Rochester Lib. 3. Cap. 20. alone of himself Consecrated two Arch-Bishops of Canterbury one after another successively I now proceed to the second Head of this Article which concerns the Testimonies those are to produce who are to be Consecrated to the Holy Ministry Pastors being to be an example to their flock in word and conversation it is very fitting there should be good testimonies of their Life and Doctrine before they are established in this Divine Office insomuch as St. Paul desires that they may have a good report of those which are without fearing lest they should fall into shame and the snare of the Devil therefore the Church has ever used after this manner admitting unto this trust only those which had good and sufficient testimonies as well for their capacity as for their good Conduct it is whereunto amounted the proof St. Clement Disciple of the Apostles and Tertullian have already made mention thence it is St. Cyprian will * Ep. 67. ult Edit That the Pastor be established in the presence of all the people who perfectly know the life of each person and that have narrowly observ'd his conversation to the end that having discover'd his vertues or vices the Ordination made by the consent and approbation of all may be just and legitimate * Id. Ep. 33. And elswhere he saith to the people That he is wont to advise with them when he is about to Ordain any Clerk to the end they may examin and try altogether the life and good qualities of each one Saint Basil complaining of the relaxation of Discipline T. 3. Ep. 181. Paris 1638. and the slighting of the Canons which in time might occasion great confusions in the Church he saith That the ancient custom of Christians was carefully to search and to make very strict inquiry into the life and conversation of those who were admitted into the Ministry to find out if they were Slanderers Drunkards Fighters if they carry'd themselves soberly and if they could walk stedfastly in the ways of Sanctification without which no one shall see God Moreover this custom appear'd so good and holy to him that he will absolutely have the use of it reviv'd throughout all his Diocess that he will have the Church purg'd of all those that were enter'd into it by any other manner as being unworthy to serve in it and that for the future none should be admitted but those which were first duly examin'd and accounted worthy the Employments intended for them I will not here repeat what I alledged of the fourth Council of Carthage upon the first Article I will only say that in the third Tome of the Library of the Fathers and in the Pandect of the Cannons Printed at Oxford of late years there is a Canonical Epistle of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria the sixth Canon of which treats of Ordinations wherein he desires the Election and consent of the Clergy the examination of the Bishop and the testimony of the people In the Book of Sacraments of Gregory the first P. 236. Paris 1642. the Bishop is to signifie to the People the Names of those which are to be chosen to the end that if any there present know any thing that might hinder the Ordination they might declare it freely and with a safe conscience thence it is that Leo the first desires in these Occasions the testimony of the People as he explains himself in his 89 Epistle And Pope Eugenius II. in a Synod assembled at Rome about the year of our Lord 826 and which is to be seen in the second part of the Roman Collection of Holstenius Printed at Rome 1642 I say with the Synod prescribes in the very terms of the Apostle Cap. 1. the manner of Ordination that is to say that he requires that he which desires to receive it may be adorn'd with the Qualities recommended by St. Paul and that he may be acceptable to all the world by his good Works The Emperor Alexander Severus so highly approv'd this use and practise as also the publishing which was made of those which were to be admitted into the Ministry of the Church whereof I shall speak on the tenth Article Aelius Lampri in Alex. Sev. that he would have it be put in practice in establishing Governours of Provinces of the Empire and other Magistrates The Fathers of the first Council of Nice in the Letter they wrote to the Church of Alexandria and which has been transmitted to us by Socrates and Theodoret these Fathers term this L. 1. c. 9. Offering to the People the Names of those which were to be advanced to any Dignity in the Church St. Chrysostome in the 18th Homily upon the 2 Epist to the Corinthians Establishes and confirms this custom by the Example of the Apostles which us'd the same when Mathias was to be chosen and also by that of the Seven Deacons Something of the same kind is to be seen in 61 and 76 Epistles of Synesius according to which Nicetas in the Life of St. Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople in the IX Century which is contain'd in the Preliminaries of the eighth Council of Constantinople which the Latins hold for Oecumenical but is rejected by the Greeks Tom. 6. Concil pa. 872. Nicetas observes that several were named to sill the vacant Chair and that St. Ignatius was preferred before the rest V. The Examination of him that shall be presented shall in the first place be made by Propositions out of the Word of God upon the Texts of Scripture which shall be given to him the one in French of necessity the other in Latin if it be thought expedient by the Colloque for each of which he shall be allowed 24 hours time to prepare himself if therein he satisfies the Company it shall be farther known by a Chapter in the New Testament which shall be assign'd him whether he is skilful in the Greek so as to interpret it and as for Hebrew it will be requisite to know if he understands it so far as to make choice of good Books for the better understanding the Scriptures whereunto shall be added an Essay of his Industry and skill on the most necessary Parts of Philosophy all in Charity without affectation of difficult and unnecessary Questions To conclude there must be requir'd of him a short confession of Faith in Latin upon which he shall be examin'd by way of Dispute and if after this trial he shall be found capable the Company representing to him the obligation of the Office whereunto he is called shall declare to him the power which is given to him in the Name of Jesus Christ of Administring as well the Word as the Sacraments after his intire Ordination into the Church whereunto he is appointed the which shall have notice of his Election by Acts and Letters of the Synod or Colloque carried and read by one of the Elders CONFORMITY After what I have hitherto said it cannot
of time and place CONFORMITY In the Christian Church there has ever been persons appointed to take care of the conduct of those which were Members of it and to watch over their Flocks to the end no scandalous actions should be committed therein nothing that should be unbecoming the profession of the Gospel Origen at least tells us that in his time which was the third Century it was so practised for he declares in his answer to Celsus that there was in the Churches Lib. 3. pag. 142. of Cambridge Edit 1658 Persons established to take notice of the life and conversation of those which imbraced the Christian Religion that when they committed any evil actions to expel them out of the Congregations and on the contrary to receive with great affection all those which lived orderly and well to the end to improve and make them better from day to day Tertullian before Origen Apolog. c. 39. had sufficiently intimated this same practice speaking in his Apologetick of Censures inflicted on sinners in Christian Assemblies which banished from their Communion those which were convicted of heinous offences for example of Idolatry Murder and of Fornication which proceeding shews there was in each Church persons intrusted to keep watch over the life and manners of the People and these persons were the same which we call Elders which also is the name St. Austin gives them in the nineteenth Sermon on the words of our Lord and which at this time is the third in the Appendix of the tenth Tome In this Sermon which others attribute to Maximus Bishop of Turin and which is the 66th amongst those of St. Ambrose there is to be seen the Name and the Office of Elders the same in effect as they are amongst us for the Author whoever he be having observed that Soldiers and those in any Office could not bear to be reprov'd and to be told of their Duty he speaks after this manner When the Elders reprove them for any misdemeanor and that any of them are asked why they are drunk wherefore they took away other folks goods wherefore they committed murder They presently answered What would you have me do being one of the World and a Soldier Do I profess to be a Frier or a Clergy-man IV. The office of Deacons is to collect and distribute by direction of the Consistory the Money belonging to the Poor to Prisoners and to sick folks to visit and have care of them CONFORMITY It appears by Chap. 6. of the Acts of the Apostles that the Office of Deacons is what our Discipline does represent because they were first of all appointed to serve at Tables that is to say to take care of the Poor Oecumenius in his Commentaries on this Chapter of the Acts I now mentioned observes expresly that they were appointed to distribute to Widows and Orphans with care the things necessary for their subsistence According to which the Enemies of Cecilian Bishop of Carthage laid it to his charge as a great crime That being Deacon he hindered people from giving meat to the Martyrs whereas he ought to have carried them some himself Fascicul rer Expet fug fol. 32. vers Coloniae 1535. Cardinal Julian who presided at the Council of Basle remonstrates to Pope Eugenius the Fourth That there are several things he ought to do himself and others which he may refer to the care of those which are under him after the example of the Apostles who to attend the more freely to the Preaching of the Word instituted seven Deacons which served Tables and the administration of things of less weight It is nevertheless true Apolog. 2. pag. 99. that in the time of Justin Martyr it was the Pastor that distributed the Money to the Poor which was appointed for their Maintenance which was given by Peoples Charity But this Distribution in all likelihood was made by the Ministry of Deacons Cap. 39. Tertullian indeed in his Apologetick declares one had care of the Poor of Orphans of Old Folks of those which had lost their Goods by Shipwrack of those which laboured in Mines who were banished into Islands or detained in Prisons for the Gospel sake but he don't mention by whom it was done The Church of Rome in the time of Cornelius its Bishop that is about the middle of the third Century Apud Euseb Hist lib 6. c. 43. p. 244. maintained above 1500 poor as well Widows as others who were reduced to poverty or afflicted with sickness or infirmities The charity of that of Antioch was no less conspicuous than that of the Church of Rome as we find by some of St. Chrysostom's Homilies on St. Matthew particularly the 67 and 86th It is true we are not certain that the Deacons were charged with the care of these two Churches in the days of Cornelius and of St. Chrysostom but we know very well the Deacons amongst us attend on the things for which they were established by the Apostles that is that they should take care of the Poor and Necessitous according to their Primitive institution It was on this account that Fabian Bishop of Rome divided amongst seven Deacons in the third Century the fourteen Quarters of the City of Rome that is to say to the end they should take care of the Poor which were in each of these Quarters as is to be seen in the Roman Breviary on the 20th day of January and as Binnius observes in the Life of Fabian Tom. Conc. pag. 114. But what the Deacons did at first was in time performed by the Ministry of Oeconoms and others of which the ancient Canons make so frequent mention in such a way nevertheless that the Bishop had the chief power in the distribution which however was not done without the knowledg of these Deputies when they had taken the place and office of those first Deacons and that it is so I explain what Zozomen says of St. Epiphanius Lib. 7. Chap. 27. Read what shall be said on the second Art of the 4th Chap. V. The office of Deacons is not to Preach the Word of God and administer the Sacraments Nevertheless if necessity require the Consistory may chuse certain Elders and Deacons to Cacechise in Families as also it is permitted to Elders in absence of the Pastor to read Publick Prayers on working-days being chose by the Consistory for that purpose and that they follow the usual form in Reading the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament As for the Deacons who are wont to Catechise publickly in some Provinces the inconveniences which have already or may hereafter ensue being heard and considered the Churches where this custom is not yet introduced are desired to forbear and the others where it is to continue and to order that the said Deacons if they are found capable would enter into the Ministry of the Gospel as soon as they can possible CONFORMITY What I have said of the Office of Deacons doth highly
Superstitions of the Church of Rome And as for private Actions and the corrections proper thereunto it shall be what the Consistory shall judge convenient CONFORMITY The same may be said almost of this as I said of the Third and add withal That after our Separation from the Church of Rome for things which we do not approve we cannot with safe Conscience practice any of those things which have been the motive and cause of our Separation V. Notaries Secretaries and others who by their Offices are obliged to Sign and Seal things indifferently which are presented to them shall not be blamed for receiving Testaments passing Contracts and dispatching Letters of things which concern Idolatry nor Judges for judging causes concerning Ecclesiastical Matters and the Execution of Edicts CONFORMITY The Authors of our Discipline have prudently permitted those of our Communion in preferrence to those of the Church of Rome to do all things as may be done without prejudicing ones Conscience or indangering Salvation VI. Arbitrators shall not meddle with any Matters that concern Idolatry directly nor Indirectly CONFORMITY There needs no other Commentary on this Establishment then what I have remarked on the Tenth and Eleventh VII Advocates and Attorneys may not plead in causes which tend to taking away Preaching and setting up Mass and generally they shall not be suffered to give Council to the Romish Clergy in causes which tend directly or indirectly to the oppression of the Church and true Religion CONFORMITY There can be nothing more just than to forbid all Persons of our Religion to Establish what we do condemn and to destroy what we set up VIII Neither Bishops nor Officials nor Arch-Deacons such as they are at present have by right any Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical nor Civil Nevertheless because Believers are sometimes constrain'd to appear before them to gain their Right which otherwise were not to be obtain'd they may thither make their address being referr'd by the Magistrate to whom they are first to apply themselves CONFORMITY One may and ought also submit to all the Jurisdictions Established in a Country by Consent and Authority of the Sovereign especially when one is appointed so to do by Order of the Magistrate under this condition nevertheless That the Service of God be not thereby injur'd nor the Conscience concern'd IX Advocates that are Believers ought not to plead on any account whatsoever before Officials but only in cases for which one may prosecute their Right before them according to the precedent Article CONFORMITY This Article depending of the former its needless to look for any other Explication X. It is not a thing unlawful in it self to exercise Civil Jurisdictions and Procurations under Ecclesiastical Persons which do not at all concern that which they call the Spirituality CONFORMITY Seeing it is permitted to acknowledge the Jurisdictions of Ecclesiastical Persons on certain occasions and in the manner above established it may also be permitted to Exercise them XI Believers may not obtain nor publish Monitories nor Excommunications of the Roman Church CONFORMITY The Protestants not acknowledging the Popes Authority to be Legitimate they ought not to have recourse to it Directly nor Indirectly XII Inasmuch as it is not lawful nor expedient to go hear the Preachers of the Church of Rome or others that intrude themselves without being lawfully called the Flocks shall be hinder'd by the Ministers from going thither and those that will go shall be summon'd before the Consistory and sensur'd as the case shall require CONFORMITY It 's above Thirteen Hundred years ago that the Council of Laodicea made this Decree Those which are Members of the Church shall not be permitted to go to Church yards nor to Oratories of any Hereticks whatsoever either to Pray or to obtain the healing of any Sickness but the Believers that have so done shall for a time be deprived of the Holy Communion and upon confessing and repenting their fault shall afterwards be restor'd again XIII Lords Gentlemen and others shall be advertised not to entertain in their Houses scandalous and incorrigible Persons and especially if they suffer Priests singing Mass or discoursing to debauch their Servants or if they do anew take and receive such into their Service CONFORMITY This Establishment tends only to the purity of Life and preservation of true Religion which are things to which every body ought diligently to apply themselves XIV Fathers and Mothers shall be Exhorted to take great care in Teaching and Educating their Children which are the Seed and Nursery of the Church And those which send them to the Schools of Priests Friers Jesuits and Nuns shall be prosecuted by the severest Church Sensures Those also which put their Children to be Pages or otherwise to Lords and Gentlemen of the contrary Religion shall be advis'd how they do so CONFORMITY This proceeds from the same principle the other did and was made by the same Motives which are Motives very reasonable and very conformable to the practice of the Antient Church XV. Those who have Brothers Sisters and other Relations who having quitted Monasteries to serve God with a pure and good Conscience shall be Exhorted to assist them and to do according to the Laws of Humanity and Affinity CONFORMITY If Christians are obliged and they are obliged by the word of God and by the Ancient Cannons to exercise towards all Men Works of Charity of greater Reason should they do them to their near Friends and Relations especially when they are reduc'd to necessity for serving God with a good Conscience in departing from a Communion wherein they were fully perswaded they could not be saved XVI Ministers nor any else in the Church cannot Print Books made by themselves or others touching Religion nor any way publish them without communicating them to the Colloque or if need be to the Provincial Synod and if the matter require hast to the Accademies or to two Pastors which shall be nominated by the Synod and shall attest the Examination by them made of the said Writings CONFORMITY This Ordinance is very necessary to prevent all the evil consequences as may sometimes ensue without the Examination therein prescribed the same thing is done amongst the Papists whose works are commonly approved by some Doctors and at Rome by the Master of the Sacred Pallace See what I have said on the Fifteenth Article of the First Chapter XVII Those which take Pen in hand to treat the Histories of the Holy Scriptures in Meter are advertis'd not to mix therein any Poetical Fables and not to attribute to God the Name of false Gods and not to add nor diminish to the Holy Scriptures but to keep as near as may be to the Stile of it CONFORMITY This Article will find it self sufficiently explain'd by the things I have remarked on the Twelfth Article of the First Chapter whether I refer the Reader XVIII The Books of the Bible whether Cannonical or Appocriphal shall not be transformed into Comedies nor
Tragedies CONFORMITY This Respect is due to the Holy Scriptures as not to make it serve for Subject nor Argument to these peeces of Theater which the Ancient Church has securely condemned forbidding her Children to be there present XIX Churches where there shall be Printers shall warn them not to print Books that shall concern Religion or Ecclesiastical Discipline without first having communicated them to the Consistory to prevent the mischeifs that have arisen thereby The Printers Stationers c. shall be warned not to sell any Books relateing to Idolatry that may be impious or scandalous or which may tend to the corrupting of good Manners CONFORMITY After what I have observed on the 2 3 and 16th Articles of this Chapter this doth not require any new interpretation XX. Although the Priests do wrongfully usurp Tythes by reason of their Administration nevertheless they ought to be paid in respect to the Kings command and to avoid sedition and giving offence CONFORMITY In that we pay Tythes to the Curate is an Effect of the obedience we owe to the Ordinance of our King and a mark of the care our Synods have had in accomodating in indifferent things with those from whom we have separated for meer Conscience sake and not for worldly considerations nor for private Interests XXI Believers shall be exhorted not to give any offence in working on fast days according to the Edict CONFORMITY It is also by a Principle of Obedience and submission that we observe Holy-days not to offend our Neighbours and to keep our selves up to the Edict under whose Rules we live XXII All Vsuries shall be very strictly prohibited because they are Exorbitants and many abuses is therein committed CONFORMITY The Ancient Cannons very strictly prohibited usury because it was cruel and many great crimes were therein committed Our Discipline follows a moderation in declaring that in matter of Lending one shall act according to the Kings Ordinance and moreover that the Rules of Charity be consulted XXIII All violence and unbecoming language against those of the Roman Church and even against Preists and Friers shall not onely be hinder'd but also wholly suppressed as much as possible may be CONFORMITY This Article is grounded on the Gospel which puts in the number of Murderers those which violate their Neighbours by injurious words and shews the disposition we have ever had to live peaceably with our Country-men not to instance in Cannons which forbid all manner of Outrages XXIV Swearers who through Custom or Anger take the Name of God in vain and others who prophane the Majesty of the Lord shall be grevously censur'd and after one or two admonitions if they desist not shall be suspended the Lords Table and outragious Blasphemers as also Damee's and the like shall by no meanes be tollerated in the Church but from the first offence shall be censured even to suspension from the Sacrament and if they persist they shall be publickly Excommunicated CONFORMITY The foundation of this Article is taken from the third Commandment of the first Table of the Law Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain After so strict a prohibition and so terrible a Commination our Discipline had Reason to establish punishments against the Infringers of this Commandment to avoid all blame and reproach L. 7. Ind. 2 Epist 6. Tom. 2. Spicil pag. 548. because as Gregory the first says Him that corrects not what should be taken away doth commit it Our King St. Lewis made an Ordinance in the year 1270 to bannish out of his Kingdom Blasphemies and Oaths whereby the Majesty of God is criminaly prophan'd XXV The Churches shall advertise Believers both Men and Women to use great Modesty especially in Apparel and shall give Order to abate the superfluity therein committed Nevertheless the said Churches shall make no Law thereabouts it being a thing appertaining to the Magistrate to do but shall give notice to all that the Kings Ordinances in those Cases shall be diligently observ'd CONFORMITY The remarks I have made on the 20th Article of the first Chapter will shew the Conformity of this with the Discipline of the Ancient Christians XXVI No body can be debarr'd from the Lords Table for wearing any kind of habit that shall be of Common use and Custom in this Kingdom but in this rank ought not to be comprehended those which leave the open marks of shame dissoluteness too much newness as Painting naked Breasts and the like the Consistories shall use all possible means to suppress such Dissolutions by Sensures and against obstinate Persons shall proceed to suspending them from the Lords Table CONFORMITY I say the same of this as of the former XXVII Dances shall be suppressed and those who make account to Dance or be present at Dancing after having been several times admonished shall be Excommunicated when they shall grow obstinate and Rebellious Consistories are strictly enjoyn'd to see this Article duely executed and to cause it to be publickly read in the name of the Synods and the Colloques exhorted to take Notice of Consistories which shall not take care to Sensure them CONFORMITY Can. 53. The Synod of Laodicea about the middle of the 4th Century made a Cannon against Dances contain'd in these Words Christians which go to Weddings must not Dance but let them Dine or Sup civilly as becomes Christians In the third Volume of the Councils a like Decree is attributed to the Council of Lerrida in the year 524. Though it s nothing but the same of that of Laodicea a little vary'd but just now mention'd Herrald Bishop of Tours in his Capitulary's of the year 858 Pag. 818. in the third Volume of the Councils of France forbids also Dances not only at Weddings Cap. 112 114. pag. 115. but also on other occasions the Frier Blastares has not in his Collection forgot the Cannon of Laodicea Chap. 7. of the Letter G. pag. 66. St. Eloy Bishop of Noyon in the 7th Century inveigh'd much against Dancing which he put in the number of Devilish Divertisments as is reported by St. Owen in the second Book of his life chap. 15. Tom. 5. spiril pag. 217. In the year 589 the third Council of Toledo had appointed in the 23d Tom. 4. conc pag. 507. Cannon to exterminate this prophane and Irreligious Custom from amongst the people who instead of attending diligently on Gods service on Holy-days spent the time in Dancing and singing filthy and impure Songs and the Fathers enjoyn the Bishops and Judges with care to clear Spain from this extravigance And about the beginning of the V. Century a Council of Africa had ordain'd in the 27th Cannon that the Emperors should be desir'd to prohibit Dances in the Streets on Days appointed for Celebrating the Memory of Martyrs Tom. 1. conc pag. 915. In the 6th Book of the Capitularies of our