5. In her Orders also for dispensing the Holy Scripture to all within her Communion § 6. In governing the reading of the Scripture and communing on the same § 7. In her judgment of the Canonical and Apocryphal Books § 8. The Divine Authority of the Holy Scripture our Church rather doth take for granted than prove too laboriously or uncertainly § 9. All immoderate extravagancies concerning interpretation of Holy Scripture avoided by our Church p. 48 Chap. V. Of the Moderation of the Church in applying the Rule of Faith to it self § 1. Avoiding extremes on either hand in relation to the authority of the Vniversal Church § 2. The Decrees of Councils § 3. The Testimony of the Fathers § 4. Other Traditions § 5. Our Churches own Testimony § 6. The use of Reason § 7. The Testimony of the Spirit § 8. Of the testimony and operation of the Holy Spirit the judgment of our Church according to great Moderation more largely declared p. 77 Chap. VI. The Moderation of the Church in its judgment of Doctrines § 1. Our Church doth wisely distinguish between what is necessary for Salvation and what is not § 2. Her Articles are few § 3. Which are generally exhibited not as Articles of Faith but consent Concerning subscription § 4. Our Articles are propounded so as to avoid unnecessary controversy § 5. The wise Moderation of the Kings of England in their Injunctions to Preachers and Orders taken to preserve Truth Vnity and Charity § 6. The Controversies of the late Age are well moderated by the determinations of our Church § 7. As our Church requires our consent in nothing contrary to sense or reason so it hath also contain'd it self from immoderate curiosity in treating of venerable mysteries § 8. Our Church doth not insist upon such kinds of certainty as others without just cause do exact § 9. Doctrines are so propounded to those in our Churches Communion as not to render useless their own reasons and judgments The reasonableness of which is proved and the Objections answered § 10. The use which we are all allowed of our private judgments is requir'd to be menag'd with a due submission to the Church The duty of which submission is laid down in sundry Propositions p. 114 Chap. VII Of the Moderation of our Church in what relates to the worship of God § 1. Our Prayers are not mingled with controversy § 2. They are framed according to a most grave and serious manner with moderate variety and proper length § 3. In the zeal of Reformation our Church did not cast off what was good in it self § 4. In all our Churches there are the same Rules § 5. Common Prayers for the vulgar required in English To Ministers and Scholars a just and moderate liberty allowed § 6. The obligation of the Church leaves the method of private Devotions to a general liberty § 7. Of the Moderation of the Church in appointing her hours and times of Prayer § 8. In her use and judgment of Sermons § 9. In what is required of people with reference to their Parish Church § 10. The excellent Moderation of the Church in her Orders for the reverent reading of Divine Service and Consecrating the Sacraments in such a voice as may be heard § 11. In her Form and use of Catechizing § 12. The interest of inward and outward worship are both secured according to an excellent Moderation in our Church § 13. The Moderation of the Church in what relates to Oaths p. 166 Chap. VIII Of the Moderation of the Church in relation to Ceremonies § 1. In the Ceremonies of our Church which are very few and those of great antiquity simplicity clear signification and use our Church avoids either sort of superstition § 2. They have constantly been declared to be in themselves indifferent and alterable but in that our Church avoids variableness is a further proof of its Moderation § 3. They are professed by the Church to be no part of Religion much less the chief nor to have any supernatural effect belonging to them § 4. Abundant care is taken to give plain and frequent reasons and interpretations of what in this nature is enjoined to prevent mistakes § 5. The Moderation of our Church even in point of Ceremonies compar'd with those who have raised so great a dust in this Controversy § 6. Many innocent Rites and usages our Church never went about to introduce and why § 7. The Obligation of our Church in this matter is very mild § 8. The Moderation of our Church in her appointment of Vestments § 9. The Benedictions of our Church are according to great Piety and Wisdom ordered § 10. The Moderation of our Church in her appointments of Gestures § 11. Of the respect which is held due to places and things distinguished to Gods Service our Church judgeth and practiseth according to an excellent Moderation p. 201 Chap. IX Of the Moderation of our Church with respect to Holy-Days namely both the Feasts and Fasts of the Church § 1. The Feasts of the Church are few and those for great reason chose with care to avoid the excesses of the Romanists § 2. The further behaviour of the Church in her Feasts most useful and prudent § 3. We celebrate the memory of Saints but of none whose existence or sanctity is uncertain § 4. The excellent ends of our Churches honour to Saints are set down § 5. That they are Festivally Commemorated not out of opinion of worship or merit or absolute necessity thereof to Religion § 6. Our Church runs not into any excess in any Prayer to Saints § 7. Nor with reference to Images § 8. Whether our Church in any of these practices be justly charged of Popery by those who Canonize among themselves those who are of uncertain sanctity § 9. The Moderation of our Church in its honour given to Angels § 10. And to the Blessed Virgin § 11. Our Church hath taken great care that a special honour be had to the Lords Day and that the Lords Day nor any other Festival be abused to Luxury and Impiety § 12. The Moderation of the Church with reference to its Musick and Psalmody § 13. The Moderation of our appointed Fast The Lenten or Paschal Fast how far Religious by the Precept of the Church p. 234 Chap. X. Of the Moderation of the Church in reference to the Holy Sacraments § 1. The Moderation of our Church raiseth no strife about words relating thereunto § 2. Her Moderation in what is asserted of the number of Sacraments § 3. In that her Orders for the Administration of the Sacraments are most suitable to the ends of their appointments § 4. In that our Church doth not make the benefit of the Sacraments to depend upon unrequired conditions In reference to Holy Baptism § 1. Our Church doth make nothing of the essence of Baptism but the use of the invariable Form § 2. The Moderation of our Church toward Infants unbaptized
of the Holy Scripture our Church rather doth take for granted than prove too laboriously or uncertainly § 9. All immoderate extravagancies concerning interpretation of Holy Scripture avoided by our Church § 1. WHereas Moderation hath its name and being from the equal measures observed by it the first instance of the Moderation of our Church is most properly to be taken from the right rule and measure in Religion which this Church of ours constantly receives and holds close to by which she is safely preserved from all undue extremes having to her self the same rule and measure of her Moderation which the universal Church of Christ in all Ages hath had such a rule as is beyond all exception and is of undeniable Authority namely the Holy Scriptures which are the same right and just measure by which she measures out to others and desires to be measured by her self in whatever she receives and delivers out as matter of Faith and required practice in the necessary parts of Religion and the worship of God Whereas next to the extreme of them who have no Religion nor no Rule the vanity and extravagance of those is very notorious who set up themselves to be their own Rule which is done in the pretences of infallibility on one hand and enthusiasm on the other between that Rock and this Gulf the Moderation of our Church doth safely conduct its own judgment and practice and all that follow her In the Sixth Article of Religion see how our Church doth own the perfection of Holy Scripture as a Rule Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation and the reason why the Church of England doth require her self to be acknowledged of her own a Canon 3. 1603. as a true and Apostolical Church is because she teacheth and maintains the Doctrine of the Apostles and in the fourth Canon the Church censures all Impugners of the worship of God and whosoever shall affirm her Form containeth any thing in it repugnant to the Scriptures In the 36. Canon Article 2. All who are to subscribe are willingly and ex animo to affirm That the Book of Common-Prayer and of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons containeth in it nothing contrary to the word of God and Article 3. That he acknowledgeth all and every of the 39. Articles to be agreeable to the word of God In the 19th Article of Religion The visible Church of Christ is defined a Congregation of faithful men in the which the pure word of God is Preached and the Sacraments be duly administred according to Christs Ordinance And in the ordering of Bishops and Priests it is asked Be you perswaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all Doctrine required of necessity for eternal Salvation through Faith in Jesu Christ And are you determined with the said Scriptures to instruct the people committed to your Charge and to teach nothing as required of necessity to eternal Salvation but that you shall be perswaded may be concluded and proved by the Scriptures The Answer is I am so perswaded and have so determined by Gods grace In the 20th Article of Religion it is declared It is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to Gods word written neither to expound one place that it be repugnant to another From all which passages and many more which might be repeated out of the Monuments of our Church it is evident that as our Church is formed in her whole Constitution with an uniform respect to this Rule and hath framed her Articles Liturgy Homilies and Orders thereby so it doth require her self to be acknowledged in those but in subordination to this Rule and measure as before and superiour to it self which doth manifest the exceptions of many of the Separation to be very unreasonable who seem to give such deference to the Holy Scriptures and at the same time renounce Communion with the Church of England which doth so religiously hold to the Sacred Scriptures of which our Church in union with the whole Church of God is a sure Keeper a faithful Witness a zealous Defender and a most sober Interpreter § 2. The Moderation of the Church of England further appears in avoiding the extremes of those who take away from the true perfection of Scripture and of others who seem officiously to add thereunto Of the first sort of those who detract from the true perfection of Scripture are they who frame an additional Canon of their own as the Church of Rome doth who declares that the Apocryphal Writings and Traditions of men are nothing inferiour nor less Canonical than the Sovereign dictates of God as well for the Confirmation of doctrinal points pertaining to Faith as for ordering of Life and Manners and that both the one and the other ought to be embraced with the same affection of Piety and received with the like religious Reverence b Concil Trid. Sess 4. Decr. 1. not making any difference between them Thus as it is in the second part of the Homily of good works Christ reproved the Laws and Traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees because they were set up so high as though they had been equal with Gods Laws and above them They worship Me in vain that teach for Doctrines the Commandments of men For you leave the Commandments of God to keep your own Traditions Yet He meant not thereby to overthrow Mens Commandments for He Himself was obedient to the Princes and their Laws made for good order On the other extreme They of the Separation among us are busy to attribute to the Holy Scriptures such a perfection as God never intended them namely particularly to determine of all actions of Mankind and every matter of order and decency in Religion Between these two see by how even a thred our Church divides the controversy first asserting the real perfection of Scriptures as a Rule to be as much as need to be to be as great a perfection as God hath given it in order to its end namely to guide our belief and practice in things needful to Salvation Article 20. Besides the same namely Gods word written ought not the Church to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation and in the same Article It is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to Gods word written Yet the Article begins thus The Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies and hath Authority in controversies of Faith Wherein according to an accurate Moderation the Church doth behave itself in attributing to the Holy Scriptures their just and full perfection On the other hand our Church doth thankfully accept of that Christian Liberty which God hath left her and indeed which he hath given all particular Christians according to their
measures namely leave to determine their particular actions according to the general Rule of Holy Scriptures and sometimes of Prudence where other Laws are not given to determine their Liberty And indeed this Article of the sufficiency of the Scriptures and the use of them as a Rule is the very dividing point at which those of the Separation on either hand leave our Church and her Moderation at once For those who are ready on one hand to receive all Traditions which the Church of Rome can offer with affection and reverence equal to the written word of God so that as it is in our Homily c Homily of good works 3 d. Part. The Laws of Rome as they said were to be received of all men as the four Evangelists No Moderation can contain the extravagancies such belief leads them to On the other hand to accept of no appointment for outward order and government in the Church or Kingdom but what is set out in the express word of God for the direction of every particular action under pretence of defending Christian Liberty is verily so gross and unreasonable a Pharisaical confining it that this principle is the first Sanctuary of ignorance and disobedience in most of our Separatists who under an immoderate pretence to Religion and the honour of Scriptures really offer great abuse and disservice to both as it is a real abuse to a person though of honour to give him Titles which do not belong to him so it is an occasion to Atheists and prophane persons captiously to detract from the true perfection of Holy Writings when they find attributed to them such Titles as are false and imaginary We must take heed saith the judicious Hooker d Eccles Pol. l. 3. §. 8. lest in attributing to Scripture more than it can have the incredibility of that do cause even those things which it hath most abundantly to be less reverently esteemed On this foundation of our Churches Moderation in what she judgeth concerning the perfection of Holy Scripture both the Protestant and the Christian Religion is established For as Bishop Sanderson saith e Pref. to his Sermons The main Article of the Protestant Religion is The Holy Scriptures are a perfect Rule of Faith and manners so the very mystery of Puritanism is That no man may with a safe Conscience do any thing for which there may not be produced either command or example in Scripture § 3. We are to note the Moderation of the Church in her judgment of the letter and sense of Holy Scripture and in the use of such consequences as are duly drawn from thence Whereas the Romanists 1. look on the letter of Holy Scripture but as so many dead and unsensed Characters f Richworth's Dialogues J. S. Sure-footing of variable and uncertain signification g Niâ— Cusâ—nus Card. Ep. 7. ad â—â—hem 2. They make the sense of Scripture entirely depend on the Authority of their Church h V. Concil Trid. Sess 4. Decret de usu S. Scr. 3. They presume the Church of Rome only can make authentick all the Books of Holy Scripture i Nullum Capitulum nullusque liber Canonicus habetur absque illius authoritate Greg. 7. Dict. 16. in Concil Rom. and by her sole Authority is to determine which are to be Canonical 4. They will not allow the clear consequences of Scripture to prove any matter of doctrine k V. Discourse upon a Conference Apr. 3. 1676. In these as in many other instances our Sectaries generally agree with the Romanists 1. They also make the Holy Scripture a dead Letter without their interpretation 2. In making the sense which they vouch to be the Word of God 3. Such Scriptures as seem to serve their turn they allow others they reject 4. The clear consequences from Holy Scriptures against them they cast by as only the results of carnal reason Between these two opposers of Holy Scripture at present there appears this difference instead of an external infallible Interpreter on one side the other sets up the witness of their own private spirit for an infallible interpreter also When time serves They that make the difference can compromise it Amidst these extremes observe we the Wisdom and Moderation of the Church of England 1. It gives all due honour to the Letter of Holy Writ referring her self and her Sons chiefly to the Originals l V. B. of Homilies passim Caeterùm in lectione D. Scripturarum si quae occurrerint ambigua vel obscura in V. Test earum interpretatio ex fonte Hebraicae veritatis petatur in N. autem Graeci codices consulantur Reform Leg. Eccles de fide Cathol c. 12. using all care in keeping the Letter of Holy Scripture and preserving the Originals and setting them forth correctly and translating them as faithfully as may be 2. The sense of Scripture our Church accounteth chiefly as Scripture viz. The Word of God therein The mind of God being thought by our Church to consist not in words but in sense For is the Kingdom of God words and syllables m Translators of the Bible Pres 3. The clear consequences in Scripture are in our Church accounted a good proof in matters of doubtful Doctrine Whatsoever is not read therein nor proved thereby is not to be required saith our sixth Article Wherefore Mr Chillingworth n Chillingworth 's Pref. § 28. did not without reason thus declare I profess sincerely I believe all those Books of Scripture which the Church of England accounts Canonical to be the infallible word of God I believe all things evidently contained in them or even probably deducible from them o Simpliciter necessaria Rex appellat quae vel expressè Verbum Dei praecipit vel ex verbo Dei necessaria Consequentiâ vetus Ecclesia elicuit Rex Jacobus ad Card. Perr § 4. In our Church no one Version nor more are made equal much less superiour to the original Nothing is declared authentick but what is judged truly and originally so Although the Church of Rome hath declared the vulgar Translation to be only the authentick Scripture p Conc. Trid. Sess 4. Decr. 2. according to which all points in Question are to be decided and though the same in our Church hath been convinced by sundry learned men of some imperfections yet wherein it is most faithfully performed the innovations of Popery even from thence may be sufficiently manifested Other ancient Versions and Translations which have been of Holy Scripture our Church is so far from rejecting or undervaluing that it hath made great use of them and doth constantly acknowledge their usefulness and doth esteem them according to their antiquity and the approbation they have had in the Church of God Yea in the worst of our late times when the true Church of England was most of all accused of Popery and opposition to the Scriptures then were sundry learned and religious Sons of the Church diligently
of means to the neglect of another Because there are so many Arguments which may sufficiently satisfy any of their Authority because some are convinced by some others by others We are encouraged in our Church to receive the Holy Scriptures as the word of God both from inward and outward motives both of divine and moral consideration But for our greater certainty and safety in a matter of so great concern our Church doth not lay the weight of so great a cause on slight or uncertain Foundations as the infallibility of the Church much less demonstration from the evidence of oral tradition or the testimony only of the Divine Spirit held by some so absolutely necessary to convince every one of the Divine Authority of Scriptures that without such an inward testimony there can be no kind of certainty whatsoever The Moderation of our Church excellently governs her judgment herein neither refusing the just Authority of Gods true Church nor denying any necessary influence of the Holy Spirit of God according to which Moderation guiding our selves we shall have occasion elsewhere to justify the real certainty of our Faith ch 6. § 8. In convincing also those of the Authority of Holy Scripture who do deny the same the wisdom and temper of our Church prudently hath omitted a twofold medium as improper to confute obstinate Adversaries The one is of proving the Divine Authority of the Scriptures by Scriptures themselves which though it be a sufficient proof among them who have received them as divine yet to others it can never stop the objection from returning infinitely if the objector please to be dissatisfied The other method is alledging the Testimony of the Spirit for though the Church of God hath the Holy Spirit yet those that dispute this point may not have the Spirit neither can any ones saying so be a proper Argument to convince another Thirdly Our Church avoids the Circle of proving the Scripture by the Church and the Church by the Scriptures again because our Church doth first acknowledge the Holy Scriptures as superiour to it self o Article 6. 20. as one of the first principles of its Doctrine and against those who deny that principle of the Holy Scriptures veracity it doth dispute no otherwise than by reasons convincing the certainty of Tradition But as Archbishop Laud in his Preface against Fisher takes notice While one Faction cries up the Church above the Scripture and the other the Scripture to the neglect of the Church According to Christs Institution the Scripture where it is plain should guide the Church and the Church where there is doubt should expound the Scripture § 9. Whereas many run into very immoderate extravagancies concerning the interpretation of Holy Scripture our Church contains it self within very wise and just proportions in its judgment and practice concerning this matter 1. Concerning Holy Scripture it doth own what the Ancient Fathers p S. Chrys Hom. 3. in â— Thess S. Aug. in Ps 8. V. Second Part of the Homily of the knowledge of H. Scrip. have testified That what is absolutely necessary unto Salvation of all either for knowledge or practice is so fair and intelligible and plain to be understood of any that there needs no interpreter of the meaning of the sense to them who understand the words 2. For the understanding other places in Holy Scripture which are more obscure our Church doth suppose and acknowledge plentiful means allowed of God both to the Church and by and in the Church to all particular persons as much as is necessary that such places be understood For those which are mysterious and intricate are for the curious and wise to enquire into They are not the repositories of Salvation but instances of labour and occasions of humility and arguments of mutual forbearance and an endearment of reverence and adoration as the Archbishop of Spalato and our Bishop Taylor use to speak Such means for the interpretation of Scripture are the ordinary assistances of the Holy Spirit of God The instructions of the Church the use of our Reason especially in comparing one Scripture with another which excellent means of finding out the sense of Holy Writ our Church her self doth often use and recommends the same to those of her Communion according to the ancient practice of the Church Yet if we speak properly we do not call the Scripture the interpreter of it self nor properly a Judge of matter of Faith q S. Scripturam Judicem qui sentiunt rectè sentiunt sed siguratè â—oquuntur Gro. de Impâ—rio sum pot Though it be the Rule according to which the judgment which is of Doctrines is made and in Analogy with which Interpretations of Scripture also are to be govern'd But because of the danger of the vulgars being misled our Church doth send them frequently to their Pastors and Ministers for publick instruction and private advice and counsel and inferiour Ministers it refers to their Bishop r Exhortation to the Holy Communion Canon 53. The same method our Church directs for resolution of doubts which may arise referring to the Liturgy Preface concerning the Service of the Church Forasmuch as nothing can be so plainly set forth but doubts may arise in the use and practice of the same to appease all such diversity if any arise and for the resolution of all doubts concerning the manner how to understand do and execute the things contained in this Book the parties that so doubt shall alway resort to the Bishop of the Diocess who by his discretion shall take order for the quieting and appeasing of the same And if the Bishop be in doubt he may send for the resolution thereof to the Archbishop 3. Our Church doth not attribute more or less authority to the means of interpreting Scripture or any part thereof than God hath given it for that purpose and here the Moderation of the Church might be illustrated from the manifold extravagancies others have run into in this matter on all sides 1. Some make the Holy Spirit of God the only immediate interpreter of Scripture unto all persons whatsoever that at any time understand any thing thereof Others run into another extreme of slighting the illumination and assistance of the Holy Spirit 2. Some assert the Church of Rome only to have an infallible and absolute Authority herein others deny both the Church Universal and all parts thereof all authority to teach those under her Discipline or interpret any Scripture to them 3. Some have maintained that the publick Magistrate is the only interpreter of Scripture others deny him any kind of authority over or about the Church 4. There are those who make humane reason the only interpreter of Scripture Others reject all use of reason in divine matters Among these and many more extravagancies of men The Moderation of our Church keeps on one hand from the Tyranny of those who make such Authorities the Rule of interpreting Scripture which
never were so appointed And on the other from the wild inordinacy of them who make their own private principle whatsoever it be the rule of Scripture interpretation Among all wisely making use of and asserting and recommending such means as are given for the conveyance or interpretation or both for the conveying and interpreting of Divine Writ Something further of which will more distinctly appear in the next Chapter CHAP. V. Of the Moderation of the Church in applying the Rule of Faith to it self § 1. Avoiding extremes on either hand in relation to the authority of the Vniversal Church § 2. The Decrees of Councils § 3. The Testimony of the Fathers § 4. Other Traditions § 5. Our Churches own Testimony § 6. The use of Reason § 7. The Testimony of the Spirit § 8. Of the testimony and operation of the Holy Spirit the judgment of our Church according to great Moderation more largely declared § 1. THE Moderation of the Church of England appears very great in her due applying this Rule of Faith to her self wisely and fitly making use of all those Instruments which are most proper and useful in conveying to us that Rule or which are most subservient to the right understanding our Rule avoiding either extreme of those who attribute too much or too little to those instruments of conveyance and interpretation Such as the Authority of the Universal Church The Decrees of Councils The Testimony of the Fathers Other Traditions The Witness of our own particular Church Right Reason alone The Testimony of the Spirit To all and every of these enumerated instruments either of certain conveyance or interpretation of Scripture our Church gives their due place and esteem according to their influence and use and no more which must needs demonstrate a great deal of Wisdom and Moderation in the judgment of the Church 1. The Universal Church it self is no where by the Church of England made the Rule of her Faith but a Witness and Keeper of Holy Writ Art 20. Yet the judgment of the Catholick Church of Christ was always by the Church of England held in greatest veneration next unto the testimony of the Spirit of God himself because of those famous Promises made by Christ himself to the Church which we read of in the New Testament Yea in the Old Testament The Prophecies concerning the Messias and concerning the Church and the Ministers of the Church always are join'd together as I have sometime heard a great Prelate of our Church teach us And because whatever Arguments we have for the truth of Holy Scriptures as thanks be to God we have many beside yet also from the witness and keeping of the Church a Ecclesia non discernit sed niâ—a traditioni legitimae testatur quae sint Canonicae Scripturae Spalatens l. 7. ch 1. we receive the Holy Scriptures themselves and in the sixth Article In the name of Holy Scriptures the Church doth understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament of whose Authority there was never any doubt in the Church So that as the Archbishop of Spalato hath it we have recourse to the Church not as to an Authoritative Judge but as to a Treasure and Repository b Haec sunt quae Patres intra Canonem concluserunt Haec nobis à Patribus tradita S. Hieron Ruffinus in which the Canonical Books and all things necessary to Salvation are preserved by faithful Tradition Wherefore the Catholick Church it self is called not a Judge nor a Rule c Credo Ecclisiam credo Ecclesiae per Eâ—clesiam Non diâ—imus credo in Ecclesiam â—â—t credo in Ecclesiâ— Ep-Esâ—enâ— but more truly a Witness and Keeper of Holy Writ and for interpretation of Scripture and for our help in judging of Doctrines according to our Rule the Church of England values above all others the Judgment of the Catholick Church so far forth as we can attain the testimony of the Catholick Church by such instruments as are approved and undoubted For though d Second Diâ—â—native against Popery l. 1. â— 1. If by Catholick you mean all particular Churches in the World then though truth doth infallibly dwell amongst them yet you can never go to School to them all to learn it in such questions as are curious and unnecessary and by which the Salvation of Souls is not promoted Yet we know that in the Primitive Time the Christian Church was in a less compass and more undivided Wherefore if such matters which are most essential to the being and well-being of the Church are both delivered from that time and with their conveyance have been approved by the Church in common ever since If the Church may be a sure instrument of conveyance of the Books of Holy Scripture why not also of such matters wherein all so well agree from the first and do in no sort thwart the Tradition of the Holy Scripture it self Wherefore in the Canon set forth in our Church with the Articles of Religion 1571. it is caution'd That nothing be at any time taught either to be held or believed upon the account of Religion but what is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Old and New Testament which the Catholick Fathers and antient Bishops have gathered from thence Which Golden Rule of our Church I find twice extoll'd by the Illustrious Grotius once e De imp sum potesta c. 6. §. 9. p. 181. in these words I cannot but commend that famous Canon of the Church of England That c. And again in one of his Epistles f Apologiâ— Eccl. Anglicanae Accessimus verò ad illam Ecclesiam in quâ omnia castè reverenter quantum nos assequâ— potâ—imus proximè ad priscorum temporum rationem §. 118. Inde enim putavimus restaurationem petendâ—m esse unde prima Religionis initia ducta essent §. 150. He takes occasion from this Canon of the Church to say He wonders any should deny In England they attribute more to the ancient Church than they do in France The form also of profession in the admission of Professors in Divinity in the University because it doth very fully express the sense of the Church of England I repeat the tenour thereof I from my heart do embrace and receive all the Holy Canonical Scripture in the Old and New Testament comprehended and all those things which the true Church of Christ Holy and Apostolick subject to the word of God and governed by the same doth reject I reject whatsoever it holds I hold Concerning the Church of England in this matter hear we what the Learned Casaubon hath declared in an Epistle to Heinsius g Ep. Ecclesiasticae p. 345. This saith he is my judgment Whereas there will and can be but one true Church we are not hastily to recede from those Doctrines of Faith which the consent of all the ancient Catholick Church hath approved and whereas I own no other Foundation of true
encourageth also those other helps which are any ways useful to the better understanding the sense of Holy Scripture as namely the knowledge of Tongues Arts and Sciences and whatever else may improve the industry and sincerity of the enquirer Because as our Homily saith k Hom. of Com. Pr. and Sacraments No man cometh to the knowledge of Tongues otherwise than by diligent and earnest study and elsewhere l Hom. of the peril of Idolatry 2. Part. The Church taking notice how the worshipping of Images came in times of ignorance negligence and barbarity laments the wasts made on learning by the Goths and Vandals and Hunns They burning Libraries so that learning and true Religion went to wrack and decayed incredibly Wherefore the Church of England hath been always a bountiful and careful cherisher and Patron of our Famous Vniversities as They have been and are most dutiful and zealous observers of the Church And because our Church governs it self according to such just measures in the Interpretation and Exposition of Scripture we see she doth neither practise nor encourage the turning of Holy Scripture into Cabala's and Allegory as too many have precariously and groundlesly done according to the humour of their own imaginations our Church observing that Moderation which St Austin commends m De Civ Dei l. 17. c. 3. when he blames some for one extreme that will allow no type or signification in things done and recorded and others who contend all things in Scripture recorded have their Allegorical Interpretation n Mihi multùm errare videntur qui nullas res gestas aliquid aliud praeter id quod eo modo gesta sunt significare arbitrantur it a multùm audere qui prorsus ibi omnia significationibus allegoricis involuta esse contendunt Erasin Eccles l. 3. Nunquam dubia aenigmatum intelligentia ad autoritatem dogmatum proficere S. Hieron in Mat. 13. even the Doctrines of Catholick Faith which in his Epistle to Vincentius he calls a grievous piece of impudence to hold yet as Erasmus in his Ecclesiastes adds It is not fit to doubt of such Types and Allegories which Canonical Scripture have revealed to us § 7. Though the Moderation of the Church shews it self in that it doth not vain-gloriously boast of the Spirit yet it may well consist with her excellent modesty to believe of her self That in the interpretation of Holy Scripture she hath such an assistance of the Spirit of God as is promised to the Church in general The Church of England being a true part thereof subject to and governed by the word of God upon which account in 139. Canon it requires That the sacred Synod of this Nation in the name of Christ and by the Kings Authority assembled be acknowledged the true Church of England by Representation and it may be presumed That where the lawful representative of the Church is gathered together rightly the assistance of Gods Spirit is not wanting wherefore it argues immoderate presumption in them who receive with impious scorn our Confession of our undoubted hope that the Church of England hath the testimony of the Spirit of God in her interpretation of Scripture and yet these depravers of the Scripture o Qui ingenium suum faciunt Ecclesiae sacramenta S. Hier. Ep. 9. shall with glorious assurance affirm to themselves and their Complices the wonderful illapses and impulses of the divine Spirit when at the same time they contradict the Holy Catholick Church p Neque id defendere velim contra consensum antiquitatis spiritum qui Ecclesiae corpus Quod si mecum in rebus aliis caveant ilii jam spiritus ille privatus Ecclesiae Divisor perdet fascini sui efficaciam Grotius ad Riv. art 1. and themselves and when also many pretenders to a double portion of the Spirit have acted as the eldest Sons of Belial Whereas indeed the testimony of the Spirit in the hearts of the faithful themselves for the interpreting Holy Scripture and determining doubtful matters hath been more often urged than understood yea if we could suppose it was not a precarious assertion to be sure it is an improper method to convince Gainsayers yet to those who are out of Communion with the Church it must needs be a most uncertain and insufficient testimony § 8. Many we know there have been and are who pretend to such extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit as were peculiar to the first Ages of the Church thus doth the Church of Rome as did the Donatists of old make such miraculous testimonies the necessary sign of a true Church and somewhat like both these are the Enthusiasts of our late age who would make the priviledges of the Holy Spirit special and singular to their enclosures affirming a particular inspiration of the Spirit absolutely necessary To convey into our minds the sense and interpretation of Holy Scripture To assure all Christians of the certainty of their Salvation To furnish them with words and petitions in Prayer To convince any of the authority of Holy Scriptures and the certainty of Faith Our Church declares q Homily for Whit-sunday 2d Part. It is not the part of a Christian under pretence of the Holy Ghost to bring in his own dreams and phantasies into the Church for such blaspheme and bely the Holy Ghost whereas the proper office of the Holy Ghost is not to institute and bring in new Ordinances contrary to the doctrine before taught the doing of which the Homily declares is the sign of a false Church and of such as are deceivers It is to be acknowledged that the discourses concerning the operation and testimony of the Spirit are liable to many difficulties but The principal conclusions which are rightly made in this matter I suppose may be truly made out to be the sense of our Church declared in her own words 1. For interpretation of Holy Scripture the reason why our Church holds such extraordinary illumination not necessary is because r 2d Homily of Scripture All things necessary for our Salvation are plain to understand that is as the Homilies deliver to such as use the means and so far as their explicite knowledge is required For our Church doth speak of the illumination of the Spirit and interpretation of Scripture as generally joined with the use of means When any apply their minds to the study of the Scripture to hear read and search thus God openeth the dark things of Scripture unto faithful people It cannot be saith St Chrysostom that such should be left without help When our Homily mentions the Holy Ghost inspiring the true meaning of the Scripture it adds to them that with humility and diligence do search therefore which clause is not to be left out as it is by the Author of the Scriptures genuine interpreter p. 5. Those that thus thankfully chearfully and diligently hear read meditate and ruminate on Holy Scripture such have the sweet juice
spiritual effect tast comfort and consolation of them which Doctrine of our Church is most intelligible and sober and different from what some others mystically have discoursed of concerning spiritual gusts which they attribute to unaccountable Communications The ordinary means to which the interpretation of Scripture is generally annexed our Church judgeth the same which Dr Hammond mentions in his Postscript concerning Divine Illuminations Study search Meditation the Collation of places of Scripture or bringing one place together with another ſ Homily 1. the use of reason and learning and skill in original Languages the help of our spiritual guides the Declarations of Gods Church the analogy of received doctrines constant Prayer for Gods blessing the necessary assistance and gracious aids of Gods Spirit Our Church indeed teacheth us that Carnal reason is an enemy to God and to perceiving the things of the Spirit which carnal reason some do expound the Article 9 wisdom some the sensuality some the affection some the desire of the flesh But our Church esteems it a great reproach to humane nature and the Creation of God to call that carnal reason which is our rational perception and use of what is delivered us to understand or a comparing and as we said out of the Homily a bringing together one place with another and drawing easy and plain consequences from Scriptures which we are to search whereas the Scriptures are propounded to the reasons of Men and the belief of them is an act of the greatest reason that can be Indeed in the things revealed when any thing exceeds the comprehension of our reason our Church adviseth us to sequester our reason In such cases saith the Homily t Hom. of Places of Script 2. Part. Reason must give place to Gods holy Spirit From the Doctrine of our Church it is also very plain That no more supernatural and immediate operation of the Holy Spirit is necessary to the interpretation of the Scriptures than what is necessary to make us faithful and good Christians Wherefore our Church lays down the same means for improvement in divine knowledge as it doth for obtaining the Holy Spirit namely u 1 2d. Homily of Scripture The love of God and Godliness the having a care of being drown'd in worldly vanities leaving sin and the world Our forsaking the corrupt judgment of fleshly men x 3d Part of the Homily for Rogation Week Let us endeavour our selves saith our Church diligently to keep the presence of the Holy Spirit Let us renounce all uncleanness for he is the Spirit of purity Let us avoid all hypocrisy for this Holy Spirit will flee from that which is feigned Cast off all malice and evil will for this Spirit will never enter into an evil willing Soul Let us cast away all the whole lump of sin that standeth about us for he will never dwell in that body which is subdued to sin If we do our endeavour we shall never need to fear And the Holy Spirit will suggest to us what is wholsome and confirm us in all things To attain also the spiritual Wisdom of the Scriptures Our way saith the Church is to attend the time and win the time with diligence and apply our selves to the light and grace which is offered us Lastly Let us meekly call upon that bountiful Spirit the Holy Ghost which proceedeth from our Father of mercy and from our Mediator Christ That he would assist us and inspire us with his presence That in him we may be able to hear the goodness of God declared unto us to our Salvation for this cannot be obtained but by the direction of the Spirit of God and therefore it is called spiritual wisdom 2. Our Church doth not judge that the particular immediate Testimony of Gods Spirit is necessary to every Christian for his comfortable assurance of Salvation but supposeth that the best assurance of Salvation is from the sure trust and belief of Gods promises and a certain consciousness of our own sincerity according to what is required of us * Homily of Salvation V. Homily of Almes-deeds 2. Part. V. Homily of falling from God 1. Part. If you would be sure of your Faith try it by your living the true Christian Faith is no dead vain or unfruitful thing Therefore let us by such Vertues as spring out of Faith shew our Election to be sure and stable 3. Our Church doth not judge an immediate gift of the Spirit necessary to every Christian to furnish them with words in Prayer but doth rightly suppose that the Holy Spirit doth effectually assist every sincere devout person using a good form of Prayer because he by whom the Spirit is given to the Church did teach his Disciples and in them all Christians a form of Prayer requiring them to use the same Our Church also hath furnished those of her Communion with general Prayers according to their occasions judging also that such common Prayers Homily of Prayer are most available before God And the means of obtaining the Holy Spirit to be most assisting us in our Prayers our Church declares is for us to humble our selves in his sight and in all our Prayers both publick and private to have our minds fully fixed on him so that our Church supposeth those that are thus humble to pray by the Spirit How far the testimony of the Holy Spirit is necessary to convince us of the certainty of our Faith and of the authority of Holy Scriptures See Chap. 6. § 8. From which few passages already cited in comparison of those very many to the same purpose which abound in the Homilies for Whit-sunday the Homily of good works of Salvation of falling from God of Alms-deeds It is most evident that our Church judgeth rightly concerning the Holy Spirit of God and lays down the best Rules for discerning who have the Holy Spirit for according to the Doctrine of our Church believing and obeying the Gospel and having the Spirit are all one y Homily of Salvation 3. Part. For how can a man have true faith when he liveth ungodly and denieth Christ with his deeds contrariwise he is most inspired with the Holy Ghost who is most changed in his life So then this is to be taken for a most true lesson taught by Christs own mouth z Homily of good works 2. Part. That the works of the moral Commandments of God be the very true works of Faith which lead to the blessed life to come Our Church also doth suppose that those who receive most of the Spirit are such as are most truly vertuous and good such have most of the divine grace to confirm and strengthen them in all goodness as it is in the Office for the Holy Communion If with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive the Holy Sacrament then we dwell in Christ and Christ in us c. a 1. Part of the Sermon for Whitsunday Wherefore if any
say O but how shall I know that the Holy Ghost is within me Some man perchance will say forsooth as the tree is known by the fruit so is also the Holy Ghost The fruits of the Holy Ghost according to the mind of St Paul are these Gal. 5. Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faithfulness Meekness Temperance c. Contrariwise the deeds of the flesh are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Wantonness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulation Wrath Contention Sedition Heresy Envy Murder Drunkenness Gluttony and such like Here now is the Glass wherein thou must behold thy self and discern whether thou hast the Holy Ghost within thee or the spirit of the flesh If thou see thy works be vertuous and good consonant to the prescript rule of Gods word savoury and tasting not of the flesh but the Spirit then assure thy self thou art endued with the Holy Ghost otherwise in thinking well of thy self thou dost but deceive thy self The Holy Ghost doth always declare himself by his fruitful and gracious gifts b 2d Part of the Hom. for Whit-sunday But to conclude ye shall briefly take this short lesson Wherever ye find the spirit of arrogance and pride the spirit of envy hatred contention cruelty c. Assure your selves that there is the spirit of the Devil and not of God albeit they pretend to the world outwardly ever so much Holiness for as the Gospel teacheth us The Spirit of Jesus is a good holy sweet lowly merciful Spirit full of charity and love full of forgiveness and pity not rendring evil for evil extremity for extremity According to which rule If any man live uprightly of him it may be safely pronounced That he hath the Holy Ghost within him if not there is a plain token he doth usurp the name of the Holy Ghost in vain As for the manner and measure of the operations of the Holy Spirit The modesty and Moderation of our Church doth not decree any thing lest as St Austin saith Humane infirmity proceed beyond what is safe Yet our Church gives a right account in sundry places of its Homilies c Second Part of the Homily of Falling from God How the Holy Spirit comes to be withdrawn from men By all these Examples of Holy Scripture we know that as we forsake God so shall he even forsake us When he withdraweth from us his word the right doctrine of Christ his gracious assistance and aid which is ever joined with his Word and leaveth us to our own wit and will and strength He declareth then he beginneth to forsake us d First Part of the Homily of falling from God which is as it follows after any do neglect the same if they be unthankful to him if they order not their lives according to his Example and Doctrine c. From whence we see also that our Church judgeth the promise of the spirit is as the blessings of the Gospel are generally conditional For as God for his part delivered his Son to suffer death for us so again we for our parts should walk in a godly life as becometh his Children so to do e 2. Part of the Homily of Alms-deeds He that is first made good by the Spirit and Grace of God afterward bringeth forth good fruits As for those who affirm a supernatural and immediate illumination necessary without which other ordinary means are insufficient either to give us certainty of the authority or interpretation of Divine Writ 1. They affirm that which no where is declared 2. That which we have little reason to credit from them that affirm so We having neither experience of their extraordinary knowledge or goodness but have found them most mistaken of any in their interpretations of Scripture and also by the notes of having the Spirit delivered in Scripture what is quite different hath appear'd 3. The holding such an opinion tends to lessen the authority of the written word of God and to make the dictates of the humane spirit if not sometime the Diabolical equal with the Holy Canon And those others who lay the stress of the proof of the authority of Scripture and the certainty of Faith and the interpretation of Scripture upon such uncertainties as only the internal testimony of the Spirit as is yet neither proved necessary or real however of which there is no proof unto others verily such labour unprofitably to overthrow Christianity and render all our Faith uncertain 4. Their Doctrine leads to such Enthusiasm as is not consistent with the peace of Kingdoms much less the peace of Gods Church But such is the constant Moderation of our Church though it doth reject and oppose all fanatical and ungrounded pretences to the Spirit Yet our Church most frequently and with all humble reverence owns the necessity of the gracious aids and assistance of the Spirit as the phrase is in our Homilies several times used as without which we can do nothing pleasing to God For in the power and vertue of the Holy Ghost resteth all wisdom and all ability to know God and to please him f 3d Part of the Homily for Rogation Week Therefore we pray that in all things he will mercifully direct and rule our hearts we pray to God to grant us his Spirit that those things which we do may please him g In the Absolution Collect after the H. C. Hom. of falling from God To prevent us in all our doings c. because of the ill condition of those who are not governed by the Spirit of God CHAP. VI. The Moderation of the Church in its judgment of Doctrines § 1. Our Church doth wisely distinguish between what is necessary for Salvation and what is not § 2. Her Articles are few § 3. Which are generally exhibited not as Articles of Faith but consent Concerning subscription § 4. Our Articles are propounded so as to avoid unnecessary controversy § 5. The wise Moderation of the Kings of England in their Injunctions to Preachers and Orders taken to preserve Truth Vnity and Charity § 6. The Controversies of the late Age are well moderated by the determinations of our Church § 7. As our Church requires our consent in nothing contrary to sense or reason so it hath also contain'd it self from immoderate curiosity in treating of venerable mysteries § 8. Our Church doth not insist upon such kinds of certainty as others without just cause do exact § 9. Doctrines are so propounded to those in our Churches Communion as not to render useless their own reasons and judgments The reasonableness of which is proved and the Objections answered § 10. The use which we are all allowed of our private judgments is requir'd to be menag'd with a due submission to the Church The duty of which submission is laid down in sundry Propositions § 1. BEcause all things in Divine Revelation are alike true but not alike necessary for furtherance of Faith and Piety and establishing Union among Christians
copulata S. Cypr l. 4. Ep. 9. Hierom and others of the Fathers fitly call the Church a Company united to their Pastor For the Administration of the power of the Church cannot belong to the body of this Society considered complexly but to those Officers in it whose care and charge is to have a peculiar over-sight and inspection over the Church and to redress the disorders in it Wherefore the Church is not improperly exprest by the Clergy which may be justly counted the Church representative that as S. Cyprian saith Every act of the Church may be governed by its Rulers g Vt omnis actus Ecclesie per praepositos suos gubernâ—tur S. Cypr. Ep. 27. For when we speak of the Church making Laws we must mean the governing part of the Church * Duâ— dub l. 3. ch 4. p. 589. In the form of Church Policy presented to the Parliament in Scotland 1578. by Andrew Melvill h V. Spots Hist l. 6. p. 289. it was agreed That sometime the Church was taken for them that exercise the spiritual Function in particular Congregations More certain it is that the Form of Christs Church is that outward disposition and order of superiour and inferiour communicating mutually to the conservation of the whole body and the edification and encrease of every member thereof Eph. 4. 15 16. Col. 2. 19. And in those things which concern the outward form and manner of Government in a National Church where the King is supreme in all Causes and over all Persons many matters necessarily and properly belong to the disposition of the supreme Power the people exhibiting their consent by the King upon these and the like good Foundations The third Canon declares the Church of England a true and Apostolical Church and the ninth Canon declares the same the Communion of Saints as it is approved by the Apostles Rules in the Church of England upon which account the Authors of Schisms in the same Canon are censured and the 139th Canon of the Church concerning the Authority of National Synods doth thus declare Whosoever shall affirm that the sacred Synod of this Nation in the name of Christ and by the Kings Authority assembled is not the true Church of England by Representation Let him be Excommunicated and not restored till he repent and publickly revoke that wicked Error § 2. Having now explained what is meant by Moderation and what by the Church of England we may more intelligibly proceed in justifying the Moderation of the Church of England of which some inartificial proofs may be premised The first of which may be the Confession and acknowledgments of our Adversaries on both sides Yea if the scattered Concessions which have been made by our Adversaries at sundry times and upon divers occasions should be gathered together in a bundle there is scarce any judgment or practice or constitution of our Church but hath been acknowledged sometime by some or others of them as reasonable and moderate Yea there is scarce any extravagance among themselves but hath been also confest and decryed by several of their own Communion so great is the force of truth upon the minds of men at some times when they are in a free humour to disclose themselves and it might make a very pleasant and useful Collection to have these well gathered and set together particularly they have in their lucid intervals acknowledged the Moderation of our Church sometime as really convinced thereof Notwithstanding saith one who left our Communion De Cressy 's Exomolog c. 9. the English Church hath been more moderate and wary than publickly to pretend to such a private spirit and by consequence hath left a latitude and liberty for them in her Communion to renounce it as many of the most Learned among them have done Another of them speaks thus of the Church of England k Conference between a Prot. and a Papist 1673. p. 6 7 8. I believe her Moderation hath preserved what may one day yet much help to close the breach betwixt us We observe that she and peradventure she alone has preserved the face of a continued mission and uninterrupted Ordination Then in Doctrines her Moderation is great In those of greatest concern hath exprest her self very warily In Discipline she preserves the Government by Bishops but above all we prize her aversion from Fanaticism and that wild error of the private spirit with which it is impossible to deal from this obsurdity the Church of England desires to keep her self free She holds indeed that Scripture is the Rule of controversy but she holds withal That it is not of private interpretation for she is for Vincentius his method But I see that moderate counsels have been discountenanced on both sides Others of the same denomination have appeared to acknowledge the Moderation of our Church but it is manifest they have done it upon design using that acknowledgment only as an Art either to Proselyte some uncertain ones of our Communion or else to divide us thinking by their publick owning our Moderation thereby to render us more odious to those of another immoderate extreme Yet the generality of both extreme adversaries join together in reproaching us for this Moderation and by their immoderateness in so doing do also justify the Moderation of our Church Thus do the great Bigots of the Church of Rome and the rigid Disciplinarians and other Novellists in their zeal count all merciful Moderation lukewarmness l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Med. 12. Wherefore these apply to us what the Spirit said to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea m Vid. Mr. Henderson 's 1. 2d. Paper Collegium Laodicensium est senatus Moderatorum hominum Brightman in Apocal. c. 3. p. 105. Antitypum est nostra nimirum Anglicana ibid. p. 101. Rev. 3. 16. Because thou art lukewarm and neither hot nor cold I will spue thee out of my mouth reproaching commonly our Moderation by the name of neutrality and want of zeal n Cesset igitur Anglia Medietatem suam quae mera neutralitas est sub titulo prudentiae moderationis palliare potiâ—â— serve resipiâ—ce Parker de Eccl. Pol. l. 1. c. 25. and when some temperate interpretations have been offered the Romanists o Scio enim ejusmodi Modificationes ubi aliquid temperatum offerebatur nihil aliud esse quà m Satanae dolos c. Ep. c. Bellarm ad Archipresb Anglic. they have received them with invidious reflexions lest any of their Company should be won over to us by the Moderation of our Church In the mean while none persue the Church of England upon this account so much as the rigid and severe of either extreme the hot heads among the Romanists with their Anathema's and the other Zelots with their Curse ye Meroz Whereas the learned men of other reformed Churches have not only observed frequently and admired the Moderation of our Constitution as Dr Durel in his View of the Reformed
Churches hath plentifully instanced but so far forth as they judge the same Moderation found among themselves they seem to mention it with a great joy p Retinemus ex singulis regiminibus exquisitam temperaturam J. A. Comenius de Ord. Eccl. apud Bohem. and count the same worthy of imitation q Atque hîc Commemorare libet ad Exemplum quantâ sapientiâ quantoque temperamento compositae fuerint precationum formulae quibus Gall. Genev. utuntur Amyrald de secess ab Eccl. Rom. p. 225. § 3. Wherefore the most general and inartificial but most plain proof of the Moderation of our Church such a proof as is sufficient to evince the whole enquiry is the consideration of the condition of our Church among her Adversaries that is as the 7. Canon 1640. hath it between the groundless suspicions of the weak and the aspersions of the malicious r Pref. to the Liturgy conc Cerem between those addicted to their old Customs and the new-fangled who would innovate all things the Church of England hath been a patient sufferer And as the true Religion hath always been tryed by real persecution of its extreme Adversaries and thereby hath become more approved and more glorious so by the wonderful Providence of God this temper and Constitution of the Church of England hath had its Essayes in two very refining Tryals 1. Immediately after the Reformation in its persecution from those of the Romish Communion and lately in its second Tryal from other Domestick Adversaries from both which sufficient proofs the Moderation of our Church may be known unto all 'T is a hard condition The Church of England professeth the ancient Catholick Faith and yet the Romanist condemns her of Novelty in her Doctrine She practiseth Church Government as it hath been in use in all Ages and places where the Church of Christ hath taken any rooting both in and ever since the Apostles times and yet the Separatist condemns her for Anti-Christianism in her Discipline The plain truth is she is betwixt these two Factions as between two Milstones And it is very remarkable that while both these press hard upon the Church of England both of them cry out upon Persecution t Arch-Bishop Laud against Fisher Pref. among whom she is placed as an humble representation of her Blessed Saviour for as he was Crucified amidst Criminals so the Church of England hath most constantly suffered betwixt such Factions and Sects of Men as have run into the utmost extremes from the judgment and practices of the Universal Church of Christ such are the Romanists and other Sectaries and Schismaticks amongst us Thus Manasseh vexed Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh and both against Judah Is 9. 21. Thus Herod and Pontius Pilate otherwise at variance became Friends to be but the worse Enemies to our Saviour thus both the Jews and Gentiles opposed the Christian Religion and afterward the later Jews and the Circumcellions joined against the Catholick Christians and since Judaism and Gentilism have been overcome by the light of the Gospel the corruption of the Christian Religion hath arisen from its own Professors which is the corruption of Christianity into Popery and other Sects amongst us for what is best in it self is worst when corrupted and as the Christian Religion is the perfection of other Philosophies so these corruptions of Christianity have in them much of the very dregs of Judaism and the worst imitation of Gentilism And now how earnestly do the several Factions from Rome and the whole gang of Sects among us oppose our Church whose wise Moderation and excellent Constitution do place her amidst such extremes Between the Ignes fatui pretenders to new lights on one hand and the Boutfeaus the male-contented Incendiaries on the other hand Between both these we must be served as the Guests of Procrustes t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Theseo were in his famous Bed the Romanists think us too short and deficient in most of our measures and therefore they would needs have us stretcht if not upon the rack the Sectaries count us redundant in many superfluities and would fain have us cut precisely according to their Models so their mutual testimony rightly applyed may thus far be accepted that indeed we are guilty of neither extreme but really do bear the Test to be in the golden Mean To this purpose the Excellent Hammond begins his Preface to his View of the Directory There is no surer evidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which to discern the great excellency of Moderation in that Book of the Liturgy of the Church of England and so the apportionateness of it to the end to which it was designed than the experience of these so contrary fates which it hath constantly undergone betwixt the Persecutors on both extreme parts the Assertors of the Papacy on the one side and the Consistory on the other The one accusing it of Schism the other of compliance The one of departure from the Church of Rome the other of remaining with it Like the poor Greek Church our Fellow Martyr devoured by the Turk for too much Christian Profession and damn'd by the Pope for too little It being the dictate of natural reason in Aristotle That the middle vertue is most infallibly known by this that it is accused by either extreme as guilty of the other For as S. Greg. Nazianzen in his third Oration of Peace u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Whatsoever is peaceable and moderate doth suffer much of both the extremes and either is despised or resisted of which sort while we are now who blame what is amiss we therefore are placed as in a seat of strife and envy and no wonder if we are bruised in pieces between both Neither is there any more certain Argument of the equal and just Constitution of the Church of England than that the Factions among us are so ready to join with the Romanists in the very same accusations It follows now that we give more particular instances of the real Moderation of the Church CHAP. IV. Of the Moderation of our Church in respect to her Rule of Faith § 1. In holding to her true and just measure as is proved from her Articles and Canons and other Monuments of the Church § 2. In her avoiding the extremes of those who take away from the due perfection of Holy Scripture and of others who seem officiously to add thereunto § 3. In her judgment of the letter and sense of Scripture and in the use of such consequences as are duly drawn from thence § 4. In reference to the Versions and Translations of Holy Scripture several instances of Moderation in our Church § 5. In her Orders also for dispensing the Holy Scripture to all within her Communion § 6. In governing the reading of the Scripture and communing on the same § 7. In her judgment of the Canonical and Apocryphal Books § 8. The Divine Authority
for reading the holy Scripture is made agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old Fathers and a great deal more profitable and commodious It is more profitable because there are left out many things whereof some are untrue some uncertain some vain and superstitious and nothing is ordained to be read but the very pure word of God the holy Scriptures or that which is agreeable to the same and that in such a language and order as is most easy and plain for the understanding both of the Readers and the hearers It is also more commodious both for the shortness thereof and for the plainness of the order and that the rules be few and easy Since the Reformation those who love not to be contain'd in any good bounds when they read the Bible chuse to do it out of all Canonical Order or generally snap upon the Chapters fortuitously or affect for their most common reading the most difficult Books and Chapters The wisdom of our Church hath provided that the Old Testament may be read out every Year once f Tale aliquid audio esse nunc in Ecclesiâ Anglicanâ in quâ Psalterium singulis mensibus al solvitur totum utrumque Testamentum unico anno continuatâ lectione percurritur Vtinam reliquae Ecclesiae reformatae c. Spalaâ—ensis l. 7. c. 12. All the Psalms once every Month and the New Testament thrice every Year g V. The Order how the Holy Scripture is appointed to be read Yet with this Moderation some difficult and very mysterious places are excepted Yet so that the Church declares Though the rehearsal of the Genealogies and Pedigrees of the Fathers be not so much to the edification of the plain ignorant people Yet there is nothing so impertinently uttered in all the whole Book of the Bible but may serve to spiritual purpose in some respect to all such as will bestow their labours to search out the meaning h Homily of certain places of Scripture 2d Part. Thus manifest is it that our Church doth really intend edification in her Institutions and can the wit of man i B. Jer. Taylor Pref. to his Collection of Offices conceive a better temper and expedient than this of the Church of England that such Scriptures only and principally should be laid before them in daily Offices which contain in them all the mysteries of our Redemption and all the Rules of good Life That the people of the Church may not complain that the Fountains of our Salvation are stopt from them nor the Rulers of the Church that the mysteriousness of Scripture is abused And further to prevent the inconvenience of the vulgars use of Scripture there was a wholsome Injunction of Queen Elizabeth k 1559 §. 37. fit here to be mentioned That no man should talk or reason of Holy Scripture rashly or contentiously nor maintain any false doctrine or errour but shall commune on the same when occasion is given reverently humbly and in the fear of God for his comfort and better understanding For as it is in the Homily against contention Too many there be which upon Ale-benches and other places delight to set forth certain Questions not so much pertaining to edification as to Vain-glory whence they fall to chiding and contention With reference to which Injunction it was that some Bishops in their Articles of enquiry had this for a Question Whether any were known in their Diocese who profaned the Holy Scripture in Table-talk which was captiously misunderstood by many in their intemperate heats against the Bishops as if they thereby did forbid all sober Conference on any places of Holy Scripture whereas the Injunction of the Queen which ought still to have effect should reasonably interpret their enquiry which certainly was the ground thereof Besides many of those Bishops themselves when Masters of Colledges in the Universities observed and caused to be observed those Statutes which in most Colledges require reading of Scripture at Meals Ordering that Communication which is thereon to be such as in the Queens Injunction was before-mentioned § 7. Our Church according to great wisdom hath received such Books as Canonical of whose authority there was never any doubt in the Church l 39. Article 6. Scio tamen Vualdensem tenere quod declarandi approbandi Libros sacros sit in serie Patrum omnium fidelium ab Apostolis succedentium Fr. S. Clara. ad Artic. Confess Angl. 6. rejecting what truly are not of the Canon which the Church of Rome thrusts in of its own head and doth not leave out any which are as many have done in other times and places In relation to those Books whose Title is the Apocrypha the Moderation of our Church expresseth an excellent temper 1. In that in their Title as of uncertain Writings they are distinguisht from Canonical 2. All the Apocryphal Books are not recommended to be read in the Church 3. Nor on all days particularly not on the Lords Day as such 4. Those our Church doth use together with other Canonical Scripture as it plainly and publickly declares in her sixth Article of Religion and as St Hierom saith m S. Hier. Pres ad â—ild V. Eâ—â—phan c. 〈◊〉 for example of life and instruction of manners as Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians and other such Writings were read in the ancient Church n Sunt alii libri qui leguntur quidem sed nonscribuntur in Canone H. de S. Vic. Cap. 6. de scripturis c. but doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine as if they had such authority alone by themselves Our Church indeed doth prefer them before any other Ecclesiastical or private Writings because of the many excellent and sacred instructions in them for which good and religious use which may be made of them by all we do them the honour to bind them up with our Bibles though we make them not of equal authority thereby or of divine inspiration as we do not also either the English Meeter of the Psalms or the Epistle of the Translators of the Bible § 8. The Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures our Church according to great wisdom doth rather take for granted than labour much to prove such an undoubted principle of Religion justly supposing there is no reason either to question that the Church hath surely received those Divine Oracles or surely delivered them and therefore our sixth Article speaks of them as of whose authority there was never any doubt in the Church Our Church justly thus supposing immediately therefore applies her self in an Exhortation to a diligent reading the Holy Scriptures Homily 1. and so long as those of her Communion are by any just means convinced of their authority our Church according to a great Moderation leaves it to the Providence of God by what particular arguments of the many which lie before us we may come to this satisfaction Not causing the satisfaction of any to depend upon one sort
Religion than the Holy and Divine inspired Scriptures with Melancthon and the Church of England I wish all Doctrines of Faith were brought to us derived from the Fountain of Scripture by the Channels of Antiquity otherwise what end will there be of innovation And thus our King James of Happy Memory did declare in the words of St Austin That what could be proved the Church held and observed from its first beginning to those Times That to reject He did not doubt to pronounce to be an insolent piece of madness So that the counsel and judgment of the Church of England seems to be moderated according to the Sentence of St Hierom in his Epistle to Minerva My purpose is to read the Ancients to prove all to hold fast what is good and never to depart from the Faith of the Catholick Church and conformably King Charles I. h His Majesties fifth Paper to Mr. Henders My Conclusion is That albeit I never esteemed any Authority equal to the Scriptures yet I do think the unanimous consent of the Fathers and the universal practice of the Primitive Church to be the best and most authentical Interpreters of Gods word For who can be presumed to understand the Doctrine and practice of the Christian Religion better than those who lived in the first and purest times Wherefore i Of Heresy §. 14. Dr Hammond reckons it among the piè Credibilia that a truly general Council cannot erre § 3. And because the Catholick Church is and hath been so much divided and the Monuments of the ancient Church Universally accepted do contain but a few determinations Therefore the Church of England moderately remits her Sons to the first four general Councils as in the 28th year of K. Henry 8. k Fullers Eccl. Hist ad An. 1536. it was Decreed That all ought and must utterly refuse and condemn all those opinions contrary to the said Articles contained in the three Creeds contained in the four Holy Councils that is to say in the Council of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon and all other since that time in any point consonant to the same So in the Institution of a Christian Man set forth 1537. and approved by the Convocation 1543. 't is there said A true Christian man ought and must condemn all those opinions contrary to the twelve Articles of the Creed which were of a long time past condemned in the four Holy Councils that is to say c. Isaac Casaubon also in the name of King James to Cardinal Perron saith l Primo R. Eliz. c. 1 The King and the Church of England do admit the four first Oecumenical Councils and following the judgment of the Church the Law of the Kingdom doth declare m Dicimus Ecclesiam Britannicam adeò venerari Concilia generalia ut speciali statuto caverit nè quisquam spirituali jurisdictione praeditus praesumat censuras suas Ecclesiasticas aliter distringere vel administrare aut quicquam Haereticum pronunciare quod non à scripturis Canonicis quatuor Conciliis generalibus aut alio quocunque Concilio pro tali judicatum fuerit J. B. de antiq libertate Eccl. Brit. Thes 4. That none however Commission'd shall in any wise have authority or power to order or determine or adjudge any matter or cause to be Heresy but only such as heretofore have been determin'd ordered or adjudged to be Heresy by the authority of the Canonical Scriptures or by the first four general Councils or any of them or by any other general Council wherein the same was declared Heresy by the express and plain words of the said Canonical Scriptures or such as hereafter shall be ordered judged or determined to be Heresy by the Court of Parliament of this Realm with the Clergy in their Convocation Thus the authority of the four first general Councils are placed by our Church in the superiour order of Tradition forasmuch as Spalatensis according to St Austin n A plenariis Conciliis tradita Quarum est in Ecclesiâ salubrâ—â—ima authoritas S. Aug. Ep. 118. speaks of such Councils they have obtained a wholsom authority because from the Apostolick Declarations faithfully received they have explained the Holy Scriptures and beside because they have been approved by the Universal Church which with great reason contradicts what Curcellaeus p Curcell Rel. Christianae Instit l. 1. c. 15. hath delivered to depreciate the honour even of the first four Oecumenical Councils So that Mr Cressy in Answer to Dr Pierce might very well cite the Protestant acknowledgments of the Authority of Councils as that of Ridley Acts and Mon. p. 1288. Councils indeed represent the Vniversal Church and being so gathered together in the name of Christ they have the promise of the gift and guiding of the Spirit into all truth To the same purpose are named Bishop Bilson Hooker Potter c. Instead of all these he might have owned if he had pleased the judgment of our Church it self giving all due honour to general and Provincial Councils whose wholsome Decrees she hath accepted and imitated Yea our Church maintains the right of Provincial Synods taken away by the See of Rome q Tertullianus veneratur Provinciale Concilium quasi esset Oecumenicam assentiente sc universali vel iis decernentibus secundùm universale quomodo fit repraesentatio totius nominis Christiani virtualiter tota Ecclesia Neither is this honour diminisht by the further Moderation which our Church hath shown in not taking those for Councils or general Councils which are not such as neither the Council of Florence nor Lateran nor of Trent and we know that our Articles though they are very moderately framed are many of them directly oppos'd to those of Trent being in those points of Doctrine wherein the Church of Rome hath departed from the Catholick Church and made her Doctrines of design more than truth the unjust conditions of Communion A truly free and general Council we look upon as the best expedient on Earth for composing the differences of the Christian World if it might be had but we cannot endure to be abused by meer names of Titular Patriarchs but real Servants and Pensioners of the Popes with Combinations of interested parties instead of general Councils r Dr. Stillingfleet's first Part of an Answer c. 284. When Pope Paul III. call'd a Council then to be held at Mantua and King Henry VIII refusing thither to send He defended his Protestation in a Letter to the Emperour and other Christian Princes 1538. In which the King declares t Acts and Monuments p. 11â—2 Truly as our Forefathers invented nothing more holy than general Councils used as they ought to be so there is almost nothing that may do more hurt to the Christian Faith and Religion than general Councils if they be abused to lucre to gains to the establishment of errors And verily we suppose that it ought not to be called a General
principal motives why we rejected the Papacy was the constant Tradition of the Vniversal Church § 5. Concerning our Churches own Testimony Her Modesty and Moderation hath been always exemplary so far from assuming the Title of Catholick to her self only as St Austin tells us the Arians did and since them the Romanists c S. Aug. Ep. 48. ad Vincen. That she hath counted it a sufficient honour to be an humble and nevertheless for that eminent Member of the Universal Church and with her a Witness and Keeper of Holy Writ and though she vindicates to her self an authority to interpret the Holy Scripture within the bounds of her own Discipline for the edification of her own Family in Truth and Love and also asserts to her self an Authority in Controversies of Faith Article 20. namely for the avoiding diversities of opinions and for the establishing consent touching true Religion yet I cannot well omit to observe the wise modesty of our Church in her asserting her own authority in Controversies of Faith which expression I may have leave to illustrate from such another instance of Wisdom and Moderation in the recognition required to be made of the Kings Supremacy in our subscription according to the 36. Canon and in our Prayers wherein we acknowledge Him Supreme Governour of this Realm in all Causes and over all Persons It is not said over all Causes as over all persons forasmuch as in some Causes Christian Kings do not deny some spiritual power of Gods Church distinct from its temporal Authority which yet refers to the King as their Supreme Keeper Moderator and Governour Even so the Church declares her Authority in Controversies of Faith not that the Church of England or any other Church no not the Universal Church hath power to make any thing which is in controversy matter of Faith which God hath not so made The Church owns that she hath no power against the truth but for the truth Neither may it expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Article 20. But she hath power to declare her own sense in the Controversy and that I may express my own meaning in better words than my own d Pref. of Bishop Sparrow's Collection of Eccl. Records c. To determine which part shall be received and profest for truth by her own Members and that too under Ecclesiastical penalty and censure which they accordingly are bound to submit to not as an infallible verity but as a probable truth and rest in her determination till it be made plain by as great authority that this her determination is an error or if they shall think it so by the weight of such reasons as are privately suggested to them yet are they still obliged to silence and peace where the decision of a particular Church is not against the Doctrine of the Vniversal Not to profess in this case against the Churches determination because the professing of such a controverted truth is not necessary but the preservation of the peace and unity of the Church is is not to assert infallibility in the Church but authority Wherefore Mr Chilingworth e Chilingw Pres §. 28. had very just reason to declare Whatsoever hath been held necessary to salvation either by the Catholick Church of all Ages or by the consent of Fathers measured by Vincentius Lirinensis his Rule or is held necessary either by the Catholick Church of this Age or by the consent of Protestants or even by the Church of England That against the Socinians and all others whatsoever I do verily believe and embrace Whereas the Pope and Church of Rome do challenge to themselves an authority supreme over all Causes and Persons by their Infallibility by which they exclude all others from their peace and themselves from emendation Neither are their followers much in the way thereunto by what Card. Bellarmine doth assert of this supreme Authority If the Pope saith he f C. Bellarm de Pontif. Ro. l. 4. c. 5. should err in commanding any Vices or forbidding any Vertues The Church is bound to believe those Vices are good and those Vertues are evil unless it would sin against Conscience g In bono sensu dedit Christus Petro potestatem saciendi de peccato non peccatum de non peccato peccatum c. Bell. c. 31. in Barklaium However in his Recognitions h Locuti sumus de actibus dubiis viâ—tâ—tum aut vitiorum Recogn operum c. B. p. 19. he minceth the matter in a distinction of doubtful and manifest Vices and Vertues O Blessed Guides of Souls How did the Illustrious Cardinal miss being Canoniz'd for that glorious Sentence and to help him for a Miracle to qualify him for an Apotheosis why did not some cry out of it So many words so many Miracles Thus many of the Romanists make the Pope such a Monarch in the Church as Mr Hobbs doth his Prince in the State i Hobbesius de Cive c. 7. art 26. c. 12. art 1. The interpretation of Holy Scripture the right of determining all Controversies to fix the rules of good and evil just and unjust honest and dishonest doth depend on his authority in the power of whom is the chief Government But this Doctrine is as bad Philosophy as that of the Cardinals is Divinity Among these excesses let us not forget the Moderation of our Church which holds she may revise what hath slipt from her wherefore in her 19. Article she declares As the Church of Jerusalem Alexandria and Antioch have erred so also the Church of Rome hath erred a charge agreeable to the Moderation of our Church considering what might have been further said which by the same proportions of reason she supposeth true of her self and of all others viz. That they are fallible and may erre § 6. Of the use of Reason with Reference to divine matters there may be elsewhere occasions in this Treatise to discourse * Ch. 6. §. 9 10. Yet here it is to be observed our Church doth not make its own reason a rule of Faith nor the sole Interpreter of Scripture much less the reason of private men yet because mankind hath no reasonable expectation of Miracles especially when ordinary means are sufficient and abounding and because the Holy Spirit of God in the testimony of his Church hath all along certainly conveyed to us the sense of many places beside That what is most needful to be heeded is very plain our Church doth allow and suppose rational mens perceiveing the sense of Scripture by the due use of their understanding which practice must also necessarily engage such to a high regard of what was anciently received in the Catholick Church For as nothing is held among us more agreeable to reason than our Religion so in expounding our Religion and in interpreting Scripture our Church makes use of the best and the truest reasons as is manifest in what she declares and enjoins and
fitly moderate in these disputes which not long since very much exercised Christendome as for instance when the Homilies declare Justification is not the office of man but of God only which we receive of him by his free mercy and by the only merits of his most dearly beloved Son Yet our Faith in Christ as it were saith unto us It is not I that take away your sins but it is Christ only nevertheless by Faith we embrace the promise of Gods mercy Such a Faith whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his Commandments Justification by Faith only freely and without works is spoken to take away clearly all merit of works as being unable to deserve our justification at Gods hand and thereby doth express the weakness of man and the goodness of God Yet the true lively and Christian Faith is no dead vain or unfruitful thing but a thing of perfect vertue and of wonderful operation and working and strength bringing forth all good motions and good works therefore let us by such vertues as spring out of Faith shew our Election to be sure and stable In such and many like passages are known the excellent Wisdom and Moderation of our Church particularly as we have seen attributing unto good works no more nor no less than what is consistent with the grace of the Gospel declaring most earnestly against the Roman opinion of merit by them and yet according as K. Edward's and Q. Elizabeth's Injunctions have it doth recommend Charity and Hospitality as a true worshipping of God And albeit the Romanists have much vaunted in this particular it hath not been doubted but the Church of England since the Reformation hath as great Monuments of Charity as ever were before under Papacy in the same compass of time and place so truly doth the publick Exhortation to the Contribution of St Paul's building conclude Our adversaries of Rome may be convinced that our Piety is as generous and charitable as theirs but would not be so arrogant and presumptuous and whilst we disclaim the merit yet we most stedfastly believe the obligation and necessity of good works How far our Sectaries are deficient in this matter it shall not be our business here to enquire nor to repeat how slightly and reprochfully they have spoken against the truth in this matter It may suffice to observe from what hath been said Nothing hath more vindicated the Doctrine of the Gospel the Grace of God and merits of our Saviour and established the necessity of a good life and prepared us for a comfortable death than the doctrine of our Church rightly understood wherein she hath delivered her self from all those fond opinions on which the Church of Rome and other have founded their peculiar Doctrines which have disquieted and confounded so many Christians and disturbed the Church Insomuch that some who have been otherwise much addicted to their own suppositions yet in many matters of controversy have readily acknowledged the Moderation of our Church The Presbyterian Brethren in their first Paper of Proposals to his Majesty say We take it for granted that there is a firm agreement between our Brethren and us in doctrinal truths of the Reformed Religion and in the substantials of divine worship Very famous saith Dr Tully through the whole World is the most prudent Moderation of the Church of England in her definitions of Faith in which surely to all she offers her self in so equal a poise that she can afford no offence to sober minds and lovers of truth nor doth she give any occasion of cavilling to slight and petulant dispositions of which in our Age there is such a swarm And Sancta Clara saith The English Confession goes on safely within this Latitude neither binding its followers to one side or other but freely leaves these matters of Controversy to Scholastic disputation § 7. As of Doctrines some are plain others mysterious and as our Church requires consent in nothing contrary to sense and reason so also she hath always contained her self from immoderate curiosity even in treating of mysteries using good caution and yet not so much as to become sceptical making good search for her own and others satisfaction as is fit and yet not too much so as to run into extreme or nice curiosity Of such mysteries as are revealed our Church hath faithfully declared those which God hath made requisite for us to know so far forth as is necessary yet such Moderation is used in the manner of declaring them that she hath prudently kept to the form of sound words in holy Scripture and the Declarations of the ancient Church not disclaiming the use of such expressions which the authority of the first Councils and the great consent of the learned have received while the words follow the thing it self delivered in Holy Scripture though in so many syllables perhaps there not set down which are not introduced into our Church to corrupt primitive simplicity but to prevent the double meaning which others have invented for other Scripture expressions and as our Church doth not intermeddle with what is above humane enquiry n First Part of the Sermon for Rogation Week It shall better suffice us in low humility to reverence the Divine Majesty which we cannot comprize than by overmuch curious searching to be over-charged with the glory so it doth not determine in those things which are as I may say below its enquiry namely in things unnecessary to be known o Quod legit Ecclesia Angl. piè credit quod non legit pari pietate non inquirit Rex Jac. ad C. Perr § 8. In giving a reason of our hope and in convincing our selves or others of the truth of matters of Faith and Christian Doctrine our Church doth not insist upon such kind of certainties as others without reason do exact The point of certainty is a nice step which is taken in the first consideration of Religion and of great consequence wherefore we cannot but observe the great Moderation and care of our Church 1. Resolving the first motive and reason of believing into the Testimony of God only submitting all rational enquiries unto the Divine Testimony when once there is assurance that the same testimony is Divine our Church doth not make nor suppose that there can be made by any humane Judgment a measure of what is incomprehensible 2. Our Church doth accept and use such rational evidences as God hath given us as the means of being assured of the certainty that the Revelations which we receive as Divine are such Because the Divine Testimony is not immediate to us nor necessary it should be so but is conveyed to the assent of the understanding by some proper and just evidence The ordinary way of knowledge allow'd us is the conviction of our judgments and reasons concerning the truth of the Proposition we assent to which conviction is made by such proper arguments as may sufficiently induce our belief now though there
are innumerable arguments which convince us of the certainty of the Divine Testimony in the matters we have received yet such is the Moderation of our Church she doth not require every one in her Communion necessarily to know and receive all the reasons of certainty which are and may be given nor yet to rely on one to the neglect of another but leaves us to be satisfied according to the means and opportunities which we have abundantly offered unto us justly supposing there are so many reasons perswading the truth of what we believe that some are convinced by some others by others as the Providence of God disposeth things 3. Our Church no where makes infallible certainty of assent a necessary condition of Faith it being sufficient to make our Faith certain if our Rule be infallible and that applyed with moral evidence that is such an evidence as we can have of things and actions past as is sufficient to guide and govern our manners and behaviour Some of late have contended with very ill success that an infallible certainty of assent is necessarily wrought by demonstration and what they love to call scientific Evidence in every Believer which doctrine of J. S. is condemned by his Adversaries even of Rome p Animadv P. Talboti Arch. Dubl in Prop. 2. p. 54. as the pith of Manicheism because it lays this burden on the Church or an Oecumenical Council evidently to demonstrate its own infallibility If destroying the first foundation of the Roman infallibility were all we might dispense with that inconvenience as it renders their motives of credibility insufficient which before the doctrine of infallibility is received used to be the only way they had to recommend the Church of Rome to the approbation of Proselytes but to affirm that all certainty of Christian Faith is generally wrought by such demonstration in case that doctrine proves false the consequence is If Christian Faith have no other certainty Christianity it self is left uncertain in its very foundations Others there are who deliver that an infallible certainty of assent wrought only by the immediate extraordinary operation of the Spirit of God is necessarily in every true Believer Now though our Church doth as much as any can do own the necessity of Gods Grace and holy Spirit to prevent assist and follow us especially in what concerns divine matters yet our Church is not so bold with the Holy Spirit of God to affirm that such an inward testimony of the Divine Spirit working together in our Spirits an infallible assent is so necessary to assure us of the certainty of Faith and of the authority of Holy Scriptures and of the truth of other Doctrines in question as without which we could have no such belief as is required to Salvation Which precarious presumption tends to render useless all those sufficient evidences we have of Divine truth by the gracious means which God hath appointed ordinary in his Church and whereas the assertors of this extraordinary spirit exclude all other means of real certainty as insufficient such a Doctrine being false must needs tend also to overthrow all Christian Religion Such is the sad consequence of the Doctrines both of Dr I. O. and Mr I. S. in making though on differing grounds an infallible assent necessary to a true belief They agree together also in the injury they do Christian Religion by traducing our Faith as a probable fallible humane natural Faith which are the very words they q V. Dr I. O. Reason of Faith p. 72. Mr I. S. Faith Vindicated both unite in to expose our belief to contempt which is grounded on such evidences as God hath abundantly afforded us to assure us of the truth of his Divine Testimony Which evidences especially in matters of Faith necessary to Salvation since they are so plain and certain Our Church hath always held needless such an infallible guide as the Romanists would impose upon us And for the same reasons that we do not expect any new Revelations nor any ostentation of new miracles necessary to a true Church or true Faith they being superseded by the ordinary means of Faith which are sufficient for the same reasons we cannot presume to expect much less to make necessary to every true belief such extraordinary illapses of the Divine Spirit which makes those who only think they have it think themselves only infallible And thus we may discern how many are led to Popery by the way of Enthusiasm For it is usual for those into whose head Enthusiasm is flown to reel from one extream to another 4. To preserve us from these uncertainties among the very many reasons which we have from rational and moral evidence whereby the truth of the Divine Testimony is confirmed to us abundantly Our Church owns no one greater since the miraculous gifts than the testimony of Gods Church now and in all Ages since Christ and his Apostles time because of the sundry Evidences also which confirm to us the truth of the Churches testimony All which amount to more than high probability for as r â— Lomini Hiâ—l Consul haeres Blacklo P. 2. c. 4. §. 5. Lominus tells J. S. Probability on one side doth not exclude probability also on the opposite side but the reason of moral evidence and certainty doth exclude any probability on the contrary part and that so manifestly that only grievous ignorance and pertinacy can incline a man thereunto § 9. As the Moderation of our Church allows us to be reasonably satisfied of the certainty of our Faith much more are other doctrines so propounded to those of our Communion as not to render useless their own reasons and judgments Notwithstanding our Church doth sufficiently vindicate her own just power and the authority of what she testifies and determines Article 20. 34. c. and by her Canons requires a just submission All care being also taken by the Church to prevent error and dissentions and wresting the Scriptures Canon 34. 49. 139. Yet all is performed among us with a most excellent and golden mean And in that nothing in our Church is determin'd contrary to truth nor the judgment of the Catholick Church nor right reason the Church of England can the better allow her Sons their right to search examine and discern what they must approve Which Bishop Davenant and Bishop Bramhall and some others understand by their judgment of discretion though the word sounds not so pleasing to some Religious Ears because it seems by the use of the phrase in English to incline private persons to a power of refusing what the Church rightly determines which is not to be allowed For as the suffrage of our Church hath been constantly unanimous with that of the Apostle We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth much more ought private persons to be bounded thereby if the Apostles and the Church are The Moderation of the Church will appear the more remarkable if we
Christian people Let Archbishop Laud be heard for once by those who have doubted his judgment in this matter l Archbishop Laud §. 16. Num. 31. I ever took Sermons and do still to be the most necessary Expositions and applications of Holy Scripture and a great ordinary means of Salvation To the same purpose Hooker's Eccles Pol. l. 2. § 22. Neither hath the Church of God ever had any where more useful practical and judicious Preachers than those who with the Church of England have thus ingenuously and equally judged of the use and necessity of Preaching on one hand esteeming its real use and benefit on the other hand not judging it the chief exercise of Religion and the worship of God nor allowing that for the hearing of a Sermon which spends its Life in its Birth as Mr Hooker saith the Prayers of the Church should be slighted neglected or mangled m In concione solâ totum fermè Divini cultûs ritum collocant non tales erant antiquae piae Synaxes Ar. Spalat l. 7. c. 12. At the Conference at Hampton-Court the Bishop of London humbly desired his Majesty That there might be a praying Ministry among us it being now come to pass that men think it the only duty of Ministers to spend their time in the Pulpit I confess saith he in a Church newly to be planted Preaching is most necessary not so in one long established that Prayer should be neglected I like saith King James your motion exceeding well and dislike the Hypocrisy of our time who place all Religion in the Ear. At the very dawning also of the Reformation Preaching was also especially useful and few were exercis'd therein and had a right skill therein which made the Institution of a Christian man set out 1537. because of the difficulty thereof say Surely the office of Preaching is the chief and most principal office whereunto Priests or Bishops be called by the authority of the Gospel though by Preaching there might be meant the Annunciation of the Gospel which is done by lively reading of the Scriptures and in sundry other Ministerial Offices Wherefore in the Church of England we have the lively Oracles of the Holy Scriptures declared and read among us n Coimus ad divinam Literarum commemorationem Tert. Apol. We have Catechising and Expositions on the Church Catechism We have also excellent Homilies too much despised for their plainness yet the same which Bucer o Quid illi qui non sustineant audire erectis animis cupidis tam breves easque tam salutares Homilias totas Censura M. Buceri magnify'd as short and wholsome Sermons not only for the help of non-Preaching Ministers but withal a pattern and as it were a boundary for the Preaching Ministers as King James hath it in his Directions 1623. of which how modestly and moderately doth the Church her self speak in its 35. Article That they contain a Godly and wholsome Doctrine necessary for these times We have also the Lives and Counsels of the Church's Ministers which are living Sermons too p Vereor nè pancae extant inregno vivae conciones Calv. Ep. 87. So that among us we have all sorts of Preaching if the commonness of it did not make it despised Great care also is taken for other Sermons too q Canon 45 46. Rubrick after the Nicene Creed Yea our Church hath used all possible means that the Preaching of her Ministers may be useful and as they ought to be as appears from the exhortations which are made at the Ordinations of Bishops Priests and Deacons and the subscriptions which are made before the Bishops which are also incomparably enforced by r V. librum quorundam Canonum 1597. Can. 50. C. 54. Q. Elizabeth's Articles for doctrine and Preaching 1554. their Majesties directions from time to time as hath been instanced Ch. 6. § 5. Notwithstanding many are of the mind with those in Scotland who esteemed the Directions of King James to Preachers to be Limiting of the Spirit of God ſ Spotswood History of Scotland ad an 1622. What would they have thought of the Proclamation of King Edw. VI. which inhibited all Preaching throughout the Kingdom that the Clergy might apply themselves unto Prayer The Copy of which Inhibition is in Fuller's Church History t Fuller 's History Ec. ad an 1548. 2 Ed. 6. In the Preface to the Directory we see the Prelates accused for the crime of making Preaching inferiour to the Common-Prayer which charge contains a fallacy like that of a complex Interrogation For our Liturgy doth not exclude but suppose and require Preaching and doth contain in its daily Offices sundry sorts of real Preaching beside Among professed Christians ought Preaching to contend with Prayer either as to the necessity of it or dignity when Prayer is our duty to God immediately and doth suppose people already instructed In the Notes on the view of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Law u P. 3. Ch. 4. §. 3. it is very well concluded All this while we should not detract any thing from Preaching considering our selves to live under a State so maturely composed and so throughly advised and setled in the Faith it would be expected that we should so far moderate our opinion of Preaching as that our magnifying thereof may no way tend to the discredit or disadvantage of most necessary Prayer Our Church doth not admit to the Office of Preaching any but who are ordained and licensed thereunto Yet our Church doth allow such kind of Sermons as we call in the Colleges Common places for the training up of Candidates in Divinity and for their tryal of skill before competent Judges The Moderation in our Church is further known in that among us its Ministers are not expected nor do they endeavour to take the people in their Preaching by mysterious non-sense or by storm and sensible noises and uncouth tones and grimaces whereby a tumult and confusion is rais'd in the animal passions scaring weak people almost out of their wits and common sense just as the Valentinian Hereticks x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist l. 4. used hard words and thundring noises in their Conventicles to cause astonishment in the people y Nihil tam facile quà m vilem plebeculam indoctam concionem linguae volubilitate decipere quae quicquid non intellexit plus miratur S. Hier. ad Nepotian Ep. 3. Our design is otherwise by a rational and sober surrender of their minds to gain our Hearers to truth and goodness Whence it follows that among such as Mr Hooker well notes z Eccles Pol. l. 5. §. 2. The vigour and efficacy of Sermons do grow from certain accidents which are not in them but in their maker his gesture his zeal his motion of body inflexion of voice c. Here it is not improper also to justify the Moderation and good reason our Church hath for the distinction it hath
and establishing Truth and Peace with all freedom from prejudice and passion hath appeared throughout the whole frame of our Liturgy Articles and Homilies and Constitutions and Versions we have of Holy Scripture any who are sincere themselves may easily acknowledg if they will truly consider the same For as our Homily of Holy Scripture saith Without a single Eye pure Intent and good Mind nothing is allowed before God And in the Homily of Prayer earnest complaint is made of such as would deface the plain and simple Religion of Christ In pursuance of these sincere designs of Piety Truth Peace and Order the Moderation of our Church in her Reformation will the more certainly appear founded in Justice If we consider 1. Our Church hath not made Truth to submit to her Authority but hath chearfully and sincerely submitted her self to Truth She hath not had a weight and a weight to buy the Truth by one and to sell it by another but hath judged of all Truth and the degrees of its necessity by the Standard which God hath given his Church namely the Holy Scriptures the only Rule of her Faith So in rejection of Error our Church hath bin impartial to either extreme 2. Our Church holds no such Doctrines as necessarily or by consequence overthrow a good Life and the practice of Devotion For this we must say for the Constitution of our Church The Vices among us are in no wise the Consequences of our Doctrines Neither have we any such Moderation among us to reconcile the pleasures and profits of Sin with the hope of happiness hereafter subjecting the most divine things to most vile purposes which tends to make the World believe that Christian Religion is a cheat and its Priests the most vile Imposters of any Whatever the scandalous opinions and practices of the Adversaries of our Church have done to the great hindrance of the conversion of many and the injury of Christianity Our Church of England gives no offence to Jew or Greek Mahumetan or Heathen 3. Our Church hath not squared the frame of its Ecclesiastical Policy by the ends of Secular Grandure or external Pomp as if she could put off Christianity to put on worldly Glory and as if we believed in such a Messias as the Jews expected rather than in the crucified Jesus whose Kingdom is not of this World And here rather than stay the Reader too long I commit to his reflection how the peculiar Doctrines of the Roman Church tend to the encrease of their Power or their Patrimony * Non est amplius Ecclesia sed Respublica quaedam humana sub Papa Monarchiâ temporali Spalatensis in profect Consil rather than that Interest of the Christian Religion which the whole constitution of our Church is framed first to regard Here might properly be considered the intolerable Charge which the Moderation of our Church justly saves us in that expence which unjustly follows Popery The one Doctrine of Purgatory will cost any one very dear upon the belief of it How many Indulgences Masses Jubilees c. must be paid for ¶ V. Fullers Eccl. hist ad an H. 8. 27. V. Romish Horse-leach V. Brutum fulmen Tanti videlicet nobis constitit âmicitia urbis Romae Apol. Eccl. Angl. § 160. 4. Our Church by its Moderation hath been far from driving on any corrupt designs Whereas the Moderation of the Romish Church hath been always noted very artificial Whence they have moderate explications for the doubtful Indulgences for the soft Austerities for the soure Legends for the credulous Visions for the Enthusiast fair interpretations for what may seem harsh a mild sence for their turn and a strict sense also to keep up the Authority of their Church fair and goodly Baits to entangle Proselytes but when they are engaged they may find themselves caught with a bearded Hook Even such sometime is the seeming Moderation and Self-denial which is cherished in our Sectaries by those who actuate them that so they may more effectually divide and propagate such Division Whereas those who are truly principled according to the Moderation of our Church are made to be more constant and consistent to themselves and to Truth not to turn to one hand of Popery nor to the other hand of Enthusiasm in any sinful compliance which rather than admit if the case requires they can suffer Martyrdom as did sundry of the first Compilers of our Common-prayer-book and many since even in the late times and all kinds of Sufferings beside 5. The Moderation also of our Church in its Reformation thus founded in Justice hath caused her to avoid such Corruptions as render the Sincerity of others very doubtful We have not by Arts and devised Subtilties gone about to palliate nor by Power and Authority to uphold any Errors whatsoever nor promoted Ecclesiastical Policy by gratifying the corrupt inclinations of Men Neither the Doctrines nor Policy of our Church are kept up by pious or impious Frauds equivocations of Oaths false Miracles pretended Revelations counterfeit Reliques Forgeries and Expurgation of Books devotional Ignorance exquisite Arts of defaming our Adversaries and sometime extream Cruelty This Justice in which the Moderation of our Church is founded makes those of our Church careful to take and heedful to keep our Oaths and Vows whereas among the Romanists easy dispensations dissolve those sacred Bands of Society What think we saith our Homily of good works ¶ â—2 Part. of those that vow Chastity and yet as is very moderately expressed how their Vows are kept it is more honest to pass over in silence They vow Poverty and yet their Possessions and Riches are equal to those of Princes under pretence of Obedience to their Fathers in Religion by their Rules and Canons they are made free from the Obedience of their natural Father and Mother According to the same principle of Justice governing our Church the forms and practices of our Church do not contradict our general Rules of Faith because we believe in the Holy Trinity therefore we do not worship Saints and Angels because we believe the Holy Catholic Church therefore we believe not in the Church of Rome 6. The same Moderation of the Church founded in Justice hath governed her Reformation in using or rejecting things indifferent which have bin abused The Wisdom and Moderation of our Church having bin far from judging that things which have been abused to ill purposes can never be lawfully or profitably used which principle might lay waste all Ecclesiastical or Civil Societies of any good Orders and Appointments for there is nothing so good but either hath bin or is capable to be abused very grosly Wherefore our Church doth well distinguish between what is abused by the fault of ill Men * Si quid vitil accessâ—t vitium tellatur râ—s verò restituatâ—r concordia â—latur Wicelii Meth. Concord c. 5. and what in the nature of the thing it self tends to promote such an abuse
nearer are they coming to them sundry ways as in opposite Errors the Causes may be commonly the same Thus Arch-Bishop Laud * Pref. of the Conference against Fisher observed The Rigid Professors on either side have quite leaped over the Mean and have bin rigid the other way as Extremity it self and is a very natural motion For a Man is apt to think he can never run far enough from that which he once begins to hate Of which sort the several Factions and Interests among us have bin continually like the Friars at the Council of Trent who were always watchful and zealous to maintain their peculiar Doctrines among which extremes our Church if she might be listened to would reduce all to a due temper upon surer and more reasonable Foundations than the Bishops at that Council laboured to do 3. As our Laws by one name call both sorts of Separatists Recusants so our Romanists and Sectaries behave themselves much alike The one have their private Masses the other their Conventicles both contrary to the Laws of our Kingdom and our Church Both the Romanists and the Separatists join in requiring a License for the Exercise of their Religion in private Houses 4. Both our Romanists and Sectaries by encreasing our Divisions help with joint force to make a general Toleration necessary which would give the Romanists the greatest advantage they can desire They both supplicate with equal earnestness to be tolerated whereas the Principles of each lead them not to tolerate others 5. Their pretences to all mildness and gentleness are equally supple and assuring but how mild they are when they are uppermost odious experience testifies so that Instances of their extreme Rigors which are most known need not be enumerated We need not call on the Inquisition to testify to the Rigors of the Romanists nor look into all the Severities of the Disciplinarians who have bin known to inflict Censures for a suspicion of Covetousness a superfluity in Raiment for dancing at a Wedding for using their Liberty in their Recreations and have kept others as well as themselves from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper upon uncharitable Accounts It hath bin observed where the Discipline in Scotland was established the People had a high Commission in every Parish and groan'd under the Arbitrary Decrees of Ignorant Governors If there arose a private Jar between the Parent and the Child the Husband and the Wife these Domestical Judges must know it Formerly and lately among some they have bin scarce allowed in Conscience to marry without the consent of the Teacher or when they have it hath bin matter of complaint 6. It hath bin already observed at large Chap. 13. § 58. how both the Romanists and the Separatists agree in their groundless and unjust accusing the Government of Persecution like the Donatists of old who cried out Persecution when they most of all had afflicted the Catholics The Romanists have their dire Anathema's and heavy Censures the Separatists their cruel Maranatha's and preach Damnation most of all against them that differ from them especially if they be of the Church's side 7. Nevertheless both sorts can very easily give out Indulgences to their own Parties God sees no sin in his Children say some Sectaries Which is a greater Bribe to be of their Party than any can be found in the Penitentiary Tax for Sins as they are sold at Rome 8. When the Papists and the Separatists have bin at a loss that they cannot justify their Proceedings by the Laws of God or Man then they meet in one common Sanctuary whereby they are bold to sanctify the most extravagant Practices pretending Providence for their Warrant Thus Pope Pius 5. in his Speech in the Consistory of Cardinals at Rome after the murder of King Hen. 3. of France sundry times in one Oration he magnifies the Exploit of that wretched Zealot as brought about by the special Providence of God * Non nisi Dei opt Max. particulari Providentiâ dispositione perpetratum The same impudence or ignorance others have used to defend such Practices as no Laws Divine or Humane could justify sheltring them under the wide pretence of Providence which hath bin well call'd †Answer to Mr. Jenkins p. 16. Regiment politicum fundatur in extraordinarià Dei Providentiâ Ibid. p. 15. A fine pliable Principle it will lap about your finger like Barbary Gold 9. The Romanists enlarge their Creed in sundry Articles without belief of which there is no Salvation and very many Separatists deliver their peculiar Doctrines as absolutely necessary to a state of Salvation tho among the divided Sects many of them are contrary one to another They both often stuff their Prayers and their Chatechisms with Matters of doubtful Controversy and in maintaining the same they are alike too dogmatical 10. We need not here prove what is so well known namely the mean Opinion which the Romanists have of Holy Scriptures supposing they receive their Authority from the Pope yet receiving their own Traditions with equal affection and reverence The Separatists by casting off to another extreme the real Authority and Testimony of God's Church which hath bin all along the Keeper the Witness the Defender the Interpreter of Holy Scriptures by degrees many of our Separatists have come to throw off the Holy Scriptures as a Rule of Faith and Manners The Romanists they add their own Traditions to the Word of God and many Sectaries call their Teaching and their Impulses the Word of God which often is quite contrary thereunto The Romanists set up the Pope for an Infallible Interpreter many of the Separatists account the Private Spirit an Infallible Interpreter V. Ch. 4. § 3. 11. The Romanists pretend that Miracles and extraordinary Gifts have not ceased but are still necessary Signs of a true Church It is also the very height of Enthusiam to hold as many of our Separatists do That Immediate Revelations from God and extraordinary Illapses from the Holy Spirit are necessary and common among all the Faithful Which Pretences lying obvious to an easy Confidence cannot easily be wrested from such as will hold them to their own destruction 12. The Romanists assert an implicit Faith which is determinately resolved into the authority of their Leaders Whether the like is ever required by the Leaders generally of Factions among us I do not now enquire But however that the same is granted by their Followers appears most evident For when many can give no reason for what they hold they keep close to their Ring-leaders and move and change with them generally and how much the Authority of the Persons they have in admiration governs them more than any sway of Argument is daily experienced And whereas a due regard on this side the implicit Faith of the Romanists is due to Governors V. Ch. 6. § 9 10. toward such how scrupulous delicate and wary are they not to say disregardful but in following their Masters of
Council where alone those men are heard which are determined for ever in all points to defend the Popish party and to arm themselves to fight in the Bishop of Romes quarrel though it were against God and the Holy Scriptures It is no general Council neither ought it to be called general where the same men be only Advocates and Adversaries defending his Primacy born by the ignorance of the World nourished by the ambition of the Bishops of Rome defended by places of Scripture falsly understood Neither secondly is our Churches honour to general Councils lessened because she declares they are not infallible as in our 21. Article of Religion When they be gathered together Forasmuch as they be an Assembly of Men whereof all be not governed with the spirit and word of God they may erre and sometime have erred even in things pertaining to God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither strength nor authority unless it be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture t Itaque legantur Concilia quidem Cum honore sed interim ad scripturam piam certam rectamque regulam examinentur Reform leg Eccl. c. 14. Notwithstanding they are not infallible yet for the establishing consent King James may be presumed to declare the sense of our Church of the use of such Councils lawfully assembled Come saith He u Rex Jacobus ad Card. Perr put it to the Issue allow a free general Council which may not depend upon the arbitrary will of one man and the Church of England is prepared to give a Reason of its Faith For even anciently it was a great complaint in the Church as the Fond of all their mischiefs x Nilus Archiep Thesâ—al l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Controversies were not determined after the Primitive Rite and manner § 3. Concerning the Testimony of the Fathers the Church of England hath observed the same wise Moderation in her judgment and use of them also no where judging of them as unliable to error according to the arguing of the 21. Article Because they are but men and sometimes have erred in things pertaining to God neither hath our Church any where swallowed their errors through the Veneration of their Piety and Antiquity Yet because of their Proximity to the Apostolick times and the just authority in the Church which for their Learning and Piety they have obtained and all along hath been given them Our Church in her Monuments gives a great deference to their judgment testimony and practice In the 31. Canon Forasmuch as the ancient Fathers of the Church led by the example of the Apostles appointed c. We following their Holy and Religious Example do Constitute and Decree Canon 32. According to the judgment of the ancient Fathers and the practice of the Primitive Church We do Ordain Canon 33. It hath been long since provided by many Decrees of ancient Fathers That c. According to which Examples we do Ordain Canon 60. Forasmnch as it hath been a solemn ancient and laudable Custom in the Church of God continued from the Apostles time That c. We will and appoint So in the 30. Canon The lawful use of the Cross in Baptism is explained from the practice of the Primitive Times And in King Edw. VI. Proclamation before the Common Prayer Book the reason for our Forms and Rites is justified from the practice of the Primitive Church and in the Preface concerning the Service of the Church Here you have an Order for Prayer and reading the Holy Scripture much agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old Fathers and in many other places where they are named and where they are not named The footsteps of their ancient Piety have very discernable impressions throughout the whole Constitution of our Church Wherefore as it is in the Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws of England as was intended y Reform leg Eccles Angl. c. 15. Let the Authority and Reverence be continued to the Ancient and Orthodox Fathers but such as may be subject to the determination truth and authority of the Holy Scriptures For always the ancient Fathers z Neque enim quorumlibet disputationes quamvis Catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut seripturas Canonicas habere debemus ut nobis non liceat salvâ Honorificentiâ quae illis debetur hominibus aliquid in eorum seriptis improbare Talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum Tales volo esse intellectores meorum S. Aug. Ep. 3. V. Ep. 19. ad S. Hier. Chilingw Pref. §. 25. themselves refused any other kind of honour or respect frequently admonishing the Reader that he admit their opinions or interpretations but so far as he sees them agree with the Holy Writings So that since Protestants are bound by Canon to follow the ancient Fathers whosoever doth so with sincerity it is utterly impossible he should be a Papist And indeed the Reverence of the Church of England to the ancient Fathers as it is most regular and well govern'd so it is most uniform and constant whereas nothing is more ordinary with the Romanists than when they are prest and urg'd by the authority of the ancient Fathers against them to depreciate their testimonies and add some scurvy false insinuations concerning them as hath been often observed of C. Baronius Bellarmine Stapleton and others Whereas the constant Reverence of the Church of England to the ancient Fathers is such that the Romanists cannot but acknowledge it very often as De Cressy a Exomolog p. 102. 135. saith Indeed the Protestants in England make honourable mention of the Fathers They profess greater Reverence to Antiquity than any other Sect whatsoever § 4. There are many things of excellent use in themselves which come to be suspected and reproached because of the abuse they have had in the Roman Church Of which Tradition may be a great instance Because the Church of Rome hath made Tradition equal if not superiour to Holy Scripture therefore others run to the other extreme of undervaluing all kind of good and lawful Tradition not considering that Holy Scripture is Tradition Recorded And forgeting that in the Church of God one great proof of the integrity of the Canon of Holy Scripture it self hath been always Tradition which these men so confidently despise There are also some Traditions not contrary to the Holy Scripture which if they be rightly qualify'd have and ought to have great authority with us Wherefore upon all occasions is celebrated among us that famous passage of Vincentius Lirinensis b Vinc. Lir. adv Haer. c. 3. Whatsoever is universally delivered which every where which always which of all is believed that is accounted as indubitable and certain We receive not saith Bishop Bramhall to M. Militiere your upstart Traditions nor unwritten Fundamentals but we admit genuine universal Apostolical Traditions And we are so far from believing Tradition without allowing the Papacy That one of the
fidem sanctis vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam figimus c. Tertull Apol. All manner of persons within this Church of England that from henceforth they celebrate and keep the Lords Day commonly called Sunday and other Holy-days according to Gods holy will and pleasure and the Orders of the Church of England prescribed in that behalf that is in hearing of the Word of God read and taught in private and publick Prayers in acknowledging their offences to God and amendment of the same in reconciling themselves charitably to their neighbours where displeasure hath been in oftentimes receiving the Holy Communion of the body and blood of Christ in visiting of the poor and sick and using all good and sober Conversation Much to the same purpose is largely insisted on in the Homily of place and time of Prayer All persons saith the late Statute q Car. 2. 29. shall on every Lords Day apply themselves to the observation of the same by exercising themselves in the duties of Piety and true Religion publickly and privately and no Tradesman shall do or exercise any worldly labour c. Works of necessity and Charity only excepted r Cunctarum artium officia venerabili die solis quiescant l. 3. Cod. Tit. de Feriis Which Statute of the Kingdom seems to have taken its Rule of Moderation from our excellent Homilies Which do reprove those who ride Journeys buy and sell and make all days alike who profane such holy times by pride and other excesses Albeit the same Homily declares the Commandment of God doth not bind Christian people so straitly to observe the utter Ceremonies of the Sabbath Day as it was given to the Jews Å¿ Audimus apud Bohemos exoriri novum Judaeorum genus Sabbatarios appellant qui tantâ superstitione servant sabbatum ut si quid eo die inciderit in câ—â—lum nolint eximere Erasm de amab Concord as touching forbearing of work and labour in time of necessity and so the Injunctions of King Edw. 6. and Queen Eliz. § 20. conclude Notwithstanding all Parsons Vicars and Curates shall teach and declare unto their Parishioners that they may with a safe and quiet Conscience after Common-Prayer in time of Harvest labour upon the Holy and Festival Days and save that thing which God hath sent So by King Edw. 6. it was ordered that the Lords of the Council should upon every Sunday attend the publick affairs of the Realm The Church also and the Laws of the Kingdom have taken the same wise care to set such Holy-Dayes in every term t Taceat apparitio advocatio delitescat nihil â—odem die sibi vendicat scena theatralis l. 3. Cod. Tit. de feriis V. Act for abrogation of Holy-dayes 1536. R. Hen 8. V. R. H. 8. Injunctions Hist of Reform Collection of Records l. 3. p. 161. Legum conditores festos instituerunt dies ut ad hilaritatem homines publicè cogerentur tanquam necessarium laboribus temperamentum Sen. de Tranquill. c. 15. that beside the ordinary Vacations there may be some days of respite from secular businesses and contests of Law for the exercises of Peace Charity and Devotion So careful have our Laws in Church and Kingdom been to avoid profaneness on one hand and on the other hand all sorts of superstition that is either Heathenish or Jewish usages as such For as the Homily of Prayer earnestly blames them who abuse holy times and places with intolerable superstitions as hath been in use in the Church of Rome so on the other hand it doth not countenance those opinions which tend to establish among us such observances as were peculiar to the Jews After the recital of the fourth Commandment in the Decalogue our Church prays That our hearts be inclin'd to keep that Law therein rightly acknowledging a moral equity that Christians should observe such a proportion of time as hath been the practice of the Church in which time all impediments to sacred and religious duties publick or private are to be avoided according to the equity of the Divine Law and the Precept of Gods Church The Moderation of our Church in its judgment of the Lords Day Bishop Bramhall hath observed from the Homily of the Church as concurrent with his own judgment u Discourse of the Sabbath or Lords Day p. 932. 1. That the Homily denieth not the Lords Day the name of Sabbath That it finds no Law of the Sabbath Gen. 23. That the Homily finds no seventh Day Sabbath before Moses his time The Homily gives no power to the fourth Commandement as it was given to the Jews to oblige Christians but only as it was and so far as it was a Law of nature The Homily makes the first day of the week to signify the Lords Day The Homily makes the end of changing the Weekly Festival of the Church to have been in honour of Christs Resurrection The Homily derives the Lords Day down from the Ascension of Christ immediately But the Homily doth express that p. 916. the fourth Commandment doth not bind Christians over-streightly Not to the external Ceremonies of the Sabbath not to the rigorous part of it to forbear all work As to the question By what authority this change was made I find no cause to doubt saith the Bishop but that it was made by the authority of Christ that is by divine authority 'T is true we find no express precept recorded in Holy Scripture for the setting a-part the first day of the Week for the service of God Neither is it necessary that there should be an express Precept for it founded in Holy Scripture to prove it to be a divine right The perpetual and universal practice of the Catholick Church including all the Apostles themselves is a sufficient proof of the divine right of it that at least it was an Apostolical Institution and Ordinance not temporary but perpetual § 12. With the Festivals it may not be improper to join the notice of the Moderation of our Church in reference to her Musick and Psalmody wherein the Constitution of our Church sheweth us the true temper of Religion which as it is the most serious so it is the most pleasant of all performances and is most suited to the nature temper and condition of man in which joy and sorrow have a very interchangeable interest therefore S. James saith Is any afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalms Jam. 3. 13. Accordingly in our Church Prayer and praise fill up the measures of Divine Worship and can there be any performance more pleasant than to join with and imitate the Heavenly Host in the high praises of God Neither doth our Church judge it enough for us to make melody in our hearts to the Lord but doth require us to serve God also with our x Omnes affectus spiritûs nostri pro sua diversitate habent proprios modos in voce cantu quorum occultâ
enough to the Majesty and Prerogative of any King Suitable also to the moderate Elevation of our Clime * Nulli violabilis astro Servat temperiem regio non uritur aestu Non reditura timet glaciali Sidera brumae foelicior omni Terra solo non altera credam Arva Beatorum H. Gro. ad Reg. Brit. Silv. l. 2. upon which account many have reckoned England amongst the most fortunate Islands a true Garden of delight Our lot is fallen in a fair ground yea we have a goodly heritage The Zone here for Ecclesiastical affairs being very temperate as Sir William Boswell's expression was to the Learned Mede We saith Bishop Bramhall live in the most temperate part of the temperate Zone and enjoy a Government as temperate as the Climate it self we cannot complain of too much or too little Sun where the beams of Soveraignty are neither too perpendicular to scorch us nor yet too oblique but that they may warm us * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Evagrio l. 3. c. 14. de Alexandriâ The Moderation of this Church is fitted also to promote that Good nature which is noted to have such a peculiar sense in the English which other Languages do as incompletely express as many of their models do her frame And which is above all this temper is most suitable to our Christianity which is not only the best but the Dean of Canterbury Nov. 5. 78. best natured institution in the World which the Moderation of our Church doth properly cherish and appears to be a most noble effect of the mild Oeconomy of the Gospel in the quiet and peace of whose general reformation of the World Blessed be God the particular reformation of the Church among us was very much alike when a singular spirit of Moderation descended upon our Church like the gentle dew upon the Fleece of Gideon or as the bountiful gifts came down from Heaven accompanied with the sensible appearances of cloven tongues in an innocent and lambent flame on the heads of the Apostles and did them no harm with such harmless Peace and Moderation was the Reformation and Restauration of our Church brought about But alas since the very mildness and gentleness of our Lord Christ by which S. Paul so affectionately entreats the Corinthians 2 Cor. 10. 1. too ineffectually prevails on the Christian World Notwithstanding no kind of temper hath such proper charms for the very nature of mankind no wonder if that Moderation which is the proper glory of the Church of England cannot perswade either the Romanists or Enthusiasts to be sensible of that wisdom and law of kindness which attempers all the Commands and Constitutions of our Church wherefore I know no method which can more usefully and compendiously demonstrate the true merit of our Churches praise than by her Moderation in which all vertues as it were by one act of comprehension are already contained And if none hitherto have on set purpose undertaken to display the same at large the true reason might be there are so many Vertues in our Churches Constitution no wonder if none have applied their labours unto every one of them in particular It is this Moderation of our Church which renders her so like the Primitive and Apostolical pattern and makes her have so much sympathy with the true Catholick Church of Christ Unto the judgment of which Church Universal as our Church of England submits her self and would at any time as King James used to declare refer her self to a free and general Council if it could be had Which is a worthy instance of her real Moderation So and for the same reason do I here most readily and heartily submit whatsoever I have said or writ to the Judgment of the Church of England and if in the variety of matter before me any thing contrary to or diverse from the truth she asserts hath escaped me I solemnly retract the same T. P. VErùm apud Sapientes atque in famosâ nobilique Ecclesiâ cujus specialitèr filius sum Quae dixi absque praejudicio sanè dicta sunt saniùs sapientis Hujus praesertim Ecclesiae authoritari atque examini totum hoc sicut caetera quae ejusmodi sunt universa reservo Ipsius si quid alitèr sapio paratus judicio emendare S. Bernard Ep. 174. Ad Canon Lugdun Imprimatur Ex Aedib Lambeth Apr. 28. 1679. Geo. Thorp Rmo in Christo Patri D no D no Gulielmo Archiep. Cant. à Sacris Domesticis THE CONTENTS Chap. I. OF Moderation in general § 1. The loud demands of late among us for Moderation taken notice of § 2. The specious pretences of several Factions thereunto exposed § 3. The general meaning of Moderation noted § 4. The use of the Greek word for Moderation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is borrowed from the Law explained § 5. The forensick notion of Moderation applied to Moderation in Religion § 6. What is justly expected of those who causlesly blame our Church with want of Moderation § 7. Moderation considered not only as a vertue of publick but of private persons both toward their Governours first and also toward one another § 8. Some general rules or measures according to natural Justice and Christianity whereby we may judge of the Moderation of the Church with the design of this Treatise declared p. 1 Chap. II. Of the false notions of Moderation which many have taken up § 1. How it comes to pass that the name of Moderation is so seldom apply'd to what it ought to be § 2. The sense of that Text inquired into Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all § 3. Those words of the Apostle purposely are directed to the suffering sort of Christians § 4. Some false notions and evil meaning of the word Moderation briefly animadverted on and overthrown p. 22 Chap. III. Of Moderation with respect to the Church of England § 1. What is to be understood by the Church of England § 2. The Moderation of our Church frequently confessed by her Adversaries sometime truly sometime upon design but most often our Church is reproached and opposed for her Moderation by each sort of Adversaries § 3. From the joint opposition made against our Church by her Adversaries on either hand is taken the chief inartificial proof of her Moderation p. 33 Chap. IV. Of the Moderation of our Church in respect to her Rule of Faith § 1. In holding to her true and just measure as is proved from her Articles and Canons and other Monuments of the Church § 2. In her avoiding the extremes of those who take away from the due perfection of Holy Scripture and of others who seem officiously to add thereunto § 3. In her judgment of the letter and sense of Scripture and in the use of such consequences as are duly drawn from thence § 4. In reference to the Versions and Translations of Holy Scripture several instances of Moderation in our Church §