serve Almighty God in this Office to the glory of his name and the edifying and well-governing of his Church And further That they may be not only evermore ready to spread abroad the Gospel but also use the Authority given them not to destruction but to salvation And doth not the Bishop solemnly promise to correct and punish according to such Authority as he hath by Gods Word as well as to such as shall be committed to him by the Ordinance of this Realm And the Archbishop charges him when he delivers him the Bible not only to take heed to Doctrine but how he ministers Discipline too We can't think after all this that they do voluntarily neglect so essential a Branch of their Episcopal Office as Governing the Church Ruling and Discipline is their Duty according to Gods Word and if any Ordinance of this Realm hinder them from the discharge of a Duty Gods Word hath laid on them we think if they should patiently bear it they would give but a sad Account in that day when the Great Bishop shall appear when Pulton's or Keeble's Statutes are none of those Books that shall then be open'd We are sure that this Work is a thing of the highest Trust and Authority and wherein the greatest skill and tenderness is requisite and therefore we think it should be pâ—rsonally discharged and can't lawfully be deputed to another For as the Lord Bacon hath observed we sâ—â—â—n all Laws in the world Offices of Confidence and Skill cannot be put 〈◊〉 or exercised by Deputy exceâ—t it be especially contained in the Original Grant Considerat for the better Establish of the Ch. of Engl. p. 10. never did any Chancellor of England or Judg in any Court make a Deputy Surely ab initio non fuit ita but 't is probable that Bishops when they gave themselves too much to the Glory of the World and became Grandees in Kiâ—gdoms and Great Councellors to Princes thâ—n did they deleaguâ— their propâ—r Jurisdiction as things of too inferior a Nature for their Greatness and then after the Similitude and Imitation of Kings and Counts Palatine they would have their Chancellors and Judges His Life p 92. T is saith Bishop Bedel in his Dâ—fence one of the most essential parts of a Bishop's Duty to govern his Flock and 〈◊〉 iâ—flict the Spiritual Censures on obstinate Offenders A Bishop can no more delegate this Power to a Lay-man than he can delegate a Power to Baptise or Ordain since Excommunication and other Censures are a suspendiâ—g the Rights of Baptism and Orders and therefore the judging of these things can belong only to him that had the Power to give them and the delegating that Power is a thing null of it sâ—lâ— It was ever looked on as a necessary part of the Bishop's Duty â—o Exâ—mine and Censure the Scandals of his Clergy aâ—â—â—aity in Ancient and Modern Times And much morâ— mâ—y bâ— found to the same purpose in hiâ— Life But if this Sacr d Work must be put off to othâ—rs P. 93. were it committed to thâ— hands of any of our Clergy though never so mean we coulâ— bear it out of that profound Reverence we have for thâ—iâ— Gown and Character as we d'off our Hats in a mean Countrey-Church that looks little better than a Pigeon-house as wâ—ll as in a Cathedral for the sake of that GOD to whom the One is Consecrated as well as the other But we have hardly any patience left us when we consider That the Clergy both Superiour and Inferiour stand for Cyphers and the whole Power of Excommunication is lodged in Lay-mens hands for such are their Chancellors Officials Commissâ—â—ies c. 'T is a greater piece of Sacrilege for these Thieves to steal and run away with the Keys of the Church than for any to carry off the Communion-Plate Godly Discipline being a much richer Treasure than a Golden Chalicâ— We justly deride the Presbyteriâ—ns for their compound Assemblies where the Minister and the Lay-Elder sit Cheek by Joul intermingled like a Man and a Woman at a Dutch Feast But that Hâ—tch-potch-Miscellany is more tolerable than this Constitution of Ours whereby the whole Clergy being excluded the Lay-Chancellor alone sits to remit sins or retain them Men that we are sure have no Commission from the Blessed Jesus or his Holy Apostles and have no Power to deliver any Souls up to Satan unless it be their own 'T is true indeed They have a Patent for it and that sometimes given to gratifie a Friend sometimes perhaps purchasâ—d with a round Sum of Money whereby the present Bishops pass away this their Power from Themselves and their Successors too and so they are rendred uncapable of correcting their Extravagancies and Corruptions even though they are committed in their Names and by virtue of an Authority derived from them whereupon our Reverend Fathers bear the blame and these Varlets reap the advantage of their unjust Proceedings Nay to that degree of insolence do they proceed as sometimes to hector them if they offer but to interpose to stop or to rectify any of their Illegal and Oppressive Acts. Of this we have an instance given us by the Author of the Naked Truth I don't mean the blustring Hickeringill but as is commonly beliâ—ved P. 64. a grave and excellent Prelate of our Church I remember saith he when the Bishop of Wells hearing of a Cause corruptly managed and coming into the Court to rectifie it the Chancellor Dr. Duke fairly and mannerly bid him be gone for he had no Power there to act any thing and therewithal pulls out his Patent sealed by the Bishop's Predâ—cessor which like Perseus's Shield with the Gorgon's Head frighted the poor Bishop out of the Court. Bishop Bedel's Life by Doctor Burnet p. 88 89. Another remarkable Story of this nature we have in the Life of Bishop Bedel He saw and his Soul was grieved at the bare-faced Extortions and Briberies and Commutations of Penance and Vexatious Suits c. in the Chancellor that had bought his Place from his Predecessor and the prostitution of Excommunications in a sordid and base manner To correct these abuses he goes and with a competent number of his Clergy sits and hears Causes and gives Sentence But his Lay-Chancellor brought a Suit against him in Chancery for invading his Office and tho the other Bishops stood by him saying They were but half Bishops till they recover'd their Authority out of the hands of their Chancellors and though his Chancellor's Patent were a formless Chaos of Authority conferr'd on him against all reason and equity wherein was false Latin nonsâ—nse injustice prejudice to the Chapter contrariety to it self and the King 's Grant to the Bishop P. 102. and the Seal hanging to it none of the Bishop his Predecessor's Seal yet the Chancellor's Right was confirm'd and there was given him an Hundred Pound costs of the Bishop and great endeavours were used to possess Archbishop Vsher
Vox Populi Or the SENSE of the SOBER LAY-MEN OF THE Church of England Concerning the HEADS Proposed in his MAJESTIES COMMISSION TO THE CONVOCATION LONDON Printed for Randall Taylor near Stationers-hall 1690. The Bookseller to the Reader THese Papers were sent to me before the late Prorogation of the Parliament but yet I have thought fit to publish them hoping they may be useful to the Publick THE PREFACE WE pay too great a Deference to so venerable an Assembly as our Convocation to come before them tho with a Petition in our hands without making some Apology for this seeming Rudeness as tho we presum'd to instruct our Teachers and fancied our selves wiser than our Spiritual Guides We might plead by way of Excuse that a former Convocation not only allowed but desired more on our behalf than we do pretend to Burnet 's Hist of the Reform Vol. 1. p. 147 For they addressed to King Henry the 8th That an equal number of Lay-men might be joined to some of their own Body with a full power to abrogate or confirm Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws as to them should seem most expedient whereas we do neither presume nor desire to sit among the Clergy as Counsellors but only to be permitted to stand as Supplicants at their door We might further alledg in our own behalf that when we lately ventured with our Pens to defend the Doctrines of our Church against the Papists in which Controversy our Learned Clergy gain'd such immortal Trophies of Honour our Papers were not only kindly received but protected too Even Dr. Sherlock himself condescending to cover a Protestant Footman with his mighty Shield who like a small Squire had ventured to strike a blow or two for the Giant We are therefore apt to believe that what we now propose for the further advantage of our Church will be as favourably entertain'd And we are the rather encouraged to such a Persuasion because the Master of the Temple notwithstanding the Canon in this case which shall be observ'd in its proper Place under that Head hath lately revoked that Letter of Attourny which the Clergy seemed to pretend to for the warranting them alone to act in our Names while we sate still and held our Peace For saith he Tho the Clergy have of late in a great measure monopoliz'd the Name of the Church to themselves yet in propriety of Speech they do not belong to the Definition of it Dr. Sherlock's Disc of the Nature Vnity and Communion of the Catholick Church p. 32. 34. they are indeed the Governours of the Church as they have receiv'd Authority from Christ the supreme Lord and Bishop of the Church but they are no more the Church than the King is his Kingdom or the Shepherd his Flock the Bishops and Pastors of the Church consider'd as such represent the Head and not the Body c. But that which we shall insist on and stand by as the main Reason of our willing and publishing the following Papers and which we conceive will fully silence those that are most likely to raise a Clamour against us is to clear our selvâ—s from the injâ—â—ious Misrepresentation that Vox Cleri Vox Cleri p. 11 gives of us as tho we were as perverse Enemies to his Majesties excellent Design in his Commission to the Convocation as he himself is and those whose Judgment he pretends to express For one of the main Reasons he urges against all Alterations is that which he cites out of Dr. Burnet in Judg Hales's Life That as some might come in so others that were in our Communion might take offence by the Alterations and desert it and seeing our frequent Changes in some things might suppose there is nothing certain among us and from the many Disputes about our Liturgy proceed to question our Articles and at last fall off to the Church of Rome which they saw more constant to their Principles And as we shall not repeat what hath been already replied so we shall take the more effectual way of confuting him by declaring the common Sense of the wisest and best among our selves that we have convers'd with about these matters For tho we pay that Respect even to the violent Bigots of our Clergy which the great Learning of many of them does deserve yet we must beg their Pardon if we are unwilling all the blame of their unaccountable Stiffness and Rigour should lie at our door We should think our selves very unhappy if any unreasonable Sowrness or Humour of ours should be the great Obstacle to the Churches Reformation and Peace If we should any way contribute to the keeping open those bleeding Wounds which our Spiritual Physicians are called together to heal and close We that have been so well instructed by our Ministers have learnt to distinguish between the Substance of our Religion and the separable Appendages of it and shall not suspect a change of our Food every time the mode of garnishing the Dish is altered and have more of that Divine Charity they have preached to us than to stand at an irreconcileable Distance from Dissenting Protestants and to run both out of the Church and our Wits too if the Convocation should think fit to let them in on an honourable Accommodation of our Differences We have therefore thought fit to descend to the particular Heads mentioned in his Majesties Commission and under each of them to propose such Alterations as would not only not be offensive to us but are highly desirable because we suppose them equally conducive to the Beauty and Safety the Strength and Glory of our Church Of the Liturgy and Ceremonies TO begin with the Calendar we shall not insist on the Rule to find out Easter which hath been sometimes found not to be true because that does more concern the Clergy to look after than any of us But as to some of the Lessons appointed in it they being design'd for our Edification we hope we may have â—ibâ—â—ty to speak What a smutty Story is that in the 6th 7th and 8th Chapters of Tobit appointed for the Lessons on the last day of September and the first of August which is enough to make a Man laugh till he burst as certainly as the lumps of Pitch Fat and Hair did the Dragon Another precious Story which not being appointed formerly by our Church was by the New Reformers on the late Kings Restauration ordered to be read to us on the 23d of November The business in short is this Tobias luckily catcht a certain Fish that greedily snapt at him Tobit c. 6. Roasted it and Eat it but by the Direction of the Angel very carefully lays up the Heart the Liver and the Gall. Now an Ointment made of this Gall was a notable Remedy against Whiteness in the Eyes If it were as good against Dimness of Sight too we could wish for the sake of the Author of Vox Cleri we knew what sort of Fish this was Tobit
were no difficult Task to shew and were worthy the Observation of any Historian that would give a true Account of the continuance and increase of our deplorable Divisions And as we dislike this Notion the more when we consider the purposes and designs for which 't is calculated so we have this Argument to urge why it should be disown'd viz. Because it plainly sets up a Foreign Jurisdiction against which the Nation is solemnly sworn The second Canon excommunicates ipso facto all Impugners of the King's Supremacy Agâ—inst which we think there is nothing can be objected but the fault common to it with the 10 following Canons viz. Excommunicating ipso facto Of which more under these following Canons Can. 3. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That the Church of England by Law established under the King's Majesty is not a true and Apostolical Church teaching and maintaining the Doctrine of the Apostles Let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored but only by the Archbishop after his Repentance and publick Revocation of such his wicked Error Can. 4. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That the Form of God's Worship in the Church of England established by Law and contained in the Book of Common-Prayer and Administration of Sacraments is a corrupt superstitious or unlawful Worship of God or contains any thing in it repugnant to the Scriptures Let him be excommunicated ipso facto Can. 5. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That any of the 39 Articles agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London 1562 c. are in any part superstitious or erroneous or such as he may not with a good Conscience subscribe unto Let him be excommunicate ipso facto Can. 6. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England by Law establish'd are Wicked Antichristian or Superstitious or such as being commanded by lawful Authority men who are zealously and godly affected may not with any good Conscience approve 'em use 'em or as occasion requires subscribe to 'em Let him be excommunicate ipso facto Can. 7. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That the Government of the Church of England under His Majesty by Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and the rest that bear Office in the same is Antichristian or repugnant to the Word of God Let him be excommunicate c. Can. 8. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm or teach That the form and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons contains any thing in it repugnant to the Word of God or that they who are made Bishops c. Let him be excommunicate ipso facto Can. 9. Whosoever shall hereafter separate themselves from the Communion of Saints as 't is approved by the Apostles Rules in the Church of England and combine themselves together in a new Brotherhood c. Let him be excommunicate ipso facto Can. 10. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That such Ministers as refuse to subscribe to the form and manner of God's Worship in the Church of England prescribed in the Communion-book may truly take to 'em the Name of another Church not established by Law and dare presumâ— to publish it That this their pretended Church has of long time groan'd under the burden of certain grievances imposed upon it and upon the Members thereof before mentioned by the Church of England and the Orders and Constitutions therein by Law established Let him be excommunicate ipso facto Can. 11. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm or maintain That there are within this Realm other Meetings Assemblies or Congregations of the King 's born Subjects than such as by the Laws of this Land are held and allowed which may rightly challenge to themselves the Name of true and lawful Churches Let him be excommunicate c. Can. 12. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That 't is lawful for any sort of Ministers or Lay-persons or either of them to join together and make Rules Orders or Constitutions in Causes Ecclesiastical without the King's Authority and shall submit themselves to be ruled and governed by them Let him be excommunicate ipso facto To these may be added Can. 139. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That the Sacred Synod of this Nation in the Name of Christ and by the King's Authority assembled is not the true Church of England by representation Let him be excommunicate c. Can. 140. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That no manner of person either of the Clergy or Laity not being themselves particularly assembled in the said Sacred Synod are to be subject to the Decrees thereof in Causes Ecclesiastical made and ratified by the King's Majesty's Supreme Authority as not having given their voices to them Let him be excommunicate c. Can. 141. Whosoever shall hereafter affirm That the Sacred Synod assembled as aforesaid was a Company of such persons as did conspire together against godly and religious Professors of the Gospel and that therefore both They and their Proceedings in making of Canons and Constitutions in Causes Ecclesiastical by the King's Authority as aforesaid ought to be despised and contemned the same being ratified by the same Regal Power Let him be excommunicate c. We have often heard our Clergy mention among many other Excellencies of our Church her admirable Charity towards those that differ from her and we have hitherto taken it for one of her just Characters For tho those that dissent from us would frequently object the Severity of the Penal Laws and the rigor with which they have sometimes been Executed as if such heavy Fines and long Imprisonments look'd but like a cold and frozen sort of Charity yet we thought it a sufficient Answer That our Church did not Countenance any of these Severities by her Doctrine And therefore how active soever some of our fiery Zealots who were the Tools of another Party might be in urging the Execution of them this was their personal Fault and nor justly imputable to the Church her self Tho by the way we cannot think it so ingenuous in some of our Clergy to throw all the blame of those severe Laws on the Parliament that Enacted them which many of themselves were but too earnest and importunate Sollicitors of But we are extreamly surprized to read the foregoing Canons and when we hear them objected as an Evidence of the Uncharitableness of our Doctrine it self We are at a great loss what to say in defence of it for we plainly perceive by them that the Practice of our most violent Bigots in the Execution of the Penal Laws has been as much more Charitable than these Canons of our Church as 't is more merciful to send the Bodies of Men into the Custody of the Jailor than to consign their Souls into the Paws of the Devil Nay 't is well that Writs de Excom Cap. have not been issued out against all whom these Canons Excommunicate For if they had the whole Race of Dissenters had long
of her True Sons to themsâ—lveâ— And yet even of the Bigots there are so many that frequently arraign some of our Articles in the Pulpit it self particularly the 17th about the Doctrine of Election that we see not how they will escape the 5th Canon And if we were not afraid of being sent to the Devil for company by virtue of the 139. Can. we would make bold to question the Convocations being the Church of England by Representation See the Pref. 'T is strange how they shou'd Represent us of the Laity who never Chose or Deputed ' em 'T is much stranger how they shou'd Represent the K. and Parliament who I hope are a very Excâ—llent part of our Church for if they do we see not what occasion there can be to interpose their Authority anew to give force to their Canons They can at the most only Represent the Clergy of our Church and are indeed no more than the King 's and â—â—rliament's Ecclesiastical Council to adviâ—e 'em what Laws relating to the Church they shall enact by thâ—ir Authority circa Sacra For all their Canons would never bind one Consciences as the Laws of the Church if the Civil Authority made 'em not the Laws of thâ— Land To sum up this Head Why should we think our Convocation so infallible and the Constitutions of our Church so absolutâ—ly perfect that a man cannot find the least fault with any one of them under a less penalty than being cut off as a dead member from the Body of Christ This is as inexcusâ—ble a rigor as if our Parliament should make it no less than Banishment for any Subject to dispute the Equity of the least Clause in the whole Book of Statutes So that if the Convocation think fit to keep up these Canons still it were very great Charity to clap Padlocks on the Tongues of the People to prevent their running into the Devils Clutches by prating too freely against the Orders of our Church And perhaps it was the sagacious foresight of such Complaints as these made that wise Convâ—câ—tion by way of prevention excommunicate among the rest all that should affirm 'em to be A Company of mâ—n that conspired against godly and religious Professors of the Gâ—spel or assert That their Canons should be despised or rejected Only they were careful to twist in the Kings Authority with their own that he who slighted the Convocation might be thought to trample on the Crown Of Corruptions in the Ecclesiastical Courts AND here we do most humbly desire that the Reverend Guides of our Church will patiently hear us and especially those of that Venerable and truly Apostolical Order and if any expressions should drop from us that may seem inconsistent with that filial duty we owe to 'em we desire it may be imputed to our great zeal for 'em and we shall as submissively fall on our Knees to beg their Pardon as we would do on any other occasion to implore their Blessing Mâ—ny of the old Corruptions saith one of our Reverend Fathers in God do yet remain among us in practice Dr. Barnet's Thanksg Ser. before the H. of Commons Jan 31. p. 33 and the administration of the Ecclesiastical Authority is liable to great Objâ—ctions I will not run out in farther particulars for it will be easie to find them and if you once set abâ—ut it you will soon see whâ—t work is before you We shall confine our Discourse chiefly to the high and dreadful Sentence of Excommuâ—ication for so it is in its self and was always so esteemâ—d by devout Souls till the great and scandalous Abuses and Corruptions of it in these latter days hath made it contemptible to that degree that sinners do no more value 〈◊〉 than men do the threatning predictions of a common Almanaâ—k maker concerning Thunder and Lightning We have many things here to offer under these following Heads 1. The Persons that manage it 2. The Causes for which it is inflicted 3. The manner of proceeding in our Ecclesiastical Courts 4. The things that ensue on the sentence of Excommunication 1. The Persons that manage it And into whose hands would a man rationally expect the Keys should be put but theirs to whom Christ and his Apostles have given thâ—m and where the Primitive Church left them Who should judg Spiritual Matters but Spiritual Men Who should correct the children but their Fathers and discipline Souls but they that have the Care of them and watch over them as those that must give an account They that so justly claim the Power of Ordination why should they not have that of Excommunication and deliver up to Satan as well as give the Holy Ghost What is it that can reasonably be supposed to hinder our Reverend Biâ—hops from minding so great and necessary a part of their Offâ—ce Is it their great diligence in Preaching 'T is true this â—ur Church doth strictly tie them unto The a 1 Tim. 3. apt to teach Epiâ—â—le or that b Acts 20 17. have taught you publickly and from house to house take heed therefore to your sâ—lves and to all the stock over which the H. Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God c. which is appointed for it and the c St. John 21. Jâ—sâ—â—â—â—ith to Peter lovest thou me more than these Feâ—d my lambs Feed my sâ—â—â—â— c. Mâ—â— 28.18 Go and teaâ—h all naonâ— c. Gospel read at their Consecration puts them in â—ind of it Nay they formally promise it For these are Two of the Questions propounded to them 〈◊〉 the Arch-Bishop d See the form of the Consecration of Bisâ—â—ps Are you determined out of â—â—e Holy Scriptures to instruct the people â—ommitted to your â—harge Will you then faithfully exâ—rcise yâ—ur sâ—lf 〈◊〉 the same Holy Scriptures and call upon God by Prayâ— for the true understanding â—f the same so as ye may be â—ble by them to teach and exhort by wholâ—some Doctrine â—d to withstand and convince the gainsayers To which â—â—e Bishop answers e See to â—he same â—urâ—â—se the Collect immediately following Vâ—ni creator spiritus and the 〈◊〉 of the â—â—ch-Bishop to the Bishop when he delivers him the Bible and the first of the three 〈◊〉 Prayers said for the last Collect immediately before the Benediction I am so determined by Gods â—â—â—ce and I will so do by the hâ—lp of God And the â—ractice of some of our Reverend Fathers does convincingly shew they are no strangers to Gods grace or help See the first Collect in the Consecration of Bishops See the Collect in the Consecrat said next after the Litany See the Collect after Veni Creator in this particular But will diligence in one duty excuse the neglect of another Doth not our Church pray Almighty God to give to all Bishops the Pastâ—rs of his Church that they may duly administer godly Discipline as well as diligently preach the Word and That they may faithfully