He first set out how traditional Rogationtide practices encouraged a respect for established landmarks and inherited rights, necessary for the justly and rightly ordered community:
It is the part of every parishioner and party, to preserve, so much as lieth in him, all the liberties, franchises, bounds, and privileges of the town where he dwells. St Paul in a great extremity, pleaded that he was a citizen of Rome, and the chief captain, who had the charge of him, answered, 'with a great sum obtained I this freedom'; the Church of England in the fourth part of the Sermon, for Rogation week, doth advise parishioners, in walking their perambulation, seriously to consider the bounds of their own Township, and of all other neighbour parishes, bordering upon them on everyside, that every town may be content with his own, and claim no more, then that, in ancient right and custom, our forefathers have peaceably laid out for our comfort, and commodity: in the tides of contention, between neighbour incorporations once up, there want not commonly stirring winds, to make them more rough ... I beseech you therefore brethren, mark them which cause divisions, and offences, contrary to the doctrine ye have learned and avoid them, and the way to shun their courses is exactly to mark the mark stones, and to stand in the old way, for the proverb is true, fast bind, fast find; even reckoning, makes long friends; when bounds are certain, possessors are not uncertain.
It is worth noting here how Boys, a Reformed Conformist, invokes the traditional Rogationtide procession re-instated by the Elizabethan Settlement. This accords with the very Hookerian character to Boys' call to uphold the settled, established rights, customs, and privileges of communities and corporations - the ancient landmarks - against those who would provoke disorder and contention.
Boys then turns to law as the means of upholding these rights, customs, and privileges, and of maintaining the community's peace. It is the role of law and "competent judges" to secure the ancient landmarks when enemies of the community's peace seek to remove them:
As the sovereign Prince, which is the head, and incorporations and towns, which are bodies politique: so in particular, every man, and member of the same, may defend his own right, and maintain the bounds of his proper inheritance, by wager of law, before competent judges; We must, as S.Paul exhorts, follow peace with all men; and have peace with all, if it be possible, so much as lieth in our power. But because the wicked are like the raging sea, whose waters cast up dirt and mire, having no peace within themselves, and alway stirring with other: It is our duty, to be so simple as doves in offending them, and yet so wise as serpents, in defending ourselves. It stands well enough with charity, for a Christian to stand upon his just title, yea, because charity begins with itself, he that provides not for his own, denieth the faith, and is worse then an infidel.
Charity, therefore, is not served by us renouncing our rights and liberties established by the ancient landmarks. Against this, as Article 38 states, "certain Anabaptists do falsely boast". Boys likewise notes, "Against this doctrine, the fond Anabaptists object the word of Christ (Matthew 5.40), 'If any man will take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also". This and similar evangelical exhortations, however, are not to be read in a manner hostile to or destructive of the justly ordered community, its laws, and institutions:
The meaning of Christ is, that we should be so far from avenging one wrong with another, as that we should rather have patience, to suffer more; as the Prophets expound the law, so the Apostles expound the Gospel: hear then how S.Paul interprets this precept (Rom. 12.19), Avenge not yourselves (saith he,)but give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord; A private person ought not to render evil for evil, or rebuke for rebuke: But a magistrate may punish a malefactor, and so pro malo culpe render malumpæne; But that is not to requite evil for evil, but good for evil, because corrections are directions, as well to the seers, as sufferer. He therefore that commits his cause to the Magistrate, gives place to divine judgement, he speaks ... for all higher powers are God's ordinance, his lieutenants on earth, as it were, fingers of the hand that governs all the world.
Boys here provides from the pulpit a significant articulation of the social teaching of Articles 37, 38, and 39. It is particularly appropriate for Rogationtide, as we seek God's blessing for the flourishing and well-being of our community. Essential to such flourishing and well-being is the right and just ordering of the polity. The established, ancient landmarks - the rights and liberties, customs and privileges of communities and corporations - are the means of securing this flourishing and well-being. It is fitting, therefore, to pray for such blessing in Rogationtide, that we may live out our days in a justly and rightly ordered community, "that we may pass our time in rest and quietness".
(The portrait of Boys is by an unknown artist, c.1640. Drew Keane and Ben Crosby have written excellently on this quite fascinating and wrongly overlooked figure.)
Comments
Post a Comment