EVODIAS AND SYNTYCHE: OR, THE FEMALE ZELOTS' OF THE Church of PHILIPPIS: Miss-led, miss-guided, seduced by those of the Concision; those evil workers of the said CHURCH. Set forth in a Sermon at Brent-wood in Essex; Febru: 28. 1636. At the Metropolitical Visitation of the most Reverend Father in God, WILLIAM Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. By JOHN ELBOROW Vicar of S. Pancras, alias, Kentishtowne by London. HIERON. Veteres Scripturas scrutans, invenire non possum, scidisse Ecclesiam, & de domo Dei populos seduxisse, praeter illos qui sacerdotes à Deo positi fuerant, & Prophetae. 2 TIM. 3. 6. For of this sort are they, which creep into houses, and lead silly women captive. LONDON, Printed by M. F. for JOHN CLARK, and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Peter's Church in Cornhill. 1637. Evodias and Syntyche. PHIL. 4. 3. And I entreat thee also my true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel. THe Text at the first reading may seem strange for a visitation Sermon; yet let no man prejudge it, and I doubt not, but in the opening, handling, and prosecuting of it, to make it good, to suit well with the present State of the Church, with this convention and occasion. In the former Chapter S. Paul instructed the Philippians touching Circumcision, Justification, and Sanctification. In this he concludeth his Epistle with certain exhortations to them, and salutations of them: The first part is Pareneticall, and exhortatory; and his exhortations are some general, and some particular. In the first verse his exhortation was general to the whole Church of Philippi, to stand fast in the faith; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, therefore to do it, because of those of the Concision, those evil workers that were amongst them, as in the former Chapter. In the second, his exhortation is particular, to two godly women, Evodias and Syntyche, the female factious zealots zealots of the said Church; that they be ●●●ne mind in the Lord. And S. Paul, as the Visitor of the said Church, (for on him lay the care of all the Churches) in the words of my Text, continueth his exhortation to the Minister there, (for it lieth much in us Ministers, by our good or bad example, to hinder, or further the Church's peace) whom he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his yoke-fellow, to assist him, and to put to his helping hand, to set those two women at rights, to compose their differences, & to stitch up those rents and breaches, which by their faction and disunanimity were occasioned in the Church of Philippi: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And I entreat thee also my true yoke fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel. Before I come to the parts; first let me show you the meaning and explication, who this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was, for there needs no explication of anything else in the text. There is a great stir about it with Expositors; first 1. Faber. Stapulensis. Zuinglius. Erasmus. Cardinal Cajetane. some would have here meant S. Paul's wife, and read it in the feminine, Germanae conjux. Others, and the most read it in the masculine, as Theodoret, Haymo, Cornelius à Lapide, Oecumenius, Lyranus, and Carthusianus: And most of the Greek, and Latin Fathers; yea Calvin and Beza so expound it. Admit it was a man, not S. Paul's wife: here is a further question among Expositors, who it was. Vatablus, and Velasques the Jesuit on the Text assents with him, that Epaphroditus is here meant (whom S. Paul called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commilitonen) who was with Paul at Rome, and carried these his letters thence to the Philippians. But most are of a contrary mind: and I shall determine this with chrysostom, Parum interest siv●●●c, sive illud sit: It matters not much who it was; but according to the unanimous consent of the most and best Expositors, it is certain it was not S. Paul's wife, nor yet Epaphroditus, but some other godly Minister, then in the Church of Philippi, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Socius ejusdem operis, as Estius notes on the Text, whose helping hand S. Paul here entreats for the dissolving that female faction in the Church of Philippi, And I entreat thee also, etc. So you have the Explication: We now come to the parts: the words you see are an Exhortation, wherein be pleased to observe 3. General parts: 1. The Matter of it. 2. The Motives to it. 3. The manner of S. Paul's proceeding. The Matter of it; Help those women, wherein observe 1. Gen. 2. particulars. 1. The persons for whom S. Paul craves help, described 1. From their sex, women. 2. By name, Evodias and Syntyche, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, those women. 2. Is the work wherein, that is unanimity, Help those women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be of one mind in the Lord. The Motives to it, 1. In respect of the women. 2. Gen. 2. In regard of his function. 3. For the credit of the Gospel. For they have laboured with me in the Gospel. The manner of S. Paul's proceeding in settling peace 3. Gen. in the Church of Philippi: It was in the spirit of meekness, by entreating on every hand. 1. Those factious female zealots; I pray Evodias, and I beseech Syntyche, ver. 2. 2. The minister of that Church, his yoke-fellow, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I entreat thee also my true yoke-fellow, etc. So you have the generals and their severals; and by the assistance of the Almighty, and your patience, I shall speak something of every one, and briefly of them all. Of the first general, the matter of his exhortation, 1. Gen. Matter. Help those women. And there of the 1. particular: described from their sex, women, by name Evodias and Syntyche. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those women. In that S. Paul names no man in this breach and faction, Note. but two women, I note the propension and proclivity of that sex to take up errors; that women are more easily seduced than men, and have their judgements first, and soon poisoned. In Acts 16. 13. it seems, the first that embraced religion in Philippi were women; for there it is said that Paul preached unto the women that resorted thither. And here it appears, that women were the first that made a side, led a faction, that were seduced in the said Church. The truth of this appeared in Paradise, in our great grandmother Eve: Adam was first form, but Adam was not first deceived: the woman was first in the transgression, not the man. Viro mulier, non mulieri 1 Tim. 2. 14 vir autor erroris. The arch-seducer the devil, first set upon Eve the woman, and seduced her, than she the man. And S. Paul speaks of hypocrites which 2 Tim. 3. creep into houses, and lead silly women captive. Ever learning, (like many of our female zealots) continually hearing all the Sermons they could come at; yet for all that he said, that they never came to the knowledge of the truth; they acquired a jangling knowledge, holding of opposition, a knowledge falsely so called. So the seditious jews in the Acts of Apostles Act. 13. 50. stirred up devout, and honourable women, and the chief men of the City, and raised up persecution against Paul, and Barnabas, Women first. So those of the concision, those evil workers in the Church of Philippi, misguided and seduced those good women in my Text. And there are a generation of such evil workers every where in our Church of England (evil workers I call them in the point of discipline and conformity) otherwise perhaps blameless in their lives, and painful in their Ministry: Amongst whom many are clamorous, schismatical Scripturients; most of them sermonizing tre●cher Paraphrasts; such as degorge discipline at full tables, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of tongue, and excellent to talk, yet unable to speak much to the purpose, who make a noise in vulgar auditories, like sounding brass or tinkling Cymbals, Vere scioli inter mulierculas, as S. Jerome writ of Domnio, women's preachers, and jolly fellows amongst silly women, and in great esteem and admiration with them: who though they have scarce a fag end of a gift, yet will boldly be perking up into the pulpit, and can make a shift three or four times a week to throw over such stuff, as workmen that well may be ashamed; carrying a bold face instead of savoury provision, & think it sufficient that the people hear thunder, hear them loud & earnest, though they see no rain. These have learned this method from the devil, to lead silly women captive: they have their mulieres Calvinianus (as Maldonat the Jesuit called the French women at the siege of Sancereo) their she disciples, & female proselytes in every place, and as S. Jerome writ of Nicolaus Antiochenus, that he had his feminine troops. They lay the foundation of their credits in the minds of silly women, insinuate themselves into the favour & affections of their women, Plautus' Asin. and so get them Patronos satis dicaculos, such patrons as will prattle enough in their cause, and justification: Who (as S. Jerome writ against Ruffinus) do Procacitatem disertitudinem & maledicere superioribus bonae conscientiae signum arbitrari: that is, out of their credulous simplicity, do verily believe such their procacity, & satirical liberty in speaking evil, nay in downright railing against those of authority, to proceed from zeal, and a good conscience. And in their private conferences with and Catechizations of them, do obtrude upon their women as Gospel, their own fanatical asseverations, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Basil. ep. 6. novel imaginations of their own brains, and tooth and nail speaking, & preaching against the government and discipline of our Church, against the order of Bishops, against our Church-liturgy; yea, & Litany too, against the use of the Surplice, the ring at marriage, the cross at Baptism, kneeling at the Communion, bowing at the name of Jesus, as popish and Antichristian. And silly women being thus seduced, seduce their husbands, as Eve did Adam: Hinc fundi nostra calamitas, dangerous champions in a schism; and there be no such ensnaring attractives to errors & factions, as women are. As they are weak, so are they wilful, weak in capacity and judgement, less strength to resist, less judgement to discern errors from truth, not so able as men to reach the depths and mysteries of knowledge: as they are first in faction, so the last out: as out of their credulous simplicity they are first, and easily seduced; so out of their peevish obstinacy they are last, & with more difficulty reclaimed; and I dare say, a man may sooner convert five men from the errors of their ways, than one woman. But I will rake no longer on this sore (Cynthius aurem vellit & admonuit) Virg. only I could wish, that the Evodiaes & Syntyches of our Church, our female zealots would not so busily intermeddle with Church-matters (which are too high strains for them to reach) not listen to every deceiver, not hearken to every spirit; but to try the spirits whether they be of God or man: So I have done with the first, the female factious zealots, the disturbers of the Church's peace at Philippi: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those women. I come to the second, the work wherein S. Paul craveth the Ministers help, that is unanimity, (a blessed work to settle peace in the Church) Help those women, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be of one mind in the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Chrys. hom. 1. in 1. ad Cor. Unanimity is a work worthy of all our best helps. 1. In respect of the essentiality, and absolute necessity to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bene esse, the well being of the Church. 2. In regard of the dangerous consequents that follow upon the want, and defect of it. Unanimity is the life and soul of the Church; Ecclesia nomen est consensus & concordiae: A Church is a name, not of division, but of unity and concord. And Erasm. paraph in Act. 1. Ibi non est Ecclesia, ubi non est unanimitas, saith Erasmus: without it no Church; Da unum, & populus est; tolle unum, & turba est. The Church may fitly be compared Plin. lib. 2. Nat. hist. to that Lapis Tyrrhenus of which Pliny writes: Lapis Tyrrhenus grandis innatat, comminutus mergitur; that stone Tyrrhenus, while it is whole and entire, it swims aloft; but if it be broken into pieces, every piece and parcel sinks to the bottom: so the Church by unanimity floats, and swims aloft, and is supported, and kept above water; but if it crumble into sects and factions, it is near to destruction. In Gen. 15. 10. Abraham Before the Temple was built. by the appointment of the Lord, having taken a heifer, a ram, and a goat, and a turtle dove, and a pigeon; it is said of him, that he divided the beasts in the midst, but the birds he divided not. Quare hoc fratres? Aug 54. Serm. de Temp. (S. Aug. puts the question, and resolves it) Divisit Abraham tria animalia, aves non divisit, quia in ecclesia catholica carnales dividuntur, spirituales non. dividuntur. Teaching us, as that father doth moralise it, that they are beasts, not Christians that are divided one against the other, that are not of one mind in the Lord. In 1 King. 6. we read, that at the building of the 2. At the building of the Temple. Temple all the stones were smoothed, hewn, and fitted, and then brought into the Temple, and laid; and there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard there; to teach us, that in God's house, there should be neither schism nor rent. Again, when the glorious Temple was built at Jerusalem, 3. After it was built God would have but one Altar there: To show, Quod unum, eundemque cultum inter omnes esse vellet; that all that sacrificed there, should have one and the same worship, be of one and the same mind. But one Altar, vinculum esset sacrae unitatis; that it might be unto the rude people a bond of sacred unity: But one Altar, typifying one religion, one heart, one judgement, and one mind of all true Christians. 4. Under the Gospel. And under the Gospel, those primitive and first Christians that ever were, those 3000. souls converted by Peter's Sermon: It is said of them, that they Act. 2. 46. Act. 4. 32. were all of one heart, and of one soul, and that they all continued daily in the Temple with one accord; when they prayed, they prayed all together; when they heard, they heard altogether; when they broke bread, they did it altogether, unanimously, uniformly: Tria millia domum unam, mensam unam, animam unam Chrys. 30. Hom. on Mat. 16. habuerunt. And that multiplication of unities, one body, one 5. Eph. 4. 3, 6. spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, declare that we should be all of one mind in the Lord, all keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace, all stand fast in Phil. 1. 27, 28. one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel. If this will not do it, in the 2. The dangerous consequents upon the defect of it. next place, look with the other eye upon the dangerous consequents that follow upon the want, and defect of it; & by that time I dare say, you will all assent with me, that it is a work worthy of all our best helps. 1. As Unanimity is the life and soul of the Church, 1. Jam. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Chrys. in Ephes. hom. 11. so schism and faction is a dangerous malady in the same; for where strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. Which made S. chrysostom Hom. 11 on the Ephes. so earnestly protest against it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. I say and protest, that to make schism in the Church, is no less evil, than to fall into heresy. Indeed it is the next way to it; schism is a green heresy, and heresy is a grown schism. And non semper servatur unitas in credendo, ubi non est unitas in colendo: there will not always be unity of doctrine in that Church, where there is not uniformity of discipline. Disunanimity, disuniformity, is a breaking not only of the Kings, but of Gods, and the Church's peace; It causeth distraction, hinders devotion, chills the spirits of men, deads', and indisposeth them unto religion, and clouds the understanding in the disquisition of the truth; whereby our assemblies in God's house become gregations, not congregations: The con is gone, disgregations rather, and Turba gravis paci, placidaeque inimica quieti. Schism is the Church's rapture, solutio continui, a discontinuation of parts, a disjointing, a dislocation, and dissociation of the members of the body of the Church. It is a routing of our ranks, puts us out of temper, order, out of joint, and makes us fall a pieces one from another. S. Paul employed as much, when he 1 Cor. 1. 10 saw such siding amongst them in the Church of Corinth; some to hold of Paul, some of Cephas, some of Apollo's, some of Christ, that they were out of joint, when he exhorted them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that they Beza annot. in loc. be set again: for, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth properly to set a bone that is out of joint. For as joints are in the natural Greg. mor. l. 19 cap. 14. body, so is unity in the Church; Sancta Ecclesia sic consistit in unitate fidelium, sicut corpus nostrum u●● tum est compage membrorum. Take away joints in the body, and the body will be dismembered; take away unity in the latter, and the Church will be distracted, and there will follow rents, schisms, disorders and fractions. For instance and example: 1. What a stir made Corah, 1. Israel. Num. 16. 3. Dathan, & Abiram in the congregation of Israel? What contentions were there in the Church of 2. Church of Corinth. Corinth, and how did they one swell against the other? some would pray and prophesy bareheaded, others with their head covered; and when they came unto the Lord's supper, one was hungry, and another was drunken; in as much as S. Paul wrote his first Epistle to dissolve those factions, and repress those dissensions that were amongst them. In the Church of Philippi, what broils, and fractions 3. Church of Philippi. were there by reason of the variance, & strife, and dissension (and that not O economical about meum and tuum, but Ecclesiastical, and in matters of religion) of Evodias & Syntyche, the female zealots in my Text (otherwise godly and religious) that by their over-credulity were misled, misguided, & seduced by those of the Concision; those evil workers, as S. Paul calls them. So in our Church of England, (to come home to our 4. Church of England. selves) what lamentable fractions, and miserable distractions are now amongst us? what scandalous and irreligious libels? what indiscreet, and satirical pamphlets have been lately dispersed against the Governors and government of our Church? what heartburning betwixt Minister and Minister, betwixt Minister and people, and how do you one swell against another? For Zions sake I cannot hold my peace, and with Moses, Liberabo animam meam: You must pardon me if I be down right, and speak home in the Church's cause. And here I cannot but lament, & deplore the want & defect of the practice of this ancient, and heavenly duty of unanimity amongst us, in the words of S Bernard: Vbi, ubi nunc illud unanimit at is exercitium? How disunanimous, disuniform, disorderly are ye in the house, at the service of God? what rude contentions, and uncivil contestations are in your Churches? how unservice-like is your service there? how homely are ye in speech and gesture with God, in, and at the participation of God's ordinances, as if Arrian like ye were hail fellow, and familiar with him? how stout are your hearts, & how stiff are your knees, that will not bow at the name of Jesus, no more than the seats you sit on, or the pillars of the Church? how is the authority of the Church outfaced? how are the Canons and Constitutions of the same neglected, & vilified by every ignorant illiterate Artisan, Mechanic, high-shooes; by every selfwilled, peevish Evodias and Syntyche, Quasi lege putant se teneri nulla. Yea, & by too too many ministers too, (O tell it not in Gath) they who should be ringleaders in obedience, and conformity, yet (proh dolour) become factionum & discordiarun duces, as it was said of the Syndiches of Geneva. It is lamentable to consider, that abundance of knowledge should produce such ill effects; as rebellion, disunanimity, disuniformity: that every woman will be a Bernice, & dare to interpret Scripture, which is not of private interpretation; that every Evodias and Syntyche will busily intermeddle with the Rites and government of the Church, and teach the Magistrate to rule, and the Minister to preach; that Sic dicit hom●, so saith such a Reverend minister, should sway and preponderate, and prevail more with them than Sic jubet Ecclesia; that suffer the opinions of private men & ministers to over balance with them the public and deliberate determinations, Canons and constitutions of such a national Church. It being thus my brethren, as thus it is, I appeal to you all whether this (viz Uniformity) be not a work worthy of all your help; to compose the differences, and to stitch up those rents and breaches, which faction, disunanimity, disuniformity hath occasioned at this present in our Church of England. So much of the first general, the Matter of his exhortation, Help those women, and of the persons for whom he craveth help, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those women. 2. Of the work wherein, unanimity. I now come to the motives to it, which S. Paul here 2. Gen. Motives to it. used to the Minister of the Church of Philippi, to excite and stir him up to help forward so good a work as the Church's peace, (& the same I shall use to you my brethren in the ministry) as it followeth in the Text: For they have laboured with me in the Gospel. Non parvi pendendae, saith Anselme: Evodias and Syntyche, 1. Inregard of those women. the women in the Text, were not to be slighted or neglected; they were godly and religious, and by their over-credulity, misled, misguided, seduced by those of the Concision, those evil workers that were amongst them, even to the hazarding of their precious fouls: and the Lord, as he hath committed to our trust the dispensation of his Gospel, so the care and charge of their souls: and herein you shall show yourselves skilful artists in saving of souls, by helping your women out of their errors, as S. james expressly: Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert James 5. 19, 20. him; let him know, that he which converts a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death. For your functions sake: As if Paul had said, those 2. In respect of his function. women have laboured with me in the Gospel, do thou take some pains and labour with them. As it is a notable wile, & stratagem of the devil, when he cannot hinder the truth amongst us, to disturb our peace; So it is none of the least parts of our Ministration in the Gospel, to settle and establish it: We are praecones pacis, and it is not enough that we be Pacati, peace keepers, (which I fear all of us are not) keepers of the Church's peace, by our conformable obedience; but we must be Pacifici too, peacemakers: not actively, but factively too; we must convert men and women from their errors, compose their differences, rectify their judgements, & set them at rights, help our women out, not further into errors. For the Gospel's sake, They have laboured with me in 3. For the credit of the Gospel. the Gospel, Athletice decertaverunt, as Cornelius à Lapide on the Text, they have stood stoutly for the defence of the Gospel; O help them for the credit of the Gospel, It is a great blow to religion, to see Gods dear children together by the ears, at strife and variance in matters of religion; to see our Mother the Church like Rebecca, grieved and pained, and troubled in her womb, with the strive, oppositions, and reluctancies of two children of contrary dispositions, as the Conformitan and Inconformitan: God and his Gospel are wounded through the sides of such factious and schismatical gospelers, they make the word of God to be evil spoken of, and bring a scandal upon the glorious Gospel, which we and they preach and profess. Hanc ob rem deridiculi facti sumus judaeis, & gentibus; dum Ecclesia in mille partes scinditur: For this cause are we become a laughing stock to Jews and Gentiles, even by reason of our many fractions and divisions. As the division of tongues hindered the building up of Babel; so division of hearts, disunion of minds, and disuniformity of posture and gesture, the building up of our Jerusalem, the building up of one another in an holy faith. I beseech you then my brethren, suffer a word of exhortation, and be entreated for the peace of the Church's sake, for your people's souls sake, for your own functions sake, for the glorious Gospel's sake, to put to your helping hands to set forward the Church's peace: So while there is peace within our walls, God will send plenteousness within our palaces; and God, even our God will give Ps. 122. 7. us his blessing. So much of the 2. General: The motives to it. I now come to the 3. General: The manner of 3. Gen. S. Paul's proceeding, in settling peace in the Church of Philippi; not commanding (though over them in the Lord) but entreating. 1. Those factious female zealots; I pray Evodias, and I beseech Syntyche. 2. The Minister of the said Church: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I entreat thee also my true yoke-fellow. Good natures (such as are in them that are truly religious) 1. Monendo potius quam minando. Tert. are sooner won by lenity, than serenity, Citius leni spiritu, quam dura manu, by gentle obsecrations, then terrible comminations; many will lead, that will not drive, may be persuaded, that will not be compelled; when fulsome potions, and bitter pills are sweetened with sugar they will the sooner be swallowed, and the better digested. The Apostles where they come once with a rod, they come ten times with the spirit of meekness, with I pray, I beseech. This was S. Paul's course with all the Churches, 1 Cor. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 10. I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, & that there be no divisions amongst you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgemen. In his Epistle to Philemon, ver. 8, 9 Though I Philemon 8, 9 might be much bold in Christ to command thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee. So Zanch. in loc. here in the Church of Philippi; non imperat, he doth not command, nec carcerem minatur, neither doth he frighten, and threaten them with imprisonment, sed rogat, as Zanchy notes on the Text. I pray Evodias, & I beseech Syntyche. In the old Law, the high Priests and the rest, which were appointed in some cases to be Judges of the people, were sprinkled not with oil alone, or blood alone, but blood and oil mingled together; to teach, Neque habere sine misericordia justitiam, neque sine justitia misericordiam: So S. Paul, Shall I come unto you with 1 Cor. 4. 21. a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness. S. Ambrose Amb. lib. 7. in Luc. in his 7. lib. in Luc. tells us: Paulus virgam mi●atur, sed in spiritu mansuetudinis visitat delinquentes; Paul showeth and threatneth the rod, but yet he visiteth delinquents and offenders in the spirit of meekness. This, even this is the manner of our Churches proceeding: the discipline of the Church is advisedly, and deliberately exercised; not rashly precipitated, and therefore much too blame are many clamorous Inconformitans, that cry out of persecution, persecution in every place. As S. Ambrose advised in the Amb. ep. 44. like case in his time, is now performed in our Chur: Si quis suspectae sit infirmitatis, indulge aliquantulum, if ministers or people be not only suspected, but convinced of inconformity; the Church bears and forbears with a great deal of patience. There wants no fatherly admonitions, no gentle persuasions, no beseechings, entreatings, or obsecrations. We may truly say of the Governors of our Chur: Amb. de obitu Theod. as S. Ambrose spoke of that good Emperor Theodosius, Cum haberet supra omnes potestatem, quasi parens expostulare malebat, quam quasi judex punire; vincere volebat, non plectere: When he hath command over all, he had rather expostulate as a Father, than punish as a Judge, he desires to win by lenity (if it may be) not to force by extremity: Diu tractatur putrida pars, si sanari potest medicamentis: si non potest, à medico bono abscinditur: Sic Episcopi boni affectus est, ut optet sanare infirmos, serpentia auferre ulcera, adurere aliqua, non abscindere, postremo, quod sanari non potest, cum dolore abscindere. The putrified part is a long time gently handled, that it may be healed; if it cannot, or will not, it is cut off by the good Physician. So this, you see and know is the manner of proceeding of the Governors of our Church, with our peevish, factious, schismatical Non-conformists: Optant sanare infirmos, they desire to heal the sick, endeavour by all fair means to take away errors, schisms, those spreading ulcers out of the Church; to sear some by suspension, in terrorem, & exemplum, not to cut them off. Postremo, quod sanari non potest, what through peevish obstinacy, and contumacious pertinacy cannot, or will not be healed or reclaimed, to cast out of the Church (and that deservedly) by Excommunication, or to cut off by degradation, and deprivation: Durities vincenda●est, non suadenda: Contumacy is to be roughly handled, and Melius est ut pereat unus, quam unitas; yet, cum dolore Ber. 102. ep. abscindunt: the Church correcting her obstinate rebellious children, as tenderhearted mothers do their stubborn babes, with tears in their eyes, and with grief and sorrow of heart: So you have S. Paul's manner of proceeding with those female factious zealots, I pray, I beseech. One word of S. Paul's like proceeding with the Minister of that Church (whom he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his yoke-fellow) in so needful a work, and I have done; & that is by entreating too: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And I entreat thee also my true yoke▪ fellow. And this is all that I have further to say; with S. Paul, to pray, beseech, and entreat every one of you in your several ranks and stations, even from the highest to the lowest, to put to your helping hands (as the times require) to set forward so good a work as the Church's peace. And first I entreat your helps, you that are Sides-men, & Churchwardens, remember your oaths, and know, that to take an oath is more than to kiss a book: and see to it, that ye duly, and faithfully (according to the tenor of your oaths) present ministers and people that are wilful disturbers and breakers of the Church's peace, that conform not to the laudable ceremonies of our Church. Especially those runners after the persons of men, that run disorderly Running from their own parish and minister, a great abuse in our Chur: from their own minister (to his no little disanimation) unto other parishes, to hear some Allobrogicall disciplinarian▪ or some Genevian Passavant●an. This same gadding and madding after the persons of men, is a main hindrance to the Church's peace, and the ground and cause of so much schism, faction, and sedition in the Church of England. Next, I entreat your help, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my true yoke-fellows, my reverend brethren in the Ministry; remember we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, like oxen, we should all look one way, and draw orderly in the same yoke. If we then draw one way, you another; if we be for conformity, you against it, we are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Lords work will not on, we shall draw all asunder. And here I cannot be silent in the Church's cause, I must crave leave without offence, to reprove two sorts of ministers in our Church; who since they will not be entreated, deserve to be reproved. 1. Such as are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yoke-fellows. 2. Such as are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, true yoke-fellows. The first sort set back to back, and draw contrary to us. The second sort draw very slowly, and need the goad, admonition at least, and that from the mouth 1. V●teres Scripturas scrutans invenire non possum s●idi▪ se Ecclesiam & de do▪ more Dei, pop●los seduxisse, prae●er ●llos, qui sacerdotes à Deo positi fuerant, & Prophetae. Hieron. Ephes. 4. 13. Acts 20. 30. Aug. 2. li. de ●●pt. count. Donat. of authority, to quicken and enliven them to it. For the first, there are (proh dolour) too too many pull-backs in the Church of England, that helps the clean contrary way; that were appointed for the safe guarding of the Church, & yet prove the smiters and wounders of her▪ that have taken sacred orders, and were purposely ordained in the Church, for the bringing of men into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God: yet out of a spirit of contradiction, and singularity, many do arise that speak perverse things, to draw away disciples after them; that hinder, not help forward the Church's peace; why is it thus my brethren? let me expostulate you our mother's cause in the words of S. Augustine, Vos engo, quare sacrilega a separatione pacis vinculum dirupistis: Is it because our ceremonies are not commanded in the word of God? Tell me, where are they forbidden? And S. Augustine in one of his Epistles may satisfy Ep. 86. ad rasul. you in that; In quibus nihil certi slatuit Scriptura, mos populi Dei, & ins●●tuta m●j●rum pr● lege ten●da sunt, where the word of God determines no certainty, as in Rites and ceremonies, there the custom of the Church, and the constitutions of her governor's, are to be taken for a law. And Mr. Calvin saith, things Calvin. lib. 4. Instit. indifferent are in ●●clesiae libertate posita, referred to the Church's discretion. If not this, is it rather, because our▪ ceremonies to you seem unlawful, and inconvenient; and you, and godly people are troubled at th●? you suppose it, and to you they seem so: well, will Malunt perversis voeibus veritat● reluctati, quam confessis erroribus pa●i restitui. Aug. 3. li. de ●apt. count. D●●t. 1. you therefore for seeming suppositious inconveniences, stubbornly draw contrary to your yokefellowes, that you will rather lose your living, liberty, country, than your opinion? I am sure Calvin never taught you that doctrine, neither 1. In the point of wilfulness. 2. Nor in the case of seeming inconveniences. Not in the point of wilfulness: For when the consistorian discipline did lie▪ a bleeding, ready to expire, and the whole matter betwixt Calvin, and the Syndiches of Geneva was referred to the four Helvetian Cities, to the Magistrates, and ministers thereof: Calvin secretly and speedily sent letters by Budaeus to Bullinger and the rest, wherein amongst other things he thus wrote; N●c mor●sitate nos●r● fiet, ●t loco potius cedamus, quam sententia: that is, neither are we so wilful, and stiffened in our opinions, that we will rather lose our place, than our opinion. I could wish that all of our Church were of his mind in this. Nor in the case of seeming inconveniences; For 2. Bezain vit. Calv. instance, the wafer Cake of Geneva, the communion-bread seemed inconvenient to Calvin himself, and godly people were grieved at it, and was more scandalously abused in Popery, than any thing that our Church enjoins, yea than the Cross itself: Yet mark, Calvin advised his friends not to make any tumult for a thing indifferent, esteeming the wafer Cake to be a thing indifferent. And in his 370. Epistle, answering to certain questions of discipline, professed that he misliked the frowardness of those men, which for such light scruples departed from the public consent. And my brethren, were I either able, or worthy to advise, I should give you the same counsel that Augustine gave to Casulanus: When there are diverse Rites used in the same Church; (though the Chu: enjoins one & the same) namely, when we bow at the name of jesus, and you will not; we stand up at Gloria Patri, you sit, and so of the rest; when there is our yea, your nay; what is in this case to be done, whom should we follow? His advice is, Aug. 84. ep. ad Casul. Episcop● tuo in hac re noli resistere, sed quod ipse facit, sine ullo scrupulo, aut disceptatione sect are: that is, to follow them and their directions to whom the government of the Church is committed; and not the example, direction, fancy of every private minister. There is another sort too, not true yoke▪ fellows in the point of confirmity, and, I believe, even here amongst us some of that condition, that draw slowly, Movere vide●, at non promovere: that are conformable in judgement, and somewhat in practice; yet are easy and remiss in the Church's cause, which prefer the favour and good opinion of their Evodiaes and Syntyches, of their female zealots, their good dames before the Church's peace: Ahab's friendship, that is, the favour of some great man in your parish, or country: or Esau's portion, that is, your good meals, and free entertainment; or I wots not what else you are loath to be without, that which follows after, that is thrust into your hand, or sent home after you: the charity of your good dames, makes many of you (for such base and sinister ends) to betray God in his service, and to lay the reines on your people's necks, to do what they list, and like lawless libertines to serve God after their own fashion. I beseech you (for the close of all) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, my true yokefellowes, take to heart the lamentable fractions, and miserable distractions of our mother the Church: And suffer a word of exhortation: be entreated by the womb that bore you, & the paps that gave you suck, to put to your helping hand to set forward so good a work, as unanimity, uniformity, the Church's peace; and that, 1. Praecepto. 2. Exemplo. 3. Prece. Help it forward first Praecepto, by your public Ministry; preach stoutly, and stand stiffly for it; O, not against it; help those women in your several charges, in matters of ceremonies (as Calvin did instruct the weak in Geneva, that were troubled at the wafer Cake) possess them with the power and authority of the Church, with the nature and indifferency of a ceremony, rectify their judgements, compose their differences, and stitch up those rents, and breaches that are amongst them, and persuade them to obey them that have the rule over them, and to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake. Exemplo, help it forward by your own examples: There is a great force in examples; Walk, saith S. Paul as you have us for an example: Many times, when reason will not persuade, example will; this is a ready way to it, this would do it, if you would be persuaded to it: In the 9 judges 48, 49. When the people saw Abimelech cut down boughs of trees, all the people by his example did the like. Be you my brethren exemplary to your people, in your several charges, in all religious comportments, reverend prostrations, genuflexions, incurvations in the service of God, and then this work will forward apace. Pr●ce, help it forward by your prayers too; Adjuva 3. Psal. 122. 6. illas, tam orationibus, quam exhortationibus, saith A●selme: O pray for the peace of jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee; let us beg of God to put to his helping hand in so needful a work. Help Lord, else vain is the help of man. O thou God of peace, give us all peace through Christ our Lord: Thou Lord that makest all to be of one mind in one place, grant us all to be alike-minded one towards another in Christ Jesus: Thou that art a God of unity, give unto us the Deus unitas, unitatis omnis effectrix. Dionies. Areopagito. spirit of unity, that we may keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. And we beseech thee to grant that all we, which profess thy holy name, may agree in the truth of thy holy word, and live in unity and godly love; that with one heart, mind, mouth, manner, unanimously, uniformly, we may serve and praise thee in this Church militant, that hereafter we may be made members of that, which is Triumphant; whither he bring us, that hath so dear bought us, Jesus Christ the righteous: To whom with the Father, and Holy Spirit, be ascribed, as most due is, from the grounds of all our hearts, all honour, and glory, praise, power, might, majesty, and dominion, now and for evermore. PErlegi Concionem hanc, cui titulus est, [Evodias and Syntyche.] eámque typis mandari permitto. Apr. 2. 1637. Ex aedibus Lond: SA: BAKER.