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SPEECH in PARLIAMENT, Concerning the power of

BISHOPS

IN

SECULAR THINGS.

Y Lords this is the ftrangeft bill that ever I heard fince I was admitted to fit under this roof, for it ftrikes at the very fabrick and compofition of this house; at the ftyle of all lawes; and therefore were it not that it comes from fuch a recommendation it would not, I fuppofe,undergo any long confideration; but coming to us from fuch hands, It cannot but be worthy of your best thoughts; and truly for the main scope of the bill I fhall yield it moft willingly, that Ecclefiaftical and facred perfons fhould not ordinarily be taken up with fecular affairs.

The Minifter is called Vir Dei, a Man of God; he may not be Vir Seculi, he may lend himself to them upon occafion, he may not give himself over purpofely to them: Shortly,he may not fo attend worldly things as that he do neglect divine things. This we gladly yield;matters of juftice therefore are not proper, as in an ordinary trade,for our function, and by my confent fhall be as in generally waved and deferted, which for my part I never have medled with but in a charitable way; with no profit, but fome charge to my felf, whereof I fhall be glad to be eased: Traitent fabrilia fabri, as the old word is: But if any man fhall hence think to infer, that fome fpiritual perfon, may not occafionally be in a special fervice of his King or Countrey;& when he is fo required by his Prince, give his advice in the urgent affairs of the Kingdome (which I fup. pofe is the main point driven at ) is fuch an inconfequence as I dare boldly fay cannot be made good, either by divinity or reason; by the lawes either of God or man; whereas the contrary may be proved: and inforced by both.

As for the grounds of this bill, that the Minifters duty is fo great that it is able to take up the whole man, and the Apostle faith 'tis

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, who is fufficient for these things, and that he who warfares to God, fhould not intangle himself with this world, it is a fufficient and juft conviction of those who would divide themselves betwixt God and the World, and bestow any main part of their time upon fecular affairs; but it hath no operation at all upon this tenet which we have in hand; that a man dedicate to God, may not so much as when he is required, caft a glance of his eye, or fome minutes of time, or fome motions of his tongue upon the publick business of his King and Countrey.

Those that expect this from us may as well and upon the saine reason hold that a minifter muft have no family at all, or if he have one, muft not care for it; yea that he must have no body to tend, but be all Spirit: My Lords, we are men of the fame compofition with others, and our breeding hath been accordingly, we cannot have lived in the World but we have feen it, and obferved it too, and our long experience and conversation both in Men and in books, cannot but have put fomething into us for the good of others; and now having a double capacity; qua cives, qua Ecclefiaftici; as members of the common wealth; as Minifters and Governours of the Church, we are ready to do our best service in both; one of them is no way incompatible with the other; yea the fubjects of them both are fo united with the Church and Commonwealth,that they cannot be fevered: yea fo, as that, not the one is in the other, but one is the other, is both: fo as the fervices which we do upon these occafions to the Comonwealth are infeparable from our good offices to the Church: to as upon this ground there is no reafon of our exclufion.

If ye fay that our fitting in Parliament takes up much time which we might have imployed in our ftudies or pulpits; confider I befeech you; that whiles you have a Parliament,we must have a convocation; and that our attendance upon that will call for the fame expense of time which we afford to this fervice, fo as herein we have neither got nor loft.

But I fear it is not on fome hands the tender regard of the full fcope to our calling that is fo much here ftood upon; as the conceit of too much honour that is done us in taking up the room of Peers, and voting in this high Court; for furely thofe that are averfe from our votes, yet could be content we fhould have place upon the wool

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facks; and could alow us ears, but not tongues. If this be the mitter I beseech your Lordships to confider that this honour is not done to us but our profeffion; which (what ever we be in our feveral perfons) cannot easily be capable of too much refpe& from your Lordships, Non tibi fed Ifidi, as he faid of old: Neither is this new grace that is put upon our calling ;( which if it were now to begin might perhaps be juftly grudged to our unworthynefs) but it is an antient right and inheritance inherent in our station: No lefs ancient then thefe walls wherein we fit; yea more; before ever there were Parliaments,in the Magna Confilia of the Kingdome we had our places; and as for my predeceffors ever fince the Conquerours time, I can fhow your Lordships a juft catalogue of them that have fat before me here; and truely though I have juft caufe to be mean in mine own eyes, yet why or wherein there fhould be more unworthiness in me then the reft, that I fhould be ftript of that priviledg which they fo long injoyed though there were no law to hold me here, I cannot fee, or confeffe. What refpects of honour' have been put upon the prime Clergy of old both by Pagans, and Jewes, and Chriftians, and what are ftill both within Christendom and vvithout, shall not need to urge, it is enough to fay, this of ours is not meerly arbitrary, but ftands fo firmely eftablifhed by law and cuftome, that I hope it neither will nor can be removed except you will shake thofe foundations which I believe you defire to hold firme and inviolable.

Shortly then, my Lords, the church craves no new honour from you,and justly hopes you will not be guilty of pulling down the old: as you are the eldest fons, and next under his Majefty the honourable patrons of the Church, fo fhe expects, and befeeches you to re-ceive her into your tendereft care,fo to order her affairs that ye leave her to pofterity in no worfe cafe then you found her. It is a true word of Damafus,uti vilefcit nomen epifcopi,omnis ftatua perturbatur Ecclefia; If this be fuffered,the mifery will be the Churches, the dishonour & blurre of the act in future ages will be yours.To fhut up therefore,let us be taken off from all ordinary trade of fecular imployments,and if you please abridge us of intermeddling with matters of common juftice, but leave us poffeffed of thofe places and priviledges in Parliament which our predeceffors have fo long and peaceably injoyed...

AN

ANTHEMES

L

FOR THE

CATHEDRAL OF EXCETER.

Ord what am I? A worm, duft, vapor, nothing!
What is my life? A dream, a daily dying!
What is my flesh? My fouls uneafie clothing!
What is my time? A minute ever flying:
My time, my flesh, my life, and Ï;
What are we Lord but vanity?

Where am I Lord ? downe in a vale of death:
What is my trade ?fin, my dear God offending;
My fport fin too, my stay a puffe of breath:
What end of fin? hells horrour never ending :

My way, my trade, fport, Aay, and place
help up to make up my dolefull cafe.

Lord what art thou ? pure life, power, beauty, blifs:
Where dwell'ft thou? up above in perfect light :
What is thy time ? eternity it is:

What ftate pattendance of each glorious fp'rit:
Thy felf, thy place, thy dayes, thy ftate
Pafs all the thoughts of powers create.

How shall I reach thee, Lord ? Oh foar above,
Ambitious foul: but which way should I flie ?
Thou, Lord, art way and end: what wings have I ?
Afpiring thoughts, of faith, of hope, of love:
Oh let thefe wings,that way alone
Present me to thy blissfull throne.

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ANTHEME

I

FOR

Christmas Day.

Mmortall babe, who this dear day
Didft change thine Heaven for our clay,
And didft with flesh thy Godhead vail,
Eternal Son of God, All-hail.

Shine happy ftar, ye Angels fing
Glory on high to Heavens King:

Run Shepherds, leave your nightly watch,
See Heaven come down to Bethleems cratch.

Worship ye Sages of the East

The King of Gods in meanness drest.
O bleffed maid fmile and adore

The God thy womb and armes have bore.

Star, Angels, Shepherds, and wife fa ges;
Thou Virgin glory of all

ages

Reftored frame of Heaven and Earth
Joy in your dear Redeemers Birth.

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