Works of Joseph Hall, Section 50
SECTION L.
THe valour of our moſt zealous Reformers hath truly ſhewed it ſelfe in wel-dance: As in Duels: ſo here,Whether Miniſters ſhould indure themſelues …enced. he is the moſt valiant that can ſo maſter himſelfe as not to fight: you according to the common opinion of Swaggerers, blame the peaceable of cowardiſe, and accuſe them of ſuffering. Behold a new crime: That they ſuffer themſelues to be driuen out: What ſhould they hauehave done? Should they hauehave taken armes, and cry, The ſword of God, and Gedeon? You that will not allow a Prince to compell Subiects, will you allow Subiects to compell Princes? God forbid, This were high Treaſon againſt Gods Anointed: what then? Should they approue the Ceremonies by ſubſcription, by practiſe? This you exclaime vponupon, as high Treaſon againſt the Higheſt: What yet more? Should they hauehave preached with their mouthes ſtop… This is it, which you hauehave learned of your Founder, and through not many hands receiued, and required with no leſſe violence: Clamour and tumults is that you deſire;Brow. Reforma. without Tar. ſtill let our ſinne be peaceable obedience, yours fury and oppoſition. Your head-ſtrong conceit is, that it is a ſinne to be ſilenced: Men muſt preach euen when they may not: all times before you,foreign. We charge him not to ſerue any more. So Can. 15. Can. 25. Cum compertum fuerit deponatur. Can. 10. De Clericatus bonore pericli…abitur. Can. 2. E Clero deponatur & ſit alienus à Canone. Can. 17. & Can. 18. A Miniſterio ceſſare debuerit. Concil. Sardic. c. 4. Concil. Carth. 4. c. 48. & 56, 57. Leo Ep. 1 Sect. 5. Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 9. Socr. l. 2. c. 21. would hauehave wondred at this Paradox: For howeuer the Apoſtles, which had not their calling from men, would not be ſilenced by men, yet we find that all their ſucceſſors held that thoſe hands which were laid vponupon their heads, might be laid vponupon their mouthes: looke into all Hiſtories: Thoſe Conſtitutions (which though not Apoſtolike, yet were ancient) in the ſeuenth Canon puniſh a Biſhop, or Presbyter, that vponupon pretence of Religion ſeparates from is wife, with depoſition: and if any Presbyter ſhall ſhift his charge without licence (foreign) and laſtly; inflicts the ſame penalty vponupon Fornication, Adultery, Periury.
The great Nicene Councell takes the ſame order with ſome miſliked Biſhops, and Presbyters in diuers Canons: Gaudentius in the Councell of Sardi, takes it for granted, that a Biſhop may by Biſhops be depoſed: ſo the ſecond Councell of Carthage, Can. 13. ſo the fourth Councell of Carthage more than once impoſes degradation: ſo Leo the firſt threats to put ſome offending perſons from the office of their Miniſtery: ſo (that I may not be endleſſe) bleſſed Cyprian aduiſes Rogatianus, a good old Biſhop, which was abuſed by a malapert Deacon, by the authority of his Chaire to right himſelfe, and either to depoſe, or ſuſpend the offender. Leontius in Socrates, is depriued of his Prieſthood: yea, what Councell or Father giues not both rules and inſtances of this practice? See how farre the ancient Church was from theſe tumultuous fancies: No, no; (M. R.) we well finde, it is doing that vndoes the Church, not ſuffering: If your fellowes could hauehave ſuffered more, and done leſſe, the Church had beene happy: As for our Church-Officers, you may raile vponupon them with a lawleſſe ſafety: there is a great Ditch betwixt you and them: elſe you might pay deare for this ſinne of ſlandering them with their cheape peny-worths: How idly doe you inſult ouer thoſe, whom your mony-changers, hauehave driuen out of their Pulpits: When you confeſſe (after all your valour) that they hauehave driuen you both out of Church and Country: who can pitty a miſerable inſulter?
SEP.
For the Wafers in Geneua, and diſorders in Corinth, they were corruptions which may and doe (or the like vntounto them) creepe into the pureſt Churches in the World: for the Reformation whereof Chriſt hath giuen his power vntounto his Church, that ſuch euils as are brought in by humane frailty, may by diuine authority bee purged out. This power and preſence of Chriſt you want, holding all by homage (or rather by villanage) vnderunder the Prelates, vntounto whoſe ſinfull yoke you ſtoope in more than Babyloniſh bondage, bearing and approuing by perſonall communion, infinite and abominations. And in theſe two laſt reſpects principally, your Babyloniſh confuſion of all ſorts of people in the body of your Church, without ſeparation, and your Babyloniſh bondage vnderunder your ſpirituall Lords the Prelates, we account you Babylon, and flie from you.