to 1 Eliz. c. 1. confirmed by 5 Eliz. 1. so Canon 1. Convocat Anno 1640. In this was maintained the antique Episcopacy as of Divine right and of annexed Prelacy as of civil foundation and Regall bounty the sacred Order of Presbytery and the validity of Ordination by Imposition of hands and holy separation to to the Ministry Thirdly This Church of England hath answered Antiquity in countenancing Truth and opposing Errour both in Doctrine and Manners It hath ever yielded stout Princes who have been warm and kindled in the Cause of God against errours of all sorts Prelates and Preachers have flourished in it whose breasts and brains by constant reading and meditation became Christs Libraries As S t Jerom saies of Nepotian They that consider but the expences and rewards given by Ed. the 6. to learned men sent for hither to assist in our refinement the grave Councill took in the declaring of the Christian faith and doctrine of the Sacraments for avoiding of diversity of opinions and for establishing of consent touching true Religion the zeal and open Protestation of many of our Prelates and Professorâ— against Toleration of Popery By name the not long since deceased Primate of England Archbishop Abbot M r Powell Chaplain to the then Bishop of London D r Suâ—liff Dean of Worcester D r Willes D r Hackwell and others Yea all the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland as appears by the Instrument read and pronounced by the then famous B. of Derry Doctor Downham before God and the whole Estate of Ireland at the Cathedrall of Dublin The proceedings of King James with the States of Holland in the case of Voâ—stius and against others in the Synod of Dort the Synod of this Nation in Anno 1640. Can. 3 4. against Socinianism yea and the judgements against Hamâ—unt 21 Eliz. Anno 1579. and Lewis 25 of the same Queen and Hacket with others together with the many excellent laws and prudent sanctions for promoting the honour of God by incouraging preaching praying and holy exercises by commanding sanctification of the Lords day and prohibiting any servile work therein with sundry other provisions of like nature They I say that well weigh these things cannot but commend our Churches well-grounded zeal I wish those that rend from her would consider what S t Jerom said to some in his time Segregas te cúm tuis vermulis novâ—m balneum aperis si te Angelus aliquis aut Apostolus rebaptizavit non infringo quod sequeris si vero in sinu meo natus si uberum meorum lacte nutritus adversum me gladium levas redde quod dedi esto si potes aliter Christianus Fourthly This Church of England hath had the blessing of God accompanying her in her waies of study and practise of general learning and holy preaching 'T were endless to enumerate the learned Bishops laborious Presbyters renowned Physicians accomplisht Lawyers florid Philologers and practicall Clerks bred up in her yea so great so considerable they were that the whole Body of the University of Oxford in An. 1603. published There were then more learned men in the Ministry in this Land then were to be found amongst all the Ministers of the Religion in France Flaunders Denmark Germany Poland Geneva Scotland or all Europe beside This touch concerning the piety of our Church No less her charity This Church was much at unity with it self few snarling or factious spiritati's in her all her notes were by the book her language Canonique things were so carried as offence to tender consciences might be as much as possible avoided I know there were ever and ever will be smaller differences in the Church and who can help it since God concludes them necessary that those who are approved might be made manifest c. I am not ignorant that many bitter invectives and hot ragings were currant between the Disciplinarian and Conformable party but yet I trust I may say they kept the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and were not alienated in affection each from other Nor were they wanting in works of Charity to the poor Gods poor and the Nations poor to both there are instances of charity since the Reformation and extrusion of the Pope I 'le begin with the renowned liberality of King Ed. the 6. who by the advice of that after famous Martyr D r Ridley then Lord Bishop of London and after his Sermon preached at the Court upon mercy and charity was moved to found the Hospitals of Christ for poor Orphans and of S t Thomas and S t Bartholmews for diseased people besides which he gave great relief to house-keepers at their own houses To perfect which charity the Bishop travelled greatly and brought the Citizens of London into the work To them and their successors for ever he gave the charge thereof and on them setled lands to the value of 100 l per annum with license to take lands in Mortmaine to the yearly value of 4000 Mark all which he setled not above two daies before his death At which time in the hearing of his Councill he uttered these words Lord God I yield thee most hearty thanks that thou hast given me life thus long to finish this work to the glory of thy Name The greatest and most noble Work that ever I read of done by One man and he a subject was that of the Memorable Gentleman M r Thomas Sutton the Princely Founder of the Charterhouse for the entertainment of youth and decayed Gentlemen who by maims in the Warres or other casualties had been ruined The provision there is so bounteous that it hath scarce a match to it in Europe the very house and appurtenances cost him to purchase 13000 l which he endowed with five Mannors in Essex two in Lincoln and eight in Wiltshire besides very many rich Pasture grounds of near 4000. Acres in that County Two in Cambridgeshire besides his Lands in Hackney Marsh and Tottenham in the County of Middlesex and with all and singular the Woods Reversions Presentations and Rights of him the said Thomas Sutton in any the aforesaid Mannors Over and above this he hath given great gifts to poor Towns to mend High-waies to loans of young men to set up trade with gratis To the Prisons to certain Colledges to make additions to his Hospital â—5000 lb and to the Treasury of the House to defend their right if need were 1000 lb and other Gifts he hath given right liberally Next The Royal Foundations of the Exchange for the meeting of persons of trade and business and Gresham College by S r Thomas Gresham in part of which poor people are lodged and provided for and in the rest Lecturers in all the Arts are allowed is a most memorable act of charity and bounty So also is that of S r Thomas White Lord Mayor of the City of London who first purchased Glocester Hall
appointment but of divine approbation So say I in the case of Ceremonies so far as they relate to the usefull Order and Ornament of the Church they are not only not to be contemned but honoured and kept And these that are hotly violent against them quâ such had best consider that there may be use of them to do the drudgery of worship and to stave off prophanesse and when they are emploied but as Cryars of Courts of Justice are to minde men of their reverence to what is sacred and to learn them to be bare and submisse to their betters there is no ill construction can be reasonably made of them I know they have and ever will be while men are ignorant ambitious and worldly subject to be abused partly by the ignorance of superstitious people and partly by over activity of men of note in the Church who of good purpose introduced them as did S t Chrysostome Church-Musick into the Church at Constantinople to prevent the Arians withdrawing of the Orthodox to their Church or Oratories in which they had such Musick I know I say that by this and other means the number of Ceremonies grew so great that the Church was not able to abide them That S t Augustine and many others greatly inveighed against them and wished correction of them And therefore as all things of discipline and order constituted by man may upon just cause be ordered and altered as to prudence shall seem most meet Provided it be done in lawfull manner and by persons lawfully called thereto so endeavoured many in the Church to put a stop to this evil and to offer a remedy thereto But alas It was a disease past cure Men of estimation hugg'd their own Apes and in the customes and Rites of their own initiation hung up Trophees and Banners to their Memories happy was he thought that could travell farthest in this wildernesse of imagination and have the remarque of adding something to Church-Solemnity under pretence of some notable zeal noble charity devout-rapture matchlesse self-deniall so that at length the Ceremonies grew to have no name but Legion for they were many which made many holy men cry out against them and some professe that the soul of Religion was overlaid by the body yea every thing so out of order that even Pope Adrian the 6. in his Instructions to his Legate professed Scimus in hac sancta sede aliquot jam annis multa abominanda fuisse nay for many years before him holy S t Bernard cried out against some of place as more proggers for their own advantage then the glory of Christianity Vides omne Ecclesiasticum zelum â—ervere sola pro dignitate tuenda honori totum datur sanctitati nihil aut parum lib. 4. de Consid ad Eugenium Heu Heu Domine Deus ipsi sunt in persecutione primi qui videntur in Ecclesia primatum diligere Yea even in the Councel of Trent about the gathering and managing of which more carnal policy was expressed then comported with the simplicity of Christ and the reall honour of his pretended Vicar there was a loud out cry againsi extravagant Ceremonies And that from the mouths of Learned Prelates and Friars of the Papacy Insomuch that Langi Archbishop of Saltzburg said It was but reasonable to be disburthened of them But the Pope and his party had too much gain by this craft to part with them cheaply The Colledge of Parish â— Priests at Rome is now become a conclave of Cardinals and hath Church-Princes and the Pope Head of the Church to rule it which way it will yea his Palace the Commonwealth of Christians as Albergatus his words are to the Cardinall Nephew to Gregory the 13 th They I say becoming so great must have support And finding this among the politique accoutrements of the Papacy could not give ought but a deaf ear to those endeavours Nothing obtaining audience at Rome but what hath the Oratory of gain or the impulse of invincible necessity The Crys and humble Remonstrances of the Waldenses Nicholaus Clemingius Petrus de Aliaco Humbertus de Romania Gulielmus Parisiensis Petrarch Bernard Adrian the 6 th Cornelius Antonius Picus Mirandula Lawrentius Cardinal of Ratisbon Gilbertus the Monk Durand the Schoolman all which in their times importuned Reformation produced nothing those Addars of Rome would not hear the voice of these charmers though they charmed wisely till Luther broke out no general Councel could be gained and when that was brought about there was such tricks such postings from Trent to Rome such designing things to crafty and secular ends such tying up of the Fathers and Prelates there convened that some of the braver spirits muttered that the Pope did but hold the world in hand that he called that Councel to reform the Church but that he insâ—nded nothing lesse which made the French Embassador protest In the Name of his Master and the French Church that they would not obey any thing coâ—cluded there for as much as they were the Decrees of Pope Pius the fourth rather then of the Councel all things being done at Rome not at Trent Now as it were the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree Germany reaks on t the heat Luther had roused up in her Many of the Prelates faithfull enough to the Papacy in spiritualibus are not displeased at the cheque that this new appearance is expected to give to the career of the Conclavique policy and divers Princes not only not oppose Luther but openly mediate for him and at last prove protectors of him The Germans naturally sturdy and rough enough adore this new risen Star and use pretences of zeal for warrà nts to violence and extravagancy Religious men and houses go to wrack and all the symptoms of popular dirity and confusion are visible Many partiall Reformations there were in some parts of Germany and France and sundry Princes favoured Luther wherein his enterprises gratified their interests as to Supremacy and justification of Princely authority against the Popes Usurpation the Emperour Charles the 5 th the then King of France and Henry the 8 th of this Land found not themselves aggrieved Vnus in mundo Sol Vnus in regno Rex Vna in Religione Religio ne ubi non una ubi multa nulla fiat saith the Politique Marselaer as Luther by distracting the Papal affairs did them no disservice so silently they applauded him but when once Religion grew concerned then all of them fell foul upon him Henry the 8 th wrote against him and the other two Princes prosecuted the Lutherans severely So God calling up Luther and calling out of this life Henry the 8 th and the Crown of his Land descending to his Son and Heir Edw. the 6 th Reformation began to be in credit here also In the short Reign of this blessed Josiah by the counsell of his godly Uncle the Protector of his person and Government
us from these brambles fire hath come out and devoured the Cedars of Lebanon as the phrase ls Judg. 19. 15. And to what end I pray this curiosity not to amend them if evil by good counsel earnest prayer civil carriage towards them but to take the advantage to triumph over and to endeavour the ruin of them The Saints of God should be Doves that creature the Father saith is harmless neither hath gall nor does injury with its bill and not as was the Assyrian rodds of Gods wrath or as those in the Psalm Swords in Gods right hand or if such yet very warily and upon sound warrant such so sayes a man of breadth amongst us Gods people must be wary whom they curse and take heed lest trifles cause their curse and not impenitent and implacable enmity against Christ because no man knowes the mind of God every one must use holy moderation in censure but if some had not contradicted in their practise such good doctrine venting not hilastique but sarcastique Divinity from their pulpits we had not seen such confusion in the Church nor heard such different notes amongst Church-men as we have What had been amiss had wisely been amended and those in the Ministry who had been insufficient or immoral admonished or rejected w th some reasonable allowance to their families 'T is hard measure that the utmost farthing of a families felicity should be paid for the spot of the male of the flock In Primitive times all those who professed Christianity held communion together as one Church notwithstanding difference of judgment in lesser things and much corruption in conversation So say the the Learned Ministers of London in their Vindication of Presbyteriall Government p. 139. What Fronton a Heathen said to Nerva that say I in the case of Liberty 'T is an ill Government which gives no Liberty but much worse which gives all liberty Man must not binde or loose where God hath not 'T was holy Nazienzens observation long ago That Antichrist would gather strength by the dissentions of Christians and it is a thing I have ever since these differences in our Church feared that the violence of parties would much endanger the surprise of our Religion Because of the mountain of Zyon which is desolate the Foxes walk upon it Lam. 5. 18. In the Netherlands difference all things accounted more to parties then peace the Papists cruelty and the Reformists violence ended in a petulancy destructive to the Church for all that was the Churches was swallowed up between them Granuell Bishop of Arras and the Cardinal of Lorrain promoted persecution of the Reformists pretending the cause to be zeal for God and advancement of his Religion but the truth was they aymed to be enriched by the spoyl of those that were condemned of heresie On the other part those of the Religion begin their outrages with Churches break down the utensils of service in them carry away with them what was in them moveable frighten the religious men from their houses and Cloysters leave no Church in Cities fit for devotion rifle Libraries and burn Books I will not say as S t Bernard of old and Luther from him Now Domini sed daemonis haec pascua hi pastores But this I will pray as good Jacob did Into such secrets let not my soul enter mine honour be not thou joyned to such assemblies for they who dare make the things of God their prey will make nothing of devouring the lives liberties and formtunes of their brethren Oh the divisions of Levi amongst us w ch have not only caused great thoughts of heart but also broken out into bigge words like the horses in S t Johns vision Rev. 9. Out of whose mouthes have come forth fire and smoak and brimston and from whose pens bitter lines both of defiante and unkind crimination each of other He that reads but the books of their furious encounters shall satisfie himself that Ephraein hath been against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim and I pray God that of Salvian be not applicable to us all Quid prodesse nobis prarogativa illa religiosi nominis potest quod nos Catholicos dicimus quod fideles esse jactamus Quod Gothos Vandalos haeretici nominis exprebatione despicimus cum ipsi haeretica pravitate vivamus I wish that they who talk so much of heresie making every dissent an error would consider that mortals intellects differ as do their faces and that the beauty of God is more or less in every creature and its capacity that in matters of this moment 't is not safe to be â—ash but to consider the spirits whether they be of God or no and them to try by that tryall which the Law appoints tryall of heresie the Scriptures and the four first generall Counsels accordant with Scripture For my part I will not with Philastrius pronounce any man hereticall for varying from me in opinion no more then any man dumb whose language I hear not nor when I hear understand but rather pray that God by his grace will so direct me that I practise what I know and endeavour to know what may be usefull to my self and others did this spirit possess many they would have more comfort from the small Violits of sincerity then the great garnishes of religions Tulips which offer much content to the sense but less answer the 〈◊〉 noble part of a Christian Then would our light rise out of obscurity and our darkness break forth into the brightness of noon day then would one thought of Charity chase a thousand and a thousand put ten thousand misprisions to flight then would our spiritual Oxen be strong to Iahour then would the Church be at unity within it self no axe or hammer of passion be heard in her but the oyl of compassion distill from her to heal the wounds and close the breaches of her children But O Lord who shall live when thou dost this By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small Tell us we beseech thee how the bones which thou hast broken shall rejoyce that we may pray for the Churches Jubilee and fast to entertain so blessed a feast as would be that Epiphane for as Pomponius Laetus well writes Christianos omnes sub unâ— signo crucis militare nostram Religionem unicam esse Rempublicam unicam ipsius Dei urbem cujus nos cives sumus bellum inter nos esse non posse nisi civile But alas the Church Christian hath long been in her wasting fits the watchmen have smitten her Novelties words and projects have committed wast and we may well bring a Devastavit against them against them S t Jerom of old complained Nunc sub religionis titulo exercentur injusta compendia honor nominis Christiani fraudem magis facit quam patitur intus Nero foris Cato totus ambiguus The wits of Rome were smart when they added to the 〈◊〉
Interest as did the true Mother 1 King 3. 27. then have the Church divided Let Astrologers not knowing the true cause of the Coelestiall motions to salve the appearances tell us of Eccentriques and Epicicles and Philosophers when they are at a stand pray aid from their occulta qualitas and Lawyers when they know not well how to give things a bottom tell us they are in abaiance and some late Divines fill our heads with dreams of the Churches outward pomp here That the Saints must be the great men of the world and must trample down every thing of Order and Antiquity Let them tell us of new Heavens and new Earths whereinto are received such as the old never willingly bore for Lucifer was cast from Heaven for pride and Corah and his company were swallowed up by the earth for mutiny against Magistracy and let them bespeak mansions in that Novus Orbis let them be Masters of rule in the world in the Sunne and precious men in the Moon of their fancies and there promise themselves coelestial clarity I shall neither envy nor admire them the more but fear them as such as Salvian speaks of Apud nonnullos Christi nomen non videatur jam sacramentum esse sed sermo and I shall pray that they may see their wandrings in time and as the Father sayes well secundas tabulas habere modestiae qui primas non habere sapientiae For let them cry out never so bitterly against regulations and orderly forms and establishments yet they will hold tack when their Tabernacles of ill-mixed altogethers dissolve and become vain For as a Learned Bishop of the Church hath lately observed If foundations which were in their own nature good should be destroyed for accessary abuses and for the faults of perticuler persons we should neither leave a Sunne in Heaven for that hath been adored by Prgans nor a spark of fire or any eminent creature upon earth for they have all been abused And since it is the will of God that heresies and offences must be let all good Christians patiently abide Gods triall by them For as wise master-builders out of the chaos of rubbish raise beautifull frames of structure so God out of the janglings of Christians by infinite and matchless wisedom compiles his glory Vtitur gentibus ad materiam operationis suae hereticis ad probationem fidei suae schismaticis ad stabilimentum doctrinae suae Judaeis ad comparationem pulchritudinis suae as S t Augustin pithily Let then the devout Christian not so much study policy as piety not more endeavour after power then peace let the Ministers of God rather seek to deny then gratifie themselvs in any thing that is worldly let the world alone to those whose portion it is they are greedy enough after it Aurelian would never take it for his glory to have the children sing it and salute him with an applause of his valour for slaâ—ing thousands of the Sarmatians Vnus homo mille mille mille decollavimus and adding mille mille mille vincit qui mille mille occidit tantùm vim habet nemo quantum fudit sanguinis If he were not wedded to the world and resolved that Power was his heaven God forbid holy souls should when they see preferment shun them and the world frown on them cry out as Eli's daughter in Law did 1 Sam. 4. 21. when the Ark was sursurpris'd My glory is departed the Ark of my safety and content is taken Let those delight in it and boast of it whose wisedom is carnall and opposite to God who venture the double Ducket of Aeternity against this single Penny of Earth which that French King would not when his brother counselled him with small forces to sally out of Towers upon the great Army of the Duke of Mayne Let politick Richlieu profess that his desire to be Cardinall Duke and Peer of France was but to shew the world what and how great his King and Master was since he the Cardinal how conspicuous soever was but a ray from the Kings Sunne and a rivulet from his Ocean yet God sees another motive in the heart then the tongue mentions no secret excludes the Sunne of Righteousness from view nor any shift the God of Truth from weighing the temper of spirits and discovering them to be what they are though with Balaam they shift from place to place and thing to thing to gain a subterfuge and opportunity of serving themselves most advantagiously yet at length God meets with them and when their glasses are runne which cannot be long that glory which maketh worthy men live for ever dieth with such and their memory of honour is enterred with them And though the most of men are convinced of the truth of this yet how greedily do such great spirits gullop down the world and with what eagerness do they profecute it by a dangerous hospitality which entertains Devils oftner then Angels What noble Paradoes doth self-love make forcing Religion to be Chaplain to bless their banquets of Ambition unto which they invite all their admirers and to warrant which they have such musters of Scriptures though misapplied and misunderstood that they look like the Archangel Michael and his forces advancing to discomfort as it were the Devil and his Angels of contrarients diffidence we know who said Behold my zeal for the Lord of Heasts 2 King 10. 16. yet ver 18. 31. his zeal was murther and idolatry Am I come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it the Lord said to me go up against this Land and destroy it were the words of Rabshecah 2 King 18. 25. yet God in Chap. 19. ver 28. interprets this a rage and tumult against him and sayes he will put his hook in his nose and his bridle in his lips and turn him back by the way by which he came yea by an Angel destroy his hoast and defend Jerusalem as it is ver 34 35. I love not their Principles who make Religion usher to Lyon-like practises as doth the Spaniard in the Indies which they by force possesse and in which they have put to the sword and other butcherly torments millions it is thought both at Cuba Hayta Peru Panama Mexico and all under pretence of planting the Catholick faith and placing Christians in the room of Infidels such courses may thrive for a while but in the end God will pluck up those poysonous roots for medicine to others that they may hear and fear and do no more presumptuously I cannot blame Heathens who know and hope for no other Heaven but that of temporall felicity and worldly greatness to aym at it I wonder not at Mahomet the second the first Turkish Emperour whom story tells us to be of no Religion but a meer Atheist worshipping no other God but good-fortune thinking all things lawfull that agreed with his lust and keeping no league promise or oath longer then stood with his