As for absolution, you have a spite at it, because you sought it, and were repulsed. If the censures be but their own (so you hold) why blame you the managing of them in what manner seems best to the authors?

This power is no more a limb of the Prelacy, than our Prelacy is that Beast in the Revelation: and our Prelacy holds itself no more St. John's Beast, than it holds you St. Paul's Beast; Phil. iii. 2.

SECT. 39.

Oath Ex officio.

Sep.-"Necessity of Confessions. In your High Commission Court very absolute, where, by the oath ex officio, men are constrained to accuse themselves of such things as whereof no man will or can accuse them: what necessity is laid upon men in this case, let your prisons witness."

I ASK of Auricular Confession: you send me to our High Commission Court. These two are much alike!

But here is also very absolute necessity of confession:-True; but as in a case of justice, not of shrift; to clear a truth, not to obtain absolution; to a bench of Judges, not to a Priest's ear. Here are too many ghostly Fathers, for an Auricular Confession. But, you will mistake: it is enough against us, that men are constrained in these Courts to confess against themselves :Why name you these Courts only? Even in others also, oaths are urged; not only ex officio mercenario, but nobili. The honourablest Court of Star-Chamber gives an oath, in a criminal case, to the defendant. So doth the Chancery, and Court of Requests. Shortly, to omit foreign examples, how many instances have you of this like proceeding in the common laws of this land!

But, withal, you might learn, that no Enquiry ex officio may be thus made, but upon good grounds; as fame, scandal, vehement presumption, &c. going before, and giving just cause of suspicion. Secondly, that this proceeding is not allowed in any case of crime, whereby the life or limbs of the examined party may be endangered; nor yet, where there is a just suspicion of future perjury upon such enforcement. Thus is the suspected wife urged to clear her honesty, by oath; Num. v. 19, 21. Thus, the master of the house must clear his truth; Exod. xxii. 8. Thus, Achan and Jonathan were urged to be

D. Cosens's Apol.

D. Andr. Determ. de Jurejurando iπαкT.

their own accusers, though not by oath; Josh. vii. 19. 1 Sam. xiv. 43.

But if, perhaps, any sinister course be taken by any corrupt justicer in their proceedings; must this be imputed to the Church? Look you to your Petty-Courts, at home: which some of your own have compared, in these courses, not only to the Commission-Court of England, but to the Inquisition of Spain. See there your Rastor defending himself, to be both an accuser and judge in the same cause. See their proceedings ex officio without commission: and, if your prisons cannot witness it, your excommunications may.

SECT. 40.

Holy-days how observed in the Church of England. Sep.-Profit of Pilgrimages. Though you have lost the shrines of Saints, yet you retain their days; and those, holy as the Lord's Day: and that, with good profit to your spiritual carnal Courts, from such as profane them with the least and most lawful labour, notwithstanding the liberty of the six days' labour, which the Lord hath given: and, as much would the masters of these Courts be stirred at the casting of these Saints' Days out of the Calendar, as were the masters of the possessed maid, when the spirit of divination was cast out of her; Acts xvi. 19."

We have not lost, but cast away the idolatrous shrines of Saints. Their days we retain: theirs, not for worship of them, which our Church condemneth; but, partly for commemoration of their high deserts and excellent examples, partly for distinction. Indeed, therefore, God's days; not theirs: their praises redound to him. Shew us where we implore them, where we consecrate days to their service.

The main end of Holy-days is for the service of God; and some, as Socrates sets down ", of old, quo se a laborum contentione relaxent, "for relaxation from labour." And, if such days may be appointed by the Church (as were the Holy-days of Purim, of the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the dedication of the Temple,) whose names should they rather bear, though but for mere distinction*, than the blessed Apostle's of Christ?

G. Johns. and M. Crud. Troubles at Amsterd. p. 132.

Non potest quis in uná causá, eodem momento, duas portare personas; ut, in eodem judicio, et accusator sit et juder. Optat. Milevit. 1. vii. a Socr. 1. v. c. 21.

Aug. Ep. 44. Scias à Christianis Catholicis nullum coli mortuorum, nihil deinque ut numen adorari, quod sit factum et conditum à Dco.

But this is a colour only: for you equally condemn those days of Christ's Birth, Ascension, Circumcision, Resurrection, Annunciation, which the Church hath, beyond all memory, celebrated".

What, then, is our fault? We keep these holy as the Lord's Day: In the same manner though not in the same degree. Indeed, we come to the church, and worship the God of the Martyrs and Saints. Is this yet our offence? No: but we abstain from our most lawful labour in them :-True, yet not in conscience of the day, but in obedience to the Church: if the Church shall indict a solemn fast, do not you hold it contemptuous to spend that day in lawful labour; notwithstanding that liberty of the six days, which God hath given? Why shall that be lawful in a case of dejection, which may not in in praise and exultation?

If you had not loved to cavil, you would rather have accepted the apology or excuse of our Sister Churches in this behalf", than aggravated these uncharitable pleas of your own.

Yet, even in this, your own Synagogue at Amsterdam, if we may believe your own, is not altogether guiltless: your hands are still, and your shops shut, upon festival days. But we accuse you not: would God this were your worst!

The Masters of our Courts would tell you, they would not care so much for this dispossession, as that it should be done by such conjurers as yourself.

SECT. 41.

Our Approbation of an Unlearned Ministry disproved. Sep.-" Constrained and approved Ignorance. If an ignorant and unpreaching Ministry be approved amongst you, and the people constrained by all kind of violence to submit unto it, and therewith to rest (as what is more usual throughout the whole kingdom?) then let no modest man once open his mouth to deny that ignorance is constrained and approved amongst you.'

YOUR want of quarrels makes you still run over the same complaints which, if you redouble a thousand times, will not become just, may become tedious.

God knows how far we are from approving an unlearned Ministry. The protestations of our gracious King, our Bishops,

▾ Quæ toto orbe terrarum, &c. sicuti quoque Domini Passio et Resurrectio et in cælum Ascensus, et Adventus Spiritûs Sancti, anniversariá solemnitate celebrantur. Aug. Epist. 118.

2 Churches of France and Flanders in Harm. Confess.

our greatest Patrons of Conformity in their public writings. might make you ashamed of this bold assertion. We do not allow that it should be: we bewail that it will be.

Our number of parishes compared with our number of divines, will soon shew, that, either many parishes must have none, or some divines must have many congregations, or too many congregations must have scarce divine-incumbents.

Our dread Sovereign hath promised a medicine for this disease: but, withal, tells you, that Jerusalem was not built all on a day.

The violence you speak of is commonly in case of wilful contempt, not of honest and peaceable desire of further instruction; or, in supposal of some tolerable ability in the Ministry forsaken.

We do heartily pray for labourers into this harvest. We do wish that all Israel could prophesy. We publish the Scriptures, we preach, catechise, write; and, Lord, thou knowest, how many of us would do more, if we knew what more could be done, for the information of thy people, and remedy of this ignorance which this adversary reproves us to approve.

Sep.-" English Service, unknown Devotion. If the service said or sung in the Parish Church may be called devotion, then sure there is good store of unknown devotion; the greatest part in most parishes, neither knowing nor regarding what is said, nor wherefore."

WE doubt not, but the service, said in our Parish Churches, is as good a service to God, as the extemporary devotions in your parlours.

But, it is an unknown devotion, you say:--Through whose fault? the reader's, or the hearer's, or the matter? Distinct reading you cannot deny to the most parishes: the matter is easy prayers, and English Scriptures: if the hearers be regardless, or in some things dull of conceit, lay the fault from the service to the men. All yours are free from ignorance, free from wandering conceits! we envy you not: some knowledge is no better than some ignorance: and carelessness is no worse than mis-regard.

SECT. 42.

Penances enjoined in the Church of England.

Sep. "What are your sheet-penances for adultery, and all your purse-penances for all other sins? than which, though some worse in Popery, yet none more cominon."

b Confer. at Hampt.

COMING NOW to the vaults of Popery, I ask for their Penances and Purgatory; those Popish Penances, which presumptuous Confessors enjoined as satisfactory, and meritorious upon their bold absolutions.

You send me to sheet-penances and purse-penances.

The one, ceremonious corrections of shame, enjoined and adjoined to public confessions of uncleanness, for the abasing of the offender and hate of the sin: such like, as the Ancient Church thought good to use, for this purpose: hence they were appointed, as Tertullian speaketh, in sackcloth and ashes, to crave the prayers of the Church, to besmear their body with filthiness, to throw themselves down before God's Minister and Altar; not to mention other, more hard, and perhaps no less ancient rites: and hence, were those five stations d of the penitent, whereby he was at last received into the body of his wonted communion.

The other, a pecuniary mulct imposed upon some (not all, you foully slander us) less heinous offences; as a penalty, not as a penance. I hope you deny not; sodomy, murder, robbery, and (which you would not) theft itself is more deeply avenged.

But, did ever any of ours urge either sheet or purse, as the remedy of Purgatory; or enjoin them, to avoid those infernal pains? Unless we do so, our Penances are not Popish, and our Answerer is idle.

SECT. 43.

The Practices of the Church of England concerning the
Funerals of the Dead.

Sep.-"Touching Purgatory, though you deny the doctrine of it, and teach the contrary; yet, how well your practice suits with it, let it be considered in these particulars: your absolving of men dying excommunicate, after they be dead, and before they may have Christian Burial."

YOUR next accusation is more ingeniously malicious. Our doctrine you grant contrary to Purgatory: but you will fetch it out of our practice, that we may build that which we destroy. Let us, therefore, purge ourselves from your Purgatory. We absolve men dying excommunicate :

A rare practice, and which yet I have not lived to see. But,

e Sacco et cineri incubare, corpus sordibus obscurare, presbyteris advolvi, et aris Dei adgeniculari. Tert. de Pænit.

4 Canon. Greg. Neocæsar. #porλavoiç, ȧкpoaσıç, &c.

VOL. X.

G