Oldalképek
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

THE Servant is no small commodity to his Master. He, that is despised, and hath a servant of his own, is better than he that boasts (whether of gentry, or wealth) and wanteth bread. The master, therefore, must provide sufficiency of food for his family, and sustenance for his maids: who also as he may not be over-rigorous in punishing or noting offences; sometimes not hearing his servant that curseth him: so not too familiar; for he that delicately bringeth up his servant from his youth, at length he will be as his son. He must therefore be sometimes severe, more than in rebukes; (for, A servant will not be chastened with words: and though he understand, yet he will not regard) yet so as he have respect ever to his good deservings A discreet servant shall rule over a lewd son: and he shall divide the heritage among his brethren. In answer whereto, the good Servant must be 1. Faithful unto his Master; As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him, for he refresheth the soul of his master. A wicked messenger falleth into evil: but a faithful ambassador is preservation; and 2. Diligent, whether in charge; Be diligent to know the estate of thy flock (or rather, the face of thy cattle) and take heed to the herds: or in his attendance, He, that keepeth his fig-tree, shall eat of the fruit of it; so he, that carefully waiteth on his master, shall come to honour; where, contrarily, in both these, As vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes: so is a slothful messenger to them that send him. Pr. xii. 9. xxvii. 27. Ec. vii. 23. Pr. xxix. 21. xxix. 19. xvii. 2. xxv. 13. xiii. 17. xvii. 23. xxvii. 18. x. 26.

EPISCOPAL ADMONITION,

BY THE RIGHt reverenD FATHER IN GOD,

DR. JOSEPH HALL,

LATE LORD BISHOP OF EXETER,
SENT IN A LETTER TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

April 28, 1628.

LONDON, PRINTED FOR C. G. 1681.

GENTLEMEN,-For God's sake be wise in your well-meant zeal. Why do you argue away precious time, that can never be revoked or repaired? Woe is me! While we dispute, our friends perish, and we must follow them! Where are we, if we break? And, I tremble to think, we cannot but break, if we hold so stiff. Our liberties and properties are sufficiently declared to be sure and legal: our remedies are clear and irrefragable. What do we fear? Every subject sees the way now chalked out for future justice; and who dares henceforth tread besides it? Certainly, while parliaments live, we need not misdoubt the violations of our freedoms and rights. May we be but where the Law found us, we shall sufficiently enjoy ourselves and ours. It is no reason to search for more. Oh, let us not, whilst we over-rigidly plead for an higher strain of safety, put ourselves into a necessity of ruin, and utter despair of redress! Let us not, in the suspicions of evils that may be, cast ourselves into a present confusion! If you love yourselves and your Country, remit something of your own terms: and since the substance is yielded by your noble patriots, stand not too rigorously upon points of circumstance. Fear not to trust a good King, who, after the strict laws made, must be trusted with the execution. Think that your country, nay, and Christendom, lies on the mercy of your present resolutions. Relent, or farewell welfare! From him, whose faithful heart bleeds in a vowed sacrifice for his King and Country,

EXETER.

aNow first printed from a broad-side preserved in the British Museum : though neither the matter, nor the style, nor even the signature, would seem to warrant the suggestion, that the author was Bishop Hall.-H.

VOL. VIII.

A SHORT ANSWER

TO THOSE

NINE ARGUMENTS,

WHICH ARE BROUGHT AGAINST THE

BISHOPS SITTING IN PARLIAMENT.

THOSE reasons had need to be strong, and the inconveniences heinous, that should take away an ancient and hereditary right, established by law. These are not such.

1. To trade in secular affairs, and to be taken up with them, is indeed a great and just hindrance to the exercise of our ministerial function: but, to meet once in three years in a Parliament, for some few weeks, at the same time when we are bound to attend Convocation business, is no sensible impediment to our holy calling.

2. We do, indeed, promise and profess, when we enter into Holy Orders, that we will give ourselves, so much as in us lies, wholly to this vocation: will it therefore follow, that we may not, upon any occasion, lend ourselves to the care of the public, when we are thereunto called? And if, this notwithstanding, we may, yea must take moderate care of our household affairs, and the provision for our family; why not as well of the Commonwealth?

3. For ancient Canons of Councils, will they be content to be bound by them, who urge them upon us? or, will they admit some and reject others? or, will they admit them, where they are contrary to our own laws? Now our Clarendon Constit. have, expressly, debent interesse omnibus judiciis. The Canons, therefore, must yield to them; not they to the Canons.

4. Twenty-four Bishops have dependance upon two Archbishops: When was it otherwise? Is it not so in all subordinations of government? If this be a just inconvenience, let all be levelled to an equality, and that shall end in a certain confusion. But they swear to them canonical obedience:True; but it is only in omnibus licitis et honestis mandatis. The supposition implied must needs savour of uncharitableness; that the Metropolitans will be still apt to require unlaw

ful things, and the Bishops will ever basely stoop to a servile humouring of them.

5. But they have their places only for their lives; and therefore, not fit to have a legislative power over the honours, liberties, properties of the subject:-First: If they have their Bishoprics but for their lives; yet there are scarce any of them, that have not so much temporal estate in fee, as may make them no less capable of a legislative power, than many of the House of Commons, who claim this right. Secondly: Is the case other now, than it hath been all this while? yet, for so many hundred years, there have been good laws, and just sentences given by their concurrence, notwithstanding this their tenure for life. Thirdly: If they be honest and conscionable, though they had their places but for a year or a day, they would not yield to determine ought unjustly: and if dishonest and conscienceless, it is not the perpetual inheritance of our places, that can make our determinations just.

6. If dependencies and expectations of further preferment lie in our way, why not equally in many Temporal Lords', who are interested in offices, and places in Court? Why should we be more mis-carriageable by such possibilities or hopes, than others; especially, when our age is commonly such, and the charges of removes so great, that there is small likelihood of an equal gaining by the change?

7. If several and particular Bishops have much encroached upon the consciences of his Majesty's subjects, in matter of their property and liberty; what reason is there to impute this unto all? Why should the innocent be punished for the wrongs of the guilty? Let those, who can be convinced of an offence this way, undergo a condign censure. Let not an unjust prejudice be cast upon the whole calling, for the errors of a few.

8. It is not to be expected, but the whole number of Twentysix should be interested in the maintenance of that their jurisdiction, which both the laws of men and apostolical institution hath feoffed them in :-Why should they not defend their own lawful and holy calling, against all unjust opposition of gainsayers? If their hearts did not assure them their station were warrantable and good, they were beasts, if they would hold them; and, if their hearts do assure them so, they were beasts, if they would not defend them. But there are numbers in all the Three Kingdoms, that cry them down:-True: but there are greater numbers for them; perhaps, a hundred for one. And, if some busy factionists of the meaner sort hereabout (a body compounded of Separatists, Anabaptists, Familists, and such like stuff) make some show and noise, yet what are these, to the whole kingdom? Neither do these men more oppugn our votes in Parliament, than our stations in the Church: so

as this argument will no less hold for no Bishops, than for no votes; as likewise that instance in the practice of Scotland. "Scotland hath abolished Episcopacy," they say: the more pity let them look, quo jure; and what answer to make unto that God, whose ordinance it is. But, I had thought it should have been a stronger argument, "England retains Episcopacy therefore, Scotland should;" than "Scotland hath abolished Episcopacy: therefore England should do so too." Let there be any other Church named in the whole Christian World, that hath voluntarily abandoned Episcopacy, when it might have continued it: and, if their practice be herein singular, why should not they rather conform to all the rest of Christendom, than we to them?

9. But, the core of all is, that it sets too great a distance between us and our brethren of the Clergy and so nourishes pride, in us; discontentment, in them; and disquietness, in the Church-an argument, that fights equally against all our superiority over our brethren, and against our votes here. By this reason, we must be all equal; none, subordinate: and what order can there be, where none is above other? What is this, but old Korah's challenge? Ye take too much upon you wherefore lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? Now, I beseech you, whether was there more pride in Moses and Aaron, that governed; or in Korah and Dathan, that murmured and repined? It is pride, then, that causeth contention: but where is this pride? whether in those, that moderately manage a lawful superiority; or in those, that scorn and hate to be under government? were those brethren so affected as they ought, they should rather rejoice that any of their own tribe are advanced to those places, wherein they might be capable of doing good offices to them and the Church of God; instead of swelling with envy against their just exaltation and would feel this honour done to their profession; and not to the persons. Lastly, what a mean opinion doth this imply to be conceived of us by the suggesters, that we, who are old men, Christian philosophers and divines, should have so little government of ourselves, as to be puffed up with those poor accessions of titular respects, which those, who are really and hereditarily possessed of, can wield without any such taint or suspicion of transportedness!

Shortly, in all these Nine Reasons, there is nothing, that may induce an indifferent man to think there is any just ground, to exclude Bishops from sitting and voting in Parliament.

« ElőzőTovább »