a place of continual servile toil could not suddenly be wained and drawn unto contrary offices without some strong impression of terror and also for that there is nothing more needful then to punish with extremity the first transgressions of those Laws that require a more exact observation for many ages to come therefore as the Jews superstitiously addicted to their Sabbaths rest for a long time not without danger to themselves and obloquy to their very Law did afterwards perceive and amend wisely their former Error not doubting that bodily labors are made by accessity venial though otherwise especially on that day rest be more convenient So at all times the voluntary scandalous contempt of that rest from labor wherewith publiclkly God is served we cannot too severely correct and bridle The Emperor Constantine having with over-great facility licenced Sundays labor in Country Villages under that pretence whereof there may justly no doubt sometime consideration be had namely left any thing which God by his providence hath bestowed should miscarry not being taken in due time Leo which afterwards saw that this ground would not bear so general and large indulgence as had been granted doth by a contrary Edict both reverse and severely censure his Predecessors remissness saying We ordain according to the true meaning of the Holy Ghost and of the Apostles thereby directed That on the Sacred day wherein our own integrity was restored all do rest and surcease labor That neither Husband-man nor other on that day put their hands to forbidden works For if the Iews did so much reverence their Sabbath which was but a shaddow of ours are not we which inhabit the Light and Truth of Grace bound to honor that day which the Lord himself hath honored and hath therein delivered us both from dishonor and from death Are we not bound to keep it singular and inviolble well contenting our selves with so liberal a grant of the rest and not incroaching upon that one day which God hath chosen to his own honor Were it not wretchless neglect of Religion to make that very day common and to think we may do with it as with the rest Imperial Laws which had such care of hallowing especially our Lords day did not omit to provide that other Festival times might be kept with vacation from labor whether they were days appointed on the sudden as extraordinary occasions fell out or days which were celebrated yearly for Politick and Civil considerations or finally such days as Christian Religion hath ordained in Gods Church The joy that setteth aside labor disperseth those things which labor gathereth For gladness doth always rise from a kinde of fruition and happiness which happiness banisheth the cogitation of all want it needeth nothing but onely the bestowing of that it hath in as much as the greatest felicity that felicity hath is to spred and enlarge it self it cometh hereby to pass that the first effect of joyfulness is to rest because it seeketh no more the next because it aboundeth to give The Root of both is the glorious presence of that joy of minde which riseth from the manifold considerations of Gods unspeakable Mercy into which considerations we are led by occasion of Sacred times For how could the Jewish Congregations of old be put in minde by their weekly Sabbaths what the World reaped through his goodness which did of nothing create the World by their yearly Passover what farewel they took of the Land of Egypt by their Pentecost what Ordinances Laws and Statutes their Fathers received at the hands of God by their Feast of Tabernacles with what protection they journeyed from place to place through so many fears and hazards during the tedious time of forty years travel in the Wildeness by their Annual solemnity of Lots how near the whole Seed of Israel was unto utter extirpation when it pleased that Great God which guideth all things in Heaven and Earth so to change the counsels and purposes of men that the same Hand which had signed a Decree in the opinion both of them that granted and of them that procured it irrevocable for the general massacre of Man Woman and Childe became the Buckler of their preservation that no one hair of their heads might be touched The same days which had been set for the pouring out of so much innocent blood were made the days of their execution whose malice had contrived the plot thereof and the self-same persons that should have endured whatsoever violence and rage could offer were employed in the just revenge of cruelty to give unto blood-thirsty men the taste of their own Cup or how can the Church of Christ now endure to be so much called on and preached unto by that which every Dominical day throughout the year that which year by year so many Festival times if not commanded by the Apostles themselves whose care at that time was of greater things yet instituted either by such Universal Authority as no Men or at the least such as we with no reason may despise do as sometime the holy Angels did from Heaven sing Glory be unto God on High Peace on Earth towards Men good Will for this in effect is the very Song that all Christian Feasts do apply as their several occasions require how should the days and times continually thus inculcate what God hath done and we refuse to agnize the benefit of such remembrances that very benefit which caused Moses to acknowledge those Guides of Day and Night the Sun and Moon which enlighten the World not more profitable to nature by giving all things life then they are to the Church of God by occasion of the use they have in regard of the appointed Festival times That which the head of all Philosophers hath said of Women If they be good the half of the Commonwealth is happy wherein they are the same we may fitly apply to times Well to celebrate these Religious and Sacred days is to spend the flower of our time happily They are the splendor and outward dignity of our Religion forcible Witnesses of Ancient Truth provocations to the Exercises of all Piety shaddows of our endless Felicity in Heaven on Earth Everlasting Records and Memorials wherein they which cannot be drawn to hearken unto that we teach may onely by looking upon that we do in a manner read whatsoever we believe 72. The matching of contrary things together is a kinde of illustration to both Having therefore spoken thus much of Festival Days the next that offer themselves to hand are days of Pensive Humiliation and Sorrow Fastings are either of mens own free and voluntary accord as their particular devotion doth move them thereunto or else they are publickly enjoyned in the Church and required at the hands of all men There are which altogether disallow not the former kinde and the latter they greatly commend so that it be upon extraordinary occasions onely and
end It behoveth that the place where God shall be served by the whole Church be a publick place for the avoiding of Privy Conventicles which covered with pretence of Religion may serve unto dangerous practises Yea though such Assemblies be had indeed for Religions sake hurtful nevertheless they may easily prove as well in regard of their fitness to serve the turn of Hereticks and such as privily will soonest adventure to instill their poyson into mens minds as also for the occasion which thereby is given to malicious persons both of suspecting and of traducing with more colourable shew those Actions which in themselves being holy should be so ordered that no man might probably otherwise think of them Which considerations have by so much the greater waight for that of these inconveniences the Church heretofore had so plain experience when Christian men were driven to use Secret Meetings because the liberty of Publick places was not granted them There are which hold that the presence of a Christian multitude and the Duties of Religion performed amongst them do make the place of their Assembly publick even as the presence of the King and his Retinue maketh any mans House a Court But this I take to be an errour in as much as the only thing which maketh any Place publick is the publick assignment thereof unto such Duties As for the Multitude there assembled or the Duties which they perform it doth not appear how either should be of force to insuse any such Prerogative Not doth the solemn Dedication of Churches serve only to make them publick but farther also to surrender up that right which otherwise their Founders might have in them and to make God himself their Owner For which cause at the Erection and Consecration as well of the Tabernacle as of the Temple it pleased the Almighty to give a manifest sign that he took possession of both Finally it not fiâ—th in solemn manner the Holy and Religious use whereunto it is intended such Houses shall be put These things the wisdom of Solomon did not account superfluous He knew how easily that which was meant should be holy and sacred might be drawn from the use whereunto it was first provided he knew how bold men are to take even from God himself how hardly that House would be kept from impious profanation he knew and right wisely therefore endeavoured by such Solemnities to leave in the minds of men that impression which might somewhat restrain their boldness and nourish a reverend affection towards the House of God For which cause when the first House was destroyed and a new in the stead thereof erected by the Children of Israel after their return from captivity they kept the dedication even of this House also with joy The Argument which our Saviour useth against Prophaners of the Temple he taketh from the use whereunto it was with Solemnity consecrated And as the Prophet Ieremy forbiddeth the carrying of Burdens on the Sabbath because that was a Sanctified day So because the Temple was a Place sanctified our Lord would not suffer no not the carriage of a Vessel through the Temple These two Commandements therefore are in the Law conjoyned Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Santuary Out of those the Apostles words Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in albeit Temples such as now were not then erected for that exercise of Christian Religion it hath been nevertheless not absurdly conceived that he teacheth what difference should be made between House and House that what is fit for the Dwelling Place of God and what for Mans Habitation be shewethâ— requireth that Christian men at their Own home take Common food and in the House of the Lord none but that food which is heavenly he instructeth them that as in the one place they use to refresh their Bodies so they may in the other learn to seek the nourishment of their Souls and as there they sustain Temporal life so here they would learn to make provision for Eternal Christ could not suffer that the Temple should serve for a place of Mart not the Apostle of Christ that the Church should be made an Inne When therefore we sanctifie or hallow Churches that which we do as ooly to testifie that we make them Places of publick resort that we invest God himself with them that we sever them from Common uses In which action other Solemnities than such as are decent and fit for that purpose we approve none Indeed we condemn not all as unmeet the like whereunto have either been devised or used haply amongst Idolaters For why should conformity with them in matter of Opinion be lawful when they think that which is true if in action when they do that which is meet it be uot lawful to be like unto them Are we to forsake any true Opinion because Idolaters have maintained it or to shun any requisite action only because we have in the practise thereof been prevented by Idolaters It is no impossible thing but that sometimes they may judge as tightly what is decent about such external affairs of God as in greater things what is true Not therefore whatsoever Idolaters have either thought or done but let whatsoever they have either thought or done idolatrously be so far forth abhorred For of that which is good even in evil things God is Author 13. Touching the names of Angels and Saints whereby the most of our Churches are called as the custome of so naming them is very antient so neither was the cause thereof at the first nor is the use and continuance with us at this present hurtful That Churches were consecrated unto none but the Lord only the very General name it self doth sufficiently shew is as much as by plain Grammatical construction Church doth signifie no other thing than the Lords House And because the multitude as of Persons so of things particular causeth variety of Proper names to be devised for Distinction sake Founders of Churches did herein that which best liked their own conceit at the present time yet each intending that as oft as those Buildings came to be mentioned the name should put men in mind of some memorable thing or person Thus therefore it cometh to pass that all Churches have had their names some as memorials of peace some of wisdom some in memory of the Trinity it self some of Christ under sundry Titles of the blessed Virgin not a few many of one Apostle Saint or Martyr many of all In which respect their commendable purpose being not of every one understood they have been in latter ages construed as though they had superstitiously meant either that those places which where denominated of Angels and Saints should serve for the worship of so glorious Creatures or else those glorified Creatures for defence protection and patronage of such places A thing which the Antients do utterly disclaim To them saith
were properly theirs and are not by us expedient to be continued According to the Rule of which general directions taken from the Law of God no less in the one then the other the practice of the Church commended unto us in holy Scripture doth not onely make for the justification of black and dismal days as one of the Fathers termeth them but plainly offereth it self to be followed by such Ordinances if occasion require as that which Mordecai did sometimes devise Esther what lay in her power help forward and the rest of the Jews establish for perpetuity namely That the Fourteenth and fifteenth days of the Moneth Adar should be every year kept throughout all Generations as days of Feasting and Joy wherein they would rest from bodily labor and what by gifts of Charity bestowed upon the poor what by other liberal signs of Amity and Love all restifie their thankful mindes towards God which almost beyond possibility had delivered them all when they all were as men dead But this Decree they say was Divine not Ecclesiastical as may appear in that there is another Decree in another Book of Scripture which Decree is plain noâ— to have proceeded from the Churches Authority but from the mouth of the Prophet onely and as a poor simple man sometime was fully perswaded That it Pontius Pilate had not been a Saint the Apostles would never have suffered his name to stand in the Creed so these men have a strong opinion that because the Book of Esther is Canonical the Decree of Esther cannot be possibly Ecclesiastical If it were they ask how the Jews could binde themselves always to keep it seeing Ecclesiastical Laws are mutable As though the purposes of men might never intend constancy in that the nature whereof is subject to alteration Doth the Scripture it self make mention of any Divine Commandment Is the Scripture witness of more then onely that Mordecai was the Author of this Custom that by Letters written to his brethren the Jews throughout all Provinces under Darius the King of Persia he gave them charge to celebrate yearly those two days for perpetual remembrance of Gods miraculous deliverance and mercy that the Jews hereupon undertook to do it and made it with general consent an order for perpetnity that Esther secondly by her Letters confirmed the same which Mordecai had before decreed and that finally the Ordinance was written to remain for ever upon Record Did not the Jews in Provinces abroad observe at the first the Fourteenth day the Jews in Susis the Fifteenth Were they not all reduced to an uniform order by means of those two Decrees and so every where three days kept the first with fasting in memory of danger the rest in token of deliverance as festival and joyful days Was not the first of these three afterwards the day of sorrow and heaviness abrogated when the same Church saw it meet that a better day a day in memory of like deliverance out of the bloody hancs of Nicanor should succeed in the room thereof But for as much as there is no end of answering fruitless oppositions let it suffice men of sober mindes to know that the Law both of God and Nature alloweth generally days of rest and festival solemnity to be observed by way of thankful and joyful remembrance if such miraculous favors be shewed towards mankinde as require the same that such Graces God hath bestowed upon his Church as well in latter as in former times that in some particulars when they have faln out himself hath demanded his own honor and in the rest hath lest it to the Wisdom of the Church directed by those precedents and enlightned by other means always to judge when the like is requisite About questions therefore concerning Days and Times our manner is not to stand at bay with the Church of God demanding Wherefore the memory of Paul should be rather kept then the memory of Daniel We are content to imagine it may be perhaps true that the least in the Kingdom of Christ is greater then the greatest of all the Prophets of God that have gone before We never yet saw cause to despair but that the simplest of the people might be taught the right construction of as great Mysteries as the Name of a Saints day doth comprehend although the times of the year go on in their wonted course We had rather glorifie and bless God for the Fruit we daily behold reaped by such Ordinances as his gracious Spirit maketh the ripe Wisdom of this National Church to bring forth then vainly boast of our own peculiar and private inventions as if the skill of profitable Regiment had left her publick habitation to dwell in retired manner with some few men of one Livery We make not our childish appeals sometimes from our own to Forein Churches sometime from both unto Churches ancienter then both are in effect always from all others to our own selves but as becometh them that follow with all humility the ways of Peace we honor reverence and obey in the very next degree unto God the voice of the Church of God wherein we live They whose wits are too glorious to fall to so low an ebb they which have risen and swoln so high that the Walls of ordinary Rivers are unable to keep them in they whose wanton contentions in the cause whereof we have spoken do make all where they go a Sea even they at their highest float are constrained both to see and grant that what their fancy will not yield to like their judgment cannot with reason condemn Such is evermore the final victory of all Truth that they which have not the hearts to love her acknowledge that to hate her they have no cause Touching those Festival days therefore which we now observe their number being no way felt discommodious to the Commonwealth and their grounds such as hitherto hath been shewed what remaineth but to keep them throughout all generations holy severed by manifest notes of difference from other times adorned with that which most may betoken true vertuous and celestial joy To which intent because surcease from labor is necessary yet not so necessary no not on the Sabbath or Seventh day it self but that rarer occasions in mens particular affairs subject to manifest detriment unless they be presently followed may with very good conscience draw them sometimes aside from the ordinary rule considering the favorable dispensation which our Lord and Saviour groundeth on this Axiom Man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath ordained for Man so far forth as concerneth Ceremonies annexed to the principal Sanctification thereof howsoever the rigor of the Law of Moses may be thought to import the contrary if we regard with what severity the violation of Sabbaths hath been sometime punished a thing perhaps the more requisite at that instant both because the Jews by reason of their long abode in
of the time when siege began first to be laid against them All these not commanded by God himself but ordained by a publick Constitution of their own the Prophet Zachary expresly toucheth That St. Ierome following the Tradition of the Hebrews doth make the first a memorial of the breaking of those Two Tables when Moses descended from Mount Senai the second a memorial as well of Gods indignation condemning them to forty years travel in the Desart as of his wrath in permitting Chaldeans to waste burn and destroy their City the last a memorial of heavy tydings brought out of Iury to Ezekiel and the rest which lived as Captives in foreign parts the difference is not of any moment considering that each time of sorrow is naturally evermore a Register of all such grievous events as have hapned either in or near about the same time To these I might add sundry other Fasts above twenty in number ordained amongst them by like occasions and observed in like manner besides their weekly Abstinence Mundays and Thursdays throughout the whole year When men fasted it was not always after one and same sort but either by depriving themselves wholly of all food during the time that their Fasts continued or by abating both the quantity and kinde of Diet. We have of the one a plain example in the Ninivites Fasting and as plain a president for the other in the Prophet Daniel I was saith he in heaviness for three weeks of days I eat no pleasant Bread neither tasted Flash nor Wine Their Tables when they gave themselves to fasting had not that usual furniture of such Dishes as do cherish blood with blood but for food they had Bread for suppage Salt and for sawce Herbs Whereunto the Apostle may be thought to allude saying One believeth he may eat all things another which is weak and maketh a conscience of keeping those Customs which the Jews observe eateth Herbs This austere repast they took in the Evening after Abstinence the whole day For to forfeit a Noons meal and then to recompence themselves at night was not their use Nor did they ever accustom themselves on Sabbaths or Festivals days to fast And yet it may be a question whether in some sort they did not always fast the Sabbath Their Fastings were partly in token of Penitency Humiliation Grief and Sorrow partly in sign of devotion and reverence towards God Which second consideration I dare not peremptorily and boldy affirm any thing might induce to abstain till noon as their manner was on Fasting days to do till night May it not very well he thought that hereunto the Sacred Scripture doth give some secret kinde of Testimony Iosephus is plain That the sixth hour the day they divided into twelve was wont on the Sabbath always to call them home unto meat Neither is it improbable but that the Heathens did therefore so often upbraid them with Fasting on that day Besides they which found so great fault with our Lords Disciples for rubbing a few Ears of Corn in their hands on the Sabbath day are not unlikely to have aimed also at the same mark For neither was the bodily pain so great that it should offend them in that respect and the very manner of defence which our Saviour there useth is more direct and literal to justifie the breach of the Jewish custom in Fasting then in working at that time Finally the Apostles afterwards themselves when God first gave them the gift of Tongues whereas some in disdain and spight termed Grace Drunkenness it being then the day of Pentecost and but onely a fourth part of the day spent they use this as an argument against the other cavil These men saith Peter are not drunk as you suppose since as yet the third hour of the day is not over-past Howbeit leaving this in suspence as a thing not altogether certainly known and to come from Jews to Christians we finde that of private voluntarily Fastings the Apostle Saint Paul speaketh more then once And saith Tertullian they are sometime commanded throughout the Church Ex aliqua sellicitudinis Ecclesiastica causa the care and fear of the Church so requiring It doth not appear that the Apostles ordained any set and certain days to be generally kept of all Notwithstanding for as much as Christ hath fore-signified that wher himself should be taken from them his absence would soon make them apt to fast it seemeth that even as the first Festival day appointed to be kept of the Church was the day of our Lords return from the dead so the first sorrowful and mourning day was That which we now observe in memory of his departure oâ—t of this World And because there could be no abatement of grief till they saw him raised whose death was the occasion of their heaviness therefore the day he lay in the Sepulchre hath been also kept and observed as a weeping day The Custom of Fasting these two days before Easter is undoubtedly most ancient in so much that Ignatius not thinking him a Catholick Christian man which did not abhor and as the state of the Church was then avoid fasting on the Jews Sabbath doth notwithstanding except for ever that one Sabbath or Saturday which falleth out to be the Easter-Eve as with us it always doth and did sometimes also with them which kept at that time their Easter the Fourteenth day of March as the custom of the Jews was It came afterward to be an order that even as the day of Christs Resurrection so the other two in memory of his death and burial were weekly But this when Saint Ambrose lived had not as yet taken place throughout all Churches no not in Millan where himself was Bishop And for that canâ—â— he saith that although at Rome he observed the Saturdays fast because such was then the custom in Rome nevertheless in his own Church at home he did otherwise The Churches which did not observe that day had another instead thereof which was the Wednesday for that when they judged it meet to have weekly a day of Humiliation besides that whereon our Saviour suffered death it seemed best to make their choice of that day especially whereon the Jews are thought to have first contrived their treason together with Iudas against Christ. So that the instituting and ordaining both of these and of all other times of like exercise is as the Church shall judge expedient for mens good And concerning every Christians mans duty herein surely that which Augustine and Ambrose are before alledged to have done is such as all men favoring Equity must needs allow and follow if they affect peace As for their specified Errors I will not in this place dispute whether voluntarily Fasting with a vertuous purpose of minde be any medicinable remedy of evil or a duty acceptable unto God and in the World to come even rewardable as other offices are which proceed from Christian Piety
for the Children unto Dog and he bringeth into the Pasture which is provided for the Sheep Swine and unclean Beasts contrary to the Faith and Trust that ought to be in a Steward of the Lords House as he is For albeit that I doubt not but many of those which are now Papists pertain to the Election of God which God also in his good time will call to the knowledge of his Truth Yet notwithstanding they ought to be unto the Minister and unto the Church touching the Ministring of Sacraments as Strangers and as unclean Beasts The Ministring of the holy Sacraments unto them is a Declaration and Seal of Gods favor and reconciliation with them and a plain Preaching partly that they be washâ—d already from their sin partly that they are of the Houshold of God and such as the Lord will feed to Eternal Life which is not lawful to be done unto those which are not of the Houshold of Faith And therefore I conclude That the compelling of Papists unto the Communion and the dismissing and letting of them go when as they be to be punished for their stubbornness in Popery with this condition if they will receive the Communion is very unlawful when as although they would receive it yet they ought to be kept back till such time as by their Religious and Gospel-like behavior c. T. C. lib. 1. pag. 147. 2 Chro. 30.13 Psal 12â— 1. Luk. 14. 23. T. C. lib 1. pag. 145. a 1 Cor. 15. 21. b Phil. 3. 11. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ammon Vide 1 Thes. 4. 17. d Maturatae Resurrection 's laethunila solemnia Cypr. de Coea Deut. cap. 1â— e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Epist. ad Ephes Iren. lib. 4. cap. 34. f Eâ—st â—ih I serile murandum est ex solemnibus tamen ubi aequiras evidens praser sâ—â—irâ—iendum est Lib. 183. ff de Reg. Jur. Of Festival Days and the Natural cause of their convenient Institution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hippâ—â— l. qua Praterproâ—â— in â—â—abitur Exod. 3. 5. Psal. 118 24. Ecclus. 33. 5. The manner of celebrating Festival Days a Grande vialrâ—â—cer octiciurn seces se choros in pub licurn endurete vicatim epuiaâ— ebitatem taâ—â—rna â—alun â—ole â—â—â— vino lucâ—â— cugrâ—e catervarim cursirare ad injurias ad iniurin ad impuâ—â—citias ad Iâ—biâ—inis illecebras Siccine exprimiâ—â— publicum qanâ—inst per publicum dedecus Tert. Apol. â—p 35. Dies sellos Majestiri altiâ—same dedicarâ—s â—ulli â—â—â—â—â—us voluptatiâ—â—tes accupâ—ri â—l 12. tit 12. lib. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thess. â—â—â—iraâ— liâ—iâ— Ser. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. lib. de Abâ—aba Deut. 15. 14. Nehe 8. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. 1 Chro. 23.30 Esâ—h 9. 27. Joh. 10. 21. 1 Mac. 4. 3â— Gal 4. 10. Si omnem la torum devotionem temporum dierum menlium annorum eralis Apostolus ear Pâ—neta celebramus nanca cireâ—â— in mense primo Cur quinquagiâ—ta â—xinde â—â—â—bus in omai exulrainne decuâ—rimiâ— Lib adver Psyth Aug. de Civir Dci lib 10. cap. 4. Luk 1. 25. Luk. 2. 21. Exceptions against our keeping of other Festival days besides the Sabbath T. C. lib. 6. pag. 151. If they had been never abused neither by the Papists nor by the Jews as they have been and are daily yet such making of Holidays is never without some great danger of bringing in some evil and currupt opinions into the mindes of men I will use an example in one and that the chief of Holidays and most generally and of longest time observed in the Church which is the Feast of Easter which was kept of some more days of some sewer How many thousands are there I will not say of the ignorant Papists but of those also which profess the Gospel which when they have celebrated those days with diligent heed taken unto their life and with some earnest devotion in praying and hearing the Word of God do not by and by think that they have well celebrated the Feast of Easter and yet have they thus notably deceived themselves For Saint Paul reacheth 1 Cor. 5. 8. That the celebrating of the Feast of the Christians Easter is not as the Jews was for certain days but sheweth That we must keep this Feast all the days of our life in the Unleavened Bread of Sincerity and of Truth By which we see that the observing of the Feast of Easter for certain days in the year doth pull out of our mindes ere ever we he aware the Doctrine of the Gospel and causeth us to rest in that near consideration of our duties for the space of a few days which should be extended in all our life * T. C. lib. 1. Pag. 152. I confess that it is in the power of the Church to appoint so many days in the Week or in the Year in the which the Congregation shall assemble to hear the Word of God and receive the Sacraments and offer up Prayers unto God as it shall â—hink sâ—â—l according to the Rules which are before alledged But that it hath power to make so many Holidays as we have wherein men are commanded to â—â—â—se from their daily Vocation ofâ— lâ—ughing and exercising their Malieâ—â—â—s â—â—â— 1 dâ—ny to be in the power of the Church For proof whereof I will take the Fourth Commandment and no other interpretation of it then Mr. Doctor alloweth of which is That God lirâ—â—oâ—â—th and leaâ—eth it at the liberty of every man to work six days in the Week so that he rest the Seventh day Seeing therefore that the Lord hath lest it to all Men at Liberty that they might Labor if they think good Six days I say the Church nor no Man can take this Liberty away from them and drive them to a necessary Rest of the â—â—â—ly And if it be lawful to abridge the Liberty of the Church in this point and instead that the Lord saith Six days thou â—â—ist labor if thou wilt to say Thou shalt not labor Six days I do not see why the Church may not as well whereas the Lord saith Thou shalt rest the Seventh day command That thou shalt not rest the Seventh day For if the Church may â—â— strain the Liberty which God hath given them it may take away the yoke also which God hath put upon them And whereas you say That notwithstanding this Fourth Commandment the Jews has certain other Feast which they observed indeed the Lord which gave this General Law might make as many Exceptions as he thought good and so long as he thought good But it followeth not because the Lord did it that therefore the Church may do it unless it hath Commandment and Authority from God so to do As when there is any General Plague or Judgment of God either upon the Church or coming towards it the Lord commandeth in such a case Ioel 2. 15. That they should sanctifie a General â—aâ—â—
were at their Coronation so you also were sworn before all the Nobility and Bishops then present and in the presence of God and in his stead to him that anointed you to maintain the Church Lands and the rights belonging to it and this testified openly at the holy Altar by laying your Hands on the Bible then lying upon it And not only Magna Charta but many Modern Statutes have denounced a Curse upon those that break Magna Charta And now what account can be given for the breach of this Oath at the last Great Day either by your Majesty or by me if it be wilfully or but negligently violated I know not And therefore good Madam let not the late Lords Exceptions against the failings of some few Clergie-men prevail with you to punish Posterity for the Errors of this present Age let particular Men suffer for their particular Errors but let God and his Church have their right And though I pretend not to prophesy yet I big Posterity to take notice of what is already become visible in many Families That Church-land added to an ancient Inheritance hath proved like a Moth fretting a Garment and secretly consumed both Or like the Eagle that stole a Coal from the Altar and thereby set her Nest on fire which consumed both her young Eagles and her self that stole it And though I shall forbear to speak reproachfully of your Father yet I beg you to take notice that a part of the Churches Rights added to the vast Treasure left him by his Father hath been conceived to bring an unavoidable Consumption upon both notwithstanding all his diligence to preserve it And consider that after the violation of those Laws to which he had sworn in Magna Charta God did so far deny him his Restraining Grace that be fell into greater sins then I am willing to mention Madam Religion is the Foundation and Cement of Humane Societies And when they that serve at Gods Altar shall be exposed to Poverty then Religion it self will be exposed to scorn and become contemptible as you may already observe in too many poor Vicaridges in this Nation And therefore as you are by a late Act or Acts entrusted with a great Power to preserve or waste the Churches Lands yet dispose of them for Iesus sake as the Donors intended Let neither falshood nor flattery beguile you to do otherwise and put a stop I beseech you to the approaching ruines of Gods Church as you expect comfort at the last great day For Kings must be judged Pardon this affectionate plainness my most dear Soveraign and let me beg to be still continued in your Favor and the Lord still continue you in his The Queens patient hearing this affectionate Speech and Her future care to preserve the Churches Rights which till then had been neglected may appear a fair Testimony that he made Hers and the Churches good the cheifest of his cares and that She also thought so And of this there were such daily Testimonies given as begot betwixt them so mutual a joy and confidence that they seemed born to believe and do good to each other She not doubting his Piety to be more then all his opposers which were many and those powerful too nor his Prudence equal to the cheifest of Her Council who were then as remarkable for active Wisdom as those dangerous times did require or this Nation did everenjoy And in this condition he continued Twenty years in which time he saw some flowings but many more ebbings of Her Favor towards all men that opposed him especially the Earl of Leicester So that God seemed still to keep him in Her Favor that he might preserve the remaining Church Lands and Immunities from Sacrilegious Alienations And this good man deserved all the honor and power with which She trusted him for he was a pious man and naturally of Noble and Grateful Principles He eased Her of all Her Church cares by his wise menage of them he gave Her faithful and prudent Counsels in all the extremities and dangers of Her Temporal Affairs which were very many he lived to be the cheif comfort of Her life in Her declining age to be then most frequently with Her and Her assistant at Her private Devotions to be the greatest comfort of Her Soul upon Her Death-bed to be present at the expiration of Her last breath and to behold the closing of those eyes that had long looked upon him with reverence and affection And let this also be added That he was the chief Mourner at Her sad Funeral nor let this be forgotten that within a few hours after Her death he was the happy Proclaimer that King Iames Her Peaceful Successor was Heir to the Crown Let me beg of my Reader that he allow me to say a little and but a little more of this good Bishop and I shall then presently lead him back to Mr. Hooker and because I would hasten I will mention but one part of the Bishops Charity and Humility but this of both He built a large Alms-house near to his own Palace at Croydon in Surrey and endowed it with maintenance for a Master and Twenty eight poor Men and Women which he visited so often that he knew their names and dispositions and was so truly humble that he called them Brothers and Sisters And whensoever the Queen descended to that lowliness to dine with him at his Palace in Lambeth which was very often he would usually the next day shew the like lowliness to his poor Brothers and Sisters at Croydon and dine with them at his Hospital at which time you may believe there was joy at the Table And at this place he built also a fair Free-School with a good accommodation and maintenance for the Master and Scholars Which gave just occasion for Boyse Sisi then Ambassador for the French King and Resident here at the Bishops death to say The Bishop had published many Learned Books but a Free-School to train up Youth and an Hospital to lodge and maintain aged and poor People were the best evidences of Christian Learning that a Bishop could leave to Posterity This good Bishop lived to see King Iames settled in Peace and then fell sick at Lambeth of which the King having notice went to visit him and found him in his Bed in a declining condition and very weak and after some short discourse the King assured him He had a great affection for him and high value for his Prudence and Vertues which were so useful for the Church that he would earnestly beg his life of God To which he replied Pro Ecclesi◠Dei Pro Ecclesiâ Dei Which were the last words he ever spake therein testifying That as in his Life so at his Death his chiefest care was of Gods Church This Iohn Whitgift was made Archbishop in the Year One thousand five hundred eighty and three In which busie place he continued Twenty years and some moneths and in which time you may
infirmities and live in love because as St. Iohn says He that lives in love lives in God for God is Love And to maintain this holy Fire of Love constantly burning on the Altar of a pure Heart his advice was to watch and pray and always keep themselves fit to receive the Communion and then to receive it often for it was both a confirming and a strengthning of their Graces This was his advice and at his entrance or departure out of any house he would usually speak to the whole Family and bless them by name insomuch that as he seem'd in his youth to be taught of God so he seem'd in this place to teach his Precepts as Enoch did by walking with him in all Holiness and Humility making each day a step towards a blessed Eternity And though in this weak and declining age of the World such examples are become barren and almost incredible yet let his memory be blest with this true Recordation because he that praises Richard Hooker praises God who hath given such gifts to men and let this humble and affectionate Relation of him become such a pattern as may invite Posterity to imitate his Vertues This was his constant behavior at Borne thus as Enoch so he walked with God thus did he tread in the footsteps of Primitive Piety and yet as that great example of meekness and purity even our Blessed Iesus was not free from false accusations no more was this Disciple of his This most humble most innocent holy Man his was a slander parallel to that of chaste Susannaes by the wicked Elders or that against St. Athanasius as it is Recorded in his life for that holy Man had Heretical enemies and which this age calls Trepanning The particulars need not a repetition and that it was false needs no other Testimony then the publick punishment of his accusers and their open confession of his innocency 'T was said that the accusation was contrived by a Dissenting Brother one that indur'd not Church Ceremonies hating him for his Books sake which he was not able to Answer and his name hath been told me But I have not so much confidence in the Relation as to make my Pen fix a scandal on him to Posterity I shall rather leave it doubtful till the great day of Revelation But this is certain that he lay under the great charge and the anxiety of this accusation and kept it secret to himself for many moneths And being a helpless man had lain longer under this heavy burthen but that the Protector of the innocent gave such an accidental occasion as forced him to make it known to his two dear Friends Edwin Sandys and George Cranmer who were so sensible of their Tutors sufferings that they gave themselves no rest till by their disquisitions and diligence they had found out the Fraud and brought him the welcome news that his accusers did confess they had wrong'd him and begg'd his pardon To which the good mans reply was to this purpose The Lord forgive them and The Lord bless you for this comfortable news Now I have a just occasion to say with Solomon Friends are born for the days of Adversity and such you have prov'd to me And to my God I say as did the Mother of St. John Baptist Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the day wherein he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men And O my God neither my life nor my reputation are safe in mine own keeping but in thine who didst take care of me when I yet hanged upon my Mothers Brest Blessed are they that put their trust in thee O Lord for when false witnesses were risen up against me when shame was ready to cover my face when I was bowed down with an horrible dread and went mourning all the day long when my nights were restless and my sleeps broken with a fear worse then death when my Soul thirsted for a deliverance as the Hart panteth after the Rivers of Waters Then thou Lord didst bear my complaints pitty my condition and art new become my Deliverer and as long as I live I will hold up my hands in this manner and magnifie thy Mercies who didst not give me over as a prey to mine enemies O blessed are they that put their trust in thee and no prosperity shall make me forget those days of sorrow or to perform those vows that I have made to thee in the days of my fears and affliction for with such sacrifices thou O God art well pleased and I will pay them Thus did the joy and gratitude of this good Mans heart break forth and 't is observable that as the invitation to this slander was his meek behavior and Dove like simplicity for which he was remarkable so his Christian Charity ought to be imitated For though the Spirit of Revenge is so pleasing to mankinde that it is never conquered but by a Supernatural Grace being indeed so deeply rooted in Humane Nature that to prevent the excesses of it for men would not know Moderation Almighty God allows not any degree of it to any man but says Vengeance is mine And though this be said by God himself yet this revenge is so pleasing that man is hardly perswaded to submit the menage of it to the Time and Justice and Wisdom of his Creator but would hasten to be his own executioner of it And yet nevertheless if any man ever did wholly decline and leave this pleasing Passion to the time and measure of God alone it was this Richard Hooker of whom I write For when his slanderers were to suffer he labored to procure their Pardon and when that was denied him his Reply was That however he would fast and pray that God would give them Repentance and Patience to undergo their Punishment And his Prayers were so for returned into his own bosom that the first was granted if we may believe a Penitent Behavior and an open Confession And 't is observable that after this time he would often say to Dr. Saravia O with what quietness did I enjoy my Soul after I was free from the fears of my slander And how much more after a conflict and victory ever my desires of Revenge In the Year One thousand six hundred and of his Age Forty six he fell into a long and sharp sickness occasioned by a Cold taken in his Passage betwixt London and Gravesend from the malignity of which he was never recovered for till his death he was not free from thoughtful days and restless nights but a submission to his Will that makes the sick mans bed easie by giving rest to his Soul made his very languishment comfortable And yet all this time he was solicitous in his Study and said often to Dr. Saravia who saw him daily and was the cheifâ— comfort of his life That he did not beg a long life of God for any other reason but to live to finish his three remaining Books of POLITY and
were his Guides till being occasioned to leave France he sell at the length upon Geneva Which City the Bishop and Clergy thereof had a little before as some affirm forsaken being of likelihood frighted with the peoples sudden attempt for abolishment of Popish Religion the event of which enterprize they thought it not safe for themselves to wait for in that place At the coming of Calvin thither the form of their Civil Regiment was popular as it continueth at this day Neither King nor Duke nor Nobleman of any authority or power over them but Officers chosen by the people out of themselves to order all things with publick consent For Spiritual Government they had no Laws at all agreed upon but did what the Pastors of their Souls by perswasion could win them unto Calvin being admitted one of their Preachers and a Divinity-Reader amongst them considered how dangerous it was that the whole estate of that Church should hang still on so slender a thred as the liking of an ignorant multitude is if it have power to change whatsoever it self listeth Wherefore taking unto him two of the other Ministers for more countenance of the action albeit the rest were all against it they moved and in the end perswaded with much ado the people to binde themselves by solemn Oath first Never to admit the Papecy amongst them again and secondly To live in obedience unto such Orders concerning the Exercise of their Religion and the Form of their Ecclesiastical Government as those their true and faithful Ministers of Gods Word had agreeably to Scripture set down for that end and purpose When these things began to be put in ure the people also what causes moving them thereunto themselves best know began to repent them of that they had done and irefully to champ upon the Bit they had taken into their Mouths the rather for that they grew by means of this Innovation into dislike with some Churches near about them the benefit of whose good friendship their State could not well lack It was the manner of those times whether through mens desire to enjoy alone the glory of their own enterprises or else because the quickness of their occasions required present dispatch so it was that every particular Church did that within it self which some few of their own thought good by whom the rest were all directed Such number of Churches then being though free within themselves yet small common Conference before-hand might have eased them of much after trouble But a great inconvenience it bred That every later endeavored to be certain degrees more removed from Conformity with the Church of Rome then the rest before had been whereupon grew marvellous great dissimilitudes and by reason thereof jealousies heart-burnings jars and discords amongst them Which notwithstanding might have easily been prevented if the Orders which each Church did think fit and convenient for it self had not so peremptorily been established under that high commanding Form which rendred them unto the people as things everlastingly required by the Law of the Lord of Lords against whose Statutes there is no exception to be taken For by this mean it came to pass that one Church could not but accuse and condemn another of disobedience to the Will of Christ in those things where manifest difference was between them whereas the self-same Orders allowed but yet established in more wary and suspence manner as bring to stand in force till God should give the opportunity of some General Conference what might be best for every of them afterwards to do This I say had both prevented all occasion of just dislike which others might take and reserved a greater liberty unto the Authors themselves of entring into farther Consultation afterwards Which though never so necessary they could not easily now admit without some fear of derogation from their credit And therefore that which once they had done they became for ever after resolute to maintain Calvin therefore and the other two his Associates stifly refusing to administer the Holy Communion to such as would not quietly without contradiction and murmur submit themselves unto the Orders which their Solemn Oath had bound them to obey were in that quarrel banished the Town A few years after such was the levity of that people the places of one or two of their Ministers being faln void they were not before so willing to be rid of their Learned Pastor as now importunate to obtain him again from them who had given him entertainment and which were loth to part with him had not unresistable earnestness been used One of the Town-Ministers that saw in what manner the people were bent for the Revocation of Calvin gave him notice of their affection in this sort The Senate of Two hundred being assembled they all crave Calvin The next day a General Convocation they cry in like sort again all We will have Calvin that good and Learned Man Christs Minister This saith he when I understood I could not chuse but praise God nor was I able to judge otherwise then that this was the Lords doing and that it was marvellous in our eyes and that the Stone which the Builders refused was now made the Head of the Corner The other two whom they had thrown out together with Calvin they were content should enjoy their exile Many causes might lead them to be more desirous of him First It is yielding unto them in one thing might happily put them in hope that time would breed the like easiness of condescending further unto them For in his absence be had perswaded them with whom he was able to prevail that albeit himself did better like of Common Bread to be used in the Eucharist yet the other they rather should accept then cause any trouble in the Church about it Again they saw that the name of Calvin waxed every day greater abroad and that together with his fame their infamy was spred who had so rashly and childishly ejected him Besides it was not unlikely but that his credit in the World might many ways stand the poor Town in great stead As the truth is their Ministers Foreign estimation hitherto hath been the best stake in their Hedge But whatsoever secret respects were likely to move them for contenting of their mindes Calvin returned as it had been another Tully to his old Home He ripely considered how gross a thing it were for men of his quality wise and grave men to live with such a multitude and to be Tenants at will under them as their Ministers both himself and others had been For the remedy of which inconvenience he gave them plainly to understand That if he did become their Teacher again they must be content to admit a compleat Form of Discipline which both they and also their Pastors should now be solemnly sworn to observe for ever after Of which Discipline the Main and Principal parts were these A standing Ecclesiastical Court to be established Perpetual
God vouchsafed them above the rest of the world that in the affairs of their estate which were not determinable one way or other by the Scripture himself gave them extraordinary direction and counsel as oft as they sought it at his hands Thus God did first by speech unto Noses after by Urim and Thummim unto Priests lastly by dreams and visions unto Prophets from whom in such cases they were to receive the answer of God Concerning Ioshua therefore thus spake the Lord unto Moses saying He shall stand before Eleazer the Priest who shall ask counsel for him by the judgement of Urim before the Lord whereof had Ioshua been mindeful the fraud of the Gibeonites could not so smoothly have past unespied till there was no help The Jews had Prophets to have resolved them from the mouth of God himself whether Egyptian aids should profit them yea or no but they thought themselves wise enough and him unworthy to be of their counsel In this respect therefore was their reproof though sharp yet just albeit there had been no charge precisely given them that they should always take heed of Egypt But as for David to think that he did evil in determining to build God a Temple because there was in Scripture no Commandment that he should build it were very injurious the purpose of his heart was religious and godly the act most worthy of honour and renown neither could Nathan chuse but admire his vertuous intent exhort him to go forward and beseech God to prosper him therein Put God saw the endless troubles which David should be subject unto during the whole time of his Regiment and therefore gave charge to defer so good a work till the days of tranquillity and peace wherein it might without interruption be performed David supposed that it could not stand with the duty which he owed unto God to set himself in an house of Cedar-trees and to behold the Ark of the Lords Covenant unsetled This opinion the Lord abateth by causing Nathan to shew him plainly that it should be no more imputed unto him for a fault then it had been unto the Judges of Israel before him his case being the same which theirs was their times not more unquiet then his nor more unfit for such an action Wherefore concerning the force of Negative Arguments so taken from the authority of Scripture as by us they are denied there is in all this less then nothing And touching that which unto this purpose is borrowed from the Controversies sometimes handled between Mr. Harding and the worthiest Divine that Christendom hath bred for the space of some hundreds of years who being brought up together in one University it fell out in them which was spoken of two others They learned in the same that which in contrary Camps they did practice Of these two the one objecting that with us Arguments taken from Authority Negatively are over common the Bishops answer hereunto is that this kinde of Argument is thought to be good whensoever proof is taken of Gods Word and is used not onely by in but also by S. Paul and by many of the Catholick Fathers S. Paul saith God said not unto Abraham In thy seeds all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed but In thy seed which is Christ and thereof he thought he made a good Argument Likewise saith Origen The Bread which the Lord gave unto his Disciples saying unto them Take and eat be deferred not nor commanded to be reserved till the next day Such Arguments Origen and other learned Fathers thought to stand for good whatsoever misliking Mr. Harding hath sound in them This kinde of proof is thought to hold in Gods Commandments for that they be full and perfect and God hath specially charged us that we should neither put to them nor take from them and therefore it seemeth good unto them that have learned of Christ. Unus est magister vester Christus and have heard the voice of God the Father from Heaven Ipsum audite But unto them that add to the Word of God what them listeth and make Gods will subject unto their will and break Gods Commandments for their own traditions sake unto them it seemeth not good Again the English Apologie alledging the example of the Greeks how they have neither private Masses nor mangled Sacraments nor Purgatories nor Pardons it pleaseth Mr. Harding to jest out the matter to use the help of his wits where strength of truth failed him and to answer with scoffing at Negatives The Bishops defence in this case is The ancient learned Fathers having to deal with politick Hereticks that in defence of their Errors avouched the judgement of all the old Bishops and Doctors that had been before them and the general consent of the Primitive and whole universal Church and that with as good regard of truth and as faithfully as you do now the better to discover the shameless boldness and nakedness of their doctrine were oftentimes likewise forced to use the negative and so to drive the same Hereticks as we do you to prove their Affirmatives which thing to do it was never possible The ancient Father Iraeneus thus stayed himself as we do by the Negative Hoc neq Prophetae praedicaverunt neque Dominus docuit neque Apostoli tradiderunt This thing neither did the Prophets publish nor our Lord teach nor the Apostles deliver By a like Negative Chrysostome saith This tree neither Paul planted nor Apollos watered nor God increased In like sort Leo saith What needeth it to believe that thing that neither the Law hath taught nor the Prophets have spoken nor the Gospel hath preached nor the Apostles have delivered And again How are the new devices brought in that our Fathers never knew S. Augustine having reckoned up a great number of the Bishops of Rome by a general Negative saith thus In all this order of succession of Bishops there is not one Bishop found that was a Donatist S. Gregory being himself a Bishop of Rome and writing against the Title of Universal Bishop saith thus None of all my Predecessors ever consented to use this ungodly Title No Bishop of Rome ever took upon him this name of singularity By such Negatives Mr. Harding we reprove the vanity and novelty of your Religion We tell you none of the Catholick ancient learned Father either Greek or Latine ever used either your private Mass or your half Communion or your barbarous unknown prayers Paul never planted them Apollos never watered them God never encreased them they are of your selves they are not of God In all this there is not a Syllable which any way crosseth us For concerning Arguments Negative taken from Humane Authority they are here proved to be in some cases very strong and forcible They are not in our estimation idle reproofs when the Authors of needless Innovations are opposed with such Negatives as that of Leo How are these new
and ever shall have some Church Visible upon Earth When the People of God whorshipped the Calf in the Wilderness when they adored the Brazen Serpent when they served the gods of Nations when they bowed their knees to Baal when they burnt Incense and offered Sacrifice unto Idols True it is the wrath of God was most fiercely inflamed against them their Prophets justly condemned them as an adulterous seed and a wicked generation of Miscreants which had forsaken the living God and of him were likewise forsaken in respect of that singular Mercy wherewith he kindly and lovingly embraceth his faithful Children Howbeit retaining the Law of God and the holy Seal of his Covenant the Sheep of his Visible Flock they continued even in the depth of their Disobedience and Rebellion Wherefore not onely amongst them God always had his Church because he had thousands which never bowed their knees to Baal but whose knees were bowed unto Baal even they were also of the Visible Church of God Nor did the Prophet so complain as if that Church had been quite and clean extinguished but he took it as though there had not been remaining in the World any besides himself that carcied a true and an upright heart towards God with care to serve him according unto his holy Will For lack of diligent observing the difference first between the Church of God Mystical and Visible then between the Visible sound and corrupted sometimes more sometimes less the oversights are neither few nor light that have been committed This deceiveth them and nothing else who think that in the time of the first World the Family of Noah did contain all that were of the Visible Church of God From hence it grew and from no other cause in the World that the Affrican Bishops in the Council of Carthage knowing how the Administration of Baptism belongeth onely to the Church of Christ and supposing that Hereticks which were apparently severed from the sound believing Church could not possibly be of the Church of Jesus Christ thought it utterly against Reason That Baptism administred by men of coâ—â—upt belief should be accounted as a Sacrament And therefore in maintenance of Rebaptization their Arguments are built upon the sore-alledged ground That Hereticks are not at all any part of the Church of Christ. Our Saviour founded his Church on a Rock and not upon Heresie Power of Baptizing he gave to his Apostles unto Hereticks he gave it not Wherefore they that are without the Church and oppose themselves against Christ do but scatter his Sheep and Flock Without the Church Baptize they cannot Again Are Hereticks Christians or are they not If they be Christians wherefore remain they not in Gods Church If they be no Christians how make they Christians Or to what purpose shall those words of the Lord serve He which is not with me is against me And He which gathereth not with me scaltereth Wherefore evident it is that upon misbegotten Children and the brood of Antichrist without Rebaptization the Holy Ghost cannot descend But none in this case so earnest as Cyprian I know no Baptism but one and that in Church onely none without the Church where he that doth cast out the Devil hath the Devil He doth examine about Belief whose lips and words do breathe forth a Canker The faithless doth offer the Articles of Faith a wicked Creature forgiveth wickedness in the Name of Christ Antichrist signeth he which is cursed of God blesseth a dead carrion promiseth life a man unpeaceable giveth peace a blasphemer calleth upon the Name of God a prophane person doth exercise Priesthood a Sacrilegious wretch doth prepare the Altar and in the neck of all these that evil also cometh the Eucharist a very Bishop of the Devil doth presume to consecrate All this was true but not sufficient to prove that Hereticks were in no sort any part of the Visible Church of Christ and consequently their Baptism no Baptism This opinion therefore was afterwards both condemned by a better advised Council and also revoked by the chiefest of the Authors thereof themselves What is it but onely the self-same error and misconceit wherewith others being at this day likewise possest they ask us where our Church did lurk in what Cave of the Earth it slept for so many hundreds of years together before the bath of Martin Luther As if we were of opinion that Luther did erect a new Church of Christ. No the Church of Christ which was from the beginning is and continueth unto the end Of which Church all parts have not been always equally sincere and sound In the days of Abia it plainly appeareth that Iudah was by many degrees more free from pollution then Israel as that solemn Oration sheweth wherein he pleadeth for the one against the other in this wise O Ieroboam and all Israel hear you me Have ye not driven away the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests like the people of Nations Whosoever cometh to consecrate with a young bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no gods But we belong unto the Lord our God and have not forsaken him and the Priests the sons of Aaron minister unto the Lord every morning and every evening Burnt-offerings and sweet Incense and the Bread is set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of Gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the watch of the Lord oâ—r God but ye have for saken him In St. Pauls time the integrity of Rome was famous Corinth many ways reproved they of Galatia much more out of square In St. Iohns time Ephesus and Smyrna in far better state then Thyatira and Pergamus were We hope therefore that to reform our selves if at any time we have done amiss is not to sever our selves from the Church we were of before In the Church we were and we are so still Other diffcrence between our estate before and now we know none but onely such as we see in Iudah which having sometime been Idolatrous became afterwards more soundly religious by renouncing Idolatry and Superstition If Ephraim be joyned to Idols the counsel of the Prophet is Let him alone If Israel play the Harlot let not Judah sin If it seem evil unto you saith Ioshua to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods whom your Fathers served beyond the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell But I and mine house will serve the Lord. The indisposition therefore of the Church of Rome to reform her self must be no stay unto us from performing our duty to God even as desire of retaining Conformity with them could be no excuse if we did not perform that duty Notwithstanding so far as lawfully we may we have held and do hold Fellowship with them For even as
acknowledge that as well for particular application to special occasions as also in other manifold respects infinite Treasures of Wisdom are over and besides abundantly to be found in the holy Scripture yea that scarcely there is any noble part of knowledge worthy the minde of man but from thence it may have some direction and light yea that although there be no necessity it should of purpose prescribe any one particular form of Church-Government yet touching the manner of governing in general the Precepts that Scripture setteth down are not few and the examples many which it proposeth for all Church-Governors even in particularities to follow yea that those things finally which are of principal weight in the very particular Form of Church-Polity although not that Form which they imagine but that which we against them uphold are in the self-same Scriptures contained If all this be willingly granted by us which are accused to pin the Word of God in so narrow room as that it should be able to direct us but in principal points of our Religion or as though the substance of Religion or some rude and unfashioned matter of building the Church were uttered in them and those things left out that should pertain to the form and fashion of it Let the cause of the Accused be referred to the Accusers own conscience and let that judge whether this accusation be deserved where it hath been laid 5. But so easie it is for every man living to err and so hard to wrest from any mans mouth the plain acknowledgment of Error that what hath been once inconsiderately defended the same is commonly persisted in as long as wit by whetting it self is able to finde out any shift be it never so sleight whereby to escape out of the hands of present contradiction So that it cometh herein to pass with men unadvisedly faln into Error as with them whose state hath no ground to uphold it but onely the help which by subtil conveyance they draw out of casual events arising from day to day till at length they be clean spent They which first gave out That nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded by the Word of God thought this principle plainly warranted by the manifest words of the Law Ye shall put nothing unto the Word which I command you neither shall ye take ought therefrom that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you Wherefore having an eye to a number of Rites and Orders in the Church of England as marrying with a Ring Crossing in the one Sacrament Kneeling at the other observing of Festival days more then onely that which is called the Lords day enjoyning Abstinence at certain times from some kindes of Meat Churching of Women after Childe-birth Degrees taken by Divines in Universities sundry Church Offices Dignities and Callings for which they found no Commandment in the holy Scripture they thought by the one onely stroke of that Axiom to have cut them off But that which they took for an Oracle being sifted was repeal'd True it is concerning the Word of God whether it be by misconstruction of the sense or by falsification of the words wittingly to endeavor that any thing may seem Divine which is not or any thing not seem which is were plainly to abuse and even to falsifie Divine Evidence which injury offered but unto men is most worthily counted heinous Which point I wish they did well observe with whom nothing is more familiar then to plead in these causes The Law of God the Word of the Lord Who notwithstanding when they come to alledge what Word and what Law they mean their common ordinary practice is to quote by-speeches in some Historical Narration or other and to urge them as if they were written in most exact form of Law What is to add to the Law of God if this be not When that which the Word of God doth but deliver Historically we construe without any warrant as if it were legally meant and so urge it further then we can prove that it was intended do we not add to the Laws of God and make them in number seem more then they are It standeth us upon to be careful in this case For the sentence of God is heavy against them that wittingly shall presume thus to use the Scripture 6. But let that which they do hereby intend be granted them let it once stand as consonant to Reason That because we are forbidden to add to the Law of God any thing or to take ought from it therefore we may not for matters of the Church make any Law more then is already set down in Scripture Who seeth not what sentence it shall enforce us to give against all Churches in the World in as much as there is not one but hath had many things established in it which though the Scripture did never command yet for us to condemn were rashness Let the Church of God even in the time of our Saviour Christ serve for example unto all the rest In their Domestical celebration of the Passover which Supper they divided as it were into two courses what Scripture did give commandment that between the first and the second he that was chief should put off the residue of his Garments and keeping on his Feast-robe onely wash the feet of them that were with him What Scripture did command them never to lift up their hands unwashe in Prayer unto God which custom Aristaus be the credit of the Author more or less sheweth wherefore they did so religiously observe What Scripture did command the Jews every Festival day to fast till the sixth hour The custom both mentioned by Iosephus in the History of his own life and by the words of Peter signified Tedious it were to rip up all such things as were in that Church established yea by Christ himself and by his Apostles observed though not commanded any where in Scripture 7. Well yet a gloss there is to colour that Paradox and notwithstanding all this still to make it appear in shew not to be altogether unreasonable And therefore till further reply come the cause is held by a feeble distinction that the Commandments of God being either general or special although there be no express word for every thing in specialty yet there are general Commandments for all things to the end that even such cases as are not in Scripture particularly mentioned might not be left to any to order at their pleasure onely with Caution That nothing be done against the Word of God and that for this cause the Apostle hath set down in Scripture four general Rules requiring such things alone to be received in the Church as do best and nearest agree with the same Rules that so all things in the Church may be appointed not onely not against but by and according to the Word of God The Rules are these Nothing scandalous
my Commandments always that it might go well with them and with their Children for ever Go say unto them Return you to your Tents But stand thou here with me and I will tell thee all the Commandments and the Ordinances and the Laws which thou shalt teach them that they may do them in the Land which I have given them to possess From this latter kinde the former are plainly distinguished in many things They were not both at one time delivered neither both after one sort nor to one end The former uttered by the voice of God himself in the hearing of Six hundred thousand men the former written with the Finger of God the former termed by the name of a Covenant the former given to be kept without either mention of time how long or of place where On the other side the latter given after and neither written by God himself nor given unto the whole multitude immediately from God but unto Moses and from him to them both by word and writing Finally The latter termed Ceremonies Judgments Ordinances but no where Covenants The observation of the latter restrained unto the Land where God would establish them to inhabite The Laws Positive are not framed without regard had to the place and persons for the which they are made If therefore Almighty God in framing their Laws had an eye unto the nature of that people and to the Countrey where they were to dwell if these peculiar and proper considerations were respected in the making of their Laws and must be also regarded in the Positive Laws of all other Nations besides then seeing that Nations are not all alike surely the giving of one kinde of Positive Laws unto one onely people without any liberty to alter them is but a slender proof that therefore one kinde should in like sort be given to serve everlastingly for all But that which most of all maketh for the clearing of this point is That the Jews who had Laws so particularly determining and so fully instructing them in all affairs what to do were notwithstanding continually inured with causes exorbitant and such as their Laws had not provided for And in this point much more is granted us then we ask namely that for one thing which we have left to the Order of the Church they had twenty which were undecided by the express Word of God and that as their Ceremonies and Sacraments were multiplied above ours even so grew the number of those cases which were not determined by any express word So that if we may devise one Law they by this reason might devise twenty and if their devising so many were not forbidden shall their example prove us forbidden to devise as much as one Law for the ordering of the Church We might not devise no not one if their example did prove that our Saviour hath utterly forbidden all alteration of his Laws in as much as there can be no Law devised but needs it must either take away from his or add thereunto more or less and so make some kinde of alteration But of this so large a grant we are content not to take advantage Men are oftentimes in a sudden passion more liberal then they would be if they had leisure to take advice And therefore so bountiful words of course and frank speeches we are contented to let pass without turning them to advantage with too much rigor It may be they had rather be listned unto when they commend the Kings of Israel which attempted nothing in the Government of the Church without the express Word of God and when they urge that God left nothing in his Word undescribed whether it concerned the Worship of God or outward Polity nothing unset down and therefore charged them strictly to keep themselves unto that without any alteration Howbeit seeing it cannot be denied but that many things there did belong unto the course of their Publick Affairs wherein they had no express word at all to shew precisely what they should do the difference between their condition and ours in these cases will bring some light unto the truth of this present Controversie Before the fact of the son of Shelomith there was no Law which did appoint any certain punishment for Blasphemers That wretched creature being therefore deprehended in that impiety was held in Ward till the minde of the Lord was known concerning his case The like practice is also mentioned upon occasion of a breach of the Sabbath day They finde a poor silly creature gathering sticks in the Wilderness they bring him unto Moses and Aaron and all the Congregation they lay him in hold because it was not declared what should be done with him till God had said unto Moses This man shall die the death The Law requireth to keep the Sabbath day but for the breach of the Sabbath what punishment should be inflicted it did not appoint Such occasions as these are rare And for such things as do fall scarce once in many ages of men it did suffice to take such order as was requisite when they fell But if the case were such as being not already determined by Law were notwithstanding likely oftentimes to come into question it gave occasion of adding Laws that were not before Thus it fell out in the case of those men polluted and of the daughters of Zelophehad whose causes Moses having brought before the Lord received Laws to serve for the like in time to come The Jews to this end had the Oracle of God they had the Prophets And by such means God himself instructed them from Heaven what to do in all things that did greatly concern their state and were not already set down in the Law Shall we then hereupon argue even against our own experience and knowledge Shall we seek to perswade men that of necessity it is with us as it was with them that because God is ours in all respects as much as theirs therefore either no such way of direction hath been at any time or if it hath been it doth still continue in the Church or if the same do not continue that yet it must be at the least supplied by some such mean as pleaseth us to account of equal force A more dutiful and religious way for us were to admire the Wisdom of God which shineth in the beautiful variety of all things But most in the manifold and yet harmonious dissimilitude of those ways whereby his Church upon Earth is guided from age to age throughout all Generations of Men. The Jews were necessarily to continue till the coming of Christ in the flesh and the gathering of Nations unto him So much the Promise made unto Abraham did import So much the Prophesie of Iacob at the hour of his death did foreshew Upon the safety therefore of their very outward state and condition for so long the after good of the whole World and the Salvation of all did depend Unto their so
way to keep his People from infection oâ— Idolaty and Superstition by severing them from Idolaters in outward Ceremonies and therefore hath forbidden them to do things which are in themselves very lawful to be done And â—urther where as the Lord was careful to sever them by Ceremonies from other Nations yet was he not so careful to sever them from any as from the Egyptians amongst whom they lived and from those Nations which were next Neighbours to them because from them was the greatest fear of infection So that following the course which the wisdom of God doth teach it were more safe for us to conform our indifferent Ceremonies to the Turks which are far off then to the Papists which are so near Touching the example of the eldest Churches of God in one Councel it was decreed that Christians should not deck their houses with Bay-leaves and green boughs because the Pagans did use so to do and that they should not rest from their labours those days that the Pagans did that they should not keep the first day of every month as they did Another Council decreed that Christians should not celebrate Feasts on the Birth-dayes of the Martyrs because it was the manner of the Heathen O saith Tertullian better is the Religion of the Heathen for they use no solemnity of the Christians neither the Lords day neither the Pentecost and if they knew them they would have nothing to do with them for they would be afraid lest they should seem Christians but we are not afraid to be called Heathens The same Tertullian would not have Christians to sit after they had payed because the Idolaters did so Whereby it appeareth that both of Particular men and of Counsels in making or abolishing of Ceremonies heed had been taken that the Christians should not be like the Idolaters no not in those things which of themselves are most indifferent to be used or not used The same conformity is not lesse opposite unto reason first inasmuch as contraries must be cured by their contraries and therefore Popery being Antichristianity is not healed but by establishment of Orders thereunto opposite The way to bring a drunken man to sobriety it to carry him as far from excess of drink as may be To rectifie a crooked stick we bend it on the contrary side as far as it was at the first on that side from whence we draw it and so it cometh in the end to a middle between both which is perfect straightness Utter inconformity therefore with the Church of Rome in these things is the best and surest Policy which the Church can use While we use their Ceremonies they take occasion to blaspheme saying that our Religion cannot stand by it self unless it lean upon the staff of their Ceremonies They hereby conceive great hope of having the rest of their Popery in the end which hope causeth them to be more frozen in their wickedness Neither is it without cause that they have this hope considering that which M. Bucer noteth upon the eighteenth of S. Matthew that where these things have been left Popery hath returned but on the other part in places which have been cleansed of these things it hath not yet been seen that it hath had any entrance None make such clamours for these Ceremonies as the Papists and those whom they suborn a manifest token how much they triumph and joy in these things They breed grief of minde in a number that are godly minded and have Antichristianity in such detestation that their minds are Martyred with the very sight of them in the Church Such godly Brethren we ought not thus to grieve with unprofitable Ceremonies yea Ceremonies wherein there is not only no profit but also danger of great hurt that may grow to the Church by infection which Popish Ceremonies are means to breed This in effect is the sum and substance of that which they bring by way of opposition against those Orders which we have common with the Church of Rome these are the reasons wherewith they would prove our Ceremonies in that respect worthy of blame 4. Before we answer unto these things we are to cut off that whereunto they from whom these Objections proceed do oftentimes fly for defence and succour when the force and strength of their Argument is elided For the Ceremonies in use amongst us being in no other respect retained saving onely for that to retain them is to our seeming good and profitable yea so profitable and so good that if we had either simply taken them clean away or else removed them so as to place in their stead others we had done worse the plain and direct way against us herein had been onely to prove that all such Ceremonies as they require to be abolished are retained by us to the hurt of the Church or with lesse benefit then the abolishment of them would bring But forasmuch as they saw how hardly they should be able to perform this they took a more compendious way traducing the Ceremonies of our Church under the name of being Popish The cause why this way seemed better unto them was for that the name of Popery is more odious then very Paganism amongst divers of the more simple sort so whatsoever they hear named Popish they presently conceive deep hatred against it imagining there can be nothing contained in that name but needs it must be exceeding detestable The ears of the People they have therefore filled with strong clamours The Church of England is fraught with Popish Ceremonies they that favour the cause of Reformation maintain nothing but the sincerity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ All such as withstand them fight for the Laws of his sworn enemy uphold the filthy reliques of Antichrist and are defenders of that which is Popish These are the notes wherewith are drawn from the hearts of the multitude so many sighs with these tunes their minds are exasperated against the lawful Guides and Governours of their souls these are the voices that fill them with general discontentment as though the bosom of that famous Church wherein they live were more noysom then any dungeon But when the Authors of so scandalous incantations are examined and called to account how can they justifie such their dealings when they are urged directly to answer whether it be lawful for us to use any such Ceremonies as the Church of Rome useth although the same be not commanded in the Word of God being driven to see that the use of some such Ceremonies must of necessity be granted lawful they go about to make us believe that they are just of the same Opinion and that they only think such Ceremonies are not to be used when they are unprofitable or when as good or better may be established Which Answer is both idle in regard of us and also repugnant to themselves It is in regard of us very vain to make this answer because they
you lay aside by himself and reserve according to that which God hath blessed him with that when I come collections be not then to make and that when I am come whom you shall chuse them I may forthwith send away by Letters to carry your beneficence unto Jerusalem Out of which words to conclude the duty of Uniformity throughout all Churches in all manner of indifferent Ceremonies will be very hard and therefore best to give it over But perhaps they are by so much the more loth to forsake this Argument for that it hath though nothing else yet the name of Scripture to give it some kinde of countenance more then the pretext of Livery-coats affordeth them For neither is it any mans duty to cloath all his children or all his servants with one weed nor theirs to cloath themselves so if it were left to their own judgments as these Ceremonies are left of God to the judgment of the Church And seeing Churches are rather in this case like divers Families then like divers servants of one Family because every Church the state whereof is independent upon any other hath authority to appoint orders for it self in things indifferent therefore of the two we may rather infer That as one Family is not abridged of liberty to be cloathed in Friers Gray for that another doth wear Clay colour so neither are all Churches bound to the self-same indifferent Ceremonies which it liketh sundry to use As for that Canon in the Council of Nice let them but read it and weigh it well The ancient use of the Church throughout all Christendom was for fifty days after Easter which fifty days were called Pentecost though most commonly the last day of them which is Whitsunday he so called in like sort on all Sundays throughout the whole year their manner was to stand at Prayer Whereupon their meetings unto that purpose on those days had the name of Stations given them Of which Custom Tertullian speaketh in this wise It is not with us thought sit either to fast on the Lords day or to pray kneeling The same immunity from Fasting and Kneeling we keep all the time which is between the Feasts of Easter and Pentecost This being therefore an order generally received in the Church when some began to be singular and different from all others and that in a Ceremony which was then judged very convenient for the whole Church even by the whole those few excepted which break out of the common Pale the Council of Nice thought good to enclose them again with the rest by a Law made in this sort Because there are certain which will needs kneel at the time of Prayer on the Lords day and in the fifty days after Easter the holy Synod judging it meet that a convenient custom be observed throughout all Churches hath decreed That Standing we make our Prayers to the Lord. Whereby it plainly appeareth that in things indifferent what the whole Church doth think convenient for the whole the same if any part do wilfully violate it may be reformed and inraised again by that general authority whereunto each particular is subject and that the Spirit of singularity in a few ought to give place unto publick judgment this doth clearly enough appear but not that all Christian Churches are bound in every indifferent Ceremony to be uniform because where the whole Church hath not tyed the parts unto one and the same thing they being therein left each to their own choice may either do as others do or else otherwise without any breach of duty at all Concerning those indifferent things wherein it hath been heretofore thought good that all Christian Churches should be uniform the way which they now conceive to bring this to pass was then never thought on For till now it hath been judged that seeing the Law of God doth not prescribe all particular Ceremonies which the Church of Christ may use and in so great variety of them as may be found out it is not possible That the Law of Nature and Reason should direct all Churches unto the same things each deliberating by it self what is most convenient The way to establish the same things indifferent throughout them all must needs be the judgment of some Judicial authority drawn into one onely sentence which may be a rule for every particular to follow And because such authority over all Churches is too much to be granted unto any one mortal man there yet remaineth that which hath been always followed as the best the safest the most sincere and reasonable way namely the Verdict of the whole Church orderly taken and set down in the Assembly of some General Council But to maintain That all Christian Churches ought for Unities sake to be uniform in all Ceremonies and then to teach that the way of bringing this to pass must be by mutual imitation so that where we have better Ceremonies then others they shall be bound to follow us and we them where theirs are better How should we think it agreeable and consonant unto reason For sith in things of this nature there is such variety of particular inducements whereby one Church may be led to think that better which another Church led by other inducements judgeth to be worse For example the East Church did think it better to keep Easter day after the manner of the Jews the West Church better to do otherwise the Greek Church judgeth it worse to use Unleavened Bread in the Eucharist the Latine Church leavened One Church esteemeth it not so good to receive the Eucharist sitting as standing another Church not so good standing as sitting there being on the one side probable Motives as well as on the other unless they add somewhat else to define more certainly what Ceremonies shall stand for best in such sort That all Churches in the World shall know them to be the best and so know them that there may not remain any question about this point we are not a whit the nearer for that they have hitherto said They themselves although resolved in their own judgments what Ceremonies are best foreseeing that such as they are addicted unto be not all so clearly and so incomparably best but others there are or may be at leastwise when all things are well considered as good knew not which way smoothly to rid their hands of this matter without providing some more certain rule to be followed for establishment of Uniformity in Ceremonies when there are divers kindes of equal goodness And therefore in this case they say That the latter Churches and the fewer should conform themselves unto the elder and the moe Hereupon they conclude that for as much as all the Reformed Churches so far as they know which are of our Confession in Doctrine have agreed already in the Abrogation of divers things which we retain Our Church ought either to shew that they have done evil or else she is found to be in fault
for such their particular Invocations and Benedictions as no Man I suppose professing truth of Religion will easily think to have been without Fruit. No there is no cause we should doubt of the benefit but surely great cause to make complaint of the deep neglect of this Christian duty almost with all them to whom by tight of their place and calling the same belongeth Let them not take it in evil part the thing is true their small regard hereunto hath done harm in the Church of God That which Error rashly uttereth in disgrace of good things may peradventure be sponged out when the print of those evils which are grown through neglect will remain behinde Thus much therefore generally spoken may serve for answer unto their demands that require us to tell them Why there should be any such confirmation in the Church seeing we are not ignorant how earnestly they have protested against it and how directly although untruly for so they are content to acknowledge it hath by some of them been said To be first brought in by the seigned Decretal Epistles of the Popes or why it should not be utterly abolished seeing that no one title thereof can be once found in the whole Scripture except the Epistle to the Hebrews be Scripture And again seeing that how free soever it be now from abuse if we look back to the times past which wise men do always more respect then the present it hath been abused and is found at the length no such profitable Ceremony as the whole silly Church of Christ for the space of these Sixteen hundred years hath through want of experience imagined Last of all Seeing also besides the cruelty which is shewed towards poor Country people who are fain sometimes to let their Ploughs stand still and with increble wearisome toyl of their feeble bodies to wander over Mountains and through Woods it may be now and then little less then a whole half score of miles for a Bishops blessing which if it were needful might as well be done at home in their own Parishes rather then they is purchase it with so great loss and so intolerable pain There are they say in Confirmation besides this Three terrible points The first is Laying on of hands with pretence that the same is done to the example of the Apostles which is not onely as they suppose a manifest untruth for all the World doth know that the Apostles did never after Baptism lay hands on any and therefore Saint Luke which saith they did was much deceived But farther also we thereby teach men to think Imposition of Hands a Sacrament belike because it is a principle ingrafted by common Light of Nature in the Mindes of Men that all things done by Apostolick example must needs be Sacrament The second high point of danger is That by tying Confirmation to the Bishop alone there is great cause of suspition given to think that Baptism is not so precious a thing as Confirmation For will any man think that a Velvet Coat is of more price then a Linnen Coyf knowing the one to be an ordinary Garment the other an Ornament which onely Sergeants at Law do wear Finally To draw to an end of perils the last and the weightiest hazard is where the Book it self doth say That Children by Imposition of Hands and Prayer may receive strength against all temptation Which speech as a two-edged sword doth both ways dangerously wound partly because it ascribeth Grace to Imposition of Hands whereby we are able no more to assure our selves in the warrant of any promise from God that his Heavenly Grace shall be given then the Apostle was that himself should obtain Grace by the bowing of his knees to God and partly because by using the very word strength in this matter a word so apt to spred infection we maintain with Popish Evangelists an old forlorn distinction of the Holy Ghost bestowed upon Christs Apostles before his Ascension into Heaven and augmented upon them afterwards a distinction of Grace infused into Christian men by degrees planted in them at the first by Baptism after cherished watred and be it spoken without offence strengthned as by other vertuous Offices which Piety and true Religion teacheth even so by this very special Benediction whereof we speak the Rite or Ceremony of Confirmation 67. The Grace which we have by the holy Eucharist doth not begin but continue life No man therefore receiveth this Sacrament before Baptism because no dead thing is capable of nourishment That which groweth must of necessity first live If our Bodies did not daily waste Food to restore them were a thing superfluous And it may be that the Grace of Baptism would serve to Eternal Life were it not that the state of our Spiritual Being is daily so much hindered and impaired after Baptism In that life therefore where neither Body nor Soul can decay our Souls shall as little require this Sacrament as our Bodies corporal nourishment But as long as the days of our warfare last during the time that we are both subject to diminution and capable of augmentation in Grace the Words of our Lord and Saviour Christ will remain forceable Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no life in you Life being therefore proposed unto all men as their end they which by Baptism have laid the Foundation and attained the first beginning of a new life have here their nourishment and food prescribed for continuance of life in them Such as will live the Life of God must eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man because this is a part of that diet which if we want we cannot live Whereas therefore in our Infancy we are incorporated into Christ and by Baptism receive the Grace of his Spirit without any sense or feeling of the gift which God bestoweth in the Eucharist we so receive the gift of God that we know by Grace what the Grace is which God giveth us the degrees of our own Increase in holiness and vertue we see and can judge of them we understand that the strength of our life begun in Christ is Christ that his Flesh is Meat and his Blood drink not by surmised imagination but truly even so truly that through Faith we perceive in the Body and Blood sacramentally presented the very taste of Eternal Life the Grace of the Sacrament is here as the food which we eat and drink This was it that some did exceedingly fear lest Zwinglius and Occolampadius would bring to pass that men should account of this Sacrament but onely as of a shadow destitute empty and void of Christ. But seeing that by opening the several opinions which have been held they are grown for ought I can see on all sides at the length to a general agreement concerning that which alone is material namely The Real Participation of Christ and of
by whom any profitable way is censured as reprovable onely under colour of some small difference from great examples going before to do throughout every the like circumstance the same which Christ did in this action were by following his footsteps in that sort to err more from the purpose he aimed at then we now do by not following them with so nice and severe strictness They little weigh with themselves how dull how heavy and almost how without sense the greatest part of the common multitude every where is who think it either unmeet or unnecessary to put them even man by man especially at that time in minde whereabout they are It is true That in Sermons we do not use to repeat our sentences severally to every particular heâ—er a strange madness it were if we should The softness of Wax may induce a wise man to set his stamp or image therein it perswadeth no man that because Wooll hath the like quality it may therefore receive the like impression So the reason taken from the use of Sacraments in that they are Instruments of Grace unto every particular man may with good congruity lead the Church to frame accordingly her words in Administration of Sacraments because they easily admit this Form which being in Sermons a thing Impossible without apparent ridiculous absurdity agreement of Sacraments with Sermons in that which is alledged as a reasonable proof of conveniency for the one proveth not the same Allegation impertinent because it doth not inforce the other to be administred in like sort For equal principles do then avail unto equal conclusions when the matter whereunto we apply them is equal and not else Our Kneeling at Communions is the gesture of Piety If we did there present our selves but to make some shew or dumb resemblance of a Spiritual Feast it may be that Sitting were the fitter Ceremony but coming as Receivers of inestimable Grace at the Hands of God what doth better beseem our bodies at that hour then to be sensible Witnesses of mindes unfeignedly humbled Our Lord himself did that which custom and long usage had made fit We that which fitness and great decency hath made usual The tryal of our selves before we Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup is by express Commandment every mans precise Duty As for necessity of calling others unto account besides our selves albeit we be not thereunto drawn by any great strength which is in their Arguments who first press us with it as a thing necessary by affirming That the Apostles did use it and then prove the Apostles to have used it by affirming it to be necessary Again albeit we greatly muse how they can avouch That God did command the Levites to prepare their Brethren against the Feast of the Passover and that the Examination of them was a part of their Preparation when the place alledged to this purpose doth but charge the Levite saying Make ready Lâ—ahhechem for your Brethren to the end they may do according to the Word of the Lord by Moses Wherefore in the self-same place it followeth how Lambs and Kids and Sheep and Bullocks were delivered unto the Levites and that thus the Service was made ready It followeth likewise how the Levites having in such sort provided for the people they made provision for themselves and for the Priests the Sons of Aaron So that confidently from hence to conclude the necessity of Examination argueth their wonderful great forwardness in framing all things to serve their turn nevertheless the Examination of Communicants when need requireth for the profitable use it may have in such cases we reject not Our fault in admitting Popish Communicants Is it in that we are forbidden to eat and therefore much more to communicate with notorious Malefactors The name of a Papist is not given unto any man for being a notorious Malefactor And the crime wherewith we are charged is suffering of Papists to communicate so that be their life and conversation whatsoever in the fight of man their Popish opinions are in this case laid as Bars and Exceptions against them yea those opinions which they have held in former times although they now both profess by word and offer to shew by fact the contrary All this doth not justifie us which ought not they say to admit them in any wise till their Gospel-like behavior have removed all suspition of Popery from them because Papists are Dogs Swine Beasts Foreigners and Strangers from the House of God in a word they are not of the Church What the terms of Gospel-like behavior may include is obscure and doubtful But of the Visible Church of Christ in this present World from which they separate all Papists we are thus perswaded Church is a word which Art hath devised thereby to sever and distinguish that Society of Men which professeth the true Religion from the rest which profess it not There have been in the World from the very first foundation thereof but three Religions Paganism which lived in the blindness of corrupt and depraved Nature Iudaism embracing the Law which Reformed Heathenish Impiety and taught Salvation to be looked for through One whom God in the last days would send and exalt to be Lord of all Finally Christian Belief which yieldeth obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and acknowledgeth him the Saviour whom God did promise Seeing then that the Church is a name which Art hath given to Professors of true Religion As they which will define a Man are to pass by those qualities wherein one man doth excel another and to take onely those Essential Properties whereby a Man doth differ from Creatures of other kindes So he that will teach what the Church is shall never rightly perform the work whereabout he goeth till in Matter of Religion he touch that difference which severeth the Churches Religion from theirs who are not the Church Religion being therefore a matter partly of contemplation partly of action we must define the Church which is a Religious Society by such differences as do properly explain the Essence of such things that is to say by the Object or Matter whereabout the Contemplations and Actions of the Church are properly conversant For so all Knowledges and all Vertues are defined Whereupon because the onely Object which separateth ours from other Religions is Jesus Christ in whom none but the Church doth believe and whom none but the Church doth worship we finde that accordingly the Apostles do every where distinguish hereby the Church from Infidels and from Jews accounting them which call upon the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ to be his Church If we go lower we shall but add unto this certain casual and variable accidents which are not properly of the Being but make onely for the happier and better Being of the Church of God either indeed or in mens opinions and conceits This is the Error of all Popish definitions that hitherto have been brought They
may be in things that rest and are never moved Besides we may also consider in Rest both that which is past and that which is present and that which is future yea farther even length and shortness in every of these although we never had conceit of Motion But to define without Motion how long or how short such Continuance is were impossible So that herein we must of necessity use the benefit of Years Days Hours Minutes which all grow from Celestial Motion Again for as much as that Motion is Circular whereby we make our Divisions of Time and the Compass of that Circuit such that the Heavens which are therein continually moved and keep in their Motions uniform Celerity must needs touch often the same points they cannot chuse but bring unto us by equal distances frequent returns of the same times Furthermore whereas Time is nothing but the meer quantity of that Continuance which all things have that are not as God is without beginning that which is proper unto all quantities agreeth also to this kinde so that Time doth but measure other things and neither worketh in them any real effect nor is it self ever capable of any And therefore when commonly we use to say That Time doth eat or fret out all things that Time is the wisest thing in the World because it bringeth forth all Knowledge and that nothing is more foolish then Time which never holdeth any thing long but whatsoever one day learneth the same another day forgetteth again that some men see prosperous and happy days and that some mens days are miserable In all these and the like speeches that which is uttered of the Time is not verified of Time it self but agreeth unto those things which are in Time and do by means of so near conjunction either lay their burden upon the back or set their Crown upon the Head of Time Yea the very opportunities which we ascribe to Time do in truth cleave to the things themselves wherewith Time is joyned As for Time it neither causeth things nor opportunities of things although it comprize and contain both All things whatsoever having their time the Works of God have always that time which is seasonablest and fittest for them His Works are some ordinary some more rare all worthy of observation but not all of like necessity to be often remembred they all have their times but they all do not adde the same estimation and glory to the times wherein they are For as God by being every where yet doth not give unto all places one and the same degree of holiness so neither one and the same dignity to all times by working in all For it all either places or times were in respect of God alike wherefore was it said unto Moses by particular designation That very place wherein thou standest is holy ground Why doth the Prophet David chuse out of all the days of the year but one whereof he speaketh by way of principal admiration This is the day the Lord hath made No doubt as Gods extraordinary presence hath hallowed and sanctified certain places so they are his extraordinary works that have truly and worthily advanced certain times for which cause they ought to be with all men that honor God more holy then other days The Wise man therefore compareth herein not unfitly the times of God with the persons of men If any should ask how it cometh to pass that one day doth excel another seeing the light of all the days in the year proceedeth from one Sun to this he answereth That the knowledge of the Lord hath parted them asunder he hath by them disposed the times and solemn Feasts some he hath chosen out and sanctified some he hath put among the days to number Even as Adam and all other men are of one substance all created of the Earth But the Lord hath divided them by great knowledge and made their ways divers some he hath blessed and exalted some he hath sanctified and appropriated unto himself some he hath cursed humbled and put them out of their dignity So that the cause being natural and necessary for which there should be a difference in days the solemn observation whereof declareth Religious thankfulness towards him whose works of principal reckoning we thereby admire and honor it cometh next to be considered what kindes of duties and services they are wherewith such times should be kept holy 70. The Sanctification of Days and Times is a token of that Thankfulness and a part of that publick honor which we ow to God for admirable benefits whereof it doth not suffice that we keep a secret Kalender taking thereby our private occasions as we lift our selves to think how much God hath done for all men but the days which are chosen out to serve as publick Memorials of such his Mercies ought to cloathed with those outward Robes of Holiness whereby their difference from other days may be made sensible But because Time in it self as hath been already proved can receive no alteration the hallowing of Festival days must consist in the shape or countenance which we put upon the affairs that are incident into those days This is the day which the Lord hath made saith the Prophet David Let us rejoyce and be glad in it So that generally Offices and Duties of Religious Joy are that wherein the hallowing of Festival times consisteth The most Natural Testimonies of our rejoycing in God are first his Praises set forth with cheerful alacrity of minde Secondly Our comfort and delight expressed by a charitable largeness of somewhat more then common bounty Thirdly Sequestration from ordinary labors the toyls and cares whereof are not meet to be companions of such gladness Festival solemnity therefore is nothing but the due mixture as it were of these three Elements Praise Bounty and Rest. Touching Praise for as much as the Jews who alone knew the way how to magnifie God aright did commonly as appeared by their wicked lives more of custom and for fashion sake execute the services of their Religion then with hearty and true devotion which God especially requireth he therefore protesteth against their Sabbaths and Solemn Days as being therewith much offended Plentiful and liberal expence is required in them that abound party as a sign of their own joy in the goodness of God towards them and partly as a mean whereby to refresh those poor and needy who being especially at these times made partakers of relaxation and joy with others do the more religiously bless God whose great Mercies were a cause thereof and the more contentedly endure the burthen of that hard estate wherein they continue Rest is the end of all Motion and the last perfection of all things that labor Labors in us are journeys and even in them which feel no weariness by any work yet they are but ways whereby to come unto that which bringeth not happiness till it do bring Rest.
For as long as any thing which we desire is unattained we rest not Let us not here take Rest for Idleness They are Idle whom the painfulness of action causeth to avoid those Labors whereunto both God and Nature bindeth them they Rest which either cease from their work when they have brought it unto perfection of else give over a meaner labor because a worthier and better is to be undertaken God hath created nothing to be idle or ill employed As therefore Man doth consist of different and distinct parts every part endued with manifold abilities which all have their several ends and actions thereunto referred so there is in this great variety of duties which belong to men that dependency and other by means whereof the lower sustaining always the more excellent and the higher perfecting the more base they are in their times and seasons continued with most exquisite correspondence Labors of bodily and daily toyl purchase freedom for actions of Religious Joy which benefit these actions requite with the gift of desired Rest A thing most natural and fit to accompany the solemn Festival duties of honor which are done to God For if those principal works of God the memory whereof we use to celebrate at such times be but certain tastes and â—â—says as it were of that final benefit wherein our perfect felicity and bliss lieth folded up seeing that the presence of the one doth direct our cogitations thoughts and desires towards the other it giveth surely a kinde of life and addeth inwardly no small delight to those so comfortable expectations when the very outward countenance of that we presently do representeth after a sort that also whereunto we tend as Festival Rest doth that Celestial estate whereof the very Heathens themselves which had not the means whereby to apprehend much did notwithstanding imagine that it needs must consist in Rest and have therefore taught that above the highest moveable sphere there is nothing which feeleth alteration motion or change but all things immutable unsubject to passion blest with eternal continuance in a life of the highest perfection and of that compleat abundant sufficiency within it self which no possibility of want maim or defect can touch Besides whereas ordinary labors are both in themselves painful and base in comparison of Festival Services done to God doth not the natural difference between them shew that the one as it were by way of submission and homage should surrender themselves to the other wherewith they can neither easily concur because painfulness and joy are opposite nor decently because while the minde hath just occasion to make her abode in the House of Gladness the Weed of ordinary toyl and travel becometh her not Wherefore even Nature hath taught the Heathens and God the Jews and Christ us first that Festival Solemnities are a part of the publick exercise of Religion secondly that Praise Liberality and Rest are as Natural Elements whereof Solemnities consist But these things the Heathens converted to the honor of their false gods And as they failed in the end it self so neither could they discern rightly what form and measure Religion therein should observe Whereupon when the Israelites impiously followed so corrupt example they are in every degree noted to have done amiss their Hymns of Songs of Praise were Idolatry their Bounty Excess and their Rest wantonness Therefore the Law of God which appointed them days of Solemnity taught them likewise in what manner the same should be celebrated According to the pattern of which Institution David establishing the state of Religion ordained Praise to be given unto God in the Sabbaths Moneths and appointed Times as their custom had been always before the Lord. Now besides the times which God himself in the Law of Moses particularly specified there were through the Wisdom of the Church certain other devised by occasion of like occurents to those whereupon the former had risen as namely that which Mordecai and Esther did first celebrate in memory of the Lords most wonderful protection when Haman had laid his inevitable Plot to mans thinking for the utter extirpation of the Jews even in one day This they call the Feast of Lots because Haman had cast their life and their death as it were upon the hazard of a Lot To this may be added that other also of Dedication mentioned in the Tenth of St. Iohns Gospel the institution whereof is declared in the History of the Maccabees But for as much as their Law by the coming of Christ is changed and we thereunto no way bound St. Paul although it were not his purpose to favor invectives against the special Sanctification of days and times to the Service of God and to the honor of Jesus Christ doth notwithstanding bend his forces against that opinion which imposed on the Gentiles the Yoke of Jewish Legal observations as if the whole World ought for ever and that upon pain of condemnation to keep and observe the same Such as in this perswasion hallowed those Jewish Sabbaths the Apostle sharply reproveth saying Ye observe days and moneths and times and years I am in fear of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain Howbeit so far off was Tertullian from imagining how any man could possibly hereupon call in question such days as the Church of Christ doth observe that the observation of these days he useth for an Argument whereby to prove it could not be the Apostles intent and meaning to condemn simply all observing of such times Generally therefore touching Feasts in the Church of Christ they have that profitable use whereof Saint Augustine speaketh By Festival Solemnities and set-Set-days we dedicate and sanctifie to God the memory of his benefits lest unthankful forgetfulness thereof should creep upon us in course of time And concerning particulars their Sabbath the Church hath changed into our Lords day that is as the one did continually bring to minde the former World finished by Creation so the other might keep us in perpetual remembrance of a far better World begun by him which came to restore all things to make both Heaven and Earth new For which cause they honored the last day we the first in every seven throughout the year The rest of the days and times which we celebrate have relation all unto one head We begin therefore our Ecclesiastical year with the glorious Annuntiation of his Birth by Angelical Embassage There being hereunto added his Blessed Nativity it self the Mystery of his Legal Circumcision the Testification of his true Incarnation by the Purification of her which brought him in the World his Resurrection his Ascension into Heaven the admirable sending down of his Spirit upon his chosen and which consequently ensued the notice of that incomprehensible Trinity thereby given to the Church of God Again for as much as we know that Christ hath not onely been manifested great in himself but great in other his Saints also
made a Mother over his Family Last of all she received such advancement of state as things annexed unto his person might augment her with yea a right of participation was thereby given her both in him and even in all things which were his This doth somewhat the more-plainly appear by adding also that other Clause With all my worldy goods I thee endow The former branch having granted the principal the latter granteth that which is annexed thereunto To end the Publick Solemnity of Marriage with receiving the Blessed Sacrament is a Custom so Religious and so holy that if the Church of England be blameable in this respect it is not for suffering it to be so much but rather for not providing that it may be more put in Me. The Laws of Romulus concerning Marriage are therefore extolled above the rest amongst the Heathens which were before in that they established the use of certain special Solemnities whereby the mindes of men were drawn to make the greater conscience of Wedlock and to esteem the Bond thereof a thing which could not be without impiety dissolved If there be any thing in Christian Religion strong and effectual to like purpose it is the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist in regard of the force whereof Tertullian breaketh out into these words concerning Matrimony therewith sealed Unde sufficiam ad enarrandam faelicitatem ejus Matrimonii quod Ecclesia conciliat confirmat Oblatio I know not which way I should be able to shew the happiness of that Wedlock the knot whereof the Church doth fasten and the Sacrament of the Church confirm Touching Marriage therefore let thus much be sufficient 74. The Fruit of Marriage is Birth and the Companion of Birth Travail the grief whereof being so extream and the danger always so great Dare we open our mouths against the things that are holy and presume to censure it as a fault in the Church of Christ That Women after their Deliverance do publickly shew their thankful mindes unto God But behold What reason there is against it Forsâ—â—th if there should be solemn and express giving of Thanks in the Church for every benefit either equal or greater then this which any singular person in the Church doth receive We should not onely have no Preaching of the Word nor Ministring of the Sacraments but we should not have so much leisure as to do any corporal or bodily work but should be like those Massilian Hereticks which do nothing else but pray Surely better a great deal to be like unto those Hereticks which do nothing else but pray then those which do nothing else but quarrel Their heads it might happily trouble somewhat more then as yet they are aware of to finde out so many benefits greater then this or equivalent thereunto for which if so be our Laws did require solemn and express Thanksgivings in the Church the same were like to prove a thing so greatly cumbersome as is pretended But if there be such store of Mercies even inestimable poured every day upon thousands as indeed the Earth is full of the Blessings of the Lord which are day by day renewed without number and above measure shall it not be lawful to cause solemn Thanks to be given unto God for any benefit then which greater or whereunto equal are received no Law binding men in regard thereof to perform the like duty Suppose that some Bond there be that tieth us at certain times to mention publickly the names of sundry our Benefactors Some of them it may be are such That a day would scarcely serve to reckon up together with them the Catalogue of so many men besides as we are either more or equally beholden unto Because no Law requireth this impossible labor at our hands shall we therefore condemn that Law whereby the other being possible and also dutiful is enjoyned us So much we ow to the Lord of Heaven that we can never sufficiently praise him nor give him thanks for half those benefits for which this Sacrifice were most due Howbeit God forbid we should cease performing this duty when publick Order doth draw us unto it when it may be so easily done when it hath been so long executed by devout and vertuous people God forbid that being so many ways provoked in this case unto so good a duty we should omit it onely because there are other cases of like nature wherein we cannot so conveniently or at leastwise do not perform the same most vertuous Office of Piety Wherein we trust that as the action it self pleaseth God so the order and manner thereof is not such as may justly offend any It is but an over-flowing of Gall which causeth the Womans absence from the Church during the time of her lying in to be traduced and interpreted as though she were so long judged unholy and were thereby shut out or sequestred from the House of God according to the ancient Levitical Law Whereas the very Canon Law it self doth not so hold but directly professeth the contrary She is not barred from thence in such sort as they interpret it nor in respect of any unholiness forbidden entrance into the Church although her abstaining from publick Assembles and her abode in separation for the time be most convenient To scoff at the manner of attire then which there could be nothing devised for such a time more grave and decent to make it a token of some folly committed for which they are loth to shew their faces argueth that great Divines are sometime more merry then wise As for the Women themselves God accepting the service which they faithfully offer unto him it is no great disgrace though they suffer pleasant witted men a little to intermingle with zeal scorn The name of Oblations applied not onely here to those small and petit payments which yet are a part of the Ministers right but also generally given unto all such allowances as serve for their needful maintenance is both ancient and convenient For as the life of the Clergy is spent in the Service of God so it is sustained with his Revenue Nothing therefore more proper then to give the name of Oblations to such payments in token that we offer unto him whatsoever his Ministers receive 75. But to leave this there is a duty which the Church doth ow to the faithful departed wherein for as much as the Church of England is said to do those things which are though not unlawful yet inconvenient because it appointeth a prescript Form of Service at Burials suffereth mourning Apparel to be worn and permitteth Funeral Sermons a word or two concerning this point will be necessary although it be needless to dwell long upon it The end of Funeral duties is first to shew that love towards the party deceased which Nature requireth then to do him that honor which is fit both generally for man and particularly for the quality of his person Last of all to
appertain unto several Corporations or Companies of men some to be privately mens own in particular and some to be separated quite from all men which last branch comprizeth things sacred and holy because thereof God alone is Owner The sequel of which received opinion as well without as within the Walls of the House of God touching such possessions as hath been ever that there is not an act more honourable than by all means to amplifie and to defend the patrimony of Religion not any more impious and hateful than to impair those possessions which men in former times when they gave unto holy uses were wont at the Altar of God and in presence of their ghostly Superiours to make as they thought inviolable by words of fearful execration saying These things we offer to God from whom if any take them away which we hope no man will attempt to do but if any shall Let his account be without favour in the last day when he commeth to receive the doom which is due for Sacriledge against that Lord and God unto whom we dedicate the same The best and most renowned Prelates of the Church of Christ have in this consideration rather sustained the wrath than yielded to satisfie the hard desire of their greatest Commanders on earth coveting with ill advice and counsel that which they willingly should have suffered God to enjoy There are of Martyrs whom posterity doth much honour for that having under their hands the custody of such treasures they could by vertuous delusion invent how to save them from prey even when the safety of their own lives they gladly neglected as one sometime an Archdeacon under Xistne the Bishop of Rome did whom when his Judge understood to be one of the Church-Stewards thirst of blood began to slake and another humour to work which first by a favourable countenance and then by quiet speech did thus calmly disclose it self You that profess the Christian Religion make great complaint of the wonderful cruelty we shew towards you Neither peradventure altogether without cause But for my self I am farr from any such bloody purpose Ye are not so willing to love as I unwilling that out of these lips should proceed any capital sentence against you Your Bishops are said to have rich Vessels of Gold and Silver which they use in the exercise of their Religion besides the fame is that numbers sell away their Lands and Livings the huge prices whereof are brought to your Church-coffers by which means the devotion that maketh them and their whole Posterity poor must needs mightily enrich you whose God we know was no Coyner of Money but left behinde him many wholesome and good Precepts at namely that Caesar should have of you the things that are fit for and due to Caesar. His Wars are costly and chargeable unto him That which you suffer to rust in corners the affairs of the Common-wealth do need Your Profession is not to make account of things transitory And yet if ye can be contented but to forego that which ye care not for I dare undertake to warrant you both safety of life and freedom dom of using your conscience a thing more acceptable to you than wealth Which sa it ' Parley the happy Martyr quietly hearing and perceiving it necessary to make some shift for the safe concealment of that which being now desired was not unlikely to be more narrowly afterwards sought he craved respite for three dayes to gather the riches of the Church together in which space against the time the Governour should come to the doors of the Temple bigg with hope to receive his prey a miserable rank of poor lame and impotent Persous was provided their names delivered him up in writing as a true Inventory of the Churches goods and some few words used to signifie how proud the Church was of these Treasures If men did not naturally abhor Sacriledge to resist or to defeat so impious attempts would deserve small prayse But such is the general detestation of rapine in this kinde that whereas nothing doth either in Peace or War more uphold men's reputation than prosperous success because in common construction unless notorious improbity be joyn'd with prosperity it seemeth to argue favour with God they which once have stained their hands with these odious spoyls do thereby fasten unto all their actions an eternal prejudice in respect whereof for that it passeth through the World as an undoubted Rule and Principle that Sacriledge is open defiance to God whatsoever afterwards they undertake if they prosper in it men reckon it but Dionysius his Navigation and if any thing befall them otherwise it is not as commonly so in them ascribed to the great uncertainty of casual events wherein the providence of God doth controul the purposes of men oftentimes much more for their good than if all things did answer fully their hearts desire but the censure of the World is ever directly against them both bitter and peremptoty To make such actions therefore less odious and to mitigate the envy of them many colourable shifts and inventions have been used as if the World did hate onely Wolves and think the Fox a goodly Creature The time it may be will come when they that either violently have spoyled or thus smoothly defrauded God shall finde they did but deceive themselves In the mean while there will be always some skilful Persons which can teach a way how to grinde treatably the Church with jawes that shall scarce move and yet devour in the end more than they that come ravening with open mouth as if they would worry the whole in an instant others also who having wastfully eaten out their own Patrimony would be glad to repair if they might their decayed Estates with the ruine they care not of what nor of whom so the spoyl were theirs whereof in some part if they happen to speed yet commonly they are men born under that constellation which maketh them I know not how as unapt to enrich themselves as they are ready to impoverish others it is their lot to sustain during life both the misery of Beggers and the infamy of Robbers But though no other Plague and Revenge should follow sacrilegious violations of holy things the natural secret disgrace and ignominy the very turpitude of such actions in the eye of a wise understanding heart is it self a heavy punishment Men of vertuous quality are by this sufficiently moved to beware how they answer and requite the mercies of God with injuries whether openly or indirectly offered I will not absolutely say concerning the goods of the Church that they may in no case be seized on by men or that no Obligation Commerce and Bargain made between man and man can never be of force to alienate the property which God hath in them Certain cases I grant there are wherein it is not so dark what God himself doth warrant but that we may safely
God's hands for Publick Confession the last act of Penitency was alwayes made in the form of a contrite Prayer unto God it could not be avoided but they must withall confesse what their offences were This is the opinion of their Prelate seemed from the first beginning as we may probably think to be somewhat burthensome that men whose Crimes were unknown should blaze their own Faults as it were on the Stage acquainting all the People with whatsoever they had done amisse And therefore to remedy this Inconvenience they laid the charge upon one onely Priest chosen out of such as were of best Conversation a silent and a discreet man to whom they which had offended might resort and lay open their Lives He according to the quality of every one's Transgressions appointed what they should do or suffer and left them to execute it upon themselves Can we wish a more direct and evident testimonie that the Office here spoken of was to ease voluntary Penitents from the burthen of publick Confessions and not to constrain notorious Offenders thereunto That such Offenders were not compellable to open Confessions till Novatian's time that is to say till after the dayes of Persecution under Decius the Emperour they of all men should not so peremptorily avouch which whom if Fabian Bishop of Rome who suffered Martyrdom in the first year of Decius be of any authority and credit it must inforce them to reverse their Sentence his words are so plain and clear against them For such as commit those Crimes whereof the Apostle hath said They that do them shall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven must saith he be forced unto amendment because they slipp down to Hell if Ecclesiastical Authority stay them not Their conceit of Impossibility that one man should suffice to take the general charge of Penitency in such a Church as Constantinople hath risen from a meer erroneous supposal that the Antient manner of private Confession was like the Shrift at this day usual in the Church of Rome which tyeth all men at one certain time to make Confession whereas Confession was then neither looked for till men did offer it nor offered for the most part by any other than such as were guilty of haynous Transgressions nor to them any time appointed for that purpose Finally The drift which Sozomen had in relating the Discipline of Rome and the Form of publick Penitency there retained even till his time is not to signifie that onely publick Confession was abrogated by Nectarius but that the West or Latin Church held still one and the same Order from the very beginning and had not as the Greek first cut off publick voluntary Confession by ordaining and then private by removing Penitentiaries Wherefore to conclude It standeth I hope very plain and clear first against the one Cardinal that Nectarius did truly abrogate Confession in such sort as the Ecclesiastical History hath reported and secondly as clear against them both that it was not publick Confession onely which Nectarius did abolish The Paradox in maintenance whereof Hessels wrote purposely a Book touching this Argument to shew that Nectarius did but put the Penitentiary from his Office and not take away the Office it self is repugnant to the whole advice which Eudaemon gave of leaving the People from that time forward to their own Consciences repugnant to the Conference between Socrates and Eudamon wherein complaint is made of some inconvenience which the want of the Office would breed Finally repugnant to that which the History declareth concerning other Churches which did as Nectarius had done before them not in deposing the same man for that was impossible but in removing the same Office out of their Churches which Nectarius had banished from his For which cause Bellarmin doth well reject the opinion of Hessels howsoever it please Pamelius to admire it as a wonderful happy Invention But in sum they are all gravelled no one of them able to go smoothly away and to satisfie either others or himself with his own conceit concerning Nectarius Only in this they are stiff that Auricular Confession Nectarius did not abrogate left if so much should be acknowledged it might enforce them to grant that the Greek Church at that time held not Confession as the Latin now doth to be the part of a Sacrament instituted by our Saviour Jesus Christ which therefore the Church till the Worlds end hath no power to alter Yet seeing that as long as publick voluntary Confession of private Crimes did continue in either Church as in the one it remained not much above 200. years in the other about 400. the only acts of such Repentance were first the Offender's intimation of those Crimes to some one Presbyter for which imposition of Penance was sought Secondly the undertaking of Penance imposed by the Bishop Thirdly after the same performed and ended open Confession to God in the hearing of the whole Church Whereupon Fourthly ensued the Prayer of the Church Fifthly then the Bishop's imposition of hands and so Sixthly the Parties reconciliation or restitution to his former right in the holy Sacrament I would gladly know of them which make onely private Confession a part of their Sacrament of Penance how it could be so in those times For where the Sacrament of Penance is ministred they hold that Confession to be Sacramental which he receiveth who must absolve whereas during the fore-rehearsed manner of Penance it can no where be shewed that the Priest to whom secret information was given did reconcile or absolve any For how could he when Publick Confession was to goe before Reconciliation and Reconciliation likewise in publick thereupon to ensue â— So that if they did account any Confession Sacramental it was surely publicke which is now abolish'd in the Church of Rome and as for that which the Church of Rome doth so esteem the Ancient neither had it in such estimation nor thought it to be of so absolute necessity for the taking away of Sinne But for any thing that I could ever observe out of them although not onely in Crimes open and notorious which made men unworthy and uncapable of holy Mysteries their Discipline required first publicke Penance and then granted that which Saint Hierona mentioneth saying The Priest layeth his hand upon the Penitent and by invocation intreateth that the holy Ghost may return to him again and so after having enjoyned solemnly all the People to pray for him reconcileth to the Altar him who was delivered to Satan for the destruction of his Flesh that his Spirit might be safe in the day of the Lord. Although I say not onely in such Offences being famously known to the World but also if the same were committed secretly it was the custom of those times both that private Intimation should be given and publick Confession made thereof in which respect whereas all men did willingly the one but would as willingly have withdrawn themselves from the other
all Churches and evermore had was judged by the making of the aforesaid Act a just cause wherefore they should be mentioned in that case as a requisite part of that rule wherewith Dominion was to be limited But of this we shall further consider when we come unto that which Soveraign Power may do in making Ecclesiastical Laws Unto which Supream Power in Kings two kinds of adversaries there are which have opposed themselvs one sort defending That Supream power in causes Ecclesiastical throughout the world appertaineth of Divine Right to the Bishop of Rome Another sort That the said power belongeth in every national Church unto the Clergy thereof assembled We which defend as well against the one as against the other That Kings within their own Precincts may have it must shew by what right it must come unto them First unto me it seemeth almost out of doubt controversie that every independent multitude before any certain form of Regiment established hath under God Supream Authority full Dominion over it self even as a man not tyed with the band of subjection as yet unto any other hath over himself the like power God creating mankind did endue it naturally with power to guide it self in what kind of Society soever he should chuse to live A man which is born Lord of himself may be made an others servant And that power which naturally whole societies have may be derived unto many few or one under whom the rest shall then live in subjection Some multitudes are brought into subjection by force as they who being subdued are fain to submit their necks unto what yoak it pleaseth their Conquerors to lay upon them which Conquerors by just and lawful Wars do hold their power over such multitudes as a thing descending unto them Divine Providence it self so disposing For it is God who giveth victory in the day of War and unto whom Dominion in this sort is derived the same they enjoy according to the Law of Nations which Law authorizeth Conquerours to reign as absolute Lords over them whom they vanquish Sometimes it pleaseth God himself by special appointment to chuse out and nominate such as to whom Dominion shall be given which thing he did often in the Common-wealth of Israel They which in this sort receive power immediately from God have it by meer Divine Right they by humane on whom the same is bestowed according to mens discretion when they are left freely by God to make choice of their own Governours By which of these means soever it happen that Kings or Governors be advanced unto their Estates we must acknowledg both their lawful choice to be approved of God and themselves to be Gods Lievtenants and cofess their Power which they have to be his As for Supream Power in Ecclesiastical affairs the Word of God doth no where appoint that all Kings should have it neither that any should not have it for which cause it seemeth to stand altogether by humane Right that unto Christian Kings there is such Dominion given Again on whom the same is bestowed at mens discretions they likewise do hold it by Divine Right If God in his revealed Word hath appointed such Power to be although himself extraordinarily bestow it not but leave the appointment of persons to men yea albeit God do neither appoint nor assign the person nevertheless when men have assigned and established both Who doth doubt but that sundry duties and affairs depending thereupon are prescribed by the Word of God and consequently by that very right to be exacted For example sake the power which Romane Emperors had over foreign Provinces was not a thing which the Law of God did ever Institute Neither was Tiberius Caesar by especial Commission from Heaven therewith invested and yet paiment of Tribute unto Caesar being now made Emperor is the plain Law of Jesus Christ unto Kings by humane Right Honor by very Divine Right is due mans Ordinances are many times proposed as grounds in the Statutes of God And therefore of what kind soever the means be whereby Governors are lawfully advanced to their States as we by the Laws of God stand bound meekly to acknowledg them for Gods Lieutenants and to confess their Power his So by the same Law they are both authorized and required to use that Power as far as it may be in any State available to his Honor. The Law appointeth no man to be a husband but if a man hath betaken himself unto that condition it giveth him power Authority over his own Wife That the Christian world should be ordered by the Kingly Regiment the Law of God doth not any where command and yet the Law of God doth give them which once are exalted unto that place of Estate right to exact at the hands of their Subjects general obedience in whatsoever affairs their power may serve to command and God doth ratifie works of that Soveraign Authority which Kings have received by men This is therefore the right whereby Kings do hold their power but yet in what sort the same doth rest and abide in them it somewhat behoveth further to search where that we be not enforced to make overlarge discourses about the different conditions of Soveraign or Supream Power that which we speak of Kings shall be in respect of the State and according to the nature of this Kingdom where the people are in no subjection but such as willingly themselves have condescended unto for their own most behoo◠and security In Kingdoms therefore of this quality the highest Governor hath indeed universall Dominion but with dependency upon that whole entire body over the several parts whereof he hath Dominion so that it standeth for an Axiom in this case The King is Major singulis universis minor The Kings dependency we do not construe as some have done who are of opinion that no mans birth can make him a King but every particular person advanced to such Authority hath at his entrance into his Raign the same bestowed on him as an estate in condition by the voluntary deed of the people in whom it doth lie to put by any one and to preferr some other before him better liked of or judged fitter for the place and that the party so rejected hath no injury done unto him no although the same be done in a place where the Crown doth go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by succession and to a person which is capital and hath apparently if blood be respected the nearest right They plainly affirm in all well appointed Kingdoms the custom evermore hath been and is that children succeed not their Parents till the people after a sort have created them anew neither that that they grow to their Fathers as natural and proper Heirs but are then to be reckoned for Kings when at the hands of such as represent the Kings Majesty they have by a Scepter and a Diadem received as it were the investure of Kingly power Their
as dust we may be brought at the length to esteem vilely that Spiritual Blisse Christ in Matth. 6. to correct this evil affection putteth us in minde to lay up treasure for our selves in Heaven The Apostle â— Tim. Chapter 3. misliking the vanity of those Women which attired themselves more costly than beseemed the Heavenly Calling of such as professed the fear of God willeth them to cloath themselves with Shamefastnesse and Modesty and to put on the Apparel of Good works Taliter pigmentata Deum habehitis amatorem saith Tertullian Put on Righteousnesse as a Garment instead of Civit have Faith which may cause a savour of life to issue from you and God shall be enamoured he shall be ravished with your beauty These are the Ornaments and Bracelets and Jewels which inflame the love of Christ and set his heart on fire upon his Spouse We see how he breaketh out in the Canticles at the beholding of this attire How fair art thou and how pleasant art thou O my Love in these pleasures 9. And perhaps St. Iude exhorteth us here not to build our Houses but our selves foreseeing by the Spirit of the Almighty which was with him that there should be men in the last days like to those in the first which should encourage and stir up each other to make Brick and to burn it in the fire to build Houses huge as Cities and Towers as high as Heaven thereby to get them a name upon Earth men that should turn out the poor and the Fatherless and the Widow to build places of rest for Dogs and Swine in their rooms men that should lay Houses of Prayer even with the ground and make them Stables where God's people have worshipped before the Lord. Surely this is a vanity of all vanities and it is much amongst men a special sicknesse of this age What it should mean I know not except God have set them on work to provide fewel against that day when the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire What good cometh unto the owners of these things saith Solomon but onely the beholding thereof with their eyes Martha Martha thou busiest thy self about many things One thing is necessary Ye are too busie my Brethren with Timber and Brick they have chosen the better part they have taken a better course that build themselves Ye are the Temples of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and will walk in them and they shall be my People and I will be their God 10. Which of you will gladly remain or abide in a mishapen a ruinous or a broken House And shall we suffer sinne and vanity to drop in at our eyes and at our ears and at every corner of our Bodies and of our Souls knowing that we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which of you receiveth a Guest whom he honoureth or whom he loveth and doth not sweep his Chamber against his coming And shall we suffer the Chambers of our Hearts and Consciences to lye full of vomiting full of filth full of garbidge knowing that Christ hath said I and my Father will come and dwell with you Is it meet for your Oxen to lye in Parlors and your selves to lodge in Cribs Or is it seemly for your selves to dwell in your seiled houses and the House of the Almighty to lye waste whose House ye are yourselves Do not our eys behold how God every day overtaketh the wicked in their Journeys how suddenly they pop down into the Pit how God's judgements for their Crimes come so swiftly upon them that they have not the leisure to cry Alas how their life is cutt off like a thred in a moment how they passe like a shadow how they open their mouths to speak and God taketh them even in the midst of a vain or an idle Word And dare we for all this lye down take our rest eat our meat securely and carelesly in the midst of so great and so many ruines Blessed and praised for ever and ever be his Name who perceiving of how senseless and heavy metal we are made hath instituted in his CHURCH a Spiritual Supper and an Holy Communion to be Celebrated often That we might thereby be occasioned often to examine these Buildings of ours in what case they stand For sith God doth not dwell in Temples which are unclean sith a Shrine cannot be a Sanctuary unto him and this Supper is received as a Seal unto us that we are his House and his Sanctuary that his Christ is as truly united to me and I to him as my arm is united and knit unto my shoulder that he dwelleth in me as verily as the elements of Bread and Wine abide within me which perswasion by receiving these dreadful mysteries we profess our selves to have a due comfort if truly and if in hypocrisie then wo worth us Therefore ere we put forth our hands to take this blessed Sacrament we are charged to examine and to try our hearts whether God be in us of a truth or no and if by Faith and love unfeigned we be found the Temples of the Holy Ghost then to judge whether we have had such regard every one to our building that the Spirit which dwelleth in us hath no way been vexed molested and grieved or if it have as no doubt sometimes it hath by incredulity sometimes by breach of charity sometimes by want of zeal sometimes by spots of life even in the best and most perfect amongst us for who can say his heart is clean O then to fly unto God by unfeigned repentance to fall down before him in the humility of our Souls begging of him whatsoever is needful to repair our decays before we fall into that desolation whereof the Prophet speaketh saying Thy breach is great like the Sea who can heal thee 11. Receiving the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord after this sort you that are Spiritual judge what I speak is not all other Wine like the Water of Merah being compared to the Cup which we bless Is not Manna like to gall and our bread like to Manna Is there not a taste a taste of Christ Jesus in the heart of him that eateth Doth not he which drinketh behold plainly in this Cup that his Soul is bathed in the blood of the Lamb O beloved in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ if ye will taste how sweet the Lord is if ye will receive the King of Glory Build your selves 12. Young men I speak this to you for ye are his House because by Faith ye are Conquerors over Satan and have overcome that evil Fathers I speak it also to you ye are his House because ye have known him who is from the beginning Sweet Babes I speak it even to you also ye are his House because your sinnes are forgiven you for his names sake Matrons and Sisters I may not hold it from you ye are also
things are enjoyned them which God did never require at their hands and the things he doth require are kept from them their eyes are fed with pictures and their ears are filled with melody but their souls do wither and starve and pine away they cry for bread and behold stones are offered them they ask for fish and see they have Scorpions in their hands Thou seest O Lord that they build themselves but not in faith they feed their Children but not with food their Rulers say with shame Bring and not build But God is Righteous their drunkenness stinketh their abominations are known their madness is manifest the wince hath bound them up in her wings and they shall be ashamed of their doings Ephraim saith the Prophet is joyned to Idols let him alone I will turn me therefore from the Priests which do minister unto Idols and apply this Exhortation to them whom God hath appointed to feed his Chosen in Israel 32. If there be any feeling of Christ any drop of heavenly dew or any spark of God's good spirit within you stir it up be careful to build and edifie first your selves and then your flocks in this most holy Faith 33. I say first your selves For hâ— which will set the hearts of other men on fire with the love of Christ must himself burn with love It is want of faith in our selves my Brethren which makes us wretchless in building others We forsake the Lords inheritance and feed it not What is the reason of this Our own desires are settled where they should not be We our selves are like those women which have a longing to eat coals and lime aud filth we are fed some with honour some with ease some with wealth the Gospel waxeth loathsom and unpleasant in our taste how should we then have a care to feed others with that which we cannot fancy our selves If Faith wax cold and slender in the heart of the Prophet it will soon perish from the ears of the People The Prophet Amos speaketh of a famine saying I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. Men shall wander from sea to sea and from the North unto the East shall they ran to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not finde it Iudgement must begin at the House of God saith Peter Yea I say at the Sanctuary of God this judgement must begin This famine must begin at the heart of the Prophet He must have darkness for a vision he must stumble at noon day as at the twi-light and then truth shall fall in the midst of the streets then shall the people wander from sea to sea and from the North unto the East shall they run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord. 34. In the second of Haggai Speak now saith God to his Prophet Speak now to Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel Prince of Iudah and to Iehoshua the Son of Iehosadak the High-priest and to the residue of the people saying Who is left among you that saw this House in her first glory and how do you see it now Is not this House in your eyes in comparison of it is nothing The Prophet would have all mens eyes turned to the view of themselves every sort brought to the consideration of their present state This is no place to shew what duty Zerubbabel or Iehoshuah doth owe unto God in this respect They have I doubt not such as put them hereof in remembrance I ask of you which are a part of the residue of God's Elect and chosen people Who is there amongst you that hath taken a survey of the House of God as it was in the days of the blessed Apostles of Jesus Christ Who is there amongst you that hath seen and considered this Holy Temple in her first glory And how do you see it now Is it not in comparison of the other almost as nothing when ye look upon them which have undertaken the charge of your Souls and know how far these are for the most part grown out of kind how few there be that tread the steps of their antient Predecessors ye are easily filled with indignation easily drawn unto these complaints wherein the difference of present from former times is bewailed easily perswaded to think of them that lived to enjoy the days which now are gone that surely they were happy in comparison of us that have succeeded them Were not their Bishops men unreproveable wise righteous holy temperate well-reported of even of those which were without Were not their Pastors Guides and Teachers able and willing to exhort with wholsome Doctrine and to reprove those which gain-said the Truth had they Priests made of the reffuse of the people were men like to the children which were in Niniveh unable to discern between the right hand and the left presented to the charge of their Congregations did their Teachers leave their flocks over which the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers did their Prophets enter upon holy things as spoils without a reverend calling were their Leaders so unkindly affected towards them that they could finde in their hearts to sell them as sheep or oxen not caring how they made them away But Beloved deceive not your selves Do the faults of your Guides and Pastors offend you it is your fault if they be thus faulty Nullus quimalum Rectorem patitur cum accuset quia sai fuit meriti perversi Pastoris subjacere ditioni saith St. Gregory whosoever thou art whom the inconvenience of an evil Governor doth press accuse thy self and not him his being such is thy deserving O ye disobedient Children turn again saith the Lord and then will I give you Pastors according to mine own heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding So that the onely way to repair all ruines breaches and offensive decays in others is to begin reformation at your selves Which that we may all sincerely seriously and speedily do God the Father grant for his Son our Saviour Jesus sake unto whom with the Holy Ghost three Persons one Eternal and Everlasting God be honour and glory and praise for ever Amen FINIS * This you may find in the Temple Reconds Will. Ermstead was Master of the Temple at the Dissolution of the Priory and diâ—d 2. Eliz. Richard Alvey Bat. l. ivinity paâ— 13. Feâ— 2 Eliz. Magister sive Cujtos DemuÌ„s Ecclestae nevi Templle died 27 Bez. Richard Hooker Succeeded that year by Patent in terminiâ— as Alvy had â—â— and he left it 32 Eliz. Tint year Dr. Belgey succeeded Richard Hooker * Mr. Dering †See Bishop Spotswoods History of the Church of Scotland * In his Annals of Elâ—â— 1599. * Iohn Whitgift the Archbishop * Hâ—â—eâ— and Cappergot The cause of Writing this General Discourse Greg. Nat. Sulp. Seveâ—â— Epist. Hist. Eccles. Leg. Carol. Mag. fol. 421 Judg.
is his will that if there shall be a Church within his Dominions he will maiâ— and deform the same M. M. pag 1â— He that was as faithful as Moses left as clear instruction set the Government of the Church But Christ was as faithful as Moses Eâ—gâ— Demensir of Discip. cap. 1. b John 17. Either God hath left a Prescript Form of Government now or else he is less careful under the New Testament then under the Old Demonst. of Dist. cap. 1. c Ecclesiast Dist. lib. 1. Rom. 11. 17. Ephes. 2. 12 1â— Deut. 4. 5. Vers. 12 13 14. Deut. 5. 22. Vers. 27. Vers. 28 29 30 31. * T. C. lib. 1. p. 35. Whereas you say That they the Jews had nothing but was determined by the Law and we have many things undetermined and left to the Order of the Church I will offer for one that you shall bring that we have lest â—o the Order of the Church to shew you they that had twenty which were undecided of by the express Word of God T. C. In the Table to his Second Book T. C. lib. 1. p. 446. If he will needs separate the Worship of God from the External Polity yet as the Lord set forth the one so he left nothing undescribed in the other Levit. 24 31. Numb 15. 3â— Numb 9. Numb 27. Gen. 18. 18. Gen. 48. 16. T. C. lib. 2. p. 440. 1 Tim 6. 14. Job 18. 37. Job 21. 1â— Acts 22. 18. 2 Tim 4. 1. 1 Tim. 5. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 24. 2 Tim. 4. 7. T. C. lib 3. p. 241. My Reasons do never conclude the unlawfulness of these Ceremonies of Burial but the inconvenience and inexpedience of them And in the Table Of the inconvenience nor of the unlawfulness of Popish Apparel and Ceremonies in Burial T. C. lib. 1. pag. 32. Upon the indefinite speaking of Mr. Calvin saying Ceremonies and External Disciple without adding all or some you go about subtilly to make men believe That Mr. Calvin had placed the whâ—le External Discipline in the Power and Arbitrement of the Church For it all External Discipline were Arbitrary and in the choice of the Church Excommunication also Which is a part of it might be cast away which I think you will not say And in the very next words before Where you will give to understand that Ceremonies and External Discipline are not prescribed particularly by the Word of God and therefore lest to the Order of the Church You must understand that all External Discipline is not lest to the Orders of the Church being particularly prescribed in the Scriptures no more then all Ceremonies are less to the Order of the Church as the Sacraments of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. T. C. lib. 3. p. 171. T C. lib. 1. p. 27. We deny not but certain things are lest to the Order of the Church because they are of the Nature of those which are varied by times places persons and other circumstances and so could not at once be set â—â—wn and established forever â—saâ— â—â— 14. Col. 2. â—2 August Epist. â—â— Iosh. 12. Jude 11. 4â— Jâ—â—â—â— 3â— Ioh. 12. 4â— * Nisi Reip. suae statu in omnem constitu 〈…〉 Magistratus ordinarie singulorum mâ—nera potesâ—â—tem que de cripse â—it quae judi cioâ—um ferâ—q ratio habendaâ— quomodo civium finiendae â—ieris â—â—a solum minus Ecclesiae Christianae provi lit quam Moses olim Judaicae sed quà m à Lycurgo Solone Numa Civitatiâ— suis prospectum siâ— â—ib de Ecclesiast Discip. The Defence of godly Ministers against Dr. Bridges 133. Luk. 6. 39. Matth. 4. 14. Rom. 11. 13. Now great use Ceremonies have in the Church Matth. 23. 23. The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church as the weighiust things ought especially to be looked unto but the Ceremonies also as Mint and Cummin ought not to be neglected T.C. l p. 1â—1 Gen. 24. 2. Ruth 4. 7. Exod. 21. 6. a Dionys. p. 121. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Liv. lib. â— Maru ad digitor usque involutaÌ„ rem divinam facere significantes fidem inâ—andam sedemque ejâ—s etiam indexivis sucratam esse c Eccles. disc fol. 51. Fol. 32. The first thing they blame in the kinde of our Ceremonies is that we have not in them ancient Apostolical simplicity but a greater pomp and stateliness Lib. Eccles. disc T. C. l. 3. p. 181. Tâ—m 7. de hapt â—atra Donatist lib. â— aâ— 23. T. C. l. 1. p. 31. If this judgement of S. Augustine be a good judgement â—â— found than there he some things commanded of God which are not in the scripture and therfore there is no sufficient Doctrine contained in Scripture whereby we may be saved For all the Commandements of God and of the Apostles are needful for our salvation Vide Ep â—â—a 〈…〉 7. 2. 2 Chron. 2. 5. Our Orders and Ceremonies blamed in that so many of them are the same whiâ—h the Church of Rome useth Eccles. Discipl sol 12. T. C. lib. 1. p. 131. T. C. l. 1. p. 20. C.l.1 p 25. T. C. lib. 1 p. 13â— T. C. l. 1. p. 30. T. C. l. 1. p 131. T. C. l. 1 p. 132. Tom. 2. Graca â—3 Con. Africa cap. 27. Lib. de Idolat He seemeth to mean the feast of Easter day celebrated in the memory of our Saviours resurrection and for that cause earned the Lords day Lib. de Anima a T. C. l. 3 p. 178. b T. C. l. 3. p. 179. T. C. l. 3. p. 180. That whereas they who blame us in this behalf when reason evicteth that all such Ceremonies are not to be abolished make answer that when they condemn Popish Ceremonies their meaning is of Ceremonies unprofitable or Ceremonies instead whereof as good or better may be devised they cannot hereby get out of the bryars but contradict and gainsay themselves in asmuch as their usual manner is to prove that Ceremonies uncommanded in the Church of God and yet used in the Church of Rome are for this very cause unprofitable to us and not so good as others in their place would be T. C. l. 3. p. 171. What an open untruth is it that this is one of our principles not to be lawful to use the same Ceremonies which the Papists did when as I have both before declared the contrary and even here have expresly added that they are not to be used when as good or better may be established Eccles. discip sol 100. T. C. l. 3. p. 176. As for your often repeating that the Ceremonies in question are godly comely and decent It is your old wont of demanding the thing in question and an undoubted Argument of your extream poverty T. C. l. 3. p. 176. T. C. l. 3. p. 177. And that this complaint of ours is just in that we are thus constrained to be like unto the Papists in any their Ceremonies and that this cause only ought to move them to whom that belongeh to do
their away forasmuch as they are their Ceremonies the â—eal â—â—r may further see in the Bishop of Salisbury who brings divers proâ—is thereof That our allowing â—he customs of our fathers to be followed is no proof that we may not allow some customs which the Church of Rome hath alth â—iâ—h we do not account of them as of our fathers That the â—â—uâ—e which the wisdom of God doth â—â—ach maketh not against our â—â—â—u â—ity with the Church of Rome in such things T. C. l. â— p. 25. 131. Levit. 19. 27. and 19. 19. Deut 22 â—â— and 14. 7. Levit. 11. Ephes. 2. 14. Levit. 1â— 3. Levit. 15. 17 Levit. 21. 3. Deut. 14. 1. 1 Thes. 4. 13. Levit. 19. 19. Deut. 2. 11. Deut. 14. 7. Levit. 11. Levit. 19. 19. Deut. 14. Levit. 11. Ephes. 2. 14. That the example of the eldest Churches is not herein against us T. C. l. 1. p. 132. The Councels although they did not observe themselves always in making of Decrees this Rule yeâ— have kept this consideration continually in taking of their Laws that they would have the Christians differ from others in their Ceremonies Tom. â— â—sal Faust. Manich. lib. 30. cap. 4. T. C. l. 1. p. 132 Also it was decreed in another Council that they should not deck their houses with Bay leaves and green Houghs because the Pagangs did use so and that they should not rest their labour those days that the Pagans did that they should not keep the first day of every month as they did T. C. l. 3 p. 132 Tertul. saith O saith he better is the Religion of the Heathen for they use no solemnity of the Christians neither the Lords day neither c. but are not afraid to called Hea. T. C. l. 1. p. 133. But having she wed this in general to be the God first and of his People afterwards to pue as much difference as can be commodiously between the People of God and others which are not I shall not c. That â—â— is not ouâ—â—est policy for the establishment of found Religion to have in these things no agreement with the Church of Rome being unfound T. C. l. 1 p. 13. Comment reason also doth â—each that contraries are cured by their contraries Now Christianity and Antichristianity the Gospel and Popery be contraries and therefore Antichristianity must be cured not by it self but by that which is as much as may be contrary unto it T. C. l. 1. p. 132. If a man would bring a drunken man to sobriety the best and necceest way is to carry him as far from his excess in drink as may be and if a man could not keep a mean it were better to fault in prescribing thing leâ—e then he should drink then to fault in giving him more then he ought As we see to bring a stick which is crooked to be straightâ— we do not onely bow it so far until it come to be straight but we bend it so far until we make it to be so crooked on the other side as it was before of the first side to this end that â—â— the last it may bend straight and as it were in the mid-way beâ— with hoth the crooks That we are not to abolâ—sh our Ceremonies either because Papists upbraid us as having taken from them or for that they are said hereby to conceive I know not what great hopes T. C. l. 3. p. 1â—8 By using of these Ceremonies the Papists take occasion to blaspheme saying that one Religion cannot stand by it self unless it lean upon the staff of their Ceremonies Tâ—â—â— 3. p. 179. To prove the Papists triumph and joy in these things I alledged further that there are none which make such clamours for these Ceremonies as the Papists and those which they suborn 〈…〉 T.C. 1.3 p. 179. Thus they conceiving hope of having the rest of their Popery in the end it causeth them to be more frozen in their wickedness c. For not the cause but the occasion also ought to be taken away c. Although let the Reader judge whether they have cause given to hope that the tale of Popery yet remaining they shall the easilier hale in the whole body after considering also that Master Bucer noteth that where these things which have been lest there Popery hath returned but on the other partâ— in places which have been cleansed of these â—lregâ— it hath not been seen that it hath has any entrance Eccl. â— dis â— 54. The â—rief which they say godly Brethren conceive in regard of such Ceremonies as we have common with the Church of Rome T.C. â— 1. p. 180. There be numbers which have Antichristianity in such deâ—â—station that they cannot without grief of mind behold them And afterward such godly Brethren are not easily to be grieved which they seem to be when they are thou Marryred in their minds for Ceremonies which to speak the best of them are unprofitable T. C l. 3. p. 171. Although the corruptions in them strike no straight to the heart yet or gentle Poysons they consume by little and little Their exception against such Ceremonies a we have received from the Church of Rome that Church having taken them from the Jews solâ—8 â—8 and T C l. 3 p. 181. Many of these Popish Ceremonies fault by reason of the pomp in them where they should be agreeable to the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ crucified T.C.l. 1. p. 132. â—â—seb 1. 3. â— 17. Saeâ—â—â— â— 3 â—â— 1 Câ—â—â—il â—nd 〈…〉 Acts 6. 13 14. Viâ—le Nicepâ— lib. p. cap. 25. Sulpie Sâ—ver p. 149. in Eliâ— â—lanâ— Acts 15. Acts 21.25 Acts. 21. 20. Acts. 19. 20. Acts 16.4 Rom. 14. 10. Lib. qui Seder Olam inscribitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 Heb. 13. 4. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Gal. 5. 19. Levâ—e 18. 1 Cor. 5.1 Leo in Jejun mens sept Ser. 9. Tertul. de prascript advers haeret T.C. lib. 3. p. 171. What an abusing also is it to affirm the mangling of the Gospels and Epistles to have been brought into the Church by godly and learned Men T. C. lib. 1. p. 216. Seeing that the office and function of Priests was after our Saviour Christs Ascension naught and ungodly the name whereby they were called which did exercise that ungodly function cannot be otherwise taken then in the evil part Concil Laod. Can. 37 3â— T. C. lib. 1. p. 131. T. C. lib. 3. p. 176. â— Concil Constantinop 6. cap. 11. Cypr. ad Pompei lib. cont Epist. Stephani * Sur. Eccle. first hist. lib 5. cap. 21. Flerique in Asia minore antiquiâ—us 14 die mensis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratione dict Sahbati habitâ— hoc festum observaruar Quod dum facitbeur cum aluÌ„s qui aliam rationem in codem festo agendo
and proclaim Gâ—matisaâ—aâ— which sign fieth a Prohibition or forbidding of ordinary works and is the same Hebrew word wherewith those Feasts days are noted in the Law wherein they should rest The reason of which Commandment of the Lord was that they abstained that day as much as might be conveniently from Meats so they might abstain from their daily works to the end they might bestow the whole day in hearing the Word of God and humbling themselves in the Congregation confessing their faults and desiring the Lord to turn away from his fierce wrath In this case the Church having Commandment to make a Holiday mâ—y and ought to do it as the Church which was in Babylon did during the time of their Captivity but where it is destitute of a Commandment it may not presume by any Decree to restrain that liberty which the Lord hath given Joâ—l 12. 15. Exod. 13 3. Esib. 9. T. C. lib. 3. pag 193. The example out of Esther is no sufficient warrant for these Feasts n question For first as in other cases so in this case of days the estate of Christians under the Gospel ought not to be so ceremonious as was theirs under the Law Secondly That which was done there was done by a special direction of the Spirit of God either through the ministry of the Prophets whâ—ch they had or by some other extraordinary means which is not to be followed by us This may appear by another place Zaâ—h 8. where the Jews changed their Fasts into Feasts onely by the mouth of the Lord through the ministry of the Prophet For further prâ—ol whereof first I take the â—â— Verse where it appeareth that this was an order to enâ—ure always even as long as the other Feast days which were instituted by the Lord himself So that what abuses soever were of that Feast yet as a perpetual Decree of God it ought to have remained whereas our Churches can make no such Decree which may not upon change of times and at her circumstances be altered For the other proof hereof I take the last Verse For the Prophet contenteth not himself with that that he had rehearsed the Decree as he doth sometimes the Decree of propane Kings but oditeth precisely that as soon as ever the Decree was made it was Registred in this Book of Esther which is one of the Bâ—oks of Canonical Scripture declaring thereby in what esteem they had it If it had been of no further Authority then on Decree or then a Canon of one of the Councils it had been presumption to have brought it into the Library of the Holy Ghost The sum of my Answer is That this Decree was Divine and not Ecclesiastical onely 2 Mac. 15 34. â— Mac. 4. 55. a Commemoratio Apostolica passionis toâ—las Christianitatis magistra à cunctis jure celebratur Cod. l. 3 tiâ— 12 l.7 b T. C. lib. 1. pag. 153. For so much as the old people did never keep any Feast or Holiday for remembrance either of Moses c. c T. C. lib. 1. pag. 153. The people whâ—n it is called St. Pauls day or the Blessed Virgin Maries day can understand nothing thereby but that they are instituted to the honor of St. Paul or the Virgin Mary unless they be otherwise taught And if you say Let them to be taught I have answered That the teaching in this Land cannot by any other which is yet taken come to the most part of those which have drunk this poyson c. d Scilicet ignorant nos nec Christum unquam relinquere qui pro totius servandorum mundi saluâ—e passus est nec alium quempiam colere posse Nam hunc quidem tanquam Filium Dei a loramus Martyres verò tanquam Discipulos Imitatores Domini digne proptet insuperabilem in Regem ipsorum ac Praeceprorem benevolenuam diligismus quorum nos consories dicipulos fieri optamus Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 15. e T. C. lib. 1. pag. 153. As for all the Commodities c. f T. C. lib. 1. pag. 154. g T. C. lib. 1. pag. 154. We condemn not the Church of England neither in this nor in other things Which are meet to be Reformed For it is one thing to mislike another thing to condemn and it is one thing to condemn something in the Church and another thing to condemn the Church for it h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Clauâ—io dictum apud Dionys. lib. 50. Mark 2. 27. Numb 15.32 a Hi vacare consueti sunt seprima die neque aâ—ma portaâ—e in praedictis diebâ—s neque terrae culturam contingere neque alterius cujuspiam curam habere parluntur sed â—â— templis extendenâ—es manoâ— adorare usque ad vesperam solitisunt Ingrediente verb in civiâ—aâ—em Lagoâ—um â—um exerciâ— mulâ—is hominibus cum custodiâ—e dobueriâ—t civiâ—aâ—em ipsis â—â—â—titiam observantibus provinciâ— quidem dominum suscepit amarissimum Lex verò manifesâ—â—ta est malaâ—â— habere solennitatem Agathâ—râ—bid apuâ— Ioseph lib. 1. coâ—â—r Appiâ—â— Vide Dionys. lib. 37. b 1 Mac. 2.40 c Nehe. 13. 15. d Coâ— l. 3 â—â— 12 l.3 e Leo Constiâ— 54. f T. C. lib. 3. â—â— â—2 Dies sesâ—oâ— a Matth. 28.1 Mark 16.1 Luke 24.1 John 20.1 1 Cor. 16.2 Apoc. 1.10 b Apostolis prâ—â—csiâ—om suiâ— â—on uâ— beges de sestis diebus celebrâ—nd sancirent ied uâ—recte vivendi caâ—ioâ—â—â—â—â— pie 〈…〉 bis authores essent Socra Hill lib. cap. 23. c Quae toto tertarum or he servantur vel db ipsâ—s Apostolis vel Consilus gâ—neralibus quorum 〈…〉 rimain in Ecclesia authoritas â—â—â— stratuts est ntelligere liceâ—â— Sicuâ—â— quâ—d Domini Passio Resurrectio in Coelum Ascensus Adventus Spiritus Sancti anniversaria solemnitaâ—e celebrarenuâ— August Epist. 118. d Luk 2.14 Of Days appâ—inted as well for ordinary as for extraordinary Fasts in the Church of God T. C. lib. 1. pag. 30. I will not enter now to discuss whether it were well done to Fast iâ— aâ—l places according to the custom of the place You oppose Ambrose and Augustine I could oppose Ignatius and Tertullian whereof the one saith it is aefos a deâ—â—â—ble thing to Fast upon the Lords Day the other That it is to kill the Lord Tertulâ— the Coron il Ignatius Epist de Phillips And although Ambese and Augustine being private men at Rome would have so done yet it followeth not That if they had been Citizens and Ministers there that they would have done And if they had done so yet it followeth 〈…〉 but they would hase spoken against that appointment of days and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Fasting whereof Eusebius saith that Moâ—taâ—â—â— was the first Author I speak of that which they ought to have done For otherwise I know they both thought corruptly of Fastings when as the one saith It was a remedy or reward to Fast other days â— in 〈…〉 not in Fast was in and the others asketh What Salvation we
noted seldom or never absent from thence at the time of those great Assemblies and the favor of proposing there in convenient sort whatsoever ye can object which thing my self have known them to grant of Scholastical courtesie unto Strangers neither hath as I think nor ever will I presume be denied you If your Suit be to have some great extraordinary confluence in expectation whereof the Laws that already are should sleep and have no power over you till in the hearing of thousands ye all did acknowledge your error and renounce the further prosecution of your cause Haply they whose authority is required unto the satisfying of your demand do think it both dangerous to admit such concourse of divided mindes and unmeet that Laws which being once solemnly established are to exact obedience of all men and to constrain thereunto should so far stoop as to hold themselves in suspence from taking any effect upon you till some disputer can perswade you to be obedient A Law is the Deed of the whole Body Politick whereof if ye judge your selves to be any part then is the Law even your Deed also And were it reason in things of this quality to give men audience pleading for the overthrow of that which their own very deed hath ratified Laws that have been approved may be no man doubteth again repealed and to that end also disputed against by the Authors thereof themselves But this is when the whole doth deliberate what Laws each part shall observe and not when a part refuseth the Laws which the whole hath orderly agreed upon Notwithstanding for as much as the cause we maintain is God be thanked such as needeth not to shun any tryal might it please them on whose approbation the matter dependeth to condescend so far unto you in this behalf I wish heartily that proof were made even by solemn conference in orderly and quiet sort whether you would your selves be satisfied or else could by satisfying others draw them to your party Provided alway first In as much as ye go about to destroy a thing which is in force and to draw in that which hath not as yet been received to impose on us that which we think not our selves bound unto and to overthrow those things whereof we are possessed that therefore ye are not to claim in any conference other then the Plaintiffs or Opponents part which must consist altogether in proof and confirmation of two things The one that our Orders by you condemned we ought to abolish the other that yours we are bound to accept in the stead thereof Secondly Because the Questions in Controversie between us are many if once we descend into particulars That for the easier and more orderly proceeding therein the most general be first discussed nor any Question left off nor in each Question the prosecution of any one Argument given over and another taken in hand till the issue whereunto by Replies and Answers both parts are come be collected read and acknowledged as well on the one side as on the other to be the plain conclusion which they are grown unto Thirdly For avoiding of the manifold inconveniences whereunto ordinary and extemporal Disputes are subject as also because if ye should singly dispute one by one as every mans own wit did best serve it might be conceived by the rest that haply some other would have done more the chiefest of you do all agree in this action that when ye shall then chuse your speaker by him that which is publickly brought into Disputation be acknowledged by all your consents not to be his allegation but yours such as ye all are agreed upon and have required him to deliver in all your names The true Copy whereof being taken by a Notary that a reasonable time be allowed for return of Answer unto you in the like form Fourthly Whereas a number of Conferences have been had in other causes with the less effectual success by reason of partial and untrue reports published afterwards unto the World That to prevent this evil there be at the first a Solemn Declaration made on both parts of their Agreement to have that very Book and no other set abroad wherein their present authorized Notaries do write those things fully and onely which being written and there read are by their own open testimony acknowledged to be their own Other circumstances hereunto belonging whether for the choice of time place and language or for prevention of impertinent and needless speech or to any end and purpose else they may be thought on when occasion serveth In this sort to broach my private conceit for the ordering of a publick action I should be loth albeit I do it not otherwise then under correction of them whose gravity and wisdom ought in such cases to over-rule but that so venturous boldness I see is a thing now general and am thereby of good hope that where all men are licenced to offend no man will shew himself a sharp Accuser 6. What success God may give unto any such kinde of Conference or Disputation we cannot tell But of this we are right sure that Nature Scripture and Experience it self have all taught the World to seek for the ending of Contentions by submitting itself into some judicial and definitive Sentence whereunto neither part that contendeth may under any pretence or colour refuse to stand This must needs be effectual and strong as for other means without this they seldom prevail I would therefore know whether for the ending of these irksome strifes wherein you and your Followers do stand thus formally divided against the authorized Guides of this Church and the rest of the people subject unto their Charge whether I say ye be content to refer your Cause to any other higher judgment then your own or else intend to persist and proceed as ye have begun till your selves can be perswaded to condemn your selves If your Determination be this we can be but sorry that ye should deserve to be reckoned with such of whom God himself pronounceth The way of Peace they have not known Ways of peaceable Conclusion there are but these two certain the one a sentence of Iudicial Decision given by authority thereto appointed within our selves the other the like kinde of sentence given by a more Universal authority The former of which two ways God himself in the Law prescribeth and his Spirit it was which directed the very first Christian Churches in the World to use the Latter The Ordinance of God in the Law was this If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood between plea c. then shalt thou arise and go up unto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse and thou shalt come unto the Priests of the Levites and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and ask and they shall shew thee the sentence of Judgment and thou shalt do according to that thing
which they of that place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee According to the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee shalt thou do thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will do presumptuously not hearkning unto the Priest that standeth before the Lord thy God to manister there or unto the Judge that man shall die and thou shalt take away evil from Israel When there grew in the Church of Christ a question Whether the Genti'es believing might be saved although they were not circumcised after the manner of Moses nor did observe the rest of those Legal Rites and Ceremonies whereunto the Jews were bound After great Dissention and Disputation about it their conclusion in the end was to have it determined by sentence at Jerusalem which was accordingly done in a Council there assemâ—led for the same purpose Are ye able to alledge any just and sufficient cause wherefore absolutely ye should not condescend in this Controversie to have your judgments over-ruled by some such Definitive Sentence Whether it fall out to be given with or against you that so these redious contentions may cease Te will perhaps make answer That being perswaded already as touching the truth of your Cause ye are not to hearken unto any sentence no not though Angels should define otherwise as the blessed Apostles own example teacheth Again That Men yea Councils may err and that unless the judgment given do satisfie your mindes unless it be such as ye can by no further argument oppugn in a word unless you perceive and acknowledge it your selves consonant with Gods Word to stand unto it not allowing it were to sin against your own consciences But consider I beseech you first As touching the Apostle how that wherein be was so resolute and peremptory our Lord Iesus Christ made manifest unto him even by Intuitive Revelation wherein there was no possibility of error That which you are perswaded of ye have it no otherwise then by your own onely probable collection and therefore such bold asseverations as in him were admirable should in your months but argue rashness God was not ignorant that the Priests and Iudges whose sentence in Matters of Controversie he ordained should stand both might and oftentimes would be deceived in their judgment Howbeit better it was in the eye of his understanding that sometime an erronious sentence Definitive should prevail till the same authority perceiving such oversight might afterwards correct or reverse it then that strifes should have respite to grow and not come speedily unto some end Neither wish we that men should do any thing which in their hearts they are perswaded they ought not to do but this perswasion ought we say to be fully setled in their hearts that in litigious and controversed causes of such quality the Will of God is to have them to do whatsoever the sentence of judicial and final Decision shall determine yea though it seem in their private opinion to swarve utterly from that which is right as no doubt many times the sentence amongst the Iews did seem unto one part or other contending And yet in this case God did then allow them to do that which in their private judgment it seemed yea and perhaps truly seemed that the Law did disallow For if God be not the Author of confusion but of peace then can he not be the Author of our refusal but of our contentment to stand unto some Definitive Sentence without which almost impossible it is that either we should avoid confusion or ever hope to attain peace To small purpose had the Council of Jerusalem been assembled if one their determination being set down men might afterwards have defended their former opinions When therefore they had given their Definitive Sentence all Controversoâ— was at an end Things were disputed before they came to be determined Men afterwards were not to dispute any longer but to obey The Sentence of Iudgment finished their strife which their disputes before judgment could not do This was ground sufficient for any reasonable Mans conscience to build the duty of Obedience upon whatsoever his own opinion were as touching the matter before in question So full of wilfulness and self-liking is our nature that without some Definitive Sentence which being given may stand and a necessity of silence on both sides afterward imposed small hope there is that strifes thus for prosecuted will in short time quietly end Now it were in vain to ask you Whether ye could be content that the Sentence of any Court already erected should be so far authorized as that among the Iews established by God himself for the determining of all Controversies That man which will do presumptuously not hearkning unto the Priest that standeth before the Lord to minister there nor unto the Judge let him die Ye have given us already to understand what your opinion is in part concerning Her sacred Majesties Court of High Commission the nature whereof is the same with that amongst the Iews albeit the power be not so great The other way happily may like you better because Master Beza in his last Book save one written about these Matters professeth himself to be now weary of such Combats and Encounters whether by word or writing in as much as he findeth that Controversies thereby are made but Brawls And therefore wisheth that in some common lawful Assembly of Churches all these strifes may at once be decided Shall there be then in the mean while no doings Yes There are the weightier Matters of the Law Judgment and Mercy and Fidelity These things we ought to do and these things while we contend about less we leave undone Happier are they whom the Lord when he cometh shall finde doing in these things then disputing about Doctors Elders and Deacons Or if there be no remedy but somewhat needs ye must do which may tend to the setting forward of your Discipline do that which wisemen who think some Statute of the Realm more fit to be repealed then to stand in force are accustomed to do before they come to Parliament where the place of enacting is that is to say spend the time in re-examining more duly your cause and in more throughly considering of that which ye labor to overthrow As for the Orders which are established sith Equity and Reason the Law of Nature God and Man do all favor that which is in Being till orderly Iudgment of Decision be given against it it is but Iustice to exact of you and perversness in you it should be to deny thereunto your willing obedience Not that I judge it a thing allowable for men to observe those Laws which its their hearts they are stredfastly perswaded to be against the Law of God But your perswasion