16 17 nay the Holy Ghost fell upon the whole Auditory Acts 10.44 And that there should be no mistake St. Peter you must know it was before he was Pope he confesses there was no difference nor Preference nor Prelacy for like Priest like People The people have received the Holy Ghost as well as we The Disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost Acts 13.52 so also the Gentiles Acts 15.8 and the Holy Ghost made no difference vers 9. no no 'T is Pride and ambition that makes the difference The Holy Ghost in his gifts made none in Temporal affairs there must be a difference but to Spiritual gifts the poor are entituled as much as the Rich. A Deacon a Presbyter or Priest are names wherewith the Apostles and Primitive Christians were well acquainted but Arch Deacon and Arch Priest c. are but modern coyn and did not pass currant in the Primitive times of Christianity Yet if the ambitions of men did not extend nor aim at any higher reach than to vye with or out vye their equals contemporaries or betters it is still but humane ambition and pardonable But most of the Councils whether Oecumenical Provincial or Synodical since the Primitive times have ever since the Gifts extraordinary of the Holy Ghost left the Church vy'd with the Apostles for the Infallible Spirit in their Assemblies not an ace less would they go Nay which is an ambition not less groundless than vain and ridiculous they would outvy the Apostles in Monopolizing the infallible Spirit to themselves alone the Clergy forsooth Whereas all the people all the brethren as aforesaid received the Holy Ghost as well as the Apostles and they were consulted and their advice askt in framing Canons as aforesaid It being meet that they that were oblig'd should have a hand and a heart a vote and a consent at least by their Representatives in those Decrees that obliged them to obedience But no such matter no for when the French or Spanish faction prevails in the Conclave when an Arrian Emper or makes an Arrian Council and consequently an Arrian Creed as at Ariminum and when an Homousian Emperor makes an Athanasian as in the first General Council of Nice when an Idolatrous Empress makes Canons for worshipping of Images Harangu'd to it by some of her favourite Priests as in the second Council of Nice when Simony Flattery Hypocrisie or Sorcery creates a Pope and a thousand Fopperies Partialities and Interest of Princes swayes in the Conclave of Cardinals yet none of them all will bate a Tittle of the old Preface to their Canons namely It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Constantine the great was no Arrian nor yet Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea before praised whatever some men imagine but without dispute he made the greatest part of the Creed for the whole Council of Nice As may be seen at large in his Epistle to the people of his own Diocess Theod. lib. 1. c. 12. which the great Constantine very well approved of But the Council of Nice had a hand in altering it a little and made some little addition of the word Homousios or Consubstantial which neither Eusebius nor any Orthodox man does gain-say nevertheless that un scriptural word though according to the sense of Scripture made the greatest Schism in the Church that ever was and was at last the great cause of the Turks Conquests and Triumphs over Christendom The Arrians which once was the Major part of Christendom chusing rather to turn Turks that owned and to this day own the Lord Jesus Christ to be the great Prophet of God and with whom they met with fairer quarters than amongst some of the Orthodox so fatal has it been to Christendom to impose unscriptural words upon mens Consciences under the Title of the Infallible Spirit and Holy-Ghost in meer disputable points that will endure Contest to the worlds end As if God and our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost The Holy Trinity did condemn all men as fast as one man condemns another and meerly too because they cannot see to split a hair as few men of all mankind are so quick-sighted betwixt Homousion and Homoiousion or betwixt one substance with the Father and alike substance with the Father I 'le only add the words of Eusebius Theod. l. 1. c. 12. namely Therein in the said first Council of Nice It was Prohibited that any man should make use of any Terms which the Custom of the Scriptures do not allow by which Phrases or Terms have happened all these Revels and Disorders wherewith the Church is thus disturb'd Observe how agreeable that Note of Eusebius is to that Divine 20th Article of the Church of England set down at length in the beginning of this Discourse And how careful our first Reformers were and tender of laying Stumbling-blocks before the weak not delighting to make them fall in hopes to get a top of them or get some booty from them much less did they cram unscriptural Articles Canons and Creeds down mens throats and ram them down with a Curse an Anathema or Excommunication However no c. Creeds and Canons are so ramm'd down Again by what Authority do they lay Injunctions and Burdens Canons and Decrees on all mankind that are Christians Whilst the Roman-Emperour had the universal Monarchy there might be General Councils to whom he gave Command to sit approv'd or disprov'd their Acts and gave life and vigour to their Canons when Enacted But now it is next to Impossible now that both Emperour and Pope have such a Precarious sway that there should be an Oecumenical Council the Old House is too much broken to pieces and divided against it self Besides if there were a General-Council what Tokens are upon them of the Holy Ghost more than upon a Parliament who pretend not to be Bigots nor to have the people Bigotted but ruled by God according to the Laws of the Land they live in in all quietness godliness and honesty and in Righteousness and Holiness according to the Divine Laws of the Land Men live in For if once Men come to dispute Authority and the wisdom of the Laws and Law-makers the next step is Confusion and Rebellion nor did or can any Government under Heaven subsist when they are not able to avow and execute their Laws against all Gainsayers This notwithstanding does not urge that Governours if wise should be wanton in Power and lay unnecessary Burdens upon their people though weak for they are the least able to bear and if the Laws or Canons they impose be nothing but some necessary things as did the said Synod of Jerusalem there are none but obstinate and querulous persons that will refuse Obedience and such must be made to know themselves or else the Government sits very unsteady as being precarious the condition of Supplicants not of such as bear Sway and Authority And one would wonder that those that have Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction if now
Christian World Object But shall men be left at Liberty then to believe what they list Answ Yes they shall in spight of all men living You may make men tell Lies and rehearse the Articles of their Belief but you are ne'er the wiser for none but God the searcher of hearts knows whether they believe what they rehearse Nay the heart of man is so deceitful that few men know their own hearts or what they do believe with the heart nay you have many times a close Atheist excommunicating and cursing Christians that do not believe according to his Canons though in his sleeve he laugh at all Creeds and all Canons Object Shall men then have Liberty of Conscience Answ Yes they shall as to matters of Faith in spight of all the world but as for Works that are contrary to the Laws of the Land which ought not withstanding to be tender of imposing unnecessary Creeds and Burdens that are not contained in express Scripture beyond dispute and not lay traps on purpose to ensnare and make men forfeit their Livings and Livelihoods to men of greater Latitude The Magistrate must either justifie his Laws and vindicate them or repeal them or his Authority will soon come to a period God and Nature seem to delight in Variety and in making Men and Women all in the world of different Features Ayres Dimensions Complexions c. And how do we know that Almighty God is so much displeased with Variety of Opinions also as some men imagine Though we have different Physiognomies and different Eye-sights yet we all continue to be men And though we have different Judgements Minds and Opinions some more clear some more purblind yet we may all continue Christians But suppose other men do not cannot for their lives see so well as we or so well as the Synod or the Magistrate yet must we therefore pull out or put out their eyes deliver them to the Devil first and then to the Gaol and after all to the pit of Hell And for expedition sake thither with the more speed until the writ De Haeretico comburendo was Cancell'd Fire and Faggot These have been the Methods this the Piety of bloody Synods and bloody Bonners and distinguishing themselves all the better from all mankind by the name of Clergy Clergy The word Clergy indeed is a Scripture expression but never but once found in Holy Writ and then it signifies Lay-men 1 Pet. 5.3 the Flock not the Sheepherd that feeds the Flock The Presbyter Peter advising his Fellow Presbyters or Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque ut domminantes Cleris Not Lording it over God's Lot over the flock there called Clergymen that is Laymen Nay this I 'll say for these Clergymen some of them shall knock a word out of joynt and do as feat things as any Layman of them all Notable was the first Canon that ever was made by a General Council the first at Nice namely ' Si quis à Medicis propter languorem defectus est c. If any man be guelt by the Chirurgeons because of the Disease you wot of or Eunuch'd by the Barbarians we are content he shall remain a Clergyman But if being wholesome and found he make himself an Eunuch as did the great Origen he although he be a Clergyman ought to be made a Layman again And if such a man be a Layman he shall never be Ordain'd a Clergyman As also we Ordain the same therefore against those that are so audacious as to gueld themselves But if the Barbarians or their Masters gheld them such if they be of good Conversation are by this Canon admitted to become Clergymen These Holy Fathers in this General Council were three long years a sitting before they brought forth those Canons Theodoret. l. 1. c. 7. and all the while plentifully maintain'd by the unparallel'd Munificence of the Emperour Constantine But one unlucky Accident had like to have spoiled all at last if their Wisdomes had not salv'd it up 't was this Two of those same Bishops 318. says Theodoret 270. almost says Eustathius Bishop of Antioch who made one 270 just faith Athanasius who was also there present it happen'd I say that two of them called Chrysanthus and Musonius departed this Life Priusquam Acta Synodi perficerentur c. faith Nicephorus This put the Reverend Fathers to a notable plunge faith Nicephorus For it seems it was not yet agreed whether the Infallible Holy Ghost sway'd every Individual or but some or but the Major-part or only whilst in Cathedris or went also home with them to their Lodgings whether he was totus in toto or in qualibet parte totius But to make all sure what do they but away no doubt upon serious deliberation and consultation among themselves they go to the Church-yard or Sepulchres and standing by the Graves of the two deceased Bishops with the said Nicene Canons in their hands as if they had been alive and had had Ears to hear they made their address to them in these words and with this following Common prayer and Harangue Holy Fathers said they ye that with us have fought true enough the good fight and have finisht your course and kept the Faith if therefore ye that are enlightned with the Beams of the Trinity and see things more cleverly all Interpositions being done away we say if ye approve of what we have done 't is fit telling those glorified Saints their duty that you do also with us subscribe this little Book of Canons And having made this Speech they left the Book upon the Tomb sealed up and watcht all night but the next day returning to the Sepulchre they found the Seals untoucht and opening the Book they found their Hands with which they were very well acquainted newly subscribed among the rest viz. in these very words We Chrysanthus and Musonius who sate with all the Fathers in the first Holy Occumenical Council of Nice though Translated from the Body have yet subscribed this Libel with our own hands And it was kindly and civilly done of them I 'le assure you to leave their Heavenly Stations and visit the Tombs at the request of Mortals praying to Saints nay and to have learnt to write neither better nor worse but the very same old Characters their Writing masters had taught them for so Nicephorus adds in the story Subscriptiones illorum reliquis incertas cognovère recentes adhuc in hac verba conceptas The old Fathers knew their hands again when they saw them very well the Ink was scarce dry upon the Book And a further Miracle it was that the Ink being scarce dry did not blot the Book being clos'd up and Seal'd And the greatest wonder was that one Town could hold so many Bishops three years together without venting their Malice and Spleen against one another more remarkably than when at their first Meeting every one like fierce Tygers snarling biting assaulting and flying in the face of
they deliver to him or send to him by their Mittimus of Excommunication nay and at their bidding to let men go free as soon as they are pleas'd I mean as soon as they are paid together with their Registers and Sumners transcends the apprehension of the Vulgar Dictum est quod in quibusdam locis Syn. Cab. 2. cap. 18. Episcopi Comites ab Incestuosis c. that is We are told that the Bishops and their Fellows take money of offenders commuting Penance and then divide the spoil among themselves which we decree shall utterly be abolished lest haply covetousnesness enter in c. And much more very excellently says that honest Synod of every ten Procurators chosen by the Clergy to constitute that Synod Eight of them were not turn'd off and not suffer'd to enter the Convocation-house I 'le warrant The 19. Chapter of the said Synod enjoyns that the Tythes should be there all paid where their Children are Baptized and the Cure serv'd The 20. Chapter is an Admonition to peace and concord And the 21. Chapter forbids all Bribes and Extortions committed by Registers Proctors Commissaries and Officials and the rest of that Motley-Tribe that like Lay-Elders are as Cleveland says Most Divine-Tick-Tack in a Pye-bald crew To serve as Table-men of divers hue She that conceiv'd an Aethiopian Heir By Picture when the Parents both were fair At sight of you had born a dappled Son You chequ'ring her Imagination Had Jacob ' s Flock but seen you sit the Dams Had brought forth speckled and ring-streaked Lambs Like Royston-Crows who are as I may say Friers of both the Orders Black and Grey Like him that wore the Dialogue of Cloaks This shoulder John-a-Stiles that John-a-Nokes Be sick and dream a little you may then Phansie these Linsie-wolsie Vestry-men But I shall tire my self as I have done already and I fear also tired my Reader with transcribing old Canons and old Verses In short in all the Synods and sacred Councils that I can consult and there 's none of them have escap'd my Inquisition and also in the Primitive times and first three Centuries Presbyters and Priests have been so far protected from proud and insolent Prelacy that care has been taken of them even in Punctilio's such as keeping on the Hat sitting c. in presence of the richest and greatest Bishop of them all Constitutum est quod Episcopus quolibet loco sedens stare Presbyterum non patiatur Conc. Carth. cap. 34 35. in Ecclesia autem consessu Presbyterorum sublimior sedeat intra domum vero collegam se Presbyterorum esse cognoscat It is decreed that the Bishop wheresoever he sit shall not suffer a Presbyter to stand before him nevertheless in the Church and at a meeting or Sessions of Priests he shall sit uppermost but in a house or at home he ought to know that he is a Fellow and Companion of the Presbyters Thus the Bishops call the Presbyter Elpidius In Council il Theodoret l. 4. c. 8. our Brother and fellow in Office Elpidius which is the very same Title that is given by the first Council of Nice to old Alexander Bishop of Alexandria and Eustathius Bishop of Antioch two of the greatest Bishops and Metropolitans in Christendom in those days And are not good and stately Mannors large Fines Rents and Incomes pertaining to Bishops and Archdeacons enough to satisfie their appetites but they must long also to pinch somewhat from every poor bare-bone Parish-Priest who with great study and pains and large expence of money and time at School and the University at long-run may perhaps especially if he or his Friends can part with more money get into a Benefice But by that time Money for Ordination the true sin of Simon Magus and the basest Symonie Money for Institution to the Bishop and his Secretary his Registers Porters and Servants Money for Induction to the Archdeacon and his Registers also First-Fruits Arrears of Tenths Dilapidations Procurations Synodals and Visitations c. are paid and many of these payments without Law some against Law Conscience Equity and Reason no wonder the Priest is a poor Priest all the days of his Life whilst some surly Dignitaries that oppress him maintain their Foot-boys and Coach-horses in better plight Let such read a Letter of my Recommendation 't is from a Pope too of Rome but before they grew so proud and high it is Epist 3. Sancti Clementis de officio Sacerdotum they know where sure to find it in print whilst poor Priests lament with St. Bernard Serm. 77. Parum est nostris vigilibus si non servant nisi perdant These big-Spiritual-men think it too little to withdraw their favour and protection from us poor Labourers except they also do us a mischief Which will certainly be my reward from them for this Naked Truth if they can discover me but God's will be done 't is the usual portion and consequence of speaking Truth and plain-dealing but God's will be done I say again Nay they will not suffer the poor Presbyter to preach and take pains in his Parish to which he is Instituted by them and of which they have as by Law bound given him the Cure according to his Presentation except he also pay Ten Shillings more for a License to preach there although he have had never so many Licenses before to preach in the same Diocess and has already given them so many ten shillings a piece for them The Great Turk is more merciful to the Grecian Slaves he gives them free leave to pray or preach Christianity not demanding one penny for the License In Popish times and Countries they us'd to say No Peny no Pater-noster in our Country we must say No Peny no Preacher no Licens'd Preacher When a Deacon is ordain'd Priest or Presbyter the Bible is given into his hands by the Bishop that ordains him saying Take thou Authority to preach the Word of God and to Minister the Holy Sacraments in the Congregation where thou shalt be so Appointed Then in Institution the Bishop appoints him where one would think after all this the Priest so ordain'd might preach the Word of God in his own Cure whereto the Bishop has Instituted him and whereof the Archdeacon has given him Livery and seifin by Induction But no such matter he shall be silenc'd still for all this except the other Ten Shillings be paid for a License though he has three or four Licenses already and all paid for And if the Bishop come to Visit the week after or the day after so that he knows well enough that the Minister has good Letters of Orders and Institution for he himself gave it him the other Day yet he must pay for shewing these things again at Visitations and though he shew'd them all three years before at the former Visitation and the Bishop has them all upon Record in his Books yet he must shew them again and never
the Sheriffs c. cannot as the Law then was and now is make such Execution and give the Clerks presented Jus in Re or possession And if a Bishop or Arch-deacon for they are but men do refuse the same wantonly or through prejudice or design for a Kingsman or a Friend of his own when modestly requested by the Clerk presented and will not admit him habilem then the Law has provided a Writ called Quare Impedit to force him to shew a Lawful cause in the Kings-Courts and by them approved or otherwise to force the Bishop to make Execution according to the Patrons Presentment Thus we see in Times of greatest Popery our Ancestors did assert their own Proprieties against Arbitrary Proceedings of Men that call'd themselves the Church the Church I le give but one Instance more to show what little pretence the Clergy alone have to entitle themselves alone the Church Representative of England distinct from the Lay-Brethren and that is in making a Canon to Cringe to the East and Bow at the Name of Jesus Object How now will some say Of all instances you might have forborn this For can any good Christian do too much Reverence to the Name of Jesus We now know what you would be at Phil. 2.10 11. for does not the Apostle say that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow c. this might have been let alone Answ But I will not let it go so yet must acknowledge readily and chearfully That there is no other Name under Heaven by which we can be saved nor any other name except that of God and Jehovah that deserves more signal Reverence And yet notwithstanding Bernardus non videt omnia nor the Church the Church I mean the Clergy in her Placet's always rational much less Infallible The words in Phil. 2.10 11. are That at the Name of Jesus every knee not every head should how of things in Heaven therefore not litterally to be understood for there is no knees there to bow and things in Earth and things under the Earth there is no knees there neither except those in Graves and they are too senceless at least too stiff to bow And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord Therefore such as take the words litterally ought at the same time that they bow the head or knee to use also their Tongues and confess at the same time that Jesus Christ is Lord. But I say in obedience to this Holy Scripture or rather some Clergy-men's Comment thereon Men at this day at the Name of Jesus bow their heads not their knees yet the Text speaks not one word of that nay in all discourse as well as in the Church men that understand it in the litteral sence ought to bow the knee and not dop the head and also at the same time they ought with their Tongues confess That Jesus Christ is Lord. Thus when we hear a Common-Swearer 100 times in an hour swear by Jesus as is usual and often we ought by this Interpretation to make a Legg every time and with our Tongues Eccho to him and cry out Jesus Christ is Lord. But such was the wisedom for want of comparing the Words with the Context For by the Name of Jesus there is understood the Power and Soveraignty of Jesus to which God hath highly Exalted him not those 4. or 5. Letters but a Power above every Name that is above every Creature or above all created Powers whether in Heaven or in Earth or under the Earth that they might how the knee to him that is adore him So Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower not the Letters Jehovah or Jah is a strong Tower or the found and noise of those words but The Power of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run unto it and are safe not into the Letters or found of the Name Yet notwithstanding if any man will show Reverence at the Name of Jesus I am not offended so he shew as much Reverence at the Name of God and at the Name of the Holy Ghost It is a hard and harsh saying of some and borders upon Blasphemy to make distinctions in the Holy Trinity as if we were more beholden to the Second Person of the Holy Trinity than to the First or Third Person This Grates to make a difference in Reverencing The Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity But in this Instance I only show that the Clergy the Clergy much less a few of the Clergy because Higher and Taler have shown no Charter hitherto nor reason to have such a Charter granted to them to be without the Laity The Church The Churth of England The whole Oecumenical Council of Nice had erred shamefully but for one single ey'd man Paphnutius And it is pretty reading in the Council of Trent to see how at a loss the Fathers were for a Resolution 'till Post-Night till the Packet return'd from Rome one said with their Holy Ghost in a Cloak-bagg So that the next day after the Post came in People repair'd to the Counsel-House for News and to know how squares would go as men do now to a Country Coffee-house on a Post-night to know how things go above But is it not strange Impudence Atheism and Effrontery thus to take Gods holy Name and Spirit in vain by making the Holy Ghost father all our Escapes and By-blows adulterately begotten by Self-Interest Pride Passion Revenge crasty Fetches covetons designs whether the French or the Spanish Interest carry it still The stile is It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us God forgive them And this is the Church The Church that is the Clergy the Clergy or rather the Few the Few the least in number I will not say I cannot say the worst of the number nor the Idlest of the number But add to them Lay-Chancellors or Vicar-Generals Sumners Registers c. To make up this Church the Church of England And you make them worse and worse I look upon the Church of England as the greatest Bull-Work against Popery what This latter sort of men are they such a Bull-work no the Protestants of England The Protestant Laws of England embodied with the Fundamental-Laws of the Realm Ruine one and you ruine the other for they must live and die together Thus have I evidenced that the Laity in the Apostles times were the Church and as much Canon-makers and Rule-makers and had the conduct of the infallible Spirit and gifts of the Holy Ghost as well as the Apostles and therefore certainly the Christian People as well as the Clergy of England are the Church of England Nay In Hen. 3. time when the Popish Prelates were most Rampant and Othoben the Pope's Nuncio had almost Beggar'd that King keeping him poor and doing what he list with him yet when they were to be excommunicated that Infringed Magna Charta The Clergy nor the Synod did not make it but the King and