The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
NOw the Apoſtle S. Paule, although he ſpeaketh not of a peculiar kind of prieſtes, ye doth he not omit the eccleſiaſticall function or miniſtery in the Church. For hauing exhorted vsus by mortifying of our affections, to conſecrate our ſelues vntounto God, that we the more throughly may ſubmit our wil… to Gods wil, he perſwadeth vsus not to buſy our ſelues about that which belongeth to another mans duety, but that eueryevery one of vsus ſhould hauehave a great regard to doe our owne. And then beginning with eccleſiaſtical offices he ſaith,Rom. 12. 6. 7. Whether (we hauehave) propheſie (let vsus propheſie) according to the meaſure of faith: Or an office, (let vsus wait) on the office: Or he that teacheth, 8.in teaching: Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation, or he that diſtributeth, (let him do it) with ſimplicitie: He that ruleth, with diligence, he that ſheweth merciemercy, with cheerfulneſſe. I mean not héer to make my ſelfe a partie in that bitter contention, which miſerably hath afflicted this Church of England, which I would to God, either it neuer had bin begun, or had bin followed, with more moderation. I purpoſe not curiouſly to examine what is ment by theſe particular words of propheſying, office, teaching, exhorting, diſtributing, ruling, ſhewing merciemercy. In which many beſtow too much labour, more then in the defence of the truth, againſt the ſworne enemyes to our profeſſion. We hauehave the Papiſts our profeſſed aduerſaries, who think their quietnes, conſiſteth in our variance, and wiſh our falling out, as did the Cananits the falling out of Abraham and Lot. Let vsus therefore yet at the length follow Abrahams godly aduiſe.Gen. 13. 7. 8. Let there be no ſtrife betweene thee and mee, nor betweene thy heardmen and mine: for we are brethren. But to come to that which eſpecially I note in theſe words, we ſée that if all theſe duties before mencioned,Offices in the Church of Rome. did belong to the Eccleſiaſticall function, yet can we not find out the offices that the Church of Rome that now is, will hauehave to bee in their Church. We find there prophets or teachers, likewiſe ſuch as exhort. Admit alſo that we find the Deacons there to diſtribute. By rulers ſome vnderſtand not onelyonly Eccleſiaſticall Rulers, but other Magiſtrates alſo. As that lykewiſe of ſhewing merciemercy, may well ſignifie any that by office in the common wealth, or Church, or béeing moued by their owne priuate affection do ſhew mercy: It is not vnlikely, but that if there had bin at that time any other offices in the Church, the Apoſtle would hauehave ſpoken of them. And to be ſhort, the offices that the Apoſtle mentioneth, either belong to the miniſterie of the word, as prophecying, teaching, exhorting: Or to the care of the poore, as Deacons that diſtribute, and they that ſhew mercy, or to gouernment and bearing rule (if in that thapoſtle ſpeaketh of Church offices.) A ſecond thing that muſt héere be conſidered of, and that which is in déed the principall intent and meaning of the Apoſtle, is the ſinceritie & that eueryevery one in theſe duties muſt performe. For he would hauehave vsus faithful in the office that is committed vntounto vsus, whatſoeuer it be, and that according to the meaſure of Faith, & the grace that is gyuen to vsus, we occupy well our talent vntill our Lord & maſter come.1. Pet. 4. 11. Saint Peter is alſo of that mind, If any man ſpeak, let him ſpeak as the words of God. By theſe things it may appear, to what end the offices were appointed in the ancient. Roman Church, & what was required at the hand of each Officer.
But afterwards as ſuperſtition began to grow, ſo theſe functions heer ſpoken of by thapoſtle began to be leſſe regarded, and other were had in a greater accompt. For theſe are the orders in the Romiſh Church.Diſt. 21. cap. Cleros. Prieſts, Deacons, Subdeacons, Candle ſnuffers, or Candle-cariers, Exorciſts or Coniurers, Readers, Porters. Some alſo reckon the Singers amongſt their orders. And although euen the meaneſt of theſe might performe ſome neceſſarie ſeruice in the Church, yet by what reaſon can they imagine that their Candle-cariers, or Porters, are neerer to the Prieſts office, then other that hauehave no ſuch office in the Church? As for their Prieſts, who are to ſupply the place of Prophets, teachers, and exhorters, they hauehave in a maner altered that function, and giuen them another work to doe. For when they take orders, the Biſhop giuing them in their hand the Chalice with wine,Durand. Ration. diuin. li. 3. and the couer of the chalice with one of their cakes vponupon it, ſaith to them, Receiue power to offer a ſacrifice to God, and to ſay Maſſe, both for them that liue, and for the dead, in the name of the Lord. So preaching is no part of their dutie, but only to ſacrifice and ſay Maſſe. And if any man will obiect, that we our ſelues hauehave alſo want of ſuch learned Miniſters, as are able truely and ſoundly to teach, and rightly to deuide the word of life: I muſt needs confeſſe that we are neither as we ſhould, neither as we would be for that point, but wiſh and pray daily, that the Lord would increaſe mightily, the number or paynfull and faithfull labourers in his vineyard. But yet we are not either ſo ſenceleſſe or ſhameleſſe, that we dare alter Chriſtes ordinance. We are not ſo ſawcy, that when he biddeth his ſeruants doe one thing, we will commaund them to doe another.Math. 28. 19. If he ſay go teach all nations, baptiſing them in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt: We dare not ſay goe offer Sacrifice and ſay Maſſe for the quicke and the dead. For that is quite to alter Gods ordinance, to make them paſtours that (I ſay not) cannot, but muſt not feede, and teachers that neede not teach. It is a ſcorne (ſaith one Gilbert as Durand citeth him) A watchman to be blinde,Rationat. diuin. li. 1. a forerunner to be lame, a prelate to be negligent, a teacher to be vnſauery or ignorant, and a cryer to be dumb. No man therfore can deny, but that there is in the Church of Rome, a great degenerating and ſwaruing from the auncient offices which S. Paule ſpeaketh of, ſo that as in their doctrines they wholy diſſent, from that pure antiquitie, ſo in their doings they diſagree from their perfect patterne. How vnlike in affection are theſe men to the godly fathers who commended in times paſt the faith of Rome? Epiſt. li. 1.Ciprian is much …greeued that he could not come to the people (of Aſſuris as I take it) that he might vſe his miniſtery among them to the comforting of eueryevery particular man.Epiſt: 8. God forbid (ſaith Gregory Nazianzen) that I ſhoulde play the euill ſheephearde,Greg. Nazian. Orat. 4. which deuoureth the milke, clotheth himſelfe with the wool, and doth ſell and kill the fat of the flocke, leauing the reſt among the wild beaſtes and rockes. God forbid that I ſhoulde feede my ſelfe and not my flocke. If I exhorte not you (ſaith S. Auguſtine) to agree with your aduerſary,De temp. ſer. 9. I ſhall continue in ſrife with him. He that biddeth you doe, commandeth vsus to ſpeake, If you become his aduerſaries, becauſe you doe not that he willeth, we alſo ſhall be his foes, in not ſaying that he chargeth vsus. Yea Gregorie himſelfe a Biſhop of Rome, howſoeuer it is now enough for a prieſt to ſay Maſſe and lift faire (for that is a fine qualitie and much commended) doth flatlie pronounce that a prieſt going in and out muſt die for it, if hee make not his voyce to be heard, and that he prouoketh againſt him the wrath of the iudge whom now we ſee not,De cura paſtorali. part. 2. c. 4. if the voyce of his preaching ſound not, ſo that in his time as in the daies of S. Paule, priſtes muſt be preachers, which now is not very neceſſarie or requiſite with them.