have thought it religion to countenance the Clergie When therfore that famous * K. Iames in his Basilicon Doron lib. 2. pag. 38. King of blessed memory was about to speake severally of those 3. estates into which the subjects of England are divided he begins after this manner First saith he that I prejudge not the Church of her ancient priviledges reason would she should have the first place for orders sake in this catalogue the grouÌ„d of which priviledge I do beleeve came first from among Gods people of old with whom the highest Priest was second in the Kingdome And albeit every one who is a Priest or man of God among us be not a Prelate nor may looke to be of as high dignities as Aaron Nathan or Zadoc nor to have the like honours and employments that Archbishops and Bishops have yet know that we are all the men of God being lawfully called et pro Christo legatione fungimur and Ambassadours of Christ 2 Cor 5.20 And therefore besides what hath beene else this I may say Let a man so account of us even in geuerall as of the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and stewards of the mysteries of God For to esteeme otherwise of us is to have an evill eye at that calling which the Lord hath honoured and to vilifie those persons whom he hath magnified would that they should be in high account because they are placed in an holy function which must at all times put a difference between them and other men Nor is it but observed till we meete with those who curse their Father and doe not blesse their Mother But enough of this till by and by Wee shall have it again at another turning till when I leave it and come now to the proofe of such things pertinent to all and every of the Fathers in this body as must be first handled Wherfore to proceed orderly let the scriptures and constant practise of the Church built thereupon First testifie that Churchmen have the name of Fathers Secondly that they bee not all of one equall ranke but of differing degrees And last of all that there is reverence and honour due to them as in the following Chapters Sections and Divisions shall be further shewed CHAPTER I. That the name or title of Father is pertinent to Churchmen THis truth I shall first prove out of the words of Saint Paul who witnesseth to the Corinthians that he had begotten them in Christ Iesus through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4.15 And so though he were no carnall yet a spirituall Father to them Where note that because he makes the word to be the means of their begetting it must needs follow that every other Minister who converteth soules is a spirituall Father because he by the word doth also beget children unto Christ In like manner hee also speaketh to the people of Galatia My little children of whom I travell in birth Gal 4.19 1 Tim. 5.1 till Christ bee formed in you And againe Rebuke not an Elder but exhâ—rt him as a Father which albeit he there meanes it of such in speciall as are Fathers for their age yet it prooveth the title of Father to be due to all who beare the name of Elders whether in Church or Common-weale For when he speaks afterwards of such into whose hands in respect of discipline the governement of the Church is committed 1 Tim. 5.17 hee calleth them by the name of Elders Seniores officij and would that if they rule well they should have double honour especially if they labour in the word and doctrine as well as in governement This is also proved out of the words of Saint Iohn For to those whom he writeth in his first epistle he speaketh as a Father using these words often My little children And at the fourth verse of his third Epistle I have saith hee no greater joy then to heare that my children walke in love And in his old age as St. Ierome tels the story being carried to the Church in the armes of his schollers and lifted into the Pulpit and not able to speake many words he used onely this sweet saying Filioli diligite alterutrum Little children or my sons love one another Neither was it but that in the times of the Law the Prophets also and Priests were called Fathers Oh my Father my Father the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof So said Elisha to Elias 2 Kin. 2.12 So said King Ioash also to Elisha 2 Kin. 13.14 Yea and thus saith the Scripture likewise of the Priests as we read in the 2 Chron. 29.11 CHAP. II. SECTION I. BUt from hence I come to their rankes or orders And in the first place stands the King or cheife Magistrate whom Esay calleth a Nursing Father of the Church Esa 49.23 2 Sam. 5.1 and by the tenne tribes was acknowledged to be their Pastour And so indeed he was although in a differing manner from the Pastourship of Priests And yet not so farre differing neither as that hee bee * See Bishop Iewell against Hard defence of Apol part 6 chap. 15. divis 1. p. 612 mere laicus for then hee must bee tyed altogether to the State and meddle nothing with the Church in matters Ecclesiasticall how negligently wrongfully or disorderly soever he see things to be carried But being the keeper of both Tables he must have an eye to the Church as well as to the State not onely ordering that the Church be obeyed but that Bishops and other Priests doe their office as well as they who belong to the affaires of the Common wealth Yea in a word he is to mairtaine Gods worship K. Iames in his Apol. for the oath of allegiance pag. 108. printed Anno 1609. as well as the peoples welfare for thus as that second Salomon hath recorded doe godly and Christian Kings within their owne dominions sit to governe their Church as well as the rest of their people assisting the spirituall pover with the temporall sword making no new Articles of Faith but commanding obedience to be given to what the word of God approveth suffering no Sects and Schismes but reforming corruptions and also ordering that a decorum be observed in every thing that thereby the inward dulnes of the heart may bee the better awaked to a more reverent respect both towards God and his holy worship for if the outward beauty of Churches stirreth up devotion then much more the decent and comely manner of the service there Both doe well and well is it when both can bee found to goe together Now if any should suppose that this power of a King takes away the power of Bishops I answer that they are much deceived For this is not to annihilate or take away the jurisdiction or power of Bishops but to nurse cherish and oversee it For the Christian Church had Episcopall power granted as afterwards shall be shewed before ever there was any Christian
me close up this point and say Auris bona est quae libentèr audit utilia prudentèr discernit audita obedientèr operatur inteliecta Meaning that That is a good eare which willingly heareth things profitable wisely discerneth things heard and obediently performeth hirgs discerned For as Hierom speaketh Ille plus didicit qui plus facit He hath learned most who practiseth or doth most 2. And now from Obedience unto Doctrine I passe to that of Government This hath relation to those Fathers in especiall who as the Apostle saith are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.17 Praelati that is such as are set to have the oversight and government of the Church watching labouring for the good of mens soules not only like unto other ordinary Priests where when occasion shal require who are indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est intendere but much more in caring for the Church as men peculiarly set over it and are therefore said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est superintendere supervigilare For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one thing and belongs to every Priest but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is another and pertaines solely to such of the Clergy as have a Key of Jurisdiction as well as a Key of Order These then are they who as I said doe watch and labour for the good of mens soules not only like unto other ordinary Ministers where and when occasion shall require but much more in caring for the Church as men peculiarly set over it to see to the preserving of peace and truth order and decency in Gods publike worship without which neither could the Church consist nor Gods worship be maintained but soules sinke for want of helpe Such watchmen then are not set up in vaine but are without doubt as needfull as was pitch was for the Ark of Noah to keep it from drowning under the waters Obey them therefore and submit your selves unto them 't is the voice of God and not of man which calls you to it Heb. 13.17 Nor is there cause why ye should refuse it For if the politicall lawes of even Heathen Princes Rom. 13.1.5 Dan 3. Acts 4.15 are to be obeyed for conscience sake except where they enjoine disobedience unto God then much more these that are for the maintenance of truth concord order and decency in his publike worship Or if you will take up the reason thus Civill powers appertaine to the defence of corporall life and civill society and cannot therefore be disobeyed without detriment to the Common weale But powers Ecclesiasticall have to doe with Religion and the worship of God They meddle with men not as men but as men called to lead a spirituall life and therefore cannot be disobeyed without harme or detriment to that end for which they were first ordained Or thus there is but one God who is the authour of both powers so that if we must obey on the one hand we may not disobey on the other except we make it a thing of nothing to fight against the ordinances of our heavenly Father Tit. 3.2 Put them in remembrance saith the Apostle that they be subject to Principalities and Powers and that they be obedient This for the one So also Obey them that have the over sight of you Heb. 13.17 and submit your selves for they watch for your soules That for the other Herein agreeing to the doctrine of our Saviour delivered by himselfe Goe and tell the Church Math. 18.17 and if he refuse to heare the Church let him be unto thee as an Ethnicke and a Publican Christian Princes have indeed to doe in these things as in the rankes of Church Governours I have already shewed but not to the disanulling of the power For they be sent of God as Nursing Fathers to his Church and are therefore to defend and maintaine the power thereof against all sorts of opposites that oppose themselves against it And verily a law and custome of the Church was heretofore of greater weight than to be of light esteeme The ancients thought it to be a good argument of it selfe alone to convince others in their strugglings Hereupon that holy Father Saint Austin could urge This is the authority of our Mother the Church Hoc habet authoritas Matris Ecclesiae Hoc Ecclesia commendat saluberrima authoritas Premitur mole Matris Ecclesiae c. In which testimonies we see that this blessed pillar of Gods House accounted the Laws and Ordinances of the Church to be a strong and conquering weapon against the adversaries of the Church But such are the humours of these times and so thwart to all lawfull authority that one and the same act which would be willingly performed if it were left to every ones free choice may not be done when it comes backt with authority For though it were accounted lawfull or indifferent before is now as if the nature of it were altered or not so warrantable as before it was commanded Why else doe they question what the Church enjoyneth and like quarrelsome high-minded people love to dwell in the fiery flames of contention It is a signe of some distemper a distemper that commeth of an heat or humour of pride for as Solomon speaketh Only by pride commeth contention Prov. 13.10 but with the well advised is wisedome But what care they for that for let it but be that they may cry loudest and have the last word they are still bigger in conceit and falsely take it as a truth that they have answered all sufficiently whereas on the other side a modest disputer knoweth it is to little purpose to contend with a man full of words or reason with a resolved and selfe willed opposite Quid prodest Simiae si videatur esse Leo But be not you who are such See the 2d Epish to Tim. chap. 3. 2 Pet. 2.10 be not I beseech you so heady high-minded fierce despisers of government presumptuous selfe-willed c. as to disobey or speake evill of dignities for these are humours best befitting the lewdnesse of lawlesse persons and loosenesse of licentious livers who have indeed an outward forme of godlinesse but have denyed the power thereof witnesse their creeping into houses to lead captive simple women who as the Apostle speaketh are laden with sinnes ◠Tim. 3.6 and led with divers lusts These are like Iannes and Iambres which resisted Moses as if God had not given him that power and authority which he had After whom was Corah and his company a seditious sect but smarted for it by a suddaine judgement Or to speake with Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2.10 They are bold and stand in their owne conceit not fearing to speake evill of them that be in place of dignity or authority especially against men of the Church But as Saint Iohn saith of Love so may I say of Obedience namely How can they obey God whom they have not seene if they will not
to prevent a probable but contingent inconvenience as even the Authour of the Holy Table hath declared Furthermore doubts saith another may be of two kindes either Speculative or Practicall If a doubt be only speculative of the lawfulnesse of such things as lye in a mans owne liberty to doe or forbeare then to doe a thing doubtingly is a sinne Rom. 14.23 But if the doubt bee practicall and the matter of it a thing commanded by authority that doubting doth neither infer nor excuse disobedience Heb. 13.17 The exceptions from this Rule are very few to wit in cases only when Superiours command that which doth expresly oppose an Article of our Faith one of the ten Commandements or the generall state and subsistence of God's Catholicke Church So then bee a man never so zealous strict of life or highly esteemed for his personall endowments yet he may be more timerous than he needs or contentious than hee should For it were a madnesse not to know that the most sanctified and zealous men are men and may therefore have some faults as well as others For though all be not guilty of sinnes in one kind yet In multis labimur omnes in many things wee sinne all And if all in many things then the best have some faults and this whilst thus is one even among those of high esteeme be all their other actions never so good zealous devote or what you please to call them One did I say Yes and that a great one too why else is disobedience likened to the sinne of witchcraft and every soule without exception commanded to obey and submit as formerly hath been shewed Nor is it but augmented also in regard of circumstances for whilst they whom we take to bee good men shall stumble and refuse to yeeld to the government under which they live others are the sooner brought to doe the like and so the Church troubled not only by themselves but by such also as are too forward to tread in the steps of their proceedings Let them be loath therefore to cherish such timerous conceits as shall from an errour in judgement make them at the last be guilty of some sinful practice arising from thence For no mans goodnesse is good in this nor may exempt them from the obedience unto Lawes nor make them be * 1 Pet. 4.15 priviledged to put their hands into bad actions especially since such mens immunity would but incourage others to presume upon the like favour Saint Paul I confesse speaketh to the Romans Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Rom. 14.3 But from thence can bee no warrant to take liberty either for conforming or not conforming for the case is not the same There the marter of difference was not onely indifferent in the nature of it but was also left so as concerning the use the Church had set down no Law concerning it But is it so with us 't is not and therefore obedience is required on our parts without any question for conscience sake we are else no dutifull Sonnes of the Church but a peevish and perverse generation who are not afraid to act the Vipers part within the bowells of our holy Mother I shall tell you what Saint Austine did That pious Father once in the behalfe of his Mother Monica consulted with Saint Ambrose about the like occasion about matters of ceremonie For she being doubtfull what to doe he went to Saint Ambrose who told him thus When I come to the Church of Rome I fast on the Saturday and when I am here I doe not So thou also unto whatsoever Church thou commest follow the orders thereof if thou wouldest not scandalize any nor have any to offend thee which when he had told to his Mother she rested satisfied In which regard even Saint Austine also giveth this counsell In his rebus in quibus nihil certi statuit Scriptura divina mos populi Dei vel instituta majorum pro lege tenenda sunt Neither doe our owne Stories of the Church but tell us that even such as suffered Martyrdome for the truth made no scruple of conscience against the orders of our Church Bucer for his owne part approved of our English Liturgie although at the first he made some doubt Bishop Ridley went to the stake cheerefully wearing a Tippet of Velvet and a corner Cap and yet as that good old Father Latimer Prophecied at his burning there was such a candle lighted in England as shall never be put out Iohn Philpot was an Arch-deacon and Dr. Rowland Taylour used the Service booke to his great comfort all the time of his imprisonment and commended it at his death a the last token of his love to his deare wife Master Hullier also a godly Minister burnt at Cambridge most joyfully embraced the sayd booke even in the very flames These you will say were good and gooly men but had they sacrificed their lives in a factious quarrell against Clericall habits or other comely ceremonies of the Church enjoyned by King Edward the sixt their Religious Soveraigne the authour of the Acts and Monuments had never numbered them among the glorious Martyrs of Christ as a reverend Doctour well observeth And now also secondly An answer to the 2d objection whereas some make doubt of the lawfulnes of Spirituall jurisdiction or Courts Ecclesiasticall I think there is enough in the former answer to yeeld satisfaction even in this here therefore I shall need to say the lesse For can a Superiour have power to make Lawes and not have power to punish where they bee transgressed or shall the civill Magistrate not hold his sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 and must the Prelates stand for cyphers with their keyes No sayth our Saviour Goe and tell the Church Math. 18.17 But to what purpose if there be in the Church no power of jurisdiction Yes to perswade say some or to rebuke with words Nay sure 't is more then so for in our Saviours speech there is mention made of binding and loosing Verse 18. And what will you sayth Saint Paul shall I come unto you with a rod 1 Cor. 4.21 or in love and in the spirit of weekenesse that is as one truely speaketh will you be perswaded by faire words or shall I exercise my judiciall authoritie over you shall I punish you For punish sure he might or else it had beene to little purpose to have told them of his Rod. But to put all out of question see what the Apostle writes to Timothie the first Bishop of the Ephesians namely that against a Priest or Elder he must receive no accusation 1 Tim. 5.19 under two or three witnesses where I would that you marke these particulars viz. That here is an accuser here is a person accused here is an examination of witnesses here is a judgement and deciding of the matter therefore here is an exercise of