Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

many of the reformed churches abroad, amongst whom, notwithstanding, we doubt not but the Lord is worshipped decently, orderly, and in the beauty of holiness.

That ever since the reformation they have been matter of contention and endless disputes in this church, and have been a cause of depriving the church of the fruit and benefit which might have been reaped from the labours of many learned and godly ministers, some of whom judging them unlawful, others unexpedient, were in conscience unwilling to be brought under the power of them.

That they have occasioned, by the offence taken at them by many of the people heretofore, great separations from our church, and so have rather prejudiced than promoted the unity thereof; and at this time, by reason of their long disuse, may be more likely than ever heretofore to produce the same inconveniences.

That they are at best but indifferent, and in their nature mutable; and that it is, especially in various exigencies of the church, very needful and expedient that things in themselves mutable be sometimes actually changed, lest they should, by perpetual permanency and constant use, be judged by the people as necessary as the substantials of worship themselves.

And though we do most heartily acknowledge your majesty to be custos utriusque tabulæ, and to be supreme governor over all persons, and in all things and causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil, in these your majesty's dominions, yet we humbly crave leave to beseech your majesty to consider whether, as a Christian magistrate, you be not as well obliged by that doctrine of the apostle touching things indifferent, in not occasioning an offence to weak brethren, as the apostle himself (then one of the highest officers in the church of Christ) judged himself to be obliged by; and whether the great work wherewith the Lord hath intrusted your majesty be not rather to provide by your sacred authority that the things which are necessary, by virtue of divine command, in his worship should be duly performed, than that things un

necessary should be made by human command necessary and penal. And how greatly pleasing it will be to the Lord that your majesty's heart is so tenderly and religiously compassionate to such of his poor servants differing in some small matters, who prefer the peace of their consciences in God's worship above all their civil concernments what

soever.

May it therefore please your majesty out of your princely care of healing our sad breaches, graciously to grant, that kneeling at the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and such holy days, as are but of human institution, may not be imposed upon such as do conscientiously scruple the observation of them; and that the use of the surplice, and cross in baptism, and bowing at the name of Jesus rather than the name of Christ, or Emmanuel, or other names whereby that divine person, or either of the other divine persons is nominated, may be abolished; these things being, in the judgment of the imposers themselves, but indifferent and mutable; in the judgment of others, a rock of offence; and, in the judgment of all, not to be valued with the peace of the church.

We likewise humbly represent unto your most excellent majesty, that divers ceremonies which we conceive have no foundation in the law of the land, as erecting altars, bowing towards them, and such like, have been not only introduced, but in some places imposed: whereby an arbitrary power was usurped; divers ministers of the gospel, though conformable to the established ceremonies, troubled; some reverend and learned bishops offended; the Protestants grieved; and the Papists pleased, as hoping that those innovations might make way for greater changes.

May it therefore please your majesty, by such ways as your royal wisdom shall judge meet, effectually to prevent the imposing and using of such innovations for the future, that so, according to the pious intention of your royal grandfather king James of blessed memory, the public worship may be free, not only from blame, but from suspicion.

In obedience to your majesty's royal pleasure graciously signified to us, we have tendered to your most excellent majesty what we humbly conceive may most conduce to the glory of God, to the peace and reformation of the church, and to the taking away, not only of our differences, but the roots and causes of them. We humbly beg your majesty's favorable acceptance of these our loyal and conscientious endeavours to serve your majesty and the church of Christ, and your gracious pardon if in any thing or expression we answer not your majesty's expectation; professing before your majesty, and before the Lord, the searcher of hearts, that we have done nothing out of strife, vain glory, or emulation, but have sincerely offered what we apprehend most seasonable, as conducing to that happy end of unity and peace which your majesty doth so piously prosecute.

We humbly lay ourselves, and these our addresses, at your majesty's feet, professing our unfeigned resolution to live and die your majesty's faithful, loyal, and obedient subjects; and humbly implore your gracious majesty, according unto your princely wisdom and fatherly compassion, so to lay your hand upon the bleeding rents and divisions that are amongst us, that there may be a healing of them so shall your throne be greater than the throne of your fathers; in your days the righteous shall flourish, peace shall run down like a river, and the generations to come shall call you blessed.

The words "your majesty and" are wanting in the Tanner MS. CARDWELL.

V.

Archbishop Ussher's Model of Church

Government.

Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, by Silvester, pp. 238-241.

By the order of the Church of England, all presbyters are charged to minister the doctrine and sacraments and the discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded, and as this realm hath received the same. And that we might the better understand what the Lord had commanded therein, the exhortation of St. Paul to the elders of the church of Ephesus is appointed to be read unto them at the time of their ordination: "take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to rule the congregation of God, which he hath purchased with his blood."

Of the many elders, who in common thus ruled the church of Ephesus, there was one president, whom our Saviour, in his epistle to the church, in a peculiar manner stileth the angel of the church of Ephesus; and Ignatius, in another epistle, written about twelve years after, to the same church, calleth the bishop thereof: betwixt which bishop and the presbytery of the church, what an harmonious consent there was in the ordering of church government, the same Ignatius doth fully there declare; by the presbytery (with St. Paul) understanding the company of the rest of the presbytery or elders who then had a hand, not only in the delivery of the doctrine

1

This reduction was published in 1658, after Archbishop Ussher's death, by Dr. Bernard. An unfinished MS. on the same subject, had been stolen out of his writing-desk, and printed early in 1641, with the following title, "The "Directions of the Archbishop of Armagh concerning the Liturgy and "Episcopal Government," which, upon complaint being made to the House of Commons by the Archbishop, that "it was most ingeniously fathered "upon him," was suppressed by order of the House, dated 9th of February, 1640-1.-Life of . . . . Ussher, by C. R. Elington, D.D., pp. 208-9.

and sacraments, but also in the administration of the discipline of Christ. For further proof whereof we have that known testimony of Tertullian in his general Apology for Christians. In the church are used exhortations, chastisements and divine censures; for judgment is given with great advice as among those who are certain they are in the sight of God, and it is the chiefest foreshewing of the judgment that is to come, if any man hath so offended that he be banished from the communion of prayer, and of the assembly, and of all holy fellowship.

The presidents that bear rule therein are certain approved elders who have obtained this honour, and not by reward, but by good report. Who were no other (as he himself elsewhere intimateth) but those from whose hands they used to receive the sacrament of the eucharist.

For with the bishop, who was the chief president, (and therefore styled by the same Tertullian in another place Summus Sacerdos for distinction sake,) the rest of the dispensers of the word and sacraments were joined in the common government of the church. And therefore in matters of ecclesiastical judicature, Cornelius, Bishop of Rome, used the received form of gathering together the presbytery.

Of what persons that did consist, Cyprian sufficiently declareth, when he wished him to read his letters to the flourishing clergy that there did preside or rule with him.

The presence of the clergy being thought to be so requisite in matters of episcopal audience that, in the fourth council of Carthage, it was concluded that the bishop might hear no man's cause without the presence of the clergy; which we find also to be inserted into the canons of Egbert, who was Archbishop of York in the Saxon times, and afterwards into the body of the canon law itself.

True it is, that in our church this kind of presbyterian government hath been long disused, yet, seeing it still pro fesseth that every pastor hath a right to rule the church (from whence the name of rector also was given at first unto him) and to administer the discipline of Christ, as well as to

« AnteriorContinuar »