The allegeance of the cleargie A sermon preached, at the meeting of the whole clergie of the dyocesse of Rochester, to take the Oath of allegeance to his most excellent Maiestie, at Greenewich, Nouem. 2 1610. By Samuel Page, Doctor in Diuinitie.

THE ALLEGEANCE OF THE CLEARGIE. The first Sermon.

ROM. 13.2.

And they that resist, shal receiue to themselues Iudgement.

GOD is a God of Order, a∣gainst the Anabaptisticall doctrine of Anarchie; and cōfusion: he hath made men on earth, as hee hath distin∣guished the starres in the fir∣mament, one starre differing from another in glorie: hee hath taken the aduauncement of men into his owne hands: his wisedome saith, By me Princes reigne, Pro. 8.15. and Dauid saith, Preferment com∣meth

not from the Est, &c. he confesseth that Gods hand is in that work, as Paul in this chap. saith, the powers that be, are ordained of God. The Relatiue to these Powers, is Submission; Extent of this Sub∣mission, omnis anima, euery Soule. I thinke Saint Paul preuentingly, and by propheticall spirit, pro∣uided in this caution against all Aequinocators and Mentalists, who are ready to tender their Soue∣raignes some outward and formall Submission, without the Soule, and inward affection, there∣fore hee saith, Let euery soule submit.

The foundation of this Law of Loyaltie, is laid in the conscience of a Christian man, not because of wrath onely, but for conscience sake. The illation following on the premises, is my Text. The pro∣position wherof is indefinite, & equiualent to an v∣niuersal; They that resist, all they shall receiue iudge∣ment. If any aske, what is the Extent of this po∣wer, which God giueth to his annointed seruants the Kings & Princes of the earth; let them learne of Israel, who tendred this Allegeance to Ioshua:

All that thou hast commaunded vs, we will do, and whither-soeuer thou sendest vs, wee will goe: as wee obeyed Moses in all things, so will we obey thee: on∣ly the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Mo∣ses, Iosh. 1.16.17. So farre then, as GOD is with our Princes, and that their commaunds, bee no preiudice to the superior ordinances of God: e∣uery soule doth owe them submission, and must sweare them their obedience: for whatsoeuer the person of the Prince is, the power is of God: euen

Pilates power is of God, though hee armed it a∣gainst Christ, by our Sauiours owne testimonie, Iohn 19 11. saying, Thou couldst haue no power a∣gainst mee, except it were giuen thee from aboue: therefore Christ submitted himselfe to that po∣wer, euen hee that could say, To mee is giuen all power in heauen and in earth, Matt. 28.18.

Our gratious, soueraigne King, reading in the bloudy practises of his rebel-Popish-subiects, the danger of his owne royall person, & of his hope∣full posteritie, hath with the most honourable Parliament deuised a Shiboleth, euen this oath of Allegeance (which is how tendered to vs of his Cleargie of this Diocesse) to distinguish betwixt his Israelites and his Ephraimites, betweene his faithfull, louing, and peaceable Protestants, and the tumultuous, factious, and Popish Incendia∣ries, who desire to see our Ierusalem turned to dust and ashes. This Oath wil shew him who hath most disciples in his kingdome: this Paul our A∣postle that taught the Romans, omnis anima, let e∣uery soule submit; or Paul the fift that now tea∣cheth the Romans, and all his Romish Catholiques, the Contradictorie to his doctrine. Non omnis a∣nima, let not euery soule be so obliged. I wonder at Burgese of Rome, that being so opposite to Saint Paul, he would vsurpe his name, at his investiture in the Papacie, except hee meant to set Paul a∣gainst Palu, Romans against Romans, his Breues a∣gainst Saint Paules Epistles; our Apostle cast off a name vpon his conuersion, that would become

his Holinesse of Rome much better.

But concerning the power of Secular Princes, by this Paul the fift, and his vsurping Predecessors strangely restrained to make their peace with S. Paul, they doe thus vnderstand my Text; They that resist; that is, They of the Laity that resist: for saith their Glosse, Ecclesiasticall persons, and Ecclesiasticall causes are exempt.

The quarrell is wel knowne between the Pope, and the State of Venice, for their iudiciall processe pursued to the execution, and death of a sowle malefactor of their Cleargie, and the Pope (if he had been strong enough to reuenge such a quar∣rell) would haue made it knowne much better. Therefore it concerneth his most excellent Ma∣iesty, to vnderstand how his Cleargie affect his gouernement, and what subiection and Allege∣ance they will performe to him: which shall dis∣couer, whether we follow the example of the old Romans, who in their purer, and Primitiue times gaue vnto Caesar that which was Caesars, or whether we resist with the late Roman Catholiques, turning Caesar all into Name, and diuesting him of all his Roialties.

Saint Bernard epist. 42. to the Archbishop of Senona vrgeth that place of Saint Paul, omnis ani∣ma, Let euery soule be subiect: thus, Si omnis, & ve∣stra, quis vos excipit ab vniuersitate? Si quis tentat excipere, conatur decipere. If euery soule must bee subiect, then yours, that is, those persons who are Ecclesiasticall: who excepteth you when hee

nameth All? hee that assayes to except you (of the Church) goeth about to deceiue you.

Therefore to sort this Preface to the occasi∣on, and to the present hearing more properly, I learne of S. Bernard thus to limit to my selfe; they of the Cleargie, Ecclesiasticall persons, that resist, shal receiue to themselues damnation. And heerein wee haue our high Priest for an example, of whom S. Bernard saith, Conditor Caesaris non cunctatus est reddere censum Caesari, exemplum enim dedit vobis, vt & vos ita faciatis. He that made Caesar, payed tribute to Caesar, for therein he gaue ensample to you, (to you of the Cleargie) that you should also doe the like: thus did Saint Bernard teach, who flourished eleauen hundred yeares after Christ.

Origen interpreting this Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans, vpon this Chapter lib. 9. giueth a reason, why the Apostle in an Epistle to the Bre∣thren in Antiochia, Syria, and Cilicia, Acts 15.29 doth only admonish them to abstaine from things sacrificed to Idoles, from the strangled, and from bloud, not adding any prohibition of adulterie, murther, theft, &c. Superfluum videbatur, ea di∣uina lege prohibere, quae sufficienter humana lege plectuntur: It seemed to him more then needed by diuine decrees to inhibite those things which hu∣mane lawes did sufficiently punish. His collecti∣on from hence is very notable, and sorteth with my present Argument: Ex quo apparet, iudices mundi partē maximā Dei legis implere, omnia enim

crimina quae vindicari vult Deus, non per antistites, & principes Ecclesiarum, sed per mundi iudices vo∣luit vindicari. Hence it appeareth, that the Se∣cular Iudges doe fulfill the greatest part of the Lawe of GOD; for all crimes which GOD will haue punished, hee referreth to the vindica∣tion of these, and not of the Prelates, and chiefe Priests in his Church. And heerein he hath met with the Church of Rome, in an euasion learnd of the Donatists, and detected, and despised by Saint Augustine, contra Parmenianum Donatistam Episco∣pum. libr. 1. saying; Nisi forte (quemadmodum non∣nulli eorum sane imperitissimi intelligere solent) de honoribus Ecclesiasticis dictum esse velint, vt gladi∣us intelligatur vindicta spiritualis: cùm prouiden∣tissimus Apostolus satis aperiat; quid loquatur, dicens, propter hoc tributa praestatis. Vnlesse perchance (as some most foolishly are wont to interprete these words) they would vnderstand Saint Paul, as speaking of Ecclesiasticall powers, that by the Sword is meant Excommunication: whereas the Apostle wisely prouided, to preuent any such interpretation, and expresseth himselfe plainely, when hee sayth, For this cause pay you tribute, and Tribute is not due but to Secular powers.

And Saint Ambrose maketh good this interpre∣tation Tom. 5. vpon this place, saying; Principes hos reges dicit, qui propter corrigendam vitam, & prohibenda aduersa creantur, Dei habentes imagi∣nem, vt sub vno sint caeteri. The Apostle Paul in this place meaneth Kings, who are created for

the correction of mens liues, and the defending of them from aduersitie, bearing the Image of God, that one should sit aboue the rest.

And Theophilact (as for the most part he doth) followeth Saint Chrysostome, in the interpretati∣on of this Text, saying; Vniuersos erudit, siue Sacerdos sit ille, siue Monachus, siue Apostolus, vt se principibus subdant.

Hee teacheth all sorts of men, whether he be Priest, Monke, or Apostle, hee must submitte himselfe to his Soueraigne Prince. And the ho∣lie Apostle Saint Peter whom the Roman Vsurpers boast to succeede, taught the same generall do∣ctrine, 1. Pet. 2.13. &c. Submit your selues to all ma∣ner ordinance of man, for the Lords sake, whether to the King as superiour, or vnto gouernours as sent of him, &c. for so is the will of God.

Saint Gregory the great who sate Bishop of Rome sixe hundred yeares after our Lord and Sa∣uiour Christ, knew no other, nor taught none other doctrine: for hereof, his Epistles giue good witnesse.

Mauritius the Emperour had made a De∣cree, That no olde Souldiers should be admit∣ted or receiued into anie of the Monasteries, because hee perceiued that many of them vsed this as a shift to shunne and escape from going to the warres, and hee was thereby likely to bee the worse serued: such power had that Christian Emperour to decree in matters concerning the Church, and Gregorie then Bishoppe of Rome,

grieued at this constitution of the Emperor, did not conuent the Emperour to his Consistorie, drew not out against him the sword of Excom∣munication, did not menace him with interdi∣ction, depriuation, or any other shew of Papall iurisdiction, but as an humble and duetifull sub∣iect, addressed to him his earnest petition, by an Epistle, wherein he pleadeth for the Church, and as if it became him ill to contest with his Soue∣raigne, hee bringeth in Christ Iesus, thus expo∣stulating with him. Ego te de notario comitem ex∣cubitorum, de comite Caesarem de Caesare imperato∣rem, & patrem imperatorum feci: In a word, I haue aduaunced thee from lowe to high degree; Sacerdotes meos tuae manni commisi. I haue giuen thee charge and gouernement of my Priests, Re∣gistr. lib. 3. epist. 61.

And to make his suite more possible, he wrote an earnest Letter to Theodorus the Emperours Physician, to intreate him, who might best chuse an opportune time, to sollicite this request, in which he complayneth, saying; Epist. 64. Valde mihi durum videtur, vt ab eius seruitio milites pro∣hibeat, qui dominari illum, non solum militibus, sed etiam Sacerdotibus concessit. It seemeth hard to mee, that hee whom God hath made to rule, not only Souldiers, but Priests also, should restraine Souldiers from doing seruice to that GOD: So making Theodorus his competitor to the Empe∣rour, for repeale of that Law.

But this Gregorie the first of that name, was so

farre from the present Antichristian pride of his successor, as that he would not suffer the Title of Oecumenicall Bishop to be put vpon him; here∣in following Pelagius his most worthy predeces∣sour. He writ an angry reprehension to Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria, for stiling him Vniuer∣sall Bishop, in an Epistle sent to him: And when Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople, had vsurped that title, he wrot to him to rebuke him for it. And to Mauritius the Emperour, whose loue to him and the Church could haue affoorded him so hono∣rable a title, he said, whosoeuer assumeth to him∣selfe, or admitteth of any such title, Elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit, he doth fore-runne Anti∣christ in his pride. He calleth that title, Ne fan∣dum, stultum, superbum vocabulum, a wicked, foo∣lish, and proud title. He saith that the counsell of Calcedon offered it to his predecessors, to bee so stiled, sed tamen nullus sibi hoc temerarium nomen arripuit: none of them took this rash and in con∣siderate name vpon him.

He would haue staid the pride of that Roman See at the first: for when in respect of the Empire seated at Rome, the chamber of that great Monar∣chie, there was giuen the first place in Councels to the Bishop of Rome: the next ambition was to be chiefe Bishop: and then to be vniuersall ouer all the Church, as Hart saith, the Pope cannot be non resident, for all the world is his Diocesse. and what was then left, but to intrude vpon the rights of temporall Princes, as in succeeding

times they did, and at this day doe? But we heare God promising, Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queenes thy nurces; not Bishops, not Popes, and Prelates, Esay 49.23. Two proofes let mee but name, because we haue them fully pressed by most learned and iudicious Diuines, which ex∣presse the power of Princes ouer the Church.

First, their inuention of generall Counsells, so Pighius himselfe confesseth, Constantinus primus auth••r fuit conuocandi generalia consilia: Constan∣tine was the first who deuised to assemble generall Counsells, but the power heereof was by GOD himselfe giuen to Moses, to whom hee commit∣ted the making and vsing of the two siluer Trum∣pets, and from him deriued to all Princes and States imperiall. And the Church storie since Christ maketh it plaine, how Emperours and Kings in their seuerall dominions, haue both cal∣led Counsells, and sate Presidents, to order the meeting, to censure and punish offendours, to keepe them to the point that would digresse, and in their absence to depute secular Iudges in their places, and at last to dissolue their meeting at their pleasure. Yea sometimes the great Bishop of Rome hath made request to the Emperour, as Leo for example, for the calling a Counsell in I∣talie, and preuailed not. And lastly, the Canons of Counsells were by the imperiall power ratifi∣ed, and without that soueraigne approbation had no strength.

Secondly, for Appeales, the Princes haue bin

in the Church, the end of them all, euen in cau∣ses Ecclesiasticall. More, Socrates reporteth libr. 5. cap. 10. That many Bishops differing in iudge∣ment, concerning the Doctrine of the Trinitie, Theodosius the Emperour conuented them before himselfe, hee tooke the seuerall Coppies of their Doctrines; and praying first to God to assist him, in that holy businesse, that he might choose and maintaine his truth against all heretical opinions: after mature aduice, hee resolued vpon the truth of Doctrine, and in the presence of all the As∣sembly, hee tore in peeces all the rest: and this truth he did not measure by the depth of his own iudgement, but by comparison with that Canon of Faith, which both holy Scriptures, and for∣mer Counsells had sufficiently maintained. And this was in a matter meerely Ecclesiasticall. And for Ecclesiasticall persons; the law of Appeales in our Land, when Popery passed for true religion, in the reigne of King Henry the second, had this Processe, from the Archdeacon, to the Bishop of the Diocesse, from the Bishop of the Diocesse to the Archbishoppe of the Prouince, and from him to the King, which was the finall hearing and determination, beyond which there was no fur∣ther prouocation, but to leaue all to God. There∣fore we determine, that our Causes and our Per∣sons are all vassalles, and subiect to our Soue∣raignes; and the immunities and liberties which wee possesse, wee holde them of the indulgence, and gracious fauour of our most worthie, and lo∣uing

Princes, and our Salomon, our Ecclesiastes requireth of his Cleargie, no vndue obedience, that the iudgement remaineth most iust. They that resist (euen of the Cleargie) shall receiue vnto themselues damnation.

They resist this power, who refuse this Oath of Loyaltie to his most excellent Maiestie, as all Popish Recusants do, who set vp a demy-god, as Bellarmine his Parasite fawneth, and faineth, De Pontif. 5.6. qui potest mutare, conferre, & auferre principibus regna: who hath power to change, to giue, and take away Kingdomes from Princes.

Our Soueraigne doth not set vp an Inquisiti∣on, to finde out Papists, as Rome doth to discouer Protestants: hee doth not make bare suspition quarrell enough to apprehend, conuent, impri∣son, racke, and torture men, to force them to selfe-accusation: hee onely deuiseth to know sheepe from goates, loyall subiects from hereticall re∣bells; he is the Image of that King of whom wee reade, Matt. 21.5. Ecce, rextuus venit tibi mansu∣etus: Thy King commeth to thee meeke, and gra∣cious. It is the glorie of a King to passe by an of∣fence. How many Princes of the earth would haue put vp such an attempt as the Gun-powder treason was, with such patience? Might not Chri∣stian Princes haue thought his anger iust, if it had drawne his Sword against all of that Religion, till none of them had beene left, and it had beene no more then the equitie of my Text, for they that resist must receiue iudgement heere, by iust Ma∣gistrates,

who beare not the Sword in vaine, and heereafter damnation, by the Sentence of the great Iudge of Quicke and Dead. The Israelites thought this Sentence iust; for thus they say to Ioshua;* 1.1 Whosoeuer will rebell against thy Commaun∣dements, let him be put to death: And God gaue a fearefull example hereof in the rebellion of Co∣rah. The reason is giuen by the Almightie him∣selfe in this case of opposition to soueraigne do∣minion, why he taketh it so to heart: For hee said to Samuel, They haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not raigne ouer them.* 1.2

In these cases of resisting, GOD is most sensi∣ble, for his owne Scepter of Rule is touched in them: For by mee Princes raigne, saith his Wise∣dome. Therefore the vsurping pride of Rome, struggling and wrastling with the Holy one of Is∣rael for the Scepter of Regiment, may now looke, that the censure of Saint Gregorie the Great then Bishop, giuen vpon the Patriarch of Constantino∣ples ambition of the name of Oecumenicall, may turne into a prophesie of these times, and then Elatio tanto citius rumpitur, quanto magis inflatur. And we may all expect the breaking of the head of Leuiathan in the great waters. Dauid said, they that hate thee haue lifted vp the head. Saint Augustine vpon that place saith, Nec capita, sed caput quando eo peruenturi sunt, vt etiam illud caput habeant, quod extollitur super omne quod dicitur Deus, & quod colitur, quod Deus interficiet spiritu oris sui: that is, he saith not their heads, but they shall lift vp the

head, seeing they shall come to that passe, that they shall haue that head which is lifted vp aboue all that is called God, or is worshipped, which GOD shall destroy with the breath of his mouth.

The time of my warning to this place, and the time limited to this short Preface to a long busi∣nesse, are both impatient of prolixitie. Let mee therfore addresse my speech to you my reuerend Brethren, in the holy Ministery of the word of God, to stirre you vp, not onely to expresse and approoue your owne vndoubted loyalty to your Soueraigne, by your oath publiquely giuen for the same, but further, to employ the vttermost of your wittes, and tongues, and pennes, to re∣couer so many of our recusant brethren, as are not frozen in their dregges of superstition, but led in blindenesse, for want of light, to the vnitie of our Church, and the obedience of our Soue∣raigne: and withall, to stirre vp the Magistrate to zeale and feruour in the cause of God, to detect, and pursue recusant Papists, and to lay them at the foote of our gracious Lord the King: For Salomon saith right well; A King that sitteth in the throne of Iudgement, chaseth away all euill with his eye, Prou. 20.8. or if they be so grounded in their disloyalty, that they dread not the power of that Sword which hee beareth, and not in vaine: if they be so blinded with superstition, that they cannot see in the Maiestie of Soueraigne gouern∣ment, the ordinance, and Vicegerencle of God. A wise King (as a wise King saith) scattereth the

wicked, and maketh the wheele to turne ouer them: verse 26. Our King hath Wisedome like an Angell of God, to dispute with them, and confute them: Euen a diuine Sentence is in the mouth of our King, Prouer. 16.19. He hath Iustice like the Deputy of of the most High, to punish them that are obsti∣nate, hee hath mercy like the Sonne of God, to manage Iustice, with moderation, and to pardon those that offend, not of malitious and precipi∣tate rebellion, but of ignorant and mis-led ouer∣sight. And his search tending to the detection of Gods enemies, I wish my Text written by the fin∣ger of Gods spirit, in the royall heart and hand of our most gracious Lord the King, that all his faithfull subiects may reade it in his practise; They which resist, shall receiue to themselues iudgement.

For, what greater discouragement to our Mi∣nistery, then this, to see the bold freedome of re∣cusant Papists, daring to affront our Church, to impugne our doctrine, to despise our Bishops, to scorne our Ministery, and to pronounce; vs all damned to the second death without hope of re∣demption; and all this with such assurance, as if they had no law to contradict them, or no Magi∣strate to see the lawe executed vpon them. God himselfe hath written a law against such, in their bloud, and let Gods subordinate Deputies on earth from the King that sitteth vpon the throne, to the lowest Magistrate trusted with the Sword of Iustice, lay to heart the speech of God by his Prophet to Ahab, 1. Reg. 20.42. Because thou hast

let goe out of thy hand, a man whom I appointed to die, thy life shall goe for his life. Let this sentence fall vpon the Kings enemies, and rather then one haire should fall from the head of the Lords an∣noynted for his remissenes herein to those whom God hath appoynted to die: let his milke-white mercy be dyed into a crimosin tincture of iudge∣ment. Exurgat Deus, dissipentur inimici. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered. VVhat their mercy is, the day shall declare it, the fift of No∣uember shall declare it to posteritie, their vault, their powder, their barres of yron, their logges, and billets of wood, euen all their instruments of sodaine and cruell death, which if men should forgot, God would remember, for though men winke and sleepe, the holy one of Israel seeth, and God the auenger will arise, and They that resist shal receiue to themselues condemnation. The Pope that absolueth others, herein cannot be absolued. Saint Paul hath sealed Paul the fift, now liuing & dying in his present Religion, to condemnation: and my Text is sufficient proofe, that no Romish Catholique, liuing and dying in the obedience of the Bishop of Rome, and in disloyal rebellion, and resistance to their lawfull Soueraignes, can hope by the reuealed will of God to bee saued: for his sinne is resistance to Gods ordinance, which is flatte Theomachie.

Let vs all therefore be instant and earnest in the maintenance of this truth: our tepidity and luke-warmenesse in religion maketh vs iustly ta∣taxed

to resemble the church of Laodicea, which is threatned to be cast out of Gods mouth. It is the cause of God, it is the cause of Iesus Christ, the cause of the Church, the cause of the Common∣wealth. It is the cause of the supreame head of the Church and Common-wealth next vnder Iesus Christ, our wise, learned, gracious, and peaceable Salomon. He is neither good Christian, nor good subiect, that is not stowe, and confident, in so reli∣gious, and loyall a quarrell.

I presume I haue but spoken the thoughts and affections of all my reuerend and learned bre∣thren in the holie Ministerie; and I say no more but Amen. Let God ratifie and confirme it: euen so be it for Iesus Christ his sake: to whom with the Father and the holie Spirit, be giuen all glorie, and power, and dominion, now and euermore. AMEN.

Laus Deo.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioshua 1.18.
• * 1.2

  1. Sam. 8.7.