them, without blushing; nor any man where they are due withhold them, but with manifest appearance of too great malice or pride. Now, forasmuch as, according to the ancient orders and customs of this land, as of the kingdom of Israel, and of all Christian kingdoms through the world, the next in degree of honour unto the chief sovereign, are the chief prelates of God's church; what the reason hereof may be, it resteth next to be inquired. a prelacy. XVIII. Other reason here is not any, wherefore such What good doth pubhonour hath been judged due, saving only that public good licly grow which the prelates of God's clergy are authors of. For I from the would know which of these things it is whereof we make any question, either that the favour of God is the chiefest pillar to bear up kingdoms and states; or, that true religion publicly exercised is the principal mean to retain the favour of God: or, that the prelates of the church are they, without whom the exercise of true religion cannot well and long continue. If these three be granted, then cannot the public benefit of prelacy be dissembled. And of the first or second of these I look not for any professed denial: the world at this will blush, not to grant, at the leastwise in word, as much as heathens themselves have of old with most earnest asseveration acknowledged, concerning the force of Divine grace in upholding kingdoms. Again, though his mercy doth so far strive with men's ingratitude, that, all kind of public iniquities deserving his indignation, their safety is through his gracious providence many times nevertheless continued, to the end that amendment might, if it were possible, avert their envy; so that as well commonweals as particular persons, both may and do endure much longer, when they are careful, as they should be, to use the most effectual means of procuring his favour on whom their continuance principally dependeth: yet this point no man will stand to argue, no man will openly arm himself to enter into set disputation against the emperors Theodosius and Valentinian, for making unto their laws concerning religion, this preface, "De- Tit. 1. lib. cere arbitramur nostrum imperium, subditos nostros de re- iii. C. de ligione commonefacere. Ita enim et pleniorem acquiri Dei nit. a Quis est tam vecors, qui aut cum suspexerit in cœlum, Deos esse non sentiat, et ea quæ tanta mente fiunt, ut vix quisquam arte ulla ordinem rerum ac vicissitudipersequi possit, casu fieri putet, aut, cum Deos esse intellexerit, non intelligat eorum numine hoc tantum imperium esse natum et auctum et retentum? Cic. Orat. de Harus. resp. nem summa tri de Episc. et Cler. ac salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi benignitatem possibile existimamus, si quando et nos pro viribus ipsi placere studuerimus, et nostros subditos ad eam rem instituerimus;" or against the emperor Justinian, for that he also maketh the Lib. iii. C. like profession: "Per sanctissimas ecclesias et nostrum imperium sustineri, et communes res clementissimi Dei gratia muniri, credimus." And in another place, "Certissime credimus, quia sacerdotum puritas et decus, et ad Dominum Deum ac salvatorem nosrum Jesum Christum fervor, et ab ipsis missæ perpetuæ preces, multum favorem nostræ reipublicæ, et incrementum præbent." Lib. xxxiv. C. de audiend. Psal. Ixxvii. 20. Wherefore only the last point is that which men will boldly require us to prove; for no man feareth now to make it a question, Whether the prelacy of the church be any thing available or no, to effect the good and long continuance of true religion?" Amongst the principal blessings wherewith God enriched Israel, the prophet in the psalm acknowledgeth especially this for one, "Thou didst lead thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron." That which sheep are if pastors be wanting, the same are the people of God if so be they want governors: and that which the principal civil governors are, in comparison of regents under them, the same are the prelates of the church, being compared with the rest of God's clergy. Wherefore inasmuch as amongst the Jews, the benefit of civil government grew principally from Moses, he being their principal governor; even so the benefit of spiritual regiment grew from Aaron principally, he being in the other kind their principal rector, although even herein subject to the sovereign dominion of Moses. For which cause, these two alone are named as the heads and wellsprings of all. As for the good which others did in service either in the commonwealth or of the sanctuary, the chiefest glory thereof did belong to the chiefest governors of the one sort and of the other, whose viligant care and oversight kept them in their due order. Bishops are now as high-priests were then, in regard of power over other priests, and in respect of subjection unto high-priests.a What priests were then, the same now presbyters are, by way of their place under bishops. The a Qui sacerdotes in veteri testamento vocabantur, hi sunt qui nunc presbyteri appellantur: et qui tunc princeps sacerdotum, nunc episcopus vocatur. Raba. Maur. de instit. cler. lib. iii. cap. 6. one's authority therefore being so profitable, how should the other's be thought unnecessary? Is there any man professing Christian religion which holdeth it not as a maxim, that the church of Jesus Christ did reap a singular benefit by apostolical regiment, not only for other respect, but even in regard of that prelacy whereby they had and exercised power of jurisdiction over lower guides of the church? Prelates are herein the apostles' successors, as hath been proved. Thus we see, that prelacy must needs be acknowledged exceedingly beneficial in the church: and yet for more perspicuity's sake, it shall not be pains superfluously taken, if the manner how be also declared at large. For this one thing not understood by the vulgar sort, causeth all contempt to be offered unto higher powers, not only ecclesiastical, but civil: whom when proud men have disgraced, and are therefore reproved by such as carry some dutiful affection of mind, the usual apologies which they make for themselves are these: "What more virtue in these great ones, than in others? We see no such eminent good which they do above other men." We grant indeed, that the good which higher governors do, is not so immediate and near unto every of us, as many times the meaner labours of others under them, and this doth make it to be less esteemed. But we must note, that it is in this case as in a ship; he that sitteth at the stern is quiet, he moveth not, he seemeth in a manner to do little or nothing, in comparison of them that sweat about other toil, yet that which he doth is in value and force more than all the labours of the residue laid together. The influence of the heavens above worketh infinitely more to our good, and yet appeareth not half so sensible as the force doth of things below. We consider not what it is which we reap by the authority of our chiefest spiritual governors, nor are likely to enter into any consideration thereof, till we want them; and that is the cause why they are at our hands so unthankfully rewarded. Authority is a constraining power; which power were needless if we were all such as we should be, willing to do the things we ought to do without constraint. But, because generally we are otherwise, therefore we all reap singular benefit by that authority which permitteth no men, though they would, to slack their duty. It doth not suffice, that the lord of a household appoint labourers what they should do, unless he set over them some chief workmen to see they do it. Constitutions and canons made, for the ordering of church-affairs are dead taskmasters. The due execution of laws spiritual, dependeth most upon the vigilant care of the chiefest spiritual governors, whose charge is to see that such laws be kept by the clergy and people under them: with those duties which the law of God, and the ecclesiastical canons require in the clergy, lay-governors are neither for the most part so well acquainted, nor so deeply and nearly touched. Requisite therefore it is, that ecclesiastical persons have authority in such things; which kind of authority maketh them that have it prelates. If then it be a thing confessed, as by all good men it needs must be, to have prayers read in all churches, to have the sacraments of God administered, to have the mysteries of salvation plainly taught, to have God every where devoutly worshipped, and all this perpetually, and with quietness, bringeth unto the whole church, and unto every member thereof, inestimable good; how can that authority, which hath been proved the ordinance of God for preservation of these duties in the church, how can it choose but deserve to be held a thing publicly most beneficial? It were to be wished and is to be laboured for, as much as can be, that they who are set in such rooms may be furnished with honourable qualities and graces every way fit for their calling. But, be they otherwise, howsoever so long as they are in authority, all men reap some good by them, albeit not so much good as if they were abler men. There is not any amongst us all, but is a great deal more apt to exact another man's duty, than the best of us is to discharge exactly his own; and therefore prelates, although neglecting many ways their duty unto God and men, do notwithstanding by their authority great good, in that they keep others, at the leastwise, in some awe under them. It is our duty therefore, in this consideration, to honour them that rule as prelates, which office if they discharge well, 1 Tim. the apostle's own verdict is, that the honour they have they v. 17. be worthy of, yea, though it were double. And if their go vernment be otherwise, the judgment of sage men hath ever nour them, whom as examples we may not follow. In a word, not to dislike sin, though it should be in the highest, were unrighteous meekness, and proud righteousness it is to contemn or dishonour highness, though it should be in the sinfullest men that live. But so hard it is to obtain at our hands, especially as now things stand, the yielding of honour to whom honour in this case belongeth, that by a brief declaration only what the duties of men are towards the prin- Rom. cipal guides and pastors of their souls, we cannot greatly hope to prevail, partly for the malice of their open adversaries, and partly for the cunning of such as in a sacrilegious intent, work their dishonour under covert, by more mystical and secret means. Wherefore requisite, and in a manner necessary it is, that by particular instances we make it even palpably manifest what singular benefit and public use the nature of prelates is apt to yield. xiii. 7. First, no man doubteth, but that unto the happy condition of commonweals it is a principal help and furtherance, when in the eye of foreign states their estimation and credit is great. In which respect, the Lord himself commending his own laws unto his people, mentioneth this as a thing not meanly to be accounted of, that their careful obedience yielded thereunto should purchase them a great good opinion abroad, Deut. and make them every where famous for wisdom. Fame and iv. 6. reputation grow especially by the virtue, not of common ordinary persons, but of them which are in each estate most eminent by occasion of their higher place and calling. The mean man's actions, be they good or evil, they reach not far they are not greatly inquired into, except perhaps by such as dwell at the next door; whereas men of more ample dignity are as cities on the tops of hills, their lives are viewed afar off; Matt. so that the more there are which observe aloof what they do, the greater glory by their well doing they purchase both unto God whom they serve, and to the state wherein they live. Wherefore, if the clergy be a beautifying unto the body of this commonweal in the eyes of foreign beholders, and if in the clergy the prelacy be most exposed unto the world's eye, what public benefit doth grow from that order, in regard of reputation thereby gotten to the land from abroad, we may soon conjecture. Amongst the Jews (their kings excepted) who so renowned throughout the world as their high-priest? Who so much or so often spoke of as their prelates? v. 13. |