for the enabling of Citations Suspensions Excommunications or other Censures of the Church And that it is not necessary that Summons Citations or other Processes Ecclesiastical in the said Courts or Institutions or Inductions to Benefices or Correction of Ecclesiastical Offences by Censure in those Courts be in the King 's Name or with the Style of the King or under the King 's Seal or that their Seals of Office have in them the King 's Arms. And that the Statute of Primo Edwardi Sexti cap. 2. which Enacted the contrary is not now in force We are also of Opinion that the Bishops Arch-deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may keep their Visitations as usually they have done without Commission under the Great Seal of England so to do John Bramstone John Finch Humphrey Davenport William Jones John Dinham Richard Hutton George Croke Thomas Trevor George Vernor Robert Berkley Francis Crawley Richard Weston The Right Reverend Father in God George Lord Bishop of London His Advertisment To all and every the Ministers Church-wardens and Side-men within the City Suburbs and Diocess of London WHereas I am daily advertised by the relations of many honest and religious persons of a General Misbehaviour in most Churches in and about the City of London in time of Divine Service Men and Boys sitting then cover'd with their Hats on their heads without all shew of Reverence or Respect either of that Holy place or Action the one being the House of Almighty God the other a continued Vicissitude as it were of Speech between God and his People The due consideration whereof might easily induce any well-disposed Christian to use such Outward posture and gesture of his body as becometh that Sacred place and the great Majesty of that God to whom they come at that time Professedly to perform a Divine Worship I have therefore thought it my duty incessantly to recommend unto you the Ministers Church-wardens and Side-men the Reformation of this prophane abuse scandalous to our Religion against an express Law in that case provided and condemned by the contrary practice of all Christians in all Ages in their like Solemnities and Assemblies praying and requiring you to joyn together your utmost endeavours to effect the same for which purpose it shall be necessary for you the Church-wardens and Side-men during the time of Divine Service diligently to look about the Church and where you see any covered if Boys or of the younger sort those to shame openly by pulling off their Hats and chastize with such Discipline as you have been laudably accustomed to inflict upon such rude and unmannerly Fellows If the Elder or better sort though I well hope that none of that condition out of their own judgment will hereafter offend in this kind those to admonish gravely of their duty representing unto them the inconvenienâ—es of this their ill example and how directly repugnant it is to the Apostle 's Rule of Decency in the Church thus to celebrate Divine Service and to perform a Professed and Religious Worship of Almighty God After which your Admonition if any shall obstinately refuse to uncover his oâ— their heads in Service time you shall then present them to Me or my Chancellor to the end that they by the severity of Censures may be amended by whom brotherly and gentle perswasions have been contemned Moreover also I am certainly informed That the Publick Service of Almighty God in the Churches is omitted and thereby come to neglect and almost scorned forasmuch as the Ministers read not the Divine Service the First and Second Service before their Sermons according to the order of our Church Liturgy and the Canon in that case provided I do therefore hereby require all the Parsons Vicars and Curates in my Diocess to take care that they offend not in this kind strictly likewise requiring you the Church-wardens and Side-men that according to your Oathes you present to Me or my Chancellor those Ministers that shall be faulty in this kind c. City Petition 1646 1. That some strict and speedy course may be taken for the suppressing of all Private and Separate Congregations 2. That all Anabaptists Brownists Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers and all such Sectaries as conform not to the Publick Discipline established or to be established by Parliament may be fully declared against and some effectual course taken for proceeding against such persons 3. That as we are all Subjects of one Kingdom so all may equally be required to yield obedience unto the Government set forth or to be set forth by Parliament 4. That no Person disaffected to the Government set forth or to be set forth by Parliament may be employed in any place of Publick trust The most Reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace to all the Lords the Bishops within his Province of Canterbury AFter my hearty Commendations I have lately received Letters from His Majesty wherein He takes notice of the continuance and increase of some bold Abuses and Extravagances in the Church especially in Preachers notwithstanding His great Indulgence used towards them And fore-seeing the mischief and inconveniencies likely to ensue thereupon if not timely prevented and repressed Hath out of His Princely and tender care of the Peace of the Church sent withall certain Directions to be strictly observed by the Bishops in their several Diocesses as by the Copies thereof which I have sent here inclosed your Loâ—dship 's will more fully understand and for the more speedy dispatch and ease in the Communication hath been Graciously pleased to command so many Copies thereof to be Printed as shall be needful a proportionable number whereof will be forthwith sent unto your Lordship for your Diocess Now as we cannot but with all thankfulness acknowledge His Majesty's Affectionate Care and Zeal in this His providing for the good and Welfare of the Church by all means which He finds may be conducible thereunto So my earnest desire and hope is We shall not be so much wanting to our own good as not to second those His Majesty's Commands with the utmost of Our endeavours But that your Lordship when you shall have given order for the careful dispersing and communicating those Copies as is required will by your diligent inspection and serious Admonitions to your Clergy as occasion shall be offered be able in due time to return an account of the success in the Observation answerable to His Majesty 's expectation and Pious Designs in this His Injunction And so with my Prayers to God for a Blessing upon your Endeavours herein I commit you to His holy Protection and rest Your Lordships very Loving Friend and Brother W. Cant. Lambeth 23 Octob. 1662. The Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert Lord Bishop of London his Injunction GIlbert by the Divine Providence Bishop of London To our Well-beloved in Christ in the City and Our Diocess of London sendeth Greeting Whereas we are informed and sadly resent the great Profanation of
are perswaded will be very profitable not only to Our Clergy but to the Whole Church of this Our Kingdome and to all the true Members of it if they be well observed Have therefore for Us Our Heirs and Lawfull Successors of Our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion Given and by these presents do Give Our Royal assent according to the form of the said Statute or Act of Parliament aforesaid to all and every of the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions and to all and every thing in them contained as they are before Written And furthermore We do not only by Our said Prerogative Royal and Supreme Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Ratifie Confirm and Establish by these Our Letters Patents the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions aforesaid but do likewise Propound Publish and straightly Enjoyn and Command by Our said Authority and by these Our Letters Patents the same to be diligently Observed Executed and Equally kept by all Our Loving Subjects of this Our Kingdome both within the Province of Canterbury and York in all points wherein they do or may concern every or any of them according to this Our Will and Pleasure hereby signified and expressed and that likewise for the better Observation of them Every Minister by what Name or Title soever he be called shall in the Parish-Church or Chapel where he hath Charge Read all the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions once every Year upon some Sundays or Holidays in the afternoon before Divine Service dividing the same in such Sort as that the one half may be Read one day and the other another day the Book of the said Canons to be provided at the Charge of the Parish betwixt this and the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord God next ensuing straightly Charging and Commanding all Arch-Bishops Bishops and all other that Exercise any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within this Realm every man in his place to see and procure so asmuch as in them lieth all and every of the same Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions to be in all points duely observed not sparing to execute the Penalties in them severally mentioned upon any that shall wittingly or wilfully Break or Neglect to observe the same as they Tender the Honour of God the Peace of the Church the Tranquillity of the Kingdome and their Duties and Service to Us their King and Soveraign In witness c. By the King A Proclamation Declaring that the Proceedings of his Majestie 's Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers are according to the Laws of the Realm WHereas in some of the Libellous Books and Pamphlets lately published the most Reverend Fathers in God the Lord's Arch-Bishops and Bishops of this Realm are said to have Usurped upon his Majestie 's Prerogative Royal and to have Proceeded in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm it was Ordered by his Majestie 's High-Court of Star-Chamber the Twelfth day of June last that the Opinion of the two Lords Chief Justices the Lord Chief Baron and the rest of the Judges and Barons should be had and Certified in those particulars viz. Whether Processes may not issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops Whether a Patent under the great Seal be necessary for the keeping of the Ecclesiastical Courts and enabling Citations Suspensions Excommunications and other Censures of the Church And whether Citations ought to be in the King's Name and under his Seal of Arms and the like for Institutions and Inductions to Benefices and Correction of Ecclesiastical offences Whether Bishops Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may or ought to keep any Visitation at any time unless they have express Commission or Patent under the great Seal of England to do it and that as his Majestie 's Visitors only and in his Name and Right alone Whereupon his Majestie 's said Judges having taken the same into their serious Considerations did Unanimously concurr and agree in Opinion and the first day of July past Certified under their hands as followeth That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops and that a Patent under the Great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts or for enabling of Citations Suspensions Excommunications and other Censures of the Church and that it is not necessary that Summons Citations or other Processes Ecclesiastical in the said Courts or Institutions or Inductions to Benefices or Correction of Ecclesiastical offences by Censure in those Courts be in the King's Name or with the Style of the King or under the King's Seal or that their Seals of Office have in them the King's Arms and that the Stature of Primo Edwardi Sexti cap. 2. which Enacted the contrary is not now in Force And that the Bishops Arch-Deacons and other Ecclesiastical Persons may keep their Visitations as usually they have done without Commission under the Great Seal of England so to do which Opinion and Resolutions being Declared under the Hands of all his Majestie 's said Judges and so Certified into his Court of Star-Chamber were there Recorded and it was by that Court further ordered the Fourth day of the said Moneth of July that the said Certificate should be Enrolled in all other his Majestie 's Courts at Westminster and in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts for the satisfaction of all men That the proceedings in the High Commission and other Ecclesiastical Courts are agreeable to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm And his Royal Majesty hath thought fit with advice of his Council that a Publick Declaration of these the Opinions and Resolutions of his Reverend and Learned Judges being agreeable to the Judgement and Resolutions of former times should be made Known to all His Subjects as well to Vindicate the Legal proceedings of His Ecclesiastical Courts and Ministers from the unjust and scandalous Imputation of Invading or Entrenching on His Royal Prerogative as to settle the Minds and stop the Mouths of all unquiet Spirits that for the future they presume not to Censure His Ecclesiastical Courts or Ministers in these their Just and Warrantable proceedings And hereof His Majesty admonisheth all His Subjects to take Warning as they shall answer the contrary at their Perils Given at the Court at Lyndhurst the eighteenth day of August in the thirteenth year of His Majesty's Reign 1637. God save the King Primo Julii 1637. The Judges Certificate concerning Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction May it please your Lordships ACcording to your Lordships Order made in His Majesty's Court of Star-chamber the Twelfth of May last we have taken consideration of the Particulars wherein our Opinione are required by the said Order and we have all agreed That Processes may issue out of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Name of the Bishops and that a Patent under the Great Seal is not necessary for the keeping of the said Ecclesiastical Courts or
which he hath polluted by Perjury let him have no Communion with Christian men nor Portion with the Just but let him be Condemned with the Devil and his Angels eternally together with his Complices that they may be tied in the Bonds of Damnation which were joyned in the Society of Sedition Con. 4.5.6.10 Can. 74. VVhosoever of us or of all the People through all Spain shall go about by any means of Conspiracy or Practice to violate the Oath of his Fidelity which he hath taken for the preservation of his Country or of the King 's Life or who shall attempt to lay violent hands upon the King or to deprive him of his Kingly power or by Tyrannical presumption Usurp the Soveraignty of the Kingdom let him be Accursed in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and let him be made and declared a Stranger from the Catholique Church which he hath prophaned with his Perjury The Oath of Supremacy I A. B. do utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the King's Highness is the onely Supreme Governor of this Realm and of all other his Highness's Dominions and Countries as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal and that no Forein Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all Forein Jurisdiction Powers Superiorities and Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King's Highness his Heirs and Lawful Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions Privileges Preheminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the King's Highness his Heirs and Successors or United and Annexed to the Imperial Crown of the Realm So help me God and by the Contents of this Book The Oath of Allegiance I A. B. do truly and sincerely acknowledge profess testifie and declare in my conscience before God and the World that our Soveraign Lord King CHARLS is Lawful and Rightful King of this Realm and of all other his Majesty 's Dominions and Countries and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or Sea of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any Power or Authority to Depose the King or to dispose any of his Majesty 's Kingdoms or Dominions or to authorize any Forein Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty or to give License or Leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumult or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesty 's Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesty 's Subjects within his Majesty 's Dominions Also I do swear from my heart that notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Succestors or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his Sea against the said King his Heirs or Successors or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their Obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against Him his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise and will do my best indeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successors all Treasons and Traiterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against Him or any of them And I do further swear that I do from my heart abhor detest and abjure as Impious and Heretical this damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes which be Excommunicated or Deprived by the Pope may be Deposed or Murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and in conscience am resolved that neither the Pope nor any Person what soever hath power to Absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be Lawfully ministred unto me and do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to these express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any Equivocation or mental Evasion or secret Reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and Acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the Faith of a Christian So help me God Two things in special are to be observed in this Oath 1. That the King receiveth his Authority onely from God and hath no Superior to punish or chastize him but God alone 2. That the Bond of Subjects in Obedience to his Sacred Majesty is inviolable and cannot be dissolved Bracton 20. years Chief Justice in the time of King Henry 3. There are under the King Free-men and Servants are Subject unto his Power as also whatsoever is under him and he himself is Subject to no Man but only unto God and no Man may presume Judicially to Examine his doings much less to Oppose them by Force and Violence St. Ambr. Kings are not bound unto Law because Kings are Free from the Bond of Crimes and are not called unto Punishment by any Law being Safe by the Power of Command Anonymus The people manifest the King to be their King but do not give unto him the right unto his Kingdome which is of the Lord's appointment By me Kings Reign The outward Unction not enferring upon Kings their Authority but used as a sign of Soveraignty So that the People making a King is not by giving him the Right of his Kingdome but by putting Him into the Possession of his Kingdome to Reign over them Succession and Lawfull Conquest are but Titles whereby Princes receive their Authority they are not the Original and Immediate fountain of their Authority Tertull. Inde illis est porestas unde spiritus Thence have Princes their Power whence their Spirit Irenaeus Cujus jussu nascuntur homines ejus jussu constituuntur Principes By God's Appointment By whose Appointment they are born Men by his Appointment are they made Princes God only makes them Kings and God only can unmake them and deject them from their Thrones King James's Royal assent to Church-Government We of our Princely inclination and Royal care for the maintenance of the present Estate and Government of the Church of England by the Laws of this our Realm now Setled and Established having diligently with great contentment and comfort read and consiâ—ered of all these their Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions agreed upon as is before Expressed and finding the same such as We
the Covenant from the nature of the thing doth include a Condition Now the King the Church of England the Church of Scotland nor the Parliaments of either Kingdom never gave any consent or Civil sanction to the Covenant but on the contrary have abolish'd all Laws made as illegall and unjust whereby we were bound to the keeping of it So that the Covenant doth not bind us nor our consciences to the observing of it otherwise no Laws could be altered by the Legislative Power The Unfeigned Assent and Consent of all Ministers I A.B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book intituled The Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of Making Ordaining or Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons By the Parliament of England 1662. A Declaration or Acknowledgment to be Subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhorr that traiterous Position of taking Arms by His Authority against His Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lies no Obligation upon me or any other person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State And that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By the Parliament of Scotland 1662. A Declaration to be subscribed unto I A. B. do declare that it is unlawful for any to take up Arms against His Majesty or to enter in Leagues and Covenants without His Majesty And that all the late Acts of Committees and the two late Oathes called the Solemn League and Covenant and National Covenant are unlawful and no ways binding on any By the Parliament of Scotland Edinburgh Septemb. 5. 1662. A Declaration I Declare that I do judge it unlawful for Subjects upon pretence of Reformation or other pretence whatsoever to enter into Leagues and Covenants or to take up Arms against the King or those Commissionated by Him And that all these Gatherings Convocations Petitions Protestations and erecting and keeping Council-Tables that were used in the beginning and for carrying on of the late Troubles were Unlawful and Seditious And particularly that these Oaths whereof the one was commonly called The National Covenant as it was sworn and explained in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty eight and thereafter and the other entituled A Solemn League and Covenant were and are in themselves Unlawful Oathes and were taken by and imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdom against the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the same And that there lieth no Obligation upon me or any of the Subjects from the said Oathes or either of them to endeavour any change or alteration of the Government either in Church or State as it is now established by the Laws of the Kingdom 4. Incendiaries Malignants Because there are such expressions in the Covenant as are not to be found in any Oath that hath been taken in the Kingdom and for that the Laws of the Land are left out and not so much as once named 5. All Scripture-Covenanting from the Alpha unto the Omega thereof were commanded or chiefly acted by the Kings or the Chief Rulers and not one of the Covenants by the Elders of the People against or without the consent of the King 6. The Covenant is against Custome Usage Judicial Records and Acts of Parliament the King's Declarations and Proclamation and against all the Customs and Usages of all Nations in the world themselves being Judges and therefore ought not so much as to have been intended much less sworn unto Mr. Nye Such an Oath as for Matter Persons and other Circumstances the like hath not been in any Age or Oath we read of in Sacred or Human Story Iid. We are entring now upon a work of the greatest moment and concernment that ever was undertaken by any of Us or any of our Fore-fathers before us or our neighbouring Nations about us Henderson The Reformed Churches the Low-Countries our Noble and Christian Progenitors entred not into such a Solemn League and Covenant whence have we this Covenant then The dangers and pressures of the Kingdom of Scotland growing to greater extremity such as were entrusted with the Publick affairs of the Kingdom were necessitated to call a Convention of the Estates for considering of the present affairs And Commissioners were sent from both Houses of Parliament not from the King to consider with the Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland without the King what then Their consultations did in the end bring forth this Covenant When the Reformed Churches shall hear of this so neither the King nor the Reformed Churches were consulted with in this matter How then Salt-marsh The Covenant is a Divine Engine the godly have found out This is the first time the Sun saw such a confederation and therefore there should be as much Art used in preserving the Spirits of people as there was Art used in raising them up to this Height Coleman This is a new thing and not done in our Land before Ask your Fathers consult with the Aged of your times whether ever such a thing were done in their days or in the days of their fathers before them 7. 1643. 1641. The Covenant is diametrically opposite to the Protestation taken not long before wherein we have sworn That to our Power and as far as Lawfully we may we will oppose and by all good ways and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by Force Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing contrary to the true Reformed Protestant Religion established or against His Majesty's Royal Person Honor or Estate c. which was taken in Lawful things besides the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy which were taken Lawfully and in Lawfull things long before and so made all contrary Oathes unlawful to be afterwards either taken or kept St. Jerom. Now lay your hands upon your hearts consider and take the counsel of St. Jerom unto Ruffinus Never blush man to change thy opinion of the Covenant for neither you or I or any person living are of so great Authority as to be asham'd to confess they have erred Pym. As it is a crime odious in the nature of it to endeavour the alteration of the Government of the State so it is odious
have so deeply conceived a deep and strong perswasion of his Majesty's Princely Virtues and much renowned propension to Piety and Equity that they will urge their consciences to assent unto every thing which the King enjoyns as Right and Convenient Because abstaining from Christian Assemblies and publick Worship of God under pretence of employing their Talents for the good of the Church in private meetings is scandalous and an inductive to sin Because the Churches of God do hold with the Church of England the lawfulness of Absolution after satisfaction enjoyned by the Church when men have defiled themselves with Murther Idolatry or filthy Lusts and that formerly they were sever'd from mutual society and afterwards the Churches did not suddenly receive such offenders again though they did repent that it might be known that they did unfeignedly repent of their Murther Idolatry and filthy Lusts and ask pardon and for example sake that it might profit others for certain days Absolution was deferred 1 Cor. 5. that they might be seen to ask pardon publickly which publick satisfaction before the Church although in a sort Political yet may be referred to the Ecclesiastical Order and may altogether be distinguished from those punishments which are meerly Civil and from those which are to be inflicted by the Magistrate which the Churches doubt not is both acceptable to God and commodious for the edifying of the Church Because if a Minister be found guilty of crimen laesae Majestatis the King may punish whereupon by consequence will follow his falling from his Ecclesiastical Office and Dignity saith an Anonymus of Scotland And the Churches abroad with the Church of England say there must be publick Satisfaction and Absolution after Repentance before he can be received again into the Church of God because of Scandal given to the whole Church of God although the King do pardon him For as there ought to be diligent enquiry in the Synods touching the Life and Doctrine of the Ministers so those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniors and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as Wolves to be driven from the Lord's Flock by the true Pastors if they be incurable For if once they be false Teachers they are in no wise to be tollerated saith the Harmony of Confessions And in publick Discipline saith the Church of Geneva it is to be observed that the Ministery pretermit nothing at any time unchastised with one kind of punishment or other And if Ministers shall do any thing which is Scandalous to the Congregation or punishable by Civil Authority then such a Minister shall be Suspended from his Ministery and it shall stand in the judgment of the Classis with us of the Bishops whether he deserves not to be deposed say the Synods of the Low-countries The sum of all to unsetled spirits is this to get a full perswasion of the mind concerning our establish'd Government and Governors because a full perswasion of the mind yea even where the judgment faileth touching matters not intrinsecally evil giveth rest to the conscience Especially when you have considered indeed that the judgment of all causes the deciding all controversies the censure of all men the sentence determining all actions are the Kings and in His performances rests the very Soul of the State and the life of a State 's flourishing whose Soul is of too fine and quick a Metall to love doing nothing And when the affections of the minds of men or any other humor usurps an overswaying Authority the body of the State languisheth and by refusing to obey men ruine one of the two best parts of man For whether a Prince cometh to Authority by Succession or just Election it is not lawful to practise against Him because he is the Lord 's Annointed The greatest motive to Moderation the onely stay of the reeling steps of Man's humanity and next unto that nothing should move us more to continue our Moderation than the great commiseration of our Prince towards us that were his enemies Arguments sufficient to make us love Him and not to contend with Him his Government or Governors much less to study to fetch the means of our supposed safety from false grounds which will prove a humor unsafe and most displeasing by the want of which Moderation we shall serve a wrong Master and by our strong affections and weak experience shew what folly governs us in resisting of His Authority Therefore let us give Him the love of our hearts it will make Him happy and us in Him For what we desire to make us happy and at peace is matter of thought onely without truth which kind of thoughts formerly hath led us into strange transgressions against a Divine Law besides other errors like wandring Empericks respiting pain and doubling the pain and danger afterwards or else like Women with child that like nothing but what is hard if not impossible to come by and so by an uncertain pleasure purchase certain loss and pain Wherefore let us hearken to the counsel of St. Chrysostom who observeth that the God of All hath given All but one House the world to be domesticos naturae The Houshold of Nature that Father of Lights hath light all but one Candle the Sun to be Filios lucis Just and unjust Children of that Light seeing he that spreadeth it out as a Curtain hath covered all but with one Canopy and roof of Heaven to be one Family of Love and seeing the Feeder of every living thing hath spread all but one Table the Earth at which Boord we are all Companions of one Bread and drink all of one Cup the Air doubtless this community of natural things should breed such a common Unity in nature as should make men in this common House to be of one mind and sons of one light and the family under one roof to walk in this House of God as familiar friends and companions at one Table to eat their meat together with singleness of heart And not with the Bramble affecting Superiority over the Cedars of Lebanon set on fire the Trees of the Forest or like that Wood in the Poet being shaken by the wind Sponte edidit ignem qui ipsam consumpsit Of it self gave fire which consum'd it all Which leads me to add a word or two unto you that will not conform Unto you I wish peaceable spirits with serious consideration of the Reasons which with me have prevailed to own and subscribe unto the establish'd Government of the Church of England notwithstanding those seeming Reasons Scriptures and Authorities brought by you to perswade that to subscribe and yield obedience to the established Government is sinful and unlawful and to joyn in Worship with the Church of England as it is now constituted a Church is to commit Idolatry But after long search and inquiry made I find your Scriptures Reasons and Authorities to fall short of
Church of Ephesus write ver 8. And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write ver 12. And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamos write ver 18. And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write 3.1 And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write ver 7. And to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write ver 14. And to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write ver 18. I counsell thee to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire that thou maist be rich and White raiment that thou maist be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and annoint thine eyes with Eye-salve that thou mayest see Statutes PArl. 21. Edw. 1.1 Edw. 3. c. 2. 25. Edw. 3. c. 2. 12. Hen. 3. p. 23. 12. Hen. 7. c. 18. 19. Hen. 7. c. 1. 12. Hen. 8. 31. Hen. 8. c. 9.13 25. Hen. 8. c. 20. 2. Ric. 3.11 18. Hen. 8.1 Bracton c. 9.10 8. Eliz. c. 1. 25. Eliz. c. 3. Jacob 3.11 Canons 1604. Canon 33 34. 42 43 44 45 46 47.59 139 140 141. The End MAY 29. 1660. YE Angels great in power Protect Our Soveraign Charls the Lord's Elect. Let Monk be Blest with showers of Grace That hath Unveil'd His Royal Face Oh welcome welcome from Exile Your waiting Captives can't but Smile Our King by Wisdome hath Release Our suffering Charls the Prince of Peace All tongues without false hearts let Sing With warbling Notes God save the King MAY 30th HAst thou an Eye Then look on Majesty Three Kingdoms just Possessour In Seisin full In Re-assuming free Faith's fence and best Professour Let Heads and Tongues ' Mongst Salvage have their doom Their Heart-strings break with fear That Treason hatch Against our Spotless joy Or England ravish of her Kingly Sphere Instruments be Blest That opened our Eyes To see Deliverers that Catechize In Proditores September 1660. HEnce hence absent what is it your desire You Enginers Massacres to conspire Let only such as Love a Royal peace Such and their Fruit for evermore encrease Cease cease your thoughts contrive not Murders still Against a King of Peace ye worst of ill What ere you think our Duty is to Sing Glory to God Honour to the King God save the King W. W. THE OFFICE and CHARGE Belonging to the OVER SEERS OF The POOR Of Hospitals Bridewell and of Every Parish in pursuance of several Acts Of PARLIAMENT Give to him that asketh thee c. 35 Matth. 42. When I was an hungred yee gave me meat when thirsty ye gave me drink when a Stranger ye took me in when Naked ye Cloathed me when Sick ye visited me when in Prison ye came unto me 35 Matth. 35 36. The Poor yee shall have alwayes with you 12 John 8. Let all your things be done with Charity 1 Cor. 16.14 By W. Wasse School-master in Little Britain near unto Christ-church London Printed by W. W. for R. H. at the Bible in Heart in Little Britain 1663. THE OFFICE and CHARGE Belonging to the Overseers of the Poor c. Quest 1 WHat is the word Overseer Answ The Word Overseer is a distinction of Office a word of Antiquity not of Novelty a word of Excellency not of Indignity an Office beseeming the best of men not the worst of men 1 Chron. 23.4 Acts 20.28 Quest 2 What is an Overseer of the Poor Answ One placed over others to see unto them 1. To see what is to be done 2. To foresee how it may be done 3. To Oversee that it be well done 1. To imploy the Poor by Work 2. To Relieve the Poor by Money 3. To order by Discretion the wants of the Poor Quest 3 What men are fit to be Overseers of the Poor 1. Men of Honest Report 2. Men of Wisdom 3. Men of Wealth 4. Men of a good Conscience Quest 4 What men are not meet to be made Overseers of the Poor Answ 1. Such as complain of their being taxed too high for the Poor which give with grudging and pay with delaying 2. Such as will not be spake with at home when the Tax is to be gathered nor bring money to the Church to pay it but rather absent themselves from Church to defraud the Poor of their right 3. Such as spend all upon their Pride in Diet and Apparel beyond their degree but part with little to the Poor 4. Such as abuse the Overseers and out-face them to defraud the Poor 5. Such men as will pay no more then the Law compels them to alleging that there is a Law and by the Law they must live Quest 5 What should Overseers consider of in their Office Answ 1. To discharge their Office as in the sight of God who searcheth the heart and seeth all their actions 2. To avoid all malice and not to Tyrannize over the Poor The Naturalists observe that the Governour of the Bees is without a sting or useth it not though it have a sting 3. That their Office is not held by Patent but that they are as Tenants at will and as they do over-see so they shall be over-seen 4. That if any perish for want of succour through their neglect it is their sin 5. That what Beggars are licensed in the Parish according to the Law to continue them within their limits or else to punish them for their defaults 6. That if they shall tax ten shillings more by the week then is needfull and then give largely because there is enough it will but encrease the number of the Poor and nothing decrease the charge of the Parish 7. That they relieve not such as may forbear it because it is to nourish idleness to rob those that want it to wrong those that pay it and condemn them of oversight which dispose it 8. That to enquire after Poor is the way to procure Poor and some will sue to be Recorded for Poor that are able to contribute to the Poor and being Recorded raise scandal upon them if not the Curse of the Poor Quest 6 What is the Office of an Overseer Answ The Office of an Overseer is to Tax the Contributions for the Poor and receive the Donations and then discreetly to dispose thereof Taxing all men that are Inhabitants 1. According to Equality The middle sort not equal with the Rich and when every one is rated equally according to his Estate to see that every one pay their rates though there be sufficient besides for the Poor 1. For Example sake Lest others be backward in paying their due 2. For the good of the Inhabitants If any thing be left it will some what abate the taxation the year following Moreover if the weaker sort pay and the better able be undertaxed or forborn it is an injury 2. According to their Estates Which is not to be judged by reports that is the next way to make Poor maintain Poor For a man of 250 pounds Estate with no Children is