Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A33134
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The Churches complaint against sacriledge, or, Sacriledge truely dissected and layed open wherein is briefly shewn 1. The just collation, 2. The unjust ablation of the riches and honours of the clergy.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing C4273; ESTC R35594
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15,292
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29
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The Churches COMPLAINT Against SACRILEDGE OR Sacriledge truely Dissected and layed open Wherein is briefly shewn 1. The Just Collation 2. The unjust Ablation of the Riches and Honours of the CLERGY Thou that abhorrest Idols Doest thou commit Sacriledge LONDON Printed in the Yeer 1643. OF Sacriledge REligion is as the Poles of the World or that Atlas which the Poets say holds up Heaven The necessitie of Religion in Stateâ— it stands on Earth and reacheth God It is that which poiseth Societies and States below for without the opinion of a Providence to oversee and reckon with us might craft and falshood would sway in the world alike with Men and Beasts the conscience of good and evill would be all one And it is that which enobleth man erects his affections and estates him in a happinesse above nature and in a word it procures all blessings upon us So that whether we aime at a Spirituall or which is more to these times a civill weale only Religion is mainly to be magnified And as Religion upholds States the Priest usually after the inward vertue of the Doctrine it self Of the priest to Religion is he upholds Religion Religion can neither plant nor sustaine it selfe alone and what support soever it have from the Prince or the laws of a Nation the Priest is as the soule of that power all circumstance and Ceremonies have their life from him and it is our consent in his holy Calling that keeps us from the singularitie of our owne imaginations Though man of himself be Religious to make men conspire in one Religion they must have some thing singular to hold to Though there may bee Religion and a Congregation there can hardly be a Church where there is no Precentor Of the meanes to set up the Priest Now the gifts whereby the Priest retaines our reverence are either Spirituall or Supernaturall as of Prophesiing and working Miracles or Naturall Externall as the endowments and gloryes of this World whereof the former shew where God is the later where he hath been and the former proceed immediately from the Spirit in the later men may concurre The order of these meanes in all Religions However God deales in truth he seemes not at so much cost for maintaining the World as for making it In nature we see every thing for its Creation requires a miraculous and divine hand but planted once God is not so conspicuous but leaves it to the soyle as it were to stand and grow by it selfe and so it would seeme to fare even with Religion it selfe which is such a superstruction above Nature though it be planted by God men must conserve it The Church is like the Garden of Eden which God madâ— and set our Parents to dresse and keepe it The severall formes of Religion which have swayed the world in their times in pretence at least have felt his arme and expected ours his arme of Divinitie and ours of munificence that the riches and braveries of this world whereupon men set greatest price might adorne their doctrine and not only the abstract and studious mindes but sensuall affections also thereby be musd and caught and all our lusts there find repose This is not only the mystery of Antichrist and Idolatry but the right of all Religion The Israelites at first had their Tabernacle and its attendants by Gods appointment glorious however Aarons inward devotion shone his Vestments and retinue too were very specious but the Temple of Ierusalem and the riches of the severall orders of the Priests thereof excessive and yet little enough to keep the people from Idolatry And Christianitie as much as it excels all other Sects for ought that wee know can but expect the same lot In planting of the Gospell indeed God shewed himselfe in signes and wonders hee powred forth his Spirit and accommodated it with a kindly soyle the munificent affections of men whereby it is growne in state and glory But though it was first propagated by such sedulity of the Spirit and God shewed himselfe therein as much as ever though Christ hath promised the Holy Ghost thereby to preserve to himself a Church upon earth unto the worlds end wee now want the sense and proof of Gods presence the Primitive times had and may conceive he lookes not still to be tempted to miracles Divine and humane meanes must concur That interest the Gospell hath gotten these outward worldly braveries after the plausiblenesse of the doctrine it selfe are the best evidence we have left for Christianitie the best at least we have to shew to one another Riches and honours now must serve for the Spirit The originall and right of our Hierarchy Those of the Ancient worthys that first propagated Christianitie had neither Diocesse nor Parish but the wide world before them they had nothing of their own yet such a Familiar had they of the Holy Ghost they could want nothing Then all planting the same doctrine every man had a care of all the Churches and looked to the watering too of what was planted and the people as conscious of the truth they heard took speciall order to preserve the same amongst them Heroicke mindes not knowing in the world better how to bestow their estates in testimony of their affection erected Churches and endowed them with priviledges gave them Tyths and Oblations unto a competence of maintenance they added superfluitie and with riches gave honour and sway to the Clergie Kings as was fore-prophesied became the Churches nursing Fathers and Queenes her nursing Mothers They made Religion the busines of States which now we make but a State instrument of They had a care to fortifie Religion against the corruption of nature and to recommend and seale their faith unto worse times as if by a holy kinde of Simony they would purchase the Holy Ghost and buy the Prince of darknesse out of his dominions They priviledged Churchmen to their owne cognizance to arme and hearten them against sinne that they might not only like Musitians play for a benevolence but that Magistrates themselves might not with more authoritie transgresse than the Priest rebuke them They held up degrees in the Church as objects still for industry in the Priest and reverence in the people a reverence which in a right way halfe performes Religion They constituted Bishops and Archbishops Churchmen for Church affaires one of most tryed trust and but one for expedition where the Law is agreed upon a single eye may see Justice or most easily answer for it Bishops for order at home and Archbishops further if we shall not seeme to be led by sounds as arches in metropolisses over other Bishops arches unto the King and unto forreigne Churches that though States differ the communion of Saints might be preserved the Church might keep at unitie and by united force repell heresie In no great Councell could the man of God bee baulked that they might be sure to serve God before themselves
as secure that while the Church prospered and they had God amongst them all was safe and in Courts of Conscience where the Lawes reached not they thought none so fit as the man of conscience and ranked Bishops and Archbishops in honour with Dukes and Barons And these things were fixt and certaine to avoid the feaver of a quotidian canvase and that in standing counsell they might the more improve themselves and profit others and the law of Christ and his Church be sure to receive no detriment and for supply of mens mortalitie they founded Colledges and Cathedrals Thus they kept up mens hopes and Imaginations making the Priesthood answerably incomprehensible with their God and the Crowne received lustre in conjunction with the Miter According to the rules of that great Architect they built Ad usum ad speciem ad firmitatem an Hierarchie for use and shew and an Hierarchie for durance as firme as lawes could make it as conscious that if the Clergie be so thin laid that the people may looke through and round about it it will soone fall into contempt and Religion be exploded Thus Christianitie grew upon the world mankind became throughly religious and the Tempter was well nigh discouraged in his businesse This was the flourishing state of Christs Church on earth which we can only hope to have amended in Heaven And herein God be thanked our Church of England had her share Nor was this meerely matter of State but a Religious Policie The ancient stile of Grants and Charters for these matters was Domino Deo nostro offerimus dicamus we give them unto God And under the Law God as he instituted them tooke them to himselfe For gifts and oblations he saith Thou shalt give them me Exod. 22.30 For Churches and Oratories My House Mat. 21.13 For Tythes Will a man rob God Malach. 3.9 For Lands Ye shall offer unto the Lord an holy portion Ezek. 4 5.1 For their persons and Honours Touch not mine Annointed nor doe my Prophets no harme Psal 105.15 And the same Law Saint Paul presseth under the Gospell 1 Cor. 9.13 14. 1. Tim. 5.17 18. Though we have some difference in the manner of Worship Sacrifice and severall Ceremonies being abolished there is the same substance for Guides in Gods worship which is the Reason of the Law as the Prophet Isaiah in the name of the Lord foretold Isaiah 66.21 And I will take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord Priests hee saith not meerely Laymen nor meerely Priests but severall degrees Priests and Levites This is a principall branch of that honouring God with our Substance which is enjoyned Prov. 3.9 what we relieve the poore with is not so much our Almes as their exigence and as necessitie exacts it it quickly perisheth But these Donations as they savour of a more inward and deeper Pietie are of a more lasting substance Besides the eternall Treasures we lay up for our selves we provide for the perpetuitie of Religion unto after Ages of men and may be said to honour God not only in our selves but in all wee gaine to honour him But for the Hierarchie because that is most stuck at First wee must conceive order and decency long before riches and the favour of States in the Church It was many Ages and the Gospell had a large spread before Emperours were reclaimed to Christianitie And though wee have no speciall rule from Christ himselfe for those rounds of Order but the Originall of our Church Government through those Mists of times bee scarce perceptible If wee trace Episcopacy backwards however the favours of the World came in by degrees wee shall resolve it upon the Apostles Age and finde the like presumptions in Reason for our Priesthood as for our Sabboth As the magnificence of the Jewish Church was commanded by God himselfe the same Providence though in a secret way would seeme to have introduced our Church Discipline Our Saviour came rather to plant Pietie than Government that as absolutely necessary he provided for and left-Government for the worke of time and a Testimony of his Doctrines Approbation Though he condemn'd the Ambition of honour in his Disciples more than to glorifie God thereby and make them more beneficent and serviceable unto others never was there greater friend to order and government hee stood for Caesar and hee stood for God and would have the Scribes and Pharisees themselves in Moses Chaire observed As himselfe assum'd the Title of Lord and Master he allowed of a Maximus and a Minimus amongst his Disciples so the greatest became as the least to serve and minister to the rest At his departure hee had many things to say unto his Disciples which then they could not beare but the Holy Ghost hee promised them should abide with them and leade them into all truth And secondly bring to their remembrance whatsoever he had told them What the many things wanting our Saviour meant might be is difficult Ethicen Christianam Rules for private life hee had laid himselfe they would need only a Remembrancer for them But Politia Ecclesiastica this point of Discipline for Church government seemes a truth as then untaught and being such a maine thing and requiring time to make the World capable of it me thinks we should hold a reverend esteeme of what wee finde so setled whether by the Apostles or their successors The Holy Ghost was sufficient warrant for the Apostles and the abiding of the Holy Ghost suggests a regard to their Successors and hereunto perhaps that speech is to be referred Matth. 28.20 Lo I am with you allway even to the end of the World Popish extravagancies as they have not the like necessitie nor the like antiquitie have not the like plea with government Humilitie garnished with miracles or a miraculous humilitie which our Saviour himselfe practised was the likeliest way in reason at first for the planting of the Gospell of humilitie It was reverend in it selfe and unlike to provoke the jealousie of States honour comes kindely est of it self and shews most glorious when it is rather found than sought Yet it is Gods owne promise that he that humbleth himselfe should be exalâ—ed It is the honour of Christianitie that it could deserve honour while it dispised it As the people would have taken our Saviour and made him King 't is like they fastened favours upon his followers And miracles ceasing the legall asserting of some Church discipline was in reason worthy of Acceptation It cannot bee doubted but the Apostles were the Patriarchs or Grandfathers of the Church The number of twelve was not without a Mysterie and the precise supply of that number in the Election of Mattâ—iâ—s proves a precedence in them above the Seven it Disciples As they begot sons to God they adopted fellow labourers into their Ministerie such no doubt as observed their Fathers while they lived and so farre approved of the benefit of that order they found under them