The Altar of Damascus, Chapter 6
CHAP. 6. Of Suffraganes, Deanes, and Cathedrall Churches.
WE have seen in the former Tables, what persons have judiciall administration. Now follow,
Persons having no Iudiciall administration. Those are either Ecclesiasticall persons, or lay-men. Ecclesiasticall persons are the Deacon, and the Minister: and they have their function, either without perpetuall title, as Curates, or with title. The second sort, either have a peculiar function beside their common function, or have not a peculiar function. These who have a peculiar function beside the common, either have it through the whole …iocie, or but in a part of it. Through ane whole Diocie, as the titular Bishops, who were of old called Chorepis…opi, that is, Rurall Bishops, now they are called Suffraganes. They are to bee considered either according to the place, which they hold in the Common-wealth, to wit, next unto Barones, or according to the place which they have in the Church, to wit, that they are Bishops both in calling and order, but wanting jurisdiction, 2. Dedicate Churches, 3. confirme children, instructed before in the Rudiments of Christian religion, and that in a Diocie allotted unto them.
That which is here sayd of Suffraganes, that of old they were called Chorepiscopi, is controlled by Mucket himselfe.Cap. 9. pag. 339. For hee sa…th, that the Rurall D…nes are like the old Chorepiscopi. De…ni … is Ecclesiae Chorepiscopis & A…chipresbyteris Regionarijs haud absimiles. Bleyni. introduct. p. 422.And so doth Bleynianus also in his introduction into the theorie and practique of benefices. At the first, where the Gospell was spread through the Countrey townes and villages, as it was through Cities, so they had Coun…rey or rurall Bishops, as well as Bishops in cities. But ambition and pompe in Citie Bishops increasing, it was thought a disgrace that such a dignitie should bee obscured with a meane place of residence.Se Damasus, Decretal. Therefore it was decreed, that it should not bee lawfull to ordaine any Bishop, either in villages, little forts or small Cities, lest the name and authoritie of a Bishop should waxe vile. Sathan was advancing this way the great mysterie of iniquitie. Because he would make of Bishops young Princes, hee went about, as is well observed by Mr. Cartwright,2. Reply. 1. part. p. 525. with robberie of the rest, to lift up the head of one: otherwise the great pompe which they were striving for, could not be maintained. At the first, the countrey or Rurall Bishop had the same power in his circuit which the Citie Bishop had in the citie and suburbs of it. Hierome sayth,Ad Eva…. that the bishop of an obscure citie hath as much authoritie as hee of the most famous citie. The Presbyters who were ordained by them, their ordination was not made voyd and reversed, untill they were throwne downe through the pride and dispite of citie bishops, to the order of priesthood, which is an argument sufficient, that they were in estimation and judgement of the Church, bishops of that same sort and kinde, that the citie bishops were. Beeing spoyled of the greatest part of their power, and name also, they there called Archipresbyteri, at the last, Countrey or Rurall Deanes, and were made subject not onelyonly to Bishops, but also to their Archdeacons, No propter subrogationem in locum Chorepiscoporum superbirent Archipresbyteri, & idem, sibi quod antea Chorepiscopi arrogarent, si immediate Episcopis supponerentur, sayth Bleynianus a Papist. This is his conjecture, that the Archpresbyters were thrust downe to a degree lower then Archdeacons, lest if they had been immediatly subiect to Bishops, they might perhaps have claimed the power of the old countrey Bishops, to whom in place they succeeded. For justly Archpresbyters may claim by their order, that which Archdeac. cannot do. For howbeit they be inferiour to Archdeac. in Popish dignitie, yet they are greater then Archdeacons in respect of their order. Countrey Bishops at their first erection being equall to Citie Bishops, were not their Deputies. In the later, and corrupt ages, proud Prelates, and loytering Lords, addicting themselves to the world, seeking ease, or intangling themselves with wordly affaires, as they commited the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to Chauncellours and Commissaries, so that which is most proper to them, as they pretend, as ordination of Priests and Deacons, confirmation of children, and dedication of Churches, they committed to Suffraganes, that they might give themselves to ease, and wait upon Councells, Parliaments, and other civill Courts: and reserved nothing belonging to their owne charge, that might trouble their ease, or draw them from attendance upon Princes Courts, and civill employments. D. Field alledgeth against these Suffragane Bishops,L. 5. p. 158. Melchior Canus a papist. Such Bishops Melchior Canus entreating of Councells, and the persons wherof Councells consist, sayth, they are so farr from having any place, or voyce in councells, that they neither have, nor ought to have any place in the church at all. The Bishops he speaks of, he calleth annular Bishops, happely for that whereas full Bishops had both staffe and ring expressing their jurisdiction, as well as their espousing to the church, these had the ring onelyonly. That Suffraganes may ordaine Priests and Deacons,Can. 35. 6… and confirme, in their Church, is evident by their latest Canons. Now if Bishops may transferre these things which belong to their order to one Suffragane, they may transferre it also to moe, and consequently to all the Cathedrall and countrey Deanes, and restore the countrey Deanes to their old liberties againe. It dependeth onelyonly upon some new Canon. The Bishop of Spalato sayth, Imo si vult Epis…opus, L. 2. cap. 9. n…m. 15.& canones non prohiberent, potest suos parochos plene Episcopos facere, & ordinare ut omnes sui or dini… actus pl…ne possint explere: & simul ac in soli … cum ipso Ecclesiam gubernare. The Bishop may make all his parish priests, not onelyonly halfe but full Bishops, that they might governe the Church in common with him, sayth he, if the Canon law were not an impediment. The parish priest may curse this Canon law, that h…ndreth them of that which Gods law alloweth them. But that which Divine law hath given to every pastour, neither Canon nor civill law should take from them.
In a part of the Diocie, as Archpresbyters whom they call rurall Deanes, and now they are imployed for the most part, to convocate their Classis, 2. to intimate to them something directed by missive from the ordinarie, as occasion shall require. 3. to Induct into benefices in place of the Archdeacon, being busied in some remote part.
There were two sorts of Acchpresbyters of old. The citie Archpresbyter, who is now called the cathedrall or citie Deane, & the Countrie Archpresbyter, who is called now the rurall Deane, who was at the first institution moderator of the classis, or countrey Presbyterie, & thereafter made a countrey Bishop, or Chorepiscopus within his owne circuit, as the citie Bishop was at the first but President, or moderator of the Presbyterie of the citie and suburbs. For we must not think that the country Bishop ruled alone without his classicall Presbyterie, more then the citie Bishop did. In processe of time the citie Bishop grew to this great statelynes, which now we see, and the o… Chorepiscopus decreased, and was throwen dovvne by degrees, till at last he is come to this poore estate of a rurall Deane. He it not ranked in this hierarchie amongst the persons having iudicial administration, but among those vvho hauehave none, as ye see, to intimate to the Priests with in his Deanrie, what is the Bishops pleasure eyther severally, or to convocate them togither to that effect, or to put any person in possession sometime of his Benefice,Pueket p. 24. for the Archdeacon. Every Diocie in England, as vve heard before out of Mucket, is divided in Archdeaconries, moe or fevver according to their extent: Achdeacour. into Deanries. The Deanries comprehend ten Parishes, sometimes moe, seldome fewer. But cathedrall and collegiat churches are exemed out of the Archdeaconries, and rurall Deanries. Over these Deanries are set rurall Deanes, qui…us praeficiuntur Dec…nirurales, antiquis Archipresbyter is non multum …issimiles sayeth hee. Then againe in every Diocie there are iurisdictions exempt eyther from the Archdeacon, and subiect immediately to the Bishop, or exempt from both, or from the whole Province of the ArchBishop, and subject immediatly to the King in respect of appellations, They want no corrupt order of governement, which they had in time of Poperie: no not so much as their exemptions. To returne then to the rurall Deanes. These rurall Deanes upon the Bishops, or his deputies warrant cited such within their Deanries, as were to compeir before the Bishop, or his deputie, and this their citation under the seale of their office they were to certifie to the Bishop, or his deputie. But Lindwood sayth,De iudicijs cap. Quidam. quod per eos potius quam per alios, qui hibent sigilla authentica, multae multae fiebant fraudes, and that they colluded with the partie in sealing the certificates of their citations, when as they had not made any due citation, and therefore Iohn Peccham Archbishop made a constitution, that every yeare they should svveare to give out no certificates without due citation. They were sworne every yeare sayeth Lindwood quit quolibet anno mutantur Decani, 1. 5. p. 150.et fiunt noui. They were to hold Chapiters in a sett course foure times in the yeare, and at other times, as often as occasion should require sayth D. Field out of Lindw. But Lindwood writeth thus,De Consti…utionth cap Qui… verb …pitulis. Et horum capituloru… quaed…m tenentur de tribus hebdomadis in tres; qu…, dam semelin quarta anni, & haec dicuntur, Capitul… principalia propter majorem confluen…i…m Cleri, & quia in his de negotijs arduioribus tracteri consuevit. Some did meet every three weekes, some every quarter of year. Their Chapiters convening every three weeks, were our presbyteries which doe meet in some place every weeke, in other places in two or three weeks, especially in winter. These chapiters were called capitula ruralia, countrey or rural Chapiters, sayth Lindwood, because they were assembled in the countrey towns. In these Chapiters the Deans did publish the decrees of Provinciall and Episcopall Synods. For the Bishop himselfe did not demit himselfe so farre, as to be present: and therfore sent one to make intimation, or to the Deane to doe it. Praesertim cum non deceat statum pontificalem in singulis capitulis hujusmodi interesse, sayth Lindwood. D. Field proveth that of old, they had power to visit their circuit twice every yeare, and to suspend laymen from the sacraments, and clergie men from the execution of their offices. This was a remainder of the old power of the Countrey Bishop. Now his office is onelyonly to intimate decrees of Synods, or the Bishops will in any matter, without any iurisdiction reserved either to him, or to the ministers of the Deanrie assembled together in chapiter, or as wee speake in scripture language, presbyterie. So that their Deanries are a footstep of that which have beene, and a shadow of that whereof we had the substance. This alteration of government among us, will in the end turne to the same desolation. There are some Deanes exempt, which are subject immediatly to the Archbishop, and these have Archi…aconall jurisdiction, sayth Lindwood. Wee have before made mention of some rurall Deanes exercising spirituall jurisdiction, but that is not common; next it is Episcopall, for they doe it by themselves without the Chapiter.
Those which beside the common have no peculiar function, are placed either in so…e cathedrall or collegiat Church, or in a parish Church. In some Cathedrall or Collegiar Church, whereof they are members, or no members. Of those who are members, the chiefe is the Deane, then in some Churches of ancient foundation, other dignities also, as the Subdeane, the Chauncellour, the chiefe Chaunter, the Thesaurer. Lastly, the Canons or Prebendaries, of which in the Churches which are more ancient, some are Residentiaries, some not. The greater Residentiaries administrate, and governe in all things with the Deane in that Church, and they have a seat in the Quire, and the power of a voyce in the Chapiter. Canons or Prebendaries no… Residentiaries, have a seat in the Quire, but not a voyce in the Chapiter. Those who who are not members, serve either to the administration of the publick Liturgie, or Sacraments, as the pettie Canons or Vicars chorall, or by assisting those who do celebrate, as the Pistler & the Gospeller.
There are also others bearing office in cathedrall Churches, but they are ranked among the lay sort, by the composer of the tables, such as are singing boyes, vergerers, Ballifs; and others set down afterward. The authour of the admonition to the parliament doth thus muster the Droanes of these Cathedrall Churches.Pag. 15. Wee should be too long to tell your Honours of the cathedrall Churches, the dennes aforesayd of all loytering lubbers, where Mr. Dean, M. Vicedeane, Mr. Canons, or Prebendaries, the greater, M…pettie Canons, or Canons the lesser, M. Chauncellour of the Church, M. Treasurer, otherwise called Iudas the Purse-hearer, the chiefe ch…unter, singing men special favourers of religion, squealing Qui…isters, Organ players, Gospellers, …ialog. l. 4. 26.pistlers, pensioners, vergers, &c. Wicl…ffe sayth, there …e 12 disciples of the Antichrist; Popes, Cardinals, Patriarches, Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons, Officialls, Deans, Monk…s, Canons, Friers, & Pardoners. He reckoneth yee see the Deans and Canons among the disciples of the Antichrist. And in truth what are they else but idle lubbers, lying in the cloysters of their Cathedrall Churches having either no necessary or profitable charge in the cathedral church, where they loyter, or else have a charge in other places, but under colour of their prebends, absent thēselves from the churches where they are bound to a cure of soules, and that which they spoyle and raven in other places,Reply. pa. 3. 164. 165. there, sayth M. Cartwr, they spend and make good cheere with. And againe he sayth, they should indeed be the rewards of learning, if they were converted unto the maintenance, and bringing up of Scholers, where now for the most part they serve for fat morsels, to fill if might bee, the greedie appetites of those, which otherwise have ynough to live with, and for holes and dennes to keep them in, which are unworthy to be kept at the ch…ge of the church, or else whose presence is necessarie, and dutifull in other places, and for the most part unprofitable there. The Deane, and Canons or Prebendaries, are not sustained with the Ecclesiastical rents and possessions of the citie, where they loiter, but for the most part of the rents and possessions of their charges in the countrey, to their ruine and desolation, the great steeples devouring the little steeples, the great Quires overthrowing the finall pulpits. It was done no doubt in a foolish and pretensed imitation of the temple of Ierusalem, to appoint such idle serving and singing men to uphold in the cathedrall Church daily chaunting and singing, as was the custome in the temple of Ierusalem. But all the people in the land had communion of worship in the sayd temple, and repaired to it thrice in the yeare to that effect and purpose, beside that the daily worship was for the use of all those who were upon severall occasions to repaire unto the sayd temple, and therefore the whole people of God is called the church of the Iewes; because they had communion of worship in one place. But there is no such place in the Christian churches appointed either for countries, counties, or shires. Every church even the meanest, hath as great interest & priviledge to all the points of Gods worship, as the greatest cities, lett be the Cathedrall seats, which are not ever the greatest. Then againe their curions singing and chanting serveth not for edification of the soule, but rather to hinder true devotion, and carie away the mind from heavenly meditation with a carnall and sensuall delite. He that singeth should be liker pronuncianti quam canenti to one who pronounceth the word, then to one that singeth. Psalmes as sung by course▪ & side after side: some few singing, the rest of the people resrayned from singing: One half sung with the hart, the other half with hart and voice. Then again their musicall instruments were unknowen to the church of God for 800 yeres. Yea it appeareth that they were not brought in, in the dayes of Aquinas. For he sayth, sed instruments musica sicut cytharas, …. 2. quest. …. art. 2. …g. 4.et Ps…teria non assumit ecclesia in div…nas laudes ne videatur iudaizare. The Church then it seemeth used no musicall instruments in his time lest it should seeme to Iudaize. Yea amongst the Iewes themselves these musicall instruments were not used in their synagognes, but only in the temple, which was the theater of all the ceremonies of the leviticall law. Againe that one should read the gospel another the epistle, what an idle distinction of idle officemen in the church is this? for by this reason they may make a third sort also for reading of the law.… ▪ 336. The Treasurer, Chancelour, Vicedeanes offices are not all alike in every cathedrall church, sayth Mucket, but divers according to the different statutes of divers places. It is hard therefore distinctly to define particularly their offices. The Deane of the cathedrall Church succeedeth in the roome of him, who was called Archipresbyter urbanus, the citie Presbyter, as the rurall Deanes doe the Countrey presbyter. But the cathedaall chapter doth not consist of the presbyters of the citie, as the rurall chapiter did consist of the presbyters within the rurall Archpresbyter his praecinct: yea they were bound to sit in chapiter with the Deane,Lib. 5. p. 15… ▪ sayth Dr. Field. But all the Presbyters of the cathedrall citie doe not at any time sit in chapiter with the cathedral Dean as I gave a lively example before of the citie of London, where the Ministers of the severall parishes doe not sit in chapter with the Deane of Pauls, but onelyonly Canons and Prebendars, who for the most part ought to serve at parishes perhaps 20. or 30.Pag. 151. miles from the citie. The cathedrall seat of Canterburie hath 12. or 13. parishes, but not 4 able preachers, sayth the author of the Assertion for true and Christian Church policie. I have been in some of their cathedrall cities, where they have no parish minister to preach, but onelyonly the watering of some prebendarie, who commeth to attend on service in the temple, and neglecteth his owne charge with cure of soules. Againe, suppose this chapiter did consist of parish ministers within the citie, yet that some should bee made cardinall to sit in chapiter, either with Bishop or Deane, and others secluded, having as great interest in the common government of their stocks, as it is not grounded on the word, so it was not known to puret antiquitie,Pag. …0▪ as wee have already made evident. And it is acknowledged also by Bellarmine, howbeit hee doeth conjecture upon a false ground,De Clerici cap. 16. what was the cause of it. Nam à tempore Apostolorum per multos annos, imo etiam per aliquot soecula, quia pauci erant Presbyteri & Diaconi, omnes simul ad electionem Episcopi, & ad concilia vocabantur, neque opus erat tunc distinguere à Cardinalibus non Cardinales sicut etiam in alijs Ecclesi…s non disting…ebantur Canonici à non Canonicis. And yet there were many Presbyters at Rome in Cornelius time, as they themselves confesse, yet even then this distinction was not made, as Bellarmine in that same place doth acknowledge. Farther, this same chapiter hath not any medling with jurisdiction in common with the Bishop. The Deane and Prebendaries in many places have power severally to excommunicate in their parishes▪ which belong to them in peculiar, but they convene not chapiterl…e▪ to exercise spirituall jurisdiction, and inflict spirituall punishments, and censures, upon every delinquent within the Diocie, yea or cathedral seat onelyonly, either with the Bishop, or without him. Alienation of church lands, or setting of takes, and such like, which concern the possessions of the Church, may not passe without them, but for spiritual jurisdiction they are content that the vicar generall, and officiall principall part that betwixt them. To what use then serveth the cathedrall Deane, and his Canons or prebendaries, &c. but to wear copes and caps, tippets, and hoods, rochets, surplices, to pipe on organs▪ to sing curiously, to read gospels and epistles, according to their severall offices, and in their severall turnes and courses. In the 24▪ canon of the last constitutions, when the communion is to be celebrated upon principal feast dayes, if the bishop himself be not present, then the Dean is to administer the communion with a cope. And notwithstanding of all this, the Deane must sit in some chiefe place of the Church, with his velvet cushion before him, and cloth of estate, and be brought to his place with a silver Mace before him.