The naked truth. Or, the true state of the primitive Church / By an humble moderator [i.e. H. Croft].
- Herbert Croft
- Date:
- [Printed in the year 1675]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The naked truth. Or, the true state of the primitive Church / By an humble moderator [i.e. H. Croft]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![} rid abufe is this of the Divine Authority.But this notorious tranfereffion is excufed, as they think, by this, that a Minifter called the;Bifhops {urrogat, but is indeed the Chancellors fervant,chofen,call’d,and placed there by him, to be his Cryer in the Court, no better, that when he hath examined, heard and fentenced the Caufe, then the Minifter ( forfooth) pronounces the fen- tence, Juft as a Reétor of a Parifh Church fhould exclude any of his Congregation and lock him out ofthe Church, then comes the Clerk fhews and gingles the Keys, that all may takenotice that he is excluded, And by this his authority:the Chancellor takes upon him to fentence not only Lay- men, but Clergy. men alfo brought into his Court for any delinquency, and in the Court ofthe Arches there they fentence even Bifhops themfelves, This is'acommon practife in later ages,but in St. Ambrofe his time fo great a wonder ,' as with amazement crycth out againft the Emperour Valenii. nian, when he took upon him tojudge in {uch cafes, faying, When was it ever heard of fince the beginning of theWorld, that Lay-men fhould judge of {pirituals, (he means in fpiritual things, notin temporal things, which by the laws of God and ‘man belongs tothe Lay-Magiftrate) ‘This was that Ambrofe of whom the other great Emperour , as Good as Great Theodofias;. Father to this Valeutinian affirmed, Ambrofe onely knew how to a& the Bifhop, ‘and with all Chriftian humility:this ‘great Emperour fubmitted to the fentence of this godly Bifhop denying him’ éntrancé ‘into the Church for thecruelty acted by his Souldiers at Theffilonica by his command ; and upon his great tepentanceand pennance performed fix months tegether , aud after pnb- lique confeffion’ in’ the Church >, was again: abfolved' and joyfully re: ceivedinto: the-Church, ‘Oh’ my! Gteat and ‘Reverend’ Fathers ‘of. the Church the Bifhops,: whom Chri hath cleaved‘tohis highdigwity:> whom he hath made Kings and Princes, whom he hath called to fit with him-on his Throne, there to give fentence of eternal life or eternal death, caniyou {o tamely part with this prime flower of your Crown, yea the very Apex of it,and fuffer the Lay-members:ofthe Church to ufurp this‘divine authority? by'the illmanagement of the ,Chancelloxs: thould certainly: perifly 2-fhall not his blood be required-at your hands? ‘But perchasice fore of you wilb anfwer, ’Tis no fault of yours, but of your predeceffors,°who gave fuch Patents unto-them, as by vertue thereof they exercife this power, will ye nill ye.’ Tis too true, and] remember when the Bithop ot Wells, hearing ofa caufe corruptly maanaged, and cominginto the Court to rectifie it,the Chancellor’ Dr. Duke fair and. mannerly bad ‘him: be gon, for he had no power there toa any thing, and there witty all pulls outhis patent Galed by the Bifhops Predeceffor; which Vike Perfeus thield-with:the Gorgons head frighted the poor Bifhop out of the Court. Where are you Parliament:men you great Sons of the Church {0 zealous for Epifcopal Government, yet fuffer this principal part of it to-be ie alienated and ufurped by Renae 2](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30339431_0071.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
