Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n
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A02607
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An inquisition of the true church, and those that revolt from it being a sermon pronounced at the second session of the Parliament / by Christopher Lo. Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of all Ireland.
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Hampton, Christopher, 1552-1625.
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1622
(1622)
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STC 12737.5; ESTC S4341
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16,169
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42
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AN INQVISITION OF THE TRVE CHVRCH AND THOSE THAT REVOLT FROM IT BEING A SERMON pronounced at the second Session of the PARLIAMENT By CHRISTOPHER LO Archbishop of ARMAGH and Primate of all IRELAND â—â—â—N 21.10 Cast out this bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bond-woman shall not be heyre with my sonne Isaac DVBLIN Printed by the Societie of Stationers Anno M. D.C.XXII TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ARTHVR LORD CHICHESTER Baron of BELFAST Lord high Treasurer of IRELAND I Have dedicated this Sermon to your Lordship who heard it pronounced in our late Parliament here when you represented the State and Person of a great King It was then expedient as I thought for the duety of my place and instruction of the hearers in that Honourable presence out of holy Scriptures and writings of ancient Fathers to expresse such markes or demonstrations as might distinguish and make the Spouse of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to be knowne from a step-dame The true mother nourisheth her children healthfully with bread of life and sincere milke of the Word the other setteth before them quelques choses of humane inventions and unsavory plants vvhich our heavenly Father never planted My endevours therein aymed at no other end but to leave Noahs fatherly blessing behinde me that is often in my mouth and never from my heart God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem that living together like friends and countrey-men vvee might in some measure have our militant Church on earth resemble the triumphant congregation or citie of Angels and Saints in heaven Amongst whom nothing is more peculiar and proper then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that happy agreement and consent vvhich admitteth no strife no difference Such holy concord vvould grow here with us for all aspire to be joyned to that blessed Society if we were reduced into one Fold It may be that some small debates come from our own brethren comburgesses moving unnecessary and unprofitable questions in Ceremonies things indifferent and Christian liberty and therin I think we may say with Debora The divisions of Reuben are great thoughts of heart Those will undoubted-cease as they abate daily vvhen vve conteyne our selves under the rod and staffe of our shepheard Iesus Christ Let him possesse us wholly and ceremonies can give no impediment as they be used in this Church Wee put no merit no matter of salvation no worship of God in them but use them to nourish peace and charitie to keepe order and decencie in the Church not for exercises of pietie And most of them were used in the Church long before Poperie did beare sway The abuses mixed vvith them by the Romanists vvee affect not vve defend not vve allow not they have no portion no right no memoriall in Ierusalem Things that have beene abused neede not to bee cleane abolished vvere that proposition made generall it overthroweth Churches and many things else as vvell as the Rites and Ceremonies of our Liturgy Our vvorthy ancestors saith Saint Augustine tooke the Temples dedicated to Idolls and converted them to holy Oratories or houses of prayer vvhere CRIST IESVS is vvorshipped sincerely and his Gospel is purely taught They tooke the revenues vvhich were devoted to the gods of the Gentiles to Theaters to Vestals and turned them to the entertaynement of Ministers though they served not Antichrist before but Belzebub the chiefe of the Divels And Saint Augustine findeth no solecisme or incongruitie in it Hoc de illis fit quod de ipsis hominibus cum ex sacrilegis impijs in veram religionem immutantur The grave and learned Father avoweth that there is not any other thing done in matters of this kind but that vvhich happeneth unto men themselves vvhen they are turned from sacrilege and impietie unto Christian Religion The sacred Vessells of the Temple had beene fouly abused in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and Balthasser yet vvhen Cyrus had given commandement for the restoring of them againe Zorobabel made no scruple to imploy them in their former holy uses It vvas Saint Augustine his practise and is vvorthy to bee observed Wee correct those things vvhich Schismatiques or Heretiques have corrupted vvhen they come unto us from them but doe acknowledge and allow that vvhich they held as they received it lest suffering our selves to be carried away in offence vvith mens faults beyond the rules of Iustice vve should doe some vvrong to the things themselves For vvee see the Apostle Saint Paul even in an Altar of the Gentiles vvhere Idols vvere vvorshipped to confirme the name of GOD rather then to disavow it I vvill adde no more to the conclusion of this point but the lesson vvhich Saint Ambrose gave unto Saint Augustine and vvas by him ever after esteemed as an Oracle There cannot be a better discipline nor more beseeming a grave and discreet Christian then to doe that vvhich hee seeth observed in the Church vvheresoever hee commeth For that is ever to be held indifferent and to be performed for their sakes amongst vvhom vvee live vvhich is neyther against faith nor good manners The nature and use of these indifferent things is fully described by Saint Bernard Certaine things are simply good in themselves and men can challenge no obedience that vvay for they must be done because they are injoyned by GOD. Other things are altogether evill and follow the same rule Betweene these things that be good or evill in themselves there bee other vvhich bee indifferent and may bee good or evill as they bee used In this last sort the Christian Magistrate doth exercise his power or else hee hath no power left him and vvhen hee hath interposed his authoritie then doe they in a manner change their nature concerning the use of them for they are not then left free to bee omitted but are necessary to bee observed In his fas non est nostrum sensum sententiae praescribere magistrorum In his omnino praelatorum nec jussio nec prohibitio contemnenda In these indifferent things everie one may not follow his particular fantasie that vvould bring in confusion anarchy and infinite tyranny but all must comply vvith the Magistrate vvith the Church with the governors of it The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets This limitation in the use of things indifferent brings no diminution to the freedome and libertie of a Christian that hath place or seate in the mind and as Luther teacheth gravely it resteth in the points that are betweene God and mee for example If I beleeve and am perswaded in minde and conscience that the Crosse in Baptisme the Ring in matrimonie Kneeling at the Lords Supper c. worke nothing with God and are not used in the Church to any such purpose I enjoy the full benefite of my Christian libertie in the very use of these and the like Ceremonies But if I goe about to draw my libertie into a freedome of actions too and to the things
vvhich are betweene my brother and mee thinking to doe vvhat I list in them because they are indifferent of themselves or in their owne nature vvithout reverence to the Magistrates orders and respect of the Churches decrees I doe certainely bring my libertie out of her true bounds and turne it to a licentious disturbance of the Church the Magistrate and every Christian brother vvhich is vvise unto sobrietie Diligent care is to be taken that wee give not offence to our weake brethren in the use of these indifferent things And that will be discharged two wayes first if we consider who they be that pretend offence in this kinde Sure they are not weake ones who are onely to be respected but such as esteeme themselves stronger in faith then the residue To these no just offence is given but they take offence unjustly not of weakenesse but of curiositie and overprizing their owne inventions Another and the second meanes to acquite and cleare the Church from these offences consisteth in the faithfull labor of the Pastors Let them bee vigilant to teach their people the nature and true use of ceremonies and things indifferent assoone as any scandall ariseth for so they should doe and the offence will wither in the bud before it grow to strength or maturitie to disquiet the Church But when they which should extinguish offences bestow their thoughts and indevors to nourish them impressions of doubts or scruples will be wrought in soft or tender minds easily and it is not possible to remove them againe without much difficultie and trouble That can never bee welcome to the Church neither is now seasonable or suting with my yeares and infirmities howbeit prepared I am with the rest of my brethren to endure and devoure all paines or travayle that may breed peace concord and unanimitie amongst us And I have the greater hope to prevayle eyther by perswasive reasons which please me best or by discipline if the other be refused for the noble assistance that your Lordsh doth give me alwayes in the affayres of the Church Continue those honourable respects for they will make your memory sweet and gratefull to posteritie as they have obliged the Clergie now present to acknowledge your goodnesse and my selfe most of all to remaine Your Lordsh humble and affectionate servant ARMAGH AN INQVISITION OF THE TRVE Church and those that revolt from it 1. Iohn 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us For if they had beene of us they would have continued with us But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they be not all of us IN the former Verse the Apostle maketh mention both of one and manie Antichrists For as Hilary writeth everie one is Antichrist that doth not acknowledge Christ in the same manner that the Apostles preached him So it commeth to passe that there be manie Antichrists according to Christ his prediction There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets to deceive if it were possible the verie Elect. Old father Simeons prophesie when hee tooke our blessed Saviour into his armes sorted to the same conclusion Immediatly before the good man did sing his Swan-like song of Nunc dimittis he pronounced freely that which succeeding times have verified That the childe Iesus should bee set as a signe to bee spoken against not by one but by many Hee was in the world and the world knew him not he came unto his owne and his owne received him not But amongst those manie contraries that Christ should have the holy Ghost in the Scripture pointeth at one capital Antichrist who would exceed all the rest All are dangerous adversaries carefully to be avoided to that end wee are admonished of them And indeed who are more to be avoided of Christians then they who oppose thēselves against Christ our Lord Yet none of them are to be eschued with so much care or diligence as those which cover their oppositions against Christ with titles of pietie of holinesse under the name and pretence of Christ as if they were his Vicars or Vicegerents did all for him Professed hostilitie and open contradiction could never have advanced the kingdome of Antichrist for who are so wretched or Giant-like desperate to enterprise war with God The divell himselfe being the Prince of darkenesse when he would draw most awry and seduce is transformed into an Angell of light even so doth Antichrist pretending the name of Christ the keyes of Peter his seate his succession the alluring name of the Church seduce great troupes of unheedefull soules that he could never gaine with open profession of impietie Such is the efficacie of his deceiveablenesse such is the mysterie of his iniquitie under these habits or sheepes clothing hee disguiseth his Wolvish ravin Let us not then be miscarried with outward shewes or titles but examine and weigh everie thing by the ballances of the Sanctuarie For our better information in this caveat the Apostle by the passage of my Text doth brand this Antichristian troupe with a legible marke whereby you may surely know them They went out from us they revolt they fall away they forsake and slide away from the Church and the doctrine thereof they depart from the fellowship and communion of Saints Behold a visible marke a true cognizance to discerne the Antichristian sort And needfull it is that wee should have such prints or characters to discover them in regard of the great perrill danger which they bring to themselves and others that are swayed by them Quisquis ab Ecclesia segregatus jungitur adulterae à promissis Ecclesiae separatur nec pertinet ad Christi praemia qui reliquerit Ecclesiam Christi Alienus est prophanus est hostis est habere jam non potest Deum patrem qui Ecclesiam non habet matrem It is the sentence of S. Cyprian and verie orthodoxe Each one that is severed from the true Church joined to the false as to an adulteresse is certainely cut off from the promises made to the Church neither can hee be interessed in Christ his promises which forsaketh Christ his Church Hee is a stranger hee is prophane hee is an enemie he cannot now have God to his father which will not reverence and obey the Church as his mother The use of this doctrine is to admonish us to gather our selves into the societie fellowship of the Church How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts What happinesse is it to be joyned in companie and consort with the Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob with the Prophets with the Apostles with the Martyrs with the holy Angels of God and with Christ himselfe Take heed therefore beloved brethren and beware that you bereave not your selves of the comforts dispensed unto you out of the Church beware that you cut not your selves off from this heavenly communion or companie through singularitie or headinesse of courage Plucke not up the Tares in prejudice or