pleasing of any particular man to withdraw you Which I speake lest peraduenture anie of my brethren hauing tasted the sweete liberality of the Laitie should seeke rather to fit their humors then to doe their owne dutie And heere I would exhort the common people to imploy their wits rather about matters of faith and repentance then to intermeddle with the rites of the Church for the kingdome of God consisteth not in these externall ceremonies but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holie Ghost They shall finde more comfort in praier to God in the works of charitie and mortifying the deedes of the flesh then in troubling themselues with such fruitlesse disputes And yet in some the minde transported with zeale growes verie violent like a fire in their bones And therefore hauing once this setled perswasion that our rites are vnlawfull they bend themselues with might and maine against them kindling and cherishing their owne opinions in others yea they will not spare their purses but incourage and inflame men with golden eloquence a verie potent kinde of perswasion but it is the shepherds dutie not to wander after the sheepe but to go before them like stars instructing them in the right waie so their zeale which now is misguided shall beâ— directed with knowledge and both pastor and flocke shall be precious in the eies of the Lord To conclude let vs all proceed by one rule that wee may minde one thing And the Lord of heauen blesse this land both Prince and people The Lord blesse this Church and the Ministers thereof O Lord in thy mercie make vp the rents and breaches of Sion O gracious father knit our hearts to thee and one to an other that we may loue and feare thy name and keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Grant this O God of all grace and peace for thy Sonne our blessed Sauiour his sake to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be rendred all praise glorie and maiestie in the Church from generation to generation Amen Plato in Euthyphr Caes. de bello Gall. lib. 4. Ioshua 22. Vers. 31. The intended scope of this Sermon The diuision Who spake these words To whom and vpon what occasion 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Rom. 15. 4. 1. Cor. 14. 3. 1. Cor. 14. passim v. 27. v. 29. v. 30 32. * Sparsim disseruerat de ritibus Caluinus in hunc locum See Caluin and Gualter vpon this place vz. verse 36. The explication of the words v. 34. 1 1. Cor. 10. 31. 2 1. Cor. 14. 16. 3 1. Cor. 10. 32. The general vse of this text * Regula est ad quam omnia quae ad externam 〈…〉 ibid. The first obseruation Heb. 9. 10. Leuit. 11. 7. 1 Cal. inst lib. 4. 3. 16. 2 Exod. 20. 8 Esay 58. 13. 3 Colos. 2. 16. 17. 4 Reu. 1. 10. * Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. 5 Matth. 28. 19. 20. 6 Luke 22. 19. 7 1. Cor. 11. 26. 8 1. Cor. 9. 16. 9 Matth. 26. 27. 29. 10 Cal. Inst. 4. 17. 43. 1 Gal. 1. 8. 2 Caluin In. 4. 10. 30. T. C. vide D. White Archb. tract 2. pag. 86. * Haec indifferentia sunt ecclesiae libertate posita Cal. Inst. 4. 17. 43. The second obseruation 4 Admon T. C. vide Arch. Whit. pag. 596. deinceps 5 Eccles. dis fol. 100. Si de colore agitur mibi quidem magis decorus niger color videtur 6 S. Edw. Cook de iure Regis eccl 7 Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 8 The third obseruation Rom. 13. 4. compared with Exod. 22. 20. Leuit 24. 16. Num. 15. 35. Deut. 13. 5. 18. 20. 9 Non permisit nobis vagam effrenemque licentiam sed cancelloâ— vt ita loquar circundedit Cal. in hunc locum 1 Gal. 5. 2. See Caluin vpon that place 2 Tertul. de coron militis cap. 3. 3 Greg. epist. lib. primo 41. In tribus merfionibus personarum trinitas in vna potes diuinitatis singularitas demonstrari 4 Insignum honestatis vitae Zipp poli eccles lib. 1. cap. 12. Symbolum innocentiae sanctitatis Zanch. de op redemp cap. 16. 1. Thes. 5. 22. 1 Ier. 8. 7. * Cicero de natura deor lib. secundo 2 Pro. 30. 27. 3 Cant. 4. 12. 4 1. Tim. 3. 15. 5 Cant. 6. 9. The fourth obseruation 6 Tametsi sint obseruatu necessariae de probis iustâ—s loquor c. Caâ—â— iust 4. cap. 10. s. 5. 7 1. Iohh 3. 5. 8 Colligere promptum est has posteriores ecclesiasticas non esse habendas pro humanis traditionibus quandoquidem fundaetae sint in hoc generali mandatâ— liquidam approbationem babent quasi ex ore Christi Cal. in 1. Cor. 14. inst 4. 10. 30. Zanch. in compendio loco 16. Bez ep 24. 9 Rom. 13. 1. 1 Treatise of ceremonies 2 Act for vniformitie 3 Where it is destitute of a commandement it may not presume by any decree to restraine that libertie vvhich the Lord hath giuen T. C. lib. 1. pag. 152. 4 Non enim iura dicenda sunt aut putanda iniqua hominum constituta August de Ciu. D. l. 19. cap. 21. Iustum dictum est quod iustum est Grat. dist 1. cap. 2. The fift obseruation The application 1 Sir Edw. Cooke de iure Reg. eccles folio 8. b. * Ibid. 2 Act for vniformitie 3 Anno 25. H. 8. 4 In the ratification of the Canons 5 1. Timot. 5. 22. 6 Titus 1. 5. 7 1 Tim. 1. 3. 8 Titus 15 〈◊〉 1 1. Tim. 5. 19. 2 1. Tim. 5. 22. 3 Homil. 2. in ep 2. ad Timoth. 4 Amb. de dignitate sacerdot cap. 3. 5 Can. 31. 6 Ibidem 7 Can. 34. 8 T. C. lib. 1. pag. 40. vide Arch. pag. 140. 1 Can. 34. 2 1. Tim. 5. 21. * Can. 36. 1 We agree of a prescript forme of praier to bee vsed in the Church T. C. See Whitg t. 9. pag. 489. 2 Wee also desire an vniforme order but such and in such sort as wee haue before declared T. C. See Whitg pag. 709. 3 Quod ad formulam precum rituum ecclesiast valde probo vt certa illa extet à qua pastoribus discedere in functione sua non liceat Cal. ad protect Angl. ep 87. 5 Cal. ep 200. In Anglicana liturgia qualem describitis multas esse video tolerabiles ineptias Iul. Apol. Lond. 1591. pag. 46. 170. Procl Regis pro vniformitate 4. Iac. 5. Mart. 1 Caluin ad protect Ang. anno 1548. Octobr. 22. Claudenda est etiam Ianua curiosis doctrinis Ratio autem expedita ad eam rem vna est si extet nen pe summa quaedam doctrinae ab omnibus recepta quaÌ„inter pradicandum sequantur omnes ad quam etiam obseruandam omnes episcopi parochi iureiurando adstririgantur vt nemo ad munus ecclesiasticum admittatur nisi spondeat illum
THE AVTHORITIE OF THE CHVRCH in making Canons and Constitutions concerning things indifferent And the obedience thereto required with particular application to the present estate of the Church of England Deliuered in a Sermon preached in the Greene yard NORWICH the third Sunday after Trinitie 1605. By FRAN. MASON Bacheler of Diuinitie and sometime fellovv of Merton College in Oxford And now in sundrie points by him enlarged EPH. 4. 3. Endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace LONDON Printed for IOHN NORTON 1607. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God RICHARD Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate and Metropolitane of all England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell c. THe loue and dutie which I owe to this Church of England most reuerend Father haue put into my hand this Oliue branch that is an exhortation to holy obedience and peaceable resolutions which alwaies haue beene the crowne and glorie of a Christian For when I pondered with my selfe how some of the Ministerie stand vnresolued and that as I take it because they doe not duly consider the nature of things indifferent and the dutie of a subiect to his Soueraigne I must confesse that my bowels of compassion were mooued and the fire of affection was kindled within me And therefore although many learned and iudicious men haue richly and plentifully handled this argument yet in commiseration of those my brethren I also haue aduentured to cast my poore mite into the treasurie hoping that as they walke amongst the fruitfull trees they will not disdaine to pull a little berrie from the lowest shrub The principall marke I shoote at is to doe my endeuour to settle the tender and trembling consciences of those which are not wedded to their owne conceits but haue bene carried away rather of weaknesse then of wilfulnesse that such of them as it shall please the Lord may be reduced to the Tabernacles of peace and follow the trueth in loue For alas who can but lament to see so many spend their short and precious time in such scandalous prosecution of ciuill contentions and some of them not altogether vnlike to Platoes Euthyphro who in his inconsiderate course went in all haste to accuse his own father But this Church God be thanked neuer wanted a Socrates to encounter and conuince them and make manifest to the world that they erred by misconstruction and vnaduised zeale O how much better had it beene to haue continued their labours in the Lords vineyard and by bending their vnited forces against Babylon to haue fought the Lords battails to the comfort of the godly who then might haue celebrated their triumph erected their trophae and decked their victorious heads with lawreall garlands O what a griefe ought this to be to their soules so to oppose themselues against such a learned and religious Church and so vnreuerently to traduce that holie Booke of Common Prayer a worke of so great and admirable excellencie concerning which I may truly affirme that it hath beene cut vp like an anatomie euery vaine of it hath beene opened euerie corner searched euery rubricke ransacked not a word but hath beene weighed in the ballance not a syllable but hath bene sifted to the vttermost and yet for all this like to the bridge of Caesar the more it is oppugned the stronger it stands The ceremonies wherof may aptly be resembled to the altar erected by the tribe of Reuben Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses vpon the passages of Iordan at which the rest of the tribes were grieuously offended imagining that it had beene for sacrifice But when they were truely informed that it was onely for a memoriall that they had a part in the God of Israel they were well content they blessed God and Phinehas said This day we perceiue the Lord is among vs because you haue not done this trespasse In like maner some of our brethren haue beene offended at our ceremonies vpon an erroneous imagination of Poperie and superstition but the Church of England hath often manifested her innocencie and cleared herselfe of those imputations And therefore we hope that one day their eies being opened and their soules satisfied they will with the Princes of Israel blesse God and say with Phinehas This day we perceiue that the Lord is among vs because you haue not done this trespasse For the furtherance whereof I doe in all humilitie present this Oliue branch vnto your Grace whose eminent wisedome and godly care in suppressing innouations and preseruing the well setled state of this flourishing Church is most apparent And therefore as God hath directed the heart of our religious Souereigne to establish you the chiefe Pastor and Father of our Church so I beseech the Almightie to vouchsafe this fruit to your labours that your Grace may see the weake resolued the wilfull relented the wandring reduced and all of them returned to the bosome of the Church like the Doue to the Arke with leaues of Oliue in their mouths in token that all gall and bitternesse being laid aside the swelling flouds of discord are asswaged Your Graces in all humble dutie FRANCIS MASON THE AVTHORITY of the Church in making Canons and Constitutions concerning things indifferent and the obedience thereto required c. 1. Corinth 14. 40. Let all things be done honestly and by order 1 MY heartie desire and praier is to Almightie God the Father of mercy that he would so blesse the Ministerie of the Church of England that we all being linked in loue as it were with chaines of adamant might with one heart and one hand religiously build the Temple of the Lord reuerently performe holy obedience to God and the Prince carefully keepe our selues vnspotted and vnstained of this present world and faithfully feed the flocke of Iesus Christ that depends vpon vs. The comfortable accomplishment wherof whosoeuer shall maliciously hinder let him take heed lest a fearefull curse from the God of Iacob come like water into his bowels and like oile into his bones but whosoeuer shall praie for the peace of Ierusalem peace be vpon him and mercy and vpon the Israell of God The furtherance of which blessings to the glory of Christ and the good of the Church men and brethren beloued in the Lord is the marke I aime at and the scope I intend that we all like obedient children may keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace 2 Now this present Sermon by Gods gracious assistance shall be diuided into two generall parts The first an explication The second an application a briefe application of the text and a more ample application of the text to the present estate of the Church of England of which two points in order beseeching the God of all grace and peace to grant vs a blessing 3 And first who spake these words It is plaine that the holy Apostle S. Paul And seeing the holy
part of a Preacher Should there haue beene a generall dissolution of parishes and fiue reduced to one Alas that had beene a wofull and lamentable reformation What then remaineth but onely that which the Church of England approoueth that is to be sparing in the former points and to admit some into the Ministery of meaner though tolerable sufficiencie till it please God that our famous Vniuersities which haue already furnished many may by Gods grace send out their crystall streames to water the rest of the land And surely it were to bee wished that some greater incouragement were giuen to learned men by encreasing their maintenance For alas it is notoriously knowne that manie Church liuings haue beene so pared to the quicke that now they are hardly able to yeeld vitall nourishment so sharpely haue they beene launced and lost their best bloud But God bee blessed who hath put into the heart of his Maiestie a holie endeuour to cure the Church of this consumption the father of mercy giue a blessing vnto it and the Lord grant that the Nobilitie and Gentrie of this land may follow his roiall example and that euerie one in his degree may set his heart and hand to the further building of the Lords Temple In the meane time I must needs say that there are not a few in the Vniuersities graue learned and vertuous which might be imploied abroad but onely that sundrie Patrons preferre a golden purse before a golden wit Wherein I would to God that such as are indued with right of presenting to spirituall promotions would consider what an honourable office is committed vnto them and what excellent seruice they may performe to the Church of God and let them withall call to minde what a fearefull account such shall one day make as cease not to preferre their priuate gaine before the publike good but suffer soules to perish through their negligent default or symoniacall sinne Two reasons may bee rendred for Patronages building the Church and mainteining the Minister in regard whereof this honour was granted to the lord of the soile in ancient time that hee alone should present the Clerke because he alone prouided for him In remembrance whereof the honour discended to posteritie and therefore you which enioy this right from your Noble progenitours as you succeed them in honour so succeed them in vertue and as they haue beene honourable founders so discharge you a good conscience and bee faithfull disposers And you which possesse the same dignitie though not by lineall discent yet by other lawfull interest it is your part to be good stewards and warily to discharge this Christian dutie according to that trust which the Church of Christ hath reposed in you So learning shall be nourished vertue aduanced religion flourish and out two famous Vniuersities shall be exalted like the cedars in Libanus and as the Cypres trees vpon the mountaines of Hermon They shall be faire as the Oliue tree and sweete as the Rose They shall bee fruitfull as the Vine and like the Terebinth shall stretch foorth their branches to the glory of God and consolation of his children But to returne to the present state of our Church it cannot bee denied but that God hath blessed this land with a great number of learned men aboue other nations yet seeing the number of parishes is exceeding great wee are constrained to tolerate some of meaner sufficiencie And yet the law requireth that euerie one to be admitted into the Ministerie should vnderstand the articles of religion not onely as they bee compendiously set downe in the Creed but as they are at large in our Booke of Articles neither vnderstand them onely but be able to prooue them sufficiently out of the Scripture And that not in English onely but in Latin also If it be obiected that there haue beene sundrie consecrated which are not thus qualified I confesse it may be true and it is a iust cause of lamentation but yet beloued this is not the fault of the law but of such as transgresse the law Now I speake in defence of the Lawes vnder which I liue If any whosoeuer shall transgresse the lawes let him answer for himselfe or beare his owne burthen that which is of God I would willingly defend but I am no patron of any mans iniquitie I will conclude this point with the charge S. Paul giueth to Timothy and in him to all other Bishops I testifie before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things without hastinesse of iudgement and doe nothing after partialitie Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes 17 And heere let mee aduise those Ministers which are no Preachers that they spend not their time idlely but endeuour by all meanes to grow in wisdome and grace lest they be a disgrace to that holy calling For there is no doubt but being at their entrance qualified as the law requireth if they shall marke what they reade publikely if they shall delight to reade the Bible priuately if they shall ioine some short and easie Commentarie if they shall informe their iudgements by introductions and institutions of Christian religion if they shal be willing to learne of such as can teach them and to teach such as ought to learne of them if they shall be diligent in Catechising if they shall delight in conference and meditate vpon the law of God day and night and withall bee deuout and feruent in praier there is no doubt I say but that God may so blesse their graine of mustard seed that it may grow into a goodly tree their sparkle that it may become a flame their drop that it may rise into a riuer and ouerflow like Nilus with her siluer streames Blesse O Lord these gracious beginnings and holy endeuours let them not be like the morning dew that drieth away but let them grow in grace and flourish more and more like the tree that is planted by the riuer side 18 After the examination is tendered Subscription and surely to the end that they which should teach other men obedience may be good subiects themselues it is expedient that they subscribe to the first article that is to the Princes Supremacie The second article consisteth of two branches the booke of Common Praier and the booke of Consecration Concerning the first though the admonition to the Parliament did formerly fancie a voluntarie and extemporall forme of Praier as the spirit should mooue a man yet the defender of the admonition agreeth with vs that there should be a prescript and vniforme order the obseruation of which vniformitie both in praier and ceremonie was long ago commended by Caluin to the Duke of Sommerset and therefore we are agreed vpon this generalitie But to come to particulars there was set out a booke of Common Praier in the beginning of King Edwards raigne which Alexander Alesius a learned man of Scotland