and endeavouring to follow his steps Besides since he took this yoke of obedience upon him out of love to us how can we chuse but offer our necks thereto our selves out of duty to him If he hath done so much to make our yoke easie which before was so unsupportable should we now think much to put it on Nay it is the very character of God's chosen ones to carry in them a conformity and resemblance of Christ. For whom saith S. Paul Rom. 8. 29. he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many brethren And this duty of conforming unto Christ consists not only in doing as he did but suffering also as he hath done 1 Pet. 2. 20. If when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God ver 21. For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follows his steps See also 1 Ioh. 3. 17. And this conformity and sampling as I may say of Christ extends not only to those Acts of his which he did as man where the imitation is plain and direct but in a certain sort to those supereminent ones which exceed the nature of a mere man and were done by the concurrence and power of his Godhead which because otherwise unimitable we must express by way of a mystical resemblance Thus are we to imitate his expiatory Death and Burial by our dying unto sin Shall we continue in sin saith S. Paul Rom. 6. 1. that grace may abound v. 2. God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein v. 3. Know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Iesus Christ were baptized into his death To the same purpose 1 Pet. 4. 1. Forasmuch saith he as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin c. So likewise in suffering one for another Eph. 5. 1. Be ye followers of God as dear children v. 2. And walk in love as Christ hath also loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God In the like manner must we imitate his Resurrection and Ascension S. Paul Rom. 6. 4. Therefore saith he we are buried with him into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Accordingly Col. 3. 1. If then ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God All which you see are grounded upon this one Principle Learn of me Some Physiognomers conceit the Head of a man to be the model of the whole Body and where there is any spot wart or like mark about the Face or other part of the Head that there is another answerable to it in some sutable part of the Body and upon this ground they will adventure to discover some hidden mark in the unseen parts of the Body But whatsoever it be in the natural Body I am sure it is true in the mystical Body of Christ That every character in the Head Christ must have something answerable to it in his Body the Church THUS much for the general We must learn of Christ. But what is that here in my Text which Christ would have us learn of him It followeth I am Meek and Lowly in heart And this we must learn of him this is that yoke of his he would have us wear that we may find rest unto our souls For under these two words our Saviour comprehends the whole Habit of Obedience they being two such dispositions of the mind aâ— make it â—actable and pliable to put on and wear the yoke he speaks of As if he had said I am wholly qualified to obedience I am fitted for this yoke learn of me to put it on for I am meek and lowly Now though Lowliness and Meekness are of very near affinity and such as both of them do dispose a man for the duties of both Tables of God's Commandments yet hath Lowliness as I take it a prerogative in our devotion to Godward and Meekness is more proper for the duties we owe to our neighbours I will therefore construe them here as others have done before me as dividing the whole Decalogue between them Lowliness as a mother including the Duties of the First and Meekness those of the Second Table Which are the two parts of that Yoke which Christ wore for us and which every one that cometh to him must learn to put on In the handling whereof I will therefore rather chuse to follow the order of the Decalogue and first begin with Lowliness though it be last placed in the words Lowliness therefore as I said stands here for the whole duty of the First Table which is Cultus Dei religious service or devotion towards God or as the Scriptures phrase is The fear of the Lord Which as it is founded upon the acknowledgment of the Superlative and Transcendent Excellency of God in his Soveraignty of Power Wisdom and Goodness so the first and mother-disposition and affection of the Heart to his Worship and Service is Humiliation of the Soul and Lowliness of Mind For all Eminency is worshipped with humility reverence and submission that is as we sometimes and rightly speak By keeping a distance And the Soveraign or Supreme Excellency of God must be adored with the lowest demission of mind and with the greatest stoop the Soul can make We find by experience that that disposition of the Eye which fitteth it to behold the visible Sun makes a man blind when he looks down upon himself So here the apprehension of the transcendent Excellency of God ten thousand times brighter than the Sun if truly admitted into our hearts must needs darken all overweening conceit of any worthiness in our selves The greater we would apprehend his Power the more sensible we must be of our own Weakness The greater we acknowledg and adore his Goodness the less Goodness must we see in our selves The more we would apprehend his Wisdom the less we are to be pussed up with our own knowledg As in a pair of scales the higher we would raise the one scale the lower we pull down the other so the higher we raise God in our hearts the lower we must depress our selves Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven And this is that Lowliness of heart which Christ would have us learn of him Who being in the form of God made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Hence it comes That the
the Serpent and what the Heel of the Woman's seed Those who understand The seed of the woman singularly of the person of Christ only make his Head to be the Godhead against which the Serpent could prevail nothing but his heel to be the Manhood which the Serpent so bruised at his Passion that the grave became his bed for three days together This indeed is true and no marvel for the Head is as it were the whole Bodie 's Epitome But we who have expounded The seed of the woman collectively of Christ and his Members must also in this mystical Body find a mystical Head and a mystical Heel and so in like manner for the Serpent and his seed The Head therefore or if you had rather Headship is nothing else but Soveraignty The Serpent's head is the Devil's Soveraignty which is called Principatus mortis the Soveraignty of death namely both objectivè and effectivè that is such a Soveraignty as under which are only such as are liable to Death both temporal and eternal and such a Soveraignty whose power consists not in saving and giving of life but in destroying and bringing unto Death both of body and soul. Under the name also of Death understand as the Scripture doth all other miseries of mankind which are the companions of this double Death I speak of This is that damnable Head of the Serpent the Devillish Soveraignty of Satan Now the Sword whereby this Soveraignty was obtained the Sceptre whereby it is maintained or as S. Paul speaks the Sting of this Serpent's head is Sin This is that which got him this Kingdom at the first and this is still the right whereby he holds the greatest part thereof Imperium iisdem artibus conservaâ—ur quibus acquiritur By the same arts and methods is an Empire conserved by the which it was at first obtained This Soveraignty of the Devil which once overwhelmed â—igh all the world the Woman's seed should break in pieces and destroy which according to this Prophecy we see already performed in a great measure and the grounds laid long ago for the destruction of all that remaineth As saith S. Iohn Ep. 1. c. 3. v. 8. The Son of God was manifested for this purpose that he might destroy the works of the Devil And Christ himself said that the time was come that the Prince of this world should be cast out and bade his Disciples be of good chear for he had overcome the world If you would see what a wonderful victory he hath long ago gotten of the Serpent when after a terrible battel he overcame and destroyed the Soveraignty of the Serpent in the Roman Empire see it described in the 12. of the Revelation v. 7 8. where Michael that is Christ and his Angels fought against the great Dragon and his Angels till the Dragon with all his Army was discomfited and their place found no more in heaven that is he utterly lost his Soveraignty in that state whence there was a voice in heaven v. 10. Now is come salvation strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. And what he will at the length do with the remainder yet of the Devil's Soveraignty you may find in the 19. and 20. chapters of the Revelation For he must reign as S. Paul saith until he hath put all his enemies under his feet until he hath destroyed all power rule and authority adverse unto him And then last of all destroying Death by giving immortality to our raised bodies shall surrender up his Kingdom unto his Father as it is 1 Cor. 15. 25 c. But Satan saith my Text shall prevail something against him for the Serpent shall bruise his heel What is this Heel Those who understood the seed of the woman singularly as I told you made it Christ's Manhood But now we expound the seed Christ's Mystical Body what shall we make the Heel thereof I could say that by it were only meant a light wound or the Devil 's assaulting the Body of Christ ex insidiis at unawares for that is his fashion since the great overthrow which our Michael gave him to work his feats underhand and to undermine our Lord in his members But this though true is not full enough It may seem therefore the fittest to make hypocritical Christians who profess Christ outwardly but inwardly are not his to make these the heel of his Mystical Body for against such the Devil we know prevaileth somewhat and by them annoyeth the rest of the Body with his venome though he be far enough yet from impeaching our Lord's Headship and Soveraignty But will you give me leave to utter another conceit If the Blessed souls in heaven be the upper part of Christ's mystical Body the Saints on earth the lower part of the same may not the Bodies of the Saints deceased which lye in the earth be accounted for the heel For I cannot believe but they have relation to this mystical Body though their Souls be severed from them and yet must that relation be as of the lowest and most postick members of all If you will admit this then it will appear presently what was this hurt upon the heel when Christ had once mauled the Devil's head for the Text seems to intimate that the Devil should give this wound after his head was broken I will hold you in suspence no longer Read the 13. of the Revelation and see what follows upon Michael's Victory over the Dragon what the Devil did when he was down He forms a new Instrument of the wounded Roman Empire by whose means under a pretence of the Honour given to the precious Reliques of the Saints and Martyrs he conveyed the poyson of Saint-worship and Saint-invocation into the Kingdom of Christ with which wound of the heel the Devil coming on the blind side the true Church had been long annoyed and limpeth still DISCOURSE XLIII 2 PETER 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction MANY are the Prophesies in Scripture wherein the Holy Ghost forewarns us of a great and solemn Defection and Corruption of Faith which should one day overspread the visible Face of the Catholick Church of Christ and eclipse the light of Christian Verity and Belief S. Paul 2 Thes. 2. 3. foretels us that there should be an Apostasie or Falling away of Christians and the Man of sin be revealed before the coming of the day of the Lord. The same Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 1. tells us that though the great Mystery of Godliness spoken of chap. 3. 16. were then preached among the Gentiles and believed on in the world yet the Spirit spake expresly that in the latter times some should depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils or Daemons S. Iohn tells
to is That the unworthy Receivers of the Sacraments are in the number of those men with whom God is not well pleased Of unworthy Receiving and Receivers I make two the one à parte antè by undue preparation the other à parte pòst by unholy demeanour and conversation afterward The former is unworthy to approach this Table at all the other to have approached it And of both these were the Fathers in the Wilderness guilty For Manna being both their ordinary and sacred Food their unholy and lustful demeanor upon the former eating made them continually unprepared Receivers for the future And so it is with us An unholy life upon the first receiving is a great part of our unworthiness for the second yea more unworthy are we then made than we had been upon the like conversation at the beginning For to have broken so solemn a Promise to God as we bound our selves in at the first time doubles our sin and to have already abused so precious and gracious a gift which God then gave us makes us doubly unworthy ever to find the like favour any more As in Physick for the body a Preparative is required before and a good and careful diet to be observed after so is it here as also a distempered diet after Physick received will do more hurt than it would before so is it here Now because it is Sin which makes us lose the favour of God and it alone which makes him not well pleased with us that we may behold how justly God's displeasure is kindled by this unworthy Receiving let us a while consider wherein the Sin thereof consisteth which will appear 1. In the correspondence of the Receiver and the thing received It is written Deut. 22. 9 10. Thou shalt not sow thy Vineyard with diverse kinds of seeds Thou shalt not plough with an Ox and an Ass together Whereby it appears That God Almighty loves not to have things unsutable and incompatible joyned together it is an unpleasing spectacle unto him But what fellowship hath light with darkness what agreement between the holy Sacrament and a prophane heart who will put precious water into filthy vessels or wholesome wine into foul casks It is the ground of Ioshua's speech Iosh. 24. 19. to the children of Israel You cannot serve the Lord saith he for he is a holy God that is whilst you are wicked the Righteous Lord who loveth Righteousness will not accept of your services Again Almighty God hath ever required a correspondence between his holy Ordinances and those who were to be partakers of them Thus the Shew-bread was appointed only for Aaron and his Sons because they were holy the Trespass and Sin-offering must be eaten in the holy Place because it was most holy The same thing is implied by our Saviour's proverbial precept Give not that which is holy unto the Dogs And which of us all would not be offended at a Dog if we should see him devour the meat appointed for our Childrens Diet Even such in God's account and no better are wicked persons Beware of Dogs beware of Evil-workers saith S. Paul Phil. 3. 2. and Apocal. 22. 15. Without the City of God are Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers c. Now we know Exod. 19. 13. that no Beast might touch the Mountain when the Lord appeared on Mount Sinai So none of those whom God accounts in the number of Beasts as all who have beastly affections may approch in Christ's presence or come unto his Table Wherefore as God saith Be ye holy because I am holy so may it be said unto all communicants Be ye holy because the Sacrament is holy Whence it was a worthy custome in the ancient Churches for the Bishop or Deacon to proclaim at the holy Communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy things for them that are holy holding in his hand the holy Sacrament And good reason why For where this holiness is not there in stead of comfort the Heart is more and more corrupted Even as the Spider gets strength of poison from the sweetest herbs and flowers so the prophane Heart is strengthened in wickedness by receiving this holy and heavenly Food 2. The hainousness of this sin is aggravated in respect of the thing received for our Apostle elsewhere saith The unworthy receiver becomes guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ that is he is guilty of offering contumely injury and indignity unto him S. Paul when he disswades Husbands from misusing their Wives gives this for a reason No man ever yet hated his own flesh And may not I reason thus Let no man offer injury unto Christ because he is flesh of our flesh yea he is our Head and a wound or maim given to the Head is more odious and dangerous than to another part To offer violence to a common person is a fault to strike a Magistrate a greater but to wound a King who is the Lord 's Anointed is a sin in the highest degree O what a hainous sin is it then to offer violence to and as much as in us lies to strike and wound the Son of God the King of Kings and the Lord of Glory To be guilty of death and shedding of the bloud of any innocent man is a fearful sin and this made David cry out Deliver me O Lord from bloud-guiltiness How fearful is it then to be guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ Whose heart is not moved against the Iews when he hears or reads their villanies and violence offered to our Blessed Saviour But Chrysostome gives us a good Take-heed Take heed saith he lest thou be guilty in the like kind by unworthy receiving of the blessed Sacrament He that defiles the King's body and he that tears it offend both alike The Iews tore it thou defilest it Here are saith the same Father diversa peccata sed par contumelia some difference of the sin but none of the contumely therein offered Ioseph and Nicodemus their pious devotion in begging and embalming the Body of Christ is worthily recorded and commended to all generations Mary Magdalene in bestowing that box of precious oyntment upon his holy head hath gained to her self endless honour in stead of her former infamy So if receive and handle worthily this Mystical Body of Christ our portion shall be with honourable Ioseph and pious Mary Magdalene our memories shall be as theirs blessed and our Souls as theirs to receive unspeakable comfort but if we come unworthily we joyn with Iudas and the Iews and are guilty as they were of the Body and Bloud of Christ. AND thus much of the first thing I propounded The state of unworthy Receivers of these holy Mysteries that they are men in whom God hath no pleasure and therefore woful and lamentable The second thing now to be spoken of is The danger of such unworthy Receivers in regard of the Punishment which followeth them which as concerning the
first Council of Nice took Sacrificium purum as appears Can. 5. where they expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pure Gift or Oblation to be that which is offered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omni simultate depositâ all malice and hypocrisie and the like instances of an unworthy and ignoble spirit being laid aside But according to this Exposition the Purity of the Christian Sacrifice will not be opposite to the pollution of the Iewish in the same kind as it would if more generally taken but in another kind and so the sense stands thus You will not offer me a pure offering but the Gentiles one day shall and that with a purity of another manner of stamp than that my Law requires of you And thus I have told you the two ways according to which the Ancients understood this Purity and I prefer the latter as I think they did 3. But there is a third Interpretation were it back'd by their Authority which I confess it is not which I would prefer before them both and I think you will wonder with me they should be so silent therein namely that this title of Purity is given to the Christian Mincha in respect of Christ whom it signifies and represents who is a Sacrifice without all spot blemish and imperfection This the Antithesis of this Sacrifice to that of the Iews might seem to imply For the Iews are charged with offering polluted Bread upon God's Altar whereby what is meant the words following tell us If you offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evil and if you offer the lame and sick is it not evil and in the end of the Chapter Cursed be the deceiver who hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Now if the Sacrifice of the Gentiles be called Pure in opposition to this is it not so called in respect of that most perfect unblemisht and unvaluable Sacrifice it represents Iesus Christ the Lamb of God I leave it to your consideration CHAP. IV. Six Particulars contained in the Definition of the Christian Sacrifice The First viz. That this Christian Service is an Oblation proved out of Antiquity How long the Apostles Age lasted or when it ended Proofs out of the Epistles of Clemens and Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how distinguished in Ignatius The Christian Service is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but improperly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the strict and prime sense of the word THUS having absolved the Two first things I propounded given you a Definition of the Christian Sacrifice and explained the words of my Text I come now to the Third and longest part of my task To prove each particular contained in my Definition by the Testimonies and Authorities of the ancient Fathers and Writers of the first and purest Ages of the Church The Particulars I am to prove are in number Six 1. That this Christian Service is an Oblation and expressed under that Notion by the utmost Antiquity 2. That it is an Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer 3. An Oblation through Iesus Christ commemorated in the creatures of Bread and Wine 4. That this Commemoration of Christ according to the style of the ancient Church is also a Sacrifice 5. That the Body and Bloud of Christ in this Mystical Service was made of Bread and Wine which had first been offered unto God to agnize him the Lord of the Creature 6. That this Sacrifice was placed in Commemoration only of Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross and not in a real offering of his Body and Bloud anew When I shall have proved all these by sufficient Authority I hope you will give me leave to conclude my Definition for true That the Christian Sacrifice ex mente antiquae Ecclesiae according to the meaning of the ancient Church was An Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer to God the Father through the Sacrifice of Iesus Christ commemorated in the Creatures of Bread and Wine wherewith God had first been agnized Let us begin then with the first That this Christian Service is an Oblation and under that notion expressed by all Antiquity The names whereby the Ancient Church called this Service are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oblation Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eucharist a word if rightly understood of equipollent sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sacrifice of Praise a reasonable and unbloudy Sacrifice Sacrificium Mediatoris Sacrificium Altaris Sacrificium pretii nostri Sacrificium Corporis Sanguinis Christi the Sacrifice of our Mediator the Sacrifice of the Altar the Sacrifice of our Ransome the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Christ. It would be infinite to note all the Places and Authors where and by whom it is thus called The four last are S. Augustine's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be found with Iustin Martyr and Irenaeus whose antiquity is the Age next the Apostles But you will say the Fathers even so early had swerved from the style of the Apostolick Age during which these kind of terms were not used as appears by that we find them not any where in their Epistles and Writings But what if the contrary may be evinced That this language was used even while the Apostles yet lived For grant they are neither found in the Acts of the Apostles nor in S. Paul's and S. Peter's Writings yet this proves not they were not used in the Apostles times no more than that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not whose case in this point is the same with the other But know that to confine the Apostles Age within the limits of S. Paul's and S. Peter's lives is a general mistake For the Apostles Age ended not till S. Iohn's death Anno Christi 99. and so lasted as long within a year or thereabouts after S. Paul's and S. Peter's suffering as it was from our Saviour's Ascension to their Deaths that is one and thirty years And this too for the most part was after the Excidium or Destruction of Ierusalem in which time it is likely the Church received no little improvement in Ecclesiastical Rites and Expressions both because it was the time of her greatest increase and because whilest the Iews Polity stood her Polity for its full establishment stood in some sort suspended This appears by S. Iohn's Writings which are the only Scripture written after that time and in which we find two Ecclesiastick terms of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word for the Deity of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord's day for the first day of the week neither of both seeming to have been in use in S. Paul's and S. Peter's times and why may we not believe the like happened in others and by name in these now questioned Which that I may not seem only to guess I think I can prove by two witnesses which then lived the one Clemens he whose name S.
himself It is a description of the Eucharist wherein as I have already told you the Bread and Wine were first presented unto God as the Primitiae or a kind of First-fruit-Offering to agnize him the Giver of our Food both dry and liquid and then consecrated to be the Symbols of the Body and Bloud of Christ. My next Author shall be Tertullian ad Scap. in the place before alledged Sacrificamus saith he pro salute Imperatoris sed quomodo praecepit Deus purâ prece Non enim eget Deus Conditor Vniversitatis odoris sanguinis alicujus haec enim Daemoniorum pabula sunt The Gentiles so thought that their Gods were refreshed and nourisht with the smell and savour of their Sacrifices Besides in his third Book contra Marcionem cap. 22. In omni loco sacrificium nomini meo offertur sacrificium mundum to wit saith he Gloriae relatio benedictio laus hymni and Lib. 4. cap. 1. Sacrificium mundum scilicet simplex oratio de conscientia pura Thirdly Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 7. Stromat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We Christians honour God by Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this we send up unto him as the best and holiest Sacrifice honouring him by that most sacred Word whereby we receive knowledge that is by Christ. Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sacrifice of the Church is an oration exhaled from sanctified souls He speaks not of the private Prayer of every Christian but of the publick Prayer of the Church as a Body as will be evident to him that reads the place and appears by the words quoted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sacrifice of the Church and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exhaled not from a sanctified soul but from sanctified souls For to private Prayer was not given this title of the Christian Sacrifice but unto the publick which the Church offered unto God when she presented her self before him as one Body in Christ by the mystical Communication of his Body and Bloud This my next Author Cyprian will make plain in his 16 Epist. ad Mosen Maximum Nos quidem saith he vestri diebus noctibus memores quando in sacrificiis precem cum pluribus facimus cum in secessu privatis precibus oramus We indeed are mindful of you day and night both when we in our Sacrifices pray publickly with others and when we pray privately in our retirements where we see the Sacrifice of Prayer to be cùm precent cum pluribus facimus and distinguisht from that we do cùm in secessu privatis precibus oramus These Authorities are all within the first three hundred years to which I will add one of the fourth Optatus Milevitanns Lib. 6. contra Parmenianum where he thus expostulates with the Donatists for breaking and defacing the Altars of the Catholicks Quid est enim tam sacrilegum saith he quà m Altaria Dei in quibus vos aliquando obtulistis frangere radere removere in quibus Vota Populi Membra Christi portata sunt quò Deus omnipotens invocatus sit For what is there so sacrilegious as to break and deface nay and quite take away the Altars of God whereon ye your selves have sometimes offered those Altars which did bear both the Prayers of the People and the Body and Bloud of Christ that so Almighty God might be invocated Mark here Altaria in quibus Vota populi Membra Christi portata sunt and gather hence what parts the Christian Sacrifice consisted of Vota populi are the Prayers of the Church Membra Christi the Body and Bloud of Christi which the Prayers were offered with both of them upon the Altar For it is worthy your notice That the ancient Church had no other Place whereat she offered her publick Prayers and Orisons but that whereon the memory of the Body and Bloud of Christ was celebrated that as they were joyned in their Use so they might not be severed in their Place According to which use and agreeable to this passage of Optatus speaks the Council of Rhemes commanding the Table of Christ that is the Altar to be reverenced and honoured Quia Corpus Domini ibi consecratur sanguis ejus hauritur Preces quoque Vota populi in conspectu Dei à Sacerdote offeruntur Because there the Body of Christ is consecrated and his Bloud is drunk there also the Prayers and Desires of the People are offered up by the Priest before God Furthermore That the Christian Sacrifice was an Oblation of Prayer and consisted in Invocation is also another way to be evinc'd namely Because the Fathers when they speak thereof use the terms of Prayer Oblation and Sacrifice promiscuously and interchangeably one for the other as words importing the same thing Tertullian Exhort ad Cast. disswading a Widower from marrying again because it would be uncomely in the Sacrifice of the Church to make mention as the manner then was of more Wives than one and that too by the mouth of an once-married Priest speaks thus Neque enim pristinam poteris odisse cui etiam religiostorem reservas affectionem ut jam receptae apud Dominum pro cujus spiritu postulas pro qua oblationes annuas reddis Stabis ergo ad Dominum cum tot uxoribus quoi in oratione commemoras offeres pro duabus commendabis illas duas per Sacerdotem de monogamia ordinatum circundatum virginibus univiris ascendet sacrificium tuum cum liberâ fronte For thou canst not hate thy former wife for whom thou reservest a more religious affection as being received already with the Lord for whose spirit thou makest request for whom thou rendrest yearly Oblations Wilt thou then stand before the Lord with as many wives as in thy prayers thou makest mention of and wilt thou offer for two and commend those two by a Priest ordained after his having been but once-married encompassed with virgins and with women but once married and shall thy Sacrifice ascend freely and confidently Here postulatio and oblatio oratio and offerre oratio and sacrificium are interchangeably put one for the other So also in his Book De Oratione are Oratio and Sacrificium where he speaks of the kiss of Peace and Reconcilement used at the Eucharist Quae oratio saith he cum divortio sancti osculi integra quale sacrificium à quo sine pace receditur What Prayer can be complete that is without the holy kiss what a kind of Sacrifice is that from which Christians come away without the kiss of Peace Augustine De Civit. Dei Lib. 8. cap. 27. speaking of the honour of Martyrs Nec Martyribus saith he sacrificia constituimus quis audivit aliquando fidelium stantem Sacerdotem ad Altare etiam super sanctum corpus Martyris ad Dei honorem cultúmque constructum dicere in Precibus Offero tibi sacrificium Petre vel Paule c. We do not sacrifice
obstacle I found was that I could never perswade my self the times of Antichrist began so late as this conceit and our computation of the World's years imply they should namely not till near about the time of Carolus Magnus Nor can I admit that the 42. moneths which the Beast is said to continue should be reckoned from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or aetas adulta and not from his beginning as must be here likewise supposed For as when we reckon the Age of a Man we reckon not from the time he came to man's estate or from the time he sued out his livery but from the time of his birth so should we do here for the times of the Man of sin Besides we ought not as I take it to fix our eyes so much upon the Popes dominion and his improvement thereof as upon the Apostasie of the Church from the rule of Christian Worship by Spiritual Fornication with Idols which is the Character the Holy Ghost gives us in the Apocalyps to know the Antichristian State and Times by Of which estate the Pope or False-prophet was indeed to be the Head and his See Babylon the Metropolis but the Body was to be and so is Bestia Romana novissimi capitis decem diadematis redimita the Roman Empire shiver'd into a plurality of Kingdoms but re-united again under this new Head and fashioned and renewed by him unto a lively Image of the former Roman Ethnicism which had but newly received a deadly blow and been cast down to the ground by the Lamb and his Champions This new Idolatry or Idolatrous state this Imaging of the wounded Draconizing Beast is that treading down or prosaning the Court of the Temple of God Chap. 11. that is of the visible Worship of Christ in his Church by a new Gentilism Unto which the 42. months are attributed as well as to the Beast and so the beginning of the Times of the one not to be reckoned without or severed from the other But whosoever shall impartially search into the Stories of the Christian Church as all those do not who labour to diminish the antiquity of Antichristianism rather than to find it will see her not only tainted but even all-over polluted with Spiritual Fornication with Saints Angels Reliques yea and Images too hundreds of years before the times of Pepin and Charlemaign nay the chiefest part of those lying wonders and strong delusions whereby this impiety and wickedness was advanced was long before that time How can I then believe that the time of the Gentiles profaning God's House and of the Witnesses or Prophets mourning for the same in sackcloth should not begin till about the year 792. whatsoever improvement the Pope's dominion then had V. Finding such an Obstacle as this and loth yet utterly and absolutely to reject this so ancient a Tradition I began to make with my self these Quaere's First Whether it were needful to reckon these Thousands of years compleat or only current in the last hundred which want of completion though unknown to us might abate so much of the full length of 6000 years as would bring the computation nearer the mark for the beginning and end of the times of the Antichristian Beast But finding no grounds to make such a conceit probable I rejected it as a vain imagination But then I made a second Quaere of greater moment namely Whether the computation of the years of the world before the Promise made to Abraham were or could be certainly known or not For as for the time after the Promise I make no doubt but it may be known even almost to a year The occasion of such a doubt was the great difference which is found between our Hebrew Copies and the Seventy concerning the years of the foresaid generations For though it be true or likely that the Seventy translating in Egypt voluntarily and of set purpose increased the years of those first generations to make them reach the antiquity of some Stories of the Egyptians and thereby exceeded the Hebrew computation above 1300 years yet it follows not that all the differences between them and our Hebrew Bibles in the years of those generations should proceed from this fountain but some of them perhaps from the reading of the Copy they used For that there should be differences of reading in the Hebrew Copies of the Old Testament is not a thing to be so much startled at as some conceive seeing we find many such in the Greek Copies of the New And how can it be proved that the Church of the Iews had in this particular especially when Prophecy ceased a greater priviledge than we For as for that admirable Masorethical method whereby they are now inviolably preserved from change it was devised since the coming of Christ and applied to one Copy only which they esteemed most true and authentical namely that as some of them say which was written by the great Rabbi Hillel's own hand and many hundred of years after kept as a Relique Yet nevertheless might some other Copies though in general far inferior yet in some few particulars have a better and righter reading than it 3. That most Learned Prelate and Mirror of Bishops the Lord Primate of Armagh could not be at rest till by his indefatigable industry and no small charges as such a business required he had some four years since gotten from the remnant of the Samaritans in Palaestine into a Christian hand that admirable Monument the Samaritan Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses which may be presumed to be that which they received from the captived ten Tribes when they first learned from them to worship the God of Israel 2 Kings 17. 27. This wondrous and noâ—-paril of Manuscripts he brought hither to Cambridge amongst us and during his stay here some time was most ready to shew it to all Scholars that came unto him and so free in communicating the use thereof that some of us had opportunity by comparing it with our Hebrew Bibles first to pick out the Alphabet and then to read therein It is in the same Hebrew tongue and words saving the diverse readings with our Bibles but written in a strange character namely the Samaritan which is supposed to have anciently been the Hebrew till it was changed by Ezra at the return from Captivity In this Book is found a strange difference in the years of the generations before the birth of Abraham both from the Septuagint and our Hebrew Bibles Before the Floud by diminishing the generations of Iared Methusalah and Lamech it comes short of us After the Floud for the most part agreeing with the Septuagint it much out-reckons us To be short it exceeds in the upshot our Computation 301 years so that the birth of Christ falls according to it to be Anno Mundi 4254. Agreeable whereto the 6000. year from the Creation would be compleat Anno Christi 1746. and consequently Antichrist's 42 months or 1260 years would begin
Bent of the Times the Rule of his Opinion For being free from any aspiring after Applause Wealth and Honour and from seeking Great things for himself he was consequently secured from Flattery and Temporizing the usual artifice of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that will be rich that are resolved to make it their chief design and business to be great and wealthy in the world their heart is wholly upon it they are dead to the World to come and relish not the things above and are alive only to this present world being as eagerly intent and active about earthly things as if their portion were to be only in this life But such was the excellency of his spirit that he could not but abhor all Servile obsequiousness whatsoever as accounting it a certain argument of a Poorness of spirit either to flatter or to invite and receive Flatteries and withal considering that if those of Power and high degree were men of inward worth and excellent spirits they would shew themselves such in their valuing him not the less but rather more for his not applying himself to those ignoble arts and course policies proper to Parasites and ambitious men who speak not their own words nor seem to think their own thoughts but wholly enslave themselves to the thoughts and words the lusts and humors of those by whom for this pretended doing honour to them they seek to be advantaged Besides he might well think that he should rather undervalue and lessen them if he suppos'd they would regard him the more for those or the like Instances of an officious flattery as if they were not able to discern that Frankness and Openness of Spirit and Conversation Singleness of Heart and a Cordial readiness to serve others in love out of a pure heart is truly Christian Generous and Manly and on the contrary that Flattery and Fawning is Dog-like Base and Mercenary and lasts not long for though Parasites pretend to serve their Masters with great devotion a devotion so great as if they thought themselves rather their Creatures than God's yet in truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they rather serve their own belly and when their Masters cease to be in a capacity of serving them these men also cease to regard them and value them no more than an useless Tool or to use the Prophet's expression a broken Vessel wherein there is no pleasure Other particulars might be added but these may suffice to shew how Free he was from that which is apt to tempt men to judge amiss For it appears from the nature of the things themselves that Partiality Prejudice Pride and Passion Self-love Love of the World Flattery and Covetous Ambition do importunely sollicite men to make a false judgment corrupt their Affections wrong their Understandings enfeeble their Faculties unhappily dwarf their growth in useful Learning and keep them back from such an excellent improvement in Knowledge especially Divine Knowledge as otherwise they might attain And therefore had not Mr. Mede been free from the power of these Lusts he could never have perform'd so well as he hath done in any of his Tracts or Discourses especially upon the more abstruse and mysterious passages of H. Scripture Those therefore that are not of such a free and enlarged spirit but are fondly addicted either to themselves or Parties and are enslaved to Honour Wealth and particular narrow Interests and are under the power of Pride Passion serving divers Lusts and Pleasures they must needs be less excellent less improved in their studies less succesful in their Intellectual adventures than otherwise they might have been had they been established with a Free spirit Nor had some Authors of great reading and fame for Learning ever fallen into such mistakes but their Writings had been freer from imperfections and a greater respect they had secured to their Memories had they been less Passionate less Envious Proud and Self-conceited more Free and unbiassed more Humble and Modest as also more faithful to that excellent Rule of S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is somewhat of that great deal more which might be observed of the Author's Largeness and Freedom of spirit which yet in him was not accompanied with any unbecoming reflexions upon others as if he design'd to lessen the due esteem of what was laudable in their performances much less with any irreverence and opposition to the established Articles of Religion and prejudice to the Peace of the Church or State but on the contrary was an innocent ingenuous peaceable Freedom of enquiring into such Theories only as do not at all clash with the Doctrine established and was ever attended with a sweet Modesty a singular Sedateness and Sobriety of spirit and a due regard to Authority And whosoever would read the Author with most profit and judgment must read him also with a free unpassionate and unprejudiced spirit That Saying Omnis Liber eo spiritu legi debet quo scriptus est is true as well of every useful Book as of the Divinely-inspired Books of Holy Scripture Thus much of the Fourth Help or Instrument of Knowledge I shall mention but one particular more but it is a very weighty and important one of singular use and absolute necessity for the gaining the Best Knowledge wherein I might be as large as in the foregoing but because I would hasten to conclude the Preface I shall dispatch it in fewer lines V. The Fifth and Last Means whereby the Author arrived at such an Eminency of Knowledge was His faithful endeavour after such a Purity of Soul as is requisite to fit it for the fuller and clearer discerning of Divine Mysteries The necessity of such a Purity of Heart and Life in order to this End appears by several express places of Scripture as where it is said The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psalm 25. The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge of the holy ones is Understanding Prov. 9. their way of knowing is Knowledge and Understanding indeed and again The pure in heart shall see God Matth. 5. But none of the wicked shall understand says the Angel to Daniel concerning the Mysteries mentioned in Chap. 12. And agreeable to these and many such passages of H. Scripture is that in the Book of Wisdom chap. 1. Into a malicious Soul Wisdom shall not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto sin The same Truth is plainly acknowledged by the Best and more Divine Philosophers and accordingly they frequently discourse of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Purgative Vertues as necessary to prepare the Soul for the knowledge of the most Excellent and Highest Truths as the Mystical or Contemplative Divines speaking of the way to Divine knowledge place the Via Purgativa before the Via Illuminativa and it is a known Maxime of Plato in his Phaed◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying that
the 105 and 96 Psalms which though they have no such Inscription in the Psalm-book yet we find 1 Chron. 16. 7. that they were delivered by David into the hands of Asaph and his Brethren for forms to thank the Lord. This a man would think were sufficient to take away all scruple in this point especially when we our selves and all the Reformed Churches use to sing the same Psalms not only as set Forms but set in Metre that is after a humane composure Are not the Psalms set Forms of Confession of Prayer and of Praising God And in case there had been no Prayers amongst them yet what reason could be given why it should not be as lawful to pray unto God in a set Form as to praise him in such a one What therefore do they say to this Why they tell us that the Psalms are not sung in the Church unto God but so rehearsed for instruction of the people only namely as the Chapters and Lessons are there read and no otherwise But if either we do ought or may sing the Psalms in the Church with the same end and purpose that the Church of the Old Testament did and it were absurd to say we might not this Exception will not subsist For what is more certain than that the Church of Israel used the Psalms for Forms of praising and invocating God What mean else those Forms Cantemus Domino Psallite Domino Let us sing unto the Lord and Sing ye unto the Lord and the like so frequent in them But there are more direct and express testimonies In 1 Chron. 25. 3. it is expresly said of Ieduthun and his sons that their office was to prophesie with a Harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord. In the second of Chron. 30. 21. we read that the Levites and the Priests praised the Lord day by day singing with loud Instruments unto the Lord. And as ye heard even now out of 1 Chron. 16. David at the time when he brought up the Ark unto Ierusalem then first delivered the 105 and 96 Psalms into the hands of Asaph and his sons to confess or give thanks unto the Lord. And lastly to leave no place for farther doubt we read Ezra 3. 10 11. that the Levites the sons of Asaph were set with Cymbals to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David King of Israel and that they sung together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever For this reason the four and twenty Courses or Quires into which the Singers of the Temple were divided by King David to serve in their turns consisted each of them of twelve according to the number of the Tribes of Israel that so every Tribe might have a mouth and voice to praise and to give thanks unto God for him in the Temple Thus we have seen what warrant topray and call upon God in a set Form hath from the practice of the Church of God in the Old Testament And if Reason may have place in the publick service of God where one is the mouth of many there is none so proper and convenient For how can the Minister be said properly to be the mouth of the Congregation in prayer unto God when the Congregation is not first made acquainted and privy to what he is to tender unto God in their names Which in a voluntary and extemporary form of Prayer they are not nor well can be I am sure neither so properly nor conveniently as in a set Form which both they and the whole Church have agreed upon and offer unto God at the same time though in several places in the self-same form and words And this may be a second Reason I mean from Uniformity For how can the Church being a Mystical Body better testifie her unity before God than in her uniformity in calling upon him especially your Saviour telling us that if but two or three shall agree together on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done unto them of his Father which is in heaven So prevailable with Almighty God is the power of Consent in Prayer LET us now in the last place see what Reasons they bring who contend altogether for voluntary Prayer and would have no set Forms used First they say It is the ordinance of God that the Church should be edified by the gifts of her Ministers as well in Praying as Preaching Ergo their Prayers should be extemporary or voluntary because in reading a set Form of Prayer this gift cannot be shewn To this I answer First That there is not in this point the same reason for Prayer and for Preaching for in Prayer I mean publick the Minister is the mouth of the Church unto God and therefore it were convenient they should know what he puts up to God in their names but in Preaching he is not so Secondly Why should not the Pastors and Ministers of the Church edifie the Church by their gift of Prayer as well in composing a set Form of Prayer for her use by general agreement as in uttering a voluntary or extemporary Prayer in a particular Congregation Thirdly Are not the members of the Church to be edified as well by the spirit of the Church as the Church or some part thereof by the spirit of a member But how can the Church edifie her members by her gift of Prayer otherwise than by a set Form agreed upon by her consent Fourthly Ostentation of gifts is one thing but Edification by them another Ostentation of the gift of Prayer is indeed best shewn in a voluntary or extemporary Prayer but the Church may be edified as well by a set Form Yea such a Form in the publick service of God is more edificative than a voluntary And that both because the Congregation is first made acquainted therewith and secondly because they are better secured from being ingaged in ought that might be unfit to speak unto God either for matter or manner or such as they would not have given their consent to if they had been aware of it For now that extraordinary assistance of the Holy Ghost which was in the Primitive and Apostolical times is long since ceased and all men to whom that office belongeth to speak to God for others are not at all times discreet and well advised when they speak to him at will and extempore but subject to miscarriage Lastly I answer That the Church is to be edified by the gift of her Ministers in voluntary Prayer loco tempore in fit place and upon fit occasions not in all places and upon all occasions And thus much to this Objection But they object secondly That the Spirit ought to be free and unlimited and that therefore a Book or set Form of Prayer which limits the Spirit in praying is not to be tolerated or used To this I answer It is false that the acting of the Spirit in
Acts 2. 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They continued in breaking of Bread and in Prayers As for bodily expressions by gestures and postures as standing kneeling bowing and the like our Blessed Saviour himself lift up his sacred eyes to heaven when he prayed for Lazarus fell on his face when he prayed in his agony S. Paul as himself saith bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ He and S. Peter and the rest of the Believers do the like more than once in the Acts of the Apostles What was Imposition of hands but an external gesture in an act of invocation for conferring a blessing and that perhaps sometimes without any vocal expression joyned therewith Besides I cannot conceive any reason why in this point of Evangelical worship Gesture should be more scrupled at than Voice Is not confessing praising praying and glorifying God by Voice an external and bodily worship as well as that of Gesture why should then the one derogate from the worship of the Father in Spirit and Truth and not the other To conclude There was never any society of men in the world that worshipped the Father in such a manner as this interpretation would imply and therefore cannot this be our Saviour's meaning but some other Let us see if we can find out what it is There may be two senses given of these words both of them agreeable to Reason and the analogy of Scripture let us take our choice The one is That to worship God in Spirit and Truth is to worship him not with Types and shadows of things to come as in the Old Testament but according to the verity of the things exhibited in Christ according to that The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. Whence the Mystery of the Gospel is elsewhere by our Saviour in this Evangelist termed Truth as Chap. 17. ver 17. and the Doctrine thereof by S. Paul the word of Truth See Ephes. Chap. 1. ver 13. Rom. 15. 8. The time therefore is now at hand said our Saviour when the true worshippers shall worship the Father no longer with bloudy Sacrifices and the Rites and Ordinances depending thereon but in and according to the verity of that which these Ordinances figured For all these were Types of Christ in whom being now exhibited the true worshippers shall henceforth worship the Father This sense hath good warrant from the state of the Question between the Iews and Samaritans to which our Saviour here makes answer which was not about worship in general but about the kind of worship in special which was confessed by both sides to be tied to one certain place only that is of worship by Sacrifice and the appendages in a word of the Typical worship proper to the first Covenant of which see a description Heb. 9. This Iosephus expresly testifies Lib. 12. Antiq. cap. 1. speaking of the Iews and Samaritans which dwelt together at Alexandria They lived saith he in perpetual discord one with the other whilst each laboured to maintain their Country customs those of Ierusalem affirming their Temple to be the sacred place whither sacrifices were to be sent the Samaritans on the other side contending they ought to be sent to Mount Garizim For otherwise who knows not that both Iews and Samaritans had other places of worship besides either of these namely their Proseucha's and Synagogues wherein they worshipped God not with internal only but external worship though not with Sacrifice which might be offered but in one place only And this also may seem to have been a Type of Christ as well as the rest namely that he was to be that one and only Mediator of the Church in the Temple of whose sacred body we have access unto the Father and in whom he accepts our service and devotions according to that Destroy this Temple and I will rear it up again in three days He spake saith the Text of the Temple of his Body This sense divers of the Ancients hit upon Eusebius Demon. Evang. Lib. 1. Cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not by Symbols and Types but as our Saviour saith in Spirit and Truth Not that in the New Testament men should worship God without all external services For the New Testament was to have external and visible services as well as the Old but such as should imply the verity of the promises already exhibited not be Types and shadows of them yet to come We know the Holy Ghost is wont to call the figured Face of the Law the Letter and the Verity thereby signified the Spirit As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Spirit and Truth both together they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but once found in holy Writ to wit only in this place and so no light can be borrowed by comparing of the like expression any where else to expound them Besides nothing hinders but they may be here taken one for the exposition of the other namely that to worship the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with to worship him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But howsoever this exposition be fair and plausible yet methinks the reason which our Saviour gives in the words following should argue another meaning God saith he is a Spirit therefore they that worship him must worship in Spirit and Truth But God was a Spirit from the beginning If therefore for this reason he must be worshipped in Spirit and Truth he was so to be worshipped in the Old Testament as well as in the New Let us therefore seek another meaning For the finding whereof let us take notice that the Samaritans at whom our Saviour here aimeth were the off-spring of those Nations which the King of Assyria placed in the Cities of Samaria when he had carried away the Ten Tribes captive These as we may read in the second Book of the Kings at their first coming thither worshipped not the God of Israel but the gods of the Nations from whence they came wherefore he sent Lions amongst them which slew them Which they apprehending either from the information of some Israelite or otherwise to be because they knew not the worship of the God of the Country they informed the King of Assyria thereof desiring that some of the captiv'd Priests might be sent unto them to teach them the manner and rites of his worship which being accordingly done they thenceforth as the Text tells us worshipped the Lord yet feared their own Gods too and so did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Chrysostome speaks mingle things not to be mingled In this medley they continued about three hundred years till toward the end of the Persian Monarchy At what time it chanced that Manasse brother to Iaddo the High Priest of the returned Iews married the daughter of Sanballat then Governour of Samaria for which being expelled from Ierusalem by Nehemiah he fled to Sanballat his Father in Law and after his
looked that that glorious Son of David should have been born of the most rich and potent parentage of that line but behold he was of the poorest and most despised Who would not have thought but Ierusalem the Royal City had been the only fit place for his Birth but he was born at Bethlehem one of the least Cities of Iudah And what in some stately and more convenient Palace there No in a stable and laid in a manger So was David his progenitor the youngest and most despised son of Ishai Samuel thought that brave and goodly Eliab the first-born was the man surely whom God would chuse to make him King But God had set his eye upon him whom the Father so little regarded as he could scarce think of him even the little one which kept the sheep Thus God derides the conceits of men Fools therefore that we are why do we value those things so much which God esteems so little We are wont otherwise to make much account of such things as Kings and Great ones have in esteem and to think but basely of those things which they despise why should not the Example of Almighty God bear the like sway in our judgments to prefer what he prefers and slight what he undervalues Let us therefore considering this set our hearts and affections upon heavenly and spiritual things and say of all the pomp and glory of this world Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity THUS have I spoken of the two first Particulars I propounded the Time when and the Place where our Saviour began the publication of his Gospel I come now to the Third The Summe of what he preached and it was this The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and believe the Gospel This was the Summe of what he preached and it contains two parts a Doctrine and an Exhortation The Doctrine is That the Time foretold by the Prophets when the Kingdom of God should begin was come The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand The Exhortation is That therefore they should Repent and believe the Gospel or glad tidings which that Kingdom brings I 'le begin with the Doctrine where I have two things to unfold 1. What this Kingdom of God is 2. What was the Time prefixt for the coming thereof which our Saviour saith was fulfilled when he spake unto them For the first The Kingdom of God is that which otherwise is called The Kingdom of Heaven These two are both one and therefore S. Matthew chap. 4. 17. when he relates this preaching of our Saviour saith that he preached and said Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand namely the same that Iohn Baptist his Harbinger preacht before him For the Hebrews express God by Heaven as we may see Dan. 4. 26. where it is said to Nebucchadnezzar that his kingdom should be restored unto him when he should acknowledge that the heavens bear rule that is God the most High who dwells in heaven The prodigal child in the Gospel saith Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee Luke 15. 21. So Matt. 21. 25. The Baptism of Iohn was it from Heaven or from men that is from God or from men This is the reason why the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven mean one and the same thing Let us therefore now see what is meant by it This Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of Messiah or Christ foretold in the Prophets the Kingdom of that Seed of the woman which should break the Serpent's head of that seed of Abraham wherein all the Nations of the earth should be blessed For so the Hebrew Doctors before and at our Saviour's coming had termed this Kingdom and taught their people to look for it under that name which they had learned out of the Prophecies of Daniel concerning it who in chap. 2. ver 44. describes it in this manner In the days of those Kings or Kingdoms that is while the days of the four Monarchies there spoken of yet lasted the God of heaven shall found or set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed nor be lest unto another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever In the 7 ch ver 13 14. he describes it thus I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve him His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed From these places the Iews called the Messiah's Kingdom the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven Because in the first place it is said that the God of heaven should set up his Kingdom and in the other places that the Son of man namely Messiah should come in the clouds of Heaven For our Saviour brought not this term of phrase with him but found it at his coming used among the Iews which being fitly given he approved and so taught them the mysterie of his coming in their own language As we may see in so many Parables in the Gospel where our Saviour sets forth the state of his Church and the members of the same continually under the name of The Kingdom of God or The Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven is like a field where a sower sowed good seed c. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven c. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant c. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net and such like In all which our Saviour describes the state of his Church in that language the people were used unto as he doth also in other of his Sermons Hence it is that when Iohn Baptist first and our Saviour after him preached The Kingdom of heaven is at hand the Iews wondred not at that term as at a novelty nor ever askt what it meant but understood it of the Kingdom of Messiah which they had been taught to call by that name then and is still found so called among their Rabbies and Doctors until this day though through their unbelief they have no portion therein but look for it still to come The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven then is nothing else but the Church of Christ or the Christian Church which is no Temporal kingdom like the kingdoms of this world which have power over the Body only but a Spiritual kingdom which reigns over the Souls and Spirits of men The Kingdom of God saith our Saviour is within you that is it is a kingdom of the inward man And therefore this kingdom was not to be founded after the manner of the kingdoms of men by great armies and field-battels but was to subdue the nations and conquer the world by
other yet can they not outwardly be discerned asunder by the eye for because they are incorporated into one external body the outside or visible dimensions which are seen are one and the same But when the Refiner comes and severs them then will each metall appear in his own out-side and his own proper colours whereby they are easily discerned a sunder one from the other Such must the State of the Church needs be when an Apostasie shall rise out of the bowels thereof and such do we affirm was the State of the Church of Christ in that great prevailing Apostasie from which we are separated viz. The purer metal of the Christian body was not outwardly discernible from the base and counterfeit while one out-side covered them both but when the time of refining came them was our Church not first founded in the true Faith God forbid but a part of the Christian body newly refined from such corruptions as Time had gathered as Gold refined begins not then first to be Gold though it began then first to be refined so our Church began not a hundred years ago to be a Church though then it first began to be a Reformed Church And is this any thing more than that which besel the Iewish Church in her frequent Apostasie Was the seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal a visibly-distinguished Society from the rest of the body of Israel were they such as were outwardly known unto others who were not of their Communion nay were they known one to another yea to Elias himself I think no man will easily affirm it Yet were they a distinct Society joyned in the Communion of the same true Worship and in that respect separate from the rest of that Idolatrous body yet nevertheless as far as there was any thing which was found yet remaining for the external Regiment and Ceremonies it is most certain that they could not but be to the eyes of the world of one external body with the rest as receiving the same Circumcision and living under the same Priests and Ceremonies so far forth as any soundness in either of them remainded Nay do not our Adversaries themselves in their good mood grant us as much as we have said though it be because they cannot will nor chuse as is the Proverb For it is a thing chiefly to be considered and remembred in this Quarrel between them and us about the Visibility of the Church it is I say to be considered That when all granted and pleaded on both parts is well examined the point of difference between them and us is only this They hold the glorious Visibility of the true Church to be in present and the overshadowing of the light and eclipsing of the glory thereof under Antichrist to be yet to come at which time of his being in the world they grant and affirm more of the eclipsing and overshadowing of the true Church than we do for our hearts He that reads their conceits of Antichrist shall easily find this to be true For they hold that then the publick exercise of Christian Religion saying of Mass and all shall utterly cease until Antichrist's days be out this is their Tenet We on the contrary hold this clouding of the Church's visibility to have been already and the greatest glory in probability or at least some part thereof to be yet to come So that we both agree That in the great Apostasie the Churche's visibility and glory should cease but we say that this Apostatical time hath been already they say it is yet to come we say that that time was to last many ages they say that when it comes it shall be but three single years and a half Why then are they not ashamed to choke us with this Argument of the Churche's Visibility and glory as though the Church could never be without it when yet themselves confess that there is a time to come when the case will be such that the same Argument may be alledged against the true Church though it were theirs as is now alledged against ours This is too great partiality Seeing therefore the whole Controversie lies in this Whether the Churches great Apostasie be already past or in being or yet to come It is a great deal the quicker course for them and us to examine the condition and quality of both Religion by the Scriptures and not to distract our selves with every point of differences for every Error is not a part of this Apostasie But let us examine our Religion in that point alone wherein the Scripture it self places and limits the quality of this Apostasie namely that it should be Spiritual Fornication or Idolatry for Babylon is not called the Lier of Babylon the â—yrant of Babylon the Heretick of Babylon the â—urtherer of Babylon but the Whore of Babylon It is very like indeed that as Whores have commonly many other foul qualities so may the Spiritual Whore have also Yet as every ill quality of a Whore is not a part of her Whoredom no more is every Error of the Spiritual Whore how gross soever a part of Spiritual Fornication Let us therefore examine her by the Mark which God sets upon her and by that Abomination for which only in a manner if we observe the Scripture God did use to punish and wrathfully complaâ—n of his old people Israel though no doubt they had many other corruptions besides but had they been faithful in that one God could have winked at many other As we know a Husband if his Wife be faithful and true to him in that point which so nearly toucheth his jealousie he will the easier bear with other shrewish conditions Now if the Church of Rome be not an Idolatress or a Spiritual Whore prostituting her self to other gods to stocks and stones and many ways breaking her Faith to her one Lord and Mediator Christ Iesus by committing fornication with I know not how many other Mediators there never was a Whore in the world And certainly if the Church of Rome may herein be justified the Church of Israel had but hard measure to be condemned who could as truly plead that she never forsook the true God altogether only she would worship him in Calves and such Images as other her neighbour-Nations used to do and that though she was for variety yet she reserved the chief place for her Iehovah and in all other respects could as well as the present Roman Church excuse her practice in that kind And yet we know how she is branded by the Prophets for a Whore and not a simple fornicating Whore but an Adulteress and is threatened to be proceeded with and judged as those that break wedlock and shed bloud are judged to have bloud given her in fury and jealousie And such an Example of God's fury and jealousie hath he made them to all the world as no other people how great soever their Idolatries have ever equall'd or come near their sufferings
which is given for the relief of the poor the Orphan and the Widow which is called Alms. For not only our Tithes but our Alms are an Offering unto Almighty God So Prov. 15. 17. He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord and Chap. 14. 31. He that hath mercy on the poor honoureth his Maker And our Saviour will tell us at the day of Iudgment that what was done unto them was done unto him This then is the Reason why we must give Alms because they are the Tribute of our Thanksgiving whereby we acknowledge we are God's Tenants and hold all we have of him that is of the Mannor of Heaven without which duty and service we have not the lawful use of what we possess Whence our Saviour tells the Pharisees who stood so much upon the washing of the Cup and Platter left their meat and drink should be unclean Give alms saith he of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11. 41. Now that this Acknowledgment of God's Dominion was the End of the Offerings of the Law both those wherewith the Priests and Levites were maintained and those wherewith the poor the Orphan and the Widow were relieved appears by the solemn profession those who pay'd them were to make Deut. 26. where he that brought a basket of first-fruits to the house of God was to say I profess this day unto the Lord that I am come unto the Country which the Lord sware unto our Fathers for to give us And when the Priest had taken the basket he was to say thus verse 5 c. A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a Nation great mighty and populous And the Egyptians evil intreated us c. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and out-stretched arm c. And brought us into this place and hath given us this land even a land that floweth with milk and honey And now behold I have brought the first-fruits of the land which thou O Lord hast given me And thou shalt set it saith the Text before the Lord thy God and worship before the Lord thy God This was to be done every year But for Tithes the profession was made every third year because then the course of all manner of Tithing came about For two years they pay'd the Levite's Tithe and the Festival Tithe the third year they pay'd the Levite's Tithe and the poor man's Tithe So that year the course of Tithing being finished the party was to make a solemn profession When thou hast made an end saith the Lord of Tithing all the Tithes of thine increase the third year which is the year of Tithing that is when the Tithing course finisheth and hast given it to the Levite the Stranger the Fatherless and the Widow that they may eat within thy Gates and be filled Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I have brought away the hallowed thing out of mine house and also have given it to the Levite and to the Stranger to the Fatherless and to the Widow according to all the Commandments which thou hast commanded me Look down from thy holy habitation from heaven and bless thy people Israel and the land which thou hast given us as thou swarest to our Fathers a land that floweth with milk and honey What we have seen in these two sorts is to be supposed to be the End of all other Offerings for pious uses which were not Sacrifices namely To acknowledge God to be the Lord and Giver of all As we see in that royal Offering which David with the Princes and Chieâ—tains of Israel made for the building of the Temple 1 Chron. 29. 11 c. where David acknowledgeth thus Thine O Lord is the Kingdom and thou art exalted as Head over all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee For this Reason there was never time since God first gave the Earth to the sons of men wherein this Acknowledgment was not made by setting apart something of that he had given them to that purpose In the state of Paradise among all the Trees in the garden which God gave man freely to enjoy one Tree was Noli me tangere and reserved to God as holy in token that he was Lord of the garden So that the First sin of Mankind for the species of the fact was Sacriledge in prosaning that which was holy For which he was cast out of Paradise and the Earth cursed for his sake â—ecause he had violated the sign of his Fealty unto the great Landlord of the whole Earth Might I not say that many a man unto this day is cast out of his Paradise and the labours of his hands cursed for the same sin But to go on After man's ejection out of Paradise the first service that ever we read was erformed unto God was of this kind Abel bringing the best of his flock and Cain of the fruit of his ground for an Offering or Present unto the Lord. The first spoils that ever we read gotten from an Enemy in war paid Tithes to Melchisedâ—k the Priest of the most High God as an Acknowledgment that he had given Abraham the Victory Melâ—hisedck blessing God in his name to be the possessor of heaven and earth and to have delivered his enemies into his hand To which Abraham said Amen by paying him Tithes of all Iacob promiseth God that if he would give him any thing for at that time he had nothing he would give him the Tenth of what he should give him which is as much to say as he would acknowledge and profess him to be the Giver after the accustomed manner For the Time of the Law I may skip over that it is well enough known no man will deny it But let us come to the Time of the Gospel which though it hath freed us from the bondage of Typical Elements yet hath it not freed us from the profession of our Pealty unto God as Lord of the whole Earth 'T were strange methinks to affirm it I am sure the ancient Church next the Apostles thought otherwise I will quote for a witness Irenaeus who tells us that our Saviour when he took part of the Viands of his last Supper and giving thanks with them consecrated them into a Sacrament of his body and bloud set his Church an example of dedicating part of the creature in Dominicos usus Dominus saith he dans discipulis suis consilium Primitias Deo offerre ex suis creaturis non quasi indigenti
us Rev. 17. 5. that the Christian Rome of the Spouse of Christ should become a Babylonish strumpet and the Mother of the fornications and abominations of the Earth At the same mark aimeth this Prophecy of my Text though perhaps less taken notice of than the rest The evidence whereof I hope you will confess with me when I have unfolded the same Understand therefore that the Words I have read are A prediction of a Corruption of Faith which should one day surprise and overcloud the visible Church or that company of men upon whom the name of Christ was called and who outwardly professed him to be their Lord and Redeemer This Corruption is here set First generally both for the matter and the manner For the matter There shall be false Teachers among you who shall bring in damnable Heresies For the manner it should be done privily Who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies Secondly The Apostle also specially informs us of what kind and sort these damnable Heresies should be that so we might not only know that Heresies should be but be forewarned also what they should be and that by a double mark and description For first They should be like unto those which we read have befallen the people and Church of Israel There were false Prophets also among the people i.e. the Iews even as there shall be false Teachers among you The second mark is That these Heresies should be of such a kind as men who openly professed themselves Christians and servants of Christ should yet deny Christ to be their Lord and Master for saith our Apostle They shall deny the Lord that bought them that is professing themselves to be of that number of men whom Christ had purchased with his bloud or the bought servants of Christ they should nevertheless deny their Lord who bought them The last thing he tells us is the Doom which should befall such as had interest in these Heresies They should bring upon themselves swift destruction To begin with the general description of the matter There shall be false Teachers among you which shall bring in damnable Heresies The time should be when the Doctors of the Church should teach falsly and the people with them believe damnably For we must understand that these false Teachers should not be a few only here and there one nor these Heresies scattered only in some few places but that this Corruption was to be such a one as should cover and overwhelm the face of the visible Church For the Great Defection was to be a general and solemn one such a one as should stain the whole body with the soul name of Whore of Babylon Rev. 17. 5. Such a one as whereby the Court of the Temple of God should not only be prophaned but even troden down by Gentilism Rev. 11. 2. Such a one as the World is said to wonder after the Beast and worship him Rev. 13. 3 4. Such a one as should not only make War with the true Saints but overcome them Rev. 13. 7. Otherwise if S. Iohn and S. Paul should mean no more but the errors of particular men and their trouble from the Church they should make no Prophecy at all or a needless one For who knows not that in S. Paul's S. Iohn's and the Apostles own times were divers Heresies and Hereticks here and there dispersed and grown up as Weeds in the wheat-field of Christ but the wheat yet overtopped them and the known body of the visible Church disclaimed them Of such as these therefore they could not mean when they foretell of a corruption to come in after-times or as Paul speaks 1 Tim. 4. 1. in the latter times for no man uses to foretell of things which are already as if they were to come Nor would the Apostles foretell of Heresies as it were special to the after and latter times if they were but such and in such manner as was but usual and no novelty in their own time The corruption and desection therefore so much prophesied of was another manner of one such a kind of one as before neither had been in the Church nor was to be namely such a one as should not be disclaimed by the body of the Church but should surprise eclipse and overwhelm and as it were overcloud the visible Church it self which should be as when the Heavens are overcast so as the bright Firmament with the stars and lights therein can no more be seen If this be so then may we hence observe how vain and idle that challenge of our Adversaries is when they bid us shew our Church to have been always visiâ—â—e and to give them the names of those who have been of our Belief in all Ages since Christ and his Apostles times What may they not have been although we cannot name them This is as unreasonable a demand as to require a man to shew him and point him where the Sun is when the whole face of Heaven is overcast with Clouds would you not believe the Sun were in the Firmament and risen in a cloudy day though no man could point and shew you with his finger where she is yes I am sure you would and say too that there may be other signs thereof though a man cannot see her as namely Day-light which never is without the Sun yea and now and then we may have a glimpse of her through a thinner cloud which assures us thereof Even so when the great Defection as a Cloud overspread the face of the Christian Firmament the visible Church of Christ for divers Ages together though the Cloud be for a great part so thick as it will not suffer us to discern the company of those who still kept intire the true and unstained Faith of the Gospel yet we rest assured that it was under the Cloud because some Day-light of Christianity still appeared which argued the Sun was in the Firmament though the great Cloud overshadowed her yea and now and then we can shew and spy some glimpse of her as often as any breach happened in the Cloud which overcast her I might also make use of that Parable of our Saviour where the Church or Kingdom of God for both is one is compared to a Field where the Master sowed good seed but while men slept the Enemy that wicked one came and sowed tares among the Wheat If the tares once grow so many and so high that they quite overshadow the wheat whereof there is but little left can a man who stands a good way off shew the wheat from the tares with his finger I think not though if the wheat overmasters the tares he easily might This is the very case of the true Church so long as the Apostasie prevailed And we who live now are something far off if we had been nearer as those were who lived then we might have discerned the wheat a great deal better But if you would yet be more fully informed how
fulfilled amongst us Christians the new people of God There were false Prophets among the people of Israel even so saith my Text were there to be false Teachers among Christians who should bring in damnable Heresies Which that you may the better do Know first that the Israelites did at no time altogether renounce the true and living God not in their worst times but in their conceit and profession they acknowledged him still and were called his people and he their God though they worshipped others besides him So Christians in their Apostasie neither did nor were to make an absolute Apostasie from God the Father and Christ their Redeemer but in outward profession still to acknowledge him and to be called Christians Secondly There are two main Apostasies of Israel recorded in Scripture The First is styled The sin of Ieroboam the son of Nebat as a principal establisher thereof And this was to worship the true God himself under an Image For he set up Calves at Dan and Bethel and consecrated them in this manner Behold Israel the Gods which brought thee out of the land of Egypt For those are Calves indeed which here think he took the Calves themselves to be Gods The truth was Because he would not have the people go to the Temple of Ierusalem where the Ark the pledge of God's presence was therefore he made these Calves in stead thereof supposing as the Gentiles did of their Gods that the true God would have yielded his presence to an Image made in honour of him And therefore they used when they came to make vows or oaths at the Calf to swear Iehovah liveth as Hosea 4. 15. When therefore our Papists worship God the Creator under an Image and Christ their Redeemer in a Cross Crucifix or in a piece of Bread this is the very same Apostasie with that of Ieroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin And as false Prophets taught Israel that so have false Teachers brought into Christendom the very same as you see was prophesied The Second main Apostasie of Israel is called The way of Ahab not because he was the first bringer in but the chief establisher thereof And this was not only to worship the true God idolatrously in an Image as Ieroboam did but to worship other Gods besides him namely Baal-gods or Baalim supposing either by these to have easier access unto the Lord of Hosts the Soveraign God or that these he might resort unto at all times and for all matters as being nearer at hand and not of so high a Dignity whereas the Soveraign God Iehovah the God of Israel either managed not smaller and ordinary matters or might not be troubled with them For such as I told you was the conceit of the Heathen as that the Souls of some great ones after death had the honour to be as Agents betwixt the Soveraign and Superior Gods and men as being of a middle nature between them which in Greek are called Daemons in the Scriptures Baalim When therefore those who are called Christians and have given their faith to Christ Iesus to be their only Mediator and royal Agent between them and his Father when these do worship and invocate Saints or Angels whether with Images or without to be as under-Mediators with God for them or of themselves to bestow some favour upon them those who do this as you know who do are fallen into the Apostasie of Ahab and are worshippers of Baalim For the Idolatry of Saints is altogether the same with that of Baalim HAVING therefore thus seen the verity of S. Peter's Prophecy for the first mark to know of what kind of Heresie should be the Christian Apostasie even like unto that of Israel now let me tell you what use to make of S. Peter's comparison and thus coupling the one by the other First That wheresoever you read in Scripture of the Idolatry of Ieroboam's Calves and of Ahab's Baalim you think of what I have told you and know that whatsoever God speaks against those things there the same he speaks of the Apostate Christians under Rome whose case is in all respects the same If therefore other points be hard and such as you cannot understand yet this of Idolatry is an easie mark for you to know the true Church from the false by and almost every leaf in the Scripture will help you Bless the Lord therefore and never cease to bless him who hath delivered us from those woful abominations and Idolatries wherewith the Church was so long overwhelmed and hath restored unto us the sincerity of his Gospel Secondly Seeing the Holy Ghost hath taught us here to compare the Christian's Apostasie with that of Israel we may hereby learn also what was the state and condition of true Christian Believers under the Apostasie of Antichrist namely the same with the true Israelites under the Apostasie of Israel Where was the true Church in Ahab's time was it not covered so under the Apostate Israelites that Elias himself who was one of it could scarce find it 1 Kings 19. 10. Where was the company of true worshippers in Manasses time the worst time of all or had the Lord no Church at all Yes he had a Church even then even hidden in the body of that Idolatrous Nation yea a strong party though not seen as appeared presently upon Manasses death when Iosiab came to reign who at eight years of age a very child yet was able to reform all again When therefore the Papists shall ask us where our Church was before Luther let us answer She was as the true Israelites were then buried under the Apostate body of Christendom she was even there whence God in his good time called her out viz. she was in the Spiritual Babylon If Rome now be Babylon and your Mother-Church that ancient Spouse of Christ which hath been so long an abominable Strumpet committing Fornication with strange Gods as we are sure she is we cannot chuse but know where ours was in the mean time until it pleased God to call her thence even amongst you she was then and where she is now you know and shall one day feel until you bite your tongues for pain But how could the faithful company of Christ live in the midst of Idolaters and have means of Salvation I answer Even as the true Israelites lived in the midst of the Apostasie of Israel But you may ask further When the face of the Church and the whole visible worship therein was so universally stained with abominable Idolatries how and whereby should a man gather that there were any such sincerer company amongst them who had not defiled their garments I might tell you that Histories though written by our enemies do mention many such discovered at several times But I will give you another sign to know it namely The light of God's word and some other Divine Truths still remaining For it was not so much
for the Apostate Faction as for the sake of some chosen ones that this blessing was continued Had there been nothing but Egyptians there darkness should wholly have surprised them but for Goshen's sake for a few righteous in Sodom God would not take this blessing from them He that espies any day-light will conclude the Sun is in our Heaven though for the clouds he see her not If we should see a candle hang up in a room and see it full of blind men yet would we say surely there is some amongst them can see why else hangs the candle there So must we reason from the day-light and candle-light of Divine Truths still appearing and hung up in the Church For as S. Paul said What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect Rom. 3. 3. And Rom. 9. 4 c. when the body of the Iewish Nation refused Christ yet he reckons their priviledges as many as Rome could ever challenge Whose is saith he the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law the service of God and the promises whose are the Fathers c. Not as though saith he the word of God had taken none effect For they are not all Israel which are of Israel c. NOW I come to the second mark here laid down in my Text to know what manner of Heresies should be in the great Apostasie of the Christian Faith Even denying the Lord that bought them They should give up their names as Christ's servants as his purchase and yet deny their Lord and Master For Servants in times past used to be bought with a price and so were as their Masters proper possession Christ buys his servants with his bloud The meaning therefore is they should profess themselves his servants and yet deny him to be their Master What Heresies should these be Even the very same the first mark told us of Christian Idolatry For as a Wife who hath given her faith to one Husband if she commit adultery with others denies him to be that she calls him though she call him Husband never so much So the Church the Spouse of Christ having given her faith to him alone to be her only Lord and Mediator in whom and through whom alone she would approach the Throne of Majesty in Heaven if she bows down her self to other Mediators whether Saints or Angels if she invocates and worships the Father in any other thing save Christ alone the only Image we must worship the Image of the Father and the only Agent we must imploy to God before the Throne in Heaven she commits Spiritual Adultery that is Idolatry and denies the Lord which bought her That this should be the meaning here let this one reason serve the turn That that is always the meaning of the like Phrase in the Old Testament where in stead of the Lord that bought we have the Lord that brought them out of the land of Egypt Let us compare them I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt Thou shalt have none other Gods but me In the New Testament thus saith Christ I am Christ the Lord which bought thee Thou shalt have no other Christ but me Are not these alike So when the Israelites fell to Idolatry and to worship Idols and strange Gods hear how the Lord speaks then Deut. 32. 15 16. Ieshurun waxed fat forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation they provoked him to jealousie with strange gods So may we say the Christian Mother waxed fat forsook God which redeemed her c. Iudges 2. 12 13. They forsook the Lord God of their Fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other gods and served Baal and Ashtaroth and this expression is frequent Psal. 81. 10 11. 1 Kings 9. 9. 2 Kings 17. 7. Iust so might the Lord speak of Christians They forsook the Lord which brought them out of the Spiritual Egypt and worshipped Saints and Angels I meant to have spoken much more of this but the time will not suffer me I desire we may observe from this twofold mark of the Christian Apostasie What that is among so many Corruptions both now and heretofore overwhelming the Church of Christ wherein the Holy Ghost placeth the essence and which he accounteth as the Soul of the great Apostasie under the man of sin and would have us to make the Pole-star of our discovery thereof Not every Error not every Heresie how gross soever but Idolatry and Spiritual Fornication As for other Heresies though accompanying this yet are they but accidental and not of the essence of the great Apostasie which was to come Even as Whores are seldom without other foul faults which yet are no parts of Whoredom so hath the Spiritual Whore many other Heresies but her Whoredom is Idolatry Idolatry is the only Character and Note whereby the great Apostasie of the visible Church is discovered and distinguished from all other Blasphemies Seditions and Heresies of what age or time soever Which is the reason why Babylon is intituled in the Revelation of S. Iohn not the Liar of Babylon nor the Tyrant of Babylon nor the Heretick of Babylon nor the Murtheress of Babylon though she be all these but the Whore of Babylon yea the Great Whore and the Mother of the Fornications and Abominations of the Earth Chap. 17. DISCOURSE XLIV 1 COR. 10. 3 4. And they did all eat the same Spiritual meat And did all drink the same Spiritual drink For they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. THE first part of this Chapter is a Comparison of some Sacramental Types in the old Law with the two Sacraments of the new and that in two respects namely 1. For the same nature or substance of the Mysteries in both and 2. For the same condition of the Receivers if either they abuse them or walk unworthy of them The words which I have now chosen are in special an agreement of some of the foresaid Types of the Law with the Eucharist or Lord's Supper First in substance of the Mystery And they that is the Fathers in the Wilderness all ate the same Spiritual meat and all drank the same Spiritual drink Secondly in the dangerous condition of unworthy Receivers either of this or the other Sacrament in these words But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness And first I will speak of the first of these which you may see is also double first concerning our Spiritual meat and secondly concerning our Spiritual drink in both which the Apostle affirms those of the old Fathers to have been the same with ours For the understanding whereof we will first speak of the Spiritual meat as the words lie and then of the Spiritual drink and in both first what is required to be
than to hold one may be fed by the meat another man eats or be saved by another man's Faith Which were most ridiculous for a man is nourished by his own meat and the just must live by his own Faith Many strong Reasons might be alledged against this so soul a corruption but I will comprise all in three 1. It is against the express commandment of Christ whose words are Eat ye all of this and Drink ye all of this Had the Church of Rome been the true Spouse of Christ she would never have presumed to abolish what he hath ordained and to establish what her self hath devised not only in this but in many other actions which is no less than to advance her self in Wisdom and Authority above the Son of God 2. It is against the nature of a Sacrament which consists in receiving For the main difference between a Sacrifice and a Sacrament is that in the one we give to God in the other God gives to us and we receive of him 3. It abolishes the Mystery of our consolation and that whereby our Faith is strengthened in the use of these Holy Signs that mankind might have an interest in Christ and what he should do on our behalf We know it was required he should be incarnate and take our nature upon him which now he hath done Every one of us can believe that what he hath done is for the behoof of mankind and so some men shall be the better for it since our whole kind by reason of his Incarnation is capable of the benefits of his Passion and the whole work of Redemption But in that though Christ became man yet he took not upon him the nature of every several man hence no man from his Incarnation could apply these Benefits unto himself in special For he might say indeed Christ was made man and so man may be the better for him and have some interest in him but since he was not incarnate into me how should I apply this unto my self Why therefore the All-wise God who knew our weakness hath so ordained in the Mystery of this Holy Sacrament that it is a Mystical Incarnation of Christ into every one who receives it Whence Gregory Nazianzen defines the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Communion of the Incarnation of God For in that he affirms the Bread to be his Body and the Wine to be his Bloud by receiving this Body and Bloud of Christ and so changing it into the substance of our Body and into our Bloud by way of nourishment the Body of Christ becomes our Body and his Bloud is made our Bloud and we become in a Mystical manner flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone And as in his conception of the Holy Virgin he took upon him the nature of Man that he might save Man so in his Holy Sacrament he takes upon him the nature of every man in singular that he might save every man who becomes him in the Divine Sacrament of his Body and Bloud His real Incarnation was only in one but his Mystical Incarnation in many and hence comes this Sacrament to be an Instrument whereby Christ is conveyed unto us his Benefits applied and so our Faith confirmed How then do they abolish this Holy Mystery this comfortable Analogy where Christ is offered but those for whom he is offered receive him not but stand as gazing Spectators whilst the Priest alone is the Actor But let us who are so happy above them who come hither as Receivers and not as Gazers let us I say consider how great a Gift it is which God gives us Zaccheus gave a great Gift half his Goods unto the Poor Herod promised a greater unto the dancing Damsel but the greatest of all is that which the prodigal giver offered our Saviour even all the Kingdoms of the World But all these Gifts are faln short and of infinite less value than this transcendent Gift which God gives unto us which makes S. Iohn when he speaks of it to express it with an Emphasis So God loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life Lo here the greatest Gift that Heaven can yield or the Earth can receive Let us therefore stir up Hearts and Hands to give thanks and praise unto him of whom we receive so wonderful a Gift saying with the Prophet David What shall we render unto the Lord for this admirable benefit AND thus I come to a fourth Observation which these words will lend us namely That the Apostle warrants here by his Example the Illustration of things in the Gospel by the Types of the Law For if the Apostle uses an Example where one would scarce suspect there was a Tppe much more doth he approve an application where a Type is plain and evident and besides seems to insinuate thus much unto us That all the extraordinary actions of God toward his ancient People had in them some Mystery of some things to come as this of Manna in the Wilderness And I make no question but the searching and suting of Allegories in these two kinds were allowable and profitable But this is the errour of Allegorizers They seek Allegories where they are not but where they are they seldom look for them For although the body and verity be of it self more clear and evident than the shadow yet always a Comparison affords more light than a single contemplation Now because the Apostle hath led the way of this practice in the matter of the Eucharist let me have leave to second him in another Instance of the same Argument almost out of himself in the Chapter not in so sublime a kind but in a plain and vulgar Type Amongst all the Sacrifice of the Law there is none either for name or nature comes so near the Sacrament of the Supper as the Eucharistical The Passeover was a special kind hereof where it is so well known that the Fathers ate the same Spiritual Meat we do that I shall not need say any thing of it only it shall suffice to shew the same in the whole kind of Eucharistical Offerings which is not so much observed An Eucharistical Sacrifice or a Peace-offering was a Sacrifice of fire or expiatory a part whereof was burnt upon the Altar as in other Sacrifices but the remainder and greater part was eaten by the faithful people who brought it that so their Sacrifice being turned into their bodie 's nourishment might be a Sign of their incorporation into Christ to come who was the true Sacrifice for Sin So whereas other Sacrifices were only Sacrifices this was also a Sacrament the rest were only for Expiation but this also for application being a Communion of that Sacrifice which was offered Rightly therefore was it added to all other Sacrifices for what profit was there of expiation of Sin unless it were applied
after the first of which Sabbaths S. Luke calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereby it may seem that the Pharisees reproved the Disciples not so much for breaking any Sabbath's rest as for eating the ears afore it was lawful for if it were lawful upon a Sabbath-day to reach meat from a Table why should it not be as lawful to pluck ears of Corn to ear them without breach of the Sabbath But I leave this Secondly At this Feast also I suppose they paid their Firstlings and Tithes of Cattel for God was to have of the best which was as I told you the Breed of the Spring at this time ready And this is the reason that where this Feast is commanded there follow presently some Precepts of the Firstlings of the Cattel because namely it concerned the same time Now at the Feast of Pentecost when Harvest was ended they are commanded to bring two wave-loaves of their new Corn for a second First-fruits of their Harvest At which time also they paid Tithes of Corn so much as was threshed and a Tribute also of a Free-will-offering of their hand as it is called in the 10. of this Chapter And this Feast ending their Harvest is a reason why at the mentioning thereof you shall find precepts of not gathering their Lands clean but that they should leave something for the poor to glean which also was a secondary Offering unto God himself Lastly At the Feast of Tabernacles they offered First-fruits and Tithes of Wine and Oyl which was the Offering of that season and besides the remainders of their Tithes of the floor or of threshed corn which is the reason why this Feast is called Exod. 34. The Feast of gathering in at the years end and in this Chapter afore my Text The Feast of gathering in of the Floor and the Winepress For at this time all their Corn was threshed and the Vintage done and other Fruits were gathered and so an Offering of them given unto God seasonably therefore in the commandment of this Feast you shall find a precept of not gathering their Grapes and Fruits clean in behalf of the Poor also Thus you see the Offering of Cattel was at Easter of Bread and Breadcorn in part at Pentecost of Wine and Oyle and the remainder of Corn at the Feast of Tabernacles whereupon we read 2 Chron. 31. 7. that the people which paid their Tithes there at Hezekiah's command began to lay the foundation of the heaps in the third month that is at Pentecost and finished them in the seventh month namely at the Feast of Tabernacles NOW having shewed what was the Iews practice let us also see our duty in imitation of them which I will only at this time shew briefly and generally Certainly we are bound also not to appear before the Lord with empty hand It is not enough to give at other times but it is a piece of the Worship required at that time For we must know that the actions of Men in holy Assemblies are not like their private actions at other times For all the actions here are not the actions of several men but to be accounted as one action of the whole body which makes S. Paul use the phrase when ye come together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be as it were one and the same every prayer here is not many prayers if many but one prayer of all as one whether we say I in the singular or We in the plural all is one for I here expresses one made of many and We many made into one Whatsoever worship God requires therefore of any one alone the same he requires also of all met together as one for he is God as well of the body of the Church as a body as of any one in the Church as a Christian and therefore requires some of them in both kinds that is Confession Prayer Thanksgiving and an Offering of the hand too of the body of the Church assembled as well as of any one at any other time S. Paul ordained so in the Churches on the Lord's day the day of holy Assembly the day when many came together as one Every first day of the Week let every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him The Primitive Christians practised the same in all their Assemblies alledging these words of my Text for the same as we may see in Iustin Martyr Irenaeus and others Nay they used to offer at the Lord's Table some handful of those Offerings and Tithes to which they would entitle the Lord whence the ancient Liturgies run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember O Lord those who offer of their fruits and encrease in thy holy Churches We have also in our Liturgy a Service for the Offertory and many places of Scripture at the same read to move our devotion every Sunday and a Prayer to God at the end thereof That he would accept our Alms and Prayers when we seldom bring him any Our Blessed Saviour though he had nothing in this world but the contribution of good People in a Bag yet that he might in this also fulfil the Law of God he used at these solemn times to give unto the Poor which we may gather from the story of his Last Supper for the Text saith when he bade Iudas do quickly what he had to do his Disciples thought he had bid him give something unto the Poor because he carried the Bag which they would not have thought unless he had wont to do so at such times DISCOURSE XLIX GENESIS 10. 5. By these the Isles of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were divided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their lands every one after his tongue after their families 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their nations WHENAS after the great Deluge of waters the sons of Noah began to multiply upon the earth it is said That they came from the East into the land of Shinar the pleasant plain of Shinar where God at the beginning had placed the first Father of mankind our Father Adam But when they saw that their numbers were like to be great and that so small a plot of ground would not contain them all yet that they might continue within the Body of one Society and have as it were a common right in this place of Paradise they agreed to build them a Citie which should have been the Metropolis of an Vniversal Monarchy and an exceeding high Tower that they might be famous and renowned among posterity But this vain purpose of man's imagination seemed evil in the eyes of God and therefore it is said That he came down from heaven to overthrow the counsel of the sons of men And because they were so loth to break Society it pleased God to cut from them the common Bond of one Society and to make them speak with many languages For as Speech is termed the Bond of Society Oratio saith the Philosopher est Societatis
Eleemosyna or Alms. The first is done to God immediately and is when we give ought to the use and maintenance of his Worship The Second is done to our Neighbour immediately as when we supply his wants out of our abundance and this is done to God only mediately unless it be done unto the stranger fatherless and widow for they in the old Law were in a special manner Cura Dei God's care together with the Levite Of these two kinds I have hitherto extended the first though I exclude not Alms so far as God is worshipped by the good we do unto our brother I COME now unto the last point I proposed namely The Practice of the ancient Church in the use of this Offering or Oblatory Praise and Thanksgiving at the celebration of the Lord's Supper and here I will shew first What their custom was secondly What ground and reason they had for the same To begin with the first Among the ancient Christians the whole Office of this Sacrament I mean the whole Body of Rites and Actions about the same consisted of three parts namely as they are distinguished by Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was an act of Oblatory praise and prayer by addressing or applying Bread and Wine unto the use of the Sacrament and other Gifts to the use of God's service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrifice the consecration or mystical changing of Bread and Wine thus sanctified into the Body and Bloud of our Lord Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the eating or receiving of the same in sign of Communion with Christ and all the fruits of his Incarnation whence Nazianzen defines this Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Communion of the Incarnation of God To these three acts answer three words To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Oblation hallowed Bread and hallowed Wine but no more To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Consecration the Body and Bloud of the Lord To the third the Communion of the Body and Bloud of the Lord. The first act of common Bread and Wine made holy and sanctified Bread and Wine called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Bread and Wine of Blessing and Thanksgiving The second act of holy Bread and Wine made most holy that is holy signs of the Lord's Body and Bloud The third of holy signs in general holy signs in special applied to the soul of each receiver The first was done by being used to Prayer and Thanksgiving The second by pronouncing the words of Institution at the breaking of the Bread and pouring of the Wine The third by receiving it with Amen or So be it The first and last were acts of Priest and People the second of the Priest alone Thus was there as it were a mutual commerce between God and the People the People giving unto God and God again unto his People the People giving a small Thanksgiving but receiving a great Blessing offering Bread but receiving the Body offering Wine but receiving the mystical Bloud of Christ Iesus I know that the names of these are often confounded all being used for the whole and often one for another but especially the Sacrament it self is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oblation or Offering by a Metonymic of the matter because the matter was offered Bread and offered Wine For the same reason is it called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eucharist because the matter of it was Eucharistia Bread of Blessing and Thanksgiving not as some think because the End thereof is Thanksgiving It is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrifice I think of the matter also which was taken out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though some will have it so called because it was a sign of Christ's sacrifice But I return again unto the Oblation which as you have seen was as it were a Prologue unto the Sacrament and had the full nature of the Heave-offering which I have so long spoken of First it was in every part complete having all the degrees or parts of a true offering namely of the Heart of the Tongue and of the Hand all formally expressed in the ancient Liturgies For when the people began to bring their Offering unto the Altar the Priest was to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lift up your hearts to which they answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We lift them up unto the Lord This was the use of those Versicles in ancient time When this was done then came the calves of their lips offered both to Praise and Prayer 1. To Praise and Thanksgiving When the Priest cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us give thanks unto the Lord the people answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is meet and just we should do so and so they went on to give God thanks or to make a thankful remembrance of the Creation of the World and all things therein for the use of man for the Providence of God in governing the same for the Oeconomy of his Church afore the Law and in the Law recounting in brief as they went the principal Histories of the Bible in all these particulars This part of Oblatory Thanksgiving is now called the Preface in the Mass though something diverse from the ancient But because Christ had commanded that in this service they should chiefly remember him they made in the next place a large Thanksgiving unto God that he so loved the world as to give his own Son for the same that the Son of God would abase himself so low as to take upon him the nature of sinful man and by his death and passion to redeem us out of the jaws of death and pit of hell And this is now for the greater part called The Hymn and here ended The offering of Praise and Thanksgiving 2. Next comes the Offering of Prayer or Prayer with an Offering for Kings and Princes the whole Catholick Church and so along as we have it in our Litany or in the Prayer for the whole state of Christ's Church both which are beaten out of that mint And our Prayer for the whole state of Christ's Church is yet Oblatory if the Rubrick were observed which enjoyns the Church-wardens to gather the Alms of the people and then to make this Vniversal Prayer and in the very beginning thereof we desire Almighty God to accept our Alms and to receive our Prayers In no other sense did the ancient Church use their word Offer so often repeated in those Prayers but that God would accept of their Obedience in thus honouring him and so according to his promise in Christ to hear their Prayers And hence it is that sometimes they say We offer sometimes We beseech thee one expounding the meaning of the other But this is now made to be the Canon of the Mass and all this Offering of Prayer is turned into an Offering of Expiation for the quick and the dead For this offering of
from this ancient Terumah of Thanksgiving and Prayer which I will briefly point at and so make an end 1. This Offering of the Fathers was before the Consecration the Mass is after 2. This was of bare and naked Bread and Wine the Mass of the Body and Bloud of Christ. 3. This was an Heave-offering of Praise and Prayer the Mass is an Offering of Expiation or a price of redemption for the quick and dead 4. This was an act of all the Faithful but the Mass is of the Priest alone DISCOURSE LII REVEL 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Be zealous therefore and repent THESE words are part of one of the Seven Epistles sent by Christ unto the Seven Churches in Asia namely an Exhortation unto the Church of Laodicea whose disease was Lukewarmness and want of Fervency in the matter of Religion and that accompanied with Security arising from presumption of Gods love through the abundance of his outward blessings bestowed upon them vers 17. That therefore which they abused as an Argument why they might be secure as being God's darling and so much beloved in my Text is retorted unto them as an Argument of fear of some Chastisement near unto them and even hanging over their heads For those whom God loveth he chastiseth Certain therefore it was that they should erelong feel the Scourge of God unless they should timely rouze themselves out of their lazy devotions out of the hateful and dangerous temper of Lukewarmness unless they should blow up the fire of Zeal to love and worship God with all earnestness and fervency in sum unless they would amend that grievous fault by Repentance for As many as I love saith Christ I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent It belongs not much to our purpose to enquire Whether those seven Epistles concern historically and literally only the Churches here named or Whether they were intended for Types of Churches or Ages of the Church afterwards to come It shall be sufficient to say That if we consider their Number being Seven which is a number of revolution of Times and therefore in this Book the Seals Trumpets and Vials also are seven or if we consider the choice of the Holy Ghost in that he taketh neither all no nor the most famous Churches then in the world as Antioch Alexandria Rome and many other and such no doubt as had need of instruction as well as those here named if these things be well considered it will seem that these Seven Churches besides their Literal respect were intended and it may be chiefly to be as Patterns and Types of the several Ages of the Catholick Church from the beginning thereof unto the end of the World that so these Seven Churches should Prophetically sample unto us a sevenfold Temper and Constitution of the whole Church according to the several Ages thereof answering the Pattern of the Churches named here For as in the course of Man's life diversity of ages hath diverse manners and conditions so was it to be with the Church of Christ Yea and as some Diseases are in regard of predominancy proper unto some men and not to others so is it with the Church All of these with their praises if good and remedies if evil are pourtrayed in these Seven Epistles unto the Seven Churches Nay not only the whole Church but even particular Churches have their Ages Manners and Conditions answerable unto the whole Body They have likewise their Infancy Youth Virility and old age with their several Constitutions Conditions and Diseases The first age and spring-time of both like unto Ephesus full of patience labour tolerancy and zeal The last and old age like unto Laodicea in abundance of all external things Lukewarm and neither hot nor cold That which the Poet saies of the disposition of old men Nullus Senex veneratur Iovem being more true of Churches as they grow old their zeal grows cold also So that in this regard my Text will not be unseasonable if the Times wherein we live be either the Last times as most men think or near upon the Last as no man will deny Howsoever since no Condition Temper or Disease is so proper to any one Age but that it is found sometime more or less in all So may this of Lukewarmness be with us what time soever of our age it be and therefore no question but we may in Laodicea as in a lively Example clearly read our own state and learn wisdom Without any longer Preface therefore I come unto the Words themselves which contain First God's rule Those whom he loves he rebukes and chastens Secondly Our and his Churches duty We must be zealous and repent Lastly The Connexion of these two Because those whom God loves he will rebuke and chasten for their sin especially Lukewarmness We must therefore be zealous and repent To begin with the first God's rule As many as I love I rebuke and chasten The words need no great explanation the two last I rebuke and chasten are rendred for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I rebuke notes a reproving and convincing by Argument the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I chasten notes such a correction as Fathers give their children not to hurt them but to amend them which we use to call a discipling a punishment of discipline intended ad correctionem non ad destructionem So that the meaning is Those whom I love if after I have long reproved them and convinced them of sin by my Word and Ministers all be but in vain then I use to chastise them with my rod to afflict them with some scourge of my discipline even as a Father doth the child whom he loveth Come we therefore to the Observations these words afford us The first whereof is That God chastises his children out of love and for their good For all the actions of God towards those he loves must needs be out of love and whatsoever he doth out of love must be for the good of those he loveth Indeed men for want of wisdom often do out of love that which hurts as the Proverb is they kill with kindness But with God it is otherwise He wants not skill to know what is best for his beloved as men do and therefore as certain it is that his chastisements shall end with our profit as we are sure they spring from our sins The ignorance of this point makes many to err and with the friends of Iob to judge amiss of God's love and hate towards men But we must know that God hath two sorts of arrows Arrows of judgment and Arrows of mercy the first he shoots against those he hates Psal. 7. 13. Ps. 144. 6. the other he shoots at his own even those whom he loves and therewith he wounds them that he may cure them and such as these may apply to themselves the words of the Spouse in the
the Fathers be true then were there Places called Ecclesiae or Churches and consequently Places appointed and set apart for Christian assemblies to perform their solemn Service to God in even in the Apostles times Or suppose they be not true or but doubtful and not necessary yet thus much will follow howsoever That these Fathers who were nearer to those Primitive times by above one thousand one hundred years than we are and so had better means to know what they had or had not than we supposed there were such Places even in the Apostles times If in the Apostles times then no doubt in the Ages next after them And thus we shall gain something by this Text whether we accept this notion of the word Ecclesia or not HAVING therefore gotten so good an entrance we will now further enquire What manner of places they were or may be supposed to have been which were appropriated to such use and that done proceed to shew by such Testimonies or footsteps of Antiquity as Time hath left unto us That there were such Places through every Age respectively from the days of the Apostles unto the reign of Constantine that is in every of the first three hundred years For the first It is not to be imagined they were such goodly and stately Structures as the Church had after the Empire became Christian and we now by God's blessing enjoy but such as the state and condition of the times would permit at the first some capable and convenient Room within the walls or dwelling of some pious disciple dedicated by the religious bounty of the owner to the use of the Church and that usually an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an upper room such as the Latines call Coenaculum being according to their manner of building as the most large and capacious of any other so likewise the most retired and freest from disturbance and next to Heaven as having no other room above it For such uppermost places we find they were wont then to make choice of even for private devotions as may be gathered from what we read of S. Peter Acts 10. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he went up to the house-top to pray for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ex usu Hellenistarum and is accordingly here rendred by the vulgar Latine in superiora Such an Hyperôon as we speak of was that remembred by the name of Coenaculum Sion where after our Saviour was descended the Apostles and Disciples as we read in Acts 10. 13 c. assembled together daily for prayer and supplication and where being thus assembled the Holy Ghost came down upon them in Cloven tongues of fire at the Feast of Pentecost Concerning which there hath been a Tradition in the Church That this was the same room wherein our Blessed Saviour the night before his Passion celebrated the Pasâ—eover with his Disciples and instituted the Mystical Supper of his Body and Bloud for the Sacred Rite of the Gospel The same place where on the day of his Resurrection he came and stood in the midst of his Disciples the doors being shut and having shewed them his hands and his feet said Peace be unto you As my Father hath sent me so I send you c. Iohn 20. 21. The place where eight days or the Sunday after he appeared in the same manner again unto them being together to satisfie the incredulity of Thomas who the first time was not with the rest The place where Iames the Brother of our Lord was created by the Apostles Bishop of Ierusalem The place where the seven Deacons whereof S. Stephen was one were elected and ordained The place where the Apostles and Elders of the Church at Ierusalem held that Council and pattern of all Councils for decision of that Question Whether the Gentiles which believed were to be circumcised or not And for certain the place of this Coenaculum was afterwards enclosed with a goodly Church known by the name of the Church of Sion upon the top whereof it stood Insomuch that S. Hierome in his Epitaphio Paulae made bold to apply that of the Psalm unto it Fundamenta ejus in montibus sanctis diligit Dominus porâ—as Sion super omnia tabernacula Iacob How soon this Erection was made I know not but I believe it was much more ancient than those other Churches erected in other places of that City by Constantine and his Mother because neither Eusebius Socrates Theodoret nor Sozomen make any mention of the foundation thereof as they do of the rest It is called by S. Cyril who was Bishop of the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the upper Church of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles in the likeness of fiery tongues here in Ierusalem in the VPPER CHVRCH OF THE APOSTLES Cyril Hierosol Cat. 16. If this Tradition be true it should seem by it that this Coenaculum from the time our Blessed Saviour first hallowed it by the institution and celebration of his Mystical Supper was thenceforth devoted to be a Place of prayer and holy assemblies And surely no Ceremonies of dedication no not of Solomon's Temple it self are comparable to those sacred guests whereby this place was sanctified This is the more easie to be believed if the House were the possession of some Disciple at least if not of kindred also to our Saviour according to the flesh which both Reason perswades and Tradition likewise confirmeth it to have been And when we read of those first Believers that such as had houses and lands sold them and brought the prices and laid them down at the Apostles feet it is nothing unlikely but some likewise might give their house unto the Apostles for the use of the Church to perform Sacred duties in And thus perhaps should that Tradition whereof Venerable Bede tells us be understood viz. That this Church of Sion was founded by the Apostles Not that they erected that Structure but that the Place from the time it was a Coenaculum was by them dedicated to be an House of Prayer His words are these De locis sanctis cap. 3. in Tom. 3. In superiori Monâ—is Sion planitie monachorum cellulae Ecclesiam magnam circundant illic ut perhibent ab Apostolis fundatam eò quòd ibi Spiritum Sanctum acceperint In quaetiam Locus Coenae Domini venerabilis ostenditur And if this were so why may not I think that this Coenaculum Sion or upper room of Sion was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof we read concerning the first Christian society at Ierusalem Acts 2. 46. That they continued daily in the Temple and breaking bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the House ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart the meaning being That when they had performed their devotions daily in the Temple at the
before God without that inward devotion requisite be a sin yet to confess and acknowledge by what our outward gesture importeth the duty we owe unto him but are defective in I hope is not no more than the confession of any other sin For our worship in such a case if we will so intend it is an act of Repentance and as the modern Greeks are wont to call their Adorations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repentances so may we in this case make ours to be namely as if we said Lord I ought to come before thee with that religious sear humble reverence and lifting up of Heart which the gesture the posture I here present importeth but Lord be merciful to me a sinner If a mans Heart be so prophane and irreligious as not to acknowledge thus much I yield that such a one might better spare his labour and not come into the presence of God at all Otherwise I conclude still with our Blessed Saviour's determination in the like case Those greater things we ought to do and not to leave the other undone THE CHRISTIAN SACRIFICE MALACHI 1. 11. Ab ortu Solis usque ad occasum magnum erit Nomen meum in Gentibus in omni loco offeretur Incensum Nomini meo Munus purum quia magnum erit Nomen meum in Gentibus dicit Dominus exercituum From the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of hosts CHAP. I. The Text a Prophecy of the Christian Sacrifice according to the judgment of the ancient Fathers in the Second Third and Fourth Centuries The difficulty of explaining the Christian Sacrifice The Reasons of this difficulty The Method and Order propounded for this Discourse THIS place of Scripture howsoever now in a manner silenced and forgotten was once and that in the eldest and purest times of the Church a Text of eminent note and familiarly known to every Christian being alledged by their Pastors and Teachers as an express and undoubted Prophecie of the Christian Sacrifice or Solemn Worship in the Eucharist taught by our Blessed Saviour unto his Disciples to be observed of all that should believe in his Name and this so generally and grantedly as could never have been at least so early unless they had learned thus to apply it by Tradition from the Apostles For in the Age immediately succeeding them being the second hundred of years after Christ we find it alledged to this purpose by Iustin Martyr and Irenaeus the Pillars of that Age the former of them flourishing within little more than thirty years after the death of S. Iohn and the latter a Disciple of Polycarp S. Iohn's Scholar In the Age following or third Seculum it is alledged by Tertullian Zeno Veronensis and Cyprian in the fourth Seculum by Eâ—sebius Chrysostome Hierome and Augustine and in the after-Ages by whom not Nor is it alledged by them as some singular opinion or private conceit of their own but as the received Tradition of the Church whence in some Liturgies as that of the Church of Alexandria commonly called the Liturgy of S. Mark it is inserted into the Hymn or Preface which begins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is truly meet and right the conclusion of the Hymn or Laud there being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Giving thanks we offer unto thee O Lord this reasonable and unbloudy Service even that which all Nations from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same offer unto thee for thy Name shall be great among all Nations and in every place Incense is offered unto thy holy Name and Sacrifice and Oblation Thus you see the antiquity of Tradition for the meaning and application of this Prophecy But for the Christian Sacrifice it self whereunto it is applied What the ancient Church understood thereby What and Wherein the Nature of this Sacrifice consisted is a point though most needful to be known yet beyond belief obscure intricate and perplext He that shall make trial will find I say true A reverend and learned Prelate of ours acknowledges as much Apud veteres Patres saith he ut quod râ—s est liberè fateamur de sacrificio corporis Christi in Eucharistia incruento frequens est mentio quae dicâ— vix potest quantâ—pâ—re quorundam alioqui doctorum hominum ingenia exercuerit torserit vexaverit To speak the plain truth In the Writings of the ancient Fathers there is frequent mention of The unbloudy Sacrifice of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist a point which hath beyond expression puzzled and vext the minds of several men otherwise not unlearned The reason of this obscurity hath grown partly from the changing of the Notion of the Church thereabout in following times partly by the violence of the Controversies of this last Age whilst each part finding the knot and studying not so much the right way of untying it as how to give the least advantage to the adverse party have infinitely intangled the same and made it more indissoluble than before I have acquainted my self long with this Argument and spent many a thought thereabout using the best means I could conceive to be inform'd namely Not so much to relie upon the opinions of modern Writers as to peruse and compare the passages of the Ancients themselves and their Forms and Liturgies out of which I was assur'd the Truth might be learned if I were but able to understand them What I have sound and learned I desire to give an account of in this place as I shall have occasion the Argument being such as befits no other Auditorie but the Schools of the Prophets Nor will the Discourse be unprofitable for such as mean to be acquainted with the Writings of the Fathers and Antiquities of the Church there being nothing in them so like to stumble the Reader as this To come then to the matter where I will chalk out my Discourse in this order First I shall premise as the ground thereof A Definition of The Christian Sacrifice as the ancient Church meant it Secondly Explain the meaning of my Text by application thereto Thirdly Prove each part of the Definition I shall give by the Testimonies of the Fathers Councils and Liturgies of the first and best Ages interlacing therewith such passages as may make for the better understanding either of the Testimonies I bring or of the matter it self for which they are brought CHAP. II. The Christian Sacrifice defined and briefly explained The two parts or double Object of this Sacrifice What meant by Sacrificium Quod what by Sacrificium Quo. TO begin with the First The Definition of the Christian Sacrifice Under which name first know That the ancient Church understood not as many suppose the mere Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of
Christ but the whole Sacred Action or Solemn Service of the Church assembled whereof this Sacred Mysterie was then a prime and principal part and as it were the Pearl or Iewel of that Ring no publick Service of the Church being without it This observed and remembred I define the Christian Sacrifice ex mente antiquae Ecclesiae according to the meaning of the ancient Church in this manner An Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer to God the Father through Iesus Christ and his Sacrifice commemorated in the Creatures of Bread and Wine wherewith God had first been agniz'd So that this Sacrifice as you see hath a double object or matter first Praise and Prayer which you may call Sacrificium Quod secondly The commemoration of Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross which is Sacrificium Quo the Sacrifice whereby the other is accepted For all the Prayers Thanksgivings and Devotions of a Christian are tendred up unto God in the name of Iesus Christ crucified According whereunto we are wont to conclude our Prayers with Through Iesus Christ our Lord. And this is the specification whereby the Worship of a Christian is distinguisht from that of the Iew. Now that which we in all our Prayers and Thanksgivings do vocally when we say Through Iesus Christ our Lord the ancient Church in her publick and solemn Service did visibly by representing him according as he commanded in the Symbols of his Body and Bloud For there he is commemorated and received by us for the same end for which he was given and suffered for us that through him we receiving forgiveness of our sins God our Father might accept our service and hear our prayers we make unto him What time then so sit and seasonable to commend our devotions unto God as when the Lamb of God lies slain upon the holy Table and we receive visibly though mystically those gracious Pledges of his blessed Body and Bloud This was that Sacrifice of the ancient Church the Fathers so much ring in our ears The Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer through Iesus Christ mystically represented in the Creatures of Bread and Wine But yet we have not all there is one thing more my Definition intimates when I say Through the Sacrifice of Iesus Christ commemorated in the Creatures of Bread and Wine wherewith God had first been agnized The Body and Bloud of Christ were not made of common Bread and common Wine but of Bread and Wine first sanctified by being offered and set before God as a Present to agnize him the Lord and Giver of all according to that The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof and Let no man appear before the Lord emptie Therefore as this Sacrifice consisted of two parts as I told you of Praise and Prayer which in respect of the other I call Sacrificium Quod and of the Commemoration of Christ Crucified which I call Sacrificium Quo so the Symbols of Bread and Wine traversed both being first presented as Symbols of Praise and Thanksgiving to agnize God the Lord of the Creature in the Sacrificium Quod then by invocation of the Holy Ghost made the Symbols of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrificium Quo. So that the whole Service throughout consisted of a reasonable part and of a material part as of a Soul and a Body of which I shall speak more fully hereafter when I come to prove this I have said by the Testimonies of the Ancients CHAP. III. The words of the Text explained and applied to the foregoing Definition of the Christian Sacrifice Incense denotes the rational part of this Sacrifice Mincha the material part thereof What meant by Mincha purum Two Interpretations of the Purity of the Christian Mincha given by the Fathers a third propounded by the Author AND this is that Sacrifice which Malachi foretold the Gentiles should one day offer unto God In every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Mincha for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of hosts Which Words I am now according to the order I propounded to explicate and apply to my Definition Know therefore that the Prophet in the foregoing words upbraids the Iews with despising and disesteeming their God forasmuch as they offered unto him for sacrifice not of the best but the lame the torn and the sick as though he had not been the great King Creator and Lord of the whole World but some petty God and of an inferiour rank for whom any thing were good enough Vers. 6 7. If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be Dominus where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my name and ye say Wherein have we despised it Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar and ye say Wherein have we polluted thee I 'le tell you In that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemptible or not so much to be regarded that is you think so as appears by the baseness of your Offering for the Present shews what esteem the giver hath of him he honoureth therewith But you offer that to me which ye would not think fit to offer to your Prorex or Governour under the King of Persia which shews you have but a mean esteem of me in your hearts and that you believe not I am He that I am It may be because you see me acknowledged of no other Nation but yours and that ye have been subdued by the Gentiles and brought into this miserable and despicable condition wherein you now are you imagine me to be some Topical God and as of small jurisdiction so of little power But know that howsoever I now seem to be but the Lord of a poor Nation yet the days are coming when from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered to my Name and a pure Offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts it follows though you have prophaned it in that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemptible whereas I am a great King and my Name shall be dreadful among the Heathen This is the coherence and dependence of the Words Now to apply them Incense as the Scripture it self tells notes the Prayers of the Saints It was also that wherewith the remembrance was made in the Sacrifices or God put in mind Mincha which we turn Munus a Gift or Offering is Oblatio farrea an Offering made of meal or flower baked or fried or dried or parched corn We in our English when we make distinction call it a Meat-offering but might call it a Bread-offering of which the Libamen or the Drink-offering being an indivisible concomitant both are implied under the name Mincha where it alone is named The Application then is easy Incense here notes the
to Martyrs Who among the faithful while the Priest was standing at the Altar built for the honour and worship of God nay though it were over the holy body of the Martyr I say who ever heard the Priest to say thus in Prayer To thee O Peter or O Paul do I offer Sacrifice Here Sacrificium is expounded by Preces and Preces put for Sacrificium And Lib. 22. cap. 8. concerning one Hesperius a man of quality in the City whereof Austin was Bishop who by the affliction of his cattel and servants perceiving his Country-Grange liable to some malignant power of evil spirits Rogavit nostros saith S. Austin me absente Presbyteros ut aliquis eorum illò pergeret cujus orationibus cederent Perrexit unus obtulit ibi sacrificium corporis Christi orans quantum potuit ut cessaret illa vexatio Deo protinus miserante cessavit He entreated our Presbyters in my absence that some one of them would go to the place through the prevalency of whose Prayers he hoped the evil spirits would be forced away Accordingly one of them went thither and offered there the Sacrifice of Christ's Body praying earnestly with all his might for the ceasing of that fore affliction and it ceased forthwith through God's mercy The Priest was entreated to pray there he went and offered sacrifice and so prayed For this reason the Christian Sacrifice is among the Fathers by way of distinction called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrificium laudis that is of Confession and Invocation of God namely to difference it from those of Bloud and Incense Augustine Lib. 1. contra Adversarium Legis Prophetarum cap. 20. Ecclesia immolat Deo in corpore Christi sacrificium laudis ex quo Deus Deorum locutus vocavit terram à Solis ortu usque ab occasum The Church offereth to God the Sacrifice of praise ever since the fulfilling of that in Psalm 50. The God of Gods hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Again Epist. 86. Sacrificium laudis ab Ecclesia toto orbe diffusa diebus omnibus immolatur The Sacrifice of Praise is continually offered by the Christian Church dispersed all the world over And elsewhere And amongst the Greek Fathers this term is so frequent as I shall not need to quote any of them Now this joyning of the Prayers of the Church with the mystical commemoration of Christ in the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud was no after-Invention of the Fathers but took its original from the Apostles times and the very beginning of Christianity For so we read of the first believers Acts 2. 42. that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar Latine turns Erant autem perseverantes in doctrina Apostolorum communicatione fractionis panis orationibus And they persevered in the doctrine of the Apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and Prayers but the Syriack Perseverantes erant in doctrina Apostolorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicabant in oratione fractione Eucharistiae They persevered in the doctrine of the Apostles and communicated in Prayer and in breaking of the Eucharist that is They were assiduous and constant in hearing the Apostles and in celebrating the Christian Sacrifice Both which Translations teach us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Breaking of Bread and Prayers are to be referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion as the Exegesis thereof namely that this Communion of the Church consisted in the Breaking of Bread and Prayers and so the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Exegetically taken as if the Greek were rendred thus Erant perseverantes in audienda doctrina Apostolorum in communicatione videlicet fractione panis orationibus And who knows not that the Synaxis of the ancient Christians consisted of these three parts Of hearing the Word of God of Prayers and Commemoration of Christ in the Eucharist Our Translation therefore here is not so right which refers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and translates it The fellowship of the Apostles The Antiquity also of this conjunction we speak of appears out of Ignatius in his Epistle to the Ephesians where speaking of the damage which Schismaticks incur by dividing themselves from the communion of the Church he utters it in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man saith he deceive himself unless a man be within the Altar he is deprived of the Bread of God And if the prayer of one or two be of that force as to set Christ in the midst of them how much more shall the joynt-prayer of the Bishop and whole Church sent up unto God prevail with him to grant us all our requests in Christ These words of Ignatius directly imply that the Altar was the place as of the Bread of God so of the Publick Prayers of the Church and that they were so nearly linked together that he that was not within the Altar that is who should be divided therefrom had no benefit of either CHAP. VI. The Third Particular That the Christian Sacrifice is an Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer through Iesus Christ Commemorated in the Creatures of Bread and Wine Sacrifices under the Law were Rites to invocate God by That the Eucharist is a Rite to give thanks and invocate God by proved from several Testimonies of the Fathers and the Greek Liturgies A passage out of Mr. Perkins agreeable to this notion What meant by that usual expression of the Ancients speaking of the Eucharist Through Iesus Christ the great High-Priest By Nomen Dei in Mal. 1. Iustin Martyr and Irenaeus understood Christ. Why in the Eucharist Prayers were to be directed to God the Father THE second Particular thus proved the Third comes next in place which is I That this Oblation of Thanksgiving and Prayer was made through Iesus Christ commemorated in the creatures of Bread and Wine Namely they believed that our Blessed Saviour ordained this Sacrament of his Body and Bloud as a Rite to bless and invocate his Father by in stead of the manifold and bloudy Sacrifices of the Law For That those bloudy Sacrifices of the Law were Rites to invocate God by is a Truth though not so vulgarly known yet undeniable and may on the Gentiles behalf be proved out of Homer and other Authors on the Iews by that speech of Saul 1 Sam. 13. 12. when Samuel expostulated with him for having offered a burnt-offering I said saith he The Philistines will come down upon me to Gilgal and I have not made supplication to the Lord I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering upon which place Kimchi notes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrifice was a Rite or Medium whereby Prayer was usually presented unto God The same is likewise true of their Hymns and Doxologies as is to be seen 2 Chron. 29. 27. and by the
Service that is After the Thanksgiving and Invocation of the Holy Ghost upon the Bread and the Wine to make it the Body and Bloud of Christ of which he was speaking before was done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We do over that Propitiatory Sacrifice beseech God for the common peace of the Churches for the good estate of the World for Kings their Armies and Confederates for the sick and the afflicted and in fine for all that are in an helpless condition And this is the manner of the Greek Liturgies immediately upon the Consecration of the Dona viz. the Bread and Wine to be the Symbols of the Body and Bloud of Christ and the Commemoration thereon of his Passion Resurrection and Ascension to offer to the Divine Majesty as it were over the Lamb of God then lying upon the Table their Supplications and Prayers for the whole state of Christ's Church and all sorts and degrees therein together with all other their suits and requests and that ever and anon interposing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we offer unto thee for these and these that is we commemorate Christ in this mystical Rite for them This Prayer therefore our Author Cyrill in the place afore-quoted calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prayer of the holy and most worthily dreaded Sacrifice lying then upon the Table and saith that it is a most powerful Prayer as that wherein we offer unto the Divine Majesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ that was once slain for our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propitiating the merciful God for our selves and others we pray for And this is that if I mistake not which Tertullian means lib. de Oratione cap. 11. where he says of the Christians that they did Dominicâ passione orare Nos vero inquit non attollimus tantùm manus sed etiam expandimus Dominicâ passione orantes confitemur Christo id est Christum We do not only lift up but spreâ—â— forth our hands and praying with the Lord's passion that is by the Commemoration thereof in the Eucharist confess unto Christ that is confess and acknowledge Christ according to the Dialect of the Scripture Confitemur Domino for Confitemur Dominum For by commemorating Christ and offering our Prayers to the Father in his Name we confess and acknowledge him to be our Mediator So Eusebius de Laude Const. calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To send up Prayers in his Name to the God of all The same with Tertullian means S. Austin describing the Christian Sacrifice to be immolare Deo in Corpore Christi sacrificium Laudis lib. 1. contra Adversarium Legis Prophetarum cap. 20. Ecclesia saith he immolat Deo in Corpore Christi sacrificium Laudis ex quo Deus Deorum locutus vocavit terram à Solis ortu usque ad occasum Psalm 50. 1. The Church offereth unto God the Sacrifice of Praise in the Body of Christ ever since the fulfilling of that in Psal. 50. The God of Gods hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Lastly That the representation of the Body and Bloud of Christ in this Christian Service was intended and used as a Rite whereby to find grace and favour with God when the Church addressed her self unto him which is that I undertook to prove is apparent by a saying of Origen Hom. 13. in Levit. where treating of the Shew-bread which was continually set before the Lord with Incense for a memorial of the children of Israel that is to put God in mind of them he makes it in this respect to have been a lively figure of the Christians Eucharist for saith he Ista est commemoratio sola quae propitium facit Deum hominibus That 's the only Commemoration which renders God propitious to men All these Testimonies have been express for our purpose That the Thanksgivings and Prayers of the Church in the Christian Sacrifice were offered unto the Divine Majesty through Christ commemorated in the Symbols of Bread and Wine as by a Medium whereby to find acceptance There is besides these an usual expression of the Fathers when they speak of the Eucharist which though it be not direct and punctual as the former yet I verily believe it aimed at the same Mystery namely when they say that in this Sacrifice they offer Praise and Prayer to God the Father through Iesus Christ the great High Priest I will quote an Example or two Clemens or the Author of the Constitutions lib. 2. cap. 29. al. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You saith he O Bishops are now unto your people as Priests and Levites standing at the Altar of the Lord our God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and offering unto him reasonable and unbloudy Sacrifices through Iesus Christ the great High-Priest The same Clemens in a more undoubted writing of his to wit his Epist. ad Corinthios quoting that of the 50. Psalm after the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sacrifice of Praise shall glorifie me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is the way wherein I shall shew to him that sacrificeth the salvation of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the way saith Clemens that is the Sacrifice of Praise is the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein we have found our salvation Iesus Christ the High-Priest of all our offerings The Fathers are wont to expound this place of the Eucharist and therefore I doubt not but Clemens means of the same and tells us that in this Sacrifice Christ the High-Priest of our offerings is found that is represented and commemorated In the same style speaks Iust. Mar. Dial. cum Tryphone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is not any sort of men in the world whether Barbarians or Greeks or of what denomination soever amongst whom Prayers and Thanksgivings are not made to the Father and Maker of all through the name of the crucified Iesus He is speaking of the Christian sacrifice and our Text in Malachi In omni loco offeretur Incensum Nomini meo where note that by Nomen Dei the Name of God he understands Christ through whom in this Sacrifice our devotions are offered So doth Irenaeus and others Iren. lib. 4. cap. 33. Quod est aliud Nomen quod in Gentibus glorificatur quà m quod est Domini nostri per quem glorificatur Pater glorificatur homo quoniam ergo Nomen Filii proprium Patris est in Deo omnipotente per Iesum Christum offert Ecclesia bene ait secundùm utraque Et in omni loco offeretur Incensum Nomini meo Sacrificium purum What other Name is there that is glorified among the Gentiles than the Name of our Lord by whom the Father is glorified and man also is glorified And because the Name of the Son is the Father's and in Almighty God the Church offers through Iesus Christ well saith the Prophet in respect of both And in every
the same Book where Celsus likewise would have mankind thankful unto Demons as those to whom the charge of things here upon earth is committed and to offer unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First-fruits and Prayers Origen thus takes him up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let Celsus as being void of the true Knowledge of God render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Demons As for us Christians whose only desire it is to please the Creator of the Vniverse we eat the Bread that was offered unto him with Prayer and Thanksgiving for his Gifts and then made a kind of holy Body by Prayer Mark here Bread offered unto God with Prayer and Thanksgiving pro datis for that he hath given us and then by Prayer made a holy Body and so eaten Thus much out of Fathers all of them within less than two hundred and fifty years after Christ and less than one hundred and fifty after the death of S. Iohn The same appears in the Forms of the ancient Liturgies As in that of Clemens where the Priest in the name of the whole Church assembled speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We offer unto thee our King and God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his that is Christ's appointment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Bread and this Cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Giving thanks unto thee through him for that thou hast vouchsafed us he speaks of the whole Church to stand before thee and to minister unto thee And we beseech thee thou God that wantest nothing that thou wouldst look favourably upon these Gifts here set before thee and accept them to the honour of thy Christ c. Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Gift or Oblation that is offered to the Lord our God let us pray that our good God would receive it through the mediation of his Christ to his heavenly Altar for a sweet-smelling savour Yea in the Canon of the Roman Church though the Rite be not used yet the words remain still as when the Priest long before the consecration of the Body and Bloud of Christ prays Te Clementissime Pater per Iesum Christum Filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ut accepta habeas benedicas haec Dona haec Munera We humbly beseech and intreat thee most merciful Father Through Iesus Christ thy Son our Lord to accept and bless these Gifts these Presents and other like passages which now they wrest to a new-found Oblation of the Body and Bloud of Christ which the ancient Church knew not of But of all others This Rite is most strongly confirmed by that wont of the Ancient Fathers to confute the Hereticks of those first times who held the Creator of the world to be some inferiour Deity and not the Father of Christ out of the Eucharist For say they unless the Father of Christ be the Creator of the world why is the Creature offered unto him in the Eucharist as if he were would he be agnized the Author and Lord of that he is not Hear Irenaeus Adversus Haeres lib. 4. cap. 34. Haereticorum Synagogae saith he non offerunt Eucharisticam oblationem quam Dominus offerri docuit Alterum enim praeter Fabricatorem dicentes Patrem Ideo quae secundùm nos Creaturae sunt offerentes ei cupidum alieni oftendunt eum aliena concupiscentem The Synagogues of the Hereticks do not offer the very Eucharistical oblation which our Lord taught and appointed to be offered for they affirming another besides the Creator of the world to be the Father of Christ do therefore while they offer unto him the Creatures which are here with us represent him to be desirous of that which is anothers and to covet that which is not his and a little after Quomodo autem constabit eis eum panem in quo gratiae actae sunt Corpus esse Domini sui Calicem sanguinis ejus si non ipsum Fabricatoris mundi Filium dicant id est Verbum ejus per quod lignum fructificat defluunt fontes terra dat primùm quidem gramen post deinde spicam deinde plenum triticum in spica How shall it appear to them that that Bread for which Thanks have been given is the Body of their Lord and that Cup the Cup of his Bloud if they deny him to be the Son of the Creator of the world that is to say to be the word of him by whom the Tree brings forth fruit Fountains send forth water and the Earth brings forth first green corn like grass then the ear after that the full corn in the ear From the same ground Tertullian argues against Marcion Contra Marc. lib. 1. cap. 23. Non putem saith he impudentiorem quà m qui in alâ—ena aqua alii Deo tingitur ad alienum Coelum alii Deo expanditur in aliena terra alii Deo sternitur super alienum panem alii Deo gratiarum actionibus fungitur I cannot conceive any one more impudent than he that is baptized to a God in a water that is none of his that in prayer to a God spreads forth his hands towards an Heaven that is none of his that prostrates himself to a God upon an Earth that is not his that gives thanks to a God for that Bread which is none of his Origen against the same Heretick useth the same Argument Dialog advers Marc. 3. pauso ante finem Dominus aspiciens in coelum gratias agit Ecquid non agit conditori gratias Cùm panem accepisset poculum benedixisset quid alterine pro Creaturis conditoris benedicit an potiùs illi qui effecit exhibuit Our Lord looking up to heaven gave thanks What did not he give thanks to the Creator of the world When he took the Bread and the Cup and blessed did he bless and give thanks to any other for the Creatures of God the Maker of the world and not rather bless and give thanks to him who made them and gave them us Lastly This Oblation of the Bread and Wine is implied in S. Paul's parallel of the Lord's Supper and the Sacrifice of the Gentiles Ye cannot saith he be partakers of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils namely because they imply contrary Covenants incompatible one with the other a Sacrifice as I told you being Epulum foederale a Federal Feast Now here it is manifest that the Table of Devils is so called because it consisted of Viands offered to Devils for so S. Paul expresly tells us whereby those that eat thereof eat of the Devil's meat Ergo The Table of the Lord is likewise called his Table not because he ordained it but it because consisted of Viands offered unto him Having thus as I think sufficiently proved what I took in hand I think it not amiss to answer two Questions which this Discourse may beget The first is How the Ancients
it more than the jealousie of God can endure as is manifest by his so strict prohibition and frequent detestation thereof But as for the two other ways of using a creature in the act of God's worship by way of Instrument only or Local circumstance neither of them is impious or unlawful First Not to use it therein as or by way of an Instrument whereby it is performed For then it would be unlawful to use a Table or a Chalice in the celebration of the holy Eucharist or the like to use a Book when we pray sing or give thanks unto God to praise him with Instruments of Musick as David ordained to use a Book to swear upon when we take an oath for to swear is as much an Act or Religious worship and as much appropriated unto God in Scripture as any other worship due unto him Wherefore the Rites used therein as to turn toward lay our hands upon and kiss the Book of the holy Gospels as the Tables of the new Covenant of God with men in Christ if they be well examined will afford much light toward the decision of this Question of posture in our adoration of God in the Church especially if it be considered that the very same Rites for the same purpose have been anciently used upon an Altar But this by the way Secondly Neither is it impious or unlawful in God's worship to use a creature in way of a Local circumstance thereof namely as that whereby the place of our worship is determined for then it would be unlawful to use Temples or Churches to worship God in or to have any designed place there accommodated for the Priest to minister or officiate at But this our practice shews we esteem and acknowledge lawful Now if it be lawful to make use of a creature for the Vbi or place where of the worship we give unto God why not as well for the place WHICH-WARD or which-way we worship him VBI QVO Where and Which-way being both alike differences and relations of Place and the worship of God no more communicated thereby with the Creature whereby we determine the one than whereby we determine the other Indeed the Creature by this means is honoured and dignified but that honour the Creature receiveth lies only in this in being chosen and preferred before any other for such sacred use Which honour I trow is of no other or higher nature than what any Sacred thing according to the fitness and propriety it hath may be respected with Moreover if it should not be lawful in Divine worship to direct our posture towards a Creature and that too in great regard of some special relation it hath to God-ward it would be unlawful to set our faces and lift up our hands and eyes to Heaven in our prayers and invocations tendered unto the Divine Majesty which I know not any that makes scruple of And yet if the determination of our posture only by a creature in Divine worship be Idolatry why might we not justly scruple lest this posture of our hands and faces to Heaven-ward at such a time might make us guilty of worshipping the Host of Heaven that is the Sun Moon Starrs and Planets as the Gentiles and Israelitish Idolaters did But for our warrant herein our Blessed Saviour in that Prayer he hath left unto his Church hath taught us to say Our Father which art in heaven For without doubt if we may without impiety determine the Divine presence thus in our speech we may also yea fit I think we should do the like at the same time with our posture which is no more but to express that visibly by our gesture which we utter vocally wâ—th our mouths For not that which is before us only in our posture but that which is the terminus of our Act is the Object of our Worship Nor to determine our posture only by a creature but to communicate the Worship we give unto God therewith is that which the Divine Law forbiddeth And that this difference must be admitted is evinced by the severe and peremptory prohibition of the one and the frequent examples of the other practised by holy men in Scripture Besides that the admission thereof openeth the true way how to answer our adversaries when they alledge the aforementioned places of Scripture in patronage of their Idolatrous worship Now then to apply all this to the Hypothesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the HOLY TABLE or ALTAR for the difference is but verbal in our Christian Churches answers unto the Ark or Mercy-seat in the Iewish Temple being Solium Christi and in the language of Antiquity the Christian Sanctum Sanctorum where the Book of the Gospels by ancient custom laid thereon parallels the two Tables the holy Eucharist the golden Pot of Manna that is the sacred Monuments and Symbols of the new Covenant those of the old Why may not then a like respect be had to it in the posture of our Christian adoration which the Iews in their worship had not only to the Ark of the Testimony but to the Altars which stood before it yea even to the Temple it self when they could not come to perform their devotions therein and that too as I have already observed when that Ark which Moses made by Godâ—s appointment with those two sacred Symbols the two Tables and Pot of Manna were no more there as in the Second Temple they were not but only the place ordained for them or at the most if that some imitative Ark only with a Roll of the Law put therein such as the Iews at this day are known to have in their Synagogues and to direct their posture toward it when they worship as formerly they did to that in the Temple See Buxtorf Synagog Iudaic. cap. 5. Lastly all Nations and Religions have been wont to use some reverential gesture when they enter into their Temples And our Blessed Saviour in the Gospel would not have his Disciples to enter into a man's house without some salutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when ye enter into an house salute it Why should we not think it to be a part of Religious manners to do as much when we come into the house of God Now of all Gestures Adoration or bowing of the Body seems to be the most comely and ready for that purpose and of all postures in the doing thereof and some posture there must needs be that which is directed towards that which is the most sacred and of most preeminent relation to God in the Church that namely where he is commemorated and the blessed Symbols of his Body and Bloud reached forth unto us who is our Propitiatory through faith in his Bloud and by whom alone and whose Sacrifice we have access unto his Father the HOLY TABLE or ALTAR What place then so fit to be both in our eye and mind when we make our addresses
perswasible if you consider that this is one of the most methodical Books in Scripture But if the Beginning of the Inner Court be coincident and no higher than that of the Outward Court it must then follow even by that little you yield me That the Vision of the twelfth Chapter fetches his Beginning higher than it For the Woman 's Child-bearing her Travail her Delivery with the Seven-headed Dragon's Attempt and the Battel of Michael you grant and the Text evinceth to be elder and before the Woman's abode in the Wilderness But the Woman's abode in the Wilderness the XLII months of the Beast and the XLII months of the Outer Court begin altogether and at the same time Therefore that which is elder to any one of them is elder to every one of them Why therefore should not the Book-prophecy have begun rather with this of the eldest beginning unless that that wherewith it begun did fetch its Beginning as high as it All this notwithstanding I confess ingenuously that your exceptions do so far weaken my Argument that it appears not to be of so sufficient strength as may force assent But that which is enough to stagger a man in his own Tenet is not alone sufficient to cause him to embrace the contrary unless the Arguments shewn for that part do appear of more force and probability than himself grounded upon Otherwise a man may reply as he is Terence did to the Lawyers Probè fecistis multò sum incertior quà m dudum Besides a Probability stands in place of a Demonstration till a greater Probability can be brought to shoulder it out Let me therefore acquaint you a little what scruples arise in me when I consider your Argument for the contrary You say S. Iohn surveyed both the Courts together For the measuring of the one and leaving the other unmeasured were at one time Ergo the things signified by them both fall also under one time Resp. 1. Here I consider first when a Representation is made not by Motion or Action but by a standing Type or Picture such as is the Fabrick of the Temple though the parts may be viewed all at one time yet may the thing signified by them be of differing times for in this case Order of place useth to signifie succession of time For example The Scheme I sent you may be comprehended at one view and yet the parts according to their order of place do represent priority and posteriority of times The Monarchical Image in Daniel was not by piece-meal but all at once presented to Nebuchadnezzar's view and yet the four metalled parts thereof were Types of four not coincident but successive Kingdoms So the seven Heads of the Whore-ridden Beast in this Prophecy though seen at once signified nevertheless Things not at once but some past some present some to come five Kings fallen the sixth present and seventh to come In the Temple it self the First Tabernacle or Holy Place was a Type of the Oeconomy of Redemption in the Church Militant and the Second Tabernacle or the Holy of Holies of the Church Triumphant in the Heavens So S. Paul to the Hebrews makes the first Tabernacle the Type of the Body of Christ wherein being incarnate he suffered here below and through which as through a First Tabernacle he entred within the Veil the Holiest Heavens there to make intercession for us Was there not here a priority and posteriority of times Why may not then the two Courts of the Temple be Types also of successive times though S. Iohn viewed them at one time Indeed where the Representation consists in Motion and Action I grant the case is otherwise for here things done together in Vision are to be expounded of things to be performed together in signification But the example we have in hand is not of that sort For the essence of the Type here consists not in what S. Iohn himself did but in that which was presented to S. Iohn in Vision namely the Frame of the Temple with his two Courts the First such as might be measured with divine measure the Second such as could not be measured therewith being possessed and troden down by the Gentiles As for S. Iohn's acts hereabouts they are no other than such as whereby he was to inform himself concerning that which was shewed unto himâ— Neither is this the only place where S. Iohn is bidden do something for his information and survey of the Vision shewed him Vide cap. 7. v. 13 14. cap. 10. v. 4. cap. 14. v. 13. cap. 19. v. 9. Resp. 2. Secondly Neither were the Acts whereby the Apostle surveyed the two Courts either one Act or two Acts at one and the same time but several Acts several and successive times For first the Text expresseth no more but what the Angel bade S. Iohn do and not what S. Iohn did Now it will not follow that that which was comprehended in one bidding was therefore done at one time For that may be bidden with one Act of bidding which will require a two or three acts in performing and those too such as cannot be done at one time But perhaps you suppose there was but one only Act commanded to wit to measure the Inner and not the Outer Indeed if it were so then it must needs be of one time For if there be nothing here but the Doing of a thing in one place and not doing it in another it cannot possibly be of diverse times because every positive implies his negative and goes together with it But if the words of the Text be considered there will be sound more in them than so howsoever our Translation obscures it For first I conceive not S. Iohn's survey of the two Courts to be an Act of mere Separation but rather of Examination as the nature of measuring importeth Again there is more to be done to the Second Court than only Not measuring it that were but doing nothing to it For the words of the Text are not Leave out if thereby you understand a preâ—ermission only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Cast it out the Vulgar hath Ejice forà s and Beza though himself translates Exclude yet confesseth it is ad verbum Ejice forás So that here we see a positive act commanded and not a pretermission only and our Translators when they turned it Leave out expressed rather what themselves conceived than what the words signified This considered I understand it thus That in this survey S. Iohn was first to examine the Inner Court which by its conformity to the Divine measure which he was to apply thereto he should find to be Sacred That done he was then in the next place to survey the Outer Court which because he should find possessed by the Gentiles and therefore not capable of the Divine measure he was to cast out that is excommunicate and pronounce unsacred and polluted See Ezek. 44. 6 7 8. The summe of all this discourse is in
as the Courts but covered is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence you never read that Christ or his Disciples came into or taught in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely in the Outer Court where the multitude assembled to pray This Outer Court was a most stately Building with Columns and Cloisters round about and also within divided as it were into Partitions with stately Rows of Pillars S. Iohn seems by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mean the whole Sacrificing-place and not only the Altar specially so called viz. whereon the Sacrifice was laid as may appear by the words which follow And those that worship therein The Outer Court he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Court without the Temple because the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Temple stood not in this but in the other Court which was also the Place or Court of Sacrifice I. M. CHAP. IV. Mr. Mede's further clearing and vindication of some passages in the foregoing Paper with some Observations concerning the 7. Thunders contemporary with the 7. Trumpet as also concerning that in Dan. 12. 7 11 12. and that in Apocal. 11. 19. chap. 15. 5 8. Retegat Deus oculos utriusque nostrûm ut intue amur mirabilia ejus Mr. Wood I Received your last doubt not but with like acceptance I did the former which I not only keep but use to read over 5 or 6 times at the least and though I always assent not yet I am always better'd by them either to strengthen what I found weaker than I took it to be or to learn to express my self with more caution and perspicuity than as I perceived by their Objections I had done or oftentimes they minister the occasion of some new Notion which before I thought not on But for answer to your last I know not well how to deal for that unless I misconceive you all is grounded upon a mistake almost total of my meaning It may be I have committed some fault in my expression and I must therefore desire you to amend my defect therein with a second reading of that Letter if it be worthy for you to take so much pains In the mean time I suppose you mistake me in these particulars following 1. First You suppose that I oppose the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Courts whereas I oppose the Courts one to the other viz. the Inner Court wherein the Temple and the Altar stood and where the Priests and Levites only worshipped to the Outer Court whither every body came 2. You suppose that in my Interpretation I oppose the Invisible or latent Church to the Visible and apparent whereas I oppose the Primitive Visible Church which was pure to the After-Visible Church which was corrupt For both the Courts both Inner and Outer were sub dio open and uncovered and therefore both signifie A Patent and Open Church that is a Visible one 3. You suppose if I understand you that when I say Measured Church I mean Actively as though the Angel continually were measuring the Church during the Six Seals whereas I mean Passively that the Church during that time was measured that is pure conformable and keeping measure even in the Outward Visible Form which afterward it did not 4. You suppose I make the Temple with its Courts a Type of the whole body of the Church partly Visible partly Invisible at the same time whereas I mean of the Visible Church only and that considered as Successive according to the diverse times thereof Concerning the rest of your Letter I have no time to answer as I would only in brief I say thus much 1. That concerning the Thunders of the seventh Seal seventh Trumpet and seventh Vial I cannot yet conceive your meaning For I acknowledge no other Seventh Seal but the Seven Trumpets and cannot understand how any thing of the Seventh Vial should concern the present times since you make all the Vials yet to come nor how any thing of the opening of the Seventh Seal should concern the times which are now seeing the greater part of the Seventh Seal viz. six Trumpets thereof is already past Indeed the seven Thunders after the sixth Trumpet may be if not present yet very near if we could understand them 2. Concerning the Time Times and half a Time and the 1290 and 1335 days in the twelfth of Daniel I labour not to reconcile them because I suppose they are diverse Times and of diverse Subjects and of a diverse beginning and ending Namely the Time Times and half a Time are of the Tyranny of the little Horn with eyes and a mouth speaking great things c. Dan. 7. 20 25. at the expiring of whose blasphemous Tyranny the scattering of the Holy people and the great Mystery shall be finished Dan. 12. 17. But the 1290 and 1335 days are the times of sealing and closing up of the knowledge of these Wonders to be at length disclosed and revealed at the expiration of these times 3. I cannot yet conceive how the Opening of the Temple in the Seventh Trumpet Apocal. 11. 19. makes any thing for proof of the Contemporation of the Two Courts or for the understanding what is meant by measuring or unmeasuring them For our Question N. B. is about Courts and not the Temple howsoever the Angel describes the Inner Court by the Temple Altar and Priests-worshippers therein which are the Contents thereof But this Opening of the Temple at the Seventh Trumpet that the Ark of the Testimony might be seen should I think rather be compared as a Synchronistical Character with the 5. verse of the 15. Chap. where in the end of the General description of the Vials as a consequent of their pouring out it is said that the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony was opened And verse 8. in the entrance of the Particular description of the Vials N. B. begun in the former verse it is answerably said that the Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple till the seven Plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled as if then this smoke or cloud should be removed and the Temple thereby become open to be seen and entred into Which should come to pass at the blast of the Seventh Trumpet In all which there seems to be an Allusion to Solomon's feast of Seven days dedication of the Temple 2 Chron. 7. 8. during which the Cloud of the glory of the Lord filled the Temple not the Courts so that the Priests could not stand to minister by reason of the Cloud 2 Chron. 5. 13. nor enter thereinto chap. 7. 1 2. So that the pouring out of the seven Vials may seem as it were a Dedication of the Church of Christ after it had been so long prophaned by Antichrist till the finishing of which Dedication the Nation of Priests or Priestly nation of Israel cannot
Authors and furtherers thereof they should be such as had their consciences seared who forbad marriage and meats Where before I go any further I must give an account of thus translating these latter words which I make the second part because they are commonly translated otherwise viz. intransitively as referring the words of the two latter verses to the persons mentioned in the first viz. those Some who should Apostatize and give heed to erroneous spirits and Doctrines of Devils as they usually translate it So that the words of the second and third verses should be the expression by particulars of that which was before generally comprized under erroneous spirits and doctrines of Devils which should consist partly in forbidding lawful marriage and partly in commanding abstinence from meats But this interpretation seems very unlikely For first since S. Paul intendeth here to describe that great Apostasie of the visible Christian Church as is evident by the pointing out of the time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the latter times who can believe that he who aimeth at this would instance only in the smaller and almost circumstantial Errours omitting the main and fundamental which the Scripture elsewhere telleth us should be Idolatry or Spiritual fornication Secondly As for Errours about Marriage and Meats they were not proper to the last times but found more or less in the Apostles own times as may be gathered by some passages of their Epistles Why should then our Apostle here speaking of the Apostasie of the latter times instance only in those things which the first times in some measure were never free from Lastly which I take alone to be sufficient The Syntax of the words will not bear it to have them so translated For the persons in the first verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are expressed in casu recto whereas the persons in the verses following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in the genitive now by what Syntax can these be construed intransitively how will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. without breach of Grammar unsampled in our Apostle's Epistles If any say they may be referred then and agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that indeed would be a strange sense and nothing to their purpose to say that Devils lie have seared consciences and forbid marriage and meats But to construe it transitively and to make all these genitive cases to be governed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and take the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie Causam or Modum actionis as is most usual in Scripture this as it keepeth the Syntax true so I hope to make it appear hereafter to be the very meaning and the Event most answerable thereunto when you shall hear proved out of story That the Apostasie of the visible Church came in by lying wonders and all deceiveableness of unrighteousness managed by those who either professed or doted upon Monastical hypocrisie the affectation and errours whereof at length surprising the body of the Church is that which S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. 10. calls not the Apostasie it self but Aâ—not-love of the Truth for which God gave them over to strong delusions that they might believe a lye But this is out of its place only I have anticipated thus much lest you should be too long in suspence of the grounds of this novelty in translating And yet this difficulty concerning the Syntax hath stumbled many of our latter Interpreters as amongst others Beza who solves it only by saying That the Apostle more regarded the matter than the construction which for my part I cannot believe CHAP. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture imports Revolt or Rebellion That Idolatry is such proved from several passages in Scriplute By Spirits in the Text are meant Doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be taken Passively viz. for Doctrines concerning Daemons Several instances of the like form of speech in Scripture I Return now unto the First part of my Text The Description of that solemn Apostasie where I will consider the five parts or points thereof as I have propounded them though it be not according to the order of the words And first in the more general expression as I called it in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as to say They shall make an Apostasie Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture's use when it looks towards a person signifies a Revolt or Rebellion when towards God a spiritual Revolt from God or Rebellion against Divine Majesty whether Total or by Idolatry and serving other Gods For the Seventy whence the New Testament borrows the use of speech usually translates by this word the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rebel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebellion both which when they have reference to a spiritual Sovereignty mean nought else but Idolatry and serving of other Gods as may appear Iosuah 22. 19. where the Israelites supposing their brethren the Reubenites and Gadites in building another Altar upon the banks of Iordan had meant to have forsaken the Lord and served other Gods they said unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you have rebelled against the Lord and presently Rebell not against the Lord nor rebell against us where the Seventy hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in vers 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebellion is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words the Lord God of gods he knoweth if it be in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord. Also Numb 14. vers 9. when the people would have renounced the Lord upon the report of the Spies Iosuah and Caleb spake unto them saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebel ye not where the Seventy hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not Apostates from the Lord. So Nehem. 9. 26. in that repentant confession which the Levites make of the Idolatry of their Nation they were disobedient say they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rebelled against thee where the Seventy hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Daniel in the like confession Chap. 9. vers 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have rebelled against him So the Idolatry of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. and Chap. 29. is by the same Interpreters called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 revolted greatly from the Lord. I will not trouble you with the places where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for Treason and Rebellion against earthly Princes which are many It is sufficient to gather from what we have quoted That Apostasie having reference to a Sovereignty and Lordship betokens a withdrawing of service and subjection there-from which if the Sovereignty and Majesty be Divine is done by Idolatry and service of other Gods as well as if the Majesty of the true God were renounced altogether The use of the
16. 16 and 23. A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to my Father And in that day when I am gone to my Father ye shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you Verse 24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive Heb. 7. 25 26. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them For such an High Priest became us who is made higher than the heavens How is it then that some extenuate that kind of Saint-worship wherein Prayers are not made unto them directly but God is prayed to in their names and for their mediation sake to grant our requests Is it not a denial of Christ's Prerogative to ascribe unto any other for any respect of glory or nearness to God after death or otherwise that whereof he alone is infeoffed by his unimitable Death triumphant Resurrection and glorious Ascension Certainly that which he holds by incommunicable title is it self also incommunicable To conclude therefore with the words of S. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Iesus As God is one so is the Mediator one for it is a God-like Royalty and therefore can belong but to one There is but one God in Heaven without any other Gods subordinate to him therefore but one Mediator there without any other Mediators besides him As for the Angels and blessed Saints they have indeed a light of Glory too but they are but as lesser Lights in that heaven of heavens And therefore as where the Sun shines the lesser Stars of heaven though Stars give not their light to us So where this glorious Sun Christ Iesus continually shineth by his presence sitting at the Right hand of God there the Glory of the Saints and Angels is not sufficient to make them capable of any Flower of that Divine honour which is God-like and so appropriate to Christ by right of his heavenly exaltation in the Throne of Majesty Whatsoever Spirit saith otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holds not the head but is a Christ-apostate-spirit which denies the Faith of Christ's Assumption into Glory and revives the Doctrines of Daemons The way being now cleared I may I hope safely resume my Application which I have already given some taste of That this Doctrine of Daemons comprehends in most most express manner the whole Idolatry of the Mystery of iniquity the Deifying and invocating of Saints and Angels the bowing down to Images the worshipping of Crosses as new-Idol columnes the adoring and templing of Reliques the worshipping of any other Visible thing upon supposal of any Divinity therein What copy was ever so like the sample as all this to the Doctrines of Daemons And for the Idolatry of the Eucharist or Bread-worship though it may be reduced to Image-worship as being the adoration of a Sign or Symbole yet let it be considered whether for the quality thereof it may not be taken rather for an Idolatry of Reliques the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrament being the Mystical Reliques which he left us as Monuments of his death till he come Whichsoever it be I must confess it hath a strain above the Abominations of the Gentiles who though they supposed some presence of their Daemons in their Images and Reliques yet were they never so blockish as to think their Images and Reliques to be transubstantiated into Daemons But to come to the main again I will confess for my self that I cannot think of this Daemon-resemblance without admiration nor do I believe that you will hear without some astonishment that which I am now to add further That the advancers of Saint-worship in the beginning did not only see it but even gloried sed gloriatione non bonâ that they had a thing in Christian practice so like the Doctrines of Daemons We heard before that Plato in his Respub would have the Souls of such as died valiantly in battel to be accounted for Daemons after death and their Sepulchres and Coffins to be served and adored as the Sepulchres of Daemons Eusebius lib. 13. Praepar Evangel cap. 11. quoting this place adds with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things do befit at or after the decease of the Favourites of God whom if thou shalt affirm to be taken for the Champions of the true Religion thou shalt not say amiss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence it is our cusâ—ome to go unto their Tombs and to make our prayers at them and to honour their blessed Souls The purpose of Eusebius here was to shew as a preparation to draw men to Christianity how well the present use of Christians in honouring the memories of their Martyrs by keeping their assemblies at their Sepulchres did agree with that of the Gentiles so much commended by Plato in honouring their champions and worthies for Daemons after death But alas in the next Age after it proved too-too like it indeed For these ear-rings which the Christians had borrowed or stolen from the Gentiles at their coming out of AEgypt presently became a golden calf as soon as the woman the Church came into the wilderness yea and Aaron the Priest had a foul part in it too Read the eighth Book of Theodoret De curandis Graecorum affectionibus whose Title is De Martyribus or in the mean time take these few passages thereof Thus he speaks having quoted that passage of Hesiod for Daemons commended by Plato If then the Poet Hesiod calls good men after their decease the Guardians and Preservers or Deliverers of mortal men from all evill and accordingly the best of Philosophers in confirmation of the Poet 's saying would have their sepulchres to be served and honoured I beseech you Sirs he speaks to the Greeks why do you find such fault with what we do For such as were eminent for Piety and Religion and for the sake thereof suffered death we also call Preservers and Physicians in no wise do we term them Daemons God forbid we should ever fall into such a desperate madness but the hearty friends and servants of God That the Souls of holy men even when they are out of the Body are in a capacity of taking care of mens affairs Plato affirms in the eleventh Book of his Laws The Philosopher you see bids men believe even the vulgar reports that is the relations and stories which are commonly talk'd of concerning the care which deceased Souls have of men But you do not only disbelieve us and are utterly unwilling to hearken to the loud voice of the Events or Effects themselves The Martyrs Temples are frequently to be seen famous for their beauty and greatness They that are in health pray for the
Christian belief hath in all ages been for the out-side a distinct Ecclesiastical Corporation from other Societies of men My Answer is That for the First Ages it was so not only thus Visible but easily discernable from all other Societies of men whatsoever But afterward when the Great Apostasie we speak of surprized and deformed the beautiful Spouse of Christ then was not that Virgin-Company of Saints our Mother a distinct external Society from the rest of Christendom but a Part yea and the only sound Part of that External and Visible Body whereof our Adversaries boast their predecessors to have been members For howsoever this our Virgin-Mother for the inward and invisible communion of her sincere and unstained Faith were a distinct and severed Company from the rest with whom she lived yet for the Common Principles of the Christian Faith still acknowledged in that corrupt body of Christendom she retained communion with them and for the most part of that time of darkness continued an External part of the same Visible Body with the rest in gross call'd Christians as being begotten by the same Sacrament of Baptism as the Israelites in the like case of Circumcision taught in some part by the same Word and Pastours still continued amongst them and submitting to the same Iurisdiction and Government so far as these or any of these had yet some soundness remaining in them But for the rest which was not compatible with her sincere and unstained Faith and which annihilated in those it surprised even those Common Grounds of Christianity otherwise outwardly professed she with her children either wisely avoided all communion with it or if they could not then patiently suffered for their conscience sake under the hands of Tyrants called Christians until that Tyranny growing insupportable and that mortal contagion unavoidable it pleased God lest we might have been as Sodom and Gomorrah to begin to call us thence at the time appointed unto a greater Liberty as we see this day As therefore when a little Gold is mixed with a great quantity of base and counterfeit metal so that of both is made but one mass or lump each metal we know still retains its nature diverse from the other and yet outwardly and visibly is not to be discerned the one from the other but both are seen together as they are outwardly one but cannot be distinguished by the eye as they are diverse and several the Gold is Visible as it is one mass and under the same outside and figure with the rest yet it is truly Invisible as it is diverse from the rest but when the Refiner comes and severs them then will each metal appear in his own colours and put on his own outside and so become Visible apart from the rest Such is the case here and such was the State and Condition of the Church in the prevailing and great Apostasie The purer metal of the Visible Christian Body was not outwardly discernable from the base and counterfeit while one outside covered them and so much the rather because the Apostate part in a great proportion exceeding the sound made it imperceptible but when the time of Refining came then was our Church not first founded in the true Faith God forbid but a Part of the Christian Body newly refined from such Corruptions as time had gathered even as Gold refined begins not then first to be Gold though it begin but then to be refined Gold WHATSOEVER we have hitherto spoken of the State of the true Believers under the Apostasie of Antichrist is the same which befell the true Israelites in the Apostasie of Israel And doth not S. Peter intimate that the Apostasie which should beâ—ide Christians should be like to that which we read to have befallen Israel 2 Pet. 2. 1 Therewere saith he False Prophets also among the people i.e. Israelites even as there shall be False teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them If the Apostasie of Christians were to be of the same stamp with that of Israel and the Heresies brought into Christendom by the false Doctors of Babylon like unto those wherewith the false Prophets of Israel infected and poisoned the ancient people of God surely we cannot find a better Pattern whereby to know what was the state and condition of the unstained Christian Believers under the Apostasie of the Man of sin than that which was of the true Israelites under the Apostasie of Israel For the right understanding whereof we must always remember that the Israelitish Church did at no time altogether renounce the true and living God not in their worst times but in their own conceit and profession they acknowledged him still and were called his people and he their God though they worshipped others beside him So Christians in their Apostasie neither did nor were to make an absolute Apostasie from God the Father and Christ their Redeemer but in an outward profession still to acknowledge him and to be called Christians though by their Idolatry and spiritual whoredoms they indeed denied the Lord that bought them i.e. whom they profest to be their Redeemer just as Israel for the like is said to have forsaken the Lord their God that brought them out of the Land of AEgypt Here therefore the case of both is alike let us also see the rest You ask Where was the true Church we speak of in Antichrist's time I ask likewise Where was the Company of true worshippers in Ahab's time was it not so covered and scattered under the Apostate Israelites that Elias himself who was one of it could scarce find it I have been very jealous saith he for the Lord God of hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thy Altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I alone am left and they seek my life to take it away 1 Kings 19. 14. Yet the Lord tells him verse 18. I have yet left me seven thousand in Israel all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal and every mouth which hath not kissed him Yet I trow these seven thousand were not outwardly severed from the rest of Israel but remained still external members of the same Visible body with them But you will except that the true and unstained Church in Iudah was still visible and apparent I ask you then Where was the Company of the true worshippers of Iehovah in Manasses time the worst time of all other when the ten Tribes were carried captive and but Iudah and Benjamin only left and they as far as the eye of man can see wholly and generally fallen from the Lord their God to all manner of Idols and Idolatries like unto the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel when in the Temple it self the only place where the true God was legally to be worshipt were Idolatrous Altars erected even in the House
whereof the Lord had said In this House and in Ierusalem will I put my name for ever even in this House this holy House were Idols and graven Images erected and in both Courts thereof Altars to Baalim the Sun the Moon and the whole host of heaven the like whereof never had been until that time Besides who is able to name the man for almost fifty years together that remained a Faithful servant and True worshipper of the Living God in the midst of this hideous profanation Nor is it easie to be conceived how it was possible all that time to offer any Legal sacrifice without Idolatry when God's own Temple and House was made a den of Idols nay his Altar the only Altar of Israel destroyed to make room for Altars erected to Idols as may be gathered 2 Chron. 33. 15 16. Where was the true Church of Israel now or had the Lord no Church at all Yes certainly he had a Church and a Company which defiled not their garments a Company I say but not visibly distinguished from the rest of their Nation but hidden as it were in the midst of that Apostate body and yet known together with the rest to be Israelites and people of Iehovah but known to God alone and themselves to be true Israelites and faithful servants to Iehovah their God And that such a Company there was and a strong party too though not seen appeared presently upon the death of Manasses and his wicked son when Iosiah began to reign at eight years of age For they then prevailed even in the Court it self and so brought up the King that even while he was yet young in the eighth year of his reign he began to seek after the God of David his father and in the twelfth year to make a publick and powerful Reformation such as the like was never done before him Could all this have been done so soon and by a King so young in years and to carry all before it like a torrent unless there had been a strong party which now having a King for them began quickly to shew themselves and to sway the State though before they were hardly to be seen When therefore our Adversaries ask us where our Church was before Luther we see by this what we have to answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. XI The Third Particular or The Time of the Apostasie That the Last Times in Scripture signifie either a Continuation of Time or an End of Time That the Last Times simply and in general are the Times of Christianity the Last Times in special and comparatively or the Latter Times of the Last Times are the Times of the Apostasie under Antichrist That the Times are set out to us to be as Marks to inform us when the Things to fall out in them should come to pass and not the Things intended for signs to know the Times by This Observation illustrated from Dan. 8. OF the two first Particulars of the Four whereby the Great Apostasie of Christian Believers is here decyphered I have spoken sufficiently viz. First for the Quality and kind thereof it should be a new Doctrine of Daemons Secondly that for the Persons revolting they should not be All but Some Now I am to speak of the Third The Times when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Latter Times For the easier understanding whereof we must know that speeches of Last Times in Scripture mean sometimes a Continuation or Length of time sometimes an End of time A Continuation of time I mean as when we say that Winter is the Last time or season of the year or old age the Latter time of life neither of them being the very End but a space of time next the end which therefore in respect of some whole System of time whereof it is the Last part is truly termed the Last time thereof Man's life is a Systeme of divers ages the Last space whereof is the Last time of life The Year is a Systeme of four seasons and therefore the Last season thereof Winter may be called the Last time of the year But by an End of time I mean the very expiring of time as the Last day of December is the End or last time of the year the moment when a man dies is the Last time that is the End of his life Now in the New Testament when by mention of Last time is meant an End or Terminus temporis I observe it to be exprest in the Singular number as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Last day being four times mentioned in the sixth of Iohn and once in the eleventh is in every one of them meant of the Day of the Resurrection at the End of the world I will raise him up saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last day Iohn 6. 39 40 44 54. And Martha of her brother Lazarus I know saith she he shall rise again in the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Last day Iohn 11. 24. So 1 Pet. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last time is used in the self-same sense being spoken of the incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven and to be revealed saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Last time In all which is meant the End of the world But in 1 Iohn 2. 18. we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Last hour Little children it is the Last hour where no doubt he meaneth an End of some time but not the End of the world which was then far off but an End of their time to whom he then wrote his Epistle that is an End of the Iewish State and Religion which was then at the very door which Exposition I will make more plain hereafter But when a Continuation or Longer space of time is signified then I find the Plural number to be used as 1 Pet. 1. 20. of the Incarnation of Christ it is said that he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was made manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Last times which times have continued these 1600 years at the least So Heb. 1. 2. God saith S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these Last days hath spoken unto us by his Son And 2 Tim. 3. 1. This know also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in the Last days perillous times shall come Again Acts 2. 17. In the Last days I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh In the 2 Pet. 3. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Last days shall come scoffers And so in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Latter times some shall revolt from the Faith and give heed to Doctrines of Daemons Whatsoever the validity of this observation be for the rest I make no question but it will be granted That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my Text means some Continued space of time and not Terminus temporis or the very End of time which therefore presupposed I approach
directed to God alone and such places only chosen for the stirring up of zeal and fervor by the memory of those blessed and glorious Champions of Christ. But whiles the world stood in admiration and the most esteemed of these Wonders as of the glorious beams of the triumph of Christ they were soon perswaded to call upon them as Patrons and Mediators whose power with God and notice of things done upon earth they thought that these Signs and Miracles approved Thus the Reliques of Martyrs beginning to be esteemed above the richest Iewels for the supposed virtue even of the very aire of them were wonderfully sought after as some divine Elixir sovereign both to Body and Soul Whereupon another Scene of Wonders entred namely of Visions and Revelations wonderful and admirable for the discovery of the Sepulchres and ashes of Martyrs which were quite forgotten yea of some whose names and memories till then no man had ever heard of as S. Ambrose's Gervasius and Protasius Thus in every corner of the Christian world were new Martyrs bones ever and anon discovered whose verity again miraculous effects and cures seemed to approve and therefore were diversly dispersed and gloriously templed and enshrined All these things hapned in that one Age and were come to this height in less than a 100 years But here is the wonder most of all to be wondred at That none of these miraculous Signs were ever heard of in the Church for the first 300 years after Christ until about the year 360 after that the Empire under Constantine and his sons having publickly embraced the Christian Faith the Church had peace and the Bodies of the despised Martyrs such as could be found were now bestowed in most magnificent Temples and there gloriously enshrined And yet had the Christians long before used to keep their Assemblies at the Coemeteries and Monuments of their Martyrs How came it to pass that no such virtue of their bones and ashes no such testimonies of their power after death were discovered until now Babylas his bones were the first that all my search can find which charmed the Devil of Daphne Apollo Daphnaeus when Iulian the Apostate offered so many sacrifices to make him speak and being asked why he was so mute forsooth the corps of Babylas the Martyr buried near the Temple in Daphne stopped his wind-pipe I fear I fear here was some Hypocrisie in this business and the Devil had some feat to play the very name of Babylas is enough to breed jealousie it is an ominous name the name Babylas yea and this happened too at Antioch where Babylas was Bishop and Martyr in the persecution of Decius Would it not do the Devil good there to begin his Mystery where the Christian name was first given to the followers of Christ Howsoever this was then far otherwise construed and a conceit quickly taken that other Martyrs bones might upon trial be found as terrible to the Devil as those of Babylas which was no sooner tried but experience presently verified it with improvement as you heard before So that all the world rung so with Wonders done by Martyrs that even holy men who at the first suspected were at length surprised and carried away with the power of delusion Besides the silence of all undoubted Antiquity of any such Sepulchral wonders to have happened in the former Ages the very manner of speech which the Fathers living in this miraculous age used when they spake of these things will argue they were then accounted novelties and not as continued from the Apostles times Chrysostome in his Oration contra Gentiles of the business of Babylas speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man believes not those things which are said to be done by the Apostles let him now beholding the present desist from his impudency Ambros. Epist. ad sororem Marcellinam relating of a piece of the Speech he made upon the translation of the Bodies of Gervasius and Protasius and the miracles then shewed Reparata saith he vetusti temporis miracula cernitis You see the miracles of ancient times he means the times of Christ and his Apostles renewed S. August Lib. de civ Dei 22. cap. 8. in a discourse of the Miracles of that time saith We made an order to have Bills given out of such Miracles as were done when we saw the wonders of ancient times renewed in ours Id namque fieri voluimus cùm videremus antiquis similia divinarum signa virtutum etiam nostris temporibus frequentari ea non debere multorum notitiae deperire But alas I now began the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Latter times this was the fatal time and thus the Christian Apostasie was to be ushered If they had known this it would have turned their joyous shoutings and triumphs at these things into mourning The End which these Signs and Wonders aimed at and at length brought to pass should have made them remember that warning which was given the ancient people of God Deut. 13. If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder And the sign or wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other Gods and serve them Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams For the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. But why should I go any further before I tell you that even in this also the Idolatry of Saint-worship was a true counterfeit of the Gentiles Idolatry of Daemons Did not Daemon-worship enter after the same manner was it not first insinuated and at length established by signs and wonders of the very self-same kind and fashion Listen what Eusebius will tell us in his fifth book de Praeparat Evangel chap. 2. according to the Greek edition of Rob. Stephen When saith he those wicked spirits as he proved them to be which were worshipped under the names of Daemons saw mankind brought off to a Deifying of the Dead he means by erecting Statues and ordaining Ceremonies and Sacrifices for their memorials 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they insinuated themselves and helped forward their error 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by certain motions of the Statues which anciently were consecrated to the honour of the deceased as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by ostentation of Oracles and cures of diseases whereby they drave the superstitious headlong sometimes to take them to be some heavenly Powers and Gods indeed and sometimes to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Souls of their deified worthies And so saith he the earth-neighbouring Daemons which are those Princes of the Air those Spiritualities of wickedness and Ringleaders of all evil were on all hands accounted for great Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the memory of the Ancients deceased was thought worthy to be celebrated
the Definition of the Synod at Constantinople have preserved it which else had utterly perished as the Acts thereof have done Now judge whether Constantine and his Council were guilty or not of what the Idolatrous Faction charged them with But we may wonder the leâ—s at this notorious impudency of lying companions seeing we have experience of the like calumnies fastened upon our selves this day though there be so many thousand eyes and ears and writings too which confute them AND thus you have seen what manner of Times they were about the end of which our Simeon Metaphrastes lived Was it not high time think you for him and those hands to which he was beholden for I will not charge him with all to ply the old craft and re-inforce the Legends with new Lies when the credit of Saint-worship lay thus a bleeding It is not credible they would be so much wanting to themselves And it is as apparent that those Tales of the new strain which we had out of Simeon were coined in this age and not before For if any such thing had been known or delivered from elder times how came it to pass no notice thereof was given us by any Writer of Ecclesiastical story by any Father by any Compiler or forger of Martyrs Lives and Miracles till now Certainly so miraculous and wonderful things as Voices from Heaven and Christ descending thence in a cloud and the like had been worth the telling But alasâ— they could tell us but little of these Martyrs save only the names and time of their suffering And thus I end my Digression which yet I hope hath not been altogether impertinent to the present argument CHAP. VI. That Saint-worship was promoted by Counterfeit Writings under the name of Antiquity That Image-worship and the Idolatry of the Mass-God were advanced by the Hypocrisy of Liers This illustrated from several fabulous Narrations A foul Story made use of by the second Council of Nice in the behalf of Image-worship THE last particular of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hypocrisie of Liers I made to be Counterfeit Writings under the names of the first and best Antiquity S. Peter's Liturgy the Liturgy of S. Iames of Matthew of Mark The Apostles Council at Antioch Foisted works under the names of Iustin Origen Cyprian Athanasius and others Through which we need not doubt but the Doctrine of Daemons was promoted when we see some not ashamed still to maintain it by these counterfeit authorities Thus you see how the first-born and the most ancient part of the Doctrine of Daemons the Deifying of Saints and Martyrs was advanced by the Hypocrisy of Liers The same you shall find to have been verified also in the advancing of the next-born Daemon-changling Image-worship and of the third the Idolatry of the Mass-God all brought in and established by the means and wayes aforenamed I need not spend time in historical allegations they are well enough known and Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura consequentium by that I spake of the first you may judge of those which follow yet for Images I will tell you a Story or two for a tast Bale our Countrey-man Script Illust. Britan. Cent. 1. c. 91 99. relates that about the year 712 one Egwin of Worcester published in writing certain Revelations yea express Visions he had seen wherein he was enjoyned to set up in his Diocese of Worcester the Image of the Blessed Virgin for the people to worship which Pope Constantine the first having made him confirm by oath not only ratified by his Bull but caused Brithwald the Arch-bishop to hold a Council of the whole Clergy at London to commend them to the people In that Idolatrous Council of the second of Nice one of their proofs among many other the like for worshipping of Images is a tale quoted out of I know not what Sophronius of a certain Recluse who using to worship an Image of the Virgin Mary holding Christ in her arms had been a long time tempted by the Devil to fornication whereat on a time the old man being much aggrieved the Devil visibly appearing told him in plain terms but under an oath of secrecy that he would never cease to vex him until he left worshipping the Image of the Blessed Virgin The Monk notwithstanding the Devil had made him swear by the most High he should tell no body yet acquaints one Abbot Theodore with the business who not only allows of his perjury in revealing it but gives him this ghostly resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It were better be frequented all the Stews in the City than not to worship Christ and his Mother in an Image I am afraid some of this Monk's successors still observe this wholesome counsel I must tell you also some of the Miracles and Lies for laying the foundation of Transubstantiation and thence advancing the Idol of the Mass. A certain Monk reports that he saw Iesus Christ in form of a Child sitting upon the Altar Another saith yea more than that one That Witikind King of the Saxons entring disguised into a Church and diligently observing the Christians fashion of receiving the Communion saw them put a little pretty smiling boy into their mouths These wonders and other the like of apparitions of flesh and bloud began not till about the end of the eight-hundredth year But that they might seem ancienter Simeon Metaphrastes hath a forged Legend of Arsenius the Eremite and some body counterfeited the life of S. Basil under the name of Amphilochius his companion which now they begin to be ashamed of And for fear the people might suspect that these were Illusions they keep yet some of the flesh and bloud which was thus transubstantiated for a monument in many Churches To these apparitions to make all compleat they tell us of a hive of Bees seen in Saint Gervais his Monastery in Paris which built a Chappel of Wax in honour of the Host which some body put into their hive and a miracle of an Ass that left his provender to worship the Host and many other the like But I have stayed too long amongst them and therefore let here be the conclusion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hypocrisie of Liers that we may pass on to that is yet behind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. CHAP. VII That by these two Characters Forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from meats are chiefly decyphered Monks and Friers That Prohibition of Marriage and Abstaining from meats are inseparable characters of Monastick profession That the Renouncing of possessions or the having no propriety in any thing another Principle in Monkery may be included under the Abstaining from meats That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Meats implies all things needful for maintenance of life proved from several places of Scripture I Come now unto the last particular of the Description of the Means whereby the Doctrine of Daemons was to be
chiefly intended in the Text by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. were the main authors and advancers of Saint-worship proved from the Testimonies of Chemnitius S. Austine Gregory of Tours as also Eunapius a Gentile Writer That Monks and Friers were the Ringleaders and chief advancers of Image-worship appears in that during the Iconomachicall Controversie in the East the greatest part of the Storm fell upon those of the Monastick profession That the Idolatry of the Mass-God was promoted by the same persons NOW let us see and behold with admiration the truth of this part also of this Prophecie Where first observe that this Singular kind of life began even just at the time when the Doctrine of Daemons was to enter For Paulus Thebaeus and Anthony the first patterns thereof died the former in the reign of Constantine the latter a little before the year 360 whence or near unto which we began our reckoning before of the first entrance of Saint-worship into the Church About that time Monks till then having been confined to AEgypt Hilarion brought them into Syria and presently S. Basil gave them a certain rule to live together in form of a Polity and with the assistance of his brother Gregory Nyssen and Gregory Nazianzen who all entred this new kind of life dispersed them over all Asia and Greece whose encrease was so wonderful that almost in an instant they filled the World and their esteem was so great that there was scarce a man of note but took upon him this kind of life Though therefore it be most true that our Apostle's prophecie will be verified which soever of the two either such as themselves entred the Restraint of a Monastick life or those who approved taught and maintained the holiness of that Profession as the rest did were the Ringleaders and Foster-fathers of this Defection for both come within the verge of such as forbid marriage and command to abstain from meats yet we will not content our selves with so loose an application but see what an hand Monks and Friers themselves chiefly I suppose intended by the Holy Ghost had in this business And first in the first Doctrine of Daemons Adoring of Reliques and Invocation of Saints Where that which I first speak of shall be in the words of Chemnitius lest some more tender of the honour of our Fathers upon earth than of the glory of our Father in heaven might take exception Hear therefore not me but Chemnitius in his Examen Concilii Tridentini About the year of our Lord 370 per Basilium Nyssenum Nazianzenum in publicos Ecclesiae conventus occasione orationum Panegyricarum Invocatio Sanctorum invehi incepit eodem tempore cùm ab iisdem authoribus Monachatus ex AEgypto Syria in Graeciam introduceretur Et videtur saith he haec sive portio sive Appendix Monachatûs fuisse By Basil Nyssen and Nazianzen upon occasion of Panegyrical orations Invocation of Saints began to be brought into the publick Assemblies of the Church at the same time when by the same Authors the Profession of Monastical life was brought out of AEgypt and Syria into Greece and it seems saith he that this was either a part or an appurtenance of Monkery c. Again speaking of S. Ambrose when he had once turned Monk howsoever he was before Non tamen nego inquit Ambrosium tandem cùm Monachatum à Basilio mutuò sumpsisset etiam ad Invocationem Sanctorum inclinare coepisse ut patet ex libro De viduis I deny not saith he but Ambrose at length when he had once borrowed Monkery from Basil began also to incline to the Invocation of Saints as appears in his book De viduis Thus Chemnitius And that you may yet further see how operative Monks were in this business hear S. Augustine De opere Monachorum cap. 28. Tam multos hypocrit as sub habitu Monachorum usquequaquam dispersit Satan circumeuntes provincias nusquam missos nusquam fixos nusquam stantes nusquam sedentes Alii membra Martyrum si tame◠Martyrum venditant omnes petunt omnes exigunt aút sumptus lucrosae egestatis aut simulatae pretium sanctitatis The Devil saith he hath dispersed in every corner such a crew of Hypocrites under the habit of Monks gadding about every Countrey sent no whither staying no where every where restless whether sitting or standing Some sell the limbs of Martyrs if so be of Martyrs and all are asking all exacting either the expences of a gainful poverty or the hire of a counterfeit sanctity These were those surely which occasioned that Rescript of Theodosius the Emperor Nemo Martyrem distrahat nemo mercetur Let no man sell let no man buy a Martyr whereby we may gather what honesty was like to be used amongst them We know Laudat venales qui vult extrudere merces Merchants use to commend their commodities Gregory of Tours who lived and died somewhat before the year 600 tells us this Monachos quosdam Roman venisse ac prope Templum Pauli corpora quaedam noctu effodisse qui comprehensi fassi sunt in Graeciam se ea pro Sanctorum reliquiis portaturos fuisse That certain Monks came to Rome and near unto S. Paul's Church in the night-time digged up certain bodies who being apprehended confessed they meant to have carried them into Greece for Reliques of Saints The same Author l. 9. c. 6. Hist. Franc. relates a Story of another counterfeit a Monk who pretended to come out of Spain with Martyrs Reliques but being discovered they were found to be Roots of certain Herbs Bones of Mice and such like stuffe and he tells us there were many such seducers which deluded the people And he said true there were many indeed and many more than Gregory took for such even those he took for honest men For though it must not be denied but God had some of this Order which were holy men and unfeignedly mortified notwithstanding their errour in thinking God was pleased with that singularity of life yet must it be confessed that the greater part were no better than Hypocrites and Counterfeits and that the lamentable Defection of the Christian Church chiefly proceeded from and was fostered by men of that profession as in part we have heard already And if you can with patience hear him speak I will add the testimony of Eunapius Sardianus a Pagan Writer who lived in the dayes of Theodosius the first about the year 400. In the life of AEdesius most bitterly inveighing against the Christians for demolishing that renowned Temple of Serapis at Alexandria in AEgypt he speaks in this manner When they had done saith he they brought into the holy Places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those which they call Monks Men indeed for shape but living like Swine and openly committing innumerable villanies not to be named who yet took it for a piece of Religion thus to despise the Divinity he means of Serapis For then saith he whosoever
even when I go about any thing especially to write and digest CONCERNING your Quaere of the Clades Testium I cannot see how it can be referred to any other time than to about the end of their 1260 days mourning-prophecy because that which immediately follows their reviving after 3 days and a halflying dead is not appliable to any other time save that only as namely so great an Exaltation as is implied by ascending up to heaven in a cloud such a great Earthquake or commotion as should be at the same hour whereby the Throne of the Beast should be so much shaken and lastly the expiring at the same time of the second Woe or sixth Trumpet These are not appliable to any time save the times of the Beastâ—s declining and period and consequently to the end of the 1260 days of the Witnesses wearing sackcloth and should fall out when they were now putting off their sackcloth and when some of them had done it already For so the word is to be turned When they were now about to finish their prophecy or days of sackcloth c. Besides it suits with the method of Divine Providence God Almighty having ever used to usher in any great Exaltation of his Saints with some desperate Extremity and Calamity immediately foregoing it Whence is that Theological proverb Cùm duplicantur lateres tunc venit Moses When was David in a more desperate distress than when he was instantly to be exalted to the Throne of Iudah namely at the burning of Ziklag what a streight were Moses and the children of Israel brought into a little before Pharaoh and his host were to be drowned in the Red sea The most grievous extreme and dangerous persecution that ever the Church felt was then when Christianity was ready to be exalted unto the Throne of the Empire I mean that of Diocletian Moreover there is a Sin whereof the whole body of the Reformation is notoriously guilty which nevertheless is accountend no Sin and yet such an one as I know not whether God ever passed by without some visible and remarkable judgment This seems to call for a scourge before Antichrist shall go down And that may be as far as I know this feared Clades Testium I will not name it because it is invidious and I am not willing to be drawn to say so much for the probability thereof in this case as perhaps I could But to speak somewhat more particularly of this Clades I know not whether it should immediately precede the pouring out of the fifth Vial or the fourth If we were secure of the present dangers and fears I should incline most to think it should precede the fifth Vial in respect of that fall of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which instantly ensues the Witnesses reviving Secondly The time of three days and a half is the time during which the Witnesses should lie for dead without appearance of life or motion not the time wherein they should be dying or killing for that may be much longer and grow also by degrees as also the natural Body of man sometimes dies so the feet first and so upward The three days and a half are not to be reckoned therefore as seems to me until all should be dead and no motion of life any more appear Thirdly I conceive not this Clades to be such as should extinguish the persons or whole materials as I may so speak of the Reformed Churches but the publick Fabrick of the Reformation for joy whereof the Witnesses were about to finish their time of mourning For that the party of men remaining of that dissolved building of Reformation should be great though they lay as dead may be gathered by the strength they should in so short a time as after three years and a half recover to the no small terror of the Beast which slew them c. It would make somewhat perhaps for understanding the degree of this Clades if we could certainly tell what were that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the Witnesses should lie for dead and whether those of the nations tongues and people which should hinder the putting of them into graves were friends or foes They may seem to be friends for if they had been once buried there would have been but small hope of so soon a reviving again and standing upon their feet You know what the Pharisees said when they would have our Saviour made sure for rising again the third day By the way because you use in your Letter the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I suppose your copy of my Specimina is misdistinguished For I referred not that word to the Calamity of the Witnesses but to Gentium idest Idololatrarum in Ecclesiae atrio stabulantium So there should be a comma at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FOR your second Quaere of the Provocation of the Iews by the Gentiles Methinks that which was to be unto the Iew as a Provocation to Iealousie is expressed by S. Paul to be that Salvation which was then come unto the Gentiles and not any other thing yet to come as also the same Apostle saith he used to magnifie and inculcate so much his Title of Apostle of the Gentiles to the same end And if the Prosperity of the Christian Religion would have done it by comparing it with their misery there hath been already sufficient in that respect to have moved them to jealousie ere this For my part I incline to think that no such thing will provoke them but that they shall be called by Vision and Voice from Heaven as S. Paul was and that that place of Zach. chap. 12. verse 10. They shall see him whom they have pierced and that of Matth. 23. verse 39. Ye shall not see me henceforth till you say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord seems to imply some such matter They will never believe that Christ reigns at the right hand of God until they see him It must be an invincible evidence which must convert them after so many hundred years settled obstinacy But this I speak of the body of the Nation there may be some Praeludia of some particulars converted upon other motives as a forerunner of the great and man Conversion I pray consider seriously that pattern of S. Paul's Conversion so differing from all other mens that ever were and how fitly his condition before it resembles that of the Iews in their bitter obstinacy against Christ and Christians Why did Christ vouchsafe so strange a call to that man above other men was it not a pledge or pattern of something that should be vouchsafed his Nation I know not whether S. Paul's meaning but I am sure his words 1 Tim. 1. verse 16. may be applied to what I mean But all this I write tumultuously and in some other distractions and therefore I would not have you heed it further than to consider of it at your
like miraculous favour be shewed to them as well as to S. Paul their obstinacy being greater and sealed with greater blasphemies than his was May it not be said that therefore this Apparition was made to S. Paul that he might have Apostolical authority independent on men as well as the rest of the Apostles And cannot the spirit of illumination clear all and that from Moses as well as it did in the heart of the Gentiles who had not so much as Moses to direct them As for Provocation how can Salvation on the Gentiles part be it unto the Iews seeing the Iews such is their blindness cannot acknowledge any such condition of the Gentiles Yet I confess the judgment of flesh and bloud may teach them that the Gentiles becoming Christians are turned to the worship of the God of Abraham as appears by their embracing of the Old Testament as the Word of God yet this hitherunto hath nothing moved them yet a time may come it may and the Prosperity of our Church also And it is said that they shall obtain mercy by the mercy shewed unto us Rom. 11. 31. As for the black time to be expected if so it seems to be wondrous great if not greater than all that went before For the time hath been the strong man hath so far possessed the House of God in peace that scarce here and there a Witness hath been found openly to contest against him in this or that particular And the days of the persecution of the Waldenâ—es were wonderfull heavy times And we have seen many black days for many years And if it be so as I doubt it is too probable and most congruous to God's course indeed in the exaltation of his Church I doubt it will concern our England most yet God grant we may be of the number of those that suffer that within three days and a half we may be raised and reign with Christ at his coming But will you not make us acquainted with that Sin you intimate that cries for vengeance we are loth to adventure our conjectures but we dare promise to joyn in mourning for it But I heartily thank you for all and particularly for that Speculation of the untimely advancing of the Martyrs to a Reign derogatory to the Mediation of our Lord a bitter fruit of too irregular animosity against the Chiliasts and of very ponderous consideration in this case I have done with some sorrow for putting out of your mind better thoughts I assure you the place you are pleased to afford me in your good affections I esteem as a part of the best happiness I enjoy in friends and heartily wish I may not be unworthy of it I heartily commend your self and your precious studies to the Blessing of God and rest Yours in all true Affection Will. Twisse Newbury Nov. 16. 1629. EPISTLE XVII Mr. Mede's Answer to Doctor Twisse his Second Letter concerning the two Wars of the Beast against the Witnesses as also of the manner of the Iews Conversion SIR I Owe an answer to your Letter though I can scarce find time to attend it Some I have now gotten and therefore desire you to vouchsafe to read and accept these few lines The Apocalyps mentions two Wars of the Beast one to be in medio Testium luctu during the time of the Witnesses mourning-prophecy another when the Witnesses began to make an end of mourning The first while the Court of the Temple was wholly troden down and prophaned by the Gentiles the latter when it began to be purged and so the cause of the Witnesses mourning to be removed In these two Wars we may observe in the description these differences First The intermedium bellum is said to be against the whole Body of the Saints Chap. 13. ver 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and overcome them But the Bellum novissimum or last War is against the Prophets or Witnesses only The Beast which ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war with the Witnesses and overcome and kill them Chap. 11. v. 7. This difference is remarkable and to be considered for the better understanding of this last War and how it differs from that formerly against the Waldenses c. Secondly In the former his prevailing and success is absolute so that all kindreds tongues and nations submit unto him and worship him Ch. 13. v. 7 8. But in the latter some of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c and of the kindreds and tongues and nations shall be an obstacle to the perfecting and securing his victory as not suffering him when he shall have slain the Witnesses to bury them and make them sure in hope to recover them Thirdly The first prevailed many ages this latter but three days and an half Adde if you well though it be included in the former the first advanced his Dominion to that height it came to this latter shall occasion his utter ruine and downfal These differences I thought good to propound to your consideration to intimate that the seantling of this last War cannot be well taken from that against the Waldenses and Albegenses c. as being to be of another kind namely an extermination of the Reformed Pastors out of their places and Churches and not a general extermination of the Body of the Reformed people which are too many to be dealt with according to former violence and shall remain to terrifie the Beast and revenge the Clades of their Prophets before almost they shall have done rejoycing over them FOR my conceit of the manner of the Iews Conversion though it often solicits me to give credence to it as best becoming the greatest work that ever God yet did for that people for whom in former times he shewed so many wonders yet I will ingeniously confess the grounds I have hitherto found seem not to my self sufficient to build a firm assent upon but only by a kind of concinnity induce to a pleasing but a wavering conjecture And therefore it were to little purpose to contend much for that wherein my self have no sufficient confidence I use to object to my self That the appearing of Christ in heaven belongs to the time of his Second coming But the Iews must be converted before then lest they all should perish amongst the enemies of his Kingdom whereof they would be the principal I salve it with a supposition of some latitude in that appearance as being first to be ushered with some preparation or praeludium towards the Iewish Nation before his great and universal Appearing to the whole world to judgement So Cestius Gallus the President of Syria compassed Ierusalem with an Army by way of anticipation three years before the final and fatal siege by Vespasian to be for a warning to the believing Iews to flee into the mountains of Arabia according to our Saviour's sign given them Luk 21. ver 20. For strengthening of such a supposition methinks I
Sacrifice is sanctified or offered and the Place where it is eaten Every Sacrifice was to be offered and sanctified at the Altar where the Bloud was sprinkled and the Memorial burned but that done it was eaten in another place those which were eaten only by the Priests in the Chambers of the Temple those which the people were partakers of as the Peace-Offerings out of the Temple Of this nature was the Passeover the Lamb being first to be offered and slain in the Temple and the Bloud sprinkled on the Altar according unto the Law Deut. 16. and the practice 2 Chron. 35. 1 2 6 10 11. that done to be eaten where they would provided it were in loco mundo in a clean place And thus was the Paschal Lamb whereof our Saviour ate prepared and sanctified yea by proportion of all other Sacrifices the Bread and the Wine whereof the Holy Supper was instituted for they were the Minchah or Meat and Drink-offering of the Passeover such as all other Sacrifices had annexed unto them And to what end else was the Law so strict that they should bring all their Sacrifices and Offerings unto the Place which the Lord should chuse to put his Name there but that they might be sanctified and hallowed at the Lord's Altar before they feasted with them whence perhaps that custom of the ancient Church was derived to offer the Bread and Wine unto God upon the Holy Table before it was consecrated to be the Body and Bloud of Christ because they supposed that at the first institution they had been so offered at the Altar in the Temple But as the Iews used not to eat their Sacrifices where they offered them no more did the ancient Christians think themselves bound to eat the Eucharist where it was consecrated insomuch that they carried it sometimes to their houses and ordinarily sent it to those which were absent And if it be well observed in the practice of our own Church there is a difference commonly between the place of consecration and the place of eating though both be in the Church True it is that at the first Institution though perhaps not the first hallowing of the Bread and Wine for the Passeover yet the consecration thereof to be the Symbols of the Body and Bloud of Christ was in a common room and that out of the necessity of the connexion which the materials thereof had with the viands of the Passeover Yet I suppose not the House to have been of the condition of our Inns but only for such Sacred entertainments as this was of which sort Ierusalem must needs have had very many for the accommodation of such as came to feast before the Lord as the whole Nation was to do three times in a year If all that hath been yet said will not satisfie this Objection yet I hope what I shall now say will do it fully What needed there any Altar or Place of relative presence where the Son of God the Heavenly Altar and Holy of Holies was himself present in person Is not the Temple of God there where he is and what Altar was so holy as his Sacred hands 5. Why in the posture of our adoration of the Divine Majesty more respect should be had to the Altar or Holy Table than either to the Font or Pulpit seeing they are also Places of God's presence as well as the other Suppose they be so yet when there are many why should not that which hath the principality draw this respect unto it A man is present where any part of him is yet when we salute him or speak unto him we are wont to direct our selves unto his Face as that wherein his presence is most principal and erected not to his Backer parts or to his Shoulders though the organ of hearing be that way Perhaps it was this principality which that Doctor or whatsoever he be whom you mention intended when he said that Hoc est Corpus meum was more with him than Hoc est Verbum meum But I think for my part first that the comparison of the Pulpit with the Sacraments and their places is heterogeneal Secondly that neither the Pulpit nor the Place of the Sacrament of Baptism are in this point or for this purpose we speak of of the same nature with the Altar For it ought to be considered though it be a thing now-a-days in a manner quite forgotten that the Eucharist according to the meaning of the Institution is the Rite of our address unto God the Father in the New Testament wherewith we come before him to offer unto his Divine Majesty our thanksgivings supplications and praises in the Name of his Son Iesus Christ crucified for us that is It is not only a Sacrament but as the ancient Church used to speak a Sacrifice also For that Sacrifices were Rites whereby they invocated and called upon God is a Truth though perhaps not so vulgarly taken notice of yet undeniable as on the Gentiles behalf may be seen in Homer in divers places where he describes the manner of offering Sacrifices on the Iews behalf by that speech of Saul 1 Sam. 13. 12. when Samuel expostulating with him for having offered a Burnt-offering I said saith he the Philistins will come down upon me to Gilgal and I have not made supplication to the Lord. I forced my self therefore and offered a Burnt-offering See also 1 Sam. 7. 8 9. Ezra 6. 10. Baruch 1. 10 11. 1 Mac. 12. 11. 2 Chron. 7. 12 sequentia Hence of Abraham and Isaac it is said when they built Altars that there they called upon the name of the Lord but Altars were the place for Sacrifice In stead therefore of the slaughtering of Beasts and the Sacrifices offered by fire and incense whereby they called upon the name of God in the Old Testament the Fathers and primitive Christians believed that our Saviour ordained this Sacrament of Bread and Wine as a Rite whereby to give thanks and make supplication to his Father in his Name in the New The mystery of which Rite they took to be this That as Christ by presenting his Death and Satisfaction to his Father continually intercedes for us in Heaven so the Church on earth semblably approaches the Throne of Grace by representing his Death and Passion to his Father in these holy Mysteries of his Body and Bloud Veteres enim saith Cassander in hoc mystico Sacrificio non tam peractae semel in Cruce oblationis cujus hîc memoria celebratur quà m perpetui Sacerdotii jugis Sacrificii quod in coelis sempiternus Sacerdos offert rationem habuerunt cujus hîc Imago per solennes Ministrorum preces exprimitur This that reverend and learned Divine Mr. Perkins once Fellow of our Society saw more clearly or expressed more plainly than any other Reformed Writer that I have yet seen in his Demonstrat Problem titulo de Sacrificio Missae Veteres inquit Coenam Domini seu totam coenae
determination Besides that which was spoken was done as it were obiter and in few words without insisting thereupon and that too with premised caution and nothing so much by a great deal nor so punctual as I had discoursed in the same place Sixteen years ago in a Concio ad Clerum for my Degree upon another Text. The Text now was that of Solomon Eccles. 5. Look to thy feet when thou comest to the House of God and be more ready to obey for so I rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than to offer the Sacrifice of Fools c. The Parts 1. A Precept of reverent and awful demeanour and accommodation when we come to God's House in the first words 2. A Caution not to prefer the secondary Service of God before the first and principal in the latter words Be more ready to obey c. I discoursed of the Condition of Places dedicated to Divine worship or God's House 2. What the Ratio was or wherein consisted the specification of the Divine Presence when he is said to be in one place more than another The Precept Look to thy feet I understood and interpreted as an Allusion to that Rite of Discalceation used by the Iews and other Nations of the Orient when they came into Sacred Places and still to this day continued amongst them Concerning which I produced divers Testimonies the ancientest that of God to Moses in the bush and to Ioshua together with that Symbole of Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discalceato pede sacrificato adoratóque c. Hence I made the sense of these words of Solomon to be as if we inflecting them to our manners should say Look unto or Be observant of thy Head when thou comest into the House of God meaning that he should put off his Hat and use any other Reverence wont to accompany it as a leading Gesture For so was this Rite of Discalceation among the Iews a leading Ceremony to other Reverential guises then used as the putting off of the Hat in civil use is wont to be with us Hence I inferred It was not only lawful but fit and a Duty commended to us in Scripture to use some kind of Reverence yea some Reverential guise and gesture when we come into God's House Where after a very few words of the thing in general in the close I had these words For should we come into God's House as we do into a Barn or Stable It was not good manners once so to come into a man's house Therefore our Blessed Saviour when he sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospel Matth. 10. would not have them to enter into a man's house without salutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When ye enter into a house salute it Why should we not think it to be a part of Religious manners to do as much when we come into the house of God But if any shall ask me here what other Gesture besides the Uncovering of the Head I would require in this case because I intimated that even now to be a leading Gesture I answer This belongs to the discretion of our Superiors and the authority of the Church to appoint not to me to determine For here as in all other Ceremonies the Church is not tied but hath liberty to ordain that which she shall think most suitable and agreeable to the time place and manners of the people where she lives Yet if I may without offence or presumption utter what I think then I say That Adoration or the Bowing of the Body together with some short Ejaculation which the Church of Israel used in her Temple together with Discalceation and which the Christians of the Orient at this day use in their Churches and time out of mind have done so is of all others the most seemly ready and fitting to our manners were it once by uniform order and practice established namely according to that of Psal. 132. 7. Introibimus in Tabernacula ejus incurvabimus nos Scabello pedum ejus or to that of Psal. 5. 7. I will enter into thine House in the multitude of thy mercies in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple Which is the Form the Iews use at this day at their ingress into their Synagogues and so for ought I know might we too This was the whole passage verbatim as I spake it Whence I passed immediately to the Second part of my Text Be more ready to obey c. where my chief Observation wherewith I concluded was The Condition of all External Service of God in general in the eyes of God which was such as he accepted no otherwise than secundariò namely as issuing from a Heart respectively affected with that Devotion it importeth That as the Body without the Soul is but a Carcass so is all Bodily worship wherein the pulse of the Heart's devotion beats not Now Mr. Doctor what was there in all this that an honest discreet and moderate man being so perswaded as I am might not speak But you will say What need had I to say any thing at all I 'le tell you My opinion in these things was well known to many in the University Our Pulpit had a long time been inflamed with such Discourses My obstinate silence having had more than once opportunity to declare my self and being studied in these matters was imputed to me by some to proceed either ex malitioso affectu toward such as furthered these things or out of too much addition and tenderness to the Puritan faction which is a crime here if it be once fastened upon a man nullo Oceano eluendum I thought good therefore to declare my self which yet I did with that caution and tenderness which might not give any just cause of offence to those who were contrary-minded who yet now I perceive deserved it not by their over-lavish report of what was spoken Besides I observed both out of Books daily printed and out of such Discourses as I had heard upon what dangerous Grounds some defended these things namely such as would in time infer the lawfulness of Image-worship I thought good therefore in more private Discourses to set them upon safer Principles and such as might if it were possible prevent such an Evil. And in all this why may I not say What have I done was there not a cause Yea but I am a great Practiser and Prosecuter of such ways Yet for all this I bowed not to the Altar when I came out of S. Marie's Pulpit as others commonly use to do I have urged no man at any time to use any of these Ceremonies nor conformed my self to any of them till I saw them prevail so generally as I should have been accounted singular Our own Chappel is very regular yet was not any thing introduced by me but others I confess I had no scruple to follow them besides I took occasion by my Chappel-exercises to inform them of
If so I would have it considered whether some of his Inconveniences be not as incident to such Confessions towards the members of a particular Church as would be from a general Confession towards the members of several Churches All such Inconveniences are per accidens but the good and benefit is per se yea prevents far greater evils with which such contingent and casual Inconveniences may not stand in competition What greater evil can befall the Church than Schism and breach of Charity between her Members and the woful effects that do inevitably follow thereof Shall we then to avoid the lesser and such as perhaps may not be cherish the greater which threaten ruine to the whole Body that I say nothing of the danger of the spiritual estate of those who are engaged therein if they are not so much as willing to be at Unity This is a great piece of Practical Divinity and to be more considered than it is Moreover it is to be considered that many of the Evils he supposes would follow of such a Confession are already in being in most Churches whilest there is no such Confession Therefore the declining of such a Confession is not the means to avoid them they will be whether there be any such or not Those who will seek for pretences to do amiss will always find them Some of the Evils he alledges are such as the contrary to what he fears seem every whit as like to follow For why should not such a declaration and limiting of Fundamentals rather introduce a greater liberty and indulgence in particular Churches to think what men list in other points than an oppression or further bondage to be imposed upon the Members thereof Yea a Confession cannot descend far in particulars but some mens Consciences or other will be wronged by it And a man in this case should not have respect to his own Conscience only but as well to other mens who may scruple the contrary to his He seems to me to confound Points of Faith with matters of Practice and Manners But the question is not what is Licitum or Illicitum in Practice or what is Necessarium factu but what is Necessarium creditu ad Salutem Lastly the whole Discourse methinks moves rather upon the hindges of Policy than of Divinity as is too manifest in that he would have the forein Churches to labour such a Confession and ours to lie at the advantage to approve or not to approve is as we shall find it makes for or against our particular Tenets All this I write tumultuously and confusedly without order without deliberation It is sufficient if you can guess my mind thereby or get any hint to think more accurately how such Objections are to be answered To shew it any body I would not it is not fit If any thing be to purpose make it your own So with my best affection I rest Christ's Colledge Ian. 22. Yours I. M. EPISTLE XCI Mr. Hartlib's Letter to Mr. Mede touching the Manuscript decyphering the Number of the Beast 666 and other Books newly set forth Worthy Sir I Thank you for your Answer and solid judgment which you have returned to the enclosed Paper you need not fear the miscarrying of these your Notions Mr. Dury will easily smell them out though I should convey them in my own name unto him By these enclosed you will see a fuller character of that Gentleman and what entertainment some Extracts out of your Letters concerning Fundamentals have found with Mr. Dury You do not tell me the name and your opinion concerning the Anonymous Book in folio called Bestia Apocalyptica There is great commendation of a Manuscript decyphering the Number of the Beast 666. I would fain learn of you wherein the excellency of that Treatise principally consisteth I hear Cluverius a very profound Historian and Divine of Denmark hath written an excellent Commentary upon the Revelation which is not suffered to come forth by reason of many Paradoxical passages which the Times cannot brook as yet I make no question you have seen a Book which Dr. Brochmand of Denmark hath written which is not unfit for our Times wherein he answereth the Motives for which the Administrators of Hall did fall off from Protestancy It was published Regio jussu Hafniae 1634. One writes that this Book doth answer largely many of the particular Arguments which are used in Mercy and Truth against us and doth it solidly and well in most of them He wishes also that it were more common amongst our Court-Divines Return the Copy of the Order of the Knighthood when you have sufficiently perused it Thus I rest London Ian. 24. 1637. Your most affectionate and willing Friend to serve you S. Hartlib EPISTLE XCII Mr. Mede's Answer with his judgment of Mr. Potter's Discourse of the Number of the Beast 666. Worthy Mr. Hartlib I Received yours with the Ordo Beatae Virginis which with the rest I will send back next week for now I have no time to make them up That Discourse or Tract of the Number of the Beast is the happiest that ever yet came into the world and such as cannot be read even of those that perhaps will not believe it without much admiration The ground hath been harped on before namely That that Number was to be explicated by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Numbers of the Virgin-Company and New Ierusalem which types the true and Apostolical Church whose Number is always derived from XII But never did any work this Principle to such a wonderful discovery as this Author hath done namely to make this Number not only to shew the nature and property of that State which was to be the Beast but to design the City wherein he should reign the figure and compass thereof the number of Gates Cardinal Titles or Churches S. Peter's Altar and I know not how many more the like I read the Book at first with as much prejudice against such Numerical Speculations as might be and almost against my will having met with so much vanity formerly in that kind but by the time I had done it left me as much possessed with admiration as I came to it with prejudice He meddles with no more of the Apocalyps than what concerns this Number 'T is a Mathematical ground he builds upon and will not be so well understood by one that hath not been a little versed in Arithmetick in that part which is called Extraction of Roots If the Scrivener whom I hired to write me out a fair Copy thereof had not disappointed me I could ere this have lent you a Copy it may be as good as the Authors I believe somewhat more distinct by such directions as I gave my Scribe If it were in Latine it would make some of your German Speculatives half wild Bestia Apocalyptica I saw and had above a dozen years since but some 6 or 7 years after it came first out our London Stationers to make
Verse 25. Vntil the fulness of the Gentiles be come in p. 197 Chap. 16. 5. Salute the Church at their house p. 324 I CORINTHIANS Chap. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ p. 25 Chap. 8. 5 6. Though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many Yet to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we to him and but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him p. 628 Chap. 9. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel p. 77 Verse 23. This I do for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I might be partaker thereof with you p. 79 Chap. 10. 3 4. And they did all â—at the same spiritual meâ—t and did all drink the same spiritual drink For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. p. 245 Vers. 5. But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness p. 255 Vers. 20. The things which the Gentiles Sacrifice they sacrifice to Daemons and not to God Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the Cup of Daemons p. 636 Vers. 21. Ye cannot be partakers of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils p. 375 Vers. 31. whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God p. 171 Chap. 11. 5. Every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head p. 58 Vers. 10. For this cause ought the woman to have a covering on her head because of the Angels p. 345 346 Vers. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God p. 61 Vers. 22. Have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God p. 319 Vers. 29. not differencing the Lord's body p. 8 Chap. 13. 5. Charity seekâ—th not her own p. 177 Chap. 15. 23. But every man in his own order Christ the first-fruits afterward they that are Christ's at his coming p. 775 802 Chap. 16. 19. See Romans 16. 5 EPHESIANS Chap. â— 2. the Prince of the power of the Aire p. 23 24 Vers. 8 9 10. By grace ye are saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them p. 112 215 Vers. 14. and hath broken down the partition wall between us p. 20 COLOSSIANS Chap. 2. 8 9. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godbeaa bodily and ye are complete in him p. 628 Chap. 4. 15. See Romans 16. 5. I THESSALONIANS Chap. 4. 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first p. 519 Vers. 17 18. Afterwards we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so we shall ever be with the Lord. p. 775 776 II THESSALONIANS Chap. 2. 3. Vnless that Apostasie come first p. 625 Vers. 7. Only he who now letteth will lett until he be taken out of the way p. 656 Vers. 8. that wicked one whom the Lord shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his coming p. 763 I TIMOTHY Chap. 4. 1. Howbeit the Spirit speaketh expresly That in the latter times some shall revolt from the Faith attending to erroneous Spirits and Doctrines of Daemons p. 623 Vers. 2. Through the hypocrisie or feigning of Liers having their conscience seared p. 675 Vers. 3. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats p. 688 Chap. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine p. 70 Vers. 21. elect Angels p. 42 Chap. 6. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation p. 82 II TIMOTHY Chap. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity p. 82 TITUS Chap. 3. 5. By the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost p. 62 PHILEMON Vers. 1 2. To Philemon odr dearly-beloved and fellow-labourer And to Apphia our beloved and Archippus our fellow-souldier and to the Church at thy house p. 324 HEBREWS Chap. 1. 6. And when he bringeth again the first-begotten into the world p. 577 Chap. 2. 5. For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the World to come whereof we speak p. 577 Chap. 9. 5. the Cherubims of glory p. 345 Vers. 29. in the end of ages p. 655 Chap. 10. 5. a Body hast thou prepared me p. 897 Vers. 25. as ye see the Day approching p. 664 Vers. 29. and hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified a common thing p. 7 Vers. 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry p. 664 Chap. 11. 16. But now they desire a better countrey that is an heavenly p. 801 Chap. 12. 27. This Yet once more signifies the removing of things that are shaken p. 166 IAMES Chap. 5. 3. Ye have heaped up goods for the last daies p. 664 Vers. 7 8. the coming of the Lord. p. 708 I PETER Chap. 3. 14 15. Fear ye not their Fear nor be in dread thereof But sanctifie the Lord God in your heart p. 9 Chap. 4. 7. The end of all approcheth Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer p. 664 Chap. 5. 13. The Church that is at Babylon saluteth you p. 76 II PETER Chap. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets among the People even aâ— there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them p. 238 Vers. 4. For if God spared not the Angels which sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment p. 23 Vers. 6. making them an Ensample unto those that after should live ungodly p. 33 Chap. 3. from vers 3. to Vers. 16. p. 609 c. I IOHN Chap. 1. 9. he is faithful and just to forgive p. 175 Chap. 2. 3. Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments p. 303 Vers. 18. Antichrist many Antichrists Chap. 4. 3. 2 Ep. Vers. 7 p. 663 900 IUDE Vers. 6. See 2 Peter 2. 4. Vers. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 914 Vers. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 344 APOCALYPS Besides several whole Chapters and parts of Chapters of the Apocalyps explained from pag. 419. to p. 605. and from pag. 905 to the end there are several passages explained
the Sea there are Islands to be met with which are commodious for habitation fruitful and well watered and accommodated with convenient harbors and ports for those who are distrestat Sea to repair to for their safety so is it in the world which is a very troubled Sea tempestuous and tossed by reason of sin God hath here providâ—d Synagogues or Holy Churches as we call them wherein the Truth is diligently taught and whither they repair who are lovers of the Truth and desire in good earnest to be saved and to escape the judgment and wrath of God * Clâ—m Alex. in Opere Quis fit ille dives qui salvetur apud Euseb. Hist Eccl. lib. 3. â— 17. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also in this Century undoubtedly were extant those Fabricks in the Cemeteries of S. Peter in the Vaticane and of S. Paul in via Ostâ—nsi which could be no other thaâ— some Christian Oratories whereof Gains speaks in â—usib and calls Throphaea Apostolorum lib. 2. cap. 24. Ab Anno 200. ad 300. a All the day long shall the zeal of Faith speak to this point bewailing that a Christian should come from Idols into the CHURCH that he should come into the HOUSE OF GOD from the shop of his enemy that he should lift up to God the Father those hands which were the mothers and makers of Idols and adore God with those very hands which namely in respect of the Idols made by them are adored without the Church viz. in the Heathens Temples in opposition to God and that he should presume to reach forth those hands to receive the Body of our Lord which are imploy'd in making Bodies that is Images for the Demons That according to the Gentiles Theology Images were as Bodies to be informed with Demons as with Souls see the Treatise of the Apostasie of the latter Times chap. 5. in Book III. b The house of our Dove that is of our Dove-like Religion or the Catholick flock of Christ figured by the Dove c In short The Dove is wont to point out Christ. d Plain without such a multiplicity of doors and curtains e In high and open places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hier. * Luke 1. 78. * Lib. 2. c. 57. al. 61. a Let the House be long and built Eastward * Apol. c. 16. * De Spect. â— 25. ad Vxoâ— l. 2. c. 9. De coâ—on miâ—t cap. 3. De velandiâ— virginiâ—us c. 3 13. b Coming to the Water to be baptized not only there but also somewhat asore in the CHURCH under the hand of the Bishop or Priest we take witneâ—s that we renounce the Devil and his Pomp and Angels and afterwards we are drenched thrice in the Water c The Temples of God shall be as common and ordinary Houses Churches shall be utterly demolished every where the Scriptures shall be despised d The Sacred Edifices of Churches shall become heaps and as a desolate lodge in an Orchard there shall be no more Communion of the precious Body and Bloud of Christ Liturgy shall be extinguished Singing of Psalms shall cease Reading of the Scriptures shall no more be heard * Ex Psal. 79. 2. caelesis similibus â—uâ—ta LXX IIebr in â—cervâ—â— seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desolationes Cap. 49. e The Christians being in possession of a certain publick place and challenging it for theirs and on the other side the Taverners alledging that it belong'd of right to them the Emperor's Rescript in favour of the Christians was this That it was better that God should be worshipt there after what way soever than that it should be delivered and given up to the Taverners a 1. Weeping the first degree of Penance was without the Porch of the Oratorie where the mournful sinners stood and beg'd of all the Faithful as they went in to pray for them 2. Hearing the second degree was within the Porch in the place called Narthex the place where these penitent Sinners being now under the Ferula or censure of the Church might stand near to the Catechumens and hear the Scripture read and expounded but were to go out before them 3. Prostration or Lying along on the Church-pavement These Prostrate ones were admitted somewhat further into the Church and went out with the Catechumens 4. Standing or Staying with the people or Congregation These Consistentes did not go out with the Catechumenes but after they and the other Penitents were gone out stay'd and joyn'd in prayer with the Faithful 5. Participation of the Sacraments b How that by becoming all things to all men he had in a short time gained a great number of Converts through the assistance of the Divine Spirit and that hereupon he had a strong desire to set upon the building of a Temple or Place for Sacred assemblies wherein he was the more encouraged by the general forwardness he observed among the Converts to contribute both their moneys and their best assistances to so good a work This is that Temple which is to be seen even at this day This is that Temple the erection whereof this Great person being resolved to undertake without any delay he laid the foundation thereof and therewithal of his Sacerdotal i.e. Episcopal Prefecture in the most conspicuous place of all the City c Whereas all other Houses whether Publick or private were overthrown by that Earthquake this Gregorian Temple alone stood firm without any the least hurt He was made Bishop Anno 249. lived until 260. d The Lord's House e The Church f Thinkest thou O Matron which art rich and wealthy in the Church of Christ that thou dost celebrate or commemorate the Lord's Sacrifice that is that thou dost participate the Lord's Supper worthily as thou oughtest who dost not at all respect but art regardless of the Corban who comest into the Lord's House without a Sacrifice or Offering nay who takest part of the poor mans Sacrifice feedest on what he brought for his Offering and bringest none thy self Script â—n 253. a What then remains but that the Church should yield to the Capitol and that the Priests withdrawing themselves and taking away the Altar of our Lord Images and Idol-Gods together with their Altars should succeed and take possession of the Sacrary or place proper to the sacred and venerable Bench of our Clergy b The Altar of our Lord and the place for the sacred and venerable Bench of the Clergy c Idol-Gods and Images together with the Altars of the Devil d might enter into the House of God e The Emperour C. P. L. Galienus to Dionysius Pinnas Demetrius and the rest of the Bishops Greeting What I have been pleased graciously to do for the Christians I have caused to be published throughout the world viz. That all men should quit the Worshipping-places for the Christians use And therefore you may make use of the Copy of my Letters to the end ye may be secured from any future attempts to disturb you