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Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Vol. 2

Richard Hooker · 1594–1662; edition 1907

The foundational work of Anglican theology: law, reason and Scripture, and the order of the Church of England against the Puritans.

Edition: Internet Archive · archive.org

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From the opening: Primate and Metropolitan of All England

To the

Most Reverend Father in God My Very Good Lord, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury

His Grace

Primate and Metropolitan of All England

Most REVEREND IN CHRIST.

THE long-continued and more than ordinary favour! which hitherto your Grace hath been pleased to shew towards me may justly claim at my hands some thankful acknowledgment thereof. In which consideration, as also for that I embrace willingly the ancient received course and conveniency of that discipline, which teaches inferior degrees and orders in the Church of God to submit their writings to the same authority, from which their allowable dealings whatsoever in such affairs must receive approbation,? I nothing fear but that your

1 [See Keble’s Hooker, p. 53. ]

2 [The following letter, preserved by Fulman, ix. 214, furnishes an instance of this kind of deference, on the part of Hooker, towards Ecclesiastical Authorities.

“ΤῸ my lovinge friend Mr. Reynolds of Corpus Christi College in Oxford. Salut. in Chro. Your copie was delyver into my L. of Cant. owne hands the daye after I receyved it of you. Sence that tyme it was demanded twyse at his hands, and deferred, upon more view, the third tyme I went myself and spake unto his G. his answer was that he could not alow it, because of some glawnsinge at matters in this tyme (those were the very speeches his G. used.) I requested the copie agayne, and it was delyvered me presentlye by hymself. I reserve it in my hands untill I know sume trustye messinger. No man shall see it, God willinge, thus I commend you to God, who kepe you in helth to his plesure. London the 4th of December, 1584. Yo’rs to his power

‘Geor. Bysshop

‘““ Mr. Hoker wolde neds have it goe unto my L. of Cant. otherwyse I was in mynde for to doe it first, which I wolde I had done, that the world might have judged of it, there wold have bin no falte funde then, yf it had bin extant. Yf it be your pleasure, I will dele with Mr. Mills, that he may dele further with my L. of Canterb.”

The writer of this letter was a noted bookseller, and is mentioned by Strype as Warden of the Stationers’ Company, in 1578, when he solicited

Dedication

accustomed clemency will take in good worth the offer of these my simple and mean labours, bestowed for the necessary justification of laws heretofore made questionable, because as I take it they were not perfectly understood.

[2.] For surely I cannot find any great cause of just complaint, that good laws have so much been wanting unto us, as we to them. To seek reformation of evil laws 15 a commendable endeavour; but for…

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Contents (49 sections)

  1. Opening
  2. Title page
  3. Title page (continued)
  4. Primate and Metropolitan of All England
  5. The Fifth Book
  6. Matter Contained in This Fifth Book
  7. The third proposition
  8. The third proposition (continued)
  9. The Second Proposition
  10. The Second Proposition (continued)
  11. The Second Proposition (continued)
  12. The Second Proposition (continued)
  13. The Second Proposition (continued)
  14. The Second Proposition (continued)
  15. The Second Proposition (continued)
  16. The Second Proposition (continued)
  17. The Second Proposition (continued)
  18. The Second Proposition (continued)
  19. The Second Proposition (continued)
  20. The Second Proposition (continued)
  21. The Second Proposition (continued)
  22. The Second Proposition (continued)
  23. The Second Proposition (continued)
  24. The Second Proposition (continued)
  25. The Second Proposition (continued)
  26. The Second Proposition (continued)
  27. The Second Proposition (continued)
  28. The Second Proposition (continued)
  29. The Second Proposition (continued)
  30. The Second Proposition (continued)
  31. The Second Proposition (continued)
  32. The Second Proposition (continued)
  33. The Second Proposition (continued)
  34. The Second Proposition (continued)
  35. The Second Proposition (continued)
  36. The Second Proposition (continued)
  37. The Second Proposition (continued)
  38. The Second Proposition (continued)
  39. The Second Proposition (continued)
  40. The Second Proposition (continued)
  41. The Second Proposition (continued)
  42. The Second Proposition (continued)
  43. The Second Proposition (continued)
  44. Appendix to Book V
  45. Appendix to Book V (continued)
  46. Appendix to Book V (continued)
  47. Appendix to Book V (continued)
  48. Appendix to Book V (continued)
  49. Appendix, No. Il

How to cite it

Chicago
Richard Hooker. Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Vol. 2. Internet Archive, 1594–1662; edition 1907. https://archive.org/details/oflawsofecclesia02hook_0
MLA
Richard Hooker. Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Vol. 2. Internet Archive, 1594–1662; edition 1907. https://archive.org/details/oflawsofecclesia02hook_0
APA
Richard Hooker (1594–1662; edition 1907). Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Vol. 2. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/oflawsofecclesia02hook_0

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