avowed, in his own practice, upon fome certain occafions, what he had fo folidly established with his pen. But though thefe great men, whenever the Calviniftic doctrines of the Church came in their way, turned themfelves back, like Ephraim, and were as frightened at Calvins's pofitions (though fubfcribed to by themselves) as they could have been at his apparition; thus, Penelope like, unraveling the very web they had taken fuch pains tó weave; yet their remarks themfelves are not the lefs. true. The plain cafe was this: when these perfons had to deal with an antagonist who happened to efpoufe any particular opinion that did not tally with their own, they presently knocked him down with the authority of the Church Articles: but when this fame authority was, in other particulars, urged against themfelves; they paid no more regard to articles and fubfcriptions, than other people. Like fome tyrants, of whom it is recorded, that they would allow none but themselves to trample on the laws with impunity; or like the man who could, upon occafion, drub his wife foundly, but would fuffer nobody else to lift a finger against her*. Only admit the three preceding citations to be just, reafonable and true, and the confequence is undeniable namely, That Arminian fubfcription is abfolutely unjustifiable, Arminians themselves being judges. Were the fame infincerity and prevarications allowed of, in the fecular affairs of common life, which too often obtain in religious tranfactions, all focial connections would quickly be at an end, and every band, by which mankind are tied to each other, must vanish as a wreath of fmoke. *So the Popish princes of Europe cry up the authority of the Romish bishop, when that authority is to be made ufe of as an engine to promote their own defigns: but, when that end is answered, the authority of his holiness is enforced no longer; but treated with the contempt it deferves, and, like an old tool, thrown by until it is wanted. VOL. V. (23.) It is impoffible, on this occafion, not to recollect the ftigma of infamy, univerfally, and defervedly, fastened on Eufebius of Nicomede, for fubfcribing the Nicene-Creed, whilst he disbelieved it in his heart and on Arius himself, for presenting a fham confeffion of his faith to the emperor Conftantine, and ratifying it with his oath; when, at the fame time, he really meant no fuch thing, but endeavoured to patch up matters with confcience, by mentally referring the oath he had taken, not to the declaration he had just made, but to a fummary of his opinions, previously written, and which he had then privately about him, concealed in his cloaths. I would not be misunderstood, as if I meant to put all Arminians on a par with Arians: I only draw the parallel, or rather point out the fimilitude, fo far as prevaricating fubfcriptions and falfe declarations of affent are concerned. In the process of your anfwer to the author of Pietas Oxonienfis, you would fain prefs those two venerable prelates and martyrs, Cranmer and Ridley, into the fervice of Arminius: and, to prove your point, very pompously refer us, page 71, to a motley, ungainly volume, publifhed 1543, by order of Henry VIII. and entitled, "The neceffary Erudition of a Chriftian Man." Since you think fit, fir, to lay fuch mighty ftrefs on this mongrel production, I will enlarge a little, in giving fome account of it only premifing, that it had been for the credit both of yourself and of your tenets, had you let this Popish book wholly alone. You introduce it thus: What their opinions were," i. e. the opinions of Cranmer and Ridley, "with regard to the doctrines of free-agency, &c. may be feen in the book called Pia & Catholica Infiitutio, or Erudition of a Chriftian Man, published 1543, by the king's authority, and authorized by the bithops, with archbishop Cranmer at the head of them." The exact title of your favourite book was this: "A neceffary Doctrine and Erudition * " Erudition for any Chriften Man, fet furthe by the Kynge's Majeftie of England, &c. London. By Thomas Barthelet, 1543 *. Henry was vehemently bent on the publication of this work; and even took the pains to correct it throughout, while in manufcript, with his own hand. No wonder, therefore, that a prince of Henry's felf-opinion, and known attachment to the doctrinal parts of Popery (which continued with him to the last), should fuffer little or nothing to ftand in it, but what comported with his own notions. Thefe (his own notions), however crude, ridiculous and irrational, he was ever refolved, by fair means or foul, to ram down the throats of all his fubjects. Witness the unheard-of execution of Proteftants and Papifts, in one and the fame day the former for not being Papifts, in matters of doctrine; the latter, for being Papifts in the article of the pope's fupremacy. The book, which you fo devotedly admire, and to which you so often appeal, very much resembles that promifcuous execution: being fuch a jumble of errors and contradictions, as was, perhaps, never, before, obtruded on a nation. It should be remembered, that the ftatute of the fix articles (paffed into a law four years before, and not repealed until the first year of the following reign) was in full force, at the very time of this publication; It was firft written and published in 1540, a year very unfavourable to the interefts of the reformation. 1. Cromwell's fall put the reformation to a ftand. Burnet i. 278. 2. The mafs-books were prevented to be altered; but stood much as they were, 281. 3. A fevere perfecution immediately followed: among them, fuffered the Rev. Mr. R. W. ainong whofe herefies, are ranked his denial of merit and free-will. Strype, vol. i. p. 369. The Proteftants were glad, to fee things were no worfe; and the Papifts, to fee them fo bad. The former hoped, that, the ice being now broke, Popery would gradually melt away; the latter, feeing the leading articles of their fuperftition ratified and confirmed afresh, hoped it was prelufive to the re-erection of the whole frame. 1. This This year, 1543, was a year of Popish triumphs. book was fet forth afresh. 2. A difmal perfecution of Proteftants D 2 followed; tion; therefore it need not feem ftrange, that this book, whofe authority you fo greatly magnify, and on whose contents (forry am I for it) you fet fo high a value, fhould harmonize with thofe deteftable and bloody articles in the doctrine of tranfubftantiation and other points relative to the mafs. It alfo gives a paraphrafe on the Ave Maria; admits of burning incenfe to images, and of kneeling before them; afferts the mediation of departed faints in behalf of the living, and that we may lawfully pray to them for an intereft in their interceffion; that the facraments are feven in number; and that the fourth commandment, refpecting the obfervation of the fabbath, was purely ceremonial; that it is charitable and commendable to pray for the dead: with much more of the fame Popish trumpery. All thefe particulars fhew, how little hand Cranmer and Ridley had, in compofing this book. And, if the book itfelf can be feriously thought, by you, or by any reasonable man, really to contain the genuine fentiments of our reformers; it must be owned, that fuch a reformation left Popery much as it found it, and that the reformers themselves wanted reforming. Good God! what fhall we come to at last! A Protestant; a Proteftant divine; a Proteftant divine of the Church of England; dares, in the face of the fun, to rake into the fink of an antiquated Popifh book, in order to throw up mud, with which to fpatter the doctrines of that reformed Church whofe bread he eats, and whofe raiment he wears? Rather than not carry his point, he, who lives on the banks of the Ifis, is not afhamed to dip his pen in the Tiber! But, at all events, Delenda eft Carthago: down with Geneva; though Rome itfelf flourish on its ruins. followed; efpecially at Windfor. 3. A confpiracy against Cranmer. 4. A league between the king and the emperor. 5. Enjoined by act of parliament, that no women, artificers, &c. fhould read the Bible. 6. All fpiritual perfons, that fhould teach any thing contrary to the "Erudition," &c. See Burnet's Ref. vol. i. p. 306—314. Think not, fir, that I am too warm. I only, as a Proteftant, and as a churchman, feel a becoming indignation at this part of your conduct: an indignation, which candour warrants, and juftice demands. "On fuch a theme it were impious to be calm." Surely, on a review, and at your cooler moments of recollection, you will bluh, that you should ever have attempted to fubvert Proteftant doctrines, by arguments borrowed from Rome! you will, for decency's fake, forbear, in future, to call in fuch an ally, to your affiftance, as the Pia & Catholica Inftitutio! However, from this arfenal, you have, at prefent, thought proper (I hope, for the last time) to fetch fome of your weapons; which you brandish, in quotations, more than once, for whole pages together. Nor are your quotations altogether foreign to the purpofe. But, fuppofing them to be ever fo peremptory against the Calviniftic doctrines of your Church and mine; whether it be for the honour of the Arminian notions, to be propped up by citations taken from fuch a treatife, drawn up by fuch bifhops as then generally filled the bench, revifed by fuch a king as then occupied the throne, and published at fuch a period of Anti-chriftian darkness; muft be fubmitted to your confideration, and that of my other Proteftant readers. Nevertheless, bad as the book is, there are some things in it, particularly under the head of free-will, which you prudently forbore to quote; confcious, that they look a little like Calvinifin. Thefe, for my own part, I difdain to cite. The ark of Proteftant truth needs no fuch leprous hands, no fuch rotten props, for its fupport. The doctrina! articles of our own truly evangelical Church, happily established fince, neither want affiftance from fo corrupt a quarter; nor can fuffer the leaft detriment fron D 3 the |