to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace And to begin with the declaration let vs first declare the order which our church vseth in making of Church orders 12 By the ancient lawes of this realme this kingdome of ENGLAND is an absolute Empire and Monarchie consisting of one head which is the King and of a bodie politike which bodie politike the law diuideth into two generall parts the Cleargie and the Laitie Now the King of England being an absolute Soueraigne and consequently by the law of God supreme gouernour ouer all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall within his owne dominions may by the ancient prerogatiue and lawes of England make an Ecclesiasticall commission by aduise whereof or of the Metropolitane he may according to his Princely wisedome ordaine and publish such ceremonies or rites as shall be most for the aduancement of Gods glorie the edification of his Church and the due reuerence of Christs holy mysteries and Sacraments And it is further enacted by authoritie of Parliament that the Conuocation shall bee assembled alwaies by vertue of the Kings Writ and that their Canons shall not be put in execution vnlesse they be approoued by Royall assent According to which statute or act of Parliament it pleased our gracious Soueraigne to direct his Writ to the most reuerend Father in God the late L. Archbishop of Canterburie his grace by vertue wherof the Bishops and others of his Prouince were summoned and because particular Churches should not be left destitute the Ministers of euerie Diocesse had libertie to choose two Clerks out of their owne bodie by coÌ„mon consent to represent the rest These assembling at the place and time appointed by vertue of other his Maiesties Writtes directed to the rigâ—â— reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of London then being duely authorized President of the Conuocation proceeded to consultation and after long deliberation set downe their conclusions which being the constitutions of the sacred synod and the same presented to the King ratified by his roiall assent confirmed by his Highnesse letters Patents vnder the great Seale of England and by his soueraigne authoritie published commanded and enioined to be diligently obserued executed and equally kept by all the subiects of this kingdome haue a binding force and are in the nature of a law and therefore may bee iustly called the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawes in making whereof the Church of England without all controuersie proceedeth honestly and in order 13 But to come to particulars let vs first consider our Ministerie and then our ministration The Ministers of England are not in popular paritie but our Bishops are aduanced aboue the rest being indued with power of giuing orders and the exercise of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that according to the purest and Apostolicall times Timothie and Titus ordained Presbyters that is Ministers of the Gospel towne by towne and these answer to our Pastors of particular Churches whose dutie is to minister the Word and Sacraments Timothie himselfe had the ouersight of Ephesus Titus of Creete not onely of the flocks but of the Ministers also and had authoritie both to minister the Word and Sacraments which was common to them with all other inferior Presbyters and likewise to exercise ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and by imposition of hands to consecrate to holy orders For the better execution of which duties it hath pleased Christian Kings in all ages out of their Princely fauours to grace and countenance Bishops and by their lawes examples and bounties to make them acceptable vnto the people well considering that the decay of the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Rulers and the want of yeelding to them reuerence honour and feare is the cause of all euil as Chrysostome well noted saying He that honoureth the Priest doth also honour God and he that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that he waxeth contumelious against God himselfe And as these glorious stars and angels are to be honored so againe they must remember the saying of Ambrose Magna sublimit as magnam debet habere cautelam Honor grandes grandiori debet sollicitudine circumuallari 14 Concerning inferiour Ministers the first point to be pondered is their ordination For which purpose the place is famously known being either the cathedral church or the parish Church where the Bishop resideth The time Ieiunia quatuor temporum commonly called Ember weeks which by the wisedome of our Church are consecrated to a most excellent vse that all the people of the land should fast and praie that the Lord would blesse his Church with learned Ministers and send foorth woorthy labourers into his haruest This is apparent by our Canons and Constitutions and surely it is an honest a decent a holie and heauenly preparation 15 After the preparation followeth the Examination both of maners and learning for the first the person desirous to enter this holy calling must exhibite letters testimoniall vnder the seale of some Colledge where he before remained onof three or foure graue Ministers with the subscription of other credible persons who haue known his life and behauiour by the space of three yeeres next 〈…〉 carefull is our Church that this should be performed honestlie and in order 16 Concerning their learning our desire is that in euerie parish the Word of God might abound like Euphrates and as Iordan in the time of haruest that the doctrine of the Gospell might shine as the light and ouerflow as Geon in time of vintage plant O Lord we beseech thee if it be thy pleasure in euery parish a learned Minister O Lord let thy Vrim and Thummin be with thy holy ones that they may teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law But beloued in the Lord it is one thing to speake of these things in speculation and another when we come to practise A Carpenter may contriue in his head a most exact and curious building but when he comes to the point he can make it no better then his timber will suffer The Defendour of the Admonition about thirtie three yeeres ago auouched that 2000. sufficient Preachers which preach and feed diligently were hard to be found in this Church Admit this were true and seeing there be in England about 10000. parishes suppose that libertie had beene granted to this great Reformer to haue reduced the Church of England to his imagined platforme what would he haue done should 2000. Parishes haue beene furnished euerie one with a sufficient Preacher and 8000. beene left forlorne without publike Praying or Preaching or reading diuine Seruice Should they haue had none none at all either to minister the Communion or to Baptise their children This had beene rude and barbarous and the high way either to Atheisme or to Paganisme Should one man haue had fiue benefices That were contrarie to his owne principles for so ech parish should haue had but the fift
And verilie for priuate men to range without the compasse of their calling and vpon their priuate opinions to controle the publike iudgement of the Church in a matter of decencie is in mine opinion a matter very vndecent Likewise seeing the spirit hath said Let all things be done by order therefore doubtles in the Church of God there must be an order But who shall appoint this order shall euery man doe what he list that were disorder Shall priuate men make publike constitutions that were against good order Therefore it remaineth that they onely haue authoritie to make Church orders whom the Lord hath made Church gouernours Now in an absolute kingdome as this of England the King by the law of God is the onely supreme gouernor of all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill within his owne kingdome Therefore the King and those which vnder the King haue the regiment of the Church lawfully committed vnto them haue lawfull authoritie to make Church-orders 8 Thirdly though Church gouernours may make Church lawes yet they may not establish what they list God hath inrailed their authoritie with certaine bounds and limits which they may not passe All their Canons must be framed according to the generall Canons of the holie Scripture which may aptly bee reduced to these two expressed in my text Let all things be done honestly and by order First honestly that is as was before declared in decent sort with relation to the glorie of God and the edification of the Church without scandall Secondly according to order for God is the God of order and not of eonfusion Now if all things in the Church must be done decently then nothing may be established which is base or beggerly The ceremonies of the Church though they cannot alwaies be costly yet they must alwaies be comely Againe if all things bee decent then religious solemnities must be performed with grauitie magnificent they may be and sumptuous according to circumstance of time person and place but alwaies without vanitie without luxurious pompe or meretricious brauery If all things must be done to the glory of God then nothing may be established in superstitious or idolatrous maner for that were repugnant to the glory of his maiestie then nothing must be established contrarie to the Scripture for that were repugnant to the glory of his wisedome then things indifferent must be established as indifferent not as meritorious or satisfactorie not as necessarie to diuine worship to iustification or saluation for this were repugnant to the glorie of his grace If all things must bee done to edification then the ceremonies of the Church must not be darke and dumbe but so cleerely set foorth that euery man may know what they meane and to what vse they serue If all things must be done to edification then Church gouernors must duly intend the soules health of Gods people framing all their Canons for the common good To which purpose the Church of Iesus Christ vseth her ceremonies either to imprint in mens mindes some reuerend mysterie of religion as when she appointed thrice powring on of water in Baptisme signifying the trinitie of the persons or once to signifie the vnitie of the Godhead or els some sanctified affection as when we pray kneeling by the bending of the knee signifyng the bending of the heart or confesse our faith standing to betoken our boldnesse or els she desireth to kindle deuotion as when she praiseth the Lord with the melodie of musicke or to put men in minde of their dutie so the blacke garment may admonish the Minister of grauitie the white of puritie The ornaments of the Vniuersitie may admonish the people to honor him whom the Church hath honored and may put the Minister in minde of his dutie seeing he hath receiued the ensignes of learning and vertue Finally euen things of inferior regard must in their kinde tend to edification The verie belles must giue a certaine sound that it may appeere when they call vs to the Church when they warne vs to praie for the sicke when they signifie that a brother or sister is departed Yea the very Pulpets and seats must beso placed as euery man may conueniently heare so euery thing according to his nature and degree must be referred to edification If all things must be done without scandall then nothing which is sinfull may be established for all sinne is of scandalizing nature yea euen things indifferent wherein is apparant danger of superstition or idolatrie are to be remooued for we must abstaine from all appearance of euill If all things must bee done in order then confusion by all meanes must bee auoided and consequently the Church must not exceed in superfluitie of ceremonies lest religion it self be ouershadowed as it were a grape with much abundance of leaues If all things must bee done in order then the Lay-man must not bee suffered to intrude himselfe into the office of a Minister in ministring the Word and Sacraments nor the inferior Minister to vsurpe that which belongeth to the Bishop but euery man must keepe his owne ranke and therein proceed according to order And that no maruell seeing the whole fabricke of the World both the celestiall orbes and the globe of elements are framed and vpholden by order The fixed starres in their motions and reuolutions keepe a most firme and fixed order The Planets though compared with the fixed they may seeme to wander yet in trueth they obserue a most certaine and neuer wandring order The day in opening and closing the Moone in waxing and waining the sea in ebbing and flowing haue their interchangeable course wherein they continue an vnchangeable order The Storke Swallow Turtle and Crane knowe their appointed time the Cranes doe also flie in order The Grashoppers haue no King yet goe they foorth all by bands The Bees are little creatures yet are they great obseruers of order Amongst men in peace nothing can flourish in warres nothing can prosper without order Order proceedeth from the throne of the Almightie it is the beautie of nature the ornament of Arte the harmonie of the world Now shall all things be in order and the Church of God onely without order God forbid The Church is a Garden inclosed and a garden must be in order The house of God and Gods house should be in order an armie with banners and an armie should bee marshalled in order Therefore in the Church of God Let all things be done honestly and by order 9 Fourthly wee may obserue that as Church gouernours may make Church lawes so all that liue in the bosome of that Church must respectiuely obserue the same For otherwise how can all things be done honestly and according to order Therefore as the enacting of good lawes so the obseruation of them is necessarie But some will demand what degree of necessitie is required whether humane lawes doe
part of a Preacher Should there haue beene a generall dissolution of parishes and fiue reduced to one Alas that had beene a wofull and lamentable reformation What then remaineth but onely that which the Church of England approoueth that is to be sparing in the former points and to admit some into the Ministery of meaner though tolerable sufficiencie till it please God that our famous Vniuersities which haue already furnished many may by Gods grace send out their crystall streames to water the rest of the land And surely it were to bee wished that some greater incouragement were giuen to learned men by encreasing their maintenance For alas it is notoriously knowne that manie Church liuings haue beene so pared to the quicke that now they are hardly able to yeeld vitall nourishment so sharpely haue they beene launced and lost their best bloud But God bee blessed who hath put into the heart of his Maiestie a holie endeuour to cure the Church of this consumption the father of mercy giue a blessing vnto it and the Lord grant that the Nobilitie and Gentrie of this land may follow his roiall example and that euerie one in his degree may set his heart and hand to the further building of the Lords Temple In the meane time I must needs say that there are not a few in the Vniuersities graue learned and vertuous which might be imploied abroad but onely that sundrie Patrons preferre a golden purse before a golden wit Wherein I would to God that such as are indued with right of presenting to spirituall promotions would consider what an honourable office is committed vnto them and what excellent seruice they may performe to the Church of God and let them withall call to minde what a fearefull account such shall one day make as cease not to preferre their priuate gaine before the publike good but suffer soules to perish through their negligent default or symoniacall sinne Two reasons may bee rendred for Patronages building the Church and mainteining the Minister in regard whereof this honour was granted to the lord of the soile in ancient time that hee alone should present the Clerke because he alone prouided for him In remembrance whereof the honour discended to posteritie and therefore you which enioy this right from your Noble progenitours as you succeed them in honour so succeed them in vertue and as they haue beene honourable founders so discharge you a good conscience and bee faithfull disposers And you which possesse the same dignitie though not by lineall discent yet by other lawfull interest it is your part to be good stewards and warily to discharge this Christian dutie according to that trust which the Church of Christ hath reposed in you So learning shall be nourished vertue aduanced religion flourish and out two famous Vniuersities shall be exalted like the cedars in Libanus and as the Cypres trees vpon the mountaines of Hermon They shall be faire as the Oliue tree and sweete as the Rose They shall bee fruitfull as the Vine and like the Terebinth shall stretch foorth their branches to the glory of God and consolation of his children But to returne to the present state of our Church it cannot bee denied but that God hath blessed this land with a great number of learned men aboue other nations yet seeing the number of parishes is exceeding great wee are constrained to tolerate some of meaner sufficiencie And yet the law requireth that euerie one to be admitted into the Ministerie should vnderstand the articles of religion not onely as they bee compendiously set downe in the Creed but as they are at large in our Booke of Articles neither vnderstand them onely but be able to prooue them sufficiently out of the Scripture And that not in English onely but in Latin also If it be obiected that there haue beene sundrie consecrated which are not thus qualified I confesse it may be true and it is a iust cause of lamentation but yet beloued this is not the fault of the law but of such as transgresse the law Now I speake in defence of the Lawes vnder which I liue If any whosoeuer shall transgresse the lawes let him answer for himselfe or beare his owne burthen that which is of God I would willingly defend but I am no patron of any mans iniquitie I will conclude this point with the charge S. Paul giueth to Timothy and in him to all other Bishops I testifie before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things without hastinesse of iudgement and doe nothing after partialitie Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes 17 And heere let mee aduise those Ministers which are no Preachers that they spend not their time idlely but endeuour by all meanes to grow in wisdome and grace lest they be a disgrace to that holy calling For there is no doubt but being at their entrance qualified as the law requireth if they shall marke what they reade publikely if they shall delight to reade the Bible priuately if they shall ioine some short and easie Commentarie if they shall informe their iudgements by introductions and institutions of Christian religion if they shal be willing to learne of such as can teach them and to teach such as ought to learne of them if they shall be diligent in Catechising if they shall delight in conference and meditate vpon the law of God day and night and withall bee deuout and feruent in praier there is no doubt I say but that God may so blesse their graine of mustard seed that it may grow into a goodly tree their sparkle that it may become a flame their drop that it may rise into a riuer and ouerflow like Nilus with her siluer streames Blesse O Lord these gracious beginnings and holy endeuours let them not be like the morning dew that drieth away but let them grow in grace and flourish more and more like the tree that is planted by the riuer side 18 After the examination is tendered Subscription and surely to the end that they which should teach other men obedience may be good subiects themselues it is expedient that they subscribe to the first article that is to the Princes Supremacie The second article consisteth of two branches the booke of Common Praier and the booke of Consecration Concerning the first though the admonition to the Parliament did formerly fancie a voluntarie and extemporall forme of Praier as the spirit should mooue a man yet the defender of the admonition agreeth with vs that there should be a prescript and vniforme order the obseruation of which vniformitie both in praier and ceremonie was long ago commended by Caluin to the Duke of Sommerset and therefore we are agreed vpon this generalitie But to come to particulars there was set out a booke of Common Praier in the beginning of King Edwards raigne which Alexander Alesius a learned man of Scotland