THE Regiment of the Church AS IT IS AGREABLE WITH Scriptures all Antiquities of the Fathers and moderne Writers from the Apostles themselues vnto this present age I. Cor. 14. v. 40. v. 26. Let all things be done decently and in order Let all things be done to edification I. Cor. II. v. 16. If any man iust to be contentions we haue no such customes nor the Churches of God TC LONDON Imprinted by T. C. for William Welby and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Grayhound 1606. TO THE MOST REVEREND FA ther my very good Lord Richard by Gods holy ordinance the Lord Arch-bishop of England grace and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. AS many things most reuerend father are both comely and profitable so neither is there neither can there be anything more necessarie in any well managed church or christian common weale then godly vniformitie and christian vnitie in pure Religion the proper and peculiar worship of the euerliuing God Which vnitie and vniforme conformitie for all that not onely the cruell and blood-thristie Papists in former times but the Brownists also and the Martinists cursed broodes untimely hatched detested of God and irkesome to the world haue of late daies endeuoured with might maine to disturbe extinguish it to take it quite out of the way For the speedie conuersion or else for the vtter confusion of which professed enemies of the godly vnitie and true christian peace of Gods Sion I deeme them right happie who can in any small measure concur by way of redresse and put to their helping hand Against the former sect I haue published many books challenging all English Iesuites Seminaries Iesuited Papists yea prouoking and adiuring them all ioyntly and seuerally to frame some answere either to all or to some one of the saide bookes But wil ye haue the truth their harts faile them their own consciēces accuse them they are at their wits end know not in the world what to say or write They will not answere and why I pray you because forsooth they cannot but to their owne shame and confusion euerlasting For if they could they would vndoubtedlie answere mee so to saue their owne credite and the life of their late harched Romish Religion About three yeeres agoe a railing Iesuit an odde swaggering Diuine terming himselfe E. O. in his detection against Maister D. Sutcliffe and Maister Willet taketh notice of the bookes which I haue published against them and telleth his Readers if they may beleeue him that the confutation of my workes is vndertaken But what followeth and the said confutation must be published if it shall be thought expedient By which words with the circumstances annexed thervnto wee may easily vnderstand three memorable points First that the Papists are mightilie troubled about the answearing of my bookes Secondly that they can not tell in the worlde how and in what sort to answere them Thirdly that they would haue all their Popish Vassalls to think that they haue alreadie answered them and that they are not published because it is not thought a thing expedient to bee done But I pray thee gentle Reader who will beleeue these Iesuits what wise man will euer thinke that the Iesuits haue for the space of eyght or nine yeares considered howe to answere my bookes and after the answere is vndertaken cannot tell if it bee expedient to publishe the same for as the Philosopher can tell them Vltimum in executione debet primum esse in intentione That which is the last in execution must bee the first in intention Yea the very light of Nature and daylie experience teacheth vs that in all our actions wee must chieflie and principallie respect the end for the which wee intende to doe them They dare not fight the combat valiantly neyther with the long sworde nor yet with the shorte They dare not encounter mee and cast mee their Gauntlet No no Negry quidem can bee extorted from their pennes Against the latter sect because they whollie dissent from the Papists and agree with our English Churche in the chiefest fundamentall points of Doctrine an other manner of methode and a different kinde of proceeding must bee vsed against them They exclaime with open mouthes and crie out against our English Church flying from our companies and detesting vs as prophane polluted and forlorne people They vse Conventicles Whisperings and meetings in Woodes Fieldes and odde corners They beare the simple people in hand that our Temples are prophaned our Doctrine corrupt our Sacraments impure our Byshops Antichristian and our kind of Church-gouernment repugnant to that sacred forme and order which our LORD IESVS prescribed in his holie worde They say of themselues but Laus propriioris sordescit that they are inspired of the holy Spirit that they are sent from Heauen to reforme our Church and to direct it into all Truth With which faire speeches and sugred words alas for pittie they seduce the rude vulgar sorte steale away their hearts and make them disobedient to higher powers And while these good fellowes the Brownists and Martinists seeke to bee reputed the onely wisemen vpon Earth they neither knowe what they say nor yet whereof they affirme but doe open a large window to all disloyaltie and sedition euery where and giue the Papists some comforte and hope once to enioye theyr long expected daye In regarde hereof most Reuerend Father and worthie Prelate my selfe though the meanest of manie thousands in this our English Churche haue thought it operaepretium to vse my Penne in my plaine and simple manner for the vnitie and true peace of our English Sion and for the manifestation of the lawfull gouernmēt thereof I haue in this present discourse most honourable constant wise and christian Patron of the Churches libertie power freedome auncient prerogatiue which the Brownists and foolish Martinists would turne vpside downe made euident demonstration of the lawfull gouernment of our Church And that is done in such compendious manner as neither the Reading can be thought tedious nor the price of the book chargeable with such perspicuitie as the most simple euen very babes and children may with al facility understād the same with such sufficiēcie as no Brownist or Martinist or other malitious aduersarie of our churches godly setled gouernment whosoeuer shall euer be able while the world indures either with Scriptures Councels Fathers or Ecclesiastical Histories to gain say or with stand the same I haue succinctly and euidently set down before the eyes of the indifferent Reader that the monarchical gouernāce of our English church is both the best and the most laudable of all others That there is euer hath beene in all former ages of the church superioritie of one church-minister aboue and ouer another and that one may this day lawfully haue iurisdiction ouer another That Bishops Arch-bishops Primates Metropolitains Patriarches haue euer beene in
into his Court and gaue him an honourable charge to ouersee his house where his purple was dyed at Tyrus Nicephorus Callistus in his Ecclesiasticall Historie telleth vs of one Philaeas a famous Bishope and blessed Martyr who as hee reporteth got great credite for his dexteritie in deciding ciuil causes committed to his charge But to let others passe let vs heare what a famous late writer saith who fauoured the presbyteriall Discipline so farre foorth as either by learning or safe conscience hee could agree therevnto These are his expresse wordes Interim non diffitemur episcopos qui simul etiam principes sunt praeter authoritatem ecclesiasticam sua etiam hebere iura politica seculare sque potestates quemadmodum reliqui habent principes ius â—â—perands secularia ius gladij nonnullos ius eligendi confirmandique reges imperatores aliaque politicae constituends administrandi subditosque sibi populos ad obedientiam sibi praestandam cogendi Ac proinde jatemur politicis horum mandatis quae sine transgressione legis divinae servari possunt a subditis obtemperandum esse non solum propter timorem sed etiam propter conscientiam Neuerthelesse wee doe not denie that Bishops which are also Princes may besides their authoritie ecclesiasticall haue also politicall right and secular power like as other Princes haue right to commaund secular matters authoritie to vse the sword authoritie to choose and confirme Kinges and Emperours to constitute and administrate other ciuill affaires as also to compell their subiects to yeelde obedience to them in that behalfe And therefore wee graunt that their subiects must obey their civill commandes which may be kept without offence of Gods law and that not onely for feare but also for conscience sake The same Zanchius in an other place hath these wordes Quis autem illis omninò obediendum esse quo iure quaque iniuria principes suerint creats ex testimonijs a me allao us non videat apertè demonstrari cur n. qui subdits sunt Moguntino Colontensi Trevirensi principibus imperij simul archiepiscopis in rebus cum pietate christiana non pugnantibus non obtemperent seditiosorum certè fuerit non obtemperare Quodsi istis cur non etiam Romano ijsdem in rebus candem ob causam qui sub eius vivunt imperio eadem n. horum omnium est ratio And who cannot see it euidently proued by the examples which I haue alledged that they must bee obeyed vndoubtedly whether they be by right or no right created Princes For why shall not subiects obey in things not against Christian pietie the Princes of the Empire being also Arch-bishops of Moguntia Colen and Trevers it is doubtlesse the properietie of sedicious persons not to yeelde obedience vnto them And if these must bee obeyed why not also the Bishop of Rome in the same matters and for the same cause of those that liue within his Empire for there is the like reason of them all Thus writeth the famous and great learned Doctor Zanchius Out of whose resolution I obserue these points for the good of the gentle Reader First that Ecclesiasticall and Civill iurisdiction are compatible and may both be in one and the same subiect at once Secondly that Bishops which are also Princes may together with their Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue also secular power and authoritie to vse the sword and such like Thirdly that the people within their dominions and liberties are bound to obey them Fourthly that they must obey not onely for feare but euen for conscience-sake Fiftly that whosoeuer shall disobey such Bishops and Arch-bishops doe shewe themselues thereby to be seditious fellowes To which I adde that this doctine of this great learned man who was a most zealous professour of Christes Gospell doth flatly confound and euen strike dead pronouncing a sharpe vae vobis to all such as shall obstinately refuse to obey our Bishops and Arch-byshops here in England For whatsoeuer can be obiected against our Bishops why wee shall not obey them the same may be alledged against those Bishops of which Zanchius speaketh in this place Yea our Bishops are as lawfully created Barons and doe this day as lawfully enioy their temporall Baronries for ought I know by the free donation of the Kings of this Realme of famous memorie as doe the Bishops of Germanie I therefore conclude from a good foundation surely layd that Bishops and Arch-bishops aswell concerning their names and titles as their authoritie iurisdiction and superioritie ouer other Ministers are both lawfull necessarie and agreeable to the practise of the Catholique Church in all Ages and consequently that none will or can denie the same but such as are either wholy ignorant in the auncient Councels holy Fathers and ecclesiasticall histories or else maliciously bent to speake against their owne knowledge and wittingly and willingly to oppose them selues against the knowne truth Yea Maister Calvin graunteth freely that hee which is Lorde of a Village or Citie may exercise the office of teaching CHAP. VII Of the Churches authoritie in things indifferent The first aphorisme of things de facto altered in the Church MAny things being in their owne nature indifferent haue beene changed in the Church by her authoritie as the circumstances of times places and persons did require First our Lord Iesus did celebrate the holy Communion and memoriall of his sacred passion in the euening after Supper Yet the Churches custome this day is and euer was to celebrate the same in the morning before Dinner Secondly Christ did celebrate the same vsing vnleauened bread therein but the reformed Churches doe this day vse leauened bread without offeÌ„ce in so doing Thirdly Christs Apostles receiued the blessed Eucharist fitting but the custome of the Church hath euer beene to receiue the same kneeling And they that would seeme to haue most spiced consciences will not sticke to receiue it standing or walking Fourthly Christ washed his Apostles feete willing them to followe his example and to wash one anothers feete Fiftly the Apostles made a solemne Decree affirming it to proceede from the holy Ghost to abstaine from blood that which is strangled And yet the church many yeares agoe haue wholy altered that holy ordinance and Apostolicall constitution Sixtly Saint Paul after hee had willed the Corinthyans and vs in them to be followers of him euen as he was of Christ telleth them and vs plainly that euery man praying or Prophesing hauing any thing on his head dishonoureth his head And yet at this day smalaccount is made therof This point will be made more plaine when I come to speake of the oath Ex officio The second Aphorisme of things not expressed in the Scriptures and yet decreed by the Church to be obserued and kept IN the church of the Hebrewes wee read of many approoued constitutions for which there was no warraÌ„t in the written word First King Salomon appointed a solemne
is therefore either euill of it owne nature or else doubtlesse it may not bee withstoode or gainesaide that it is not ill of it owne nature I thus proue it and I wish the reader to marke well my wordes If it bee euill it is either euill simply and absolutely considered as it is an oath or else as it is ministred to such a person Not the former because euerie magistrat may lawfully minister an oath so often as due order of iustice doth require For as the Apostle saith an oath for confirmation is among men an ende of all strife Yea Gods name is confessed by true and lawfull oaths For as holy Moses saieth thou shall feare the Lord thy GOD and serue him and shall sweare by his name And the Prophet Ioremiah telleth vs that it is euer lawfull to sweare for the aduancement of GODS glorie and the profit of others so these three conditions iustice iudgement and truth bee alwaies annexed vnto it viz. if wee sweare truly reuerently and iustly Not the latter First for that it may be and often is ministred to many without offence as the aduersaries of the same oath cannot but confesse But if it were euill of it owne nature it could neuer be lawfully done Secondly for that it is no sinne at all for a sinner to accuse himselfe of the sinne he hath committed But it is a singular vertue to confesse our faults and offences and the ready way to obtaine fauour at Gods hands This knew holy Iosua right well when speaking by the spirit of God hee willed Achan to acknowledge his sinne My sonne saith he I beseech ye giue glorie to the Lord God of Israel make confession vnto him shewe mee now what thou hast done hide it not from me Loe to confesse our secret sinnes to Gods minister is to glorifie God and to honour his holy name And therefore saith the note of the Geneua Bible that God is glorified when the truth is confessed This knew Saint Mathew right well when writing the Gospell of Iesus Christ and reckoning vp the names of the Apostles hee termeth himselfe Mathew the Publicane This knew S. Paul right well when he left it written to all posterities that hee had bin a blasphemer a persecuter and an oppresser This Saint Austen Saint Hierome and many other holy men knewe right well when they inrolled their peculiar sinnes in their owne bookes which they divulged to the view of the whole world Thirdly because the rule of charitie doth teach the same How proue I that forsooth because our aduersaries herein will not refuse to accuse ours neighbours by testifying the truth against them when occasion so requireth euen vpon their oathes And consequently seeing the true loue of our selues is that rule by which our loue towards our neighbor must be squared it followeth of necessitie that it is as lawfull for vs to accuse and testifie against our selues as it is to accuse and testifie against our neighbour This reason can neuer be answered And it will not serue to reply that it is a cruell part to cause a man to accuse himselfe For First there is no more crueltie in ministring the oath whereby the malefactor accuseth himselfe then there is in giuing sentence against a felon or a traitor to suffer death The reason is euident because the Iudge be haueth himself alike in both cases viz. He in both cases plaâ—eth the part of Gods annointed and lawfull minister Secondly it coÌ„meth not of the nature of the oath but per accidens that the partie sworne doth accuse himselfe For if he were innocent as he is nocent he could not be accused by vertue of the oath For the oath is as free to commend him as to condemne him and as indifferent to acquit him as to accuse him If it were otherwise all that take the oath shold be accused by vertue therof Which how false it is all the ChristiaÌ„ world can witnes Thirdly it is a vertue iustly to punish him who vniustly hath done iniurie to others Fourthly it is a great sinne in a magistrate to omit that punishment which iustly may be inflicted to the harme great daunger either of the whole Church or of many godly members in the same Fiftly the oath doth onely induce iurantem to that by way of iustice which hee is bound to doe by Gods law of his own accord viz. to confesse the iniurie hee hath done and to be recociled to his brother Lastly he sinneth grieuously whosoÌ„euer refuseth to confesse the truth when his competent and lawful Iudge demandeth it iuridically at his handes I therefore conclude that albeit the competent iudge cannot lawfully and iuridically exact an oath for the manifestation of sinnes secret and altogether vnknowne because such secret sinnes are reserued onely and solely to the indgement of GOD yet when there goeth a common fame or when there is a vehement suspition or semiplena probatio as the Canons terme it of such a fact committed by such a Person then the Iudge may lawfully by iuridicall processe exact a corporall oath of euery suspected person In which case onely as I conceiue it the oath ex officio is ministred and in no other In regard whereof I would wish all inferiours to be more obedient and circumspect in future times and not to be carried away head-long with audacious temeritie peremptorily to censure and condemne the Lawes of their superiours the true nature wherof many of them doe little vnderstand Let them remember what the wise man saith be not iust ouermuch neither make thy selfe ouerwise And as Saint Paul aduiseth vs let no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie Which holy counsell if it were pondered aright and deepely fixed in all mens hearts many too too forward young Diuines would more sparingly censure the lawes of their superiours and follow Saint Iames his precept in being swift to heare and slow to speake CHAP. XV. Of the punishing and pardoning of male factors THe patrons of the newe English long wished presbyterie are so sharpe forward and rigorous in the punishing of sin sinners that in effect they spoile all magistrates of their lawfull authoritie make them guiltie of sinnes moe then a fewe For they write resolutely I will not say audaciously that the ciuill magistrates cannot saue the liues of any blasphemers murderers adulterers and such like Which how vnsound a doctrine it is I purpose in God to make it manifest by way of conclusions The first Conclusion No Christian Magistrate is this day bound to obserue either the Ceremoniall or the Iudiciall Lawe of Moses I prooue it briefelie The Lawe of Moses was Triparâ—ite Ceremoniall Iudiciall Morall Of which three the Morall part onely is this daye in force with Christians The reason hereof is this because it is in deede the very lawe of Nature imprinted