against their Civil Superiors So that when there was an irreconcilable difference between Rome and our King and he had by Law cast out the Pope's usurped Power he was obliged for his own safety to restore the ancient custom and make a Law that all the Clergy should swear Allegiance to him as being under Christ Supream Head on Earth or as we now without a Metaphor call it Supream Governor (g) Vide Stat. An. 23. Hev 8. And this Oath was brought into the Ordination Office in the first Book of King Edward the 6th (h) Sparrow's Collect. pag. 145. and in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign the taking it was enjoyned under the severest Penalties (i) Stat. 1 Eliz. 1. 5. 1. And no doubt there was good reason and great cause for this for the Pope by his Interest in the Clergy had long oppressed this Nation and taken away much of the King 's just Prerogative as our Nobles and Parliaments in Popish times had often complained (k) Vid. Gravamina Eccles Anglicanae ap Fascic rerum expetend T. 2. p. 416. Vid. item Histor Tho. Wals An. 1312. p. 74. and they made divers good Laws to retrench these encroachments (l) Stat. Provis 25. Ed. 3. Stat. Ric. 2. cap. 5. but all in vain for the Pope proceeded in the exercise of his Tyranny and the Clergy receiving divers yea contrary commands from different Masters the King and the Roman Bishop could not possibly serve them both as our Saviour notes and they generally stuck to their Spiritual and despised their Temporal Lord (m) Matth. vi 24. Nemo potest quamvis uno Domino obtemperare repugnantia jubenti Aug. de verb. Dom. Ser. 2. p. 2. So that it was absolutely necessary utterly to expel the Pope's Authority from hence because as one of our Kings soon after the Conquest publickly declared No Man could keep his Allegiance to him and pay Obedience to the Apostolick See against his Will (n) Nequaquam fidem quam sibi debebat simul Apostolicae sedis obedientiam contra suam voluntatem posse servare Gul. 2. Anselmo ap Eadmer l. 1. p. 26. And this seemed so necessary at first to many who in other things were zealous in the Romish Faith that they took it and Gardiner writ an excellent Book in defence of this Oath and the Supremacy therein asserted as well as the Allegiance there promised o (p) Gardin de vera obed in Fascicul rer exp T. 2. p. 800. and the Pope's prohibiting it only produced stricter Injunctions to oblige the taking it and greater penalties on the refusers especially because our Governors observed (p) Vid. praefat Laur. Humph. ad Hist Jesuitismi that the Opinion of the Pope's Supremacy put him upon Excommunicating and Deposing our Kings and excited his Creatures in these Realms to lay many execrable Plots to destroy the Queen and change the Religion and Government also And 't is the restless endeavours of the bigotted Papist to restore the Papal Power that has since brought in another stricter Oath and doth make it necessary to continue these Precautions even in our times I shall not enter into this Dispute which has been already handled by so many learned Pens but refer the Reader to some of them who elaborately and unanswerably confute the Pope's and assert the King's Supremacy (q) Regis Jacobi Apolog. pro juram Relig. Christian subjection par 2. Lond. 1586. Mason de minister Anglic. l. 3. c. 4 5. and particularly shall recommend a posthumous work of Dr. Is Barrow upon this Subject (r) Dr. Barrow of the Pope's Supremacy Lon. 1680. which unfinished though it be is abundantly sufficient to satisfie any impartial Enquirer and had it received the advantage of the Author 's own last hand it would have been the most perfect Tract on any point of Controversy now extant so that I wish some Pen that were suitable to his would fill up the vacant references and enlarge upon the pertinent hints of that Book which would make it next to a Demonstration of the Question he undertook to prove §. 10. Of the Questions in general That all possible care may be taken to make or find those who enter into Holy Orders Worthy Our Church hath here rightly placed these Questions not deferring and confining them to the consecration of a Bishop as the Roman Ordinal doth (s) Pontific Roman p. 61. because the greatest security to Religion is the careful guarding the first entrance into its Ministrations (t) Cujusque rei potissima pars principium est Digest l. 1. Tit. 2. praef and therefore we put these interrogatories to Deacons and Priests for he that would breed good Officers must choose good Soldiers and he that is faithful in a lesser will be so in a greater trust (u) Luke xvi 10. 'T is a calling that Men can never forsake and so ought not to be rashly undertaken (w) Luke ix 62. Et Conc. Chalced. can 7. Item Annot. Bev. T. 2. p. 114. So that though these Questions be now first proposed to the Candidates yet it is absolutely necessary they should have Read them over seriously before in Private and duly weighed them all before they presume to answer them in the Presence of God and of his Holy Angels (x) Tenetur vox tua in libro viventium praesentibus Angelis locutus es Ambros de initiand c. 2. p. 343. as well as of the Bishop his representative if they answer falsly or rashly before so great an Assembly and just before they are to receive the Holy Sacrament it is an inexcusable as well as a presumptuous Sin and Solomon hath told us we cannot come off by saying it was an Error (y) Eccles v. 2 3 4 5 c. neither God nor the Angels who attend these Holy Ministries will so excuse us The wise Heathens advise us not to answer any Questions suddenly (z) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aeschin ap Plutar. de audit p. 39. The Scripture makes it the character of a Fool to answer a matter before he heareth that is understands and considers it (a) Prov. xviii 13. and it is an evidence of a most notorious Hypocrite to promise easily for gaining his ends b (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in Matth. 20. But if either of these be the case in a matter of so high importance it is unpardonable For what says a late Author is more unworthy What is worthy of greater Punishment than to profess they know that which they are Ignorant of to say they will do that which they do not intend and can do that which they cannot any ways perform (c) Soccolovij Epithalamion Episcopi cum suâ sponsâ Eccles p. 39. Wherefore I must beseech all that are to take Orders to set apart some days before their Ordination by Fasting and Prayer to examin themselves concerning every Question that they may answer truly to
a. b. and the same Author there hath collected divers instances of the same veneration given to and like ensigns of honour used by the Priests of several other Nations So that Clem. of Alexandr had reason to say That even down to his time among the most rational of the Barbarous Nations the race of Priests is kept up as a security to the Kingdom (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Al. ap Causab not in Suet. p. 167. And truly in those Ages there were not many more barbarous than the Northern People even our Ancestors the Britains Galls and ancient Germans whose Priests were called Druids or Druidren which our Saxons write Dritchten that is Lords as Lipsius gives us the Etymology (r) Lips Cent. 3. ad Belg. Ep. 44. to whom these People paid the highest honour and respect as Diodorus Siculus reports (s) Quos eximio honore dignantur Diod. Sicul. l. 5. c. 9. And Caesar who knew them very well saith there were two Orders of Nobility only among the ancient Gauls first the Druids and then the Knights the former being among them in great esteem judging all publick and private Causes distributing also rewards and punishments and over them was one chief Druid who had the supream Authority but all of them were exempted from War and Tribute and enjoyed an universal immunity (t) magnoque ii sunt apud eos honore fere de omnibus controversiis constituunt praeest unus qui summam inter eos habet autoritatem c. Caesar Bel. Gal. l. 6. p. 225 226. which character of them is confirmed by Tacitus (u) Tacit. de moribus Germ c. 7. p. 607 c. Pomponius Mela (w) Pomp. Mela l. 3. c. 2. and other Authors As for Strabo he seems to have hinted at Vossiu◠his derivation of Druids from Dru that is as we write it True (x) Vossius de idolol l 1. c. 35. or Faithful Men hence he says All account them the most just so that both publick and private judgments are trusted with them and they also determine matters of War and if they forbid a Battel already begun they immediately desist (y) Justissimi autem omnium opinione ideo privata publica judicia eorum fidei mandantur c. Strab. Geogr. l. 4. p. 137. The same Author also affirms that the Getae another of these Northern People had a Priest who was an associate with the King in Governing and had a title of Divinity (z) Id. ibid. l. 7. p. 208. and a later Writer mentions two other Nations of this Clime who honoured their Chief Priest no less than their King (a) Flaminem suum non minus quam regem venerantur Helmold de Rug. Sclav So that the honours now annexed to these Sacred Orders in these Northern and Western parts of the World (b) See the Bishop's right to vote in Capital Causes chap. 4. did not owe their beginning to Christianity but were annexed originally to such as were Priests from Pagan times as far as any memory remains and Christian Princes did not begin but continue their Dignity and Authority And particularly their freedom from Taxes was a Privilege enjoyed not only by the Druids but by the Egyptian Priests (c) Gen. xlvii 26. Joseph Antiq. l. 2. c. 4. by those of India (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr de abst l. 4. §. 17. and Persia for the custom of his own Country moved Artaxerxes to exempt the Jewish Priests Levites c. from all Toll and Tribute (e) Ezra vii 22. vide quae Josephus notat de Ocho Tyranno Joseph an t l. 11. c. 7. who were also to enjoy the like Privilege by a Special Order of Julian the Apostate that they might be freer to pray for his prosperity (f) Julian Epist 25. p. 153. But of this more hereafter I should tire my Reader and my self if I should enlarge upon the honours and dignity of Priests among the more cultivated Greeks and Romans who had an incredible number of them many belonging to every one of their almost innumerable Gods and yet none of them wanting either maintenance or respect So that I shall only briefly instance in some of the principal among these Among the Greeks it was a special honour to make some very great and very eminent men Priests with the Title of the Chief of that Province where they were created Presidents of the Sacrifices such were those Asiarchae in the Acts (g) Act. xix 31. Quidam de principibus Asiae Vulg. Alii vert de primoribus Asiae which we translate the Chief of Asia That is the Chief Priests who held the Highest Dignity in the lesser Asia and such were the Helladarchae in Greece Bithynarchae and Galatarchae in Bithynia and Galatia as a late learned Writer hath fully made out (h) Prid. Marmor Oxon. p. 28. not ejus p. 95. The Priest of Venus was also King of Cyprus (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scholiast in Pindar Pyth. Od. 2. and the Honour and Revenue annexed to it was so considerable that Cato offered King Ptolemy if he would yield up his Arms to procure him chosen Priest of the Goddess at Paphos and then he should want neither Riches nor Honour (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. in vita Catoni◠Among the Romans there were very many Colleges of Priests to whom the highest respect was paid and by whom divers of the Principal Offices of State also were managed but these are so well known that a few observations will suffice The greatest Men as Q. Fab. Maximus (l) Plin. Hist lib. 7. cap. 48. and the famous Cicero (m) Cicero Orat. 2. Phil. were Augurs at Rome and they had this privilege that till they died they could not by any Crime forfeit their place (n) Plutar. Quaestion Rom. Prob. 99. and with it they might hold the Consulship or any other Praefecture and therefore the Sons of the Nobility were sent to Tuscany to be fitted for this Office (o) Cicer. de divinat l. 1. Valer. Max. l. 1. c. 1. Numa the Second King of Rome executed the place of Chief Flamin (p) Liv. Hist l. 1. of which there were three Orders and the first viz. the Flamin of Jupiter had singular privileges and could deliver Criminals who kneeled to him (q) Aulus Gellius l. 5. c. 15. Rittershus de Jure asyli c. 2. and was excused from taking an Oath (r) Aul. Gell. ibid. and to omit many other particulars The Pontifex maximus bore the Title of King of Sacred things and was next to the King in dignity living at home and going abroad in the state of a Prince for he was reputed Supream Arbiter both of divine and humane Affairs (s) Pontifex maximus judex atque arbiter habetur rerum divinarum humanarumque Ver. Flaccus Verbo Orde p. 144. So that the Consuls of old
c. 14. p. 335. Skinners Dictionary voce Signior alibi and so was Presbyter originally intended for the Verb from which it comes signifies to Rule (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesch p. 784. and it is used for a Superior Of which the word Priest which we commonly use is only a barbarous contraction but can by no means be supposed as some profanely apply it in their discourse to be any name of diminution or contempt There remains only the Title of Deacon now restrained to the lowest of these three Orders but it must be reckoned honourable in it self because it is applied to the chief Civil Magistrate in respect to his being subordinate to God (c) Rom. xiii 4. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Bishops to the Apostles and to Christ himself (d) Rom. xv 8. 2 Cor. vi 4. Colos iv and though I would not infer from that use of the Name as a late Author doth that this Order was not in the Apostles time (e) Preface to the History of the Regalia p. 14. yet I may justly note that no dishonour can be cast upon our Deacons or Ministers from this appellation that will not reflect upon Magistrates and our Lord also To which I may add Mr. Mede's observation that 't is not said they are Ministers of the people but of God and of Christ (f) See Medes Diatrib on 1 Cor. iv 1. Wherefore all the names of these Sacred Orders in Scripture are honourable and so are also the Offices signified by them and this may suffice for the inspired Books As to the Opinion and Practice of the Christians afterwards they could not but value the Priesthood at an high rate since they reckoned it so necessary to Religion that there could be no Church where there were no Priests (g) Ecclesia non est quòd non habet Sacerdotes Hier. adv Lucif c. 8. ita Theod. Valent. l. 20. in append ad Cod. Theodos And the famous Justinian hath recorded it in his Laws That the Kingdom and the Priesthood are the greatest gifts that the Divine Goodness hath given unto men (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin praef ad Auth. coll 1. Tit. 6. p. 11. but to go back to the earliest times Epiphanius cites ancient Authors affirming That St. James Bishop of Jerusalem after the manner of the Jewish High-Priest (i) Exod. xxviii 36. wore a golden Plate as a Diadem on his Head in token of his Royal Priestood (k) Epiphan Panar l. 1. T. 1. haer 29. l. 3. T. 2. haer 78. The like Ornament as Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus reports was used by St. John (l) Euseb Hist l. 5. c. 23. p. 141. And Baronius gives instances of the same thing used by Primitive Bishops who could not be supposed to do it out of Pride but to express the dignity of their Order (m) Baron Annal. An. 34. p. 240. which in times of persecution when it had no outward lustre nor secular support was honoured by the faithful and those holy Bishops were revered as the representatives of God and Christ Jesus Yea St. Ignatius an humble Bishop and an eminent Martyr requires Christians to obey their Bishop as Christ did his Father to observe and reverence the Presbyters as the Apostles of Christ and to respect the Deacons as the Ordinance of God (n) Vid. loc citat à D.H. Ham. dissert 2. c. 25. which is no more than our Saviour and St. Paul had intimated before (o) Luk. x. 16. 1 Thes iv 8. And so it was no new Doctrine of his It were endless to give instances of the strict observance of these Precepts by the devout Converts of that Age so that one or two may suffice The blessed Martyr St. Polycarp was so highly honoured by the people of Smyrna where he was Bishop that until the day of his Martyrdom he had never pulled off his own shooes every one striving who should do that office for him (p) Euseb Hist l. 4. c. 15. p. 97. and those of Antioch kissed the Hands and embraced the Feet of Meletius their Bishop (q) Chrysost de S. Melet Antioch T. 5. p. 539. The old and famous St Anthony the Hermit who lived in the times of Persecution though he wrought Miracles yet being not in Orders he used to bow his Head and humbly receive the Benediction of Bishops and Priests nor would he pray if but a Deacon were present but made him go before him in the Office (r) Athanas in Vit. D. Ant. Tom. 5. p. 508. And this Custom of bowing to beg the blessing of the Clergy and other very holy Men was so usual among Christians that the very Gentiles did it to St. Anthonys's Scholar St. Hilarion as St. Hierom in his life reports (s) Vit. S. Hilarion apud Hieron Tom. 1. p. 329. and the usage continued for many Ages both in the Eastern and Western Church to kiss the Clergies hands and kneeling to receive their blessing (t) Vid. Haberti observ in Pontifical Graec. Obs 7. p. 139. But I proceed and shall add that when Constantine became a Christian he was exemplary for honouring the Clergy for comming to the Council of Nice and seeing the Bishops rise to receive him he would not sit down in that venerable Assembly till the Fathers desired him (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb in Vit. l. 3. cap. 10. p. 363. and when the Council was ended He feasted them all in his Palace making divers of them sit at his own Table (w) Id. ibid. c. 14. p. 364. In after times St. Martin was placed next to the Emperor Maximus and his Presbyter sat between the Emperors Uncle and Brother at a Feast where many Nobles were present (x) Sulpic. Sever. vit D. Martini §. 23. p. 466. And it was believed a Judgment of God fell upon Valentinian the elder for not rising to that Bishop when he came to him (y) Idem in Dialogo §. 6. p. 537. I might also note that if Bishops sollicited Princes for the pardon of Criminals or on other occasions of Charity they used not to deny them And St. Martin is said rather to command it than intreat in such cases (z) Et si pro aliquibus supplicandum regi fuit imperavit potius quam rogavit Sulpic. Sever. vit §. 23. p. 465. But I shall rather observe that before there were Christian Magistrates the Apostles put the power of judging all causes among beleivers into the Governors of the Church (a) 1 Cor. vi 1. and 1 Tim. v. 19 20. who exercised this Power during the times of Persecution (b) Nam judicatur magno cum pondere c. Tertul. Apol. cap. 39. But when the Emperors became Christian the Bishops were by Law made Judges of all Spiritual Matters and of all Causes among their own Clergy (c) Sozom. Histor Eccles l. 1. cap. 9. p. 206.
these Seven who were all qualified as the Apostles required First Steven (s) Qui vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Menol. Anthol Graec. the chief and most eminent among them a Man full of Faith and zeal and inspired with extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost above the rest who all had such degrees of these gifts and graces as fitted them for this Office and therefore they elected Philip (t) Vide Act. viii 5 26 cap. xxi 8. and Procorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas (u) Vid. Apoc. ii 7. Ab eo orti sunt Nicolaitae Epiphan haer 25. Hieron ep 48. At ipsum inculpaâ—um asserunt Clem. Alex. Strom. 3. Euseb l. 3. c. 23. Theod. haeret Fab. l. 3. who was of Gentile Extraction a Proselyte converted first to the Jewish Religion and formerly of Antioch all which had deserved a good testimony and were then well known in the Apostolical College and divers of them afterward proved eminent in the Church Ver. vi These Seven are the Men whom they of the Synod elected and set before the Apostles who as Supream Rulers of the Church had the sole power of delegating a right to any that were to officiate therein And since the Office of Deacons was sacred necessary and to continue in the Church they solemnly admitted them in such manner as all others afterwards were to be admitted therefore when they had prayed earnestly to God for them they laid their hands upon them as the Jews were wont to do in their solemn Designations of any to Offices of Dignity and trust (w) Numb xxvii 18. and from this Precedent set by the Apostles here and afterwards all Ordinations in the Christian Church were made by Prayer and Imposition of Hands (x) Ordinatio Clericorum non solum ad imprecationem vocis sed ad impositionem impletur manus Hieron in Isai 58. Tom. 4. p. 421. And these two have been ever since accounted so necessary that no regular Ordination could be without them Ver. vii And God who directed the setting up this New Order gave it a good effect the Apostles having more leisure to make Converts and being sometimes assisted by the Deacons in these higher Ministries divers became Christians And the word of God was preached so frequently that the knowledge thereof encreased and the number of the Disciples by the accession of new Converts multiplied in that Church of Ierusalem greatly notwithstanding the malice and menaces of the Jewish Rulers So that abundance of the common people and a great company of the Priests (y) Male Beza dubitat de hoc loco cum omnes MSS. Graec. ita legunt themselves not only professed but were obedient to the Faith of Christ believing the Principles and practising the Duties of Christianity §. 9. Of the Oath of Supremacy Though the Form of this Oath in our Nation be no older than the dawning of our Reformation under King Henry 8. (z) Sub Henrico 8. primo introductum est juramentum primatûs Reg. Jacobi Apol. log p. 53. yet the thing is as old as Scripture History for the right of Kings which this Oath declares is set forth in God's Word where David and Solomon Hezekiah and Jehosaphat (a) 1 Chron. xxviii 21. 1 King ii 27. 2 Chron. viii 14 15. chap. xx 21. as Supream in the Ecclesiastical as well as in Civil Affairs made Laws in matters of Religion and the Priests as well as the People were subject unto them As to the putting it into the Ordination Office we will shew 1st The reasonableness thereof in general 2ly The particular reasons for giving it to the Clergy 3ly The occasion of introducing it here 1st That it is reasonable in general will appear from the consent of all mankind the modern Papists excepted that Kings are Supream in all sorts of Causes the Jews thought so as was shewed before and so did the Gentiles as the great Philosopher sufficiently declares in saying the King is Lord of all things that relate to the Gods (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Pol. l. 3. of which opinion also was a good old Pope who did not foresee the unjust claim of his Successors but owned that God had given the Emperor dominion over all Priests as well as Soldiers (c) Deus qui ei omnia tribuit dominari eum non solum Militibus sed etiam Sacerdotibus concessit Greg. l. 2. ep 64. a Doctrine taught long before by St. Chrysostom who says the Emperor was the Supream and Head of all things upon Earth (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Orat. de Stat. 2. p. 463. To which agree all those Titles that the Clergy gave Christian Princes or they claimed as their due Pope Eleutherius calls Lucius King of Britain The Vicar of God in his Kingdom (e) Epist Eleuther ad Luc. Spelm. Tom. 1. p. 34. King Edgar is called The Vicar of Christ in the Laws promulgated in his time (f) Leg. Hydens ibid. p. 438. and he stiles himself Pastor of the Pastors (g) Charta ejus apud Seld. notis in Eadmer p. 146. and in much later times before the Pope pretended to give the Kings of England this Title for defending the Roman Errors our Princes claimed it as a right inherent in their Crown to be the Defenders of the Faith (h) Fidei defensores sumus esse volumus Brev. Ric. 2. Reg. Eliens fol. 1384. and 't is very remarkable that the General Councils of Constantinople and Chalcedon used that very same stile as of right belonging to the Emperors Theodosius and Marcian (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Constant Bin. Tom. 2. Par. 1. p. 89. ita Concil Chalced. Act. 6. Bin. ibid. p. 269. and Leo Magnus Bishop of Rome calls the latter of these the Defender or Preserver of the Faith (k) Custos Fidei Leo M. ep 71. ad Anastas p. 415. Agreeably to which Pope Anastasius calls the Emperor of the same Name God's Vicar appointed in his stead to preside in the Earth (l) Epist Anastas Pap. ad Imperator Anastas Bin. ut supr p. 507. The like Titles were given by the Bishops in Councils to the Western Emperors for Charlemaign is stiled Ruler of the true Religion and Governor of God's holy Church (m) Concil Mogunt An. 813. in Praef. Bin. T. 3. Par. 1. §. 2. p. 196. his Son Lewis is also called The strenuous Ruler of the true Religion (n) Vid. ibid. An. 847. p. 372. But if any should object these are only Complements and do not prove that Princes were really Supream in all Causes I shall observe that they really exercised this Supream Authority for the Codes and Novels of Justinian Theodosius and other Emperors in the East the Capitulars of Charles the Great and his Successors in the West the Laws of our Saxon Danish and first Norman Kings abound with Statutes and Edicts concerning