TREATISES OF 1. The Liberty of Prophesying 2. Prayer Ex Tempore 3. Episcopacie TOGETHER WITH A Sermon preached at Oxon. on the Anniversary of the 5. of November By IER TAYLOR D. D. Chaplaine in Ordinary to His MAJESTY LONDON Printed for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1648. ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΕΚΛΕΚΤΙΚΗ THE Liberty of Prophesying With it's just limits and temper W. Marshall sculpsit ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΕΚΛΕΚΤΙΚΗ A DISCOURSE OF The Liberty of Prophesying SHEWING THE UNREASONABLENES of prescribing to other mens Faith and the Iniquity of persecuting differing opinions By IER TAYLOR D. D. Chaplaine in Ordinarie to His MAJESTIE LONDON Printed for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1647. To the Right Honourable CHRISTOPHER Lord HATTON Baron HATTON of Kirby Comptroler of His Majesties Houshold and one of His Majesties most Honourable Priyie Councell My Lord IN this great Storm which hath dasht the Vessell of the Church all in pieces I have been cast upon the Coast of Wales and in a little Boat thought to have enjoyed that rest and quietnesse which in England in a greater I could not hope for Here I cast Anchor and thinking to ride safely the Storm followed me with so impetuous violence that it broke a Cable and I lost my Anchor And here again I was exposed to the mercy of the Sea and the gentlenesse of an Element that could neither distinguish things nor persons And but that he who stilleth the raging of the Sea and the noise of his Waves and the madnesse of his people had provided a Plank for me I had been lost to all the opportunities of content or study But I know not whether I have been more preserved by the courtesies of my friends or the gentlenesse and mercies of a noble Enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And now since I have come ashoar I have been gathering a few sticks to warm me a few books to entertain my thoughts and divert them from the perpetuall Meditation of my private Troubles and the publike Dyscrasy but those which I could obtain were so few and so impertinent and unusefull to any great purposes that I began to be sad upon a new stock and full of apprehension that I should live unprofitably and die obscurely and be forgotten and my bones thrown into some common charnell house without any name or note to distinguish me from those who only served their Generation by filling the number of Citizens and who could pretend to no thanks or reward from the Publike beyond a jus trium liberorum While I was troubled with these thoughts and busie to find out an opportunity of doing some good in my small proportion still the cares of the publike did so intervene that it was as impossible to separate my design from relating to the present as to exempt my selfe from the participation of the common calamity still halfe my thoughts was in despite of all my diversions and arts of avocation fixt upon and mingled with the present concernments so that besides them I could not goe Now because the great Question is concerning Religion and in that also my Scene lies I resolved here to fix my considerations especially when I observed the wayes of promoting the severall opinions which now are busie to be such as besides that they were most troublesome to me and such as I could by no meanes be friends withall they were also such as to my understanding did the most apparently disserve their ends whose design in advancing their own opinions was pretended for Religion For as contrary as cruelty is to mercy as tyranny to charity so is warre and bloodshed to the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christian Religion And however that there are some exterminating spirits who think God to delight in humane sacrifices as if that Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had come from the Father of Spirits yet if they were capable of coole and tame Homilies or would hear men of other opinions give a quiet account without invincible resolutions never to alter their perswasions I am very much perswaded it would not be very hard to dispute such men into mercies and compliances and Tolerations mutuall such I say who are zealous for Jesus Christ then whose Doctrine never was any thing more mercifull and humane whose lessons were softer then Nard or the juice of the Candian Olive Upon the first apprehension I design'd a Discourse to this purpose with as much greedinesse as if I had thought it possible with my Arguments to have perswaded the rough and hard handed Souldiers to have disbanded presently For I had often thought of the Prophecy that in the Gospel our swords should be turned into plowshares and our Speares into pruning hooks I knew that no tittle spoken by Gods Spirit could return unperform'd and ineffectuall and I was certain that such was the excellency of Christ's Doctrine that if men would obey it Christians should never warre one against another in the mean time I considered not that it was praedictio consilii non eventus till I saw what men were now doing and ever had done since the heats and primitive fervours did coole and the love of interests sweld higher then the love of Christianity but then on the other side I began to fear that whatever I could say would be as ineffectuall as it could be reasonable For if those excellent words which our blessed Master spake could not charm the tumult of our spirits I had little reason to hope that one of the meanest and most ignorant of his servants could advance the end of that which he cals his great and his old and his new Commandement so well as the excellency of his own Spirit and discourses could And yet since he who knew every event of things and the successe and efficacy of every Doctrine and that very much of it to most men and all of it to some men would be ineffectuall yet was pleased to consign our duty that it might bee a direction to them that would and a conviction and a Testimony against them that would not obey I thought it might not misbecome my duty and endevours to plead for peace and charity and forgivenesse and permissions mutuall although I had reason to believe that such is the iniquity of men and they so indisposed to receive such impresses that I had as good plow the Sands or till the Aire as perswade such Doctrines which destroy mens interests and serve no end but the great end of a happy eternity and what is in order to it But because the events of things are in Gods disposition and I knew them not and because if I had known my good purposes would be totally ineffectuall as to others yet my own designation and purposes would be of advantage to my selfe who might from Gods mercy expect the retribution which he is pleased to promise to all pious intendments I resolved to encounter with all Objections and to doe something to which I should be determined by the consideration
the Primitive Church against the example of all famous Churches in all Christendome in the whole descent of 15. Ages without all command and warrant of Scripture that it is unreasonable in the nature of the thing against prudence and the best wisedome of humanity because it is without deliberation that it is innovation in a high degree without that Authority which is truly and by inherent and ancient right to command and prescribe to us in externall forms of worship that it is much to the disgrace of the first reformers of our Religion that it gives encouragement to the Papists to quarrell with some reason and more pretence against our Reformation as being by the Directory confessed to have been done in much blindnesse and therefore might erre in the excesse as well as in the defect in the throwing out too much as casting off too little which is the more likely because they wanted zeale to carry it farre enough He that considers the universall deformity of publike worship and the no meanes of union no Symbol of publike communion being publikely consigned that all Heresies may with the same Authority bee brought into our prayers and offered to God in behalfe of the people with the same Authority that any truth may all the matter of our prayers being left to the choyce of all men of all perswasions and then observes that actually there are in many places heresie and blasphemy and impertinency and illiterate rudenesses put into the devotions of the most Solemne dayes and the most publike meetings and then lastly that there are divers parts of Lyturgy for which no provisions at all is made in the Directory and the very administration of the Sacraments left so loosely that if there be any thing essentiall in the forms of Sacraments the Sacrament may come ineffectuall by want of due words and due ministration I say he that considers all these things and many more he may consider will finde that particular men are not fit to be intrusted to offer in publike with their private spirit to God for the people in such solemnities in matters of so great concernment where the honour of God the benefit of the people the interest of Kingdomes the being of a Church the unity of minds the conformity of practice the truth of perswasions and the salvation of soules are so very much concerned as they are in the publike prayers of a whole Nationall Church An unlearned man is not to be trusted and a wise man dare not trust himselfe hee that is ignorant cannot he that is knowing will not The End OF THE SACRED ORDER AND OFFICES OF EPISCOPACIE By Divine Jnstitution Apostolicall Tradition and Catholique Practice TOGETHER WITH Their Titles of Honour Secular Employment Manner of Election Delegation of their Power and other appendant questions asserted against the Aerians and Acephali new and old By IER TAYLOR D. D. Chaplaine in Ordinarie to His MAJESTIE Published by His MAJESTIES Command ROM 13. 1. There is no power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God CONCIL CHALCED 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for RICHARD ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1647. TO THE TRVLY VVORTHY AND MOST ACCOMPLISHT S r CHRISTOPHER HATTON Knight of the Honourable Order of the BATH SIR I AM ingag'd in the defence of a Great Truth and J would willingly finde a shrowd to cover my selfe from danger and calumny and although the cause both is ought to be defended by Kings yet my person must not goe thither to Sanctuary unlesse it be to pay my devotion and I have now no other left for my defence I am robd of that which once did blesse me and indeed still does but in another manner and I hope will doe more but those distillations of coelestiall dewes are conveyed in Channels not pervious to an eye of sense and now adayes we seldome look with other be the object never so beauteous or alluring You may then think Sir I am forc'd upon You may that beg my pardon and excuse but I should do an injury to Your Noblenesse if I should onely make You a refuge for my need pardon this truth you are also of the fairest choice not only for Your love of Learning for although that be eminent in You yet it is not Your eminence but for Your duty to H. Church for Your loyaltie to His sacred Majestie These did prompt me with the greatest confidence to hope for Your faire incouragement and assistance in my pleadings for Episcopacy in which cause Religion and Majesty the King and the Church are interested as parties of mutuall concernment There was an odde observation made long agoe and registred in the Law to make it authentick Laici sunt infensi Clericis Now the Clergy pray but fight not and therefore if not specially protected by the King contra Ecclesiam Malignantium they are made obnoxious to all the contumelies and injuries which an envious multitude will inflict upon them It was observ'd enough in King Edgars time Quamvis decreta In Chartē Edgar Regis A. D. 485. apud Hen. Spelman Pontificum verba Sacerdotum in convulsis ligaminibus velut fundamenta montium fixa sunt tamen plerumque tempestatibus turbinibus saecularium rerum Religio S. Matris Ecclesiae maculis reproborum dissipatur acrumpitur Idcirco Decrevimus Nos c. There was a sad example of it in K. Iohn's time For when he threw the Clergy from his Protection it is incredible what injuries what affronts what robberies yea what murders were committed upon the Bishops and Priests of H. Church whom neither the Sacrednesse of their persons nor the Lawes of God nor the terrors of Conscience nor feares of Hell nor Church-censures nor the Lawes of Hospitality could protect from Scorne from blowes from slaughter Now there being so neer a tye as the necessity of their own preservation in the midst of so apparent danger it will tye the Bishops hearts and hands to the King faster then all the tyes of Lay-Allegiance all the Politicall tyes I mean all that are not precisely religious and obligations in the Court of Conscience 2. But the interest of the Bishops is conjunct with the prosperity of the King besides the interest of their own securitie by the obligation of secular advantages For they who have their livelyhood from the King and are in expectance of their fortune from him are more likely to pay a tribute of exacter duty then others whose fortunes are not in such immediate dependancy on His Majesty Aeneas Sylvius once gave a merry reason why Clerks advanced the Pope above a Councell viz. because the Pope gave spirituall promotions but the Councels gave none It is but the Common expectation of gratitude that a Patron Paramount shall be more assisted by his Beneficiaries in cases of necessity then by those who receive nothing from him but the common influences of Goverment 3. But the Bishops duty to the King derives it selfe
of a stranger nor will they follow him and therefore those sheapheards whom the Church hath followed in all ages are no strangers but Sheapheards or Pastors of Christs appointing or else Christ hath had no sheep for if he hath then Bishops are the sheapheards for them they have ever followed I end with that golden rule of Vincentius Lirinensis Magnopere Cap. 3. adv haereses curandum est ut id teneamus quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est Hoc est enim verè proprieque Catholicum For certainly the Catholick belief of the Church against Arius Eunomius Macedonius Apollinaris and the worst of hereticks the Cataphrygians was never more truly received of all and alwaies and every where then is the government of the Church by Bishops Annunciare ergo Christianis Catholicis praeter id quod Cap. 14. acceperunt nunquam licuit nunquam licet nunquam licebit It never was is nor ever shall be lawfull to teach Christian people any new thing then what they have received from a primitive fountain and is descended in the stream of Catholick uninterrupted succession * I onely adde that the Church hath insinuated it to be the duty of all good Catholike Christians to pray for Bishops and as the case now stands for Episcopacy it selfe for there was never any Church-Liturgy but said Letanyes for their KING and for their BISHOP 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A SERMON PREACHED IN SAINT MARIES Church in OXFORD Vpon the Anniversary of the GUNPOWDER-TREASON By IEREMY TAYLOR Fellow of Allsoules Colledge in OXFORD Nolite tangere Christos meos OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity M. DC XXXVIII TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD WILLIAM by Divine providence LORD ARCH-BISHOP OF CANTERBURY His Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane CHANCELLOUR of the University of OXFORD and one of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Privy Councell My most Honourable good LORD May it please your GRACE IT was obedience to my Superiour that ingaged me upon this last Anniversary commemoration of the great Goodnesse of God Almighty to our King and Country in the discouery of the most damnable Powder-Treason It was a blessing which no tongue could expresse much lesse mine which had scarce learn'd to speake at least was most unfit to speake in the Schooles of the Prophets Delicata autem est illao bedientia quae causas quaerit It had beene no good argument of my obedience to have disputed the inconvenience of my person and the unaptnesse of my parts for such an imployment I knew God out of the mouth of Infants could acquire his praise and if my heart were actually as Uotive as my tongue should have beene it might bee one of Gods Magnalia to perfect his owne praise out of the weaknesse and imperfection of the Organ So as I was able I endeavour'd to performe it having my obedience ever ready for my excuse to men and my willingnesse to performe my duty for the assoylment of my selfe before God part of which I hope was accepted and I have no reason to thinke that the other was not pardoned When I first thought of the Barbarisme of this Treason I wondred not so much at the thing it selfe as by what meanes it was possible for the Divell to gaine so strong a party in mens resolutions as to move them to undertake a businesse so abhorring from Christianity so evidently full of extreame danger to their lives and so certainly to incurre the highest wrath of God Almighty My thoughts were thus rude at first but after a strict inquisition I fond it was apprehended as a businesse perhaps full of danger to their bodies but advantagious to their soules consonant to the obligation of all Christians and meritorious of an exceeding weight of Glory for now it was come to passe which our dear Master foretold men should kill us and thinke they did God good service in it I could not thinke this to be a part of any mans religion nor doe I yet believe it For it is so apparently destructive of our deare Master his Royall lawes of Charity Obedience that I must not be so uncharitable as to thinke they speake their owne minde truly when they professe their beliefe of the lawfullnesse and necessity in some cases of rebelling against their lawfull Prince and using all meanes to throw him from his kingdome though it be by taking of his life But it is but iust that they who breake the bonds of duty to their Prince should likewise forfeit the lawes of charity to themselves and if they say not true yet to bee more uncharitable to their owne persons then I durst be though I had their own warrant Briefly Most R. Father I found amongst them of the Roman party such prevailing opinions as could not consist with loyalty to their Prince in case hee were not the Popes subiect and these so generally believed and somewhere obtruded under perill of their soules that I could not but point at these dangerous rocks at which I doubt not but the loyalty of many hath suffered shipwrack and of thousands more might if a higher Starre had not guided them better then their owne Pilots I could not therefore but thinke it very likely that this Treason might spring from the same Fountaine and I had concluded so in my first meditations but that I was willing to consider whether or no it might not bee that these men were rather exasperated then perswaded and whether it were not that the severity of our lawes against them might rather provoke their intemperate zeal then religion thus move their setled conscience It was a materiall consideration because they ever did and still doe fill the world with outcries against our lawes for making a rape upon their consciences have printed Catalogues of their English Martyrs drawn Schemes of most strange tortures imposed on their Priests such as were unimaginable by Nero or Dioclesian or any of the worst and cruellest enemies of Christianity endeavouring thus to make us partly guilty of our owne ruine and so washing their hands in token of their owne innocency even then when they were dipping them in the blood Royall and would have emptyed the best veynes in the whole Kingdome to fill their Lavatory But I found all these to be but Calumnies strong accusations upon weake presumptions and that the cause did rest where I had begun I meane upon the pretence of the Catholique cause and that the imagin'd iniquity of the Lawes of England could not be made a vaile to cover the deformity of their intentions for our Lawes were just Honourable and Religious Concerning these and some other appendices to the businesse of the day I expressed some part of my thoughts which because happily they were but a just truth and this truth not unseasonable for these last times in which as S. Paul prophecyed men would be fierce Traytors heady and high minded creeping into houses leading