under the Cognizance of their civil Courts as others are And this civil Subjection of Ecclesiastical Persons against the Papal Exemptions thereof is the main thing in the Ecclesiastical Supremacy claimed by our Kings In the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth and in the Canons of King James this Supremacy is called the highest Power under God whereto all Men within the same Realms by God's Law owe most Loyalty and Obedience afore and above all other Powers and Potentates in Earth Her Majesty say the Injunctions again thereby neither doth nor ever will challenge any other Authority than was lately used and was of antient time due to the Imperial Crown of this Realm that is under God to have the soveraignty and rule over all manner of Persons born within her Dominions of what Estate either Ecclesiastical or Temporal soever they be so as no other Foreign Power shall or ought to have any superiority over them By Supremacy or chief Government says the 37th Article of Religion we give only that prerogative which we see to have been always given to all godly Princes in Holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all States and Degrees committed to their Charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal and restrain with the civil Sword the Stubborn and Evil-doers And the Oath of Supremacy as King James the First declared only extended to the Kings Power of Judicature over all Persons as well Civil as Ecclesiastical excluding all foreign Powers and Potentates to be Iudges within his Dominions All which plainly make the Ecclesiastical Supremacy to lye mainly in having Bishops and Ministers or the Ecclesiastical State who were broke off from it by the Papal Exemption under the same common Obligation to the civil Soveraign with other Subjects or under the Tye of civil Subjection In vertue of this civil power over their Persons as his Subjects he can command them faithfully to discharge their Duties and Functions And that not only as Subjects in civil Matters but as Ministers in divine Offices For as he is the civil Soveraign the Temporal Magistrate is the Keeper of both Tables being to keep his Subjects in Godliness as well as in Honesty as St. Paul says And is to use the civil Sword for sins against Religion as well as for sins against the State and in his way to punish Ministers for Neglect or Abuse of their spiritual Functions as well as for Breach of the civil Peace Thus good Kings as Hezekiah and Josiah employed their temporal power to cut off corrupt administrations and to reform Abuses of Worship and Religious Offices in the Jewish Church As Constantine and other good Christian Kings and Emperors did afterwards in other Nations And the 37th Article of our Church declares That by his Supremacy the King with the civil Sword may restrain the stubborn and evil-doers whether Laicks or Ecclesiasticks And on this Account Constantine calls himself the Minister of God for the Coercion and Punishment of wicked Bishops And at his Entertainment of the Bishops tells them That God has appointed them the Bishops of things within the Church and him the Bishop of things without it and that it belongs to him as Bishop of Bishops to see they discharge their duties and be pious Thus the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian say That God by setting them to reign had made them the Bond both of the piety and of the external welfare and security of those who are subject to them the connexion betwixt which two their study was to preserve inviolable And in this Kings saith St. Austin according as God commands them do serve the Lord as they are Kings when they enjoyn good things and prohibit evil things in their Kingdoms And that not only in Matters pertaining to humane society but also in Matters pertaining to our Holy Religion And thus by means of his civil Power over Spiritual Persons has the King the like Power over Spiritual Acts Functions viz. as he can require and by the civil Sword compel them whom Christ has empowered thereto in his Dominions to exercise the same I mean to exercise them according to the Rules of God's Word and of their own Spiritual Function his Power lying in calling them to do their duties not to any Neglect or Breach thereof As we see was observed not only by the Godly Jewish Kings but also by the Primitive Emperors whose civil Laws and Edicts in these Matters still followed the spiritual Rules and Duties and were a secular Enforcement to drive all Ecclesiasticks to keep them not to Transgress them Our Laws do not disdain to follow the Sacred and Divine Canons the civil power in these Matters enforcing that which the Church had first prescribed says the Emperor Justinian And accordingly in the Civil Law for Restraint of Excommunications we forbid our Bishops saith he to Excommunicate any without a just Cause be shewn for it We forbid all Bishops and Presbyters saith another Law to exclude any from the Communion before Proof of such a Cause for which this is commanded to be done by the Ecclesiastical Canons So by his Imperial Power over their Persons commanding their Ministrations and limitting them therein to their own Rules And thus the King like as the Jewish Kings and Primitive Emperors were is supreme in these spiritual Acts and Administrations as in his Dominions they are all to be sped and administer'd not by independant Forreigners but by his own Subjects or as having the supream earthly Command of Bishops and Priests who are bound in civil Obedience to him as their Temporal Soveraign to exercise them when he requires it And this way he can give Final Justice to all his Subjects in all spiritual as well as temporal Matters having Authority to command his Bishops and Clergy to do it in the one as well as his Judges and temporal Ministers to do it in the other And by this power of doing it by their Means or Ministrations is his Supremacy set off Thus in the Statute for the Restraint of Appeals the King is declared to be the one supream Head endowed with plenary Power and Authority to render Final Justice in all Causes because the spirituality or his Bishops and Clergy can administer and determine all that belongs to their spiritual Offices and the Judges and other his temporal Ministers can do the like for Tryal of Property and Conservation of civil Peace The Kings Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Matters doth not imply the power of the Keys which he has not but he may command those who have them to use them rightly says Mr. Mason This Supremacy is preserved if he take care that those who have the power of Ecclesiastical Censures do exercise them says Dr. Burhil He has plenary power to render final Justice that is to receive the last Appeal of his own Subjects without any fear of any
advanced for Practices against any of his Commandments The Pharisees had invented many doctrinal Salvo's to justifie Men in the Breach of moral Duties and to vacate several of Gods Holy Commandments Thus they dealt by the Breach of Oaths which they cleared by several arbitrary Limitations and nice Distinctions of their own about the Obligation of them or Mens becoming Debtors i. e. bound by them Mat. 23. 16 18. And by the Denial of Relief or Help to Parents which they said was discharged of the Obligation laid by the Fifth Commandment and free from Sin if it was salved by the Vow Corban i. e. if they had made a Vow before that they would never Relieve them Mat. 15. 4. 5. 6. Thus Frustrating the Commandments of God as he tells them and making them of none effect through their undermining Salvo's and Traditions Mat. 15. 6. and Mark 7. 9 13. Not to mention their Limiting the Obligation of all Righteousness to external Acts or other ways of their exempting many Offences forbid by their own Law as well as by that of the Blessed Iesus But when the Ministers of Christ met with these Salvo's it was their Part not to suffer them but to rescue moral Precepts from being corrupted and Mens Consciences and Practices from being insnared by them They were to beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees in these and other Points not only as private Christians to beware of imbibing it themselves but. as Pastors of suffering others to be tainted or corrupted therewith When by these and such like Glosses the Lawyers had taken away the Key of Knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men as our Lord saith they as Ministers of that Kingdom were to unlock and open it to them and to make these Duties which were the Paths thereof plane for all who were sincerely desirous to walk in them They that are made Pastors and put in Station to be Great in the Kingdom of Heaven must both do the some themselves and teach others to observe even the least of Christs Commandments when others not only transgress them in their own Practice but teach Men to transgress them Mat. 15. 19. St. Paul afterwards speaks of False Apostles who corrupted the VVord of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that adulterated it as Vintners do their VVines by corrupt Mixtures blending their own Arbitrary Salvo's and Conceits therewith or Mixing their own Doctrines with Gods as St. Chrysostom comments 2 Cor. 2. 17. Who handled the VVord of God deceitfully 2. Cor. 4. 2. And spoke Lies in Hypocrisie pretending them consistent with or sometimes promotive of Duty and Piety 1 Tim. 4. 2. And perverted the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1. 17. But when the true Ministers met with any of these corrupt Infusions and Adulterations of Christian Doctrines instead of Treacherously conniving at these Adulterations they were by a purer and more sincere Ministration to cure and teach Men better They were to make full Proof of their Ministry in Preaching the VVord and to reprove and rebuke all that was contrary to it among those that would heap to themselves Teachers of Errors and Adulterations of the Truth according to their own Lusts 2 Tim. 4. 2 3 5. When others fell to speak Lies in Hypocrisie they were not to neglect the Gift that was in them that is their Pastoral Power and Function but to stir it up and put the Brethren in Remembrance of the pure and saving Christian Truths and Duties that they may discharge the part of Good Ministers of Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 4. 2. 6. 14. When Vain Tâ—lkers and Deceivers started up Teaching Things they ought not for Filt by Lucres sake they were call'd upon not only to hold fast the Faithful VVord as they had been taught and to keep to it themselves but also by Sound Doctrine to exhort and teach others and to convince and stop the Mouths of Gain-Sayers Tit. 1. 9 10. 11. Thus are the Faithful Ministers of Christ obliged to Feed the Church with the pure Administration of Moral or other Gospel Duties when the False Guides by doctrinal Salvo's and undermining Propositions are shewing Men how they may securely Vacate and Transgress them They are not to connive at such Corruptions and Adulterations of moral Precepts but to cry out and warn against them Nor to smother and keep up the real and injured Duties but to Preach and Minister them out to those Souls who are like to perish through their Ignorance and Breach thereof And this as they will answer Gods repeated Calls and Injunctions or approve themselves True and Faithful to their Ministerial Trusts To neglect it or fail therein would be Treachery and Falseness to that Sacred Doctrine which had been deposited with them and to those Souls which had been committed to them And this Ministration they are bound to tho' these corrupt Salvo's are only the Doctrines of the Pastors and Teachers as those foremention'd Salvo's of the False Prophets and of the Pharisees too I suppose were among the Jews and are not yet made the Determinations of the Church 'T is not enough on such Justification of Immoral Practices or advancement of Immoral Salvo's by the Guides of Souls to say the Church hath not altered its Articles nor justified nor salved the ill things so by any Synodical Confession For 't is a call to them for their Ministration if these things are done by the Churchmen Their Ministration is to provide against the dangers of Souls And they are allways endangered by damnable Practices whosoever teach them whether their particular Guides or whole Synods But particular Guides are the Directors which the generality of Men have for their Consciences and Practices So that the Consciences and Practices of the generality are endangered when they fall generally to teach them the Breach of Moral Duties by corrupt Salvo's And then true Guides are to warn them of these Dangers VVhen Speakers of perverse things shall arise from among themselves the Pastors are bid to take heed to their Flocks and to feed them with the VVord of Truth and Righteousness Act. 20. 28 30. And instead of abating this Obligation it will add to it if amidst all this Prevarication of the Church Men by such corrupt Salvo's the Church it self continues right in these Points and says the same it did in its publick Acts and Articles For then in these Ministrations those Faithful Pastors have as the Authority of Truth so also the Authority of their own Church on their Side Therein they only minister out among the Members what their own Church teaches and show themselves as Faithful Ministers of Christ in standing up for his Truths So Faithful Ministers of their own Church in standing up for its Doctrines As to the Point of separation from the Church I Grant that true Ministers must not separate from a Church for any Doctrines if the Church it self holds and maintains them tho' the
accept of It must be a Worship not only in Spirit opposite to the way of carnal Sacrifices and the Numerousness of Jewish Ceremonies and external Rites but also in Truth opposite to all false superstitious or otherwise sinful ways which really are not Worship but Prophaneness For in Christianity the true Worshippers as our Lord says are they who worship God in Spirit and in Truth Jo. 4. 23 24. Yea as he adds the Father seeketh such to worship him v. 23. And if he seeketh such Worshippers his devoted Servants who have no other aim but to find him and to be found by him must seek out such Assemblies where such Worship is paid to him And thus also St. Peter says of those Sacrifices the joynt-communion wherein is to bind us together into one spiritual House that they must be such spiritual Sacrifices as are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Pet. 2. 5. So that the Unity in Worship and Prayers which we are bound to keep with other Christians or Assemblies is only whilst they meet to put up Holy Prayers coming in among them as live stories to make part of their spiritual House whilst they offer up such Sacrifices as may be fit to find acceptance as we heard from St. Peter And thus the Peace which St. Paul orders us to pursue is with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart not with those who as the Gnosticks were like enough to do prophaned him by a sinful Worship or impure Petitions 2 Tim. 2. 22. And the bond of external Peace is where we may lawfully keep the unity of the spirit which is not to be kept in sinful Offices but only in pure ones Eph. 4. 3. or where in following after the things which make for Peace we may withal follow such things wherewith we may edifie not corrupt and ensnare one another Rom. 14. 19. Particularly as to the Pactors who are the Heads of those Assemblies one chief Character of theirs as they are set over us and chief ground of our Dependance and Obligations to keep under them is as they are Ministers of Prayers And that as they minister such Prayers as are fit to serve the necessary ends and purposes of all Prayer that is to worship and honour God and to benefit us or to bring down Blessings from him And if we who must seek out for Prayers are tyed to them as Ministers of holy and acceptable Prayers that Obligation towards them ceases when instead of administring such they fall to minister profane ones And thus there is a just Ground to break off or a Liberty of seperating from Assemblies even of Rightful Pastors for pure Christian Administrations Not for Purity from mere Defects or for Administrations more edifying which is the Pretence of our Anti-Episcopal Dissenters but for Purity from Sin and wicked Mixtures That is that they may have a Worship and Religious Service without mixture either of Idolatry or of Immorality That they may meet with nothing to reproach or dishonour God therein or to disturb and wound a pious Affection when they should be most helped and encouraged in exercise thereof being come to serve and worship him When they are thus barr'd out by any wicked mixtures unless necessity and want of better drive them to make shift therewith they are no longer tyed to resort to such Offices but are free to seek out for better at the hands of any other Regular and Authorised Pastors and ought to communicate in them if they can have them For sinful Prayers are a sinful Sacrifice as the Oblations of blemished of blind and lame and sick for Sacrifice were among the Jews Mal. 1. 8. Levit. 22. 19 20 22. Deut. 15. 21. And whatever Toleration it might meet with in want of better yet if any man hath in his Flock a Male or one fit to make a legal and perfect Offering cursed be he saith the Prophet that voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1. 13 14. But the Ground of this breaking off is higher still if 2. They do not only put impious and unlawful things into their sacred Offices or Confessions but admit none to communion in any of the good parts unless they particularly concur in these corrupt ones too The former sets men loose that they lawfully may and where they have opportunities of better ought to break off from them But this drives and necessitates them that they must do so and can not for the supply of any Necessities stay to associate and assemble with them And thus it is when any Bishops will admit no Members or when any Churches will admit no other Churches to communicate with them unless they will agree to believe or profess some false Doctrine or partake and go along with them in those particular and unlawful Matters or evil Worship wherewithal they have clogged and corrupted their Communion Now when this is the Case nothing can legitimate Communion with such Bishops or Churches For though it is the duty and ought to be the desire and care of all good Christians to keep up the external Unity of the Church both under their own Bishops and with other Churches Yet must not this ever carry them to unite or to go along with them in ill things To be one with them in these Matters is to partake with them in their Sins which is not the Unity and Communion of Saints or Christians but of the ungodly or of evil-doers In such Points the more united any Society is the worse it is Such is the Union of all Infidel Churches who unite in utterly denying and opposing the Christian Faith And of Hereticks who incorporate under their seducing Heads to undermine or pervert it Yea even the infernal Spirits are united Polities without which Satans Kingdom could not stand as our Saviour says being associated and knit together to despite God and all that bears his Image But all this Union or Agreement of Men in damnable Errors or Wickedness is only combining against God and their own Souls And our Blessed Lord came not to bind up but to break such Combinations which the World then was full of I came not to send Peace but rather Divisiâ—n saith he that is to call People to break off from Error and Wickedness and to divide from the Adherers to ungodly ways Luk. 12. 51. So that the lamentableness of Mens not going all one way is true here where the Generality go the right way But when they are going wrong in ways of Guilt and Destruction to unite in Sin and Misery is a deplorable thing and there 't is best when the most divide and stand off from them Nor may they be wanting to their duty in some Points to keep on united to them in others They must not purchase Unity by sinfull Omissions or buy peace with the loss of innocence And therefore as I observed the watchmen must not be wanting in giving