make to the hurt of the consistency of Religion with Government XII And last of all in like manner also are they forbidden in Scripture and in both parts of the Divine Law of God See Deut. 7.2 3 4. Deut. 12.2 3. Deut. 13.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Prov. 6.19 17.11 18.6 30.33 and Matth. 12.25 Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 1.10 11. The General conclusion subjoyn'd to all these things XIII We have then further but one consectary and conclusion to subjoyn to these things here in the end of this Chapter and that is that if it be so then that that Charity and Peace which we have mentioned make so much to the welfare of the Publick Charge of the Magistrate and are so much commanded in Scripture and that the contrary contentions hurt so much the same Publick Charge and are so much on the contrary prohibited then in how great a measure is it the Duty of the Supreme Magistrate and all Governours under him both in Church and State in their several Stations in every Society to take all care possible and to use all lawful means that their affairs will permit for the preventing and the removal of the one sort and for the cherishing and promotion of the other sort of these things in respect to their several Societies Vid. D. Ad legem Juliam De vi publica l. 3. l. 1. c. Et D. De poenis L. siquis aliquid fecerit L. si quis aliquid ex Metallo ¶ Authores Et D. De. Re Militari L. ult Et D. De operibus Publicis L. opus novum privato Et C. De Episcop Cler. L. Quicunque residentibus Et De Pagans sacrificiis et Templis L. Christianis qui vero sunt Et C. De his qui ad Ecclesiam Confugiunt c. L. Hac valiturâ et Ad Legem Juliam Majestatis L. quisquius Et vid. Novel Constitut 17. L. Deinde Conversus Et L. neque occasione c. Et sic in aliis Legum Codicibus et legibus passim ubicunque in orbe Conditu and for the welfare of the members of them It is upon the accounts mentioned that all Lawes have ever had these respects to these things And certainly he that will deny the evidence of this Conclusion must deny light to the Sun CHAP. VIII The two Propositions asserted viz. 1. That there must of necessity be some Doctrine or Body of Doctrines for profession of assent to be made to and some forme or way of worship to be us'd in Common and both these as a Foundation for a medium or common means of procuring a charitative Communion amongst men in matters of Religion in any Society 2. That there must of necessity also be a restraint held upon mens venting of their Opinions as a means for the preventing and removal of Religious Contests and both these sorts of means to be used to these ends by the Chief Governour or Governours in such Society I. THe Assignation of the means for the procuring a Charitative Communion and for the preventing Contentions as to matters of Religion in Humane Societies II. And first in order to the Assignation of the Means for the procuring such a Charitative Communion The matters of Religion Distinguished III. Those matters of Religion also Assign'd in Relation to which such a Charitative Communion is to be held IV. The state of the case concerning the holding that Charitative Communion in relation to them V. The Unity necessary to the holding of it describ'd VI. That Unity distinguish'd VII The Internal Unity defin'd and apply'd to the holding of that Charitative Communion VIII Nothing Internal can be a Medium for such a Charitative Communion amongst men IX The External Unity describ'd and distinguish'd diversly X. The more general Assignation of it as the Great Ordinary and stated Medium for the holding such a Charitative Communion XI The more particular Assignation of it as such also XII The great secondary Medium for the holding of such Charitative Communion assigned also XIII The things Fundamentally necessary to the being of these Mediums assign'd and the proof of the First Proposition following upon it XIV An Appendant Question resolv'd XV. The Proof of the Second Proposition also XVI The general Conclusion subjoyn'd to all these things The Assignation of the means for the procuring a Charitative Communion and for the preventing contentions as to matters of Religion in Humane Societies Supra lib. 2. cap. 1. §. 12 13 14 15. Lib. 2. cap 6. § 8 9 10 11. I. HAving above describ'd the benefits of Charity and Peace to Humane Societies and evidenc'd the necessity of some kind of Unity as to matters of Religion to be held amongst men in order to them and having also describ'd the mischeifs of Opinion-Feuds and Contentions on the contrary and evidenc'd their being the effect of a loose and open toleration of the venting of such opinions I come here to assigne the Meanes as for the preventing the one sort so also for the procuring the other sort of these things in such Societies And first in order to the Assignation of the means for the procuring such a Charitative Communion the matters of Religion Distinguished Supra lib. 2. cap. 1. § 12. II. And first of all then in order to our Assignation of the means for the procuring positive Charity and the most proper sort of Peace as was above mentioned flowing from it we must distinguish of the matters of Religion which those things have a respect to And all such matters of Religion are either matters of Doctrine or matters of Worship Those matters of Religion also assign'd in relation to which such a Charitative Communion is to be held III. About these then and under these Notions as all the Opinions mentioned are fram'd and contested so all hearty Charity and Peace doth use to be held And if there be not such Peace and Charity held and the means us'd for the holding of them the contrary Contentions about them will follow in Humane Societies At least the vulgar lie open to be led actually into them by any Heresiark Supra lib. 2. cap. 6. in princip passim Ibid §. 1. or Ringleader of Sedition at any time Their Property which was mention'd of judging all their Notions in Religion to be certain being consider'd But if there be such an hearty Charity and Peace held concerning these matters then there are no matters of Religion coming under any other Notions whatsoever from whence Contentions any wayes dangerous to the publick weale need to be feared And these things are evident from all times and Histories in the World Let the Church affairs of the Jewes Gentiles Christians and Mahometans be looked into Finally it is no wonder if it be so since all matters both of belief and practice in any Religion whatsoever which lead to the Eternal Salvation of men in another world come under one
things XVI In the last place then The general Conclusion subjoyn'd to to all these things we have only one general Conclusion to subjoyne here to all these things And that is that if it be so that these are the only great and stated means which we have mentioned for the thus procuring Charity and removal of Contentions then who shall deny the use of them to the Chief Governour in any Society for the effecting these things shall it not be Lawful nay necessary for him as his Duty and as his Government is a Charge committed to him by God Lib. 1. cap. 1. §. 11. as well as upon the account of its being barely his right to hold it as was above first of all distinguish'd to propose and enjoyn such an Unity of Profession and Use of Publick Worship so farre forth as his affairs will permit and that for the promotion of Christian Charity in the true Christian Church or else of Common Charity amongst men if in a false Church of any other Religion Or else however to hold a restraint upon the irregular venting of Opinions to the breach of the Peace Who will deny it We conclude then that the faculty of doing these things is a Fundamental and a very principal part of the Magistrates Indirect Power in Spirituals and a Right belonging to him in every Ecclesiastical Uniformity and in the several particulars of it by the same General and Original Law of Nature which dictates the very being and welfare of Humane Society and upon which all Church Society is founded And as it thus belongs to him in his way Summo Jure where the Church is National so also to the principal Church Governour in his way also where the Church is secluded CHAP. IX Hence the way of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity viz. in outward Profession and Publick Worship hath been alwayes endeavoured and made use of by the Governours of all Societies in their different wayes and that from the dictates of the Lawes of Nature and Nations and the Divine Law approving of it and leading them to it I. THe Practices of men concerning their making use of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity derivative from their correspondent Principles II. The Application of the matters of Religion and of the External Unities which have been mention'd to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity III. Such an Uniformity Distinguish'd IV. It is convenient that there be also an Uniformity in Discipline and Ceremonies held in Churches V. The grounds and reasons of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity VI The two Grand instruments of it VII Divers have been the sorts of Ecclesiastical Uniformity in divers Societies VIII But still some kind or other of it hath been endeavour'd and made use of in all Societies and the Practises of those Societies and the Principles leading them to them assign'd IX The first of those Principles the light of Nature X. The second of those Principles the Divine Law XI The Practises of Societies also assign'd XII First from the Determinations of Councels held in the Christian Church XIII Secondly from the Civil and Ecclesiastical Lawes of Countries XIV Last of all where this Uniformity hath been but in part or in small measures the Governours of Societies still as Controversies have arisen have been forced to come to farther degrees of it The Practises of men concerning their making use of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity derivative from their correspondent principles The Application of the matters of Religion and of the external unities which have been mention'd to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity lib. 1. cap. 1. §. 1. Such an Uniformity Distinguish'd I. THus have been the speculative Principles concerning an Ecclesiastical Uniformity We come here principally to produce the suitable Practices of men and such as have been derivative from the correspondent Principles and immediatly and directly conversant about their making use of it in Societies II. An Uniformity then in the General having been above first of all defin'd to be an Unity of the external forme of things the matters of Religion in relation to which and under the notions of which as such such an Ecclesiastical Uniformity is to be held have been assign'd to be those of Doctrine and Worship and the external unities which such an Uniformity is to consist of have been assigned also to be those of Profession of assent in respect to Doctrines and of the use of Worship in respect to such worship And this is the more general application of these things to such an Uniformity III. An Uniformity then in Churches is either Positive or Negative The Positive is that which is so Denominated from its consisting in the positive Unities mentioned and therefore is most properly called an Uniformity in the subject matters of them and is productive of the positive and most proper sort of Peace and Charity mention'd accordingly The Negative is that which consists in mens not divulging of their Opinions to the breach of the Peace and the hurt of Religion or Government or their mutual Consistency and it is therefore called Negative and is the improper part of this Uniformity and is productive only of the negative and improper sort of Peace and Charity mention'd accordingly also It is convenient that there be also an Uniformity in Discipline and Ceremonies held in Churches IV. It is convenient that in the same National Church and Territories of Princes there be an Uniformity held also of Discipline the Archeus or keeper of all these things mentioned and Ceremonies the customary Adjuncts of the publick worship and both of which are many times so much contested under the notions of Doctrinals and Worship it self An one uniforme partaking of men in these things will if it be but by the influence of custome upon them further compleat and help to promote their charitative Communion And also the more secure the people from being led into Factions about them And that by it's rendering them a Subject not so easily capable of those factious impressions which have been mention'd and this Uniformity in these things is here laid down as an Appendix and Adjunct to the main and Principal Ecclesiastical Uniformity mention'd also V. The grounds and reasons then of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and those things The grounds and reasons of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity the procuring of which is the cause of Constituting it and which it aimes at as it's End and Effects have been already mention'd and treated of in their several places and that partly separately and partly applicatorily And those ends of it are the greatest that can possibly be aimed at in the Affairs of Humane Societies viz. more generally the preservation of the welfare of the Magistrates Charge above mention'd viz. Religion Lib. 1. cap. 5. §. 7. alibi and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government and more particularly the procuring of the Publick Peace and Charity and the removal of Contentions in order to these things VI. The two grand Instruments of
comes to the Magistrates Charge every way by revoltings And because that therefore those testimonials are intended as cautions and obligations de futuro the welfare of the Church and State for the future being intended as well as that at any time for the present And such future welfare of them depending also upon the future deportment of the Conformists in relation to the Uniformity as well as the present upon that for the present And if any of those conformable practises which we last mentioned make to the welfare of the Uniformity then much more that profession upon which they are grounded And then if the continuance of such practises be required much more of such profession Lastly to the not divulging mens Opinions to the publick hurt XVI In the fourth and last place the giving in the testimonials both sorts of them doth oblige also to the not divulging of mens Opinions to the hurt of the Publick Charge And that either of their different notions about any of the matters of the Uniformity or else of any of their Notions in case of absolute dissent from any of the matters of it And as to the last of these things men are to take great care for the reasons up and down in this Discourse severally mentioned that they do not either lightly dissent or else publish their dissentings CHAP. XIII Of mens Liberty of opining and exercising their judgement of discerning concerning the matters of the Canon and Liturgy and how far it extends And some cautions concerning such the exercise and spending of it I. THe liberty of opining apply'd to the matters of the Canon and Liturgy II. The matters of the Canon and Liturgy distinguished III. The due extent of mens liberty of opining in relation to them stated IV. Lastly some cautions concerning such their opining laid down V. First of all Negatively VI. Secondly Positively The liberty of opining applyed to the Canon and Liturgy Lib 2. Cap. 3. §. 3 4. alibi I. THe liberty of mens exercise of their judgment of discerning being more generally and in its due latitudes asserted above we come here to apply it more particularly to the matters of the Canon and Liturgy And that the Church and the Magistrate do concede it in those due latitudes in respect to them it is evident from hence because they do not in their proposing of them intend to violate either the Divine or Natural Law by their unjustly infringing of it The matters of the Canon and Liturgy distinguished II. The Doctrines then of the Canon are either stated or occasional And so are the Formes of Worship in the Liturgy or any additionals made to it either temporary or perpetual And both these in any National Church of any kind of Religion whatsoever considered either in the special or individual notion of it And the Doctrines and Forms of Worship stated and ordinary in any of these Cases are ordinarily more plain and necessary as hath been all along supposed The due extent of mens liberty of opining in relation to them stated Vid. Lib. 2. Cap. 3. §. 4. although perhaps the occasional may be the contrary III. The Querie then concerning the due extent of mens opining concerning the matters of the Canon and Liturgy in particular is here and from hence to be resolved after the same manner that it was above in the general and concerning other things And that is that to persons intelligent and who are sufficient both in respect to prudence as well as perspicacity to judge of such things God and Nature have allowed the liberty of the ordinary exercise of their judgment of discerning universally and according to the latitude of its adequate object and in relation to all the sorts either of Doctrines or Forms of worship mentioned in any National Church And that for many reasons relating both to the good of Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government But to the vulgar and persons insufficient actually and ordinarily not so And the reasons for this are evident viz. because that as the ordinary medling of such persons with matters purely speculative and opinionative as those terms are taken in their more ignoble sense is as to them impertinent so also is their actual medling with such matters of Religion less fundamental and doubtfully revealed generally and ordinarily of very ill consequence in many respects both to themselves and the publick charge of the Magistrate For it takes them off from looking after the fundamentals of Religion which must bring them to Heaven It influences their brains to an excess as mad-mens are with the too great nicity of notions It makes them a fit prepar'd matter for any Heresiark to work upon and lead away and the like both to the ruine of all substantial practise and sound Religion and of all Humane Society And for these and the like Reasons it is that the state of this case here laid down as it is asserted and countenanced by the Scriptures so also it hath been generally practised by the Governours in all Societies The Christian Scripture sayes Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the Faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations And concerning both St. Pauls Epistles and the other Scriptures That there are in them some things hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction And the Laws of Countries have proceeded in the like manner So his present Majesty of England in his late Letter to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury appointed him to see See the Kings Letter that the Ministers did preach in their Pulpits the most Christian Doctrines of Repentance and Faith and of Humility and Charity and Good works and the like omitting unnecessary Controversies according to the Scripture Doctrine 2 Tim. 2.23 See Chap. 31. Of Ecclesiastical exercises in the Congregation See p. 3. So also the very Corpus Disciplinae appoints the after-noons Sermons to be for the Exposition of the Catechisme in a plain and familiar stile And the Laws of Geneva prohibit any strange manner of handling the Scriptures in publick which may turn to offence Curiosity to search vain Questions and the like And the state of this question laid down after this manner by us is suitable to the distinction of definite and indefinite profession already mentioned And the Divines do give their several Reasons why notwithstanding things difficult as well as plain and things speculative and remote from the foundation as well as things practical and more necessary are laid down in the Scriptures Lastly some cautions concerning such their opining laid down IV. In the next place then we come to lay down some cautions concerning mens opining in relation either to the matters of the Canon and Liturgy or others And that first negatively and secondly positively First of all Negatively V. First of all
splendors of the Civil Magistrate 147. above all orders in the Church c. according to the Canonists 38 his stiles and ambition 64 65 Pope Paul the 5th his usual saying concerning Magistrates 65 Popular state when first erected 35 Powers Those belonging to the Civil and Ecclesiastical Government distinguished 122 the persons concern'd in them assign'd Ibid. Praefectus Vigilum his Office amongst the Romans 300 301 Prayer a form of it was approved of by Christ 197 Preaching why so great a latitude of it generally is left open in national Vniformities 207 208 and the case stated concerning it Ib. the Magistrates power of laying a restraint upon it 296 Prelacy from God 38 Prescript of the Christian Religion it hath been most vexed with contests 194 whether a traditional and more Ceremonial Prescript of Religion or else a written and more doctrinal one be least subject to popular contests 203 Printing none amongst the Turks 180 the Magistrates power of laying a restraint upon it 296 and the ill consequence of licentiousness in it Ibid. Prophaneness to be expelled out of humane Societies 88 the greater and lesser degrees of it Ibid. Profession national how far forth the Magistrate may compel men to unite in it stated 228 229. External Profession the onely thing in relation to which all external Vnity as to matters of Religion is to be held amongst men 162 It is the only great stated medium for the holding a charitative communion as to those matters then Ibid. The Magistrates Right as to the injoyning an unity of it in Societies 165 166 Profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity distinguished 274 mixture of it why tollerated where otherwise of divulging of opinions are not 293 294 Prophesie one of the primary divine Testimonials to Religion 18 its pretended testimony to the Heathens Religion 20 21 and to Mahomets prescript 22 and how it testified to the truth of the Christian Religion in a more peculiar manner 23 Prophets those of the Old Testament 18 Proselites the proverbial saying concerning them in Israel 170 Protestant Churches their Liturgies 198 Publick Worship the Vnity of the use of it the great secondary medium for the holding a charitative communion amongst men as to matters of Religion 163 The Magistrates Right of injoyning an Vnity of it in Societies 165 166 Punishments their peculiar necessity to the regiment of humane Societies 261 the doctrine of them in respect to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity laid down the several sorts of them distinguished 267 Q Quintus Sectorius his trick for his encouragement of his Souldiers 115 R Rabbinical Age when it began In proleg circa med Records of humane affairs the causes of the defects of them 29 30 31 Reformed Churches their derivation of the Magistrates power from God 55 56 c. Religion its consistency with Government intended by God and Nature 2 Religion defin'd Ibid. and distinguish'd 3 4 It s divine appointment evidenc'd 9 It s Divine Original 9 10 c. And the grounds in nature and consent of Nations about it 10 11 12 c. Two only sorts of Precepts of which it can consist 16 how the true prescript of it is to be known 16 17. It s Divine Original the sense of all Nations present in the world 27 its propagation by Arms warranted by Mahomets Law 50 the distinctions of it applyed to its consistency with Government 67 such its consistency proved 68 69 c. Its healthfulness to Government and Civil Society 85 86 87 c. the damnifying it a publick crime 87 its being used as a politick instrument by the heathen Romans 88 the false application of the immortal notion of it the cause of Religious contests 89 that it is the bond of all humane Society In Proleg in princip about what matters of it is both all peace and contention 160 161 Revolting from profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity the mischiefs of it to Churches 275 286. Rewards the peculiar necessity of them to the regiment of humane Societies 261 the doctrine concerning them in respect to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity Ibid. the distinction of them Ibid. the original intents of them 262 and their opposites Ibid. the Rules to be held concerning the dispensing them 263 264 c. the mischiefs of the neglect of observance of them 264 265 Right that of God to his obliging man by Precepts of of religion two-fold 9 10 whose right the preservation of the welfare of religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government is 73 74 75 c. Right the publick cement of all humane affairs In Proleg in princip Rights those relating directly to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity the Tripartite division of them 99 and those Rights distinguished Ibid. the primitive Rights of the people 100 the Rights of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity dispersed up and down in the Greek and Roman writers In Proleg circa princ the Rights of Government the distinction and proper extent of them from whence they flow 123 c. the Rights of the Church Governours and Ministers in every Christian Church 132 133 Right Reason the great commendation of it as the ultimate and universal interpretor of all Laws 257 258 Rising in Armes against Princes and particularly in defence of Religion and the matters of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity not justifiable 47 48 49 50 51 its opposition to the common good of Societies 59 60 61 c. The Scotch and English Presbytery their following the principles of the Church-men of Rome in it 65 it 's not being the Right of Ecclesiasticks for the support of their Church Society 133 Romans their Orders of Ecclesiasticks 124 Roman Civil Law the body of it the largest and most compleat body of such Laws now extant In Proleg ad fin the reception of it in the dominions of Princes Ibid. Roman State its most ancient Laws fetcht from Greece In Prolegom circa princip Roman Church its Liturgies 198 Its emission of the doctrine of Rising in Armes against Princes into Christendome 64 Romulus his Law concerning the Senates taking care of Religion 141 Russians their Priests and Bishops of no learning 180 Russe Church its Liturgy 198 S Sanhedrim what things chiefly it took cognizance of in Israel 141 Scipio Africanus his custome of deceiving the multitude 115 Scripture whether it as the Original Divine Canon of Doctrines be not sufficient for the attaining the ends of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 203 Sedition the Ring-leaders of it the persons ordinarily guilty of the faults of malice against the Magistrates publick charge in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 117 Senate of Rome their trick for their with-holding the people from Sedition 115 their refusing to enroll Christ amongst their Gods 141 Society the term explicated and applyed 5 by what several ways men came first into Societies 31 Sophi of Persia his dismissing his horse c. kept for Mahomet against his second Coming 24 Sorbon their threatning against the Pope 144 A Subject defin'd 100 Submission to the Ecclesiastical Laws
distinction of an Uniformity * The first and capital division also of all Affairs amongst men and the application of them to the general intent of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity D. de rerum divisione qualitat L. 1. Summa rerum divisio sayes Paulus the Civilian in duos Articulos diducitur nam aliae sunt Divini Juris aliae humani That the chief division of Affairs is derived into two parts for some of them are of Divine Right and the others of humane And the Divine Affairs are those which concern Religion The Humane those which concern Civil Government And God and Nature have appointed both these to Consist These three things then and the preservation of the wellfare of them viz. Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government are the general matter about which an Ecclesiastical Uniformity is conversant About the preservation of the welfare of Religion and it's consistency with Government primarily and directly and about the preservation of the wellfare of Government collaterally and by consequence And because in our following Discourse concerning this kind of Uniformity and the Rights belonging to it we shall have many things to say about these three more general matters which will be common to the whole therefore it is that they are here first of all to be unfolded accordingly and that for our clearer passage to the discussing and determination of other things founded upon them hereafter in their several Topicks and places properly belonging to them So then that which I shall do in the unfolding of them shall be 1. To define them severally 2. To distinguish them Religion defined III. Religion then is here first of all to be defined First of all because it is in our following Discourse the thing first in order which we treat of And to be defined viz. in the general notion of it Religion then is nothing else but the Law of God prescribed to men In respect to God the Law-giver and prescriber of it it is his Law and in respect to men the observers of it it is their Religion or Service and Worship So when the Book of God calls it on his part his Statutes his Word his Way Psal 119.48 105 37 c. and the like and when the Hebrews on man's part call it by the several names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reverence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith and the like all return in their several respects Etymol lib. 18. into the sense of the definition Religion sayes Isidore Dicta est ab eo quòd per eam uni soli Deo religamus animas nostras ad cultum divinum animo serviendi That Religion is called so from hence because by it we bind our souls to the one only God for the performance of Divine worship to him with a mind of serving him And Cicero sayes that it is it De Nat. Deor. Lib. 1. Per quam reverenti famulatu Ceremoniae divini Cultus exercentur By which with a reverend and servant-like deportment the Ceremonies of the Divine Worship are practised And St. Austine defines it to be De Civ Dei Lib. 26. Nihil aliud quà m cultus divinus Nothing else but the divine worship The application of the general notion of Religion to other things besides the worship of a Deity needs not here be mentioned And when the Latines use the term for any great care or respect that a man useth about any thing it is then used Metaphorically and abusively but then only properly and emphatically when it is applyed to the Divine Worship as we have mentioned So the old Roman Civilians ordinarily in their cases and the several texts of the Digests Religion towards God Pomponius calls the worship of some Deity De Justit jure L. Veluti Lib. 11. â—it 17. Lib 47. Tit. 13. c. which is common to all Nations And the several Titles De Religiosis sumptibus funerum de Sepulchro violato and the like will evidence the same thing IV. Religion then being thus defined The first distinction of Religion let us come to our distinguishing it according to the occasions of the body of our discourse hereafter And the first distinction of it is by disparates that it is to be considered either in the General or Special or individual In the General it is such as we have already mention'd the term being taken at large and not bounded by any special restrictions In the Special it is taken for this or that sort or kind of Religion and that whether it be more special as it lies at a farther distance or less as it lies at a lesser distance from the first general according to the rules of Logick Last of all in the Individual it is taken for this or that individual or particular part of the same sort of Religions as it is either exercised or professed by this or that part of the Professors of it And so is Rome one part and Verona or Florence another part of the same Roman Catholick in Italy and the like V. The second distinction of it is The Second distinction of it by the two opposite members of true and false and the effects of these in mens minds and actions are either natural or supernatural And this is most certainly true that any false Religion if it be but apprehended to be true will have per omnia the same natural effects in men together with that which is really true and as having such are any false and erronious sorts of Religion in the world considered by us when they are mentioned hereafter and applyed either separately or mixtly to things VI. The third distinction of Religion is that it is taken simply The Third or relatively simply when it is considered by it self and only in a simple and abstracted Notion and relatively when it is relating to other things And that Religion is to be considered in a relative notion by men very frequently for the guidance of their actions by it there needs no more said to evince it then that it is placed by God in the world together with other things which it may either commodate or incommodate according as it is apprehended of and used or practised by them in relation to those things Vicè cuncta reguntur Alternisque regunt Says Papinius That all things are Governed by vicissitudes of influences upon one another and he that considers not the respects of things in the world which they bear one towards another and acts accordingly will quickly by his actions bring all to Confusion VII In the fourth The Fourth place Religion is either National or not National and secluded National it is called by the usual application of the term when it is the Religion only publickly established by Authority in a Country and then the Church is said also to be incorporate into the State And not National is the contrary Of
faults in respect to it have been evident in all Churches and Religions How easie they have been to admit of any thing any the most absurd deceits and Impostures under the Sacred Notion of Worship and Divine precept So in the Ancient Heathen Religion and as the Scripture Records Testifie they worship'd Stocks and Stones i. e. not only Relatively but the vulgar those very things for Gods Horat. Serm. Lib. 1. Sat 8. Cum faber incertus Scamnum faceretne Priapum Maluit esse Deum When the workman uncertain whether he should make a Form or Priapus Would rather have it to be a God They held for Tenents all the other the most incongruous Precepts of their Religon and were easily led either by their Priests or others to the holding of them The like in the Religion of the Jewes at this day They have the Doctrines of their Religion deliver'd to them concerning the dayes of their Messiah That then they shall have a sumptuous Banquet provided for them viz. out of a Bull of the Mountains created and fatted for this very end which shall be able to eat up the Grass of a thousand Mountains in one day and every night it shall grow up again And out of the Fish Leviathan and the Bird Juckna one Egge of which is of that Bigness that if by chance it were cast out of the nest it were enough to beat down three hundred Cedars and to drown with it's liquor Sixty Villages The like Doctrine they have concerning other things And although Menasse Ben Israel and others their later more learned Rabbies De Resurectione lib. 11. cap. 19. interpret these things in a Parabolical and Spiritual sence yet the Common People in all Ages have made no Bones to swallow down the belief of the letter of them and to take it like the Mahometan's Paradise for their happiness in another World The like also in the Religion of the Turks Avierus lib. 2. cap. 12. Johan Leo lib. 3. cap. 12. Aphric Mahomet had but his Alcoran bound up in a handsome Volume and caused a Wild Ass to be taken and the book to be tyed about his neck and as he Preach'd upon a sudden fell into a Rapture as if something had been revealed to him from Heaven and so presently brake out and told the people That God had sent them a Written Law from Heaven and let them go to such a desert and they should find it tyed about an Asses neck and they presently received it And as for their Reward for the observation of his Law he delivered to them the low and homely Parable of the Ramm Bernard in Rosar part 1. Serm. 10. That at the end of the world he should be transform'd into the likeness of a mighty Ramm and all behung with Locks and long flieces of Wool and that they should be as Fleaes sheltering themselves in them and that he would give a leap into heaven and so convey them all thither And these things still as matters of Religion and Faith were so allowed well enough even in their gross and literal sence by the simple people Last of all the Christian Religion also is not free from the mixture of the like gross impostures in several parts of the World where it is professed He that will take a view of the wild practices of the late Anabaptists in Germany of the deceipts and fopperies of Rome of Muncer's laughing and crying out when he was pulled with red hot Pincers for deceiving the People that they would have it so of the weepings and Miracles of Images in the Romish Church of the Indulgences and Sales of Pardons up and down in the streets and market places of Spain and Italy and the like things will quickly acknowledg it And other Eastern Churches have the like in them also And finally abundance of these things are at this day experimented upon the simple people in other Religions also The Turkish and Persian Mahometans the several sorts of the Gentues or Gentiles dispersed up and down in all the Provinces of India both within and without Ganges the vast Kingdome of China the Isle of Japan and the like Eastern Countries ordinarily describ'd by Historians and Geographers are all of them great instances of these things Their Bramines or Priests teach them the Pythagorean Doctrine of Transmigration of Souls and they nourish Apes and Monkies to receive them at their Death They teach the women to be voluntarily burnt or buried alive at the Funerals of their Husbands and they also being so taught contend earnestly amongst themselves which of them shall take that cruel lot and so are zealous Suicides And the like other things are recited concerning them and their Customes also heretofore Vid. Polyhist Cap. 65. De Indiâ by Julius Solinus and others And any the like Doctrines which their Priests deliver to them are as easily digested by the simple vulgar So that thus it is with the vulgar as to the first part of the Magistrates Charge they being weak and fit to be lead And this is yet further observable concerning them that they are so alwayes rul'd by Shewes and Customes That when any where there happens a Change of Religion and be the change of it in it self never so absur'd and never so much oppos'd by them at it's first setting up yet if it be but accompanied with fair shewes and good pretences Custome sometimes in a very little time but alwayes ordinarily in one Age will make any Religion currant with them 2. The like Errors they are apt to run and be led into also in respect to Government either Ecclesiastical or Civil either of themselves or by these Pretences and Custome The Greek and Roman Histories in the several mutations and hazards of their Governments are full of examples in this kind And the People still have been drawn either to obedience by their Governours or to Rebellion by the Leaders of Factions by these things And the pretences of Reformation and liberty of Conscience and Christian liberty as to matters of Religion and of liberty of the Subject in matters Civil have been the common Lures of all Innovators by which they have drawn them to them in all Ages and Societies So in the Sacred Records and under the Government of Israel the people oftentimes ran themselves into Murmurings Tumults and the like Vid. Exod. 14.10 11. Exod. 16.2 3. Exod. 17.2 3. Exod. 32.1 4. Numb 14.1 2 3 4.5 6 c. Num 16 1 2 3. 1 Sam. 15.1 2 3.4 5 6. In Clio. against Moses and Aaron their Church and State Governours And although the Politicians use to say That a multitude without some one to lead them is not to be esteemed of yet when they are either in such actual madness or in a disposition to it it is seldome that there wants some head or other to lead them So also the company of Corah were led away by him under Pretence of Religion and
of these Notions either of Doctrine or Worship as is said And as there is nothing in the whole being of things which will more divide men then Contentions about these things as hath been several times already hinted so there is nothing which will more closely cement and unite them then a Charitative Communion about these things also Experience hath alwayes testified it IV. Doctrines then in matters of Religion are either Written The State of the case concerning the holding that Charitative Communion in relation to them or unwritten and Traditional And such a Charitative communion may be held in respect to either of them But because writing is and alwayes hath been the more ordinary way of the Conservation of Things and Records amongst men and therefore the written sort of these Doctrines are more ordinarily found in all Churches and Humane Societies for this reason it is that we here intend the Peace and Charity mention'd to be held principally concerning them Worship also is either Publick or Private And because men are suppos'd to be reserved and more separate in their private Divine Worship or else such Worship will not bear the Notion of Private Therefore it is that such mutual Peace and Charity is here intended to be held concerning the Publick Divine Worship also and that whether more or less principally according as it is more or less Publick and may from the more or less common use of it be so stiled V. It was said above That Unity was the mother of all Charity The Unity necessary to the holding of it Describ'd Lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 11. Ibid. That Unity Distinguish'd The Internal Unity Defin'd and applied to the holding of that Charitative communion Nothing internal can be a medium for such a Charitative Communion amongst men And so consequently it is to be supposed here That there must be some kind of unity as to these matters of Religion for the holding of this Peace and Charity mention'd amongst men And what this kind of unity was we said we should here describe also VI. All the possible unity then that is to be held in matters of Religion amongst men is either Internal or External VII The Internal unity is that which is held in respect to Inward Acts of the mind and those of them that are here primarily concern'd and as respecting Doctrines and Worship in matters of Religion as their object are either Assent or Dissent or the middle thing doubting about them VIII Nothing Internal can possibly be of it self and immediately a medium or means for the procuring a Charitative Communion amongst men in any matters whatsoever And so then not in matters of Religion And that because inward Acts of themselves come not under the cognizance of men they not affecting their senses and so cannot affect them Acts 15.8 and 1.24 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God is the searcher of hearts and the like sayes the Christian Scripture And therefore Cogitationis paenam mereri neminem That no man deserves punishment for thoughts is the voyce not only of the Roman Civil Law D. De Reg. jur Reg. 195. but of all Humane Lawes whatsoever And Expressa nocent non expressa non nocent sayes Modestinus That things outwardly expressed hurt but that things not outwardly expressed do not hurt A real Union and Communion there may be it is true in such inward things But that cannot become charitative and promotive of Peace amongst men any farther then it is outwardly signified Besides we enquire here concerning a stated and ordinary Medium for the procuring of such a Charitative Communion amongst them The external Unity Describ'd and distinguished diversly IX So then all external unity that is possible to be held by men in the matters of Religion mention'd is in Relation to external Profession and that as it respects such matters under the abovesaid Notions either of Doctrines or Worship And both of them as they are matters either of Belief or Practice And in relation to all these as such external profession includes and supposeth ordinarily and is so taken to suppose either the Inward Acts of the mind as the Causes of it and in order to it or else the outward Acts of the Body as the effects of it and consequent upon it The Inward Acts of the mind viz. Primarily Assent Dissent or Doubting i. e. those above mentioned of the Intellectual or Prime Faculty of the Soul concern'd as leading the Front in men in these and all other things And secondarily consent and the like Acts of the Will and the Affections consequent upon them and the outward Acts of the Body in relation to Doctrines or Practice in relation to Worship the use of it and the like The more general assignation of it as the great ordinary and stated medium for the holding such a Charitative Communion X. And this unity of External Profession now is it which thus generally respects all these things and also incurres into the Senses and therefore comes under Humane Cognizance and also is possibly and ordinarily to be held in the matters mention'd amongst men and also is operative in them of mutual affection and therefore for all these reasons is fit and assign'd by us here as such to be an ordinary stated Medium for the procuring such a Charitative Communion as hath been mention'd in any Society The more particular assignation of it as such also XI And because some Religion or other is suppos'd to have a being and to be approv'd of and assented to alwayes in all Humane Societies And because the medium here to be mentioned ought of its self and in it's own Nature to tend totally and evidently to the Peace and Charity which it is assign'd as a medium of therefore amongst all the sorts of External Profession mention'd in respect to the Inward Acts of mind it is Profession of Assent only either to matters of Doctrine or Worship either Practical or Speculative which is here primarily to be look'd upon as such a stated medium for the Communion mentioned and the outward practice of Doctrines or use of Worship are to be look'd upon as Testimonial to it XII Yet because publick Worship is the most solemn way The great secondary medium for the holding of such charitative Communion assign'd also next to this General and Universal Profession of mens external concurrence in matters of Religion and because the Sabboths and other times of such Publick Worship both Stated and Occasional recurre so frequently as they do and ever have done in all Religions and also because the use of such Publick Worship and men conjunct partaking in it are at the times of it the things they are immediatly and most sensibly concern'd in and so they are for the present the most sensibly affected by them and afterwards also proportionably by their subsequent influence on them And for all these Reasons they are very prevalent to work Unity
their People And that because their own judgement of discerning conversant in their own Affairs is their only ordinary and possible directrix for their proceeding in this matter as well as in any others And all lawful Governours in the ranking their Notions concerning the frame and body of Humane Affairs are supposed either by themselves or Assistance to be sufficient for the discharge of their Trust IV. There are certain more particular Rights and Powers which belong to these Governours of Humane Societies Certain more particular Rights belonging to them in this matter In the interim obedience is due to them from private persons for the retaining of this their more general Right in this matter But these will be asserted hereafter in the places proper to them V. In the interim when by the imployment of this Care these Governours have thus once established this their Uniformity in their several Societies private Persons are not to intermeddle in their Province and to the detriment of their Affairs any wayes But it is left to them either to obey actively or else not to disobey but to acquiesce passively And that also only where there may perhaps be just reason as to them for their non-performance of their active obedience and in no other case whatsoever And these are the voyces of all Lawes and wise men in this matter D. De legibus Senatus consult L. 6. Legis virtus haec est imperare vetare permittere punere sayes Modestinus the Civilian That this is the force of a Law to command to forbid to permit to punish And ideo de iis quae primo constituuntur aut interpretatione aut constitutione optimi Principis certius statuendum est sayes Julianus Ibid. L. Et ideo That therefore in those things which are first of all constituted we must determine more certainly either by the interpretation or constitution of the most excellent Prince Et L. Non omnium And non omnium quae a majoribus constituta sunt ratio reddi potest That there cannot be a reason given of all things which are constituted by our Ancestors And Et ideo rationes eorum quae constituuntur inquiri non oportet alioqui multa ex iis quae certa sunt subverterenter That therefore the reason of those things which are constituted ought not to be asked for otherwise many of those things which are certain would be subverted Ibid. L. ideo Rationes sayes Neratius And Tacitus principi summum rerum judicium Dii dederunt subditis obsequii gloria relicta est Annal. 3. That the Gods have conceded the Supreme Judgement of Affairs to the Prince and the glory of obedience is left to the Subject And Gellius Media igitur Sententia optima atque tutissima visa est quaedam esse parendum quaedam non obsequendum That the middle sort of advice seems to be best and most safe that as to some things we ought to obey and as to others only not to be so pliant to Obedience And it is the outcry of Medea in Euripides In Medea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paulo post princip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou great Themis and venerable Diana Ye see what I suffer Who with great Oaths Ibid. paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have bound my accursed Husband And afterwards Oportet autem Hospitem valde se accommodare Civitati Neque laudo Civem qui contumax existens Molestus est civibus propter imperitiam ac insolentiam But it behoves a stranger very much to accommodate himself to the City Neither do I commend a Citizen who being obstinate Is troublesome to the Citizens because of his Ignorance and Insolence And last of all certain liberties belonging to those private persons also in relation to their performance of that Obedience VI. Last of all then there are also certain derivative Latitudes and Liberties which belong to these private Persons in relation to their performance of obedience to these establishments of Princes and which are their derivative Rights in this matter But these also shall be more particularly asserted and unfolded hereafter in the places proper to them DE Jure Vniformitatis Ecclesiasticae OR OF THE RIGHTS Belonging to an UNIFORMITY in CHURCHES BOOK III. CHAP. I. Of the two Grand Instruments of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity viz. A Canon of Doctrines and a Liturgy framed according to it I. THe Prescript of the Christian Religion hath been most vexed by Contests And the greater necessity of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and of this work deduced from it II. A Canon of Doctrines defined and distinguished III. The state of the Case concerning its being the Primary and Principal of the two Grand Instruments in an Uniformity IV. A Liturgy defined and distinguished also V. It is convenient that where a Liturgy is used there be as few other sorts of Publick Services permitted to accompany it as may be VI. The Liturgy also ought to be conformed to the Canon of Doctrines VII The Heathen Jewish and Apostolical Liturgies contested VIII The present Liturgies that are abroad in the world IX The History of the English Uniformity and of its Canon of Doctrine and Liturgy X. Some appendant Questions concerning a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy resolved XI The First Question XII The Second XIII The Third XIV The Fourth XV. The Fifth XVI The Sixth XVII The seventh and last The prescript of the Christian Religion hath been most vexed by contests And the greater necessity of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and of this work deduced from it I. THe Prescript of the Christian Religion is the best of any that ever hath been in the World i. e. the most consisting of Doctrines and explicatory of the particular Precepts of the Law of Nature and consequently the most perfectly directive of men in their way to Heaven and as members of Humane Society And yet through the weaknesses and corruptions of men there hath none been the subject of more contentions Men having wire-drawn the doctrinal Texts of it and every Sect and Heresie having suted them to their own turns and all having applyed that and the like Texts of the Apostle to their times and in respect to their Opinions and the opposers of them that there must also be heresies amongst you 1 Cor. 11.19 that they which are approved may be made manifest among you Which things shew the greater necessity of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity in the Christian Church and of this work for the explicating and unfolding of it and the rights belonging to it I come then here in this third and last Book to treat more particularly of that Uniformity and that in a special manner of the two grand instruments of it viz. a Canon of Doctrines and a Liturgy framed according to it A Canon of Doctrines defined and distinguished II. And first of all
that which is meant here by a Canon of Doctrines is a Rule or Standard of Doctrines exhibited and propounded for profession of assent to be made to in any Church And such a Canon is either written or else unwritten and traditional And the written is either Systematical and collected unto one body of Doctrines The state of the case concerning its being the primary and principal of the two grand instruments in an Uniformity Lib. 2. Cap. 7. §. 4. or else diffused and dispersed amongst other things And either of these may be either Humane or Divine The Humane is that which is exhibited and propounded as such by Humane Authority the Divine by Divine Authority III. This Canon of Doctrine is the primary and principal of these two grand Instruments of an Uniformity And in our stating of it so we mean it also principally and ordinarily of a written Systematical and Humane Canon and not of the contrary And that because the traditional sort of Doctrines are less ordinarily found in Churches as hath been heretofore mentioned and also because the Systematical Humane Canon is the only Natural way for the procuring positive Peace and Charity in matters contested as hath been hinted also and shall hereafter be more expresly asserted It is true that it were better that their serving one and the same God or any the like fundamental single Doctrine if it might be and although not with the allowance of salvation perhaps to one another from him were a foundation for a medium of charitative communion betwixt Turk and Jew inhabiting in the same Neighbour-hood of Amsterdam or any the like part of a Society then that all Peace and Charity in matters of Religion should be utterly broken But where there is a National Church and where the Governour would procure any sort of positive Charity either Christian or common and any tolerable degree and measure of it amongst his People he must come to a more large and Systematical Canon of Doctrines IV. We come then to define also what we mean by a Liturgy A Liturgy defined and distinguished also the second of these main instruments in this Uniformity And by the use and customary application of the word in this Case That which is vulgarly meant by it also is more generally any publick form of Divine Service and more specially and particularly such a publick form of Prayer to be used in Divine Service and at the several occasions of it And so that which prescribes the matter only of the Publick Divine Service is called a Directory and that which prescribes the Form also a Liturgy and that which is bounded by the prescription of neither is purely an extemporary service V. It is convenient It is convenient that where a Liturgy is used there be as few other sorts of publick Services permitted to accompany it as may be that where there is a stated Liturgy made use of in any Church there be as few other sorts of Services either extemporary or directive permitted as may be And that not only because those other sorts of Services accompanying it should not come into competition with the Authorized Liturgy in the wild esteem of the people but also for many other Reasons which might be mentioned And this is to be construed more principally of services of the same kind and less principally also of Services of divers kinds The Church of England in this case hath contented her self ad minimum See the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical with the prescription of a Directory in the particular of Publick Prayer before the Sermon and with advice that it should be performed as briefly as conveniently may be And the like have been the constitutions in other Churches VI. The Liturgy also in any Church ought to be composed and framed according to the mind and tenour of the Canon of Doctrines And that because it is one Office of such a Liturgy The Liturgy also ought to be conformed to the Canon of Doctrines in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity to exhibit to the people the doctrine taught in any National Church and by its so doing to instruct them from their ordinary use of it in those Doctrines of the Christian Religion The Heathen Jewish and Apostolical Liturgies contested VII Amongst the several instruments of the Uniformities that have been heretofore in the world the Liturgies of all the three first Celebrated professions of Religion have been more especially contested And that the Heathen Liturgies in their circumstantials but the Jewish and Apostolical Liturgies of the Christian Church in the substance and very being of them As to the Heathen Liturgies it hath been alledged that they ought not to be accounted of as exemplary to Christians But the allegation hath err'd in sensu composito for although it be true that they ought not to be accounted of as such Quatenus Heathen Liturgies yet it doth not follow but that however and the light of Nature upon the grounds heretofore mentioned warranting it they ought to be accounted of as such Quatenus Liturgies But the Jewish and Apostolical Liturgies have born the principal brunt of the contest As to the Jewish State the occasions of it were two-fold either Eternal or Temporary The Eternal were in relation to its defence against Heathenism and the Nations of that Profession round about it The temporary in this case were in relation to Domestick Schismes and the mischiefs accruing to the publick from them And the constitutions in it concerning both these were either Divine or Humane As to its Eternal occasions and the serving of them I look upon the first Table of Moses as evidently directing to a Canon of Doctrines And as to its temporary occasions and the serving of them I look upon the Scriptural Temple-Service and the like prescript forms of Ceremonials in any of their times as standing in one part of the place of a Liturgy And these were the apparent Divine Constitutions concerning these matters But if it be enquired farther and more particularly either what were the Divine or Humane Constitutions either concerning the temporary or eternal occasions of Israel either as to its Temple or Synagogue Service in most things it is very hard certainly to determine That God approved of a form of Prayer as lawful in Israel it is evident from the customary Prayer of Moses Num. 10.35 36. at the setting forward and resting of the Ark and from many other particulars which might be mentioned And that there were forms of singing and of other Services used both in the Temple and in the Synagogues it is evident both from the ordinary use of Davids Psalmes and of the Hymnes of Asaph the Seer as such see 2 Chron. 29.30 and from the stated Sections and Lectures of the Law noted in the Hebrew Text and appointed to be read in the Synagogues by course upon every Sabbath throughout the year and from other particulars also which might be mention'd And but that
And in the mean time he that will weigh the temper and manner of exercise of the Government in any Church let him remember also to do it according to the just Laws and Rules of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity The last Rule to be observed in the composition of this the Canon and Liturgy IX These things then being said we come to the last Rule to be observ'd in the composition of the Canon and Liturgy which have been all along hitherto mention'd And that is That the Magistrate have the last act of supervising them and passing them viz. by his Legislative power or under his Great Seal or the like And this both from his general right to the framing his Uniformity in the positive part of it and also from his right of restraint upon opinions which is consequent upon it and hath been heretofore mentioned And this also in order to the preservation of the welfare both of Religion and Government Lib. 2. Cap. 7. §. 15. alibi and the consistency of Religion with Government of each of them in their several respects and so far forth as either absolute or relative welfare may be concern'd in this business of the Canon and Liturgy and when they shall be supposed to be extant And this hath been pointed at as an act of Authority in the Magistrate heretofore Lib. 3. Cap. 3. §. 15. but it is meant here principally as an act of caution not but that any other Doctrines which are not particularly and expresly mentioned in the Canon so long only as they be according to the tenour of it may be ordinarily taught to the people but only the principal points of caution are both positively that the Doctrines expressed in the Canon should be true and also negatively that none aliene from them or contradictory to them should be so taught to the people And the like also are the respects that this cautionary act hath to the Liturgy not that it absolutely and universally excludes the use of any other forms or ways of worship then what are set down expresly in the stated body and volumne of the Liturgy only so they be according to the intent and tenour of them but onely that it intends positively to see that those set down in the Liturgy be lawful and negatively that none any ways detracting from them or utterly contradictory to them be used in publick And this then being the last act of the Magistrate in the framing his Uniformity it presupposeth all former acts requisite in order to it and supposeth comprehensively its passing thus upon all the matters of the Uniformity mentioned And this not only for the several reasons which have been more particularly and topically mentioned heretofore but also because there being many in all Societies and such as ever will be whose both opinions and practises in Religion will be always brute and led only by custome better it were that both their doctrines and worship should be thus provided for them and secured as far forth as humane condition in this world will permit then that they should be otherwise left open to the seduction of Hereticks and the wild and pernicious ways of the several sorts of deceivers And as to others who are led by reason there is still room for the exercise of their judgment of discerning in relation to all these things in the mean time CHAP. VI. What are the Vses that are to be made of the Canon and Liturgy by the Members of any National Church I. THe Church and Magistrates Aimes in the Canon and Liturgy downwards described II. The manner in which the People are to make use of them III. The first particular kind of use to be made of them IV. The Second V. The Third VI. The Fourth VII The Fifth and Last VIII The Corollary subjoyn'd to these things The Church and Magistrates aims in the Canon Liturgy downwards described I. THe Canon and Liturgy are now in this period of our Discourse supposed to be extant And as we have formerly described the Church and Magistrates aimes in them upwards and in a more direct relation to the preserving the welfare of the Supream Publick Charge so here we come to describe also their aimes in them downwards and as to the peoples making use of them in a more direct relation to their Uniformity of profession and use of publick worship which were said above to be the two great mediums for charitative communion Lib. 2. Cap. 7. §. 10 11 12. alibi supra infra in order to the preserving the welfare of that publick charge And both these sorts of intents of Publick Authority in the Canon and Liturgy both upwards and downwards are to be carefully heeded and so far forth as they belong any ways to them by the members of any National Church The manner in which the people are to make use of them II. This then being the more general matter of the Church and Magistrates ends in their Canon and Liturgy downwards the manner in which the people are intended to make use of them is according to their several Offices which they bear in their order of office in which they stand in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity And that is in things Common to them both of the Canon Primarily and of the Liturgy secondarily and in things distinctly belonging to either of either in its own proper and distinct way in relation to those things III. And the first particular kind of use which is thus intended to be made of them is The first particular kind of use to be made of them in the two fundamental offices distinctly belonging to either And those are as the one is intended precisely to be a Rule of Worship and the other in like manner a Rule of Doctrines And so the uses to be made of them also are That the one should serve for the performance and exercise of worship towards God and the other for the practise of Vniformity of profession to be given to it in like manner IV. The Second Vse to be made of them is The Second in a matter common to them both And that is for mens interpretation of all doubtful Phrases in other Writings set forth by Authority viz. Homilies disciplinary Canons and the like And so the Canon is to be made use of Primarily and for the interpretation of such Phrases even in the Liturgy it self and the Liturgy secondarily and so far forth as it is composed according to it And the Rules to be held in this interpretation of Phrases is this That men are to interpret the Phrases in other publick Writings relating to the Canon and Liturgy and if doubtful in an wholsome sence by them and in like manner also to refer the Canon and Liturgy themselves if doubtful in the like wholsome sence to Scripture And the other Writings are thus to be referred to the Canon and Liturgy in any National Church because those two
absolve presently and in a very few words And the like distinctions of Doctrines which are in the more derivative writings of the Church will be sufficiently imply'd in this our description of those two sorts only here The Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy assign'd in the general III. More generally then The whole Canon is the declared Doctrine of the Church That being the designed Office of it in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity as is said Systematically to comprehend such the professed Doctrines of any Church And so The whole substance of Doctrines also in the Liturgy are the declared Doctrines of any such Church in their way also The more particular distinction of them IV. More particularly the Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy may be distinguished into divers sorts either such as concern Religion or Government either in the Church or in the state and that as they are in relation to all these either fundamental or not fundamental And the fundamental either as they are primarily or secondarily so But it is not these Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy as they concern either Religion or Government or both in the consistency of each with other that we are to consider of here But we are to consider of the Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy as such only and so formally as being set forth by the Church in them And so also in relation to the profession of assent that is to be given to them as such also by the members of any National Church And those Doctrines then are to be distinguished from the phrase and terms and the like in which they are set down and expressed in the Canon and Liturgy For Verba sunt nihil aliud quam notae rerum declarantes animi voluntatisque passiones says Cicero That words are nothing else but notes of things declaring the passions of the mind and will And Plato in his Definitions Dictio vox hominis quae scribi potest Post Med. signum quoddam commune rem declarans That a word is the voice of a man which may be written and a certain common signe Lipsius in Prefat ad Politic. declaring the thing And Vt Phrygiones e varii coloris filo unum aliquod aulaeum formant sic scriptores e mille aliquot particulis cohaerens opus As Broiderers do form some one piece of Tapestry out of a thread of divers colours so Writers do form also one cohering work out of some thousand particles and small portions of things And the distinctions then of the Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy as set forth by Authority Are The first sort of them V. In the first place The Doctrines expressed in plain and particular terms are the Doctrines of the Church in the particular and literal sense of those terms VI. And so in like manner The Second The Doctrines expressed in dubious and general terms are the Doctrines of the Church also in the dubious and general sense of those terms Neither is it to be wondered at that it is asserted here that they are so since it is supposed that both the Canon and Liturgy are regulated by the original Divine Canon of Scripture as was above mentioned that they ought to be and that God hath then revealed those Doctrines no further Lib. 3. Cap. 5. §. 4. Vid. nor in no other terms in Scripture VII And last of all Vnder whatsoever distinctions or sorts of phrases or terms or the like The conclusive Rule to be ob erv'd concerning the distinguishing of those Doctrines the doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy are set down under the very same still are they the Doctrines of the Church and they are so to be taken to be declared to be Just as the Scripture it self delivers the declared will of God sometimes in general sometimes in particular sometimes in literal sometimes in figurative terms and expressions and yet still all is the declared will of God in Scripture according to those several capacities of it Sic loquitur Scriptura sayes St. Augustine ut altitudine superbos irrideat profunditate attentos terreat virtute magnos pascat Lib. 2. in Gen. C. 19. affabilitate parvulos nutriat That the Scripture so speaks that it may contemn the proud by its sublimity affright the attentive by its profundity feed the strong by its vertue nourish the weak by its affability And again Ad dignitatem Scripturae pertinet De vera Relig. ut sub una litera multos sensus contineat ut sic diversis intellectibus hominum conveniens unusquisque miretur se in Divina Scriptura posse in venire veritatem quam mente conceperit ac facilius per hoc contra infideles defenditur dum si aliquid quod quisque ex Sacra Scriptura velit intelligere falsum apparuerit ad alium sensum recursum possit habere That It belongs to the dignity of Scripture that under one and the same form of words it should contain many senses that so it being agreeable to the divers understandings of men every one may wonder that he can find that truth in the Divine Scripture which he shall conceive in his mind And by this also it is defended the more easily against infidels whiles that if any thing appear false which every one would understand out of the Holy Scripture there may be recourse had to another sense VIII We come then to put a period to this matter by subjoyning two conclusive propositions to the two main sorts of things beforementioned in this Chapter Two conclusive propositions subjoyned to the main matters of this Chapter The first of them And those are the more general distinctions of the Doctrines of the Church and the more particular distinctions of the Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy IX The first of these in relation to the first of these sorts of things then is That those distinctions of the doctrines of the Church here above delivered are accordingly to be made for the salving the several sorts and degrees of Powers and Authorities which are ordinarily found in all Churches in this matter and the determination of it The Second X. The second is in like manner in relation to the more particular distinctions of the Doctrines of the Canon and Liturgy And that is also That according to the several sorts and distinctions of them so is the profession of assent to be made by the members of any National Church pro cujuslibet captu ratione intellectus According to every ones capacity and manner of understanding to be adapted to them also And this is that which is intended by the Church in their so setting down of those Doctrines as hath been mentioned and this is all that is intended or required by them just as mens devotions in the case of the Liturgy as such and in their publick use of it is to be adapted to the several sorts of the parts of the Offices of it CHAP.
kind of the perpetual Church-officers and also by their appointing the Magistrates to chuse two of the Council to joyne with the two of the Congregation chosen by the Ministers in the ordinary Act of Visitation or supervising of affairs But those who thus mix the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers do practise against the Generality of Presidents of all former Churches and Ages and do so far forth as they thus mix their affairs do that which tends to the confounding of the distinct Societies of Church and State in the World The Ordinary Church-Office of a Bishop or Ecclesiastical Superintendent or Supervisor of affairs with the reference of things sometimes to a Synod hath been ever under Divers Modes and Polities and generally in all kinds of Churches whatsoever made use of and asserted and even in the Mahometan Church at this day they have their Cadii or Ordinary Bishops Vid. Leunclav Pandect Hist Turc cap. Gradus Legis c. Et in Supplement Annal. C. 1576. their Hoggiae or Prebyters and their Talis-mani or Deacons and the like have been also in other Ages and Churches not but that the welfare of the people which is the things certainly meant in the constitution of Lay-Elders and of the Common Society ought alwayes to be provided for and taken a care of in this matter of Church-Government as well as others but that is accordingly secur'd in this particular by the Liberty of Appeals to the Prince who is the supream Supervisor ore all and the powers attributed to the Lay-Elders are in the mean time misplaced in them And if the Consistency of the Ecclesiastical estate with the Civil be alleadged it is also supposed to be provided for by the supervision of the Chief Magistrate The matters to be supervis'd by these Supervisors VII The matters then to be supervis'd in every Ecclesiastical Uniformity are either Ordinary or Extraordinary The Ordinary do use to be comprehended within the Disciplinary constitutions or Canons of any National Church the extraordinary are according to the emergent and temporary Occasions of it and there are some of each of these which are of more moment and some of less in respect to the welfare of the Supreme Publick Charge The care to be taken in the supervising of them VIII And as to that great care also which ought alwayes to be taken about the Supervising of these matters the State both of Persons and Things ought to be taken cognizance of by the Supervisors in their several places Their Eye ought alwayes to be wakeful like that of the Dragon watching over the golden Apples of the Hesperides And last of all the first breakin gs out of any Fire of Contentions or of any other misdemeanours in the Church whatsoever ought to be timely stopped as the breakings out of Fire in the City were to be stopped by the Praefectus Vigilum amongst the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behoves not a consultor of the Publick Good to sleep all night And Sciendum est autem Praefectum Vigilum per totam noctem vigilare debere D. De offiâ—io Praefecti vigilum L. 3. ¶ Sciendum est oberrare calceatum cum Hamis Dolabris c. sayes Paulus in the Civil Law That it behov'd the Praefectus Vigilum to watch all night and to walk on foot every where about the City with Hooks and Axes c. And Philosophus igitur iracundus volax robustus natura erit qui civitatis Custos optimus est futurus said Plato That he who is a seeker after knowledg and angry upon occasion and active stout by Nature De Rep. Dial. 2. prope fin is likely to be the best keeper of a City IX In order to these ends then and for the due application of their several powers accordingly the Supreme Ecclesiastical Supervisors ought to have the dispensing of Church Censures The Ecclesiastical Tribunals for the exercise of that Care and their Ordinary Tribunals and Consistories or Courts Ecclesiastical at which Causes may be heard and matters according to Truth and Piety may be determined The Sacrum Consistorium is many times mention'd in the Code and Novels of Justinian Vid. C. De Jure jurando propter Calumniam dando Principales personae ¶ Sed si Et alibi And the stated Circuits for Visitation And there are all the same reasons in nature for it in this matter which there are for all other Courts of Judicature in others X. The Ordinary Ecclesiastical Supervisors ought also to have their stated Circuits or Journeyes or Visitation And those whether Deputative or Personal whether more or less frequent according to the several Occasions and Constitutions of Countries And he that Travels in those Circuits is called Visitator aut Circuitor and the like in the Code of Justinian and those Circuits are in like manner common also to all National Churches XI Last of all then De Episcop Cler. L. Omnem adhibentes ¶ 9. Et alibi The last Appeals ought alwayes to be made to the chief Magistrate and in relation to all these matters which have been mentioned The cheif Magistrate in every National Church ought alwayes to retain the Right of receiving the last Appeals concerning them And in this there will be this Right nenessary for his Government done to him and Sanctuary also provided for his people And the Court of Rome then in this matter unjustly demands Appeals to be made out of the Dominions of Princes CHAP. XVI Of the Supreme Interpreter in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity I OF how great moment the Office of Supreme Interpretor is II. The Authentick Interpretors in any National Church distinguish'd And the Supreme Assigned III. The Right of the Supreme in respect to his Interpretorship asserted IV. The Opposers of it Taxed V. The Principal Assistances in respect to the Actual exercise of it assigned also VI. The Conclusion of the Whole Of how great moment the Office of Supreme Interpreter is I. HAving discoursed over all these preceeding matters relating one way or other to an Vniformity in Churches and the Constituting and rightly ordering of it I come here last of all to State the Office of Supreme Interpreter and to whom it doth belong Which Office and the discharge of it of how great moment it is in respect of all Humane Societies and the members of them it may be more then conjectured from hence viz. from such the Supreme Interpreter his becoming the Judge of Controversies and having it in his hands at any time to fix what Doctrines of Religion he pleaseth in any National Church which he that shall have the Faculty and Power of doing what influence may he not have both upon all Divine and Humane affairs and whether they relate either to Religion or Government or the consistency of each with either The Authentick Interpreters in any National Church Distinguish'd and the Supreme Assign'd II. The Authentick and Publick lawful
being invaded 119 Charity distinguished 94. The benefits of it to Societies 94 95 96 c. And to the publick charge of the Magistrate Ib. To Religion 95 To Government 96. and to the consistency of Religion with Government 97. and how much it is commanded in Scripture 97 98. Charity and Peace in matters of Religion the means for the procuring the benefits of them in Societies assigned 160 Chief Priest amongst the Jews his sitting in the great Synedrion 128 129 Mr. Chillingworth his saying concerning the uncertainty of many matters in Religion 151 Mr. Chillingworth taxed 285 His saying concerning the appointment of an Infallible Judge of controversies 307 Christian Religion its positive and eminent consistency with Government 70 It is never subversive of the present lawful Government 70 71 Christian Church the Records of it defective 197. The Christian Church and civil state are in themselves distinct Societies 122 And God hath appointed them to be in a capacity of subsisting apart in the World 123 The Christian Church the distinct Ecclesiastical Orders in it 125 Church-men may intermix in the administration of Civil Affairs 126 127 128 c. Church-Government The Magistrates Right of establishing it in every National Church 240 c. The case concerning it in England 240 241 Circuits for visitation in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 301 Civillians Their complaints concerning the extinction of the Old Roman Doctors In Proleg post med Common Good The great end of all Laws and Government amongst men 58 59 Common People the one sort of persons ordinarily guilty of the faults committed against the publick charge of the Magistrate 111 Their particular faults instanc'd in Ib. In respect to Religion 111 112. And Government 114 and the consistency of Religion with Government 116 The frequency of their commission of those faults Ibid. Common-Weals the two famous ones of Greece In Proleg post med Communions in matters of Religion how far forth a mixture of them may consist with the welfare of Societies 164 Communication of Church Censures for money how far forth lawful 269 Composition of a Canon and Liturgy the rules to be observ'd in it 231 232 233 234 335 c. Consent given to Government the distinctions of it 36 37 Consistency of Religion and Government with each other intended by God and Nature 2. The consistency of Religion with Government defined 6 And distinguished 6 7 And the distinctions of it explicated and applyed 68 and that consistency proved 68 69 c. Constantinople its sacking and conflagration by the Saracens 31 Constantine his saying concerning the subordination of his Bishops to him 145 The appearance of Christ to him from Heaven 310 Contests about Religion distinguish'd 89 Contestation of Opinions in matters of Religion the means for the preventing the mischiefs of it in Societies assign'd 160 The effects of it 150 154 c. And that in respect to the particulars of the Magistrates charge 156 c. Conventicles or more private convenings for the exercise of Religion how far forth to be permitted by Princes stated 219 220 221 222 c. The present case concerning them in England 220 221. Council of Trent the preservation of the several powers of Princes in it 144 Councels the Celebration of them twice every year heretofore in the Christian Church and why 127 Creed of the Apostles was framed for a profession of assent to be made to it 197 Cromwel his pretences of Religion in England 115 D Delusions of the Heathens how permitted and inflicted by God 21 Dionysius Halicarnasseus his Story concerning Numa his suppressing of controversies and opinions in matters of Religion 177 Directory whether it be not sufficient for the preservation of the publick peace in any National Church 203 Discipline an Vniformity in it convenient in Churches 168 169 Divinity three sorts of it amongst the Heathen 14 Divulging of Opinions how far forth a duty in private persons 274 275 276 vid. venting of Opinion The more particular restraints and liberties and the rights of the Magistrate relating to it 292 c. The wayes of mens divulging their opinions distinguied 294 The Doctors upon both Laws In Prolegom prope fin Doctrines of Religion a distinction of them 91 Certaine doctrines in the Christian Religion made use of by the Demagogues Heresiarchs and Ring-leaders of sedition in Societies for their serving their several ends 118 Doctrines in religion distinguished 164 The several sorts of the Doctrines of Canons and Liturgies assigned 249 250 c. The Doctrines of any National Church distinguished Ibid. Druids amongst the Gaules the reason of their dispersing their doctrine of the immortality of the soul amongst the people 85 Their being distinct in their Orders of Ecclesiasticks 104 Their being both Priests and Judges heretofore amongst the Gauls and Brittains 130 E Earle of Portugal the Story concerning one lately in relation to an Inquisitor 272 Ecclesiastical person the Querie why he should not have the Supremacy resolved 145 Elector of Saxony his Acts of bearing the Sword before the Emperour c. in the Diet of Ausburg condemned 280 Empire the wayes by which men have arriv'd at it 34 The Ends of a Canon of doctrines and Liturgy in any National Church distinguished 211 The general Ends of them assign'd Ibid. An Objection against them answered Ibid. The more particular Ends of them 214 215 216 217 c. EnglishVniformity the History of it 199 200 English Canon of Doctrines the History of it 201 202 English Liturgy the History of it 202 Enthusiasme condemned 290 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Office of a Bishop in the Christian Church 299 300 Erastus concerning the authoritative Execution of Church censures by Laicks answered 134 Estates of men the first and Capital distinction of them 36 Euripides and Lycurgus compared 12 Euripides his saying concerning Jupiter In Prolegom in princip Eusebius and the other Histories of the Christian Church the notable instances of Regiment of Churches in them In Prolegom in fin Excommunication a caution concerning the inflicting of it 267 The complaint concerning its being inflicted for light matters in the Vniformities of Churches answered and for its being inflicted at first dash also 269 270 The Extreams in respect to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity distinguished 177 Those of too much loosness assign'd 177 178 And that also of too much strictness 178 F The Fathers of the Christian Church their derivation of the Magistrates Power from God 54 55 Faultinesses those in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity assigned 178 179 180 c. Fire of Sodom its natural causes 30 Five-Churches his actions in the Council of Trent 144 Flood of Noah the fame and dispersed report of it 30 Freedome the principle of natural Freedom refuted 39 40 41 42 c. Fragments those of the twelve Tables amongst the Romans now remaining In Prolegom post med G Georgians Their Liturgy 198 Georgievez His Turkish slavery sustained by him Gifts The use of spiritual gifts is under the
Magigrates Jurisdiction 204 The scriptural end of such use of them Ibid. The particular gifts concern'd in the performance of the Publick Divine Service in a Church Ibid. The immediate effects of the use of them Ibid. Golden Age of the Poets whence the Fiction of it 32 Government defined 5 and distinguished 5 6 the ways by which men have arrived at it 34. the power of Government at first lodged in the several heads of Families 34 35 the first and capital distinction of Government 36 Government the Ordinance of God 37 the Ecclesiastical Government Gods Ordinance 38 the two constitutive causes of the power of Government which are assigned in the Controversie concerning it 39 the state of the Case concerning the derivation of it from the people 39 the effects of it being derived from the people c. 45 46 47 c. the proof of the power of Government its being from God 51 52 53 54 55 56 c. Not to be proved to be so from the nature of that power 51 52 the distinctions of Government applyed to its consistency with Religion 66 67 Government the Bond of all Humane Societies In Prolegom in princip Governours the difference of Order and Power in them necessary to all Governments of the greater Societies 123 Greece from whence its first Governments were fetcht In Proleg in princip The Greeks called the rest of the World who spake not their language Barbarians In Prolegom post med their distinct orders of Ecclesiasticks 124 Greek Church its Liturgy 198 Its use of an unknown tongue in the Publick Divine Services 180 Grotius taxed 41 127 133 138 His saying concerning the doctrines of the Christian Religion 70 c. Gymnosophistae amongst the Indians their distinction of their Orders of Ecclesiasticks 104 105 H Hampton Court the conference at it betwixt King James of England and the dissentors from the EnglishVniformity 201 Hebrews their observation concerning the distinction of the Offices of Moses and Aaron 124 Heresie to be punished any where 87 and as a mixt fault both against the Church and State Ibid. Heresiarks the persons ordinarily guilty of the faults of malice against the publick charge of the Magistrate in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 117 Herodotus his saying concerning the divided Government and different Opinions of the Thracians 155 Hesiod his Admonition to Kings 58 59 Humane Affairs the first and capital division of them 1 Histories of the Greeks and Romans the notable examples of prudence in Governours in them In Proleg in fin Holiness of presons no rule to judge of the truth of their Opinions by 290 The pretence of holiness condemned Ibid. Homilies the use of them in Churches 295 I Jacobites their Liturgy 198 Jesuites their banishment from the Venetian Territories 65 Jesus Christ not admitted as a God by the Romane Senate 15 Jewes their parabolical doctrines 113 their Liturgy 198 their saying concerning the flourishing of Israel In Proleg in princip Their hatred of the Samaritans 155 their Law carried with Titus in Triumph In Prolegom circa med Jewish State the occasions of it twofold 196 Jewish Church the records of it defective 197 the diversity of the settlements of it 170 Imprudence the faults of it committed against the publick charge of the Magistrate and the persons guilty of the commission of them 111 their guilt evidenc'd 112 their particular faults instanced in in respect to the particulars of the Magistrates charge 112 113 114 c. Indirect Power in Spirituals that belonging to the Civil Magistrate in every Ecclesiastical Vniformity 136 and the extent of it 136 137. and the Magistrates Right to it 137 138 139 140 c. He may commit the exercise of it to others 147 148 Inquisition of Spain what course it holds as to the Kings Prerogative 144 and that of Italy as to the Pope Ibid. The Inquisition admitted in Dominions of Princes by compact 145 The Interdiction of Venice by Pope Paul the 5th the sense of the Princes about it 143 Interests temporal the mixing of them with mens zeal a cause of Religious contests 92 Interpretation the liberty of it in respect to the Canon and Liturgy in any National Church belongs to private persons as their right 253 That their Interpretation distinguished 253 254 the Rules by which they are to proceed in it assigned 254 255 256 c. Interpretorship in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity of how great moment the Office of Supream Interpretor is 302. The Authentick Interpretors in any National Church distinguished and the Supream assigned 302 303. His right to his Office asserted 303 304 c. the opposers of it 307 308 Josephus the principal Jewish Historian In Proleg circa med Israel the distribution of the rights of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity in it In Prolegom in princip Italy the variety of Religious Rites brought of old into it 14 Julian the Apostate his letter to Arsacius that he should take the form of Religion upon him 290 Jurisdiction in spirituals the rights of Ecclesiasticks 132 K King the notion of him in the Ancient Heathen writings 45 King and Priest why the same person hath so frequently been so in Societies 138 139 c. King James of England his Objection made to the Bishop of Rome concerning his Prerogative 147 The Kings of England Sweden Spain Denmark c. Soveraign Princes in their Dominions 135 Knights Ecclesiastical amongst the Venetians 130 L Law of the twelve Tables amongst the Romans concerning funerals 235 236 and concerning a bone broken 269 c. Law-givers the famous ones amongst the Greeks In Prolegom post med Laws from whence their necessity amongst men 33 34 Laws defined and distinguished 100 The great reason of the restraint of private persons by them 101 102 Lay-Elders their absurd mixture with Ecclesiasticks in the Ecclesiastical Regiment 299 300 Laynez his Answer in the Tridentine Council concerning reformation in the Court of Rome 240 Leunclavius his exhortation to Christian peace 309 Liberty defined 43 and distinguished 43 and defin'd in the most absolute notion of it 100 the worth of it 101 Liberty of the Subject defined 101 it ought to be preserved in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity Ib. Christian liberty defined and distinguished 104 Liberty of mens judgment of discerning in matters of Religion distinguished and defined Ibid. The exercise of it asserted 105 the due limitation of such the exercise of it Ibid. Liberty of profession and outward actions ought to be regulated by humane Laws 106 Liberty of opining applyed to the matters of the Canon and Liturgy in any National Church 288 Those matters distinguished and the due extent of it 288 289 Cautions concerning it 290 291 Liberties those of the people relating to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity distinguished 100 their primitive spiritual and Ecclesiastical liberties described and asserted 103 three sorts of them 104 the liberties and latitudes conceded to men in relation to the fixing their notions concerning things 273 A Liturgy defined and distinguished 195 should be accompanied with
of Princes a great reason of mens doubts and and dissatisfactions concerning it In Prolegom circa med Supervisorship the necessity of it in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 297 the several sorts of the Supervisors distinguished 297 298 c. the supream assigned 298 whence he derives his right Ibid. the deputative Supervisors further distinguish'd Ibid. the matters to be supervis'd and the care to be taken in the supervising of them 300 c. Supream the necessity of some one such in every Ecclesiastical Vniformity 134 the supream in Humane Societies defined as to his political qualification 135 and as to his person Ib. the Supream power of jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrate how it is committed to him by God 136 Sybilla Erythraea or Cumana her testimony concerning Christ 24 Simony why forbidden by the Laws Ecclesiastical 265 how it is committed 266 the punishment of it Ibid. Synagogues no express approbation of them in Scripture 197 Synceritie ought always to be in men in the giving in of testimonials to profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 279 Synod of Divines the last way in this world for the finding of truth in matters of religion 232 it s right to the handling of such matters 233 the rights of Princes in relation to it 233 234 Synods Heretical the Princes power of prohibiting them 234 and what they are 235 Syrians their Liturgy 198 T Temporal Penalties how far forth the severity of them may be inflicted in spiritual matters 270 Testimony Divine in what it consists 17 Testimonials to profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity defined and distinguished 277 those to indefinite profession assigned 278 and also those to definite Ibid. the necessity of Princes exacting the special sort of them 280 of these Testimonials under the notion of religious bonds 281 and in what manner upon what accounts and to what things they oblige 282 283 284 285 c. Theodosian Code its dignity amongst books of Laws In Prolegom ad fin Toledo his saying to the Legate from Rome in the Councel of Trent concerning Christ's Valuation of Souls 217 Toleration what is meant by a loose and open tolleration of venting of Opinions 151 Tradition the only instrument for the conveyance of the Doctrines of religion and the testimonials to them down to future Ages 18 that subservient to Moses his Law 20 when it is an infallible conservatrix of former Records 18 how it was subservient to the Heathenr prescript of Religion 22 and how to Mohomets 23 the tradition of the matters of the Christian Religion how it hath been credible 25 26 27 Transmigration of Souls a doctrine of Religion amongst the East Indians c. 114 Tribonianus imployed in the collecting the Digests In Prolegom post med Tribunals Ecclesiastical 301 Tridentine Fathers their saying concerning the Mass its being established in an unknown tongue 181 The Twelve Tables amongst the Romans from whence deriv'd In Prolegom post med but now extinct Ibid. U Venice that state its prohibition of building Religious Places without License 219 220 Venting of Opinions in matters of Religion the necesssity of a restraint to be held upon it in Humane Societies 164 165 An Uniformity defin'd 1 and distinguished Ib. Uniformity Ecclesiastical the general matter about which it is conversant 2 it is the means necessary for the preservation of the welfare of the Magistrates publick charge 79 the appertaining of it to the well-being of Humane Societies proved more generally 82 83 the greater necessity of the treating concerning it evidenced 194 the Rules to be proceeded by in the alteration of it in any National Church 206 207 the practises of men conversant about the making use of it in Societies assign'd 168 c. such an Vniformity distinguished 168 the grounds and reasons for it assigned 169 the two grand instruments of it Ib. divers have been the sorts of it in divers Societies Ib. the principles leading men to the use of it 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 c. Princes have been forced many times to the further degrees of it 176 from whence the just measures of it are to be taken 182 who hath the right of framing it in Societies 183 Unity in matters of Religion the necessity of some kind or other of it to be maintained in Common-weals 39 All men would have it Ib. but none yet hath sufficiently described it Ib. It is the Mother of Charity and Peace Ib. the necessity of some kind of it for the holding of that Peace and Charity amongst men 164 that Unity distinguished Ib. the internal defined Ib. the external describ'd and distinguished diversly 162 it is the great stated medium for the holding of a charitative communion in Churches 162 163 the Unity of the use of publick worship the great secondary medium for the holding of it also 163 Uses those which are to be made by the people of the Canon and Liturgy in any National Church 244 245 246 247 248 Vulgar their manner of entertaining judgments in matters of Religion 150 151 W Sr. William Wade his Monument in the Tower of London 65 Women their being zealous Suicides at the funerals of their husbands in the Eastern parts of the world 114 Worship of God distinguish'd 164 Wray Chief Justice in the Kings Bench his Report made in the case of Smiths conditional subscription to the 39 Articles of Religion in England 284 Writing the ordinary way for the conservation of things and Records amongst men 164 X Xenophon his mention of the Heathen ways of Prophesie 20 Y Young men advised to a greater caution as to the divulging of Opinions 295 Z Zaga Zabo amongst the Abassines both a Bishop and Vice-Roy 129 Zaleucus his cunning in dealing with the common people 115 Zeal the Noble and Generous heats of it not intended to be extinguished by an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 295 but only it to be regulated Ibid. FINIS The Intelligent Reader is intreated to Correct the ERRATA committed in the absence of the Author
DE JVRE VNIFORMITATIS ECCLESIASTICAE OR Three Books OF THE RIGHTS Belonging to an UNIFORMITY in CHURCHES IN WHICH The chief things of the Lawes of Nature and Nations and of the Divine Law concerning the Consistency of the Ecclesiastical Estate with the Civil are unfolded ET EXCUTIT ICTIBUS IGNEM By HUGH DAVIS LL. B. Late Fellow of New-Colledge in Oxford and now Chaplain to the Lord Duke of BUCKINGHAM LONDON Printed by S. Simmons and to be sold by T. Helder at the Angel in Little Brittain and S. Lowndes over against Exeter house in the Strand 1669. To the HIGH and MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES the II. By the Grace of God KING of Great Brittain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. EXCELLENT SOVERAIGN WHile your Great Affairs are prosperously managing both abroad and at home behold here I present this Book as one meanes in its kind toward the settlement of the Peace of your Kingdomes The Rights of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity have been many times debated in the World with Fire and Sword And Your Kingdomes have been of late through the debates concerning them the dire Field of Blood Which Rights because it is of so great moment both to all Divine and Humane Affairs that they should be duely stated and because they have never yet been stated by any I have therefore here adventur'd the stating of them and that according to the evident dictates of the Lawes of Nature and Nations and of the Divine Lawes concerning them and as they make to the preserving and promoting the Publick and standing welfare both of Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government the Principal and Fundamental matters of all Humane Societies And I have made a search into the frame and fabrick of all Humane Affaires and have unravel'd the transactions of the former and present Ages of the Churches both of the Jewes and Gentiles Christians and Mahometans for the doing of it And I here Dedicate it particularly to the Peace of Your Majesties Kingdomes at least so far forth as a Book may be a means for the procuring the Publick Peace and where it may meet with men either of Reason or Conscience and not of furious Ignorance or temporal Interests Behold Great Prince I Present it at your feet most Humbly craving leave that I may light this Candle at the Sun and draw a Lustre upon this Discourse from Your Majesties Soveraign Patronage Herodotus relates it of Midas In Clio paulo post princip That of all things he chose to offer at Delphos his Regal Chair in which he was wont to sit and give Laws to his Kingdom It is because this Book concerns these great matters of Law and Publick Right that I presume to offer it thus in Duty to Your Majesty What the Church Historian tells the Excellent Emperour Theodosius Sozomen In Praefat. ad Imperatorem Theodosium That it was said of him that he spent the day and night in Councels and Causes in looking after his Religious and Civil and Military Affairs The like is said of Your Majesty that You are at all times ready at Your Councels and Deliberations That You go abroad to Visit Your Garrisons and Navies and that You spend your time in looking after the setling the Church and State the Charge committed to you by God May Religion and your Majesties Government long flourish together in your Dominions that the Divine Blessing may accompany you and there may never be wanting one to Sit upon the Throne of your Fathers so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure YOVR SACRED MAJESTIES Most Humble and most Obedient Subject Hugh Davis TO THE High Court OF PARLIAMENT AND To the rest of the Subjects of the KING of GREAT BRITTAINS Dominions THE Subject-matters of this Book Most Noble and Generous Patriots contain the summe and substance of Humane Affairs and which concerne the Peace and Tranquillity of the Dominions of Princes And they are those also which are now upon the Wheele and more particularly and principally in agitation amongst us like Balls of Fire thrown to and fro in the mid'st of us You have more then once Determin'd concerning them And Your determinations claime this Direction and Submission of them to you And the more peculiar respects which they bear to the occasions of his Majesties Subjects the like Direction of them also to them I have endeavour'd the impartial stating of them according to the dictates of the three sorts of Laws currant amongst men And where our Affairs Domestick have more particularly occurr'd have avoided what I could the intermixing with the Heats and Passions of the Times I do not presume in the least in these things Honourable and Renowned SENATOURS to interpose in your Great and Publick Councels those Soveraigne Balmes of ENGLAND Nor to undertake to instruct many of the able and sufficient minds of others those more Ethereal and Celestial Beings amongst men But only if it may be for Information if for Satisfaction where there is Occasion for the giving of it I have adventur'd the Representing of those great matters which do so highly concerne the Establishment and Preservation of the Peace of Your Country and of all Humane Societies THE PROLEGOMENA TO THE Three Books ENSUING DIverse have written of the diverse sorts of Laws amongst men Of the Laws of Nature and Nations and of the Divine Laws And that both more generally and particularly Diverse also have applyed those Laws diversly And that both in respect to the Civil and Ecclesiastical part of Humane Affairs But none yet hath applyed them to the Rights of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity viz. those of the Prince the Priest and the People belonging to it Nor digested those Rights into any due connexion and order viz. as they make to the preserving and promoting the publick welfare both of Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government And yet scarce any thing next to the Divine Law it self is of greater moment to Humane Societies Right is the Publick Cement of all Humane Affairs and that which all men contend about and expect even from God himself And Religion and Government and their mutual consistency are the things primarily fundamental to the very being and welfare of all Humane Societies besides what respects they have to another world Wherefore Plato calls In Gorgiā prope fin all preparations both of War and Peace which are made in a City Toys if Justice and Temperance be not preserved in it In Hercule furent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paulò post princip And Amphitryo in Euripides cryes out to Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But dost thou not know how to save thy Friends Either thou art an unskilful God or else thou art not just And Cicero in his Books of Laws Nihil tam aptum est ad jus conditionemque naturae quam Imperium sine quo nec Domus ulla nec Civitas nec Gens
nec hominum Vniversorum Genus stare nec Rerum Natura omnis nec ipse Mundus potest There is nothing is so suitable to the Right and condition of Nature as Government without which neither any private Family nor City nor Nation nor all Mankind nor yet the whole nature of things nor the very world it self can subsist R. Simeon in Pirke Avoth Cap. 4. Talmud L. Jucasin Fol. 13. Plaut Pers 5. And the Jewes Celebrate a three-fold Crown which made Israel to flourish The Crown of the Law and of the King and of the Priest And the acute Comedian Quid id quod vidisti ut munitum muro tibi visu ' st oppidum c. What is that thou sawest which seemed to be like a Town fortified with a wall P. If the Inhabitants be well manner'd I think it to be very well fortified If Perfidiousness and Theft and Covetousness be banished out of the City If the fourth thing Envie the fifth Ambition the sixth Slander The seventh Perjury T. Ha well said P. The eight Idleness The Ninth Oppression and the Tenth the worst of wickedness Vnless these things be absent from it an hundred-fold wall will be but a small matter for the preservation of it's Affairs In the Kingdome of Israel God himself distributed those Rights of an Uniformity amongst the several Estates And that at diverse times and in diverse manners according to the several occasions of that Society But yet there are no foot-steps to be found of any Humane Collection that ever was made of them The first Governments of Greece were fetch'd from other Countries but most of all from Egypt which was then of most Fame and Note for learning and wisdom and the better ordering of mankind and whether all who would be men of Renown were wont first to Travel and from whence the Aegyptians boast that Moses the Hebrew and Orpheus and Homer and Lycurgus and Solon and the other men of Fame of those times derived their Knowledge And the like is to be said of the Roman State that the most ancient setled Laws of the Ten Tables afterwards made Twelve in the time of the first Consuls were fetch'd from Greece Placuit Publica Authoritate D. De Origine Jur. L. 2. ¶ Exoctis sayes Pomponius decem constitui viros per quos peterentur Leges a Graecis Civitatibus That it was thought fit that Ten men should be appointed by Publick Authority by whom Laws should be fetch'd from the Cities of Greece And in the remainders of the many excellent both Greek and Romane Writers of several sorts there are diverse of the Rights of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and of the matters relating to them dispersedly mentioned especially those belonging to the Prince and Priest But yet none of them as reduced to their certain Title or head of things nor under the notion of such Rights so belonging to such Persons and as concerned in such an Uniformity Last of all in the Christian Church all Canons of Councels Bodies of Lawes Ecclesiastical Histories Systemes of Civil Policy and the like are full of the recitals and assertions of them and the things belonging to them also but yet still not under their specifical Notion and there are many defences which have been made of the Doctrine of the several subdivided Professions and many Rationales which have been written upon Liturgies both in the Roman and other Churches And several Irenicums which have been occasionally published especially in the European Churches late called Reformed But all these things or any other the like either in the Christian or Mahometan communion have not reached the common occasions of Churches nor given the last and general grounds for pacification And the interiors belonging to the explication of the Rights of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity especially of those on the peoples part have never yet been touch'd upon by any And these then are those Rights which are here unfolded and stated according to the dictates of the several sorts of Laws mentioned and digested into their due Connexion and Order This then being the more general matter of this work the manner of handling it is accordingly When we inscribe it of the Consistency of the Ecclesiastical estate with the Civil or of Religion with the Government which is all one it is because that is the thing which we do most principally and designedly treat of The welfare both of Religion and Government as separately and singly taken being suppos'd to it and as alwayes co-incident with it And the consistency of Government with Religon being touch'd upon but by the by And when we entitle it Of the Rights belonging to an Vniformity in Churches it is because such an Uniformity in some kind of it or other is the necessary and only means for the effecting and preserving of that Consistency of Religion with Government and the Rights belonging to such an Uniformity are the bounds within which all ought to acquiess for that effecting and preserving of it which when they are Transgressed and Invaded either by the Prince on his part then either the Priest or People are injured or else by the Priest or People on their parts then there is undutifulness and Rebellion practis'd towards the Prince and mutual Religious Feuds are created and contested amongst the People Et ruptis inter se Legibus Vrbes Arma ferunt So that it is very much for the Common peace and welfare of all affairs amongst men that those Rights be duely stated and unfolded both on the Prince's part and in order to his affording the Priest and People their due and also on the Priest and People's parts and in order to their enjoyment of and acquiescence under the Liberties both external and internal belonging to them And the work it self then is accordingly divided into three Books to each of them being assigned it 's proper subject matter In the first Book after the explications and distinctions of things laid down which are common to the whole I have treated of the Divine Original both of Religion and Government which things being so primarily Fundamental to the whole body of this Discourse I did suppose that men would expect a rational account of them And I have treated of them more immediatly and principally in order to the stating the Consistency of Religion with Government in the general and whose charge and Right the Tuition of all three of them viz. of Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government is And within the compass of these things there are many things co-incident with them which are common to the whole And as to Religion in my discoursing over the distinction of true and false particularly I have laid down the general grounds of all Religions And as to Government I have done one thing remarkeable and that is I have absolutely denied the Jus ad arma the right of rising in Armes and particularly in defence of matters of Religion and in
Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government is committed in Humane Societies and of the means necessary for the accomplishing and preserving of it viz. An EcclesiasticalVniformity LIB II. CHAP. I. THE Relation of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity to things Sacred further and more particularly distinguish'd And that the Ecclesiastical Vniformity is judicated by the Civil CHAP. II. The healthfulness of Religion to Humane Societies The ordinary causes of Religious contests assigned From thence the necessity of some unity to be held as to matters of Religion The benefits of Charity and Peace ensuing upon it And how much they are commanded in Scripture CHAP. III. The description of the Rights directly belonging to men in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity And first of the Primitive Liberties both Civil and Ecclesiastical which belong to the People And first of the Civil and of its Right of being preserved CHAP. IV. Of the Primitive Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Liberties which belong to the People And of the several Obligations and Rights relating to them CHAP. V. A more particular consideration of the two Grand causes of all Mischiefs in Humane Affairs viz. The weakness and corruptions of men and more particularly of their Influence on the Publick charge of the Magistrate The thing to be preserved ultimately by an Ecclesiastical Vniformity CHAP. VI. The more general Description of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers and which belong to the chief Magistrate and Ecclesiastical Ministry as their distinct Rights in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity CHAP. VII The Proposition asserted that Humane condition in this world being considered there can be no such thing indulged really in any State or common Society of men as a loose and open Toleration of venting and disseminating of Opinions in matters of Religion without deadly Feuds and Contentions in that Society and the dissolution of it in the end by those Feuds and mens falling together by the ears and to warre one with another The dispraise of such and the like Feuds and contentions and how much they make to the hurt of Religion and also of Government and also of the Consistency of Religion with Government and how much they are forbidden in Scripture The Conclusion drawn from all these things CHAP. VIII The two Propositions asserted viz. 1. That there must of necessity be some Doctrine or Body of Doctrines for profession of assent to be made to and some Form or way of Worship to be used in Common and both these as a foundation for a medium or common means of procuring a charitative communion amongst men in matters of Religion in any Society 2. That there must of necessity also be a restraint held upon mens venting of their opinions as a means for the preventing and remova of Religious Contests And both these sorts of means t be used to these ends by the Chief Governour or Governours in such Society CHAP. IX Hence the way of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity viz. in outward profession and Publick Worship hath been alwayes endeavoured and made use of by the Governours of all Societies in their different wayes And that from the Dictates of the Laws of Nature and Nations and the Divine Law approving of and leading them to it CHAP. X. What are the Extreams in respect to this Ecclesiastical Vniformity and what are the faultinesses in it CHAP. XI From whence the just measures of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity sure to be taken and of the more particular Rights and Liberties relating to them LIB III. CHAP. I. OF the two Grand Instruments of an Ecclesiastical Vniniformity viz. a Canon of Doctrines and a Liturgy framed according to it CHAP. II. What are the general ends of such a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in any National Church CHAP. III. What are the more particular aimes or ends of the Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in order to these three General CHAP. IV. Of the inward Vnity of Assent which is supposed to the outward unity of Profession and use of Publick Worship in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity CHAP. V. How the Canon and Liturgy ought to be composed in order to their answering to their general ends CHAP. VI. What are the Vses that are to be made of the Canon and Liturgy by the members of any National Church CHAP. VII What is the Doctrine of the Church in the Canon and Liturgy CHAP. VIII Of the interpretation of the Canon and Liturgy to be made by private persons and how it ought to proceed CHAP. IX Of the rewards and punishments belonging to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity and the Authorities and Rights concern'd in the dispensing of them CHAP. X. Of the Magistrates further intent in relation to the inward notions supposed to the External Profession and use of things And of the more particular latitudes belonging to those notions and the Assent included in them CHAP. XI Of the Testimonials to profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity And what they are CHAP. XII Of these Testimonials as Religious Bands and in what manner upon what grounds and to what things they oblige CHAP. XIII Of mens Liberty of opining and exercising their judgment of discerning concerning the matters of the Canon and Liturgy and how far it extends And some cautions concerning such the exercise and spending of it CHAP. XIV What are the more particular restraints and liberties and the Rights of the Magistrate relating to mens divulging of their opinions Especially concerning the matters of the Canon and Liturgy CHAP. XV. Of the Supervisors in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity CHAP. XVI Of the Supream Interpreter in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity DE Jure Vniformitatis Ecclesiasticae OR OF THE RIGHTS Belonging to an UNIFORMITY in CHURCHES BOOK I. CHAP. I. The General Notion of an Vniformity and also those of Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government defin'd and distinguished I AN Uniformity defin'd and the first and Capital distinction of it II The first and capital divivision also of all Affairs amongst men and the application of them to the general intent of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity III Religion defin'd IV The first distinction of it V The Second VI The Third VII The Fourth VIII The Fifth and last IX Government defin'd X The first distinction of it XI The Second XII The Third XIII The Fourth XIV The Consistency of Religion with Government defin'd XV The first distinction of it XVI The Second XVII The Third XVIII The Fourth XIX The Fifth XX The Sixth and Last XXI The Conclusion subjoyned to these preceding Matters The definition and first distinction of an Vniformity I. AN Vniformity from the common use and connotation of the term is nothing else but an Unity of the outward Form of things and it is either Ecclesiastical or Civil The Ecclesiastical is that which is Directly conversant about the Affairs of Churches And the Civil that which is in like manner conversant about the Civil State II. The first and capital division then of all affairs amongst men is according to this first
the former of these Sorts is the Christian Religion in the most of the Dominions of Europe In the large Territories of Preister John in Affrica Of the latter is the Christian and Jewish Religion in Greece and in the most of the Dominions of Asia as is affirmed by Chytraeus Johannes Boemus Aubanus Georgieviz Godignus and others And although it be true in the mean time that sometimes De facto there are diverse sorts of Professors of Religion tollerated in the same State as will be further mentioned hereafter yet none of those have the priviledges nor extent ordinarily of that which is the National nor cannot properly be called so for those Reasons and because secluded from those more eminent endowments But notwithstanding still all of them have their respects severally to the State and the Government of it In Declaratione praefix ad Acta Synodi Dordrar Quia Ecclesia quamdiu hic vivimus vix separari possit a Republica Because the Church so long as we live here can scarce be separated from the State say the States General of the Vnited Provinces VIII In the first and last The first and last distinction of Religion place a Religion secluded is yet further to be distinguished And that as it is either secluded onely being at all practised or exercised in any Society Of the latter sort was the care of the Christian Religion in the dayes of the Apostles and afterwards under the Heathen Roman Emperours and of many Sects afterwards under the Roman Christian Emperours and such as are prohibited by them in the New Civil Law and the Code and Novells of Theodosius But this case is here only pointed at by us and comes not into ordinary consideration hereafter And that because it seldome or never happens that such a Religion subsists with any duration in any Society or that de jure the continuance of it ought to be endeavour'd in respect to such or such a Society unless where there is an immediate and particular command from Heaven for it as there was to the Apostles in respect to their first preaching in Jury otherwise the Divines and Civilians do rightly prescribe to the professors of such a Religion either present Martyrdome or else flight and change of the soyle by migration unto another Country And thus much of this first general Terme IX The Terme Religion then being thus explicated the like is to be said also concerning Government Government defin'd And first for its definition Government in the general is the disposition of the Affairs of humane Societies So Plato defines it to be Cura totius In Definitionibus De Repub. lib. 1. cap. 1. The care of the whole And Bodinus sayes That a Commonweal is Familiarum rerúmque inter ipsas Communium summa potestate ac ratione moderata multitudo A multitude of families and affairs common amongst themselves governed by the Power and Reason that is supream And here presently then for the unfolding of this definition will occurre the several Societies that are amongst men to be distinguished Any conjunct plurality of men is in nature a Society because they by their plurality and conjunction partake of the general nature of such a Society So there is a Society in Families in Corporations partaking of the same Municipal Laws amongst Merchants for their Trade's sake nay even amongst Robbers and Pyrates to a bad end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who rove like Theeves up and down the Seas sayes the Poet Homer Odyss 3. D. De Testibus L. Vbi §. 1. D. De Verbor Sig. L. Nerntius §. 2. D. Eodem L. Familiae §. 3. to infest Strangers But the Civil Law would have no Society to consist of less then three and that three at the least did facere Collegium make up a Society for Trade or the like And use and custome hath obtained yet farther that when humane Societies are mention'd the Termes be applied only ordinarily to States and Kingdomes and the like greater sorts of lawful humane Societies And so then is the terme Society understood by us generally in this Discourse And the Notion of Government mentioned is in like manner applied to it X. The first definition concerning Government The first Definition of Government is the same that was mentioned concerning Religion It is considered either in the General or in the Special or in the Individual the Termes being applied here in the same manner as before and the different respects of them onely being preserved XI The second The Second distinction is by opposite members that it is considered either as a faculty or else in the exercise of it As a faculty and so it denotes the power of him that Governes And so the Roman Civilians call that power Florentinus D. De statu hominum L. Libertas c. which a man hath over himself which is his Liberty or over others which is Dominion by the name of a Faculty Or else in the exercise of it and so it denotes the use and actual imployment of that power of Government And in both these sences it is applied hereafter sometimes Habitually and sometimes Actually taken The third Distinction XII The next distinction of Government is by disparates that it is to be considered either as a charge committed to the Governour by God and so it respects principally his obligation to God concerning it or else as the Right of him that Governes and so it respects his claime and title that he hath to it or as it intends the wellfare of humane Society and so it respects also the means which he is to use for the compassing such the wellfare of it And under these considerations also it will occur hereafter XIII The fourth and last The fourth and last definition of it is by opposite Members and that by the farther distinguishing it according to the last notion of it mentioned And so it is considered Either as it concernes the good of particular persons Eminently and that in Priviledges 12. Quaest 96. Act. 1. 2. quaest 90. Act. 2. or else of the Community and that in its Ordinary General intent as was said Privilegia dicuntur quasi privatae leges sayes Aquinas That Priviledges are so called as it were private Laws And further sayes he Because the Law is the Rule of humane Actions the last end of which so regulated by it in a Society is the good and happiness of all the members of that Society ideo necesse est eam semper ad bonum commune ordinari That therefore it must needs follow That the Law in its ordinary general respect must intend the common good Now the Law is that by which the Governour proceeds in Government Neither is that benefit of the Law which is common to all particular persons equally and as included in the whole to be called by the name of a Priviledge XIV In the third and last place we come to
more stated solemn service of God the remembrance of God as Creator and governour of the world as in the ancient Judical Sabbath the Creation of the world and Gods resting from it to proceed to governing were assign'd as the reasons of it And it was the Doctrine of St. Paul to the Athenians Acts 17.24 that God that made the world was to be worshipped and as this is the reason of Gods Right of prescribing the Precepts of Religion to man so alike also are the reasons why the matter of such Precepts by being according to Gods will must be necessarily on mans part his Service and Worship For if otherwise the Issue of it will be no less then the removal of God from being either a rewarder or a punisher of men and so consequently from having to do at all authoritatively in Humane Affairs and so in the end all Religion it self towards him will be destroy'd which would be all one as to man as if God's very being it self were removed out of the world For a reward is for something done according to ones will And Paena est noxae vindicta Punishment is vengeance taken upon a fault sayes Vlpian But if Religion by being according to Gods will be not mans service and worship there can be no reward annex'd to it from God nor punishment because he is not wronged if the precepts of it be violated and the impulsive cause of all Divine Worship in man being naturally and primarily Hope and Fear towards a Deity and good and evil to be expected from him being the only objects of these affections and the light of Nature where Divine Revelation is wanting as it is supposed to be in this case dictating no other principles of expectation of good or evil from him but that of reward for serving him or punishment for offending him If Gods having to do authoritatively by such rewards and punishments be removed from amongst men what ground or reason would there be left for the practising of any Religion at all towards him and if not towards him then towards none at all since none else but the Creator hath any right of prescribing it The consent of Nations and the commands of God himself about it III. From these Grounds and Principles in Nature concerning these things then it is that the consent of Nations hath dictated the derivation of all Religion only from God And the Divine Law also hath commanded the same thing In Moses his Prescript of Worship it is the reason prefix'd to the whole System of his Laws which were delivered after the Moral Laws as well as to the two Tables of the Moral Law it's self I am the Lord thy God and by the same Laws the Idolatry of the Nation was forbidden to Israel as well as that the prescribed worship of God was commanded In the Law of Christ he himself contra-distinguish'd the commands of God to the traditions of men Mat. 15.9 and his followers practised the very same Doctrine and that expresly upon the very grounds in Nature which we have mentioned There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Who art thou that judgest another saith St. James And St. Paul lays down that maxime Chap. 4.12 That Without Faith it is impossible to please God and he annexeth the reason of his assertion for he that cometh to God Heb. 11.6 must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The same thing concerning duties Mat. 10.28 that Christ himself also before him hath prescribed concerning sins Fear not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell The like hath been the Doctrine of the Heathen Sages also upon these very accounts Divine Plato says De Legib. Dial. 10. in princip That those are the two great sorts of destroyers of all Religion in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either who deny the being of the Gods or else do affirm them not to take any care of humane affairs De Natura Deor. Lib. 1. And Cicero Sunt Philosophi fuerunt qui nullam habere censerent humanarum rerum procurationem Deos quorum si vera sententia est quae potest esse Pietas quae Sanctitas quae Religion That there are indeed Philosophers and have been who have thought that the Gods had no care of humane Affairs whose opinion if it be true what Piety can there be what Sanctity what Religion And Stratocles heretofore was laugh'd at when he asked a Law at Athens That whatsoever should please King Demetrius that should be reputed Religious towards the Gods and just amongst men IV. And these Grounds then of the Divine appointment of Religion being thus assigned from Nature The derivation of Religion from God instanced in the Law of Moses Contra Appion passion We shall also find the Universal consent of Nations to it in like manner if we will but take a view of the several prescripts of Religion both True and False that have been in the world So first as to that of Moses the most ancient Law-giver as Josephus in his time and when Gentilism was so rife in the world durst avouch him to be against all the Heathen prescripts He received his two Tables written with the finger of God Exod. 32.15 16. Thargum in Cant. Cap. 1.11 and the Judicial and Ceremonial Laws of Israel from the same hand at Mount Sinai And it is a Tradition amongst the Jews that the Tables were hewn out of the Saphire of the Throne of Gods Glory which they say is mentioned Exod. 24.10 But I need not insist further upon this particular V. Let us proceed next to the Prescript of Heathens So also the Heathen dated theirs and view their Derivation of their Religion from Divine Authority The only creditable and authentick Records of former ages that are left in the World are those generally of the Greeks and Romans In Timaeo circa princip and therefore Plato calls the Greeks alwayes Children because of the defect of the Histories of former Ages amongst them that was even in his time and they being the Elder of those two latter Empires if any are to be believed concerning the derivation of their Religion they are First then as to them and afterwards we will come to the Romans Herodotus says That they derived their Religion from the Aegyptians In Terpsichore In Cratyl Epimoni c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato from them the Phaenicians Assyrians and others Plutarch from Thrace But all agree in this That they received it traditionally from the Institutions of the Gods in those Countries And it is evident that from these and such other Countries they received it because they worshipped the same Gods and in the same Order generally that they did So the two famous Greeks Homer and Plato
was to come with Armes for the Propagation of his Prescript of Religion And these Miracles also Vid. Alcoran Azoara 3.14.17.30 and the power of working them Christ left to his followers His Disciples being illiterate men spake with Tongues uttered the most assured Precepts of the Law of Nature and such as the profoundest Heathens had before been famed for and the like And their followers in the succeeding ages appealed to all the world to behold the Miracles accompanying them and that continuedly for many Centuries and Ages together 3. And lastly The Tradition of all these things hath been 1. True in the root and Spring-head of them 2. Uninterrupted in the stream and derivation of them also down all along the Ages of the Christian Church There is no way for the proof and evidencing of things amongst men but by the Testimony of witnesses which was the last way prescribed by Moses his Law and is by all Lawes of Countries in the world Vid. F. De fide Instrumentorum De Testibus c. And the Roman Civil Law requires that they be fide digni i. e. that they be Intelligent and honest and so also all other Lawes which is an Argument that if they be so it is as much as can be desired And such witnesses hath the Tradition of these primary Evidences of the Truth of the Christian Religion had attesting to it And that in both it's Capacities of that Tradition mention'd It hath had the Testimonies both of Enemies and Friends 1. Of Enemies Such is that of Josephus concerning Christ About the same time sayes he was Jesus a man of Sapience Antique Judaic Lib. 18. cap. 4. and wisdome if indeed it be lawful to call him a man for he was a doer of wonderful works Supr Sect. 5. Et apud Suâ—tonium Tertullian Euseb ut prius and a teacher of those who would willingly receive the truth and he had very many followers both of the Jewes and Gentiles Such also is that of Pontius Pilate himself as was before mentioned who is said to have sent word to Tiberius of his Miracles Insomuch that Tiberius would have had the Senate of Rome to have enrolled him amongst their Gods Apud Euseb praeparationis Evang. Lib. 5. Cap. 1. Such also is that of Porphyrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That from the time that Jesus began to be worshipped none did partake of any publick help from the Gods And the like acknowledgements there are of Celsus and Julian and other enemies of Christianity Apud Origin Apud Cyrillum c. 2. Of Friends and those every wayes worthy of belief Such were Sergius Paulus and Dionisius the Areopagite and many of the followers of Christ mentioned in the Scripture it self Such were also many of the Primitive Martyrs and the Grand Doctors and Fathers of the Christian Church Adversus haereses Lib. 2. Cap. 51. floruit circa Ann. Christi 180. down all along the Centuries So Irenaeus in his time Si autem Dominum phantasmata hujusmodi fecisse dicunt c. But if they say that the Lord did these things by false appearances says he We will reduce them to the Writings of the Prophets and shew plainly out of them that all things were so foretold by God and that he was the only Son of God Wherefore also in his Name those who are his true Disciples receiving Grace from him do the like things to the benefit of the rest of men even as every one hath received the gift from him For some cast out devils most assuredly and truly others also have the fore knowledge of things to come and Visions and utterings of Prophesies and others by the laying on of hands do cure those who have laboured with infirmities and restore them to health and even at this day also as we have said the dead have arisen and continued among us for many years Contra Celsum Lib. 2. Paulo post princip floruit circa Ann. Christi 220. So also says Origen in his time speaking of Celsus Cum Jesu virtutes extenuaret Magicis illas praestigiis editas olim affirmans quod vero virtutes mira de se ederet Jesus utcunque admittens That when he did extenuate the Miracles of Christ affirming them to be wrought by Art of Magick heretofore but yet however admitting that Jesus did work miracles and many wonderful things concerning himself Ibid. And afterwards Cumque Phlegon in decimo tertio vel decimo quarto ut Arbitror annalium libro vel futurorum quorundam praenotionem detulit Christo cum de Petro confusius pleraque de Christo edisserit plane testificatus pro hujus praedictionibus res occurrisse And that when Phlegon in his thirteenth or as I think fourteenth Book of his Annals attributed to Christ the fore-knowledge of certain things to come when he had discoursed many things more confusedly concerning Peter and Christ and plainly testifying that also things came to pass according to his predictions Adversus Vigilantium in princip floruit circa Ann. Christi 390. And so St. Jerom also in his time affirms the Miracles done at Martyns Tombs and bids Vigilantius Sed responde quomodo in vilissimo pulvere favilla nescio qua tanta sit signorum virtutumque presentia But Answer how can there be so great a presence of signs and wonders in some most contemptible dust Ibid. and I know not what ashes of the dead And after he recites Porphyrie and Eunomius calling them Praestigias Daemonum Ibid. Deceits of Devils and says he to Vigilantius Spiritus iste immundus quo haec te cogit scribere saepe hoc vilissimo tortus est pulvere immo hodieque torquetur That unclean spirit which compells thee to write these things hath been often tormented by this most vile dust nay and even at this day is tormented And the like many other things might be recited out of the Primitive and latter writings of the Christian Church which are every where full of these Testimonies But we intend not here a justification of the Christian Religion at large but only a recital of these things so far forth as belongs to our present occasion So much then for the Christian Religion also its excelling all other in the having had these primary Divine Testimonies annexed to it as such and that also thus in a most peculiar way by God and the Precepts of it consisting eminently and only of the pure Laws of Nature in the mean time and it having none but the Media Licita for its Positives as was said above of the Law of Moses So then the Christian Religion is it the consistency of which with Government men ought to have a special respect to that they do not violate it and which ought by every Chief Magistrate and his Laws of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity to be setled as the National Religion in every
trusted in a Temptation It is for the Princes dammage many wayes if he should put a Tyranny in Practice he loseth his Subjects hearts and their persons in both which his strength and safety consisteth every way he incurres the danger of Risings against him Assassinations and the like But the Ambitious or otherwise corrupt members of a multitude are prompted by hopes of getting and that even the Princes Crown which doth use to be more valued by such men then a Crown of Starres in Heaven And lastly a Prince may be perswaded if he be a man of Conscience by his Divines If not by them by others upon the account of other respects to desist from Tyranny but there is no dealing with a multitude by any of these wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A multitude is a certain untractable thing Hecuba Agamemnon Lib. 16. and if accompanied with Treacheries invincible sayes Euripides And variae sunt hominum Cupiditates judicia presertim multitudinis sayes Guicci ardine That the judgments and affections of men are various especially those of a Multitude It is better then that the Doctrine running the hazard of such a Tyranny and that Tyranny also being forbidden by it be thus taught then that the Doctrine running the Hazard of such a rising and that on the contrary as a rising allowed of by it be taught and practised in humane societies The General Conclusion XXIII Last of all we conclude then from these Arguments and circumstances of things compared concerning this weighty matter of the publick good and which is proposed as the summe of all the dispute in this Question That it is better for it that the Power of Princes be derived from God then from the people Grotius himself and others cry out upon the Dire effects that have been in the world from the Teachings the Doctrine of ordinary Risings Quae sententia De jure belli Lib. 1. cap. 3. Sect. 8. sayes Grotius quot malis causam dederit dare etiam num possit penitus Animis recepta nemo sapiens non videt which opinion to how many mischiefs it hath given cause and being throughly received may give daily there is no well advised man that sees not And yet when they have made their distinction of ordinary and extraordinary Cases they terme the certain danger of any one single person to be a case extraordinary and he that will look into the Books of the Canonists Jesuits and the like writings of the Church of Rome from whose Towers this shot against Princes came first into Christendom shall find such casuistical Divinity such talks of Daggers Poysons c. intended and bent against those Princes as would make the ears of any one considering the weight of such matters and sincere in Christianity to tingle There is to be found the Popes Supremacy over all the World asserted and all the propositions that lie on the negative part of this Question for the subverting of Temporal Princes who upon any occasion shall oppose him So Bellarmine That all temporal power is (1) De laicis lib. 3. cap. 6. fundamentally in the people But that the Pope hath his (2) Et de Summo Pontif lib. 5. cap. 6 and 7. §. Item potest hic Supra §. 7. in fin And §. 14. in princip indirect power in Temporals from St. Peter as also was mentioned above out of Covarruvias and others So Suarez of exemption of Clarks from the Civil Lawes of States and the like (3) Defen cont Sect. Anglic. lib. 4. cap. 17. cap. 9. 3 De Rege regis Institut lib. 1. cap. 10. Marian and others So Azorius of (4) part 2. lib. 11. cap. 5. Interdicti venet Histor lib. 2. circa med Saaturel Tract de Haeresi Sismate c. Soto de Justit jure lib. 5 Quaest 1. Art 3. c. Excommunication of Kings of deprivation of them of their Kingdomes after such excommunication of the Subjects being absolv'd from their Oathes of Allegiance of their rising in Armes such as was endeavoured by the Pope in the case of the interdiction of Venice and hath been in many other States say their Records of any mans Assassinating Princes as Hereticks and the like things resolved of by him and Sautarella and Soto and others And it is no wonder if that great Italian B pp. That stiles himself the Sun in his Canon Law and elsewhere and all Temporal Princes the Moon If he that dates his own Spiritual Power from St. Peter and the Temporal Power of Princes from the People If he that affects a Monarchy over the whole World and wears a Triple Crown as representing his Allmighty power over the three great Kingdomes of Earth Hell and Heaven for the Churches good See King James his defence of the right of Kings elswhere as he saith and loe thus he hath improv'd Religion and the Office of his Priesthood If such an one maintain or at least connive at the loosness of such Principles and the leudness of such persons in the stating the particular Cases concerning them as hath been mention'd Last of all that usual saying of Pope Paul the fifth Interdict Venet Histor in princip that it was cheifly in his thoughts Audaciam Magistratuum Secularium mortificare To mortifie the bouldness of Secular Magistrates The Doctrine afterwards in the Case of Venice published and allowed of by the Court of Rome Ibid. lib. 4. paulo post princip Potestatem Principum Temporalem subordinatam esse Ecclesiasticae eique subjectam That the Temporal Power of Princes was subordinate to the Ecclesiastical and subject to it The banishment of the Jesuits from the Venetian Territories Ibid. lib. 6. prope fin In the Dining Rome of the Kings lodgings See the dangerous Positions sayd to be Bpp. Bancrofts containing the Sum of these writings and Citations for their abetting such like doctrines as these and in the close of all the Gunpowder Treason in England horrid to be recited And Sr. William Wade's Chimny peece and Monument in the Tower of London will be sufficient Testimonies to these things And in the mean time what credit is it either for the Scotch or English Presbytery as is layd to their charg and their book and practises are cited to testifie or others to follow the Principles of these Church-men of Rome So then having said these things we have asserted our proposition first mentioned in its latitude of sence intended by us in this discourse and necessary for the compleating of it and have so put an end to this difficult and important Question CHAP. IV. The third Proposition also asserted viz. that Religion and Government being both so appointed by God they must needs be consistent mutually amongst men And that their Consistency explicated and stated I. The distinctions of Government first above mention'd applyed to it's Consistency with Religion II. The distinctions also of Religion applyed to it's Consistency
with Government III. The distinctions of the Consistency of Religion with Government further explicated and applied IV. The Consistency of Religion with Government Prov'd V. First in the General VI. More particularly concerning the Christian Religion in particular VII Last of all the conclusion and consectary deduc'd from all these things The Distinctions of Government above mention'd apply'd to it's Consistency with Religion cap. 1. §. 8 9. I. WE have above defin'd Government both in the General Special and Individual And have said that it is to be considered either as a Faculty or else in the exercise of it And when we here treat of it's consistency with Religion it is meant of such in the exercise of it And that either Totally or Partially Fundamentally or in lesser matters So the Government of the Gentiles both in Church and State was inconsistent with the Religion of the Jewes Fundamentally and in the main particulars of it And so the Government of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat so frequently and eminently instanc'd in the Scriptures to have made Israel to sin was destructive of the particular precepts of the peoples Sacrificing solemnly at Jerusalem 1 Kin. 15.30 1 Kin. 16.26 c. 1 Kings 12.28 Whereupon the King took Counsel sayes the Text And made two Calves of Gold and said unto them it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt And he set the one in Bethel and the other put he in Dan. 1 K. Cap. 16 17 c Such also was the Government of Ahab and the Idolatrous Kings of Israel and of the Kings of Babylon at the Deportation and the like mentioned in the Scripture 2 K. Cap. 25. Such also that of Antiochus Epiphanes at the time of his Invasion and that of Vespatian and Titus at the time of their Destruction of the state of the Jews and the like the Governments of others mentioned by the same Jewish celebrated Historian Josephus Such also was the Government of the Roman Emperours in respect both to the Jewish Christian and some sorts also of the Heathen Religion both before and after the Crucifixion of Christ Of Tiberius in his time of whom Suetonius says That Externas Caeremonias In Tiberio §. 36. Aegyptios Judaicosque ritus compescuit c. He repressed the outward Ceremonies of Religion the Aegyptian and Jewish Rites And so of Claudius in his time of whom he says also that Judaeos In Claudio §. 25. impulsore Christo assiduè tumultu â—ites Roma expulit He drove the Jews daily tumultuating out of Rome Christ as he calls him being the stirrer up of them to it And that Druidarum Religionem Ibid. apud Gallos dirae immanitatis tantum Civibus sub Augusto interdictam penitus abolevit The Religion of the Druids amongst the Galls which was of horrid cruelty and prohibited only to the Citizens under Augustus he utterly abolished And so lastly of Nero in his time of whom he says also That Afflicti suppliciis Christiani In Nerone §. 16. genus hominum superstitionis novae ac maleficiae The Christians were afflicted with punishments a kind of men of an Vp-start says he and mischievous superstition And thus all of these particular Governments either in specie or individuo being in respect to these Religions either in the General or in some particular Precepts of them inconsistent with them But this consistency of Government with Religion by thus illustrating it from the contraries I here touch upon only as falling in my way to other things it not being the principal design of my Discourse as hath been before first of all mentioned Supra Cap. 1. §. 1. II. Religion also was above defined in like manner as Government And I distinguished it first into such either in the general The distinctions also of Religion applyed to its consistency with Government Cap. 1. §. 2. or special or individual And afterwards into either True or False And afterwards again I laid it down as considered either simply or relatively In its simple notion I have spoken of it principally already throughout the second Chapter In the Relative I shall handle it more principally both here and hereafter Ibid. §. 3. And when I here treat of the consistency of Religion with Government Ibid. §. 4. it is meant of it both in the general and special and individual Ibid. §. 5. And of the True totally and necessarily and of any False necessarily also so far forth as it partakes of the precepts of the true but only actually otherwise So the Gentile prescripts of Religion so far forth as they did partake either of the natural or positive prescripts of the true did either as to the one or other sort of them consist necessarily with the lawful particulars of their several Governments And so the Mahometan Religion in respect to the Mahometan Government at this day And in all Regions in the World generally it hath always been taken a care of that they should not in any of the Precepts of them inconsist with Government And if there have been Wars and Over-throws of Government and the like mischiefs at any time to Humane Societies hapning by them it hath been accidentally only as to the Religions themselves of the Countries generally in which such things have hapned and principally from other causes Wherefore that saying with application of it to this business also hath been true in all Ages and there are innumerable examples of the truth of it in all Histories and Records of Humane Affairs Natal Comes Hist Lib. 11. That Nunquam fere sola Religio fuit causa Bellorum c. Never almost hath Religion only been the cause of Wars But either a more loose and ample licentiousness of living furnished out by a semblance of Religion or else an immoderate affection of Ruling or some such kind of thing when the foulness of desire and the unlawful appetency of things not honest is cover'd over either by a simulation of defence of Religion or some more honest pretence by which both many adherents are acquired and many assistances flock into the design because there are but very few to be found who will imbrace manifest dishonesty And this consistency of Religion on its part with Government is the thing principally intended to be treated of by us both here and hereafter throughout this whole discourse Supra Cap. 1. §. 1. as hath been also first of all mention'd The distinctions of the consistency of Religion with Government further explicated apply'd Cap. 1. §. 13. Ibid. §. 14. Supra Cap. 3. §. 7. III. The consistency then of Religion with Government I also defin'd above And distinguish'd it into either Negative or Positive To consist totally negatively with Government is the least thing that any Religion can do And if it do not so it will not be
endured in Humane Societies nor ever own'd to be true and from God since Government is Gods Ordinance as abovesaid and taken by all to be intended as the great instrument for the good of all Humane Society But I shall here proceed further then to these things concerning the True Religion and evince it to be the property of it in particular to consist not only totally negatively but also positively and eminently as was above mention'd with any Lawful Government amongst men Supra Cap. 1. §. 14 15 17. Et hic §. 1 2. And to do these two things will be our task in the remaining part of this Chapter The consistency of Religion with Government proved IV. We proceed then to prove the total negative consistency of any True Religion in the general with Government And afterwards we shall descend to the positive and eminent consistency of the Christian Religion in particular V. First then First in the general this necessary negative consistency of any True Religion with Government in the general will be evident from this Categorical Syllogisme containing the sense of our former discourse concerning these things Viz. Those things which are appointed by God to have a being together in the World amongst men must needs be in themselves totally negatively consistent amongst them But the True Religion is so appointed by God to have such a being together with government in the world amongst men Ergo it must needs be in it self totally negatively consistent with it amongst them The Minor proposition in the present Argument is not taxable and he that will deny the Major and assert any two Ordinances of God whatsoever such as any True Religion and Government are to be in themselves although but in any one single respect and particular whatsoever mutually inconsistent in the world he must needs accuse God himself of a defect in his very act of placing them there For if God hath placed things in the world with an intent of their consisting Supra Cap. 1. §. ult and continuance there as was above concluded concerning Religion and Government and is from most weighty and apparent Reasons evident to all that he hath done so concerning those things and yet they will not consist then we must of necessity fall to the taxing his very attributes which were operative in the placing them there Where was his omnisciency that had no farther insight into what he did Where was his wisdome that could no better contrive Or where was his omnipotency that could no better effect If he were at any time deficient in these at that time he had not the Attributes of a God And if he had them not he was no God and if there were any time in which he was not a God it is impossible that at any time he should be a God without utter confusion denounced by him that will say the contrary to all the Right Philosophy and Divinity that ever concern'd a God in the world So that it appears in Sun Beams that he will enervate our present Argument must in the last result remove any such thing as a God-head out of the world but we will not imagine such a strain of Atheism So then the proof of this Argument in the general includes the proof of the necessary total negative consistency of the Christian Religion in particular with any Lawful Government And it evinceth the like consistency of any present Lawful Government also either in Church or State with the same Christian Religion upon supposition that the Governours in whose hands the exercise of such Government is do proceed rightly and by right rules in their administration of it Secondly more particularly concerning the Christian Religion in particular VI. We descend next then to the proof of both the positive and eminent consistency of the Christian Religion with the present Lawful Government in any Society And that either under the notion either of special or individual And for that 1. That it must needs consist positively will be evident from both its stamping the present Lawful Government both in Church and State as hath been mention'd with Divine Authority for the rendring of it more Sacred amongst men and also from its teaching men to be both Good Citizens and Subjects in all the Duties of the second Table which are the compleat duties of Humane Society Many things more particularly might be mention'd De Jure Belli Lib. 2. Cap. 20. §. 49. c. Vid. Ibid. But well saith Grotius concerning the whole System of the Doctrine of the Christian Religion in the general Nihil est in Disciplina Christiana quod Humanae Societati noceat immo quod non prosit We may be sure of that That there is nothing at all in any of the Precepts of the Christian Religion which doth any wayes hurt nay which doth not help and profit Humane Society 2. It 's positive eminent Consistency is as obvious to any man The Christian Religion being the very band and tye of Humane Society For whereas the Governour in his Humane Capacity can enjoyn the Duties of the second Table onely under Temporal Penalties God doth in the Christian Religion enjoyne them under Eternal And whereas the Governour in recompence to the observation of those Duties can promise onely Temporal Rewards God doth in the Christian Religion promise also Eterternal And whereas the Governour can take Cognizance only of the overt open acts of disobedience to his Commands God doth in the Christian Religion also take Cognizance of the very inward motions of the heart and first stirrings of it towards such acts of disobedience Eccles 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thoughts c. saith the Scripture So that who sees not that the Christian Religion hath ribb'd Humane Society with Adamant and is the very Cement and Band and Bulwark of it in all respects and the Superlative and most Eminent Help and Support to the present Lawful Governour in any Society whatsoever The conclusion and consectary deduced from all these things VII And lastly then I have but this one last and short Conclusion and Consectary to lay down from these things And that is That if at any time the Christian Religion doth prove subversive of the present Lawful Government and by any occasion taken by men from it in any manner of way whatsoever it is from the Errours of those men and their humane mixtures obtruded upon it and not from any genuine Rules or Precepts of the Christian Religion it self The purer Sun containeth no such Clouds and the spects shewed in the Jewel are but spots of dirt God himself as he would never have appointed a Religion in it self subversive of his own Ordinance of Government so he could not ordinarily have expected that the Kings and Governours of the Earth if such and as rational men only should have received it as his We proceed then from hence to other things CHAP. V. To whom
§. 85. in Octavio §. 58. to Julius Caesar Parenti Patriae To the Father of the Country And the Senate and people saluted Octavius by the Name of Pater Patriae The Father of the Country And Magistratus est Medicus Civitatis beneque praeest qui juvat Patriam aut certe laedit non volens sayes Thucydides That the Magistrate is the Physician of the City Lib. 6. and he doth well in his Praeheminence who helps his Country or at least doth not willingly hurt it Et in hoc serviunt Reges Deo sayes St. Augustine Si in Regno suo bona jubeant mala prohibent Lib. 3. super Chrysost non solum quae pertinent ad Societatem Humanam sed quae ad Divinam Religionem That in this Kings do serve God in their places if in their Kingdoms they command good things and forbid evil viz. not only those which belong to Humane Society but also to the Religion of God So then as this is thus the Charge and Right of Princes and particularly to see that Religion be preserved in its consistency with Government so also on the other hand they are obliged both in the Court of Conscience and in the Supream Court of Heaven to see that their Government be kept in Consistency with Religion The Kingly Prophet calls to the Kings and Judges of the Earth Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son least he be angry And Christ in the New Testament Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so the same shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven And that this is thus on both hands the Charge and Right of the Supream Magistrate it is also further evident both from the Law of Nature and the Divine Law and that also of Nations Who by compact and general agreement in relation to these things treat only with the Supream Magistrates of Countries as the persons most properly concerned in them So in all Counsels and Synods Ecclesiastical Oecumenical and others and that even in the Papacy its self Princes are first solicited by admonition to Assent and to send their Divines And their Embassadors come to those Assemblies also for the declaring and securing of their several Masters Rights before the Assemblies themselves be opened and matters passed Authoritatively in them The conclusive explications of the positive part of the Question subjoyn'd VIII This then being the affirmative part in this matter Let us come last of all to subjoyn our further and conclusive explications of it as was mentioned And that briefly The first conclusive and explicatory proposition IX And the first of those is That this Charge then of the Supream Magistrate is Primarily and Principally to be looked after by him And that because it is his Supream Charge in respect to the dignity of the thing and more eminently committed to him by God and the greatest of any that can possibly be put into his hands in this world it containing the sum of all Divine and Humane Affairs In Principe Cap. 4. as is said Habent Principes quae eo pertinent sayes Cicero Varios Actus conciliorum temporum in summa rerum administranda haec gravem curam diligentiamque desiderat quam ipse Princeps sustinet That Princes have divers Acts both of Councels and Times which belong to their Office in the administring the sum of Affairs and this sum of all which the Prince sustains requires a great care and diligence for the management of it The second X. The second Conclusive Explication is that this great Charge of the Magistrates is perpetually and constantly to be looked after as the wakeful Dragon watch'd over the Golden Apples of the Hesperides And that both because God hath appointed Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government to be kept up and maintained perpetually in the world and so long as mankind shall endure in it and also because these things are perpetually in danger as hath been mentioned And there hath been scarce any more prevalent means then the pretence of Religion by which innovators in all States have arrived at their ends and scarce any Civil War which is the worst of all Wars but what hath either been begun or maintained by it against the Soveraign Prince All Histories are full of examples in this matter And the Soveraign Prince in any society had need beware of the like future attempts as Sea-men of the approach of a Spoute at Sea The third XI To these ends then there is a necessity of the Magistrates using the means for his accomplishing them Media ordinantur ad finem In Gods very having appointed the Magistrate to arrive at the end he hath implyed and included the appointment of his use of the means to that end And those means he is obliged to use both as these things are his charge committed to him by God and also as they are his Right and respect his own welfare particularly and also as they respect the welfare of his Subjects Supra Cap. 1. §. 12. and Cap. 3. §. 17. and the Common Good which hath been said to be the last end of all Humane Society The fourth XII The consistency of Religion in its relative consideration with Government includes the welfare both of Religion and Government simply and separately taken because by its very being rendred inconsistent with Government whether imprudently or maliciously whether being used as a means to serve mens ends or not both it is falsified and Government is at least endangered and always in some degree or other hurt and perhaps somtimes totally ruin'd And in relation to these respects of these things principally we treat of them in our following discourse XIII And lastly the means necessary to be used by the Prince The fifth and last conclusive explication for the preservation of the welfare of these things in any Society are the Laws of an Vniformity in Church matters in some kind or other in such a Society And to prove this and explicate what the Laws and Rights of such an Vniformity are The conclusion of the First Book An earnest wish that Princes may take that special care which they ought to see that their Government consist with the True Religion both generally and particularly will be the great intent of what we shall say hereafter XIV In the interim we shut up this First Book with earnest wishes and prayers That as God hath committed it to Princes to see that Religion consist with Government so he would direct and inspire them to take that special care that it behoves them to see that their Government also consist with the True Religion And that not only negatively that it do not hurt it but positively and eminently that it may eminently help it By this they will create in their Subjects minds a more sacred veneration towards them and render themselves in
Chytraeus and others And the like also by Georgieviz amongst the Turks And the like by others which are in use also in other Churches And the like account do De Rubeis Durantus and the other Rationales of the Church of Rome give of their too numerous company of Ceremonies and under the Law of Moses God himself appointed those of the Judaical Church for this end mention'd and such others To this end also amongst others have all Priviledges and Immunities been conferr'd on Ecclesiasticks Those so conferr'd by Moses his Law and amongst the Heathens of all Countries and in the Christian Church The Code and Novels of Justinian and the Theodosian Code are full of them The like are to be seen in the Lawes of Charlemaine and which are in use at this day amongst the Russians and others and conferr'd on Church-men and Churches and the like also have been the ends of the Celebration of Publick Festivals of all sorts And lastly this is one great end of the Celebration of all Sabbaths whether real or pretended in their several kinds Of the Friday's Saturday's and Sunday's at this very day amongst the Jewes Christians and Mahometans And last of all God himself appointed Moses to exercise his very Political Government by the Divine Lawes and dictates of his own mouth and the Persian and Turkish Mahometans Govern by their Alcoran pretendedly in like manner and the Church of Rome by it's unwritten Traditions in a great part at this very day And as these things have been Constituted for the upholding of the honour of Religion positively so negatively in the same manner also have all things been prohibited which have detracted from it By the Divine natural Law of Moses the Blasphemer the Idolater the person having a familiar spirit the Wizard the Witch and the like were to be stoned to death And as Bertram and others vulgarly observe these weighter causes as respecting the Civil State as well as purely the Ecclesiastical were determined by the seventy and the chief magistrate presiding and swaying ultimately in the determination of them Next to Moses the like humane Lawes are advised by Plato in his books of Lawes He gives Charge That the Citizens of his Commonweal That they may the better obey their Governours be instructed in the Doctrines of Gods vengeance on those that do ill and of his favour and good-will towards them that do well Ibid Dial. 9. And he condemns Sacriledge to death and the like If we look into the Christian Church Vid. Can. 69 70 71 72. in the first place those Ancient Canons called the Apostles depose and excommunicate either Clericks or Laicks who should practise any Rites of the Jewes or Gentiles So also the Roman Civil Law pronounceth it to be Crimen Publicum a Crime against the Publick L. Nemo ea C. De Paganis Sacrificiis templis L. Manichaeos seu Manichaeos C. De Haereticis Manichaeis Samarit Vid. C. lib. 9. De maleficis Mathemat Caeteris simil L. Nullus L. eorum L. nemo L. multi c. Et Novel 77. in Praefat. Cap. 1. Et Imperator Leonis Constitut 65 c. So much as to take knowledg of the Pagan Superstition and as such a Crime it condemns the Doctrine of the Manachees and Donatists and gives the reason for it Quia quod in Religionem divinam committitur in omnium fertur injuriam because that which is committed against the Religion of God is an Injury done to all So also it prohibits the Heathen Auruspices Augurs Soothsayers the Mathematicians of those times Caldeans Magitians Inchanters disturbers of the Elements and the like as Moses his Law doth It forbids Blasphemy prophane Swearing by the Haires of the head and the like usual Oathes of the times as the New-Testament doth The Lawes concerning these and the like things are to be seen up and down in the Code and Novels and the subsequent parts of the Body of the Law And the Doctors say that as Heresie is to be punished any where both because the Heretick sinneth against God who is every where and also because whithersoever he goeth retaining his obstinacy there still he sinneth so also that it is to be punished upon both accounts and as a mixt fault both against God immediately and also the Civil Magistrate And the like have been the Lawes of the later Christian Princes in their Dominions generally Disputat lib. 1. Cap. 12. And Machiavil spends a good part of a Chapter upon the proof of it how much Religion makes to the conservation of the Commonweal And that it was the cause of the Imperial power it's failing in Italy because of the innovations of the Roman Religion And he instanceth in the Heathen Romans Ibid cap. 13. Cap. 14. cap. 15. their often-times although he should have added wickedly even as to their false Religion using their Religion as a Politick Instrument in the times of Sedition at home and Warres abroad And the like many other things might be say'd to this purpose Therefore all Atheisme and lesser degrees of prophaness to be expelled out of Humane Societies De legib Diol 10. II. These things then being so no man will doubt but that all sorts of Atheisme and lesser degrees of prophaneness whatsoever are rightly to be expelled out of Humane Societies and that all the causes of these things are in order to it to be removed and the contraries to them to be established Of Atheists Plato assignes two grand sorts amongst men the one the secret and hidden Atheist the other the open and declared And because the Cognizance of man cannot reach to the secret one therefore he is necessarily to be left to God and the open one is to be extirpated by Humane Lawes There are also opinions concerning the Deity which amount to as much as direct Atheisme De legib Dial. 10. in princip such Plato recites to be that of Gods not taking any care of Humane Affairs and that of his being easily pleas'd and propitiated in case of Sin The like of late Grotius and others recite also De jure belli lib. 2. cap. 20. §. 45. instancing in these things And other lesser degrees of Prophaneness there are both in thought and external Action and the causes of both are to be removed although the things immediately cannot Publick contentions about Religion a grand cause of these things amongst men III. Many then are the Causes of these Enormities amongst men And amongst others in an especial manner ordinarily all open and publick contests about Opinions in matters of Religion Nam Ecclesiae dissentionem quovis malo graviorem Sentio sayd Renowned Constantine That he thought Church dissentions to be the worst of evils to a Common-weal and that for this very reason mention'd amongst others The matter of such Church contests then may be either just or unjust But as to the manner of holding of either If
vulgarly and popularly permitted they ordinarily fail not to produce those Enormities mention'd and that partly through the Infirmities and partly through the Corruptions of men Both which two Grand causes of all Mischiefs in Humane Affairs will be more particularly treated of anon Infra lib. 2. cap. 5. The Emperor Marcianus therefore gives the very Reasons mention'd of his forbidding these Contentions C. De Summa Trinitate L. nemo Clericus Nemo Clericus vel Militaris vel alterius cujuslibet conditionis De fide Christiana publice turbis Coadunatis Audientibus tractare conetur in posterum ex hoc Tumultûs persidiae occasionem requirens That none neither Clerick nor Military man nor of any other condition whatsoever should endeavour for the future to handle any matters of the Christian Faith with Companies gathered together and hearing of them and from thence seeking occasion of Tumult and Treachery And so the Emperours Leo and Athemius concerning those that were permitted to go forth of their Monasteries L. Qui in Monasteriis C. De Episcop Clericis Caveant autem hi qui ita exibunt ne de Religione vel Doctrina disputent vel conciliabulis praesint vel turba concitata simpliciorum animos seducant c. But let these beware who shall so go forth that they do not dispute concerning Religion or matter of Doctrine or that they do not head private Councels or stir up Companies Lib. 2. cap. 7. ad finem whereby to seduce the minds of the Simple c. And we shall come to describe and evidence more particularly hereafter how much such Religious contests make to the hurt both of Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government IV. In the interim contentions about matters of Religion The lawfulness or unlawfulness of Religious contests stated in the general are taken either in an ill or good sence and so are accordingly either lawfull or unlawful And that either as to the matter contested as was said just now or the manner of contesting it And as to either Lawful when they make either to the confounding of Hereticks or the cleering and advancing of the Faith and Unlawful when the contrary And so the Imperial Lawes determine in this matter But then the respects which such Contentions bear to Government and Religions consistency with it as well as those which they bear to Religion simply taken are to be supposed to be understood in this determination also V. The causes of such ordinarily unlawful contentions then The ordinary causes of unlawful Religious contests assign'd as we have mention'd and which are ordinary and common amongst men and therefore proportionably to be watched over by the Governours of all Societies are these that follow VI. First of all The first ordinary cause of such unlawful popular contentions the false application of the Immortal Notion of Religion to things i. e. when they are taken and voted to be matters of Religion in a more eminent Notion then they deserve and are prosecuted with zeal and violence accordingly And that whether imprudently and out of Ignorance or maliciously and for evil ends it matters not so long as both wayes they are so prosecuted with Zeal and consequently such a cause of Contention And these Contentions about such matters of Religion and as all other are ordinarily very sharp In Confess fidei Aethiop apud Damianum à Goes So Zaga Zabo in his Confession of the Ethiopian Faith recites it concerning the Portugals their branding his Country-men with the names of Jewes and Mahometans because of some differences of theirs about Circumcision and the Sabboth And Cromerus recites the like Poloniae lib. 1. prop fin concerning the Russians hatred of the Romanists Ista ut nihil commune habere velint cum Latinis That it is such as that they will have nothing common with the Latines De omnium Gent. Morib lib. 2. De Tâ—rtaria as they call them And Johannes Boemus Aubanus Teutonicus concerning the Tartars that Papam Christianosque cunctos Canes appellent they call the Pope Annal. Turcic lib. prope fin in supplemento Annal in quarto circa med pag. 134 135 137 138. and all Christians Doggs And the like Leunclavius concerning the Turkish and Persian Mahometans that their differences about their Prophets are the ordinarily assigned causes of their mutual wars That they burn the Books of one another call one another Hereticks and that it is a Maxim pronounc'd by the Turkish Mufti and held popularly amongst the vulgar That it is more acceptable to God for a Turkish Mahometan to kill one Persian then seventy Christians And such as we have mention'd are the Contentions many times in the bowels of the same National Church and about things either indifferent or dubious or else very remote from the Fundamentals of any Religion either True or False and so accounted to be by all but those that kindle the flames about them Such were the differences betwixt the Sects amongst the Jewes some of them mentioned in the New Testament So the Pharisees used peculiar kinds of Apparel R. David Sophon 1.8 and Habits They would not eat till they had washed their hands Matth. 15.2 They washed their Cupps and Potts Brazen Vessels and Tables Mark 7.4 They wore broad Phylacteries and the like And the Sadduces and others differed from them in such things Joseph De bell jud lib. 2. cap. 12. Philo de vitâ Contemplativa Josep ibid. Philo. ibid. So the Essens wore white Garments drank Water bound themselves by an Oath to preserve the names of Angels kept seven Penticosts in the year and the like The like Contentions also have been in the Christian Church nay they have cost Christendome more bloud then the Martyrdomes have done Such were the Contentions in the Primitive times of it's prosperity under Constantine and the following Emperours and mention'd in the Catalogues of Heresies and by Eusebius and others in their Ecclesiastical Histories Such those about the time of observing Easter Euseb lib. 5. Cap. 22.23 Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 14. Euseb ibid. cap. 24. about the manner of Fasting for difference in which Victor the Roman Bishop excommunicated no less then all the Churches of Asia and the like Such are those also amongst the remoter Regions of Christians at this day viz. the Greek Church the Moscovians Russians Jacobites of Syria Palestine and other places concerning the Celebration of the Sacrament with unleavened bread concerning Carved and Massy Images the substance of Angels and the like Such also have been the late Controversies nearer home about many points in Church Government and concerning the modes of service and the like But I need not say any more for the evidencing this matter since it is sufficiently observable from the experience of all Ages concerning the Heresiarks in several Countries and Churches when they have had any Heresie to spread or any ends
2. Cap. 7. §. 9 10 11. Ibid. §. 9. And what occasions they give to Atheism and prophaneness I shall touch upon also And I shall here by and by give an account of the benefits of Charity and Peace on the contrary to humane Societies and how much also they are commanded in the Scriptures In the mean time an Unity in matters of Religion is that that all men would have in Churches and Publick Societies All Laws and Councels all the publick writings of Societies and the private of particular men have ever made mention of it and wish'd it but none yet have sufficiently described what manner and kind of Unity this should be The New Civil Law mentions the promotion of it a thousand times and in all the parts of the body of it And in the Code of Theodosius Edictum quod de unitate per Affricanas Regiones clementia nostra direxit per diversa proponi volumus ut omnibus innotescat c. The Edict concerning Vnity which our clemency did direct to be published throughout the Regions of Affrica we will have published by the dispersing of divers Coppies of it that all may take notice of it says the Emperours Arcadius Honorius and Theodosius Cod. Theodos Lib. 16. de Religione L. Edictum and the like in other places And in other particular Laws of Countries and Territories although never so small The Laws and Statutes of the City of Geneva take a care That the people be kept and conserv'd in peace and unity See p. 2 3. The manner and form of the oath c. and that the Ministers do keep the purity and concord of Doctrine and the like So also the Ecclesiastical Canons of Councels and the other writings mentioned XI That then that is to be said here concerning it is Unity the Mother of Charity and Peace That unity in the general is the mother of Charity and Charity the mother of Peace And what kind of Unity it is that may possibly and ordinarily be attain'd to in matters of Religion amongst men shall be hereafter evidenc'd In the mean time Infra Lib. 2. Cap. 8. §. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. it is for these reasons mention'd and because unity is the productrix of such excellent things to Humane Societies that it hath ever been endeavoured after and pressed upon men by all Laws both Divine and Humane as is said Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity says the sweet singer of Israel Psal 133.1 c. And the prosperity of Jerusalem is compared to that of a City which is united within it self Psal 122.3 Jo. 17.11 And it was the valedictory prayer of Christ himself for his Disciples that they might be one And the Precept of St. Paul to the Ephesians to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace To this purpose it is also and for the promoting this unity that the Imperial Lawes call the Faith The Catholick Faith Vid. C. lib. 1. De Episcop Cler. L. Deo nobis Ibid. De Episcopali Audient L. Nemo vel in foro C. lib. 1. de summa Trinit Epist Joh Pap. Inter Claris ibid. eodem in residuo Epist Liquet igitur and the Church The Catholick Church and the Christian Religion The Catholick Religion and the like viz. for the begetting in men an unity by putting them in mind of their being all wholly of one and the same only Church of God 'T is this unity that there is so frequently an express mention made of in those Lawes Custodientes statum unitatem sanctarum Dei Ecclesiarum Preserving the State and the Vnity of the holy Church of God Et quae apud vos est unitas sanctarum Ecclesiarum inturbata servabitur And that unity of the Holy Churches which is amongst you shall be kept undisturb'd Et ad unitatem Ecclesiae reverti voluerint That they would return to the Vnity of the Church And Deum autem salvatorem nostrum Jesum Christum exoramus quatenus vos dignetur Custodire in hac vera Religione unitate c. we pray God and our Saviour Jesus Christ that he would vouchsafe to keep you in the true Religion and unity And as to all that Communion which is so much mentioned upon all occasions in the Apostolical Canons the several famous Councels of the Primitive times c. That is one sort of it which is meant that flowes from this unity which we have mentioned So then how farre forth such unity may make to unity of minds and affections amongst Christians and to Charity and Peace consequent upon it it will be declared by us hereafter more particularly in the several places of this discourse proper to these things A Distinction of Charity XII In the interim Charity is twofold 1. That which may be called Negative i. e. so far forth as it may be called such where there is only an absence of dissention and the causes of dissention amongst men 2. Positive And that is that which proceeds from a Positive and particular union of minds and affections Amongst the one sorts of persons properly Amongst the other improperly there may be said to be Charity and Peace following upon it And how much it is to be wished that both these especially this last and most noble sort of Charity both whether it be Christian and as to matters of the True Religion or only common and as to other things were amongst men we shall next evidence from the more particular Assignation of the benefits which such Charity and Peace will bring to the publick affairs both of Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government and how much also they are commanded in Scripture The benefits of Charity and Peace amongst men to the Christian Religion In Homil. 11. XIII We shall first then instance in the benefits accruing from them to the Christian Religion and those are many every wayes Charitatis cum sit proprium saith St. Gregory nutrice concordiam servare Composita conjungere dissociata dirigere Prava virtutes caeteras perfectionis suae lumine solidare quisquis in ejus Radices se inserit nec a veritate deficit nec à fructu inanescit That since it is the property of Charity to nourish Concord to preserve things joyned together to conjoyne things separated to direct ill things and to consolidate the other vertues by the light of it's perfection whosoever doth insert himself into it's Rootes neither doth go aside from the Truth neither doth wax barren of fruit And the like is that of Guicciardine Hist lib. 16. concerning the mutual peace of the Christian Princes Nihil Sanctius nihil magis necessarium nihil Deo gratius communi inter Christianos Principes Pace futurum video Sine hac enim Religionem Pietatem hominum mores in apertissimum perniciem ruere vel manibus
things which in themselves every way keep Religion in it's consistency with Government and which prevent the many occasions given to the corruptions of men by Contests Tumults and Warres and the like to render it inconsistent with Government And thus then by all these so considerable things it is that Charity and Peace are thus beneficial to the affairs of men and create even the Golden Age as it were of humane Societies XVI And then last of all And lastly how much they are Commanded in Scripture how much are these things also commanded in the Christian Scripture In the Law of Moses all the offices of Charity Love Mercy and Hospitality are strictly enjoyned to be practic'd in Israel Exod. 22.21 Thou shalt not vex a stranger nor oppress him And vers 22. Ye shall not afflict any widdow or fatherless child And Levit. 19. Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour vers 13. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale bearer 16. Thou shalt not avenge nor bear grudg against the Children of thy people 18. But thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self And Deut. 22.1 Thou shalt not see thy brothers Oxe or his sheep go astray c. And all these and the like particulars were enjoyned in the General in the second Table of the Ten Commandements And the like also in the New Testament The Peace-makers are pronounced Blessed Matth. 5.9 And love to God and our Neighbour is said to be causally the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 And Matth. 22.37 That on these two commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets And 1 Joh. 4.8 God himself is said to be Love And Christ sets it as his Badg and Cognizance upon his disciples Joh. 13.35 That by this shall all men know them to be his Disciples if they love one another And 1 Pet. 3.11 Seek Peace and pursue it And Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all men And Rom. 12.18 If it be possible and as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men Finally Moses his second Table is Eminently confirmed in the New Testament and the like to these things is the whole Tenour of the Christian Scripture See 1 Joh. 4.16 1 Joh. 4.20 21. Joh. 15.17 Rom. 12.10 Rom. 13.8 Galat. 5.14 1 Pet. 2.22 And therefore we are bid to love our Enemies Matth. 5.44 And God is called the God of Peace Isa 9.6 Luk. 2.14 and Christ the Prince of Peace And the Angels from Heaven proclaimed Peace upon Earth at his Birth and his Disciples appointed a Kiss of Charity and lov-Feasts and the like in their times for the preservation of these things in his Church And all the secular Lawes of Princes have ever call'd for Peace and Love in their several Societies upon these and the like accounts And although it hath been used by inconsiderate men in the World to have been accounted coldness in Religion if upon every trifling occasion concerning matters Divine not only the private but the publick Peace also hath not been broken yet these Scriptures and the constitutions of Religious Princes according to them will alwayes call upon them to lay their hands upon their hearts and to consider of all these things which have been mention'd both in relation to Religion and Government and their mutual consistency God write them in the hearts of men especially of Christians in all Humane Societies and let his Pen be the Pen of an Adamant and let his Writing never be blotted out CHAP. III. The description of the Rights directly belonging to men in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity And first of the Primitive Liberties both Civil and Ecclesiastical which belong to the People And first of the Civil and of its Right of being preserved I. THe distribution of the Rights directly belonging to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity II. The Primitive Rights of the People assigned And first of their Civil Liberty III. Liberty in the general defin'd and distinguish'd IV. Laws in the general defin'd and distinguish'd V. A Subject defin'd VI. And lastly the Liberty of the Subject defin'd also VII The worth of Liberty VIII That the liberty of the Subject ought to be preserved to him in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity IX The great reason of the restraint of private persons by Law I. THe division of the Rights relating to the matters of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity into such as relate to them The distribution of the Rights directly belonging to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity either directly or by consequence having been hinted by us above There are three sorts of persons amongst whom the Rights directly relating or belonging to those matters are also to be divided And that both primitively and derivatively more generally and particularly The first of those sorts of persons is the Prince or Chief Magistrate in any Society the second the Priest or Ecclesiastical Ministry as it is distinguish'd both from the Prince and People and the third and last the People viz. the whole body of them and as it is comprehensive of all besides the Prince both Clericks and Laicks in the capacity principally of Church members The Primitive Rights of the people assigned and first of their Civil Liberty II. We come first then to assign the Primitive and more general Rights belonging to those sorts of persons Of the derivative and more particular we shall treat hereafter And first the Primitive Rights of the people are to be laid down And those are the primitive Liberties or Latitudes which belong to them de Jure and of Right in relation to the Ecclesiastical Laws of Princes and their obedience to be performed to them And those Liberties also are either Ecclesiastical or Civil and we shall treat first of the Civil Liberty and that is the Liberty of the Subject in any State And we shall first unfold what it is and afterwards evidence its right of being preserved in the matters of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity Briefly Liberty in the general defined and distinguished De Jure Belli Lib. 1. Cap. 1. §. 5. III. Grotius then rightly defines Liberty in the absolute and most general notion of it to be Potestatem in se a power or faculty in any man of disposing of himself as he pleaseth But then as it is referr'd to men it must be meant of a moral not of a natural power for there is no such natural power as hath been said in men and such power or faculty may be restrained or tyed up two manner of ways Supra Lib. 1. Cap. 3. §. 10. either by meer force without right or else by the exercise of a right inherent in any one so to restrain it and then it is said to be restrained by Law Laws in the general defined and distinguished IV. Laws are those things by which all Government is exercised And they are either Divine or Humane The humane are those here concern'd And they are certain binding constitutions made by the Legislative Power in any Society Lex
hath suffered the debates concerning it to be ventilated in her Universities And as to these Doctrines and so farre forth as they are concerned here certainly that way of Tenent concerning them is to be looked upon as truth and as intended by the Scripture and accordingly to be chosen by all Churches which tends least to Division and most to the Promotion of the welfare of the Publick Charge of the Magistrate in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity X. In the mean time of all things in the world the Charge of the Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by these Lusts of men Of all things in the World the Charge of the magistrate is most likely to be invaded by them which have been mention'd in any Society and that because the places of Supreme Governours are alwayes accompanied in the most eminent manner with the great Adored Tria's of Riches Honours and Pleasures or at least are so commonly deemed to be and so the places of all other Governours also gradually and proportionably both in Church and State and the making use of the pretences of Religion and the rendering it inconsistent with Government is a most potent means for the wresting of a Governours Power out of his hands And the Heresiarks ordinarily in this Case as in all other are Ecclesiasticks or Churchmen for so sayes the Scripture it self as to matters concerning Religion That from the Prophets is Prophaneness gone forth into all the Land Jer. 23.15 And they are those that make all the stir in the World about these things Such Heresiarks heretofore in the primitive times of the Christian Church were Donatus Arrius Sabellius Servetus Samosatenus and the like mentioned in the Catalogues of Heresies and Ecclesiastical Histories and interdicted by the Code of Justinian Vid. C. Titulis De Hereticis manichaeis De Judaeis c. Et passim alibi and other parts of the new Civil Law The Ring-leaders of Sedition immediatly in matters Civil and whether taking occasion from these matters of Religion or other things ordinarily are Laicks and those aiming at the Supream Magistrates Throne and the things that are so Gay in their Eyes belonging to it And what is it that men will not do for a Kingdome Tullia sayes the Roman Historian Livius Decad. 1. lib. 1. stuck not to be the murtheress of her own Father and to drive her Goar-blood Chariot over his dead Body lying in the way to her Pallace that she might salute her Husband King in his stead And it is recited concerning Julius Caesar Apud Suâ—ton In Julio that he was wont alwayes to have in his mouth these two Verses of Euripides which he himself thus rendred sayes the Historian Nam si violandum est Jus regnandi causa Violandum est aliis rebus pietatem colas For if Right be to be violated for a kingdomes sakes It is to be violated in other things follow after piety Of all Persons in the World the Person of the Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by them also XI Of all Persons in the world also the Person of the supreme Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by the other sort of Corruptions conversant as was said about the Persons of men And so the Persons of all other Governours also gradually and Proportionally both in Church and State and that because Governours of all sorts and especially the supreme are the publick Persons that have to do with all sorts of men the life of the Lawes and the cause of the Execution of them the Formers of the Tempers of times and those that cross the grain of such as like not their Government And then it is no wonder if upon a thousand occasions there be the Spirits of male-contents rising up against them in all Societies The Conclusion drawn from all these things XII Last of all then All these things being so we must come to lay down but this one Conclusion from them And that is That how much reason then is there for the Supreme Magistrate in every Society to take all care possible and to use all due meanes for the securing his Charge from both these sorts of mischiefs which we have mention'd viz. Those which it is subject to both from the faults of Imprudence and faults of Malice and if he do not do it he cannot be said to discharge his Trust either towards God or towards his People either towards God in respect of his duty or towards his People in respect of their welfare and common good of his Society And this Supreme and Publick Charge of his also is the thing ultimately to be preserved by an Ecclesiastical Uniformity CHAP. VI. The more general Description of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers and which belong to the Cheif Magistrate and Ecclesiastical Ministry as their distinct Rights in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity I. THe First and Capital Distinction of the Persons concern'd in Government II. The Christian Church and Civil State are distinct Societies III. The necessity of difference of Order and Power in Governours IV. The distinction of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers flowes from the Divine Appointment according to the different quality of the affairs about which they are Conversant V. The Question stated Whether Church-men may have to do in the Administration of Civil Affairs VI. A Caution subjoyn'd VII The necessity of difference of Orders and Degrees of Churchmen and Ecclesiastical Persons in any Church-Society VIII The several Orders and Degrees of Ecclesiastical Persons mention'd in the Christian Scriptures and the Churches Power of varying concerning them IX The Rights and Powers belonging to the Ecclesiastical Persons as such X Erastus answer'd XI The Character of the Ecclesiastical Persons Function is Indelible XII The necessity of some Supreme amongst men XIII The Supreme Person defin'd as to his Political Qualification XIV And as to his Person and that is the Civil Magistrate XV. This Supreme Power is committed to him by God as Creator and Conserver of all things And what is the extent of such Power XVI For the discharge of his Trust in the exercise of such Power there is a necessity of his having an Indirect Power in Spirituals as a branch of such supreme Power conceded to him And the extent of such Indirect Power XVII That this Indirect Power is his Right both by the Law of Nature and Nations and the Divine Law XVIII First by the Law Natural XIX Secondly by the Divine Law XX. Thirdly and lastly by the Law of Nations also XXI The Question Answered Why the Ecclesiastical persons as such should not have Supremacy over all XXII By the Magistrate's Indirect Power in Spirituals he is appointed to be a Foster-father to the Church XXIII The Supreme Magistrate may commit the exercise of this Indirect Power in Spirituals to others The first and Capital Distinction of the Persons concern'd in Government Supra lib. 1. Cap. 3. §. 5. 1. HAving already distinguish'd Government
afterwards when they grew into a settled community under Moses Moses their first Captain that brought them out of Aegypt was both King and Priest Psal 99.6 And so also it was usual with them afterwards for the same person to be both High-priest and chief Magistrate And here is again another Error and non-concluding argument of Grotius concerning these things affirming that De Imper. cap. 2. §. 5. after Moses his time the Coalescence of the cheif Preist-hood and Supreme Magistracy in one Person in Israel was forbidden by a Positive Law of God And that because the Priesthood was restrained only to the Sons of Aaron and so a stranger might not come nigh it But what of that although a stranger might not assume the Priesthood yet doth this argue that a Priest might not assume the chief Magistracy surely no. And therefore the instance of Ozias his being prohibited to meddle with the matters proper to the Priestly Function given by him is not pertinent 2 Chron. 26.17 Ibid. And what thought he of Eli and Samuel See 1 Sam. 2.22 27 28. and Cap. 4.18 and 1 Sam. 7.15 c. and others afterwards were not they both Chief Magistrates and Priests at the same time in Israel Let Josephus be consulted concerning these things Antiquitat l. 5. cap. 12. Ibid. lib. 6. cap. 2. and he sayes that it was from Eli's Throne of Majesty that he fell down and brake his neck when he died And he quotes also Samuels speech which he made to the Israelites as their General at his expedition against the Philistines and his constituting Lawes and Courts amongst them afterwards as their Supreme Magistrate Neither doth Skickardus nor others who write of the things which did incapacitate any man from being King of Israel mention any such thing as the Priesthood amongst them And if the Testimony of Heathen Historie may be any thing in this business then Post Mosen etiam filius ejus Arvas Sacerdos Sacris Aegyptiis Justin lib. 36. mox Rex creatur sayes the Epitomizer of Trogus That after Moses also his Sons Arvas a Priest in the Egyptian Rites was Created King Semperque exinde hic mos apud Judaeos fuit ut eosdem reges Sacerdotes haberent quorum justitia Religione permixta incredibile quantum coaluere And from thenceforth it was alwayes a Custome amongst the Jewes to have the same Persons both Kings and Priests whose Justice being mix'd with Religion it is incredible how well they did together So that thus not only de facto but de Jure it was in Israel Let us pass then from the Jewes to the Heathens in this business As to whom first Divine Plato deserves to be heard Apud Aegyptos sayes he non licet Regem absque Sacerdotio imperare De Regno circa Med. c. That amongst the Egyptians it was not Lawful for any one to Reigne as King unless he were Priest also Nay if any of another Nation did by chance usurpe the Kingdome by force he was constrained after the usurpation of the kingdome to be initiated in holy Orders that so at length he might be both King and Priest Besides saith he farther Thou shalt find that in most of the Cities of the Greeks the cheif Sacrifices of the Divine Worship are committed to the Magistrate to be offer'd up by him And also amongst you sayes he to his Hospes in the Dialogue we may especially take notice of that for they say there that to the King being Created by Lot those of the Ancient Sacrifices which are most Solemne and accustomed to the Country are committed to be offer'd thus Plato And the like sayes Herodotus and Diodorus of other Ancient Nations Aenead lib. 3. and Virgil of Anius Rex Anius Rex idem Hominum Phaebique Sacerdos King Anius the same both King of men and Priest of Apollo And amongst the Romans Plutarch recites it of Numa In Numâ that he first erected the Colledge Pontifical and that he himself was the first Pontifex that ever was Decad. 1. lib. 1. And Livie sayes of him Tum Sacerdotibus creandis animum adjecit quanquam ipse plurima Sacra obibat ea maximè quae nunc ad Dialem Flaminem pertinent That then he applied his mind to the Creation of Priests although he himself did performe the most of Sacred Rites especially those which do now belong to the Flamen Dialis or Priest of Jupiter Decad. 1. lib. 2. And he sayes elsewhere also of the following Kings Quia quaedam publica sacra per ipsos Reges factata erant because certain publick holy Rites were perform'd by the Kings themselves Lib. 54. In Octavio Sect. 31. In Julio Sect. 13. Anastas Germon De Sacris Immunit lib. 1. cap. 9. n. 3. And at the coming in of the Emperours Dio-Cassius and Suetonius recite it of Augustus that he was consecrated High-priest And Suetonius of Julius that before Augustus his time Pontificatum Maximum petiit He sought the Office of Chief-Priest And of the succeeding Emperours it is said also that from Augustus to Gratianus all would be consecrated and called Pontifices Maximi as well as Imperatores High-Priests as well as Emperors Hist Eccles lib. 8. cap. 29. And Maximinus in Eusebius stiles himself Pontifex Maximus amongst the Rest of his Titles and many more Records there are of these things Last of all Let us descend to the Christian Church Martyrologiae 22. August v. Timothei And of the Christian Emperors sayes Baronius That although for the Heathen Roman Religions sake they took not upon them the Name of Pontifices Maximi as the Heathen Roman Emperors did yet they suffered themselves to be inscribed by that Name in their Coins and to be called so in their Panegyricks and the like Elogies made in their praise And at this day both of the Princes of Germany and others in Christendome there are several who are both Magistrates and Priests in their Dominions Vid. Bald. Cons 353 lib. 1. Panarmitan Cons 82. n. 4. lib 1. Cons 61. lib. 1. And what the Great Bishop of Rome is it is eminently known of whom Baldus Panormitanus and others his Canonists do Affirme That he is Supreme Lord in his Temporal Dominions and that he hath a Right of Creating Nobles and of doing all things which Kings do in their Kingdomes and whether this be likely to accrue to him by Succession from St. Peter and as Universal Pastor we leave it to others to Open. Finally Every Prince whosoever he be if he intend to hold his Dominions must of necessity and in many things be Supreme Priest in effect although he be not so by Actual Consecration 2. The express Lawes of Countries have ever conceded the same indirect Power in Spirituals to Princes Epist 8. Such would Plato in his Epistles have granted to them And up and down in many particulars in his Books of Lawes Polit. lib. 6. cap. 8. n. 41.
his more general way and kind also as he stood in his capacity more without the Church And this is that grand Branch of the Magistrates Supreme Power over all here to be asserted and which is one main Pillar of this Discourse XXI The Question The Question answer'd why the Ecclesiastical person as such should not have Supremacy over all or Querie that is here made then by the Roman Canonists and others viz. Why the Ecclesiastical Person for the Churches sake committed more particularly and immediatly to him should not have Supremacy over all and the contrary indirect power in Temporals as a Branch of it and so consequently belonging to him as well as the Temporal Magistrate the like Supremacy and this consequent indirect power in Spirituals which we have mentioned will be after these previous considerations laid down the more plausibly and easily answer'd by us In the interim this Supreme Jurisdiction over all in Church-men is the thing driven at by the Doctrines of two sorts of Persons in the Christian Church viz. The Chair and Conclave of Rome and aspiring Consistories and Synods of Presbytery as they are stated and desired by some And by both these if not professedly yet at least in the issue and effect of things as hath been said already But we come to give only three weighty reasons for the Civil Magistrates Supremacy And those are 1. Because the natural intent of the Civil Magistrates office imports it Which primarily is the conservation of Humane Society specifically taken and as contradistinct to Church Society and the governing men in their primary capacity of men But Humane Society is the foundation of all Church Society and without which that Church Society cannot subsist And the Ecclesiastical Person governs men only in their secondary and additional Capacity of Church-members or Christians where the Christian Religion is professed And therefore the Supremacy from the nature of things inevitably and necessarily belongs to him who governs men in their Supreme and first Capacity Contra parmen lib. 3. Non enim Respublica est in Ecclesia sed Ecclesia in Respublica sayes Optatus Milevitanus The State is not in the Church but the Church in the State And Aristotle Polet lib. 3. cap. 1. n. 5. Atqui ridiculum fuerit absurdum putare ut ii Magistratu careant qui sint Authoritate summa praediti That it would be a ridiculous thing and absurd to think that they should want a Magistracy who are endued with the Supreme Authority Ibid. lib. 3 cap. 4. n. 26. in princip And elsewhere Maximus autem ubique Magistratus aestimatur civitatis administratione quae nihil aliud est quam ipsa Respublica That the Magistrate was accounted every where to be the uppermost in the Administration of the Citie which is nothing else but the Common-weal And so all that proceed by the light of Nature For the Superiority of the Ecclesiastick neither in all Humane Affairs nor consequently in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity was never known nor heard of in the World for ought appears by any extant Monuments of Humane Affairs 'till the claim laid to it by the Popedome and that by vertue of the pretended Divine Law on it's side 2ly The Divine Natural Law of God hath constituted the Civil Magistrate as Supreme over all accordingly also And so it was upon the account of the first Fathers being Fathers that they had by that Law and the voice of God from Heaven as was said above Dominion and Rule over their Children Lib. 1. Chap. 3. §. And it was upon the account of Moses his being Civil Magistrate that he was constituted Supreme over all Israel And so it was also in the succeeding Judges and Kings of Israel And the Prophets called Kings the Nursing Fathers and Queens the Nursing Mothers of the Church Isa 49.23 And cap. 60.13.16 c. And the like accordingly in the New Testament Christ himself the eternal Head of his Church and who is above all Principalities and Powers in Heavenly places Matth 17.24 25 26 27. Matth. 22.16 17 18 19 20 21. Mark 12.14 Rom. 13.4 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Lib. 1. cap. 3. §. 12. 1 Pet. 2.13 paid Tribute to Caesar and taught his Disciples that Lesson And St. Paul layes down the Universal good of mankind as the end of the Civil Magistrate his executing of his Office and exhorts that Prayers and Supplications be made first of all for Kings that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty And St. Peter as was said above calls Kings the Supreme amongst men And in all these and the like instances and places of both Testaments there is a concession of the Supremacy in Humane Societies either express or supposedly made to the Civil Magistrate 3. The third and last Argument for it is from the consequences of the contrary in respect to the Civil Magistrates Office For let but the Ecclesiastical Person be once constituted as Supreme and then presently he will and must of necessity claim an indirect Power in Temporals sufficient for the supporting of that his Supremacy 'T is the very thing which is done by the Roman Pontife◠at this day Vid. De pontif Rom. lib. 5. Cap. 5.6 c. and which is maintain'd by Bellarmine and the other Champions of that Sea and then this indirect power in Temporals being conceded to him it will give him ability of invading the Office of the Civil Magistrate And then the corruptions of men being considered and the Mundane Honours and interests which belongs to the Office of the Magistrate as was mentioned above being propos'd as a Temptation to the Ecclesiastical Person lib. 2. cap. 4. §. 7 8 9. he will be alwayes converting into the Civil Magistrate and injuriously usurping the Temporal Splendors of his office Nay he must of necessity possess them for the support of his Ecclesiastical Supremacy and so in the end the very Office it self of the Civil Magistrate will be quite extinguished and swallowed up by the Supremacy of the Ecclesiasticks In his Defence of the Right of Kings An instance of these things is to be seen also in the Bishop of Rome King James objects to him that at the first he was but the poor parish Priest of his Church in Rome but that now he was grown to a Supremacy over Kings an Universal Pastorship c. And this is also farther to be observed concerning him that although he possesseth all the splendors belonging to the office of the Civil Magistrate He dispenseth the great Offices of State he is serv'd in a more magnificent manner then most Temporal Princes in the World yet scarce any such thing as the Supreme Civil Magistrates Office is own'd to be sustained by his Person but all is absurdly and against the nature of things given out as belonging to him one way or other at least principally as St. Peters Successor But
now on the contrary if the Civil Magistrate hold the Supremacy there is no such danger of the like perpetual injury and of his usurping or extinguishing the Ecclesiastcal Persons Office There being no such worldly splendors belonging to it neither superiour nor equal to those of the Magistraties own Office to be a temptation to him to usurpe it So then this distinct order of Persons and Power which hath been mention'd and which is appointed by God and Nature being preserved and kept up in the World and particularly in the Uniformity of Churches there will follow no such confusion of things nor destruction of the right and natural order of them appointed for the governing of the World and the welfare of mankind in all Ages as hath been mention'd but if the contrary disorder be attempted the contrary confusions and absurdity in things accordingly will necessarily follow By the Magistrates indirect Power in Spirituals he is appointed to be Foster-father to the Church Is 49.23 Prov 8.15 16. Psal 2.12 Dan. 2.31 The Supreme Magistrate may commit the exercise of this Indirect Power in Spirituals to others XXII In the interim by this the Magistrates indirect Power in Spirituals which I have here all along mentioned he is appointed by God to be a Nursing Father to the Church Which he should never forget to be considering that it is by God that Kings Raign and by him that Princes distribute Justice He should kiss the Son least he be angry or else he that hath broken in pieces the Head of Gold the Brasse and the Iron and put a period to the greatest Monarchs in the World can also in a moment put a period to any temporal Princes power whatsoever XXIII Last of all the Supreme Magistrate in any Ecclesiastical Uniformity may commit the exercise of this his Indirect power in Spirituals to the Governours of the Church under him And there is a necessity of his acting by others in this kind as well as in any other because himself is not able to bear the whole burthen alone And the more directly things tend towards the nature of purely spirituals and the more neerly by consequence that they concerne the Church the more fit it is that where the Church is Incorporate into the State they should be put into the hands of Church-men to manage the respects only which have been mentioned Hic Supra §. 5. being kept up to humane Society in the mean time So then to Church-men principally they should be committed in Ordinary The power of inspection over the Church-men being only reserved to the Prince himself and the Liberty of Appeals to him from them in any case happening being granted to the Subject And this is the case of the Church Governours and the Index Ordinarius or Ordinary in England And of the like also in other Churches CHAP. VII The Proposition asserted that Humane Condition in this World being considered there can be no such thing indulged really in any State or Common Society of men as a loose and open Toleration of venting and disseminating of Opinions in matters of Religion without deadly Feuds and Contentions in that Society and the dissolution of it in the end by those Feuds and mens falling together by the Ears and to Warre one with another The dispraise of such and the like Feuds and Contentions And how they make to the hurt of Religion and also of Government and also of the consistency of Religion with Government and how much they are forbidden in Scripture The Conclusion drawn from all these things I. FIrst What is meant by an Opinion in matters of Religion explained II. What is meant by a loose and open toleration of divulging such Opinions explained also III. The things here to be considered of as accompanying Humane Condition in the World assigned IV. The proof of the main Proposition from three Considerations of things V. First from the Aptness of men to entertain opinions in matters of Religion VI. Secondly From the infinite variety of these Opinions amongst them VII Lastly From the Array in which they go forth to the propagating and defending of these their opinions VIII The more particular mischeifs of Opinion-Contests to the affairs of Humane Societies IX First To Religion X. Secondly To Government XI Thirdly To the Consistency of Religion with Government XII And Lastly How much they are forbidden also in Scripture XIII The general Conclusion subjoyn'd to all these things What is meant by an Opinion in matters of Religion explained Supra lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 4 5 6 7 8. I. THe Causes of mens contesting their Opinions in matters of Religion being above described we come here to describe the effects of their divulging and such their consequent contesting of them in any Society And those we do assign to be deadly Feuds and Warres amongst men and finally by them the ruine and confusion of any such Society First of all then we shall explicate what we mean here by an Opinion it self in matters of Religion And an opinion is taken either properly De Repub Dial. 5. ad finem or improperly And strictly taken in the General sayes Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is a middle thing betwixt ignorance and knowledge And that because of the doubtfulness of the mind in assenting to the particular matter of such an opinion And if we farther distinguish it it is taken either effectively for the weak and doubtful assent of the mind it self to any Proposition and so Est actus Intellectus declinantis in unam partem contradictionis cum formidine alterius Secunda Secundae Quaest 1. Art 4. sayes Aquinas That it is an act of the intellect inclining to one part of the contradiction with a fear of the other its being true also Or else objectively for that sence of the Proposition which is so assented to But we understand not an Opinion here in this proper sence of it but improperly and more largely and that is for any Judgement whatsoever held by men concerning things in matters of Religion And the Truth is The vulgar heads amongst men in Relation to whom principally we mention contesting of opinions up and down in this discourse do seldome entertaine any Judgment in matters of Religion purely probably and opinionatively as the Terme is properly taken But partly from the shortness of their own Eyesight and their want of farther insight into things and Arguments pro and con concerning them and partly from the little experience they have of the uncertainty and difficulty of many matters of Knowledge and Study and how many times men do upon farther search and tryal of both sides recant their first thoughts concerning them and partly from the influence which the present sence they have of things hath upon them especially the Sacred Notion of Religion accompanying it and overbearing them from these and the like causes they judge all things that they have but any notion and
apprehension of to be certain and as if there were no opposition to be made against them and that because they have none to make themselves And these are the common Rout who have ordinarily these Judgements and Opinions sowed as a man would sow seed in a field upon any occasion amongst them and who are accordingly also hissed on by others to the contesting of them In the mean time they who are of deeper and abler heads in any Society and who ordinarily see cause in most things to be of more Temper either the one sort of them they do charitatively and honestly acquiesce and think that by doing so they do their duty for it is most certaine that as Mr. Chillingworth sayes there be many things in Religion Against Knot the certainty of which will not be known 'till the day of Judgement nor is it any great matter whether it be or not Or else the other sort of them like cunning men Heresiarks and Ringleaders of Sedition as we mentioned above they do gather a company with Corah Lib. 2. cap. 4. §. 6. c. and muster them up in the defence of the opinions entertained by them even to publick Feuds and Warres themselves and the other dire effects of these things just now pointed at by us So then such a Judgement of men in matters of Religion so confided in by the one sort of those mentioned and so ordinarily made use of by the other is that which we here first of all more expresly and hereafter in like manner frequently call an Opinion II. We shall explicate also What is meant by a loose and open toleration of divulging such opinions explicated also what we mean by a loose and open toleration of mens venting and divulging such their Opinions And by it is meant a Toleration over which there is no restriction nor Government held at all by the Governours either in Church or State in any Society No not so much as by a private under-hand ballancing of those opinions which are suffered so to be vented and disseminated And this kind of toleration is it also which we do oppose to that kind of unity in matters of Religion Lib. 2. cap. 1. §. 9 10. Infra Lib. 2. cap. 8. §. 5 6 c. which is above mentioned and which unity will be interpreted to be the same with an Ecclesiastical Uniformity which will be mentioned hereafter and treated of more particularly in the Third and last Book belonging to the Body of this Discourse And this Toleration it is which we do here affirm cannot the condition of men in the world being considered be permitted in any Society without those dire and dreadful effects mentioned following upon it III. The things to be here considered of as accompanying Humane Condition in the World assigned Lib. 2. cap. 4. §. 1 2 6 c. Lib. 2. cap. 1. §. 4 5 6 7 8. The things to be here considered of then as accompanying humane Condition in the World and in order to the proof of our proposition by and by from the consideration of them are more generally the two grand Causes of all mischiefs in humane affairs mentioned by us above viz. The Infirmities and Corruptions of men and more particularly the ordinary causes of Religious contests assigned as we said just now above also And that whether they proceed from either of those more general causes in men IV. We descend then from these things to the proof of our maine proposition The proof of the main Proposition from three Considerations of things That it is impossible for any purely loose toleration of divulging of opinions to be permitted in any Society without the destructive effects mentioned to be consequent upon it and that I shall prove from these three considerations of things in conjunction one with another First from the aptness of men to entertain opinions in matters of Religion V. First of all from the aptness and readiness of men to hearken after and conceive and entertain opinions in matters of Religion It is true in relation to all affairs in the World whatsoever That Humane Nature is greedy of Newes and delights to know any thing which is Rare and Curious Pythagoras olim quid senserit quid acutus Chrysippus vel quid Priscus Anaxagoras Scire etiam quid Protagoras Zenoque Platoque Tradiderint quid Magnus Aristotles Scire etiam quotnam fuerint Bacchique Jovesque c. What Pythagoras thought heretofore and what acute Chrysippus or what Ancient Anaxagoras To know also what Protagoras and Zeno and Plato Did deliver and what Great Aristotle To know also how many Bacchuses and Jupiters there were c. And if so in all other matters then much more in matters of Religion which some of them do indeed most of all things in the World concern men and belong to them to know viz. such as are Fundamental and necessary to their eternal welfare in another world and others which pro hic nunc are either in a lesser or greater degree requisite But the vulgar amongst men do use to entertain all things that bare but the name of matters of Religion and are cry'd up amongst men for such under these Notions and be they otherwise never so purely speculative or dubious or not enjoyned in Scripture or any wayes remote from the Foundation and the like and so impertinent for them to be so sollicitously busied about And no wonder then if they desire to know them and are so ready to entertain Opinions concerning them Secondly from the infinite variety of these opinions amongst them VI. Let us adde to this the consideration of the numerous multiplication and encrease of these Opinions in men which doth follow upon their thus greedily harkning after the entertaining them Scarce any thing is ever brought into question but there are presently several Opinions formed concerning it and those presently are again divided and subdivided by the variety of Heads amongst men Quot Capitum vivunt Horat. Serm. lib. 2. Satyr 1. totidem studiorum Millia And Mille hominum species rerum discolor usus Pers Satyr 5. Velle suum cuique est nec voto vivitur uno As many heads as are amongst men so many thousand there are of minds And There are a thousand diversities of men and a variously different use of things Every one hath his will neither do men live with one sort of Wish And this variety of Opinions amongst men will not at all be wondered at if we look but to that infinite variety which is in Nature in all things whatsoever And as in all other things so in the natural and ordinary causes of men's forming their Opinions And those Natural and Ordinary causes become necessary also Positis debitis circumstantiis and the circumstances attending mens several cases being weighed as belonging to them Such natural causes of mens varieties of Opinions in matters of Religion and those so
necessary as is said and where there is otherwise no special direction of God are a thousand things in the World Their Masters their Books their Companies their Interests their Constitutions their Educations their varieties of Tempers and Distempers their degrees of light and understanding and other the like things in all the infinite particulars of them and all of them operating diversly in men The experience of all Ages will justifie these things and particularly the Histories and Monuments of the Christian Church have been a large Comment upon the Truth of them How many diversities of Judgments have there been and all of them accounted Heresies by the mutually contesting parties in matters of the Christian Religion In the Histories of Eusebius and others in the Catalogues of Epiphanius Philastrius St. Augustine and the like Writings it is to be seen And how have these been diversified over and over again in several Ages and Countries ten thousand times amongst men So that we need look no further for the illustrating of this second consideration then from these causes mentioned to their effects and from the effects back again to their Causes VII In the third and last place for the proof of our Proposition Let us go but one step farther Lastly from the array in which they go forth to the propagating and defending of these their Opinions and adde to both these also the consideration of the several qualities in which men come forth in Array as it were to the Venting Propagating and defending of these their Opinions when thus entertained by them and those are accordingly as they are accompanied either with the general Causes of all mischiefs in Humane Affairs or else with the more particular Causes of Religious Contests Hic Supra §. 3. And both these such as were mention'd by us just now and so some come forth accompanied with their corruptions cunning self-ends and worldly designes Others with their infirmities weaknesses and indiscretions the one sort of them being weak in Judgment and fit to be led and distinguishing neither of times nor persons nor things neither considering from whence things proceed nor whither they tend and the other sort leading them if they do not run fast enough of themselves to the accomplishing their several designes of Envie Anger Hatred Malice Ambition Avarice c. although in the interim as to the publick it be even to the ruine of all Humane Society And in the like manner are these contestors of opinions accompanied also with the particular causes of such their contesting them Those ordinary ones which have been mentioned and the like others and so some come forth accompanied with their hot fiery vehemence of mistaken Zeal proceeding from the potent influence of the unduly fixed and immortal notion of Religion on their minds and having an appetite to burn up all like stubble as it were that comes in their way Others with the mixture of their private Passions together with their indiscretion and furious Zeal Others with the mixture also of their adored worldly interests together with all these things And although perhaps the weaker sorts of these contestors discerne not even in themselves the private and subtile mixtures of these baser things in the mean time yet however the effects of them are never the less direful to humane affairs And now the great varieties and numbers of the mutual Thwartings of mens Opinions which use to be in the World being considered in conjunction with these things if all these things thus in conjunction one with another be not enough to bring any Community under Heaven to the distempers and ruins which we have mentioned if the swing of them be permitted Then Sphinx aliud fingat Let any man assigne if he can any more certain and effectual causes of those Distempers and Ruins even in the Civil part of Humane Affairs and where the potent influence of Religion mentioned is not in Conjunction with them And if there be an open loose toleration of these things where can they or will they stop but at the Sword which is the fatal and last way of determining all Controversies amongst men And if any toleration whatsoever proceed but so farre as to the predominating of these things then 't will be found experimented too late That the Tumultuous multitude and interests of men when in such a Posture are not to be ruled and then either one party must prevail and be uppermost and oppress all the rest and reduce them to a conformity to such Lawes to be held over their opinions as they shall think fit and then the loose Toleration is at an end or else all must persist to contend mutually to their final ruin and confusion Instances in these things there are innumerable if a man will but look into the Monuments of Humane Affairs In Euthyphrone vel de Sanctitate in princip Quae sunt igitur ea sayes Plato de quibus cum dissentimus nec judicare facile possumus inimici efficimur Iracimur Why Sunt justum injustum pulchrum turpe bonumque malum Haec sunt sayes he de quibus cum dissentimus nec possumus ad sufficiens horum judicium pervenire Hostes efficimur quoties efficimur ego tu ac demum homines universi What are those things about which when we disagree nor can easily judge of them we become enemies one to another and are Angry Why they are just and unjust fair and fowl good and evil These are the things about which when we disagree nor can come to a sufficient Judgment of them we are very often made Enemies one to another both I and thou and in fine the universality of men And it is that which Herodotus sayes of the Thracians In Terpsichore ad princip Gens Thracum secundum Indos omnium maxima est Quae si aut unius imperio regeretur aut idem sentiret ut mea fert opinio inexpugnabitis foret omnium gentium multò validissima sed quia id arduum illis est nulla ratione contingere potest ideo imbecilles sunt That the Nation of the Thracians according to the Indians is the greatest of all which if either it had been govern'd by the Empire of one or else could have but been of the same mind that his opinion was that it would have been invincible and the most potent of all Nations but because that was very hard to effect nor could not by any means be brought to pass that they should be so therefore they were inconsiderable and weak But let us look into the Church Histories both of the Christians and of the Jewes It was Jeroboams policie 1 Kings 12.26 27. for the dividing Israel from Judah First to divide them in their Religion and then he was sure they would not cement again Indeed the Jewes and Samaritans differ'd in some things fundamentally and to such a degree as might deserve contention In other things but only triflingly
Vid. Epiphan Tom. 1. lib. 1. Haeres 4. See Weemes his Christian Synagogue pag. 147. and Jo. 4 9. and for little cause especially in the after Ages and later times of their separation and yet their hatreds and implacable differences arose betwixt them in all things and even beyond any due limits The Jewes would not at all converse with the Samaritans nor eat with them nor wear the same Apparel nor write the same Character The worst they thought they could say of Christ was that he was a Samaritan and had a Devil They excommunicated them yearly by sound of Trumpet Vid Drusium de Trib. Sect. lib. 3. cap. 11. ex Ilmedenus They cursed them in nomine Tetragrammato In the Name Jehovah They sealed their Curses on Tables and sent them throughout all Israel In the like kind hath their dealing been with us Christians as it was with their Neighbours the Samaritans They call us Goijm The Abominable and Christ the Hanged God c. And if we look into the Christian Church the like have been the bitter Feuds amongst Christians themselves even amongst those that have been of one Civil Community and Conjunction and have professed to have been of one and the same Church of Christ The Church Histories are full of these things in all times and Ages where opportunities of them have been given Hist Ecclesiast lib 2. cap. 22. and 26. Ibid. Cap. 23. The Historian Socrates is witness what wrackings of Joynts sales of Estates Banishments Deaths c. were inflicted by one party upon another how they contested their Judgments and Opinions with Fire and Stripes even to egregious Cruelties and the Barbarous depriving one anothers dead bodies of Burial and to the Mutilating and Banishing and Murthering the Ministers of Churches Ibi. cap. 30. and the like how they gagged the mouths of them that would not communicate with them in the Sacrament and forced the Sacramental Bread and Wine down their Throats and stretched forth the Womens Breasts with Instruments and and Pincers and Sawed them off Others they burnt off with red hot Irons and Eggs made burning hot in the Fire and the like How they pull'd down the Churches of some Ibid. Vid. made the others swim with blood and the like It is a shame and would irke any one to read of these and the like things and all these and many more such have been the effects of the contesting of Judgements even in the Primitive Christian Societies Finally the several Martyrologies of Countries contain these things in Folio The late Sacred flames and intestine Warres of Germany France Ireland England and other Territories have been recent and fresh examples of them And in all these the predominating Causes of mens contesting their Opinions which I have above mention'd have run away with them furiously and put the several Societies into a flame And thus is the proof of the Proposition The more particular mischeifs of Opinion Contests to the Affairs of Humane Societies Supra lib. 2. cap. 1. §. 12 13 14 15. VIII So then as I have above more particularly described the benefits of that Charity and Peace which accrue to Humane Affairs from that opposite Unity which may ordinarily be held in matters of Religion so here I shall in like manner describe also those mischeifs that flow from these Dissentions and publick contesting of Judgments which are the effects of this loose toleration in the same matters and how much also they are forbidden in Scripture First to Religion IX First then how much they make to the hurt of all Religion whatsoever which Feuds Warres and popular Contests alwayes prejudice more or less but in an especial manner to the hurt of the Christian Religion which we still eminently referre to And as to that they create Atheisme and Prophaness and all manner of Scandals and Offences amongst men They blemish the Christian Profession both as to those that are without and as to those that are within they drive both of them from the very Profession either of them in any serious manner of the Christian Religion which they think from their beholding them amongst Christians maintains so ill things as such bitter and passionate Feuds and Contentions are The Jewes have a saying That the Christians predicate their Messias to be the Prince of Peace but that they themselves are ever at Warres As if like to what is said of Semiramis they carryed a Dove in their Banners but with a bloody Sword in his Beak And it is a true saying of the Lord Verulam See his Essayes Ess 3. of Unity of Religion and which the several Ages of the Church will testifie to that in respect to Scandals and Offences Heresies and Schismes have done by far more harm in the Church then corruption of manners Alike hurtful also these contentions and Opinion-Feuds are to the Practice of the Christian Religion And briefly whatsoever benefits we have recited above to accrue by Charity and Peace to it Lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 12 13 14 15. the contrary mischiefs in every respect we do assert here to accrue to it by these Contentions Instances and evidences of these things there have been ever abundance if I should stand to recite them Apud Socrat. Hist Ecclesiast Lib. 1 cap. 5. In his Politicks lib. 2. cap. 8. It was not for nothing that Famous Constantine burnt the Bills of Complaint that were brought to him by the Ministers in his time in the Christian Church And it is the saying of Contzen the Jesuite That all open Disputes amongst the Vulgar concerning either Points of Religion or Government do weaken the Authority of such Points at least by bringing them into doubt with men And the late Civil Warres of France were a great instance of these things See his History in the first and second Books and elsewhere the Warres lasted about fifty years and there were sayes Davila the Religious names of Lutherans and Calvinists Hugonots and Catholicks and the like to lead the front of them And it was said in a Proverb about Italy and in other Countries at the end of them That the Civil warres of France had made a Million of Atheists and thirty thousand Witches X. The like are the mischiefs also of these Opinion-Contests to Government both in Church and State in their several Spheres Secondly To Government They bring all the mischeifs and make all those several wayes to the hurting of the present lawful Governours and Government which are contrary to the benefits and to those several wayes by which those benefits accrue to them by the Charity and Peace above mention'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Aristotle Polit. lib. 5. cap. 3. n 17. Thirdly to the Consistency of Religion with Government And lastly how much they are forbidden also in Scripture That the States of Common-weals are sometimes changed without Sedition viz. by Contention XI And in like manner do they
and mutual Charity and Peace as to the matters of Religion mention'd in men and it is not so in mens separate and disjunct Practices of any Duties whatsoever therefore the unity of the use of such Publick Worship in all Societies deserves both in its self and as it relates backwards to and includeth in it ordinarily such profession as is mentioned to be look'd upon by us and assign'd also as the great secondary medium for such Charitative Communion amongst men and as a Testimonial to profession we shall farther handle it hereafter Infra lib. 3. cap. 11. §. 4. The things fundamentaly necessary to the being of these mediums assign'd And the Proof of the first proposition following upon it XIII Last of all then that there may be an Unity of this Profession and of the Use of the publick Worship mention'd and that both may be one in any Society it is evident that the objects of them and the things which they are conversant about as such unities viz. The Doctrine or body of Doctrines and the forme or way of worship mention'd must of necessity be One also And that because the Acts of Profession and the use of Publick Worship mentioned as to the kinds of them are necessarily determined and specified by these their objects so that this is fundamentally necessary in this matter And thus then and by these several steps of our Progression we are here at last arriv'd at the proof of our first proposition here to be asserted viz. That there must of necessity be some one Doctrine or Body of Doctrines for profession of assent to be made to and some one form or way of publick Worship to be us'd in Common and both these as a foundation for a medium or common means of procuring one Charitative Communion amongst men in the matters of Religion in any Society And by these means then it is that the positive Consistency of Religion with Government which hath been mentioned is to be effected Supra Lib. 1. Cap. 1. §. 4. And this positive Charity which they are efficient of includes in it the Negative And by these things also as they are external Religion hath an influence immediately upon Government as was above also first of all mention'd in the Body of distinctions concerning these things Supra ibid. §. 17. An Appendant question resolv'd XIV Here is but one question then to be resolv'd as an Appendix to these things And that is Whether notwithstanding that there be a variety of some such Doctrines or wayes of Worship permitted and consequently a variety of Communions held as to them in any Church yet however that there may not be some one communion held as to others sufficient for the Publick Peace in the mean time The answer is Affirmatively that they may be so And the world is full of Presidents in the case according to the divers respects of several things to it and the diversities of the occasions and necessities of Societies But then this inconvenience will follow that under those diversities of communions held as to some of those things the people lie more open and ready either to fall into any sort of fractions dangerous to the Publick of themselves or else to be led away by others Which thing if the present occasions of Societies will permit would be avoyded by all Governours And generally the means us'd to as much Unity as may be and as the Consistency of Government with Religion and the common condition of other Humane Affairs will permit in matters of Religion is best and most healthful for all Societies Upon this account it is That the voluntary Reductions of Societies and when they have made them purely by choice and good deliberation have been alwayes generally this way Vid. Decret Secundae Sessionis Concil Trident. The first thing that the Councel of Trent did as a Councel it was to confirme the Creed or Confession of Faith us'd in the Roman Church and in which all were to agree And the Reductions of that Church generally have been even to extreams this way The Church of England in her matters of Worship See concerning the Church-service prefac'd to the Liturgy have reduced the several different uses of Salisbury Hereford Lincolne c. to one only And the Canons and Decrees of Ecclesiastical Synods and Councels that have been in other times and Churches in these matters are frequently to be seen The proof of the second Proposition also XV. Our second Proposition then comes next to be prov'd in relation to the removal of Religious Contests and the procuring negative Charity and that improper sort of Peace at least which followes upon it And that briefly for that there must of necessity be a restraint held upon mens venting and Disseminating of their Opinions in relation to the effecting these things it is sufficiently evident from hence because there is no middle thing betwixt this holding some kind of restraint or other upon mens venting their opinions Supra lib. 2. Cop. 6. §. 2. c. whereby these things may be effected and the loose and open toleration of such the venting of them which we have mention'd and whereby all those mischiefs which such a restraint aims at the preventing of follow upon Humane Societies So that where there is a mixture of divers Professions in any Society either some such restraint fortified with Penal Sanctions must keep men from breaking the Peace by such their Opinion-Contests or else there is nothing remaining besides in totâ rerum Natura for the doing of it And hence it is that all Lawes have ever taken their last sanctuary at this restraint for the conciliating of the publick Peace in these matters The Lawes concerning the Deposition and Silencing of Anthemius Severus Petrus and others may be look'd into in the Novels of Justinian Anth. Coll. 4. Tit. 20. Nov. Constit 42. passim And the like in other the like Books of Laws and occasions of Countries And although it be true that a bare toleration and forbearance of one another mutually as to opinion-feuds may perhaps possibly be forc'd upon men by their own necessities in any Society at least for sometime and while the sence of their own miseries brought upon themselves by such their Opinion-Contests at any time is working them to a better Disposition of mind and condition in respect to the Publick-weal yet however that is seldome and when it is detracts not at all from these things since such a necessity in such a case as in the place of a Magistrate or chief Governour and effectually causeth men both to hold such a restraint over themselves and at last from the sence of their own Calamities to yeild to have it held over them by others The late confusions in England and their suggesting evidently to the contesting parties the necessity of their reception of their Rightful Soveraigne to govern them again was a great instance of these
the positive and proper part of this Uniformity also have been at least implicitly asserted to be a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy both vulgarly so called The two grand Instruments of it Lib. 2. cap. 7. §. 13. and comprehended above under the more general notions of some one Doctrine or Body of Doctrines and some one forme or way of publick worship And of both which more particularly hereafter VII Divers also have been the sorts and kinds of Ecclesiastical uniformity which have been made use of and setled in divers Societies Some have been faulty and in the extreame some Divers have been the sorts of Ecclesiastical Uniformity in divers Societies although not so yet have been more comprehensive of things enjoyn'd by them some less some have been Comprehensive of one sort of those things and some of another and in some Societies there hath been only the negative part of such an Uniformity VIII But yet still some kind of this Ecclesiastical Uniformity or other hath been alwayes endeavoured and made use of by the Governours of all Societies in their different wayes But still some kind or other of it hath been endeavour'd and made use of in all Societies And the Practises of those Societies and the Principles leading them to them Assign'd The first of those Principles the Light of Nature And because the practices of these Societies have further evidenc'd the perpetual and fundamental necessity of this Uniformity it 's being us'd as a means to the ends of it which have been mentioned I shall therefore here assigne some principal instances of those practices and the correspondent Principles also which have led me to them IX In the first place then The first Principle hath been the Universal light of Nature which upon the grounds and reasons which have been mention'd hath led men to the use and Practise of this Ecclesiastical Uniformity And the sway of this Principle also hath been proportionable to the Latitude of it's dominion in them Let the Times and Histories in the world be enquired into concerning it The second of those Principles the Divine Law X. The second also answerable to this hath been the Divine Natural Law And that of both Testaments both in the Jewish and Christian Church The Jewish Church was constituted in a national way by God himself Although diversly at divers times and in divers manners and according to the various condition of it But yet still God setled it in respect to the matters of Religion mention'd so far forth as at any time concerned either it 's present or perpetual occasions as to him and left the rest to the Chief Magistrate to do pro tempore and according to it 's emergent occasions So at it's first coming out of Aegypt the Scripture settlements that God gave it were in respect to Doctrines for profession of assent to be made to he enjoyned them the two Tables of Moses Exod. 20. and â—ap 32.15 c. and the several more particular explications of those generals afterwards dispersed throughout the Books of Moses And these were also partly Ceremonial and Positive as well as Natural And in respect to the uniforme use of Worship Exod. 25.8 9 c. Levit. cap. 1 2 3 4 5 6 c. he enjoyn'd them the service of the Tabernacle the two Sacraments of Circumcision and the Passe-over the several perpetual Sabboths and Festivals in Israel and the like And this was not all but he took care for the perpetual conservation of these Unities of Profession and Worship in that Society also He enjoyned his Commandements to be worn in Phylacteries upon their hands and between their Eyes as the Doctors construed that Law Exod. 13.19 with Matth. 23.5 c. vid. Maimonid in Tephil cap. 4. §. 3. Mos Kotseus fol. 104. fol. 3. c. Exod. 23.13 Ex. 20.24 Levit. 21.5 c. He prohibited all partaking in the Worship of the other Nations of the World nay the so much as naming their Gods the making Altars or using Ceremonies but like to theirs and the like He suffered no Gentile to dwell amongst them but such an one as was of one of the sorts of Proselites as they also construed his Law Nay they us'd the Proverb concerning them even in their ordinary Conversation vel ad Decimam usque Generationem a Proselytis Cave That they were to beware of Proselites even to the tenth Generation And these and the like things by their Magistrates were continued afterwards to Israel at their setling in Canaan in the time of their Temple Service and the like If we look into the New-Testament the Christian Church was not National for some Centuries of years after it's first founding by the Saviour of the World And the condition of it was to be altogether different from that of the Jewes before And the Scripture Mediums advis'd to generally for the effecting the unities mentioned were accordingly and those under the general notions of mens Coherence as Christians and the like And the uniting them also after those perpetual mediums setled in more particular wayes was left either to their chief Magistrates or Church-Governours according as that Church should come to grow or be setled amongst the Nations afterwards So our Saviour himself in the respects mentioned also amongst others commanded his Disciples to be one So his Apostles afterwards in their Writings propos'd him the Common Saviour as the foundation for all to cohere in So we being many are one Body in Christ Rom. 12.5 sayes the Apostle of the Gentiles And the God of Patience grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus Rom. 15.5 And but to us there is one God and one Lord Jesus And 1 Cor. 8.6 1 Cor. 12.13 Galat. 3.28 For by one spirit we are all Baptized into one Body And there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And Colos 3.15 let the Peace of God rule in your hearts to which also ye are called in one Body And so the whole current of the New Testament runs in this matter And last of all endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace sayes the great Apostle St. Paul further Eph 4.3 Ibid. ver 4 5 6. And how so why There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all The Scotch Divines to Arch-Bishop Spotswood Vid. De Pace inter Evangelicos procurandâ c. Anno 1637. in princip in loc call these Doctrinals Septem unitatis vincula c. And which should be so many incentives to Charity and Peace and so Calvin and others But then they can be so only to men in common as Christians But this
is not sufficient to hold them together in their more particular associations Thus these two Grand Principles then of the Natural and Divine Law have led men to the practise of these Unities mention'd and so have accordingly dictated and approv'd of this Ecclesiastical Uniformity And if men have oppos'd it at any time where it hath been just and lawful it hath been either from their weaknesses or corruptions as hath been mentioned it hath been either from their ignorance or Ambition or Intemperate desire of Liberty or the like when men have considered themselves in an absolute notion and not as members of a Society of a Christian or other Church Incorporate into a State XI We come next then these things being said to assigne the Practises of men also in this matter The practises of Societies also Assign'd And they will be evident from the principal Instances mentioned to be given in it And for the assignation of them we will take into consideration 1. The Ecclesiastical Synods and Councels held in the Christian Church apart by themselves 2. The several Civil Lawes and Constitutions both of it and of other Ages and Countries And the consideration of these things will evidence the consent of Nations also in this matter XII In the first place then for the Councels First from the determination of Councels held in the Christian Church Acts 15.6 c. and these we shall find to have been very frequent in the injunction of these matters of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity We will begin with the first Councel held by the Apostles themselves and mentioned in the Scripture and in it they upon a Contest arising prescrib'd a Body of Doctrines proportionable to the present occasions for Profession of assent and consequent practise to be yeilded to Vers 20.29 viz. That the converted Gentile should abstaine from Pollutions of Idols and from Blood Vid. Canon 38. Apud Carranzam in summâ Concil Vid. Can. 15. apud Carranzam in summâ Concil Vid. Can. 20. De flectendo Genua vid. Socrat. Hyst Ecclesiast lib. 1. cap. 5. ibid. vid. Vid. Can. 2 3 5 20 c. Apud Justell Codin Canon Vid. Concil Laod. Can. 18. Afric Can. 103. Concil Carthag 3. Can. 23. Concil Milev 2. Can. 12. vid. Concil Tolet. 4. Can. 2. Vid. Concil Tolet 6. Can. 3. Concil Constantinop 6. Can. 62. Vid. etiam Concil Nicaen 2. Actionem 7. sub fine Et ejusdem Synod Can. 9. Et Lateran Concil Can. 3. c. apud Carranz De Pace inter Evangel procurand c. 1637 in princi See the Confession of Faith c. And the Act of the General Assembly c. prefac'd to it And the Directory and the Advice of c. concerning Church Government c. annex'd to it and from things strangled and from Fornication Let us pass on from hence to the Canons called the Apostles The thirty eighth Canon appoints Councels to be Celebrated in those first times of the Christian Church twice every yeare ut Dogmata Pietatis explorent emergentes Ecclesiasticas contentiones amoveant That they might search into the Doctrines of Piety and more emergent Ecclesiastical Contentions We will go unto the first Nicene Councel when the Christian Church began to be National under Famous Constantine And there we have Seditions and Tumults and perturbations in the Church forbidden by a Disciplinary Canon There we have also one Uniforme Posture of Body commanded in Prayer to be observed by all the Churches There we have also the so well known Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proposed and enjoyn'd for all to profess assent to and the Famous Nicene Creed or Confession of Faith to be subscrib'd to We will go on further to the Councel of Antioch The first Canon of it is for the Uniforme Observation of Easter And several of the following Canons were shap'd for the cutting off occasions of Contentions in that Church Let us go on to other the like Councels We shall find in several Forms of Liturgies appointed to be approv'd of by those Councels and to be propos'd and enjoyn'd to the Churches Let us go on to others We shall find one forme of singing of Praying of using other Customes and Ceremonies and that throughout all the Churches of one and the same Nation and that also because the Congregations and Churches contained in the Nation were all of the same National Religion We shall find also those of divers Professions ordained to be prohibited and the Feasts and Rites of the Gentiles not to be tolerated and many other the like Canons in many particulars tending all to the uniting men to one Profession and to the cutting off occasions of contests in matters of Religion as might be more particularly mention'd And thus then the Christian Church as it grew in Age and Settlement in divers places grew on also to further degrees of Uniformity Finally as it hath been of Old so of late All Pacificators would have some kind of Uniformity or other The Scotch Ministers themselves in their Advice mention'd to Arch Bishop Spotswood for the procuring Peace in the Church would have an Uniformity And in England the very Covenant Synod at Westminster and they also as by their Covenant they say they were bound and in Conjunction with the General Assembly of Scotch Divines at Edenburgh were for an Uniformity And they intended their Printed Confession of Faith and their Directory for Publick Worship and their Advice concerning Church Government to the then Lords and Commons sitting in the Houses of Parliament for the effecting that very thing Thus then hath this Uniformity been the common vote of the Divinity Chaire throughout all Ages in the Christian Church And he that will see further Vid. lib. 1. Const 6. and lib. 2. cap. 54.56 and lib. 2. cap. 1 2. and lib. 7. cap. 34 35 c. Secondly from the Civil and Ecclesiastical Lawes of Countries may look into the Apostolical Constitutions of Clemens Romanus and many other Ecclesiastical Records and Monuments that bear witness in this matter XIII Let us come also to the Civil Lawes and Constitutions of Countries in the same matter And we will begin first with those of Israel in their unparalell'd Theocracy And God himself appointed in it his several forms both of Doctrine and Worship as hath been mention'd Nay Miracles themselves were not to be believ'd against them and the establishment of them Hic supra modo §. 10. Lib. 1. cap. 2. §. 14. vid. as was above mentioned upon another occasion And they had also their ordinary Ecclesiastical Conventions and Synods for the determination of emergent Controversies concerning these things and the chief Magistrate making use of them to that End and many more particulars might be mention'd After Israel follow the Civil and Ecclesiastical Lawes and Constitutions of all Nations in like manner and so far forth as there are Records left concerning them In the Assyrian and Persian
Common-weal or to have any House of Prayer In the 42 Constitution Nestorius Eutyches Arrius Macedonius Eunomius and others are deposed And the offence of Anthinus against the Ecclesiastical Canons is made mention of And afterwards he is banish'd from the imperial City or any other Great City that there might be Peace amongst the People and he might not spread his interdicted Opinions and the like If we go on in the 109 Constitution all are stiled Heriticks who are not of the Imperial Catholick and Apostolick Church If we go on still the four Councels but now mentioned are again appointed to be recieved And if we go on further it is argued that if the Civil Lawes which respect mens outward Security are to be observ'd then how much more the Ecclesiastical Canons which respect â—â—e health of their Souls and afterwards the Peoples not having learnt their Liturgies is taxed and the like Finally many more the like Lawes might be recited Let us pass then from these Volumes of Lawes to the Code of Theodosius And that proceeds also in the like manner in these things Let the Titles De his qui super Religione contendunt De Haereticis in the 16 Book and the like in other Books of it be consulted Let us go on from it to the Body of the Canon Law In the several parts of the Decretum in the Sextum Clementines and Extravagants up and down no man will doubt but that the Roman Uniformity and the Customes and Lawes of that Church are enjoyn'd It would be too needlesly tedious to make a particular recital of these matters Last of all the like also are the present Lawes of the other Christian Churches abroad in the world The Canon Law is taught in their Academies and many of it's Decrees and Constitutions tending to these things which we have mention'd See the Laws and Statutes in quarto pag. 9. Ibid. vid. are made use of for the regiment of those Churches The very Statutes of Geneva will have no strange or false Opinions against the Doctrine received to be admitted will not allow of Negligence in coming to Church to the contempt of the Communion of the Faithful See the Discipline of the Kirk Edit Anno 1641. alibi See in his Life By J. H. p. 188. Lond. 63. and the like And the like Church orders are to be found in the Corpus Disciplinae and amongst the Low Country Churches in the Discipline of the Kirk of Scotland and amongst its prescriptions And finally in the very humble Petition and advice presented in the late times of usurpation to Oliver Cromwel in England when he was coming towards his desired sitting down in the Throne In which was proposed a Confession of Faith to be assented to in matters of Religion and to be recommended to the People And thus then all these things will sufficiently evidence how all mankind hath conspired Universally in it's Laws and Constitutions in Societies towards this Ecclesiastical Uniformity and for those intents and ends which we have mention'd Last of all where this Uniformity hath been but in part or in small measure the Governours of Societies still as Controversies have arisen have been forc'd to come to further degrees of it XIV In the last Place then this one thing is further observable that wheresoever this Uniformity hath been either but in the Negative and improper part of it or else but in some small measures of the Positive there still according as Controversies in Religion dangerous to the Publick have arisen Princes have been forc'd to come to further degrees of it It may be at the first foundings of Religions or Churches those Churches have not been capable of any great degrees of it at least not in the way of National Churches as was the Case of the Primo-Primitive and Apostolical Christian Church It may be also otherwise that for Causes concerning Civil and Humane Society which is the foundation of all Religions Diversities of Professions have been for a longer or lesser time to a greater or lesser degree tolerated in some Countries as in Holland Poland and other Territories at this day and through the necessities of their several States But yet â—till and whatsoever Causes there may any where be of the want of the further degrees of this Uniformity all Governours have been forced to take sanctuary at it and those further degrees of it where Religious Controversies have arisen and for the allaying the furious heats of them and the begetting a charitative composure amongst men Vid. Praefationem ad Acta Synodi Dordrect This was the late Case in the calling the Synod of Dort in Holland and as the States themselves acknowledgâ— And the like other Cases also are every where to be found up and down in other Ages and Countries CHAP. X. What are the Extreams in respect to this Ecclesiastical Vniformity And what are the faultinesses in it I. THe Extreames in respect to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity distinguished II. The Extreams of too much loosness assign'd III. The extreams also of too much strictness assign'd IV. The Faultinesse in such an Uniformity assign'd also V. The first of them VI. The Second VII The Third VIII The fourth and last sort of faultiness THis only Natural way then of setling Church Affairs amongst men being thus describ'd The extreams in respect to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity â— Distinguish'd and recommended to Practise let us come next to contradistinguish it to it's extreams and to set down the faultinesse which may possibly be in it in any Society And those extreams as all other in respect to other matters are are those that lye on both sides of it i. e. 1. Those of too much loosness and 2. Of two much Strictness II. First Those of too much loosness are The extreams of too much Looseness Assign'd Lib. 2. cap. 6. §. 2. and §. 4 5 6. c. Ibid. §. 2. 1. The loose open Toleration of venting of Opinions which hath been heretofore mentioned and avouched to be finally destructive both to Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government 2. The way of Governing Church-matters by ballancing of Opinions i. e. by such an underhand ballancing of them as hath been heretofore hinted at also And which because it partakes not neither in the nature nor in the drift and ends of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity so as to deserve to be accounted any part of it therefore we here reckon it as one of these extreams Besides the properties of it are collusion with men in so great matters as those are in which it pretends an open Toleration but privately practiseth a restraint and in like manner also the Princes falsifying his Trust to God by his suffering all common Charity and Peace to be broken and which he is so much bound by the Divine Law to preserve Deuâ— 24.11.16 c. and by his owning no Profession of Christ in his way before men
there was a Liturgy taken in a special sence in use also i. e. some body of set forms of Prayer appropriated to both these sorts of services there is no reason in the world to doubt of it But that God should compose and constitute such a Liturgy at the first founding of the other Laws of that Society and with injunction of it upon future Ages it could not rationally be expected the variety of occasions of that Society being considered and which such a Liturgy was temporarily to be stinted to And however because such his composing and constituting of it or any part of it is not mentioned in Scripture nor in any other Humane Records of that Church that are extant and perhaps of such certainty as may be required it is no Argument at all that therefore there was never such a one or so constituted That there should be Synagogues in all the particular Parishes and lesser Divisions in Israel who will doubt but that it was approved of by God But yet we find no mention o◠them in Scripture and as constituted by any Divine Law What wonder then if not of the Liturgies to be used in them The sum of all is That the Records of that Church both Humane and Divine are in part at least lost and defective The Divine although not as to fundamentals of Religion yet as to many other things and the providence of God is acknowledged in the mean time to be sufficiently salv'd by the assertion And the Humane almost totally and in every part of them And so then we must be content to acquiesce in Rabbinical traditions and things of the like credit and in that number of them that is to be found extant also The like almost is the condition of the first Ages of the Christian Church There are but very few Records of its Affairs of those times remaining That the Apostles constituted Liturgies there is reason to believe although theirs were not National Churches but yet not with injunction of them neither upon future Ages That the Creed commonly called the Apostles was framed for general assent and profession of assent also to be made to it we have it from the general fame and tradition of the Christian Churches And that a form of Prayer was approved of it is evident from the use of such by Christ himself in his Agony Mat. 26.44 Luke 11.2 and from his teaching his own Prayer to his Apostles as a form and concerning some of the petitions of which some Criticks say and not improbably that he deriv'd them from some publick forms then extant amongst the Jews And divers other things might be mentioned But still and all these things being considered we do not see any reason at all for any absolute denyal of the being of Liturgies either in the Jewish or Apostolical Christian Churches VIII In the interim The present Liturgies that are abroad in the world we come to the assignation of the present Liturgies that are abroad in the World And as the Canons of Doctrines every where are actually conceded so they are supposed to be conceded since there is no being for any such thing as Religion in any Church without some one sort of Canon or other of those that have been mentioned necessarily co-existent with it and since there is no being for any positive peace and charity in matters of Religion ordinarily without such a Systematical Canon as hath been mentioned also and that also established either tacitly or expresly by the Authority of the Superiour Liturgy then taken either in a general or special sense is dispers'd at present over the whole face of the Earth Amongst the Gentues or Gentiles the Eastern Histories relate its being made use of every where Amongst the Jews also it is used in like manner as is evident from the Editions of their Publick Prayers in Hebrew Printed by themselves both at Venice and in Polonia and as is recorded by Manasse Ben Israel In his Vindiciae Judaeorum § 3 He Turcar. Ritu c. C. De templis seu Meschitis eorum Pandect Hist Turc C. gradus Legis c. Et C. Cudsimubar c. p. 243. 431. in Quarto De Aethionum morib in Confes Zagazabo passim De Abassinor Rebus Lib. 1. Cap. 22. alibi Vid. Orat. cum post reditum ex Austria c. circ med late in England and by divers others The like also is amongst the Mahumetans and is testified to by Georgieviz Leunclavius and others And lastly and in a more special manner the like is in use every where in the Christian Churches We will begin with the Abassines or Aethiopian Christians And their confession of Faith and forms of Prayer and of other publick services are recited by Danianus a Goes Godignus and others Let us go on from them to the Churches in Asia and as to them the forms of Doctrines and Liturgies of the Syrians Georgians Armenians Nestorians Jacobites and others are recited by Chytraeus in his Oration after his Return out of Austria and by the several Authors mentioned by Mr. Brerewood to that purpose and others Let us proceed from them to the other part of the Christian Churches lately extant in the West Indies And we may expect them to be conformed to the Roman or other Professions who have subjected them to them And last of all let us come into Europe and particularize these matters of the Christian Churches there And first in the Roman Church and the Dominions and Territories of Princes holding communion with it and so far forth as their affairs severally will permit In his enquiries of the divers sorts sects of Christians c. and of the several Languages wherein the Liturgies c passim we need not doubt of the existence of suitable forms of Doctrines and Liturgies framed according to them So in the several Principalities of Italy in the Romish parts of the Empire in the Kingdomes of Spain and Portugal and the like Next to that follows the Greek Church to be considered That is to say the Christian Churches now remaining in Greece and the Territories of that Communion adjacent and belonging to it And we are assured of their Horologies Liturgies Letanies In Oratione post reditum ex Austriâ c. in princip Masses and the like and of their Doctrines according to which these things are framed by Chytraeus and others Next to them let us pass on to the Russe Church it holding communion for the most part with them And their Doctrines and Liturgical forms are described also by Fletcher In his Hist of Russia Cap. 22 23 c. De Russorum Religione in Epist ad D. Chytrae Paulus Oderborinus and others And last of all let us come to the more North-West Churches called Protestant And in them also even in those of them that have separated farthest from the Church of Rome we shall find according to the several proportions which their
affairs bear to them these things So in the Church of Geneva The Laws and Statutes Lee the Laws and Statutes in Princip appoint their Evangelical Ministers to protest to receive and retain the Doctrines approved in the Church before they be admitted to the Ministry And in the Oath taken by them before the Syndieques and Councel Ibid. Paulo post p. 9. sub Tit. Here followeth the persons c. they are obliged to conserve and keep the Vnity and Concord of Doctrine and if any differences therein happen to refer them finally to the Magistrate and the like And although they prescribe a Directory onely both for their Church and Family Prayers in some particulars Ibid. in fine In the third Proclamation Ibid. sub Tit. The order which ought c. and as expecting by that sufficiently to provide for the Peace of their Little Territories yet of necessity they prescribe a form in other particulars and they no where declare against the use of Liturgy by other Churches The like is to be observed in the Churches of the Low Countries the Ministers are appointed to subscribe The confession of Faith and the Catechism used and authorized in the Reformed Churches of the Vnited Provinces See the Corpus Disciplinae Cap. 1. in princip Cap. 4. in princip Postea p. 12 13 14 c. and also the doctrinal Decrees of the Synod of Dordrecht in the Year 1619 and to submit themselves to the Synod And the Corpus Disciplinae sets down also their directive prescriptions for the celebrating of Divine Service and the forms of Prayer and of other things for the administration of Baptism and the performance of other Offices in the Church The like to these things also were those said to be presented to the High Court of Parliament for the Reforming of the Church of Scotland not long since In the pattern of Reformation See the Reformation of the Discipline and service of the Church c. Edit London 1643. was set down the confession of Faith used in the English Congregation at Geneva to be assented to and the prescript forms of Common Prayer and of other things to be used in the Publick Divine Service And the like things are to be observed in the publication of the Doctrine and Discipline of the same Kirk Printed by Robert Young Anno 1641. See the first Book of Discipline for prophesying c. alibi Curiosity of bringing in strange Doctrine is to be noted and the like And last of all the like things are in use in the present Church of England The Canon of Doctrine in that Church is that body of Doctrines which is ordinarily called the nine and thirty Articles and the Liturgy is framed according to it IX The History of the English Uniformity and of its Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy is here worthy the noting briefly The History of the English Uniformity and of its Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy See the Praeface to Rogers on the 39. Articles and by those that will the better understand the affairs of it The present Uniformity for the most part of it was at first set up by godly able and impartial men in the time of King Edward the sixth And they had this advantage at their then departing from the Uniformity of the Church of Rome That the Publick Affairs of the Kingdome and the present state of them did permit their fixing in a mean and betwixt the extreams in this matter And they endeavour'd it accordingly and have left their posterity to Glory in it to this day They were the words of a King who suffered Martyrdom in the defence of the English Church and the Religion establish'd in it and left this Advice and Testimony behind him to his present Royal Successour in the Throne See his Letter to the Prince of Wales I have tryed it and after much search and many disputes have concluded it to be the best in the world not only in the community as Christian but also in the special Notion as reformed keeping the middle way between the pomp of superstitious Tyranny and the meanness of phantastick Anarchy And many the like Testimonies in this matter of meaner persons might be added After the days of Edward the sixth and in the time of Queen Mary this Uniformity being intermitted at the coming of Queen Elizabeth to the Throne it was again revived and promoted In her dayes first began the Domestick oppositions of some of those of the Reformed Profession to be made against it And they quickly were made Popular and the Effects of them are felt to this very day The Grand Posts of Controversie have been the Episcopacy the Liturgy and the Ceremonies And the two latter it is evident in order to the subversion of the former And the Original of those oppositions made against them is judged by wise men to have proceeded from impressions received abroad by some of Queen Maries Exiles and especially at Geneva So sayes the wise and moderate Discourse Re-printed in the year 1641. Vid. p. 42. said to be the Lord Bacons The fourth and last occasion sayes he of these Controversies is the partial affectation and imitation of Forraign Churches For many of our men during the time of Persecution and since having been conversant in Churches abroad and received a great impression of the Government there Ordained have violently sought to intrude the same upon our Church c. Vid. passim And first published Anno 1575. and reprinted 1642. See the first and second Admonitions Aano 1573. Supra Lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 6 7 8 9. The Authors of them being Imprisoned See the Admonitions Answer See his modest and reasonable Examination c. Cap. 1. p. 21. c. See Mr. Sprints Cassander Anglicanus p. 1â—3 and his Reply annexed p. 269. And the History of these mens Conversation abroad is to be seen much of it in the Book called The Troubles at Frankford These Oppositions then being thus once made and made popular innumerable Pamphlets in the said Queens dayes flew about And amongst others those of the greatest note were the two Admonitions to the Parliament The Fallacies and other faults of the first of which were discovered by Dr. Whitgift in his Printed Answer to it And all these things being thus on foot the ordinary causes of such Religious contests heretofore in this Discourse mentioned must needs be supposed to work together with them on both sides viz. the Vulgars mistakes in Religion the collision of passions like Flints striking fire out of one another the mixture of worldly interests and the like and the weaknesses and corruptions of men were the oyl to all these flames Till the dayes of King James then these oppositions still grew on The opponents admonitions had been rejected before by Queen Elizabeth's Parliament the fallacies of them as is said discovered their making their Discipline a third Note of a Church derided with
are unjust That by the use of a Liturgy in a Church men are abridg'd of their Christian Liberty a part of which the use of mens gifts in Publick is not but it is one sort of outward actions And so also that the free use of their gifts is restrained and the like It is true variety and novelty delight Humane Nature And the more remote from Forms Publick Services in Religion are the more upon those accounts they are apt to take the vulgar and to seem diversly to them as Lovely Songs and the like And therefore they are the fitter Instruments for any Heresiark to make use of But he that will either settle a Church in the capacity of a Governour or else state his Case of Conscience aright◠in this matter in the capacity of a private person must consider the consequences of these things XV. The like to this also is the Question The Fifth Whether a Liturgy may be used with so much attention of mind and equal degrees of affection as a Directorical or Extemporary Service But the Question is not rightly put to argue the simple unlawfulness of a Liturgy For 1. Which of these two sorts of Services either Liturgical or Non-Liturgical may be attended at any time with the greater degrees of these things it is uncertaine according to mens several degrees of endowment with those spiritual gifts we mentioned just now If their invention of matter and elocution be so prompt as that it doth not take up their minds more then either the reading or the saying of a Liturgy by heart perhaps after a frequent and continued use of it then a Non-Liturgical Service may exceed otherwise not And as to the phrase of a Liturgy in this matter and its being Spiritual In some places it ought to attend comprehension of sense and Doctrinals and Gravity and solemne weightinesse of phrase to poise the mind in the use of it as well as altogether that which is affectionate or may be deemed Spiritual So the English Liturgy doth And so doth even the Scripture it self And last of all if the imployment of the mind may be supposed to be more Spiritual and within its self in the use of a Non-Liturgical then of a Liturgical Service it returns to this That in a Non-Liturgical Service the invention as it were hunts out for some present either phrase or matter which the eye hath formerly read and in a Liturgy the apprehension attends upon either the eyes present reading or the heart and memories present dictating to it And so what advantage may be from hence except on the Liturgies part we do not see It is true men are apt not to be so mindful of their imploying their affections and attention of mind in the use of a Liturgy as in Services where the faculty of invention is necessarily put upon action But then that is their own fault and not the fault of the Liturgy 2. But we will suppose the Concession of Liturgies not being in the simple use of it so capable of these things And yet however this doth not conclude rightly for the either unlawfulness or so much as inconveniency of a Liturgy Since all this and a great deal more will be abundantly recompensed to any Church by its being in its self such a means of Unity and Peace as hath been mentioned So that thus then and notwithstanding these exceptions to be made against it it doth not follow but that a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy and in that kind of them and manner as they are here asserted by us are the two grand instruments of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity And that a Liturgy Secundum debitum Rationis and where affairs will permit is in its self to be preferred before either a Directory or Extemporary Services We come then but to two more Questions or Queries secondarily concerning these things and so we shall conclude this Chapter The Sixth XVI The sixth then and first of these Questions or Queries is What are the Rules that are to be proceeded by in the alteration of an Vniformity Lib. 2. Cap. ult §. 1. and of these two grand instruments of it And those are the very same that we said above were to be proceeded by in the first framing of it and the mention of which is here to be recalled viz. That the rights of all be preserved that to God his right be preserved by its crossing none of his Commands but assisting to the performance of them To the Supream Magistrate his Right by its being proportioned to his occasions and the discharge of his trust To the Church Governours also in their way their Rights by its affording to them the like means of the discharge of their function in their several places and capacities To the private Christian his Right by its preserving to him the enjoyment of his Christian Liberty and the use of his Liberty of Conscience and judgment of discerning To the Subject also his Rights by its enjoyning nothing upon him but by Lawful Legislative Authority And last of all to all these their Rights both mixtly and in their several respects by its cutting off occasions of contentions and of corrupt wicked mens abusing and invading these things and persons severally to the disorder and destruction of Humane Societies and the welfare of them And these things are to be heeded by all Princes and Synods of Divines in this matter And these general Rules are to be applyed to all particular Cases And although perhaps many times especially in times of present Factions in Societies there may be discontents arising and fomented and cryes made of scandals and offences given by such Princes proceedings and the like yet they ought not to heed those things so as to cause them at all to depart from these rules of distributive Justice in this affair XVII In the last place then the last Question or Querie The seventh and last is Why so great a latitude in preaching i. e. upon voluntary choice of Texts and Subjects and with mens own immediate invention of the matter on them is to be left open where notwithstanding perhaps other Publick Services are stinted and restrained either by the use of a Form and Liturgy or else by a more immediate and particular Directory And the Answer to this also is That 1. Such Preaching is to be kept open for great and weighty Reasons both special to Christian Churches and Common to others and both concerning Religion and Government and the consistency of each with other As to Religion it is the Ordinance of God And as to the Religious ends of the use and exercise of it it is appointed both for the propagation of Religion abroad and for the more particular occasional instruction of the members of any Church at home As to Government it is appointed to serve the just ends and emergent occasions of it also And so of the consistency of each of these with the other 2. And for
these and the like more particular Reasons it is That it hath ever ordinarily been kept open in all Churches De rebus Imper. Lusitanor ad Paulum Jovium Discept Damianus a Goes Recites it concerning the Forraign Plantations and Dominions of the Portugals In quibus Regnis multi ad ipsam Religionis veritatem a nostris Concionatoribus perducti sunt In which Territories many are brought over to the truth of Religion by our Preachers sayes he And Georgievez De Turcar. Ritu c. de Templis seu Meschiteorum concerning the Turks Sacerdos illorum suggestum ascendit ad duos circiter horas Concionatur That their Priest goes up into the Pulpit and Preacheth for about two hours time And afterwards of the Christian Tributaries Concio Annunciandi Evangelii munus plane interdicitur That Sermons De afflict Christian Quae conditio de bellator De gradibus Episcopo in Graecia c. and the making use of the Office of Publick Preaching the Gospel is utterly forbidden to them Yet Chytraeus of the Constantinopolitan Greeks Conciones omnino ipsis habere licet That it is lawful for them to have Sermons The like sayes he and others of the Russians and others And in the Roman Churches amongst their extreams of strictness in their Uniformities yet their preaching is adorned with the gifts and abilities of their Clergy-men 3. Yet notwithstanding the use of such Preaching in any Church may upon some occasions of moment requiring it not onely be made less frequent but also for some time totally omitted For although the Publick Ordinances of God in matters of Religion do as such oblige to the use of them Semper and always yet none of them simply ad semper and at all times as the usual distinction in Divinity is And Preaching being in it self capable of being so far abused by corrupt wicked men in any Society as to be made the most potent and prevailing instrument not onely of the disturbing but also of the utter ruining and confounding the affairs of such Society where such a case may perhaps fall out the use of that one Ordinance either in tanto or in toto either in the whole or in part either for a longer or lesser time may and ought to give place to the procuring the wellfare of all the other Ordinances of God See A summary view Edit Oxford Anno 1641. either Civil or Religious Bishop Andrews in his short Description of the Church-Governments of both Testaments relates it concerning the Muscovian Emperour That being weary of the infinite strifes and contentions amongst Preachers and by their occasions amongst others he forbad preaching utterly throughout all his Dominions and instead thereof Commanded certain Sermons of the Greek and Latine Fathers to be Translated and them to be read in Publick Assemblies without the adding of a word of mens own thereunto upon pain of death But it were to be wished that no such occasions might be given to Governours 4. And lastly this however is to be said in the General that the use of all preaching as well as of the other Publick Religious Ordinances is to be so modifyed and proportioned as that it may consist every way and in its place with the use of the other Religious Ordinances and with the welfare of the whole charge of the Magistrate in any Society And to this end it is that all those Lawes of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity which are used diversly and according to the diverse occasions and constitutions of Churches are every where laid upon it Sometimes the more ordinary and general matter of preaching viz. the matters of necessary belief and of practical Godliness are prescribed in the way of more general direction Lib. 1. De praedicatione Episcoporum Presbyterorum So in the Laws of Charlemain Primo omnium praedicandum est omnibus generaliter c. That First of all it is to be preached to all generally So in the late Letter of his present Majesty of England to the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the like Sometimes again Forms of Homilies are appointed to be used together with the greater Latitudes in preaching especially by either weak or unpeaceable men In the Roman Church and since the breach made upon it by the dexterity of the late Reformers in preaching Vid. Rationale Div. Off. Li. 4. De Praedicatione Et Novum Rationale Lib 2. De Praedicatiane Et de ritibus Eccles Cathol in princip alibi they have brought the vulgar to esteem going to a Sermon onely as a matter of convenience and such as is left free to mens pleasures and opportunities without imputation of sin And Durandi durandus de Rubeis and the other Roman Rationales lay down directions for the using of preaching aright And lastly all Churches whatsoever agree in this that they prohibit the Publick Peace to be broken by it CHAP. II. What are the General ends of such a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in any National Church I. A National Church distinguished II. A National Church is ordinarily supposed to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity III. The Ends of a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy distinguished IV. The General Ends of such a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in any National Church assigned V. An Objection answered A National Church distinguished Supra Lib. 1. Cap. 1. §. 6. I. THe more general distinction of a National Church being given above we come here to the more special notion of it And so it is either representative or diffused The diffused is that which includes the whole Profession of any Nation dispersedly taken The representative that which consists of some select persons of that Profession collected and called together And there are the same grounds in Nature for a Church Representative which there are for any other representative of the people in Civil matters whatsoever viz. the wisdome and knowledge of some in all Societies above others and either the difficulty or impossibility of calling the whole Society together All are not fit for Councel to Princes and the most of men are born to be Ruled and not to Rule And Deinde quia difficile plebs convenire caepit populus certè multo difficilius in tanta turba hominum necessitas ipsa curam Reipublicae ad Senatum deduxit D. de Origine Juris Lib. 2. ¶ deinde quia sayes Pomponius of the Roman State That afterwards because the Common People began difficultly to come together and the whole body of the people truly much more difficultly in so great a company of men necessity it self devolv'd the care of the Common-Weal upon the Senate And as this notion of a Church representative is thus warranted by Nature So it is not contradicted by Scripture nor by any necessary appropriation of the Original Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament But as to those that require a president of a National Church to be given in the New Testament
it is ridiculous the Christian Church then not being national nor in an ordinary capacity to be so A Church representative is again either compounded onely of Clergy-men and the Prince by vertue of his Indirect Power in Spirituals presiding and then it is called a National Synod or Convocation of Divines or both of Clericks and Laicks and the Prince by Vertue of his Supream Power over all presiding And both these according to the occasions of Princes and the nature of the affairs committed to them to handle But it is the notion of a Church National diffused which is and will be principally concerned both here and hereafter II. A National Church is ordinarily supposed to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity A National Church is ordinarily supposed to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity Because the Chief Magistrate in every National Society hath the Right of setling it and is ordinarily supposed to have some National Religion established within his Society and so is the Supream Head upon Earth of his own Church so established And hence it is that every such National Church is independent upon any other and not at all obliged to the observance of the constitutions of it as such and concerning indifferent things but is to frame and order all things within it self according to its own proper occasions And those that do constitute the Headship upon Earth in such a Church in the Ecclesiastical Synods called Presbyterial do make way the corruptions of men being considered for the Ecclesiastical persons invading the Office of the Civil Magistrate and converting clearly into a Pope in the end The ends of a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy distinguished III. The ends intended in a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in such a National Church are either general or particular And the particular ends are either mediate or immediate and both do bear the notion of means towards the general and last ends And those are they which are here first to be assigned IV. The general ends then of such a Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in any National Church The general ends of such a Canon of Doctrines Liturgy in any National Church assigned Supra Lib. 2. Cap. 8. §. 5. An Objection answered and since they are the two Grand Instruments of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are the same that have been heretofore assigned as the general ends of such an Uniformity viz. the preservation of the welfare of Religion and Government and of the consistency of Religion with Government V. But here occurs an Objection then That this is the reducing Religion to Government And why is not Government as well to be reduced to Religion Answ It hath been several times heretofore said that it is so to be reduced to Religion and the Governours obligation in this particular both in the Court of Conscience and in the Court of Heaven hath been mention'd But in the mean time the Christian Religion needs no reduction by any Humane Arm to Government since it consisteth with it not only necessarily by a total negative consistency but also positively and eminently as hath been heretofore declared Lib. 1. Cap. 4. §. 5 6. And it is none of the intent neither of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity in the general nor of the two Grand Instruments of it in particular to make a Reduction of the right precepts of Religion to any unjust Rules of Government but only to reduce the errours and extravigancies of men in matters of Religion to Gods Ordinance of Government CHAP. III. What are the more particular aimes or ends of the Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in order to these three Generals I. THe more particular ends of the Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy described II. First negatively as to an Universal inward Unity of Opinion and the reasons of it III. The first Reason IV. The Second V. The Third VI. The Fourth VII The Fifth and last VIII Secondly positively and that is as to those ends both mediate and immediate IX First what are those immediate ends in order to the first general end of them X. The first of them in respect to each of them distinctly XI The second in respect to both of them mixtly XII The third and last XIII What are those more particular immediate ends in order to the two last general ends of such a Canon and Liturgy also XIV The more particular mediate ends of them also assigned XV. The first of them in respect to the three generals and to each of the Canon and Liturgy distinctly XVI The Second XVII The Third and last XVIII Two appendant Questions resolved XIX The first of them XX. The Second The more particular ends of the Canon of doctrines and Liturgy described I. THese general ends of the Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy then being thus described I come next to describe the more particular ends of them also And that first negatively and secondly positively II. First of all negatively First negatively as to an Universal inward unity of opinion and the reasons of it And so an Universal inward Unity of opinion the pressing of which upon men was abovesaid to be an extream of strictness in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity is none of the ends of them And such an Unity of opinion in men and as to the notions they have of things is either mediate or immediate And 't is an universal Unity in the next and immediate notions that they have of those things which is here denyed to be any of the ends of the Canon of Doctrines and Liturgy in a National Church And that for the reasons following The first reason III. First because such an inward Unity of opinion in men is impossible i. e. ordinarily and the causes of mens variety of Opinions which were above assigned being considered Lib. 2. Cap. 6. §. 6. Absolute unity even in Doctrines of Faith is said by the Scripture it self to be proper to mens condition only in Heaven Eph. 4.13 And the causes mentioned of mens variety of Opinions being ordinary and natural he that will reduce them to the contrary absolute Unity must first of all change even Humane Nature it self within them and alter them any more from being men The Second IV. Secondly because inward Opinions touch not the Magistrates Province of Government .i e. of themselves and unless they be vented But the Publick welfare of Religion and Government and the consistency of each with either are the Publick charge of the Magistrate and the securing of them is the general aime of the Canon and Liturgy And the effects of mens irregular divulging of their opinions are the things from which they are to be secured 'T is the publication of wicked Opinions which is condemned by all Humane Laws Vid. Can. 9.44 59 63 c. So the Apostolical Canons condemn the outward Acts of separation And the Law concerning Authimus taxeth the divulged Speeches of Nestorius and Eutiches Novel 42. Cap. 1. prope fin
And Plato in his Tenth of Laws finds fault with those who speak openly against the Gods and their Worship And Horat. Carm. Lib. 3. Ode 2. Vetabo qui Cereris Sacrum Vulgarit Arcanae sub iisdem Sit trabibus fragilemque mecum Solvat faselum I will not suffer him who shall divulge the Holy Rites Of mystical Ceres to be with me under the same Roof or in the same Voyage At Sea V. Doctrines expressed in general terms only in the Scripture The Third ought to be expressed in such general terms also in the Canon and Liturgy Infra Cap. And that because they in such things ought to be regulated by Scripture as will be hereafter said And then the very generality of the terms in the Canon and Liturgy intimates a liberty of mens variation in their next and immediate notions about them Such is the doctrine of Christs descent into Hell See Article 3. in the English Canon of Doctrines Nay and even in the things most particularly declared by any Canon on its part it doth not tye men on their part to any one only particular and immediate conception concerning them as shall be also hereafter evidenc'd Infra Cap. VI. Mens private Opinions cannot come under the Magistrates Cognizance because he cannot know the thoughts The Fourth And therefore it is impertinent for him to intend his Canon and Liturgy for the immediate restraint of them Wherefore Cogitationis paenam nemo patitur sayes Vlpian That none suffer punishment of thought F. De paenis Lib. 18. Ibid. De injuriis famosis Libel L. Item apud ¶ 8. And in the case of slander Non omne maledictum convitium esse sed id solum quod cum vociferatione dictum est That every evil Speech is not presently a slander but that only which is uttered with out-cry and aloud VII In the first and last place The Fifth and last no mortal man hath any right to oblige another to any particular senses propounded by him in any doctrines of Religion God himself doth not oblige men to impossibilities in Scripture much less is any man invested with power either of himself or by any other to do it Secondly positively and that as to those ends both mediate and immediate What are those immediate ends in order to the first general end of them The first of them in respect to each of them distinctly VIII This being then not the intent of the Canon and Liturgy in order to their general ends I come positively to assign what are the more particular aimes and intents of them And that both mediately and immediately IX First What are the more immediate ends of them in order to the preservation of the publick welfare of Religion And those are X. First of all in respect to each of them distinctly 1. In respect to the Canon of Doctrines the first of this sort of ends of it is To exhibit a summary of the Doctrines of the Christian Religion and that both as a confession of Faith in respect primarily to the Church National Representative and also as a Standard or Rule of Doctrine in respect to the Church National diffused 2. In respect to the Liturgy And the first of this sort of ends of it also is to be the ordinary instrument of Publick Devotion and Divine Service Worship and that both in respect to its instructing of the people in any of the Doctrines of the Canon it being framed according to it and also in respect to its performing any of the other Offices tending to the exciting of Piety and Affection in Relation to the practice of those Doctrines Such are the Offices which the Scripture it self performs in relation to these ends 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness c. And such also are the Offices that the Liturgy performs by its forms of Exhortations confessions of Sins petitions to Heaven and the like prescribed by it and also by its suitable Ceremonies of diversities of postures of body earnestness or humbleness of voice and the like annexed to them and enjoyned to be used either by the Priest or People at the performance of these things The second in respect to both of them mixtly Lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 13. and 16. XI The second of this sort of ends relates to both the Canon and Liturgy mixtly and that is the maintaining of Charity and Peace in the National Church viz. as such Charity and Peace as hath been said above make so much to the benefit of Religion and are so much commanded in Scripture And which were they to be bought were rather to be purchased with essence of Gold then that they should be wanting in any Church The third and last XII The like also is the third and last end of them and that is the preventing and removal of contentions in relation to matters of Religion Lib. 2. Cap. 6. §. 9. and 12. And which contentions and opinion-feuds have been above also asserted to be so much hurtful to Religion and so much forbidden in Scripture What are those more particular immediate ends in order to the two last general ends of such a Canon and Liturgy also XIII The like also only under somewhat other considerations are the more particular immediate ends of the Canon and Liturgy in order to the preservation of the welfare of Government and the consistency of Religion with it viz. the Canons exhibiting any Doctrines of Religion concerning either of them and as making to the securing the welfare of either of them And the Liturgies instructing in them and exhorting to them and the like And both of them mixtly their maintaining Charity and Peace and removing contentions the one of these sorts of things as hurtful and the other as beneficial to either of them also The more particular mediate ends of them also assigned The first of them in respect to all the three generals and to each of the Canon and Liturgy distinctly XIV These then being the more particular immediate ends of the Canon and Liturgy the mediate follow And these also are XV. First in respect to each of them distinctly the Authorizing the Doctrines of the Canon to be taught and the Forms of the Liturgy to be used And that both of them in respect to the yet more mediate and particular ends and in relation to their accomplishing all their three General viz. that the means of Knowledge and Grace may be afforded to the people And that they may be instructed in the Doctrines concerning Government and the consistency of Religion with it For the Canon and Liturgy being thus each of them authorized and enjoyned by the Magistrate that which will follow will be that they will be made use of by the National Church and opened and taught to the people at the Publick Ordinances and
the Doctrines of them will be treated of more at large in Homilies Catechisms good Books Pieces of practise and devotion for private and retired use and the like And by these means the due respects will be kept up to Government and the consistency of Religion with it will be preserved And the salvation of souls will be provided for and the Life and Power of Godliness succoured Truly souls are precious and of infinite value both in themselves and also in respect to their sublime capacity and immortality in another world they are like the pieces of Silver which the woman sought for with a candle in the Gospel And as Toledo said to the Legate from Rome in the Councel of Trent upon occasion That He had heard it often preached that the saving of one Soul was so dear to Christ See Hist of the Councel of Trent Lib. 4. prope fin that he would descend again and suffer on the Cross to gain it But in the mean time an Ecclesiastical Uniformity while it lays but the due restraints upon these things which we have mentioned according to the divers exigencies and occasions of Countries is unjustly accused of suppressing the power of Godliness XVI The second The Second of these mediate ends is in respect to both the Canon and Liturgy distinctly also viz. the obliging men to the publick profession in respect to the Doctrines contained in the Canon and to the use of the publickly authorized Forms in respect to the Liturgy And both these for the procuring of that Peace and Charity the great medium for the procuring of which such an Unity of profession and of the use of publick worship Lib 2. Cap. 7. §. 9 10 11 12. were said to be above and which Peace and Charity are so beneficial both to Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government as was said above also and so much commanded in Scripture And it is certain Lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 13 14 15 16. that not only an unity of profession but also a customary use of the very oneness of words and syllables in a Liturgy is in the respect which it hath to Humane Nature promotive of Charity There is a notable relation in Plutarch to this purpose concerning a crafty King De Iside Osirid Who guessing at his Enemies the Aegyptians their being too strong for him if they agreed in their minds and Councels and should band together took this course He enjoyned each Country to worship divers Beasts which were enemies by Nature and would prey upon each other And the effect of it was this That Whilst every one defended his Beast at last it came to pass that by the enmity of their Beasts the people themselves at unawares became such enemies one to another that he easily subdued them XVII Last of all The Third and last the third and last of these mediate ends of the Canon and Liturgy are in respect to each of them distinctly also And that is in respect to the Canon its restraining men from the open divulging of their Opinions in order to the contesting them and in respect to the Liturgy the restraining them from the use of diverse sorts of worship and both these in order to the preventing and removal of contentions for the preventing of which such a restraint was above assigned to be the only necessary means Lib. 2. Cap. 7. §. 15. Lib. 2. Cap. 6. §. 9 10 11 12. and which were said to be every wayes so hurtful both to Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government and so much also forbidden in Scripture Two appendant Questions resolv'd XVIII Here then come to be debated the several particulars concerning a restraint its being laid upon the use of the Sacred Ordinances of God We shall only absolve two Questions or Queries concerning them 1. Concerning the manner of using them in Publick 2. Concerning the simple use of them more privately The first of them XIX First in what manner in the general they are to be made use of in the publick and what are the circumstances that are to attend such the use of them and particularly to what degree the use of them is to be extended viz. of what length the ordinary prescript form of Divine Service and the other Offices in the Liturgy ought to be how frequently Preaching or Sermons are to intervene and be had either on the more solemn stated Sabbaths or other Festivals or on any other the like dayes of publick convening in any Church Answ 1. Circumstances attending the Ordinances of God and the manner of using them are ordinarily said to be of two sorts either natural or voluntary and instituted The Natural are only secondarily and dependently so i. e. such as are taken Naturally to cohere with things only in relation to their being according to the received customes of any Country The voluntary are those which are instituted more ad libitum and if they be throughly considered they rather are to be said to differ only in degree then in kind in this matter from the former Both because they are supposed to be suitable to the things signified and meant by them and also because there is alwayes supposed to be a reason for the Humane appointment of whatsoever circumstances shall attend so weighty matters as the Sacred Ordinances of God 2. The particular wayes and manner in which the Ordinances of God the means of Knowledge and Grace mentioned are to be used and as attended with these circumstances in any Church are left undetermined in the Divine Law of the Christian Religion And there are only the general Rules laid down concerning all such things in the external regiment of the Church viz. of doing all things decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 and 26. to edification of serving God with reverence and Godly fear and the like But the modification of these generals when reduced into particulars is left to the diverse conditions and occasions of particular Churches pro hic nunc and according to present circumstances of affairs And it was impossible that it should have been left otherwise considering the diversities of the necessities of Countries every way and that the Christian Church was intended to be spread over all the world 3. The putting these matters into form then in every society is left supreamly and principally to the Supream Magistrate And he hath a right to the doing of it as he is the person who ought to have the framing of the Ecclesiastical Uniformity in his Society as was above mentioned partly by vertue of his Supream Power over all and partly by vertue of his indirect power in Spirituals Vid. Lib. 2. Cap. 10 §. 2. and 4. Hence the diversities of customes and ceremonies attending the Divine Service in divers Churches Hence the Canonical hours and the like Only the Magistrate is to see that his Divines assisting him
either common and ordinary and in Answer to them a number of Doctrines sufficient for the ordinary preservation of the welfare of that charge should be set forth in the Canon Or else they are special and extraordinary and then the special cases are also severally to be respected And the like to this also Mutatis mutandis is to be said concerning the matter of the Liturgy either as to the quantity or subalternate and subordinate kinds of it And whether it consist most either of Prayers Hymns Creeds Lessons or the like The first also to be observed as to the manner of the composing of them and that in order to their being true and lawful IV. We come then next to the manner of the composing these two grand instruments of an Uniformity and in relation to that first of all in order to the Canon and Liturgy their being true and lawful And the first Rule to be observed as to that is That they be regulated by Scripture And by it either as to the positive or natural laws of God contained in it And as to either of them either by what is expressed in it or else only implyed and deduced by right reason and rational collection from it And thus both of them are to be regulated both as to the nature of the terms whether more general or particular that things are expressed in or else as to the sense or importance of them where divers Texts and Phrases concerning the same things contribute necessarily and mutually like candles to the lightning one another And so also as to the phrase and style in which things are expressed both in the Canon and Liturgy In the forming of which a great deal of knowledge and wisdom and prudence is to be made use of according to the diversities of the occasions of Churches and Countries I mean principally as to the Liturgy and the like The Second V. The ordinary way then for the accomplishing these and all such things is By the making use of a Synod of Divines which because it is the last way of finding out truth in this world in matters of Religion therefore nature directs to the use of it i. e. generally and ordinarily and where there is not some special and present reason against it in any Princes Dominions And this hath always ordinarily been the way used for the accomplishing such matters in all Ages of the Christian Church and in all Times and Countries down along the Ages of the world Innumerable examples might be given of it And this Synod of Divines hath thus in the general and as such an antecedent and natural right more properly to the handling of such matters before they are convened And also such a subsequent right both upon that account and also more determinately and particularly by vertue of the power convening them when they are so convened And upon these and the like accounts it is that the use of them ordinarily hath been established and asserted by the Civil Laws of Countries and that they when sitting have been accounted as the Church National representative as in England and according to the Laws and Ecclesiastical Constitutions of that Country although their consultations nevertheless are not laid as Laws upon the People unless first approv'd of in Parliament and stamped as such with the Royal Assent and therefore it is usual also for the Prince either by himself alone or else together with some of the Representatives of his other Estates to come into conjunction with them and that they and he be both of them conjunctly called by the same name of the Church viz. the Church National Representative And it is profitable for Societies that it be so i. e. that their Ecclesiastical Constitutions and whether purely or only mixtly such may come under the more sacred notion to the people and so have the better obedience perform'd to them Neither hath this any thing of dolus malus in it of it self and so long as the constitutions mentioned are lawful In the mean time the Rights of the Prince in relation to this Synod are alwayes and in every National Church to be preserved and that more particularly for the sake of the consistency of Religion with Government And the Prince hath the Right 1. Of convening them 2. Of governing them and their actions when sitting whether it be negatively in respect to them and so as that they shall not do any thing prejudicial to the welfare of his charge or else positively as to him and so as that the validity of that which they shall do and which it shall have from any Humane Authority in the National Church shall be by vertue ultimately only of his approbation of it And then Thirdly and Lastly he hath the right also of dismissing and dissolving them when he sees occasion And these Rights and Powers of Princes are dictated by nature Lib. 2 Cap. 11 §. 2. and 4. and are some of the more particular rights above mentioned which belong to them for the retaining of their more general right of the framing an Uniformity Vid. Exord ad Concil Agathens Synodâ— Calcedon Action 1. Tolet. quarti exord Nicaen 2. Exord Et Concil Milev Can. 11. Constantinop sâ—xti generalis action 1. Agathens Can. 40. c. Et Milev Can. 11. apud Carranz c. See the Government order of the Church of Scotland Printed An. MDCXLI p. 146. c. p. 56. c. p. 66. c. in quarto And the 1. Admonition Paragraph Let us come now to the third part c. Et deinceps And second Admoni 1. 7 8 9 10 c. 14. 29 44 46 47 c. alibi And the late Assemblies Confession of Faith Edit 51. Cap. 3. alibi Polit. Lib. 3. in princip Vid. de Legib. Dial. 12. prope fin alibi and have been always really exercised by them in the Christian Church as is to be seen in the Sessions of the several Councels and in the relations given of them by the Ecclesiastical Histories and the like And the exercise of them is necessary for the securing of their Publick charge The usurpations then of the Triple Crown in this business are evidently unjust And so are those of the Scotch and English Presbytery also who in their desired Government and Order of their Churches in their Admonitions to the Parliament in their Confession of Faith and elsewhere have claimed the powers mentioned as due to them in like manner And the thus claiming these powers directly tends to the Ecclesiastical persons possessing the Supremacy and converting into a Pope Last of all if the Prince at any time shall see cause to consult with such as are not Ecclesiastical persons about Ecclesiastical matters those persons ought to be such as are of sufficient and fitting abilities for the deliberating upon such sacred and weighty matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as it behoves a Physitian to give an
account in matters of physick amongst physitians so doth it behove others also to do the like in the like things of their profession sayes Aristotle And Plato in his Common-weal would have a Sanctius Collegium Some more venerable convention of persons of integrity and knowledge and experience and age and none less then thirty years old for the defence and safe-guarding even of his common and ordinary laws VI. The Case then concerning the Princes having power of prohibiting Heretical Synods is from hence easily to be determined For if they shall have a right of sitting and of making what Constitutions they please and of framing what Doctrines they please and the like although they are not under the notion of having publick Authority on their side yet if they shall but make use of the immortal notion of Religion any way for the perswading men of the truth and goodness of these things and shall be left at liberty to do it Who is there amongst Princes that shall be able to stand or to secure the welfare of any part of his charge in the mean time Wherefore the Magistrates Right of prohibiting and suppressing these conventions of men is in the same manner dictated by Nature as we said of the rights of ordering his own National Synod just now The case concerning the Princes having power of prohibiting Heretical Synods determined And it belongs to him partly by vertue of his indirect power in Spirituals and partly by vertue of his Supream Power over all And in the strain of these things run the Imperial Laws Haeretici synacteria seu collectas facere non possunt aut parasynaxes aut Synodos aut ordinationes aut baptismata aut exarchos habere aut paternitates seu abatias aut defensiones instituere aut curare seu administrare villas per seipsos aut per interpositas personas aut quid probibitorum facere Qui transgressus haec fuerit ultimum supplicium luit C. de Haeret. Manichae L. Haeretici Synacteria sayes the Emperour Justinus That Hereticks could not make gatherings together or collections or have conventions or synods or ordinations or baptisms or presidents over them or institute paternities or abacies or defensions of Societies or take care of or administer the Government of Towns either by themselves or by others or do any of those things which were prohibited them and he which did transgress these things was to suffer death And again Haeretici communicantes aut synaxes aut baptismata facientes puniuntur ut qui Leges transgrediuntur qui domos ipsiâ— ad hoc praebent jam sancitis paenis subjiciuntur Soli Orthodoxi intra sacra septa habentes Ergasteria utuntur privilegiis That Hereticks C. Eodem L. Haeretici Communicantes either communicating or making Assemblies or Baptisms were punished as those who did transgress the Laws And those who did afford them houses for those ends were subjected to the established punishments And only those who were Oxthodox and had their places of commerce within the due bounds did enjoy the priviledges and the like And last of all if it be asked here which are Haeretical Synods Truly that must of necessity from his right of prohibiting them be left to the Supream Magistrate in every Country to determine And although it be from the connotation of the terms that that Synod only is in it self Heretical which any wayes tends to the promoting of Heresie yet the Chief Magistrate ordinarily determines every Synod to be so which he judges to be so and which in such a way as he deemeth separates from his national Church And it cannot be helped but that it must be so Neither rebus sic stantibus and as things stand in the world is there any other temper or general fixation to be found out for the Governours of Humane Societies in this business And the Universal Government of them and the Supream swaying of their affairs in the mean time is to be left to the Divine Providence to order it as it shall please and men are to acquiesce in a due manner under them and with prayers and supplications for them VII We come then next to the Rules to be observed in the manner of composing the Canon and Liturgy The first Rule to be observed in the composing the Canon and Liturgy in relation to the number of doctrines or subalternate kinds of forms which they consist of which relate to the number of Doctrines or subalternate kinds of forms which they are to consist of And the first of them is That the Magistrates and Churches Power of enjoyning indifferent things as adjuncts of publick Worship and Rites and customary Ceremonies peculiar to such or such a National Church be conceded to them And that in relation to the welfare both of Religion and Government and therefore it ought accordingly to be conceded to them That they may assert them or propound and enjoyn them to be used either in the Canon or Liturgy in either of their capacities And this right belongs to the Magistrate and Church National representative made use of by him in either of those wayes which we have mentioned and is one of the more particular rights belonging to the Magistrate Supreamly and in his way for the support of his more general right of the framing his Uniformity And the Magistrate hath alwayes and in all Churches retained this right and that in the latitude of it and in both its parts both that of prohibiting as well as of enjoyning such and such things to be used as the adjuncts of Divine Worship So amongst the Romans It is recorded as one of the Laws of the twelve Tables Mulieres Genas ne radunto faciem ne carpunto neve lesum funeris ergo habento In fragment 12. Tab. propo fin Let not the Women cut their cheeks nor tear their face nor make the prohibited lamentation at funerals The same things which were forbidden upon somewhat more particular accounts by Moses his Law before The like constitutions about sacred things are to be found amongst the Turks at this day Prope Med. C. 1566. Prope Med. 98. alibi De turcarum ritu c. Capit. Let Leunclavius in his Supplimentum Annalium in his Pandects Historiae Turcicae Georgieviz and others be looked into And those that do not constitute an Uniformity in these things in their Churches it must needs be acknowledged that they leave the people more open to the contesting of them upon any occasion and that they observe not so good order and so congruous to Humane Nature in matters of Religion as those that do otherwise Chap 3. Of the Lords Supper So in the Corpus Disciplinae where it is said to be left free to every one either to stand go or sit at the receiving of the Lords Supper And as to those Magistrates that do not at all actually exercise this right of theirs let them take heed that in
the mean time they do not in effect and in the esteem of the people lose it And that in the end it do not come to be positively denyed them In the interim Ceremonies or customary adjuncts of Divine Worship are of diverts sorts in any National Church They are either ordinary or extraordinary they are either more or less pompous and accompanied with outward splendor they are either traditional and meerly customary or else established by written Law and the like And concerning the customary ones those Rules and Responses of the Law are to be observ'd in all Churches both pro con viz. Quod initio vitiosum est F. De Reg. jur Reg. 28. F. de legibus Senatus Consult Lib. 13. eodem L. 32. non potest tracta temporis convalescere That that which was faulty at first cannot by any tract of time get force And Quod vero contra rationem juris receptum est non est producendum ad consequentiam That that which is received against the mind of the Law is not to be brought into consequence And Diuturna consuetudo pro Jure Lege in iis quae non ex scripto descendunt observari solet That a continued custome in those things which are not from written Law is wont to be observed as Right and Law Of what sort soever these ceremonies be then the due Rules belonging to the adjoyning them to the Divine Worship ought also to be observed in such the adjunction of them And those are either more general or more particular the more general are That the quantity and number of them do not exceed Lib. 2. Cap. 9. §. 7. which was reprehended as an extream in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity above That they be not constituted as parts of worship neither by assertion nor in effect That they be grave and according to the weight of those holy things which they accompany That they be suitable to the several and particular applications of them and the like And the more particular Rules are to be varied according to the several either stated or emergent occasions of Churches Finally both the more general and more particular are all of them to be measured by this one most general Rule and that is That they be no ways prejudicial to any part of the Magistrates charge either to Religion or Government or their mutual consistency And these are the Rules which all Churches ought to proceed by and which the Christian Churches profess to proceed by in this business So those late called Reformed in their several Confessions In the latter Helvetian Proinde Judaismum videmur reducere aut restituere Sectione 17. de ritibus Ceremoniis mediis In Helvetica Posteriore si in Ecclesia ad morem veteris Ecclesiae Caeremonias Ritusve multiplicaremus c. We seem then to reduce and bring back Judaism again if in the Church according to the manner of the ancient Church we should multiply Ceremonies or Religious Rites So also the Bohemian Ibid. in Bohemica Omnino autem cum hac cautione servare ea oportet intraque has metas continere ne pro fundamentis quibus salus nitatur aut pro cultu qui a Deo sine ullo discrimine constitutus sit habeantur Neve magis aut arctius quam mandata Dei conscientias hominum obstringant his â—e se efferendo praeferant c. But it behoves us to observe those things in any wise with this caution and to contain them within these bounds viz. That they be not accounted fundamentals upon which salvation depends or for worship which without any difference is constituted by God nor that they do not bind the Consciences of men more and more strictly then the Commands of God and lift themselves up above them And the like the others and the other Christian Churches even that of Rome also in their several ways and under their different notions In the Preface And the present Church of England in its Prefatories to the Liturgy The particular forms of Divine Worship and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important considerations according to the various exigency of times and occasions such changes and alterations should be made therein as to those that are in place of Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient And again Vid. Of Ceremonies why some be abolished and some retained Ibid. Some Ceremonies are put away because the great excess and multitude of them hath so increased c. And afterwards and moreover the other which remain be neither dark nor dumb Ceremonies but are so set forth that every man may understand what they do mean and to what use they do serve and the like In the next place then the ends for which these Ceremonies and Circumstances attending the Publick Worship are usually and ought to be appointed are evident both from Scripture and otherwise In the Scripture the direction is given that all things that are done in mens external deportment in the Church be done to edification and decently and in order and the like The meaning of it is to the welfare of the publick charge of the Magistrate in all the parts of it primarily those of Religion and Government simply taken And the same reasons either more generally or particularly are assigned for the constitution of such Ceremonies and external actions to be used up and down in the humane writings of the several Christian Churches So the Roman Rationales Ecclesia utitur caeremoniis non quod in his externis si desit spiritus fiduciam reponi velit sed utitur caeremoniis velut quibusdam visibilibus signis In novo Rationale Lib. 2. Cap. 6. in princip stimulis Religionis non coniemnendis sayes De Rubeis That the Church useth Ceremonies not that it would have any confidence to be put in these external things if the spirit be wanting to them But it useth Ceremonies as certain visible signs and spurs to Religion Ibid. paulo ante which are not to be contemned And a little before Sunt quaedam solemnitates quae adhibentur in sacramentorum administratione qui alio nomine dicuntur Caeremoniae That there are certain solemnities which are made use of in the Administration of the Sacraments which by another name are called Ceremonies And again afterwards Ibid. Ecclesia accendit in Templis Caereos Luminaria ut admoneat Christum veram lucem seu Evangelii splendore omnes tenebras effugâsse in qua luce sit nobis perpetuo tenore inambulandum That the Church lighteth candles in the places of Divine Worship and Luminaries that it may admonish that Christ the true Light by the splendour of his Gospel hath chased away all darkness in which light and splendour we ought perpetually to walk And afterwards also
with it He said that in Scotland he was a King without State and that he was kept as a Ward by the Puritans there That he was without Honour without Order and brav'd to his face by every beardless Boy of the Ministers That if the same Presbitery that was in Scotland should come into England it would agree as well with Monarchy as God with the Devil And then Jack and Tom and Will and Dick said he meaning the Lay Elders of the Consistories p. 79. even in very pittiful Country Parish shall meet and at their pleasures censure me and my Councel and all our proceedings Then Will shall stand up and say it shall be thus Then Dick shall reply and say No marry But we will have it thus And therefore here said he I must once again reiterate my former Speech Le Roy S'avisevá Stay I pray you for one seven years before you demand that of me It is not for no cause then that the bringing in of this Government hath been so much opposed by the late Kings of England See the first second Admonitions and a Directory of Church Government found in the study of Mr. Cartwright And the reformation of Discipline c used in the Engl. Church at Geneva who are bound both to God and their People and as their Established Government is both their Right and their Charge not to part with those Rights with which God hath invested them for the common welfare and especially since the Government endeavoured would turn their Scepter into a straw and the hand that wields it into the hand of a child Let the form of the Government as it hath been published under several hands be consulted Let its parity of Ministers it s deferring particular affairs of Congregations to the wild body of the People in them but the Ministers having a superintendency over them in the mean time be considered of and whither these and the like things do tend The common saying is to the setting up of a Pope in every Parish And the Government order of the Church of Scotland And Ley's Platform of the Government called Presbyterial And the form of Church government agreed upon by the Lords and Commons An. 1648 compared with certain considerations and cautions agreed upon by the Ministers of Lond. and Westminst See the discipline of the Dutch Churches and the Laws and Statutes c. See Pro. Dr. Whitgift's Answer to the Admonition to the Parliament Con Cartwright's reply made to him Pro. Dr. Whitgifts Defence of his Answer Con. Mr. Cartwrite's second reply to it Pro. The Bp. of Rochester's Sermon concerning the Antiquity superiority of Bps. at Hampton Court and the perpetual Government of the Church by Tho. Bilson and Bp. Halls Episcopacy by Divine Right And Episcopacy asserted by Jer. Taylor c. Con. Bayne's Diocesan's Tryal and assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland Edit 1641. And the Lord Brook against Episcopacy 42. And Rutherfords Plea for Pauls Presbytery 42. c. C. De Legib. constitutionibus L. qui Imperatore D. De recept Arbitris L. non distinguimus ¶ Sacerdotio obveniente ubi Paulus And then by that opportunity will be given the weaknesses of some men and the corruptions of others being considered to those who by wit and cunning can outstrip the rest to divide the Empire amongst them And whither such Latitudes and Confusions may tend in the end who can foresee The Magistrates hands being manacl'd and the Ecclesiastical person being so independent upon him they that can out-strip the rest may turn into a Conclave and he that can out-strip them into an Universal Pope at last if he will If the instances of Presbitery practised in other Countries be made against these things and how they have consisted with the State it is evident that there are none such practised neither in the Low Countries nor at Geneva nor elsewhere as in the particulars up and down in this Discourse mentioned have been proposed for England And yet not any one of the patterns for England hath attained the general liking of its friends neither And then what will be the end of these things who can foresee Last of all as to the present established Episcopacy in England the controversie concerning it as well as that concerning the Ceremonies hath been also largely handled The many writings both Pro Con concerning it may be seen And so far forth as the order and office of Episcopacy in the general is concern'd in this Discourse and an Ecclesiastical Uniformity as we have spoken of it heretofore so also we shall speak of it hereafter And if the concession of Baronies to the persons of those that discharge the Episcopal function in England be thought much of what reason is there why the King should not have his Church-men and the Clergy their part in Parliament And this also the particular constitution of the Government of England being considered The Emperour Leo in the Civil Law calls the Superiour Clergy-men Ecclesiae Defensores The Defenders of the Church And all Laws and Countries have ordinarily ever priviledged Church-men beyond others if it were but for Gods sake to whose Service they are more particularly devoted and for the Honour of Religions sake which ought alwayes to be supported Sacerdotio obveniente sayes Paulus in his Digests Videamus an cogatur arbiter sententiam dicere Id enim non tantum honori personarum sed Majestati Dei indulgetur cujus sacris vacare Sacerdotes oportet The Priesthood coming in the way let us see whether the Vmpire be constrained to pronounce Sentence For that is not only indulg'd to the Honour of their persons but also to the Majesty of God whose service it behoves the Priests to be at leasure for And it was Padre Paulo's complaint concerning the Affairs of Venice That the Common Wealth See the History of the Inquisition Cap. 28. See Hist of the Counc of Trent Fol. 721. as well as other Catholick Kingdoms found it self between two Contraries the Protestants who had no other aim but to diminish Ecclesiastical Authority and the Court of Rome which would too much encrease it and make the Temporal her Servant In the last place as to those in any Society whatsoever that cry out in these latter times to have every punctilio in the mode of the exercise of Church Government reduc'd to what they do at uncertainties fancy to have been heretofore Apostolical they are to be answered as Laynez in the Tridentine Councel answered perhaps truly concerning some things in the Court of Rome That many did call those things abuses which if they were examined and sounded to the bottom would be found to be either necessary or profitable And that some would make the Sea of Rome to be as it was in the time of the Apostles and the Primitive Church without distinguishing the times not knowing what doth belong to those and what to these
Temples of God shall be forc'd by money What wall of integrity or Bul-wark of Faith shall we be able to provide if the cursed hunger of Gold shall creep into the Holyes of Heaven So also in the Novels Per presentem Legem sancimus De Ordinatione Episcopor Constitut 137. Cap. 2. ut quoties usu venerit Episcopum ordinari conveniant Clerici Primores Civitatis cui ordinandus est Episcopus propositis sanctis Evangeliis Super tribus personis Psephismata fieri quemque ipsorum jurare secundum Divina Eloquia ipsis Psephismatibus inscribi quod neque per dationem neque promissionem vel amicitiam vel gratiam vel aliam qualemcunque affectionem sed quod scientes ipsos rectè Catholicae fidei honestae vitae excedere trigessimum aetatis Annum ipsos elegerint We appoint by the present Law that so often as by custome it come to pass that a Bishop shall be ordained the Clericks come together and the Chief of that City to which the Bishop is to be ordained and the Holy Evangels being proposed let it be recorded by the Three persons and let every one of them swear according to the holy Scripture and let it be written in the Records that they have not chosen neither by gift nor promise nor friend-ship or favour or any other affection whatsoever but knowing them to be of the Right and Catholick Faith and of an honest life and to exceed the thirtieth year of their Age. Ibid. Paulo post And a little after Jus jurandum autem suscipere eum qui ordinatur per divinas Scripturas quod neque per seipsum neque per aliam personam dedit quid aut promisit neque post hac dabit vel ordinanti ipsum vel his qui sacra pro eo suffragia fecerunt vel alii cuiquam ordinationis de ipso faciendae nomine We appoint also him who is ordained to take an Oath by the Holy Scriptures that he hath not given any thing nor promised neither by himself nor any other person nor will hereafter give either to him that ordains him or to those who have given their sacred suffrages for him or to any other for the passing of his Ordination And the like Laws are to be found up and down in other Books of Laws And the Roman Canonists call Simony Respectorii fol. 258. Summae Lib. 5. de simoniâ summari◠4. Crimen Ecclesiasticum an Ecclesiastical Crime So Panormitanus And Qualiter committatur his versibus comprehende says Hostiensis Munus Lingua Caro Timor atque favor popularis Impediunt gratis spirituale dari How it is committed take it in these Verses A Gift Intreaties Kindred Fear and Popularity Do hinder a spiritual thing from being given freely And Simoniacus autem Idem Ibid. Summar 11. in beneficio vel dignitate constitutus per accusationem deponitur per inquisitionem amovetur A Simoniack being constituted in a Benefice or Dignity is deposed by accusation is removed by inquisition The Second XV. The like respect to the things mentioned also amongst others hath the case of Pluralities which is found in many of the Christian Churches viz. it is constituted and allowed of as one sort of the Ecclesiastical immunities above mentioned Many things have been said concerning it by private persons both Pro Con of late dayes especially and in some parts of the Europaean Christian Churches And heretofore it hath been sometimes allowed of and sometimes prohibited by the Common Lawes of Countries The Rise and Progress of it in the Christian Church is rightly described by Father Paul in his Judicious History of the Councel of Trent Lib. 2. p. 250 251. c. viz. That its first beginning was in favour not of them in Beneficed but of the Church where there was insufficiency of benefices and so as that that Church which could not have a proper Minister might have at least some other Service The exorbitances of it in the Church of Rome have been great and some other Churches separating from it have judged that they have fixed in a mean concerning it some in one way and some in another Many things according to the diversities of the estates and conditions of Countries might be alledged for it both in relation to Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government And since the Christian Churches have come to have grown into a more setled condition of being national it hath been made use of particularly and amongst other things for the consistency of the Ecclesiastical Estate with the Civil and the necessary support of the several degrees of Church-men XVI Thus then concerning the Rewards The Doctrine of Penalties laid down We come next to the penalties belonging to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity in like manner also XVII And first of all they are either of Pain or Loss The several sorts of penalties in an Ecsiastical Uniformity distinguished as in other things And both again are either primary and principal or else secondary and accessory The primary and most proper sorts of Penalties in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are the Church censures which being spiritual punishments are most properly to be adhibited in spiritual matters And the secondary and accessory are the temporary punishments inflicted by the Magistrate and superadded to those spiritual ones in the case of obstinacy of mind and ineffectualness of those spiritual Punishments XVIII The Church censures The Degrees of Church censures and spiritual penalties proceed in their several degrees as all punishments ought ordinarily to do And that for Plato's Reason in the matter of Laws Legum vero ut videtur sayes he aliae ad bonorum hominum doctrinam ponuntur De legib Dial. 9. ad fin ut per eas intelligant quo pacto inter se amicè versentur Aliae ad compescendas illorum pertinaciam qui indomiti naturâ sunt spretâque omni disciplina nulla ratione moventur quin ad omnem ruant improbitatem That amongst Lawes some as it seems are established for the informing of good men that by them they may understand how to live amicably amongst themselves And others for the restraining of the pertinaciousness of those who are unruly by Nature and all discipline being dispised are by no means prevailed upon but that they will run head-long into all manner of noughtiness And therefore Quanto gravior acerbior est Christi fidelibus excommunicationis censura majoraque interius exterius infert nocumenta tanto maturius cautiorique judicio Ecclesiarum Praelati eorumque Vicarii ea uti debent sayes Covarruvias and the like the other Canonists In Bonifac. octavi Constit quae incipit Alma mater sub Tit. Excom prioris part Relect. §. 9. Tom. 1. That by how much the Church censure of Excommunication is more grievous and bitter to the faithful of Christ and bringeth greater dammages upon them both internal and external by so
distinguished sayes the Emperour Tiberius in the Civil Law That it is not onely for the Soveraine good of Societies that Lawes be well made but also that they be well kept and looked after and brought to effect II. The Supervisors then in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are of divers sorts and degrees in relation to the affairs of it They are such either as Supream or Subordinate and by Deputation And those by Deputation again are such diversly and according to the several Modes of Ecclesiastical Polity in several Societies and the occasions of them The Supream Supervisor assign'd and the reasons for his being so III. The supreme Supervisor in every Ecclesiastical Uniformity is the Chief Magistrate or Soveraigne Prince And the Reasons for his being so are both because he hath the supream and universal charge of all and the management of the affairs of it committed to him by God as hath been heretofore evidenc'd and also because he is suppos'd then by consequence and from his actual Management of those affairs Supra Lib. 1. Cap. 5. lib. 2. cap. 6. §. 21. to have the best knowledge of all occasions both of Church and State and which concern his Supream Publick charge mentioned From whence he derives his Right IV. And he hath the Right to this his Supream Superiorship partly by vertue of his Supreme power over all and partly by vertue of his indirect power in Spirituals and by vertue of either from the immediate donation of God And this supream Supervisorship is one of the Magistrates more particular Rights above mentioned And he hath alwayes held it generally in all Ages and Societies The Aegyptian Hieroglyphick for Government was an Eye in a Scepter and the chief Magistrate is like a watchman upon a Tower who is to look down and view the general state of his people The Deputative Supervisors further distinguish'd V. The Deputative Supervisors then are those also who derive their Right of such their Supervisorship either from the Supream Supervisor mentioned or else from Christ And they also are either Supream or Subordinate and these again either more or less Subordinate either pro tempore or pro perpetuo And all of them are the Church Governours or Ecclesiasticks ordinarily although sometimes others also in any Societie either Christian or other and in their several degrees and Spheres of Order and Government and according to the several Modes of Ecclesiastical Polity in several Societies and the Occasions of them and who so far forth as they are invested by the Supream Magistrate derive their Right either mediatly or immediatly from him and so far forth as by Christ in like manner also from him And this Ecclesiastical matter of Supervisorship so far forth as it is Ecclesiastical and relates directly to Religion is alwayes ordinarily and most properly thus to be committed by the Supream Magistrate and so far forth as belongs to him to Ecclesiasticks or Churchmen because it belongs to them in the nature of the affair and in relation to their being such a peculiar sort of members of their distinct Church-Society as was above mentioned more in the general Lib. 2. cap. 6. §. 4. 10. alibi And these supervisors also have been accordingly alwayes divers in the divers sorts of Churches and Societies that have been in the World So in the state of the Jewes and in the Ancient Heathen Church-Societies both amongst the Greeks and Romans and others as hath been also partly mention'd under another notion above Lib. 2. cap. 6. §. 4. And in the Christian Church whether more Primitive or Papal the Records concerning these things are to be seen in the Code and Novels of Justinian in the Body of the Canon Law up and down in the Canons of Councels and the like In the Code and Novels there are mentioned Vid. C. Iâ—e Epis cap. Clâ—r L 6. p r Tit. alibi Novel Vid. Câ—â—stit 5 6. 28. 59. 67 123. alibi Vid. Sâ—xti lib. 1. Tit. 6. prope fin Et ibid. Tit. 15. Et lib. 5. De Haereticis Et Clementin lib. 5. Tit. De Haereticis Et alibi The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Office of a Bishop in the Christian Church as was partly abovesaid the Patriarchae Metropolitani Archi-Episcopi Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi Sub-Diaconi Exorcista Lectores Ostiarii and Artolythi The Patriarchs Metropolitans Arch-Bishops Bishops Priests Deacons Sub-Deacons Exorcists nay even the Ostiarii or Door-keepers the Arolytes or more inferior orders of Servitors in Church affairs and the like others of divers sorts and degrees as may be seen And so also in the same Law there are to be seen the Papal Offices of Legate a latere of Inquisitions and the like describ'd and recorded and the like might be said also concerning other Monuments and Churches either more Ancient or Modern and as they have subsisted in their several times or manners in the World VI. As to the Christian Church then in particular and the offices constituted by Divine Authority in it we have here lighted upon the office of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop or Overseer Ecclesiastical of the affairs of it and who is so termed up and down in the new Testament by way of Emphasis and Eminency and in a way proper to himself and distinctly from others And he is the Supream Supervisor in every Ecclesiastical Vniformity who is purely Ecclesiastical and who by vertue of the Institution of Christ and according to his being indued with suitable Direct power in spirituals from him is bound ex officio to look after the affairs of the distinct Societie of the Christian Church in the General besides what more particular powers he may at any time and in any more particular Mode of National society derive from the supream Magistrate principally for the sake of the Consistency of Religion with Government In the interim this office he is ordinarily to spend his time in and to look after and to mannage it with great care and prudence and that because without a due oversight of affairs the particular Church Powers cannot be rightly applied and brought to effect as was said and without the Application of them aright Hic Supra §. 1. there can be no well-being for the Church-Societie So then the due discharge of this great office of trust is fundamental to the well-being of the Christian Church besides also what respect it may have to the welfare of Civil Government and all Humane Society in any state or Common-weale There are some who mix this supream Ordinary Ecclesiastical Supervisorship and who by constituting the persons called Lay-Elders to be Jure Divino do divide and share the Ecclesiastical Supervisorship betwixt Laicks and Ecclesiasticks So the Church of Geneva See the Lawes and Statutes pag. 1. pag. 10 11. both expresly and in effect both by their constituting their Elders or Commissioners for the Seniory to be one
ad Deum converti rescipiscere Omisso vanae gloriae studio odium mutuum ponere monstrosas de fide Catholicâ dissentiones nunquam finiendas disputationes abjicere in unum Catholicae Ecclesiae Sacrosanctum Corpus coalescere in amore proximi ac bonis operibus simul totis viribus in Christo qui caput est unanimes vivere orareque ut nobis gratiam suam concedere dignetur quâ Armati immanem hostem à cervicibus nostris propulsemus ac deinde oppressis hostibus quieti in pace pièque sanctèque vivere queamus i. e. It is time therefore O ye Christian men in whatsoever part of the World ye live to Christ It is time I say for us to awake out of sleep to acknowledge this stroke of the Angry God by reason of our Sinnes unanimously to be converted to God to repent leaving the study of vain glory to lay aside our mutual hatred to cast away our monstrous dissentions concerning the Catholick Faith and those disputations never to be ended to unite into one Sacred body of the Church of Christ and to live unanimously in the love of our Neighbour and in good works together with all our strength in Christ who is our Head and to pray that he would vouchsafe to grant to us his grace with which being armed we may drive away the Cruel Enemy from our necks and so our Adversaries being overcome we may be able to live quiet in peace piously and holily What shall we say then Let the Peace of the Jerusalem of Christ be the study of every sincere Christian Let these things which we have written in this work with our Pen dipt in Sweat for the more publick and common good be imprinted in the hearts of those that read them Especially those of them that make most to the Christian peace and to the preservation and promotion of the welfare both of Religion and Government and the Consistency of each with either in every national Society May the Christian Princes prosper and flourish in their Dominions May Piety and Adoration of the Son of God spring up as it were from the ground amongst private persons May the Christian Church have her Faith propagated and her Borders enlarged by the illumination of the Most High Matth. 16.18 Apud Euseb De vita Const lib. 1. cap. 22. under the Tuition of Princes by the endeavours of her Priests and with the consent of Nations And let the Gates of Hell according to the Promise of him who appear'd from Heaven with his Victorious Crosse to the first Christian Emperour Constantine never prevaile against her THE INDEX A ABassines Their Liturgy 198 Their use of an unknown Tongue in their publick Divine Services 180 The scarcity of Books amongst them Ibid. Abraham his discharging the Priestly Office 124 Accursius his glosses their appearing first of all on the Civil Law In Prolegom ad fin Adam Monarch of the world 34 And his Right to his so being Ibid. His discharge of the Priestly Office 124 Admonitions to the Parliament set forth by the English Presbitrey in Queen Elizabeth's dayes 200 Aegypt Its Fame for Learning and Wisdom heretofore In Proleg in princip Aegyptians Their boasting concerning the derivation of wisdom from their Countrey In Proleg paulo post princip Their custom concerning the same person his being both King and Priest 139 Aequivocation The Doctrine of it condemned 279 Affection Natural the foundations of it 42 The Alcoran not to be read by the Common People 180 Mahomet his trick for the obtrusion of it upon the people 113 Alexander His custome of stopping one Ear when sitting in Judgment 291 Amurat His faining his War to be given him in Charge from Heaven 115 Apostolical Canons very ancient In Proleg circa med Appeals The last in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity ought alwayes to be made to the Chief Magistrate 301 Arch-Bishop of Toledo Chancellour of Castile 130 Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in England his Prerogative Ibid. Aristotle His Politicks the Repute of them In Proleg prop. fin Armenians their Liturgy 190 Assent What kinds of it and the Vnity of it is supposed to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 225 226 c. Atheisme To be expelled out of Humane Societies 88 Vertual Atheisme Ibid. The causes of Atheisme in Societies Ibid. Atheists Two grand sorts of them Ibid. Athenians Their swearing by their Twelve Gods 176 Attributes of God what they are 17 And the operation of them how to be discerned Ibid. And the effects of them Ibid. And the Operation of them how it proceeds Ibid. St. Augustine His sayings concerning the phrase of the Scripture 251 B Bartolus and Baldus their Esteem amongst the Civilians In Proleg ad fin Beritus Its fate by an Earthquake 31 The Bible ought to be conceded to the Laity in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 108 Bodine De Repub. His dignity amongst Modern Books of Policy In Proleg prop. fin C Mr. Cameron Taxed Camillus the Dictator his trick for the encouragement of his Souldiers 115 A Canon of Doctrines defin'd and distinguisht 194. The state of the case concerning its being the primary and principal of the two grand instruments of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity Ibid. A Canon or body of Doctrines the necessity of it in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 163 164 Canon Law The Authority of it In Proleg ad fin The intention of the Compilers and authorizers of it Ibid. Charles of Bourbon his carrying a halter near his colours to hang the Pope with for the encouragement of his Souldiers 115 Cardinals Of the Roman Sea their secular Titles 130 Church Censures the degrees of them asserted 267. They are to be dispenc'd with the least humane mixtures 268 The right of dispensing them to whom it belongs Ibid. They are to be back't by the Magistrate Ibid. He hath the power of controuling the Execution of them Ibid. And also is exempted from them Ibid. Ceremonies The Magistrate hath the right of establishing them in any National Church 235 236. Ceremonies distinguished 236. The Rules to be held concerning the customary ones Ibid. And concerning the adjoyning of them to the Divine Worship 236 237. And the ends of them in Church Services 237 c. Ceremonies in the Church of England the controversie concerning them formerly debated 239. Ceremonies an Vniformity in them convenient in Churches 168. Ceremonies of the Jewish Church the intent of God in them in Israel 196. Ceremonies too great a number of them a faultiness in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 179 180 The Character of the Ecclesiastical persons Function at first impressed upon him indelible 134 Charge whose is the preservation of the welfare of Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government 73 74 c. A Charge defin'd Ib. and distinguished Ib. The Charge mentioned is the supream Charge amongst men 78. It is perpetually to be looked after Ib. The publick Charge of the Magistrate the causes of all mischiefs to it 111. Charge of the Magistrate its danger of
to this day for ought any Revelation that there is from Heaven to the contrary And the unwritten traditions whether in the Romish or any other part of the Christian Church for the Licentiating of the Bible and which stand in direct opposition to the plain written Scripture in these things are not rationally to be believed The Publick Ordinances also ought to be celebrated in the vulgar Tongue Poloniae Lib. 1. prop. fin XII And lastly that the Publick Divine Service and the use of the Ordinances of God in the Churches in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity ought also to be in the vulgar Tongue so as Cromerus sayes it is with the Russians and Chytraeus with the Armenians the Waldenses and others it is as evident It is the saying of Padre Paule the Venetian although himself also in Communion with the Church of Rome in his History of the Councel of Trent That In Oratione cum post reditum ex Austria c. Circa Med. De Armeniis Ibid. in Boemia prope fin Lib. 6. Fol 578 he that would know what Language is to be used in the Church needs onely to read the fourteenth Chapter of the first to the Corinthians and it will sufficiently informe him though his mind be never so much prepossessed with a contrary opinion Thus then for these things CHAP. V. A more particular consideration of the two Grand Causes of all Mischiefs in Humane Affairs viz. the Weaknesses and Corruptions of men And more particularly of their Influence on the Publick Charge of the Magistrate the thing to be preserved ultimately by an Ecclesiastical Vniformity I. THE Causes of all Mischiefs to the Publick Charge of the Magistrate distinguish'd II. The Persons ordinarily guilty of the Faults of Imprudence III. Their guilt evidenc'd IV. Their particular faults instanced in in the particulars of the Magistrates V. The frequency of their errors and offences in this kind VI. The persons ordinarily guilty of the Faults of Malice VII The causes exciting them to the commission of such faults VIII The impetuousness and violence of those exciting Causes IX Certain Doctrines in the Christian Religion made use of by these Persons for the promotion of their several ends X. Of all things in the world the Charge of the Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by them XI Of all Persons in the world the Person of the Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by them also XII The Conclusion drawn from all these things I. THe Divines distinguish all sins committed against God The causes of all mischiefs to the Publick charge of the Magistrate distinguish'd into voluntary and involuntary The involuntary are those which are committed imprudently and without knowledg and intention and the voluntary those which are committed knowingly and maliciously The same distinction is here to be given of all faults commited in Humane Affairs as hath been hinted already more then once And more particularly against the publick charge of the Magistrate in an Ecclesiastical uniformity Lib. de virtutibus Juv. Sat. 1. Imprudentia rationis est vitium male vivendi causa sayes Aristotle That Imprudence is a fault of mens reason and a cause of their ill living And that of the Poet may be ordinarily apply'd to every Age Nil erit ulterius quod nostris moribus addat Posteritas eadem capient facientque minores Omne in praecipiti vitium stetit That there will be nothing farther for Posterity to adde To our manners the younger will receive and do the same things Every vice is readily practis'd And although it be true in both these Cases what the Schooles say in Divinity that Veniam dabit ignorantia Culpae That Ignorance in the Person offending is one thing which may excuse from guilt as to the offence it selfe either in tanto or in toto Yet however the outward effects and consequences of both these sorts of offences against the charge of the Magistrate are those things which are to be taken cognizance of and considered principally by Humane Lawes And it followes then that in respect to the mischeifs done by them either sort of offences may be either more or less equally hainous and so as that both of them are to be watched over by the chief Magistrate in any Society Saepe honestas rerum causas Hist lib. 1. Orat. Contra Ctesiphont inadhibias in Judicium perniciosi exitus consequuntur sayes Tacitus That oftentimes pernitious ends do attend honest causes of things unless you consider how to prevent them And Aeschines improbum ingenium magnam potestatem adeptum publicas importat Calamitates That a Mischievous wit having attain'd to great power brings publick calamities upon men II. The faults of Imprudence then are the first in order here to be treated of And the Persons ordinarily guilty of them in any Society are those The Persons ordinarily guilty of the faults of imprudence who in all Writings and Ages have been loaded with so many Epithets designing that guilt of theirs viz. Prophanum Rude Imperitum Ignobile vulgus The Barbarous Rude Vnskilful and Ignoble Common people Their guilt Evidenc'd III. Their being ordinarily subject to this kind of offences is evident from two things 1. From their own aptness to run into such and all other sorts of faults and Errors 2. From their easiness to be lead into them by others 1. Their own aptness proceeds from their Ignorance Heedlesness and unskilfulness in Affairs and the like in all Writings deservedly Attributed unto them 2. They are also Consequently as easily led by others And that 1. By Shewes 2ly By Custome And that also by reason of their Heedlessness Simplicity and Foolishness mention'd Wherefore they are rightly called a body without a Breast P. Aemyl lib. 8. And Nihil est facilius Declam 11. sayes Quintilian quam in quemlibet affectum movere populum That nothing is more easie â—hen any wayes to affect the People And Plebs suapte natura Hist lib. 17. sayes Guicciarâ—â—ne semper novarum rerum cupidicum facile vanis erroribus falsis persuasionibus repleatur ad còncitantis arbitrium ut maris stuctus à ventis impellitur That the Common People being by their own nature desirous of new things seeing they are easily fill'd with vain errors and false persuasions they are driven along at the pleasure of him that stirrs them as the flouds of the Sea by the wind Ad Caesar And the like is that of Salust Multitudo vulgi more magis quam Judicio post alium alius quasi prudentiorem sequitur That the multitude of the Common people by Custome more then by Judgment followes the one after another as if he were in the mean time the wiser Their particular faults instanc'd in in the particulars of the Magistrates Charge IV. We will farther instance a little in their more particular faults respecting the particulars of the Magistrates charge mention'd 1. As to Religion And their
but tolerating openly and ballancing together with other things all manner of Errors Blasphemies and Atheisme it self in his practising the latitude of it and which things the Judicial or Civil Lawes of Israel did and all Lawes whatsoever of other Societies are bound to prohibit And lastly this ballancing of Opinions cannot be artificially manag'd without perpetual difficulty to the Governour and every dayes danger of sudden eruptions of the more numerous and prevalent party into a Flame And for these and the like reasons it is then That it hath never ordinarily been made use of by setled Governours in any Societies nor by any others upon pure choise at any time but only by Innovators in States and Usurpers of Supreme Authority That while they were stealing up the more securely to the Helme they might busie others about picking of their Bones and ineffably amuse the vulgar The Extreme also of too much strictness assign'd Lib. 2. cap. 6. 5. 6 c. Infra lib. 3. cap. 3. ◠2 3 Infra ibid §. 3. 4 5 6 7. III. There is one extreame also of too much strictness on the other hand and that is the pressing upon men an universal inward unity of Opinion which besides that it is impossible to effect for the Reasons above given and as shall be hereafter mentioned is not neither a means of it self for the generating Peace and Charity amongst men And the Reasons also why it may not be pressed by the Magistrate upon any Society and how farre forth it may not shall be given an account of hereafter The faultiness in such an Uniformity Assign'd also IV. These extreams then being thus assign'd we come also to assign the faultiness in such an Uniformity i. e. Those Indebita and things taxable in it by which it may become accidentally hurtful either to Religion or Government or the consistency of each with other And those are The first of them V. First of all when it reacheth not the Governours occasions in any Society and in respect to the securing his supreme publick right and Charge For so it ought to do because it is a means and instrument appointed by God and Nature for the securing of it The Second VI. When the Magistrates Authority pressing such an Uniformity is urged under the Notion of Divine and his Determination even in all matters whatsoever is by consequence stated formally as the will of God See Dominion Cap. 12. Art 2. And Religion Cap. 16. Art 13 14 15 16 c. And Cap. 12. Art 17 18 c. This is the Assertion of Mr. Hobbs of Malmesbury up and down in his Philosophical Rudiments that it should be so But it consists not with the Divine Law of Christ wherein it is not revealed That God hath committed it to any man or Angel ordinarily to prescribe precepts of Religion but hath reserved that Royalty immediately to himself Indeed the Chair of Rome hath bidden fairly in this matter by the allegation of an infallibility its being annexed to it But concerning an infallible Interpreter in Churches It deserves to be considered whether such a thing be not for the most part needless in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity since in the thoughts of knowing men there will be in most things no more unity of Opinion about such Interpretations then others and also whether it be convenient for the state of Humane Affairs in this World and that upon several accounts And if the pretence of it be intended to amuse the vulgar that is not Honest But briefly since the Divine Law of Christ hath not appointed it to any man to prescribe Religious precepts neither Originally nor by Interpretation we must conclude that it is not so convenient for Humane Societies that there should be such an infallible interpretership constituted and established in them VII The third sort of faultiness in such an Uniformity is The Third when it is excessively comprehensive of things press'd in it And so it may be 1. Qualitatively 2. Quantitatively 1. Qualitatively viz. when it comprehends things simply and in themselves wicked and sinful and proposes and enjoyns them either to be believed or practised accordingly But then this is to be understood of such things as are simply and in themselves so as we say and not of things becoming so by accident For because nothing is so good and lawful in it self but that it may become sinful by accident and because also Cases in which such things may become so are infinite and cannot be foreseen by Humane Prudence or Circumspection therefore it is that Humane Lawes in the framing of them by the Legislative Authority have no respect to such things and as concern'd in the Cases in which they may so become Jura Constitui oportet ut dixit Theophrastus in iis quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accidunt non in iis quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Pomponius in the Civil Law That Lawes are to be Constituted as Theophrastus sayd in those things and Cases which happen out for the most part and not in those which come to pass but seldome And Celsus ex iis F. De legibus Senatus consult c. L. Jura Constitui Ibid. L. 4. Vid. D. Si quis Cautionibus c. Bart. in L. simili modo Et D. Mandati vel contra in L. Austoni item Bartus c. De legibus Dial. 4 paulo post prin Ibid. post quae forte uno aliquo casu accidere possunt Jura non constituuntur That Lawes are not constituted in those matters which may perhaps happen out in one single Case And the several Cases upon the Lawes are explicated and determined by the Doctors accordingly And lastly Plato dicturus eram nullum unquam hominum aliquid lege sancire sed fortunas casusque varios incidentes leges nobis per omnia ferre I was about to say that no man at any time doth establish any thing by Law but that accidents and various chances falling on us do give Law to us in all things And in Conclusion Deum quidem omnia fortunam oportunitatemque simul cum Deo Cuncta Humana Gubernare That God truly doth govern all things and all Humane Affairs Fortune and Opportunity together with God 2. Quantitatively when it proposeth and enjoynes a greater number of things indifferent and as adjuncts of Worship then is convenient There have been allwayes and ought to be and must needs be some Ceremonies in all Churches in the Jewes the Heathens the Christians and Mahometans Churches and are at this day as is to be seen in the several Records concerning these things But then the Ceremonies of Humane Constitution ought not to be to such a number in any Church as to eat up the Divine service it self and to take up more roome then the immediate Worship of God In this kind it is that the Uniformity of the Church of Rome is so faulty The Ceremonial Law as the Jewes say themselves
amongst the other Lawes of Israel was never intended by Gods Prescription of it to oblige the Gentiles And the New Testament the proper Prescript of the Christian Religion revers'd it amongst the Jewes themselves also But the Chair of Rome in it's introduction of such a number of Ceremonies into Divine service pretends the imitation of Moses and that upon the same account of Divine Authority also although in another kind but intends really the Reformation of St. Paul and of the Christian Prescript of Religion which perhaps it thinks consists of too many and too expressly of Doctrinals but not enough nor enough expresly of Ceremonials The fourth and last sort of faultiness VIII The fourth and last sort of faultiness then in this Ecclesiastical Uniformity is when it takes away the means of knowledg and the means of Grace from amongst the People and such as ought ordinarily to be conceded to them and are their Natural and Divine Rights and that in relation to those several ends which have been above mentioned Supra lib. 2. cap. 3. §. 6 7 8 c. Vid. Alcoranum Azoara 13. c. De Origine Imp. Turc De Turc morib Epit. cap. De Sacerdotibus eorum De Abassinor reb lib. 1. cap. 22. Such is the practise of the Mahometan in his way of Religion prohibiting the Alcoran to be read by the Common People and suppressing Universities and the ordinary use of Books and the like Apud illos sane nullos vidi Typographos sed Chartam optime parant sayes Georgieviz That amongst them he saw no Printers but they make excellent Paper and the like Such also is the practise of divers Churches of Christians Of the Abassines Sacra omnia partim Chaldaeo partim Aethiopico continentur Idiomite sayes Godignus That all their Holy Rites are contained partly in the Chaldee partly in the Ethiopick Dialect And Praeter libros divinos easque quibus continentur Sacra alii non sunt nisi quos habent regiis opibus praefecti ut accepti expensi rationes constent Ibid. cap. 12. in fine sayes he elsewhere That besides the Books of God and those in which their Sacred Rites are contained there are none other unless it be those which the Emperours Treasurers have for the keeping of their Accounts In Literis Wenceslai Budonizii c. D. Davidi Chytraeo in princip And so of the Greek Church Omnia enim Sacra eorum lingua Antiqua neque à Sacerdotibus neque à populo intellecta peraguntur sayes Chytraeus That all their Divine Services are perform'd in the Ancient Tongue which is not understood neither by the Priests nor People And so also amongst the Russians Hist of Russia vid. cap. 21 circa med alibi Neither their Priests nor Bishops making any further use of any kind of Learning no not of the Scriptures themselves save to Read and to Sing them and their Divine Service and the like sayes Fletcher in his History And last of all such also is the Practice of Rome and of the Churches diversly in her Communion She commandeth her Liturgies to be celebrated in Latine and the like unknown tongues Etsi missa magnam contineat Populi fidelis eruditionem non tamen expedire visum est Patribus ut vulgari lingua passim celebraretur say the Tridentine Fathers Concil Triden Sessione 6. cap. 8. Although the Mass contain in it much instruction of the faithful people yet however that it did not seem to be expedient to the Fathers that it should be celebrated up and down in the Churches in the vulgar tongue And so also she not permitting the Bible to be read ordinarily by the People nor by any Laicks unless they be Licenc'd Laying hold also by the Inquisition in Spain and other places upon all Bookes in the vulgar tongue and upon open Discourses and Disputes about Religion and establishing the Doctrines of implicit Faith general devotion blind obedience and the like CHAP. XI From whence the Just Measures of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity are to be taken And of the more particular Rights and Liberties relating to them I. THe Rules of distributive Justice assign'd from whence the Just Measures of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are to be taken II. The Persons who have the right of framing it accordingly III. When they have used their best Judgement for the doing of it they have done their duties IV. Certain more particular Rights belonging to them in this matter V. In the interim obedience is due to them from private Persons VI. And last of all certain Liberties belonging to those private persons also in relation to their performance of that Obedience The Rules of Distributive Justice assign'd from whence the just measures of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are to be taken I. HAving said these things then I come here last of all to assert the Just Measures of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and from whence they are to be taken And that is from it's affording to all their Rights viz. those which have been heretofore mentioned either more generally or more particularly To God his Right in it's crossing none of his commands but assisting to the performance of them To the Supreme Magistrate his Right in it 's being proportioned to his occasions and the discharge of his Trust To the Church Governours also in their way their Rights by it's affording to them the like meanes of the discharge of their Functions in their several places and capacities To the private Christian his Right by it's preserving to him the enjoyment of his Christian Liberty and the use of his liberty of Conscience and Judgement of discerning To the Subject also his Rights by it's enjoyning nothing upon him but by lawful Legislative Authority And last of all to all these their Rights both mixtly and in their several respects by it's cutting off occasions of Contentions and of corrupt wicked mens abusing and invading these Things and Persons severally to the disorder and destruction of Humane Societies and the welfare of them And this is the Golden mean in such an Ecclesiastical Uniformity And these are the more general Rules of distributive Justice which are to be observ'd by all Princes and Governours in their due framing of it II. The Supreme Governours in any Society have the only Supreme Power and Right of the thus framing this Uniformity The Persons who have the Right of framing it accordingly and that more generally and mediately by vertue of their Supreme Power over all and in relation to their Publick Charge supremely committed to them and more particularly and immediately as it is a part of their Indirect Power in Spirituals III. And when they have used their best judgment When they have used their best Judgement for their doing of it they have done their duties and taken their best care about their thus framing of it they have done their Duties and discharged their trust in it both to God Conscience and
or any others do take a special care that according to the general Rules of the Divine Law mentioned all things be done to the promotion of the welfare both of Religion and Government and the consistency of each with either in this matter And it is convenient that there be one only form of using these things suitable to the other parts of the Ecclesiastical Uniformity throughout the Princes Dominions And it is of great moment that there be also Uniform Vogues or Voices made to pass currantly amongst the people concerning the observance of all of them XX. The second The Second Question or Querie then is concerning the simple use of these Ordinances of God more privately and that in respect to the great matter of the Conventus or Conventiculi the lesser meetings in houses or Conventicles as they are called at this day in England viz. Whether and how far forth such Convenings are Lawful and accordingly to be permitted by the Prince in any Society Answ 1. In the first place there is no doubt but that Prayer and Preaching and the like exercises of Religion which are made use of in those Conventicles are in themselves the Ordinances of God So that that need not to be pleaded for them with so great and popular a cry made amongst the vulgar as it useth to be and hath been in England by the supporters of them 2. But then all the Question is concerning the use of them in such a way whether when so used they are to be look'd upon as lawfully used and as continuing to be the Ordinances of God Truly this case as all others is to be judged from the diversities of circumstances attending it Things in themselves may be good but by the abuse of them made evill Things in themselves may be the Ordinances of God but by the use of them in such or such a way turn'd into the Engines of men to work their designs by It was a case like to this which was disputed against Pope Paul the fifth by the Reputed Father Paul the Venetian The State of Venice See in his Answer to the Bopes Bull. Pag. 12 13 14 15 16 17. c. it seems amongst other things finding the building of Churches Monasteries and the like at mens pleasure within her Territories to be inconvenient and dangerous to the Publick because of the multitudes of strangers who did resort to use and inhabit them and the like and who were contrary in their customes of Life and had ends divers from those of the Common-Wealth Vpon this the State made a Law That none should build any of those Religious places without License P. 17. Ibid. And who will not marvel sayes Father Paul to hear it objected against this Law that to build such Religious Houses it is in it self no wicked Act As though a work of its own nature and in it self good if it be performed without due circumstances were not vicious and did not deserve Chastisement Not from the Matter or Object only Ethic. 2. Cap. 6. sayes Aristotle and after him all the Divines is an action construed but from the integrity of all the circumstances The like prohibitions to this also are to be found in all Laws De operibus publicis L. opus Opus novum privato etiam sine Principis Authoritate facere licet sayes Macer the Civilian in the old Pandects That it was lawful for a private man to erect any new work without the leave of the Prince first obtained But Praeterquam si ad aemulationem alterius Civitatis pertineat vel materiam Seditionis praebeat Only excepting it should perhaps tend to emulation betwixt Cities or afford matter of Sedition Novel 67. in Tit. or the like And in the Novels of Justinian in the Title Vt nullus fabricet Oratorii domos praeter voluntatem Episcopi c. And elsewhere frequently the building of Monastries and Churches Ibid. Constit 5. Cap. 1. alibi and the like is forbidden before License obtained from the Bishop consecrating of the ground by him and such other things to be performed C. De sacro sanct Eccles L. Quoniam in plerisque Decret tertia part distinct 1. Capit. Lib. 5. l. 229. and 230 c. And in the Code the like is the Law of prohibiting any one to make Jesus Christ his Heir without the observance of due circumstances in it And in the body of the Canon Law the Rubrick De Consecratione in the Decretum and the like may be viewed And the like things are to be found in the Laws of Charlemaine and of others And last of all the like to these cases now is the case of prohibiting Conventicles in any Princes Dominions 3. The general Rule then from whence the goodness or evil of the circumstances accompanying them in this case is to be judged of is their tending either to the hurt or benefit of the Publick Charge of the Magistrate If they tend to the hurt of it it makes them unlawful if otherwise the contrary And the circumstances accompanying them may tend so evidently and eminently to the hurt of that charge that it cannot by any means be preserved without the suppression of them Let us but weigh the present case in England Suppose they are kept up in any Society in a time of Parties or Factions stirring in it Suppose those Factions only keep them up Suppose that the very Fame and Repute of those persons who perform the Acts of Praying and Preaching at them do work upon the others who frequent them to be of their Parties as it will most certainly do and prevail mightily with the weaker sort of men although those who are the Orators do not neither so directly or expresly Pray or Preach up their Parties in the mean time Suppose yet further that these Parties separate from the Publick Ordinances or National way of Administration of Religion in any Society Suppose that they have avowedly and openly declared their intents of altering the present Lawful and Established Government either in Church or State and so evidently these meetings tend to the publick contesting of opinions and the utter breach of the Peace both in Church and State and to the overthrow of the present Lawful Established Government in both Suppose that the Publick Magistrate hath had this long experience of them that they have been kept up for nothing else in the bottom or by any of the heads of those Parties and have tended to nothing else Suppose yet again that they are kept up at the time of the administration of the Publick Ordinances in the Church and do withdraw men from the partaking in them Suppose lastly that upon these and the like considerations they are strictly prohibited by Lawful Authority and Laws made by it Certainly these things being weighed no considerate man will concede such meetings to be lawful and the prayer and preaching that is used in them to be used in