and offices in the Church that any one who reads the book of Ordination may see how justly they have merited their ejection out of the Church by having less conscience then Infidels among whom the bonds of covenant and vows are sacred yet these violate their oath break their faith evacuate their promise betraying that singular trust and charge which the Bishop doth repose in them when he consecrates their persons to so high a calling as Deacon and Priest which is done with that admirable solemnity to inforce the deeper impression of reverence and obedience to Ordination that which must needs prefer it above all other Ecclesiastical Ordinances Now let us hear what the Bishop giveth in to his Candidate when he ordains a Deacon or a Priest First he solemnly put them in mind of their duty the greatness of their office the danger and fearfull consequence that follows the neglect Book of Ord. p. 2. Have alwayes printed in your remembrance saith he how great a treasure is committed to your charge What treasure is this that is the souls of the people which are of more invaluable price then the treasures of many worlds for they be the sheepe of Christ which be bought with his death and for whom he shed his blood the Church and congregation whom you must serve is his Spouse and body if it chance the same Church or member thereof take any hurt or hinderance by reason of your negligence you know the greatness of the fault and also that horrible punishment doth ensue Can there any thing more divinely be uttered for the demonstration of a Ministers duty and the setting forth his charge with terror in case he should break the same which no doubt is a sin of that nature of provocation as not only draws him before the Ecclesiastical seat of Judicature whereby he will be judged worthy of deprivation but also before the judgement seat of God whereby he will be arraigned unto condemnation For if the breach of vows and promises is a sin contrary to the light and practice of the Gentiles who were faithfull performers of what they promised before their Gods and their Priests much more doth a Christian and a Minister offend the Almighty before whom and his Bishops and Presbyters he doth make a solemn vow at Ordination and then breaks it Let us hear further what he engages to Will you give your faithfull diligence saith the Bishop alwayes so to minister the doctrine and Sacraments and discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as the Realm hath received the same according to the commandment of God I will saith he by the help of God What shall we say of him that went out of the Church to spue before the consecration of the Sacrament because he had overcharged his stomack with drink hath not he broken his vow of ordination and is worthy of ejection Will you be diligent to frame and fashon your own selves and your families according to the doctrine of Christ and to make both your selves and your families as much as in you lyeth wholesome examples and spectacles to the flock of Christ Jesus I will saith the Priest apply my self the Lord being my help Certainly thou prophane man shalt be judged out of thy own mouth who hast been an example of wickedness a leader of the people to the gates of Hell and destruction who hast the keyes put into thy hands by ordination to open the doors of Heaven If this be suffered what conscience will the people have of their vows promises when they see the Priest or Deacon go away unpunished whose integrity of life being a condition whereby he is received into holy orders the wilfull breach thereof deserves no less upon proof then the degrading him from the work of the Ministry and forfeiting his living by scandall when he that breaks his trust in any civil office that he holds in the Kingdom is adjudged worthy of being displaced much more who beareth rule in the Church of God ought upon misbehaviour forthwith to be expelled 2. These scandalous Ministers have corrupted our Gentry and most ingenuous spirits in the Nation with speculative and practical Atheism that religion is esteemed a mockery and a subtill artifice of deceit to possess the people with Chimeraes fancies dotages of timerous men according to Lucretius Primus in orbe deos fecit timor that we are debarred from the sweet enjoyment of that lawfull liberty which otherwise we might use Are not their thoats a common sepulcher to issue out such unsavory speeches what is their ordinary discourse but Rablais language to confirm one another in liberty and Atheism and when Gentlemen see a Ministers vitious life so diametrically opposite to his doctrine though he preaches the judgement of hell Gods wrath and eternal damnation yet not scrupling to commit the same sins against which he thunders forth judgement what can they believe but that he is a religious Mountebanck and juggler and speaks out of the Pulpit as from his stage to get money of the people and he only preacheth ex officio to receive his tithes and profits is not this the common exprobration of Gentry against Ministers and grown proverbiall in the mouthes of the people that let them sharpen their doctrine and reproof with never so keen an edge of their spirituall sword yet they can dull its encounter from any powerfull execution with this ready answer O Doctor intus respice labium tuum fac quod dicis operare quod praedicas and in the words of the Apostle Rom. 2.21 Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou which preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal That sayst a man shall not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery that makest thy boast of the law dost thou dishonour God that his name is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Let us mark our ingenious-spirits in the countrie how they are chiefly led aside and corrupted where they have a debauched Ministry in their parish by whom they justifie their mispending of precious time and palliate the crimes of drinking idle talking and common swearing with the Apology of their example and this prodigality of time with their estates dribling away in cups to the destruction of their families and dishonour of their persons they christen in their drink with the excellent name of Society good fellowship and liberall fruition of each other as if there was not a more generous way of enjoyment both for free communication and diversion of pleasure and delight then in a paltry Ale-house the common receptacle of infamous and vile persons who have no other Sanctuary for their revelling to form a discourse sutable to the liberty and extravagancy of the place is not the Theme commonly betwixt him and the Minister who must conform himself to his Patrons humor either obscene idle and misbecoming both or else Atheisticall profane Celsian and Julian like scoffing at the austerity and
CENSVRA CLERI OR A PLEA Against Scandalous MINISTERS Not fit to be restored to the Churches Livings in point of Prudence Piety and Fame By a true Lover of the Church of England in Doctrine Ceremony and Discipline ROMANS 2.24 The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you S. Bern in coen Dom. Ser. fol. 1683. Non enim provenit dignitas in hoc nomine quod est Sacerdos non inquam nomine sed unitate conversatione non officio merito non vocabulo Sanctitate non ministerio LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Blackspread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1660. Censura Cleri OR A Plea against Scandalous Ministers not fit to be restored to the Churches Livings FOR Sion sake I cannot hold my peace who am a true lover of the Church of England in its doctrine ceremony and discipline I believe the purest and Apostolical of any Christian Church in the world O my bowels my bowels are troubled within me When I saw the violent endeavours of some who should be more tender of the Churches welfare peace and honour that profess themselves true sons of it yet their actings do manifest the contrary so incongruous to the principles of reason piety and prudence that in the just restoration of orthodox holy and learned men into their spiritual livings and promotions they would restablish the wicked debauched Clergy who are notoriously scandalous and have been the overthrow of our most glorious Church the reproach of Protestant Religion and the just odium of the people in this Nation that I wonder as St. Austin could not be restrained from writing his excellent Notions of the City of God quippe zelo domus Dei exardescens because he was inflamed with the zeal of Gods house that I see not many Pens taken as it were from the wings of a Seraphim and inflamed with a coal from the Altar to declare their zeal for the Temple of God against drunkards swearers prohane persons who should be scourged out as they were deservedly by Cromwell that flagellum Dei the rod of Gods correction upon the Nation and overthrown as the buyers and sellers and money-changers nay the gates thereof as of Paradise should be shut up against them that they never offer sacrifice of polluted lips more who have caused the offering of the Lord to be abhorred in the Sanctuary like Elies sons What though they were erected by an extraneous power which judged in the throne of Gods Church as well as in the Courts of civil judicature over his Majesties subjects yet the persons of such Clergy known so infamously scandalous that the Countrey ringed with the common fame of their vices witnesses many produced to attest the reality of their crimes that they were not forged calumniations and still are in readiness to assert the same upon oath shall we in all haste restore them before the matters of charge be cleared whereof they still still stand accused As I saw then their deprivations from their livings was not much judged their very Friends being ashamed to solicite their cause before an Usurped power so their present restitution in the countrey to their places is so far from being desired that the very nameing of their return is so odious to the people that it cannot be heard with any patience I speak of such Clergy as have been deprived purely upon the account of scandall by the pretended Act of Cromwell as for common drinking swearing and carding and dicing in an Ale-house or in other publike houses and not of those who were wickedly thrust out of their livings for the constant tenure of a good Conscience adhering to their principle of Loyalty to the King and obedience to the established orders of the Church so that if there shall be a promiscuous reduction of them all into their Churches without any special note of discrimination upon them who are worthy and who are not who sufficient for the Ministry and who are not but all rush in a croud to the Churches Patrimony and celebrate her sacred offices wicked and ungodly with their unsanctified lips and hands to offer up sacrifices for the people as if the flood gates were let open to irreligion and prophaness upon this change for debauched livers to swim in the Sea of their former lust and pleasure and not the way open to piety strictness and order amongst all ranks of men and Ministers especially if this be the fruits of Gods mercies and deliverances to us which have been wonderfull to the acknowledgement of our enemies we must not expect a blessing from heaven upon the Nation nor the long continuance of our Church in its excellent constitution but as Hooker observed it had but the Age of a man in its best estate when it flourished with the outward riches of honour and glory to the envy and admiration of other Nation we may fear it will live but the day of an infant that is unnaturally born when it shall cherish and nourish such monsters and Vipers in its brest as scandalous Ministers to feed upon her milk who will afterwards with more cruelty then Nero not only detest but eat out the very bowels of this their tender Mother The reasons which should induce then all honest Sons of the Church of England for the present stop and admission of such injustice especially they which are in Authority and have their daily emanation from the Head of our gracious Soveraign to cherish and enliven their just actions and Counsels for the happy establishment of our Church and Kingdom let them impartially weigh the merit of the cause in the ballance of reason justice and conscience and then it will appear I hope to their full satisfaction for piety sake prudence fame and our Churches honour they should not be restored but at present suspended untill a reexamination of their case before a lawfull Authority is made to have the depositions of the same witnesses upon their oaths who are ready to appear and who should seem against this Christian proposall which savours so much of equity I know not but all men are rather bound to have wickedness brought to light and that which is the work of the devil to shame and confusion considering the nature of offence in a Minister who is a publike person doth draw a reproach upon religion and the heavenly calling he hath taken upon him that his ejection from the Church when he hath ministred a just scandall to the people instead of a good example is but a punishment commensurate with his crime that deserves no less then deprivation if not a totall exclusion ab officio beneficio while he lives of which we shall speak more fully afterwards 1. Because such have violated and broken their sacred vow and promise at their ordination when they were made Deacons and Priests by the Bishop and this doth so evidently appear by the solemn charge that the Bishop doth impose upon their calling into these degrees
was deprived ab officio beneficio and fined a good sum of money besides was he admonished before he was put out of all no because his crime was of that scandalous nature that the Archbishop called him a Son of Belial he had no such act of favour as admonition Eli thought that might expiate his Sons wickedness when he reproved them for misbehaving themselves so scandalously in the Priests office but God accepted not of this purgation of their sin but brought a judgement upon the old mans house for ever 1 Sam. 2.32 So the incestuous man by St. Pauls letter of excommunication was put away immediately 1 Cor. 5.13 The rule is excellent in this case Si quidem mediocre est peccatum monere suspendere paenitentia ei dare tempus ut in meliorem ordinem sacrum mox revertatur ad semetipsum Justin Tit. 17. N. 134. if it be a mean offence then to admonish and suspend him for it and give him time for repentance untill following a better course he returns to himself again What are mean offences shall we say common drinking swearing whoring or such like God forbid he that makes no conscience to defile his soul with these sins Peccata conscientiam vastantia which lay waste the conscience it is not fit he should have the government of other mens souls and consciences committed to him and though he may shew some outward signs of repentance and reformation afterward for which let him receive due encouragement by his attendance on some inferiour office as the Priests did of old and have some competent maintenance for his labour yet it is not fit he should be intrusted with the same charge he had before no more then he who hath falsly and corruptly behaved himself in a place of the Common-wealth should be continued in it nor upon his outward shew of more honest carriage to minister in any other then an inferiour office Then let us consider seriously who fear and tremble at the judgement of God who hath afflicted us many years for our sin first beginning at his own house then going to the house of our King and visiting all our families with plagues as he did Aegypt if we harden our hearts against the sense of his former judgements because we live under the fruition of present mercies if we know not how to improve these stupendious providences that he hath wrought with his own arm and by the hand also of our professed enemies who have long trodden upon our necks but now they bow their sheaf to us we must expect if we return to our old profaness riots wantonness and liberty in our carriage that sin will drive our Jordan back from us in all its pleasant streams if we soar too high with waxen wings we shall melt before the Sun our only care is to be examples of great strictness watchfulness and circumspection of our lives labour that above all orders of men the Clergy which is the peculiar tribe beloved of God be in nothing blamed but that such who are a scandall to their calling be punished according to the discipline of former times and that we follow those rules of strictness which the holy Scripture the laws of our Church and the Canons of Antient times hath enjoyned St. Paul sets forth the qualities of being blameless which might be a sufficient word comprehending all 1 Tim. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie faultless for there are no such in the world but a man that is not tainted with any common blemish of scandal so he is not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is given to wine not only to be free from drunkenness but from frequent drinking vino assidens ad perpotandum Calv. in loc saith Guhard a Tavern Stake sitting close to his cups tipling is forbidden non ebrietatem sed quamvis intemperiem in vino ingurgitando saith Calvin not only drunkenness but intemperate guttling of wine the Apostle knowing what follows the disorder of immoderate drinking commands in the next place that he should be no striker cognata vitia sunt vinolentia violentia as one saith these two are cosen germans drinking and fighting when wine fumes into the head the quarrell begins above all other these are most unbeseeming the profession of a Minister yet the Church of England takes notice of other crimes that are adjudged scandalous by her The book of reformation of Ecclesiasticall Laws that was begun to be compiled in Henry the eighths reign and after carried on to a perfection in Edward 6. by whom it was confirmed with the approbation of such Bishops as were godly Martyrs of the Church after we find written therein concerning our Clergy Non sint compotore non Aleatores non aucupes non venatores non Sycophantae non otiosi aut supini sed sacrarum literarum studiis praedicationi orationi incumbant They must not be good fellows dicers hawkers hunters nor Sycophants idle neligent persons but apply themselves to the study of holy Scrptures and to meditation and prayer so we may see how strict our first reformers from Popery were so far from indulging gross scandals as not to suffer the lawfull recreations of hunting and hawking among Clergy men who should be examples to refrain from such idle pleasures as others might enjoy And to shew how agreeable was the constitution of our Church to the strictness of primitive times unto which it was excellently framed by the Prelates thereof we find those times enforcing great severity of behaviour in the Clergy above all other which was the occasion I suppose of those strict laws of our Church An. Dom. 364. Laodic concil can 54. Non licere clericis ludicris spectaculis interesse It is not lawull for Clergy men to be present at stages-playes Non Christanorum comessalibus interesse nor present at common feasts of Christians Can. 53. In Christianorum non saltetur nuptiis Can. 5. he must not dance at weddings Nic. concil can 18. Clericus usurarius deponatur An usurer who is a Clergy man must be deposed from his office Quadragesimam non jejunans deponatur Lib. Conc. can 20. this is to be understood in case he had his health or otherwise he might break Lent Conc. Antioch can 1. Being convicted of scandal no appeal should be made to the Emperour by the Council of Antioch Since that we are now rebuilding our spiritual temple after so long a captivity of twenty years that it hath been laid waste by Gods judgement on us and made an abomination of desolation for our profaness liberty scandal transgression both of humane and divine laws which very sins were the occasion of the destruction of the Jews Temple and City as Josephus tells us let us with all our diligence now the stones are to be gathered up not build our new City and Temple with any other materials then are precious stones that is just holy righteous and truly religious men of sanctified lives that we may have the same divine policy of Presbyterians only differing in the better end proposed that what they do out of faction and gaining a greater party to themselves as Dr. Taylor saith we may out of conscience shew that Episcopal men are of strict severe course of life and as zealous to keep off scandal from our Church and sacred Ordinances as they are and never let us think that God will bless our Church to continue it in peace unity and glory unless we vigorously put in execution its former laws of discipline and the Clergy be exemplary in piety above all others that they live like the primitive Christians whose lives excelled the strictest laws of the Empire So theirs must excell the laws of their order and in the mean time keep out scandalous men from blemishing their society if otherwise we build our Temple the building will be but in vain when we think to re-edifie it by the ministery of the same hands which have pulled it down FINIS
resurrection having a spirit of life put into them by the vigorous breathings of a gracious Prince judge and condemn those notoriously scandalous or insufficient and set free the innocent and guiltless a judging and reexamining there should be of every mans case or else the sin of not judging such wicked offenders will still be a provocation of God against the Nation and intolerable shame and ignominy fall upon the Church and precious Clergy The Church hath never spared but inflicted punishment on lesser crimes whensoever they are proved not only for incontinency swearing drinking but less offences have no countenance from the Church but are absolutely condemned So exemplary a strictness would it impose upon the Clergy to be patterns of imitation to all others Deponatur clericus qui in caupona cibum sumpserit Carantza Can. Ap. 54. Let a Clergy man be deposed for eating in a common victualling house viz. as the Comment instances it unless it be upon an extraordinary case of a journey Laodic Conc. Can. 24. The Laodicean Council saith Nullus Ecclesiasticorum in tabernis comedere debeat No Clergy man should eat in Taverns why so but because they are scandalous places for them to frequent drawing the same Infamy as if they went into Stews and Brothell houses because they are places of bad report doth it not indeed represent a shamefull aspect of disgrace upon the whole cloth to behold a Minister cupping and piping with the vulgar people or the gentry of a dissolute life what is it but to draw the same reproach upon Christianity Tertull. Apol. cap. 13. as Tertullian writes of the Heathens who carried the images of their gods into Ale-houses that Religion may beg an alms there Who doth so lively represent the image of God in his calling office sanctity and purity as a Minister who speaks in persona Christi 2 Cor. 5.20 that men would be reconciled from their sin to the fear of God and shall this be a drunken swearing image wanton and unclean as if the god whom it Symbolizeth with were Bacchus or Priapus or Florus Oh let us purge out all scandalous gods For amongst the idolatrous priests of Jeroboam who were scraped into the office of Priesthood ex faece populi from the dregs of the most inferior people so men more prone to gross vices yet we find them not Drunkards Whoremasters and common Swearers for then few would have been induced by their example to worship the Calves of Dan and Bethel much less in the number of Christs Apostles do we find any other but one Son of Perdition Jerom. in Mat. 26. who was as S. Jerom speaks Scandalum Christi omnium Apostolorum the scandal of Christ and all his Apostles but it had been better for him never to have been born then to have brought that Scandal into the world Such an exact behavior there was among the primitive Christians in their times unspotted from vice Tertuli apol cap. 44. that Tertulliam appeals to the Registers of the Heathens for the unreproachable testimony of their integrity of all the malefactors brought before you is there any of them accused of murder robbery or sacriledge or can you tax them of smaller crimes that their life is like other prisoners that is in intemperance rudeness unchastity gluttony No surely we find not the common sort of Christians blemishing their professions with odious sins much less their Bishops or Priests which the Heathens would have taken notice of so highly that what was accounted a mote of offence in the least disordered conversation of a Christian was a beam of great magnitude in a Minister and by the Churches censure would undoubtedly be suspended if not utterly deprived of his office And this was indeed the very opinion and practice of the Gentiles from the very light of nature and reason who thought their Priests no longer worthy to celebrate mysteries and holy things or to continue in the office of priesthood Rosin Antiq then they approved themselves to be of unblamable life that if the Vestall Virgin suffers her chastity to be defloured she is not only discharged of her office from serving at the sacred fires but for her Scandall put to a cruell Death 4. It must be acknowledged that scandalous Ministers have turned the hearts of the people from Episcopacy and the established orders of the Church who otherwise would have entirely loved them but through offence of their scandall who were Episcopal did prejudice their judgements with a dislike of whatsoever they commended that they would rather embrace any other form of Church government Presbyterian or Independent then this which is so ancient and proper and deducible from the Apostolicall times because the people are more led by the Authority of example then reason both in Religious and Civil matters following the president of pious upright men and those especially that bear the outward shew of holiness above others as how were they bewitched with the seeming sanctity of the Scribes and Pharisees their painted Sepulchers and washed Pots their hypocriticall zeal of prayer in the streets A Heretick of a severe life shall Arius-like from one spark set the whole world on fire That it concerns the Orthodox to shine in eminency of piety as well as they and to exceed them in lustre and brightness as the Sun doth the Stars and the Stars the poor Glowworms 1 King 2.26 Abiathar must be put out and Zadock take his office because iniquity was found in him and the other was righteous according to his Name the Lord signifying by Zadock what a righteous Ministry he will establish and no other in his Church so were all the Apostles and seventy disciples except Judas the Traitor and is not this righteousness sutable to their calling and imployment they attend who are to offer up prayers and supplications for the Church that as it is well observed by S. Cyprian he that is imployed to prefer the Petitions of many to a King must be one specially chosen that is a Favourite of the Prince or else the Petitioners may go without audience and relief So for the offering the Congregations Petitions and solemn requests to the King of heaven and earth its necessary he should be chosen one who is in grace and favour with God for his righteousness of life and not a drunkard or debauched person to whom God may say What hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth And indeed as such Priests were formerly debarred of their service who had fallen into gross sins and put into inferiour offices because they had gone astray there is the same reason of excepting against a scandalous mans Ministry that he shall not be permitted in the celebration of high mysteries as prayer and intercession and the administration of the Sacraments but put into some inferior service as the Church shall think fit if it should bring back the ancient orders of Lectores acolouthi
c. Rather then they should attend these other grand administrations for God saith directly of those Priests that had gone astray from their office Ezek. 44.13 They shall not come near unto me to do the office of a priest nor come near to any of my holy things in the most holy place what then were they to do The inferior parts of the service to keep the charge of the door kill and flay the skin and prepare the beast for sacrifice for which they should have a competency of allowance as the Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.36 Such a piece of silver and a morsell of Bread that may supply their condition from extream poverty What else but this can be gathered from the Apostles words 1 Tim. 5.17 the Elder that rules well is worthy of double honour that is an honourable maintenance for his work and a due reverence to his Person and calling Are all deserving this No only he that rules well without blame giving no offence and taking heed to the flock that is committed to him if he rule ill let him have but the single honour of necessary maintenance because he is worthy of the greatest shame that vilifies the order of Evangelical Priest-hood with the disgrace of his example that as St. Jerom speaks virtus ubique honoretur vitium deturpetur vertue must be honoured everywhere Jerom. in Jac. c. 2. but vice disgraced especially in a Minister who should be like St. John Baptist a burning and a shining light to others yet is a pillar of cloud and darkness to obscure the way to heaven when he alienates the affections of people from the love of the Church its peace unity order from obedience to its constitutions when he is a Son of disobedience himself by his life he is neither worthy of honour nor continuance in his place but in an inferiour rank and order 5. In point of prudence and fame as the present junctures of affairs stand they ought not to be re-admitted who are so notoriously wicked knowing how many enemies of potent factions this poor Church and Kingdom hath who watch for all advantages to excite the people into rebellion and disobedience against his Majesty and desire no better pretences to shake the foundations of our peace and safety and to unsettle the frame of our civil and Ecclesiasticall government then the old exclamations that scandalous and corrupt practices are tolerated in the Church profaness is countenanced when not punished good men discouraged when bad men are preferred formality only and shew of religion is set up but the power of godliness is extinguished Hor. Satyr 3. urgeris turba circum te stante we cannot step aside but the clamour of common people thus sounds in our ears as if most conscientious and strict men would be laid aside and many regular and orthodox who are placed by Patrons shall now be displaced by deboist and ignorant persons what comfort will redound to the people what honour to the Church what glory to Almighty God in their return who have been the instruments of shame and confusion to the Churches former happy estate and no doubt but will bring a second desolation upon it if we are not carefull how to establish things piously and prudentially and shall not the wing of fame upon whatsoever extreme we run into as we are apt through the liberty God hath put into our hands carry our errors aloft with multiplied aggravations unto the Protestant Churches abroad some of which being haters of our well established government would be glad of any evil reports that fly abroad to the dishonour of our Island the traducing of Episcopacy and confirming the opinion of the more moderate sort of Presbyterians that since there is no plat-form of government directly laid down in the word of God Presbyters they say is the best established government in the Church they are sure if not for the remedy of schism yet for the punishment of sinners and scandalous offendors Let no man through favour or affection therefore extenuate a Clergy mans offences when they are gross and odious or save them from the suffering the just reward of their sin who as they have merited no less at the hands of God whose judgements are right so no less at the hands of Tyrants which are Gods instruments to punish sin where the lawfull power is debarred both in Church and State And would to God since our eyes are blessed in the sight of a hopefull flourishing Church and Kingdom that the antient Ecclesiastical censures pennances injunctions suspensions deprivations and excommunications were restored to their primitive use that offenders of all sises may be punished but Clergy men especially with rigour that the name of God may not be blasphemed any longer through them since now we have an authority which no man can except against I know it will be said that many a man hath been cast out for scandal that was was unblamable So indeed was the unjust process of the Tryers it cannot but be confessed whose cause ought to be heard over again and in conscience he should be restored but shall even such notorious offenders over whom Constantine said Paludamento se obtecturum he would cast over his cloak to hide their shame be pleaded for when the voice of Town and Countrey shall tell you that they are common drunkards fornicators swearers and pittifully insufficient for the work of the Ministry if you will but bring them to a tryal It is most true they had not competent Judges no more had any other malefactors and evil doers which were deservedly condemned for their crimes proved by witnesses upon their oaths against them or else what living had there been for men under a tyrannicall power is not here the same case There wanted the outward form of a Judge but the matter is evidently proved against them that it was intolerable such men should be continued if competent Judges must invalidate all proceedings for this twelve years I wonder why all the suites and tryals of Law should be confirmed that have been I know many also are of this judgement that these should be admonished before put out of their livings and if they be admonished now before the Bishop for their scandall it is sufficient I must needs answer that some crimes of Ministers fall rightly under admonition reproof and Ecclesiastical censure to punish the offence but others are of that Nature as deserve immediate expulsion from the Church for holding so sacred an Office as in the Ministry according to that canon of the Apostles Clericus in fornicatione deprehensus deponatur Apost can 25. A Clergy man taken in fornication let him be put aside his office have not some been proved guilty of this crime and shall they be restored to the Church in light offences we must admonish but in great punish greatly and have we not for this the practise of the Church of England when Williams Bishop of Lincoln