ANIMI TENORE USUS NONDUMPAR ANIMO PERICULUM INVENIT Cvl BONAE MALAEQ FAMAE MEDIO PERGENTI NEC AB EA QUAM FIXERAT ECCLESIA VERITATIS LINIA RECEDENTI USPIAM UTPOTE NEC HUJUS CONVITIIS TERRITO NEC ILLIUS ILLECEBRIS DELINITO UBIQ SUI SIMILI UNDIQ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CESSIT TANDEM CALUMNIA NON VICTA SOLUM SED ET TRIUMPHATA ET QUANTUMUIS GARRULA OBMUTUIT HANC CONCIUNCHLAM EIVS JUSSU CONCEPTAM NATAM AVSPICIIS HORTATU ET MANDATO IN LUCEM EDITAM PERPETUAE OBSERVANTIAE PIGNUS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. MQ D. D. CQ GUILHELMUS SANCROFT PRESBYTER INDIGNUS PATERNITATI EJUS A SACRIS TIT. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee THis Epistle is one of the three not unfitly styled the Hierarchical Epistles de statu Ecclesiastico compositae as Tertullian speaks being so many Rescripts Apostolical to Timothy and Titus the One desired by St. Paul to stay at Ephesus Primate of Asia the Other left in Creet Metropolitan of that and the neighbour Islands directing them how they ought to behave themselves in the House of God which is the Church of the living God True and genuine Decretal Epistles not like that counterfeit Ware which Isidore Mercator under venerable Names hath had the hardiness to obtrude upon the World but of the right stamp and alloy and such as St. Augustine saith a Bishop ought always to carry in his Hand and to have before his Eyes The Verse I have read to you following immediately upon the Salutation begins the Body of the Epistle it self and like an ingenious and well-contriv'd Perspective give us from the very Front a fair Prospect into the Contents of the whole It is as it were a kind of Magical Glass in which an Eye not blind with Ignorance nor blear'd with Passion may see distinctly the Face of the Primitive Church in that Golden Age of the Apostles the Plat-form of her Government the beautiful Order of her Hierarchy the Original and Derivation of her chief Officers and their subordination both to one another and to Christ the great Bishop of our Souls in the last Resort together with the Manage and Direction of the most important Acts of the Government both in point of Ordination and Iurisdiction toó. For here we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders that is Bishops as shall be shewed in due time dispos'd of City by City in every City One these Bishops both ordained and ordered constituted and corrected created and governed by Titus alone and so He in right of the Premisses no other than Metropolitan or Arch-Bishop there the Angel or the Arch-Angel rather of the whole Church of Creet If you ask who fix'd him the Intelligence of so large an Orbe 't was St. Paul himself You have that too in the Text For this Cause left I thee in Creet If yet higher your Curiosity will needs see the Derivation of St. Paul's Power too He opens his Commission verse 1. and spreads it before You styling himself a Servant of God and an Apostle of Iesus Christ One sent abroad into the World by his Commission acted and assisted by his Spirit to plant and to govern Churches after this Scheme and Model So that my Text like Homer's Symbolical Chain consists you see of many Links but the Highest is tyed to the Foot of Iupiter's Throne or rather like Iacob's Mysterious Ladder the Foot of it stands below in Bethel the House of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head of it is in Heaven and God himself stands at the top of it and leans upon it and keeps it firm Angels Ascending and Descending upon it in the intermedial degrees the Bishops of the Church like those blessed ministring Spirits incessantly bringing down the Commands of God to the Church in their Doctrin and carrying up the Prayers of the Church before God's Throne in their Holy Offices and Intercessions So that you see this holy Oyl which without measure was shed upon the Head of our great High Priest all Power being given to Him both in Heaven and Earth runs down in full stream upon the Beard for As my Father sent me saith he to his Disciples even so send I you and so by and through them to their Successours holy Bishops and Presbyters even down to the Skirts of his Garment For in this comly and exquisite Order we find it in my Text For this Cause I Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ left thee Titus in Creet that thou shouldest set in order or correct the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee In which Words we have these three Parts First The Erection of a Power in the Person of Titus a Metropolitical Power over the whole Island of Creet I left thee in Creet Secondly The end of this Institution or the Use and Exercise of this Power in a double Instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Order and to Ordain to Correct and Constitute to make Bishops and to govern them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Scholia have it For this cause that thou shouldest set in order what was wanting and ordain Elders in every City Thirdly The Limitation of All to Apostolical Prescript and Direction both Ordination and Jurisdiction too the whole Office must be managed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As I had appointed thee These are the Parts Of which that I may so speak and you so hear and all of us so remember and so practice that God's holy Name may be glorified and we all built up in the knoledge of that Truth which is according unto Godliness We beseech God the Father in the Name of his Son Iesus Christ to give us the assistance of his Holy Spirit And in these and all other our Supplications let us always remember to pray for Christ ' s Holy Catholic Church i. e. for the whole Congregation of Christian People dispersed through the whole World That it would please Almighty God to purge out of it all Schism Error and Heresie and to unite all Christians in one Holy Bond of Faith and Charity that so at length the happy Day may draw upon us in which all that do confess his Holy Name may agree in the truth of his Holy Word and live in Unity and godly Love More especially let us pray for the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland That the God of Peace who maketh Men to be of one Mind in a House would make us All of one Soul and of one Spirit that again we may meet together and praise Him with one Heart and Mouth and worship him with one Accord in the Beauty of Holiness To this end I am to require you most especially to pray for
Honoured with those Rewards in the Church that might make them Public Benefits and Examples to the World quickly took Notice of Him as a Person who was growing into Greatness and whose Extraordinary Parts and Abilities would soon Ripen him for the Greatest Employments his Profession could Entitle him too He was intimately Known to all the Learned Bishops of that Age and particularly to the Most Reverend Doctor Iohn Cosens Lord Bishop of Durham who had singled him out to be his Chaplain and which was a far greater Honour to him His Friend and Confident He was most entirely Beloved by all the Great Ones both in Church and State and so might have commanded whatever he could have desired in the Church from those who had so many excellent Preferments in their Donations But Privacy and a retired Life was the only thing he Coveted and preferred to all the greatest Employments they could bestow upon Him Because this did best Improve his Mind as it gave him the largest Opportunities of laying in the greatest Stock and Treasure of Knowledge and Wisdom Which he esteemed above all the Honours and Wealth in the Kingdom He never did desire either to be Rich or Great but to be as Knowing as he could be which he thought could never be obtained but by Ease and Quietness and by Pains and Study which are very much Interrupted by Public Business and Employments And being therefore blessed with admirable natural Parts and Qualifications of Mind he resolved to take this Course to obtain the End he Aim'd at of gaining as much Learning as he could to render him every way Serviceable to his Profession and to the World He had an Understanding that was extended to all the Parts of useful Knowledge and this improv'd by Travel and Foreign Conversation He spent some Years in France and Italy amongst the most Learned Personages that those Countries could boast of Here he prosecuted his Studies with an Indefatigable Industry Courted and Beloved by every one for the singular Modesty and Affability of his Mind and Temper and for his great Attainments in all manner of Knowledge that could render him not only an Honour to his Country and Profession but highly Acceptable to all Learned and Ingenious Persons Some time before the Restauration of our Government he returned to his Native Soyl and lived in that Privacy and Retirement which was so suitable to his Temper till the Place of his Education in the Vniversity became the Scene of his Government Wherein that College may justly boast of it's Happiness by reason of the great Prudence and Wisdom which was Visible to every one of the Fellows by his Careful Management of their Affairs giving every day Instances of his great Understanding and clear Insight in the Nature of Business and in his most Obliging Deportment to every Member of that Society Who were encouraged by his great Example to Laborious Study and to the Prosecution of the Greatest Attempts in Learning Here he staid not long but was by that Wise and Discerning Prince King Charles the Second Recommended to the Deanary of St. Pauls St. Pauls being through Length of Time and a Barbarous Rebellion become very much Decay'd and Ruin'd it was necessary that so Charitable a Person should be fix'd in that Post in order to contrive VVays for the Repairing of her Breaches and the Decays She then lay under None I am sure had a larger Heart for such an Undertaking and a more eager Inclination to endeavour all he could to Restore her to her former Beauty And in Order hereunto while he sate in this Chair no one could have Husbanded her Revenues with a more frugal and yet decent Oeconomy in order to Advance her to her Greatness wherein She appeared in former Ages But while he was carrying on this Noble Design it fell a Sacrifice to that dismal Conflagration and had Burning instead of Beauty However this fatal Judgment which befel this Renowned City and Noble Structure which had been the Honour of our Nation and the Admiration of all the World for many Ages did not lessen his singular Zeal for the House of God His Labours and Solicitations in order to the Re-building of it were unwearied and he was as diligent to raise this Reverent Pyle out of its Ashes as he had been before to support it in it's Ruin Here he continued for many Years Adorning the Post he was in by Re-building the Deanary and Improving its Revenue and carrying on his great Resolution of doing all the Good he could to the Church in General and to his Own in Particular While this was the daily Object of his Thoughts and Actions he was unexpectedly and without the least Inclination in Himself Advanced to the See of Canterbury This Promotion as it was an Act of Grace which flow'd from the Great Benignity of his Prince so it was the Effect of that Judgment in his Majesty which all the World acknowledged to be remarkable in him And indeed it was not possible for him to lie long hid though He Industriously sought it and seemed rather to be earnestly compelled to the Acceptance of it than through any natural Desire after Greatness disposed towards it No sooner that the World knew of his Nomination to the See but his Advancement thither met with an Universal Joy and Satisfaction Every one were sensible of what happy Days this truly Primitive and Apostolical Church of England would enjoy under his Zealous Patronage and how much Learning would flourish in these Kingdoms under his Auspicious Influence and Protection And so indeed it hath He being generally known to be a hearty and faithful Friend to all that had any Merit to expect his Favour or desire it He carefully sought out such Persons for the Service of the Church in those Preferments that fell within his Gift as were of approved Abilities of great Learning and of Exemplary Lives and Conversations He had a Heart enlarged to the greatest Hospitality that could be and his Charity was Diffusive to all manner of Objects relating thereunto He was a constant Friend to Learning to Religion and to our Established Church and designed to wear away the Remains of his Life his Estate and his Interest for the Encouragement and Preservation of them He had for many Years been Collecting a Useful Library of the best Books in every Science but Particularly Philology History and Divinity and all these of the best Editions which he at first Designed for the Public Library at Lambeth but afterwards he altered his Intentions and sent this Noble Present to his own College where they Design an Honourable Apartment to their Library in Commemoration of so useful and generous a Benefaction He was a great Admirer of the Excellency of our Liturgy in the last Alterations of which just after the Restitution of our Government in Church and State as he was very much concerned so he was a constant Attender upon the Public Worship of GOD both
shewing thy Self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pattern of good Works For as S. Ambrose excellently In Episcopo vita formatur omnium the Life of the Prelate is as it were a Form or Mold in which the Conversation of others is Shap'd and Modell'd Or as Isidore Pelusiot conceits it like a Seal well cut which stamps the common Christians under his Care as Wax with the like Impressions And therefore S. Paul who well understood this twice within two Verses of my Text requires it a Qualification in a Bishop that he be blameless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that cannot be accused which yet Innocence it self you know may be nay but a Bishop must be void of Suspicion too as well as Crime Ay that 's the way to set all right indeed For so fair a Copy plac'd in so good a Light teacheth it self and every one that runs by will read it and strive to write after it 2 But Secondly Doctrina by speaking the things that become sound Doctrine For a Bishop must be able both to exhort and to convince the Gainsayers In Doctrine shewing Uncorruptness Gravity Sincerity sound Speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed c. 3 Censura That must not be forgotten as being chief in the Eyes of the Text. No the Garden of God must be weeded sometimes or like the Sluggard's Vineyard 't will soon be overgrown with Nettles and Thorns Even Christ's Vine must be pruned too or 't will run out and spend it self in fruitless Luxury The Lamps of the Temple will burn faint and dim if they be not trimmed and drest and snuffed now and then And therefore though the Tables of the Law and the Pot of Manna be in the Ark yet 't is not a perfect Embleme of the Church unless the Rod of Aaron be there too and without Iurisdiction and Discipline we shall quickly find the Word and Sacraments will not have so powerful an Influence upon a loose and a debauched World Epiphanius observes That Moses was sent into Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some while after he instituted the Passover and received the Law and consecrated Aaron and his Sons to the Priest-hood but he carried the Rod of God with him in his Hand No bringing up the Israel of God out of Egypt without it And 't is that Rod therefore which S. Paul here puts into Titu's Hand when he bids him Correct what is amiss in the Text and Rebuke evil doers sharply and severely v. 11. and Stop the mouths of such as teach what they ought not v. 13. Nay and Rebuke them with all Authority not suffering his Monitions to be slighted by any Let no man contemn thee Ch. 11. v. 15. Nay if Corrigas will not serve the turn be a Word too low S. Ierome upon the place and after him Cardinal Cajetan have added a Cubit to its Stature and advanc'd it into Super-corrigas which yet perhaps arrives not the full Altitude of the Greek For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Decompound and if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to make strait or right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is throughly to do it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do it not only exactly but over and over again S. Chrysostom and S. Ierom both take notice of this Emphasis and state it thus That whereas S. Paul had corrected some Things and so far Titus should go on where he left and compleat what he had begun bringing them yet to another Test till they came forth like Gold more than once tryed in the Furnace An Hint which will perhaps be too greedily catch'd at by those to whose Advantage it was never intended A sort of Men that are all for Super-corrigas but 't is still on the wrong side and of that which is not amiss The Reformers of the World and Syndios of all Christendom Men but of yesterday yet wiser and better than all the Fathers that Over-correct and Over-reform every thing correct Magnificat it self before they be out of danger of the rest of the Proverb Correct not the Cretans and their Amisses but Titus and his Elders serving all Antiquity and Patterns of Primitive Government as Procrustes did his Guests who still reduced them to the Scantling of his Beds So these either cutting them short or forcing them out longer till they apply to the just Model they have fancied to themselves and would impose upon others Thus Titus must be screwed up into an Extraordinary and so a Temporary Officer an Evangelist or a Secondary Apostle as Walo Messalinus and others not a fix'd and Ordinary Governour of the Church of Creet lest that come cross to their Designs and on the other side the Elders of the Text must be degraded into common Presbyters lest we should have Bishops here of S. Paul's Titus's own Creation with how little reason in either we go on to consider in 11. The second Act to which this Power is here designed and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Ordain Elders in every City Concerning which Elders whether of the first or second Rank I know well what variety of Opinion hath past even amongst my own Mother's Sons Nor shall I be nice to acknowledge it as counting it our Advantage that we have more than a single Hypothesis to salve the Phoenemena and some choice of Answers each of them sufficiently securing us from the Contradiction of the Gainsayers to whose Pretensions these Elders will be for ever useless whether understood Bishops or common Presbyters always ordained and governed either by the Apostles themselves or by Bishops of their appointment as they drew off But not to leave it wholly in the Clouds I will not doubt to profess mine own sense too with due Submission That the Elders in the Text were very Bishops appointed One for every City and the Suburbicarian Region thereof For this is most agreeable not only the Exposition of the Antient Church the best Comment when all is done upon doubtful places of Scripture But to the Context also which expresly calls them Bishops in the seventh Verse Were it not for this and what follows in the next Particular we were perhaps at liberty to leave the World at large in its general acception as it takes in both Orders both useful in every City and so both to be supplied by Titus in which Oecumenius hath gone before us affirming that Titus was left in Creet to ordain Clerks in every City But we are determined For though at present I demand not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherever it occurs in the New Testament should signifie a Bishop yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth so I shall not doubt to affirm till I see the Text produced that attributes it to some Person otherwise evinced to have been no more then a single Presbyter And Thirdly and Lastly most agreeable also to the Text
it self and the Distribution of these Presbyters by Citys the Peculiar Seat of Bishops according to the Scheme of the Antient Church and the Method the Blessed Apostles thought good to use in the planting and modelling of it For that they preached the Gospel not only in Citys but in the Countries adjoyning yet planted Churches in Cities still and setled single Persons their Successors there to govern both the Cities and the Regions round about from whence a City and a Church come to be equipollent Terms even in the Apostolical Writings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Acts the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text and yet further That they left the Churches of inferiour Cities and their Bishops in dependance upon the Metropoles which were the Chief according to the civil Division and that the only true Ground of the Superiority of one Church above another hath been rendred as manifest as any thing almost in the Ecclesiastic Antiquity against all Adversaries both those of the Hills and those of the Lake too by the Learned and well placed Labours of those Excellent Persons in both Pages of the Dipâ—ychs whom I shall not need to name since their own Works praise them in the Gate Now I would ask the Question If these be common Presbyters why appropriated to Cities Were there to be none of this sort in the Villages or in the Country about Or since limited to Cities why should we not pronounce them Bishops the City being the Bishop's proper Seat and He the Star of that Orb the Angel and the Intelligence of that Sphere A Truth so Visible that Calvin and Beza and many others after them so far may Persons otherwise of great Learning be Transported 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to avoid the Inconvenience were concerned to Translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here Oppidatim Elders in every Town not as some others less Interessed Persons may perhaps be thought to have done to gain the advantage of that distributive Termination which no Adverb from Civitas or Urbs could afford them but I fear for some other Design perhaps to make the Interpretation of the Text a practice too usual with them and other to lacquay it to the espoused Opinions and to serve the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so to whip Thealogie with Grammar's Rods but so loosely bound up that at the first stroke they fly in the Air and prove ineffectual every Alphabetarian knowing well that the Latin of is Urbs or Civitas and Oppidum in the precise propriety of Language which ought in such cases to be kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the most in middle state betwixt a City and a Drop and in the antient Glosses no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Civitatula at the Highest And now I shall not take upon me as some have done to number the Cities under Titas's Iurisdiction 'T is true in Homer's Time Creet was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famous for its Hundred Cities But in Ptolomy's Age they arose not to half the Number and Pliny having named about forty saith plainly that of the other sixty memoria extat nothing remained but the Memory In the Times of the Greek Empire they were about twenty Suffragan Bishops under four Arch-bishops as Magnius reckons them up but at this day under the Venetian not half so many of either sort So variable are these Proportions according to the Fate of Citys and the daily Change of the Civil Partition Who would look now for the Throne of a Primate in Caer-Leon upon Usk or rake in the Ruins of Carthage for St. Cyprian's Mitre He that should undertake a Pilgrimage to Creet to visit Titus his Metropolis would in vain enquire for the once-Famous Gortyna and not find so much of its Dust together as would suffice to write its Name in That renowned Septenary of Asia of old not only Episcopal but Metropolitical Churches where are they Cities may fail and Bishops Sees with them Stars have their Vicissitudes may rise and set again Candlesticks are moveable Utensils and may be carried from Room to Room But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the standing Rule and fails not a City and a Bishop generally adequate to one another For as on the one side an Universal Bishop with the whole World for his Iurisdiction is a proud Pretence and too vast for Humanity to grasp so on the other side Rural Bishops too is a poor and a mean Design and not only retrives the Italian Episcâ—pelli so scorned at Trent but worse As he divided the Stream into so many Rills that it lost its Name and Being so these by a too minute Division would Cantonize the Dignity and degrade it into nothing at the last as the Roitelets and petty Kings of Ivedoâ— do but diminish Majesty and take it down into contempt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non in vicis aut villis aut modica civitate No Bishops there lest they grâ—w contemptible so run the Canons of the Antient Church both Greek and Latine And therefore the twelfth Council of Toledo unmitered one Convildus formerly an Abbot in a little Village and dissolved the Bishoprick which Bamba the Gothick King had violently procured to be erected there and that by Authority of this Rule of the Church and the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of my Text which they actually plead in the Front of their Decree to justifie their proceedings Amongst these so many Cities in Creet Gortyna was then the Civil Metropolis as Solinus who lived in that Age informs us and in the next Age we are sure the Ecclesiastical Metropolis too there being still extant in the Church Story the Inscription of an Epistle that plainly infers it For Dionysius that renowned Bishop of Corinth who flourished about the middle of the second Century and stands so highly commended in Eusebius for his Catholick Epistles seven of them being there mentioned to several Churches and their Bishops or as St. Ierom hath it more distinctly Ad aliarem Urbium Provinciarum Episcopos some of them being written to inferiour Citys and Bishops others to Mother-Citys and their Metropolitans and so to whole Provinces amongst the rest sent two into Creet the One of the former sort to Pinytus Gnossioe urbis Episcopum as S. Ierome or as Eusebius To the Gnossians and Pinytus Bishop of that Diocess only the Other of the later sort and in a different Style To the Church about or belonging to Gortyna together with the rest of the Diocesses in Creet and in it acknowledgeth Philip their Bishop that is not only of that Church of Gortyna but of all those Dioceses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom therefore S. Ierom significantly qualifies Episcopum Cretensem hoc est urbis Gortynae Bishop of Gortyna eo nomine of all Creet too Enough to make Evidence that Gortyna was the
OCCASIONAL SERMONS Preached by the Most Reverend Father in God WILLIAM SANCROFT Late Lord Arch-BISHOP OF CANTERBURY With some Remarks of his Life and Conversation in a LETTER to a FRIEND LONDON Printed by T. B. for Thomas Bassett at the George near St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street MDCXCIV To my Honoured Friend R. T. SIR I Have received your Letter and am extreamly well pleased with your Intentions of Publishing the Sermons of that most Reverend Prelate Dr. William Sancroft Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury which he long since Preached and made Public to the VVorld Each of them in the Front of the Title signifie to the View of the Reader the remarkable Occasions upon which they were Preached and being through Length of Time become very scarce and difficult to be obtained the Impression of each of them being worn out I do not doubt but it will be an Acceptable Service to all who not only Love Learning in general but likewise the Memory of that Great Prelate who had so great a share of it himself and daily Encouraged and Promoted it in others The first of these Discourses was Preached at St. Peter's Westminster on the first Sunday in Advent 1660. just after the Restitution of our Government in Church and State wherein the Honour of our Church and of Episcopacy is most Learnedly asserted against all the unreasonable and weak Pretences and Arguments of the Adversaries of Both and this at the Consecration of Six Right Reverend Bishops who very well deserved the Honours were bestowed upon them by that Excellent Prince King Charles the Second not only for the Eminency of their Lives and Conversations but of their Writings and other Public Services they did for the Preserving and Defending our Established Church and Monarchy in these Realms in that Long Rebellion which had endeavoured the utter Ruin and Extirpation of Both. And whoever peruses this Sermon will find he hath handled it as the Argument of it requires and the Greatness of the Auditory then expected from him And herein he gave an Early Taste not only of his Abilities and Learning on this Subject but of what he even then deserved and afterwards arrived to the Greatest our Church could give him and his Prince bestow upon him The second was a Sermon which he Preached before the King at Whitehall October 10. 1666. on that Solemn Fast which the Government had appointed to bewail the Astonishing Judgment of Almighty God upon the City of London by that Prodigious Fire which laid it in Dust and Ashes Wherein he shews himself to be a great Master of Devotion and Piety by exciting the same in others and Encouraging the whole Nation to a real Sense of those Evils they had suffered and to a serious and timely Repentance of all their Sins least a worse thing fell upon them The third Discourse was Delivered likewise before the House of Peers on the 13th of November 1678. being the Fast Day appointed by His Majesty to implore the Mercies of Almighty God in the Protection of his Majesties Sacred Person and his Kingdoms from the Attempts and Machinations that were then on Foot by the several Partisans of the Church of Rome All of which Discourses were extorted from him and made Public by the Request and Authority of those before whom he Preached contrary to the Inclination of his Mind and singular Modesty which was indeed Peculiar to him having ever affected a great Privacy in his Thoughts and Writings being resolved never to appear in Print if he could with any Decency avoid the Importunity or Commands of those who requested the Publishing of them But I shall say nothing more concerning these Discourses but leave them to the Perusal of the Judicious Reader as you desire All that I have now to do is only to give you a short Character of this Excellent Person Though I am very Conscious to my self that my Abilities are not equal to this Attempt which I have at your request undertaken and therefore I have rather chosen to Sacrifice my little Reputation to your kind Importunity and the Public Censure then that this little Volum of Sermons should go unpraefac'd to the World I am exceeding sensible of the Boldness herein of the most ingenious Designer to draw his Picture as it ought to be and the most skilful Hand would be at a Loss for the true Features and Lineaments of this Great Man but the best though the most difficult Enterprize ought not to meet with any Discouragement when it is designed well and not only for a Private but a Public Good too His Life was the Transcript of those excellent Endowments and Virtues which usually Adorned the Lives of the Primitive Bishops and as no one could know more what belonged to the Character of a true Prelate so no one Practised it better He Gradually Arrived to his Greatness by early Notices in the World And while a Youth and under the Government of his Parents he was always addicted through the Pregnancy of his Genius to a great Sense of Piety and Goodness and out-striped the great Care and Education of his Masters by the large Steps and Progress he daily made in Learning and Religion Cambridge was the Place he came to when he at first appeared in the World and so became the happy Mother of this Renowned Prelate in the very Bloom of his Years Which is a just Honour to that great Seat of Learning and which any other Vniversity I am sure would justly boast of He was settled in Emmanuel College and no sooner there but he gave the World those Early Hopes of him as he made good presently after in many of the great Actions of his Life His Accomplishments in Human Literature were very surprising and within a very little while after his being there he became Master of the whole Circle of it Which upon all Occasions in Public as well as in Private shewed it self very remarkably In this he had a peculiar Talent being an admirable Critic in all the Antient and Classic Knowledge both among the Greeks and Romans He had throughly digested all their Learning in Poetry and History and this without the least Affectation of Vanity or Ostentation of Learning He attained to that Perfection in it that as it was his Divertion so he made it an Advancement to his other Studies He made it subservient to the carrying on his unwearied Labours in Theology In this he spent the greatest part of his Time and cultivated the Soyl in which it was planted to so great a height that it became exceeding Fruitful and I do not doubt within a short space of Time but that the Learned World will be the better for many Noble Fruits and Productions of it Were there only these which we now Present you with it would be sufficient to Demonstrate the Greatness of the Person and the Excellency of his Learning The Great Men of that Time who were justly Celebrated for Learning and
in Private and in Public His Behaviour was always exceeding Grave and Composed and when-ever present at the Public Service of the Church he had not only a Habit of Seriousness visibly dwelt upon his Mind and Spirit but a Reverend and Profound Humility which appeared in the great Devotion of his Heart In a Word he had all the Virtue and Qualification both of a Great and of a Good Man he was a Wise Prelate a most Learned Divine an Universal Scholar a Just Man a Faithful Friend an Excellent Councellor a Kind and Tender Master to his Servants a great Benefactor to others a Thankful Beneficiary where he was obliged himself a Zealous Asserter of his Religion against Popery on the one side and Fanaticism on the other and in short all the single Perfections that make many Men Eminent were United in this Primate and render'd him Illustrious Thus I have ventur'd in hast to give you my Thoughts of this most Reverend Prelate while he lived and I am confident you earnestly expect at the same Time I should say something how he Died. All that I shall observe is that his Retirement into the Country was wholly in order thereunto that he might lay his Remains in the very same Soyl where he first received his Being His Time was spent most in Preparation for his great Change which he expected with the same Joy and Pleasure of Mind as others are wont to do their Advancements to Honour and Greatness The World was what he never Loved but only for those Opportunities it gave him of doing Good He parted with his Life with the same Submission to Divine Providence as the Christians of Old did with an humble Chearfulness and Resignation of Spirit He spent most of his Time in Private Devotion and Charity in daily Prayers to God for Himself and the whole World in Reading and Meditations and whatever Duties are necessary for a Good Man and a Dying Christian. He was some Months before he Dyed seized with a Fit of an Ague which confined him to his Bed for many Weeks The third Fit proved so exceeding violent that it was in great Likelihood to have Mastered his Nature and Constitution and Carryed him off every one about him thinking and His Grace likewise finding His Strength so far gone that it seemed impossible for him to have Grappled with another However it was diverted though against his Inclinations by the Cortex Peruvianus being more desirous to Dye than Live He was for many Days in Prospect of Death which he saw as it approached and felt it come on by Degrees and to the very last Minute of his Expiring Breath having placed Himself in a posture of Dying and Ordering the Recommendatory Prayer in the Service of the Visitation of the Sick to be read to him He immediately Resigned his Spirit to Almighty God and thereby gave all that were about him great Cause to Admire his Faith towards GOD his Zeal to his Church his Constancy of Mind his Contempt of the World his Universal Charity to all Mankind and his Chearful Hopes of Eternity He Dyed on the Twenty Fourth of November between Twelve and One of the Clock and was Buried on the Twenty Seventh between Eight and Nine very Privately as He himself Ordered it in Fresingfield Church-Yard on the South-side as near the Wall as they could Lay Him A Place indeed of his Own Chusing Sixteen Years Since at which Time he was Nominated to the See of CANTERBVRY But before his Instalment he took a Journey down into SVFFOLK to see his Relations and his Native Place and then told his Friends they should Bury Him There in Case He should Dye in that Country Though afterwards he Changed his Intentions and made a Place for his Interment in his own Palace at LAMBETH But upon his Deprivation and Return to the Place of his Nativity he Re-assumed his former Resolutions and Disposed of his Body as above mentioned and his SOVL into the Arms of his Dearest SAVIOUR What then Remains for Us but to Preserve the Memory of his Great Virtue always fresh in our Minds and Express as far as we are able the Copy of them in our Practice for this will be the best Way of Remembring the Dead which brings in most Advantage to the Living and the truest Way to Honour Him is to Imitate what was so good and highly Commendable in Him When the Piety and Humility the Justice and Charity and all the other Excellent Endearments of this Great Person are kept Alive and shewn in the Conversation of those that Survive Him It is only these Virtues which have Carried those that have gone before Us and which can Carry Us too in the End to a joyful Resurrection Thus Worthy Sir I have at your Request ventured to give you a brief Account of this most Excellent Prelate and am very Conscious to my self the Character I have given you of Him is Infinitely short of his Extraordinary Merit I might have insisted upon many Peculiar Passages of the Life and Actions of this Great Man which would have been more Honourable to him there being no VVay so Advantagious of drawing out Excellent Persons as by shewing the Draught which they have made of themselves their own most Commendable Actions making them more truly Illustrious than all the Paint and Varnish of an abstracted Eloquence Especially because this is of more Use and a better Help to Imitation But I have chosen rather to give you my Thoughts of Him in the General not doubting but some more Perfect and Larger Account will in due Time be Published concerning Him However I have this Satisfaction that you will I am sure Accept of my poor Endeavours herein having obeyed your Command with the same Chearfulness and Readiness wherewith you are wont to Oblige Sir Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant M. M. A SERMON PREACHED In S. Peter's Westminster on the first Sunday in Advent at the Consecration of the Right Reverend Fathers in God JOHN Lord Bishop of Durham WILLIAM Lord B. of S. Davids BENJAMIN Lord Bishop of Peterb HUGH Lord Bishop of Landaff RICHARD Lord Bishop of Carslile BRIAN Lord Bish. of Chester and JOHN Lord Bishop of Exeter By the Most Reverend Father in God William Sancroft Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Apoc. 1. 20. Septem Stellae Angeli sunt Septem Ecclesiarum LONDON Printed by T. B. 1694. REVERENDO IN CHRISTO PATRI AC DOMINO D no. JOHANNI EPISCOPO DUNEâ—MENSI EOQUE NOMINE JURA HABENTI COMITIS PALATINI SACRAE THEOLOGIAE PROFESSORI VETERIS SCRIPTURARUM CANONIS ADSERTORI ET VINDICI ECCLESIAE PETROBURGENSIS EX DECANO DVNELMENSIS DECANO DESIGNATO DIU CANONICO JAM ETIAM 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ANGLIC ET FILIO ET PATRI OPTIMâ— ROMANAE HODIERNAE ET NUPRAE OPPUGNATORI STRENVO VETERIS ET PRIMITIVE UT CATHOLICAE DMIRATORI PERPETUO CVLTORI DEVOTISSIMO 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VIRO Qvl INUTRIUSQUE FORTUNAE SEU DURIS SEU LUBRICIS EODEM
the King ' s most Excellent Majesty our Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and Supream Governor in these His Realms and in all other his Dominions and Countries over all Persons in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal That God would Establish His Throne in Righteousness and His Seed to all Generations Also for our gracious Lady Mary the Queen-Mother for the most Illustrious Prince James Duke of York and for the whole Royal Family That God would take them all into His Care and make them the Instruments of His Glory and the good and welfare of these Nations Further let us pray for the Ministers of God ' s Holy Word and Sacraments as well Arch-Bishops and Bishops as other Pastors and Curates for the Lords and others of his Majesties most Honourable Council and for all the Nobility and Magistrates of the Realm That All and every of these in their several Callings may serve truly and painfully to the Glory of God and the edifying and well governing of his People remembring the account that they must make Let us also pray for the Universities of this Land Cambridge and Oxford That God would water them with his Grace and still continue them the Nurseries of Religion and Learning to the whole Land Let us pray for the whole Commons of this Realm That remembring at last from whence they are faln they may repent and do the first works living henceforth in Faith and Fear of God in humble Obedience to their King and in Brotherly Charity one to another Finally let us praise God for all those that are already departed out of this Life in the Faith of Christ and pray unto God we may have Grace to direct our Lives after their good Examples that this Life ended we may be made partakers with them of the glorious Resurrection in the Life Everlasting For which and for all other needful Blessings let us say together the Prayer of our Lord who hath taught us to say Our Father c. For this Cause left I thee in Creet c. The Erecting of the Power that 's the first I left thee in Creet Where we have these Particulars The Original of this Power in Ego the subject of it in Te Ego Te the Conveyance in Ego Reliqui and the Extent in Reliqui Cretae or in Creta I. I left thee I the Apostle of Iesus Christ vers 1. left thee Mine There 's the Source and the Stream the Original and the Derivation of All 't was from our Lord by his Apostle I did it his Commissioner 1. And therefore First Not a Suffragan of St. Peter as some of the Romish Partizans would fain have it Who to serve the over-high pretences of that Court are not content to Dogmatize That St. Peter was the Prince and Sovereign of the Apostles and his very Successors superior to the Apostles that survived Him and That they being once All Dead there was never since any Power in the Church but in Succession to him and by Derivation from him dare yet higher and with strange confidence pronounce That the Apostles themselves were all ordained by St. Peter and He alone by Christ And That when the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them they were thereupon sent up to Ierusalem to be ordained by St. Peter Affirmations so very strange that I know not what can be more unless this be that they should think them passable with us upon the Authority of Petrus Comestor the Scholastic Historian and those suspected Decretals of the false Merchant I mention'd at the beginning Whereas for the Imposition of Hands upon Barnabas and Saul were it a Blessing or were it an Ordination 't is plainly inferred verse 3. to have been perform'd upon the Place by the Persons mention'd verse 1. And St. Paul for his particular in the Front of every Epistle enters his Protestation against all this as if he had foreseen it still qualifying himself an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God an Apostle not of Men nor by Man but by the Commandment of God our Saviour and accordingly you may see him contesting it to the height both against Peter and the rest Gal. 1. and 2. Chapters throughout That the Gospel he Preached was not of Man the Apostleship he exercis'd was not from Man but the one by immediate Revelation the other by Assignation from Heaven it self So that having receiv'd his Mission thence and his Instructions too he thought it unnecessary to confer with Flesh and Blood to apply himself to any Mortal Man for the enhancing of either He went up indeed to Ierusalem to visit Peter three Years after his Conversion and yet once again fourteen Years after he returned thither and had Conference with Iames and Cephas and Iohn but these Pillars added nothing to him neither established his Aâ—thority nor advanced his Knowledge And Titus himself was present at the enterview and so an Eye-witness that in nothing he came behind the very chiefest Apostles for they all gave him the right-hand of Fellowship far from exacting the right-hand of Preheminence And so Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ not a Deputy of the Apostolical College much less a Suffragan of St. Peter or his Legate a latere as was pretended But 2. Not a Disciple of Gamaliel For there is a Disputer of this World who having laid it down for a Principle with himself indeed his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all pretence of Ecclesiastical Power as from Christ is but an Imposture is thereupon obliged to give such an accompt of the Appearances of it in the New Testament as may suit with this Postulatum And accordingly for the particular of Imposition of Hands for Ordination of Elders will have it only the pursuance of a Iewish Custom which St. Paul learned at the Feet of his Master Gamaliel under whom he Commenc'd Elder before he was Christian and thereupon after thought good to create his own Disciples to the same Dignity according to the Law of those Schools and Titus amongst the rest whom he left in Creet to do the like and to Constitute his Scholars Elders too in all the Cities where he should Preach A Discourse so loose and incoherent that 't is not worth your while to stand by and see it fall in pieces which it would quickly do were it not already done to our hands upon a gentle Examination I shall only remind you of what was said before upon the former Particular and so leave it in Compromise to any Indifferent Whether St. Paul the Apostle of Iesus Christ who so stoutly refuseth to Releve of St. Peter himself or the rest of the Apostles as owing his whole Commission to Heaven alone would yet acknowledge to hold it of
had no rest in my Spirit because I found not Titus my Brother but taking my leave went thence into Macedonia Upon which place with some others St. Ierome hath sounded his Conjecture That Titus was St. Paul's Interpreter to the Grecians For though the Apostle understood the Greek Language and wrote it too elegantly enough yet there might be something of Uncouth and Barbarous in his Pronunciation which rendred it not so smooth and passable to a common Greek Ear which Iosephus also though a spruce Greek Writer complains of as both his own and the general infelicity of his Nation But though Titus was so needful to St. Paul in this or some such respect and so Dear and Precious in many others yet the Apostle most resolvedly leaves him behind in Creet as He who knew most chearfully to Sacrifice all his own Advantages and the tenderest and inmost of his Affections to the Benefit of Christ's Church and the Interest of Religion Let us go and do likewise 3 But Thirdly and principally Thee a single Person not a Consistory of Presbyters or a Bench of Elders But this Observation together with the next Particular III The Extent of this Power as it reacheth the whole Island of Creet I shall have occasion to resume by and by and so pass on at present There is nothing behind of the first Part of the Text but IV the Conveyance of the Power couched or supposed in Ego Reliqui I lâ—ft Thee A close Conveyance by a word in which there may be much more understood than exprest viz. A Derivation or Transmission of Power from St. Paul to Titus inabling him for the Discharge of that Work he was entrusted with Reliquit vice suâ as Haymo well As if St. Paul had said I left thee in Creet my Deputy and Vice-gerent there to water what I had planted to build up what I had founded to perfect what I had begun I left Thee to reside in Creet as I besought Timothy to abide at Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Resident there as fix'd and ordinary Governour of that Church while I went on still to preach the Gospel in other Regions where the Name of Christ had not been heard In fine For this Cause was he left that he should perform such special Acts ordain Elders and reform what was amiss and therefore certainly left Commissioned and Authorized after the Apostolical Guise to do those Acts viz. by Imposition of Hands and Episcopal Ordination which is a true Gloss though of a Pseudo Ambrose Titum Apostolus consecravit Episcopum and back'd by Theophylact and others amongst the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it will best appear what the Power was in the Conveyance and consequently what the Conveyance it self by taking notice what it was to be in the Exercise of it and so I go on to the Second Part of my Text in which we find it designed to a double Act to Order and to Ordain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. In the first there will be some Variety For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being properly to Correct or make Strait that which is Crooked not that which is wanting to which it seems not to have so just a Rapport and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the next Notion those things which are wanting and therefore not so aptly said to be corrected as supplyed or added For the according of the Terms I cannot see why the Participle may not have as powerful Influence upon the Verb to qualifie That as That upon the Participle and shall therefore make this advantage of the Doubt to take in the Consideration of both Senses and suppose that Titus is here commissioned both to supply what was Wanting and to correct what was Amiss First To supply what was Wanting And then the Nerve and Emphasis of the Verb will lye in the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do something Additionally and by way of Supplement to what was done before but was not sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostom to fill up the Vacuities and Defects that were left which probably were not a few in Creet especially a Church so lately Founded but the year before and in which S. Paul stayed so short a time in which long Works could not be brought about Neither let any Church though of longer Continuance flatter and sooth up it self with Laodicea as if it needed nothing The Ship of the Church is never so perfectly rigg'd but something may be added 'T is seldom or never but some pin or other is lacking even in God's Tabernacle while it sojourns here below Just as in the Material Church 't is scarce known but either the Roof is open or the Pavement uneven the Windows broken or some part or other of the Wall mouldring and dropping away So in the Spiritual either the Light is not good or the Walking is not answerable 't is well if the Foundation stands firm and sinks not but the Superstructions most commonly want something that must be supplied And therefore methinks the Inference is strong There 's need of a Bishop in every Church that must learn his Office in his Name and look about him be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Isidore Peleusiote appositely and like a wise Master builder have a careful Eye ever awake upon all parts to see what is wanting and to supply it That 's the first But Secondly To correct what is amiss Things that are faulty and defective and want something sc. of their due Rectitude and Conformity to the Rule for so perhaps the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Hesychius shall warrant me that Gloss. Or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that leave their Rank and start out of their place and so to be reduc'd and set in Order again And of this sort also there was but too much in Creet For to say nothing of the evil Beasts with the nimble Tongues and slow Bellies we find also in this Chapter Iewish Leaven to be purg'd out and as some have thought Gnostick Impurity to be resisted unruly and vain talkers and deceivers Subverters of whole Houses teachers of things they ought not for filthy lucre's sake Men that profess to know God but in works deny him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate So that for ought we see they might well enough deserve the black Character the Proverb brands them with amongst the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the three very infamous Nations that began with C. for such a superfluity of Naughtiness St. Paul here designs a proportionate Corrective and sends Titus and his Elders amongst them to bring them into better Order by a threefold Instrument Vita Doctrina Censura all in this Epistle and in this Chapter 1 Vita first by the Example of his holy Life In all things
Metropolis of Creet even in the Christian Accompt very early and long before the Councel of Nice whatever hath been pretended to the contrary and probably in the Epoch of the Text it self since even then it was certainly such in the Civil Style most confessedly the Ground of the Christian Establishment for sure it was not Chance or Lottery that produced a perpetual Coincidence both there and elsewhere the World over And now let me lead you up to the top of Mount Ida the proudest Height in Creet from whence Geographers tell us we may descry both Seas and see all the Cities like a Crown in Circle about it There let us make a stand a while and look about us and consider holy Titus with those numerous Plantations and Nurseries of Primitive Christianity distributed as it were Areolatim like so many distinct Beds and Knots in the Eden of God planted and watered and drest by Apostolical Hands all under his care and custody Consider him by way of Recollection under the Variety of Circumstance wherein the Text hath hitherto presented him to our Meditations Consider him a single Person no Collegues no Compeers no Co-ordinates For as our Lord promised the Keys and doubtless so gave as he had promised them not to a College but to single Persons Tibi dabo quodcunque Tu ligaveris So the Apostles at the next remove St. Paul here I am sure for One entrusts all not to Communities and Consistories but to Individuals for so runs the Style Ego Te-ut Tu sicut ego Tibi all Personal and Particular Consider him determined to a fix'd and constant Residence left and settled in Creet the Ordinary and perpetual Governour of that Church For we ought to have more regard to Reason and the true Nature of things than to pronounce him an Extraordinary Officer who for ought appears is impowered to none but Acts of Ordinary and continual Importance to the Church And more Reverence for the blessed Apostle than to think he would issue a Commission full fraught with Rules of Perpetual Use to a Temporary Delegate who was perhaps next day to be exaâ—ctorated and never to have any Exercise of them Consider him yet further invested with a Plenitude and Sufficiency of Power not only to Preach and Baptize and so to beget Sons to God and the Church which is the Presbyter's and for ought I know the whole of the Evangelist's Office but also both to Ordain Elders in all the Cities under him and so to beget spiritual Fathers too as Epiphunius distinguisheth and then as in the old Paternal Dominion they ruled whom they had begotten to govern and regulate whom he had thus ordained even all the Bishops of those numerous Cities Whence the Question of our Reverend and Learned Iewel most naturally proceedeth Having the Government of so many Bishops what may we call him but an Arch-bishop And I add of so many Cities what but a Metropolitan I say Consider all this soberly and maturely and you will not disavow me if I say That whosoever shall drive us out of this Creet thus strongly Garrisoned by S. Paul and his Disciples and flight and dismantle so many Strengths and Fortresses of the Episcopal Cause as there were Cities in that Island and extort out of our Hands this great Instance of so many Bishops ordained and governed by their own Metropolitan so high in the first Age will be a very Pyrgopolinices indeed qui legiones Spiritu difflat and deserve the Sur-name of Creticus better than Metellus the Roman that subdued the Island For our parts we are not ashamed of our Conformity to so Primitive a Pattern nay we glory in so handsom and innocent a Syncretism For we are not better then our Fathers nor wiser than the Apostles of Christ himself And had we been of their Counsel who not long since pretended to reform us according to the best Examples we might have bespoke them as once S. Paul did those over hasty and unruly Mariners who would needs put to Sea when Sailing was dangerous and thrive accordingly being quickly forced to abandon the Helm and to let the Ship drive being not able to bear up against the Wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirs you should not have parted from Creet in the Text and so have gained harm and disgrace If really you be in quest of the best Examples of modelling a Church you may certainly find here as fair and as pure Ideas and as well worth your Imitation as the more Modern Platform can afford you which I have reason to believe the famous Author of it intended not at first a Pattern to other Churches but an Expedient to serve the present Exigent of his own in a Iuncture scarce capable of any thing better and which I am perswaded the learnedst and wisest and most Pious of his Followers would gladly relinquish for something more Perfect and Primitive would the Necessities of their present Condition which have no Law but much of Excuse for those that really lie under them permit them the Happiness of so blessed an Exchange Which God in Mercy send them And so much of the Second Act to which the Power is here designed and that is the Ordaining of Elders together with the Distribution of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In every City one I have but three Words to add of the Third Part of my Text and that was the Limitation of these Acts to the Apostles Prescription All must be so done even as he had appointed So in regard of the Variety of the Offices themselves and their several Subordinations So in regard of the choice of the Persons and their requisite Qualifications and so also in regard of the Rites and Ceremonies and Manner of ordaining them still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All as I had appointed thee And now if any demand where these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these Constitutions Apostolical are to be found I shall not send them to Clemens â—his Book that bears that Name but to the Universal Practice of the Antient Church in which they are still in great part Visible and thence handed over to Posterity by Tradition and conformity of Practice and by Degrees inserted into the Canons of the old Councels as occasion was offered and into the Ordinals of several Churches Or if a readier and more present Answer be required I know not where to design it you nearer hand or more full to your satisfaction than by dismissing you to attend the great Action that is to follow In which you will see All so Grave and Solemn so Pious and Devout so Primitive and Apostolical and so exactly up to the Level of the Text and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of S. Paul here that I know not where to point you out so pregnant and full a Comment upon my Text nor what better Amends to make you for my own failings upon it And yet having thus
and Theophilact have observed it to my hand that he bestows upon so great a Bishop the same common Blessing that he is wont to give to All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Mercy and Peace Ay and no Man as they go on hath more need of it than He Not of Grace for who hath more Burthens to bear More Difficulties to go through with Not of Mercy For who in greater danger of offending either God or Man Not of Peace having so many Enemies on all sides and so many Troubles of every sort Only St. Ierâ—me adds that here 's no Multiplicitur as in other Apprecations Common Christians may have their Peace multiplied Peace within and Peace without Peace with God and Peace with Men too But Titus's Peace is sine Multiplicatione The Bishops and Governours of the Church must look for none but Peace with Heaven and their own Consciences and for that single Pearl likewise Merchants they sell all that they have As for the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's their Lot and that 's their Motto too They must look for Fightings without St. Paul in that Divine Valedictory to the Bishops of the Province of Ephesus Act. xx though as he saith for the space of three years together he had not ceased to warn every one of them night and day with Tears as knowing well both the burthen and the danger they stood under yet a tender Affection having never said enough he resumes the Argument verse 8. Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock For I know that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in amongst you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had almost said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mankind Wolves that will neither spare the flock nor You but by a witty and compendious Malice attaqâ—e the Shepherd first that the Sheep may be seattered and so gleaned up atâ—leisure And therefore Take heed to your selves in the first place in whose Welfare that of the Flock is so closely bound up And yet after all these Caveats and very seasonable Advertisements he cannot yet believe them safe unless he leaves them under a better Guard than His or their Own And therefore in fine he kneels down and prays with them and for them all recommending them to God and to the Word of his Grace And I know not where better to leave you than in the Practice and actual Exercise of a Duty so fairly recommended And shall therefore desire you to turn your wearied Eyes from Me and lift them up to Heaven from whence every good and perfect Gift descends to seek from thence the Smoothing of all Difficulties the Solving of all Doubts the Calming of all Animosities and the Uniting of all Affections And to beg of that Father of Mercies and God of all Consolations That he will every day more and more Turn again our Captivity like the Rivers in the South that they who sow in Tears may reap in Ioy That he would send forth his good Spirit to move upon the Waters of our Massah and Meribah to digest that Chaos and Confusion and Strife of Opinions into one beautiful and Harmonious Composure And finally That He who by the hand of his holy Apostle founded this Church of Creet in Titus and his Elders in a meet and decent Imparity and Subordination would maintain his own Ordinance amongst us also and justifie his Institutions to the utmost against all Gainsayers That the Rod of Aaron may again bud and blossom and bring forth fruit amongst us That his Urim and his Thummim may be with his Holy Ones That he would bless their Substance and accept the Work of their Hands and smite through the Loins of them that hate them that they rise not again That so there may never want a Succession of Holy Bishops and Priests to shine as Lights in the World holding forth the Word of Life till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto that Perfection and Fullness of the everlasting Kingdom To the which God in Mercy bring us all through the Merits of his dear Son To which most blessed Father and Son with God the Holy Ghost be ascribed by all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth Blessing Honour Glory and Power both now and for evermore AMEN 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LEX IGNEA OR The School of Righteousness A SERMON PREACHED Before the KING Octob. 10. 1666. At the SOLEMN FAST appointed For the late FIRE in LONDON By the Most Reverend Father in God William Sancroft D. D. Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Dean of St. Paul's Published by His Majesty's Special Command LONDON Printed by T. B. 1694. ISAIAH xxvi ver 9. When thy Iudgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness THIS Chapter with the two next before and that which follows are all four parts of the same prophetic Sermon as appears by those words so often repeated in them In that Day fixing and determining All to the same Epoch and Period of Time belong All to the same subject Matter sc. the Destruction of Iudah and Ierusalem whether by the Babylonians or the Romans or both So that the Earth or as we may rather translate the Land or the Country wasted and utterly spoiled and turn'd upside down Chap. xxiv is doubtless the Land of Iewry And the World that languisheth and fadeth away Ver. 4. of that Chapter not much wider that and the neighbouring Regions with whom the Iews had commerce and intercourse of Peace and War Moab and Aegypt and Babylon in a word the Iewish World for so both the Hebrew and Greek words usually translated the Earth and the World are often in Scripture-language contracted and limited by the Matter in hand And consequently the City of Confusion which is broken down a City turn'd Chaos again as the Hebrew imports Chap. xxiv 10. the City turn'd into a Heap or a Ruine nay in tumulum as the Vulgar Latine or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as LXX translate it into one great Sepulchre to it self buried in its own Rubbish Chap. xxv 2. The lofty City laid low even to the Ground and abased in the very Dust Chap. xxvi 5. The City desolate and forsaken and left Wilderness and desert all over Chap. xxvii 10. are but so many variations of the Phrase and signifie all the same thing the burning of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar or Titus or as some will have it by both This sad Devastation the Prophet first beholds in speculo prophetico sees it from far in his prophetic Telescope as clearly and distinctly as if it were before his Eyes and describes it here and there the whole Sermon throughout but chiefly Chap. xxiv in so lofty a Language that many have mistaken it for the End of the World and the Consummation of all things But then to sweeten so sad a Theme he assures them it shall not
least to renounce the shadow of his Wings and all the privileges of it Pulli non prospiciunt saith One Young Birds have no Designs or Forecasts of their own but are wholly under the Dams Conduct And if we are allow'd to have any our selves be they never so deeply laid or so wisely contriv'd so skilfully managed or so vigorously pursu'd We must at last intirely submit and sacrifice them all to that Sovereign Wisdom and Power which ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men and orders them in all things according to the good pleasure of his Will To summ up then this whole great Duty of Affiance in God with all the Parts and Branches of it He trusts Regularly in God that trusts in Nothing else first And yet secondly doth every thing he can or is oblig'd to do by his Duty And thirdly when he hath done All sits down at last under the shadow of God's Wings and waits the Success in Faith and Hope with perfect Resignation to God's wise and just Appointment in all things That is the first Duty implied in the Expression a pious Trust and Confidence in God The 2d Is an ardent and flaming Devotion towards God and his holy Worship and Service in his Temple Under the shadow of thy Wings will I make my Refuge 't is certainly an Allusion to the Holy of Holies where was the Ark of the Covenant the Symbol of God's gracious presence over which the Cherubim of Glory stretcht forth their Wings on high and shadowed the Mercy-seat Between which Wings was God's Dwelling-place his Shekinah or Majestatique Presence And therefore when Ruth the Moabitess became Proselyte to the Jewish Religion and Worship she is said to come to trust under the Wings of the God of Israel Ruth ii 12. There are also Alae Ecclesiarum which we meet with in Church-writers as we corruptly call them the Isles of Churches and in the Gospel it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Penacles or if we will render it close and just Wings of the Temple From the saving Covert and Protection whereof as 't is the Devil's Business to tempt and withdraw us and so to cast us down from one of our noblest Heights and Defences So on the contrary holy David's great Example here and the clear Importance of the Words of my Text lead us directly thither that is the last and most illustrious Resort of the Expression and bring us up with Boldness to seek and make our Refuge even under the Wings of the Cherubim of Glory And indeed Where can we find on Earth so safe or so comfortable a Retreat when Calamities assail or threaten us as here in the House of our God Doth not his Cross stand over it on purpose to direct us hither when we are ready to sink under the Burthen of our own When God's Judgments are abroad in the World and the Avenger of our Sins pursues us More particularly When the Land is mov'd and divided when the Pillars thereof shake and tremble and the Foundations are ready to be cast down when all things are in Ferment and in Commotion round about us and Mens Hearts ready to fail them for Fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the Earth Where should we rather take Sanctuary where can we more probably find Help and Redress than at the Altar of the God of Mercy and under the shadow of the Wings of his Mercy-seat This was holy David's steddy Resolve when his Heart was overwhelmed as he speaks Psal. lxi 2. I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will trust or I will make my Refuge in the Covert of thy Wings ver 4. And when his Afflictions put him beside that Guard set him at Distance from those happy Opportunities took him down from those blessed Heights Yet still even at the lowest I will lift up mine eyes saith he to the Hills at least cast a long Look toward Sion from whence cometh my Help This was the Sting of all his Sorrows as it were the Calamity Royal he so groans under almost in every Psalm not that Saul or Absalom had driven him from his own but from God's House Though the Holy Land was of no large Extent Yet as if he had been banisht to the Antipodes From the Ends of the Earth saith he have I cried unto thee Psal. lxi 2. Though his Devotion consecrated every place he came into turn'd the Cave into a Chappel and the Wilderness of Iudah into Holy Ground and I had almost said even Gath of the Philistins into a Holy City for we have Psalms dated from every One of these Yet still he sighs Oh restore me Oh bring me Oh set me up upon a Rock that is higher than I He means without Doubt the Hill of Sion the Pico of Iewry where God's House was establisht upon the tops of the Mountains as the Prophet speaks Esa. ii 2. Men and Brethren you that make up the more popular part of this mixt Audience Let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David and of your selves Blessed be the Mercies of God you lie under no such Restraint or Interdict as he did You are not banisht into the Wilderness nor shut up in the Cave The Doors of God's House stand open to you if you please and the Wings of his Mercy are stretcht out wide to invite and receive you would you but come in and put your selves under the shadow of them Let it not be said that your Curiosity or some worse Humour leads you quite another way That you are over-careful and troubled about many things which belong not to you while you neglect the one thing necessary the great Duty of this and of every Day namely to implore God's Mercy and Protection upon the King and his Kingdoms and his Direction and Blessing upon the public Counsels Let my Counsel I pray be acceptable unto you Study to be quiet and to do your own Business And that lies not in the Court or in the Palace but here in the Temple 'T is not to listen at the Doors of the two Houses of Parliament or to Eves-drop the Council-Chamber but to wait in your proper Stations with Modesty and Patience what Avisoes and Commands are sent you from thence and to comply with them Instead of thronging and pestering the Galleries and Avenues of those places where Matters of State are upon the Table what a blessed Appearance were it in times of Danger such as this is to see the Church Doors always open and the great Stream and Shole of People continually flowing thither and to find some of you always upon the Floor there Weeping between the Porch and the Altar and saying Spare thy People Oh Lord and give not thy Heritage to Reproach Thou hast brought up a Vine out of Aegypt Thou hast cast out the Heathen and planted it Let not the Wild Boar out of the Wood root it up nor the Wild Beast of the Field devour it Let