Offers of Peace were made and a Treaty managed where Another whom afterwards his Masters rewarded but unkindly uttered these bitter Expressions in his Sermon Whilst our Enemies go on in their wicked Practices and whilst we keep our Principles we may as soon make Fire and Water to agree and I had almost said reconcile Heaven and Earth as their spirits and ours Either they must grow better or we must grow worse before it is possible for us to agree Where I cannot omit the Observation of an 〈…〉 l. 3 c. 2. pâ—g 1â—6 Ingenious Gentleman that our Dear Prince was beheaded just the day four years aften this Sermon was preached This and such like Stuff struck at length the Kings Head from his Shoulders and though some upon sight of their Errors repented yet when a disorderly Government had for several years appear'd among us in monstrous shapes still the doings of those Usurpers were commended by others and large Harangues made upon solemn occasions to express the Nations Happiness under them One more particularly I have taken notice of and not a little wondred at Worthy Patriots saith the Preacher Anno 1656. you that are Rulers in this Parliament 't is often said we live in times wherein we may be as good as we please wherein we enjoy in purity and plenty the Ordinances of Jesus Christ Praised be God for this even that God who hath delivered us from the Imposition of Prelatical Innovations Altar-Genuflexions and Cringings with Crossings and all that Popish Trash and Trumpery And truly I speak no more than what I have often thought and said the removal of these unsupportable Burdens countervails for the Bloud and Treasure shed and spent in these late Distractions Did the Gentleman think you remember that the King was murthered almost eight years before this Pulpit-Caress And did the Removal of those Burdens countervail for his Bloud too Nor did I as yet ever hear of any godly men that desired were it possible to purchase their Friends sure that blessed King had a great many good men that were his Friends or Money again at so Dear a Rate as with the Return of these to have those soul-burdening Antichristian Yokes imposed upon us So that though the King was barbarously taken from us yet better lose him than have a Resettlement of the antient Church-Service and Discipline for any other Thoughts would argue the wickedness of our Hearts If any such there be I am sure that Desire is no part of their Godliness and I profess my self in that to be none of the Number By these three Testimonies from the Pens of three great Persons you may judge how far that Party was concerned in the bloudy and dreadful Tragedy And now I suppose you will favourably allow the first of my Assertions proved The strict Obedience charged by the Church of England upon all her Children The second will as evidently appear That the Church Prop. II. of Rome allows those of her Communion an unreasonable Latitude in the same point of Obedience and Duty freeing them from the Obligations which God hath laid upon the Conscience for it is plain that she exempts her Ecclesiastics from the Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrate referring them altogether to the Popes Censure upon the Commission of any fault She maintains those pernitious Doctrins of Excommunicating Deposing and murdering Kings for promoting the Cause of Religion She allows the Pope a Power of absolving all Subjects from their Allegiance and gives him a Right to dispose of the Kingdoms of Heretical Princes And if we look upon the Practices of the Romanists we shall find them exactly fitted to these Maxims that they have been are and in all probability will be a Turbulent sort of people despising Dominions and speaking evil of Dignities â—uâ—e 8. For the Exemption of Ecclesiastical Persons from the Proved â— By the Exeâ—ption of Ecclâ—â—â—astics from â—â— civil â—ower Civil Magistrates Jurisdiction it is a received Doctrin among them In their so much famed Council of Trent when the Fathers there fell upon the Reformation of Princes several things were upon the Wheel Like careful men of themselves they propounded largely in favour of Ecclesiastical Immunities That such Persons might not be judged in a Secular Court though there should be some doubt of their Clerkship or though History of the Council of Trent l. 8 p. 769 770. themselves consent notwithstanding it were under pretence of Public Vtility or Service of the King That neither the Emperour Kings nor any Prince whatsoever should make Edicts or Constitutions in what manner soever concerning Ecclesiastical Causes or Persons nor meddle with their Persons Causes Jurisdictions or Tribunals no not in the Inquisition but shall be bound to afford the Secular Arm to Ecclesiastical Judges That the Temporal Jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastics though with mere and mixt power shall not be disturbed nor their Subjects drawn to the Secular Tribunal in Causes Temporal All that excellent Device concluding with a Command under the pain of Anathema That No Prince should either directly or indirectly under any Pretence whatsoever suffer any thing to be Enacted against the Persons or Goods of the Clergy or against their Liberty any Priviledges or Exemptions though Immemorial notwithstanding It is true this was opposed and so in some measure quashed by the briskness of the Emperours and French Kings Embassadors and thereby proceeded not to the height they designed however it argued the daring Confidence of the Attempters the assurance they had of favourable Reception at Rome and the Priviledges they either ought or would willingly have enjoyed And whatsoever passed they gained a great deal more than either they deserved or could challenge But to omit what can be gathered from this Flourish and not insist upon things dubious we refer the Cause to Bellarmin and oâ—fer to stand to his Arbitrement The Noâ— possunt Clericâ—◠〈◊〉 Sâ—culâ—ri judicaâ—i eâ—iam si lâ—ges Civiles noâ— seâ—vâ—nt 〈◊〉 l. de Cleâ—icis l. â— c. 2â— p. â—p 3. Clergy saith he cannot be judged before a Secular Magistrate though they observe not the Laws in Civil Affairs for that I suppose he means by Leges Civiles And when upon further discoursing the Point he mentions the Apostles indispensable Charge Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers Rom 13. 1. I must confess his Answer to it is as much below himself had not his Interest been concerned as can possibly be imagined He will have that way of arguing to conclude nothing because sometimes one Power Nihil eâ—raâ—iocinatioâ—e oâ—â—li dâ— is higher sometimes another But be it as it will the Pope never loseth his Power therefore he infers Because the Bishop of Rome hath exempted Quoâ—iam summus Pontifex Clericos oâ—nâ—s exemit à subjectione Principum Secularium sequitur ut respectu Cleric rum Principes non suâ—t potestatâ—s superiores ac â—roinde non teneantur Clerici Priâ—cipiâ—us pâ—rere
THE RELIGION OF THE Church of England The Surest ESTABLISHMENT OF THE Royal Throne WITH The Unreasonable Latitude which the Romanists allow in point of Obedience to Princes In a LETTER occasioned by some late Discourse with a Person of Quality ROM 13. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake LONDON Printed for Randal Taylor and John Williams junior at the Crown and in Cross-Keys Court in Little Britain 1673. THE RELIGION OF THE Church of England The Surest ESTABLISHMENT OF THE Royal Throne In a LETTER occasioned by some late Discourse with a Person of Quality Honoured Sir I Cannot charge you with Vnkindness or say you have put me upon an unpleasing Task by commanding my Thoughts about the matter of our last Discourse though thousands of my Brethren might have done it to better purpose since you have rendred me capable of expressing the Service I owe to my Prince and the Duty to my Mother the Church of England She like her Saviour hath met with a great many Reproaches and by some either Ignorants or Adversaries been particularly misrepresented to you and that Excellency wherein she hath just occasion to glory above all the Churches in the world so miserably sullied by unrighteous Aspersions that she appears not half so amiable to your eye as formerly she hath done Give me leave then to wipe off the Dirt which hath so maliciously been cast upon her to wash off the Spots spirted on her Face and her own Beauty will sufficiently commend her I cannot believe your Judgment so unsteady as really to be captivated with those false Insinuations nor wonder enough at the Impudence of some persons who dare insinuate such palpable untruths as you seem in danger to be perverted with In plain terms That any man should have so hard a forehead as to question the Church of England 's Loyalty to her Prince or maintain that she affords the least Encouragement to any Rebellious Attempt either against his Person or Dignity to shake the Crown upon his Head or make a Finger of his Hand to bleed would put me into a strange fit of Admiration did we not liâ—e in so prodigious an Age that mens tongues are their own and they will say what they please For my part I look upon these charges to be so grosly slanderous that for your Satisfaction and possibly the Conviction of others I shall confidently assert That no King sits so securely upon his Throne as the King of England by virtue of the Religion established among us It is not to be imagined that the bare propounding this Truth should presently gain it a favourable Reception especially where the Judgment seems already fore-stalled with no mean Prejudices against it But still a Truth it is and to prove it one I shall only proceed upon these two Grounds I. That the Church of England obligeth all her Children to the most Dutiful Carriage imaginable towards All Princes II. To take off your Mis-prision That the Church of Rome allows those of her Communion an unreasonable Latitude in this very point of Obedience and Duty I. That the Church of England obligeth all her Children to the most Dutiful Carriage imaginable towards All Princes It is but Reasonable we should clear our own Innocency before we quarrel with anothers Guilt least our selves fall under the charge of that Crime which is so justly condemned in those of the Romish Party Now certainly the most Rational Account we can have of any Churches Principles must be taken from the Infallible Rule to which in all cases she submits the Doctrin she professeth the Worship which she owns the Ecclesiastical Constitutions she hath framed for outward Order and the constant Practice of all her Obedient Children Her Rule are the Holy Scriptures Commented upon and Interpreted by the Sentiments of the Primitive Fathers Her Doctrin is conteined in the Articles and Homilies Her Worship in the Public Liturgy Her Constitutions in the Book of Canons to which the Carriage of all those who have not only in pretence but reality been her sons hath exactly corresponded Nor is there any one of these which furnisheth us not with an abundant Confirmation of that Truth on behalf whereof it is alledged No Church ever professed a greater Reverence to the Proved I. From the Scriptures Holy Scriptures nor charged her children more strictly to make them the Rule both of Faith and Life We believe nothing but what is therein revealed and are obliged to observe all the Commands therein conteined whatsoever sort of Duties they have respect unto Now it is beyond dispute that the Word of God calls for Obedience to Princes and forbids all Opposition to and Rebellion against them Solomon in the old Testament speaks of a King against whom there is no rising Prov. 30. 31. up which King is every King for by virtue of his Supreme Authority he is beyond the reach of his Subjects Power and above the attempts of all their Force Nor is this only true of such who like David are men after Gods own heart or like Hezekiah and Josiah not to be equalled scarce parallel'd by those that either preceded or succeeded them but of a wicked Saul a loose Amaziah an Idolatrous Manasseh These also being Gods Anointed and wickedness in the Heart wipes not off the sacred Oil from the Head If we look into the Gospels our Blessed Saviour commands the Rendring unto Matth. 22. 21. Caesar the things that are Caesars with the same care that he requires the rendring unto God the things that are Gods which Caesar was Tiberius of whom the Roman Historians give no very good Character And rather than any Offence should be taken he works a Miracle for paying his Tribute-Money sending S. Peter to take it Matth. 17. 27. out of a Fishes mouth To him succeeded the two great Apostles S. Paul and S. Peter the one with his charge Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers Subject Rom. 13. 1. not only for Convenience but upon the account of Duty not only as a piece of Policy to prevent any Secular Punishment but a point of Conscience to please our Heavenly Father Ye must needs be subject not 5. only for wrath but also for conscience sake The other with his command Submit your selves to every 1 Pâ—â— 2. 13 14. Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto them that are sent by him Fear God Honor the King And it is plain 17. when these Apostles wrote Nero that Portentum hominis as Suetonius calls him that Monster of men Suet in vitâ Nâ—roâ—â—s was then Emperor as wicked a tyrannical Prince and as great an Enemy to the Christians as ever lived Whence we may rationally conclude Though a King be of another Religion though his Life be extremely debauched and his Government severe and cruel yet None of these
Liturgy and Her Ecclesiastical Constitutions Her Avouched Doctrine is declared in the 39 Articles From the Doctrine of the Church in the Articles and Homilies and the Book of Homilies set forth by Authority exactly consonant to them These she acknowledgeth next to the Scriptures as the Measure of her Faith and the Rule for her Practice And because they are no Novel Inventions nor the Products of any particular brain but the first agreed upon by the whole Convocation the Clergies Representative and the Other compiled by able Persons appointed to that employment we see they are of age and shall speak Aâ—t 37. for themselves The Queens Majesty so it was 1562. now the Kings hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other Her His Majesties Dominions unto whom the Government of All Estates in this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in All Causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any forreign Jurisdiction Thus much declared in general terms the Explanation follows presently after Where we attribute to the Queens Kings Majesty the Chief Government we understand that only Prerogative which we see to have been given alwayes to all godly Princes in Holy Scripture by God himself i. e. that they should rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their charge whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal and restrain with the Civil Sword the stubborn and evil doers Then is there particularly added The Bishop of Rome hath no Jurisdiction in this Realm of England Upon which passage a motion was made in the Hampton-Court Conference for inserting Nor ought to have but King James in his wisdom rejected it with this answer habemus jure quod habemus intimating that the Actual asserting that Priviledge argued a legal title to it And it may be worth your observation that the Title-page of the Articles tells you they were agreed upon for avoiding diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true Religion What these speak more concisely the Homilies teach more fully I refer you to the six Sermons against Rebellion proving the greatness of that sin from Scripture and the remarkable Examples of Gods vengeance upon persons guilty of it and proceeding in a method of close and strong arguing so that the perusal of them will be a good improvement of your time and pains Onely towards the latter end of one there is this Exhortation which I could not well omit Let us as the Children of Obedience fear the dreadful 〈◊〉 3. Execution of God and live in quiet obedience to be the Children of Everlasting Salvation For as Heaven is the place of good obedient Subjects and Hell the Prison and Dungeon of Rebels against God and their Prince so is that Realm happy where most obedience of Subjects doth appear being the very figure of Heaven and contrariwise where most Rebellions and Rebels be there is the express similitude of Hell and the Rebels themselves are the very sigures of Fiends and Devils and their Captain the ungrateful Pattern of Lucifer and Satan the Prince of darkness With an exact agreement to this Doctrine is her From â—he Liturgy Liturgy composed And because according to the Apostles Exhortation first of all as a duty never to be neglected supplications and prayers and intercessions 1 Tim 2. 12. and giving of thanks are to be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority there are none of Her Services of daily or weekly use wherein her Prince is not particularly remembred and the Almighty Protection of Heaven earnestly desired to be his continual defence Nay all the blessings in the world but especially what concern his Place and Station are the matter of his Subjects prayers a a Second Prayer before the Communiâ—n and the Prayer for the Church Mâ—litanâ— That He may be instructed for Government b b Versicle after the Câ—â—ed Preserved in His Person c c Dâ—iâ—y Prayer Replenished with Heavenly Graces d d Liâ—any Service Prove victorious over his Enemies And as Two of these fall within the compass of Her constant Morning and Evening Devotions so a Third is added three times in the week and all of them used every Sunday and Holiday A piece of duty which with some instead of a just applause hath met with severe censures and been cavelled at like Maries Box of oyntment by Judas To what purpose was this Matt. 26. 8. waste a thing whereof our blessed Martyr took especial notice as a reason why so many Zealots of the times were eagerly bent against the Publick Service One of the greatest faults some men found with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common Prayer Book I believe was This that it taught them to pray so oft for me to which Petitions they had not loyalty enough to say Amen Not doth the Church onely teach us to pray for the King but to do it with an acknowledgment of His Soveraign Authority and subjection to none but God himself whom therefore she stiles The only Ruler of Princes To all this may be added that in some of those Prayers made for Him we are also enjoyned to implore Gods mercy for the keeping his People in their Allegeance that they may obey him as the Almighties Vicegerent a a First Prayer before the Commuâ—ion That we and all his subjects duly considering whose authority he hath may faithfully serve honour and humbly obey him in Thee and for Thee In a word our Prayers for their fulness loyalty seem excellently framed after the Pattern of the Primitive Church as owned by Tertullian b b Precati sumus semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam illis prolixam imperium securum domum tutam exercitus forâ—es senatum fidelem orbem quiecuâ— quaecunque hominis Caesaris vota sunt Tertul. Apolog. cap 30 We pray at all times for all Emperors that they may have Long Life a Secure Empire a Safe Palace Valiant Armies a Faithful Senate an Honest People a Quiet World and whatsoever each of them can desire either as a Man or a Prince Pass we now from her Liturgy to her Ecclesiastical From the Canons of the Church Constitutions agreed upon in a full Convocation 1603 and then ratified by Royal Authority where the first thing determined is this very Particular All Ecclesiastical Can. 1 persons having cure of Souls shall to the uttermost of their Wit Knowledge and Learning purely and sincerely Teach Manifest Open and Declare four times a year at the least in their Sermons That the Kings Power within his Realms is the highest Power under God to whom all men do by Gods Law owe most Loyalty and Obedience Afore and Above all other Power and Potentates in the Earth Now certainly if the Incumbents are obliged thus to Preach it is an argument this is the received Doctrine of the Church and the design of this Duty imposed
Valentem Arrianum c. â—d fuerit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis Idem c 7. p. 904. or Dioclesian the Persecutor or Julian the Apostate or Valens the Arrian their Weakness not their Will was to be blamed their Inclinations were for it but their want of Power persuaded them against it which methinks is strangely contrary to the account the Fathers of those Ages give us whose Religion had taught them rather to suffer than rebel This is the sum of Hac nostrae Châ—istianitatis summâ— est ut amantibus vicissiâ—udinem â—aedentibus patientiam rependâ—mus Ambros serm 10. our Christianity saith he whom Bellarmine himself mentions as a stickler in these cases that we return love again to those who love us and exercise patience towards those who injure us Let me then seriously ask Can any Prince in the world be safe whose fears and jealousies are thus strong to distract him who hears such doctrine buzzed into his Peoples heads as may quickly strike the Crown from his head and open a passage to fetch the breath from his body that shall give his People such an head against him as they may disobey his Commands resist his Authority and shake off all Allegeance as if they were no more concerned in him than a stranger yet the Pope can with the same ease disburden the Peoples Conscience that he can destroy the Kings Authority Certainly these Tenets must make Princes very weak and the Multitude very strong who are unruly at best but much more troublesome when they can pretend a plausible excuse to be so Every thing they like not shall presently be a grievance and if they can but fasten the least seeming challenge against their King they will quickly employ the liberty given them of starting back in their Obedience or perhaps they may not only prove guilty of denying their known duty but of practicing seditiously against and if that will not serve turn of assassinating him at last Whether these late Ages have not afforded such examples let those who are conversant in history determine Their Doctrine of Excommunicating Deposing and III. By giving the Pope power to dispose of Kingdoms and absolve Sâ—bjects fâ—om their Allegeance Murdering Kings doth bravely make way for setting up the Pope as a Dominus fac totum to give him a power to dispose of the Kingdoms of Heretical Princes and absolve Subjects from their Allegeance For being as Bellarmine calls him the chief Spiritual Prince all the Kings of Christendom must be his Vassals and a Plenitude of Ecclesiastical power is put into his hands so that if any of those Kings carry himself untowardly to the Church or chance to fail in his duty presently a Bull from the Holy Chair proves as fatal to him as the hand-writing to Belshazzar his Kingdom is numbred and finished it is taken from him and given to another Becanus hath shewed himself a fast friend in Pontifex potest mandare et discernere ut subditi non teneantur praestare fidem Regibus quando Reges non servant ipsis fiâ—em Beâ—aâ— Controv. Suarez de fide Cath. lib. 6 c. 2. determining this matter The Pope can command and decree that the Subjects shall not be engaged to keep faith with their Prince when the Prince doth not keep faith with them a fine piece of Conditional Obedience Yet doth Suarez so magnify this Doctrine that he confidently asserts whosoever maintains the contrary doth not only oppose the Customs of the Church the Approbation of General Councils and the Consent of the Catholick Doctors but he forfeits his very reason also Answerable to these Positions in the year 1558. Paul the Fourth declared that All Prelates and Princes even Kings and Emperors fallen into Heresie should be and should be understood to be deprived of all their Benefices States Kingdoms and Empires without further declaration and uncapable to be restored even by the Apostolique sea History of the Council of â—rent Book 5. pag. 109. and their Goods States Kingdoms and Empires should be understood to be common and belong to the Catholicks who could get them which saith my Author did minister much talk and if it had not been presently disesteemed by the world would have kindled a fire in all Christendom But of all the Romish Writers wellfare Tho. Bozius who makes the Papal power so unlimited that let the Prince be never so harmless yet if the Pope hath a mind to take the Scepter out of his hand it is but reasonable he should do so nor is he in any fault for exercising his Authority I give you his words upon the credit of an ingenious Gentleman Let a King be never so lawfully settled Sit aâ— quis Rex juâ—e solâ—rs iâ—â—ustâ—â—us potens Caâ—â—o lâ—câ—s pius tamen Pontifâ—x â—piscopiqâ—e Pontifice approbâ—iâ—te valent huic auferre Regni alteriqâ—e nullum â—us alioqum habenti ad judâ—câ—re ubi judâ—câ—ve 〈◊〉 noâ— modo necâ—ssariâ—m esse sed convenâ—ens â—â—zius in his Throne careful Industrious Powerful Catholick Pious yet the Pope and the Bishops by his approbation may take from him his Kingdoms and conferre them upon another who can lay no other claim at all to them when such an act shall not only be judged necessary but Convenient So that upon this score a Prince shall not so much as have the priviledge of standing upon his good behaviour or be Viâ— â—â—lius History of Popish Uâ—â—â—pations liâ— 2 câ—p 1 pâ—g 42. cherished in case he favour the Catholick Religion with enjoying what he hath securely but still if it appear for the Romish Interest the Pope may discard him and place a meer stranger in his Throne and all people are bound to believe it proceeds from very good reason and great justice I conclude what hath been said concerning these Papal Vsurpations and the strange slavery whereinto Kings are brought by them with the words of that learned and pious Prelate the incomparable Bishop Andrews This Doctrine the same whereof Dâ—ctâ—iâ—â hac 〈…〉 noâ— multa pâ—st â—ceptâ—a credo â—hâ—isto suâ—â—â—ciâ—ntur Quid enim Rex Ethâ—â—cus 〈◊〉 noâ— poâ—est a Paâ—â—â Chrâ—stâ—anus prâ—est meliore erg◠〈◊〉 regnâ—tur apud Ethnâ—â—â—s Quâ—s nâ—n 〈◊〉 â—â—m sâ—cut est maâ—â—bi Ethâ—â—cus 〈◊〉 qâ—i Eâ—hâ—icisâ—nt officio suâ— in Râ—gâ—s laxâ—ri 〈◊〉 at Christiaâ—â— quâ—uâ—â— Quis noâ— suâ—dâ—â—os suos mâ—lâ—â— Eâ—hnicos qâ—â—m Châ—istiaâ—â— Quis Christâ—aâ—uâ— Rex esse velit ubi paretur 〈◊〉 paâ—eâ—uâ— ad nuâ—um Pontâ—ficis 〈◊〉 1â— 11 pag. â—6 we have been discoursing once divulged and made common there will scarce be many Scepters henceforward subjected unto Christ And why because an Heathen King cannot be deposed by the Pope a Christian King may doth not then the Heathen reign more securely who will not hereafter as the case stands continue in his Heathenism The Heathen Subjects cannot be dispensed with in their obedience the Christians may who then would not rather chuse to have his Subjects Heathens