inscription is stiled Religionis Fidei Auctor The Increaser of Faith and Religion And Basilius the Emperour speaking of the Church as a Ship Ejus sibi gvbernacula ait a Deo concredita Saith that God hath committed the Sterage or Goverment of it to him And there is an Ancient Epistle of Elutherius Bishop of Rome in which he stiles the King of England vicarium Dei in regno suo agens de negotio Religionis Gods vicar for the management of the business of Religion in his Kingdome and the first Moguntine Councel calls Charles the Great Vere Religionis Rectorem the Rector of the True Religion and as they of old so the Reformed Churches of late were of the same perswasion in this particular As it appears by their respective confessions Magistratum est non modo de civili politia esse sollicitos verum etiam dare operam ut Sacrum Ministerium conservetur Christique Regnum propagetur denique horum est efficere ut Sacrum Evangelii verbum undique praedicetur ut singuli purae Deum colere venerari ex praescripto verbi ipsius libere possint Belgica It is the Magistrates Duty not only to be careful for the Civil Politie but to endeavour likewise that the Sacred Ministry be Preserved and the Kingdom of Christ Propagated It is his duty finally to see that the Holy Gospel be every where Preached and that all persons may purely and freely worship and serve God according to his word And so the latter Helvetian Confession Teneat ipse Magistratus in manibus verbum Dei ne huic contrarium doceatur procuret bonis legibus ad verbum Dei compositis moderetur populum sibi a Deo concreditum Let the Magistrate take into his hands the World of God and take care nothing be taught contrary to it And let him Govern the people committed to him of God by good and wholesome Lawes according to the word of God And the Confession of Basil waving some others Quilibet Christianus Magistratus omnes vires eo diriget ut apud fidei suae commissos nomen Dei sanctificetur regnum ipsius propagetur ipsiusque voluntati cum seria extirpatione scelerum vivatur Hoc officium gentili Magisiratui injunctum fuit quanto magis Christiano Magistratui commendatum esse debeat ut vero Dei vicario It ought to be the Serious Endeavour of every Christian Magistrate that the name of God be Hallowed and his Kingdom Propogated among those who are commited to his Trust and that they live denying all ungodliness according to his Will This was a Duty incumbent on the Heathen Magistrate how much more ought it to be commended to the Christian Magistrate as the True Vicar of Christ Or Church of England deems those worthy of Excommunication who deny unto our Kings the same Power and Authority in Ecclesiastical Causes that the Pious Kings of the Hebrews Exercised in the Church of the Jewes Canon the 2d And here we must necessarily enquire how far the Authority of the King Extends in matters of Religion whether we are to obey him in every thing he commands without exception or but in some things only We do not believe the Authority of the King Extends so far as Bellarmine stretcheth the Popes when he saith Si papa erraret praecipiendo vitia vel prohibendo virtutes teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona virtutes malas de Rom. pont l. 4. c. 5. If the Pope should erre in commanding Vice and forbidding Vertue the Church is obliged to believe that Vice is good and Vertue is evil We extend not the power of the King as certain Religious Persons who left it as a Rule to their confidents at Padova 1606. did the Popes authority Si quod occulis nostris album apparet nigrum ille esse definierit debemus itidem quod nigrum sit pronuntiare If that which in our eye is white be defin'd by the Pope to be black we ought also to say that it is black But this we say our obedience is required to all his commands that are not repugnant to the law of nature or contrary to the Express Word of God If he command any thing forbidden by the Law of Nature or by any Positive Law of God that is now obliging to Christians or if he forbid any thing Commanded of God we are not to yield obedience For as in nature inferiour causes depending in point of activity upon Superiour have no power of acting contrary to the efficacy of the Superiour So in morality as St. August Si aliud Imperator aliud jubeat Deus quid judicatur major poteâ—tas Deus da veniam O Imperator de verb. Dom Sec Mat Serm 6 Where the Emperors and Gods Commands are one contrary to the other what Judgement shall I make the power of God is Supream the Emperour therefore must be supplicated to pardon me If the King Command any thing that God forbids or forbid any thing that God Commands in both these cases we must then fortifie our selves with the saying of St Peter and the other Apostles We ought to obey God rather then men Acts 5 29 And God having by nature prohibited the killing of an Innocent person the Hebrew Midwives are commended for not obeying the Kings commandement concerning the killing of the male children But the Midwives feared God saith the Text and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them Exod 1 17. Whatever a commandement of God makes necessary no humane authority can render not necessary or obliging and therefore it is usually said that the Gospel Ministry and Sacraments are not subject to any humane Authority that is in point of changing or altering that in them which is of Divine Institution For what God hath Determined Affirmatively or Negatively man cannot determine the contrary But in things not determined by God as Time Place and manner of performing actions commanded by God the King by his Authority may determine these Though the King cannot Prohibite an Holy Harmless rightly constituted Ministry the Preaching of the Word or Administring the Sacrament according to the form of Divine Institution yet he may require them to preach at such times and in such places only he may prescribe them the habit in which they shall Officiate by Vertue of that Apostolicall Precept Let all things be done Decently and in Order 1 Cor. 14. ult This Rule is so equitable that all men will yield their assent That all things in the Worship of God ought to be done Decently and in Order But what is Decent and Orderly is not so soon agreed For that saith one which you call Decent is in my Opinion the most unseemly thing in the world And that is most disorderly in my Judgement which you account Regularly performed and in Order There must therefore be some proper Judge agreed upon to Determine what is Decent and in Order Do you then Judge in your selves laying only your Prejudice and
THE SPIRITUAL HOUSE In its Foundation Materials Officers and Discipline DESCRIB'D The Nomothetical Coercive Power of the KING in Ecclesiastical Affaires ASSERTED The Episcopal Office and Dignity Together with the Liturgy of the Church of England VINDICATED In some Sermons Preached at St. Clement Danes and St. Gregories neer St. Pauls London By Geo. Masterson Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15.22 And they answered Josua saying All that thou commandest us wee will do according as we hearkned unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee Josh 1.16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incerti Ap. Stobaeum Printed for Philemon Stephens the younger living at the Golden Lyon in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1661. To the great Exemplar of PIETIE VIRTUE Frances Dutches of Sommerset Her Grace THe Gentile Superstition Madam inscrib'd not the Names or their Deities upon the greatest Donaries which they made them with a Devotion comparable to that with which I lay this Little Thing at Your Grace's Feet The Compilement of this Structure is not in a Lofty and Noble Corinthian form with any Rich or Curious Embrodery of Words but the whole is cemented together in the plain Tuscan I could have given it a Franker Light had I not known that Devotion for which this Spirituall House was built requires collected rather then diffused Spirits I dare not assume the Vanity to think that it is as the Italians use to speak of a well built Structure Fabrica ben raccolta But if Your Grace who are so excellent a Judge be pleas'd to afford it Your Approbation for its usefulness or seasonableness I shall rejoyce in my Endeavour If otherwise the hand that erected shall be first upon it to pull it in pieces and condemn it to rubbage and ruine But since Madam the simple Dedication of an Altar though the Materials of it are but Turf or Brick and the Hand that erected it unacquainted with Art hath ever secur'd it against all but Sacrilegious Hands I am ready to overcome my Reason into a Belief that this otherwise inconsiderable Piece pleading the Cause of His most Sacred Majestie 's Nomotheticall and Coercive Power in Matters of Religion the Prelacy of my Lords the Reverend Bishops as Governours sent by him and of the Pious though despised Liturgy of our Church which three are fairly seated and ruling in Your Graces Soul it shall live under the shadow of Your great Name Thus Madam not without deep acknowledgement of Your Graces undeserved Favours to my most unworthy Self I take the boldness to assure you that the remaining Thoughts and Actions of my Life shall zealously aim at the Honour of being My most honoured Lady Your Graces most devoted Servant Geo. Masterson Decemb. the 20th 1660. 1 Epistle of Peter 2 Chap. 4 5 vers To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of Men but chosen of God and precious Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ THE first thoughts that the Sons of Men entertain of coming or drawing nigh to God are formed in them by the mediation of his goodnesse that is his profitablenesse or serviceablenesse to them without this all the beauty that is in the divine nature would never affect the heart of one of the lapsed Sons of Adam for though there be infinite charmes in the face of God to attract the soules of all rationall Creatures that have eyes to behold the amiablenesse that is in his face yet the power and justice of God are more potent to deter the creature conscious to it self of its own unworthinesse and guilt from coming to or looking toward him The Son of God himself though he be the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the character of his subsistence would never lead one heart captive were he not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneficient and gratious as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anointed so the Spouse Cantic 1.3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore doe the Virgins love thee and our Apostle in my Text mentions not their coming unto God but upon the hypothesis or supposition of their having tasted that the Lord is gracious vers 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his goodnesse is the cords of a Man with which he drawes us and we run after him without a precedent tast of that we should never come to him But if ye have tasted it necessarily and immediatly follows To whom coming as unto a living stone c. In which words you have an allusion to or comparison between the Christian Church and the Temple under the Law of which that was a type or figure and this allusion stands in four things the foundation superstructure priesthood and sacrifices 1 You have here in answer to the foundation of the Temple a stone specified and illustrated by a peculiar Epithite a living stone and describ'd further by two things for preventing that scandal or offence that might be taken at it because disallowed by men that men might not stumble at or dash their foot against this it is true saith our Apostle this stone was disallowed indeed of men but first it was chosen of God though it were reprobated by them it was elected by him non temere assumptus And 2 It is pretious too 1 Coram Deo precious in the sight of God 2 Apud fideles precious in the eyes of all beleevers who prefer this stone to all pearls and diamonds before the treasures of silver and gold Secondly You have here in allusion to the Temple the superstructure upon this foundation ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house 3 The Priesthood dignified with the honourable title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an holy priesthood 4. The sacrifices 1 distinguished from those of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual the sacrifices under the Law were carnal but these are spiritual sacrifiees 2 The means how they become acceptable to God namely by Jesus Christ The 1. Allusion is the foundation A stone and heer 5. th 1. that Christ is a stone 2. How he is a stone 3. How it fared with him or what entertainment he found he was disallowed 4. By whom And 5tly their sin in disallowing him in three respects 1. Because a living stone 2. Because chosen of God And 3dly because precious 1. Christ is a stone thus the holy Prophets Isaiah Daniel and Zachary prophesied of him Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation Isay 28.16 Thou sawest til that a stone was cut out without hands
grand cases of Blasphemy and Heresy but in those lesser occasions of Errour and Schism he is entrusted with Power to quench the least spark as well as the devouring flame Arius in Alexandria was but a little spark in the beginning but because the Christian Emperour did not timely interpose his Authority for the quenching it Totum orbem ejus flamma depopulata est it became a flame which consumed almost the whole Christian World The Prince's Authority may and ought to be exercised in restraining dangerous Disputations concerning Religion Sozomen l. 7. c. 12. tells us that Constantine enacted a Law against Disputes of the Trinity Nemo Clericorum de summa Trinitate disputet And Marcianus prohibited all Disputes De fide Christiana of the Christian Religion Andronicus the Emperour when his Bishops were disputing curiously and subtilely of those words of Christ Pater major me est My Father is greater then I threatned to cast them into the River Ni tam periculosis sermonibus abstinerent unless they did forbear such dangerous Discourses That of Sisinius to Theodosius being most true Disputando de sacris accendi tantum contentiones that Contentions only are fostered by Disputations Secondly To the second Question How far the Coercive Power of the Prince extends It is acknowledged that his Authority may extend to Imprisonment Confiscation of Goods and Banishment of persons sinning against his Commands but whether it may extend to Life is not so manifest because the Apostle saith onely Haereticum hominem devita Titus 3.10 The Gloss upon Gratian turns the Verb into a Substantive de vita and adds supple Tolle There is not as a learned Gentleman of our Church in His Historical Vindication hath observed any example in History of prosecuting an Heretick further then to avoid him till after God having given peace to his people under Christian Emperours they finding that if the Church were in trouble the State was seldom otherwise provided by Laws to punish Hereticks The Councel of Nice therefore having in the year 325 censured the opinion of Arius for Heretical the Emperour who had formerly granted certain considerable Priviledges to Christians declared in the year following Haereticos atque Schismaticos hâ— privilegiis alienos that no Heretick or Schâ—â—smatick should have any part in those Privileges but they rarely proceeded to blood unless perhaps against some seditious Preacher And the Holy men of those times used earnest perswasions to deterr men inclining to that severity from it as not esteeming it to agree with that entire Charity that should be in Christians St. August professeth he had rather be himself slain by them then by detecting the Donatists be any cause they should undergo the punishment of death Ep. 127 This was the Temper of the Christians at least 800. years after Christ But about the year 1000 the Christian World began to punish Miscreants as branches not bearing fruit in Christ by casting them into the fire But the Devout men of those Times did not approve of this rigour St. Bernard explaining those words of Solomon Take us the Foxes the little Foxes that spoil the Vines Cant. 2.15 If saith he according to the Allegory by the Vines we understand the Churches and by the Foxes Heresies or rather Hereticks the meaning is plain that Hereticks be rather taken then driven away Capientur dico non armis sed agrumentis taken I say not by Arms but Arguments whereby their Errours may be refuted and they themselves reconciled if possible to the Catholick Church And that the Holy Ghost intends this is evident saith he because he doth not say simply Take the Foxes sed capite nobis take us the Foxes sibi ergo sponsae suae id est Catholicae jubet acquiri has vulpes cum ait capite eas nobis In Cantic Serm. 64. He commands therefore that they be taken for himself and his Spouse that is the Catholick Church when he saith Take us the Foxes Thus the holy men in that Age in which they first stopped mens mouths not with Arguments but Arms judged of it And indeed we have not many Examples of persons suffering meerly for Conscience till after the year 1216. in which Pope Innocent the Third laid the foundation of that new Court called since the Inquisition who appointed such as should be convicted of Heresie ut vivi in conspectu hominum comburentur to be committed alive to the flames of fire And though such proceedings are not at any good agreement with those rules and examples which Christ hath left us in holy Scripture yet the practise hath been long since taken up in this Kingdom and is in force at this day by the Laws Anno 1166. about thirty Dutch came hither who detested Baptism the Eucharist and other parts of Religion and being by Scripture convicted in an Episcopal Councel called by the King at Oxford they were condemned to be Whipped and burnt in the face and a command given that none should either receive or releive them so that they miserably Perished By the Common-Law that is the Custom of the Realm of England Hereticks are to be Punished by Consuming them with Fire and accordingly there is a Writ De Haeretico comburendo An Apostate Deacon in a Councel held at Oxford by Stephen Langton was first degraded and then by Lay-hands committed to the Fire Bracto l. 3. de Corona c. 9 In Edward the Third's daies about the Year 1347. two Franciscans were Burnt quod de Religione male sentirent because they thought amiss of Religion Pol. Virg. Hist Ang. l. 19. And in the year 1583. Copin and Thacker were hanged at Saint Edmonds-Bury for publishing Brown's Book Cambd. which saith Stow p. 1174 was written against the Common-Prayer Book A Fair warning And thus you see if men will not be Subject to the Higher Powers in matters of Religion for Conscience sake they must be subject because of wrath for the Prince is entrusted with a Coercive Power and bears not the Sword in vain But because it is a thing Morally impossible for one man as the King to Govern the whole Church in his Kingdom Personally by himself He may substitute or delegate others under him to manage all his Power which is communicable in the Government of the Church I say communicable because there are some things inseparable from the Supreme Power as to Correct Alter Ratifie Repeal or Make Null Canons and Constitutions made by any persons under him to reverse or mitigate a Sentence injustly or unduly passed the right of Appeals of nominating Bishops to their respective Sees of translating or deposing them where he seeth cause These and such like are incommunicable unto any inseparable from his Crown But in all other things that are not of this nature he may give Power to others to Govern the Church to whom all persons ow their obedience by virtue of his Delegation as much as to the King himself because it is the King that requires or