Works of Joseph Hall, Section 38 – Section 43
SECTION XXXVIII.
HOw did Confirmation eſcape this number? how did Ordination?Marriage not made a Sacrament by the Church of England. it was your ouer-ſight, I feare, not your charitie: ſome things ſeeme, and are not: ſuch is this your number of our Sacraments: you will needs hauehave vsus take-in marriage into this ranke: why ſo? wee doe not (you confeſſe) call it a Sacrament as the vulgar, miſinterpreting Pauls Myſterium, Eph. 5. why ſhould we not if we ſo eſteemed it? wherfore …erue names, but to denotate the nature of things? if wee were not aſhamed of the opinion, we could not be aſhamed of the word: No more (ſay you) did Chriſt and his Apoſtles call Baptiſme and the Supper, Sacraments; but we doe, and you with vsus: See now whether this clauſe doe not confute your laſt: where hath Chriſt euer ſaid, There are two Sacraments? Yet you dare ſay ſo: what is this but in your ſenſe an addition to the word? yea, we ſay flatly, there are but two: yet we doe (you ſay) in truth create it a Sacrament: how oft, and how reſolutely hath our Church maintained againſt Rome, that none but Chriſt immediately can create Sacraments? If they had this aduantage againſt vsus, how could we ſtand? How wrongfull is this force, to faſten an opinion vponupon our Church which ſhe hath condemned? But wherein ſtands this our creation? It is true; the parties to bee married, and their marriage repreſent Chriſt, and his Church, and their ſpirituall vnion: Beware, leſt you ſtrike God through our ſides: what hath Gods Spirit ſaid either leſſe, or other then this? Eph. 5.25, 26, 27, & 32. Doth he not make Chriſt the husband, the Church his Spouſe? Doth he not from that ſweete coniunction, and the effects of it, argue the deare reſpects that ſhould bee in marriage? Or what doth the Apoſtle a…nde elſe-where vntounto, when hee ſaies (as Moſes of Eue) wee are fleſh of Chriſts fleſh, and bone of his bone? And how famous amongſt the ancient is that reſemblance of Eue taken out of Adams ſide ſleeping, to the Church taken out of Chriſts ſide ſleeping on the Croſſe? Since marriage therefore ſo clearely repreſents this myſterie: and this vſe is holy and ſacred: what error is it, to ſay that marriage is conſecrated to this myſterie? But what is the Element? The Ring; Theſe things agree not; you had before made the two parties to bee the matter of this ſacrament? What is the matter of the Sacrament, but the Element? If they be the matter, they are the Element, and ſo not the Ring; both cannot be: If you will make the two parties to be but the receiuers; how doth all the myſterie lie in their repreſentation? Or if the Ring be the Element, then all the myſterie muſt be in the Ring, not in the parties: Labor to bee more perfect, ere you make any more new Sacraments: but this Ring is laid vponupon the Seruice-booke: why not? For readineſſe, not for holineſſe: Nay, but it is hallowed (you ſay) by the booke: If it bee a Sacramentall Element, it rather hallowes the booke, than the booke it; you are not mindfull enough for this trade: But what exorciſmes are vſed in this hallowing? Or who euer held it any other than a ciuill pledge of fidelitie? Then follow the words of Conſecration: I pray you, what difference is there betwixt hallowing, and conſecration? The Ring was hallowed before the booke, now it muſt be conſecrated: How i…ely? By what words? In the name of the Father, &c. Theſe words you know are ſpoken after the Ring is put on: was it euer heard of, that a Sacramētall Element was conſecrated after it was applied▪ See how-il your ſlanders are digeſted by you: The place is the Church, the time is the Lords day, the Miniſter is the actor; and is it not thus in all …her reformed Churches aſwell as ours? Behold, wee are not alone: all Churches in the world (if this will doe it) are guiltie of three Sacraments: Tell me, would you not hauehave marriage ſolemnized publikely? You cannot miſlike: though your founder ſeemes to require nothing heere but notice giuen to witneſſes, & then to bed: Well, if publike;Br…. ſtate of Chriſtians, 17… you account it withall, a graue and weighty buſineſſe: therefore ſuch, as muſt be ſanctified by publike praier: What place is fitter for publike praier than the Church? Who is fitter to offer vp the publike prayer, than the Miniſter? who ſhould rather ioyne the parties in Mariage, than the publike deputy of that God, who ſolemnly ioyned the firſt couple? who rather than hee which in the name of God may bleſſe them? The prayers which accompany this ſolemnitie, are parts of Gods worſhip, not the contract it ſelfe: This is a mixt action, therefore, compounded of Eccleſiaſticall and ciuill: impoſed on the Miniſter, not vponupon neceſſity but expedience: neither eſſential to him, but accidentally annexed, for greater conuenience. Theſe two friuolous grounds hauehave made your cauill either very ſimple, or very wilfull.
SEP.
Your Court of faculties from whence your diſpenſations and tolerations for Non-reſidency, and Plurality of Benefices are had together, with your commuting of Penances, and abſoluing one man for another. Take away this power from the Prelates, and you maime the Beaſt in a limme.
SECTION XXXIX.
SEE if this man be not hard driuen for accuſations, when he is faine to repeate ouer the very ſame crime,Commutation of Penance in our Church. which he had largely vrged before: All the world will know that you want variety, when you ſend in theſe twice-ſod Coleworts: Somewhat yet we finde new, Commutation of Penance. Our Courts would tell you, that here is nothing diſpenced with, but ſome ceremony of ſhame in the confeſſion: which in the greater ſort is exchanged (for a common benefit of the poore) into a pecuniary mulct; yet (ſay they) not ſo as to abridge the Church of her ſatisfaction, by the confeſſion of the offender: and if you grant the Ceremony deuiſed by them, why doe you finde fault that it is altered, or commuted by them? As for Abſolution, you hauehave a ſpite at it, becauſe you ſought it, and were repulſed: If the cenſures be but their owne (ſo you hold) why blame you the managing of them in what maner ſeemes beſt to the authors? This power is no more a limme of the Prelacy, than our Prelacy is that Beaſt in the Reuelation: and our Prelacy holds it ſelfe no more S. Iohns beaſt, then it holds you S. Pauls beaſt, Phil. 3.2.
Sep.
In your High Commiſsion Court very abſolute, where, by the Oath Ex Officio, men are conſtrained to accuſe themſelues of ſuch things as whereof no man will or can accuſe them; what neceſsity is laid vponupon men in this caſe, let your priſons witneſſe.
SECTION XL.
Oath Ex officio.I Aske of Auricular Confeſſion; you ſend me to our High Commiſſion Court: theſe two are much alike: But here is alſo very abſolute neceſſity of confeſſion: True; but as in a caſe of iuſtice, not of ſhrift: to cleare a truth, not to obtaine abſolution: to a bench of Iudges, not to a Prieſts eare; Here are too many ghoſtly Fathers, for an auricular confeſſion: But you will miſtake, it is enough againſt vsus, that men are conſtrained in theſe courts to confeſſe againſt themſelues: why name you theſe courts onelyonly? Euen in others alſo oathes are vrged, not onelyonly (ex officio mercenario, but no…ili:) The honorableſt Court of Star-chamber giues an oath in a criminall caſe to the defendant; So doth the Chancery, and Court of Requeſts: Shortly, to omit forraine examples, how many inſtances hauehave you of this like proceeding in the common Lawes of this Land? But withall you might learne, that no Enquiry Ex officio may be thus made but vponupon good grounds,D. Coſ…s his Apol. as Fame, Scandall, vehement preſumption, &c. going before, and giuing iuſt cauſe of ſuſpicion: Secondly,D. Au…r. determ. de Iur…rando foreign. Num. 5.12. Icſh. 7.19. 1 Sam. 14 43. G. Iohnſ. & M. Crud. Trouble at Amſterd. p. 132. Non poteſt quis in vna cauſa eodem mom…nto duas portareperſonas, vt in eodem iudicio & accuſator ſit & iud…. Optat. … 7. that this proceeding is not allowed in any caſe of crime, whereby the life, or limmes of the examined party, may be indangered: nor yet, where there is a iuſt ſuſpition of future periury vponupon ſuch enforcement. Thus is the ſuſpected wife vrged to cleare h… honeſty by oath: Thus the Maſter of the houſe muſt cleare his truth, Exod. ….8. Thus A…an and Ionathan were vrged to be their owne accuſers, though not by oath▪ But if perhap… … Iuſticer in their proceedings; muſt this b… … petty-Courts at ho… … onelyonly to the Commiſſion Court of England, but to the Inquiſition of Spaine▪ See … your Paſtor defending himſelfe to be both an accuſer and Iudge in the ſame cauſe: See their proceedings Ex Officio without commiſſion: and if your priſons cannot witneſſe it, your excommunications may.
SEP.
Though you hauehave loſt the Shrines of Saints, yet you retaine their da…es, and thoſe holy as the Lords day, and that with good profit to your ſpirituall carnall Courts, from ſuch as p…fane them with the leaſt and moſt lawfull … notwithſtanding the liberty of the ſi… dayes labour, which the Lord hath giuen: and as much would the Maſters of theſe Courts bee ſtirred at the Caſting of theſe Saints dayes out of the Calender, … were the Maſters of the poſſeſſed maid, when the Spirit of diuination was caſt out of her, Act. 1….19.
SECTION XLI.
WEe hauehave not loſt, but caſt away the Idolatrous ſhrines of Saints:Holy-dayes how obſerued in the Church of England. their daies we retaine; theirs, not for worſhip of them, which our Church condemneth, but partly for …ommo… oration of their high deſerts, and excellent examples: partly for diſtinction: indeed therefore Gods dayes, and not theirs▪ their praiſes redound to him: ſhew vsus where we implore them, where wee conſecrate daies to their ſeruice: The maine end of Holy-daies is for the ſeruice of God, and ſome,Socr. l. 5. c. 21. Eſt. 9.17. Nehe. 12.27. 1 Mac. 4.29. Iohn 10.13. Aug. Ep. 44. Scias à Chriſtianis Catholicis nullum coli mortuorum, nihil deni que vt numen ad…rari, quod fit factum & conditu… à Deo. Quae tolo orbe terrarum, &c. ſicuti quo que Domini paſſio & reſurrectio & in coelum aſcenſus, & aduentus Spiritus ſancti anniuerſar. à ſolemnitate c…ebrantur. Aug. Epiſt. 118. Churches of France and Flanders in Har…. confeſſ. Th Whites Diſcouer. p. 1…. as Socrates ſets downe of old, (quo ſe à láborum conte…ione relax…) for relaxation from labour: and if ſuch daies may be appointed by the Church (as were the Holy daies of P…rim; of the dedication of the wall of Ieruſalem, the dedication of the Temple) whoſe names ſhould they rather beare (though but for meere diſtinction) than the bleſſed Apoſtles of Chriſt? But his is a colour onelyonly: for you equally condemne thoſe dayes of Chriſts Birth, Aſcenſion, Circumciſion, Reſurrection, Anunciation, which the Church hath beyond all memory celebrated: what then is our fault? Wee keepe theſe holy as the Lords day, in the ſame manner, though not in the ſame degree: Indeed we come to the Church, and worſhip the God of the Martyrs and Saints: is this yet our offence? No, but we abſtaine from our moſt lawfull labour in them; True, yet not in conſcience of the day, but in obedience to the Church: If the Church ſhall indict a ſolemne Faſt: doe you not hold it contemptuous to ſpend that day i… lawfull labour notwithſtanding that liberty of the ſix dayes which God hath giuen? Why ſhall that be lawfull in a caſe of deiection, which may not in praiſe and exultation? If you had not loued to cauill, you would rather hauehave accepted the Apology, or excuſe of our ſiſter Churches in this behalfe, than aggrauated theſe uncharitable pleas of your owne▪ yet euen in this, your owne Synagogue at Amſterdam (if we may beleeue your owne) is not altogether guiltleſſe: your hands are ſtill and your ſhops ſhut vponupon feſtiuall dayes; But we accuſe you not: would God this were your worſt. The Maſters of our Courts would tell you, they would not care ſo much for this diſpoſſeſſion, as that it ſhould be done by ſuch coniurers as your ſelfe.
SEP.
If an ignorant and vnpreaching Miniſtery be approued amongst you, and the people conſtrained by all kinde of violence to ſubmit vntounto it, and therewith to reſt (as what a more vſuall throughout the whole kingdome?) then let no modeſt man once open his mouth to deny, that ignorance is conſtrained and approued amongst you. If the ſeruice ſaid or ſung in the Pariſh Church may be called deuotion, then fa…e there is good ſtore of vnknowne deuotion, the greateſt part in moſt pariſhes, neither knowing nor regarding what is ſaid, nor wherefore.
SECTION XLII.
Our approbation of an vnlearned Miniſtery diſproued.YOur want of quarrels makes you ſtill runne ouer the ſame complaints: which if you redouble a thouſand times, wil not become iuſt, may become tedious: God knowes how far we are from approuing an vnlearned Miniſtery: The proteſtations of our gracious King, our Biſhops, our greateſt Patrons of conformity in their publike writings, might make you aſhamed of this bold aſſertion: we doe not allow that it ſhould be, we bewaile that it will be: our number of Pariſhes compared with our number of Diuines, will ſoone ſhew; that either many Pariſhes muſt hauehave none, or ſome Diuines muſt hauehave many Congregations, or too many Congregations muſt hauehave ſcarce Diuine-Incumbents.Confer. at Hampt. Our deare Souereigne hath promiſed a medecine for this diſeaſe; But withall tels you that Ieruſalem was not built all on a day. The violence you ſpeake of is commonly in caſe of wilfull contempt, not of honeſt and peaceable deſired further inſtruction, or in ſuppoſall of ſome tolerable ability in the Miniſtery forſaken; we do heartily pray for labourers into this harueſt: we do wiſh that all Iſrael could propheſie: we publiſh the Scriptures, we Preach, Catechiſe, Write, and (Lord thou knoweſt) how many of vsus would doe more, if wee knew what more could bee done, for the information of thy people, and remedy of this ignorance which this aduerſary reproues vsus to approue.
We doubt not but the ſeruice ſaid in our Pariſh-Churches, is as good a ſeruice to God, as the extemporary deuotions in your Parlours: But, It is an vnknowne deuotion, you ſay: Through whoſe fault? The Readers, or the Hearers, or the Matter? Diſtinct reading you cannot deny …o the moſt Pariſhes: the matter, is eaſie Prayers, and Engliſh Scriptures: if the hearers be regardleſſe; or in ſome things dull of conceit, lay the fault from the Seruice to the men: All yours are free from ignorance, free from wandering conceits: we enuy you not, ſome knowledge is no better than ſome ignorance, and careleſneſſe is no worſe than miſ-regard.
SEP.
What are your ſheet-penances for adultery, and all your purſe-penances for all other ſinnes? than which, though ſome worſe in Popery, yet none more common.
SECTION XLIII.
Penances inioyned in the Church of England.COmming now to the Vaults of Popery, I aske for their Penances, and Purgatory; thoſe Popiſh Penances, which preſumptuous Confeſſors enioyned as ſatisfactory, and meritorious vponupon their bold abſolutions: You ſend me to Shee…-penances and Purſe-penances: the one, ceremonious corrections of ſhame, enioyned and adioyned to publike Confeſſions of vncleanneſſe,Sacc… & cin…ri incubare, corp… fordibus …bſcurarē, presbyteris aduolu…, & aris Dei adgeniculari. Tert. de penit. for the abaſing of the offender, and hate of the ſin: ſuch like as the ancient Church thought good to vſe for this purpoſe. Hence they were appointed (as Tertullian ſpeaketh) in ſackcloth and aſhes, to craue the prayers of the Church, to beſmeare their body with filthineſſe, to throw themſelues down before Gods miniſter & Altar; not to mention other more hard, & perhaps no leſſe ancient Rites; and hence, were thoſe fiue ſtations of the Penitent, whereby he was at laſt receiued into the body of his wonted Communion:Canon. Greg. Neocaeſar. foreign, &c. the other a pecuniarie mulct impoſed vponupon ſome (not all, you foulely ſlander vsus) leſſe hainous offences; as a penalty, not as a penance: I hope you deny not; Sodomy, Murder, Robbery, and (which you would not). Theft it ſelfe is more deeply auenged: But did euer any of ours vrge either ſheet or puſe as the remedy of Purgatory, or enioyne them, to auoid thoſe infernall paines? vnleſſe we do ſo, our Penances are not Popiſh, & our Anſwerer is idle.
SEP.
Touching Purgatory, though you deny the doctrine of it, and teach the contrary, yet how well your practiſe ſutes with it, let it be conſidered in theſe particulars: Your abſoluing of men dying excommunicate after they be dead, and before they may hauehave Chriſtian buriall. Your Christian buriall in holy ground (if the party will be at the charges;) your ringing of hallowed bels for the ſoule; your ſinging the Corps to the graue from the Church ſtile; your praying ouer, or for the dead, eſpecially in theſe words, That God would haſten his Kingdome, that wee with this our Brother (though his life were neuer ſo wretched, and death deſperate) and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may hauehave our perfect conſummation both in body and ſoule. Your generall doctrines and your particular practiſes agree in this, as in the moſt other things, like Harpe and Harrow. In word you profeſſe many truths, which in deed you deny.
Theſe and many moe Popiſh deuices (by others at large diſcouered to the world) both for pompe and profit, are not onelyonly not ra…ed and buried in the duſt, but are aduanced amongst you aboue all that is called God.