you were , m ffl fuch as you profefs 5 yet me thought 1 ferceiv- jj^j ed by your quickL manner to him, and fom mj- paffages in the conclufion of your Letter, you were rather defirbus to enjoy the quiet poffejft- ,^,;I en of your own opinion, than come to any fur- , ther deputation whofe is the right\ And in truth the time of that tryal had been proper before your departure: nor you had too far in- -?f. gaged your felf, and were to juftifie by your conftancy, the wifdom of your change. Be fides, ^ fnce the furrem of the errour of that fide, as 7 : I have ever conceived it y is believing rather tod 88 The Copies of certain Letters,' ijcf" more fhame not to have done it at the fir ft} than praife to do it at the lafi. As for the P P fuccefs of my endeavour, I was to leave it to God. Many and fecret are the wayes of his ^ Providence, which ferveth it felf fometimes even M1' of err ours, to the fafer condulb of us to our f- ii^l" nal happinefs. Some I had known, and heard of more, who being at fir ft carried away with fi^f1 the (hews of Unity, Order, Succeflion, In- fallibility, when they found them empty of M* P Truth, and the Cloaks of Pride, Ambition, iM Covetoufnels, joyned with an Obftinacy to 1 of Dif| defend all Corruptions how palpable ftever, WAf by finding the difference of thefe Hulls from I, i ^ their Fathers Fable, had with the Prodigal- it ilk Son returned home again. To conclude, 1 ac- itkoil$l( counted my felf ftill in debt, and was I con~ if, 2nd fefs to you unwilling to dye in it 5 and feme- lofclJlil times vowed to God, in the midft of my trou- junta®1 bles, if I might once fee an end of them, to bpjm endeavour to difcharge it. And now having by ilffiiitt his mercy not only attained that, but a new mjfiih occafton prefented me prefently thereupon , by n your calling for fatisfaflion to pay it, and means offered me to fend it fafely : I take this moti- A Qui on to proceed from God , and do humbly defire ! • k pro his Alajefty to turn it to good. It remains ieSangl therefore, good Mr. Waddefworth, that I FeccatOK do intreat your pardon of that (lacknefs that is Ijfcp paft, and gentlenefs to take it as I (hall be BSfjos o?ic able to pay it. My employments both ordinary '' flit g and extraordinary are many ; The bulk of it fftfin' is too great to convey in one Letter, conffttng of fundry Sheets of Paper and at this prefent lef ^ Tlje Copies of certain Letters. i8p there lies an extraordinary task^ upon me, fo As I cannot prefently write it out. I do there- fore no more now but acknowledge the debt, !*** and promife fpeedy payment. Vnlef) I fhall : add this alfo, that I do undertake to pay iu- tereft for the forbearance-j and according as I ; fhall under ft and by Mr, Auften fhall be fitteft and fafefty to fend it in parts, or all at once. W \To the conclufton of your laft Letter , wherein 11 y0/( profefs your deftre to ipend the fell of ity i your life rather in the heat of Devotion, «(* than of Deputation, deliring pardon of # coldnefs that way, and of all other your fins, and that it would pleafe God to guide and keep me in all happinefs as your m. felf, through the redemption of our fweet ali Saviour, and by the interceflion of .his ho- h ly mother and all Saints. I do moft thanks iH) fully and willingly fubferibe Amen : Returning nib unto you from my heart your own be ft wifhes. Neither is it my purpoft to call into que ft ion Kj h the folidity of truth , or firmnefs ^of the hope of Salvation y which you, find in your prefent pjj -nay. This only J fay. * Et ^ pro nobis Chriftus mortu- *.Even for a!fo hath , us eft, & pro noftra Re- dy-edV f!?r ,?-r- j, dempdone Sanguinem ffiutri liTfe' indeed vie J, tudlt. Peccatores quidem, are, blic of his Flock, and # fed de ipfiiis grege fumus, rt,Tl0n^ ]fu p or shceP are 'f & inter ejus oviculas nume- we Rurnbcrc (I 100 V( £M Dm To the Worfliipful Mr. William Bedell at Hornirgejberth near S. Edmundsbury in Sujfolk , thefe. i;i id ;ifj OD i j ijii hi:. ; mA m uxl Vt vra Salntem in Qrticifixo. $c : - I Sib ion : rrnrftn uoy Worthy Sir, I Was exceeding glad to perceive by your kind, modeft, and difcreet Letters of the fifth of laft , that you are ftill permanent in your own good nature, and conftanu in your lovC to me : not like Mr. fofeph Hall, neither bitterly reviling, nor flourifhing impertinently. Unto whom I pray you return his fcoffing railing Letter, with thefe few marginal Notes. I pray God forgive him, and make him a more humbler and meeker Man. And I for my part do freely pardon all his foul terms againft me. And though in gratitude and juffice I ana bound, and fo ao love and refpedfc you more than him, for your greater cour- tefie to me, and for your better value in V 2 your l!i li m i - 1:1 zp i The Copies of certain Letters. your felfs yet even him I can and do and am bound to love not only as an Enemy, or a Creature of God, or as I do you for an honeft, moral, good, difcreet Man, but even further and beyond that which you feem to underftand that we cannot by our Do&rine proceed in love : viz. As Men having Souls, for whom our Saviour hath dyed * and fo as poflible members though indeed not a&ual branches of his myftical Body: Yea for fuch as may come to be ingrafted and bear Fruit in him, when we may be wi¬ thered, cutoff, or fallen away. As for your ferious Apology andexcufefor not anfwering my firft Letters all this while, I doeafily ad¬ mit it, andaflure my felfthat all the circum- ftances, impediments, and occafions were fuch, as you affirm: nor did I expeft, nor urge, in my firft nor fecond Letters, any an- fwer about Controvertsin Religion (fori everfaid we couldlay nothing of fubftance which before had not been faid) but only gave you by Mr. Hall s occafion fome few reafons of my Faith, wherein ftill I proteft I had rather be devout than be troubled to difpute, not for fear or doubt, but becaufe I am fo fully refolved in my felf, and do think it a very fupei fluous labour, toties & melius ab allis aftum agere. So that I defired rather anfwer of courtefie than of Controverfie, which now by Mr. Aftons means I received, and do much efteem it, and heartily thank you for it. Neverthelefs, when your Re¬ ply unto my plain and few reafons come, I will for your lake both read them over, and * according lfif. The Qopies ofcertain Letters. cut according to my little health, lefs leifure, Sat and my poor ability (which is leaft of all) J)f;: return yon fame fuch Jhor as it (hall tit; pleafe almighty .God to enable me, being id j glad to perceive by your laft that you do f Jtj lubfcribe to our intercejfi by our blefed Lady, \s| ""d other holy Saints-, which alfolhope and 1WU wilh you would fully extend to our invocati- rs j|. on of Saints as Intercejfors, not as Redeemers, - for that were Blafphemy indeed and Idolatry ; ltd" from which our fweet Saviour deliver us,and jC ever keep you, my good dear Friend, as I de¬ ny, J: ''re> mi b. Mi . oaobf'* James iocar • • Ule S': " , Ik; fiM iiiIt- ' ' V i Tn id The Qopies of certain TIetters^ Jfffifi — To tbi' Worjkipful - nardsf ik?. fl would there were not. 302 The Copies of certain Letters dertake me in the caufe of God, he Ihoold find I had ftudied Profe. As for thefe vain flouriihes of mine, if he had not taken a ve- ny in them, and found it fmart, he had not ft rook again fo ft churilfhly} Was it my Let¬ ter that is accufed of Poetry ? there is nei¬ ther Number nor Rhyme, f nor fittlon in it: Would the great Schoolman have had ;ne to have packtup a Letter of Syllogifms? which of the Fathers ( whofe high fteps I have defired to tread in) have given that example? what were to beexpe&ed of a Monitory Efiftle which intended only the oc- cafion if he had pleafed of a future Dif* courfe ? We Flanders * Hp not learn to write Letters from beyond the Pyrenees. How- foever, I am not forry that his fcorn hath caft him upon an Adverfary more able to convince him 3 I am allowed only a looker on 3 therefore I will neither ward nor ftrike; his hands are too full of you: my only wilh is, That you could beat him found again 3 whereof I fear there is little hope. There was never Adverfary that gave more advan¬ tage : He might have ferved in thefe Cole- worts nearer home. I profefe I do heartily f flty him ^ and fo if it pleafe you let _ him know from me. What dpoftafie (which is the only hard word I can be charged with) * Satis pro imptrio. f This ap¬ pear* by your rail¬ ing on him, as he thar juftified himfelf from fwearing, by loud fwearing, By God he d a not fwear. ■1:(if, 'Li .The Copies of certain Letters.1 305 'Got,. I f impute to the Roman Church, /have pro feffed to the World t Thi,were toproveoneabfurdity byj % ^he "1-ft Chapter greater, and to undertake that fome of my Roma irrecon- one Text of Scripture is falle or for- \k,; ciliabilis: if I offend gcd> bccaufe all the whole Bible is fo : 7) 2. not in too much charl- °r havln8 «l!ed one a Jew or Baftard, Jrl®: 11UL " . r &c. to make him amends by telling V) theie IS no fear j him all his kindred were fuch. But fay what you Will that Bcok and Chapter is indeed pitiful- for me,/ have done, ty profctfed : And by it and by inftnua- and will onlv Drav dng here an offence of too much chariy, £? Mm rhl on m*y bc eaflIy Perceivcd fubUance of tor nim tnat an- y0ur proficiency in Divinity. fwers me with con¬ tempt : farewell, and commend me to Mr. SoMj , ^ and your other loving and Reverend Society and know me ever, 111 ofijfl ill® Tour truly loving Friend WM • J' , and fellow Labourer, WaUaw. Jan* 10. idi$. imfC Jo/; Hall. tfeii jinfc •; r,.. • ' Good Mr. Bedell, this Letter hath lain thus long by me for want of carriage. / now . hear you are fet-led at Horning/berth, where¬ of I wiflh you much joy. / am appointed to attend the Ambaffadour into France, r; >: whither I pray you follow me with your Prayers. May iy. To Lb: HI, i1" far- b,p j&M rirUl ifr* ji# 0! vU4 10. ifW mM The Copies of certain Letters^ 505 • not to me till the latter end of May, etttd now lately another I received from him , wherein he defires a Copy both of your Text and his Glofs, at he calls it, as having referved none for hafl. I have not yet fipt him my Anfwer to his Motives which hath long lam by me for lack of lei fare to copy it out, and means fafely to convey it, being welt towards a quire of Paper. A4y ancient faulty tediouf- , nefs. But the Gentleman that brought me hit former Letter, hath undertaken ere long to con.' fign it into his Hands. Therein I endeavour to ufe him with the befi refpefl I can devife, only oppugning the Papacy and Court of Rome, Nowy Siry that which I would entreat of you, is this: You know the Precept of the Apofile touching them that are fallen, lend me your Hand to fet him in joynt again. And be plea- fed not only not to reflect upon the weaknefs of his Glofsy but not fo much as upon the firength of his Stomach: Though that be alfo weaknefs, *s S. Auguftine well calls it, * infirmitas animofitatis. Write a l et¬ ter to him in the Character (ZhcL 11: , * To the Worflripful my Very good , M*. James Waddefworth at Madrid, deliver this. Salutem in Chrifto Jefu. Sir, {Received by Air. Fifton your Letters sf the eighth of June, and as 1 hope ere this time you underfiand, the former which I mention in them : To which 1 wrote in anfwer, and deli¬ vered the fame to Air, Afton the fifteenth of the fame Aionth. Dottor HallV Letter with your Marginal Notes which in your lafi you require, / fend you herein enclofed. Though if I may per/wade or intreat you both, neither Jhould the Text nor Glofs make you multiply any more words thereabout. ZJpon the receipt cf your Letter I fpake with Air. Aftonwho told me) That he held his refolution for Spain, whereupon J refolved alfo to fend by him mine X 2, Anfwer itH ■ V : :, -'-l sa i Hi tv 1 it f y • 'i I ft /: f m 508 The Copies of certain Letters. anfwer to your firfi: as thinking it better to do it more fafely, though a little later, than jooner , with lefs fafety. vW ? ^ length you have it. PVherein as to my modera¬ tion for the manner, I hope you {hall perceive that fetting ajide our difference in Opinion, I am the fame to you that I was when we were either Scholars together in Emmanuel Col- ledge, or Minifters in Suffolk. lor the fob- ftance, I do endeavour fill to write to the purpofe, omitting nothing material in your Let¬ ters. If fometimes I feem over long, and per¬ haps to digrefs fomewhat from the principal Point more than was neceffary, I hope you will pardon it, Jith you required a full Anfwer, and the delay it felf had need to bring you fome intereft for the forbearance. And be- caufe you mention the vehemency of difcreet Lawyers ( although methinks we are rather the Clients themfelves, that contend, firtce our Faith is our own and our heft Freehold) let me entreat of you this ingenuity ( which 1 pro- tefi in the fight of God I bring my felf) Let us not make head againfi evident Reafon, for our own credit, or fafbion, and factions fake, as Lawyers fometimes are wont. Nei¬ ther let us think we lofe the Vi&ory, when Truth overcomes. Mre {hall have part tf it rather, and the better part, finee er- tour, the common enemy to us both, is to us more dangerous. For Truth is fecure and im¬ pregnablewe, if our Err our be not conquer- frft ;6fc ' I Hind toil, luiitao. ed, ?nufi remain Servants to corruption. It is the firft Praife, faith S. Auguftine, to hold Tl:e fopies of certain Letters. f hold the true Opinion, the next to forfake the falfe. And furely that is no hard maflery to do, when both are Jet before us, if we will id WIVIYl'i . i*s- in• r t which our Lord of his mercy evermore help us, and bring us to his everlafting Kingdom. Amen. fin Op, MB '!r: ihmngfljearth, OH0b.22.162o, trim ikf 1) lift f I ml mi, i owf/i (/ Jim ■«o Your very loving Brother, IV. Bedell. «(J1 The Copies of certain Letters7 311 . t THE COPIES O F Certain Letters, &c, Salutem in Chrifto Jefu. CHAP. I. Of the Preamble. The Titles Catholickt Pap 1 ft, Traytory Idolater. S 1 R, I Do firft return you hearty thanks, for the truth and conftancy of your love, and thofe bell effects of it, your wijhing me as well as to your felf \ and rejoycing in my fafe return out of Italy. For indeed further I was not: though reported to have been both at Conftanti- X 4 riopk The Copies of certain Letters. ^1 no$le and Jerufalem, by reafon of the near- A'? nefe of my name to one Mr. William Bi- dntyh, the Minifter of our Merchants at i1'0 Jleppo, who vifited both thofe places. .. 4^ I thank you alfo, that your ancient love 'jfc*! towards me, hath (to ufe that Word of the Apoftle) now flourifhed again, in that* af- ter fo many Years you have found oppor- tunity to accomplifh your promife of wri- Wi¬ ring to me : though not as ye undertook Ctt of theftate of Religion there yet, which I KM confefs I no lefs defired, the Motives of* lb the forfaking that you had profefled here, Mfc Whereof fince it hath pleafed you, as ye Em write, now to give me an account, and by me 'iff kfc to Air. Dr. Hall, with fome expectation al- iftlW io as it appears of reply from one of us, tlpib I will ufe the liberty which you give me,jMi, and as direCtly as I can for the matter, and i % in Chriftian terms for the manner, fhew mi ik you mine opinion of them, wherein I fliall fciWI endeavour to obferve that Precept of the % of j Apoftle i dtoMnv iv dyinr^ whether it bq :Ueoi to'be interpreted, loving Jincerely, or peeking ijpfaxip truth lovingly. Neither foothing untruth for i of Apt the dearneft of your perfon, nor breaking Mm charity for diverfity of Opinion. With this iglti entrance, my loving Friend, and if you 'ifePrb refufe not that old Catholick name, my dear Brother,I come to your Letter. Where- jQiy in, though I might well let.pais that part l^y which concerns your quarrel with Mr. Dr. L qj Hall, with atatem habet 5 yet thus much OUt of the common preemption of charity, which thinks not.evil, giye me leave to fay. yJ: for ^ The Copies of certain Letters. 313 tn:;i for him, I am verily perfwaded he never ;meant to charge you with Apoftafie in fo horrible a fenfe as you count, viz. A total falling from Chrifilan Religion , like th -t of SSI Ju^an» an obftinate pertinacy in denying .the- principles of the Faith necejfary to falvation, or a renouncing your Baptifm. The term Apofta- :'f fie, as you know, doth not always found fo Kflilj hainoufly. A Monk forfaking his Order, or a Clerk his Habit, is in the Decretals : filed an Af aflat a. Granatenfis faith not un- yf truly, That every deadly fin is a kind of W Apoftafie. The Apoftle S. Paul fpeaking of Antichrifts time, faith, There muft come an m: ■ Apoftafie before Chrife fecond coming: and HKGp how this (hall be he (hews elfewhere. Men ]f fionnri" fhall give heed-to fipirits of Error, and DoElrines Ml of Devils, and finch as fipeafi falfihood in hypo- orfe, crifie. Whereby it feems that Antichrift lie ma: himfelf Ilia 11 not profefledly renounce hi, it' Chrift and his Baptifm. His Kingdom is a iJtfeft myftery of iniquity3 a revolt therefore, n, iiki not from the outward profeffion, but inward fcrfji fmcerityand power of the Gofpel. This ofific kind of Apoftafie might be that which id, no:it vMr. Hall was forry to find in you, whom ii 1 he thought fallen from the Truth, though ad, ad! not in the Principles of Chriftian Dodtrine, oliiff yet in fundry Conclufions which the refor- med Churches truly out of them maintain, ^iij Heremembred our common education in e) nil! the fame Colledge, our common Oath againft Popery, our common Calling to jonofjl the fame facred Function of the Miniftery^ he could not imagine upon what reafons you The Copies of certain Letters. 3 lick Faith contained in the Creed, but did not believe the Thirteenth Article which the Pope had put to it. When he knew not of any fuch Article 5 the Ex¬ travagance of Pope Boniface was brought > where he defines it to be altogether of necef- fity to falvation, to every humane creature to be under the Bifkop of Rome. This thir¬ teenth Article, of the thirteenth Apoftle, cood Mr. waddefvporth, it feems you have learned 3 and fo are become, as fomenow {peak and write Cathollcf Roman. That is in true interpretation Vniverfal-particular 5 which becaufe they cannot be equalled, the one reftraining and cutting off from the other, take heed that by ftrait- ning your Faith to Rome, you have not altered it, and by becoming Roman, left off to be Cat ho lick. Thus, if you fay , our Anceftors were all till of late Tears. Excufe me, Sir, whether you call our Anceftors the firft Chriftian Inhabitants of this I fie, or the ancient Chriftians of the Primitive Churchy nei¬ ther thofe, nor thefe were Roman Catho- licks Namely, the Fathers of the Afri¬ can Council, and amongft thefe S. Auguftine: And therefore by Pope Boniface his Sen¬ tence, be undoubtedly damned, for ta¬ king upon them, by the Devil's inftintt ( if we believe another * Pope Boniface) to wax proud againft the Church of Rome. Such Catholicks, if ye mean the moft of Chriftendome be at this Day beware of putting 51 6 The Copies of certain Letters. putting your felf upon that Iftue. Believe me, either you muft frame a new Cof- mography, yea, a new World, or elfe you are gone if it come to moft Voices in Chriftendom. Touching the Names of P aft ft, Trajttri Idolater. The firft is no mi'f-calling you, as comprizing the very Chara&er that differenceth you from all other Catholicks. Neither by our Rhe- mifts advice fhould you be alhamed of it, fith to be a Papift, by their Interpretati- Amotat.in on is nothing elfe, hut to he a Chriftian Man, Act si 1.26. a chud of the Church, and fabjett to Chrifts Vicar. The wife State of have a little different notion of their ex¬ cluding from fundry their confutations under that name, fuch of the Nobility as are obliged to the Pope by Ecclefiaftical promotions. True it is that they apply it alfo to Pap alines in faction, fuch as are fu- perftitioufly devoted to the maintaining of all the Popes ufurped Authority} in which fehfe I hope y6u are no Papift. A Trajtor,I am affured, Mr. Dr. will never call you, unlefs he know that you have drunk fo deep of the Cup of error, as to believe the Pope may de- pofe your Prince} that you are not bound to obey him being fo aepofed that in that cafe it is lawful, yea, meritorious to kill him; that they are Martyrs that are executed for plotting to blow him up with Gunpowder, though undepofed} hoping it would be no lefs agreeable to his Holi- nefs, kefrnit , trfnll/nift 1 irb m Le> The ies of certain Letters. 3x7 nefs, than ( that which he defired ) to fjfi have kept him from coming to the Crown 3 at firft. If you be thus perfectly a Papift, 0 m not only wre here in England, but I believe his Catholick Majefty, under whofe obe- !?efc dience now ye live, whenfoeverhe {hould be that Prince, would account youaTray- WU tor, and punifh you accordingly. I hope you are far fromthefe furies. W: For Idolatry, if to give divine honour fltofl to Creatures, deferve that name, conli- tflvifii, Jer how you can defend or excufe thole Prayers to the Bleffed Virgin, Tu nos ab [ Hofie protege, & bora Mortis fufcipe. And if®; to the Crofs, Auge piis juflitiam, r elf que do~ ir m m veniam : I omit to fpeak of the Popes lie 1 Omnipotent^. I hope alfo you keep your felf fMi from this Idolatry. Ittkfl In Proteflant Religion, you lay, you could fuci '21 never find Uniformity of a fettled Faith. Ho W mi. fo? when you had that fame * One only *ne vi- litjjil' immoveable and unreformable Rule of Faith, as ^an/' t' Tertullian calls it, every Lords Day recited Vngc- f- Mr.Dr, in your hearing, if not by your Mouth: Ijelifj I mean the Creed, of which Irenam * faith, * Lib, i. (|i that he which is able to fay much of the Faith, c. 3. 0[)fi I excee^s it not, nor he that lefs, diminifheth \' ire mi which f S. Auguftine calls the Rule common to -f Epifl ad y,J: great and finally which might well enough DardarM have fettled and quitted your Confcience, wlli- nsHleft Y°u laboured to hnd the truth in all doubtful Queftions. Whereto how carefully j W diligently you ufed the means of re a- toll ^ > flu dying, and praying for Three or i dFour V f: I rff w 111 111 m ill M. ;J * \ :1 ' ^ 31 8 The Copies of certain Letters." ^ Four Tears , God and your Confcience beft know. For conferrI cannot yield "—" you anyteftimony, notWithftanding our fa¬ miliarity, and that we were not many C Miles afunder, and you were alfo privy, that I had to do in theft Controverts, withfome of that fide,\ and faw fome fample of the Work. I come now to your 6' Motives. lie Son litpl, ID . u,5!; m ■; p«ffy , i tiflil'U UChi ,<> Jtoifim -~. il in jet ■ . bkti ■ I«;B CHAP. WW ■ Miip i «, an 1 • t Wlai v ■ i"1'*1 Mollis Face, iijlefo, k ftltfoi^ - - Divin '■tie Conn ■ V tftooom • I Authority v mi 7lie Copies of certain Letters. CHAP. II. Of the contrariety of Sects pretended to he amongft Reformers. IN the front whereof is the common ex¬ ception, to our contrariety of Setts and opi¬ nions, &c. Firft, what are all theKe to the Church of England, which followeth none but Chrift? Then, if it be a fault of the Reformed Churches, that there is ftrife and divifion amongft them, as who will juftifie it 5 yet let it find pardon, if not for Corinth's fake, and the Primitive Chur- , Cor^ ~ ches what time Fhemiftiui was fain to ex- socrat. if cufe it with an Oration to Valens the Em- c.27, perour, yet even for Romes: Where alfo you cannot but know, that in very many and moft important Points, Divines hold one thing , and Canonifis another $ The French, and lately alto the Venetian Divines, relift to his Face, him, that others fay no Man may be to hardy as to ask, Domine, cur it a facts ? though he fheuld draw with him innumerable Souls to Hell. Your Spanijh Pre¬ lates and Divines would never acknow¬ ledge in the Council of Trent (the Myfteries whereof are come out at laft) That Epif- copal Authority was derived from him? nor cpnfent to that circumventing Claufe, Prope- nentibnt The Copies of certain Letters^ 31 ^ Luther♦ Who much about onetime, and without any correfpondence, began to op- pofe the Popes Indulgences, and differed % not for ought that ever I could yet under- bti ftand, fave in the manner of Chrifts Pre- isjti:1 fence in the Eucharifl. Yea, in that alfo Joe* taught uniformly , That the Body and ieCt( Blood of our Saviour are prefentv not to , Jj the Elements, but to the Receiver, in the ; ufe, and without Tranfubftantiation. As for thofe whom you call Cafamfts y and the ittii reft Puritans^ Cartwrightifis, and Brovdnifts, tell me in good footh, Mr. ivaddefworth, how do they differ from the Reformed Chur¬ ches in Helvetia, or the Church of England, fave in the matter of Government only ? See j»jv then all this contrariety of Sedts meetly well reconciled. For Puritans , Curtwrightifts, T: and Brownifis, are in fubftance of Doctrine all one with Calvinifis, and thefewith Zuingt Urn, who were of the firft Protefimts, and jjv differ little or nothing from thofe whom ye j0E call Lutherans. Whereof this may be a fen- fible proof, that commonly their Adverfa- ; ries, and your felf after, call them by the 7 ; fame name, The Protefiant Churches in Ger- i, many, France, Holland, and Geneva. And 7 Pope Leo the Tenth in his Condemnatory Bull-, and like wife Charles the Fifchin his Imperial Edidt, do refledt wholly upon Luther and his Followers, without any mem j!?: tion of the other at all. To conclude this matter as it is undoubtedly a fign of a good mind to diflike contention, and diver- ^ ikies of Opinions, and it may have par¬ iah V Ar^ n 22 7he Copies of certain Letters*" wfy don to apprehend fometime more than there J is indeed^ like to the melancholickold Man in the Comedy, whofe fufpicion makes him . to multiply on this manner. guy mihi intra" )I ft Pj mififti in ades quingentos coquos, fo to mufterup empty names, without any real difference, as Puritans, Cartwrightifls, Brownifls 3 to make i ® differences in a few Opinions about Govern- fcrflOW merit or Sacraments, Setts and Contrarieties} mtXil hath not the character of ingenuous and fini to? Btiteven cere dealing,which from y0& Mr. waddefworth itrfi I did and do expedt ■ ; jiJontta But fome of thefe damn each other, avouch* prfiSIXM ing their Pofitions to he matters of Faith, not School jguafiions of Opinion only. Here indeed ;]ptiuk there is fault on all fides in this Age, idM, that we cannot be content with the bounds ? them write c which the ancient Church hath fet, but e« kited very private Opinion muft be ftraightways Me 1 was at an Article of Faith. Every decifion of a oitaitaliiea Pope, every Decree of a Council. And then as Men are eafily enamoured of their m of fill own conceits, and as G erf on wifely applies itopwil that of the Poet, amant, fibi fomniafn- gmt •, as if the very marrow of Religion confified in thofe Points, thofe that p; yerj]y; think other wife are Hereticks, and inflate of Damnation. The Roman Fadlion goes further, to Fire and Faggot, and all exqui- :!ffetcy^ fire Torments, as if thofe things that make ^ againft the Papacy, were more feverely i|e|pjs' to be punifhed than the Blafphemiesof the Jews, or Mahometifm it lelf. I do not / excufe the Reformers of this bitternefs, wherein after your departure out of England, ; ^ J The Copies of certain Letters. 323 T? my namelefs Adverfary that undertbqk f Mr. Alablafiers quarrel, giving me over in three of his demands, ran riot in the firft, " about this point of oppofition among our f "elves, Xj and raked together all the vehement fpeeches - of Luther, and fome of his Followers, againft ? thofe whom they call the Sacrament aries. "f Why, who will undertake to defend Luthers 5'Csi Speeches, or all that falls from contentious Pens? But even out of thofe Teffimonies, which himfelf brings for the worft that he could on the contrary parts it appears this k eagernefs is not mutual. And in truth, both we in England,, and the Helvetians, and Frenchi ■ : do maintain a brotherly affe&ion towards them of Saxony, how fpitefully foeverfome "■ f of them write of us. And even of thofe ki whom he calls Lutherans, as I perceived $ while I was at NoAmherg, the moderater m fort are alike aflfe&ed towards us. But as H touching the avouching our Opinions to be ft matters of Faith (which Exception is com- i mon to you with him) that which I ihould jiif have anfwered him, if I had found in him coll any thing but fpite and fcorn, I will fay now to you, Verily in fome fort even the leaft , s: conclusions in Divinity are matters of Faith. fi For both Faith hath to do with them, and jiiij they are fetched by Difcourfe, from the firft . Principles holden by Faith, whence our it if whole Religion is called by 5. fade The Faith once delivered to the Saints. And the leaft If error in them, by confequence overthrows if the fame Principles whence they are dedu- im ced. That makes fome, to move attention Y 2, in V Tte ies of certain Letters. 325 t»k ries, and fometimes have /hewed each ether /mall humanity -0 are you fo ftmple as not to difcern he- ■ tween the choler of /ome few opinion ate Men, and the conference of their Opinions ? Haveyou for- gotten S. Hierome and Ruffinus deadly fo-hoody tli k which was rung over the World ? or EpiphanillS hf and Chryfoftomes, or Vidtors and the Greek AlW Bifhops ? which proceeded fo far about a trifle, lpl| that he excommunicated them *, which is little lefs 31(011 Si I thinly than to condemn to the Fit of Hell. And «i|K y£t tf I/hould put it to your judgment, I am per- deny fc. fwadedyou would grant they held all truth neceffa- Jpm ry to falvation. For you mufl remember Pope Bo- Wmi niface had not yet coyned the new Article of the 'Gtifn Faith, that I mentioned before. What /hall Jfpeaf iChrlf, I. of S. Paul and Barnabas, which grew to fuch jfe; bitterne/s, and that about a very little que ft ion of qpi conveniency, that though they were fent out together 6 itT b *he H0b ^ ho ft, they brake off company. The/e Mil humanepa/ftons, which wi/dom would we fkould [Ifl®! when they grow to fuch extremities, upon fo dip: fmall eaufe-, rather than from their outrage toga- ther there is juft cau/e to encreafe. Do we not fee |p[.| that even natural Brethren do fometimes defie one another, and ufe each other with lefs rejpeft than vftiUjM gangers - Now from hence would you conclude mthwi ^ not Brethren and hearten them on, and g faJ t0 the onet that fith his half Brother is not fo near to him, as he with whom he Is thus at odds, he . muft fall out worfe with him. Ton fhould well/a IS life deferve the hate of God, for a make-bate between brethren. Thefewere all my Words fee down in anfwer to his objecting our own contentions, , and condemning each other, to prove that there¬ in fbre we could not hold continuity with the Y 3 ancient : m, m rl pf I I i | ii J Ifff i II How in flfiL 1 M Jill!1:! \l6 Tbe (jopies of certain Letters. ancient Church of England, from which we diffented much more. I held as you may perceive, that neither amongft our felves, nor from our predeceffors we difagree in any truth neceflary to falvation. He makes me to fay, our diffentions are about Moonfhhe, and de umbra afini, &delanacaprina, and trifles, and matters of no conference. To return to you, good Mr. Waddefworth, let Men avouch as confidently as they will touching their own Pofitions, Eft de Fide. Nihil certius apudCa- ihllcos, and of their contraries cry out, They arf Hereticks, renew ancient Hereftes, race the Foundation, deny the Articles of the Creed, Gods Omnipotent, See. all becaufe themfelves by Difcourfe, can ( as they think) faften fuch things upon them : A fober Chriftian muft not give heed to all that is faid in this kind. Thefe things muft be examined with right judgment, and ever with much charity and patience, remembring that our felves know in part, and prophefieinpart. In a Word, this fhould not have fo much difquieted you. Nor yet that which you add. That every one pretends Scripture. Be ft of all, faith S. Chry- foftome, For if we fhould fay we believe humane reafons, thou might eft with good reafon be troubled, hut when as we receive the Scriptures, and they be fiw-ple and true, it will be an eafie thing for thee to judge, &c. And to what purpofe indeed ferves the faculty of Reafon perfected and poliihed with learning ? wherefore the fu- pernatural light of Faith ? wherefore the gift of God in us Minifters conferred by the ira- pofition of Hands f ' but to try which fide w - •< * handles i E% The Copies of certain Letters. 3 27 ill [M lmi\ Mi ™ WJj'I flit fail ettafrl iok)ig handles the Word of God deceitfully, which fincerely. But here again, Each fide arrogates the Holy Ghofl in his favour. What then ? If we our felves have the anointing, we (hall be able as we are bidden to try the Spirits, whe- ijoh. 2. ther they be of God or no? For we will not believe 20, 27* & them, becaufe they fay they have the Spirit, 4-l% or cannot be deceived, but becaufe their Do¬ ctrine is confonant to the Principles of Hea¬ venly Truth, which by the Writings infpired by himfelf, the Holy Ghoft hath graven in our Hearts. Which Writing^ are well ac¬ knowledged by you, to be the Law and Rule according where unto, in judgment of Religion we mufi proceed. . m iriu tiki __ _ fe' '' • (U, M jtkj p M ' I ■ • w, f 'tiff iifoH ■ rit; ^ it 0i ; - jirt' plj /"■ If I - jv - " v v. ' hliiotii "• '< ;!'/» *i'j; '. i Y 4 CHAP. 3 2$ The Copies ofcertam Letters? - • irotef) J* : ; • ' '' ' - .v\,V, ybowd jilfole C H A P. III. 4AJI Of the want of an Huma, In- itt" fallible fudge and Interpreter. $ - ■ jtweifc: AS to that you fay, above all trouble iffifet you, the want of a certain, humane exter. Ikfp1 nal, infallible Judge to interpret Scripture, mh\ [oti? ft P define jQueftions of Faith without error. Wh&BiifffJlli if you found not an external humane Judge, i Quite' If you had an internal divine one? And hav- Jflipta ing an infallible Rule by which your humane «^toi Judge (hould proceed, why fhould youtruft ifiik! another Mans applying it, rather than yourptaking own, in a matter concerning your own fal- loidsl fi vation ? But if God have left us no (uch ex- pfrnm ternal Judge, if Antiquity knew none, if Religion need none, it was no juft motive nfooewere' to leave us, that you could find none, a- knwouldli mongft all thofe Sedts which you menti- tUM on, and how much lefs if you have not naslperceive a whit amended your felf where you arej yvhich we ihallconfider by and by. itkourfi i fay then fir ft, That to make this your motive of any moment, it muft be fhew- k!f ed, that-God hath appointed fuch a L ^/ Judge in his Church, Let that appear out of lome paflage of Holy Scripture, For ^ your conceit or defire that fuch a Judge ^toGod, ( there fhould be, to whom you might in Con- i /', 'fcience m / x o The Copies of certain Letters. content to take, not to prefcribe the means ^'e by which you will be brought unto the ^f01 knowledge of the Truth : To ufewhat he w f lath given, not to conjecture and divine what J®1® hemuftgive. But God fails not his Church in fuch means P5 7 as be neceffary. Let us therefore confider dw the neceffity of this Judge. Where I be- Coffil feech you confider ( for I am fure you can- l^' not but know it) that all things neceffary ttitsM to falvation are evidently fet down in Holy is? Ofl Scripture ? This both the Scriptures them- finW felves do teach, and the Fathers avouch, ittf A namely S. Huguftine and S. Chryfofiome, and others. I forbear to fet down their Words, ffitoi or further to confirm this Lemma, which I 1 tutwhicl proved at large againfi: another Adverfary, «jofi and (hall at all times make good if it be no toe quefiioned. Befides thefe Points, there are ^ ittelpioli a great many other though not of fuch ne- t of tie In ceffity, yet evidently laid down alfo in the pite fame Scriptures, by occafion of them. Ma- kUf, ny by juff Difcourfe may be cleared from ;U^intH thefe, and the former. If any thing yet re- fetani main in fufpence, and unknown, yea or if jioogfcnc you will, erred in, fo it be not wilfully and labour[* obftinately, yet fhall it be ever without peril of damnation to him that receiveth what the Holy Ghoft hath plainly deliver- - ^ j ed. What neceffity then of your imagina- ry Judge ? Yes: for Unity is a goodly f thing, not only in matters neceffary, but uni- 3^ ver&lly in all. Controverfies muft not be endlels. But how comes it to pafs then that ^ ^ your Judge whofoever he be, doth not :iL' all Hl ^ T7;e Copies of certain Letters. 3 31 all this while decide the Queftion touching Pi the conception of the Blefled Virgin^ that is ^ between the Dominicans and Francifcans, nor nlttir that between the Dominicans and Jefuites ,,, touching Grace and Free-will, and all other Wi the Points that are controverted in the Schools, to fparecontention and time (a fci precious Commodity among wife Men) Aft and give this honour to Divinity alone, that in it all doubts fhould be reduced to cer- fkii tainties ? Or if it feem no wrifdom to be hafty in deciding fuch Queftions 5 wherein f; Witty and Learned Men are ingaged, left in % ftead of changing their Opinions, they wife ihould fall to challenge not only the infalli- bility, but which were more dangerous the ttofc Authority of their Judge: If it be thought ep better to leave fcope to Opinions, oppofiti- its, on it felf profitably ferving to the boulting not! out of the Truth. If Unity in all things oid: be as it feems defpaired of, by this your offc Gellim himfelf •, why are we not content . With Unity in things necejfary to Salvation, ex- ' if if Pjefly fet down in Holy Scripture: And an- ^ f ciently thought to fuffice, referving Infallibili- j0| ty as an honour proper to God fpeaking there ? »Why fhould it not be thought to fuffice, that 'tliit; every Man having imbraced that neceftary Truth, which is the Rule of our Faith, p.. thereby try the Spirits whether they be of pi God or no. If he meet with any that jiT hath not that Dodtrine, receive him not to Houfe, nor falute him. If contenting to that, but otherwite infirm or erring, yet \ charitably bear with him. This for eve- ' * • • ... 13 % The Copies of certain Letters. f(f ry private Man. As for the publick order, jtfl® and peace of the Church, God hath given t W Paftors and Teachers, that we lhould not be carried about with every wind of Do- lito Ephcr. 4. drine, and amongft them appointed Bifhops, flP to command that Men teach no other or «At foreign Doctrine, which was the end of ftf Timothy his leaving at Epheftti, 1 Tim. I. y Then, the Apoftlesthemfelves by their ex- Ilk ample, have commended to the Church the hi fa wholefome ufe of Synods, to determine of fopi' fuch controverfies as cannot by the former , id] means be cotnpofed but ftill by the Ho- fg ly Scriptures, the Law or , as you fay ^ ft [ well, hy which all thefe fudges mttfi proceed. Which if they do not, then may they be de- ceivedthemfelves, and deceive others as ex- Lp , perience hath fhewed, yet never be able to w[(t extinguilh the truth: 1-iilimik To come to Antiquity. There is not any „,± one thing belonging to Chriftian Religion, if we confider well, of more importance,!,^ than how tire-purity of the whole may bel^ maintained. The Ancients that write of the *„,(- reft of Chriftian Dodrine, is it not a miracle, •had they known any fuch infallible Judge, in whofe Oracle the fecurity of all, with the perpetual tranquillity of the Church is con- jV' tained, they fliould lay nothing of him ? There _ was never any Age wherein there have not L been Herelies, and Seds.- to which of* J™ them was it ever objeded that they had no infallible Judge? How foon would they . « have fought to amend that defed, if it had ■" g been a currant Dodrine in thofe times, tha; J the T* 11 I WKRffi ' 5 The Copies of certain Letters.' 333 rthe true Church cannot be without fuch an .J; Officer? The Fathers that dealt with them, why did they not layafide all difputing, and f® appeal them only to this Barr? Unlefs :f : perhaps that were the lett which Cardinal ® ® Bellarmine tells the Venetians, hindred S. Paul el ffrom appealing to s. Peter, Left thej jhould v '1' have made their Adverfaries to laugh at them for their labour. Well: howfoever the Car- fl: dinal hath found out a merry reafon for W S. Pauls appealing to Cafars Judgment, not nbjtpeters ? left he fhould expofe himfelf to r- the laughter of Pagans: what fhall we rH* lay when the Fathers write profeftedly to r ,, . , inftrud Catholick Men, of the forepleadings fr^cript. and advantages to be ufed againfi Hereticks, &c. eceivee even without defending to tryal by Scri- W ptures ? or of fome certain general and ordinary yinCentm way to difcern the Truth of the Cathelick^ Faith Lyrintnf. 1 from the prophane novelties of Herefies? Had Chrifi they known of this infallible Judge, fhould jot we not have heard of him in this fo proper M a place, and as it were in a caufe belonging tstlir to his own Court. Nay doth not the wri- fw ting it felf of fuch Books fhew , that this 1 ir£: matter was wholly unknown to Antiquity ? tj of:. For had the Church been in pofleflion of }eQ::fo eafie and fure a courfe to difcover and difcard herefies, they fhould not have need- intoned to task themfelves to find out any s. r other. But the truth is, infallibility is, and ^ ; ever hath been accounted proper to Chrifts '[oof. judgment. And as hath been faid, all necef &T Truth to Salvation he hath delivered us ^•in#his Word. That Word, himfelf tells ' us* The Copies of certain Letters.' $ us, (hall judge at the laft day- Yea, in all true decifions of Faith, that word even now judgeth. Chrift jfidgeth 1, the Apofile fits fudge. Chrifi fpeaks in the Apofile. Thus Antiquity. <^'J Neither are they moved a whit with that 0y f ObjectionThat the Scriptures are often the !F®> matter of Controverfies. For in that cafethe remedy waseafie which S. Augufim [hews81 ™ to have recourfe to the plain places, and mani- 'i *41 fefi fuch as fihould need no interpreter: for * "Ml fuch there be, by which the other may be cleared. The fame may be faid, if fome- times it bequeftioned, which he Scriptures^ which not. I think it was never heard of, in ^f'f1 the Church, that there was an external in-P ®1' fallible Judge, who could determine that ^oowlaid queftion. Arguments may be brought from fW to to the confent or diflent with other Scripture'6 from the atteftation of Antiquity, and in- wntoi herent figns of Divine Authority, orhu- «J/j mane infirmity : but if the Auditor or Ad- M verfary yield not to thefe, fuch parts of nc- ceffity muft needs be laid afide. If all Scri- bitoi pture be denied (which is as it were excep- k As tio in judicem ante litis conteftationem ) Faith 'WfftJi, hath no place, only reafon remains. To tifinf1 which I think it will fcarce feem reafon- i ft able, if you fhould fay, Though all Men are kaTyra lyersy yet this fudge is infallible 5 and to him thou i^imedto oughtefi in confidence to obey and yield thy under- £ fiandingin all his Determinations, for he cannot i err. No not if all Men in the World fliould fay it. Unlefs you firft fet down there is a ■» ^ God, and flablifh the authority of the Boofes 5 33 6 The Copies of certain Letter^ and S Augttftinesy info many words. And p® Cre"' this is all the Headfhip of the Church we give to Kings. Whereof a Qyeen is P® as well capable as a King, fince it is an aft of Authority, not Ecclefiaftical Mimfte- ry-j proceeding from eminency of power, fl W not of knowledge, or holinefs. ^ Wherein # not only a learned King, as ours is ^ but a \mp good old Woman ( as Queen Elizabeth i iie,^ befides her Princely dignity was) may excel, ik i as your felves confefs, your infallible Judge M"1 himfelf. But in power he faith, he is above pulp all: which not to examine for the prefent,- id#** in this Power Princes are above all their Sub- th vk i jefts I trow 3 and S. Auguftine faith plainly, wkw to command and forbid^ even in the Religion of Wluij) God, ftill according to Gods Word, which \w\m\ is the touchftone of Good and Evil. Nei- :I canver ther was King Henry the Eight, the firft i, mfs Prince that exercifed this power, witnefs isllay fre David and Solomon, and the reft of the ; dim Kings of fudah before Chrift. And fince $ am that Kings were Chriftians, The affairs of the iiemeer pr, i0'' Church have depended upon them, and the greatefi jjJujjjJj Synods have been by their Decreey as Socrates jfoor under exprefly faith. Nor did King Henry claim i;I(^ any new thing in this Land, but reftored j to the Crown the ancient right thereof, which fundry his PredecefTors had exercifed, as our Hiftorians and Lawyers with one con- lent affirm. . The reft of your induftion of Archbifhops, j Bifhops, and whole Clergy in their Convocation- Houfe, and a Council of all Lutherans, Calvi* nifis, Prot eft ants, &C. is but a needlefs pomp J of ^ 77;f Copies of certain Letters. 337 W of words, driving to win by a form of dif- : f courfe, that which gladly fhall be yielded at the firft demand. They might all err, if they were as many as the Sand on the Sea X Shoar, if they did not rightly apply the Rule of Holy Scriptures, by which as you ac- ®v knowledge the external fudge, which you leek, mud proceed. As to your demand QpE therefore, how you fhould be fure when, and Nlf wherein they did, and did not err9, where yon tik jhould have fixed your foot t to forbear to skir- mifh with your confirmation {Thatthough, ^ lefas; pojfe ad ejfe non valet femper confequentia, yet ali- qttando valet: &, fruflra dicitur potentia qua ifi«C. mnquam ducitnr in attum. ) To the former fiim; whereof I might tell you, that without que- & f: ftion, mnquam valet: And to the fecond, J#" that I can very well allow, that errandi po- Ef : tentia, among Protedants be ever frufira. 5 power This I fay freely, That if you come with itkifil'this refolution to learn nothing by dif- 11 i courfe, or evidence of Scripture, but only • ikli by the meer pronouncing of a humane ex- ternal Judges Mouth, to whom you would )mJ\ yield your underftanding in all his determi- King^f nations: If, as the Jefuites teach their Scho- nj, III ^rs' Y°U will wholly deny your own judgmenty and refolve, that if this fudge fhall fay, that ° L*' '1S ^acK.y which appears to your Eyes white, you ^fty ^ blach^too •, you have pofed all the Protedants 5 they cannot tell how to teach ^Jyou infallibly. _ Withal I mud tell you thus •if# m'Jch, that this preparation of mind in a Scholar^ as you are, in a Minider, yea in a Chridian, that had but learned his Creed, Z much ■r.¥.v I I ml I I' f. ft ® Iki •Kill » 338 Ti)e Copies of certain Letters. i Tim. 15. 1 Cor. 20. M- much more that had from a Child known the Holy Scriptures, that are able to make us wife to falvation, through the Faith that is in Chrifi fefuS) were too great weaknefs, and, to ufe the Apoftles Phrafe, childijhnefs of un¬ demanding. But at length yon heard a found of Harmony and Confent, that in the CatholicChurchy as in Noahu ArJ^y was infallibility, and jsojfibility of falvation3 which occafioned you to feel^ out, and to enter into this Ark. of Noah. The found of Confent and Infallibility is moft pleafing and harmonious, and undoubtedly ever and on¬ ly to be found in the Catholick Church, to wit, in the Rule of Faith, and in the Holy Scriptures, and fuch neceffary Doftrine as perfe&ly conco*deth with the fame. But as in Song many difcords do pafs in fmaller Notes, without offence of the Ears, fo fhould they in fmaller matters of Opinion in the Church, without the offence of judicious and charitable minds. Which yet I fpeak not to juftifie them 3 nay, I am verily of the mind, That this is the thing that hath marred the Church Mufick in both kinds, that too much liberty is taken in defcant to depart from the Ground, and as one faith, not■ Jm, =3. mi ye toll fee how the ihy peo- Interpreter hath hit the mark. Again, you , t,lf- , ought to have known, ^c"'1,1 ' main* liiminaria, &C. See the Expofition, ,j» • and the difference between the Pope and ■>r Kings, both in the Text and Glofs. Now although " T'he Copies of certain Lett er s. 3 47 U' although the Glofs-Writer were no excel- lent Calculator, yet out of Clavius the ac¬ count may be cleared: who tells us the 4/ Sun exceeds the Moon 65-39. times and a Fifth. I let pafs the collection out of Pafce joh.21.16. tves me as, that he belongs not to Chrifts Fold, that doth not acknowledge Peter and his Succef- t m tlx Mi w M , IVUC UUtrJ nuc acfwvwieuj'c; lrtLti unu. rjto unvmj- _ fors his Adafters and Pafiors: out of Quod- ' 1 ' crnque Hgaveris, that nothing is excepted. V\ Indeed me Pope excepts nothing, but loot eth Vows, Contrads, Oaths, the Bond of ^ Allegiance and Fealty between Subjeds and 'their Princes: The Commandment of Chrift, Drinks ye all of this, &c. But our Lord ex¬ pounds himfelf, John 20. Whofe fins ye remit, they are remitted., &C M,M' J7X ore fe dent is in Threnoprocedebat gladim bis % Ex ore, k> :n;s acutus. This is, faith the Pope, the Sword of qut m: Solomon, which cuts on both fides, giving eve- 1 % ®i ry Man his own. We then who albeit unworthy Af hold the place of the true Solomon, by the fa- wif vour of God, do wifely exercife this Sword, when ftltf- fuch caufes as in our audience are lawfully can- enoncO vajfed, we dp with Juftice determine, This in¬ to'® terpretation firft corrupts the Text, for it dti* hath not, out of the Mouth of him that fate ifotk the Throne, but that fate on the Horfe ♦, next, im it perverts it, for it is not the Sword of ju- jjM ft ice but of Chrifts Word, which is m ore pier- yiftl cing than any two-Edged Sword that ijfueth out I2* [( $ of his Mouth. As for that of fuftice, he tabiul'™" never aftumed it, but renounced it rather, QuifMf when he faid. Man, who made me a divider to ftft thePoF; y°u [ Luke 12.14. Toprovethat in other ^.17.8. fill) Regions befides the patrimony of the Church, the & ' Pope 348 The Copies of certain Letters, i Cor. Pope doth cafually exercife temporal Jurifdittion, it is {aid in Deuteronomy, St difficile Jit & arnbU guum, &C. And becaufe Deuteronomy is by ?^Uj Interpretation the fecond Law, Surely by the :^p( force of. the Word it is proved, that what is there ;f::[ decreed fhould be obferved in the New Teflament. fa For the place which the Lord did chufe is known to be the Apoflolicf See. For when as Peter p^j fleeing went out of the City, the Lord minding to lujjj call him bacfto the place he had chofen, being as- bed of himy Lord whither goefl thou ? anfwered, J go to Rome to be crucified again, The Prieft s cf the Tribe of Levi are the Popes coadjutors. , ,, The high Prieji or Judge, he to whom the Lord [aid in Peter, Quodcunque ligaveris, &c. 'lit! II His Vicar who is a Prieft for ever after the Order of Melchifedeck, appointed by God the Judge of quicf and dead. He that con- ., ^ r terms the Popes Sentence is to be excommunicated, • ' ' for that is the meaning of being commanded to be put to death. Doth not this well follow out of the word Deuteronomy ? And Rome is the ,, ® place that Chrifl did choofe, becaufe he went, he J f ; Laid, to be crucified there. Only there is a fcru- ' pie of the High Prieft, for as much as he JW™ that is High Prieft after Melchifedecks Or- ; der, dnztgJCctTov ilui h^Qv ?£u;,hath a Prieft- hood that paftes not into another, Heb.7. He adds there, that Paul that he might de- i0™ clare the fulnefs of power, writing to the Jw, Corinthians faith : Know ye not that ye jh all judge f-'L the Angels ? how much more the things of the e< World f Is this then the Popes plenitude of *1?. Power, to judge fecular things? or was Co- rinth the Apoftolicl^See, and fo many Popes ^Ckils there there even of the- meanefi of the Church? ifciltfi What fhall we fay to that Expofition of the Dffcj famous Text , TuesPetrus, &fuper hanc pe- Match, 16. I ji tram adificabo Ecclefiam meam : The Lord (he 18. faith ) taking Peter into the fellow/hip of the J kM undivided Vnity, would have him to be called that, £i(fijn £ lick; I which he was him/elfthat the building of the |(R eternal Temple might by the marvelous gift of God tklslit vn Peter'sfirmnejs. What is this undi- uifj vided Unity ? Not of the Trinity, I trow, jll;. or natures in Chrift. What then ? his Of- ^ lice? of which he faid a little before out of I jY the Apoftle, that no Man can lay any other foun¬ dation but Jefus Chrifi, Yes: that from Peter as a certain head he fhould as it were pour ■; \ abroad his gifts into his whole body. That the Church might fiand upon Peter'/ firmnefs. This : Foundation S.Paul knew not, when he bla¬ med I am of Cephas. Peters infirmity can- ; ";S not bear up the weight of fuch a building, muchlefs (which we muft remember the mm Romanics underhand by this Jargon) the h" Popes his Succejfors. uut: Such another interpretation is that of Pope Joh.io.itf, Mftpj Boniface, that makes Vnum Ovile & unus Pa- T-Xtra *- oias i for^ the Church and the Pope. But it is n**n Te' Ma® plain our Saviour alludes to the Prophecies, ' Ezek. 34. 23. and 37. 24. where the Lord >* calls that onePaftor his fervant David. What itN blafphemy is this, thustoufurp Chrifts Roy- flrt alties ? What Father, what Council, what w Catholick man ever interpreted this Text :t\m on this manner ? By which the Pope while )pr he feeks the name of the Shepherd,(huts him- felfoutof Chnflsfold? !W Yea X 3 50 The Copies of certain Letters^ Cinr.4.9. Yea the fame Pope* calls the Church bis lite p TimmT' Spoufe&Ko,and fo other Popes fince. S ids ■ Jutt'."' the Baptifi tells them, that he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom. S. Paul prepared her to 0, A one HusbandChrifl.K (lie be the Popes Spoufe w(^' with her will, (he is a Harlot: if againft her * W will, he is a Raviftier, and our Lord Je- pjtotf fus Chrift will deliver her out of his lewd spouna imbracements, crying out of the violence julnterpre which (he fuffers, as it is to he hoped fhortly. getotie That in the Churches power are two Swords, ; Opinion 0 the fpiritual and temporal, we are taught by the ®o(C(lri Word's of the Gofpel, faith the fame Boniface. pjthistO If For when the Apoftles {aid, Behold, there be I hfe two fwords here ( to wit in the Church ) when L ^ the Apoflles /pake thus, the Lord anfwered not Luk.22.58 that it was too much, but enough. Certainly, ^ he that denies the temporal Sword to be in Petefr ^ power, doth ill obferve the Speech which our Lord Utters, Put Up thy Sword into thy [heath. No fehhrol doubt an infallible Interpretation-,by which it uilkl fhould appear that both the Swords that were ^ ^ in our Saviours company, hung by S. Peters fide, or elfe that fome other had the fpiritual, leaving none to S. Peter, but^ that which he might not ule.TheExpofition isS Bernards,you | jn ^ will fay. But in an Epiftle parametral to the Pope himfelf 5 S. Bernard might have leave to L ufe allufions, and after his manner to be lb ^p., beral of all that the See of Rome challenged, iL V; that he might have the more Authority to * reform the abufes of it. As to grant Peter ;i; / the temporal Sword, but fo, as he muft ...b not ufe it fpuid tu gladium denuo ufurpare tentes, quern feme I jujfus es ponere in v agin am t Cop ies ofctrtaln Letters. J 51 ^ and he ihews how thefe two Swords be the L?' Churches. The one to be drawn out for the Church, the other alfo by the Church. This by the Priefis, that by the Souldiers hand, but at f the beck^of the Priefi, and bidding of the Em- Yf feror. But the Pope in a Decretal Epiftle, 7 pretending to teach the World, in a Point as he pronounces, necejfaryto Salvation,, with ■ fuch an Interpretation as this 5 argues little >wit reverence to the Word of God, and a very wity mean Opinion of the Judgments and Con- fciences of ChriftenMen, if they could not ; difcern this to be a Strangers Voice, not id, H J Chrifts. Befides that, he changes S. Bernards tteW Words, and clean perverts his meaning. For ' exerenduSy he puts ill exercendus. For ille Sa- ■; cerdotisy is mi litis manUy fed fane ad nut urn Sa- cerdotis & jujfum Imperatoris. Pope Boniface whm thinking jujfum too abfolute in the Emperor, njk makes him to be the executioner, and joyns him with the Souldier, on this manner. We eSdifc Sacerdotunty is manu Regum & Militum fed ad llinjlfS nut urn & patientiam Sacerdotis. S. Bernard !r» makes the executive power to be in the Soul- tafe dier, the directive in the Prieft, the com- onisSK manding in the Emperor. Pope Boniface tparrf makes the Kings and Souldiers to have only njgltffc the executive, the directive and permiffive jiieftf to be in the Prieft. Yea fword, he faith, flflufdii muft be under Sword. For where the A- ore Afi poftle faith, There is no power but of God, SH terfoman; Yet more, The Earthly Power, if it fverve out of the way fhall be judged of the power Spiri- ftp tual, but if the Spiritual, that is leffer •, of that ?^4(nre it« which is fuperior to it. But if the highefl:, j til it may be judged of God only, not of Man, prf! iCor.2.15. the Apoflle witnefling the Spiritual Man judgeth all things, but himfelf is judged of none. We are come at length, as it were to the Fountains of Nilus, to the Original of the jy 2nj Infallibility of your Judge*, and if he have here rightly interpreted S. Paul, we learn that yiiffi Naytheftile of his Court hath no manner iJismj of imack or favor of it. A long compafs of a Sentence, intricate to understand, yea, even to remember to the end,full of fwelling Words of Vanity, with I know not how ma- ^rtk\ ny ampliations and alternatives, after the fa- ^ | (liion of Lawyers in Civil Courts,not of fober Divines,much lefs of the Spirit of God in his 'rlisttk Word. Some Man would perhaps think this ® J proceeds from an affectation of greatnefs, and the delire of retaining Authority, which J 'r: feems to be embafed by alledging reafon, or Scripture, and interpreting Texts. For my ■"part, I account it comes as much from necef- f pi■ A a * fity. 6 1 be Copies of certain Letters. 0g fity. For it is notorious, That neither the ,:i ^ , Popes themfelves, nor thofe of the Court, the Secretaries and Dataries, which pen their Bulls and Breves, have any ufeor exercife in Holy Scripture, or founanefs in the know- k W ledge of Divinity, or skill in the Original Tongues, wherein Gods Word is written 5 cieot 0 all which are neceflary to an able Interpreter, HkoP And therefore it is a wife refervednefs in if, ft them, not to intermeddle with that wherein pleW they might eafily fault 5 efpecially in a learned Age, and wherein fo many watchful Eyes are continually upon them. And to J, » this very poverty and cauteloufnefs I do Jmif« impute it, That the prefent Pope in his mote• Breves about the Oath of Allegiance, tifeth |keto not a Word of Scripture : But tells hirFa- (Sion, that they cannot without mofi evident and grievous injury of Gods honour take the Oath, the tenour whereof he fets down Word for Word} and that done adds, cum it a fint, &c. which things ( faith he ) finee they be fo, it mufl needs be clear unto you out of the :~ Words themfelves, that fuch an Oath cannot be taken with the fafety of the Catholic^ Faith, and of your Souls, fith it containeth many things which are apparently contrary to Faith and falva- tiov. He inftances in no one thing, brings neither Scripture nor Reafon, but a Ma* cm it a fint, without any premises. Which loofe and ungrounded Proceeding, when as it is, occafioned the Arch-Priefl here, and many other of that fide, to think thefe Let¬ ters forged, or gotten by furreption} he fends another of the fame tenor, with this further Reafon. Attn) II it ik Us Wist} lit id™ The Copies of certain Letters. Reafon. Hac autem eft mora pura, integrate voluntas noftra. This is now to be more than an Interpreter, even to be a Lord over the Faith of his Followers, to make his will a Reafon. What would you have him do ? to alledge a better he could not, a weak and unfufficient onehewasafliamed, he thought it beft to refolve the matter into his fole Au¬ thority. Whereby he hath proved himfelf a fallible both fudge and Interpreter , yea a :.eP; falfe witnefs againft God and the Truth * com- nl°tt manding by the Apoftle Chriftian Men to OH fa, fubjeft ? find to give every Alan their dues, QUtKOofci; fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour ^ and efenr feft: muci! more (if there be any difference) f Allegiance to whom Allegiance. :: Battel! skitl ft, Hi I# mj'jtT] 0 Oil tC tiifittb® tifm'tU f )ue fcj s,.W mfe A r A a 3 CHAP- m <: m 1 li! tv.* al' ponj'1 VI 358 The Copies of certain Letters, CHAP. IV. Of the ft ate of the Church of England , and whether it may he reconciled with Rome. BUt of your Interpreters Infallibility e- nough. Your next doubt, whether the Church of England were of the true Church or no, was refolved with a Papahgifm, partly by rea- fon of equivocation, and diverfe acception of the terms, The Church, and to err, partly by corny option and divifion in the connexion of thefe by thofe Verbs fir^or may. ] Let us examine the feveral parts of your Syl- logifme. The PrQpofition. The true Church cannot err J is confirmed' by the confent of all. Ex- cufe me, Sir, if I withhold my confent, with¬ out fome Declaration and Limitation. I fay firft, it muft be declared whether you mean the Catholic^ Churchy or a true part of the Ca- Mick Church. For there is not the like rea* fon of thefe to error. Againft the Catho- Matth 16 Church , Hell Gates fhall not prevail 5 fk/, 2. 5. againfl particular, when Clorift doth remove the Candleftick^out of his place, they do. Witnefs the Churches of Africk^ fometimes moft Catholick, And thus it feems you muft lake this term, fince your doubt was, whether the mm o 7?;£ (ypies of certain Letters. & ^ ly ^ /r#/y culled the Church*, can never J'"pnj deadly err. This no Proteftant will grant I?®? J ye. The mixt Church of England, Head, ^?tj,e Members, King, Clergy, and the refidue of Lf the people, and a whole Council of Pro- P y teftants, may err damnably, and therefore f much more fall into lefler errors. This :f/ ^ they grant. And if they fliall fo err obfti- nately, they fliall defervedly lofe the name ;y» !' of a true Church. But they deny they do as !'■ thus err-, yea they deny that they err de fafto, we> at all. ' iteeyouK What follows in Conclufion ? Ergo, No \ true Church. This fhortnefs in fupprelfmg the Verb, would make a Man think you *,! meant to cover the fault of your Difcourfe. ;:fir^n And indeed you might by that means ealily §) M J1 beguile another, but I cannot be perfwaded '^dm you would willingly beguile your felf. Sure wk^W you were beguiled , if you meant it thus. Ergo, it iino true Church. See your Argu- ment in the like: A faithful Witnefs cannot A lye But Socrates or Ariftides may lye by Jp> wlici his own grant. Ergo, no faithful Witnefs. VataC He that ftands upright cannot fall: But «ool}',: you Mr. tvaddefworth by your own grant 1 MyotM may fall: Ergo, ftand not upright. Perhaps afever, . your meaning was, Ergo, it may become no pfault, true Church, to wit, when it fliall fo err dam- ie'j yetthey hably. But then it follows not, There is now '(ncbgethc no fahation in it, and therefore come out of it Itwhidl)'( now. When you fliew that, I fliall account !kjh^ you have done wifely to go out of it. Shew m ti afa that in any one Point, and take me with htkjiE you. In the mean while, for my part, I |i4s,l| fhall fo k iin ooni feji'l « iff :.IX! I OWi ligk If; imm K, M i mm M The Copies of certain Letters. ^61 fhall fooner truft thac Chapman that fhall fay to me, Lo here is a perfect Yard, I will meafure as truly as I can, and when I have done, take the Yard and meafure it your felh than himtha.t fhall fay, here is thus much, ye fhall not need to meafure it, but take it on my Word: Yea though one of his Apprentices fhould hand by and fay, he could not deceive me though he Would*, as Benedittiu d Benedicts tells the prefent Pope, Volens nolens err are non potes. Where you relate, jour endeavour to defend the Church of England, and tell of the Puri¬ tans rejeEling thofe Arguments you could ufe from the Authority of the Church , and of the ancient 1 cElors interpreting Scriptures again ft them, flying to their own arrogant Spirit: I can¬ not excufe them fGr the former, nor fub- fcribeto your accufation in the latter. Per¬ haps you have met with fome more fanatical Brownifts or Anahaptifi's, whom here you call Puritans. But thefe that are commonly fo called , which differ from the Church of England about Church Government and Ce¬ remonies only, give indeed too little to the Authority of Men, how holy, learned, or ancient foever. Which is their fault, and their great fault, efpecially in matters of this nature 3 yet they fly not to their own Spirit as you charge them. That which you add, That you perceived the wo ft Proteftants did frame the like evafions when ypu came to anflwer the Arguments again ft them on the other fide. When you (hall (hew this in particulars, I fhall believe it, In the mean. while, ii ' • p I# M 1 j fllltfl z The Copies of certain Letters. ' while, I believe you thought fo 5 for com- 0^ monly mediocrities are aggravated with the #'# hatred, and flandered with the names of fa'tit both extreams. But in the queftion between iifaV the Popifli fadtion and us, you might eafily . jttaj# have difcerned why the Argument from tare fki Authority, is not of fuch validity. For Ce- «tfan remonies and matters of order may be order- ftWii ed by wife Men, and are not the worfe, jsaidAbu but the better if they be ancient, yea if they Jitnotof be common to us with Rome, which Pu- -^jali ritans will by no means allow. In Do&rine, if holy Men, yea if an Angel from Heaven (hall innovate any thing, we are not to ad- mit it. Now the Controverfies between the Romanifis znd us, aremoft about Do- .^isleil dtrine, and they exceed as much in extolling the authority of the Ancients in their pri- vate Opinions and incommodious and ftrain- ed fpeeches, as the Puritans in deprefiing Ltfew them. We hold the mean, and give as t^a much to the Authority and Teftimonies of jjj the Fathers, as may Band with the truth of kttj, Holy Scriptures, and as themfelves defer to the writing of others, or require to be given to their own | ktfoi Next you tell, of your 0- fmion who would make the Church of England, ^ and the Church of Rome ft ill to he all one in k;.^' JLffential Points, and the differences to be acciden- {ff, tal. Confeffing the Church of Rome to he a , j * • true Church, though fic^ or corrupted, and the Proteftants to he derived from it, and reformed. This Opinion is not only as you write, fa- "jcured of many great Scholars in England, but ;;Q 64 The Copies of certain Letters, handling, the flame of contention in a great <; many more might he trodden down and lis flaked, fuppofe the fparks not all extin&s yet in fome other, it is as poflible to make j the Weed and Corn Friends, as your and our Opinions 5 where there is none other remedy but that of our Saviour, Every Plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted, fhall be rooted out. Neither doth this impoflibility arife more out of the nature of the things, < than the affe&ion of the perfons. For the Pope and the Court of Rome, which are ^ thofe that domineer on that fide, dono lefs out of the fear of their own ruine, deadly deteft all reformation, than the Reformed, out of their prefent view and former feeling, y the tyranny of the Papacy, which they fee |v.,, doth Excommunicate^nd put to cruel Death all that are of this way. And which is a prodigious thing, where they tolerate theL blafphemous and profeffed enemies of Chrift, / , ( even with allowance of thepublick exercife .u • • .1 ^ mi fiDvenuiKirc Ulq mm of their Religion, there do they burn Men profefling Chrifts Religion, according to the ancient and common Rule thereof, with that uprightnefs of Confidence, that if they had as many Lives as there be Articles thereof, they would give them all rather than renounce any of them. As for the Proteflants making the Pope Anti- 'chrift, I know it is a point, that inrageth f1®/ much at Rome. But if the Apoftle S. Paul, 7®"^ if S. John in the Revelation, defcribe, Anti- chrift fo, as they that do but look upon the Pope well, muft be forced to fay as the peo- f? '! pie fliakltj fWn fatal The Copies of certain Letters. metuens, turns etiam me a Jit cufios. On the ^ ^ top of this Tower, was this Reprefentation curioufly and largely cut. An Altar, with Ipjj two Columns, and their Ornaments, ac- cording to the Rules of Archite&ure. In rffe the midft for the Altar-piece was the Popes Picture, very lively portrayed to the Breaft. Over his Head was the Word, Vuftu per ten-' Mat imperlum Above on the top of the ■■ fc°l Front, in three compartiments his Arms thus. On the one fide the fpread Eagle a- lone, the Word, Ipfe mihifert tela patert On the other a Dragon, and by it, McUorafer- o,Dr, vo. In the midft both together in one Scut- kit cheon with the crofs Keys and triple Crown ifcC in the Creft. On either fide of thefe Cd-lrfio lumns were depending Crowns and Scepters, limn whereof fix were on the right-Hand after the|twm« Chriftian fafhion. The Imperial above, other underneath , and loweft the Corno of the pjlfl Duke 0/Venice, fo they call a certain Cap the Prince ufeth to wear being of Gold Em- broidery, and fomewhatrefembling a Horn^iJj^ There were alfo Turkifh Turbans, and Di- adems of divers fafhions, as many on the left fide. By thefe on either fide of the Columns, were two of the four parts L L of the World. Europe and Africk,, 011 the > ^ one , Afia and America on the other, , in the Habit of Ladies, fitting upon their proper Beafts couchant, each offering unto ; ;; him that was above the Altar of their Com- 2 ; ;; modifies, Corn, Fruits, Incenfe, &c. On ' .l;: the bafe of the Column on the Chriftian and , European fide, was the Word, Et erum "WsF The Copies of certain Letters. } Regesntitritii tui. On the Other, Vultuin ter- ® yamdemijfo pulverem pedum tuorum lingent, Eiai. ™ Hi 49. Agreeable whereto there was made fly- ffiW ing over their Heads two Angels, on each [™k fide one with thele Sentences in their Hands, i®™ That Over Europe and Africk'J Gens Qr Regnum ■MtoW quod non fcrvierit illi., in Gladio & in Fame, & Mid, 1 inpefle vijitabo fuper gent em illam, aitjDominus, £ 0111: Hier. 27. That over -4/E* and America: Ft Pmyi- dedit ei Dominus pot eft at em & regnum, & cm- £tlie[prai| nespopuli ipfi fervient: poteflas ejus potefias ater- mlijiritdij|l na qua non auferetur, & Regnum ejus quod non ndhyit, Ic conumpetur, Dan. 7. Now juft underneath togetkk the Picture of the Pope, on the forefide leys and# of the Altar, was this Infcription, Pavl.o herfideoffe. V. V1 c r-D eo Christians R e- CotiS; ip. Monarchy Invictissi mo ki$-ut EtPont i fici sOmnipotentu ; Imperii: Conservatori Acerr imo.The vet tie fc Copies of thefe Thefes were fent as Novels gycall acetr from Rome, and did the more amufe Men at irUfolt Venice, becaufe of the Controverfie that State itrefemi had with the Pope a little before, and their ihfirfe feeing their Dukes Cor no hanged up among as, as mar his Trophies,under all other Princes Crowns, n either fc But moft of all, the new Title, Vice-Leo, and ) of tief®'* the addition of Omnipotence gave matter of i wonder. The next day it was noifed about ,^on tfc" the City, that this was the Picture of AntF Turin if thrifts for that the Infcription PAU0o^ 'eachofe: Vice-Sec* contained exadly in the nume- Ifaroffck ral Letters the number of the Bead in the Incenfe, ^ Revelation 666. What anger and fhame fltheOi this was to the Popifh Fadion, Ileave it to «Wor( H you to efteem. But whom could they blame, 68 The Copies of certain Letters. but themfelves, who had fuffered fo pre- fumptuous and fhamelefs a flattery to come forth, with publick approbation, annexing alfo fo blafphemous an Infcription, as una¬ wares to thenn by the providence of God, fliould fo plainly characterize Antichrift? But to heal up this matter again, not long after we had frefti news went about, That Antichrift was born in Babylon, had done many miracles, was coming toward Chriftendome with an Army.. We had an Epiftle ftampt at Ve¬ nice, pretended to be written at Rome, An. 1$ 92 by the Rever. D. Valentinus Granarenfis, touching the birth of Antichrift his ftock^, pro¬ geny , Country , Habitation , Power , Aiarvels, Ltfe, and Death, out of the Holy Scriptures, and Fathers, printed Cum Privilegio, And as for the Title Vke-Deus, as if they would have it in defpite of all Men : One BenediCtus a Be¬ nedict is a SubjeCt-of the Venetian State, let¬ ting out a Book againft DoCtor whitakers Polltion, de Antichrifto, at Bologna (for at Venice it was not fuffered to be printed) revives it with advantage. He dedicates it thus, Paulo Cuinto Pontifci Vniverfalis Eccle¬ ft a Oecumenico, ftummo totius Orbis Epifcopo at que Aionarcha & fupremo Vice-Deo. Thefe Titles he heaps upon the Pope again, and again, Wtok and that you may judge of his Wit by one place in the conclulion, exhorting Dr. whV, taker to repentance he tells him, That by f Hpeci his example, his King, and with the fame 411101: King James the Fir fly many Englifhmen con- pelecoft vertentur ad Dominum Deum, & ipfius loco ad Vice-Deum confugient. And p. 139. he faith 14 fo . of 'Wlr Hie Copies of certain Letters. ^6^ Of Gregory the Greats Totum toll Monarcha ac Vice-Dcm oft me & irreprehenfibili- !> ter rexit, &c. He might have learned of him, that his Other Title Oecumenicns Pont if cx^ :OYtaol3 is the Very name of Antirhrifi, the name of blaf- terize li| phemy, by which he doubts not to prefage, ft again, p that Antichrifi wot near, and an Army of Priefis went i | ready to attend him. In this, if ever in any thing, ifloo, km it feems your Judge was infallible. fi Cm:-; It will be (aid here, it is not in the Popes ;: e%; power what his followers will fay of him* i4oEfc! heftiles himfelf the Servant of Gods Servants. fmJk If the Canonifis will call him, Our Lord God Apologia the Pope, fir ft ^ it may be denyed. Secondlyit pro Gar- may be laid to the over-fight of the Writers or Prin- neco> Ct S1 ters. Thirdly, if it be fhewed to be left J,landing .'ic-ia Al:: fill in the Glofs of the Canon Law, by them that tkfliOliil l9tre appointed to over-fee and Cornell it, what mar- v; p, vel if one word efcapedthem, through negligence, or • ,,3 ^ ivearinefs, or much bufinefs f And yet if they thought the fenfe of the word not fo ufnal indeed in the ordinary ta\ of Chriftians, but not differing from the cufiom of Serif ture was to be allowed to an jj^r, ancient Writer, the matter deferves not fuch out- crys. But the Pope, fuch is his mode fly, never u- furped this Title full of arrogancy, never heard it with patient ears. To this,let it firft beconfide- red, that the Cenfors of fuch things as come to the Prefs, are not to be imagined fuch Babes, asnottoknow what will pleafe ordifpleafehis I Holinefs. Efpecially in writings dedicated to '! ;f| himfelf, a man may be fure they will allow • nothing the fecond time, and after fome ex- ^ ception and fcandal taken at it, but what (hall [a he juftified, How much more in the Popes Bb own i i/i k IM m 370 Tt?e Copies of certain Letters. iff own Town of Bologna, and when his Chap¬ lain could not be allowed to print it at home. But to let all thefe go •, we may have a more fenfible proof how the Pope taftes thefe Ti¬ tles. That which he rewards he approves: Bcnedittm was fhortly after made for his pains Bifhop of Caorli. How worthily he deferved it you iliall judge by his book i which at my requeft vouchfafe to read over, and if there beany merit, you ihall fure get great meed of patience in fo doing. That you may not doubt of the Popes judgment concerning thefe Titles, you (hall further know, that the matter being come to the knowledge of the Proteftants in France, and England^ made them talk and write of it broadly, namely, ~ the Lord of PleJJis, in his Myfterium iniquitatisy { and the Bifhop of Chichefter in his Tortura Torti. jg This gave occafion to the Cardinal Gieure,to relate in the Officio Santo at Rome of the fcan- dal taken hereat, and to make a motion, Be ■woderandis titalL.lt was on foot fundry months. At laft the Pope revoking it to himfelf, bla¬ med thofe tlrat had fpoken againft thefe Ti¬ tles, and faid, they were no whit greater than the authority of S. Peter'/ SucceJJor did bear. To re¬ turn thither whence I have a little digreffed. In the queftion whether the Pope be the Anti- chrifi or no, for my part, I defpair of all re¬ conciliation. For neither doth there appear any inclination at all in the Pope to reform any thing in Dodfcrine or Government, nay, he cncroacheth daily more and more upon all degrees even among his own fubje&s, and re¬ vives to carry all before him at the breaft, with Ut The Copies of certain Letter s. 3 7 Paul Aiiit] overiffc Ha J®» Kent cor| t KnowJei xlM fjlmm | Mkm dDbm apilil kfttdRm rtihtff, t1 ^ Wed fykm with his Monarchy and infallibility. On the Otljer fide, the Reformers partly emboldned with fuccefs, partly enforced by necejjity, chiefly tyed with band of confcience, and perfwajion of truth, are not like to retrad what they have affirmed in this behalf, and whatfoever their differences be in other things, in this point they have a marvellous unity amongft them. Thofe in France having been molefted for calling the Pope Antichrift, have been occafioried (as I have heard,) fome few years fince to take it into their ConfeJJion, thereby to juftifie themfelves according to the Editts of Pacifica¬ tion giving them liberty to profefs their Religionn In England as you know it is no part of the Doftrine of our Church, yet a commonly re¬ ceived opinion. Howbeit this is fo far from hindering, that the reformed Churches and thofe which heretofore were, or at this pre- fent are under the Popes obedience be one Church, that is, all members of theCatho- lick *, that the Proteftants without this can¬ not make good the other For Antichrift mfi Jit in the Temple of God, and that is in the Church, as Chryfofiome and Theophylatb interpret it, and Gods people could not be com¬ manded to go out of Babel, if he had none there. ipeti \mt¥; liM,® C H A E ^74 of certain Letters! Ihould have fo good a memory, as to in- dite fo exaft and artificial a Narration, with ® frf fuch formality, and enforcements in fit pla- iff®/ ces, as any Reader of underftanding rruft needs perceive, came out of a diligent Forge, w®/; and needed more hammering and hieing than ^ f fo. But that of all other is moft legend-like, iktrue^ that howfoever this motive of yours is ufed, yet it is not made the effe&ual inducement, taofe but a heap of reafons in the twinkling of an Eye, JIltGoiS • and caufing him not only to believe in the Gflitlemans f grofs, but to be able to give account of all ij^gmntan the Heads of the Catholick Religion (that 'aiding( is all the points of controverfie at this day, between the Romanics and the reformed MMp Churches) in a fit of an Ague, in the twink^ Jasfomei ling of an eje t Excufe me: This is beyond trite S the blind Beggar that recovered his fight at S» Al- Itelfe i bans, that could tell the names of all colours »e,ttaoti as foon as he faw them. What then ? Wailuif ( not Mr. wotton reconciled ? and faw he not a Woijbii light in form of a crofi ? Yes: And this your iek/'j motive was ufed to him alfo, and perhaps pM... moved him more than all the heap of Rea- j le Mlci fons befides. But fhall I tell you herefc Hpl what I have heard from the mouth of one infc: that was himfelf then in Spain,that.both could IU, fa know the truth of this matter, and had no mkafa reafon to tell me a lye, fith what he faid, Ljt^ came freely from himfelf, without fear, or hope, or almofi enquiry ? The Gentleman pmi J being fick, and weak in his Brain, the Fa- Cher that Poffevine tells of, brought under his ^ Gown a Picture, and upon a hidden prefen- . ted it before him: This might be the light Vv- m t . , ... i : ■ 'm Lei ita,, •Narram % 'The fopies of certain Letters. 375 111 form of a Crofs (perhaps a very Image of Chrift crucified ) which together with ■« die lightnefs of his fancy, occafioned that rG?lT; your Motive, though it felf alfo very light, might carry him: as a little weight is able to fway much, where the Beam it felf is falfe, If this be true (as 1 take the living God to , , . record, I feign nothing, but do relate what hath been told me) as on the one fide I doubt not, but God in his mercy did interpret of tooeW the Gentlemans Religion,* according to his eaccoi;:; right judgment and perfwafion in his health, and not according to the erroneous apprehen- M tlii fjons of his fancy in his ficknefs (which even I the ten in his beft health was ever very ftrong in his b the m/ deep) as fome that have converfed with him This is M have told me: Soon the other fide, they (hall bear their judgment whatfoever they lesofM were, that would with fo cruel a craftineis taitall- take advantage of his infirmity, and make bfe'k his ftory after a ftale to draw on others. As lijll for the heap of Arguments to convince the Prote- ftants Faith to be abfurd (that muft be by the way the Articles of the Greed) Poffevines tell youk Catholick Hyperboles are well enough mouth of: known in Venice, and he hath been there told jto.lxM to his Head, That if in things paft, whereof he Auverti- 1 Mil tnight have been informed, he proves a mofi lying mento al Hi ft orion, it might more eafily fall out, that he fkiitfaV ftoouldprove a mo ft falfe and ridiculous Prophet in ^ ' liefei: things to come. 5rain, let] And in truth he hath proved fo hitherto jghtimderii Wherefore, 1 reckon thefe garnifhments of hijril klr.mttotrs perverfion, to be like the reft : ^ die lip Of his Mows touching the Conqueft of Mof i Bb 4 covia 7 6 The fopies of certain Letters, covia b Demetrius that impoftor, whom he boafteth in a manner to have been the Scho- ler of his Society. Where he tells the World that the Army cryed out often : God and the Prayers of our Fathers (the Jefuites) have fub- dued the Hearts of our enemies, and inclined them under our noble prince Demetriiis. That De¬ metrius turning to the Priefis of the company of Jcfusyvtu heard to fay fLo that which you foretold me, O Fathers, in the time of that forrowful flight of oursy is now come to pafsy to wit, that as the Lord God had afflicled me muchy fo on the con¬ trary he would much comfort me y and that there¬ fore I fhould not doubt of a full viEtory. ] Thefe Words Poffevine damps in his former Relation in Capital Letters, But when this bold en- terprile was overthrown, and this (uborned fugitive (lain, and fhamefully dragged up and down the Streets of Mofio, then lo the re¬ ports were, That a light was feen over his body in the night time, &c. Let them that walk in darknefs follow fuch Lights as thefe be- We are no children of the Night, nor of darknefs. Leaving therefore thofe unheard of Argu¬ ments, which Poffevine hath not only cun¬ ningly drawn a veil over, that we may not fee them, but exempted by priviledge of a miracle that we may not try them, this which |ie hath fhewedus, let us bring it a little to the clear day-light. : And even at the firft view it is apparent, that this Argument is meerly foreign not drawn from anything, d parte reiy as what the true Church is, what it teacheth, prfuch like, but from opbfon and teftimony. What - - : i ' • vU JVfett l]]\ f 77;c Copies of certain Letters,' Men fay of that of Rome, and of the refor¬ med Churches, &c. Now Opinions are no certain grounds of Truth, no not in_ natural and civil matters, much lefs in Religion. So this Argument at the moft is but Toped and probable. Let us fee the parts of it. And firft that ground; The tefiimony of our [elves and of our contraries is much more fnffcient and certain than po jufiifie our felves alone. Surely neither the one nor the other is fufficient, or certain. It is true, that if other proof fail, and we will follow conjectures, he is in probabi¬ lity an honefter Man, that others belide him- felf fay well of, than he that alone teffifietli of himfelf, And yet according to truth, this latter may be a right honeftMan, and dwell, as we fay, by ill neighbours, or where lie is not known, or requires not the teffimony of other Men: Whereas the other being indeed a knave, is either cunning to conceal it, or hath fuborned other like himfelf to fay for him, ordwels by honed Men that judge and fay the beft.And in this very kind,our Saviour attributes lb little to tefiimony, as lie pronoun¬ ces a woe to them that all Men fpea[ well of. So in our cafe it is more probable, I grant, if there were no other Argument to clear it, but Opinion, and mod Voices, that you have the true Church, and are in the way of falvation, than we, becaufe we give you a better teffimony than you do us. But it is poffible we are both deceived in our Opi¬ nions, each of other-, we through too much charity, and you and others through ig- '|)J ncrance or malice. Herein undoubtedly we 1 ' ' ■ have 378 The Copies of certain Letters* have the advantage of you and the reft, and do take that courie which is more fafe and fare to avoid fin, that if we do fail of the truth, yet we be deceived with the error of Love, which, as the Apoftle faith, hopeth all things, and is not puffed up. We avoid at the leaft that gulph of ra(h judgment, which, me thinks, if the cafe be not too too clear, Mart.7.6. we fhould all fear, With what judgment you judge, Rom. 2.1, you Jhall he judged. Thou that judgeft another, con- » demnefl thy felf But that you may a little better confider the weaknefs of this difcourfe, if the tefti- mony of our {elves and our contraries were fufficient and certain to make truth,^ and ever more fafe and fecure to follow that fide which hath that teftimony, it had been better .to have become a Jewifh Profelyte, in the Apo- ftles times than a Chriftian: For the Chrifti- ans acknowledged the Jews to be the people of God, heirs of the promifes, and of Chrifi, and ftiled them Brethren, notwithftanding their zeal to the Ceremonies, and Traditions of their Fathers, excufed their ignorance, bare with them, laboured to give them content in all things. Whereas they to the contrary called thole that profeffed Chrift, Hereticks and Sectaries, accurfed them, drew them out of their Synagogues, fcourged them, caft- them in Prifon, compelled them to blafi pheme: As you do now Proteftants to ab¬ jure, though in other cruelties I confels you go far beyond them. By like reafoii a Pa¬ gan in S. Augufline \s time, fhould rather have made himtelfa Chriftian among the Dmatifts, than [Le! %; wcdoB Atke» He fill, I liJil tie tat? til. rtifiil Mrw mli,* wtktfcl Aug. Epifl. 48. & in PfaJ. 39. DeBaptifmo l- 2.c. 7. : for Mi I'stokM ignorance,^ i'etkeoi® Chrift, to jaltaf mv*r The Copies of certain Letters. 379 than with the Catholicks. For the Catho¬ licks granted jthe Donatifts Baptifm to be true, accounted them Brethren. The Donatifts to the contrary renounced their Brother-hood and Baptilm both, re-baptized fuch as fell to their fide,ufed thefe forms to their Friends, Save thy Soul, become a Chriftian: like to thofe ufed by your Reconcilers at this day. Laftly confider, if this ground of the te- ftimony of our contraries for our part, and their lack of ours, for theirs, be fure* you have juftified the caufe of the Proteftants in the main Queftion, Which is the better Religion. For whatfoever a Proteftant holds, as of Faith, you cannot deny to be good and Catholick, nor any Chriftian Man elfe. For he binds him to his Creed, to the Holy Scriptures, and goes no further r And in thefe he hath your teftimony for him. But he denies many things which you believe,and accounts them foreign, yea repugnant to Faith, as the Popes infallibility, Tranfubftantia- tion, Purgatory, wor/hipping of Images, invocation of Saints. In all thefe you fpeak only for your felves, in fome of chefe you have not us only, but all other Chriftians your op- pofites, to fay nothing of the Jews and Turks, whom I might as well chock you withal, as you do the Proteftants with Ana- baptifts. So by this reafon our Profeffion is more fafe and fecure, and queftionlefs is more Catholick^ than yours. Neither have we in this difcoui fe the Argument only as you fee very appliable and favourable to us, but (which I would entreat you by the way to obferve ) I 11 W . ; iil.i { ft !' mffli'11 ms; i i IBM RM iifli 3 80 The Copies of certain Letters. Abitlen/is, jBe II arming Fabtr, Erafmus, Cajfander, Jfofmtifteri tineas Sylvius, Ifai 1. 6. 'l).Raynolds The f. 5. obferve) the cmlufion it felf often granted by moderate and fober Men of your own fide, w*. That our courfe is in fundry things more fafe than yours. As in making no I* mage of God. In trading only in the me¬ rits of Chrift. In worfhipping none but the Trinity. In dire&ing our Prayers to our Lord Jefus Chrift alone. In allowing Mi- nifters to marry. In diverfe other Points ah fo many of your fide fay the fame with the Proteftants, and defend us from the imputa¬ tions which others of you lay upon us, as is file wed in the Catholich^Agology^ by the reve» rend Bifhop of Chefter. This to the proportion. Let us come to the Afliimption, where you mince too much the Proteftants Opinion touching the Church of Rome, when you make them fay, It is per adventure faulty in fome things : Nay with¬ out peradventure, they fay, It is corrupt in Do&rine, fuperftitious and Idolatrous in Re¬ ligion, tyrannical in government, defiled in manners, from the crown of the Head to the foal of the Foot no foundnefs in it, as the Prophet faith of another like it •, yet the vital parts not periflied, ready to dye, yet not dead. 4 true Church though neither the CatholicChurch, nor yet a found member of the fame. That alfo is falfe in the afliimption, that the Puritans deny the Church of England to be a true Church. Unlefs the Puritans and Brownifts be with you all one, which you have made diverfe Sedts above, and then are you to blame as to multiply names (where¬ of I have told you ) before, fo now again to confound them. What ,'iifh m >w flieCopies of certain Letters. 381 What is now the Conclufion ? It would be wore fafe and fecure to become a Roman Catholick. But the Propofition will not infer thus much fimply, but only in this refpect For To¬ pical arguments (as you know ) hold only uteris paribus. We muft then inquire if there be no other intrinfical arguments by which it may be difcerned, whether caufe be the better, whether pretence to the Church and Truth, more juft, more evident. Whe¬ ther it may be warranted to return to Babely becaufe God hath fome people there, when as he commands thofe that are there to come out of it. How fafe it may be willingly to joyn with that part of the Church, which is more corrupt in Dodtrine and Manners, when we may continue with that which is reformed. Thefe points were to have been fcanned, ere you concluded and executed as you did. And fuch Arguments there want not. Chrift ourLordhath given us amongft others, two infallible Notes to know his Church. My Sheep y faith he, hear my Voice: And again, 1°^ IO-27« By this fhail all Alen know that you are my ° '3* 35* Difciplesy if you love one another. What fhall weftand upon conjectural Arguments from that which men fay? We are partial to our felves, malignant to out oppofites. Let Chrift be heard who be his, who not. And for the hearing of his Voice} O that it might be the iffue! But I fee you decline it, There¬ fore I leave it alfo for the prefent. That I other is that which now I ftand upon: the Badge of Chrifts Sheep, Not a likelihood , but f 't 3 8 i The Copies of certain Letter but a certain token, whereby every Man may know them. By this, faith he, (hall all Men know that ye are my Lifciples, if ye have cha¬ rity one towards another. Thanks be to God: This mark of our Saviour is in us, which you with our Schifmaticks> and other ene¬ mies want. As Solomon found the true Mo¬ ther by her natural affedion, that chofe ra¬ ther to yield to her adverfaries plea, claim¬ ing her Child, than endure it Ihouldbecut in pieces-, fo may itfoonbe found at this day, whether is the right Mother. Ours that faith, give her the living Child, and kill him mt ^ or yours, that if Ihe may not have it, is content it be killed, rather than want of her will. Alas, faith ours, even of thofe that leave her, thefe be my Children, I have horn them to Chrifi in Baptifm, I have nourished them as 1 could with mine own Breafis his Te- fiaments. I would have brought them up to Mans efiate, as their free Birth and Parentage dejerves. Whether it be their lightnefs or difcon~ tent, or her enticing words and gay Jhews they leave me, they have found a better Mother. Let them liveyet, though in bondage. I (hall have patience 3 I permit the care of them to their Fa- ther 5 1 befeech him to keep them that they do none evil 'y if they make their peace with him, I am (a- tisfied, they have not hurt me at all. Nay but, faith yours, I fit alone as fifueen and Mifirefs of Chrifis Familyhe that hath not me for hie Mother, cannot have God for his Father. Mine therefore are thefe, either born or adopted: And if they will not be mine, they Jhall be none. So without expeding Chrifis Sentence, fhe cuts in Rev. i8»7> HI - ¥ "the Copies of certain Letters J WW in pieces with the Temporal Sword, hangs, burns, draws thofe that fhe perceives inclined J} jfokii to leave her, or have left her already. So fhe kills with the Spiritual Sword, thofe that fubjeft not to her, yea thoufands of Souls lit that not only have no means fo to do, but Uietmel many which never fo much as have heard ^kcfeferl whether there be a Pope of Rome or no. Let our Solomon be Judge between them: Yea, IK it iiW judge you (Mr. tvaddefworth) moreferioufly beUiU and maturely, not by gueffes, but by the ve- lother. Oife ry mark of ChriiT:, which wanting your (elves, you have unawares difcovered in us, I may not fas judge I fay without paffion, and partiality, ietai; according to Chrifts Word 5 which is his b, mik Hock, which is his Church. wj CBM11 mat til M \ CHAP. ,uk* I 384 ^?e C°Pies °f certain Letters; !jj( C H A P. VI. m Of Fraud and Corruption in alkdging Councils, Fathers and Doctors, iofti .1121® YOur next Motive was, That in examining the fluefiions, efpecially about the Church, where you laboured to perufe the Original Quo¬ tations and Texts of the Councils, Fathers and Dolors, you found, asyoufey, much fraud com¬ mitted by the Proteftants. This imputation of Fraud is very ufual and common to both fides s and verily I believe fome on both fides are faulty. For whether out of humane in¬ firmity, miftaking the meaning of Authors, or flips of memory, truft of other Mens Quotations, who tyenotthemfelves to the Words, but give the fenfe they conceive 5 how eafily may teftimonies be alledged clean befides the Authors minds ? He that hath ftrongly conceited any thing, findeth it in all that ever he readeth, or falleth upon. Too much heat in contention, and defire of Vi¬ ctory, blindeth the Judgment, and maketh a Man heedlefly lay hold upon any thing, that he thinks may ferve his turn. As we fee fometimes in the Writings of the Fathers, which had to deal with ancient Hereticks, alledging the Scriptures themfelves befides the purpofe. Sometimes haft and defire of frith tut- 2ita lowi kjitl nm ilk! h 4 fool m , I i.«t f ■m:, bill cii wjffla |J§ Pit M $m 1 i: 38^ 7 'beCopies of certain Letters. I I ill Iff ft §1' «f ml if is as was Before-hand promifed the Popes Nun¬ cio 9 the buftnefs fhould be fo carried that the advantage fhould remain on the part of the Church of Rome , and the Pope receive con- tentment, and in thefe very Words , The lye fhould reft with the Hereticks. Morney was born down. The Kings Letters to the Duke of Efpemon of this Victory , were blown over France, fent to Rome, printed with a Difcourfe thereabout, fet forth at Antwerp, and tranflated into Fnglifk, with fome alteration and Turkefing by F. Parfons. Wherein he faith, A French Jefuit, Fronto JDucam, difcovered in it at laft a thoufand. falfhoods for his part. He accufed Bifhop Jewel, and Mr. Fox, of the like crime 3 he faith that in two only leaves of his Book, a certain learned Scholar did difcover thir¬ ty wilful and voluntary corruptions and falftfi- cations that cannot be excufed, and him- felf befides thefe thirty, noted fo many other plain falfhoods and manifeft wilful lies, as might well double the former number. And by Arithmetick he multi¬ plies this Number with the Number of the Leaves, the number he faith will rife to thirty thoufand, by which John Fox his Book will as much exceed ?ohn Slddans Story in, number of lyes ( in which were found on¬ ly eleven thoufand) as it doth in bulk and bignefs. This manner of writing of thefe Men , brings to^ my mind that which: , Sir Thomas More writes of Tyndals New Te- ftament, wherein he faith, Were founden and noted% wrongs and falfely tranflated above a thoufand mis. 77;£ Copies of certain Letters. thottfand Texts by tale. The Language is like , and the caufe is the fame. Men were loth thefe Books fhould be read. The fubftance of them was fuch as could not be controlled 3 The next remedy was to foreftal the Readers minds with a pre¬ judice of falfification, that fo they might not regard them, but caft them out of their Hands of their own accord. The Vulgar fort would be brought out of conceit at the firffc hearing, with vehement accu- fation. Even wife Men would fuppofe, though there fhould not be any thing near fo many wilful faults, yet furely there muft needs be a very great humber, and that could not happen but with a very bad meaning 3 this admitted, who would vouch- fafe them the reading? And in truth among thofe that favour the reformed part, I have met with fome that out of this buz of falfification in the Lord of Pleffis Book, cared not for reading it 3 whereby may be thought in what account it fhould be with all thofe who efteem all F. Par fins Libels to be Oracles. But fhortly : Sith neither the Cardinal Perone, nor F. Parfions have had the means, or will, to decypher thofe hundreds and thoufands of falfifica- tions in Sleidan, Bifhop ^ewel, Mr. Fox, or Pleffis, in thefe fo many years, as have run fince they wrote 3 and as for the laft, he hath fet forth the Book again, with all the Authorities at large in the Mar- gent, in the Authors own Words, and hath anfwered all thofe that bayed at it, ~ Ccz till j 8-8 7k Co/?icj- of certain Letters. till they are filent: what remains but that we count this multiplying of F..Parfonsy may be joyned with ^Equivocation, to make up the art of Falfhood -7 wherein he and his Fadtion may juftly claim to be the wor- thieft ProfelTors hi the World. But with¬ out any multiplication or Other Arithmetic]^, in the fifth page of that Relation of his in the feven firft Lines are four notorious, I will not fay, lyes, or falftficahons, but fal- fhoods by tale. The Firft: That the try A being begun upon the firft place, that was found falfe. The French Difcourfe printed at Antwerp, Cum privilegio, and approbation of the Vifitor of Books, faith : And as to the faid firft Article, nothing was judged thereabout by the faid Commiffioners, nor pronounced by my f Ad Lord the Chancellor, and the King faid that it fhould be remitted to another time to- deliberate thereabout. The Second; He (that is Fleffts j would have pajfed to the fecond, but the Bijhop refufed fo to do, except the Mi¬ ni fiers and Proteftants there prefent would firft fubfcribe and teftife that this firft place was falfified. He faid in the page before, that Plefts appeared at laft with feme four or five Minifters on his fide. There were no Mi- nifters appeared with him on his fide. No Proteftants, no creature did fubfcribe, or was required fo to do. The third: which at length they did, viz,, fubfcribe, this place was falfified. An utter untruth. Whereof there is not a Word in the faid printed Narrati¬ on. The fourth: As well in this as in all the reft. There was no fubfcription, as I faid> at The jCopies of certain Letters. 3 at all. TheCommiffioners were all of the Roman profeffion, favingQ/^r, and he no Minifter. They never pronounced , much lefs fubfcribed that any of thole pla¬ ces examined were falfified. Of the firft place of Scotia they pronounced nothing. Of the feCOnd,of Due and, That the oppofit'ionof Du- rand was alleagedfor the refolution. And this they would have remitted alfo as the former to another time, (ave that the Bifliop infilled, faying, it mas in vain to difpute if they would not judge *, Addrefiing his Speech divers times^ to the King, to die intent he fliould fignifie his pleafure to the Commiffioners •, and then his Majefty drawing near to them, they gave their Opinions upon that Ar¬ ticle as before. This was that which F. Par- frn Rumbled at when he wrote, The Mini- fters and Proteflants there prefent fubfcribed and tefiifed, that it was falfefed , and fo all the refi: For being overjoyed with this News which he did not well underftand (to think the charitable!! of him ) he thought the Commiflioners had been part at leaf! Pro¬ teflants, and Mini fters: And had fubfcribed, whereas they pronounced their Sentence vi¬ va voce, by the Mouth of the Chancellor, never ufing the term falffcation $ yea in fbme of the reft they acquitted the Lord of Plefjis, as in the paffage of P. Crinitm, though they (aid Crinitus was deceived. In that of Bernard, that it had been good to diftinguifh the two pajfages of S. Bernard out tf the fame B.oof with an & Cetera. Not to ftand now upon that, that in the reft of C c 3 tire ^Uttphc' 7 f Dijl. §6* c. ConfiiJl" thus• The Copies of certain Let t e r s. 391 ■whole pra&ice and procurement we cannot doubt, if we ask but as Cajfim was wont, cul bono > For at every bout the Authority of the Pope, and priviiedges of the Ro¬ man See are extolled and magnified. Next, the Donation of Confiantine is a fenfe- lefs forgery 5 and fo blazed by fome of the learnedeft of the Roman Church. _ Read it advifedly, either in Gratlan, or in the Decrees of Sylvefier, with the Confeflion, and Legend of Conftantwe's baptifm, and fay out of your own judgment if ever any thing can be more fraudulent, more fottifh. And becaufe I have mentioned Gratian, his whole compilation is full of falfification, and corruption of Antiquity: take an example or two in the matter we have in hand. The Milevitane, and after the African Councils under pain of excom¬ munication prohibit Appeals beyond the Seas. Which Canons were made purpofely to meet with the usurpations of the Bilhops of Rome, of which I have fpoken fome- what before. Now in the citing this Ca¬ tion, Gratian adds this goodly explication 5 nifi forte Romanam fedem appellaverint 5 thus excepting that abufe which thefe Coun¬ cils directly fought to prohibits Again , S. Augufiine to inform a Chriftian man what Scriptures he fhould hold for Canonical, bids him follow the Authority of the greater fart of the Catholic^ Church , amongfi which are thofe, qua Apoftolicas fedes habere, & Dpi- fiolas accipere meruerunt, which had the honour to have the Apofiles Jit in thcrn^ and to receive' C c 4 Epifiles Cone it Mi- lev. c. 72. Concil. A- fric. c. 12. c. platuit. qu. 9. 6. Be Voftri* na. cbr.l. 2. The Copies of certain Letters. " Epifiles from them. Grati an fits it thus, in- ® fj ter quas ( Scripturas ) fane HU funt quas A- ^ foftolica fedes habere, & ab pa alii meruerunt : ' accifere Epiftolas : And accordingly, the title of that Canon is $ Inter Canonic as, The Decretal Efifties are numbred amongft the Canonical Scriptures. True it is , that in 3 * the end of the next Canon, Gratian adds ' a good limitation, and worth theremem- M1 bring, that this mufl be underftood of fuch Decreesy in which there is nothing found M1 contrary to the Decrees of the Fathers forego- '; ing, nor the Precepts of the Gofpel, Belike even in Gratians time it was not holden T:ii impoflible, That in the San&ions and De- pij« cretals of Popes, fomething might be de- i||k creed contrary to the Gofpel, which may Sfoti be added to your Judges Infallibilityy which Iptk hath been touched before. But thefe be old tricks of the Cham- iW pions of the Papacy. At this day perhaps mj; it is better: Yes, and that {hall ye un- far underftand by the Words of the Children of the Church of Rome themfelves, the Veneth- & g. ans. But firft ye are to know, that among cer- ; £: „ tain Propofitions fet forth in defence of that State, there was one, the fourth in num- iZ(;( ber of eight, That the Authority promifed by our Saviour Chrift to S. Peter under the me- taphor of the Keyes is meerly Spiritual. For confirmation whereof after other proof was {aid, That the Authority of the higheft Rifhop is over Sin and over Souls only 3 ac¬ cording to the words of that Prayer of the Church about S. Peter — qui B. Petro animas I :.f f""?'.' nl\w *) in i J,, (C«fe ill ' ft i iS s not otilj tk i] iffiligrojy feu*, cm y r, Ctjttoit, MFirfiti \ Dm, yea Ami Ltdyesrso\4, attfe 4t Rowan lipjt, I Trent \H M 2nd ol 3 : is [<^>4 to i, utato all corns ijce aUkais Iki hm Mjttr Sfm/h hitx printed wHy^MU I ihizcd him to toy ink/ Miter, with miitiji is, is where he tt, If U Supper, m m, pi pirn jm he ppf mffM) i nxktxtm fmf a roil JhJfo j iieisj The Copies of certain Letter s. 3 97 as Marguerinus de la Eigne confefleth in his Preface. The Ancient Fathers are perhaps free. For the Council of Trent appointed, that in the writings of the ancient Catholicks nothing fbould he changed, fave whereby the fraud of Hereticks, a manifefl error is crept in. But who fhall be the Judge of that ? the In- quifitors and Cenfors themfelves. For my part, I cannot fay that I have fpent many hours in the tryal of this point, nor have I had ancient Copies thereto requifite. But I will intreat you to confider with me one example, or rather two or three in one Father, and in the matter that I named, whereby you may guefs at the reft. In S.Cyprians Works imprinted at Rome, by P. Manutini, fent for to Venice by Pius the Fourth, to fet forth the Fathers , as himfelf faith, moft perfectly clean fed from all fpots, the Epiftle of Firmilianus Bijhop of Cafarea, be¬ ginning, Accepimm per Rogatianum, is whol- y left out 5 and Famelius thinks purpofe- y, and adds, perhaps it had been more wif- it had been never fet out at all. S Cyprian was not of that mind, who tranflated it into Latin, as. the ftile it felf witneffes, and Famelius alfo is enforced to confefs. The matter is, it too quick and vehement againft Stephanas Bilhop of Rome. He faith he is mo- ved with jufi indignation5 at the manifefl' folly of Stephanus, that boa fling fo much of the place of his Bijhoprick0 and that he hath the fuc- ctjfion of Peter, Upon whom the foundations of the Church were fety brings in many other Rocks* 398 The Copies of certain Letters. Rocks, See He faith he hath ftirred - tentions and difcords throughout the Churches of the whole World. Bids him not deceive himfelf, ^ j he hath made himfelf a Schifmaticfi, by fepara- .... ting himfelf from the Communion of the Ecclefi~ 'f. aflical Vnity, for while he thinks he can fepa- rate all from his Communion, he hath feparated himfelf only from all. He taxes him for calling fir ' S, Cyprian a falfe Chrift, a falfe jlpoftle, and 5^ rt deceitful workman, which being privy to him- . ' fitf that thefe were his own due, prcventingly fififi he objected to another ! No marvel if this gear could not pafs the Prefs at Rome. In S. Cyp rians Epiftle^ Be V nit ate Ecclefi a, /' thefe Words, & Primatm Petro datur, &c. and after, Vnam• Cathedram conftituit: and > again, Et Cathedra una, are foifted into the b®t Text in that Roman edition. In that of - Pamelius alfo befides thefe, another claufe is added* forfooth, out of Gratian, and a Copy of the Cambron Abby f ffiui Cathe¬ dram Petri fuper qttam fundata eft Ecclefia de- fetit* ] Thefe patches being all left out , - the fenfe is neverthelefs compleat and per- ■ fe$: And for the laft, which fpeaks moft fqr the Popes Chair, the Supervifors them- felves of the Canon Law , by the com* mandment of Gregory the Thirteenthy ac- knowledge, that in eight Copies of Cy~ ; • prian entire, in the Vaticane Library this Sentence is not found: But befides thefe there is one wheEeim his opufcula alone are contained, and another at S. Saviours in Bologna, inwhicjjxit is found* But what ac¬ count # tat y ffamk "C. fFmtaji J W, «f4k *», weprg wt k'l m if, |mu •«w! No mil Jiiot EpiSk,DfW®K m Mm of id: I inm, fflfo'iMk kodin latk xtb, oct of J- ifr/WfDM jwjUafWf' pJeteijWt® aUAos tehM la; die ptoj KB«(fWP|-- in SiSS itisfound to Lilffl 7/;e Copies of certain Letters. 399 count they*make of it appears by tliis, that fupplying the whole fentence in ano¬ ther place of C rati an, they leave it out. Wherein as their Confcience is to be commended, and Manutim his modefty, or theirs who furveyed that Edition, that would not follow one Copy againft eight 5 fo is Pmelius s boldnefs to be corrected , that out of one, and that not fully agree¬ ing with Grati an j neither lhames not ( as himfelf layes, veriti non fumus ) to farce in this reading into the Text, againft all the reft Printed and Manufcript, which heufcd above twenty in number, as he fets them down in a Catalogue in the beginning of his Edition. It is now little more than two hundred years ago, that Frier Thomas o£ wdden wrote againft pvitfleff; He in the ftcond Book of his firft Tome , the firft Article, and ftcond Chapter, cites this very place of Cyprian, and cites it to for- tifie witclef s aftertion of his own mind. For having recited mtclefs Words, he con- dudes them thus 3 Hac Mi, and then pro¬ ceeds : AddoWV* & nos quod Qprianus dicity mnes Apoftolos pares fuijfe & ptQtefiate & ho¬ me. Addayws qftod Hiergtyipm dicity fitper mnes Apoftol&s ex aquo fortitudo fglidatur Ec~ &c. Yet. neither in that Chapter, uor in that whole difcourfe doth he once mention thefe Words, now conveyed in¬ to Cyprian, nor any where elfe that I can and in all his Work, though he cite this Ira&ate often, under the name of Liber cm- fta Hareticos & pchifmaticosi How fit had k 401 77;e Copies of certain Letters. 'ft 4 Text ftill. What need ye purge them out of the newer editions at Antwerp and Paris ? 1 Belike Father John Matthews faw further into this matter Bellarmlne, for he cafts out this fentence>rv irith the dregs of the Avians, although there be no Arianifm in it that I can perceive. The truth is, the Author $^!: fpeaks of the Veflels ufed in the Lords Sup- fflfe per in his own time. For thofe words, ficut docet Balthafar, &c. are brought in by the idM way, for a confirmation from a like exam- i-; pie, the fenfe hanging in the mean while, Mflffo which is refumed again when he goes on, Si ergo h*c vafa as any indifferent Reader may perceive Yea, take away thefe words, and the finews of the fentence are cut, for the ft ir. force of the argument lies in the compari- % fc fon of the prophaning of the holy Veflels, and of our bodies* That is a fin, yet Chrifts body is not contained in them, but \m;* the myftery thereof: but God himfelf dwells drib in thefe. * # Thefe examples, toomitfome other, do £ make me think, that howfoever the corrupt- &: ing of the texts of the Fathers, is not now perhaps fo ufual, as of other Writers, and .-:.:rr good reafon why , they know that many look narrowly to their fingers, neither is there any place almoft, that is of fpecial pith, that hath not been obferved and ur¬ ged in the handling of the controverfies of this age, by fome or other * yet where there is any colour of differing Copies, or any advantage to be taken that way, it is not flipped. And who knows not, that fometimes M W ^KAialiij, 3®t fottkoii^ rc ip fttyifaMnl ; ah> dEfaunoenatfajl tJimt ksintheaapi c&i Tte si fa : Dacoffiais«iiDitan,b rtd:kfflW as the form of each muft he invwUbl) obfer- ved, without the leaft particle of the T ext ad¬ ded, changed or detraSled. The former, dero¬ gating all Faith and authority from whatfeever Bibles hand-written, or printed, of the Vulgar e- dition, which did not agree with that which he fet forth> ad verbum & ad literam. The lat¬ ter, telling, that when the fame Pope endeavour¬ ed to fet it out, he perceived not a few things to have crept into the holy Bible, through the fault of the Pre ft} and that it needed a fecond care where- Ddi upon De verbis Domini^ Serm. 15<$ c. if; 404 The Copies of certain Letters. 'Hr upon he decreed to bring the whole reork^ again 4. to the Anvile, had he not been prevented by deaths "... fo derogating all Faith from the former. Whereas the truth is, Sixths did not only en¬ deavour to fet out his Bible, but prefixed his Bull before it ad perpetnam rei memoriam, and fent one of the Copies to the State of Ve- : • nice (as I heard at my being there) howfo- ::;l ever fince it was cunningly recovered again, : ' fet it to fale publickly, and faith in his Bull, that he corrected the faults of the Prefs with his own hand, and ( which moft of all r :;:: convinceth Pope Clement sPreface of falfhood) the difference of thefe Editions is not in fault of the prints, but in that the one fol- lows the old erroneous reading, the latter the reading of other Marmfcripts according A with the Hebrew, Chaldee, Greeks or the Latin edition of the Catholick Kings Bible, ob- iitr. ferved by the induftry of the Divines of Ls- #^1 vaine. But to forbear to urge this contradi- Wr» dion in the very foundation of belief, which fome man perad venture would prefs fo far, as to inferr, that die Romanics have no ' faith ( for. he that believes contradicto¬ ries, believes notliing.) What fhall we • u* •, fay of that impiety, to corrupt the original kh: Text according to the vulgar Latin ? See > an example hereof in the firfl promife of the Gofpel, Gen. 3. where the Serpent is threat- zh< ried, that the feed of the Woman fhall crufh : - . .hishead. The vulgar Edition leaving here ... the Hebrew, the Seventy, and Saint Hierome himfelf,as appears by his queftions upon Gene- ilS, tranlktes Ipfa> She fhall bruife thy head. So it -■•••'''• We, Wprfjaj;'- Lcpies to tk ^ ^ ;■ Kl^NM jjjjj-t-, J '■" ™ rati •mmn yci*Biftuboffi of M Editioiis is mi as, but iatbat one fj roocwK reading, the Id foteMffipisa^ it,Cuiifini/lkb (ytX][ lo flfupriifif i is bw$$ k k Were m ml.'4 J M tin tk Mpiomift iMiflntis i if tlx Mn fit lift Mm kin Saw mi SmB*I ytiijdmiipoiiw SixfJhifiil)ld§l I The Qofties of certain Letters. 4° J it ftands now in the authentical Scripture of the Church of Rome, and herein Sixtnt and Clemens are of accord. The Divines of Lovaine obferve, that two Manufcript Copies have Ipft. That the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek^ have it fo likewife. Why then did not either Sixties or Clemens, or they them- felves having Copies for it, corredt it, and make it fo in the authentical Text? I will tell you by colour of this corruption, the Devil envying Chrifts glory, like an ob- ftinate enemy rather yielding himfelf to any than his true Conqueror, hath given this ho¬ nour to the Virgin Mary, To her it is at¬ tributed in that work which I think to be the mod ungodly and blafphemous that ever fawthe Sun, The Ladies Pfalter, wherein that which is fpoken of God by the Spirit of God is writhed to her. In the yi.Pfalm, Quid gloriaris in malitiaf maligne Serpens, <&e. Why boafteft thou in malice, o thou malignant: Serpent and infernal Dragon ? Submit thy head to the Woman, by wbofe valour thou Jhalt be drowned in the deep, Crufh him, o Lady, with the foot of thy valour, arife and fcatter his malice, &c. And in the yz. fpeaking to the fame Serpent. Noli extolli, &c. Be not lifted up for the fall of the Woman, for a Woman fhall crufh thy head, &c. So that in that Anthem , Hac eft mulier virtutis qua con- triyit caput Serpent is. Yea which I write with gief and Ihame, to her doth good Bernard apply it, Horn. 2. fuper Mifus eft, and which is more ftrange, expounds it» not of her bearing our Saviour, but ipfi* D d 3 prosulduhio, The Copies of certain Letters. Thefe be frauds indeed, in the ftridteft fenfe, wilfully corrupting the Texts of good Authors, wilfully maintaining them fo cor¬ rupted ; not abftaining from the holy Scri¬ ptures themfelves. For as to that other kind, depraving the fenfe, retaining the words •, it were endlefs to cite examples. Bellarmine alone, as I believe, pafleth any two Proteftants that ever let pen to paper, perhaps all of them put together. thm In, A C H A P. The (Copies of certain Letters. 40^ CHAP. VII. Of the Armies of evident Witneffes fey the Romanifts, WHere you add, That licks had far greater and better Armies of evident tVitneffesthan theProtcft might per¬ haps feem To to you, as your mind was prepa¬ red, when you had met with fuch cunning Mu- fter-Mafters as the Romanifts are: Who fome- times bring into the Field to make their num¬ ber feem more, after the old ftratagem of War, a fort of Pages and Lackies, unwor¬ thy to hold any rank in the Hoft of God, un¬ der the names of the Fathers. Sometimes to confirm their part, give out a Voice confi¬ dently, that all the Forces which they fee aloof in the Field are on their fide, whereas when it comes to the Battle they fhall find that they will turn their Arms againft them. Sometimes they change the Qyarrel it felf 5 in which cafe how eafie is it to bring Armies, as you fay, into the Field, to fight againft No-body and evident Witneffes, to prove that which no Man denies ? For the purpofe, that the Bifhop of Rome hath had a primacy of Honour and Authority 5 when as the que- ftion is about a Monarchy, and infallible Judgment, an uncontrolable Jurifdi&ion. Herein 41 o The Copies of certain Letters. Herein if you pleafe, fee how ® alledges the Fathers, Greek and Latine, in • / the i y. and 16. Chapters of his Firft Book, de Summo Pontifice. So for proof of the veri- ; ® tyof Chrifts Body and Blood in the Lords f" Supper, he fpends a whole Book only in ci- * " ting the Teftimonies of the Fathers. To what purpofe ? When thp queftion is not s ;: of the truth of the Prefence, but of the *' manner; whether it be to the Teeth and vt Belly, or Soul and Faith of the Receiver. : ; Sometimes they will bear down the unexpert ■ Souldier their Reader, that he fees the Fa- titers fight for them s as TigWim and come in often with their Fides in the end and application of a Teftimony. Whereby it comes to pafs that the Scholar if he be of a # plyable difpoiition, or loth to be counted fliw dim-lighted, yields himfelf to his Teacher, and fees in the Fathers that which they never W dreamed of. But furely, Sir, had you gi- wM ven that honour to the Holy Scriptures,which fij H of the Jews was given to them, and our 'tti • Lord Jefus Chrift allows it in them s and r®, to then employed as much travel in the fearch- Wite ing and looking into them, as you profefs to "»aj have done in the ferujinr Councils and - Ifefw, thers, perhaps God had opened your Eyes, 1% as thole of Elijha his Servant, to have leen, MI>* that there are more on our Jide than 4^ tlnki Horfcs indeed and Chariots of Fire, able to ssme: put to flight and fcatter never fo great Ar- mies of humane Authorities and Opinions, -wr* But this place of the Serif tares hath no place amongft all your Motives- < 1#^ The Copies of certain Letters. 411 As touching thac which you fay rf the Centurifts often cenfttring and resetting the plain Teflimonies of the Antients. It is true , that in the title Be Dottrina, they note apart, The fingular and incommodious Opinions, the Stub¬ ble and Errors of the Bothers. Wherein to tell you my fancy, If they commit any fault, it is, Thac they are too rigid and Arid, referring into this Catalogue, every improper and ex- ceflive Speech, which being Xevered from the reft of the difcourfe, may often feem abfurd: As it may alfo feem ftrange that our Saviour fhould teach a Man to hate his Father and Mother, or pull out his Eyes, or give him his Cloaks that hath bereaved him of his Coat. Whereas thefe and the like have in the place where they ftand, admirable force and grace, being taken with an equal and commodious Interpretation. But it is as clear as the Noon day, that fundry fuch errors and Angular Opi¬ nions there be in the Fathers, as cannot be juftified. They fpeak not alwayes to your own Minds, not only prima facie, and in found of mrds, but being never fo well exami¬ ned and falved. Witnefs Sixtus Senenfis in the fifth and Jixth Books of his Bibliotheca, Witnefs PameHas Medina (though blamed for confelfmg fo much by Bellarminc) •, yea witnefs Bellarmine himfelf. Wherefore if the bare Authority of the Fathers muft bind us, undergo the fame Law ye give * if as your Belgiclg Index COnfefleth, you bear in them with many errors, extenuate them, excufe them, by devifing fome fhift, often deny them, and give them a commodious fenfe, when they are oppofed in Deputations 7l:e Copies of certain Letters. 41 y will) that £ TecUdelivered the Soul of Falconilla out of Hell 5 and S. Gregory the Soul of Trajan, and that as may feem faying Mafs for him,fith he was forbidden thence¬ forth to offer any Hofl for any wicked Man. Believe that Macarius continually praying for the Dead,, and very defirous to know whe¬ ther his Prayers did them any good, had an- fwerby miracle from the Scull of a'dead Man an Idolater, that by chance was tum¬ bled in the way. O Macarius when thou offe- reft Prayers for the Dead, we feel fome eafe for the time. Believe that on Eafter even all the damned Sprits in Hell keep Holy day, and are free from their torments. S. Auguftine, fuch is his modefty, will give you leave to believe this, as well as Purgatory, if you pleafe, as he is not unwilling to give as large fcope to other Mens Opinions as may be, fo they re- verfe not the plain and certain grounds of Holy Scripture. In all thefe you may if you pleafe follow Authors alfo •, as S. Damafceney Paladins, Prudentius, Sigehert, and Others. But give the fame liberty to others that ye take. Compel no Man to follow your Opi¬ nion, if he had rather follow Dan&us s Rea- fons. For my felf, I would fooner with S. Auguftine himfelf, whofe words touching S.Cyprian, Danaus here borrowed, confels this to be, ndtvum candidifftmi pcEloris cooper turn ubere charitatis, than be bound to juftifie his conceit toiching the commemoration of the Dead in the Lords Supper. And as he faith of S. Cyprian, fb would I add, Ego hu¬ ps libri Author it ate non teneor, quia liter as Ah guftini The Copies of certain Le tters. 417 \ulHan in his latter times, whether as Saint Hierortie writes through the envy and re¬ proach of the Roman Clergy, or out of the too much admiring chaftity and fading, be¬ came a Montanift, and wrote a Book de /V- dlcitia, blaming the reconciling of Adulterers and Fornicators. In the very entrance almoft thereof, he hath thefe words; Audio etiam ediElum ejfe propofitum, & quidem peremptoriurm Pontifex fcil. Maximas Epifcopus Epifcoporum dicit, Ego & moechU & fornications deli El a pdenitentia funElis dimitto. Famelius in his note upon this place, writes thus. Bene ha- bet, & annotatu dignum quod etiam jam in ha- refi conftitutus, & adverfus Ecclejiam fcri bens 3 Pontifcem Romantm Epifcopum Efifcoporum nun- cupet $ CTr infra Cap. 1 3. bomm P aft or em y & be¬ ne dill um Pap am, & Cap 21. Apoftolicumi Thus Pamelius j and prefently lanches forth into the Priviledges of the See of Rome, and brings a number of teftimonies for that for¬ gery of Conftuntitles don at ionThe like note ne hath in the life of Tertullian,, where he makes the Pope thus fet forth the former Edift to have been Zephyr inns':s *, quemy faith he, Pontifcem Maximum etiam jam hareticus Epifcopum Epifcoporum appellat. Baromas alfo makes no imall account of this place, and faith, The title of the Pope is here to be noted. And indeed, prima facie (as you fay) they have reafon. But he that fail well examine the whole web of TertAllans difcourfe, fall find that he fpeaks by a molt bitter and feorn- ful bonier as Eli as doth of Baal, when he faith, he s a God. The word fcilicet might E e have 41 8 !7;£ Copies of certain Letters. j have taught them thus much. Yea, the ti- - tie Pontifex Maxim us, which in thole days, and almoft two ages after, was a Pagan term, never attributed to a Chriftian Bifhop, M firft laid down by Grattan the Emperour, as Baromm alfo notes, in the year of our ®l11 Lord 38 3. becaufe it favoured of Heathen- ifh fuperftition, though it had been, as a ® title of Royalty ufed by the former Chri- M* ftian Emperours, till that time. This title, fan I fay, might have made them perceive km( Tertulilans meaning-, unlefs the immoderate tooko delire of exalting the Papacy did fo blind w their eyes, that feeing, they faw, and ye: per- kbti ceived not. Lithe fame character, though in,tli! • with moremildnefs and moderation, is the unity i fame title for the other part of it, ufed by «'sEp Saint Cyprian, in his Vote in the Council of cation) Carthage. Neque n. quifquam no ft rum ft efe OBd Epifcopum Epifcoporrm conftituit, aut tyrannico ^tk( terrore ad obftquendi neceffttatem Collegas fuos mm, adigit. Be liar mine faitll, he fpeaks here of thoft kit B if hops that were in the Council of Carthage^ and that the Bifhop of Rome is not im hided in that ftntence, who is indeed Bifhop of Bifhops, What! and doth he tyrannoufly inforce his ^ Colleagues to obedience alfo? For it is plain that Cyprian joyns thefe together, the fafy one as the prefumptuous title, tlie other as ,^1; the injurious adt anfwering thereto, which he ^ calls plain tyranny, And as plain it is out of Firm Hi anus's Epiftle, which I vouched before, % ^ that Stephamu Biihop of Rome heard ill for his arrogancy and prefuming upoq the place ^ of his Bifhoprick, Peters Chairf to fever ^ f himfelf I-1; :: iv 1 'M ! if V B i !:a 420 The Copies of certain "Letters. whofe opinion is well enough known, it is Chrifi confejfed by Peter, that is the founda¬ tion of the Church •, but they are the words of » urbici an undifcreet railer * of the City of Rome, a- etjHfdw. ga;nfl- whom Saint Augufiine in all that Epi- ftle moft vehemently inveighs. This arro¬ gant Author endeavours fo to defend the Ro¬ man cuftome of failing on the Saturday, as he reproaches all other Churches that ufed o- therwife. And that we may fee with what Spirit he was led, he brings the fame text that is brought in Pope SWicius., and Inmcen- tiws Epiftles, againft the marriage of Clergy¬ men, £ui in came funt Deo flacere non pojfunt, and many other Scriptures wrefted, and far from the purpofe at laft comes the autho¬ rity of Peter, and his tradition very Pope¬ like alledged, Peter, he faith, the head of the A* fofiles, porter of heaven, and foundation of the Church, having overcome Simon the Sorcerer, who was a figure of the Devily not to be overcome but by fafting, thus taught the Romans, whofe faith is famous in the whole world. I remit you to Saint Augufiine s anfwer to this tradition. This I note, that where your Cenforsdo rafeout of the Margents of former editions, fuch notes as doexprefs the very opinions of the Anci¬ ents, and in their own words, here they can allow and authorize fuch marginal notes, as are dire&ly contrary to their meaning. Yea, which are earneftly oppugned by them j when they feem to make for the authority of the Pope. Good fir, examine well this dealing, and judge if this be not wrefting the Fathers, and applying them clean from their purpofe. In ill The Qopies of certain Letters. 4*1 In fine, you foundyour felfyou , evidently convinced. Perfwaded, I believe, rather than convinced. Elfeif the force and evidence of the Arguments, and not the pliablenefs of your mind were the caufe of your yielding, methinks they fhould work like effeft in o- thers, no lefs ferioufly feeking for truth, and letting all worldly refpetts afide, earneftly minding their own falvation, than your felf. Which I well know they do not, neither thofe which hitherto have been examined, nor thofe which yet remain to be confider* ed in therereward. E e } CHAP, 4iz The Copies of certain Letters. lid C H A R VIII. Of the Invifibiliiy of the Church, [aid to he an cvafion of Pro: ejt ants. j with I i lib TH E firfl: whereof IS, the diflike of the Pro- teflants cvafion, as you call it, by the inv't- fibiiity of their Church. Give me leave here to tell you plainly, ye feem to me not to un- derftand the Proteftants do&rine in this point. Elfe ye would have fpared all that, The Catholic^ Church mufi ever be vifible, as a # City fet on a hill, other wife how fhould Jhe teach her children, convert Pagans, difpenfe Sacraments ? All this is yielded with both hands.The Con¬ gregations of which the Catholick Church doth confift are vifible.But the promife made to this Church,of vittory againft the gates of Hell, the titles, of the houfe of God, the bafe and pil¬ lar of Truth, (an allufion, as I take it, to the bafes and pillars that held up the veil or"curtains in the Tabernacle) the body^of Chrifl, his Dove, his undefiled, are not verified of this Church in the whole vifible bulk of it, but in thole that are called according to Gods purpofe, given to Chrift, and kept by him to be raifed up to life at the laft day. Thisdoftrine is Saint Auguftine s in many pla¬ ces, which it would be too tedious to fet down at large. In his third book, De dottrina Chnfiiana, among the rules of Tychoniw, there is i jrrtff, Hi to hi iiClml. ;en out trf! tut in ik t ~< U t iidi of j it flu if that B it Iteiii IftU 1 ritiln la, Hidden i Unr aofPapifr ffnit ail irn \: m ihami it At ] fowl i ft,fa deludes, /m jEl"tRs, The Copies of certain Letters. 413 is one which he corre&s a little for the terms, Be Domini corf ore Hp art it o which he faith, ought not to have been called fo, for in truth that is not the Lords body, which jhall not be with him for ever, but he fhould have [aid of the Lords true body and mixt, or true and feigned> or fome fuch thing. Becaufe not only for ever, but even now, hypocrites are not to be faid to be with him, though. they feem to be . in his Church. Confider thofe refemblances taken out of the holy Scripture, wherein that godly Father is frequent, of chaff and, wheat in the Lords floor, of good and bad fifhes in the net, of fpots and light in the Moon. Of the Church carnal and fpirituai, of the wicked multitudes of the Church, yet not to be account¬ ed in the Church. Of the Lilly and the Thorns } thofe that are marked which mourn for the Jins of Gods people, and the refi which perifh, which yet bear his Sacraments. Conilder the laft Chapter of the book, Be Vnitate Ecclefla, and that large Treatife which he hath of that matter, Eplfl. 48. The place is long, which deferves to hi read, for the objection of the Univerfality of Arianifme (like to that of Papifme in thefe laft ages) which Saint Augufiine anfwers in the fifth book, Be Bap- tifmo contra Donatiftas cap. 27. That number of the jufl, who are called according to Gods pur- pofe, of whom it is faid, The Lord kyoweth who are his, is the inclofed garden, the fealed foun¬ tain, the well of living waters, the orchard with Apples, tIre. The like he hath. /. $■. c. 3. & 2 3. he concludes, that becaufe fuch are built upon the Rocf, as hear the PVord of God and do. it, and the E e 4 reft TheQopies of certain Letters. 41 j liave only fdem informem, the latter format Am. Now though the perfons -of fuch, as be in the Church be vifible, yet the Faith and Charity of men we fee not, and to argue from the privileges of the Church, mmero & merito, to the Church, mmero tantnm, is a perpetual, but a palpable faralogifme of the Romifh faftion: which is grofler yet, when they argue to the Church reprefentative 5 and groifeft of all,when one man is made the Churchy and he ( as themfelves grant mgy fallout) 3 Pevil incarnate. CHAP, The Copies of certain Letters. 4 common errors alfo there have been, which in fucceeding Ages have been cleared and reformed: as, die ChiUafisThat Angels have Bodies:. That Children after thej he bapti¬ zed are to he communicated : That llereticks are to herehaptized. To the Affumption. Firft, The Prote- ftants challenge not to themfelves any Church as their own ♦, which I muft advertife you of here, becaufe formerly alfo^ you do ufe this Phrafe. The Church is Chrifts, both the vifible and invifible. Next, taking mat¬ ters of Faith for foundations or Articles of Faith neceffarj to Solvation, the Church of Chrift hath in all Ages had Uniform concord with the Proteftants at this day in fuch matters, as appeareth by the Common Rule of Faith the Creed *, apd fo hath alfo the Church under the Popes tyranny. As to the Trent Additi¬ ons they are foreign to the Faith, as neither Principles nor Conclufions thereof: Nei¬ ther can your felves (hew uniform confent and concord in them (and namely, in the 11 of them) in anyone Age, efpecially as matters of Salvation, as now they are cano¬ nized. Hovy much lefs can ye (hew it in all other conclufions of Faith*, whereabout there have been among you, as are now among us, and ever will be differences of Opini¬ ons, without any prejudice for all that unto the unity of the Faith of the Church, and title to the name of it. As for Wicliff \ Husr andthe reft, if they have any of them born record to the Truth, and refilled any inno¬ vation of cortupt Teachers in their times, even The Cop tes of certain Letters. 451 Pope, fo after this Bull he refolved to refufe it, and thereupon put forth an Appeal to the Councily &c. You fee then how fubmiflively Lu¬ ther at firft carried himfelf. But extream tyranny overcomes often a well prepared pa¬ tience. Touching his caufing Rebellion alfo again [I the Emperour, ye are mif- informed : His advice was asked about the Affociation of the Pro- teftants ztSmalcald, he faid plainly, Hecoi|ld s;(idanj.i not fee how it could be lawful, further than for their own defence. Joh. Bodin, in his fe- cond Book de Repub. cap, hath thefe Words. . We read alfo that the Protefiant Princes of Al- main before they took^ Arms againfi the Emperor, demanded of Martin Luther if it were Lawful, He anfwered freely that it was not lawful, what- foever tyrannyy or impiety were pretended. He was not believed 5 fo the end thereof was mifc- rable, and drew after it the ruine of great and i/lufiriom Houfes of Germany. As for the war in Germany it began not till after Lu- thers death, neither was it a rebellion of the Proteftants-, the truth is, they flood for their Lives. The Emperor with the help of the Popes both Mony and Arms, inten¬ ded to root them out $ and although at the firft the Emperour did not avow his railing Arms againft them to be for Religion, yet the Pope in his Jubilee published upon this occafion,did not lett to declare to the World, that himfelf and Ccf far had concluded a League to reduce the Hereticks by force of Arms to thf obedience of the Church, and therefore all jhould pray for tlx rood fuccefs of the War. That jf: 1 4 3 £ T7;e Copies of certain Le t t e r s. That Luther ever reviled the Enngerbur, I did never till now hear or read, and therefore would defire to know what Authors you have for it. Touching other Princes, name- ly, King Henry the Eighth, I will not defend f , him, who condemned himfelf thereof. It is W*1 true that he was a Man of a bold and high ^ Stomach, and fpecially fitted thereby through ® the Providence of God, to work upon the heavy and dull difpofition of the Almains ,• fcpfe and in fo general a Lethargy, as the World ^ving W then was in, he carried himfelf ( as fell out fometimes) very boifteroufly. But Arrogan- .lis Merctoi cy, Schifm, Rebellion, were as far from him, wfltoix as the intention it felf to giant a Church. ions. The; As to his Vow-breaking laftly, if that Vow :iing to do i were foolifhly made ana linfully kept, it was iMliil juftly broken: .Perhapsalfo charitably, if he i to him would by his own example reform fuch, audi as lived in Whoredome, and other Unclean- impudence ( nefs, and induce them to ufe the Remedy Iill Ink that God hath appointed for the avoiding of lopmxho them, to wit, honourable Marriage. All iifiiinit! this matter touching Luther, unlefs Ibede- iepreyili ceived, you have taken from Mr. Harding5 cifmight hr that at leaft touching his rancor again ft the |, B7 A Dominicans, for it is his very Phrafe. But ijappen Mr. Harding both in this, and many things Tale be' elfe difcovereth his paflion, and lack of true uW information in this affair. When with one Breath he affirmeth, that, firft, it was a Par- , don of a Croifade againft the Turks which was [ preached: Whereas it was ah Indulgence to igmethink thofe that jhould gut their helging hands for the S| q ^ j building of S< Peters Church at Rome, as the fet, ^ Articles Tbe Copies of certain Letters. 431 Articles of this Pardon printed in Englifh, one of the Copies whereof I have my felf, do fhew. Secondly, next he faith, the preaching hereof was granted to Friar John Tetzet. It was Friar fohn Therein or TeceL Thirdly, he faith, The Elector of Mentz Al¬ bert , granted this to Thecel and the Domi¬ nicans, whereby Luther was bereft of the gain he expected. The truth is, it was Aremboldus a Bilhop living at the Court of Rome, whom ( having before been a Merchant of Genoa) Magdalen the Popes Sifter put in truft with this Merchandife, that appointed the Bo-* minicans to be the Retailers of thefe Par" dons. The Archbiihop of Mentz, had no¬ thing to do with it, otherwife than to al¬ low and fuffer it, which occafioned Luther to write to him, as to the Bifhop of Branded burgh, and to Leo himfelf, to reprefs the impudence of the Pardoners. And Luther faith further in one place, that the Archbi- fhop undertook to give countenance to this bufinefs, with that condition, that the half of the prey fhould go to the Pope, and him¬ felf might have the other half to pay for his Pall. By thefe Errors heaped together it may appear what credit it is like Mr. Han¬ dings Tale be worthy of, touching the rem¬ nant, that of rancor and malice again ft the Do- minicans, and becaufe he was bereaved of that fweet Morfeh which in hope he had almoft [wal¬ lowed down, Luther made this ftir. A hard thing methinks it is, for any that lived at that day to fet down what was in Luthers Heart, what were his hopes, his deftres, ran- F f cor, if I'liHJ *lle Copies of certain Letter s. 43 the Bijliop and Clergy of Geneva, upon the throwing down Images there by popular tumult, departed in an anger, feven years ere ever Calvin fee Foot within the Gates of that City. A thing not only clear in Story, by the Writers of that time, and lince, Sleidan,, Bodine, Calvins Epiftles, and Life, but fet down by thole whom ye cite. Mr. Hooker in his Preface fpeaking of Calvin. He fell at length upon Geneva, which City the Bifhop and Clergy thereof \ had a little before, as fome do af¬ firm, forfaken, being of likelihood frighted with the peoples fudden attempt for the abolifhment of Popifh Religion. And a little after, ait the coming of Calvin thither, the form of their Regi¬ ment was popular, as it continueth at this day, &C. Dr. Bancroft. The fame year that Geneva was a faulted, (viz. by the Duke of Savoy, and the Bilhop, as he had faid before, pag. 13,) which was Anno 15 36, Mr. Calvin came thither. If Calvin at his coming found the Form of the Government Popular *, If he came thi¬ ther the fame Year that the Biihop made war upon Geneva to recover his Authority, being indeed either affrighted, or having for¬ faken the Town before, how could Calvin expel him? And in truth Bodine in his fecond Book, De Repub* Chap. 6. affirmeth, That the fame Tear Genoa was efiablifhed in a State Arifiocratical, which was, he faith, Anno 1J28. Geneva was changed from a Monarchy Pontiff cal, into an Efiate Popular, governed Arifiocra- tic ally,although that long before the Town pretended to be free, againft the Earl and againfi the Bi- /hop, &c. What Saravla hath written touch- Ff 2 ing He Ml The fopies of certain Letters. far ably the wifeft man that ever the French Church aid enjoy fence the hour it enjoyed him : andjfjf his platform of difcipline, after he hath laid down the fumm of it 5 This device I fee not how the wife ft at that time living could have bettered, if we duely confider what the prefent fate of Geneva did then require. But be it (and for my part I think no lefs) that herein he was miftaken, to account this to be the true form of Church policy, by which all other Churches, and at all times ought to be governed •, let his error reft with him, yea let him anfwer it unto his Judge •, but to ac- cafe him of ambition, and fedition, and that falfly, and from thence to fet that brand up¬ on the Reformation, whereof he was ^wor¬ thy inftrument ( though not the firft either there, or any where elfe) as if it could not be from God, being fo founded for my part I am afraid you can never be able to anfwer it, at the fame Barr •, no, nor even that of your own Confcience,or of reafonable and equal men. For the ftirrs, broils, feditions, and murthers in Scotland, which you impute to Knox and the Geneva-Gofpellers, they might be occafion- ed perhaps by the Reformers there, as the broils which our Lord Jefus Chrift faith he came to fet in the world by the GofpeL Poffible alfo, that good men out of inconfi- derate zeal, fhould do fome things raihly: And like enough the multitude which fol¬ lowed them, as being fore prepared with jaft hatred of the tyranny of their Prelates, and provoked by the oppofitionof thead- F f 3 verfe Wfc TXe Copies of certain Letters. 4 So when we fpeak of Religion ( though that indeed be all one) you divide us in¬ to Lutherans, Zwinglians, Calvinifts, Prote- ftants, Brownifts , Puritans and Cartwright- ifls, whenfoever any^ diforder of all this number can be accufed, then lo are we all one, and the fault of any Fadtion is the flander of all, yea of the Gofpelit felf, and of Reformation. Judge now uprightly if this be indifferent dealing. From Scotland you Come to England. Where becaufe you could find nothing done by popular tumult, nothing but by the whole State in Parliament, and Clergy in Convocation, you fall upon King HenrjS Pajfions , you will vot tnjtfi upon them you fay and yet you do, as long as upon a- ny one member of your induction-, though it matters little whether you do or no, fince Father Parfons will needs aver that he lived and dyed of your Religion. Here firft you mention, his violent divorce- kg himfelf frem his lawful Wife. We will not now debate the Queftion , How his Brothers Wife could be his lawful Wife ? You muff now fay fo. Whatfoever the Scriptures, Councils, aimoft all Univer- fities of Chrifteildom determined : ' Yet methinks it Ibould move you that Pope Clement himfelf had configned to Cardinal Campegius a Breve formed to fentence for the King, in as ample manner as could be, howfoever upon the fuccefs of the Ernpe- rours' affairs in Italy, and his own occa- fions, he fent a lpecial MefTenger to him F f 4 to 44° The Copies of certain Letters. *']i to bum it. But what violence was this tyf*' ( that you fpeak of? The matter was or- derly and judicioufly by the Archbifhop of ^ ' Canterbury with the afliftance of the learnedeft i®*®?1®.1 of the Clergy according to the antientCa- ^77^ nons of the Church, and Laws of the Realm, ^ rl heard and determined. That indeed is M j'/v more to be marvelled at, what moved him ®e> f to fall out with the Pope his Friend, in ^^[V'\ whofe quarrel he had fo far engaged him- You cem felf, as to write againft Luther, of whom alfo he was fo rudely handled as you men- IfaMta tion before 3 having received alfo for feme part of recompence, the title of The Be- Tend), art* fender of the Faith, having been fo charge- of Popes, in' ably thankful to the Pope for it. All #^0® thefe things confidered, it muft be faid, isaStoryin this unkindnefs and flippery dealing of Cle^ tattf ment with him was from the Lord, that opto he might have an occafion againft the fWw, i\ Pope, and that it might appear that it rieolm was not Humane Counfel , but Divine Providence that brought about the ba- mfrfa nifhment of the Popes Tyranny from a- itftth mong us. His marriage with the Lady Mkm Anne Batten, her death, and the reft which frtjfoi you mention of the abling or difabling , tie faid of < her Xftue to inherit the Crown, I fee not [don oyy j what it makes to our purpofe. The [up- preffion of,the Monafieries , was not his Mfxi fole Adt, but of the whole State, with Qoefion w\ the cpnfent of the Clergy* and taken ioaifej out of Cardinal wolfy his example, yea, founded upon the Popes Authority granted Word as t„ |0 him 3 To diffolve the [matter Boufcs of Relight^ The £opies of certain Letters. 441 Religion, on pretence to defray the charges of his fumptuous Buildings at Oxford and iffwich, wherein if it pity you (as I confefs it hath fometimes me ) that fuch goodly Buildings are defaced and ruined, we muft remem¬ ber what God did to Shiloh , yea to Jerufk- Jcr. 7. 12. lem it /elf \ and Wis Temple there. And that Matt. 3.10. Oracle, Every tree that beareth not good fruit floall he cut down, and caft into the fire. You demand, If this Alan, King Henry, were a good Head of Gods Church ? What if I fhould demand the fame touching Alexan¬ der the Sixth, Julius the Second, Leo the Tenth, or twenty more of the Catalogue of Popes, in refped of whom King Henry might be canonized for a Saint ? But there is a Story in Tallies Offices of one Lucatius, that laid a Wager that he was ( bonus vrr) a good Man •, and would be judged by one fimbria, a Man of Confular Dignity. He, when he underftood the cafe, faid, He would never judge that matter, left either he fhould diminifh the refutation of a Man well efteemed of, or fet down that any Man was a good Man 5 which he accounted to confift in an innumerable fort of Excellencies and Praifes. That which he faid of a good Man, with much more reafop may I fay of a good King, one of whofe higheft excellencies is to be a good Head of the Church. And therefore it is a Queftion which I will never take upon me to anfwer, Whether King Henry were fuch or no? unlefeyou will beforehand interpret this Word "as favourably, as G met iundine doth Lib. 16. tell us Men ;are wont to do in the cenfuring your 44* The Copies of certain Letters. your heads of the Church. For Popes, he faith, now st-days are praifed for their goodnefs, they ex- r«- I tell you what both they, and the Papifts alfo, both in France and Italj^ have in fuch Cafes alledged.] Firft, the Law of Nature which, [they fay,] not only alloweth,butin- clinethand enforceth every living thing, to defend it felf from violence. Secondly, that of Nations, which permitteth thofe that are in the protection of others, to whom they owe no more but an honourable acknow¬ ledgment, in cafe they go about to make themfelves abfolute Soveraigns, and ufurp their Liberty, to refift and ftand for the fame. And if a lawful Prince (which is not yet Lord of his Subjects Lives and Goods) (hall attempt to defpoil them of the fame, under colour of reducing them to his own Religion after all humbleRemonftrances they may, [they fay,] ftand upon their own guard, and being aflailed, repel Force with Force, as did the Macchabees under Ant'iochm. In which cafe, notwithftanding the perfon of the Prince himfelf, ought always to be facred and inviolable, as was Sauls to David, Laft- ly, if the inraged Minifter of a lawful Prince? Will 44 8 Tk Copies of certain Letters.^ % The Affumption is denied in every part of SfPf it. And here I muft needs fay you have not lift done unwifely to leave out the Church of iW England as againft which you had no pre- tence, all things having been carried orderly, ilk I and by publick Counfel. But you have mfeli wronged thofe which you name, and either UiA lightly believed, or unjuftly furmifed your Hook felf, touching Luther, Calvin, Knox, the lid K French, and the Hollanders, when you make lough b them the raifers of Rebellion and fhedders of Blood, pi will Whofe Blood hath been fhed like Water yet, tat in all parts of thofe Countries, againft all wholly m Laws of God and Man, againft the Edids, in fomei and publick Faith, till neceffity [as they tained th; pleadjenforced them to ftand for their Lives, kmu Yet you prefume that all this is evident to Pope C^j; the World, whereas it is fo falfe and impro- .fromfel bable, yea, in fome parts impoffible, as I won- der how your heart could allure your hand to Uvj write it. bmt, i Give me here leave to fet down, by occa- fion of this your motive, that which I pro- f^jj fefs next to the evidence of thofe Corrupti- ons which the Court and Fadion of Rome im^J( maintains, hath long moved my felf. And yreco?e thus I would enlarge your Propofition, That ^ ^ Monarchy (as now without lifping it calls it y g■ felf) which was founded, fupported, enlarged, and is yet maintained by Pride, Ambition, Rebellion, Treafon. rnurthering of Princes, ££ Wars, difpenfing with Perjury, and inceftu-^||j^ ous Marriages, Spoils and Robbery of ^Jlll Churches and Kingdoms, worldly Policy, L' 11 Force and Fallhood, Forgery, Lying, and jL \ Hypo- ?l: i The Copies of certain Letters. Church. I infift not upon thefe, more than you did upon King Henrys Paffions. I tell you not of him that calfecHhe Gofpel a Fable, or another that inftituted his Agnus Dei s, to flrangle Sin like ChriJFs Blood. Of him that difpenfed with one to marry his own Sifter (Tor the Uncle to marry with the Neece, or a Woman to marry two Brothers, a Man two Sifters by Difpenfation, is no rare thing at this day.) The Faculty to ufe Sodomy, the Story of Pope Joan, are almoft incredible, and yet they have Authors of better Credit than Bolfeck. It may be faid that John XXII. called a Devil incarnate, that Alexander VI. thePoifoner of his Cardinals, the Adulterer of his Son-in-laws Bed, inceftuous Defiler of his own Daughter, and Rival in that villany to his Son, finned as Men, which empeacheth not the Credit of their Office.That Panlus V. Vice-deus takes too much upon him, when hef will be Pope-almighty i but the Chair is with¬ out Error. Wherein, not to infift for the prefent, but admitting it as true, that wick- ednefs of mens Perfonsdoth not impeach the Holinefs of their Functions, which they have received of God, nor make Gods Ordinances, as his Word and Sacraments, of none effect. But tell me for Gods love, Mafter Waddef- north, is it likely that this Monarchy thus fought, thus gotten, thus kept, thus exer- cifed, is of God ? Are thefe men, that wholly forfaking the feeding of the Flock of God, dream of nothing now but Crowns and Scepters, ferve to the Church to no ufe in the World, unlefs it be to break the ancient Gg ^ Canons, The Copies of certain Letters. 45$ CHAP. XI. Of lack of Succeffton, Bijhops, true Ordir' nations, Orders, Priejibood* I Come now to your Motive from Sue- ceffion. Where I marvel firft, that leaving the Succeffion of Dodfcrine, which is far more proper and intrinfecal to the Churches being, you ftand upon that of Per¬ sons and Offices. Yea, and about them too, immediately pafs from that which is of Effence, to the external Formalities in Confe- cration and Ordination, according to the ancient Councils. Have you forgotten what you faid right now, that matters of Ceremony and Go¬ vernment are changeable? Yea, but in France, Holland, and Germany, they have no Bijhops. Firft, what if I fliould defend they have ? becaufe a Bifhop and a Presbyter are all one, as S. ferom maintains, and proves out of Holy Scripture , and the ufe of Antiquity. Of which Judgment, as Medina confeffeth, are fundry of the ancient Fathers, both Greek and Latin? S. Ambrofe, Aagujline, Seduliusy Primafms^ Chryfoftome, The odoret, Oecumenms, and Theophylatt: which point I have largely treated of in another place, agaiaft him that Gg 3 under- flvv ;!i" 45 6 7?:e Copies of certain Le t t e r s. and your own eye fight, but againft all kbfc f Probabilit}^ who can help it? I had well f fJu hoped to have found that Ingenuity in you, that I might have ufed your Teffo fffr. mony unto others of that fide, touching ®. r the Vanity of this Fable, as having (hewed f11*^ you the Copy of the Record of Dodtor ^otfe Parkers Confecration, which I had pro- W- cured to be tranfcribed out of the Afts, P®? which your felf alfo at your return from feold.u London, told me you faw in a Black Book, tte* Now I perceive by your perplexed Wri- wonttotel ting, and enterlining in this part of your Letter, you would fain difcharge your Con- olflipw fcience, and yet uphold this Lye, perhaps, pM as loth to offend that fide where you now iflthehumc are: and therefore you have devifed this For who c Temper , that the one was. attempted, the what anoth v other ejfetted. But it will not be. For firft taral of all, if that at the Nags-head were but wtystoj attempted, what is that to the purpofe of our kfudi Ordinations, which are not derived from it, Ul, but from the other, which as you fay, was Mon, ai effettcd at Lambeth ? And are yQU fure there pM wo* fuch a Matter I How are you fure? out of tb( Were you prefent there in Perfon, or have date for th you heard it of thofe that were prefent ? I upon Neither of both I fuppofe : but if it wrere fo, Befides, I that fome body pretending to have been could nevi there prefent, told you fo much, how are old Hop you fure that he lied not in faying fo * fee con much more when you have it but at the ib/fe, third, or fourth hand, perhaps the thirtieth fo do yoi or fortieth ? But confider a little, is it pro¬ bable 2£« 460 The Copies of certain Letters. hear the proofs. Mafter Thomas Hebrew Reader of Oxford , which was pre- fent , told thus much to the antient Cortfeffors, they to F. Haly wood. This proof by Tra¬ dition, as you know, is of little credit with Froteftants, and no marvel: For experi¬ ence (hews that reports fuffer ftrange al¬ terations in the ^ carriage, even when the Reporters are interefted. Irenaus relates from the antient Confeffort, which had feen John the Difciple , and the other Apofiles of the Lord, and heard it from them, That Chrift our Saviour was between forty and fifty years of Age before his Paffien. I do not think you are fure it was fo. For my part, I had rather believe Iremus and thofe Antients he mentions, and the Apoftles 5 than Father Halywood and his Confeffors, and Matter Neal. But pottible it is, Mr. Neale faid, he was prefent at Matthew Parkers Ordination by John Scory. Thefe Confeffors being before imprefled, as you are, with the buz of the Ordination at the Nags-head made up that Tale $ and put it upon him for their Author. Perhaps Mr. Neal did efteem John Scory to be no Bifhop , and fo •was fcandalized though caufelefly, at that adtion. Perhaps Mr. Neale never faid any (uch Word at all. To help to make good this matter, he faith, It was after enabled in Parliament , That thefe Parliamentary Bifhopf fhould be hoi den for lawful. I looked for foraething of the Nags-Head Bifhops, and the Legend of their Ordination. But the law- fulneit? 10) The Copies of certain Letters. 461 fulnefs that the PaMiament provide# for, is (according to the Authority the Parliament hath) civilj that is, according to the Laws of t;he Land. The Parliament never in¬ tended to juftifie any thing as lawfiil, jure divine, which was not fo •, as by the Pre¬ amble it felf of the Statute may appear. In which it is faid , That divers q&eJHons 8 Eli\ c. s, had grown upon the making and confecrating of Archbifhops and Bifhops, within this Realm, whether the fame were, and be duely and order¬ ly done according to the Law or not, &c. And ihortly to cut off Father Halyweods furmifes, the cafe was this, as may be gathered by the body of the Statute. Whereas in the five and twentieth of Henry the Eighth, an Ad: was made for the Etefting and Con- fecrat'mg of Bifhops within this Realm $ And another in the third of Edward the Sixth, For the Ordering and confecrating ef them, and all other Ecclefiaflical Minifiers, according to fuch form as by fix Prelates, and fix other learned Men in Gods Law to be ap¬ pointed by the King fhould be devifed , and fet forth, under the great Seal of England: Which Form in the fifth of the fame Kings reign, was annexed to the Book of Com¬ mon Prayer, then explained and perfected 7 and both confirmed by the Authority of Parliament. All thefe Ads were 1 Maria, & 1 & 2 Philippi & Maria repealed toge¬ ther with another Statute of 35-. Henry 8. touching the Stile of Supreme Head to be ufed in all Letters Patents and Commiffions, &c, Thefe I 462 77;c Copies of certain Letters. Thefe Ads of repeal in the 1 Elizabeth were again repealed , and the Ad of 25. Hen. 8. revived fpccially. That of 3 Edw. 6. only concerning the Book of Common Prayer, &c. without any particular mention of the Book or form of Ordering Minifters and Bifhops. Hence grew one doubt, whe¬ ther Ordinations and Confecrations accor¬ ding to that Form were good in Law or no. Another was, Qpeen Elizabeth in her Let¬ ters Patents touching fuch Confecrations,Or¬ dinations had not ufed as may feem, be- fides other general Words importing the higheft Authority in Caufes Ecclefiaftical, the title of Supreme Head, as King Henry and King Edward in their like Letters Pa¬ tents were wont to do: And that notwith- ftanding the Ad of 35- Hen. 8. after the repeal of the former repeal might feem ( though never Specially) revived. This as I guefs was another exception, to thofe that by vertue of thofe Patents were confecra- ted. Whereupon the Parliament declares, Firft , That the Book^ of Common Prayer, and fuch Order and Form for confecrating of Arch- bifhops and Bifhops, &C. as was fet forth in the time of King Edward the Sixths and added thereto and author ifed by Parliament, fhall ft and in force and be obferved. Secondly, That all AEls done by any perfon about any Confecrationy Confirmationy or invefting of any eleEl to the Of¬ fice or Dignity of Archbifhop or Bifhop, by ver¬ tue of the Queens Letters Patents or Commiffi- on. Tlx Copies of certain Letters- 4^3 e», Jinee the beginning of her Reign be good. Third¬ ly, That all that h ave been Ordered or Con- fecrated jirchbifhops, Bifhops, Priefis, &C. of- ter the faid Form and Order, ^ rightly made, ordered and confecrated, any Statute, Law, Ca¬ non, or other thing to the contrary notwithfianding. Thefe were the Reafons of that Aft 5 which as you fee doth not make good the Nags-head- Ordination as F. Halywood pretends, unlefs the fame were according to the Form in Edward the Sixth s days. His next proof is, That Bonner Bifhop of London while he lived,al¬ ways fet light by the Statutes of the Parliaments of fffueen Elizabeth, alledging that there wan¬ ted Bifhops, without whofe confent by the Laws of the Realm there can no firm Statute be made. That Bonne* defpifed and fet not a Straw by the Afts of Parliament in Queen Elizabeths time, I hold it not impoffible, and yet there is no other proof thereof, but his bare Word , and the antient Confejfors tradition, of which we heard before. Admitting this for certain, there might be other reafons thereof, befides the Ordination at the Nags- head. The ftiffhefs of that Man was no lefs in King Edwards time than Queen Eli¬ zabeths. And indeed the want alfo of Bifhops might be the caufe, why he little regarded the Afts of her firft Parliament. For both much about the time of Queen Maryes death, dyed alfo Cardinal Poole, and fundry^ other Bifhops: And of the reft fome for their con¬ temptuous behaviour in denying to per¬ form their duty in the Coronation of the Queen Tk Copies of certain Letters. 4 5 5 -rriand of D. Alablafter , whether this be true or not. Nor yet whether this be-all the anfwer he had of Dr. Bancroft, That I affirm, that if it were, yet it follows not that D. Bancroft filentlj granted they had no Orders of Bifbops. Unlefs he that in a falle Difcourfe, where both Proportions be un¬ true, denies the Major, doth filently grant the Minor. Rather he jefted at the futility of this Argument, which admitting all this lying Legend of the Nags-head, and more too s fuppofe no Ordination by any Bifhops had been ever efetted, notwithftanding fhews no fufficient reafon why there might not be a true confecration, and true Minifters made, and confequently a true Church in England. For indeed neceffity difpenfes with Gods own ppfitive Laws, as our Sa¬ viour ffiews in the GofpeH much more then Mark2.2$. with Mans: And fuch by Hieroms Opini¬ on are the Laws of the Church, touching the difference of Bifhops and Presbyters, and confequently touching their Ordinati¬ on by Bilhops only. Whereof I have treated more at large in another place, for the juftification of other reformed Churches , albeit the Church of England needs it not. To confirm this Argument, it pleafeth F. Halywood to add, That King Edward the Sixth took^ away the Catholic4, Rite of Ordaining, and infiead of it, fubftitu- ted a few Calviniftical Prayers. Whom Queen Elizabeth followed, &c. And this is in effect the fame thing which you fay, H h when 4.66 Tbe ies of certain Letters. when you add, That Coverdale being made Bifhop of Exceter In King Edward^ time y when all Comiclls and Church Canons were lit¬ tle obferved, it is very doubtful he was never himfelf canonic ally confecrated, and fo if he were no canonical Bljhop , he could not make- another Canonical. To F. Halywood I would anfwer, That King Edward took not away the Catholick Rite of Ordaining, but pur¬ ged it from a number of idle and fuper- ftitious Rites prefcribed by the Popilli Pontifical. And the Prayers ^ which he feoffs at if they were Calviniftical, fure it was by Prophecie, for Calvin never faw tliem till Queen Marys time when by certain of our Engllfh Exiles, the Book of Com¬ mon Prayer was tranflated and fhewed him 5 if he faw them then. Some of them, as the Lit any y and the Hymn Venl Creator, &c. I hope were none of Calving devifing. To you, if you name what Councils and Church Canons you mean, and make any certain exception, either againft Bifhop Co- verdale, or any of the reft as not Cano¬ nical Bifhops, I will endeavour to fatisfie you. Mean while remember I befeech you. That both Law, and Reafon, and Religion ihould induce you in doubtful things to follow the moft favourable fen- terlce, and not rafhly out of light furmi- fes to pronounce againft a publick and fo- lemn Ordination, againft the Orders con¬ ferred fucceffiyely from it, againft a w and releafed and fent over Sea to the King of Denmark:, know that William Barlow was another 3 in King Edwards days Bifhop of Bath and Wells, in Queen Marys be¬ yond the Seas in the company of the Dutchefs of Suffolk^ and Mr. Bertie her Huf- band 5 at the time of Dr. Parkers Ordi¬ nation Eled of Chichefter. A third was John Scory, in King Edwards time Bifhop of Chichefter * and at the time of the faid Ordination Elett of Hereford. A fourth was John Modgeskin, Suffragan of Bedford[ And thefe four, if they were all ordained according to the Form ratified in King Ed¬ wards days, were prefented by two Bi¬ fhops at leaft to the Archbifhop, and of him and them received Impofition of Hands, as in the faid Form is appointed One Scruple yet remains which you have, in That thefe Men did confecrate Do¬ ll or Parker , by vertue of a Breve from the fflueen as Head of the Church, who being no H 1) ^ true 4*8 Tije Copies of certain Letters. true Head , and a Woman, you fee not hoy* they could make a true Confecraiion grounded on her Authority. But to clear you in this alfo, you muft underftand the .Queens Mandate ferved not to give Power to or¬ dain (which thole Bifhopshad before in- trinfecaily annexed to their Office) but Leave and Warrant to apply that Power to the perfon named in that Mandate. A thing, unlefs I have been deceived by Re¬ ports, ufed in other Countrys, yea in the Kingdoms of his Catholick Majefty him- felf. Sure I am by the Chriftian Empe¬ rors in the Primitive Church, as you may fee in theEcclefiaftical Hiftories, and name¬ ly in the Ordination of Nettarius, that I fpake of before. Yea, which is more, in the Confecration of the Bifhops of Rome. as of Leo the Eighth, whole Decree, with the Synod at Rome touching this matter, is fet down by Grati an, Difi. 63. c. 23. ta¬ ken from the example of Hadrian and a- nother Council, which gave to Charles the Great , Jm & foteflatem eligendi Ponti- ficem , & ordinandi udfoftolicam Sedcm, as you may fee in the Chapter next before. c. ufits. See the lame Dift. c. 16, & 17, & 18. and you (hall find, that when one was chofen Bifhop of Re ate, within the Popes own Province, by the Clergy and people, and fent to him by Guido the Count to be confecrated , the Pope durft not do it rill the Emperors Licence were obtained. Yea, that he writes to the Emperour for ColonuSy C. Re our IV 77;e Copies of certain Letters. Golonus , That receiving his Licence he might CI Nobis* confe crate him either there, or in the Church of Tufculum,which accordingly upon the Em- perours bidding he performed. Yet another Exception you take, to the making our Minifters, That we keep not the right intention. Firft, Becaufe we neither give nor take Orders as a Sacrament. By that Reafon we (hould have no true Mar¬ riages amongft us neither, becaufe we count not Matrimony a Sacrament. This Controverfie depends upon the definition of a Sacrament, which if it be put to be a fign of a holy thing, thefe be both fo, and a many more than feven. If a Seal of the New Tefiament, fo are there but thofc two, which we properly call Sacraments, Ba- p'ifm and the Lords Supper. In which laft, Li'b.4, did. as tO the intention of Sacrificing, furely, if 12. ye allow the Doftrine of the Matter of the Sentences, That it is called a Sacrifice and Oblation, which is offered and confecrated by the Priefi, becaufe it is a Memory and Reprefentation of the true Sacrifice and holy Im¬ molation made on the /lltar of theCrofs. And that Chrift once dyed on the Crofs, and there was offered up in himfielfi but is daily offered up in a Sacrament, becaufe in the Sacrament there is a remembrance that which was once done which he there confirms by the Authori¬ ties of the Fathers' , cited by Gratian in De the Canon Law. If this Do&rine, I fay , cra ,2, may yet pafs for good , and this be the Churches intention, we want, not this Inten- Loc.rbtoU Hh 3 lion Ub.12a.12 The Qoftes of certain Letters. 471 ter in Matrimony) and the impofing of Hands, with the expreffing the Authority and Office given to be the Form ? In Di- mjfius though falfely called the Areopagite, yet an antient Author, you (hall find no¬ thing elfe 3 nor, which I may tell you by the way, any other Orders, fave Bifhops, Priefts and Deacons. And to come to that wherein you fay we fail molt of all, the fubftantial Form of Prieft hood, tell me ingenuoufly, good Matter tvaddefworth, how do you know that our Lord Jefus Chrift made his Apo- ftles, or they other Priefts with this Form, which hath no mention or footftep in the Gofpels, or otherwhere in Holy Scripture] Nor fo much as in the Council of Car¬ thage 3 that from whence the manner of giving other Orders is fetched 3 nor in Gra tian, nor in any other antient Author that I can find, fave in the Pontifical only. And is the prefent Pontifical of fuch Autho¬ rity with you , as the Forrn^ of^ Priefthood , the fubftantial Form, can fubflft in no other Words than thofe that be there expreffed ? To omit the late turkefing whereof, con- fider what Auguftinm Patritim writes in his Preface before that which at Pope Innocent the Eighth his commandment he patched together : That■ there were fcarce two or three' Books found that delivered the fame thing: ffhtot libri tot varietates. Ille deficit, hie fit* ferabundaty alius nihil omnino dv ea re habety vara aut nunqutm conveniunt 3 fepe obfeuri, H h 4 implicati, 4 71 Tbe Copies of certain Letters, implicati, & Librariorum vitio plerunque men- dofi. And in truth in this your effential Form of Priefthood, the old Pontificals be¬ fore that which he fet forth, either had other Words at the giving of the Chalice and Paten as may feem •, or wanted both that Form and the Matter alfo together. The Mafler of the Sentences declaring the manner of the Ordination of Priefts, and the reafon why they have the Cha¬ lice with Wine , and Paten with Hofts given unto them, faith it is, Vt per hoc fciant fe accepiffe poteftatem plaeabiles Deo hoflias offerendi. Hugo in like manner, Ac- cipimt & Calic em cum vino, & Pat en am cum Hoftia de manu Epifcopi, quatenus potefiatem fe accepiffe cognofcant, plaeabiles Deo Hoflias offererdi, Stephanas Eduenfis Epifcopus, in the fame Words: Datur eis Calix cum Vino, & Patena cum Hoftia, in quo traditur ids po- J'eftas ad offerenaum Deo plaeabiles Hoflias» So fohames 'fanuenfis'in his Summ, entitled,Ci- t ho He on, verbo Presbyter. If you afcend to the higher times of Rabamu, Alcuinus, Iff 'dirus, you fhall find that they mention no fuch matter, of delivering Chalice or Pa¬ ten, or Words ufed at the delivery 3 and no marvel, for in the Canons of the fourth Council of Carthage they found none. Di- onyfitis falfly called Areopagita., whom I men¬ tioned before, fetting down the manner of Ordaining in his time. The Priefl upon both his knees before the Altar with the Bi¬ ff ps right-Hand upon his Head, is on this man¬ ner The (Copies of certain Letters. 475 the Great and Lewis his Son, that ridicu¬ lous Form was not in the Pontifical , where the Book of the Epiftles is given to the Subdeacons, and power to read them in the holy Church of God as well for the Sydcfi as the Dead. The fame Author, com¬ ing to fpeak of Deacons, telleth of their confecration by Prayer, and impofition of Hands, and confuteth that in the prefent Pontifical (which he faith he found in a little Book of Holy Orders ) made he knows not by what Author, That the Bi- fhop alone fhould lay Hands on the Deacon. At laft he adds, There is one Minifiry added to the Deacon, viz. to read the Gofpel, which he faith, doth well befit him, quia Mini ft er eft. But of the delivery of the Book of the Gofpels, with authority to read the Gofpel for the Quick ana Dead, not one Word. In the next Chapter of Presbyters he expounds their name, and faith further, hunc morem tenent Epifcopi no- ftri. Our Bifhops have this Fafhion, they anoint the Hands of Presbyters with Oyl , which Ceremony he declares 3 touching impofition of Hands upon them, he remits us to that he faid before in the Deacon. Then he fhews OUt of A?nbrofe and Hierom, That thefe are all one Order with Bijhops, and ought to govern the Church in common , like Mofes with the feventy Elders : As for de¬ livery of Chalice and Wine, or Paten and Hoft, with power to facrifice fo well for the Quick as the Dead, he makes no mention. i The Copies of certain Letters^ mention. Judge you whether thefe were thought to be the matter and eternal Form of Priefthood in his time. Yet one Author more will I name in this matter, not only be- caufe he is a famous Schoolman, and one of Lathers firft Adverfaries, and therefore ought to be of more account with that fide, but becaufe he profefleth the end of his Writing to be, circa Sacramentum ordinis cantos reddere, ne pertinax quifqmm aut le- vis fit cir-ca modum tradendi ant recipiendi or- dines. It is Cardinal Cajetane, in the fe- cond Tome of his Opufcula, Jit. De modo tradendi fiea recipiendi Ordines. Read the whole , where thefe things I obferve for Our prefent putpofe. I. If all be gathered together which the Pontificals, or which Reafon or Authority hath delivered, the nature of all the reft of the Orders except Priefthood on¬ ly, will appear very uncertain. 2, The lejfer Orders and Sabdeaconfhip according to the Ad after of the Sentences, were inftituted by the Church. 3. The Deacons inftituted by the A- poftles, Acts 6. were not Deacons of the Al¬ tar, but of the Tables and Widows. 4. In Deaconfhip there feems to be no certain Form 3 for according to the old Pontificals, the Dying of Hands upon the Deacon hath no certain Form of Words, but that Prayer 3 Emitte quX- iumus in eos S. Sandtum: which according to the new Pontificals is to be faid after the imposition of Hands. For the giving of the Roolf of the Gofpels, hath indeed a form of Words j but that impreffeth not the Cha- , ratter, The Copies of certain Letters. 477 raUer, for before aty G off el was written, the Apoftles ordained Deacons by impofition of Hands. J. In the Subdeaconfhip alfo there is no Pon¬ tifical which hath not the matter without Formy Viz. the delivery of the empty Chalice, &C. Thefe things with more which he there fets down* he would have to ferve to the inftru- £1 ion of the learned touching the uncertainty of this whole matter, to teach Aden to be wife to fobriety, that is, every Adan to be content with the accufiomed Pontifical of the Church wherein he is ordained. And if ought be omitted of thofe things which be added out of the new Pon¬ tificals, as for example, that the Boof of the E- fifiles was notgiven, with thofe Words [[Fake Au¬ thority to read the Efifties as well for the jQuick^ as the Lead ] there is no need of [applying this omiffon by a new Ordination, for fuch new ad¬ ditions make no new Law. Learn then of your own Cajetane, that the new additions of delivery of the Chalice with Wine, and Pa¬ ten with Hofisj and authority to offer facrifice for the fffuicf and the Lead, make no new Law. Learn to be content with the Pontifical of the Church, wherein you were ordain¬ ed. Wherein firft is verbatim all that which your Pontificals had well taken out of the holy Words of our Saviour, Acci- pe Spiritum SanUum 3 quorum remiferis peccata remittuntur eis, & quorum retinueris retenta fim. Which methinks you fhould rather account to contain the effential Form of Priefthood than the former, both be- caufe they are Chrifts own Word, and - , "joyned 7s 77;£ Copies of certain Letters. joyned faith that Ceremony of Lying an Hands, which antiently denominated this whole a&ion, and do exprefs the worthi- eft and principallefi fart of your Commijfion 5 which the Apoftle calls the Miniftry of Re¬ conciliation, ^ Cor. 5. 18, 15?. Then, be- caufe this Office is not only deputed to confecrate the Lords Body, but alfo to preach and baptize ^ (which in your Pon¬ tifical is wholly omitted) in a larger and more convenient Form is added out of S. Paul, 1 Cor. 4. 1, and be thou a faithful Dif- penfier of the Word of God and of his holy Sacra¬ ments. In the name of the Father, &€. As to that you add, That we offer no Sa¬ crifice for the jQuick and Dead, and there¬ fore well may be called Minifters, as all Lay¬ men are, but are no Priefis. I have met with fundry that pull this Rope as ftrong- ly the other way, and affirm that becaufe by the very Form of your Ordination you are appointed Sacrificers for the fftuicl^ and the Dead, well may ye be Mafs-Pr lefts as ye are called, but Minifters of the New Teftament, after S. Paul'/ Phrafe ye are none. For that Office hands principally in preaching the Word., whereof in your Ordination there is no Word faid. And as little there is in Scripture of your Sacrifice, which makes Chrift not to be a Prieft after the order of Melchifedeck See with much more to this purpofe. Where my Defence for your Miniftry hath been this, That the Form, Receive the Holy Ghoft, whofe fins ye remit The Copies of certain Letters; tons perform what is neceffary in this be¬ half. Sith we have Canonical Biihops, and lawful Succejfion. Sith we neither want due intention to depute Men to Ecclefiaftical Fundions , nor matter or Form in giving Priefibood 5 deriving from no Man or Wo¬ man the Authority of Ordination, but from Chrifl the Head of the Church * you have alledged no fufficient Caufe, why we (hould not have true Pa/tors, and confequently a true Church in England. CHAR 481 Tk Copies of certain Letters.' alfo? and of Antioch antienter than Rome. Is it Catholic^ and Apoftolick. enly ? Do not thefe and many more hold the Catholick Faith received from the Apoftles, as well as the Church of Rome ? For that it fhould be the Vniverfal Church, is all one as ye would fay the part is the whole, one Ci¬ ty the World. Hath it only fucceffion ? where to fet afide the enquiry of Dodtrine, fo many Simoniacks, and Intruders have ruled, as about fifty of your Popes together, were by your own Mens Confeffion Apofiatical, rather than Apoftolical ? Or Unity, where there have been thirty Schifms, and one of them which endured fifty years long, and at laft grew into three Heads, as if they would fhare among them the triple Crown > And as for diffentions in Dodtrine, I remit you to Mafter Dottor Halls peace of Rome, wherein he fcores above three hundred mentioned in BelUrmine alone 3 above three- fcore in one only head of Penance out of Navarrus. As to that addition, in all A- ges and places ^ I know not what to make of it, nor where to refer it. Confider, I hefeech you, with your wonted mode¬ ration what you fay 3 for fure unlefs you were beguiled, I had almoft faid bewitched, you could never have refolved to believe and profefs, that which all the World knows to be as falfe, I had (well nigh) faid as God is true, touching the extent of the Romifb Church to all Ages and places, is the end of Concern- The Q)pies of certain Letters. 483 Concerning the agonies you gaffed, I will fay -only thus much, if being refolved though erroneoufly that was truth, you were withholden from profefling it with worldly refpeds, you did well to break through them all. But if befides thefe, there were doubt of the contrary (as me- thinks needs muft be) uniefs you could fatisfie your felf touching thofe many and known Exceptions againft the Court of Rome, which you could not be ignorant of) take heed, left the reft infulug thefe agonies were not like Sampfons fteeping on Dalilahs knees, while the Locks of his Strength were iha- ven, whereupon (the Lord departing from him ) he was taken by the Philiftins, had his Eyes put out, and was made to grind in the Prifon. But I do not defpair but your former refolutions ftiall grow again. And as I do believe your religious afteverati- on * that for very fear of damnation you for- fook us (which makes me to have the better hope and opinion of you, for that I fee you do fo ferioufty mind that which is the end of our whole life 3 ) fo I de- fire from my Heart the good hope of falvati- on you have in your prefent way may be as happy, as your fear I am perfwaded was caufelefs. For my part > I call God to record a- gainft mine own Soul, that both before my going into Italy, and fince, I have ftiil endeavoured to find and follow the truth in the Points controverted between us, I i z without n 484 Copies of certain Letters, ' 0 without any earthly refpedt in the World. Neither wanted I fair opportunity ha'd I ' f7,/ feen it on that fide, eafily, and with hope (WtweWo of good entertainment to have adjoyned my ^ ^ Sr felf to the Church of Rome, after your exam- ^ ! r/i pie. But (to ufe your words) as Ijhall anfwer 55K01 at the dreadful day of judgement, 1 never faw, jfffi® heard, or read any thing, which did convince me : nay, which did not finally confirm me daily more and fe ^ ® more, in the perfwafion, that in thefe differences it 5pS) ™,°I1 refts on our part. Wherein I have not follow- ^kotherwife i lowed humane conjectures from foreign and GiMlCVealth outward things fas by your leave methinks kweakor fallen you do in thefe your motives, whereby I kf And of proteft to you in tlie fight of God, I am wi, and k :e alfo much comforted and aflured in the Brethren of that fi poffeilion of the truth) but the undoubted again defee, that < Voice of God in his Word, which is more to . ftotfotio! M my Confcience than a thoufand Topical Ar- to it Lorii ma guments. ^ In regard whereof I am nolefs condemn of Here affured, that if I' fhould forfake it I fhould or perfwafion o be renounced by our Saviour, before God Motpercei and his Angels, than in the holding it be Script Enjoy acknowledged and faved * which makes me mate them noth refolve, not only for no hope, if it were of analogy whereof ten thoufand Worlds , but by the gracious ajfi- fion $ fiance of God, without whom 1 know I am equity we delire able to do nothing, for no t err our or torment ever Orders and fe to become a Papifi. ^Ctarch hath f You lee what a large diftance there is wMchis dectrx • between us in Opinion. Yet for my part, ifbimiWf V I do not take upon me to fore-judge you, och are to td - or any other that doth not with an evil fcfame;vC Mind and feif condemning Confcience on- v Jy? z:——3——X The £opies ofcertain Letters. ly to maintain a Fa&ion, differ from that which I am perfwaded is the right. I ac¬ count we hold one and the fame Faith in our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, and by him in the bleffed Trinity. To his Judgment we ftandor fall. Incomparably more and of more importance are thofe things where¬ in we agree 5 than thofe wherein we dif- fent. Let us follow therefore the things of peace, and of mutual edification. If any be otherwife minded than he ought, .God fhall reveal that alfo to him. If any be weak or fallen, God is able to raife him up. And of you good Mr. Waddef- yvorth, and the reft of my Mafters and Brethren of that fide, one thing I would again defire, that according to the Apoftles profelfion of himfelf, you would forbear to be Lords over our Faith, nor ftraightway 2 Cor. r. condemn of Herefie, our ignorance or lack 24. or perfwafion concerning fuch things as we cannot perceive to be founded in holy Scripture. Enjoy your owrn Opinions •, but make them not Articles of our Faith: the analogy whereof is broken as wrell by Ad¬ dition as Subftra<5tion: And this felf fame equity we defire to find in pofitive Laws. Orders and Ceremonies. Wherein as eve¬ ry Church hath full right to prefcribe (hat which is decent and to edification, and to reform abufe $ fo thofe that are Members of each are to follow what is eojoyned, till by the fame Authority it be reverfed, And !i The Copies of certain Letters. ing the Imputations laid to the beginners of Reformation : For as touching the want of Succeffton and the fabulous Ordination at the' Nags-head, I hope you will not be ftiff, and perfift in your error, but confefs and condemn it in your felf: If fas I began to fay) you find thefe things to be thus 5 give glory to God , that hath heard your Prayer, entreating direction in his holy Truth 5 and withhold not that truth of his in unrighteouf ftefs. Unto him that is able to reftore and eftablifh you, yea to confummate and per¬ fect you according to his almighty power and unfpeakable goodnefs, toward his eledt in Chrift Jefus, I do from my Heart com¬ mend you : and reft you, Tour very loving Br other in Chrift Jefu? W. Bedell. FINIS.