IF wee thought our silence would onely prejudice our selves , wee could contentedly sit downe and forbeare Replyes , not doubting , but intelligent men , comparing cause with cause , and reason with reason , would easily see with whom the truth rests : but wee fearing that many who have not either ability or leisure to search into the grounds of things themselves , would fearce thinke it possible , that so much confidence as the Remonstrant shewes , should be severed from a good cause , or so much contempt should bee powred upon us that are not the bad defenders of a cause much worse . Wee must discharge our duty in cleering the cause and truth of God , and that will cleer us from all the foule aspersions which the Remonstrant hath been nothing sparing to cast upon us . Whose Defence in every Leafe terms us either ignorant , lyers , witlesse , falsifiers , malicious , spightfull , slanderous , violent , and subtill Machinators against the Church , and disturbers of her peace , &c. and this not onely in a cursory way , but in such a devout and religious form , Pag. 1●3 . as we make question whether ever any man before him did so solemnly traduce , speaking it in the presence of God , that he never saw any Writer professing Christian sincerity so fouly to overlash . To the presence of God before whom his protestation is made , our accesse is equall , and at that Tribunall wee doubt not , through the grace of Christ , but to approve both our selves & our cause . And had we the same accesse unto our Sovereigne , wee should lesse regard those bitter invective accusations , wherewith hee hath so profusely charged us in his Sacred eares .

But our meanesse forbids us to make immediate addresses to the throne , which he hath made his refuge : yet may it please that Royall Majesty , whom God hath anointed over us , to vouchsafe an eye unto these papers , wee have that trust in the Justice of our Sovereigne , the goodnesse of our Cause , the integrity of our consciences in all our Quotations , as we doubt not but his Majesty will cleerly see , that our Persons , cause , and carriage , have been misrepresented to him .

The cause our Remonstrant saith is Gods ; it is true of the cause agitated , though not of the cause by him defended : and we desire ( what ever he hath done ) to manage it in Gods way ; to love in the truth , and speak the truth in love .

The charity of our Remonstrant wee will not question , though in the first congresse hee doth as good as call us Devils : because so often in his book he cals us Brethren . But that which hee calls truth , and the truth of God , we must crave leave to doe more , then bring in question , notwithstanding the impregnable confidence of this Irrefragable Doctor .

Our Histories record of Harold , Cupbearer to Edward the Confessor , that wayting on the Cup , he stumbled with one foot , and almost fell , but that hee recovered himself with the other ; at which his father smiling said , Now one brother helps another . The Remonstrant calls us Brethren , and supposeth hee sees us stumbling in the very entrance of our answer , and what help doth our Brother lend us ? Onely entertains us Sannis & Cathinnis , and tels us , it is an ill signe to stumble at the threshold . Yet not alwayes an ill signe Sir , wee accept this stumbling for such an Omen , as Caesar had at his Landing in Affrick , and our William the Conquerour at his first landing in England , which they tooke for the first signe of their victory and possession .

An what 's this Stumble ? The Answer mentions the Areopagi instead of the Areopagites , Grande nefas ! Of such an impiety as this , did Duraeus once accuse our Learned Whitakers , from whom wee will in part borrow our answer : Bone habet his in●●bus non ve●tuntur fortune Ecclesiae . It is well the good of the Church depends not upon a piece of Latine .

But can our Remonstrant perswade himselfe , that his Answerers should have so much Clarklike ignorance , as never to have heard of Areopagita ? If he can , yet we are sure he can never perswade his ingenious Readers , but some one at least of that Legion , which hee fancies conjured up against his Remonstrance , might have heard of Dionysius Areopagita , that by a man that had not studied to cast contempt upon us , it might have beene thought rather a stumble in the Transcribers or Printers , then the Authours .

But what if there be no stumble here ? What if the fault be in the Remonstrants eyes , and not in the Answerers words ? What if hee stumble and not they ? and what if it be but a straw he stumbles at ? For though Areopagus be the name of the place , and Areopagitae the name of the persons ; yet it is no such impropriety in speech , to signifie the persons by the place : had wee said the Admired sonnes of Iustice , the two Houses of Parliament , had this been such a Soloecisme ? and will this Remonstrant deny us that liberty , for which we have Natures Patent , and the example of the best Authors in other Tongues , To smooth , or square , to lengthen , or cut off Exoticke words , according as will best suit with our own Dialect ? If we were called to give an account of this Syllabicall Errour before a Deske of Grammarians , wee could with ease produce presidents enough in approved Authors : but we will onely give an instance in the word it self from Ioan. Sarisburi . lib. 5. de Nugis Curialibus , cap. 9. Eum [ Senatum ] vero Athenienses Areopagum dicebant eo quod in illis totius populi virtus consisteret .

We hope our Remonstrant hath now recovered his stumble , and next we find him leaping , being as good at leaping over blocks , as hee is at stumbling at straws : it is his practice through his whole booke , what ever objection made by us , he finds too heavy to remove , he over-leaps it .

This course hee begins here , for wee having charged him with some words sounding to contempt in his Preface , he falls a quarrellling with our Logick , for calling that a Preface , which hee intended as one of the main pieces of the substance of his book . Which certainly , if Captatio Benevolentiae be the work of a Preface , he that reads the Remonstrance to the ninth page , will find that the preceding pages have been but by way of insinuation ; and there he comes to the proposition and narration of his cause .

But if our Logick was bad , hee knew his Ethicks were worse : and therefore these misdemeanours which we justly charged upon him , and he knew not how to excuse or answer , his Politicks taught him to leap over . Counting all to the fourth page , as light froth that will sink alone ; which seems to us a strange piece of Physik ; and if we would cry quit with the Remonstrant , & make our Reader as merry with him , as he would make his Readers with us , wee could tell him a Tale in the margent * * A Gentleman student in Philosophy , that was by chance present at the reading of this passage , tooke such a fancy to this rare mystery of light froath , sinking aloan , that he would take no nay , till he had entreated us to obtain so much of the Remonstrant , as to publish his receit of making light froath sinke alone , that it may be added to the Secrets of Alexis , or the rare experiments of Baptista Porta . . But some thing it seems is of a little more solid substance , it is as scum that will not so easily sink alone ; wherein you appe●l to indifferent eyes to judge whether we do not endevour to cast unjust envy upon you against the cleer evidence of any knowing mans conscience . Content . Onely put the case right : you tell your Judges that you had said , That if Antiquity may be the rule , the Civill policie ( as in generall notion ) hath sometimes varied , the Sacred never ; the Civill came from Arburary Impos●rs , the Sacred from men inspired : now these gracious Interpreters would draw your words to the present and particular government of our own Monarchie , as if you implied that variable and arbitrary ; and are not ashamed to mention that deadly name of Treason . Our charge upon this is , that in the judgement of this Remonstrant , if any had dared to attempt the alteration of Monarchicall Government , they had been lesse culpable then in petitioning the alteration of Episcopall , and conclude , that if he had found such a passage in any of those whom he cals lewd Libellers , all had rung with Treason , Treason .

Now let the indifferent Reader , let the most Honourable Parliament , let the Sacred Majesty of our King Judge whether we doe the man wrong . First , this we know , that one of the most confident Advocates of Episcopacie hath said it , 〈◊〉 . 25. that where a Nationall Church is setled in the orderly regiment of certain grave Overseers , to seek to abandon this forme , and to bring in a forreigne Discipline , is as unreasonable as to cast off the yoke of just an● hereditary Monarchy , and to affect many headed Soveraignty : which wee thinke is an assertion insolent enough , that sets the Mitre as high as the Crowne : God blesse our sacred Monarchie from such friends .

WEE are in this and the following Sections not to contend for words , but things , things precious to the Remonstrant , Liturgie , and Episcopacie , for which he fights , tanquam pro aris & focis .

The subject of this Section is the Liturgie , where first he fals upon us for the Alterations , and Additions , mentioned by us , which hee calls such an envious and groundlesse suggestion as must needs cover our faces with a blush . Truly , Sir , If we were able to produce no fuller evidence of this then you have done of your Iewish Liturgie ever since Mosestime , we should blush indeed ; but if wee can bring forth instances of such Alterations as shall prove this present Liturgie to be none of that , which hath beene confirmed by Parliamentary Acts ; keep your blushes to make Liveries for yourself and friends .

The Liturgie confirmed by our Parliamentary Acts is the same which was made and confirmed in the fifth and sixth of Edward the sixth , with one alteration , and additions of certaine Lessons to be used upon every Sunday ; and the forme of the Letany altered and amended , and two sentences onely added in the delivery of the Sacrament : And none other or otherwise . But this booke is so altered from that , that in it is left out ,

First a clause in the Letany , From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome , and all his detestable enormities , good Lord deliver us , &c. 32. Chapters of the Old Testament , a Prayer against death , a Rubrick , or declaration of the manner of the presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament . Besides some other things of lesse moment .

Secondly , added 26 Apocryphall Chapters , more to be read 47 Proper Lessons , The Prayers for Bishops and Curats , many Collects after the Communion , A Rubrick in the examination of private Baptisme . In the Calendar Fish dayes are now called Fasting days . A Catalogue of Holidays .

Thirdly , many things changed ; in the title of Confirmation , the words for imposition of hands are added . In the Epistle for Palm-sunday , in the Name of Jesus , turned into , at the Name of Jesus , besides such smaller alterations , which himselfe acknowledges . These are sufficient to evince that the Liturgie now in use is not that Liturgie that was established by Act of Parliament , and therefore that Act binds not to the use of this Liturgie , as we conceive . Now if to these we should adde the late alterations in the use of the Liturgie , Bringing in loud Musique , uncouth and unedifying Anthems , a pompous , superstitious Altar-service , wee thinke any indifferent eye will say this is not the Liturgie established by Parliament : wee hope that these alterations are so visible , as any , that will not fully shut their eys , will say it is with this misaltered Liturgie as with the disguised Dames mentioned of old by Doctor Hall .

And we hope , nay we know wee have some Bishops of our minde in this , as well as you have some of yours ; & how ever you slight the words of one of them , not inferiour to any of them that wee know , with an effut●it labiis : yet it is a subtile shift you have to pervert the Bishops words . For whereas hee said that the Service of the Church of England was now so drest , that if the Pope should come and see it , he would claim it as his own , but that it is in English , The Remonstrant would seeme to understand by this onely such an inoffensivenesse , in the devotion of it , as the Pope himself could find no fault in it : whereas the Bishop meant such a symmetry and correspondency of our present devotion and service with the Popish , as was in his esteem just matter of Humiliation to al the Bishops in the Kingdom , in a day of solemn & national Fasting .

Instead of bringing out those great applauses , that forreigne Divines and Churches have given to our Liturgie , hee falls ( though more gently then hee is wont ) upon Master Calvin for his Tolerabiles ineptiae , as if that hee did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . It seemes the Remonstrant did not either consider the occasion of that Censure , or else his not Omniscient eyes never saw the Epistle that the Learned Calvin wrote to the dispersed at Frankfort , which would tell him that the occasion of this Censure was the troubles raised up among the English Exiles then at Frankford , about the booke of Liturgie ( which was then as since a spring of unhappy contentions in the Church ) hereupon he writes a Letter to them , wherein hee useth that phrase of tolerable fooleries : and in a Christian way perswades both disagreeing sides to accord : which he puts not upon them by way of authority , but Christian advise : nay , he says more , that these fooleries were tolerable then , yet he doubted not if Religion flourished in England , many of these would be removed , and other things amended : and though they might begin with such weak rudiments , yet it was behovefull for the grave and pious Ministers of Christ to rise to a higher pitch , &c. So that here Master Calvin did not unwarrantably intrude in alienam rempublicam : Nor did any other then would become any of our grave and learned Divines , in the case of the Wafers , or Lords Day Markets of his Charge , if called unto that service , as Master Calvin was to this .

The Remonstrant leads us from the English Liturgie , to a Discourse of Liturgies in generall : which wee call unparalleld , because no man that ever wee have seene drew the line of Liturgie so high as hee hath done , even as high as Moses time ; to which his answer is , Perhaps there are some things our not omniscient eyes have not seene , and perhaps this may be one of them : and perhaps there are some things which hee hath confidently avouched that his Lincean eys have not seen , and perhaps this is one of them ; or else we should see it too . But that needs not saith the Remonstrant for wee almost yield the question before wee argue it : the happier man hee to obain that by concession that hee never could by argumentation : but how doe wee yield the question ? in granting an order of divine administrations observed in Church Assemblies , but denying an imposition of set forms . Iust. Mart. Apolog 2. We find in antiquity , that when the Church met together upon the Lords day , first the Scriptures were read of the old and new Testament , after the reading followed an Exhortation to the practice and imitation of what was read , then they all rose and joyned in Prayer : Prayer being ended , they went to the Sacrament , in the beginning whereof the President of the Assembly powred out Prayers and Thanksgiving according to his ability , and the people said Amen ; then followed the distribution of the Sacrament : After that the collection of Almes , &c. this was Iustine Martyrs Liturgie . Will you now see Tertullians ?

First , the Congregation meets , Tertull. Apol. cap. 39. and doe as it were besiege God with their prayers , wherein they pray for the Emperors , for their servants , officers , & c ? then they went to repeating the Scriptures according to the time and occasion , then they edified themselves in faith and hope by holy exhortations . There they had also the exercise of Discipline , there they had their Love-feasts which began and ended with prayers , and were celebrated with singing of Psalmes . This was Tertullians Liturgie . From these two Writers of the purest times , it is evident that it was the custome or order of the Church in their Assemblies to pray , read , and expound the Scriptures , administer the Sacraments ; but that there were set formes of Prayer prescribed and imposed upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that they were tyed to read such and such Scriptures , that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had words of exhortation put into his mouth , that hee must use without adding , or altering , or diminishing , all which are in a stinted Liturgy , this doth not appear , but rather the contrary , Tertullian saith , Coimus ad sacrarum literarum commemorationem si quid praesentium temporum qualitas aut praemonere cogit aut recognoscere .

And now we hope our Remonstrant wil see how we will avoid our own contradiction . To say there was an order of administrations although there were no set and prescribed formes is no contradiction : You see it in the Churches practice . To say there was an order of prophecying given to the Church of Corinth by the Apostle Paul , 1 Cor. 14. and yet no stinted forms of prophecying imposed upon them , wee hope the Remonstrant himselfe will say is not contradictory .