The Catholic Hierarchy, Title page – Errata
The Catholick HIERARCHIE: OR, The Divine Right of a SACRED DOMINION IN CHURCH AND CONSCIENCE, Truly Stated, Aſſerted, and Pleaded.
Put them in mind to be ſubject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magiſtrates, and to be ready to every good work, Tit. 3.1.
Give none offence to Jews nor Gentiles, or to the Church of God, 1 Cor. 10.32.
The ſpirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, ſearching all the inward parts of the belly, Prov. 20.27.
LONDON: Printed for Sam. Crouch, at the Princes Arms in Popes-head-Alley in Cornhil; and Tho. Fox, at the Angel in Weſtminſter-hall. 1681.
TO A WORTHY GENTLEMAN.
SIR,
WHen the mindes of men are blinded with Intereſt and Errour, or vitiated with Prejudice and Partiality, the wonted manner of oppoſing Truth is fortiter calumniari, being not able any longer to defend themſelves (by ſubtile Sophiſtry, and cunning Evaſions) from the convincing evidence and demonſtration thereof. Hence it muſt be either ſtigmatized with terms of Opprobry and Contempt, or its right names expoſed, by a proverbial and malicious abuſe, to the ſcorn and deriſion of the Ignorant and unſtable Vulgar, moſt eaſily (by artificial pious Fraud) inſpired with a fond Opinion; and through the enchantment of that Opinion, tranſported into a furious Zeal for or againſt ſuch things as they never weighed in any balances of right Reaſon, or duely examined the goodneſs or evil of; and hence are carried this way, or that way, as deſigning men ſhall lead them, or as the wind of Popularity raiſes the ſwelling Surges of boundleſs Paſſions and Affections, verifying the Saying of the old Poet,
foreign
foreign.
Menand.
Opinion, more than Truth, impreſſion makes
On th' Vulgar, and as more perſwaſive takes.
And truely, Sir, among good words, perverted from the right meaning, and abuſed to Reproach, none have been more than thoſe two which the Author of this ſmall Treatiſe hath dignified his Title-page with. A Catholick in our days is become as contemptible as a Puritan formerly, or a Phanatick now; whenas every good Chriſtian is really a Catholick, and doth approve himſelf ſo in his Principles and Practice, is a Member of the Catholick Church, hopes to be ſaved by the common, i. e. the Catholick Faith; exerciſeth Catholick Holineſs in his life and converſation, holding a Catholick Communion with all viſible Catholicks. And this is the Chriſtian that is likelieſt to contribute moſt to the healing the manifold heart and Church-diviſions among us.
And as for Hierarchy, it's well known how our Age hath delivered it up to the infamous uſage of ſcurrilous Tongues and Pens, notwithſtanding its venerable and never-enough to be admired ſignificancy, that the very naming it calls for Reverence and Devotion; yea, its very letters and ſyllables will be a Monument of Renown, maugre all the deſignes of ill-minded men, to abandon the Churches glory, and to convert all Eceleſiaſtical Decency and Order into a confuſed Chaos of phantaſtical Imaginations, or a miſcelany of private Humours and Intereſts. And do men know what Hierarchy is, that ſpeak ſo irreverently of it? is it not a Sacred Juriſdiction? and where is it ſeated and exerciſed? is it not in the Church and Conſcience, ſeats of its dominion ſo ſacred, that no Secular Power can aſpire unto, without the higheſt uſurpation? And there is no true Church and ſound Conſcience, in which the Hierarchy doth not exert its power, and is not as freely ſubmitted unto with all due homage and obedience. And whatever ſome licentious Proteſtants may pretend to, and raiſe ſo much duſt of contention about, or of whatever Churches, of unquoth names and worſe natures, they profeſs themſelves Members; if ever they intend to be ſaved, they muſt (notwithſtanding all their religious Huffs) at laſt be found Members of the Catholick Church, and be ſubjected to the Catholick Hierarchy thereof: And till this profeſſed ſubjection become more univerſal among Chriſtians, Religion will ſtill be ſplitting on the Rocks of Faction, Schiſm, and Phanaticiſm.
Sir, you will finde the principal deſigne of thoſe few ſheets ſubmitted to your judgment, is to recommend this Panacaea, or Catholick Remedy, for the ſound healing of of our morbid Church, which ſeems to labour under ſome Diſeaſe not unlike the Microcoſmick Scorbet, being (according to the account of late Phyſicians) a complication of all Diſtempers, or transforming it ſelf Symptomatically into the ſhapes of all diſeaſes of the Body natural. Without doubt, our Remedy being prepared, and applied S. Artem Spiritualem, may contribute towards the recovery of our thrice-honoured, but languiſhing Mother, more than all the eſſential or golden purging Spirit of Cochlear in London can do to the reſtoring of one Scorbutick body: neither is it prepared in every Elaboratory. He ſaith there is one at Weſtminſter can do more towards it than any in England beſides. He tells me alſo of one admirable Vertue, that it doth wonderfully pacifie the diſquieted Archeus of a Body Politick; and if it be ſo, I will aſſure you it's to be preferred beyond all compare: for the plain truth of it is, the old Remedies of purging and bleeding do but ſcurvily agree with it, and it's very apt to Relapſes after thoſe rugged Medicines, as we finde by ſore experience.
Sir, my Friend hath taken ſome pains, out of love to his Country, to clear up the nature, and demonſtrate the neceſſity of a Catholick Hierarchy; though you muſt not expect to finde that word often mentioned, the Vulgar being ſo apt to ſtart at it as a hard & dangerous word, pregnant with a Pope. Sir, I had not obtained leave of my Friend to preſent theſe Papers to your view, but upon condition that I would apologize on his behalf, for the plainneſs of his Stile, ſaying, that he is naturally a ſtranger to the ſmooth dreſſes or high ſtrains of Rhetorick; & indeed it's my judgment that the plain truth, eſpecially when it acts polemically, requires it not, but is uſually delighted in a garb moſt like it ſelf; and thereby is rendered moſt acceptable to every good man and ſolid judgment. He likewiſe humbly deſires, that you will deliberately read, and not ſuddenly cenſure any thing as diſſonant to truth, till you have duely weighed it in it ſelf, as in its dependencies and ſuppoſitions on which it is built.
Sir, to conclude, I humbly crave pardon for the trouble I have given you, though I am fully ſatisfied the ſubject will not be unpleaſant to you, whom I know to be an Eccleſiaſtical Adeptus, In reſpect of your Catholick ſpirit, ſuperlative love to the Church, and ſingular devotion towards the Hierarchy. That you may long live, and continue in the ſame minde and practice, and many follow your worthy Example, is the devout Prayer of,
SIR, Your most humble Servant, Catholicus Verus.
The CONTENTS.
Chap. 1. OF a Twofold Juriſdiction which a Chriſtian by the Law of Christ is ſubjected unto.
Chap. 2. Of a Legiſlative and Executive Power.
Chap. 3. Of Chriſt's immediate Legiſlative Power.
Chap. 4. Of Chriſt's mediate Legiſlative Power.
Chap. 5. Concerning the nature of Conſcience.
Chap. 6. Concerning the dominion of Conſcience.
Chap. 7. Of the ſtrong and weak Chriſtian.
Chap. 8. Of Scandals, and their natures.
Chap. 9. Of Neceſſities and Indifferencies.
Chap. 10. Certain Propoſitions concerning Neceſſities and Indifferencies.
Chap. 11. Of Chriſtian Liberty.
Chap. 12. The first Queſtion handled about things indifferent.
Chap. 13. Of the Power of the Church in things indifferent.
Chap. 14. A Digreſſion concerning Subordination of Paſtors in the Church.
Chap. 15. Of Magiſtrates power in matters of Religion.
Chap. 16. Of the uſe of the Magiſtrates Sword in the execution of Eccleſiaſtical Juſtice.
Chap. 17. Of the limits of the Magiſtratical power in matters of Religion.
Chap. 18. Of a Chriſtians duty in caſe of humane Laws in matters religiouſly indifferent.
Chap. 19. Of Humane Conſtitutions in the Worſhip of God beſides the Word.
Chap. 20. Of the united Power Legiſlative of Church and State.
Chap. 21. Of Decency and Order.
Chap. 22. Of Impoſition of Ceremonies.
Chap. 23. Of Obligation to a Form of Prayer.
ERRATA.
PAge 12. line 3. for when he by his Law, read when man by his Law.
P. 13. l 3. for immediately, r. mediately.
Ibid. l. 30. for foreign, r. foreign.
Ibid. l. 31. for foreign, r. foreign.
P. 24. l. 9. for obedience, r. ſuch obedience.
Ibid. l. 26. for Maſters, r. Maſter.
P. 25. l. 37. dele The in the most certainly.
P. 35. l. 13. dele They.
P. 36. l. 4. for our, r. your.
P. 44. l. for juſt and equal, r. juſtly charged.
P. 45. l. 3. dele thereof.
P. 48. l. 20. for foreign, r. foreign.
P. 53. l. 27. for duty, r. guilt.
Ibid. l. 12. for in religious ſervice, r. religious ſervice.
P. 85. l. 24. for &c. r. and.
Ibid. l. 39. for Co-ordination, r. Subordination.
P. 88. l. 35. for Nation, r. Nations.
P. 93. l. 8. for by Aſſemblies, r. aſſembled.
P. 100. l. 21. r. unlawful in the Worſhip of God.
P. 112. l. 33 dele therefore that.
P. 114. l. 16. r. and ſound in his principles.
P. 125. l. 19. r. of what hath been ſaid is.
Ibid. l. ult. for conſequentially, r. conſequential.
P. 128. l. 11. for thught, r. taught.
P. 140. l. 2. for and Chriſt hath, r. and hath Chriſt.
P. 152. l. 17. for prophane uſe of them, r. prophane manner.