of that courage to follow learning which hath already so much failed through the onely diminution of her chiefest rewards Bishopricks Surely wheresoever this wicked intendment of overthrowing Cathedral Churches or of taking away those Livings Lands and Possessions which Bishops hitherto have enjoyed shall once prevail the hand maids attending thereupon will be Paganism and extreme Barbarity In the Law of Moses how careful provision is made that goods of this kind might remain to the Church for ever Ye shall not make common the holy things of the children of Israel lest ye dye saith the Lord. Touching the fields annexed unto Levitical Cities the Law was plain they might not be sold and the reason of the Law this for it was their possession for ever He which was Lord and owner of it his will and pleasure was that from the Levites it should never pass to be enjoyned by any other The Lords own portion without his own Commission and Grant how should any man justly hold They which hold it by his appointment had it plainly with this condition They shall not sell of it neither change it nor alienate the first-fruits of the Land for it is holy unto the Lord. It falleth sometimes out as the Prophet Habbakkuk noteth that the very prey of Savage Beasts becometh dreadful unto themselves It did so in Iudas Achan Nebuchadnezzar their evil-purchased goods were their snare and their prey their own terror A thing no where so likely to follow as in those goods and possessions which being laid where they should not rest have by the Lords own testimony his most bitter curse their undividable companion These perswasions we use for other mens cause not for theirs with whom God and Religion are parts of the abrogated Law of Ceremonies Wherefore not to continue longer in the cure of a Sore desperate there was a time when the Clergy had almost as little as these good people wish But the Kings of this Realm and others whom God had blest considered devoutly with themselves as David in like case sometimes had done Is it meet that we at the hands of God should enjoy all kindes of abundance and Gods Clergy suffer want They considered that of Solomon Honor God with thy substance and the chiefest of all thy revenue so shall thy barns be filled with corn and thy vessels shall run over with new wine They considered how the care which Iehoshaphat had in providing that the Levites might have encouragement to do the work of the Lord chearfully was left of God as a fit pattern to be followed in the Church for ever They considered what promise our Lord and Saviour hath made unto them at whose hands his Prophets should receive but the least part of the meanest kind of friendliness though it were but a draught of water Which promise seemeth not to be taken as if Christ had made them of any higher courtesie uncapable and had promised reward not unto such as give them but that but unto such as leave them but that They considered how earnest the Apostle is that if the Ministers of the Law were so amply provided for less care then ought not to be had of them who under the Gospel of Jesus Christ possess correspondent rooms in the Church they considered how needful it is that they who provoke all others unto works of Mercy and Charity should especially have wherewith to be examples of such things and by such meons to win them with whom other means without those do commonly take very small effect In these and the like considerations the Church-Revenues were in ancient times augmented our Lord thereby performing manifestly the promise made to his servants that they which did leave either Father or Mother or Lands or goods for his sake should receive even in this World an hundred fold For some hundreds of years together they which joyned themselves to the Church were fain to relinquish all worldly emoluments and to endure the hardness of an afflicted estate Afterward the Lord gave rest to his Church Kings and Princes became as Fathers thereunto the hearts of all men inclined towards it and by his providence there grew unto it every day earthly possessions in more and more abundance till the greatness thereof bred envy which no diminutions are able to satisfie For as those ancient Nursing Fathers thought they did never bestow enough even so in the eye of this present age as long as any thing remaineth it seemeth to bee too much Our Fathers we imitate inperversum as Tertullian speaketh like them we are by being in equal degree the contrary unto that which they were Unto those earthly blessings which God as then did with so great abundance pour down upon the Ecclesiastical state we may in regard of most neer resemblance apply the self same words which the Prophet hath God blessed them exceedingly and by this very mean turned the hearts of their own Brethren to hate them and to deal politiquely with his servants Computations are made and there are huge sums set down for Princes to see how much they may amplifie and enlarge their own treasure how many publique burthens they may ease what present means they have to reward their servants about them if they please but to grant their assent and to accept of the spoil of Bishops by whom Church-goods are but abused unto pomp and vanity Thus albeit they deal with one whose princely vertue giveth them small hope to prevail in impious and sacrilegious motions yet shame they not to move her Royal Majesty even with a suit not much unlike unto that wherewith the Jewish High-Priest tried Iudas whom they sollicited unto Treason against his Master and proposed unto him a number of silver-pence in lien of so vertuous and honest a service But her sacred Majesty disposed to be always like her self her heart so far estranged from willingness to gain by pillage of that estate the only awe whereof under God she hath been unto this present hour as of all other parts of this noble Common-wealth whereof she hath vowed her self a Protector till the end of her days on earth which if nature could permit we wish as good cause we have endless this her gracious inclination is more then a seven times sealed warrant upon the same assurance whereof touching time and action so dishonourable as this we are on her part most secure not doubting but that unto all posterity it shall for ever appear that from the first to the very last of her Soveraign proceedings there hath not been one authorized deed other then consonant with that Symmachus saith Fiscus bonitum Principum non sacer dotum damnis sed hastium spoliis angeatur consonant with that imperial law Ea qua ad be atissima ecclesia jur a pâ—rtinent tanquam ipsamâ— sacro sanctam religiosam Ecclesiam intactu convenit vener abiliter aâ—stodiri ut â—icâ—â— ipsâ—religionis â—idei mater perpetua
cause her merciful disposition to take so much the more delight in saving others whom the like necessity should press What in this behalf hath been done towards Nations abroad the parts of Christendom most afflicted can best testifie That which especially concerneth our selves in the present matter we treat of is the state of Reformed Religion a thing at her coming to the Crown even raised as it were by miracle from the dead a thing which we so little hoped to see that even they which beheld it done searcely believed their own senses at the first beholding Yet being then brought to pass thus many years it hath continued standing by no other wordly mean but that one onely hand which erected it that hand which as no kinde of imminent danger could cause at the first to withhold it self so neither have the practises so many so bloody following since been ever able to make weary Nor can we say in this case so justly that Aaron and Hur the Ecclesiastical and Civil States have sustained the hand which did lift it self to Heaven for them as that Heaven it self hath by this hand sustained them no aid or help having thereunto been ministred for performance of the Work of Reformation other then such kinde of help or aid as the Angel in the Prophet Zechariah speaketh of saying Neither by an army nor strength but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Which Grace and Favor of Divine Assistance having not in one thing or two shewed it self nor for some few days or years appeared but in such sort so long continued our manifold sins and transgressions striving to the contrary What can we less thereupon conclude then that God would at leastwise by tract of time teach the World that the thing which he blesseth defendeth keepeth so strangely cannot chuse but be of him Wherefore if any refuse to believe us disputing for the Verity of Religion established let then believe God himself thus miraculously working for it and with life even for ever and ever unto that Glorious and Sacred Instrument whereby he worketh OF THE LAWS OF Ecclesiastical Polity BOOK V. Concerning their Fourth Assertion That touching several Publick Duties of Christian Religion there is amongst us much Superstition retained in them and concerning Persons which for performance of those Duties are endued with the Power of Ecclesiastical Order our Laws and Proceedings according thereunto are many ways herein also corrupted The Matter contained in this Fifth Book 1. TRue Religion is the Root of all true Vertues and the stay of all Well-ordered Commonwealths 2. The must extream opposite to true Religion is affected Atheism 3. Of Superstition and the Rest thereof either misguided zeal or Ignorant fear of Divine glory 4. Of the Redress of Superstition in Gods Church and concerning the Question of this Book 5. Four General Propositions demanding that which may reasonably be granted concerning Matters of outward Form in the Exercise of true Religion And fifthly Of a Rule and safe not reasonable in these Cases 6. The first Proposition touching Iudgment what things are convenient in the outward publick ordering of Church affairs 7. The second Proposition 8. The third Proposition 9. The fourth Proposition 10. The Rule of Mens private spirit not safe in these Cases to be followed 11. Plans for the Publick Service of God 12. The Solemnity of Erecting Churches condemned the Hallowing and Dedicating of them scanned by the Adversary 13. Of the names whereby we distinguish our Churches 14. Of the Fashion of our Churches 15. The Sumptuousness of Churches 16. What Holiness and Vertue we ascribe to the Church more than other places 17. Their pretence that would have Churches utterly vazed 18. Of Publick Teaching or Preaching and the first kinde thereof Catechizing 19. Of Preaching by reading publickly the Books of holy Scripture and concerning supposed Untruths in those Translations of Scripture which we allow to be read as also of the choice which we make in reading 20. Of Preaching by the Publick Reading of other prositable Instructions and concerning Books Apâ—cryphal 21. Of Preaching by Sermons and whether Sermons be the onely ordinary way of Teaching whereby man are brought to the saving knowledge of Gods Truth 22. What they attribute to Sermons onely and what we to Reading also 23. Of Prayer 24. Of Publick Prayer 25. Of the Form of Common Prayer 26. Of them which like not to have any Set Form of Common Prayer 27. Of them who allowing a Set Form of Prayer yet allow not ours 28. The Form of our Liturgy too near the Papists too far different from that of other Reformed Churches as they pretend 29. Attire belonging to the Service of God 30. Of gesture in Praying and of different places chosen to that purpose 31. Easiness of Praying after our Form 32. The length of our Service 33. Instead of such Prayers as the Primitive Churches have used and those that be Reformed now use we have they say divers short cuts or shreaddings rather Wishes them Prayers 34. Lessons intermingled with our Prayers 35. The number of our Prayers for Earthly things and our oft rehearsing of the Lords Prayer 36. The People saying after the Minister 37. Our manner of Reading the Psalms otherwise then the rest of the Scripture 38. Of Musick with Psalms 39. Of Singing or Saying Psalms and other parts of Common Prayer wherein the People and the Minister answer one another by course 40. Of Magnificat Benedictus and Nune Dimittis 41. Of the Litany 42. Of Athanasus Creed and Gloria Patri 43. Our want of particular Thanksgiving 44. In some things the Matter of our Prayer as they affirm is unsound 45. When thou hast overcome the sharpness of Death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven unto all Believers 46. Touching Prayer for Deliverance from Sudden Death 47. Prayer for these things which we for our worthiness dare not ask God for the worthiness of his Sin would vouchsafe to grant 48. Prayer to be evermore delivered from all Adversity 49. Prayer that all Men may finde Mercy and if the will of God that all Men might be Saved 50. Of the Name the Author and the force of Sacraments which force consisteth in this That God hath ordained them as means to make us partakers of him in Christ and of life through Christ. 51. That God is in Christ by the Personal Incarnation of the Son who is very God 52. The Misinterpretations which Heresit hath made of the manner how God and Man are united in one Christ. 53. That by the union of the one with the other Nature in Christ there groweth neither gain nor loss of Essential Properties to either 54. What Christ hath obtained according to the Flesh by the union of his Flesh with Dâ—iey 55. Of the Personal presence of Christ every where and in what sense it may be granted he is every where present according to the Flesh. 56. The union or mutual Participation which is between Christ
respect of their bad qualities their wickedness in it self a deprivation of right to deal in the affairs of the Church and a warrant for others to deal in them which are held to be of a clean other Society the Members whereof have been before so peremptorily for ever excluded from power of dealing for ever with affairs of the Church They which once have learned throughly this Lesson will quickly be capable perhaps of another equivalent unto it For the wickedness of the Ministery transfers their right unto the King In case the King be as wicked as they to whom then shall the right descend There is no remedy all must come by devolution at length even as the Family of Brown will have it unto the godly among the people for confusion unto the wise and the great by the poor and the simple Some Kniper doling with his retinue must take this work of the Lord in hand and the making of Church-Laws and Orders must prove to be their right in the end If not for love of the truth yet for shame of grosse absurdities let these contentions and stifling fancies be abandoned The cause which moved them for a time to hold a wicked Ministery no lawful Ministry and in this defect of a lawful Ministery authorized Kings to make Laws and Orders for the Affairs of the Church till it were well established is surely this First They see that whereas the continual dealing of the Kings of Israel in the Affairs of the Church doth make now very strong against them the burthen whereof they shall in time well enough shake off if it may be obtained that it is indeed lawful for Kings to follow these holy examples howbeit no longer than during the case of necessity while the wickednesse and in respect thereof the unlawfulness of the Ministery doth continue Secondly They perceive right well that unlesse they should yield Authority unto Kings in case of such supposed necessity the Discipline they urge were clean excluded as long as the Clergy of England doth thereunto remain opposite To open therefore a door for her entrance there is no remedy but the Tenet must be this That now when the Ministery of England is universally wicked and in that respect hath lost all Authority and is become no lawful Ministery no such Ministery as hath the right which otherwise should belong unto them if they were vertuous and godly as their Adversaries are in this necessity the King may do somewhat for the Church that which we do imply in the name of Headship he may both have and exercise till they be entered which will disburthen and ease him of it till they come the King is licensed to hold that Power which we call Headship But what afterwards In a Church ordered that which the Supream Magistrate hath to do is to see that the Laws of God touching his Worship and touching all matters and orders of the Church be executed and duly observed to see that every Ecclesiastical Person do that Office whereunto he is appointed to punish those that fail in their Office In a word that which Allain himself acknowledgeth unto the Earthly power which God hath given him it doth belong to defend the Laws of the Church to cause them to be executed and to punish Rebels and Transgressors of the same on all sides therfore it is confest that to the King belongeth power of maintaining the Laws made for Church-Regiment and of causing them to be observed but Principality of Power in making them which is the thing we attribute unto Kings this both the one sort and the other do withstand Touching the Kings supereminent authority in commanding and in judging of Causes Ecclesiastical First to explain therein our meaning It hath been taken as if we did hold that Kings may prescribe what themselves think good to be done in the service of God how the Word shall be taught how the Sacraments administred that Kings may personally sit in the Consistory where the Bishops do hearing and determining what Causes soever do appertain unto the Church That Kings and Queens in their own proper Persons are by Judicial Sentence to decide the Questions which do rise about matters of Faith and Christian Religion That Kings may excommunicate Finally That Kings may do whatsoever is incident unto the Office and Duty of an Ecclesiastical Judge Which opinion because we account as absurd as they who have fathered the same upon us we do them to wit that this is our meaning and no otherwise There is not within this Realm an Ecclesiastical Officer that may by the Authority of his own place command universally throughout the Kings Dominions but they of this People whom one may command are to anothers commandement unsubject Only the Kings Royal Power is of so large compass that no man commanded by him according to the order of Law can plead himself to be without the bounds and limits of that Authority Isay according to order of Law because that with us the highest have thereunto so tyed themselves that otherwise than so they take not upon them to command any And that Kings should be in such sort Supream Commanders over all men we hold it requisite as well for the ordering of Spiritual as Civil Affairs in as much as without universal Authority in this kinde they should not be able when need is to do as vertuous Kings have done Josiah parposing to renew the House of the Lord assembled the Priests and Levites and when they were together gave them their charge saying Go out unto the Cities of Judah and gather of Israel money to repair the House of the Lord from year to year and haste the things But the Levites hastned not Therefore the King commanded Jehoida the Chief-priest and said unto him Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and Jerusalem the Tax of Moses the Servant of the Lord and of the Congregation of Israel for the Tabernacle of the Testimony For wicked Athalia and her Children brake up the House of the Lord God and all the things that were dedicated for the House of the Lord did they bestow upon Balaam Therefore the King commanded and they made a Chest and set it at the Gate of the House of the Lord without and they made a Proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring unto the Lord the Tax of Moses the Servant of the Lord laid upon Israel in the Wilderness Could either he have done this or after him Ezekias the like concerning the celebration of the Passeover but that all sorts of men in all things did owe unto these their Soveraign Rulers the same obedience which sometimes Iosuah had them by vow and promise bound unto Whosoever shall rebel against thy Commandments and will not obey thy words in all thou commandest him let him be put to death only be strong and of a good courage Furthermore Judgement Ecclesiastical we say is
much prudence and tenderness so happily begun and prosecuted with more zeal then the establishment of Your own Throne The still crazy Church of England together with this Book its great and impregnable Shield do further need and humbly implore Your Majesties Royal Protection under God Nor can Your Majesty by any generous instance and perseverance most worthy of a Christian King more express that pious and grateful sense which God and all good Men expect from Your Majesty as some retribution for his many miraculous mercies to Your Self then in a wise speedy and happy setling of our Religious peace with the least grievance and most satisfaction to all Your good Subjects Sacred Order and Uniformity being the centre and circumference of our Civil Tranquillity Sedition naturally rising out of Schism and Rebellion out of Faction The onely cure and antidote against both are good Laws and Canons first wisely made with all Christian Moderation and Seasonable Charity next duly executed with Iustice and Impartiality which sober Severity is indeed the greatest Charity to the Publique Whose Verity Vnity Sanctity and Solemnity in Religious Concernments being once duly established must not be shaken or sacrificed to any private varieties and extravagancies Where the internals of Doctrines Morality Mysteries and Evangelical Duties being as they are in the Church of England sound and sacred the externals of decent Forms Circumstances Rites and Ceremonies being subordinate and servient to the main cannot be either evil or unsafe neither offensive to God nor good Christians For the attaining of which blessed ends of Piety and Peace that the sacred Sun and Shield of the Divine Grace and Power directing and protecting may ever shine upon Your Majesties Person and Family Counsels and Power is the humble Prayer of Your Sacred Majesties most Loyal Subject and devoted Servant IOH. EXON TO THE READER I Think it necessary to inform my Reader that Doctor Gauden the late Bishop of Worcester hath also lately wrote and publisht the Life of Master Hooker and though this be not writ by design to oppose what he hath truly written yet I am put upon a neccessity to say That in it there be many Material Mistakes and more Omissions I conceive some of his Mistakes did proceed from a Belief in Master Thomas Fuller who had too hastily published what be hath since most ingenuously retracted And for the Bishops Omissions I suppose his more weighty Business and Want of Time made him pass over many things without that due Examination which my better Leisure my Diligence and my accidental Advantages have made known unto me And now for my self I can say I hope or rather know there are no Material Mistakes in what I here present to you that shall become my Reader Little things that I have received by Tradition to which there may be too much and too little Faith given I will not at this distance of Time undertake to justifie for though I have used great Diligence and compared Relations and Circumstances and probable Results and Expressions yet I shall not impose my Belief upon my Reader I shall rather leave him at liberty But if there shall appear any Material Ommission I desire every Lover of truth and the Memory of Master Hooker that it may be made known unto me And to incline him to it I here promise to acknowledge and rectifie any such Mistake in a second Impression which the Printer says he hopes for and by this means my weak but faithful Endeavours may become a better Monument and in some degree more worthy the Memory of this Venerable Man I confess that when I consider the great Learning and Vertue of Master Hooker and what satisfaction and Advantages many Eminent Scholars and Admirers of him have had by his Labours I do not a little wonder that in Sixty years no man did undertake to tell Posterity of the Excellencies of his Life and Learning and the Accidents of both and sometimes wonder more at my self that I have been perswaded to it and indeed I do not easily pronounce my own Pardon nor expect that my Reader shall unless my Introduction shall prove my Apology to which I refer him The Copy of a Letter writ to Mr. Walton by Dr. King Lord Bishop of Chichester Honest ISAAC THough a Familiarity of Forty years continuance and the constant experience of your Love even in the worst times be sufficient to indear our Friendship yet I must confess my affection much improved not onely by evidences of private respect to those very many that know and love you but by your new demonstration of a Publick Spirit testified in a diligent true and useful Collection of so many Material Passages as you have now afforded me in the Life of Venerable Mr. Hooker Of which since desired by such a Friend as yourself I shall not deny to give the Testimony of what I know concerning him and his learned Books but shall first here take a fair occasion to tell you that you have been happy in chusing to write the Lives of three such Persons as Posterity hath just cause to honour which they will do the more for the true Relation of them by your happy Pen of all which I shall give you my unfeigned Censure I shall begin with my most dear and incomparable Friend Dr. Donne late Dean of St. Pauls Church who not only trusted me as his Executor but three days before his death delivered into my hands those excellent Sermons of his which are now made publick professing before Dr. Winniff Dr. Montford and I think your self then present at his bed-side that it was by my restless importunity that he had prepared them for the Press together with which as his best Legacy he gave me all his Sermon-Notes and his other Papers containing an Extract of near Fifteen hundred Authors How these were got out of my hands you who were the Messenger for them and how lost both to me and your self is not now seasonable to complain but since they did miscarry I am glad that the general Demonstration of his Worth was so fairly preserved and represented to the World by your Pen in the History of his Life indeed so well that beside others the best Critick of our later time Mr. Iohn Hales of Eaton Colledge affirm'd to me He had not seen a Life written with more advantage to the Subject or more reputation to the Writer than that of Dr. Donnes After the performance of this task for Dr. Donne you undertook the like office for our Friend Sir Henry Wolton betwixt which two there was a Friendship begun in Oxford continued in their various Travels and more confirm'd in the religious Friendship of Age and doubtless this excellent Person had writ the Life of Dr. Donne if Death had not prevented him by which means his and your Pre-collections for that Work fell to the happy manage of your Pen A Work which you would have declin'd if imperious perswasions had not
be a Contemporary and a most familiar Friend to our Richard Hooker and let Posterity know it And in this year of 1577. he was chosen Fellow of the Colledge Happy also in being the Contemporary and Friend of Dr. Iohn Reynolds of whom I have lately spoken and of Dr. Spencer both which were after and successively made Presidents of his Colledge Men of great Learning and Merit and famous in their Generations Nor was Mr. Hooker more happy in his Contemporaries of his Time and Colledge then in the Pupillage and Friendship of his Edwin Sandys and George Cranmer of whom my Reader may note That this Edwin Sandys was after Sir Edwin Sandys and as famous for his Speculum Europe as his Brother George for making Posterity beholden to his Pen by a Learned Relation and Comment on his dangerous and remarkable Travels and for his harmonious Translation of the Psalms of David the Book of Iob and other Poetical parts of Holy Writ into most high and elegant Verse And for Cranmer his other Pupil I shall refer my Reader to the Printed Testimonies of our Learned Master Cambden the Lord Tottenes Fines Morison and others This Cranmer whose Christen name was George was a Gentleman of singular hopes the eldest Son of Thomas Cranmer Son of Edward Cranmer the Archbishops Brother He spent much of his Youth in Corpus-Christi Colledge in Oxford where he continued Master of Arts for many years before he removed and then betook himself to Travel accompanying that worthy Gentleman Sir Edwin Sandys into France Germany and Italy for the space of three years and after their happy return he betook himself to an imployment under Secretary Davison After whose fall he wen in place of Secretary with Sir Henry Killigrew in his Embassage into France and after his death he was sought after by the most Noble Lord Mount-Joy with whom he went into Ireland where he remained until in a Battel against the Rebels near Carlingford an unfortunate wound put an end both to his life and the great hopes that were conceived of him Betwixt Mr. Hooker and these his two Pupils there was a Sacred Friendship a Friendship made up of Religious Principles which increased daily by a similitude of Inclinations to the same Recreations and Studies a Friendship elemented in Youth and in an University free from self-ends which the Friendships of Age usually are not In this sweet this blessed this Spiritual Amity they went on for many years And as the Holy Prophet saith so they took sweet counsel together and walked in the House of God as Friends By which means they improved it to such a degree of Amity as bordered upon Heaven a Friendship so sacred that when it ended in this World it began in the next where it shall have no end And though this World cannot give any degree of pleasure equal to such a Friendship yet obedience to Parents and a desire to know the Affairs and Manners and Laws and Learning of other Nations that they might thereby become the more serviceable unto their own made them put off their Gowns and leave Mr. Hooker to his Colledge Where he was daily more assiduous in his Studies still enriching his quiet and capacious Soul with the precious Learning of the Philosophers Casuists and Schoolmen and with them the Foundation and Reason of all Laws both Sacred and Civil and with such other Learning as lay most remote from the Track of Common Studies And as he was diligent in these so he seemed restless in searching the scope and intention of Gods Spirit revealed to mankinde in the Sacred Scripture For the Understanding of which he seemed to be assisted by the same Spirit with which they were written He that regardeth truth in the inward parts making him to understand Wisdom secretly And the good man would often say The Scripture was not writ to beget Pride and Disputations and Opposition to Government but Moderation and Charity and Humility and Obedience and Peace and Piety in Mankinde of which no good man did ever repent himself upon his Death-bed And that this was really his Judgment did appear in his future Writings and in all the Actions of his Life Nor was this excellent man a stranger to the more light and aery parts of Learning as Musick and Poetry all which he had digested and made useful And of all which the Reader will have a fair Testimony in what follows Thus he continued his Studies in all quietness for the space of Three or more years about which time he entered into Sacred Orders and was made both Deacon and Priest and not long after in obedience to the Colledge Statutes he was to Preach either at St. Peters Oxford or at St. Pauls Cross London and the last fell to his Allotment In order to which Sermon to London he came and immediately to the Shunamites House which is a House so called for that Besides the stipend paid the Preacher there is Provision made also for his Lodging and Diet two days before and one day after his Sermon This House was then kept by Iohn Churchman sometimes a Draper of good note in Watling street upon whom after many years of Plenty Poverty had at last come like an armed man and brought him into a necessitous condition Which though it be a Punishment is not always an Argument of Gods disfavor for he was a vertuous man I shall not yet give the like testimony of his Wife but leave the Reader to judge by what follows But to this House Mr. Hooker came so wet so weary and weather-beaten That he was never known to express more Passion then against a Friend that disswaded him from Footing it to London and for hiring him no easier an Horse supposing the Horse trotted when he did not and at this time also such a faintness and fear possest him that he would not be perswaded two days quietness or any other means could be used to make him able to Preach his Sundays Sâ—rmon but a warm Bed and Rest and Drink proper for a Cold given him by Mistress Churchman and her diligent attendance added unto it enabled him to perform the Office of the day which was in or about the year One thousand five hundred eighty and one And in this first publick appearance to the World he was not so happy as to be free from Exceptions against a point of Doctrine delivered in his Sermon which was That in God there were two Wills an Antecedent and a Consequent Will His first Will That all mankinde should be saved but his second Will was That those onely should be saved that did live answerable to that degree of Grace which he had offered or afforded them This seemed to cross a late opinion of Mr. alvins and then taken for granted by many that had not a capacity to examine it as it had been by him and hath been since by Dr. Iackson Dr. Hammond and others of great Learning who believe that a contrary
him in Latin which Doctor Stapleton did to the end of the first Book at the conclusion of which the Pope spake to this purpose There is no Learning that this man hath not searcht into nothing too hard for his understanding This man indeed deserves the name of an Author his Books will get Reverence by Age for there is in them such seeds of Eternity that if the rest be like this they shall last till the last Fire shall consume all Learning Not was this high the only testimony and commendations given to his Books for at the first coming of King Iames into this Kingdom he inquired of the Archbishop Whiâ—gift for his friend Mr. Hooker that writ the Books of Church Polity to which the answer was that he dyed a year before Queen Elizabeth who received the sad news of his Death with very much Sorrow to which the King replyed and I receive it with no less that I shall want the desired happiness of seeing and discoursing with that Man from whose Books I have received such satisfaction Indeed my Lord I have received more satisfaction in reading a Leaf or Paragraph in Mr. Hooker thought it were but about the fashion of Churches or Church Musick or the like but especially of the Sacraments then I have had in the reading particular large Treatises written but of one of those subjects by others though very Learned Men and I observe there is in Mr. Hooker no affected Language but a grave comprehensive cleer manifestation of Reason and that back't with the Authority of the Scripture the Fathers and Schoolmen and with all Law both Sacred and Civil And though many others write well yet in the next Age they will be forgotten but doubtless there is in every page of Mr. Hookers Book the Picture of a Divine Soul such Pictures of Truth and Reason and drawn in so sacred colours that they shall never fade but give an immortal memory to the Author And it is so truly true that the King thought what he spake that as the most Learned of the Nation have and still do mention Mr. Hooker with Reverence so he also did never mention him but with the Epithite of Learned or Iudicious or Reverend or Venerable Mr. Hooker Nor did his Son our late King Charles the first ever mention him but with the same Reverence enjoyning his Son our now gracious King to be studious in M. Hookers Books And our learned Antiquary Mr. Cambden mentioning the Death the Modesty and other Vertues of Mr. Hooker and magnifying his Books wisht that for the honour of this and benefit of other Nations they were turn'd into the Universal Language Which work though undertaken by many yet they have been weary and forsaken it but the Reader may now expect it having been long since begun and lately finisht by the happy pen of Doctor Earl now Lord Bishop of Salisbury of whom I may justly say and let it not offend him because it is such a truth as ought not to be conceal'd from Posterity or those that now live and yet know him not that since Mr. Hooker died none have liv'd whom God hath blest with more innocent Wisdom more sanctified Learning or a more pious peaceable primitive Temper so that this excellent person seems to be only like himself and our venerable Richard Hooker and only fit to make the learned of all Nations happy in knowing what hath been too long confin'd to the language of our little Island There might be many more and just occasions taken to speak of his Books which none ever did or can commend too much but I decline them and hasten to an account of his Christian behaviour and Death at Borne in which place he continued his customary rules of Mortification and Self-Denyal was much in Fasting frequent in Meditation and Prayers injoying those blessed Returns which only Men of strict lives feel and know and of which Men of loose and Godless lives cannot be made sensible for spiritual things are spiritually discerned At his entrance into this place his Friendship was much sought for by Doctor Hadrian Saravia then one of the Prebends of Canterbury a German by birth and sometimes a Pastor both in Flanders and Holland where he had studied and well considered the controverted points concerning Episcopacy and Sacriledge and in England had a just occasion to declare his Judgement concerning both unto his Brethren Ministers of the Low Countryes which was excepted against by Theodor Beza and others against whose exceptions he rejoyned and thereby became the happy Author of many Learned Tracts writ in Latin especially of three one of the Degrees of Ministers and of the Bishops Superiority above the Presbytery a second against Sacriledge and a third of Christian obedience to Princes the last being occasioned by Gretzerus the Jesuit And it is observable that when in a time of Church tumults Beza gave his reasons to the Chancellor of Scotland for the abrogation of Episcopacy in that Nation partly by Letters and more fully in a Treatise of a three-fold Episcopacy which he calls Divine Humane and Satanical this Doctor Saravia had by the help of Bishop Whitgift made such an early discovery of their intentions that he had almost as soon answered that Treatise as it became publique and therein discovered how Beza's opinion did contradict that of Calvins and his adherents leaving them to interfere with themselves in point of Episcopacy but of these Tracts it will not concern me to say more than that they were most of them dedicated to his and the Church of Englands watchful Patron Iohn Whitgift the Archbishop and printed about the year in which Mr. Hooker also appeared first to the world in the Publication of his four Books of Ecclesiastical Polity This friendship being sought for by this Learned Doctor you may believe was not denied by Mr. Hooker who was by fortune so like him as to be engaged against Mr. Travers Mr. Cartwright and others of their Judgment in a controversie too like Doctor Saravia's So that in this year of 1595. and in this place of Borne these two excellent persons began a Holy Friendship increasing dayly to so high and mutual affections that their two wills seemed to be but one and the same and designs both for the glory of God and peace of the Church still assisting and improving each others vertues and the desired comforts of a peaceable Piety which I have willingly mentioned because it gives a foundation to some things that follow This Parsonage of Borne is from Canterbury three miles and near to the common Road that leads from that City to Dover in which Parsonage Mr. Hooker had not been twelve moneths but his Books and the Innocency and Sanctity of his Life became so remarkable that many turn'd out of the road and others Scholars especially went purposely to see the Man whose Life and Learning were so much admired and alas as our Saviour said of St. Iohn Baptist
believe In which generality the Object of Faith may not so narrowly be restrained as if the same did extend no further then to the only Scriptures of God Though saith our Saviour ye believe not me believe my works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him The other Disciples said unto Thomas We have seen the Lord but his answer unto them was Except I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into them I will not believe Can there be any thing more plain then that which by these two Sentences appeareth Namely That there may be a certain belief grounded upon other assurance then Scripture any thing more clear then that we are said not only to believe the things which we know by anothers relation but even whatsoever we are certainly perswaded of whether it be by reason or by sense Forasmuch therefore as it is granted that S. Paul doth mean nothing else by Faith but onely a full perswasion that that which we do it well done against which kinde of Faith or perswasion as S. Paul doth count it sin to enterprize any thing so likewise some of the very Heathen have taught as Tully That nothing ought to be done whereof thou doubtest whether it be right or wrong whereby it appeareth that even those which had no knowledge of the Word of God did see much of the equity of this which the Apostle requireth of a Christian man I hope we shall not seen altogether unnecessarily to doubt of the soundness of their opinion who think simply that nothing but onely the Word of God can give us assurance in any thing we are to do and resolve us that we do well For might not the Jews have been fully perswaded that they did well to think if they had so thought that in Christ God the Father was although the only ground of this their Faith had been the wonderful works they saw him do Might not yea did not Thomas fully in the end perswade himself that he did well to think that body which now was raised to be the same which had been crucified That which gave Thomas this assurance was his sense Thomas Because thou hast seen thou believest saith our Saviour What Scripture had Tully for his assurance Yet I nothing doubt but that they who alledge him think he did well to set down in Writing a thing so consonarie unto truth Finally We all believe that the Scriptures of God are Sacred and that they have proceeded from God our selves we assure that we do right well in so believing We have for this point a Demoustration sound and infallible But it is not the Word of God which doth or possibly can assure us that we do well to think it his Word For if any one Book of Scripture did give testimony to all yet sell that Scripture which giveth credit to the rest would require another Scripture to give credit unto it neither could we ever come unto any pause whereon to rest our assurance this way so that unless beside Scripture there were something which might assure us that we do well we could nor think we do well no not in being assured that Scripture is a sacred and holy Rule of well-doing On which determination we might be contented to stay our selves without further proceeding herein but that we are drawn on into a larger speech by reason of their so great earnestness who beat more and more upon these last alledged words as being of all other most pregnant Whereas therefore they still argue That wheresoever faith is wanting there is sin and in every action not commanded faith is wanting Ergo in every action not commanded there is sin I would demand of them First forasmuch as the nature of things indifferent is neither to be commanded nor forbidden but left free and arbitrary how there can be any thing indifferent iâ— for want of Faith sin be committed when any thing not commanded is done So that of necessity they must adde somewhat and at least wise thus set it down In every action not commanded of God or permitted with approbation Faith is wanting and for want of Faith there is sin The next thing we are to enquire is What those things be which God permitteth with approbation and how we may know them to be so permitted When there are unto one end sundry means as for example for the sustenance of our bodies many kindes of food many sorts of raiment to cloath our nakedness and so in other things of like condition Here the end it self being necessary but not so any one mean thereunto necessary that our bodies should he both fed and cloathed howbeit no one kinde of food or raiment necessary therefore we hold these things free in their own nature and indifferent The choice is left to our own discretion except a principal Bond of some higher duty remove the indifferency that such things have in themselves Their indifferency is removed if either we take away our own liberty as Ananias did for whom to have sold or held his Possessions it was indifferent till his Solemn Vow and Promise into God had strictly bound him one only way or if God himself have precisely abridged the same by restraining us unto or by barring us from some one or more things of many which otherwise were in themselves altogether indifferent Many fashions of Priestly Attire there were whereof Aaron and his Sons might have had their free choice without sin but that God expresly tied them unto one All meats indifferent unto the Jew were it not that God by name excepted some as Swines flesh Impossible therefore it is we should otherwise think then that what things God doth neither command nor forbid the same he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left undone All things are lawful unto me saith the Apostle speaking as it seemeth in the person of the Christian Gentile for maintenance of liberty in things indifferent whereunto his answer is that nevertheless All things are not expedient in things indifferent there is a choice they are not always equally expedient Now in things although not commanded of God yet lawfull because they are permitted the Question is What light shall shew us the conveniency which one hath above another For answer their final Determination is That whereas the Heathen did send men for the difference of good and evil to the light of reason in such things the Apostle sendeth us to the school of Christ in his Word which onely is able through faith to give us assurance and resolution in our doings Which word Onely is utterly without possibility of ever being proved For what if it were true concerning things indifferent that unless the Word of the Lord had determined of the free use of them there could have been no lawful use of them at all which notwithstanding is untrue because it is not
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
for his servant to shew the Religion of an Oath by naming the Lord God of Heaven and Earth unless that strange Ceremony were added In Contracts Bargains and Conveyances a mans word is a token sufficient to express his will Yet this was the ancient manner in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to establish all things A man did pluck off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour and this was a sure witness in Israel Amongst the Romans in their making of a Bondman free was it not wondred wherefore so great a do should be made The Master to present his Slave in some Court to take him by the hand and not only to say in the hearing of the publike Magistrate I will that this man become free but after these solemn words uttered to strike him on the cheek to turn him round the hair of his head to be shaved off the Magistrate to touch him thrice with a rod in the end a cap and a white garment to be given him To what purpose all this circumstance Among the Hebrews how strange and in outward appearance almost against reason that he which was minded to make himself a perpetual servant should not only testifie so much in the presence of the Judge but for a visible token thereof have also his ear bored thorow with an awl It were an infinite labour to prosecute these things so far as they might be exemplified both in Civil and Religious actions For in both they have their necessary use and force These sensible things which Religion hath allowed are resemblances framed according to things spiritually understood whereunto they serve as a hand to lead and a way to direct And whereas it may peradventure be objected that to add to Religious duties such Rites and Ceremonies as are significant is to institute new Sacraments sure I am they will not say that Numa Pompilius did ordain a Sacrament a significant Ceremony he did ordain in commanding the Priests to execute the work of their Divine Service with their hands as far as to the fingers covered thereby signifying that fidelity must be defended and that mens right hands are the sacred seat thereof Again we are also to put them in minde that themselves do not hold all significant Ceremonies for Sacraments inasmuch as Imposition of hands they deny to be a Sacrament and yet they give thereunto a forcible signification For concerning it their words are these The party ordained by this ceremony was put in minde of his separation to the work of the Lord that remembring himself to be taken as it were with the hand of God from amongst others this might teach him not to account himself now his own nor to do what himself listeth but to consider that God hath set him about a work which if he will discharge and accomplish he may at the hands of God assure himself of reward and if otherwise of revenge Touching significant Ceremonies some of them are Sacraments some as Sacaments onely Sacraments are those which are signs and tokens of some general promised grace which always really descendeth from God unto the soul that duly receiveth them Other significant tokens are only as Sacraments yet no Sacraments Which is not our distinction but theirs For concerning the Apostles Imposition of hands these are their own words Magnum signum hoc quasi Sacramentum usurparunt They used this sign or as it were Sacrament Concerning Rites and Ceremonies there may be fault either in the kinde or in the number and multitude of them The First thing blamed about the kinde of ours is That in many things we have departed from the ancient simplicity of Christ and his Apostles we have imbraced more outward stateliness we have those Orders in the exercise of Religion which they who best pleased God and served him most devoutly never had For it is out of doubt that the first state of things was best that in the prime of Christian Religion faith was foundest the Scriptures of God were then best understood by all men all parts of godliness did then most abound and therefore it must needs follow that Customs Laws and Ordinances devised since are not so good for the Church of Christ but the best way is to cut off later inventions and to reduce things unto the ancient state wherein at the first they were Which Rule or Canon we hold to be either uncertain or at least wise unsufficient if not both For in case it be certain hard it cannot be for them to shew us where we shall find it so exactly set down that we may say without all controversie These were the Orders of the Apostles times these wholly and onely neither fewer nor more then these True it is that many things of this nature be alluded unto yea many things declared and many things necessariy collected out of the Apostles writings But is it necessary that all the Orders of the Church which were then in use should be contained in their Books Surely no. For if the tenor of their Writings be well observed it shall unto any man easily appear that no more of them are there touched then were needfull to be spoken of sometimes by one occasion and sometimes by another Will they allow then of any other Records besides Well assured I am they are far enough from acknowledging that the Church ought to keep any thing as Apostolical which is not found in the Apostles Writings in what other Records soever it be found And therefore whereas St. Augustine affirmeth that those things which the whole Church of Christ doth hold may well be thought to be Apostolical although they be not found written this his judgement they utterly condemn I will not here stand in defence of S. Augustines opinion which is that such things are indeed Apostolical but yet with this exception unless the Decree of some General Councel have haply caused them to be received for of Positive Laws and Orders received throughout the whole Christian world S. Augustine could imagine no other Fountain save these two But to let pass S. Augustine they who condemn him herein must needs confess it a very uncertain thing what the Orders of the Church were in the Apostles times seeing the Scriptures doe not mention them all and other Records thereof besides they utterly reject So that in tying the Church to the Orders of the Apostles times they tye it to a marvellous uncertain rule unless they require the observation of no Orders but only those which are known to be Apostolical by the Apostles own Writings But then is not this their rule of such sufficiency that we should use it as a touchstone to try the Orders of the Church by for ever Our end ought always to be the same our ways and means thereunto not so The glory of God and the good of the Church was the thing which the Apostles aimed at and therefore ought to be the mark
St. Augustine appoint no Churches because they are not to us as Gods Again The Nations to their Gods erected Temples we not Temples unto our Martyrs as unto Gods but Memorials as unto dead men whose spirits with God are still living Divers considerations there are for which Christian Churches might first take their names of Saints as either because by the Ministry of Saints it pleased God there to shew some rare effect of his power or else in regard of death which those Saints having suffered for the testimony of Jesus Christ did thereby make the places where they dyed vénerable or thirdly for that it liked good and vertuous men to give such occasion of mentioning them often to the end that the naming of their Persons might cause enquiry to be made and meditation to be had of their vertues Wherefore seeing that we cannot justly account it Superstition to give unto Churches those sore-reheased names as memorials either of holy Persons or Things if it be plain that their Founders did with such meaning name thém shall not we in otherwise taking them offer them injury Or if it be obscure or uncertain what they meant yet this construction being more favourable Charity I hope constraineth no man which standeth doubtful of their minds to lean to the hardest and worst interpretation that their words can carry Yea although it were clear that they all for the error of some is manifest in this behalf had therein a supertitious intent Wherefore should their fault prejudice us who as all men know do use by way of mere Distinction the names which they of Superstition gave In the use of those names whereby we distinguish both days and months are we culpable of Superstition because they were who first invented them The sign Castor and Pallux superstitiously given unto that Ship wherein the Apostle sailed polluteth not the Evangelists pen who thereby doth but distinguish that Ship from others If to Daniel there had been given no other name but only Beltisbazzar given him in honour of the Babylonian Idol Belti Should their Idolatry which were the Authors of that Name cleave unto every man which had so termed him by way of personal difference only Were it not to satisfie the minds of the simpler sort of men these nice curiosities are not worthy the labour which we bestow to answer them 14. The like unto this is a fancy which they have against the fashion of our Churches as being framed according to the pattern of the Jewish Temple A fault no less grievous if so be it were true than if some King should build his Mansion-house by the model of Solomons Palace So far forth as our Churches and their Temple have one end What should lett but that they may lawfully have one from The Temple was for Sacrifice and therefore had Rooms to that purpose such as ours have none Our Churches are places provided that the people might there assemble themselves in due and decent manner according to their several degrees and orders Which thing being common unto us with Jews we have in this respect our Churches divided by certain partitions although not so many in number as theirs They had their several for Heathen Nations their several for the people of their own Nation their several for Men their several for Women their several for their Priests and for the High Priest alone their several There being in ours for local distinction between the Clergy and the rest which yet we do not with any great strictness or curiosity observe neither but one partition the cause whereof at the first as it seemeth was that as many as were capable of the holy Mysteries might there assemble themselves and no other creep in amongst them this is now made a matter so hainous as if our Religion thereby were become even plain Judaism and as though we retained a Most Holy Place whereinto there might not any but the High Priest alone enter accouling to the custome of the Jews 15. Some it highly displeaseth that so great expences this way are imployed The Mother of such Magnificence they think is but only a proud ambitious desire to be spoken of far and pride Suppose we that God himself delighteth to dwell sumptuously or taketh pleasure in chargeable pâ—mp No Then was the Lord most acceptably served when his Temples were rooms borrowed within the houses of poor men This was suitable unto the nakedness of Iesus Christ and the simplicity of his Gospel What thoughts or cogitations they had which were Authors of those things the use and benefit whereof hath descended unto our selves as we do not know so we need not search It commeth we grant may times to pass that the works of men being the same their drifts and purposes therein are divers The charge of Herod about the Temple of God was ambitious yet Solomon's vertuous Constantine's holy But howsoever their hearts are disposed by whom any such thing is done in the World shall we think that it baneth the work which they leave behind them or taken away from others the use and benefit thereof Touching God himself hath he any where revealed that it is his delight to dwell beggerly and that he taketh no pleasure to be worshipped saving only in poor Cottages Even then was the Lord at acceptably honoured of his people as ever when the statelyest places and things in the whole World were sought out to adorn his Temple This is most suitable decent and fit for the greatness of Jesus Christ for the sublimity of his Gospel except we think of Christ and his Gospel as the Officers of Iulian did As therefore the Son of Syrach giveth verdict concerning those things which God hath wrought A man need not say This is worse than that this more acceptable to God that less for in their season they are all worthy praise the like we may also conclude as touching these two so contrary ways of providing in meaner or in costlier sort for the honour of Almighty God A man need not say This is worse than that this more acceptable to God that less for with him they are in their season both allowable the one when the state of the Church is poor the other when God hath enriched it with plenty When they which had seen the beauty of the first Temple built by Solomon in the days of his great prosperity and peace beheld how farr it excelled the second which had not Builders of like ability the tears of their grieved eyes the Prophets endeavoured with comforts to wipe away Whereas if the House of God were by so much the more perfect by how much the glory thereof is less they should have done better to rejoyce than weep their Prophets better to reprove than comfort It being objected against the Church in the times of universal persecution that her Service done to God was not solemnly performed in Temples fit for the honour of
plain testimony that they which prayed were not sure they should obtain it would follow that their Prayer being without certainty of the event was also made unto God without Faith and consequently that God abhorred it Which to think of so many Prayers of Saints as we finde have failed in particular requests how absurd were it His faithful people have this comfort that whatsoever they rightly ask the same no doubt but they shall receive so far as may stand with the glory of God and their own everlasting good unto either of which two it is no vertuous mans purpose to seek or desire to obtain any thing prejudicial and therefore that clause which our Lord and Saviour in the Prayer of his Agony did express we in Petitions of like nature do always imply Pater si possibile est If it may stand with thy will and pleasure Or if not but that there be secret impediments and causes in regard whereof the thing we pray for is denied us yet the Prayer it self which we make is a pleasing Sacrifice to God who both accepteth and rewardeth it some other way So that sinners in very truth are denied when they seem to prevail in their Supplications because it is not for their sakes or to their good that their sutes take place the faithful contrariwise because it is for their good oftentimes that their Petitions do not take place prevail even then when they most seem denied Our Lord God in anger hath granted some impenitent mens requests as on the other side the Apostles sute he hath of â—avor and mercy not granted saith St. Augustine To think we may pray unto God for nothing but what he hath promised in holy Scripture we shall obtain is perhaps an error For of Prayer there are two uses It serveth as a mean to procure those things which God hath promised to grant when we ask and it serveth as a mean to express our lawful desires also towards that which whether we shall have or no we know not till we see the event Things in themselves unholy or unseemly we may not ask we may whatsoever being not forbidden either Nature or Grace shall reasonably move us to wish as importing the good of men albeit God himself have no where by promise assured us of that particular which our Prayer craveth To pray for that which is in it self and of its own nature apparently a thing impossible were not convenient Wherefore though men do without offence wish daily that the affairs which with evil success are past might have faln out much better yet to pray that they may have been any other then they are this being a manifest impossibilty in it self the Rules of Religion do not permit Whereas contrariwise when things of their own nature contingent and mutable are by the secret determination of God appointed one way though we the other way make our Prayers and consequently ask those things of God which are by this supposition impossible we notwithstanding do not hereby in Prayer transgress our lawful bounds That Christ as the onely begotten Son of God having no Superior and therefore owing honor unto none neither standing in any need should either give thanks or make petition unto God were most absurd As Man what could beseem him better whether we respect his affection to God-ward or his own necessity or his charity and love towards men Some things he knew should come to pass and notwithstanding prayed for them because he also knew that the necessary means to effect them were his Prayers As in the Psalm it is said Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the ends of the Earth for thy possession Wherefore that which here God promiseth his Son the same in the Seventeenth of Iohn he prayeth for Father the hour is now come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee according as thou hast given him power over all flesh But had Christ the like promise concerning the effect of every particular for which he prayed That which was not effected could not be promised And we know in what sort he prayed for removal of that bitter Cup which Cup he tasted notwithstanding his Prayer To shift off this example they answer first That as other children of God so Christ had a promise of deliverance as far as the glory of God in the accomplishment of his vocation would suffer And if we our selves have not also in that sort the promise of God to be evermore delivered from all adversity what meaneth the Sacred Scripture to speak in so large terms Be obedient and the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thy hand in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy cattel and in the fruit of the Land for thy wealth Again Keep his Laws and thou shalt be blest above all people the Lord shall take from the all infirmities The man whose delight is in the Law of God whatsoever he doth it shall prosper For the ungodly there are great plagues remaining but whosoever putteth his trust in the Lord Mercy imbraceth him on every side Not onely that mercy which keepeth from being over-laid or opprest but Mercy which saveth from being touched with grievous miseries Mercy which turneth away the course of the great water flouds and permitteth them not to come near Nevertheless because the Prayer of Christ did concern but one calamity they are still bold to deny the lawfulness of our Prayer for deliverance out of all yea though we pray with the same exception that he did If such deliverance may stand with the pleasure of Almighty God and not otherwise For they have secondly found out a Rule that Prayer ought onely to be made for deliverance from this or that particular adversity whereof we know not but upon the event what the pleasure of God is Which quite overthroweth that other principle wherein they require unto every Prayer which is of Faith an assurance to obtain the thing we pray for At the first to pray against all adversity was unlawful because we cannot assure our selves that this will be granted Now we have licence to pray against any particular adversity and the reason given because we know not but upon the event what God will do If we know not what God will do it followeth that for any assurance we have he may do otherwise then we pray and we faithfully pray for that which we cannot assuredly presume that God will grant Seeing therefore neither of these two Answers will serve the turn they have a third which is That to pray in such sort is but idly mispent labor because God hath already revealed his Will touching this request and we know that the sute we make is denied before we make it Which neither is true and if it were was Christ ignorant what God had determined touching those things which
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
accustomed to name their Tithes the hedge of their Riches Albeit a hedge do onely fence and preserve that which is contained whereas their Tithes and Offerings did more because they procured increase of the heap out of which they were taken God demandeth no such debt for his own need but for their onely benefit that owe it Wherefore detaining the same they hurt not him whom they wrong and themselves whom they think they relieve they wound except men will haply affirm that God did by fair speeches and large promises delude the world in saying Bring ye all the Tithes into the Store-house that there may be meat in mine House deal truly defraud not God of his due but bring all and prove if I will not open unto you the Windows of Heaven and powre down upon you an immeasurable blessing That which Saint Iames hath concerning the effect of our Prayers unto God is for the most part of like moment in our gifts We pray and obtain not because he which knoweth our hearts doth know our desires are evil In like manner we give and we are not the more accepted because he beholdeth how unwisely we spill our Gifts in the bringing It is to him which needeth nothing all one whether any thing or nothing be given him But for our own good it always behoveth that whatsoever we offer up into his hands we bring it seasoned with this cogitation Thou Lord art worthy of all honour With the Church of Christ touching these matters it standeth as it did with the whole World before Moses Whereupon for many years men being desirous to honour God in the same manner as other vertuous and holy Personages before had done both during the time of their life and if farther ability did serve by such devise as might cause their works of piety to remain always it came by these means to pass that the Church from time to time had Treasure proportionable unto the poorer or wealthier estate of Christian men And assoon as the state of the Church could admit thereof they easily condescended to think it most natural and most fit that God should receive as before of all men his antient accustomed Revenues of Tithes Thus therefore both God and Nature have taught to convert things temporal to eternal uses and to provide for the perpetuity of Religion even by that which is most transitory For to the end that in worth and value there might be no abatement of any thing once assigned to such purposes the Law requireth precisely the best of what we possesse and to prevent all dammages by way of commutation where in stead of natural Commodities or other rights the price of them might be taken the Law of Moses determined their rates and the payments to be alwayes made by the Sickle of the Sanctuary wherein there was great advantage of weight above the ordinary currant Sickle The truest and surest way for God to have alwayes his own is by making him payment in kinde out of the very self-same riches which through his gracious benediction the earth doth continually yield This where it may be without inconvenience is for every man's Conscience sake That which commeth from God to us by the natural course of his providence which we know to be innocent and pure is perhaps best accepted because least spotted with the stain of unlawful or indirect procurement Besides whereas prices daily change Nature which commonly is one must needs be the most indifferent and permanent Standard between God and Man But the main foundation of all whereupon the security of these things dependeth as farr as any thing may be ascertained amongst men is that the Title and Right which man had in every of them before Donation doth by the Act and from the time of any such Donation Dedication or Grant remain the proper possession of God till the World's end unless himself renounce or relinquish it For if equity have taught us that every one ought to enjoy his own that what is ours no other can alienate from us but with our own deliberate consent finally that no man having past his consent or deed may change it to the prejudice of any other should we perfume to deal with God worse than God hath allowed any man to deal with us Albeit therefore we be now free from the Law of Moses and consequently not thereby bound to the payment of Tithes yet because Nature hath taught men to honour God with their Substance and Scripture hath left us an example of that particular proportion which for moral considerations hath been thought sittest by him whose wisedom could best judge furthermore seeing that the Church of Christ hath long sithence entred into like obligation it seemeth in these dayes a question altogether vain and superfluous whether Tithes be a matter of Divine Right because howsoever at the first it might have been thought doubtful our case is clearly the same now with theirs unto whom Saint Peter sometime spake saying While it was whole it was whole thine When our Tithes might have probably seemed our own we had colour of liberty to use them as we our selves saw good But having made them His whose they are let us be warned by other mens example what it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wash or clip that come which hath on it the mark of God For that all these are his possessions and that he doth himself so reckon them appeareth by the form of his own speeches Touching Gifts and Oblations Thou shalt give them me touching Oratories and Churches My House shall be called the House of Prayer touching Tithes Will a man spoil God Yet behold even me your God ye have spoiled notwithstanding ye ask wherein as though ye were ignorant what injury there hath been offered in Tithes ye are heavily accursed because with a kinde of publick consent ye have joyned your selves in one to rob me imagining the commonness of your offence to be every man's particular justification touching Lands Ye shall offer to the Lord a sacred portion of ground and that sacred portion shall belong to the Priests Neither did God onely thus ordain amongst the Jews but the very purpose intent and meaning of all that have honoured him with their substance was to invest him with the property of those benefits the use whereof must needs be committed to the hands of men In which respect the stile of antient Grants and Charters is We have given unto God both for Us and our Hews for ever Yea We know saith Charles the Great that the goods of the Church are the sacred indowments of God to the Lord our God we offer and dedicate whatsoever we deliver unto his Church Whereupon the Laws Imperial doe likewise divide all things in such sort that they make some to belong by right of Nature indifferently unto every man some to be the certain goods and possessions of Common-weals some to
that we may consider as in Gods own sight and presence with all uprightnesse sincerity and truth let us particularly weigh and examine in every of them First how farr forth they are reproveable by Reasons and Maxims of Common right Secondly whether that which our Laws do permit be repugnant to those Maxims and with what equity we ought to judge of things practised in this case neither on the one hand defending that which must be acknowledged out of square nor on the other side condemning rashly whom we list for whatsoever we disallow Touching Arguments therefore taken from the principles of Common right to prove that Ministers should be learned that they ought to be Resident upon their Livings and that more than one onely Benefice or Spiritual Living may not be granted unto one man the first because Saint Paul requireth in a Minister ability to teach to convince to distribute the Word rightly because also the Lord himself hath protested they shall be no Priests to him which have rejected knowledge and because if the blince lead the Blinde they must both needs fall into the Pit the second because Teachers are Shepherds whose Flocks can be at no time secure from danger they are Watchmen whom the Enemy doth alwayes besiege their labours in the Word and Sacraments admit no intermission their duty requireth instruction and conference with men in private they are the living Oracles of God to whom the People must resort for counsel they are commanded to be Patterns of Holiness Leaders Feeders Supervisors amongst their own it should be their grief as it was the Apostles to be absent though necessarily from them over whom they have taken charge finally the last because Plurality and Residence are opposite because the placing of one Clark in two Churches is a point of Merchandize and filthy gain because no man can serve two Masters because every one should remain in that Vocation whereto he is called What conclude they of all this Against Ignorance against Non-residence and against Plurality of Livings is there any man so raw and dull but that the Volumes which have been written both of old and of late may make him in so plentiful a cause eloquent For if by that which is generally just and requisite we measure what knowledge there should be in a Minister of the Gospel of Christ the Arguments which Light of Nature offereth the Laws and Statutes which Scripture hath the Canons that are taken out of antient Synods the Decrees and Constitutions of sincerest Times the Sentences of all Antiquity and in a word even every man's full consent and conscience is against Ignorance in them that have Charge and Cure of Souls Again what availeth it if we be Learned and not Faithful or what benefit hath the Church of Christ if there be in us sufficiency without endeavour or care to do that good which our place exacteth Touching the pains and industry therefore wherewith men are in conscience bound to attend the work of their Heavenly Calling even as much as in them lyeth bending thereunto their whole endeavour without either fraud sophistication or guile I see not what more effectual Obligation or Bond of Duty there should be urged than their own onely Vow and Promise made unto God himself at the time of their Ordination The work which they have undertaken requireth both care and fear Their sloth that negligently perform it maketh them subject to malediction Besides we also know that the fruit of our pains in this Function is life both to our selves and others And doe we yet need incitements to labour Shall we stop our ears both against those conjuring exhortations which Apostles and against the fearful comminations which Prophets have uttered out of the mouth of God the one for prevention the other for reformation of our sluggishness in this behalf Saint Paul Attend to your selves and to all the Flock whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you Over-seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Again I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ which shall judge the quick and the dead at his comming preach the Word be instant Jeremiah We unto the Pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my Pasture I will visit you for the wickedness of your Works saith the Lord the remnant of my Sheep I will gather together out of all Countries and will bring them again so their solds they shall grew and increase and I will set up Shepherds over them which shall feed them Ezekiel Should not the Shepherds should they not feed the Flocks Ye eat the fat andye clothe your selves with the wool but the weak ye have not strengthened the sick ye have not cured neither have ye bound up the broken nor brought home again that which was driven away ye have not inquired after that which was lost but with cruelty and rigour ye have ruled And verse 8. Wheresore as I live I will require c. Nor let us think to excuse our selves if haply we labour though it be at random and sit not altogether idle abroad For we are bound to attend that part of the flock of Christ whereof the Holy Ghost hath made us Over-seers The residence of Ministers upon their own peculiar Charge is by so much the rather necessary for that absenting themselves from the place where they ought to labour they neither can do the good which is looked for at their hands nor reap the comfort which sweetneth life to them that spend it in these cravels upon their own For it is in this as in all things else which are through private interest dearer than what concerneth either others wholly or us but in part and according to the rate of a general regard As for plurality it hath not onely the same inconveniencies which are observed to grow by absence but over and besides at the least in common construction a shew of that worldly humour which men do think should not raign so high Now from hence their Collections are as followeth first a repugnancy or contradiction between the Principles of common right and that which our Laws in special considerations have allowed secondly a nullitie or frustration of all such acts as are by them supposed opposite to those Principles and invalidity in all Ordinations of men unable to preach and in all dispensations which mitigate the Law of Common right for the other two And why so Forsooth because whatsoever we do in these three cases and not by vertue of Common-right we must yield it of necessity done by warrant of peculiar right or priviledge Now a Priviledge is said to be that that for favour of certain persons commeth forth against Common-right things prohibited are dispensed with because things permitted are dispatched by Common-right but things forbidden require Dispensations By which descriptions of a Priviledge and Dispensation it is they say apparent that a Priviledge must
cruel were a sinne most grievous considering that the people of God should be easie to relent as Joseph was towards his Brethren Finally if so it fall out that the death of him which was injured prevent his submission which did offend let him then for so they determine that he ought goe accompanied with ten others unto the Sepulchre of the Dead and there make confession of the Fault saying I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and against this man to whom I have done such or such injury and if Money be due let it be restored to his Heirs or in case he have none known leave it with the house of Iudgement That is to say with the Senators Ancients and Guides of Israel We hold not Christian people tyed unto Jewish Orders for the manner of Restitution but surely Restitution we must hold necessary as well in our own Repentance as theirs for Sinnes of wilful oppression and wrong Now although it suffices that the Offices wherewith we pacifie God or private men be secretly done yet in Cases where the Church must be also satisfied it was not to this end and purpose unnecessary that the antient Discipline did farther require outward signes of Contrition to be shewed Confession of Sinnes to be made openly and those Works to be apparent which served as Testimonies for Conversion before men Wherein if either Hypocrisie did at any time delude their Judgment they knew that God is he whom Maskes and Mockeryes cannot blinde that he which seeth mens hearts would judge them according unto his own evidence and as Lord correct the Sentence of his Servants concerning matters beyond their reach Or if such as ought to have kept the Rules of Canonical Satisfaction would by sinister means and practises undermine the same obtruding presumptuously themselves to the participation of Christ's most sacred Mysteries before they were orderly re-admitted thereunto the Church for contempt of holy things held them incapable of that Grace which God in the Sacrament doth impart to devout Communicants and no doubt but he himself did retain bound whom the Church in those cases refused to loose The Fathers as may appear by sundry Decrees and Canons of the Primitive Church were in matter specially of publick Scandal provident that too much facility of pardoning might not be shewed He that casteth off his lawful wife saith Saint Basil and doth take another it adjudged an Adulterer by the verdict of our Lord himself and by our Fathers it is Canonically ordained that such for the space of a year shall mourn for two years space hear three years be prostrate the seventh year assemble with the faithful in Prayer and after that be admitted to communicate if with tears they bewail their fault Of them which had fallen from their faith in the time of Emperour Licinius and were not thereunto forced by any extream usage the Nicene Synod under Constantine ordained that earnestly repenting they should continue three years Hearers seven years be prostrate and two years communicate with the people in prayer before they came to receive the oblation Which rigour sometimes they tempered nevertheless with lenity the self-same Synod having likewise defined That whatsoever the cause were any man desirous at the time of departure out of this life to receive the Eucharist might with examination and tryal have it granted him by the Bishop Yea besides this case of special commiseration there is a Canon more large which giveth always liberty to abridge or extend out the time as the Parties meek or sturdy disposition should require By means of which Discipline the Church having power to hold them many years in suspence there was bred in the mindes of the Penitents through long and daily practise of submission a contrary habit unto that which before had been their ruine and for ever afterwards wariness not to fall into those snares out of which they knew they could not easily winde themselves Notwithstanding because there was likewise hope and possibility of shortning the time this made them in all the Parts and Offices of their Repentance the more fervent In the first station while they onely beheld others passing towards the Temple of God whereunto for themselves to approach it was not lawful they stood as miserable forlorn men the very patterns of perplexity and woe In the second when they had the favour to wait at the doors of God where the sound of his comfortable word might be heard none received it with attention like to theirs Thirdly being taken and admitted to the next degree of Prostrates at the feet yet behinde the back of that Angel representing God whom the rest saw face to face their tears and entreaties both of Pastour and People were such as no man could resist After the fourth step which gave them liberty to hear and pray with the rest of the People being so near the haven no diligence was then flacked which might hasten admission to the Heavenly Table of Christ their last desire It is not therefore a thing to be marvelled at though Saint Cyprian took it in very ill part when open Back-sliders from the faith and sacred Religion of Christ laboured by sinister practise to procure from imprisoned Saints those requests for present absolution which the Church could neither yield unto with safety of Discipline nor in honour of Martyrdom easily deny For what would thereby ensue they needed not to conjecture when they saw how every man which came so commended to the Church by Letters thought that now he needed not to crave but might challenge of duty his peace taking the matter very highly if but any little forbearance or small delay was used He which is overthrown saith Cyprian menaceth them that stand the wounded them that were never toucht and because presently he hath not the body of our Lord in his foul imbrued hands nor the blood within his polluted lips the miscreant fumeth at God's Priests Such is thy madness O thou furious man thou art angry with him which laboureth to turn away God's anger from thee him thou threatnest which sueth unto God for grace and mercy on thy behalf Touching Martyrs he answereth That it ought not in this case to seem offensive though they were denied seeing God himself did refuse to yield to the piety of his own righteous Saints making suit for obdurate Iews As for the Parties in whose behalf such shifts were used to have their desire was in very truth the way to make them the more guilty Such peace granted contrary to the rigour of the Gospel contrary to the Law of our Lord and God doth but under colour of merciful relaxation deceive Sinners and by soft handling destroy them a grace dangerous for the Giver and to him which receiveth it nothing at all available The patient expectation that bringeth health is by this means not regarded recovery of soundness not sought for by the only medicine available which is
Successors of such Goods and to convey the same unto men of secular callings now extream Sacrilegious Injustice I. I Have heard that a famous Kingdom in the world being sollicited to reform such disorders as all men saw the Church exceedingly burthened with when of each degree great multitudes thereunto inclined and the number of them did every day so encrease that this intended work was likely to take no other effect then all good men did wish and labour for A Principal actor herein for zeal and boldness of Spirit thought it good to shew them betimes what it was which must be effected or else that there could be no work of perfect Reformation accomplished To this purpose in a solemn Sermon and in a great Assembly he described unto them the present quality of their publick Estate by the parable of a tree huge and goodly to look upon but without that fruit which it should and might bring forth affirming that the only way of redress was a full and perfect establishment of Christs Discipline for so their manner is to entitle a thing hammered out upon the forge of their own invention and that to make way of entrance for it there must be three great limbs cut off from the body of that stately tree of the Kingdom Those three limbs were three sorts of men Nobles whose high Estate would make them otherwise disdain to put their necks under that yoke Lawyers whose Courts being not pulled down the new Church Consistories were not like to flourish Finally Prelates whose ancient Dignity and the simplicity of their intended Church-Discipline could not possibly stand together The proposition of which device being plausible to active spirits restless through desire of innovation whom commonly nothing doth more offend then a change which goeth fearfully on by slow and suspicious paces the heavier and more experienced sort began presently thereat to pull back their feet again and exceedingly to fear the stratagem of Reformation for ever after Whereupon ensued those extream conflicts of the one part with the other which continuing and encreasing to this very day have now made the state of that flourishing Kingdom even such as whereunto we may most fitly apply those words of the Prophet Ieremiah Thy breach is great like the Sea who can heal thee Whether this were done in truth according to the constant affirmation of some avouching the same I take not upon me to examine That which I note therein is How with us that policie hath been corrected For to the Authors of pretended Reformation with us it hath not seemed expedient to offer the edge of the axe unto all three boughs at once but rather to single them and strike at the weakest first making show that the lop of that one shall draw the more abundance of sap to the other two that they may thereby the better prosper All prosperity felicity and peace we wish multiplied on each Estate as far as their own hearts desire is But let men know that there is a God whose eye beholdeth them in all their ways a God the usual and ordinary course of whose justice is to return upon the head of malice the same devices which it contriveth against others The foul practices which have been used for the overthrow of Bishops may perhaps wax bold in process of time to give the like assault even there from whence at this present they are most seconded Nor let it over-dismay them who suffer such things at the hands of this most unkind world to see that heavenly estate and dignity thus conculcated in regard whereof so many their Predecessors were no less esteemed then if they had not been men but Angels amongst men With former Bishops it was as with Iob in the days of that prosperity which at large he describeth saying Unto me men gave eaâ— they waited and held their tongue at my counsel after my words they replied not I appointed out their way and did sit as chief I dwelt as it had been a King in an Army At this day the case is otherwise with them and yet no otherwise then with the self same Iob at what time the alteration of his estate wrested these contrary speeches from him But now they that are younger then I mock at me the children of fools and off-spring of slaves creatures more base then the earth they tread on such as if they did show their heads young and old would shout at them and chase them through the streets with a cry their song I am I am a theam for them to talk on An injury less grievous if it were not offered by them whom Satan hath through his fraud and subtilty so far beguiled as to make them imagine herein they do unto God a part of most faithful service Whereas the lord in truth whom they serve herein is as St. Cyprian telleth them like not Christ for he it is that doth appoint and protect bishops but rather Christs adversary and enemy of his Church A thousand five hundred years and upward the Church of Christ hath now continued under the sacred Regiment of Bishops Neither for so long hath Christianity been ever planted in any Kingdom throughout the world but with this kind of government alone which to have been ordained of God I am for mine own part even as resolutely perswaded as that any other kind of Government in the world whatsoever is of God In this Realm of England before Normans yea before Saxons there being Christians the chief Pastors of their souls were Bishops This order from about the first establishment of Christian Religion which was publiquely begun through the vertuous disposition of King Lucius not fully two hundred years after Christ continued till the coming in of the Saxons By whom Paganism being every where else replanted only one part of the Island whereinto the ancient natural inhabitants the Britains were driven retained constantly the faith of Christ together with the same form of spiritual Regiment which their Fathers had before received Wherefore in the Histories of the Church we find very ancient mention made of our own Bishops At the Council of Ariminum about the year 359 Britain had three of her Bishops present At the arrival of Augustine the Monk whom Gregory sent hither to reclaim the Saxons from Gentility about six hundred years after Christ the Britains he found observers still of the self same Government by Bishops over the rest of the Clergy under this form Christianity took root again where it had been exiled Under the self same form it remained till the days of the Norman Conqueror By him and his successors thereunto sworn it hath from that time till now by the space of above five hundred years more been upheld O Nation utterly without knowledge without sense We are not through error of mind deceived but some wicked thing hath undoubtedly bewitched us if we forsake that Government the use whereof universal experience hath
man surmise that the difference between them was only by distinction in the former kind of power and not in this latter of jurisdiction are not the words of the Law manifest which make Eleazer the Son of Aaron the Priest chief Captain of the Levites and overseer of them unto whom the charge of the Sanctuary was committed Again at the commandment of Aaron and his Sons are not the Gersonites themselves required to do all their service in the whole charge belonging unto the Gersonites being inferiour Priests as Aaron and his Sons were High Priests Did not Iehoshaphat appoint Amarias the Priest to be chief over them who were Judges for the cause of the Lord in Ierusalem Priests saith Josephus worship God continually and the eldest of the stock are governours over the rest He doth sacrifice unto God before others he hath care of the Laws judgeth controversies correcteth offenders and whosoever obeyeth him not is convict of impiety against God But unto this they answer That the reason thereof was because the High-Priest did prefigure Christ and represent to the people that chiefty of our Saviour which was to come so that Christ being now come there is no cause why such preheminence should be given unto any one Which fancy pleaseth so well the humour of all sorts of rebellions spirits that they all seek to shroud themselves under it Tell the Anabaptist which holdeth the use of the sword unlawful for a Christian man that God himself did allow his people to make wars they have their answer round and ready Those ancient Wars were figures of the spiritual Wars of Christ. Tell the Barrowist what sway David and others the Kings of Israel did bear in the ordering of spiritual affairs the same answer again serveth namely That David and the rest of the Kings of Israel prefigured Christ. Tell the Martinist of the High-Priests great authority and jurisdiction amongst the Jews what other thing doth serve this Turn but the self-same shift By the power of the High-Priest the universal supreme Authority of our Lord Iesus Christ was shadowed The thing is true that indeed High-Priests were figures of Christ yet this was in things belonging unto their power of Order they figured Christ by entring into the holy place by offering for the sins of all the people once a year and by other the like duties But that to govern and to maintain order amongst those that were subject to them is an office figurative and abrogated by Christs coming in the Ministry that their exercise of jurisdiction was figurative yea figurative in such sort that it had no other cause of being instituted but only to serve as a representation of somewhat to come and that herein the Church of Christ ought not to follow them this Article is such as must be confirmed if any way by miracle otherwise it will hardly enter into the heads of reasonable men why the High-Priest should more figure Christ in being a Judge then in being whatsoever he might be besides St. Cyprian deemed it no wresting of Scripture to challenge as much for Christian Bishops as was given to the High-Priest among the Jews and to urge the law of Moses as being most effectual to prove it St. Ierom likewise thought it an argument sufficient to ground the Authority of Bishops upon To the end saith he we may understand Apostolical traditions to have been taken from the Old Testament that which Aaron and his Sons and the Levites were in the Temple Bishops and Presbyters and Deacons in the Church may lawfully challenge to themselves In the Office of a Bishop Ignatius observeth these two functions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the one such is the prehemince of a Bishop that he only hath the heavenly mysteries of God committed originally unto him so that otherwise than by his Ordination and by authority received from him others besides him are not licensed therein to deal as ordinary Ministers of Gods Church And touching the other part of their sacred Function wherein the power of their jurisdiction doth appear first how the Apostles themselves and secondly how Titus and Timothy had rule and jurisdiction over Presbyters no man is ignorant And had not Christian Bishops afterward the like power Ignatius Bishop of Antioch being ready by blessed martyrdom to end his life writeth unto his Presbyters the Pastors under him in this sort O◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the death of Fabian Bishop of Rome there growing some trouble about the receiving of such persons into the Church as had fallen away in persecution and did now repent their fall the Presbyters and Deacons of the same Church advertised St. Cyprian thereof signifying That they must of necessity defer to deal in that cause till God did send them a new Bishop which might moderate all things Much we read of extraodinary fasting usually in the Church And in this appeareth also somewhat concerning the chiefty of Bishops The custome is saith Tertullian that Bishops do appoint when the people shall all fast Yea it is not a matter left to our own free choice whether Bishops shall rule or no but the will of our Lord and Saviour is saith Cyprian that every act of the Church be governed by her Bishops An Argument it is of the Bishops high preheminence rule and government over all the rest of the Clergy even that the Sword of persecution did strike especially always at the Bishop as at the Head the rest by reason of their lower estate being more secure as the self-same Cyprian noteth the very manner of whose speech unto his own both Deacons and Presbyters who remained safe when himself then Bishop was driven into exile argueth likewise his eminent authority and rule over them By these letters saith he I both exhort and COMMAND that ye whose presence there is not envied at nor so much beset with dangers supply my room in doing those things which the exercise of Religion doth require Unto the same purpose serve most directly those comparisons than which nothing is more familiar in the books of the ancient Fathers who as oft as they speak of the several degrees in Gods Clergy if they chance to compare Presbyters with Levitical Priests of the Law the Bishop they compare unto Aaron the High Priest if they compare the one with the Apostles the other they compare although in a lower proportion sometime to Christ and sometime to God himself evermore shewing that they placed the Bishop in an eminent degree of ruling authority and power above other Presbyters Ignatius comparing Bishops with Deacons and with such Ministers of the word and Sacraments as were but Presbyters and had no Authority over Presbyters What is saith he the Bishop but one which hath all principality and power over all so far forth as man may have it being to his power a follower even of Gods own Christ Mr. Calvin himself
evil if the lame and sick it is good enough Present it unto thy Prince and see if he will content himself or accept thy Person saith the Lord of Hosts When Abel presented God with an Offering it was the fattest of all the Lambs in his whole Flock he honored God not onely out of his substance but out of the very Chiefest therein whereby we may somewhat judge how religiously they stand affected towards God who grudge that any thing worth the having should be his Long it were to reckon up particularly what God was Owner of under the Law For of this sort was all which they spent in Legal Sacrifices of this sort their usual Oblations and Offerings of this sort Tythes and Fust-fruits of this sort that which by extraordinary occasions they vowed unto God of this sort all that they gave to the building of the Tabernacle of this sort all that which was gathered amongst them for the erecting of the Temple and the adorning of it erected of this sort whatsoever their Corban contained wherein that blessed Widow's Deodate was laid up Now either this kinde of Honor was prefiguratively altogether Ceremonial and then our Saviour accepteth it not or if we finde that to him also it hath been done and that with divine approbation given for encouragement of the World to shew by such kinde of service their dutiful hearts towards Christ there will be no place left for men to make any question at all whether herein they do well or no. Wherefore to descend from the Synagogue unto the Church of Christ albeit Sacrifices wherewith sometimes God was highly honored be not accepted as heretofore at the hands of men Yet forasmuch as Honor God with thy Riches is an Edict of the inseparable Law of Nature so far forth as men are therein required by such kinde of homage to testifie their thankful mindes this Sacrifice God doth accept still Wherefore as it was said of Christ That all Kings should worship him and all Nations do him service so this veryâ— kinde of worship or service was likewise mentioned lest we should think that our Lord and Saviour would allow of no such thing The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring Presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring Gifts And as it maketh not a little to the praise of those Sages mentioned in the Gospel that the first amongst men which did solemnly honor our Saviour on Earth were they so it soundeth no less to the dignity of this particular kinde that the rest by it were prevented They fell down and worshipped and opened their Treasures and presented onto him Gifts Gold Incense and Mirrâ— Of all those things which were done to the honor of Christ in his life-time there is not one whereof he spake in such sort as when Mary to testifie the largeness of her affection seemed to waste away a Gift upon him the price of which Gift might as they thought who saw it much better have been spent in works of Mercy towards the Poor Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout all the World there shall also this that she hath dont be spoken of for memorial of her Of service to God the best works are they which continue longest And for permanency what like Donation whereby things are unto him for ever dedicated That the antient Lands and Livings of the Church were all in such sort given into the hands of God by the just Lords and Owners of them that unto him they passed over their whole interest and right therein the form of sundry the said Donations as yet extant most plainly sheweth And where time hath left no such evidence as now remaining to be seen yet the same intention is presumed in all Donors unless the contrary be apparent But to the end it may yet more plainly appear unto all men under what Title the several kinds of Ecclesiastical Possessions are held Our Lord himself saith Saint Augustine had Coffers to keep those things which the Faithful OFFERED unto him Then was the form of the Church-treasury first instituted to the end that withal we might understand that in forbidding to be careful for to morrow his purpose was not to bar his Saints from keeping money but to with-draw them from doing God service for Wealth 's sake and from for saking Righteousness through fear of losing their Wealth The first Gifts consecrated unto Christ after his departure out of the World were summes of money in process of time other Moveables were added and at length Goods unmoveable Churches and Oratories hallowed to the honor of his glorious Name Houses and Lands for perpetuity conveyed unto him Inheritance given to remain his as long as the World should endure The Apostles saith Melchiades they foresaw that God would have his Church amongst the Gentiles and for that cause in Iudea they took no Lands but price of Lands sold. This he conjectureth to have been the cause why the Apostles did that which the History reporteth of them The truth is that so the state of those times did require as well other where as in Iudea Wherefore when afterwards it did appear much more commodious for the Church to dedicate such Inheritances then the value and price of them being sold the former Custom was changed for this as for the better The Devotion of Constantine herein all the World even till this very day admireth They that lived in the prime of the Christian World thought no Testament Christianly made nor any thing therein well bequeathed unless something were thereby added unto Christ's Patrimony Touching which men what judgement the World doth now give I know not perhaps we deem them to have been herein but blinde and superstitious Persons Nay we in these cogitations are blinde they contrariwise did with Solomon plainly know and perswade themselves that thus to diminish their wealth was not to diminish but to augment it according to that which God doth promise to his own People by the Prophet Malachi and which they by their own particular experience sound true If Wickliff therefore were of that opinion which his Adversaries ascribe unto him whether truly or of purpose to make him odious I cannot tell for in his Writings I do not finde it namely That Constantine and others following his steps did evil as having no sufficient ground whereby they might gather that such Donations are acceptable to Iesus Christ it was in Wickless a palpable error I will use but one onely Argument to stand in the stead of many Iacob taking his Journey unto Haran made in this sort his solemn vow If God will be with me and will keep me in this Iourney which I go and will give me Bread to eat and Cloathes to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in safety then shall the Lord be my God and this Stone which I have set
that degree they were placed in Neither are we so to judge of their worldly condition as if they were Servants of men and at mens hands did receive those earthly benefits by way of stipend in lieu of pains whereunto they are hired nay that which is paid unto them is homage and tribute due unto the Lord Christ. His Servants they are and from him they receive such goods by way of stipend Not so from men For at the hands of men he himself being honored with such things hath appointed his Servants therewith according to their several degrees and places to be maintained And for their greater encouragement who are his Labourers he hath to their comfort assured them for ever that they are in his estimation worthy the hire which he alloweth them and therefore if men should withdraw from him the store which those his Servants that labour in his Work are maintained with yet be in his Word shall be found everlastingly true their labour in the Lord shall not be forgotten the hire he accounteth them worthy of they shall surely have either one way or other answered In the prime of the Christian world that which was brought and laid down at the Apostles feet they disposed of by distribution according to the exigence of each man's need Neither can we think that they who out of Christ's treasury made provision for all others were careless to furnish the Clergy with all things fit and convenient for their Estate And as themselves were chiefest in place of Authority and Calling so no man doubteth but that proportionably they had power to use the same for their own decent maintenance The Apostles with the rest of the Clergy in Ierusalem lived at that time according to the manner of a Fellowship or Collegiate Society maintaining themselves and the poor of the Church with a common purse the rest of the Faithful keeping that Purse continually stored And in that sense it is that the Sacred History saith All which believed were in one place and had all things common In the Histories of the Church and in the Writings of the Antient Fathers for some hundreds of years after we finde no other way for the maintenance of the Clergy but onely this the Treasury of Jesus Christ furnished through mens Devotion bestowing sometimes Goods sometimes Lands that way and out of his Treasury the charge of the service of God was deâ—rayed the Bishop and the Clergy under him maintained the poor in their necessity ministred unto For which purpose every Bishop had some one of the Presbyters under him to be Treasurer of the Church to receive keep and deliver all which Office in Churches Cathedral remaineth even till this day albeit the use thereof be not altogether so large now as heretofore The disposition of these goods was by the appointment of the Bishop Wherefore Prosper speaking of the Bishops care herein saith It was necessary for one to be troubled therewith to the end that the rest under him might be freer to attend quietly their Spiritual businesses And left any man should imagine that Bishops by this means were hindred themselves from attending the service of God Even herein saith he they dâ— God service for if these things which are bestowed on the Church be God's he doth the work of God who not of a covetous minde but with purpose of most faithful administration taketh care of things consecrated unto God And forasmuch as the Presbyters of every Church could not all live with the Bishop partly for that their number was great and partly because the People being once divided into Parishes such Presbyters as had severally charge of them were by that mean more conveniently to live in the midst each of his own particular flock therefore a competent number being fed at the same Table with the Bishop the rest had their whole allowance apart which several allowances were called Sportulae and they who received them Sportulantes fratres Touching the Bishop as his Place and Estate was higher so likewise the proportion of his Charges about himself being for that cause in all equity and reason greater yet forasmuch as his stiat herein was no other than it pleased himself to set the rest as the manner of Inferiours is to think that they which are over them alwayes have too much grudged many times at the measure of the Bishops private expence perhaps not without cause Howsoever by this occasion there grew amongst them great heart-burning quarrel and strife where the Bishops were found culpable as eating too much beyond their tether aud drawing more to their own private maintenance than the proportion of Christ's Patrimony being not greatly abundant could bear sundry Constitutions hereupon were made to moderate the same according to the Churches condition in those times Some before they were made Bishops having been Owners of ample Possessions sold them and gave them away to the Poor Thus did Paulinus Hilary Cyprian and sundry others Hereupon they who entring into the same Spiritual and high Function held their Secular Possessions still were hardly thought of And even when the Case was fully resolved that so to do was not unlawful yet it grew a question Whether they lawfully might then take any thing out of the Publick Treasury of Christ a question Whether Bishops holding by Civil Title sufficient to live of their own were bound in Conscience to leave the Goods of the Church altogether to the use of others Of contentions about these matters there was no end neither appeared there any possible way for quietness otherwise than by making partition of Church-Revenues according to the several ends and users for which they did serve that so the Bishops part might be certain Such partition being made the Bishop enjoyed his portion several to himself the rest of the Clergy likewise theirs a third part was severed to the furnishing and upholding of the Church a fourth to the erection and maintenance of Houses wherein the Poor might have relief After which separation made Lands and Livings began every day to be dedicated unto each use severally by means whereof every of them became in short time much greater than they had been for worldly maintenance the fervent devotion of men being glad that this new opportunity was given of shewing zeal to the House of God in more certain order By these things it plainly appeareth what proportion of maintenance hath been ever thought reasonable for a Bishop sith in that very partition agreed on to bring him unto his certain stint as much as allowed unto him alone as unto all the Clergy under him namely a fourtli part of the whole yearly Rents and Revenues of the Church Nor is it likely that before those Temporalities which now are such eye-sores were added unto the honour of Bishops their state was so mean as some imagine For if we had no other evidence than the covetous and ambitious humour of Hereticks whose impotent
Civil Magistrate being termed Head by reason of that Authority in Ecclesiastical Affairs which hath been already declared that themselves do acknowledge to be lawful It followeth that he is a Head even subordinated of Christ and to Christ. For more plain explication whereof unto God we acknowledge daily that Kingdom Power and Glory are his that he is the immortal and invisible King of Ages as well the future which shall be as the present which now is That which the Father doth work as Lord and King over all he worketh not without but by the Son who through coeternal generation receiveth of the Father that Power which the Father hath of himself And for that cause our Saviours words concerning his own Dominion are To me all Power both in Heaven and in Earth is given The Father by the Son did create and doth guide all wherfore Christ hath Supream dominion over the whole universal World Christ is God Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the consubstantial Word of God Christ is also that consubstantial Word which made man As God he saith of himself I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end he which was and which is and which is to come even the very Omnipotent As the consubstantial Word of God he hath with God before the beginning of the World that glory which as he was Man he requireth to have Father glorifie thy Son with that glory which with thee be enjoyed before the World wa◠Further it is not necessary that all things spoken of Christ should agree to him either as God or else as Man but some things as he is the consubstantial Word of God some things as he is that Word incarnate The Works of Supream Dominion which have been since the first beginning wrought by the power of the Son of God are now most properly and truly the Works of the Son of Man the Word made Flesh doth sit for ever and reign as Soveraign Lord over all Dominion belongeth unto the Kingly Office of Christ as Propitration and Mediation unto his Priestly Instruction unto his Pastoral and Prophetical Office His Works of Dominion are in sundry degrees and kindes according to the different conditions of them that are subject unto it he presently doth govern and hereafter shall judge the World intire and wholly and therefore his Regal power cannot be with truth restrained unto a proportion of the World only Notwithstanding forasmuch as all do not shew and acknowledge with dutiful submission that Obedience which they owe unto him therefore such as do their Lord he is termed by way of excellency no otherwise than the Apostle doth term God the Saviour generally of all but especially of the Faithful these being brought to the obedience of Faith are every where spoken of as men translated into that Kingdom wherein whosoever is comprehended Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation unto them they have a high and ghostly fellowship with God and Christ and Saints as the Apostle in more ample manner speaketh Aggregated they are unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the Celestial Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of just and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament In a word they are of that Mystical body which we term the Church of Christ. As for the rest we account them Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and that live in the Kingdom of Darkness and that are in this present World without God Our Saviours Dominion is therefore over these as over Rebels over them as over dutiful and loving Subjects which things being in holy Scriptures so plain I somewhat muse at that strange position That Christ in the Government of his Church and Superiority over the Officers of it hath himself a Superiour which is the Father but in governing of Kingdoms and Common wealths and in the Superiority which he hath over Kingdoms no Superiour Again That the Civil Magistrates Authority commeth from God immediately as Christs doth and it subordinate unto Christ. In what Evangelist Apostle or Prophet is it found that Christ Supream Governour of the Church should be so unequal to himself as he is Supream Governor of Kingdoms The works of his Providence for the preservation of Mankinde by upholding Kingdoms not only obedient unto but also obstinate and rebellious against him are such as proceed from Divine Power and are not the works of his Providence for safety of God's Elect by gathering inspiring comforting and every way preserving his Church such as proceed from the same Power likewise Surely if Christ as God and Man hath ordained certain means for the gathering and keeping of his Church seeing this doth belong to the Government of that Church it must in reason follow I think that as God and Man he worketh in Church Regiment and consequently hath no more there any Superiours than in the Government of the Common-wealth Again to be in the midst of his wheresoever they are assembled in his Name and to be with them to the World's end are comforts which Christ doth perform to his Church as Lord and Governour yea such as he cannot perform but by that very Power wherein he hath no Superiour Wherefore unless it can be proved that all the works of our Saviours Government in the Church are done by the mere and onely force of his Human nature there is no remedy but to acknowledge it a manifest errour that Christ in the Government of the World is equal to the Father but not in the Government of the Church Indeed to the honour of this Dominion it cannot be said that God did exalt him otherwise than only according to that Human nature wherein he was made low For as the Son of God there could no advancement or exaltation grow unto him And yet the Dominion whereunto he was in his Human nature lifted up is not without Divine Power exercised It is by Divine Power that the Son of man who sitteth in Heaven doth work as King and Lord upon us which are on Earth The exercise of his Dominion over the Church Militant cannot choose but cease when there is no longer any Militant Church in the World And therefore as Generals of Armies when they have finished their Work are wont to yield up such Commissions as were given for that purpose and to remain in the state of Subjects and not as Lords as concerning their former authority even so when the end of all things is come the Son of man who till then reigneth shall do the like as touching Regiment over the Militant Church on the Earth So that between the Son of man and his Brethren over whom he reigneth now in this their War fare there shall be then as touching the exercise of that Regiment no such difference they not warfaring
Now I taste nothing sweet but the Bread which came down from Heaven to give life unto the World Now mine eys see nothing but Jesus rising from the dead Now my ears refuse all kinde of melody to hear the Song of them that hath gotten victory of the Beast and of his Image and of his Mark and of the number of his Name that stand on the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God and singing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes O King of Saints Surely if the Spirit have been thus effectual in the secret work of our Regeneration unto newness of life if we endeavour thus to frame our selves anew then we may say boldly with the blessed Apostle in the tenth to the Hebrews We are not of them which withdraw our selves to perdition but which follow Faith to the conservation of the Soul For they which fall away from the grace of God and separate themselves unto perdition they are fleshly and carnal they have not God's holy Spirit But unto you because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts to the end ye might know that Christ hath built you upon a Rock unmoveable that he hath registred your names in the Book of life that he hath bound himself in a sure and everlasting Covenant to be your God and the God of your Children after you that he hath suffered as much groaned as oft prayed as heartily for you as for Peter O Father keep them in thy Name O Righteous Father the World hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent me I have declared thy name unto them and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them The Lord of his infinite mercy give us hearts plentifully fraught with the treasure of this blessed assurance of Faith unto the end 15. Here I must advertise all men that have the testimony of God's holy fear within their Breasts to consider how unkindly and injuriously our own Countrey-men and Brethren have dealt with us by the space of four and twenty years from time to time as if we were the men of whom St. Iude here speaketh never ceasing to charge us some with Scism some with Heresie some with plain and manifest Apostasie as if we had clean separated our selves from Christ utterly forsaken God quite abjured Heaven and trampled all Truth and Religion under our feet Against this third sort God himself shall plead our Cause in that day when they shall answer us for these words nor we them To others by whom we are accused for Schism and Heresie we have often made our reasonable and in the sight of God I trust allowable Answers For in the way which they call Heresie we worship the God of our Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets That which they call Schism we know to be our reasonable service unto God and obedience to his voyce which cryeth shrill in our ears Go out of Babylon my People that you be not Partakers of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her Plagues And therefore when they rise up against us having no quarrel but this we need not seek any farther for our Apology than the words of Abiah to Iereboam and his Army 2 Chron. 13. O Ieroboam and Israel hear you me Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel hath given the Kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his Sons by a Covenant of Salt that is to say an everlasting Covenant Jesuits and Papists hear ye me ought you not to know that the Father hath given all power unto the Son and hath made him the onely Head over his Church wherein he dwelleth as an Husband-man in the midst of his Vineyard manuring it with the sweat of his own brows not letting it forth to others For as it is in the Canticles Solomon had a Vineyard in Baalhamon he gave the Vineyard unto Keepers every one bringing forth the fruit thereof a thousand pieces of Silver but my Vineyard which is mine is before me saith Christ. It is true this is meant of the Mystical Head set over the Body which is not seen But as he hath reserved the Mystical Administration of the Church invisible unto himself so he hath committed the Mystical Government of Congregations visible to the Sonnes of David by the same Covenant whose Sons they are in the governing of the Flock of Christ whomsoever the Holy Ghost hath set over them to go before them and to lead them in several Pastures one in this Congregation another in that as it is written Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flock whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Neither will ever any Pope or Papist under the Cope of Heaven be able to prove the Romish Bishop's usurped Supremacy over all Churches by any one word of the Covenant of Salt which is the Scripture For the Children in our streets do now laugh them to scorn when they force Thou art Peter to this purpose The Pope hath no more reason to draw the Charter of his universal Authority from hence than the Brethren had to gather by the words of Christ in the last of St. Iohn that the Disciple whom Jesus loved should not dye If I will that he â—arry till I come what is that to thee saith Christ. Straitways a report was raised amongst the Brethren that this Disciple should not dye Yet Jesus said not to him He shall not dye but If I will that he â—arry till I come what is that to thee Christ hath said in the sixteenth of St. Matthew's Gospel to Simon the Son of Ionas I say to thee Thou art Peter Hence an opinion is held in the World That the Pope is universal Head of all Churches Yet Jesus said not The Pope is universal Head of all Churches but Ta es Petrus Thou art Peter Howbeit as Ieroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon rose up and rebelled against his Lord and there were gathered unto him vain men and wicked which made themselves strong against Roboam the son of Solomon because Roboam was but a Childe and tender-hearted and could not resist them So the Son of Perdition and Man of Sin being not able to brook the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which forbad his Disciples to be like Princes of Nations They bear rule that are called Gracious it shall not be so with you hath risen up and rebelled against his Lord and to strengthen his arm he hath crept into the Houses almost of all the Noblest Families round about him and taken 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
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