with what conscience can we expect obedience from those that are under our government Our Saviours rule is m S. Mat. 7.12 Whatsoever yee would that men should doe to you do yee even so to them Obey then that yee may bee obeyed obey heartily that yee may be obeyed accordingly the servants of Christ doe so they obey from the heart Eph. 6.6 Consider that as your children are commanded to obey you so you are commanded to obey your Governours But your children are commanded to obey you in all things Col. 3.20 And shall you obey the Fathers of the Church in what you list surely where the Scripture hath made no limitation it is not for us to make any S. Paul calls upon us in generall termes without limitation to n Heb. 13.17 obey to submit our selves to our Rulers that watch for our soules and must give an account for our soules And gives this reason for it o Ib. that so they may give up their account with ioy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Unprofitable it is indeed for you if Calvin say right for thus he writes p Calvin in Heb. 13.17 Significat nos sine propriae salutis iactura non fore Pastoribus molestos vel immorigeros The Apostle acquaints us that we cannot be offensive or undutifull to our Pastors or Bishops without the losse of our owne salvation And then he addes q Calvin Ib. Quum vix decimus quisque hoc cogitet hinc apparet quantus vulgo sit salutis neglectus since there is scarce one of ten that takes this into consideration it is too too evident that there is a generall neglect of salvation amongst us But it may bee you are doubtfull whether that which is commanded be lawfull or no. If so then must you seek for a resolution from persons worthy to bee credited in this case And Calvin tells us r Calvin Ib. that it is necessarily required ut plebs FIDEM ac simul reverentiam Pastoribus habeat that the people BELEEVE and reverence their Pastors Indeed who so fit to be trusted as he that is trusted with your soules and must account to God for them If the Parson or Vicar cannot satisfie the parties doubting they are then Å¿ Preface before the book of Common prayer to resort to the Bishop of the Diocesse And if the Bishop of the Diocesse be in doubt he is to be advised by the Archbishop and to rest upon his resolution Thus wee are taught by the Church of England and this is a safe and warrantable course If you obey and trust them though the case be questionable you may justifie your obedience t Heb. 13 1â— by this and the like texts of Scripture But if you hearken to any other that have not the charge of your soules and disobey them to whom the cure of your soules is committed by your mother the Church o Ib. u the griefe will bee your rulers but the discommodity yours Hoc enim non expedit vobis saith S. Paul for this is unprofitable for you It is not for us then to question their commands or to deliberate upon them we must beleeue our Governors and reverently obey them when they command nothing that is expresly contrary to the word or honour of God S. Paul requires obedience not examination submission not consultation To this adde the oath of the Churchwardens they cannot avoid presenting those that observe not the orders of the Church without manifest perjury Consider the warning given them at the Visitation namely that if they present not truly and sincerely according to the Articles they are liable to the High Commission and upon just proofe to be censured for perjury Pity the danger that you are like to draw upon your owne heads or the heads of your neighbours and conforme your selves Our Diocesan desires rather to amend us then to censure us and hence it is that time is given us to redresse what is amisse Consider that pride and disobedience are reckoned amongst those sinnes whereinto they usually fall whom God hath given over to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.28.30 Consider that to walke after the flesh and to despise government are joyned together 2. S. Pet. 2.10 Yea saith Calvin w Calvin in ep B. Iudae v. 8. these two are almost inseparable ut qui projecti sunt ad nequitiam OMNEM ORDINEM abolitum esse cupiant that they who have given themselves over to work wickednes have alwayes a stitch against order and would faine have it utterly defaced And if x Haec duo semper sâ—c coniuncta sunt Calvin Ib. these two be almost inseparable then surely they that are such enemies to order in Calvins judgement are projecti ad nequitiam lewd dissolute persons A blemish not to be washed off without submitting our selves to order Consider that REBELLION is as the sinne of WITCHCRAFT and STVBBORNNESSE as IDOLATRY 1. Sam. 15.23 Consider that when false teachers prophane and blasphemous seducers are decypher'd by the Apostles one of their markes is that they are audaces sibi placentes bold presumptuous selfe-willed men DESPISERS OF GOVERNMENT 2. S. Pet. 2.10 Such as DESPISE GOVERNMENT and speak evill of authority S. Iude 8. Consider that they who mislead you are discontented ambitious men such as Korah Nolentes obedire quod nequeant imperare that cannot indure to obey because they cannot get into a Rochet Consider that those who speak against authority are undeserving ignorant unlearned men Proud knowing nothing So S. Paul 1. Tim. 6.4 In his quae ignorant blasphemantes speaking evill of those things they UNDERSTAND NOT. So S. Peter in his second Epistle 2.12 And S. Iude sayes the same v. 10. Nay if Beza be not mistaken in his translation they are no better then mad Insanientes circa quaestiones ac pugnas de verbis 1. Tim. 6.4 growing starke mad about questions and quarrells concerning words As if like mad men they left the apple and fell together by the eares about the shadow Observe what sentence is already passed upon these selfwilled stubborne disobedient persons In the Law y Deut. 17.8.9.12 The man that will not in matters of controversie hearken unto the Priest that IN THOSE DAYES standeth to minister IN THAT PLACE before the Lord that man shall die In the Gospel z Rom. 13.2 Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves DAMNATION damnation at least of that which is commanded to obey and that 's the Soule Rom. 13.1 S. Iude therefore saith plainly that to these is reserved the blacknesse of darknes for ever S. Iude v. 13. Look upon Korah Dathan and Abiram they murmured against Moses and Aaron Prince and Priest and they suddenly went downe alive into the pit of hell Num. 16.33 Tertul. Hoc vero erat futuri judicij praejudicium this doome is a fore-runner of the day of Doome and a true President of that sentence which shall passe upon disobedient persons in that dreadfull day that so all those that read it or heare it read may take warning by their example and avoyd the wrath to come God of his mercy grant that all of us may gaine wisdome by their losse that with all alacrity we may submit our selves to the higher powers that we may do all things in the Church decently and according to order that so we may passe from Church to Church from this Church militant to that triumphant through Iesus Christ our Saviour to whom with the Holy Ghost three persons and one God be ascribed all honour and glory c. FINIS Imprimatur haec concio JOHN OLIVER Reverendissimo in Christo Patri Domino Domino Arch Cant. Capell Dom. Vbi metus in Deum ibi gravitas honesta diligentia adtonita cura sollicita adlectio explorata communicatio deliberata promotio emerita subjectio religiosa apparitio devota processio modesta ecclesia unita Dei omnia Tertull.
A SERMON CONCERNING DECENCIE and ORDER in the Church Preached at VVOOD-CHURCH in the Diocesse of CANTERBURIE April 30. 1637. By EDWARD BOUGHEN Parson of Wood-Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit Apost l. 8. c. 31. The Church is the Schoole not of disorder but of good or decent order LONDON Printed by I. Raworth for I. Cowper and are to be sold at his shop at the East end of Saint PAVLS Church 1638. 1. Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order THat it is the duty of a Bishop not onely to be carefull that his flock be trained up in the faith and feare of Christ but that they know how to behave themselves in the House and Church of Christ that is that they not onely pretend faith but that they also observe order and decency Saint Paul manifests not onely in this Chapter but in the eleventh also of this Epistle In the 11. Chap. men must be uncovered in the time of divine service vers 4. But women at that time must be vayled or covered vers 5. But neither must come to the Lords Table upon a full stomack vers 21. That we repaire not to the Lords Table but upon due examination of our selves vers 28. That we come not to that blessed Supper stragling one at this houre and another at that but all together vers 33. That the Church be not made an house to feast in to eat and drink in vers 22.34 In this Chapter That Preaching be in a knowne tongue vers 2. Prayer in the like tongue vers 14. That while we are at Church we be all doing one and the same thing at one and the same time vers 26. not one Praying another Singing and a third Prating to say no worse God is not the author of such confusion and disorder vers 33. That women be silent in the Church vers 34. There 's no speaking for them unlesse they be asked a question Preaching is commendable and Tongues are commendable and are not Psalmes and Prayers necessarily to be used in the House of God And yet Omnia decenter a care of decency and a care of order must be had in every one of these Here then is that generall rule for our behaviour in the Church whereby Principales magistri our chief Rulers ought to square out their Injunctions and whereunto passivi discipuli we that are subject to authority must submit our selves with all alacrity Calvin therefore tells us That the whole policy of the Church and the whole duty of a peaceable Christian is briefly comprised in this short Canon Calvi in 1. Cor. 14.40 or exhortation Haec est regula saith he ad quam omnia quae ad externam policiam spectant exigere convenit namely Let all things be done decently and in order Here is Fiant a word of action This word is like an Image of Iuno's Lucian de Dea Syria which I have read of it lookes this way and that way and every way it hath an eye upon those that governe and an eye upon those that ought to be governed not onely upon the Law-makers but upon the Law-keepers too For the Law-makers Omnia fiant Let all your Lawes let all your Canons bee made according to decency according to order And blessed be God I speake it from the heart they have done their parts they have done all things decently and in order I would to God wee were as ready with our Fiant to answer their care with our duty that is that All things were done by us with that decency and order which they have prescribed I know it is an easier matter to prescribe then to performe a duty I have therefore alwayes indeavoured to show you that the duties enjoyned are easie and fit to be performed Easie I shew by my example For you know The duties enjoyned are easie that I perswade you to doe to obey no order that is common to me with you but what I my selfe strictly observe And I hope that all those which are not the children of disobedience see it to be decent That they are fit to be performed and fit to bee performed I have manifested unto you heretofore by doctrine reason and authority And now I shall endeavour more fully to satisfie you in these points that so I may stirre you up to a cheerefull performance of those duties which are more strictly exacted now then heretofore by the care of our religious and circumspect Diocesan and Metropolitan not without authority from the Lawes both of State and Church and Gods owne booke which adviseth that All things be done decently and in order First here is a Fiant for us wee must bee doing wee must obey the Bridegroome and his spouse that is Christ and the Church of Christ Next we are to view the matter and the manner of this Fiant of these our doings The matter is universall Omnia fiant Let ALL THINGS be done The maner is two-fold 1. Omnia DECENTER All things must bee done DECENTLY 2. Omnia SECVNDVM ORDINEM They must bee all done IN or ACCORDING TO ORDER And this proposition is conjunctive it couples both together Decenter ET secundum ordinem decently AND in order one of these will not serve the turne without the other Decency and Order must goe hand in hand The parts are five 1. Fiant Let them be DONE 2. Let ALL THINGS be done 3. Let them bee done DECENTLY 4. In ORDER 5. Decently AND in order The first will manifest that wee must not bee idle in the Church of God The second that we must not be negligent or slacke in our duties The third that wee must not behave our selves rudely in the Church The fourth that we must not be disorderly The last that we must be alike carefull of order as of decency of decency as of order of the one as of the other Begin wee with the Fiant Let them be DONE I FIANT We finde in Scripture severall duties imposed upon every one of us in particular some are enjoyned us as wee are the immediate members of Christ the other as we are members of the Church which is the a Eph. 1.23 body or b Eph. 5.23.32 Spouse of Christ Quaedam ut homines quaedam ut cives agimus As it is in the State as it is in every City or Corporation so is it in the City of God and Church of Christ Some things we do or ought to doe as meere men by the light of nature as namely we ought to be sober harmelesse provident for our selves but as we are subjects of a Kingdome there are lawes and statutes of the Kingdome that require obedience at our hands And as we are freemen of a Corporation we must observe the Orders setled in that Corporation whereof we be members whether they be for the generall benefit or whether they be for decency only and conformity Thus in like manner as we are Christians there are
n Ibidem who watch for your soules and must give an account for your soules o Calvin in Heb. 13.17 These saith Calvin without doubt are the Pastors of the Church And a part of their duty it is to put us in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Tit. 3.1 Every private man in his owne family expects that good order should bee kept And what order is that Such as the Master of the house prescribes For he may in his owne family injoyne what orders hee pleaseth so that they be not repugnant to the Lawes of our Superiors or contrary to the plaine word of God And shall a Prince or Bishop be in worse case then an ordinary house-keeper shall not the Prince have the same power in his owne dominions and a Bishop in his Bishoprick that every private man hath in his owne family shall it not be lawfull for them to provide such orders as are decent that may raise devotion and increase piety Surely if our Saviour or his Apostles had injoyned all orders in particular there had remained little or nothing for Bishops to shew their authority in p Heb. 13.17 Obedite praepositis vestris might have beene spared S. Paul needed not command us to obey our Rulers or Bishops For if we performe what God injoynes directly in terminis in particular we obey God herein and not our Governors But we are commanded to obey our Governors and therefore something is left to their disposing to their ordering Kings make Lawes and Bishops Canons Thus indeed it was of necessity in the beginning of Christianity Kings made lawes for the State and Bishops for the Church because then there were no Christian Kings either to authorize them to make such lawes or that would countenance them when they were made But after that q Isa 49.23 Kings became nursing Fathers to the Church Bishops in those pious and regular times made no Canons without the assent and consent and confirmation of Christian Kings And such are our Canons so made so confirmed This is one of those Prerogatives which r Reges Iudaeorum non res modo civicat domi militiaeque moderati sunt sed religionibus etiam sacrisque ceremoniis praefuerunt P. Cunaeus de Rep. Heb. l. 1. c. 14. godly Kings enjoyed and used in the Book of God King David ordered all things for the Arke and Tabernacle 1. Chron. c. 15.16.24 Thus Solomon for and in the Temple 2. Chron. 8.14 And Hezekiah did in like manner 2. Chron. c. 29.30.31 And doth not David order our behaviour in the Church O come let us 1. worship and 2. fall doune and 3. kneele before the Lord our maker Psal 95.6 This charge comes from Å¿ 1 Sam. i3 i4 a man after Gods owne heart and hee that disobeyes is not a man after Gods owne heart It comes from a King and subjects must obey It comes from such a King whom all good Kings are bound to imitate in his religious commands and all religious Christians are bound to obey these and the like commands No sooner did Kings and Emperours embrace the Christian faith but they made use of this Prerogative Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperour t Euseb de vita Const M. l. 4. c. 23. ordained what dayes should be kept holydayes v Ib. c. 17. Hee appointed orders for the Church w Ib. c. 18. Hee provided a set forme of Common Prayer x Ib. c. 25. Hee confirmed under his seale the Canons made by Bishops in their severall Councels that so the greatest of his Princes and Commanders might not sleight them y Socrates l. 1. c. 6. Theod. l. 1. c. 10. Yea the Emperour himselfe professeth that his chiefe care was that there might be but 1. one faith 2. syncere charity 3. Et Consentiens religionis cultus and one manner of religious worship throughout his Dominions And z Donati vox est Quid est imperatori cum Ecclesia Optat. l 3. Sic Petilianus apud D. Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 92. I finde not that any but Schismatickes and Heretickes were offended at it That in these matters the Emperour used the advice of Bishops is evident in that he had a Euseb de vita Const M. l. 1. c. 35. the Bishops alwayes in his company that b Sozom. hist l. 1. c. 9. he made an Act that the Decrees of Councels should be unchangeable c Ibidem and that it should be lawfull to appeale from the civill Magistrates to Bishops but no appeale from them I could justifie as much for William the Conqueror and Charles the Great but I hasten If a set order were not concluded upon by authority if every man should use that behaviour in the Church that likes him best and if every particular congregation should have that forme of service which they conceit best and might alter it at their pleasure Lord what diversity should wee have wee should have every yeere at least new Service bookes as wee have new Almanacks worke worke more worke for the Printers and as much variety of gestures as of faces in the Church And then d 1 Cor. 14.23 if there come in some that are unlearned or that are unbeleevers will they not say that yee are mad Whereas if they enter into a mannerly congregation and behold therein one and the same decency according to order e Ibidem v. 25. cadentes in faciem adorabunt Deum they will fall downe on their faces and worship God professing that God is in you of a truth Remember that f 1 Sam. 15.22 obedience is better then sacrifice True say you obedience to God is so But obedience to our Superiours is obedience to God For hath not God commanded g Rom. 13.1 Every soule to be subject to the higher powers Hath he not commanded us to h 1 S. Pet. 2.13 submit our selves to every ordinance of man If wee teach servants to obey their Masters or children to honour their parents you like wonderfull well of this doctrine you see it plainely set downe in holy Scripture And are not the other commands as plaine That we must submit to the higher powers for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 For the Lords sake 1. S. Pet. 2.13 As unto Christ Eph. 6.5 Surely saith Primasius S. Austines Scholer l Primas in Eph. 6. In his quae sunt commissa hominum potestati homines gâ—runt vicem Dei Tho. 1. â—ae q 100. 3m. Christo facitis quicquid propter Christum hominibus exhibetis yee do Christ service when yee obey your superiors for Christs sake So then in obeying our Bishops and Governors we obey k 1 S. Pet. 2.25 that great Bishop of our soules who hath commanded us to l Heb 13.17 submit our selves to them that have the rule over us And if we do not our duty to them that are set over us