Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity

Hooker’s eight books on church polity - the classic defence of the Elizabethan settlement against its puritan critics, and the foundation of Anglican theological method. Books I-IV appeared in 1593, Book V in 1597; Books VI and VIII were published posthumously in 1648, Book VII in 1662, from papers of disputed completeness. Text from John Keble’s seventh edition (Clarendon Press, 1888), via the Online Library of Liberty; Keble’s scholarly footnotes are retained.

Front Matter

1. To the Reader

Preface - To Them That Seek (As They Term It) the Reformation

1. Chapter 1
2. The first establishment of new discipline by Mr. Calvin’s industry in the Church of Geneva; and the beginning of strife about it amongst ourselves.
3. Preface, Ch. iii. 2.
4. What hath caused so many of the learneder sort to approve the same discipline.
5. Their calling for trial by disputation.
6. No end of contention, without submission of both parts unto some definitive sentence.
7. The matter contained in these eight Books.
8. How just cause there is to fear the manifold dangerous events likely to ensue upon this intended reformation, if it did take place.

Book I - Laws and Their Several Kinds in General

1. The cause of writing this general Discourse concerning Laws
2. Of that law which God from before the beginning hath set for himself to do all things by.
3. The law which natural agents have given them to observe, and their necessary manner of keeping it.
4. The law which angels do work by.
5. The law whereby man is in his actions directed to the imitation of God.
6. Men’s first beginning to understand that Law
7. Of man’s Will, which is the thing that Laws of action are made to guide.
8. Of the natural way of finding out Laws by Reason to guide the Will unto that which is good.
9. Of the benefit of keeping that Law which Reason teacheth
10. How Reason doth lead men unto the making of human laws whereby politic Societies are governed; and to agreement about laws whereby the fellowship or communion of independent societies standeth.
11. Wherefore God hath by Scripture further made known such supernatural laws, as do serve for men’s direction.
12. The cause why so many natural or rational Laws are set down in Holy Scripture.
13. The benefit of having divine laws written.
14. The sufficiency of Scripture unto the end for which it was instituted.
15. Of laws positive contained in Scripture; the mutability of certain of them, and the general use of Scripture.
16. A conclusion shewing how all this belongeth to the cause in question.

Book II - The Use of Divine Law

1. An answer to their first proof brought out of Scripture, Prov. ii. 9
2. The second proof out of Scripture. 1 Cor. x. 31.
3. The third Scripture proof, 1 Tim. iv. 5.
4. The fourth Scripture proof, Rom. xiv. 23. T. C. l. i. p. 27. [p. 14.]
5. The first assertion endeavoured to be proved by the use of taking arguments negatively from the authority of Scripture: which kind of disputing is usual in the Fathers.
6. The first assertion endeavoured to be confirmed by the Scripture’s custom of disputing from divine authority negatively.
7. Their opinion concerning the force of arguments taken from human authority for the ordering of men’s actions or persuasions.
8. A declaration what the truth is in this matter.

Book III - Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity in Scripture

1. What the Church is, and in what respect Laws of Polity are thereunto necessarily required
2. Whether it be necessary that some particular form of Church-Polity be set down in Scripture, sith the things that belong particularly unto any such form are not of necessity to salvation.
3. That matters of Church Polity are different from matters of Faith and Salvation, and that they themselves so teach which are our reprovers for so teaching
4. That we do not take from Scripture any thing which may be thereunto given withsoundness of truth.
5. Their meaning who first urged against the Polity of the Church of England, that nothing ought to be established in the Church more than is commanded by the Word of God
6. The same assertion we cannot hold without doing wrong unto all Churches.
7. A shift to maintain, that nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded in the word of God: namely, that commandments are of two sorts: and that all things lawful in the Church are commanded, if not by special precepts, yet by general rules in the word.
8. Another answer in defence of the former assertion, whereby the meaning thereof is opened in this sort. All Church orders must be commanded in the word, that is to say, grounded upon the word, and made according at the leastwise unto the general rules of Holy Scripture. As for such things as are found out by any star or light of reason, and are in that respect received so they be not against the word of God, all such things it holdeth unlawfully received.
9. How laws for the regiment of the Church may be made by the advice of men following therein the light of reason, and how those laws being not repugnant to the word of God are approved in his sight.
10. That neither God’s being the author of laws, nor his committing them to Scripture, nor the continuance of the end for which they were instituted, is any reason sufficient to prove that they are unchangeable.
11. Whether Christ have forbidden all change of those laws which are set down in Scripture.

Book IV - Of Ceremonies

1. How great use Ceremonies have in the Church
2. The first thing they blame in the kind of our ceremonies is that we have not in them ancient apostolical simplicity, but a greater pomp and stateliness.
3. Our orders and ceremonies blamed, in that so many of them are the same which the Church of Rome useth.
4. That whereas they who blame us in this behalf when reason evicteth that all such ceremonies are not to be abolished, make answer, that when they condemn popish ceremonies, their meaning is of ceremonies unprofitable, or ceremonies, instead whereof as good or better may be devised: they cannot hereby get out of the briars, but contradict and gainsay themselves; inasmuch as their usual manner is to prove that ceremonies uncommanded of God, and yet used in the church of Rome, are for this very cause unprofitable to us, and not so good as others in their place would be.
5. That our allowing the customs of our fathers to be followed is no proof that we may not allow some customs which the church of Rome hath, although we do not account of them as of our fathers.
6. That the course which the wisdom of God doth teach maketh not against our conformity with the church of Rome in such things.
7. That the example of the eldest churches is not herein against us.
8. That it is not our best policy for the establishment of sound religion, to have in these things no agreement with the church of Rome being unsound.
9. That we are not to abolish our ceremonies, either because papists upbraid us as having taken from them, or for that they are said hereby to conceive I know not what great hopes.
10. The grief which they say godly brethren conceive in regard of such ceremonies as we have common with the church of Rome.
11. Their exception against such ceremonies as we have received from the church of Rome, that church having taken them from the Jews.
12. Their exception against such ceremonies as have been abused by the church of Rome, and are said in that respect to be scandalous.
13. Our ceremonies excepted against, for that some churches reformed before ours have cast out those things, which we notwithstanding their example to the contrary do retain still.
14. A declaration of the proceedings of the Church of England for establishment of things as they are.

V-front

1. Dedication to the Archbishop of Canterbury

Book V - Of the Public Duties of the Christian Religion

1. True religion is the root of all true virtues and the stay of all well-ordered commonwealths
2. The most extreme opposite true religion, is affected atheism.
3. Of Superstition, and the root thereof, either misguided zeal, or ignorant fear of divine glory.
4. Of the redress of superstition in God’s Church, and concerning the question of this Book.
5. Four general propositions demanding that which may reasonably be granted concerning matters of outward form in the exercise of true religion. And fifthly, Of a rule not safe nor reasonable in these cases.
6. The first proposition touching judgment what things are convenient in the outward public ordering of church affairs.
7. The second proposition.
8. The third proposition.
9. The fourth proposition.
10. The rule of men’s private spirits not safe in these cases to be followed.
11. Places for the public service of God.
12. The solemnity of erecting churches condemned by Bar. p. 130. The hallowing and dedicating of them scorned, p. 141.
13. Of the names whereby we distinguish our churches.
14. Of the fashion of our churches.
15. The sumptuousness of churches.
16. What holiness and virtue we ascribe to the Church more than other places.
17. Their pretence that would have Churches utterly razed.
18. Of public teaching, or preaching, and the first kind thereof catechising.
19. Of preaching, by reading publicly the books of holy Scripture; and concerning supposed untruths in those translations of Scripture which we allow to be read; as also of the choice which we make in reading.
20. Of Preaching by the public
21. Of preaching by Sermons, and whether Sermons be the only ordinary way of teaching whereby men are brought to the saving knowledge of God’s truth
22. What they attribute to sermons only, and what we to reading also.
23. Of Prayer.
24. Of public Prayer.
25. Of the Form of Common Prayer.
26. Of them which like not to have any set Form of Common Prayer.
27. Of them who allowing a set Form of Prayer, yet allow not ours.
28. The Form of our Liturgy too near the Papists, too far different from that of other reformed Churches as they pretend.
29. Attire belonging to the service of God.
30. Of Gesture in praying, and of different Places chosen to that purpose.
31. Easiness of praying after our form.
32. The length of our service.
33. Instead of such prayers as the primitive Churches have used, and those that be reformed now use; we have (they say) “divers short cuts or shreddings, rather wishes than prayers.”
34. Lessons intermingled with our prayers.
35. The number of our prayers for earthly things, and our oft rehearsing of the Lord’s Prayer.
36. The people’s saying after the Minister.
37. Our manner of reading the Psalms otherwise than the rest of the Scripture.
38. Of Music with Psalms.
39. Of singing or saying Psalms, and other parts of Common Prayer wherein the people and the minister answer one another by course
40. Of Magnificat, Benedictus, and Nunc Dimittis.
41. Of the Litany 1 , 2 .
42. Of Athanasius’ Creed, and Gloria Patri 1 .
43. Our want of particular thanksgiving.
44. In some things the Matter of our Prayer, as they affirm, unsound.
45. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven unto all believers.
46. Touching prayer for deliverance from sudden death.
47. Prayer that those things which we for our unworthiness dare not ask, God, for the worthiness of his Son, would vouchsafe to grant.
48. Prayer to be evermore delivered from all adversity.
49. Prayer that all men may find mercy, and of the will of God, that all men might be saved.
50. Of the name, the author, and the force of Sacraments, which force consisteth in this, that God hath ordained them as means to make us partakers of him in Christ, and of life through Christ
51. That God is in Christ by the personal incarnation of the Son who is very God 2 .
52. The misinterpretations which heresy hath made of the manner how God and man are united in one Christ.
53. That by the union of the one with the other nature in Christ there groweth neither gain nor loss of essential properties to either.
54. What Christ hath obtained according to the flesh, by the union of his flesh with Deity.
55. Of the personal presence of Christ every where, and in what sense it may be granted he is every where present according to the flesh.
56. The union or mutual participation which is between Christ and the Church of Christ in this present world.
57. The necessity of Sacraments unto the participation of Christ.
58. The substance of Baptism; the rites or solemnities thereunto belonging; and that the substance thereof being kept, other things in Baptism may give place to necessity.
59. The ground in Scripture, whereupon a necessity of outward baptism hath been built.
60. What kind of necessity in outward baptism hath been gathered by the words of our Saviour Christ, and what the true necessity thereof indeed is.
61. What things in baptism have been dispensed with by the Fathers respecting necessity.
62. Whether baptism by women be true baptism, good and effectual to them that receive it.
63. Interrogatories in baptism touching faith, and the purpose of a Christian life.
64. Interrogatories proposed unto infants in baptism, and answered as in their names by godfathers.
65. Of the Cross in Baptism.
66. Of Confirmation after Baptism.
67. Of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.
68. Of faults noted in the Form of administering the Holy Communion.
69. Of Festival Days, and the natural causes of their convenient institution
70. The manner of celebrating festival days.
71. Exceptions against our keeping of other festival days besides the sabboth.
72. Of days appointed as well for ordinary, as for extraordinary Fasts in the Church of God.
73. The celebration of Matrimony. T.C. lib. 1. p. 199.
74. Churching of women.
75. Of the rites of Burial.
76. Of the nature of that Ministry which serveth for performance of divine duties in the Church of God, and how happiness not eternal only but also temporal doth depend upon it.
77. Of power given unto men to execute that heavenly office; of the gift of the Holy Ghost in ordination; and whether conveniently the power of order may be sought or sued for.
78. Of Degrees, whereby the power of order is distinguished; and concerning the attire of ministers.
79. Of Oblations, Foundations, Endowments, Tithes, all intended for perpetuity of Religion; which purpose being chiefly fulfilled by the Clergy’s certain and sufficient maintenance must needs by alienation of church livings be made frustrate.
80. Of Ordinations lawful without Title, and without any popular Election precedent, but in no case without regard of due information what their quality is that enter into Holy Orders.
81. Of the Learning that should be in Ministers, their Residence, and the number of their Livings.

Book VI - Of the Power of Jurisdiction

1. Chapter 1
2. The nature of spiritual jurisdiction.

Book VII - Of Bishops

1. The state of Bishops, although some time oppugned, and that by such as therein would most seem to please God, yet by his providence upheld hitherto, whose glory it is to maintain that whereof himself is the author
2. What a Bishop is, what his name doth import, and what doth belong to his office as he is a Bishop.
3. In Bishops two things traduced; of which two the one their authority; and in it the first thing condemned, their superiority over other ministers: what kind of superiority in ministers it is which the one part holdeth and the other denieth lawful.
4. From whence it hath grown that the Church is governed by Bishops.
5. The time and cause of instituting everywhere Bishops with restraint.
6. What manner of power Bishops from the first beginning have had.
7. After what sort Bishops together with presbyters have used to govern the churches which were under them.
8. How far the power of Bishops hath reached from the beginning in respect of territory or local compass.
9. In what respects episcopal regiment hath been gainsaid of old by Aërius.
10. In what respects episcopal regiment is gainsaid by the authors of pretended reformation at this day.
11. Their arguments in disgrace of regiment by Bishops, as being a mere invention of man, and not found in Scripture, answered.
12. Their arguments to prove there was no necessity of instituting Bishops in the Church.
13. The forealleged arguments answered.
14. An answer unto those things which are objected, concerning the difference between that power which Bishops now have, and that which ancient Bishops had, more than other presbyters.
15. Concerning the civil power and authority which our Bishops have
16. The arguments answered, whereby they would prove that the law of God and the judgment of the best in all ages condemneth the ruling superiority of one minister over another.
17. The second malicious thing wherein the state of Bishops suffereth obloquy is their honour.
18. What good doth publicly grow from the Prelacy.
19. What kinds of honour be due unto Bishops.
20. Honour in Title, Place, Ornament, Attendancy, and Privilege.
21. Honour by endowment with Lands and Livings.
22. That of ecclesiastical goods, and consequently of the lands and livings which Bishops enjoy, the propriety belongeth unto God alone.
23. That ecclesiastical persons are receivers of God’s rents; and that the honour of Prelates is, to be thereof his chief receivers; not without liberty from him granted, of converting the same unto their own use, even in large manner.
24. That for their unworthiness to deprive both them and their successors of such goods, and to convey the same unto men of secular calling, were extreme sacrilegious injustice.

Book VIII - Of the Prince’s Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs

1. State of the Question between the Church of England and its Opponents regarding the King’s Supremacy
2. To call and dissolve all solemn assemblies about the public affairs of the Church.
3. Vindication of the Prerogative regarding Church Legislation
4. The Prince’s power in the advancement of Bishops unto the rooms of prelacy c .
5. Their r power to command all persons, and to be over all causes ecclesiastical, whatsoever s .
6. The king’s exemption from censure and other judicial power c .