Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 9
PROV. 22. 28.
Remoue not the ancient boundes, which thy fathers hauehave made.
THe word of God, is termed by St. Paul, a two edged sword, as beinga Heb. 4. 12. sharpe; (say the Doctors) in a litteral exposition; and sharpe, in a sense which is mysticall also.
This our text is litterally construed of markestones and bounders of inheritance, betweene man and man, but allegorically, bHugo. Card. Lauater. in loc.Diuines expound it, of the limits of reason, and religion, and so by consequent of things appertaining to pollicy and piety.
According to the litterall and plaine sense, this Scripture teacheth vsus especially 3. lessons,
1. That we may possesse lands.
2. That we may possesse them in priuat, bounded and inclosed.
3. That wee may maintaine lawfully, these seuerals and inclosures.
For the first, cPsalm. 24▪ 1.the earth is the Lords, and all that therein is, and the earth hee hath giuen vntounto the sonnes of men. Psal▪ 115. 16. Hee made all things for man, and man for himselfe, the Creator is Lord of man, and man is lord of the creatures, all things are in subiection vnderunder his feete. Psal. 8. 6.
Againe, Christ is heire of all things, Heb. 1. 2. and in Christ all things are ours, as the blessed d1. Co…. 3. 22.Apostle sweetely, whether they be things present, or things to come, all are yours, and you Christs, and Christ Gods, and Luke. 15. 31. All that I hauehave, is thine, sayd the good father to his good sonne.
EueryEvery man then before men, In foro ciuili, may claime the things of this world, by right of his birth, or creation, as a man: but eueryevery Christian before God, In foro conscientiae, hath an interest in them, by right of his second birth or regeneration, as a Christian, as some distinguish acutely, the wicked, as men, hauehave Ius ad rem, but good men, as Christians, hauehave Ius in re. We may possesse lands, and houses, and riches, and yet remooue no boundes of Gods law: But our care must be that they do not possesse vsus. Ita tenete, ne teneamin… quoth Gregorie the great, if we command them and honour god with them, according to their name they be goods in deed, wherwith we may cGal. 6. 10.doe good vntounto all men, and bee f1. Tim. 6. 18.rich in good works, but if once they command vsus, then, as the poet sayd, they become irritamenta malorum euen the minsters of mischiefe and (as the scripture speakes) the roote of all euil.
The Church is described Apoc. 12. to be clothed with the Sunne, and to hauehave the Moone vnderunder her feete, that is, all earthly things which are changeable like the Moone; and the churches treasure was layd downe at the Apostles feete; Act. 4. 35. Hereby signifiing, as gTom. 1. pag. 103.Hierom told Paulinus, that when riches encrease, we should not set our hearts on them, as Dauid doth aduise, but rather that wee should trample them vnderunder our feet, hMat. 6. 35.first and most, seeking the kingdome of God, and then i1. Cor. 7. 31.vsing the world as if we vsed it not, hauing nothing, and yet possessing all things. 2. From hence we learne, that we may hauehave lands in priuat, bounded and inclosed, so that eueryevery one may say, this is mine, that is thine: as God in the beginning, bounded the raging Sea, saying, kIob. 38. 11.hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall it stop thy proud waues: So Gods law prescribes certaine limits and boundes, in eueryevery mans inheritance, which he may not transgresse and remoue, hitherto shalt thou goe, and no further; for the lMelanct in expos. 8. Prac. tom 1 fol 17. et tom. 2. fol. 369.distinction of possessions is founded, not vponupon the ciuill lawes of Emperors only, but vponupon the Diuine lawes of God also, commanding, thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke, which they of old time hauehave set in thine inheritance. Deut. 19. 14. and Deut. 27. 17. Cursed be hee that remooueth his neighbours marke, and in our text, remoue not the boundes &c. mMelanct. Lauat in loc. idem Illyricus in Claus Scrip verb. TerminusAll which appertaine to the commandement, thou shalt not steale, the which in one word doth ouerthrow Platonicall and Anabaptisticall community, for if all things ought to be common, and nothing proper in possession; how can one man steale from another, and why should n…sa. 5. 8.Esay denounce woe to such as ioyne house to house, and lay field to field, till there bee no place for other vponupon the earth, and why should the remouing of land-markes, be numbred among the notorious faults of the wicked. Iob. 24. 2.
It is obiected out of Acts 2. 43. and Acts 4. 32. that the primitiue Christians had all things common; Answere is made, that those deare seruants, and Saints of God, in that extreme persecution, had all things common, In cresi, that is, in vse, but not in Thesi, that is, in occupation, and possession. It is sayd, that the rich did sell their possessions, and landes, but oAratius in Act 2 44. idem C…inet Marlorat.not all their possessions and lands. 2. This sale was not forced, but voluntary; so St. Peter told Ananias. Acts. 5. 4. Whiles it remained, appertained it not vntounto thee? And after it was sold, was it not in thine owne power? 3. Such as did sell and communicate, did not giuegive to all men alike, but as eueryevery one had need; The poore did not confusedly snatch vntounto themselues, as much as they would, but the price of the things that were sold, was layd downe at the Apostles feete, and distribution of the same was made vntounto eueryevery man, according to his necessity. 4. The blessed Apostles themselues, had not all things common in possession; for St. Iohn tooke the blessed Virgin recommended vntounto him by Christ; into his owne home. Iohn 19. 27. And St. Paul had bookes, and apparrell of his owne; for thus he writes p2. Tim. 4. 13.to Timothie, the cloake that I left at Troas, with Carpus, when thou commest, bring with thee, and the bookes, but especially the parchments.
Lastly, if all things ought to be common, as our moderne Platonists, and ancient Heritikes, called qAu. …arg. 40.Apostolici, contend, why did rMatth. 6. 1. marke 10. 21.Christ and his Apostles, exhort rich men of the world to be rich in good workes, aduising that their s2. Cor. 8. 14.abundance should supply the lacke of other, and that they should tGalat. 6. 10.doe good vntounto all men, especially vntounto those which are of the houshold of faith, uRom. 12. 13.distributing to the necessities of the Saints, and giuing themselues to hospitality; To make things common, is to take away the subiect and occasions of bountifulnesse, and liberality, which are so highly commended in a christian.
3 As wee may possesse lands, and possesse them in priuat, bounded, and inclosed; So wee may maintaine lawfully, these boundes against all oppressours, and intruders whatsoeuer. 1. Soueraigne Princes, may defend their marches, and limits of their states and kingdomes, against inuading neighbour kings, and that by dint of sword, and force of armes; If one priuat man offend another, the Iudge (saith old x1. Sam. 2 25.Eli) shall iudge it, If one subiect remooue the land-markes of another, appeale may bee made to superiour authority; But if one King incroach vponupon the Dominions of another, they hauehave no common seat of Iustice, where to complaine of wrongs, and therefore they may reuenge publique quarrels, and make the sword their Iudge, and in such a case, sayth yQuast. 10. in Iosuah t…m. 4. fol 203.Augustine, the captaines and souldiers are the ministers of God, and they fight his battaile with his sword, to take vengeance on such as doe ill, and herein, as zSer. ad …ilites. Templ. c. 3.Bernard speakes, they be not homicidae sed malicidae.
2. It is the part of eueryevery parishioner and party, to preserue, so much as lyeth in him, all the liberties, franchises, boundes, and priuiledges of the towne where hee dwels. St aAct. 12. 28.Paul in a great extremity, pleaded that he was a citizen of Rome, and the chiefe captaine, who had the charge of him, answered, with a great summe obtained I this freedome; the Church of England in the fourth part of the Sermon, for Rogation weeke, doth aduise parishoners, in walking their perambulation, seriously to consider the boundes of their own Towne-ship, and of all other neighbour parishes, bordering vponupon them on eueryevery side, that eueryevery towne may be content with his owne, and clayme no more, then that, in ancient right and custome, our forefathers hauehave peaceably layd out for our comfort, and commodity: in the tides of contention, betweene neighbour incorporations once vp, there want not commonly stirring windes, to make them more rough: I remember bIn his Prologue desc…ption of the Sergeant at Law.Chaucer in his time, gaue this character of a Sergeant at the law, no where so busie a man as he there was, and yet hee seemed busier then hee was; to bee Causidicus, a Barrister, aduocate, counsellour, is an honest, a worshipfull, and a worthy calling, but to be Causificus, a barretour, a setter of suites, a copie-cut as it were to bring in gaine, to the court christian, or ciuill, is a base trade, that becomes not a man, a gentleman lesse, a christian least of all: I beseech you therefore brethren, marke them which cause diuisions, and offences, contrary to the doctrine yee hauehave learned, and a…oyd them, and the way to shun their courses is exactly to marke the markestones, and to stand in the old way, for the prouerbe is true, fast bind, fast find; euen reckoning, makes long friends; when boundes are certaine, possessors are not vncertaine.
3. As the soueraigne Prince, which is the head, and incorporations and townes, which are bodies politique: so in particular, eueryevery man, and member of the same, may defend his owne right, and maintaine the boundes of his proper inheritance, by wager of law, before competent iudges; Wee must, as S. Paul exhorts, follow peace with all men; and hauehave peace with all, if it bee possible, so much as lyeth in our power. But because the wicked are like the raging sea, whose waters cast vp dirt and mire, hauing no peace within themselues, and alway stirring with other: It is our duty, to be so simple as doues in offending them, and yet so wise as serpents, in defending our selues. It stands well enough with charity, for a christian to stand vponupon his iust title, yea, because charity begins with it selfe, hee that prouides not for his owne, denyeth the faith, and is worse then an infidel.
Against this doctrine, the fond Anabaptists obiect the word of Christ, Mat. 5 40. If any man will take away thy coat, let him hauehave thy cloake also, cTom. 4 …l. …02. …t …om 6. f…l. 2…9.S. Augustine answereth in lib. 1. de. ser: dom. in monte, That this iniunction ought to be construed, de preparatione cordis, and not de ostensione operis, of our hearts intention, and readinesse to forgiue an iniury, rather then of our works extension and actuall induring the spoyling of our goods; or as dAretius. Cal Piscatorother more plainly, these words are spoken of priuat retaliation and reuenge, not of that remedy which wee may hauehave by publique iustice. The meaning of Christ is, that wee should bee so farre from auenging one wrong with another, as that we should rather hauehave patience, to suffer more; as the Prophets expound the law, so the Apostles expoūd the Gospel: heare then how S. Paul interprets this precept. Rom. 12. 19. Auenge not your selues (saith hee,) but giuegive place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord; A priuate person ought not to render euill for euill, or rebuke for rebuke: But a magistrate may punish a malefactor, and so eSee Aug. contra literas petiliani▪ c…. 4.pro malo culpae render malum poenae; But that is not to requite euill for euill, but good for euill, because corrections, are directions, as well to the seers, as sufferer. Hee therefore that commits his cause to the Magistrate, giues place to diuine iudgement, he speakes, as Dauid in the 35. Psalme. 1. verse, Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that striue with mee, and fight thou against them that fight against me; for all higher powers are Gods ordinance, his lieutenants on earth, as it were fingers of the hand that gouernes all the world, and they execute the iudgements, not of men but, of God.
Yea, but you will obiect happily, that S. f1 Cor. 6. 5.Paul elsewhere doth argue the Corinthi…ns of folly, for going to law one with another; Is it so that there is not a wise man among you, no not one that is able to iudge betweene his brethren? gSee. Martyr in loc. Com. part 4. cap. 16.Answere is made, that Paul in that place, forbids not simply the commencing of any sute, before the lawfull and competent Iudge: but that he taxed only three faults, reigning among the Corinthians at that time; the first, that being christians, and so consequently brethren, they quarrelled one with another, and that vnderunder infidels, and vnbeleeuing magistrates, vntounto the scandall of the Gospell. The second, that they were so transported, with heate, and hate, that they would not suffer any little wrong. The 3. that the plaintiues also did wrong, and defraud their brethren; remoue these faults, and their causes may be pleaded betweene two faithfull men, and determined also by wise Iudges.
And so S. Paul elswhere, proues by his owne precept and practise, by his precept, exhorting eueryevery soule, to bee subiect to the higher powers, for there is no power, but of God. If there must bee lawes, then Iudges, and if Iudges, actions, and pleading of causes, and if pleadings, it is necessary that wee should obey the Iudges sentence, for wee then implore Gods helpe, when wee sue to the power ordeined by him, and vnlesse wee should doe this, wee might seeme to tempt God, in neglecting his ordinance. Secondly S. Paul prooues this by his owne practise, who for the defence of his life, did appeale to Caesar. Acts. 25. 21. and Acts 23. 17. He sent his sisters son vntounto the Tribune, to declare the conspiracy the Iewes plotted against him.
It must needes bee (quoth our blessed hMat 18 ….Sauiour,) that offences come; I demand then of Anabaptists, and other opposits to Christian Magistracie, whether they will hauehave these scandalous offences vnpunished, or punished? If they will answere, vnpunished, How shall we lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godlinesse and honesty, when as impunity is the mother of impiety; Better it is, saith one, to liue in a place, where nothing is lawful, then in a place, where al things are lawful: iSp…inx The…. page. 873.Gens sine Iustitia, sine remige nauis in vnda est. If they will hauehave faults to be punished, by whom I p…ay shall Iudgement be giuen, or executed; If eueryevery man according to his owne humour, punish and reuenge, what he lust, all orders of men, in all things, wil be so much out of order, as that in stead of perfection, we shall vndoubtedly, bee brought into desperate confusion: Wherefore, wee may in all our wrongs, (as wee hauehave heard Dauid did) Come vntounto God, who will either immediatly, by himselfe, or else mediatly, by his magistrates plead our cause with them that striue with vsus.
But in going to law, wee must obserue these cautions especially.
1. That we so put our trust in Iudges, and Princes, that we distrust not God, who careth for vsus, saith St. Peter, and so careth for vsus, as a father careth for his child, saith Dauid, and so careth for eueryevery one of his children, as if there were no more to care for, saith Augustine: Men of earthly mindes, and base conceits, make gold their God, and the minions of the time their mediators in all affaires; If they can corrupt the Iudge, and packe a Iury, they little thinke on God, kPsal. 82. 1.who standeth in the congregation of Princes, and sits a Iudge among gods, lPro. 21. 30.against whom there is no wisedome, nor vnderstanding, nor counsell; no wisdome of men, vnderstanding of Angels, counsell of deuils, able to preuaile. O put not then your trust in Princes, or in any child of man, for thus saith the Lord; Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Iere. 17. 5.
2. We must inuiolably keepe charity, putting a great difference betweene an aduersary, and an enemy: we may commence an action, against a brother, in louelove; but wee may not so malitiously prosecute the matter, as that we breake the bond of peace. mViscount S Alban …n Hen. 7 pag. 85.Charles the French King, made warre against Henry 7. King of England, rather with an oliue branch, then a laurell branch in his hand, more desiring peace, then victory. n1. Kin. 2. 5.Ioab shed the blood of warre, in peace: but he kept, as it should seeme, the bond of peace, in warre, and as he did warre in louelove, so we much more may iarre in louelove, so contend with our aduersarie, before the lawfull Iudge, that the party cast in the sute, may be bettered; If not in his money, yet in his manners, and Satan only conquered. oBaron. An…al. tom. … fol. 5.Vt qui vincitur simul vincat, et v…us tantummodo vincatur diabolus.
3. We must take good …eed, that our sutes in law, lead vsus not into distraction, and distemper of mind, some men are so much affected, and afflicted with troubles in law, that they loose their wits, in not hauing their wills, and so while they would gaine their sutes, they loose themselues, and make wracke of christian gentlenesse, sobriety, patience. pLaorti… in …us vita.Bias being asked, what man hee thought most infortunate, answered, hee that is most impatient; the world reputes a patient man, an asse, but Solomon accounts it an high poynt of wisdome, to passe by wrath, and an honour to cease from strife.
qMelanct. tom▪ 2 fol. 979.Qui placide sortem ferre scit, ille sapit.
Lastly, we must appeale to the tribunall of the Magistrate, rather to encrease the glory of God, and good of our neighbours, then to encrease our owne reuenewes, and patrimonie. To conclude this argument in a word, If thou go to law, make
Conscience thy Chancery.
Charity thy Iudge.
Patience thy Counsellour.
Truth thine Attourney.
Peace thy Solicitour.
St. Paul, Ioynes together in one verse, faith, louelove,r Galat. …. 22. patience; By faith, we are linked vntounto God; by louelove, linked vntounto our neighbours; by patience, linked vntounto our selues; If then any remoue the bounds of thy land, hauehave faith toward God, louelove toward thy neighbour, and patience toward thy selfe, and thou shalt be sure to find two sound friends in thy sute, God and thy conscience. God who being chiefe Iustice of the whole world, can doe for thee, whatsoeuer he will, and will doe for thee whatsoeuer is be…; thy conscience, which is in stead of a thousand good witnesses, a thousand good aduocates, a thousand good iuries, a thousand clearkes of the peace, guardians of the peace, to plead, procure, …, record, assure to thee that peace, which p… … vnderstanding. Hitherto concerning … … exposition of our text, shewing, that eu…ry man, and eueryevery christian, much more, may … land… and so possesse, as that hee may hau… them in p…iuat, bounded, and so bounded, as hee may defend the right of his proper inheritance, by wager of law, before competent Indges, against all intruders, and disturbers of his estate, whatsoeuer; I come now to the mysticall, as it concernes the bounds of reason and religion, and so consequently matters of policy, and piety.
Discourse of State, quoth sPraef. Theatr. Politic.Antonio Perez, in his politicall Aphorismes, is no food for weake stomack…; in the words of Father Latymer, no meat for mowers: a man considered as a ciuill man only, cannot erre in any thing, more dangerously, then in the tDanaeus in Prooem. Polit.politicks. I purpose therfore, to walke in the Kings high way, and to containe my selfe within the verge of our text, uLauater in loc.teaching vsus to keepe the laudable customes and lawes of the countrey, where wee dwell. Hee that breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. Eccle. 10. 8. EueryEvery common wealth, is hedged in, as it were, with ancient lawes: he therefore that is an hedgebreaker, lets in the wild boare out of the wood, to roote the vineyard, and wild beasts out of the field, to deuoure it, and all that goe by to plucke of her grapes; It is reported by xOrat contr. Timocr.Demosthenes, that if any man among the Locrenses, did endeauour to bring in a new Law, he should treat of it in Parliament, with an halter about his necke, that if his motion were dis…asted, he might instantly be strangled. In the dayes of Hen. the 3. a question being moued in the Parliament, concerning bastardy, the Barons and Earls, al with one cōmon voice gaue this shoute, yMag…a. Char… pag 13.Nolumus leges Angliae mutare, Wee will not alter the lawes of England, so long vsed, and approued. zLaertius. in …us vita.Heraclitus Ephesinus was wont to say, that wee should fight for our lawes, as for our walles; for a city may stand without walles, when it cannot subsist without wholesome lawes. If any shall aske, Vir bonus est quis? Answere is made, Qui consulta patrum, qui l…ges iura que seruat. We may not vnaduisedly remoue boundes, either of our present fathers, or of our forefathers; Touching the first, it is truly sayd, Consilia senum, hastae iuuenum, The heads of old men, and handes of yong men, are most vsefull vntounto the state. Yong men are best for companie, but old men for counsell, old men are for the plot at home, yong men for execu…ion abroad, the reiecting of old-mens aduise, was a1. King. 12.Rehoboams ouersight, and Romes ouerthrow.
Concerning the second, ancient lawes, and customes, are to be preserued inuiolably, so long as they be conuenient, and commendable, but if vponupon aged experience, they be found vnprofitable. to the state, then albeit thou mayest not remoue, that is, one person out of a singularity, yet they, that is, Prince and Parliament, may remoue these boundes, as hauing power, not only to recall olde customes, but also to repeale old lawes, thus saith the Lord, bSer. 6. 16.State super v…as antiquas, stand in the wayes, and aske for the old paths, where is the good way, and walke therein. cAduanc▪ of … lib. 1. fol. 33.Antiquity deserues this reuerence, that wee should make a stand thereupon, and discouer what is the best way, but when once the discouery is plaine, then to make progresse; so S. d1. Thes. 5. 21.Paul expressely, proue all things, hold fast that which is good. Antiquitas saecul, iuuentus mundi, these times, are the most ancient times, and not those which we count ancient, ordine retrogrado; Wisedome is the daughter of experience; the state then vponupon long experience, finding a custome of old time, to bee most vnfit for our time, may by the rules euen of antiquity, remooue such a bound, and cancell such a bond: it is pithily sayd, Leges nouis legibus non recreatae ac…scunt, old lawes, if they bee not somtime refreshed with new lawes, waxe sowre.
Christians hauehave the same morals indeed, that the Iewes, Gods ancient people, had, but not the same Cerem…nials, and Iudicials; and Rome, the most renowned common wealth, in humane history, did often change her forme of gouernment, described, Apoc. 17. to be a city seated vponupon seuen hilles, and hauing seuen kings, that is, seuen kinds of gouernment, as our eSee. Brightman.diuines vponupon that place, fLib. 1. pag 1.Cornelius Tacitus. in lib. 1. Annalium. makes mention of sixe; Reges, Consules, Dictatores, Decemuiri, Tribuni Militum, Imperatores, and now Popes, are the seuenth order: S. Iohn saith, in his age, fiue are fallen; one is, and the other is not yet come: Fiue were fallen, as Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemuiri, Tribunes; one was, that is, the gouernment of Emperours, and the other, that is, the gouernment of Popes, in his dayes, as yet to come.
gLib 2 contra Symmachum.Prudentius to the same purpose, notably.
Roma antiqua sibi non constat, versa per aeuum, Et mutata sacris, ornatu, legibus, armis.
England hath abrogated many British and Saxon customes, and all states alter their institutions, according to their occasions. The word of God is a hPsal 19 7.perfit law, perfit in respect of all times, and perfit in respect of all turnes, perfit in respect of all places, and perfit in respect of all persons, apt and able to make the man of God fit for eueryevery good worke; but the lawes of men, albeit they fill many large volumes, are imperfit, some statutes are added dayly, which were not thought vponupon before, many rep…aled, which after experience were thought inconuenient.
But for as much as iReusner. Symbol class. 2. pag. 196.custome is another law; yea another nature, a great Tyrant, whose commands are heauy, wee must moue, before wee remoue ancient bounds; it is kSer de idoni…. S. S.Bernards aduice, soluenda non rumpenda consu…tudo, customes are not to be broken suddenly, rashly, rudely; but by little, and little, to bee loosed tenderly, charily, Monendo magis quam minando, saith lEpist. 64.Augustine, lest happily, the mAug. Epis. 118. cap. 5.change doe hurt more with the noueltie, then helpe with the vtilitie.
This also shall suffice, concerning matters of policy, so far foorth as our text toucheth vponupon them in my conceit. Now for matters of piety, this scripture teacheth vsus, not to forsake the receiued termes, and ancient conclusions in Diuinity; for it goeth not with religion, as it doth with the statutes of the realme, and iudgements at the common law, where the latter is thought the better: But on the contrary, the first is the best, and that vndoubtedly most true, which is most old. The Gospell was preached in Paradise, by God himselfe; The seed of the woman; shall breake the sepents head, the writing of Moses is older then any writing of the Gentiles, as nLib cont…r. Appionem.Iosephus, oDe curand. Graec. affect. lib. 2.Theodorete, pIn Protrepti….Clement Alex: and other Doctours, hauehave proued the doctrine of the Apostles is older then Popery, or any other Heresie.
Auoyd, saith S. Paul, vaine bablings, Kenophonias. 1. Tim. 6. 20. But qEras. in loc.Ambrose and some other read, Kainophonias, as in the vulgar Latine, vocum nouitates; new doctrines, vponupon which place, Vincentius Lyrenensis hath this glosse, non dixit antiquitates, sed nouitates, nam si v…tanda nouitas, tenenda est antiquitas; prophana nouitas, sancta vetustas. Hee saith not auoyd olde bounds, but new bablings; antiquity is to bee reuerenced, nouelty to bee reiected: a wise man, as rEp pag. 195.Gueuara writeth, is a friend to old hookes, and an enemy to new opinions. It is plaine saith Tertullian against Marcion, that that is truest which is first; that first, which is from the beginning; that from the beginning, which was deliuered by the Apostles. An sRhe… in. 1. Tim. 1. 3.Heretike is nothing else, but an after teacher, a new master, one that teacheth otherwise, as the word signifies, 1. Tim 1. 3. Heterodidascaltin: that which tLib. 1.Optatus reports of Victor, is verified of all Heretikes, that they bee sonnes without fathers, souldiers without Captaines, and scholers, without masters. In the dayes of Pope Leo, the 1: there were certaine Heretiks, called Acephali, so termed (as uIn vita Leonis.Platina coniectures) quia sine cerebro, et authore habebantur, Because they were both heedlesse and headlesse, a proper name for all such as hauehave neither grounds, nor bounds of their assertions: Ismael is a liuely type of an Heretike, saith xDe h…res. lib. 1. cap. …1.Alphonsus de Castro, His hand is against eueryevery ma…, and eueryevery mans hand is against him: Err…, as a vi…er, must breake the mothers belly to g… out▪ and when it is out, (as yEsd. 19. 2.Esay speake… Aegyptians are set against Aegyptians, and they … one against his brother, and eueryevery … … … n…ighbour, city against city, kingdome … kingdome, one schismaticke against ano…her, Apoc. 12. 7Micha…l, and his Angels, that is, Christ, and his church, which is the pillar of truth, against them all.
VponUpon these premises, I will inferre this conclusion, in despight of all blacke deuils, and white deuils, Here…ikes, and hypocrites▪ that the reformed, and conformed Protestants, in the Church of England, doe iustly condemne both Papists and Puritans, as vpstarts and nouelists, in remouing the most ancient boundes of our forefathers. I know the Papists are great boasters of antiquity, but they deale with vsus, as Tertullian in his Apologie speakes of the Gentiles, Laudatis antiquitatem, et nouè de die vivitis, Yee magnifie much antiquitie, yet shape your religion, after a new cut; as bDr. Morton Epistle to his Appeale.Scaliger acutely to Serranus, Nos non sumus nouatores, sed vos estis veteratores. It is not wee, but you and your fathers house that trouble Israel; It is not wee, but you, which hauehave remoued ancient boundes.
First, if by Fathers, here wee shall vnderstand the Prophets, and Apostles, as Lauater, vponupon the place, then it will appeare clearely, that the Papists hauehave remoued ancient boundes. 1. In accounting their vnwritten traditions, equall to the written word. 2. In preferring the Churches authority, before the Scriptures, and in making the Pope cBaronius prafat. Annal. Tom 11.lawgiuer vntounto the Church. 3. In discarding vponupon the point, the second Command: and in dispensing with other, as Pope dAnton…. Sum. part. 3. art. 1. cap. …1.Martine the 5. gaue dispensation vntounto one, to marry his owne sister, and a learned Bishop of our Church, in his Apology. lib. 2. Chap 13. shewes that the Church of Rome, deludeth eueryevery precept in the whole law. 4. In their malicious mistranslating the sayings of the Prophets and Apostles, against their owne knowledge, witnesse, that one place. Gen. 3 15. Which is Medulla Scripturarum; (as eDr. Whatakar.one sayd of the creed,) euen the pith of the whole Bible, The seed of the woman, shall bruise the serpents head, where they doe not read, ipsum, or ipse, but ipsa conteret, ascribing that to Mary; which is proper only to the Blessed seed her Son, our Sauiour Christ Iesus.
5. In rauishing, or as (Luther speakes,) in crucifying the sayings of the Prophets, and Apostles, and so making the sacred text, a ship-mans hose, to serue their ow…e turnes, as for example, fGen 1. 16.God made two great lightes, this is, saith gA…d … de potest. Rom Po…tif. lib. 2 cap. 2.Innocentius the 3. Two great dignities, the Papall and Imperial; and as the Sun is farre greater then the Moone: so the Pope, forsooth, exceeds the Emperours in greatnesse. hLuke. 22. 38.Peter said vntounto Christ, Ecce duo gladij, Behold, here be two swordes, and Christ answered, it is enough; henc… iIn extrauag. et refer… Mo… Iesuita de Iure. lib 1. tract … disp. 29 see. Protestants appeale lib 5. cap. 16. sect. 1.Boniface the 8. argued thus, Christ sayd, it is enough; Hee sayd not, it is too much, Ergo, the Pope which is Peters successour, may manage both the swordes, and become a temporall Prince, so well as a spirituall Pastor; a voyce from heauen, Acts. 10. 13. sayd to Peter, macta et manduca, kill, and eate, Ergo the Pope may depose Princes, and dispose of their scepters; Caesar Baronius his application in his aduice to Pope Paulus Quintus, concerning the excommunication of the Venetians.
kIohn. 3 10.Light is come into the world, that is, lHistorie counsell of Trent page 132.Poperie, but men loued darkenesse, that is, Luthers doctrine, more then the light, as the Archbishop of Bitonto, declaymed in the counsell of Trent. mEsday hist of the Gospel.Luther was wont to say, that the Pater noster, is made by them a great Martyr, nEsday vbi supra.another sayd, Aue Maria, was a greater Martyr, but in my conceit, the text, thou art Peter, is the greatest Martyr of all. 6. They remoue the boundes of the Prophets, and Apostles, in opposing the tenour, and tenet of their writings, and that in many poynts; I will at this present onelyonly name two. 1. The Prophets and Apostles ascribe the whole worke of our saluation, only to Christ, who alone is the oGen 3. 15.seed of the woman, that brake the serpents head; who alone is the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, pGen 18. 18.in whom all the nations of the world, are blessed, who alone was qEs. 53. 5.wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities, who hath r…s. 63. 3.trodden the wine-presse alone, and of all the people, there was none with him, Who alone sEphes. 5 2.g…ue himselfe for vsus an offering, and a sacrifice to God, of a sweete smelling sauour, and tlieb. 9. 12.obteined eternall redemption for vsus. But the Papists attribute some part of our saluation to the worthinesse of our selues, other to the merits of Saints, to the works of supererogation, and to the sufferings of Martyrs, layd vp in the Popes treasure house, contradicting herein apparently the tenet of our Church, in the 11. 18. 31. articles of our confession. Secondly, the Prophets and Apostles affirme, that God who made all things, is not made himselfe, for if he could be made, he were not God; But the Papists auowe that a miserable masse-Priest in a corner, is able to make the maker of all, for in God say uIn their Legerd of Sts. added to Lombardica. hist refert. Dr. Hutton ser at Yorke. pag 24.they, there bee 3. kinds of power, Magna, maior, maxima, Greate, greater, greatest of all. As for example, the great power of God appeared when hee made one thing of another; as man of the earth, and woman of the rib of man: The greater power of God, appeared, when hee made heauen, and earth, of nothing: but the greatest of all is, that one creature of another creature, should make the Creator; and his power is giuen neither to Angell, nor Archangell, but onelyonly to the holy Priests; A doctrine sayth our Church. Art. 28. Repugnant to the plaine words of Scripture, ouerthrowing the nature of a Sacrament, and giuing occasion to many superstitions; out of doubt (as S. xHeb. 7. 7.Paul telleth vsus) the lesser is blessed of the greater. I demand then of a Romanist, how the Priest can blesse the bread after consecration, when it is actually transubstantiated, and so consequently made Christ. Answere is made, that this Priest also represents Christ, in that action; and so Christ consecrating, may be considered, as greater then Christ consecrated; If this be so, then either Christ must bee in the bread, as in the Priest, only representatiuely; or else they must make a new transubstantiation of the Priest, into Christ; otherwise, the bread must be greater then the Priest, the bread being the true body of Christ, the Priest only representatiue Christ: (thus as we speake in the schooles) one absurdity being granted, a thousand follow.
Lastly, (for though I were so strong as Hercules, I could not at one blow, cut off all the heads of this hissing Hydra,) they remoue the bounds of the Prophets, and Apostles, in suppressing their writings, forbidding Gods people to read them in a knowne tongue, wherein (as one sayd,) they deale like cunning theeues, who comming to rob an house, will be sure first of all, to put out the candle, lest the light discouer them: as the Philistines hauing put out Samsons eyes, made sport with him: Euen so the Popish Priestes, hauing blindfolded the people, prohibiting them to read the Scripture, which is a lanterne to their feete, and a guide to their pathes, and suffering them in the businesse of religion, to see nothing, but only through spectacles, hauehave made themselues exceeding merry; the scripture, saith yRom. 15 4.Paul, is the peoples instruction; the scripture, say the zBellar. de verbo Dei. lib. 2. cap. 1….Papists in a vulgar translation, is the peoples destruction; the scripture, sayth a2. Tim. 3. 17.Paul, doth make the man of God absolute; the scripture, say the papists, in a knowen tongue makes men heretical and dissolute: but the bible makes men Hereticks, as the sunne makes men blind, and therefore bIn his wicket.Wickliffe sayd truely, To condemne the word of God in any language, for Heresie, is to make God an Hereticke.
They well vnderstand, that the Scripture would shew their cRelat. of Relig. tract. 34.praying in a strange tongue, by tale, to be most idle, their traffique for soules very sacriledge, their miracles to be meere iuglings, their indulgences to be blasphemies, their incontroleable Lord of Rome, to bee that Imperious bewitching Lady of Babylon, and their worshipping of Images, and Saints, is flat Idolatry; The Princes of Iuda sai…h Hosea, were like those that remoue the bounds. Hosea. 5. 10. dIn loc.Ribera the Iesuite, construeth it from Theodorete and Theophilact, they forsake the lawes of God, and embrace traditions of men; or as Theodorus Antiochenus, they transpose the honour of the liuing God, and giuegive it to dead Idols, from which obseruation, I will argue thus, they who remoue the Bible, may bee sayd, to remoue the bounds, but the Papistes hauehave remoued from the handes of Gods people, the Bible, forsaking the fountaines of liuing water, and digging pits, that can hold no water, Ergo, the Papists are they that remooue the bounds, as they giuegive you too much Sacrament, and too little, too much Christs transubstantiated body, taking away the cup, euen so they giuegive you too much Scripture, and too little, too much adding to the Canon, Apocrypha; too little, clapsing it vp that ye may not read it, and what is this, but to thrust you from the path of Paradise? for as eIn Ier. 6. 16.Hierome sweetely, the Prophets are the way to Christ, and Christ is the way to God. As the Lord then once sayd to the Iewes, If I be your Father, where is mine honour? So the Prophets and Apostles may well obiect against the Papists, If ye repu…e vsus Fathers, why doe ye remoue the bounds which we hauehave set.
If our moderne Papistes, admit the Primitiue Bishops of Rome, for the Fathers here mentioned, our plea still is the same, that they hauehave remoued the ancient bounds, and not wee. fTryal of truth written by an Hungarian translat. into English. Anno. 109 …. idem Earle of Northampt at Garnets arraignement.30. Popes at the first planting of the Church, layd downe their heads vponupon the blocke, successiuely, to seale the bond of conscience, with the blood of innocencie▪ The Martyrd Popes laying downe their necks, at the persecuting Emperours feete; but afterward the Mitred antechristian Popes, set their feete vponupon the good Emperours necks. The late learned Earle of Northampton, openly deliuered at Garnets arraignment, that the Church of Rome, in the beginning, agreed with Daniels Image, in the head of gold, for godly gouernment, in the breastes of siluer, for vnspotted conscience, and in the legges of brasse, for incessant industry; But in succeeding ages, the heads of Popes (saith hee,) grew humorous, their breastes auaritious, and their legs idle. gEpist. l. 4. Ep. 34. at 39.Gregrory the great, did account him the forerunner of Antichrist, that should call himselfe vniuersall Bishop, auowing that none of his ancestors euer vsurped that insolent stile, censuring it for a title of hEp▪ 32. 34. 38. 39.Nouelty, errour, impiety, blasphemy, the poyson of the Church; But eueryevery Pope now doth exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God, his Soueraigne supremacy is the supreme difference, vntounto which all other poynts betweene them, and vsus, are subordinate; that is, the very soule of Popery. The Pope forsooth, is now the vicar of Christ, and vicegod. iComplaint of the ploughman fol. 79.Christ was the Lord of Lords, but hee behaued himselfe as a seruant: the Pope cals himselfe a seruant, but carrieth himselfe as the Lord of Lords: Christ, the word was made flesh, but now flesh is made the word, so the Papists, our Lord God the Pope; To conclude this argument, we professe ingeniously, with our Iudicious and gracious Soueraigne, that wee doe not further depart from Rome, then Rome departs from herselfe, in her flourishing estate. Wee doe not remoue the bounds of old Rome, but only shake off the bonds of new Rome; Wee confesse the faith of ancient Rome, but wee renounce the faction of Antichristian Rome, the one being so vnlike the other, that we may well exclay me with kMetamorph. lib. 6.Ouid.
Hen quantum haec Nobie, Nobie distabat ab illa.
If the Papists vnderstand here by Fathers, those whom vsually we call Fathers; the most ancient doctours of the Westerne and Easterne Churches, in life spotlesse, in learning matchlesse; yet our plea still is the same, that they, not wee, remooue the bounds.
Not wee, for it is a Canon of our Church, lTit. de coneionat oribus.An. 1571. That no preacher shall vent any doctrine, but such as is agreeable to the scriptures, according to the collections and expositions of the Catholike Fathers, and ancient Bishops; but they contrariwise, for
First, we prooue that in stead of true Fathers, they cite fayned doctours, as A…philochius, Abdias, Hipolitus, mIewel ans. to Hardings preface.authors altogether voyd of authority, Fathers lately found out, long looked, but neuer missed.
2. Wee demonstrate by their owne purging Indices, that the old writers are now no Fathers, but their children; no doctours, but their schollers; as nVbi supra.reuerend Iewel obiected against his aduersary, Dr Harding: You hauehave sent them to schoole, you make them speake your mind, and not their owne.
3. oDefence of his Apologie.B Iewel, Melancton, and other of our most accuratly learned Diuines, euidently shew, that Popish opinions, are nouell, vnknowne to the Rathers, for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christ; Yea, but say the pDr. Bishop Epistle to the King. sect. 13.Papists, if our doctrine be so new; tell vsus I pray, when, and where, these tares were sowen among the wheat, in Gods field; tell vsus in what age, Purgatory, Prayer for the dead, Indulgences, Auricular confession, and other assertions of Popery, crept into the Church.
Answere is made by Christ, Mat. 13. 25. While men slept, the malicious enemie, sowed tares among the wheat; and it was not discerned, vntill the blade was sprong vp, and had brought foorth fruite: Answere is made, by S. qApoc. 7. 15.Iohn. In the forehead of the Whore of Babylon is written, a Mysterie. So S. r2. Thes. 2. 7▪Paul cals the working of Antichrist, a Mysterie of iniquitie, because the man of sinne doth couertly, and cunningly, wind his abominations into the Church of Christ.
Answere is made, by Polititians, obseruing that corruptions are bred in ciuill bodies, as diseases in naturall bodies: at the first, they bee not discerned easily, but in their growth insensible, they proceed till it come to passe which sDecad. 1. lib. 1.Liuie said of the Roman State, Nec vitia nostra, nec remedia ferre possumus, We can neither indure the malady nor the medicine: tDr. Abbot answ to Bish. Epist pag. 111.Was it not so in the Empire of Rome; and might it not bee so in the Church of Rome, S. u2. Tim. 2. 7.Paul saith, Heresie frets as a Gangrene, the which is not curable, till it bee knowne, and when it is knowne, hardly curable.
Answere is made, by common experience, when I see the finger of a Dyall, remoue from one to two, shall I bee so mad, as to thinke it stands still where it was, because I could not perceiue the stirring of it, or when I behold the Lillies of the field in their glory; shall I say, they did not grow to the height of this beauty, because I did not sensibly see how they did grow.
Answere is made by themselues; the xPreface to Reader. sect. 12Rhemists acknowledge many barbarismes, and incongruities, in the vulgar latine text: yEp Lectori prafix. Bibl. Venet. An. 15…7.Issidorus Clarius, a Spanish Monke, professed he found in it 8000 faults; it is plaine, they were so manifest, and so manifold, as that the councell of Trent, and after it, Pope Sixtus Quintus, and Clement the 8. tooke order for the correcting of it: I would know then of a Papist, in what yeare this and that absurdity crept into their text, as zRather Matth. 10. 32.Marke 8. 33. Confusus est, in stead of Confisus est, and Luke 15. 8. Domum euertit, for Domum euerrit; Againe, aDr. Hutton ser. pag. 26.Gabriel Biel, a great Doctour, doth acknowledge, that he can not tell when the receiuing of the communion in one kind began to be first vsed, nor how; Alphonsus de Castro, confesseth also, that albeit hee had taken great paines, to know, when, and how the people began to receiue first in one kind, yet could not find it out: bLib▪ de … charistia ca 10 vti. Morton Apolog. lib. 1. 6. 10 pag. …5.Gregorie Valent a Iesuit of eminent note, writes plainly, quando caeperit minime constat; and therefore what need wee tell them, at what time this Popish errour was first sowen? It is not enough, that wee now discerne the tares among Gods wheat, and proue that there was no such darnell in Gods field, for many hundred yeeres after Christ, I say, no such stinking weedes, as the single Communion of the priests, halfe Communion of the people, worshipping of the bread, creeping to the Crosse, kissing of Images, exemption of Clergie men from secular obedience, supremacie of the Pope, the which are the most essentiall poynts of all the Romish Catholike beleife.
If by Fathers, there they meane the reuerend Doctours, assembled in the first Orthodoxall, and holy Councels, our plea still is the same, that not wee, but they remoue the bounds: For albeit wee doe not with cAlphons de Castr. de h…res. lib. 1. fol. 1….Gregorie, conceiue the first foure generall Councels, as the foure Gospels: Yet we reuerence them, and acknowledge that they conteine wholesome, and godly doctrine; and dEliensis resp. ad Apol Bell. page 331.we thinke of other Councels honorably, that write thus, It eAct. 15. 28.seemed good vntounto the holy Ghost, and vsus: But not so well of those that write; It seemed good to vsus, and to the holy Ghost; Our opinion is, Councels gathered together, by the fArt. 21 conf.commandement of Princes, are so gDr. Barlow ser. at Hampton Court.necessary for Christs mysticall body, the Church, as Physicke is for a mans natuturall body, the same two endes, being of them both, either to preuent, or to cure maladies.
But the Papists (as their champion Bellarmine doth auow de sacrament: lib. 2. cap. 25.) Hold a contrary Tenet, namely, that the firmnesse of all ancient Counsels, and of all Canons in the same, depend only vponupon the present Churches authothority, that is, in plainer termes; vponupon the doctrine, deliuered in the Councell of Trent, the which as hIn Exam. conc. Trid. 1.Chemnitius, Dr. iAns. to Rhem. praef. and in his notes on Tit 3 10.Fulke, kIn Exam. conc. Trid lib. 5 page 316.Gentiletus, and other profound diuines account, rather a conuenticle, then a councell, in respect of a great many remarkeable nullities, especially for this one, that it was not free.
1. The place was not free, nor yet so much as fit, according to the lGentiletus vbi suprae.canon law.
2, The party, who called the Councell, was not free, being contrary to reason, and all the rules of equity, both Accuser and Iudge.
3. The President of the Councel, was not free, being a sworne vassall of the Pope.
4. The Prelats assembled in that Conuenticle, were not free, but most of them, such as had not only the marke of the beast, in their foreheads; but also the markes of the beast, in their purses, vpstart titular Bishops, and were pentioners of the Pope, created only for this seruice.
5. The Spirit that gouerned the councell, was not free, for that it was vponupon occasions, euer and anone, sent in a Cloakebag from Rome; the time will not serue me to report how the Papists hauehave not only corrupted, but also corrected diuers good canons of ancient Councels. I referre the learned to the word Councell, in the table which is annexed to that exquisite worke, called the Protestants appeale; I will at this time, name but one mMorton Appeale. lib. 2. cap. 12 sect. 2.Bartholomeus Caranza, their abbreuiator of their Councel, relating the Canon in the Councel of Laodicea, forbidding the worship of Angels, changed angelos, into angulos, that is, Angels, into Corners, which according to the prouerb, are no shelter for trueth: and this is a trueth, that if no Angels, then no Saints are properly to be worshipped and inuocated.
Will our aduersaries admit for the Fathers, here mentioned, the medling Diuines, I meane such as flourished betweene the old doctors, and new writers? Answere is made, by them in their nIn Censura Bertram….Index expurgatorius, no; for say they, we are faine to beare with many errours in Catholike Writers, we lessen and extenuate them, and make the least of them by some deuised shift, wee set a good meaning on them, when they are in disputation, opposed against vsus.
It may be Fryers and Iesuites, are their Fathers, for both in Babylon, are persons of very reuerend esteeme: And I remember o… Iohn Oldcastle had a saying as said Baleus in Chr. of Oldcastle. pag. 35.one sayd tartly, that the Pope is the head of Antichrist, his Prol…ts and Priests the body, his Fryers and Iesuites the …ayles, because they couer the filthinesse of all the rest of their subtilly But for as much as the Fryers oppose the Iesuites, and the Iesuites oppose the Fryers, and each hauehave remoued the limits of other, it cannot be well auowed, that the Doctrinals, or Morals, are the setled boundaries of Popery.
To resolue the doubt then, and not to keepe you any longer in suspence, the Church of Rome doth acknowledge no Father, but the Pope, no bound but his definitiue sentence. The Romane round is this, briefly, the people must belieue as the Priests, and the Priests as the Pope, and the Pope may belieue what he list, hee remoueth all bounds and blocks, in the Churches way, but his pHist Coun. of Trent. 396.Holinesse cannot bee bound by other, much lesse by himselfe.
Wee may say with the seruants of the king of Aram, let vsus fight against them in the plaine, and surely wee shall be stronger then they; Let vsus fight against them, either with expresse Texts of Holy Scriptures, or with expresse Canons of Orthodox Counsels, or with expresse constitutions, of Primitiue Popes, or with expresse sayings of old doctors, in one word, let vsus fight with them, in the playne of all Antiquity, and wee shall vndoubtedly get the victory, because, not wee, but they hauehave remoued the bounds, which the Fathers hauehave set.
Now concerning Schismaticks, and Separatists, as they be worthily surnamed, nouelists, euen so their qB Bilson Ep. to the Reader before his booke of Church-goue….plat-forme of gouernment, is a new deuise, which no Fathers euer witnessed, no Councell euer fauoured, no Church euer followed, vntill within these few yeeres, it was vnhappily digged out of the Alpes, and as yet neuer entertained in England, but rather forsaken of her best and most entire fauorites; on the contrary, not onelyonly the doctrines, but also the ceremonies of our Church, are decent, and ancient, euen the rSun of the Conference.Crosse in baptisme, which they so much abhorre, was vsed in the dayes of Constantine; within lesse then foure hundred yeares after Christ, and one of their owne side, writeth in his discourse, touching the troubles in Frankford; that it continued in the Church, 113 yeares, and therefore whatsoeuer they talke of Apostolical times, and old termes, all their endeauour is, terminos antiquos; to remoue the bounds of our Fathers, and to bring they care not what nouelties, so these old rites be left. sApud. Fox-Martyrol. fol. 1326.Hillary writes of certaine light-heads in his age, that they made annuas et menstruas fides de Deo: So these fling-braines, make yeerely, and monethly fashions, and faces of discipline; They that forsake the Church of England, to sucke the breastes of Rome, or Amsterdam, may cry with tRuth. 1. 21.Naomi; I went out full, and the Lord hath caused me to returne empty.
To cōclude my sermon, I say to those which are affected Popishly, with reuerend uAnsw. to Harding Conclus.Iewel, touching the substance of religion, Our Church beleeues that the ancient Catholike Fathers beleeued, we do that they did, and say, that they sayd▪ and it is our great comfort, that their faith, and our faith agree in one: For that is the true faith, (quoth Vigelius,) which the Apostls wrote, the Martyrs sealed, and the faithfull hauehave deliuered vntounto the Church, from the beginning vntill this day; And to the Schismaticks, I wish with the wise man, to xEccl. 39. 1.seeke out the wisdome of the ancient, and with Ieremy, to stand in the wayes, and behold, and aske for the old way; and here with Solomon, howsoeuer, boundes are boundes; yet not to remooue them away yPraef. to Harm Conf.with these speeches, I am of Paul, I am of Cephas, and let the contrary saying, be held, I am Christs, I am the Churches; Say not with the wicked, in the second Psalme: Let vsus breake their bonds asunder, and cast away their cordes from vsus: But rather as St. z1. Eph. 2. 13.Peter doth aduise, submit your selues, for the Lords sake, whether it be to the King, as to the supreame head, or to such as are vnderunder him in authority, for the punishment of euill doers, and for the praise of those that do well: for magistrats are the ministers of God, for our good, for our temporall good, in the life of nature, for our spirituall good, in the life of grace, and so for our eternall good in the life of glory.